Disclaimer: All characters of YYH is owned by Yoshihiro Togashi (my sensei! He he he). That lives us only to adore his creations especially Kurama-sama and write fics about him!!! ^0^
So don't dare sue me!!! ^0^
The character "Ao Takahashi" is owned by me. Thank you for reading my fic!!!
BTW, Caeli is better than me. And I don't mind the similarities on "Winged Promised" and my "Past Lives" Hi Eenah-chan!!! Hello Yoake-chan!!
And speaking of "Past Lives" if you read that first...you'd understand who the "woman" is here. Although it's really meant to be read last…^-^
I have no intention of putting CHANGE OF HEARTS VER. 1, even though its already finish…. it just sucks…^_^
And I haven't even finished Version 2 yet ^^;
Lastly…why can't I stop inserting Japanese phrases!!!!!
Uhm…I hear a noise…Ack its Jeiro!!!! Better hide!!! J
Change Of Hearts
Version 3
By Shiro Takahashi
(shiro_takahashi@yahoo.com)
Time Setting: Kurama went back from makai to gather up forces for youmi…jinta, chuu and the others is currently being trained by Master Genkai Preface"Shu-chan…you don't look too well"
"Hnn…O-kaasan…Daijobu…Don't worry too much!" Kurama managed to put a smile on his face in front of his mother. He wouldn't want to worry Shiori at all. Shuiichi Minamino doesn't actually have any problems at all. However, his other half…Youko Kurama…today seems to be a day hard to forget…
"Well…alright…just don't put too much stress in your body okay…" Shiori though unconvinced of her son's status managed to say something.
Kurama smiled. His human mother has always been worried at him whenever she feels like something wrong
"You're the one who should take care…you're getting too much stress as well…"
"Shu-chan don't worry about me…now take care at school"
"Hai! O-kaasan…Ja-ne…"
"Ja-ne…" she smiled…Kurama slowly walks away to school. When he looked back. Shiori was still standing at the porch.
"Do I look that terrible today?" He asked himself…his face was solemn… the fact is ..it's the day he hated to remember…
~
"Aren't you supposed to be on your way to school?" The fire demon inquired.
Kurama was standing inside what it seems to be an old abandoned mansion. For a trained eye one would conclude that this once belong to a wealthy family but whose stature dictates to live outside of civilization. And live in hiding. Kurama was staring at the red rose he'd neatly placed at the door of what may look like a room when the Youkai called. "Hiei…" Kurama turned around to see Hiei, back facing the red head.
"I'm surprised to see you here" Kurama said.
"Weren't you here last year too?"
"Oh?! Don't you have the habit of spying at people?"
"You're not human"
"That's not the point'
"I have the habit of finding you faults."
"Really? And that would be"
"Something I'd rather keep to myself"
"I see..."
"You're different today"
Kurama stared at Hiei then return his look towards the rose. He sighed. "Sorry"…its just that…Never mind…"
Kurama begins to walk away. He stopped and turned around. Hiei was gone.
~
His mood however didn't change…even at school…
"You look like hell…" Kaitou asked Kurama at lunch. Kurama seem distant….he was sitting alone on a branch of a sakura tree "problems at makai" Kaitou asked.
Kurama looked at Kaitou and forced a smile "yes…but its nothing for you to worry about~" he said.
Kaitou shrugged… "I wouldn't even if its got something to do with this world…I never want anything like that to happen again" 'That' meaning about the Sensui thing… "..anyway… your grades aren't your best these days and your not your usual calm self today…your mom might get worried …"
"really" Kurama smiles "…I do recall having the highest grade at our last biology test" He said grinning…
Kaitou scowled.. "yeah..well. you got lucky~" he still views Kurama as his rival… "but you know that's not what I mean.."
"yeah..i know.. thank you..but you shouldn't worry…" Kurama said looking at a distant place again… "this is nothing…"
Kaitou shrugged and walked away…
Kurama watched as an eagle flew by the school grounds. He extend his arms to the air…and grinned…"I think to much…" he sighed…"…I guess everyone already noticed…" he said to himself…he jumped down the tree and walked back to the schools corridors.
He quietly walked down the corridors…it was lunch and most of the students where either at their classrooms eating or at the field…
"Minamino-san!" Kurama looked back. A classmate of his was calling him...he was catching his breath so Kurama wondered how long have he been calling for him… "What's the matter Nara-san?" he asked Nara-san. Nara Toshi was a member of the student council. Nara bowed at Kurama "Minamino-san I really need to ask you a favor" Kurama looked at him..doing chores for the student council is not the thing he wants to do right now…however before he could answer Nara dragged him along …" the principal asked me to introduced this transfer student … " there was a mixed of a tired voice and sarcasm in his tone … "as if I don't have enough problems here…" he continues to ramble while he drags Kurama to the Kendo club's Dojo.
They went inside…in the middle of the dojo… a girl with long black hair was standing…she was looking at the names that was written on the wooden boards…
"Takahashi-san" Nara called the girl. She turned around and looked with her eyes that seems to pierce through…
Kurama's face was painted in shocked…not because of how she looked at him but because of something else…
Chapter 1
"cant be…" Kurama murmured.
"what?" Nara asked … "err.. never mind" he said he drags Kurama to her…. "Takahashi-san" he addressed her… "Id like you to meet Minamino Shuiichi, he is one of the top students in the higher level" he said. Kurama just looked at her…and so did she…Nara continued the introduction…. "err..right…this is Takahashi Aoko..she's a first year transfer student from Kyoto…" Ao's arms crossed… "Err..Takahashi-san..im really sorry..i need to finished something so if you don't mind Minamino-san can give you a tour around the school instead of me…" Nara said to her…Nara seemed to be using a tone very different from one he was using when he was complaining about touring her…" She didn't smile...but she nodded. "err.. domo.." he said… and murmured to Kurama "sorry about this Minamino-san" Kurama ddint have the cance toreply as both him and Ao watched Nara ran towards the dojo's door…
There was an awkward silence…both were looking at the door…
"You don't have to if you don't want to…" she said walking away from him and towards the wall where the shinai were stacked together. "I can tell… " She said taking a glance at him… he was looking at her…"..you can just leave me here… actually…I prefer it that way…" she said.. taking a shinai from the stacked, examining it and swinged it.
Kurama grinned…almost at a laugh…it's the first time he actually meant on smiling for a while… he walked towards the shinai and choose one for himself… "Your right…" he said looking at the shinai he was holding. "…however…it wouldn't be polite to leaver you here alone…" he said ..he looked at her and smiled…he pointed his shinai towards her… "..do you want to spar instead?.." She grinned… " that would be great…"
Kurama wasn't bad at using a sword actually...he doesn't normally use it...but he wasn't bad at it…and he managed to spar equally with Ao's excellent skill…although he feels like she did it on purpose… but they sparred until lunch break was over…
"you have class" she asked him while wiping her sweat with a towel…
"unfortunately…" he smiled…
she smiled backed…"..yeah…unfortunately…tnx for the time… I should be going back to the principal's office now…"she said …as they both walked out of the Dojo… "I think your principal is finished sucking up to my grandmother…"
Kurama grinned… "ja.." he said
Ao-chan waved a hand and went on a different direction… he looked at her until she turned at a corner… he wasn't smiling anymore though... he was thinking… "Okaeri (welcome back)" he murmured…
His mood change a bit for the rest of the day…he was little less distant even his mother noticed…and was happy…
During the next few days…first years welcome a new transfer student…Ao Takahashi immediately attracted attention from the male population… she displayed grace and intelligence in class…it was apparent she came from a high class family…she was distant to all of them though, male and female alike...she prefers to be alone most of the time... I guess it was why the discussion about why she transferred became a popular topic… nobody dared crossed her though…especially after she knocked down a male senior student with one swing of her shinai…she never smiled either…she was always quiet and seems to be annoyed all the time…she spends most of her time practicing at the dojo and it is where Kurama saw her again.
"You sure are the talk at school today" he said catching Ao's shinai at midair. He was smiling. Ao looked at him and grinned…"if your talking about that incident with that stupid third year…" she said practicing her swings "...he had that coming…"
Kurama grinned… "...i guess…" her said.. "but did you really have to knock him down like that…"
"what?.." she smiled back "he could have got worse you know…" she said….pointing a shinai at Kurama "want to spar again?"
Kurama grinned and took a shinai…he took the offer obviously …
"Your pretty good you know…" she said blocking an attack from him… "why aren't you in the Kendo team?.." she asked attacking him….
"not my cup of tea…" he said just in time to dodge her attack…
"ok … to each is his own…" Ao said as she did a follow up attack from the last attack she made…Kurama finds it more difficult to hide his usual attacking ability from her…especially since the Dojo is too small for him to move at his best…
"do you want to fight outside instead?" she asked jumping away…
"what?…" Kurama was surprised that she asked him if he wanted to take this outside
"do you want to fight outside…" she repeated to him…"our movements would be a little less limited …"
Kurama looked at her with an inquisitive look…"can she tell?" he asked himself…
"well?" she asked again…"..its all right if you don't want too…" she said posing for an attack.
Kurama thought for a moment and then he nodded…
"Great" she smiled… "lets go…" she said walking towards the door…
Kurama nodded again… he feels slightly uneasy with this… he decides he would control his use of his skill until he can…he follows Ao outside preparing himself for the match