Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Strange and Unexpected Beginnings ❯ Quarrel ( Chapter 12 )

Hey y'all! Finally got to Chapter 12! Decided to put up a shorter version so I could have 12 up sometime BEFORE the Apocalypse. So put up your feet, grab some sugar and read on. *lol*

 

Random” dialogue

` Random' thoughts Random emphasis

() () (): Denotes scene and/or time change

Vocabulary Corner: (Pay attention, children!)

Kitsune: Fox

Youkai: Just demon pretty much in this case

Sweatdrop: (Yes, there are some readers that are unfamiliar with this!) A large tear-shaped drop that appears on the back of characters heads; denotes embarrassment.

Suffix “Chan”: Used at the end of one's name; a term of affection for girls or crushes

Suffix “ Kun”: Same as Chan except for Males

 

Previously:

 

“…Tell the others to gather what they can…we'll leave in two hours.” He turned to walk off, but then stopped again.

 

“Did Natsumi come by here?”

 

“Hmm... the kit? She must have found out something too, because I saw her leave the camp with her stuff.”

 

Youko walked back over to Kitanaru.

 

“What did you say?” He lifted Kitanaru from the ground.

 

“You let her leave?”

 

“Well, she said she felt she'd learned enough and that she was ready to leave. I didn't press it, since she's tough enough to survive…”

 

Youko dropped him.

 

“You idiot.”

 

 

Chapter 12: Quarrel

 

“Damn it…If I'm not back in two hours…” Youko pulled out a battered sheet of parchment from one of his pockets and passed it over to Kitanaru. One side displayed a small map, marked by several small symbols that represented the separate areas of the Makai.

 

“… Head South as far as you can go, and then move eastward. There's a large lake; there are some ships you can take. That will put more distance between yourselves and the Hunters. If the situation worsens, split up.”

 

He trampled several bushes in his hastened departure. Kitanaru called out to the expectant group of thieves, who didn't bother to conceal their curiosity in the conversation.

“ Oi! Move your asses! You've got two hours to get your shit together, `cause we're movin' out!” They left to collect their belongings with little concern.

 

“I said, move it! “Kitanaru snapped. They obeyed this time, scurrying around in search of their precious possessions.

 

“ Feh, running these people is no problem.”

 

() () ()

 

Youko growled in frustration. For a while, he had not been able to sense or even smell Natsumi. Great, just great.

 

`How much of a head start could she have possibly gotten?! Damn girl is faster than I thought.'

 

By now the sky had darkened to a deep shade of sapphire, leaving the moon his sole source of light, not that it mattered. This wasn't the time to be wasting on such matters anyhow. He knew Natsumi would underestimate the Hunters if and when she encountered them. It would probably only be a matter of time.

 

`Why of all times, did she pick now to run away?' He thought, currently oblivious as to the reason why she “ran away.”

 

 

() () ()

 

Natsumi forced her way through each annoying obstacle with violent strength, ignoring the scratches she received from the bushes and branches in return.

 

`I feel like such shit…it's not fair, damn it!'

 

She found herself unable to control the heavy flow of tears that blurred her eyesight and burned her eyes.

 

`He could have just admitted that he hated me…I bet I was an annoyance all this time!' She pondered bitterly. The image back at the camp kept playing in her mind

 

“I am better than that twit!”

 

Her anger motivated an increase in her speed, and she pushed herself harder, venting her bitterness on the forest-life around her. As she ran she felt someone's youki…a horribly familiar youki.

 

“Shit!” She leaped onto the nearest tree branch, traveling from tree to tree, seeking out any means of losing it.

 

() () ()

Youko smirked triumphantly as he picked up a small trace of youki from a distance. He was ninety-nine point nine percent sure he knew the owner of that particular youki. It disappeared again; Youko remained undaunted, however.

 

`So you want to play games with me, kit? Very well.' He sped up.

 

() () ()

It had been several hours since the rising of the sun and so the bandits had long since abandoned their camp, taking care not to leave anything too valuable behind. The environment in which they hiked seemed to gradually decrease in its number of trees, although they still found themselves roaming in a forested territory. Since the limited shade provided no sort of relief, the heat was particularly harsh on their bodies. As a result, the group was in foul spirits.

 

“How much longer is it?! I don't want to spend however the hell many days I have left traipsing through these damn woods!”

 

“Would you rather be hot and tired, or be strangled with your own stomach, friend?”

 

“Everybody shut up!”

 

“Why'd we get the news so late anyway, eh Kitanaru?”

 

“No one said anything before, if they actually knew about the bastards beforehand!” Kitanaru snapped. “Get off my ass!”

 

Kitanaru was every bit as tired as his subordinates, although he didn't voice it. To make matters, worse, he wasn't entirely sure that they'd left the Hunters too far behind, because the sons of bitches were known to be able to hide their reiki. So they had no recourse but to press on, only taking an occasional five-minute break to keep their stamina up.

 

“Gods, it's too damn hot out here!”

 

“Stop yer bitchin' already!”

 

“Alright, rest time's over! Let's move it!” They began to run, not stopping any time before sun was high in the sky.

 

`Feh,' Kitanaru scowled. `They'd better hurry it up.'

 

The rule among the group was to keep moving, no matter what obstacle they encountered. There was no time to run back for slackers that couldn't pull their weight. Any sort of delay could get the whole lot of them killed. Kitanaru certainly hadn't planned to get murdered today.

 

() () ()

 

Natsumi stopped for a moment, short of breath and feet aching. She'd had to spend the whole night fleeing and watching, as there seemed to be no safe havens in the immediate area. It didn't matter, so long as “he” didn't catch her.

 

 

“Damn it….what'll I do now…?”

 

She fell to the ground with a lack of air, and her legs having given up the fight for now. She took a quick survey of her surroundings. A large, open forested area, which exposed her to bright, annoying sunlight. She shielded her eyes with one hand. If she looked hard enough, she could see in the distance a large, vaguely familiar mountain (although she couldn't figure out why it was familiar).

 

“ Damn…am I gonna have to go over them?!”

 

She took another breath, which came to her easier this time, and her legs were regaining their strength.

 

“ Feh, there's gotta be some place over there…Just steal myself some new crap. Find a good partner. Shit… For once I'd like to just forget it! Go away and leave me alone!”

 

She hated this…it just kept coming back. She was mad….but she didn't quite hate him, not as much as she probably should have… it drove her nuts. Angrily, she pulled a small meat bun out of her sack, and jammed it into her mouth, tears spilling with every piece she forced down her throat. When she finished, she stood, and ran again in the direction of the mountain, with the satisfied assumption that he was no longer trailing her, since she couldn't sense him anymore.

 

“Feh…that's right. Go back to your pretty little whores.” She smirked coldly, shaking a bit as she said this. Within half an hour, she'd cleared the forest, and now faced the shadows of the mountain looming directly ahead. There was on path at the foot of the mountain, leading westward, the only route that didn't involve scaling icy slopes.

 

() () ()

 

“Cmon, you lazy bastards, get the hell up!” Kitanaru spat at the group, receiving many a glare and blank look in return.

 

“Can't we just put up our feet for a bit?! I can't go on any longer!”

 

“Yeah, a break never killed anybody!”

 

“Who the hell died and made you leader, anyway?!”

 

“Take a guess!” Kitanaru snapped, although he too found himself taking a seat on a large boulder covered in moist moss.

 

“Damned fool…he's gonna get himself killed going after that wretch! There are other women, for God sake!” The others grumbled ominously, too absorbed in their own complaints.

 

“Oi, Kitanaru! You had a map, didn't you? How far are we?!”

 

“Oh yeah…” Kitanaru withdrew the battered piece of parchment.

 

“We're nearly at the halfway-point. Another day or two at the most should do it. Guess we're lucky that our camp was in an ideal spot. But…the time's not counting when we actually cross the lake.”

 

There were several cranky groans at this latest bit of information.

 

 

() () ()

 

Natsumi shivered, unaccustomed to such frigid climates.

 

“It's freezing here; why the hell didn't I bring something?!”

 

She held her arms tightly around herself in an attempt to maintain whatever body heat she had left. Good thing that she chose the path over climbing over the gargantuan mountain after all. She knew she'd been hiking down the muddy path for a while, but she had no idea how long. Although now that she had passed the mountain, the air had warmed up again, but to a minimum extent.

 

“Damn it all! I can't feel my goddamn feet!”

 

All she wore was a thin pair of gold sandals, which had served well in the past, although in much warmer climates.

 

“He'd be making fun of me right now,” She snarled, picking up her pace, oblivious to the thin layers of ice covering the ground ahead of her.

 

“Heh…Tired already, little one? I thought I taught you better than that.”

 

“Bloody hell!” She cursed. “Now I'm imagining his voice! Wonderful!”

 

She marched on, determined to block these delusions out of her mind.

 

“It's foolish to make such long journeys on your own, Kit.”

 

Natsumi snarled, with an increased level of ferocity. Her hands clenched tightly, small claws digging into her palms. She forced herself to run…and run, faster with every other step through the snow, trying desperately to leave the “delusion” behind. She kept it up until she slipped on an unnoticeable rock, landing face-first into a pile of mud. She cursed into the thick, slippery substance, spitting out the small portion that had found its way inside her mouth. She forced herself up, brushing the muck form her face and whatever she could from her now -stained outfit, which was torn slightly in a few places, but not enough to reveal anything.

 

`I know this place… but from where?'

 

She looked back where she'd come from. Apparently, she'd been running down a small slope for awhile. She'd come to a wide, rocky, muddy path, framed by dark-colored plant-life. She looked in the opposite direction and glimpsed a large rock formation, covered in weeds, moss, and such. Natsumi walked down further to inspect the area, and found a large opening in the largest of these boulders.

 

“Better than nothing.”

 

It was just a relief to be able to rest somewhere. She dragged her sack inside, where she immediately discovered a dusty pile of old blankets, cloth, and moldy food, rotten beyond recognition. The cave walls were a dark-grayish black. Natsumi stared at this odd scene for a few minutes, taking in this nostalgic little hiding spot.

 

“Oh!” Her eyes widened as it finally dawned on her.

 

“I never thought I'd see this place again! Damn lucky, I guess!” She sat back against the wall, and dug into her sack of goodies. She pulled out a bottle of whisky she'd swiped.

 

“Here's to old homes, I guess!” She took several greedy gulps from the sacred drink, and passed out.

() () ()

 

“Where the hell have you gone?!” Youko tore through the sharp brushes with uncaring fury.

 

“Shit!” Something had just cut his hand…a quick look down at his right hand revealed a small scratch, from which a few drops of blood were already exiting.

 

“Damn it!”

 

He glared up at the mountain range, some short distance away.

 

“We don't have time for this!”

() () ()

 

“Okay, you bums! Are you rested now?!”

 

Kitanaru had decided to be merciful and allow them to rest for an hour…but it's possible that having his own legs give out on him had something to do with it.

 

“It's time to move out, let's go!”

 

The group cursed as its members found themselves roused from their pleasant catnaps. On they marched for several more hours, as the afternoon faded to dusk, and then evening. They approached a lone, narrow path, which looked like it continued for quite some time. The sky darkened farther out on the wide plain on either side of this route.

 

“This'll lead us to the lake eventually, and I think there's an inn or two along the way.”

 

There ware a few sighs of relief at this.

 

“How are we going to be protected once we get there?! Wouldn't the bastards just run after us?”

 

Kitanaru smirked. “Not unless they gathered an army or two…do you know how many criminals reside in that other Land (not even counting the weaker ones)? The “authorities” have given up hope for any kind of order over there, from what I've heard.”

 

There were murmurs of approval among the concerned bandits.

 

“Now let's can the bullshit and keep going…we're still not that close yet.”

 

“There's no point in pressing onward, if your miserable spirits have already deserted your weak bodies.”

 

“ Heh, you hide as well as you thieve.”

 

` Shit!' Kitanaru cursed mentally. He was certain that this wasn't a well-known route, so how the hell did they catch up so quickly?

 

The thieves were furious at such low-brow insults; but there was also a little anxiety which they tried to play off.

 

“Who the hell are you to say?”

 

“ Why don't you come on out and face us, you bastards! Or are you too scared?”

 

“ You fools… don't underestimate them…”

 

Kitanaru wasn't sure on their next course of action. He had no idea how many Hunters there were, and he wasn't even sure where they were hiding. They'd jump as soon as they ran….so there was no choice but to fight them, and at least incapacitate them enough to get a head start out of here.

 

There was a low chuckle at these antics. They leaped down from their hiding spots in the branches of a pair of thick trees.

 

() () ()

 

Youko stormed through the forest, taking care to smash at anything and everything he came across. His patience had thinned and his foul mood had returned. He was currently in a foul state of mind. On this ridiculous search he'd managed to slip and fall on his ass not once, but TWICE! His tail was still currently thawing.

 

“ How I hate the cold…” He half-snarled.

 

“She could not have possibly gotten THIS far!”

 

A long, muddy path appeared before his feet. He stopped for a moment, pondering whether to chase her down the path or over the mountain.

 

“She couldn't have possibly gone over…”

 

He turned to face the foot of the mountain. There were no fresh footprints and he couldn't find a trace of her scent. For the last few hours of this miserable search-and-rescue mission he'd been able to pick up the tiniest remnant of it, but it certainly wasn't on the mountain. He broke into a sprint down the path. She would be found TODAY! After a short while, he finally began to feel some youki…the same as before. This time it wouldn't elude him as before.

“ Heh…growing weary are we…?” H smirked as he tore through the brushes with renewed vigor. He could sense her youki more and more every few minutes or so.

 

() () ()

 

“Ugh…. That was one powerful drink…”

 

Natsumi sat up from her place within the small pile of blankets, bleary-eyed and holding her head.

 

“Wow…out for the whole damn night…. Wonder if there's some place to freshen up.” She sat back against the wall for awhile, until she felt well enough to leave the cave and go find a spring or something. .

 

“There's gotta be somewhere around here….just don't remember…hmm…”

 

“Heh…funny meeting you here.”

 

Natsumi froze at the voice, eyes darting nervously around the area for the speaker.

 

` You've gotta be shittin' me!'

 

Youko approached from Natsumi's left, stepping cautiously over a small bush to avoid tripping yet again. Natsumi stared, completely in shock.

 

“ Finally decided to stop, hm? My weary feet thank you.”

 

For each step Youko took toward her, Natsumi took one in the opposite direction., a wary expression on her face.

 

“ You…Stay the hell away from me!”

 

She drew her sword, feeling very apprehensive and unsure of what to do at the moment. She shut her eyes quickly, as if that would make Kurama go away.

 

`Go away, go away, go away go away!'

 

Yoko halted when he there was five or six feet between them.

 

` I didn't think she'd take this so personally…but then again, she did run away…'

 

He had absolutely no idea what to say to defuse the situation. Emotional breakdowns weren't exactly his expertise. And now wasn't the time to become an authority on such matters.

 

“… We don't have time for you to be running off.” He started walking again.

 

“ The Hunters are coming. They'll surely kill you the moment they find you, and you have no idea how to get around them.”

 

There was no response from Natsumi, although she opened her eyes and glared at him, never lowering her sword. Now Kurama was close enough to feel the tip of her sword on his chest, although he ignored this.

 

“ Are you really that desperate to die…? Because I can guarantee that outcome…”

 

` There he goes, again, talking down to me!' Natsumi snarled. ` He's been doing this ever since I joined his rotten band!'

 

She continued to retreat from his advances, until her back hit the jagged surface of one of the boulders.

 

“ I can take care of myself, you know! I don't need you babying me anymore!”

 

Youko made no effort to disguise his irritation.

 

“You have no idea…”

 

“Shut up! You're the one who doesn't understand anything…I can deal with'em, ok?!”

 

She tried to shove past him; he moved to block her escape, knocking the sword away. He had Natsumi forced against the wall, his arms pressed into the wall on either side of her. Natsumi scowled.

 

“ You're being far more foolish than I gave you credit for.” He said coldly, unaffected by Natsumi's efforts to kick him out of the way. He pressed on her shoulder blades to force her to sit still. She hissed at him.

 

“If I can't take them, you surely won't stand a chance. And don't even think about running…” His voice took a darker tone.

 

“ They'll catch up with you, and tear you apart, limb by limb…it might be a quick death, but the odds are against you.”

 

 

Natsumi had had enough.

 

“Just fuck off and die, why don't you? I'll do whatever the hell I want! It's over!!”

 

She tried once again to force her way past him but to no avail. Completely frustrated and flustered she took a swing at him. He caught her fist long before it made impact.

 

“ Bastard-!”

 

“Shh!” He put a hand over her mouth, and didn't move for several moments. Natsumi took the opportunity to bite down as hard as she could.

 

“ Ouch! Damn it!”

 

Fortunately Youko was able to suppress any further cursing. Several drops of blood hit the ground from where her fangs sunk into his flesh. Luckily it was just a scrape. Natsumi took this distraction as an opportunity to leap past him.

 

“ Oh no you don't!”

 

He seized her arm, dragging her back towards him, and lifted her from the ground, much to her furious protest.

 

“ Put me down! Arrrghhh! Goddamn it!”

 

Natsumi shoved, clawed and kicked, but her valiant efforts made no difference. Youko turned into the woods and ran, until they were far off from Natsumi's temporary haven. After a while Natsumi had run out of insults and curses and remained silent, to Kurama's relief. He was starting to develop a severe headache.

 

` Shit shit shit!'

 

Weary from her desperate struggles, she could do nothing but let him press on for the time being. He carried her for what seemed like forever when he finally decided stop and put her down, although he wouldn't relinquish her arm. The forest was definitely thinning out, and it seemed like it was getting darker out. It was a while before either spoke again, the main sound being the crunching of bushes and the rustling of grass.

 

“…”

 

Youko walked, making sure to drag Natsumi right behind him.

 

“ Just so you know, we were about to have a little encounter with them back there.”

 

He didn't bother to face her as he spoke.

 

“So?!”

 

She had to admit, it was a little weird for him to be running away from a fight.

 

` Whatever… Who cares?' She thought to herself.

 

“…As difficult a concept as it may seem, I actually give a damn what happens to you!,” Youko snapped.

 

“ Feh, didn't seem like you cared all that much before,” Natsumi answered snidely.

 

Youko stopped and let his grip slacken.

 

“…”

 

Natsumi watched him with puzzled curiosity, again unsure of what to do. After several moments she walked forward a couple of (cautious) steps so that she stood alongside him…his face was turned away, however.

 

“ I never intended for that to happen, you know, kit…” He started grimly. Why, oh why did he have to deal with this on top of everything?!

 

“ I was startled, perhaps a bit too much…but you know I could never hate you. I don't know why you don't believe me, after all this time.” He added with irritation.

 

Natsumi stood her ground, surveying him with suspicious eyes.

 

“ I'm truly~” He stopped, staring off somewhere. He started to walk off, which angered Natsumi.

 

` What the hell?!'

 

Insulted by his rudeness, Natsumi followed him to the end of the forest, where there before them lay a barren land with one path lying before them.

 

“What the hell are you looking at?”

 

The way his eyes seemed to darken made her slightly nervous, a feeling which she hastily concealed. It couldn't be the path he was eyeing so intensely. Turning away from him, Natsumi took one look at what lay ahead of them for herself.

 

“ …W-What the hell is this?!”

 

 

He he….I thought that would be a good place to leave off. This chapter was so long, I decided, it might be better to split it up (hence the shortness), and also because I know there's been a HUGE two month period again between chapters…. I'm estimating Ch. 13 to come out within the next few weeks; I'm just not a fast writer...>< But anyway , I really, really want to hear what you think about this story. I've been feeling really down lately, and some reviews would cheer me up, especially in these times when people tend to judge a lot of stories as Mary-sues pretty easily, and people even share some of the same ideas…it gets harder to assert your individuality….but enough of my pessimism… Catch you all later!

 

 

P.S: Day 1 of Finals over: 2 more and the semester is done! 3 months of summer…but that means a forty-hour job….