Soooo since I already have a few chapters ready for this story, I thought about giving you lovelies a nice treat and uploading the second chapter as well. Can't wait to hear from y'all, and remember... reviews are fodder for us writers and keep us coming up with great ideas for your enjoyment :D

So enjoy, my lovely readers, and don't be shy in leaving me a review. I don't bite, I promise~ ;P

P.S. All YuYu Hakusho characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi~ :)

2. No more...

Still silent, Nozomi was now shivering onto the fox-youkai's shoulder, both from the cold air and a form of fear mixed with excitement. It was, after all, the first time she was out of that tower and she glanced at everything around her with insatiable curiosity.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Releasing the girl on the flooring of his tent after his entrance, Kurama knelt before her, since he had put her down into a seated posture. She had a rather bizarre expression and demeanor, as if everything happened to be new to her... was she just that innocent, or had she lived in solitude? His eyes ever so slightly narrowed when he finally went to speak.

"...What were you doing isolated in that room? Were you a prisoner?"

Slightly startled at his voice, Nozomi now tore her gaze away from examining the inside of his tent and set her eyes upon him. Silently she reached out and trailed her fingertips along his cheek. Widening her eyes, she suddenly withdrew her hand as if his skin burned her.

"You... you're real, aren't you?"

Looking around again, she then lowered her gaze to her hand, where the sensation of his perfectly smooth skin still lingered on her fingers.

"I'm not dreaming... I'm really out of that room."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, despite the instant in which his mind lingered upon the sensation of her small fingers on his cheek; she had indeed been a prisoner in that place. How long?

"...So you were a prisoner. How long were you in there?"

He wouldn't answer her previous question. Of course he was real, at least as much so as she was. The fox-youkai now seated himself before her, observing her pale features which were rife with confusion.

"For as long as I can remember... father said I had to stay there. For my own safety. The only people I ever saw were him and mother. I..."

Falling silent, she suddenly seemed to ponder something, before turning her eyes back to him. Taking a moment to let her gaze feast on his silver hair and his fair features that still glistened from the rain, she now spoke her thoughts.

"Why did you take me?" she asked, curiosity ringing in her tone.

His lips twitched into something of a scowl at that bit of data; freedom was one of the few things he held sacred and believed should be available to all. When she spoke once more, he kept the gap between their voices short.

"We were told of a treasure hidden there, that possessed a strange youki signature... you were apparently that treasure. Why did your parents force you to remain in that room?"

"A... treasure?"

Her eyes widened in astonishment, though she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that her cheeks had turned a pale pink at his words. After all, she couldn't say she had received too many compliments throughout her life, but somewhere in the back of her mind, it seemed she'd considered that as such. Ignoring his question, she now blinked when realization dawned on her.

"You... you're Kurama, then? Father spoke of you once... a long time ago."

"Yes, I am Kurama and I need to find a use for you... every treasure serves a function. What is yours?"

If he had to, he would threaten to serve her up to a slaver, or a man who generally enjoyed young flesh. If she had any powers, of course, now was the time to share them with the legendary thief.

"A function?" she asked, clearly puzzled by his words. "I... don't understand."

Even as she spoke, however, she kept inspecting every little detail of his face and body. He was certainly a fascinating being.

"What is it like?" she suddenly asked, her tone having softened a bit away from her innocent curiosity. "Being free..."

"...Freedom is life as it is truly meant to be. It requires cunning to survive, and sometimes... the ability to part with your conscience. However..."

He somewhat droned, before adding on.

"...What are your powers? Youkai have abilities that assist them in combat and in life in general... some are unique, some far simpler. I imagine you have at least one."

Especially with such an unusual, unique signature. It actually surprised him that her youki hadn't stopped flowing.

Contemplating his words for a few moments as she watched him, she suddenly blinked upon realizing she'd gotten lost in his golden eyes. Recalling his question and the fact that he'd had to ask her the same thing twice, she now reached to twist a lock of hair around her finger. It was a thing she did when she felt nervous, even though this time the feeling was somewhat different, but she couldn't tell in what way.

"I... I can move things... just by wishing that. And sometimes... people's thoughts flow into my mind. Usually it happens when I'm asleep; mother said it's a dangerous power to have and that many would want to hurt me for it. So that's why they had to keep me locked up..."

In truth, her mother had not had the heart to tell her only child that she was bound to be sent to Hell, as part of her family's agreement with a powerful youkai that lived there. Kurama's brow rose upward. Such powers would indeed be useful, though she would need training.

"...Yes, I can definitely use you." he concluded.

He had actually disregarded just about everything else she had said, though he had indeed taken in her words. Everything needed to be taken into account, as every little thing could be a clue as to how he could further her value. Maybe, however, he would benefit most by having someone to train her first.

"You're... not taking me back?"

Despite her stunned expression as that realization dawned on her, her tone did betray a hopeful tone. She did want to see her parents again, but that lonely room was definitely the last place she wanted to return to.

"Why? They'll hunt you down and... I don't want them to hurt you."

He was stoic as he watched her.

"Many great men have attempted to harm me and met their maker as a result. I am not feared simply for my aptitude in thievery, girl."

She was indeed naïve in the end, and as such, he would spare her his visible irritation and wrath. Sensing the anger in his tone, Nozomi lowered her gaze and lightly bowed to him from where she had settled onto her knees.

"Forgive me... I did not mean to offend you."

She'd only recognized that tone because it was similar to the one in her father's voice whenever she'd asked him to let her take a walk outside. By now she was slightly shaking, her body finally giving in to the cold, wet clothes sticking to her body. Watching her in silence so as to let the last shreds of his anger dissipate Kurama then finally moved to his feet. Walking to the other end of his tent, he threw over a blanket which the girl caught mostly out of reflex. With some proper training, she had the potential to become a fearsome weapon; that much he could already tell.

"Get out of those wet clothes before you get sick and get some sleep."

He then stepped toward the flap so as to go outside and let her disrobe, but his ear twitched and his eyes slightly widened, his body momentarily pinned to that spot when she began undressing right in front of him. Scowling somewhat, he grasped her wrist.

"What are you doing, girl?"

Startled by that, Nozomi dropped the fabric she'd been holding, which in turn bared her torso to his gaze. Inwardly Kurama cursed himself for his reflexes which drew his eyes to her chest though he couldn't help thinking that for a child she had a rather curvy body. Tearing his gaze from her breasts he closed his eyes and released her wrist before turning his back on her.

"Didn't your parents teach you it's improper to disrobe in front of a man you barely met? If I were any less mannered, I could consider you're willing to sleep with me since you seem so eager to show me your body."

Tilting her head at that, Nozomi now reached for the blanket and wrapped it around her. She couldn't understand why he seemed angry...

"Why would you need to lack manners if you wish to sleep with me? I used to sleep with my parents many times when I was younger..."

Did that mean she lacked manners? Involuntarily his left ear twitched again as he found his eyes widening once more at her words. So she seemed to lack even the most basic knowledge about sexuality. Was it even possible for anyone to be that innocent?

"That is not what I meant, but it matters not. Know that you should not show your body to just any man."

With that he finally stepped back out into the rain, exhaling a soft sigh. He'd already decided to keep her there... would he come to regret that? Most likely... once again he sighed, closing his eyes and listening to the pouring rain as it washed along his body. He always did that whenever he needed to empty his mind for a few moments. When his eyelids parted again a shade of determination now sparked in his golden eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd taken a child in... he could do it again, even if she would be the first female one he would care for. Then again, if he didn't have enough knowledge of women, no one had.

Later that night he was seated in his tent, leaning against one of the wooden polls holding the fabric part up. The girl was lying next to him, her head near his thigh, her dark strands coiled and entwined upon the various furs and skins covering the flooring of his abode. Yes, he'd been watching her all night, taking in every single detail of her features to the point where he knew he would never again forget her face. At some point he'd even tested the smoothness of her skin with the back of his clawed fingers, only to find that the sensation now refused to fade from his hand. Even her scent was so, in a word, potent... there was no doubt that she was what could be called an adolescent youkai, nearing her adulthood. But in the end she was still a child compared to him... perhaps not in body, but in mind she definitely was nowhere in his range of interest.

All night he'd struggled to find an answer to the question squirming in his mind. Why? Why had they kept her isolated from the entire world? When his gaze drifted to her hair he realized that for the past few minutes he'd been sifting his fingers through her silky strands. Watching the contrast between the raven locks and his pale skin, he felt his lips curving into an ironic smirk. The girl's father had mentioned him to her, as she claimed... probably making him seem like a terrible monster, as most of the Makai residents considered him. Had her parents been afraid that he or someone like him would come steal her away after seeing her? She definitely wasn't ugly, and with the proper knowledge she could become a skilled seductress in a few years' time.

Exhaling a soft sigh he finally tore his gaze from her, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the rough wood. So many possibilities... her innocence and lack of knowledge about life offered him so many options regarding what to do with her. But after all, why not simply offer her power and knowledge and watch what she chose to do with those tools? That would certainly be more intriguing than simply directing her life toward one path or another.

In the morning he moved to his feet and stepped outside where Nari was already waiting for him, seated near a small fire. Plopping down next to the elder youkai, Kurama stretched his spine before speaking.

"I'll need you to train her."

Staring at him for a few moments, the dark haired youkai crossed his arms.

"Why me?"

"You had a daughter before... you know what it's like. I don't."

Instantly discarding the painful glimmer in his gaze, Nari finally nodded.

"Very well. What did you find out from her?"

"She definitely has some unique powers... it seems she can move objects with her mind, and sometimes she can read people's thoughts."

"She would make a fearsome weapon in the wrong hands." the youkai agreed.

"Then it's a good thing my hands are the right ones." Kurama smirked.

Chuckling somewhat, Nari lightly shook his head.

"And? Anything else you want from her?"

"She's a child, Nari... she poses no such interest to me."

Standing, he now turned to leave, the elder youkai turning serious as well.

"I don't recall you saying that about Amaya. And she was the same age..."

Stopping in his tracks, Kurama felt his ear twitch at that... he hadn't heard Nari mentioning his daughter's name in over a century.

"I was a child back then, as well... but no more."