Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance in this story.

I would also like to include a special thanks to Anony, neko kitkat and Astarte for reviewing chapter one. I enjoyed reading them! Oh, and another thanks to Astarte reviewing chapter five of Rachisuru, too!

Chapter 2

Shiori stood on the deck, looking out over the sea, her hands clutching the railing tightly. She gazed at the ocean unseeingly, her troubled eyes revealing the turmoil within her mind. I can't believe I never knew. Nineteen years. Nineteen years, and I was completely oblivious. No, not completely. He was always an odd child, a special child. Polite to a fault, perfect grades in school, doing whatever was asked of him without complaint-- what normal child would ever behave in such a manner? I knew something was different, something was wrong. But I didn't say anything. He was my son, he was all I had left after my husband died-- he was my world. And to think, after all this time, I find out that he is an imposter. A monster that killed my real son to save himself, and I... I couldn't tell. A single tear fell down Shiori's cheek, landing on the back of her hand. I couldn't even tell the difference between a demon masquerading as a perfect child and my own son. What sort of mother am I...?

A pair of familiar arms slipped around her waist, Kazyua's chin resting on her shoulder. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

She closed her eyes. And what can I tell my husband? She leaned her head against his. "Just admiring the view," she whispered, lest her voice give her emotions away.

"Hatanaka-san!"

Reluctantly, Kazuya let go of his wife, turning towards the owner of the voice. "Oh, hello, Akihito-kun," he greeted.

"Have you seen Suuichi-kun? We had some plans today, but we can't find him anywhere," he explained, gesturing to several other teenagers who nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, boys, but I haven't seen him," he answered. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Shuichi, either."

Shiori stiffened slightly. Suuichi-kun is missing? No, it's a large ship, I'm sure he's just on one of the lower levels. The demon wouldn't do anything to hurt him...would he? I have no idea what that creature I saw last night is capable of... She shook her head. I'm just overreacting, she told herself firmly. Suuichi-kun is fine. Demon or not, Shuichi would never...

"Shiori? Are you alright, dear?" Kazuya asked, looking at his wife carefully.

She smiled, trying to hide her emotions. "I'm sure he's fine. Why don't we ask some of the crew members if they've seen him?" she suggested.

"That's a good idea. I'll go ask right now," Kazuya said, walking away. Shiori turned back, her troubled gaze overlooking the ocean once again. A few minutes later, she stiffened as she heard a page over the ship's intercom.

"Attention all passengers. Would Hatanaka Suuichi and Minamino Shuichi please report to their cabin immediately. I repeat, would Hatanaka Suuichi and Minamino Shuichi please report to their cabin immediately. Thank you."

She knew that she should probably go to the cabin to meet them, but she wasn't ready to face the creature that she used to think was her son. My husband should be there, she reasoned, not moving from her position by the rail. About ten minutes went by before she heard the page repeated.

Neither of them came? she thought, making her way below. Kazuya was standing outside the cabin and talking to one of the crewmembers as Shiori approached them.

"--next five minutes, then the captain will authorize a ship-wide search. If they are anywhere onboard, we'll find your sons," the sailor said.

Kazuya nodded. He walked over and put his arm around Shiori's shoulders. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Neither of the boys responded to the page. There is a chance that they didn't hear it the first time, so we're going to wait a few more minutes for them to show up," he explained.

"They're both missing?" Shiori said, her eyes wide. No, he couldn't have... her thought trailed off, a pit forming in her stomach.

Five minutes passed without a sign of either of them. The sailor left to report to the captain and the crew began to search the ship, questioning all the passengers. Several hours later, there was still no sign of the boys. Kazuya sat on the bed while Shiori paced the length of the room, her mind going through all sorts of different scenarios that could have taken place. She looked up as someone knocked on the door, quickly crossing the room and answering it.

"Shiori-chan, what's going on? Some of the crew members are downstairs, asking if anyone has seen either of your sons," Kameko said, entering the room. "Are they missing?"

Shiori opened her mouth to reply when a male voice interrupted her.

"Excuse me, Hatanaka-san?" Two crewmembers were standing in the doorway. Seeing they had everyone's attention, the first one continued. "The search has been completed. There is no sign of either one of your sons."

"But, how...? They couldn't have just disappeared," Kazuya argued.

"Can you tell me when you last saw them?" the sailor asked.

"I saw Shuichi last night, on the deck," Shiori said, her voice shaking slightly. "It was around 11:30, I think."

"And your other son?"

"I sent Suuichi-kun to bed last night around midnight," Kazuya said. One of the sailors nodded, writing something down on a notepad.

"Actually, Suuichi-kun didn't go to bed," Kameko said. "I saw him in the dining hall, looking for his brother," she added when everyone looked at her.

"And, did you..." Shiori began, a new fear gripping her heart.

"I told him I had seen Shuichi go up on deck earlier," she said. "He took off running down the hallway, so I assume that was where he was headed."

"So, it is safe to assume that both of them were up on deck during the storm?" one of the sailors asked.

Shiori covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, no," she whispered.

The sailors exchanged a few words between them before one of them left. "We'll notify the captain and he'll radio on ahead. They'll send search and rescue teams to look for your sons," the other one said before following the first.

Shiori moved over to the bed, closing her eyes as she sank down upon the mattress. They went overboard. I-I can't believe it. It must have been accidental-- Shuichi said he was a kitsune and foxes can't survive in the ocean. Her mind flashed back to the expression on Kurama's face when she had yelled at him the night before. He looked so sad... hurt by my rejection. He wouldn't have jumped overboard... would he? And then, Suuichi-kun fell over while looking for his brother... Could this all be my fault? But, he admitted to being a demon, to having killed my son to save himself. What was I supposed to say...? she wondered, silent tears falling down her cheeks. She felt her husband's arms wrap around her, gently rocking her. It's all my fault...

. . .

Suuichi sat on deck, eating some freshly grown grapes as he watched his shipmate. Kurama was fussing with the sail, trying to catch as much of the dying wind as possible. Finally he gave up as the breeze weakened to the point where it barely ruffled the sail. I suppose I should be grateful that we had two days with strong winds. However, we need to keep moving. I don't know how long I'll be able to last, he thought, kneeling in the center of the deck. He placed his palm against the smooth wood, sending his youki into it.

Suuichi leaned forward, trying to see what the kitsune was doing. It had been five days since he had woken on this small ship and all the demon had done so far was tend to his injures and feed him. Although wary at first, the ningen was beginning to trust Kurama, accepting the food he grew and making the overall voyage less awkward. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

"The wind has all but stopped. We need to continue moving forward, so I'm adding oars to the ship," Kurama explained. He answered all of the teenager's questions patiently; amused by how large Suuichi's eyes could get when the youko did something out of the ordinary.

"Adding oars?" The ningen walked to the railing, leaning over so he could see what was happening below. Five poles were growing out of the side of the ship, the tips flattening out to form paddles on the end. Simultaneously, they all moved forward and down into the water. Suuichi had to grab on to the rail to keep his balance as the ship started to move forward.

Kurama frowned. I need more. The youko closed his eyes, concentrating as three more oars sprouted out on either side of the ship and began rowing with the others. Kurama sighed as he sat back, a bead of sweat running down his face. I'll keep rowing until nightfall and try my hand at fishing again. With any luck, I will actually catch something this time, although that is doubtful. Hopefully, the wind will pick up in the morning. If not, we may have some problems.

Suuichi looked at the kitsune, noticing he hadn't moved from his spot on the deck. "Are you alright? You look a little tired."

Kurama managed a slight smile. "I'm fine." For now.

. . .

Shiori sat on a bench in the garden out in her backyard. The plants around her looked faded, more than a few having turned brown and shriveled from lack of care over the past few days. However, she paid no attention to the flowers' plight, her mind occupied with more concerning matters.

Search teams had been flying low over the ocean, searching the area where it was estimated the teenagers went overboard. Her heart constricted painfully at the thought of never seeing Shuichi again. Why am I more worried about the demon's welfare than my stepson's? He killed my child. She slowly closed her eyes, shaking her head. How can I mourn for a child I never knew? Shuichi may have taken my baby away from me, but he worked hard to give me the perfect son in its place. What has he ever done to show he doesn't love me? She idly picked a flower, one of the few that seemed to still be thriving. She twirled the stem in her fingers as she stared unseeingly at the blossom. Then again, are demons even capable of love? How much of the legends are true? She dropped the flower, watching it fall to the ground before leaning forward and dropping her head into her hands. No, I know Shuichi loves me. I wasn't so sure during his early childhood, but he changed... He came to visit me every day in the hospital when I was sick-- why would a demon do that if he were only trying to keep up appearances? And then there was my miraculous recovery that the doctors couldn't even begin to explain. He was so desperate for me to get well. Could it have been because of something he had done? I just counted it as a blessing, but now that I know he's a demon... Shiori looked up as someone approached her, the footsteps crunching on the gravel path.

Kazuya sat down beside her on the bench. He looked ahead, avoiding her eyes. "I just received a call," he said, his voice almost a whisper. Unshed tears were shining in his eyes as he continued. "They're calling off the search."

"What?" Shiori asked, shocked. They had been looking for four days and deep down she knew that they wouldn't keep searching forever, but as long as they were, there was still hope. Now, to hear those fatal words brought the cruel reality of the situation home and she could no longer deny the facts.

"They're calling off the search. Said it had been too long and there was no hope. Given them both up for dead," Kazuya whispered, his voice breaking.

"No..." Shiori whispered. She buried her face in her hands, her mind's eye replaying the last time she had seen Shuichi. The look on his face that night... He kept it a secret because he was afraid I would reject him if I knew the truth... And then, when I did find out, I said such horrible things to him... And now, I may never see him again. Did he jump off the ship because of me? What have I done? Oh, Shuichi, I'm so sorry... My son... She opened her eyes, trying to get the hurt expression on her son's face out of her mind. Her gaze rested on the wilting remains of the garden he had put so much effort into growing, noticing the flowers seemed to droop in sorrow at the news that their caretaker would not be returning. The dying garden seemed to mirror her feelings as she wept bitterly. This is all my fault...

Kazuya held her close as she cried, rocking her back and forth. He rested his cheek on her head, silent tears escaping from beneath his closed eyelids as he mourned over the loss of his sons.

. . .

Kurama pulled hard on the vine, straining against the wind until the sail had turned to the angle he wanted it at. Quickly, he tied it off on the rail, panting from the exertion. Ten days. Not a long amount of time, all things considered, but long enough. We need to reach land soon, he thought, scanning the horizon. The sun was setting behind him, ill-placed clouds casting shadows which might or might not have been an island in the distance.

Suuichi was looking at him curiously. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

"What are you referring to?" the youko replied, turning towards his stepbrother.

"Tying the vine on the rail. Before you would just make it longer or shorter, or whatever. Why did you tie it off manually?" the human specified.

You're more observant than I have given you credit for, Kurama thought. "I need to conserve my energy," he said.

"But, I thought you said you got your energy back by just resting?"

"That is partially true. My diet is the other component in the equation."

"But, you eat-- I've seen you!"

"Yes, but it is not what my body currently requires."

Suuichi just gave him a confused look, so he continued. "Foxes are not herbivores-- we are omnivores, like humans, although our diet is primarily carnivorous. However, not only can humans live on a vegetarian diet, but also they can thrive on it. I can survive eating only plants, but it takes a considerable amount of time to regain my energy. I have not had any success catching fish, so I am gradually growing weaker as I expend more energy than I am regaining," Kurama explained.

"What happens when you use all of your energy? Will you...you know..." Suuichi trailed off, looking at the deck.

Kurama chuckled softly. "It is possible to tap into your life energy such that your body can no longer support itself and you die. However, that will not be the case in this instance," he assured the younger boy. "We should reach land before I reach that point."

The next morning, Suuichi found a plate of fruit on the table in the third room, just like every other morning. He picked up a banana, feeling a little guilty. Climbing up on deck, he found Kurama.

The kitsune was standing at the bow of the ship, casually holding on to one of the vines for balance as he leaned forward, one foot resting on the rail, as he stared intently at the horizon. The sun reflected off his silver strands of hair, making it shimmer as it moved softly in the wind.

Suuichi approached him from behind. "I could go without food for a day or two," the human suggested, tossing the banana back and forth from one hand to the other in a nervous gesture.

"That is out of the question."

"But you need to save your energy!" Suuichi argued.

"I will not compromise your health. Besides, do you see that bird?" he asked, pointing to the ocean in front of him. There was a single white seagull bobbing up and down on the waves. "Seagulls have their nests on land and do not stray far into the ocean. We should arrive in a few days or so," Kurama said, still staring ahead. I don't have enough energy to create the oars again. We may end up floating on the waves with our goal in sight but still out of reach.

"Really?" Suuichi squinted his eyes against the glare of the sun reflecting off the water, trying to see the bird. "Are you sure? I don't see anything. Besides, wouldn't we be able to see land by now if that were the case?"

The silver youko chuckled. "Not necessarily. Seagulls have high buoyancy, such that they do not worry about finding dry ground to land on when their wings tire. Thus, they can travel farther over the ocean than most other birds. This one may have gotten a little lost, but there is an island nearby where it makes its nest."

The teenager looked at Kurama, studying him. The kitsune returned his gaze, unblinking. "Okay, if you say it's there, then I believe you," the ningen said.

The kitsune turned back towards the sea. "Don't worry, Suuichi-kun. You will be back with your family soon." Kurama's voice caught on the word family, but the human didn't seem to notice.

"I'll tell you what, it's gonna be good to eat some real food once we reach land! Uh, no offense, of course," he hastily amended.

The youko inclined his head slightly. "None taken." His voice was soft and a little sad.

Thinking his careless words were the cause, Suuichi tried to change to a more positive subject. "So, where are you gonna go when we get back? Do you have any family members worried about you?"

Kurama stiffened. "Don't call me mother-- You're not my son!" "I have no family or home to return to," he said, his voice melancholy.

Suuichi's eyes widened at that statement. "I'm sorry," he said lamely. He perked up as he got an idea. "I know! You could come stay with us! Mom and Dad won't mind, what with you saving me and all! It'll be great! Oh, and just wait until you meet my older brother! You two will get along great! You're a lot like him, actua--"

"Suuichi-kun." Kurama's sharp tone made the boy stop mid-word. "I thank you for your generous invitation, but there is no place for me in the Human Realm." Having said that, the kitsune turned and disappeared below deck. He hadn't meant for his words to come out as harshly as they did, but he knew what his homecoming would be like, were he to return. He did not think he could handle the rejection a second time.

The teenager stood on deck, staring after the silver fox demon. What did I say?

. . .

Kazuya walked through the house, looking for his wife. He found her in the living room. "Honey, we need to talk," he said, taking a deep breath. "I know how this is tearing you up and I know you don't want to give up hope, but it's been eleven days. I think we should hold a funeral for our sons. We need to allow their souls to rest."

Shiori stood staring out the window, her back to him. Silently, she shook her head.

He moved forward, putting his arms around her. "You need to accept it and move on."

"They could still be alive. They could have washed up on a small island or something. They could still be alive," she repeated, her voice wavering.

"There are no islands over there and even if there were, they would have checked them during the search," he said, his tone pleading. Although he hated having to be the one to shoot down her arguments, it needed to be done. She had to face reality. He turned her around, forcing her to face him. "Shiori, be reasonable. If they haven't shown up by now, we both know that they aren't going to show up at all. You need to let them go."

She met his eyes, her expression one of mixed emotions. "I can't. If I do--" Then I will have killed him. Shuichi probably wouldn't have stayed on deck if I hadn't rejected him and neither of them would have gone overboard, she thought. "It's my fault," she whispered.

"No. No, it's not your fault. I don't even know why you would think that! It's nobody's fault," he said comfortingly, rubbing her arms.

Shiori closed her eyes, shaking her head. If you only knew what I have done. Would you hate me for having a demon for a child? Or would you hate me for being the cause of your son's death? she wondered sadly. One tear escaped her closed eyelid, sliding down her cheek.

Kazuya wiped the tear away, pulling her into his embrace. "Shiori, please. You can't keep beating yourself up over this. It is not your fault. But, we have to face the truth. It has been too long. There is no way that...that either of them could have survived," he said, his voice hitching. He cleared his throat and continued. "The best thing we can do now is to move on and continue with our lives. Shuichi wouldn't want to see you mourning over his death like this, would he?"

Shiori remained silent, so he continued. "I think we should start making arrangements for the funeral," he said softly.

"All right," Shiori whispered. I killed my sons.

. . .

To Be Continued

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