Chapter 8: She is…

Solaris: LEMME GO!

Foxglove: Nope, not a chance. It's my turn to do the disclaimer and I think you need to sit this one out.

Solaris: *cunning smile * Let me go and I'll talk to Kurama about getting Hiei here to meet you.

Foxglove: Ah! HIEI-SAMA! *Lets Solaris go *

Solaris: All right! Disclaimer: We don't own YYH. But we wish…

Foxglove: Hiei-sama would be mine, for instance.

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Once they got home, Kurama began to write. He didn't want his human mother to think he was crazy, and he didn't think his stepfather and stepbrother would think he was sane either. Youko looked at it and smiled mentally. (A/n: Kurama's writing is in italics, Youko's is in plain script.)

So tell me what you know of Rose and Thorne.

I don't know much about your Rose, but Thorne is another story.

She's not MY Rose, and tell me about Thorne then.

Well, touchy. Anyway, Thorne was once a great thief, feared and revered by many for her "touch my jewels without my permission and you die" attitude. That and the fact that she was ruthless. If you got hurt, she was like "Pfhtt. Goodbye, and hand over the loot." Luckily, Lexi didn't get hurt often.

Often? What do you mean by often?

Well, I can only remember one time when she got hurt. She tripped and sprained her ankle. Thorne came over, took the jewels and left. Lexi got to her feet in an instant and tried to beat Thorne over the head. She failed, fortunately for Thorne.

Oh.

My first impression also. Now, to skip ahead to a few years later. Kuronoe and I had just stolen something shiny and we were making our getaway. Unfortunately, Lexi and Kuronoe ran into each other. Literally. Thorne, in her haste to get away, came back and started chewing Lexi out. And then I noticed the very full bag on her hip. So I ran and took it and looked inside before she beat me over the head and reclaimed her jewels. I saw lots of emeralds and rubies, even some jade. I tried to leave, but Kuronoe stuck around to see if he could steal some of the jewels. So we hung around a while and stole some stuff and maimed a few people, Thorne doing most of the maiming.

Why does this not surprise me?

Didn't surprise me, either. Then we had a falling out and our two groups split up. After a while, Kuronoe got himself killed going back for that pendant and I had to deliver the news to Lexi when we met again. Thorne really did yell "Thank Inari!" Lexi looked like she was going to cry. And she did. Then a few months later, she killed Thorne for the loot and as revenge. It was such a surprise to Thorne that she couldn't get her wit to work quick enough to have any memorable final words.

How do you know this if you two had a falling out?

The bounty hunters bragged about it before they killed me. I heard them laugh about it. Then I almost died. The rest is, as they say, history.

I see. One, did Thorne have any final words, and two, how old was she when she died?

First, yes, she did. She vowed revenge. Exact words: I'll die again before I let you get away with this. And next, she was a little over 1,000 years old. I'm just wondering why they granted the little brat a reincarnation. Oh, and in case you wonder, Lexi died a few years later due to bounty hunters. No reincarnation for her. Not as far as I know.

(A/n: Okay, this sequence is over! Back to the original story type!)

Kurama put away the pencil and mentally thanked Youko for the information. Then he called Yusuke, who sounded like he'd been asleep.

"Yeah?" he yawned.

"Yusuke, it's Kurama."

"Obviously. I was having a good dream. What is it?" Yusuke said.

"You can cancel that visit with Koenma. I've got all the information I need." Kurama said, satisfied.

"Okay, tell me. I won't let anyone know." Yusuke said. Kurama answered all the questions he could. After the q & a session, Yusuke said "Yeah, but Youko didn't know her all that well. So he could be wrong on a few details. Especially about Lexi's death. Didn't it happen a few years after his death?"

Youko took over. "Hey, Rose has proved that dreams sometimes provide clues. I dreamed that a few years after my half-death." Kurama returned to normal. "Sorry. He took over."

"It's fine. But I still think you ought to see Koenma." Yusuke said.

"Fine, I will. But I don't think he'll have much more info. Thieves tend to keep their own council." Kurama said. After a little more talking, he hung up, resolving to see Koenma as soon as possible.

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Foxglove: Okay, now that Solaris is knocked out, I'm going to end this insanity for now. Read. Review. No flames, please.

Solaris: *Asleep due to a well placed hit with a hammer *

Kurama: Don't you think you overdid it a bit, Foxglove?