False Pretenses - Part 29

Keshiki, Kurai, Fuyu & Minora are mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

 The dark makai forest was bathed in darkness.  Creatures were uncharacteristically silent.  Once in a while the sound of the wind whispering softly against the trees could be heard.  From a shadowed corner, a longhaired figure clawed his slow way toward a makai lake.  A makai rabbit darted off quickly as the battered creature shoed it harshly.

"WATER!"  Fuyu screamed and frantically shoved his falling body into the water.  The youkai gritted his teeth at the painful wounds and opening in his body.  Fuyu's sensuous mouth formed an ugly, rigid line.  He was going to make the youko pay for what he did to his beautiful body.  But he needed to regain his strength first and rebuild his body.   The youkai closed his eyes as a soft blue light engulfed him.  The whole lake was illuminated with blue light.  Fuyu relaxed himself and sighed blissfully, letting his ki touch the cold water.  This was not enough to heal him, but it would have to do for now.  Fuyu's bruised lips curled maliciously.  It was a good thing none of the others were present during his body's explosion at the youko's attack or they would have discovered that he had regenerated quickly, too quickly in fact.  He himself had been delightfully surprised at the speedy healing process of his youkai body.  Once he had recovered his strength he would seek out Kurama again and drink his blood to the pulp.

 ***************

 "Lord Yomi, we did not find anything.  There was no trace of a youkai, dead or alive anywhere the area you mentioned." One of Yomi's numerous scouts reported.

Yomi frowned and turned to the grim fire demon.
"You know what that means, don't you?"  The blind youkai inquired of the fire youkai.

Hiei nodded.

"That son of a bitch is still alive!"

"Or he has an accomplice who helped him and got him out of there."  Yomi paused as a train of thought struck him.

"Could it be Ke-...."

Hiei interrupted him.

"Hn.  Couldn't be.  I was standing beside him all the time and I trust him."  Hiei added.  The blue-eyed youkai had led him once to Kurama.  Besides Keshiki was too besotted with the fox to do him any harm, unlike him.  Hiei clamped down the betraying thought forcefully.  Not now, he suspected more trouble turning up with the possibility of Fuyu still alive.  The blind youkai sighed and stared outside his palace.  Hiei stared at Yomi's tense profile.  He knew exactly whom the youkai was thinking of.  Hiei eyes widened as Yomi began to speak.

"I loved him you know.  I've loved him for a long time."

"You don't have to confide in me."  Hiei said coldly.

Yomi turned to the fire youkai seriously.

"I just want you to know what I feel for Kurama."

Hiei bowed his head angrily, but remained silent.

Yomi waited for the fire demon's reaction.  He sensed a turbulent shift in the youkai's ki.  Yomi startled when Hiei spoke up.

"You... are not alone, Yomi."  He said slowly and turned to go.

"Do you think he can forgive me for what I did to him?"

Hiei stopped walking and gasped softly.  If Kurama could only forgive him, he'd be the happiest youkai in the makai.  He wouldn't grudge and avenge against the youkai or human the redhead would choose for his mate.  He wanted desperately for Kurama to forgive him.  He turned to Yomi one last time.

"He will forgive you."  He said curtly and left a thoughtful Yomi watching his retreating back.

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

To be continued ...

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