This chapter was not fun to right.
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Chapter 10: The Transformation
The long-awaited wedding day began with a swiftness that I was not prepared for. I couldn't sleep the night before, but apparently, Kurama could. It was strange, given the circumstances, that he seemed to sleep deeper and more comfortably than I'd ever seen him sleep before.
I was tempted to run away with him at that point and spare myself a confrontation with the brothers, and if I had, it would have spared us a long, troublesome day. Unfortunately, young Kurama became increasingly tired as that evening wore on, so I could do nothing but wait for the morning.
It seems I only looked away for a moment, but when I looked back, Kurama had vanished. Had they taken him in such a short time? I leapt up, frantic, and ran along the river looking for him. Looking back in the direction I had come, I noticed a strange light.
I returned, and found a strange, glowing, white growth. I stared at it, confused. It seemed to resemble something, something… And in a sudden moment of clarity, I realized what it was. This strange white envelope was a cocoon.
I approached it, cautiously reaching out to touch it. It was firm, like a stem, but it was somewhat silky. When I pulled my fingers away, they were covered in powder.
I looked back up at the cocoon. If I tried to cut it open, I would probably have succeeded. If my suspicions were correct, however, then Kurama was inside of this cocoon.
I paced for hours, my eyes never leaving the cocoon. I imagined that I could see his silhouette, still and unmoving within.
Kuronue appeared beside me, as if from out of nowhere. "So it has begun." He whispered with his eyes fixed on the cocoon. A moment later, the other two appeared.
They stood there, just as fascinated as I was. Simultaneously, they walked towards him and reached up to touch Kurama's white encasement. "He's about to be born…" Yomi murmured, staring fixedly at the cocoon.
Well, at least Kurama wasn't dying- that was good to know. Instead of protecting Kurama, this cocoon seemed to be attracting his enemies. Even Kuronue seemed to have lost his indecision about the marriage.
Uncharacteristically, I opened my mouth to speak. It was Karasu who stopped me with a gesture. It seemed that they wanted silence. Of course it was the one time I actually wanted to speak to them.
Then simultaneously, the three of them jumped. I looked carefully at the cocoon and saw that cracks were appearing along it vertically. Slowly, the casing began to peel away. It resembled the opening of a flower; strips of the cocoon opened up into petals.
The brothers walked towards the cocoon they had jumped away from, and I leapt into a tree to get a better view. The inside of the cocoon was glowing, resonating with powerful energy. Then there, nestled in the center, was Kurama.
His hair had become silver, and he'd sprouted ears and a tail, but it was definitely Kurama. I would be able to recognize him anywhere. I started as Yomi scooped the unconscious figure into his arms and ran off towards the castle, Karasu close behind him. I did not like the excited gleam in his eyes as he watched Kurama.
Kuronue too, started after them. He paused for a moment, and called out to me. "If you want to save him, you'd better hurry." And then he was off after his brothers.
I wanted to hit myself! In all of the confusion, I'd forgotten what I was supposed to be doing. I pursued them swiftly, though the older two had quite a head start.
By the time I reached the castle, they were all inside, and the doors were sealed. Despite having asked for my help, it seemed that they didn't want me inside. I heard a yelp from inside and knew it was Kurama's.
A quick search let me know that in addition to having sealed all of the entrances, the brothers had warded the building. I couldn't touch it.
Another yell came from inside, this time an angry one. I had to get in there.
I leapt towards the building and grabbed a thin ledge that ran along the house. Damnit that hurt. The wards were burning away at the skin on my hands, but I couldn't let the pain stop me. I began to climb, thankful that at least the stones of the wall were jagged enough for me to grab a hold of. Unfortunately, they were also jagged enough to cut me when I came in contact with them.
I winced as my dangling legs brushed the wall and I heard a stone tear through the fabric covering them. It was too dangerous to rely on a foothold- if I burnt my feet, I'd be useless to Kurama.
As I climbed, the wards only seemed to become more powerful. I could smell the searing of my flesh as my hands came back down against the wall again and again. I had to hurry though; I had to find a way in!
And eventually, I did. I found a warded, but open window near the roof of the castle. I dropped myself through it, crying out as the wards burnt me. Fortunately, it seemed that they weren't very powerful. As I pushed through, they burnt away.
It was pitch black inside the castle, and I realized I was probably on an unused floor. I ran on, trusting my instincts to follow that powerful new energy Kurama was admitting.
And sure enough, I wound up in a hallway back near the bottom floor. When I heard footsteps, I jumped back behind the corner. I knew I was probably more powerful than they, and yet I didn't want to be discovered.
The two elder brothers hurried silently out of a room in the center of the hall and moved up towards the next floor. That was it; this was my chance! I dashed forward and entered the room where I knew I would find Kurama.
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So who's read Harry Potter 7? It's such a wonderful book!
Anyway, there are only two chapters left of this story, and the next one is all about everybody's favorite bat! I wasn't going to make Kurama become Youko like this originally, but a while back, someone mentioned that they'd like me to include Youko.
Anyway, thanks for reading!