"At least now you know he's not dead."

"He's hurt and sick because of me! I can't go to my daddy now. How can I tell him his boyfriend is ill like that? He's gonna kill me, fix me, skin me, gut me..."

"Well, imagine if you had buried him as you wanted to. "

"But I thought he was dead! I could not leave his little body there to rot!"

"You almost buried the poor youkai alive! Kinno, you gotta try to think it over once in a while..."

"I was terrified! And what am I gonna do now? If he doesn't wake up till morning I'm fucked! Daddy is gonna come after him, he's gonna find me, and blame me, and then he's gonna kill me!"

Hiei twitched involuntarily as the voices brought him back from sleep. He opened his eyes, staring at a thatched ceiling which seemed to move under the flickering light and shadow caused by the candlelit illumination. The walls seemed to be made of earth, clay and rocks pressed together. It was a strange shack, somewhere...

He breathed very deeply then.

"He's awake!"

Hiei sat up, staring,  a bit confused at the smiling golden youko who sat by his bedside. Then, before he had time to react, his small body was swallowed up in a wide squeeze, as Kinno hugged him, fervently.

"Ji-chan! You're awake! I thought you were dead!"

Hiei shuddered within the warm, tight embrace, very uncomfortable under the touch of the strange youko.

"Don't call me that!"

"But Ji-chan, you're my tou-chan's sweetheart, so you're my Ji-chan!"

"My name is Hiei!"

"Yes, Hiei Ji-chan!"

"No!"

Hiei tried to pull himself from the tender, avid clinch, but he was wrapped in Kinno's embrace completely, all enveloped by his arms, hands and flowing locks of  fair lavender-scented hair. There was something strange, something weird in that touch, a kind of sensation he could not yet define and...

Then Hiei looked down, watching his own small, pale body held against Kinno's chest... He was naked!

"Shimatta! I'm in the buff! Are you mad? Where are my clothes? I want my clothes back!" Hiei yelled, loud and angry, almost loosing  his temper, using all his energy to withdraw from Kinno's arms and cover his own bare groin with his cupped hands, blushing intensely.

"If Kurama sees us like this we're in big shit, don't you realize?"

Then, Hiei's attention was caught by a tall, elegant silhouette standing up by his left side, with long hair and a long fluffy tail which seemed a bit silvery under the dim candle light.

He could not swallow, nor breathe, nor move for a long, torturing moment...  Kurama? Catching him red-handed in the embrace of another youko? In dread, his youkai heart seemed to fail him, as he imagined what his silvery partner would do to them both...

"Foxie, I can explain that, you see, this kid is a nut case and...." He muttered, fighting himself free at last from Kinno's arms.

The figure on his left side moved, bowing before him in a kind compliment.

It was a  strange youko, with grey fur and a long black stripe marking his tail and his straight, knee-lenght hair, tufts of black fur on the tip of his long ears and very clear blue eyes.

"I'm Hikaru Youko, Kinno's friend. He brought you to my Tavern; this is "Ye Foxe's Den", just outside Youko Territory borders." Then the  youko handed Hiei his black clothes back, arranged in a neatly-folded pile. "Pleased to meet you, Hiei-san."

Hiei nodded, after a deep, long sigh of relief. Hopefully Kurama remained at the Convention...

"We had to undress you to check if you were injured. Kinno said you had a bandaged arm. When I saw you were not hurt and had a dragon tattoo I realized it must be some kind of binding magic. I hope it's unfolded right."

Hiei blinked, vexed, grabbing his clothes in a despaired hurry, placing the pile conveniently on his lap to conceal his bareness. Well, at least that other youko seemed to be a bit clever, very different from Kinno. The Fire Youkai  took one distracted look at his folded arm then, and writhed in terror...

"We didn't have enough bandages, so I had to borrow some of Kinno's ribbons. I hope you don't mind."

Hiei could not believe his eyes. Yes, his arm was tidily wrapped in clean bandages, but also in silk ribbons; blue, red, purple and pink! What was that? A nightmare? At least the kid had collected all his clothes, even his cloak. He needed it to conceal such madness...He had to conceal it even from Kurama; the crazy youko could have weird ideas about how fashionable those colored bandages were.

He stared at the two smiling young youko in disbelief -  A pair of demented, unbalanced, unsound youko, and he was right there with them...

He mumbled a low, unclear curse, giving his back to them to dress up his small black trousers, trunk top and then, finally, with a relieved sigh, the cloak. The only immediate way to put an end to that psychotically colorful swathing on his right arm. He should try to find decent plain cotton bandages as soon as possible.

They heard a loud crashing noise coming from the outside.

"I gotta leave you alone, now; It's my customers. Running a tavern is not easy.  I'm tired of drunken braggers!" The striped Youko exclaimed, heading to the door. and announcing with an angry voice to the ones outside: "You gotta behave or I'll bring the house down, you idiots!"

Kinno chuckled, as his eyes followed his friend out of the room.

"He really does it! Hikaru is different from me; he's powerful! When someone bothers him much he just crumbles the walls and ceiling on thir heads! It's a fun thing to see!"

Kinno turned his beautiful, smiling  face to Hiei, who had just finished dressing his cloak.

"Thanks for saving me, Ji-chan! That wicked youko was going to eat me!"

"I told you, my name is Hiei!

"I'm glad you're well again, Hiei Ji-chan. Please, don't tell Kurama tou-chan you had to fight to defend me; He already detests me enough..."

Hiei shook his head, slowly, giving up - Ji-chan? Tou-chan? Oh, Hell...

"Daddy sent you after me?"

Hiei faced the young youko in silence. For a long instant he just marvelled at the kid's beauty, and the undeniable resemblance he had with his loving Silver Youko. He had  determined  he would not let Kurama turn his back on one of his own blood because of  stupid pride. He could not explain it, but he already felt unexpectedly fond of that pretty, silly youko kit. And his feelings came up after listening to Kurama's ridiculous rendering of the reasons Youko despised one of his own race so much. Perhaps the fact Kinno was a kind of outcast was the spark which kindled within him that sudden care and affection for the kid.

Kinno might even actually be Kurama's son as he claimed.

"Kurama has nothing to do with it. I'm here because I want to listen to your story, from the very beginning."

The kid's smile faded, his bright eyes clouded by a haze of distressed sorrow. He gazed at Hiei, and his face showed of his pain and genuine hopelessness.

"Daddy doesn't like me... He doesn't want me around..." He sniveled then, while his hands reached out for Hiei's hands, holding them tight.

Hiei, on his side, didn't withdraw from Kinno's touch. He just stared at the golden youngster, surprised at how emotive he was. Poor wretched thing...

"Don't cry. Kurama doesn't care about you, but things may change."

"Are you gonna help me, Ji-chan? Please?"

Hiei, pulled himself from Kinno, leaning  his back against the earthen wall, his hands slipping out of Kinno's grasp.

"I can try to help you." He added, a slight smile curving the corner of his lips. But it seemed enough to bring Kinno a bright confidence again.

Hiei watched the kid, listening without any interruption to the brief story he told him.

It was interesting to Hiei to see that easygoing smile always floating on Kinno's lips; a smile which did not relent, not even while his harsh, painful memories were evoked.
 
 

The relationship between Kurama and this female Youko, beautiful but not very powerful, named Taki, seemed to have been no more than a drunken one night stand. Kurama had courted her love favours with his fame, and good-looks,  plus a bunch of beautiful words and jewels. Something much to his style, Hiei would add. And no one in his or her sane mind would resist...

Their affair was brief. Overnight Kurama decided to leave and not to come back again, seeking adventure in further regions of the Makai. The Silver Youko was not fond of steady relationships then... Therefore, Kurama never knew Kinno existed.

Some time after, the rumour that Kurama had been shot to death by a Spiritual Hunter was spread in the Makai.

Kinno was just a small fox when his mother told him why he would never meet his father. He cried, sobbed and mourned the loss of the father he didn't even know yet for days.

Just when he seemed to be a bit recovered from such loss, he was stricken again, when a group of youkai chased them, and killed his mother to capture her pretty, golden youko kit.
 
He could not evoke his memories from this time with details. It was painful and indistinct, and he just knew what had happened to him when a harsh, greedy hand grabbed him and pulled him out of the small den under a pile of rocks and dead tree trunks where he had hidden himself. He kicked and tried to bite, yet being very small, but when he saw his mother's dead body, pierced by swords and spears and abandoned on the rocky forest ground, he lost all energy, all will to fight.

Kinno was stuck into a small cage and taken away.

The chase had been planned; they had killed his mother to capture him. A golden youko kit was too valuable for the evil youkai who had caught him. He was kept hidden, locked in an underground cell, allowed very strict walks out in the sun once in a while. He had food, a place to sleep, and no one did him any kind of harm. But he was alone, locked up.

Those were the years in which he should have learned to hunt for himself. Those were also the days in which a youko's magical power was established and started to develop. He should have grown to be a powerful youko, being Kurama's son as he claimed, but he had developed no powers at all. Imprisioned, alone, with no one of his own race to teach him anything, he soon grew weak and defenseless, unable even to hunt to provide for himself.

He was in his captor's hands. He soon grew to be a beautiful, pre-adolescent golden youko, weak and harmless.

Then, when he was ten, he was taken from his imprisonment. He recalled being bathed, perfumed, and he had servants disentangling and brushing his long golden hair. Then he was taken, naked, to a large, beautifully lit wide room, in which several youkai, merchants or small leaders of the Makai, had gathered.

It was an auction. And he was the object to be sold to the highest bidder.

He didn't understand much of that, but he knew his price had been very high. He was announced as Son of Youko Kurama, the most powerful youko of the Makai. Said to be an obedient, powerless virgin golden youko, the rarest breed of  youko kind one could ever find. Beautiful, kind, eager to please his new master in each and every way.

They had offered jewels, treasures, castles and small kingdoms for him. At that time, Kinno even thought it was fun to be disputed in such way. He felt flattered by it, he could not deny... He had been sold for the price of a whole small kingdom south of the Makai, 1500 slaves, and a magic mirror able to reflect not only images, but also the bearer's future.

He was taken away once more. But before that, his buyer insisted on taking him to more private quarters. It was then Kinno knew the price he had to pay for his beauty and attractiveness.

However, it was not bad. He lived with his Master for some time, offering him, exclusively, his favors. He had a good life there, and had his own servants, beautiful clothes, and his own jewels, and all he needed to do was to welcome his master every time he was called for.

He could live like that endlessly. It was much more secure than being forced to live outside, on his own. Moreover, this first Master of his was kind, and his appearance was not disgusting. Kinno had fun and pleasure while living with him.

But after a couple of peaceful years, a war broke out among three neighboring small domains, all of them under Laizen's rule. He was given the chance to sneak away, when his master's castle was invaded. He was freed, while his generous master was being impaled in front of the Castle Gates. Free at last,  Kinno had even collected himself a small treasure which would help him escape, but his attempt didn't last long.

Soon he was captured again, and taken as part of  the spoils of war by one of the enemy army's generals. During this time in his life he passed from one master to the other. His possession was used as ranson, as a means to solve gambling debts, and even as valuable currency. He started to be forced to sell himself, by greedy masters, who used his appeal not only for their own pleasure, but for profit. It seemed his beauty and his youko aspect drove all kinds of youkai insane with desire. They'd pay high amounts to lie with him, enriching his protectors. More than one youkai became wealthy at his expenses.

However, nothing was given to Kinno - He had been no more than a kind of sexual slave. However, with naivete, he didn't mind his own condition much. For him, seducting others and selling his own body had even became a bearable routine.

He changed masters often; he'd run away whenever he had the chance, and defenseless, ended up caught again, forced to perform the same sexual tasks. Makai was a land where the ones with the strongest you-ki ruled. Kinno was so weak he could hardly defend himself, always bound to bow to whoever wished to protect and care for him. A beautiful weakling like him had no chance to survive but to count on the favors of others. Kinno took all this for granted.

All he actually mourned was not being ever able to meet his father...

That was why he insisted in trying to find his father when he heard the rumour Youko Kurama had not died, but just incarnated in the Ningen form. He remembered he was in total awe when he was told this...

One day he took the chance he had with one drunk, sleepy customer, and ran away from his master's house to try to sneak into Ningenkai. He was very determined to venture into the unknown world at every cost to look for his father, but he could not find a way out of the Makai.

It was during this small escapade that he had met his only friend; Hikaru. The striped youko had helped to hide him from his former master for a while. But soon Kinno had been re-captured, by a new master, and was kept hidden in  a common brothel, working under his rule for a while.

Kinno had been informed Kurama was back to the Makai, to be part of King Yomi's fighting team. He had not the opportunity to flee from his owner in time for the Makai Tournament. Much to his dismay, Kinno missed his father then, but he had not lost his hopes, even with the distressful news some of his customers brought him. News that his father had renounced his youko aspect  and would quit Makai to live the rest of his existence as a Ningen, out of his reach for evermore.

Time passed, till the day Hikaru managed to locate him. His youko friend visited him, pretending to be one of his customers, with wonderful news. His father, Youko Kurama, was living in the Makai again, and had reassumed his youko aspect. The Youko Convention time had come, and he could surely meet Kurama there.

The golden youko's beautiful head was filled with dreams and admiration for his father once again, as it was when he was a little kit. The hopes of meeting Kurama, which he had treasured during his youth grew once more in his mind.

He had done all he could to escape his new, cruel master and come to the Convention.

It had been difficult; his present master was very watchful of him. But with Hikaru's help, he managed to flee his captor.

Since then he had managed to avoid any persecutors and reach the Convention; he had managed to meet his father, but...

But Kurama didn't even listen to him...
 
 

It was the only moment when that agreeable, sensitive smile left Kinno's lips. The golden youko turned his head down, his eyes stared at his pale, shivering hands, crossed on his lap.

"I just wanted daddy to like me a little bit. I'd understand if he didn't want me around, but he could at least talk to me..."

Hiei came closer to Kinno, and was not ashamed to pat his golden head, very delicately. He observed his injuries, the bruises around his neck, and imagined exactly how hard his life might have been. And yet the kid carried hope and a caring feeling in his heart. It was so different from all the bitterness and anger which anyone would expect from an orphaned, enslaved youngster, forced by his masters to prostitute himself.

He was yet innocent and full of confidence, otherwise, how could he have told him so much, still bearing a beautiful, faithful smile?

"Are you hurt much, kid?"

Kinno's golden eyes seemed to smile again, sparkling with joy.

"No, Ji-chan, I'm fine now. You saved me...."

"Hn... That's a very risky profession you have; you should quit this job."

"I can't, Ji-chan. But I'm used to it. It happens all the time..."

Hiei's red eyes widened under the astonishing confession. He was used to it? Used to be treated like shit? Used to be beaten and raped? He felt a lump on his throat, and his hand caressed  Kinno's head more tenderly yet. Hiei knew by his own experience how hard it was for a lonely kid to grow in the Makai. The strongest ruled, the weaker ones were meant to suffer in silence

"Not anymore." Hiei declared, dryly.

"Ji-chan?"

Their eyes met. And Hiei smiled. He offered the golden youko one of his rare full smiles, his hands coming down to cup Kinno's cheeks, with a sense of affection which he had never offered anyone but his dear youko lover.

He had made up his mind. He had to do something to help Kinno. He didn't give a damn about what Kurama might think about it all. K'so! Soon that defenseless kid would be in trouble again, and maybe then there would be no one to save him... He could not leave Kinno unprotected in the Makai. Hiei didn't want the death of that silly youko to weigh on his conscience. Kurama might take that well - He had always possessed a heart of ice, that damned youko...

"Kid, I'm taking you with me. You'll come to live with me and Kurama."

Kinno stared at Hiei, open mouthed, too surprised to say anything. Only his tear-glistened eyes showed of the intense happiness he experienced.

"J-ji-chan... Daddy K-Kurama, what a-about him?" Kinno asked, in a fearful stutter.

"Your daddy is just a stupid youko. I run things back home. You're coming with us, it's my final decision."

Kinno gave Hiei another embrace, long, warm and this time Hiei's arms closed fondly around Kinno, with no hesitation.

"Ji-chan, I can't thank you enough."

"Well, it's the least I can do. But I can't guarantee Kurama is going to welcome you, so be prepared. That stupid Youko can be very nasty and cruel sometimes."

Kinno nodded, enthusiastically.

"And I'm gonna teach you some self-defense. Then soon you will be able to defend yourself."

"Thank you, Ji-chan, thank you for helping a poor youko like me..."

Kinno was going to hug Hiei once more, very tightly, when the small youkai interrupted him, with a mischievous look in his red eyes. Kurama would make a scandal about his decision, but what the hell... He could not abandon an orphaned silly youko, weak like a Ningen, alone in the Makai, could he? And about Kinno's profession, as far as he was concerned, it was better to take him out of that kind of life than to vilify and condemn him.

He smiled, watching Kinno's beautiful eyes, so very similar to Kurama's, and recalled his own memories. The long gone days in which he had been adopted by that gang of thieves. What would have happened to him if he had not become part of that band? He would be dead, probably turned into youkai's food or fish's bait.

He could not do less than that. It was a debt he had with his own Fate.

"Hey, kid, I believe your story..."

Kinno threw himself to Hiei, embracing him very tightly, kissing his cheek, cuddling his small body against him with avid gratitude, and a broad smile.

Hiei squirmed in his arms, trying to resist...

"Please, back off! Hey, whoa, you're squishing me! Hey, Kinno! Kid! Watch out! Help! Help! Another crazy youko? Oh, please, no..."
 
 
 

The golden youko was so happy he hopped and giggled with joy, holding the slender, more delicate youko so fiercely Hikaru stared to cough, choking under the strong grasp.

"Ji-chan Hiei is taking me to Gandara with them! I'm gonna live there in their castle! I'm gonna live with my daddy!"

"Kinno, please, lower your voice..."

But the golden youko didn't seem to understand Hikaru's caution... The striped youko just looked around them, observing the reactions from the few customers he had that evening. His very clear, cerulean blue eyes darted around in sharp suspicion.

"My daddy! I didn't have anyone, now I have my father and an uncle, and they're gonna take care of me! I'm going to Gandara with them, Hikaru!"

Well... Hikaru pulled Kinno aside, bringing him to a corner, near the counter. The young youko giggled madly, so happy he seemed to have lost the small sense he possessed. He could not have shown himself in public! He was there incognito, hidden, confined, always sneaking in and out through the backdoor so that no one would see him.

And now he had shown himself in public, shouting out loud he'd move to Gandara!

"You're stupid, Kinno! Remember what I told you? You gotta keep a low profile!"

The golden youko suddenly halted. His joy was replaced by a vexed embarrassment, when he realized even  his friend, his best and only friend was scolding him for his ignorance.

"Hikaru, I'm so happy, I couldn't keep hushed... Sorry..."

"Oh, Kinno, you can't show yourself too much! Now everyone here knows exactly where you're going!" Hikaru's eyes widened then, in fright, when he realized something else... "Worse than that, now everyone here knows I was sheltering a golden youko;  the only Golden Youko in the Makai... Shit! I'm fucked!"

Kinno withdrew from his friend, loosing the hug. Now, it had happened again - He had screwed up everything just because of his big mouth and tiny brains.

"Sorry, Hikaru, I'm sorry... But we don't have to worry; You-Know-Who is very far away."

"Yes, but he's surely sent lots of youkai to poke around Makai after you! You're valuable enough for that!"

Kinno sighed aloud. You-Know-Who was cruel, greedy... He would do everything to have him back. He was so mean, neither he nor Hikaru ever mentioned him by his name - To avoid bad luck.

"If You-Know-Who finds me he's gonna punish me too badly. Hikaru, It was so ill last time I thought I was gonna die. He beat the crap out of me..."

Both youko observed the customers scattered around the few wooden round tables, and the balcony,  one by one, trying to scrutinize them, and their intentions. If there was any kind of tattletale there, they had no means to know.

"Hikaru, I'm afraid..."

"Don't worry, you got your family now. They will help protect you. Now, pack your things and leave, as soon as you can."

"I hope You-Know-Who doesn't find us.  I don't want Tou-chan or Ji-chan hurt because of me."

They shut up, when they saw Hiei coming downstairs.

"Aren't you gonna tell him about You-Know-Who?"

Kinno offered Hikaru the most despairing, sorrowful expression.

"I have to?"

"You better..."

"They won't take me with them if they realize how dangerous it is..."

"But Kinno..."

"No, I can't tell them about You-Know-Who!"

Hiei came closer to the two youko, in time to listen to part of their whispering conversation.

"You know what?"

Kinno and Hikaru exchanged worried glances. Hikaru hesitated to answer anything, and Kinno just pulled his Ji-chan closer, resting a caressing hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing, Ji-chan, nothing... Let's get going?"