Fugen: I...I'm free...from the FREAKIN' STRESSING PSAT!!!!!!!

Kurama: How did you do?

Fugen: Shut up.

To darksaphire: So sorry that it's confusing. I try my best at other genres, but somehow I can only write humor! I'm not sure whether it's a curse or a blessing.

To KitsuneAkai13: Ha ha! I'm glad that you think DMGFP is cool, 'cause if things go well this week, you'll be seeing him in a brand-new website!

To Nina: Nope. No date. I'M STRICTLY FAITHFUL TO HIEI (and maybe occasionally Kurama)!!!! As for what he asked me, all will be revealed...AT THE END! BWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

DMGFP: ... ..... ... ....

Fugen: Ah, shut up.

To Yoko's Baby: Heh heh. Sorry. Got kinda carried away with the dots last chapter.

To SamiKismet: DMGFP will be glad to know that you like his way of talking!

DMGFP: .... ... .. '.......'?!!!

Fugen: Hysterical, aren'tcha?

To jus Kita: Believe me, I know how you feel (sniffs). 11th grade is the worst of all grades! Right now I'm REALLY struggling to get thru it.

To Silothiel: To be quite honest, I have no idea how it's going to end! I have a habit of improvising with the plots of my fics.

To Su da 'mazin bannana eater: (Nods) Yes, yes. Shigure and DMGFP is very much out for them. As to what they'll do...(turns on flashlight) MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

To animefreak54: No, no. I promise DMGFP won't do anything stupid...unless he does...then we've got a problem....

To Nite Nite: Hiei...in dress? (brain ceases all functions)

Hiei: HEY!!!

To What2callmyself: DID YOUR COMPUTER SURVIVE?!!! Heh heh. Just kidding. NO I will not tell you what's gonna happen next! 'Cause if I do, I'll ruin everything for you! Never shall I, Fugen, do that!!!!

Chapter 3: The Most Selfish Thing

"WHAAAAT?"

George winced at the loud volume of Koenma's voice. Grabbing the oni by the neck, Koenma shouted, "What the hell do you mean he's at it again?!!" "W-We just r-received word from your father, Koenma sir!" George cried. "Please stop shaking me by the neck!"

"No I won't! Now tell me, what exactly is he up to?!!"

"I don't know, sir! King Enma wouldn't say, but he did say to stay out of it."

"WHAT?! WHY?!"

"Why, you should know very well why, sir. Even King Enma is very cautious with THAT particular entity."

"But he's dangerous! My father knows that!"

"Yes, but your father also seems to think that what he's doing know will be good for Hiei and Kurama."

"Eh?"

(School. Kurama. Shigure. Yeah)

Shigure let out a small chuckle, as if he was enjoying all of this. Feeling annoyed and angry, Kurama demanded, "How are you so sure that you're correct?" "Because it's my business to be, child," Shigure answered coyly. "I don't like to be wrong." Kurama blinked. Was it just him, or did Shigure's voice grow a bit deeper, more adult-like?

Laughing, Shigure said, "You're so amusing, Kurama. In all my eons I have never encountered a descendant more lost in human emotions." "Wh-What?" Kurama was growing even more confused. Eons? Descendants? "You're not human, are you?" Kurama said accusingly. Shigure bowed and smirked, "Took you long enough, kit. You should've sensed it the instant I entered your classroom. But then, I'm not just your average immortal." "Who are you?" Kurama nearly shouted. His frustration and confusion were beginning to overwhelm him.

But again Shigure refused to give a straight answer. Instead he told Kurama, "A certain lover of mine's taken your little Hiei back to his place at Mukuro's castle, and there he will stay, permanently, unless you choose to go after him."

Kurama stared. Even if he did, Mukuro would surely be after Kurama's head not just for entering her territory, from which she had forbidden him from entering, but also for the intention of seeing Hiei.

" They say wanting to be happy is the most selfish desire of all, when, in fact, it's just the opposite."

Kurama's head snapped up, but Shigure was gone.

They say wanting to be happy is the most selfish desire of all...

'Was it?'

There's someone out there who's much more important to you than this female.

'Not true. I care for them equally.'

Enough of your self-made illusions.

'They're not illusions!'

Eventually it will be too late.

'Too late...to discover the answer for myself?'

You will never get a second chance.

Kurama smiled a little to himself. A second chance to what? Finding someone else to love this much? That would never happen. Beyond his mother and Hiei, there was and would be no someone else. As to who he loved more, Kurama knew that he couldn't answer that question. Perhaps it was...a question not meant to be answered. But to this 'challenge' of Shigure's, Kurama would have to answer it one way or another, even if it meant....

Outside, Shigure swung his legs airily, balancing himself on the tree branch he was sitting on. Presently the black Youko appeared beside him. Shigure smiled, "He probably won't take me seriously. It's a lame challenge, I'll admit, with no real reason to be taken seriously, definitely not one of my better ones." Turning his head, Shigure glanced at his companion. "Who do you think he'll choose? His mother or his lover?" Silence answered Shigure.

The red-eyed entity laughed. "I love it, watching humans struggle with their different loves, especially when it comes to your lover and your family. Both are equal in strength, but when pitted against each other, which is stronger? Perhaps Kurama will answer that for me, or perhaps he will stay in his uncertainty, forever drowning in regrets and the things that could have been. Both are pleasing to me, but I'll admit that I would prefer the latter. Hm?"

Silent for a moment, Shigure turned his head toward the school. After a minute, he began laughing again.

"Bravo, Kurama! In just a short time, you've made your decision, and rejected the very one who taught you to love! But, at least, your mind is now clear. Hurry, koi. Be there before he is."

The black Youko rose to his feet, and the tree branch began to bend under his weight. His golden eyes fixed themselves on Shigure, who began humming a little song.

(Mukuro's place...castle...territory...call it what ya want)

With a groan, Hiei sat up. What happened? This...was his room at Mukuro's castle....Wait! Suddenly alert, Hiei whipped his head around. That black Youko! Where was he? Why did he attack him? Why—Oh, forget it. Too many meaningless questions frustrated Hiei, who preferred to not deal with them at all.

Abruptly the door flew open and a battle worn Kurama stood in the doorway. "Hiei!"

"Kurama? What—You know that Mukuro forbid you from—You!"

The black Youko appeared between Hiei and Kurama, facing the latter. Kurama grit his teeth together. He had fought so hard to get past Mukuro's forces, into the castle, and ultimately to Hiei.

Quite frankly, Kurama had no idea what was going on, much less why, but if that Youko was seriously planning on keeping the two apart—

"Eh?"

The black Youko had taken Kurama by the wrist and pulled him into the room. Then he gave Kurama a little shove from behind toward Hiei, turned around, walked out of the room, and slammed the door closed behind him.

Kurama and Hiei looked at each other awkwardly.

"What...just happened?"

"I...don't know..."

Awkward silence.

"Um, Hiei, I was wondering..."

"What?"

"Would you...like to come to the human world? To live?"

Hiei snorted. "I? Live in the human world? Why would I do that?"

"Because..."

(Koenma's Office)

"THAT'S ALL?!!!"

George whimpered, "Please, sir, don't yell like that!" "I worry and panic that the guy's going to kill Hiei and Kurama or worse and that's all he does?!" Koenma yelled. "What's more, he goes through all that needless work just to get the two together?!"

"Well, it IS said that he has a soft spot for lovers, sir."

"Soft spot my ass. He just likes to play around with people."

"Perhaps, toddler prince."

"GAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Koenma and George grabbed each other and yelled. Arching a eyebrow, Shigure demanded, "What? You don't like it when I visit?" " O-Of course not!" Koenma hastily disentangled himself from George. "Tell me, to what do I owe the honor of receiving a visit from Inari, fox-god of the harvest?"

OWARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fugen: Pathetic ending, I know, but like I said, drama is NOT my forte!

Hiei: That's a tad obvious.

Fugen: To compensate for anyone who was disappointed, I plan to eventually create (drumroll, please) A DIFFERENT VERSION OF MY BEST FIC, SWEET CHILDHOOD!

Kurama: Great! Then Hiei will be chibi again!

Fugen: It will be called Sweet Childhood 2.0!

Hiei: You've GOT to be kidding.

Fugen: And I am! Well, about the title, anyway, and Hiei being chibi.

Kurama (and Hiei fans): WHAT?!!!!!!

Fugen: Don't worry. Plenty of kawaiiness, humor, and Kuwabara bashing will be in it!

Kurama: B-But WHAT ABOUT CHIBI HIEI?!!

Fugen: Damn, you're hysterical. Worry not, for there WILL be a chibi! It just won't be Hiei...

Kurama: I HATE YOU!

Fugen: Geez, man, calm down. The chibi in question is (whisper, whisper).

Kurama: ...Okay! (smiles happily)

Fugen: And now, for the answer to everyone's question...WHAT THE HELL DO THE DOTS MEAN? Lemme explain it this way:

Each dot stands for a letter. Simple as that. So, for example, if DMGFP says 'Hello' there will be '.....'. One dot for each letter in 'hello'. And as to what he asked me last chapter, he just wanted to know if I'd give him his voice back, which reminds me.... Oi! DMGFP! Here!

DMGFP: It's about time...AND STOP PUTTING MY NAME AS 'DMGFP'!! IT'S NOT 'DMGFP'! IT'S TAKUMI, MINAMOTO TAKUMI!!!!!!!

Fugen: This is why I made it so that you don't do much of anything, much less talk, in the place you came from.

Takumi: Sadly enough, I came from a creation of yours...AND WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, PAIRING ME UP WITH MY OWN LITTLE BROTHER?!!!

Fugen: Relax, man. I just borrowed Shigure's name, that's all. Besides, you've got other little brothers to distract yourself with.

Takumi: (resisting unsuccessfully to contain killing instinct)