The week went on and I didn't see Shuichi except in the halls. When he did
see me, he would wave and other junior girls in his class and sophomore
girls like me, glared at me jealously. I didn't know he was so popular! I
thought, surprised, as girls shot daggers at me (with their eyes, duh) on
one of these instances.
My friends pestered and teased me about him, asking who my boyfriend was
and cracking stupid jokes. I usually rolled my eyes and told them, for the
billionth time, that he wasn't my boyfriend.
One day, they were teasing me again and I wasn't having the best of days. I
got frustrated and yelled at them,
"I don't like him, kuso!" They all stared at me then pointed to something
behind me. I turned and a sinking feeling filled my stomach. Shuichi stood
there, eyes wide. I could tell he knew who my friends had teased me about.
His gaze turned to me and what I saw in his eyes shocked me. He was looking
at me with hurt, love, and disbelief in his eyes. I winced and looked down.
All around us, life went on, people rushed to their classes, chattering
about their lives. I envied them then, the simplicity of their lives grated
against my nerves, like sandpaper.
Suddenly, it was all too much and my eyes filled with tears. I dashed out
of the building, pushing people out of the way and not even caring that I
was going to get in big trouble for cutting class. I got out the door and
stopped for a second to breathe in the crisp air, my eyes closed.
"Satori! Wait!" A voice broke the fragile peace and I suddenly started and
ran on. Away from the school campus and through the fields surrounding it.
I ran on and on, tears blearing my vision and a pain in my side making my
breathing ragged.
Finally, I stopped because I felt that if I went any further, my lungs
would burst and my heart would stop. I walked around slowly, taking in big
gulps of air, my eyes now completely dry, having run out of tears while I
was running. I looked around and realized that I had no idea where I was.
Smooth move, Satori! I berated myself. Now what? I shrugged in answer to my
thought and sat down in between two huge roots of a tall pine tree.
Being tired as I was, I fell asleep quickly, snuggled against the tree. Had
I been awake, I might have heard the rustle of bushes as something
approached, but maybe not, since youkai don't make noise.
* * * *
I awoke to a gently shake on my shoulder. My eyes opened slowly and I shifted position as I tried to remember where I was. Being tired as I still was, it took mea few seconds to realize that there was someone in front of me. When I saw who that someone was, I shrieked and jumped up. br The.person.in front of me looked pretty human, besides the ears, fangs, tail and silver hair. He was a little taller than I was and wore traditional Japanese clothes. He had long silver hair, white fox ears, a silver tail, and little fangs. His pale face was calm and slightly cold, with golden eyes that stared at me unnervingly. br "Who-who the hell are you?" I said, trying to act calm, but my trembling voice betrayed my fear. Well, sure, of course I see fox-boys every day! I thought sarcastically. "Do you mean who, or what?" He replied in a calm and frighteningly cold voice that matched his face. "I don't.I don't know. Why don't you tell me both?" I answered, unsure myself of what I wanted to know. "Fine, Satori. I am a youko, or demon. My name is Kurama." He answered. "How do you know my name?" I demanded. "I know many things about you, that is just one of them." He answered haughtily. "Sure." I crossed my arms, "Okay, then what do you want with me?" "I was watching you. You're a fascinating ningen to watch." He answered, walking around me, as if inspecting me. "Hey! I'm not just some random thing to be toyed with!" I yelled at him. He went on as if he hadn't heard me. "Do I seem somehow familiar to you? As if you've met me before?" He asked tentatively. "Huh?" I asked, caught off-guard from my tirade, "No, of course not! I'd remember some silver-haired, fox-eared, deranged Fox-Boy!" I practically screamed. "Ha! You do remember! Or at least Fa-Nari does. That's what she used to call me.before.Fox-Boy, but how can you remember that?" He mused. "Fa-Nari? Before what? What's going on?" I cried, very confused. "But you wouldn't remember, would you?" He asked in a slightly mocking voice. "Remember what? Damn you, tell me!" I tried to control my anger, but I was really curious now as to what he was talking about. "Are you sure you want to know? Many dangers come with knowledge. You may regret it later, but once I tell you, there is no going back to your old life." Kurama said, now completely serious. "Well.what kind of dangers?" I asked, not sure whether I wanted to know. "That I cannot tell you. But know this, you will never be alone." He answered mysteriously. "Fine, tell me. What's all this about? Who's Fa-Nari? And who are you really?" "Ah.very hard questions to answer. First, 'this' is about theft. I need a new youko partner to help me since Hiei.left. You are Fa-Nari. Not exactly, she is your youko form. Fa-Nari and I were partners before Hiei came and took her place. I am, like I said before, Kurama, a youko thief. Make sense Satori?" Kurama explained. "I-I think so.if this is a dream, please don't pinch me. So I'm a youko named Fa-Nari?" When he nodded, I gathered up my courage and asked my final question, "Can you teach me to.turn into.Fa-Nari?" I asked. "Of course. It's not very hard. Just imagine the transformation. You'll know what she looks like in your head. Just concentrate on her. It should work." He glanced at me to see if I understood. I nodded and closed my eyes, thinking of nothing. Then, an image popped in front of my closed lids. I was so surprised, I almost opened my eyes, this young woman was one I had dreamt about many times. The young woman with long black hair, black ears, and golden eyes stood in my mind's eye. She had a pale face with little fangs in her sensitive mouth and a thin, but strong body. She wore a black dress wit slits on the sides to allow more leg movement. Underneath the dress, she wore snug black pants. She walked around barefoot, with confidence I envied. Abruptly, the image vanished and I opened my eyes, wondering if something had gone wrong. Instead of being Satori, the shy, small, black-haired girl, I was now Fa-Nari, the confident, tall, still raven-haired young woman. "Nari-chan, it's been so long." Kurama breathed. I looked down at my retractable claws and didn't know what to say. I stretched instead, feeling my honed muscles flex, "It's good to be free of that ningen body." Kurama nodded and we sat down to discuss our next theft in Makai.
* * * *
I awoke to a gently shake on my shoulder. My eyes opened slowly and I shifted position as I tried to remember where I was. Being tired as I still was, it took mea few seconds to realize that there was someone in front of me. When I saw who that someone was, I shrieked and jumped up. br The.person.in front of me looked pretty human, besides the ears, fangs, tail and silver hair. He was a little taller than I was and wore traditional Japanese clothes. He had long silver hair, white fox ears, a silver tail, and little fangs. His pale face was calm and slightly cold, with golden eyes that stared at me unnervingly. br "Who-who the hell are you?" I said, trying to act calm, but my trembling voice betrayed my fear. Well, sure, of course I see fox-boys every day! I thought sarcastically. "Do you mean who, or what?" He replied in a calm and frighteningly cold voice that matched his face. "I don't.I don't know. Why don't you tell me both?" I answered, unsure myself of what I wanted to know. "Fine, Satori. I am a youko, or demon. My name is Kurama." He answered. "How do you know my name?" I demanded. "I know many things about you, that is just one of them." He answered haughtily. "Sure." I crossed my arms, "Okay, then what do you want with me?" "I was watching you. You're a fascinating ningen to watch." He answered, walking around me, as if inspecting me. "Hey! I'm not just some random thing to be toyed with!" I yelled at him. He went on as if he hadn't heard me. "Do I seem somehow familiar to you? As if you've met me before?" He asked tentatively. "Huh?" I asked, caught off-guard from my tirade, "No, of course not! I'd remember some silver-haired, fox-eared, deranged Fox-Boy!" I practically screamed. "Ha! You do remember! Or at least Fa-Nari does. That's what she used to call me.before.Fox-Boy, but how can you remember that?" He mused. "Fa-Nari? Before what? What's going on?" I cried, very confused. "But you wouldn't remember, would you?" He asked in a slightly mocking voice. "Remember what? Damn you, tell me!" I tried to control my anger, but I was really curious now as to what he was talking about. "Are you sure you want to know? Many dangers come with knowledge. You may regret it later, but once I tell you, there is no going back to your old life." Kurama said, now completely serious. "Well.what kind of dangers?" I asked, not sure whether I wanted to know. "That I cannot tell you. But know this, you will never be alone." He answered mysteriously. "Fine, tell me. What's all this about? Who's Fa-Nari? And who are you really?" "Ah.very hard questions to answer. First, 'this' is about theft. I need a new youko partner to help me since Hiei.left. You are Fa-Nari. Not exactly, she is your youko form. Fa-Nari and I were partners before Hiei came and took her place. I am, like I said before, Kurama, a youko thief. Make sense Satori?" Kurama explained. "I-I think so.if this is a dream, please don't pinch me. So I'm a youko named Fa-Nari?" When he nodded, I gathered up my courage and asked my final question, "Can you teach me to.turn into.Fa-Nari?" I asked. "Of course. It's not very hard. Just imagine the transformation. You'll know what she looks like in your head. Just concentrate on her. It should work." He glanced at me to see if I understood. I nodded and closed my eyes, thinking of nothing. Then, an image popped in front of my closed lids. I was so surprised, I almost opened my eyes, this young woman was one I had dreamt about many times. The young woman with long black hair, black ears, and golden eyes stood in my mind's eye. She had a pale face with little fangs in her sensitive mouth and a thin, but strong body. She wore a black dress wit slits on the sides to allow more leg movement. Underneath the dress, she wore snug black pants. She walked around barefoot, with confidence I envied. Abruptly, the image vanished and I opened my eyes, wondering if something had gone wrong. Instead of being Satori, the shy, small, black-haired girl, I was now Fa-Nari, the confident, tall, still raven-haired young woman. "Nari-chan, it's been so long." Kurama breathed. I looked down at my retractable claws and didn't know what to say. I stretched instead, feeling my honed muscles flex, "It's good to be free of that ningen body." Kurama nodded and we sat down to discuss our next theft in Makai.