Note: Thank you Rinkitsunedemongal for reviewing. I'm very glad you enjoyed the first chapter. Here's the second installment, I hope you like it as much as you did the first.
Disclaimer: Again sadly I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho...damn.
Chapter Two
Identity
The four raced inside the house, shaking the water from their clothes. Yuki walked over to the hall closet and tossed a towel to everybody. Kaname turned to Ayumi, taking her hair down and running the towel over it.
"Well it's a good thing you are staying the night Ayumi, I don't know if it's gonna be very safe for you to be out there in this weather, even with your pro drivers." Suuichi looked over at her out of the corner of his eye then walked over to the window.
"You really think it's going to be that bad?" Kaname shrugged and tossed her towel over in the chair and pulled out a brush to untangle her hair.
"We probably won't have school tomorrow, the streets will be too flooded." The brush paused midway through untangling Kaname's hair. "Oh my goodness! I didn't even think! You shouldn't be out there either!" Shuichi held up his hands in silent protest.
"It's fine, I-" Kaname shook her head furiously, water droplets falling about her.
"Absolutely not! Nothing short of a demon could survive that storm. You'll just have to stay the night with Yuki. Oh no! The girls at school are going to murder me; I can see it now, slayer mauled by fan girls. I new this was going to happen. I just knew it." Kaname mumbled, returning to the tangled mess of hair. Suuichi glanced curiously at the small girl.
"You believe in demons?" Ayumi let out a small snort at that and Yuki and Kaname turned to glare daggers at her. Kaname shrugged it off. She shook her brush at him.
"Of course not, which is how I know you aren't one so there's no way I'm letting you leave this house. You'd better call your mom and let her know you'll be staying over so she doesn't worry and I will hear nothing more about it! Ayumi!" Ayumi rolled her eyes and followed Kaname into the kitchen. Shuichi blinked after her.
"She quite the little spitfire." Yuki smirked.
"Yeah, our mother died in childbirth so Kaname sort of took up the role of mother." He looked over at the older boy with a soft look, thinking of his own mother.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what life would be like if I had never had my mother." Yuki shrugged indifferently.
"It's not so bad, our dad is pretty cool so he kind of makes up for the missing space. She looks just like her." Yuki looked in the direction of the kitchen, a faraway look in his eyes. Shuichi followed his gaze.
"Your mother?" Yuki snapped out of his trance.
"Yeah, we should get started on that project, I'll just-" Yuki bent over to grab his book bag off the floor and a round red pendant on a silver chain fell out of his shirt. It caught the attention of the redhead and he felt his breath catch in his throat.
"Where did you get that?" Suuichi asked in a low and almost dangerous tone. He could recognize that pendant anywhere; it was the same one that haunted his dreams almost every night. Kuronue's pendant. Yuki's hand stopped almost and inch from his book bag and his body visibly tensed. His eyes slid closed and a smirk began to work its way across his face.
"I was wondering when you were going to ask me about that, Kurama." Yuki stated, straightening to full height and glancing superciliously at the fox. Kurama regarded him with slight caution.
"How do you know that name?" Yuki smirked and crossed his arms.
"What's the matter? Don't you recognize an old friend?" Shuichi glared.
"That friend is dead." He had been tricked before; he wasn't about to let it happen again. Yuki shook his head.
"No, Kurama, he's not dead. In fact I'm very much alive. I wasn't quite sure if it was you, you smell different… almost human. I have to say, it's a little unnerving. Last time I saw you, you were running for your life, and then I hear tell that your dead, slain by a spirit hunter. I knew you were too smart to be captured by some mindless hunter, so I kept up with the news. Sure enough, sixteen years later I hear you make an appearance at the Dark Tournament. Imagine how overjoyed I was to hear you were still alive, until I saw you, one day, outside the hotel on Hanging Neck Island. I saw your new 'friends' and I realized, I had been replaced." Kurama shook his head.
"Replaced? Kuronue you were dead!" Kuronue smiled dejectedly.
"No, I wasn't. I was captured, not dead. I told you to go, save yourself, you did, as I wanted, as I always wanted, just to have you safe. They locked me in a cell for days. No food no water no light, just the ever-impending darkness to keep my company. Don't pity me! The last thing I need is you feeling sorry for me. Your guilt has been washing over me for years; I don't need your pity too. I was stricken with grief when I caught wind of your demise. I forced myself not to believe it. How could it be? With all of my efforts to keep you from harm, that some bounty hunter had taken my light. Then I remembered something you told me, about spiritual transcendence, it seemed the only logical conclusion, after all, you were too smart to just lay there and die. I sought out a gypsy and had her perform a ritual on me that would have me appear human to unsuspecting eyes. She placed the Keyport in my pendant, as long as I wear this, I am disguised. Even to the eye of your Jaganshi." Kurama listened to his story carefully, trying to pick out any flaws. There weren't any. It was in fact Kuronue.
"And this family?" Kuronue smiled.
"That was the tricky part. Fabricating memories is a long and tiring process. I came to this family on the day of Kaname's conception. All of her memories of me are real. I was in the body of a three year old on the day Kaname was born, the day our mother passed. I had come to admire the beautiful woman I had chosen to be my mother; I felt pain when she died. But when I looked at that baby girl, that sweet innocent child, I was at peace. I had never seen such a soul, untainted, unmarred by the brutality of civilization. I was determined to keep that for her, never let her see the hardships I had faced. Alas, it was not to be." Kurama was confused.
"What do you mean? Kaname is human, right?" Kuronue nodded.
"Absolutely, one hundred percent, without a doubt. But so is your Master Genkai." Kurama's eyes narrowed.
"Your point." Kuronue sighed.
"Kaname is, by no means, an ordinary human. She is the descendant of a long line on powerful fighters, Vampire Slayers." Kurama looked at his old friend suspiciously.
"Kaname is the Vampire Slayer?" Kuronue nodded.
"Called at the age of twelve when her predecessor, her aunt Mai, was killed." Kurama crossed his arms and smiled, the full weight of the situation sending him into a daze.
"Huh, you've been at my school, in my grade, this entire time and I had no idea." Kuronue just shrugged.
"The curse of the charm. It wasn't untilthat day on hanging-neck islandthat I was completely sure of whom you were. You keep up guises very well Kurama, or should I say, Shuichi." Kurama shook his head.
"Sometimes even I wonder who I am anymore." Kuronue walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You are who you have always been, and who you always will be. Names are things other people give you." Kurama smirked at the bat.
"Cryptic as always." Kuronue cocked his head to the side as if to say 'are you kidding me?'
"You think I would ever give that up?" Kaname sauntered into the living room with her hands behind her back and a far too innocent look on her face.
"Hey Shuichi? Do you think you can give Ayumi a hand in the kitchen? I need to talk to my brother in private." He looked over at her then back to Kuronue, nodding.
"Sure." He turned to walk into the kitchen, stopping by the doorframe.
"The phone is on the counter if you need to call your mom." Kaname said and smiled at him warmly.
"Thank you Kaname." He smiled back and turned the corner, disappearing from view.
"What is it?" Kuronue asked. Kaname turned back to her brother with a solemn look on her face.
"There's someone out there. I can feel it, it's a demon. A powerful one. I think we should all be on guard." Kurama turned back from behind the corner, leaning up against the doorframe with his eyes closed.
"There's no need." Kaname turned to look at him with a confused look on her face.
"Shuichi?" He pushed off the doorframe and walked over to her.
"Yes, I hardly think it's something to worry ourselves about." Kaname turned to regard her brother.
"Yuki?" Kurama nodded.
"Hiei isn't one to barge in and kill for no reason. I'm afraid I must be going though, I'm sorry I couldn't stay for dinner, perhaps tomorrow." Kaname's head looked from one to the other and she snapped.
"Now hold on just one second! What the hell is going on here! Someone better start talkin' or I'm gonna start bustin' heads!" Kuronue placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Kaname calm down." She threw his hand off.
"I am calm!" Kaname realized she had been shouting and counted to ten in her head, taking slow deep breaths. She turned to Shuichi.
"Who are you?" Ayumi came wandering out of the kitchen when she heard the shouting. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a spoon.
"What are you talking about Kaname? Did something take her memory? He's Shuichi, you remember, your brothers partner? Ringin a bell?" Kaname closed her eyes and clenched her fists.
"Ayumi, please go in the other room." Ayumi looked at her friend, seeing the situation was clearly more than what she was hearing; she turned and left the room. Kaname glared at Kurama's prone form.
"I'll ask again. Who. Are. You?" Kuronue was the one to answer.
"His name is Yoko Kurama, the silver spirit fox." Kaname's eyes narrowed.
"You're a demon." It was a statement, not a question. Kurama nodded.
"Yes." Kaname turned on her brother.
"How long have you known about this?" Kurama intervened, not wanting Kuronue to take the blame.
"This has nothing to do with Yuki." Kaname turned her head to glare at him, halting the words in his throat.
"It would be wise of you to stay quiet right about now. It's my job to kill your kind." Kaname found her self pressed up against the wall before she even had a chance to turn, a gleaming silver sword pressed snugly against her throat. She was frozen to the spot, staring into flaming crimson eyes.
"Watch your tongue girl, you might lose it." Kuronue sprang to action, leaping at Hiei and tackling him away from his sister. Hiei turned on the bat, attacking him with his sword. Kurama's Rose Whip wrapped around the apparition's sword, pulling it from his hand. Kuronue rose to strike the smaller demon when Kaname's voice halted them all.
"Everybody stop! Did somebody call a party here? Did I just not get the memo? There are two demons standing in my living room right now." Hiei interrupted her.
"Three." Kaname placed her hands on her hips.
"Where's the other one?" Hiei looked over at her, slightly irritated.
"Standing right next to you." Kaname turned to look at her brother and had to stifle a laugh. This guy thought Yuki was a demon? Kuronue narrowed his eyes and smirked at the apparition.
"How did you know? That charm is supposed to block your Jagan." Hiei shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Hn. I may not be able to read your mind, but I can read his perfectly." Hiei motioned to Kurama. Kaname looked over at her brother.
"Yuki tell them you're not a demon." He avoided her eyes. "Well, tell them, tell them you're not a demon." Kuronue hung his head.
"I can't." Kaname looked at him perplexed.
"What do you mean you can't? You're not a demon, you can't be, you're my brother… Aren't you?" Kuronue turned to her, staring at her imploringly.
"Of course I am." Hiei glared at Kuronue.
"But he wasn't always." Kuronue glared right back at him. Kaname shook her head; she was a little over whelmed.
"What does he mean Yuki? Why not always?" Kuronue sighed, it was bound to come out sooner or latter, though he hoped it would have been under better circumstances. He suppose now was as good a time as any.
"That's not my name." Kaname's brow furrowed.
"What?" Kuronue let out a deeper sigh.
"Yuki, that's not my name. My name is Kuronue, and yes, I am a demon. Kaname-" He reached out to her and she backed away from him as if stung.
"If you touch me, I'll kill you." Her bangs fell heavily in her eyes, tears dotting the edges.
"Kaname I'm sorry! I wanted to tell you-" Her head snapped up, tears flying.
"Liar!" Kuronue closed his eyes tightly, shutting out the sight of her tears. He reached out to her.
"Kaname please!" She backed herself up against the front door.
"Who are you? How could you do this to me?" Pain laced in her tone, cutting him to the bone. Kuronue stood his ground.
"I'm still the brother you've always known." Kaname glared at him with hateful eyes.
"I don't know you." In a flash she had opened the door and was gone. Kuronue dropped his head, addressing the other two behind hooded eyes.
"I'll take care of this. You go." Kurama placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Will she be alright?" Kuronue raised his head and stared out the open door.
"It'll take some time, but I think everything should work itself out. It always does." He finished, racing out the door and after his sister.
"There's something not right about them. I just don't know what it is yet." Kurama nodded solemnly.
"I know what you mean. We should go, Koenma sounded urgent." Hiei nodded and disappeared from his side. Kurama glanced one last time at the open door, closing it as he walked out, a lone silent figure watching his every move from the shadows.