Present Day
Spirit World
Becoming a Lord required both power and wealth, and in order to obtain these two things, they settled for thievery, becoming one of the most notorious bandits of the Makai. Their kind was feared for centuries on end, and it wasn't surprising a handsome reward awaited those who were brave and strong enough to take their heads. None prevailed, however, and they made their name known across the lands, bringing trepidation to the hearts and eyes of powerful leaders.
Descended from a lineage of Silver Kitsune, the last survivor of his clan, his power far surpassed that of many upper-class Youkai. Banded together with a group of rogue and terrifying men, he made a name for himself among the Makai, establishing himself as the Alpha of the pack.
Youko Kurama. Better known as the Legendary Fox Youkai, a ruthless killer who preyed upon the weak, establishing his dominance upon all who stood in his path. Riches consumed his thoughts, and with their powers combined, they desecrated village after village, working their way up to strongholds and palaces.
One such palace stood before them under the glistening full moon of Spirit World, a world that harbored the existence of all three worlds. The grandeur of the palace gleamed in the midst of the River Styx, its fortitude extended high up in the skies, protected at all sides by expert Youkai they had yet to approach.
Approaching the castle head on would bring forth a challenge to the thieves, and preferring stealth above all else, Youko went on ahead of his group. With less numbers, there would be less of a distraction and it would make breaking inside the fortitude much easier. He was followed after by his most trusted companion, choosing to fly in the shadows of the night while the others remained outside, hidden by the shadows of the foliage.
The ruler in charge of overseeing the protection of all three worlds, was Prince Koenma, the son of Great King Enma of the Spirit World. Tasked with the duty at hand, his entire being was challenged endlessly, foreseeing that the balance within all worlds remained at peace and never straying.
Sitting within a large ornate room, the ceiling a vibrant teal color and the walls a light shade of blue, marble pillars at every section of his office, Prince Koenma's eyes fell upon his three monitors before him. Each monitor depicted the signs of life within each of the three worlds before him.
The first was the Human World, a world where all mortals reined supremacy among the other, challenging those of higher power with actions of war, wealth and prestige. The world was void of any Youkai, though there were the occasional few accidents where lesser Youkai would somehow escape into the world, though they were apprehended just as quickly as they descended into forbidden territory.
The Second monitor displayed the Sengoku Jidai, or more commonly referred to as The Feudal Era, a world forever frozen in a timeline of feudalism, a world in which both humans and Youkai coexisted, though not on friendly terms. Unlike the Human World, which was forever progressing with its knowledge and evolving throughout the centuries, the Sengoku Jidai, however, would remain in its dormant state forever. This world fascinated the young prince, and through his reports and many findings within books upon the world, he became aware of great priestesses and powerful Youkai through its legends, far different than those belonging in the Makai. The Sengoku Jidai was a world that possessed lower leveled Youkai, however, they were just as terrifying as those in the Makai.
Often, he found himself reclining back in his office chair, looking through old text which once belonged in the world. How interesting life was back then, and if he could, he would love to travel there, but doing so would most likely disrupt the flow of time and confuse the citizens of that era. Although he had never been to all three worlds, all he could do was watch through his monitors and read through all reports governing those worlds.
The last monitor displayed a hellish red sky overhead, barren wastelands, mountainous regions, forests which never ended and deserts as far as the eye could see. That world was inhabited by the most powerful and fearsome Youkai ever created, and it was home to lesser Youkai, those of a more kinder nature often terrorized by the darkness of the Makai.
Between the Human world and the Makai, Prince Koenma was always watching, waiting for any sort of disruption to surface. The Youkai in the Makai were ill tempered, crazed and knowledgeable of the Spirit World, their technology slowly advancing in a more sophisticated way than that of the Human World, and it was slowly beginning to bring fear into the eyes of those in the Spirit World.
Should their technology surpass that of Spirit World, then the protection of all three worlds would fall into catastrophe. While his father was constantly away on business, Koenma feared for the safety of his people, knowing one day, when his father was away, something dreadful would conspire against him. It was bound to happen, and at any given time. There was only so much the young prince could do with his supremacy.
A headache was forming, and he rubbed his temples achingly. For days on end, things were peaceful, and as surprising as it seemed, even the Makai was peaceful. Despite the constant threats of war within the Human World, which was nothing to be surprised about, he couldn't help but stare at his monitor towards the hellish red skies of the Makai.
Something wasn't right. Why was it so quiet? Why were his reports regarding that world minimal these days? Koenma was far used to numerous stacks of paper atop his desk, but these past weeks there was hardly anything worth mentioning. Peaceful within the Makai? Impossible.
He sat back in his chair, sighing. In all honesty, he was bored. Nothing was happening, and of course that was always nice, but for some reason, he couldn't seem to wrap his brain around it. While there was nothing normally happening within the Sengoku Jidai, he couldn't help but look at that particular monitor, hoping to find some sort of entertainment on the other side. As he flipped through each camera to that world, he only saw common village people working in their fields, Youkai terrorizing them here and there, but there wasn't much to note. That's why he liked the Sengoku Jidai; it was more peaceful than the other two worlds, and he was glad it would remain that way for eternity.
The sight of lightening lighting up the dark clouds of Spirit World outside his window took his eyes away from the monitors. It seemed another storm was approaching. Soon rain fell from the Heavens, and he watched the storm through his window near his desk tiredly.
Deciding to turn off the monitors for now, he leaned himself onto his large desk, his small hands holding his head tiredly. Perhaps if he rested his eyes, he would focus better on the few remaining reports. Yet as the thunder clashed outside and the rain fell heavily, Koenma's eyelids closed.
He was so close to falling into slumber, when suddenly an ear-piercing noise sounded in his office unexpectedly. His head popped up at this, and he turned in his office chair, his large brown eyes darting around fearfully and somewhat angered at his disturbance.
"What was that?!" He asked aloud.
The doors leading into his office burst open suddenly, the shrill screeching of the castle alarms resonating all through his palace became much louder and deafening. Jorge was at his door, a tall Ogre Youkai who acted as Koenma's assistant. He was an ordinary sized blue ogre with a single small horn protruding from his forehead, his long balding blonde hair lying over his shoulders messily and a brown loin cloth concealing his nether regions. In an instant, the Ogre was at his side, his dark eyes wide with fright.
"What it is Ogre? Why are the alarms going off?!" Koenma asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Thieves have entered the palace, sir!" Jorge exclaimed frightfully, palming his hands nervously before the young prince.
Their strides were quick; it was far easier than they expected to sneak inside, however, as anticipated, the alarms of the Spirit World sounded deafeningly in their ears. Their task was simple, steal something most precious from the little brat ruling this world and make their escape. It was routine, day after day, sometimes a few times a week here and there, but never before had they ever thought of targeting Spirit World.
It wasn't long until the two Youkai stood within a large open area of the fortitude, the white glossy tiled floors beneath their feet and large pillars stretching immensely high towards the ceiling, the glass above displaying the darkened skies and lightening outside. The inside was just as breathtaking as it was outside, its grandeur perking the fox's curious interest to pillage the entire palace inside and out.
The glint in Youko's eyes didn't go unnoticed by the Kumori beside him smirking knowingly. As his dark indigo eyes scanned the large ornate room, he turned back to the fox. "Where should we start first, Youko?"
He mused, his arms crossed as his amber eyes shifted around the room. What they were searching for it lied deep inside the palace, most likely protected with various traps. Judging by the mere size, it would take them some time to pinpoint the treasure's source, and time wasn't exactly on their side. "Don't bother wasting time with the small rooms before us. It's unlikely something so precious would be left wide in the open."
Understanding, the two shared a knowing stare briefly before once again taking off in long strides throughout the palace, avoiding the eyes of the guards running through the corridors. Their passage through the fortitude was rather long, and yet the guards had yet to pin point their exact location. As they avoided numerous rooms, avoiding the cameras rotating at every corner of the palace, jumping from one platform to the other of the multiple floors where business Ogres fearfully ran in disorder, they eventually came upon a short passage, one which diverged in multiple directions beyond the maximum security.
Youko sniffed the air, his knowing grin broadening at the scent, one which he was sure had reached Kuronue as well. "We are close."
The doors leading into Koenma's office suddenly burst open, and a young blue haired woman wearing a pink kimono stepped inside, her wide amethyst eyes widening fearfully. The office was empty, and from her perspective, the young prince was nowhere within the vicinity.
"Koenma, sir!" She called, hoping to catch sight of him somewhere, but after a moment's pause, she realized he was not there. Worryingly, she was about to turn back towards the doors when something moved from the corner of her peripheral vision.
A certain blue skinned Ogre with blonde hair suddenly poked him head up from behind Koenma's desk, his eyes squinted towards the doors where the ferry woman stood. Delighted it wasn't a Youkai who sought to end his very existence, Jorge smiled at the woman before looking down under the desk. "Koenma, sir, it's only Botan!"
Furthering her approach into his office, Botan stepped around the work desk, only to bend down noticing the young prince underneath, his head covered by his little hands as he quaked in fear. "Sir, are you alright?"
For a moment, he only turned his head to acknowledge her, before eventually pulling himself out from under his desk. After picking himself up shakily to his feet, he pointed his finger at the monitor, his eyes fearfully looking at Botan.
Blinking confusedly, the Grim Reaper turned her eyes towards one of the monitors beside the desk, and looking closely, she saw a terrifying sight. Two Youkai had managed to slip within the palace, and judging by Koenma's behavior, she had a feeling these weren't just ordinary thieves.
"No wonder the Makai has been so quiet as of late!" Koenma's voice shook. "The Makai's most terrorizing Youkai has slipped past our security!"
"Who, Sir?" Botan asked, rewinding the footage to get a better glimpse of the two individuals. How was it possible Youkai had gotten into the Spirit World? As she paused the video a few seconds later, she squinted her eyes at the screen. The blue haired woman made out two men, their hair long about their back and they were dressed in roguish clothing, similar to bandits she'd seen in photos through the reports.
"Youko Kurama," Koenma replied, causing the woman to turn in surprise.
Botan gasped, her eyes widening frighteningly at the name. How was it possible he was within the Spirit World? What did he want? "Sir…"
Koenma didn't know what he was after either, only that it meant trouble. He was much too afraid to step foot outside his office, and he was sure his guards were doing everything in their power to secure the palace and track down the thief and his companion. "I'm sure he plans to end my life."
"For what reason?" Botan asked.
He looked up at her, as if it wasn't already obvious. "Why else would a Youkai with such power swoop right into the Spirit World? I'm sure he hopes to seize control, just like any other from the Makai!" He shouted before holding his head dismally. "If my father finds out about this, I'll never live to see the sun again…" Unless Youko Kurama killed him before his father had the chance.
Noticing the distraught expression upon his superior's face, Jorge knelt down beside the toddler and placed his large hands upon his shoulders soothingly. "Don't worry, sir. I'll protect you with my life! There's no way we'll let that happen!"
"But why would he come here of all places…" Botan muttered to herself, not sure if she believed Koenma's worries. From her understanding, Youko Kurama was a ruthless bandit who sought after the most prized treasure any one could lay their hands upon. If he's come to the Spirit World, then surely, he must be after their most prized…
Botan's eyes widened alarmingly. It couldn't be. Was he after that, of all things? If he was, then it made perfect sense. She turned towards her boss, her eyes wide with anxiety. There was only a matter of time before they reached the room securing their most precious treasure.
In an instant, the blue haired woman ran from the room, causing both Jorge and Koenma to look on confused as the double doors closed loudly behind her.
No later than they arrived, Youko and Kuronue found themselves within a large chamber deep within the fortitude. The scent permeating from within filled the two with a thrilling sensation, the power flooding from the three floating orbs lying in the middle of the room.
As they approached, taking their time to access the room warily, they realized it was completely void of any others. The sight of the orbs became clearer as they approached, and once they stood within a few feet of them, they looked upon them with anticipation.
An illuminous light was enwrapped around each of the three orbs, glowing various colors of Red, Blue and Yellow, and within the center of them, darkness settled itself, swirling ominously. There was nothing surrounding them, merely an invisible barrier which Youko had sensed when they first arrived into the room.
Kuronue looked on curiously, placing his hands upon his hips as he scrutinized the treasure Spirit World guarded. "So, which one is it?"
Youko chuckled, his amber eyes landing on the Yellow orb before them. He could smell the scent of Youkai and humans emanating off its power, and he was sure it led into one of the three worlds.
Following his companion's gaze, Kuronue accessed that particular orb, before looking back at Youko, his arms crossed. "If we take this, we can finally escape Spirit World's hunters? Wouldn't they pursue us within that world as well?"
Youko chuckled. "While the Makai was indeed a world reining of supreme Youkai, there is no doubt the bounty placed on our heads has increased dramatically within the days. Then again, I've grown quite bored teasing the Youkai…"
Kuronue smirked, shaking his head at his companion. "Of course, you would say that," He laughed. "This world is inhabited by both humans and Youkai … I'm surprised, Youko,"
"And why is that?" He arched a silver brow.
"You have decided to escape to such a world, knowing full well it doesn't compare at all to that of the Makai. Then again, what other option do we have? You'll soon be living amongst the humans and weaker level Youkai."
Indeed, that was very true. "Don't forget our motives, Kuronue."
The Kumori only nodded before extending his hand into the barrier, watching amusedly as the electricity zapped at his arms. It stung somewhat, but he managed to grasp the orb very carefully within his grasp, its mere weight a lot lighter than he first anticipated. "I'm surprised by how easy this was…"
Youko's ears shifted atop his head, and he craned his neck towards the double doors above the staircase leading towards the exit. Kuronue's eyes followed after catching a familiar scent on the other side, and not bothering to run, they merely watched as the doors swung open.
The S.D.F., an elite class of powerful Youkai who were responsible for securing the boundaries of Spirit World, as well as monitoring all Youkai from the three worlds, fled into the room. Their black gloved hands were extended outwards towards the two Youkai below the steps, their fingers glowing a white hue.
Youko and Kuronue recognized the nine fighters as the hunters that routinely sought them out during their risky endeavors within the Makai. Each member possessed incredible levels of powers, yet they knew they didn't stand a chance against S class Youkai, such as themselves.
The S.D.F. acted as a military group for The Great King Enma of Spirit World, performing their duties tirelessly in all the three worlds. There was never a moment when their charade let up. The nine hunters wore identical uniforms, such as multi-colored bluish gray vests baring the red emblem of Spirit World, with black shoulder and elbow pads, worn over long-sleeved white shirts and loose fitting gray pants. These hunters were a force sometimes worth avoiding, and Youko was close to finding their existence rather bothersome.
And yet, as they silently scrutinized the nine members of Spirit World Security, they couldn't help but notice a woman in a pink kimono push herself through the crowd of hunters, her finger pointed directly at them aggressively. Her amethyst eyes heatedly glared in a fiery determination at the two thieves. "Stop right there!"
Author Note:
Yes. This is happening in present time. My reason for this is simple. There is no connection between Youko Kurama and Shuichi Minamino. Not for our fanfic anyways. So, they will be two separate people in order for this story to work. In which case, I'll let you all in on one spoiler. Kagome doesn't ever end up with red-haired Shuichi. After all, this is a story about her and Youko.