Author's Notes: This has been rattling around for a few months now. Please bear with me on names and terms, because I've watched both the subbed and dubbed versions. Oh, and this is an AU/OC story, so if you don't like those, turn back now. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters, but I've met the man who drew the mangas. Kohaku is copyright me, though.

Heart of Ice, Fist of Flame

There was never any doubt as to where her duties lay. Since setting out on her own, the demon had two goals to fulfill: One was to find the thief Youko Kurama, and see what he was up to, and to persuade him to return to Makai. The second, and perhaps harder task, was to find her brother, and persuade him to join the family he'd never known. But given her will to succeed, and some info taken from a group of low-level demons, Kohaku was hoping that at least one of her goals would be seen through before the night was over…


The area she landed in was surrounded on all sides by buildings, and she could smell salt water only a hundred feet away. Her tail twitched nervously, and Kohaku shook her head to clear it. Being half-cat demon wasn't always the easiest thing, especially when she got near large bodies of water. Still, she could sense the energy of her target not far away. And, as an added bonus, she smelled the blood of a wounded animal. Maybe there would be time for a quick snack after she'd caught up to the demon she was after. Leaping silently onto the roof of the nearest building, Kohaku jumped from roof to roof in search of her quarry, who didn't seem to notice her yet. Finally he came within sight, though there was something odd about the scene. His energy was the same, yet the body walking- no, staggering beneath her wasn't the same as the last time she'd seen the agile thief. He looked… Delicate, for some reason. And the scent of blood was stronger here, but that didn't make sense unless- Fear stabbed through her for a moment before she decided to throw caution to the wind. "Kurama?" she called out, wondering if perhaps her tracking abilities had deserted her for the night. But no, the person turned at the sound of her voice, but Kohaku quickly saw that it looked nothing like her intended target.

"Yes?" came a boy's voice that flowed out of a human body. Thin in build, the body was clothed in a red uniform, and blood-red hair flowed down to the shoulders. The front of the uniform was stained with blood, and Kohaku realized that this person was hurt. Actually, the wound looked bad enough to be fatal to humans. How could he still be standing, let alone walking? And then she saw the boy pull a rose out of his hair, lengthening it into a deadly whip. So, he'd somehow changed his body to blend in with the humans? How un-Kurama like. "Who's there?"

"Kurama, you're getting careless in your old age," she teased, staying hidden among the shadows of the roof. "I could've killed you twice over."

"How do you know who I am?" His defensive stance wavered for a moment, and Kohaku could tell that his wound was causing him quite a bit of pain.

"I know a few things about you," she replied, landing on the street and approaching him slowly. "But tell me, who gave you that lovely memento?" A moment later she yelped in surprise when a thorn-studded whip missed her head by mere inches. Kohaku landed on all fours and hissed at him, her tail waving madly in the air, and the claws on her hands digging into the pavement. "What was that for?"

"I have no time to be bothered by demons. If you have come to hunt me, then prepare to fight." His harsh tone stung more than the whip could have. Had Kurama forgotten her after all this time?

"Kurama, I didn't come here to fight. I came here to find you, to make sure you were all right. Don't you remember me?" He stared at her for a moment, and then finally coiled the whip back into his hand. However, he didn't move from a defensive crouch.

"The Kurama you came to find isn't the same one you remember. But no, I haven't forgotten you, Kohaku. I'm sorry about lashing out, but you startled me."

"Kurama, what's happened to you? Your energy is the same, yet you look no different from a human. How-" He held up a hand to silence her, and she obeyed.

"I was wounded many years ago by a hunter, and escaped death only by infusing my spirit into the body of a human. But that changed me, and I'm not the same thief you remember. I've got a new life now, with a new purpose."

"Does that mean I'm no longer part of it? I thought you loved me, Kurama?" He turned away, and Kohaku swore he was blushing slightly.

"What I felt then and what I feel now isn't the same. Yes, as Youko Kurama I did love you. But as Shuichi- Kurama, my heart lies elsewhere. I'm sorry that you've come all this way for nothing." Kohaku nodded, trying to hold back tears. It wasn't fair! She'd held out hope that Kurama would come back for her, but now he seemed more lost to her than ever.

"I didn't come for nothing. I came to get answers, and that's what I intend to have. I want to see what this new life is that you've found." And with that, she was gone, vanished back into the shadows that clung to the buildings. Kurama smiled sadly and turned towards home again. He had a feeling he would see the strange cat-demon again.


Months later, Kurama had just arrived back from a mission as a Spirit Detective. The four Saint Beasts had been tough foes, and he grimaced as he stretched muscles that were still trying to heal. "Why is it that my midsection always seems to get sliced up?"

"Probably because you keep forgetting to guard it," a slightly familiar voice replied. Perched on his window was Kohaku, her eyes glowing green when the light bounced off them. "You're also becoming easier to track."

"I had other things on my mind." Which was true, in a way. He'd actually been daydreaming about the small fire-demon who had agreed to accompany him on the Saint Beast mission. Hiei had called him a traitor the last time Kurama had seen him, so what could've changed his feelings about working with the ex-thief? Though for his part, Kurama really hadn't asked any questions about the subject either.

"You're blushing," Kohaku broke into his mind's wanderings.

"Sorry, must have gotten lost in thought." She came down from the window and stood by his bed, smiling slightly. Now that he knew she meant no harm, the redhead allowed himself a good look at her. Her black hair hung straight down to the small of her back, and small, black cat ears poked up from the top of her head. The clothes she wore were all black, save what looked like three red slashes that ran from her left shoulder to her right hip. Claws were on were fingertips, but she retracted them even as he watched. A black tail curled slightly around her legs, and then resolved to swishing calmly back and forth. Kurama looked up into her eyes, which were a reddish-gold, like they hadn't quite decided which color they wanted to be. All in all, she painted a rather pretty picture for a demon, and he could understand why his old self had liked her. "If I remember, your mother was a cat-demon, but your father wasn't. That's why your eyes are that oddly intriguing color."

"Well, it's nice to see that you do remember. And yes, father was a fire demon. A rather lustful fire demon, I'm afraid. Every time I turn around it seems I have more brothers and sisters. Though this time I came to find one."

"Is that why you're in Ningenkai?" It seemed a bit odd that a fire demon or even a half fire-demon would choose the human world to hide in. However, since that was where he himself had chosen to hide, Kurama couldn't pass judgment.

"That and to track you down. I was hoping to persuade you to return to Makai with me, but for now I know that's impossible. However, if you see a half-fire demon wandering around, can you let me know? Father wants to try and gather his offspring, and apparently one of my little brothers has earned quite a reputation."

"Does this brother of yours have a name? I can ask some of my associates in Makai if they've seen him." Kohaku leapt onto the windowsill again, smiling back at Kurama for a moment.

"I appreciate this, Kurama, and I'll be back some other time to check back with you. As for my brother's name, it's Hiei." With that she was gone again, like she'd vanished into the shadows. Kurama was just trying to speak when another shape slipped into his room. It stood there a moment, fixing the redhead with a gaze others would find piercing or unfriendly. To Kurama, it was simply Hiei's typical look.

"Who was that, Kurama? I saw someone slip out this window not a moment ago."

"Worried about me, Hiei?"

"Of course not," the little fire-demon shot back. "I was just making sure you aren't going to double-cross us. Now who was that?" Kurama shrugged and sighed, but he just couldn't get Kohaku's words out of his head.

"No one, Hiei. Just an old friend."