TCA-Hey there, this is the first story that I shall be posting up, and yes it will be multi-chaptered but only if I get reviews. I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters. Creative criticism is allowed but flames are not, I shall delete them. So let's begin…enjoy the fanfiction!
Yomi, the blind lord of a full one-third of the Makai, was leisurely reclining against his pillows. He had an ungodly amount of them and they covered more than half of the bed. That was quiet a feat considering that the bed was every bit as extravagant as the pillows, more than long enough to comfortably hold his six foot frame, and certainly wide enough to hold several people. Not that Yomi would ever want several people in his bed. He was rather content in his own bed, which was in his own room, which was in his own wing, which was part of his own castle, which was part of his own kingdom. In short life was sweet…or at least that was what he was constantly telling himself.
How could he not enjoy the power that had come to him with the loss of his sight? He had been lord of his own territory for about five hundred years! No one could tell him what to do or when to do it, because he was in charge. And he hated every single second of it.
Once upon a time he had been the second in command to a band of thieves. He had lived dangerously, he had lived simply, he had been the yes man to the greatest thief of all time, and he had loved every second of it. Youko Kurama had been fierce and under his watchful eyes anything could be achieved. However if one was to go beyond those watchful eyes they would end up dead. Well, at least most of the time they would end up dead. To Yomi's knowledge, he was the only one who had ended up alive after angering the spirit fox. Granted he was blind…but he was still alive. Back then things had been so much simpler and though life was rough it was also kind. Sometimes Yomi thought of his old life as a mother; it had schooled him, scolded him, taken care of him, and even punished him when it was necessary. Life had been all about him and now life was all about his kingdom. True, there was a pleasure in it, but certainly not the sort of pleasure that had came from a good raid.
Yomi sighed and ran his hand slowly through his ebony hair, moving it off of his six ears, and making sure that it had not knotted around his horns. His hair had a horrid habit of tangling around his horns so that when he moved his head it hurt. It was remedied easily if his hair was short or braided, but he didn't feel right that way. A loud yawn burst fourth from Yomi's lips. He covered his mouth with his hand, because yawning loudly was not lordly behavior, and even though he was in his own room he still had to carry an air of authority. Now he knew how Youko had to feel, being regal all the time. It was rather ridiculous.
He heard the pitter patter of feet on the hallway floor. Judging by the softness of the footsteps it had to be Youda, his advisor. A few minutes later a knock was heard on the thick wooden chamber door. Yomi smiled slightly.
"Come in Youda." Yomi threw the invitation out casually. Youda accepted, walking into the demon lord's room and sitting down on a chair. Yomi nodded his head, signaling that it was okay for his adviser to speak.
"I've prepared the room for Kurama, just as you wished, and the invitation has been sent." Youda looked pointedly at Yomi, who could tell that Youda was displeased by the heat radiating from his eyes and his scent. "Though I do not see why we must have him here, wretched thing that he is…" Youda continued to mutter on and on about how Kurama was not to be trusted, and how he was a bad influence on Yomi.
Yomi already knew those things to be false. Hell that was part of the reason that he wanted Kurama to come! The delight of having a 'bad' influence around, the memories of having fun…there were just so many things…So many things that he missed and so many things that the reincarnated kitsune could bring. He always possessed a certain wisdom and flair for preparation that Yomi had always lacked.
"Youda, stop. The fact that I trust Kurama even after what he did to me should give you a reason to trust him as well. Or do you doubt my decision?" Yomi's voice hardened slightly and he pushed himself up to 'look' at Youda. The old youkai shook his head.
"I don't doubt you my lord. It's just…why him of all people? He's betrayed your trust once and I do not intend to give him the chance to do it again." Youda let out an exasperated breath and tapped his foot firmly against the wooden floor under his feet. "Lord Yomi, I'm going to have him kept under constant watch. If he so much as sneezes we shall know about it."
A rather large grin found its way onto Yomi's face at that remark and he laughed rather loudly.
"Youda…with my hearing I don't need anyone to watch him! I'll be able to hear him if he sneezes, or anything like that." He stretched out and then stood up. "But let's be serious. Kurama should be arriving shortly. I want to inspect his living quarters; after all if he is going to be my advisor then his rooms should be outfitted appropriately. I couldn't have my old partner shacked up in rotting lodgings, it just wouldn't be appropriate."
Youda nodded his head and followed his lord out of the room and through the corridors. Most of them were not decorated, but the wings in which Yomi's higher up staff lived were a completely different story. These hallways were draped lavishly in velvet tapestries, hung with rich oil paintings, and strewn with baubles of all variety.
Kurama's hallway had been decorated according to Yomi's orders. The tapestries were all in silk and velvet. Strands of gold and silver were woven into them, creating images of kitsunes in their natural play. Yomi knew that this was all in the right order because he could feel the images when he ran his hands over the tapestries.
The floors had been swept clean, mopped down, and polished until they shined bright as diamonds. Yomi could smell the clean, roses and cinnamon, and it hung heavily in the air. Even the doors had been polished.
"So far this is most appropriate Youda. I'm very pleased." Youda smirked proudly at his lord's appraisal. He had spent a great deal of time supervising the project and those few words were the precious congratulations that he got. They were like jewels; each had its own insurmountable worth.
The two entered into what was to be Kurama's study and Yomi immediately began to explore the room, poking at some things, nodding his head in appreciation, and checking to make sure Kurama's desk was properly equipped. Satisfied that it was, Yomi walked through another door.
This door led to the room that Kurama would be sleeping in. Yomi spent a large quantity of time sifting through this room.
The pillows were covered in white silk with golden velvet trimming. The comforter was the same way. Yomi could tell because the scent of dye was still in the air, each color slightly different then the last. He ran his fingers lightly over the bed, imagining Kurama, as he had been so long ago, draped casually there.
Yomi sighed and Youda stepped back, allowing Yomi to judge the rooms. He continued to touch every little thing, making sure that the rooms were perfect. It was for Youko Kurama, no 'Shuichi Minamino' and so it had to be perfect. Kurama was perfect…
"Very good job Youda! Most impressive, I do believe that it shall be up to Kurama's taste." Yomi clapped slightly and then began to move back to his corridor. He needed to plan a few things before he let Kurama into his territory. Kurama was going to forget everything that happened, and remember it all in excruciating detail. That was what Yomi wanted, and damn it all that was what he was going to get!
As Kurama began to approach Yomi's territory the demon lord sent out a few guards to 'meet' the Kitsune. He had to make sure that Kurama was still as skilled as he had been when they were younger…and he was not disappointed. The guards, skilled warriors in their own right, fell as if they had never fought a single fight in their lives.
'Perfect,' Yomi thought with a grin. He stepped out of the shadows, eager to embrace his old friend. However, when Kurama looked at him he did not look at his face and his eyes were chilled.