A Fanfic by Yomi no Miko
Chapter 11: Celebration
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For the following months, life went on with almost no changes. I even thought about doing something about Kurama's situation but I ended up adjusting myself to routine. I feared that I would cause more trouble than I'd help if I acted unreflectively. Therefore my plans were delayed indefinitely.
Another winter was coming to an end. All of us were waiting anxiously for the warmer seasons to come. The great forest of the east of the Makai used to be one of the colder places of this land, if it could be called a forest during the winter as no green leaf remained to remind us of its original appearance.
Those months were especially tough, not only for me but for all who lived in the subterranean caves. There was no place to go and nothing to do but wait for the time to pass with or without patience.
My so-expected horns had not grown yet. With lots of persistence, Kurama convinced me that those changes would take time anyway. Luckily he had managed to find me some medicine to relieve the pain, so I could bear all those headaches rather well. However, that didn't help me to put up with boredom. Kurama taught me a strange sort of ningen game. Something with small pieces that resembled people and animals, which only many centuries later I'd have enough patience to learn. But at that time, I thought it to be too complicated for me. I just couldn't see any sense in getting myself worried about a dispute that was not actually happening.
As for Najah... Unfortunately that part remained the same as well. I never got to see him during those confined days. I just knew that he was alive 'cause Kurama still had to meet him every once in a while.
That odd conversation I had with Kaizo still haunted my thoughts, but not as much as during the first nights. Many times I considered talking with Kurama about the guy named Kuronue, but I never did it. I guess one part of me feared he would tell me that the dead partner had been the love of his live or something like that... Quite impossible as a matter of fact. These kind of feelings couldn't be that easily forgotten as I had gotten to know too well... Even though, I couldn't deny it was strange that Kurama had never mentioned his name.
Kaizo never said anything about his brother again. I guess he preferred to keep himself entertained with his never-ending cold war against Kurama. The fact that all of us were still confined in the same tunnels surely made things easier for him.
Somehow we managed to get along quite well. Kaizo was nice company and a natural leader for that bunch of boys. It was a pity that he wasted so much time feeding his own anger and sadness instead of taking advantage of his good qualities.
It may sound weird that I had not hated him for making Kurama's life even harder than it was, but I never got myself to have harsh feelings for him, even though I tried hard. Despite our usual quarrels, there was only one thing about Kaizo that could make me really mad at him: when he used me as a part of his plans...
"Yomi, have you seen your little darling around?"
"I've already told you that I don't like when you talk about him like that. He's got a name, ok? And if it's a message from Najah, forget it 'cause I won't tell him."
"Wow! How edgy! Relax, Yomi, it's not what you're thinking. We're having a celebration tonight and we'd like you to come. As we know you're not coming without your pet fox, the boys asked me to invite him too."
"I don't know... I'll think about it."
"It's going to be cool. We've got this place, far away from the master's chambers. We built it ourselves some years ago. The fox knows where is it, although he was never invited to enter. Let me see what else... Oh! I almost forgot... If it doesn't snow too much, there will be plenty of people there."
"Plenty? You've got to be kidding... you're just a small bunch of stupid kids..."
"Wake up, man! I'm talking about people from the nearby village. Girls included."
"Does the master know about it?" I asked as I tried to keep myself cool. I didn't want Kaizo to know how much that party idea had aroused my interest.
"I guess so, but he doesn't care. He doesn't give a damn about us anyway. Only his precious baby matters for him."
"And why are you inviting him this time?"
"I've told you. It was not my idea. I guess the boys like you, that's all."
I made a great effort in order to hold my enthusiasm, but deep inside I was exultant at the possibility of going to a party. I could barely stand all that monotony and even less the lack of... well, something obvious after all that time. As soon as Kaizo left me, I went straight to the room where Kurama used to hide himself whenever he decided to read all those weird papers that he treasured so much.
"Kurama, guess what? Kaizo has invited us to a celebration, which is taking place tonight! There's going to be lots of wine and outsiders, maybe even girls! I think we should go 'cause..."
"Yomi... I can't."
"But why? I swear I'll kill Kaizo myself if he mistreats you."
"It's not that... It's that I've got something to do tonight... But you may go without me, I don't mind it."
"With the master?!"
"Hn... right."
"No way! I don't want to go without you. I'm not going to give Kaizo this little pleasure... You've got to go with me. It's going to be nice... We'll never know how long we'll have to wait till an opportunity like this comes again. Please!! For me..."
"I can't, Yomi. Gomen ne."
"Kurama, don't do this, ok? We've got to have a little fun sometimes. You're always so full of commitments! Ok, I want to go! I do need this party. See? I miss dating... Hell! I even miss girls!"
"So, go! What's holding you?"
"You don't understand. The last time I went to one of Kaizo's parties, I swore to myself that I'd never do it again without you. I don't want him to think that I need his favors. Please, just for a little while.... please?"
Kurama glanced at the ceiling, as if looking for heaven's help. Maybe only then did he realize I could get this annoying...
"Let's make a deal then. I'll go with you, but I'll leave as soon as you find yourself company. That's the best I can do to help you with your dating problem..."
I had to admit it was better than not going at all.
"Done!"
"Kurama... you're still like that! It's time. Aren't you going to change?"
"Change? For what?"
"For the party, what else?"
"Oh... Can't I go as I am? Damn, Yomi... you smell funny."
"Let's go, ok?"
Kurama took me to the place Kaizo had told me about. The boys had dug a chamber, some feet away from the subterranean hidden entrance. As there was no underground connection with the main tunnels, we had to go to the surface and cross a large passage covered with snow. Only then did we reach the entrance to the large saloon, carefully built as one of those that formed Najah's hiding place.
By the time we arrived, there were already plenty of youkai there. I got really excited to see so many different faces after all that time. I had to admit that Kaizo was a very competent party producer.
Kurama tensed as he faced Kaizo. I didn't understand why. Maybe the youkai's weird looks scared him... Kaizo was wearing a black attire and a funny hat which made him look like a giant bat. Then again, maybe Kurama just felt out-of-place in the middle of all those people...
Kaizo approached us. I noticed that Kurama got even even more uneasy.
"I guess I don't have to warn you that we cannot tell the strangers our real names, right?"
"Of course, we're not dumb!" I said in a very affirmative tone although nothing he said had already occurred to me.
"Very well then. The wine is there... By the way, Kurama, don't tell anyone you're a youko. We're all ordinary youkai here..."
Kurama didn't answer.
"Yomi, look... I'm on my way. I brought you here. My part is done. I don't know if I like this..."
"Oh no! You promised me you'd stay a bit."
I insisted till he couldn't resist anymore. Kurama stayed, but after a bottle and a half of that strong booze they gave me, I ended up being separated from him. As it had been a long time since I had drunk anything, I got high much faster than I expected. Besides, among all those kids, an "almost-adult" like me surely called attention. Less than half an hour later, most of the youkai girls in that place were spread around me. I was in heaven, drunk, surrounded by admirers who, amazed, listened to all my fibs...
"Yomi, I'm leaving," Kurama said, coming near me.
"No! C'mon Ku... I mean... oh nevermind... You haven't even started drinking!"
"Who's this, Raizen? So kawai..." one of my new friends asked me.
"Raizen?!?... I've got to go. I have a commitment, remember?"
"No, no, no and no! Sit down!" I demanded, pushing Kurama to the floor with all my strength.
One of the girls offered him a cup of wine.
"I don't drink wine... it makes me sick."
"Really? Have you ever drunk before?"
"Hn... No."
"So how do you know it's going to make you sick?"
"I don't know... it's the smell of it, I guess."
"Hum... Don't worry, baby... I bet that if you
sip it all fast, you won't feel anything..."
I don't remember much of what happened after that. I know that all of us drank, and drank a lot. I woke up on the following day almost naked on the floor, amongst three girls.
It was snowing heavily outside although it was almost spring. The hangover I felt was so intense that it took me more than three attempts to stand up. I remembered Kurama. I looked around but I didn't find him anywhere in that room. I saw Kaizo lay on the floor sleeping soundly, but no sign of Kurama.
A girl passed by me with sleepy look in her eyes.
"Hey! Did you see a yo..., I mean, a boy, a young one, with silver hair and a tail?"
"Oh... That kawai..."
"Exactly! Did you see him?"
"He left with a friend of mine... lucky bitch..."
"Left? Where did they go?"
"Nowhere I guess. Maybe they just needed some snow to put all that fire out."
I left quickly, taking that clumsy doll with me. The snow outside reached our knees. I searched everywhere despite her protests. Some moments later, the girl tripped over something. I realized there was something buried under the snow. It was another girl. The one with me recognized her as the 'lucky bitch' who had left with Kurama. She was kinda frozen but fine. I had to take her inside before continuing. Kaizo was awakening then. Worried, I told him that Kurama should be somewhere under that snow. I even expected him to forget his anger for some minutes and help me. I guess I was very naive then...
"Are you out of your mind? I'm not mad to go out and face the snow to look for that pest. I'll be glad if he dies... But I can take care of the girl, if you like."
I didn't waste my time arguing. I left at once, leaving Kaizo and both youkai girls inside the room. Near the place where I had found the girl, I saw the snow move. It was Kurama, trying to dig himself out. I ran towards him as I had never run in all my life.
"Sorry, Kurama...Gods, what have I done to you?" I said as I hugged him tenderly.
He was trembling so much that he could barely talk. I took him to the underground as fast as I could.
Some instants near the fire were enough to make him recover from the cold but not from the sickness that followed. Suddenly Kurama ran away, passing through the entrance like an arrow. He fell on his knees near the frozen trunk of a tree. Only then did I realize that he wasn't lying when he told the girl that wine made him sick. The poor youko was throwing up his insides. I felt even more ashamed for having encouraged him to drink like that.
"Kurama, let's go inside, please. I'm freezing
here."
We took the whole evening to recover from the hangover. Kurama was still as white as the snow but at the end of the day he felt better, and so did I.
"I'd like you to forgive me. I caused all this. I didn't intend to make you so sick..."
"Nevermind... It wasn't that bad, Raizen," he said with a cute smile on his face.
"Cut me some slack, ok? That was the only name that occurred to me..."
"And you say that I'm the one who's fond of greatness..."
"And the girls... I know you found some interesting company there..."
"Damn! I forgot! There was one of them with me outside..."
"Don't worry. I found her before I found you. She's fine."
"I thought she could be dead by now. How can I be so lightheaded?"
"It's okay. It's normal to be lightheaded after drinking so much. You and her..."
Kurama smiled, a little bit embarrassed. I didn't know if I should be jealous or happy for him.
But unexpectedly, the color faded from his face and he was paralyzed. I saw fear in his eyes.
"What's up? Are you okay?... Don't be still like that, say something."
He looked down, as if he had just received the worst of news.
"I forgot to see my father."
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Shrine to Yomi-Sama -