Disclaimer: I am neither Yoshihiro Togashi or JK Rowling.
A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews for chapter one! They made me very happy, and I'm glad people seemed to like it so much, even if it was just the beginning. I'm going to try to update once a week, just so you know.
Please enjoy!
Chapter Two: The Hogwarts Express
Kurama looked around the busy train station from his high vantage point(a certain human cub's head), and tried to refrain from taking in too many of the smells. there was so much magic it was almost nauseating, and walking through that strange wall had already given him a head ache. Honestly, how these wizards could live with so much bound reiki around was a mystery to him, but he endured it. Hopefully the school would be better- although he somehow doubted it.
The humans had tried to get him into a cage, but he had managed to dodge all attempts to trap him, and they were so slow, he had easily avoided the spells sent his direction.
So, finally, the adults had given up, and Teddy (looking slightly pleased about the fact that his pet was quick witted enough to avoid capture) happily let the fox perch where he pleased.
There was so much noise, and so many colors, his heightened fox senses were being overwhelmed, so he buried his head in Teddy's hair, breathed deeply of lilies and wolf, and watched with fascination as the fine strands turned colors.
The boy's previously black hair with red streaks was beginning to go neon blue and pink in certain areas from excitement, and he also noticed a small amount of happy yellow and shocked white appear here and there.
Another child had come with them to the stop. She didn't smell altogether human, and her flowing red hair and natural feminine grace had Teddy turning slightly red round the edges. She was something called a 'first year,' and was apparently somehow related to Harry. (She called him 'Uncle 'Arry', with a bit of a French accent)
As Teddy and the girl said their goodbyes to Harry and the other children(with an especially long hug going to the small red headed girl called Rosie), Kurama watched Teddy's hair streak with sad blues and greys, and then they had walked onto the train, and Kurama sighed in relief. There wasn't half as much magic in the train as around it. Jumping down from Teddy's head, Kurama fell slightly behind Teddy, following at the cub's heels.
The boy seemed a bit disappointed when the girl split off, saying something about finding some girls her own age.
They made their way to another compartment with a girl and boy who were apparently friends with his 'owner.' Teddy was greeted with smiles, waves, and questions about his 'new pet.' Kurama flicked his tails about and smirked at their praising comments as the two settled themselves in the compartment. Teddy's friends seemed to like petting his soft fur, and he obligingly dropped his head low and forward so they could reach from their own seats to pet his ears and scratch him.
The fox wasn't really used to so much attention(not to mention physical contact), but he decided he didn't really mind all that much- besides, his cub seemed to like these two, so he would allow it.
These two also had animals with them(wizards, apparently, liked keeping magical animals around); both of them were owls. If he had been in his Youko form, he probably would have thought about eating them- in his fox form, they would be too big, and their feathers would be difficult to remove with no human shaped hands. Apparently, the birds sensed this, and kept their distance.
He soon found that the trip was much longer than he had first expected. He didn't really feel like exploring the train- it would just be students and the engine room, which probably contained a ridiculous amount of magic- so he took a nap in Teddy's lap. Perhaps it was a bit undignified, but he was playing pet, and besides, it was comfortable. The kit smelled welcoming to him, and he had already become used to the strong reiki presence the boy had.
Kurama was poked awake at around lunch time. He glared at the girl who had dared disturb his rest.
"Sorry, but it's time to eat lunch. Teddy didn't want to wake you, but you look like you could use a few good meals."
Kurama looked down at his chest, and huffed. The girl was right, of course. Being stuck in that cage for a week with only that weird, magically enhanced dog food that he had refused to eat had made him lose much too much weight. His fur hid this fact for the most part, but he knew that if were to change to either of his alternate forms, the lack of silken fur would reveal a loss of a great deal of hard earned muscle, and his ribs would most likely be poking out.
He jumped out of Teddy's lap, who had apparently ordered something from the cart. He went through the contents and wrinkled his nose at the assortment of food that was much to sweet for his fox tastes.
"What, you don't like any of it?" Teddy asked, looking rather disappointed.
"Here, my mum packed me some extra cornish pasties. This one's meat. Maybe he'll like it."
The mousy haired boy sitting across from Teddy held out a crescent shaped pastry that smelled strongly of beef.
Kurama jumped forward, grabbing the pastry as he flew through the air, landing beside the boy gracefully before gobbling it down and examining the remaining contents of his lunch.
"Here, this ones meat too." The boy said, indicating another one.
Ah, the perks of being a pet. Everyone thinks it's cute when you eat their food and scraps.
"Dylan! Don't let him eat all you lunch! We won't be getting to Hogwarts until this evening!"
Dylan shrugged.
"Mum made me a big breakfast. Besides, she packs me these all the time. They get kind of old after awhile."
"Here," Teddy said, offering some of his own food. "I was going to let him have some of mine- that's why I ordered so much- but he doesn't seem to like any of it."
Dylan's mouth twisted into a smile.
"Only if you let me have a chocolate frog too. Those things are so cool! I wish they made them at muggle candy shops."
Teddy grinned back.
"Okay, but I get the card."
"Hey, but that's the best part!"
"My candy, my rules."
Teddy passed over some food with a playful grin and a wink as Kurama ate the last pasty(this one was fruit).
Belly bulging from being overfilled, Kurama collapsed where he sat, not bothering to move back to his owner. He quickly fell back asleep to the steady rhythm of the train, and didn't wake until they reached their destination several hours later.
The students had, some time during his nap, changed into a typical school uniform that was covered by a not so typical black robe.
Kurama noticed that Teddy and Dylan both had red and gold accents to their uniforms, while the girl had yellow and black. After they left their compartment, Kurama perched on a lofty shoulder, and noticed the other color separations. There were four altogether: red/gold, yellow/black, green/silver, and blue/grey.
All the students escorted themselves into carriages pulled by rather demented looking horses, except for the youngest, who all gathered round a tall, rough looking man who was bellowing 'first years!' at the top of his lungs.
After all the students had made their way out of the carriages, and into a large hallway, they sat around a table, and a grey haired woman stood and started speaking.
Kurama, deciding he didn't really want to listen to this, and was still full from his lunch so he had no need to wait for dinner- jumped down from Teddy's shoulder and slipped through a door in the back.
Time to explore.
The castle was incensed with magic. He noticed the paintings first. They moved, and even talked.
And people thought that taking photos stole a piece of the soul. Paintings, who would have thought? Then there were those demented stairs. He soon found that they didn't like staying still. Not to mention the extra room that appeared as whatever you needed it for. The only reason he had found it was by the incredibly strong magical scent. It was so concentrated it had given him a coughing fit, and left his sensitive nose and eyes stinging.
By the time he had explored the castle, darkness had fallen. He thought about finding Teddy, but decided against it. He had slept most of the train ride. Might as well be curious and explore while all the humans were sleeping.
So, he went outside. There was a rather temperamental tree that he quickly made friends with, as well as a small cottage and garden, that(according to his sense of smell) housed the man from earlier who had taken the first years. There was also a lake, which contained almost as much magic as the castle.
Then he found the forest.
It was beautiful.
As soon as he entered he could practically taste the life energy of the plants around him. He stood at the edge for a moment, letting his mouth hang open in appreciation, breathing deeply, letting the essence of it fill him, the taste of greenery tingling in the tip of his tongue. The scent of human was barely perceptible. It almost reminded him of the garden he kept in the Makai- though not as violent by far.
He trotted farther, and decided that if ever he needed a place for privacy, this was it.
And he transformed. It was like stretching after being trapped in one position for weeks, letting his hair grow out, the itching sensation of fur disappearing into pale skin, fingers pulling and lengthening.
And he was Youko once more.
He grinned like the feral animal he looked to be, and began to run. His feet skimmed atop the grass, leaving no trace of his passing. He let his Youki flow around him, leaving everything he touched sprouting and growing with new life. The experience was thrilling. Giving power to the plants, who in turn filled him with life. He pushed harder, faster, dodging trees (and rather surprised animals as well) with ease. He was sure he sprinted the entire forest at least twice before his lungs began to burn pleasantly, and feet began to wear thin. He let himself slow to a more human pace, and began to examine the forest.
It really was beautiful.
Leaves glowed silver in the moonlight. Flowers slept peacefully, waiting for the sun to wake them and pull out their colorful blooms. He began to drop his own seeds, giving them a little push. In this powerful forest, it was all that was needed. The forest took care of the rest.
He stopped in a small clearing and looked at the night sky that seemed incredibly bright to his Youko eyes, and let himself drift and stretch, the excess power of the plants filling him happily, willing to give.
"You!" Came a voice.
Youko turned and blinked. He hadn't smelled any humans, but a human voice had just called out to him. It came from behind the line of trees. He narrowed his eyes, only a fool would try to hide from him by standing behind trees.
"You don't smell human." He growled, the Youko's voice gravelly and low from disuse.
"Indeed I am not. But what are you? A creature that looks and smells both human and not. This is our forest. If your allegiance is to the humans, you are not welcome here. If you care not for them, you must ask permission from the elders before taking up residence here."
Kurama snorted. What prideful creatures had he encountered, that claimed ownership of a forest? Even he was not vain enough to do so. Forests, and especially this one because of its strength, belonged to themselves. He could control single plants, yes, but to command a whole forest was impossible, one must instead make an ally of it.
"Well, what a vain little creature I have found." He murmured, voice filled with disgust. He swept his arm grandly to the side, and the trees covering the creature pulled aside, happy to oblige to such a powerful presence.
It was revealed to be a half horse, half man. Centaur, he believed they were called.
"Horses were always too prideful for my taste." He said clearly, not bothering to look worried by the swiftly raised bow and arrow.
"How dare you address one of the Centaurs in such a manner!"
"How dare you intrude upon the Great Thief King Youko Kurama, one of the most powerful Kitsune alive, and servant of Inari? I should kill you where you stand for such disrespect."
Alright, he was laying it on a bit thick, but he had been practically smothered by humans for over a week. He needed a release, and fighting with such a prideful animal- while not much of a challenge- was as good an excuse to let go of his more playful side as any other.
The Centaur growled, and let loose an arrow. Kurama's arm blurred, and plucked the wooden shaft out of the air as easily as a slowly falling leaf.
"Too slow." He grinned playfully and examined the arrow. It was finely crafted, and he decided to keep it. Tucking it in his sash, he noticed the Centaur was backing away, while trying to knock back another arrow.
"No, no, no. It's rude to run away while we're in the middle of a game." He waggled his finger condescendingly, letting go of a breath of Youki and pushing the grass and vines on the ground until they burst upward, tangling around the creatures four powerful legs until he could no longer move.
Kurama gave a powerful jump, and easily landed on the horse-man's back, plucking the bow out of his hands.
The Centaur let loose an outraged cry, and attempted to buck him off, but his actions only served to tangle him further in the Youko's vines.
Kurama bent forward until his breath tickled the beast's neck.
"You are lucky I'm in such a good mood today, otherwise your herd would find only bloody pieces of your body strewn across the forest floor."
The Centaur quivered, and Kurama couldn't help but grin predatorily at the strong smell of fear and outrage that filled the air.
He jumped down, dropping the bow on the floor while sending another wave of youki at the plants below, trapping the beast further. The man-horse would never be able to get out by himself, and even with another assisting, the stubborn youki enforced grass and vines would be extremely difficult to cut through.
"Farewell," He called as he walked calmly away. "I hope you warn your friends about me. I will not be so hospitable next time."
A/N: I hope you liked it. The end was my favorite part, hah! Some centaurs can be so obnoxious sometimes . . .
Your reviews for chapter one were much appreciated, please tell me how you like chapter two!