Memories

"Kerica! Suuichi-kun! I wasn't expecting you guys to be here!" Rachel smiled. "Oh this is Haretsu-kun. We tied in a contest," She paused and then said, "What's wrong Suuichi-kun?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Lynx-kun," Kurama paused as he looked at Haretsu. This wasn't good. If he was exactly who he thought it was…

Brianna looked to Kurama, seeing he knew exactly what she knew, or at least suspected it. She also felt that he wouldn't admit it, or he just downright denied it. She hadn't seen the episodes in a year and a half, so they were fuzzy, but those eyes of the Crow she would never forget. She wanted to look at Kurama's memories of that match, but unfortunately that would have to wait until they got somewhere else.

Haretsu smiled silkily, "I have almost every class with you…Kerica, is it?" he wondered, then smiled, "Hai, Kurosaki Kerica. Though, I'm not surprised you didn't know who I was. I'm one of the quiet ones, actually," he informed her.

"Haretsu-kun, we didn't really set a date about the dinner or anything, so what should we do? Have another contest about the time?" Rachel immediately asked.

Kurama sweatdropped, she was going to really go out with this guy?

Haretsu chuckled quietly, "No, how about we just go now? I know a great place not far from here, and it's near my home as well," he told her.

"Ah, alright," 'Any questions have to be answered, gotta remember that's part of the bet too…' Rachel reminded herself. "Well," She turned to them.,"I'll see you guys later then!" She did a hyper wave before going over to her bag.

Bria connected with Rachel through their link, 'Rachel Jay, I beg you, be careful…' she pleaded.

'Don't worry about me, Bria,' she said back, 'He's harmless. He's really powerful though, I give him that.'

Brianna stared at her, 'Fine. Just please, don't you dare let your guard down…' she said and then walked around Kurama, tugging on his sleeve gently, "Let's go," she whispered, afraid her voice might break if she used her normal volume.

Kurama blinked, but nodded, "We're going to go ahead and go, okay Lynx-kun?"

"That's fine! Have a nice day!" She joked as she watched them, "Shall we?" She turned to the boy.

Haretsu nodded and the two hook arms, him leading her to wherever he was going to go.

Bria pulled on Kurama's sleeve as they went the opposite way, she held her breath. As she pulled, she tried her hardest not to touch his bare skin. She couldn't look, not right now. She felt her chest tighten, she was close to tears, but she fought with all her might not to let them spill.

"Bria?" Kurama asked softly, "What's wrong?" He didn't like how she was acting…not at all. Something was seriously wrong.

If she could get any paler that her vampire-pale skin, she just did. Any color she might have had drained, "We have…to get to the…park. It's only a few block away…" she said. Fighting, using all her power not to break down. She let him go, "Just follow…" she whispered, knowing he could hear, and then she broke into a headlong run, bolting for the park that no one went to.

Kurama could tell she was frightened, but from what he knew, she was scared for her sister. But he had to admit, if that was really Karasu, then why didn't he attack then and there? He frowned; it couldn't be because Lynx/Rachel was there. No way.

There was something, there had to be.

Brianna waited until he was near the gate, and then ran in, making him follow her scent to where she had gone. And that was the fountain. She stood there, facing him, as soon as he came into view, "Kur-a-ma…" she choked out, her voice shaking, "W-Who do you…think it was?" she asked. She knew exactly who it was; she just wanted to know what he thought…

"Karasu." Kurama said without hesitation.

"Hai…it was him…" Tears that had wanted to fall were now gone, replaced by utter fear, "He…possessed that boy. The boy was gothic to begin with…so no one noticed the difference…and he lived alone too…" it was a little easier to talk now, now that she was numb, "He has been acting as you have for…about…maybe two years…"

Kurama frowned and then said, "We can't do anything," He sighed, "Because he hasn't done anything."

"He's waiting…for what I have no idea," Bria informed him, "That's why he hasn't…bothered with any attacks. He's basically like you. A demon trapped in a human's body…"

"Well, all we can do is wait until their little victory is over," Kurama said, "I hope to god that she doesn't fall for him."

Bria then looked up at him from staring at the ground this whole time, "I need…and want…to see what happened…during your match…with him in the DT…" she told him.

"Alright," Kurama said, willing.

She took a shaky breath and walked to him, placing one foot in front of the other, carefully, calculating, each step chosen. She reached for his hand, then hesitated, "Let's sit down, first…" she said.

Kurama nodded and gently sat down on the ground.

She sat down, too, and then reached for his hand again, not bothering to brace herself since it would be no use either way.

Kurama reached for her as well.

Once their hands touched, she saw it. It began like how any other battle began. Karasu was playing with Kurama, trying to just touch him to get the bombs. He had to rely on running and keeping away from Karasu. When he transformed into Youko, he started fighting back and put up some plants that would get mad after they were hit. Karasu didn't know that and was presumed to be eaten by the plants, only to have Youko turn around to see that Karasu had escaped.

Karasu hair had turned 'hyper-girl blond', and he had made a huge explosion. He had pushed himself painfully out from under the rubble, now back as a human. His whip exploded because he was unable to use his ki to form his most basic of attacks. Again the battle happened, and Kurama managed to implant a seed into Karasu's chest.

The Crow pulled it out and then his leg became trapped, a bomb then blowing up near his leg. Karasu concentrated the bombs to surround him. Then, that's when the real torture began.

Brianna screamed out as she watched, and felt, the bombs start attacking. She had felt everything in this entire match like it had been her fighting, not him. She felt Kurama start trying to slip his hand away, to make it stop, but she couldn't let go of him. She was in too much pain.

More bombs exploded, one after the other. Hot blood poured down 'her' body as 'she' finally fell to her knees. More stuff happened, then more bombs and more pain. She screamed out just as he had with each impact, then saw him fall to the ground.

.Counting was what she heard next, and then 'she' pushed herself up, but not soon enough, sending the final attack. She pulled away before anything else happened. She already knew how the match ended, anyway. She clung to Kurama's shirt, the tears that wouldn't come before coming now but with a different kind of force.

Kurama was shocked, but said nothing as he gently hugged her to calm her down, "Its okay," He soothed.

She cried and cried. Cried for him. Cried for the pain she had felt. For the pain he had felt. Cried like she did when she had watched those episodes, thinking they were just a show, but it was still horrible. And it was horrible. "I-I d-didn't u-under…s-stand it…at first…why…" she rasped, "…why…after s-seeing those eyes…why…t-they frightened me…" She clung closer to the redhead, "Now…I do…"

"Shh…" Kurama murmured softly, "You shouldn't cry about the past."

"But I…see the past…like it just happened…" She let out a sob, "The images…won't go away…as easily…as some might think…" She knew she couldn't press any further into him, but she sure did try, "Rachel sees the future…I see the past…" she concluded softly, mostly to herself but for him also if he wanted to hear it.

"Now that you speak of it, you use this talent much more often then Rachel does," Kurama said softly, "I don't know if she's supposed to touch as well or not."

"No…she has precognition…I have to touch…and then know what I…want to see…" Brianna explained quietly, "It's also how I can share memories also…like I did that first day…"

"Ah," Kurama said, "Well, since we don't have that, we'll just wait until their victory's over. I'm sure she'll tell us what went on."

"Mm…" she nodded, then reached for his hand, calmer now, but itching for… "Show me more…of your memories…" she whispered, reaching for his hand once more, "Maybe about your times with Batty Black," She grinned, "Kuronue, I mean," she clarified.

Kurama blinked at her nickname for Kuronue, but had to smile. That's what Kuronue's girlfriend used to call him. "Sure," He said gently.

Bria chuckled softly to herself as she took his hand, and began the trips through his memories of both his past and present life. Quite interesting, really, but yet sad at here and there. She rested against him, the sun already below the horizon, and she had seen basically all of his memories by now. She smiled; glad he had shown her as much as he had. "Why?" she finally asked.

"Why?" He knew what she was asking. He thought for a minute and then said, "Because you showed us all of your past, so why not show my own?"

She was satisfied with that response, and smiled, "Arigato, then," she whispered. She was tired now, "I don't care which home you take me to, but it is late…" she held back a yawn.

"Well, your house is nearer, so we'll go there," He paused and then said, "Alright?"

"Sure, foxy," Brianna nodded. She then shivered; although she was cuddled warmly against the kitsune, she had forgotten she was just wearing her swimsuit and school skirt.

Kurama gently picked her up and decided to use the trees to his advantage and started tree-hopping over to her house.

Giggling she held her school bag closer to her as he jumped easily to her place. She just hoped Rachel would be alright. "I forgot, I probably don't need to worry about Lynx," she mused with a small smile, "Hiei'll be watching over her. I think I remember sensing him in the park until he heard about Karasu being with Rachel."

"Don't worry about it," Kurama instructed with a small smile.

"Whatever you…" she paused and stifled a yawn, "…say…" she whispered and her head rested against his shoulder.

Kurama smiled a bit and kept going.

They got to her place in no time, and she used her Wind to slip through and unlock the sliding door, "Glass door's open…" she mumbled in her partly-awakeness.

Kurama pulled it open, closed it, gently brought her into the main room, and laid her down on the bed. "Good night, Bria," He said smiling softly as he brushed her hair from her face, pausing momentarily before letting his hand slide away.

She caught it, however, and tugged it slightly, a silent command for him to bend down to her level. Her eyes were like rock in a pond, however, so they were firmly shut. She was now half-awake.

Kurama bent down, wondering what she wanted.

"Go make sure Rachel's ok…tell her to come here tonight whenever she does decide to come home…" she then bit her lip, her grip tightening a tiny bit, but noticeable to the demon, "Don't think it's just fangirl-ness…please…but…" she wondered if she could saying. She was so close to saying it, but now she was scared, like most probably would be.

"But…?" Kurama asked softly.

Her hanyou side gave her a boost, giving her the power to say it, "I like you…" she whispered. The hanyou in her growled at her, so she corrected herself, "No…not like…I…believe the cat has fallen in love with the fox…"

Kurama blinked but said nothing as he gently brushed his lips over her forehead.

Her half-demon hissed and made her body surge upward, making him kiss her, or her kiss him, however you want to look at it…Note, her human half would never do such a thing herself.

Kurama just blinked but kissed back just softly and then pulled away, "Sweet dreams," He whispered softly as he stood up.

"Sure thing, foxy," Brianna whispered with a small smile of satisfaction.

Kurama nodded and left.