What Now?

"Well, that sucked. I'm naked again. And don't you dare say you like me this way, you flipping pervert! I am too young for you to be entertaining thoughts of lust and mating, you know."

"Actually," Karasu murmured as he leapt from tree branch to tree branch, "I was going to tell you how cute you look. You're only seven, little girl. Don't be so damned sensitive." Megumi tugged on a lock of shadow black hair that hung in his face and said, "Hey, my virgin ears!"

"Ha! Like hell!"

"Hey, I know you. You're thinking of Koori. And I'm eight."

"You're seven, don't even try to lie to me. I know when you tell the truth, my love. And seven or eight, you're younger than I, and you are Koori, little girl."

"I'm Megumi, too."

"I'm aware of that."

"Are you?"

"Yes, quite aware," he hissed, his voice tight with pain. Oh, yes, he knew she wasn't just his Mate, but this little human girl as well.

"How can you run so bloody fast?"

"What happened to 'my virgin ears,' huh? And I'm a demon, little girl."

"Please stop calling me that, Karasu," she said softly, and he immediately regretted his waspish tone. For all she'd lived two previous lives, Megumi was still only eight, and she was probably very confused with his arrival.

"Koori... Megumi," he said with finality, "I'm sorry. I'm going to take you home. You can even tell the others what happened. But don't tell them about... about us, all right? Your brother wouldn't understand."

"Probably not. All right. You will be at the Dark Tournament, right?" She relaxed in his arms and watched as the trees whizzed past in a blur. This seemed to be her most common form of transportation, lately.

"Of course I'll be there."

"You're part of Team Toguro, yes?"

"Yes," he said regretfully. Megumi thought about that for a moment, then said, "Remember who your first loyalty is to. Your Mate should come before all else. Use that as justification if Toguro gives you any grief."

"You're a smart woman, my love. Ah, here we are. Your house, I believe." He deposited her gently on the branch outside her open window. Peeking in, she saw the closet door was still blocked.

"I think I'll sleep in the tree house," she murmured thoughtfully. "You never know what might pop out of my closet."

"Yanami's dead," Karasu replied. Megumi shrugged and said, "She's like Dracula: she always comes back. Here... I don't feel like being naked. Let me... what is that?"

"One of your old dresses." Holding her breath, she concentrated and became an adult again. This time, she had a sleek, foxy tail. Slipping on the dress- her Mate was looking at her funny- she then became a child again, and the simple blue shift shrank to fit her smaller child's body.

"Bed time," she said as she stepped into the tree house with the older demon. Settling onto the cushions that littered the floor, she rested her head on Karasu's knee and fell asleep.

Just as dawn broke, both Hiei and Kurama snapped awake and sensed both Megumi and Karasu's ki. The pale, red lipped demon knew it the moment it happened. Swiftly kissing Megumi goodbye on the cheek and settling her back onto the cushions, he left as quickly as he could, shoving his way through the barrier between the worlds and into the Makai.

Shiori Minamino was awoken by her son shrieking, "Megumi! Megumi! You're here!" Shiori ran outside to see her son's arms around her now-no-longer-missing daughter, and she screamed and lifted her child into the air, hugging and kissing her, saying her name over and over again.

Megumi was home.

"This demon saved you?" Hiei asked again. Megumi sighed, crying, "Yes. He brought me back here, but I was so tired that I fell asleep in the tree house." She didn't tell them about being awoken from a sensual dream and finding herself in her fox form, a fully-grown, hot-blooded Kitsune in need of her Mate. That wasn't their business, and she knew how to hide it from them.

"So, the Apocalypse is coming. Great. So, now what?"

"Good question. How about getting ready for the Dark Tournament?" Koenma asked. Megumi, deciding this was a brilliant plan, stuck her thumb in her mouth and settled down against Kurama for a nap. They could deal with the end of the worlds when she woke up.