K.A. *Extremely happy right now* Wow! Thanks for all the feedback! I loved it! You people are sooo cool! *sniffs, trying to hold back tears of joy* My story was noticed!

Karasu: Stop blubbering like a baby and get on with the story.

K.A. Right. I'm just surprised that there have been hardly any stories with Kurama and Karasu. Oh and I'm mad that Cartoon Network decided to show the series from the beginning, AGAIN! *Grr* Well, Please R&R!

Hands of Fate

Kurama went back to his team hotel suite. He went to their rooms (all connected) and looked around for his teammates. Hiei and Kuwabara were in the main living room.

"Kurama!" Hiei, who had been sitting on the end of couch with his legs crossed, jumped up. He was wearing his blue outfit today (A/N: I like his blue one the best). "Finally, I can have some intelligent conversation!"

"Hey!" Kuwabara, sitting on the floor, looked up. "I heard that, shrimp."

Hiei ignored him. "So... since you felt it was necessary to watch, how's the competition?"

"Fine!" Kurama replied, a little more excitedly than he intended. Hiei raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Oh, I mean, not fine in a, 'looking fine' sense, I mean that they 'are fine' well-"

"Oh, Kurama please don't start talking stupid like him," he nodded at Kuwabara. "All hope will be lost for the team!"

"You know what? I think you need to shut up!" Kuwabara snapped.

"And I think I need to take a nap," Kurama looked at the clock. "Can you wake me up at 6:45, Hiei?"

"Why? Do you have a date?" Hiei asked, slightly sneering.

"Um ...why ask that?" Kurama tried not to show his nervousness.

"Oooh! Kurama has a date?" Kuwabara giggled stupidly.

"I'm surprised you know what one is, considering you've probably never been on one," Hiei grinned.

"Hey, I've been on plenty of dates," Kuwabara threw his head back, trying to be suave. "I'm a chick magnet, smartass!" He pointed at himself grandly.

"I'd rather be a smartass than a dumbass," Hiei retorted.

"Aww, I hate you so much, shorty!" Kuwabara stomped his foot and stormed off angrily.

"Ahh, even though it doesn't take much to outsmart that idiot, I still get a pleasurable feeling when I do," Hiei sighed happily.

"Anyway, Hiei, I have some, er, business to take care of, so its important that you wake me, okay?"

"Alright," thankfully Hiei wasn't the type to play the 'let's ask a million questions' game.

Kurama went to his room to lay down, and fell asleep right away. Then he felt someone poking at his arm rapidly.

"Kurama.....come on! Get up! It's 6:45! Get your ass up!" Kurama bolted up to see Hiei hanging off the side of his bed with his arms crossed. "There. You better hurry, their playing that damn card game again."

"Thanks, Hiei, I'm up," Kurama climbed out of the bed, still a little groggy.

...At the Toguro stronghold, Karasu looked at the clock.

"6:45?" He murmured. "I'd better get ready to go." He stood from his seat and headed toward the door, and got blocked by the extremely rich Sakyou and the Elder Toguro. Sakyou was the only other person on team Toguro Karasu considered somewhat good-looking(A/N so do I!).

"Karasu? Where are you going?" Sakyou gently laid a hand in Karasu's hair, slowly raking through it.

"On a walk," Karasu shoved Sakyou's hand away roughly. "I need some fresh air."

"Not from what I heard," Sakyou nodded at the Elder Toguro.

"After the semi-finals yesterday, I over heard something...interesting," Elder Toguro laughed shrilly. Karasu shuddered at his laugh. It was the most annoying, piercing laugh he ever heard.

"What are you talking about?" Karasu asked innocently.

"With the redhead ...Kurama?" Elder Toguro narrowed his eyes.

"Oh.." Karasu frowned. 'Shit! Think fast!' He squinted his eyes in thought.

"Well, Karasu? What's that all about? You wouldn't think of doing anything... stupid, would you?" Sakyou asked suspiciously.

"No! Of course not!" Karasu gasped loudly. "How can you think that? That was all part of my plan!"

"What plan?" Elder Toguro asked curiously.

"Oh, come on, you know!" Karasu rolled his eyes. "To lull him into a sense of security, thinking he can trust me ...then bam!" Karasu slammed his hand on the wall. "Take him down when he least suspects it!"

Sakyou and Elder Toguro stared at him a moment, not saying anything.

"Well, yes," Sakyou nodded. "That just better really be your plan, or you'll regret it. Ta ta," They moved out of his way. Phew! Made it for now. Karasu realized they held him up a while. He bolted out the door, not wanting to keep his kitsune waiting.

Kurama anxiously looked at his watch. It was 7:30.

"I should've known ...not to trust him." Kurama whispered to himself, trying to hold back tears. "It was too good to be true. Man, do I feel like an idiot."

He sighed and started back to the hotel, disappointed.

"Kurama!" Kurama turned, and saw Karasu running at him like the wind. "Wait!"

"Karasu?" Kurama beamed. Ah, hope!

"I'm sorry ...I'm late," Karasu stopped in front of him, out of breath. "I ...was held up by my nosy annoying team members. I had to make something up to get them off my back."

"Me too... but I was beginning to think you weren't coming," Kurama admitted sadly.

"I know. Please don't be angry. I shouldn't have kept a darling like you waiting. Forgive?" Karasu added in sweetly.

Kurama blushed. "It's okay."

"Now, do you want to get started?" Karasu asked, shrugging.

"Um..yes, yes."

"Okay," Karasu stretched out his fingers and flexed them.

Kurama winced.

"I told you, Kurama...I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," Karasu looked to the side. "Do you trust me?"

"Mm, yes, as long as you keep your word."

"Good! Let's get started." Karasu ran at Kurama and almost sideswiped him, barely missing.

"Whoa!" Kurama jumped back. "Yeesh!"

"Come on! Pull out your whip thingy!"

"It's called the Rose Whip!" Kurama flipped his hair and pulled out a rose, snapping it into his whip.

"Aw! That's so adorable how you pull out your rose like that," Karasu announced loudly while running past him.

Karasu and Kurama practiced on each other for a little while, both having fun finding different ways to make their moves look like they hit.

"We did pretty good," Karasu commented after a while, when they both were getting a little tired. "Since we have another day until the final, why don't we do this again tomorrow?"

"Sure," Kurama answered. Yes! Another chance to see his cutie!

"Okay, see you tomorrow, same time same place, hon?"

"Yes," Kurama replied in a daze of happpiness.