He never saw his invisible "bride", though. There were times when he caught occasional glimpses of what seemed like a figure in black, too quick to be seen more closely, or a sound that was like the fluttering of wings. He instinctively knew that he was never alone at night, though morning would come and find himself alone in bed. He didn't know how he knew, but he did.

Many times Kurama would talk out loud to himself, hoping to coax a word out of his silent host. He was never successful, but somehow, he knew he was being heard, and that was enough. For now. He was even beginning to like his "fire demon", as the oracle had described him, even though he had never seen his face.

Several more days passed. Kurama soon realized the inevitable: he was missing his father and brothers more and more as each day passed. He missed listening to his father's humorous stories, and he even missed his occasional fights with Yuusuke and Kuwabara. Finally one night, while lying awake in bed, he called out tentatively, "Are you listening?"

Silence.

"Would you mind if my brothers could come and visit me sometimes?"

Silence.

"Thanks." Kurama said wryly.

Sometime later, while being unconsciously bear-hugged by a sleeping Kurama, Hiei brooded on his bethrothed's request.

The next morning, Kurama woke up to the sounds of shouts and heavy thuds. Upon rushing outside, he found his brothers sprawled in an unceremonious position outside the castle.

"What the hell is going on?" Yuusuke exploded, as he and Kuwabara scrambled to their feet. They both froze at the sight of Kurama.

Kurama stood there and smiled.

"Kurama?" Kuwabara gasped. "We thought you were dead!"

"I'm not." Kurama said, grinning widely. "Come on in. Believe it or not, I've missed you guys!"

So, following their youngest brother, Yuusuke and Kuwabara entered the castle. They gaped at the beautifully furnished rooms they passed by. They stared at the rich garbs that Kurama wore. And finally, they gawked at the huge banquet that was spread out before them in the huge dining room. With every new wonder they saw, and at the sight of Kurama, looking even more handsome than before (if such a thing was still possible), they grew more and more jealous of him and his sudden good fortune. True, they were each married to rich queens, but then they did not have anything as beautiful as the many treasures they now see before them. Kurama's grand palace made their own kingdoms seem like doghouses in comparison. And so, with their huge appetites they began eating and drinking, their envy growing with every bite.

"Hey, where is your wife, anyway?", Kuwabara asked, his mouth full of food. "Why ain't she here? Didn't she want us to come?"

"Oh, she did." Kurama assured him. "Uh, she was responsible for bringing you here. She just went out for awhile to......shop."

Yuusuke belched. "Bring? Knocked out and dumped on the ground is a better description." He paused in the act of reaching for the roast beef. "Y'know, how'd she do that, anyway? No girl could've carried the both of us. At the same time, no less. We never even saw her coming!"

Kurama shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"When's she coming back, anyway?" Yuusuke continued.

"At night." Kurama said uneasily.

"Okay, so that means we'll meet her tonight at dinner." Kuwabara said, tearing through a thick loaf of bread.

"Well......." Kurama hesitated.

"Is there something you're not telling us, Kurama?" Yuusuke asked sternly.

Kuwabara snorted. "If your wife's too high and mighty to meet her brother-in-laws, then I guess we're not wanted here."

"It's not like that." Kurama protested. "You don't understand."

"No, we don't."

Poor Kurama was unable to bear his brothers' barbed taunts, and because he truly cares for them, told them everything. They were so suprised and fascinated by his story that they even forgot to eat, which was unusual for them.

"You'll have to find out who he is, of course." Yuusuke said matter-of-factly, when Kurama had finished.

Kurama stared at him. "But-"

Kuwabara interrupted. "He probably doesn't want us to see him because he really is a horrible monster, just like what the oracle said." he announced.

"That's not true!",Kurama cried out, "He's good and he's kind. He's not a monster!"

Yuusuke patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry.", he said with false comfort. "We'll help you find out who he is."

"We could hide out and wait for him to come back." Kuwabara said, the wheels in his head beginning to turn.

"Or we could set up some elaborate traps around the castle." Yuusuke added.

Soon, the ideas being tossed back and forth were now becoming sillier and sillier with each passing second. It might, dear reader, had something to do with the several bottles of sake that Kurama had brought out and that Yuusuke and Kuwabara had consumed.

"Hang flour sacks on the ceilings with holes on them!"

"Buy a bear trap!"

"Spy on him while he's in the shower!"

Yuusuke and Kurama looked at Kuwabara.

Kuwabara hiccuped. "Hey, it was only a suggestion."

"He isn't a monster, oneesan," Kurama repeated. "I know it!"

"Really?" Yuusuke said scornfully, wavering slightly."How do you know that he doesn't eat his fiancees for breakfast? Or maybe he has fiancees in each of his castles all over Makai. You're probably just one of his many wiv....aheh, husbands."

"He is?" Kuwabara asked, letting out another hiccup.

Calm, even-tempered Kurama finally lost his cool.

It wasn't suprising, even for him. The possibility that he wasn't his bethrothed's only fiance can make anyone blow his top.

"That's enough!" Kurama snapped. Yuusuke and Kuwabara looked startled. "I don't want to listen to you two sit here and insult my fiance! Get out and don't ever come back!"

As if on cue, the windows in the dining room suddenly burst open, and a huge gust of wind swept in and carried Kurama's brothers out of the castle and into their respective homes. As soon as they were safely on the ground, they immediately made a beeline for the nearest bathrooms, hands over their mouths, and their faces a putrid shade of green.

Let that be a lesson. Never drink too much sake, especially while annoying someone you have no position to annoy.

For the remainder of the afternoon, Kurama roamed the castle, his anger at his brothers soon being replaced by fear. And jealousy.

And so Kurama thought, and his jealousy grew. He didn't want to be one of many fiances. He wanted to be the only one!

By the time evening had come, Kurama finally reached a decision: he must find out who his fiance is, and what he looks like. It would be the only way to calm his fears. Besides, what harm can one look do?

That night, Kurama lay in bed, pretending to be asleep. His mind was full of unanswered questions. With mixed feelings of anticipation, dread and nervousness, he waited.

Then he heard him. A figure had come in through the bedroom window. Slowly, Kurama half-opened one of his eyes.

It was too dark to see, but his fiance seemed to be.......short?

For a long moment, the figure just stood there at the side of the bed, staring at Kurama. Then finally, he too crawled into the bed. To Kurama's suprise, the visitor snuggled up against his chest, as if used to lying there. He was unbelievably warm and soft, his breath hot against his skin.

It was Kurama's turn to be VERY uncomfortable.

Once Kurama was certain he was asleep, he reluctantly wiggled out of his grasp and got out of bed. With his back towards the bed's sleeping occupant, he lit a candle. Then with shaking fingers, he turned, unsure of what he will find.

If he really was engaged to a horrible monster, as the oracle had said, Kurama decided then and there that he was engaged to the sexiest and most adorable monster he had ever laid eyes on.

Hiei laid on the pillows sleeping, a contented expression on his normally impassive face. he was lying on his back and on his wings, facing Kurama and giving him a very good view of his face and body. The glow of the candle highlighted his face, making him almost serenelike.

He was wearing black pants and no shirt. Obviously, Hiei works out very often. His Jagan opened, regarding Kurama in its purple gaze.

Kurama didn't care. The fact that he was married to a gorgeous youkai sent him into ecstasy. With gentle care and reverence, as if he was touching an angel, he bent down and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

Candlewax, is very painful, once dripped onto the skin. It burns, and of course, is not what anybody would like to experience. Because of circumstances beyond her control, (and because this is a must in this story's plot), the author would like to apologize for what happened next.

Candlewax dripped into Hiei's Jagan.

With a roar of suprise and pain, Hiei jerked awake, took one look at the situation and realized what Kurama had done. Small trickles of blood fell from his Jagan and rolled down his cheeks.

Kurama was anguished. "Gods, I-I'm......."

Hiei glared at him, then turned and flew out the window.

Kurama collapsed onto the floor, sobbing brokenly.

Suffice to say, Mukuro was not pleased with Hiei.

"I tell you to get rid of him, and you marry him instead!",Mukuro screeched. "When I said I was planning to marry him to an ugly demon, I wasn't referring to you!"

Suffice to say, Hiei was in a bad mood.

"If you won't let me have him,"he snapped, tending his wound, "then I won't be shooting any more of this crap. I'm not doing your dirty work." Hiei dropped the bow and arrows at her feet.

"Fool." Mukuro shot back. "He wounded you, and you still want him back?"

Hiei didn't answer.

"Fine." Mukuro strode away, bow and arrow in hand. "Perhaps I can make your precious youko fall in love with one of my trolls. Or my cook, who just celebrated his ten thousandth birthday. Or maybe the donkey. Yes, maybe the donkey......"

There was one thing that Mukuro didn't know, of course. It was only Cupid who knew how to control this special kind of arrows. Even the world's best archer couldn't shoot straight using them. But Mukuro was desperate. Without Hiei, there would be no one to worship the goddess of Love.

Pretty soon, there were arrows all over the land, going haywire, flying this way and that. It was a total chaos . Half of the population chased everybody. The other half locked themselves in their homes, afraid to come out. It was said that this was the reason that up to this day, people are still being chased by unwanted suitors and people who don't take no for an answer.

High atop Mt. Reikai, the God of All Things, Koenma, was flabbergasted.

"What's going on down there?"he roared, watching the Ningenkai from his lofty perch. A pig-tailed girl ran past, chased by a guy spouting off bad poetry. Two girls, one purple-haired, the other amber-eyed and flying, were happily chasing a boy, calling out "Tenchi!" every five seconds. A green-haired girl in nothing but a striped bikini was floating after a brown haired guy. Everyone was chasing after everyone else.

"What the hell is Mukuro doing?"Koenma yelled, sucking madly on his pacifier.

Meanwhile, tired, hungry and sore, Kurama staggered into Mukuro's camp. Ever since Hiei had left, he had been traveling in search for him, not even stopping to eat or drink. Mukuro met him and gave him her most haughty glare.

"So, you want to come and see my son? After all you've put him through?"

"I'll do whatever you ask, Mukuro." Kurama said humbly. " Just let me see him again."

"Whatever I want?" Mukuro asked thoughtfully. "Oh, there's nothing you can do thatI can do better. But still, maybe some of my men won't mind having a personal servant."

And so Kurama became the official goffer for Mukuro's henchmen. Fortunately, her men are way nicer than she is, and so most of their requests weren't too hard to get. Besides, they were friendly and often shared their food rations with him.

"Kurama, go get me sum beer t' drink." Chuu hollered.

"Hey Kurama, can y'all go 'n' get us some available gals?" Jinn teased.

"My hair's a mess! Kurama, get me a mirror." said another, who insisted on being called Gorgeous Suzuki.

"What kind of orders are those?!" Mukuro yelled, when she discovered that her men actually liked (gasp!)Kurama, "Kurama, go to the Makai temple in the mountains and steal the box of Beauty for me. I wish to use it." This box of Beauty was known to enhance one's looks, and can make anyone beautiful.

And so Kurama went. After killing the youkai that were guarding the temple (or at least, removing some vital organs), Kurama easily stole the box and headed back to the camp. Along the way, though, he couldn't help but open the box in his curiosity. He knew he was worn and tired, and perhaps some of the beauty in the box can help him, in case he happened to meet Hiei along the way.

Kurama opened the box, but to his suprise, there was nothing in there. Instead, a sweet odor rose out of it, invading his nostrils. Inhaling the fragrant scent, Kurama was overcome by a rush of sleepiness. In slow motion, he sank to the floor, lost in la-la-land.

In place of Beauty, it was Sleep that was inside the box. Mukuro had planned it out carefully.

Unfortunately for her, Hiei had by then recovered and had gone out searching for him. Quickly closing the box and shaking Kurama awake, he carried the still half-asleep redhead back to the camp with suprising strength.

He was met by Koenma. "Good, you're here. Come on, you'll be late for your own wedding."

That woke Kurama up. "Wedding?" he and Hiei echoed incredulously.

"Of course. You two hadn't been properly wed, had you?" Koenma handed Kurama a cup with a foul-smelling liquid, which was hard to do, since Kurama was still being carried by Hiei. "This is ambrosia. Drink this now, so you can be a god, too."

"Why?" Kurama asked.

"That way, Mukuro won't be able to object not having a god for a dau.....er, son-in-law." Koenma explained. " And since I approve, there won't be anything she can say about it. Now get a move on. Which one of you will be throwing the wedding bouquet?"

And so, Kurama and Hiei were married, and finally consummated their marriage (which took a good five or six hours, at least)on their wedding night.

And they all lived happily ever after, except for Mukuro, who had to pay tons of reparations and fines for her previous shooting spree, and whose men defected to join Hiei and Kurama's army.