Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters.

A/N: A thousand apologies for the long wait, but better late than never, eh? I've been slowly crushed beneath a tide of schoolwork, and the track season starts soon so I have been and will be training for that. But I will try to get on an update when I can, scout's honor.

Also, while I hate it when people put plugs in their stories, the Just-In page hasn't been showing any updates for my other fic Kingdom of Heaven. So please, please, please give that a looksy if you would.

P.S. – For everyone who found the misspelled "review", here is your appreciation gift. I APPRECIATE YOU! Yes. I am a bastard.

Chapter 6

Red.

Blood Red.

The color of rage.The color of pain.

The color of hell.

It was everywhere. On everything.The bed.The walls.The floor.

The house slept peacefully now under the blanket of the night. Darkness engulfed every nook and cranny of the home save for in one room. A candle sporting a small, withering ember of a flame sat upon a small nightstand. The dying light flickered weakly, its presence slowly diminishing as shadow began to devour it from all sides.

However, even as it died the fire cast its glow upon the culprit of the horrid scene. The beast seemed more illuminated than anything else in the room, in fact, as if the light was the accusing finger of God himself.

Twisted.Deformed. It was a true monstrosity. Its dry hair hung from around his helm, his eyes rotting in their sockets as his flesh seemed as though it was slowly peeling. And even in this state, the abomination bore a sick grin. Its fangs flashed in the dim light as its slime drenched tongue slid through its dry and chapped lips, sliding over the animal's face as far as it could reach and lapping up the blood there greedily.

The sight was sickening. A woman lay strewn out upon a crimson-stained bed, her spread legs an indication of what had occurred minutes ago. Her flesh was pale and now cold as stone, her eyes which had once glistened now gone dull. The monster admired its handiwork as it finished putting on its belt with wrinkled and decaying hands, its eyes narrowing into slits as he examined a particular wound it had left her.

The bite mark left by the beast's fangs dug deep into her flesh, yet no blood poured forth from the gaping puncture marks. How could it? It was all currently in his stomach, satisfying his bizarre and insatiable hunger.

"…mother…" Elder Toguro chuckled darkly as he reached within the pocket of his coat, withdrawing from within a vial of liquor. Smirking, he twisted off the cap and poured out the contents of the bottle upon the bed. The drink soaked the corpse and tear stained sheets even more than they had previously been. The monster then lit a match, cackling as he tossed it carelessly onto the bed, watching the scene go up in flames.

It was then that he took a seat in a nearby chair, reclining and ignoring the snapping of his bones and joints as he did so. Watching the dancing flames, he picked up the harmonica seated upon the table beside him and began to play.

Thunder rolled across the Western sky as God cringed in disgust.

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Yusuke awoke with a start, finding himself sitting up in his bed both drenched in sweat and holding a pistol extended forward, shaking violently. His wide eyes locked on the weapon as he forced himself to exhale slowly, his arm lowering itself to his side.

"Christ…" He murmured to himself, rubbing his eyes with his other hand and leaning back against the wall behind the cot. His gaze drifted to the sleeping figure of his fiancé and became fixated on watching chest rise and fall as she slept soundly.

Shaking himself, he looked away, realizing that if the woman were to wake up and spot him ogling her chest she would beat him senseless.

He smiled weakly as he stepped off of the bed, clad only in a pair of undergarments. He shivered as his bare feet touched the cold wooden floor, but continued on his way towards the dresser in which he had placed a pair of clothes.

He needed to take a walk. He needed to clear his head. And this castle had plenty of room to explore. Sliding his shirt on over his muscular shoulders, the sheriff stepped through the doorway of the room and shut it gingerly behind him as not to wake Keiko. He almost jumped out of his skin when he turned and came face to face with a large photo of Mayor Daioh.

"Shit." He cursed, giving a weak laugh and moving quietly down the hall.

The place was huge, yet to him it seemed small. He had spent a lot of time here when he was younger, usually playing hide-and-go-seek or tag with Koenma. He remembered how intimidating the building seemed back then, and now the only thing that was having any luck at unnerving him were the pictures of old and ugly men frowning on all of the walls.

"Note to self: Never get old." He thought to himself, turning another corner and moving down another hallway with large windows all along its right side. As he walked he looked through them and out at the world. There wasn't a star in the sky tonight, but the moon stood strong and full looking down at him with a sort of condescending look.

Condescending look? Since when did the moon give looks? Yusuke frowned and shook his head.

"Fuck you, Moon."

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"Hn." Hiei grunted as he examined his right hand, holding it up and closing one eye.

The woman had done a surprisingly good job at tending to his injuries. Sure, it still stung a great deal but that's to be expected when you've been crucified. The wrappings she had placed were tight and snug, yet loose enough to not cause him any additional pain.

Maybe she wasn't completely worthless. Though he hated admitting that he owed his life to some naïve girl, she had managed to save his life when he thought that his death was imminent.

That, he convinced himself, was why he did not throw her off of him when she had fallen asleep with her head rested on his abdomen, his left arm pinned as well beneath her sleeping form. He frowned visibly as he felt her steady breath tickling his stomach every time she exhaled, forcing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end and his skin to tingle.

Now that he thought about it, the woman looked very much like how he remembered his mother. He closed his eyes and let out a low growl in his throat as he fought off the memories.

He would kill them. All of them. Every last member of Toguro's band. And he would smile while he did it. Caught up in his own blood soaked thoughts, he failed to notice his free hand unconsciously moving strands of blue hair from Botan's face.

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"And that will be another win for me." Kurama chuckled, showing his hand of cards to the men seated around him at a large table. Groans erupted from almost every throat as the gamblers laid eyes on the straight flush before them.

The redhead didn't bother trying to fight the large smile that played on his lips as he raked in his profits, his emerald eyes sparkling as they took in all the money. All of his money.

Unlike the other members of his new team, he refused to stay in the town hall. He saw himself as a man with class, and a man with class never leaves their home just because someone wants to burn it down. Which was why he sat here, in his saloon, a cigar in his hand and a prostitute on his lap, her legs parted just enough so that her skirt would not block Kurama from taking a quick glimpse at her panties between hands.

"My deal then, is it?" He asked, taking a drag of his cigar and blowing several smoke rings in the air. Placing his smoke in the ashtray on the table, he skillfully shuffled the deck of cards without even glancing down at it.

"I win this hand and you show me that Reverse Cowgirl again. Deal?" He whispered in the woman's ear, earning a giggle and a nod as he began to deal the cards. He didn't stop as a man approached him from behind and bent at the waist to whisper something in his ear.

"Gentlemen, madame, I will be back in a moment." He said as he moved the hooker from his lap and stood, following the man away from the table and through the double doors which led outside into the street. It was a warm night and the sky was dotted with stars, each one twinkling brightly.

"Hello, Kurama."

The redhead laughed softly for a moment before turning about to face the source of the suave voice. Sure enough, there stood Sakyo dressed to impress with a large cigar place between his lips.

"Sakyo. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Kurama answered, maintaining his cool as the businessman stepped towards him.

"Fox," Sakyo began, calling the gambler by the nickname he had earned in his card games, "I know about your little rendezvous with Sheriff Urameshi and Mayor Daioh. And as you well know, I am aware of the wanderer named Hiei Jaganshi that has taken up residence with them."

"I understand where you're coming from, Kurama. I would consider the same thing were I in your shoes. I own every saloon in the territory save for yours. I bring in at least twenty times more revenue than you do. In a sense, I am a successful you." He paused, taking another puff from his smoke.

"You're considering working together with the law and taking me out of the picture. A sound strategy, for sure. Eliminate the competition. With me dead my enterprise would plummet to its death and that would leave only you for the addicts, whores, gunslingers, thieves, killers, prospectors, and gamblers to run to. But the small detail that I believe you may have overlooked is the simple question: How would you pull it off?"

"I own this town. That means I own the guns in this town as well. That also means I own the men who hold the guns in this town. And for a few dollars, I can have them point their guns at you. That includes the men you're currently playing with in there." Sakyo stated, gesturing back towards the Saloon.

"It's you, the sheriff, his depute, and some drifter against a small army. I'm telling you this because I like you. If you come after me, I will burn every dollar you've ever earned right in front of your eyes and then I will put a bullet in your skull. Even you're not lucky enough to live through that." He finished, turning on his heel.

"You have yourself a good night." He said, waving a hand as he disappeared into the night. Kurama frowned deeply, his fists clenched tightly and a malicious glint shining in his emerald eyes. That bastard hadn't come to dissuade him. He had come to provoke him. The redhead cursed Sakyo's name as he realized that his plan had worked.

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Yusuke gently pushed the door open, cringing as it made a weak creaking sound. With caution he stepped into the dimly lit room and shut it behind him, his eyes taking in his surroundings before looking to his right.

"What." Hiei questioned, his face blank as his crimson eyes locked with the sheriff's brown ones. Yusuke offered a small smile.

"Can't sleep." He answered, noticing Botan's sleeping form and where her head lay. Hiei frowned visibly.

"Hn. Not a word." He ordered, gesturing to another seat propped up against the far wall. Yusuke grabbed it and placed it beside Botan, lowering himself onto it and reclining as he resisted the urge to laugh.

"You look comfortable." He said, grinning like an idiot. Hiei's glare intensified two fold as his fists clenched.

"Why are you here?" The bandit asked dryly, allowing his head to return to where it had originally rested against his pillow. Yusuke's smile faded as he furrowed his brows.

"Hiei…" He started, thinking carefully on what words to use, "You haven't bee totally honest with me, have you?"

Hiei snorted, his burning gaze drifting upwards to the ceiling.

"Why did you really come to San Guadelupe?" The sheriff questioned, leaning forward.

"That's none of your business."

"Bullshit it's not my business!" Yusuke shouted, looking pissed. Botan stirred a bit in her sleep, moving more into Hiei's chest as though it were a pillow. The desperado remained silent as he looked down at her, thinking as he gently coaxed her back into sleep by rubbing her shoulder.

"I lied when I said I was only looking for a bed." He said quietly, his voice sounding deeper than usual.

"Yeah, I figured that much out." Yusuke answered, watching him tend to the mayor's daughter.

"Hn. I've been tracking the Toguro brothers for some time. However, I had heard that they were in El Paso, which was why I was caught off guard when you told me that they were here. I didn't want a bed, I just got stuck here while passing through." Hiei explained, his expression stoic as a rock, as always.

"Why?" The sheriff pressed, watching Hiei's brows furrow slightly.

"They took my life from me." He responded, his voice cold as winter. He gently took Botan's hand and forced it to open, his silver locket falling from her clutches. Unfortunately for him, her grasp immediately shut around his, trapping him there. He rolled his eyes but did not frown.

"I got it." Yusuke said, reaching for the locket and examining it. After studying it for about a minute, he flicked it up so see the portrait held within. He'd been called an idiot on many occasions, be he could put two and two together. Giving a weak smile, he tossed it back to Hiei, watching as his gaze followed it to where it landed on his stomach.

"Hn." The bandit murmured, allowing his eyes to close. He was surprised at what Yusuke said next.

"I'll let you be the one to take him out. Just let us get you to him."

Hiei opened one of his eyes, regarding the sheriff critically for a moment before nodding, a smirk appearing on his face. Maybe he had made a mistake when he was figuring Yusuke out from his jail cell. At first he had planned on simply ditching him and the oaf whenever they looked the other way, but when he learned that his quarry was here he accepted them as a necessary hindrance for the time. While his opinion of Kuwabara certainly hadn't changed, the sheriff was another case. He felt himself growing somewhat annoyed at the fact that he actually liked him.

That would make the sheriff his first friend.

"Hn." He managed, throwing in a nod along with it. Yusuke's smile grew a bit as he got to his feet, rubbing his bandaged side. Bullets hurt. No ands, ifs, or buts about it.

"First though, we need to get rid of these damn aches." He laughed, scratching the side of his head and grinning, "I'll leave you in the capable hands of the doctor." He added, rubbing Botan's head as it she were a puppy dog. Hiei gave a grunt, but let himself smirk as Yusuke removed himself from the room.

Botan's violet orbs creaked open, moving about to find whatever had woken her up. Instead she found Hiei looking down at her curiously, a smirk on his face.

"Sleep well?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. Smiling, she nodded and burrowed herself into him more.

"Bingo… you make a good pillow." She complimented, suddenly realizing that she was holding onto his hand.

"Woops." She said, letting go and giving an impish smile, "Sorry."

"Hn." Hiei snorted, grabbing her hand quickly and holding it as she had held his. To her great surprise then, especially considering his wounds, he wrapped his arms around her and hoisted her up onto the bed, allowing her to lay next to him and get comfortable.

"Sleeping in chairs isn't good for your back, woman." He stated, earning a giggle from her.

"That's funny coming from the man who sleeps in trees." She teased, snuggling closer to him. It was a strange sensation for the wanderer, but it wasn't a bad one. No. He imagined that he could get used to this.

"Sleep, woman." He commanded, closing his eyes as she did the same. In his last moments of consciousness, Hiei almost laughed. This would be the first good rest he had gotten in years.

The woman definitely wasn't worthless.

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A/N: And that's that for now. I've gotta go get to work on my AP History crap now, so I leave you all to read this chapter as I suffer through the long and enduring hell that awaits me.

Hugs and kisses.