False Pretenses - Part 30

Keshiki, Kurai, Fuyu & Minora are mine.

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

 "DAMMIT!"  Yusuke smashed a makai tree into halves angrily.  Stupid!  Stupid!  How could he have been so stupid?  They were so busy worrying about Kurama that they failed to notice the disappearance of Fuyu's corpse.  Her and Keshiki were at the site of the youko's battle with Fuyu.  A few of Yomi's, Hiei's and his own scouts were there doing a thorough search for the body and found not even a trace of youkai hair.  Keshiki walked slowly amidst the debris of dead trees and hollowed earth.  He knelt at the exact spot where he had turned Fuyu's fallen body.  How could he have been so stupid?  The youkai gnashed his teeth in frustration.  Suddenly worried for the redhead.  Kurama couldn't have known that Fuyu had survived.

"Keshiki."  Yusuke called to him." 

"Nani?"  The youkai stood up and approached Yusuke.

"Do you have any idea where Fuyu would go to recuperate?"  The young man asked grimly.

  Keshiki shook his head apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Yusuke."  He felt so useless and he wanted so much to help his newly found friends.

Yusuke patted him on the back.

"It's all right.  You have nothing to be sorry for."  He sighed and considered the vastness of the makai.

"He'll come back and get to Kurama.  He's not the type to give up so easily on his prey."  Keshiki murmured in a concerned voice.

"Prey?"

"Fuyu is fond of youkos."

Yusuke nodded.  Koenma had said the same thing to Kurama at the very start of their mission.

"Keshiki, I need to go and see Botan again.  I'll see you at Yomi's.  We need to talk about how to warn and protect Kurama from Fuyu."

Keshiki nodded. 

"I'll go get Hiei."  He closed his eyes and disappeared, leaving a startled, gaping Yusuke.

"How does he do that?" 

*************** 

It was another typical, monotonous day in the ningenkai or so Kurama thought.  The youko had no hard time fitting back  into his ordinary human life, living in his own apartment, working at his step father's business and checking time and time again on his kaasan.  The redhead's outside facade was so unbelievably strong and so vibrant that anyone seeing him had no inkling on the deep hurt inside the youko's heart.  To the outside observer, Kurama had become more mysteriously beautiful.  The haunted look on his face were more subtle, the glints on his emerald eyes held more meaning, and his manners were as impeccable as always, more tailored.  It was as if someone other than Kurama himself was commandeering his body, screening every action, movement and word coming from his mouth.  The redhead had sighed in relief that none of the youkais had come after him to demand an explanation for his actions, for acting like a coward.  He could just picture the scenario. The redhead shuddered with distaste. He'd get back to them in his own time.  He winced inwardly.  How could anyone explain to them what had really taken placed?  That Fuyu, that shape shifter had taken his form and seduced all three makai lords, bent on conquering the makai.  He knew that Yomi, Hiei and Yusuke had their pride.  Gods, how can it be possible to remain calm while explaining the whole farce?  No, nothing could ever be the same again.

"Psst, Kurama."

Kurama's back stiffened and turned around slowly to face a grinning Botan.

"Did I disturb you?"  Botan asked cheerfully.

Kurama got up and opened his office window.  The redhead extended his hand to help Botan off her wooden oar.
"Thanks."  Botan said.

"Can I help you with something?  Does Koenma want to see me for anything?"

"No.  I'm just checking on you."  The blue-hair ferry girl chirped.

She was so bubbly and so cheerful that Kurama beamed back at her.

"Checking on me for what?" He asked smiling.

"Huh?  Well, I don't really know.  He just said check on you and so here I am."  She smiled brilliantly.

Kurama chuckled and shook his head.  He expected that from Botan.

"Well, how are you doing?"  Botan sat on Kurama's table and regarded the youko seriously for once.

Kurama sweated it out, his knuckles whitening as he grasped his pen tightly.

"I'm fine, Botan."  He smiled gorgeously, inwardly relaxing himself.

"Oh good!  Koenma's gonna be happy to hear that."  The ferry girl got down on the table and took out her oar once again.  Kurama stood up and asked teasingly.

"And how are YOU and Koenma, Botan?"  He grinned as Botan blushed hotly.

"Ahm.  Kurama, what made you asked that question?"  She giggled nervously and absentmindedly stared at her oar.
"Huh?  Nothing, just checking."  Kurama chuckled.

Botan quickly got on her oar, thinking she'd better get out of there before Kurama decides to tease her more!

"Gotta go!"  she said and rushed away with her flying oar.

Kurama grinned.  If he didn't know any better, he'd bet his whole month salary that Botan and Koenma were falling in love.  The youko sat back down and contemplated his table.  Lucky Botan and luckier for Koenma.  The youko sighed and tackled more office work.

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

To be continued ...

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