Within the mass of bed sheets, Kurama tossed and turned. The room decorated with foxes seemed to blur into a swimming sea of color. Nothing was tangible and it felt as if he were falling. Falling into a pit of never ending doom. Clawing for solid ground only caused him to fall faster, and faster, and faster...
"Kurama! Get your tail over here, c'mon!" Kuronue smirked as Youko Kurama finally appeared by his side. "You ready?"
"You silly, baka. I'm always ready." Youko Ku answered, his white garb fluttering around him. Ears pointed and hair flowing behind him, he and Kuronue began to sprint into the palace.
"What are you gonna do with your share?" Kuronue said mischievously as he swung his pendant around his finger.
"Oh, I don't know. Whatever I please, I guess."
"Haha," Laughing heartily, Kuronue's eyes narrowed as they entered the narrow passages within the palace. "Me, I might just go out and have a little fun if you catch my drift."
Now it was Youko Ku's turn to laugh. "That's just like you..."
When they had reached a rather large door, Kuronue pushed it open and as it swung it creaked upon its old hinges. Inside was what seemed to be an office, but both Kuronue and Youko Ku, knew better. "So, little Koenma thinks he can hide his treasures from us, does he? Well my friend, he's got a surprise comming at him."
"Don't diddle dawdle, Kuronue. We're not here to play games just get what we want and leave."
"Oh, don't be such a pushover, Kurama. There's no chance in the Seven Hells that we'll get caught." Gingerly walking over to where a painting was hanging on the wall, Kuronue pushed it to the left side and a large vase appeared on an empty pedestal. It seemed to be made of pure gold, decorated with silver linings and jewels to boot.
Muttering to himself, Youko Ku pushed a small button, that was very conveniently concealed, and the underside of the desk turned to reveal a large golden-framed mirror. Taking it off the cherry wood, he pressed the button again, and the desk returned to its former form.
Kuronue had just fixed the painting as Youko Ku stuck the mirror under his arm.
"We've got the loot so let's jet this joint."
"Wait a minute. We just got here, what's the rush? Sure we may have gotten what we came for but who knows how much treasure could be stowed away in this palace." Kuronue's eyes glinted with excitement as he thought of all the wonders.
With a sigh, Youko Ku looked at Kuronue and dealt him a glare. "One quick look, but that's it."
"You sound like a mother, Kurama. And I do believe that is not a good thing." But before Youko Ku could answer, Kuronue had bounded off and was looking in nook and cranny, room and bedchamber, office and broom closet? Youko Ku shook that off.
Unfortunately, Kuronue's joy ride was cut short as he promptly ran into one of the guards. A bit surprised at first, the guard looked at Kuronue for a second then raised his spear. "What're you doing?! You don't belong 'ere!"
Taking a step back, Kuronue held tight to his pendant as well as the golden vase. "Sorry old chap, but I can't stick around for tea. Ta ta!" Turning, he ran away as fast as possible, grabbing Youko Ku's arm as he passed.
"'Ey! Come back!" The guard ran to an intercom and pressed the button yelling the one word, "THIEVES!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Holding tight to his vase, Kuronue smiled and laughed as he ran through the corridors, only barely escaping them as each was shut off. Youko Ku on the other had did not seem to be having as much fun as his friend. Luckily the two of them made it outside, but they were not out of the woods yet. Literally.
Leading the way, Youko Ku looked back every so often to make sure that Kuronue was still there. After all there was a rather large group of guards wielding some nasty looking weapons on their tails.
"Just had to take another look, didn't you?" Youko Ku asked in a half joking manner.
"Come now, Kurama. Sometimes I think you know me better than myself!" As he ran, the pendant around his neck swung back and forth.
Suddenly a small dart came out of nowhere, and cut the chain on Kuronue's pendant. Seeing it fall off, Kuronue stopped and ran back to get it.
"Kuronue! Don't!" Youko Ku stopped running as well.
"Kurama, I need it!" He held tight to the mirror and watched unbelievingly as his friend ran back to get the pendant.
In a clearing, Kuronue bent down to pick up the pendant. He held it to his chest and was just about to head back when a bamboo pike ran straight through his right leg. He cried out in pain, and at least seven other pikes landed around him almost like a cage.
Youko Ku watched in horror, the reflection of his friend...the blood, his cries of pain all appearing within his eyes.
The last words, Kuronue ever spoke rang through Kurama's ears. "Don't worry about me, Kurama. Save yourself!" Then, a pike surged through Kuronue's chest, and he fell upon it limply his eyes cold and empty.
"KURONUE!!!!!!!!!" Youko Ku's eyes were full of tears and he forced himself to turn away from the sight. Looking to the mirror, he saw a reflection. A figure holding a dart within his hand. He blinked horrified, unable to truly believe... 'No...it...it can't be...' "Hiei?"
The dart was thrown and the mirror shattered.
Kurama sat up, sweating heavily, and breathing hard. Seeing the familiar surroundings of his room again, his respiration slowed, and murmured silently to himself. "...It was all just a nightmare...a terrible nightmare." He held his head, and covered his eyes with a hand.