Hello again! Yes, I'm updating this story once again...!

(because I keep procrastinating on all my others! meep...)

Anyway...

Chapter Four...The Past

The fox regained consiousness after his long nap, but dreaded the fact he would eventually have to open his eyes. Just like he used to when he was a cub here... He opened his eyes very slightly and smiled in a vacous way.

"A silver fox?"

"How can this be?"

"Foxes only turn silver when they reach the age of very high intelligence! They are never born that way!"

"He's a prodigy; he must be!"

That's all I heard as I grew up. As I came to realize what they were saying, I laughed at them, but they never knew. He remembered he once thought of the solution that maybe he was albino, but that was soon remedied by the fact his eyes were gold.

And he grew tired of their acting towards him as if a god. Their respectfulness. Their politeness... Their niceness. He yearned for battle; a trait inherited from his late father and mother alike.

So... he ran away. As he traveled abaout by himself, he came across many banners stating his safe return for a large sum of money. He had had many close calls being caught, so he decided he had to learn how to transform himself. He gained a human form, but that made people even more suspicious. So, he usually went around in his natural fox form, on all fours.

He eventually came across Kuronue, a bat demon who aided him in gaining the reputation of a thief. After he died, the fox traveled alone and sad for many years, until he came across yet another demon sharing his interest in thievry, Yomi. The worked together, eventually gaining status and even a whole band of followers. But Yomi was hot-blooded and he eventually went against his leader's orders, so the fox sent a hitman out on him. He never did find out if he died or not...

Many years past, and all of the rest of his followers were killed in battles. Kurama traveled a while more, with no real goal. On this journey he met Yusuke, ancestor and son of the great Raizen. They became fast friends, especially after learning he was of half-blood, something strictly forbidden. The fox had a fettish for those with interesting lives...

And then he met Hiei. One of Yusuke's old helpers came back from his bath in the river holding what was thought to be an old rag. It was something quite different. A baby. A small baby, less than a day old, was wrapped up in those rags. I suggested we just discard the thing, but then he looked closer. And to his and mostly my own surprise, that baby was holding a hirueseki on a string. And not just any hirueseki, the kind that is only given to daughters by their mothers. It was a precious jewel only found on the glaicier of the Koorime. But why did a baby have it? (a baby boy, as we later found out)

Yusuke had a weakness in good mysteries, so he kept the boy, and raised him. We named him after his abilitly to run fast like a shadow, Hiei. And Hiei grew up into a very strong demon. He told us of why he had things he normaly wouldn't. He was half-koorime, half hiyoukai. An interesting combination, indeed. And being as I was, I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

We became best friends, despite his inablitity to hold conversation without grunting or killing the other half of that discussion. And our bond grew, deeper than even I had expected, and we became lovers. We were happy, I have to admit that. And it was I, and only I, who was able to make Hiei come out of his secluded shell, if only a little bit.

And during a a small excursion, I found myself running for my life in my fox form. Running from a bounty hunter, who wanted me dead for the prize money. I evaded him, but not without injury. I was shot, and my enery levels went dramaticly down, down to the point I could have been mistaked for a human. I was forced to change into my human form until I got my power back. I was worried, mostly for Hiei's opinion of this. But it was surprisingly pleasing. Hiei was understanding and caring even. It made me suspicoius at first, but I thought it best to let it be. Our relationship went on as normal, more shock for me. I never would have thought he wouldn't mind sharing intimacy with a creature even remotely resembling a human. But as he, himself once said:

"Of course I don't mind. In fact, I think it's in my genes. My mother did the same thing even when it was strictly forbidden. I just find it ironic, is all..."

I took those words to heart.

And then, that day happened... My power hadn't gone back up as I had hoped. I came back home one day, and Hiei betrayed me. He yelled at me and even hit me. It had always been a distant thought that maybe he would eventually grow tired of my weakness. I just grew arrogant enough to belive it would never happen. So, I left. Left for five years in misery and hate. And yet I still didn't change back...

Kurama sat up in his vine bed, staring at his lap. And then I got thrown in jail, and met Hiei once more... He laughed to himself. He remembered distantly his vow to kill the bastard if he ever met him again. He had thought that reunion would fuel his hate enough for him to kille the fire child, but...

He was met with other feelings instead. Kurama closed his eyes. Kurama, you're pathetic... He slumped back down onto the bed, with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling made of greenery. His thoughts went to the first girl he met yesterday. He was met with that odd feeling again. She said Hiei treats her nice... So, when I'm got, he plays, huh? But... There's something about her I now I've seen before... He thought hard on the girls looks. His thoughts eventually led him to her red eyes... Red eyes...

"I remember the elder who ordered me out mentioning I had a sister..."

Kurama sat up straight and covered his mouth with his hand. That's it! It has to be! She's almost the same height as Hiei... They even have the same shape... Why didn't I see this before? Soon, Kurama felt himself blushing over the fact he had thought Hiei was fond of Yukina.

He later got out of bed and walked outside to see Yusuke and Mukuro training in front of the compound, "Hey, where're you going?" Yusuke asked as they paused their fight.

"Out to buy some new clothes. This rag is all I have left," Kurama answered truthfully, smiling.

"That's just like you...," Yusuke mumbled to himself.

"Do you even have money to buy these clothes?" Mukuro asked.

Kurama looked to the side and smirked, "No... But who says I have to have money when starting out on a journey, hm?" he waved and ran off.

"He really is the legendary youko...," Mukuro acknowledged with a sweatdrop. She continued her fight with the hanyou.

Kurama walked along the path leading out to the nearest market humming a song he had learning when he was a child. He puased when he felt a familiar presense nearby, "Hiei again..."

"You don't sound very pleased that I'm here," the hiyoukai's voice said mockingly. Kurama looked up into the tree the voice came from, and Hiei jumped out of it, and stepped toward the fox, until only three feet seperated them.

"What do want?" the fox wasn't happy.

Hiei stared at him for a while, then said, "I wanna go with you."

"Wha-?"

BADPLACETOSTOP

Yay, hope you enjoyed this!