Chapter 14: "Scooby-Doo and a Mommy, Too"

By the time he was done speaking (and drying his weepy eyes on his noodle-flexible tail, a sight honestly made Yusuke feel a bit queasy), Scooby had allowed Kuwabara to come close enough to pet his ears. The dog still pillowed his bulbous head on Shaggy's knee, though. Kuwabara watched the dog with pity. Kurama looked at Scooby in silence, face devoid of emotion, expression tightly controlled and blank—but Yusuke could see the tension at the corners of his eyes, smoothed over so perfectly it gave itself away in the very act of being erased.

Eyes locked on Shaggy's face, Scooby heaved a heavy sigh. "Rey're ry ramily," he said in his crumbling voice. "Ry rove rem."

"He said, they're my family," Kurama translated. "I love them."

"Yeah," said Yusuke. "I got that."

"Ry re rhyme ry roved rem, rit ras roo rate ro rell rem roo ry really ras."

"By the time I loved them, it was too late to tell them who I really was."

"Yeah. I got that one, too."

But Kuwabara's nose wrinkled. "Well, I don't get it."

"Rut?" Scooby's head lifted from Shaggy's knee, eyes round with alarm. "Rut ron't roo ret?"

"Why not tell them anyway?" Kuwabara said—and when Scooby only hesitated, chin descending to Shaggy's knee again, Kuwabara's frown deepened. "They love you. You love them. They'd still love you no matter where you came from, right?"

Scooby's morose face fell. "Rell…"

"No." Kuwabara shook his head, voice firm. "They would. That's what friends do for each other. Right?"

Scooby said nothing for a moment. He only had eyes for Shaggy, studying his blank-faced friend as if trying to read the future in the scruff on Shaggy's chin. Eventually, though, Scooby shook his head. The movement was slight, so subtle Yusuke almost missed it, but the dog definitely, definitely shook his head.

"Rhyme rot so rure," Scooby said.

"I'm not so sure," said Kurama at almost the same time. Practically, in fact, in unison. Yusuke was not certain if Kurama was translating Scooby's speech or simply speaking his own mind.

Kuwabara shook his head again. "But, Scooby," he insisted. "If you were just honest with them, I'm sure they would—"

"Rit's roo rate." Even through his speech impediment and despite his hushed words, Scooby's soft denial cut through the quiet like a blade. "Ry've raited roo rong. Rand ry've rainrashed rem ror ro rong…" He shuddered, bulky body quaking. "Rey right reel retrayed. Rand ry rouldn't rand ro ree rhat rook ron reir races." He shuddered again, harder this time. "Ry rouldn't rand ro ree rhem rook rat re rhat ray."

"OK, that one I didn't get." Yusuke turned to Kurama, brow cocked. "Can you transla—? Oh."

Kurama looked like he'd been kicked in the gut by a Clydesdale.

Yusuke started to ask why—and then it hit him.

What had Kurama said to Yusuke on a certain rooftop, long ago, under the light of a full moon? What had Kurama said about breaking his mother's spirit, a mirror that could grant wishes clutched tightly in his hand? That mirror, the Forlorn Hope…

It had reflected Kurama's heart's desire back then as completely as Scooby-Doo's dilemma reflected Kurama's own today.

For a long time, Yusuke stood there in silence.

Then Yusuke started to say something.

Then Yusuke started to say anything.

But before he could, the object in his pocket began to ring.

NOTES: What, you mean you signed up for a crackfic and not a trip aboard the Feels Train? Well too late muthafuckas, we just choo-chooed straight to Kurama's Angst City, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT MY DEVIOUS BAIT AND SWITCH? And what's in Yusuke's pocket? Find out next time!