Hiei felt a tap on his shoulder. He opened and eye and an exact replica of his own ruby gems looked at him with a smile. "It's dinner time, Hiei-san. Do you want to eat?" she asked, placing the tray of food next to the fire demon.

  Hiei straightened up and looked at Yukina, then at Kurama. "Thank you, Yukina. I'll eat after I wash Kurama's face," he shook himself awake and reached for the basin or water with a towel inside. He rinsed the towel damp and wiped Kurama's face with it.

  Yukina smiled and thought for a while. "Hiei-san… since you're wiping his face, don't you consider to wash Kurama all over. You can put his yukata in the basket there. I'll wash it later," Yukina smiled and stood up. She went to the closet and took a fresh yukata, putting it next to Hiei. "You can change him later," she smiled. Hiei nodded in agreement.

  "Don't be too long, the food will get stale," she reminded before going out of the room. "Arigatou, Yukina-chan," Hiei nodded.

  The fire demon looked at the serene face sleeping soundly. There was a faint heartbeat, just that the soul wasn't in the body. Hiei pushed away the futon and reconsidered Yukina's suggestion. He could wipe Kurama's body clean. :… That sounds easy …: he shrugged and started on Kurama's obi.

  His thoughts were free of hentai thoughts until the sash of Kurama's yukata went loose and Hiei opened the yukata. Blood rushed on his cheeks and he flushed. He quickly covered back Kurama's private parts. :… I feel bad… Am I violating his body? …: he asked himself. :… What should I do? …: he thought solely.

  Hiei sighed heavily and tried to forget about that image, the image of that limp flaccid meat amongst red plush bushes. He squinted his eyes. :… STUPID HIEI! …: he scolded himself. He took the wet towel and shakily wiped Kurama's chest. Trying desperately to ignore the image. :… No harm in touching it …: said a small voice in his head. "Shit! I… I can't do that! I… I… can't violate Kurama like this! I can't disrespect him!" with that determined tone, he tried to ignore the tingly feeling inside his stomach and wiped Kurama's body clean, not missing a spot… except the part in between his navel and thighs. He didn't touch it.

  Hiei put on a fresh yukata for Kurama and threw the old one in the basket at the corner of the room. Then he tucked Kurama properly on the futon. He unconsciously leaned down and stole a kiss from Kurama's soft but cold lips. "Ai shiteru, Kurama…" Hiei blushed at himself for such act.

  Then he turned around to the food Yukina had prepared for him. The miso soup was still faintly steaming. "Thank you imouto," he uttered so very softly and took the chopsticks and rice.

  The lightning continuously embarked the dark sky. Kurama frowned as one of the thunderstorms loud crackles woke him up from his slumber. :… I was just about to kiss my fire demon …: he thought, irritated.

  Then there was a knock. Kurama blinked. "What time is it? And Who's that on the door?" he asked softly to himself. "Yes?" he called out, getting off the bed with a soft grace heading towards the door. "Morning call," said an unfamiliar voice. Kurama opened the door and blinked as he saw a young lavender youko smiling.

  "I'm the youko that calls everyone in the palace up. Name's Toki! Nice to meet a legendary silver youko like you! More even to have you stay under one roof with us!" he said skimpily. Kurama smiled and reached for a leaf in his hair, he accessed some youryouku to it and it turned into a full blooming rose. "This is for you, thanks for the wakeup call," Kurama played with the boy's baby soft hair.
 
  The boy grinned and purred. Then he smiled. "Hafta do work!" he gleamed and skipped to the next door. Kurama was still watching him. Toki knocked at Mirui's door. "Mirui-chan! Okirun da yo!" he exclaimed, frantically knocking.

  The door opened and a head appeared from the lower part of the door. It was the red youko, Sekishi; kneeling on the floor with his face covered by his red hair. "I'm tired, he's tired, damn tired… we'll get up when it's noon," he tried to close back to door. "Matte!" Toki grinned and took the report in his tunic. "Sekishi-san and Mirui-chan… Inari addressed you two to escort Kurama-san today around the palace," he announced. Sekishi paused, deep in thoughts for a while.

  "Oh my god!" he gaped, then shut the door. "MIRUI! OKIRU YO! WE'RE LATE! Inari-sama's going to get pissed off if we're late!!" All of them could hear from behind the door. Then there were tumbling sounds, then silence.

  Toki turned around to find Kurama still looking at him. He grinned. "They're always tired… makes you wonder, ne?" he shrugged and walked off to the next door.

  Kurama smiled. "Naïve little youko," he went back inside and shook his head. "Wonder what's Hiei doing now…" he sighed dreamily. Kurama headed towards the bathroom and washed himself in the luxurious shower place.

  After the bath, he stepped out the shower and was face to face with a mirrored wall. "Oh, I never realized this was here," he blinked, looking at his stark naked self. He was beautiful, very beautiful. Everyone here was beautiful. He decided and casually walked out to the bedroom. He got into his white tunic and reached for a brush to comb his silver strands of hair.

  Then there was a knock. "Coming," Kurama chimed as he walked to the door opening it. Mirui and Sekishi were standing there, with smiles as warm as sunshine, not even a trace of tiredness. "Come in. I'll be ready in a minute," Kurama smiled, welcoming them in.

  Both walked in, full of grace, full of beauty and full of life. "We're taking you to meet everyone in the palace today," Mirui smiled. Kurama brushed his hair for one last time and smiled. "I'm ready," he beamed excitedly.
 

  They walked down to the ground floor. "Anyway, I haven't seen Inari-sama yet," Kurama said suddenly as they were walking down the large spiral stairs. "Inari-sama will meet you, don't worry… he's in love with you!" Mirui chuckled. "In love with me?" Kurama blinked. "Of course! If he's not, why'd you think he bought you here for a soul vacation?" Sekishi nodded in agreement.

  "Oh… I'll wait then," Kurama smiled.

  Hiei came into the room and saw Yuusuke already there watching Kurama. "Came back already?" Yuusuke looked up and asked the fire demon. Hiei nodded. "I went for a bath," he said, merely audible.

  "Hiei, I am sorry for what I said," Yuusuke finally apologized. Hiei nodded. "I understood, I was an ass," he admitted, sitting next to the redhead. He reached out to touch Kurama's flawless face. "Beautiful isn't he?" Yuusuke asked. Hiei nodded.

  "You know what Hiei?" Yuusuke called. The fire demon just looked into those brown eyes. "You know the Youko Imperial Palace? The one where Kurama's staying in now?" Yuusuke asked. Hiei nodded. "I tell you, that place is infested with beauties like this," he said, nodded. Hiei narrowed his eyes. "And how would you know that?" Hiei questioned. Yuusuke shrugged. "I just feel it. And Botan told me she saw this beautiful golden youko. Is it?" Yuusuke asked. Hiei nodded. "Beautiful yes, but I don't know his nature," Hiei said softly, still looking dreamily at Kurama.

  "I wonder if there's a female youko in there that's available," he giggled to himself. Hiei smirked. "I'll tell Keiko," he sang. Yuusuke pouted. "You started to sound like Kuwabara," he said flatly. Hiei chuckled.

  "Not a very nice day isn't it?" Kurama regarded the weather. It was raining heavily outside with thunderstorms and lightning. "Don't worry, you'll be just inside the palace. Your time here only requires you to be inside, to learn about your origins. Not outside being wild,"
Remarked the chief chef.

  Kurama smiled as they ate lunch. He had rounded up mostly everyone in the palace. He observed that all of them have golden eyes, beautiful and talented. Some are kinky, some sissy, some light-hearted, some serious looking and some are even so old but looked just as young as a fresh flower.

  "Have you met the Lady of the Treasure-house?" Youru, the chief chef asked Kurama. Kurama shook his head. "She's a bitch. Everyone in the palace hates her. She thinks she's so beautiful that everyone looks like dirt," he snorted. Kurama blinked. Sekishi nodded. "She's a green youko. Makes me vomit," he pouted, supporting Youru's speech.

  Mirui smiled. "But she's one of Inari-sama's most trustworthy youko," he noted. "She's married?" Kurama asked. All of them shook their heads. "No one wants her," Youru spat. Mirui giggled. "She's just dependable and honest, also very fierce. That's why she guards the Treasure-house," Mirui explained.

  "Treasure… house?" said a voice, coming into the grand dining hall. The four of them turned around. "Late for lunch, Arashi?" Youru smirked. "Arashi?" Kurama asked in a whisper to Mirui. "That's the Lady of the Treasure-house," he nodded, eating his dessert.

  Kurama eyed the greed youko. She doesn't look that ugly, beautiful in fact. But her clothes are too much of an eyeful compared to the other youkos in the palace. Her skirt was as big as a hut. But the air around her was weird.

  "We better go," Sekishi got up. "Leaving already, Oh-Great-Interior-Designer?" Arashi commented sarcastically. "I have a silver youko to attend to," he uttered. "A silver youko, I see…" she turned to Kurama. "We can spend some time together, you know?" she leered in a seducing manner at Kurama.

  "He's married, stay away!" Sekishi barked, pulling Kurama with him with Mirui following close behind. Arashi shrugged as she ate her lunch.

  "I'm married?" Kurama asked when they're off Arashi's earshot. Sekishi narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to sleep with her?" he asked. Kurama shook his head in disgust. "I only wish to sleep with Hiei," he spoke. "Then tell her you're married, she knows the protocol around. No hanky-panky with married couples. Inari-sama doesn't like that," Sekishi said quite sharply.

  Mirui smiled at Kurama. "Sekishi despised her 'cause she insulted his décor in the Throne Room," Mirui explained. "So it seems," Kurama nodded. "I haven't seen the Throne Room," Kurama smiled. "You go there when Inari-sama wants you to," Sekishi said.