Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ The Shaman Files ❯ A Tale of 2 Foxes ( Chapter 4 )

[ A - All Readers ]

Chapter 4 - A Tale of 2 Foxes
=============================
Kurama walked through the woods alone. His sharp hearing picked up the sound of battle behind him. He looked over his shoulder, up at the mountain, his eyes closed. He felt guilty. He was abandoning his team mates. But he senced a familiar energy out in these woods on the way to the mountain. His old friend Kasato was expecting him. Kurama gritted his teeth and pressed on. His friends would have to make do without him this time. He had to face his past once again.
The fox demon stepped around a tree and found himself before a beautifull lake. Three kitsune played by the shores of the lake. Kurama frowned. He stepped forward and right through the three kitsune and lake, watching the illusion shatter around him. He let out a breath. It seemed Kasato was determined to make this difficult.
"Come out, Kasato. I know you're here." Kurama said calmly to the woods around him.
"But it's so much more fun this way." A voice answered. Kurama knew that voice well. Kasato.
Kurama looked around at the woods, sencing for a presence. Somewhere, he felt something. He looked around again. Reaching into his hair he pulled out a rose and swung out out with it. "Rose Whip!" He shouted as the rose extended into a long thorned whip. It tore through some bushes and he felt it connect with someone. There was a yelp of pain. But the voice that yelped was not male. It was female.
An old woman lay on the ground, her left arm wounded from the whip. She looked up at Kurama with an almost motherly gaze. "That hurt, you know." She said.
Kurama was about to swing again, he couldn't risk falling for Kasato's illusions. But something held his hand back. Something told him this woman was no illusion. She had an aura, but it radiated no youki, the spirit enrgy of demons. It was reiki, regular spirit energy, reiki and something more. Kurama blinked. Furyuku, the same type of energy Yoh emmited. This old woman was a shaman.
"Are you hurt, Madam Yu?" Kasato asked, stepping into view. His friend looked older then Kurama remembered him, stronger too. His eyes on the other hand were exactly as Kurama remembered them years ago. Kurama spent almost a whole second staring at his old friend, memories of the three kitsune exploring, traveling together. He didnt want to fight Kasato. Then he swallowed once, preparing himself for an attack. He didnt want to fight, but he doubted Kasato felt that way.
"Oh, I'm just fine. I must have let a bit of my presence slip, dear. At my age it's sometimes hard to focus." Madam Yu said. Standing back up with the help of a cane. "So this is the Kurama you told me so much about? He doesn't look anything like you described him." She spoke in a soft voice. Kurama detencted tenderness in her. Her eyes showed no cruelty at all.
"Hmm, it seems the tales are true. The youko Kurama has become a human. How pitifully pathetic, wouldnt you say?"
Kurama smiled a bit. "Actually I have come to enjoy my humanity. You'll be amazed at the things there are to learn and experience. You should try it, Kasato. You would like it."
Kasato snarled. "Don't you dare speak to me so familiarly. Dont think for even a second that I've forgiven you for what you did to me. For what you did to Rin!"
Kurama watched Kasato. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for Rin. I'm sorry for that day. I was greedy. I didnt listen to your warnings...I was tempted." Kurama could feel a lump in his throat. He'd done many things in his life, but this is one part of his past he'd always prayed would never return to haunt him.
Kasato spat. "You think your words mean anything to me?! You selfish bastard?! Rin belonged to me! Why couldn't you let go? Why?!"
"Tsk, nobody belongs to anyone, Kasato." Madam Yu said idly. "You should know that. And quite frankly I didnt drag my old bones out here to hear to children bicker over who's fault something that happened centuries ago is."
Kasato glared at the crone. "Dont you dare take that tone with me, human. Remember that you belong to me. Fine. I will destroy him." Kasato's eyes looked Kurama over once. "I don't want your help."
Madam Yu clicked her tongue dissaprovingly. "Now now. I'll put you into the Over Soul. You'll be much stronger this way."
Kasato roared. "NO! I will kill him with my own strength! I'll show him once and for all wich of us is superior!" The nine tails charged at Kurama.
Kurama leaped up into a tree, barely managing to avoid the full demons claws. Branches on the tree became hands and reached down to grabs Kasato and pin him to the ground. but a blast of fox fire incinerated the tree. Kurama barely managed to dive clear in time to avoid getting killed himself.
Kasato laughed, charging after Kurama. He slashed at him with his claws. He was going to kill Kurama slowly. He wanted to watch him suffer. Kurama's rose whip swung out at him. Kasato caught it, letting the spikes pierce right through his hands. He chuckled as he watched his blood drip.
"Is this it, Kurama? Is this the extent of what you've become? You're pathetic." The rose whip lit up in a small bout of flame and fell to the ground as ashes.
Kurama hissed as his hands got burned. He looked at the approaching nine tails. Things we're not going good at all. "Kasato! Please think about what you're doing! These people that you're serving! What do you hope to accomplish by serving them? Do you think this would make Rin happy? Do you think she'd be proud?"
Kasato snarled. "It seemed to work for you, didn't it?"
"For me?" Kurama asked.
"YES! For you! You always thought you were better then me! You always thought you were smarter then me! Every chance you got to show me up you would!"
Kurama just stared at Kasato. It seemed that Kasato's grudge ran deeper then Kurama imagined. "Kasato, you were my friend. And had Rin chosen to be with you, I would have been happy for you."
"Lies." Kasato spat. "You liked the fact that she was in love with you. You liked having her follow you around. I'll bet even in that moment when she died you felt happy. Happy that she came back for you! Admit it!"
Kurama shook his head. "No. Kasato, calm down, think. We were friends..." Some of Kasato's words were hitting Kurama hard though. He did not feel any sence of satisfaction when Rin ran back to him. This was not true. But, perhaps in a way, it was flattering to him to know that Rin wanted him. He was competative in his youth. Perhaps he did show Kasato up. Perhaps some of Kasato's hatred towards him was justified.
The two kitsune stared at each either. Madam Yu waddled over to them, leaning on her cane for support. "Now I've heard about enough of this bickering."
"I warned you to be silent, human." Kasato growled.
"Oh shutup." Madam Yu snapped back, not sounding the least bit intimidated. "You're whining has gotten on my nerves over the years." She shook a finger in Kasato's face. "You're strong, why else would Hao keep you around, but your self pitty has gotten on my nerves. You've gone through how many shamen working for Hao? Probably dozens considering your age. And always everyone else is to blame. If you fail in battle it's your shaman's fault. If you fail in an attack it's because your team mates were not cooperating. Honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself."
Kasato was fuming, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Madam Yu then turned to Kurama. "And as for you! Are you going to fight or not?"
Kurama blinked. "..excuse me?"
Madam Yu snorted. "It must be a trait among Kitsune to feel sorry for themselves. You treated your friend like crap. You lead the girl on. Oh boo hoo. what did you come out here to do? Seek forgiveness? Hope to get your concious cleared?" She poked Kurama in the chest with a long bony finger. "He wont forgive you. I know this hurts you, I can see it in your eyes. But he wont. He's beyond forgiveness. Now do what you came here to do and go back to your friends."
Kurama just stared at the old woman. Her words were harsh, but true. Kasato was not going to forgive him and as much as this bothered Kurama, he was just going to have to accept it. But he had other friends, friends who were counting on him. He had a job to do.
Kasato was practically foaming at the mouth. "I'll kill you myself, you...you bitch!" He pounced, leaping at the Madam Yu, claws extended, she watched him leap. Unafraid. Kurama leaped too. He called upon all his youki, felt it flow through his veins. He felt him self become stronger, bigger, more powerfull. His body transformed and he became a full demon, the Youko Kurama. He slammed into Kasato's chest, claws first. There was a brief struggle. Then Kurama found himself staring down at his dead friend.
The youko Kurama looked at Madam Yu. She had empowered him with her furyuku. He felt the enrgy dissapearing and his body changed back into that of Shuuichi. "Madam Yu?"
The old woman smiled. "It was inevitable. He was consumed by his own hatred and jealousy."
Kurama looked down at Kasato's body, his chest torn open, then looked back at Madam Yu. "But why? Why do this?"
Madam Yu shrugged. "If you must know, because I was told to. Master Hao wanted you from the begining. He settled for Kasato back then, but it was you he really wanted. He'd been watching the three of you for a while. He knew Kasato was too jealouse and insecure to ever be of any real use to him. You were another story though. Now that you're here, Kasato is no longer needed."
Kurama crossed his arms. "And you though that I'd join you? Is that it?"
Madam Yu shook her head. "No. Well, yes, but not anymore. Master Hao hasnt seen you since then, he only remembers you as the demon you once were. But you've changed in these years. There's something in your eyes that Hao is unfamiliar with."
"And that is?" Kurama asked her.
"Why, love. You're eyes are not those of a heartless monster, like Kasato's, they show compassion, caring. You're worried about your friends. You wouldn't betray them. Not for power." She smiled at him warmly. "And I believe there is one person in particular that you want to protect. The one who taught you how to open your heart."
Kurama closed his eyes. The old woman understood him well. But one thing bothered him. "Why are you working for this, Hao?"
Madam Yu sighed. "Because people like you are one in a million. You're friends are all very good people, I'm certain. You should all join with us. Destroy the people who've forgotten nature, who've forgotten how to love on another. No more wars, no more hate. A perfect Uthopia."
Kurama shook his head. "These ideas that everyone is evil and deserve death are rather harsh, Madam Yu. I believe they were shared by some rather disliked war lords throughout history."
The old woman shrugged her shoulders. "You're entitled to your opinions. But these are mine. Now go, you're friends await you. It's a shame, I like you, Kurama."
Kurama nodded. "I agree. This is a shame. I like you too." He began advancing on Madam Yu.
She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
"I'm sorry you're determined to be my enemy. Because I'm not as friendly as the rest of my friends." He smiled, and whatever love and compassion Madam Yu saw in his eyes earlier, was gone.