Author's note: Once again I'm introducing more characters that I don't know too much about from the show. I've taken some liberties with their powers, especially in the case of Botan to make her fit into the Makai. If I get something wrong, oh well. I am simply molding characters to fit in this AU world.
Yukina walked around the camp curiously. Her eyes roamed about her, glancing among the various travelers as they went about their daily routine. She saw some cooking, some cleaning, some stitching… every activity one could thing of was going on all around her. The various tents and wagons seemed just scattered in the large clearing, but as Yukina explored she found the place had the feel of a small town. Everyone was friendly with each other and many of the travelers nodded greetings to her and said hello, even though she knew none of them knew her. It felt safe and friendly.
It felt and reminded her of home.
The young Koorime paused by a tree to just look around at all the wagons and tents. Ever since her home had been burned to the ground and nearly everyone had been killed, she hadn't really thought about finding some place new or what she would do after that. Yukina was sure she'd lost her home when her parents died, and her idea of 'home' had shifted to where ever her brother was. Home was where they could be together and be safe. She loved her brother Hiei like no one else, and she was perfectly willing to do anything to keep him safe.
But now another thought was beginning to grow in her mind. And for a while she considered what exactly she was going to do now. After all, Hiei was getting better and soon he wouldn't be sick at all. Then what? She hadn't thought that far ahead before.
"I think I'd like to stay here," she murmured softly to herself with a smile.
Behind her laughter could be heard, along with the soft notes of a wind instrument being played. Yukina pushed off from the tree and headed toward the sounds, intent on seeing what was going on.
Her wanderings soon led her through a row of trees to a smaller clearing near a patch of berry bushes. In the center of the small clearing she sees five other youkai sitting around as another danced cheerfully in their center. They seemed to be having a great deal of fun, because all were smiling and clapping with the music as the girl in the center danced around. It wasn't long before she reached over and took the hand of one of the ones sitting down and pulled her up to join her in dancing.
Yukina leaned against a tree and watched all of them with a bright smile, just enjoying the little show.
She recognized Kurama sitting on the ground, dressed in his normal green outfit as he clapped with the music. Beside him sat a slightly shorter youkai with small eyes and sea-green colored hair, playing a small wind instrument made of many pipes. Further down, sitting next to the young male, was another with wild red hair and a horn in the middle of his forehead. His entire face was covered with a gleeful smile as he clapped happily and whistled off key to the music, much to the dismay of the wind player.
The two girls dancing looked like rare youkai that certainly weren't from the area Yukina was used to. The taller of the two had many marine qualities, including a tail and webbed ears, with scales winding around her body in beautifully intricate designs under her flowing outfit. While her dancing partner had a bright red fox tail and matching ears on her head, obviously from one of the off-shoots of the rare youko.
Finally, the last girl sat a little ways from Kurama. Her hair was a beautiful light blue color, pulled back into a high ponytail which curled a little down at the very edges. She seemed quite content to focus her eyes on Kurama more then the dancers, even if he ignored her.
Yukina's attention was drawn back to the middle of the small circle as the male youkai with the wild red hair stood to his feet and began dancing with the two girls. His movements were uncoordinated and clumsy but he seemed to be having enough fun in his attempts to dance. The two girls danced with him, laughing the entire time at his antics, until finally the one playing the instrument stopped and grabbed the redhead's pant leg.
"Sit down Jin!"
Jin, the red head with the horn, turned and pulled away from the other, sticking his tongue out at him. But he stopped dancing and turned to face him, hands on his hips. "You sour puss, why can't I join them?"
"Because you're a guy," giggled the one with the scales.
"So is Kurama," Jin pointed out quickly. "Or is it because he looks so much like a girl in his dresses and skirts?"
Kurama made a sour face at Jin while the others laughed. Then he stood up and brushed off his skirts and was about to open his mouth, when the other with the instrument interrupted him.
"He can dance. They can dance. Put simply, you can't, because you don't know how. Now sit down, baka."
Jin nearly glared at the other boy, looking quite offended by that remark. Still, Yukina noticed that he did listen and plopped down on the ground next to the other, crossing his arms and looking generally pissy the whole time. "Well, fine. I'll just sit here and watch them and then next time I'll be able to dance and you won't stop me." Yukina giggled softly at hearing his muttering.
"Yukina?"
She blinked and stopped, her eyes widening. She must have giggle too loud, because Kurama had definitely heard her and he was the one who'd said her name. So now, of course, the entire group was looking at her. Yukina stepped back behind the tree, suddenly feeling like she'd been spying on something she wasn't supposed to have seen, and she just wanted to sink into the ground. It wasn't too long before Kurama circled the tree and was standing next to her.
"Would you like to join us?"
The Koorime blinked and looked up at him in surprise. "Join you? No, I couldn't. I shouldn't even have been watching…" But that thought was silly, she realized as soon as it was spoken. She hadn't seen anything wrong, she just felt overly shy. She was used to people picking on her for being a Koorime with a fire demon for a father, or for being a mixed breed. She wasn't used to being invited into things. Defending one's self was a lot different then accepting invitations.
"Come on, it'll be fun. I'll even show you how to dance, since you are wearing one of my old dancing dresses."
Yukina glanced down at the golden dress she was wearing, remembering that yes it had been Kurama's. After a moment's thought she glanced back up at him shyly and let him take her hand, leading her back to the group.
Well, she figured, she had thought about staying here once Hiei got better. So what could it hurt to get to know the people more? And it did look like fun…
Yukina walked around the camp curiously. Her eyes roamed about her, glancing among the various travelers as they went about their daily routine. She saw some cooking, some cleaning, some stitching… every activity one could thing of was going on all around her. The various tents and wagons seemed just scattered in the large clearing, but as Yukina explored she found the place had the feel of a small town. Everyone was friendly with each other and many of the travelers nodded greetings to her and said hello, even though she knew none of them knew her. It felt safe and friendly.
It felt and reminded her of home.
The young Koorime paused by a tree to just look around at all the wagons and tents. Ever since her home had been burned to the ground and nearly everyone had been killed, she hadn't really thought about finding some place new or what she would do after that. Yukina was sure she'd lost her home when her parents died, and her idea of 'home' had shifted to where ever her brother was. Home was where they could be together and be safe. She loved her brother Hiei like no one else, and she was perfectly willing to do anything to keep him safe.
But now another thought was beginning to grow in her mind. And for a while she considered what exactly she was going to do now. After all, Hiei was getting better and soon he wouldn't be sick at all. Then what? She hadn't thought that far ahead before.
"I think I'd like to stay here," she murmured softly to herself with a smile.
Behind her laughter could be heard, along with the soft notes of a wind instrument being played. Yukina pushed off from the tree and headed toward the sounds, intent on seeing what was going on.
Her wanderings soon led her through a row of trees to a smaller clearing near a patch of berry bushes. In the center of the small clearing she sees five other youkai sitting around as another danced cheerfully in their center. They seemed to be having a great deal of fun, because all were smiling and clapping with the music as the girl in the center danced around. It wasn't long before she reached over and took the hand of one of the ones sitting down and pulled her up to join her in dancing.
Yukina leaned against a tree and watched all of them with a bright smile, just enjoying the little show.
She recognized Kurama sitting on the ground, dressed in his normal green outfit as he clapped with the music. Beside him sat a slightly shorter youkai with small eyes and sea-green colored hair, playing a small wind instrument made of many pipes. Further down, sitting next to the young male, was another with wild red hair and a horn in the middle of his forehead. His entire face was covered with a gleeful smile as he clapped happily and whistled off key to the music, much to the dismay of the wind player.
The two girls dancing looked like rare youkai that certainly weren't from the area Yukina was used to. The taller of the two had many marine qualities, including a tail and webbed ears, with scales winding around her body in beautifully intricate designs under her flowing outfit. While her dancing partner had a bright red fox tail and matching ears on her head, obviously from one of the off-shoots of the rare youko.
Finally, the last girl sat a little ways from Kurama. Her hair was a beautiful light blue color, pulled back into a high ponytail which curled a little down at the very edges. She seemed quite content to focus her eyes on Kurama more then the dancers, even if he ignored her.
Yukina's attention was drawn back to the middle of the small circle as the male youkai with the wild red hair stood to his feet and began dancing with the two girls. His movements were uncoordinated and clumsy but he seemed to be having enough fun in his attempts to dance. The two girls danced with him, laughing the entire time at his antics, until finally the one playing the instrument stopped and grabbed the redhead's pant leg.
"Sit down Jin!"
Jin, the red head with the horn, turned and pulled away from the other, sticking his tongue out at him. But he stopped dancing and turned to face him, hands on his hips. "You sour puss, why can't I join them?"
"Because you're a guy," giggled the one with the scales.
"So is Kurama," Jin pointed out quickly. "Or is it because he looks so much like a girl in his dresses and skirts?"
Kurama made a sour face at Jin while the others laughed. Then he stood up and brushed off his skirts and was about to open his mouth, when the other with the instrument interrupted him.
"He can dance. They can dance. Put simply, you can't, because you don't know how. Now sit down, baka."
Jin nearly glared at the other boy, looking quite offended by that remark. Still, Yukina noticed that he did listen and plopped down on the ground next to the other, crossing his arms and looking generally pissy the whole time. "Well, fine. I'll just sit here and watch them and then next time I'll be able to dance and you won't stop me." Yukina giggled softly at hearing his muttering.
"Yukina?"
She blinked and stopped, her eyes widening. She must have giggle too loud, because Kurama had definitely heard her and he was the one who'd said her name. So now, of course, the entire group was looking at her. Yukina stepped back behind the tree, suddenly feeling like she'd been spying on something she wasn't supposed to have seen, and she just wanted to sink into the ground. It wasn't too long before Kurama circled the tree and was standing next to her.
"Would you like to join us?"
The Koorime blinked and looked up at him in surprise. "Join you? No, I couldn't. I shouldn't even have been watching…" But that thought was silly, she realized as soon as it was spoken. She hadn't seen anything wrong, she just felt overly shy. She was used to people picking on her for being a Koorime with a fire demon for a father, or for being a mixed breed. She wasn't used to being invited into things. Defending one's self was a lot different then accepting invitations.
"Come on, it'll be fun. I'll even show you how to dance, since you are wearing one of my old dancing dresses."
Yukina glanced down at the golden dress she was wearing, remembering that yes it had been Kurama's. After a moment's thought she glanced back up at him shyly and let him take her hand, leading her back to the group.
Well, she figured, she had thought about staying here once Hiei got better. So what could it hurt to get to know the people more? And it did look like fun…