Kurama sighed. Just thinking about her brought back the uncomfortable lump in his throat. Yusuke noticed his friend's sigh and glanced sidelong at him.

"You okay, Kurama? You're acting real weird all of a sudden."

"I'm sorry." Kurama paused, then spoke again. "It's just the place we're traveling to, this event, brings back memories of my life as Yoko Kurama. As you mentioned to me earlier, Hiei, this is indeed where I found my mate." Kurama looked down.

"You had a WIFE?" Kuwabara was incredulous.

"Why so surprised? The only really surprising thing would be you getting a wife, Kuwabara." Hiei scoffed

"She'd have to be blind...." Yusuke laughed. "But yeah, I am surprised. You really had a wife, Fox-Boy?"

"No, a mate. It's a bond much stronger than a human's marital promise. While you would say 'Til death do us part', mates wouldn't seek another if one had died. Even in my human form, I feel no need to pursue someone else. Memories of her will sustain me until we meet again, in perhaps the land of the Dead. But I really couldn't say, I know not if she's dead or still alive. Understand?"

They all nodded silently.

"What was she like? Your mate?" Kuwabara pensively scratched his nose.

Kurama smiled. "Imagine the most perfect woman. Double that, and that was what she was like. A merciless killer, incredible wit. She kept me guessing about everything except her loyalty. And what a fighter!" Kurama's smile faded slightly. "And when my partner, Yomi, died, she was my only comfort."

The others stayed silent.

Kurama returned to his thoughts.

Yoko had just returned home from disposing of a traitorous member of their band, when he noticed the lights were out. A panic gripped his heart.

'Where is she?' He had thought wildly, but, upon smelling her comforting scent, he had relaxed. "Emiko?"

She rounded the corner and flew into his arms. "Yoko, please!"

"What, heart?"

She had squirmed away from him. "Don't call me that!"

"Why not?" Yoko took hold of her forearms and gently pulled her into him, enjoying their closeness.

"Because-Oh, Yoko-do you really love me?"

He was taken back. "Why must you ask? I love you, heart and soul!"

Emiko nuzzled towards him. "Then how come- I mean, I've hinting at it for weeks!"

Realization dawned on him. "You want to be my mate."

She nodded happily, hesitently, wanting his approval. He took ahold of her shoulders, and suddenly shoved her backwards and down. Falling to his knees and straddling her, Yoko ripped off her tunic, exposing her in only her under-tunic. He leaned in, and bit her savagely on the right shoulder as hard as he could, blood rushing into his mouth. This he spat out, and, wiping his mouth, Yoko gazed at Emiko's shining face. It was wet with tears, partly from the pain, but mostly from joy. The scars from his teeth would mark her forever as his.

After meeting in a gentle kiss, Emiko leaned up and whispered into his silver fox ear. "Yoko, I love you."

He smiled gently, rubbing her smooth stomach, loving the solid feel of her muscle, and the warmth of her flesh. "I love you too, my dear, dear, heart."

Then he had slid off her under tunic, and leaned in-

The car stopped, jolting Kurama back to reality. He caught himself from sighing again. Only four short, bittersweet years passed after they had mated, when Emiko's father's demon trackers found their dwelling.

Yoko's system of watchful spies had alerted him while the mob of pursuers were still a good mile and a half away. But these demons were built for speedy tracking, and Yoko and his mate would very soon be discovered. Yoko would be executed, and Emiko would either commit suicide, or be forced into wedlock as her father's original plan.

So they had fled, taking nothing except one another. But their flight was short-lived; they reached the boundries of Demon World, and teetered on the edge of the Human World. In their fleetest forms, that of Spirit Foxes, Yoko had turned to his mate.

"I won't let them take you. If we die, I'll find you, no matter where you are, or how long it takes!" Yoko had nuzzled Emiko gently. She butted his nose away.

"I won't let them hurt you, Yoko." Emiko moved in front of him, towards the triumphant yells of the ever nearing trackers.

"Emiko-"

"Yoko, remember what you said just now!" Emiko nuzzled him briefly. "Remember me!"

"Emiko-!"

But she had rammed him head on, knocking him into the Human World. He had fallen, then regained balence just as he plummeted towards a pregnant human female, a Mrs. Minamino. There was no time to swerve.

Kurama bowed his head as the car pulled to a stop in front of the large old castle. Yusuke nudged him.

"Hmm?"

"You gonna be okay, champ?"

Kurama smiled thinly at Yusuke's use of the same name he had called Kurama after his odd loss to the late Karosu at the Dark Tournement Finals. "I'll be fine."

"Y'sure?"

"Yusuke, I've faced demons outside. Now it's time to face my demons on the inside."

Yusuke still looked unsure, but shrugged and piled out of the car anyways. Kurama shook himself mentally, then followed suit.