A Mothers Love
Kurama could sense that there was something wrong pretty much as soon as it happened. At the time, he wasn't sure exactly what the bad thing was that happened or the scale of the event that had taken place. He was in the middle of class, an exam to be exact. He rushed his last few unanswered questions and put his hand up.
"Sensei, I'm not feeling well," Kurama told the teacher when she came over to see why one of the top students in the school wanted attention.
"I'll put your name down for the makeup exam," the teacher replied. "And you can go to the nurse's office."
"A makeup exam shouldn't be necessary. I've already answered all the questions," Kurama answered, trying to keep the tension out of his voice which showed through anyway. The teacher assuming it was because he was feeling unwell.
YYH
Kurama left the school not sure where he should go first, he didn't go to the nurses office like he told the teacher from his exams. Making a decision, he decided to head home first to make sure his human mother was all right. It didn't take long for him to get home.
"Shuichi, what are you doing home from school?" His stepfather asked with concern.
"I wasn't feeling well" Kurama answered his stepfather. "Where's mother?"
His stepfather didn't seem right. Kazuya normally only came home for lunch for a short while which he spent with his mother. He couldn't see his mother anywhere.
"It's best if we go inside," Kazuya said. He followed his stepfather into the house. Kurama's heart skipped a beat, it reminded him too much of when his human mother told him his human father had died and the time she'd told him she was dying.
As soon as they entered the house he could feel it, the presence of a demon he knew very well. A demon he hadn't seen for a number of decades. Besides the residue of the demon spirit, there were no other signs that anyone had been in the house.
"You're properly not going to believe me, but while I was having lunch with Shiori, when a lady with silver hair, fox ears and tail broke into the house. She kidnapped your mother."
His stepfather looked lost; he felt his heart clam up. Someone from his past had found him. It was his fault that his mother had been taken. He'd become careless and she'd been hurt as a result.
"I believe you," Kurama answered. If Kazuya knew what he really was his stepfather would probably fear him. His mother would fear him. She'd probably hate him when she realised he was the one who had got her hurt.
"She introduced herself as Kurini," Kazuya replied. "Said that your mother had something that she wanted. She disappeared with Shiori before I could do anything."
Kurama was surprised unless the demon was lying about her identity. The demonic energy didn't feel like it belonged to Kurini.
"I'm going to get her back," Kurama promised. "She's all I had for the longest time. I'm not going to lose her now. Especially after her finally being well enough to not spend every day in the hospital."
Kurama made his way to his room, packing a small bag with a change of clothes, water, food, seeds and a sleeping bag. "I will not be back till I find her," Kurama told his stepfather. "I'm going to miss you and Shuichi, tell him that I said goodbye."
"Nothing I say is going to stop you," his stepfather sighed.
"I'm afraid not, I will bring her back, no matter how long it takes," Kurama replied firmly.
"You don't even know where she is?" Kazuya pointed out.
"No, but I have an idea of where to start looking."
"I'll come with you Shuichi. I can't allow you to get hurt. Your mother would never forgive me if something happened to you while she was gone. My Shuichi can stay with my sister while we look for Shiori." Kazuya reasoned.
"No, you can't come where I am going. You need to be here for Shuichi." Kurama told him firmly. "Trust me, I know what I am doing. I will bring mother home. I will be fine."
"Take care of yourself son."
"I will Kazuya, when I come back I will have mother with me. Safe and well." Kurama promised.
YYH
Kurama made his way through to demon world where he ran into Hiei who was patrolling the border between the two worlds.
A quick explanation of what was going on and the shorter demon decided that he would help if only to return the favour of when his sister Yukina was kidnapped.
"According to my stepfather a demon by the name of Kurini kidnapped my mother," Kurama explained as they headed in the direction Kurama thought they may be able to find Kurini. "Yet the presence I felt in the house was not that of her."
"Is Kurini's your sister?" Heie asked.
"She's actually my daughter," Kurama replied with a nervous smile. He had never spoken of his family before he'd taken a human form.
"I wasn't aware that you had any children," Heie replied.
"As Yoko Kurama I have three children. As Shuichi Minamino I have no children, and never have performed the act that would create children either."
Heie nodded. It made sense that Kurama would have children considering he had been an adult for a few centuries before he became trapped in a human body.
"I have Kurini, Kitsune and Kyubi," Kurama replied.
"Not really imaginative with their names." Heie teased.
"I only named Kurini, the boys were both named by their mother. It was the agreement we had at the time."
"And their mother?"
"I'm not sure what happened to her. I assume she is still around. Demon world is a big place after all and I have spent most of my recent years in the human world. I never had any real attachment to her. I highly doubt she had any for me." Kurama replied. He had never had any attachment to his family until his human family.
YYH
Kurama came to a slow as he came across the person that had kidnapped his mother. It was a woman. A woman who's scent he recognised. A woman also named Kurini, but not his daughter. He should have realised. He hadn't given her a thought in years. She was the person he'd named his daughter after.
"Ah Kurama, you came." The woman replied. "You look absolutely atrocious in that human form."
"Mother," he replied to the fox demon.
Heie looked between Kurama and the demon. Kurama's demon form certainly looked like her. Same silvery hair, same eyes. Similar scent to Kurama's own.
"So weak and pathetic. I didn't raise you to be like this. You were the most promising of my children. When the hunters injured you and you retreated to the human world, I assumed that you were just biding your time. Waiting for your strength to return and then come back and destroy the hunter who wounded you. How wrong was I. Joining up with humans? Sacrificing half your life force to save the life of a human. This human."
She revealed his human mother.
"Mother!" He called out.
"Shuichi. What are you doing here? It's dangerous." She told him in fear.
His demon mother snarled but allowed Kurama to hug his human mother.
"How can you let the filthy human woman be your mother? Wasn't I a good enough mother for you. You were my favourite. If you kill her, you will once again be my favourite." Kurini asked him.
Heie stood to the edge. Observing Kurama with both his mothers.
"I don't care about being your favourite Mother. I never have. I won't allow you to kill my mother of the last seventeen years."
"If you won't kill her, then I will." his demon mother snarled.
"Heie, look after my mother." He handed his mother to his best friend. He stood between his demon mother and human mother. "I won't let you kill my mother, mother."
"Would you really choose her over me? I've been your mother far longer than that woman." Kurini spat in Shiori's direction."
Kurama looked between his two mothers. He loved them both dearly and never believed he'd be in a situation that he'd have to choose which one. Would his human mother even love him anymore knowing what he actually is? Did it even matter if she hated him once knowing he is actually a demon? Even if she hated him, he would love his human mother for all eternity. He had a bond with his human mother that he had never had with his demon mother.
"Yes, I would choose her over you. In the seventeen years she's been my mother, she'd been a far better mother than you ever were. You'd play me against my siblings constantly. Ignored me for centuries on end. Even if she hates me for what I truly am, I will always protect her from harm." Kurama firmly told the woman who brought him into the world.
"Can you truly stop me from killing that human filth? Would you betray your own mother for that human filth?" Kurini asked him, glaring at his human mother the whole time.
He looked Kurini in the eyes, his demon mother. The reason he existed in the first place and looked back at his human mother. The reason he was still alive. He could see that she was worried, worried about him.
"Shuichi, get out of here. My life doesn't matter." Shiori begged him. "Only your life does. It doesn't matter if I die as long as you are safe."
"It matters to me." He looked at his mother. "All that matters to me mother, is that you are safe and well." He turned back to Kurini. "I would never betray my own mother, which is why I choose her over you, Kurini."
"You have stolen something precious from me, mortal woman. Will you stand by a child who is a demon?" Kurini asked.
"He's the most precious thing in my life. He's my little miracle," Shiori replied with a smile. "Something that should've never happened but did. I've already told you that the doctor's said I that I was never able to have children and yet we ended up with Shuichi. Mine and Harima's little miracle. Harima and I knew what he was from the moment he was conceived. That he wasn't normal. After he was born we took him to the temples and tried to have the demon exercised, only to learn that our baby was the demon. I was desperate for a baby that I choose to raise the demon child anyway. He was my child, my baby. I choose to love and care for him as if he hadn't been a demon. I will love and care for him even if he ends up being the death of me. He is not a demon to me, he is my son."
Kurama looked at his mother in shock. She had known all along that he was a demon. He had had no idea.
Kurini scolded but took a step back. "You've stolen something precious to me mortal. You had better look after my son. If you don't I will kill you in an instant. He'll be mine again, one you are gone."
With that, she was gone. Kurama collapsed to his knees. He was mentally drained. He couldn't believe that his demon mother had just left. Hiei pat him on the shoulder before giving him and his mother space.
His human mother pulled him into a hug.
"It's alright now dear. Everything is going to be okay." She told him.
He smiled. He made the correct choice. His loss of his demon mother was only temporary. Even if it had been permanent, he could live with that.
"You really knew?" He asked her.
"I always have, my son." She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead. "Let's go home."
She held out her hand and he took it. Yes, he had made the correct choice. His mother knew he was a demon and still loved and cared for him anyway.