* I know. It's been forever since I updated, but better late than never!*
Yusuke walked slowly down the street, deep in thought. It was only after Keiko called his name for the third time did he turn around to acknowledge her.
" What's wrong, Yusuke?" she asked, catching up with him. " Did something happen today?"
" Do I have to tell you everything that goes on in my life?" Yusuke said, as if annoyed.
" You never tell me anything." Keiko retorted matter-of-factly. She wasn't fooled by his seemingly irritated mood. Something was on his mind; he was just too stubborn to tell her what.
" You missed an important English class today," she declared, changing the subject. " We have to do a presentation on a famous author. My partner and I are going to research about Shakespeare---"
" Hey have you seen Kuwabara around?" Yusuke interrupted. He could use Kuwabara's uncanny sixth sense about the spirit world on this new mission. How was he supposed to find a crystal in an entire city? It could be anywhere---
" Yusuke!" Keiko shouted, flashing her hand over his eyes. " You're ignoring me again! What's wrong?"
" Nothing." Yusuke looked at her innocently.
She glared at him, her hands on her hips. " Fine. I don't have to take this. You obviously have something on your mind, but if you don't want to talk about it, I don't want to talk to you." And with that, she walked away in a huff. Yusuke watched her go, puzzled as to what he had done wrong.
" What's wrong with her?" he wondered to himself. He shrugged the thought off, and went in search of Kuwabara.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kurama raced through a dense forest of tall trees and thick undergrowth. In his right arm he carried a priceless antique, his most recent steal. He ducked down into brushwood of high flat-leafed plants, crouching low as he watched his pursuers pass by in a roar of angry voices and loud feet. The last one out of sight, he stood up cautiously, glanced fondly at his new possession, and prepared to set out.
" I wouldn't go that way if I were you. There are hunters everywhere"
He glanced up and found himself looking into the garnet colored eyes of a young woman perched high in a tree. She swung her legs gracefully over a branch and jumped down, landing elegantly in front of him. Kurama looked her over warily. Small and slender, with her floor-length purple hair swept up into two pigtails, she looked the very picture of innocence. The glint of a metal dagger in her hand appeared completely out of place, and put him on his guard. She brought the dagger up, balancing the tip daintily on her finger, smiling up at him.
Surely she was not here alone.
There must be others nearby.
" Who sent you?" Kurama asked coldly. The young woman cocked her head, perplexed. "Sent me?" She said. " No one sent me. I am certainly no errand-boy who is at the beck and call of his master. I come and go as I please."
Kurama stood silently looking down at the girl. She was a curious creature. She seemed harmless enough, but the fact that she was alone in the woods, and still alive, said something. This was a dangerous world. He could sense some unusual spirit energy emanating from her body. What was she?
An arrow pierced through the air, aimed straight at Kurama's heart. He grabbed the arrow in mid-air, stopping it in its tracks. Turning back towards the girl, he seized her wrist preventing her from running away. Obviously she had been apart of some elaborate trap, and as payment for her treachery, he was going to take her with him.
But he had underestimated her strength. She jerked back sharply, falling backwards into the outstretched arm of a young man, the one who had shot the arrow. Letting go of the girl he readied another arrow, pointing its tip at Kurama.
" Leave my sister alone." He said softly. Kurama stared stonily at the boy. " Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?" he demanded just as softly. The boy narrowed his eyes, glaring at Kurama. " Whoever you are, you would be wise to leave this place."
The girl interjected, placing her hand softly on the shoulder of the boy. " Brother," she spoke, grinning. " You have spent too much time inside the castle. Surely you must know of Youko Kurama?" The boy gasped, his hand faltering on his bow.
" My dear sister, if you are aware of this man's identity, then what would possess you to socialize with this---this monster?"
" I was curious."
" Your insatiable curiosity will get you killed one of these days." " I can take care of myself."
" Not against this cold-hearted thief you can't!"
The girl sighed, exasperated. " You never let me do what I want! All I wanted was to meet the famous Kurama and talk to him---"
"What and idiotic and irrational idea! You have no wisdom of the world outside the castle walls---"
Kurama watched all of this, silently taking in the scene. So there was no trap, just a young man watching over his foolish sister, his twin. They were identical in every way except for their eyes, for one's were a lively red, while the others were an icy blue. They were most likely nobility. Their clothes and manner suggested so, and they had clearly been trained in martial arts. But they were no threat to him, only a waste of his time. He turned to leave.
" Where are you going?" the girl asked, ceasing her arguing. He looked at her, if not somewhat less coldly than before. " I must go." He told her. She looked crestfallen at the news of his departure. " Will you come back?" She asked. He did not answer as he hurried away, and was soon enveloped in the wooded darkness.
Yusuke walked slowly down the street, deep in thought. It was only after Keiko called his name for the third time did he turn around to acknowledge her.
" What's wrong, Yusuke?" she asked, catching up with him. " Did something happen today?"
" Do I have to tell you everything that goes on in my life?" Yusuke said, as if annoyed.
" You never tell me anything." Keiko retorted matter-of-factly. She wasn't fooled by his seemingly irritated mood. Something was on his mind; he was just too stubborn to tell her what.
" You missed an important English class today," she declared, changing the subject. " We have to do a presentation on a famous author. My partner and I are going to research about Shakespeare---"
" Hey have you seen Kuwabara around?" Yusuke interrupted. He could use Kuwabara's uncanny sixth sense about the spirit world on this new mission. How was he supposed to find a crystal in an entire city? It could be anywhere---
" Yusuke!" Keiko shouted, flashing her hand over his eyes. " You're ignoring me again! What's wrong?"
" Nothing." Yusuke looked at her innocently.
She glared at him, her hands on her hips. " Fine. I don't have to take this. You obviously have something on your mind, but if you don't want to talk about it, I don't want to talk to you." And with that, she walked away in a huff. Yusuke watched her go, puzzled as to what he had done wrong.
" What's wrong with her?" he wondered to himself. He shrugged the thought off, and went in search of Kuwabara.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kurama raced through a dense forest of tall trees and thick undergrowth. In his right arm he carried a priceless antique, his most recent steal. He ducked down into brushwood of high flat-leafed plants, crouching low as he watched his pursuers pass by in a roar of angry voices and loud feet. The last one out of sight, he stood up cautiously, glanced fondly at his new possession, and prepared to set out.
" I wouldn't go that way if I were you. There are hunters everywhere"
He glanced up and found himself looking into the garnet colored eyes of a young woman perched high in a tree. She swung her legs gracefully over a branch and jumped down, landing elegantly in front of him. Kurama looked her over warily. Small and slender, with her floor-length purple hair swept up into two pigtails, she looked the very picture of innocence. The glint of a metal dagger in her hand appeared completely out of place, and put him on his guard. She brought the dagger up, balancing the tip daintily on her finger, smiling up at him.
Surely she was not here alone.
There must be others nearby.
" Who sent you?" Kurama asked coldly. The young woman cocked her head, perplexed. "Sent me?" She said. " No one sent me. I am certainly no errand-boy who is at the beck and call of his master. I come and go as I please."
Kurama stood silently looking down at the girl. She was a curious creature. She seemed harmless enough, but the fact that she was alone in the woods, and still alive, said something. This was a dangerous world. He could sense some unusual spirit energy emanating from her body. What was she?
An arrow pierced through the air, aimed straight at Kurama's heart. He grabbed the arrow in mid-air, stopping it in its tracks. Turning back towards the girl, he seized her wrist preventing her from running away. Obviously she had been apart of some elaborate trap, and as payment for her treachery, he was going to take her with him.
But he had underestimated her strength. She jerked back sharply, falling backwards into the outstretched arm of a young man, the one who had shot the arrow. Letting go of the girl he readied another arrow, pointing its tip at Kurama.
" Leave my sister alone." He said softly. Kurama stared stonily at the boy. " Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?" he demanded just as softly. The boy narrowed his eyes, glaring at Kurama. " Whoever you are, you would be wise to leave this place."
The girl interjected, placing her hand softly on the shoulder of the boy. " Brother," she spoke, grinning. " You have spent too much time inside the castle. Surely you must know of Youko Kurama?" The boy gasped, his hand faltering on his bow.
" My dear sister, if you are aware of this man's identity, then what would possess you to socialize with this---this monster?"
" I was curious."
" Your insatiable curiosity will get you killed one of these days." " I can take care of myself."
" Not against this cold-hearted thief you can't!"
The girl sighed, exasperated. " You never let me do what I want! All I wanted was to meet the famous Kurama and talk to him---"
"What and idiotic and irrational idea! You have no wisdom of the world outside the castle walls---"
Kurama watched all of this, silently taking in the scene. So there was no trap, just a young man watching over his foolish sister, his twin. They were identical in every way except for their eyes, for one's were a lively red, while the others were an icy blue. They were most likely nobility. Their clothes and manner suggested so, and they had clearly been trained in martial arts. But they were no threat to him, only a waste of his time. He turned to leave.
" Where are you going?" the girl asked, ceasing her arguing. He looked at her, if not somewhat less coldly than before. " I must go." He told her. She looked crestfallen at the news of his departure. " Will you come back?" She asked. He did not answer as he hurried away, and was soon enveloped in the wooded darkness.