Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this gentle adventure... especially for the one who's armed and dangerous. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess where InuYasha is concerned. All due respect is also offered to Yoshihiro Togashi, whose fervid imagination is responsible for YuYu Hakusho.
An Affinity for Danger
- 37 -
First Things First
"Kagome-chan," Youko murmured as he disentangled himself from the young woman. "I need to leave you for a few minutes."
He rose gracefully, and she hastened to her feet, distorting the shape of her barrier to accommodate his height. As he turned to go, she caught his arm, and with her eyes firmly fixed on her face, she whispered, "Hurry back?"
"I will," he promised. Relief shone clearly in her gaze, and he quashed whatever fears of abandonment might be lingering in her heart. "My plan cannot succeed without you."
She dropped her gaze in embarrassment, only to have it multiplied. With a squeak of dismay, she turned her eyes towards the ceiling. Chuckling at her expense, he said, "Keep the barrier up until I return, and Kagome-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"You may wish to close your eyes while I am going." When she allowed him to slip out of their hidey-hole, he gave his tail a mischievous flick... just in case she dared to peek.
Bare feet on cold stone. Damp air on clammy skin. Kurama's injuries were mostly healed, and his strength was returning. The kitsune slunk along one corridor and then another, ears pricked for every whisper of sound, sampling the air for hints of the things he would need. Clothing proved the easiest to secure, and he knotted the ties on a pair of hakama that he adapted to suit his silvery tail.
The next part was trickier, and he risked sending out trailing strands of youki... seeking... searching. Ah, there! Keen golden eyes flashed triumphantly, and he lifted his arms, beckoning insistently towards the walls of the passage. Slipping between hairline cracks in the rock face, crumbling the hard-packed earth underfoot, various roots responded to his call. Youko chose the most useful, then retraced his steps with his supply. True, he would have preferred his signature roses, but he was pleased with his take. Now, to collect my pretty little shield.
- 38 -
Cover Me
Kagome welcomed Kurama back into their tiny niche, glad to see him clothed and even more grateful to see a confident swagger in his stride. He's ready. We're going to fight now. She shouldered her quiver and bow, asking, "Where next?"
"We strike at the heart, where treasures are always kept," he announced.
"Is it far?"
"Not if I carry you."
She hesitated, then suggested, "Piggyback would leave your hands more free."
Without missing a beat, he dropped to one knee, saying, "By all means. That may make it easier for you to cover my tracks."
Slipping behind him, Kagome settled in position. His shoulders were much broader than Inuyasha's, and his ears were larger... but it was still rather nostalgic.
Youko's hands came back to support her as he slowly rose to his full height. "Can you maintain the barrier on the move?" he asked.
"I've never tried that before."
"Attempt it now," he instructed as he ducked through their bolthole's entrance.
Focusing was harder than she expected, and she closed her eyes to concentrate. Loosely hugging his neck, Kagome nestled down with her face pressed against the warm skin just above the collar of Kurama's shirt. Power swelled around them, and after a few false starts, moved with them.
He slowed to a stop and adjusted his hold, quietly asking, "Well?"
"I'll manage," she said briskly.
"Any sign of Hiei?"
Kagome sought some trace of his partner's youki, and though the vast labyrinth of solid stone distorted her senses, Hiei had an impressive battle aura. "He's still above us... somewhere that way," she replied, pointing off to one side.
"Good. Either we are fortunate, or he has anticipated us." Golden eyes held her gaze as Youko's deep voice softly bid, "Now, do your part, Kagome-chan. Hide us well."
- 39 -
Vanity
Whisking through dank tunnels without stirring so much as a breeze, the master thief delved into the heart of the labyrinth. Despite the added weight of the young woman clinging to his back, Youko Kurama lived up to infamy on soundless feet. Unseen by those set to watch, unheard by those who listened, unnoticed by those he flickered past, the kitsune pressed relentlessly onwards under a cloak of borrowed purity.
When they entered the central cavern, Hiei's presence became apparent; his attacks roared through the crowds of minions, sending them into confusion. Hastily-shouted orders and cries of fear filled the echoing space, but Kurama paid no heed. This havoc was the opportunity their escaped prisoner and his earnest liberator needed.
Bypassing locked doors, the kitsune darted through open windows; finding the way barred ahead, he slipped in from behind. At last, he carried Kagome into the demon's lair. "This must be the place," he murmured, giving her thigh a squeeze. "Wouldn't you agree?"
She peeped out from under his hair and gasped. Every wall, every column, every niche bore a mirror, and no matter which direction she looked, her own face gazed back. Large and small, simple and ornate, flat and curved—the glassy surfaces hemmed them in, multiplying and distorting their reflections too many times to number.
"It appears we're dealing with a true collector," Kurama dryly remarked.
His handsome face looked tense and wary as his gaze ranged through the chamber. Kagome scrubbed self-consciously at the tear tracks on her dirt-smudged cheeks, wishing she could hide from the dizzying display. Lowering her gaze to the plush carpet on the floor, she muttered, "I'll bet you anything your bad guy's a looker."
In wry tones, the kitsune replied, "As tempting as a wager might be, the odds definitely favor you."
End Note: These three drabbles were written for the Live Journal community fanfic(underscore)bakeoff and their Secret Ingredient for March 2011—Distort. These drabbles are 300, 300, and 300 words respectively. Posted on March 2, 2011.