Chapter 1
Who Are You?
"Mom! Wait mom, don't leave me! Don't leave me…" Fifteen year old Shuichi called out as his mother died in his arms under the giant willow tree near meadowlark stream.
Shuichi then woke up in a cold sweat. "Just another nightmare," he told himself as he lay back down, but then he began to wonder why he was having these dreams; after all, his mother's death was two years ago, but still. Shuichi was unable to go back to sleep, so he decided he would pay a visit to his mother. He got dressed, walked down to the giant willow and, despite all efforts, began to cry.
He had been sitting there for no more than ten minutes when he looked up and saw a girl clinging to a fallen log for dear life. She had long black hair and was wearing a long black leather coat that shone red in the sunlight, a red shirt underneath, blue jeans, and appeared to be unconscious.
Shuichi quickly waded into the water and retrieved the girl. She was extremely cold, but still breathing, so he proceeded to take her to his house to watch over her.
For three days she did not wake, but finally on the third day, while Shuichi was sitting by her bedside wondering where she was from, she looked at him and asked, "Where am I? Who are you, and where is that fiend Kuronue?"
"Did you just say Kuronue?" Shuichi asked startled.
"You know him! How dare you keep me locked in here while he catches up to me again." She cried angrily.
"Wait a minute. Calm down and let me explain."
"Okay then, explain."
"My name is Shuichi, or Kurama, for those who know me well. I used to be a clever fox demon and specialized in opening locks and stealing the treasures they guarded. Kuronue was my partner. He and I were unstoppable together, but one day, our luck ran out and Kuronue was caught in a trap. I turned to run back and help him, but instead he told me to run. That day, he sacrificed his life for mine. Later, after stealing yet another treasure, I was shot by a hunter and would have died had I not escaped from the demon world, or Makai, into the human world. I thought Kuronue was dead. In fact, I was sure of it."
"Well he's not OK!" The girl retorted.
"Who are you anyway that you are running from Kuronue?"
"Well since we're in the habit of formal introductions, my name is Valentine Higurashi. I was on a mission to prevent a very important member of our mortal female demon tracking squad from dying about two years ago because she was an essential undercover spy for us. Unfortunately, I failed and Kuronue caught on to my trail. He was the most notorious demon that we had been tracking."
"So Kuronue's after you because you know where he is?"
"Exactly. He is also the same demon who killed your mother because she too knew his whereabouts."
"Houd did you know that she was my mother?" Kurama asked growing suspicious.
"I knew because the DDC has had their eyes on you and your mother for quite some time now."