Chapter 5

Well, some seem to think a prequel would be a good idea, but I should write it after I finish this story, and that I will!

Okay, I guess I should go ahead and thank my reviewers,

So, thanks-

Witchlight of the South, and summonerofthesilverwolf.

And a special thanks to my regulars-

KyoHana, and kit-kit

Thank you all, and hope you enjoy the update!

"Yuusuke," Kurama acknowledged almost nervously.

"Fox." Was Yuusuke's curt reply. "Long time no see, how's show business?"

The Youko grimaced at the sharp sarcasm, and contempt clear in the Hanyou's voice, as did Botan; Hiei only sported a look of nonchalance.

"I take it you don't really care." Yuusuke rolled his eyes.

"No duh. Really, I'm just after an explanation, sense I didn't get one fourteen years ago," Yuusuke's eyes softened slightly as he said this, but his face remained apathetic.

"I suppose you would, but quite frankly I don't have one for you, or at least, I don't have one that is all that believable," Kurama replied shrugging.

"Just keep talking Fox." Why won't he call me by my first name? Kurama though to himself irritably, I couldn't have hurt him that much.

"Fine, I really don't have a choice, do I?" He didn't wait for a reply, but instead continued on. "Well you saw Ayumi-chan, or at least Kokushi and Kage did, she is the main reason I left; but this isn't going to be a story about how I fell in love and ran away so that I could be with her, this is much more complicated.

"I've actually known Ayumi-chan since high school, but I never actually spoke with her on a friendly bases. But after going to the same college, and eventually working together, we started to become friends, but only friends, and it remains that way 'til this day.

"After the incident, I quit going to work, and lost all contact with that life. I still lived at home, as you surely knew, with my ningen mother Shiori, and I did go out, but I really just dropped out of the flow of things."

"As we all did," Botan interrupted solemnly, this comment received three subconscious nods.

"Along with all of this, I quit talking to Ayumi-chan, so when I finally ran into her again after ten years, and she still looked almost exactly the same, I was surprised," Kurama continued nervously, he was getting close to a part he did not exactly enjoy.

"We talked for awhile, and it was then that I noticed a strange aura; it wasn't that I never paid any attention to her aura before, but it was never actually there. She seemed much different, her skin was paler and by her actions, she seemed to hate the sunlight about her.

"She remarked about how it looked like I had never aged a day, I did the same, both of us answered unsurely. She seemed to have noticed my youki and she began asking me questions only someone who had lived in Makai for many years would have known. I of course answered them to the best of my ability, it didn't take me long to figure out what she really was.

"She noticed my change in demeanor more quickly than I would have imagined, and ceased her stream of questions. She knew that I knew what she was, or more like what she had become: she was a daylight vampire, a rare breed of vampire, with very few attributes of their cousins.

"It was then that she explained her story, which I will not say at the moment, it's too long and has little to do with my explanation, and how she had known since high school that I was the legendary thief Youko Kurama." Kurama blushed slightly at the last part, he knew he must sound vain referring to himself as the 'legendary' thief, and it was obvious Yuusuke felt the same way, for he had rolled his eyes impatiently.

"She also told me how she knew about my wish to be able to bring forth my true self, my Youko half, at will, and how she could help, but she wanted something in return; she wanted me to go with her somewhere. I was extremely skeptical about the whole thing, but if there is one thing I've learned, vampires can be very persuasive, and she did convince me to come with her." Once again Botan saw it fit to interrupt.

"She kissed you didn't she?" The former ferry girl asked, actually it was more like a statement. Kurama was slightly caught off guard, and he nodded before he could stop himself. "That's what I figured, a vampire's kiss is a very wonderful, if not controlling, thing to experience. The 'victim' is filled with an unimaginable feeling of ecstasy, of great pleasure, that clouds the mind, and causes him or her to lose all control of their common sense. And knowing you Kurama, you were only half effected, and were aware of what was going on, but still didn't have complete control."

"How do you know all of that?" Yuusuke asked from the bed, surprised.

"I met some vampires whose souls had finally been released, and my curiosity caused me to ask a lot of questions," she explained this very quietly, and quickly.

"My thoughts began to careen, and soon they became pessimistic. Shiori was gone, and all I had left was my job as an unofficial Reikai onmistu, and a broken friendship with two other onmistus, so I foolishly agreed, her kiss didn't wear away until it was too late, and my train of though never did catch back up to me, until more recent years." Kurama took a breath and looked up to see what damage might have been done by his explanation, but none seemed apparent.

"You're wrong," Yuusuke began quietly, "I believe you, you never were one to lie to me, or anyone else, unless absolutely necessary. But I can't ignore the fact you left." His eyes had once again softened, and, slowly, they began to glisten with tears never to be shed. Quickly he rubbed the liquid away with his sleeve, and looked away. Kurama looked away from the Hanyou, ashamed he had caused so much pain in his friend, it seemed to him that he had hurt Yuusuke the worst of the three around him.

Kurama stood suddenly, walked over to the kyoushu (note1), and sat down beside him silently; Yuusuke turned his head slightly so that one eye could look at the kitsune.

"Look, Kage, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left, I realize that now, but you have to believe me when I say I needed to get away from life," Kurama said quietly after another moment of silence.

"Heh, you think you were the only one? We all wanted out, we all wanted to turn back time. You lost a lot, I'll give you that, but when we needed you most, you left!" Yuusuke hissed his anger once again returning. "You escaped a life where all you loved was torn from you. But we-," he gestured to the other two in the room, "we were left behind."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's notes-

Note one- Kyoushu means Assassin

Aha! I didn't end the story with someone's name! But I did, sadly, make this chapter short, so I must apologize for that. Anyways, I do have a couple of notes (other that the actual notes that are mentioned throughout the story) that I should add now.

Okay, some of you were wondering the coupling, well, even though I said I didn't know whom I wanted to pair together, I did know whom I was going to pair together from the beginning. I'm going to pair up Hiei and Yuusuke sense they are in fact my favorite coupling (other than the original Yuusuke and Keiko pairing). I apologize to you, KyoHana for not pairing Kurama and Hiei together, sense they seem to be you favorite couple, but I do believe this would make a great Hiei Yuusuke story, or maybe a good Kurama Yuusuke story… Hm…

Well until next update!

Catie-brie