~~NOTES~~~

Hey ya'll! Welcome to my fic! I have the vast majority of this fic already written, and it has just been chillin' in my google docs because I hate everything I write immediately after I write it. But some fellow writers encouraged me to post it anyway, so here it is. This is an OC/Kurama fic, it will most definitely earn its M rating (Eventual smut warning) also, I love profanity. Sorry for errors, I am my own beta. Let me know what you think!

*I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters. Hell, I barely own my OC's.

*Beware the wolf in sheep's clothing. –Aesop*

PROLOGUE: Scars of the Past

*The past can't hurt you anymore…Not unless you let it. –Alan Moore*

I watched Yoko run away. He didn't want to…but he did. I wanted one of us to get out alive. He warned me. I didn't listen. I fucked up. Now I was watching the world fade away as my vision disappeared. My blood shooting through the bamboo was slowing down... I didn't have much left. I thought I heard the voices that were chasing us stop, but I rationalized that it was only my senses fading away with my life.

And then I saw her approaching me. I didn't even hear her at all…didn't see her until she was centimeters away from me. She was beautiful, her eyes were so deep of a blue they were almost black. She had long black hair, but speckled with enough single white hairs to make it seem like it shimmered, and it was pulled up into a high tail, much like mine. She had ears almost like Yoko's except hers were much thicker and shorter. The hair on them was denser, and there were little tufts of white hair on their tips. I could see the two little spots of white where her canines extended past her lips. I remember thinking that this was a weird look for an angel of death. I used what little energy I had left to follow her gaze down to my hand. My pendant. She looked back up at me and spoke,

"You have the stone!" She exclaimed, a smile on her face, but I wasn't sure if she was asking or telling. This wasn't how I wanted to spend my last moments alive. "I can save you. But you have to give me that stone to do it." She was serious.

"Why should I trust you?" I just gave my life for this stone, I wasn't about to just give it away.

"Well, bat, you don't have much of a choice. You can either give me the stone and let me save your life, or I can just wait the three minutes you have left, and take it from your lifeless hand. Your choice." I resigned. She had a point. I opened my fist. I would have handed it to her, but there was bamboo through that wrist. She grabbed the pendant from my hand before turning back to look at me.

"Okay. This is going to be really weird. But you are just going to have to trust me, and not fight it, okay?" I nodded, I didn't believe she could save me. The blood had already stopped flowing. I was already dead. She reached up and entwined the fingers of her left hand with my right. She pulled a large knife from her belt, and before I could even think about what she was doing, she plunged the knife through both of our hands. I thought I had felt all the pain possible from all the spikes protruding through my body. I was wrong. I had one scream left in me, but this time she joined me, though her scream was higher pitched. She pulled the knife out of our hands, and then separated them just enough to shove the pendant inside. I could feel its edges inside the wound…inside my hand, and I am sure the other half of it was in hers.

"The hell are you-" I managed to choke out, but she cut me off while leaning in,

"Trust me. Don't fight it." And then her lips were on mine and her hand squeezed mine tighter. The stone began to burn.

Then it got weirder. I had always heard that when you die, you see your entire life flash before your eyes. I thought that was what I was seeing. But it wasn't my life I was seeing. It was hers.

I saw her as a young wolf, running through a field, chasing prey with her pack. I felt her sense of freedom.

I saw her after she finally developed her humanoid form, and her mother placing a rose in her hair. There was no white then. She was so happy.

I saw her with a much older wolf spirit. Undergoing the same ritual I was undergoing now. With the pendant that was now lodged in my hand.

I felt the pain of watching her parents murdered, and the warmth of their blood splashing on her face. I felt her anger. Her need for revenge.

I felt her fear as she ran from other demons, and humans, and agents of spirit world. Her distrust of anyone but herself. Her longing for her pack.

I felt her glee as she slaughtered those she felt wronged her as she searched for the stone of her people. The same stone I now possessed. The stone I was willing to die for.

I watched her entire relationship with a human man. She loved him, more intensely than I thought was possible. He had feelings for her, but he hated demons more. He never touched her. Not even once.

I watched as she watched the man she loved get impaled on the sword of a man I knew, a man I disliked…

I watched through her eyes as she held him in her arms. His life faded away. Knowing she would never feel his touch. Doubting she could ever love anyone else the same way. Knowing she could have saved him if she had the stone. I felt her agony.

I felt her life like it was my own. Her happiness. Her love. Her pain. Her regret. All of it. Before I could process any of it she pulled away. I realized I felt so different. My energy as I knew it was gone, but I somehow felt…stronger. When just moments ago I was seconds from death.

She began to pull the spikes from my body, and she spoke, "Look, I know it feels different. Believe me I do. But you are going to have to try to heal yourself. You can still bleed to death, it is just much harder."

"What did you do? What are you?" I glanced to the holes in my body, and found that they had stopped bleeding, and were sealing up, "What am I?"

"Healing and escaping now. Explanations later… You saw my soul. You know how to heal yourself. You just have to try."

Her soul? I was seeing her soul? But she was right. I began to focus on the healing, and it went even faster. I stood up, and she nodded at me, and ran off down the hallway. I followed, I saw the trail of dead guards. She must have killed them on her way to me. How did she know how to find me?

I was shocked when I felt her in my head and heard her voice. "I could feel the stone as I got closer to it. You should be able to feel it now too."

I spoke aloud, "What the hell was that?"

She was in my head again, "We are connected now. Part of the deal. You don't have to speak aloud, you can just think at me, and I will hear it in my head like you are hearing me now."

We ran in silence after that, until we made it into an area of the nearby woods we knew was safe. She spoke first, "I am sure you would rather actually speak? I am sure you have a lot of questions I would be happy to answer."

"Yeah. Thanks…what did you do to me?" To my surprise, she laughed.

"I used the stone to conduct a ritual to make you into a demon like me. It is done by sharing blood and sharing the soul. Perks are, you can siphon energy from other living beings, including their skills, knowledge, or powers. You can shift your body and energy into the form of any being you have seen, and you have very advanced healing, especially when sapping the energy of another being, such as back there, when you were taking mine."

I stared at her as she spoke, "And the downsides?"

"You are now a member of a demon race that is basically extinct because spirit-world rewarded the genocide of our people. Anyone who knows what you are will try to kill you to sell your body parts on the black market to the highest bidder. Silver is incredibly toxic, and if you can't siphon energy from someone else, it will kill you in minutes. And the use of your real name will render you immobile for a few moments."

"Wait, so I am a wolf-spirit now? I still look and feel like a bat."

"No, you are a skin-walker. They may have begun in the wolf-spirits, but it's not limited to them"

"I thought they were the same thing? And the legends all say they are extinct."

"Most did…and that is good for us. People don't think to look for something they think no longer exists."

"How many of you…us…are there?"

"Now there are two."

"We are the only ones?" I ask, and she nods only once. "Can I go back to my old life?"

"I won't stop you, but I wouldn't recommend it. Anyone who knows your name can and will kill you."

"Shit. My partner and I were kind of famous in the thieving world."

"Then I recommend changing your form, and choosing a new name." She held up my pendant, "If you don't intend to come with me, I will have to keep this as payment for saving your life."

"You want me to come with you?"

"I saw myself in you…that's why I saved you rather than just letting you die…" She swung my pendant around, "Also, I plan to steal a lot of shit, and I would like to be able to do it with less murder. I am trying to not be a monster."

"You want my help to steal things?" I ask, and she nods again, reversing direction on the twirling pendant. "We aren't like…married now, right?" Her slight smile quickly burst into a laugh.

"No. I don't need a husband. I need a burglary partner…fair warning though, that soul share thing will happen with anyone you kiss. At anytime. So unless you want them to see the deepest depths of your soul, I would recommend leaving kissing out of any future sexual escapades."

"Who said I had sexual escapades?" I retort, and she quirked an eyebrow.

"Look at you."

"Is that a compliment?" I waggled a brow suggestively.

"You can take it however you want." She laughed.

"When we kissed, I uh…saw your past. Did you see mine?"

"No, I blocked it out. Didn't want to intrude anymore than I had to…wait, how much of my life did you see?"

I scratched behind my ears, a little guilty, but she told me not to resist, how was I supposed to know to fight the memories? "I think basically all of it." She put her face in her hands for a moment, then looked back up at me.

"Shit. I meant to only transfer my powers. I knew some memories would slip through, but I didn't think you would see all of it…I am sorry you had to see that."

"Don't apologize. I owe you my life remember?" I stepped closer to her, "It helps me understand you more, also." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Woah there, batboy, you aren't my type."

"Because I am not human?" I joked, but I saw from the way her mouth was open, she was not prepared. I felt guilty again, but then she smiled and shook her head, laughing lightly.

"Oh fuck you. That was low."

"I know. I am sorry…" She was laughing though, so I pushed my luck, "I'll save the human boyfriend jokes for at least past the first year of our partnership." She shook her head again.

"Great. I just had to choose a funny guy as my protégé." I smiled, because I knew even though I had a lot more experience with thievery, she had more life experience and more control over her powers than I could ever hope to have.

"What is your name?"

"The real one, or the one I use?" She spoke, but then after a moment of mental debate, she spoke again, "The real one is Luella. The one I use is Luna…And you?"

"Kuronue…I don't know what to call myself."

"You can just shorten your name to Kuro if you want. It still sounds like a name."

"Yeah…that sounds good." I walked up beside her, "Shall we get going…partner?" I bumped my hips into hers, and she laughed again, I felt her tail brush against the bottom of my wings. And I got a good look at it for the first time. Her tail was black like her hair and her ears, but with a white tip. Hers was shorter than Yoko's, but again, much denser. You could really tell she was a wolf. She looked up at me, and I returned my gaze to her face. She then placed my pendant in my hand.

"That is the last remaining relic of my people…But since you are sticking around, and since it seems to mean a lot to you…you can hold onto it…we can get it re-strung when we get to a town and find you a new form you want to keep. We can't have people recognizing you."

I clutched the pendant in my hand. I briefly considered finding Yoko, and telling him I was alive, but he had a lot of enemies. I trusted him, but I knew I couldn't trust anyone else surrounding him. Returning to him would only endanger myself, and endanger this woman who saved my life. A woman who already felt like family.

He was probably better off without me anyway. He wouldn't mourn for me long. He was strong. Far stronger than I ever was or could ever hope to be.

CHAPTER 1: Miss You like Hell

*Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling into at night. I miss you like hell. -Edna St. Vincent Millay*

I sit with my knees in the dying grass, finding myself thankful that some of the last grass left in Demon World is here…where I need it most.

I stare at the smooth granite headstone, remembering carrying it on my back from one of your favorite spots in human world, and carving your name with my bare claws.

I remember holding you in my arms, as your blood dripped onto my skin; looking into your eyes for the last time as I watched your light fade away.

I remember you raising your hand to my cheek, lightly dragging your fingers across my skin, leaving little trails of your blood as a reminder of what I was losing.

I remember hating myself for relishing in the feeling of your skin on mine for the first time, wondering why it had to be like this.

I felt the wind shift around me, dragging me from my memories, but before I had time to acknowledge the fact that I wasn't alone here, I felt the bullet enter my abdomen. The shot reached my ears moments later. I stood and ran, clutching my wound with my left hand. I looked down just long enough to realize why this bullet was different from all the others I had survived; I saw the liquid silver mixing with my own blood as It dripped through my fingers.

Before they could fire another shot, I raised my right hand to create a small split in space. I thought of the time I first saw you…laying in that field, surrounded by the corpses of your enemies, just smiling up at the clouds, and I stepped through my hole. It registered too late that was over 600 years ago, and that was most certainly not a simple field anymore. I used the last of my energy to shift to a normal adult human form and disguise my wound. No need to scare the humans as I die.

I opened my eyes to a dirty alleyway in Japan, the air smelled of ramen and pollution. I saw the people walking by on the busy street this alley connected to, but they were too far away to crawl to, and laying on the ground like this, I wouldn't be able to make enough contact to absorb any energy even if I made it to them. Accepting my impending death, I looked up at the sky, hoping to at least see the same sky as I did with you that day so long ago, only to be met with the yellow tinged air, and the trails of airplanes in the place of the fluffy white serenity I longed for. Goddamn humans. Destroying everything they touch. My mind flashed back to the scorched earth of my homeland in demon-world, how the land was ruined in an attack meant to destroy my entire race. Not like demons are any better though… I just wish I didn't have to spend my last moments next to a dumpster in a human city…

I was pulled from my dying thoughts by an exceptionally high pitched voice, "Oh my gosh! Are you okay, miss?!" I turn to the sound to see a small human, wearing a school uniform, and pigtails…the kind with the little plastic beads on the ties. How cute. She was running towards me, her eyes were tearing up as she looked at me. "Are you hurt?!" She glanced at my hand clutching my abdomen as she dropped to her knees in front of me, I could smell her blood as her knees scraped on the pavement, and I shivered. I knew she was expecting an answer, so I tried to calm the child.

"No, I…am just hungry." I answered her, trying not to let any of the blood in my mouth make it into her view. Her jaw went slack as she laid her hand gently on my bare arm,

"You are so cold!" She exclaimed, and then quickly shifted to stand up, "I know just the thing! Wait right here!" I watched as she ran back out of the alley and rounded the corner. Not like I have a choice. If I move, I will bleed to death even faster. I expected her to just leave, but to my surprise, I saw her round the corner again, precariously balancing what seemed to be a steaming bowl of ramen on a small plate, and a blanket over her arm. No, she couldn't be…

She sat the plate on the ground next to me, and then gently helped me sit up so I was propped up against the side of the building. Before I could really register what was happening, she was wrapping the blanket around my body, and rubbing my arms, trying to warm me. Not like I can tell her "Don't bother, it's not temperature, its blood loss"

She stopped, and then grabbed her bowl of ramen and scooted up closer to me, I realized her bare knee was touching mine, and I looked up at her, making eye contact for the first time. She had such concern in her eyes. They were tearing up as she held the bowl and spoon closer to my mouth. Then she spoke "Please…let me help you…I want to help you… I want to help in any way I can…" I conceded, and took the spoonful of hot soup she was offering me. She smiled softly, and a tear slid down her cheek. She is way too kind to survive in this world.

"Why help me?" I ask, a little more gruffly than I intended, but she just smiled again, as she gave me another spoonful of soup,

"Because you have kind eyes…and I would hate to see you in pain if there was something I could do about it." She spoke sweetly, and I could hear the sincerity in her voice, and see it in her eyes. She really wanted to help me…then… I began to sap energy from her from the connection at our knees. She barely seemed to notice, she just kept smiling and feeding me soup, like I was the child and she was the adult. I felt my bleeding stop, and I could feel the wound sealing up. I carefully watched her eyes for signs of weariness, and I stopped the second she began to look sleepy.

"How old are you? Do you live close?" I asked her, and she tried to pretend that her eyelids weren't heavy.

"I just turned thirteen. And my parents own the ramen shop you are leaning against." She giggled, and it was such a pleasant sound. It had been so long since I had been close enough to a normal human to have laughter directed at me. I couldn't help but smile back at her. "My name is Keiko Yukimura, and you are more than welcome to come back anytime you get cold or hungry!" Her happiness was almost infectious, like seeing that she had helped me improve was a drug for her.

"Thank you…Keiko. You have no idea how much your kindness means to me" I spoke softly, and somehow her smile widened even further.

"It's really no problem! I am more than happy to help..." She paused for a moment, and then it looked like realization dawned on her. "Oh! I didn't get your name?"

Then, I did something that every instinct that had kept me alive for four thousand years screamed at me not to do. "My name is Luella." I smiled at her.

"It was nice to meet you Ms. Luella! I hope you feel better soon! Come by anytime if you need anything!" She closed her eyes and tilted her head at an angle as she beamed at me, and then she stood up and rounded the corner, presumably heading back into the building. I tried to mask my emotions at hearing my true name spoken by someone I barely knew, but I did owe her my life after all…

I had sapped enough energy from her to stand and move, so I stumbled out into the street and began to walk; discretely touching every person I could to take small bits of energy from them. Eventually, I couldn't feel the gunshot any more, and then after that, I felt my energy returning. Keiko Yukimura… I seem to owe you my life… Whatever will I do about that?

Keiko slept for nearly sixteen hours straight. I felt guilty over taking so much energy from her, but she offered to help me, and I didn't have another option. She didn't exactly intend to offer you her life energy; she just meant the soup… Ugh, whatever. I will make it up to her. Life debts are sacred…

I followed her as she went to school the next day. Keeping a safe distance, and a watchful eye, I knew if something bad were to happen, I probably couldn't make it to her fast enough to do much, but what were really the odds of something happening anyway? It's just a precaution to protect the sanctity of the life debt. I am the last of my kind… if I don't maintain tradition, it is just gone. Erased from all three worlds forever, just like the records of us ever really existing.

I watched as she banged on the door of a nearby apartment, "Yusuke! You better be ready for school! Don't make me come in there and drag you out!" She screamed at the wooden door. Ah, young love…

I could barely hear the response from the other side, "Yeah..yeah…I'm coming, you big nag!" The boy stepped outside, and I was immediately hit with his scent. Jesus. He smells so…strange. I followed behind them as they walked down the street towards the school, bickering to each other the whole way. I tried to identify what he smelled like, or why he seemed familiar, but I couldn't seem to pin it down.

The closest I could get to placing the feeling, was that the boy…Yusuke… he smelled like a challenge. Well, her boyfriend is going to attract stray demons like a damn magnet. This just got more difficult. As I watched her in class through the windows of the school, I continued to think about the smell, and how vague it was. Subtle.

Most demons wouldn't even consciously realize he smelled different. They would just get a feeling that he was different. In many ways that was worse than obviously smelling different; it meant they would want to figure out why they got that feeling, rather than just chalking it up to poor eating habits or something ridiculous like that. Most demons wandering around human world were pretty stupid. But they wouldn't back down from a challenge. If her boyfriend was always in danger that meant Keiko would always be in danger. If I stayed too far away she could be hurt.

Well shit…What is plan B?

~~NOTES~~~

I put the prologue and chapter 1 in chapter one, because my OCD would go into overdrive if there was always a stagger between the chapter number as stated by the site and the chapter I claim it to be. As you can probably guess, Kuronue is going to play a big part in this story. (And yes, he will have a shipmate as well, though, later.) Comments/Reviews/Critiques are welcome and appreciated. Since this first chapter is being posted on Sunday, I will probably post the next one next Sunday. I have been told scheduling is helpful.