Phantoms of the Past
A/N: I just thought this would be neat to write, although I am currently working on another fic, I did not want to lose this idea! I apologize to the readers of By Blood, but I haven't really been in an InuYasha mood lately. That doesn't mean I won't stop typing that story! I've been in more of a Yu Yu Hakusho mood. So enjoy
She held her new born kit to her chest, worn out from the labor. She didn't have a clue where the father of this child was, her mate that had always been there for her.
The door suddenly burst open, her faithful friend rushing forward, winded from running to deliver a message from the one she had been waiting for.
"I'm sorry" he approached the weary kitsune mother, "He didn't make it."
She slowly looked up at him, this couldn't be true, he promised to be here at her side!
She bent her head in sorrow and wept, knowing that he was dead.
Seventeen years later in a Demon World
A young raccoon youkai girl quickly snatched some fruit off of one of the market stands. Her family was starving and she didn't want to see her mommy cry anymore. The storekeeper, a tall, brooding boar demon eyed the girl suspiciously, noticing the fruit that she desperately tried to conceal in a ragged shawl she had over her shirt.
"GIRL!" the boar youkai yelled, "You have to pay for that!"
The little girl stopped in her tracks, practically sobbing because she had been found out. The storekeeper stamped over and roughly spun her around by placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It's against the law to steal, girl, had over some cash or give that back." the boar stated in an authoritive voice. With the crowds of various eyes of youkai watching, the girl only could manage a stutter.
With his beady yellow eyes, the cold store keeper then went on about policies, "If you do not pay..." He raised his hand to give her a hard slap, "then you WILL be punished!"
He started to bring his hand down for a good slap across the face, relishing in her terrified squeal that emitted frantically from her.
All of a sudden, the boar shopkeeper found that he couldn't move his arm at all, for it was being held steadfast by someone far stronger.
Looking back at the interference, there was only a young man, dressed in black with a black turban concealing his face.
"It's not nice to strike a lady, sir, but it's even worse to strike that of a young child." The young man tilted his head, regarding the young coon youkai. The crowd had grown larger with looks of awe on their faces.
The headstrong shopkeeper sneered, whipping around so the young boy did not hold his arm any longer. "None of your business, boy, be on your way!"
If the turban had not been there, they would have seen the playful smirk that played across the youth's facade. Replying in a smooth, velvety voice, he played this fool, "If you'd been watching your shop as you are suppose to and not fretting about one little piece of fruit, you would have noticed this..."
The black clad offender reached into his clock, reveling four stolen fruits from the stand. The crowd gasped in shock, for none of them even saw this act pulled off.
"Why YOU SCOUDERAL!" The store keeper launched himself at the youth, who was too swift for the pig-headed fool. The youth quickly evaded the enraged fellow, grabbed the girl and waited for his reaction.
When the storekeeper found nothing but air, he turned to see the offender mockingly tossing one of his fruits up and down in one clawed hand, while the other held the young girl safely to him. Growling again, he charged again, determined to bring this fiend down. The crowd gaped as the swift apparition easily evaded him, went over to the stand, grabbed about six more fruits and jumped on top of a wooden post nearby.
The storekeeper had gained so much momentum that by the time he even reached were the boy once stood, he managed to trip himself up and fall into some dirt that got a rouse from the crowd, who was clearly enjoying this little show. Turning his head to where now the young apparition was perched and noting the girl was in safe tow, the boy raised his free hand in a mocking solitude to his forehead and stated, "Thanks for the bite, and I hope you've learned some manners for the future, heck, with my help, maybe you can find yourself a girl!" With that, the mysterious boy seemed to blur out of existence while the shopkeeper yelled, "Thief! I'VE BE ROBBED!"
Returning to his post, this youth gently put down the girl and discarded his turban, reviling long silver hair and pair of deep amber eyes. He smirked to the shadows, whispering, "Hey, Kuronue, did you see that?"
From the shadows emerged another young youkai. He had a pale complexion that contrasted with his long black hair. Laughing, he opened his eyelids revealing deep purple eyes that had odd greys and blues that flashed playfully. The young girl just stood, clutching her fruit, not knowing if this situation had become better or worse.
"You bet I did." Kuronue chuckled, spreading his bat wings, "Youko, you really need to be a little more generous to ol' Kalrdu, he's probably half blind." Youko laughed as he shrugged off the black robes, glad to be rid of them and back in this green tunic. The fruits that had been left in the cloak rolled out on the floor. With that, the little girl whimpered, scared that something bad might happen to her.
Youko spun on his heel, facing the young coon. Smiling, he knelt down, gathered the fruit and kindly offered them to her, "It's alright, and you can have them. We have plans to get more for ourselves." The young girl stared at him with awe and cautiously approached his outstretched arms that held the food she needed for her family.
Kuronue, studying the girls actions and wondering what the kitsune had in mind, he knew that the fox had always had been generous to children. Youko's ear pricked up in a friendly gesture and he requested as the child took the bundle, "Would you mind helping us out? I can take back to where you live in the process."
The young girl smiled at this friendly man and shook her head 'yes'. Kuronue smirked and patted his scimitar on his hip. "Now" Youko grinned, reveling a fang in the process, "This is what we're going to do..." He lent toward the girl's little coon ears as he told her the plan. Kuronue just smirked, he already knew the plan, and so he idly fidgeted with his pendent that was around his neck.
When Youko backed away, still hunched down, he smiled and asked her, "You got it?"
The girl giggled and replied, "Uh-huh!"
Kuronue grinned, now it was his turn.
A figure in black swooped down into a back alley with a young girl in tow. He seemed in a frantic hurry and close behind the cry of, "Stop you thief! I'll have your head!"
The black clad figure discarded the young girl, who had many fruit in tow. She ran off while the mysterious phantom looked back in alarm. Another young youkai swooped down, drawing his scimitar and came down on the thief. After a few well practices strokes the black clad figure fell limp onto the ground.
The scimitar wielding fellow grabbed his 'dead foes' hand and drug him off.
Kalrdu sat by his stand, sulking over the fact that he had been made a fool of. He sighed while several passerbyes would whisper about the little incident that had occurred earlier in the day. Glancing up at them and giving a low threating growl, the group swiftly went on their way.
All of a sudden another small crowd ran up to him. A young water demon addressed him, "Kalrdu-sama! Some young bat has caught the culprit that stole your good earlier this morning!"
Kalrdu stood up expectantly, waiting for this bat youkai to emerge. Coming up through the crowds center, a young scimitar wielding apparition had his hat pulled over his eyes. "Young man?" The boar addressed him cautiously, "Are you the one who caught that nasty scoundrel?"
Kuronue said nothing, he just held up a black turban that was 'stained' with blood. Kalrdu took the turban in astonishment, "Well done lad, is that you, Kuronue?"
Kuronue then tipped his hat back replying, "Yes it is sir"
Going over and patting the adolescent bat demon he offered, "That is a fine job done, I'm glad you were nearby to see the culprit." Kuronue was glad to note that he had completely forgot about he child as Kalrdu went on, "For your excellent work, you can have as much food as you want, go on, don't be shy, help yourself."
Kuronue resisted the urge to grin as he made his way over to the counter, trying to act a little embarrassed. Kalrdu then turned on him while he started to pull out a bag for Kuronue, "Where's that friend of yours? Youko Kurama, I haven't seen that lad in a while."
The mischievous bat again resisted the urge to grin and smoothly replied, "Well, I would think he's around here somewhere."
Up in there hideout they had met in earlier, Youko was leaning off a ledge, listening to the exchange and laughing at the pitiful old fools' ignorance.
From a distance a inexplicable man, very unlike the playful confusion the two youngster caused, watched from a distance. Smirking he said to himself, "Very well done boys, very well done."
A/N: dun dun da! A bit of a cliffhanger. Hope you enjoyed!