Oniisan
chapter 10
by Silrayn Silverwolf
X. Aid Unsought
Somewhere in between dimensions feral eyes met a yellow one.
"Are you sure?" Said a whisper of a voice.
"Yes…"
"And so it ends…" It was a sighed and a promise. Both winked out
into the maelstrom of the wilderness between the planes.
***
Ran moved quickly as the alarm klaxons rang from all quarters, cursing. He
wondered who had made the mistake that triggered them. It better not be any of
Sh-Kurama's friends or there will be hell to pay. He had been reluctant to have
to do this mission with the Urameshi team underfoot in the first place. This is
what happens when you let non-professionals help in this sort of work…
***
"So that's how it's going to be?"
"Hai, 'niichan."
Ran didn't want to question the plan, it got his otouto under his care after all
but it split the Weiك team into two and made them work with two others who
they haven't even seen in action much less coordinate with. Besides, it was the
best compromise they could come up with using both teams' methods.
"Won't it be more effective if the teams were split up along the team
lines?"
"Ie, you won't have powers to deal with Sohliel and others of his kind that
might be about."
"Hn."
"Please be rational, 'niichan." And that was that.
***
The "plan", as insane as it was, had called for him and Siberian
backed by Hiei and Kurama to take on the Estet elders while the others take on
Schwartz. It also called for sneaking quietly into the base and assassinating
the Estet and the Schwartz. Right now, it might well be scattered to the high
winds. Someone had managed to trip the alarm before they got into position. Ran
swore again. They had to fight men with guns something the Reikai Tantei had
never done and that made Ran very nervous about bringing both Kurama and,
surprisingly, Hiei into the fights. He constantly worried about them getting hit
by bullets.
"Hn. Dodge fireballs and such." Hiei said close to his ear. He had to
remember that Hiei was a telepath as good as if not better than Schuldich. Not
that little Jaganashi used his gift other than for communications most of the
time and Ran's strong worry must be projecting pretty far.
There were only two corridors they had to go through to their mission objective.
He had drawn Hiei as his partner through the corridors. He comforted himself
with the thought that they'll be seeing Kurama and Ken at the last juncture.
Then realized what Hiei had said.
"Hn." Ran said. That doesn't help much…
He had not much time for thought as the corridor in front of them exploded with
Estet guards.
***
Yuusuke ran with Balinese. Of all the four Weiك, he was the unknown
element; Hidaka and Tsukyono were at least acquainted with Kurama. Still he
seemed a good man in a fight. They had taken down several of the guards with
their weapons without getting hurt though with the alarms on. They had taken to
speeding through the corridors, time becoming a premium rather than surprise
since they have lost that option.
***
The hall of sacrifice was large with a vaunted ceiling. The corridor where they
emerge from was far from the altar all the passages were like that. The droning
chant of the three went on and on as they climbed the stairs. Kurama felt
uneasy. He remembered a part of a private argument before this mission. He knew
his brother would have probably dismissed it by now as trivial but bothered
Kurama a lot. Kurama knew that Ran didn't believe in the threat presented by
youkai despite what the latter had seen and heard. It might be natural
considering that he was a child of the modern world, which relied on science.
He'd rather have Ran away from the coming battle but his 'niichan was adamant.
Nothing was going to keep Ran away from this one short of death.
***
"Ran-niichan, be reasonable, we're probably going against more youkai,
demons that have been kept in reserve. You and Weiك have no experience
fighting them, you should stay out of it."
"Hn." A death glare accompanied the refusal. It was clear that his big
brother wouldn't allow him to go into any danger on his own.
"'Niichan."
"Hn."
Kurama met Ran's eyes glare for glare, letting a bit of amber slip into his.
"Humph, I guess there will be enough ningen with mundane weapons to give us
some trouble." Kurama conceded finally, pouting adorably as he did so.
Ran-niichan could kill a basilisk at a glaring competition…
"Hn." Cute pouts won't make me repeal my verdict.
"Hai, I know that that wouldn't work when the matter was this serious but
it was worth a try." Kurama grinned at Ran making the latter smile
tentatively at him.
***
Kurama hid in the shadows waiting for the rest of their team to show up Ken-kun
was beside him waiting for the signal as well. Hopefully no one got caught
though with the alarm raised it would be harder for everyone concerned to take
out his targets. Something moved in one of the adjacent corridors. It was one of
the unaccounted for corridors in the complex probably leading to the Schwartz.
He tightened his fingers around his whip.
***
"Omi-kun, where to now?" Kuwabara said trying to be as quiet as he
could. They had already made a mistake tripping the alarm by passing a laser
beam that wasn't suppose to be there. They had taken care of the consequences of
their actions and were now speeding to their rendezvous point with Yuusuke and
Youji-san.
"Right then left." Omi said consulting his map. They skidded to a halt
and proceeded more cautiously into the corridor that would lead them into the
Schwartz antechamber.
***
"Omi-kun, Kuwabara-kun, how come you're here?" Kurama hissed in
surprise as they huddled together in the corridor.
"Omi…" Ken said in half-question.
"We followed the map! We didn't get turned about. I'm positive." Omi
said defensively. He was feeling a bit less confident after blundering into the
alarm.
"I'm sure you did." Kurama said soothingly. Whatever was going on
couldn't be helped.
"What now?" Hidaka-san asked.
"We wait for the rest of the Estet team to show up? Ran-niichan would not
be pleased if we had gone on without him." Kurama suggested.
They started when another corridor showed activity but it was only Yuusuke and
Youji-kun.
What happened to Ran-niichan that he…?
The thought wasn't finished when Hiei flew in with his 'niichan.
"What in hell!" Ran directed this uncharacteristic outburst to his
teammates.
"We don't know how we end up here." Protested Youji.
"Let's figure it out later, the ceremony's been started. We'd better
hurry." Yuusuke said. He no doubt was feeling the rise in ki energy
enshrouding the summoning hall the way everyone from Urameshi Team.
The joint team didn't need to use their "Chosen One" detectors to know
that the bier on stage must be where Aya-chan was.
***
The combined teams of Weiك and Schwartz hurried towards the stage. Ran
felt a wave of weakness thrum through his veins as he ran but dismissed it. It
must be the demon's blood in him reacting to the ceremony. Kurama looked at him
in concern as he faltered but he only shook his head and there was no more time.
The teams separated into small groups to deal with the telekinetic Elders of
Estet and the guards in the main hall.
Odd that there weren't any other youkai at all in the ranks of guards. He was in
the process of slicing one of the guards when the weakness came upon him again
and he felt as if his entire being was on fire. He distantly felt his knees
buckle and lost his balance, far, far away someone was screaming…
***
"'Niichan!" Kurama shouted as he dispatched the guard with his whip.
Ran was kneeling an aura of intense blue limned his form and he was screaming.
There that was the last of them…
"Everyone take care of the Elders. I'll take care of Ran-niichan."
Kurama falling back to hold Ran in his arms. The blue glow traveled up Kurama's
arms to enfold him too. Somehow it didn't harm him. Strange, it felt rather warm
and welcoming.
Yuusuke nodded, seeing that the blue glow had not harmed Kurama. Youji hesitated
but then moved on grimly.
***
One of the chanting Elders saw death approaching and broke off to hurl a wide
spray of telekinetic force. Hiei and Siberian zeroed in on him and narrowly
avoided being pushed by telekinetic force. Hiei's cat-quick reflexes had allowed
him to bypass the wave and slash the man's throat. Yuusuke managed to shoot the
woman before she could do anything. The last man was either more cowardly or
more cool headed than the rest, he ran away fast as he could to a door where
Schwartz must be, chanting all the while. He had only managed to survive a few
more seconds as Youji managed to latch a stranglehold with his wire.
All through out these events the glow surrounding Kurama and Ran didn't falter
but intensified at each beat of a silent pulse.
Hiei was finally free to use the detector to confirm his dawning suspicions.
@#%$! Just as I thought…
"This isn't Aya." Hiei said.
"Sakura." Omi confirmed.
They had been deceived. Hiei ripped the ward off of his Jagan to look at the
impenetrable walls for a hidden door. With an illusion master, he didn't want to
take the chance that the real door was cloaked, time was running out for Kurama
and Ran.
***
Elsewhere, Schwartz was meticulously chanting their version of the rite under
the supervision of Sohliel who nearly yawned.
So f'r so good, everythin's fallin' i' t' place…
Sohliel looked at the bier that held Fujimiya Aya with a satisfied smirk on his
alien face. It hadn't been all that hard to switch her with Tomoe Sakura. Those
old fools didn't even know the first thing about this girl. They didn't even
take the time to read her aura that would have saved them from being duped. But
no, they were too assured of their destiny. It had been too easy. He sighed in
contempt but tightened his grasp on the magical energies in the room. He had
given Schwartz the rite to perform and so there they were now. His perception
blurred for a moment and on a less aware level, he felt himself chanting with
rest of Schwartz.
After this night there would be no more problems about budgeting his resources,
of splitting his consciousness. He would be free, free of the contract that
bound his soul to servitude to the Cei Lady Bolshai, free to do as he pleased.
It had been a hard thing to do to fight the geas that came with the contract but
he had done it. He had gotten attached to the Ningenkai's status quo and wished
no earthshaking changes even if it meant that he would have great power.
No let us not lie to ourselves --myself-- it's all for His sake… Heck, I'd
have to stop her plan myself, Reikai were such ignorant fools they didn't even
know that my liege was a she not a he. What a bunch of weenies… Things were so
under control…
It was how matters were when he felt the surge of power in the adjacent chamber.
Damned it! Somethin's gone som'ut wrong…
Sohliel dropped the illusions he wove and gathered his powers to himself. He was
even tempted to…but no, not that, never that… If I did that I can never stay
here in the Ningenkai any longer…
"Crawford-san, something has gone wrong with the rite. Against all
expectations there seems to be a building of power in the other room."
Sohliel said in his accent-less voice to Crawford who was free at the moment,
the chanting had needed to be alternated between three members or so the
instructions said.
"Should we…"
"No, the rite shouldn't be interrupted. I'll go and see." Sohliel knew
that without him the magical semblance in the room would vanish into thin air
but didn't care. Schwartz would probably attribute it to what was happening in
the hall. He flitted out into the hallway as Weiك team ran in to contain
Schwartz.
Iffin' Fools…couldn't they figure it out for themselves, Schwartz wasn't
behind what was happening now, I had them quietly occupied with the some
harmless nonsense…but at least it give me free rein to do what must be done…
***
Sohliel found himself in the room with only the Urameshi team sans Hiei and the
swordsman in it. The rest of the Weiك were all rushing Schwartz trying to
disrupt the latter's concentration, thinking that would stop what was happening.
Tough luck, that wasn't going to stop this. He'll have to do it himself.
The kitsune and the Weiك swordsman were both glowing with a steady blue
glow.
I've got to stop Her from coming through… What was that phrase again…
"Avrec kiran…"
Unfortunately the Urameshi team spotted him at that moment and decided to attack
him as threat. The ningen swordsman started a slash at him as the other rushed
at him. He narrowly dodged their attacks.
Meanwhile, Schwartz was fighting Weiك and the ill-tempered fire demon.
Sohliel knew that they were more than a match for the three but was glad that he
had took the time to build several fighting reflexes as well as canny tactical
mechanisms in his "second body". He still worried. The energies
unleashed were disrupting reiki powers to a noticeable degree. But all the same
could only spare a glance at his teammates before he blurred back into his fight
with the Urameshi team.
A glance especially at him…What a thing to contemplate at a time like this…
From the looks of things, the energies were also disrupting youki powers. The ki
balls directed at him were none to steady nor did the flare of the swords. A
fact that allowed him to survive while he concentrated counter-phrase.
"Ouresis…"
Fools, there be no time left…got to…
It really wasn't Sohliel's day for time just ran out. On a hidden signal both of
the other occupants of the room glowed like miniature suns blinding him for an
instant…
***
The pulse of the energies thrummed at the walls of the hall, threatening to
bring them down. Then it stopped and in the midst of it all both Ran and Kurama
started to levitate.
"Yamero, I am only trying to help…" Sohliel said finally knowing
that Bolshai wouldn't have taken kindly to what he had tried to do, once she
figured it out.
An' she will figure it out, th' boss-lady's been always a sharp 'un. She is. An'
I'm dead a'ways.
"Help? Help him more likely…" Urameshi said sarcastically flinging a
fireball in disdain at him.
"Think…Urameshi…isn't a bit odd that there is no power emanating from
the antechamber of the Schwartz ceremony?" Sohliel said dodging the Reiki
Sword of the other boy.
"Huh?"
"And this girl here isn't Fujimiya Aya isn't she so the ceremony here would
have been useless…" Sohliel dodged another fireball.
What kind of fools were these folk?
"So what do we do?" The boy said finally convinced, hauling the
swordsman to a stop with him.
A blast of ki energy suddenly barreled into them blowing them into the walls
rendering the two Reikai Tantei unconscious.
So much for them…
"isther min!"
Ran floated across the room past Sohliel to the room where Schwartz still
fought.
@#%$! Her power's not waning…it might be a wee bit late…
***
In the other room, the combatants froze as if sensing the impending storm. For a
timeless moment everyone stood in poses worthy of Roman frieze work then the
door blew in.
***
"Aya-kun?" Tsukyono exclaimed uncertainly.
"Hn."
"Aya!" Both his other teammates gave voice to their astonishment.
All of them were having a hard time believing that this being of untold power
and terrible majesty was their unassuming teammate.
"Kurama!" Hiei shouted seeing that Kurama was also coming into the
room with eyes glazed.
"What's wrong with them?" Hiei said as he grabbed Sohliel who had
followed the two glowing figures into the room. His katana was perilously close
to severing the illusion-master's neck if the touchy fire demon didn't like his
answer.
"This again…" Sohliel sighed.
"Hn." The expression on the grumpy little youkai's face darkened a bit
further.
"They got in the wrong end of the Elders' summoning ritual. Evidently there
was a failsafe to my liege-lady's plan or a factor I failed to consider. I
didn't intend for the plan to be fulfilled."
"So how do we stop them?"
"I don't know, I've just managed to seal the ritual on time so it's not
full possession. But we'd better block the access to the girl, she is not sealed
so."
"Hn."
Both of them, as well as the rest of Weiك, decided to block the way.
"Sohliel, what in hell…?" Crawford asked. Like the rest of Schwartz,
he was either on the floor or swaying drunkenly about. They had Gifts and didn't
have any training dealing with demon ki that was flooding the entire room. Which
was better actually, Sohliel had enough troubles keeping Weiك and Schwartz
apart if they were fully functional. Explanations would take too much time.
"You don't really want to know." Sohliel said keeping his eye on the
advancing pair.
"I tire of all of your interference. Especially of you, traitor. Little
One…" A voice said from Fujimiya's lips. Though it was the deep baritone
of the man it somehow conveyed an undertone of hissing alto that was Bolshai
trademark.
At that, Kurama threw a fireball that had everyone ducking out of the way.
"Kurama! Wake up, kitsune no baka." Hiei said again daring the fiery
missiles to charge in and hug the kitsune by the waist. A note of desperation
entered his voice. He wasn't going to lose Kurama to this no matter what it
took. Kurama, his best friend and somewhat more…
I want you to be more… I want us to have time to be more to be with each
other… To be happy together, I want to learn how to laugh with you, to share,
to bask in your affection and not the friendly kind either… Kurama, please
wake up!
"You don't want to do this… Remember, that we're your friends!" Omi
said as he closed in while dodging.
"They are nothing, Little One, destroy them all." Ran said again.
***
Kurama felt warm and safe like being in his mother's womb or in her arms.
Shiori's love and support thrumming a contented burr in his mind cleansing the
pain of the centuries of life.
Yes, you don't have to be lonely anymore, Little One… You have a clan now, you
need not fear of ever being lonely ever again.
Contentment sang through his veins.
A family, a clan, I belong…
Far, far away was a shout, a loud babble of voices. One voice echoed through out
the rest…
"…kitsune no baka."
Hiei!
With this Kurama fought free of the lassitude that had held his mind in its warm
grip and came to with Hiei's tight embrace.
"You can let go of me now Hi-chan." Kurama said affectionately but
grimly.
"Hn." Soul-deep relief and something more colored Hiei's tone. Kurama
knew that they both needed sometime to assimilate what had just occurred. Time
to reassure each other especially Hiei but not now. There was simply no time
left.
***
"Noooooo!" Bolshai said in denial, sending wave after wave of
telepathic fury at everyone within range.
Sohliel was concerned. At this rate, Schwartz could not last any longer under
the buffeting force.
"Aniki!" Kurama yelled, running into the force storm using Hiei as
anchor to keep from being swept up by the madness of that rage. The glow was now
ebbing, pulsing as if it was losing power…
Yes, I sealed her jus' in a nick of time…. But it's na quite enough. Somethin'
must distract t' lady… Ran is th' primary focus, tho' I doubt if the lady
would wish t' be stuck in a male body…I've nothin' to lose but this shell
anyhow…
With this thought, Sohliel attacked Abyssinian with all his might. He felt the
tissues of the body fracture and severed under the cold onslaught of flying
icicles and snapped back into his second body with a gratifying snap.
***
Hiei's eyes widened, as he understood the significance of what his Jagan had
seen. Sohliel's awareness had shifted to one of the Schwartz' bodies. It was
food for thought for later when they survived this.
In the chaos, Hiei and Kurama managed to hold onto Ran and force him away from
Aya's body, as Bolshai was about to make a sprint for it.
Then was all over.
Hiei looked with narrow eyes at the Schwartz member.
Very interesting, it is not possession and the body has the same signature as
Sohliel's… Why have we not noticed this before? Clever, there were always
rumors of illusion masters that could create the reality of flesh. So it is not
rumor after all…
***
: Should I start or should you? : Kurama projected hard to Hiei. They needed to
know the motivations of this particular youkai even if his actions seemed to
indicate that he was no longer a threat.
: Hn.:
"So what did you do that for Farfarello? Or should I say 'Sohliel'?"
Kurama asked for both of them. The psycho ignored them, fascinated by the blue
blood spilled on the marble tiles. His teammates were too busy in other parts of
the complex salvaging what they could of the situation. For anyone with some ki
sense it was obvious the "body" was an elaborate half-illusion meant
to fool the senses of both youkai and ningen alike.
Kurama and Hiei managed to slip away from the joint team in pretense of going to
their respective sleeping places without Ran raising hell. The latter was too
preoccupied with Aya-neechan and too happy to see that she had regained
consciousness to try managing his little brother. They would have a harder time
of getting time alone otherwise. His aniki was such a prude.
"Do what?" The platinum blonde said, his one yellow feral eye finally
looking up from the corpse illusion.
"Help us against Bolshai?"
"Let's just say I have gotten used to this world." Farfarello said in
the same languid almost purring tone that he had used as Sohliel.
"Hn, he's gotten attached to a ningen he means." Hiei snorted before
Kurama could find something to retort.
Kurama was amused to see Farfarello sputter at this. For once, the suave demon
couldn't seem to frame a reply.
"You don't deny it?" Kurama said cruelly, playing villain to the hilt.
Sohliel did deserve some anxiety for all the trouble he had caused them.
Looking back at everything that happened, Kurama and Hiei had concluded from
their observations that the youkai wasn't as serious in his duty to their enemy
as he should have been. He could have done serious damage to both teams if he
had tried. The confusion he had caused showed a fine cunning strategist that
could have pulled this off. Nearly pulled it off with half-hearted effort, this
made him truly dangerous. It was imperative that they verify that he would not
pose a threat. So they decided to prod him into revealing his intentions for the
future.
More sputtering, the youkai was definitely flustered now.
"A weakling human, hmmm… I wonder who it is?" Kurama added. Hiei had
already told Kurama of the glance he saw Farfarello had tossed to Schuldich in
the fighting but decided use the taunt to push the youkai a bit more.
"Is it Crawford-san…"
"…"
"Or Nagi-kun…"
"…"
"Or could it possibly be…Schuldich-san?"
"I'll cut your heart out and make a coat out of your fur." Farfarello
lunged for Kurama but he was too late the youko had dodged him easily.
"What do you want from me?" It was several futile blows later,
Farfarello settled down to an aggressive pose somewhat winded.
"An assurance that you won't pose a threat to the Ningenkai ever…"
"For as long as Schuldich lives, I can assure you…" That was a
truthful enough answer. No demon could really say forever. For the future was
long for them, and such guaranties rarely hold.
"…And you will give us all the locations of the copies of Bolshai's
summoning rite. All the copies."
"They've all been destroyed as far as I know."
"Truth?" The question was directed to Hiei who had been using his
Jagan all throughout the confrontation.
"Hn."
"Our thanks then."
"So can I count on your silence." It was directed to both of them.
"Your survival will be mentioned in our private report to Koenma. But no
one, not even our teammates will know about your true identity."
"That's fair enough." Farfarello said after a long moment of
thoughtful silence. His stance relaxed to his usual languid pose.
With this both weary youkai had left the "madman" to his game.
***
"Kurama-chan, where have you been?" Ran said. Aya-neechan was already
asleep in her bed and couldn't be bothered.
"Out talking with Hiei." Kurama said brightly. He was going to sleep
in apartment above the flower shop since he had told their mother that he was to
stay overnight with a friend. He got the blanket and a pillow on the couch since
Ran insisted on sleeping on the floor.
"Talking?"
"Hai, talking."
"You know my rules…"
"Aniki!" Kurama said giving Ran an innocent foxy look.
"Hn, talking…just go to sleep…"
"Hai, aniki." Kurama said grateful that they were both too exhausted
to make an issue of it.
~owari?~
silrayn silverwolf
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