"I don't think I've ever seen you be so rude to someone!" Yumiko cornered him once they had rounded the corner.
"I'm not in the mood, Yumiko. Leave it."
The brusqueness in which he spoke caused her to stumble over her own feet, though his hand quickly shot out to steady her. He didn't say a word, but sent a displeased wave down the bond urging her to be more careful. At first, it cowed the girl, then that firebrand inferno kicked in.
Yumiko pouted, and picked up her pace to step in front of him, forcing Kurama to stop.
"Again, what's gotten into you? You're usually nice to everyone, but you acted like you wanted to rip Mr Hatanaka's head off back there! What's the big deal anyways? He seems nice, and he really likes your mom. He told me so on the walk over. He even asked me if I knew what kind of flowers she might like best! I told him he should just ask you, since you would know her better than anyone, and even his son flinched when I said it. Now I see why! Do you always treat him like that?"
A growl sounded down the bond, though on the outside Kurama remained as calm as ever. He stared down at the fox with cold emerald eyes, unable to step around her.
"Yumiko..." He warned again, pushing some of the authority the bond allowed through as he spoke. "I would suggest you leave this topic alone for now. As I have already stated, I am not in the mood."
Yumi flinched from both the ice in his voice, and grip suddenly tightening around that bond. She gasped, her Oceanfire gemstone blazing into life. Her own seafoam eyes hardened on the male as she pushed that grip away with her own mental wave.
"I am not just some dog you can tell to stop barking when it displeases you!" She snapped, baring her teeth at the male in a furious display. "It's that's what you wanted then you never should have marked me as your mate!" She half-snarled, pointing an accusing finger at her collar.
"That power is meant to be used in the most dire situations, not when you just want to get out of an argument! What happened to 'I will never abuse this bond, Yumi'!" She mocked, throwing his own words back in his face. She had expected him to flinch, to back down, but the snarl that ripped from his throat caused her to startle back a step.
A lash of pain, white-hot seared through the bond as she disobeyed the command to leave it alone, and he took a step closer to her, glaring down at the kitsune in a rare emotional display.
"ENOUGH!"
Yumiko flinched, a small yelp escaping her from both that pain, seared through her sylphan bond, and the sharpness of his tone as Kurama raised his voice. Her eyes went wide as he stepped closer, and she found herself backing away until her back hit a lamp post. If Kurama noted the squeak of shock, or the slight fear-scent that accompanied that lash of pain, he did not react to it. Instead, he kept the pace until he was inches from her face as he snarled down at her, so unlike the kind, gentle male she knew.
"Why is it wrong for me to have reservations over the male trying to steal my mother? You weren't here for the last one Yumiko, or the one before that. You have seen only a fraction of how cruel human males can be, and I will gladly do everything within my power to prevent my mother from ever suffering such things again!"
As he spoke, images of long buried memories flashed through Yumi's mind. A large, blonde haired male dragging an eight year old Shuichi by the hair. A slighter, less opposing male when he was twelve, arguing with Shiori, screaming at her over a simple burned dish. The sound of an impact.
Tears began in Yumi's eyes as she watched the memories of cruel humans who had gotten too close to Shiori after her husband had died, as well as what had happened to them once they were out of his mother's sight. Kurama had been very careful to cover up the disappearances each time, though on one lesser occasion, simply used a flower to erase the males memory of his mother, and implant a strong desire to travel abroad.
"I've watched her pick the wrong males again and again. Some of them seemed just as kind as that man, only to betray her, or harm her later on. That male has already failed one marriage. Who is to say he wouldn't tire of my mother as well? So tell me again why I should allow him, or anyone else near her?"
Yumiko considered that for a moment. She thought back to her walk with mr Hatanaka, as well as his son. The boy had seemed... happy. He had been playful, even a bit mischievous in his speech, and the male had simply smiled and chuckled along with him. There had been no fear in the lad's eyes, nor even doubt until Shuichi's name had been mentioned.
Then she thought about the male himself. The way he had spoken of the woman he had met through their work, and how his son had beamed as if he had heard it all a thousand times before. The look in his eyes, so similar to the look that Kurama had given her so many times.
When she looked back up to find Kurama still glaring at her, waiting rather impatiently for an answer, she wondered how he would react to what she had to say. She could very well earn herself another lash through that bond, and the faint trace of blue beneath her grey silk collar seemed to agree with the thought. Nibbling her lip, she gave him a sympathetic look, and spoke in a voice far too small for a firebrand fox. An attempt to placate, instead of stoking that fire further.
"Because... He loves her."
The snarl that forced its way through the bond nearly made her crumble, and she grit her teeth against the pressure.
"You can get angry about it all you want but it's plain as day to anyone willing to give more than an angry glance at the male!" She spat back at that snarl, refusing to back down. "And where do you get off deciding why Mr Hatanaka's marriage didn't work? Did you ever stop to think that maybe his old wife wasn't worth staying with? Maybe she was as mean and nasty as those other men!" She half shrieked, drawing the attention of a few passerby's, though Kurama hardly noticed.
"You're. Wrong..." He growled through gritted teeth. The male didn't love his mother. He couldn't love her. She was his! Kurama hadn't meant to, but the thoughts had seared through the bond as if he had screamed them, and Yumiko's own answering snarl, as well as the single step forward, forcing him to take a step back as she pushed hard on his chest, caused him to blink.
"AUGH!!" She half-growled in frustration at the nonsensical display. "She's your mother, not your mate! You don't get to do the whole big bad territorial male routine with her!"
Yumiko snarled the last words down the bond as she spoke them, gripping that connection with every ounce of will she could muster as she forced her own memories of the morning through, and he staggered.
Images of the male filled his mind, images of the son smiling in comfort and contentment. Then, Mr Hatanak's voice sounded in his mind. A conversation between the two that morning.
"Well, you see... I would be happy to ask Shuichi himself, but I don't think the lad likes me very much. I suppose I can't be surprised... Shiori has told me about some of her past interests, and I'm sure they left an unsavory impression. You seem to have broken through that stoic wall though... Would you perhaps have some advice on how to show him that I don't intend to cause any harm?"
He could see Yumiko contemplating her response, saw that tilt of her head as she considered. "Well, He can be pretty stubborn... And his mom's all he really has. He almost lost her earlier in the year, you know."
"I'm aware... Please, don't tell him this, but I visited his mother often while he was in school. It was certainly difficult to see her in such a position... She..." The male paused, his eyes moving to study a pebble in their path. Young Suichi did the same as a sense of loss swept over them. "She asked me if I would be willing to keep an eye on him for her, should the worst come to pass. I agreed of course. No boy should be forced to grieve alone... but I'm still grateful it didn't come to that."
The memory ended abruptly, and Kurama realized that Yumi had moved. She had nearly collapsed into his arms, holding on for dear life after exerting so much energy to force the memories through. The sight of his dear fox in such a state, panting as she tried to control her breathing dulled the fire a bit, the memories dulling it even more. Even still, he had just opened his mouth with another argument, when she spoke again.
"She deserves a chance to find a good male too, and he really does seem like one... Don't you think, you should give him at least, a small chance?" Her voice had returned to that soft, near begging voice she used when she really wanted something, and he couldn't help but sigh as the words deflated him.
"How are you both treasure and terror at the same time?" He asked in defeat. In response, Yumiko grinned against the skin of his arm as he held her, and nipped at the exposed flesh just before darting away, at least some of her energy regained.
"ACK! YUMIKO!" He gasped, looking down at where twin bite marks now adorned his arm. She had shifted just enough to use her kitsune teeth for that bite. Even in her still human form he could imagine the playful swish of her tail, the little fox's attempt to diffuse the situation, and he chuckled.
"That was very unkind Yumiko. I'll make sure to repay the favor." He warned, a threat of impending payback hanging in the air, and she grinned, turning in the direction of the station.
"YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST!!"
He chuckled again as she took off down the path. Before pursuing the girl however, he pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts to an old number he had only used once, and typed.
***
'Ding'
"Hm? Now who on earth would be messaging me this early?"
Mr Hatanaka asked as he pulled out his cell phone. His eyes widened slightly as he read the name on the screen, and hesitantly opened the message.
"Do you want any more eggs?" Suichi asked before going in for a second helping. They had gone to a restaurant that served platters of food on the table for all to fill up from, and the eggs were nearly all gone.
"I'm fine, Suichi, thank you." Shiori answered, before turning back to the boy's father, who was now grinning ear to ear.
"Well, I'll be damned..." He breathed, reading over the words again. "That little girlfriend of his must be an angel after all." He explained, turning the phone for her to read.
Shuichi: Her favorite flowers are tiger lilies. Please bring her back safely.
_______
The others had already gathered by the mountain station when the kitsune and her bond arrived. Most of them at least, as Yusuke had not been seen for weeks now, nor master Genkai. Mako was also notably absent, having gone to spirit world days prior in a task for the prince, as Maru needed to focus on his training.
It was a quiet train ride to the sea, and chills ran up and down the girl's spine as she watched the gathered demons all turn their way as the group neared the dock chosen for the meetup. There were at least a hundred demons of varying shapes, sizes, and species. Most glared in their direction, some leering at the little fox with predatory gazes. One in particular, a large, ruddish-brown scaled brute, thought to get a little too close to the young kitsune, only to find both of it's outstretched wrists snapped, and a freshly sharpened sword gleaming at his throat.
Yumiko stood in the center of the group, Kurama, Maru, Hiei, and Kazuma flanking on either side of the girl, each male glaring at any demon foolish enough to glance their way.
"This place stinks... Kazuma grumbled under his breath.
"Unfortunately, most lower class demons do not adhere to the same standard of cleanliness as we do. Kurama responded, trying to ignore the stench himself.
"Let's just hope we don't have to sit on this beach for long..." Hiei sniped, to which Maru nodded along in his goat-demon form.
As they waited, Yumiko sat pressed against Kurama's side. He had left no room for argument when he commanded her to maintain contact at all times. He would not risk a demon getting in between them. Her nose wrinkled as the disgusting scents of overly curious demons accosted her nose, some trying to get as close of a look as they dared at the little pets the teams had brought, despite the snarls and growls from their masters.
Kurama was no different. He leveled an ice cold glare at a passing wolf demon who was bold enough to try and deliberately sniff Yumiko's scent in front of the male. The primal growl that rose from his chest caused even her spine to tingle, and the wolf quickly took off, tail tucked between his legs.
The sound of an impact rang out nearby, followed by a shrill cry of pain, and Yumiko spun to see a young cat demon being beaten by what she could only assume was his master. She whimpered, pressing further against Kurama as she swiveled her ears away from the sound. She was certain she would see and hear much worse before this tournament was over, but she couldn't help feeling sorry for the young pet.
As her ears swiveled, she managed to catch bits and pieces of the conversations around the beach.
"Heheheheh, it's about time this tournament day arrived." A cyclops demon chuckled to no one in particular.
"Now we can kill without getting those pursuers after us!" A green demon with two mouths, each lined with razor sharp teeth added with double grins.
"And imagine our power once we've gotten that prize!" A bull demon with multiple horns snickered in delight at the thought.
A blue monkey demon of some sorts snarled in his direction, teeth bared. "We're the ones who are going to get the power! Go home if don't want to die!!"
A short, rather ugly goat demon spoke next, pointing a finger at the equally ugly blue demon.
"Obviously you haven't seen us fight yet!"
Yumiko tensed suddenly as a different voice shouted over the crowd.
"I THINK I SMELL A HUMAN OVER THERE!!!"
Her head whipped around, as did the others, to spot what looked like a ghoul had mated with a vampire pointing in their direction, and she blanched as the demons surrounding him all turned to look their way.
"Kazuma..." She whispered, reaching out to tug at the young male's uniform. She wouldn't embarrass him by asking the boy to sit with her, so she made an effort to seem frightened, pulling at his uniform for a brother's comfort. It did the trick, and Kuwabara turned towards her with a winning grin.
"Don't worry miss Yumi, we won't let anybody eat you!"
Yumiko grinned back, partially at the boy's misinterpretation of the demon's intentions, though Maru seemed less amused.
"I believe it was you, they wanted to taste." He said simply, while Hiei and Kurama both nodded in agreement.
"Huh?" Kuwabara asked, then hummed to himself as he went over what he had heard again, and blanched. "Eyeeeeesh"
"HEY!! IM NOT ON THE MENU, SO FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO EAT!!" He shouted at a particularly gruesome demon who had been watching from a distance, licking his lips the entire time.
"Why are you so embarrassing...?" Yumiko muttered, a hand to her head as she tried to hide from the mocking demons surrounding them.
"Well, anyways... Uremeshi still hasn't shown up yet. What could that dummy be doing now?" The carrot-top grumbled, doing his best to ignore the creepy-crawly sensation in his skin.
"Hopefully, he's finding us a fifth fighter." Kurama answered, eyes locked on a plant demon that had been inching closer to the group for several moments. He narrowed his eyes at the curious female, and she wilted slightly, scurrying back to her master's side.
"Why don't you worry about yourself, Kuwabara? Have you gotten any better since our last fight?" Hiei questioned in a less-than-kind way. For the past month, the male had trained primarily either with Yumiko, or with Maru, pushing himself to the very limits of what he could achieve. The others had split Kuwabara's training between them.
Maru had forced the boy to wake before dawn each day, and run the entire lake before breakfast. By the end of the first week, he had managed to make it halfway before collapsing, but could now make the entire run without even being winded.
Kurama had focused on spirit energy manipulation, as well as pooling his energy for later use. Yumiko, had focused on hand to hand. Kazuma was a brawler, that was clear to any who spoke to him for more than five seconds, but he had been completely unwilling to fight a girl, so the solution had been simple.
After he had watched Yumi blow a hole through Maru's chest, it was clear that he couldn't actually harm her, so she was the perfect training partner for him to test his own limits. It was also vital training for the young fox, learning to hold back, and pull her own punches as well. Their last bout had left both combatants bruised and battered, grinning ear to ear as they had limped back into the temple that afternoon.
Yumiko smiled fondly as she thought on that night. Kurama had taken his time massaging each and every sore muscle, and rubbed ointment into every bruise along her body. He could have just healed her easily through their bond, or loosened the grip on her own healing, but that had been part of the training as well.
They would need every scrap of energy in this tournament, and that meant saving the healing for the worst of wounds, and fighting through what pain they could. Of course, she couldn't exactly say she was bothered by his attention to detail when checking for new bruises.
She was dragged out of her musings as Maru coughed nearby, causing her to blush at the mind reader's invasion, and Kazuma growled in response to Hiei's questioning.
"Hey! You'll see for yourself, shrimp boy!"
The look on the ginger's face was almost painful as he focused on his own musings, and Yumi couldn't help but wonder what was on the boy's mind. Probably miss Yukina, if she had to take a guess.
A new voice cut through the night, and they all turned to see a rather short, one-eye'd male. At first glance, he rather resembled a pirate from the fictions Yumiko had read speaking to the crowd.
"The ship is here mateys. Now, let's try to get on board without any violence."
His voice was scratchy, and void of emotion as he spoke.
"A pirate... It's a pirate! Kurama look, it's really a pirate like from the stories!!"
Yumiko's eyes had gone wide in wonder and delight as the captain had spoke, and she pointed to the male as she turned to her bond. Kurama chuckled softly, noting her ears as they went straight up, and patted the top of her head.
"It would make sense wouldn't it? A pirate captain ferrying treasure to the island?" He mused, chuckling again as his treasure comment made her blush.
The captain himself, seemed to be rather amused by the girl's words, seeing as how she had screeched them for half the clearing to hear.
Kuwabara's expression however, went to one of panic as he raised a hand to the captain.
"Uhh, hey wait a minute sir! Our team still has some stragglers."
The captain pirate's face remain unmoved as he leveled an emotionless gaze on their little group.
"Then we'll have to put a mark on their heads and send out a hit man. Standard rule of the tournament."
Kuwabara took a step back in disgust, and Yumiko felt that pit return in her stomach, though both were soon to to ease as a familiar voice called out from the forest behind them.
"Now, now, that's not necessary!"
"Huh?" Kuwabara and Yumiko both turned their heads as one towards that familiar voice, and Yumi grinned as she found her favorite dimwit standing before them, along with a much shorter fighter.
She would have sworn it was Genkai, especially given the dress, but the smell was wrong. The newcomer smelt neither human, nor demon... but something else entirely. They wore a red and white garb, similar to the old grandma's, a head wrap that covered all but her eyes, and a strange, glimmering black wristlet. Yumiko sniffed, then sniffed again. She was so sure... but...
Beside her, Kurama chuckled. 'You're making quite the face, Yumiko.' He teased, before adding. 'I wouldn't worry too much. Yusuke seems to trust the fighter, and that will be enough for now.'
The masked fighter's eyes found his at once, and he gave the being a small nod. He would not reveal their secret.
"Sorry to keep you waiting guys." Uremeshi gave a halfhearted apology, looking as calm as ever.
Yumiko's cheeks puffed out at both his words, and Kurama's comments in her mind. She instinctively flattened her ears a second before Kuwabara opened his big mouth.
"YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK, UREMESHI!!!"
Almost every demon in the clearing turned as the ginger boy screeched. Maru and Kurama both let out a collective sigh at the boy's indiscretion, and even Yumiko glared at him while muttering under her breath.
"Yes, idiot. Draw even more of the demon's attention than you already have. Great strategy..."
She flinched as Kurama shot her a glance, and spoke through their bond. 'We're all a bit wound up, Yumiko. Be nice.' Her head ducked a bit at the light scolding, and she nodded silently as Yusuke limped forward, exhaustion clear in his shoulders.
"These forest hikes really wipe me out!"
"Yeah, you look awful." Kuwabara began, though his expression quickly changed from concern to jokester as he added, "Oh wait, that's just you! Heheh, heheh."
Yumiko groaned at the lame joke, and Kurama might have chuckled as well, had he not sensed Hiei's intentions as the male approached the detective. Maru sensed it as well, and instinctively took a a step closer to the two foxes. The redhead's gaze shifted towards the male in a momentary glare, though his eyes quickly lowered to the slightly glowing mark in his chest. 'Right...' He thought, his annoyance spiking as he realized, perhaps for the first time how truly bound his dear Yumiko was to this male, due to that accursed stone. To his surprise, Maru shot him an apologetic look. Whatever words or thoughts went with that look were lost however, as Hiei called the detective's name.
"Yusuke..."
"Hm?" Yusuke grunted, acknowledging the shorter demon, a half-second before Hiei launched into a flurry of attacks. It took only a second longer for most of the gathered demons and pets to focus on the fight.
"What is this?" A demon called from the crowd.
"I thought that they were on the same team..." Another responded to the first.
"Woah! Micah, look at how fast they move!!" Called a young leopard demon male, his fur immaculately groomed.
"Yes, that swordsman will certainly be one to watch out for!" An elderly male, perhaps some sort of stoat demon, added. His neck was long, and his face round. He had beady black eyes, and a surprisingly gentle smile despite the multiple deep scars along his face. "We could very well end up in his care if the master isn't careful, Chihiro!"
A large bat demon growled next to them, arms folded across his chest, but made no further move to scold the two pets as they watched the fight.
Yumiko and Kazuma's jaws dropped as they watched the attacks fly. The little fox could still feel her skin crawl in all the places where that sword had cut through.
"Gosh, they're fast! I can barely keep up with my eyes!!" The ginger boy was truly doing his best to keep up, and Yumi grinned at him, noting the significance in his improvement.
It was over in a blink. Yusuke grabbed the blade of Hiei's sword between his fingers, and held it at bay after Hiei pulled off an upward thrust.
"Damn, Hiei! Is this how you say hello to people now?" He asked, a slight playfulness to the words.
"Hmph! I don't know where you've been all this time, but it seems you've improved your skills a little bit." Hiei answered, a small smirk on his lips.
"Improved a little bit? Oh, man! I'd say he improved a lot of bits!!" Kuwabara shouted a bit dejected.
Kurama offered him a reassuring smile, which Yumiko mirrored as her mate spoke.
"Don't be discouraged. The fact that you could follow their moves shows that you have improved as well."
"That's right, Kazuma! You should be proud of yourself!" Yumi added, giving the big oaf a soft punch in the side.
"H-hey, come on now, it's not all that... Eheheh." Kuwabara rubbed his nose a bit embarrassed at the praise, grinning at them both, though his attention turned back to the others as Hiei spoke again.
"So, Yusuke. I assume the little one over there is going to be the fifth member of our team?"
"Huh?" Kuwabara gawked at the little fighter as if just see them for the first time, and ran up to them while shouting.
"YOU MEAN THIS LITTLE GUY HERE??? HE'S EVEN SHORTER THAN HIEI!!!" He screeched incredulous.
Yumiko groaned, trying to hide her face in her tail, while Kurama chuckled at them both.
"Eh, what's wrong with his face? He looks like a mummy or something..." The idiot went on. All the while, the masked fighter just stared at him in silence.
"Trust me, that one's gonna be a lot of help to us." Yusuke interrupted the oaf's antics, his voice fat more serious than usual, those dark brown eyes as stony as the coastline they stood upon.
"Ehhh, I don't know, he barely comes to my waist.." Kuwabara went on, still clearly unconvinced.
"Auuuugh.... KAZUMA!!! WHY ARE YOU SO EMBARRASSING!!!" Yumiko's patience had finally run out, and a red and black shoe flew across the dock as she screeched, hitting the ginger boy square in the back of the head. The shoe was soft, but still left quite an indent in his pompadour as it bounced off of his head.
"Oomph, HEY!! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR MISS YUMI??? I WAS JUST SAYIN!!" Kazuma screeched back. He picked up the shoe, and tried to throw it back to her, though it was Kurama who caught it, inches from Yumiko's now flattened ears.
"That's quite enough..." He reprimanded the pair, giving a particularly stern look to the firebrand who was now missing one shoe. "You'd think you would have learned by now not to throw something so valuable, Yumiko..." He scolded, and watched her eyes widen as he sent memories of a library shooting through her mind. She blushed, nibbling on her lip as she reached for the shoe.
"S-sorry.." She muttered, not meeting his eyes.
Beside them Maru snorted, having seen the memory himself without really meaning to. He quickly lifted his hands in front of him as both redheads turned to face him with equally menacing glares on their faces.
"I-it's not my fault! I wasn't-"
He was saved from having to explain further, as Hiei's voice cut in again.
"Forget him. Yusuke and I are all we'll require."
"ENOUGH OF PESKY DISTRACTIONS!!!"
The captain pirate raised his voice along with his hooked hand, and Yumiko let out a small 'eep' at the sight of it.
'He really is a pirate!!!' She shot down the bond again as the captain spoke, and Kurama had to clamp a hand over his mouth to hide the snort of amusement at her shock and thrill at the sight. The motion was mirrored by the two telepaths, who looked away as the captain went on.
"LET'S All GET ON BOARD!!!!"
And so the next adventure begins for Yumiko and her friends, on a ship filled with bizarre demons who all have a craving for blood.
What is this strange new world where the dark tournament begin? And can the Uremeshi team even get there alive?
As the ship sets sail for Break-neck Island, several teams look to the horizon with hope in their chests. Some fight for power, others for revenge. But for Yumiko and her friends, only one goal exists.
Survive the tournament, and make it off the island alive.
[A/N: WOW It's been a fun ride! Book one is officially done! Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read my retelling of this beloved series! And a special shout out to everyone who's commented! I absolutely love reading you guy's comments, and seeing what you thought of certain parts!
Everyone's either on the island, or on their way there now! I honestly enjoyed writing the discomfort between Kurama and Shiori's boyfriend in this chapter. I love the thought of him being overly protective of his mother (with good reason) and basically just being a stubborn fox when it comes to considering that maybe Mr Hatanaka isn't all that bad. I also enjoyed giving the pair something relatively safe and harmless to have a genuine argument over, and explore that bond a little bit more.
I'm planning one more edition to A Forest on Fire, which will be an Ask Me Anything featuring the cast! Each character will have their own question thread, and I'll do my absolute best to keep up with answering any comments with your questions!
Final note. I'm afraid it will be a few months before I can start Book Two. I need to take some time and finish up work on the second book of my published series, so I'll be taking a few months on that, but I hope to jump back into this project by the end of the year. I'll still be checking and answering comments throughout that time.
Again, thank you all for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed this Yu Yu Hakusho retelling,
Book One: A Forest on Fire.]