In a flash, they are upon one another, frost-colored hair flying about as first Youko-Kurama, then Youko-Shippo, charged, dodged, regrouped, and attacked again. Youko-Kurama feinted a charge and at the last moment delivered a blow to the head that temporarily staggered his foe. Youko-Shippo recovered, and gained an edge with a quick strike to the chest that knocked Youko-Kurama backward. He skidded to a stop, only to find Youko-Shippo directly upon him, continuing his relentless attack. Youko-Kurama parried most of the blows, but in this state, Youko-Shippo was extremely powerful, and his pent-up lust for the women who were so close, yet still out of reach, had driven him to near madness.

The energy being released by the two fox-youkai had caused parts of the ceiling to crumble and fall. Yusuke, leaving a recovering Hiei sitting on the floor, rushed over to Yuriko, who was by now overcome by the sight of the two battling foxes. Now clad in only bra and panties, she had actually gotten herself out of her skirt, and kicked it away. Shippo's spell had vanished at Kurama's appearance, but her body still prepared itself for the inevitable. Instinctively, she knew that whichever of the two won the battle, she would be the first prize taken by the victor. She shuddered as a chill ran down her spine at that thought.

Yuriko's life had been a simple one up to this point. She had done fairly well in school, currently holding a B plus average while also a member of a number of clubs. She also had done well enough here at her weekend job, where she hoped to save enough to help her parents get her through college. She considered herself fairly average in the looks department, although she knew she had a nice figure. She had gotten some attention from guys, but never the ones she really wanted. She had kissed and even petted, but she had never taken that step with any of them. Now it was but a matter of moments, as she could see that the combatants were wearing each other down. Would she soon be a victim, or... a willing participant? Her mind was so confused that it simply couldn't get her body to control itself. The sounds of the battle, all that male musk, and now, what?

Blood? The battle was indeed fierce.

She gasped when she felt a pair of hands on her bare shoulders. Yusuke had moved behind her and nearly shouted into her ear.

"Where are the keys to these?"

He reached down and tugged at one of her bound wrists, indicating he wanted to free her of the cuffs.

"What?"

She was still in a fog.

"The keys… the keys! Where are they?"

"Ahh, they're… they're in… umm, an inside pocket of my…"

Yuriko looked down at herself and for the first time noticed what she wasn't wearing. She blushed profusely then, when she realized her state of undress. Yusuke blushed at her blush, trying his best once again to keep his eyes from wandering where they shouldn't.

'Oh man, wouldn't she just have to have nice legs to go along with her... with her...'

"… my jacket." She squeaked.

"Hang on. I'll be right back."

She couldn't help it, try as she might. Yuriko's heart pounded rapidly in her chest. Two ultra-male demons were leveling the store over her, and now another guy, who also happened to be quite attractive in his own right, appeared deeply concerned for her welfare, and he hadn't even met her before today. This was the most attention she had gotten from guys of this caliber, ever. And to top it all off, she was for the moment bound, at the mercy of however the fates would have events unfold. The feeling of helplessness along with being almost naked simply added to the thrill of everything else that was happening. She sucked in oxygen, panting, as she tried to remain alert to the action.

Yusuke quickly returned with her jacket, and found the keys in her pocket. Again, she shuddered at his touch as he grasped her arm to try to fit the key into the lock. Succeeding, he yanked her away from the devastation that continued unabated, slipping her jacket over her shoulders.

'Whew, at least one potential crisis averted.'

Yusuke then looked over at the front door. The clerk was still cowering in terror at the prospect of his life ending in mere moments. He had killed many virtual enemies as a gamer, but this was far more intense than any game he had ever played. Outside, mall security had worked their way past most of the now screaming, teeming masses. The commander of security, a beefy man in his mid-thirties, stood awe-struck at the scene through the plate glass doors before him. He barked commands into his walkie-talkie, calling for reinforcements from the police, and the military, if necessary.

Yusuke weighed his options. There was no way they were getting past security without someone getting hurt. He dragged Yuriko over to Hiei, who had by now completely recovered.

"Hiei! We've gotta get out of here! But we've got to stop them first!"

Through the ruckus, Hiei stood and then brushed himself off as he slipped his coat on over his shoulders.

"Hnn. I certainly couldn't care any less. Why not just let them kill each other? Oh wait, they're about to do that right now."

Although Youko-Shippo matched Youko-Kurama almost evenly in size and strength, the older fox had the advantage of many more years of fighting, and, after gauging his enemy's strategy and tactics throughout the fight, finally figured out a way to defeat him. Modulating his energy, he let Youko-Shippo believe that he was getting weaker as the battle wore on, setting him up for the kill once Shippo put all of his energy into a final attack meant to kill him. He didn't have to wait long.

"You grow weaker, Kurama. I can feel it. It's too bad for you that you decided to interfere by stepping into my territory. Now you will pay for your arrogance and stupidity."

Youko-Shippo charged his staff with all of his remaining energy, intent on killing Youko-Kurama at last. He would break through the weakening defensive shield and turn his foe into crumbling slivers of ice.

He fired his attack.

Youko-Kurama withdrew the defensive shield and called forth a spell that completely absorbed and nullified the energy of Youko-Shippo's attack.

And then turned it back on him.

Youko-Shippo, now defenseless, absorbed the blast completely, and the force of it would have thrown him through the wall outside, had the other kitsune not moved with blinding speed to grab him.

"We shall now see who will pay."

With the now-unconscious Youko-Shippo at his mercy, Youko-Kurama felt his nails extend into claws as his inner-youkai(1) prepared for the inevitable outcome of this competition between alpha males, death to the defeated. The claw of the index finger traced the path along Shippo's throat where the jugular would be severed.

"Kurama! You can't kill him!"

Eons of this bloody ritual dance of the male of the youkai foxes have carved deep this scenario, far beyond habit and instinct. Youko-Kurama was caught in a mental haze created by the exertion of combat, and the sexual frenzy caused by the scent of the women who were now his, by virtue of his victory.

Yes.

He would kill, and then he would mate. Likely repeatedly, as his brain separated the scents of hundreds of females who were ready for him now. He reached back to strike the death-blow.

"Kurama!"

"Oh please, don't! Not Shippo!"

"Hnn."

Just as he was about to strike, Youko-Shippo began to morph in Kurama's grasp until he was back in his teenaged form. His scent, and everything about him was now completely different. No longer regarding him as an enemy, Youko-Kurama dropped the boy to the floor before turning to face the others. Victorious, his eyes searched about for his prize before falling upon Yuriko. Yusuke stepped in front of her.

"Kurama. I know you're in there. C'mon, Kurama..."

"Step aside, human!"

"Oh geez, not again."

"Detective, I have an idea. Let him have the girl."

Yusuke looked at Hiei as if he had two heads.

"All right then. Everybody has now gone certifiably nuts. If you think that I'm gonna stand by while he..."

"Don't worry. He won't do anything. But he can't be reasoned with in his current state. He's pumped full of battle endorphins and on top of that the scent of so many women has rendered him temporarily insane..."

"What? Scent?"

"You're not a demon, so it goes right past your olfactory directly to your hypothalamus. Then you... Hnn. Anyway, I'd love to stand here and give you a physiology lesson on humans, but we don't have time for that now, do we?"

Hiei pointed to the front door, where police had by now arrived in support of security.

"Uhh, what should we do, then."

"Watch. And learn."

Hiei disengaged Yuriko's arm from Yusuke's grasp and led the trembling girl to the fox-demon. Leaving her in the middle of the floor, he stepped away from her. Youko-Kurama moved quickly, grasping her by her arms as he first sniffed about her face and hair, then began to kiss and lick her ears and throat before moving to kiss her on the lips. The blood pounding in her head, Yuriko gasped out a final plea before fainting dead away.

"Please... please be gentle."

"My dear, I am a demon, and I mean to ravage you as is my nature. When I have finished, you will... you will..."

His eyes glazed over as Hiei struck him once again on the back of the head. Then it was Yusuke's turn.

"Geez, he's got a thick skull."

"Yes, probably to protect that precious brain, as I'm certain Shuiichi would tell you himself. Unnh."

That last blow of Hiei's finally knocked Youko-Kurama out for the count. Yusuke caught Yuriko as she fell from his grasp and laid her gently on the floor. Within seconds, Youko-Kurama reverted back to Kurama. Grunting his annoyance, Hiei then slung his erstwhile partner over his shoulder, while Yusuke did the same to Shippo. Glancing one last time at the disaster that used to be the sporting-goods store, he sighed before turning to the hole in the wall leading outside.

"Let's get out of here."

Mrs. Higurashi had driven the other girls to the mall, and, using Botan's directions from the communicator's tracking device, they met up with the boys a short distance from the parking lot. Depending on Hiei's acute sense of direction, the boys had barely escaped the police and security.

"There's been quite a bit of excitement today. I think we'd all better head back home." Mrs. Higurashi said.

By the time they all got back to the Higurashi shrine, who should they meet but InuYasha, who was grinding his teeth impatiently while waiting.

"InuYasha" Kagome ran over to him and hugged him tightly, causing him to gasp and flinch.

"Ka... Kagome! What?"

"Shh. Your timing is perfect. I really need this."

Kagome changed her grip from around his waist to around his neck. Oh, but he felt really good to her. InuYasha's anger was quelled as he pleadingly looked about him for help. Mrs. Higurashi, her arms folded, simply smiled.

"Yusuke!"

Keiko had by now grabbed Yusuke and was hugging him tightly as well.

"I'm so glad you're alright. We heard the sounds of the battle through Botan's communicator."

"Well, I, uhh. Oohh!"

Keiko squeezed the air right out of him.

"Kura-chan!"

Botan had lead Kurama from the car to settle him on a bench in front of the shrine next to a still-woozy Shippo. She prodded the bump on the back of his head.

"Ouch! Really, fellows. Did you have to hit me so hard?"

"Hnn. So I should have instead put you out of your misery for good?"

Hiei then yawned. He was getting bored. He wouldn't be for long.

Mrs. Higurashi had been at dutiful mother, a loving provider and an excellent caregiver for many years since the death of Sota and Kagome's father. In all that time since then, the happiness of her son and daughter had been so much more important to her than her own. Although still an attractive woman, she never dated because she was afraid that the delicate balance that their family had achieved might be put at risk should another man enter the picture. She had made a solemn promise to herself that she would not start dating again until Sota was in high school.

Well, that was fine except that she was still a woman. And she was still alive and breathing the last time she checked. So she certainly appreciated an attractive man when she saw one. Indeed, Kagome and Sota's dad had been a very handsome man. It was sometimes difficult for her, but she could always control herself whenever InuYasha stopped by to visit Kagome. He was so dashing in his bright red haori, with the silver mane flowing behind him. Kagome was so lucky to have him. It was a even more difficult when Keiko brought Yusuke over the first time. He was definitely (what did they call them in Kagome's teen-magazines? Oh yes...) a hottie, and such a non-conformist who took crap from no one on top of that. He brought back so many memories of her children's father, who had been equally anti-social before she tamed him. She had been absolutely taken aback by teen-Shippo's magnificent masculine aura, and now that Kurama and Hiei were here she was being absolutely inundated by the presence of about half a dozen good-looking male specimens.

Really, really, really, really good-looking.

It was kind of overwhelming. Hiei stood the closest to her, his glowering, fidgeting, impatient intensity something she hadn't really observed in a male before. She bent down to give him a closer look. He eyed her warily, moving slightly away from yet another human whose mental state he wasn't completely certain of. Despite his outward display of lethal disgruntled-ness, Hiei was really a puppy deep down. She sensed that immediately when she looked into his eyes.

"Oh my, but you really are a cute one." Mrs. Higurashi then reached out to pinch Hiei on the cheek.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I couldn't help myself." Mrs. Higurashi blushed slightly as she put her hand over her mouth.

As lightning quick as Hiei was, he hadn't seen that one coming. He hesitated momentarily, opening his eyes wide in shock as the experience registered in his brain. He practically coughed on his words in an animated manner.

"What the... woman, do you... know that... you've just sealed your..."

Before he could complete his sentence, Kurama had quickly reached him and clamped a hand over his mouth, having observed the goings-on from a few feet away. While holding a struggling and sputtering Hiei, Kurama bowed his apologies as he spoke in his silky-smooth voice.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Higurashi. Hiei has not been himself lately. I think perhaps he needs a bit of a vacation."

"Oh, well, that's all right, I understand. Perhaps he's hungry. Would you like something to eat?"

"Why that would be quite gracious of you Mrs. Higurashi, wouldn't it Hiei?"

Kurama slowly removed his hand from Hiei's mouth. The koorime's anger had not yet subsided.

"Does she know how many demons I've k..?"

Once again, the hand was clamped on Hiei's mouth. A smiling Kurama very patiently tried again.

"What was that? Did you just say that you were hungry?"

He gave the koorime a light rap on the head as he smiled to himself in satisfied retribution. Botan looked on bemusedly as she patted Shippo on the back while he leaned on her shoulder for support.

Hiei finally got the message and calmed down enough that Kurama eventually released him. He still grumbled under his breath at the smiling Mrs. Higurashi, his attempt at a threat having gone completely over her head.

'Totally clueless. I've got to get away from these humans as soon as poss...'

Hiei looked down at Sota, who was now tugging on his coat.

"Excuse me?"

"Hi."

"And what do you want?"

"That's a cool bandana. Can I have it?"

"Well, I could give it to you, but then I'd have to k..." He glanced over at Kurama, who shook his head.

"Listen, little boy. Don't you have something to do, like collect insects or something?"

"Nah, that's kid stuff, and I'm not a kid. See, I'm almost as tall as you!"

Hiei rolled his eyes as he was once again reminded about his height, or lack of it. He turned to walk away, and then noticed he had another shadow. He had unintentionally become the object of Sota's fascination. He grumbled to Kurama.

"I'm going inside. Come and save me from my fate when you're ready to leave."

"I'm going inside, too." Sota skipped happily behind the exasperated koorime, who muttered to himself as he fingered his katana.

"I want to kill, but I can't kill. I'm a demon. How stupid is this? Hnn. Humans will be the death of me..."

After a wonderful lunch (and Mrs. Higurashi positively beamed with satisfaction over the attention they lavished upon her), Kurama explained to the rest what he had to Yusuke regarding the need for Shippo to complete his rite-of-passage.

They would be leaving that evening.

A/N: Next, the youko–tsuukagirei (vision quest). Also, does anyone care if Yuriko comes back? I have an idea that has her looking for Shippo (and Kurama), or I could just as easily finish this fic without her.

(1) inner-youkai - I borrowed this from a great fic by Sesshy81 called "Unexpectedly". Please check it out, particularly if you are a Sesshomaru fan.

Many thanks to :

Night-Owl123: you're welcome!

Ryukotsusei: glad you love it, thanks!

Inu miko: glad you like this.

ToraTigera: sigh sorry it took so long, I don't want to compromise with a crappy chappie (wow, a pun!)

LightningShocked: keeping it up! Meep!

cynical chaos: was that enough random chaos for ya? Thanks. And I'm still in awe over your EVA fic.

Sesshy81: thanks for your enthusiasm. And thanks, Sess, for the cookies... Wow! Paul Newman chocolate chip! Whoohaaaa!

KiddySand Katie: yeah, well, about you waiting so long for this... see, I kinda got sidetracked with some other fics... and... uhh, please don't kill Hiei...

Ja ne!

W.