I've been a bit distracted from writing this story for a bit, but now I'm back to writing and posting the chapters. I'm currently working on chapter 3, and more will certainly be done soon since I'm out on summer break now.

Thank you all for the favorites and reviews so far!

Kurama POV

I sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair in slight frustration. I could already sense the fighting going on inside the warehouse. I probably shouldn't have left the two of them alone, but there really wasn't a choice. I didn't want to leave her there by herself, in case she ran off while I was gone. The only other option would have been Goki, and frankly, I did not trust that demon to be alone with her.

Thankfully, Hiei hadn't killed her, though he might in a few moments. He could act out suddenly at times. I could feel her demonic energy emitting from the building, but I could feel Hiei's murderous intentions as I drew closer as well. The handle turned in my hand, and the door opened, flooding light into the old warehouse. A startled Rima stood in front of me; we would've been about nose to nose if she wasn't so short. She stood more like nose to chest. She almost lost her balance from jumping away from the close proximity, but she managed to right herself before she fell over. That was definitely Rima, the stealthy klutz. She had been like that for as long as I've known her. Some things never change.

Rima POV

I stared up at the tall, red head, blinking. I must've been obviously staring at him, especially when the words just slipped out. "Wow, you're really pretty." Words just did that with me. What can I say, I usually voiced what I thought or whatever nonsense was on my mind. I definitely thought it was true. The stranger had flowing, crimson hair and large, forest green eyes. Her outfit consisted of a pink uniform of some sort.

"Is this your girlfriend?" I couldn't help making the comment. Whether it be true or just to make the black- haired guy uncomfortable. I nudged my elbow at the said guy, winking.

Instead of him, the girl in the doorway looked uncomfortable. The guy, on the other hand, snarled, "Of course not, idiot!"

"…You denied that awfully quick, buddy." I raised my eyebrows and shot him a mocking disbelieving look. I can already tell I'm going to have fun messing with this guy in the future. Seeing that he wouldn't let me leave earlier, I say he kinda deserves it.

He just stood there glowering at me.

A throat cleared next to me. "Sorry to interrupt your…conversation," a soft voice spoke. "But I'd like to point out that I'm, in fact, a boy."

I looked over at the other guy for confirmation. "Are you shitting me?" I questioned, casting a doubtful glance at the red-head.

"Rima," he sighed, "do you always have to use that language?"

My carefree attitude suddenly stopped in its tracks. My muscles stiffened, and I took an automatic step backwards. I cast a suspicious glare at the two of them. "How do you know my name?" I practically hissed. "And who are you?"

Only a few people knew my real name. I could count as many on one hand, and half of them weren't even alive anymore. I had made sure that no one knew, just so people wouldn't be able to track me down. I used alias wherever I went. So that brought up my question. How did this stranger know me? My first thought was that he was someone hired to find me to get back something, but there was no way I'd give back any of my treasures. I instinctively tried to grasp the pendant that hung around my neck, but that's the moment I realized that it wasn't there. My hand patted the base of my neck, as if I just missed it. I grew increasingly alarmed.

My eyes narrowed to slits. "Where is it?" I snarled, as I basically stalked towards them. At the red-head's puzzled look, I grew even more frustrated. "Tell me!" I demanded. Even from my perspective, I knew I sounded more desperate than anything, but I didn't care at that point. They had to have it. They must've taken it for themselves while I was unconscious. The only other possibility would be- No! I refused to believe that through all my problems, that the necklace had ended back up with him. I had barely been able to steal it from him in the first place, and to think it had all been for nothing!

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're looking for." The softer voice cut through my mental rage. My attention snapped back to him. I noticed the other guy wasn't next to us anymore, but after glancing around, I saw he was sitting on a nearby crate. He must have moved while I was too involved in my thoughts.

"Don't worry about it," the anger, I'm sure, could be heard clearly in my voice. "That bastard will have it coming to him." There was no way I'd let him get away with taking it back. I'll just have to find another portal to get back. I knew that it was easier said than done, seeing how long it took me to find both the portal and the necklace the first time. Plus, I'm not going to go into how he'd beaten me in that fight like it was nothing. The only reason I made it out of there was that surprise advantage I had. But who cares. That necklace was too damn important to me, so there was no way I'd let it out of my grasp that easily. Throwing my shoulders back, I moved around the guy to leave. My focus was entirely on my mission; the human world could wait until later.

But I was stopped in my tracks- sigh- yet again. This was getting old, and these guys really knew how to annoy a person. My eyes met green ones as I glared up at him defiantly. "Will you guys just get out of my way?"

"Whatever you're thinking of doing, I don't believe it's wise to do in your condition."

"In case you didn't know, I don't care what you think is 'wise'." I snapped. "And you should do the same. Just who are you guys anyways?"

"Here I thought it was possible you might have recognized me."

That certainly threw me off. I figured he might have found out about me from someone else, but me knowing him? I've never seen this guy's face before in my life, and I was really good at remembering them. I let out a chuckle. "Look, buddy, I have no idea who you are. You must have me confused with someone else." Yes, I threw in that lame-ass excuse. I just couldn't think of any other reason to explain this weird situation for me. But it then hit me that if he meant someone else, he wouldn't have known my name. Nice one, Rima.

"I think she might have damaged her head during her fight, Kurama." The shorter boy mocked me from his seat.

I didn't even acknowledge his insult. That name. The name I haven't heard in so many years. The last I've heard it was about fourteen years ago. I stood there in shock. I've really been doing that a lot recently, and it really wasn't like me. Surprises just decided to jump at me today.

That's when the solid denial hit. I composed my face, shaking the shock away. There really was no way that was true. "Kurama?" I laughed, despite the twist of remorse in my stomach. It actually hurt to laugh at that second. "Now that's one I haven't heard in a while, but…" I stared intentionally at him, "you're not him."

"As Hiei did point out, I am indeed Kurama. Though not quite how you remember him."

I crossed my arms and said, my voice laced with sarcasm. "Okay, I'll play along with this. You're Kurama, yet you look nothing like him."

"That…can be explained. It might take some time though."

"Go on."

He took a deep breath before launching into his story. I have to admit, he told a good one. He told of placing his soul into an unborn child, and he'd been living his life as close to a human's as he could. Though sometimes things came up in his life that called for his talents as a demon. He must've had a bit of time to come up with this story. But it still had its flaw. Everyone knew the stories about Yoko Kurama, and I had seen those people kill him. I was there at the time.

"You don't really think I'd believe that story, right?"

And I really didn't.

I saw his lifeless body.

Because the fact is, the reason he's dead was because of me.