Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this gentle adventure... especially for the one going through the emotional wringer. 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 Drama

- 43 -
Rooted

Youko noted Hiei's arrival with little more than despair. Too late. Both of them were too late to spare Kagome.

Hiei spared the barest glance for the girl on the floor, then snapped, "What are you waiting for? Get the mirror!"

The job. For a thief, the job should have been everything.

He'd never asked for the distraction Kagome represented, but he'd risked everything to keep her from being where they were now. She'd come after him, saved his life, heedlessly hauling him out of trouble. Not because she had anything to gain. She had everything to lose. What had left her with such a reckless streak?

Death has no hold over someone with nothing to live for.

Youko had recognized the signs—melancholy, desperation, and the gloss of determined cheerfulness that barely hid a heart on the edge of breaking, of giving up, of letting go because everything that mattered was gone. He knew it so well because he lived with it daily. The miko was as stubborn in her way as Shuuichi Minamino was in his, and Youko had failed her… as good as killed her.

To a lesser degree, Youko had failed himself. Shuuichi had counted her as someone precious. He'd wanted to keep her company, to keep her from loneliness, and maybe even to keep her. His host had lost touch with his priorities, diverged from their longstanding goal, and all for a girl who wasn't his… but might have been.

Although Shuuichi would scream at him, weep for her, and mourn the loss Youko wasn't ready to face, he turned his back on Kagome and focused on his job.

Take the mirror. And in the process, vent his considerable fury on the fool who'd dared to steal from a thief.

- 44 -
Shattered

With malicious glee, Youko shattered mirror after mirror, earning angry shrieks and wails of dismay from the pretty-boy collector. This was probably dooming Shuuichi to several lifetimes of bad luck, but they'd probably earned it. Karmic justice for losing a comrade. All he could do now was avenge her death. Messily.

In some distant part of his mind, where reason still held sway, Youko had registered an interesting turn of phrase. The mirror fanatic had spoken of collecting souls. That implied capture, not consumption. Perhaps Kagome was merely trapped. He'd spare that mirror, but the rest would pay the price.

Drawing upon his affinity and the few botanical fragments he'd been able to collect, Youko pulled them into play. Roots exploded around him, shredding the carpet and digging into the floor. The walls creaked and groaned as the fox's thicket expanded—curling, thrusting, surging outward in writhing waves. His plants ravaged the room, pushing and pulling on every side. Glass crunched and tinkled as pulverized mirrors were ground into sand.

His prey grew increasingly shrill, crying imperiously for assistance from minions who didn't respond. Finally, Youko slammed him into a crumbled wall, relieved him of the mirror, and tossed it to Hiei. Baring his fangs in a vicious smile, Youko growled, "I was only here to take the mirror. But there is something else I want now."

"Anything," he gasped. "Name it."

"I will steal your obsession." Youko flexed his fingers, flashing his claws. "You will never want to look at another mirror again."

- 45 -
Too Great a Price

"It's over," said Hiei. "Leave him."

Youko straightened shakily and turned his back on the devastation. He usually prided himself on nice, tidy jobs—easy in, easy out, no one the wiser. This whole affair had put him off his game—letting himself become invested, pushing himself past his limits. And it was not enough.

Wiping his hands on his pilfered pants, Youko crossed to Kagome's crumpled form and brushed away shards of glass, tossing them aside the largest fragments. With infinite care he gathered her limp form to his chest and averted his face, not wanting Hiei to see what he wouldn't be able to hide.

Not that the demon would say anything. But he would know… probably already knew.

Youko touched Kagome's face, stroked her hair, and wallowed in regret.

"We need to go," Hiei said gruffly. "Bring her."

Youko yielded, cradling Kagome close but focusing on his friend's back. Hiei veered through the decimated stronghold, bound for the exit.

"How will I explain to her mother?" he muttered.

Hiei snorted. "Since when do you explain yourself to anyone?"

"Shuuichi will not let this go. I am responsible for this girl's death."

His friend shot him an impatient look. "What is wrong with you?"

"This is my fault."

"Completely," Hiei agreed. "You should not have made the attempt alone."

Youko bristled. "You should not have brought her!"

"Without her, we would not have acquired the Mirror of Souls."

"But the cost!"

Amusement flickered across the demon's face. "Your pride?"

"Her life!"

Hiei grunted, flashed the swirling mirror in his hand, and doubled his pace.

End Note: These three drabbles were written for no other reason than to nudge this story along to its long-awaited conclusion. Well, okay. I'm also celebrating Release Day (10.22.18) for the second book in my original series, the Amaranthine Saga. These drabbles are 295, 254, and 266 words respectively. Posted on October 22, 2018.