These past few weeks, perhaps the whole month, I have come to realize that I am afraid to look in my review box. I began to wonder why this was: it was because my story had left a lot to be desired. What was to be desired? Why, background information, of course! I had planned on having many of the mysteries explained in much later chapters, but I have readers that are confused and, to my horror, displeased and unentertained. I will disclose to calm the public and ease their impatience with my muse.

When Gabe was captured at the end of the Fox Without a Vixen, did you figure out who rescued her and erased her memories? The only clue was black hair and a history of Gabe saving his body from another spirit. He is the one, who raised her a second time as a human. She is not a were-fox this time, also I would like to clarify that I never limited the use of Morpheus' mirrors to just illusions. And no, he is not some one you had to read the prequel for; he is brand new for this story. Next week, I will give you a juicy string of chapters that explains all about him.

(I love you all! X-D)

Ch 10 Open Your Heart

The days wore on, the vacation came to an end, and the newly rested teens returned to their normal lives. Gabi's back began the process of healing; the lashes disappeared, not even leaving scars, due to the combined pneumatherapy of Yukina and Genkai. She was a bit quieter than she normally was, and did not move around as much as she did; her random dancing and hopping around had nearly ceased altogether. The curly haired teen often sat; lost in thought, with her arms wrapped around herself, running her fingers over her back to make sure the marks were gone. It had been two weeks since the incident; she was walking around a mountain trail some miles away from where she lived. Something drew her into the woods.

Gabi sighed, feeling very alone in the world. "I knew you would come around here eventually," a voice said, making her jump; Genkai walked down a small path that joined the one Gabi was on. Gabi was a bit startled at her sudden presence. "What do you mean you knew?" she asked. Genkai fell in step beside the teen, "I know of your shamanism abilities, Yusuke told me, and I want to help you control them and become stronger."

"You can do that?"

Genkai chuckled, "I am one of the most renowned psychics in the world, mind you. I specialize in manipulating spirit energy, which is not too distant from shamanism."

"What can I do for you in return, Genkai?"

"Fulfill your potential, and be strong enough to defend yourself from things that can hurt you and others around you." A shadow passed over her eyes, and the girl knew what she was referring to.

"What must I do?"

Weeks passed. It was late. Gabi was walking home from a rigurose training session in the mountains, when she felt the presence of someone following her as she entered the city she lived in. "Come on out, Kurama." She said, sighing wearily. A reddish haze appeared beside her; two green eyes stared at her in the darkness of the street. "Your spirit awareness has grown sharper." He said.

"And just what are you doing following me in the middle of the night in the streets?"

"I ought to ask what you are doing in the streets in the first place, alone even." He said, walking beside her.

"It is hardly polite to ignore someone's question and then make one of your own." She said coldly. Feeling a bit sheepish, he answered, "I happen to like walking at night; the air is calm and smells better. I followed you because I wanted to know what you were doing."

"So you planned to spy on me,"

"Not necessarily; I was going to make my presence known before you caught me early. Would you mind answering my question, now?"

"I am not ready to tell yet." She wore a small smile of secrecy as she said this. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Might I ask why?"

"No." she grinned and quickened her pace.

"No?" he ran a bit to catch her.

"Yes."

"Yes?

"No!"

"Yes?"

"No, no! Not yes, no!"

"Ooooh. I'm confused."

"That's a first." She rolled her eyes and kept walking while he stood, trying to figure the whole thing out. He ran after her. "I have to ask you something!" she stopped and turned to him.

"Ask me what?"

"Do you trust me?" she searched his eyes, but he kept his thoughts hidden. "I do." He gripped her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

"Then follow me to a place where no one can see you or here you scream; if you do not trust me, turn and run as fast as you can."

"What are you saying!" she pulled away from him, holding up her hands to shield herself if she needed to.

"I have to tell and show you something that will probably scare the sh!t out of you. If you don't trust me when I show it to you, don't ever come near me again and try to feel safe from my secrets." Gabi looked at him strangely. She gripped his shoulder, "I don't know a lot about you Kurama, but what I do know is you have a lot you keep hidden, and I never wanted to try and pry into your business. But if its something you have to trust me with, then I can't deny you." He remained silent for several moments. At length he said, "Follow me." He led her to his house and shut the front door behind her. "If you feel afraid, please be patient with me. I won't hurt you by choice, ever, but I am the part of one of your nightmares."

"How do you know anything about my nightmares?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Because I am the cause of them." He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and showed her a shrinking wound, "Do you remember this?" he asked. She stared at the wound, "That's from the rocks at the beach." She said.

"Do you remember anyone else with a similar wound?" she wrinkled her nose and stared at the ceiling; it hit her like a slap in the face. Kurama stepped to the center of the room, his reiki flickered in a strange way, as if being let out and changed at the same time. A white mist swirled around the room, hiding his body as it changed shape. Gabi sat quietly on the couch, waiting as the smoke disappeared again. What she saw made her eyes wide with fear and shock. It was the man who had attacked her at the beach, or rather a better copy of him.

In front of her was a glowing figure dressed in unmarred white that added to his shine. His hair was long, and so silky; the light gray was indeed silver. His eyes were golden, and his face was very handsome. On top of his head were graceful animal ears, swiveling to the sounds around him. He had a shimmering tail behind him, making his over all look very exotic and almost mythical. The other version she had seen at the beach was some knock-off of his form, meant to terrorize her. She stood; her headband fell out of her hair, releasing her short curls. Her head resembled the gorgon Medusa, only less fatal and fairer.

The fox looked toward her, as if just noticing her for the first time. He raised an eyebrow, and looked at her fallen headband, a lacquered piece of brown leather with large round studs of metal; he picked it up. She chose this opportunity to run, but not out of the house, she had been in a spot where her only options were the stairs.

One of his silvery ears swiveled towards her, his lip curled in annoyance. He heard her steps patter softly upstairs and enter his room before he chose to follow.

Gabi stumbled into the dark room, glancing left and right for any means of escape: the window. She ran to it, but a leafy tendril shot out at her, wrapping around her wrist, "Sh!t!" she cursed. A small potted plant turned into a strange, strangling creature with thorns for claws on many three-fingered tentacles. The hundreds of hands latched onto her, wrapping her arms and legs up, trapping her. A thick leaf lay across her mouth to keep her from screaming. She was raised off the ground just as the silver fox calmly entered the room. "You should not have run from me." His husky timber made her shiver. "But you were wise in doing so. At one time I really was a monster." He approached her, putting her headband back into place on her head, his clawed hands grazing her jaw as he drew away again. Gabi drew away from him as much as she could. The small action seemed familiar: teary green eyes, blond waves framing a heart-shaped face, the scent of fear. A small leafy claw slowly pulled her shirt down her shoulder, exposing unmarred skin- No! What was he doing? Thinking about Marking her?

She wiggled her nose at him cutely. He chuckled, removing the leaf from her mouth. At once she shrieked; he jerked back, covering his ears and the leaf silenced her again. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know." He said. She just sat in the vines' grasp, shaking, but glaring defiantly. "The only way for you to get over your fear is to face it head on, understand? Now I'm going to release your mouth again; we can talk then, but only if you don't scream, agreed?" she slowly nodded. He removed the leaf slowly, ready to snap it back on if necessary.

Watching him as if he was a crocodile with a dollar on his nose, she slowly spoke. "Who are you?"

"My name is Youko Kurama." Her eyes widened fractionally. "Yes, the very same who attacked you that dark day," he gazed at the ground in shame, "but… I was not myself, you see." From his pocket he extracted a dull shard of glass-metal. "Do you remember Maze Castle? You may remember that mirror you found; it was what caused me to act unlike the norm-"

"I remember every thing." She said, revealing nothing in her face, but much in her voice. A pang of guilt made him want to puke. "Please," he said, "sit; you will need to before the end." He was not speaking only to her; the plant that bound her made her bend and gently set her in the chair of the desk, still holding her. He spoke for a while, looking off into space, recalling his near-death and new life, his adventures and disasters; Kurama casually flopped down on the bed across from her, folding his hands and looking at her expectantly. Gabi had listened attentively, never batting an eye. "Have you no questions?" he said at length. She licked her lip and stared out the window.

"I … I don't know what I should ask you."

"Any thing you want to know."

"Are you going to kill, hurt, or rape me?" He twitched an ear at this and laughed, "If I had wanted to do any of those things, don't you think I would have done so by now? After all, you are restrained, in my bedroom, alone, at night."

"Well of course I can't think rationally! I'm scared out of my wits!"

"Are you going to run?"

"…"

The vines uncoiled from her limbs and she sat unaided in the chair. "Now are you going to run?"

"Do you want me to?"

"I had expected you to."

"I had not expected you to chase me."

He laughed sheepishly, "Touché. Forgive me, please. When I told you to run from me, I meant at that moment, not when I had exposed my true form to you. I didn't want you to escape with this knowledge."

"What about now?"

"Do you still wish to run?"

"I wish to turn on the lights." Youko laughed deeply and flicked the light switch. "Now I wish to talk;" she said, "why did you attack me? I really thought you were a friend."

"I was under some spell or another; it forced me to change from Suichi to Youko, (a rather poor impression I might add,) and attack you, doing and saying things I never meant."

"So when you said I wasn't…"

Youko stood up, crossed the room and pulled Gabi to her feet. He hugged her honestly; a veil of mist surrounded them both, and when it cleared, redheaded Kurama stood in his place. "You are very dear to me, Gabi. You're my friend, and I don't ever want that to change." She hugged him tightly in return, "Can you keep a secret?" she whispered.

"That depends on the context." He grinned mischievously.

"Out of all the countries I've been to, out of all the people I've met, Keiko and Yusuke are the only friends that have stuck with me. Now I've got you too, and that means so much to me."

"Glad I could help."

Hi again! I hope I portrayed Youko the right way, sexy and dangerous, but thoughtful and witty. See that little purple down there that says review? It's been very naughty; move your mouse over it and give a good mashing! You know you want to!