Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Kaleidoscope Syndrome ❯ White Out ( Chapter 4 )

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The Kaleidoscope Syndrome

Part IV

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"While riding in my Cadillac, what to my surprise…"

Hiei rolled his eyes upwards in a silent gesture for mercy. Yusuke continued singing his song joyfully without any notice to his friend's obvious discomfort.

"He must have wanted to pass me out as he kept on tooting his horn-beep, beep…"

The scenery around them was tranquil, almost picturesque in its brightness and quality. The trees were old and stood proudly above their reach, the foliage efficiently blocking out the hot afternoon sun. Hiei had long abandoned his jacket and walked on in his undershirt with his sword propped on a shoulder. Yusuke had opted to go shirtless and was seen running ahead into the lush shrubbery singing his heart out. His voice fell flat in the humid air and numerous birds twittered in the background. Hiei was soon starting to regret his rash decision in leaving so quickly.

"Beep, beep. Beep, beep. His horn went beep, beep, bee-"

Having his patience run out, Hiei promptly smacked his sheathed sword against Yusuke's neck. The latter let out a strangled gasp before taking a step back while massaging his neck. "Ow, Hiei. Now that actually hurt," he said hurtfully, his voice scratchy.

A brief streak of guilt erupted through Hiei before he blocked it out. "Stop your insolent behavior. You're attracting enemies," he said gruffly.

Yusuke threw a glare at the youkai and raised his arms in disbelief at the scene around them. "What enemies? Those little birds? The buzzing insects? Or maybe the stifling humidity?" he cried out.

Hiei tightened the grip he had on his sword. "Yusuke," he warned in a low tone.

The latter stared down at him mockingly. "What is it, oh wise one?" he replied sarcastically.

"Is this one of the forests you went to?"

Hiei had chose to deter pursuing his argument with Yusuke. It would only have proved to be meaningless and utterly juvenile on behalf of his character. It seemed, however, that Yusuke had not matured much in the past three centuries.

"What? Oh, yeah. Yes, this is one of the forests. But I'm telling you there's nothing here! All I encountered last time was a lot of bug bites and screeching birds."

The fiery youkai suppressed a sigh. It had taken them nearly two days to arrive in this region. Yusuke had proved to be a far from companionable traveler and had surprised Hiei in the pace which he went-sometimes not even pausing to take a break after four grueling hours of trekking through uneven grounds. And he didn't speak much at all during the time they walked. Only a few words here and there in reply to Hiei's questions, but definitely unlike the chatter he was making now. The youkai was puzzled by this strange switch of personality.

"Then I suppose we should take a small break. Is there any water around here?"

It made Hiei feel somewhat vulnerable to be at such odds with his surroundings. He had traveled all around the Makai but had never once stopped in such a forest. Normally, he would pass through them quickly and break only when he found a cave or such. Yusuke certainly chose some very peculiar places to visit. At this point, he probably knew more about the Makai than Hiei.

"There's a small creek up ahead," replied Yusuke brightly. He began to lead the way and Hiei followed slowly, watching the taller man before him.

Ever since Yusuke's last attack in the garden, he had been completely normal. There hadn't been a single incident of any memory lapses and the dark-haired man even appeared slightly healthier. His skin was glowing and the grievous look in his eyes had disappeared for the time being. That in itself made the youkai breathe more easily. Yusuke was never meant to look anything but cheerful. Hiei had learned that a long time ago.

"You know, even if we don't find anything it'll still be fun, no? I mean, when was the last time we did anything together?"

Hiei raised his head to look upon Yusuke's warm gaze. He narrowed his eyes slightly and kept the smile that was itching to surface down under. "Perhaps. That is…as long as you stop singing," he replied, humoring Yusuke with his words.

"Come on! I don't sing that bad!" he exclaimed indignantly, though he was laughing.

The shorter youkai raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what your definition of bad is," he muttered under his breath.

Yusuke leaned in closer to him. "Excuse me? Did you say something, HIEI?" he asked loudly into the youkai's ear.

Hiei cringed and grabbed the arm Yusuke had placed on him and flipped the other man onto the ground. Yusuke looked up at him amusedly, already accustomed to the youkai's violent gestures. He closed his eyes and spread his arms about him comfortably.

"Hey, the ground's pretty cool," he commented.

A rough kick to his ribs was his reply. Yusuke's eyes flew open and he rubbed his side irritably. "Dammit, Hiei, you weren't this violent before!" he exclaimed.

"And you weren't this easily distracted. Now let's go."

Yusuke was once again dragged up from the ground and began his former duty of finding the creek before Hiei forcibly made him do it. He walked on ahead grumpily while muttering to himself a few times in a foreign language. Hiei guessed that it might have been English but didn't give it much thought. As soon as the trickling sound of water reached his ears he stopped. A small rivulet of water cut into the ground before them. It was narrow but the water was clean and refreshing. Hiei refilled his canteen quietly and took several sips before facing Yusuke, who was drowning his head in the pool. He resisted placing a hold on the man's neck to keep him from surfacing. Even Kuwabara had never irked him this much.

"AAH! Now that is good!"

Yusuke raised his head from the creek and wiped his mouth in satisfaction. Water dripped all over his face onto his bare chest and stomach, glistening lightly in the partial shade. Hiei watched him silently. Sometimes Yusuke could appear so remarkably innocent that it unnerved him. The man was no longer a man despite being in his ningen form, and Hiei often forgot this fact. Yusuke acted far too young for someone of his age and stature and it made him wonder exactly how much he hid from others. It was obvious to Hiei from day one when he first met Yusuke that the human was not what he made himself seem. In fact, the dark-haired man might as well have been more closed off than himself.

"How much of what you do and say is sincere, Yusuke?"

At the quiet inquiry, Yusuke froze and eyed Hiei strangely. "What?" he asked.

Hiei shook his head and continued walking ahead. "Never mind. Now, how far is the next forest?" he carried on, his tone clipped.

Yusuke stared at his back for a long moment before bounding up energetically next to him. "Maybe a day's journey. Of course, I do want some sleep so we'll probably be there by tomorrow night," he replied.

"Hn," murmured Hiei.

The two walked on in silence for another half hour, simply admiring the scenery and enjoying the other's company. The sun's rays peaked in through narrow streams of steady light through the thick leaves from the trees' canopies. Occasionally a few birds or butterflies would make their presence known but it was an otherwise blissfully peaceful walk. The air was hot and sweet, filled with exotic scents from the myriad of flowers surrounding them.

There was something amiss in the area, though. Hiei had felt it when they first entered. He sensed a presence lingering in the air, hidden behind the trees. Prickly goosebumps played along the back of his neck and he tensed visibly as they continued walking. Yusuke went on obliviously and Hiei couldn't help but question the man's carefree attitude. The presence was steadily growing stronger yet he showed no outward signs of concern. Hiei narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword instinctively. A low growled escaped from his throat as a cold breeze swept past them.

"And two plus two makes four," Hiei heard Yusuke mutter. But before he could query, two figures made themselves known.

"I was wondering who was singing so loudly before. I should have known it'd be you, the great Urameshi!"

Yusuke laughed goodheartedly. "So it was you two. Why did you stay quiet for so long, huh?" he replied, placing his hands on his hips in an imperative manner.

Jin grinned back heartily and smacked Touya's back. "We couldn't figure out who you were with so we made a bet. I said Hiei and he said Kurama. We followed you for a bit and obviously, I am the victor," he replied triumphantly while Touya rolled his eyes.

Yusuke chuckled. He had missed Jin's humor. And suddenly, as if reading his mind, Jin leapt off the branch he was standing on to embrace Yusuke in a friendly hug. "Where have you been, eh? If I hadn't heard so many stories about the 'Great Urameshi' and his 'infinite power' I would have thought you died!" he exclaimed good-naturedly.

The dark-haired man pulled away from Jin with a smirk. "Oh, I've been busy. I have to run a kingdom now," he replied a bit sourly.

Jin laughed jollily. "Is that so? Well, then I guess I shouldn't feel too bad for you!" he replied.

"What are you and Hiei doing here, Yusuke?" inquired Touya in his calm manner.

Yusuke glanced once at Hiei before shrugging. "Hiei wanted a tour of the Makai," he answered simply.

Jin snorted in disbelief and pointed a finger at Hiei. "Him want a tour of the Makai? His own homeland? That doesn't make sense, Yusuke," he said blatantly.

"Hey, I used to live in the Ningenkai and I still haven't been to all the places there," retorted Yusuke smartly.

Jin furrowed his eyebrows and Touya smiled.

"So what are you guys doing here anyway?" continued Yusuke. He had forgotten how much fun he had when he was these two. Add in Chuu, Suzuki, Shishiwakamaru, and Rinku, then they would have a ball.

"I heard of a wild herb growing here. It's supposed to hold powerful healing properties. I thought it would come in handy if it turned out to be real," replied Touya.

"And I just came because I was bored out of my mind," added Jin.

Yusuke grinned at his two friends. "Hey, that's cool. Maybe Hiei and I can help you," he offered.

"That'd be great!" exclaimed Jin immediately as he placed an arm around Yusuke's shoulders. "Hanging around Touya gets so dull you know."

The latter glowered at Jin's back. Hiei arched an eyebrow and thought to himself. An herb with powerful healing properties? If it was real then it might be able to help Yusuke. He eyed the dark-haired man warily. He was talking excitedly with Jin and there was no trace of him being sick anywhere in his body language. It was good he didn't mentioned it to Jin and Touya. Though they were honorable youkai and close friends, Hiei didn't want anyone else to know about Yusuke's condition yet.

"Ah, dammit, I just remembered something. I have to get going. I promised Chuu I would drop by today for this special recipe I have," quipped Jin suddenly as he smacked his forehead. He looked at Yusuke apologetically. "Sorry, pal. Maybe next time?"

The dark-haired man nodded understandingly. "Sure thing. You know where I am. Just come by whenever you feel the need," he said before facing Touya. "And you?"

"I'm afraid I have to go as well. Leaving both Jin and Chuu alone with a recipe usually calls for trouble," he replied with a glimmer in his eye.

Yusuke laughed. "I can imagine. And what kind of recipe is this anyway?" he inquired.

"Alcoholic cherry-apple pie," answered Jin.

Both Yusuke and Hiei stared at him for a moment before reacting. "Um…okay. I think I should have known better to ask. But if that's the case, then Touya, you really do need to go with Jin," remarked Yusuke with a grin.

"Of course. We'll come by to visit you, Yusuke. I'm sure Chuu will bring his entire wine collection," said Touya with a chuckle as he and Jin made their leave. "Have fun!"

"Say, what does that flower look like?" called out Yusuke.

Touya shrugged. "Blue petals and bright green pistils. It should be pretty conspicuous but it's never been found," he replied before grinning slightly. "Don't struggle too hard to find it. I'm willing to bet it's just a fluke."

"You never know!"

"That is true."

"See you, Urameshi!"

Yusuke waved goodbye at the two youkai and smiled softly to himself for a while before facing Hiei, who was staring at him intently. He cocked his head to the side. "So how about it? Want to try hunting down this flower?" he inquired before snapping his fingers. "Damn, if only Kurama were with us. He would track it down instantly."

Hiei nodded slightly and eyed the sunlight beaming in through the leaves. It was nearing late afternoon and the air around them was becoming thicker. "It would-" he began before being cut off.

Perhaps it was because of the stifling atmosphere or his focus on Yusuke, but the fiery youkai soon found himself sprawled out on the ground hazardously with a long needle stuck in the back of his neck. He lied facedown in the dirt unconscious while Yusuke ran to him in horror.

"Hiei!" he exclaimed in dismay as he turned the youkai over. The blood from his face was quickly draining away, leaving him pale and cold. Yusuke removed the needle from his neck and examined it carefully. On the tip was Hiei's blood but there was also another fuchsia-colored liquid blending in with it. "What the hell," he murmured in astonishment.

"I was aiming for you, Urameshi, but that youkai got in the way at the last second," interjected a new voice.

Yusuke looked up slowly and saw a youkai standing before him with several needles in hand. His long auburn hair was swept into a braid and he glared at the dark-haired man with furious azure eyes. Yusuke stood up and placed Hiei gently against the foot of a tree before facing the youkai angrily.

"What was in that needle?" he inquired sharply.

The youkai smiled evilly. "Poison. There is no cure by the way. That youkai will die in several hours. Pity, isn't it?" he said, brandishing the needles in his hand menacingly. "Why don't you join him!"

With that, he threw five straight needles at Yusuke. The dark-haired man took a deep breath and morphed into his youkai form effortlessly while dodging the needles easily. His opponent gaped at the empty spot before him while Yusuke glided languidly behind him and placed an inescapable lock on him.

"You sure you don't want to hand over the antidote?" he inquired in a dangerous tone. His manner was entirely different now. Rage filled his senses at Hiei's present state.

The youkai trembled pathetically. "I'm telling you the truth! There is no cure!" he exclaimed weakly as he feebly tried fighting back.

Yusuke leaned in closer to the youkai's neck. "Too bad for you," he whispered into the youkai's ear before fluidly firing his Rei-Gun behind his back. The youkai disintegrated into the air with an anguished cry, leaving no trace of him ever being there.

Changing back to his ningen form, Yusuke rushed over to Hiei and examined his body. His skin was a ghastly grey shade and he was shuddering sporadically in obvious pain. Yusuke narrowed his eyes in concern and placed the youkai down on the ground gingerly, making him as comfortable as possible before leaning back and closing his eyes. He placed one arm out before him and began muttering in a strange tongue, a steady green glow emitting from his outthrust hand. He then stopped and stood up swiftly, sparing one glance at Hiei's form before breaking into a run.

Touya, I hope that flower of yours exists and actually works.

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TBC

Na, na, na, here's Part IV! :P I love Jin. I love Touya. They're just funny in my eyes and perfect for comical relief. Anyhow, Hiei got his share of pain this time round. How I love torturing characters! XD Okay, enough babbling from me…

Snippet: A nice conversation between Yusuke and Hiei. (Gosh, haven't they been doing that since the second part?)

The song Yusuke was singing by the way, is called "Beep, Beep" by the Playmates. Made me laugh, and it really does annoy people. Ask my friend at school.