Ariya hit the door with all her might. She had to get out, it's still not too late…

"Mother! Mother, please…no…"

The fire licked at the door. She didn't seem to feel the heat at all. With a few more hits, it came down.

"Mother!!!"

She rushed to her mother's side and grabbed her hand. It was still warm, so it could be that…

"Mother, please…Answer me…Don't leave me…" She pleaded.

'I can't live on my own… I can't do it… I need you, mother…'

The fire raged, laughing at her, just like those monsters before. 'Why? What did she do to deserve this?'

"Please… Don't go…"

The footsteps came closer. 'Are they back?" she thought.

'Don't hurt her anymore, please…'

They were right behind her now…

'Please…'

At the touch, she started and looked up in fright. A tall, handsome young man looked down at her.

'Who are you?'

Chapter 2 – The Flower in Bloom

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. I don't own it and it's characters, but the OC's are mine.

PHEW!!! Lucky I wasn't murdered last week…Ok, due to some requests, there's a little change in format. All flashbacks will be in italics, all thoughts will be like 'this' and speeches will be like this "…".


"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Those were the last words uttered by a palace guard who had been pursuing them.

Kurama and his gang had just decided to storm Tsukishima Castle.

'The timing was perfect…Everything went according to plan…'

It was so simple, they just had to wait for the oppurtune moment…If only Yomi had listened, they wouldn't have had to suffer that loss.

Clearly, Yomi was pissed off too. Kurama smirked as he, glancing sideways, caught the look on Yomi's face.

Withdrawing his whip, he led them to disappear into the dark of night…


"Well, that went rather well!"

"Yeah! We really struck gold this time!"

"You were right about the timing, Kurama! You're wonderful, man!"

Kurama just smiled. From the corner of his eye, he could see Yomi looking as if he was about to throw up.

"Kuronue, where's Ariya?"

"Dunno…Didn't see her since we left for the raid."

"I'm going to look for her. In the meantime, don't you guys get too carried away. The guards may still be trying to find us."


"Sensei, you're back from Tsukishima Castle?"

Ariya had a smile on her face as she sat down beside Kurama. She was always so happy to be around him.

"Yup…What were you doing while I was gone, anyway?"

"Training…"

Ariya never went on any raids. Kurama didn't want her to, anyway. He figured that possibly she was still traumatized by her childhood plight and didn't want to bring it up again. When he thought about that, his fears suddenly surfaced. Those bandits should be still at large. What if…

"Sensei?"

Ariya's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You seemed worried. Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine. You worry too much."

'Man, she's as alert and observant as I am…'

"Ah, there you are."

The bat demon appeared from behind them. "Oh, hello, Ariya!"

"Good evening, Kuronue-san."

"Have you had anything to eat yet, Kurama?"

Kurama's stomach growled loudly.

"Ok, I think I just got my answer."

"I'll go get you something to eat, Sensei. Would you like anything too, Kuronue-san?"

"Ok then. If its not such a bother to you…"

She had already left, her black hair flowing behind her.

'Beautiful…' Kurama thought.

Then, he shook himself. 'Aww…stop thinking like that, Kurama!'

He scolded himself for having such thoughts. But she was his student so it was natural that he should praise her…Right?

Kuronue sighed. "How many years has it been since you took her in?"

"I've lost count. I think it could have been 200 years …"

"She's grown so much since then. I can still remember when she was still a child. She used to have that frightened look in her eyes when she looked at me."

"That's probably because you were so intimidating with those bat wings of yours…"

"Hey! You and your ears too! Not to mention that tail…"

"At least I'm good-looking…"

"Meaning I'm not?"

"Woah! I didn't say you weren't! You're being paranoid…"

"Hey…"

The two friends laughed under the moonlight. They understood each other perfectly, or so they thought…

"Kurama, I think you need to know something."

"What is it?"

"Ariya…She has been crying in her sleep again…"

Kurama turned his head sharply to look at Kuronue. "What did you say?"

Ever since he took her back, Ariya used to cry in her sleep. Sometimes when she did, he could hear her call for her mother. When Kurama asked her about it, she told him that she had gotten over her mother's death and would no longer cry over it. So it wasn't true…

"That girl…She told me she'd stop crying…"

"She just didn't want you to worry…"

"All these years…She never told me…"

"Look, maybe she just needs a longer time to recover. Maybe she never will…Depends, she's a strong girl, Kurama, I'm sure she'll get over it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Oh, and one more thing. Stop being so overprotective of her!"

Kurama grinned sheepishly. It was true that he was very, very, VERY overprotective of Ariya. Why, just the other day, he had cut off the arm of a demon who looked at her for more than his share of time. And when another had tried to court her, Kurama had attacked him viciously, till the guy's own mother couldn't even recognize him.

"Ya, but those demons…"

"Kurama, they can't help it. Ariya is rather attractive, you have to admit that."

'Yeah, I know…'

He would never admit it out loud, but personally, he thought that she was attractive too. Not just attractive, but beautiful. Her long, flowing black hair, her lovely black eyes, her tall and slender form, and her gentle voice…It was just perfect, he thought, as he pictured her in his mind.

Then, he slapped himself for it.

"What is it, Kurama? Bug?"

"Err…No…I mean…Yes…"

How could he? He shouldn't be thinking of her that way. 'She's my student…'


The wind seemed to be toying with her hair, gently blowing it this way and that. Smiling, she brushed her hair to the back, tucking a few strands behind her ear.

He gazed at her. She turned red under his gaze. So did he. Both of them seemed to have noticed how close they were to each other.

He reached out to grab her hand, but she shifted it before he could reach it. When she turned to look at him, he looked away in embarrassment.

'Why is my heart thumping like this?'


Kurama shuddered as he remembered the dream he had a few days before. Why was it he was having such strange dreams? And his heartbeat…Occasionally it skipped a beat when he was around her…This was not good…

His head started spinning. He felt himself slide down to the floor…

"Kurama? Are you alright?"

"Sensei! Kuronue-san! I'm back!"

Ariya stopped short in her tracks. The scene before her was all too bizarre.

Kuronue had a worried look on his face, and he pored into Kurama's anxiously. Kurama was lying on the floor, having slid down while thinking of the dream he had. Now, he sat up sharply and in doing so, hit Kuronue hard in the face.

"OWW!" Both yelled in unison.

Ariya couldn't take it any longer. She laughed.


"Ouch, my head…"

"Speak for yourself…Why did you have to sit up that suddenly?"

Kuronue wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand. Kurama leaned back against the tree. His head was spinning from the collision just now.

"Well, one thing's for sure, you have a thick skull…"

"HEY!"

"OK, OK, chill…"

Ariya giggled at the sight of the two of them.

"Kuronue-san's getting on Sensei's nerves as usual…Well, I'll leave both of you to chat here. Goodnight, Sensei. Goodnight, Kuronue-san!"

Kuronue watched her disappear into the woods. "You know what? She's beautiful…" Then he glanced at Kurama nervously. "And don't kill me for saying that."

Kurama wasn't really listening. 'You're right, Kuronue. She is beautiful…'


The demon cackled evilly. The woman sobbed and pleaded helplessly, but he didn't heed a word.

His comrades laughed too. Their laughter sent chills down Ariya's back. 'Mother, get out of there, now!'

Her mother seemed to be trying to distract their attention from the door. Even though she knew she was going to die, she still tried to protect her daughter.

The bandit raised his knife and brought it down on her mother. Ariya could only watch in horror as the gruesome scene unfolded in front of her eyes. She'd never forget that scream, the scream of pain, the last thing her mother uttered. Inside, she felt like screaming too, but it never came out.

He hacked repeatedly at her mother. 'Stop it…stop it…please stop hurting her…' Her mother hit the ground; blood splattered the wall…

She saw the blade gleaming in the fire. Crimson blood stained it and dripped from its edge. Then, to her horror, the demon turned towards her direction.

'He's coming…He's coming for me…' She backed away…

The bandits closed in on the door.

'Please…No…'

They stopped at her door…

'No…Please…'

The door burst open. The menacing figures stood there in the doorway leering at her.

'Someone…please help me…'

The leader raised his knife…

"NOOOO!!!"


Ariya woke up trembling. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. Was that a nightmare? But it seemed so real…

Someone put his arm around her. She looked up in fright. Kurama smiled gently at her.

"It's alright. Everything's going to be alright…"

Ariya couldn't bear it any longer. She burst into tears, sobbing into his lap, letting it all go, all the emotions kept inside her for so long.

Kurama stroked her hair. He could almost feel the pain in her heart, cutting through his own like a knife.

"It's alright. Go to sleep now…"


She fell asleep in his arms, just like she did so many years back, when he had first found her. She always felt so safe with him, so secure, and all her fears would just vanish for a while.

A sudden sound startled her. She opened her eyes cautiously. Someone, or something unwelcome was here…

She could feel Kurama stir. He too, had heard the sound then.

Her hand reached for the dagger at her side. But Kurama stopped her. He shook his head, and then, motioning for her to be quiet, he stood up silently.

Immediately, he had to duck down again. A knife was embedded in the tree above him, where he had been a few moments earlier. Quick as a flash, he drew out his Rose Whip and lashed at a bush up ahead.

A shadow leaped away from the bushes and darted at Ariya. She dodged and managed to cut it with a quick flick of her dagger. The shadow gave a cry and fled.

"Sensei, what was that?"

"I don't know. Alert the others. Someone's attacking us."

Ariya nodded and went away. Making sure she was gone, he walked over to the knife and pulled it out.

"Just as I suspected…"


"What?!!"

"Yes, someone just attacked Sensei and he told me to warn you!"

A cry of outrage issued from them.

"Who do they think they are? How dare they attack us and challenge us outright like that!"

"We'll make them pay, won't we?"

"Yeah!"

Kuronue looked at Ariya. "Is there something you want to say?"

She hesitated a moment before saying: "I don't think that person was after all of us."

The silence that followed lasted few minutes before someone said: "What?"

"I think he was after Sensei himself…"

Someone gasped and was rewarded with cold and disdainful looks from most of the gang. Kuronue, however, strode away from the clearing.

"Come on, Ariya. Where were you guys when you were attacked?"


Itsutoki looked up when Kurama walked into the clearing. "Well, well, well! The great Youko Kurama…What a pleasant surprise!"

"Save the act…What do you want?"

"I'm afraid I don't quite get what you mean, Kurama."

"You sent me this, didn't you?"

Kurama threw the knife to the ground, where it stuck upright, quivering. Now under moonlight, words were visible under the hilt.

"Very clever of you to figure out it was me."

"Don't be a fool. You're the only one who darts like a shadow that way and besides, your smell was unbearable…"

Itsutoki laughed. "You're just so arrogant, Kurama. You know, just because you smell of flowers doesn't mean everyone else reeks…"

"Just shut up and get to the point."

Itsutoki sighed. "Tut, tut. Getting impatient now, are we? Well, I'm here for only one reason, and I'm sure you're clear with that."

Kurama looked at him coldly. "Fine then. If you insist…But aren't you forgetting what happened last time?"

"Precisely. That's why I'm here again."


Sigh…I finally finished Chapter 2. But it's kinda a little too long, longer than I expected, and because of that, I have to move all my details back a bit. So it could take a while before I finish rearranging my chapters so please wait for me to put up Chapter 3.

Meanwhile, thanks for reading and if you can, kindly submit a review please? And thank you…