Hey everyone! I got quite a response from that one chapter so as a gift to all those who reviewed I'm putting up the next chapter! Yay! For those of you who read my other story fear not. I haven't forgotten you and will soon update the next chapter. Now on to the story!
For those of you who aren't sure the flashback is in italics.
Chapter 4: Kurama the Demon
"What are you talking about?!" Keiko knew that Yusuke had to be an upper class demon but a PRINCE! Not only that but their prince? If Keiko hadn't been sitting she would've collapsed. As it was she was having trouble comprehending.
"Well that answers my question. Now Keiko, why is Yusuke her and what is the real reason for you to have his spirit beast?" Everyone perked up wanting to hear the answers themselves, even Kuwabara who must have been told by Kurama that she had been hiding parts of the story. Keiko told them everything. She hoped Yusuke didn't mind; she trusted them all and knew they wouldn't tell anyone else. Even Boton, notorious babble mouth, knew when to keep her mouth shut.
"You kissed him!" Boton exclaimed when Keiko finished. Keiko blushed but responded that it had only been on the cheek. Boton noticed the blush and a cat grin spread across her face. "You like him don't you?" Keiko's tomato face was proof enough for everyone. Shizuru smiled along with Boton. Kuwabara didn't seem happy but knew he couldn't change it. Kurama had a blank look on his face. It was then that Keiko remembered how she found out he was a demon.
Keiko had been heading to her secret spot when she heard talking ahead. She would have been worried but she recognized one of the voices as Shuichi's. Curious Keiko tried to sneak closer to listen in but she was grabbed from behind. She was then forced forward where the voices had quieted. She was pushed to her knees in front of Shuichi with a sharp ice spike pressed to her throat. The one that held her spoke.
"What should we do with her Kurama?" Keiko noticed Shuichi staring at her before he gave the command to release her. The one holding her seemed uncertain but he pulled away. Shuichi got up and helped Keiko get to her feet. She inspected the other two that were there. The one who held her captive had slicked back blue hair with green bangs to the left of his face. He had a short stocky build with pointy, icy-blue eyes and low, angular blue eyebrows. He had on a long fishnet undershirt and a dark blue shirt over it. His pants were also blue but were a lighter shade than the shirt. The second person who was originally here talking to Shuichi was wearing samurai clothing. He had violet-blue hair tied in a ponytail with two large bangs framing his face and light violet eyes. If Keiko hadn't seen her captor talking directly to Shuichi she would have assumed that this second young man was Kurama. Keiko didn't understand though not for lack of trying. For some reason these demons obeyed Shuichi and called him 'Kurama'. She felt like she was missing something important that would solve this puzzle.
"Keiko what are you doing out here? You could get attacked by a demon." He was trying to distract her. Keiko wasn't about to fall for it.
"I was just going for a walk when I heard voices. I recognized yours so I decided to check things out Kurama." Keiko put emphasis on the name to show that she wasn't going to be deterred. Kurama sighed and decided he might as well tell her the truth. He didn't like lying to her and hoped she wouldn't hat him when she found out everything.
"First let me introduce you to these two. The one who grabbed you is Touya. The one next to me who you heard me speaking with is Shishiwakamaru." At the sound of their names both gave a small nod in her direction as a greeting.
Keiko wasn't sure how to respond so she decided to introduce herself. They may be demons but they seemed to be friends of Shuichi. "Hello. My name is Yukimura Keiko. Nice to meet you." Kurama had to hide a grin at this. Keiko never ceased to amaze him when she showed how kind-hearted she could be. Two demons, one of which was going to kill her, and she just introduces herself because she didn't want to be rude.
Kurama decided to get to the point. "Keiko I would like if you would let me finish talking before you interrupt okay?" Keiko nodded. "I am actually a demon." Keiko gasped. "I was a famous thief, a demon fox. My real name is Kurama Youko." Kurama could see the shock on Keiko's face. Even humans had heard his name. He then told her about how he came to be Shuichi. Keiko listened raptly, wondering how she never noticed. But then he was very good at hiding his true self. When he finished, Kurama looked at Keiko waiting for her disgust and hatred. He saw her taking a deep breath, something she tended to do before she would start yelling. Kurama cringed, waiting for the explosion.
"I can't believe you Kurama! How could you not tell me sooner? I thought we were really good friends yet after years of friendship I'm only now finding out you're a demon. Don't you trust me?" As Keiko progressed, her voice got smaller until that last sentence was almost whispered. She didn't know why she was getting mad at Kurama. He was probably afraid of rejection so he kept it a secret. Keiko sighed. "I don't mean to take this out on you. I just wish you would've told me sooner though I have a pretty good guess as to why you didn't. I hope from now on you'll tell me something when it's bothering you, whether it's a human or demon problem. Though I can't promise any useful help if it's a demon problem but I want to know if something is bothering one of my closest friends."
Kurama was speechless. Not only was she accepting who he was she still considered him a friend! He lost his composure as he ran forward and hugged her. He felt her hesitate before she hugged him back. He had been afraid that she would hate him. He could sense Touya and Shishiwakamaru shift behind him. He chuckled to himself. They probably thought they were intruding on a touching, possibly romantic scene. He knew they wouldn't leave unless he gave them permission; they have to finish their reports. He released Keiko and turned to the other two. "I still haven't told you what role they play in all this." Keiko looked up expectantly. "You know of Raizen, Mukuro, and Yomi right?" Keiko, uncertain, nodded showing she recognized the names. Who didn't? "I have spies in each one of their courts." This startled Keiko as she stared at the three of them.
Keiko figured this was probably a stupid question but she asked anyways. "Isn't that dangerous?" Raizen was the king of the land. He was top dog and his two advisors, Yomi and Mukuro, were almost as powerful. They were even given their own castles and some land to watch over but they still answered to the king. They all had their own courts with their own people to take care of their affairs. Of course the courts were filled with demons but it was rumored that the king had a few humans in his court as well though he would be the only one.
Kurama sighed. "Of course it's dangerous but they know the risks. These two are my spies from Yomi's court. Touya here has one of the higher ranks in his court though I suspect it's because he is less annoying than Shishiwakamaru." From the way he grinned Keiko could tell this was an old joke between them. "They are my informants and do their job well. Also I would appreciate it Keiko if you treated me the same and don't mention to anyone else about me and my informants." Keiko nodded. She wanted his trust so she promised never to tell anyone.
Keiko looked at Kurama's face and wondered if that was how he recognized Yusuke. If he had informants in all the courts then surely they would tell him about Raizen's heir. He noticed her staring and sent a questioning look her way. She gave him a look hoping to convey to him that she wanted to talk in private.
"I really need some fresh air so I'm going to take a small walk." Kurama, understanding what she wanted, stood up with her.
"I'm going with you if you don't mind. I have a few minor questions for you." The others looked like they wanted to join as well but Shizuru sensed they wanted to be alone. She stopped Boton and Kuwabara from following, allowing Keiko and Kurama to leave unmolested.
Keiko led the way as she walked towards her secret place in the forest. Kurama was silent as he followed behind her, waiting till they were away from listening ears so they could talk. Puu was being carried in Keiko's arms as she had yet to let him go. As they came into the small clearing, Kurama decided to circle the place to check and make sure there were no eavesdroppers. Once that was done he found Keiko perching on the edge of a small pond. The clearing itself was beautiful with some wildflowers growing and the trees surrounding them. The sun glistened off the pond and overall the place gave one the feeling of being the only one in the world. Probably not the best feeling for Keiko but Kurama suspected that she came here for the peace and serenity. Keiko turned to him and he braced himself for her questions.
"It's lovely here isn't it? I come here all the time but I never get bored of it." This wasn't what he was expecting but then he had never been here before; Keiko had only told him about it. "Was it your informants that told you about Yusuke, Kurama?" He nodded and waited for whatever she decided to ask next. "What have they told you about him?" Kurama was stunned as he expected more of a reaction from her though he wasn't sure what kind. Yet here she was looking peaceful and calmly asking about something of great importance like it was nothing.
Unknown to the duo in the clearing, there was somebody listening to them. To be exact Yusuke was in the trees. He had been searching nearby when he smelled a human and a demon. He couldn't tell specifics because of the smoke from the earlier fire but he figured it was another person from Keiko's village being attacked so he went to help. When he got closer he realized that it was Keiko along with that fox boy. He saw them go to a clearing and he was going to join them but when Shuichi started circling the place to check for anyone within hearing distance, Yusuke hid his aura and chose a perch so he could spy on them. He was glad that he had done so. When Yusuke heard Keiko say Kurama he immediately realized she meant Yoko the thief. Yusuke thought it was odd that a human knew about him. Many demons knew he was a price but few humans had heard his name. Not only that, Kurama had spies in his father's court! He wondered if he could find out who these spies were. Their punishment would depend on the identities of the two individuals. He continued to listen in as they talked about him.
Back in the clearing Kurama smiled at Keiko's question. "I haven't heard much about him myself. I've been wanting to meet him for a while but I didn't think I would actually get the chance. I know he likes a good fight and that he also has his own honor code. From what I hear he's a pretty laid-back guy but when he gets mad watch out. He is not someone you want to cross. He's ranked as an S-class demon so he is definitely strong. I've also heard the rumor that he has yet to find a mate or anyone that he's even interested in." Kurama said this slyly. Keiko blushed realizing why he mentioned this but decided to push away from the subject.
"But can we trust him? What are his views on humans, for example? If he is our next king," Keiko spat this out bitterly, "then how will he treat us humans?" It only just sunk in when she said this but he was a demon prince and she was a human girl. Even if he was a wolf in disguise she couldn't just ignore her feelings.
Kurama paused. "I'm not completely sure. He seems to have the same view and position as his father but I can't be certain." Kurama froze as he heard a twig snap in the trees. Puu struggled out of Keiko's arms and flew to his master, the object of their discussion, as Yusuke strolled out of the trees. Kurama tensed. 'I didn't notice him at all! Who knows how long he's been there listening to us. He will probably tell us himself though.' Kurama had the feeling that Yusuke had been there the whole time. He was proven correct when Yusuke spoke.
"So you are the famous Kurama Yoko. I had heard you disappeared sixteen years ago and now I know you were hiding here. So want to tell me who these informants are that you've placed in my father's court?" Even though Yusuke seemed relaxed and calm Kurama saw the danger in Yusuke's eyes. He wanted an answer and wasn't afraid to use force to get if from Kurama. This was bad. Kurama tried to calculate a way out of this situation but he was coming up blank. He decided to gamble on Yusuke's relation to his spies and what he had heard from them.
"You know both of them as they are your friends." Understanding dawned in Yusuke's eyes. "Yes it's who you're thinking of. My spies are Jin and Chuu."
Yusuke couldn't believe it. Not only were there spies in his father's court but they were some of his closest friends. He couldn't help but laugh. He had a perfect punishment for their treason. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Kurama watching him tensely while Keiko's eyes darted between the two, worry etched into her face. "Don't worry fox boy. I will give them a light punishment. Heck I might even give them info that they haven't gotten a hold of yet. Those two are some of my only friends and have my trust. I'm not about to hurt them. Too much." Keiko noticed he added that part almost like it was an afterthought. She saw Kurama relax and realized he was starting to trust Yusuke himself.
Kurama saw that Yusuke wasn't kidding. He would make them pay for lying to him but he would go easy on them. Kurama also saw the trust Yusuke had in the spies and Kurama couldn't help but let the tension leave his body. He found after meeting Yusuke that he liked him. Yusuke smiled.
"That still leaves you fox. Well after meeting you I can tell you've told me the truth. Also if you have earned the respect of Jin and Chuu you can't be all bad. Friends?" Yusuke held his hand out and Kurama found himself accepting it. Not only would Yusuke make a good ally, Kurama felt Yusuke had an air about him that was friendly. Yusuke meant it.
Keiko having stayed on the sidelines long enough spoke up. "I'm glad everything worked out but why are you here Yusuke?" He looked at her before glancing at Kurama. Then he realized that Keiko probably told him everything so he answered her truthfully.
"Since I helped you back and was close to the village I decided to look for the ice maiden around here. I knew someone was over here and when I came to check it out I found you two over here and decided to listen in." As he said this Keiko saw him playing with Puu's ears and thought he looked like a kid. Kurama seemed to accept his decision to eavesdrop and turned towards Keiko.
"Was there anything else you wanted to know? Though you would probably get better answers from the man himself" he said as he glanced at Yusuke. Keiko shook her head no. She had a general idea of Yusuke's personality helped by him showing up. Before she could say anything Yusuke spoke.
"Hey Kurama I can take care of Keiko from here so would you mind giving us time to talk alone?" Kurama was surprised by the request but nonetheless turned to Keiko to make sure it was okay with her. She gave the affirmative and he sighed.
"Alright. I'll head back to the village. I can tell everyone else about what happened here. You two enjoy yourselves and don't keep her too long Yusuke. She looks dead on her feet." With that he walked out of the clearing leaving Yusuke and Keiko alone together.
Alright this took a little while and it's now almost 5am but I hope you enjoy! Next chapter will have my first real attempt at fluff so review! That will give me more motivation to update sooner!