InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Dreams of Red ❯ Youko Without Kurama ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1: Youko Without Kurama

 

Disclaimer: See Prologue

 

An injured person ran through the streets of Tokyo, pain seen in his golden eyes. He was in agony. The injuries he carried would have been enough to kill a normal man however this was no normal person. A normal person didn't have fox-like ears with an equally fox-like tail, nor was their eyes gold in colour and hair a brilliant silvery-white. The figure slumped down at the bottom of a door, pressing against the button, sounding the buzzer off inside the house. Another man answered the door, this one was wearing black to the other's blood-stained white, his wings matching the other's tail and his long, pointed, ears matching the other's fox-like ones. The eyes scanned the area, and almost closed the door when he felt something tug at his trousers, looking down and following the pale, slender, arm to an injured body and face that he knew all too well. “Youko Kurama!” He shouted as the body slumped onto the hallway carpet.

 

 

Youko Kurama's eyes opened and looked around the room. He felt secure, tucked up in the bed. His wounds were bandaged up and stitched where they were required. “I'm sorry that I couldn't do more. I'm not as good at healing as you are, and Yukina wasn't available. Kuwabara has gone missing so she and her twin have gone looking for him. Yusuke is in the living room if you wish to speak with him.” Youko Kurama shook his head. “I'll let him know that you're awake. I am sure that he will be happy to know that his friend is okay.”

 

“Kuronue, I don't feel okay. I feel as though part of me is missing, that I am only half me.” He started to sit up, but pain stopped him. “Why do I feel like that?” He asked as Kuronue stroked his hair.

 

“Try changing into your other side. I hope that I am wrong, that the scent is just off because of the injuries, but I fear that I'm not.” Kuronue said gently as he pulled back allowing his fox the space to change. He could feel Youko concentrate his energy before he cried out, energy spiking all around him, as he was unable to find his other self within him. Even Yusuke could hear the despairing cry from the fox demon. He ran through to the bedroom to see Kuronue holding Youko Kurama tightly.

 

“What's wrong? What has happened?” He asked, seeing the horrified expression on Youko Kurama's face.

 

“It is as I feared, Shuichi is missing from Youko Kurama's body.” Kuronue said. “Half of him is gone and not even Youko can reach him.” Yusuke stared at the pair when he felt Hiei's mental touch.

 

`Yes, Hiei, what did you find out?' Yusuke asked his mate.

 

`Absolutely nothing, we haven't found that idiot and nobody has seen him. It's as though he disappeared into thin air. Yukina is very worried. What has happened on your end?' Hiei asked. `We're almost at Kuronue's now.'

 

“Kurama is missing. We have Youko, just not Kurama.' Yusuke said pacing the room. To Kuronue it was obvious that he and Hiei were in contact with each other. `Somehow he was removed, and if someone can do that, then we're in trouble.'

 

“Speak to Yomi. If anyone knows how to do this, then he would.” Youko said as he regained some of his composure.

 

“Hn, Mukuro would be better. She managed to bring both myself and Shigure back from certain death.” Hiei said as he jumped in through the open window, placing his upset twin on the ground before walking over to Yusuke. He knew that Yusuke felt bad now, knowing that they were the only couple `together'. “Yusuke and I shall visit Mukuro if you want.” Kuronue nodded.

 

“Myself and Youko shall do the same to Yomi. Hopefully one of us will get good news.” He said in reply. “The little lady would be best to remain here, just in case either Kuwabara or Shuichi returns here.” Yukina nodded. “Let us leave together when Youko Kurama is better.” Yukina walked over to the bed-ridden kitsune.

 

“Please, Youko Kurama, let me use my abilities to heal you. That way you could concentrate on getting your energy back.” The Koorime said, smiling when Youko nodded. He knew that she needed to feel useful, and this was the only way that the girl could be. She pulled the covers off of Youko's body, slightly blushing when she saw that Youko was naked, however she removed all the stitches from the deeper wounds and concentrated her energy. Slowly the wounds began to heal, the deeper ones scarred over. Youko placed a hand on her head.

 

“Thank you, Yukina, Kuwabara is lucky to have such a caring girl as you to call his.” He sat up, pulling the sheet to cover himself. “Now, where is my clothing?” Kuronue looked at Yusuke, who left the room, returning with the clothes that he had mended as good as new. He placed them into Youko Kurama's waiting arms. “Did you mend these?” He asked, Yusuke nodded.

 

“I've had plenty of experience mending my own clothing. My good-for-nothing mother never did it. She was too busy drinking to care.” He watched as Youko Kurama dressed in the mended clothing, moving to see how the cloth reacted. “So what do you think? Would I make a good seamstress?” The room burst out in laughter, and the laughing got worse with the look on Yusuke's face.

 

“As long as you are my seamstress I'd be happy. However, I thought that you'd be seme for longer.” It took a moment for Yusuke to decipher what Hiei had said and once he had, he started spluttering in indignation. Hiei silenced him with a kiss. “Shut up, dear Yusuke. Your mouth is out pacing your brain. Again.” He pushed Yusuke into a chair. “Sit down, love. Do something useful and hold me.” Shocked, Yusuke did as his love demanded, hearing the contented rumblings of Hiei; Yusuke deemed it safe to start playing with Hiei's hair. The fire demon always gave his version of a purr when they were alone, and Yusuke fondled his silken, raven hair. For a moment the demon went silent before he started to purr in enjoyment. Youko looked over to where the unusual noise was coming from and smiled.

 

“Seems that we have another friend with a hair fetish.” He said to himself. They were so happy together, and he was struck by a pang of sorrow. He hadn't realised how much Shuichi had meant to him until he was no longer there. He wondered what his other half was doing now.

 

 

Shuichi's eyes slowly opened. He felt as though he had been ripped in two. Then with a stark realisation he knew that he had been, just not physically. He couldn't feel his other half's presence at all. Not even a glimmer. That really hit him like a bucket of icy cold water. For the first time in a while, Shuichi Minamino was afraid.

 

He had always been with Youko, even before his birth. He didn't know who he really was. He sat up, his head feeling itchy and his ass was sore, and not in the way that he would have preferred it to be. Scratching one of the itchy spots, he tugged at something growing out of his head. It hurt. Seeing a mirror, he gingerly walked over to it and saw a pair of fox-like ears sprouting out of his head and he had a feeling that he knew why he was experiencing an uncomfortable sensation at his rear. He removed his trousers and felt some relief, and seeing a flick of red from the corner of his eye, he sighed. There, swaying in the sunlight was the tail of a red fox.

 

He turned, looking around the room and saw three other beds. They all had occupants; two of whom he recognised as his friend, Kuwabara and the little wind master Jin. The third bed contained another kitsune. He looked as though he was in his mid twenties, then again so did Youko Kurama and that crafty fox was well over a thousand years old. He walked back to his own bed and sat down. It didn't take long for him to feel the bed move as another sat beside him. “Excuse me, sir, but who are you?” He heard a voice ask and he looked over at the other kitsune. “I have never seen you before.” Shuichi looked at the kitsune and smiled.

 

“I am Shuichi Minamino.” He said. “I am human, or at least I was part human. I don't know what has happened to me, but I seem to have taken a kitsune form, like my other…” He stopped speaking, not realising that the other was still intently listening to his every word. “Your other what?” He asked, before seeing tears in the other's eyes. “Come on Shuichi, please tell me. It pains me to see another kitsune in such pain, and maybe telling another will ease it.” He said, “Oh, I forgot to give you my name. I'm Shippo by the way.” Both kitsune smiled at the other.

 

“Well Shippo, I guess I better tell you more about me.” The green eyes looked down. “I'm part of another… or rather another is a part of me. I played host to a fox demon named Youko Kurama for all my life until this moment.” He could see shock on the other's face. “I can see that you know of him.” Shippo nodded.

 

“He was well known amongst my family. His name was always spoken with reverence. He was almost a god.” He smiled at Shuichi. “To meet one that held him within his body is as much of an honour as meeting the Youko himself. However it is strange that you still hold a fox form when you say that you were once human.”

 

“I can only guess that Youko Kurama changed my D.N.A. to make my human body more comfortable for his demonic energy.” He could hear a noise from behind him, from another bed as Kuwabara started to waken. “You're awake, Kuwabara, that is a blessing.” The look that he got from Kuwabara was priceless.

 

“Did you get sick of your whiteness Youko Kurama?” He asked confused by the colour of the other's hair.

 

“I'm not Youko, Kuwabara, I'm all Shuichi. I don't even deserve to be known as Kurama as you know me by, since the thief is no longer within my body.” He saw a plant near the barred window and walked over to it. “Please show me what the outside is like.” He requested of the plant, sending a tendril of his energy through the plant, using the energy to see all around the plant and sighed. “We're surrounded by spikes, no chance of surviving the fall. I don't even have the butterfly glider plant's seeds with me to help to escape.”

 

“Well, that's not a problem for a wind master like myself.” Jin said as he walked over to the window. “I'll escape and tell the others where you are.” Jin pushed against the window, but was electrocuted. “Well, so much for that bright plan.” He said from where he was twitching on the ground, his hair still sparking. Shuichi sighed as he returned to his bed.

 

`Just great, we have a guy that knows all about us holding us captive. For all I know, he could have Youko trapped in one of these rooms. I can't leave without knowing for sure if he is here or not.' He looked at Shippo. `Not to mention that this kitsune could be a spy, ANYONE could be a spy.' He heard a laugh come from the door. “Who is there?” He asked.

 

“Your captor, of course. How are you feeling, Kurama, or should I now call you Shuichi?” The male voice asked. “Some of my loyal subjects are bringing you some food. Please behave when they enter, I would hate to have to starve all of you into submission.” Shuichi growled, fangs bared and he wasn't the only one. Shippo was just as angry. Slowly the door swung open to reveal four figures, two male and two female. Shuichi knew three of them, and didn't know the fourth. Yukina, Touya and Kuronue. The other was a human female unknown to him; then again he didn't know every female. Shippo filled in the space.

 

“Kagome!”

 

~~~

Author's Notes: Well that's the end to the first chapter of Dreams of Red. I hope that you like it, please read and review. All reviews are eagerly accepted.