PART 2!!!!

Grinning, Toya said in a cheery voice, "My sister of course!"

Kurama's face turned pale and his heart felt like someone's jabbing it with a wooden steak. He couldn't believe that Emina was leaving! "W-Where's she going?! She didn't tell me…"

"Why would she tell you?" he was still grinning. Why in the world was he grinning?! "Why would anyone tell you that they're dying at the stroke of midnight because of an old curse?"

Kurama didn't even let Toya finish as he heard those words. He growled and hurried to find his beloved cat. Unknown to him, Toya chuckled and his face softened. "At least I know that he cares for my sister," he shook his head while chuckling in amusement. "Who would've known that they only needed a bit of a push?" He turned around and headed back to the party but not before saying, "That's for you Emi-chan. You did your part…now you need to decide."

Back in the forest, Emina was suffering. No, it wasn't only the physical pain she was under, but also the emotional part. I knew I should've let it go! Why am I so stupid?! She clutched her heart which was now beating rather slowly but is still suffering her mental blow. He rejected her. His lack of words was enough. Nothing can be done now but to wait till midnight and leave this world. But then again, maybe she'll be able to see him. Secretly that is; from the other side of the River Styx. Unconsciously, she seemed to have arrived at the moon bridge. As she gasped for air, she stared at the sparkling water through half lidded eyes. I wish my last moment with him would've been a bit more pleasant, she thought with a sad smile. Her heart twitched painfully yet again. She clutched it and felt that the differences between the beats were getting longer by the minute. Her heart was slowing down. She looked at her watch and saw that there's only 14 minutes left. She looked up at the sky then at the water reflecting the stars. Well at least I won't be leaving any strong attachments…but…

"I still love you," she said with an intake of breath.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Emina jumped at the sudden voice that cut through the silence of her pain. She swiftly turned her head and gasped at the sight that beheld her. Right there, standing before her, was a very flushed Kurama. Has he been looking for me?

"W-What do you mean?" she tried to back away but couldn't.

"You didn't tell me you were in trouble! Why? Don't you trust me?" he walked up at her and put his hands on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't talk earlier. But please listen. I always thought of you as someone very special. There was something about you that caught my attention and I couldn't find the strength to look away. You've captivated me. I don't know what's the deal with midnight and dying but Emina, please…I love you…don't leave me."

He stood there. He knew he sounded stupid and unrehearsed but he kept still; his hands still on her shoulder. He didn't know how she'll react now since her hair was over her eyes; hiding them. When he felt her shaking, he almost had a heart attack. "E-Emi…"

"Why?" her voice was shaking, "why did you tell me all those?" She looked up at him with tear streaked eyes.

"Because that's what my heart's saying."

She continued weeping and Kurama didn't know what to do. All he could think of was pull her in his arms and hug her tight, not wanting to let go; it felt nice. "I was trying to convince myself not to think of you…" her muffled voice said.

"W-What?" were all those things she said false?

"I didn't want to have something to cling on," she looked at him right in the eyes. They were full of sorrow. "Now I don't want to go away…I don't want to leave you."

"Then stay." Kurama said as he pulled her closer.

"That can't happen."

"Why's that?"

With a shaky breath and all her strength left, she said, "I need to be kissed and be loved by the one I love."

"Then this is perfect! I can save you!" Kurama's eyes filled with so much hope that even he surprised himself with its intensity.

"But there's a catch…" that made him stop. "If you did kiss me…my memories of you will be erased."

Kurama's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. A jumble of thoughts ran through his head.

She'll forget me!

She'll forget our good times!

She'll forget about my feelings!

She'll live but I might not be part of her life anymore!

He shook his head and made himself think a bit clearer.

I can't be selfish! Besides...if it's really love, it'll find a way…

He smiled and cupped her chin to tilt her face up. "I quote, "If you love me as I love you, no knife can cut our love in two.""

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she tried to smile; it turned into a crooked adorable grin. "Can I kiss you then?" Kurama asked with a gentle and breathtaking smile. "But I'll forget!"

"Then I'll make you remember. If that doesn't work, I'll make sure to make new memories of me and make you fall in love with me allover again." he caressed her cheek. "I want you to live, no matter what. So…can I?"

With a goofy smile and puffy eyes, Emina nodded. Kurama smiled brightly and leaned in. The simple kiss wasn't something Emina was expecting. It was mind blowing in its own way. It was like kissing a flower petal that has intense warmth on it. Emina felt refreshed; renewed. But as the kiss was drawing to an end, she felt something slipping away. She didn't know what for her eyes were closed. She struggled to cling on it…but the force was too strong to oppose. No matter how she tried, her grasp kept slipping away.

When she opened her eyes from that wonderful, love filled kiss, she stared at an unknown red haired man. She didn't even know why he was staring at her. He smiled at her but she didn't return it.

"Who…are you?"

**********************

When Emina asked him that, Kurama couldn't believe the pain he felt. It's not that this was his first time being left or being rejected by a woman; it rarely happened though, but why is it so painful when it was Emina who did that? When they got back to the party with Emina being quiet the whole time, Kurama was at his wits end. He didn't like this at all! Maybe he should've let her die. But he vigorously shook his head at that thought. How could he? He stole a glance at Emina. She still looked like her…but her eyes seemed…lost.

"You know you don't have to stay that far away from me," he tried to coax her into walking near him but it didn't work. Emina simply didn't trust him.

When they arrived back at the party, it seemed that Toya has already told everyone what happened. Sin was the first one to jump at her and hug her. "You don't remember my brother?!"

"Y-You have a brother Sin-chan?!" her voice sounded so clueless that it was really stunning.

"But…didn't you like…loved him!?" Kuwabara's stupidity was really annoying sometimes. Kurama was about to counter him but Emina didn't let him, "I had feelings for him? Well that's unheard off!" Her direct rejection was like a sharp knife through Kurama's heart. He shook it off. "Well, it's clear that you don't know me so let's start over. I'm Shuichi Minamino, also known as Kurama."

*********************************

The whole year started with those simple introductions. Despite Kurama's heartache, he still went off to college. He did, however, visit as much as he could. He took Emina to amusement parks, festivals, museums, bookstores, etc. He even visited her during school when he didn't have any morning classes. In the beginning, Emina simply dismissed all of his advances; telling him he's too old for her. Being the girl she is; Emina wasn't interested at all. That changed over time though. She started to see him for the man he was. She didn't think that her friends were lying about their feelings for each other; she just can't grasp the information whole heartedly for quite some time.

Since progress was not expected, Kurama, at times were loosing hope. Maybe I'm really going to loose her, he sometimes think. Unknown to him, Emina was having a dilemma. During weekends when she has time to think, Emina wondered about her memories. She remembers everything from her child hood until her 16th birthday. She remembered her friend's names, the fact that she was a demon, every event, every birthday and any childish games that they played. She even remembered her birthday week and the fact that she wanted good memories for her friends. But as she went down memory lane, she wonders why she felt so strongly about making memories. At time passes she gets frequent headaches. Sometimes, those headaches were so intense that she needed to stay home. During those times, her brain wasn't taking a day off at all.

She remembers the moon bridge and how she loved the place. She remembered how the water sparkles when the moonlight shined on it. She even remembered feeling happy and sad and sometimes both at the same time when she's on it…but why?

Sometimes she experiences some flashbacks that made her even more confused. Most of the time, those flashbacks were short and very vague, like walking down the road or holding someone's hand, but, when she sees Kurama, the flashbacks become intense. It shifts from innocent thoughts to…not so innocent ones. The thought of kissing him, of holding him tight, keeping him close and to remove his-…she tried to stop herself from thinking.

What is it with him that makes me like this?

There was something in the red headed man that triggered something in her mind. She didn't know what it was though.

"So my brother's picking you up today?" Sin asked hopefully. Emina nodded with a shy smile. "You know, I really don't want to burden your brother so much," despite her lost memory, she was still the same girl.

"Nonsense," Sin said while waving her hand. "He loves you too much for him to consider you as a burden." To Sin's delight, Emina's face grew bright red. Emina busied herself by opening her shoe locker and gasped in surprise. Sin peered over her shoulder and saw that there was a piece of paper with writings on it. "What's this?" Emina said as she held it up.

"Fan mail?"

"Nah…too many people hate me."

"Oh! A love proposal!"

"We don't have boys in this school," They attend an all-girls high school.

"Ever heard of same sex relationship-…"

"That's enough!" Emina was bright red yet again. "Let's just read it." To Emina's surprise, it really was from a boy and he wanted to meet her at the back of the school. "How did a guy manage to get it in here?" she asked Sin.

"Has the thought of 'sneaking in' ever occurred in your head Emi-chan?"

Emina sweat dropped and sighed. "So should I go?"

"Well…I don't think so. Besides, my brother's coming in a few minutes."

"But whoever wrote this must've put a lot of effort! Delivering this message is stressful enough as it is!"

Sin sighed exasperatedly at her best friend. "Fine, do what you want Emi-cha; just be careful okay?"

Emina nodded and headed towards the back of the school. When she got there, there really was someone waiting for her. Her eye widened a bit at how good looking this young man was. He had such an intense look in his blue eyes that it almost made her made her nervous, almost.

It's nothing compared to Kurama's eyes.

His hair was jet black with a tinge of blue hues.

It's not as smooth as Kurama's hair.

She frowned at such thoughts. What is it with that fox that makes her captivated?

"Hey Emina-san!" the guy said. "I-I'm Kanata Souma from Meio High School. Nice to meet you," he gave her a sweet smile. She couldn't help but compare it with Kurama's own breathtaking smile.

"Nice to meet you too," I wonder when Kurama's gonna arrive.

"Well, here it goes. You see, I've noticed you for a long time now and I couldn't help but be captivated by your beauty. I told my friends about you and they said 'Go for it!' And since I'm the only one without a girlfriend, I thought it was convenient."

Emina secretly frowned.

"I mean, you can consider yourself lucky! I'm like…the most popular guy in school!"

That's 'cause Kurama left that school already.

"And," he still continued without noticing Emina's expressions at all. "I really love you."

She gasped at the sudden realization in her thoughts. Here in front of her was a conceited guy and he's telling her he loves her yet there wasn't any truth in his words. She, yet again, couldn't help but compare him to Kurama. Even if Kurama never told her he loves her, his actions have shown it, loud and clear. Maybe he did tell her…but her memory didn't allow her to remember. Suddenly, in her mind, she heard …or rather saw a scene. There was Kurama standing and smiling in front of her and he said, "If you love me as I love you, no knife can cut our love in two." Emina gasped.

"Um…Emi-chan?" she heard Kanata's voice. She glared at him with such a passion that it scared the s**t out of him. "You don't love me," she grinned at him mischievously. "Truth is, you just want me so that you'd be more popular. I'm sorry but I'm not interested in guys like you."
Emina turned her back from him and smiled warmly at the sky, she remembered Kurama's love; both past and present.

She saw Kurama approaching the school and she couldn't help but smile and blush. She looked around and noticed that Sin has already gone home; thanks to Hiei that is. Without further hesitance, Emina dashed down the field and hugged Kurama tight. Kurama blinked at the display and tried so hard not to get overjoyed! Earlier this morning, he was getting worked up and depressed about the fact that Emina would never accept his advances. But now, he was so glad that he came.

"I'm so happy to see you Kurama!" she looked at him and he gasped. Her eyes showed a spark of recognition.

"E-Emi...d-did you remember something?" he asked hopefully. She nodded. "But it's vague," she lied and giggled without removing her arms around the said kitsune. "Oh and by the way, someone confessed to me just now." She grinned at the expression he made. Kurama couldn't help but be protective and secretly growled. Emina giggled. How can I be so stupid? If what they're saying is true, then it's not really unlikely for me to have loved someone like Kurama, she thought with a soft smile.

"Let's go!" Emina tugged at his shirt to usher him to walk. "Can we visit the moon bridge?"

"Of course!" in Kurama's mind, lots of thoughts about her bubbled. He had the urge to keep her in his arms but was worried that she might get scared. She was still unstable mental wise. He wanted to kiss her again but was afraid to make her uncomfortable. He wanted to tell her he loved her but was afraid to force her feelings out. He needs to give her time.

He slowly held her hand which to his surprise, she let him. "How was your day Kurama?" She asked cheerfully with a hint of blush on her face. He thought it was so adorable! "It's better now that I've seen you," he said warmly.

This made her blush even more and looked away in an attempt to hide it.

"T-That's good…"

"How was your day?"

"…Better now that I've seen you."

It was so cute seeing her say that! Kurama was so happy that he could just hug her tightly…but refrained from doing so. However, he did smile and squeezed her hand gently. "Then it's good that we're together ne?" He asked as Emina nodded like a cute kitten. The walk was silent yet comfortable. When they arrived at the moon bridge, Emina let go of his hand and ran towards it like an overjoyed child. She went in the middle and stared at the manmade lake. In the dimming sun, the man-made lake was full of different colors. "Kurama!! Hayaku!!! Look!! It's beautiful!!" yelled Emina as she looked at him with happiness. Kurama blinked at the scene. It was like experiencing déjàvu.

"Be careful Emi-chan!"

Emina giggled and didn't mind at all at how he called her. "Don't be such a kill joy! Nothing's gonna happened to me," she took a deep breath and stared out at the man-made lake. Like Kurama, she couldn't help but think that this scene has played before their eyes already. Kurama caught her eyes as he walked up the bridge to join her. He smiled. "Isn't it beautiful Kurama?" she was blushing immensely.

Kurama nodded, "And so is the lake."

Emina's heart almost melted. She smiled at him, turned towards him and held his hand gently; a bunch of memory strips playing in her head. Despite wanting to crouch down and soak in the memories, she smiled wholeheartedly. What she remembered were heartwarming scenes. With a burst of courage, she leaned up and stood on her tip toes and gave Kurama a sweet kiss. She couldn't believe how good it felt. Kurama too felt as if his heart was going to explode. Why is she so…captivating?!

He pouted when she pulled away. What he heard made his heart throb, "If you love me as I love you, no knife can cut our love in two."

He hugged her then and there; not wanting to ever let go.

"I finally remember," her muffled voice said.

"You finally remembered!" he said with a hint of laughter in his voice. He was so relieved and stunned.

"Yep…I remembered…especially our memories over the moon bridge." With a loving glance towards each other, they shared another sweet kiss.

Unknown to them several pairs of eyes were watching behind the trees.

"Move over Baka!" Hiei shouted as he pushed Kuwabara away. "But I can't see!" Kuwabara retorted and bumped into Yusuke. "HEY! Watch it Bird Brian!"

"Who are you calling 'Bird Brain'!?"

"Shut up you guys!" Sin hissed at them.

"It's about time those two hooked up," Toya said while chuckling. "Good acting by the way Kanata."

Kanata was fidgeting in the corner. "No problem! Anything for Minamino-sempai!"

"Aw! Look at them! It's so sweet!" Keiko said while hugging Botan.

"Why don't we go and give them some privacy?" Shizuru asked while taking a drag of her cigarette.

"EEEEK!" Sin squeaked. "Their too close to each other!"

"Kurama's hands aren't supposed to be there!"

"Oh my god!"

"That Kitsune better get off my sister or-…" Hiei began to approach them but got yanked back by Toya. "Let them have their quality time. We'll beat him up later," he grinned. The gang retreated. With a last chuckle, he looked at the new couple.

"Well what do you know; love really can go through anything."

Thus, they made new memories over their special moon bridge.

The End~!