A/N: Aw folks, I am soooo very sorry about my absence! But I'm back now ^^ so, let's see what I can cook up for you eh?

Disclaimer: I don't own it...*sighs*

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Wilted Rose

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"But?" Yusuke prodded.

"But it wasn't a coincidence was it fox?" Hiei cut in. "She disappeared when you left, and now she's come back for you...for old times sake."

Normally, Kurama wasn't much for anger. Hardly was there a time when he couldn't calm his emotions. A level head was important in battle. But, Hiei had never been so bold as to test him, and if he didn't stop...

Without a word, the kitsune walked by them at a natural pace intent on making it Yusukes house before he beat his partner into the ground. Why was Hiei doing this to him anyway? It hurt him to realize that friend didn't trust him enough to explain things on his own time.

Sighing, he ignored the heated argument behind and kept walking. Confusion and unwanted memories crashed over the former Youko as he continued. Things that should have been locked away for good had escaped for an encore.



Two bodies lay contentedly together, hidden away for none but them to know. With a groan, the taller body shifted restlessly beneath his lithe partner as he noticed the sun rising over the lush green forests of Makai.

Stirring, the woman slowly opened her deep ruby eyes and Youko watched sedately as her pupils slit, adjusting to the light. Yawning, she placed her head back on his chest, her thin blonde hair spilling out over them like a blanket of gold silk.

Her growled warningly, causing her to look up with an amused grin.

"You know, I was sure I told you that I wasn't a morning demon."

Pushing her off gently, the notorious Youko stood and stretched, turning back to watch her curl up in the grass. Her tail flicked back and forth lazily, her ears twitching at the slightest sound. She was watching him, her eyes glinting in the rising sun...turning them blood red.

"Besides, you know it is in the darkness that I thrive," she purred suggestively, baring her pearl fangs.

Responding with a smirk of his own he bent lower and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Come on," he laughed, a rarity for him. "We've got work to do."

Suddenly, Kurama was thrown out of his revere and onto the sidewalk with a small grunt. Blinking, he realized painfully, that he wasn't alone. A small boy was picking himself up off the sidewalk beside the fallen kitsune. He couldn't have been any older than ten, with wide intelligent blue eyes and a mess of deep chocolate hair.

Wincing as he stood, he seemed to only just notice his victim and a look of distress clouded his eyes. Bowing, he held out a hand for the red head, who took it gratefully. But as soon as their hands touched, Kurama felt a surge of energy run through his fingers and into his arm. With a small yelp, the boy let go and fell backwards on his butt again. Cradling his arm, he looked at Kurama with fearful eyes.

"It's not a problem," the teen soothed, picking himself up. In all honesty he felt...stronger. "Are you alright?"

Nodding hesitantly, he too picked himself up but seemed a bit apprehensive about getting to close to the older teen. Kurama frowned. Had he hurt the boy?

"Are you sure? Did I hurt you?"

This time he shook his head and turned to leave, keeping his distance, when the kitsune noticed a young man and what seemed to be his wife running towards them.

"Wait!" he called to the boy who turned once more to question him with his eyes. "Are those your parents?"

The boy gave him an odd look before turning around to squint down the sidewalk to get a better look at the two. He jumped a bit at the sight of them, but when he looked back to Kurama he was pulled into a rough embrace before he could say anything.

"Oh, thank you sir!" the woman beamed.

Kurama smiled gently as the man crushed the boy in a fierce hug.



"It's no problem."

/...please.../

Kurama blanched, his emerald orbs locking with deep royal blue.



"Did you...?" he stopped crouching down. "Did you say something?"

Suddenly, the boy looked fearfully between the two adults as if they would grow horns and produce pitchforks from thin air. Then he turned to Kurama, his eyes pleading.

The man cleared his throat forcefully, picking the boy up.

"Well, thank you sir, but I'm afraid there are things that my family and I must attend to."

/Please! Don't let them.../

"Hey!"

The kitsune turned, shaking his head as Yusuke and the others caught up.



"What was that all about?"

"An accident," he answered coolly, watching the family go. "Unless of course, you've found some incriminating evidence to prove otherwise."

Hiei glared at him, but Kurama just started for the house again. Yusuke watched him go, feeling somewhat guilty about his friends distress. But, didn't they deserve to know?

/ HELP ME! /

They all stopped dead in their tracks, heads snapping in every direction.



"What the hell was that?" Yusuke cried, whirling around. But no one else seemed to hear a thing.

Hiei, Kuwabara and Kurama were all looking about too. But just as Yusuke realized it, so did they. Only they had heard the cry. People were walking to work as normal. Children running through the park...

"The park!"

The others turned just in time to see their red headed friend vanish across the road towards the green and flowers.

"Damn fox," Hiei spat before vanishing in a blur.

Kurama was flying across the grounds. That voice...he'd heard that voice before. But too late did he realize that the boy was different. And powerful.

/PLEASE! Some---/

Then the voice cut off, and the kitsune found himself standing in a dark clearing in the woods behind the park. He breathed deeply. This was his power; this was his strength. He willed the earth to tell him what he wanted to know. A branch rustled to his left and he dashed through the bushes after the sound, not bothering to acknowledge the koorime who had followed him.

All of a sudden, a blur of color rushed by him, only to pause abruptly.

She was a tall slender woman; deep, thick burgundy locks bouncing around her waist. Her eyes, a calculating sea green, locked with his emerald ones for only a brief moment before the kitsune realized that she held something protectively in her arms.

The boy.

A strained moment passed between them, each one trying to decide what to do. Her eyes darted over his shoulder for a moment as Hiei landed gracefully by his side. She slid her foot behind her, resting into a defensive stance.

The woman narrowed her eyes, as if looking straight through them, when the boy let out a small whimper and looked up from her shoulder as two figures crashed through the brush. It was the boys' parents, whom Kurama had helped earlier. The woman recognized him and ran to his side, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Sir, my boy! She's---"

And then, the woman and the boy were gone.

"NO!" the man growled slamming his fist into the tree.

Hiei looked to Kurama and then to the couple before disappearing once again.

"It'll be alright," the former Youko assured, taking the woman by the shoulders. "My friends are waiting out in the park. A tall man with orange hair, and a shorter one with black hair; I want you to find them and wait with them...we'll get your son back."

"Thank you," she nodded tearfully heading back through the brush with her husband.

Hiei chased after her, his brows furrowed in concentration. Her graceful movements through the trees made it hard for him to keep her in his sight. The jagan glowed under his headband and he smirked. It mattered little, no one could hide from him for long.

Suddenly Kurama was running with him, his rose whip coiled in his fist. Hiei drew his katana, glancing at his partner.

"ROSE WHIP!"

An anguished cry ripped through the forest, as the woman fell towards the ground. At the last moment, she turned her body, taking the brunt of the impact. The boy fell from her arms, lying prone in the grass a few feet away. Blinking, she looked towards him and reached out her hand towards his pale face. The boy was unconscious, knocked out by the fall.

Kurama watched them with mixed emotions that even Hiei could not discern from his emerald orbs.

Her energy level was small, probably only class B if she was a demon as he had thought. This boys apparent psychic ability would be coveted in the Makai...her motives were clear, and Kurama showed no mercy to bounty hunters.

She stood, readying herself and assessing the situation. They were both high-class demons, and her leg was injured. Though, recalling her pursuit through the forest, she realized that her speed wouldn't be much help against the smaller demon. It was futile, but she needed to get away. Now.

Suddenly her knees buckled beneath her and she hit the ground painfully. She looked to the red head, who was staring at her smugly and then to his whip, now laced with her blood.

"Poison..." she whispered, her eyes clouding over.

Hiei looked to his partner and then back to the woman who was fighting to stay conscious. His ruby orbs widened in realization.

"Is this...?"

"I don't know Hiei. I've never seen her as a human."

The koorime nodded. So, Kurama hadn't killed her for a reason. And then there was the boy. He rolled his eyes, great, more babysitting.

"You should take him back to his parents." Kurama said, turning to him as if reading his thoughts.

"No..." the frail whisper caught their attention. "You...can't---"

"Can't what? Rob you of your prize? Pathetic." Hiei sneered as he walked by her and picked up the boy before disappearing in a black blur.

She looked at Kurama, her eyes glazing over, clouded with pain. She began to topple, and the kitsune made no mover to catch her.

"What have you done...?"

Her body hit the ground with a soft 'thud' and she spoke no more.

~*~

A/N: Well, there you have it. Sorry for the wait, and I'm not so sure exactly when the next update will be. But, bare with me, it will come.

Thanks for your support:

Rin the Kitsune: Yes, he is a bit jealous ^^ that's okay though, we all know that he WOULD be.

Youko Suiichi: I know, I know how you feel. But it will even out I promise ^^.

lessa4: Yes, I know you're dumb. That's okay though *snickers*.

Midnyte Raven: Yay! I updated ^^ *is hoping she'll take the hint* Thanks for the compliments! I think my favorite scene in here was the flashback. *Shrugs* I thought it was cute.

hasuko: Hmm. I guess you'll have to see *grins evilly*.

anime-fan993: I hope you liked it ^^

Kagome Rain: Thanks ^^; I think...

Queen of Anime: Thank you for your encouragement! I was so happy that someone could review their support like you did ^^. You snapped me back into the swing of things!

Well, thanks again! Any and all reviews are appreciated...you know the drill: R&R!