Rainbow Memories
orThe Psychodelic Fox Makes a Friend
Chronicles of the Psychodelic Fox: Part 2
the finally arrived continuation of the Nijí chronicles
(sorry! he wasn’t exactly being helpful...)
by, Silverblade Shí-fox, Lemon no Miko & Duo no Miko
‘Let’s have a childhood romance...sorta...’ *snicker*
Notes: 1: yeah, yeah... ya all know the spiel by now, i don’ own ‘em at all, ‘cept Nijí & Taishen...
2: sorry it took so long, but as i said, he just wasn’t being very helpful!
3: yomi bashing... i know he really isn’t that bad, but he makes a great villain...
4: and, if it doesn’t make any sense (especially Nijí’s thought process), blame the psychodelic (yes, i mean to spell it that way) fox for all incoherency...
Now, on with the show!
Nijí stalked through the Makai forest in his preferred wandering form, that of a 3-tailed black kitsune with silver eyes. It was a little less conspicuous than his real kitsune form and safer to travel in. As a 3-tail, he didn’t scream out ‘good eats here’ and he didn’t seem a threat to most youkai. All in all, a very satisfactory combination.
He had sensed a familiar scent a few days back and had decided to track it. Nijí could taste the desperation and fear in the scent as well as a sickness. It seemed that the boy he’d helped before needed help again. Not that he minded, he was bored. ‘Touchan had been grumpy lately and it had gotten to the point that he didn’t want to be around his father because Inari’s aura was so dark. Nijí had tried cheering the fox god up, but all he’d gotten in response to his antics was an order to get out of the palace. He had obeyed the request with alacrity.
Now he was trailing the scent of the young youkai he’d sorta rescued from Yomi’s clutches. He was worried though. The boy was not at all well… He hoped he found him soon.
His hopes were fulfilled as he entered the next clearing, for there lay his quarry, asleep. The boy had seen better days. His clothes were ragged and travel worn, he was dirty from constant travel, and he was flushed and shivering with fever.
Nijí frowned, this would never do!
He scampered off to get a few herbs to lower the boy’s fever and some water to clean him with. This accomplished, he then brought back food and waited for the boy to regain consciousness. In the meantime, he examined his charge.
Now that he was clean, it was obvious why Yomi had been interested in the boy. He had fair skin and soft, slightly curly white hair that seemed to reflect all the colors of the rainbow. Almost like a crystal prism... His frame was delicate and fine boned. Nijí thought he remembered that the boy had bright ice-blue eyes, as well.
He settled down with his tails curled around his paws to wait for the boy’s awakening.
Taishen woke up feeling a lot better than he had when he’d fallen into an exhausted sleep that he’d thought would end in death. The first thing he noticed before opening his eyes was that he felt clean and healthy, if a bit hungry. The second thing he noticed as he opened his eyes was a black kitsune lounging next to a pile of food.
Hungry?
Taishen nodded, looking the strange creature over. He’d seen kitsunes before, but this one seemed different somehow...and strangely familiar...
Well, are you gonna eat anything or do I have to shove it down your throat?
“Ok! I’m eating! Jeez!”
The kitsune seemed to find him amusing as he dug into the food.
“Thank you,” he said quietly once his stomach had been filled.
Welcome.
“My name’s Taishen.”
Nijí.
“Pleased ta meetcha.”
Ok. Feeling’s mutual. What were you doing?
“Looking for someone.”
Who?
“Dunno. But I have to find this person.”
What do they look like?
“Dunno, but they have strange eyes. Sorta rainbowy.”
I’ll keep a look out for them.
“Thanks. I...why did you help me?”
I was bored.
Taishen blinked.
“I guess I should be thankful that you were bored.”
Ok. Do you wanna play hide and seek?
Taishen blinked at the sudden shift in conversation. “Um, sure.”
Yeah! You’re it!
The kitsune then dashed into the bushes before Taishen could say a word in protest. He blinked. Okay, this was weird, but the fox had saved his life...so he’d play along for a little while.
[10 years later...]
“Nijí, you are such a...” Taishen’s large vocabulary of curses failed him, leaving the youkai warrior looking like a stranded fish while he desperately tried to find the right adjective...
As Nijí was quick to point out, grinning his usual wide grin. The one that made Taishen want to smack him...
The white-haired youkai just shook his head, glaring at his companion. “I can’t believe you slept with everyone in that village!!!!! Haven’t you ever heard of the word ‘discretion’?!” Or ‘choosy’ for that matter?!
Nijí blinked before looking thoughtful. “I think it has something to do with childish behavior...”
Taishen sweatdropped.
“No...it has to do with being discreet...”
The youko gave him a blank look.
Taishen sighed. Some days he wondered why he even bothered... “It means being prudent, mindful of the consequences of one’s actions...”
Nijí blinked. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
The warrior gave another long-suffering sigh. “Nijí,” he began carefully, trying to keep his friend’s wandering attention, “did you ever think of how the village head would react to his daughter’s deflowering by a wandering youko...who had also been in his bed?”
“No...why? Should I have?” the fox inquired innocently.
Taishen bit back his impatience. He should be used to this now...really... He’d been hanging around this particular youko for ten years now, Nijí’s lack of comprehension of the thoughts and feelings of others was nothing new, as was his raging libido, but this was a bit much...
“Yes, Nijí...you should have.”
The black ears and tail drooped, the youko looking up at him through his eyelashes uncertainly. “I made you mad again, didn’t I?”
“A little, yes...”
“’M sorry...”
Taishen just pulled the young fox into his arms, Nijí tucking his head under the taller youkai’s chin, nuzzling gently.
“It’s ok, Ni-chan... Everything’s ok...” Taishen murmured as he stroked the youko’s long black hair, feeling the tense muscles relax as Nijí began to purr softly.
It was a while before either of them felt like continuing their trek.
“Tai-chan! Hurry up!!!!”
“Stop whining!”
The youko pouted adorably. “But I hate getting wet! It’s raining!”
Further replies were lost in the thunder as the two travelers hurried into the dubious shelter of a nearby cave. Once inside the blessedly dry haven, Taishen continued the previous conversation.
“Well, if you hadn’t gotten us kicked out of that last tavern...”
“ME!? Who was the one who got involved in the brawl, huh? Sure wasn’t me!”
“Of course not!” the warrior sneered. “YOU were too busy making out with the serving boy in the corner! And I never started that brawl!” he finished self-righteously.
“But you came close to finishing it,” Nijí volunteered helpfully.
“Hn. Of course I did. I can fight better than any of those poor sods and the innkeeper was just afraid I’d beat his sorry ass too.”
Nijí smirked. “See, you said it yourself. You got us kicked out.”
“Why, you little...!”
The youko merely batted his eyelashes, the smirk having transformed into a smug smile.
Taishen glowered at him, wondering to himself yet again why he stayed with this crazy fox. The black-haired youko tossed his braid and regarded his companion with another smirk, reminding the youkai exactly why he remained.
Nijí was gorgeous.
And he more than knew it.
The youko was all over anything that he found attractive, and few had ever resisted his charms. He was tall and slender, lithely muscled, and had long, silken black hair. His black ears and tail were almost constantly twitching and his silver eyes always glittered with playful mischief. He was shorter than Taishen, but then, most people were.
Taishen knew himself to be attractive. He was tall and well-muscled, built like the warrior he was. He’d grown out his hair, mostly due to Nijí’s pleading, and it was now down to the middle of his back, a white curly mass that his fox friend spent endless hours toying with. He’d heard his eyes described on various occasions as icy, piercing, and - by one admirer - the most gorgeous shade of blue.
Taishen had never lacked for lovers in the past few years, but lately...he found himself wanting only one...and that one was Nijí.
Who didn’t seem to notice anything besides his own games.
The warrior shook his head ruefully as his friend looked at him inquiringly. Why bother trying to figure out the fox, no one ever had and he wasn’t likely to be the first. He didn’t even know why Nijí was his friend in the first place. He’d just showed up out of nowhere, saved his life, and then dragged him into a game of tag.
Taishen had followed out of a sense of responsibility, he owed the furball for his life after all, but soon found himself going along with Nijí for the simple fact of having fun. The young kitsune was always getting himself in and out of trouble, dragging Taishen along for the ride, and having a ball with his life. So why couldn’t he be happy with what they had?
It was partially the question of just who Nijí was anyway.
The other part of the reason he didn’t like to think about.
And he’d still not found his mysterious rescuer!
“Tai-chan! The rain’s stopped! Hurry up!”
The youkai shook his head again, clearing his mind of such frustrating thoughts, and quickened his pace to catch up to the youko.
“Shit! Nijí, if we get out of this, I’m going to KILL you!!!!”
Nijí sweatdropped.
“Eheh...surely it’s not THAT bad...right?”
He was rewarded with a baleful glare.
The youko sighed, ears drooping. He hadn’t meant to get them in trouble, but then again, he thought, he never did...
So why were they always in trouble?
He frowned. Did it really matter? He always got them right out again... He nodded, cheered up. Ok, now to get them out of THIS mess.
Hmmm...how was he gonna do that?
Oh well, he’d figure that out later... Right now he was too busy watching the lovely way that Taishen’s curls fell over his eyes...it was so cute! He briefly sweatdropped again at that glare pierced through the fluffy covering of hair. He stuck out his tongue in response. Taishen really needed to loosen up a little...
Then he heard the sound of boots in the hallway. Finally, someone was here to see them! Now he could work on a plan.
The door opened, revealing a tall youkai lord that Nijí recognized all too well...
And so did Taishen.
“Yomi...” Hatred filled the harsh whisper.
The blind mage smiled nastily.
Aw shit...
Taishen glared furiously at the smirking mage, wishing he could wipe that smug look off his face, preferably with a blade...or a fist...or claws... He wasn’t that picky at the moment...
Yomi walked over to him, an amused look on his face.
“How fortunate... I needed a new toy and an old one has just been returned to me.”
Taishen opened his mouth to curse the sadistic bastard to hell, when he found his vocal cords paralyzed, his limbs once more held captive by the mage’s captive wind sprites.
His eyes widened... NO!
“NO!”
He blinked as his internal cry was echoed aloud...by Yomi, as the sprites, as before, vanished.
“NO! Damn you!”
There was a snicker from the other corner of the cell and Taishen found himself staring at the sight before him.
His beautiful friend was...changing...
There was a wind around him as the color of his ears, hair, and tail seemed to swirl and bleed until it resembled a strange, almost starburst pattern of rainbow colors that Taishen had never seen before... And his silver eyes...swirling, changing like the hair to colors and patterns that never stayed the same...always shifting...just like another pair once did so long ago...
“Nijí!”
“I wouldn’t let you hurt him then, I’m sure as hell not gonna let you hurt him now!”
With each word, the youko’s aura seemed to pulse and grow brighter until he was painful to look at. The power prickled over Taishen’s skin as a tangible force in the air.
“What are you!?” Yomi’s voice rang out, shock apparent in his tone.
Nijí smirked, his eyes glowing.
“Someone you shouldn’t mess with...”
The last that Taishen saw of the mage was his stunned expression as the dungeon faded from view.
When next he woke, they were in a forest clearing. Nijí was just finishing untying his bonds.
“Nijí,” he asked, his voice quiet, “who or what are you?”
“Hmmm?” The voice was filled with innocence.
However, Taishen was not fooled for a second. Innocence was a virtue that youkos rarely possessed.
“You heard me. Now answer the damned question!”
The bizarrely colored fox blinked. “I’m the same person I was a few minutes ago.”
Taishen sighed, wishing Inari-sama hadn’t given this particular youko the power to try the patience of a monk.
So do I...
blinkblink Was that what he thought it was?
Nijí was glaring at something behind him.
The youkai warrior turned around very slowly...and found himself at the feet of a god...
“MEEP!” was all he could articulate, wide-eyed, as he scuttled backwards.
The youkos’ laughter was like bells... Taishen glowered...
Nijí, child, what have you been doing?
“Who, me?”
That won’t work on me, child.
“I was just doing what you told me to.”
That being?
Nijí grinned mischievously. “What? Don’t you remember? Or are you getting senile in your old age?”
Taishen gaped at his friend... How could he...?
Inari looked pained, rubbing his temples. Why me?
“Because you had too much fun in the Ningenkai.”
Inari’s look, if anything, grew even more pained. Don’t remind me...
Nijí laughed. “I’m your living reminder! That’ll teach you to hallucinate!”
The white-haired youkai stared at the multi-patterned youko behind him.
“Ne, ‘touchan, I believe your exact words were, ‘get out of here before I completely crack and rip your adorably cute furry body into itty-bitty little shreds that will stay still and be quiet’ or something along those lines...”
Considering the havoc you were causing, it was a mild threat...
“But I was only trying to cheer you up...you were so gloomy!!!!!” Nijí pouted.
Yes...but the ocean of confetti was a BIT excessive...
Taishen blinked again... ‘Touchan?
“Nijí...just what the hell is going on here?”
His youko companion smiled and told him the story...
Taishen passed out before he was finished.
© 5/4/00 Silverblade Shí-fox
yes, more will happen to our intrepid duo...
Duo: cool!
*blink* how did you...? um...nevermind... their story shall not be left here... check out the upcoming chapter 4 of my PWP-ish GW/YYH crossover for more... *evil cackle*
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