| Disclaimers:
Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump
Weekly, Fuji TV and Studio Pierrot
Keshiki, Kurai, Fuyu & Minora are mine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "As I've said, Kuwa, I'm not planning on staying very long in the makai. I promised Keiko that." Yusuke said glancing up at Kuwabara's and Keshiki's faces. "Really?" Kuwabara asked joyfully and playfully choked Yusuke. "Wheeee!" "ACK! Ku-Kuwabara, s-stop!" "YUKINA!!" The three men glanced up and ran swiftly back to Genkai's temple. When they arrived back at the temple, Shizuru was slumped on the floor. "W-what happened?" Where's Yukina?" Yusuke asked urgently. Kuwabara was paralyzed on the doorway. Keshiki quickly made a thorough search from room to room. "Yu-Yusuke... he took her! A youkai took her!" Shizuru cried losing control for once. "Shizuru, please start at the beginning!" "I-I was in the kitchen, preparing our breakfast, whe I sensed something. It's ki was very low, meant to be neglected. Then I came to this room to invite Yukina for a cup of tea and I-I saw him. He had clamped a hand on her mouth and before I could do anything, he was gone!" Shizuru stared in utter dismay at Yusuke. She hadn't stopped the strange shadowed youkai from taking Yukina. "F-forgive me...." Shizuru whispered in the general direction of her shocked brother. Keshiki eyed Shizuru quietly before he gently helped her up and led her back to the kitchen. Yusuke stared wearily at Kuwabara's anguish expression. "It's Fuyu isn't it? I-if he hurts her! I swear!" Kuwabara's eyes blazed intensely with anger despite the pain that was wracking his chest. Yusuke's own face was very stiff. This was the reason why he hadn't brought along Keiko with him. In their line of work, danger was inevitable, but Yukina was here for an urgent reason. "I WILL KILL HIM!" Kuwabara said in a fierce voice. Yusuke assented silently. Yes, this time, Fuyu was going to die... forever. ************** Keshiki watched quietly as Shizuru drank down a whole cup of tea. "Feeling better?" He asked concernedly. "H-hai." Shizuru offered him a wet smile and with shaking hands took out a cigarette. Keshiki sat back, his mind working furiously. Fuyu was becoming too active and that was not his style. He'd known Fuyu and that youkai was fond of confrontations, preferred subtle tactics to advance himself against the enemy. But this, this was different but not unfamiliar. The youkai turned back to Shizuru. "Did you observe anything in your surroundings when Yukina was taken?" He suddenly demanded, startling Shizuru a little. Her eyes widened. "The fog! There was a thick fog!" ************** Keshiki approached Yusuke with stiff strides. His face was very dark with anger. "It seems that we ran into another complication, Yusuke." "What do you mean?" "Fuyu is not alone in this. He has found an accomplice!" Keshiki rasped out. "Then you know who it is?" Yusuke asked curtly as Kuwabara stood tensely between them. "It's Minora. He's the one who kidnapped Yukina." "I'm gonna kill him!" Kuwabara said harshly and hurriedly left the temple. "Wait! Kuwabara come back here!" Yusuke called and glanced at Keshiki. "You'd better brief me on this! The blue-eyed youkai nodded and together with Yusuke set off to the makai after Kuwabara. *************** The redhead eyed the eerie landscape calmly and waited patiently for his adversary. He was not in the mood to play games with Fuyu. He stood perfectly still as the air around him became colder, dense fog started to swirl in circles. Kurama's emerald eyes scrutinized the surroundings grimly. So, Fuyu was going to use some more tricks again. He jumped quickly as a gigantic ball of red fire sliced through the air, narrowly missing him. Kurama cursed. He almost did not sense that. He gasped as the red fire turned its way back toward his direction, leaving him no choice but to stay on the spot where he stood and anticipate the ball of energy's comeback. That was when Fuyu made his attack. Dozens of pointed icicles whizzed their way toward the redhead and swiftly pinned his arms on a tree. The icy weapons pierced deep into the forelimbs. Kurama exhaled and inhaled slowly, gritting his teeth at the pain, both arms began to bleed profusely. He stared in astonishment as the icicles began to grow bigger and cover the whole of his arms. He was trapped! He glanced up and heard a maniacal laugh and shivered as a he saw someone familiar floating on midair. "Yukina!" Kurama stared in horror at the ice maiden who was suspended on air, a dense fog enveloping her slender body. "Yukina!' The youko pulled violently on his icy restrains. The thick ice did not budge. He could feel the paralyzing cold spreading all over his body. The redhead's emerald eyes blazed as he faced Fuyu's evil grin. "So, we meet again." The youkai drawled and came nearer the redhead. Kurama paid less attention to the approaching demon, his concerned emerald eyes were on the floating and unconscious ice maiden. "Look at me!" Fuyu snarled and grasped the youko's chin roughly. Kurama turned flinty eyes to the youkai. Fuyu blinked mischievously and swooped down to bite the redhead's lips greedily. Finally, Fuyu let go and stared languidly at the youko, who was by now, shaking with anger. "Let her go, Fuyu. You don't need her." Kurama said as calmly as he could. Fuyu shook his head, grinning snidely. "You don't get it don't you? I don't give a damn if she's involved here or not!" He snarled. Kurama eyed Fuyu warily as the youkai whistled through the silent makai forest. The air became chilling. The redhead shivered as the icy restrains extended to his legs. He looked up in alarm as Yukina slowly regained her consciousness and screamed as she found herself dangling on air. She calmed down considerably when she caught sight of Kurama's worried gaze on her. "Ku-Kurama-san." She wailed, fear for herself forgotten as it dawned on her the redhead's vulnerable condition. Kurama's lips were bleeding, his arms and so were his legs were trapped, plastered against a makai tree by glistening and smoking ice. The redhead would grit his teeth in pain, but the anger and concern on his eyes were there. "Let her go, Fuyu. You have me now. Let her go!" Kurama growled at Fuyu. Fuyu grasped Kurama's hair forcefully and tilted his head. "Not yet. I still have use for her." Fuyu's grin widened as a presence coalesced into view, standing stiffly behind his back. "Good job, Minora. The female you kidnapped may be a lot of use to us. You're a genius!" Fuyu said throatily. Kurama's eyes widened. He was right! Fuyu had indeed found an accomplice! Minora smiled back at Fuyu. "I found her together with the youkai I fought with the other night. She's a healer." Minora added for good measure. "Oh, good! That would make her a lot more vulnerable and--helpless." Fuyu laughed as he saw the look of rage back on the youko's face. "The game is about to start, Minora. Let her down." Fuyu instructed. Minora frowned at him. "What are you planning, Fuyu?" "I'm planning to play with my youko here. Isn't this what you wanted?" Fuyu asked archly as Minora grinned. The latter held up his hands and commanded an unseen force to bring the paralyzed ice maiden down. Kurama watched with breathless anticipation. If the youkai, Minora was going to drop her.... The youko clenched his fist tightly. Minora grabbed the ice maiden and positioned a red ball of energy on her throat. Kurama and Yukina looked at each other on the eye. The ice maiden's face hardened suddenly. Kurama looked at her changed expression softly. He knew what Yukina was trying to communicate to him. If he were to make choices after this, he knew Yukina wanted him to make them freely. The youko's heart swelled with admiration for the delicate ice maiden. Hiei was lucky to have a sister like her and so was her fiancé, Kuwabara. The redhead's body went limp as the icy restrains melted in thin air. Fuyu had set him free. The youko eyed Fuyu questioningly then and noted the lascivious look on the youkai's eyes. Kurama groaned and shook inwardly at Fuyu's next words. "Now youko, I want you to make love to me." ******************************* |