Shura's Quest - Reuniting, Regrouping, Recruiting

Okay. Here we go with Sequel #4. This one picks right up pretty much where the last one left off. With Mukakai and the Boy heading toward our ragtag group of heroes. This is a nice long scene to start you off. I came up with this title for this sequel because it pretty much describes what will be going on. I hope nobody will think it's too long or too stupid. Please, if you haven't read the others in this series, it really is best if you start with the first so you know what's going on. I know, I tend to do very long, involved stories. I can't really apologize for this because this is just how I create. Please leave me your comments. It helps keep me going to know that I'm not boring anyone out there. The last sequel had over 200 hits, but only 2 votes. That's not really very heartening, but as I said in the beginning when I first started submitting, I'm doing this to share my ideas, imaginations, and style of creation. Not for hording up the most reviews on AFF. Still, encouraging words are appreciated by everyone. Hiei will love you. Kurama will send you roses for a year. Yusuke will make fireworks for you. And Kuwabara wil.. well.. he'll do.. whatever it is that he does.. lol. Now that my ranting is over, off we go..

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Scene 1 ------------------------------------------- Morbid Flats


* When Mukakai sets down to take a look around he lets the boy hop to the ground. He doesn't pay any attention as he scans the area. The boy looks around and sniffs curiously. Soon enough he catches an intriguing scent, smiles predatorially, then blurs away. When the general finally sighs and scratches his head he turns to address the child.


Mukakai- We'll we've got a lot of ground to cov-..


* When there is no sign of the boy anywhere in sight Mukakai squawks and begins to look around frantically.


Mukakai- Hey! Boy?! Where are you?!


* Mukakai curses and decides to take off in the direction he wasn't facing to search for the dark boy. Meanwhile, said boy is already half a mile away flitting along in a zigzag pattern, following his nose and his instincts. Finally he seems to realize that he's all alone and pauses to latch onto a nearby okunenju stalk. The scent he was following is close, and very inticing, but it confuses his young senses. It is all around this area, but there is nobody in sight. Meanwhile, up on top of the very same okunenju the group has made camp for the evening. Yusuke is relaxing against a boulder, examining his hand and chatting with Hiei who is seated on top of the boulder, facing away from the group.


Yusuke- .. So at least you understand why we have to let Kurama take the brat.

Hiei- Hn.. But even so, we will still be there for back up. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the little b------ will be easy to take out.. He is Yomi's creation after all.

Yusuke- Well, of course we'll be there.


* Yusuke shakes his hand with a quiet curse.


Yusuke- It's still not working, d--- it..


* Hiei glances down at Yusuke.


Hiei- You know Kurama said the antidote he gave you would take a couple days to get the poison all out of your system.


* Yusuke nods and crosses his arms as he looks around.


Yusuke- I know. I just can't shake the feeling all of a sudden that we're being hunted.. Don't you sense anything?


* When Kuwabara comes over Hiei grunts and looks away again.


Kuwabara- Yeah, man. There is something close.. but I don't sense that it's very big. Maybe it's another bug wanting more of your blood, Urameshi.

Yusuke- I've donated enough. I'll send the next bug over to take some from you.

Kuwabara- Go ahead. I'll use my Spirit Sword and zap it.

Hiei- We've finally discovered something that that sword might actually be good for.


* Kuwabara shakes his fist up at the cloaked apparition. As they continue arguing Yusuke and Kuwabara become too distracted to notice a new energy signal approaching. Hiei opens his jagan slightly. He recognizes this aura from somewhere, but he himself is becoming drawn more into the word duel going on between the human and the Toushin. Several feet below them, the clinging boy also feels the energy coming, but he recognizes it completely. Mukakai easily locates the boy when he flares out his own energy. The old general releases a sigh of relief, slows down, and floats over to gather the boy into his arms.


Mukakai- You shouldn't run off from me like that.

Boy- They're here.

Mukakai- What?

Boy- Fathers.. I can smell them all around.. Are they hiding from me?


* Mukakai studies the child a moment, then quiets him. He uses his own senses to "feel" out the area. Almost immediately he looks up toward the large flat area of the okunenju plateau at the top of the stalk.


Mukakai- Up there..


* Before Mukakai can utter another word the boy blurs off once more, hopping from place to place up the stalk.


Mukakai- Wait!


* The general gives chase, but he's not quick enough to keep up with the very fast boy. Just as Hiei turns his full attention back to the object that's approaching quickly, the small black blur knocks him hard off of the boulder. Yusuke and Kuwabara drop their argument to watch surprised as Hiei slides on his back across the ground several feet. Hiei finally gets himself stopped and leaps to his feet. When he sees the boy crouching on top of the boulder he freezes from reaching for his kitanna. When Yusuke and Kuwabara look up at the boulder the boy crouches and hisses at them a moment, then begins to sniff the air.


Kuwabara- Hey. It's a mini Hiei!


* The boy stops leaning toward Yusuke and growls defensively when all the others begin to come closer. Suddenly feeling surrounded and threatened the boy leaps toward the one he's drawn more toward. Hiei leaps backward in time to avoid being pounced on, but he still remains startled by the boy's appearance. Yusuke sidles around to get a closer look at the new arrival. Tiny red eyes lift to meet his own.


Yusuke- It's.. just a baby.. Fire Demon?


* Everyone but Hiei and Yusuke look toward the sphere that nows shoots up over the edge of the plateau. It hovers a moment, then floats over and lands near the boy. The sphere disolves away and immediately the rest of the group is in full defense mode when they recognize the ganderan uniform Mukakai is wearing. The general's mind is only on the boy, though.


Mukakai- Easy, son.. Come here to me.


* The boy turns and flits over closer to Mukakai, but he motions excitedly toward Hiei and Yusuke.


Boy- Fathers!


* Hiei and Yusuke now look at each other. Mukakai kneels down beside the boy.


Mukakai- Yes, Little One. We've found them..


* Now Hiei regains his composure and removes his kitanna as he glares toward Mukakai. Kurama comes over closer from the side to study the boy closer. He immediately looks up at Kurama with his nostrils flaring.


Hiei- What?! What kind of a sick joke is this, Ganderan!? I ought to..!


* Hiei falls silent when the boy points up at Kurama.


Boy- You.. feel like.. Father.. But.. Not as strongly as them..


* The boy looks back toward Hiei and Yusuke. The koorime looks as if he's about ready to attack the general so Mukakai decides that he'd best speak up quickly.


Mukakai- Lord Hiei, Lord Yusuke, Lord Kurama, please allow me to explain..

Kurama- Yes. I believe you should before your life expectancy lowers to zero.


* The boy scrambles up onto Mukakai's shoulder and tugs on his hair.


Boy- Fathers! I know their smell..

Mukakai- I know. Shh, let me speak to them.. Calm down, son.


* Hiei growls when he hears this stranger address the boy so, then falls silent. It puzzles him that he would react with such a spike of.. jealousy? Yusuke feels Hiei's unguarded confusion and glances toward him. The Toushin has been getting another intuition that has started to unsettle him, as well.


Yusuke- I think we better listen to this, Hiei.

Mukakai- Yes, please.. My name is General Mukakai..


* He gives a quick bow of his head to show his respect to the three higher-classed demons.


Kurama- You are one of Shura's generals.

Kuwabara- Man, you got a lot of balls coming here all by yourself!

Yusuke- Shut it, Kuwabara!

Mukakai- I'm actually working for Master Agaliarept, though.


* Kurama looks away as if distracted a few moments as the conversation continues.


Hiei- Hn.. I recognize you now.. You're that one I chased from the main city to the Forbidden Forest..

Mukakai- Hai.. I was.. looking for someone when you.. startled me.. Shura was needing someone to replace the mage who was helping him to create.. this boy..


* Kurama's eyes widen and he now looks back at them. Yusuke notices the way he is now studying the boy on Mukakai's shoulder.


Hiei- The one you were searching for is dead.. He died battling Shura's lackey.

Mukakai- Banashima.. is dead? How do you know this?

Hiei- He claimed to be my Father.. I was there when they battled. The old fool sacrificed himself to keep me alive.

Yusuke- I wish I'd known this would be such a family reunion. I'm starting to feel like a third wheel, here.

Mukakai- You shouldn't feel that way for too long, M'Lord.. Lord Hiei, when.. Shura.. killed Lord Mukuro.. she was pregnant..

Hiei- No s---! The child she was carrying was cut out of her and it's body was still wrapped in the thorny vine when I found them! That boy.. My only child was already dead..!!

Boy- B------ made Mother and Brother dead!! I heard him say so!


* Mukakai reaches a hand up to calm the boy down, but he only continues whimpering angrily as his eyes flit from Hiei to Yusuke to Kurama and back.


Boy- He said you.. left me.. That you not want this one.. But he was lying, I just know he was! I hate him!!


* Mukakai sighs and glances at Kurama, then looks back toward Hiei and Yusuke.


Mukakai- Lord Mukuro was carrying twins, Lord Hiei.


* The silence that falls is soon broken by the sound of Hiei's kitanna dropping to the ground. Kurama looks toward Hiei.


Kurama- Something tells me that we should listen to this man, Hiei.

Kuwabara- Well, you do have to admit. He does look an aweful lot like you, Shrimp.


* Hiei staggers backward, then turns and starts to move away. The boy reaches over and gets a handful of Kurama's red hair.


Boy- I say something wrong, Father?!


* Kurama looks at the Boy, unable to hide his shock at being addressed so.


Mukakai- Please, let me finish, Lord Hiei..

Hiei- I've heard enough, d--- it!


* Before Mukakai can stop him, the boy blurs over to intercept Hiei's escape. Still somewhat dazed by everything he's just heard, Hiei stumbles backward and collapses onto his rear. He and the boy stare at each other for several awkward moments. The Fire Demon remains stupified when the child approaches cautiously and takes one of his hands a bit timidly. Their red eyes remain locked as the child follows his pure instincts and nips one of Hiei's fingers. As soon as the Boy tastes Hiei's blood his small jagan snaps open. Instantly Hiei feels himself being drawn into the boy's mind. His own jagan opens behind his ward to gently buffer the full impact of the younger, untrained demon. Yusuke quietly motions the others to remain calm as they all watch what takes place. When the powers of the two jagans finally balance themselves Hiei closes his eyes and allows himself to explore the child's memories. He soon learns that the boy, just as he himself had been, was very much aware of what took place before he was even forcibly removed from his Mother's body. Even though everything that took place confused the newborn demon, Hiei's mind is better able to process everything that took place. In his mind, he watches the boy ripped away from Mukuro as she died. Then hurried away by order of Shura to be placed into the glass chamber. Hiei's brows scrunch in puzzlement, though, as he watches the different times when transfusions of blood were adminsterred. The puzzlement doesn't last long, though, when Hiei soon realizes who's auras he feels during the last three transfusions. The Fox's brother. The dark aura of his dragon. Then finally Yusuke's more powerful flux of energy. When the next thing he experiences is the blast that frees the boy from that glass womb he decides he's seen enough and wrenches himself free from the boy's jagan. Hiei opens his real eyes. For perhaps one of the first times in his life the dark apparition has no clue of how to handle it when the boy crawls up into his lap and clings against his chest, hiding his face.


Boy- (Quietly) Please.. Please don't hate this one.. I won't let the b------ hurt you, Father.. None of you.. He wanted to make me hate all of you..


* Yusuke comes over when Hiei still doesn't respond. For a reason that he, himself, can't explain the Toushin was somehow linked into the experience that Hiei just had.


Yusuke- He's too young to have made all that up, Hiei..


* Hiei glances up at Yusuke, then finally looks down at the boy. His arms slowly raise to embrace him when he feels how weary the child has grown.


Hiei- He.. wasn't lying.. My stronger jagan would have seen through any deceit.. He.. He's my.. my son..


* Hiei looks back up at Yusuke.


Hiei- I have a son.. His body is.. of me.. But he carries your blood.. and that Fox's..


* Now Kurama comes over.


Kurama- You mean Lazurama's..?

Hiei- Hn.. But that's not all.. Somehow that little nuisance figured out how to draw a sample from my black dragon, as well.

Yusuke- Is that a.. good thing?


* Hiei just looks up at Yusuke blankly a couple moments, then looks back down at the boy who's now fast asleep in his arms. Suddenly, as if spooked, Hiei leaps up, places the boy carefully in Kurama's arms, then blinks away. Kurama and Yusuke look at each other.


Yusuke- I think Fatherhood just hit him.

Kurama- Yusuke, I think it has hit both of us, also.


* For several moments Yusuke stares at the small boy, then spins to glare at Mukakai.


Yusuke- Alright, General What's-Your-Name.. I think you got a h--- of a lot more to explain to us.


* Mukakai nods.


Mukakai- Indeed. We'd better get comfortable while I fill all of you in.


* Kurama looks toward the tall tree where he knows Hiei is now perched, then turns to follow Yusuke and the general over to where the campfire is blazing. The rest of the group gathers around to listen quietly as Yusuke, Kurama, and the general discuss everything that's taken place in Gandera so far.