Chapter Two: Saruin/Renegade Princess
Summary:
She never told the truth… Well, not the whole truth.
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Botan giggled nervously, and put on her cat face. "Well…"
"… Saruin?" Kurama's voice was shaky.
Hey, look… She's not dead.
I can see very well, thank you.
Just making sure.
Shut up, Youko.
Feisty. Aren't you supposed to be the calm one?
... Getting rid of you is starting to sound good.
Once again, that proved to be a perfect method of getting the Legendary Bandit to hold his tongue. Except for one last thing.
Does this mean Kuronue's alive too?
That drudged up painful thoughts for the both of them. They both remembered the demon that had taken Kuronue's form when the shrines had opened. (The first movie) They both remembered fighting it, proving it wasn't really the true crow demon, and reliving Kuronue's death.
"Kurama?" Pure white orbs met his emerald ones. (They're white, but with a perfectly formed pupil, and a black ring around the iris, so you know where everything begins and ends.) Black hair framed a soft, angular face, made of creamy white skin. She was dressed in black slacks and a pale blue tank top, a combo that looked stunning on her lithe 5'9'' frame.
"Eh…Heh…Heh heh…" Botan began to inch slowly away.
"You didn't want him to know, did you?" Saruin turned to look at the ferrywoman.
"…" Botan sighed. "Well, I saw how you reacted when Koenma told you he was alive…"
"It's alright, Botan. I understand." The other young woman smiled sweetly. "Well, Kurama, come in. We've been waiting for you."
Somehow the we implication didn't seem to encompass Koenma…
It didn't. Waiting for Kurama inside Koenma's office was the Prince of Reiki himself, and a certain ice Shinobi.
"Hello, Touya."
"Kurama." The ice master nodded, smiling slightly in way of greeting. Kurama didn't miss how his and Saruin's eyes met, and how the kitsune woman sat comfortably close to him.
"Where have you been, Kurama? We were waiting for fifteen minutes! You're never late."
"Mother and Father wished for me to do some house cleaning, and I was in the middle of it when you called. I apologize for being late, Koenma."
"Oh, well that's fine." Koenma missed the incredulous looks both Botan and the other girl threw at Kurama's calm person. "Now, to the point. There have been various reports that lead us to believe that certain factions in Makai are going to try to start a revolt."
"… Most recently, the report has been from the Shadowlands." Saruin spoke up, her voice calm and authoritative. "The land of all Kitsune descent. Only pure black and pure white Kitsune are allowed there, with the exception of the royal family. The king is a shadow kitsune (black hair), and the mother is a light kitsune. (white hair.) They have three daughters, whom each have a different variation of the black and white hair color. Nikaet, the oldest, has black hair with white spots. Euri, her twin, has white hair with black spots. The youngest is rumored to have been given to the neighboring crows to be raised with their prince, Kuronue. That rumor is true. I was raised with the Crow Prince, and my parents now believe me to be dead."
... A princess?
Though she did not say as much, I believe so.
Then why would she have become one of us? A thief?
Who knows. Kuronue was one even before we met, if you do recall. Maybe she just tagged along with him.
She never struck me as the type to just tag along.
I don't think so either.
It's time she told the truth. When this mission starts, we will have to get her alone.
Huh?
You're going to let me talk to her, got it?
She probably hates you, Youko. You left her.
No, we left her. You were a part of me at that time.
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FLASHBACK
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A rustle in the trees, and then three bodies bursting from them. One was The Legendary Bandit, Youko Kurama. Another was a guant, pale young man, with a battered pointy hat on his head, and a red pendant clutched in his left hand. He was dressed in raglike clothing, all black. The final was a young kitsune woman, with black hair to her knees. Framing her face on either side were two perfectly formed highlights of white, each an inch thick. Her eyes were an amazing gold color. She was wrapped in a black dress, itself loose, but tight around her waist and chest. Around her neck there was a solitary necklace, bearing a charm of a crow's talon carrying a kitsune kit.
"I told you, Kuronue! I told you we wouldn't get caught, even if it were Raizen's chambers!" Her voice was playful, but it seemed as if it could hold its own air of sexuality.
"Hm. So it would seem." The crow demon looked troubled.
"Awww… Youko?" She stopped, seeing the other Kitsune pause. "What is it?"
"Demons. They're following us. Pouring out of the castle like maggots."
"Oh. Damn."
"Who's going to get to say 'I told you so' now, kit?" Kuronue smirked at the kitsune girl.
"None of us, if we don't get out of here." Youko spoke softly, yet with a hint of demanding.
"Well, then start moving, O High and Mighty One!" The female smirked and began to run a few steps, then she stopped and looked back at Kuronue. "Oh, and don't call me kit." She took off again.
The others caught up to her, and soon all three were racing along the ground, heading towards Yomi's land.
Soon Youko began to look behind them. "They're gaining on us, fast."
The other kitsune stopped. "Well, then, let them come."
"You're going to get us killed, girl." Kuronue stopped as well, a grim smile flirting his lips.
"Doubtful." Youko had stopped as well.
Soon, a mass of Raizen's personal servants stood in front of them, with more pouring in the way they had come.
"Damn… There's too many." The girl's voice had taken on a hard edge. "We need that stuff. Take it and go."
"Not a chance." Kuronue looked over at her. "I have a better chance of holding them off."
"If we're going to go, we're going together." Youko put an end to the fight that had almost begun.
"Fine." The kitsune girl nodded. Her body tensed, as if preparing for flight.
"Let's go!" Youko yelled, and both him and Kuronue turned and began to dash away again.
A wall of thorned vines formed behind them, springing from the ground in a mass of flying dirt. The girl was on the other side of the wall, a small smirk on her face as she turned to meet the oncoming masses.
Blood spurted through the vines, as Youko cursed loudly. "Saruin!"
"It's not her blood, I don't think." Kuronue peered at the fluid seeping through the cracks in the plant-wall.
"Then we still have to get to her!"
"Oh no you don't! You two are going to go ahead and take that stuff home and sell it for some GOOD CASH while I take care of these baka." Her voice was muffled from the other side.
"Saruin, you're okay!" Youko nearly giggled with relief.
"No, I'm dead, and this is my freaking ghost you're talking to. Kuronue, get that moron and GO already!"
"Hai." The crow demon grabbed Youko's arm, and began pulling the kitsune thief with him. Youko held out for a moment, then began to go along with the crow, pausing only for a second to yell through the wall again.
"Baka girl, you had better stay alive."
"Hai."
They were almost a mile away when her shriek reached them. By the time they got back, her wall had already withered to the gorund, and they saw the massive amounts of demons she had killed. But, in the one place where there was little blood, the place she had stood unmoving as her plants killed off the assailants, there was a lock of black hair. And a charm. A talon with a kit.
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END FLASHBACK
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