Chapter 18

"Tag, You're It!"

The concert was live as everyone in attendance became fully engulfed in the overall vibe. Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru joined Kiyoni on stage to not only dance in front of a live crowd but to get an impromptu lesson in her style of movement. Gaining some confidence, Keiko found Yusuke in the crowd and showed off what she learned in front of him with Yusuke wasting no time in cheering her on. By the time she was done, Keiko's face was completely flushed but the audience praised her for her bravery. Botan and Shizuru did the same thing for the crowd when they were encouraged to perform. "You didn't want to try," Kurama questioned Yukina.

"No," Yukina answered, "I think doing something like that is a bit out of my comfort zone."

"I can respect that. To each their own."

"Don't look now…" Yusuke pointed out, "but it looks like you're getting another dance, Kurama."

"Hm," Kurama directed his attention to the stage where Kiyoni showed off her skills once again. Hip popping and switching, a few shimmies, hip twirling and rolling, Kiyoni did it all. A story was told through her dancing, one that mixed in elements of joy, freedom, maturity, and sensuality. A story that could be summarized as Kiyoni welcoming her new path as a young adult. Once again, Kurama couldn't keep his eyes off Kiyoni and he couldn't help but wonder why. It seemed the more Kiyoni expressed her femininity and confidence, the more attractive she became. At least she's becoming more and more open and honest with herself even if it was through movement.

Afterwards, off-stage and in open air, the girls joined everyone backstage. "You guys were awesome," Kuwabara exclaimed.

"I'll admit…" Kiyoni added, "you all are some quick learners. As for you, Miss Keiko, way to open up out there."

Keiko blushed, "Thank you. I-I don't know what came over me, back there."

"Whatever it was, I hope it sticks when we get back home," Yusuke voiced, "You'd be a lot less more of a stick-in-the-mud."

"Maybe I would if you would stop being such a jerk."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You love me for it," Yusuke grinned.

Large drums took over the stage when a new song is started. "Ohhhhhh," Kiyoni cried out, "I love this song! Suu'chi, come dance with me!"

"Wait," Kurama protested as his arm is nearly yanked off, "What song is it, exactly?"

"Wooooo," Kuwabara roared, "Go get 'em, Kurama!"

"Show of hands…" Shizuru surveyed, "Who actually thinks Kurama doesn't stand a chance with the way Kiyoni moves." The vote was unanimous. No faith in the fox, whatsoever.

Kurama and Kiyoni joined the crowd in one, collective fist pump to the music. Said melody can be described as festive and colorful with hints of instruments of the past such as drums, sistrums and tambourines, guitars, and the xylophone. The lyrics praise the powers that be for life and the talent to sing and the opportunity to celebrate it all. It's all why Kiyoni loved it so much especially since it's her birthday. Kurama, being the opposite, was totally out of his element but, the delight he saw on Kiyoni's face and in her overall demeanor became enough for him to tag along as best he could, "Enjoying ourselves?"

"Suu'chi…" Kiyoni embraced, "I'm having the time of my life and it's only gonna get better and it's all thanks to you!"

"What did I do? I don't think I did anything."

"You granted my wish, remember? This is the best birthday ever!"

"Well, I…" Kurama blushed.

"Don't. Just feel it. Feel this…vibe, this energy. It's so intoxicating."

"Kiyoni…I feel a little out-of-place to be honest with you. This is clearly your element."

"Then let's play a game. You have no problems with games."

"What did you have in mind?"

Kurama is tapped on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it," Kiyoni took off through the crowd.

"Wait! Kiyoni!" The chase was on. Unfortunately, Kurama lost Kiyoni before he made it out of the thousands in attendance, "Damn. Kiyoni…!" Trying to find a princess in an unfamiliar territory will really be like looking for a golden needle in a haystack. Nevertheless, a game of Tag has always been a favorite pastime of the childhood friends and Kurama wasn't for turning down a chase so, might as well go searching.


Meanwhile, the rest of the gang checked out the city. Dancing and drinking in the streets, small crowds here and there but what got everyone's attention, especially Yusuke and Kuwabara, were the impressive selection of available pop-up restaurants. Falafels, gyros, barbecue, confectionaries, and just about anything dipped, battered, and/or fried were all at the nation's disposal. "Man…" Yusuke hinted, "I'm so hungry, I could eat just about anything."

"I agree," Botan chimed, "Everything smells so delicious."

"The selections, here, make the street vendors, back home, look like amateurs," Kuwabara scouted, "Ah! They got a takoyaki stand!"

"Sign me up," Shizuru followed her brother. Takoyaki, it is.

Once the meals are ordered and served, Yusuke volunteered to pay for his with money from home. Unfamiliar with the paper currency, the vendor waved his hands and shook his head. "What," Yusuke challenged, "My money's no good here?"

"Here you go," Shizuru paid for the girls' meals with Heliopolitan currency, gemstones. Kuwabara did the same.

"Hold on. How come you're able to pay while I can't?"

"Don't you remember? Kiyoni said our money wouldn't work here."

"Yeah," Kuwabara added, "You were with us when we went to Mr. Ikeda's pawn shop for the currency exchange. Why didn't you take care of that, then?"

That left Yusuke feeling extremely salty, "Mr. Ikeda's pawn shop? We were supposed to do that?"

Kuwabara paid for Yusuke's meal, "Yeah, Kiyoni's uncle? And Shizuru said I was hard-headed…"


Elsewhere, Kurama continued to scour the streets of Heliopolis in search of the princess. Aware of a possible language barrier, he asked some of the locals using only Kiyoni's name with little to no success. This was definitely a challenging game of tag and Kiyoni owed Kurama big time for it. "Excuse me, mister," came a voice from behind.

"Yes? What is it," Kurama turned around only to find a small child holding a stuffed animal, "Eh. Hey. What are you doing out here by yourself? Would you like some help in finding your parents?"

The little girl smiled, "Are you the fox boy?"

"Excuse me?"

"She said you're supposed to be the fox boy. Where are your ears and tail?"

"Who said that? Do you mean Kiyoni? Do you know where she is?"

The little girl pouts in disappointment, "Where are your ears and tail?"

This was getting awkward for Kurama, "I-I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't bring them out at the moment. Trust me, I am a fox…in spirit. Listen, I'm looking for Princess Kiyoni. We're playing a game of tag, you see, and I'm afraid I've lost her. Would you like to help me? Oh, my name is Kurama by the way. And you are…?"

The child smiled again, "I'm Dejah. You're the fox boy she talks about a lot."

"Then we are definitely talking about the same person. How do you know her highness?"

"Heehee. She comes to my school to play with us and tell stories. She told a story about how the fox saved a princess from her evil brother, the prince."

"Really? What did she say, exactly?"

"She said the fox rescued the princess by giving her a magic potion that gave her superpowers. She used those powers to defeat the evil prince and save her kingdom. Is it true?"

Kurama thought about that confrontation with Tai and his henchmen, "Well…I think I've heard something along those lines."

"She said that the fox had bright red hair and emerald eyes and that he was the fiercest yet most compassionate hero the princess ever met. You look like him so I thought…"

Kurama kneels before Dejah, "Kiyoni is right. I am the fox from the stories and she is the princess. There are a few things she left out, though."

"What?"

"If she said that the fox is fierce and compassionate, then the princess is strong, confident, and more powerful than she could ever think to be. She is beautiful, she is a warrior, and will, no doubt, be a fantastic queen, someday. Sorry, pharaoh. If I were you, I'd look up to her."

Dejah's smile was her biggest yet, "I do. I wanna be like her when I grow up."

"That's great! As you should."

Dejah leads Kurama away, "This way! I know where she is!"

"Wait. Don't run off too far!"

At a bonfire, Kiyoni joined a group of young women in a tribal dance surrounding the flames. If anyone noticed, Kiyoni just can't sit still tonight. She's too joyful and had every right to be. Throughout her movement, she concluded that her plan was coming together when she noticed Dejah and Kurama in her peripheral vision. To finish, Kiyoni plucked a small flame from the fire and bathed it in her energy, "Blessed flame, guarded by my heart. Reveal my true feelings to my beloved. May our thoughts and desires be bound by your light."

"There she is," Dejah shouted.

"I see her," Kurama noticed, "I appreciate your assistance, Dejah."

"Mister Kurama? Will the fox stay with the princess and live happily ever after?"

Although Kurama can be blunt and realistic, he has a soft spot for children. So, he said, "I'm afraid I can't spoil the end of the story for you because it's still in the works. However, what I can say is that the fox does intend on sticking around with the princess for a while."

Dejah continued to smile, "I like that. I'll see you later, mister."

"Pleasant dreams, young Dejah," Kurama watched as Dejah joined her parents, completely ignorant of the enchanted flame coming his way. By the time he did notice, said light had been encircling him from the ground, up. "What is this," when the spark came across Kurama's eyes, he felt the emitted energy coming from it. He felt Kiyoni's desires, her thoughts, her feelings. He felt her passions, her wishes, and her dreams.

"Hi, Suu'chi," she greeted from behind. By then, the flame had surrounded them both.

"Kiyoni…"

"I guess I'm it, huh?"

Kurama's demeanor was cynical, "Clever trick, you pulled. A sweet, little girl like her to lead me to you."

"It was a reminder of the innocence I once had and the past we shared."

"And of the story you told her? The one about the fox empowering a princess?"

"Well…that kinda happened, didn't it? What did you say to her?"

"I told her the truth. That the princess is mightier than she gives herself credit for and isn't in need of a hero to save her as much as she thinks. I also said that said princess is going to be a fantastic pharaoh, someday. Someone to look up to as a role model." The flame that had picked up on Kurama's energy was felt by Kiyoni at this time. He spoke the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. "Now, I have something to tell you," he hinted.

"What's that?"

Kurama pulled Kiyoni in close, "Tag. You're it." The two kiss much to the delight of the people around them.


Later that night, the gang returned to the palace to change into some proper clothing for the nightclub. "Man, if the city was full of energy, I can't imagine what this club is like," Yusuke assumed.

"Easy," Shizuru concluded, "A bunch of sweaty people dancing and drinking for hours on end. You may see a fight or two. You may see some random women either throw up or get naked. You may see some people have sex in the middle of the dance floor."

That made Yusuke feel a bit awkward again, "Eh, really?"

"Trust me, Urameshi. I've seen enough to know."

"Um, you don't really believe all Shizuru has said, do you," Yukina whispered.

"Oh, don't listen to her," Botan assured, "She's only kidding. Right, Shizuru?"

"Oh, I'm only kidding, Yukina," a flat-out lie from the elder Kuwabara. In her mind, virginal personalities such Yukina and Keiko should not be going to this nightclub. They're too pure for that kind of environment.

Kurama reconvened with the group in his new attire. One that showed more skin than usual. "Why, Kurama," Botan noticed, "You're looking comfortable."

"Yeah, buddy," Kuwabara added, "Showing off those guns, huh?"

"Hm? Oh, no, it's nothing like that," Kurama clarified, "Just something…suited for tonight. Haha."

"I don't know," Shizuru teased, "To me, your outfit screams, 'Please bite me, Kiyoni'."

"Wait. It does?!"

"Arms out, a little bit of your neck and chest are showing…" Yusuke listed, "Yep, definitely."

Keiko joined in on the fun, "Is that the plan for tonight, Kurama?"

"Everyone, please," Kurama insisted, "That is not the plan for tonight. We…we haven't even talked about that. At least, not in full."

"Wait," Yusuke incited, "What if Kiyoni wants to bite you tonight? Would you let her?" That's an answer everyone wanted to know.

"I…I don't know. I mean, she is a vampire and it would be in her nature to do so…"

"I would. A hot, vampire princess like Kiyoni wanting to bite me? Hell yeah!"

"Seriously, Yusuke," Keiko questioned.

"Yeah. Haven't you seen the movies? They make that stuff look hot!"

Placing Kurama in the hot seat definitely made him think. Would he allow Kiyoni's fangs to pierce his skin and flesh? Does she want to and on her birthday? Only time will tell.