Dear Readers,

Read and review… nothing more to say at the moment… hungry though…

Love,

Wolf Princess Aya

Lasting Memories

"Well?" Botan smiled at the now horrified prince, "what's with the necklace? Got a fashion statement going on, or something?" The price stared at her blankly. 'What do I do?'

'Refuse to tell her,' a little voice (Youko if you haven't noticed) in his head hissed. 'You're allowed to not answer, you'll just have to answer two other questions in its place.'

'But they could be worse questions,' another voice argued. 'Besides… Don't you trust her?'

'She'll hate you.'

'No she won't!'

'Anyone would!'

'Not her!' As the two voices argued continuously, Kurama just stared blankly into Botan's candy eyes.

"Are you okay, Kurama?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

He wanted to tell her.

He needed to tell someone.

Get out his feelings.

But what if he scared her?

She'd think him a freak!

But. . .

'Tell her!'

'No! Don't, you idiot!'

"Kurama?" Botan asked, now worried. "Talk to me. . ."

". . . Okay."

'You idiot!'

'Yes!' And the two voices disappeared, leaving Kurama totally alone to get through this. The prince sighed and leaned back against the tree trunk, tugging gently on his mane with one hand, the other fiddling with the rose.

"I guess I have to start with a little family history." Botan looked confused, but didn't say anything.

"I guess you and I are sort of alike. We both had wandering fathers, so to speak. My father met a woman a while back, a woman that he shared a trait with. They were both . . . both demons." Botan's eyes widened. The king was a DEMON?

"Please don't tell anyone," Kurama mumbled as he pulled at the grass, looking away, "he's not a bad demon, he just is one. . ." Botan nodded.

"Of course not." Just picturing the kind of chaos that would befall the palace if anyone was to find out was- well- unthinkable.

"Well, together they had a son. My half brother Riyouko (made up). Then my father met my mother. He divorced his old wife. However, he gave her half the kingdom, the Western side of it, for her and Riyouko to rule. If she ever got remarried, I never found out."

". . . You've got a brother? Is he nice?" The prince laughed a cold laugh from Youko.

"I'm on better terms with Riku, and then I am with Riyouko." That was saying something. Botan had seen them walk next to each other in the halls, and at meals.

Not pleasant.

"Intense rivalry?"

"You could say so. He thinks he's better then me because he's full demon. Or maybe he just wants my half of the kingdom. I don't know, Botan. Whatever the reason, we tend to not get along."

'Kinda like me and Hari. . .' "I understand. But what about the necklace?" she asked, gesturing towards the cap again. "How does all this fit together?" The prince sighed, looking out over the small crystal lake.

He couldn't do it.

She'd hate him.

She'd be scared.

He bit his lip and didn't reply.

"Well?" Botan asked, tugging gently at his hair. "Please tell me?" He shot her a brief glance out of the corner of his eye.

"What are you hiding?" she whispered, her eyes full of concern. "You can tell me anything." She looked almost hurt. "You know that, right?"

He swallowed. ". . .""Please?" she asked one more time, looking into his eyes with wide, innocent, pleading orbs. He couldn't take it any longer; they were irresistible.

With one fluid movement, he took off his necklace, put it in his lap, crossed his arms to brace himself and looked anywhere but at Botan.

Bright light covered the area and as Botan slowly opened her lavender eyes, Kurama had changed into a fox demon with silver, silky hair and amber eyes.

'She hates me. . . I scare her. . .' he thought sadly as the silent minutes full of Botan's wide eyed staring passed by.

Suddenly-

He felt a hand on his head and movement behind his fox ears.

She was scratching them. He couldn't believe it.

'Gods that feels good,' he thought, trying and failing not to melt. A deep rumbling purr filled the area as Kurama gave in to his 'melting'.

"I'm sorry," Botan whispered as she scratched his ears, "that you've had to hide who you are for so long. . ."

"It's as much your fault as it is my fault for your mother dying," the prince replied, eyes shut as he enjoyed the scratching.

"Yeah. . ." the maid replied, a small smile on her face."You're right."

"Course I am."

"Shut up." Youko grinned as his mind took over the shared body.

"Ditz."

"Thank you." They smiled at each other and Botan put her hand to her side. He secretly wished she would continue, but didn't say anything.

". . . Why were you so afraid to tell me?" Botan asked a few moments later, as Kurama put his hat back on.

". . . I thought it would scare you. I thought you would hate me," he muttered, pulling at the grass again.

"Why would I hate you, for something as cute as your ears?" she smiled, taking off his necklace that he had put back on so his ears showed. "Keep this stupid thing off."

"I can't. Father ordered that I always where it in the castle."

"Well, we're not in the castle, now, are we, silly?" He opened his mouth to argue, but it was pointless. She had his necklace, and he knew by the look on her face and the smirk on her lips that he wasn't going to get it back. Actually, he found he didn't want it back. He hated that blasted thing. But he wasn't about to tell her that, and let her win the argument. " As you wish."

"I will thank you." He smiled a small smile and looked up at the clouds while Botan made another flower chain.

"Would she hate me?" he asked after a few moments of cloud watching.

"Who?" Botan replied, not looking up as she continued to work on the flowers.

"Hari. Would she hate me if I told her . . . you know, about my ears and all? Would she love me anymore?"

Botan sucked in her breath quietly. Putting down her chain and standing up, Botan brushed off her dress and leaned against the tree.

"Kurama, when you love someone, you should love them for who they are, not their appearance. When you love someone, you accept them, no matter what." She smiled a soft smile down at him as he looked up at her. "That's how love works."

With that, she placed his emerald necklace next to his delicate rose, scratched him behind the ears one more time, and headed inside, smiling contently.

'No matter what. . .'

Kurama watched her leave, his head full of thoughts.

Would Hari accept him as readily as Botan?

Would ANYONE accept him as readily as Botan?

One of the reasons his and Riku's friendship turned foul- apart from that girl, Sonya, or whatever her name was- was Riku's discovery of Kurama's ears. Sighing, the prince flopped back on the grass and stared up into the clouds.

They had been playing tag. Riku had been 'it'. While running, Riku tripped and ran into Kurama, knocking him to the ground and his hat off his head.

This revealed his ears.

Well, Riku didn't take it too well. Running and screaming like a mad man, the little cook-in-training high tailed it back to the kitchens.

The only thing that kept him silent was the king himself threatening the little boy that if he ever told anyone, he would be out of a job. So Riku stayed silent, and mostly away from Kurama.

Except to occasionally heckle him about random, stupid things. Like girls. And his manners. And things like that.

Sitting up and deciding that he should best get back to the castle as well, the prince placed his hat firmly back on his head, got up, and headed back inside, thoughts swirling inside his mind.

But one thought shone out the others.

She didn't hate him.

And at the moment, that was enough to make him smile.

Thanks for all the reviews everyone!

Aya-chan