Chibi-Grizabella & Chibi-Growltiger: *giggle*
Bakura: O_o; What the heck?
WSJ: ^^ I saw Cats last night. Whoo!!! *huggles C-Growltiger* I loff you! :p Review all!
Disclaimer: I don't own YGO or YYH in any way, shape, or form.
Note: This chapter backs up a little bit, to awhile before the prologue. :p Just be aware of that.
A note on Koto: Go watch the Dark Tournement episodes of YYH. See the fox-demon announcer with the red body suit, the curly brown hair, and the tannish tail? Yah, that's Koto. ^^
Couplings: :p After a few more days of rational thought, my pairings have slightly rearranged themselves. ^^ Yuugi/Anzu, Jou/Mai, Yusuke/Keiko, and Otogi/Shizuka have stayed the same. ^o^ The others have fallen victim to the whims of my muses, new and old. Kurama/Koto, Malik/Yukina, and Koenma/Botan/Bakura are my picks for now. :p Subject to random change without notice.
As for those of you who guessed the identity of the Hunter... :p You'll have to wait and see, now won't you? =D
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Like a Thief in the Night
Part One: Thieves of Makai
Chapter One -- Koto
"You made it rain blood."
~(Tomoe - Samurai X)
Among the criminals and thieves and murderers of Makai, Kurama and Bakura were worshipped as something like gods. It was said that if they were seen passing through your town, good luck would befall you. If they actually stole something from your town, you would gain wealth beyond your imagination. If they stole something from you, well, you were probably too dead to enjoy whatever might be coming. All this was mere superstition of course, but it didn't stop the underworld from believing it.
Apparently, the small city of Shensai was about to become very lucky.
Youko Kurama, his white hair pulled back carelessly into a messy braid, snickered and poked his partner in the ribs as the two of them sauntered easily down the main street. Shutters were slamming closed all around them, children were being pulled to their mothers' sides and being hushed. Faces peeped at them from around corners, vanishing as soon as it seemed either one of the demons was about to glance their way.
Yami Bakura grinned, his fangs glittering slightly. Though older, he was the shorter of the two, and the quicker. In an instant he'd darted around a corner into a shadowy alley. Kurama slowed down and crossed his arms, standing in the middle of the street and pretending not to hear the whispers that came from behind him. There were only a few curious children who'd gotten away from their mothers on the road behind him, and children had to have something to believe in, didn't they? Years from now they'd probably sit around and tell their grandchildren that they'd actually stood within a hundred yards of the great Youko Kurama, them and their friends daring each other to dart up and pull his tail.
Kurama snickered quietly. Like they wouldn't be shredded by the time they got near him.
There was a muffled scream from the direction that Yami Bakura had gone, and the whispers of the children stopped abruptly. Kurama grinned, his tail lashing once in anticipation as Bakura reemmerged from the alleyway, dragging a demon woman of considerable beauty behind him. The woman fought and twisted to get away, but Bakura just snickered and held tighter, until she gasped at the pain.
"Oh, now Bakura, don't hurt the poor thing," Kurama said, swaggering foward to face his partner so that the woman was between them, making sure his voice was loud enough for everyone hidden nearby to hear. This was a dance they'd done a thousand times before, and both of them knew their steps well. Kurama made a show of looking over the woman that Bakura was holding by the upper arms. "Tsk tsk, you have no taste. You couldn't find a lady kitsune?"
"What need would I have of one of your dirty fox lovers?" Bakura asked, also pitching his voice so everyone could hear. "Besides, we're in a hurry. Shall we just-"
The werewolf demon was cut off abruptly as something lept snarling out of the shadows, crashing against him and throwing him to the ground. The woman ran, but neither thief cared. Bakura landed with a grunt and rolled away from his attacker, already starting to shift forms. In moments he was in his wolf-form, circling warrily the beast that had attacked him. Kurama, once poised to jump in and help, relaxed and made his way over to lean against the nearest wall, his tail flicking casually back and forth. He would provide help if Bakura looked like he needed it.
The creature that had attacked Bakura was a kitsune, Kurama noted with intrest. A female kitsune. Well well, he might have to persuade Bakura to delay in this city for awhile... She had brownish-red fur and only three tails, a sign that Kurama wouldn't be needed. Bakura was an okami, and therefore had only one tail no matter how powerful he was, but he was more than enough to deal with one three-tailed kitsune. Kurama himself, when in his silver fox-form, had five. This young fox had no idea what she was standing up against.
Bakura, making the same conclusion that Kurama had, snorted and shifted back to his human form, standing up and crossing his arms over his chest. He narrowed his eyes at her, not happy to have been made to change when no real threat required it of him. The vixen started to leap at him, teeth bared, but suddenly found herself jerked back as Kurama lifted her by the scruff of her neck in one strong hand. His six-foot frame easily held her above the ground, and she struggled for a moment before giving up and reverting back into quasi-human likeness. She was young, maybe only two hundred, at the most. Her body looked about thirteen, if not younger. Her hair was curley and brown, with a brown fox's tail and ears, like Kurama had. She fought against Kurama's grip, but he held strong.
"Here's your lady kitsune, Kurama," Bakura noted helpfully.
"Hm, yes," Kurama sighed. "A bit scrawny, isn't she?"
Bakura shrugged. "You said kitsune. You didn't say what type." Their conversation was interrupted as said kitsune shreiked indignantly.
"Leave us alone!" she screeched, twisting maddly in the stronger kitsune's grip. "We're a peaceful village! Just let us be!"
Kurama chuckled darkly. "My, what a feisty one. What's your name, vixen?"
"Koto." she snapped, "Now let me go!"
"We will," Bakura purred, lowering his eyelids at her. "We will, as soon as you tell us what we want to know."
Kurama cussed vividly as Koto scratched at him, and he angrily held her out at arms' length, deliberately twisting his grip slightly so she gagged. He sneered at her. "Do you have any idea who we are?"
"Yes," she said, glaring at the white-haired thief even as she panted for breath. "You are the most vile, hated men in Makai, at least to those of us who aren't thieves or murderers like you."
Kurama growled at her, his eyes narrowing. "You impertinant little bitch," She winced at what was possibly the worst insult you could give a female fox. Kurama threw her to the ground, his tail lashing back and forth as he made ready to fall on her with claws extended and fangs tearing. She shrieked a little as he loomed over her, but Bakura grabbed him by the arm, hauling the younger demon away from her while at the same time keeping Koto in place with a dark glare.
"We still need her," Bakura growled half under his breath, his fingers digging into the skin on Kurama's arm, but not enough to make the fox yelp. "Let her be."
Kurama snarled at him and shook Bakura off, but made no further move toward Koto as he became very intrested on rearranging the fur of his tail, ignoring Bakura and Koto altogether. Bakura scowled at his back, then turned back to the kitsune girl who was still half-sitting on the ground. "Look girl, we need news of the Sennen Ankh. We were told that its temple lay somewhere near here. Tell us quickly, before I deside to let my partner have his way with you after all."
Koto swallowed, her eyes darting toward Kurama, before she steeled her gaze again. She seemed to think quickly, and something inside her changed. She swore to herself then, as she lay cowering before two of the most powerful demons in Makai, that she would never, ever get herself into this possition again. But for now...
"To the north," she said, rather pleased that her voice was steady. "There's a river that runs east about six leagues north of here. Cross the river, and there's a forest. Deep in the forest is supposedly where the Ankh Shrine lays. Whether it really is there or not..." she shrugged.
Bakura nodded slightly, stowing these directions for future use. She had no reason to lie to them, but if she was sending them into a trap then it was probably nothing beyond what he and Kurama could handle. Either way, they were safe. "Come, Youko," he said, calling his partner by first name for once. "North."
Kurama turned to sneer at him. "And let the lady live?" he asked sarcasticly.
Bakura nodded, and grinned darkly. "Of course. After all, if she's sending us into a trap, we have to have something to come back and beat up on."
Kurama laughed mockingly and turned. All in one motion he crouched down, taking Koto's jaw in his strong hand. Forcing her head up, he grinned at her, displaying his fangs widely for her to see. "May we meet again, little puppy." Then he kissed her deeply and swiftly, and still laughing the two demons left the town, leaving Koto and all the silent, hidden watchers behind.
Kurama didn't know the truth in his own words, but they wouldn't come to be for a long, long time.
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WSJ: ^^ Having fun yet?
Kurama & Bakura: *glare*
WSJ: ^^; Ah well... Hmm... Kurama's being a little... Bakura-ish, isn't he? :p
Chibi-Growltiger: *smiles cutely* Weviews pwease!
God bless minna-san!