Happy December! *dances* This Author's Note will be relatively short. I'd just like to thank Lexi-chan for updating Liability so soon (if you haven't read her Kokitsune series yet, GO READ IT!) It really motivates me to write more. Of course, school will hinder my time on the computer, but I'll try...x.x Really. Okaaaaay...you can stop staring at me now...
*oddly enough, has theme song from "Gulla Gulla Island" stuck in her head* Don't tell me you never watched that when you were a kid...*dances some more* Come and let's play together, in the bright sunny weather, let's all go to Gulla Gulla Island! Lots to see and to do there, all we need now is you there...*cough* Okay, I'll stop.
Last chapter, Kia, Kelsey, and Kurama went to Makai...they teased him about his "girlfriend", Yusuke wasn't too happy with baby-sitting duties, and now the Mirror Holders have been saved by a mysterious fox-eared man...Kia thinks she knows who he is, though.
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"Kurama?!" Kelsey yelped. "You're KIDDING!"
Kia shook her head. "Remember that fox I told you about?" When her friend nodded, she sighed. "I think that guy's Kurama...he reminds me of him, anyway. And those ears..."
They both flinched when a drawn-out scream filled the air, hanging heavily in the sudden silence that followed. The fox man stepped away from his latest victim and turned to the girls, walking over silently. Blood trickled from a small cut on his forehead...and also from a nasty gash on his arm.
"Kurama...?" Kia said hesitantly.
He smiled, helping Kelsey to her feet. "Youko Kurama. You look exactly the same, Kia."
"I've never seen you before in my life!" the Mirror Holder protested nervously. Then she paused. "...Have I?" She'd seen Kurama of course, but this stranger...this form...she was pretty sure she'd never seen it before.
Youko Kurama reached out, touching her cheek softly. "No," he said with a sad smile. "You haven't. Not yet."
Kia looked at him, startled. "Umm..."
Kelsey gasped suddenly. "Kurama-you're a youkai now!"
"I am," he agreed amusedly.
"But...but that means you're at risk! You could catch the disease!"
"Ohh..." Kia looked at the younger girl in dismay.
Kurama smirked slightly. "Don't worry about it. I should change back soon into my lesser form, and I can stand against the disease anyway. After all, I AM the greatest thief in Makai."
"Aren't we confident," Kelsey murmured, not exactly seeing how being a great thief could help.
"Only because I know." The golden-eyed Youko turned, sauntering past the two Mirror Holders, who had been momentarily rendered speechless.
"...I think I like the tail-less Kurama better," Kia decided, once Kurama was out of earshot.
Kelsey agreed. "But hopefully he'll turn back soon."
***
Four hours passed, and, to the concern of the Mirror Holders, Kurama still bore fox ears and a tail.
"'He'll turn back soon', eh?" Kia said wearily to Kelsey as they trudged along in the darkness, practically drooping with fatigue. They could barely catch glimpses of silvery hair as Kurama strolled smoothly a few feet in front of them.
Kelsey raised her shoulders, then dropped them with a sigh. "You never know..." She suddenly let out a groan. "My feet are blistering."
"I can't even FEEL mine!" The brunette blinked. "Wait...it's been four hours...we should've reached the village an hour ago!!"
Kelsey, upon hearing this piece of startling news, stumbled and fell against Kia. The two went down in a tangled heap. "We didn't PASS it, did we?!"
Kia grimaced, trying to free herself, to no avail. "We didn't pass ANY villages!"
"That can't be good." The younger girl, having freed herself after a few moments of struggling, was now too tired to move. "That Binetsu brat! I bet SHE did something!"
"Illusion," Kia mused. "Or moving its location..."
"So we turn around?" Kelsey suggested.
The Mirror Holder looked up at the dark, velvety sky. "I guess we have to." In spite of herself, she couldn't hold back a yawn. It was seconded by Kelsey and, within minutes, both girls were fast asleep on the cold ground.
Kurama's ears twitched and he turned, inhaling the girls' scent. His golden eyes widened, then softened after a moment.
Kelsey and Kia were curled up beside each other, breathing deeply and quietly. Judging from their limp positions, it looked as if they had just dropped off right there, too weary and fatigued to go on any further.
The Youko was perplexed. Why hadn't they said anything? He would have stopped. Then, a split second later, he answered his own question. The Mirror Holders possessed a legendary stubbornness, and were also worried for their friends. They would keep going until exhaustion wore them out long enough for sleep to claim them.
"Get your rest," Kurama advised quietly, approaching the slumbering duo. He settled down between them on his back, wrapping an arm around each girl and pillowing their heads on his chest. "You'll need it." And with that final remark, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
***Suzuki's House***
"You think they made it yet, 'Neesan?" Kuwabara asked his older sister as she emerged from Jin and Touya's room, carrying a bowl of water, two damp rags draped over the side.
Shizuru looked at him solemnly. "I don't know. They'll do their best to find Chuu and Rinku in time, and that's all we can hope for."
"But...but..." Kuwabara seemed to be having trouble, struggling to find the right words. "They're girls! They're not cut out for Makai-"
"Kazuma." Shizuru's firm tone stopped him before he could finish his sentence. "Did they not destroy Netami?" She'd been well aware of the Mirror Holders' activities for quite some time now.
"Well, yeah, but-"
"And did they or didn't they defeat seven monsters?"
Kuwabara twiddled his thumbs nervously. "They did, but-"
"No buts. They'll be fine." The elder sibling sighed. "Plus, they have Kurama with them."
"True," Kuwabara agreed, feeling slightly better. "Kurama'll protect them."
***Back to Makai***
Kia opened her eyes slowly, blinking as the glaring sun assaulted her vision. She tried to sit up, but failed when a long arm kept her firmly trapped, head resting on something that rose and fell in a slow and steady rhythm.
"What the..." Kelsey's bewildered voice informed her friend that she wasn't the only one awake. "Oi, Kurama, let go!"
The Youko muttered crossly, but didn't wake up.
Kia carefully freed herself from Kurama's one-armed embrace, looking over at the younger girl, who was still working herself free carefully.
"Good morning, Sunshine!" The brunette greeted her cheerfully.
Kelsey yawned. "Morning. Would you like fries with that?"
The girl grinned, before sitting cross-legged on the ground, a pensive look replacing the former expression on her face. "I'm pretty sure we didn't pass the village..."
"Then..." Kelsey frowned. "How are we going to reach it? Kuso! That little-"
"Kage DID say she wouldn't make this easy," she was reminded. "I guess the only thing we can do is retrace our steps. Hopefully, we can get there today."
The blonde Mirror Holder nodded. "Just as long as we get breakfast first."
Kia looked around the barren landscape. "I dread to learn what 'breakfast' is here."
"Not to worry, most of it is edible." Youko Kurama was finally up. He rose and stretched. "You two stay here. I'll go get some food."
"We'll go-" Kelsey started to say, but the kitsune shook his head.
"In this part of Makai, it is best if you two remain together...here. I can handle it. After all, I AM-"
"The best thief in Makai," Kia and Kelsey said in dutiful unison.
"Exactly." He turned and sped off.
"...He's faster than he looks," Kia remarked, watching him go.
"He's still an arrogant canine." Kelsey shrugged, then held out her hands. Kia immediately understood the silent invitation, and the game of Slide was underway.
***Somewhere...else.***
"Kodoma-sama, they've caught on..." The mousy-haired man paced back and forth, wringing his hands nervously. "What'll we do?!"
"Oh, calm down." Binetsu stared at him boredly. "So what if they have? It'll take some time to retrace their steps." She grinned broadly. "And I'm not gonna make it easy for them, either."
"How so?" The man eagerly inquired.
"Let's just say..." The child giggled. "Kurama can't change back, he's at risk, and THAT will leave two youkai girls stranded in Makai."
He looked blank. "But...what did...why do you want to kill them so badly?"
Binetsu looked at him as if she regarded him as an idiot...probably true. "Two reasons, mostly. One, think of the fame...the glory...rumor has it those Mirror Holders are practically impossible to kill. Think about it! I'll be valued amongst all other youkai! I succeeded where Netami herself failed! The Densetsu no Kagami will be mine! The power..." She rolled her eyes. "I don't want their deaths to be bloody...the disease is so EFFICIENT that way. I won't even have to lift a finger."
"And the other reason?" The man prompted delicately. This earned a scowl from his mistress.
"They know SUZUKI. That's a fatal mistake. Any friend of Suzuki's must die." She picked up a face-down picture frame and studied it through lowered lids. Two children stood side by side in front of a forest background. The male had blonde spiky hair and an infectious grin. The little pig-tailed girl beside him was discreetly sticking two fingers behind his head in the universal "bunny ears" gesture. They were young then, innocent; they were happy. They had no idea that, while both were destined to become great Inventors, bitterness and jealousy would draw one into darkness until it consumed her very soul.
"Damn you, Suzuki," Binetsu whispered, hurling the picture to the floor. The glass frame struck, and shattered. She paid it no mind. "You'll pay...you'll ALL pay." (A/N: I'll get you, my pretty...and your little clown nose too!)
***Back to Makai...again***
"...Okay, this is getting ridiculous." Kia rubbed her hands together briskly. "We got to thirty-nine, I can't feel my palms, and Kurama STILL isn't back!"
"You actually kept count?" Kelsey eyed her. "I gave up when we reached eleven!"
Kia said nothing, merely looked steadily at her friend. Kelsey sighed. "Okay, I get it. Let's go look for Foxy Boy." Unfortunately, that triggered a song and soon Kia was being serenaded with "Foxy Boy, the cows, the cows, are calling..."
"Can't you sing something else?" The brunette asked finally, exasperated. Three seconds later, she wished she had kept her mouth shut."
"And there's life in it yet
We may live to regret
When the ones that we've poisoned stop twitchin'..."
"Oh, THAT'S cheerful." Kia grimaced, looking pained.
"I try." Kelsey smiled evilly. "So, where the heck IS Youko Kurama, anyway?"
"I don't know!" Kia sweatdropped. "It's not like we're going to TRIP over him or anyth-"
She seemed to be notorious for famous last words. The next minute, she had tripped over something and fallen headlong into a clump of bushes.
"...Kia!" Kelsey leapt forward to pull her friend out of the clumps of greenery...the bush seemed reluctant, but eventually yielded and gave up the Mirror Holder.
Kia pulled a twig from her ponytail. "Great. First a rock, then Kurama, what the HELL did I just say?!" She turned and looked down. Youko Kurama was lying on the ground, eyes tightly closed, a feverish cast to his pale features.
"Inari, no..." The girl slowly sank to the ground. "This can't be happening!"
"Check to see if he has a fever," Kelsey advised.
"YOU do it. My hands still haven't recovered."
Kelsey gingerly touched Kurama's forehead. She winced. "Well, it's official. Youko Kurama is sick and we're royally screwed."
*OOC*
Poor Mirror Holders! They're having a bad day...no worries, it'll get worse before it gets better. ^.~ SolaLupusKouken...or whatever your name is...you guessed right! ^^ Congrats. And someone else suggested a love triangle between Kia, Jin, and Youko. Scary thought...but...wait til Kikyoku comes out. Poor Kia...no worries, it works out in the end. Please review! Next chapter!
* Kia and Kelsey come up with a plan...
* God, Binetsu is truly EVIL...
* More trouble...and...what's up with hamsters? Talk about bad luck!
I can't believe I'm writing this so fast...@.@ Much thanks to Celebrindae! Her e-mail motivated me...o.o
*oddly enough, has theme song from "Gulla Gulla Island" stuck in her head* Don't tell me you never watched that when you were a kid...*dances some more* Come and let's play together, in the bright sunny weather, let's all go to Gulla Gulla Island! Lots to see and to do there, all we need now is you there...*cough* Okay, I'll stop.
Last chapter, Kia, Kelsey, and Kurama went to Makai...they teased him about his "girlfriend", Yusuke wasn't too happy with baby-sitting duties, and now the Mirror Holders have been saved by a mysterious fox-eared man...Kia thinks she knows who he is, though.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Kurama?!" Kelsey yelped. "You're KIDDING!"
Kia shook her head. "Remember that fox I told you about?" When her friend nodded, she sighed. "I think that guy's Kurama...he reminds me of him, anyway. And those ears..."
They both flinched when a drawn-out scream filled the air, hanging heavily in the sudden silence that followed. The fox man stepped away from his latest victim and turned to the girls, walking over silently. Blood trickled from a small cut on his forehead...and also from a nasty gash on his arm.
"Kurama...?" Kia said hesitantly.
He smiled, helping Kelsey to her feet. "Youko Kurama. You look exactly the same, Kia."
"I've never seen you before in my life!" the Mirror Holder protested nervously. Then she paused. "...Have I?" She'd seen Kurama of course, but this stranger...this form...she was pretty sure she'd never seen it before.
Youko Kurama reached out, touching her cheek softly. "No," he said with a sad smile. "You haven't. Not yet."
Kia looked at him, startled. "Umm..."
Kelsey gasped suddenly. "Kurama-you're a youkai now!"
"I am," he agreed amusedly.
"But...but that means you're at risk! You could catch the disease!"
"Ohh..." Kia looked at the younger girl in dismay.
Kurama smirked slightly. "Don't worry about it. I should change back soon into my lesser form, and I can stand against the disease anyway. After all, I AM the greatest thief in Makai."
"Aren't we confident," Kelsey murmured, not exactly seeing how being a great thief could help.
"Only because I know." The golden-eyed Youko turned, sauntering past the two Mirror Holders, who had been momentarily rendered speechless.
"...I think I like the tail-less Kurama better," Kia decided, once Kurama was out of earshot.
Kelsey agreed. "But hopefully he'll turn back soon."
***
Four hours passed, and, to the concern of the Mirror Holders, Kurama still bore fox ears and a tail.
"'He'll turn back soon', eh?" Kia said wearily to Kelsey as they trudged along in the darkness, practically drooping with fatigue. They could barely catch glimpses of silvery hair as Kurama strolled smoothly a few feet in front of them.
Kelsey raised her shoulders, then dropped them with a sigh. "You never know..." She suddenly let out a groan. "My feet are blistering."
"I can't even FEEL mine!" The brunette blinked. "Wait...it's been four hours...we should've reached the village an hour ago!!"
Kelsey, upon hearing this piece of startling news, stumbled and fell against Kia. The two went down in a tangled heap. "We didn't PASS it, did we?!"
Kia grimaced, trying to free herself, to no avail. "We didn't pass ANY villages!"
"That can't be good." The younger girl, having freed herself after a few moments of struggling, was now too tired to move. "That Binetsu brat! I bet SHE did something!"
"Illusion," Kia mused. "Or moving its location..."
"So we turn around?" Kelsey suggested.
The Mirror Holder looked up at the dark, velvety sky. "I guess we have to." In spite of herself, she couldn't hold back a yawn. It was seconded by Kelsey and, within minutes, both girls were fast asleep on the cold ground.
Kurama's ears twitched and he turned, inhaling the girls' scent. His golden eyes widened, then softened after a moment.
Kelsey and Kia were curled up beside each other, breathing deeply and quietly. Judging from their limp positions, it looked as if they had just dropped off right there, too weary and fatigued to go on any further.
The Youko was perplexed. Why hadn't they said anything? He would have stopped. Then, a split second later, he answered his own question. The Mirror Holders possessed a legendary stubbornness, and were also worried for their friends. They would keep going until exhaustion wore them out long enough for sleep to claim them.
"Get your rest," Kurama advised quietly, approaching the slumbering duo. He settled down between them on his back, wrapping an arm around each girl and pillowing their heads on his chest. "You'll need it." And with that final remark, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
***Suzuki's House***
"You think they made it yet, 'Neesan?" Kuwabara asked his older sister as she emerged from Jin and Touya's room, carrying a bowl of water, two damp rags draped over the side.
Shizuru looked at him solemnly. "I don't know. They'll do their best to find Chuu and Rinku in time, and that's all we can hope for."
"But...but..." Kuwabara seemed to be having trouble, struggling to find the right words. "They're girls! They're not cut out for Makai-"
"Kazuma." Shizuru's firm tone stopped him before he could finish his sentence. "Did they not destroy Netami?" She'd been well aware of the Mirror Holders' activities for quite some time now.
"Well, yeah, but-"
"And did they or didn't they defeat seven monsters?"
Kuwabara twiddled his thumbs nervously. "They did, but-"
"No buts. They'll be fine." The elder sibling sighed. "Plus, they have Kurama with them."
"True," Kuwabara agreed, feeling slightly better. "Kurama'll protect them."
***Back to Makai***
Kia opened her eyes slowly, blinking as the glaring sun assaulted her vision. She tried to sit up, but failed when a long arm kept her firmly trapped, head resting on something that rose and fell in a slow and steady rhythm.
"What the..." Kelsey's bewildered voice informed her friend that she wasn't the only one awake. "Oi, Kurama, let go!"
The Youko muttered crossly, but didn't wake up.
Kia carefully freed herself from Kurama's one-armed embrace, looking over at the younger girl, who was still working herself free carefully.
"Good morning, Sunshine!" The brunette greeted her cheerfully.
Kelsey yawned. "Morning. Would you like fries with that?"
The girl grinned, before sitting cross-legged on the ground, a pensive look replacing the former expression on her face. "I'm pretty sure we didn't pass the village..."
"Then..." Kelsey frowned. "How are we going to reach it? Kuso! That little-"
"Kage DID say she wouldn't make this easy," she was reminded. "I guess the only thing we can do is retrace our steps. Hopefully, we can get there today."
The blonde Mirror Holder nodded. "Just as long as we get breakfast first."
Kia looked around the barren landscape. "I dread to learn what 'breakfast' is here."
"Not to worry, most of it is edible." Youko Kurama was finally up. He rose and stretched. "You two stay here. I'll go get some food."
"We'll go-" Kelsey started to say, but the kitsune shook his head.
"In this part of Makai, it is best if you two remain together...here. I can handle it. After all, I AM-"
"The best thief in Makai," Kia and Kelsey said in dutiful unison.
"Exactly." He turned and sped off.
"...He's faster than he looks," Kia remarked, watching him go.
"He's still an arrogant canine." Kelsey shrugged, then held out her hands. Kia immediately understood the silent invitation, and the game of Slide was underway.
***Somewhere...else.***
"Kodoma-sama, they've caught on..." The mousy-haired man paced back and forth, wringing his hands nervously. "What'll we do?!"
"Oh, calm down." Binetsu stared at him boredly. "So what if they have? It'll take some time to retrace their steps." She grinned broadly. "And I'm not gonna make it easy for them, either."
"How so?" The man eagerly inquired.
"Let's just say..." The child giggled. "Kurama can't change back, he's at risk, and THAT will leave two youkai girls stranded in Makai."
He looked blank. "But...what did...why do you want to kill them so badly?"
Binetsu looked at him as if she regarded him as an idiot...probably true. "Two reasons, mostly. One, think of the fame...the glory...rumor has it those Mirror Holders are practically impossible to kill. Think about it! I'll be valued amongst all other youkai! I succeeded where Netami herself failed! The Densetsu no Kagami will be mine! The power..." She rolled her eyes. "I don't want their deaths to be bloody...the disease is so EFFICIENT that way. I won't even have to lift a finger."
"And the other reason?" The man prompted delicately. This earned a scowl from his mistress.
"They know SUZUKI. That's a fatal mistake. Any friend of Suzuki's must die." She picked up a face-down picture frame and studied it through lowered lids. Two children stood side by side in front of a forest background. The male had blonde spiky hair and an infectious grin. The little pig-tailed girl beside him was discreetly sticking two fingers behind his head in the universal "bunny ears" gesture. They were young then, innocent; they were happy. They had no idea that, while both were destined to become great Inventors, bitterness and jealousy would draw one into darkness until it consumed her very soul.
"Damn you, Suzuki," Binetsu whispered, hurling the picture to the floor. The glass frame struck, and shattered. She paid it no mind. "You'll pay...you'll ALL pay." (A/N: I'll get you, my pretty...and your little clown nose too!)
***Back to Makai...again***
"...Okay, this is getting ridiculous." Kia rubbed her hands together briskly. "We got to thirty-nine, I can't feel my palms, and Kurama STILL isn't back!"
"You actually kept count?" Kelsey eyed her. "I gave up when we reached eleven!"
Kia said nothing, merely looked steadily at her friend. Kelsey sighed. "Okay, I get it. Let's go look for Foxy Boy." Unfortunately, that triggered a song and soon Kia was being serenaded with "Foxy Boy, the cows, the cows, are calling..."
"Can't you sing something else?" The brunette asked finally, exasperated. Three seconds later, she wished she had kept her mouth shut."
"And there's life in it yet
We may live to regret
When the ones that we've poisoned stop twitchin'..."
"Oh, THAT'S cheerful." Kia grimaced, looking pained.
"I try." Kelsey smiled evilly. "So, where the heck IS Youko Kurama, anyway?"
"I don't know!" Kia sweatdropped. "It's not like we're going to TRIP over him or anyth-"
She seemed to be notorious for famous last words. The next minute, she had tripped over something and fallen headlong into a clump of bushes.
"...Kia!" Kelsey leapt forward to pull her friend out of the clumps of greenery...the bush seemed reluctant, but eventually yielded and gave up the Mirror Holder.
Kia pulled a twig from her ponytail. "Great. First a rock, then Kurama, what the HELL did I just say?!" She turned and looked down. Youko Kurama was lying on the ground, eyes tightly closed, a feverish cast to his pale features.
"Inari, no..." The girl slowly sank to the ground. "This can't be happening!"
"Check to see if he has a fever," Kelsey advised.
"YOU do it. My hands still haven't recovered."
Kelsey gingerly touched Kurama's forehead. She winced. "Well, it's official. Youko Kurama is sick and we're royally screwed."
*OOC*
Poor Mirror Holders! They're having a bad day...no worries, it'll get worse before it gets better. ^.~ SolaLupusKouken...or whatever your name is...you guessed right! ^^ Congrats. And someone else suggested a love triangle between Kia, Jin, and Youko. Scary thought...but...wait til Kikyoku comes out. Poor Kia...no worries, it works out in the end. Please review! Next chapter!
* Kia and Kelsey come up with a plan...
* God, Binetsu is truly EVIL...
* More trouble...and...what's up with hamsters? Talk about bad luck!
I can't believe I'm writing this so fast...@.@ Much thanks to Celebrindae! Her e-mail motivated me...o.o