Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Kaleidoscope Syndrome ❯ Out Of Control ( Chapter 3 )

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The Kaleidoscope Syndrome

Part III

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Yusuke woke up to a dark room. For a second his mind was at a blank. Then in an attempt to recall everything that had happened, images of the previous day entered his mind. All at once he groaned inwardly and pushed his face into the pillow on his right. He remembered now. He was at Hiei's house, a supposed guest for the time being until Kurama would come back from his trip.

Sighing, the dark-haired man turned over and faced the white ceiling, which was now a dull grey because of the lack of light. A few rays of sunlight peaked in from underneath the curtains and Yusuke couldn't help but wonder to himself. He would probably be alone for a majority of the time. That was fine with him. As long as the youkai didn't bother him, he was glad for the respite. Hopefully things back in his lands were being taken care of. Yusuke didn't like the idea of going back to a burnt down home.

"Master Yusuke!"

Jumping, the dark-haired man leapt out of the bed instantaneously and looked around wildly.

"Master Yusuke, Lord Hiei requests your presence in the dining room."

Finally, Yusuke looked up and saw the same gargoyle from the day before staring down at him threateningly. He narrowed his eyes at the tone of the voice. "Didn't I tell you before to not annoy me? I could easily track you down now that I've heard your voice," he warned dangerously before sighing. "And why the hell does Hiei want me so early in the morning?"

"It is twelve in the afternoon, sir."

Yusuke glared at the gargoyle. "Don't patronize me. All right, fine, I'm going," he said as he slipped on a shirt. He glanced around the room one last time before leaving.

Upon entering the hall, the dark-haired man froze. Where's the dining room? Yusuke thought to himself confusedly for a moment before shrugging and choosing a random direction. If Hiei wasn't courteous enough to send an escort then Yusuke could most definitely afford to make him wait. Smirking, the dark-haired man began walking down the hall leisurely. As expected, all the doors were closed and not a single soul was present. It unnerved him slightly but Yusuke continued nonetheless.

A few minutes later, Yusuke stumbled upon a dead end. He had gone out of his way to make random turns whenever he encountered them and now was at a stalemate. There was a door before him but he knew for a fact that he wouldn't be able to open it so that meant having to go back. Yusuke groaned loudly and punched the door with his fist angrily.

"Why is your house so evil!"

Suddenly, the door swung open. Yusuke blinked in mild surprise at the sudden downpour of sunlight in the dark hallway. He took a step into the light gingerly before feeling the soft earth beneath his feet. Grinning, he walked on more freely and squinted at the sun. Somehow, he had managed to find himself outside. Yusuke chuckled briefly as he recognized some of the land. It was Hiei's garden-the same one he had a perfect view of from his room. He closed the door behind him before sprinting deeper into the haven. It was a beautiful afternoon and everything glittered under the light. Even the shadowy areas appeared to be bright and innocent.

There were tall trees everywhere much to Yusuke's amusement and not much flowers. However, there was a stone fountain in the center. It was in the shape of a diamond and water was currently spouting forth from its tip into the wide pool surrounding it. Yusuke tilted his head to the side and sat down by the edge, feeling the faint tickle of mist as the breeze swept through the air. He was smiling unwittingly to himself as he leaned back and lied down on the side, arms folded underneath his head. Yusuke closed his eyes and listened to the falcons high up in the air as they flew. Everything was peaceful and he wouldn't have minded staying there the entire day.

"Yusuke."

Not even jerking in surprise, Yusuke opened one eye lazily and saw Hiei standing before him. His arms were crossed and he wore a disgruntled expression on his face. Yusuke grinned and waved one hand. "Hey, how's it going, Hiei?" he greeted goodheartedly.

The smaller youkai looked darkly at him. "Your lack of concern for your life amazes me," he replied. "Did you get my message?"

Yusuke nodded slowly as he resumed his laidback posture. "Oh yeah. But how was I supposed to know where the dining room was?" he replied carelessly.

"If you had waited a bit longer, an escort would have guided you."

"Really? Well, you know I'm an impatient guy. Besides, this place opened itself to me welcomingly and I couldn't deny it," retorted Yusuke as he opened his eyes slowly to gaze at Hiei. "Why is it that I was able to enter?"

Hiei narrowed his eyes. "You punched through it," he stated firmly.

Yusuke arched an eyebrow. "So?" he replied.

"So you broke the seal. You have to learn to curb your strength, Yusuke, otherwise you'll end up opening my entire house to strangers."

The dark-haired man blinked and rose quietly. "Aah…so that's it. Gee, and here I go thinking that the garden sort of 'chose' me to enter. Oh well," he said brightly before standing up. "So why did you want me?"

"To discuss your condition furthermore," answered Hiei tightly. His patience was beginning to wear down dramatically. Yusuke's indifference was not something he wanted to deal with so early in the day.

"Gosh, do you have to make it sound so bad? My condition. It's not like I'm going to die or anything."

Crimson eyes landed on Yusuke's face with dead seriousness. Then without warning he drew out his sword and lashed out at the dark-haired man before him. Yusuke barely even took a glance before quickly dodging the aimed swipe at his head. He stared down at Hiei incredulously.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he cried out amazedly.

The fiery youkai sheathed his weapon. "I needed to vent out some of my frustration so, yes, I guess I was trying to kill you," he replied placidly.

Yusuke gave a weak grin as he shook his head wearily. "Man, just when you think you figure a guy out," he murmured to himself. He raised his eyes and looked at Hiei calmly. "All right, you got my attention. What exactly do you want to know?"

The sudden change in attitude surprised Hiei but he ignored it as he began his query. "What's going on with you? Kurama told me you were sick but he never gave any details," he said, folding his arms.

"Umm…let's see. Basically, it's this: I get these weird and random moments of blankness. When I try to remember something that happened just the day before, an event that occurred months or even years ago pops up. I also get moments where my train of thought just freezes over and a random memory enters my mind," explained Yusuke dully as he avoided eye contact with Hiei. He twiddled with something between his fingers for a moment before sighing.

Hiei thought to himself for a moment. So this was why Kurama was worried. That damn kitsune worries over everything, He looked at Yusuke and began contemplating the possibilities. "You were traveling for the past few months, no?" he inquired.

Yusuke nodded slowly. "Yeah…how did you know?" he replied curiously.

"Yukina informed me a while ago when she tried visiting you."

A mischievous gleam entered Yusuke's eyes. "Yukina, eh? Hmm…I recall her visiting you around this time of year. Maybe it's time for us to do some catching up," he said suggestively.

Hiei glowered at him. "Just because that dimwit is gone doesn't mean you have to take up his post," he warned.

Yusuke grinned. "Well, Yukina is a pretty girl and I haven't really had much interaction with anyone for a while. Love does happen by chance sometimes," he replied nonchalantly. The smaller youkai looked about ready to draw out his sword once again before Yusuke started laughing. "Relax, relax. Even I wouldn't try anything while staying at your house."

"Where were you?"

At the sudden question, Yusuke stared at Hiei for a long moment before realizing what his words meant. "I just went all over the Makai. Nothing special. Visited Raizen's grave, a couple of old friends, some shrines, and a few 'haunted forests,'" he answered shortly.

Hiei arched one slim eyebrow. "Haunted forests?" he repeated.

Yusuke burst into a wide grin. "Yeah, only they really weren't haunted. Just some locals making up stories. Granted, some were a little creepy. There were also some weird-looking creatures lingering about. A lot of plants, too. Kurama would have liked it," he said.

"We're going back there."

"Whoa. What?"

Hiei stared at Yusuke harshly. "We're going to revisit those forests," he reinstated resolutely.

Yusuke's eyes widened. "But your lands…who's going to watch over them?" he asked dazedly.

"Mukuro. She has plenty of free time on her hands anyway," replied Hiei. "Get ready. We'll be leaving soon. You do remember where these forests are, right?"

The dark-haired man nodded. "Yeah, but this is a little farfetched, Hiei. You don't even know what we're supposed to be looking for. Not even Kurama had any idea where to start," he said.

"Then it doesn't hurt to do a little investigating. If we find anything remotely unusual in those forests, we're bringing it back."

Yusuke issued forth a short laugh. "Hiei, everything was weird in those forests," he commented.

The fiery youkai narrowed his eyes. "Then you better hope we find something really interesting, Yusuke," he growled out.

The dark-haired man stared at Hiei for a long moment before chuckling softly. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed resignedly. The only other person harder to argue with than Kurama was Hiei. The smaller youkai was even more stubborn than himself and that was definitely a trait worthy of some awe. Yusuke placed a hand on his hip and pouted slightly at Hiei.

"Why do you have to be so forceful? I mean…I've known you for what, a couple of centuries now and you still talk to me like I'm a fourteen-year-old kid," he whined wistfully.

Hiei's eyes flashed in barely suppressed annoyance. His hand twitched by his side but he remained relatively calm as Yusuke flashed him a mournful look. It was when Yusuke clamped down on his arm that he finally lost all cool he had. With a vicious swipe, he knocked the taller man to the ground with a resounding punch. Yusuke flew several feet in the air before landing on the ground ungracefully. Hiei watched him with a smirk.

"Goddamn you, Hiei," groaned Yusuke as he sat up.

The smaller youkai focused his gaze on the man sharply. "Cut the theatrics. I know that hit didn't even faze you, Urameshi. Now stand up," he said.

Yusuke eyed Hiei warily. "What's with this sudden bout of violence?" he asked curiously.

"You owe me a sparring session. Let's go," came the short reply before Hiei launched himself at Yusuke.

The latter froze in momentary surprise before quickly reacting. Dodging a kick to his side, Yusuke swiftly made his way up onto a tree before running away agilely into clearer grounds. Hiei followed behind him soundlessly and Yusuke couldn't help but suppress a grin. It had been a while since he fought for sport. Fighting with weaker amateurs was nothing compared to fighting with an experienced youkai like Hiei. Yusuke relished the feeling.

"Won't your men be wondering where we are?"

Hiei snorted offhandedly as he tossed off his jacket. "Let them wonder," he said.

Yusuke grinned at the youkai before shrugging. "Okay, then," he replied before breaking into a defensive stance as Hiei flew at him.

The latter was relentless. He attacked Yusuke with full force and the man barely had a chance to see the smaller youkai before finding himself sprawled on the ground in a slight daze. Above him, Hiei smirked.

"Don't tell me you're out of practice," he said condescendingly.

Yusuke managed a small smile. "Well, I didn't I think I was at first. Maybe I am," he retorted playfully as he swung a leg underneath an unwary Hiei. The youkai fell forward just as Yusuke jumped to his feet to perform another attack.

This time Hiei was not caught off guard. He managed to block Yusuke's punches efficiently before the two stood still in a deadlock. Neither refused to back away as they pushed their weight against each other. Yusuke smiled faintly at this. The weight and height difference would normally give him an advantage, but Hiei was definitely a force to be reckoned with. His speed and strength had increased dramatically, leaving Yusuke in awe.

Finally, with what could be considered as an illegal move, Yusuke adeptly changed to the offensive and wiggling fingers caught hold of Hiei. The fiery youkai was at once reduced to a laughing fit as he crumpled to the ground under Yusuke's attack.

"S-Stop! Yusuke!" gasped Hiei as he turned and tried to wriggle away. But Yusuke held on fast with a triumphant look on his face.

"Ah, so you are ticklish. I thought Kurama was just joking around," he drawled out.

Hiei's eyes flew open with unshed tears in his eyes. "I-I'm going to k-kill both o-of you!" he threatened wildly before lifting one leg with amazing speed to push Yusuke back. The attack hit him squarely in the chest and he was forced back several feet before landing in an awkward heap. Hiei sat up heaving as he glared at the unshapely heap. "Get up, idiot. You're not escaping that easily."

"Dude, this was my favorite shirt. Now I got your stinking footprint on it!" exclaimed Yusuke, his voice slightly muffled as he looked down at the stain on his shirt. He stood up slowly and raised a menacing finger at the smaller youkai. "Okay…tickle attack-"

Yusuke's words fell short, however, as he suddenly cringed painfully. A hand flew to the side of his head as he shut his eyes. It was another memory surfacing from nowhere. This time the images of his fight with Toguro appeared, but it was slightly different from before. He could feel the fear, the apprehension, and the adrenaline pumping through his body like he was actually there in the exact moment. Yusuke opened his eyes and for a second all he saw and heard was the decrepit ring and the roar of the crowd around him. Then the scene slowly melted away and the dark-haired man found himself gripping Hiei around the neck tightly. The youkai's eyes were wide in shock and Yusuke dropped him with a start.

"H-Hiei! I'm so sorry! I…I don't know…"

"Was that what you were talking about before? The sudden memories appearing out of nowhere?" interrupted Hiei as he massaged his throat, his tone once again impassive.

Yusuke nodded grimly. "But…I've never actually attacked anyone before. They usually last only a few seconds. This time, though… I could feel everything. Like I was living the memory again," he said, amazement in his voice.

"What memory showed up?" inquired Hiei.

"My fight with Toguro."

Go figure, thought Hiei as he outwardly frowned. When Yusuke first froze in his train of words, he had grown worried. Then when had had tried speaking to him, the man assaulted him with an unimaginable force that completely caught him by surprise. If he hadn't come to his senses, I don't know what would have happened to me. Yusuke hadn't been his normal, controlled self. The look in his eyes reminded Hiei of when he had first been taken in possession during his fight with Sensui. Dangerous, furious, and utterly uncontrollable.

"I'm sorry," whispered Yusuke as he buried his face into his hands.

Hiei felt a streak of concern for his friend. "We'll leave tomorrow," he stated simply.

Yusuke looked up at him in alarm. "You still want to do this?" he asked weakly.

The fiery youkai hardened his gaze. "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do. And Kurama would have my neck if I didn't help you," he replied.

"Ah, of course," murmured Yusuke quietly. He felt a brief stab of pain at Hiei's words, but ignored it. They had drifted apart; he couldn't have expected anything more than the youkai's nonchalance. "I guess I have to pack again. Not that I have much anyway."

The last sentence was said with a grin. Hiei frowned inwardly. Kurama would have accepted Yusuke's attempts at humor as him trying to change the topic, but Hiei was more obstinate. Though he would have ordinarily interrogated Yusuke further, he decided to drop his insistence this once. The dark-haired man looked far too pale and he still hadn't had a bite to eat. Hiei sighed to himself. I've become too soft. Picking up his jacket, the shorter youkai stared Yusuke down.

"I imagine you're hungry," he said calmly.

Yusuke's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Let's go eat!" he exclaimed excitedly as he rushed forward, dragging Hiei behind him impatiently.

The fiery youkai wondered where his compassionate side was coming from but that thought soon faded away as he caught glimpse of Yusuke's smile. He really did not want that happiness to fade away. He would play by Yusuke's rules until tomorrow came. Then hopefully more answers would be given to him.

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TBC

Next Part Snippet: Hmm…an old acquaintance joins the scene? Stay tuned to see who Yusuke and Hiei encounter in the "Forest of Doom." Heh, what a cheesy name. (It's not really called that by the way. I'll find a more professional name for my forest. ^.~)