Chapter Five- FIGHT! AND FINISH!

"Rose Whip! .......What the hell?" Kurama looked down at the rose he usually transformed into a whip...to see that a sword was there instead. A silver hilt encrusted with rubies and emeralds gleamed up at him, the rubies and emeralds shaped to look like a rose with two leaves and a stem on it. The stem went down to line the double-edged blade of the sword. It seemed, he mused, that this was the 'rose sword' instead. He glared up at Rafu. "What'd you do to my whip?" ((...Wow, that could be taken SO wrong...((slaps self)) Okay, I'm better now))

"You should have learned by now!" Rafu exclaimed, still sitting in the Kouga pose, only now spinning around like the hands on a clock in midair. "This is my world---I decide what happens here!"

"That doesn't really matter to me..." he admitted, "I've fought with swords before. They're not so difficult to handle. Albeit, it's been a while...but I still have confidence that you'll be dead within an hour."

"There's a difference between confidence and cockiness you know," Rafu sneered, glaring at him as he smirked. ((OMG, the injustice---Kurama SMIRKED!))

"I'm well aware of that. I just ask that you make yourself aware, as well..." Apparently, that was Rafu's breaking point. He pounced, jumping up into the air at least fifty feet above Kurama's head and raising a sword that had appeared as if from nowhere over his head, hilt in both hands, obviously trying to cut Kurama in half.

He threw up his sword easily, blocking the attack with a crash of metal on metal. Shoving Rafu away from him sent the other youko flying, and he landed on his backside with a grunt, "Oof!"

As he clambered to his feet, he narrowed his eyes at Kurama, rubbing the offended area, "That wasn't nice!"

"Neither is this!" Rafu looked up just as the hilt of the Rose Sword came crashing against the side of his face, sending him flying sideways. A gasp in the distance was Asa, folding her hands over her mouth and watching wide-eyed as the contest below ensued.

Rafu disappeared from the ground where he'd lay before Kurama had a chance to attack again. "You will not do that again!" his voice echoed, as if coming from every direction.

"Why not? What are you, a fox or a chicken?!" Kurama shouted in reply. ((A/N: ever heard of man or mouse? Got inspiration from that!))

"...That wasn't even funny," Rafu answered, the echo suddenly gone. The voice had come from behind him, and as he turned to see if Rafu was there, the other demon's fist connected with his face.

"Kurama!" That sounded like normal Asa---the concern was undeniable when she cried out! He lifted his head off the ground, where he'd been flung by the force of the hit that left a small scratch on his ((FLAWLESS!)) face, ((OMG IT ISN'T FLAWLESS ANYMORE! Don't shoot me!)) and saw Asa standing where she had been before, on the wall of the castle, hands folded over her mouth in horror as she watched the battle unfold.

"...Well that's odd..." Kurama mumbled to himself, wondering how the hypnotic spell Rafu had Asa under could have been broken.

"Nani?!" Rafu demanded, also realizing that Asa was back to normal and beginning to panic when she saw that she was balanced on the very narrow wall around the castle. "What did you do to my curse, you fool?!"

"I didn't do anything! ...And I'm not a 'fool'!" Kurama growled in reply, turning his head back to Asa as he clambered to his feet. Both of the demons glanced at each other, as the girl, who was trembling, tried to keep her balance. "We'll have to put this off, you realize..."

"Just until we get her down," Rafu agreed with a nod. "Don't worry, Asa, we're coming!" he called up to her. She nodded, apparently too afraid to wonder who he was---since she didn't know that he was her beloved little pet fox due to his spell and having no memory of it.

"Okay...you take the right side, I'll take the left...but as soon as we get her to safety..."

"I know...don't worry, I'll kill you."

"Or I you," Kurama shot back. Before they could start up another death-glare-growl-teeth-bearing spat (...whoa, long um...phrase), Asa cried out, causing them to return their full attention to her. Kurama used his new 'rose sword' to pivot up the wall, striking the stone with the blade and jumping off of the rather pliable metal to jump up and land on Asa's right side. Rafu just disappeared in a swirl of gray mist and reappeared on her left side. They both grabbed one of her arms, steadying her, and she looked from one to the other in a mixture of gratitude and downright bewilderment.

"Thanks...but, who are you?" she asked Rafu, and then turned her icy gaze to rest on Kurama again, "And...what on Earth are you wearing? ...Not that I mind it, because it actually looks really good on you, especially with your hair like that..."

Rafu growled, and Kurama smirked proudly, thinking, Maybe I'll just keep this outfit... "Come on, Asa," he finally said to her, "Let's get off this wall."

She nodded in reply, and Rafu raised an eyebrow, saying, "Give me a sec; I'll get us down..." He enshrouded the three of them in a puff of that silver mist and they reappeared safely on the ground. Asa was still slightly dazed, and stared from one to the other as Rafu suddenly exclaimed, "All right, Fox-boy, back to our duel---this time, I'm raising the stakes! If you win, I'll forever let myself be damned to Makai, if you lose, I not only get the girl, I get to hypnotize you, and use you to my will!"

Asa stared at him for a long moment, before saying what had been on both hers and Kurama's mind since he spoke, "That...probably sounded wronger than you meant for it to sound, but um...what do you mean...duel? And, like I asked before, just who the hell are you?"

"Remember Rafu, your little fox?" Kurama asked, "Well...that's him."

"...Huh?"

Rafu bowed, taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles, "'Tis true, my lady fair! Though for many moons I had thirsted for Botan's love, when my eyes fell upon thy beauty I was driven mad with the emotion that drives life! Lady Asa, I'm in love with you, and once I kill your little friend here, I would ask your hand in marriage!"

Asa blushed lightly, obviously flattered, and cleared her throat, "But...um, Rafu...I don't really want to marry you."

"Forbidden words from thy lips, Lady! Like poison arrows shooting through my heart!" He clutched his chest dramatically, as if it were truly paining him. Kurama rolled his eyes at the 'drama queen', but frowned at the effect his act was having on Asa.

"Oh, I don't mean to hurt your feelings!" she exclaimed, making herself appear to be far too innocent, "I'd just rather marry someone...else." Both of them looked curious as her blush deepened, and she glanced at the redheaded armor-clad demon beside of her. Rafu's jaw hit the ground, and Kurama's eyes widened, then a smirk of what could be called a mixture of 'I'm not surprised' and 'Holy SHIT, did she just say that?!' on his face.

"Then you made your choice, Fair Lady? Fine...I give up my duel! I will forevermore be damned to the lowly world of Makai and wander, lest my heart be released from the Beautiful Princess's hands one day and I meet someone of grander beauty---not likely. Good sir," he bowed deeply, somehow a plumed hat appeared on his head, which he swept off and folded to his heart as he turned to Kurama, "It has been a true pleasure torturing you, and I should hope one day we meet again...oh, and as a going away present..."

Rafu disappeared, and a portal appeared in front of the bewildered couple. Of course, the echoing laughter that was Rafu made them jump in surprise; then, when tomatoes started raining from the sky, Kurama covered his head and wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her quickly through the portal. When they came out on the other side, they were both covered from head-to-toe with tomato skin and juice, and standing amidst Yusuke and the others in Asa's house; needless to say, they were quite the entertainment of a certain lecher and a certain baka.

Hiei was leaning against Botan, his arm around her shoulders, and smirked, "Looks like you two had a tomato attack yourselves."

"If it weren't for you allowing that idiot youko to escape, Hiei, we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with," Kurama said matter-of-factly, turning to Asa, who was still slightly dazed; and, to his dismay and to Yusuke's delight, still dressed in the white dress, that was rather snug now that it was saturated with tomato sauce. "Are you all right?"

"Mm hm," she nodded, grinning, "Although I must admit; I have no freaking clue what just happened."

"You were abducted, hypnotized, and taken into an alternate dimension, while Hiei was attacked with tomatoes that are evil, these lot," Kurama gestured at the rest of them, "had no clue what was going on, and I followed into aforesaid alternate dimension looking like Rurouni Kenshin or something. Does that about sum it up?"

"Hai...I suppose it does," she nodded. She looked thoughtful for many long moments, before shrugging suddenly and exclaiming, "Oh well, does anyone want any cake?!"

"YEAH!!!!" everyone but Hiei and Kurama exclaimed, rushing into Asa's kitchen. Asa put her hands on her hips, looking after them, and picked up the forgotten Jiganshi up with Kurama's help.

"Yay, the evilness of tomatoes and the goodness of cake!" she told the two of them, her eyes gleaming suggestively when she met those of Kurama.

"...God, I hate ningens and youkos," Hiei grumbled.

The End!

-

Well, I hope you all enjoyed my wildly random little ficlet. As is normal, reviews will have responses! Hold on...(shuffles around for something in her purse)...I know I put them in here somewhere...dang it...OH! GOT 'EM! (pulls out small box with minimized Reikai Tentai inside, as mini-dolls)

Mini-Yusuke- HELP US!!!!!!

Mini-Kuwabara- I've still got the disclaimer sign!

Mini-Hiei- Chrisoriented, yikes. We obeyed your command with the pumpkins because Meka was afraid you'd haunt her sleep with said pumpkins...like I said, yikes.

Mini-Kurama- Kurama/is/hot and Melanie (who is still disappeared possibly due to evil sickness) thank you both very much...just don't get into a tug-of-war. That would be BAD. Okay, well...hey, Hiei, why is it that Yusuke's the only one that seems upset about our current situation?

Mini-Hiei- Because the baka's a baka and we're both too smart to be able to be kept miniature for long.

Meka- That's what they think... (evil cackles)