Sweat trickled down his brow and Hiei clenched his eyes closed, willing the ache of his injured leg to subside as he struggled to walk alongside Kurama. Each time Hiei winced, Kurama would slow his pace slightly to accommodate him. After a time they reached the towering castle of Crimson. It looked much older up close. Moss covered the wall surrounding the inner courtyard and the stone was well weathered and chipped in various places. The castle itself seemed to sigh as they approached. The same gentle breeze blew at their backs, nudging them forward.

Hiei let go of his aide and pressed his palms against the base of the nearest statue. Each stone structure was at least four times the size of the teen. Kurama watched him with interest as he followed the edges of the stone gargoyle with his fingers. Hiei closed his eyes and traced the lettering at the base.

Kurama could only watch him curiously, wondering if he was reading what was written with merely his touch. Hiei smiled and turned to the redhead. "It's not English." He said, ruby eyes glinting excitedly.

Kurama raised an eyebrow. He had never taken an interest in what the gargoyles of Crimson Castle had to say. Nor did he notice there was any writing in the stone at the base of the old guardians.

Hiei circled the stone giant, examining it from all angles. "This has to be over a century old! This place in incredible. Just look at the way the stone leans to the right. As if some giant came over and gave it a shove." Hiei moved towards the entrance to the castle, albeit clumsily, face turned upward, taking in the sight with wide eyes. Kurama followed behind, hands in his pockets. There was something very genuine about Hiei and Kurama felt a strange sense of pride in being able to make the young man so excited. It had been so long since he had spent time with another person. He followed Hiei around as he did a fair bit of gawking at the outside of the structure.

Hiei was about to ask why there was no moat dug out at the base of such an important castle when Kurama's chuckling caused him to lose track of his thought. "What's funny?" He asked instead.

"You really are content looking at the covers of books aren't you?" The red head commented with a kind smile.

Hiei blinked at the comment. "You don't really think we can go in there, do you?

I mean common, this whole area is forbidden. The elders wouldn't approve if I just strolled into--."

"Why are you so concerned with whether or not you should go somewhere or see something? How are you ever going to see in front of you if you're always looking up? I don't understand why you limit yourself to such foolish rules, Hiei. If you don't know what dangers exist, you'll never be prepared for them…" Kurama paused and feathered his hair with his hands as if he had caught himself saying too much.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience…" Hiei tilted his head, waiting for him to finish what he obviously wanted to say.

Kurama shook his head and laughed it off, "Forget it. I just…I don't want to keep what I know a secret anymore. And I don't know what your 'elders' told you but I'm sure they left out a lot of details about your village and its origins."

"What makes you say that?"

"This place was here long before your village existed and you know nothing about it. From what you've told me, it is forbidden to even set foot on the lands from whence your grandparents came. It's madness!" Kurama pointed out as though Hiei was disputing him. "People have lived and died in this castle and your families are content to simply forget what happened all those years ago. They abandoned their home and never tried to reclaim it…."

"Kurama…." Hiei honestly didn't know what to say.

Kurama paced, his cloak flowing behind him obediently. "I'm fine."

Hiei wasn't sure what part of the redheaded stranger he was witnessing. Kurama was the most interesting person Hiei had ever come across and it didn't take a genius to notice just how complex his feelings were. It was clear Kurama had a deep respect for the former lands of Crimson and he took to heart the crimes of the past. Perhaps his family members had been rebel servants of the late Count? That would explain his anger at the people of Sodom Village for leaving Crimson behind after the death of the Master. It would also explain why Hiei had never seen the outsider before. Hiei opened his mouth to say something but was abruptly cut off by Kurama's ranting once more.

"Are you forgetting about the demon that wanders this place freely?" He asked, not really waiting for an answer. "It is the same monster that has killed and continues to kill the people of Crimson. Your people probably dismiss its existence as mere folklore when tourists come to the Village. Am I right? Yet your houses are all stocked with weapons by nightfall. Have you never wondered why it has not left the Forest and gone on to terrorize other villages? I think it's trapped here, Hiei. And I want to find out why it is here and how it got here in the first place." Kurama strode around the front of the castle and pressed firmly against the massive wooden doors. They groaned from the pressure and slowly gave way, opening to reveal a very dark main hall. Hiei followed obediently behind with wide eyes.

The inside of the castle was much more foreboding than the outside appeared. The interior was gloomy, but no less majestic. Broken furniture lay sprawled randomly throughout the foyer. A large staircase loomed before them leading to a second floor, its steps coated with a very old, very dusty maroon carpet. There were enormous windows stretched vertically towards the ceiling on either side of the foyer. Next to no light shone through those windows despite their size. The dust on the panes blocked the sun's warm rays from entering. The long drapes were long rotted away, only slivers of the material hung loosely from the curtain rods in shreds.

Hiei followed the red head inside. "It's cold in here." He commented, rubbing his arms.

Kurama said nothing. He started up the stairs and motioned the other to follow. "I'll light a fire." he said finally when they reached the top of the unbalanced staircase. Hiei nodded and looked around the room. A fireplace the size of a carriage loomed just ahead. Scowling animal heads carved from mahogany wood watched Hiei with hollow eyes from their places along the mantelpiece.

Hiei swallowed nervously and knelt by the empty hearth waiting as Kurama fetched something to burn. To his surprise, Kurama tossed an old chair into the hearth from across the room and then handed a piece of burning fabric to Hiei. Hiei gave a yelp when the flame came a little too close to is bare arm for comfort and tossed it into the pit with the chair. "This stuff could be worth a fortune, you know. We probably shouldn't burn it."

"It's junk," Kurama confirmed, smashing a perfectly intact end table to the floor with such force that the floor moaned in response. Hiei could feel the vibration through his chest as he sat cross-legged on the floor. Somewhere in the castle a creaking sound emitted, followed by a faint crash. Hiei looked to Kurama for a reaction but the red head paid no notice to this and continued to break the piece of furniture to smaller pieces.

Hiei rubbed his arms again, staring into the tiny flame in the black void of the hearth. "Where is your family? Do they know where you are?" He asked, poking a piece of wire he found on the floor at the ashes.

Kurama tossed the table bits into the now healthy fire and wiped his hands on his pants. He sat down next to Hiei on the cold floor. "My mother died at childbirth. Or so I'm told." He snorted sarcestically, staring into the flames. Hiei stopped poking the ashes. "And your father?"

It was amazing how many facial expressions Kurama could muster in only a few moments. Hiei guessed the look on his face was sadness followed closely by bitterness. Kurama shifted his weight. "He's long gone. The demon killed him in front of me." The two exchanged empathetic looks.

"I'm sorry," Hiei whispered, looking away, "I guess you and I have more in common than I thought."

"Still think I am an illusion?" Changing the subject seemed to be Kurama's forte.

Hiei shook his head, "No. But I might need some proof just in case." He joked.

The redhead reached behind Hiei and grasped a fairly large shard of glass off of the floor. It probably came from a broken window. Hiei watched as the other used the glass to slice a large gash down the center of his own palm. Hiei gasped and leaned away from him with a shocked look on his face. "What are you doing! Stop that!" he yelled, knocking the glass piece from his hand.

Kurama held up his hand to Hiei. "I'm human too. See?" Hiei eyed the deep red liquid with discern as it dripped slowly down the redhead's wrist and onto his white sleeve. He thought it horrid that Kurama didn't even hesitate to cut himself if only for the sake of proving his existence.

"I'm sorry I doubted you. I guess the fact that you look exactly as I remember you, threw me off. It's as though time stood still for you or something." Hiei picked up the shard of broken glass from the floor and used it to slice a sleeve from his shirt.

Kurama watched him curiously. The teen grabbed hold of his bleeding hand and began to wrap it in the fabric.

"You don't have to dress my wounds…" He started to say but Hiei gave him a sharp look that made the redhead clamp his mouth shut.

"Well you don't have to go cutting yourself like that just to prove a point." The teen told him, tightening the last of the fabric around his wrist and tucking it in. Hiei's gaze softened and he sighed, tossing the glass back to the floor. "So you've lived here alone for your whole life?"

Kurama examined his newly wrapped hand. "Most of it."

"And you don't know anyone from the Village? Didn't you ever try to get help? I mean you can't like living here in this mess." Hiei declared, using a broken table leg to lift part of a torn curtain up from the floor. He made a face at Kurama.

"Can't I?" The other challenged with a smug grin.

"Well…do you?"

Kurama laughed and reached for some broken furniture bits to toss into the huge hearth and the flames dancing within it. "Honestly? No. But I can't leave. Not yet anyway. I have some…unfinished business here."

"Business? Are you talking about the fox?"

Kurama's shocking emerald eyes focused on the flames intently. "That demon has to die and I can't kill it alone."

"You can't possibly believe you are the only one who is trying to get rid of the demon. Why are you putting so much pressure on yourself? It's not your responsibility to kill it."

"It is personal, Hiei. I don't expect you to understand."

"So you chose me to help you? Why?"

"….I am not sure. The day you met me I was somewhat desperate. If you could call it that. I never meant to bring you into my problems. But when I saw you drowning, my heart stopped. It was as though I was witnessing your destiny and I just had to defy it. You were supposed to die that day but I couldn't let that happen…."

Hiei watched him, intrigued and flattered all at once. It was wild to hear Kurama's version of his near-death experience. After all he had nearly convinced himself he had made it all up all those years ago. With no real way of proving what had happened, Hiei had found himself doubting himself and he grew apart from his friends. "Thanks. I'm glad you decided I was worth saving." He said sarcastically.

"The demon wanted you. It sensed something in you. It searches the Village, Hiei. And I never knew who it was looking for… But the demon has found you twice now. And no one the demon snatches lives to talk about it. No one that is, except you." Kurama continued to stare straight ahead. Visions of dancing flames flickered in his irises and Hiei watched him carefully, not quite following him.

"So…you're saying I'm special? Is that it?"

Kurama blinked finally. "I think the demon was drawn to you that day and I believe it will keep trying to find you until it has what it wants from you."

Hiei furrowed his brows, "And what does it want from me exactly? I don't have anything!"

Kurama frowned. "That I don't know."

Hiei rubbed his hands through his hair feverishly while Kurama watched him with concern. "Frustrated?"

"No." He snapped. "Just….well, yeah, I'm frustrated. Can you blame me? I mean, my whole life I've heard stories of demons and castles and forbidden places. I've been told not to go here and not to go there. Nobody prepared me for this place. And no one told me I would actually get attacked by the demon that killed my mother. No one told me it would come back for me a second time. I didn't ask for this."

Kurama rested a reassuring hand on Hiei's shoulder. "I'm not certain what to tell you, Hiei. Only know this, you're in this with me now."

Hiei rolled his eyes, "Oh and that's supposed to be comforting?" he asked sarcastically, arms folded.

The redhead blinked at his sarcasm. They stared at each other a moment before Hiei burst out laughing. "You're so serious!"

Kurama got to his feet and brushed himself off, slightly insulted. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Kurama, Son of the Count of Crimson." He bowed, brushing his cloak behind him as he did so. "So, yes, you should feel comforted by my company."

Hiei just stared at him. "You're kidding me."

Kurama straightened once more. "Why would I joke about such a thing?"

Hiei fell backwards in a fit of laughter which only succeeded in making the other's face match his hair colour in the light of the fire. "What is so funny? You don't believe me?" He demanded.

Hiei covered his face with his hands to stifle his laughing. He simply shook his head to answer.

"Laugh all you like. It will not change who I am." And with that, the redheaded master, pushed open a large doorway leading out of the hearth room and disappeared inside.

Hiei scrambled after him, still giggling. "Aww comon!" He called after him, "You can't expect me to believe you're the Count of Crimson! You told me you didn't remember your last name!"

The room inside was dark save for a pale light that shone through the weathered curtains at the far end and Hiei found himself knocking over small pieces of furniture as he fumbled around. "Sorry about that! Look, I'm making a mess here. Don't you have any candles? Kurama? I was never good at hide-and-seek you know."

"Do you know where you are, Hiei?" Kurama's voice came from the direction of the curtains.

"I'm in the forbidden Castle of a dead Count wandering around in the dark with a hermit who thinks he is royalty." The teen replied with a chuckle, holding his throbbing leg.

"You are in the room where a young girl named Catherine Yoko once lay dying." He heard Kurama say as the curtains were swept to the side mercilessly. Hiei had to shield his eyes with his forearm at the sheer brightness of the sun. There was no window at all, only a balcony and a wide open view of Youkai Forest.

Kurama leaned on the balcony railing and closed his eyes as a breeze blew through his soft hair. Hiei limped up to him and similarly placed his hand on the rail taking in the sight. "Who is Catherine Yoko?"

"She was my betrothed. Daughter of the King of a neighboring kingdom. My mother and father insisted I marry another of royal blood. They brought her here so we could get acquainted before the marriage."

"You're still telling me you're the Count of Crimson?"

"My father was the Count of these lands. I am nothing like him. I rule over nothing and no one." He affirmed.

"Wouldn't that make you the same age as my father roughly?" Hiei made a face and Kurama smirked in response. "Well, you don't look that old anyway." When Kurama said nothing Hiei gave in, "Did you love her?" He asked, sounding a little too childlike than he wanted to.

Kurama didn't seem to mind his question in the slightest. "We had hardly spent any time alone together. In fact, I hardly saw her while she was here. My father kept me busy doing other things. We were on the verge of war at the time and as the Count, all he cared about was securing his lands and Crimson's future. I spent more time with my Mentor than I did with my own wife-to-be." He shook his head at the memory. "It was very difficult to get 'acquainted' at all, in fact. If, by chance, we were in the same room together we would act civil. To appease our folks, of course."

"Of course." Hiei affirmed. "If you don't mind my asking…how did she die?" He couldn't help but ask. The redheaded stranger did have a nack for storytelling and the more of the story he revealed to Hiei, the more Hiei wanted to know. Even his grandfather couldn't tell the story of Crimson from this point of view, Hiei knew. And if Kurama was lying about who he really was, he sure was good at making up stories!

Kurama took a deep breath before continuing. He didn't appear angry at all, just sad, Hiei observed. "She was bitten by the demon in its lowest form." He told him. "I don't know how it came to be. I only know the servants were upset and I was disturbed that night by Catherine's screams for water. When I left my chamber there were people in the halls rushing Catherine up the stairs into this room. She was in her nightgown and…" He narrowed his eyes, trying to remember that night. "She was bleeding all over the stairs. I remember we had to replace the carpets… When I asked what had happened to her they told me she had been bitten by a dog in the woods. My father was furious and he had the guardsmen who were on watch that day executed for allowing the Yoko daughter to be injured."

"That's a little harsh don't you think? Killing innocent men because she went outside on her own?" Hiei commented disapprovingly. "And where did the dog come from? Did they ever find out?"

"No. I have no idea where the demon came from or why it chose to attack Catherine. I didn't know it was a demon that bit her then. We all assumed it was a rabid dog. That would explain why Catherine was screaming for water so badly. Those infected by rabies crave water and die of dehydration after their bodies seize up. But she died only hours after the attack."

Hiei frowned, putting the pieces together. "…And the rabies disease normally takes days at most to take affect. You said something about the demon's lowest form? What did you mean by that?"

"Well I've…" Kurama hesitated a moment, as though not sure how much to say, "I've seen the demon for what it really is and it needs certain things to survive. From what I know, the demon was weak and almost powerless when it attacked Catherine."

"It was powerful enough to kill her…" Hiei whispered, thinking about it.

Kurama ran his hands through his bangs and pressed them back. "I'm sorry, I don't really know why I'm telling you all this."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Pardon?"

"A plan." Hiei repeated, "How are we going to kill this thing?"

Kurama could see the newly formed determination on the teen's face and he brightened, "Do you still have that necklace?"

Hiei looked confused by the request but he took the red jewel out of his shirt nonetheless. "You mean this thing?"

Kurama eyed the precious stone with curious eyes. "Yes. I believe that thing is a key." He said leaving the balcony and making his way to the entrance in a hurry.

"A key?" Hiei asked, stumbling over the same furniture bits he had knocked over on his way in. "A key to what?"

"Follow me." The redheaded Master called back to him as he disappeared down the castle's main staircase. "And grab that lantern that is beside the fireplace on your way down!"

Hiei groaned and leaned on the balcony room doors, trying to untangle a rope that had caught on his ankle when he tripped on some fallen linens. "What lantern? And who leaves a lantern next to a fire place anyway? Does he want to burn this place down or what?" He grumbled, kicking off the rope and scooping up the brass lantern and lighting it with kindling from the hearth. Hiei paused at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. It was going to take a miracle just to get back down the stairs unharmed. He couldn't even imagine what toll this adventure was going to demand of him….

--AUTHOR NOTE: Very sorry, to all of you who have already read the pervious three chapters long ago! I was merely spell checking and altering little bits and pieces of the story in those chapters and reposting them for you. A thousand apologies for teasing you! X3 Hope you enjoyed the 'real' update! More to come. Lots-of-love: SAKU--