Forget-Me-Not

Chapter 1: Quaking Grass ~ Agitation

I remember the night we met so clearly. Back then, everything was so different. Looking on that time now, things that seemed so important really hadn't been important at all. I wish I had known that then.

The night we met, I was searching for an artifact, its name lost to me long ago. Little did I know that I wasn't the only one looking for it…

Thunder cracked in the distance, as it usually did in the Demon World. It was nearly clockwork as it served to mark the time that I had been crouched down in wait. Thirty times the thunder had rumbled; only one more time and I would make my move

Finally, lightning flashed. In the brief light, movement from the ceiling caught my attention. It was headed for my target and, as the thunder resounded through the fortress, I leaped into action. As I approached the artifact that I had hunted for weeks, I found myself face to face with another. I didn't recognize him from my patrols earlier in the week. This fortress didn't harbor any bat demons.

We reached for the artifact at the same time. Our eyes met, I frowned, "Back off. This artifact is mine." A slender eyebrow disappeared beneath the brim of his hat.

"I think you mean the artifact is mine. First come, first serve, buddy." The bat demon smirked at me. Just as I was about to unleash my full rage, and my rose whip, on him, a loud snore echoed through the halls. We both jumped and turned to the source. I had been so distracted that I'd forgotten about the massive sleeping troll that served as a guard over the artifact.

I turned to the bat demon and whispered, "If he wakes up, we're done for. I'm taking the artifact. I've cased this place for the past week in order to steal it." The bat gaped at me.

"No way! I only just scoped the place out in the last twenty-four hours. I say it's mine since I got in here way quicker," he whispered back.

"If you know what's best for you, you'll leave." My voice thick with venom as I glared at him. His dark eyes stared into mine for a moment before, finally, he shrugged. He flashed me a toothy grin and, with a flutter of his wings, snatched up the artifact and started to fly away. Without thinking better of it through my rage, I lashed out at him with my whip. It caught around his ankle and I yanked him back down to the floor. He gave a shocked yelp and landed with a heavy thud, dropping the artifact. I picked it up were it landed and pocketed it.

There was a lull in the troll's snoring, but the bat was too stunned to notice. He shot to his feet and whispered as though to yell at me, "That hurt, you damn fox!" The troll rolled over, his slumber disturbed. Without time to think, I grabbed the bat demon by his bicep and dragged him being me as I ran.

"Do you think before you act, or are you just an idiot?" I asked him.

"You're the one who caused all that racket!" He yelled back at me.

"And yet, you're the one who keeps yelling." I smirked as his face flushed in fury, but he at least kept his mouth shut. Luckily for us both, I had an escape route planned in case something unexpected occurred. Not that luck had anything to do with it. I always came prepared with a multitude of back up plans. Just as we rounded a corner and squeezed through a crack in the wall, the troll let loose a deafening roar. I clamped my hands over my ears, seeing the bat do the same, and waited for the echoes to subside. Once they had, I beckoned for him to follow me. "This passage will lead us out of the castle undetected. After that, however it will be a mad dash to the underground cave system that will lead us to complete safety." He nods and the two of us set out at a run as the castle begins to shake under the troll's footsteps.

The sun had begun to rise by the time we reached safety. It was tempting to stay in the cave and get some sleep, but I knew my men would be waiting for me. The bat demon stood from the cave wall where he'd slumped momentarily to catch his breath. Lifting his hat from his forehead, he wiped the sweat from his brow before putting it firmly back in place. He then turned to me, extending a hand, "Thanks for helping me escape back there. I think we actually made a pretty great team, all things considered."

I stared at his hand, my gaze traveling slowly up his arm and across his chest to his face. Even though he had more than earned my ire, I had to admit he was a beautiful creature. It was a shame I did not have the time for some fun.

I had always been impartial to gender. What mattered to me was beauty. There were other things, as well, that I cared about. I wasn't shallow and I didn't give myself to just anyone, but that is a topic for another time.

Meeting his gaze, I raised an eyebrow, "Interesting how you use the word 'team' when you did nothing but get in the way." I turned from him, "I must be on my way. I hope our paths do not cross again." Without waiting for a response, I left the cave. I ran for a few miles, putting as much distance as I could between myself and that bat, eager to get back to my men. I put a hand to my hip, checking to make sure the artifact was still secure, and felt nothing. I halted in my tracks.

It was impossible that I had dropped it. I would have noticed that. My mind raced, trying to come up with a plausible explanation as to what had happened. I came to only one possible conclusion. That damn bat. He tried to pull a fast one on me. He had pulled a fast one. He was going to regret it.

I immediately headed back for the cave. It hadn't been very long, so picking up his scent and tracking it would be child's play. However, when I arrived at the cave, much to my surprise, and delight he was still there. The moron hadn't even the common sense to run with his prize. He looked up as I entered.

"I'll admit, it took you a tad bit longer to get back than expected. All in all, though, not very long at all. You're sharp." He gives me a cheeky grin that I immediately want to claw off his face, though I keep myself carefully calm.

"You were a fool, stealing from me and not running. You could have prolonged your life for at least another hour. Two hours, tops." I gave him a smirk, "Of course, your first mistake was stealing from me in the first place."

The bat barely batted an eye, that cheeky grin still in place, "Except, I wanted you to find me. Why prolong the inevitable? Better to take you out here than be bothered by you chasing me around Makai." A pair of twin scythes appeared from behind his back. Interesting. I couldn't recall ever seeing such a weapon choice before. I was briefly intrigued on whether he was actually any good with them as he lowered himself into a defensive stance. Unfortunately, I didn't have that kind of time.

"I'm not fighting you." No sooner had the words left my lips than vines from the cave walls shot out to ensnare the bat, wrapping around his arms and legs and across his chest and abdomen. He gave a yelp of surprise as he was lifted towards the ceiling of the cave. "You see, I'm a bit pressed for time and… well, look at that." I took a moment to admire my handiwork. I was again struck by this demon's beauty. "Really is a shame. You make such a pretty ornament, strung up like that from the ceiling," I reached up to run one clawed finger down the side of his face with a dark chuckle as a shiver runs over his body, "Normally, I'd take the time to play with you, but, alas, as I mentioned before, time is something I do not have. And you stole from me, which really pisses me off. You're lucky I don't just kill you." He struggled against the vines, only to have them wind more tightly around him. I took his scythes and threw them on the ground behind him and checked for the artifact, which I found in his satchel. "Good luck getting down. If anything finds you here before then, well…" I gave him an ice-cold glare, "You deserve it."

"Wait!" He called out to me as I turned to leave, "You're Youko, the legendary thief, aren't you?"

I barely paused, giving him a smirk over my shoulder, "He finally catches on." Without another word, I leave the cave for a second time, too much time wasted, souring my mood as I ran.

By the time I reached my men, my mood had festered and fermented in my gut, twisting it into rage. I was ready to either kill or fuck someone. Maybe both and not necessarily in that order. The men sensed it as I moved among them, depositing the artifact in the center of camp for my handler to make arrangements to either sell or store it, depending on the camp's current needs. I paid no mind to the surrounding whispers they made to each other, warning one another to steer clear. Boss was in a foul mood. One such unfortunate peon was fool enough to ignore the warnings and approached to inquire as to what had kept me so late. No sooner had the words passed his lips than my claws were tearing out his throat.

I licked the blood from my fingers thoughtfully, a bit of my rage appeased in a rush of adrenaline, but I still was not satisfied. I had killed, but I still needed someone to fuck. I cast my gaze over my men to see if there were any good candidates, smirking as they all scattered from my sight, too terrified to be caught under it in case I decided to further slake my bloodthirst. At least none of them were fool enough to approach me, again. I frowned, though, knowing none of them were worth my time having sex with. I needed to find a toy worth breaking.

"We're going to town," I announced to the camp suddenly and the air audibly breathed a sigh of relief. They knew they were safe for now and set about excitedly preparing to go into town.

A young upstart I had recently taken under my wing, but whose name I had yet to bother remembering, approached me carefully, "Sir, you took a bit longer than expected making it back to us this time." I glared at him and he shrank back on instinct, but I forced down my urge to kill him and growled instead.

"I ran into a rather annoying nuisance." A rather attractive, annoying nuisance. Too bad I didn't have him to play with right now… I shook my head clear of those thoughts, "Never you mind, brat. Get out of here." He wasted no time removing himself from my sight as I joined the troupe heading for town. As we walked, I put the agitating bat from my mind and effectively forgot all about him as the night wore on.

Little did I know that we were to meet again several years later.

A/N:

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