Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Body and Soul ❯ Skin ( Chapter 4 )

The sidewalks had become living rivers. People with places to go and people to see. It was so crowded that some of the unfortunate ones on the edge of the walkways were nearly shoved into the busy streets.

 

Among them, the fox walked alone. In his arms, a pharmacy bag with medicine for his mother.

 

After she had awoken from her fitful sleep, she had looked at him. Tears shone in her eyes and yet, she didn't understand why she had been crying. Seeing the worry in her sons' expression, Shiori had questioned him, thinking that he was the one in pain. His worry gave way to confusion. Surely a dream like that would've been easy to remember. Wouldn't it?

 

“A dream?” she had asked.

 

“Yes mother. I had tried to wake you many times, but you didn't hear me.” He replied.

 

“That's strange…oh, but it must've been quite the nightmare.”

 

It didn't make any sense. How could something that had terrified her so greatly in sleep be so easily forgotten when she woke up? Lowering his head, heavy with thought, he bumped shoulders and elbows with other passerby's, without even the smallest attempt at an apology. Why worry about something so trivial like manners when his mother's health was in question?

 

The sun was starting to go down, with the temperature along for the ride and Kurama sped up his pace, wanting to get home and escape the cold. His shoes made the slightest crunching noise in the snow and had it not been for his quicker-than-human reflexes, many rather embarrassing skids were barely avoided. The pills in the white plastic bottle shook and sounded like a baby rattle in it's brown paper bag keeping perfect time with his steps. He could see his breath and in a brief and elusive moment, his mind registered the unusual thought that, to a child, he must've looked like an old fashioned train.

 

Fox fur bristled and in an instant, it was up on all fours with shining teeth bared.

 

The old children's play ground was riddled with snow angels and snow-men (and snow-women) of every shape and size. What remained of a sorely defeated snow fort was in ruins and tiny icicles hung from the jungle gym. And bundled up in a coat and scarf of white, was Kyoko, swaying back and forth on the swing set.

 

“Kyoko?”

 

Creak…squeak, went the swing.

 

“What are you doing out here? You'll catch cold.” He said in cautious concern.

 

Creak…squeak.

 

“Did something happen at home?”

 

Creak.

 

“Are you waiting for someone?”

 

Squeak.

 

“Or were you waiting for me?”

 

Ksshhh! Her shoes dug a trench in the snow, the soles skidding on the gravel beneath as she came to a stop. Standing up, the blanket of snow that had gathered in her lap fell away to the ground. Her fingers peeled from the icy chains and dropped to her sides.

 

Without a word, she stepped toward him. One foot in front of the other and Kurama tensed as she came closer. Instinctively, his body shifted, his knees bending to spring out of the way of a sudden attack. The fox within him curled in on itself snarling and barking.

 

She stopped and raised her head. In her eyes shone a hatred that he never knew existed. That he hoped he would never see again.

 

And yet, somehow, he couldn't understand why she identified herself as the victim.

 

“Give. It. Back.” She hissed.

 

Like a bullet train, a force hit him like nothing before it and his body was thrown clear into the wall of the public rest rooms. He gasped as the air rushed from his lungs as a cloud from his mouth and the bottle of pills tumbled to the sidewalk. And to his shock, he noticed that he was held at least a foot above the ground pinned like a ruby red butterfly in a collection. Thrashing to try and loosen the grip of whatever held him, he looked up to see Kyoko with her arm and hand outstretched in his direction.

 

She was a telekinetic.

 

“Give it back.”

 

Yanking his body from the wall, pain shot through his back as it slammed into a nearby park bench. Green painted wood splintered in every direction and he scrambled to his feet.

 

He tried to reason with her. “I've taken nothing of yours!” he shouted.

 

“Liar. Give it back to me.”

 

He connected hard with the trunk of a leafless tree.

 

“What did I steal from you? Tell me!”

 

“You know what you took, Shuichi Minamino” his name was spoken mockingly. “You're wearing it now.”

 

What did she mean? As far as he knew, with all certainty by the way, the clothes were his, the jacket was his, and he didn't wear jewelry. Even if he did, why on earth would he wear women's jewelry? He had never been so perplexed in his life.

 

The twigs of a bush cut and scratched his face and hands. A few threadlike slits began to bleed. As if it were the most fascinating sight in the world, he stared at his palm. His palm…wasn't really his.

 

Inari forgive him…

 

What remained of the snow fort was utterly destroyed.

 

He had stolen Kyoko's body.