Black Snow Foxes and Red Fire Demons pt. 4
"Another one?" Keiko asked stressfully as Yusuke finished telling her of the new mission.
Yusuke and Youko Kurama nodded.
"Well..." Kizna began as she thought to herself. "If the Prince is going to get a bride out of it.. I don't see why not."
The small child in Keiko's arms cooed as Kizna turned to the small boy she held. Kizna leaned and locked eyes with the small demon child and gently pinched its cheek. She smiled.
"And who knows Keiko," Kizna began smiling softly as she placed a hand on her swollen belly. "We may get another child out of it too."
"There you see?" Yusuke said. "Why can't you be optimistic like Kizna? I'll be all right."
"Oh fine," Keiko surrendered as Yusuke pulled her and her child close.
"Now," Yusuke began as he locked eyes with his son. "You be a big boy and take care of your mom ok?"
The child cooed again smiling a toothless smile. Kizna and Kurama chuckled.
"Will you be all right?" Kurama asked as he placed an arm around Kizna's shoulder.
"Yea," she replied smiling. "Besides don't worry.. They won't come when you're gone.. They won't be here for another couple months."
Kurama pulled her close and buried his face into her light blue and green locks.
"I know," he whined. "But I want them now."
Kizna giggled as he let her go.
Kurama and Yusuke made their way to their stallions as Prince Hiei mounted his waiting impatiently for them.
"About time," Prince Hiei said as he galloped into the forest.
Yusuke and Kurama sighed and waved one last goodbye to their wives before galloping after the Prince.
Karasu looked deep into the mirror as he ran his clawed fingers through his hair as his fingers left the gray dye behind turning his hair into an old man's white. He removed his black, many-tailed coat and black pants replacing them with brown peasant's clothing. He placed on a brown, scratchy burlap cloak on his back and grabbed the basket of poisoned apples. 'Snow White will never recognize me,' he thought evilly as he smiled beneath his mask. He walked out of the castle his brown cloak and now white hair flowing behind him.
The dwarves waved goodbye as Cristy stood in the door watching them leave. Quietly, she closed the door behind her as she walked inside the small cottage. In a corner of the kitchen, a small broom lay. Eyes downcast sadly, she began to sweep still thinking of the handsome demon in the spring. She sighed quietly to herself. 'I wonder who he was,' she thought to herself as she watched the broom sweep across the floor in soft swipes and swishes. 'He was so handsome.' Her reverie broke as she heard a soft knock at the cottage door.
Karasu walked deeper into the woods and soon came to the clearing of the dwarves' house and watched as one by one the dwarves left Snow White alone. 'Perfect,' he thought to himself as he smiled beneath his mask. 'She's totally alone.' Slowly, as he changed his step to that of a withering old man, he walked to the door and knocked softly a hidden smile hidden under his mask.
Cristy looked up and walked to the door.
"Who is it?" she asked as she set the broom aside.
"An old peddler," someone's old voice replied. "I'm selling red and delicious apples."
Cristy studied the small wooden door her instincts sending alarms through her body. Slowly and unsurely, she opened the cottage door letting only her face show. She met the eyes of an old demon with long white hair and violet eyes as his cloak seemed to hide something on the lower half of his face. 'He looks old,' she thought quietly. 'But... Why does he reek of youth and vitality?' Her nose twitched to his young scent. Then, Karasu held out the basket of apples out to her.
"Would you like to buy one?" the disguised Karasu rasped making his voice sound old and withered.
Cristy opened the door wider. 'Nah,' she calmed herself as she stepped outside to join the old man. 'It's just my imagination.' Karasu held out a tempting apple to her.
"Don't they look delicious?" he asked smiling devilishly beneath his mask. "Try one."
Cristy smiled.
"Well..." she began thinking. "They do look good.. And I am kinda hungry."
"Take it," Karasu urged on knowing Snow White was slowly falling into his trap.
"But I have no money," she replied as she patted empty pockets.
"On the house," Karasu replied smiling a fake kind smile under his metal mask.
Cristy smiled again and took the apple from his hand.
"Thank you," she said smiling.
Placing the apple into her mouth, she took a large bite as the apple's juices and poison seeped into her mouth and throat. As though she had swallowed a large rock, she looked up to the old man wondering what he had done to her. The forest and cottage began to spin wildly around her sending her wobbling around on her feet as she tried to steady herself as she dropped the apple. She looked into the old man's eyes in fear as her instincts had proved to be right. She stumbled into arms and violently grabbed the collar of his cloak.
"What did you do?" she asked weakly a small threat in her voice.
"I just killed you.. Snow White," Karasu replied as Cristy stumbled away from him in fear.
Karasu revealed his face and infamous mask to her. Around her, the world spun getting more wild and uncontrollable with each rotation and revolution. Her lungs began to burn needing oxygen as her breath congealed and her heartbeats began to slow down. Unable to stand any longer and with a loud thud, Cristy fell to the forest floor her soft skin turning a deathly gray no longer the snow white it had once been. Her blood red lips turned paler than a light pink rose. Her ebony hair fell around her shielding her face. Karasu cackled with joy and evil as he stood over her limp form in the grass. 'She's gone,' he thought happily. 'Gone for good!' His loud cheers of joy echoed the forest around him sending the forest birds flying in fear. He cried out happily unaware of the hidden figure in the bushes.
Ura Urishima watched the scene of Snow White's death before him as his jaw dropped in shock. He had returned to the cottage to get his forgotten fishing line and had came upon Karasu and Cristy. He gasped small tears forming in his eyes. Quickly and silently, he ran back to the others needing their help.
Old Genkai watched over the other dwarves in the mine as she looked back and forth from the others to the map in her hands. She turned as her old ears heard running footsteps coming towards her. She watched as Ura Urishima came running, stopping, and panting at her feet.
"What is it?" she asked sternly as the dwarf slowly calmed down.
"Snow White," he panted the words barely falling from his mouth. "She's... She's.. She's."
"She's what?!" Old Genkai snapped loudly making the others gather around her.
"She's dead," Ura cried as he fell to the ground crying as the other dwarves gasped.
"No," Yukina said sadly as tears began to form in her eyes. "She can't be."
Majin Hiei placed a comforting arm around her whispering soothing words to her as her shining tear gems fell on the dirt floor. (Author's note: just in case you don't know "majin" is Hiei's or anyone else's full demon form.)
"She is," Ura whispered confirming the news to the others.
"Who did it?" Young Genkai asked.
"King Karasu," he replied rasping. "I'd know his mask anywhere."
"Well," the old Genkai began. "I suggest we'd better get home.. And quickly."
(Author's Note: sorry for the long chapter but... well writer's block sucks... I'll update when I can... and an upcoming notice: in August I'll be in the Bahamas for a week and will not be able to update.... sorry!)
"Another one?" Keiko asked stressfully as Yusuke finished telling her of the new mission.
Yusuke and Youko Kurama nodded.
"Well..." Kizna began as she thought to herself. "If the Prince is going to get a bride out of it.. I don't see why not."
The small child in Keiko's arms cooed as Kizna turned to the small boy she held. Kizna leaned and locked eyes with the small demon child and gently pinched its cheek. She smiled.
"And who knows Keiko," Kizna began smiling softly as she placed a hand on her swollen belly. "We may get another child out of it too."
"There you see?" Yusuke said. "Why can't you be optimistic like Kizna? I'll be all right."
"Oh fine," Keiko surrendered as Yusuke pulled her and her child close.
"Now," Yusuke began as he locked eyes with his son. "You be a big boy and take care of your mom ok?"
The child cooed again smiling a toothless smile. Kizna and Kurama chuckled.
"Will you be all right?" Kurama asked as he placed an arm around Kizna's shoulder.
"Yea," she replied smiling. "Besides don't worry.. They won't come when you're gone.. They won't be here for another couple months."
Kurama pulled her close and buried his face into her light blue and green locks.
"I know," he whined. "But I want them now."
Kizna giggled as he let her go.
Kurama and Yusuke made their way to their stallions as Prince Hiei mounted his waiting impatiently for them.
"About time," Prince Hiei said as he galloped into the forest.
Yusuke and Kurama sighed and waved one last goodbye to their wives before galloping after the Prince.
Karasu looked deep into the mirror as he ran his clawed fingers through his hair as his fingers left the gray dye behind turning his hair into an old man's white. He removed his black, many-tailed coat and black pants replacing them with brown peasant's clothing. He placed on a brown, scratchy burlap cloak on his back and grabbed the basket of poisoned apples. 'Snow White will never recognize me,' he thought evilly as he smiled beneath his mask. He walked out of the castle his brown cloak and now white hair flowing behind him.
The dwarves waved goodbye as Cristy stood in the door watching them leave. Quietly, she closed the door behind her as she walked inside the small cottage. In a corner of the kitchen, a small broom lay. Eyes downcast sadly, she began to sweep still thinking of the handsome demon in the spring. She sighed quietly to herself. 'I wonder who he was,' she thought to herself as she watched the broom sweep across the floor in soft swipes and swishes. 'He was so handsome.' Her reverie broke as she heard a soft knock at the cottage door.
Karasu walked deeper into the woods and soon came to the clearing of the dwarves' house and watched as one by one the dwarves left Snow White alone. 'Perfect,' he thought to himself as he smiled beneath his mask. 'She's totally alone.' Slowly, as he changed his step to that of a withering old man, he walked to the door and knocked softly a hidden smile hidden under his mask.
Cristy looked up and walked to the door.
"Who is it?" she asked as she set the broom aside.
"An old peddler," someone's old voice replied. "I'm selling red and delicious apples."
Cristy studied the small wooden door her instincts sending alarms through her body. Slowly and unsurely, she opened the cottage door letting only her face show. She met the eyes of an old demon with long white hair and violet eyes as his cloak seemed to hide something on the lower half of his face. 'He looks old,' she thought quietly. 'But... Why does he reek of youth and vitality?' Her nose twitched to his young scent. Then, Karasu held out the basket of apples out to her.
"Would you like to buy one?" the disguised Karasu rasped making his voice sound old and withered.
Cristy opened the door wider. 'Nah,' she calmed herself as she stepped outside to join the old man. 'It's just my imagination.' Karasu held out a tempting apple to her.
"Don't they look delicious?" he asked smiling devilishly beneath his mask. "Try one."
Cristy smiled.
"Well..." she began thinking. "They do look good.. And I am kinda hungry."
"Take it," Karasu urged on knowing Snow White was slowly falling into his trap.
"But I have no money," she replied as she patted empty pockets.
"On the house," Karasu replied smiling a fake kind smile under his metal mask.
Cristy smiled again and took the apple from his hand.
"Thank you," she said smiling.
Placing the apple into her mouth, she took a large bite as the apple's juices and poison seeped into her mouth and throat. As though she had swallowed a large rock, she looked up to the old man wondering what he had done to her. The forest and cottage began to spin wildly around her sending her wobbling around on her feet as she tried to steady herself as she dropped the apple. She looked into the old man's eyes in fear as her instincts had proved to be right. She stumbled into arms and violently grabbed the collar of his cloak.
"What did you do?" she asked weakly a small threat in her voice.
"I just killed you.. Snow White," Karasu replied as Cristy stumbled away from him in fear.
Karasu revealed his face and infamous mask to her. Around her, the world spun getting more wild and uncontrollable with each rotation and revolution. Her lungs began to burn needing oxygen as her breath congealed and her heartbeats began to slow down. Unable to stand any longer and with a loud thud, Cristy fell to the forest floor her soft skin turning a deathly gray no longer the snow white it had once been. Her blood red lips turned paler than a light pink rose. Her ebony hair fell around her shielding her face. Karasu cackled with joy and evil as he stood over her limp form in the grass. 'She's gone,' he thought happily. 'Gone for good!' His loud cheers of joy echoed the forest around him sending the forest birds flying in fear. He cried out happily unaware of the hidden figure in the bushes.
Ura Urishima watched the scene of Snow White's death before him as his jaw dropped in shock. He had returned to the cottage to get his forgotten fishing line and had came upon Karasu and Cristy. He gasped small tears forming in his eyes. Quickly and silently, he ran back to the others needing their help.
Old Genkai watched over the other dwarves in the mine as she looked back and forth from the others to the map in her hands. She turned as her old ears heard running footsteps coming towards her. She watched as Ura Urishima came running, stopping, and panting at her feet.
"What is it?" she asked sternly as the dwarf slowly calmed down.
"Snow White," he panted the words barely falling from his mouth. "She's... She's.. She's."
"She's what?!" Old Genkai snapped loudly making the others gather around her.
"She's dead," Ura cried as he fell to the ground crying as the other dwarves gasped.
"No," Yukina said sadly as tears began to form in her eyes. "She can't be."
Majin Hiei placed a comforting arm around her whispering soothing words to her as her shining tear gems fell on the dirt floor. (Author's note: just in case you don't know "majin" is Hiei's or anyone else's full demon form.)
"She is," Ura whispered confirming the news to the others.
"Who did it?" Young Genkai asked.
"King Karasu," he replied rasping. "I'd know his mask anywhere."
"Well," the old Genkai began. "I suggest we'd better get home.. And quickly."
(Author's Note: sorry for the long chapter but... well writer's block sucks... I'll update when I can... and an upcoming notice: in August I'll be in the Bahamas for a week and will not be able to update.... sorry!)