Makai: Of Love and Mythology
by Ryoko / Rin

(nervously)Okay...here's the first part of the mythology thing I was talking about, and what I had finished so far... I'll just post this once, so if you'd like to read it but didn't get it the first time, just tell me and I'll e-mail it to you as soon as I can. Please be patient and wait for the next part, which will hopefully come out next week, once my midterm exams are over and I can finally relax. This is also my first fic, so gomen nesai if there are stuff here you don't understand, or if it's plain stupid. If things go as planned, I'll be posting another fic, "Little Red Riding Hiei".............

All characters are the works of Togashi-sama, etc., etc. Please don't sue or anything, I'm too young to go to jail..........

Makai: Of Love and Mythology

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There was once a great king who ruled most of the vast lands of Makai. Since a peaceful and organized makai being a next to impossible dream, suffice to say that the king ruled rather well, burning and stealing everything that wasn't part of his kingdom. His loyal subjects even went as far as to minimize their killings and mindless fighting down to only once a week, which by the way is considered peaceful, for a youkai.

Now this king had three sons namely, Yuusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama. They were all worthy sons of their father, being strong and brave men, but Kurama, the youngest, greatly excelled his brothers in beauty. The fame of his unsurpassed handsomeness was so great that it spread throughout the whole of Makai and even Ningenkai. Everywhere he went, hordes of females (and a considerable amount of males) of either human or youkai origins journeyed from all over the lands, to either gush, gape or faint at the sight of him, and they all worshipped him as if he was an all-powerful god. Most even went as far as to say that no other man or woman could ever equal this red-headed youko.

Needless to say, this did not suit well with the Makai goddess of Love and Beauty. She was also, by all aspects, very beautiful. Or at least, half of her face is anyway. But now, aside from the fact that she was being forgotten, she was losing a beauty contest to a youko thief, of all beings. She had very few youkai to recruit for her army; everyone else wanted to enlist with the king and his very popular son. That, and the fact that the king apparently has his sights set on conquering her domain made her more than just a little nervous. So, like many times before, she called on her son Hiei, the god of Love, for help.

First of all, this god of Love is not a very happy person. In fact, he downright hates his job, which is to flit around in his huge feathery wings with a bow and arrow and cause others to fall in love with everybody else. Which he absolutely refuses to do, unless his mother would threaten to roast his little butt over an open fire. He prefers to use the sword instead, often neglecting his job to happily bash a few youkai heads together for his own amusement. This is probably why the phrase "Love is hard to find" is especially true in Makai.

One can even wonder why he was chosen to be the god of Love in the first place.

But anyway, back to the story.

"Hiei!" boomed the goddess of Love and Beauty. "Get your stupid ass down here this minute!"

Hiei appeared, in a bad mood as always. "What do you want this time, Mukuro?" he scowled.

"Use your arrows." Mukuro said, "and get the youngest son of the Makai king to fall in love with the ugliest, most despicable creature of all creation."

"Go to hell." Hiei seemed more concerned on struggling with the huge feathery wings on his back, which had somehow entangled themselves in his very spiky hair.

"How dare you speak to your own mother that way?" Mukuro raged, her ki beginning to emanate around her. The goddess was also known to be very powerful, and Hiei knew it, beginning to look a little wary. "That's none of your business. Now go and do as I say before I decide to hand you to Ryoko-chan for another makeover."

S-class demons and near world destructions Hiei can take, but not another makeover from the goddess of Derangement. Gingerly picking up the arrows, he took off in an instant, feathers all a-flutter, muttering something about huge unneccessary wings, vain mothers and crazy goddesses all the way until he reached the palace where Prince Kurama lived.

Perched on a huge tree branch, Hiei peered in through the window. He found himself staring into a huge bedroom. Three beds were laid side by side on one wall of the room. The rest were filled with expensive-looking artifacts, intricate carvings and valuable silver.

< Junk>, Hiei decided, inching closer,

On the first bed lay a slick-haired boy, snoring slightly. His area was messy, covered with cigarette stubs, discarded clothes and other things Hiei couldn't identify. < Hn. Not him.> Hiei thought, turning his attention to the second bed, which was even more messier than the first. On top of it lay a huge orange-haired lad, sprawled clumsily on the mattress. < And not him either. Looks too stupid.> As if to emphasize that statement, the bed's occupant let out a huge snore, nearly breaking all the china on the shelves in the process.

< Gotta be him.> Hiei thought, eyeing the last bed, which was suprisingly neat and clean, strategically decorated with aromatic roses and plants. He couldn't see the person's face though; he had snuggled too far under the covers, the only thing visible being his blood red hair. Wanting to get it over with, Hiei quickly snatched one of his arrows and began to aim for the last bed.

Fate had other plans, though. For at that moment, another huge window-rattling snore shook the very walls of the room.

Startled by the unexpected sound, Hiei jumped, accidentally pricking himself with the sharp tip of the arrow. "Ow!" he yelled, holding his injured finger. In a low voice, he began ranting and raving every single curse that he knew of and then some in the direction of the person responsible for the window-rattling sound. The carrot-haired snorer continued sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware of the long string of obscenities being heaped on him by the little god.

Another thing about this Makai god. He can swear for two whole days without repeating himself.

The red-haired person stirred suddenly, revealing a handsome face gently framed by long red locks. Hiei was too ticked off to notice at first. Finally finishing, he glared at the redhead, also blaming him for every mistake he had made in his lifetime. < I'm gonna kill Mukuro. And this human. If only he - >

The love poison in the arrow took effect.

< -weren't so damned cute, I wouldn't be in this fucking mess. Wait a minute. Did I say cute? Why the hell did I say cute?> Then realization hit him. < Dammit, it's that stupid arrow!>

The redhead chose that moment to open his eyes, and Hiei found himself staring into huge fathomless green eyes. He froze. They stared at each other for what seemed like an hour.

Then very slowly, those eyes closed again, and Prince Kurama went back to sleep, dreaming about whatever irresistible youkos are wont to dream about.

As for Hiei, well, one look at Kurama's wide emerald gaze and he was going, going, gone.

Suddenly, Kurama was the most gorgeous thing Hiei had ever seen. Kurama was perfect. Kurama was everything he wanted. Kurama -

< I gotta get out of here before I do something really stupid.>

Before he can allow himself to change his mind, Hiei turned and flew away, away from the palace, and away from the kingdom, until it became only a speck on the horizon. But try as he might, he couldn't run away from the memory of the sleeping Kurama, and from the questions and feelings of longing that continued to linger on in his heart.

For the next few weeks, Hiei often found himself hovering about near the kingdom, waiting for an occasional glimpse of Prince Kurama. He had tried everything he could think of to be able to forget the youko prince; he fought, he entered contests, he fought some more. But now, even the tournaments he used to enjoy seemed somewhat empty and meaningless, and the skirmishes he often gets into didn't seem as fun anymore. In the end, he finally had to admit it to himself: he wanted Kurama.

Meanwhile, the king and his sons were having problems of their own. Both Yuusuke and even Kuwabara were happily married to queens, but Kurama didn't even have a fiancee. True, everyone would continue to admire and fawn all over him; but then they would move on and marry somebody else. It was almost as if something --or someone-- was keeping him from being wedded to anyone.

The prince and his father were very worried. Finally, they decided to visit and consult the Oracle of a nearby temple, to figure out what they should do.When the two arrived, the first thing they saw were stacks of books of every size and shape, either wedged into bookcases or piled high on desks. In the center of the room, a huge wooden table stood.

Behind it, seated in a chair, a huge blue-skinned oni was sleeping peacefully, lost in dreamland. He didn't hear Kurama and the king approach.

"Excuse me?" Kurama asked the oni politely.

A loud snore was the reply.

Kurama tried again, a little louder this time. "Excuse me?"

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

"WAKE UP!" the king yelled.

The blue oni jerked awake, nearly falling off his chair. "Huh? Wha-? Oh!", he exclaimed, seeing the two, "Welcome to the temple of the Oracle!", he babbled nervously. To Kurama's suprise, the oni was even wearing a small nametag that said, My name is George. I am a trainee. "What can I do for you?"

Kurama blinked. This was a weird temple. "Well, I'd like to know who my future bride would be, for starters."

"Oh! Of course!" George struggled to pull out a huge, leather-bound book from a nearby bookcase. "Let's see. Name?"

"Kurama."

This time, George did fell over. "Your Highness!", he squeaked, trying to stand and failing miserably. "Forgive me, but I didn't know, sir! Should I salute, or should I bow or should I-"

"Just read him the damn prophecy!" the king shouted, already losing his patience.

"Y-yessir." George said in a small voice, reaching up to grab the book. Opening it, he rifled through a few pages, stopping at one and skimming its contents.

"Well?" Kurama asked.

George turned pale. "It says here that the prince is to be wedded to a horrible, winged three - eyed demon. He should be dressed as if in mourning and taken to the mountain nearest his kingdom. Then, he will be left there alone."

Kurama was shocked. He knew there was a possibility of his having a bad marriage, but he had no idea it could be this bad.

The king began to yell at George. "My son will not marry a demon, and to hell with what the Oracle says!" he shouted.

"I-it wasn't my idea, s-sir!" George cowered, looking for a place to hide.

The king was about to say something else, but Kurama's calm voice stopped him. "The Oracle's never wrong, Father." he said quietly. "If it's my destiny , then I should follow it.

The king looked at his youngest son. "Is that you want?", he asked. "Even if it means dying?"

Kurama nodded . "Please don't worry. I can take care of myself."he assured the king.

"If that's what you want", the king said wearily, "then I can't stop you from doing so." He turned towards the door.

Wordlessly, Kurama followed his father.

"Please come again!" George called after them.

The misery that followed soon after the king brought the news to his people was devastating. Everyone was shicked at how a kind prince like Kurama could have such a terrible fate. The girls especially, were inconsolable.

Finally, Kurama hugged his father and brothers goodbye, and began his climb up to the mountain, while everyone in the kingdom continued their mourning for the prince they now believe to be dead.

Having reached the top, Kurama looked around warily for any signs of life. Nothing.< Good>, he thought, as he summoned some nearby plants for defense. They rose all around him, ready to attack at any signs of danger, or death.

Death came in the form of a cute blue-haired girl flying on an oar.

"Hi!" she called cheerily, stopping a few feet away from Kurama.

Kurama looked at her. "I don't suppose you're the horrible three-eyed demon I'm suppose to marry."

The girl let out a nervous giggle. "Um, no. Actually, I'm supposed to take you to his castle right now." She gestured to her oar. "Hop on."

"His?" Kurama asked, perplexed, as the plants slowly resumed to their normal state. "And how are we supposed to fit on your, uh, oar?"

The girl thought for a moment. "You could just hold on with both hands", she finally suggested. "It's only a short ride."

"I feel ridiculous." Kurama said, grasping a part of the oar tightly. Almost immediately, the girl took off, Kurama and all. With a speed that can rival a supersonic jet's, they zoomed through the clouds in a series of loops and twists.

"Hey, watch it!" Kurama shouted, as the oar barely missed crashing into a mountain.

"Just hold on, okay?" she yelled over her shoulder. "You'll get used to it."

"Easy for her to say." Kurama muttered. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Botan."

"Botan, are you good friends with my er,...bride?"

"Not exactly."

"Then why are you bringing me to her--I mean, him?"

"Because he'll toast my hide if I don't." Botan muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Look, here we are!"

Botan skidded to a stop in front of a huge, rambling fortress. It looked gloomy and forlorn, even in the daytime.

Kurama stared. "It's...........black.", he said finally.

"That's another way to describe it." Botan said, backing away and looking a little frightened. "Ummm, I have to go now. Good luck, okay?"

"Hey, wait!", Kurama called, but Botan had already sped away. "What is she so frightened about?" he wondered, checking himself to see if any of his body parts had fallen off during his hazardous ride. Finding none, he quickly walked towards the castle's main door.

Taking a deep breath, Kurama opened the huge doors and entered the black fortress, expecting a huge slobbering monster to jump out at him at any minute.

Instead, Kurama found himself staring at a huge and richly furnished hallway. Something resembling expensive furs carpeted the floor. Beautifully designed shelves, chairs and tables adourned every room. A huge roaring fireplace was artistically set in the middle of it all.

Kurama was impressed. The place even outstyled his father's palace. , he told himself wryly.

Upon entering the equally large dining room, he saw that the table had been set and there was food already waiting for him. Upon closer inspection, he saw that there was a plate setting for only one person.

Realizing he was hungry, Kurama looked around for his host, but he was nowhere to be seen.

< He probably wants me to eat>, Kurama decided, < I have a feeling he's been expecting me for some time now.>

Gingerly seating himself, he had to smile.< At least my unseen bride is hospitable>, he thought, cutting himself a piece of chicken and biting into it.

And nearly losing a tooth. The chicken was a lot harder than it looked.

He tried the fish, and nearly choked at the pungent taste.

He went for the biscuits next, but he only managed to make little grooves on it with his teeth. He tried sawing it off with the knife, to no avail.

He took one look at the potatoes and lost his appetite.

< Hospitable, but a very lousy cook>, he thought.

Telling his stomach that the food can wait, Kurama stood up and decided to explore. He wandered through the rooms, trying to find the castle owner. Giving up, he headed for one of the bathrooms, intending to take a quick shower.

He found a clean bathrobe hanging by the bathroom door. He also found white towels, shampoo and soap next to it. It hadn't been there before.

"You think of everything, do you?" Kurama said aloud. He thought he heard a "Hn." from somewhere in the hallway. He listened again, but this time didn't hear anything.

After going through a quick shower and putting on the bathrobe, Kurama made a beeline for one of the bedrooms, eager to catch a good night's rest. Strangely enough, he was even beginning to look forward to this kind of life. If he could only see who his bethrothed is, though......

he thought sleepily.

Yawning, Kurama wasted no time climbing into the wide bed and falling asleep.

He woke up somewhere in the middle of the night, when he felt someone crawling up the bed to the empty space next to him.

Since he was not quite awake, and without even thinking, Kurama reached down, scooped up the figure, snuggled him close the way a little girl would do to her teddy bear, and went back to sleep.

Hiei gulped.

After spending the next few minutes trying to get out of Kurama's embrace, Hiei gave up and settled resignedly on the pillows, his mind on anything but sleep. For some reason, he was feeling hot, even though the night was cool, and the fact that Kurama's face was mere inches away was making him more than just a little bit edgy.

Just when Hiei finally began to relax and drift off, Kurama moved. He snuggled his face even deeper into Hiei's chest and one of his hands came dangerously close to the part of Hiei that makes a man,well, a man.

Hiei didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

For the next few days, Kurama was the happiest youko in the land. He spends most of his time in the gardens, and soon the castle began to overflow with flowers, mostly roses, of every kind of species, and began to look less and less forbidding. (a castle couldn't have looked forbidding, looking like a flower basket) Whenever he was hungry, food always appeared on the table, which by the way had now greatly improved. When he was tired, a hot bath was drawn and clothes laid out, all ready and waiting for him.

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, muttering something that sounded like stupid fox and his own stupidity.

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?"

Kurama looked at Hiei. "Does this mean you're proposing?"

Hiei scowled for a few moments, and then sighed. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he asked.

"No." Koenma admitted. "But there is an advantage. If you'll marry, Mukuro won't be bothering you two anymore. I'll see to that personally."

Hiei shrugged.

"I'll take that as a yes." Koenma said importantly.

And so, Kurama and Hiei were married in grand style in their huge castle. Everyone attended, including the oracle keeper, Kurama's father and brothers, (whom Kurama had forgiven, he can't hold grudges long), Jinn, Chuu and company, and Botan, who was disappointed that there wouldn't be anyone wearing a wedding dress. Kurama was beaming and grinning widely, Hiei was redfaced and scowling, although a trace of a smile would always appear on his face whenever he looked at Kurama. All the women cried, and even some of the males were beginning to look misty-eyed. The party lasted all the way up to the wee hours of the morning.

Finally, the grooms retired, and Kurama and Hiei went on to consummate their marriage (which took a good five or six hours, at least)on their wedding night. From the way they were carrying on (and judging from the noises eavesdropping guards can hear coming from the bedchamber), they were enjoying being married.

And so 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.

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