A/N: I haven't changed anything really, except that I combined some chapters. I had some reviewers previously say that they wanted the chapters long enough, and I'm having some problems writing the next one, so I decided to do this. You may read again if you so wish, however, as I said, nothing has really changed. Just as it was last time, flashbacks are in bold/italics.

DISCLAIMER: Not I nor any of those I am associated with own any part of Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha. I merely own my own original characters.

Chapter 1

She had been following him for three days now. He didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular, just traveling. But it didn't matter. He had something she wanted. And she would get it no matter what. One thing she couldn't understand was how he acquired the Jewel. Naraku's last living child, Kishan, perhaps even more devious than his father, killed her grandfather. Rumor had it that this demon was helping Kishan collect the seven remaining Jewel fragments. She swore to herself that she would kill everyone in league with Naraku's evil son. She would avenge her grandfather's untimely death, starting with this fox demon. The fact that he had a shard of the Shikon no Tama was just a bonus.

Youko Keisu set up camp, then went hunting for his dinner. He caught a small pig and proceeded in carrying it back, all the while listening for the person following him. He knew they were there, he just wasn't sure where. Every time he tried catching a glimpse or a scent, he came up empty. But tonight was the last straw. He was going to force this demon's hand and make them reveal themselves.

After cutting up the pig and setting it to roast, he sat and waited. Finally, he heard it. The slightest rustle of tree leaves as the demon settled to watch him.

"You might as well come out. I know you've been following me. And besides, there's no way I can finish this entire pig all on my own." It was a lie, of course, but he had to get this apparition to reveal himself.

She froze, wondering if he was talking to her or the other that was tracking him. She had felt an ominous aura following both of them for the past day, but she couldn't pick u pa scent, no matter how hard she tried. Whoever it was was much older and more "forest-wise" than she.

"Don't make me force you down," he said to the silent forest.

Suddenly she got an idea. If I get on his good side, maybe he could take me to Kishan. Then I could kill them both at the same time and get almost the full Jewel. It will not be hard to track down the remaining fragments. With that decided, she jumped down, though she stayed in the shadows and a defensive position. Whoever was out there could be an ally of this kitsune. She didn't want to be caught off guard.

"You know, you can come into the light. I have no desire for a fight, thus no intention of harming you," he reassured her.

She studied him for a while before heeding his request. She stepped into the light, keeping her features hidden in the forest green cloak she wore. Sitting down, she grabbed a piece of meat, all the while staring at him from beneath her hood.

"So, where are you traveling from?" he asked, trying to break the awkward, tense silence. When she didn't reply to that question, he tried another approach. "I'm Youko Keisu. You can just call me Keisu if you like." Silence.

While he was trying to make conversation, she was seething from the information he had just given her. He said YoukoKeisuHmph, he does not deserve the name of my grandfather. He is a murderer and a lowly thief. I will make him pay. I am going to enjoy killing this Youko KeisuSlowly and very painfully.

After half an hour of meaningless, onesided conversation, Keisu finally got tired of being ignored.

"So, you got a name?" Keisu asked. He received no response from the strange demon. This time, he yelled it. "Hey, Buddy! You got a name!" He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a low growl.

Finally getting annoyed with Keisu bugging her, she sighed. "Youko Saiyu," she revealed. She looked up, allowing her hood to drop back. He sat there, looking shocked and she smirked at his idiotic expressoin. Hopefully, now that baka will be quiet. She thought. Maybe I should have killed him right off.

Keisu stared in disbelief. He'd known he was being followed by someone, he just didn't suspect them to be a beautiful demoness. She was gorgeous. She had long blue-gray hair that fell just past her knees in silky waves. Dark gray fox ears adorned her head and a dark gray tail peeked out from beneath her mass of hair. Her eyes were a captivating lavender that showed she had seen far too much for her young years. She was dressed in a form fitting, yet free moving blue-green dress. There was a long, flowing sleeve on her right arm and no sleeve on the left; a slit that started just below her right breast, slanted to her left side, showing off her firm and flat belly, and then circled back to the right and stopped just above her right hip. The skirt of the dress went down to her mid-calves and was slashed to look similar to the petals of a flower. When she walked he could see heeled shoes that wrapped around her calves up to her knees. There was a strange decoration in her hair that looked like it could have been a weapon had it been larger. Around her neck was a choker necklace with a golden crescent moon, which completed the outfit.

"What are you staring at?" She asked venomously. A low growl was being emitted from her throat. Somehow he got the impression she didn't like him very much.

She waited for him to say something, but he just stared at her. It was really beginning to get on her nerves. "What are you staring at?" She demanded. He just kept staring. She growled at him, then grabbed another chunk of meat. She studied him again, noting his stature and the way he held himself. He was dressed in a haori of strange cut and design, the top half and legs a light purple with a dark purple border on the edges of the cloth and a dark purple obi around his waist. He had sheathes on either side of his hips, each shaped strangely. They looked much like they were meant for two-sided broad swords. The only difference was that the tips of the swords were in the shape of a V. And from the look of the hilts, they were meant to be attached together should the need arise.

After checking out his weapons and attire, she studied his face. He was what she liked to call "baby cute". His cheeks were round and his eyes were big and round. He had long brown hair and brown ears and tail. Once her scrutiny of his looks was finished, she ate a small piece of her meat, thinking of how she was going to steal the Shikon shard in his possession, then torture him until he begged for death. But she would not give it to him. She wanted him to suffer. Just as her grandfather suffered because of his master before her beloved family member was brutally murdered.

A thirty year old Saiyu watched in glee as her grandfather, YoukoKurama, made flowers dance and butterflies flock to the sweet smelling blossoms, only to fly away in a great horde when the flowers disappeared. She clapped her hands.

"Again!Again, Grandfather!" She pleaded. Youko was supposed to be teaching her to wield the Grass Sword, but instead he had decided to humor his young granddaughter with a few minor tricks.

"I'm afraid that will be all for today, Saiyu. Don't forget you are supposed to be learning to use your earthly powers," the silver kitsune reminded her. He was a beautiful fox with long silver hair, silver fox ears and five silver-toned tails. Of course, that was really no suprise, he was only seven hundred years old, still very young in demon years. He had taken some time off from being the infamous thief to help his late son, Shiyu, raise his first child and teach her to wield her powers to her advantage. She had learned quite fast. She could already master the Rose Whip at the age of nine, a skill that took Youko seven years more than that to learn. She could even call upon plants that were long dead, something Youko could only dream of doing. But he supposed that came with being a Spiritual/Elemental Wolf/Kitsune

"But Grandfather, I already now how to wield the sword. Can you not teach me to do that trick with the flowers and butterflies?" Saiyu begged.

"You know how to use the Grass Sword, yes. But you don't know how to use the Redwood Sword."

"There is a Redwood Sword?" She asked in awe.

Youko nodded. "Yes." He glanced down the hill and saw Saiyu's mother, Kuraiya, waving to him. "But that lesson will have to wait another day. It is time for your mother to teach you to use your spiritual powers."

"Yes, alright. But you will teach me to use the Redwood Sword tomorrow, will you not?" She asked, looking up at him with big eyes. She knew he couldn't resist her puppy eyes.

He looked down and let out a groan. His granddaughter knew him too well. "Alright, I will teach you tomorrow. As long as you do what your mother says without compaint

It was Saiyu's turn to groan. She contemplated, knowing that Youko would not teach her unless she agreed. "Fine, it is a deal." She held out her tiny hand and he shook it, sealing the bargain. Then she ran down the hill as fast as her short legs would allow.

The next day, Saiyu arrived at their usual meeting place a full thirty minutes early. She bounced up and down on her feet impatiently. When is he going to get here? Is he walking as slowly as possible just to make me wait longer? Suddenly, she heard her grandfather's agonized scream. She ran to the clearing where just yesterday they were playing with the butterflies. What she saw froze her in her tracks and caused her breath to catch in her throat, making her lungs burn. YoukoKurama was covered with various wounds, trying to fend off the attacks that were being thrown at him unendingly. She glanced at the demon attacking her beloved grandfather.

In other circumstances, she would have found him very attractive. He had long, curly ebony hair, a fine-toned body, and beautiful green eyes. But there was something wrong with them. Looking closer, she saw that they were glinting with evil intent. There was no remorse for the man he was about to kill, leaving a heart broken family behind. In those eyes she saw his desire to kill and kill and kill until there was no one and nothing left.

Youko screamed again as five foot long spikes shot through his body, releasing poison on impact.

"Grandfather!"Saiyu screamed, rushing to his side.

Saiyu, get out of here. He'll kill you too."

The young demoness embraced him, wrapping her small arms around his bloody shoulders. "No, I am staying," she told him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Suddenly, he pushed her behind him protectively. He was flung back into a tree, taking the blow that was meant for her. Looking up at him, she saw that he was pinned to the tree by a double-sided axe made from some strange energy.

"No!" she sobbed, falling to her knees. She heard laughter behind her.

"Ha, ha, ha. What a glorious site. Such agony and torment. I love it!"

She turned around, facing the monster that took her most beloved family member away from her. Looking at him, laughing at her pain, she began to tremble. She clenched her shaking fists, hating this man, the source of her anguish. A strange glow surrounded her young body, growing larger with each tear that fell.

"You.Killed. Him," she ground out through clenched teeth. The glow continued to swell, each tear seeming to increase its mass. Then, with a cry from Saiyu, it was released, throwing the strange man back and destroying everything but the tree Youko was pinned to within a ten mile radius. When the smoke and dust cleared, all that could be seen was a young kitsune with blue-gray hair huddled beneath a tree, a tall man with blood-stained silver hair attached to it by an axe through his chest.

Saiyu shook her head. She had thought those memories had been buried deep. They always made her sad, and sadness was a weakness. It would consume you until there was nothing left but a hollow shell.

"Are you okay?"

She started and looked beside her. There was Youko Keisu, sitting next to her with a worried expression on his face. "Get away from me. Now," she said dangerously. He backed up quickly, sensing the little bit of power she revealed.

"Sorry, you just looked like you were about to cry. Wanna talk about it?"

She glared at him. This baka is too curious than is good for him. Suddenly they heard a thundering behind them. A huge demon, looking much like a beetle, burst throught the forestry, stopping just short of them.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Keisu asked, his posture tense.

"I am Shinogomaru. I was sent to kill you and retrieve your Sacred Jewel shard," the beast replied. "My master commanded it."

"And who is this master of yours?" Saiyu questioned, even though she had a good idea what the answer was.

"You of all people should know the answer to that, Princess. He is the great demon Kishan and he has ordered me to kill the male fox and bring the female along with the shards," Shinogomaru replied in his gravelly voice.

"And what need does he have of me?"

"Lord Kishan wants you as his mate."