A/N: This is the big chapter all! The most interesting, most shocking,
deepest chapter I've written in the story so far! *Has a big, happy smile*.
Ok, so maybe I am overexaggerating a bit, but this is, in my opinion, the
best chapter I've written so far. So enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It'd been a week since Kurama had moved Aya and Mitari into their house for protection. He kept noticing more and more things about Aya that reminded him of himself. Like how she'd often spend hours stareing at the flowers in his garden. Often she'd touch the wilting ones, and when he would go out to tend to them, they wouldn't be wilting anymore. She also had his temperment. She was gentle, sweet, and somewhat-quiet. Kurama felt she was probably a good student in school, and wouldn't have been surprised if he'd learned she was the top student in the grade. He pondered this for a while as he helped his mother cook dinner. "Aya...what are you?", he thought.
Kurama couldn't sleep that night. The sound of the rain lapping against the window, the wind howling violently, the distant, cracking thunder, put him at unease. It was nights like this he thought about his former life as a kitsune. It was nights like this he mulled over his betrayl of Yomi. More importantly, it was nights like this he remembered the first true friend he'd ever had. "The night I met Kuronue...was just like this...", he thought. A single tear rolled down his face. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*FLASHBACK*~
The young kitsune had no name, no family, no friends, absolutely no one to love him. He'd been on his own as long as he could remember, and it showed in his appearence. His hair was so filthy that any color was undeterminable. His pale face was smudged with dirt and streaked with tears. This was the condition he was in when the Youkai hunters caught him to sell. "Poor bred, I think", one guy said, holding the child up by his tail. It didn't matter to them, anyway. The child was an orphan. An abondoned child with his leg broken.
"It's a wonder he's lived this long", a man with a long beard said, examining the little kitsune child. "Get him cleaned up and put him with the other child. We'll sell them both together and make double the profit. Young Youkai are valuable, you know.". So the kitsune child was taken and given his first bath in a long time. He was dressed in pure white clothes and his silver hair was combed until it shone. Then he was lifted up and carried to a cage that contained a single child and locked him him.
"Hi, I'm Kuronue", the other child said plesently enough to the kitsune. The kitsune blinked. This child had a name? That ment he had been taken from his parents. The kitsune looked over Kuronue. He had long black hair and pale violet eyes. In his hand he firmly held on to a shining red pendant. "I...don't have a name", the kitsune whispered stareing at his feet. "Don't have a name!", Kuronue cried, making the kitsune jump. "well, we can't have that. I know...I'll call you Kurama. Do you like that?".
~*END FLASHBACK*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kurama pushed back his sheets and climbed out of bed. "Maybe a glass of juice will help", he thought as he walked towards the kitchen. Kurama got his juice and found he didn't feel any better. He walked sadly to the window and pushed the blinds open. Kurama peered out the window, watching the rain. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small figure kneeling outside. Someone with long, silver hair. "Aya-chan?".
"Aya-Chan?". Aya looked up and found herself stareing into a pair of beautiful emerald eyes. "Minamino-san?", she whispered. "What are you doing out here?", Kurama asked sympathetically. "I couldn't sleep and roses always look prettier when the rain is freshly fallen on them". She paused and gazed up at him, her eyes taking a brilliant vibrancey in the pale light from Kurama's flashlight. "Minamino-San? Are you...ningen?".
Kurama tried to keep his composure, wondering what had led her to ask him such a question. She was, he knew, being sincere, and that was what unnerved him. "Minamino-san?". He drew in a deep breath. "Why do you ask such a question, Aya-chan?". "Would you promise not to breathe a word if I told you? If I told you, you'd understand better why I asked you." Kurama nodded. "You have my word. I promise.". ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aya opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She trembled before Kurama, silent tears coursing down her face. "Aya-Chan...if it's too painful...". The girl shook her head, drew in a deep breath, and seemed to regain some of her composure. "Minamino-San, I asked you if you were ningen because I am not. Well, my body is, but my spirit is of a special kind of dog youkai, the Inuko. A long time ago, my mother and I were both hunted because of the Inuko's rare and unusual beauty and mysterious powers. My mother, 16 years ago, was slain, and she told me to take Ningen form to protect myself. I did as I was told to, planning to return to the Makai when I became of age and track down those who murdered my Youkai mother..."
"But you've become attached to your Ningen mother?", Kurama suplied for her. "Y-Yeah", Aya stammered. "How'd you know?". "Because I'm still living with Shiori Minamino-Hakataka not because I'm scared, but because I love her. And I love Shuu, and my steptousan, too. There's nothing wrong with loving Ningens, Aya-Chan. Nothing at all.". "There's not?", Aya asked hopefully, looking like a weight had been lifted off her slight shoulders. "Not at all!", Kurama cried. "I used to be a kitsune...Something very similar happened to me. I was injured and weak, so I took Ningen form. I was gonna abandon my Ningen mother, but I found I could not leave her. It's OK to love Ningens...It really is...".
"Minamino-san?". "Yes, Aya-chan?". "The flowers are really beautiful". Kurama looked over at the brilliant red roses growing in his garden. Then his eyes fell on a particular rose...a piercing silver rose with icy blue tips. "Is that where you cut your leg?", he asked, motioning to the rose. "Yes...Inuko's have strong shadow powers. They can manipulate their shadows to do anything. They can also affect plants by touching them...or bleeding on them...That bush will slowly turn all the roses like that flower and that bush will outlast every other bush in your garden.". Kurama reached over and carefully plucked the silver rose off so he wouldn't cut his fingers on the thorns.
"It really is very beautiful.", he murmured, spinning the rose around in his fingers. "I used to say evil blood produced the most beautiful flowers...but I think it is actually innocent blood that does.". Kurama stood up and pulled Aya to her feet. He handed her the rose. "Come on, Aya- Chan. We'd better get inside before we get sick.". With that, he and Aya ran towards the house, heavy with water, but light with contentment. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I'm undecided on if Aya should become Shuu's girlfriend or Kurama's. Someone please help me! If you think she's not too young for Kurama and think they'd actually make a decent couple, let me know. If you have other ideas for Kurama's lover, think he's too old for her, or something else, let me know. Your opinions will determine the outcome of the next few chapters. R&R!
It'd been a week since Kurama had moved Aya and Mitari into their house for protection. He kept noticing more and more things about Aya that reminded him of himself. Like how she'd often spend hours stareing at the flowers in his garden. Often she'd touch the wilting ones, and when he would go out to tend to them, they wouldn't be wilting anymore. She also had his temperment. She was gentle, sweet, and somewhat-quiet. Kurama felt she was probably a good student in school, and wouldn't have been surprised if he'd learned she was the top student in the grade. He pondered this for a while as he helped his mother cook dinner. "Aya...what are you?", he thought.
Kurama couldn't sleep that night. The sound of the rain lapping against the window, the wind howling violently, the distant, cracking thunder, put him at unease. It was nights like this he thought about his former life as a kitsune. It was nights like this he mulled over his betrayl of Yomi. More importantly, it was nights like this he remembered the first true friend he'd ever had. "The night I met Kuronue...was just like this...", he thought. A single tear rolled down his face. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*FLASHBACK*~
The young kitsune had no name, no family, no friends, absolutely no one to love him. He'd been on his own as long as he could remember, and it showed in his appearence. His hair was so filthy that any color was undeterminable. His pale face was smudged with dirt and streaked with tears. This was the condition he was in when the Youkai hunters caught him to sell. "Poor bred, I think", one guy said, holding the child up by his tail. It didn't matter to them, anyway. The child was an orphan. An abondoned child with his leg broken.
"It's a wonder he's lived this long", a man with a long beard said, examining the little kitsune child. "Get him cleaned up and put him with the other child. We'll sell them both together and make double the profit. Young Youkai are valuable, you know.". So the kitsune child was taken and given his first bath in a long time. He was dressed in pure white clothes and his silver hair was combed until it shone. Then he was lifted up and carried to a cage that contained a single child and locked him him.
"Hi, I'm Kuronue", the other child said plesently enough to the kitsune. The kitsune blinked. This child had a name? That ment he had been taken from his parents. The kitsune looked over Kuronue. He had long black hair and pale violet eyes. In his hand he firmly held on to a shining red pendant. "I...don't have a name", the kitsune whispered stareing at his feet. "Don't have a name!", Kuronue cried, making the kitsune jump. "well, we can't have that. I know...I'll call you Kurama. Do you like that?".
~*END FLASHBACK*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kurama pushed back his sheets and climbed out of bed. "Maybe a glass of juice will help", he thought as he walked towards the kitchen. Kurama got his juice and found he didn't feel any better. He walked sadly to the window and pushed the blinds open. Kurama peered out the window, watching the rain. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small figure kneeling outside. Someone with long, silver hair. "Aya-chan?".
"Aya-Chan?". Aya looked up and found herself stareing into a pair of beautiful emerald eyes. "Minamino-san?", she whispered. "What are you doing out here?", Kurama asked sympathetically. "I couldn't sleep and roses always look prettier when the rain is freshly fallen on them". She paused and gazed up at him, her eyes taking a brilliant vibrancey in the pale light from Kurama's flashlight. "Minamino-San? Are you...ningen?".
Kurama tried to keep his composure, wondering what had led her to ask him such a question. She was, he knew, being sincere, and that was what unnerved him. "Minamino-san?". He drew in a deep breath. "Why do you ask such a question, Aya-chan?". "Would you promise not to breathe a word if I told you? If I told you, you'd understand better why I asked you." Kurama nodded. "You have my word. I promise.". ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aya opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She trembled before Kurama, silent tears coursing down her face. "Aya-Chan...if it's too painful...". The girl shook her head, drew in a deep breath, and seemed to regain some of her composure. "Minamino-San, I asked you if you were ningen because I am not. Well, my body is, but my spirit is of a special kind of dog youkai, the Inuko. A long time ago, my mother and I were both hunted because of the Inuko's rare and unusual beauty and mysterious powers. My mother, 16 years ago, was slain, and she told me to take Ningen form to protect myself. I did as I was told to, planning to return to the Makai when I became of age and track down those who murdered my Youkai mother..."
"But you've become attached to your Ningen mother?", Kurama suplied for her. "Y-Yeah", Aya stammered. "How'd you know?". "Because I'm still living with Shiori Minamino-Hakataka not because I'm scared, but because I love her. And I love Shuu, and my steptousan, too. There's nothing wrong with loving Ningens, Aya-Chan. Nothing at all.". "There's not?", Aya asked hopefully, looking like a weight had been lifted off her slight shoulders. "Not at all!", Kurama cried. "I used to be a kitsune...Something very similar happened to me. I was injured and weak, so I took Ningen form. I was gonna abandon my Ningen mother, but I found I could not leave her. It's OK to love Ningens...It really is...".
"Minamino-san?". "Yes, Aya-chan?". "The flowers are really beautiful". Kurama looked over at the brilliant red roses growing in his garden. Then his eyes fell on a particular rose...a piercing silver rose with icy blue tips. "Is that where you cut your leg?", he asked, motioning to the rose. "Yes...Inuko's have strong shadow powers. They can manipulate their shadows to do anything. They can also affect plants by touching them...or bleeding on them...That bush will slowly turn all the roses like that flower and that bush will outlast every other bush in your garden.". Kurama reached over and carefully plucked the silver rose off so he wouldn't cut his fingers on the thorns.
"It really is very beautiful.", he murmured, spinning the rose around in his fingers. "I used to say evil blood produced the most beautiful flowers...but I think it is actually innocent blood that does.". Kurama stood up and pulled Aya to her feet. He handed her the rose. "Come on, Aya- Chan. We'd better get inside before we get sick.". With that, he and Aya ran towards the house, heavy with water, but light with contentment. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I'm undecided on if Aya should become Shuu's girlfriend or Kurama's. Someone please help me! If you think she's not too young for Kurama and think they'd actually make a decent couple, let me know. If you have other ideas for Kurama's lover, think he's too old for her, or something else, let me know. Your opinions will determine the outcome of the next few chapters. R&R!