Forenote: This is a rewrite of two old stories brought into the same universe. For details, read the notes at the end.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. What I do own are my original characters, the development of borderline* characters, and the plot twists and filler scenes that do not appear in the canon series. For details*, please visit my profile, or contact me.

I – The Dream of a Kingdom

Cries echoed through the late evening. Some women were in love, the elders and the children were terrified, while the men were dead or badly injured. Another very successful raid was over in a mere flash. The richest of the region's capital town had been robbed, their daughters stained by the hands of bandits and their houses set ablaze. A few prostitutes had been set free – one of the thieves had a great weakness for beauty. Before the raid, he slept with those he considered true goddesses, then bought their freedom with the money won from the previous raid.

The other thief had visited the same brothel, but he didn't allow himself to be impressed by them. In his eyes, none were sufficiently independent or strong enough to even be considered as a lifetime mate, so they were not worth the pleasure of a second round. In fact, they were lucky he decided to leave some money behind instead of robbing them of their jewelry along with their vitality.

Soon, the chaos had faded into a distant column of smoke. A grasshopper was singing its ballad in hopes of starting a dialogue with another of its kind. The sun had just set and the moon was shining brightly, round as a silver platter. The thieves were returning to their hideout, carefully chosen in the heart of a forest set at the foot of a mountain, with two ways of access. Both of them were carrying bags full of gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires, which were carved into jewelry, money, and a few other objects. One of them was a few steps behind, slowed down by a wide painting blocking the air whenever he tried to pick up the pace.

Youko was the first to arrive. He looked around and listened carefully, taking the time to feel the scents carried by the wind. A soft breeze was drying the few drops of sweat dripping down his arms and underneath his long silver hair. He tilted his head back slightly, allowing the air to cool him down further.

After a few moments, he let the bag down and stretched out his back and shoulders. It was safe to relax and command his plants to withdraw back into their original form as tiny seeds spread all over the ground, losing themselves between pebbles and flocks of grass. The birds already knew of his habit, so as soon as the carnivorous plants disappeared, they rushed to eat the seeds.

His partner knew that if Youko was relaxed, there wasn't the slightest chance of danger. He let his own bag down with a loud thud and then placed the painting by the trunk of a tree. "Finally home! It felt like we've been running forever on our way back!" he laughed, stretching out his arms. The town they robbed was half a day away from their hideout.

"I told you that piece of junk will only slow you down," his partner reminded him, an ironic smile of amusement spreading on his pale face. Whenever he insulted his preferences, he would watch how Kuronue's dark eyebrows would furrow over his thin nose, spreading dark shadows over his face and making his partner look at least a century more mature than he was. In truth, they weren't even two hundred years old yet, but their lifestyle had developed their bodies and shaped them like those of mature men. The only thing that gave one of them away were Kuronue's eyes: so compassionate towards a beautiful whore or some work of art.

Kuronue sighed. "It's not a 'piece of junk.' Would you look at it? It's superb! It's days of hard, meticulous work and such an attention for details! Look close enough and it seems to be coming to life. It's clearly made with pigments brought from the Human world. We could get at least five hundred in gold for it." The bat had taken a liking to the painting of a beautiful villa on the rocky shore of the sea. In a corner, an old pomegranate tree in bloom had twisted its trunk into the moonlight. The colors were vibrant and alive with high quality pigments imported from a small continent in the Human world, which made the painting even more valuable.

"You're never going to sell it," the fox chuckled. "Come on, admit it – this one you've taken for yourself." He had known of his partner's weakness for beauty from the very beginning, when Youko was still stealing on his own. Back then, Kuronue hated the obligation of working with a blacksmith and used to pick pocket for fun, taking a challenge in making an escape from the tightest of situations. Yet, if someone wanted to lay a trap for him, a piece of art or jewelry – even of doubtful authenticity and only worth a small value – would have been enough to lure him straight into a prison cell. And it did, on several occasions – this is what drew Youko's attention. The bat had a talent with locks and was fast on his feet.

"…Maybe." Once the birds had their feast, the bat demon went to roll away the stone blocking the main entrance into their hideout. After that, he used some oil and matches to light up the torches on the walls. Neither of them would have had enough with simply a cave, so this one was going to resemble a palace soon enough. There were wooden support structures already built and the floor had been paved with polished riverside stone and two fingers thick imperial carpets, except for the fireplace. Instead, there was a circle carved around it that they constantly filled with water to ensure safety.

Kuronue took the bags one by one and carried them into one of the side rooms. Gold and diamonds didn't need to be kept warm, so they would be fine in a separated room. Then, he took the painting to the main room, the one with the fireplace. The bat hung it on a wall with a nail and hammer then took a few steps back to admire it with pride. "Come over here and see! It fits perfectly!" he called.

The cave had several rooms, but they only used three of them. One was the living room, bedroom and dining room – the only one with a fireplace. From there, they had access to another one, used as a storage for their treasures. Youko was the one who kept track of every last coin there and he checked the storage room whenever he had the time. The third room was a bit far, through a long, cold corridor. It was lower than the rest, with sandy earth covering its bottom. It was used as a bathroom during the cold season, when the wind outside was too harsh.

"I'd rather hunt. Go bring some water."

Kuronue knew once the order had been given he had to follow suit. Well, they needed both and it would always take less time if one went for the meat and the other for the water. Kuronue took four empty buckets, closed the entrance and then took off. It was a fifteen minute flight to a waterfall with crystal-clean water. The river came all the way from the top of the mountains only to form a lake at the bottom. There were several villages using that water for irrigating fields. Others would dump their dead prisoners and meal leftovers in the lake. The bat knew that, so he preferred flying for a bit longer to take the water straight from the river, where it was still pure.

However, something caught his attention that night. There was a castle at the top of the mountain, or a fortress, or something like that. He'd never gone close to it and until tonight, he thought it was abandoned. To his surprise, Kuronue saw trails of light spreading in all directions.

Not wasting too much time, he filled four buckets with water then flew back to their hideout. He always had to be careful landing there, because the forest was extremely thick having developed on several levels in height with vines and branches weaving themselves into a giant green web. One second of carelessness and his wings could have gotten tangled up in that web.

Youko was already waiting. The entrance was open and the fire was lit in the main room. There was a crack through which the smoke could escape, but it was barely enough for a demon to fit its fingers in. There was no way someone could use it to attack, but it was very useful in evacuating the smoke. "Hey, Youko? Y'know that fortress in the south… is it abandoned or what?"

Youko was skinning a deer. "No idea. I haven't heard much of it lately." Knives were not his specialty, but he had enough experience separating the skin from the meat without leaving too much tissue on the inside of the skin. Carving out the guts was also a little tricky, because the gall and the intestines could have been pinched in the process. In the first case, the meat would have become awfully bitter, while the second was simply gross.

"Me neither. But it looked to me like there were guards searching for someone." He set the buckets down in a corner and waited for Youko to finish separating the useful from the useless. Judging by the state he found him and how fast his partner was done, he must have caught the poor deer just minutes after heading out.

Kuronue went to hang up the deer hide to dry on a string in the corridor leading to the bathing room. The atmosphere was slightly damp and frigid, with no chance of invading sunlight exposure or parasites. On one side there were a few animal hides, while on the other, there were pieces of meat left to dry and shrink for times when they had to travel through deserted lands.

"Bad luck then," Youko continued as he placed an iron support over the fire and let the meat roast. He selected one of the deer's hind legs and part of its ribs to roast, while the rest would be set aside for later. "Years ago, I heard they sold slaves. Those taken didn't usually escape alive."

"I guess. So there's no chance for someone to try and rob them?" It was the only reason he could find for guards searching the nearby land.

Youko shook his head. "Don't think so. They're not known for their riches or commerce with anything other than slaves. We don't need slaves, and I doubt any other thief would."

Kuronue opened up a bottle of wine; he sprinkled a little bit over the venison, then threw some salt and pepper on it as well. The bat leaned back and took a sip straight from the bottle. "Remind me again why you didn't take the girl with you? She was gorgeous."

The fox remembered the daughter of the self-proclaimed lord that they had raided that evening. "Too spoiled. She would have caused us trouble."

"You could have killed her if she did. Or at least, let me take her. She was much cleaner than a whore."

He smirked. "That, my friend, depends on how much you pay."

"She was free."

Not even Youko could argue with that. "With some luck, you can find her in a brothel in a week. Her family's broke now, they just might… Who knows? She wouldn't be the first."

Kuronue shook his head. "That might be good enough for you, but I want a woman to be mine alone. I don't want others to touch her."

"Keep dreaming then. Women are not meant for this lifestyle." Youko turned the meat so it would roast on the other side as well and threw some salt and pepper over it. "Though if we succeed in building a kingdom, well defended and rich, with financial and military power…"

"And a blooming social and artistic life, right?" Kuronue interrupted him.

"And that, but money and a strong army come first - then we could fantasize about a woman belonging to you only. Until then, let's be realistic – none would survive for very long with us. Besides, women need stability and sufficient wealth for a decent living. Otherwise, they're going to leave. Sooner or later, no matter how much you say she could love you, someone will show up with a stable home in which she could conceive and raise children – that's every woman's dream – then she's going to leave you."

Kuronue sighed heavily. "I guess you're right… It's why I left Ayame behind."

"You should stop thinking about her. It's been ten years already."

Even if the fox demon was right, his partner still couldn't forget about that girl. To him, she was the most beautiful in all of the three worlds. There was none other in the Spirit, Human or Demon world; no other girl with her deep, shining blue eyes: darker on the outside and with the electricity of lightning painting her irises. He fell in love with her wild black hair, pinned back on each side with two small bone combs. He longed for her white skin, softer than any satin he's ever touched. He longed to see her wrinkle her small nose and frown at him. He would have given anything to have her scold him for trying to look under her skirt or between her round breasts over her shoulder, taking advantage of his height.

The bat's grumbling stomach reminded him he had to eat soon. Did Ayame have anything on her table tonight? He promised he won't return to her until he had stolen the Sapphire of Youth, a mythical stone supposedly blessed with the ability to keep one's body youthful and in strength, sheltered from ageing and sickness. Mad for being left just one year before her father would have allowed her to find a mate, Ayame told him to only show himself in front of her if he found the Sapphire.

Kuronue sliced the deer's roasted leg and took a piece for himself. "Youko, if you find a magic jewel, how is it supposed to look?"

The other chuckled, mocking him. "There're no such things as magic jewels. If you're thinking about that sapphire again, give it up already. Ayame told you to go to hell with that promise. Don't you understand? She has you chasing an illusion. You can't find what doesn't exist."

"I'm an idiot to think you'd understand. You've never loved anyone, how could you ever understand?" he laughed, bitterly, as he reached for the bottle and drank a mouthful of wine.

Youko sighed. "I did love. Believe me, I did… but I never let it devour me. That's the difference between us. You'd be willing to die for love, while I'd choose life."

This time, Kuronue didn't reply. He couldn't think of a suitable comeback, so he chose silence over words. The bat kept eating and drinking until he emptied the bottle of wine. Youko was eating as well, but he had no reason to drink more than a few mouthfuls. If his partner was in the mood to get drunk, at least one of them had to keep sober… in case they might be attacked.

Author's Notes:

This story is being proofread by the beta reader DDragonWhisper.

Some of you probably had read and enjoyed two of my previous attempts at writing something for this fandom. I'm talking about "Mandala: the Wheel of Life", and "Wildest Dreams Come True". Sadly, both of these went on hiatus until I decided to take them down. I hope this new story will turn out much better and be much easier to read for you than my previous two.

This version of Mandala will consist of several arcs of 12 chapters each. The first one is what I didn't get to explore enough in "Wheel of Life", focused on Youko, Kuronue and my OC, Kagura. I thought it would be better if you got the chance to know her before she dies.

The second arc will pick up the plot of "Wildest Dreams Come True" and focus on Yomi, as he struggles with blindness and learning everything again - from getting dressed, to fighting. It will also explain a bit more about the Shadows and what happens to Kuronue after he is captured.

Later, the story will go through another time skip and follow Kurama in the Human world. There are serious chances that Sniper and Sandra (my OC) to get at least a few chapters to themselves, if not a whole arc.

For some reason, there was an error publishing this document earlier. I wish I had seen it earlier, but I was on a vacation and didn't open the story for a preview, even if I should have. Let's hope it was a one-time glitch that won't happen again.

I really hope that you will enjoy Mandala in this newer version as well! Please follow, favorite, and leave me your feedback either in a review or in a private message. I'm very open to criticism and I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Also, don't forget to share this story with other members of the fandom!