Disclaimer: Youko Kurama is not mine. Yu Yu Hakusho is not mine, and Kuronue is not either. Leave me alone!

Chapter 1: The Rift

Fiery red splotches of lava were scattered randomly around Demon World, bubbling ominously, waiting for an unwary demon to wander too close. They made the ground around them unstable and frequently caused the earth to give way in large portions at a time. The soil surrounding these hell spots was barren from the extreme heat, which didn't permit any plant life to grow. This region was usually avoided, but some demons seek such thrills. Such as this demon…

"These get easier every time. There aren't even earthquakes anymore."

A younger demon hovered above one of the lava pits, his face crestfallen. It had been his fun to cross the lava grounds, though anymore they just sat, appearing dangerous to anyone who didn't visit the area often. That was a considerable amount of the demons in the Makai, most because they'd heard stories of the countless demons to fall to the lava's fiery wrath. It was stories such as these that had attracted the attention of the demon that now stood surveying the pits in disappointment.

"There has to be something around here that doesn't get dull." The demon brushed his silver bangs from his eyes and surveyed the lands around him; desolate, dried up earth in all directions. He groaned and took to the skies, searching for his comrade whom he'd left earlier. If he found something interesting in the meantime, he would check it out first. A sudden surge of demonic power sparked his interest, and he scanned the ground for its source. There was something enticing about that aura, something almost familiar…

"Kurama! Down here!" Another demon floated a few feet from the ground. He waved to his friend, who immediately flew over. "Anything good Kurama?"

"Nothing Kuronue. The lava's completely still, and there's nothing else in this region worth our interest." Kurama shrugged half-heartedly. The fox demon had been wandering Demon World for several hours without success, searching for something to keep him and his friend interested. They were thieves by trade, plundering the most unsuspecting demons before they could blink. But there was no one around that day, and thrill-seekers like themselves lose interest quickly.

"We could search around for travelers and give them a good scare." Kuronue scanned his friend's face for a spark of interest, though his amber eyes remained cold and indifferent. Kurama was one of the most famous thieves in the area, and everyone knew it. His lithe physique and hard eyes struck fear into everyone who saw him, and they were petrified long enough for him to rob them and slit their throats. His fox features gave him a strangely sinister look, intensified by his sharp fangs and claws. He was a demon meant to be feared.

"We've terrorized travelers many times Kuronue," Kurama told him in a scornful voice. It had been fun at first, attacking a traveler and leaving him stranded, but it didn't make up for the fact that the idea was very monotonous. They were professional thieves, not just run-of-the-mill bandits. They were after bigger things. "You know yourself no one travels through here besides us anyway, they all fear the lava pits."

Kuronue nodded with a slightly embarrassed shrug and glanced around, waiting for inspiration to strike. If he could figure out something to do in a desolate land like this, Kurama would really be impressed. "What if," he began slowly, "we went to see Hyoga? That shaman must have something interesting." Kuronue waited as his friend considered his notion then nodded his approval.

"Hyoga has quite a reputation as a shaman. He might have something to say."

Kurama took flight, and his friend followed suit, gliding over the empty lands of the lave pits for the less barren lands to the north. That was where Hyoga was usually found, traveling around in nothing more than a tent at times, spreading his witchcraft. He was a very curious demon, claiming he was the embodiment of shadow itself, and entertained old and young demons alike with his tales of other lands. Kurama had come to know him after mistaking the shaman for a weak traveler and attempting to plunder his belongings, only to have his hair and tail turn into snakes for his insolence. Since then he'd asked the sorcerer for advise many times, and listened to his tales of the land beyond the Makai, the Living World. This particular place captured the fox's curiosity and made him ever more aware of the world he lived in.

"Do you think Hyoga's learned anything new since we last went to see him?" Kuronue asked. They had gone on several occasions like this to the shaman, listening to stories and legends even he didn't know much about. It amazed Kuronue that a demon could learn so much about the other worlds out there, or if there even where other places after all. "That looks like him Kurama." Kuronue pointed to a figure in the far distance. The demons began their descent and landed smoothly on the ground nearby an erected tent of skins.

Kurama lifted the door-flap and poked his head inside, only to emerge with large ringlets growing from his nose. Kuronue chuckled and had to duck as the fox demon tried to behead him with his sharp claws. The flap of the tent lifted again, and both demons stopped their fighting in the shaman's presence.

"Youko Kurama, I have told you countless times that I would do that if you intruded on me." Hyoga waved his hand lazily in front of Kurama's face, and instantly the ringlets vanished. The shaman turned to Kuronue, who immediately snapped to attention, trying to appear as though he was a much more respectable demon that his companion. "And you, I have something already prepared for you if you don't heed me." Hyoga darkened his voice and pulled a strange looking object from inside his cloak, which he waved threateningly. "This doesn't fit nicely where it's intended to go."

Kuronue looked positively terrified at the thought of where the object could go and lowered his gaze to the ground. Hyoga was one of the strangest demons he'd ever met, and his mysterious voice still sent shivers down his spine. The sorcerer insisted on dressing in a solid purple robe, whatever the weather, and always wore a necklace of fangs. His clothing was adorned with different bones, all the same pearly white, and his eyes were edged in a mysterious paint he claimed made the dead able to see him.

"We came to hear if you've discovered anything new," Kurama spoke up quickly to spare his friend the embarrassment of finding out what the object did. He saw Hyoga's eyes light up, and the demon quickly beckoned them inside his tent. Kuronue followed Kurama and the sorcerer hesitantly into the weirdest dwelling he could remember. All around hung bones and shells for fortune telling. Different colored powders sat in bowls around a fire, which burned constantly. Kuronue reached out to feel a string of shells hanging near the door, but Kurama growled at him not to touch and seated himself by the fire.

"I have been speaking with the spirits," Hyoga began mysteriously. "They have told me many things about our world." Kurama's tail twitched excitedly and he shifted to get a better look at the old demon. Hyoga, noticing he'd entranced his audience, hastened to continue. "They speak of a rift between our world and the world beyond; the Living World."

"The Living World?" Kuronue interrupted, and his friend stomped on his foot to silence him.

"Yes. They say demons strong of will and determination shall be able to find this rift, and use it to enter the other world." Hyoga took a fistful of bluish powder from the bowl on his right and tossed it into the flames. The fire flared, changed to a deep navy by the mysterious powder. Kurama thought he could see images in the flames, though they shifted each time he tried to get a better look.

"How do demons find this rift?" Kuronue asked excitedly, and Kurama felt his friend had asked the first reasonable question of the day. Hyoga looked from demon to demon, taking them in turn in his mysterious gaze. Kuronue felt the shaman's eyes upon him and tried to return the stare, though he couldn't keep from blinking in the prolonged time and looked away. Kurama made eye contact with the demon and didn't break it until Hyoga looked back into the flames.

"Go to the place where the sun and earth combine. It is there that you will find this portal." Hyoga gave the demons one final glance before holding his hand over the fire, which returned to its original size and color. Kuronue had a far away look in his eyes, trying to envision a place where the sun and earth combined. His fox demon friend watched the fire dancing in the dark tent, his thoughts flowing freely with the flames. The fox demon had heard many tales from the old shaman, but this was the strangest yet. "How could the sun and earth combine?" he wondered to himself.

"Have I told you two something interesting?" Hyoga asked when neither demon said anything. He saw Kurama suddenly snap back to reality and the fox demon nodded, a smile forming on his lips.

"You've given us quite something to think about. Come on Kuronue." Kurama stood up and nudged his friend with his foot, who immediately rose and bowed to the demon. The fox gave Hyoga a final nod before exiting the tent, Kuronue in his wake.

"Will they have what it takes to find the rift?" Hyoga muttered to himself and dropped a pocketful of stones onto the ground, making careful note of how they landed. Kneeling to read the markings, he gasped and collected the rocks back into his robe with a sweep of his hand.

"So, are we going to see about that rift Hyoga mentioned?" Kuronue asked. He had watched Kurama fly around in circles for the past half-hour, lost in thought. Personally, Kuronue didn't think anything they'd been told would inspire such deep thought in his friend, though it was obvious from the expression on his face that the fox was thinking hard about what Hyoga had said. He watched, slightly annoyed, as his friend continued to float, ignoring him as though he'd never spoken. "Kurama? Are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here," Kurama snapped, and he landed on the ground next to his companion. "If you would do some thinking we just might be able to find this rift before next year."

Kuronue was taken aback by his friend's devotion and blinked for a few moments before being able to answer in a mild voice, "Okay, okay, don't freak out. What if we just did what Hyoga said and go to the place where the sun and earth combine?"

"And would you mind telling me where that is?" Kurama growled in the same tone that he used when addressing victims. "As you can plainly see, the sun is in the sky and we are standing on the ground. Now, if those two can combine, it would be most helpful if you could tell me where." The fox demon turned his back on his friend with a snarl. Kuronue could be worthless at times. He heard his friend rise and take a step toward him, but a growl rumbled in his chest and Kuronue stopped.

The setting sun was shot red like fresh blood, and it cast ill-proportioned shadows of the two demons in their heated argument. Kurama glanced down at his own shadow and nearly hit himself for being so stupid. "That's it!" He knelt down and ran his hand along the crouching shadow on the ground. "Where the sun and earth combine…it's the sunset!"

The light around them began to brighten until Kurama couldn't see Kuronue or his shadow, which had shrank until it was nearly non-existent. Blinking in the glare, he felt for the ground, but his hand groped air and he overbalanced in shock. Instead of hitting hard on the dirt, however, Kurama did a somersault and returned to an upright position. Shaking, he called for his friend, hoping Kuronue would answer from his side. There was no answering yell and the fox was actually beginning to feel scared when he felt the ground with his foot. Collapsing on the ground, Kurama tried to get a grip on himself, though the constant light was beginning to make him nervous, and it didn't help him to think. Just as he was cursing its existence, the light vanished, and Kurama found himself on the ground surrounded by grass.

"What just happened?" Kurama took a look around as his eyes adjusted to the sudden decrease in light. It was completely silent and he couldn't see anyone around. "Kuronue?" The fox pushed himself to his feet and stood to get his bearings. Where was Kuronue? He'd been right beside him when everything began to happen.

"This doesn't look like any region I've ever been in before," Kurama mumbled to himself. He took another quick glance around and was nearly hit in the head by a large volleyball. Ducking by only the quickest demon reflexes, the demon picked up the new object and turned it over in his hands. "Strange. What kind of creature is this?" He poked the ball and squeezed it between his palms, surprised by the sturdiness of the thing he had found.

"Hey, pass it here! Hey!" Kurama snapped to attention and saw two humans running toward him, both dressed in identical outfits. As they drew closer, he could just make out the words "Sarayashiki Jr. High Volleyball" embroidered on monograms on their shirts.

"Thanks for catching that," the nearest person said. Kurama just stared at him for a moment before understanding the guy was talking about the ball, which he quickly tossed to them. The two kids were gawking at something slightly above his head so they missed the ball entirely; it bounced off their legs and rolled a few yards before coming to a stop against a tree. "Are those real?" the other boy asked, and Kurama squirmed uncomfortably when he realized they were gazing at his ears.

"Uh…"

"Dude, that's so cool! Where'd you get them?" The two teens took a step toward Youko, who instinctively took one back. "Come on, they look totally rad. You've got to tell us!" One of the boys was close enough, and when Youko turned his attention to his partner, reached up and gave one of his fox ears a sharp tug.

"Ouch, you little urchin!" Youko snarled at the kid, exposing his sharp fangs. Both boys froze as the fox demon waved his claws in front of their eyes with a growl. "Get away from me before I kill you both for your ignorance!" The kids fled, stumbling in their haste. One looked back and Youko gave him a snarl for good measure.

"Insolent fools," Youko smirked. The satisfied smile slid from his face when it finally clicked what had happened. "They were human…" But humans couldn't enter Demon World. Youko took another look around and his heart skipped. He was in the human world!

(That's Yusuke and Kuwabara's school :D )