A/N:

To D101: I guess it seems like the story's over because the story's moving into another phase, like the sagas in YYH. But the story's not going to be truly over until way past the Saga of the Three Kings.

To Evil Bunny of Death: Ruruna's an odd person. I've got a thing for people not being what they seem to be. But keep in mind that Takashi's her cousin, and there's a clue in where she hinted her location was when she was talking to her mother.

Inevitable

Chapter Four

Present Day

It was the day after we arrived back from the tournament, and I was sitting silently in my bedroom of our new place. The apartment that Naomi picked out was three blocks away from the school.

"The school was really pleased with our tests."

"That's nice." I wasn't going to tell her that I didn't care. Naomi was putting locks on all of my closet doors.

"Are you gonna want to use the toilet?" I rolled my eyes.

"No, Naomi." She locked the door to my private bath. "Where's Micherure?"

"Reikai." Koenma wouldn't let Micherure turn primeval in an apartment complex. She was closer to feral instinct than I was.

"Oh."

"Okay. Everything's locked away. What food do you want me to bring?"

"Don't care."

"Alright. I'll go out to that farmer's market and get a couple pounds of that cow I saw."

"You should really just bring back a live cow."

"Uh. On the stairs? How about you wait until tomorrow and then come out and I can make something?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Okay. The basin of water's over there. The blinds are closed. Closets are locked. No sharp objects, no mirrors, no lamps. Everything's childproofed." Naomi flipped her fuchsia hair and checked her watch. "Thirty minutes to peak."

My entire room was blank. I had no bed, no shelves, no desk. All of it was gone in the closets. White walls and concrete floors. Naomi had picked this apartment for several reasons. Only three other people lived in the complex, and they were all sketchy people. The place was concrete, and I couldn't destroy any of it. And it was close to everything- malls, markets, school, the park. The door to my room, strangely enough, was steel. As if that could hold me back.

My pulse quickened, which it always did on peak day. My normal heartbeat was very, very slow, like a demon's should be. My blazing skin dripped with sweat, dampening my bra and underwear. My senses were sharpening. I could hear the cars pass by with people talking on their phones in them. I could smell that hotdog vendor from down the street. I could see the grains of the concrete in the darkness. My want for blood was taking over.

"If you need anything, call. And when you're back to your regular state, knock on the door in the pattern, and I'll let you out."

"I will." I gulped. My tongue was swelling with thirst. Swallowing was becoming hard, and a train wreck tormented my brain. "Oh, Kami." Without another word, Naomi left and bolted the door behind her.

Blood rushed to my head as I walked to the window. The blinds were drawn- Naomi had bought the windows with the blinds inside- but I could see little bits of light. And with these lights, I could see my reflection in the glass. I was panting, pale, and black stripes were appearing on my skin.

With every beat of my heart, the poison blood hit my brain, making me wince. It was like a migraine. It would throb and throb with the rhythm of my heart. I lay down. If I was very still, I wouldn't feel the pain of transforming. Right. Dull, slow, agonizing. Thump. Thump. Thump. The poison ignited, and instinct overtook me.

"RAHHHHHHH!" I grasped for something that wasn't there. My eyes grew wider, my skin sprouted fur. My muscles increased, and I was on all fours. And then I wanted blood. Flesh. Meat. That's all I could remember.

That's all I could ever remember.

--Five Hundred Years Ago—

"These scars," Youko Kurama mused, cradling me in his arms. He rubbed my stomach, tracing the jagged, ripped lines on my torso.

"Those scars." I sighed. "You shouldn't look at them."

"Why not? They are ironically poetic."

"I hate them."

"Care to explain why?"

"It is pretty asinine. It represents the demon part of me that my mother abhors. And a part of me still wants to please my mother because in some ways, I am still a little girl who wants her mother to be proud of her."

"Hmph. Mothers are overrated." He rolled over onto his back. "My mother abandoned me because I was a boy."

"Not many sliver kitsunes are male."

"If mothers do what they are supposed to, that should not make a difference."

"True." I'd angered him. Or at least annoyed him. He sighed heavily through his nostrils and rose from the bed. I quickly became cold.

--Present Day—

"I look dumb, Naomi-chan."

"You look human."

"I just said that. I look dumb."

"Oh please." We stood in the mirror, looking at ourselves in our new school uniforms. I was right about them being ugly.

"Stop trying to fix my hair. It's fine."

"Ruruna," she whined. "Please let me."

"Fine." She brushed it and sprayed fragrance in it.

"It's vanilla. It shouldn't bother you too much."

"What's for lunch?"

"Thinking about food? We just ate breakfast." Naturally, Naomi and I had very different eating habits. She was vegetarian, not because of her love for animals, but because she'd get sick. Everything I ate had to have some portion of meat to satisfy the carnivore in me. But we both loved human food. This week, we'd discovered the wonders of popcorn.

"I mean, I've never eaten on a schedule, so I just wanted to know. Something to look forward to in this monotonous day."

"A cheesesteak for you and a fabulous salad for me." She started talking about bento boxes, and did not stop until we were in the street.

"You two look disgustingly human." Micherure was leaning up against a wall. "Human teens." Micherure let that comment go.

"I see you're wearing ningen clothes."

"I had to."

"Oh."

"I'm supposed to accompany you two to the front gates and then wait until you get out." Micherure folded her arms.

"I miss Jin."

"That was the most random comment."

"You didn't even talk to him the whole time we were there!"

"Yuh-huh! He asked me to borrow a napkin." Micherure stared at the Butterfly, disgusted. "I said he could."

"You're dumb."

"Naomi, get down."

"Get down what?" She asked. "This is not boogie time."

"You've been floating this entire time. Get down," I hoarsely whispered. "Before somebody sees you."

"Oh. Oh yeah." She put her feet down, and grass with tiny wildflowers started to grow on the concrete.

"Put those plants away," Micherure hissed. "We're in the middle of the city and your skin is growing weeds!"

"Nyah, nyeh, nyah," Naomi mocked. She rubbed the bottoms of her feet with her fingers and the flowers stopped sprouting.

---

"Is this supposed to be hard?" I read the note that Naomi just wrote to me. We were playing a game in our own way. She wrote something in one language, I replied in another. We were trying to stump each other.

"I don't know, but it's crazy easy." I flicked the note back. We were learning world history. History seemed so much more interesting when you were watching it for real. And some of this was just lies. Pretty soon, Naomi and I were making puns with languages. And making fun of the people in class.

"Nayotake-san, Kobayashi-san." She and I, wide-eyed, looked up.

"Yes, Kiritani-sensei?" We asked.

"I know you two are new, but could you please pay attention? You both have a lot of catching up to do. Minamino-san has been out for two weeks and you don't see him wasting time." I looked behind me. Kurama stared at me with his green eyes, acting innocent. I cut him a look and returned to facing the front.

"Yes, sensei."

-

"Kobayashi-san, you two are cousins, right?" A girl asked us. We were in gym class, stretching. My eyes were scanning the field for a particular person.

"Yes." Naomi smiled.

"You guys are like ripped," she continued, and she and the other girls began walking with us. "What did you do in Europe again?"

"Various sports, you know. I did some dance too. But Arisa-chan boxed." Naomi had written a small booklet of our fake lives and memorized it. She wanted everything to be seamless; I thought she got a kick out of such a quixotic story.

"Wow, Nayotake-san, you box?!" The girls turned to me.

"I did," I said vaguely. Naomi started rambling about my martial arts training. Martial arts training that I didn't know I had. I started jogging. "I'll be back!"

"Okay." Across the field, Kurama was sprinting. I caught up to him quickly, and we ran side-by-side.

"Hi."

"Hello, Nayotake-san."

"You're really going to call me that?"

"What should I call you?"

"I don't know. Never mind."

"I heard Naomi explain your muscles." He chuckled. "All the things you've accomplished- I don't think she knows you're supposed to be only fifteen."

"Yeah, I can't wait until someone catches a glimpse of the markings on my back. Naomi's pretending they're tribal tattoos from Oceania or something."

"It's harder for you to be human than me."

"Well, I've only got two bodies, and one of them's a raging monster."

"True."

"One day we've gotta race, Shuichi."

"Do you like running?"

"I like running to a place. I don't like this running in circles crap." I looked around the track. Everything repeated. "Running always needs some motivation."

"Hmm."

"Social life is interesting here."

"Most definitely."

"Naomi's having lots and lots and lots of fun."

"I see." He motioned to the tiny crowd jogging alongside the Butterfly.

"She got in trouble for her hair color. Principal didn't believe her when she said it was her own."

"I got called in once for that."

"You did? Hm." I was trying to keep talking. It got awkward if I didn't. But we lapsed into silence anyway, our breaths and steps filling the space of words. We went back inside the gym to change.

"Ruruna-dono?" My head jerked from the water fountain to look at him. I wiped the excess water from my lips, smearing the beads of sweat at my hairline in the process.

"Hmm?"

"What would you say to lunch on Sunday?"

"Sure."

"I have your address. I'll come and get you around noon. Is that okay?"

"Yes." No. I sleep until one in the afternoon, normally. But for you, oh yes. I was trying. I really was. Just having lunch was fine, right? "Okay, well, I'm gonna go change now."

"Good-bye, then."

"See you."

It was Monday. A week until our first, official "date" together.

---

Three days into this school business, and I still couldn't understand why everyone went.

Anatomy and biology class was a joke. Honestly. I eat animals. I know how they work. "Kobayashi-san" got caught off-task again (she was sketching clothing ideas), and the instructor, to punish her I suppose, made her label the parts of a butterfly.

"Are you serious?" "Kobayashi Sachi" asked.

"Yes, Kobayashi-san." The instructor handed Naomi the chalk as I started sniggering. "Do you want to join her?"

"I'm cool right here, dude. I don't need your dumb chalkboard to teach me squat." A vain in the teacher's forehead popped up. He closed his eyes and started ranting.

"I don't know what they teach you over in European schools, but-" Where? Europe? I stared at Naomi. She shrugged. I guess that's what our story was. "Over here in Japan, we have respect for-"

"I'm done with the butterfly. I'm assuming you'll be alright with the Delias eucharis?" A sketch of a beautiful yellow and red butterfly was on the board with arrows pointing to various parts of it. She then proceeded to tell us about it. She stopped, finally, and said, "Can I go to the office?" She left without explanation. The class started buzzing, and it was time for lunch.

"What's up with your cousin, Nayotake-san?" One of my classmates came up to me. He was in debate with me.

"I don't know." I really didn't.

"Oh." He stood there, grasping for something else to say, but then left without excusing himself.

"I dunno why you go to this place," I groaned to Kurama. "It sucks major ass." He put a finger to his lips. He was reading. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my bento box.

I wouldn't know if this counted as bento, simply because Naomi only put things into the box; she didn't fashion anything into cute shapes for me. Actually, everything that was in my lunch was "the same way we eat in Europe because Arisa likes it that way."

"That looks good." Kurama glanced at it.

"D'you want some?" he shook his head.

"No, thank you, I'm fine."

"Where's your lunch?" I looked around. "A momma's boy like you- your mom's gotta make you some kind of food."

"My mother worked late last night and didn't have the time. And lunch slipped my mind this morning."

"You can have some of mine." I pulled out my other two boxes. "Naomi always makes too much because I eat like a ravenous dog. You can have this one."

"Uh, thanks." He put some of the meat into his mouth. "This is delicious."

"Naomi's great, isn't she?"

"Nayoktake-san, did you see?" One of our classmates came up to us.

"See what?"

"They posted grades!"

"Really?" Okay, and I should care why?

"You're third! Right behind Minamino-san and Kaito-san. And Kobayashi-san is fourth!"

"Oh, joy." I looked out the window. The boy frowned and went away.

"Hey!" Two girls looked pointedly at Kurama. "Great job on that test!"

"You got first place again." Kurama didn't look up. Still reading. "Pretty exciting, isn't it?" I about laughed.

"Yes, it seems fortune has been my friend." I stared at the desk, trying very hard to hold in my laughter.

"Jeez, Shuichi-san, you don't have to be so modest! I bet you're embarrassed about it!" I glanced up at the two friends, trying to see if they were serious. But then I saw something on one of their shoulders.

"You know me well!" Kurama grinned, finally looking at them. And he saw what I had. He created a diversion and swiped the insect from the girl's shoulder. I would've given a great guffaw once the girls left giggling like namby-pambies, but I wanted to see what Kurama held. He opened his hand.

"That species…"

"Yes," he said, "Distant cousin of the ones the Saint Beasts had."

"Who?"

"I'll tell you sometime."

"Good thing you took it off her before it took effect."

"Yes. This does not bode well."

We both looked out the window.

-

Naomi never came back to class. It was after school, and I'd just finished in the gym practicing volleyball.

"Excuse me."

"Yes?"

"My name is Kaito Yu."

"Oh, hi. Nayotake Arisa." I cradled the volleyball in my hands.

"Good job on that test," he said casually. "The English one." That test was the only one I'd beaten Kurama at so far.

"Thanks."

"Where'd you learn to speak English so well?"

"England."

"Oh." This was half-true, I guess.

"Well, I have to go," I said. "Nice meeting you." I went into the locker room and packed my things up. Naomi was in there as well.

"Naomi-chan!"

"Hey!" She waved. "I switched schools!"

"You did what?"

"I'm going to a prep school up in Tokyo now. With any luck, I'll be in University by the end of two months!" I didn't want to know how she'd accomplished that.

"You're leaving me here all alone?"

"Oh, psh, you've got Kurama."

"Who will I goof off in class with?"

"I dunno. I just know that I'm too old to be in this school."

"Oh, Naomiiii," I whined. I sighed, realized I was being selfish. "Well, have fun in prep school."

"I will! Hopefully. Alright. I have to go."

"Okay. Bye!" She left, and I decided to take a shower.

About an hour later, I was roaming the school, looking for Kurama. I found him and stood in the doorway as he talked to a couple of our classmates.

"As exciting as a biology meet sounds, I'm afraid my weekends are booked."

"But Kurama, you're amazing! And the girls love you!" I thought of the earlier incident. I chuckled and walked inside, closing the door behind me. I stood in the corner.

"I'm sorry, but I can't."

"No, you can't leave now! YOU WILL FACE OUR WRATH!"

"Nerd violence…" Kurama muttered. And I heard a shout coming from outside.

"KURAMA! OH KURAMA!" Kuwabara, definitely. I knew that voice anywhere. Kuwabara kicked down the door, almost killing the nerd who really wanted Kurama in the biology meet.

"What's going on?" I asked. Kuwabara showed us the note from the three school-aged teenagers who had allegedly kidnapped Yusuke. It requested Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara to go to an abandoned mansion to get Yusuke back. Now all we needed was to find Hiei, and into the city we went.

"It's hard finding Hiei when he doesn't want to be found," Kurama remarked. I nodded. We were sitting in the park, waiting for Botan to come back with Reikai Tantei gadgets to find Hiei. Kuwabara was across the street, getting food from a street vendor.

"How come you didn't want to do the biology meet? You and biology are like peanut butter and jelly. Because apparently those two go together quite well."

"My weekends are booked."

"Oh really?" He nodded. I smiled and sighed. "Is Kuwabara really going to eat three hot dogs?" I watched him jog back over to us.

"Probably. Oh look, Botan."

After going through various gadgets, Botan brought out a whistle that would make a sound that only demons could hear. With any luck, Hiei would come toward it.

"Cover your ears! This could really hurt!" I clutched my hands over my ears. Botan whistled.

"Shit." I squished my hands harder. I could feel my brain rattle in my head with the pain of the sound.

"The sound's penetrating my brain," muttered Kurama. That was putting it lightly. I shook the noise out of my head, and we waited for Hiei. He came, and once he was convinced that he should go, we made our way to the mansion.