Since this is a shorter chapter, I decided to go ahead and upload it a little earlier than usual. I've finished the story, but I decided to rewrite some because it's a bit on the long side now. .

Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue, so we're good, right?

Chapter 15: Itsumo

…Kurama…

I had seen Bri through the death of Marion, and now I saw her through the death of Ichigo. She stared, unmoving, at her mother's coffin, at the picture of her mother setting atop it. I doubt she even realized she was crying. The bracelet that I'd given her—I'd had a dealer in the Makai carefully craft it into a kitten and a fox, encircling a rose and a bluebell. I don't know why I'd had it made—I just did. I glanced down at the watch that she had also had custom-made. Koko had told me that it was.

I placed my hand on her shoulder. Bri didn't move, only sat there and stared and cried. I knelt beside her placing one arm around her shoulder. Now she moved. She flung herself around my chest, her smaller fingers clenching the material of my shirt. Her silent tears turned to soft sobs. I petted her hair, as I'd done many times before when Yue was doing something. But this wasn't about Yue.

Not this time.

Gun Wa knelt at her other side and pressed a gentle hand on her shivering shoulders. She glanced at him through tear-streaked eyes, questioning. Softly, as though afraid to bring the wrath of gods down on him, he spoke.

"Bridget, your mother left Kuronue and yourself in my care until you've finished high school," he said. "Do you wish to stay in this house?"

I knew the questions had to be asked, but why now? She was still grieving for her mother, there was no reason to ask such things at this point. I was about to say so, when her voice spoke hoarsely.

"I'll stay here. Thank you, Uncle."

Gun Wa nodded once, then retreated. Bri glanced up at me, then down again.

"Let's go somewhere else," she whispered. "Anywhere else…"

She released my shirt, smoothing the material once or twice. My muscles jumped at the touch, but I resisted their charm. This was no time for my body to react in such a way.

"To my apartment," I said. I offered my hand and she took it—gladly, by the small smile on her face. We walked out of the wake and into the cold winter's night. It was nearing midnight of Christmas Day. Even Nemoi's trolley wasn't running, and the trains were limited. Snow drifted from the sky, as though trying to match each of Bri's tears.

I don't recall ever getting to my apartment. But when we arrived, Bri was barely walking, so weary from crying and from the late hour. I picked her up at the door of my apartment, pressed her shivering body close to warm her. She nestled into my shoulder like she had when she was a child. I set her on the couch and went to the kitchen to make us some hot chocolate. Just before I reached the doorway into the kitchen, Bri spoke.

"Don't."

"You don't want hot chocolate?" I asked, an amused smile crossing my face. Bri shook her head no and hugged her knees to her chest. She was in her school uniform, though why, I don't know. School wasn't until tomorrow. Her tears still hadn't stopped and I contemplated making the hot chocolate anyway just for the sake of getting liquid into her again. In the end, I respected her wishes.

I retrieved a blue blanket from the closet and offered it to her. I was going to go get another for myself when she tugged my arm back. Those eyes will be the end of me if she doesn't stop staring at me with them.

"Share," she grunted, sounding a little like Hiei. I sat on the couch beside her and she pulled the blanket around herself and around my shoulders. Within seconds, she was curled up like a small child against my chest. Her eyes stared up at mine.

"Why do people have to die?" she asked quietly. "Why can't the good people live forever? Couldn't King Yama do even that?"

"There's no fine line between those who are good and those who are evil, Bri," I said, letting my right arm hug her shoulder. Tonight. Just tonight, I would hold her, comfort her as a friend. I was her friend. I would remain nothing more, nothing more because she already knew a lover. "People die because it is fate."

"Gabriel killed them?" Bri blinked and stared at the blank black screen of my television set, not seeing.

"In a way, yes," I said. "She is the angel of fate. She decides when people will die. But she did not directly kill Marion or Ichigo, Bri. It is merely her duty to decide fate. It must be a difficult duty."

"Yeah…Must be." Bri rubbed her cheek softly against the golden material of my shirt, the one I'd chosen to wear to Ichigo's wake. Bri murmured something softly, so softly I almost didn't hear. "You smell nice."

I didn't know what to say, and it sounded as though she wasn't expecting an answer, so I remained silent. After a few moments of soothing silence, Bri was breathing deeply, fast asleep in my arms. I smiled down at her, glad that we were alone, and she was oblivious to the world. I brushed my lips atop her head as her illusion fell. Her golden fox ears and her single tail twitched in her sleep.

I let one cheek lean against her ear and sighed. The ear twitched violently against the wind, freeing itself. "I love you, Bri…" I'm not sure if I really said it or not. I fell asleep like that, holding Bri in one arm, the other holding myself up.

When I woke at six the next morning, I lifted her still-sleeping form and traveled back to Nemoi with her in my arms like a child. Kuronue greeted me at the door, with her backpack ready. In silence, we went to Meikou High School. I woke Bri at the door, to her sleepy surprise.

"W-Where…what…?"

"Kuronue thought it best if we let you sleep a while longer," I explained. "You know you can't miss school. Gun Wa will think something happened to you."

"And then you'll be in trouble," she said, grinning. I was glad to see her smile again. "I'll see ya in class, Minamino-Sensei."

I was even more happy to hear the mocking tone that made her so Bri.

…

Several months passed. We trained especially hard, Kuronue, Bri, and I, in the Chronodom, passing years of training in a few month's time. Bri never spoke of the night in my apartment, but I noticed that she always wore the bracelet. I almost never took off her watch, but I knew it was futile to hope for her love to be returned. Fall break came upon us once again. Bri, Kuronue, and I spent the last weekend before then in the Chronodom, training nonstop.

"We need to do something fun before we leave for the tournament," Bri said a few hours before we needed to gather in Koenma's office for further instruction. "To break away from training. We're as strong as we're gonna be, might as well have some fun before we die, right?"

I'm sure she was joking about the "death" part.

"Sure, why not?" Kuronue shrugged.

"Stay here. I'm going to get it ready," Bri smiled mysteriously. She stepped into the other room where our training area usually was. After a few moments, her head poked out the door, both fox ears alert. I could see her tail twitching in excitement. "Come on in to DDR paradise!"

In the corner of the room was an unmarked machine. I recognized it only because of the demon language printed on the three pads in front of it. It was the demon's version of the human game DDR.

Where had Bri seen this machine?

Yet I knew that it had been me who introduced her to it. But that wasn't right. I had never shown her such a thing. I stared at it, perplexed. She smiled over her shoulder, taking the right pad.

"Are you guys just gonna stand and gawk or am I gonna kick your asses without even trying?"

I stepped on the middle pad, Kuronue taking the final one on the left. Bri chose the first song without even letting the machine finish speaking. On level twenty-seven. The last time I'd played this, I was barely level thirty. I recognized the song instantly. Itsumo no Hitomi. For some reason, I couldn't help but think: This is our song.

Can't seem to understand

What I'm fighting for

My lover's arms are closing

Can't breathe anymore

Is this what love is

Or is there something missing

In his Forever Eyes

In his kissing

Forever Eyes…

Bri was getting every step, every time, perfectly. How could she? Kuronue was having a little trouble, but I was almost keeping up with Bri. Even so, she still beat us both hands down, tail wagging, and ears standing at attention.

"I won, I won!" She sang out, taunting us. She gave a kittenish grin. "Come on, guys, I know you've played this before."

"The question I have is how you've played before," I said, searching for another song.

"In the other life, my boyfriend showed it to me," she said. She offered nothing more. "I loved that song so much. It was the first one we played together."

But I was sure…I was the one who showed it to her…

Was it me?

"It was my first, as well," I said. Of course it wasn't me she was talking about. "When I was growing up. Of course, I started at level two, not twenty-seven."

Bri grinned. "Well, I was actually at level thirty-eight when I died in the other time stream, but I'm a little rusty. Come on. We need to get to Koenma's."

Kuronue and I followed her out of the Chronodom and we walked to Koenma's office. I could feel the others inside. They had trained well. Bri pushed her way into the room, where Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei were waiting for us. The others were at Yusuke's, awaiting the location of the tournament.

"Okay, now that we're all here, I'll get started," Koenma said. "In the last letter we received from The Moon, she stated that we would receive the letter with the coordinates today at six o'clock. It's only a minute till now and—"

"Koenma sir, the letter's come!" George the ogre barreled into the room carrying the white envelope. He handed Koenma the letter and slunk out of the room at Koenma's annoyed glare.

"All right," Koenma said. "I'll read this aloud…"

Dear Lord Koenma,

I am pleased to announce the location of the tournament will be in the following coordinates of Human World. As I've stated before, all of your team members must arrive at seven o'clock tomorrow morning with everything they will need for a week-long stay. I have a hotel standing by for all who are attending. I think you will be surprised who comes to my little tournament.

Lord Koenma, please explain to your team that I am not to be harmed in any way before, during, or after the tournament. Should I be injured, you will all be immediately disqualified and murdered. Is that quite clear, Lord Koenma?

"Er…and the rest is just the coordinates," Koenma said, blinking.

"Insuring herself from harm. A wise move," I said.

"Why's that?" Yusuke asked. "She could just be bluffing."

"No. This person, whoever she is, had assistance in gaining the attention she needed to make this tournament a success," Koenma said. "It is already all over Demon World and Human World, at least among the demons. She has also made requests to allow certain demons into Human World for the tournament. More threats if I don't."

"Who, exactly?" I asked.

"Yomi and Mukuro, for instance," Koenma said. "And quite a few more. Cat demons and a tiger, some of the crow demon clan." He glanced at Bri meaningfully. She merely gave a small, miniscule nod. "Anyway, be back here tomorrow. We leave for the coordinates at six thirty."

…

…

…

Thanks for all the great advise about my brother, guys. He's in counseling now, and he's doing a lot better. I think he's realized that no one's heart is worth suicide. I'm not very close to my brother, but I do love him a lot. I hope that he'll realize he doesn't need a girl in his life to make him complete, just like I don't need a man.

Okay! What do you guys think about think about this sudden turn of events? Why the heck did Bri do that! It's like she's unconsciously trying to nudge at Kurama, eh? I don't think that was her intent, but it's definitely giving Kurama more of that weird déjà vu. And he's finally starting to connect the things. But it'll be a while before he acts on it—after the tournament.

Kuramafan: Thanks for all the great advise, my brother's doing great. I have Evanescence, he's been listening to that and this country group, Lonestar, nonstop. Plus, 96.3, our local hip hop station. ()

Kohari: Will do, cakes! Um…I think Bri's going to want to play the prank on all three of them…but I just got something in mind, inspired by what Bri said earlier about Kuronue and Kuwabara…Hmm…Now how to execute it…

Peeka-chan: O.O Great minds think alike, I guess. Amber will get what she's got coming, I think. I hope. I'm not very good at this whole revenge thing. () OH! I've got what I'm gonna do to Kuronue…Now just to get Kurama and Yomi…I think Yomi would actually enjoy that sort of thing. (After Kurama, Yomi is my favorite bishi. I know, I'm weird.) I was thinking of using Bri's illusion powers…hmm…or just letting Karasu in Kurama's bed for a while before letting the fox kill him…