Hello, I'm posting this sooner than I had said; only because I got a lot of people said I should do this. I have the next chapter already written so I may update soon. Thanks. Oh, and I don't own yu yu hakusho.

Growing up

By Fire Gemron

Chapter 1

Kurama

The skies were dark. Fog rolled off the mountain and wove through the trees. It coated the ground and hid the small cave entrance. A young kitsune sat on the limestone ledge outside the cave. His silvery hair and white clothes blended with the fog. His wide gold eyes studied the trees around him absently. Inside the cave, he could hear the sounds of his siblings playing.

His mothers voice called to him from inside, "Kurama, come inside, it's getting dark!"

The young kitsune's ear twitched. Kurama was the youngest, and smallest, of the kits. He often had a hard time dealing with his brothers and sister. Luckily, his mother always watched out for him.

"Kurama!" his mother cried.

Kurama sighed and brushed his platinum bangs from his eyes. "Coming."

The little kitsune jumped off his perch. Casting a last look around the forest, he headed inside. It was warmer inside the den. Kurama saw two of his brothers fighting in the corner. His only sister watched them, debating whether or not to join the fray. She was perhaps the closest of the kits to Kurama. Her name was Lana. She finally gave up on the fight and came over to sit by Kurama.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

Kurama shook his head and glanced at the den's opening. His mother sat in the stone archway, looking out into the fog. Sensing something wrong, Kurama looked around the small den. All he could see was his three brothers and Lana. He frowned at his sister.

"Is Father not back yet?" Kurama asked.

Lana shook her head. "No, and Mother's getting worried."

The oldest of the kits came over. The other two were still fighting.

"Why is Mother worried?" Kurama asked Lana.

"You really are young," his oldest brother muttered. Kurama frowned and glared at the floor, wishing he were stronger. Then he would show them.

Beside him, Lana sighed. "There are a lot of hunters in the forest lately." Kurama blinked at her. "They're after us."

Kurama frowned. He stood and walked over to his mother. His mother put an arm around his shoulders. For a moment, they just sat there, looking into the forest.

A gunshot shattered the calm.

Kurama and his mother sat bolt upright. The other kits ran over to them.

"Oh no!" Kurama's mother whispered.

She ran out of the den, disappearing into the fog. The kits stood at the opening, unsure as to what to do.

"What now?" one of the younger boys whispered.

"Should we stay here?" Lana breathed.

Kurama looked around at his siblings. What could they do?

A moment later, a second gunshot sounded.

"Mother!" Lana cried. Tears glimmered on her cheeks. 

Kurama when over to his sister as one of the boys gasped. "It's over! The hunters will kill us all for sure!"

"No!" called the oldest of the kits. Everyone looked at him. "We can't give up."

Kurama and Lana were sitting closest to the entrance. Kurama heard something moving outside.

"Oooh!" Lana hissed. "It's the hunters!"

The kits ran out into the small clearing outside the den. The two young boys bolted when the rustling sounded again. Lana called for them to stop. It was now the oldest, Lana, and Kurama, alone with hunters all around. Lana wrapped her arms around the little Kurama and held him close, as though she was afraid of losing her brother.

"What do we do now?" Lana whispered. She sounded as if she was going to cry again.

"The cliff," the oldest kitsune said. He turned to the cave and the cliff that rose behind it.

Kurama looked up at the two older kits fearfully. He was the youngest. He would not be able to climb the cliff, not without help. He hated feeling helpless, but that feeling stung him now, and he didn't care. He kept telling himself that it as a dream, that he would wake up and his brothers would bully him, and Lana would yell at them, and Mother would scold them, and –

Kurama was jolted out of his thoughts by a tear that fell on his hand. With a start, he realized it wasn't from Lana. He was crying silently, and it was his own tear that had landed on his hand. Lana saw that he was crying and held him closer.

"We can't, Sezuna," Lana said. "Kurama's to little and we're all on our own."

"All the more reason we should try," The oldest, Sezuna, said. "We have to live and carry on the legacy of our family. Kurama will be fine if we help him."

Lana choked back tears. "What do you think, Kurama?"

Kurama looked up at his sister, his tear-stained gold eyes going wide with surprise. Was she really asking him? "I-I don't know…"

Lana smiled a little at him, hugging him tighter.

"There's a trail that leads up to the top," Sezuna continued. "We must go now!"

Lana nodded and released Kurama. She caught his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Together, the three remaining kits ran up the rocky slope to the trail. Kurama slipped and stumbled on the smooth stones. Lana pulled him along.

There was a sudden sharp rustling behind them. The three kitsunes looked back and saw below them, two hunters armed with rifles.

"Lana, take Kurama and run. I'll hold them off as long as possible." Sezuna said.

"Sezuna, no!" Lana cried. Kurama's eyes got, if possible, even wider.

"It's the only way possible." Sezuna said. "Lana listen to me, you must run and don't look back. At the top of the cliff are more caves. I heard Father talking about them once. Hide there until it is safe, then run leave this place. Take care of Kurama. Goodbye sister. Goodbye Kurama. Take care."

Lana nodded and ran, pulling Kurama with her. Kurama looked back as he ran. (Hey, Sezuna had told Lana not to look back, not him) Kurama watched his brother slide down the slope to where the hunters waited, their guns raised. Then he was pulled around a curve in the trail and he could see no more. He looked to the stones in front of him in an attempt to stop stumbling.

A gunshot came to them.

Lana stopped dead, her eyes wide, tears streaking down her face.  "God no," She whispered, her voice trembling horribly.

Kurama stopped too, his wide gold eyes staring unseeing at the path. He felt numb inside. This couldn't be true. It just couldn't. His family couldn't die and leave him and Lana alone. They just …couldn't.

Lana tugged at his hand again and he followed her up the slopping trail, feeling sick. Together, the last two kits ran into a small cave. The entrance was barely a crack and the kitsunes had trouble getting in. They would be safe, at least.

Lana collapsed against a wall crying. She covered her face with her hands, and her shoulders shook.  Kurama went over to her. He touched her arm. Lana looked him a moment, then wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh, Kurama, this is horrible. What are we to do now?" she whispered, crying hard.

Kurama was crying now, too, but softer than his sister. He calmed himself a little and whispered, "We'll do what we have to."

Lana hugged him tighter. Together, the last two kits cried themselves to sleep.

That was sad, and the next chapter is too, sorry. After that, things get better, I promise. Please review and tell me what you think.