Demon Tale

Demon Tale
4: One Arabian Night

Yusuke thought of returning to the Dead Forest to ask its fox-master if he had any other leads as to a cure for Hiei’s sleeping curse. But that would have been stupid and a waste of time. If there were other leads, the fox would have mentioned it the first time Yusuke had visited. If he had gone, that Hope girl might give him another vial of that strange liquid that enabled him to enter Hiei’s dreaming mind. The first bottle she’d given him was destroyed in his battle against Princess Woe. Yusuke wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted another one.

“So like, you drink the stuff and then you can go into Hiei’s dreams and talk to him and stuff, even if you’re like real far away? How exactly does that work?”

“Don’t know, Yuichi,” Yusuke answered his companion, “But it does work. And it’s weird as hell!”

Yuichi was one of the clones that Yusuke inadvertently created during his battle with Princess Woe. During the orgy that followed the alluded battle, Yuichi may or may not have been his intimate partner. Yusuke really couldn’t tell them apart. If it weren’t for the clones green hair, opposed to his black, Yusuke wouldn’t be able tell the other apart from his own reflection. Yusuke called him Yuichi because it felt weird calling him Yusuke Jr. or Yusuke Two.

“So why not get some more and use it?” Yuichi pressed, “Is it’s cuz you’re worried about being attacked or something while you’re out? Cuz, ya know I got your back.”

“It ain’t that,” Yusuke replied. “Like I said it was… weird. I don’t think Hiei realized I was the real me. And I found some things out… Like he apparently has, ya know, dirty dreams… about me.”

“You’re worried he’s gonna try to jump your bones?” Yuichi snickered.

“Shut up! I’m serious.” Yusuke berated his double, “How I’m supposed to interact with him after that?”

“You simply bend him over a convenient table and delicately insert—,”

“Knock it off!” Yusuke’s voice rose in pitch, “I can’t do that with Hiei. We’re friends—and we’re both guys!”

Yuichi snorted, “Both guys? Last time I checked that was more of a ‘grey area’ for you.”

Yusuke bristled at that. “That’s not the same thing and you know it.”

“Oh, I know!” Yuichi kept on, “Did he try to TOP you? What, never been on the receiving end? Well, I can tell you’ll like it, cuz I’ve done it and liked it, and I am basically you, ya know.”

“Yeah, you’re me if I was an over-sexed vegetable,” Yusuke countered angrily, “And he didn’t try to top me! In fact he wanted me to mount him! And he was so god-damned sexy about it that I woke up coming in my pants!” Yusuke slapped his hand over his mouth as if he was trying to prevent more damning words from escaping.

“So where are we going?” Yuichi tactfully changed the subject, “We’ve crossed over to the Spirit World haven’t we?”

“Yeah, we did. And we’re going to a place I’ve never been to before and hoped I’d never have to visit,” Yusuke drawled, “A library.”

It was actually the Sprit World Archives that Yusuke intended to explore. If a piece of knowledge wasn’t written somewhere in there, it had probably never been written anywhere. It wasn’t really open to the general public, but Yusuke was sure Koenma would give him access.

Sure enough Koenma got word of Yusuke’s arrival and came to greet the demon. He put on his teenage form for this, rather than his infantile one. But, as always, his pacifier remained, firmly between his lips. At first, he did a double take, seeing double Yusukes.

“This is Yuichi. I grew him in a cabbage patch,” Yusuke explained flippantly.

“He’s joking,” Yuichi informed the gawking junior god of death, “It was a beanstalk.”

“Of course,” Koenma shook his head, and promptly ignored the absurdity before his eyes and went on, “I heard about what happened to Hiei. You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve already got a team of my brightest ogres searching the archives for a cure. But I’m sure you want to have a look for yourself and if I try to stop you from coming in here you’ll do something unseemly involving my pacifier and some orifice.”

“You got it,” Yusuke breezed past him.

Seven hours later, Yusuke’s bravado was just about dry up. He hadn’t found anything even vaguely related to what he was looking for. Then again, he wasn’t really sure HOW to find something in a library. He’d spent a good portion of his life avoiding such places.

“Hey,” Yuichi tapped a book he’d been skimming through, “Maybe you can find one of these genie guys and wish for a cure.”

“What?” Yusuke looked at the cover of the book in the other’s hands, “A Thousand and One Arabian Nights? That’s just a story book!”

“Can’t be,” Yuichi protested, “We’re in the, uh what do you call it? Non-friction section.”

“Non-FICTION,” Koenma popped behind the bickering duo, “And it is.”

“No,” Yusuke was taken aback, “Genies are real?”

“Djinni actually or Djinn in the plural,” Koenma told him, “It’s a subset demon type that incorporates many species. Most are immaterial spirits who can barely even interact with the mortal world. But there were once Djinn so powerful they were capable of bending reality.”

“Where once?” Yusuke asked, “What happened to them?”

“A long time ago a human king obtained a spiritual artifact, a ring, which could control the Djinn. He used them to build his kingdom and obtain riches. And more than that, he commanded their secrets, secrets of the lost magic’s, which he recorded in his Secret Scrolls. Needless to say he became a very powerful man. But as you know demons don’t like to be controlled. One day a dangerous group of Djinn called the Shiatan openly defied him so he sealed them into vessels and had them thrown into the sea or locked into booby-trapped tombs.”

“The genie in the bottle thing,” Yusuke said.

“The stories about genies sprung from instances where people found and released these Djinn,” Koenma concluded.

“You said, ‘There was once’,” Yuichi pointed, “Like there ain’t any anymore, but according to your story they’re out there floating around in the ocean.”

“There WERE,” Koenma said tersely. He didn’t like being talked to like he was stupid. “But Spirit World has long since collected all the contained Djinn and locked them in the vaults along with the Secret Scrolls,” Koenma jolted as soon as he realized what he just told them.

“Oh no,” he said, “We are NOT letting one of those things out.”

“But Hiei--,” Yusuke started.

“They are too dangerous!” Koenma exclaimed, “We can find some other way to cure Hiei. Shoot, if I have to I’ll send Botan to collect his soul, let his body die and reincarnate him. Maybe he’ll be taller this time around--.”

His rant was cut short by Yusuke’s palm colliding with the side of his face.

“You will do no such thing,” Yusuke seethed.

Koenma looked at him long and hard and then mumbled, “I’m sorry. I never meant it as a viable option, not unless every other avenue has been exhausted, even then….”

“Well, I think we’ve had enough study time today,” Yuichi put in, in a Yusuke-typical light tone, “Everyone’s tired and getting on edge. So what do you say, Binky-Boy, will ya put us up for the night?”

Koenma invited them to stay in his personal apartments, rather than in the guest wing. So, Yusuke and his doppelganger wouldn’t cause as big of a disturbance, he said. The two were left alone there, while Koenma went to tidy up a few matters at work. When he returned a few hours later, only Yusuke was there.

“Where’s your carbon copy?” Koenma asked.

“He wanted to look at that Arabian night book again,” Yusuke responded.

“Really?” Koenma frowned, “I wouldn’t think he’d be a reader. You know, because he’s just like you and you don’t….”

“It’s not like it’s a boring school book, ya know. There’s a lot of fighting and stuff in that book,” Yusuke defended.

“A lot of romance too,” Koenma added.

“Uh, yeah,” Yusuke shifted awkwardly. “Anyway, we ain’t exactly alike. Huh, I guess you could say he’s a lover first and a fighter second. Or you could say the kid’s got more hard meat than a salami factory.”

“Lucky him,” Koenma muttered.

Yusuke hiked an eyebrow and then it connected, “Princess Woe?”

Koenma jolted, “How—how do you know about her?”

“We kinda had an encounter with her,” Yusuke shrugged, “We read her diary too. She mentioned you and what she did….”

“Oh gods, this is mortifying,” Koenma crumpled onto the couch. “As if you didn’t have little enough respect for me. You already mock me for taking the form of a toddler most of the time. Why be a man when I can’t even function as a man, right?”

“Is that why you do that, cuz of Woe’s curse?” Yusuke asked with concern.

Yusuke’s lack of mocking helped Koenma. “Not really. I mean I would probably be doing it even if she hadn’t, you know, done that to me. The smaller form uses less spirit energy so I have more to channel into my Mafukan.” He indicated his pacifier. “Still….”

“So you can’t get it up, like at all?” Yusuke said eyeing Koenma’s non-functional area.

“I’ve brought some of the greatest beauties in Spirit World to my bed,” Koenma sighed, “And all it ends in is embarrassment. Woe made absolutely sure that no other woman could arouse my, uh, passions.”

“No other woman, huh?” Yusuke mused. And then without warning, Yusuke reached out and cupped Koenma’s crotch.

“Hahhh!’ Koenma gasped as a wave of electricity ran through his body. “What are you--?!”

“You’re getting hard.” Yusuke said, stroking him firmly.

“What? I am. How?”

“No WOMAN could excite you,” Yusuke said with a smirk, “Didn’t ya ever think to try it with a boy?”

“I… I…,” Koenma stuttered, feeling both foolish and confused at once.

Yusuke chuckled, “I bet you’re real pent up after all this time, huh?” He toyed with the belt at the man’s waist. “Wanta blow off some steam?”

“Mmm,” Koenma hummed. But then he shook himself and pinned Yusuke with a suspicious stare. “You’re acting a little… odd.”

In reply, Yusuke dove on him, stealing the prince’s lips so savagely; it could nearly have been considered treason. By the time he pulled back both of them were panting out of breath. Koenma looked dizzy. Yusuke panted out, “So, is that a yes or a no?”

“Uh,” Koenma said. He wasn’t used to thinking with so little of his blood supply flowing to his brain.

It wasn’t a no, so Yusuke pressed on and pressed Koenma down onto couch. Taking his lips again, Yusuke let his hands wander freely over Koenma’s body. Koenma was not resisting. Yusuke shifted his weight so his thigh pressed ever so promisingly against Koenma’s hips.

“Ah!” Koenma gasped. His hands shot up to grasp Yusuke’s hips.

“See. I knew you’d like it,” Yusuke said before pressing his lips to Koenma’s again. His wandering hands started to pluck at buttons and pull at fabric. It was almost masterful, the way he managed to disrobe the both of them without ever having to lose contact. Koenma barely even registered their absence, until Yusuke’s movements became erratic, even desperate. Koenma looked down and saw that Yusuke was reaching behind him with one hand. Every roll of his shoulder and flex of his elbow was accompanied by a pleasured shuddered.

Koenma was old enough and well enough versed in the world to know what the young man was doing. However was also young enough and foolish enough not to question the situation. Yusuke Urameshi, former punk of a Spirit Detective and current power of demon world, was grinding his hard naked body against his, panting and moaning Koenma’s name. It didn’t make sense. But, for a very rare moment, Koenma wasn’t asking questions. He was living in the now. And now there was a surprisingly sexy body that was making him feel good.

He rested his hands on Yusuke’s hips and helped to guide them down. “Oh me, that’s good,” Koenma hissed as tight heat surrounded him. Yusuke leaned down to kiss him before he started to move on the prince’s shaft. Koenma gasped and treaded his fingers into Yusuke’s hair. It was really slick. Hair oil? It must have been. Anyway, Koenma was too distracted to fret about it.

Koenma came in after only a couple minutes. “I… I’m sorry,” Koenma started, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it. All guys shoot off real quick when they have gotten any in a while,” Yusuke brushed it off, “In a few minutes we can see if I can get ya hard again and give it another shot. I might even let you be on top next time.”

Koenma started to laugh, “What has gotten into you?” He brushed his palm against Yusuke’s arm—and left a black smudge behind. It was all over on his hands, slick black oil. Where had it come from? Koenma remembered how slick Yusuke’s hair had been. He looked up and noticed thin rivulets of black dripping down his temples along with his sweat.

“You’re not Yusuke!” Koenma realized with alarm… and some relief. Come on, Yusuke Urameshi suddenly decides to seduce him without any provocation? He was starting to think the world had gone crazy. “You’re that other one, uh….”

“Yuichi,” the other supplied, realizing his cover was blown, “Darn it. I was supposed to keep you thinking I was him.”

“Yusuke put you up to this?” Koenma snapped.

“Well, yeah,” Yuichi snorted, “I don’t just go around pretending to be other people for kicks.”

“Why did you have to pretend to be him to… to do,” Koenma was clearly confused.

“He didn’t ask me to do that! He just wanted you to think he was still in the apartment. Everything else just sort of happened.” Yuichi blushed, “I just sort of thought you were real cool and good looking and stuff. And I don’t know. I wanted to….”

Koenma cut him off with a gentle kiss. “You look like him; you sound like him, but you know what’s different about you? I actually think you’re kind of cute.”

“Koenma…” Yuichi breathed and leaned in for another kiss.

“Wait!” Koenma stopped him, “Why didn’t Yusuke want me know he wasn’t in the apartment?”

Twenty minutes earlier, Yusuke had just finished circumventing the final alarm guarding the Spirit World Vaults. Hiei along with Kurama and another demon broke into these vaults once, a long time ago. Yusuke was sent to apprehend them. That’s how they met. It was ironic that Yusuke was breaking into them now.

Or maybe not so, Yusuke knew how to bypass the security because Hiei once told him how HE had done it. All he had to do was synch his spirit energy with the systems default wave length, making him all but invisible to the SSS, spirit surveillance system. Then, when he reached the master control unit, he just had to access the system memory and reschedule its routine maintenance scan for that day, so it’ll be down while he snuck in.

After that it was just a question of busting through a couple of locks and ducking the ogre guards. The latter part was the one Hiei’s party had failed in, due to their partner Goki’s bloodlust. Yusuke got through with little problem. Before he knew it, he was standing amongst Spirit World’s most treasured and cursed artifacts.

“Is that…?” Something familiar caught his eye. It was old and ugly. And it had the power to turn anything it cut into a demon, a low level one. “The Shadow Sword.”

Yusuke reached out and ran his hand over the hilt. The last time he saw this thing it was in Hiei’s hand—and the business end was pointed at him! “I have a great idea,” Hiei had said, “How about I give you a choice? I could end your life now or if you prefer, I could turn you into a demon. What’s that? You want me to decide? Fine!”

And that was when Kurama threw himself on Hiei’s sword, thus his decision would never to be known. At the time, Yusuke assumed Hiei was aiming to kill him. But knowing him as he does now, Hiei was just crazy enough to decide to turn Yusuke into a demon and keep him as a pet or slave or whatever. It would certainly be ironic, considering that after all that Yusuke became a demon after all.

“Well, he did seem pleased when I showed up that time, oozing demonic energy,” Yusuke was referring to his second death. That event came much later. He’d been killed by a strong foe and thanks to some latent demon blood in his heritage; he came back to life as a demon.

Hiei had looked him up and down, almost leeringly, and smirked with satisfaction. He said, almost flirtatiously, “I didn’t know you were one of us. So, how does it feel to be so superior?” Was he actually flirting?

Yusuke snatched his hand back from the shelves, “That’s enough Memory Lane for today. I came down here for a reason.”

He was looking for the vault where they kept the genies. No, he wasn’t going release one! That would be stupid and reckless, even for him. Though at some level, Yusuke thought he could probably handle it. He WAS one of the mighty Mazoku. But the genie wasn’t what he was after. It was something Koenma had mentioned that was locked up with the genies; The Secret Scrolls. The Secret Scrolls contained all the secrets of the genies. Surly there were a few handy curse breakers in there.

Yusuke passed through rooms full of shiny babbles and rooms full of strange weapons. He passed doors to smaller vaults with legends and warnings engraved on the doors. He came to one that read, “Djinn. Do not open vessels.” He slipped inside. It was like walking into a store. The place was filled with rows of shelves stocked full of small objects. Walking down the rows Yusuke saw the expected lamps and bottles, but he also saw little locked boxes; pieces of jewelry that seemed to glow with an evil light; eerie ceramic statues; glass orbs with swirling smoke inside; and lots of other odd sorts.

“This must be it!” Yusuke spotted it inside a glass case, nestled between two sets of shelves. It was an ugly old thing. The cover looked like it was made of alligator skin that hadn’t been tanned right. What’s worse was when he picked it up it felt warm and somewhat damp. And he could swear it smelled like BO.

“All well,” Yusuke said as he opened the cover.

Just as his eyes fell on the first page, Koenma burst into the room, “Yusuke no, not that one!”

All that was on the first page was an unsettling picture of an alligator’s head. In the sort instant as Yusuke opened the book and Koenma came in yelling, that picture moved. It jumped off the page, right into Yusuke’s face! Yusuke screamed and dropped the book. The alligator head emerged from the book and Yusuke realized what was so unsettling about it. It had human eyes. The head was followed by shoulders like a man’s, but covered in green-grey scales. The book seemed to turn inside of itself as the creature emerged, all nine feet of him and then the book was gone.

It had taken less than a second. Before Koenma’s warning cry had left his lips, the creature gestured his way and an unseen force scooped him up and flung him back out the door. He collided with Yuichi, who was coming up hot on his heels. The door slammed and locked behind them, leaving Yusuke alone with the Djinni.

“Your wish,” the Djinni rumbled.

“Nuh-uh, I’ve seen enough episodes of the Twilight Zone to know how that works out,” Yusuke protested, “I ain’t making no wishes.”

“You mistook that for a request,” the Djinni made a sound like distant thunder. Yusuke assumed it was laughter. “You may not want to say it. You might not even understand it, but you have a wish. And it is granted!”

The Djinni held up a paw. Yusuke had a sinking feeling as the air swirled and glowed in its palm. A familiar shape formed in the dazzling light; a little glass vial! On its own accord the lid popped off. A single drop rose from the bottle to bob in the air for a moment, before it shot through the air, aimed right for Yusuke’s mouth which he’d neglectfully left hanging wide open.

Yusuke choked, “No.”

“Sweet dreams,” the Djinni rumbled just before the world dissolved around Yusuke.

Yusuke opened his eyes to grey swirling sky. It was a monstrous tempest in the making. The end of the world, some people would say, unless said people were demons. They would say it was only a storm. Such storms were common in the demon world.

“Not long now,” a deep melodious voice said to his left. Yusuke turned his head sharply. As he expected, because he recognized the voice, Hiei was there. They were on a cliff top, like one of millions in demon world. Of course, Hiei decided to stand at the very brink of the drop off, staring out at the oncoming storm as if he didn’t even notice how close to the edge he was. It gave Yusuke vertigo just to look at him standing there. What was Hiei’s deal with heights anyway?

“Don’t know if we can make shelter in time,” Hiei continued. He turned and glanced at Yusuke, “No doubt we’re going to get wet.”

“Hiei,” Yusuke said without preamble, “You do realize this is a dream, right?”

“Yes, that would make a lot of sense,” Hiei said unbothered. “Ten minutes ago, I was in algebra class about to take a test I wasn’t prepared for. It was very frustrating. Doubly so, if you consider I’ve never been enrolled in a school before, let alone taken an algebra class. I blame the fox for putting those ideas in my head.”

“You remember Kurama?” Yusuke said.

Hiei looked at him like he was an idiot. “Of course I remember Kurama. I’m half-way surprised he’s not here, and that big dumb oaf too. No matter. We need to get inside before the storm hits.”

There was a cave behind Yusuke. He was sure it hadn’t been there before. Of course, that was the nature of dreams. Yusuke thought nothing more of it and followed Hiei inside only to run right into his backside.

“What the?” Yusuke started to inquire why Hiei had stopped so abruptly, but the answer made itself apparent. The cave was not a cave at all. It was a vast hall with high vaulted ceilings and light shining in through great arched windows. The walls were all white and green marble with lotus flowers and beautiful foreign writing etched into their surfaces. It looked like the friggen Taj Mahal! Yusuke remembered soberly that the Taj Mahal was, in fact, a tomb.

“What is this?” Hiei hissed, “Who the hell are you?” Yusuke looked to where Hiei was shouting. It was remarkable that Yusuke hadn’t noticed him there before, if he HAD been there before; a tall crocodile-man who looked like he’s just stepped out of an Egyptian Hieroglyph. It was the Djinni.

Hiei, somehow knowing that this was an enemy, drew his sword. He faltered when he saw that the sword he held wasn’t a familiar katana or even a broadsword, but a curved scimitar, all gold gilt and covered in jewels. It was ornamental. It didn’t even have a sharpened edge. This discovery caused him, and Yusuke to examine the rest of his attire. Hiei’s mouth dropped. He was wearing rich silk robes and trousers; purple, green and gold. His naturally untamable black hair was wrapped up neatly in a red turban. His shoes were curly at the toes.

This prompted Yusuke to look at himself. It was much worse. Yusuke’s garment was much more in the western tradition and its meaning was very clear. It was a long, white, lacey dress. Funny, it wasn’t until after he’d seen the dress that he noticed the subtle itch on the back of his neck where the veil touched his skin. Then he noticed the dull ach in his feet that indicated that he was wearing high heels.

“What the hell is this?” Yusuke repeated Hiei’s question to the Djinni.

The Djinni held his arms out wide. His voice boomed in the large open space, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered….” The room was suddenly filled with people. Or maybe they were there the whole time and the two only now noticed them. They were all familiar faces; Kurama, Keiko, Mukuro, Yomi; burred faces pulled from a distracted memory.

Yusuke was standing before them before his senses could catch up with him. Hiei was next to him. Hiei said something; an answer. He found himself muttering, “Yeah, I do.”

“I now pronounce you wedded!” The Djinni boomed.

“Wedded?” Yusuke and Hiei snapped in unison. The Djinni smiled as best he could with his croc maw. And then he vanished taking the audience and the Taj Mahal with him.

Next thing he and Hiei knew they were in a sumptuous suite that looked like it was designed by Better Homes and Harems. The floor of the large-ish room was covered with thick and elaborately printed carpets. The walls were covered with tapestries, each depicting a couple in one of a variety of sexual positions. Yusuke noted that all the couples shown were male on male. It made him blush to look at them.

“This is by far the strangest dream….” Hiei mused.

“It’s not a dream,” Yusuke yelled for no apparent reason, “Well, it is, but it ain’t. I’m not a dream and neither was croc-face! He’s a genie that I accidently let out of a book or something. And he said he was gonna give me my wish even though I told him I didn’t have one. And then he stuck me into your dreaming head….”

“And then married us? Your wish?” Hiei hummed to himself, “And now it seems that we are in the honeymoon suite.”

“I don’t know why he did… this,” Yusuke gestured around, “Maybe he’s just fucking with me.”

“So you didn’t want… this?” Hiei mimicked Yusuke’s gesturing.

“Uh, well,” Yusuke blanched.

Hiei made a dismissive gesture, excusing Yusuke from answering that question, which was all well and good because what came out of Yusuke’s mouth next probably would have been a lie or half-truth that would only have hurt both of them. At times like this, it seemed like Hiei understood Yusuke better than Yusuke did.

“At least it’s good to know that this is perfumed nightmare wasn’t my doing. It’s completely out of my taste. Kurama might have liked it though,” Hiei said as he sat down on the edge of the sprawling, overstuffed canopied bed. He was instantly naked. “Oh hell.”

Yusuke couldn’t help it; he laughed. But he stopped abruptly when a deep tenor voice spoke from behind Hiei. “As a matter of fact I do like it; though it could use a few potted plants.”

It was Kurama; pale skin, golden eyes, silver-white hair, and fluffy tail; Youko Kurama. Yusuke thought for a second that he’d been hiding in the curtains. More likely is that he just manifested there. He was wrapped in layers of desert worn and dusty clothing. A ragged hood covered his cute little fuzzy fox ears. He looked like a dirty desert highwayman. He even had a scimitar, which he drew up to Hiei’s exposed throat.

“What… what are you doing here?” Hiei rasped out.

“Isn’t that obvious,” Youko licked the side of Hiei’s neck, “The romance is over. It’s time for the adventure.”

“What?” Hiei and Yusuke demanded as one.

Just then wall behind Youko exploded. Beyond a sandstorm of supernatural proportions raged. A horde of faceless banditos rode the winds on flying carpets, adding their hooting and hollering to the thundering pitch of the gale. In the moment of chaos he ripped the comforter from the bed, wrapping it around Hiei, like a tight cocoon. He lifted the bundle and dashed for the opening. He dove out into the maelstrom.

“Hiei!” Yusuke shouted impotently as he rushed to the raw opening. There he saw Youko out over the desert, sitting astride a friggen gold, winged, flying camel.

“You’d best hurry up and catch me,” Youko taunted Yusuke. “Before I have a chance to deflower you’re precious bride!”

“Who you calling a bride?!” Hiei tried to fight his way out of the blanket, “Yusuke’s the one wearing a dress!”

Youko just laughed as Hiei struggled helplessly. He turned his mount around and flew into the haze of the storm, followed by the flying banditos. Yusuke cursed. How was he supposed to save Hiei? That sandstorm was deadly and Youko could fly!

A hand landed on Yusuke’s shoulder. He nearly jumped out of his skin before he spun around to see the owner. “Kurama?” It wasn’t the demon fox this time, but Kurama in his redheaded human form, otherwise known as Shuichi Minamino. He looked like a sheik in his silk pants, embroidered robes, right down to the gold band holding a pink veil down over his red hair. He was totally rocking the look too. Then again Kurama could rock a burlap sack.

“Since when are there two of you?” Yusuke ranted.

A bemused smile played on Kurama’s lips as he advanced on Yusuke. Yusuke yelped as strong but slender hands roamed down his sides to grasp at his crinoline clad hips.

Since when did he want… this? Sure Kurama was pretty and all, but Yusuke never recalled having any desire for him. In fact, he might have resented him a little during the time following his marriage to Yusuke’s ex-girlfriend, Keiko. If it had been any other guy, he would have been cool with it. But it just had to be Kurama. Kurama was his friend, damn it! And when he ran off and married Keiko it felt like… like he’d chosen her over Yusuke.

As Kurama disengaged him, there was loud rip. Cold air assailed Yusuke’s thighs. Kurama grasped another section of Yusuke’s skirt and ripped it again. He reached up and ripped the seams at Yusuke’s sleeves and the top to his neck. Yusuke suddenly felt less confined. Kurama stepped back and nodded in satisfaction, “That should free your range of movement enough to ride.”

“Ride?” Yusuke asked dully.

“The horses,” Kurama jaunted over to a set big white stallions that Yusuke was sure weren’t there before. He mounted one with unreasonable grace. “How else are we to catch up with those scoundrels who took your beloved?”

“Beloved—no we ain’t like that!” Yusuke blushed up to his ears. “Never mind that! We still gotta save Hiei.”

Yusuke took a running leap at that horse and landed on its back. The leather saddle and the course horse hair felt weird on the insides of his bare legs. When he picked up the reigns, the horse took off like a shot. He had no idea how to ride a horse, but that didn’t seem to matter. The horse drove itself. Kurama’s mount matched his stride. Together their mounts leap out the hole in the wall, unbothered by the heights. They streamed through the air and hit the ground galloping.

It was as if the horses were determined to outrun the winds themselves. Their hooves sparked where they struck the sand. Fire shot from their nostrils as they labored through the thick blowing sands. Yusuke had to pull his bridal veil over his face to keep the sands from scratching his face and clouding his vision.

“Yusuke!” Kurama called to him. Half a breath later the ground beside Yusuke exploded like a sand geyser, making Yusuke’s mount stall and rear back. At the center the stray was one of Youko’s faceless banditos, wielding an ugly knife. Kurama tossed Yusuke his spare scimitar. Yusuke caught it and took the banditos’ head in one motion.

A sharp cry from Kurama’s horse told Yusuke that the redhead had handled a similar situation on his side. Up ahead, the two could see more spouts of sand. They turned exchanged momentary glances, and the heeled their mounts into a full gallop again.

“Yah!” Yusuke urged his horse to greater speed so that he could keep up with Kurama. The duo cut down banditos like they were lopping the heads off of dandelions. Yusuke missed this; the thrill of battle with your best friends at your back. It was like sex compared to masturbation; just not as satisfying alone.

They were through the storm and there were no more enemies. They emerged into a barren, rocky region. “We should go on foot from here. Otherwise the sound of the horses will give away our approach.” Kurama told Yusuke.

“Go where? I don’t see no tracks or nothing,” Yusuke asked.

Almost as an answer a dainty figure, bundle up in a long heavy dress and veil, scurried out from behind a fang of rock. She ran right to Kurama who had already dismounted his horse. She flung her arms around him when they met. He kissed her. Of course, it was Keiko.

“I followed them to their hideout, like you asked,” she told him, “I also staked out the guard.”

“You are a wonderful wife,” Kurama smiled at her proudly. He turned to Yusuke, Then to Keiko, “Lead the way my love.”

She took them through a labyrinth of canyons and crags, holding Kurama’s hand the whole way. Yusuke hung back awkwardly-- and it wasn’t just because he was still wearing a wedding dress. Damn it, couldn’t he just dream up some cooler clothes! Yusuke thought he heard a sound behind him. He turned to look, but it was only the wind. “

Whoa!” He hollered when he turned back. Suddenly there was a giant spilt in the ground in front of him. And Keiko and Kurama were mysteriously on the other side. They turned when they heard him scream. Kurama asked, “What’s a matter, Yusuke?”

“Besides the giant hole in the ground?!” Yusuke spat.

“Just hop across it,” Kurama held out his hand as if to help him across, but he was a friggen mile away.

“Are you nuts?” Yusuke barked.

“The rift isn’t a wide as you think it is,” Kurama told him.

“Trust us,” Keiko employed him, “we’re your best friends, right? You should know we’re always there for you, even when we’re not.”

She held out her hand. Yusuke swallowed hard and leap into the void. Instantly Kurama’s hand closed on his left wrist, Keiko’s on his right. They pulled him over. And when he looked back the rift was only a small crack that was already filling with sand.

“Wow, I think we might have been getting metaphysical there,” Yusuke gasped.

“The word is Metaphorical, for god’s sake! Learn the difference.” It was Hiei! He was dressed again, tied up, and sitting at the foot of Youko Kurama.

“But points for the big word,” Youko added. “Oh and it looks like you finally achieved a wardrobe change.” It was true. Yusuke was now wearing a pair white baggy breaches, a velvet vest, and… he reached up on top of his head; oh yes, a fez.

“It looks like Youko couldn’t wait until we got to his hideout for the showdown,” Kurama observed while placing Keiko safely behind him. She did make an effort to shoot the silver haired rogue some dirty looks.

“What a coincidence, neither could I,” Yusuke quipped, cracking his knuckles. “Here it goes!”

Yusuke charged him. Youko stepped out of the way as he produced a bullwhip. Before Yusuke could turn, the villain laid it across his back. Then the fox backed off, as usual. That’s when it occurred to Yusuke; this was Kurama—his other form, playing a slightly melodramatic villain—but it WAS Kurama. He knew how he fought. He held back, figured out his enemy’s tactics, before coming up with any of his own. The key to beating Kurama was to do something completely random, a little stupid, and totally devastating.

“Here we go again,” Yusuke made his decision. He charged Youko again. At the last second he drove down low, flying unexpectedly through the space between Youko’s spread legs. He twisted his body mid-air, reached up, grasped the fox’s clothing, and pantsed him.

Youko had probably never been so surprised in his whole long life, suddenly standing there in the middle of a fight with his pants around his ankles and everything on display. Yusuke didn’t give him time to get over it. He reached up and grasped the fox by the base of his tail and yanked him down hard. He rolled out of the way as the fox fell. Then roll over him again to lay one punch after another to his face.

Yusuke’s hand sought out Youko’s bullwhip, intending on tying his foe up with it. When Hiei gasped, “I can’t believe it. How could Youko be beaten so easily?”

Yusuke stalled. He was right. It had been too easy. Around him he saw the faceless banditos, smiling in satisfaction, big alligator smiles. They did have faces, Yusuke realized. They had the face of the Djinni. Why weren’t they coming to help Youko? Because even though he was playing their boss, they wanted Yusuke to win. Why? Because, Yusuke wanted to win, beat the bad guy, and save Hiei. This was his wish.

“Yusuke, snap out of it!” Kurama shouted, “You have to save Hiei.”

“No,” Yusuke shook his head. He understood everything now. He turned to Hiei, “I WILL save you, but not today.” He shouted at the Djinni as he took his hands off Youko, “I won’t take it! This ain’t no wish come true, it’s a lie and I don’t want it!”

“You’re not going to fight then,” Youko stood and punched him hard in the jaw. Yusuke was surprised the pain didn’t start him awake. He was sent sprawling on the ground. Youko was hovering over him, before he could get his bearings.

“Rough me up all you want. I won’t play that bastard’s game anymore,” Yusuke asserted.

“Have it your way,” Youko chuckled into his face, “I can maim you; I could even kill you.” Yusuke thought he was going to pound his face into the ground until he heard a rip and felt a breeze float over his thighs. Youko ran his palm menacingly down Yusuke’s bare belly. “But you know there are certain things a man would rather die than experience.”

“Oh no,” Yusuke barely had time to breath the words before he was roughly flipped over. The rocky soil cut into his knees and scraped his forearms. These petty complaints were soon forgotten as he felt warm hands glide down over his hindquarters. They gripped the fleshy globes there and spread them apart. Shame burned in his face as cool air graced across his formerly hidden pucker.

Keiko and Kurama were watching, even if they weren’t the real Keiko and Kurama it was still embarrassing. The real Hiei was watching. He was shouting some things that Yusuke couldn’t quite focus on at the moment. Yusuke truly regretted that he was going to have to see this. Yusuke felt the firm wet head of Youko’s manhood press into his pucker. It was like a branding iron touched his skin. He was too tight for the fox to enter as of yet, but as that rod of heated flesh rolled around his hard ring, massaging it and slicking it with pre-cum, he could feel it softening and opening. He jolted when a slender finger poked just inside his entrance, curled and tugged at the flesh there.

The Djinni was watching too, through the multiple faces of the banditos. He narrowed his eyes, daring Yusuke to continue refusing to fight back and calling his bluff. Unfortunately for him, Yusuke was not bluffing.

Youko pressed forward. Yusuke’s body burned as it was forced open and a thick, hot intruder was pushed inside. Youko filled him so completely, the thought he was going to split in two. Yusuke opened his mouth to let out an anguished yowl. The last thing he remembered was seeing the Djinni gnashing his teeth in anger and frustration.

“AHH!” Yusuke screamed as he sat up. Wasn’t he just on just on his hands and knees? There was no pain in his body, only a mild warm tingle in his groin; the last vestige of a provocative memory.

Yusuke was aware of a face hovering close to his. As his senses reoriented themselves he recognized the redheaded Kurama. Keiko was behind him resting on a sumptuous couch. Yusuke gave a start. For a second he thought he was still stuck in his Arabian nightmare. But then he saw Koenma standing by the foot of his bed flanked by his double Yuichi and attained that he was simply in Koenma’s stately apartments.

“Yusuke? Are you’re okay?” Kurama squeezed his hand, which he had evidently been holding for some time.

“Ohh,” Yusuke groaned, still feeling a little out of it, “I had the weirdest dream, and you were there, and you were there.” He pointed to Kurama, “And you were there in two colors!”

“You had us worried for a while,” Kurama told him, “Even with the Djinni in the book, there was a great chance that you’d never wake up. This stuff he conquered up… I’ve never seen the like.” Kurama held up a familiar glass vial.

“I told ya he was too stubborn to stay down.” Keiko quipped from the couch.

“Hold up, I think I missed a chapter,” Yusuke held up a hand, “When did you guys get here, and what’s this about Croc-face getting checked back into the library? And while we’re at it what the hell was up with him popping out of that book in the first place!?”

“Yuichi told me you were trying to get at the Secret Scrolls. For future reference the Secret Scrolls are scrolls.” Koenma took it up. “That was the Djinni of the Dark Tome.”

“We caught up with him, trying to escape the vaults,” Kurama put in. He gestured to Yuichi, “This fascinating creature and I managed to distract him while Koenma and Keiko retrieved an artifact called the Ring of Solomon.

“Wielded by a human, it can imprison a Djinni. I would have gotten Kuwabara or Shizuru, but they’re on a ski trip with Yukina in Colorado. So, Keiko was the only one on hand who could use the ring to drive him back into the book. Though, I fear its power might have overly drained her.”

“I’m just a little tired. No wonder people mistake you for a woman, you certainly worry like one,” Keiko gave her husband an affectionate jab. Kurama pretended to pout. She continued, “Not much else to tell; we shoved that creep back into his book, dragged you up here to bed and prayed to whatever gods would listen that you’d recover. You’ll be pleased to know that Koenma’s gonna go over those Secert Scrolls and find out if there anything in there for you.”

“I am?” This was news to Koenma.

“Yes, you are,” Keiko gave him that look that broached no room for argument.

“I am,” Koenma nodded in the affirmative.

“And Yusuke,” Keiko turned to him, “I know that this Hiei thing is real important to you, but it’d be nice if you dropped by and visited your other friends now and then. You know how mopey the big girl here can get.” She gestured to Kurama.

“Hey!” Kurama huffed.

“Sure. When Kuwabara gets back we should all get together,” Yusuke agreed. “In the meantime, I don’t know…. Maybe we should hit up some of Raizen’s old buddies. Some of them are pretty old and know shit that nobody knows. What da ya say, Yuichi, you up for it?”

“Actually, Yusuke, I think I want to stay here, with Koenma,” Yusuke’s green haired double put an arm around the prince. “You’ll be comforted to know that some of Woe’s curses have… loopholes.”

“I’ll be damned,” Yusuke gawked.

Koenma blushed, “Where’s there’s love, there’s hope, right?”

TBC…

A/N: Happy Valentine’s day! See you next time.