.
Hiei stroked the hilt of his sword absently as he and Kurama strolled with apparent idleness through the streets of Gandara. The fox was visibly nervous: his green eyes held a wild look and darted about constantly. He was chewing on his lower lip, a nervous habit the kitsune had had when they'd first met. Hiei wished the Youko would confide in him further.
Hiei murmured a question, and Kurama responded with a falsely cheerful smile and a muttered, "Daijoubu". The Koorime shook his head doubtfully. He knew the fox trusted him. That had been made obvious in the years they had been together. Not as lovers, though they had often found comfort in each other's bodies. Hiei considered Kurama his closest friend, and he knew Kurama viewed him in the same way.
The Youko shivered, pulling Karasu's jacket around him. It was warm enough that earlier Hiei had considered going shirtless.
Hiei's eyes were drawn to Yomi's palace, which seemed a lot bigger up close. Unwillingly, he lifted one hand to touch his forehead, where his Jagan had once been. Jaw clenched, he jerked his hand back to his side. He would not be that weak!
Kurama glanced down at him, concern replacing nervousness. The kitsune wrapped one arm around Hiei's shoulder, drawing the shorter youkai to him. Hiei stiffened, then slowly relaxed, putting one arm around Kurama's waist. There was no need to pretend around the Youko. Kurama understood.
They walked in companionable silence. Heading toward Yomi's palace, they attracted several leers and knowing glances. A few youkai even had the nerve to whistle at them. At Kurama, really. A single glance from Hiei sent them scurrying to disappear in the crowd.
Kurama chuckled quietly beside him, but when Hiei caught his eyes, Kurama looked hastily away.
Using the roundabout route as they had been instructed, it took a little over an hour to reach the alley by Yomi's palace, where Kurama had told them to meet. In the shadow of Gandara's largest building, Hiei and Kurama loitered until, in twos and threes, the others arrived.
Karasu and Genkai arrived first. The dark youkai's eyes immediately sought out Kurama even as he hurried over. Genkai, short legs unable to keep up the quick pace Karasu had adopted once he'd seen his lover, trailed behind at a slower pace.
Kurama greeted Karasu with a crooked smile. The tall youkai cupped Kurama's face with his hands, holding it close to his own. Kurama planted a kiss between those violet eyes, warmth penetrating his own. Hiei smirked. He really was glad his friend had finally found someone.
"Hold on to this one," he'd told Kurama the day before. "I don't think you'll ever regret it." Kurama had bowed his head, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. "Since when have you played the matchmaker?" His tone had been playful. "Well, since you're positive I've found "the one", perhaps I should start sticking my nose into your love life."
"Hn. You can be a real fool sometimes, fox." He hadn't really meant it, though. He just wasn't ready for a serious relationship.
Yusuke showed up at the meeting place with Toguro and Kuwabara to find the others already there. Genkai and Hiei were standing beside each other, watching Karasu and Kurama flirt. He felt himself scowling, and didn't try to hide it. Kuwabara, once he'd gotten over the fact that Kurama was gay (though how he'd failed to notice before this Yusuke couldn't understand), he'd actually been approving of the relationship! Genkai and Hiei didn't seem to care either way, as far as Yusuke could tell. Sadly enough, the only person who agreed with him was Toguro. Yusuke still wasn't quite sure why the big man disapproved- it might have had something to do with the fact that Karasu seemingly would take Kurama's orders over Toguro's. It might. Yusuke himself doubted that Karasu's apparent loyalty to Kurama was sincere.
"Listen up!" he said loudly. All head swiveled toward him, and Kurama stepped away from Karasu. Only a single step, but it would do. "Now that we're all here, the real work begins. Kurama." The redhead nodded. "You take Genkai and find Shura, like we planned." That way, if Yusuke somehow failed to defeat Yomi- a very real possibility, much to Yusuke's chagrin- they would at least have a hostage, which they could use to bargain with Yomi. Assuming, of course, that the egotistical goat even cared about his son. "The rest of you will come with me. We'll destroy anybody who gets in our way- as quietly as possible, of course. Hiei and I will be the ones to fight Yomi."
Toguro shook his head at that, though they'd explained the necessity of it to him. Neither Yusuke nor Hiei was powerful enough to beat Yomi alone, but together...
"Everybody got that?" They nodded. "All right. Lets go!"
Kurama and Genkai went off to wherever Kurama planned to enter from. Yusuke pulled out the crossbow Genkai had given him, with a strong but thin rope attached. Squinting, he aimed for one of the high windows and pulled the trigger. His aim proved true, and the arrow sailed through the window. Not the one he had aimed for, but...
Grinning, he tugged on the rope. It held. Dropping the crossbow, he grabbed the rope and pulled himself up, followed by Hiei, than Karasu, Kuwabara and Toguro.
He pulled himself through the window, dropping easily to the ground. Not waiting for the others, he stalked into the hall, pausing to get his bearings. Kuwabara came to stand beside him. "I feel a very powerful youki that way." he muttered, pointing to the right.
They actually passed several people, but none of hem questioned the presence of two scruffy youkais, a ningen, and the heirs of Mukuro and Raizen. Either stranger stuff happened on a daily basis, of the people didn't care enough about their ruler to raise a shout. Yusuke hoped it was the latter.
Following Kuwabara's lead, they strode confidently through the hallways until they came to a large set of double doors. Inside, Kuwabara warned, were many youkai, none lower than B-class.
"Yosh. This is where the fun begins!" He cracked his knuckles confidently, than kicked open the doors.
Toguro and Karasu were the first to fling themselves into the fight, Karasu flinging bombs and Toguro at 50% of his strength. Kuwabara waved his rei ken, roaring something about justice for all, and Hiei unsheathed his sword, a bloodthirsty smirk on his face as he joined the melee. Laughing, Yusuke joined his companions, though he only fought with his fists. He needed to save his real strength for Yomi.
With all five of them fighting, it was over quickly. Yusuke was pretty sure Kuwabara had overestimated this lot. "Oi, Yomi!" he shouted. "Come out and fight like a man!"
"I'm afraid." came a cool voice from behind them, "there is really no need for that."
Yusuke whirled around to face Yomi. "You son of-!" He broke off with a strangled gasp.
Smirking, Yomi tightened his grip on Kurama's throat. At his feet was Genkai, bound, beaten, and warded. Yusuke felt like a giant hand had grabbed his heart and was squeezing it. "I suggest that if you want your friends to live, you'll put your weapons away and allow yourselves to be warded."
Yusuke felt cold. 'Kurama...'baasan... I can't..I won't..' Genkai jerked at her bonds, eyes blazing. "Yusuke, DON'T! It's-" A kick from Yomi directed at her chest effectively silenced the old woman.
"'BAASAN!" He took a step forward, then glanced back at his companions. Karasu had already affected a yielding stance. Hiei and Kuwabara both looked torn, not wanting to give in, and not wanting their friends to die.
Kurama jerked in Yomi's grasp, twisting, trying to free himself. "Yusuke, don't give in! We're not worth it. Yu-" Yomi cuffed him so hard that the redhead was surely seeing birdies, in addition to digging his fingers into Kurama throat.
'Any tighter,' Yusuke realized, 'and he'll crush Kurama's windpipe'. Well, that settled it for Yusuke. He put his hands behind his back, bowing his head submissively. "All right. I give up. You win, Yomi."
Hiei and Kuwabara followed suit, allowing Yomi's lackeys to place wards on their wrists and necks. And along the right arm, in Hiei's case. They weren't taking any chances where Kokuryuha was concerned.
Toguro was the last to submit, glaring defiantly at Yomi even as the wards were placed on him. "Don't think you'll get away with this." he growled angrily.
Yomi began to chuckle, and it sent shivers down Yusuke's spine. In a very, very bad way. "You really are fools." he told them with a smirk. "I wouldn't believe you're so stupid, if I wasn't witnessing it myself."
"The fuck are you talking about?!" Yusuke snarled, testing the wards. Too strong.
Yomi was positively delighted. "All this, of course. I can't believe you didn't realize-"
"Enough, Yomi." Kurama's voice was quiet, but it carried. Calm and composed, the Youko pushed away from Yomi. The Makai lord dropped his hands, grinning.
"K-kurama...?" Karasu's breathless whisper was filled with...hurt? "Kurama....why...?"
Yusuke shook his head in denial as Yomi crowed his delight. "You still don't understand, do you?" He shook his head, fighting down mirthful chuckles. "How could a creature as pitiful as you ever expect to hold Kurama's loyalty? I would never have been so arrogant, in your place. Kurama has always been opportunistic. He saw that the true power lie with me, and so..."
Yusuke wasn't the only one unwilling to believe. Even Toguro seemed unable to accept... betrayal? Only Genkai remained untouched by shock, glaring at Kurama balefully from the floor.
"How could you, Kurama?" Yusuke couldn't keep the pain from his voice. "How could you?"
Kurama glanced at him briefly, green eyes a maelstrom of emotions. Yomi tried wrapping his arms around the redhead, but Kurama pushed him away. "I'm sick of this."
One of Yomi's lackeys jerked hard on his bonds. "C'mon. 'S the dungeons fer you." They made quite a little procession, Yusuke stumbling in the lead, Genkai in the rear. All the while tears streamed down his face, and one thought echoed bleakly in his mind.
Kurama had betrayed them.
. .
