Hey everybody! Well, here is my second attempt at fanfiction. I had actually tried to write a story before, but I ended up dropping it. Hopefully this one will turn out better.

Here is the first chapter, enjoy! (or not, either way...)

Chapter 1: And So...

Youko Kurama was bored. A bored kitsune is never a good thing. Especially if said fox demon was Kurama. The youko was lounging in one of his many dens, idly twirling a silver bracelet around one claw tipped finger. Well, the bracelet was actually not silver but made of titanium ore and crushed diamond, molten together and painstakingly crafted with rubies and sapphires embedded into its surface. It took all of five minutes to steal.

With a huff of annoyance the fox tossed the glistening bracelet into the pile of other priceless artifacts that had been 'acquired' earlier that day. Jumping up from his position on the large cushion he'd been laying on, Kurama paced around his current den. He was going stir crazy. With his status as The King of Thieves and the Legendary Bandit, not to mention all the horrifying rumors and tales of his deeds (some of which he started himself), demons shivered at his name and steered clear of his path. He had broken into and stolen from nearly every 'impenetrable' fortress in Makai and solved too many puzzles to count. There was simply no more challenge.

Being a youko, tricks and illusions were in his nature. Having mastered the art of fox demon enchantments and spells, he had moved on to weaponry at an early age (for a youko). Not that his past would have allowed him to survive otherwise. There was a reason he had lived for so long. After weapons, he found his affinity with nature and proceeded to perfect that skill as well. These days he hadn't had much need to resort to his old tricks or use any kitsune spells at all, save for the simple illusions to hide his identity. But really, that was more of an indulgence than a necessity.

Quite frankly, Kurama found his situation depressing. To be so powerful and yet have no use for it was quite sad indeed. Maybe if he took a stroll through one of the nearby cities he would find something of entertainment? He doubted it, but…

Deciding he had nothing better to do and time to kill, he raised one pale hand and made a swish-like motion above his head. Suddenly his long silver hair was replaced by black, tied up into a high ponytail with a long blue ribbon, his fox ears disappeared, instead becoming fin-like and blue colored on the sides of his head. His pale complexion gained a slight tan and golden eyes became deep blue. White clothes shimmered and became black with swirls of indigo at the base of his sash. His tail was now non existent. Taking a look at his reflection in a full-length gold rimmed mirror, he smirked and gave a nod at his new image as it settled into place. He looked absolutely nothing like himself. Perfect. The guise he used was one he used often when going into town. After all, if the great Youko Kurama were to go traipsing through demon establishments, not only would it be a stupid way to give up his location but it would cause an epidemic. No need to frighten the locals. In this form he was not Kurama, but 'Kurokosui'. In fact, he had many friends in town and was quite popular with the ladies in, well, everywhere. If only they knew; those poor ignorant demons.

Pleased with himself, the fox, or in this case the 'water apparition Kurokosui', headed off into town with a toothy grin.

~-*X*-~

"After a time, you may find that "having" is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as "wanting." It is not logical, but it is often true."- Spock

~-*X*-~ ~-*X*-~

The city he was in was a settlement just outside of the Dark Forest and Youko Kurama made it a habit to swing by whenever he was in the area. The city was good for gathering information and also for contacting the black market. The location was perfect because none but the truly self confident (or suicidal) dared to enter the looming woods. Strange demon parasites were common among this area and most would lurk around in the trees, waiting for prey, but of course this was exactly what Kurama had been hoping for when he decided to create a den there. Seeing as he controlled nature, the parasites left him well alone as he could turn their very homes, the trees, against them. They served to keep out intruders. Most of his dens were created and guarded in this manner, along with his deadly plants.

The strong rule the weak and the weak didn't mess with the strong unless they wanted to die. That was the ideal hierarchy system but demons will be demons and only the smart ones knew when to back off. Wars were erupting everywhere these days and it seemed Mukuro and Raizen were going at it again. Kurama was very powerful himself and using his intelligence and not to mention his fame, he could probably start an empire himself if he wanted to. But settling down and becoming a ruler didn't appeal to the fox. He needed freedom and to feel the excitement of pulling off a heist. Thieving was an art that Kurama took pride in. But even with all the chaos going on, there was just nothing to do! 'What I need is a change of pace' he thought dryly.

The scent of alcohol and smoke assaulted his sensitive nose as the youko entered the rowdy tavern. Demons of all shapes and colors were gathered there, though the more common species were the reptilian youkai. They were notorious for being loud, obnoxious, and weak. Holding back a grimace he made his way to the bar with a fake smile, ordered a drink of some-sorts, and sat down. Keeping up his charade as Kurokosui, Kurama chatted with the local drunk demons.

After several hours of listening to drunken ramblings he was beginning to think this was a waste of time. It was nearing midnight (or the makai equivalent of midnight at least) when Kurama finally heard something worth his attention.

"…yeah, they say that the jewel can grant your wishes!" drunk demon number one said.

"Wait, didn't the thing break into a million pieces?" drunk demon number two asked.

"Naw, I heard it was only like maybe a hundred or so…but, most of them have been collected already." Drunken demon number three joined in.

"What? Seriously? Shoot, I was jus' thinkin' 'bout goin' n getting one fer meself!" demon number five called out, he had been drunk for quite a while.

"Hahaha you couldn't get one even if there were a thousand shards!" drunk demon number one yelled at number five.

"What was that?" number five was getting angry.

"If you were strong enough to fight off those jewel shard hunters, you wouldn't be sitting around here in the first place!" drunk demon number one taunted number five. "All of us here are too weak to stand against Naraku!" now he was insulting everyone in the bar…which is never a good thing. Well, he was drunk.

At the mention of Naraku many more joined in on the conversation with angry yells. Kurama concentrated on picking out the important details; not an easy feat considering most of the demons had more than one bottle too many and could barely see past their nose, let alone speak clearly. Throwing in a comment once in a while so as to keep up his guise and (more importantly) the conversation from going off topic, the fox demon in disguise was glad he'd decided to come tonight. One could always find out the latest on goings in a pub. It wasn't long before chairs were being thrown and tables were turned. 'Well, there goes conversation' Amidst the shattered glass, flying fists and spilt blood, no one noticed when Kurokosui slipped away.

Kurama left the tavern before the low class demons grew too bloodthirsty. He didn't want a repeat of last week; it disgusted him to even think about it. But that's beside the point. From what he gathered, something peculiar was going on in the human world. He hadn't been paying much attention to the Ningenkai lately and now all of a sudden he learns that this half demon, Naraku, has become 'all powerful' and is seeking a jewel called the Shikon no Tama, Jewel of Four Souls. Apparently, a priestess from a strange land shattered the jewel into pieces and the shards flew off to Inari knows where. Now the miko, along with a monk, a demon slayer, and another half demon are gathering the shards and attempting to take down this 'Naraku' character. That was as much as he could get before things fell apart.

It seemed interesting, and the youko had to admit he was curious. And bored, lets not forget that.

'Hmm...Perhaps a trip to the human world is in order'

~o~o~o~

Well, there you go. Not sure if it's good or not, but hey, it's an attempt right? I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter up, what with school and all, but I'll try to not take more than a month at the most.

Reviews would encourage me to write faster! ^_^ I can't control how people review, but if you don't like the story then why bother with flames? Well, i don't really care. Any comments are helpful. :)

-Jen