Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Fluff Forevermore ❯ Discussions ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except the plot and Kou, if he ever shows. That is all.

Before anyone could say anything, Tom bustled back in, carrying a large silver tray holding a pot of tea, cups, and a plate of sandwiches. He set them on the table and left, silently.

Yusuke turned on Dumbledore as soon as the door closed. “What do you mean, `answer to your prayers'?” He asked. “The reason we're here is to go after that guy Voldemort. We don't have time to be the answer to anyone's prayers!”

Dumbledore gave a small chuckle. “No, no, you misunderstand me. You may be the answer to the prayers of the entire wizarding world, for precisely the reason that you are here.”

“Oh…well…isn't that a little strong anyway? I mean, I know he's feared here, but…couldn't he be defeated by a group of your guys?”

“I gather that Koenma gave you the short version of the story, then,” Dumbledore asked.

“Actually, he didn't give us any story at all,” Kuwabara said. “He just said that Voldemort is feared by the people here. He didn't tell us anything else about him.”

“Ah. Well, that explains your words, then. When you suggested that just any one group could defeat Lord Voldemort, I knew that you did not know of his true power.” Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, suddenly looking quite old, and tired. “Voldemort is said to be the most evil wizard of our time, and the most powerful. He has killed many in his time, and destroyed the lives of many he left behind. He is terrible enough that the people of this world avoid saying his name, out of fear of his ability to kill without a thought. He never shows anyone mercy, even his own followers. He does not forgive mistakes unless it could benefit him. If he learned that you were after him…I was, to tell you the truth, concerned when I first saw you four. I was concerned that you wouldn't be able to survive being caught in his path. Why, none of you look to be older than eighteen! But…your eyes say differently. You have all seen much in your lives, whether they be short or long. Sorrow, pain, agony, betrayal…none of these are foreign emotions to any of you, and your lives have been endangered before now. I trust that you can handle this. But I still feel that I mist impress upon you the gravity of your situation. You must realize that you could very possibly be killed before you reach your target. Are you still willing?”

“Koenma told you everything when he contacted you,” Hiei said. It wasn't a question, but his tone made it clear that he expected a reply of some sort.

“Yes…not the details of the imprisonment, because he said only you two are privy to that information, but he told me everything he knew,” Dumbledore answered.

“Then you should know that I, at least, will do whatever it takes to bring this bastard down. I have faced death every day of my life since infancy, and I will do so now, without fear or regret. And whatever doubts you have, I will prevail. You do not ever have to question my will to fight.” He glared at Dumbledore, as if daring him to raise a challenge.

But instead, Dumbledore smiled as if that had been exactly the answer he had been waiting for, and simply said, “Pass the teapot, if you please.”

“Now it's your turn to answer our questions,” Yusuke said firmly, grabbing a sandwich and taking a bite.

“All right, then, shoot,” Dumbledore said pleasantly.

“First of all, what the hel is this world we've walked into?” Hiei demanded. “It's definitely not the Makai or the Reikai. It looks like a warped version of the Ningenkai, but the people here have weird ki signatures, not quite reiki, youki, or ningenki. Care to explain?”

“By ki, you mean the type of energy that radiates from everyone here, yes?” Dumbledore questioned.

“Right.”

“The kind of energy you sense is wizard's energy, Hiei, and you are correct in assuming that it isn't quite reiki, youki or ningenki, but rather a mix of all three. Yes, I know about each of those kinds of energy.”

“How?” Kuwabara asked.

“Because I am the only remaining wizard that I know of who believes that the other two worlds exist, and so I spent much time researching the matter, trying to prove my theory.”

“What are you talking about?” Yusuke asked.

“Despite the beliefs of the Muggles—people without magical blood—we wizards know about the existence of demons. But now, after all traces of demonkind have disappeared from our sight, it is widely believed that Voldemort extinguished all of them.”

“Well, you won't need to search for proof for long,” Hiei said grimly. “Now that Voldemort has allied himself with the demons…”

“What?” Dumbledore exclaimed, nearly dropping his sandwich in his shock.

Hiei looked surprised. “Didn't Koenma tell you? Voldemort has recruited more of Makai to his side.”

Dumbledore looked tempted to utter an oath, but he mastered himself and said, “This does complicate things. How strong are his forces?”

Hiei shrugged. “I'm not completely sure, but I do know that he has the D, C, and B-classes, and is now working on the A and S-class. Now, the D and C-classes aren't real cause for concern, and the B-class can be fought, but if the A and S-classes joined forces, they could kill us if we allow it. There is good news, though.”

“And that is…”

“We already got in touch some friends of ours in Makai—friends with connections—and we have an army moving in to fight Voldemort's side even now. It's a small army, but I promise you, their leader can get the job done, if anyone can. They can take care of at least the D and C-classes, and probably the B-class as well.” Hiei sighed. “Unfortunately, there is no way to talk to Mukuro, unless it's in person. We have to wait for her to contact us. Until then, we should try to get our own forces together, to take over when—if—Mukuro is no longer able.” Hiei's throat tightened as he spoke, and he realized how concerned he was for Mukuro's safety. Though things hadn't been quite the same between them since Hiei had quit as her heir, Mukuro had been a good ally and an even better friend, and Hiei hated to think of her dying.

He forced his mind onto a different course, and continued. “Also, another friend, Kou, is working on getting some of the S-class on our side before Voldemort gets to them. So we can have some hope of gaining an advantage. It's a slim hope, but at least it's there.”

“My, your people do move quickly!” Dumbledore exclaimed.

“Well, when the guy in charge feels his territory invaded, he tends to feel threatened,” Yusuke said, smirking.

“And his territory is being threatened now,” Dumbledore commented.

“Hai. He's in charge of the safety of all the worlds, and Voldemort wants to be the big boss. Koenma isn't happy.”

Dumbledore smiled. “Understandable.”

“What I don't understand,” Kuwabara cut in, “is why Koenma never knew about this world.”

“Oh, but he did,” Dumbledore said, sounding mildly surprised. “How else could he have known how to contact me?”

“WHAT!” Yusuke exploded. “He knew? And he never told us?”

“Did he not?” Dumbledore asked. “How odd…well, I'm sure there must be an explanation…” He shook his head as if he couldn't understand what that explanation could possibly be, and then changed the subject. “So, what else would you like to know about our world?”

“A lot,” Kuwabara said. “Like, what was that stick thing we used to get through the wall?”

Dumbledore chuckled. “That was a wand. It's what we use to channel our version of ki. Unlike you, we can't just make it come out of our hands.”

“Then won't it look suspicious if none of us have one?” Yusuke asked.

“I've already thought up a cover story,” Dumbledore said. “You four go to a school for mages in Japan. Mages don't use wands. Instead, you know how to work magic with your hands. It may not work for long, since none of you know how to use the kind of magic we use, but the beauty of the situation is that it doesn't have to work for any longer than a few months.”

“Why not?” Hiei asked.

Dumbledore turned to look at him. “Did Koenma tell you why you are going to Hogwart's, instead of just any other place?”

“Not really,” Yusuke said. “He just told us that we're supposed to stay close to one boy, and if we do, Voldemort will just…come to us. Which I don't get at all, by the way.”

“The boy you are talking about is Harry Potter. He is the one who halted Voldemort's rise in power for a time, for fourteen years, in fact. Though he did this unintentionally, Voldemort still lays that blame on him. And so he has vowed to kill Harry. And he is now ready to make his move. He will come to the school to kill him by the end of the term. And so it is inevitable that you should encounter him.”

“And this boy…Harry…does he know the truth about us?” Kuwabara asked. “Because if not, that could be very awkward.”

“Yes, he knows, and so do his two closest friends, Hermione and Ron. The teachers know as well, of course. But to everyone else, your identities are a complete secret.”

“Could you tell us more about the school and what we'll be doing there?” Hiei asked.

“Yes, of course,” Dumbledore said. “First of all, you'll be enrolled as seventh-year students—the equivalent of senior year in high school, I believe. You will be sleeping in the seventh year boys' dormitory. You will be starting in the middle of the term, and I have assigned you to Gryffindor House with Harry. You will also be attending classes, as I said, with the rest of the house. You can learn details from Harry, Ron and Hermione. They can take you around the school and tell you more. Now, if you have no other questions, I have taken the liberty of renting you rooms, and you much be tired after your journey, so shall Tom show you to your rooms?”

Yusuke was the first to get up, concluding the discussions. Kuwabara followed him, and then Kurama. Hiei watched Kurama walk to the door, with a look on his face that Dumbledore couldn't place. Then, before he could figure out what it meant, Hiei stood and followed the group out the door.

“Kurama, what's the matter?” Hiei asked, lying in Hiei and Kurama's bed that night.

“What makes you think something's wrong?” Kurama replied.

“You didn't say a word the whole time we talked with Dumbledore, and you've looked preoccupied all day.”

Kurama sighed and said. “I'm fine, Hiei. I'm just…nervous, I guess. You were right. I…I don't want to face him again.”

“But I'll…” Hiei began. Kurama cut him off.

“Yes, yes, I know, you'll protect me. Just like last time.”

Hiei literally leaned away from Kurama's harsh words. Then, slowly, his arm, which had been around Kurama's waist, was removed from its position, and Hiei slid out of the bed. As he moved away, he felt Kurama's regret, but the kitsune said nothing as Hiei crossed the room and climbed up on the windowsill, leaning against the wall, blinking rather a lot.

An uneasy silence fell, broken by nothing except the soft breathing of the two in the room. After almost half an hour, Hiei said quietly, “He raped you, didn't he?”

Only silence greeted his words, but he knew that Kurama, like him, was still lying awake.

There we go! Another chapter! I'm sorry it took so long, but see, I can barely type OR write at the moment because my right thumb has something wrong with it…muscle bruise or something…and I can hardly get it around the pencil, so I'd prefer to write and type as little as possible until it gets better. I will try, though, I promise! So…RR, people! Come on, you've already done the first half…

Reviewers' comments:

YokoYoukai: I'm not offended, I promise…well, okay, so that's not completely true…I'm a bit put out that you want to KILL me…but other than that…I do know where you're coming from. I wasn't sure about making this a crossover either, and personally I think I'm not doing very well. But hey, the ball's rolling now, so what can I do? looks at the newly-found eating utensils in your hand Now it's clear what I should do…RUN!

darkspirals: I reply the same way I replied to Yoko: I wasn't sure about writing a crossover, either, but now that I've started, there's really nothing I can do…so anyway, thanks for the review!

StormAZ: I don't mind that it was short. It was a REVIEW! YIPPEE! Thanks!

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