Welcome ladies and gents and if you happen to be an animal, vegetable, or mineral welcome too! I have written the 4th chappie! It's a long one! If you guys happen to see one of my ( ), that means I'm translating a Japanese word into English. Here's a quote and then fic time! "The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up." -Paul Valery Yes, yes!! And that's exactly what Karasu's trying to do! I wonder if he read my story. I bet he did.

"Uhh, Kurama I really hate to burst your happy bubble, but we've got ourselves a problem." Tebiki exclaimed, crouched, peering through boughs of a shrub.

"Huh?" Kurama inquired as he lifted his head up gently, to face Tebiki.

"I think you should come take a look at this."

Kurama pushed off ground and stretched upward on to his feet. Without a sound, he slinked up behind the surveying boy, exploring with his own gleaming green eyes for anything of suspicious nature.

"Kurama-kun, get up already," Tebiki ordered weary of repeating himself as he spun around.

"WHHAAA!" Tebiki yelled as he found Kurama was only a couple inches from his face. Unfortunately this caused his to step back on a deracinated root, and trip that sent him plummeting to the ground.

Kurama blinked in surprise. Did he do something wrong?

"Itai,"(ouch) Tebiki moaned, pulling himself. Kurama offered his hand out to pull the boy up.

"Arigatou," Tebiki thanked, brushing off dirt off his backside. "And don't EVER do that again. What are you, some kind of neko?" Tebiki joked, as he could not explain how the other had moved so silently and fleetingly.

"No, a kitsune." Kurama replied informatorily, correcting the boy.

"Oh, right a youkai, I almost forgot." Tebiki laughed, scratching his head.

"What was it that had you concerned?" Kurama asked, getting back to subject.

"Oh yeah, this." Tebiki indicated to a rouge-stained monument beyond the shrubbery. Kurama was surprised to have overlooked something that erected so vividly against the greenery.

The two of them carefully shifted the branches out of their way, drifting over to take closer inspection.

"I've surveyed this clearing a couple times, and I've never seen this before," The boy informed, apprehensively as if anticipating something to pop out. "It must have materialized not that long ago."

"My, I never would have expected a touba here." Kurama stated to himself walking around the miniature tower.

"A whatie?" Tebiki popped his head from the other side of it.

"It's a pagoda, a spiritual piece of architecture that came from China to Japan in the late 6th century along with Buddhism." Kurama enlightened to Tebiki off the top of his head.

"What the fuck do you have in that brain of yours? A textbook?" Tebiki stared at Kurama in awe.

"Oh come on, I thought it was common knowledge," Kurama dismissing the statement innocently.

Tebiki stepped back away from Kurama. The guy was so astute, it was scary. He shrugged the thought off.

"Anyway, what's something like that doing here? I didn't think Karasu was the religious type."

"I don't believe its purpose here is the identical to reality's." Kurama concurred, deep in thought.

"Whatever it's used for, it most likely isn't good." Tebiki said to himself, prodding the monument as if it was contaminated.

"Yamete!! Don't touch it!" Kurama shouted heatedly, yanking Tebiki's hand from the tower.

"Ahh! I'm sorry!!" Tebiki jumped back at Kurama's annoyance. Kurama gasped at how violent he must have reacted.

"Oh, Tebiki-kun, gomen nasai. I didn't mean to scare you. I just reacted on impulse." Kurama informed in a gentle tone.

"You see, because we don't know what its purpose is, and you yourself pointed out it's new, it would be best not to do anything with it. Besides for all we know it could trigger itself or something else on contact," Kurama said, clarifying further into detail.

"I suppose you're right. Demo... nothing is happening, so I think it's pretty much harmless. Then again, it is kinda bizarre out here in the forest and all; maybe we should leave this spot. I mean I've kinda gotten used to this niche of the woods, but I guess it's not worth taking a risk if something weird is going on." Tebiki rambled, talking to himself again. (I'm not sure Tebiki's got his sanity completely back, either that or he just likes to go off in his own world, in which there is nothing wrong with that!)

Kurama was obviously not listening. In fact, something else was very much captivating his attention. It was a carved eye stenciled in one of the faces of the pagoda. One thing that puzzled Kurama was why the eye was shut. Most normal pagodas he had seen with an eye painted on it was open. It was most intriguing. Kurama knew he had just told Tebiki not to touch it, but a strange sensation was overtaking him. It was almost as if it was calling to him, a siren's song.

'Get grip on yourself, what the hell are you thinking? Besides, you know curiosity killed the cat.' Kurama thought shaking his head.

'Ah, but you're not a cat, you're a fox, so there is nothing to worry about, ne?' an eerie voice whispered to him deep in the back of his mind.

Kurama's eyes clouded at the soothing voice as he slipped further and further into the impulse of the eye. With his willpower thinning, Kurama involuntarily brushed his fingertips upon its surface. That was exactly what it sought after. The eye snapped open.

Kurama would have been a taken back at this if he weren't lost in the rhythmic beat the eye was binding his psyche with. The kitsune slipped in a heavy daze, dropping to his knees, his breath coming out in shallow pants.

Meanwhile, Tebiki was still conversing to the air a few meters away, completely unaware of Kurama's state.

"Kurama, since I know this place much better than you do, I've taken upon myself to make the decision that we should move. Besides, we're not in the safest spot to begin with, Karasu's shiro (castle) is not too far away."

"Do you agree?"

When Tebiki got no response, it was finally then he turned around. He was surprised to see Kurama was still staring at the monument.

"Aw, come on Sherlock Holmes, I think this case is closed. The pagoda isn't going to do a damn thing."

Kurama sat motionless, unconscious of the boy or the world around him.

"Kurama, enough already, let's go!' Tebiki yelled irritably, his hands on his hips. Kurama still remained stationary.

"Kurama-kun?' Tebiki whispered in a frightened voice in realization something was wrong. "Daijoubu desu ka?" Tebiki advanced towards Kurama, and when he set his foot down, a perplexing incident occurred.

The ground shook in a low rumble. Tebiki checked his foot, nothing was wrong, so he took another step. The same thing happened, this time a stronger quake. Tebiki froze instantly. He was not sure what was going on. Perhaps Karasu's world was altering again. But that was impossible; it had just materialized not long ago.

The forest floor shuddered once again, and Tebiki had never moved an inch. That's when the ningen boy began to panic. He whipped his head to discover that beyond a few trees and other undergrowth, low and behold, something was headed straight for them.

Tebiki shot in the blink of an eye towards the immobile fox. He spun Kurama around and grabbed Kurama by the shoulders shaking him senseless.

"Kurama-kun, I need you to wake up! Seriously! I'm not joking, we need to go now!!"

Tebiki glanced back behind his shoulder. The bulky creature was now picking up into a sprint. Tebiki had had enough. Kurama was going to get up whether he wanted to or not.

"IMA, KURAMA!!!" (Now!!) Tebiki yelled, slapping Kurama hard on the face.

That did it.

Kurama, instantly placed a hand to the reddened cheek, blinking at the sudden rouse of his senses.

"Tebiki-kun, why did you do...

"Less talking, more running!!" Tebiki shouted, grabbing Kurama around the arm and jerking him up. The young man sprinted off madly like a rocket; fear was his fuel, and tightened his grip on Kurama arm to make sure he wouldn't go flying off. Kurama tried frantically to have his feet keep up with the erratic ones dragging him.

Kurama didn't even have a hell a clue why they were running. Tossing a glance back, he found the cause. It was an ogrish youkai with one distinct feature; it possessed one large eye in the middle of its face. It was raging after them for what purpose Kurama could only guess. Actually, one- eye sounded vaguely familiar to Kurama. He tried to remember what happened.

And then it hit him. The carving. He touched it, why for the love of kami- sama, did he have to be so dense and touch it? Although, he had to admit, whatever had been enchanting him back there was so persuasive, even Kurama himself could not resist.

But that excuse would not rescue him, only his trusty feet could save him now.

Between flitting around obstacles in their way, ducking low hanging branches, and leaping over undergrowth, running wasn't that hard. It was everything else that was a difficulty. And if their luck hadn't been bad enough, the goblin giant was preparing to add to that list.

The huge creature slowed its pace to a completely stop, before bended its knees and preparing to catapult itself. It swung its extended arms and lunged forward, hurling itself directly in front of the two.

Kurama and Tebiki froze before the cyclops as it stretched itself to its full height. Looming over them, its large eye ignored Tebiki, and focused directly on Kurama. An over-sized hand advanced as it reached out for the terrified fox.

But Kurama was not willing to throw in the towel just yet. The fox knew that fighting was useless; he had little influence here. But maybe he could make do with an ordinary plant. In one swift leap and a little effort, Kurama managed to rip off a vine from the ancient tree beside them. He had a plan. He just hoped it would not fail him.

The youko swung the protracted vine and lassoed it around the oni's legs, pulling tight. Then he pushed Tebiki away as he attempted to slid beneath the monster, pulling the vine with him. It had done what he had intended. The large youkai's twisted around as he was sent falling, tumbling. Regrettably, as the oni did this, he grasped Kurama by the ankles sending Kurama and itself plummeting down the grass-strewn hill.

When Kurama's in motion act took an end, he realized he was lying on top of the youkai. Kurama scrambled to get off the creature, fearing it would seize him at any time. But Kurama noticed the goblin was not moving; it was knocked out cold. 'It must have went head first during the plunge, and broke my fall.' Kurama's thoughts were broken as he noticed sparks fly from his right wrist.

It was hot metal burning at his skin. Kurama quickly lifted up his sleeve and discarded the broken arm brace.

'The arm brace!!' Kurama had completely forgotten about it. It hadn't even been used once and Kurama had already trashed it. Kurama sighed as he reached to retrieve the ruined wrist brace, but unfortunately he was greeted with a shock.

Kurama jerked back at the sudden sensation, stroking his singed hand. The armlet was beyond repair, Kurama decided, if in fact he could even repair something like that here. 'I don't suppose Karasu happened to conveniently build a mechanic shop around here.' Kurama said sarcastically to himself, but it was more bitter than as a joke. Kurama wished dearly that he had paid more attention to it.

"Hey, Kurama-kun! Daijoubu desu ka? Nothing broken I hope?" Tebiki shouted on cue, sliding down the hill, in the direction of Kurama.

Kurama looked at the damaged brace next to him and sighed. He kicked it off into a patch of tall grass; little sparks were flying all over. Kurama never really had a reason to tell Tebiki of his mission in the first place, so there was no need to start explaining now.

"Daijoubu desu," the kitsune replied as walking over to the boy.

"That's good, cause if something happened, I wouldn't know what to do. I'm medically challenged." Tebiki gave a grin in relief.

"Hai, I was lucky to have my fall break. "Unfortunately for this one," Kurama said tossing a glance at the cataleptic beast, "he took it head first."

"Well, perhaps we shouldn't give it a head start after us. Who knows when it could wake up." Tebiki exclaimed, contorting his face in a sickened form.

"Let's not give it a chance to then." Kurama retorted motioning his head in the opposite direction.

The onyx haired boy nodded, and they both progressed away from the oni.

"Kurama-kun, I'm really sorry about that back there." Tebiki spoke, as they were a good 20 meters away from the site.

"About what?" Kurama questioned, shifting his eyes at the other.

"I touched that thing back there. I probably set the oni off," Tebiki lowered his head shame.

"Uhh," Kurama stuttered guilty. Damn. He would have to tell him the truth.

"I hope you can forgive me. Hey I know let's call it a truce! I helped you escape from the tengu, and you kicked that other youkai ass. Deal?" Tebiki asked, perking up.

"Well, you see... Kurama started.

"You can't forgive me, I understand. I did a stupid thing."

"Iie, it's not at all like that," Kurama tried to get out.

"Then we have a deal?"

Kurama looked at Tebiki who was pleading with his eyes for Kurama to say the words.

"Fine, Tebiki. Deal." Kurama sighed, still feeling he was the one accountable.

"Cool. Glad we got that straightened out." Tebiki beamed happily at Kurama. The fox threw back a fake smile.

After approximately 15 minutes, or what it seemed to Kurama, the two noticed a sudden change in environment. Everything around him seemed aged and deteriorating. The vines draped over the sunken trees had no life in them. Not to mention biggest of all the alterations was that day was transforming to night.

The floor beneath them was softening too. They were now treading their way through mud, not dirt. And to make things more eerie, a slow fog was rolling at their feet.

"Tebiki-kun, have you seen this before?" Kurama asked, worried.

"Iie, I've never ventured in this direction since it became a forest. I'm not really sure where we are, but if I'm correct, I'd say we are on the other side of Karasu's shiro." Tebiki judged from the look of things.

"The other side? But we haven't been traveling for that long." Kurama replied shocked.

"Time is different here." Tebiki stopped to take a better look around.

"Tebiki, maybe we shouldn't stop. This fog is getting heavier." The kitsune suggested, taking a look around for himself.

"Uhh, Kurama, I think you're right." Tebiki replied in a constricted voice. He had his eyes fixated on something, but with the fog, Kurama could not make it out.

Then in a small glimpse of clear air he saw what Tebiki was speaking of.

It was the shiro. They happened to be in the vicinity of it. Kurama's eyes widened at this spectacle. They were in the same darkness Kurama had seen earlier.

"We should turn back." Kurama stated seriously.

"I agree." Tebiki taking a step back. But the mud was so soggy that it caused Tebiki's leg to slide into the mud.

"Shimatta. Kurama-kun, can you help me?" Tebiki asked exasperated, pulling at his leg.

"Hai." The two of them struggled to get the captivated leg out of the muddy prison. Finally with a few strong pulls, the mud relented. But during this time, the fog had increased so much so that they could only see a couple feet in front of them.

"So which way is back?" Tebiki inquired, looking around, totally lost.

"Whichever way we can go, I suppose." Kurama answered just as lost.

They carefully treading through the dead woods, and soon they encountered a mildly unpleasant smell.

"What is that smell?" Tebiki said lifting his hand to his nose in distaste.

Kurama sniffed the air. "It's a bog." Kurama replied, cringing a bit. This was one of those times in which his canine sensory ability was both a gift and a curse.

In a clearing, they stumbled upon the numa,(swamp) it was thick like tar. Wandering over to get a better inspection of the thing, Kurama noticed there were things moving in it.

"What are those things?" Kurama questioned no one in particular and toke a step back.

"Hmm, look like memories to me." Tebiki deduced with his hand on his chin.

"Memories? Those things are memories?" Kurama looked back at the swirling matter in the swamp.

"Yeah, I think so. I don't know if I'm right, but for some reason I have a vague feeling that's what they are." Tebiki repeated.

Kurama took a step closer, leaning over the edge of the water. He could, oddly enough, see his own reflection in the water. His skin was glowing, a luminescent light coming from the deep foundation of the water. Nearby to his reflection was one of the swirls of dark matter.

"Hey Kurama-kun, be careful with those things. Don't go swimming in it or anything." Tebiki warned throwing his hands on his head and walking away.

"Thank you for the precaution, but I am not that dim." Kurama said without looking back at him.

"Until this fog clears, I'm gonna rest a bit, kay? You should do the same." Tebiki said, settling himself on the wet ground, closing his eyes.

Kurama ignored the boy and wondered what Karasu's past had been like. Was he always such a sadist? Now that he thought about it, Karasu must have had some tragedy to cause him to grow into the demon he became today. 'Or maybe he's was always evil.' Probably that. Kurama wasn't just about to feel pity for his most feared adversary yet.

Kurama attention was directed, however, at the memory, which was growing larger.

'Maybe Karasu's added to it.' Kurama concluded. But that was not the case.

The matter was indeed growing larger, but was sucking in too fast. Kurama felt the force from the small cyclone drawling him in. The youko closed his eyes, knowing that he could not escape from the force that already had hold of him.

Kurama allowed himself to collapse, expecting to plunge into icy water, but was met with a surprise.

He felt instantly cold, ice blowing on top of him. Kurama opened his eyes to a find he was in a pined forest thick with snow. There was a light coming from his left.

Kurama squinted and focused his eyes on a small cabin. It was a dank little thing, but on impulse, he decided to proceed in that direction.

The fox sniffed the air. It was very familiar. The blood soaked wind of the Makai. That clarified that this was a memory. Karasu was a demon, so the Makai was surely where he was born.

Something stirred in Kurama's ears. It was the sound of a demon. Or to be more precise, a thought. The door of the cabin slammed open

'That's some bad weather out. If it gets any worse, this whole place will freeze over.' The thought paused. 'Maybe it's an army of Yuki onna. Then again I don't think I would mind some pleasurable company from a couple of those ladies.' The thought chuckled to itself.

Kurama came closer to find the owner. It was a large youkai, old and crippled too, with an arm missing and a peg replacing his right leg. He stood there defiantly, and would have been imposing, if he were a few hundred years younger.

The demon's attention and Kurama's as well was thrown at a loud bang from the other side of the woods. Kurama peered into the darkness, trying to find the source. The large demon snatched from his side a crossbow and loaded it, preparing to aim at whatever came his way.

"Who's out there? I'm warning you, I don't like trespassers!" The demon shouted to the forest.

"Come out already! Or else I will hunt you down myself! The demon added. Kurama doubted that the guy could go after anyone with his false leg in this thick snow, but it's not like he could do anything anyway.

Kurama eye's flitted when he sensed movement from behind the trees.

A dark figure stepped into the streaming light of the cabin. What, or who to be more precise was revealed was not what the demon predicted. It was a boy, attractive, with waist hugged locks, black as a crow.

He was remained standing, tolerating the snow and wind beating upon him. The elder demon sighed with relief and lowered his bow.

"Hello out there," the demon yelled from on the porch, "are you lost, boy?"

The boy did not move.

"Well, why don't you at least come in where it's warm; you'll die in a storm like this." The youkai with the wooden leg beckoned.

The young youkai hesitated, before finally deciding to accept the offer.

The rush of heat overwhelmed Kurama as he stepped in to the inviting house with the young man. If this was a memory, it was a pretty damn realistic one.

The old demon wobbled to his left reaching up for a towel to give to the teen. The boy, who was without a doubt Karasu, declined the offer of the towel.

"Suit yourself." The youkai said brusquely, putting it back.

"So, young one, what is a shonen at your age doing out in the woods in the middle of a blizzard?" The large demon inquired gruffly, walking into the middle of the room.

"I am a wanderer," the boy answered, shaking off the snow from his long jet- black mane.

"Kawaii. But seriously kid, why are you out all the way here? Where are your parents? You're Okaa-san must be worried sick about you."

"My mother died when I was born." The boy said in a lifeless tone.

"Zannen desu ne." (How unfortunate) "What about your Otou-san?" the youkai asked and toke a seat in a large armchair in the middle of the room.

"Malignant cells took him, a cancer that rotted his flesh and devoured his mind."

"Both parents gone? How sad. I sympathize for you." The demon continued.

"And such a horrible way to meet one's end. And truly a painful experience for an innocent like you." Karasu's eyes flickered a tint of crimson at the word innocent, a color exceedingly skewed against his almond-shaped amethyst eyes.

The elderly male presented the boy a stool, in which Karasu took up his offer and sat down.

"Yes, I agree. No one should have to meet their demise in such a manner." The shonen continued.

The aged demon nodded in accord.

"But it is the fellow loved ones who suffer the most." The young man's eyes narrowed as he spoke his words.

"Absolutely. You are exceptionally bright. Still in youth and you already see the reality of life and it's end."

"I myself am plagued with a dilemma concerning my end. I know we just meet and all but I fancy telling someone at least about my story. After all, I am very old. Don't know when I'm gonna kick the bucket." He explained, and Karasu made no motion for him to stop.

"You see, for five hundred years I was a great warrior, before you're parents were probably even born. Prized and adored I was. People adored me. My men respected me. Children wanted to become me."

"Sounds proper if you were as renowned a fighter as you claimed to be." Karasu replied coolly, too much in fact to considered normal.

"It was wonderful. I couldn't ask for a better life. But as all do all things in life, mine also went downhill." The demon sighed at remembrance to how he came to be as he was now.

"Lost my life I did, when I lost my right leg and arm in combat due to my body weakening after years of fighting. After that I was no use in battle, and had no authority to give commands; younger and stronger demons toke up the seats of power in the group."

"So I was nothing more than a nuisance, in our world the fit and youthful live in glory, and the old just linger on pathetically."

The ancient demon realized his story was prattling on, and abruptly stopped.

But it seemed the younger demon didn't mind. In fact, he appeared to be absorbed in the story.

"Sorry about that. Just a little over enthusiastic about sharing my story. I guess I best be getting to bed."

The elderly being lifted himself slowly from his sunken armchair. Karasu, however, sat motionless.

"You should get some sleep too, boy. You can take shelter here for tonight on a couch in the corner. Just until the storm passes, then you can go on with your wandering."

"Sleep? No, I don't intend to sleep for a while."

"Come on kid, it's time." The old man pleaded wearily.

"Yes," Karasu paused, "I believe it is time." The boy spoke icily and in a very eerie smooth voice.

The flames of the demon's lanterns flickered once, then in one swift gust, an undetectable wind within the cabin, they went out feebly.

"What the hell? I thought I closed all the windows." The old demon spoke from under the darkness.

"You did. Good thing, too. The explosion won't work nearly as well with interference from the storm." The younger demon's voice replied.

Kurama knew what was going to happen. He braced himself.

"Explosion? What are you talking-

The old demon was interrupted by an eruption of dynamite. The blast carried throughout the building annihilating almost everything it came in contact with. The clearing of forest in which the house once stood in the dark, now lit up in a blaze.

Kurama checked himself apprehensively, but he was thankfully undamaged.

The snow pounded on the flames, dampening the inferno, but the damage was already done.

The boy looked upon his fallen victim without a trace of emotion. That changed though, when he saw the mutilated figure lying on the burnt floor, move.

The demon used the last of his willpower to lift his head and gaze at the other demon.

The boy was surprised to see that the other still had life in him. But that was quickly deteriorating.

"Why, why did you kill me?" The old demon managed to get out angrily before collapsing in ruin.

"I don't know why you are so irritable about it. I gave you a justly fit end free of charge." Karasu replied indifferently.

"An assassination on a mighty hero, the details shrouded in mystery. Finally, you can breathe your last, and reclaim your fame. That what you wanted, no?"

Karasu asked to a corpse that laid there, motion stimulated as result of snow beat against it.

"Think of it as a thank you for your hospitality. Oyasuminasai." (Have a good rest) Karasu uttered softly, a mere murmur in opposition to the howling of the blizzard.

And with that the raven-haired boy turned away, vanishing into the darkness of the night.

Kurama watched him disappear; he received a renewed taste of why he feared Karasu so much.

Karasu was indeed a true killer.

Kurama suddenly felt his knees weaken. His strength was vanishing and the world around him, blurring.

"Kurama!!" A voice rang out of the darkness. Kurama shut his eyes tight.

The kitsune felt himself being sucked down; this memory was fading into a devolvement of strewn ebony.

"Kurama!! Snap out of it!!"

Kurama instantly jolted backwards slamming against a tree trunk. The willowy tree moaned with the force of the attack, and weaken leaves fluttered down to the ground aimlessly.

Kurama groaned in pain as he lifted himself from the base of the tree.

"What hell is wrong with you?" Tebiki yelled running to help Kurama.

"What are you talking about?" Kurama panted, wincing as he rubbed his back.

"Sheesh, next time you go off into your own world, you could at least warn a guy!" Tebiki exclaimed angrily, waving his hands about madly.

"My own world? No, but I fell into the water. Into a memory. Karasu's to be exact."

"You didn't fall into the water, Kurama. You just sat there."

"I didn't fall?" Kurama asked confused.

"Iie, but I suppose you thought you were getting sucked into a memory. I guess they do a number on your mind if you stare for too long." Tebiki deduced.

"I don't know why you'd want to stare at them though, I mean those things are really freaking looking." Tebiki glanced over at the bog, and scuttled further from it in revulsion. "But you really got into one of his memories?"

"Hai. And it was one particularly unsettling. Though, I suppose most of them are that way.' Kurama shivered to himself at the thought.

"Yeah, can't argue with you there. Well, as fun as this whole you freaking me out because I thought you had become a zombie experience was, I think we should ditch this Creepsville." Tebiki added in anxiously. "The fog has died."

"I agree. This is not the kind of place in which we should linger. Besides someone is bound to have heard me. Let's move."

"Uh huh, " Tebiki nodded as he took off behind Kurama.

And they were right. As soon they had left the area it was swarming with tengu.

After the two had thought they were safe, and the area was solid and dry again, they stopped and collapsed in a nook streaming with foliage.

"Now that's what you call a close one," Tebiki panted, as he tried to catch his breath.

"Fortune was on our sides, hopefully we are as lucky in the future." Kurama stated worn out, leaning against a tree.

"Well I guess I better do routine check-up on the area before we settle down. Don't wanna run into any pagodas or something like that." Tebiki bounced up.

"No, I'll take care of this one. You should get to rest some." Kurama volunteered, walking past Tebiki.

"Come on, we'll do it together," Tebiki smiled.

"Hai," Kurama smiled back.

The two split in different directions, scouting the area for enemies. When the two came back to the center they both agreed that the place was safe for the time being.

But just as they started to sit down, they heard a small rustle among the brush.

"Don't worry, I'll get it." Kurama placed his hand in front of Tebiki, signaling for him to halt.

"Kurama-kun, be cautious." Tebiki warned, on edge himself.

Kurama stalked silently over to the spot of the noise and lowered himself to look into the large bush. He could see nothing, just branches and leaves. Kurama sighed in relief.

Suddenly, a small creature came swiftly darting out of the brush that made Kurama jump back in surprise.

Tebiki heard the noise and ran closer to see what was the matter.

"Kurama, what happened? Did you find something?" Tebiki questioned in concern.

"It's alright, Tebiki, it was just a bird." Kurama said in a calm tone as he pointed to the large bird, which was stretching its wings.

Tebiki froze in horror.

"Kurama, that's a crow!!!" The boy pointed to the bird in fear.

"Tengu take the form of crows!!! Get the hell out of there, Kurama!!!" Tebiki yelled to Kurama, sickened at what he knew would happen.

"Nani?!!" Kurama gasped, his feet paralyzed with shock. He knew even if he could turn around to see behind him, it would be one sight he desperately did not want to see.

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It's time for Cultural Enrichment with amber energy! – Oh boy! This is the part where you get to learn about stuff mentioned in the above chapter! Okay let's start with the pagoda. Known as in Japanese as a touba. Kurama explained that it came from China to Japan in the late 6th century along with Buddhism, but what is it? Well it has many different purposes like a grave marker, memorial, or larger ones, a shrine. It can be made out stone or wood, and sometimes has the all-seeing eye painted on it. (Hope I got that right) But the one in the story was a fake, the same structure, very different purpose. Okay next thing. The Cyclops. That was based on the creature called "Hitotsume Kozou." In Japanese legend, this large goblin had one eye and was bald. He wasn't all that dangerous, just frightened people. And last which most of you know is the Yuki-onna. These ice maidens are mentioned in Yu Yu Hakusho, like Yukina, Hiei's sister.
AHHHHHH!! That was one loooonnnggg chappie! My brain hurts. But I left with a cliffie. Oh no!! I'm becoming addicted to the horrible cliffies!!! Why do I let my audience suffer so?!!! (Shrugs shoulders) Oh well. (Gets shoe thrown at head) Oww! Sheesh, aren't you people ever satisfied? That's okay I wanna see what happens next too. Because next chapter is going to be totally awesome to write! You wanna know why? (drum roll) Because our favorite antagonist is probably going to make his debut next chapter!! Yay! So just you wait cause it sure to be a blast! (Hahahaha, get it blast, Karasu, he make bombs, and yeah... shutting up now.) So write lots of reviews! Even if you already did, do it again, and maybe once more, and then again, and again cause if I go into review withdrawal it will not be pretty. Cheer-o!