Holy crap! Guys! I don't think I've ever written anything this long! Holy shit! I feel accomplished and it's not even a quarter of the way done! Holy crap!

I'd also like to thank everyone for being understanding of my current predicament. My mother would also like to thank those who have wished her well.

Disclaimer: I'm proud of my writing, but I don't draw well enough to make manga. So, no. YYH does not belong to me.

Lez go.

-galaxy-

"Where are we?" Kazuma asked, looking around.

"A gym." I answered, spying a treadmill and walking toward it.

"Why are we here?" He wondered as he followed me.

"So that I can see what I'm working with physically. I already know what you have spiritually. Get on the treadmill." I pointed to it. He climbed onto it, giving me a wary look.

"I don't have much of a lower-body." He told me.

"I know. That's a bad thing." I set the treadmill to the first setting.

"I'm going to continuously turn this up, let me know when it's too fast." I added. He couldn't get past the third setting. This was going to take awhile.

-Galaxy-

I unlocked my apartment door, vaguely irritated. Kazuma had amazing power, but didn't have the stamina required to use it repeatedly. His control over his spirit energy was amazing, but he didn't have enough of it to last. His lower body was shit. He was too top heavy.

His awareness though, that was amazing. He outstripped me by miles. If he worked on it, I could probably make it so that he could sense intentions. It didn't take as much out of him, either.

I paused in the hallway, frowning. Why was there a demon in my house? It was familiar. Takao? I wasn't in the mood to take chances, so I moved slowly, in a ready position. I let it go when I saw who was sitting in my couch. I wasn't in the mood for this.

"Shuichi." I sighed. He looked at me, frowning.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"Regaining my sanity after a minor psychotic break." I answered, tugging off my Jacket. I dropped the white leather on an ottoman.

"I was worried." He spoke. Had it not been said so quietly, I probably wouldn't have listened. I looked at him. His face gave away nothing. His eyes though. Those I had been studying for months. There was regret in his eyes. I collapsed onto the couch.

"Once upon a time, in a world far different from ours, there lived a girl. Now, this girl wasn't anything special, if you ignored her luck. Her luck was terrible." The redhead looked confused, but stayed quiet.

"She grew up well. Not many friends, but with two parents that loved her. Her mother was doting, and her father slightly distant. That was enough. She went to college, and got a degree in mechanics. It was enough." I shifted, turning to face him.

"Annabella, that was girl, she got a job at a small shop. That was enough. Then, she started dating. The guy was nice, if a bit quick to yell. She handled it, because she had been raised to believe that things can always work out. That was enough." I closed my eyes.

"Then everything went to shit. Her mother got cancer, in her brain, she could barely recognize her own daughter. Not long after that, she found out her boyfriend was cheating on her. Then, she found out she was pregnant." I saw a hint of understanding in his eyes.

"Annabella tried. She tried to handle everything. She visited the hospital, and went to work, and went to doctors visits. It wasn't enough. Her mother died. Her father followed. Two months after their funeral, she went into labor. It was too soon. It was too soon, Shuichi. Her baby was stillborn. She buried him with her parents, and his dead beat father couldn't even be bothered to show up for the funeral." I covered my face with my hands. I didn't want to cry.

"Annabella died a few months afterwards while working on a car. Then I woke up. I woke up. Why did I wake up? I was alive again, but it didn't matter. I had taken a mans wife with my birth, and ruined his life. I had woken up in a world that lacked even the graves of those who had loved me. Shuichi, I wish that I could trade my life for his, for my son. I wish that he had gotten the chance to live, to love. Instead, I got a second chance." I looked at him.

"In this body. Not my own, I live. I look into the mirror and I'm still surprised. Why is there blue hair, where there should be brown? Why tan skin when it should be pale? Where are my scars? Do you get it yet? I died." I locked eyes with him.

"To this day, I wish that I had stayed that way. I'm tired. This body shouldn't be as tired as it is." Then, surprising me, Shuichi reached forward, and tugged me into his arms. He rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Yoko Kurama was a thief. He was bored, so he stole. He was not a good man. When the time for him to die came, he refused. He stole the body of another. Stole their life before they could live it. To this day, Yoko Kurama is a thief." He told me. I laughed bitterly.

"Are we done with the heart to heart yet? I'd rather not cry again." I asked. He nodded against my shoulder, and gave me one final squeeze before letting go.

"Well, I believe we've dealt with a few of our issues." He ran a hand through his hair.

"A few." I agreed.

"I'll go see what you have in the Kitchen. Then we'll eat." He stood and walked toward my kitchen.

"There won't be anything there. I've been gone for awhile, so no one has gone shopping. Speaking of, where's the old drunk? He ain't here?" I hopped to my feet and stepped into our kitchen.

"He left before I got here. So, about four hours ago." Shuichi answered, frowning at my fridge.

"Told you there wouldn't be anything." I huffed.

"Well, there is something, it just not food." Shuichi told me. He waved a hand at the fridge, and I sighed.

"He stocked it with alcohol, why am I not surprised?" I ran a hand through my short hair. Then shrugged and pulled out two beers.

"Want one?" I asked, holding it out. He nodded.

"I could go for a beer." I handed him one, and opened my own.

"Cheers." He told me.

"Cheers." I agreed. We tapped the aluminum together.

-galaxy-

"Do you remember what Rando felt like? That is what you're looking for. There are two demons in this area, both are friends of mine. Find them." I told Kazuma, a cigarette between my lips. He nodded. I had been training him for two weeks now, and I knew that he was getting stronger.

"Er, Reina?" He asked me. I turned my head, and grunted.

"There's three, not two." He told me. I frowned, and removed the smoke from my lips. Closing my eyes, I concentrated. There was Shuichi, who felt like a foreboding forest, and Takao, who reminded me of sterile Hospitals. The third? They were on the edge of my range, energy suppressed tightly. A crackling fire to my mind. He was closer to Shuichi than to Kazuma and myself. I frowned.

"That's not one of my friends." I told him. Opening my eyes, I grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward Takao.

"A hospital, sterile. A place where the sick and injured go. Takao feels like this because he's a medic. A forest at nighttime, a place you don't enter if you have any self preservation. Shuichi controls plants. The last man? Who feels like heat? Like a crackling fire? He feels that way because he has a connection to fire. When you sense a demon, or a human for that matter. Pay attention to the little details." I instructed, pulling him into Takao's shop.

"'Na!" Takao greeted, grinning. I waved, smiling.

"Hey, Papa Bear! I'm gonna need you to watch this one for a bit. There's an unknown in my territory. I need to check if it's friendly." I waved my hand at Kazuma. Takao sized him up.

"He's got Kickass Awareness, so could you quiz him on what's going on? And write down his answers?" I wondered. He nodded.

"Anything for you, Nova." He agreed. I paused.

"Nova?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, like the HyperNova thing you mentioned. I blinked. So, he does listen to my space rants? Cool.

"I'm heading out!" I told him, jogging out of the shop, then breaking into a sprint. My feet thundered on the pavement, and I pushed energy into them. I jumped, landing on a roof, and continued running. I came upon Shuichi first.

"Hey!" I grinned. He turned to look at me.

"Reina." He nodded.

"Who's your friend?" I jerked my head toward where the other demon was.

"An acquaintance, his name is Hiei." He answered, smoothly. Hiei? So that was who I sensed. I hadn't expected to meet him so soon.

"He's messing up my lesson." I said, conversationally.

"He won't hurt your student. He's on watch. Spirit world wouldn't forgive him." I relaxed.

"You sure? 'Cause I've put a lot of my time into training him."

"Positive. Your student any good?"

"He sensed him before I did."

"High awareness?"

"You have no idea."

"Impressive."

"It's his best skill. Control isn't too bad either. I was actually hoping I could get you to handle his training on that bit."

"Takao is better than me at that, being a medic."

"True. Takao won't train him unless he wants to be a medic though. He doesn't want his teachings to be used for battle, pacifist that he is."

"He trained you in it."

"He taught me how to use my energy to stop blood flow. I almost bled out a while back."

"I know, I was there." He sounded irritated.

"I didn't mean to get a claw to the ribs, y'know." I huffed.

"You could have died."

"I didn't."

"You are infuriating." He glared.

"Thank you." I grinned. He rolled his eyes at me.

"Is your friend going to introduce himself to me? This is my territory. He's being rather rude." I pulled my pack out of my pocket. Placing the stick between my lips, I lit it.

"He most likely believes that it's my territory. Alphas rarely share one." Shuichi answered.

"Well, technically, we share the city. I control one half, and you control the other. Right now? This is my half." I flicked the ashes over the side of the building.

"We sound like Yakuza." He laughed.

"Nah. I'm pretty sure the Yakuza around here are scared of me. A few have tried to recruit me, actually." I hummed thoughtfully.

"They have?" He raised an eyebrow. I felt a presence behind me. Hiei was fast. Really fast. As I turned around, I nodded.

"Hello." I said, looking down at the fire demon.

"You share the city with the fox?" He asked me. Not one for pleasantries, apparently.

"Yes. The more rundown areas, like this one, belong to me. Though, neither of us mind if the other operates in their territory. I go to school in Kurama's." He looked at Shuichi, who nodded.

"In that case, I would like to ask for safe passage." He told me. For such a little guy, he had a surprisingly deep voice.

"Don't cause any damage, don't hurt any humans. There's a beta, a bear, in a shop nearby. He's mine. Other than him and Kurama, feel free to attack any demons." I told him. He nodded. I raised an eyebrow when he stayed put, looking at me. I felt Kurama stiffen behind me when the fire demon sniffed at the air.

"You... are a submissive? I wasn't aware that humans could be." I blinked at him.

"Did you just sniff me? Not cool, dude. Also, yes. I am a submissive. Kurama, stop posturing." I took another drag off my cigarette.

"You are an Alpha. That means a warrior, a leader. On average, submissives are classed as Betas." Hiei added.

"Very few things about me make sense. Kurama, are you growling? The fuck?" I looked at him.

"She's pack, Hiei." He told the small demon. Was he... warning him? What the fuck?

"I can see that, Fox. Your bond is clear. As an older Alpha of her pack, you are bound to be defensive. Rest assured, I have no interest to mate her." Hiei spoke, hands folded neatly behind his back. I propped a hand against my hip.

"Kurama? Does this mean that instead of bringing my Girl or Boyfriend home to meet my father, I have to bring them to you?" My voice was gleeful as I spoke. He sighed.

"Typically, yes. I'm expected to do the same with you. Pack is family. As Alphas, we have the right to reject the others choice. In your case, they also have to prove their strength by fighting me." He answered, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"That's archaic." I drawled. Was it because I was a submissive?

"They have to prove that they can protect you in my place." He told me. So, yes. It was because I was a submissive.

"Annoying. I can handle myself." Hiei looked me over.

"Of that, I have no doubt." Then, he was gone.

"He always do that?" I asked, aiming a raised eyebrow at the spot the small demon had previously occupied.

"Yes." Shuichi answered, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

"Anyway, I have a student to teach. I'll contact you about the control lessons. Bye!" I jumped off, taking to the roofs again. Distantly, I sensed Hiei moving toward Shuichi again. I ignored it. I had a teenager to quiz.

-galaxy-

"Are you sure you're human?" Kazuma asked from his position on the floor. He was on his back from my shoulder throw.

"Yes." I answered, amused.

"Really sure? 'Cause I'm pretty damn sure that you're more viscous than the demon you hired to train me."

"Shuichi is a gentleman." I smirked. Kazuma had gotten much better in the last half a year. I was proud of him.

He would never be as fast as Hiei, or even Shuichi, but his stamina had made it so that he could run for a longer period of time. His awareness had grown as well, he could pick out emotions from someone's energy. His energy was sitting at high C-class, and he could use his sword for a full thirty minutes in a fight. He could also change its shape, like from the anime. If I remembered properly, Yusuke would be coming back soon.

That meant that the four saint beasts were next.

"You did better this time, Kazuma." I smiled at his sweating form.

"You're not even winded!" He accused. The yell lacked some of its usual energy. I snickered.

"Of course I'm not. You're a rookie, Kazuma. I've been fighting professionally for years."

"Screw you." He panted, giving me the finger.

"I'm afraid I'm not interested, and even if I was, you'd have to go through Shuichi." I smirked.

"You- I- GAH!" I laughed at him, my arms wrapped around my stomach.

'This kid is too easy to tease!'

-galaxy-

There we go! Also, if any of you are interested in Exras for the story, let me know!

A pairing omake: Reina with someone of your choice, feel free to choose someone.

A funny omake: any ridiculous situation you want me to put her through?

General omake: what do you want to see her do?

Vote in the reviews, because I have no idea how to work the poll thing!

Curiously grateful for all of your support,

-Tigressa.