If Only in My in Dreams

If Only in My Dreams Part Five By: boysluvcraft

I. Senseless in Serannian

Yusuke and crew docked in Serannian, following their brief mission to Zura. Said mission was more then complete success. Their conversation with zombie queen had gleaned them more information than they had expected. She had even given them a new heading, toward the continent of Leng. But first they would stop off at Serannian. Kurama, of course, would want see to it that the Old Greg was in top sailing condition.

Ianto had vanished shortly after they made port. He went off to the libraries and archives on the pretence of digging up more information on Leng. But Yusuke had his suspicion that the blond had vanished so he would no longer have to suffer through the other two’s impassioned cries and moans. On the way back form Zura the demon’s had been particularly relentless and vocal. Poor Ianto.

Kurama and Yusuke spent a week at a lush Serannian hotel, where made love as often as they could; and considering that both of them were very virile demons, often was very often.

The Mazoku sat on lover’s lap as the red head stroked his chest and used his tongue to trace marvelous patterns along his neck. Slowly, Kurama lapped and kissed his way up to Yusuke’s mouth. Yusuke immediately invited Kurama’s tongue inside to play. The two demons have been playing like this for probably the past hour, slowly and deliberately stimulating each other. But Yusuke was starting to wiggle on this lover’s lap, he needed more.

“Kurama,” Yusuke broke their kiss with a gasp, “clothes….”

“What about clothes?” the fox said dimly.

“We’re wearing to damn many of them!” The flustered Toushin exclaimed.

The fox look down at himself and his lover. It was true, both men were hard and ready to go, but uniformity still completely clothed. He nearly laughed at himself.

“What’s so damn funny?!” Yusuke could see the merriment in his fox’s eyes.

“Nothing,” he told the boy, “You’re right. We are wearing far too many clothes.”

With that he ran his hands up Yusuke’s sides pushing his shirt up and off over his head. Kurama marveled at Yusuke’s muscular, uniformly tanned chest, he never got tired of seeing it, touching it. Small chocolate colored nipples stood out, begging for attention. Kurama lapped at one bud of flesh while his fingers worried at the other. He never got tired of the boy’s flavor, either. He held the bud between his teeth and moaned, sending vibrations into the sensitive flesh.

Yusuke arched his back, and cried out, “AH! Kurama…damn you’re good at that.”

Kurama smiled around the nub before seeking out it‘s twin. Just then, Yusuke gently pushed him away. Kurama, puzzled, looked up to find lust filled chocolate staring back at him.

“You really like doing that, don’t cha? “ Yusuke clumsily worked at the fastenings on Kurama’s shirt, “Why don’t cha let me give it a try.”

Kurama released a low groan it was unlike Yusuke to be this aggressive in the bedroom. The fox was delighted. Yusuke parted the material. His callused hands flowed over the fox’s creamy torso. He found a pink-brown nipple and latched onto it. He copied Kurama’s technique, adding in his own little twists here and there to a great effect. Yusuke could feel the vibrations coming from deep within Kurama’s chest as the fox growled his pleasure.

Yusuke lifted his head from his friend’s chest and grinned, “What do ya know, this is fun. But I was kinda thinking I’d like to try something…more.” He stroked at the bulge at the front of Kurama’s pants.

“Hmm, Yusuke,” Kurama hummed before looking around. If Yusuke was that talented with his mouth, he was going to need something to lean on. He spotted a low desk in the corner of the room. Perfect.

He pulled Yusuke into a hungry kiss, while covertly backing them up toward desk. The two boys broke their kiss momentarily.

“Kurama,” Yusuke sighed his name.

In reply, Kurama merely grinned, lowering his zipper. His full arousal sprang into view, like a challenge. Yusuke Urameshi was never the one to refuse a challenge. He plunged face first into Kurama’s crouch. He eagerly lapped at Kurama’s cock as if it were an ice cream cone on a hot day, starting at the base and working his way to the top. When he reached the head, Yusuke toyed with the fox by tracing his tongue around the slit without actually touching it. That was a new trick.

The stimulation set every nerve in Kurama’s cock on fire. His legs shook. He was glad he had sought out the support of the table. Without warning Yusuke sucked the pulsating head into his mouth, repeatedly flicking his tongue across the neglected slit.

Kurama through his head back, “Oh God, Yusuke!” He moaned wantonly.

Slowly Yusuke bobbed his head alternating between humming and sucking hard as he went down on his lover. Kurama felt his impending orgasm bearing down on him, he grabbed the edge of the table as though he expected to be, literally, blown away by the sensations he was feeling. Just when Kurama thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, Yusuke swallowed him whole.

The moans and groans issued by the red head ignited Yusuke like gasoline thrown on a fire. Each sensual sound fueled the boy’s desire to farther his love’s pleasure. Kurama was coming unglued and Yusuke loved every minute of it. Yusuke loved the nest of red curls that tickled his nose and the thick dick that throbbed in his mouth. Who knew that pleasing others could be so gratifying? Kurama was crying out, “Ahh! Yusuke…I’m gonna…I’m GAAH!”

His fluid flooded into Yusuke’s welcoming mouth, every drop of which the boy happily swallowed. Eventually Kurama drifted back to earth, panting he looked down on his lover who was grinning up at him.

“So, how’d I do? Good?” Yusuke smirked.

“I’d say you did more than good.” Kurama pulled the other boy up and into a lip crushing kiss. He fingered the hard length trapped within Yusuke’s trousers. “That thing you did with your tongue, I’ve never seen anything like it before. Wherever did you learn to use your mouth like that?”

“Oh that,” Yusuke said hazily. “I think I picked it up from Koenma.”

Kurama paused his fondling and quirked an interested eyebrow at his lover. It took a few seconds for Yusuke’s mind to catch up with his mouth, and then he realized what he had just said. “That’s not what I meant, Kurama!”

“Now now, there’s no need to get fussy. I don’t mind if you had a little… encounter with the Reikei prince.” Kurama teased him.

“Encounter? No! It wasn’t that kind of thing.” Yusuke babbled, “Ya see, I was teasing about his pacifier and I guess I was getting kinda personal about it, so he said some stuff to make me get embarrassed, that’s all.”

Kurama stared; the next words came out of his mouth very slowly as if the syllables were so absurd that they can not bear pronouncing. “Koenma was talking about blowjobs.”

“Yeah,” Yusuke grimaced, “Even gave a visual aid with a spoon.”

“Don’t tell me he was in his toddler form when he did this.”

“No, he was in his teen form. Thank God! Man, you should have seen it, the way he worked his tongue over that spoon…” Yusuke shivered remembering the event.

Then he laughed a little shakily, “I guess, I’m ashamed to say I got a little hard watching him.”

“You’re a little hard right now,” The fox swiftly liberated Yusuke’s engorged member from his pants, taking it into his hand stroking it firmly. “Actually you’re very hard right now. What do you think we should do about that?” Without breaking the pleasurable contact, Kurama switched places with the dark haired boy and set him atop of the table.

“He’s not bad looking, you know,” Kurama said.

“Who?” Yusuke sighed into the crook of the red head’s neck.

“Koenma,” the red head laughed and tightened his grip around Yusuke‘s cock, “You ever consider doing anything him?”

“Nah, not seriously. The prince of Reikei and a demon, it’d never work, ya know.”

“Is that so?”

“Kurama…Ah!” Yusuke bucked his hips, pleading for the red head to stop the chatter and get on with it.

Without farther ado, Kurama climbed onto Yusuke’s lap, capturing his mouth in a searing kiss. Then, without warning Kurama forced himself down on Yusuke’s swollen erection.

“Hahaaaa!” Yusuke griped his lover’s hips to prevent him from moving farther. “Why did you…do that?” He gasped out.

“I love you,” Kurama closed his eyes against the pain of being penetrated without preparation.

“You….oh, I…,” Yusuke was having trouble thinking while he was still encased in Kurama’s tight warmth. “Don’t it hurt, doing it so sudden like?”

“Just a little at first, I’m used to it.” He pried Yusuke’s fingers away from his hips. “All it takes is a little control and discipline.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…hmm….” Kurama started to move on Yusuke’s shaft.

Yusuke could see that the redhead’s erection was quickly recovering from its earlier release. Kurama’s sex was impossible, how can a hole be so tight and yet so willing at the same time? Kurama’s ass stroked Yusuke’s cock so perfectly; the fox seemed to be enjoying it too. Yusuke thrust up hard into Kurama’s cavern. Kurama met his thrusts blow for blow. Yusuke didn’t know what was going to give out first, him or the table they were rutting on top of. Yusuke did know he couldn’t last much longer, but he wanted to get Kurama off one more time before he surrendered to his own passion.

Yusuke shifted his angle until found the spot that made Kurama scream for orgasmic joy. He aimed for that spot with every thrust. Meanwhile his other hand stroked his lover’s needy member. Kurama wrapped his arms around Yusuke’s neck and held on for dear life as the two wildly slammed their bodies together. Kurama let out a feral cry as he came for the second time, his body clamped down on Yusuke’s sex, and Yusuke came hard deep inside of his lover.

Catching his breath Yusuke whispered into Kurama’s ear, “I love you too, by the way.”

Not wanting to break the table, the demons soon moved their activities to the bed. There Yusuke lay on stomach, eyes half lidded, nearly purring as Kurama watched over his companion adornment as he grazed his nails up and down the other’s spine. They were the very picture of happiness and contentment. Tomorrow they leave for Leng.

Yusuke and Kurama reported to the Old Greg just before dawn and were preparing to ship out as they waited for Ianto to turn up.

“I’ll be surprised if he comes back,” Kurama idly observed.

Yusuke assured him, “He’ll come back.”

“I don’t know he didn’t seem too trilled about the prospect of going to Leng.”

“Oh, he bitches and moans about everywhere I want to go,” Yusuke dismissed, “But in the end he’s always been there for me.”

“Yes,” Kurama mused half to himself, “I wonder why.”

Yusuke didn’t catch that last part because at the same time a brassy voice hailed them from the dock.

“Ha, told you he’d come back,” Yusuke grinned his victory.

“Ask him if he remembered to bring the maps,” Kurama told him.

“I have them,” the blond popped up the gangplank.

The three gathered round as Ianto spread out a map of Leng. It wasn’t the most detailed map in Dreams, but it was the best they could hope for. Leng was not a place many men of Dreams dared to venture. The terrain was hash and many hostile dream species roamed on those inhospitable black basalt planes; Not least of them being the Lengites themselves.

The Lengites are almost-human. That is, unlike demons, they possess no special powers or energies that would set them apart from the rest of dreams natives. However, they do have sizable horns and hoofed feet which are a telltale sign of their birthplace. It is common knowledge that when traveling abroad they attempt to hide their horns under peculiar double domed turbans. They don’t fool anyone. Frankly, the Dreamlanders have probably just been too polite to tell them how silly they look.

Or perhaps it’s because Dream’s inhabitance feared the Lengites. They sail in into port aboard great black galleys, whose oarsmen are never seen. Nothing ever comes off those ships but the Leng merchants in their odd double domed turbans and the rubies that they sell at ridiculously low prices. And the only thing they take back onto the ship is gold and slaves, no goods, no food. Rumors of Leng degenerately are many and diverse, from dubious business practices to the worship of evil gods. More recently spine chilling rumors were proven to be horrific fact. Most lawful and sane Dreamlanders will not associate with Leng.

“These maps aren’t half bad,” Kurama noted somewhat skeptically, “Where did you find them?”

The archives, where else,” Ianto shrugged. “These are some of the maps based off of Randolph Carter’s dream quest of unknown Kadath. I‘ve also copied his notes on the region, if you’d like to look over them later.”
Kurama was about to say something snide, but a sideways look from Yusuke told him to play nice.

“Are these the Leng settlements?” Kurama pointed to areas on the map marked in blue.

The location of Leng settlements was one piece of information that Kurama had specifically requested Ianto to find. Well, technically, Yusuke requested the information from Ianto at Kurama’s request. Kurama was still being stubborn about asking the blond for help. The fox also seem mildly irritated when ever said blond offered his help. Yusuke chalked it up to frustration. Kurama was used to being the one that everyone looks to for all the answers.

“Adventurers have reported to have seen settlements in these areas, though I can’t really guarantee the accurately.” Ianto admitted. “It is Leng you know.”

“Good. We’ll investigate these areas.” Kurama continued, “What we do after that depends on what we find.” Knowing Kurama he already had a dozen plans for what to do next, but wasn’t going to share until he figures out which one to actually use. They did not even know for sure if Koenma is in Leng at all. Zura said the dead are traveling north through Leng. That does not mean that Leng was their final destination. For all they knew your Koenma could be in the cold wasting or beyond at fabled Kadath. But Leng was as good a place to start than any.

“We should approach Leng from the south on the Cerenerian Sea.” Kurama began to lay out the plan. “The odds of running into one of those black galleys there are slim. The only countries to the south are Zura and Thalarion. We know that trade with Zura is negligible. And Thalarion?” He glanced in Ianto’s general direction.

“Thalarion is completely self-sufficient; the Eidolon Lathi does not traffic with anyone.” Ianto supplied.

Kurama continued, “We should arrive at the shores of Leng in about three days. Once we have passed into the Leng boarders, we’ll check out the settlements. And I mean quietly.” Kurama warned the blond and the brunette.

“Sounds easy enough,” Yusuke chirped.

“It only sounds easy, Yusuke,” Ianto told him, “Nobody knows much about Leng, the Lengites are secretive and very uncooperative. Not to mention they out number us by thousands.”

“Come on, we’re not gonna have to face the entire population of Leng once.” Yusuke admonished the doubtful blond. “Beside’s if we’re careful and quiet like Kurama say’s, we could slip in and out without anyone noticing.”

“If we are noticed?” The blond shot back.

“We kick ass-- or in your case knee caps.” Yusuke chuckled.

Before Ianto could retort, Kurama cut in, “I’ve spoken with sailors out Dylath-Leen who have seen those black galleys at full kilter. They are fast, but the Old Greg is faster by far. We will have no trouble out running those fiends.”

With that point settled the group when on to iron out the rest of the details. As the sun rose on Serannian and the pale pink marble glowed hot and bright, the Old Greg sailed out to sea, possibly for the last time.

* * *

II. Pain in the Pit

Day one of sailing went by without incident. Meaning: There were no engine problems, bad weather or unexpected encounters. Also, Kurama has not yet killed Ianto; there was still a chance though, especially since Yusuke had gone to bed leaving those two alone together.

Yusuke’s body rested soundly; his dreaming mind, however, was not so silent. In his dreams within Dreams, Yusuke found himself standing alone in a cold, dim room. The room was round and approximately twelve feet in diameter. Niches carved out of the dark porous stone held small oil lamps that issued little light, but plenty of grey-green smoke that stung the eyes and offended the nose. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom he saw a staircase cut out of the rock. His eyes followed the steps to the top, oddly, the room had no ceiling. Yusuke realized that this was not a room at all, but a pit.

Water dripped somewhere in the unseen vaults above, and near by there was the sound of metal chain slithering against stone. The rattle drew Yusuke’s attention back down into the pit. For the first time Yusuke discerned another life in the pit with him. Chained to a table in the middle of the floor, was a beautiful young man with light chestnut hair. A dirty piece of linen was haphazardly thrown over his lithe form; he was obviously naked underneath. The young man was shivering in spite of the covering and his breath came in ragged gasps. Yusuke was transfixed by those panting lips. There was something familiar, yet taboo about them. Yusuke’s dream muddled mind struggled to place those lips, that delicate nose, the half lidded honey colored eyes, and those letters printed absurdly on his brow: Jr.

“Koenma?” Yusuke words where barely more than a breath but they resounded in like thunder in that tomb-like space. Yusuke reached for Koenma, but the Reiki prince recoiled from his touch.

Why? Yusuke thought, and then he became aware that a third life had entered the pit. Someone or something was descended the steps into the pit. Its face was hidden in the shadow of a red hood, but if the unnatural movement under the cloak was of any indication, this creature was far from human. It made no sounds save for it’s ‘footsteps’; a strange multitude of slithering sounds that could never be made by feet. Yusuke stiffened as the creature headed right toward him, but then it passed right through him as though he were a ghost again. After the contact, Yusuke felt dirty and shuddered to himself.

Koenma, who a minute ago seemed barely alive, began to kick and scream as the shrouded figure loomed over him. The fabric that had been covering him fell to the floor revealing scores of exotic signs and glyphs painted over every inch of his body. Those odd characters seemed to move and change as if they possessed a life of their own.
Koenma’s captor produced a red dully sparkling object-- a ruby? Its fingers twitched and writhed bonelessly around the gem, like worms. The thing held it over Koenma’s chest and those malignant symbols pulsated on his flesh. The prince’s cry’s of terror mixed with those of pain, they echoed up the walls of the pit, then suddenly died away.

For a second Yusuke thought Koenma may be dead, but no; thankfully he was still breathing. The hooded one withdrew from Koenma’s side. Without a backward glace, it glided back up the stairs. Two new forms bearing a double domed silhouette had appeared at the top. They were laughing; it sounded like oil on slime.

“YOU BASTARDS!” Yusuke lunged for the stairs but stalled when a quiet sob reached his ears.

“Yusuke…” Koenma sniffed.

“I’m here.” Yusuke rushed to his side, “I’m gonna get you out of here. It‘s gonna okay.”

Koenma could neither see nor hear Yusuke. He just kept mindlessly calling Yusuke’s name like child would call for his mother or a heart broken man crying out for his lover.

“I’m here. I’m right here!” Yusuke woke violently. In panic he tried to hold on to the dream, but the details where already slipping away.

“It’s alright, Yusuke,” Kurama spoke softly, pulling the frightened young man into his arms, “It was only a dream.”

“A dream?” Yusuke surveyed the cabin and his red haired lover. “Am I still dreaming?”

“Technically yes,” Kurama cooed, “but this is a good dream.” He kissed Yusuke on the lips.

When Kurama tried to deepen the kiss Yusuke pulled back a little, sighing against Kurama’s lips, “Not now Kurama.”

“Was it that bad?” Kurama asked Yusuke about his nightmare. Yusuke told the fox about the parts he could remember; Koenma in the pit, the enigmatic creature, the ruby that caused his friend so much pain, and finally the sickening laughter from the two in the double domed turbans.

“Ya think it was just a dream?” Yusuke looked at Kurama hopefully. Maybe it was all subconscious, ya know, because I’ve been real worried about pacifier breath and all.”

Kurama shook his head, “It’s possible, I suppose. If that is the case you have a much wilder imagination than anyone credited you for. However, there are some oddly specific details in your dream.” The red head clearly saw something in Yusuke’s dreams that the dreamer himself had missed.

“Kurama,” Yusuke broke in on the red head’s thoughts, “We’ll be in Leng in a couple of days, right?”

“The day after tomorrow-- if we don’t hit any bad weather, that is.” Kurama confirmed.

“Good,” Yusuke’s tone dripped with severity, “Cause if what I saw was true those horned freaks have got some pay back coming their way.” He extended his index finger, for a second he thought he felt a tingle, but then it went away. Yusuke pulled his finger back into a fist, with a flustered growl.

* * *

III. Bickering at Sea

By morning Yusuke seemed to be back to his usual self. He was enjoying the sea air and playing around with Ianto; he flirted with Kurama; and preventing the two aforementioned from fighting. For the life of him Yusuke could not figure out way those two couldn’t get along. No that wasn’t true, he knew why they didn’t get along; he just thought it was stupid.

Ianto’s case was simple. He didn’t get along with Kurama because Kurama didn’t get along with him. He refused to speak to Ianto directly and when he did the fox was always short with him, no pun intended. Kurama generally made it clear that the blond was unwanted baggage.

In Kurama’s case, it all boiled down to trust. Kurama didn’t trust Ianto and he wanted him gone. Yusuke had told his fox how he and Ianto had met and Kurama said that it seemed too convenient. What? A demon lost in the Dreamlands just happens to find a psychic adept, expert on dreams. My, my, what are the odds?

During their week off in Serannian, Kurama had asked Yusuke a lot of questions about his yellow haired traveling companion. Questions like: Who is he? Where is he from? What’s his sir name? And why is he helping you?

Yusuke didn’t have very satisfactory answers; I don’t know. He never said. Does it matter? And because he’s a nice guy. Kurama was quick to point out that people don’t go through nightmare for somebody just because they’re nice. In the end, nothing got resolved and the two were bickering even now.

“This doesn’t add up,” Kurama shook the notebook pages at the blond. “This says here that Randolph Carter walked from Sarkomand to the Enchanted Forest in just a few days. I know for a fact that it would take at least two weeks of constant sailing to cover those kinds of distances.”
“It would take weeks by air, yes,” the blond pointed out, “but if you read more carefully you’ll see that Carter was traveling through the subterranean Vaults of Zin.”

“I did read it correctly,” Kurama counter, “and what difference does it make if it were Zin or on the surface?”

“Well, various dreamers have traveled through the subterranean levels of Dreams and those who come back alive are usually unable to account for the distances they’ve traveled given the time.” Ianto shrugged.

It was about to launch into full blown battle of wits, when Yusuke intervened.

“Hey it’s about lunch time, ya know. How’s about we rustle up some grub?”

“Only if you’re cooking,” Ianto said.

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea,” Kurama concurred. Yusuke’s cooking; it was the only thing the two would agree on. That’s was because, among the three of them, Yusuke was the most competent in the kitchen.

And so the day progressed and eventually turned to night.


* * *

IV. MADDNESS UNDER THE MOON

The night air blowing in from the open window was cool on Yusuke’s sweat slicked skin. The cabin had grown so quiet it almost seemed as though the world had stopped; only the steady rise and fall of his lover’s chest and gentle lapping of waves against the hull kept the time. It was the third day since Yusuke and crew had departed from Serannian. They set anchor for the night, not too far from the Leng coast, but not too close either. It was the night of the full moon.

Yusuke stared down at the lax form of his lover. The fox had been in a weird mood that night, a weird, kinky mood. Which was convenient because Yusuke was in a horny mood, but then again when was he not? Kurama was asleep and naked. His hair was a sexually tossed mess and there were bright pink marks on his wrists from where he had insisted Yusuke tie him up with ripped bed sheets. Yusuke admired the splashes of cooling cum that painted the red head’s belly and thighs. God Kurama was beautiful. Yusuke ran one finger over Kurama’s smooth muscled chest. How many times in the past few weeks had Yusuke touched that chest and toyed with those rosy nipples? He shivered from the memories.

Some fresh air would be nice, Yusuke decided. Not that Yusuke didn’t enjoy staring at his sleeping lover, quite the contrarily, it had become one of his favorite pass times. The problem was if he looked at this beautiful creature for one more second he would not be able to control himself, and Kurama needed the rest. Yusuke had been quite wild as well.

Yusuke walked up to the deck. No lights were burning, none were needed. The stars, the ominous face of the full moon, and the light reflection off water provided the deck a queer type of illumination. This moon’s light was never beautiful like the one in the waking world, Yusuke noted. Dream’s moon always cast an eerie light that made all that it touched seem unclean and alien.

Just then, he sighted Ianto where he sat on the desk’s low railing, with his bear toes dangling just over the water‘s surface. As far as Yusuke could tell, the blond was only clothed in an over-sized dark blue robe, that he obviously barrowed from Kurama. He was humming an aimless melody as he ran a comb through unbound blond locks. Subconsciously, Yusuke noted that this was the first time he’d seen the blond in any state of undress. It was almost surreal. The unreality of it was redoubled by the queer moonlight. The moon light played tricks over the other’s face. His fair saffron dusted skin glowed against the blue robe and his Atlanta green eyes almost took on a phosphorous quality.

Suddenly the words of the old seer from Barharna rang in Yusuke’s mind; words that until now he had almost forgotten: “Beware. I see a…thing; it is strange, alien, and it is nearby. It seems to follow you. I do not know what form it takes, but it is close!”

Come to think of it, I never did ask Ianto where he comes from. Yusuke shook himself. What the hell am I thinking? It was the full moon that is was putting these thoughts into his head, Yusuke assured himself. What was that old waking-world saying about the moon? It brought out all the weirdoes. Or did it create the weirdoes?

“Damn moon,” Yusuke muttered.

If the blond was surprised by Yusuke’s appearance he didn’t show it. With out preamble he asked Yusuke, “Have I ever told you about the creatures that once dwelled on the moon?”

“Um, no. I don’t think so.” Yusuke awkwardly answered. The subject was sort of out-of-the-blue.

Ianto set his comb down. “At one time creatures inhabited dark side of Dream’s moon. MOONBEASTS. They were like great mute-blind toads, but they also have a certain ameba-like quality. They were the masters of the Lengites, the servants of the Great Old Ones, and the enemy of all cats. In the old times Dreamlanders would blame the moonbeasts for the moon beams that drive men to madness. That’s were the term ‘lunatic’ comes from, you know; men who have been driven mad by the malignant lunar rays.

“No worries, though, the moonbeasts were supposedly wiped out after they waged war on Dreams.” The blond cocked a sinister grin. “But you never know, maybe a few got away. As we speak they lie in wait and plotting for night when they will strike back.”

“I think you’ve had enough moonlight of one night, Blondie. Let’s get you to bed.” He grasped the boy’s forearm. “God, Ianto, your freezing!”

“I feel fine,” Ianto shook him off. “If anything, the chill night air is refreshing compared to that stuffy space below. Besides I like the water.” He emphasized the point by kicking the water. “You know on some nights the water is so still that you can look down and clearly see cities that have long since sunken to the ocean floor. I believe one such city is located about twenty miles east--”

“Where are you from Ianto?” Yusuke cut him off. In all the time the two had been together Yusuke had never thought to ask him that before.

Ianto cocked his head as if he didn’t understand the question.

Yusuke nervously continued, “You’re always running your mouth off and telling me stuff, but you never say anything about yourself. It’s like your doing it on purpose, or something, like your keeping it secret. “

“You think I’m keeping secrets from you?”

“Yeah, I mean no!” Yusuke stammered, “I don’t know…. It‘s just…well, you exactly volunteer information, ya know.”

“Volunteer information?” Ianto didn’t shout, but he was clearly angry, “This coming from a man who, for an entire year mind you, failed to mention that the person we were looking for happened to be a rather important demigod.”

“That was different and you know it,” Yusuke countered. “Anyway, I only kept you in the dark for your own safety.”

“My safety!” The blond scoffed, “I haven’t been safe since the moment I met you!”

“Well if it’s been such a trial, why are you still here?!”

“Because I--” Ianto balled his fists and squeezed his eyes shut; his entire tiny body shook with frustration. “I wish I could get away from you!”

Those spiteful words were imminently followed by the snap of flesh striking flesh. It echoed on the night air.

“I don’t ever want to hear crap like that coming of your mouth,” Yusuke growled between his teeth.

Then as swiftly as flipping a switch, the demon relaxed. He laid his hand over the angry red palm print he’d left on the other’s face. “You didn‘t mean that, did you?”

Ianto shook his yellow locks. “I think you were right about the moonlight,” he said. “I’ve been acting like an overly emotional girlfriend on the rag.”

“Your not THAT bad,” the tension was completely gone and Yusuke could smile again. “Your not gonna tell me where you’re from are you?”

“You can’t tell by looking at me?” Ianto taunted.

“Well if I had to guess…” Yusuke ran his fingers into the other’s yellow hair and gave it a firm tug. “I’d say you were an angel sent from heaven.”

He waited for the Ianto’s retort, but in the next moment a surge from underfoot sent the blond tumbling into his chest as the both men impacted with the deck. The little ship pitched and lurched upon the suddenly disrupted sea. It was all Yusuke could do to hold on to his companion and not fall overboard.

Kurama had been fast asleep when the initial wave hit the tiny boat with enough force to throw him from his bed. He hurriedly pulled on his clothes as he looked around the cabin and failed to see his lover anywhere. A rush of fear spread through the fox. If Yusuke was up top when that hit…. He hastily clamored for the hatch.

All hell was breaking loose as Kurama stumbled onto the deck. A course of thunderous booms sounded in the distance while the tiny vessel bucked underfoot. He spotted his Yusuke near the bow. The Mazoku was gripping the rail with one hand, while the other arm was secured around the blond one’s waist.

“Kurama!” Yusuke shouted over the raging sea. “What is this, some sort of freak storm?”

Kurama looked up at the sky. It couldn’t be a storm. In spite of the rocking waters, the sky was still calm and clear, and the horrid moon shown bright. Then he spotted a blot silhouetted against the sick moon face; it looked like… a coffin?

“What the hell is that?” He muttered.

A sound came from the blond secured in Yusuke’s arms, “It’s the Shroud!” He gasped.


“The WHAT?” Yusuke shouted.


Kurama had heard that name before. It was legend in Serannian; fore its captain once piloted the S.S. Cadaver, the ship that almost sunk Serannian itself! “It’s Zura!”

“Zura?” Yusuke was surprised, “What the hell is she attacking us for?”

“I guess she didn’t find the cucumber thing funny,” Ianto supplied.

Damn it, Kurama cursed himself. Of course, he knew their adventures in the Charnel Gardens would anger the zombie queen, but didn’t think she would come after them. It was a fact she was understaffed and low on resources. Also their crimes against her were not so great that it would be worth wasting those resources order to pursue them. He didn’t think she could be that petty and irrational. That was the fox’s error, he should never have underestimated a women’s vindictive capacity.

Another canon ball ripped through the waves upsetting the small vessel.

“We need to get this thing in the air now,” Kurama commanded, “Ianto go down below. I’m going be pushing the flotation engines to their limits. If the pressure overflows, I’m going need a man in the engine room to operate the manual release valves. Can you handle that?”

“Yes, captain,” the blond responded curtly as he bounded for the hatch.

“Yusuke,” Kurama rounded on the other, “unhitch those ropes and get those sails underway.”

“I don’t mean to undermine your strategy, Kurama,” Yusuke queried, “but won’t raising the sails make us a bigger target?!”

“Can’t be helped.” Kurama told him. “We’re a cruising vessel, and we don’t have any armaments. Our only hope is to out run her.”

Kurama pulled a lever activating the positive whirl of the anchor wench. He darted for the helm where he switched on the floatation engines adding a low throb to the course of sound.

“Come on come on,” Kurama urged the Old Greg as he cranked the altitude output up to quarter-full. The throb increased in speed and volume. He kicked it up to half-full. The hull started to lift from the sea, just as Yusuke freed the last rope allowing the sail to spring full. Old Greg was moving forward now; thankfully the wind was in their favor.

Another barrage of cannon fire shredded the waves, barley missing the starboard side. Kurama cut hard on the wheel to avoid the next round of fire. He cranked the output up to three-quarters. It was dangerous to turn it up that fast. The ship began to shake and sputter. Grinning noises came from below. The pressure was overflowing. The engine could blow up.

“Damn it Blondie, stabilize that engine!” As if his cursing was invocation, the engines let out a sharp hiss and whirled furiously. The Old Greg finally lifted free of the waters surface.

“Hold on!” Kurama called out to Yusuke as he jammed the gears into maximum output. Kurama pushed the vessel to higher altitudes where the currants were faster. Zura’s cannons thundered dangerously behind them. Hot iron whizzed past their flanks. It was a wonder that they had not been hit yet. Praise all the gods that Zura was a shit shot.

Kurama steered them into the mistral winds. Wind as cold as death filled the sails. The Old Greg cut through the night sky like finely honed knife, leaving Zura far behind.

“It safe to unclench my asshole yet?” Yusuke hollered up from where he clung to the railing, unsure if he could trust his footing at these speeds.

“I think we’re going to be--” Kurama stopped mid-sentence. If not for the moonlight he may not have seen the two galley’s ahead of them, because they were painted black; Lengite ships. They were headed straight for them.

“Yusuke, latch yourself to mast! This is going to be rough.” Kurama’s timbre left no room for argument; Yusuke latched himself to the mast.

Meanwhile Kurama tied his own self to the steering column. Kurama then jerked hard on the wheel. Old Greg began a turn that was too sharp for the speed they were moving. The tiny ship tilted so that it was sailing completely on its side. By the time they were upright again the ship was facing the opposite diction.

Kurama was a little amused to hear a few crashes and brassy cursing coming from below. His merriment did not last long, however, because at that moment the Lengites’ cannons boomed behind them. Unfortunately, the Lengites were not as poor of shots as Zura. A well placed round of grape shot shredded the main sail. At the same time, a cannon ball clipped the rear-right flank riddling the air with splintered wood and metal shrapnel. It left a gape in the side of the ship that was uncomfortable close to the engine room.

“Ianto!” Yusuke feared the worst. Even if the shot itself didn’t make a direct hit, the debris alone could kill a man.

“I’m okay.” The blond appeared in hatch. “But the flotation bladders have been punctured.”

“How bad?” Kurama demanded.

Ianto reported back, “There are at least half dozen small breaches on the right side and one large tear near the front.”

“Damn we’re not going to be able to main this altitude.” Kurama cursed. “Both of you go and use the resin to seal that tear. Then, Yusuke you work on patching the smaller holes. And Blondie, get out your maps, we need an escape route.”

“Right,” Yusuke and Ianto said as one before rushing off to do the fox’s bidding.

In no time, Ianto had returned to Kurama, maps in hand. In spite of Kurama’s miraculous driving, the Old Greg had taken even more damage. The main sail was full of holes, one of the secondary sails had been completely blown off, and the deck railing was no more. The Old Greg was also sailing considerably lower.

Meanwhile, below deck Yusuke worked restlessly patching the wounded floatation bladders. He could hear the roar cannon fire as it continued without reprieve. It would take more than an escape route to get out of this one; it was going to take a miracle.

Kurama can do it, Yusuke told himself, he’s gotten out of worst pinches than this…I think.

No sooner did that thought run through his head, then a particularly loud boom pierced his eardrums. The ship pitched underfoot, tossing him into the floatation bladder. The next moments unwound before his eyes as if in slow motion. The wood floor and wall bent inwards, then split open in a hale of splinters. The engine room seemed to be getting farther away. Yusuke could see the sky. He was outside the ship!

The ship was going down, but he was going up. He tried to reach for the ship, but he was stuck tight. The fresh resin had glued his backside to the flotation bladders. He was quickly rising into the cold winds high above. He watched in horror as the Old Greg took a nose dive into the unforgiving sea below.

“No…NO…KURAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The demon fitted against his binding, but it was no use. The noise of battle died off as suddenly as it had started. The only sound in the night was the quiet sobbing of one lost soul who’d lost his lover.

* * *

IV. MEANWHILE IN THE WAKINGWORLD

“No… it can’t be…NO!” Kuwabara kneeled next to Yusuke’s sleeping form.

“What is it?” The Oneiromancer placed a concerned hand on the human boy’s shoulder.

“I’m not sure, really.” Kuwabara shook his head. “It just came to me, all the sudden. I think I was, like, seeing what Urameshi was seeing.”

“That can happen with a dream link, if the image is potent enough,” Varvara told him. “Tell me, what did you see?”

“It was a boat, I think, but it was in the sky. It was falling and…Kurama was on it! Oh god, Kurama was falling to his death!” The boy sobbed.

“Stop that, now,” the Varvara tut-tuted. “He is fine. See.” she placed Kuwabara’s hand on the red head’s throat where he could feel strong pulse.

“But I saw it… Urameshi saw him….”

“Seeing is not always knowing, young one, especially in Dreams. Have faith, they will need our strength now more than ever.”

Yet, another pot of coffee was brought into the room.

* * *
TBC

A/N: First my apologies, it took so long to put this part out, but I’ve been really busy rebuilding my house. (Tree fell on it.) I hope everyone enjoyed this part. I sure enjoyed writing it. Although to tell the truth I originally did not expect to put that big air-sea battle in there. Ha ha, but did I not I tell you, nobody TBCs Zura! What will happen in the next episode? Will Zura cause the boy’s more trouble? Did Kurama and the tag-along OC survive the crash? Will Hiei make an appearance-- and more importantly will he be naked when he does?!

Read and review. Your input is important to me. Reviews make me write faster.