Alright, so here's the lowdown...Yusuke's 16, Kurama's 18, Kuwabara's 16, and Hiei's...a foxy grandpa.

Idon't own Yu Yu Hakusho.AND SCORE WITH THE WHOLE MIND READING THING! I'm really sorry, I haven't seen much of Yu Yu Hakusho so I actually don't know much about it. Speaking of which, someone brought up a good point, which is that Yukina has a child eveyr hundred years or something? Such being the case, we're going to have to pretend a little and say that it doesn't apply to this story.

peace!

Family Matters

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"That's a pity. I can believe me quite well."

Kuwabara rolled his eyes and sighed heavily as he sat down on the forest floor. This was going to take a while. Kurama wasn't even paying attention to the argument going on in front right in front of him, and was instead quietly tying Mahiru's ribbon around her neck for her, after she had brought it to him with the untied ribbon in her mouth. Hiei was ignoring Dai and Yusuke as well, and seemed to be either cleaning his sword or sharpening it. Maybe just fondling it – Kuwabara couldn't tell form this angle.

Yusuke was looming over a crookedly smiling Dai with his hands balled into fists and a red face. Dai just seemed to get him going for some reason. Yusuke had lost his temper about five times ever since they entered Makai. Kuwabara took a moment to wonder if Keiko had given him the Silent Treatment or something.

The five of them had entered Makai about a half an hour ago, and had hardly moved ten steps since. Dai had mentioned lightly when they were well away from Reikai that Koenma had told her to kill this Erus guy, but he'd never exactly mentioned when, and therefore no rush was needed. She seemed perfectly happy to be constantly yelled at by Yusuke. Kuwabara wondered if she was paying attention to even a word that came out of the Spirit Detective's mouth. He could just imagine some sort of tune playing through her head as she stood there with her arms folded behind her back and a bright smile plastered over her face.

Still, though, Kuwabara reflected. Dai had seemed upset there for a moment back at the Palace. Even when he'd asked her if she was thirsty she'd been staring right through him. She hadn't looked angry, like Kuwabara thought she might be judging on her argument with Koenma. She'd looked…aged. Worn out…tired. As Kuwabara had watched Dai walk down the hall she even appeared to nearly stumble at one point, but then Kurama had walked past and in that split second when he wasn't looking at her she had somehow regained her balance.

And then there was that weird thing, where Koenma's voice had echoed down the hall and Dai had just slightly flinched away from her master's call. Seconds later she was back in his office, and this time there were ogres standing in front of the threshold so the Tantei could hear nothing.

Kuwabara glanced at the softly humming Dai, Yusuke's yells only white noise in the background, and wondered what Koenma had said in the two minutes she'd been in his office the second time.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

"I'm sorry, Urameshi-san," Dai blinked at him with big, wide eyes, appearing the epitome of innocence. "I wasn't aware you thought of me as a walking map."

"I DON'T! BUT YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A DAMN CLUE WHERE THIS GUY IS!"

Dai scrutinized her claws. "I didn't say that," she mentioned. Yusuke folded his arms crossly.

"Did so," he snapped.

"I said, 'There's a big chance that I won't be able to find him'. I did not say, 'I don't have a damn clue where he is.'"

"So what's the difference?"

"The difference is, dear," Dai put a hand in her pocket and pulled out Mahiru's small stuffed bunny. She held it out to the little kitsune who had skittered up to her leg. "That just because I won't be able to find him, does not mean that he won't be able to find us."

Yusuke appeared precariously close to pouting. Lightly Dai dropped herself on the ground and pulled some blades of grass from the ground as Mahiru hopped into her lap with bunny in muzzle.

"Whatever," Yusuke groused.

"Whatever," Dai mimicked.

"You're so annoying!"

"You're so annoying!"

"DAMN YOU!"

"Detective." Hiei dropped from the trees directly onto Yusuke, and squashed him in the ground. Hiei stared downwards in disdain. "Your voice is irritating. If you want to keep the ability to use it, shut your mouth."

Kuwabara blinked. "It's pretty cold, though, isn't it?" he mused aloud. "Isn't it supposed to be the middle of summer?"

"Erus is a winter sage, Kuwabara," Kurama commented, watching Mahiru abandon her bunny to play tug of war with an old root sticking from the ground. "Among other things. That's why it's cooling down."

"What, so we're going to have to deal with Christmas in July soon, here?" Yusuke finally got up again as Hiei 'hn'ed and moved to stand against the tree Kurama was under. "This is so stupid! Could you just kill this guy already so we can go home?"

The demoness scratched her neck and frowned. After a moment she just sighed lightly and stood up, taking Mahiru with her. "I'll be back later, so do you think you can handle staying alive until then, hm?"

Yusuke rolled his eyes and flopped down under a nearby tree. "Whatever."

"Whatever."

"Stop it!"

She chuckled slightly and walked away. Kuwabara watched her until he couldn't see her big white coat anymore before looking back at Yusuke. "So what do you think, Urameshi?"

"I think she's gonna leave us to rot, that's what I think," he grumbled.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. "Bite your tongue."

"And what's your problem, huh? Where do you know her from, anyways?"

"Where I know her from is none of your concern," the koorime replied coldly.

"Dai-san's been a caregiver to youkai for hundreds of years, Yusuke," Kurama stated quietly. "It's not in her nature to…'leave us to rot',as you put it."

"I'm just saying it's fishy, is all," the Detective replied. He frowned. "This whole thing is just weird. Like, why is she bound or whatever to Koenma in the first place? And why is she so touchy about killing these evil dudes?"

"Plus, she and Koenma said something about an Elixir," Kuwabara put in. "What is that? And remember when she said this Kosuke guy was looking for revenge? Revenge for what?"

"If you ask me, it seems as though she's on the evil guy's side," Yusuke muttered.

Kurama sighed softly. "I believe the elixir you mentioned is the Elixir of Life. It's kept in the Reikai Vault under heavy supervision. For humans, it grants immortality. For demons, it gives humanity."

"So what would she do with something like that?" Kuwabara wanted to know.

"Become human, obviously, you idiot-,"

"Dai can't become human." Kurama gazed downwards, appearing in thought. "Elixir or not. It's…one of those impossibilities for one of her breed. She would have no use for it."

Yusuke made an annoyed noise. "Then what-,"

"Her children."

Kuwabara looked up as Hiei's form moved soundlessly past. "Where-,"

"The woman is guarding children." The koorime stated in a monotone without turning. "She does nothing better with her time."

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

"Hn." He disappeared beyond the forestry.

"But if the Elixir stuff wouldn't work on her," Yusuke began slowly in a rare streak of concentration. "Why would it work on her kids?"

Kurama stared at him blankly for a brief moment before he answered. "Her children aren't purebloods."

"What kind of demon is she, then?" Kuwabara asked. "She doesn't have any ears or a tail or-,"

Kurama's eyes turned to him, thoughtful but frowning. "She's a dragon."

Someone behind him chuckled darkly. "So she is," a man's voice commented.

Yusuke swore as they stood quickly. "Damn it, Kuwabara, couldn't you sense this guy?"

Kuwabara looked flustered. "I didn't even feel him walk up!"

The tall man purred in amusement as he stood beneath the trees, watching the three with unsettling, ice blue eyes. His long black hair was pulled back from his face in a half-ponytail, ivory skin flawless but for a single, slim white scar that moved in a vertical line on the left side of his bottom lip.

"Good morning, little children." He began in a slow, calm drawl. His eyes roamed easily across all present. "How nice to see you."

Kurama's eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"

The demon's lips tilted upwards. "I am looking for a certain someone," he began softly.

"Sorry, buddy, I don't swing that way," Yusuke snapped, aiming his fingers directly at the youkai. "So why don't you get your ass in gear and go back to wherever you came from or else."

"What a hostile group of ningens." He disappeared soundlessly and reappeared right behind Kuwabara, his head tilted as he studying the stiff boy. "I can't understand what she would have to gain from the likes of you."

Summoning his Spirit Sword, Kuwabara whipped around angrily. "Listen, you! I don't-,"

A black blur erupted from the trees and flew straight for the youkai. The stranger disappeared within a millisecond and Hiei was instead forced to dodge Kuwabara's form. Yusuke sent a Spirit Gun shot straight for the place where the youkai had reappeared only to hit nothing but air. The youkai once again appeared a little ways away, eyes narrowed, and raised one of his claws when –

"That's enough, Kosuke."

The demon, Kosuke, paused. Slowly, his eyes turned to Kurama and stayed there for a long moment before he moved forward. Kurama's form remained still even as Kosuke approached.

"You," he began slowly, carefully. "Are familiar."

"Indeed," Kurama replied quietly. His tone changed, a streak of amber rose and faded fleetingly in his eyes. "I thought as much."

The demon was stock still for a full minute before his aura erupted and his expression turned livid. The trees swayed and the wind howled as Kosuke's anger grew.

"You!" he hissed, his voice a deep, guttural growl. It echoed throughout the forest. "You're still alive?"

Behind him, two old brown boots gently touched down in the grass. Kurama's eyes strayed past the angered demon for the briefest of moments before Yusuke's Spirit Gun again shot straight for the demon at the same moment that Kuwabara attacked with his Spirit Sword.

Very abruptly, Kuwabara's Spirit Sword went out. Kosuke's rage stopped. Yusuke's Spirit Gun faded to nothing. The air was instead filled with a massive tension, an aching pressure and seemed to push down on all those present. Kuwabara was forced almost instantly to his knees, while Hiei, Yusuke, Kosuke and Kurama were all bent slightly with the sudden…heaviness of the atmosphere.

Dai carefully set down her folded white jacket, which had been clutched against her chest, before regarding the people in front of her with a slight frown. Her eyes lingered on Kosuke, who was growling at her with a venomous glare in place.

"What the hell - ?" Yusuke tried to straighten himself but the strain on his muscles was far too strong.

Kosuke's eyes narrowed as Dai moved a step or two closer. "You don't change," he hissed. "You don't change – your mate is dead for not even two decades and already you've found yourself a replacement, haven't you? In him, of all youkai!" Angrily, Kosuke jut a finger towards Kurama. "You dishonour his memory! How dare you try-,"

"Don't speak to your elder in that manner, Kosuke." Kurama's voice was soft but sharp, his eyes set on the demon despite the obvious weight he felt from the air.

Kosuke's growl rose as he turned his glare on the fox. "You have no right to tell me what to do!"

The pressure on him alone seemed to double. With a sharp hiss he dropped to one knee but aimed an even angrier glare at the woman when Dai bent slightly down scrutinize him.

After a long moment, she sighed softly and straightened once again before turning away. She motioned blandly to the side with a wave of her hand as the air pressure gradually returned to normal. "Go on."

He looked as if he wouldn't, as if he'd instead attack her, but she passed him a brief, subdued glance whilst crouching down to pick up her folded coat and hatefully he turned on his heel. A gust of wind passed and he was gone.

A silence passed as Dai carefully refolded her jacket once more. Finally she turned back to them with a bright smile. "So anyways-,"

"No. Way." Yusuke was up in her face in a millisecond, prodding her with a finger and glaring. "Listen, lady, you might think you're real smart but I haven't even known you for a day and I'm ready to blast your head off. So you better spill it right now and tell me the whole story or shit's gonna hit the fan, I swear."

Dai laughed nervously and tried to back away a little. "But-,"

"JUST TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON, DAMMIT!"

CRACK!

"HE WAS JUST HERE!"

Yusuke fell over in shock as Koenma popped up right next to him. Dai closed her eyes and rubbed her neck. "Master," she greeted quietly.

"I told you to kill him!" Koenma stepped right on Yusuke's back, ignoring the boy's yelling, and jabbed a finger right into Dai's collarbone.

"You did not," she answered quietly.

"I-,"

"You did not, master." She took a prompt step backwards and folded her arms behind her back. "Or else he would be dead, wouldn't he?"

She turned and started walking. Koenma glared at her back. "Stop!"

She stopped but didn't turn around. Koenma's glare narrowed. "You're going to make this difficult, aren't y-,"

"Dai." Kurama's careful voice slid quietly through the conversation. "Dai, please."

Slowly, Dai turned around with a large, apologetic smile. "So many questions and demands all at once," she mentioned, putting her hands up. "I'm flustered!"

"Listen, Dai, I could have well had you killed after your last master died…but…"

Koenma's voice faded as his angry expression slowed. Dai's smile had dropped for a moment.

"I'm sorry if you find my service deficient, Koenma-sama." Her cheeriness had faded. "It would be my pleasure to die for my incompetence."

Yusuke shut up. Kuwabara, who was standing up, blinked. Hiei's eyes narrowed and Kurama kept his eyes on Koenma, who was now staring dubiously at Dai as she blinked slowly; tiredly.

"But by what means would suit the occasion best?" she continued blandly. "Suffocation, maybe. Or perhaps you'd rather I starved myself." Dai tilted her head. "Or what about seppuku?"

"You think you're funny, don't you?" Koenma snapped stiffly.

The smile flickered back to life. "Yes, actually."

"Well, this has been a real friendly conversation and all," Yusuke groused, still on the ground. "But tell me what is going on with that Kosuke dude!"

"Oh, but Urameshi-san," Dai's smile widened as she knelt down to regard him. "Don't you know? My darling little Kosuke-san is an honoured descendant of the legendary thief, Youko Kurama."

Woot.

Love/Peace.