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Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. Please don't assume that they are or I'll end up getting sued. They belong to Yoshihiro Togashi, Studio Perroit, and any other person who helped in the creation of this wonderful series. Thank you for giving me my Hiei-san (to torture...)!!
How will I solve
Tomorrow without you here?
Whose heart will guide me
When all the answers disappear
Is it too late?
Are you too far gone to stay?
Best friends forever
Should never have to go away
What will I do?
You know I'm only half without you
How will I make it through?
-If Only Tears Could Bring You Back, Midnight Sons
Chapter 3
Kuwabara glanced at Yuusuke nervously. Kurama was acting very strange. He hadn't slept at all, for one. And he'd been glowering at everything in particular since they'd returned from the battlefield the night before. He had changed to his youko form on the way back to Mukuro's camp and had stayed in it ever since, nearly seething with rage.
It's like he's turned into Hiei! Kuwabara blinked. Ummm...I'm not going to bug him then... Kuwabara always managed to piss the little fire demon off. Of course, he usually was trying, but Hiei seemed to truly hate him anyway...Especially after the carrot-top ningen and Yuusuke had harassed him about being gay... Y'know...maybe we shouldn't've done that... Kurama had been very upset about it too, even after they'd apologized to Hiei. He'd even yelled at them. Kuwabara and Yuusuke hadn't seen very much of him, and nothing of Hiei, since.
Yuusuke shook his head. If we find Hiei dead, Kurama will probably follow. He grabbed Kuwabara by the arm and pulled him away from Kurama. "Don't bother him." He glanced back toward Kurama who either hadn't noticed or didn't care that they'd left. "I really hope we find Hiei, or we're going to have some big problems..."
Finally, Mukuro came over to them, keeping a small distance between her and Kurama. "It's time. Let's go. We're on the front line."
Kurama looked away. "Hn." They followed the woman to where the troops were.
Hours later, they ran into the first of Yomi's goons, and dispatched them without a problem...well...not much of one. Kurama seemed to take great joy in painfully torturing his opponent to death, and it took him much longer than it took everyone else. They watched him with concern.
Yuusuke turned to Kuwabara, one eye on the rose-whip-brandishing kitsune, whispering softly. "If we don't find Hiei, he's going to go insane..." Kuwabara nodded in agreement, watching wide-eyed as Kurama painfully finished off the unfortunate youkai.
Even Mukuro was worried, but for a different reason. If Hiei is dead, he will surely try to kill me. I don't want to kill him, but if I must, I will... She watched, seemingly unconcerned, but calculating his every move and imprinting it to memory. Hiei never told me much about him, so I'll have to watch him carefully to learn his moves.
Hours and a few more youkai later, Mukuro called for a halt, telling the troops to break out rations. Kurama glared at her angrily. "We're wasting time!!"
The half-cyborg glanced at him, choosing her response cautiously. "We won't be effective against Yomi if we go in on empty stomachs."
Kurama snorted derisively. "Fine," the kitsune growled coldly. "You can catch up with me later." He ran into the forest.
Yuusuke cursed colorfully and ran after him, vaguely aware that Kuwabara was following him. After a while, Yuusuke managed to grab Kurama and tackle him to the ground.
"Get off me, kisama!" the kitsune yelled, enraged. The branches of the trees around them sharpened and bent toward Yuusuke.
Yuusuke shook Kurama. "What, are you going to kill me?! Murder me in cold blood like Yomi might have done to Hiei?!"
Kurama glared at him for a moment. Finally the branches went back to their original positions. Yuusuke let him up. "No," Kurama muttered. "I don't want to kill you. It's Yomi and Mukuro that I want."
Kuwabara cleared his throat, cringing slightly as Kurama turned to glare at him. "Ummm...Kurama? I know you're upset, but-"
Kurama interrupted him, his eyes flashing angrily. "Upset?! Oh, this is WAY past upset!!" He looked away. "Do you know what you did?!" The kitsune lifted his head up and both Yuusuke and Kuwabara took a step back at the murderous gleam in them. "When you harassed Hiei, you hurt him, even though he tried to ignore it! He thought that you were his friends! He trusted you!" Kurama turned his back on them. Somehow that was even worse then the homicidal look that he'd given them. "You violated that trust!" He whirled around, the gleam in his eyes growing more and more dangerous. "And now he might be dead!"
Yuusuke flinched. "I'm sorry, Kurama. I didn't think-"
"OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T!! NEITHER OF YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO!!" Kurama screamed. The kitsune glowered at them. "To think I actually stopped him from killing you two. Maybe I should've let him kill you!"
"Kurama...We're going to get him back, I promise you," Yuusuke said softly.
Kurama said nothing, and neither did the other two. Kuwabara was startled. I didn't think the little guy would be that upset...
"Now, I'm leaving! If you want to join me, come on!"
Yuusuke stepped forward and grabbed Kurama by the shoulders forcing him to look into his eyes. "This isn't helping Hiei. If we want to have any chance of saving him, we'll have to work with Mukuro, because we won't stand a chance against Yomi's army ourselves." He shook Kurama slightly. "And if you go and get yourself killed, what are we going to tell Hiei?! That you died trying to save him?! He'd blame himself and you know it!"
A tear slid down Kurama's pale cheek. "I'm sorry, Yuusuke, but it's just..." He took a deep breath. "I know what Yomi does to his prisoners, and if we don't hurry, Hiei will be dead!" If he's not already, Kurama's cruel mind reminded him.
Yuusuke nodded. "I know Kurama, but you won't get anywhere by yourself. We need Mukuro's army in order to get close enough to help Hiei!" Yuusuke looked at him, a silent request in his eyes.
Kurama gave in reluctantly. "All right...I'll come back with you."
Yuusuke smiled and nodded. "Good. Let's go then."
They reached Mukuro's army just as they were starting to march off. The 'bionic bitch' looked rather surprised to see them, especially Kurama. "So...you came back..."
"Hai." Kurama nodded slightly and turned away.
"Kurama," Mukuro mumbled. Kurama glanced at her. "We'll get Hiei back. I promise." The kitsune smiled weakly at her and nodded, then turned away again. Mukuro grinned inwardly. After Kurama and his ningen companions had left, one of the spies that Mukuro had planted in Yomi's palace had come to her and told her exactly why Yomi had kidnapped Hiei. Considering that he is my heir, I can use him for whatever I please, once I get rid of Kurama and his friends.
Yuusuke grinned at Kuwabara, cracking his knuckles gamely. "Ready?"
Kuwabara grinned back. "I, the great Kazuma Kuwabara, am always ready!" He paused, waiting. The retort that was usually heard from a certain fire demon never came. Kuwabara sighed, actually wishing, for once, that Hiei were there for him to argue with. "Let's go."
Yuusuke smiled sadly, his thoughts echoeing Kuwabara's. I miss him too, my friend. It's too quiet. The cocky ningen looked at Kurama. "You ready, Kurama?"
The kitsune sighed and picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Mukuro smiled slightly. "I, too, am ready." The smile faded as she turned to her army. "MOVE OUT MAGGOTS!!!" she screamed in a surprisingly loud voice.
Kuwabara and Yuusuke looked at each other and grinned. Man, Yuusuke thought, I'd love to see her and Hiei argue!
They had no more time to think as they began to move at a rapid pace through the brush.
DAAAAA!! It's compiled! It's compiled! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!! Finally I've finished the third chapter. *steps back and looks proudly at her creation, then frowns* Only three chapters! ARRGGHHHH!!! That's pathetic. *sighs* Back to work. Seesh. I'm my own slave driver.
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