After a very unsuccessful hunt in the territory of the wolves, Kurama and San decided to call it quits and try again tomorrow. There was a lot of ground to cover, and whatever was here that didn't belong was hidden quite well. San would not give up, she would honour the deal she made with the pack leader. She just wished that the mysteries would stop, that she could live in peace for even a day. They walked back to the temple, in no hurry as they tried to linger for anything they might have missed. Kurama didn't exactly cling to her, but he hovered closer than he usually would, and she knew it was for many reasons.

He was not happy about her decision to go with Itsuki, and she knew that well not only by his words, but his actions. She wished there was another way, but she knew that Itsuki showing up at the time that he did was no coincidence. She also knew that his words were true, and she had wasted too much time deciding about this power that she had. She should have worked on it a long time ago, when he had first told her about it, gave her the first lesson she needed. But she was too cocky, thought that she was powerful enough without it. Everyone could tell her until they were blue in the face that there was nothing she could do to stop Wakana from taking her mate. That didn't change the new determination San had to prevent such a thing from happening again. Kurama would also need to learn not to let others penetrate his mind.

It started to snow, which encouraged San to get back to the temple quicker. She hated the snow, and was reminded that her feet were cold and wet. Shivering slightly, she increased her pace along with her mate in order get out of the dreadful weather. He was all but unhappy to comply. San wasn't sure his take on winter, and she found it strange that she had never bothered to ask him. She supposed he would have voiced his displeasure should it exist. But then again, it was hard to say sometimes with him.

They arrived back at the temple, San shivering at that point. She was aware of the eyes on them, wondering what had transpired between the two of them. But Genkai was smart enough not to ask when they would all have their talk, and Yusuke probably didn't know how to go about it. The others were in various parts of them temple, too many of them in one room making it crowded. But San was cold, going to her room with her mate trailing behind her. She shed off the heavy winter clothes, throwing them about carelessly. Kurama neatly placed heir things to hang, waiting for the moment to place them near the fire to dry.

She made sure Yomi was nowhere around her garden before she closed the door to her bedroom and began to peel off the clothes, starting with her soaked socks. Once she was completely naked, she took a fresh towel and wrapped it around herself. Kurama watched her with his green orbs, grabbing a towel as well, but keeping his clothes on. He followed to out of her room and on towards the bathroom. Kuwabara walked by them keeping his eyes on the ceiling because of San's current clothing choice. She smirked, encountering no one else as she walked into the bathroom, Kurama closing the door behind them.

Her feet were frozen, as she dropped the towel and turned on the tap to the overly large bathtub. San never understood why Genkai, as small as she was, needed such a huge bath. She was grateful, however, only wishing slightly that she was back in her realm at the baths there. Steam started to fill the room as San finally found the right temperature. She sighed slightly, turning to look at her mate. His eyes were full of that same love and adoration she was used to seeing. No more were they confused or hateful. She smiled, walking over to him, stopping just out of his reach. Of course, that didn't last long, as she was completely drawn to him.

He pulled her into a kiss, her body pressing up against his. She pulled him close, deepening their kiss as her hands started to slowly undress him. His breath was heavy on her face, his eyes slightly glazed in lust. She never left his green orbs, even as her hands started to reveal more of him. Once his pants were undone and slowly started to slip off him, he started backing her up slowly. He stepped out of the pants that now resided at his ankles, managing to take his socks with them. She could scarcely breath, the tension building up in her throat and chest. She felt the cool edge of the tub, and realized she could back up no more.

He hungrily kissed her as he helped her into the tub that was still filling with water. She hissed as water touched her skin. He understood why, it was burning, turning their skin red instantly. But he didn't let that deter him from her. Turning off the tap now that the tub was full, he went back to kissing her, his hands having a mind of their own as they submerged themselves into the water. They weren't there for long, they still needed air to survive in any world. She writhed under him as he found her most sensitive spots, a map that his body knew all too well. Her heavy breaths beneath him only fuelled the desire that had built up inside of him since she had led him here. Once she had moaned ever so slightly, he captured her, causing her to become more vocal as he buried himself deep within her.

She shuddered in utter content, sighing happily as she could no longer feel her feet. She caught her breath, letting herself fall underwater again, exhaling. She rose again, as he moved so that she could lean against him. He held her tightly to him, kissing the top of her head as he did so. She snaked her fingers to intertwine with his and he gave her hand a small squeeze. They didn't speak, just soaked, San actually starting to warm up.

"Is there no other way?" he asked her, his voice soft in her ear.

"No. This is how it must be," she told him sadly. She felt him nod against her.

"I do not trust it, San."

"Nothing will be able to attack me in Itsuki's abyss."

"No one but Itsuki himself."

"He has no reason to harm us, Kurama. He got what he wanted in the end, and even if he were to take his revenge, he would be going after Yusuke, not trying to teach me how to further my powers."

"Have you not considered that he could use you against Yusuke? Use your powers to defeat him?"

"Why go through the trouble? Yusuke's mind is unprotected, easily able to grasp. Itsuki's powers far exceed my own, he could have easily taken Yusuke without my knowledge and I would not be able to counter that kind of power."

"I suppose so. What will you tell the others? Your disappearance will not go unnoticed, especially to Genkai, Hiei and Yomi."

"I'm not telling them anything. You can say whatever you want if they ask, I don't care."

"I have two days to find an alternative."

"Let fate determine that. I'm going with him and I'm going to use whatever skills he can teach me. No one is going to be taken from under my nose again, not you, not anyone."

"I understand."

"Besides, how are we supposed to battle them if we are unable to defend our own minds?"

He sighed slightly, defeated, "I'm not quite sure, San."

They were quiet again, deep in thought as to what they would need to do once they were done.

...

Kurama and San walked back to her room only to find a note with the word "dojo" written in big letters waiting for them on her bed. She sighed slightly, knowing that it was time to get this over with. She couldn't avoid it anymore. She found some of her warmer clothes, dressing to preserve the heat her body had kept from the bath. Kurama didn't take long to dress, and he kept his gaze upon her. San was very aware of his awareness, wishing he wouldn't worry so much about her. But she knew that he was dreading the time she would be spending with Itsuki. She just wished there was something she could say or do to put him at ease-while gaining the knowledge she needed. She turned to look at him, nodding before walking out of the room.

They didn't speak, San was turning in her head how this meeting was going to go. There were too many things to cover, and they would be speaking well into the night. Everyone had duties to perform, and San wondered how she would work around the things she needed to do while keeping her secret. Or perhaps she could simply just tell them. She had no intention of doing so, knowing that sorts of things that would be said to her if she even mentioned his name. Hiei, Genkai and Yomi would be the only ones to notice that she was missing, and she could let Kurama handle that part.

All eyes were on them as they entered the dojo. Everyone was there: Genkai, Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, Koenma, Botan, Hiei, Yomi, Kyrokai, Kenji, and Yukina. San wished that they weren't so intent when they watched her and her mate join them.

"Finally," grunted Genkai.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Kuwabara.

"What do you think?" asked Yusuke, raising a brow.

San smirked, noting that Kurama flushed very slightly. Kuwabara was stuttering, probably thinking about earlier when he encountered San walking through the halls in nothing but a towel, Kurama trailing behind her. She let out a little laugh, taking a seat next to Botan, her mate sitting beside her. She saw Hiei look at them curiously, probably wondering why Kurama seemed to hover over her. San internally sighed, hating that the small fire apparition would pick up on this first and know something was up.

"So..."

"We can start with Arashi," said Genkai, looking expectantly at Kenji.

"Of course," said Kenji, nodding towards Genkai. He looked at San, "Once Wakana's fate was sealed, myself, the King and Yomi pursued the demon known as Arashi. Our plan of surprise seemed to work, he was not expecting anyone to know his route. Our attack appeared to successful-"

"But none of could have predicted that Arashi had held so much power," Yomi cut in, "He far surpasses any demon I know, and it was a challenge for the three of us, powerful as we are to even put a scratch on him."

"But I thought the double S was the most powerful demon out there?" questioned Yusuke.

"I was getting to that," said Kenji, "Arashi is not exactly a demon. Our sources tell us that he was once a keeper of the prophecy who turned rogue."

"And Takashi is also a keeper of the prophecy, but he's not trying to hinder us," said Yukina.

"That's correct. Takashi will aid both sides in order to see the prophecy fulfilled, while Arashi will do everything in his power to stop it from happening," said San.

"And we already know first hand how powerful Takashi is. It is only safe to assume that we stand no chance against Arashi," said Kurama, "The keepers of the prophecy seem to be on a completely different level than the rest of us. Their powers do not feel like demon or spirit energy."

"So is it sacred energy?" asked Kuwabara.

"Did it feel that way to you?"

"Well no, it... Actually, I didn't really feel it at all."

"Exactly."

"So Arashi is in league with Takashi, and he's probably the only one that can hurt him," mused Genkai.

"Except the part that Takashi will not touch Arashi until the proper time, which means he's still our problem," said San.

"We'll get back to that later. Kurama, you're memories are obviously back."

"Yes. During the fight with Arashi, I felt as if I hit a solid wall. Everything that Wakana had done reversed, and my mind was returning to normal all at once. Arashi was able to injure me then, though I am fortunate that they were only minor."

"Any information that we can take back to base?" asked Kenji.

"Only the location of their hideout. Hiroki is banned from Makai, he cannot enter, so he resides here, in Ningenkai."

"Nothing about that has changed," said Genkai, "Botan, you've been spending time with Hiroki."

Botan nodded, "That's right. Koenma sent me in after he had left Kurama to get Riane. I had to slowly work my way up, but I was able to witness Hiroki coming back to Ningenkai. He isn't at full power just yet, but it won't be long until he is. Once he was back he began to form an army. I never actually caught how big it was, but I know that if we got our best demons, we would all be wiped out. We need to find a way to fight back without him knowing what were up to. He seems to be under the impression that he'll be dead this time if he loses."

"He will, this will be the last battle between us," said San.

"There's more," nodded Botan, "He talks to himself constantly, like he's gone completely bonkers. He's constantly killing the recruits for his army, but still has enough demons on his side to wipe us out completely. I had to get out of there before I was killed, bBut the one thing that I caught onto before I left was that he's not really the one in power. There's someone else behind him calling the shots."

Kuwabara gasped, "Someone else? How much more power can really be in this world?!"

"It only stands to reason," said Kurama, "After the Demon World Tournament started, there really was no need to worry about power. The strongest prevailed however they wished. Now, demons like Enki who had power all along finally have something to fight for. The difference is, Enki wanted to do some good for his only home, while demons like Hiroki finally see the advantage in gaining that power."

"That's an elegant way of blaming me," said Yusuke dryly.

Kurama smiled, "It's not entirely you're fault."

"He's right," Koenma chimed in, "Most of these demons are in uproar over what happened between Reikai and Makai. The only thing you've done is give them an opening to unite in taking revenge on what my father had done to them. This is really his fault. If he had stopped trying to control the demons, this probably never would have happened."

"So I'm the one who blew it," said Yusuke, "So how do we stop it? Can't we just get Yayoi to say there's no more tournaments?"

"Fool. If she does that we'll have a bigger problem on our hands. The tournaments you started is something that no one could take away. You'd all die trying to defend her," said Hiei.

"Right..."

"So even if we defeat Hiroki, we still have to worry not only about Arashi, but who else is pulling the strings," said Genkai.

"Does it ever end?" asked Keiko.

"Eventually," said San.

"Have you succeeded in your mission?" asked Yomi.

"The prophecy was handed to Genkai, as preordained. During our travels, three of the tasks were completed. Kuwabara has started to become the person he was destined to be, my nephew seer, and Keiko has made her choice. Everything so far as we know is right on track," said Kyrokai.

"What has the prophecy revealed?" asked Kurama.

"She cannot read it until all those mentioned in it are present," said San.

"So what are we waiting for?" asked Kuwabara.

"Shouldn't we talk about Keiko?" asked Botan.

The girl in question turned slightly red at having the attention turned towards her, "Um..." her voice squeaked.

"Keiko met the sorcerer named Orochi, who resided on the outskirts of the village of the seers in order to complete his task, thus helping complete the prophecy," said Kyrokai.

"What happened?" asked Kuwabara.

"I..." she didn't know how to begin, "I became a half demon."

"You what?!" exclaimed Kuwabara. It appeared that he was the only one who didn't know about this.

"Which means we'll have to keep an extra eye on her. Yusuke knows the change, but Keiko's human body might not accept it as willingly as his did," said Koenma.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Yusuke.

"It means that you were born half demon while Keiko was turned," said Genkai.

"Kurama survived."

"I merely merged with a young fetus, I had saved it's life by doing so, there was nothing to really adapt to or change. Keiko is mostly grown, her body might not take to the change. Orochi has never before perfected that kind of experiment," said Kurama.

Yusuke growled.

"She won't die," said San fiercely, "Between Kurama, Genkai, and myself, we'll be able to help the adapting process along with minimal pain."

He seemed to feel better about that, so they moved on, "I suppose that just leaves one thing," said Koenma.

"More than one. What do you know of the kids of prophecy?" asked Genkai.

"Honestly, we have no records of them. They've been ghosts until now."

San narrowed her eyes, knowing that he was lying to her. They didn't pursue the matter. She instead turned to look at Genkai, "I think it's time we heard the prophecy."

Genkai nodded, taking the parchment delicately out of her clothes. She brought it to the middle of the dojo, carefully unwrapping it, as if it would break with any fast movement. San walked towards her on light feet, the others too afraid to move. San knew that she had to reach the prophecy, was probably the only one that could. She was right, as she saw the sacred letters it was written in the old language, the very same one that Riane was able to read. San saw the words form in her mind, knowing that if Riane could do it, so could she. It was something she was born with that lied dormant until needed.

Her eyes scanned over every letter, anxiety building up in her chest. This was something she was waiting for, hopefully the answers that she needed. And yet, she was terrified of reading. What if it was completely unhelpful? What would she do then? There was only one way to know, she'd have to read it out loud and let the others brainstorm the cryptic meaning behind each word. She looked back at her mate, who kept his green orbs intent on her person. He knew the very meaning this held for all of them at this particular stage in their war. Her tawny eyes looked back to the finally unveiled scroll that held the answer and key to the destiny of her pack.