Prologue
327 Years previous
Bats and foxes never did get along.
But these two did.
This particular bat loved the night, hiding, and thieving.
This particular fox loved thieving, cunning, and ingenuity.
So far, a good pair.
"Get a move on, Kuronue, you old bat!" Youko Kurama shouted as he sprinted away from the mansion.
"Can it, fox! I am not old!" Kuronue retorted, but nevertheless picked up his speed.
"If you are ever planning on being the second-in-charge in my famous band of thieves, you also better plan on getting faster!" Youko's silver hair whirled behind him as he leapt over a fallen tree branch.
"Your…. famous band of thieves? What you actually mean… is that you hope to be my right-hand-man…. in my famous band of thieves!" Kuronue gasped for air. He never was one much for endurance.
"You're just as ignorant as ever, bat. Ever since we were children, you have deluded yourself with ideas of grandeur. Leave it to those who may actually achieve something in life."
"And you're just as… arrogant as ever, fox. Ever since we… were children, you have lifted yourself up on a… pedestal of imagined pride!" The silver-haired fox demon would have retorted had it not been for the angry cries of the mob that rose into the moonlight behind them. "I suppose they are angry ….because you stole their master's treasure?"
"I suppose they are angry because your clumsiness allowed them to catch us red-handed!" Youko said, but with a tone of friendly affection. "A real thief slips in and out without detection!"
"You think it was my fault that…. they had an extra guard hiding behind that… garrison? No such sentry… was indicated in the blue prints!" Kuronue snapped angrily. Kurama chuckled at his friend's frustration.
"A true thief plans for every possibility!" Kurama pushed his pace faster, trying to encourage Kuronue to speed up. The mob was growing nearer. Suddenly, a wall of spikes volleyed upward from the ground, blocking their path. They both skidded to a stop. The voices were getting louder.
"Did you plan for this, oh Master Thief?" Kuronue said sarcastically. The fox looked worried and shook his head.
"No time for jokes." Kurama breathed hard, looking all around him.
"Plan?" Kuronue asked.
"Plan." Youko confirmed. "We have to split up. You go left, I'll go right. You know where to meet up." Kuronue nodded. "Then go!" and with that, the pair separated, sprinting in opposite directions.
Youko Kurama spent days waiting for his comrade at the underground cave- their meeting point.
Kuronue never arrived.