Letting Go
By Arra Jade
Chapter 1
::knock knock knock::
"Come in," Kurama said, not bothering to looked up from his homework as the person walked into his room and closed the door.
"Ano, Niisan if this is a bad time I'll come back later…" Kurama looked at his 'little brother.' He knew something had been bothering Shuichi for a wile but until now the boy had never said anything. He closed his textbook and smiled at him.
"It's all right, what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked. Shuichi shuffled his feet and stared at the ground for several seconds before answering.
"You're going to think I nuts…" he started but trailed off as he looked at the older boy.
"Shu-kun I've seen a lot of strange stuff. Trust me, I won't think you're crazy." He smiled at him and Shuichi smiled shyly back.
"It's about a friend of yours," Kurama sat up straighter in surprise.
"Which one?" he asked.
"Well… the short one with the spiky hair,"
"Yes. Go on."
"He… he doesn't feel right." A slight feeling of dread permeated Kurama's thoughts. Inari, does Shuichi have high rei-ki? I never thought to check! "I know that sounds dumb but… I get impressions of people sometimes and well… what I felt from him isn't the same as what I feel from most other people." He stopped and looked at his hands.
"Never mind niisan. It's stupid" he turned to go but Kurama put a hand on his arm.
"It's not stupid Shuichi. I believe you." He motioned to the bed. "Sit down and tell me more. Are there any other people who have felt 'different?' Are the impressions always vague or are there images or feelings associated with them?" The younger boy looked at him, slightly shocked and then smiled.
"Wow niisan, you sound like you know what you're talking about. Well most people feel similar to one another and all I can really tell is if they are nice or if they're lying to me and things like that. Not some people, there are some that I can't read at all and there are a few who, even though I sense them, they just don't feel like normal people do. They almost don't feel human…"
"Is there anyone in particular that feel like that to you? Is that what you meant when you said Hiei didn't feel right?" Kurama prodded. It was best to be prepared; he'd have to tell Hiei to shield his youki better from now on.
"Yeah, Hiei and those two girls with funny colored hair, green and blue, and…and," he stopped again.
"What's wrong? Who else is there?"
"Ano…niisan, you don't feel normal either," Shuichi was silent.
Kurama mentally berated himself. I should have expected that. What am I supposed to tell him? That Hiei and Yukina are youkai, Botan's a Reikai ferry-girl and I'm a youko? He's barley acknowledged that he has this power. He's not ready to fully understand what his instincts are telling him.
His little brother looked at him with fear and apprehension, as if he expected Kurama to be mad at him. The fox spirit sighed. He was just about to divert Shuichi by suggesting that he train with Kuwabara or Shizuru when his mother called them both down for dinner.
With a parting "we'll talk about this later," Kurama escaped towards the safety of the kitchen.