Trust
Chapter 4
'That wasn't so hard,' Yusuke commented to himself as he pushed the
door to the large complex open. But he knew better. Things were
never simple as far as the Makai was concerned, especially when
dealing with thieves and ruthless thugs. In all his missions for Koenma,
Yusuke had learned quickly what to expect from the demons that
inhabited the lands. He knew all too well that things were NEVER
easy.
Beside him, the tall frame of Kuwabara Kazuma huffed roughly,
noting his own presence. He stood tall and straight as he usually did,
hands shoved down deep into the pockets of the blue school uniform.
There was a hard tone of seriousness set across his thin, piercing eyes
and long face as he glared into the darkness beyond the door.
And Kurama shifted uneasily to Yusuke's other side, his mind
furiously trying to search out his best friend and lover's ki, wading
through the jumbles of images and youkai that he felt within the huge,
looming building that Reikai intelligence said held Hiei.
But he could not locate the little demon's ki.
"Are we just going to stand here all day?" Kuwabara mumbled,
shifting a hand around in his pocket. He turned the thin eyes over to
Yusuke, looking to his friend and biggest rival out of the corner of his
eye.
"I don't like this..."
"I haven't liked this since we left the Ningenkai," Kuwabara
interrupted. "But we're here, so let's do something and get the hell
outta this place. It gives me the chills."
Kurama sighed a defeated sigh, bending down slowly to the ground.
His knees shook violently as he tried the simple movement, threatening
to give way completely underneath his weight before he could even
make it to the ground. This was no good, if he could not get more
control over his emotions he would be absolutely no help to the team.
Matters would come about and Kurama would fail them, dooming them
all to an eternity of hell. He had to pull himself together.
He squatted on the ground by the open door, mentally coaching
himself as he reached out and picked several blades of grass that poked
up through the cement work of the walkway. With each one he sternly
gave himself a mental shove, telling himself to get his act together or go
home.
Yusuke and Kuwabara made way from the door instinctively, backing
away from the dark depths as Kurama pushed himself more steadily to
his feet, straightening into his tall, slender presence. He twirled one of
the blades of grass in his fingers, standing up to face directly into the
darkness beyond, face set sternly. Seriousness and mental
concentration over-ran his appearance, plunging him into a deadly
serious tone. His ki sparked, sending the blade of grass bellowing into
a huge, thick root, plunging itself into the darkness....
A line of explosions sparked quickly from the root as it sprung traps
laid beyond, Kurama countering with the next blade of grass, sparking
it into the same root, squeezing it through the door beside the other.
The building foundations shook and cracked as more explosions
triggered inside, belching heavy, sulfur clouds out of the darkness of
the open door, rising in huge, sickening grey clouds to the Makai sky
above.
Migami sat up swiftly on the bed beside Hiei as the floor underneath
him shook and lurched, threatening to toss the large bed anywhere in
the tight confines of the room. Beside him, Hiei's head flopped to the
side, purple and blue bruises from Migami's vicious bites running down
to mingle with injuries that laid in patterns over his little chest.
The second ring of shocks knocked the bed forward to the door,
breaking the heavy oak door off its hinges in a nauseating twist and
whine of worked metal.
The youkai cursed slightly but smiled none the less, reaching a hand
over to lay it gently on Hiei's cold, bare chest. "Company." Outside
his window, the blue-haired youkai saw the billowing clouds of grey
smoke tumble into the air, racing away on a steady wind to leave a
gloom trail into the distance.
"Impressive," he commented, shifting on to his knees on the bed.
"Ingenious perhaps. Perhaps not. Well, I knew my first little trap
would never stop a Reikai-tantei... but I have many more surprises in
store for you," he spoke to the cloud, grinning maliciously. His hand
stroked over Hiei's chest, caressing the little body as he continued to
look out the window to the grey cloud.
Migami chuckled lightly to himself, rolling over to lay his head down
on Hiei's bare and battered chest. Within he could hear the sickly-
throbbing heartbeat echoed with the labored breathing, Hiei's body just
barely responding to its own actions. "Grief, you're such a small and
frail thing, aren't you?" Migami whined, raising a hand to pass it over a
deep purple bruise that marked the location of one of Hiei's shattered
ribs. "So helpless without your ki, aren't you?"
Lightly, he stroked the bruise, coaxing the color out of it as he set to
healing the broken bone. He heard the familiar crack and snap as the
rib was pulled back into its normal position, sparking a jolt out of the
sleeping youkai underneath. With the gentleness of a healer, Migami
drew out the blood and damage the broken rib had done, mending it
back in place with a splint made out of his own powers, watching the
soft, peachy color of Hiei's skin perk back.
But Migami frowned. The patch was the only length of skin on Hiei's
upper body that glowed with the little youkai's life-force. The rest of
his body from the waist up laid riddled with bruises and open wounds,
running up and down the little body from Migami's own merciless
attacks. "Guess I don't know my own strength," he chuckled vainly to
himself, laying his ear back down to rest on Hiei's chest.
The heartbeat was stronger now, and the breathing less labored,
rasping within his lungs as they rose and fell under Migami's head.
"Can't have you dying on me before I've had my fun," he whispered.
Yusuke lowered a shielding hand from the debris, opening large
brown eyes to the dirty, smoking cloud thinning out from the door
frame. Kurama stood tall and still, set against the darkness like a
glowing apparition, a fist tightly clenched at his side. His green eyes
pierced into the darkness with hatred and malice, threatening to plunge
his perfect face into a cruel mask of its former self.
Next to him, Kuwabara pulled himself to his feet from where he
landed on his rear, dusting his uniform quickly. The tall young man
stepped from the sidelines back onto the walk, shadowing Yusuke who
mirrored his actions.
The door frame laid busted out and splintered around Kurama,
plaster and concrete rubble tumbling lightly from its wake. Thick faults
lay along the structured foundations of the complex like thick spider
webs, glowing up to the second and third floors above. Inside, the
thick blackness was pierced by tiny rays of outside light, shinning
through dust and haze to a set of winding stairs set behind the mine
field that had been triggered moments ago by the roots.
"Nice work... think you could have saved the foundations a bit?"
Yusuke mumbled, stepping lightly past Kurama into the dimness
beyond.
Kurama sighed and looked defeatedly down to the floor as Kuwabara
pushed past, patting Kurama lightly on the back. No amount of mental
couching could prepare Kurama for what he was sure to find inside this
complex : the thought of his lover - the one and only man he had
pledged his heart and soul to - brutalized at the hands of another...
"Are you coming, Kurama?" Yusuke's demanding voice called back.
"H... hai." But that would have to wait. More importantly, he had to
reach Hiei before any type of readiness could be achieved... he raised a
foot and stepped solemnly through the door frame, slipping into the
dimness beyond.
Inside, there stood a large foyer spanning much of the bottom level.
It shone and glistened of marble under the blasts and explosions,
marring the surface heavily into a dimpled, dull mass. A flight of grand,
thin stairs grew from the center of the foyer, spiraling up into the floor
of the second level above.
Kuwabara straightened the lines of his school uniform, muttering and
mumbling to himself as he did. "So what, no welcome party?"
Yusuke groaned and smacked him roughly in the shoulder. "Baka,
don't give these people any ideas. Getting to the top of this building is
going to be a chore in itself."
Kurama appeared behind, eyes drooped, the expression in his face
more sorrowful than anything else. "Nevertheless, we need to get there
as soon as possible... for Hiei's sake."
"Kurama..." Yusuke whispered. "Are you going to be able to do
this?"
Kurama's face brightened suddenly, hiding the pain and sorrow
immediately under the warmth of his smile and bright eyes. "Don't
worry about me..."
"Come on!" Kuwabara squealed. "I'm getting board! I wanna kick
some ass!"
Yusuke gave Kurama one last look of authority, wordlessly preaching
to Kurama's soul before he turned and joined his taller classmate.
Five floors so far without any incident... Yusuke guessed there were
at least 200 to this building. That didn't make the early nagging of
exhaustion threatening to rise up in his chest any lighter. No matter
how conditioned his body had become over the years as a Reikai-tantei,
there was no way any of them could climb the 195 remaining flights
and still have the strength to go into battle afterwards.
Yusuke pulled to a halt, cursing under his breath. Surely there had to
be an elevator or something in this gods-forsaken place. But the
stairwell was completely smooth, spiraling up into the ceiling above.
Youko Kurama could have easily flown them to the top if the stair well
was open and straight ...
"D'you smell that!!" Kuwabara squealed from behind. The tall
lumbering young man pushed forward in front of Yusuke, sniffing the
air heavily.
Yusuke and Kurama sniffed...
"I don't get it,"' Yusuke said. "Smells like..."
"Hotdogs!! Hotdogs and popcorn!!" Kuwabara cheered, prancing
around in place.
Kurama groaned behind them, smacking a hand lightly to his
forehead. Kuwabara reached back and grabbed him by the front of
their shirts, haling them over to the next flight of stairs.
The soft cheer of a crowd of people floated down to their ears,
bringing with it the smell of nachos, hotdogs and popcorn.
"What in the..."
Purely on Kuwabara's insisting, they climbed the next flight, the
crowds becoming more and more louder with each step. It was the
sound of a stadium of people gathered for a grand event... but what
exactly would a stadium of people be doing on the 6th floor of a Makai
complex?.
Slowly, each of them peaked around the corner of the last flight of
stairs, the crowds' cheering so loud now that neither of them could
speak an audible word.
Beyond, there lay an open aired, baroque-sculpted arena under a
brilliant Makai sun. The curved stadium bleachers almost grew in their
places, holding fans from all walks of life as it ringed the edge of the
stadium. Two small figures made it to the center of the stadium floor, a
raised tile arena that made a huge circle in the center of the open floor.
Immediately the crowds died down to a soft roar.
"Can't be..." Kurama breathed.
"But I thought..." Yusuke stammered.
"Crap, not again!"
From the two figures in the center of the arena, a large, female voice
broke over the loudspeakers, rattling through the enormous stadium.
"Yosoko!!" she cheered, sparking a cheer from the crowd.
"Welcome to the final round of the 53rd annual Makai Ankoku
Bujuutsukai!" More drowning cheers from the crowds. "Watashi no
Koto desu!"
"And... watashi no Jury desu!" the other chimed in, prancing about
beside her feline counterpart.
Yusuke pulled both Kuwabara and Kurama back into the stairwell,
throwing them each back against the wall, leaning in with a frown.
"This can NOT be happening!"
"You're tellin' me!" Kuwabara squealed, wiggling under Yusuke's
grip. "The Ankoku AGAIN? I though the arena was destroyed!"
"It has to be an illusion... has to be. Although, it happens to be
blocking our progress to the next flight of stairs." Kurama pointed out,
nervously rubbing a hand through his hair.
"Oh, no illusion, my pet," a soft masculine voice rose behind them all.
It chilled the very air, sparking terrible memories in Kurama's mind as it
caressed and smoothed over Kurama's body and mind...
The three of them turned to see three figures mounting the stairs...
Karasu, Toguro and Toguro-Ani. Each walked with heavy conviction,
glaring down each of the Reikai-tantei in turn, victorious grins laying
over their faces.
Yusuke grabbed both detectives and hauled them back up the stairs,
jerking both of them out of the great doors and up against the wall of
the stadium. "Okay... new plan. We run like hell across the arena
toward the next staircase!"
"Good plan!" Kuwabara whined. He took to his feet and was gone,
speeding up to the center arena before any of them could blink.
Yusuke and Kurama followed suit quickly, running out into the
arena, sparking a mix of cheers and jeers from the crowds as they tailed
Kuwabara.
"Yusuke.. isn't someone missing from this?" Kurama yelled over the
crowds as they ran.
"Yeah... Bui. So this can't be the Ankoku. It's just some sort of
illusion." He picked up his pace and pulled away from Kurama, gaining
on Kuwabara, reaching forward to nab him back by the collar. "Stupid,
wait up. This is all an illusion set up by the building. It's not real."
Kuwabara stammered to a halt, watching Kurama run up beside
them. Kuwabara looked around quickly, flaring his rei-kan, his spiritual
ESP, scanning the arena around him.
Yusuke was right. In the Ankoku, he could always feel the
presence of the youkai and oni around him, teaming on him like a sick
plague... but now, there was nothing, only the sound of millions of
soulless voices that were not really there. "Maybe, if we can
concentrate our effort on the largest power source in here..."
"I'm afraid to ask," Yusuke groaned as the three of them began
searching. The crowds cheered heavily marking the entrance of the
Toguro Team across the arena from them. Quickly, Yusuke, Kurama
and Kuwabara sought out you-ki, scanning through the crowds and the
youkai around them, reflecting of only subtle hints.
"Found it!" Kuwabara cheered.
Jury, a tall, thin woman with a big blue tail, made her way to the
center of the ring, ushering Yusuke off as her lifeless soul took
position. "First match!" she announced. "Toguro Team: Karasu-
senshu!" The crowd roared into cheers around. "Urameshi Team:
Kurama-senshu..."
Kurama grimaced inwardly, stepping pack to the starting blocks.
This was a battle he played over hundreds and hundreds of times in his
mind, coaching himself to his techniques to use if he was ever to have
to do this over. He felt absolutely nothing from the competitor as he
entered, a tall and sleek figure wrapped in black tattered clothing,
smiling thin violet eyes across the distance to him. A face he had put
into the embodiment of torture itself.
"First Match!" Jury announced again... Kurama looked to his side.
Kuwabara was slowly crawling through the crowds heading over to the
announcers box, knocking youkai and oni out of his way as he went.
"Hajimen!!!"
"Get outta my way!!" Kuwabara bellowed, tossing youkai left and
right as he climbed towards the announcers booth. He snarled feeling
the you-ki intensify greatly. It was centered on Koto... the small little
fox girl seated at the microphone, announcing play-by-plays of the
battle beginning in the arena.
Kuwabara raised a hand, calling up his ki into his rei-ken, slashing
through the crowd, scattering glistening shimmers of you-ki images
around him. "Hey YOU!" he bellowed, stumbling up to stand atop the
short wall surrounding the box.
Koto broke from her announcing suddenly, turning large fox ears
over to him. "Damn," she whispered, wiggling in her seat. Beyond in
the arena, Kuwabara sensed Kurama's you-ki spark, sending the wave
of energy marking the presence of Youko Kurama into the ring,
cheering him on from behind.
"This ain't funny, you know!" he bellowed, hopping down to the
announcers box. "Come on, now... fight me!!!"
Youko Kurama dodged expertly back, avoiding the seeking bombs
all to easily. Karasu's tricks were no different than what he had faced a
year or two previously...
The man leapt into the air across the arena from him, the coat
spreading out in the huge likeness of the raven wings, readying his next
assault... and he disappeared.
Youko Kurama crouched back... the entire crowd disappeared... the
stadium and arena disappeared, leaving only a large expanse of an open
marble hall, overhead lighting beating down on him from above.
He heard Kuwabara bellow from behind him, yelling of a voiced
threat that he was so famous for.
Kurama turned sharply to watch as the tiny figure of Koto dissolved
suddenly into a grotesque, crouched little oni. Quickly, the green
creature squealed in surprise, scampering off across the floor to
disappear into the stairwell beyond.
Yusuke appeared next to Kurama, scratching his head. The young
man grumbled to himself, searching quickly over the open hall. "I
would say that this is all too easy..."
The youko form beside him bled out into crimson, the human form of
Minamino Shuuichi breaking back into view. "... but we all know it is
just going to get more and more difficult as we go."
Kuwabara humphed victoriously across the room from them, closing
down the rei-ken as he walked boldly over the floor. "So, let's say we
head on to the next challenge," he grinned.
(c) August 1997 by Jiminy Cricket Presses