Prologue: Sana

I do not own YuYu Hakusho or Kurama or Shiori or any other character from the series that may show up. I only own Sana and her father. This project is a collaboration between me and Kuramasgirl19769. The entire story was her idea, I'm just writing it for her for characterization purposes. Thank you.

"I'm sorry little one." He told her. "I tried my best, but without your mom, I cannot raise you on my own. I don't know how." He hugged her gently and kissed her cheek and placed her gently in her basket, along with a note asking that she be raised with lots of love. Her father looked at her again before walking away and looked up. "Please, please keep her safe." he prayed. And then he'd left, having placed her in her little basket on the front porch of a small, modest Japanese home that looked well-kept to all who approached. It was warm-looking, and happy. Inside lived a pretty black-haired and very traditionally Japanese lady who looked to be about in her thirties. The only other occupant was a boy whom, to all others, looked as normal as could be. Short black hair, with brown eyes that were warm and happy towards the lady who lived with him. He was tall, for a boy who'd just turned 14. Anyone else who saw him would only ever see a boy who respected his mother and loved her with all his heart.

But to others... they could see a truth behind a mask none knew existed. Red hair and emerald eyes that shimmered like the gems they took their color from. He was abnormal, but only to those who could see it, and those who could feel it. And those were few and far between. They existed, but they were sparse. To his mother, and people at school, he was known as Shuichi Minamino. But to those who saw behind the mask... they knew him as Kurama, a Great and powerful Yô-ko spirit that had once been the Scourge of the Demon Plane. The Makai hadn't seen him in 14 years now, and it was the fault of a hunter from the Underworld, one that had seen his scourge might one day break free of the Kekkai barrier that had been placed between the Demon Plane and the Mortal Realm. Instead, weakness from loss had allowed a hunter to nearly kill him, and he'd been forced to merge his spirit with the soulless body of an infant still trapped in the womb of a pregnant woman. The child would've been stillborn... if not for him. But now, here he was. Staring out of his bedroom window as a man retreated from the porch of the home he'd been living in since death had taken his old body. It was strange, to mortals, anyways. He may not be powerful again yet, but he was strong enough to smell a dirty diaper from 30 feet away at his front door. The man had left a baby on their front porch... and she was getting ready to start crying.

Something had to be done.

"Mother," he said as he started down the stairs. "I was looking out my window and saw a man run away from our front door. I'm going to see if something's wrong." She would've resisted, but she knew it was better for her son to check than her, because he had a better chance of fighting if someone was waiting at their front door. Shuichi was good at that... fighting. He had been since he'd turned 5 years old. She watched him open the front door with a measure of curiosity and anxiety, worried for her only child. But also wanting to know what he'd claimed to have seen only moments ago. When she stepped out behind him, Shuichi was holding a bundle of blankets that he must've picked up from the basket at his feet. He was cradling the blankets so carefully, like a professional doctor of some type, and the bundle was squirming slightly before he turned to show Shiori, his mother, a little 3 month old baby with a smattering of brown peach fuzz atop her head and blue eyes that were only just opening. Oh, she was so sweet!

"I think she needs changing..." was all Shuichi said as he handed her over and, whoo boy! Was he right! She must've been left unchanged for about thirty minutes! Shiori quickly went to her purse and gave Shuichi some money.

"Straight to the store! Any one that's open! Get diapers and wipes. If you don't know what to get, ask someone for help!" Her son nodded and ran off out of the still open front door, with her closing it behind him as he left. She knew he'd be quick. He was such a good boy. As she waited, she found a note pinned to the baby's blankets.

"Her name is Sana. And her mother passed away recently. I can't take care of her... don't know how on my own. I want her to have a good life, and your house looked so warm and inviting. Please take good care of her, and don't look for me. If she starts asking, tell her that mommy is in Heaven, and that daddy went to find her. And please don't look for me. I won't be here beyond Christmas. Get her everything she ever wanted for her daddy... she deserves it. Her birthday is September 28th." And that was it. All Shiori could assume was that Sana's father planned to follow her recently departed mother to 'Heaven' and it was so sad. When Shuichi got back with the diapers, Shiori handed him the letter, going off to change Sana with tears in her eyes, but a happy smile on her lips.

"Your big brother and I will take care of you, sweet girl. Oh Sana... I'm so sorry." She smiled sadly and then took the girl back to Shuichi after she'd finished changing her. The date was December 29.

"Happy birthday and Merry Christmas, my big 14 year old! You have a new baby sister, Sana!"