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Chapter 8

When I was young

I woke to my father stroking my hair like he used to when I was small. I leaned my head into the touch and opened my eyes. I shrank back when I saw red hair and green eyes. Those eyes filled with pain. It took me a moment to remember that my father had changed. I leaned back into his hand and felt comforted again.

"Good morning, star shine. The earth says hello. You twinkle above us, we twinkle below." His singing voice was slightly different, but the cultured tone and how he shaped the words were the same. I hummed the chorus with him. They were nothing but sounds anyway. No meaning to the words in the original song. He broke into a smile when we finished, and I couldn't help but smile with him.

"Daddy." I said.

My father put a finger to my lips and shook his head. "I was, once. But no more. My name is Kurama."

It felt like I had been stabbed in the chest. My breathing hitched and I felt tears brimming behind my eyes. I widened them to keep them from spilling down my cheeks. But it was in vain, I was laying on my back and gravity pulled the traitorous drops of water from my eyes.

"No. Please don't say that." I whispered. "You raised me, as far as I'm concerned you are my dad."

Relief made his face shine like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. I could tell that he had been afraid. Afraid that I would have rejected him. He leaned down and hugged me. I held him as tight as I could and didn't let go, even when he made a small motion to rise. He relaxed into my hug for a moment longer.

"Carrie. There is something I have to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago." He said.

I let him up but didn't let go. I held onto his hand like it was the last solid thing in the world. My dad rubbed his thumbs in soothing circles on the back of my hand.

"I'm not sure how to start, but I guess the best place is at the beginning. My name is Youko Kurama."

I listened as he talked. He told me about how he used to be a great thief. How he was overconfident and made a mistake, how that mistake led to his demise. However, he was able to save himself by merging his soul with that of an unborn child. He had chosen to live as a human for 10 years. In that time his spirit self would have time to recover and he would slowly regain his demonic powers. As he grew older, he realized that he had turned into a kept human. He told of his discomfort when he, a great youkai thief, realized that he had turned into a weak, spineless human. At eight he decided to start breaking ties with his mother and become independent. He told of the night grandma had gotten her scars, cutting herself to pieces trying to save her only son from a bed of broken glass. He explained how he had been blown away by her actions, no one had ever done anything like that for him before. That experience had opened his eyes, made him realize what he had been missing, not only the past eight years, but all of his life. That experience was love. She had taught him to love, to care, to open himself in ways he had never thought possible.

When she got sick a few years later, he had felt fear. A fear so strong that it drove him to contact a demon named Hiei. He used Hiei, as much as Hiei used him, to get an object called for forlorn hope. He was willing to do something that he would never done fifteen years prior. Something that he would have seen as weakness beyond measure, something he had seen as a flaw in others and had thoroughly exploited time and again. He was going to save the life of another. Even if saving that life cost him his own.

However, he had been discovered. A spirit detective, her biological father Yusuke, had found him. So rather than wait for the detective to hunt him down, he had gone to him and begged for time. Yusuke had granted it, giving him enough time to make his wish. He had been prepared for death. Ready and willing for the human he had deceived, hated, then learned to love, to have a life of her own. His wish was granted, death was coming. But, to his utter surprise, death passed him by as Yusuke jumped in. Yusuke threw in his life-force and started berating him for being stupid. How could he, who claimed to love his mother above all else, torment her with the death of her son. That would be a life of constant agony, no life worth living. At Yusuke's and his own willingness to sacrifice themselves for others, the forlorn hope took pity upon them and spared both of their lives.

From that time on, he had been by Yusuke's side. They had formed a group with Hiei—the master of the Jagon eye, and lord to the dragon of the darkness flame, Yusuke—head spirit detective, Kuwabara—Yusuke's life long friend and lover of justice, and himself—the strategist and keeper of the peace (mostly for Hiei).

He explained how their unlikely group had become detectives for the human race, their champions. Protecting them from threats of all kinds. Their bond as a team only grew stronger as they entered the dark tournament. This was where they had met Jin and Touya. Yusuke had faced his darkest foe, the Toguro brothers, and came out on top. It was there that the group had witnessed the death of their master, Genkai. Then he explained the groups joy at her revival and how she had lived for a few more years longer.

Her father's voice went dark as he told about the demented spirit detective, Sensui, and his plot to destroy the human world. He told of how hard it was for them to finally destroy him. How it had cost Yusuke's life and his job as spirit world's champion. He told of Yusuke's awakened mazoku powers and how he had tracked down his ancestor, Raizen. Raizen had decided to take Yusuke on as his heir, training him to become powerful enough to hold the old power structure in place.

He told her about his own invitation to demon world. How he had been forced to work for his former thieving buddy, Yomi. Yomi had threatened his family and was very capable to carry out that threat. Her father agreed to become his second, boosting Yomi's powers. Though the blood between them was bad, Yomi had forgiven him, though never forgotten. Even to this day, things were held in an uneasy truce.

When Raizen finally died. Things were poised for a bloody civil war to decide the ruler of demon world. Yusuke, however, had completely destroyed those plans when he came up with a demonic tournament that was to be held once every four years to decide the ruler. He had played on the blood lust and forgotten glory of both Yomi and the third demon king, a woman by the name of Mukuro (who had taken Hiei as her second).

The battle was fought and a demon by the name of Enki had won. He was declared king and decreed that all mischief was to stop in human world. He also appointed that the losers of the tournament were to act as border guards to make sure that any humans who accidentally got lost could be returned home.

The fighting over and piece restored, they were free to go home. Yomi and Mukuro had both lost their taste for blood and wanted to relive a nomadic lifestyle. Hiei, Yusuke, and her father were able to return to human world, though they did go back and forth to keep up their jobs as border guards. During Enki's first year of king, Yusuke finished up his training and returned home to Keiko. He set up shop as a private detective specializing in supernatural cases. He also worked as a ramen man on the side (and out of the same shop).

Due to his aloofness and inability to show love, Yusuke almost lost Keiko to another man. Things were hard then and her father had to step in to help Yusuke by giving advice. Yusuke, in an unheard of act of bravery and love, managed to win back his lady after months of goading and pressuring. They were wed three years into Enki's 4 year reign.

Things did not go well for Yusuke long, her father continued with a heavy heart. It seemed that from the moment Enki became king, a faction of demons grew angry. Though the demons weren't strong, there were enough of them to start a riot, then a movement. Enki and his men beat them back every time. Enki had been warned time and again to enforce his laws better and to crush the rebellion before it got out of hand. Enki refused, claiming that they had a right to be dissatisfied and to show that dissatisfaction.

That kindness was his undoing. Enki was murdered when a new leader took control and turned the angry mob into a well organized force. Yusuke, himself, and Hiei rushed back to demon world to reclaim the peace. The fight was bloody and allies were so fractured that setting up the tournament rule again was beyond hope. Yomi and Mukuro had entertained the idea of becoming leaders again, but having tasted true freedom neither wanted the job. Yusuke didn't want the job either, but his hands were tied. Either he become king or the unknown leader of the rebels would. It was very clear that the rebel's goal was to assimilate human world with the demon world and bring it under their control. Humans would have been easy prey and annihilated. Yusuke took the job, retaining Yomi and Mukuro as advisers. (Even though they expressed that they didn't want the job, the couldn't keep their fingers out of the honey pot and more than jumped at the chance to rule behind the scenes.)

Keiko surprised Yusuke by moving with him into demon world. That move was mostly spurred by a surprise pregnancy. Yusuke, in an almost unheard of fashion, doted on Keiko. He built the palace where they were now as a home for her and their new baby. The pregnancy went smoothly and Keiko gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The politics, however, did not go as smooth. The rebels, knowing Yusuke was preoccupied with his wife, chose that time to act.

They attacked days after the birth. Their leader, who finally stepped out into the open, was a woman who called herself Tempest. She was an elemental demon whose control happened to be weather. She was powerful, more so than anyone had realized. Somehow she had managed to get past Yusuke's defense and into the castle. She found Keiko and killed her. Yusuke did his best to get there in time, but never made it. His wife was gone and his daughter was in danger.

In utter rage Yusuke tried to fight, however Tempest used his daughter as a shield. She managed to escape by trading the girl for her life. It was then that Yusuke realized that he wasn't able to protect his family and be king. His choices were take his daughter to human world, only to have the rebels invade, or give his daughter to another to raise. The choice was hard on Yusuke. But in the end he gave up his daughter to Kurama and told him to raise her and keep her safe, like he was unable to.

"And so, I took the job." Her father finished. "When I took you home with me I never intended to become attached to you. I knew that one day you and your father would have to meet and we would part. My careful plans though, were undone as I came to know you. I never realized how much I would grow to love you. I had never taken care of a child before, and I didn't understand the emotional bond that goes with one. You needed me. You loved me unconditionally, like my mother. I had the power to make you laugh, cry, live, or die. And though you are not my flesh and blood, I love you like you are my daughter." He looked away when he was done, unable to meet my eyes.

Suddenly fear ate at my heart. If they killed my mother, and had tried to kill me...

"D...Did they kill grandma too?" I asked, voice choked.

My dad looked up at me. "No, and don't ever even entertain the idea that it could have been your fault. Grandma died of natural causes. A sudden heart attack while she was out shopping."

"I remember that day..." I whispered.

My father kissed my forehead. "As do I, dear one. She was an elegant lady who will be sadly missed."

"Did she know about you, about us?" I asked.

My father smiled bitterly. "I tried to keep my demonic business away from her to keep her safe. One day while babysitting you, the rebels found her. Luckily for me, Hiei was nearby and saved you two. That was a very awkward day, and the first that my mother had ever slapped and kissed me within moments of each other. 'Don't you ever keep something like that from your mother, Suichi!' she had said. 'I'll love you no matter what form you are, you are my beloved son.' It wasn't long after that I changed your name to Carrie and moved the three of us to America."

"How come you never told me?" I asked.

My father flinched at that question. Apparently he had been dreading that one. "The less you knew about all of this, the safer you would be. I was hoping that you could have gotten through collage before anything like this happened. You hadn't shown signs of any demonic or spiritual powers. Without those to protect you, I'm afraid that knowing the truth would be useless. As a human, your body would wither and die here in demon world. The vary air is toxic to pure human flesh."

"Well...I'm not dead yet." I said. "And, wouldn't I have died when I was a baby if I was pure human? What about my mother, why didn't she die? She was human, wasn't she?"

My father smiled. "Ah, good question. You and your mother didn't die because of your father." Daddy laughed at my confused expression. "Demons naturally purify the air they breathe with their own powers. When Yusuke marked your mother, he put a piece of himself into her—so to speak. Its complicated and I'll tell you more when your older-"

"Dad, I'm not five. I know how sex works." I interjected.

"Ugh. Its not sex...okay...maybe...it is a little. You see, when mommies and daddies love each other very much they do something called marking. Carrie, don't look at me like that. Anyway, demons live a life of constant struggle, never knowing who to trust. We use marking as a way to show trust. When one is marked, they insert their power into their partner. It is given in grate confidence, a way to solidify a pair. Once this type of mark is given it cannot be undone. They become a mated pair for life. It is the most intimate thing one can do. It is a sharing of souls and merging of power. There are different levels of marking, of course. Some are not permanent. Anyway, when your father marked your mother, he put a piece of himself inside her. That piece protected her and purified the air she breathed. Keeping her, and through her, you, safe."

"Can Yusuke ever mark anyone again?" I asked.

"Once a partner had died, the mark on the surviving demon fades. But when one has been wedded to another for so long...to share themselves that closely with another is hard. But it can be done." He said.

"Sounds like marriage." I whispered.

My dad poked me in the nose. "Marriage is nothing to being marked. Marriage can be easily broken, these ties are truly 'til death do you part. The mark is so special that many demons never attempt it. I never did. I do not share my power, not with anyone."

"Aww...Not even with me?" I asked jokingly.

My father gave me a look that was answer enough. He surprised me, though by saying "If it would save your life, then yes."

"Daddy, that's the sweetest thing you ever said to me." I grinned.

"Don't push it, darling." He said.

I grew more serious. "Dad...will I be going home with you?"

My dad bit his lips, green eyes growing sad. "No. You need to know your father. I've kept you apart for too long. However, you can come and visit me."

I threw my arms around his neck. "DON'T LEAVE ME! I DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE! I WANNA GO HOME!" I felt my throat grow tight.

"Shh, Darling. I'm not leaving you." He peeled my arms from his neck and stroked my hair. "You know that I love you. I would never leave you. But it wasn't right of me to hide you away from your real father. You need to get to know him. Promise me you will give him a chance. He has waited a long time to see you."

I nodded. "Yes, daddy. I promise."

"That's my big girl. Shall we go get some dinner? I think it will be served soon."

It was then I realized that we had been talking for hours. My dad got up and opened a paper door, my room was overlooking a beautiful little garden complete with a pond. My dad caught me staring. This was the first time I had seen anything that even vaguely reminded me of home. If I hadn't known better, I'd say that those flowers out there were daffodils, irises, shrubs, maple trees, grass, butterfly plants, tulips, daises, and pansies. There was even a rose bush out there. It looked so...human.

"Yusuke had this made for your mother. Keiko was so upset that Demon world didn't have any good grass or parks. Many of these flowers were from me, I took the liberty to enhance a few human flowers so that they could survive here. Your mother did love her daffodils."

I got up and walked over to my dad. I had to hand it to Touya, the under kimono that he tied was still going strong. I took my dad's hand and followed him out the door and into the night air. Somewhere on the breeze I could smell really good Teriyaki.

End Chapter 7

Kurama had a lot of explaining to do. I hope that I kept it interesting and as un-confusing as possible. He was telling it from his point of view, which I thought was fun...though long winded. Sorry for the recap, but blame Carrie. She didn't know anything about the past and Kurama had to catch her up to speed.

Yes I know I left out rescuing Yukina. But Carrie isn't supposed to know about Hiei's secret. Maybe she'll learn about it later, or maybe she won't. We'll have to play it by ear for that.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll have more very, very soon