I'm baaack! ^_______^ Sorry that it took me so long to update, but I'm here now, and I've got a kinda-sorta-long chapter. Anyway…

I don't own yu yu hakusho.

Chapter 5.

Stones of Fire and Water

Kurama and Kuronue stood outside a strange little opening. It was just a small, dark hole in a large stone. The opening led down into darkness. All around the stone, and the children, was forests.

"The stone's down there?" Kurama asked.

"I guess…"

Kuronue stepped closer to the black hole. He sighed a little, remembering what Maverik had said.

~Flashback~

Maverik and Neturan stood by the hole, facing the two children.

"You will find a orange stone down there. Bring it to us." Maverik said.

~End~

I wonder what that orange stone is, Kuronue thought.

"What if there's something down there," Kurama muttered.

Kuronue shrugged.

The two children looked at each other. Finally Kuronue squared his shoulders and jumped down into the hole. Kurama blinked for a moment, then jumped. The kitsune landed on something soft. Looking down, he realized it was Kuronue. The winged demon growled a little and Kurama scrambled off.

The two children stood blinking in the dim light. Kurama led the way down the hall. Kuronue stood close behind him. Their footsteps echoed hollowly around them. The two children both found the silence unnerving.

The hall suddenly widened out. Kurama and Kuronue stood in a long chamber. At the far end, a small pedestal held a strange stone. The gem was about two inched long, cut like a prism, standing on one tip, and it was bright, vivid orange.

"That must be the stone Maverik wants," Kuronue said. Kurama nodded.

The kitsune started across the chamber. Before he was even halfway, the floor started to pitch violently. Kurama overbalanced and landed on his tail. He blinked around. A huge monster seemingly made of darkness materialized from the shadows. Kurama blinked up at it, his fluffy tail puffing out to twice its size, like a cat's. In the doorway behind him, Kuronue blinked, startled.

The monster roared at the little kitsune on the floor. Kurama jumped to his feet and ran, squeaking in his fear. Kuronue ran to help his friend, but ended up running from the shadow monster instead. The two boys ran for the hall. Kuronue stopped suddenly.

"The stone!"

He turned and ran back toward the stone. Kurama stopped and turned back toward his friend.

"Kuro! Look out!"

Kuronue jumped, small wings outstretched. He dodged around a shadowy claw from the creature. Kurama ran into the room. He blinked, but could not really see the shadowy monster. It was just there.

From nowhere, the monsters near-invisible tail slammed into Kurama. The little kitsune was pinned into the wall.

Kuronue grabbed the orange stone from the pedestal and tuned to see his friend held against the wall by a shadow. He squeaked and ran back to the kit. He stopped behind the shadow beast, not knowing how to help Kurama. Suddenly the orange stone in Kuronue's hand flared brightly. The shadow melted away under the light of the crystal. Kurama blinked as the crushing weight of the shadow disappeared.

The two boys blinked at each other, then ran as fast as they could out of there.

*                                                          *                                              *   

 Maverik took the Stone of Fire from the two children when they left the tunnel. He was actually impressed that the two little demons were actually able to get the Stone. He sent the two boys to get the Stone of Water. He smiled lightly to himself.

"They have no idea what they are getting into."

*                                                          *                                              *

It was cold. The ocean breeze chilled the two little demons.

"So where's this other stone?" Kurama asked.

Kuronue shrugged. "I guess we swim for it."

Kurama blinked at him, then turned back to the glittering water before them. Kuronue saw him hesitate.

"You do know how to swim, don't you?" Kuronue asked.

"Of course," Kurama said, sounding slightly offended. You learn when your brothers' love…loved…to throw you into the river. The thought of his family, and what had happened to them, made Kurama a little sad.

The kitsune saw Kuronue watching him. He quickly turned to the water. "Come on," he said, and dived into the ocean.

Kuronue blinked for a moment then dived in as well.

The water was colder than the air outside and soon both the boys were shivering. The dark water was hard to see through. It was Kurama who first saw the opening in the rock below them. He pointed to it and began to swim, Kuronue following.

They reached the opening and only had to swim for a few moments before they were able to swim up into a chamber. The chamber was strangely above the water level.

Kurama pulled himself up onto the chamber floor. Kuronue came up beside him. The chamber they knelt in was long and silent. A few torches on the wall lit the room. Just barely visible on the far side was a pedestal that held a dark blue, prism-shaped stone. That must be the stone Maverik want. The sooner I get it the sooner I can see Lana and Kuro can see his parents, Kurama thought, leaning forward a little.

Kurama ran, his wet hair dripping water into his eyes. His only thought was the crystal on the other end of the room. Kuronue started to follow him.

Kurama reached the other end of the room and picked up the blue crystal. A sharp cry made him turn.

Kuronue stood in the center of the room, closely surrounded by a ring of flames. The little fires danced closer, threatening to burn the young winged demon. Kuronue gave another small yelp as one of the flames licked at his arm.

"Kuro!"

Kurama ran to his friend, not caring that he didn't know how to help. As he got close, the stone the kit held tightly in his hand glowed. The room was lit with a deep blue light. The flames around Kuronue seemed to be melting away, freeing the boy. As the last of the flames disappeared, Kuronue sat down heavily. He looked at his slightly burned arm.

"Ow…" He muttered, blowing on the burn. "How many stones did Maverik want us to get?"

"Eight," Kurama said, watching his friend sympathetically.

 "…Great…"

The two demons looked at each other. Both knew that this would be harder than expected. But if they ever wanted to see their families…

"Come on," Kuronue said, standing up. "Still got six left."

~Hey, I don't' know why this didn't get finished, but thank you so much youko-love for telling me. Sorry….