Inside the living room, Mads turns to Hiei, "Hiei, why does Reaper hate Kurama?"

Hiei shrugs, and another voice answers, "That's dangerous ground, elemental."

Turning, Mads sees Genkai sitting on the couch, "Then you know?"

Nodding Genkai replies "And why he hates her in turn."
"Well would you care to enlighten the rest of us, old hag?" Yusuke says, exasperated.

Genkai begins in a raspy voice, "It all started when she was first brought to me to train...

At the beginning of her 'career', Reaper was accredited for many deaths she had no part in because she was in training. During her training, no one from Tempest's followers could approach her, at Genkai's orders.

Back then she went by the name of Raven, a trend that didn't last long. She had no friends, always fearing that they would defy her sensei.

Walking back from the cliff that Genkai had had her training on today, Raven saw movement out of the corner of her eye as a boy around her age fell into step beside her.

She kept walking, subtly evaluating him. She knew him from the forest, running past there Raven had seen him with three other boys. His long red hair, green eyes, and tall stature had set him off from the rest right away.

A gust of wind sent the scent of roses greeting her nose.
"You're Genkai's new student, are you not?"

Glancing over, Raven nodded silently in answer to the boy's question.

Turning backwards, and halting, he held out his hand, "I am Kurama."

Staring down at Kurama's palm, Raven shakes her head, "I'm busy."

She continued walking, eyes narrowing as the boy easily caught up, "That's okay. I'll walk you."

"From that day, he made it a point to meet her coming from her training everyday and walk her back."

Grimm interrupted, "Wait, Reaper didn't threaten him, or anything?"

Smiling reminiscently, Genkai continued, "Oh, at first she tried to drive him off. But in the end he had managed to break through."

Before, Raven had always had plenty of friends, and loneliness was the furthest thing from her. But now, alone was her reality, and when the boy, Kurama, had offered her a friendship, she was too tempted to say no.

But her reputation as an assassin had been built, though she was in no way the person carrying out the deeds. Tempest's men had found her penchant for scythes, and mimicked her fighting style as a way to accomplish the killings, earning her the nickname of Reaper.

Weeks had gone by since Raven had last spoken with Kurama, and his visits were becoming less and less frequent.

In truth, had anyone else been looking on as the two met in the past months, they would have been able to see how the friendship had already rapidly evolved into something more.

Kurama's light flushes at the sound of his companion's laughter gave his inner thoughts away to all but Raven, whose laughter was in itself a rare event, only brought on by his presence.

If anything, there was no one really closer to the young assassin, and she in turn, to him.

But a shadow would soon have fallen over the young pair, had either truly known the parts of the other kept in shadows. Kurama, as a spirit detective, was kept away for days time, his thoughts often occupied by the threat of a new demon, this killer known as Reaper. And as for Raven, her eyes would often cloud as she thought of what was being done in her name, and of the things she had begun to carry out, and of the sudden awareness of her presence from the authorities of Spirit World.

Raven was once again following the familiar path to Genkai's, secretly hoping that her friend would be waiting for her. A shadow of a person leaning against a tree fell over the mossy ground, causing her head to jerk up. Raven's brown eyes, now streaked with green, widened in alarm as Raja grinned lazily down at her.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Raven stepped back on the path. As Raja pushed off from the tree, another shadow leaped down from the branches, cutting the Puppet Master off from the girl.

Raven's hand twitched as she suppressed the urge to reach for her signature scyth, knowing that its very presence could make her one friend aware of what she truly was. Kurama's glare stopped Raja in his tracks.

Thoughts spinning, Raven tried thinking of a way to get Kurama away safely. Raja, however, had no intention of hurting him... Physically, that is.

"Ahh, one of the infamous Spirit detectives." Raja's lazy smirk widened at Raven's gasp.

Knowing full well many demons' adherence to the title, Kurama's head turned, as he saw his friend twist away, her face twisted with an unintelligible emotion.

A spirit detective! How could he not have known? He couldn't... Oh, but my little Catalyst, do you really think that someone like HIM would truly have a genuine interest in someone like YOU?

Raven's face settled into a cold mask, one that would in the future grace her features more than not. Turning completely, Kurama made a move to grab her as she stepped back rapidly.

But Raja was far from done, "Ah, but little Cat, there's no need to play with the mouse any longer. He's been distracted long enough."

A flash of horror flitted in her eyes, as Kurama's face contorted with confusion.

The spirit detective glanced down at the sheathed scythe on which Raven's hand was resting, and realization and betrayal dawned on his face.

Kurama's voice came out as barely more than a whisper, "Reaper?"

The malicious smile distracted him from the pain in her eyes, as she leapt up, and darted through the trees out of sight, Raja's cold laughter ringing out through the night behind her.

"Wow."
Mads fists were clenched, as she stared down at the floor. The others look at her, as she thrusts her chin up, and they see the tears threatening to slide down her cheeks, "You--You're telling us that they were in love, and Raja deceived them so they would believe that the other played them for a fool?"
Mads's chin thrust out stubbornly, and she pumped her fist into the air, "With everyone in the room as my witness, I WILL HELP THEM DISCOVER THEIR LOVE AGAIN!"

A loud thump was heard over Grimm's "Yeah!"

The group turned to find Kuwabara twitching on the floor, "Mads... playing matchmaker to Reaper?"

Reaper had gotten as far as outside before her eyes had regained their green sheen. Se had let the kitsune trick her once before, and despite herself, she had almost let him do it again.

A slow smirk played across her face as she remembered the ending to the scene in the hallway. This time, she had gotten the last laugh.

A frown flitted across her features. Laugh. The last time she had laughed, and meant it, was with him...

Shaking her head furiously to clear the thought, she ran into someone.

Kurama grabbed her around the waist, "That would be the second time you've given me the slip, Raven."

Cursing mentally, Reaper tried to step back, "That's not my name, kitsune."

A cold glint appeared in his eyes, "Ah, yes. That was a lie too. Just like the time we spent--"
"That wasn't my lie, detective. Do you honestly expect me to believe you were genuinely interested in the solitary student?"

His green eyes narrowed, "Never once in that time do I lie to you."

A flicker of doubt flashed in Reaper's eyes even as she spoke, "Oh, and you were completely honest for half a year?"
"If I recall correctly, Reaper, you were the one using me."
Her laughter rang out, completely devoid of warmth, "Oh how wrong you are. You honestly think that that low level imbecile was being honest?"

His eyes narrowed, "You seem to."

The malicious smirk slid off Reaper's face. She remembered that half year so vividly.

Kurama's eyes searched hers, as they grew to an amber color, "Your eyes are changing brown."
Her voice shaking, she pulled a step away, "They won't stay that way for long, Kurama."

She walked past him, halting as he turned and wrapped his arms around her waist (gosh, Kurama's been getting awful frisky lately... sees angry readers glaring... Ah..hah..ha..hah? Okay... tough crowd).

"Raven-Chan..." He whispered the old nickname as he nuzzled her neck, "I waited for you for hours that day. I was there everyday, to watch you home."

Raven leaned back, into his arms, "I waited for you in that spot everyday for hours, and you never showed."

She felt him smile just below her ear, "Genkai didn't want me distracting you from training."

Turning, Raven looked up at him, smiling, "You were too quiet to be a distraction."

Leaning down, Kurama whispered softly as their noses touched, "You were always such a distraction for me."

And she laughed.

Pulling her closely, Kurama's lips met with Raven's, as they others stood watching from the upstairs window.

Yusuke smirked, "So much for you playing Cupid, huh Mads?"

The others laughed, not noticing as Tier's hands slowly clenched into fists as he glowered down at the young pair.