Chapter Two: Alone?

Kurama eyed the yoma measuringly. And then gestured with his hand. The patch of plants it was standing in grew up around it and tightened. The yoma fell to bits on the ground. Kurama watched it with no satisfaction, only weary irritation. He had abandoned the dance for efficiency. Ten down on the list and 297 left to go. It was going to be a long boring month. There was no one to see his dance. Kurama glanced up to the rooftops in the town but he saw nothing. Nothing… and no one. Hiei. It didn’t really matter anymore, but Kurama felt that he should at least finish the task. With a sigh, he pulled out his list – the one Hiei had taken was a duplicate – and looked for the next target. Then he turned and left. Leaving the body behind him.

   ...   ...   ...               ...   ...   ...               ...   ...   ...

He heard the crooning before he saw anything, but he was well guarded against the song of a siren: There wasn’t much that could get through the bleakness of despair. Kurama pulled seeds out and disinterestedly looked for the demoness.

A blur of darkness flicked between him and her. Then the movements slowed and a small compact demon with shining black hair was diving towards the siren. She wailed and reared back on her tail, lashing out with her tongue and song. The demon effortlessly slipped by both and then the silver sword sliced the demoness in numerous small pieces.

There was stillness and silence for a long moment and then the figure blurred and was gone again.

Kurama blinked. And blinked again. He looked around but didn’t see anybody. Certainly there was no short, bad-tempered fire-demon in sight. Yet there was a dead siren in front of him. And… a rose? Kurama reached down to his feet and picked up the black rose. Black as night. An apt description as Kurama narrowed his eyes and studied it more closely – it wasn’t actually black, but rather was the midnight blue that shaded so darkly as to be mistaken for black but still held hints of its true color in the light. Kurama stared at it. It didn’t feel quite… right, exactly. As Kurama reached out to it with his mind, suddenly he knew it wasn’t a rose that grew in the human world or the demon world. Yet it smelled sweet and light as a rose should. It looked like a rose should look. And it was a gift, as roses should always be. Kurama handled it carefully, though he sensed that the rose was not as delicate as it looked. With a smile, he put it in his hair. "Thank you," he said to the emptiness around him.

Then he proceeded on with a lighter step.

   ...   ...   ...               ...   ...   ...               ...   ...   ...

It could have been a dream and was most likely just his imagination. He’d imagined the siren and everything that went along with it. Except that the rose was real. Every night, Kurama took the rose out and looked at it just to make sure. It had been seven days since Hiei had left the campfire and in all that time, there had only been the one glimpse of him on the third day. Not another sight or feel of him since then. If Hiei was around but hiding, surely Kurama would have felt his youki… but Kurama knew that Hiei was gone. Hiei had taken the life Kurama had given him and left, leaving only the rose.

Maybe this is the only thing I’ll get in exchange for my life – this rose. Kurama sighed; it looked like he’d miscalculated. He’d really thought… But Hiei was truly gone and not coming back again. He had his freedom now, and Kurama had lost his. But Kurama didn’t know what he would have done differently. It had to have been done; Hiei would never have trusted him with the compact between them. But without the compact…

Koenma wouldn’t let this go. He had had Hiei in jail. Captured. Contained. All that power and strength, subdued if not beaten. And Kurama had talked Koenma into letting it out. Koenma hadn’t really expected it – Kurama knew that. But Koenma had agreed as long as his leash was on the wild beast.

But Kurama had taken off the leash; and now the wild demon was gone like the animals of the forest, free. As Kurama was not: He hadn’t given Koenma a compact, but he’d given his promise, and his mother still lived in the human world over which Koenma had domain. Kurama would finish this job and go tamely back to Koenma’s office. And would die there – for letting Hiei go.

He’d known this was a possible outcome. He had thought of it. And had dismissed any concerns. Wasn’t he the great Kurama? Able to talk anybody into anything? Able to steal the three Sacred Artifacts? Able to steal a demon compact off the very desk of the heir to the spirit world? Surely he should have been able to steal one little demon as well.

One little demon. A mystery. Koenma thought that Kurama was an enigma, but truthfully, that was Hiei. Kurama hadn’t lived for six hundred years without learning anything about demons. And Hiei didn’t truly fit the pattern, though Kurama hadn’t noticed, at first. At first he’d seen nothing but what Hiei had allowed him to see: A demonic creature of the night, intent on destruction and chaos, cunning and hateful. Power incarnate.

And then Hiei had played with Yusuke… Kurama owed Yusuke not just his life, but his mother’s as well. For Yusuke had trusted him with the Mirror of Utter Dark, one of the three Sacred Treasures of the spirit world. Yusuke had trusted him, so Kurama had to help him. He’d gotten there barely in time, no time to do anything but place himself between Hiei and Yusuke. And he’d felt the sword running through his body. The metal slipping between skin and bones and organs like they weren’t even there. Slipping through his soul as well. Sliding between the bonds that made Kurama mortal and in control of his very self, killing his spirit. Kurama had felt it. And could do nothing about it. That was, after all, the power of Ghost Slayer. It captured human souls. And killed spirits with one stroke. Kurama was dead. A normal sword he could have recovered from. But not Ghost Slayer. One of the three Great Treasures of the Spirit World. Kurama was dead without the chance to slip away.

Or so he’d thought. Until he felt the soft tentacles of a powerful mind wrapping around the sword and untangling the threads of Kurama’s soul from it. Shoving Kurama back where he belonged as a hoarse voice screamed at him. ‘What the hell are you doing!?’

Kurama had wanted to yell back, ‘What are you doing?’ Hiei… Yusuke had to finish the fight. So Kurama had provided the means. But he was left with a new interest and a mystery. Why had Hiei saved his life? Why did he care one way or the other what happened to Kurama? Simply a thief. One who was in a human body. One that had betrayed Hiei. Turned away from the group. Left to follow his own path. Steadfastly standing against all that Hiei stood for.

And Hiei had saved his life.

So.

So here Kurama was.

In the woods. Staring at a very normal campfire burning yellow and red – no sign of green flames. Staring at it and preparing to die. Koenma would not let this pass by. He could not, and still be ruler of the Spirit World. For letting Hiei go, Kurama’s life would be forfeit.

But then, he only had his life because of Hiei anyhow. Hiei and Yusuke. Two mysteries that Kurama wanted to know more about. But now… now he would never know. Hiei…

Kurama had thought it wouldn’t come to this. He had confidently planned out all the little traps and maneuvered his way around all the barriers he could find. He had thought he’d found them all. Obviously, he’d missed some. Either that, or in the end, the treasure room was empty. Sometimes that happened. The thief would go through all the motions, slip through every guard. And find only a bankrupt merchant who had sold everything yet kept up the pretense of having something valuable. Or the real jewel had been replaced with paste long ago. Cunning paste good enough to fool casual inspection. It was only when one looked at it closely that it was revealed to be worthless.

With a sigh, Kurama curled into a small ball and cried himself to sleep.

   ...   ...   ...               ...   ...   ...               ...   ...   ...

The dragon was beautiful. So beautiful and yet so deadly. Kurama, on the verge of using his plants again, hesitated. Then decided to dance. He had no audience but the dragon itself. Yet, he felt the dragon worth the dance. Too beautiful for simple efficiency. This one required beauty even in death. So. Kurama would dance for the dragon. 

Kurama danced.

A final slice and it was done. The pine tree was chopped down. As it fell, the rough bark turned back into scales and the dragon assumed its form in death.

Kurama shook his head as he looked at the dead dragon. At the end, it had tried to hide in the shape of a pine tree, and that came closer to Kurama’s heart than the dragon would ever know. Yet, it was also what Kurama knew best. Kurama had been tempted to let the dragon go, but that would have stopped the dance – and his mission. There were still 200 list targets to go, and Kurama would finish what he had started out to do.

The red-haired fox-spirit watched the unmoving body of the dragon. It was beautiful, all shiny scales and metallic hide. Dark, near black, with bright highlights of white circles around the edges of the scales. A very true and obvious image of power contained. Kurama regretted having to kill something so beautiful.

With a sigh, he walked back to his camp to pack up and move on. He was in the high mountains now, on the outskirts of China. Soon he would leave for Mongolia and take care of the list items there. It was fairly quiet here in this remote land. No people. At least none now that the dragon had eaten them all. And now the dragon would be food for the creatures of the woods. By the time humans moved back into the area, there would be nothing left but bones and scales. Kurama wondered what classification it would get in the scientists’ books.

"You still take too long. What if something else attacks you in the meantime?"

Kurama’s heart stopped.

His green eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he raised his head to look at the demon sitting casually on a rock next to Kurama’s campsite. He tried to speak Hiei’s name but couldn’t find his breath or his voice. His legs lost their strength and he collapsed down to his knees, hands by his side limply hanging down, his gaze transfixed.

The demon raised a sardonic eyebrow, "Hn. Guess I won’t need the rock after all." He stood up and jumped lightly down.

"Rock?" Kurama managed to get out. He wasn’t really thinking. He wasn’t sure if he was breathing. How??? Why…?

"So I can be level with your eyes," the demon chuckled as he walked forward. Standing, he was only slightly taller than Kurama kneeling.

Kurama watched him approach, his mind in a daze. Was it real? Was that… Hiei? Come back to him? Would Kurama not be killed after all?

The demon stopped two feet away from Kurama and stood still for a long moment. Kurama simply watched him. The week of mindless killing with his hope dying by degrees had left its mark on him and Kurama just couldn’t react to the sudden change. Hiei regarded Kurama for a long moment and then reached up to the corner of his cloak, taking it off and letting it pool in a puddle around his feet. Hiei’s pale skin shaded to a dark green and he took the sword out of its sheath, tossing the scabbard away as he balanced the sword in front of his body, his gaze intent on Kurama. Eyes started to open over Hiei’s body.

Kurama blinked, off-balance just as he was starting to get his feet under him again. He’s going to kill me. That wasn’t a path he’d foreseen. But now that it was upon him, Kurama realized it was a logical one. Kurama had stolen something from Hiei after all – it hadn’t been an empty room. And Hiei was going to take it back in the only way he could. "Hiei…" Kurama started to speak, not sure what he would say. Hadn’t he been prepared for death a moment ago? And then had been stunned with a chance for life. And it was being swept away again…

The sword flashed towards him. Fast. But slow considering it was Hiei wielding it. Kurama could see it moving. Could feel the sharp metal touching his skin. Could feel his second-best outfit falling in shreds around him. The sword returned to poise in front of Hiei as the demon stared at him, his expression unchanged.

Kurama blinked, surprised into indignation, "Hiei! That was my favorite shirt."

"I’ll buy you a new one," Hiei spoke softly. He drove the sword point-first into the ground, driving it through stone like butter and then leaving it there. He stepped forward and leaned downwards very slightly to press his lips against Kurama’s.

What the… Kurama wasn’t just off-balance anymore. He was gone. Totally and completely baffled. No longer even thinking he understood anything anymore. With a gasp, he pulled back, "Hiei! What—" And then Kurama realized that he was looking straight into Hiei’s jagan, which was open and glowing bright. "Hiei!" Kurama screamed as his soul was sucked into the void.

   ...   ...   ...               ...   ...   ...               ...   ...   ...

In the whirling void there was nothing and everything. Darkness and colors. Shapes and forms and tastes and texture where nothing existed. Kurama couldn’t scream anymore. He couldn’t think. He… A question whirled through the void, wrapping itself around him.

Kurama didn’t understand the question. He opened his mouth to speak, but then heard his voice. His voice and not his voice. It was him, but not him… With another shock, Kurama recognized it as his Truth.

"Hn…"

Suddenly, Kurama was released from the void. He was back in the world, still on his knees, still staring at Hiei…

Hiei was grinning down at him, "I think I can manage that." He reached his hand forward and brushed Kurama’s face gently, running his fingers across Kurama’s eyelids as they automatically closed.

Kurama felt the featherlight weight of Hiei’s lips press against his own again, even as Hiei’s hands slipped around his head to stroke through his hair.

Kurama pulled back, shoving Hiei away from him in the same instant, "Hiei! What—"

For the second time, his question was forestalled. This time as his eyes didn’t open. Or rather, as they opened but he couldn’t see… There was only darkness, yet not the darkness of the void, a much more real and solid darkness. He couldn’t see anything… he was blind. "Hiei!" Kurama screamed, flailing outward, seeking to touch to feel… He dropped down on the ground and dug his hands in the dirt. "What have you done????"

"Hn."

The calm voice was very near to him. Kurama jerked up and frantically tried to orientate…

"Calm down, wild fox – let’s go to the campfire. Just lean on me for now." Hiei’s voice sounded rather self-satisfied and gentle hands tugged Kurama up and supported him while he balanced.

Standing without sight was hard to do. Not to mention the confusion running through Kurama’s mind. He was out of the void, but just starting to find himself. And the calm, reassuring voice of the demon assured him not at all. What is Hiei doing? What has he done? He had taken Kurama’s sight, somehow. But why? Kurama did not like being played with.

"I wonder," Hiei’s voice was still very soft as the gentle hands guided Kurama into stepping forward a few hesitant steps, "did you really know what you were doing?"

Kurama was starting to get his balance. And a cold-white flame was starting to flare up in his heart. You will make of me a play-thing? You will make me rely on you? You will learn better, damn demon. He hid his cold anger for a few moments longer. "What do you mean?"

There was a low rueful chuckle. It didn’t sound like Hiei, and yet it did. "Did you know what you were doing when you wanted me to join you?"

The flame flared up into a bonfire. Kurama snarled angrily, "Obviously not!!" His hand whipped through his hair to grab and scatter seeds that he knew by touch and feel. He sent his mind out to make them grow, to punish this upstart demon that would dare to play games with Kurama!

And Kurama fell back reeling as his mind met a block more powerful than anything he had ever felt before. He couldn’t feel his plants. His rei was sealed. Contained. More thoroughly than a warding. Tighter than a poison. He was trapped. Trapped… Kurama screamed as he fell to his knees once more, his hands raising to cover his face.

The hunter had been hunted. And was pinned. As Kurama had taunted all those demons he slew, so now was he taunted in turn. Powerless. He felt his utter helplessness at Hiei’s hands and for the first time in his long life, he was afraid. Hiei hadn’t killed him. Hiei wanted him alive for some reason. Hiei had seen through all of his cunning and his plans and his purpose. And Hiei had laid his own trap. Kurama had thought Hiei was the prey, but really it was Kurama. And he was helpless. Totally so. With no rei, with no power, without his sight and without his plants, what could he do?

In spite of his pride, Kurama began to shake, his fear tearing him apart.

"You’re frightened?" A puzzled voice through the darkness. "Of me?" A whisper of wind in the breeze, "Bide a moment, my fox, and you will be free."

Hiei? The gentle voice didn’t sound like the demon. And yet it did. My fox? Wait a minute… Kurama’s shivering started to abate, as he tried to figure out what was going on. Then gentle hands brushed lightly over Kurama’s eyes and a kiss on his lips before the sensation withdrew. Kurama opened his eyes and blinked in the light. He reached out with his mind and felt his plants ready for his tasking. He brushed the seeds back into his hand and tucked them in his hair, staring at the short demon standing several feet away, back turned towards Kurama, staring into the mountain mist.

"I’m sorry, Kurama," came the soft voice, "I didn’t realize you’d take it that way." The voice was impossibly gentle, "The last thing I would ever do would be to hurt you." He corrected himself instantly, "No, not the last thing. The thing I would never do."

Kurama watched as Hiei turned around to look at him, the red eyes sparkling, a good-natured smile upon the thin lips. It is Hiei. That voice, gentle, kind, caring… But how? Fascinated, he watched as Hiei’s lips parted to speak again.

"I needed to gain some time after the void, and I thought you wouldn’t be hurt by what you could not see. Obviously I wasn’t thinking about how you would see it!"

"Hiei?" Kurama whispered, "What’s going on? What…?"

Hiei walked back to him and those gentle soft hands ran over Kurama’s face again. Avoiding the eyes. Kurama shivered at the light stroke. One hand moved back into Kurama’s hair, stroking it gently. The other cupped his chin lightly, a thumb running softly over Kurama’s lips. "Kurama," Hiei murmured in a deep, sensual tone, "my beautiful fox." And Hiei leaned in towards Kurama, his intent obviously to kiss him again.

Kurama grabbed Hiei’s hands firmly in his own and stood up and out of Hiei’s reach. "Hiei… Enough of that. What are you doing?"

Those red eyes gazed calmly and… peacefully… up at him. A soft chuckle rose in Hiei’s throat as he smiled trustingly up at Kurama. "I didn’t think so. I didn’t think you knew what you were doing."

Kurama swallowed. He didn’t understand… anything really. This wasn’t Hiei in front of him. Not this gentle, soft demon with the glowing, trusting eyes. Kurama blinked. Trusting? Hiei? Trust…

"Ah, there you start to see," Hiei grinned in amusement, "Kurama, you stupid fox – what did you think would happen when you caught me?"

"Uhh…" Kurama had thought to show the little demon that it was okay to trust somebody, with a gesture of trusting him. He had wanted to get through the barriers that the unfeeling demon had put up. He had expected a slow, gradual dance, stepping closer bit by bit, moving cautiously in so not to frighten. He had wanted to find the mystery deep within and solve its puzzle. In the end, he had wanted… a friend. Kurama hadn’t expected the demon to respond this quickly, neither had Kurama expected Hiei to fall in love with him. "Hiei," Kurama stumbled over the demon’s name, his hands still holding his. "Hiei, I didn’t… I mean I…" Kurama took a deep breath, "I don’t feel that way about you." And now he really would be killed. But in this, even now, he couldn’t lie to the demon; it was too important.

Hiei’s mouth stayed in the little grin, "That’s okay. I don’t expect you to. But," with a quick gesture, Hiei freed his hands and used them to stroke Kurama’s bare chest, "what does that have to do with sex?"

"Sex?" Kurama squeaked. He took two steps backward, putting distance between him and the demon. "You… I mean you…" He took a steadying breath, "Hiei – no." Kurama was almost in control of himself again – if not the situation.

Hiei’s eyes widened in surprise and for a moment, the mocking tone was back in his voice, "What’s this? Yoko not wanting to accept pleasure? Can this be possible?"

The fox spirit’s mouth tightened in a frown, "I am Kurama. Yoko is dead. He died fifteen years ago. I am Kurama."

"Of course," Hiei spoke softly again, "I’m sorry." With a sigh, Hiei turned away and walked to the campfire, blowing upon the embers and putting some green into the yellow flames. "It’s been a long day. I’m going to get some rest."

Kurama blinked in surprise as the demon curled up by the fire, his arm wrapping around to cover his eyes. Hiei looked… like a house cat settling down for a nap. He took a step forward, "Hiei?"

Hiei didn’t move, but his voice was soft in the breeze, "We’ll talk tomorrow. I used up most of your rei while I was looking for my answer, and you need your rest."

While he was looking for his answer? Kurama stared at the demon. And suddenly remembered the void. With the question whirling around him. ‘What do you want from me?’ And the answer that had come back from Kurama’s soul. The answer he hadn’t known himself. ‘What you will give.’ It had been a true answer – Kurama hadn’t expected much from the demon. He thought he might find a friend, of sorts. He thought that with time, he’d find the answer to his mystery. But Hiei had taken the answer… and had found acceptance within it.

Shakily, Kurama glanced at the sword stuck in the ground behind him, then forward to the demon sleeping by the campfire. He walked forward and carefully lowered himself down. He could feel it now – the drain on his rei. He was almost totally exhausted. Thoughtfully, Kurama studied Hiei’s curled form. If he was exhausted, what must Hiei feel like? That took a hell of a lot of control, to use the jagan so finely, so carefully. To seek for a single answer and no more. Kurama would have known if Hiei had used it to rummage through his memories and self. Hiei hadn’t. And the preciseness of the use, to carefully open the path and not control. Not to drive Kurama insane and to bring him back out again, intact.

That had been what all that earlier part had been for: To get Kurama off-balance enough so that his barriers were down completely. If Kurama had any sort of barriers up at the time, breaking through them would have destroyed Kurama’s mind.

With a feeling of wonder, Kurama reached out to tentatively touch the spiky black hair on the demon’s head. He took such care… To avoid hurting me. ‘Hurting you is the thing I would never do.’ Hiei’s hair wasn’t rough or spiky like it looked. Instead, it was fine and soft. Kurama found himself stroking it gently, over and over again. So soft. 

Hiei stirred and Kurama jerked his hands back, feeling hot and flustered. His face was probably as red as his hair. But Hiei merely shifted, his arm falling down from his face and his body uncoiling a bit from its curl.

Kurama watched him in astonishment. I’ll be damned. He really is asleep! Carefully, Kurama reached out again and stroked through the soft fur. It probably was closer to fur than hair. Just as Kurama’s hair was more of a mane. That was what gave Hiei’s hair the spiky look, fur puffed out like a fighting cat. Kurama stroked it carefully and was rewarded with seeing the spikes slowly settle softly down. To his total amazement, a sound like purring came from Hiei’s chest and the demon smiled in his sleep.

"Hiei, what am I going to do with you?" Kurama whispered softly, continuing to pet the sleeping demon. He understood now what had happened. The acceptance that Kurama had shown… the demon gave back ten-fold. Trust must be such a rare thing in Hiei’s life that the short demon didn’t know what else to do with it other than give it back. Truthfully, that’s what Kurama had been hoping for… just not in this magnitude. He loves me. Hiei, cold-hearted ruthless killer, dark demon of the deepest depths of hell, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants… Hiei loves me.

"What did I do?" Frightened by the enormity of what he’d done, Kurama drew back, watching the small form. His hands wanted to go back to that soft fur… He held himself still. The only reaction from Hiei was a slight stirring. After a moment, the purring stopped and there was only the sound of soft breathing.

And the sound of Kurama’s heart beating loudly. "Oh enough of that," Kurama berated himself. Hiei was right – they could talk about it in the morning. Kurama was so tired… He glanced over at the sunset in amazement. He’d danced with the dragon through the night and when he’d finished the dance, it had been mid-morning. And now it was evening? Kurama looked back to Hiei – he must have spent more time in the vortex than it had seemed. It had seemed like only a few moments. But the whole day had gone by. Or had it been after the void? As he was emerging into the light. Kurama vaguely remembered hands stroking him gently, a soft voice murmuring reassurances; a guide drawing him carefully out. Even after the answer… I could have died, I was so far in… That’s what the blindness and the rei block had been about. To keep Kurama from trying to use all his senses while his soul was still settling back into his body. Kurama sighed, "Hiei – can’t you ever do anything straightforward?"

The kiss had been straightforward enough. Kurama ran his fingers over his lips, feeling again the gentle caress. It had been lightly placed and not at all demanding, feeling almost tentative. Kurama looked down at the demon thoughtfully. ‘What does that have to do with sex?’ Kurama doubted if the fire demon was a virgin. That was almost an impossibility in the demon world. Yet… in the demon world, sex rarely had anything to do with the deeper emotions. Dominance. Trade. And pleasure. Pure and simple. Kurama had to admit that that attitude was how he used to look at it himself, even though he was a spirit rather than a demon. After he left the pack of his youth, Yoko had never formed one of his own. He was a lone fox, happy to be the best thief there was and delighting in his possessions. And sex was merely for pleasure, albeit, a lot of pleasure!

But fifteen years as a human had changed some of his attitudes. Kurama used to sneak over to his parents’ room and watch them without them knowing he was there. It was different than what he knew, there was more than the pleasure, there was also love. Kurama could vaguely remember the love between Yoko’s pack members. The males and females sharing and caring and loving each other. Supporting and nurturing, as they guided the young foxes on their first steps of life. Six hundred years was a very old memory, but watching his human parents brought some of it back. Most kitsune were lone foxes in their adolescence, as they formed their independence and learned to live. As they matured, however, most found their own packs, their own mates, their own families. But he never had. Yoko wasn’t the only lone fox out there, but his kin shunned the lone ones, thinking them odd and missing something vital. For perhaps the first time, Kurama knew why his family avoided Yoko. Yoko had not known love.

Love… Hiei spoke of pleasure, but unknowingly offered love.

Suddenly, Kurama wondered what it would be like… To hold that smaller body in his, to have those delicate hands stroking his body… Kurama bit his lip and hauled in his thoughts. With a sigh, he laid down on the other side of the fire and closed his eyes. Almost instantly, he could feel sleep reaching out to claim him.