Dear Readers,

Ever get that sore feeling in your back after you've just slept… That's how I felt this morning… Ow!

Love,

Wolf Princess Aya

Lasting Memories

"All right, it's your turn," Botan smiled down at Kurama the next morning. They sat in their tree in the garden, as usual, Botan swinging her legs from a branch and Kurama leaning back on the trunk. Botan was making a flower chain with the tree's pink blossoms, and Kurama was playing with a very familiar red rose.

"Let's see," Kurama said thoughtfully fingered his rose's delicate petals. "Do you prefer cats or dogs as pets?"

"Hmmm, dogs but I like foxes better," Botan replied after a moment of thought, flicking a few flowers down at the prince, who brushed them off his head instinctively. "My turn. Let's see. . ." Kurama looked up at her as she thoughtfully connected the fragrant pink blossoms.

"If you had a choice between being a- um- bird or a frog, which would you be?"

The prince laughed. "That was only the most ridiculous question ever."

"Hey, I'm running low on ideas at the moment!" Botan defended herself, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Ditz," he grinned at her.

"You know it!" she giggled back. "Now answer the question."

"I suppose I'd prefer to be a bird. Flying would be fun."

"Wouldn't you prefer to hop?"

"Not particularly." Botan grinned and leapt gracefully down to sit beside him.

"Me either.""My turn again," Kurama smiled as he looked to the sky, trying to think up a question. His eyes glanced over towards the palace, where he knew Yusuke was showing Sayo and Maya around. Poor guy; Kurama always felt guilty about leaving his friend behind.

"What relation are you to Sayo, Maya, and Hari?" he asked a moment later, not able to think of any other question.

Botan looked down, and fingered her chain. ". . ."

"Are you okay?" Kurama asked; his brow furrowed as he looked up at the silent Botan.

"Fine. . ." she whispered, before clearing her throat."Let's see. Well, my father first met Sayo when they were in their early twenties, and together they had Hari."

"But what about you?" Kurama asked, taking a strand of flowers from Botan and braiding it into her hair. The gesture surprised her- and him- but neither said anything.

"I wasn't born yet."

The prince looked curiously at Botan. "Excuse me?"

"Let me finish. So they had Hari. When Hari was 2, my father met my mother and fell in love with her. He left Sayo." This was not the sort of answer he had been expecting when he asked this question, and he was now listening intently as he braided Botan's hair.

"Sayo, furious, married the next man she saw and together they had Maya. Right after her birth, I was born, and my mother died in labor with me."

"I'm sorry. . ."

"Why? It wasn't your fault," Botan sighed. It was odd. Reliving painful family history mixed with the happiness of having the prince's hands in her hair was giving her mood swings she was having a hard time controlling.

"Anyway, Sayo heard the news about my mother dying, and went to visit him to 'cheer him up,' but it was more for rubbing her death in his face." Kurama couldn't think of anything to say to this and simply tied the braid with a small petal of his red rose.

"Well, they 'fell in love' again. So Sayo left her husband and they got re- married." Kurama couldn't think of anything to say.

"So now you know. Hari is my half sister, while Sayo and Maya are my step family. Fun," she added dryly, taking a strand of flowers and wrapping it around the silent Kurama's hat. "Are you okay?"

The prince looked at her blankly. "You don't mind being a maid for your family?" Botan shrugged. What could she say? She hated it, but if she told him this, Hari would kill her.

"I'll live." Kurama processed this information.

"They don't beat you, do they?"

"That's more questions then allowed," she smiled, trying to avoid the topic. He noticed this, but couldn't break the rules.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," she smiled as she patted his hair, which was now trimmed in flowers, gently. "Now . . . why do you wear that necklace all the time?"

"Oh! Vizier Yusuke!" Maya squealed, tugging annoyingly on Yusuke's sleeve. "Where does this door lead to?"

"The broom closet," Yusuke replied dryly, not even looking over.

"Wow! Can we go check it out?" she asked in what must have been an attempt at a flirtatious voice.

"No."

"Hurry along, you two love birds," Sayo grinned.

'Someone kill me now,' Yusuke thought as he showed Sayo and Maya around the palace, in a constant monotone. 'Please.'

Thanks for all the review everyone!

Just to update everyone, please help me on where I should put Hiei. Should I put him in the past or later in the story for a visit or should they be cousins? Just send in the review peoples and that's all!

Arigato again!

Aya-chan