We finally stopped whirling around in the gate and landed in a little room no bigger than a closet. I sat up first and held my still-whirling head.
"Are we in Makai?" I whispered as soon as Kurama sat up.
"Yes. Before we go any farther, we'll need to change to youkai form. This part is very much like the change from ningen to youkai, just you picture something else. Wait for the picture to appear in your mind then concentrate on it as long as you can. The change should be brief." He answered in an equally quiet voice. I nodded and closed my eyes for the second time that…night? Day? I wasn't sure.
The image came quickly this time as well. My youkai form was a fox like Kurama's but smaller, and black. Instead of his red eyes, mine were the same gold as in my humanoid form. I also looked more like a real fox than he did, and I only had three tails.
I concentrated on the sleek-furred youkai in my mind's eye and slowly, the change took shape. No bang or puff of smoke, just, one minute I was Fa-Nari the fox-girl, the next I was Fa-Nari the fox-youkai. I decided I liked my fox-girl form the best, but this one was better than the constricting ningen body of Satori's.
When we were both ready, we left the shelter of the little closet and slunk stealthily towards our target, an ancient moonstone of immense power. Down a dark corridor we crept, ever closing in on our goal. The room we peeked into was dark, not windows. At the center of the room was a stand with a cushion on it. On the cushion was our little moonstone. A glass case went over that and there were pressure pads on the floor that would explode when touched. Lasers criss-crossed the room as well.
"Oh, boy," I whispered, "Now what?"
"Watch." Was all he said. I shrugged and answered,
"I'm watching."
With a nod, he jumped into action. I was about to follow but then remembered his orders and sat down to watch. The fox-demon twisted around the pressure, going very quickly, and under the lasers, jumping in between them sometimes if they were too low to wriggle under. How does he do that? I wondered.
He got to the moonstone quickly and without misshape. Then, he turned in my direction and jerked his head to the side, as if to say 'come'. I nodded and tried to remember how Kurama had done it. I stepped gingerly out onto a safe surface and, when I didn't blow up, kept going. I almost ran into a laser, but I stopped just in time.
I got halfway through the obstacles when it happened. I had tucked my tail between my legs so it wouldn't brush against anything, but my balance was worse without it. I had stepped a little off balance and I started wobbling. I realized that I was about to fall and explode if I didn't let my tail free.
So I did. I immediately righted myself, but I'd forgotten about the lasers. As soon as my tail came out, just as I had expected, it brushed against a laser and set off the alarm.
"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" the loud sound bounced on the walls and doubled back on us. I winced, feeling very stupid.
"Let's go!" Kurama shouted. I winced again and followed him away from the room with its flashing lights. Behind us, we heard the stomping of boots and cursing voices. We got to out little closet and dove inside.
After returning to youkai forms, Kurama took out the knife. He didn't say anything until we landed in the clearing. I sat down, upset, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mess up." I apologized, my head down in shame, "It was a stupid mistake."
"I agree. It was stupid," Kurama answered coldly, "But it was also stupid of me to expect you to do perfectly on your first mission- and without training as well. We'll start tomorrow." When I looked up at him blankly, he knelt down and knocked on my forehead, smiling, "Your training. Earth to Fa-Nari." I blushed, feeling stupid again.
"Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow." I got up and left, reverting to human form before I went to bed.
* * * *
The rest of the week went on uneventfully. Kurama and I trained every night into early in the morning. I acquired many many new bruises in record time. But, I improved greatly each session. In the beginning, I could only last a few hours before being exhausted. By the end of the week, I was almost Kurama's equal.
I was worn out when I got home every night…or morning, but I did my homework, got up on time, and kept my grade at an A. My mom, who worked late and left early in the morning, only knew that I was doing my homework and being a good little girl.
Finally, one Saturday about three weeks after the Makai incident, I beat Kurama. It only happened once, but I could tell I was ready to try another mission.
"So, Fox-Boy, am I ready for our next…expedition?" I asked proudly.
"I'd like to say no, just to annoy you, but, yes…you're ready." He answered with a smile.
"Yes! What are we…borrowing…this time?" Kurama smiled when I said 'borrowing'.
"This time it's crucial that we get the object, it's not for us. Last time was child's play compared to the security that going to be on this one. Do you think you can do it? I can go alone if you-"
"Hey! I thought we were partners!" I gulped before finishing, "Of course I'm going- I don't need you to look after me!"
Kurama smiled, "Good. I was hoping you would say that Nari-chan."
"Then what are we waiting for, Fox-Boy!" I grinned. We were halfway to the Clearing of the Gate when I suddenly stopped in my tracks, "Wait. I forgot something: what are we stealing?" Kurama burst out laughing,
"It's called the Ishi Tamashii no Kaia. Kaia was a great, powerful demon. When she was caught, her soul was imprisoned in a stone so that she could never exist in Makai peacefully. She is in Reikai even now, and will stay there unless we get the Ishi Tamashii from the ningen who are in charge of it. Which is why we aren't going to the Clearing. Come on, follow me." Kurama turned and walked in the opposite direction. Well, how could I know? I comforted myself.
We left the pines behind and now leapt from building to building. When we finally reached the right building, Kurama showed me how to get onto a windowsill and get in through a window unnoticed. We got in quickly, our bare feet not making a sound on the cold tiles.
To my surprise, instead of the building being a high-tech hideout, a place looked like a simple office building. Nice way to hide the place, I thought. We walked past countless cubicles until we reached one office that seemed to be surrounded by light and colors. It looked impenetrable, but Kurama walked right through the wall. I gulped and followed.
Inside the office was a desk and a bookshelf, both covered in papers. I stepped forward to investigate but was stopped by Kurama's hand on my shoulder.
"Don't touch anything. It's all rigged." He whispered. I nodded and narrowed my eyes, trying to see the traps. Finally, I was them. Everything was covered in special material that would set off an alarm to alert the fighters waiting. Boy am I glad he stopped me! I thought, not wanting to even contemplate what would have happened if my partner hadn't stopped me.
We walked to the end of the office and stopped in front of the computer.
"This is where your job starts. In ningen form, you're a computer whiz, as Fa-Nari, you're even smarter. Let's see if you can get us in. Remember, one wrong move and we're both dead." I nodded and sat down at the computer. One wrong move, Fa-Nari, don't forget, I reminded myself. First relax, I decided, and closed my eyes, leaning back in the chair. When my legs stopped shaking, I opened my eyes and put my hands over the keyboard. Here goes nothing! I thought and started typing, my fingers flying over the keys.
Much later, I sat back with a sigh of relief, "There, I'm done." I announced.
"Good. No problems?" Kurama asked, and I shook my head, no, "Then let's go." I got up and followed him through a door that had been revealed in the wall.
The hallway we entered was dark, but my eyes adjusted quickly and I was able to see the many doors lining the walls.
"Now what?" I asked from behind Kurama.
He shrugged, "I guess we choose a door. Wrong door, we die, right door, we go on to the next level."
"Level?! Like a game? It's just luck now? Are those ningen crazy?" I whispered, afraid if my voice got any louder, I'd be shouting, which would be bad.
"Guess so." He answered.
"Guess so means yes? Yes to which question?" I answered with a smile.
"All of them."
I rolled my eyes but followed him down the hall. Each door glowed a different color as I passed it, and I wondered what this could mean. When Kurama passed doors, they seemed to glow, but different colors than mine.
Suddenly, Kurama stopped and I bumped into him from behind. I looked around his shoulder, wondering why we had stopped. Big surprise- we'd reached a dead end.
"And now what?" I asked when he turned around.
"Now we choose a door."
"Well, why don't we have a lottery?!" I said sarcastically.
"Now is not the time for that, Nari-chan. See if you can pick a door from its color." I bent my head, rebuked, then started walking around, keeping a foot between the door and me. I turned around, just in time to see Kurama reach out his hand to touch the door in front of him.
"Don't touch the doors!" I yelled and tackled him, breaking the spell on him. We landed on the floor and rolled before stopping. I rubbed my arm ruefully, where I could feel a bruise forming, "Thank you for flying Fa-Nari Tackling Plane. Please exit the plane quickly and without shoving. We have had an emergency landing because of technical difficulties. Thank you again, and have a nice day." I mimicked a flight attendant voice and Kurama laughed.
"Thanks. Why can't we touch the doors?"
"If we touch them, it means we chose that door. What was so special about that one anyway?" I inquired.
"Oh. I saw…I mean, it was…it was nothing." He stumbled over his words and I looked at him, frowning. He looked down, refusing to meet my gaze. I sighed in frustration and got up, helping Kurama up as well.
"Well, let's pick a door then. Which one?"
"Hmm…what's your favorite color?" He smiled as I stared at him.
"That's it?! My favorite color?! Fine, it's…black."
"If we ever get out of this alive, I'll make sure to get you a black stuffed animal for your birthday." He answered and walked down the hall, looking for a black door. When he found one, he waited for me to catch up.
"Well? This is it, huh Fox-Boy?"
He nodded and I we reached our hands out simultaneously. As our fingers brushed the door, a bright light came from the cracks at the edges of the door. I shielded my eyes with my free hand, squinting to keep out the light.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was in another corridor, except there wasn't a beginning or an end to this one. In front of me, the corridor went on for a few feet, then turned to the right. I didn't bother looking back, knowing that it would look the same.
"This is a maze…" I said wonderingly, then I realized that I might never get out, "YOU GOT US STUCK IN A MAZE!! FOX-BOY, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I yelled.
"Hey! It was your favorite color!" He answered, holding up his hands in defense. I growled but decided it wasn't worth my time to argue. I leaned against a wall to think. I had been in a big maze at the Renaissance Faire several years ago, and I had gotten out first, even though I was only eight then. Closing my eyes, I tried to remember how I'd gotten out.
"Wait. I think I know how to get out of here," I said, still trying to remember, "Seven years ago, I was in a similar maze and I managed to get out because I'd read a book about mazes. I'm trying to remember how…I think it had to do with keeping your hand on a wall the whole time, but I can't remember which hand, which wall, and if it'll even work on every maze." Frustrated, I turned to Kurama and shrugged.
"Hm…I think it's the right hand that'll get us out fastest." He replied after a moment. We stood in the middle of the corridor and put our hands out to the right and started walking forward.
Please let him be right. I prayed as we twisted and turned along the maze.