Remembrance- Chapter 6
Kurama and Kei kept seeing each other over the weeks, and eventually Kei's father did return. He stayed on the silent side, however, and Kei did her best to do nothing that angered him. Over time, Kurama felt more and more affection growing inside him for Kei, and she felt the same. They were deeply in love with one another and no one person could come between them. School, however, could.
The spring intermission ended, and with it, so did Kurama and Kei's full days together. They still had Saturday nights and all day Sunday together, though, which they made the most of.
Weeks turned to months, and they remained together through thick and thin. There were days when Kei's father threatened but didn't do anything, which made Kei think that he might be getting better. Kurama had his doubts, but he was glad to hear that she wasn't being beaten anymore. Then one day, Kei said that her father had been called away for some job up in Hokkaido and that he wouldn't be back for at least two weeks. He'd left during the night and left Aymee and Kei on their own. Aymee decided she wanted to spend a week at a friend's, since summer vacation had started and she didn't want to be stuck in the house, so Kei let her.
As a strange coincidence, it so happened that Kurama's own family had decided to go for Osaka for a week, but Kurama had no interest, so he decided to stay behind. After hearing this from one another, they decided it was time to have an entire night to themselves. They both thought that it was better if they stayed at Kurama's house, since Kei's bore so many bad memories and feelings.
So on Saturday night, Kei arrived at the Minamino residence. She looked around at the spacious entrance area and smiled.
"Your mother has a real knack for interiors. I have to ask her for some tips," she said giggling.
"I'll have to mention it to her one day. After she's met you, of course."
"Yeah, we'll have to do that one day..."
"Don't be nervous. I'm sure she'll love you just as much as I do."
"I hope she's half as kind as you."
"She is. She's the one who taught me to be this kind."
Kei smiled at him and took off her shoes. She peeked into the living room and glanced up the stairs.
"Here. I'll show you around.
Kurama took her by her arm and led her around the house, showing her all the ins and outs. Kei laughed when she saw Shuichi's room.
"It reminds me of Aymee's when she was little!"
"I'm sure." Kurama said smiling. He then led her to his room at the far end of the hall. Kei was pleasantly surprised by its utter neatness. Everything was just where it should be, much like her own home. She smiled happily at Kurama, nodding her definite approval.
"This is nice, Kurama. Most boys I know would have their rooms looking like a hurricane just ripped though it."
"Well, I'm not like most boys."
"So I remember you saying before. Or at least something like it."
"Yes...Oh. Before I forget."
Kurama went over to his desk by the window and reached into one of the drawers. He pulled out the manga she had lent him the first time they'd met.
"Here. I never really got around to reading it, but I've kept it for so long, you should take it back."
"So that's where that went! And here I thought I'd lost it. I forgot I'd lent it to you. But if you haven't read it yet, feel free to keep it. I can always get another one for free anyway. Aymee got a promotion."
"Oh, well that's good. I'll give her my congratulations the next time I see her."
"As well you should. Let's go back downstairs."
"Sure."
Kurama set the manga back in the drawer and followed after Kei, who had already begun to make her way down the stairs. They did nothing but talk and laugh all night, watching some TV occasionally, but always being close together the whole time. Eventually, Kurama turned off the TV for good and wrapped his arms around Kei lovingly, kissing her on the cheek.
"Have I told you I love you today?"
No, in fact, you haven't."
"Well, I do."
"I love you too, Kurama."
They both sat in loving silence after that, taking in each other's warmth and listening to each other's heartbeats. After a while, Kurama decided that this as a better time than any. He'd finally tell her.
"Kei."
"Yes?"
"I'm ready to tell you my secret now."
Kei lifted herself from Kurama's chest and looked at him with truly loving eyes.
"Go ahead. Whatever you have to say, I'm sure I'll be able to understand."
Kurama swallowed hard, trying to work the knot out of his throat and grabbed hold of Kei's hand. He sighed audibly and looked her in the eye.
Well, firstly, I'm not what I appear to be. I'm not really a human."
Kei raised an eyebrow at this, but allowed him to continue.
"In all honesty, I'm a yoko. A fox demon. I'm just trapped in this body because of something that happened in the Makai, the Demon World, some years ago."
Kei gave Kurama a suspicious look and fixed him with the same stare she had a few months before. When she saw that he was telling the truth, she sat thunderstruck at what she'd heard.
"So, you're really a fox demon trapped in human body? What happened to have that occur?"
Kurama hesitated, but saw the look in Kei's eyes and continued.
"In the past, I was a thief. A very good thief. Some called me the best in the Demon World. Unfortunately, I ran across a powerful hunter while attempting a burglary one night, and I was badly injured. I was near death, so I escaped my dying body in ethereal form and made my way here to the Ningenkai, the Human World. I entered the body of my mother, Shiori, who was pregnant at the time, and took over the body of the child, who hadn't gained a soul yet."
I'll admit Kurama, this is kind of hard to swallow."
"I know it is, but its the truth, I swear to you."
"Don't swear. And I believe you, Kurama. I already saw for myself that you aren't lying, so if you have more, go with it."
"All right. I didn't plan on sticking around very long. Only until I was ten or so. I figured that my demonic energy would have returned to me by then, but something happened."
"What?"
"I learned to care and to love. My mother had shown me nothing but kindness ever since this body had been born and I grew attached to her. Another thing, she saved me from a serious injury when I was five and later became terribly sick. I wanted to help her, so I decided to forego my previous plan and stay with her. Fortunately, I was found by another demon named Hiei, who was planning on stealing some treasures from the Spirit World to try and take over both realms."
"He doesn't sound very nice."
"He is once you get to know him. Sort of. Anyway, one of the items allowed any wish the user had to be granted to him in exchange for his life. I used it to wish my mother back to health."
"But if this item takes the user's life, then how...?"
"Ah, that's where Yusuke comes into the picture. Yusuke is another friend of mine. He's the Spirit Detective of this world."
"Spirit Detective?"
"A person chosen by Koenma to look after the Human and Demon Realms and make sure everything stays quiet."
"'Koenma' as in "son of Enma, ruler of Hell in Japanese mythology" Koenma? And how old is this 'Yusuke'?"
"Yes, that Koenma, and right now he's seventeen. He was only 14 when I met him, though."
"So, he was fourteen and going up against two demons..."
"Three, actually. There was another in our little group. A soul-eating demon named Goki."
"All right, three demons, with magical items. If you were one of the ones he was supposed to be fighting, why would he help you?"
"Yusuke...doesn't always think things through. What he said to me was that no mother should ever have to go through losing her child, which is true, but he planned on giving his life to spare mine."
"Righteous, but contradictory."
"That's what I thought as well. But in the end, the item spared the both of us and my mother was healed. However, after the other items were retrieved, I was tried with Hiei as an accomplice to trying to overthrow Enma and was almost thrown in prison. Fortunately, Koenma cut us both a deal doing community service by helping Yusuke and another boy named Kuwabara with their missions now and again instead of time behind bars. Much better in the long run, I assure you."
"What about that 'Goki'guy?"
"He was killed by Yusuke when he retrieved his item."
Kei sat and blinked at Kurama long and hard, trying her best to believe what she had just been told. Although it was the wildest story she'd heard in a while, for some reason unknown to her, something was telling her to believe him. She fought with it in the back of her mind as she continued to stare at Kurama, but eventually, she gave into the thought and decided that she did believe him. He had no reason to lie to and hadn't done so before.
"Okay. You're a demon."
"Yes."
"So...do you have powers?"
"A few."
"Do you mind showing me?"
"Not at all."
Kurama seemed to simply move his hands through his hair, but in reality, he was searching for one of the many seeds he kept there. Pulling out a rose seed, he showed it to Kei,
"A seed?"
Kurama nodded and motioned for her to watch. He took the seed between his thumb and forefinger and concentrating only slightly, he transformed the seed into a rose in front of her very eyes. Kei looked at the rose in utter amazement as he handed it to her.
"I don't believe it..."
"Amazed?"
Kei only nodded dumbly as she took the beautiful flower into her hands and looked over it.
"Be careful. I grew that one with thorns."
Again Kei nodded dumbly as she continued to look over the rose, still in awe by it.
"I can also turn that particular flower into a whip and use it against enemies."
"Can you control all plants?"
"Yes. All of the ones in the Ningenkai, anyway. In order to control Makai plants, I have to transform into my other form."
"You have another form?"
"Yes. Remember before when I said that I left my body in the Makai? Well, recently, I came across a way to transform back into that form. After using that method for a while, I found a way to do it at will. I'm not exactly the same as I am in this form, but its pretty close."
"Can I see this other form?"
Kurama looked more than a bit apprehensive at her request and for good reason. He didn't know whether or not he'd be able to recognize her fully in his demon form or how he might react to her. He knew that he loved her now, but his feelings always changed when he transformed. It was extremely risky, but upon looking into her curious eyes, he felt his will not to waning.
"Please? I just want to see. I promise never to ask you again."
Continuing to look into her chocolate eyes, Kurama couldn't help but give in to her request. He took hold of her hand and kissed it, feeling like he was saying goodbye to her for a long time.
"I have no idea how this may go, so be careful, all right? I may not be the same person you're used to when I transform."
"Okay." Kei said drawing her knees up to her chest.
'Kurama rose and walked in front of Kei, his back toward her. He then let the barrier between his human form and his demon form break, quickly allowing the demon to take over. He began to glow a bright white, blinding Kei slightly, and causing her to cover her eyes for protection. After a few moments, the light died down and the transformed Kurama stood there in front of an awe-struck Kei.
"Hello there," he said smiling.
