"Though I need not do this, I feel as if I should…" Kurama talked to himself just above a whisper. His head hung low. "Why do I feel I must? I have not sworn to this…in fact…I barely knew him. He…the source of my old habits…my father."

Yukina was now traveling in snow at least half way to her knees.

"I'm not shivering any more," Yukina observed. She chuckled to herself but as she got the words out, they sunk in deeper then she intended. "I guess my Koorime blood is coming through to me."

She lowered her head. "I bet Kurama wouldn't feel down about visiting a former family member." She laughed to herself. "But then again…he can't even remember if he had a brother or sister!"

But her laughing stopped dead, as did her walking, when she saw it in the distance. The stone grave that had her mother's name imprinted on it. Hina. Yukina read in her mind.

She slowly walked over.

The snow was coming down in a great amount but not hard.

Yukina gasped and stopped her walking.

There was a dark image in front of the grave.

She quickly looked around and saw a large mount of snow. She darted behind the snow and got down to hide herself, for she was larger then the little snow covered hill.

She heard the mystery person shuffle around in the snow.

"Hello?" She heard faintly. "Hello? Is anybody there?"

It's a woman! Yukina thought. Then Yukina waited a moment to think. Rui! (A.N.- If you don't remember, Rui is the one who threw Hiei off of Koorime island, but Yukina doesn't know that she was the one who threw Hiei off.)

Yukina gasped.

She immediately shot up from the snow. She saw the image go back. "Rui! Don't be afraid! It's me! Yukina!"

Yukina ran from behind the snow mount to Rui. "Rui!" She got close enough to see her mother's best friend.

She stopped when she saw Rui not greeting her in return.

"Rui? How have you been? Is something wrong?" Yukina took a step forward. "…R-Rui?"

Rui after a moment smiled. "No…nothing is wrong."

Rui took a few steps towards the young Koorime.

"You have come to visit your mother's grave, no doubt." Her smile turned to a frown as she looked at Yukina with despairing eyes.

Yukina looked down, Rui saw right threw her. "Y-yes. I have come to pay my respects to my dead mother."

Then it hit Yukina.

She looked up at Rui who was no longer looking at Yukina. "But you were by my mother's grave, were you not? Have you come to do the same as me?"

Rui looked back at Yukina. "I suppose I have, haven't I? Come. Let us pay our respects together."

Rui turned to walk to the grave, not looking back to see if Yukina was following.

Yukina sighed and followed.

Why must everybody talk to me like that? Why can't I just get a straight answer?

When they reached the grave, Yukina got on her knees and bowed to her mother.

Yukina's kimono was getting soaked by the snow melting by Yukina's warm body.

After a moment of silence, Rui, who was standing behind Yukina, spoke up.

"Why?" She said, stuttering when people do as they hold back tears. "Why do you care for your mother? You hardly knew her! She died before you could even remember her face. But still you grieve as if you knew her…" Rui couldn't bring herself to finish.

"…As you did?" Yukina said as she got up, turning to Rui.

Rui was surprised that Yukina spoke up like that.

"No. I did not know her. I barely even knew what she was like, though you have told me of her kindness…"

Yukina paused and looked at the grave. She walked over and put her fingers on the cold stone.

"But still. You have told me of my brother and how he was thrown off…" Though I still do not know by who… "…And how she cried to see her baby be thrown off. She did not think he was a curse like the elders."

When Yukina thought about her words and how Rui had none to respond, she turned around.

Her face was displaying a silent gasp.

"Rui…did you want to stop the elders?"

Rui did not respond to Yukina. She only looked down.

Yukina could feel tears coming on. "Rui…who did throw my brother over out into Demon world?"

Rui continued to look down; you could see a sparkling tear of sadness forming.

Yukina ran towards her. She embraced Rui's arms with her hands, shaking them.

"How could you! It was your best friend's baby! My brother!"

Yukina was now screaming with tears falling down her face.

Rui shoved Yukina to the ground harshly.

Yukina fell with a hard thud, even though the snow made the ground look like a comfy innocent cloud.

Yukina looked up at Rui with bleary eyes from her tears. "How…?" she said in a whisper. "I thought…you were my mother's friend…and mine."

Rui looked down at Yukina with umbrage eyes.

"Yukina. Now you know. I regretted it…and I will regret doing this."

She grabbed Yukina by her arm.

Yukina was screaming with tears that fell into little gems that plopped into the snow.

"What are you doing!" she screamed. "Are you truly my friend, Rui?"

Rui did not turn to her. Yukina could not escape her tight grasp.

"RUI! ANSWER ME… please…!"

Rui did not talk, her grip tightening.

Yukina realized she could not escape her grasp.

Instead of being dragged, she decided that it would make more sense to try and walk, but that was not as easy as she thought. Rui had her arm in such a way; Yukina was walking side ways, at times, backwards.

"Where are we…?" she started to ask but didn't need to as the city of where the Koorime's live came into view.

Rui spoke in a firm but almost grieved voice, "The elders…said in your return, I must bring you to them…"

So, she wasn't visiting my mother…Yukina thought. …but looking for me!

Kurama was now leaving the forest and coming to an open space.

The ground was hard with barely any life.

He looked up to see in the distance a large, but beautiful mountain.

"So now…my journey truly begins."

(O) Author's Note- Hey! Did you like it? Please let me know! Review please!

(N) Author's Note- Sorry this one took so long to upload. I've been having trouble not only writing the story, but getting on the computer as a whole. Since it's Spring Break now, I may be able to write more, and thus upload more, but you never know, so don't get your hopes up too high. Hope you enjoyed chapter 3!