It starts out with some kids going into an abandoned warehouse and finding body parts lying around. Understandably freaked, they're about to run off when SOMETHING comes up behind them...
Meanwhile, in a middle or possibly elementary school somewhere, a bunch of kids are talking about stuff, including a missing classmate of the big brother of one of the students.
"I heard of a couple that disappeared too."
"Maybe they went to town; the local area's pretty boring."
"I'm gonna go too.."
As a boy and girl discuss possibilities, the girl shoots back that at least she isn't as credulous as KITAJIMA MAYA, a young and pretty girl who looks a little like Yuusuke with his hair down. (Her hair's cut really short and frames her face.)
"Minamino-kun!" Maya calls happily. "What do you think?"
A short-haired KURAMA turns around. (It's a normal little boy's haircut, and looks... odd... on him.)
"I think they're just leaving on their own," he tells her.
"Bo-o-o-ring. There are *lots* of other possibilities. Alien abductions? Spooks? Secret religious groups? Dimensional portals?"
"I think you have a problem with being in touch with reality."
"Huh? Your understanding's too easygoing. Aliens are right among us."
The other boy, name of Tasaka (who likes Maya, I think) glares at them. "Ch'. This isn't fun at all."
"You'd better give up," the girl next to him says. "Maya-chan likes Minamino-kun."
"What a creep he is, wearing his school uniform *here*." (I think it must be a cram school or something -- ed.)
"You're just jealous."
"Die!" the angry boy hisses, throwing an eraser at Kurama.
"To tell the truth, I have a little rei-kan myself..." Maya is cheerfully oblivious.
Kurama catches the eraser in midair. Maya makes a small noise of surprise.
"An eraser?" Kurama muses.
"Wha -- " Tasaka begins.
"Cool," his female friend remarks.
Later, Kurama is walking home, musing. "An arrow-tracer... I'd thought it impossible, but, however, recently surely a miasma has been thickening in the town... !"
Slime shlurps out from a crack in the building he's walking by and forms into a youkai's head.
"Kurama..." it snarls. "Kurama, we'll kill you; we'll make this town our jurisdiction!"
"Vomit-spirit," Kurama remarks. (How utterly disgusting -- ed.) "Have you forgotten that before, half-dead, you said you wouldn't come near this town?"
"I'll *kill* you," the youkai repeats. "I don't need to be ordered about by the likes of you; I have a *strong* ally."
Kurama throws something. The youkai vanishes. He thinks for a while. :Lower-class youkai are showing up, seeking revenge on behalf of past enmities. They must have a very strong ally. I hope I don't have to use my youki... but if this one wants to hurt people and claim this town as his territory, I'll have to fight. Not as a human, but as a youkai...:
"What was that?" Maya asks -- she's come up behind him. "Surely not... a spook?"
Kurama's eyes widen.
"I saw it so clearly it's shocking," she confides. "It was the first time I'd ever seen such a thing!"
:She saw it?!: Kurama thinks. :I think she does have rei-kan; my close presence must have caused it to waken and grow stronger!:
"Haven't you had a misperception?" he asks out loud.
"If you're trying to deceive me, it's no good; I clearly saw it! I think you did too; Minamino-kun, a psychic?! You ought to tell someone. I was really impressed. From the time I first saw you, I knew something was off; liking the occult or whatever for a long time, I was searching for a person who was waiting with that kind of power! And it's the person who’s my first love!" Her eyes sparkle. "How dramatic!"
Kurama looks startled. Maya blushes.
"So," she says on their way home, "you really *weren't* aware of it?"
"Mou, we're not going to your house."
"But you still haven't told me the truth. It's all right to tell me clearly. My mental preparations... because I've been able to..."
:I can't say it,: Kurama
thinks. "I'm sorry..." :If I tell her about the way I really feel, she'll
become involved in danger.:
(Personally, I think he's attracted but not in love, although it's
compounded by a genuine liking for her -- ed.)
Maya looks really sad. 'I understand," she says. "I'll go home..."
Kurama starts and grabs her shoulder as she turns to leave, sensing something. "Keep close!" (Lit. "don't distance [yourself]!" -- ed.)
Then he grabs Maya and jumps away as somebody's bag is sliced in half.
"Well exchanged," a very angry HIEI comments, sword ready. Kurama is asking Maya if she's all right.
"Minamino-kun, are *you* all right? I'm pretty heavy."
"That's not an issue right now!"
Kurama puts her down, pulls a seed out of his sleeved, and grows it into a sword made of a grass blade. He and Hiei have at each other, Hiei saying "A plant weaponbearer?" and Kurama yelling "Run away!"
Maya just sits there, going "A... a... a..."
:I'd better get out of here quickly!: Kurama thinks, and takes the fight to another place.:
"This has got to be a dream..." a wide-eyed Maya manages to force out. Someone's come up behind her.
It's a possessed human. The vomit-spirit on his shoulder laughs, "Lucky!" as he knocks Maya out. "I don't think I'll hunt Kurama with this catch. She'll make Yatsude-sama a good souvenir." (Yatsude = Eight Hands -- ed.)
Meanwhile, Kurama and Hiei are fighting. "You've got good arms!" Hiei observes. "Why's a skilled guy like you working for Yatsude?"
"Huh? What? Yatsude?" Kurama looks startled and angry. "Are you saying *he's* here?"
"?!" Hiei slumps. "You mean you're not working for Yatsude?"
"I see you understand. Put your sword away. I'm this town's former occupant." (I think it's supposed to mean "I'm the incumbent possessor of this territory.")
"Ke... Beckoning story. I seem to have been overhasty rather than thinking." (I presume that "beckoning" means that he's inclined to believe it -- ed.)
Drip, drip.
:Blood!?: Kurama's eyes widen.
And, with a choked throat noise, Hiei collapses.
:Youkai Yatsude... I can't beat him with the power I have now... It's turned into a rather complicated situation...:
At the abandoned warehouse, the vomit-spirit presents Maya to YATSUDE (who actually does have eight hands; two on the ends of his legs in place of feet, four arms sprouting from his shoulders, and another two from the sides of his head where ears might be expected). He is wearing a kilt and a belt of human skulls and looks like one of the ugliest things you'd never want to meet on a dark night.
The youkai I've just described expresses approval, then says: "However, I'm hungry. As a reward, I'll make you a part of me."
"No! Wait -- " the vomit-spirit calls, but in vain. There is a spray of blood, then a shot of Yatsude licking his fingers and saying, "Yuck. Whether youkai or human, for food a woman is best."
That evening, Hiei wakes up. He's in Kurama's bed. Kurama, sitting across the room under the window, tells him, "I took you home and patched you up. You've been out for four hours."
:My wounds have closed up,: Hiei notices.
"Your wounds were pretty deep, so I healed them without asking. Healing herbs from the Makai are really effective."
Kurama pauses for a second, then continues. "When you were fainting, something passed your lips. Who's this "Yukina" you mentioned? A friend?"
Hiei glares.
"You weren't born with that Jagan," the redhead goes on. "Your youki must really have fallen off when you got it. To use a Jagan, you must have been terribly determined; you must have had some reason. Is there any connection between that girl and Yatsude?"
"You're good at nattering and gabbling," is Hiei's only answer. "If you weren't helping me I'd be killing you now. Instead of a reward, let me give you some advice: your naivete's going to get you killed someday."
"Fighting ki again?" Kurama observes. "It'd be good if you wait a little."
"That bastard gets stronger the more he eats," Hiei tells him. "Those who are cowards, let them be in bed!" (English doesn't like 3rd-person imperatives -- ed.)
"At least tell me your name," Kurama says.
"Hiei."
And DOOOHN, Hiei's gone.
"Hiei... a well-known Makai bandit!" Kurama gasps. "But will his swordwork be worth much against Yatsude?"
The telephone rings. "Hello, this is Minamino."
/"This is Tasaka from class. I'm calling because Kitajima still hasn't come home. She's not over at your place, is she?"/
Kurama is shocked.
A little later...
"Let me come along!" Kurama calls, bounding over the rooftops after Hiei.
"Cowards are said to be full of hot air," Hiei calls back.
"My reason's changed."
"That girl... you really are a naive guy." (I'm not quite sure whether Hiei's saying that *Maya* or *Kurama's* naive/sweet here, so I went with a gut feeling ^_^ -- ed.)
"We've both got troubles."
"Your tongue hasn't slacked off. You're not saving it for your ki."
"Decide that after we beat Yatsude."
They reach the empty building and look around inside.
"Was it a factory?" one of them asks. (So that's what it is! -- ed.)
"Someone of bad breeding," Hiei (I think) comments as they note the carpet of body parts. "Mixing your dolls in with the things you're saving to eat."
:Kitajima...!!: Kurama looks angry.
Then Yatsude is suddenly behind them. "You'll join them!" he snarls as they momentarily frark.
Then they hastily dive out of the way of his blow, in opposite directions.
"You bastards are both stubborn," Yatsude notes.
"I'll ask you once more." Hiei's face is stern. "What was the name of the koorime you ate?"
"Now why should I tell you something like that?" Yatsude chuckles evilly.
"You grabbed a girl today." Kurama faces him angrily. "Where is she?!!"
"Oh? She's a friend? I'll give you a hint... now what could this be?"
He lifts (with one of the hands attached to his head) a small, severed, human foot.
"*SON OF A BITCH*!!!" Kurama yells, attacking him with the grass blade. Behind him, Hiei also leaps to attack.
Yatsude easily parries their attacks with his many claws. "And however many scum may come, the same will happen to them!"
:If we attack separately, it's no good!: Kurama and Hiei think in unison.
"An impudent impromptu double-play!?" the giant youkai says as they both attack at once. "Starting with Tsukeyaki Blade?" (I can't figure out how to translate "tsukeyaki" -- ed.)
The two small youths pass each other and go faster.
"M? they disappeared! Are they behind me?: Yatsude thinks. :I'll see...:
"Single Jump! HAA!" Kurama yells.
"Heh, heh, heh. You're new at this! It's slight!" Yatsude yells in response to Kurama's wounding him. "I've seen through... ALL YOUR STUPID PLAN!" He socks Hiei smack in the face.
Or what appeared to be Hiei. It cracks and falls apart, like pottery.
"A *doll*!?" Yatsude gasps. "It was a decoy?!! Da -- "
At that point, Hiei and Kurama
leap in and bisect his neck and
waist.
"I'll..." Yatsude manages (dratted youkai, they're worse than cockroaches). "I'll tell you, as a reward... the girl's fine. And I didn't really eat a koorime... if I'd eaten one of those high-quality youkai, I'd not have lost to you two... " He FINALLY dies. (Worse than the ego in "Tell Laura I Love Her." Well, maybe not.)
:Mistaken with him too..: Hiei thinks.
Some time later, Kurama is carrying Maya home on his back, Hiei walking beside them.
"Huh? Minamino-kun? What..." Maya says groggily. "Oh, I get it. 'S a dream."
"Right, it's a dream," Kurama agrees. :When you wake, you'll forget everything.:
"Nice smell..." Maya murmurs into his neck as she drifts off again.
:And what you felt about me... all...: Kurama looks at her over his shoulder a little tiredly... a little sadly...
(He looks so like my Aunt Tina's son in this picture it's frightening -- ed.) ^_^
"That's mugen-flower pollen," Hiei comments. "You're erasing memories?"
"It's for her sake," Kurama replies mildly.
"You haven't told me your name," Hiei points out. "I'll remember that."
"It's Kurama."
The three walk on in the amber glow of the city at night.
Afterword: Not having confessed her feelings, Maya and Kurama's attachment was aborted. Hiei continued his journey to search for Yukina. The two, Kurama and Hiei, joining with Gouki, had the fight with Yuusuke one year later.
(That "one" *has* to be a typo or a mistake for "four" or "five." Given their body proportions as drawn here, unless he were a girl (and a late bloomer at that) Kurama would scarcely have shot up that much in one year -- he and Hiei are almost the same height in this. And given that a) Maya's about Hiei's height (or even shorter) and their classmates are of similar size, and b) in middle and high school the girls towered over the guys in general, right up until 16-through-20 when the men suddenly turned into ragweeds, I'd say they're probably about ten or eleven. -- ed.)