Sorry for updating so late in the afternoon, my internet was down all day, and my parents just now repaired it :/ And…. Yay! Twenty one chapters~ If you haven't noticed, I survived band camp *bows*. Thank you, thank you, save your applause!

I don't own YYH.

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as a slight frown made its way to her face. "Time for you to go, right?"

I swallowed, eyes going to the ground before up at her again. Yuusuke's aura was close to the source of Hiei's, and Kurama was heading there at an alarming rate. None of them were even bothering to hide their auras. It was like they wanted to be found.

Could it be a trap? Could I risk it?

But… didn't I just call Kurama a friend?

"May I?" I asked, not wanting to abandon her. She scoffed, brushing me off as she stood.

"The base of friendship is trust, and trust is built overtime by being there not just when someone needs you the most, but when any need arises. I thought I taught you that years ago, Toshiko." She walked over to her desk, leaning down to sniff the flowers.

She had taught me that. She'd always say it, every time Yumi and I got into fights, or when one of us was just feeling down. It was a life lesson, she believed. One she wanted us to value.

I stood, not knowing what else to do. My lips pulled into a thin line.

If I was friends with him, I best start acting like it.

With an aura like that, Hiei was dangerous.

I bowed, making her sigh as she stood up straight. Leaning back up, I looked her dead in the eyes.

One last time. I had to have her permission.

"Go, To-chan. Next time I see you, you better bring that Shuichi boy." She said, eyes drifting to the flowers. She brought one hand up to them, feeling the softness of the petals. I stepped forward quickly, pulling her into one last hug.

Too quickly I parted from her, turning to the door and throwing it open. The guard jumped, looking at me with wide eyes as I dashed off. The hallways blurred into white as I ran, busting into the front office before racing through the main door out into the world of sun.

Hiei's power was growing, I could feel it. Kurama was almost there, and Yuusuke's aura was starting to build as well. Now that I was actively searching for it, I found two other, weaker auras, at the same location as Yuusuke and Hiei.

This wasn't good. If I didn't get there soon, Yuusuke, or even Kurama, could be fatally injured.

I grit my teeth, summoning Ryo's power.

My feet weren't quick enough. This fight would be over in minutes, and I was three hours away.

The shadows were faster.

Without much more thought, I sank into the shadow of a wall and began to shadow-hop quicker than I had ever before.

"No… Daddy…" I begged; eyes wide as I sat on the pale blue couch. My father's eyes were hard as he folded his hands together and leaned back into the couch opposite the one I was sitting on.

"You must." His answer was absolute. Graying black hair with dark brown eyes penetrated my soul.

His work was his life. The Spirit World wanted someone with high spirit energy for the job. I fit the profile.

So, his work would be my life, too.

"It is an honor, Hidoreki-chan! You would bring great pride to this family." My mother supported, entering the room with a tray of tea. She placed it down before grabbing a cup and handing it to my father.

She herself looked just like him, in a way. The same graying black hair, except with coal eyes. Typical Japanese traits.

Ones I had defied by dying my own hair blonde. By becoming popular in school.

And still, they wanted this… from me? From their own daughter? My fists clenched.

"No." I said, standing.

"Hidoreki!" My father stood as well. He wouldn't tolerate such defiance.

"NO!" I screamed, racing out of the house. They didn't follow. My heart pumped as my eyesight started to blur. I wasn't aware of passing people on the street or whether the crosswalks were green or not.

This couldn't be happening. Not now.

Why me?

Almost there! I thought, reaching through the shadow of a tree and pulling myself out. A thin layer of sweat coated me as I started running again, breaking through the forest and out onto a deserted street. I continued to run even after I felt Hiei's aura dissipate.

If they were injured- would they die?

I couldn't afford to lose another person, not now! Not when I'm finally starting to feel again!

I got a few glances from a group of classmates as I rushed past them and continued down to where I last felt the auras- the warehouses. It was a section of the city typically unused and deserted, the perfect place for Hiei to fight all-out.

I swallowed, jumping onto the fence gate and starting to pull myself over. When I was at the top, I jumped down, causing my already lead legs to buckle for a second before I locked them and kept moving.

I was so close now- even if the fight was finished, I could still help!

I went through an alley caused by two close together warehouses right as the door to my goal opened.

Literally.

The door to warehouse No. 4 was pushed open, by none other than the detective. I stepped back into the shaded alley, summing what little I had left of Ryo's power to sink into the shadows.

The detective paused when the door was opened, glancing around somewhat nervously as he stepped farther into the already fading sunlight. With one hand still on the wood, however, he held open the door in an uncharacteristic display of chivalry for two women.

One was, without a doubt, human, but the other had an odd aura. Almost like a ghost, but not. I couldn't see colors, but the human had short hair, and was being carried on the back of the other woman, who had somewhat long hair pulled back into a ponytail. Both were wearing the female school uniforms to Sarayashiki Jr. High, so I could assume they were Yuusuke's classmates.

The three seemed to be unwounded except for some cuts and soon-to-be bruises marring Yuusuke. After the girls came out, however, my eyes locked on the single badly wounded person in the group.

Kurama.

I mentally cursed. My intuition had been right.

He was injured.

His right hand covered a heavily bleeding wound that was right in the middle of his torso, a would-be death wound if not treated in time.

"You sure you're okay with that wound Kurama?" Yuusuke asked, looking to the fox, who offered him a smile.

"Yes, I am. As I said, demons heal faster than humans. I shall make a full recovery, I have no doubt." Kurama said. Yuusuke shrugged, and with the girl following behind him, he started to walk away.

He paused though, when he noticed Kurama wasn't following.

"You coming?" He asked as the girl carrying the other started to walk ahead. Kurama glanced to the alley where I was hiding before looking back at Yuusuke and acting like he did no such thing.

"No, I do believe that this way, cutting across the docks, would be a quicker way to my house." Giving the detective one last smile, he started off in my direction.

"Yuusuke! Hurry! We have to get Keiko-chan to a bed so she can rest!" The girl yelled, looking over her shoulder to the detective, who scowled and snapped back.

"Shut up Botan! I know!" He yelled, jogging to catch up with the girls before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away. Kurama watched him go, standing still in the middle of the two warehouses. When Yuusuke was far enough away, he sighed, and continued on his trek over to me. When he got to the alley, he leaned against the wall before sinking to the ground, eyes squinting as he grit his teeth from the pain of his wound.

"And here I thought I was being the dumbass, getting worried over you. It's seems it was simple intuition though, and that you are in fact the dumbass." I said, rising out of the shadows in front of him. He managed half a smile, opening one eye to look at me.

"I thought you'd come." He said, too cheeky for so much blood loss. I scoffed, sitting on my knees and moving forward to get a better look at his wound. He dropped his hand from it, attempting to sit up a bit before wincing in pain and sinking back to his previous position.

"Complete recovery huh? Smooth lie." I said, examining the injury. It was a clean cut through and through, obviously made by the Sword of Darkness.

"It wasn't a lie. Like I said, I knew you would come." He rasped, and I could tell from his dilated eyes he was starting to get dizzy. Beads of sweat started to break out.

As much as it pained him, I needed him to keep talking so he could stay conscious. I was not dragging his ass home.

"Mind telling me how when it was Yuusuke going to retrieve the sword, you're the one that got stabbed?" I asked, shuffling around in my jacket pockets for the knife I had started to keep there ever since the incident with Gouki.

"I… stepped in front… of the attack." He grit as I swallowed. Flipping out the blade, I placed my hands over his wound, and with a sharp hiss, dragged the blade across my palm.

Blood poured out immediately as I had cut deeper than I had originally intended to. The red liquid splattered on top of his wound, mingling with his own blood before seeping through the cut.

"Heh…" Kurama half laughed, a grin somewhat gracing his disoriented features, "Tingles…"

Of course that's what he notices. He's almost bled to death, and what he notices the most when I give him some of my own blood is that it tingles. Not healing; tingles.

These demons would be the death of me.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on now; let's get you away from here before the Spirit World comes to collect Hiei and the items." I moved beside him, wrapping one arms around him and throwing his left arms across my shoulder.

With the cut on my hand already beginning to heal, and his wound doing the same, I heaved us up. Kurama stood on his own for the most part, but still leaned heavily on me. I locked my jaw, willing my shaking legs to be still as we kept moving forward, eventually finding our way onto the sidewalk of a near deserted street. Soon afterward, he was healed enough to walk on his own, so I let him go, instead shoving my hands in the pockets of my pants.

"You missed it, you know." Kurama said, breaking the silence between us. At my questioning look, he continued, "Hiei was beyond angry. If you had gotten there a few minutes earlier, you could've seen him in his true form."

My eyebrow twitched. How rude.

I had just traveled a three hour distance in less than fifteen minutes, and he was criticizing me?

"I had business pretty far away. You're lucky I made it when I did. Or even left, for that matter." Mama's smiling, but worried, image flashed through my mind. I bit the inside of my lip.

Next time, I'd make it up to her.

"Oh? Important business far away? Do tell." He asked, green eyes alight with curiosity.

"Another time." I said, feeling as if the subject was awkward. Sure, he had every right to meet Mama. She told me to bring him, too.

But, right now, with the dark of the night creeping in; it wasn't the right time.

He fell silent for a moment, perhaps a bit miffed. A few seconds later, he spoke again, as if determined to keep the conversation alive.

"Is that where you got your hair done?" He asked simply, causing me to pause in my step. Hair? What?

I lifted a hand up, wondering what he was talking about, before feeling one of the braids Mama had put in.

Oh, that. He noticed?

The braids had lasted pretty well, but as I had run, a few long, black strands wisped in front of them, making the 'do' a messier look. He paused a few steps forward, realizing I had stopped.

I fingered along the braid, reminiscing on what Mama had said. That I looked beautiful with it down.

I blinked back into reality.

What does it matter how I look? The only thing appearances were good for was deceiving somebody, anyway. I tucked the stray strands behind my ears before putting my hand back in my pocket and continuing on my way. When I got up to Kurama, he perked a brow.

"Well?" He asked, making me realize that I hadn't answered his question.

"Yes. She thought it was nice." I paused again, watching as the streetlights started to blink on. "I'll take you there sometime, to meet her. It would only be fair, I guess."

His lips pursed at my illusive answer, but he nonetheless complied with it, dropping the subject.

It didn't, however, keep him from starting up a new topic.

"I heard you and Ayuma-san went at it."

I sweatdropped. Word of mouth spread fast.

Besides, I had been… moody… that day. Yes, I suppose you could put it that way.

"She came up with these wild accusations that I had done something to you. Then threatened to tell her Daddy that I was a demon." My eye twitched.

No, I wasn't a demon. I was just surrounded by them.

The nuisances.

He chuckled, shoulders shaking lightly. "Oh my, Toshiko. Please tell me you settled such a disagreement."

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "I believe we came to an agreement… of sorts."

"Don't tell me you used violence." He scolded, acting like a mother hen.

"Yes, she was screaming for her Daddy as I dragged her by her hair throughout the hallways at school. Because I'm that sort of person." Kurama sweatdropped at my sarcasm. I sighed. "No, I just told her to use her head."

"And how did she take that?"

"I don't know, she's been cowering from me ever since."

He laughed lightly. After a few seconds, we walked onto a more crowded street. We had arrived in the city.

"Call it intuition, but I don't think she'll obsess over you quite so much when you return." I said as we arrived on a corner of a street. We'd have to wait for the crosswalk to go green before we could proceed home.

"Intuition?" He asked, smiling. I nodded, looking to the other side of the street as people gathered there.

"Yes, and it's been right so far."

The crosswalk turned green, and we were on our way.

My eyes locked on her even through their blurred vision. I could hear my heatbeat in my ears as I noticed just who was standing beside her.

Neither of them noticed me.

The crosswalk turned green, and they started off. I turned to follow the demon, feeling the tears spring to my eyes once more.

She'd take joy in ending this.

Who is stalking who? Why are they stalking them? Just what is up with this confusing cliffhanger? Find out next time on M.S.D.!

I swear, I feel more and more like a narrator every time I say that last sentence :D Do you like? Next chapter is pretty head-turning, if I must say so myself. You'll finish it and go: wait…. What?

Hahaha ;) Thank you Torin and Jasmin for reviewing :D It means bunches and bunches and bunches to this lonely little author!

Review please! See you next week!