This is my first Fic using Yoko Kurama and Kuronue as main characters. Not much is known about Kuronue, except that he was Yoko's partner. Now most everyone agrees that Yoko and Kuronue were not gentle or kind, but they weren't evil and cruel, either. So, they may seem a little too nice in this, but, well, they are taking care with a new treasure of theirs...you'll see. Any reviews are welcome, but go easy on the flaming. Here we go................
Note: whatever is telepathic communication, usually between Yoko and Kuronue. All Japanese words will be translated at the bottom.
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Yoko Kurama stopped at the beginning to a hallway. Moonlight shone in through a window, reflecting off his silver hair and gold eyes. A light breeze came in from outside. All was still quiet, almost too quiet. Everything had been going smoothly and that was exactly the problem. Something always went wrong. Maybe not a huge thing, but always something happened that they hadn't planned for.
Footsteps came from behind him and he tensed, ready for whoever was unfortunate enough to find him. He relaxed a fraction when he sensed a familiar ki. He turned slightly as his partner, Kuronue, stepped up next to him.
We've finished with the West Wing. Kuronue thought. Yoko nodded. The two thieves silently walked down the last hall. They had seen no trace of the owner of this wealth as they cleaned out most of the valuable items from the house. They sensed ki as they turned the last corner and almost ran into an older youkai, who had been closing and locking a door. He threw up his hands as if to ward off the two intruders.
More footsteps sounded softly behind Kuronue and Yoko. Neither one made any movement toward the footsteps, since they sensed their crew coming. The older youkai paled.
"Leave me alone. Please, I'll give you a fourth of my wealth, just leave her alone." His voice was thin and panicked.
Her? Yoko thought.
A fourth of his wealth for a female? She must be something!! Kuronue responded, his mindvoice tinged with excitement. Yoko chuckled as he grabbed the older youkai and shoved him into the waiting arms of the crew.
"Don't even think to tell us what we can't have." He growled low in his throat. Kuronue slipped past them and opened the door that the older youkai had been blocking. The lock was simple enough to pick.
"Yoko." He called. The older youkai's eyes widened.
"Yoko?" he whispered, "Yoko Kurama?" The crew chuckled as Yoko grinned, showing his fangs. He joined Kuronue in the doorway and hissed in anger.
This is no way to treat a treasure worth a fourth of your wealth. Yoko commented, his mindvoice cold.
No it isn't. Kuronue responded, his voice equally icy. Treasures should be well cared for, especially living treasures. The room was dark. The one window in the room had been covered with heavy drapes. The only light spilled in from the hallway behind them.
A single pallet lay in the middle of a dirty floor. The room was barely big enough for three people. A young youkai was lying on the pallet, shackled to the floor. She was very quiet and hadn't so much as twitched at the strong ki of the two partners. Her clothes, that had once been a long sleeved shirt and long pants, were in tatters that looked as if the slightest breeze would blow them away.
Her face was covered in half healed cuts and bruises. Her lips were cracked and dry. She was pale, weak. The two youkai could feel her ki flickering as they stood there. Dried blood was caked on her face and matted in her hair. There was dried blood everywhere, her clothes, the pallet, the floor, and the walls.
"I say we take this treasure." Kuronue said, his voice hard.
"I agree." Yoko replied as he carefully stepped into the room. He knelt down next to the pallet and touched the shackles. He muttered a few words and a red light flared at each lock. The shackles fell away, echoing in the tiny chamber.
Yoko moved aside as Kuronue entered and took his place next to the young youkai. He gently slid his arms under her and lifted her. She groaned in pain, but didn't wake. Yoko, then Kuronue with the girl, emerged back into the hallway where their crew waited. The older youkai started trembling when he saw what Kuronue had in his arms.
"I third of my wealth!" he pleaded, voice quaking. Yoko looked at Kuronue, who shook his head.
"Ok! Ok! Half! I'll give you half." The older youkai was clearly terrified at the thought of losing the girl.
Worth Half? I know how much he owns! What is so special about her? And yet, he doesn't take care of her. Kuronue thoughts filled Yoko's head.
"Alright." Kuronue said. "Give our men half your wealth and we'll give you the girl." The older youkai rushed off, almost dragging the crew behind him in his haste. Soon they returned, laden with bags of coins.
Wonderful! Yoko thought. Add that to what we already stole, plus the girl and we, well, made out like bandits. Yoko grinned at Kuronue at his obvious pun. Kuronue obliged him by groaning.
"I gave you half, now give me the girl." The older youkai held out his arms.
What a Fool! Kuronue sneered.
Yoko narrowed his eyes. "We changed our minds. If she's worth so much, we can't just leave her here."
"NO! You said...." the older youkai started to protest.
"Baka! Be grateful we don't take your life for annoying us." Kuronue snarled. Yoko struck the youkai over the head and motioned for the others to head out.
"All in all, a good night, eh Yoko?" Kuronue asked as they cleared the perimeter of the grounds.
Yoko showed fangs. "Yes and it will be all the better when we figure out who and what she is."
"We should Mark her, Yoko, so no one else can steal what we rightfully took. Even our own crew might be tempted to take her. You and I will share her wealth, just like we do everything else."
"Agreed, but let's wait until we see what she says. We'll have to tread carefully so as not to unknowingly damage her value." Yoko said. The gang of thieves faded into the night with all their treasure.
Memories of pain and torture came rushing back and she sat up with a cry. She lunged away from the warmth that she was now convinced was a trick to catch her. Her body wasn't obeying her commands and she started to fall. Strong hands caught her and held her close.
"It's ok. You're safe here." a voice murmured. She looked up. She was being held by a male youkai. He had long black hair and black eyes. A pendent hung from a silver chain around his neck. Her eyes widened and she started shaking as she sensed the strength of his ki.
He set her down on something soft. Another face came into view. This one had gold eyes and long silver hair. A detached part of her mind identified him as a kitsune. He smiled gently.
"He's right. You have nothing to fear." His voice was soft and soothing. She recognized his strength and a small whimper escaped her as she tried to shift away from him. He reached out and carefully brushed her hair away from her face.
"Don't be afraid. Neither one of us will hurt you." he said.
"What do you want?" she asked, whispering. Terror filled her voice.
"Nothing." the first voice spoke again. "We just wanted to get you out of that disgusting place. I'm Kuronue and this is my partner, Yoko." She didn't believe them. Everyone wanted something. And she was very valuable. That's why no one would leave her alone.
She opened her mouth to speak, when a huge cough racked her lungs. She doubled over, trying to breathe. She saw red at the edge of her vision and felt hands grabbing her and she struggled to get away. They held firm and she felt something cool and soothing flow down her throat. The coughing eased.
She lay still, eyes closed, just breathing. She realized that someone was stroking her hair. She should protest, should shy away, but right now it felt good and she wouldn't mind if it didn't stop. She felt another hand touch her chest and she opened her eyes, fear forming. Yoko shushed her. He was holding a goblet in one hand.
"Drink this. It will help heal that cough." She tried to sit up, too weak to protest. Plus it was an order. You didn't disobey orders. She was able to lift herself a few inches before her arms gave out. As she started to sink back, she was held and shifted into a sitting position. She looked back and saw that Kuronue was holding her, supporting her, since she couldn't.
"It's ok." he said, quietly. "You won't fall." She turned back to Yoko and tentatively sipped the goblet. It was the same cool stuff that she had been given before. Yoko must have poured it down her throat earlier. She could barely hold the cup. Yoko held his hand over hers to steady it. It tasted good, which surprised her. Weren't all Healing brews supposed to taste awful?
When she was finished, she collapsed back, leaning against Kuronue's chest. She whimpered as she realized what she was doing and tried to sit up. She failed. Kuronue pulled her back against him, stroking her hair again.
"It's alright. Just rest. We won't hurt you." His voice whispered in her ear. She felt her eyes grow heavy and she drifted into dreamless sleep.
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Shaina woke a while later, she wasn't sure how much, since time was lost to her. The room was quiet. She glanced around, the room was empty of both Yoko and Kuronue. She carefully sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She was feeling better. It looked like her Healing power had been at work while she slept.
Shaina gingerly put weight on her feet and stood. The room spun for a moment, then settled. She took a deep breath and studied the room around her. The walls were made of rock. If she had to guess, she'd say it was part of a cave system. It was well lit and furnished with expensive looking items.
Shaina saw a chest in the corner and carefully made her way over to it. She slowly sank to her knees and opened the chest. Inside was a beautiful short sword. She slid it out of it's sheath. It was sharp and obviously well made. It wasn't her katana, but it was a blade. She would probably never see that blade again. A tear fell down her cheek.
"Don't cry," a voice came from behind her. Shaina whirled and started to fall, barely catching herself before hitting her head on the rock floor. She clutched the short sword to her chest and looked up. Kuronue was standing in the doorway. She quickly stood up. Again the room swayed as the blood rushed to her head. Shaina felt herself being supported. The room stopped spinning.
"You're alright. Just take it easy." Kuronue said gently. "Why were you crying?" Shaina stared at him for a moment. Then she looked down. She was still certain that he wanted something, but she had no idea what he was after. Maybe she'd better cooperate until she knew what he wanted.
"A blade." she said quietly. "I had a beautiful katana, but it was taken from me."
"Well, I can't give you your sword, but we do have blades here. If it would make you feel better, you can have one of those. This way." He motioned for her to follow him out of the room. Shaina managed to take a few steps beyond the door before her legs gave way.
She slumped against the wall, not speaking, not wanting to show her weakness. One did not show weakness. It was forbidden. It took Kuronue only a minute to realize she had stopped following him. He returned to her side and knelt. She was concentrating on her breathing as pain shot up her legs.
"It's ok. I should have realized that you can't walk that far. Here, I'll help you." he said, softly. A youkai paused, seeing his Master kneeling on the floor.
"Yes?" Kuronue growled, cold. The youkai shook his head and quickly moved off. Kuronue gently picked her up and continued down the tunnel.
He held her close, almost protectively against his chest. She could pick up his scent every time she breathed. He was warm and solid. Shaina wanted to relax, wanted to trust him, but she didn't dare. But her body still wasn't obeying her mind as well as it should. It relaxed a little, shifting slightly closer to him. She felt, rather than heard a small chuckle. She tensed and started to struggle. He held her firmly.
"No, don't fight me. You cannot walk. I won't hurt you. You are safe. Trust me." his voice was soothing.
"Why should I?" she retorted, her voice quavering. He chuckled again.
"Because I haven't hurt you yet, have I? If I wanted to, I could have." he pointed out. Shaina didn't respond to that, but stopped trying to get away. He resumed walking and soon set her down in a large cavern, keeping one arm around her waist for support.
The cavern was filled with weapons of all kinds, katanas, short swords, lances, shields, bows, arrows. All were beautifully made and most were incrusted with jewels or gold. Kuronue pointed to the katanas.
"Take your pick." he said. She slowly walked over, Kuronue keeping pace, his arm still around her. She started looking through the blades, testing their weight and balance. None of them were quite right, but she expected that. Her blade had been made only for her. It was perfectly balanced for her height and weight. Even the hand grips had been crafted around her fingers.
Shaina was about to give up, when a half-hidden katana caught her eye. With a cry she pulled it free of it's sheath. It was her blade!! Somehow it was here. She traced the markings along the blade. They identified the blade as hers, it was who she was, her proof of existence. Tears came to her eyes, like she was finding a long lost friend.
"Is that your blade?" Kuronue's voice came from near her ear. She jumped and felt a hand on her shoulder.
"It's ok, it's just me. I didn't mean to startle you." he reassured. She turned to face him.
"Yes, this is my blade. I, um..." she didn't know what else to say. He smiled and picked her up.
"Good. Let's get you back to bed. You still need your rest." This time she allowed herself to relax in his embrace. She had her katana, she could protect herself. She realized she was tired and was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
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Several days later, found her sitting on the edge of the bed, cleaning her blade. She couldn't call the bed or the room hers, since she was sure that Kuronue and maybe Yoko slept here after she fell asleep. They were always gone when she awoke, but she was certain. Well, certain about Kuronue, she hadn't seen Yoko since that first day.
The door opened and she looked up, expecting Kuronue. Instead she came face to face with Yoko. He looked like he had been traveling, the bottoms of his pants and his boots were caked in dirt. He had a dark cape thrown over his shoulders. This was the first thing he removed as he came in. He smiled when he saw her, a gentle smile, one trying not to scare her. He raised an eyebrow at her katana.
"Kuronue let you pick a blade?" he asked, softly. He went to a side table and poured a glass of wine.
"The blade is mine, it always was. Kuronue gave it back." she retorted, fear making her bold. She wouldn't let him take it away. He returned to her side and sat next to her.
"May I see it?" he asked. Shaina reluctantly surrendered the katana, ready to grab it back if it looked like he would keep it. He traced the markings etched into the blade. They both looked up as Kuronue entered.
"I have been searching for a translation to these symbols." Yoko said quietly. She jerked and stared at him, fear clear on her face. He KNEW!!!
"These spell out the owner's name. These say that the owner is a member of the Renti Sect, born into the Sect, a perfect generation." He looked up as a small whimper escaped her lips. Her hands were clenched into fists and she was shaking and pale. He continued.
"I know these tell the owner's powers, but no one could translate them. I was told that upon reaching maturity a Renti was crafted a blade marked like this, one perfectly made for them alone." He waited for her to speak. Shaina just stared.
Finally Kuronue broke the silence. "What is the Renti Sect, Yoko?" he asked. Yoko glanced at the girl, she would have to speak soon.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," he told her, "The Renti Sect is dedicated to the Ultimate fighter. They breed youkai to be stronger, endure more, live longer. They breed the rarest of skills and powers together so they will not be lost. Renti are even more renowned that the Shinobi. They are trained from the moment they can take a step." Yoko handed her back the katana.
She accepted it and a small sigh of relief was heard. The fear started to fade. Maybe they knew about the Sect, but they didn't know her powers and she had her katana. She took a deep breath.
"Yes," she said quietly. "You are correct. I am of the Renti Sect, a perfect generation born. I...I am Shaina." She looked down. "When are you going to sell me?
Sell her? Kuronue thought. Where does she get that idea?
Renti are sold to high class youkai as perfect mates. That old youkai wasn't far off when he valued her at half his fortune, Kuronue. Yoko replied.
"We aren't selling you." Yoko said. "You will stay here with us." Her eyes took on a resigned look. If Yoko and Kuronue weren't sleeping next to her, they would be shortly, and not just next to her but with her. Kuronue must have seen her look of terror and resignation. He sat on the other side of her.
"Don't be afraid, Yoko and I won't force you to do anything. You are still safe here." He touched her shoulder and she flinched.
"Kuronue is right," Yoko said. "We aren't going to hurt you." She said nothing, not daring to believe them. Finally Yoko sighed and stood.
"I need to get cleaned up and get some food. I will see you at dinner, Shaina." he said, his voice caressing her name. She flushed a little as he left. Kuronue stood as well.
"I must finish the plans I was working on. I will come get you for dinner, Shaina." He was gone. Shaina looked down at the blade in her hands. Her life had just gotten easier and more complicated. She wondered how long their 'promise' not to force her or hurt her would last, as she picked up the cloth to finish caring for her katana.
youkai- demon
Baka- idiot, moron