A/N: Just to tell you all, no, I am not dead, and my computer has offically died (I'm on my grandma's) Sorry for such a late update, my other fanfiction has been demanding my attention (well, the reviewers) but I have been writing this one out by hand.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Youko…

After a few hours of walking, Youko was getting more than a little impatient. Kuronue was walking silently behind him while Ryouta took his humble time through the streets.

"Where exactly are you taking us?" Youko broke the silence.

Ryouta casually shrugged, "A thief's guild, one of the bigger ones in the area."

Kuronue picked up his pace; he didn't want to be left out of this conversation.

The silver kitsune refrained from sighing, "What exactly is a thieves guild?"

Stopping, Ryouta turned to eye the boys, "A thieves guild is simply a place were thieves commute for a number of reasons; food, shelter, business, training…just about anything."

Turning to eye Kuronue more directly, he continued, "As a thief, you will develop a reputation in the outside world, people will most likely put bounties on your heads…"

He turned to Youko, "In a nutshell, the thieves' guild is a sanctuary for thieves, they are all under ground organizations set up by fellow thieves." Grinning, Ryouta shut his eyes and finished with, "They are the safest place were a thief doesn't have to have his or her guard up one-hundred percent all the time, but it is unadvised to let it completely down." He opened his cold eyes, "You never know when you night end up with a knife in your back."

Ryouta starred hard into both of their eyes.

Neither of them seemed to be phased at all.

Ryouta offered a small grin, "Let us continue, I would like to get there before dark."

They started off again at a steady pace. Kuronue was now walking right beside Youko Kurama.

"You sure you want to follow, Kuronue?" Youko said in a lower voice, not really wanting Ryouta to hear.

"Yes…" Kuronue clutched his pendent and had his eyes downcast. "I have a question for you, Kurama."

Youko's ears perked up, "Yeah?"

Keeping his eyes dejected, his hand fell onto his scimitar, "Exactly why are you doing this? Revenge? Is that it?

Kurama smiled, Kuronue must be was referring to the incident with his father.

The kitsune patted the bat youkai's shoulder, "No, I cannot change what has already happened, I…" He dropped his hand and starred ahead to the horizon-line, taking in the colors before the distant sun set.

"I…I'm really not sure why yet."

Kuronue raised an eyebrow.

Youko didn't miss the look, "Well, what's your reason? To just follow me? Make sure your 'brother' doesn't get hurt?"

Kuronue smiled slightly, "That's some of it, and I really went through some deep thinking the last few hours." He started fidgeting with his pendent again.

The kitsune urged him on, "And?"

Kuronue sighed, ready to bear his thoughts, "Well, one reason is you're really the only family I have, after I saw Shanu's…" He trailed off, "I lost most of the respect I ever had for her."

Youko Kurama had nothing to say about that little matter, "And?

Kuronue let out a small snort, "Well, I've been thinking, all those times we raided stores for good fun, all the acting, all the rewards…I enjoy the thrill."

The silver fox stopped, causing Kuronue to stop as well.

"What if the thrill gets old? What then, what's the purpose."

Kuronue turned calmly on the silver-haired youkai, "You're asking me this? At least I know why I'm going."

Youko noticed Ryouta hadn't stopped, either ignoring or not knowing they had stopped.

Youko's golden eyes met Kuronue's purplish-blue ones, he stated, "You may have a reason, Kuronue." He moved his hand to his heart, "But I feel something, there is a reason, I just don't know what yet."

Kuronue stared him down for a minute, and then let his eyes soften. He walked back to Youko a gave him a brotherly tap on the back, urging him to keep walking, "That's good enough, I'm sure it will come to you."

Golden eyes playful glanced at Kuronue, "Thank you."

It had been another hour of walking. They went through a forest with some odd moving figures in the dark when they finally came to a town.

"We are almost there." Ryouta announced.

Youko Kurama and Kuronue looked around the town, it was…

different.

There were no freighting noises in the dark, no fellow youkai screaming in the shadows. It was…structured.

Kuronue leaned towards Youko to whisper, "For a place that thieves hand around, it looks like the law of some lord is pretty well enforced here."

Kurama nodded, "I agree." He took in the scent of the town. "Clean…and we are walking on cobblestone or something."

Most of the towns in the Mekai were unpaved and parlous.

The hushed whisperings was interrupted by Ryouta.

"We are here."

A/N; I'm having so much fun with this (Big grin)

Doomschneider: Yes! I did forget that I put that in chapter two…and that is saved on my dead computer…darn, I will fix that as soon as it is up and running again. Don't feel bad about giving all the tips, it makes me a better writer, and I appreciate it soooo much! (You are my fav. Reviewer, because you actually give me advice and heads up about some words I tend to skip over, In my other fanfiction I have 87 reviews and only my friend gives me advice, so your input is valued very much!) Keep it up!