A Forest on Fire (KuramaxOc)

Ch 31: Kuwabara's Bright Idea!!!

"Hey Kurama, how terrible is that wound?" Yusuke asked, noting that both foxes still held their abdomens.

Kurama removed a hand from the now sealed wound, and studied the scabbing. Yumiko watched intently, ready to make another salve if needed, but he waved her off.

"Fine, as long as I can walk." He answered the detective, then mentally added, 'Save your energy, Yumi. We may need your healing later on. This wound will hold.'

Though she wasn't pleased, she gave a small nod of obedience, turning away as Hiei spoke.

"He'll survive, but he's in no shape to fight. On top of that, the goat is still exhausted from the gates. That leaves four of us able to fight. One of those has already used quite a bit of power, and is injured herself, and the other one is useless!"

Maru grunted in annoyed agreement, even as Kuwabara grinned. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, short-stuff!"

Yumiko would have snorted, had she the energy for it, instead she just chuckled, leaning against the wall with Maru as she examined his energy levels. It was returning quickly, but he still seemed drained.

"Did it hurt?" She asked, her seafoam eyes taking in the several tiny molten scabs forming along his skin. He visibly flinched, as there was not a drip of venom, nor annoyance in her words. Just that gentle, caring voice she used to speak with before their fight.

"Uh... y-yes. A little..." He answered in a low voice, uncertainty clear in the tone. She gave him a soft smile, and placed a hand on top of his, ignoring the harsh spike of emotion that seethed through her bond with Kurama. 'Careful...' was the thought he sent to her, watching them closely from Yusuke's side. She ignored the territorial command entirely, giving a single lash of her tail to tell him how she felt over that thought.

"Thank you. You could have died for breaking those seals."

"My blood oath requires-"

Yumiko groaned in annoyance, snatching back her hand, and moving away from him. The moment was successfully ruined as she said:

"YES, YES, I know!! The blood oath my father made you swear, blah, blah, blah. Maru, you realize I don't give a rat's intestines about some dumb old oath made on a dumb old stone, right? So next time, if the only reason you have for helping us is because a literal rock told you to, then just crawl under it instead of making me think I'm about to watch my friend die!"

She seethed, raw anger pouring off of the girl in waves as he brought up that damned oath again. Everything he had ever done for, or to the girl had been because of that oath!

"Seriously, can't you ever think for yourself?? What does Maru want to do? Who does MARU want to protect?"

Maru blinked at the little kitsune as she raged, a smile slowly growing at the corners of his lips as she scolded him. 'She truly has bloomed...' He thought to himself alone as he watched the gemstone around her neck blaze with ocean-fire. He wouldn't get a chance to ponder her words for long however, as a loud voice bellowed.

"SPIIIIRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIT SWORD!!!"

Yumiko let out a small yelp, and turned around startled as Kuwabara bellowed, a bright orange and yellow energy sword now in his hands.

"Huh, look at that. I guess he doesn't need that dumb old stick anymore." She said in a slightly monotone way, her anger with the goat-fire demon extinguished by the ginger boy's enthusiasm. She shot a glare in Kurama's direction as he coughed, doing his best to hide the snort trying to escape his throat at how quickly the little firebrand's moods could shift.