i luv all of my reviewers! i appreciate all you positive responses. HOPEFULLY they'll stay that way.

The finals were in three more days. Three days until the long awaited end of the dark tournament. Rei was laying in her bed, waiting for sleep to take over.

"Mother?" Rei said groggily as she opened her eyes. It was her mother, standing at the foot of her bed.

"Rei." her voice whispered in a nearly inaudible tone.

The rush of joy that swept over her could not be put in words, a feeling beyond happiness. She rushed to embrace the woman that had adored and loved her for so long.

"Listen to me." Rei's mother said delicately as she pulled her away.

"What?" Rei asked in confusion. Then she noticed the pure, unearthly light radiating from her mom's body. Like- like... a ghost.

"Stop fighting. Theres no point in it. I'm dead. I died the night you were taken away from me. I don't want you to die, and you will die if you fight in the tournament." Her mother's words were devastating her to pieces.

"You can't be." Rei whimpered. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair.

"But it is. One day, we'll be together again, mother and daughter, the way its meant to be." she said as her voice broke, and Rei felt a tear fall onto her shoulder, mother's tears.

"Don't go. No." Rei sobbed as her mother slipped from her grasp and faded away. She suddenly bolted upright in bed, tears falling freely and heavily as she tried to gain control of her sobs. Its not true, its not true. She repeated it over and over in her head, but the raw truth was that her mom was gone for good this time. She stumbled into her bathroom, turning on the light. The mirror reflected her much disheveled appearance. Puffy, red eyes from crying, bedraggled hair from tossing and turning, and the pure pain her golden eyes held. This was the first time she had cried in years. And the last time. Because she wouldn't be around much longer to cry. Shattering the glass of water next to the sink, she picked one up with a very sharp end to it. Holding it above her heart, she thought, this is it.

"What are you doing!" a familiar voice pierced her raging thoughts. She felt the piece of glass being knocked out of her hands. Who would dare-

"What the hell are you doing!" Kurama's angry tone surprised her.

"Killing myself, what did it look like I was doing?" Rei muttered. In the process of knocking the glass away from her, Kurama also had landed on top of her. She tried to squirm free, but her senses were still heavy with sleep.

"But why?" Kurama asked in frustration.

"Its none of your business!" Rei shouted, finally breaking away from him. She stood up, "Theres no point for me to go on."

"Don't you want to continue the tournament?" He asked, now confused.

"I'm not fighting in it anymore. I'm quitting on Team Togoro thanks to you. Why couldn't you just let me be?" Rei growled.

"Because I don't like it when people commit suicide for stupid reasons." Kurama said, leaning in towards her.

"I've been looking for my mother for centuries. Just now I found out she was dead. I think thats a good reason." Rei murmured.

"No it isn't. I don't think your mother would like you to just give up all hope so easily." Kurama said gently.

"How would you know my mother!" Rei yelled, anger rushing back into her voice. She sank back to the ground, heaving all those sobs that she kept bottled up for so long.

Then, it all came rushing back to him. Where he had seen Rei before.

*Flashback*

He was merely a young kitsune when he first saw that girl. She was crying in a corner with bruises and cuts adorned upon her arms. She looked up at Kurama, eyes misty with tears. He looked back at her, not knowing what to do or say. They both had been taken away from their homes, but he had the chance to escape a few days later. He never once thought about that little girl until now.

*End Flashback*

"I remember you." Kurama said softly as he tilted her chin up to observe the tortured face.

Rei's surprise broke through the tears. It wasn't because of what he said, but how he was looking at her. His eyes shone with warmth and he held her chin up, other hand wiping away her salty tears. She felt an oddly comforting feeling in her stomach. She also felt a slight blush spread across her face.

"What are you doing?" She said as she drew away from him.

"Don't kill yourself. You'll be fine." Kurama said as he left her apartment room. He regretted not kissing her. She looked so beautiful at that moment, despite all her tears. Maybe some other time.

I finally got some fluffiness going! review your opinion.