The Last Dance - Part 1
A Yu* Yu* Hakusho fanfic
by Kaoru
Hello... here I am again with a YYH fanfic, since my contribution to the list is well, pitiful to say the least. This story is set before Youko Kurama gets killed and becomes Minamino Shuuichi. The idea is based on a story I read somewhere a long time ago in a oddly named book which I can't quite recall the title of at the moment. Hope you enjoy it!
Fan mail, junk mail and black mail can be sent to namikata@rocketmail.com
Standard disclaimer: The characters in appearing in this fic are property of Togashi Yoshihiro, Shueisha, Studio Pierrot and Fuji TV. Please don't sue me, I'm flat broke anyway. Mika is my own character, so anyone wanting to use her in their fics (sheesh, like anyone would) should ask me first.
A flash of silver arched through the Makai night, flitting through the jagged forests with such a practised skill that it was soon lost to its pursuers. The shadowed forms fell far behind their quarry, swallowed by the black vegetation that held its prey as surely as the dusk would devour and quench the light of the dying Makai sun. Soon their keening wails were engulfed by the darkness, and the night was quiet again.
Youko Kurama slowed in his flight, and suppressed a self satisfied snort, gripping the leather pouch that contained the spoils of the night's plundering. Too easy. They had practically handed the jewelled pendant to him on a silver platter. He might as well have been any second rate thief on his first run, for all the sloppy and pathetic defenses that were put up to protect this little bauble. Kurama had expected more from this particular Makai lord. He snickered. The pendant would fetch a pretty penny on the black market.
The snapping of a branch nearby ripped his thoughts from their reverie. Damn, one of them must have slipped past his demon eating plants. He resumed his pace, tearing like the wind through the trees and vines which gave way to their master. It would be child's play to dispatch this one. He reached out with his youki, stirring the abundant vines into motion towards his pursuer. He felt the vines approach their victim and close in on the unsuspecting youkai. With a derisive chuckle, he struck.
And missed.
His heart skipped a beat as he felt the vines grab at thin air. No one had escaped his plants before! He snarled, and was about to reach for the seeds he had hidden in is silver mane when a blast of incredible youki threw him off his course and flung him painfully into ground of a small clearing in the forest.
He crouched on the hard ground as he struggled to fill his deflated lungs with life-giving air, then wheezed and collapsed from the searing pain that radiated from his left side. Broken ribs, he thought. Lucky they didn't hit the heart. Propping himself up on his elbow and ignoring the dull creaking sounds from his torso, he scanned the area for a place he could hide and heal before making his next move. A cave, a rock, a bush, anything! But before he get to his feet, he was surrounded by the same ki that literally knocked the wind out of him earlier.
Alarm bells sounded in his head as the sinister ki closed in, pressing down on him. He barely noticed the thin crackle of electricity whisper through the clearing, speeding though the air from nowhere to bind his arms and legs together. He attempted to wriggle free, and was rewarded with a surge of lightning through his now prone body.
"A little over-confident, weren't we, Youko Kurama?" The last two words were almost hissed in pure hatred.
The immobilized youko looked up to meet a pair of cold violet eyes. They burned into him with such loathing that he flinched, but just barely. The figure before him was shrouded in a dark cloak that concealed whatever weapon that Kurama was positive would be used to finish him off. He tried to call a few demon plants to his aid, but was yet again met with the tingling pain of electricity dancing through him. He was well and truly caught.
"Looks like I've finally found you, you heartless bastard." The figure threw off the cloak to reveal a mass of flaming orange hair around a pair of yellow gold ears and gentle curves sheathed in black and green silk.
"Mika...?"
The violet eyes narrowed.
* * *
"Why didn't you kill me?"
"Because I want you to live. And suffer."
The warm glow of the fire played across the face of Kurama's captor as she stared at him, her refined, dainty features at odds with the thinly veiled wrath in her eyes. Still bound hand and foot, this time with wards, Kurama cursed himself for his incompetence. To be captured by another youko, and a female at that! He suppressed the urge to scream out in indignation.
"What do you want with me, Mika?" he muttered. His patience was wearing thin. He had been trussed up and left on the gravelly floor of the cave they were in for the past hour and the girl had done nothing but stare at him.
She didn't seem to hear his question, but answered nonetheless. "You and your false promises have hurt too many, and in more ways than you will ever know. I will not forgive you for what you did to me, to my... Do you know how many people die for you, because of you? You don't deserve to live, Youko Kurama."
He regarded her keenly with narrow golden eyes. Mika was one of his many almost legendary conquests, being from a youko lineage famous for their elemental abilities. She had been a hard one to catch, much less bed. He remembered the chase, the exhilarating flights through the varying landscapes of the Makai, his speed matching hers as they raced through dingy streets of rowdy villages, shimmering golden deserts and leafy woods silhouetted against the moonlight. And once he had caught the elusive youko girl, he had persuaded her to let him teach her the finer points of bedroom etiquette. Not that she had minded. In fact, it was a most... electrifying experience.
And afterwards, he had left her, just like that.
"I hate you." His face was jerked upwards by surprisingly strong fingers.
"Oh really, Mika? Then why did you come back to me?"
"Don't flatter yourself, scoundrel."
"Am I? Perhaps you should let me show you how much of a scoundrel I can be..." He dropped his voice to a sensual rumble. "For old time's sake?"
She slapped him. "Is there nothing else you think about?" Her expression was one of utter disgust. "You'll never change." With that, she got up and stepped out into the crisp night air, mentally undoing the wards that held Kurama, and flickered into the woods.
Kurama stood up gingerly, wincing a little as he clutched his side. Those ribs would take a while to heal, and until then, the youko girl would have to wait. When he healed completely, he would continue the cat and mouse game that Mika had initiated.
The chase would begin again.
* * *
The village bustled with activity, mostly illegal, and mainly to do with striking deals on shady merchandise. A fight or two broke out in the local tavern, but was quickly resolved by a fiery salvo from the obviously more powerful faction that left a noticeably smoking crater and a few unfortunate grease stains on a nearby, and suddenly barren hillock. The air reeked of burning meat, alcohol and vomit.
Kurama hummed to himself contentedly as he fingered the pouch of gold coins at his waist. His fence had been reliable as usual, obtaining a handsome amount for his booty. He kept an unconcerned mask as he made his way through the village, ears pricking up at any talk of precious, and lootable, treasure. He was eavesdropping on a potentially lucrative conversation when he felt a familliar ki brush the edges of his mind. Mika was out and about.
The bounty can wait, he thought, as he began to trace the ki to its owner. Mika was deliberately making this easy for him. She didn't even attempt to mask her ki, as she did so easily the last time. He followed the telltale trail to the outskirts of the village, where he saw the lone, orange haired figure slip into the trees.
He fixed the direction the girl was headed with a sly smile. Just like old times, he mused, as he started in a run towards the forest.
Two hours later, he stopped to lean against the trunk of a particularly large and solid tree, breathing heavily. Since when had Mika gotten so fast? He leaned further into the tree and tried to still the rapid pounding in his chest.
"Getting a bit slow, old-timer? I should have given you a head start," came the jeering taunt from somewhere behind a grassy knoll.
"Just getting my bearings, wench," he shouted in her general direction. As soon as he had gotten his breath back, he took off towards the still mocking voice, determined to corner his prey.
He darted through the thick vegetation, hot on the heels of the fleet footed youko girl. So intent on his game was he that he didn't even bother with the nicks and scratches inflicted on him by the thorny plants he brushed past in his haste. The woods became a blur of green and black as he gained on that tantalizing youki, finally sighting an orange streak bolting through the leaves to his right.
Kurama knew this neck of the woods well. There was a steep cliff not far from here, and if he played his cards right, he could nudge her into a corner. Then he'd have her. He suddenly swerved to avoid a thunderbolt undoubtedly hurled in his direction by the girl. She wouldn't get him again with the same move. In one fluid movement, Kurama extended the Rose Whip to lash at the ground just short of the youko girl's feet. As he expected, she took a running dive into a bush and rolled to her feet, never breaking stride. However, she was getting closer to the cliff.
Another thunderbolt. "Your act's getting tired, Mika! You're not even touching me! Concentrate, will you?" he teased. The only reply was three successive flashes of lightning that managed to singe his clothes a bit. They were nearing the cliff. The chase was almost over.
He grabbed a nearby tree branch and using it for leverage, propelled himself into the air and out of the forest. From his vantage point, he could see that the girl had slowed at the edge of the cliff.
He had her now.
End Part 1
On to Part 2
The source code of this page and text of this fanfic is copyright Namikata Kaoru 1999. No unauthorized reproductions please!
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