-1Doi Co Bao Lau

Summary: Name's taken from a Vietnamese song (which rocks, find the band Cardin and listen to it) and it means 'To Be Alone.' Or something like that. Anyway, onto the actual summary. Kuronue, wandering around Ningenkai, learns of Kurama's kidnap by Yomi from listening to Yusuke's conversation with the others. Of course, he didn't believe that Youko could still be alive, but his curiosity got the best of him and he heads off to find Yomi and Kurama. However, what he finds is not what he was looking for.

Category: Yu Yu Hakusho

Genre: Angst. Romance. Crap like that.

Rating: M/NC-17

Couples: Karasu/Kurama (forced), Yomi/Kurama (forced)

Warnings: Look at my couples section. Don't ask questions like that. I will fill this in as I go along, however.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Thanks:

Foxgirl28: Of course I'm going to update!! I know, it took awhile, but I've been embroiled in exams. TT

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Kuronue stopped running once he had made it back to Makai. He had realized that he had no idea where he was supposed to be going, other than that Yomi had Kurama. A sigh and shrug later, he began walking. There was always a possibility of some yokai having the information he needed.

The area he had been transported to was rather rugged, with very few plants around. The sun blared down on him, though it was mostly blocked by his large hat. All around, there was rocks that stood taller than Kuronue. Knowing that this would be a perfect area for ambushes at, he pulled his blades out and kept his guard up. It would do him no good to die before learning the truth behind this Kurama who claimed to be his Youko.

The first sound that Kuronue noticed was stones clattering to the ground. Any other person would have ignored it as the ground shifting, but Kuronue knew it to be more. Any thief would, as it was one mistake that all thieves made in their lives. Instead of watching where they were walking, they watched their mark wholly. Thus, stupid mistakes like giving away your position happened. A good thief learned from doing it a couple times. An excellent thief never made the mistake again and still got the mark the mistake was made on.

Kuronue waited, listening for any more tell-tale signs of the thief. Hearing a slight movement on his left, he shrugged and continued on his way as though he had passed the noise off. Not even two steps later, a yokai had lunged at him.

…

"So, now…You're going to tell me what I want to know…" Kuronue smirked, twirling his pendant around his fingers. The yokai nodded quickly, his eyes wide.

Karasu

"Your face is so very beautiful…I wish I could place you at my side for all eternity…" Karasu murmured, stroking his right index finger down Kurama's cheek.

"Get away from me, freak!" Kurama shouted hoarsely, his voice almost gone from the screams forced from him earlier.

"Now, now, Kurama…That's no way to respond when someone is complimenting you…" Karasu's left hand twitched, and the ends of the whip he held struck Kurama's stomach, wrenching another scream from the red-head.

"Karasu." Yomi's cold voice overpowered the lingering echoes of the scream. "Come."

Karasu let his fingers slide down Kurama's bare side before he turned, dropping the whip, and followed Yomi from the room. Yomi led Karasu back to his personal chambers where he sat at a chess set. Karasu stood, watching the blind yokai warily.

"Did I not order you to stay away from Kurama?"

"Yes, but…"

"No 'buts,' Karasu. Stay away from him. I do not need you to awaken Youko quite yet. I wish to see who may come for him." Yomi move a pawn forward two spaces, then motioned for Karasu to move a piece. Unwillingly, Karasu stepped forward and moved a random pawn. He never was good at this game…

"Yomi, the Forbidden Child is not that interesting, really. I've seen him and-" He paused as he moved another pawn, which Yomi quickly captured. "Er…" He moved his right bishop to where one of his old pawns used to be.

"How easily you lose your train of thought, Karasu. It is too bad. Besides, the Forbidden Child is not my true interest…There is always that Spirit Detective…"

Silence reigned for minutes as they continued their game, Yomi quickly pulling into the lead. Finally, Karasu made the mistake Yomi had been waiting for.

"Though you never know who else may crawl out of the woodwork to save him." Yomi smirked as he took Karasu's king. "And I always win."

Yusuke

"Who the hell was that guy?" Yusuke wondered aloud for the hundredth time since Botan had left to check Kuronue's identity. Hiei still refused to say anything and Kuwabara shrugged.

"Probably just some yokai that knew the old Kurama."

"Bingo, Kuwabara. That's exactly who he was." Botan walked into the room, carrying a file. A LARGE file. "Here, Yusuke. I brought part of his file."

"'Part?' Botan, that's huge!" Yusuke exclaimed as she handed him the file. Even though he was complaining, he opened the file and began to skim through the pages.

"Well, his file coincides with Youko Kurama's so…" Botan trailed off as Hiei snatched a paper from Yusuke.

"Dammit…" Hiei growled as he read the paper over.

"What is it, Hiei?" Yusuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We have to find Kurama before he does." Hiei snarled, throwing the paper back at Yusuke.

"Look, shrimp, I don't know what your problem is-"

"No, Kuwabara, let's hear him out. What makes you say that? It says that he was Youko Kurama's partner." Yusuke said, putting down the file.

"Exactly. He was Youko Kurama's partner. He isn't going to settle for the ningen form; he will awaken Youko." Hiei said coldly.

"How's that bad? Won't it make him stronger?" Kuwabara scratched the back of his head.

"No…Hiei's right. I doubt that Youko would be willing to live the life that Kurama has been leading once he knows his partner is alive." Hiei looked at Yusuke with an appraising look.

"You're not a complete idiot after all. Woman, do you have any idea where Yomi is keeping Kurama?" Hiei demanded.

"Ah…Yes. Here…" She handed Yusuke a slip of paper. "Guys, be careful…Maybe you should ask Touya and Jinn for help…"

"There's no time, Botan. That Kuronue has almost a day on us." Yusuke said, shaking his head.

"Send Kuwabara to find them! Please, this is dangerous…" Botan pleaded.

"Send the moron. He can at least be useful that way." Hiei said. Kuwabara growled, but Yusuke held up a hand to silence him.

"Alright. Kuwabara, here." Yusuke wrote some things on a piece of paper and handed it to Kuwabara. "That has the address that Touya and Jinn are staying at as well as where Hiei and I are headed. Be quick about getting them, but don't be too disappointed if we finish before you get there. Botan," Yusuke turned to the woman. "would you let Keiko know I'll be gone for a little while? Thanks." He and Hiei then ran from the room.

A/N: I meant for this to be longer, but it was a large amount of pages written out, and it just seemed a good place to end the chapter. Anyway, R&R and I will see you next update!