Kokoro No Kaitou : Youko's Story
Chapter 3
~*~
The next day, the girl came back, as promised. Only this time, I had been up for some time before she arrived. I still couldn't move my body, nor could I find the strength to return to my original form.
She was lead in by a guard, who gave me a glare of warning before shutting the door behind her. I noticed that she looked slightly fatter than the day before, as her stomach was bulging slightly. I wondered if it had been like that before, and I had just not noticed it because of my groggy state.
She walked over to me, smiling as she did. She knelt beside me and reached into her obi, pulling out various parcels.
So, I was right. She wasn't any fatter - she just had food in her obi.
I realized how long it had been since my last meal, and felt the saliva build up in my mouth as she unwrapped the foods for me. My stomach told me to snatch the food and shovel down as much as possible, but I didn't want to offend the girl. That wouldn't help with my plan to use her later.
She giggled, and I realized that I must have been making a face. I looked over at her.
"Are you sure? I can share, if you'd like." I asked. In reality, I wanted her to say no, just so that there would be more for me, but I remembered the act that I was supposed to be putting on.
She shook her head. "Iie. You're hungry. Please, go ahead." She waved a hand over the food, and I thanked Kami for her refusal.
I gave her a lopsided grin, eager to start eating. "Well, itadakimasu, then."
I started to shovel the food into my mouth, and my body was grateful for the energy that it provided. She smiled at me as I ate, and I stopped to look at her. I was confused about something.
"But why are you doing this for me?" I asked. There has to be a catch, my mind said.
She looked surprised. "I guess…because I've never had a real friend before this. I wanted to help you."
I didn't reply to that, and started to eat again, only more slowly. I thought about what she had said. Friend? She thought of me as a friend? I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
I finished my food, and gave her a half smile. "Thank you, Amaya-san."
"You're welcome."
I decided to ask her. "Amaya-san? What day is it today?"
"Well, Tanabata is in one week." She replied. She looked thoughtful, then wrinkled her nose at some unpleasant thought.
"Amaya-san?" I asked.
No reply.
"Oi!"
Again, no reply.
I waved my hand in front of her face. "Oi! Oi, Amaya-san!" I said.
"Gomen nasai, Kurama-san." She replied, finally snapping out of her daze. "I was just thinking about…things."
I was curious. "Nani? What about?"
She started talking. About everything from a possible husband that she didn't seem to like, and about how she was having these strange dreams about the moon. She had very interesting opinions on both, and I listened to her, never interrupting. I knew how much women hated to be interrupted.
When she had finished, she brought her knees to her chest and bowed her head.
"So, you don't want to marry this Akira, but your father is seriously considering it?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yes…he's really a horrid man. He's very wealthy, but he comes across as either very lecherous or very greedy. I don't want to be married to that kind of man."
"What kind of man do you want to be married to?" I asked before I could stop myself.
She looked surprised by my question, and I realized how forward that had sounded. I quickly apologized.
"Gomen, Amaya-san. It wasn't my place to ask you such a thing."
She looked down at the floor, blushing again. "That's alright. It just surprised me."
We talked for a little more after that, about the Tanabata festival and other things. I told her that I wished that I could go. I figured that I might as well play along until I escaped.
~*~
For the next week, the girl would visit me and bring more food. I would eat, and then we would talk for about an hour or so.
I started getting a fondness for the ningen, and she seemed to consider us friends.
The girl said that she found out that she had to marry the old guy that she hated so much, and she told me about how they were to be engaged on the day of the Tanabata festival.
But the best thing was, every day I got more and more like my old self, and I was almost completely healed.
~*~
On the day of Tanabata, I felt my strength completely return to me. The guards left to celebrate in the festival, leaving us prisoners all by ourselves. I decided not to break out immediately - I felt as though for some reason, the girl that had grown so fond of me deserved a goodbye at least.
So, I sat around for most of the day, talking to Hiei mostly and asking him how everything was going. I informed him of my situation, and told him to postpone the raid of this place.
I entertained the thought of taking the servant girl with me when I left, but decided against it in the end. She wasn't all that sexually attractive.
~*~
Later on in the evening, I was awoken when the door suddenly opened, and the girl stumbled into the dark room. I could easily sense the panic coming from her, as well as the fear.
"Kurama-san! Kurama-san!" She exclaimed. I could see her searching for me through the darkness.
"Amaya-san?"
I felt the relief wash over her. "Kurama-san, we have to get out of here. It's Akira- he said he wants to kill you! I mean, someone wants to kill you; I'm not quite sure who. Oh Kami-sama, and he said he was going to eat me!" She exclaimed.
Eat…? Akira? As in the snake youkai, who stole the powers of other demons by consuming their flesh? I decided to ask her. "Eat you? What are you talking about?"
She tensed, and I also heard the footsteps approaching the cell. The panic came from her again, which caused me to feel distressed slightly as well. "Quickly, Kurama, if you want to live to see the daylight again, then you must come with me now! Please, for both our lives!"
I knew that this was it. I was going to have to escape, and she was going to come with me.
And I was going to have to reveal my true form.
"Alright, alright. Stand away from the door, though." I said, standing up and ridding myself of my human guise. I felt relieved to have shed it, and nearly smiled as the wave of familiar sensations washed over my body - the enhanced eyesight, hearing, and all other senses.
I saw her move away from the door, looking slightly confused as she did. When she was clear from the door, I summoned my plants to easily destroy it. I smirked at this, and wondered how they thought they could keep me locked up in this place with a mere wooden door to hold me in.
A guard was standing right on the other side, and the light from his torch flooded into the room. I heard the girl gasp, and I quickly glanced over at her, a brief flash of reassurance passing through my face before I glared back at the guard.
I could smell that he had wet himself, and it disgusted me.
He trembled, and stuttered out, "K-Kami-sama! It's the bandit Youko Kurama!"
He turned and started to run, but I was faster. I slit his throat in an instant, before an alarm could be raised - I had learned this from centuries of practice.
But, I realized that there were more guards. They started screaming, and I growled when I realized that the entire estate must have heard them. They attempted to hit me, and I nearly laughed at how easily they fell by my hand.
They weren't good enough to even lay a finger on me.
I stopped and looked back at the girl. She looked terrified. I nearly rolled my eyes at her. "Don't sit there staring - that is, unless you like the idea of being a youkai's next meal."
She struggled to her feet and stumbled into the hallway. She seemed to be in a state of shock.
I saw more guards running towards us, and I cursed. I turned and quickly picked up the girl in my arms, running towards the guards and jumping right over them. I ran up the stairs until I reached the hall beyond. I stopped and took a deep breath, to rid myself of that nauseating smell of mildew and dirt. When I had had my first 'taste' of freedom, I quickly turned and started running down the winding corridors, which I had traveled the week before on my way here.
I felt the girl grip onto the front of my shirt, possibly in fear.
I broke through the front doors, and saw that the Tanabata festival was being held right in the front yard of the estate. The crowds of lower-ranking people turned to stare at us. I stopped and strained my ears for the sound of Hiei and Kuronue, while sending the former a telepathic message.
Hiei, I need you to come to the Takahashi manor as soon as possible. I'm escaping now, and I may need some back up.
Kitsune, we're in the middle of a raid right now! You're on your own! We probably won't be back for another two days.
Damn! Well, that's alright. A few ningens shouldn't be that hard to deal with.
I started running towards the border of the estate, when a person suddenly stepped into my path. I quickly stopped, and narrowed my eyes when I realized who it was.
"Kenji-oniisan!" The girl exclaimed.
Well, that was a shock.
This bastard was this girl's older brother?
He glared at me. "Kitsune, put my sister down now." He drew an arrow from his quiver and aimed it at me. "Or you'll pay with your lowly life."
I smirked. I knew he wouldn't shoot me with his sister in my arms. "You want me to leave her here? Where she is in danger?" I said. "I think not."
"Danger? My sister is not in danger as long as she is here." The baka aimed his arrow at me. "I'll protect her."
I smirked again. "How can you protect your sister from demons who could kill you in an instant? Besides, I know damn well that you two aren't the least bit related."
Shock passed over Kenji's face, and I felt the girl tense up in my arms, meaning that this was news to her.
"What are you talking about? Kenji is my brother!" She protested.
I didn't look at her. Instead, I kept my gaze on Kenji. His scent had suddenly changed, and my smirk faded. "I have demon senses that far surpass your ningen ones. You have a different scent from him. All of them. You are not from this family."
Kenji's shocked expression turned into a sneer. "So what? We aren't related. What do you care? It doesn't affect you."
I snorted. "It doesn't really. But you do. Now get out of my way- I'm not afraid to cut you down."
"Leave the girl here." He said. I wanted to slit his throat right then and there.
"Like hell. You're only going to give her to that demon." I retorted.
"So? It only means a bright future for me. I don't care what happens to her." Kenji said.
I noticed that the girl had fainted, and I snorted again. Women were so weak sometimes! Had she been a demon female, she would've been on her feet and fighting this boy with everything in her for daring to say that. But, then again, ningens will be ningens.
And once the girl wasn't aware of her surroundings, Kenji completely changed. His stance became one of a warrior, and his eyes flickered with red.
So, that meant that the demon called Akira actually had some slight control over the entire state. That meant that they weren't entirely willing to hand over this girl. At least, I knew they wanted to keep her for other reasons than because they 'loved her'. Whatever Akira wanted from her - whatever power - her foster family wanted it as well.
"Look, you bastard, hand over the maiden. I will not ask again before I kill you, kitsune." He said.
I snorted. I didn't have time for this kind of bull. I needed to get her away from this place as soon as possible.
So, I ran.
I ran right past him, and into the woods. However, I was intercepted by a few ningen guards. I made quick work of them by summoning some demonic plants to swallow them whole.
Then, he appeared before me.
A demon, in the disguise of a human.
He was ugly and fat, with greasy black hair and beady eyes of the same color. He smelled strongly of human blood, and the stench of him nearly made me wretch.
"You cannot have her!" He exclaimed.
Kami-sama, his breath made his body smell like roses!
I wrinkled my nose. "Well, I'm not going to let you have her."
I started to summon my plants, and he seemed to…sense what I was going to do. He quickly jumped back, right as the plant had erupted from the ground to swallow him.
Well, that was a bit of a surprise for me too.
He glared, and then hissed at me. "Fine! But I will find you, and hunt you down until the day that you give that wench back!"
I glared after him as he ran away.
Coward…
I heard the girl whimper slightly, and decided to get home sometime before midnight rolled around.
~*~
Author's Notes: Yay! Another chapter done! This story reveals a lot more than Amaya's does, doesn't it?
Katie E. : I'm glad! We all need a little Youko to brighten our days! And yes, in the beginning, he is a mean little perv. But that's why we love him! At least, I think…
Youko : T___T Poor Amaya! Well, I enjoy writing his a little more too. It's funnier.
Shessha's Crazy : Thank you! I try to be as accurate to his personality as possible.
DarkVixenNisha : Yea, in the American version (and the manga) they spell his name 'Yoko'. But on a recent quest for a Japanese girl's name, I discovered something that horrified me - Yoko means 'good girl'. I didn't like that AT ALL. And besides, I think that 'Youko' looks better. Well, thanks for your review!
Story Weaver1 : Here you go! Thanks for the review!
Suzaku no miko : Thanks you! I try! ^____^ And they're up to no good - what else could you expect from them? LOL
Review!!
Chapter 3
~*~
The next day, the girl came back, as promised. Only this time, I had been up for some time before she arrived. I still couldn't move my body, nor could I find the strength to return to my original form.
She was lead in by a guard, who gave me a glare of warning before shutting the door behind her. I noticed that she looked slightly fatter than the day before, as her stomach was bulging slightly. I wondered if it had been like that before, and I had just not noticed it because of my groggy state.
She walked over to me, smiling as she did. She knelt beside me and reached into her obi, pulling out various parcels.
So, I was right. She wasn't any fatter - she just had food in her obi.
I realized how long it had been since my last meal, and felt the saliva build up in my mouth as she unwrapped the foods for me. My stomach told me to snatch the food and shovel down as much as possible, but I didn't want to offend the girl. That wouldn't help with my plan to use her later.
She giggled, and I realized that I must have been making a face. I looked over at her.
"Are you sure? I can share, if you'd like." I asked. In reality, I wanted her to say no, just so that there would be more for me, but I remembered the act that I was supposed to be putting on.
She shook her head. "Iie. You're hungry. Please, go ahead." She waved a hand over the food, and I thanked Kami for her refusal.
I gave her a lopsided grin, eager to start eating. "Well, itadakimasu, then."
I started to shovel the food into my mouth, and my body was grateful for the energy that it provided. She smiled at me as I ate, and I stopped to look at her. I was confused about something.
"But why are you doing this for me?" I asked. There has to be a catch, my mind said.
She looked surprised. "I guess…because I've never had a real friend before this. I wanted to help you."
I didn't reply to that, and started to eat again, only more slowly. I thought about what she had said. Friend? She thought of me as a friend? I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
I finished my food, and gave her a half smile. "Thank you, Amaya-san."
"You're welcome."
I decided to ask her. "Amaya-san? What day is it today?"
"Well, Tanabata is in one week." She replied. She looked thoughtful, then wrinkled her nose at some unpleasant thought.
"Amaya-san?" I asked.
No reply.
"Oi!"
Again, no reply.
I waved my hand in front of her face. "Oi! Oi, Amaya-san!" I said.
"Gomen nasai, Kurama-san." She replied, finally snapping out of her daze. "I was just thinking about…things."
I was curious. "Nani? What about?"
She started talking. About everything from a possible husband that she didn't seem to like, and about how she was having these strange dreams about the moon. She had very interesting opinions on both, and I listened to her, never interrupting. I knew how much women hated to be interrupted.
When she had finished, she brought her knees to her chest and bowed her head.
"So, you don't want to marry this Akira, but your father is seriously considering it?" I asked.
She nodded. "Yes…he's really a horrid man. He's very wealthy, but he comes across as either very lecherous or very greedy. I don't want to be married to that kind of man."
"What kind of man do you want to be married to?" I asked before I could stop myself.
She looked surprised by my question, and I realized how forward that had sounded. I quickly apologized.
"Gomen, Amaya-san. It wasn't my place to ask you such a thing."
She looked down at the floor, blushing again. "That's alright. It just surprised me."
We talked for a little more after that, about the Tanabata festival and other things. I told her that I wished that I could go. I figured that I might as well play along until I escaped.
~*~
For the next week, the girl would visit me and bring more food. I would eat, and then we would talk for about an hour or so.
I started getting a fondness for the ningen, and she seemed to consider us friends.
The girl said that she found out that she had to marry the old guy that she hated so much, and she told me about how they were to be engaged on the day of the Tanabata festival.
But the best thing was, every day I got more and more like my old self, and I was almost completely healed.
~*~
On the day of Tanabata, I felt my strength completely return to me. The guards left to celebrate in the festival, leaving us prisoners all by ourselves. I decided not to break out immediately - I felt as though for some reason, the girl that had grown so fond of me deserved a goodbye at least.
So, I sat around for most of the day, talking to Hiei mostly and asking him how everything was going. I informed him of my situation, and told him to postpone the raid of this place.
I entertained the thought of taking the servant girl with me when I left, but decided against it in the end. She wasn't all that sexually attractive.
~*~
Later on in the evening, I was awoken when the door suddenly opened, and the girl stumbled into the dark room. I could easily sense the panic coming from her, as well as the fear.
"Kurama-san! Kurama-san!" She exclaimed. I could see her searching for me through the darkness.
"Amaya-san?"
I felt the relief wash over her. "Kurama-san, we have to get out of here. It's Akira- he said he wants to kill you! I mean, someone wants to kill you; I'm not quite sure who. Oh Kami-sama, and he said he was going to eat me!" She exclaimed.
Eat…? Akira? As in the snake youkai, who stole the powers of other demons by consuming their flesh? I decided to ask her. "Eat you? What are you talking about?"
She tensed, and I also heard the footsteps approaching the cell. The panic came from her again, which caused me to feel distressed slightly as well. "Quickly, Kurama, if you want to live to see the daylight again, then you must come with me now! Please, for both our lives!"
I knew that this was it. I was going to have to escape, and she was going to come with me.
And I was going to have to reveal my true form.
"Alright, alright. Stand away from the door, though." I said, standing up and ridding myself of my human guise. I felt relieved to have shed it, and nearly smiled as the wave of familiar sensations washed over my body - the enhanced eyesight, hearing, and all other senses.
I saw her move away from the door, looking slightly confused as she did. When she was clear from the door, I summoned my plants to easily destroy it. I smirked at this, and wondered how they thought they could keep me locked up in this place with a mere wooden door to hold me in.
A guard was standing right on the other side, and the light from his torch flooded into the room. I heard the girl gasp, and I quickly glanced over at her, a brief flash of reassurance passing through my face before I glared back at the guard.
I could smell that he had wet himself, and it disgusted me.
He trembled, and stuttered out, "K-Kami-sama! It's the bandit Youko Kurama!"
He turned and started to run, but I was faster. I slit his throat in an instant, before an alarm could be raised - I had learned this from centuries of practice.
But, I realized that there were more guards. They started screaming, and I growled when I realized that the entire estate must have heard them. They attempted to hit me, and I nearly laughed at how easily they fell by my hand.
They weren't good enough to even lay a finger on me.
I stopped and looked back at the girl. She looked terrified. I nearly rolled my eyes at her. "Don't sit there staring - that is, unless you like the idea of being a youkai's next meal."
She struggled to her feet and stumbled into the hallway. She seemed to be in a state of shock.
I saw more guards running towards us, and I cursed. I turned and quickly picked up the girl in my arms, running towards the guards and jumping right over them. I ran up the stairs until I reached the hall beyond. I stopped and took a deep breath, to rid myself of that nauseating smell of mildew and dirt. When I had had my first 'taste' of freedom, I quickly turned and started running down the winding corridors, which I had traveled the week before on my way here.
I felt the girl grip onto the front of my shirt, possibly in fear.
I broke through the front doors, and saw that the Tanabata festival was being held right in the front yard of the estate. The crowds of lower-ranking people turned to stare at us. I stopped and strained my ears for the sound of Hiei and Kuronue, while sending the former a telepathic message.
Hiei, I need you to come to the Takahashi manor as soon as possible. I'm escaping now, and I may need some back up.
Kitsune, we're in the middle of a raid right now! You're on your own! We probably won't be back for another two days.
Damn! Well, that's alright. A few ningens shouldn't be that hard to deal with.
I started running towards the border of the estate, when a person suddenly stepped into my path. I quickly stopped, and narrowed my eyes when I realized who it was.
"Kenji-oniisan!" The girl exclaimed.
Well, that was a shock.
This bastard was this girl's older brother?
He glared at me. "Kitsune, put my sister down now." He drew an arrow from his quiver and aimed it at me. "Or you'll pay with your lowly life."
I smirked. I knew he wouldn't shoot me with his sister in my arms. "You want me to leave her here? Where she is in danger?" I said. "I think not."
"Danger? My sister is not in danger as long as she is here." The baka aimed his arrow at me. "I'll protect her."
I smirked again. "How can you protect your sister from demons who could kill you in an instant? Besides, I know damn well that you two aren't the least bit related."
Shock passed over Kenji's face, and I felt the girl tense up in my arms, meaning that this was news to her.
"What are you talking about? Kenji is my brother!" She protested.
I didn't look at her. Instead, I kept my gaze on Kenji. His scent had suddenly changed, and my smirk faded. "I have demon senses that far surpass your ningen ones. You have a different scent from him. All of them. You are not from this family."
Kenji's shocked expression turned into a sneer. "So what? We aren't related. What do you care? It doesn't affect you."
I snorted. "It doesn't really. But you do. Now get out of my way- I'm not afraid to cut you down."
"Leave the girl here." He said. I wanted to slit his throat right then and there.
"Like hell. You're only going to give her to that demon." I retorted.
"So? It only means a bright future for me. I don't care what happens to her." Kenji said.
I noticed that the girl had fainted, and I snorted again. Women were so weak sometimes! Had she been a demon female, she would've been on her feet and fighting this boy with everything in her for daring to say that. But, then again, ningens will be ningens.
And once the girl wasn't aware of her surroundings, Kenji completely changed. His stance became one of a warrior, and his eyes flickered with red.
So, that meant that the demon called Akira actually had some slight control over the entire state. That meant that they weren't entirely willing to hand over this girl. At least, I knew they wanted to keep her for other reasons than because they 'loved her'. Whatever Akira wanted from her - whatever power - her foster family wanted it as well.
"Look, you bastard, hand over the maiden. I will not ask again before I kill you, kitsune." He said.
I snorted. I didn't have time for this kind of bull. I needed to get her away from this place as soon as possible.
So, I ran.
I ran right past him, and into the woods. However, I was intercepted by a few ningen guards. I made quick work of them by summoning some demonic plants to swallow them whole.
Then, he appeared before me.
A demon, in the disguise of a human.
He was ugly and fat, with greasy black hair and beady eyes of the same color. He smelled strongly of human blood, and the stench of him nearly made me wretch.
"You cannot have her!" He exclaimed.
Kami-sama, his breath made his body smell like roses!
I wrinkled my nose. "Well, I'm not going to let you have her."
I started to summon my plants, and he seemed to…sense what I was going to do. He quickly jumped back, right as the plant had erupted from the ground to swallow him.
Well, that was a bit of a surprise for me too.
He glared, and then hissed at me. "Fine! But I will find you, and hunt you down until the day that you give that wench back!"
I glared after him as he ran away.
Coward…
I heard the girl whimper slightly, and decided to get home sometime before midnight rolled around.
~*~
Author's Notes: Yay! Another chapter done! This story reveals a lot more than Amaya's does, doesn't it?
Katie E. : I'm glad! We all need a little Youko to brighten our days! And yes, in the beginning, he is a mean little perv. But that's why we love him! At least, I think…
Youko : T___T Poor Amaya! Well, I enjoy writing his a little more too. It's funnier.
Shessha's Crazy : Thank you! I try to be as accurate to his personality as possible.
DarkVixenNisha : Yea, in the American version (and the manga) they spell his name 'Yoko'. But on a recent quest for a Japanese girl's name, I discovered something that horrified me - Yoko means 'good girl'. I didn't like that AT ALL. And besides, I think that 'Youko' looks better. Well, thanks for your review!
Story Weaver1 : Here you go! Thanks for the review!
Suzaku no miko : Thanks you! I try! ^____^ And they're up to no good - what else could you expect from them? LOL
Review!!
