Yo. It's been a while, ne? (Sheepish grin). Anyway, I've been getting so much encouragement to continue this, so I'm going to see if I can get the boy's to cooperate for long enough for me to finish this fic. Props to everyone who realized it was Yusuke speaking at the end of last chapter. Reading over it recently, I realized that that part would be a little confusing for anyone not uber-familiar with this particular timeline.

I'd been using the dvds for reference, but I don't feel like watching these eps again right now (or a year ago – hence the long absence) so I'm using an online manga translation. Please excuse me if it ends up making a difference. I'm changing up the wording of the dialogue for this scene, but it's basically the same conversation as in the translation.

He was so…so foul. So…common. So crude.

It took all of Yomi's control and patience to keep his disgust and horror from showing on his face. This was Raizen's heir? This…this child, reeking of humanity with his dirty halfbred blood running through his veins – no, not even a halfbreed! If Raizen hadn't already been dead, Yomi would have sent an assassin for his head and damn the political consequences. Surely the other king had to have been mad to have created something so…so disgusting.

And the power! What was a human-raised, less-than-halfbreed brat doing with enough raw power to make his teeth ache? Yomi had had to fight and claw and bleed his way to that kind of power – it had taken centuries, and this brat had it now?

He had heard something he had never expected to hear – a sound he had not thought existed – in those first, surprised and silent moments after the brat had so crassly announced his presence in Yomi's kingdom. As the last echoes of that graceless shout died slowly in his ears, the fox at his side shifted, his hand coming up to his mouth, and…laughed. Not a normal laugh – this had been a laugh of surprise, of delight. A laugh that betrayed how completely off-guard the brat's actions had pushed the wily fox.

He had been smiling, Yomi was sure, even after the laugh fell away. As Yomi turned and ordered him to gather the warriors he had promised and hide them away, ready to attack Raizen's heir at his signal, the fox had been smiling. Yomi couldn't see it, but somehow he knew it was there. A smile. A happy smile.

Hate surged like bile in his throat.

The mostly-human brat wrapped his filthy hands around the fine china teacup one of the servants had given him and took a long sip. Yomi made a mental note to have that set destroyed after he left. Seconds ticked by and still Raizen's abomination did not speak. Yomi itched to give the signal, to order Kurama and the warriors he had brought to kill the brute. Whatever their differences, Kurama had promised his loyalty to Yomi. He would never choose this filthy creature over his former second.

"I don't mean to rush you," Yomi offered the boy his most cordial smile. "But may I ask what brings you to my kingdom? To be honest with you, I strongly dislike conflict."

"Well…" the mostly-human offered him a large, brash grin, and Yomi felt his skin crawl. He could not see the expression with his eyes, but he knew how the expression would look. Fearless, reckless, and completely lacking in any trace of respect. The boy put his teacup back down on the table with an inelegant thunk, and the lack of any sloshing told Yomi that he had completely drained it. "Raizen's dead."

Yomi raised his eyebrows at the lack of subtlety in the brat's announcement, but Urameshi continued before he could say anything.

"Since that makes me the new ruler, I thought I'd stop by and say hi," the boy stated. "And, you know, check out the enemy for myself."

"I see…" what a fool! What a child! And Kurama had once willingly associated himself with this creature? "Then this also gives me the opportunity to state my own wishes."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the brat was barely listening. Yomi heard him fumble around for a moment, and then something hit the table hard. Oddly, its sound resembled that of a bag of stones. The teacup fell to the floor and shattered. "I brought you a gift."

So the creature wasn't a complete fool. He recognized how weak his position was, at the very least, though Yomi had little intention of taking mercy on him just because he had brought a peace offering. "How very kind of you," he said, barely managing to keep down his contempt. "Would you care to open it for me?"

He felt the air shift as Urameshi shrugged. "I ain't cleaning it up."

Kurama clenched his hands into fists – what was Yusuke thinking?

It was good to see the spirit detective again after their long year apart, good to hear his voice and his laugh, good to be caught off guard by his obvious insanity (no longer how long he knew his friend, he would never quite get used to that aspect of his personality). It was almost as if the hurt and anger that Kurama had been nursing ever since he first returned to the demon world had been broken at the sound of Yusuke's voice, yelling so brashly from the outer reaches of Yomi's kingdom.

"Ahhh! Our kingdom's most precious treasures - !"

Kurama truly did regret his petty actions toward Yomi the last time he had come to Gandara. Though he had come for the explicit purpose of using his former second, he had been infuriated at the thought of Yomi using him in return – using him or worse. It had almost seemed as if his once friend had thought Kurama was truly there to stay by his side – and wanting to show him off to political allies, like a whore or a tamed pet (or was that partner? No, no, anything but that!) Kurama had been infuriated, and with his mind soaking deeply in the instincts and inclinations of his youko form, he had acted on that anger without thought. If he had it to do again, everything would be different. He never seemed capable of making the right decision where Yomi was concerned. Not in the past, while they had been friends, and not now. It made him sad.

"Your highness, what could you possibly be thinking - !"

He had been getting too caught up in politics and games, and had nearly forgotten that there was anything else in the world. He had nearly forgotten that there were those – a select, precious few – who could be trusted.

Yomi's voice, calm and amused, drifted over the screams of Yusuke's servant: "Such a truly priceless gift," he said, and Kurama picked up on the small note of contempt in his voice. "You have my thanks. I assume by such an offering you can only intend one thing…"

It was of little surprise that the demons he had chosen to bring with him wanted to take Yusuke's side if this conversation with Yomi turned bloody – little surprise, but Kurama found himself intensely relieved. It would weigh heavily on him, betraying Yomi once again, but Kurama wouldn't hesitate. If there was one man in the three worlds who held his complete trust and loyalty, it was Yusuke.

Silence had fallen in the next room, thick and heavy and waiting. Kurama shifted, trying to peer through the small crack where the door was not quite closed all the way, wondering if it was time to show where his true allegiance lay –

And Yusuke's man began to wail.

"Y…y…you've defaced our national treasure!" he cried, sounding near to tears.

"I've been thinkin' about this for a long time," Yusuke's voice, breezy and confident, drifted over the ruckus his servant was making. "Truth is, I'd make a pretty damn sucky king. So I decided we were gonna handle this mess another way. My way."

"Your…?"

Kurama fought a smile. Perhaps he had done an insufficient job of preparing Yomi for Yusuke. But really, how would one go about describing someone so very…very…Yusuke-esque?

"These are the lots we're gonna draw!" his friend announced.

"Lots…?"

He sighed at having to explain what he clearly thought should be obvious by now. "Thought you were supposed t' be smart. Lots. To fill the brackets with."

"Brackets?"

"Fuck all this kingdom bullshit," and by his voice alone, Kurama knew Yusuke was grinning. "Let's just have us one big 'ole knock-down, drag-out brawl!"

tbc

Meh – medium sized chapter? I think this means I can take it off the hiatus list…

As for Yomi's thoughts toward Yusuke…I honestly think he doesn't like him – at the very least, initially. Humans are food to him, and Raizen was his enemy, and Yusuke doesn't usually make a good first impression. Plus, as far as this storyline goes, he would be jealous of his ties to Kurama.

And I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but the more I think about it the more I think it's true – I think this fic would work nicely as a precursor to my Dirge fic. I think they could easily exist within the same timeline – if you'd like to read it that way.

Sorry for the long wait, and thanks for waiting so patiently. Thanks also for reading; hope to see you next time! -K