I discovered a website about Inari and somehow, this flowed out of my fingers. One of the stories that was on it was about the "hoshi-no-tama", the star ball. Kitsune usually have one hoshi-no-tama where much of their energy is stored. I made up some of this, so please ask first.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho

Third Gift, The Hoshi-No-Tama

Listen.

Do you hear it?

Silence.

The absolute silence of a night filled with nothing but the clouds, the trees, the wind. I suppose it isn't really silence. There is the wind. There are the crickets chirping, the locusts shouting for the clouds to break and the stars to shine. I wish I could want something as simple as the stars.

There is something about the night that draws me in. Something about the darkness that it brings. I suppose that may be why I had always been silent, too. To bring out the night in me, I am silent.

"Hey, short stack. You ready for tomorrow?"

I glanced down from my position near the clouds. Yusuke Urameshi. He was king of Raizen's lands for only a few short days before turning it all away. I still couldn't decide whether he was an idiot for letting it go. Or an idiot knowing he was one and making a wise decision instead.

"I am."

"Well, that's good, I thought you'd back out after seeing me again."

"You are an idiot if you think I'll back out of the chance to beat you." Forget what I said before. He was an idiot, period. But I had to admit, he did get the result he wanted. Every time, he got what he wanted.

"Whatever you say, Hiei," Yusuke grinned up at me. "Well, see you tomorrow. It's going to be interesting to see where we all rank."

The silence returned. Blessed, gentle silence. I let a sigh fall from me. The tree in which I sat offered me no sleep. I was not looking forward to the next day, despite what I'd made Mukuro believe. With the swiftness I had only obtained through years of training, I leapt from my branch. The wind whipped at me, trying to drag me back.

Something caught my eyes, a glint of silver amidst the dark greenery of the midnight forest. I leapt from the high branch of an oak tree, using my sword to slow my descent down the trunk of the tree. Where had my blessed silence gone?

The silvery object that I'd seen was tiny and round, no larger than a human marble, and still half-buried in the dirt. I studied it with both my normal eyes and my Jagan. It held power, though it was weak. It felt…familiar.

I reached out with my Jagan, searching for this energy that I was so compelled to find the owner to. Whoever had lost this was obviously weakened substantially by its loss. I knew what it was. A hoshi-no-tama. A storage system for demonic energy. Usually used by fox and raccoon demons, but it could be for others, as well.

I found only one match.

And it wasn't who I was expecting.

As soon as I touched the hoshi-no-tama, it sent a warm sensation up my arm. Like an old friend. Considering that's who it belonged to, I welcomed the feeling. I moved with the wind to Yomi's palace. That was where he was staying until tomorrow. Until this insane tournament that the idiot was putting us through.

His energy was easy enough to find. The silence of the night forest was gone, replaced with the hurried pace of a city that never slept. I had avoided Gandara on purpose for the year I had spent back in my homeland. This would be the first time I've returned since Mukuro and I followed Yusuke.

I slipped into his quarters. I would have gone unnoticed had he not known me. To anyone else, I was as stealthy and quick as an owl. Just as deadly to my prey.

"Hiei. What brings you here?"

"I found something of yours," I said. It was almost unbearable to break the silver marble from my skin, but I found my strength and thrust it into his hand. I turned back to the window, intent on getting out.

"Wait."

I could not avoid his voice. His gentle, sweet voice. It coaxed me, playfully, as the kitsune inside only could do. I turned my gaze back on him, even my third eye. I was happy not to have to hide my Jagan any longer.

The feeling was quite new to me, but I think it was the same that I felt every time he spoke. His red hair fanned out behind him, in all glorious right looking exactly like his fox tails.

"What is it?" I scowled.

"Where did you find this?" he asked. His voice was troubled. For a moment, I contemplated leaving altogether. Let him discover the meaning behind the return for himself. I did not leave, however. In fact, I answered him.

"In the woods."

"You know what this is, don't you, Hiei."

I stared at him. I wish I could stare at him, pretending to be angry, for all eternity. But he saw through my disguise. Kurama always saw my disguise. I wasn't sure if he was the same "all seeing" fox that were often alluded to. Perhaps. I did not know his age.

Kurama squeezed one lithe fist around the silver marble. I could feel the energy, ripe and blessed, running from it and into him. Into his human flesh, as though it were instead the hoshi-no-tama. In all that time, I did and said nothing. I rarely did.

"You're stronger," I noted.

"Of course. That was the remaining energy from before my original body was destroyed," Kurama said. "You know the implications are of losing one's hoshi-no-tama, do you not?"

I grunted. "I know them."

"It was how he killed me. The hunter."

I let one eye train on him. "Don't be so careless next time, fox."

"I no longer need the hoshi-no-tama," Kurama said. "This human body has become the vessel for my powers." He held the silver marble, now useless, in the palm of his hand. "I want you to have it, Hiei."

I let my gaze linger on his face, on his eyes. If there was anything I loved about him—yes, loved—it was his eyes. Like a raging puddle of acid, melting into my own eyes. I could not tear myself away from them as I groped blind for the marble. My third gift. The gift of Kurama's hoshi-no-tama.

"You realize," Kurama said quietly when I had it in my hand. "That giving one's hoshi-no-tama means absolute trust."

I let my gaze flicker into his eyes, only for a beat. I didn't want to get caught again.

"I do."

"Hiei…"

I felt the warmth of his hands on my cheek, the pulse of his heart against the tender pads. My breath left me. He forced those acid eyes into mine again and I felt myself melt. Not like some stupid human woman, but…

I felt safe.

And I knew, come tomorrow, I would still be safe with my Kurama.

…

…

…

Uh…Yeah…I'm weird. () A few days ago I wouldn't have even thought of doing a yaoi…SHE FORCED ME INTO IT! points madly at fifth voice Four out of five voices in my head said not to do…but she made me!

Fifth voice: What do you mean, UK? I'm only the voice of reason.

UK: Reason…is the reason I'm going insane…eye twitches