She was a savage a fucking brute unafraid to fight for what she wanted brave enough to go to war for what she deserved – r.h Sin

On a team, it's not the strength of the individual players, but it is the strength of the until and how they all function together. – Bill Belichick

Chapter Twelve: What Doesn't Kill Her Better Run

Part Two

Ran's POV

'What the hell?!' I shouted as all of the sudden all the boys were on the ground motionless.

'Why are they all asleep?! What did you do to them?' I demanded as I stood up to look around as all of the sudden all the exits were gone and were trapped inside a room with no way out.

'I just let them all have a little rest and sweet dreams. Don't you want to have sweet dreams as well little girl?' asked the creature in a honey sweet voice from the corner of the room. Without my glasses I could see that his youki was shaped into a clowlike figure.

'Wake them up! Now!' I shouted before I kneeled back to them my hand on Yusuke's shoulder trying to shake him although I had a feeling it would have been no use whatsoever.

'No, they need to wake up on their own. It's the game,' said the little clown before I suddenly heard the sound of a ticking clock. I looked up only to find a gigantic clock on one of the walls.

'Time is running out,' he said in a singing voice. I cursed before I shook Yusuke harder, 'Come on! Wake up now!' I was yelling at him hysterically but it was no use. I even went so far as to slap the poor punk but it was no use.

It felt like forever although by clock on the wall it was just a while, but I seriously didn't know how to wake them up. It brought me back to what happened with Keiko and I couldn't help but clench my hand into a fist and out of the blue punched Hiei in the face. Frustration was a bitch.

I stopped up.

'You're hilarious, girl,' said the clown youkai and I shot him a look.

'Well, you're having a blast, aren't you?' I snapped before looking down at them again.

Shit. I had no idea what to do.

'Hm? Would you like a clue?' asked the youkai.

'What clue?' I demanded stepping closer to him.

'Would you like one?'

'Sure.'

'Maybe you could try it as the Sleeping Beauty,' he suggested and I rolled my eyes before I looked down at the boys again.

'Time is running out.'

I shook my head. I felt overwhelmed with not knowing what to do and the stupid clock ticking all the time. It was bad enough that I had no idea what to do, this only made it all worse.

I sat down for a moment before I put my hand on Yusuke's chest. I felt his heart still beating and I stood up again, 'Why me?'

'Huh?'

I turned to the clown again, 'You made them all fall asleep but not me. Why?'

'Because you're the girl. Boys are not supposed to fight girls,' replied the youkai.

'Cute.'

I looked back at the boys, 'But I'm not buying it.'

'Tick-tack, little human.'

I looked around to see if the room really held no clues as to what I should do now. I wasn't sure if whether fighting the youkai wouldn't make it even worse. As I looked around I remembered something. It wasn't an actual memory. It was more like a dream like memory from before.

The silent bloody battlefield.

How did I know this wasn't a realistic dream like before? I used to have dreams like that all the time with people I didn't know. Maybe now I simple dreamed about my friends.

I stopped moving realizing something, 'But…if this is all a trick…then they are not the only ones sleeping,' I looked at the creature, 'I am as well.'

I woke up with a gasp looking around only to find all my friends asleep again only this time I knew they really were. This time I just knew it was not a dream. We were in the same room with no entrance and the big clock but there was also this heavy fog all around us. The fog which must have made us fall asleep in the first place. I remembered now. We were choking for a while as the fog went out of the music box and then…we all fell asleep.

'Guys, wake up!' I shouted, but it was no use. The fog was growing stronger and I felt myself close to dozing off again. I looked around desperate until my eyes landed on Hiei of all the people, and it hit me.

Hiei was a telepath.

I rushed to his side and put my hands on his color, 'Come on! Read my mind! Come on! Hiei. If either of you guys can wake up on his own it's you! You can read our minds you know you are asleep! Hiei!'

It was no use. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that I was desperate or that there was literally nothing that I could do or that the toxin was affecting me again, but in the next moment I found myself pressing my forehead against his. He was so much smaller than me, it felt like I was holding a child. I had no idea how his mindreading worked or if it was on when he was asleep but I couldn't give up just yet.

I pushed every single thought out of my mind except for one.

Hiei, please, wake up!

I felt someone's hand on mine, and I opened my eyes only to find myself staring into eyes red as blood.

My eyes widened, and I let go of the youkai just as he stood up confused, 'What are you-' He then looked around realizing what was going on before he looked at me again, 'It was a dream.'

'We need to wake them up before we fall asleep again,' I said and ripped a piece of my sleeve to cover my mouth.

'Can you wake them up?' I asked, 'Enter their minds or something? Tell them it's a dream.'

Kurama's POV

'Come on, Ran. We don't have time for this,' said Yusuke as he slapped Ran one more time to try and wake her up.

'Ten seconds,' said the giant clock on the wall, 'If you don't wake up the sleeping beauty in ten seconds you will all suffer the sleeping beauty curse forever.'

'Damn it, Ran!' shouted the detective. I watched as Ran was unconsciousness on the ground sweat and shaking while asleep. Whatever she was seeing much have been more of nightmare than a pleasant dream.

'What if we just kiss her or something?' asked Kuwabara, 'The creep calls her sleeping beauty. The story ends with a true love's kiss.'

'Yeah, well, unfortunately her boyfriend his home,' said Yusuke annoyed.

'No, this all is a trick and as such the last thing that we should be doing is believing our tormentor. Not to mention Ran got poisoned by breathing the toxin in. It might transmit to anyone who would engage in such a contact.'

'Tick-'

'Kurama it's just a dream,' said Hiei suddenly and I looked over at him, but he was frowning at the others.

'It's not real,' I heard him again realizing he was inside my head and since he didn't even look at me I knew it wasn't the Hiei I saw talking.

I looked at the others again and at the sleeping Ran, 'Of course, it's just a dream.'

I woke up just as Yusuke and Kuwabara did as I heard them let out startled noises close. I found Ran holding my shoulder with a piece of clothing over her mouth and nose so she wouldn't inhale the toxin so fast.

We all heard the clock on the wall stop three minutes before we would run out of time.

Suddenly the music box started to play again and the little clown broke free again, 'You managed to wake up all in time. What a pity.'

Yusuke stood up as Ran helped me to my feet, 'We won your stupid game now let us out!'

'Not yet. The girl was the only one who woke up on her own. The rest of you needed to be woken up. That was against the rules,' said the toy clown.

'That's bullshit!' shouted Ran, 'You never said we couldn't wake them up. How were we supposed to wake up all at once in the first place?!'

'Cheating at games is punishable. No one breaks the rules,' said the toy in a dark voice before it laughed.

In the next moment Ran was gone.

'RAN!'

'Where is she?' asked Kuwabara looking around.

'Ran is the only one who woke up on her own. So she goes to the next round if she can win. You will all win,' said the clown bounding from one side to another.

'I had just enough of these ridiculous games,' said Hiei and pulled out the sword.

'Hiei, don't!' I called but I was too late as he in one quick move cut the music box.

'Idiot! How the hell will we know what is happening with Ran now?' asked Kuwabara upset ready to fight unwisely fight Hiei.

The fire youkai looked away, 'The stupid toy was of no use to us anyway.'

'Guys the clock is running again,' said Yusuke pointing all of ours attention to the clock again. It really was running. Ran's time was running out.

Ran's POV

'Damn it! Now what?!' I shouted as I was suddenly standing in water. Now I was inside a room which looked like a sewer. It made me one to puke all over again. The smell was definitely like inside a sewer. I even noticed several large pipe opens around the room.

'Welcome to the final round of our game, Ran,' said the honey sweet voice, 'The task is simple. All you need to do is sing me a song.'

I frowned, 'A song?'

'Yes, any song you would like…once the time starts you have ten minutes to sing me a song,' said the voice and I knew it was a trap who the hell would need ten minutes to sing a song?

'Set the time please,' said the voice and once again a large clock appeared on the wall, 'And begin, human girl.'

The first song that popped into my head was Akai Kutsu. I didn't even know why this one since there were many shorter songs which I knew, but as the voice started the time I just started to sing. I managed to get through the first line when all of the sudden something started to flow the sewer through the large pipes on the wall. Once I was hit by the substance I realized it wasn't water or mud. It was heavier and redder.

The best guess of my panicked mind was blood.

When I was a kid, Yusuke got Keiko and me to break into the public pool. It was dangerously easy. We found a hole in the fence and got inside. It wasn't summer so they were no people. I remembered that I didn't even want to go. But being a kid and having Yusuke as the leader I couldn't back down. That would be cowardly not to mention it was an adventure. We got into our swimming clothes and into the water. We started to jump making a game out of it. I wasn't sure how I slipped, but I managed to hit the back of my head before I ended up on the water. I was just dizzy for a moment but since I had my mouth opened I swallowed a lot of the water. I got out gasping and we went to Keiko's. We all lied that I slipped on the ground, but I think her mom knew. Keiko's hair was still wet after all. Yusuke apologized to me by bringing me a bag of my favourite candy the next day. He never said anything but Keiko later said that he was really scared when they saw the little amount of blood in the water. We all were, but he felt guiltier since it was his idea in the first place, and he was the only boy in our group. It was stupid since him being a boy had nothing to do with it, but I got it. We were like siblings and your brother always has to protect his sister.

Drowning in blood was way worse than in water. For starters blood was much heavier than simple water. When you drown and let the water inside your lungs once you cannot you're your breath any longer it is this burning feeling in your lunch, but oh Kami with blood it was far worse. I felt like I wanted to vomit as my mind realized that I was swallowing blood. I tried to jump, but because the blood was heavier I couldn't move let alone transmit.

I gasped and tried to seek for something. Anything to hold onto. Something. Please. I-I couldn't die like this. I spread my limps and tried to swim but the liquid was so heavy I barely moved despite using all of my strength. Looking up I couldn't see anything. No light or surface like you could see with water. Just dark, just red, just blood.

I eventually stopped struggling. No! I was not giving up. I wasn't useless like that. I wasn't useless!

Hiei taking Keiko flashed before my eyes.

My father's killing.

May as Kurama took her memories.

Shiori as she was weakly gasping for air when she was close to death.

Yusuke's dead body.

And then everyone from his mother, Keiko's parents, Ken, Keiko and how much they grieved for him. I couldn't bring them such pain. I couldn't die. I couldn't and wouldn't die in this place. Somewhere we they called it the Demon City. Absolutely not.

In my mind I held on to the last straw. I thought about my training. I thought about how every time I did something it was always about focusing my energy. Always. I needed to focus it. I needed to somehow make it into something like before. I made a shield, and Frisbee, a wave…I just needed to think of something. Something which would get me out of this blood. Anything.

I felt my energy moving and centering inside me. I felt the flow inside me and then I felt it moving from the inside of my being to under my skin, to on top of it.

When I opened my eyes I found my whole body glowing. I found the energy moving from inside my body outside until I could breathe again.

I gasped almost falling to my knees as I realized I was flooding inside a large blue bubble. I reached my hand feeling the energy which I recognized as my own. It seemed to move around me. It wasn't a bubble. It was more like a barrier just as before.

I sighed before I started to sing again, 'The girl wearing red shoes has
Gone to America with a foreigner.

She took a ship from the wharf in Yokohama,
Gone to America with a foreigner.

Now her eyes have turned blue,
I wonder about her as a foreigner in that country.

Every time I see red shoes, I think of her
Every time I meet a foreigner, I think of her.'

The blood suddenly started to flow away as if someone pulled the plumb in the tub. I found myself facing the little clown only this time he wasn't in a music box. He looked pretty much like a little clown with red nose and everything.

'Oh, you sang a song,' he said surprised before he grinned, 'Next game-'

'No,' I said feeling myself getting seriously angry. I was covered in blood. I literally swallowed someone's blood. I rarely felt this pissed but right now I really was. 'No more games.'

I let the energy center in my hand, 'I'm done with games.'

This thing seriously pissed me off. He was buying time so his masters could take over the human's world. I was definitely done with stupid games.

'Oh, you want to play a different game then?' he asked and took a step back disappearing in front of my eyes, but what he didn't know what that even if he could hid himself or be fast like Hiei, I could still see him.

I jumped as well ready to punch him as he moved to the shadows next to me. Unfortunately he managed to get out right before I punched the wall causing it to crack damaging the structure.

'Not good,' he said looking around.

'Definitely not,' I said and rushed after him ready to kick him, but getting only his side. He fell rolling to the ground. Apart from his tricks he probably wasn't very much of a fighter. I went after him again only for him to dodge my attack by cutting me in the process.

'Ha gotcha you!' he shouted victoriously, and I smirked as I pressed my hurt hand close to my chest, 'Yeah, and so do I got you,' I jumped at him transmitting. In that split second when I knew I would appear closer to him I felt something inside my chest move. My energy did something weird. I felt as if I held some object in my palm. Something cold.

I managed to surprise him as his eyes widened at me before I punched him. In a second all that was left of him was more blood on the already covered by it walls.

I definitely painted the place red.

I looked at my clothes.

And myself.

I sensed the place shaking and suddenly the walls moved revealing the others as well as a way out of the stupid room.

Kurama's POV

'Jesus, Ran, you look like Carrie from that movie!' said Kuwabara pointing at Ran as she was all covered in blood trying to brush her face, 'Do you have something I can clean myself with a bit?' she asked and Yusuke handed her over her jacket, 'Keep it.'

'What was the last game?'

'Sing Akai Kutsu. Once I said red the blood appeared from the pipes trapping me inside,' she said trying to clean herself a bit which was useless as she was covered with it everywhere.

'You smell disgusting,' said Hiei stepping backwards with a displeased expression on his face.

'Thanks,' she replied annoyed trying to get the blood from her face. I watched her for a moment as she unzipped her hoodie and threw it on the ground. The shirt was in a bit of a better shape since the hoodie was on top. It was truly disturbing to see Ran like this. She appeared as if she was some human sacrificed with all the blood on her.

'I feel…like there is raw meat in my mouth,' she said desperate, 'It's real blood, right? Human's?'

'You don't want to know,' I told her wisely. As she was cleaning herself I noticed her right hand.

'Were you hurt?' I asked looking at the slightly cleaned skin.

She looked up at me from her cleaning and then at her hand, 'Oh, it's nothing he just cut me with something.'

I frowned stepping closer. I took her wrist to have a better look, 'But Ran this looks burnt.'

She blinked confused before she looked at the hand herself, 'That's odd. I thought I felt something cold in my hand not warm.'

She watched her hand confused for a moment and then continued to clean herself some more. We managed to get out of the small labyrinth and back on our track, Ran still looking like she drowned in a pool of blood.

'I still can't believe you managed to get out of there,' said Kuwabara, 'I would probably faint if I found myself inside an ocean of blood.'

I found myself smirking for a moment. To an outsider Ran may have looked like the weakest of our members since she was a female. However, what they didn't know was that Ran wasn't a girl. She was a wild animal, and wild animals hate to be cornered. It is when someone tries to corner them that they show how much they are capable of. That's the kind of fighter Ran was.

'Gosh, is there really no water in this stupid castle,' whined the girl annoyed.

'You thirsty?' asked Yusuke as we continued to walked.

She looked at him, 'No, I want to vomit and take a shower.'

'Many warriors find it alluring when they are bathed in the blood of their enemies,' said the fire youkai and Ran frowned at him, 'Yeah, but this is not the blood of my enemies, and anyway ewww.'

We continued our path through the castle. All of us keeping our distance from Ran as the smell and sight of her were truly disturbing.

'Oh well, you don't have to walk that much further from me. Friends are supposed to love you no matter what,' she said after a while, but Yusuke chuckled, 'Yeah, but not when you look like you survived a farm slaughter house and stink like that, Ran.'

'Oh, come on,' she crossed her arms, 'No one, not even you, Kurama.'

I knew she was joking and send her a displeased look as she smirked and walking behind us so we wouldn't have to be too close to her. As I turned back around I found Hiei looking between us.

I raised my brows at him, but he said nothing and continued to walk until Kuwabara broke the silence, 'Jesus, this is taking forever. When are we finally going to be there yet?'

'Hey, no one asked you to come so stop whining,' replied the detective, 'Compare to Genkai's stairs this is nothing, right Ran?'

'I think there was hair in the blood I swallowed,' muttered the girl completely ignoring the question.

'Don't go acting all mighty just cause you trained a bit with Ba-san doesn't mean anything. Ran trained with her for years, right Ran?' asked Kuwabara, but didn't wait for an answer while the girl in question seemed to be too concerned with the taste in her mouth.

'Like you would have survive even a month, no a week no a day there,' snapped the detective.

'Well, maybe-'

'Silence already!' called Hiei annoyed at the other's fighting. He looked at me over his shoulder.

Ran's POV

'Why the hell would you want humans as companions like these?' asked Hiei, 'As these friends,' he said the words as if it was a curse, and in that moment it sure felt like it. I frowned at him. I could feel I wasn't the only one who felt like that way.

'Well, that's because you haven't met us yet,' said Yusuke before he pointed at Kuwabara, 'Sure, Kuwabara is kind of useless and Ran is kind of a pain in the ass.'

'What the hell Urameshi! Shut up,' defended himself Kuwabara before he looked at Hiei, 'Well, no worries. Who would even want to be friends with an asshole little pipsqueak like you?!'

I listened to their argument and each other's insult silent as suddenly it caused me to remember my dilemma from a few days ago about how I realized I did spent a lot of time with Kurama.

I looked over at him as he appeared to be mildly annoyed by the other's boys bricking. I thought about how I first met him. How terrified I was of him after what happened with my father, and then how much I didn't trust him. Despite the he wasn't my friends, being around him gave me something. It gave me someone to focus on and not be…lonely because that was what I was. I was alone. I was a new kid in a new school where all the girls and boys either ignored me or I pushed them all away. I was just that type of a person. I didn't have Yusuke, Keiko or Ken around and I would be completely bored and alone if it wasn't for Kurama who was around even as a treat at first. Then we started to talk and associate. I had fun around him. I got into a play and met May even if for a moment. I got to spent lunches in comfortable silence or small meaningful or meaningless conversation which made going to school and being there so much easier. Now that I thought about it even when I wasn't talking to Kurama, I was glad he was there because without him…on those days when he had to skip to be with his mom I was so utterly alone it was unbearable. I realized that it would probably cause an argument with Ken, but I wouldn't and couldn't stop being around Kurama because without him I would be alone in class and outside of the class…he was my friend. It should be a problem to spend time with him if I was loved Ken. He should find it in him to trust me. Anyway.

I didn't even realize I had spaced out until I blinked and realized Kurama was looking straight at me with an unreadable expression on his face. I hated that expression because I couldn't figure out what the hell was going through his mind. I never really knew, but that expression made me feel uninvited like…we weren't really friends.

I turned to Hiei again, 'I guess it is about not being alone.'

The short youkai turned toward me, 'What is that supposed to mean?'

I shrugged my shoulders, 'Wouldn't it feel lonely if you were here all by yourself? No one around to talk to-'

'It would be less annoying,' he said glaring at Yusuke and Kuwabarra who glared right back.

'Yeah, but it would be lonely. You would be here all alone without anyone to talk to that…wouldn't be a good feeling.'

'I would have this mission over faster if I didn't have to wait for you-'

'Why you-'

'Then why didn't you break into the vault all by yourself?' I asked cutting off him and Kuwabara as they were about to argue again.

He looked at me confused frowning before he was about to say something but stopped himself. This was the first time he was left speechless and for an odd reason it felt like an achievement given what a smartass and jackass he has been since I meet him.

'I needed their skills.'

'So you needed someone because you couldn't do it by yourself,' cut in Kuwabara hoping to insult him. Hiei glared at him again, but I raised my hand, 'That's not what I meant. Until Kurama told you that he didn't want to use to artifact to enslave mankind or whatever weren't you hoping to work together to…well destroy humanity?' I asked looking straight into his eyes seeing something shifted as if he realized that a part of what I said was true.

'I think it was because it doesn't matter what you're doing…if feels better when you don't have to do it alone so even if maybe you or either of us could try to go on this mission alone and succeed neither of us would really want to, but it wouldn't…be like this…It would be quiet and lonely,' I wasn't sure I was explaining it right but in compare to Kurama who lived in the human world for years Hiei did not understand such things. From Kurama's words it sounded like they didn't understand friendship in Makai, but perhaps they did companionship.

He watched me, and I knew he was out of words before he asked, 'You speak about all of us being here together as if you were glad for it. Weren't you upset that since the moment you found out I joined as well?'

Tricky question.

'I was,' I admitted which caused him to look satisfied as if he caught me in the corner before I added honestly, 'But I don't think I am anymore.'

His smug look fell and he watched me for a moment before he looked away in a gesture which felt so utterly childish I knew I won a bit. I looked over at Yusuke and Kuwabara who didn't dare to say anything to ruin the silence probably knowing I did as well before I looked over at Kurama who was smiling a little bit at me. I had to look away because I was trying not to smile or act like I was using it against Hiei. I simply kept my face and posture and we one by one remained silent just moving forward.

Ran's POV

As we walked we were mostly falling back into silence after I tried to explained companionship and friendship or better yet their importance to Hiei. He hasn't said a word since and I found myself wondering about what could possibly be going through his mind. Our main focus was getting into the highest tower of the castle because it was the highest tower of the castle. The big bad always lives there with a collection of his most precious treasures which must have been where he also had to keep the flute which controlled the Makai insects.

When all of the sudden we heard a ringing noise Kuwabara jumped a bit startled while Yusuke casual pulled out some sort of round object from his pocket. It took me a moment to realize that it was some sort of communicator when Botan's face appeared inside it.

'Hello Yusuke, it's Botan here from the Human Realm. Do you copy?' she asked cheerfully as always before her eyes widened.

'Kami, Ran, is that blood?'

Groaning I stepped away from the view annoyed.

Fortunately she didn't have time to ask questions as Kuwabara pushed Yusuke's head away to look at the girl, 'Hey, what's up Botan? This is the brave Kuwabara reporting at your service. I will take very good care of Urameshi.'

'I'm so glad to hear that,' replied the deity and I rolled my eyes before I noticed Hiei looking at me.

'Yes?'

'Is the usefulness of companionship you spoke earlier?'

I turned my back to him, 'Give me a break.'

Yusuke hit Kuwabara while he and Botan spoke. She managed to inform us that she caught 15 of the little bastards so far which left me worried. 15 wasn't much.

We continued to walk after that Kuwabara brushing his sore cheek while Yusuke asked about the Beasts. So far we haven't met any of them and Botan gave us as little information as possible.

'Seeing as how the Spirit Realm sealed them up in the Demon Realm, we know that they are a considerably dangerous group.'

'That's all?' asked Kuwabara shocked and so was I, 'Great, so this makes it even more unprepared.'

'They have been kept pretty far away from humans, so it might be surprising.'

'Thank you for the praise,' said a muffled voice suddenly. On an instinct all of us formed a circle so no one had an unprotected back.

'Who was that?'

There was a devious laugh before the voice continued, 'There is a door behind you, please take it.'

'God, no more clown or blood baths,' I said trying not so swallow since even after what felt like hours of walking I still felt the disgusting taste in my mouth.

Kuwabara and Yusuke wasted no time as they kicked the door open and all of us walked inside a stony room.

I stopped almost causing Kurama to walk into me.

'Ran?'

I never saw anything like it. Most of the youkai I saw till then looked like something familiar bugs, bats, kitsune, dragons…this one looked like nothing I ever saw before.

'He's right in front of us,' I said pointing at the dark part of the room where I saw the youkai.

'He looks like a pile of rocks,' I mumbled confused asYusuke took one of the nearby torches and threw it to the ground.

What was revealed was truly a beast made of rocks and stones. I couldn't really explain what did he look like. He appeared to have a shell like a large turle and clawed toes however something about his arms reminded me of apes.

'I am Shiseiju Genbu. I, Genbu-sama, the one with the greatest power, will now teach you all a lesson! You have any request before you die?'

'I think I skipped far too many Biology classes,' mumbled Kuwabara by my side as Yusuke asked, 'This is one of the Four Holy Beasts?'

'This stairwell is the only way to the castles tower. You'll either beat me and go up them or become corpses and go up them!'

I blinked, 'Did he just say…'

His sharp tail hit the ground creating a hole, 'You can all attack me at once! That will save me some trouble as well,' he said and I raised my brows.

'How are we supposed to fight a talking rock?' asked Kuwabara a bit panicked. Sure, the creature was relatively big and the fact that he was made completely out of stones was a bit alarming, but I could probably make a hole inside him if I punched him with full strength.

'We could use a paper,' I mumbled causing Hiei to shot me a confused look while Yusuke looked anything but amused. I was about to brush it off when Kurama stepped from behind me toward the beast.

'I will fight him,' he said with a calm confidence as always.

'Are you sure?' asked Yusuke sounding concerned.

'So long as we don't know the true nature of our opponent, it's dangerous for us to all go,' he explained simply before he turned to look Yusuke, 'Besides, I can't allow Hiei and Ran to be the only ones to look cool, you know,' he said and I couldn't help but chuckle since hearing him say a word like cool was as if a grandfather said it, 'I can't let them take all the credit.'

I rolled my eyes while Hiei looked away somewhat upset. I watched as Kurama slowly walked to his opponent and I couldn't help but feel this thrill inside me. I never saw the kitsune youkai fight. I knew he was dangerous. I knew it with every sense inside my body, but I never actually saw anything as with Maya it was over before I got there, and with Hiei he pretty much got stabbed and used his healing powers. I was definitely curious about the way he fought. From his words I knew he could manipulate plants with his youki, but it was one thing to hear about him using his abilities and to actually see it.

'Why don't we instead look for some kind of opening and run upstairs?' called Yusuke and I blinked surprised, 'Like you would have run off without a fight.'

'You are obviously underestimating Kurama. Do you know why I chose him to be my partner? To avoid fighting him myself,' spoke the dragon youkai, and I blinked surprised, 'What do you mean?' When that definitely made the century old youkai feel even more deadlier.

'Watch. He is more cutthroat then I am when it comes to battle and unbelievable precise.'

'I don't know guys. He is still a talking rock.'

I shrugged my shoulders, 'Maybe, but Kurama has to be a legend among youkai for some reason.'

They looked at me.

There was definitely something dreadful about watching Kurama fight as he stood in front of the beast motionless. When he managed to cut Kurama's stomach, I couldn't bring myself to move or let out a sound and just watch. I didn't feel worried. I didn't know why, but I just didn't. I heard Yusuke and Kuwabara panic but with Hiei standing still and calm next to me and Kurama still standing at all I felt oddly calm myself. I watched he managed to dodge several others of his moves. He was putting on a serious offence.

'Hey, can you tell where he is?' asked Yusuke as the beast once again hide into the floor.

I shook my head, 'It's like the whole room had his energy on him. I can't locate where he will appear next.'

'A rose?' asked Yusuke surprised as Kurama really did pull out a rose from his hair, and I had to wonder if he had it there the whole time. Suddenly the room was filled with roses falling from the sky all over the place.

'Well, it definitely helped with Ran's smell,' I heard Yusuke mumbled and I punched him into the shoulder.

'Au!' he whined brushing the sore spot while I shook my head and turned back to Kurama who pulled out an actual whip made of thorns.

The beast hit somewhere inside the room but his voice sounded as if he was right next to us, 'Fool! Do you think you'll have the time to draw your whip against an opponent if you don't know where the attack is coming from?'

In the next moment Kurama instantly knew where Genbu would appear from and cut him into several pieces.

'Did he really just take him out with one strike?' asked Kuwabara impressed and I found myself smiling.

Kuwabara and Hiei started to argue about how no one else would survive the fight and I briefly wondered if this was Hiei's way of defending Kurama's abilities.

I walked closer to Kurama and nodded at his stomach, 'Will you be okay?'

He pressed his hand against it not looking too bothered, 'It's just a flesh wound. Nothing serious.'

I nodded as well before I smirked at him, 'So do you hide any other flowers in your hair? Daisies or lilies or a cactus?'

He chuckled a little bit before he suddenly got all serious, 'It appears my fight isn't over yet.'

We looked to the place the Genbu was lying in pieces and watched as he started to put himself back together.

'Is he immortal?' asked Kuwabara worried, and now I felt the panic as really if he could bring himself back together over and over again how could he be defeated.

'Well, chikusho.'

Kurama once again managed to cut him into piece, this time even tinier than before but the beast just put himself back together and attacked once again almost stoning him to death. When he come at him for the third time Kurama didn't even try to fight back this time.

'What the…,' that made me worried for a moment until I noticed him reach his hand as if he took something.

The last time Genbu put himself back together he ended up with his head between his legs.

'Oh, Kami,' I covered my mouth as I was sure I would start laughing any moment. Even more when Yusuke and Kuwabara started to joke.

'I heard of breast balls but come on,' shouted Yusuke pointing at him.

'That's gotta be heavy to walk in,' said Kuwabara and I chuckled

'What's that?'

'I believe this is the stone that acts as the command pylon to return your dismembered body back to normal, right? You did a good job of hiding this from my view but its glow when sending out power could not escape my notice,' explained Kurama patiently, 'It was too tempting not to take it. I am a professional thief, after all.'

'Give it back!' shouted the beast, but Kurama threw the stone before he cut it into dust destroying the stone beast as well. I let out a relieved breath I didn't know I was holding until I saw how Kurama fell to his knees.

'Hey, are you okay?' I asked as we rushed to him once more.

'Kurama, to think you were this wounded,' mumbled Hiei, but I had a feeling he was more worried about how will we face the other beasts without him than his actual health.

'Can you stand?' I asked and kneeled down to him. He gave me a small nodded and very slowly stood up holding his stomach. The cut may not have been bad but going after a rain of stones wasn't a walk in the park.

I knew it wouldn't get better. I knew we would be enough tough times, but my heart literally stopped when hours later after Kuwabara's never ending battle with Byakko Kuwabara fell into a lake of lava.

I heard Yusuke's voice as he fell to his knees and started to shout like a maniac, 'What are you talking about Kuwabara is right there,' I pointed at where I saw his spirit energy.

He looked at me and just then he must have notice the redhead hanging by a bandage.

'Hey, can I get some help here?' he shouted.

I breathed out relieved before I jumped and transmitted in front of him.

'Nice move, Kuwabara,' I winked at him and reached my hand to pull him up. He looked at me confused as I managed to do so without much of a problem, 'Jesus, just how strong are you, Ran?'

'Well,' started Hiei as he jumped next to us, 'now you have cheated death once. Next time you fight, you could use the same method.'

'You got to be kidding me!' he shouted at him, 'You think I could ever pull that frightening stunt again? No way, you guys,' he replied.

We rushed up the stairs only to stop in front of several doors. Kuwabara showed us the way but once we were in front out the next opened, the Blue dragon I felt an odd feeling inside the back of my mind.

He felt…familiar.

'You may call me Seiryu. If you fight against me, you will not get off by merely dying,' he spoke in an icily voice and my eyes widened as a memory of a dream from before got back to me.

'Pitiful Sinner Killer, meet your end.'

'He broke him…to pieces,' I mumbled remembering a man in my dreams being frozen and then broken into pieces by the youkai who looked very much like him.

'Hm?' he looked right at me, 'The human girl who survived the Uwaki-sha. How does the blood of your fellow human's taste?'

I frowned at him, 'Probably the same way as knowing you had to pull tricks on us to stop us.'

I glared at me and I would have sworn he made my whole body feel colder. It was then that the third beast spoke about another guest. I turned toward the door and my eyes widened, 'Kitty cat is back.'

'What?'

The door flew open again and Byakko stumbled inside. The lava must have hid his glow from me.

He came begging for help, but the blue dragon didn't look like he had much mercy inside him as he ruthlessly cut his fellow beast's head off.

'Kami,' I breathed out frowning. I wouldn't have expected much honor among youkai but this seemed too cruel even for them.

I was surprised when in the next moment Hiei stopped Yusuke from going to fight and went himself.

'This is the first time I've seen Hiei like this,' spoke Kurama by my side and I blinked confused at him before I turned back to the two dragons, 'Before, Hiei would probably have doen the same thing as Seiryu. However, now Hiei looks upon Seiryu's actions, and is clearly displeased by his actions. He lives by his own code, but one thing is for certain. Never before have I seen him fight with such great amount of youki in the begging.'

I wondered what happened that got through to the cold dragon youkai. I was stunned how amazing of a fighter Hiei was. I shouldn't have been, knowing Yusuke defeated him on a mere mistake or luck, but it still left a chilling feeling inside me as he killed his opponent. Not just because of his ability to use ice. I had to pull Yusuke's jacket tighter around myself.

'Shortie is a lot cooler than I thought,' spoke Kuwabara as they all rushed to him. I was left behind. I didn't see him cut the beast either except for the first time, but it was more that I assumed he did than actually saw him. I slowly walked toward them as Kurama asked him how many times he actually cut the beast.

'Only 16.'

He truly was a great swordsman.

I slowly walked toward them, 'I didn't seen them either I more like assumed he cut him,' I added to their praise as I smiled at youkai, 'That was seriously sick.'

He blinked before he looked at Kurama, 'Sick means that it was amazing.'

'Yeah, totally amazing,' I couldn't help smiling at him finding it funny how confused he looked at I was doing so in the first place.

'Damn, this isn't good,' said Yusuke and brushed the back of his head, 'If you used those moves the next time we fight I'm gonna be screwed.'

Hiei watched him for a moment before he turned around and walked away, 'Maybe.'

We were all a bit confused when Kuwabara spoke, 'I was certain he was going to say something like of course you would.'

Kurama was the only one who smiled at us patiently and explained, 'Hiei is going through a tricky change. It's as if little by little he's being influenced by you and Ran.'

I forgot the blood still somewhere in my throat and swallowed it a bit feeling suddenly a bit warmer in the face by his words.

'Yeah, well, I'm just trying to do the mature thing,' I said crossing my arms knowing I probably looked like a child.

'Is that why you are so embarrassed and red in face?' teased the kitsune, 'That's the blood, you bastard.'

We continued our journey up to the tower before Kuwabara abruptly stopped causing all of us to stop.

'Something is not right at home. I think something bad is happening down on Earth,' he explained the uneasy feeling inside his head.

'It is true, there's absolutely no way of guessing how long we have been here. The beast have most organize an assault of their own using the Makai insects.'

'Let's hurry on in that case,' said Hiei, 'There's only one enemy left after all.' We finally managed to get close enough to the Watch Tower where the last of the Beast must have been hiding with the flute. Yusuke's communicator went off again and Yusuke stopped causing me to run into him, 'KEIKO!'

I quickly hid behind him hearing Botan explaining that Keiko was being haunted by the people possessed by the Makai. My stomach turned into a tight knot as I now very much regretted leaving her and everyone unprotected in the Human Realm.

Suddenly the communicator went silent and we knew quickly ran toward the entrance stopping only as someone blocked our way. They looked like some green human shaped monsters or zombies by how they slowly moved from side to side.

They started to walk in hordes out of the trances to the tower.

'What an enormous number of them!'

'It will be quite difficult to defeat them and break through,' said Kurama and the feeling of uselessness was once again soaking into me.

'They are like zombies after all, feeling neither pain nor fear,' added Hiei.

'I don't think there is a way to get back to the human realm, is there?' I asked and Kurama shook his head, 'Not fast enough.' I felt really bad about leaving Keiko right now. I felt her and now she was alone with people who wanted to hurt her on her back.

'I'll use my shotgun-style Rei-gun, 100-shot volley and blow them all away!' swore Yusuke and prepared to use it before he felt Kurama's hand on his shoulder stopping him, 'Let's use our heads.'

'You want me to head-butt them?'

'It is not wise to use your spirit energy. If you're too hasty, you play right into Suzaku's hands.'

I knew he meant it in the best way possible. He said it so we would actually save Keiko, but didn't feel like that when all we could think about was her getting hurt as well speak.

'Does anyone have any idea then?' I snapped, 'We can't just stand here while Keiko and Botan are possibly being hunted like animals right now by people who want to kill them. Shouldn't we at least try to fight?'

'No,' spoke Hiei all of the sudden causing all of us to look at him.

'No?' I was shocked as he was the type that would be the first to ask for a fight, 'There is another way. I have a plan.'

In the next few minutes he explained what would we be doing. The plan was a bit nuts, but we were out of options. Basically the plan was that all the boys would form a human ladder while I would secure their way from the zombie people for a few moments.

'Ran?' asked Kuwabara and I nodded, 'I will buy you as much as I can.'

I quickly ran in front of him jumping in the process to transmit so I would open a way for Kuwabara to take his position. Next came Kurama, then Hiei and last was Yusuke who all got on each other's back while I fought off the brainless plant people. Yusuke got to the window and crawled inside remaining our only hope to save Keiko in time. The zombies didn't waste time and went after us. More and more seemed to be coming.

I created a Frisbee and threw it at them destroying several at a time but there was too much of them still.

'This is endless,' called Hiei before he pointed a sword at me, 'You could get rid of them with one wave?'

'What?' I asked confused, 'What wave?' It was then that I remembered that he was right when we were fighting for the first time I did create a wave which was when Hiei ran.

'I don't know how I did that,' I confessed, and he frowned, 'You were in stress. Your friend was in danger just as she is now. Don't think. Remember that feeling and channel it.'

I looked around. There were far too many for us to ever get rid of them. Closing my eyes I tried to remember how worried sick I was for her then and how I lost control.

When I opened my eyes I found Hiei jumping toward me with his sword, and in an instant I once again felt that cold feeling in my chest as before only this time it spread from under my skin into a wave causing him to barely jump away in what felt like the last second before it spread and destroyed everything which was in a mile radius from me. I looked around shocked as well as the others since this was the second time I managed to create such a wave and the first time for it to spread so much.

My eyes caught Hiei's who smirked at me before he rushed into the now opened entrance followed by the others.

'Nice, Ran,' praised me Kuwabara but I was too shocked to reply. I had no control over the wave. We barely made it to the first staircase as hundreds of them walking toward us. Hiei was right they were just like zombies. They didn't care that they will die they just did as they were told.

I jumped further to their center and created another wave which barely stopped in front of my friends, 'Okay, a bit carful how you aim that thing.'

'That's the problem. I'm not. This doesn't feel like the rest of my powers. This feels…out of control.'

'Just go further from us, and we will be alright,' said Hiei as he cut through a handful of our opponents but I didn't like it. Still, I followed his instruction and went so far as I could and created another wave only to hear Kuwabara let out a pained noise, 'Kami, are you okay?' I called after him before I jumped toward him worried. He nodded quickly, 'Yeah, sorry, it was just really cold but it didn't do anything to me.'

'That's because you are a human,' replied Hiei and I saw the dark look on Kurama's face, 'What is the wave doing?' I asked him, but he remained silence until Hiei spoke, 'It purifies the unholy. It purifies youkai and everything which is not a human with a soul for now.'

'For now?' I asked alarmed.

'We don't have time for this,' said Kurama, 'Just keep ahead of us. I will explain once we saved everyone.'

I nodded letting him know that I took his words as a promise and would demand an explanation before I jumped further away from them.

At one point we heard and felt the whole castle shaking after several lightning went thought the sky.

'Don't tell me that last youkai can use lightning,' I said worried about Yusuke as I suddenly felt this terrible pressure on my chest as if something really bad happened to him. I couldn't wait for the others anymore not when I felt as if we were already too late. I just ran into the room only to find the whole top of the tower in flames and ruins after Yusuke's battle. I almost didn't see him as his spirit energy was barely visible for me now. I quickly went to my knees at his side lowering my head to his chest. His heart wasn't beating. I didn't spear a minute remembering the first time I saw him without a heartbeat, those thoughts came afterwards.

I quickly dug in my memory to every first aid course I had in school and started doing the CPR pressing probably harder than I should until Kurama took my hands and pull them away, 'It's okay. He's heart is beating again. You did well, Ran.'

I trusted his ears more than my own, so I nodded as he brushed away some tears I didn't even noticed I had running down my cheek.

'I will transfer some reiki to him,' said Kuwabara, but Kurama instantly argued, 'That would be suicidal. You still haven't recovered from the damage you took from battling Byakko, right? It's too much to ask!'

I brushed my face, 'I don't even know how to do something like an energy transfer.'

'Are you saying I should just shut up and watch him die?' he shouted as Kurama, 'Since Ran doesn't know how. I am the only one who can transfer Reiki to him!' He immediately pressed his palms into his chest and started to let his energy flow from his own body to Yusuke's jumpstarting his a bit.

'It looks as if we'll have to carry both of them back to the Human Realm, huh, Hiei?' I heard Kurama ask but I was too busy looking at Kuwabara and Yusuke and mentally praying for them to be okay.

'Jeez, these guys are such a pain. It's incomprehensible. Why would he bother saving her if he died in the process?'

'Trust me Hiei there are reasons.'

'Maybe for someone who lives there, but I would never do it,' I heard the dragon youkai reply just as Kuwabara fainted.

Both of them still had some energy left so I turned over to Kurama grateful asked, 'So? How do we get them back to the Human's Realm?'

In the end it pretty much looked like this. Kuwabara gained concousness for long enough to tell us his home address. We had to get him and Yusuke to his house while Hiei had to go get Botan and Keiko which he did not please about and refused to do so until Kurama calmly told him something. That bastard had leverage on everyone. I still looked like Bloody Mary so when Kuwabara's sister saw me Kurama and Hiei carrying her brother and her brother's ex nemesis toward the house I was expecting her to freak out. Instead she pointed at a broken window, 'Some assholes were trying to get into the house. It was because of baby bro here?'

I think one of them is adopted.

'Onna,' I heard behind me and stopped on my way to Kuwabara's front door as Hiei was standing there looking at me, 'With Seiryu you said he broke him to pieces even before we saw his attack. How?'

I blinked completely forgetting about that with everything which happened. I shrugged my shoulders, 'I honestly don't know. I…I sometimes have these dreams. I dreamt about someone who looked like him and killed someone by freezing him to death and then breaking him apart.'

Hiei remained silent watching me before he spoke, 'He must have killed many before, but that doesn't explain how you would have known about it.'

'It was just a dream, Hiei,' I said his name sounding shattered on my lips as if I was afraid of him for some reason when he brought it up which was ridiculous.

He took a step closer as if to take a better look at me before he looked behind me and closed his eyes, 'Perhaps, you should try to exhaust yourself before so sleep so you have no dreams.'

He was gone in the next moment and when I turned around I found Kurama standing in the doorway looking at me. He went to fetch Keiko and Botan or maybe we left. I was kind of sure he did the latter.

'Any idea what that was?' I asked but the redhead watched me with a strange look on his face before he moved and waved at me to come inside. I stopped in front of the door though.

'I can't walk in like that. I am still dripping.'

He watched me for a moment before he started to unbutton his jacket, 'Put off your shoes and then trousers.'

My brows shot up but as he pulled the jacket around my back and looked up I knew that he did it so I could at least put down the clothes. I kept Yusuke's jacket on and with Kurama's working as wall so that the people outside wouldn't see my panties I pulled down my ruined gym clothes.

'I have to return for my uniform and bag at some point,' I mumbled while still looking at Kurama's face to make sure he wasn't watching. He probably wasn't interested in things like but I didn't want to take any chances.

'Okay, can I borrow you jacket to put it around my legs?'

'Of course, Ran.'

I took the sleeves and managed to tie them around my middle to cover myself.

'Thank you.'

'It's no problem. I am sure Kuwabara's sister will help you with the rest.'

I nodded smiling at him a bit before I couldn't help but asked, 'Okay, but what was that all about with Hiei?'

His eyes felt oddly distant for a moment before he spoke, 'Perhaps we can leave this for the time we are alone. I assure you it is nothing bad or troubling just strange.'

I nodded just partly believing him as it didn't feel like it was nothing. He had more than a few things to tell her now.

He walked me to the bathroom and Kuwabara's sister, Shizuru came with a clean towel and some clothes. I was never more grateful. I was ready to walk in as Kurama went to check on Kuwabara and Yusuke when I stopped myself.

'Kurama,' I called as he was about to leave, 'Yes?'

'There is something-I mean,' I closed her eyes for a moment taking in a deep breath before I finally said, 'You know that thing which I didn't want to do because I know I'm not wrong but Ken thinks I am?'

He looked amused but didn't laugh and just nodded, 'Yes, Ran?'

I sighed, 'Ken thinks you and I spend…a lot of time together.'

'I know,' he said which surprised me even if it shouldn't. He was a clever fox after all. I tried to shake away the shock before I sighed, 'Well, I thought about it, and I know I don't want to stop spending time with you. You're my friend. We've been through a lot. Including the last few days,' I said and he chuckled.

'I'll talk to him, but I'm not cutting you out of my life. I don't think I can actually,' I admitted. I could see he was glad even if he almost didn't show it. Maybe he wouldn't admit it, but I was sure he wouldn't want me out of his life either.

'Very well, Ran. I would respect your wishes either way,' he confessed, 'But it would be hard for me as well.'

I smiled at him glad that I wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Kurama's POV

I found myself standing by the window glad that the battle was finally over. The thrill of it was a welcome change and reminder of old times, but it was different to fight when you were worried about your friends, family and loved ones. I had to check with my mother as I found out Ran and I were gone for a few days not to mention since Keiko and Shizuru were attacked it seemed logical that my mother as well as people closest to Ran would be in danger as well. My mother was sounded glad to hear me but I could hear the worry in her voice. I had to lie and use some creativity to explain that it was a friend in need. She accepted it, but wanted to speak with me once I get home. I knew she was disappointed but it was a small price for what might have happen. She was a bit shifty once I asked her if she was alright and eventually admitted that someone broke into the house while she was at work. She asked if it had something to do with my absence which I lied about again.

I was planning to leave as soon as Keiko and Botan came. I heard the shower stop several minutes ago and since there was nothing I could do for Yusuke or Kuwabara and plant a small plant for them to speed up their healing, I went to the kitchen.

Ran watched in awe as Shizuru easily lied to the headmaster about why she wasn't in school for a few days and skipped the test.

'Can I please go as you next Halloween because you're awesome,' she said to the older girl. She chuckled before she took her pack of cigarettes and went outside to smoke. She was very different from her brother, but I suppose many siblings are.

Ran looked relieved as she was finally freshly showed and looked like herself again.

'I know it's pointless considering everything, but I'm really glad we didn't miss the test completely and we can write it some other day,' she said and I could see she couldn't contain a smile.

I put my hands into my pockets, 'It's not pointless, Ran. It's okay to want something for yourself. You saved the human realm, you deserve it.'

She chuckled brushing her hair a bit before she frowned, 'Hey, do I still smell like human flesh? I washed like four times, but I still feel…like I want puke and throw myself in bleach to get the feeling off.'

I took a deep breath, but the smell wasn't so profound as it was right after we found her.

I motioned for me to approach her, 'May I?'

She nodded, 'Sure.'

I walked toward her as she continued to sit by the dinner table. Her hair was still wet and the shirt she wore was a little big on her. I put my hand on her shoulder and leaned forward pressing my nose against her heavy and still wet hair before I breathed in.

The only scent I caught was the scent of honey and vanilla shampoo, soup, and Ran's personal scent. It was a very nice combination. I leaned away and Ran raised her head looking at me a bit flushed.

I couldn't contain a smile before I stepped away creating some space between us, 'You smell fine, Ran. No human blood or flesh. I promise.'

She smiled as well and nodded touching her hair a bit.

'Good. Finally, I feel like a human again. I wanted to puke every time I felt the bits of blood in my throat. That will definitely haunt me for days,' she confessed before standing up, 'It's a good thing my hair is so short too. It would spend ages to watch my long hair.'

I nodded. Everything felt so peaceful now that we were back. A part of me hoped that the peace would stay for a little longer as it was truly enough excitement for one day.

Ran's POV

Honestly, I finally felt like a human after the wonderful shower, and I couldn't care less that I was in someone else's clothes or house in the moment. Kurama and I waited until Keiko and Botan finally showed up. I instantly pulled my best friend into my arms holding her close until the fact that she was truly okay soaked in. Once I let her go I went to Botan and hugged her too. I guess the mood after finally ending the battle was just too damn high not to. Botan being the cheerful deity instantly hugged me back giggling a bit.

I was glad she wasn't hurt too bad. The bad part was the explaining Botan created this whole cover story but honestly I felt too tired and sick to stick with it, so I cut her off instantly.

'And in this detective agency-'

'Botan,' I cut her off and the girl stopped talking. I rolled my eyes, 'Just please stop.'

I went to Keiko and kneeled down in front of her. She blinked a few times, but I decided that there was no other way. No more lies or secrets, just truth for all my friends.

'Watch my hands,' I said and focused the flow of my energy to show her how my spiritual energy glowed in the blue light.

I saw how Keiko's eyes widened before she looked at me for a moment with a request. I nodded a bit and Keiko reached her hands over mine touching them.

'It's so warm,' she mumbled before I stopped the energy from glowing and she let go, 'Tell me everything. No more cover stories, or gentle lies, everything.'

I nodded, 'Everything.' I started from my part which was when the youkai killed my father. I could tell that just like Yusuke and Ken she felt guilty now that she thought I was just grieving or making it up, and finished with the Saint Beasts. She was a very good listener and only sometimes interrupted me to ask me something. I tried to answer as best to my knowledge.

She then went to go check on Yusuke and Kuwabara.

Kurama was standing by the fridge as I went there to take some juice, 'I know you always said that telling people will get them hurt but...,' I stopped talking not sure what to say. He opened the fridge for me and took the juice.

I blinked, 'I saw that you went to drink it a couple of times. It will run out soon.'

I chuckled, 'I guess I'm a bit nervous about when will Yusuke wake up already. It's annoying.'

He watched as I purred two glasses and handed one to him, 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.'

I sat down at the table while he continued to stand not drinking, 'I know what I told you, Ran, but Keiko already got hurt by Hiei. It's not hard to guess that since she's so close to both you and Yusuke she will always be in danger.'

I stirred a bit, 'Don't tell that to him,' said and quickly looked at the door to make sure no one listened, 'He's stubborn enough that he would actually try to stay away from her and be miserable.'

Kurama nodded, 'I won't, I just wanted to say that it's a good thing that she knows now. She would better understand the danger and know when something odd was happening. I can tell she is also relieved since she was in the dark for such a long time.'

I nodded as well and continued to drink for a moment before I remembered what Kurama said in the castle, 'Hey, you said something odd that one time.'

He blinked at me, 'I did?'

'You said that Ken's riddles have a mystery in them now?' I asked unsure if that was what he meant.

He smiled a bit and nodded, 'Yes, it has been happening for a while now. I'm not sure what it means, but I have noticed that all the riddles I have received so far are building a hidden riddle as well.'

'Hm, so he stepped up his game,' I told him thinking about it, 'Will you be able to guess it?'

'So far I figured our all the words, so I believe that yes.'

'What are the words? I'm not even trying to guess his riddles give me headache,' I told him honestly.

'Just the other day he went about something. Its right behind you, and creeps on the ground, it follows you home, but does' make a sound. Careful when you turn around.'

'Your shadow,' said Kurama instantly and I rolled my eyes, 'Show off.'

'What about yours?'

'So far I have. It cannot be seen, it cannot be felt Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, lies behind starts and under hills.'

I blinked, 'His riddles are getting weirder or something.'

'Perhaps,' admitted Kurama looking a bit away. I called him a little while back once I found out that Kurama's mom was also in danger, but he sounded fine. He didn't question my absence or that I haven't spoken to him since our fight. As I put the phone down, I remembered Yusuke's words from when he returned from his training.

Ken haven't call him for months.

And empty holes it fills. Comes first follows after, ends life kills laugher - Darkness.

A.N: Okay, here is part two. Hope you like it.

Guest: Thank you so much for your review and words. No worries no incest ahead. I swear, but there is a connection with between Ran and Akane which will most likely be completely reveal during the Dark Tournament. Also I promised myself not to keep you waiting so long so hope it is ok.