InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Cavern ❯ Chapter 4
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or YuYuHakusho.
~CavernIV~
And he was a ghost.
Okay, Kagome thought to herself. This is getting a bit much.
Yomi floated harmlessly in front of her, the soles of his feet a good few inches above the ground. “So tell me,” he asked cheerfully, “What exactly are you supposed to be doing here anyway? I can't imagine what would have brought the infamous Youko Kurama so far away from his lair with such-” his eyes swung down to Kagome's tiny uniform skirt, his grin widening, “-interesting company.”
She grimaced, her nose wrinkling in annoyance. What was up with all of these people thinking she was some kind of slut or something? The stupid skirt wasn't that short - was it? Kagome's gaze turned towards the demon spirit once more, only to find that he was checking her out again, and this time with a great deal more interest. Oh great. She groaned internally. The damn ghost was a creep too. Slightly disturbed, she took a step back, just as Youko moved forward, his eyes flashing red.
“I would better know how to answer your question, Yomi, if I knew exactly where `here' was.”
Yomi shrugged carelessly, unconcerned with his former comrade's barely concealed anger. “Well to be honest, I can't really help you much there,” he frowned, looking thoughtful. “`Here' isn't anywhere in particular, really. At least, nowhere that you could successfully pin down onto a map. It's more like a realm of some sort. Similar to Reikai, but nowhere near as large.”
The Spirit World? Kagome felt confused. She'd heard the term used before but only in passing. Never with such conviction, like it was an actual place. Maybe it is. Her eyebrows lowered as she considered the thought. No way. It couldn't be. The existence of something like that seemed impossible - too farfetched for even her to believe. Kagome shook her head. It couldn't be true. Could it?
Before she could stop herself, a question popped out of her mouth.
She spoke hesitantly, “Reikai…that's where all the spirits go, isn't it?” the words sounded silly when she said it like that, but when he only nodded, she felt a little braver. “So is it just like the stories? With a King who rules over everyone and organises where they go?”
He shrugged again, clearly disinterested with the flow of conversation. “Pretty much. Although it pains me to speak of Enma as ruler over me in any shape or form, that is essentially what he does, yes.”
Kagome found her eyes widening. So it was true. Still, she couldn't quite wrap her mind around the thought of an entire world dedicated to the dead. She'd always considered there to be just a heaven and a hell, and the fact that Inuyasha always promised he'd go to hell with Kikyo had only strengthened this belief. Inuyasha. Kagome realised with a jolt that she hadn't thought about her other companions in a long while. Long enough that their very existences had been blotted out from her mind, as if they had never been there in the first place. And they're probably outside right now, looking for me. Instant remorse filled her system. How could she be so uncaring? Those were her friends, for goodness' sake, and she'd cast them out of her mind without even a second thought. What had gotten into her all of a sudden? Day-dreaming about certain demon-thieves, making conversation with their dead friends... It was like she was a different person! Hating herself, and not quite sure what to do about it, Kagome let her mind wander to other, less taxing things. In front of her, the talk between the two demon males went on.
“So,” Yomi said, turning back to Youko. “Explain. How did you get yourself in this mess? That seems rather unlike you to be so careless.”
Youko's eyes were cold. “Do you really expect me to tell you anything, Yomi? When was the last time we saw one another - a good fifty years ago, I believe. How should I know if you're even worth trusting after all that time?”
Yomi chuckled. “Always so paranoid. I'd almost forgotten that about you.” He leaned back, casual arrogance evident in his laid-back posture. His gaze turned sly, “But then again, you were supposed to be careful too, and look where you ended up - right bang in the middle of a death-trap spirit realm.” He laughed, ignoring the heated glare being sent his way. “You know, I was hardly expecting to see any of the old gang here today. You least of all. In fact, I was pretty much prepared to have to deal with some chumped up, C-class youkai looking for an easy fight. Which would have been fun, I suppose, but way too boring. I mean, I've got better things to do than mess around with insignificant weaklings all day.” Yomi paused for breath, and then continued with his story, unaware that Youko was gradually losing patience with each delayed second. “Yeah, so there I was, all set to unleash my ghostly deadliness on some weak shit, and then you showed up.” He grinned and cocked his head to one side. “Not that I particularly love you or anything, but trust me, in comparison, having you here's like winning the damn lottery.”
Youko made an effort to not grit his teeth. His countenance was still unnervingly immaculate and his features were still calm, but the colour of his eyes was now a blazing crimson, revealing the hidden fire that burned beneath the composed exterior.
“Yomi...” he began, voice low and deadly.
Another voice interrupted him. “Hey wait a second! So, if that's where dead people go, what are you doing here?”
Youko spun round on his heel to stare openly at the human girl not three metres away from his side. He realised that before she'd spoken he'd completely forgotten about her presence. She looked noticeably uncomfortable with both of their attention fixed on her, but still remained determined, although he could tell that she was making a considerable effort to avoid his gaze. Strangely enough, that amused him, and he felt his anger fading just as swiftly as it had come. Well, he thought, a tiny curve slanting his pale lips upwards, she's good for one thing, at least.
Yomi at first looked surprised at the random question fired at him, and then he shifted, looking nervous.
“Um - what?”
“Okay, I really, really don't understand.” She shook her head, mystified. “You said this place was a spirit realm where only dead things can go. How is it possible that we- I mean, I am here, if I'm not dead? And furthermore,” she ploughed on, not giving the demon time to forge a response, “If dead spirits belong in Reikai then what are you,” she pointed an accusing finger right in his face, “doing over here, huh?”
Interesting. Youko couldn't stop the note of appreciation from leaking into his mind, but in this instance, he didn't much care. Apparently, the human girl-child wasn't as much of a fool as he'd first thought, which was astounding to say the least. He was rarely ever wrong at analysing a person from their first impressions, and since she'd adequately found the reasoning to suspect Yomi as being false, that made her slightly less useless in his eyes. True, it had taken her an embarrassingly long time to come the same conclusion that he had perceived almost immediately upon seeing his former comrade, but then that was to be expected. She was only a lowly ningen, after all.
He allowed his eyebrows to lift in a fairly mocking way. “Well, Yomi,” he murmured, his deep voice becoming as sweet as honey once more. “Outsmarted by a human child...tsk, tsk. I'm embarrassed for you. Honestly, I can't imagine how that must feel, but I suppose it must be incredibly infuriating.” His fangs glinted as he smiled. “Ah well, embarrassment's a small price to pay for telling lies.”
Kagome looked at him, frowning. She was torn between shouting at him for calling her a child - she was a woman, thank you very much! - and shouting at him for implying that humans were stupid. Well, some are, obviously, but not me! She had figured out that Yomi was lying after all, and she'd managed to survive this far without doing anything really dumb, hadn't she? Yes, she decided to herself, she had. So really - she huffed indignantly - he had absolutely no right to say that about her. None at all.
Unconscious to the fact that he was being considered through narrowed blue eyes, the demon in question spoke. “Now, are you finally ready to tell us the truth, Yomi.” Kurama continued talking as if to a child. He took a step closer to the dead demon. “Or will I have to force it out of you? Once again, I warn you,” he stepped forward, claws outstretched, releasing a guttural hissing noise from his throat that sounded disturbingly like death. “I have no time for games.”
Yomi was speechless. His deathly pale skin darkened to a faint, near indiscernible rose. He opened his mouth to speak. “B-but…Youko, I-I…” he gulped, and then composed himself. “Okay, you got me,” he sighed, visible deflating. “I didn't want to tell you earlier because I knew what would happen if I did. And trust me, I do know. You're not gonna like it, I can promise you that right now.” He warned, and then sighed again, shooting Kagome a spiteful look from the corner of his eye. “Women,” he muttered under his breath. “And here I was thinking she was some kind of easy wench. Huh. Could have fooled me.” Once again, his glance went to her skirt.
“Hey!” Kagome intercepted the look and glared defiantly at him. “Keep your eyes to yourself, you- y-you hentai!” Yomi laughed, and she blushed, pulling the green material down as far as it could go.
Watching these childish antics, Kurama felt his irritation begin to rise again. Was she so immature that she couldn't stay serious for more than one second?
He grabbed her face by the chin, none to gently, and forced her to a halt. “Be still.” He ground out harshly, ignoring her whimper of protest, “and listen, girl.”
Abruptly, Yomi became alert again, obviously unwilling to provoke Kurama any further. “There really is no easy way to say this, Kurama, so...er, basically, I- um...” he rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “I'm actually working on behalf of Spirit World right now.”
Kagome blinked. That was it? That was the big secret he'd been hiding? Her eyes grew wide with disbelief. What the hell was so bad about that? Jeez, she'd been expecting some kind of major demon conspiracy going on, the way those two were acting. I should have known it was nothing to get worked up about. Eurgh. She groaned out loud. Men.
Meanwhile Youko snorted, looking at Yomi contemptuously. Why was he not surprised? He should have known that the fool was capable of becoming one of Reikai's lapdogs. His lip curled with distaste. How demeaning.
Seeing his look, Yomi hastened to defend himself. “Hey, it's not like I'm working for them permanently or anything! This is just the one time - in exchange for something I wanted. Koenma promised me I'd move up on the reincarnation list if I did him this one little favour, so I agreed. An easy deal as far as I'm concerned.” Realising that it would take hours of reassurance to ever wipe that look of unbridled scorn from the fox demon's face, Yomi decided to give up.
“So,” Kagome prodded, not liking how tense things had suddenly become. She could practically feel the animosity in the air, clinging to her clothes and seeping into her skin. “What did they ask you to do? Meet us here?” That seems pretty pointless to me.
Or maybe, she thought with growing excitement, maybe he was here to help them! She almost squealed with delight. She'd be getting out of this cavern at last!
Unfortunately, Yomi's next words dashed all her hopes to dust. “The Prince of Spirit World, Koenma, didn't tell me much of what this was about. All he said was that I was meant to meet two individuals over here, and that I was supposed to take them to the centre of this place, and make sure that they stayed there for the rest of the night. That's all I was told.”
Kagome's heart dropped. “So we can't leave?”
“Not to my knowledge.” He frowned, looking surprisingly old. “I don't even think there is a place out of here that you can take. I mean, I'm a ghost, so I can disappear whenever I want, but you guys have physical bodies with limitations. You can't just walk through walls.” He shook his head and the edges of his shape became blurry and out of focus. “I figure the only way to get you guys out of here's to do what the little demi-king wants.”
“No.”
Kagome started, jerking her head immediately out of his grasp. What? She narrowed her eyes into tiny slits. Did he just say-
“No.”
Youko's face was stony; his eyes were metallic glints in that beautiful, sculpted face. He repeated himself once more. “No.”
“'No' what?!” Kagome demanded furiously. She was practically screaming at him with her sudden rage and anger. If he was saying what she thought he was saying- No. Don't even think it. Her eyes fixed on his tall form, standing indifferently before her. The sight only increased her anger. “Well, speak up. What do you mean by `no'?” she asked, her eyes blazing.
Youko Kurama, spirit fox, legendary demon thief, and master of so many things, very nearly lost his grip on himself in that single moment. Instinctively he had to clamp his mouth shut to prevent his fangs from lengthening, his body from shifting form. Even in this state of near incompetency, he found that he was actually angry enough to transform, a feat that had proved near impossible only a sparse hour before. In his mind, however, he let his fury build. Who was she, he thought derisively, a single useless child, to demand an answer from him? Was the girl out of her mind? Did she have no sense? He sneered at her, and just like that, he lost every shred of affection he'd gained for the little mortal.
He looked down his nose at her pale face; blotches of red grew in her cheeks as he spoke, “I refuse to lend my aid to the Prince of Reikai, human, or any emissary of Reikai for that matter. My reasons for doing so are none of your concern however, so don't even begin to ask.”
Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. “But then how will you get out?! They told us when we got here - we can't do it alone!”
His look was scornful. “Perhaps you can't,” he said, his voice deceptively soft. “If you truly believe that I need your assistance to survive within a harmless spirit realm then you are indeed as foolish as I first thought. A discredit to your race, even. Most mortals have the basic instinct in them to accept that demons are by far the superior beings in this world and give them the respect they deserve.” He enjoyed the way her face filled with shock at his words, and sought to increase the hurt. He smiled chillingly. “I myself have found yours to be a hindering presence on our journey, rather than any actual help. A burden in fact. If you end up dead within minutes of my disappearance it shall come as no shock to me - nor shall I care.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “You jerk-”
Tired, and with an overflow of desperate emotions that she couldn't even begin to unravel, Kagome did the only thing she could, and lashed out at the cold demon with her fist. Before her hand had even made contact with his flesh, he had her in his grip, twisting her frail hand round so that her arm was bent awkwardly and her bones were about to snap. She cried out, her shrill scream echoing within the bright cavern like a siren's call, and yet he did not falter.
Youko turned his golden eyes to her, feeling utterly devoid of sympathy. “Touch me again, and the next time we meet, you will die.” He promised, expressionless.
He dropped her hand, feeling rather than seeing, the girl drop to the floor, and then walked slowly away from her. Within seconds, he was gone.
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