Authoress's Note-

Hmmmm...My writer's block took a vacation for the last two chapters. But it's back again. REVIEW YOU SCHMUCK!

"So, she has been awakened." Kusari observed, watching Kurama and Mirakuru through a scrying pool full of brackish water, glassy like obsidian.

Yakunan had been crouched on a stool, studying the Takai Spear. Upon hearing this, he fumbled the spear and almost dropped it. "You mean. . .?" Yakunan gasped, looking up from where he'd been inspecting it.

"Yes, her." Kusari replied icily. "The White Wolf of the Moon."

"Then all has been for naught?" asked Yakunan, his beady eyes wide.

"No, not exactly." Kusari stroked his chin, an idea materializing in his mind. "In fact, this may even tip the scales in our favor. It will take a while for her to regain her full memories. If we can convince her that she's been lied to, the amulet is ours for the taking."

Yakunan mulled this over for a moment, then a frown creased his already lined face. "Kusari, you forget that she has befriended the Reikai Tantei. Surely they will be on full alert after that stunt you pulled yesterday."

Kusari heaved a small sigh. "Then we'll just have to eliminate them," he said simply.

"Mmm. . .Kurama?" Mirakuru pushed herself upright into a sitting position, but quickly slid back down and closed her eyes as the world swayed before her. She pressed her fingertips against them, and took several deep breaths. Blinking groggily, she attempted to sit up again. It was then she realized with a start what she was wearing.

"What happened? Why am I wearing. . .?" Mirakuru asked a bit suspiciously. Then she gasped and closed her eyes. "Oh, I remember now. We were attacked. But why does it feel like I have another, completely different set of memories? I mean, it's like someone's memories were implanted in my head. It seems like it's me in them, but it can't be because I'm right here."

"Tell me what those other memories are." Kurama replied worriedly.

Mirakuru closed her eyes in concentration. "Well, I remember a war. A horrible war that lasted for so long . . . it seems like I was a warrior. Then there's a big blank, and then I vaguely remember a big shape standing over me, whispering. . .I don't know." She frowned. "Spells? And then it ends abruptly."

Kurama shook his head. "This may come as a shock to you. . ."

"After what just happened, I'm more or less willing to believe anything." Mirakuru muttered, massaging her temples.

And so, Kurama began the whole tale, starting with how he really met Yusuke and the others, and leading up to their latest case. "And as records show, you used to be the elves' warrior princess, known as Mirakuru, the White Wolf of the Moon."

For a few long moments all Mirakuru could do was stare blankly, gaping at Kurama. "So you're telling me all those memories are really my past?" Her voice cracked in disbelief.

Kurama nodded tentatively. He wondered vaguely if Mirakuru would keel over from sheer shock.

Her eyes narrowed. "You're lying."

"No," Kurama insisted. "You see-"

"So, how's our princess feeling?" Botan chirped, materializing out of nowhere in a shower of glittering, bright blue sparks.

"Oh god. Now I'm seeing things." Mirakuru picked up a pillow and threw it at Botan, but missed wildly and instead hit the cobalt glass vase on the coffee table. It tottered precariously, then tipped over and fell to the floor with a crash.

"Do we need to sedate her?" Botan asked tentatively, eyeing Mirakuru in apprehension, who in turn was sizing up Botan with a slightly feral look in her eyes.

Kurama bit his lip. Then swore under his breath. With a swift, fluid movement, he jabbed Mirakuru's arm with a thorn hidden in his sleeve.

Her eyes went blank, and she swayed, but stayed upright.

"She won't be any trouble now," Kurama said softly, regret apparent in his voice.

Botan nodded. "We should take her to Reikai. I'd rather let King Enma do the explaining," she said with a sigh.

--------------------

It was nighttime in Reikai, when they arrived. All was still for once, no ogres running in and out of the palace, but there was still a faint glow coming from a window in the tallest tower. Koenma was still here.

Botan and Kurama were deposited by the portal into Koenma's office. The diminutive ruler peered at them over a stack of papers threatening to collapse and swamp the whole office.

"We've got a teeny little problem," Botan said, grinning.

"What?! Did something happen to Mirakuru?! Is she hurt!?" Koenma vaulted over the stack of papers and dashed towards them in a panic.

"To the contrary, Mirakuru's fine, thanks to Kurama's quick thinking!" Botan said hastily, lest Koenma have a heartattack.

Too late. A look of abject horror spread across Koenma's face.

"Erhm, Koenma sir, she's only slightly hypnotized. I told you, she's fine, thanks to Kurama."

"AND the Vial of Mermaid's Tears!" Koenma wailed. Eyes bulging, he gave a slightly hysterical giggle, snatching the half-empty vial from Kurama's hands. "I'm dead! DEAAAD!" he shrieked, sinking to his knees.

Kurama grinned apologetically and shrugged, unsure of how to respond to that.

Meanwhile, the stunned look was beginning to clear from Mirakuru's eyes.

And for the second time since she woke up, Mirakuru was left in the dust, gaping like a fish. "A toddler? Ok, the other stuff was at least halfway believable, but this is completely, totally, absurd. I mean, a toddler!." Mirakuru mumbled half to herself, shaking her head.

"Mirakuru," Kurama gripped her shoulders firmly, but gently. "This isn't a dream. Believe me, I didn't want you to have to discover this part of yourself, but since it's happened, let us help you make the best of it."

Mirakuru met Kurama's gaze, her eyes pleading. "I don't know why, but my life's been turned upside down since I met you. Can you please just take me home?"

Kurama sighed. "No, I can't. I'm here with you, can't you see this isn't just a dream you can wake up from?"

Mirakuru blushed just a little. "Actually, you've been in so many of my dreams, I can barely separate them from memories." She slapped herself inwardly. No matter how much her mind told her she should be terrified to death of Kurama, she couldn't or perhaps wouldn't, allow her heart to give in to those fears. She kept on coming back to him, despite it all. It hit her. There was a name for her type of people.

Kurama bit his lip until it almost drew blood. It felt beyond good to hear those words, but he also knew that every time he found love, he lost it and ended up worse off than before. So why couldn't he just stop?! Torn between anger and frustration, he finally realized exactly what he was.

I'm such a masochist! Both Mirakuru and Kurama thought at exactly the same time.

"Is this why you told me you didn't love me?" Mirakuru asked softly.

Kurama nodded. There was no point denying it now. "Yeah."

"Now that I know, will you promise to always stay with me?" She looked away as she said this, staring instead out the window, where stars flecked the glossy sky.

The final wall around Kurama's heart crumbled, and his voice wavered with sincerity as he replied, "Yes."

"Are you willing to accept this world as your own now?" Koenma asked gently.

Mirakuru nodded resolutely.

It took upwards of an hour, but finally Mirakuru understood her role in the story playing out before them. She had been invariably cooperative, asking questions and trying hard to understand and accept. The others had been called to the office, to witness her new powers.

"So all this time, you all have been tantei?" Mirakuru asked.

"Yep!" Yusuke replied proudly. "We formed a protective ring around you, so nothing could harm you!" He put an arm around her neck, grinning impishly.

"Yeah, but where were you when Kusari attacked, huh?" Kurama hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

Yusuke shrugged innocently. "Your shift, Kurama."

"Right, now that everything's been explained, let's see your new- I mean, old powers." Koenma said cheerfully.

"Uhh, okay." Mirakuru drew a 'c' in the air and formed the same glowing arrow and bow that Kusari had at the Senjouku building. She drew back the arrow and let it fly.

-BOOM-

She hit the bulls-eye Kuwabara had sloppily painted on Koenma's office's eastern wall, and on contact with it the arrow exploded, reducing the wall to a smoking pile of rubble.

Everyone oogled, their mouths gaping like fishes, looking at Mirakuru, then back at the hole, then back at Mirakuru, then back at the hole, then back at Mirakuru and so on and so forth.

"Aha ha haaa. . .Oops." Mirakuru apologized, rubbing the back of her head.

"M-my office. . ." Koenma moaned. Regaining his composure, he said: "You'll make a great new Spirit Detective with some training!"

"Wha! Just because she can suddenly shoot shiny arrows she can take my job!" Yusuke cried indignantly.

"And the fact that you can match Hiei in a swordfight . . ."

"Lucky swing," Hiei snapped, temper flaring.

"Makes her a perfect candidate! We don't' even have to waste time training her." Koenma continued, paying to heed to Yusuke's or Hiei's protests.

"WHAT AM I?! OLD SOCKS?!" Yusuke exploded.

"Mirakuru, I'm sure we all admire your bravery, but do you truly understand all the dangers that come with all this?"

Mirakuru nodded firmly. Now that she knew all this about Kurama and the others, she never wanted to go back to ignorance. Now she could protect them as they had protected her. It gave her a feeling of strength, of invincibility when she thought of that.

"Then it is done." Koenma said ceremoniously, stamping a piece of paper with a loud thump.

"Cool, I guess." Mirakuru replied. "Hey, are those my initiation papers?" She swiped them from underneath Koenma's nose.

"No. That's a telegram for some take-out teriyaki. I haven't eaten since-"

"TERIYAKI!" Everyone yelled in perfect unison.

Then their stomachs gurgled

"Exactly." Koenma replied smugly, putting the telegram into a little processor thing-a-ma-jig.

"Mirakuru, your pendant! It's absolutely lovely!" Botan exclaimed.

"That? It's moonstone. I've had it since forever, and it's probably pretty valuable. When she gave it to me, my mom said it was a sort of amulet. She said, 'If ever you are in need, just remember, the moon will guide you. Channel your energy through this amulet, and your aid will find you.' That was shortly before she died." Mirakuru explained, fingering the silver pendant.

The middle and largest moonstone was a pure, milky white, shaped in a crescent moon with stars arranged around it in a hoop. The stars were different colored moonstones, blue, pink, lavender and cream. The center stone was attached by a minute rod in the middle of the hoop, and it spun if you held it up in the wind. Strangely, it made a sweet whistling sound whenever Mirakuru was feeling a strong emotion. Once or twice it had even glowed.

"I'm sorry about that." Botan said.

"How can you stand it?" Mirakuru asked. "Your job deals with death every day. Do you become immune to it over time?"

"I don't know how I stand it. I know I'm not used to it, though. Becoming used to something like that would be sinful, you know?"

A small frown creased Mirakuru's brow. "I think that's why my father arranged a marriage for me. He figured it would be better if I never find the one I truly love, because then I wouldn't have to feel the pain caused by that person's death. Strange reasoning, but I don't blame him."

Botan chuckled. "But he didn't know that you can't look for true love. It finds you!" As she said that, Mirakuru smiled shyly and snuck a glance at Kurama.

Authoress's Note-
Hn. I don't really like this chappie. Oh, well. An off day. But the next chappie is the start of a great finale!