the lotus' petal

"So, baby face, what's the deal now?"

Koenma growled, eye twitching. "I told you to stop calling me that!"

"Not gonna happen until you lose that pacifier of yours," Yusuke smirked, arms crossed.

It had been a tiring month of them all, and the spirit detective thought he should at least be granted leeway for some amusement of his own. Life was getting boring before this all happened, he would admit—all of them went about their cover lives; Kuwabara in college, Kurama working at his step-father's company, Hiei on border patrol and him at his ramen shop. But when he was wishing for a bit of action, he was not asking for human world to flood with demons again, just like the time with Sensui.

At first they pegged it to a copy act—but Hiei was adamant that there was nothing at the borders, or if there was, it was dead—and a month later after trying to contain the number of demons as low as they could, Koenma finally called them back with the promise that he'd figured it out.

"Stop wasting my time," Hiei muttered impatiently, though everyone could see he wasn't itching to get back to patrol.

Koenma sighed, but nonetheless called for George. "I was checking through the archives—"

Yusuke coughed. "You?"

"—I had people check through the archives," Koenma corrected, glaring. "To see if there was anything that could be of use—a past event, or a particular person, but instead, we found out that a certain…stack was disappearing."

"Disappearing?" Kuwabara echoed, confused. "Like somebody is stealing them?"

"No, everything is under top security—"

"Like it's so difficult to break in," Yusuke muttered under his breath, causing Kurama to chuckle.

"—unless of course, you two, are responsible," Koenma shot the spirit detective and the fox demon a look. "I mean disappearing as in it's literally disappearing," he pursed his lips. "George! Where are you?" he demanded.

"H-here, Koenma-sama!" an ogre hastily barged in, arms dawdled with a thick stack of papers.

"Look here," Koenma swiped the first page from the stack, shoving to the rest of the team. "These are records dating back a century ago, about a war between spirit energy users and demons," then he dug towards the bottom, snatching out another paper. "We have everything documented, but when we last checked, it's starting to disappear."

Instead of a black ink scrawl that decorated the first page, the next one was completely blank.

"I don't know why it's doing that, but there's only one reason for this—history is being wiped out."

The rest of the four raised stared in silence for a few moments.

"That's not possible," Kuwabara argued. "If history has happened, it has already happened," he emphasized.

"But it's happening to that thing," Hiei commented, squinting at the blank page.

"The Novikov self-consistency principle," Kurama put in, humming. "If whatever bit of that history is to be erased, it should've already been erased," he explained. "Kuwabara-kun's got a point."

"I didn't understand a single thing you said," Yusuke snorted. "But there's some weird shit going on, and Koenma," he looked up at the spirit world ruler. "You haven't finished."

"Right," Koenma sighed, flicking the papers he held back to the pile. "Believe me, it's going to sound crazy—"

"—worse than what we've been through?"

"Will you stop interrupting me?" he demanded, annoyed. "As I was saying, history is being wiped out. In particular, this century old event. We don't know why it is happening, but it's definitely the cause of the demon appearances in the human world. Hiei, you said that the border is perfectly fine, right?"

"Hn."

"Yet demons are somehow getting through," Koenma stated. "This is because they're coming through a rip in time. Something is happening a century ago that's disrupting the time flow."

"So what do you want us to do about it?" Yusuke asked. "It's not like any of us can go wherever or whenever for whatever's happening."

"Actually," this time, Koenma smiled. "You can." The toddler pulled out a glowing crystal from his drawer and set it on the table. "Can anyone tell me what this is?"

"Crystallised spirited energy," Kurama said immediately. "It's strange—who made this? There's a whole worth of a person's condensed into it."

"It's something that came through the time leak. It's called 'innocence'," Koenma replied. "There were a couple more that we found. Using these, I managed to send a message back in time, initiating contact with a supervisor of the organization that battled against the demons. With a bit of correspondence, I judged that Yusuke, you have to go back in time to help them."

"Back in time," Yusuke repeated flatly. "For serious? And what am I supposed to do?"

"I was getting to that," the toddler rolled his eyes. "They're called the Black Order," he first stated, pointing to the screen where a picture of a castle stood. "A century ago this organization gathered people like yourself to battle against a demon infestation in the human world. The infestation was led by an S class demon, with a band of A and B class demons, who created low level demons from human souls."

"Well, shit," Yusuke commented. "The S class could've levelled the entire human world. How did he even get there?"

"Even S class demons were not S class once upon a time. His method of killing rose his youki to incredible heights," Koenma answered. "Anyway, history said that they won, but it's changing now. I need you to go back and make sure the demon is taken care of."

"Sounds easy enough. So how do I time travel?" Yusuke smirked. "Ha, that sounds way cooler than I thought."

"Kuwabara will cut a portal for you."

"—Me?"

"—Him?"

"Ah," Kurama nodded calmly, as though everything clicked. "Your dimension sword. Time is a dimension, after all."

"Quite right. It has to be done both ways; thank heavens they have a means to manipulate time as well. You should be careful even if you are an upper S class," Koenma eyed Yusuke carefully. "I would like to send all of you, but the strain on their time exorcist will be too great."

"Time exorcist…?" Kurama blinked.

"They call their spirit energy users 'exorcists'," Koenma cocked his head towards the screen again. "These are the people you'll be working with, Yusuke. This is their supervisor, Komui Lee. He will be expecting your arrival. Their generals; Cross Marian, Cloud Nyne, Winters Sakoro and Froi Tiedoll."

As he spoke, profiles and pictures flashed on the screen.

"The exorcists; Bookman—"

"Oh," Kurama muttered to himself, but it was too soft for anyone else to hear.

"—Noise Marie, Arystar Krory III, Miranda Lotto, Kanda Yuu, Lavi, Lenalee Lee—"

"Wait."

All eyes turned towards the fox demon who walked up close to the screen.

"Go back," he requested shortly, eyes never leaving the screen.

"I don't see what—"

"Go back!"

Koenma clicked for the slides to go backwards, confused.

"Here! Stop here."

Everyone else stared at an Asian swordsman glaring back towards them.

"Kanda Yuu," Yusuke read off the words. "Equipment type, Mugen. What the hell is that?"

"They use spirit energy differently from you do, I'll explain it all later," Koenma replied. "Kurama?" he prompted when there was still no response from the fox demon except staring.

"Send me." Kurama ignored the looks as he repeated his words again more firmly. "Send me."

"It's not like you to be so enthusiastic about a mission, Kurama," Kuwabara observed. "Something about this guy that bugs you?"

"Well, he is kind of pretty," Yusuke hummed, rubbing his chin. "But hey, you don't have to cross over time to get laid, you know."

"You know him," Hiei stated abruptly, causing everyone to fall silent. "What?" he snapped when there was no response. "It's entirely possible. The fox is nearly two centuries old."

"Thank you for pointing that out," Kurama rolled his eyes. "Yes," he sighed. "I know him. It needs to be me. Ah, the Novikov self-consistency principle. Or I should say, it was me," he mused.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about," Yusuke whistled.

"Kurama—"

"Koenma, I will be the one going, even if you don't agree," the fox demon pressed, eyes glinting.

The unspoken threat was heard loud and clear, and Koenma eventually sighed in resignation.

This will not bring him back. Hiei wasn't looking at Kurama, but his Jagan glowed briefly.

It's not about changing the future, Hiei. Kurma quirked a smile. It's already happened.

An eye slid towards him. Don't scare him off or you'll spend the next thousand years crying in your weed nest, alone.

Why would I ever? Kurama grinned, revealing a bit of teeth. He's mine, after all.

"You being here—you're from the future right?" Lavi drummed his fingers impatiently on his lap. "You change history."

The boat had been much too small to fit them all, and right after they ended up on a train heading out of Europe down south. The journey was a long one, not to mention dangerous—too many exorcists tended to attract akumas, especially the presence of a rather striking oriental (with redhair?) amongst them. Most of the exorcists were making use of their time to read the dossier or to catch some sleep, which left Kurama staring out of the window, seat diagonal to one Kanda Yuu, whose reflection was clear on the window glass, dozing.

The Bookman in training had taken the liberty to seat next to him chatting his ears off ever since they boarded on the train—it seemed like the redhead was being his obnoxious personality, but Kurama knew better, especially with regards to the Bookman clan. The youth was testing his boundaries.

"History's already been written," he answered calmly.

"So anything that you're going to do is already written out, huh," Lavi mused, voice adopting a lower tone than his usual.

"I suppose."

"Say, then, do you believe in free will? If everything has already been planned, then we don't have a choice in what we end up doing, do we?"

"That depends. Do you believe in a god?"

Lavi paused, actually in thought. "Do you?"

"I've met him," Kurama replied.

"Oh?"

"Koenma—Lord Koenma," he mused. "Son of the ruler of the spirit world. I know him quite personally."

"So are you considered "divine intervention"?"

The fox demon bit back a laugh. "You could say so," he smiled. "What's your real question, Bookman-san? I've met your clan back in my day. Your tactics won't work on me."

"Lavi," the redhead corrected him. "Bookman is that old panda."

At Kurama's raised eyebrow, the exorcist leaned on his palm and eyed him. "What's your real purpose here? You're a thief. A killer. Aren't you?"

"My reputation truly precedes me," Kurama sighed. "Many things happened in the thousand years that I lived. I wouldn't be working for Koenma if I am still who I was before."

"What about your demon counterpart?"

"Youko has less restraint," he admitted. "You see as demons, our instincts drive us. However, what those instincts are based upon has changed."

Lavi's look was still calculating, but he made no comment. "So, why are you here?"

"You have a folder, don't you?"

"This thing doesn't say much," Lavi patted the item absentmindedly, having already skimmed through it. "It talks about the three worlds. Spirit energy, demon energy. About you and a bunch of people in the future. Classes of the demons and the sort."

The ever present smile on Kurama was starting to get unnerving. "And?"

"And," Lavi huffed. "It doesn't answer the question of 'what are you planning to do with Yuu?'"

Kanda groaned to himself as he stood back against a lamppost. Coming back to his native land was rather anticlimactic—there was the familiar brush of the native tongue, but that was to the extent of it. He hadn't been back in years and there was no surprise that nothing looked remotely nostalgic to him, but then again, he was from a town deeper in from the docks where the ship had dropped them off.

It was an immensely tiring journey in which he avoided the redhead newcomer at all costs, because even close proximity to the demon made his tattoo throb in ways he could not understand. It felt like the tendrils of the ink were growing further out on his skin, like it was alive, as ridiculous as it sounded.

Moreover he had the distinct feeling that he was being stared at twenty four seven, but he was not about to call the other on it, because that would be admitting that he was actually watching, likewise.

Damn, they just needed to find the stupid beansprout in this mass of people. Considering the younger's hair colour, it shouldn't be taking this fucking long—

"Allen!" Lenalee waved, excitement in her voice. "Over here!"

A white haired boy clad in the usual exorcist uniform leather looked up from munching some sort of glutinous sweets on a stick in the distance, smiling bright. He put the rest into his mouth and the stick came out clean. Thereafter, it was easily tossed into the nearby bin as he made his way towards the group of them standing awkwardly with their luggage in tow.

Then, the young boy's right eye suddenly whirled—followed by a demonic extrusion with one large red pupil zeroing in towards them.

"Everyone, get down!" Allen shouted, arm transformed into a canon of sorts. "He's an akuma!"

Kurama blinked when a bright burst of light headed straight for him, hand immediately whipping to the back of his hair in a reflex action. However there was no need for any deflection, for the person of his intense interest was surprisingly standing in front of him in a defensive stance, sword out.

"K-kanda?" Allen stuttered, surprised. "What are you doing? He's an akuma!"

"Stupid beansprout!" Kanda growled, snapping his sword back in place. "I don't know what's going on with your creepy eye but he's with us! Didn't Komui tell you shit?"

"Well, no," Allen retorted, eyes narrowing as he shifted his arm into a large sword, wielding it with ease. "Step away, Kanda. He's dangerous!"

"If he is an akuma, we'd all be fucking dead," Kanda deadpanned.

"Well, Yuu's got a point," Lavi scratched his head, amicable smile at ease. "Kurama came with us from the Order—there were plenty of chances to kill our asses along the way."

Allen paused, looking over their group. At Lenalee's nod, he lowered his stance, though still wary. "Who are you?"

"Kurama," the fox demon replied simply, amused. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Walker-san. I see you have some youki in you."

"…Youki?"

"Demonic energy," the redhead waved to the red eye. "A powerful one, too."

Allen furrowed his eyes at the stranger. "Your soul—…is in you," he observed, shock laced in his voice. "…A fox? What are you?"

"He's a fucking demon," Kanda stated impatiently, tapping his sheath. "The bean's here. Let's go."

The swordsman turned on his heels and strode in some direction, presumably towards where their accommodation were. Miranda and Lenalee hurried after him calling his name, leaving the remaining three following at a slower pace.

"Demon?" Allen repeated, alarmed. "Then he is—"

"Woah woah, calm down, Allen," Lavi soothed, stepping in when it seemed like it was going nowhere. "We'll explain everything soon, yeah?"

"But my eye—"

"Your eye grants you the ability to sense demonic energy," Kurama interrupted easily. "And as Yuu has said, I'm a demon. A fox demon. But I assure you I've come to help."

There was silence for a minute.

"Did…did you just…"

"Hmm…?"

"DidyoujustcallKandabyhisfirstname?!" Allen rushed, bewildered. "Lavi! Did he just—"

"Yeah he did," the exorcist replied sounding a little put out. "I dunno—you ask him about it," he continued, jabbing his thumb towards the oriental. "So, where's General Cross?"

Allen's face immediately turned black. "I don't know. We arrived here alright, then when we were meeting Krory, shishou went missing—"

"Kroykins?"

"Krory—ah! Where's Krory?"

"I think…I need a moment," Allen said faintly.

It was over dinner where they explained the situation to the two other exorcists—general still missing. They had checked in at a simple inn further inland, a meeting point for the rest of the exorcists to join them.

Krory sat blinking at the dossier set out in front of him as he continued to read it quietly.

"It's still hard to believe…" Miranda whispered softly. "Even if I was the one to bring him here…"

"I never thought demons were a species," Lenalee admitted, curling her fingers around her cup. "But if this is all real then…" she trailed off, not knowing now to continue. "Why?" she asked suddenly. "Why now? Why was Kurama sent to help us?"

"I tried badgering him about it but he said something about not being able to talk about things that might affect how history is supposed to go," Lavi sighed, looking mildly disappointed.

"So what does it mean? That we won? Or that we lost?"

The redhead shrugged.

"We have to have won, right?" Allen spoke up. "If the Earl won then there is no future for humanity."

"Kurama is demon." Lenalee reminded him.

Krory tapped the paper he was reading. "It does say that the human world is still intact…and also his teammates—two of them are humans."

"Who would've ever thought that humans and demons would work side by side one day…"

They lapsed into silence.

"You said Komui brought Kurama here?" Allen asked after a while. "How did Komui contact the future?"

"Maybe the future connected him?" Lavi put in. "Maybe they have time machines and—"

"How do we know it's not a trap?" Allen interrupted him steadily, looking concerned. "Isn't it too convenient to have a demon on our side who tells us that he can eliminate the Earl? Can he even do that?" he continued, frown deepening.

"I've got to say—Kurama is rumoured to be good, but he isn't that good," Lavi began, unsmiling as well. "I've never heard of an S class demon before, and it says it's beyond the capabilities of a group of A class to take one on."

It took a minute for Lavi to realise his mistake.

Everyone was looking at him bewilderedly, until Lenalee bit her lip, hurt expression flickering. "Lavi," she began softly, but it echoed louder with how empty the diner was. "How much of it have you known all along?"

Kurama let his lips curl slightly in victory when he stepped out on the roof, eyes immediately spotting the Japanese exorcist sitting on the edge with his sword propped up next to him. He had made an excuse to leave the table right after he'd eaten—he knew that the rest of them probably wanted time to talk without his presence, and he had given them the perfect opportunity to debate if they wanted to trust him.

He didn't make a sound until he was right next to the exorcist, and he placed a gentle hand on the other's shoulder.

Expectedly, Kanda did not take it well.

Kurama bit back a chuckle as he dodged the sword that came slicing towards his direction, landing safely several feet away.

"What the fuck are you trying to pull?" Kanda demanded, hand still wielding Mugen in a defensive position.

"You're avoiding me," Kurama said simply.

Kanda clicked his tongue and sheathed his sword back roughly, ignoring the words. He just wanted some peace and time alone, away from this weird creep who made his chest feel strange.

"Are you that afraid of me?"

"Who would be afraid of you?" Kanda muttered in return, mood worsening because he knew he was being baited. "I just don't want you to touch me, you fucking pervert."

Kurama raised his hands in a show of compliance. "Noted. But there will be a time where you'll be begging for it."

Kanda glared harder and made to leave, but the fox demon caught him by the wrist. The hold was gentle and delicate, yet it felt more dangerous than anything he'd ever known.

"Forgive me," Kurama murmured, stroking his skin as he met their gazes evenly. "I missed you. I haven't seen you in decades."

The redhead's eyes were starting to colour gold as he spoke, but his demon form did not peak through. Kanda swallowed inaudibly, taking an unconscious step back. Suddenly he wasn't aware of anything but Kurama in front of him.

"You won't understand this now," Kurama continued, his touch trailing up the other's arm. "But I'm sorry," he whispered, cupping Kanda's cheek gently. "I'm so sorry. Boku wo urushite, koishii."

"I-I said don't touch me!" Kanda snapped, slapping the other's hand away harshly.

But the fox demon caught his hand, gripping it like he exerted no strength. A range of unidentifiable emotions flickered in those green eyes before they disappeared, and Kurama let go of his grip, looking apologetic. "Sorry," he said once more, but it was in a very different tone from before. "I…I won't do it again."

At this, Kanda scoffed disbelievingly, surprising the other. "Why are you so interested in me?" he demanded. "I don't know who the fuck you are. And I am not your fucking lover."

Kurama gave him a smile. "Actually, you do know me. I met you, a long time ago."

"Definitely not."

"You have," Kurama murmured, a tinge of sadness barely noticeable. "You don't remember your family, do you?"

"How—" Kanda abruptly fell silent, which the other took the chance to continue.

"You don't remember anything before you were trained as an exorcist. You don't remember anything from your childhood. You don't remember how you got that mark on your chest."

The swordsman locked his jaw in place, breathing shallowly. "So?"

Kurama looked at him seriously. "Take off your shirt."

"…Are you fucking insane?"

The fox demon did not roll his eyes, but his tone was dry. "You obviously have questions that you want to ask, but you're too afraid to because you're scared of believing what they might imply," he said. "You want to know, don't you? About your mark?"

"What, you can tell me? I don't need to take my shirt off."

When it looked like the exorcist was not going to comply unless he was dead, Kurama sighed and placed his hand over the other's chest, closing his eyes briefly in concentration. Kanda's reflex action was to step back to avoid the touch, but for some reason he was drawn to it. The tattoo burned for a short moment before it cooled just as rapidly, and a red flush started to crawl up his neck. He didn't know he had his own eyes closed until Kurama spoke.

"Only seven more petals," Kurama smiled wryly. "You've got quite the death wish, Yuu. Or do you want to be mine so badly?"

The fox demon had a tinge of smirk but it faded when he suddenly straightened up, eyes snapping to the sky. "This land is filled with low level demons. I can smell it," he wrinkled his nose, eyebrows furrowing. "One is coming," he stated. "No—" he paused.

"Fifty."

the lotus' petal