Disclaimer: -.-;; I do not own any of these characters but Kaori.


(Side note: I've decided to change the name of the title, and if you have any suggestions, put them in reviews okay? I need something more creative ^.^)


(Another Side Note: I've decided to rate this story to PG-13 just in case of anything that may happen, although I doubt it. Hee hee, gore, violence...erm, if any of you want any love scenes, I suppose so, although nothing has been established yet so probably not. )


^^; I think this chapter might be a little long-winded and tiring, but this must be explained. Next chapter, the action will begin definitely. Things will be different too. Please keep reading. Heee hee!! Sorry if the cliffhanger from the last chapter doesn't fit perfectly with this one. I tried.


Now, Kaori has just remembered with a jolt, a past that had been buried under many layers....


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Again, the thought repeats in her mind...


~This is the place. The place, so long ago, where I parted ways with Youko Kurama, where we had met only a few hours before. Short yes, but I'll never forget that series of events. Meeting...battle...capture...then tricked and captured...taken and saved in a way...the shore again.~


Standing still, Kaori stares at a scorch marking in the dungeon wall as all the memories flood back in short bits and pieces. Gasping at the strange agony the flood of memories causes, Kaori keeps herself from screaming again, and instead, she bites her lip, drawing blood with the intensity. Clutching her head in pain, she tries to sort out the jumble as each throb of her pulse passes, to no avail.


~Fire demon...cursed...impure Koorime...falling and blackness...briganti, known for their cruelty and violence...train hard...grow...train hard must have strength...they flee in fear...too powerful...alone...train hard...solitary...alone...powerful...swift thief...katana, my weapon...skillful robbery...priceless treasure...holds golden, glowing electric blue like mercury...the youko is after it..run run run....clearing, many trees...thorny tree, only one, sign come back for it later...dig fast...the fox is coming for it...fast...silver fox paces...faster...done...now run....~


Slamming her head hard against the bleak gray bricks of the dungeon, she breathes quickly then slows into a frustrated sort of calm. Closing her eyes, she steadies herself, shoving away the tangles of pain. Then, sitting in a kind of meditating position with her legs crossed and back straight, she keeps her hands in her lap, ready to venture back into the agony again. She wouldn't give up. She had to get this mess straightened and figure out how it came to be that she has two sets of memories, branching off where she was banished. So perhaps then, that dream had never really been a dream at all...Her hand immediately reaches for her pearl, and holding it, she feels a warmth pouring into her, strengthening her. She could do this. Now, to see what those breaks of memory looks like pieced together. Tensing, she prepares herself for pain. This time though, the flashback comes unexpectedly and with no pain, not physically anymore at least.


~It all started with a-not-so-innocent beginning...rescued by a band of bloodthirsty briganti.


True, Kaori was thrown off of the Island when she was discovered to have fire demon blood running through her veins, which the female leaders of the Koorimes dubbed as being a curse. Her landing was strangely quite smooth though, well, much nicer than landing upon other places which may have well dashed her to bite-size pieces for the animals surrounding her. Luckily, and strangely enough, she landed in the smack middle of a band of briganti, known for their cruel ways. With the violence they were commonly known for, they planned gory ways to finish her off, but when they tried, Kaori even as a child knew the danger of the moment, and her spirit energy protected her with an deep aqua blue flash, the color of her power. Her pupils shrinking to dots, she looked fierce, even though she was wrapped tightly in warm bands of protection. The leader of the group, being as greedy as he was, decided to take advantage of this power early, and instead of killing her, they raised her in their own violent ways. So, Kaori grew to be guarded, unfeeling, and distant to all, only looking for her one goal of more strength, even though she earned the power of an A-class youkai early in her life after training harshly year after year. Her weapon was the katana, a fast, sharp, and powerful weapon in the hands of one who was skilled in its use. Soon enough though, the leader realized his mistake. He couldn't possibly dominate over Kaori, and they all fled in fear. Then, she was a solitary figure, gaining strength day by day and living alone, easily keeping away the dangerous creatures that lurked about where she liked to stay. For a while, she was content to live by herself, even preferred to live in the more isolated parts of Ningenkai.


Using her powers, Kaori soon became agile and cunning, easily tricking the guards of rare items she wished to possess. With manipulative plans, she could slyly gain hold of magical pieces of great use, although she did prefer her own sword above the priceless trinkets. Her katana was gained honestly, for in this weapon, she had pride, for it was a beautiful piece of art, done by a swordsmith long ago in the bloody ages of Japan (=P, haha, Kenshin). Her established outfit was variations of a loose and sleeveless, navy blue tunic, reaching a little past her waist then flaring out slightly. Its cuts were slightly rough, and the material was softer than a calf's leather. The semi-jagged edges were lined with one small strip of white. Under that, she sometimes wore a light blue shirt, fluttering at the wrists, though cut so it wouldn't get it the way. Her pants were fitting and also looser around the edges, and they too were extremely soft and of no restrain to her movements. Her shoes were fawn-colored and of flexible and carefully created leather, gentle to the touch. The soles made no sound, and they bent easily while guaranteed to last for years on end. So, in this way, she became a "bad guy," robbing and thieving with cunning that was unmatched. Until one day, that is.


The Encounter:


Her first meeting with the sly bandit was midway toward his highest fame as one of the greatest thieves of Makai. Meeting this youko was no plan of Kaori, and it definitely was not one of his at all. Recently before the time of their first encounter, she had acquired quite a rare item, only three in the world. It was a bottle of a mini size, the size of a newborn baby's palm. It was the shape of a teardrop and made of an incredibly thin glass which appeared as if it would break with a touch. The glass' colors were a swirl of gold and silver in the clear landscape of opaque design. The point of the teardrop-sized was encircled by a tiny ring of gold with an intricate silver chain hanging off to below the rounded bottom. At the end of the chain, there is a small golden rose, seeming to bend under the touch. Pulling the ring, the small top would pop off and slowly come out drop by drop. Inside the bottle, there is a maple golden liquid, glowing electric blue with power. The secret of this liquid was that it turned the drinker into any animal shape (form an image in the mind, along with one desired power with limits) for an unknown amount of time with each drop. It could last only a few minutes to years, and how it was made is unknown. So, it was obvious why this was priceless, more than priceless with its small amount available.


This was what the to-be legendary bandit was after that crescent moon night. It wasn't exactly "a dark and stormy" night like all those legends portray, but the night was foggy, and one could barely see the stars. At this time, Kaori was camping out in a cave for now, one of the many temporary and well-hidden places she stayed. Returning after the long and tiresome movements she had to go through to get the miniature bottle, she walked through the forest, exhausted, but her dark eyes glittered with triumph at the challenge she had just passed. Just when she reached the opening of the cave, she halted and her body tingled, sensing someone else nearby. Slipping the artifact into her tiny yet secure pocket, she touched the handle of her katana, prepared for battle. Stepping into the darkened cave, she resisted the chilling feeling around her, sharp eyes looking for even the tiniest disturbance in the dark.


Suddenly, she whirled around with her sword bared, for she realized the shivers were not coming from inside but rather from behind her. In that split second, she twisted around to see the already pretty famous silver fox of the golden eyes. In his human form, the little moonlight available gave an entrancing touch to his silver hair, and in the semi-dark, Kaori could see his loose white clothing along with the simple band around his waist. Examining his silhouette in a glance, she took in his softly furred fox ears and the fuzzy yet intimidating white fur of his fox tail. Around him, there seemed to be an aura of power, yet he was calm and confident with his head level.


Kaori's eyes focused like a laser on him, and even though he was not quite as famous as he would be later on, many already knew him. She certainly heard of him, and she had thought eventually they would meet. She knew one day he would be after what she was. In a silvery voice, the kitsune spoke calmly.


"You have the rose vial."


Without saying a word, Kaori looked fiercely at him, her eyes cold yet answering his question. In that moment, she changed her plan, for although she was no coward, she was sure that with her worn state and his upper hand, he would quickly overpower her. In a fluid motion, she sheathed her blade then raced off, leaving the silver kitsune, who quickly began chasing after his runaway captive. Not wanting to waste any more energy than she must, she knew she must hide the vial secretly then come back for it later if the youko didn't kill her first. Suddenly, she made an instinctive veer to the right. A powerful attack hit her left shoulder, injuring it effectively, although not killing her as it would have done if she had not changed her course. Images swimming before her eyes, she used a sudden burst of energy and all her cunning to create a mass of swirl and confusion with her speed and crazy and jagged movements through the forest. Grabbing on to the few seconds the youko was taking to figure out where she was, she ran wildly into a clearing, searching for a hiding place. Seeing a strange tree, the only one there, she rips off part of the bark, not caring about the wounds slashed into her palms. Underneath, there was a soft, tender bark, yet sturdy and dry and a very enduring type of bark, one that would last for years as waterproof ans protection. She often used this to wrap her own things in when she was not planning to come back for a few months. With her skin coated with grime and scratches, especially her injured and dirt-layered hands, Kaori keeps her head and carefully wraps it up, then burying it without a sign of disturbance. Then the adrenaline floods back, and she rushes away, leaving the rose vial buried in safety and herself in danger.


The Short Battle then Kidnapped:


Far away from the vial, Kaori discovers that she had miscalculated, and suddenly, she was right in front of Youko Kurama. Startled, her eyes flash in disbelief then quickly regain their guard, only narrowing now at the dangerous creature in front of her. This was it. Watching each other warily, no one makes a move until the kitsune glows with power, and before Kaori gathers what is happening, she sees a glowing, red plant with many mouths at each end, mouths with sharp teeth and dangerous twists. Now, the setting was a clearing, not the one Kaori hid the vial in, with the two lighted up with power and the stars which were clearer now.


"This is the Death Tree. As you can see, there are many mouths, and they are starving for something to devour. When you lie, that just makes them more dangerous. Where is the vial?"


There was a silence, then an icy reply.


"I won't tell you, Youko Kurama."


While saying this, she rapidly took out a small dagger, sharp and with a wavy blade, and with her deep aqua blue energy, powers it quickly and shoots it at him. Just at this moment, the death plant's branches attack. Since the youko was distracted with the words and the knife's speed unexpected, he is struck in the lower arm, a dangerous place to be injured since there are so many important vessels there. Meanwhile, Kaori is fighting off the death plants with her katana to no avail, and then she sheathes it and tries to fight with spirit power. But then, the branches get a good grip on her, and opening the jaws wide, they move to her neck, ready to sink into the flesh.


Right then, Kaori is hit roughly with something, and the death plant releases its grip, for evidently the silver youko was in the same dilemma. A few seconds later, they were engulfed in one huge orb, a slimy dark green. Kaori tried to break out, but the more she tried, the weaker she felt, and she understood that this thing took all the energy she radiated out. Then, she looked over at the silver youko, who was firmly pressing his uninjured hand against his other arm, flowing blood from her attack. Before the last of her energy was zapped and she fell into a short and uneasy sleep to regain strength, a little of the sympathy and compassion she had bound tightly for all her life escaped in her weak state, and she hazily wondered whether she had anything with which to bind his arm with to stop the blood flow in a more effective fashion. She really still had feelings in her heart.


Awakening, talk, and Time Reversal:


Snapping her eyes open, Kaori sat up, hands instinctively reaching for her katana...then realized she was tied up with thin, wire-like power strings, unable to be broken or stretched. Feeling them dig into her skin, she stopped, knowing more than just struggle would free her from this. After this conclusion, Kaori suddenly noticed her surroundings, a gray, brick dungeon with no window. Like all dungeons, the front side of it was made up of bars, but in this prison, the bars were a cm close, leaving only slivers of light to enter. In the dark, Kaori could make out an iron door in the right side. All of a sudden, she heard a rustling noise then saw golden eyes catching some light and glowing in the dark. Jumping, Kaori stared then examined the form with the corners of her eyes. A familiar voice spoke up, still as calm as ever and asking for the same thing.


"Do you have the rose vial?"

Growling, she snapped back in irritation of her condition and his pestering. He would be tied too, and right now, it wouldn't do him any good to kill her.


"No."

"....A pity. We could have used it to break free. No, I don't know anything about this predicament, and looking at your same dilemma, I would gather that you don't either."

"..."

"Then whoever captured us would not get the vial immediately either, if that what he or she or they is/are after anyways."

After this, there is a lapse of silence, then this time, Kaori speaks first.


"You are Youko Kurama, right?"

"Yes."

"..Why do you want the Configuring rose vial?"

"..."

"...never mind."

"No. I'll tell you. I persist after the rare vial because the rose on the chain can-"

Just then, the door swung open, revealing two confident and snickering figures entering with a dim lantern. The bigger demon appearing a dirty yellow with medicine grape horns and tangled hair in the lantern's light, spoke first in a sneer while the second one, a battered blue with dim brown hair and curved white horns remained silent.


"You're awake...wooonderful, we can watch the coming torture now. We want to see your reactions to the agonizing changes. You demons won't be getting out of here soon, and in a while, you won't even want to anymore. We'll see to that. Make yourselves comfortable, and don't worry, you'll be perfect pictures of innocence and happiness without any cares in the world."

Here, he snickers, then turns to the other demon, who was staring at the two of them. Taking advantage of the light, Kaori glanced over at the youko, and her sharp eyes immediately took in that he wasn't injured much and healing quickly. Even though she was regaining energy, the wires still held firm, and her head hurt. As she was thinking this, the first demon cackled loudly again. He rubbed his hands together.


"Now, let's begin. Oh yes, this is going to be enjoyable to see your downfalls. Let's go, Bairei."

Bairei, the blue demon with curved horns, paused as the first demon was already outside the door and walking away. Hurriedly, he whispered hoarsely in few words.


"The strings, they are only broken by focusing all your mind on them and absorbing it into your skin. It can't be broken, and the only way to rid yourselves of them is to do what I said. The absorbing won't have any effect, and the scar will fade away slowly. Hurry, you don't have much time. And the door can be-"

"Bairei? What are you doing still standing there? If you're telling them anything...."

As the other demon called, the second one jumped then scurried away, slamming the door behind him.


Silence fell as the two concentrated in the dark on freeing themselves. The youko got free first, and he quickly untied the ropes, regular ones, binding his feet. However, Kaori was having difficulty with hers, for her head's pounding kept scattering her concentration. After pausing for a second, the fox untied her feet, probably still thinking about the rose vial, Kaori thought. Then the fast-moving kitsune glided over to the door, just as the whole room was completely closed, for the edges of the bars had slits, and out of the slits came a flat iron piece that slid into the slot of the next one, and then the dungeon was completely dark. The silver fox continued sharply eyeing the structure though, looking for some weakness. Suddenly, there was a sound of some sort of gas leaking in, a cloudy gray smoke quickly filling the area. Just then, the youko's spirit power, vast in amount, mightily dented the door, then gave way to a tiny space where he could slide through. At this time, he beckoned to Kaori, both not speaking for fear of what the unknown cloud could do. However, just as she finally freed herself and started for the door, a dark shadow entered and punched her hard in the stomach before she could react-her lighting reactions and instincts were already being clouded. Gasping involuntarily, she immediately knocked out the form, who had a gas mask on. Reaching for it, Kaori tried her best to take it off, having to pry of the clutching hold of the unconscious demon's fingers. Yet, as she was close to getting it off, she felt faint, and she crawled for the small space for freedom, where outside, the youko was evidently fighting many enemies at once by the sound. Just as she touch the doorway though, someone slammed against it, closing it...and trapping her well. She reached for her katana, but just then, she had breathed too much of the gas, and she fell to the floor in a dead faint, leaving the smoke to finish its effects.


End of her first past:


The cloudy white smoke, draining her spirit energy strangely as she breathed more and more of it despite her futile attempts not to, soon cleared, for it did not last very long, only long enough to bind one or more people with its effects. Soon, the weary youko finished fighting hundreds of enemies that were nowhere near as strong, but each taking a little energy eventually. Silver hair still floating silently as the magnificent white tail made a sharp jerking moment, the youko swung around, remembering the other who had been trapped with him. Finding it strange that she wasn't among any of the unconscious, badly wounded, or dead bodies (since no one else was standing besides him), his golden eyes flickered. He slowly turned around to look at the dungeon door. It was shut. He carefully pried the door open as much as he could with his drained strangth, then the shimmering eyes immediately caught the sight of Kaori lying near the doorway. But it wasn't Kaori exactly. Now, there was a sleeping baby, with the wide eyes of a young child and soft locks of black hair. It still resembled the cold half fire she-youkai though. His quick mine making a decision, the youko swept the baby up, wrapped in a tight bundle with nothing visible except the closed eyes. Here, the sharp eyes snapped open, and the pupils shrank to tiny dots, making her look fierce. However, since the youko's soft golden eyes seemed to mean no harm, she stared at him then went back to sleep. But just that moment, the girl took a sharp breath, then she disappeared...strangely enough. The youko stared at his empty arm, unsure of what just occurred.


He figured that the white smoke enveloped individuals and turned them into small children, or at least the age of many years ago. But the disappearance he couldn't explain. Then, he heard a hiss whisper, and he turned to the demon with a gas mask on and yanked the mask off. It was the first demon that had visited them in the dungeon. Youko Kurama's eyes pierced into those of the demon, and the demon looked away and answered the obvious question.


"The smoke. It turns those affected many years younger, many years. But it also turns time backward so the clothes of the young child are the same, and it would return to the place where it was at the time. Those power strings were very advanced, and it would not allow for the smoke to take the person to a different place. But somehow, you two got free from the strings, so since she was affected, she was transferred back. I have no clue where that is."

The youko threw the demon down, then left the dungeon, disgusted at the strange and powerful smoke the demons had created. Little did he know that later on, many centuries later, he would meet a weaker form of the gas again in the dark tournament. The idunn box.


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Her heart beating overly fast and her whole body breaking out it cold sweat, Kaori returns to the present, hands trembling. Youko Kurama, demons, two pasts. It was just too much. Trying to make herself calm down, she clenches her fists to stop her trembling and bites her lips to stop from whimpering from this flood of memories. It was too much. Breathing again, she just concentrated on slowing her heart beat and lowering he flushed temperature. Quiet...calm....

Just then, she saw the steel door open again, a little deja vu of her memories. Shuddering, she stops herself and firmly gets a grip on herself, just to lose it again the moment she sees who enters. The same demon with which had caused her so much pain.


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Author's Note:

I am VERY SORRY that this took so long, but this chapter totally didn't work well. I'm terribly sorry that it still didn't turn out to what I wanted, but this was a pretty long side story in the big story. Thank you for those of you who reviewed, and the plot will be better I think. Kaori will meet the yyh gang again in the next chapter. And btw, I'm going to be gone until August 18th, so please don't think I'm being really lazy. ^_^ I am a lazy person though. Please R&R.