A/N: *sings * All I want for Christmas is a few reviews… ^__^ Hello everyone! I've finally updated a new chapter of this fic! Yay! Heh… I know it's taken forever, but this is a REALLY long chapter, so… all forgiven?? *gives audience of readers big shiny anime puppy-dog eyes * Please?
Disclaimer: I own Yu Yu Hakusho. No, really, I do. Despite how many times Pierce claims to own it, I do. Me. ME, dammit!! Ahem… Hello, big suited lawyers with the briefcases and all… heh… peace?
Chapter 4: Dark and Cold~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keiko stood at the window looking out from the warmth of her bedroom into the black dreariness of the night. Something was wrong. She watched the impacts of rain droplets against the glass pane, running their course down towards the ground. Each watery trail faded and was remade with the flow of the storm. Keiko put her hand against the window, feeling the cool of the glass against her hand, which was warmed with unrest. No matter how hard she had tried, she still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that this night was much darker than even the ominous clouds of the thunderstorm were already making it. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating her troubled features. She took her hand from the glass as if the bolt had shocked her. Holding her wrist with the other hand and bringing them both to rest over her heart, she whispered, "Yuusuke…"
She didn't know what was going on, but she knew something bad was about to happen. And she couldn't get Yuusuke out of her mind. Keiko considered running over to his house, just to make sure he was all right, but three subsequent strikes of lightning discouraged that thought. She watched the flashes unblinking, letting their pure light sear painfully into her head, burning red afterimages on her eyes.
With the thunder roaring closely overhead, Keiko once again whispered the name of the boy she held so dear. Not knowing what else to do, she turned from her trance out the window and walked over to her bed, climbing slowly between the sheets. Laying her head against the pillow at an angle that allowed her to see the storm's passage outside, Keiko tumbled into a fitfully shallow sleep.
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The storm was getting progressively worse, a light rainstorm's clouds roiling into a ominous covering, ever so much darker than that of the normal night sky. Pushing his way through the crowds of umbrellas, Kuwabara made his way down the rainy streets. He had also gotten a message-bearing visit from Botan that day, though after the ferry girl had already told Yuusuke of the situation, of course. Kuwabara had called his friend's house, telling him to stay there and they would go together. Running down the now clear sidewalk leading to Yuusuke's place, Kuwabara only hoped that he had listened and waited.
As he reached the door and knocked several times, however, Kuwabara began to get a sinking suspicion that he had not. He checked through the window, but could only see the TV running inside, and the vague outline of a blanketed form lying lazily in from of the screen. The boy rolled his eyes a bit, all too used to the sight of Yuusuke's mother spaced out by the TV, getting progressively more inebriated. Kuwabara walked back to the door, stepping inside and removing his shoes.
Hearing the door open through her drunken haze, Atsuko slurred, "Hey, Yuusuke? You back already?" There came the clinking of glass, and Kuwabara could tell before he entered the room that she was taking another swig of sake.
So his suspicions were correct after all. "Is Yuusuke gone?" Kuwabara demanded, out of breath and not even bothering with formal pleasantries as he walked into the living room where Atsuko lay. He knew that they would be lost on the woman in the state that she was.
Atsuko waved a hand passively in the air, not even turning to acknowledge the boy's presence. "Yes," she lisped slightly, unable to control her speech completely anymore, "He left a while ago, got a phone call and left, dammit, not even telling me where he was going…" her voice trailed off into an unintelligible ramble of slurred complaints against Yuusuke's lack of respect and manners.
Not that it mattered much that she couldn't be understood, as her only audience had already bolted out the door as fast as he was able to throw on his shoes and run. "…Slacker…" the woman barely got her last coherent thought voiced before she watched her TV screen split into triplets and swirl slightly. Without another word, Atsuko slumped under her blanket to the floor, laying roughly on her side and slipping into an unconscious stupor.
Speeding away from the Urameshi household, Kuwabara spurred himself on with each bounding step out of sheer concern for his friend. If Kurama had killed a human girl for no reason, there was no telling how he would react to being arrested. That was why Kuwabara had wanted to be there with Yuusuke when they apprehended the demon, to make sure that they could do it without too much struggle.
"Damn, why did he go alone?" the tall boy grunted into the rain that was pouring more heavily down to the ground beneath his pounding feet. At the thought of what trouble his friend could already be getting himself into, Kuwabara ran ever faster towards the park at which Botan had told him Kurama would be.
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He turned around at last to confront Yuusuke, finding he instead faced the boy's finger, which pointed towards his heart. He looked back and forth between the intended threat and the face of the one who was making it. Without a hint of a smile, his face evenly set, Kurama spoke, sounding amused yet calm and in control. "Is that for me?" he asked with a barely perceivable nod of his head in the direction of Yuusuke's outstretched hand.
"I have to take you to Spirit World, Kurama; don't make me have to fight you," Yuusuke spoke equably, though he was shaking slightly. The rain wasn't bothering him; but he did not want to fight his friend, however inevitable that scenario seemed. He had tried to force as much authority as he could into his voice, though he feared he still came across nearly as hesitant as he felt.
Kurama gave Yuusuke a near pitying smile, flashing as cold as ice on his normally warm expression. His face showed a kind of resolve that the Spirit Detective had not seen on the boy before. He would do anything to protect himself and his interests at the moment; Yuusuke could see that now. "You should know by this point, Yuusuke, foxes do not react well to being cornered. Do not threaten me unless you intend to follow through with what will result," his tone was as soft as he ever used, but underneath it lay the dangerous warning that Yuusuke indeed needed to take him seriously.
"You killed that girl, Kurama," Yuusuke responded, not flinching or lowering his hands. "I'll take my chances to bring you in." The answering smile on Kurama's face sent a chill up Yuusuke's spine, his stomach still churning with distress.
Kurama backed up a few steps, not saying any more, and reached up with his right hand, while placing something Yuusuke could not see clearly in his pocket with his left. From his hair he pulled a single blood red rose, his signature initial attack style. Kurama held the stem of the rose loosely between his index and middle finger, steadying it with his thumb. He held his graceful posture, silently forcing Yuusuke to make the next move. And like an ever-patient predator, he waited.
Yuusuke cringed inwardly when he saw the weapon. This is it, he thought. He let his hands fall down from where he had held them so taut and ready, and assumed a fighting stance. When this was still not enough to make Kurama move, as he just stood there calmly holding the flower, Yuusuke resigned himself to the fight and willed himself forward to make the first advancing move of the battle. Allowing some of the sound from his inner screams of torment to come out loud from his throat, Yuusuke came forward at Kurama, leading with his left side, his right arm cocked back, prepared for a blow. Still, Kurama did not move. Yelling more now, Yuusuke followed through with his chosen path, already too late to stop it then. Even as his fist connected with the side of the redhead's jaw, Kurama showed nothing but calm assurance in his own victory and safety. Regaining his stance after his attack, Yuusuke watched as Kurama spit out a mouthful of blood, but still held the rose as gently as if he had not been hit at all, merely been standing there quietly, undisturbed.
Then Kurama did a curious thing. He smiled genuinely at Yuusuke. The younger boy looked at him quizzically as Kurama gave him a small chuckle as well. "It would appear," he began, wiping the back of his right hand across his mouth, "that I was underestimating your resolve." Using his power to transform the docile flower into his trademarked rose-whip, Kurama concluded, "I see this battle will be necessary after all. It will be a shame, Yuusuke, I rather liked you."
The older boy's words cut through Yuusuke like a searing knife blade. So Kurama was ready to kill him sooner than go to Spirit World. Yuusuke took a step backward, barely within the range of a swing from the fox's weapon. I've already died once before, he thought, I won't do it again if I can help it. "You shouldn't be in too big of a hurry to miss me, Kurama, when I'm still here!" with the last word, Yuusuke leapt forward, aiming to strike his friend across the jaw once more. But he never landed the blow, as his attention and focus had to be diverted to dodging the length of thorny vine headed his way. Catching the toe of his right shoe on the muddy ground at the last second, Yuusuke propelled himself out of the whip's reach. Landing both feet on the ground, bending his knees and leaning forward slightly to keep his balance, he slid a few feet in the slick earth, finally coming to a rest.
Kurama turned to face him with a smile of pity. "And you should be much more intelligent than to think I'd allow you the same strike twice, Yuusuke. Don't be foolish; or this game will be well over before it even begins," he said softly, but firmly, and with a tinge of disdain. Holding the handle end of his whip, Kurama pulled it across his open, partly outstretched left palm, fingering each thorn as it passed. He continued to absentmindedly stroke the vine while he thought for a moment, the thorns somehow knowing not to scrape his skin as they ran over it. At last he spoke again, letting the end of the whip fall to rest on the ground beside him, "I think it's time we stepped things up a bit, don't you? I'm starting to get bored." He let himself sound distracted and truly disinterested in the entire fight.
Yuusuke finally stood up fully where he had slid, noticing for the first time the small slice on his upper right arm. The tip of the whip must have grazed him as he had jumped out of the way. He chuckled to himself, smiling grimly at the redhead. "Oh, you're getting bored?" he asked, "Well, I guess I'll just have to keep that from happening, won't I…"
"Good," was all Kurama replied, and with a nod ran forward to swing his weapon in a wide arc, preparing a powerful strike against the Spirit Detective.
The dark haired boy ran forward with a yell, ready to trade any slice by Kurama's whip for a spirit-powered slam from his fists. They met in the middle, energy vs. energy, momentum vs. momentum; the whip slicing across the front of Yuusuke's shirt, digging roughly through the cloth, tearing it aside until it his its mark, and carved over the much more pliant, tender skin of the Detective's stomach. At the same time, Yuusuke managed to get in a one-two punch to Kurama's gut, sacrificing the whip's attack on his own. Kurama was propelled backward from the force of the blow, as Yuusuke wrapped his arm across his midsection and hunched over slightly for a moment. The cut hurt like hell, and he could already feel the warm, spreading wetness of the blood soaking against his arm, mingling with the colder raindrops already congregated there.
Without pausing for any more talk, Kurama advanced toward Yuusuke once again, as the younger boy stepped backward to gain better balance as he let go of his bleeding abdomen. Yuusuke neatly dodged his first volley, catching his leg on the raking thorns the second time through.
It continued on much the same way for what seemed like forever to each combatant, until the leaves beneath their battle-dancing feet were stained red with their blood. Unfortunately, and clear from how slowly he was now moving, most of the spilled blood belonged to Yuusuke. As the Detective stumbled his steps due once more to a lashing of thorns, Kurama stopped, letting the whip fall back to a pristine rose blossom, and took a moment to consider the fight.
After a few moments of his silent contemplation—and Yuusuke catching his breath as the wounds on his arms literally dripped blood down to splatter on the saturated ground cover below—Kurama looked back to make eye contact with his opponent. "You've been a worthy adversary, Yuusuke," he began in his soft, hypnotic voice, "but I fear I'm tiring of this game as it is." He took a step backward, as Yuusuke stood there, bleeding, breathing hard, unable to do anything more than listen at the moment. "You'll die soon enough, should we continue."
Yuusuke coughed up a mouthful of blood, spitting it unceremoniously onto the leaves, as if to make Kurama's point for him. Kurama's eyes got a sparkle in them that Yuusuke had never seen, and, at the moment, found to be particularly disturbing. After the way the battle had gone so far, he feared what Kurama could have in mind now.
Kurama smiled a frighteningly cold smile, seemingly devoid of any presence of the boy that Yuusuke knew as his friend and ally. "But I'd like to have some fun with you before that…" he let the sentence hang in the air, creating the desired effect of chilling suspense for Yuusuke as he could only watch and wait, the dozens of long scraping wounds covering his form threatening to force him into unconsciousness soon from loss of blood. Kurama tossed the red rose to rest on the ground in front of Yuusuke's feet, the way one would place a flower on the lowering casket at a funeral. The similarity was not lost on Yuusuke. His hands now free, Kurama once again reached into his pants pocket and retrieved the bottle nestled there, unharmed somehow by the night's activity. He held it softly in his left hand, running the fingers of his right affectionately over the smooth sides, as the rainwater ran off it in small sheets.
Not taking his eyes from the bottle, his voice distant, he addressed Yuusuke, "Do you remember what this is, Yuusuke?" Not waiting for the plainly exhausted and injured boy to respond, Kurama continued, "It's the key to who I am…" softly, he added, "my freedom." He ran his fingers over the bottle once more, holding it out further for Yuusuke to be able to see. "Freedom trapped in a bottle… terribly ironic, don't you agree?"
"Kurama…" the teen's voice came out as a harsh-sounding desperate plea, not for his own safety, but a warning against what he knew the contents of the bottle would do to his friend. Yuusuke's breathing was becoming increasingly labored. Each breath inward seemed to carry hope of life; and each exhale dimmed the light in his eyes as if the very vitality in his body was being expelled by each exchange of air. He knew, with excruciating certainty, that if he did not take definitive action to win this fight soon, he would die at Kurama's hands. Standing up as straight as his bruised and battered back and legs would allow him, he watched as Kurama opened the top of the bottle.
With a sinister smirk and a shimmer in his eyes, the redhead brought the opening to his mouth. He watched as Yuusuke tried to advance, but only fell to one knee from the pain of Kurama's many lashings over the skin of his back. Smirking even wider, he took a drink from the potion inside, ignoring the bitter flavor as it floated past his tongue. He swallowed the liquid down, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand once again. Smiling positively evilly, he capped the bottle and replaced it in his pocket. He took a deep breath, preparing for what was to come in a few short minutes.
Looking up at him, Yuusuke's mind raced. He remembered the bottle, had seen what happened to Kurama during his battle with Karasu. He also remembered the huge plants that his friend had been able to summon as weapons in that form. Yuusuke knew that Karasu had been no weak demon, and definitely not an easy kill; but Kurama had beaten him, even with his own life as the cost. Something in the boy wondered just how this battle would truly turn out; though he knew he wouldn't have to wait long to find out. Struggling against the pain, Yuusuke pushed up off the ground, standing erect with great effort. He wasn't going to go down without giving his all to the fight.
Kurama watched his prey struggle for balance, saw the determination in his eyes, and chuckled slightly, taking a circling walk around the boy. "Don't worry, Yuusuke. Soon you won't have to stand," he said calmly, stopping his circuit when he was in front of the Detective once again. He made no move to draw another weapon, as he knew he'd have all the power he needed very soon. Even the short time the fruit allotted him lately would be enough for an already battered Yuusuke. Too bad he didn't put his all into the fight earlier, Kurama mused in thought, it might have been more fun that way… a longer fight.
Yuusuke stood with his hands fisted at his sides. He's stalling, he thought, breathing hard from the effort of holding himself off the ground. I can't let him transform now! Moving his feet to gain what little more balance he could muster, the Spirit Detective extended his arms, left hand supporting the wrist of his right arm, which stood out ready for a blast. He allowed his finger to glow this time, powering up for the shot he had threatened earlier in the encounter. By his set expression, eyes on his target, and power nearly fully poured into preparation for the blow, it was clear that this time was no mere threat. If I have to kill him, I will. At any cost. That is what Koenma told Botan to tell Yuusuke. They all knew what Kurama was capable of, and what he really was. The ruler of Spirit World knew that he couldn't afford to have Kurama on the loose if he had truly turned from the person they thought he was. This was it.
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Spotting the dismal looking gates at the entrance to the park, Kuwabara slid on the slick gravel outside the opening in trying to stop his run. His feet now out from under him in his haste, he brought his hands down to shield his head from the fall just before impact. Picking himself back up off the ground with a groan, he carefully planted his feet on the stones once again, standing to look down the path. Not far from its start at the gates, the dirt path, now covered in mud and puddles from the storm, disappeared from sight around a curve into the woods. Kuwabara stood there for a moment to allow his lungs to stop burning and get some much-needed air. He gritted his teeth as he stood still for a moment longer, as if something in his gut warned him to go back.
Letting out a deeply held breath, Kuwabara resolved that it was the exact opposite. As he started down the path, each step gathering speed and urgency as he picked up the pace, he could feel it; something was wrong. Yuusuke never should have gone alone. Turning the first bend in the path, Kuwabara hoped that he would not arrive too late now to help his friend.
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Kurama watched Yuusuke's hands, bathed in the blue light of his spirit energy as it continued to gather around them. He held his own hands relaxed at his sides. He felt no fear of the blast… if the boy would even have the courage and backbone to shoot down his own friend. The redhead smiled as he thought. No… I doubt he'll even let it go. So Kurama stood his ground, waiting for Yuusuke to make his final choice; he could already feel the power of his old self beneath the surface, soon it would be ready to break free.
Yuusuke nearly shook with the effort of focusing his energy. He was already perspiring from the labor of standing. He wouldn't have minded, with the rain falling heavily enough to wash it away, but as the sweat ran down his back, it mingled with the blood, salty fluid seeping into his cuts. The sting was almost enough to drive Yuusuke to distraction. Almost.
Taking a deep breath, Yuusuke felt the last of his power join in readiness for his Spirit Gun; a large blast. Voice somewhat shaky, he locked eyes with Kurama once again, "Last chance, Kurama," he called firmly, mouth set to a grim line except for speaking. "You can still turn yourself in." The boy had a feeling nothing he could say would make Kurama turn himself in now, but he had to give him the chance. The near golden gleam in the fox's eyes confirmed his suspicions. When he got no response, he continued, though his voice came more softly, "Alright, Kurama. You've made your choice; now I have to make mine." He didn't want to do it, all of his heart screamed at him for considering it, yet Yuusuke Urameshi found himself uttering the words all the same.
"Spirit Gun."
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He had slipped several times in the mud by now, his shoes, covered in the slimy earth, having hardly more traction on the path than they might have had on water. But mud-covered and tired as he was, Kuwabara made his way deeper into the woods. I know they're still here… He had sensed both Yuusuke and Kurama's energies not long after he had entered the park.
Though it had initially given the boy a sliver of hope for Yuusuke, he soon discerned that his friend's energy was considerably lower than it should have been; he was tired, beaten. Growling at himself for letting him get away to go alone, Kuwabara turned the last bend that took him out from among the trees, and into the larger clearing.
Just as he was about to leave the winding wall of forest, a blinding bright blue light engulfed his vision in front and to the left. Kuwabara shielded his eyes against it, stopping quickly enough in shock to earn himself yet another slip on the mud, sliding to the ground and landing on his rear. He heard the yell then, a desperate cry of anguished conquest. Is it… is it over? Kuwabara opened his eyes, the light still glaringly bright. It should have meant that Yuusuke had had to use his Spirit Gun against Kurama, winning the battle if even by death. But as he turned his head to face the source of the light, the blue blast wasn't the only glow that lit the clearing. Blinking against the display, Kuwabara was able to discern gray clouds of light, a storm on the ground writhing within the storm that already raged in the sky above them. No! He recognized what he saw, knew whom the fierce, roiling energy belonged to; this was the third time he had felt it.
The glow of Yuusuke's Spirit Gun blast finally faded, with the steely mist of transformation having yet to dissipate around Kurama. Kuwabara watched as Yuusuke bent over to fall to his knees, saw how battered he looked. "Dammit, Urameshi, why'd you have to go alone!" he growled into the rain. Before he could get to his feet to rush to his friend's side, however, there was thunder on the ground, and a voice came from the mist, laughing tauntingly.
Kuwabara watched and listened in dismay as Youko Kurama emerged from the fog, seeming mostly unhurt, speaking to Yuusuke in a deeper version of Kurama's normal smooth tone, "A valiant effort, I must say," he chuckled slightly, smoothing down the ruffled material of his robes. "I had expected that you would back down. Fortunately for me, your blast caught me mid-transformation… My own energy shifts acting as a shield against your power." Youko smiled coldly at his prey, who knelt weakly on the ground. "You always did seem to have perfect timing, Yuusuke, even if by accident."
Clearly exhausted from giving all of his energy to the blast, Yuusuke winced this time as he tried to straighten his back. With his spirit energy spent for the moment, the teen had no defense to draw on against the pain. Worse, now that the hurt was hitting him full-force, it seemed the injuries were worse than he had realized them to be. Yet even through it all, Yuusuke managed to look defiant. He smiled at Kurama; that unnerving, cocky smile that Yuusuke had a knack for using to win over just about anybody. When he spoke, it was more lighthearted than Kuwabara would have expected from someone who was on the verge of losing a fight. "Don't worry, Kurama," he said, rising to his feet with some manner of balance enough to keep himself from falling over. "You won't get away with this so easily."
"Urameshi!" Kuwabara heard the yell, surprised to find out that it had originated from his own throat. He started for his friend, aiming to fight Kurama in his stead. After only a few steps, however, Yuusuke turned his head to look straight into Kuwabara's eyes, as if he could pierce his very soul with the fires of determination that burned there. The taller boy stopped short. His friend didn't have to say a word for him to understand that Yuusuke meant to finish this fight alone; to whatever end. Kuwabara swallowed past the lump that was rising in his throat. He had honor enough not to go against a friend's wishes; but what should he do when that wish could cost the friend's very life?
Kurama seemed to sense the indecision, and hurriedly decided to help them out. "Don't butt in where you are unwanted, Kuwabara; clearly Yuusuke wishes this fight to be his, and his alone. Commendable."
"Urameshi…" Kuwabara's voice was pleading.
Yuusuke didn't answer him as he turned his fierce gaze back to his adversary. With no real energy to speak of left, Yuusuke took a fighting pose, ready to die with dignity and honor, should this be his fate. "Whenever you're ready, Kurama." Breathing hard and dripping blood and sweat, Yuusuke stared the fox down.
His challenge received no voiced answer, as Kurama merely nodded to imply he was ready as well. As Yuusuke leapt forward from his spot on the soaked earth, yelling in his rage and final desperation, he failed to even see Kurama reach into his hair again.
"No! Urameshi!! He's pulled the…" but Kuwabara never finished his warning. By that time, it was too late. Before Yuusuke's lunge brought him within two yards of the Youko, he was stopped short, in mid-air, hanging between heaven and earth, speared through the heart with the vines of Kurama's death plant. Kuwabara stared numbly, mouth open, eyes not wanting to believe what they witnessed before them. He watched in horror as Kurama sneered, twisting the branches inside of Yuusuke, causing the Spirit Detective to emit a scream of pure agony.
Yuusuke coughed, spitting dark blood onto the matted ground. His eyes focused on his killer, uttering his name before the fox pulled the plant from his broken body, allowing him to fall to the ground with a sickening thud. Kuwabara ran to his side, kneeling and lifting him by his limp shoulders to lie on his lap. Yuusuke's eyes were darkening, light of life fleeing from him into the murky night.
"How could you, you bastard!?" Kuwabara yelled, only to realize that the object of his rage no was no longer there. Kurama was gone; leaving Kuwabara alone with his injured friend, his own tears mingling with the rain on his face. "Bastard…"
"Kuwa…bara…"
"Just hold on, Urameshi," he said softly, rocking back and forth slightly as he held the Spirit Detective's failing body; lighting crashed around, wind whipping at the cloth of his jacket. "It's going to be ok… You're going to be ok…"
Even as he spoke the words, Kuwabara knew they weren't true. As deep red blood trickled out of Yuusuke's mouth, a large pool forming on the ground and on Kuwabara's knees from the boy's chest and back, he knew nothing would ever be ok again.
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"Yuusuke!"
Keiko sat up from her bed, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat. What had the dream meant? Was Yuusuke truly in danger? Every time she had tried to go to sleep that night, she was still haunted with images of her friend in a fight…
A fight he was meant to lose. She climbed out of her twisted mess of sheets and padded into the bathroom, where she washed her face, salty from tears and perspiration, with cool water from the sink. Looking at her own haunted visage in the mirror, she scolded herself for believing too strongly in a dream. It must be the storm, she thought. Thunderstorms often gave her fright; this night must be the same.
She headed back to her bed, ignoring the one strong picture that wouldn't leave her mind…
The image of a silver fox.
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A/N: Phew!! Do you guys have ANY clue how long that took to type up?! Yikes. Ok, before you complain… Yuusuke and Kurama have never actually fought, so there's nothing to compare against for strengths. Also, Yuusuke wasn't TRYING to give his all until he was already physically beaten.
Another note: There has been a change in the plot of the series, as far as this story is concerned. In the world of this particular fan fiction piece, the girls of YYH were NOT there when Kurama battled Karasu. This will be addressed more fully later, but that's why the image here didn't mean more to Keiko. *sigh *
Ok people, REVIEW!!! I'm SO sorry that it took so long, and, unfortunately, it's probably going to take a while again to get further. I've changed the rating, for what will occur in later chapters. Trust me… it's going to have to be R.
Ja ne!!
-Draith