Yoko's "Protection," Suichi's Suffering...

Yoko’s nails gauged long scars in the tree he was hiding in, fury etched into every line of his body, fury mingled with despair and guilt. He’d been running an inspection of Karasu’s house, finding design flaws and weak spots he could use to get inside, mapping out the rooms and their exits so he could be in and out as fast as possible, making sure he had everything ready before he snatched Suichi out of this maniac’s claws.

Unfortunately, it meant he was forced to sit and watch Suichi crawl around after Karasu, beg for food and grant all sorts of twisted favors to get it, respond instantly to the raven’s slightest request. It was breaking Yoko’s heart. It’s like he doesn’t even have cognizant thought anymore; like he’s been so thoroughly broken he’s more animal than human… There’s nothing I could ever do to reverse this. My Suichi…I’m so sorry… Yoko watched, half-blinded by tears, as Suichi yelped and cowered at Karasu’s feet, eyes wide with terror. Karasu said something, and Suichi relaxed immediately, sitting back on his heels. Yoko could see the lines of exhaustion that marred Suichi’s face, the dullness in his once-brilliant green eyes, and the scars of Karasu’s past trysts and the red welts from his more recent games.

The TCC had just about given up on him, which was good, because he wouldn’t have been able to leave Suichi here much longer anyway. So now Yoko waited until Karasu went to sleep. I’m gonna tear that bird limb from limb if it’s the last thing I do… Yoko swore. But that would come later. Karasu would not give Suichi up so easily. Right now getting Suichi out was Yoko’s main priority. To aid that he gently fanned the spores of a plant through the bedroom window, guarding his own nose. He knew for a fact this particular plant didn’t work on humans, but it would knock Karasu out for at least a few days. Yoko had to leave his spot when Karasu and Suichi retired to the bedroom; he didn’t think he could stomach watching whatever Karasu was up to.

Once all was quiet again, Yoko double-checked to make sure the raven was out cold before picking the lock on the front door and slipping inside. He slid silently into the bedroom, working by memory and the dim light from outside. Suichi, he knew, slept in a crate in the corner by the bathroom door. His heart leapt in his chest to be so near his darling Suichi again, but it sank again when he saw the condition his lover was really in. He had to bite back a sob of despair as he unlatched the crate.

Suichi woke, raising his head sleepily. “M-Master, what--?”

Yoko cringed. “Suichi, love, it’s me.”

The redhead shrank away from him, looking suspicious. “Who are you?”

Yoko’s heart dropped into his stomach. “S-Suichi…it’s me…it’s Yoko…” He’d prayed this hadn’t happened. He knew that pets whose masters died or abandoned them and were adopted by someone else often buried all memory of their old master. While it didn’t ease their constant state of heartbreak, it did prevent the pain that came with conscious knowledge that their master was gone. Yoko could see Suichi had not only buried memories of Yoko, but also of the fact that he’d ever had another master besides Karasu to begin with, even though it hadn’t been more than a week or two since Karasu took him home.

Yoko shook himself out of his despair and said, “Suichi, I’m here to save you. I’m getting you out of here. Let’s go.”

Suichi crawled from his crate and sat back on his heels looking expectant. Yoko ignored the burn in his chest and wrapped the boy in his own long white robe. Suichi look startled, even more so when Yoko swept him into his arms and ran out the door with him. He whimpered in confusion, but asked no questions. Karasu’s got him perfectly trained… Yoko realized bitterly.

Once they were a safe distance away, the fox slowed to a more reasonable pace and met Suichi’s eyes. “My name is Yoko Kurama,” he said softly, “and even if you don’t remember it, I—I was your master long before Karasu ever got his filthy hands on you.”

Suichi looked blank. “B-But…I’ve always been with Master…as long as I can remember…” His eyes widened in horror and he covered his mouth with his hand, trembling.

Yoko sighed, the throbbing in his chest almost physical it was so intense. “There are no stupid rules with me, Suichi. You can say whatever you want, whenever you want…” He trailed off as Suichi shook his head, his eyes wide with terror. Karasu’s got him more than just trained…he’s got Suichi conditioned like a dog. He associates speaking out of turn with pain and nothing I say will change that… All Yoko could do was ignore Suichi’s responses and hope that they would fade in time.

Suichi fell asleep sometime during their long, silent trip back. When he awoke, they were nearly there and he gazed up at Yoko. “M-May I speak?” Yoko cringed, but nodded silently. “I-I remember your face,” he said slowly. “And your name, but—but I don’t remember anything else…”

Yoko smiled gently as they approached the cave entrance. Well…it’s a start, at least… “I assure you, Suichi. I’m a friend.” He ducked through the cave’s hidden entrance and stopped, meeting Kuronue’s eyes.

“Yoko…” Kuronue whispered, looking alarmed.

Suichi’s eyes found Kuronue and he whimpered. Both demons stared at him. Suichi stared at Kuronue for a moment, trembling, before letting out a hoarse sob and burying his face in Yoko’s chest.

“M-Master…” he sobbed. “Y-You came back for me, Master…”

“Of course I did, Suichi; I told you I would didn’t I?” Yoko was delighted Suichi’s memory returned so fast, but the behaviours he had picked up would not be dispersed so easily. He set the boy down gently on the furs. “It’s okay now, love. I’m here…”

Suichi edged away from Kuronue. “Master, he’s the one who turned us in! He works for them!”

“No, Suichi—“

“He raped me!”

Yoko sighed, noticing with momentary impatience Suichi’s cringe. “I know, Suichi, but will you listen for a moment?”

“S-Sorry, Master…I’m sorry!” Suichi reacted in fear to the impatience in the fox’s voice.

“Suichi, they kidnapped Kuro and interrogated him, too. The reason he…went after you was because they sexually stimulated him to the point where he lost all control of himself and then threw him in the room with you.”

“Did he tell you that?”

Yoko held back his frustration. “Yes, Suichi. But when I found him he had injuries far worse than those he could have possible sustained between here and the TCC. Not only that, he’s been here for weeks now. If he were working for them, leading them to me, they would have found us by now. Please, Suichi, I know you’re hurt and you’ve been through a lot, but can we finish this tomorrow? I’m really tired and you look like you haven’t slept at all lately. Kuronue’s recovering from a serious infection and he needs to sleep, too. Can’t this wait?”

“Whatever Master wants,” Suichi said mechanically. His eyes were already closed, his face buried in Yoko’s lap. A moment later, he was fast asleep. Yoko and Kuronue looked at each other.

“What—what happened to him, Yoko?” Kuronue whispered, eyes wide with shock.

“Karasu,” Yoko said grimly. “He didn’t train Suichi to obey him, Kuronue; he somehow conditioned Suichi to follow certain behaviour patterns over others…I don’t know how to reverse it or if—or if I even can…” Kuronue came closer, pulling Yoko against his chest so the fox could cry like he so obviously wanted to. “It was horrible…I’ll have nightmares for the rest of my life about having to watch them together…about Suichi not recognizing me at all…”

“He’s so scarred…some of these look fairly recent…” Kuronue whispered, eying Suichi’s whipmarked shoulders.

Yoko kicked himself mentally. He’d totally forgotten Suichi seemed to be in need of medical care. He rolled Suichi onto his back and had to smother a cry of despair as his eyes landed on the three rings for the first time. “No…” he reached out, gently attempting to unscrew it and finding the welded edges. “No! Damn you, Karasu… what have you done…how could you do this…not yours…mine. Mine, Suichi is mine how could you mark him as yours he’s mine!” Yoko's eyes were wide and feral, his body trembling, ears pinned flat against his skull, every hair on his tail rising on end.

“Yoko!” Kuronue hissed as Suichi whimpered fitfully, disturbed by Yoko's wild snarls. “Calm yourself!”

This was an atrocity, a violation of everything Yoko and Suichi shared. Yoko’s head was spinning; there were tears in his eyes and his hands were balled up in fists. Every nerve in his body was focused on the blatant display of ownership that contradicted basic instinct. It tore at Yoko’s heartstrings, sending the fox miring into despair. “Mine…” he whispered again quietly, not fully conscious of himself yet.

“I know, Yoko. He’s yours, no one else. It’s okay; you need to calm down…it’s okay fox… Kuronue murmured, stroking Yoko’s hair until the fox’s hackles fell again. “We’ll find a way to get those off, I promise… just—ssshhh….” Slowly, Yoko calmed, his breathing evening out, his heart slowing from its frantic thumping. He opened his eyes again and smiled at Kuronue thankfully. The smile vanished as his eyes landed once more on Suichi.

The welts from the brutal caning hadn’t faded yet and the long, open sores the rattan cane had opened were still struggling to close. Yoko could see the deep, long scores from when Karasu had dragged his nails down Suichi’s back and thighs. He gently rolled the redhead back onto his stomach and had to bury his face in Kuronue’s vest again, tears streaming down his face. Yoko’s eyes wandered to Suichi’s ass and an alarm went off in his head. Dried blood caked the inside of Suichi’s thigh and ass crack from when Karasu had fucked him earlier that night.

Yoko frowned. “That’s not right… he never used to bleed and I’d be going pretty hard…and that’s a lot of blood, too…”

Kuronue scowled. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s sustained internal damage, Yoko. Suichi is—was—no wimp; it would take something very painful and traumatic to break his spirit so quickly.”

Yoko stroked Suichi’s head. “I don’t want to invade his privacy—even though he’d probably be too afraid to say no—by probing around up his ass right now. Tomorrow I’ll ask him to tell me everything so I know what to treat and how to proceed…”

Both demons jumped as Suichi yelped in his sleep, curling into a ball, trembling. “Please…” he whimpered.

Yoko soothed Suichi, his heart in fragments. “My angel…” Yoko whispered, his voice choked and cracking. “Where did my angel go? This—this isn’t my Suichi, this is just a broken shell…Where is my sweet, flawless, loving, darling Suichi…?”

Kuronue could only hope that at least some part of the redheaded beauty they knew and loved was still there somewhere. If this were all that was left then Yoko’s heart would surely shatter completely. Already Yoko was showing signs of the classic insanity that most—if not all—male fox demons fell into when their hearts were as badly broken as Yoko’s was. If Suichi wasn’t there anymore then Kuronue would be doomed to watching the love of his life descend into a madness that would eventually kill him.