Again, thanks to all who reviewed! Especially to my faithful fans who've been here since chap 1! XD I'm so sorry it took so long to update, I had to rewrite this chapter THREE times before I was happy! I'm also working on another fic, an InuYasha one called Unexpected Gift, so check that out if you want.

Enjoy!

-Chapter 3, Preparation, Part 1-

"Kurama. Do you know how you're going to stay in your demon form?" Kuronue asks. He was sitting on Kurama's desk with his feet propped up on the redhead's chair.

"No…my first thought was the Fruit of the Previous life…however, that only lasted a little over five minutes the last time I used it, and there is not enough left to continually take it for a month, or even longer."

"If you were strong enough to take control of Youkou, would that work?"

Kurama nods, "Yes, but I do not see how I can do that in one night, Kuronue."

"I do. But what about your mother?"

Kurama raises a crimson eyebrow at the bat demon. "What about my mother?"

Kuronue shiftily diverts his violet eyes from the fox's unwavering emerald gaze. "If we make any noise, she'll get worried."

Kurama raises an eyebrow again, wondering what this "idea" of Kuronue's could be, but decides to trust the bat demon, like he always had. He gently reaches into his crimson tresses, pulling out a small, white seed. "Silverbelle. I'll grow this, and she'll immediately fall into a pleasant, dreamless sleep…" his eyes suddenly gained a haunted, dark look, as he stares at the beautiful seed in his hand, "I've used this many times before."

Kuronue doesn't ask why. He'd already seen the agony Kurama's nightmares brought him.

The fox's slender fingers give off a golden, ethereal glow, surrounding the pure white seed, making it shine like a piece of the purest silver. A pale green stem elegantly twists it's way out of the seed, a pale, silver blue bud forming at the tip. The closed petals seemed to sparkle softly in all colors of the rainbow, as if the light was reflecting off a diamond prism.

Kurama stands up gracefully and slowly, so as not to disturb the fragile flower. His light, quick steps echoed across the wooden floors, bouncing off the walls into Kuronue's sensitive ears. A few seconds later, Kuronue could hear the echoing footsteps again, though heavier, as if he was carrying a dead weight.

'He must have his mother's sleeping body', Kuronue thought, reaching out the open window and idly twisting a tree leaf, turned a dark emerald by the unlit blackness of the cloudy, velvet night.

He glances up as Kurama enters the room again, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

"I have an idea of what you are thinking, Kuronue," he says softly, "Are you sure my human body will not emerge?"

"That's the point, Kurama. You have to fight it back."

Kurama felt a chill of fear shoot up his spine as he sits down on his bed again. He knew it was going to be painful…very painful…

He hoped he lived to see the daylight.

Fighting to keep his shaking hand steady, Kurama bends down and pulls open the bottom drawer of his nightstand. He reaches into the very back, scraping at the corners, until his hand clasped on smooth, cool glass.

"So that's it?" Kuronue nimbly jumps down off Kurama's desk, landing soundlessly on the hardwood floor.

"Yes", Kurama pulls the clear glass stopper off the small vial, the last of the potion that would turn him into Youkou Kurama. The tart, sour smell of the liquid invades both demons' noses, making Kurama wince and Kuronue step back, an eyebrow raised.

With a small shiver, Kurama lifts the vial to his lips, and drained the liquid. He coughs, placing the clear container on his nightstand. It tasted horrible.

"This vial will only last me twenty minutes, Kuronue," Kurama says, feeling the familiar, freezing sensation shoot through his veins, making him shudder. There was no blood-pumping fighting to keep the icy sensation at bay.

"If this works, Kurama, Youkou should want to stay of his own accord. You know he comes out during moments of extreme emotion…this will be one of those times. But to gain total control-"

"-I have to beat both of my sides, until my human form is powerful enough to control my demon blood."

Kurama suddenly lets an amused smirk play at his lips, shaking his head.

Kuronue raises a black eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I'm talking like a schizophrenic."

As he spoke, his voice was deepening, getting raspy and harsh. Cockiness Shuichi never would have used seeped into his voice, making him sound like a completely different person.

He was, in a way.

Pure, shining silver bled into his crimson locks, creating a startling combination of beautiful colors. His skin paled to an elegant, milky peach, his nails lengthening slightly, coming to dull points. Kurama glances up at Kuronue, a cocky smirk on his lips, his pale golden eyes shining with undying arrogance.

Suddenly an ice blue vapor envelopes the fox demon. Kuronue takes a few calm steps back as black lightning cracks, as if whipping the air. Billowing white clouds swirl in the opaque blue, misty energy, forming into the slender, white form of a beautiful fox. Eyes red, it lets out a piercing, bone-chilling cry, it's elegant head whipping around as its body darts forward, then disappears.

The rolling blue energy starts to thin, showing the outline of a tall, leanly muscled man. Youkou Kurama steps out of the mist, his loose white clothing billowing around his long legs, silver tail gently swaying behind him.

"Kuronue…" his deep, hypnotizing tones fill the small room like thunder, "I suppose we should begin."

-End Chapter-

Wow…I'm so evil…I ended my other fic's chapter in a cliffhanger too, but the ending sounds all dramatic, doesn't it? Don't worry, it won't take me very long to post the next chapter! I have the idea in mind already (I was actually going to put it into this chapter, but it was sounding really bad and choppy, so I cut it out and ended it), so it won't be long, and I won't have to rewrite it three times. I'll try not to leave you all at cliffhangers for awhile, unless it's absolutely necessary.