Attention, people! This is the chapter you've all been waiting for since the very beginning, so I expect a whole lot of reviews! The next update will take a hell of a lot more time than this one, because right now, my tests and exams are my priority. Math, law, economics and informatics. The Fantastic Four. Ouch.

Anyway, this chapter is getting posted this soon only because all but the short opening scene was already finished by the time the last one was posted – the last chapter is actually likely the weakest of the story, for which I apologize. But this one was a joy to write! Hope you like the newly added lyrics or quotes that go with the chapters, but they won't be a regular thing. I just had a few songs in mind that went well with these moments, so I used them.

Without further ado, here is the chapter.

All you fans: Kuronue is back! Temporarily, anyway….

X X X

Lifting the veil

X X X X X

Somewhere in the world
Somewhere in the dark
I can hear the voice that calls my name
Might be a memory
Might be my future
Might be a love waiting for me

Rock me gently
Hug me tenderly
Till the morning breaks, night fades away
I've spent my time in vain
Trapped inside pain
Don't let me down
Help me see the light

-Somewhere in the world, Slayers

X X X X X

"So, you let her go." Stating the obvious. He hated that.

And so, he gave a mildly annoyed frown. "Clearly, otherwise you would likely be able to see her. She is likely back in Reikai right now."

"So, does that mean that you still intend to go through with the original plan, or might I have the pleasure of telling your unsubtle female stalkers that they are really out of luck this time?" Hopeful, but not annoying or innocent in the statement. Gleeful.

On a different occasion, it would have amused him. Now, it only served to make him wish he could afford the luxury to sigh openly. "As tempting as letting you do that is, now isn't the best time. Besides, Kagome expressed that she, I quote, couldn't stand me and wished to part ways as soon as possible."

Still grinning, perhaps even more broadly than before. He was sulking… or as close as the celebrated Youko Kurama could get to that. And he looked troubled – another chink in his usually flawless armour.

"Well, now, you know what that means, don't you?"

A raised eyebrow. "No. Do elaborate, o wise one."

Ignoring it, without any kind of trouble. It was routine. "One more step and it's all in the bag. My advice? Act now, while you still have the strong effect on her. Distance and time can weaken such things, you know."

"Are you implying that I am to steal her out of the palace in Reikai for the sake to get her to talk to me while she is still emotionally unbalanced and potentially violent towards my person?" That was likely the stupidest plan ever conceived. And such things often worked, really.

"Of course! You do want the girl, don't you?"

Silence. A glare.

So he was more right than he had thought. This was big. This was insane. This was wonderful.

And, after a moment, a whistle. "You... wow...heh... I mean... da-YAAMN!" This was true emotion and nothing he would say now could disguise waving of hands. "Don't say anything! I want to remember this moment forever: Youko Kurama, discovering he's in love with the poster-saint of Reikai! Ooh, this was worth all those… H-hey, what are you doing with that rose whip…?"

Crack. Yep, definitely love.

More silence.

"Ouch."

X X X X X

It was a dream.

The world – whichever world – was filled with peace and calm, radiating from every being, the beauty of it filling up the air, which she hungrily drew into her lings, allowing herself to be purified by its splendour. And, to complete her happiness, the world changed again, ridding her of all troubles and worries, granting her the one wish she had always held deep in her heart. She was no longer alone. She had never been alone – her friends had stood by her side for as long as time existed – but she had always been lonely, always lacking someone who would fill her entire being with unending rapture without doing anything at all, merely by being there for her…

And in front of her, the creature stood, the one person who changed that predicament and made her feel, truly feel, what she had been missing throughout the long centuries of her life. She might not have understood previously, but now, seeing with new eyes, she dismissed the past and embraced the future, ready to say everything she should have long ago have declared and do what it had taken her centuries realize was the right thing.

Then, with perfect timing, the dream ended and Kagome discovered that none of those thoughts were actually real. Of course, save for the last one, where she saw someone very important to her close by…

Her eyes finally regained focus and she realized that the reasons she had woken up prematurely in the first place were enough to secure her full attention. Abruptly, she tried to sit up, only to discover that she was actually held in the firm grip of someone familiar… someone who moved at great speed and had very, very soft hair…

Quite suddenly, she realized everything and strength returned to her and she found her voice again.

"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?!" she cried, about a minute before they were actually to stop. Youko ignored her completely, which set her off even more. "Hello! I'm talking to you!"

They were in the middle of a large labyrinth of pathways that led through Reikai to the particular hells and heavens – the final destinations for departed souls – and as she really wanted to know what he was trying to achieve by kidnapping her from the palace in the middle of the night, she thought it was time for drastic measures.

Aside from breaking the record for impossibilities, of course.

And so, she tugged at the fox ear closest to her both gently and firmly.

Even if they hadn't reached their destination – and, fortunately, they had, this being the slightly forested platform leading to the pathways to heaven – Youko would have likely still stopped with the same astonishment. That had certainly never happened before. But it wasn't as uncomfortable as one would assume it would be.

"Why did you do that?" he asked when he finally stopped and allowed Kagome down – of course, she proceeded to stalk away immediately (rather childish and pointless in his opinion) – and thus he didn't receive an answer more coherent than a shriek when he grabbed the priestess from behind and leapt up to one of the thicker branches of the highest tree within his reach. Once there, Kagome was less eager to release him, but he placed her into a safe sitting position before letting go. No harm would come to her on a tree, of course.

"Let me get this straight." she said once she regained her balance and her anger. "You kidnap me from the palace of the rulers of Reikai, in the middle of the night, the same day you let me go back home…. just to ask me why I try to get your attention because of that?" A sigh of utter frustration came from her lips. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!"

"I decided that we needed to speak properly before carrying out our plan, Kagome." the fox demon said, his tone serious as he dismissed her pettiness. "There will be little time for such things later on. If it is to work out, I need your full cooperation and you have proven to be distinctly unhelpful when you are angry with me."

The priestess gave a slightly scandalized half-gasp, half-snort. "Well, I'm sorry that some of us actually still have actual feelings even after a few centuries!" she snapped, but refrained from putting her hands on her hips, worried that her balance might be upset by her natural clumsiness.

Youko remained nearly unfazed by the reply, only a slight crease appeared between his brows. "You realize that you are very prone to anger when your beliefs are placed in an environment that scorns them or doesn't respect them. Your more human emotions can be very easily exploited."

"Oh, I get it now." Kagome settled with crossing her arms. "I understand why you're here now. You think I'm a liability to the operation, don't you? You think that if Naraku and I face off again, I'll fly off the handle and play into his cards?"

"You don't understand my point."

"No, I think I understand perfectly. Well, I'll tell you one thing, Mr. I'm-the-almighty-King-of-Thieves-so-fear-me." She was starting to gain steam, raising an accusing finger at him once again. "You aren't flawless or invincible yourself, though you might think so. You never make the first move in battle and thus you can miscalculate more severely than I ever could! And I usually don't think in complex plans."

The kitsune lowered his gaze for the first time, giving an indulgent smile that seemed to say he was giving in. He had enough wisdom to see when something was going nowhere. "You are easily the most stubborn and righteous creature in all the Three Realms. But I think I was fortunate to encounter you." Again, as he looked up, his eyes were serious, though the traces of a smile remained. "And you are wrong; excluding you from the plan is the last thing I want to do."

Kagome calmed down somewhat, feeling a warmth within her at the praise; but she was baffled nonetheless. "Then why are you here?" A slightly mad, but very amusing thought came to her. "Could it be that the great Youko Kurama has come to apologize?"

"Not to apologize, I'm afraid." He certainly didn't look afraid. "Rather, to set things right between us once more."

The priestess raised her nose slightly, almost scoffing at the suggestion. "I hardly think one is possible without the other."

"Hear me out, at least."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really… but I am careful with what I steal." the fox demon noted, with less mischief than usual, but certainly more than was prudent at the moment.

Realizing that there was no way out for now, Kagome remembered one more thing. "If I listen to what you have to say, will you return me to Reikai?"

"You have my word." The promise was made readily, as if he had expected it.

"The word of a thief." Her rational side reminded both of them. And she clung to that belief, because even her newly awakened anger seemed like a wall of paper rather than stone, which she would have preferred as a defensive barrier against his words. "I'm not sure how much that amounts to."

"Words have only as much value as you attribute to them. But I uphold bargains when I am the one initiating them, Kagome." Youko noted patiently.

For a second, Kagome seemed to concede. "You realize that I won't abide such things again." she blurted out a moment later.

"You're giving me a chance already, you realize." And he hadn't even spoken yet.

The priestess changed her point of view at lightning speed. "You're distracting me from my point. It won't work, you know."

"How unfortunate. But if deception is what you despise, I believe the solution to our predicament is quite simple."

"You mean… no more deception?" Really? She wanted to add. Was he even capable of that? She doubted it somewhat, but she was… well, willing to give him the benefit of doubt.

"My offer is slightly different and twice as valuable."

He really lost her there. "That being?"

Somehow, she got the feeling that she shouldn't have asked. Moreover, she wasn't certain she liked the strange light that danced in his eyes. In a smooth transformation that actually never happened, the kitsune's features morphed into something slightly darker, yet remained the same – perhaps a display of his inner thoughts, but Youko was always so guarded with those things. Guarded to the point that she could never be quite certain just what he was thinking.

It was terrifying, even more than when she had feared for her life when InuYasha had her pinned down, claws at her throat.

"We simply remove the deception."

Before she could come to a conclusion about what he was trying to do or what he meant, her mind stopped working abruptly. It wasn't gradual and slow, like with a stopping engine, but abrupt, as if someone turned off a television set. Sounds and sights were muted and vanished and then, the last remains of her already numbed and yet hyper-aware senses registered a foreign touch on her lips.

It certainly was a new kind of theft, but she was too stunned to even move an inch. A burning sensation passed through her entire body… but it was a pleasant feeling and, had she been able to think about it, she would have perhaps submitted to it more completely. She was far too frozen in place to be able to do anything and so, before her brain could stop its giddy pirouettes to remind her that it might actually be even better if she responded somehow, she felt the touch end, to some displeasure on her part.

The chained and caged part of her struggled with a new vitality and certainly part of the prison – if not all of it – was sent crashing down in a spectacular fashion.

Gradually, she managed to open her eyes – she didn't even know when she had closed them – and felt cold fear rush into her. It was a strange aftermath to something so intense, perhaps, but she had never felt so disarmed in her entire life. Perhaps she half-expected the usual teasing, but she was thoroughly unprepared for this turn of events. If the previous expression the kitsune had graced her with had been seduction, then there were no words in her mind prudent enough to describe him at the moment. He wasn't handsome or beautiful – there was something animalistic in him undermining that. He was magnetic, to such a degree that even Kagome, whose experience with desire amounted to about zero felt something in her pull hard at her to make her at least attempt to react in turn.

At the very least, he had discovered an entirely full-proof means of silencing her when the situation required it, though it was somewhat doubtful that this would be a method applicable in battle. Still, there were uses for it, clearly, and what was even more surprising was that she actually felt different from other women he had stolen kisses from. For the first time, it was not he who was doing the seducing – and the wonderful part about it was that she actually had no idea of her own radiance and remained entirely innocent even when something deep within her wanted to remedy that.

He found it to be to his liking. And never let it be said that he let something he liked escape his grasp. She had had her moment to breathe. And then, again, he felt the sweetness of her lips with a gentleness he himself had no idea he possessed. It had been a good, solid plan from the start, but the reality of it was far more than that. Gradually, perhaps some instinct taking over, the priestess tried to respond in the shyest of ways, which was all the encouragement the kitsune needed – that he had waited for her submission and not made her submit was also a remarkable change – and both his arms brought her closer, one snaking its way around her waist, the other delving into her loose hair.

Only at such proximity could it be made entirely clear that she was actually more beautiful than anyone could give her credit at first glance, as no one had ever seen what lay beneath her robes. Never mind that her body was covered now – he had seen enough to know. But she had been unconscious then and now, the feeling of her form pressed against him, accompanied with the memory of her skin was nothing short of hypnotic, which was more than sufficient proof that he had made the right choice.

After all, it hadn't been a choice made lightly, as the commitment it would require wasn't exactly short-term, but if it was the only means of attaining what he desired, then so be it. He had never denied himself anything and he wasn't in the mood to start.

Finally, when the embrace inevitably ended, the priestess regained the power of speech after several long moments, long before her mind even started working once more.

"I… don't understand."

Even if she hadn't seen the sly expression on his face, she could still feel the amusement in his voice, though it was darker than mischief and somehow deeper than words.

"Do you need further demonstration?" It was desire. "I'd be happy to oblige…"

How unfortunate that she recovered before he could make good on that promise, though he regarded with some satisfaction that she had jerked back only half-heartedly. Besides, she had no means of escaping anyway. Not without fracturing a few bones in the process and then she wouldn't be able to even move.

"N-no! I mean… I mean I think I actually understand that, but I don't really see why… why are you doing this?"

"I thought I told you." Youko repeated, slightly more seriously, though it was gradually becoming clear that for once, he was not eager to chide her. In his eyes was a storm that seemed to beckon her. "I merely took deception out of the picture, according to your wishes."

"Wait… you mean… you mean that your way of solving the fact that you had people believe you intended to mate me is… actually doing it?" Fear my supreme logic, world.

She had never expected that a helpless prey could be actually charmed by the grin of a predator. "Aren't you smart when you focus your attention on something?"

"But-but that's impossible!" the normally composed priestess spluttered, her cheeks reddening. "I haven't agreed to anything like that! You can't just-!"

"Oh?" An eyebrow rose in delicate doubt, clearly only humouring her. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"I-you, you're twisting my words completely! I only wanted you to be honest with me! And, besides!" Her face was getting redder by the minute – there was no way this could be anything but a very cruel joke. It wasn't that she was… averse to such a thought as an unreachable utopia, but to toy with her using this was downright heartless. This was the fantasy she denied ever having becoming clearer than reality. Unfair. "You can't be serious about this! I might not know that much about demon mating rituals, but I do happen to know that they create a lifelong bond!"

"And that is a reason for me to jest about such matters?"

"Don't try that innocent look on me – you're anything but that! You have an ulterior motive, as always, and I'm more than certain that I'm not going to like it when I find out!"

"Isn't there always an ulterior motive?" he asked, again with near innocence in his voice, playing with a few strands of her hair. "I confess you have me there, miko-sama." It was somewhat peculiar to hear him use that title for her. "Yes, I admit it; it is my intention to use your powers to help me further my goals in the Makai. Furthermore, I'm certain that Koenma will be more than happy to pay a handsome sum for your safe return… before he finds out that you will not be actually returning anytime soon. Besides, I think I won't find your presence objectionable as long as you remain entertaining, which you have thus far managed to an excellent degree without even trying. So, you see, I believe I get the most out of this bargain."

The almost brutal honesty of it startled Kagome slightly, but she recovered, shaking her head fervently, as it to clear her mind of the vision of the fox demon's triumphant and beautiful face. "Wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold on there! I haven't agreed to anything of the sort! For one thing, in case you've forgotten completely, I happen to have a jewel that half of Makai is after to protect. Secondly, even if I didn't, you seem to be far too confident that I'd agree in a heartbeat! And last of all, I'm not entirely certain that this is a kind of decision to be made based on a bargain based on your selfishness!"

"Those are justifications to those who will not be able to understand. But my selfishness is what drove me to this decision, yes."

"You – you actually admit that so easily?!"

Wasn't no more deception what she had wanted? "You misunderstand entirely. I cannot comprehend you, figure out why you are as you are, where your motives lay. You are, in that sense, the most dangerous being I have ever faced. And now you possess a power over me that influences me to a degree I do not approve of. But I want it like I want you. I will never forsake you if you consent to be mine."

"You… you actually mean that." Either that or he was the most accomplished liar she had ever met. The problem was that she wasn't exactly certain if that wasn't the case.

But the kitsune gave her a long, studious look, without even a hint of a jest. His eyes were speaking to her, telling her things she had believed to be only whispers from far-fetched dreams. And she found that she believed it. Somehow…

This has got to be the biggest mistake of my life. Oh, wait – second biggest mistake. The first was accepting the jewel. Kagome thought to herself.

"You… I…"

Youko saved her the effort of forming a coherent sentence by thoroughly erasing all thought from her mind with another kiss. Apparently, he had known that she couldn't possibly have refused – because she didn't want to. Because, as Kagome would realize later, when left alone, she loved him, whatever his faults or intentions. And he had been only half-serious in that admission of using her, to irk her, at which he had succeeded.

For his part, Youko faced no such internal monologues with his conscience, which he had long-since learned to silence. When he wanted something, heaven and hell help anyone who would dare stop him. And if wanting Kagome was wrong, then the person who had decided what was right and wrong could go to hell, for all he cared.

Not that it was love. Of course it wasn't love. Demons felt no such human emotions. But out of the kaleidoscope of feelings a creature such as him could feel, nothing could be closer to it, overcoming the borders of such a limiting word with unparalleled grace and soaring into eternity.

X X X X X

If anyone had told Kagome that within a few short months of encountering the most feared thief in Makai, she would be sitting in a tree with him, completely fearless, if a little dazed, and allowing him to rest his head in her lap while all that was occupying her attention was that his ears were even softer than they looked, she would have called the person insane and perhaps affected by adolescent hormones. Right now, even the jewel wasn't worth bothering over. Somehow, she wasn't the priestess charged with protecting the ancient treasure when with him; she was merely Kagome, someone that could be free when she wished.

Life was unpredictable at times.

If someone had come up to Youko at the moment and offered him a one-way ticket to heaven, free of charge, he would have laughed and torn it in two in front of the person's nose. Throughout his lengthy lifetime, he had enticed and seduced enough females to make an army of them, so he was fully qualified to be able to tell that the faceless and nameless beauties – along with all their charm – were put to shame by the simplest gesture made by Kagome, that being her stroking his ears with an almost feathery touch. It was unheard of that something so trivial could be so good, but then again, if there had been a female more interested in his ears than other possible activities involving physical contact, he had no memory of it.

It was grand.

Not that he would mind if the priestess suggested that he rest his head on a higher part of her torso, mind you. But he supposed there was always another time for that. Right now, he was enjoying himself too much to even tease her with the idea, knowing how she would likely react. Besides, there were no witnesses around them, thus he was not obliged to ruin the current mood by removing the entrails of anyone who would see him as he currently was.

"Kurama?" Kagome would never, ever say it out loud, because he would either be a bit insulted or his ego would inflate – which he really didn't need – but for a deadly demon, the kitsune had amazingly adorable ears. And she was reminded of that when one of them lazily twitched, the only physical sign of him having heard her. If she didn't have something serious to say, she would have likely squealed in delight. "What happens now?"

Lazily, his brilliant gold eyes opened, and the kitsune confirmed to himself that even upside-down, Kagome was pleasing to look at. "I was hoping you would ask, as there are several alternatives and each of them is worthy of consideration." When he named a few of them, Kagome's face turned a deeper red than her hakama. Seeing her blushing with embarrassment and fury never ceased to bring a slightly arrogant smile to his face, though it was now in good fun.

"Kitsune no baka! I wasn't referring to that!" The priestess narrowly avoided spluttering, but couldn't quite bring herself to smacking him. Not with those cute ears in the way. His rich laugh did nothing to lessen her blush. "You know very well what I meant!"

"I had no way of knowing which meaning you preferred. Personally, I find the short-term one more appealing at the moment." Youko purred, almost like a satisfied kitten, except that there was nothing remotely innocent about it. It served to Kagome's credit that she didn't melt at the sound, but on the other hand, she lacked the experience with such things.

"Remind me again why I agreed to this whole 'abandon all previous obligations to mate a nerve-challenging kitsune' idea." In retrospect, perhaps it wasn't a good idea to ask, but she had to admit that to discover that her neck was being licked by said kitsune almost before she could finish her inquiry was a rather solid argument. "Okay, then. As you're so good at explaining things, then explain how we pull this off. I can't just hand my resignation to Koenma without a valid reason and if I tell him I want to leave Reikai for you, I'll likely find out whether or not there's an asylum in the spirit world."

"I could kidnap you again; it isn't as hard as you imagine when I have your willing cooperation." Youko didn't seem as troubled as she was, but at least he had a more serious expression now. "In any case, I need to teach you the value of an emotional threat. Tell your princeling that you deserve a reward after centuries of obedience and that releasing you from your service is the least he could do."

"But what about the jewel?" Kagome pressed on. "I can't just dump it on a random person and Miroku-sama doesn't have enough purity in him to keep it in its current state."

The kitsune eyed the faintly glowing orb around Kagome's neck with slight irritation now. Granted, he had wanted the jewel before, but now when it was within his grasp, it was simply hindering his other desires. The irony of it all.

"Yes, that puts is in a bit of a predicament. You said that it can only be obliterated by a pure wish, correct?" A nod. "I confess that if you, with your level of purity, haven't managed to think of a reasonable choice, it is slightly doubtful that I will. I am much more hedonistic than you."

Kagome sighed a bit, but no longer looked for possible deception in his words. For once, it seemed that he was telling the complete truth.

"I've been searching for the wish for centuries. I've asked hundreds of people… spent thousands of hours pondering it alone and with wiser people… all to no avail. Every wish can be interpreted differently and twisted into darkness. Sometimes I wonder if my sensei would be able to find a solution."

"Can you not ask them for counsel?" It took some time and many interventions and questions from the kitsune, but Kagome managed to explain the origin of the Shikon no Tama to him the best she could. "Ah, I see. Were it not an obstacle, I would call it fascinating. Never mind that. I will give the matter more thought than I formerly intended."

That surprised her. "You meant to think it through even before?"

"Naturally. One must always be careful what one wishes for. And you've given me more than sufficient material for a more thorough analysis in the future." The kitsune summarized, his visual attention occupied by entwining his fingers with Kagome's hair, brushing through it gently. "But that is a long-term goal. Right now, I would much rather go back to discussing our short-term occupation…"

Kagome barely had time to yelp before being rendered incapable of making any sound at all, but she doubted she would get used to the sensation of velvet caressing her whenever his tongue slowly moved along her jaw or when Youko didn't content himself with such simplicity and rendered her incapable of the slightest coherent thought as well with his lips. And she hoped she never would.

It was the pinnacle of madness…

…but then, who ever said that sanity was soothing? It was highly overrated, actually.

And in cases such as this, a hindrance only.