Hey. It's me again. Yeah, it's been awhile. Lucky for all of you, I'm very in the mood to finish this story. But I'm not much in the mood to ramble. So, know I don't own it. Know you'll probably see updates really soon. And Enjoy!

Duo had arrived late that night and was proudly showing off what Koenma had taught him. He focused, holding his hands out before him, and a small ball of black fire appeared. Discarding the bit of ki, Duo fished in his pocket for several knives and repeated the process, covering the blades with the dark fire. He hadn't noticed as WuFei slunk off to bed, a scowl on his face, or when Kurama wrinkled his brow in curious almost-recognition.

When Duo woke the next morning, he'd helped Kurama with breakfast before wandering off to train some more on his own. He had said he'd like to meet Kurama and Hiei in the woods nearby to discuss something private, but hadn't said more.

Now, Duo stood nervously in the small clearing, looking at Kurama and Hiei who stood against the trees. He paced closer to them, then back into the center of the clearing. After repeating the process a few times, he came to rest at last in front of the pair. "All right, um, we need to, and you know, I have to say, but the others-"

Hiei growled, clenching his fist. He reached out, smacking Duo roughly on the head. "Get on with it already! What did you bring us all the way out here for?"

Duo blinked, trying to think of how to put it best. "Well, you see, the thing is," Hiei raised his fist again, a vein pulsing in his forhead. "I'm not really sure how any of the others would react, but I really thought you guys should know."

Hiei growled and opened his mouth to say something impolite. Kurama took a step forward, interuppting him. "Know what, Duo?"

Duo gulped again, still not sure if he could actually get out the news verbally. Suddenly he cracked a grin, his inner jester getting the better of him, yet again. Flinging himself onto Hiei, he trapped the demon in a tight hug screaming, "Mommy!" He lept away almost instantly, knowing he'd be dodging a katana in a moment. He jumped into Kurama's arms. "Daddy! Save me from Mommy!"

Hiei had his weapon half unsheathed before he processed what Duo had actually said. Kurama was staring wide eyed at the boy in his arms, mouth open. Hiei recovered his voice first and pulled hard on Duo's braid, turning the boy's head around to look him in the eye. "What did you say?"

Duo climbed onto the ground again and stared at his feet. "Koenma told me yesterday. I . . . I wanted you to know."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Duo found himself once more in Kurama's arms, feet dangling in the air. "I can't believe it. Oh, Duo." Kurama was practically sobbing into Duo's braid. Hiei simply stared, mind drifting to one of the other boys. He was going to have to do something about WuFei. Hiei couldn't let someone like that to date his son.

WuFei was alone in the house. Everyone had gone into the forest to continue their training and he'd been left behind. Duo wouldn't have gone without waking me. It had to have been Hiei. The fire demon had become even colder toward him. He wasn't sure what he'd done to upset the short demon, but it was beginning to wear on his nerves. Duo had come back, quietly letting WuFei know about his relationship with the demons. And Hiei'd pulled Duo away again almost before he'd finished speaking.

WuFei sighed, forcing the developments from his mind. He could not change Hiei's attitude. Nor could he change the fact that Duo and Hiei were related. And since he certainly had no intention of changing his feelings for the braided boy, he would simply have to live with it. Which didn't make it any easier, of course.

And Duo was clueless. Honestly, the handsome boy could be thicker than Gundanium sometimes. He'd gone running around, showing off his powers. Flaunting them. Asking everyone how to do some simple task that was far beyond Any of the other pilots, let alone Fei. It had been humiliating, and Duo had no idea.

WuFei shook off the thoughts again. Brooding wasn't doing anything to improve his mood and there were more important things to do. Taking a deep breath to gather himself, WuFei began his morning exercises. Reaching the end of one set, he went to the kitchen, setting several dishes on the stove to prepare a meal. He continued his exercises, keeping a careful eye on the pots. It actually looked very graceful, almost dance like. At least, that's what WuFei's unknown observer thought.

It took an absurdly long time for Fei to notice he was being watched. He'd finished his exercises and most of his food before he noticed Hiei in the shadows. To his credit, the fire demon was going to great lengths not to be seen, and this annoyed WuFei to no ends. Even after detecting him, Fei went about as if he was still ignorant to the other's presence, waiting for him to make a move. Finally he could stand it no longer and spun on the shorter creature. WuFei glared at the fire demon. Hiei returned the gaze evenly, infuriating the Chinese youth. "Enough! What is it you have against me?"

Hiei's head lowered a little and he let out a growl. "You wouldn't understand."

WuFei snorted. "Don't bet on that. It's because of Duo, right? Or, more precisely, because I'm going out with your son."

Hiei growled again. "It isn't something you can change, so there's no point in discussing it."

"If I can't change it, that means it's something you can't hold against me. Something about how I was born or raised. Something in the past and irrelevant." He could see Hiei's jaw tighten, but the demon wasn't ready to give in yet, so Fei pressed his opening. "It is from my past then. Don't you understand that there are more important things? I don't even know half of my past! This is like refusing to help Kurama just because he happens to be a fox. Or abandoning Yukina just because she's an ice princess. And I just bet you'd do something like that, too."

Hiei was visibly shaking with anger. "Your ancestor had nothing of value or quality, I don't expect you to have any more."

Fei was surprised at that. "Then you've figured out my ki and you haven't told me? One of my friends is in danger and you're withholding information that could save his life!" But Hiei was already gone. His form had become no more than a blur half way through Fei's outburst as he ran off. There was a strong sting on WuFei's arm and he looked down. "Oh, shit!" There, running from shoulder to elbow was a cut deep enough to require stitches.

"You're lucky he restrained himself, or that would be across your throat." Fei turned to see Kurama slide through the doorway. "You went too far when you said that about Yukina."

"Funny, I didn't know he had any nerves to hit."

Kurama gave him a stern look and began cleansing the deep cut. "She means a lot to him, and that bit about being abandonned just struck a little too close to home."

"What, the twerp was abandoned as a baby or something? It would serve him right."

"He was." WuFei looked at Kurama, surprised. He frowned up at the fox; he really had said the wrong thing.

"I still had a right to say it though. What he's doing isn't right. Prejudice, hmph. Injustice, more like it."

"That may be true. Let's focus on something else, shall we? How about your ki?"

WuFei attempted a growl, but it died into a disheartened moan. "Nothing. I know it's there, I've almost gotten it a few times now, but I just can't do it!"

"And Kuwabara hasn't been able to help?" He shook his head. Kurama pursed his lips thoughtfully, looking very much like a concerned mother. "Perhaps you need a focus. Yuusuke uses his finger, Hiei occasionally uses his sword. Try drawing all you ki into your hand."

WuFei looked down at his hand. Maybe the fox had a point. Anything to help Quatre. He made a fist, as if holding a sword, and focused on his ki. Nothing. He could feel his mouth slipping into a scowl as he tried again. He opened his fist, as if holding some object – though he had no idea what that object might be. He focused, letting his ki fill in the area until he would be holding whatever his ki formed as.

Kurama caught just a hint of the ki signiture before it flickered out. But it was enough. He looked up with a startled gasp, visions of explosions running through his mind. He stared at the boy before him, long dark hair hanging unbound in strands around his face. It was too close a resemblance. Kurama let out a short cry, jumping away from the youth.

Fei looked up, concentration broken and ki fading quickly. He noticed the deathly look on Kurama's face and the half wrapped state of his wound. "Kurama?"

The door opened to reveal most of the others, brought by the fox's outcry. Yuusuke and Heero went to him, trying to figure out what was wrong while Kuwabara and Trowa stood by Fei for his story. There was a moment of confussion before Hiei appeared beside Kurama, seemingly from nowhere, and Duo came running after him. From his position next to the fox, Hiei glared at WuFei. "What did you do?!"

Fei stared blankly, utterly confused as to what he did do. "Karasu . . ." Kurama shook his head as if clearing away bad dreams. "I'm sorry . . . I just . . ."

Yuusuke frowned. "Karasu?" He turned to Fei and narrowed his eyes. "You know, you do look kinda like him. Around the eyes."

Four pairs of eyes looked at the former detective, confused. All four boys asked at once. "Who's Karasu?"

Kurama flinched slightly. "An old enemy that was supposed to have died quite some time ago. But he keeps showing up."

Kuwabara extended a hand to Fei, ignoring the murderous glare he was receiving from Hiei. "We should go then. At least now we have something to work with, ne?"

Fei, busy finishing dressing his wound, nodded and followed the tall boy from the room. He paused at the door, casting a glance back at Hiei. The little demon looked like he'd rather kill the boy than look at him. WuFei sighed, deciding he'd have to find more out about this Karasu character.