"Shards of Broken Glass"

Summary: When Kurama meets his soul mate, a quarter fire demon, things get a bit more interesting. New missions, new characters, and new plots.

"Never thought I'd be alone

Sitting here and grasping my phone

Although I know nobody will call

Its better then admitting my fall

I'll pretend that I have friends

And that I'm not here wishing for my end

I'll pretend I have a family

And it's not lonely little me

Pretending is better then admitting defeat

Instead of accepting it, I'll pretend things are nice and neat

I'll keep on dreaming, maybe someone will along

Until then I'll just keep singing this song... "

Kurama's ears perked up at the sound of a female voice singing. The voice was quite lovely, although unexpected. He and Hiei were walking in the forest in Japan. It was a beautiful forest, full of animals, plants, a lake near the edge of the forest, and beyond that were the Kiso-Koma Mountains. They had come to meditate, train, and take a swim on this hot summer day. "I wonder who would be in this forest alone," Kurama said softly. "Yes," Hiei agreed. The mortals normally stayed away from here, as there were many rumors that it was cursed and full of demons. In fact, it was.

Kurama stepped around Hiei toward the voice, curiosity getting the best of him. They both kept a fighting stance unless it was a trap. They were a strange pair – a tall, over 200 year old Yoko with shoulder length crimson hair and emerald eyes, dressed in typical jeans and a plain white t-shirt, and a short, spiky black haired fire demon with cold, ruby eyes, wearing a black cape, boots, and a white bandana around his forehead.

They reached the lake, where Azalia-tsutji flower petals floated in the water. They were a pretty pink, but they usually didn't grow around this time. Kurama's presence in the forest encouraged flowers to bloom. The source of the voice obviously belonged to the young girl floating on her back in the lake, who was humming with her eyes closed, unaware of their presence. "What's a quarter fire demon doing here?" Kurama questioned. He could sense her demonic side from the side of the lake. They had profiles of every demon in this city, and he had never heard of a quarter demon living here. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever met a quarter demon. It was very uncommon.

Hiei shrugged, not really caring. His clothes were beginning to stick to him and he was glistening with sweat. The lake looked very inviting. He peeled his shirt off, dropping it on the ground. He glanced up at the girl again. She had noticed their arrival and was staring at him with big, hazel eyes. Her dark brown hair was plastered to her forehead, but he had the feeling her hair was lighter when it wasn't wet. She had a nose too big for her face, and she was wearing clothes in the water – a light blue t-shirt that was billowing around her in the water, making it somewhat harder for her to swim, and jean shorts.

What made the lake so beautiful was the water fall. There was a bigger river above, on the Kiso-Koma Mountains, and it emptied out to the lake. The water was crystal clear, and he could see fish swimming around. They looked tasty. Kurama smiled at him and sat on a flat rock that looked like it had been cut near the water fall. The kitsune stuck his feet in the water, and the curious fish swarmed around his toes. Hiei stepped into the water, then dived in. It was great to feel such relief from the heat. He was about to break out of the water when he noticed the girl grinning at him from underwater. She had on unusual goggles. They were gray and metal, and they had tiny inscriptions in them. She waved from underwater.

He was beginning to think this demon was annoying, and was about to threaten her when he realized she would make good sparring partner. She didn't know him like Kurama did and wouldn't take it easy. If she wasn't a challenge, he could just toy with her. He drew his sword, and it glinted in the sunlight. Her eyes widened, and she ripped off the goggles. They started glowing a faint red, and then it grew longer, into a sword similar to his. She held it in a stance that left her left side wide open.

He smirked and moved his sword to her left. It moved swiftly although they were underwater. She flicked the back of the sword up and blocked. Her feet dug into the ground as she pushed off, swimming straight through his legs. Hiei closed her legs. He could easily drown her that way, but he released after almost a minute. She propelled upward, and burst through the water, gasping. Kurama's head shot up, he had been deep in thought and her frightened look scared him.

She coughed up water. "You're friend's trying to kill me!" She managed to say. Her voice is really angelic. The kitsune thought, then shook his head. Kurama smiled, not unkindly. "Don't worry, he's just toying with you, right, Hiei?" Hiei glared at him icily. The girl jumped, she hadn't noticed Hiei had emerged. He couldn't help it, and smirked evilly and said, "Boo." She shrieked and clutched her sword. Kurama noticed it was also gray and had the same inscriptions. "Trans-pole," Kurama whispered. He had heard of it- a foot long pole, only about an inch thick, that could transform into anything the holder wanted. It had been stolen from Koenma, but he hadn't bothered going after it, as he didn't know how to use it. It had gone from thief to thief and nobody could use it, until, he supposed, it fell into the hands of this demon.

"I'm Kurama, and this is my friend, Hiei. Don't worry, he won't hurt you," Kurama introduced. "Most of the time," Hiei whispered. She shrieked again and attempted to hit him. He caught her wrist easily. She was quite fun to scare. Kurama chuckled. "And what's your name?" He asked politely, ignoring the scene between her and Hiei. "Nikki," She said quietly. Hiei still clutched her wrist. "What's under your bandana?" Nikki asked, pulling on the bottom of it. Before she could pull it all the way down, he released his grip, caught her other hand, and held both of her hands together in one of his before she even knew what was happening.

She "eeped" and stared at him innocently. Hiei felt a strange and overwhelming urge to tell her everything. He held it back and gave her an evil smile, fangs gleaming. "Do you really want to know?" Nikki nodded. He pulled it down, revealing his Jagan eye. She screamed loudly and he covered her mouth with his hand. "Stop screaming," He demanded irritatedly. "Your voice splits through my head like a knife."

He removed his hand. "So, you have a Jagan eye," She said calmly, as if she hadn't just been screaming like a maniac." He nodded. "Why?" Hiei hadn't expected this, so he merely didn't answer. "That's very informative. Thanks," Nikki said sarcastically. I'm not going to tolerate such disrespect from someone like her. He allowed his thoughts, full of menace, to seep into her thoughts.

She screamed and jumped out of the water.

Kurama smiled as he and Hiei walked toward Koenma's. He opened his fist just to make sure the number was still there. It was. He and Nikki had spent the rest of the day eating her already made lunch. It was a nice little picnic, and he got to know her more. She was nice, funny, and pretty attractive. Apparently some demon had murdered her family and she escaped, but he doubted that was her true story. Many a demon used that as an excuse.

He and Nikki then went to his house for dinner hours later, and had a childish pillow fight. He felt like he could act like himself around her. Before she left, she had written her number in the palm of his hand. The pen had actually been sharp and made him bleed, but he didn't mind. Two eight one, three three zero, eight zero zero four," He whispered, tracing the numbers with his finger.

"The numbers aren't going to disappear, Kurama," Hiei snapped. The kitsune's happy mood was starting to piss him off. Kurama smiled and closed his fist. "I guess you're right. I'm acting foolish." The doors to Koenma's office opened. Yusuke and Kuwabara were sitting inside already, surprisingly. Usually they were the last to get there.

Yusuke had raven, slicked back hair and chocolate colored eyes. He was wearing a jean jacket and black jeans. A typical punk, he hawked a loogie on the floor, and nodded his hello to Hiei and Kurama. Kuwabara had a wanna-be Elvis hair-do and orangeish hair. He had beady black eyes and was wearing a tight blue shirt and a pair of cuffed jeans. "Hey guys."

After they exchanged "hellos" and "whats up", Koenma entered the room in toddler form. He was only about two feet tall and had a binky in his mouth. By some miracle he talked with it in his mouth. "Hello, you four. I'm here to open up a case that was closed years ago. I used to own a pole, called a Trans-pole. I never learned how to use it, so when it was stolen, i didn't do much about it. But now a young girl named Nikkurato Ruruatogio has it. She doesn't know she is a demon or that her family was. I need to tell her and take the trans-pole. I don't know where she is, but I have a lead she's in Florida."

Kurama had a sinking feeling that wouldn't go away. "She's not in Florida, she's in Japan," Hiei said. Usually he wouldn't give his friends away, but he was definately not going to Florida. Wait, had he just called Nikki a friend? "Really? Thats good. Florida's rather hot anyway. Oh, and Hiei, please bring her back alive. The last demon was merely a pile of guts and I couldn't get fingerprints. And who spat on my floor?"

"Nikki? Nikki?" Kurama called. Twigs snapped under their feet as they searched for the quarter demon. Usually they wouldn't go calling their convict's name, but Kurama was going to convince her to come quietly. Or at least, that was the plan. "Yo, Nikki!" Yusuke shouted. Birds flew from the tree beside him. "Yeah?" She hung upside down from the branch next to them. "Ahh! It's Pinnochio!" Yusuke shouted. She scowled and covered her nose with her hand. "Who's the comedian?" She asked Kurama.

"That's Yusuke. This is Kuwabara," Kurama introduced, pointing the to orange-head and Yusuke. "Nice to meet you. You, anyway," Nikki muttered, glancing pointedly at Kuwabara and sticking her tongue out at Yusuke. He blew a raspberry back. "Nikki... by any chance are you aware that the trans-pole your holding is stolen?" Kurama said calmly. "No. Maybe. Yes," She admitted. "But it's not my fault. I need it for protection. I can't fight for beans... Or pork," The quarter demon added.

"Could you please come with us?" Kurama asked politely. "We need to take you to see Koenma." She shook her head stubbornly. "No way, Jose. Or Hose B." She giggled at her own joke. "Please, Nikki, I don't want to have to use force. I'm sure Hiei here wouldn't mind either." Nikki noticed that although his tone was calm, his words were threatening. Alright," She sighed, doing a back flip and landing sprawled in the leaves. "Ouch."

Kurama helped her up and she glanced down. He noted that the pole was under her left foot. She bent down and Hiei took his stance. "Calm down big boy, I'm just getting the pole..." Seconds later, she flung the pole into the air and it took the shape of a metal broom. "What the hell?" Yusuke yelled, tackling Nikki. He missed by inches as she jumped up and gripped it by the handle, then flew towards the tree tops, pulling herself on the broom.

Hiei appeared on the front of it seconds later, and it took a nosedive toward the ground. She screamed and tried to pull it up, but it was too late. She did a face plant right in front of Kurama. "Hello again, Nikki," He greeted calmly. He pulled her to her feet and pulled a seed from his hair. It was pulsing a light green color and he touched it to her skin. A long vine emerged from the seed and wrapped around her hands tightly. "Sorry," He apologized.

She glared at him. "Kurama, how could you do this?" "Finally got her to come quietly?" Yusuke asked, wiping the dirt from his face. "Quietly? Hah!" And with that she let out an earsplitting shriek that lasted about forty five seconds. Her broom, a copy of Botan's, transformed into a rubber duck. Kurama assumed it was the trans-pole's disguise. "Sorry, again," Kurama said quietly, and gently gagged her with the rubber duck.

On their way to the portal, she continued to chew on the duck, which emitted an irratating squeaky noise. Kurama walked on side of her, keeping a firm grip of her elbow, while Hiei continiously poked her between the shoulder blades with his sword to get her to move faster, which she squeaked indignately at. "Can you make it shut up?" Yusuke yelled, clamping his hands over his ears. "If I take the duck out of your mouth, do you promise not to yell? Squeak once for yes, twice for no." Squeak.

He removed the duck, which was covered in spit. "Great," He said, smiling warmly. She didn't return the smile.

"Me? A quarter fire demon? You have the wrong chick, sorry," Nikki nearly screamed at Koenma. He wiped the spit off his face.

"No, I don't. I knew your parents well. They used to be Spirit Detectives, but they went bad. Your mother was a Soul Stealer and your father was also a fire demon. Your brother and older sister had inherited your mother's Soul Stealing techniques and your younger sister was half fire, half Soul Stealer."

"What in the seven hells is a Soul Stealer?"

"A demon who can steal someones souls and keep them in any closed container."

"What in the seven hells? My mother did not steal souls."

"You'd be surprised."

"Do you know how my family was killed?"

"I'm not the person to tell you that. However, you should ask your friend."

"What friend?"

"The friend who is causing another mission for Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei tonight."

"Another mission?" Yusuke groaned. "Your kidding, right?" "No, its extremely important. Nokia, an unnatural wolf demon has been killing humans and eating them." Kuwabara shivered. "Sick." Hiei looked like he had no reaction, but Nikki could see a shadow of a smile. "Nikki, if you can help them on this mission tonight, you can keep the trans-pole. Deal?" Koenma offered. She was silent, and then, "Deal."

Hope you guys liked the first chapter. Thanks to Lauren and Kimmi.

-Burning Biscut