Summary: Youko Kurama's human mother is dead, his human life has come to an end as he travels back to the Makai in an attempt to become who he once was. Of course before he even gets a chance to, he is approached with an interesting propostion. Story is set right before the dark tournament, and as of now, Kurama has yet to meet Hiei or Yusuke. Wonder what's gonna happen eh?
Riding Deception: Prologue- A Whisper in Time
'Life, love, fate and destiny…all cherished feelings and ideals that I hate beyond reasoning. It seemed like the days of glory had long passed and I am like a lost kit in search of the great treasure. A lost kit that is intentionally being fucked with that is.
Lady Fate's been playing games with me and I have no choice but to participate. Her game of love gained and love lost; her game of life. These endless circles she's led me in have done nothing but confuse me, and yet I can feel that she is taunting me. I'm drowning in a sea of darkness that I myself have created. My once cold heart has now become ice, and the fiery infernos of hell wouldn't melt it.
When I look in the mirror, what do you think I see? It is naught but a shadow of a shadow. So you see, to me, there is nothing in that mirror except perhaps, emptiness. A void, deeper and darker than one could even imagine. God, I sound like a twisted poet. But you see, there's always been much more to me.
Sure you look on the outside and here in the ningen world I am all but imperfect…but I am a demon. A demon in hiding, a coward and a beast all at the same time. I've walked down this path of life before, but every time I try to shake her, fate guides me back. It seems I am destined to suffer the whims of an unnamed deity.
I'm looking into the oceans now; the tides and waves cause a calm feeling to wash over me. But I know better then to relax in demon country. Walking down the beach, the sands cushioning my feet, I see my past life. What's happened here and there, my dark times and the very rare happy moments...
I see the demon in myself, in which I can only see because I have turned human. Causing chaos, havoc, and pain. I miss my Youko days; I miss my past life. Because back then, I wouldn't have experienced this pain.
Such heartache, an unnecessary emotion. A weak emotion, a very ningen emotion. For no demon would be caught alive with it.'
He turned and walked back into the vast forest, deeper and deeper into the heart of the dark and dangerous wilderness. Plants stretched out to him as if to welcome back a long lost friend...a master. A forgotten past. Of course, who could resist such temptation? He just kept walking, knowing he was safe in the most dangerous of places.
~-Koenma-~
"-sure why not, attempted murder being passed, I don't care, come back from the dead, hell why not, propositi-" a short figure muttered. Hmm…I wonder who this might be.
"KOENMA SIR!" O, oops. Looks like you know.
"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Koenma stumbled as he tried to regain his balance as he stood on his chair stamping papers.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR OGRE?!" A blue, low-classed demon with a horn in the middle of its head backed up in fear.
"B-but Koenma sir! I have very important news! It's-"
"AND I COULD CARE LESS! I have more then enough papers to stamp thank you and my poor palm is starting to blister." Koenma blew around his pacifier at his hand in irritation.
"But Koenma sir! A human just crossed the border of the Ningenkai and Makai! He cou-" Koenma jumped.
"WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE! You know you could have given me a heart attack when you came in and then where would the spirit world be?" Koenma glared at him as he took the papers.
"But Koenma sir-" The ogre scrambled to explain the improbability of an immortal dying from a heart attack, but he never could get a word in edgewise…such was his fate.
"Well Ogre? What are you waiting for?! Go get that human before he gets killed….it is a 'he' right?" Koenma said as he looked at the profile picture.
Ogre sighed. There was no getting by Koenma without getting your butt fried over spilled milk was there?
"Yes Koenma sir, it's a human boy."
~-Kurama-~
'Things certainly haven't changed much here since I last came.' It's been three weeks since his mother had grown ill and died. Yeah, how abrupt right? So bluntly put you would've thought her death hadn't even fazed him, but it really was as simple as that.
His ningen mother is dead, and now there is nothing holding him back from the Makai any longer.
Kurama looked around as he took in his surroundings. His eyes glazed as he scanned the horizon. Nothing had truly changed at all. Everything is as it was sixteen years ago.
'How Beautiful.' Kurama gazed at the stars above him. The night was clear and devoid of clouds and thunderstorms, an all time rare for this particular forest, in which you could hardly see beyond it's occupant's branches.
Kurama continued on, only to stop at a seemingly delicate and innocent wooden gate. He remembered finding this gate over two hundred years ago, it was a gate after his own heart. It was a natural gate made of several deadly carnivorous plants intertwined to create the illusion of a door. The plants would snatch up anyone that came within three yards of it, the perfect defense.
The death tree formed the gatepost and could be seen opening its mouth as acid saliva slipped out and onto the dirt, burning holes in the hard ground. The spitfire turning it's blossom to his shadowed figure, keeping track of his movements; and the devil's tempest unraveling its poisonous vines from the gate to travel to him in a cautious approach.
The plants varying around him stirred to life, greeting him with snarls and sparks as vines moved to open the dark yet magnificent gate.
He was finally home.
~-?-~
"Hmm…that energy…where have I sensed it before…?" A tall, heavily muscled figure shadowed by the trees in his training ground stood. He wiped his forehead clean of the sweat that covered his body. His eyes narrowed. "Aniki."
"What can I do for you otouto…" A high pitched voice squealed.
"Inform Sakyo that I have a favor to ask of him."
"Of course…otouto."
~-Koenma-~
'Arrgh...what's keeping that blue skinned moron anyway?! It's been a week since I told him to go get the human boy out of the Makai but noooo he hasn't even come back yet.' To tell the truth, he was worried. He didn't understand how a regular human boy could get through the barrier between the two worlds. It had to have been a mistake, a breech in the defenses.
"Koenma sir!" The ogre burst through the large golden doors before stopping to regain his breath. "I'm back with some news about the boy, well it's more like no news but-"
"Get on with it Ogre!"
"Uh...ok..um..uh..." Even from the other side of the room Koenma could tell the ogre had a stupid confused expression on his face. He could feel veins twitching in irritation. He was going to kill this ogre someday.
"Well um, we found out the area where the boy is residing, but we can't get anywhere near him so we don't exactly know where he is because there's all these creepy vines and dangerous plants around it, so I can't really see how the boy got past them in the first place." By the time Ogre was done, he was heaving giant gulps of air; smiling as he had remembered what he had come to say.
Koenma blinked…that was it? It took the blue imp one whole WEEK JUST TO GET THIS MUCH?!
"OGRE!"
"eep!"
~-Kurama-~
The grass is always greener on the other side. Is that not true? The Makai had always been his home, and it will stay that way. Though he had thought it would change after becoming….ningen.
After all, many things can happen in sixteen years, but it's been a week since arriving in Makai again and he certainly wouldn't want to go back to the Ningenkai any longer.
Kurama seemed to sigh at this as he looked out the panel-less window to the lake in his new yet old home.
This den of his, is the only place he could trust himself to sleep in in the Makai. The cottage-like den was hidden deep within the forest by mounds of dirt, hills, and trees. It was carved out of the cave hanging off the side of a small mountain; protected by plants, sheer drops and cliffs. The perfect hideout.
It's not like you could see it in this darkness anyway but he certainly could, and it's always a good thing to take precautions. Though I must say, in the dawn, this would be the most beautiful place in the world.
Of course he didn't stay in this place much considering his life as a thief, it's hardly logical to stay in one place, what with the hunters and bounties on his head and such. Being the most wanted thief in Makai and Ningenkai doesn't quite help either but staying in a place where they can find you was like walking around bare-naked with a sign around your neck saying 'shoot me.'
Although he wasn't alone his entire life in Makai…there was another. Kurama's eyes seemed to sadden as he recalled his former partner, but narrowed, as they seemed to remind him of how he was killed.
Kurama was…fond of Kuronue, and even though he was gone, his treasures, our treasures, were hidden in this den and all our riches made us more then capable of living the life of luxury.
Kurama groaned. He was thinking waaaaay too much. He was going to get a migraine soon, he was sure of it. 'It may be peaceful here but I sure as hell am not getting any rest.'
He walked along the corridors of his home thinking…again. It had always been quite quiet around here without his former partner, who laughed and joked at every chance he got, grinning like a maniac when he got Kurama to chuckle, but that was a long time ago.
He sighed. He really seemed to be doing that a lot these days. Walking through a veil of vines that served as a door he entered a beautiful garden. Though one would think a pair of thieves would want privacy and place a door, the plants outside were reassuring enough and more then capable of warding away intruders. Having doors to a cave just made it more tempting to stray cats anyway.
Exiting the den completely, he was faced with the lake, a clearing, and a bunch of wild flowers and spider lilies meeting his eyes. Kurama smiled, if it was one thing he appreciated, it was beauty. The stars made the night all the more perfect…or at least as perfect as it can get.
'Yes, it really is good to be home.'
A light snapping sound resounded from the front of his home breaking him out of his reverie. His eyes narrowed. Someone had entered his territory and set off one of his alarms. The snapping came from gas pods that hung off the vines in the surrounding trees that responded to heat. They continued to snap as the entity moved. This type of alarm had been quite entertaining; simply because he enjoyed the look the victims had before realizing such an innocent looking plant was to be the cause of their demise.
Kurama turned around and made his way quickly back through the garden and jumped onto the rock slab above his den. He stealthily made his way over the vine and moss covered surface and ran along the edges keeping low in the case his prey were to detect him.
Several snapping sounds could be heard as he turned one last time. He was about to jump his prey only to come to a halt as he realized just who his prey is.
Kurama smirked. This was going to be interesting, after all, what would a human and the almighty Toguro want to do with him?
TBC
A/N: This entire story is being revamped a little bit. Minor things are being edited to fit the storyline better. New reviews would really help encourage me to continue (I mean really), it's been so long you guys probably thought I gave up huh? Well I hope you all enjoy it still!
