So Much Love...
By Dancing Doll
Chapter 4, Part II: Legendary Thief
Yukina's POV
I cursed my luck. It's not that I don't like being with Kurama, I wouldn't have minded going to all the park attractions with him. In fact, I would have been delighted to do so.
The thing is, when there's a psycho trying to kill you just because you're by someone's side, having fun is a little difficult thing to do. Reason why I kept glancing back at the door.
Kurama must have noticed, because he asked me if everything was okay. I wondered if I should tell him the truth, but it seemed a little odd. I could just picture myself saying 'In fact, Kurama-kun, it isn't. Because Hidoi keep trying to frighten me so she can make me stay away from you.'
The thing is, maybe this would help me solve this problem, but as much as I disliked Hidoi, I didn't want to Kurama to think she was some kind of nutcase.
Although I was becoming suspicious she was.
So, instead, I just shook my head and answered.
"Nothing's wrong."
We walked a few more seconds and found another door. Kurama opened it and my mouth hung open.
Before us was a city. There were a lot of shops and malls and I could see a drugstore and a motel. There were houses and buildings, besides, of course, the citizens of Gandara. They were all youkais (okay, humans with youkais costumes, but it seemed so real!), and I could see a castle on the distance.
But what made me more amazed was how they were able to make the sky look so real, and I knew it couldn't be the real sky, because out there the sun was almost setting, but here it should be only noon.
"It's perfect, isn't it?" Kurama asked me and I nodded.
"Yeah! I mean, look at this sky!"
He smiled at me and, to my surprise, held my hand.
"Let's go see what we can do in here."
Needless to say, I blushed.
"Okay."
We walked trough the city, looking around. I noticed the time moved quickly here, so after only five minutes it was almost night.
"What now?" I asked Kurama. He opened his mouth to answer when a woman dressed as a wolf youkai came on our direction and gave us a scroll.
"King Yomi whishes that you, travelers from a far away land, attend to the ball tonight and sleep at the palace." She said bowing.
Kurama opened the scroll and lowered so I could read it too. It was an invitation to the ball, just like the woman said. Kurama smiled at me and I did the same back. He turned to the woman.
"We accept his offer."
"Then I'll be your guide." She said, "I'm Nagisa. Please, follow me."
We followed her trough the streets. I'm not kidding when I say that this place is huge. Guess that's why they only make these attractions once a year.
When we finally got to the palace, She guided us to two separated rooms and explained that we had to get ready for the ball. I entered one room and there was another lady waiting for me. She opened the wardrobe and told me to pick one dress.
I looked at all the dresses in disbelief. That guy certainly own loads of money to make something this ostentatious. I mean, the room was like a fairy-tale and the wardrobe contained so many beautiful dresses! I looked through all of them and finally choose a red one. The lady took the dress and went through another door, coming back minutes later with one that was my size.
She helped me wearing the dress and then she sat me at a beautiful vanity. There, she fixed my hair on a high bun, letting some strands of hair loose, to frame my face and applied some make-up on me. Then, she opened a silver box and took a delicate necklace with a pendant in the form of a flower, with a ruby in the middle of it. She put it around my neck and gave her last touch by putting the earrings, which consisted of flowers with rubies too.
"Well, you're free to go."
I stood up and bowed at her.
"Thank you." I said "Is the boy I came with ready, too?"
"Let me check." The woman said, walking out of the room. She came back a few moments later, "He's waiting for you downstairs."
Kurama's POV
I patiently waited for Yukina to come down. I was supporting myself at the stair's banister with one arm and looking around. Once and a while a 'youkai', dressed with ball clothes would pass by me, bowing. I would bow back, wishing Yukina was here with me. I felt kinda stupid, standing there alone.
I was pondering either I should keep waiting or go upstairs and look for her, when a little boy tugged at my pants.
"Hey, are you our honor guest?" The boy was dressed on a white tuxedo and he had black hair and horns.
"I believe so. Who are you?" I decided to talk to him while Yukina didn't come down. He puffed his chest and announced proudly.
"I'm Prince Shura. The son of King Yomi and heir of the throne of Gandara."
"I see." I said, chuckling. The boy was a great actor.
"Shura, what are you doing?" A deep voice asked. Shura (or whatever his real name was) and me turned to see a man with long black hair, long ears and horns with his eyes closed coming on our direction.
"I was talking to our guest." Shura said, "Where were you all this time, dad?"
Ah, so this was the 'king'.
"I was making sure everything was right." He said, then turning to me (how did he do that? His eyes were still closed!), he bowed and greeted me "I heard that two travelers from a far away land had entered my kingdom, but I only sense one."
I noticed that he used the word 'sense' instead of 'see' and explained.
"She isn't ready yet."
"Oh, so it's a she." Yomi said smiling, "But are you sure she isn't ready yet?" He added, pointing to the top of the stairs.
"What?" I looked up and suppressed a gasp. Yukina was coming down the stairs, smiling softly at us. The dress she was using fitted her well, making all her curves stand out and it color made her eyes stand out.
I straightened my black tux jacket and stood there, looking at her like I was mesmerized. She blushed a little, but kept smiling. I offered her my hand when she was almost at the bottom of the stairs and she took it.
"My lady." I said playfully, smiling at her and bowing on a western fashion.
"My lord." She answered, bowing at the same style.
I turned to Yomi and Shura, and introduced them to her. Yukina giggled when Shura asked her if she would marry him and answered she would think about it.
"Such a lovely lady." Yomi said, taking Yukina's hand and brushing it against his lips. Yukina blushed, and I have to admit that I was quite jealous.
"Please, follow me." Yomi said, leading us to the ballroom. His arm was entwined with hers, and all I wanted was to be on his place.
This time, my eyes didn't widen. I guess I was already expecting the ballroom to be just as ostentatious as the rest of this place. I had to see, all this was really well made. I really felt like I was attending to real ball at a real kingdom.
Yomi leaded us until where his throne was, and gestured me to stay by his other side. He cleaned his throat, and suddenly, everyone's attention turned to us.
"People of Gandara, these..." He gestured to Yukina and me, "Are the travelers from the Ningenkai, the human world. I hope you all treat them well. Now, let the dance begin!"
Music suddenly filled the room, and everyone started dancing. I saw as Yomi bowed to Yukina and asked her to give him, and I quote, 'the pleasure of dancing with the most lovely lady of the room.'
I have to say, I was more than a little jealous. I prayed in my thoughts to Yukina to refuse, but she only glanced at me before answering.
"Yes."
I narrowed my eyes as I watched them dance. Yomi said something to Yukina that made her laugh and I decided that I needed something to drink. I turned to Shura and asked where I could get it.
"There's a table with a punch-bowl and food." He said running to play with some kids.
I went to where he indicated me and served myself with some punch. I had just finished it when I heard a familiar voice.
"Kurama."
I turned around and came face-to-face with the last person I expected to meet here.
"Hidoi-san!" I said. Yumi smiled at me.
"I thought you would have gotten over it already. Call me Yumi." She said. She was wearing a blue dress with silver jewels.
I nodded and smiled a little. It's not that I dislike Yumi, it's just that...
Forget it.
Yumi looked at the ballroom and said sweetly "Yukina-chan seems to be having a good time."
I raised an eyebrow at the 'chan', but kept quiet about it. "Yes. So it seems." I said, a bit more bitterly than I wanted to.
Nah. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I could NOT be in love with her, I only knew her for one week.
"Wanna dance?" Yumi asked when a new song started.
I shrugged. What harm could this make?
"Sure."
Yukina's POV
"Yomi-san." I asked, Yomi looked at me. I glanced on Kurama's way. He was talking to someone I couldn't make out "I would like to dance with Kurama-kun now."
"Kurama-kun? Your friend?"
"Yes." I said.
Yomi smiled mysteriously and mumbled something.
"What?" I asked.
He smiled "I said 'What a small world.'"
"Oh? Why is that?" I asked.
"I know someone that attends by the same name."
"Really? What a coincidence."
"Yes." The song ended, and Yomi let go of my hand and waist, "Go dance with him then."
"Thank you." I said, starting to walk on Kurama's direction just as a new song started playing. However, I quickly hid behind a column when I saw with whom he was talking to.
Yumi Hidoi.
I stood there, looking at them, and when they started to dance I felt a wave of sadness. Kurama and Hidoi danced elegantly and I noticed how good they looked together. Hidoi was with such a happy and gentle expression that I wondered how her last name could mean 'cruel'.
Also, she danced beautifully, like a ballerina. I could never match her grace. So, I decided to go out of the castle to catch some fresh air. I went to the palace's garden and sat by a little lake surrounded by roses. I took a deep breath and watched the fake night sky. There was a full moon shining along with all the stars.
Must be some kind of holographic image.
I sighed and watched my reflection at the lake. I wish I had danced with Kurama before I danced with Yomi. Maybe then Hidoi wouldn't have been able to show him how much greater than me she was.
...
Where did that came from? Was I just degrading myself because of a two-faced girl?
"She's not better than you." I said to myself. Did she dance better than me? Yeah, so? I'm sure I'm better than her at something, she wasn't perfect!
I stood up and decided to go to the ballroom again. If she thinks she's going to lie to Kurama like that, she's so wrong.
Now, I'm not doing that because I'm jealous. There's no way I could be jealous just because she was with Kurama. I'm not jealous at all.
But, as I was about to open the doors, a strange fog started to fill the garden and a voice came from the shadows.
"So...You're Gandara's Jewel."
And then, I blacked out.
Normal View.
Kurama sighed as he twirled Hidoi once again. He ran his eyes through the ballroom, looking for any sign of Yukina, but found none. Frowning a little, he shrugged it off.
'She must be outside at the garden.' He thought to himself. He watched as a woman with a golden dress filled with jewels ran to Yomi and whispered something to him. Yomi's eyes widened...
(A/N: Yomi's not blind on this fic. He's just acting.)
...And he whispered something to the woman, who ran back by the same way she had come.
Yomi went to where his throne was again and cleared his throat. Only this time no one paid attention to him. He tried once again, louder this time, but still no one looked to his away. He tried two more times, and seeing that it was useless, finally lost his temper.
"LISTEN TO ME!" He screamed. Everyone stopped dancing and looked at him. Kurama assumed that this wasn't on the script, because all the cast started to whisper among themselves.
"What must have happened?" Yumi asked, but Kurama ignored her, since Yomi started talking.
"Something terrible happened." He announced, "One of our visitors was kidnapped."
Kurama paled and everyone frowned in confusion.
"The kidnapper is here, among us." Yomi continued. Now, one of the 'youkais' went to his side and whispered to him.
"What do you mean, Yomi? Why isn't Ikuko hiding like it says on the script? She was the one supposed to be kidnapped, not one of the visitors!"
"I know, but today is the first day of this attraction and the guy who plays the kidnapper doesn't know that the girl isn't an actress! He must have 'kidnapped' her by mistake!"
"What now?!"
"Now we improvise. Just follow my lead." Yomi said.
"Okay." They guy went back to the crowd.
"As I was saying, the kidnapper is among us tonight. Guards!" Yomi roared and a bunch of guys dressed as royal guards stormed inside the room.
"Arrest him!" He said pointing to Kurama.
"WHAT?" Kurama shouted. 'They must be kidding me.' He thought. But as the guards got closer, he saw that they weren't.
"What did you do to Yukina?" He shouted, dodging the guards' hands.
"I could ask YOU the same question!" Said Yomi, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"I swear I'm going to-!" He couldn't end his sentence, because one guard put his hand over his mouth and knocked him down while the other ones jumped on him to keep Kurama down.
"Take him to the dungeons!"
The guards stopped dead on their tracks and looked at Yomi. The same guy from before went over to Yomi.
"Yomi, we don't have a dungeon."
Yomi sweat-dropped.
"W-well then, lock him away somewhere!"
Kurama then was taken and locked on one of the castle's room, and left there screaming and banging the door. Yomi then called the first person that crossed his path.
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Toguro." The man answered.
"Right. Toguro, I want you to say something to the guy that was arrested."
The bulky man raised an eyebrow "What do I get by doing it?"
Yomi frowned "What do you mean?"
"I mean" Said Toguro, with both hands on his pockets "That I got paid to dance with the others actors while this fake ball was on and to feign shock and sadness when the 'Gandara's Jewel' was kidnapped. Of course that doing the task you're asking me will require a reward of some sort."
Yomi stood there gaping at him "Are you telling me that I'll have to pay you?"
"Of course." He said from behind his sunglasses.
Yomi blinked at him, and then said, "I'll give twenty bucks."
"Just because I have all this brawns doesn't mean I have no brains." Toguro said, giving his back to Yomi and starting to walk away.
"Okay, okay!" Yomi shouted. He stopped and looked at him.
"Well, then. Let's start the negotiation."
"Damn." Kurama sighed. He had tried to knock the door down, but only managed to get a sore shoulder. He sat at the bed of the room and started thinking on an away to get out of this place, with Yukina on the process.
'Something must have happened, or else the people downstairs would have acted more worried.' He mused. Maybe something went wrong with the kidnapping?
He got up and prepared to lunge at the door again, when a man's voice caught his attention.
"Hey you, up here!"
Kurama looked up and his eyes widened in disbelief. There was a huge man hanging from the ceiling by a rope. He was wearing a little fairy pink outfit, with butterfly wings that seemed like they would fall at any minute. Also, the man had a blond wig with a crown on top of his head and he was wearing dark sunglasses and didn't look too happy.
"I suppose you're my fairy godmother." Kurama said, crossing his arms.
"How did you know that?" The man asked, frowning at Kurama.
"Lucky guess." Kurama stated.
"Huh...Right. I'm your sweet, gentle and beautiful fairy godmother, Josephine." He said. The rope was pulled back and he shook violently "HEY, WATCH IT DUMBASS! I'M NOT DONE HERE YET!"
Kurama sweat-dropped at 'Josephine' choice of words, but kept silent. The 'fairy' turned to him again and continued his speech.
"I'm here to help you save that hot chick..." The rope was pulled again "I mean, your sweet companion. What happened at the ballroom was a terrible misunderstanding made by..." Josephine pulled a paper from under 'her' dress "...Our wonderful, sexy, amazingly clever and perfect King Yomi. Since you and the kidnapper attend by the same name, he thought you were guilty. But I'm here to free you from your terrible prison and tell you how to find your friend."
He pulled a wand with a star on its end and waved it at the door "I summon the powers of sugar, rainbows, pink girlish stuff and fairy dust! Open this door for this hot stuff!" The star glowed pink and the door opened. Kurama sighed in annoyance and raised an eyebrow at the 'hot stuff' comment.
"Would you hurry up?" He asked, annoyed.
"I will not take that tone from you, young man!" Josephine scolded, then he looked at Kurama and whispered "By the way, Yomi wrote the spell. He's the one swinging that way, not me."
Kurama rolled his eyes "I imagined that."
"Okay then, go through the garden until you get to a wood, keep straight until you see a cave and that's where you'll battle the demon to save your girl." Josephine said, adjusting her wig, "Now, I must go. HEY, PULL ME UP!" The rope was pulled up to quickly, making the man hit his head on the roof and fall to the ground with a loud thud "I'M GONNA TO KICK YOUR SORRY ASS, YOU SON OF A-!"
Kurama got out of the bedroom, more interest on 'rescuing' Yukina and getting out of there than on 'Josephine's' threatening to the poor soul up there.
Back to Yukina
Yukina opened her eyes slowly and looked at her surroundings. She was in some kind of subterraneous cave, or at least that's what she thought. She tried to move, but realized she was tied. Starting to get scared, she attempted to free herself.
'What was that back there?' She asked herself mentally, her eyes widened in fear 'Was I kidnapped?!'
Then, she heard footsteps coming in her direction and pretended she was still unconscious.
"Damn, Youko...Did you had to hit her so hard?" A male voice said.
"I didn't mean it to be that strong, okay? I'm not really aware of my own strength!" Another man's voice answered, clearly angry.
"What do we do now? Those guys must get here anytime, and they'll want her awake!"
"Why would they want that?"
"Because it won't be fun otherwise!"
'Oh, my!' Yukina thought, desperate 'Am I going to be raped?!'
"Nonsense!" The second voice said "This kind of thing is always fun! It doesn't matter if the person is awake or not!"
'OMG! I AM going to be raped!' Yukina unconsciously started breathing harder. She had to get out of there.
"Hey...I think she's awake." The first voice said.
"Let me check."
Yukina felt as a hand touched her, and freaked out.
"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU SICK RAPIST!" She screamed, trying to bite the owner of the hand.
"Wow, calm down!" The guy said, jumping away from her. She looked at her two 'kidnappers'. The one who had touched her was wearing a white outfit. He had long silver hair and golden eyes. On the top of his head were two white fox ears and she could see a foxtail behind him. The other was wearing a strange black outfit and he had two bat wings on his back. His long black hair was tied up on a high ponytail and he had long pointy ears.
'I can't believe it! The security at this park must be so poor if these guys could get in here just by getting youkai's costumes!' She thought.
She was so caught up on her own thoughts that she missed the two of them whispering.
"She's a good actress!" Said the bat youkai.
"Her 'saviors' must be here already, if she acted like that." Youko whispered back "We should start with our act, too. That Sakyo guy said he wanted 'the visitors to feel like they were on a real adventure.', or else we won't get paid."
"You're right." The other one said, turning to the girl.
Youko cleared his throat, getting Yukina's attention, and spoke "I'm the legendary thief Youko Kurama. You will be my hostage until your Majesty tells me where his treasure is."
Yukina frowned. 'Your Majesty' should be some kind of codename to whoever was paying the rescue.
'If they kidnapped me at the park, then your Majesty must be the owner, Sakyo! It would ruin him if someone was kidnapped on his park, and the guy sure has money!'
"This..." She looked at them again. The fox demon was gesturing towards the other one "Is my partner, Kuronue. He was the one who knocked you down."
"WHAT?" The other guy, Kuronue, shouted.
"Shut up!" Youko shouted back "Now, you'll be a good girl and stay quiet."
"You wish!" Yukina retorted "HELP! HEEELP! THEY WANT TO RAPE ME!"
Youko and Kuronue became frantic. That wasn't on the script! The girl was supposed to cry and pledge for her freedom, not accuse them of rape!
"Yukina?"
Yukina stopped screaming at the familiar voice. She looked at the cave entrance while the two men did the same. She breathed in relief when she saw Kurama there.
"Kurama-kun!"
"Hey! I don't know you enough for you to call me that!" The silver haired youkai told her.
"I'm not talking to you!" She shouted at him. Then, realizing the situation, she turned to Kurama "Run, Kurama-kun! They're dangerous!"
Kurama raised an eyebrow and started walking towards her. The two 'youkais' blocked his way.
"If you want to save her, you'll have to beat us on battlefield." Said Kuronue. Kurama started getting angry.
"Listen, I'm not on the mood to play with you. That girl is one of the visitors and this whole thing is a great misunderstanding. Now, let her go and I won't sue whoever kidnapped her." Kurama said, between clenched teeth.
Youko snorted in arrogance "That would be us. Nice try, by the way. Trying to convince us that we kidnapped one of the visitors and threatening us so we could give you the girl."
Kurama raised an eyebrow "So...You two are the ones who kidnapped her and made us go through all this?"
"You bet." Kuronue said proudly.
Big mistake.
Sometime later
"So that's what happened!" Yukina said, while she and Kurama walked back to the castle "And I thinking that they were real kidnappers!"
"You thought what?" Asked Kurama, grinning at her.
Yukina sweat-dropped "Oh, nothing! Forget about it!"
They went inside the ballroom only to find it empty. They frowned and looked at each other.
"Where are they?" Yukina asked.
"Frankly, I don't care." Kurama said, sighing and sitting at Yomi's throne.
"Yeah." Said Yukina, sitting on a throne besides him "Thank you for saving me, by the way."
"No problem." Kurama said, his eyes closed.
"You really beat them up, didn't you?"
"I was angry."
Yukina smiled "I could see that." She looked at the ballroom and them at her dress. Amazingly, it had survived all the 'action' she went through.
"But it's a pity, really..." She whispered.
"What?" Kurama asked, opening his eyes and looking at her. She blushed and looked at the floor.
"Nothing." She said. She had said it unconsciously, and hadn't wanted him to hear.
'It's a pity I couldn't dance with you.' She thought. Just them, a sweet melody filled the room. Yukina and Kurama looked at each other. He smiled, standing, and then he walked to stand before her.
Kurama bent before her and offered Yukina his hand "Would you give me the pleasure of this dance?"
Yukina looked at him, gaping. Then, she smiled sweetly and took his hand "Yes."
Kurama put his other hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Yukina blushed and looked at him. He smiled at her and she sighed.
Kurama guided her through the ballroom, her skirt flowing at each twirl. She rested her head on his shoulder as they waltzed to the rhythm of the music.
Before they knew it, the music ended, but they kept dancing at the light of the fake moon until the sun replaced its silver light. Kurama then stopped and looked at her.
"We should be going until something else happens."
"Yes." Yukina answered on a whisper "We have to change."
Kurama nodded and went upstairs with her. After they had changed, their made their way back through the empty town.
"I hope the others are all right." Yukina said.
"Yeah, me too." Kurama said, frowning a little "Let's just hope nobody else gets kidnapped."
Yukina giggled. Kurama opened the door that would lead them to the exit door. Yukina looked back one last time at Gandara.
'Thank you.' She thought, going through the door with Kurama following her.
To be continued...
Next chapter: Hiei and Hinageshi's choice was the Koorime Island, a place with a strange legend about a forbidden child! But this place has a lot of special effects...What would happen if something went wrong?
By Dancing Doll
Chapter 4, Part II: Legendary Thief
Yukina's POV
I cursed my luck. It's not that I don't like being with Kurama, I wouldn't have minded going to all the park attractions with him. In fact, I would have been delighted to do so.
The thing is, when there's a psycho trying to kill you just because you're by someone's side, having fun is a little difficult thing to do. Reason why I kept glancing back at the door.
Kurama must have noticed, because he asked me if everything was okay. I wondered if I should tell him the truth, but it seemed a little odd. I could just picture myself saying 'In fact, Kurama-kun, it isn't. Because Hidoi keep trying to frighten me so she can make me stay away from you.'
The thing is, maybe this would help me solve this problem, but as much as I disliked Hidoi, I didn't want to Kurama to think she was some kind of nutcase.
Although I was becoming suspicious she was.
So, instead, I just shook my head and answered.
"Nothing's wrong."
We walked a few more seconds and found another door. Kurama opened it and my mouth hung open.
Before us was a city. There were a lot of shops and malls and I could see a drugstore and a motel. There were houses and buildings, besides, of course, the citizens of Gandara. They were all youkais (okay, humans with youkais costumes, but it seemed so real!), and I could see a castle on the distance.
But what made me more amazed was how they were able to make the sky look so real, and I knew it couldn't be the real sky, because out there the sun was almost setting, but here it should be only noon.
"It's perfect, isn't it?" Kurama asked me and I nodded.
"Yeah! I mean, look at this sky!"
He smiled at me and, to my surprise, held my hand.
"Let's go see what we can do in here."
Needless to say, I blushed.
"Okay."
We walked trough the city, looking around. I noticed the time moved quickly here, so after only five minutes it was almost night.
"What now?" I asked Kurama. He opened his mouth to answer when a woman dressed as a wolf youkai came on our direction and gave us a scroll.
"King Yomi whishes that you, travelers from a far away land, attend to the ball tonight and sleep at the palace." She said bowing.
Kurama opened the scroll and lowered so I could read it too. It was an invitation to the ball, just like the woman said. Kurama smiled at me and I did the same back. He turned to the woman.
"We accept his offer."
"Then I'll be your guide." She said, "I'm Nagisa. Please, follow me."
We followed her trough the streets. I'm not kidding when I say that this place is huge. Guess that's why they only make these attractions once a year.
When we finally got to the palace, She guided us to two separated rooms and explained that we had to get ready for the ball. I entered one room and there was another lady waiting for me. She opened the wardrobe and told me to pick one dress.
I looked at all the dresses in disbelief. That guy certainly own loads of money to make something this ostentatious. I mean, the room was like a fairy-tale and the wardrobe contained so many beautiful dresses! I looked through all of them and finally choose a red one. The lady took the dress and went through another door, coming back minutes later with one that was my size.
She helped me wearing the dress and then she sat me at a beautiful vanity. There, she fixed my hair on a high bun, letting some strands of hair loose, to frame my face and applied some make-up on me. Then, she opened a silver box and took a delicate necklace with a pendant in the form of a flower, with a ruby in the middle of it. She put it around my neck and gave her last touch by putting the earrings, which consisted of flowers with rubies too.
"Well, you're free to go."
I stood up and bowed at her.
"Thank you." I said "Is the boy I came with ready, too?"
"Let me check." The woman said, walking out of the room. She came back a few moments later, "He's waiting for you downstairs."
Kurama's POV
I patiently waited for Yukina to come down. I was supporting myself at the stair's banister with one arm and looking around. Once and a while a 'youkai', dressed with ball clothes would pass by me, bowing. I would bow back, wishing Yukina was here with me. I felt kinda stupid, standing there alone.
I was pondering either I should keep waiting or go upstairs and look for her, when a little boy tugged at my pants.
"Hey, are you our honor guest?" The boy was dressed on a white tuxedo and he had black hair and horns.
"I believe so. Who are you?" I decided to talk to him while Yukina didn't come down. He puffed his chest and announced proudly.
"I'm Prince Shura. The son of King Yomi and heir of the throne of Gandara."
"I see." I said, chuckling. The boy was a great actor.
"Shura, what are you doing?" A deep voice asked. Shura (or whatever his real name was) and me turned to see a man with long black hair, long ears and horns with his eyes closed coming on our direction.
"I was talking to our guest." Shura said, "Where were you all this time, dad?"
Ah, so this was the 'king'.
"I was making sure everything was right." He said, then turning to me (how did he do that? His eyes were still closed!), he bowed and greeted me "I heard that two travelers from a far away land had entered my kingdom, but I only sense one."
I noticed that he used the word 'sense' instead of 'see' and explained.
"She isn't ready yet."
"Oh, so it's a she." Yomi said smiling, "But are you sure she isn't ready yet?" He added, pointing to the top of the stairs.
"What?" I looked up and suppressed a gasp. Yukina was coming down the stairs, smiling softly at us. The dress she was using fitted her well, making all her curves stand out and it color made her eyes stand out.
I straightened my black tux jacket and stood there, looking at her like I was mesmerized. She blushed a little, but kept smiling. I offered her my hand when she was almost at the bottom of the stairs and she took it.
"My lady." I said playfully, smiling at her and bowing on a western fashion.
"My lord." She answered, bowing at the same style.
I turned to Yomi and Shura, and introduced them to her. Yukina giggled when Shura asked her if she would marry him and answered she would think about it.
"Such a lovely lady." Yomi said, taking Yukina's hand and brushing it against his lips. Yukina blushed, and I have to admit that I was quite jealous.
"Please, follow me." Yomi said, leading us to the ballroom. His arm was entwined with hers, and all I wanted was to be on his place.
This time, my eyes didn't widen. I guess I was already expecting the ballroom to be just as ostentatious as the rest of this place. I had to see, all this was really well made. I really felt like I was attending to real ball at a real kingdom.
Yomi leaded us until where his throne was, and gestured me to stay by his other side. He cleaned his throat, and suddenly, everyone's attention turned to us.
"People of Gandara, these..." He gestured to Yukina and me, "Are the travelers from the Ningenkai, the human world. I hope you all treat them well. Now, let the dance begin!"
Music suddenly filled the room, and everyone started dancing. I saw as Yomi bowed to Yukina and asked her to give him, and I quote, 'the pleasure of dancing with the most lovely lady of the room.'
I have to say, I was more than a little jealous. I prayed in my thoughts to Yukina to refuse, but she only glanced at me before answering.
"Yes."
I narrowed my eyes as I watched them dance. Yomi said something to Yukina that made her laugh and I decided that I needed something to drink. I turned to Shura and asked where I could get it.
"There's a table with a punch-bowl and food." He said running to play with some kids.
I went to where he indicated me and served myself with some punch. I had just finished it when I heard a familiar voice.
"Kurama."
I turned around and came face-to-face with the last person I expected to meet here.
"Hidoi-san!" I said. Yumi smiled at me.
"I thought you would have gotten over it already. Call me Yumi." She said. She was wearing a blue dress with silver jewels.
I nodded and smiled a little. It's not that I dislike Yumi, it's just that...
Forget it.
Yumi looked at the ballroom and said sweetly "Yukina-chan seems to be having a good time."
I raised an eyebrow at the 'chan', but kept quiet about it. "Yes. So it seems." I said, a bit more bitterly than I wanted to.
Nah. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I could NOT be in love with her, I only knew her for one week.
"Wanna dance?" Yumi asked when a new song started.
I shrugged. What harm could this make?
"Sure."
Yukina's POV
"Yomi-san." I asked, Yomi looked at me. I glanced on Kurama's way. He was talking to someone I couldn't make out "I would like to dance with Kurama-kun now."
"Kurama-kun? Your friend?"
"Yes." I said.
Yomi smiled mysteriously and mumbled something.
"What?" I asked.
He smiled "I said 'What a small world.'"
"Oh? Why is that?" I asked.
"I know someone that attends by the same name."
"Really? What a coincidence."
"Yes." The song ended, and Yomi let go of my hand and waist, "Go dance with him then."
"Thank you." I said, starting to walk on Kurama's direction just as a new song started playing. However, I quickly hid behind a column when I saw with whom he was talking to.
Yumi Hidoi.
I stood there, looking at them, and when they started to dance I felt a wave of sadness. Kurama and Hidoi danced elegantly and I noticed how good they looked together. Hidoi was with such a happy and gentle expression that I wondered how her last name could mean 'cruel'.
Also, she danced beautifully, like a ballerina. I could never match her grace. So, I decided to go out of the castle to catch some fresh air. I went to the palace's garden and sat by a little lake surrounded by roses. I took a deep breath and watched the fake night sky. There was a full moon shining along with all the stars.
Must be some kind of holographic image.
I sighed and watched my reflection at the lake. I wish I had danced with Kurama before I danced with Yomi. Maybe then Hidoi wouldn't have been able to show him how much greater than me she was.
...
Where did that came from? Was I just degrading myself because of a two-faced girl?
"She's not better than you." I said to myself. Did she dance better than me? Yeah, so? I'm sure I'm better than her at something, she wasn't perfect!
I stood up and decided to go to the ballroom again. If she thinks she's going to lie to Kurama like that, she's so wrong.
Now, I'm not doing that because I'm jealous. There's no way I could be jealous just because she was with Kurama. I'm not jealous at all.
But, as I was about to open the doors, a strange fog started to fill the garden and a voice came from the shadows.
"So...You're Gandara's Jewel."
And then, I blacked out.
Normal View.
Kurama sighed as he twirled Hidoi once again. He ran his eyes through the ballroom, looking for any sign of Yukina, but found none. Frowning a little, he shrugged it off.
'She must be outside at the garden.' He thought to himself. He watched as a woman with a golden dress filled with jewels ran to Yomi and whispered something to him. Yomi's eyes widened...
(A/N: Yomi's not blind on this fic. He's just acting.)
...And he whispered something to the woman, who ran back by the same way she had come.
Yomi went to where his throne was again and cleared his throat. Only this time no one paid attention to him. He tried once again, louder this time, but still no one looked to his away. He tried two more times, and seeing that it was useless, finally lost his temper.
"LISTEN TO ME!" He screamed. Everyone stopped dancing and looked at him. Kurama assumed that this wasn't on the script, because all the cast started to whisper among themselves.
"What must have happened?" Yumi asked, but Kurama ignored her, since Yomi started talking.
"Something terrible happened." He announced, "One of our visitors was kidnapped."
Kurama paled and everyone frowned in confusion.
"The kidnapper is here, among us." Yomi continued. Now, one of the 'youkais' went to his side and whispered to him.
"What do you mean, Yomi? Why isn't Ikuko hiding like it says on the script? She was the one supposed to be kidnapped, not one of the visitors!"
"I know, but today is the first day of this attraction and the guy who plays the kidnapper doesn't know that the girl isn't an actress! He must have 'kidnapped' her by mistake!"
"What now?!"
"Now we improvise. Just follow my lead." Yomi said.
"Okay." They guy went back to the crowd.
"As I was saying, the kidnapper is among us tonight. Guards!" Yomi roared and a bunch of guys dressed as royal guards stormed inside the room.
"Arrest him!" He said pointing to Kurama.
"WHAT?" Kurama shouted. 'They must be kidding me.' He thought. But as the guards got closer, he saw that they weren't.
"What did you do to Yukina?" He shouted, dodging the guards' hands.
"I could ask YOU the same question!" Said Yomi, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"I swear I'm going to-!" He couldn't end his sentence, because one guard put his hand over his mouth and knocked him down while the other ones jumped on him to keep Kurama down.
"Take him to the dungeons!"
The guards stopped dead on their tracks and looked at Yomi. The same guy from before went over to Yomi.
"Yomi, we don't have a dungeon."
Yomi sweat-dropped.
"W-well then, lock him away somewhere!"
Kurama then was taken and locked on one of the castle's room, and left there screaming and banging the door. Yomi then called the first person that crossed his path.
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Toguro." The man answered.
"Right. Toguro, I want you to say something to the guy that was arrested."
The bulky man raised an eyebrow "What do I get by doing it?"
Yomi frowned "What do you mean?"
"I mean" Said Toguro, with both hands on his pockets "That I got paid to dance with the others actors while this fake ball was on and to feign shock and sadness when the 'Gandara's Jewel' was kidnapped. Of course that doing the task you're asking me will require a reward of some sort."
Yomi stood there gaping at him "Are you telling me that I'll have to pay you?"
"Of course." He said from behind his sunglasses.
Yomi blinked at him, and then said, "I'll give twenty bucks."
"Just because I have all this brawns doesn't mean I have no brains." Toguro said, giving his back to Yomi and starting to walk away.
"Okay, okay!" Yomi shouted. He stopped and looked at him.
"Well, then. Let's start the negotiation."
"Damn." Kurama sighed. He had tried to knock the door down, but only managed to get a sore shoulder. He sat at the bed of the room and started thinking on an away to get out of this place, with Yukina on the process.
'Something must have happened, or else the people downstairs would have acted more worried.' He mused. Maybe something went wrong with the kidnapping?
He got up and prepared to lunge at the door again, when a man's voice caught his attention.
"Hey you, up here!"
Kurama looked up and his eyes widened in disbelief. There was a huge man hanging from the ceiling by a rope. He was wearing a little fairy pink outfit, with butterfly wings that seemed like they would fall at any minute. Also, the man had a blond wig with a crown on top of his head and he was wearing dark sunglasses and didn't look too happy.
"I suppose you're my fairy godmother." Kurama said, crossing his arms.
"How did you know that?" The man asked, frowning at Kurama.
"Lucky guess." Kurama stated.
"Huh...Right. I'm your sweet, gentle and beautiful fairy godmother, Josephine." He said. The rope was pulled back and he shook violently "HEY, WATCH IT DUMBASS! I'M NOT DONE HERE YET!"
Kurama sweat-dropped at 'Josephine' choice of words, but kept silent. The 'fairy' turned to him again and continued his speech.
"I'm here to help you save that hot chick..." The rope was pulled again "I mean, your sweet companion. What happened at the ballroom was a terrible misunderstanding made by..." Josephine pulled a paper from under 'her' dress "...Our wonderful, sexy, amazingly clever and perfect King Yomi. Since you and the kidnapper attend by the same name, he thought you were guilty. But I'm here to free you from your terrible prison and tell you how to find your friend."
He pulled a wand with a star on its end and waved it at the door "I summon the powers of sugar, rainbows, pink girlish stuff and fairy dust! Open this door for this hot stuff!" The star glowed pink and the door opened. Kurama sighed in annoyance and raised an eyebrow at the 'hot stuff' comment.
"Would you hurry up?" He asked, annoyed.
"I will not take that tone from you, young man!" Josephine scolded, then he looked at Kurama and whispered "By the way, Yomi wrote the spell. He's the one swinging that way, not me."
Kurama rolled his eyes "I imagined that."
"Okay then, go through the garden until you get to a wood, keep straight until you see a cave and that's where you'll battle the demon to save your girl." Josephine said, adjusting her wig, "Now, I must go. HEY, PULL ME UP!" The rope was pulled up to quickly, making the man hit his head on the roof and fall to the ground with a loud thud "I'M GONNA TO KICK YOUR SORRY ASS, YOU SON OF A-!"
Kurama got out of the bedroom, more interest on 'rescuing' Yukina and getting out of there than on 'Josephine's' threatening to the poor soul up there.
Back to Yukina
Yukina opened her eyes slowly and looked at her surroundings. She was in some kind of subterraneous cave, or at least that's what she thought. She tried to move, but realized she was tied. Starting to get scared, she attempted to free herself.
'What was that back there?' She asked herself mentally, her eyes widened in fear 'Was I kidnapped?!'
Then, she heard footsteps coming in her direction and pretended she was still unconscious.
"Damn, Youko...Did you had to hit her so hard?" A male voice said.
"I didn't mean it to be that strong, okay? I'm not really aware of my own strength!" Another man's voice answered, clearly angry.
"What do we do now? Those guys must get here anytime, and they'll want her awake!"
"Why would they want that?"
"Because it won't be fun otherwise!"
'Oh, my!' Yukina thought, desperate 'Am I going to be raped?!'
"Nonsense!" The second voice said "This kind of thing is always fun! It doesn't matter if the person is awake or not!"
'OMG! I AM going to be raped!' Yukina unconsciously started breathing harder. She had to get out of there.
"Hey...I think she's awake." The first voice said.
"Let me check."
Yukina felt as a hand touched her, and freaked out.
"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU SICK RAPIST!" She screamed, trying to bite the owner of the hand.
"Wow, calm down!" The guy said, jumping away from her. She looked at her two 'kidnappers'. The one who had touched her was wearing a white outfit. He had long silver hair and golden eyes. On the top of his head were two white fox ears and she could see a foxtail behind him. The other was wearing a strange black outfit and he had two bat wings on his back. His long black hair was tied up on a high ponytail and he had long pointy ears.
'I can't believe it! The security at this park must be so poor if these guys could get in here just by getting youkai's costumes!' She thought.
She was so caught up on her own thoughts that she missed the two of them whispering.
"She's a good actress!" Said the bat youkai.
"Her 'saviors' must be here already, if she acted like that." Youko whispered back "We should start with our act, too. That Sakyo guy said he wanted 'the visitors to feel like they were on a real adventure.', or else we won't get paid."
"You're right." The other one said, turning to the girl.
Youko cleared his throat, getting Yukina's attention, and spoke "I'm the legendary thief Youko Kurama. You will be my hostage until your Majesty tells me where his treasure is."
Yukina frowned. 'Your Majesty' should be some kind of codename to whoever was paying the rescue.
'If they kidnapped me at the park, then your Majesty must be the owner, Sakyo! It would ruin him if someone was kidnapped on his park, and the guy sure has money!'
"This..." She looked at them again. The fox demon was gesturing towards the other one "Is my partner, Kuronue. He was the one who knocked you down."
"WHAT?" The other guy, Kuronue, shouted.
"Shut up!" Youko shouted back "Now, you'll be a good girl and stay quiet."
"You wish!" Yukina retorted "HELP! HEEELP! THEY WANT TO RAPE ME!"
Youko and Kuronue became frantic. That wasn't on the script! The girl was supposed to cry and pledge for her freedom, not accuse them of rape!
"Yukina?"
Yukina stopped screaming at the familiar voice. She looked at the cave entrance while the two men did the same. She breathed in relief when she saw Kurama there.
"Kurama-kun!"
"Hey! I don't know you enough for you to call me that!" The silver haired youkai told her.
"I'm not talking to you!" She shouted at him. Then, realizing the situation, she turned to Kurama "Run, Kurama-kun! They're dangerous!"
Kurama raised an eyebrow and started walking towards her. The two 'youkais' blocked his way.
"If you want to save her, you'll have to beat us on battlefield." Said Kuronue. Kurama started getting angry.
"Listen, I'm not on the mood to play with you. That girl is one of the visitors and this whole thing is a great misunderstanding. Now, let her go and I won't sue whoever kidnapped her." Kurama said, between clenched teeth.
Youko snorted in arrogance "That would be us. Nice try, by the way. Trying to convince us that we kidnapped one of the visitors and threatening us so we could give you the girl."
Kurama raised an eyebrow "So...You two are the ones who kidnapped her and made us go through all this?"
"You bet." Kuronue said proudly.
Big mistake.
Sometime later
"So that's what happened!" Yukina said, while she and Kurama walked back to the castle "And I thinking that they were real kidnappers!"
"You thought what?" Asked Kurama, grinning at her.
Yukina sweat-dropped "Oh, nothing! Forget about it!"
They went inside the ballroom only to find it empty. They frowned and looked at each other.
"Where are they?" Yukina asked.
"Frankly, I don't care." Kurama said, sighing and sitting at Yomi's throne.
"Yeah." Said Yukina, sitting on a throne besides him "Thank you for saving me, by the way."
"No problem." Kurama said, his eyes closed.
"You really beat them up, didn't you?"
"I was angry."
Yukina smiled "I could see that." She looked at the ballroom and them at her dress. Amazingly, it had survived all the 'action' she went through.
"But it's a pity, really..." She whispered.
"What?" Kurama asked, opening his eyes and looking at her. She blushed and looked at the floor.
"Nothing." She said. She had said it unconsciously, and hadn't wanted him to hear.
'It's a pity I couldn't dance with you.' She thought. Just them, a sweet melody filled the room. Yukina and Kurama looked at each other. He smiled, standing, and then he walked to stand before her.
Kurama bent before her and offered Yukina his hand "Would you give me the pleasure of this dance?"
Yukina looked at him, gaping. Then, she smiled sweetly and took his hand "Yes."
Kurama put his other hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Yukina blushed and looked at him. He smiled at her and she sighed.
Kurama guided her through the ballroom, her skirt flowing at each twirl. She rested her head on his shoulder as they waltzed to the rhythm of the music.
Before they knew it, the music ended, but they kept dancing at the light of the fake moon until the sun replaced its silver light. Kurama then stopped and looked at her.
"We should be going until something else happens."
"Yes." Yukina answered on a whisper "We have to change."
Kurama nodded and went upstairs with her. After they had changed, their made their way back through the empty town.
"I hope the others are all right." Yukina said.
"Yeah, me too." Kurama said, frowning a little "Let's just hope nobody else gets kidnapped."
Yukina giggled. Kurama opened the door that would lead them to the exit door. Yukina looked back one last time at Gandara.
'Thank you.' She thought, going through the door with Kurama following her.
To be continued...
Next chapter: Hiei and Hinageshi's choice was the Koorime Island, a place with a strange legend about a forbidden child! But this place has a lot of special effects...What would happen if something went wrong?