Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Kitsune's Plan ❯ Followed ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Youko woke the next morning and stretched, looking around the room for Hiei’s familiar face, but finding the cave rather cold and empty. Disappointment took over Youko’s features as he remembered what had happened only a few nights ago.
“Youko!” Kuronue startled the kitsune out of his thoughts as he darted though the mouth of the cave and came to a halt a few inches from where Youko sat.
“What,” Youko replied impatiently, the hyperness of his friend not helping his bad mood.
“Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Kuronue pouted, as Youko looked down at his bed, not getting the joke since his bed only had one ‘side’. After staring unamused at his bed, Youko just looked up, still awaiting the explanation that the koumari had yet to give.
Kuronue only changed the subject, “Hey you’ve been acting pretty strange since you let your ‘boy-toy’ go. Is it still bugging you?”
Youko looked up at the bat and growled softly, “I’ve told you, he wasn’t and isn’t my ‘boy-toy’. Let it go Kuronue.”
The koumari snorted in acknowledgement, “Yeah, right Youko.”

Hiei watched Youko from a distant tree. He was masking his ki so no one would know he was there.
He hadn’t meant to, but had ended up counting the days since he left Youko’s camp; it had been exactly 4 days as of last night. Hiei sighed as he saw Kuronue run up and turned to leave as they took off in the opposite direction. Hiei turned, but didn’t leave, as the urge to follow overcame him. What was his fox up to? Probably another raid, but the koorime still wondered where the kitsune went every day and what he did. Hiei smirked and then turned back, jumping to the ground and silently following the pair.

They ran for half a mile before reaching a castle, several stories high, and turrets stretching so far toward the sky that they seemed like spinning needles, spinning the wispy clouds into the silver threads that decorated their crowns. Hiei froze in awe as he stared up at the beauty that was about to become disheveled. His moments pause didn’t set him far behind as he sped to catch up to his targets, still leaving enough space to eliminate his chance of being seen. Creeping thorough the shadows he followed them down the dank halls of the castle, on edge for any trap or surprise that may await him ‘round the corner. Youko broke into a run and before Hiei could react, Kuronue leapt back, feet from where Hiei stood. An arrow was lodged in the stone wall, in between the solid bricks and Youko had narrowly evaded it. Hiei heaved a silent sigh as they continued on, now paying even more attention to castle-dwellers and flying objects that they defended themselves with. As Kuronue darted around the corner, Youko ran back, almost colliding into Hiei had he not jumped out of the way and head first into the wall. Hiei rubbed his skull where he had hit the wall. He was sure no matter how tough his head was, he would have a bump. Youko dashed around the corner once more and Hiei was aloud the chance to follow as the fox and the bat sprinted down the hall, dodging arrows and knocking out guards as they went. Hiei sped past, almost invisibly, and almost ran part them as they came to a sudden halt in front of a rather large man and his two henchmen. Hiei gasped loudly, unable to control himself, but the sound of his breath being stolen away, was covered by the clanging of a mace upon the stone floor. Youko leapt aside easily, and kuronue attacked, almost knocking the weapon from the man’s hands. The leader just stood and glared at the two, as if her were prisoner to them.
As Youko narrowly avoided another swing, a urge to fight sprang up in Hiei, prompting him to come from his hiding spot at fight the monsters attacking his comrade. Another mace was brought into view as the other henchman joined the battle, swinging uncoordinated with his partner. And still the leader glared, not moving a single muscle, not even flinching when one of the henchmen were thrown back into a wall not two inches from him. Hiei suspected something, but still did not move, and waited out the battle as the fox and bat fought simultaneously, almost as if they were one being separated into two individuals. Hiei found his temper rising as he watched the two, green with envy as he pictured himself fighting alongside the Fox instead of the koumari that had burst himself rudely into the koorime’s life. One of the henchmen fled down an adjoining corridor, leading Kuronue after him. Hiei was the only one who saw the leder move; his arm raised for an instant and both the henchman and Youko froze. The leader raised his other hand inducing the henchman to collapse to the floor, then walked over to the frozen kitsune and examined the fine coat that had willingly brought itself to his doorstep. Hiei, still as Youko, was barely breathing, his breath caught in his throat as he stared on at the sight: the fox trapped, the bat gone, and himself hiding in the shadows. Hiei glared at himself for thinking the Youko could protect himself, or even that if worst came to worst, Kuronue would be there to protect him. Even if he wouldn’t be needed in the future, Youko needed him now, and here he was. Hiei suddenly leapt from the shadows, taking all inhabitants of the hall by surprise as he brought his foot to the side of the leader’s head and watched him fall, with a great thunk, onto the hard stone floor. Youko gaped at Hiei, and although he could move, he didn’t, motionless with doubt and disbelief.
“H-hiei?” Youko stammered, not believing his eyes. Maybe he was fantasizing again, maybe it was an illusion, maybe a spell had made his wildest dreams come true. Hiei just stared silently, then dashed off in the direction of the bat demon; he was not about to let the koumari go without a good reprimand.
As the youkai followed Kuronue’s distinctive scent, he noticed a curious fox follow him down the hall. Hiei smirked to himself, but hi expression suddenly changed as he entered the room where Kuronue was.
The bat was chained to a stone wall, shackles tight around his ankles and wrists, and behind him, covering every bare spot on the cold granite wall, were furs. Not just any furs-- demon furs: rabbit fur, deer fur, bear fur, squirrel fur, wolf fur, coon fur, skunk fur, mink fur, fox fur-- Hiei’s eyes rested upon the golden fur of a fox demon. A space next to that made his gaze glide from the bare wall, to his astonished friend, still staring as the immense amount of pelts. His eyes widened as the realization set in. The leader did not only want the intruders dead… the youkai shook his head; he did not even want to think about it. Just the idea of his beautiful fox pinned to the wall was enough to make him loose the measly lunch he had eaten, and more.
A bitter taste filled Hiei’s mouth as he turned to Youko and said calmly, “You must leave. Before the hunter wakes and finds his prey waiting for him.”
Youko smirked at the concern in his former captive’s eyes, “Are you kidding? We’re taking what we came here for first.” Hiei’s jaw almost dropped to the floor, but he clenched it tight in spite of himself. Did he not understand? Did he not see all the pelts on the wall and the spot reserved for him? Did he take the concern Hiei had for a joke? Rage built up in the koorime as Hiei roughly took Youko’s arm.
“No, you are leaving now. If you don’t, you may as well be the next one pinned to that wall.” Youko laughed as Kuronue glared at them both.
“A little HELP here!” He interrupted, yanking at the shackles that bound him noisily, hoping to get the love birds’ attention. “HEY!” he yelled again, and the two were snapped out of their conversation as Kuronue glared at them as intensely as before. Youko smirked and held in a laugh as he walked over to unchain his friend. Hiei watched them impatiently and when the koumari was finally unbound, he practically shoved them through the door, glaring at the bat before he turned to leave, rushing away before he caught himself doing something else stupid. Youko sighed as he and Kuronue stepped from the threshold of the castle. Within the castle, the leader stirred, anger hidden beneath a glare that could burn through steel as his henchmen gathered around him, seeming to read his mind as they gathered items without a word.