Chapter Three

ForbiddenChildLover64

Okay, I'm back with chapter 3. Again, I do not own any of the characters!

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'There is no chance of survival.' Kurama said as he approached me. His voice matched his eyes.

'Oh, yeah? I could kick your fox butt any day.' I retorted.

'Not you. Minamino.' The look that had been in his eyes was gone now, replaced by sadness, his tone, exasperated.

'Hn.' I said. 'Why would it matter? This is the real you.'

'It matters because of a human by the name of Shiori Minamino.'

'Ah.' Kuwabara interrupted. 'Your mother.' Him and Yusuke had been unsure what to do when Kurama first changed form. The look in his eyes hadn't helped.

'Yes.'

'Well, what are we gonna do about it?' Yusuke. He always thought everything had to be a group effort. This was none of our business. We shouldn't get involved.

'You will do nothing.' Apparently Kurama was thinking along the same lines as I was. 'Hiei and I will tell her the truth.' Or not.

'And why are you involving me?' I asked.

'For reasons I haven't figured out, Shiori likes you. If you prove to her you are a demon, it should be easier to convince her that her "son" is one as well.'

'Hn.' I consented reluctantly.

'Well, I think the best way to tell her my real identity is this…' and Kurama changed his form to mimic the form of the body still lying on the ground. The only difference was the look in Kurama's eyes. 'Yes. Let's go tell Shiori.' He bent over and easily lifted Shuichi Minamino off of the ground.

And so we left for the Minamino residence.

When we got there, Kurama handed the body to me. He led the way inside, leaving me in the kitchen.

'Mom, I need to tell you something.' I heard Kurama say.

'What is it, Shuichi?' Is the reply.

'You know my friend Hiei?'

'Of course! Is he here? Oh no! Did something happen to him?' She was worried? About me? That's almost an insult.

'No, Mom, he's fine. And Hiei is here. It's just that we've decided it's time to tell you a couple of our secrets.' Kurama was in pain now, because of what he was about to do, 'And lies.' He added.

'Lies?'

'Yes. The first is only a secret… to humans.'

'Humans. Like us.'

'Kind of.' His voice trembled. 'Hiei is a demon.'

'A demon. Is this an elaborate joke, Shuichi? Because I don't like it.'

'Uhhh…' He sounded like he was about to back down, so I intervened. I laid the body down on the table, and stepped through the door. 'Oh, I assure you this is no joke.' I told Shiori, my palms alight and my Jagan glowing evilly.

'Oh! Oh my! It's true. Shuichi, I don't want you hanging around with Hiei. Demons are dangerous!'

'Yes. Which leads us to the lie I have told you and the secret I have kept from you. Both for my entire life.' He was getting close.

'Oh, surely not your whole life! You didn't even talk until you were a year old, and then you didn't even have real conversations.'

'Oh yes. It has been my whole life. Or, at least, your son's whole life. Nearly sixteen years. Mom, tell me my name, my age, and my profession.'

'That's silly. Your name is Shuichi Minamino, you were born fifteen and a half years ago. The only profession you could possibly mean is that you are a student.'

'Not true. None of your answers. My name is Kurama, Yoko Kurama to be exact. I was born over a thousand years ago.' He paused. 'And my profession is a thief. A while ago, sixteen years, I was known as the King of Thieves.' Another pause. 'Until I "died."'

I could hear the quotations in his voice, but Shiori couldn't. 'You mean you can remember your past lives? And just before this one you were a fox demon?'

'No. I mean that this is my life. Right now. Yoko Kurama never died. My enemies—not to mention everyone else—only thought I did. I really escaped to the human world.' Shiori looked shocked, so Kurama added, 'Hiei, will you bring him in here?'

'Hn.'

'Who?' Shiori asked. Kurama didn't answer.

I lifted Shuichi Minamino's body and easily carried to the room where Kurama and Shiori remained. I set his body on the coffee table.

'Now can you tell me which is your son?'

Shiori looked dumbly between her son and Kurama. Finally, she pointed at the redhead still standing. 'No.' Kurama said. And, pointing to the coffee table, added, 'He is your son. I, however, am what was inhabiting him for the sixteen years he lived. We are one and the same. I took control of the body before it acquired a soul. I did not possess him.' And with that, he changed into his original form, 'Mom, I'm a demon. I'm not good for you. Give the body a nice funeral. I am going to leave. I will never come back.'

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R&R

ForbiddenChildLover64