You're still alive!

Shuichi returned to his bedroom curious of what he had felt. ' Could that really have been Kuronue? Is it possible that he isn't dead after all?' The young boy laid back on his bed and closed his eyes and relived the moments leading up to his partner's death.

Yoko turned around noticed that Kuronue wasn't behind him anymore. " KURONUE!" Yoko shouted.

" I need it!" Kuronue shouted back. He retrieved his pendent in his hand and before he got a chance to run back to Yoko… bamboo sticks came down and struck him.

Yoko's eyes widened in shock. " NO KURONUE!" Kuronue was in lots of pain and losing lots of blood fast.

Shuichi shook his head. ' No I saw it happen. Kuronue died that day.' Shuichi sat up and looked out the window. The rain was pouring down. ' Why don't I believe it?'

Suddenly there was a knocking on the door. " Shuichi… some friends are here to see you." His mother's voice came from behind the door.

" Let them in mother." Shuichi said calmly.

As soon as Shiori opened the door, the rest of the spirit gang entered. Shuichi was looking out the window not regarding their entry.

" Well geez Kurama is that how you greet your friends?" Yusuke suddenly announced.

Kurama snapped out of him own world and turned to face Yusuke and the others. " Forgive my rudeness everyone. I have just been thinking about something that happened recently."

" And that was?" Yusuke was trying to bring out a more in depth insight to what actually happened.

" For an instant I thought I sensed a demon energy."

" DEMON ENERGY!" Kuwabara shouted.

Everyone in the room gave Kuwabara a look. " Be mindful, my mother is not yet aware that I am not human."

" Sorry about that, I forgot."

" How could you forget something that you didn't know. You're small sized brain couldn't comprehend this kind of thing." Hiei stated.

Kuwabara grabbed on to Hiei giving the dirtiest look he could muster. " You want some of this?"

Yusuke turned his attention from the two arguing friends he had and started to address Kurama again. " So details… was it a strong power or a weak one?"

Kurama turned his focus to Yusuke. " I'm not certain but the power I could sense was of strong origin…"

" How do you suppose a demon of that nature could appear here in the living world?" Hiei asked while now ignoring Kuwabara.

" My guess is that this demon or what ever or who ever this is has been here for some time. Keeping its power dormant, not to be discovered until now."

" So what exactly are we going to do about it?" Kuwabara questioned.

" I am headed that way tomorrow… I will try to learn as much as I can before acting. That is the most wise course of action."

" I would have to agree." Yusuke said, " Until we know what we are up against we will have to take it one step at a time."

Kuwabara looked at Yusuke with a look of surprise. " So you're finally using that brain of yours uh Urameshi?"

" It's only common sense… any man in his right mind could have figured that out." Hiei told Kuwabara.

" Then that is what we will do." Kurama said.

Shiori came up to Kurama's bedroom, knocking several times before entering. " Shuichi… I'm not disturbing you am I?"

" No not at all mother… come on in."

Shiori walked in his room giving warming smiles to all his friends. " I just wanted to let you know dinner was ready. If your friends want to join us they are more then welcome."

" Thank you very much for the invitation Mrs. Minamino." Kuwabara said.

Shiori smiled brightly at them. " Your very welcome Kuwabara. Any friends of Shuichi is welcome in my home."

' Well the normal ones.' Yusuke thought in the back of his mind.

The dinner bell went off and everyone followed Shiori downstairs. She had prepared a lovely looking turkey with olives and corn. The table was set for the five of them. Shiori even went to the trouble of serving them all dinner. When she sat down everyone had already started eating.

Shuichi looked back at his mother. " Do you need anything mother? A drink or an apple?"

" I'm fine dear. Don't worry so much about me. I can manage."

Yusuke cleared his throat politely for once and turned to Shiori. " So… Mrs. Minamino… how have you been feeling?"

" Much better…. I'm sure Shuichi already told you about the wedding preparations."

" Yes he did. Congratulations.."

" Thank you Yusuke."

Lucky for them the rest of dinner went uneventful. Shuichi cleaned up for his mother like a respectable man should. He turned to his mother. " Mother… I will walk my friends home."

" That would be nice Shuichi. Thank you. Have a safe trip home boys." Shiori said.

" I'm sure we will… thank you again." Kuwabara said.

Shuichi gave his mother a little kiss goodbye as he walked out with his friends. Shiori waved them off. When they were a good distance away Yusuke turned back to Kurama. " You weren't just planning to bring us home were you?"

" You know me well Yusuke." Kurama smiled, " I plan on visiting that area again. I have a hunch I know who it might be."

" You do?" Kuwabara asked.

" Yes. I believe it might be an old partner of mine… but I can't be certain as I have said."

" Then we will let you have your space if you need it." Yusuke said.

" I appreciate it. If it is him we have much to discuss." Kurama continued walking till he found Kuwabara's house.

" I guess this is where I'm off…" Kuwabara said. He turned around to face Kurama. " Listen… if you need me… you know how to reach me."

" Indeed I do. Goodnight Kuwabara."

Kuwabara watched as Kurama and the others walked off. ' I hope he knows what he's getting himself into.'

Kurama after some time got to Yusuke's. Yusuke turned to look at his demon friends. " Look… just be careful alright Kurama. Don't bit off more then you can chew."

" Sometimes you should take your own advice detective." Hiei said.

Kurama let out a small laugh. He too knew it was right but he wasn't going to say anything. " I promise you I will be all right on my own."

" I trust you. You of all people know not to do something stupid. So I guess I'll run into you tomorrow. If you find out anything let me know."

Kurama nodded and started to walk off alone. Hiei jumped off into the trees as Yusuke had began his assent up the stairs.

Kurama soon found the alleyway he had taken before. The ex fox bandit felt around for any energies not finding any at first. Just before he was going to leave he noticed a cloud of smoke start to form. " It's been a while hasn't it."

" Who's that?" Kurama asked.

" Who is that? Is that what you say to your partner after all this time?" A dark clothed man came into site. His long hair was up in a ponytail and a red pendent was around his neck.

" Is that really you Kuronue?"

The figure came into the more lighted area. " Nice to see you again, Kurama."

" Kuronue… you're alive!"

To be continued…

Hey everyone. How was that? So we find out that Kuronue is alive after all this time. Wondering what happened to him after he was supposedly stuck down? Well you will have to wait till the next chapter. Sometimes I find it challenging to work with Kurama's character but that's a challenge I think I seem to enjoy. So please review. I will try to make this a chapter a day story… but with school coming up and so many other stories to work on… I don't know if I will be able to continue to do so. But well we see by next week what happens. Thanks again and please review. Till next time.

Trunks and goten