A/N: This was written loooong ago. I just finished typing a bit of it, and I'll keep posting as I finish. I don't, and never will, sigh own the characters of Yu Yu Hakusho. Damnit!!! Enjoy.
The mind wanders precariously down a winding path in a forest called Life. Occasionally, the mind will stray from this path, distracted by something or scared off. Whether intentional or not, the mind more than likely will lose its way, but, with some luck, will find its way back to the path. The forest of Life is a dangerous place that can lose even the most experienced hiker.
She swayed her hips to the beat of the tribal drum. The fire behind ehr crackled with a life of its own. She felt good, as she always did when she danced. The cool night air was alive with the gentle plink of the beads that lined the girls' clothing.
The two dancers paused a moment to gather the coins kind people had thrown down for them. They had been this way for a while, almost as long as they could remember.
Tori was a very nimble dancer. Her brown hair hung well below her slim waist. As she danced again, it was flung around like a chocolate curtain. She wore an ankle-length sheer red-tinted skirt that draped well and low on her hips. Her navel was bare, surrounded by a flat stomach, a rarity nowadays. A crowd of men began to form as Taiko started to tap out a smooth, brisk rhythm.
Taiko had shoulder-length red hair that she tossed as she played her drums. She was dressed as a man. Just her presence prevented other men from taking advantage of Tori, and allowed her to stay relatively warm during the cold desert nights. But, this meant she was forced to bind her breasts to keep up the charade.
The fire died down a little and Taiko took this as her opportunity to shoo the men away. She set her drums next to her and stood, brushing herself off. "All right, all you go home to your wives. We should be staying here for a night or two, but, by all gods, don't even think about it!" she said in her most commanding manner. Slowly, they drifted away, leaving only two who dared to face Taiko, the warrior man's wrath.
Tori went to stand beside Taiko. Both looked at the men skeptically. They were very tall and well built as far as either of the two girls could tell. The taller of the two had long red hair with bright emerald eyes that danced in the dying firelight. The other had black hair and deep brown eyes that looked the two up and down. "They aren't awful looking..." Tori thought aloud. Naturally, in the language of Tori, this meant, "Let's go have sex with them." "They remind me of someone..." she added.
"No, they aren't," Taiko agreed. The two were obviously waiting for someone. No one ever lagged behind, except for the first time they had done this, because, let's face it, Taiko was an imposing man. They were dressed in worn traveler's clothes. A cloak over a rain slicker to keep them dry and warm.
The redheaded stranger stood and stared over towards the twin girls wearing an expression akin to disbeleif. He shifted his gaze to the tiny tents just inside the ring of light. Inside were bedrolls that he estimated could hardly fit his foot. There was a shifting of sand behind the tents and the stranger left the comforting light of the fire for the cold quiet outside. He found them walking around the tents kind of pacing back and forth. They were muttering from what he could tell.
"Well, they look alright, I'm sure they won't try anything...." Taiko said. "I mean, I'm here."
"Yes, but you can never be sure..."
"Well, I'm going to talk to them," Taiko said decidedly. She headed back to the fire and found herself lacking a visitor. The redheaded stranger was missing. Oh, well, she thought, I'll talk to him. Woo! He looks good! she added as an after thought. As she strode over, he righted himself lithely, like a cat.
"Sir, I would like to ask you some questions about two girls we're looking for."
She opened her mouth, then closed it. She was a man and therefore was prone to long silences. "Go on," she prompted.
"Well, one was a girl much resembling your companion, only not as thin and with shorter hair. The other had long red hair and was about your height, miss."
"Yes well, from your description, she doesn't seem a thing like me," she replied instantly, forgetting the long silence rule.
He smiled, noting the fact that "he" didn't correct him when he'd called "him" a miss. A fatal error for an impersonator.
Her eyes widened as she realized her mistake. Shit, she thought and mentally kicked herself. "You've caught me." She paused. "If either of you touch her against her will...."
"I promise, I won't touch her. There will be hell to pay, I know. My lady, I would be more concerned with your own safety. I find you more appealing than she." He sat down and patted the sand next to him, inviting her to sit with him.
Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline and the stranger laughed as she sat.
Out beyond the reaches of the fire, Tori stared up at the full moon as though at a long lost friend. A presence behind her stirred and brought the hairs on the back of her neck up.
A voice very close to her ear said, "It's very beautiful isn't it?" She could tell he wasn't referring to the moon by the way he caressed the curve of her neck. The voice was feminine with threatening undertones. She was afraid of this...thing.
She turned slowly, and saw, in the pale light of the moon, the red haired stranger. He smiled and pivoted to allow her passage back to the fire.
When they arrived at fireside, Tori shivered and Taiko looked up from the conversation she'd been having with the man who called himself Yusuke and disappeared only to return carrying a wool blanket from the tent. Tori put the blanket about her shoulders and sat down on the opposite side of the fire.
Taiko and Yusuke resumed their conversation with a hesitant "Anyway…" And Tori found herself drawn to the quiet red head, which sat staring into the fire. She felt as though she should recognize him, but she didn't know where she would have seen someone like him.
"So, what brings you here?" she asked, fumbling with the pendant that dangled at her throat.
"We're looking for some missing people." He held out a photo to her.
She took it and gazed in wonder at what she saw. Two young women were standing back to back, their forefingers forming the semblance of revolvers. Yusuke and his friend were on hands and knees, the girls' feet on their backs. The strange thing was, they seemed happy to be on the ground, like there was no place they'd rather be. Puzzled almost beyond belief, Tori turned the picture over. On the back, in fairly neat handwriting, it said, "Me, Yusuke, Sorna and Morgan. Last night at the Dark Tournament."
Kurama watched the woman he suspected to be his wife fumbling with the picture. "It was taken after we beat the opposing team. It was the first time they had tried their hand at competition."
Tori played withthe charm on her necklace again. There it was. That nagging thought that she should know what he was talking about. She handed the picture back to him. "I'm sorry," she said, and meant it. "I wish I could help, but I've never seen them before in my life."
Yusuke had just been explaining to her how he and his friend's wives had vanished. The tournament had ended and the four of them had gone back the the hotel room and slept off the effects of last night's celebration. When they had woken up, both had been lacking in female company. Sorna and Morgan were gone. Then Tori and Kurama had shown up and Taiko had played the part of concerned male to a 'T'.
But, Yusuke had handed her a different picture entirely. Hers had been one of two positively glowing brides. Burnette and redhead were dressed in flowing white gowns. The simple dresses and veils showed off the curves of their bodies.
Yusuke sighed and took it back from her outstretched palm. He stared at it longingly for a few seconds before putting it back in his pocket. Meanwhile, Taiko played with the little sapphire ring she always wore.
The reply that Taiko gave was much like the one Tori had given. She didn't pity them. Pity was a heartless emotion. Their situation was a terrible one, to be separated from one you loved so much for so long would rage war on their hearts. And it showed in their eyes. They lacked the spark of hope and they slouched, slumped over, as if protecting themselves from the hurt they have been suffering.
As the four were talking of their current and past lives, the fire burned down nearly to the coals. As was the girls' ritual, they broke off conversation with pleasant "excuse me"s and "just a moment"s and extinguished the fire. One picked up the small stones that circled the fire, the other pushed fresh sand over the ashes.
Hope you liked. Review, pleeeeeeeeeeeease!
Spawn of Satan