Kaidei stood in the shadows, hidden by a circling lock of trees, caught somewhere between a meditative frown and a pleased, teasing smile. His eyes were settled upon the breath of another small alcove remarkably similar to the one in which he had found Shenjin bathing. It was much, much smaller, with a huge cave set to the side and an extremely small lake in the middle; Shenjin was standing there, his figured outlined by the reflection of the moon off of the still waters, silent and thoughtful, as he had been for the past hour.

Yes, Shenjin was indeed one of the most intriguing creatures the thief had ever met. His interest never flagged with this one, never drew astray. The pearl-green youko was not only an enigma, but was also desperately in need of healing. Kaidei had never been one for sympathies, but he couldn’t stand the thought of such beauty – such life – just shattering, breaking away, and disappearing. It was one of his flaws, he presumed. One had to make certain allowances, once one has been stolen.

However, even beyond that – the smile wavered and slipped, to become a frown – he would not risk Shenjin’s life. He refused to. The display between the half-breed and the young youko that very morning had already revealed the fact that he was all too susceptible to the Out World power, and that was one affair he would rather Shenjin not be caught up within. Granted, he probably already was, since the feel of the power had originated somewhere vaguely resembling the direction Shenjin had been guiding them, and there was a very slim but very real chance that Shenjin’s so-called "Master" was the one who held it. Not physically, of course, because there was too much power for one mortal to hold within. Only one would be able to wield it – as it had said, in speaking through both Hiei in its original tongue, as well as being translated through Shenjin in their own. It had said that it had found him – not the one who would wield it, but him, Kaidei – and if it knew he was nearby then it would begin searching for the one who would wield its power.

Wielding its power was very different from holding its power in the sense that when one held such power it was a part of them, through and through, inside and out – a part of their blood, their essence, their very life-force. When one merely wielded it, then they were able or had the ability to tap into that power and use small, minute portions of it.

Of course, Kaidei had no intentions of letting any of his current companions become either the holder or the wielder of that power – especially not Shenjin.

Barely a night and a day and he had already stayed within their presence for much too long. There was something enigmatic about the pearl-green youko that had drawn him closer and closer and now... well, now Kaidei was faced with making one of two decisions; stay, explore the new, foreign sense of feeling and kinship he felt growing between Shenjin and he... or leave, and hope that the youko and his companions would survive, for if he chose the first they would almost assuredly die.

The frown settled itself as the familiar weight of determination made itself known in his heart. He would not allow Shenjin to die...

Thus it would be the best for them all if he left, and never returned to bring his burdens upon them any longer. That was, after all, the main reason he had never been moved to interact with others before wasn’t it? He shook his head mutely and breathed in a sigh. He couldn’t leave though, not yet. Not until he did just one more thing...

Quietly he dislocated himself from the shadows and stepped forward. "Shenjin-chan..."

"Go away." The voice was weak, wavering – crying? – no, Shenjin had not cried, even when he had been so obviously terrified that morning. What had happened that was so horrible, yet so stubborn within his mind that he refused the urge to cry?

Kaidei stared at the strong movement of the pearl-green youko’s back – at the set of his triangular ears and the half-bristling, half-limp formation of his feathery tail. He hadn’t intended to do this so soon – and then, at the change in situations, to not do it at all – but he could feel the youko’s mental strength dwindling as the hours went by, as he dreaded returning to the "Master," yet yearned to save his sister. The little incident this morning had not helped any. Being conscious of an unbelievably strong, Out World power using you as a channel to deliver a message was not exactly the most comforting thing one could be confronted with. Given another two days the broken youko would shatter, and be no more. Despite all his personal agendas of remaining outside the continuum and not interfering in other lives, the thief found himself drawn to help this one – this single one – just for this once. That was why, as his gaze settled upon that ragged, choppy tail, his mind echoed the thoughts that had plagued him that morning. He’s never known a moment of true kindness...

He reached out to touch that fluff of tail – barely had the tips of his fingers brushed the pale green fur before Shenjin burst into motion, whirling around to grab his arm with a snarl. Very calmly Kaidei turned into the abrupt movement of the youko’s body and adapted to it, wrapping his right arm around the boy and pulling him forward sharply, causing Shenjin to stumble and fall against his chest. The youko’s lips parted to utter a sound of protest as he pushed away, yet the thief did not release him. He reached around with his left hand and traced the line of the youko’s spine with his fingers, with just enough pressure to cause a startled shiver run through him. Shenjin gripped the soft black leather of his vest in his claws, his silver eyes widening in mute surprise at the feeling. Kaidei let his hand drift lower... and then lower, until his fingers brushed the sprouting fur of the youko’s tail.

"Stop –" Shenjin gasped, his eyes shut tight, a strange non-pain look flickering across his features. "Don’t –"

"Just relax." Kaidei murmured in his ear, his voice soothing, calm, gentle as he brushed his thumb along the thin trail of bone and muscle hidden beneath the sprouting fur of the youko’s tail. "I won’t."

He concentrated solely upon that tail; caressing it, massaging the tender, incredibly sensitive flesh as he did so. Shenjin’s disjointed little gasps of pain – no, pleasure, for the youko had known enough pain, and Kaidei was loathe to give him any more – brushing warmth against his ear, giving him a shadow of the stirring pleasure he knew the boy in his arms was feeling. A faint, sad smile crossed his lips as he allowed his fingers to tangle gently in the pale sprouting of ice-green fur, his eyes settled below. He inspected the length of tail in his hand and the brush of fur across his knuckles almost reverently – so soft, so very beautiful – and was the unsuspecting victim of a flash of anger that brought the frown back full-force as he discovered two small knots within the flesh of Shenjin’s tail where it had been broken not once – but twice.

"Please – stop –" Shenjin bit back against the confused, gasping purr-growl that came to his throat as some unfamiliar, wayward feeling dug its way into his spine and spread a growing warmth and languor in his muscles. He had never felt pleasure before, had never even known that such feelings could be produced – let alone by someone touching his tail. Ne, – for never had the guards, the Master, nor anyone done anything other than yank or create pain in his tail before. Kaidei was not creating pain. All he was doing was touching – a simple, incredibly intimate touch that sent shivers of delight and some nameless, breathless feeling throughout Shenjin’s whole body. He practically melted and leaned heavily upon the thief – some hidden part of him protesting at such a move, even as some other part sighed in contentment. Either way, he was unable to simply stand upon his own anymore. Kaidei’s grip held him firm, however, holding him close in a protective, gentle hold that was almost – almost – a hug. Biting back upon the touches of warmth moving through him – he feared he could not trust something that felt so wonderful – he pressed his face into the thief’s shoulder, simultaneously repressing the urge to nuzzle the warm, tanned flesh there in mute, instinctive thanks for the pleasure Kaidei was creating.

"Does it hurt?"

Shenjin bit his lip and began to tremble as another indefinable feeling of warmth shuddered through his body. ". . . no..."

Kaidei gave a tiny smile at the breathy sound of the youko’s voice stirring the locks of hair by his ear. Although he would have had no problems in seducing the young creature in his arms at this moment, that had not been his intention in the beginning and although the want was there, he would never have taken advantage of such charming, however sad, naivete. Perhaps if he could have spent more time with Shenjin... if they had more time to get to know one another, to become friends and perhaps one day something more... But no. Perhaps once he would have been given that chance, but no longer. He couldn’t – he wouldn’t – drag such a majestic creature as the one in his arms into the danger he knew awaited him in the future. Sighing mutely, his hand slipped down farther, his massage switching from a slow, gentle touch to a more firm caress along the youko’s tail; his fingers began tangling in locks of pearl-green fur that were now slightly longer. "How does it feel?"

Shenjin gave another half-purr-half-growl in reply – one which he couldn’t hold back this time. He pressed his face into the thief’s shoulder, his voice coming out a bare breath of a groaning whisper, reluctant to speak, yet unable to simply not reply. ". . . good..."

For one who has never known pleasure... Kaidei smiled again as another shudder of warmth moved through the youko. With a soft, muffled cry Shenjin bit the thief’s shoulder, his fangs sinking into bare flesh as a particularly keen touch of pleasure stirred a reaction within him. Kaidei didn’t so much as flinch; his smile faltered a little, then grew strong again. He gave a short laugh at the feel of Shenjin’s velvety tongue licking away the blood half-unconsciously in apology. He ran his thumb down along the flesh and bone of his tail one last time – wringing another strangled growl from the pearl-green youko’s throat as he did so – before lifting his hand and caressing the boy’s nape and shoulders to bring him back to the Here and Now reality, as he had that very morning. The recovery was slower this time, some-what reluctant, if the thief was any judge, yet he merely smiled and waited patiently for Shenjin to re-gather his pleasure-scattered wits. He had known that youko tails were sensitive – truth to tell, most semi-intelligent demons did – but had never thought they were that sensitive. Or – and here he smiled again as Shenjin lifted his head, a dark flush across his cheeks as he looked up, his silver eyes unfocused and slightly dazed – elicited such delightful results upon stimulation.

Shenjin blinked and slowly focused upon the thief’s young, smiling face and kind violet-red eyes before him; he was still in a some-what belated confusion and didn’t pull back as Kaidei reached up and brushed a small lock of pearl-green hair from dangling before his silver eyes. "What... what did you just do to me?"

For one who has never known kindness... Kaidei smiled again, unable to help himself as he did so. "I just fixed your tail, little fox."

Shenjin stared at the thief sluggishly before the comment sunk in; he pushed himself up to stand fully on his own again, leaving one hand upon Kaidei’s arm as he reached back with the other and pulled his tail around for inspection. Sure enough, where once the fur had been short, choppy, and more a sprouting than anything else, now each strands was long and silken as it had been years before. He gaped, glancing back and forth in disbelief from his new tail, to the thief’s delighted grin. "How..."

"I can manipulate things, remember?" Kaidei lifted his hand and tapped the tip of the startled youko’s nose with one finger, winking. "Getting fur to grow faster is a form of manipulation."

Shenjin gaped and then abruptly recoiled, the wall of wariness, fear, anger, and caution snapping up before his very eyes. That silvery gaze – which had been soft and molten, liquid silver fire in his pleasure, had hardened once more into two sheening orbs that glowed beneath the light of the moon, distrust evident within. "Why?" he barked sharply – harshly, yes, there was no doubt – but suddenly, inexplicably, he was afraid. No one had ever done anything for him without expecting something in return, and if the thief expected to be repaid in manners of the physical – he refused. "If you think I’m going to give you my –"

"Do you know why I didn’t do your hair?" Kaidei murmured softly, completely knocking the pearl-green youko from his precarious stance of defense. The over-whelming look of confusing took precedence of the fear and caution, and for a moment he was once again the charming, naïve creature the thief had held in his arms only moments ago.

"What?" ruthlessly he shook the confusion away before snarling, "I don’t care! Whatever you want I’m not –"

"I didn’t do your hair because I didn’t want to." Kaidei interrupted him again, very deliberately. Once again thoroughly confused, Shenjin could only stare in open-mouthed shock as the thief reached out and pet him, his small hand burying itself in the locks of pearl-green hair that teased around one sensitive, triangular ear. "You were disgraced when they took your mane and your tail. I’ve given you a new grace, and I expect nothing in return. No kindness, no reward, no nothing. I gave it to you because I wanted to. I didn’t let your mane grow back because I like it short. If you wore it long you would be nothing more than another youko. If you continued to wear both your mane as well as your tail short, you would be nothing more than another slave. I have given you your tail back and now you are neither just another youko nor another slave. You’re just you – Shenjin-chan." My Shenjin-chan. "Do you understand what I’m trying to say?"

Shenjin nodded a bit slowly, blinking, unsure of what to say. He truly didn’t understand what the thief’s intentions had been, and at that Kaidei laughed. "I have just given you a new chance, Shenjin-chan."

A few moments passed... before recognition dawned within those silver eyes, reflecting the moonlight off of the still waters of his soul. No one had ever just been kind to him before – no one had ever given him anything, without expecting him to do something or give them something in return – whether he wanted to or not. But this... Kaidei had not only just given him the beauty of a new tail, but a new chance and fixing his life. Too many times in the past he had been reminded of his nightmarish life through the simple things such as the ragged attire of his clothes and the hopeless, choppy look to his tail. Now, both of those reminders had been taken away, and although he would not forget them – nor the predicament he was still currently within – they were like two weighted chains that had been lifted from his wrists. Only one remained left – one that lay around his throat in the beautiful disguise of three winds of teargems.

And at that realization hit, far deep within his mind, something a shade more fragile than the last... cracked.

Kaidei smiled cheekily, battling to lighten the pearl-green youko’s stunned mood as well as banish his own sudden regret at having to leave this one so very soon... "Good. Now come on. If we’re going to storm the Master’s domain tomorrow evening, you need to get some rest." He started to leave, then stilled and turned back, to see the Shenjin still standing there, his silvery gaze unfocused, staring down in bewildered sort of shock. A thin slice of unaccustomed fear touched the thief’s heart – had he unwittingly severed that last link that connected the spirit to the body? Gods, he hoped not... He walked back and ducked his head, forcing Shenjin to meet his gaze. "I’m sorry." He whispered earnestly, thinking over his past few actions and scrounging for some reason that may be the cause of the pearl-green youko’s numb distress. Youko tails were very sensitive, yes, and often considered a very personal matter... perhaps he had over-stepped his bounds, and the youko felt used. Brushing away the twinge of disappointment at the thought – besides, it wasn’t like he was ever going to have the chance to pet Shenjin’s tail again – he murmured gently, "I’m sorry I took advantage of you, Jin-chan."

Shenjin started at the sound of the apology – someone was actually apologizing to him?! – and shook himself out of his daze. A rush of irritation replaced the confusion – "Don’t call me Jin-shan." – before a strange sense of relief and yes, even peace took its place. "And don’t apologize." He could only look into those dark, violet-crimson eyes for a moment before he was forced to look away in shame. "I –... th-ank y-ou." He frowned at the reluctant, jerky sound to his own words; had he truly never said thank you to anyone before? "No one’s ever – done anything – nice – to me – for me – before." He flushed, thinking of how nice it had been... "I don’t know how to react – or what to – say."

Kaidei grinned in relief and just a little bit of something else at the sight of the dark blush creeping across the youko’s cheeks. Then he hadn’t felt violated... good. "You say thank you – which you’ve already said. And – say that we can be friends." This last was added in a quick rush a split second before the thief blinked, taken aback, appearing just as startled at his own words as the youko before him.

"Friends?" Shenjin – for his part – looked as if he had been slapped. He had never had a friend before. He had never had anyone wanted to be his friend before. He had never had anyone besides Leina and – was this creature serious? Demons in the Makai weren’t just friends. They were business partners or lovers or – in most cases – both. Not just – friends. The word sounded foreign even in his mind. Friends...

"Aa." Kaidei murmured, nodding a little, suddenly taken with the idea – once it had had time to sink it. If Shenjin agreed to be his friend, then he would have a perfectly legitimate reason to find the pearl-green youko again, after all had happened and all was settled. Because if he had a friend... well, who was he to deprive his friend of company? It was a charming thought that made the future not seem so very bleak anymore... "Friends. What say you, Jin-chan?" He grinned, reaching out to nudge Shenjin’s shoulder a little, teasing him. "You think you can handle me as a friend?"

"H-hai." Shenjin looked a bit timid at the prospect of a friend, and looked away. Kaidei smiled again. Friends, then, little fox. Just friends, for now.

"Come on, then, foxy." Kaidei brushed a few black locks of hair from his eyes and bounced a little where he stood, grinning for all he was worth, that happy-go-lucky manner of his returning with a vengeance to wreak havoc upon their poor, unsuspecting companions.

Three hours later that smile was once again fading as he stared down upon Shenjin’s peaceful, sleeping features. Randomly placed in the clearing around them the other’s slept as well – Kurama specifically lying beneath Hiei’s tree – but the thief had no interest to bid them goodbye. Not as he wished to bid Shenjin – his friend – goodbye. He crouched down next to the pale youko, allowing himself only a single moment to reach out and trail his fingers along Shenjin’s cheek.

"Aye, little fox." He whispered. "If you only knew the full extent of what you promised." He smiled – sadly – caressing the line of the boy’s jaw as he did so. Shenjin made a tiny sound in the back of his throat and turned instinctively toward the warmth of his touch, breathing deeply and sighing as he settled once more. "I can’t stay here, though. I won’t. I wish I could and I guess that’s why it makes it so hard, though. I’ve never actually wanted to stay in anyone’s presence before, or remain in one place for longer than a day or two, but you changed that." The corner of his lips quirked up, revealing one pale white fang. "Whether you realized it or not." His thumb shifted up to trace the lower line of the youko’s mouth... leaning over him, Kaidei placed a very gentle, very chaste kiss upon Shenjin’s forehead. "Goodbye... my friend."

Drawing back a pace he took one last glance around and took off, dashing through the woods, using the trees as light springboards until he was half-soaring through the air, touching down only once or twice every ten leaps. The Out World power pulsated at the rims of his conscience, growing stronger as he came closer, his dark eyes intent upon the horizon – and the huge, leering castle rising up just before it to over-shadow the lands. I’m coming, then, if you want me so much, you foolish creature...

He knew it was coming and didn’t bother to dodge it as a wave of darkness disrupted the steady rhythm of his leaping flight; consciousness fled in a blur; mutely a body fell tumbling from the sky, the grating sounds of flesh being torn and bone splintering filled the otherwise silent night as the thief hit the ground, skidding the last few feet from lost momentum. Heavily something shuffled out from the trees nearby and waddled toward him, one huge hand snapping out to grab his limp form by the scruff of his neck and throw it over his shoulder.

"Juyie, calm yourself." A cold, whispery voice drifted forth from cold, whispery blue shadows, instantly stilling the onrush of furious words that fall from the Master’s mouth. Although a figure did not materialize from the shadows to sight, the voice continued, so cold, so calm, as to cause a striking shiver of fear to move through even the Master upon reflection. "Guhra... you are dismissed."

The Master – Juyie – whirled to the shadows. "But the kitsune –"

"Will return before the sun sets within the next two days. He will not abandon his sister. Only death would keep him from trying to rescue her." The icy shadows shifted, but did not clear. "He will come. Have patience, Juyie."

"Patience." Juyie snarled and kicked the dark, prone form upon the floor rebelliously, his eyes narrowing as not even an unconscious sound of pain was uttered from the creature. "What’ll we do with this one, then? Should we frying him for the gruel? I’ve heard bat wings are a delicacy in the courts these days. Maybe we could sell them for a price –"

"He will not be harmed. Anymore than he already is, that is. Place him in the dungeons, with the little kitsune’s sister."

"Nani?!" Juyie gaped at the shadows, plain disbelief etched across his otherwise handsome features. "But –"

"Do not argue with me." The shadows whispered, shifting another breath before the vague outline of a shape could be seen, but no more. "Place him in the dungeons, with the little kitsune’s sister. I will see to them both later. As for the little kitsune himself... I will see him before you are to touch him, Juyie. I must speak with him on a matter of importance that you would not understand."

The shadows dislocated themselves from the wall as the figure moved, silent across the hall, not a single candle flame or curtain stirring at his passing. Juyie, the Master Shenjin had so feared before, was left gaping at an empty room, with the unfamiliar form of a chimera lying prone at his feet.

"Oi, so where’s the chatter-box?" Yuusuke asked, glancing around at the other only some-what gathered around the fire. "Anyone seen him today?"

"No." Kurama replied evenly without lifting his gaze from his food. "He probably left. Thieves do that, you know." He bared his fangs. "You might want to check and see if you still have your wallet. They steal things, too, you know."

Yuusuke stuck his tongue out at the silver youko, yet checked for his wallet and other semi-valuable things that could possibly fetch a price in the Makai. Nothing was missing, not even – upon checking – the precious black teargem necklace, which Kurama had twisted to lie close around his wrist. It was easier to tell if someone was tampering with his wrist than he neck – a strange, but true fact, and he had no intentions of having Hiei’s gift conveniently taken from him again.

Shenjin was quiet as the others each checked their things, shrugged off the disappearance, and began preparing for the day. His hands were constantly petting, tangling within, and worrying through the locks of his new tail, his silver eyes unfocused as he stared into the fire. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong – that something just wasn’t right. The thief should have said goodbye or told him he was leaving, especially after he had sworn to be his friend.

Friends... the concept frightened him, yet secretly delighted him at that same time, although he couldn’t actually pinpoint the reason as to why. He had never wanted a friend before – had, in truth, never really thought about having one before. But now...

He couldn’t seem to get rid of this feeling of hollowness in his chest, as if something infinitely precious had been taken from him. Grimacing, he pressed the base of his hand against his chest and reluctantly followed the others, glancing behind him often to see if the playful thief would show up to come along. The day before they hadn’t been able to get rid of him – he followed them, even after Kurama had made it quite clear he wasn’t welcome. Now that he had apparently left, Shenjin was wishing he was still there, still talking incessantly about nothing and everything and bothering him to no ends.

Plus there was an annoying pain that kept flaring in the back of his right shoulder-blade. He couldn’t remember having run into anything or hurt himself, and no matter how many times he summoned the few traces of Healing light he could manage around the wards and tried to massage the ache, it remained. Gnawing restlessly at his lower lip, he didn’t notice how Kurama slowed his pace until the tall silver youko stood right beside him.

Shenjin started, unable to read the golden eyes that bored into him, and so was taken aback by the creature’s words when he spoke. "You got a problem?"

Shenjin blinked, completely clueless... until with a cursing snort Kurama indicated where he was meticulously rubbing his shoulder. "Ah..." he blushed, lowering his gaze. "Uh, no. Not really. It just – hurts."

"Why?" short, gruff, abrupt.

Shenjin looked disturbed, a small frown gathering upon his brow. "I don’t know..." He shook his head, his ears flipping back. "And I keep having the feeling that something’s wrong. Something’s – not right. I don’t think Kaidei just left us like that." He shook his head again, wondering – not for the first time – why he was even bothering to try to talk to his brother. Most likely he’d come back with some comment about how the pearl-green youko was stupid or something or other... as he always did.

"I don’t think he did, either." Kurama kept his gaze straight ahead, well aware that Shenjin stumbled and looked up in shock. A flash of irritation moved through him – why the hell had he said that? – causing him to bare his teeth. He wasn’t beginning to take pity on the ragged excuse for a creature beside him – was he? "Tell me about your sister."

A second faltering stumble. Sharp, wary words. "Why? What do you care?"

"I don’t!" Kurama snarled, not quite trusting himself to turn on the pearl-green youko. Studiously he kept his gaze trained forward, and his pace matching. "She could die and go to hell for all I care!" Not true, but... "I just want to know what kind of tramp we’re risking our lives to save –" Cold, reflective golden eyes pierced his soul. "Especially since you decided you had to disarm the two creatures that could probably have made this mission a success with your foolish spell-casts. Besides..." A moment of silence, the only sound the soft, breathy tone of feet moving spirit-like across the ground. The last bit was grudgingly muttered and said so low that Shenjin was hardly even sure he had heard it correctly. "It’ll take your mind of the pain."

Shenjin stared at Yuusuke’s back for a long, long time, contemplating what Kurama had said, from the very first word to the very last. They hadn’t fought since the incident with the teargems the day before – had hardly even spoken three words in between – but this was an unexpected turn of events. Kurama... wanting to know about Leina? Although the words the silver youko had cursingly snarled hurt and wounded Shenjin more than he wished to admit and brought back a rush of the old anger, it also strangely brought him a vague, elusive feeling of peace. The anger itself had faded nearly as quickly as it had come – something it had never done before. His whole life he had blamed everything upon Kurama – upon his brother, the creature who was responsible for all the pain and hardships he and Leina had gone through – but now... the thief had done something to him. He must have, for Shenjin could no longer find that overwhelming sense of fear – or fury – or despair – which had alternatively arisen to claim his mind. Few were the moments when one of those three emotions had not been present and on the fore of his mind, and the lack of one, or another, or all, was disconcerting. If he wasn’t terrified – or angry – or without hope – what should he be? He couldn’t bring himself to be happy, for worry over Leina’s safety – and most recently, the thief’s – had taken priority. What should he be feeling then, at this moment? Just worry? Or... something else – something he had never been given the chance to feel before?

He didn’t know. All of a sudden he was confused and disoriented... shaking himself and snapping his tail down – his long, beautiful tail Kaidei had given him – he pressed a palm to his chest again and frowned. "Leina... is a lot like the ice maiden."

Kurama snorted a grunt, yet said quietly, "Yukina."

"Hai, Yukina." Dark, crimson eyes flickered to meet the reflective pair of silver and gold as Hiei made his presence known for one brief instant, a silent threat to keep their words regarding his twin in regard. Both noticed, neither took offense. "She’s very... innocent. And beautiful." Hn. Seems to run in the family, ne? Hiei thought a bit dryly, glancing at Kurama’s long silver mane, which shimmered and flashed in the sunlight as they moved. With another silent sigh, Shenjin resigned himself, and carefully began telling his brother about the sister Kurama had never known.

Pain. Flash. Darkness. Flash. Pain. Flash... Silence.

Kaidei gritted his teeth and let out a thick, groaning wail of a sound through his fangs, his eyes screwed shut against the unbearable fires of agony burning in his shoulder and farther – centered in one gnarled mass of frictioning nerves and tender, hyper-sensitive flesh representing his wing. He didn’t move, just lay there upon the floor, the thoughts of his mind blank and silent as instinct had long ago taken over in light of the pain. Never could one undergo such pain as he felt now, for never could one know what it felt like to have wings – frail-looking things that certainly didn’t appear to be as sensitive as they truly were – and know the agony caused if one was even sprained. Unless they had been born with them of course, as most chimeras were. His wing was not sprained, though. No... far from it.

He could feel, even without moving, the shattered splinters of the bones piercing his flesh and the hot thickness of his own blood oozing to the ground beneath his side, and knew that it would be no easy feat to heal it. It lay awkwardly along his hip and was twisted back – the lower half folded like cloth in a completely different direction than the upper half – and was drawn close against his flesh. It wouldn’t heel like that. He had to move it... had to...

Pain. Flash. Darkness. Flash. Pain. Flash...

Small, cool hands brushed the black locks of his hair away from his throat as a gentle presence made itself known before him. A soft voice humming an inconsistent melody drifted in his pain-soaked consciousness, dimming the agony for just that one, brief moment before his instincts once again took over. He had to move his wing or... it wouldn’t... Heal...

Baring his teeth upon a silent snarl of pain he pushed himself up, first to his elbow and then to his hip, his right arm convulsing violently across his hip, shaken and unresponsive do to the mass of knotted, gnarled nerves that had once been the sensitivity of his wing. He almost faltered back to the ground, had it not been for the gentle hands reaching out to press against his shoulder and brush away the dampness on his brow. Gods, there was so much pain...

That broken, shifting, inconstant melody was being hummed in his ear now as the figure before him gave him a small, caring hug, the hands brushing back a few locks of his hair once more. It was strangely familiar, that presence... Shenjin?

No, he had left Shenjin. He had left them back at the camp, safe... safe... gritting his teeth again, smothering the groan that tore its way past his throat, he leaned back, his eyes slitted in pain as he looked upon the young ice-violet youko currently petting his cheek. Not Shenjin... ignoring the stabbing moment of disappointment he shifted with a grunt upon the floor and pressed his head against her shoulder in a slow, steady pressure that eventually set her upon her tail. She scooted back a little after a moment of confusion and when she did a puff of breath escaped his lungs. He had to... his wing... Lethargically he forced himself to lift his left hand – even the nerves in that paw were twitching and reacting to his broken wing. He took one of hers as best he could and lifted it to her tufted ear. When he released her she took it away – growling in pain he repeated the motion. He could sense the confusion in her scent and gave one last, fleeting plea of hope that she got the idea because he couldn’t wait any longer...

Inari, he prayed, pulling away from the youko and screwing his eyes shut tight, baring his fangs as he mentally and physically prepared himself. Protect your child from my voice, for I cannot... I cannot...

The muscles in his shoulders coiled and tightened – with one sharp, abrupt movement his right wing snapped open and out, blood splattering the floors and walls, bones cracking and sheering, scraping against once another with a soft, liquid grinding sound. One breathless moment of nothingness and then...

The dungeon room filled with the sound of a thousand upon a thousand years of agony as a cry ripped free from his throat, a cry that was deep and shrill like that of a dragon’s cry, so heavy and so strong and so thick that the very grounds of the castle trembled in their workings. The ice-violet youko fell back, her tiny hands covering her ears as a look of pain crossed her features – her lips parted and her own, personal scream was lost among the thunderous howl of the demon before her. It lasted forever, this scream of agony that caused the patches of dirt and blood to shake loose and fall crumbling from the walls, until darkness reached out and took hold of its owner, and the thief gave up the blessed freedom of consciousness.

"What the hell is that sound?" Yuusuke shouted above the keening wail, his hands pressed tight to his ears as he grimaced. All of them stood immobile and shaken, the very core of their bones trembling and vibrating with the force of the howl that sounded like some warped cross between the bellowing growl of thunder and the high, wailing shriek of a dragon. It echoed around them with enough forced to cause a slight tremor to ripple through the ground beneath their feet as above them the sky turned shade from a normal purple-orange to a dark, roiling blue-black in seconds. It ripped open practically from one seam to another as the howl continued on for what seemed an eternity before abruptly falling into silence; as soon as it had the split in the sky flared dark, blood red and disappeared, taking the darkness with it. In a rush the sky cleared back to its normal color, the violence of the woods settled... in seconds, it was as if nothing had happened.

Shenjin stared down at the ground beneath him where he had fallen upon his hands and knees, the pain in his shoulder bursting and spreading throughout his whole body for one terrifying moment, leaving him helpless, defenseless. It began to fade, slowly but surely, paced by bursts of painful heat and chilling cold; when he had gathered himself to look up, he found himself staring into hard, emotionless golden eyes. Without a word Kurama took his arm and wrapped it around his own shoulder, supporting the younger youko as he turned to face Yuusuke.

"Whatever it was created a stir in the demons of this territory." He murmured reasonably, ignoring the looks of surprise the two humans were sending him at the moment as he began walking once more, Shenjin half-leaning upon him, limping. "If you don’t want to be some creature’s dinner by nightfall I suggest you begin moving, Kuwabara, Yuusuke. Hiei – are you alright?"

"Hn." A shadow dislocated itself from the trees and leapt down to his side, no faster than a human and obviously furious over that fact.

Kurama reached out with his free hand, brushing the back of his fingers against the diminutive fire-demon’s cheek in a brief, achingly tender caress, thankful he had come down, for whatever reason. Instead of snarling or pulling away Hiei just glanced up at him, his crimson eyes dark and fathomless. Without a word he began to follow Yuusuke, leaving the youko behind. Kurama shifted Shenjin’s weight and began trudging after them, his golden eyes watching the strong back of the demon he loved as they moved.