Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Fox Love ❯ Walls ( Chapter 7 )

Fox Love:
Chapter 7- Walls

Morning came, painting the forest with its red-gold rays. The youths sleeping beneath its leafy canopy however, did not awake, their bodies pushed beyond normal endurance limits, their minds strained with fatigue. Saving the world could wait. The red-haired fox boy slept easy now, his head pillowed once more on the lap of a golden fox girl. A slender flute-like object was gripped loosely in her right hand, the other rest atop the red locks of the fox on her lap, both her hands and his hair warmed by the sun's early rays.

The orange, yellow, red, and brown leaves of the trees above them drifted lazily to the ground on a soft breeze that smelled of apples and earth. Autumn had arrived and seemed to want to announce to the world that it had come, and so using its paintbrush had splattered the world with color. The colors spiraled down to the ground, covering the rich brown soil and blanketing the fighters. Still they slept on, only awakening to the sudden, but now familiar sound.

Hiei was the first one up, he slept lightly and had reflexes that bordered on skittish. The others were slower to rise, being drugged with sleep and, in Haven's case, bearing an extra burden. Upon hearing the noise she had deposited Kurama's head gently on the ground and drawn the Chaos Sword, which was glowing. But in her haste she dropped the Chaos Whistle, which was the source of the sound. It was once again glowing and humming, in rhythm to the pulses of the Shadow Sword.

"The Whip!" Yusuke exclaimed.

Just then the sound of laughter reached their ears. All five whirled about, trying to place the source. Eventually Haven's sharp ears determined the laughter was coming from the northern side of the clearing and announced her finding. Five pairs of wary eyes were immediately fixated on the trees and bushes there and five pairs of ears strained to hear more. The laughter came once more, this time accompanied by a man, who stepped out of the trees faster then a normal human could have managed.

Haven's lip curled back in a snarl. "What do you want?!" she addressed him shortly, her anger barely kept in check.

But the man kept laughing, maniacal laughter that drove the others insane, his head thrown back, hands in the air. Without answering Haven, who was the closest to him, lashed out with the Chaos Sword and felled him in one stroke.

The laughter ceased and became a bubbling plea for mercy, which was ignored. Haven moved in closer, put one foot on his stomach and leaned forward, resting her arm on her knee. "Where's the Whip?" she asked conversationally, her voice pleasant, but her eyes betraying her true emotion.

Trembling, the man's hand groped at the pouch hanging on his belt. Haven snatched it away, then turned her attention back to the man before her. "I suggest you get to a hospital for that wound," she told him and walked back over to the rest of the group. They all watched her measuringly, guarding their curiosity and questions until the man had staggered off.

When he had disappeared into the forest she ripped open the pouch and dumped out its contents into her hand. A few odd trinkets fell out, paper clips, gum wrappers, and coins among other things. But these were all thrown to the ground, everyone's attention focused on the Chaos Article that rested in the slender palm of the girl. A long, snaking whip was coiled and lay shining and pulsating in her grip. It was a pale silver color and gleamed dimly in the new light. Just looking at it made one wonder at its power and capabilities. The smooth surface, length, and perfect thickness suggested a weapon of supernatural powers and perfect precision.

Haven looked at it for a few moments more, then handed it to Kurama. "Here fox-boy, you're the one whose good with whips."

He stared at her, uncomprehending, until she shifted slightly and darted off into the trees with a muttered "Be back in a few minutes."

Kurama walked over to the tree where he had slept last night and sat down at its base. He stared at the whip in his hands, seemingly lost in thought until Yusuke tapped him on the head, none to gently. He started and looked over to see Yusuke, Kuwabara, and even Hiei looking at him strangely. "What?" he queried.

"She just gave it to you!" Yusuke burst out, unable to restrain himself anymore. "What the hell is up with that?!"

Kurama shrugged his slender shoulders in reply.

"I wish she'd give me that sword," Hiei commented.

"You would think of that shorty," came the snide reply from the orange-haired wielder of the Spirit Sword.

Kurama cut in before any further argument could evolve. "Last night...she played the Whistle...and...put me to sleep. I couldn't stay awake! Then this morning I found my head in her lap once more, with her hand resting on my head, as she cared about me."

The others stared at him blankly.

"I think her walls are beginning to crack, and it's scaring her," he told them, his green eyes intense.

They continued to look at him, until slowly Yusuke nodded his consent. "I think I know what you mean. She's still cold and unreachable but I think we might be able to change that if we keep trying."

Kuwabara looked at both of them dumbly. He really didn't understand all this about walls and feelings. All he knew was the cold, hard truth. "So, are you gonna try that thing out?" he pointed at the whip.

Kurama and Yusuke looked at each other for a split second before Kuwabara found himself face-down on the ground, his head being squished by Yusuke's foot.

"Stupid! We're trying to discuss something important here!"

Hiei, finding this very amusing, looked on with satisfaction. Haven chose that moment to walk back in on them and gave Yusuke a look of disgust. She muttered something to herself, which sounded a lot like "Idiots" but they weren't sure. Casting a glance at the whip, she found it still untouched in Kurama's hands.

"Haven't tried it yet?" she said, her voice flat.

Kurama shook his head, hair flying, and stood up. "But now's a good time," he replied quietly.

Uncoiling the whip he gripped it firmly in his right hand and motioned everyone else to step back. Hiei lept up into a tree on the opposite side of the clearing, intending to see every moment of this. Yusuke dragged Kuwabara, still on the ground, off to the side, and waited. Haven joined them, leaping up onto a branch above their heads. Kurama flexed his arm, testing the strength there. He brought it up and gave the whip a gentle flick. Seeing it respond accordingly, he lashed out hard with it this time, making it sing and snap. He continued to work with it, forming a kind of dance around the clearing, whip and fox becoming one. Haven watched from above, her eyes judging, their depths fiery.

When he finished minutes later he was barely sweating. "It's perfect," he breathed. "I have never used such a superb weapon."

Haven nodded and lept lightly down. "Use it then."

Kurama grabbed her arm as she tried to brush by. He looked right into her eyes and said, "Thank you, Haven." The startled look that lept into her eyes was quickly replaced by bewilderment, then by shock, then by a million other emotions, all flickering by so fast that Kurama could not even hope to name them all. Then the oh-so-familiar shields came down once more and all he saw was a flat, calm sea of green.

***************

Walking down a sunlit path hours later, rested and restored, the little company didn't know where to go from here.

"We have 3 out of the 7 Articles," Yusuke commented. "Now what?"

He ended up contacting Boton on the Mirror and her perky voice could soon be heard by all.

"Hello, Yusuke. Decided to talk to me again?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, we have the Whip. Now what?!"

Though the others could not see it, she grinned at him, but when she next spoke, they heard it in her voice. "Well, Koenma says he currently has no more information for you, so guess what?!"

"We get to go home?!?!?!" Yusuke exclaimed, elation filling his voice.

Boton giggled. "No, silly, you get to go on a trip!"

"A trip?!"

"Yes, now you get to basically wander around until you hear something about the Articles. It shouldn't be too hard. As they become discovered and begin to be used their power becomes more obvious and easy to track."

"Boton! I can't just randomly go places hoping to hear something about these obscure Articles!!"

"Well, you have to. Koenma's orders."

At this point in their conversation, Kuwabara grabbed the mirror. "I'll do it, Boton!" he exclaimed. "I'll do anything you want!"

Yusuke smacked him and quickly gained possession of the mirror once more. "Ignore him. Fine we'll go on the stupid little journey, but how are we gonna pay for all this?"

"I'll be by in a few minutes with 'gifts' from Koenma." And with those words, the link was shut down.

Sighing his frustration, Yusuke shoved the mirror back into his pocket. Haven looked at him, her gaze piercing and probing.

"What?!" he yelled, temper growing short.

She started, visibly shaken. "Never mind," came the gruff reply.

He snorted and jerked his head towards the small pond about 100 feet from the path. "Let's wait there."

Without waiting for a response he sauntered off the path. The rest of the company followed, each person's thoughts whirling about confusedly. More of this?! Who knew how long it would take...

***************

Boton had come and gone and the sun was slowly slipping down the western half of the sky. Their shadows were growing while the light was shrinking and the fighters knew they would have to stay at the pond for the night. The sky was still blue, yet untouched by the red and gold rays of sunset.

Packs now bulging, the company set up camp, building a fire and getting out dinner. Koenma had provided (among other things) food and money for their entire hike across the land. Dinner was eaten in silence 15 minutes later and cleaned up just as fast. Soon all were sitting quietly by the fire, still silent.

Kurama glanced over at Haven and discovered her staring sightlessly into the fire. She was withdrawing into herself again, into that little place where no one and nothing could reach her. Sensing the need to act quickly he glanced at Yusuke, who had noticed it too, then turned back to the kitsune girl.

"Will you play us a song?" he asked in his quiet way.

"Hn?" she looked up, startled.

"Will you play us a song?" he repeated. "On the Whistle?"

She stared at him, her eyes revealing nothing, the seconds blending together until it seemed as if an eternity had slipped away. The other people seated near them looked on in stony silence, waiting, two kitsunes involved in a battle of wills was sure to have an interesting ending.

Kurama finally glanced away for a split second, convinced he had lost. But Haven surprised them all by pulling out the Whistle and raising it to her lips. She let it rest there for a moment before closing her eyes and blowing gently. A sad, mournful tune issued forth from it, then quickly swept upwards in a seemingly joyful beat, only then to slide down once more. The music was a twisting, puzzling tune that all too well seemed to fit the one making it. It twisted and turned, never doing the same thing twice, yet always seeming to end up sounding right. The notes blended perfectly, creating a song unlike any they had heard before. And when it was done, they only felt themselves longing for more music, music of any kind, as long as it came from that girl with that whistle.

She sighed and slipped the Whistle back into her pack. The sword lay next to it, in a sheath engraved with serpents and vines, and made out of an ancient-seeming wood. Her gaze lingered on it a moment then turned back to the people seated with her.

"That was...amazing," Kurama told her.

She snorted. "Well...don't get used to it." And she lept up into the trees and vanished.