Homecoming Chapter 1: Death And Rebirth, a yu yu hakusho fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I only own the story line and the very few original characters within. The Main original character that WILL appear throughout almost all of the story is Noelani, Youko Kurama's teenaged daughter. He and a fire maiden had gotten together and the woman had Noelani nine months later, making Noelani a fire fox (A red fox... red hair, red tail, red ears, red eyes... you get the picture).

Story starts in the Demon World when Youko Kurama was still a demon. What will happen when he and Kuronue die and Noelani is left all alone at the young age of sixteen? Will she find her father in the Human World? If she does... what will she do? Find out as you read Chapter One: Death And Rebirth.

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Youko Kurama stood on the cliff overlooking the mansion. He smirked darkly, it held a priceless artifact, and he knew exactly where it was and how to get to it. All that was left to do, was get him and his two other companions into the mansion, get the artifact, and get out again without any of them getting caught... or much worse... killed. He turned away from the mansion and turned to the other two demons sitting next to a fire. Kuronue was a bat demon that he had shared a bed with on many occasions. He was a loyal comrade, an even more loyal friend, and the best lover he had ever been with. Noelani was his daughter. She was only sixteen and her bright amber hair reflected the dim glow of the fire on which she was cooking their meal. She looked up after a moment, the movement casting an orange glow on her fox ears atop her head.

She smiled up at him and then reached into her pocket. She pulled out a tiny pouch of seeds. She pulled one out and touched it to the ground. A red pepper plant rose from the ground when she pulled her fingers back. She heard the cheerful awe from the bat demon behind her and she smiled lightly. She picked several of the peppers from the plant and moments later, it wilted and the seed pushed back out of the soil. She replaced the seed to her pouch and tightened the string around the top. She put the pouch back into her pocket and smiled as she seen Kuronue holding out his bowl of soup. She shook her head as she dropped the peppers into the steaming broth in the bowl.

"Thanks a bunch, Lani," he said and pulled his bowl back to him for inspection. He smiled lightly and used his spoon to break them open against the side of the bowl. He stirred the broken peppers into the soup and smiled as the spicy scent started to waft from the bowl.

Youko seen the bat wiggle with anticipation and shook his head with a smirk. "Doesn't take much to please you, does it, Kuronue?"

The bat looked up at the silver fox and shook his head. "Nope."

Noelani giggled lightly as she held out another bowl to Youko. "Here, papa."

He reached out for the bowl and smiled lightly at her as he sat down in the vacated seat across the fire from the others. If anyone else was here, he wouldn't have been so openly nice to her... but Kuronue knew that his daughter was his biggest soft spot. He would die to protect her. And he hid it, so that no one could use her against him.

"You're doing it again," Noelani said with an aggravated voice.

The taller silver fox wrinkled his nose at her and was awarded with a frown that could melt the strongest armor. "Fine... I will stop."

Hearing this, she smiled lightly and went back to her own bowl of soup. "Thank you."

Kuronue smirked lightly, "Fraidy cat."

Youko frowned up to his male companion and shook his head. "I just know when to fight and when not to."

Noelani shook her head as the two went back and forth about whether or not the fox was afraid of his own daughter. She sighed lightly and frowned at the situation. "Why do I feel like the oldest person here?"

Both men stopped bickering and looked at her. She shook her head again as she stood up from her perch against a smooth rock. Youko Kurama sighed lightly and sat his bowl to the side. He stood up and walked to where she was standing at the edge of the cliff. "I'm sorry, Little Bit. I wasn't meaning to upset you."

Noelani shook her head. "You didn't, papa. I just feel weird. Something doesn't feel right."

Youko Kurama smirked lightly as he looked at her. "It's just the nerves."

She shook her head again and looked back up at him, having to tilt her head up to look at him. "No. I feel something... I can't describe it... I just feel... like something bad is coming. Something that none of us will be able to fight off."

Youko Kurama frowned and looked down at her. "Like what?"

His daughter sighed lightly as she shrugged her shoulders. She looked back out over the cliff to the quiet valley. "I don't know, papa. I just feel it there. I don't know what it is though."

Youko shook his head. "Things will be alright, Lani. Don't you trust me?"

She looked back at him and nodded. "Of course I do, Papa... but... I can't help but feel that twisting in my gut. Is the artifact really worth the risk of our lives?"

The silver fox blinked down at her. "Yes, Lani... It is. It will set us up for a long time. A long time that we won't have to do this anymore. No more running, no more sleeping on the ground."

She shook her head. "Until the money runs out again. Papa... please... don't do this. We can find something else to snatch. Something much less dangerous."

Youko Kurama shook his head at her and looked away. "I have made my decision."

Noelani sighed lightly and looked back out over the cliff. She prayed that night, that her feeling was wrong. She shook her head... it never was. She just hoped that the three of them would make it out of there alive.

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Youko Kurama's ears flattened against his skull as the alarm started to blare in the distance. Kuronue frowned as he turned around to the others. "Let's go! Now!"

Noelani shook her head as she dropped the jade statue that she had picked up. She turned to her father and seen him wrap the artifact that he was after in a large cloth. He stuffed the item in his bag and turned to the others. "Alright, let's go."

The three of them ran from the mansion, Noelani in the lead. She was much smaller and therefore faster than the other two. She took to the trees and slowed her pace. She watched her father and their bat companion come out below her.

"Lani... stay in the trees!" Youko Kurama said up to her as he unwrapped the satchel from his shoulder. "Take this!"

He tossed the satchel up to her and she caught it. She lapped the strap over her shoulder and took off ahead of them. She knew that this was a bad idea. She felt her ears flatten against her skull as she heard the howls of the hounds being released. She looked back over her shoulder as the howling got closer. She frowned and gasped lightly. Those were no ordinary hounds. They were demon hounds... specifically bred to hunt demons. Then the sound of gunshots was heard. The sharp pop from each shot made her jump, and she lost her footing. She extended her claws and dug them into the branch above her. She groaned lightly as she pulled herself back onto the branch. She jumped again, this time higher into the trees.

She frowned as the pain filled howl of Kuronue's voice was heard behind her. She could hear the hounds closing in. She wanted to stop, but her father appearing next to her on the branches made her think twice. "It's too late... the shot hit him through the heart. Let's go."

Noelani kept going, the sting in her lungs was ignored, for her life was more important to her at that moment than the momentary discomfort. They came to a clearing. Youko Kurama pushed her on, knowing that she would be able to get away at least. "Noelani... go. You must go on without me."

She turned to him and shook her head. "No, papa. Come on... we can make it... the den..."

Youko shook his head and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, Lani. I won't be able to make it. I would put you in danger. I was shot, and the hounds will follow the trail until they catch you too. I cannot allow that. So please... go. I love you baby. I love you... Live... GO!"

When she didn't move, he frowned and shoved her, hard. She gasped at the force and took off in the direction of the hidden den in the woods. She knew that she would have to hide her scent. She seen a river nearby and headed for it. She hopped into the river, the satchel getting soaking wet, and about ten pounds heavier. She struggled to get through the river.

Suddenly she heard her father cry out. She froze as she turned in the river. In the distance... she saw something that she would never be able to forget. Two demon hounds had gotten her father. They were biting into him and she could hear his painful screams as the two hounds took the very life from him. She shook her head, a moment of clarity for her. She was all alone. She knew that her father had sacrificed himself to save her. She looked down at the satchel and shook her head. She tightened the grip on the artifact and turned away from the scent of her father's death. She crossed the river, heading into the opposite side of the forest. It was going to be a new territory... but it was going to be worth it. She was going to have to make due... considering she had nothing left. She frowned as she stopped in front of a large tree. She seen a tiny hole in the trunk. She leaned down next to it. She sniffed and smiled as she found that there was no odd scent to it. It was empty. She took the bag from her shoulder and shoved it into the hole.

She shifted into her tiny fox form and thanked her mother for being a fire demon, for she had become a kit fox, a smaller breed of fox that was about a fourth of the size of a silver fox. She shook herself off and then squeezed herself into the tiny hole, surprised to find that it was a bit of a drop. She sat up in the fox form and shook her head. Her ears barely touched the roof of the tree and she looked out of the hole. She could hear the hounds outside, but they weren't near the tree. She curled up next to the satchel that held the hidden artifact. Noelani sighed lightly as she fell asleep, unable to stop her eyes from closing against the darkness around her.

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The next morning, Noelani woke up and sniffed the air. She was in her little hole in the base of the tree and she sat up. She felt her ears droop as she recalled what had happened the day before. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the satchel that her father had stuffed the artifact into the day before. She growled lightly at it, her red eyes glowing lightly as her anger started to come forward. She used her front paw to swipe at the bag, the bundle barely moving in the tiny space. Her emotions took a turn and she whimpered lightly. Her mother had died giving birth to her... and now her father was gone too. She was alone in the world. She whimpered lightly again as she laid her head down on her paws. Things went wrong. She knew they would.

Why couldn't he just listen to me? Why? If he had... we would still be together. Her thoughts raced in her mind. She did blame herself, for she should have fought harder to convince her father that the heist was a bad idea. Should have forced him to walk away. The only thing that kept running through her mind at the moment was the last few seconds that she had with her father.

"Noelani... go. You must go on without me."

She turned to him and shook her head. "No, papa. Come on... we can make it... the den..."

She frowned as she sat up. He wanted her to go on and live. He had sacrificed himself to give her a chance to get away. She looked at the satchel beside her. Perhaps... it was a sign. That everything had happened for a reason. But she couldn't see that reason. She shook her head and lifted up onto her back paws. She looked out of the hole at the base of the tree and looked around. There was nothing out there. All she could hear was the chirping of the birds and the squirrels fighting in the tree above her. She sat back again and sighed lightly.

Alright, papa. You wanted me to live... so I'm gonna live. She thought to herself as she picked up the satchel in her mouth. Gosh this thing was heavy. She shook her head lightly and then reached up to the entrance to the hole again. She used her nose and muzzle to shove the bag through the hole and then climbed out into the woods. She changed to her human form and looked around. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of the hounds came to her nose. They had been here, all around. She frowned and shook her head. She could not stay, it would be her end if she did.

Noelani placed the satchel over her shoulder and sighed lightly. She was going to have to keep moving. This area and territory were no longer safe for her. She wanted to keep focused on her task of relocating, but once again, there was a nagging feeling at the pit of her stomach. It was different from the one last night. It simply felt like she was forgetting something. She frowned as she looked around. What was that feeling, and why was it all of a sudden? The feeling deepened as she tried to turn to the north, the opposite direction of the mansion. She shook her head and cursed lightly. She knew that she was most likely going to regret this... but she didn't have a choice. That feeling was pulling her back the way she came the night before.

Noelani came to the river, looking out over it and she sighed lightly. Her father's body was no longer their, but the scent of death surely was. She wrinkled her nose as she found a secluded tree, a thick pine tree that would easily conceal her and her scent. She climbed it, settling on a branch that seemed to give her a clearer view of the area around. She seen the hounds out over the edge of the hills and she laid her ears back. If she was not careful, then they would hear or smell her. She settled herself, taking a deep calming breath and letting it go slowly. She closed her eyes as she did this two more times.

"... Please sir... I swear... I had no idea," a demon cried suddenly. "The bat was killed first, but he refused to talk before his wounds killed him."

Noelani frowned as she listened to the conversation on the opposite side of the river. It was two men, on much bigger than the other. The scrawny man was dangling in the bigger man's arms, his feet wiggling as he tried to reach the ground. For a moment, the larger man sat him down, but did not release the hold on the front of his shirt.

"The silver fox was killed last night as well," the demon said to the man holding him. "But we were trying to find the other fox. It was a little red one... I don't know what they are called."

The man released the demon and rubbed his chin. "A Kit Fox, you say?"

The scrawny demon nodded and swallowed lightly. "She got away, sir. And while we were chasing her, my lord... we lost the soul of the silver fox."

The larger man turned to him and frowned. "You let his soul be taken to the Spirit Realm?!"

The skinny demon shook his head. "No, sir... it wasn't taken to the Spirit Realm. It escaped."

Noelani sat up on the perch, that was the only thing worth listening to in this conversation. She silently leaned forward as the scrawny demon explained that the Reaper had come to claim the soul while they were there... but when he got there... it was already gone. The Reaper said that it must have escaped to another Realm. Noelani smiled lightly. So that was what that nagging feeling was in the pits of her stomach. It was telling her that there was a chance that her father was still alive. But frowned as the demon continued.

"No, sir... he will no longer be in this form," the demon said. "He had no choice but to abandon the form. If he has escaped to either the Spirit World or the Human World... he will most likely take over a baby's form and be totally reborn. The Reaper said that if we can locate where his soul went, then we would most likely be able to get his soul back before he is reborn."

Noelani smiled lightly and shook her head. Not if I can find him first. I will make sure that my father is safe in his new form. And I will be damned if anyone dares to lay a hand on him.

After the demons left the clearing, Noelani slipped out of the tree and headed to the north. If she could do anything, she would go to Koenma. He was the Lord of the Spirit World and everyone knew that he was the protector of the much weaker Human World. She could ask him where he might be.

She entered the Spirit World two days later. She frowned as she found that it was indeed just that. Most of the demons here were lower ranked. She could sense that there WERE more powerful demons around, but none that really mattered to her, for she had only one thing on her mind. She had to make it to Koenma. She stopped suddenly and shook her head. I cannot go to Koenma... what if he arrests me for stealing this stupid artifact... hmm, I always could turn it in for a reward. Say that I found it a few days ago... No. Papa wanted to take it to the Black Markets of the Makai, that is where it will go. I will sell it for the highest price I can get, and I will find my father on my own.

Noelani took a detour. Instead of heading in the direction of the Lord's castle, she headed for the marketplace. She smiled as she seen all of the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. She had always loved the markets. It was a delightful treat to all of her senses. The sight of the bright colored attire for sale, the children running around playing happily as if they had no cares in the world. The sounds of the cheerful music that seemed to brighten the very daylight, the laughing of almost every inhabitant of the market. The smells of the local vendors cooking up tasty treats for the people of the markets. She smiled again, this was more her style. She loved the tight knit community that was a local market. She walked through the streets, examining things as she went. She came across a clothing vendor who smiled at her. She looked at the attire and sighed lightly. The small woman smiled again and stood up from her spot on the ground where she was in the process of sewing another piece of clothing to sell.

"See anything you like?" the woman asked her.

Noelani frowned and nodded. "They are exquisite... but I am afraid that I cannot buy today. I haven't any money on me."

The woman smiled. She looked over the young fox in front of her and shook her head. "The daughter of the great Youko Kurama is always a valued customer."

Noelani stepped back and frowned at the woman. "How did you know that? Hardly anyone around knows that!"

The woman stepped forward and lifted the red fox's sleeve. "I remember every piece of clothing that I stitch. The beauty of each piece. This one was for a special fox that came to me and asked for a special order."

Noelani frowned, this woman had known her father personally, and he had come to her to make this outfit? The red fox shook her head. "Even so, ma'am... I have no money. I couldn't take and not pay."

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "There was a second outfit that he had ordered recently. He never came to pick it up. It is already paid for if you would like it."

Noelani's ears perked up as she looked at the woman. "He did?"

The woman nodded and gently tugged her sleeve. "Come with me."

The woman led her to the back of the little open shop. The red fox couldn't help but stop and examine several of the outfits that the woman had for sale. They were indeed beautiful, each containing silk of some kind and velvet. She smiled to see the woman come back to her holding a black and white outfit. Noelani smiled as she looked at the outfit. It was beautiful, it was solid black with white roses and orchids stitched into it. It was a light velvet with thick silk sleeves and the pants were a solid white silk with the same roses and orchids stitched in black. The woman handed her the garment and smiled as the young fox held it up to her.

"It looks like it will fit," the woman said. "You can change in the back, if you would like."

Noelani nodded and walked into the back of the shop. She changed into the outfit, surprised that it fit her like a glove. She ran her hand over the velvety texture of the top, a sort of vest like appearance when she looked in the mirror. She smiled as she ran her hands from the black velvet that covered her front to the silky white sleeves. She looked at herself in the long mirror there and smiled again. Her father really did have good tastes. She put the outfit that she had changed from into the satchel and settled it back over her shoulder. She walked back to let the woman examine her.

"Perfection," the woman said and smiled at her. "Youko always said that you were a beauty, that your looks would forever outweigh his own... and he was right. You really are stunning, child."

Noelani smiled lightly as she took a small bracelet from her wrist. She held it out to the woman and the woman frowned at her. "Please... I may need you in the future."

The woman nodded and accepted the jade bracelet. She smiled at the young fox before her as she put the bracelet in her pocket. "You are welcome here any time, Lani."

She smiled lightly and nodded. "Thank you so much, miss..."

"My name is Alana," she said to the fox. "Whenever you need anything, please, do not hesitate to ask. Your father and I have been friends for ages."

Noelani nodded with a smile. "I will, Alana. Thank you so much again. But I must go, I have things that must be taken care of quickly."

The woman smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "The Black Markets are outside of town. If you follow the river, you cannot miss it. But a word of caution... they are ruthless there, and will not hesitate to cheat you from your trinket."

Noelani smiled and shook her head. "I know it's value, and I know how to deal with ruffians. I can be just as mean as they are."

Alana smiled at her. "You really are just like your father. Be careful out there, sweety. The world is far darker than you may realize."

Noelani smiled and left the shop. She sighed lightly and shook her head as she headed out of the town. She knew that the Black Markets were full of demons that would easily be able to kill her, but the fact that she was on her own mission in life was what propelled her towards the darkness that surrounded the marketplace of traitorous ruffians.

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Two days later, Noelani smiled as she stood on a large cliff that overlooked the vast openness of the Makai. It was a beautiful sight when the sun hit it in the morning. She looked around and tried to figure out where her father would have gone. But a simple thought struck her... he wouldn't risk growing up in the Spirit World. She smirked as she headed to the portals of the Human World. She knew that her ears and tail would be a major give away. She smiled lightly for she knew how to conceal them. She crossed the portal to the worlds and sighed lightly as she came to a dense forest. She pulled her power forward and moments later her ears and her tail were gone, replaced by human ears and no tail. She shook her head, the difference in sound was startling. How can Humans deal with such little sound? Man... I can't even hear the birds in the distance. Pitiful creatures. She thought to herself.

She made her way to the streets and her eyes widened. This place was huge! Holy crap on a cracker! Noelani looked around her, seeing nothing but tall buildings, bustling people, and moving cars. She shook her head as her main objective came back to her thoughts. She had to find the woman that was carrying the spirit of her father. And after only an hour of searching, she found traces of an ancient fox nearby. She followed the traces until they lead to a middle aged woman standing in the park. She was admiring the cherry blossom trees there, smiling up at the blooms that fell around her. She caught one in her hand and brought it to her nose. She sighed lightly as the scent washed over her and she patted her belly gently.

Noelani smiled brightly as she sat on the park bench a few yards away from the woman. The young fox stared at the woman as she caught several more blossoms as they fell, smiling at each one that she caught. Noelani shook her head. Humans are such simple creatures... the thought of catching a cherry blossom is enough to make them happy... where is the fun in that. I prefer to GROW the trees that around, that is fun. She shook her head as the woman sighed lightly as she glanced at a watch on her wrist. She held onto her cherry blossoms as she walked out of the park. Hopefully she would be heading to her home so that she could know where her father would be staying at until he was old enough to come back home.

))_))_

Noelani sighed lightly as she followed the woman through the town. Has this woman ever heard of a pregnant lady needs to take it easy? I mean, I am getting tired just following her! After a few hours of going from the park to a restaurant and then to a building called a Mall... Noelani waited for her outside on that one. There were WAY too many people in there for her liking. When the woman came back out of the building, she was carrying three bags. One bag had a baby carrier on it and Noelani tilted her head to the side. The woman headed down the street again and again, the red fox fell into step about ten to fifteen yards behind.

After another twenty minutes or so of walking, the woman finally came to a residental area, where the houses went from small, to medium sizes. Noelani gaped at the house in which the woman placed her bags on the porch. She quickly jumped into the tree outside and cocked her head as the woman went to her knees in the rose bushes. She grumbled something that Noelani's human ears couldn't pick up as she pulled several weeds from the bed there. The woman then stood with the weeds in hand and sighed lightly as she looked at her bed of roses. Noelani had to admit, they were indeed beautiful. The colors varied from red to white to yellow and even light purple.

"Hello Shiori," a woman said to the young woman staring at her roses. "You look radiant as ever."

The woman turned to her neighbor with a smile. "Thank you again, Mrs. Pettegrew. How are you this afternoon?"

The neighbor woman shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "Same as always. Keeping up with the grandkids and all."

Shiori smiled at the woman and nodded. "That's always fun. It won't be long for me now."

"When are you due again?" the Pettegrew woman asked.

Shiori smiled as she placed a hand on her rounded stomach. "Three months. Hopefully she will be born on the first day of Spring. That would be nice."

The woman next door laughed lightly as she shook her head. "I was hoping the same thing with my first born, but instead of being born on Christmas Eve... he decided to wait until January sixth. What can you do, though, right?"

Shiori laughed and nodded. "They will come when they come."

The woman next door nodded as she watched the pregnant woman pick up her bags and walk into the house. The neighbor finished her watering of the bushes around her home and then she too walked into her own house. Noelani sighed. So... you think it's gonna be a girl huh? Ha... I wish I could see the look on your face when a boy comes out. Oh, well. Three months isn't too long. I was expecting to wait the entire pregnancy.

Noelani jumped from the tree to the nearest part of the forest. She smiled lightly as she found a perfect vantage point a few feet from the clearing of the forest. She settled into a tree and leaned back against the trunk. She smiled again as she leaned back, knowing that in a few months time, her father would be reborn, and ten or so years after that, he could return to the Demon World with her, where he belonged. Just a week ago, Noelani believed that she had lost everything, her family, her protector and here she was, watching over the human woman as she took care of him for a while. She frowned at the total role reversal here. It was supposed to be parent takes care of child, not child protects human that carries parent.

With a shrug, Noelani drifted off into a light sleep, her energy placing sentries around the woman's house and around her nest at the moment. Should anything wish to attack, she would be notified instantly. It was something that her father had taught her, and over the years, she could see that it was not that bad of a trick. It had saved their lives on countless occasions. And now... it was going to do it again. She settled into the tree a little more as her mind shut down. That night, she dreamed about her father, and what it was going to be like to have him with her once again.

But Noelani had no idea that things would never be the same. She only had a sense that things would change a bit, but her and her father would be together again, just the two of them like it was supposed to be. However, fate had different ideas about the two foxes and their future. And it was going to show itself sooner than anyone could know. For at that very moment, off in the Spirit World, a pair of glowing red eyes glared at the portal to the Human World. The short black hair that stood in spikes blew lightly in the winds, and the smell of death surrounded him. Without a second thought, the figure jumped through the portal and frowned as it closed behind him. Oh, well.. there were others. He would simply find one and then regain entry to the Spirit World. But the Lord of the Spirit World placed guards at each entrance, making his return more difficult than expected.

))_))_

The End of Chapter One: Death And Rebirth. I hope that you are all enjoying. This one is gonna take some time, because I have many ideas and they are not all put in the right order just yet. But in the meantime...

Please leave me your comments, your reviews, your complaints, and your requests. I will be happy to hear them from you, good or bad. I will get back to them as soon as I can. Until next time... Ta Ta For Now.