Disclaimer: In this life, all I own are my OCs and the plot. Maybe I'll get lucky in the next one.

Recap: During their second attempt capture The Fox's Rose, Kurama meets a thief calling himself Death's Angel, and Tsukino has a talk with The Fox's Rose. After talking a bit about the ongoing war, Rose gives Tsukino a warning and some advice. Finally, she offers her services to help Tsukino through the pain when/if Kurama breaks her heart. The next second, she disappears leaving Tsukino confused and the attempt a failure.

This Is How You Remind Me
Chapter Five
A Possible Ally

Day Six

'How long have you been running?' Tsukino asks me once I stop just beside a marsh on our way to Oni Town.

She had been trying to wake up for almost an hour, which is understandable considering that she has been sleeping on my back for fourteen hours before waking. Also she was confused as to why the scenery was passing by in a blur. Finally, the fact that she is slightly nocturnal shows that she is not a morning person and was having trouble waking up.

"Since you fell asleep," I reply void of emotion as pass her a purple pear-like fruit from my bag and swallow my pill for the day. "I wasn't tired and didn't see any point in stopping. At least this way, we'll hopefully beat The Fox's Rose to her next target."

She nods and looks around. I notice that she is trying to stand as far away from the lake as she can without seeming as if she is avoiding it. 'How far is it to the town?'

"Almost another 24 hours of running so we'd best start moving after we eat something."

Tsukino shakes her head and quickly circles and attempts to write some words. 'We can eat while we travel. It's faster that way.'

I shake my own head. "A few minutes aren't going to make a difference. Beside, if you try to fly right now you'll tire faster meaning I'll have to carry you again."

She rolls her eyes and ignores me. After taking a bite from her fruit, she runs and takes to the air. She hovers for a moment waiting for me to move.

Stubbornly, I refuse to move. It's not because I dislike carrying her, quite the opposite actually, but we can't afford to waste more time. She won't be able to fly at her top speed and we need to be able to travel as fast as we can. Therefore, either I carry her (though she will not like the idea) or she takes this small break and travels at her full speed.

After a few moments, I finish eating and nod to her. Quickly, we start to travel down the road to Oni Town. Tsukino isn't flying quite as fast as yesterday, but over time she starts to travel faster. She seems to be making an effort to avoid contact with me though as she forces herself to fly for almost two hours before I use my rose whip to ground her.

We waste at least five minutes arguing about whether she should let me carry her or if she can return to the skies before she reluctantly allows herself to be carried. The first moment I allow her to fly again, she is instantly flying away from me. Almost as if she couldn't wait to get away from me.

I frown as I run after her. While her eyes are fixed on the road ahead, I silently study her. There are no signs of further gene destruction, but she seems to be thinking. Probably about whatever lies The Fox's Rose told her. The Fox's Rose's scent was all over the place when I arrived at the castle, and I was slightly worried about what she might have said. After the first meeting, I knew that she wasn't to be trusted, but I wasn't sure that Tsukino knew that. As I said before, if Tsukino fell for the thief's tricks, we would be sure to run into trouble.

Now the trouble that could be caused could be far worse. If The Fox's Rose has something against me and wants revenge, the perfect way would be to trick Tsukino into hating me and having her use the Jewel of Wrath. The jewel would attack either Tsukino or myself depending on how its own consciousness felt about the issue. The Fox's Rose most likely believes that there is something between Tsukino and me so causing us any problems in our 'relationship' would be a start to completing her revenge.

However, this is assuming that she is even out for revenge. She also stole the remains of the Mirror of Desire and the Forlorn Hope and possibly is now going after the Kuro Shi Necklace. So what is she planning? What can she gain by stealing these objects and pretending to be Mikiku? She isn't just an obsessed fan. That is for sure. Why is she going to all this trouble?

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by my communicator ringing. To my dismay, Yusuke's and Kazuma's faces appear on the mirror's surface. Kazuma is reading in the background while Yusuke is holding the mirror. They probably have another interrogation planned.

"How's the mission, Kurama?" Yusuke asks with a slight frown on his face. There is no doubt in my mind that he is still upset about me 'cheating on Tsukino'.

"We've had two run-ins with the target. Both times she has gotten away," I inform him. "It appears that she plans her raids perfectly, thus making it difficult to confront her. Have you found anything yet?"

Yusuke shakes his head. "Nothing. We're thinking of looking at her file though. We could look at this Rose chick's file while we're at it. Any idea what her real name is?"

"I'm afraid not but I doubt you would find anything. The Fox's Rose was in Spirit World. If she was a good thief, she would have removed her file while she was stealing the remains of the Forlorn Hope."

"You didn't."

I nod. "However, Spirit World did not have any information on me other than my name and the fact that I had many aliases."

Yusuke's frown grows. "So how do you know that The Fox's Rose was thinking the same thing?"

"Call it a hunch."

In the background, Kazuma looks up, and I barely hear him ask, "Ask Kurama about how Tsukino-chan is."

Before Yusuke can ask, I reply, "She is fine, there are no signs of further problems other than the fact that she still is unable to talk in human languages and has little knowledge of the language of animals."

Part way through my exclamation, Kazuma walked over to Yusuke. Now as he sits down beside his partner, Kazuma says, "Have you asked Tsukino-chan yet?"

Yusuke's eyes suddenly narrow into a glare. "Asked her what?" he growls.

My own eyes widen briefly in confusion. "Yes, Kazuma, what am I supposed to ask her?"

Kazuma frowns and sighs. "You know, about her not being worth-"

I quickly turn off the volume on the mirror and set it so that subtitles appear on the bottom of the. Hopefully, Tsukino can't read what they are saying from the sky.

"-Saving," I read Kazuma finish.

Yusuke instantly stops glaring at Kazuma and me, and his brow creases in confusion. "She thinks she isn't worth saving?"

Kazuma shrugs. "We don't know that's why Kurama was going to ask."

He frowns. "Why would you think that she thinks that she isn't worth saving?"

"Well she did let herself be dragged to the prison."

"That was to avoid getting us into more trouble."

Kazuma shrugs again. "Well I don't know then, ask Kurama. He was the one who asked me."

"Why do you think that she thinks she isn't worth saving, Kurama?" Yusuke asks as he turns to speak to the mirror in his hand.

I sigh and avoid answering his question. "To answer your question, Kazuma, no I haven't, nor do I plan to."

"That didn't answer my question," Yusuke complains at the same time Kazuma asks, "Why not?"

Again, I ignore Yusuke. "Because it is not relevant to the mission."

"What about your mission?" Yusuke asks with a sly grin, his question forgotten.

Disliking where the conversation is headed, I cautiously say, "Explain."

Kazuma shakes his head. "You know Kurama, for a smart guy you're pretty dumb."

Yusuke nods in agreement. "It's obvious that you like her."

I nod. "She's a difficult person not to like."

Both Yusuke and Kazuma glare at me.

"Kurama, we mean like as in Kazuma swooning over Yukina."

Kazuma glares at Yusuke and shouts something at him but my attention is no longer on the mirror. As they start their customary fist fight, I close my communicator and shout up to Tsukino, "You'd better land before you fall out of the air."

She shows no signs of hearing me as she struggles to keep in the air.

For the pass few minutes, she has been slowing, and now she is fighting to stay awake. She obviously did not rest enough before since she has only been flying for half an hour.

I start to reach for my rose whip to pull her back to the ground when she suddenly falls like a stone. The next second, she is in my arms clutching her left arm as blood starts to flow from her left wing. Instantly, we are surrounded by low-class demons. I'm tempted to stop cloaking my energy so that the attackers will flee, but if I do that it would be like setting off an alarm. Any demon that recognizes my energy signature would instantly know that I am in Demon World and would no doubt search for me to ask why. So reluctantly, I allow the low-class demons to circle as I look for an escape route.

The ugliest demon, obviously the leader, grins showing many broken and yellow fangs. "Lookie what we've got here boys. It looks like a pup and his toy got lost." His hollow eye sockets stare at us, but even without eyes, it is easy to tell where his senses are focused.

I hold Tsukino closer to me, and tighten my grip on her, carefully avoiding hurting her wing more. There will not be a repeat of the dog demon incident if I can help it.

The low-levels laugh as they move closer. "Don't worry pup. We'll give you directions for a price," one snorts as his green hands reach for the sword at his waist. His hands sliming the hilt.

Tsukino has fallen unconscious and an unpleasant and sharp scent comes to my attention. Whatever has cut her wing has been poisoned. Deep in my throat, a growl sounds as my demon instincts demand a fight.

A small sickly looking demon licks its lips. "Just hand over the girl. She looks like a good meal."

He is dead before he even hits the ground and my whip bloody. Taking my eyes off the low-class, I look down at the girl in my arms. Her face is quickly paling, and her breathing is laboured.

One of the group charges at me with a club, and he is quickly eradicated.

Ignoring the looks of fear I am getting, I look around the group for the one who shot Tsukino. It would have the antidote to the poison in case it wanted to torture or if it accidently stabbed itself. I spot him behind the leader, notching another arrow and aiming for me. The moment the arrow flies is the moment that I move. Moving quickly, I dive forward, ducking the arrow and moving towards my target. Using my whip, I cut down the leader and turn to the archer.

The other demons charge and are quickly destroyed.

Almost reluctantly, I lay Tsukino down by a tree before turning my attention to the last demon. He starts to make a run for it, but I block his way easily. Instantly, he is on his knees begging for his life. Pathetic is the only way to properly describe him.

"The antidote," I request.

Clumsy in fear, the demon digs through his pockets and hands it over. However, he makes a fatal mistake. Just as he hands the antidote over, he attempts to stab me. Instantly, he joins his allies.

Tsukino's cheeks are pale but flushed with the fever her body is attempting to ward off. A sign that the poison will kill her once her body has exhausted all its resources. Before that happens, I take the liquid antidote and mix it with some herbs that in quicken its effect as well as make it a cream. Taking a small amount on my finger, I place a bit on the area where the arrow cut through her wing. Almost instantly, there is a change in her condition. Colour starts to appear in her cheeks, and her breathing is no longer laboured.

I would like to allow her to rest without movement, but there is no time. The Fox's Rose could already been in Oni Town. Slightly carelessly, I take her bag from her and place the strap over my shoulder. Then gently, I lift Tsukino into my arms once more and pull the cloak she wears around her to shield her from the wind. Finally, I start running towards Oni Town.

Day Seven

We finally arrive in Oni Town, and Tsukino is in good health showing no ill effects from the poison. She doesn't even seem to remember the incident, and it would be best to keep it that way. Without even speaking, we split up and slip into our usual routine. While I search for the treasure, Tsukino searches for an inn. However, unlike the first time we were in Demon World together, we keep close to each other. The farthest we are from each other is six metres, the length from one side of the road to another.

Soon, I learn of the exact location of the Kuro Shi Necklace and call Tsukino over. Within seconds, we arrive at the stand where the Kuro Shi Necklace was being sold as well as a familiar pendant.

"How much for the Kuro Shi Necklace and that pendant?" I ask.

The vendor smirks as he looks to Tsukino who is standing behind me. "That all depends on how you will be paying me."

I never remembered the Black Market being filled with so many perverts, for lack of a better term. But I suppose I never did business in the Black Market with a female by my side. Mikiku never joined Kuronue and me on our raids.

Removing myself from my thoughts, I take out a bag of coins. "Cash and my offer is a thousand."

The vendor's mouth falls open, and he instantly hands over the necklace and the pendant. I probably could have gotten them for a much lower price if I had time to debate but there is no telling when The Fox's Rose will appear. And so, we quickly walk away from the stand discussing the plan.

'Do you really think that she will try to steal them from you?' Tsukino asks as we walk.

I shrug as I look at the objects in my hands. The necklace appears to be a simple black ribbon but woven throughout its material is silver strands that form mythical symbols that give the treasure its power. However, the pendant gives no hint at any sort of legendary powers. Instead, it appears just to be a small blood red stone surrounded by a case of metal on a string. "We can only hope," I reply to Tsukino. "Did you manage to find an inn?"

She nods. 'The Blind Pig. It's supposed to be close. Just over in the next block.'

I handed her some coins. "Go to it then and get a room for the night. I'll meet you back there."

Her eyes beg to know what I have planned before she can get to her book to fully communicate her question. However, I have already disappeared into the crowd before she can ask. Now I am wandering around the town with a careful eye out for The Fox's Rose. Once or twice, I believe that I have spotted her but it turns out to be nothing. An hour passes, and I'm almost ready to go to the inn that Tsukino is at when I notice a familiar hat in the crowd of demons.

"Hey Ryou-san," Death's Angel says as he walked up to me still dressed head to toe in black with his mask still on.

"My name is Kyou," I say quietly with a slight glare.

He sounds surprised. "Really? Because you strike me as more of a Ryou guy."

I ignore the comment. "Is there any reason why you have decided to talk to me?"

He nods. "I need that pendant."

"Why not steal it from me then?"

"I decided to ask nicely first. Also I don't want to upset your batty-pet by having you go to your lover's room with injuries."

My eyes narrow further, and I'm about to speak when Death's Angel cuts me off.

"Also, I have some information you might be interested in."

Despite myself, I become curious. "Let's talk over a few drinks."

He nods and leads the way to the Speakeasy Pub. Within seconds we are sitting comfortably surrounded by drunken demons who would forget what they overheard. Once we each have a glass of our preferred drink, Death's Angel starts to explain.

"The pendant used to belong to my dad," he explains. "It's been in our family for centuries and has a lot of history. He's going to kill me if I don't get it back."

I show no emotions as I sip at my drink. "Well that's your problem, isn't it?"

He sighs. "Look Ryou-"

"Kyou."

He shrugs. "Whatever. I need that pendant."

I look it over in my hand. "Perhaps if you told the truth, I would be more likely to hand it over… for a price."

Though his mask hides his eyes, it is obvious that Death's Angel is glaring at me. "Information on The Fox's Rose for the pendant."

I shake my head. "You were going to tell me anyways. How about the real story about why you want it with a couple of coins?"

He is silent for a moment before he reluctantly mutters, "Story and a drink."

I nod. "Deal."

Quickly, I find myself holding a new glass of cheap wine but say nothing. I never specified what kind of drink I wanted, and though the wine is cheaper than water, it tastes better.

After taking a deep breath, Death's Angel explains why he needs the pendant. "My mom gave it to me," he says quietly. "Foxes aren't as close to their families as bats are so I'm not surprised if you don't understand. And not only would my dad actually kill me, so would my mom. It's her favourite pendant."

"A favourite pendant for a favourite son?" I casually ask.

He shrugs. "At the moment. But when she finds out what I've been doing for the past few millenniums she's probably going to explode."

I nod and toss him the pendant. "So what about that information?"

Pocketing the pendant quickly, he mutters in a fugitive manner, "Rumour has it that the Fox's Rose has quit stealing and has joined the cats."

My eyebrows rise slightly at this new information. "If you are lucky, she'll get killed in the process," I reply as I take another sip.

He shakes his head. "Unfortunately, she's too smart for that. Besides, virtually all of the demons are pathetic. Most of them are just looking for glory."

I nod in understanding. "Are they calling in the foxes yet?"

"Yeah. Dogs finally admitted that they are way out of their league. Even the bats are getting in on the action. On the dogs' side of course."

"Have you joined up?"

He nods and takes a drink of his liquor. "Old man forced me but I could care less who wins. As long as The Fox's Rose dies, I'm happy. Actually, that's why I came to speak to you."

I frown. "You want me to join the war as well?"

Death's Angel shakes his head again. "If you join, you join. I just want a bit of help with taking down The Fox's Rose. Somehow she's managed to avoid me every time."

I nod. "I have also been having similar problems."

"If we team up, we might be able to finally catch her."

Slowly, I nod. "Agreed, but I'm not sure if I will join the war."

Death's Angel casually sits back in his chair. "Yeah, I know. You have that batty-cat to look after."

A small smile of amusement appears on my face. "A thief and a stalker."

He shrugs. "Observant is more like it. I saw you two as you were entering town. You're too nice to her for her to be your slave even if she does have a slave mark, but her attitude towards you also shows that you aren't her mate."

For a second, it appears that he is going to ask if she is mated to a relative of mine. To my relief, he changes the subject.

"Anyways," he says after he takes a long sip of his drink, "your name first."

My eyes narrow. "I have already given you my name."

He shakes his head. "Not your real one."

I frown. "You can't even remember the one I gave you."

He holds out his hand. "I'm Kioshi."

I silently wonder if he is insane. "New to the underground?" I cautiously ask.

It is apparent that he is grinning under the mask. "Nope, just insane."

I nod. "That was my first guess."

He nods. "So what about that name?"

After a moment, I say, "Katsu."

Kioshi sighs. "Another fake name," he mutters before saying to me, "Alright, I'll be at the Dragon's Pub in what used to be Raizen's turf's capital town. Meet me there in a few days and let me know if you're joining up with the army. If you aren't, we'll have to come up with some sort of plan."

I smirk a bit as I reply, "For a bat, you're smarter than you look."

He shrugs. "For a fox, you're more annoying than you look." He then disappears out of the bar leaving me with a week to decide.

The decision is a simple one if not for the fact that Tsukino is travelling with me. I wonder how she will react to the idea of joining the war. Mostly likely, not well.

The thought of Tsukino reminds me that she must be wondering where I am. I pay for my drink before making my way towards the Blind Pig.

On the way, I casually place my hand in my pocket (a habit that appeared while I was in Human World) and feel for the Kuro Shi necklace. Instead of the soft texture of the necklace, my hand rubs against a piece of paper. Confused, I take the paper out of my pocket to see words written over it.

'Better luck next time, Kurama. And don't worry; I'll make sure that your new toy gets the lovely necklace. Love, Mikiku.'

I have no idea how she had managed to steal the necklace, but one thing is sure. Tsukino is in trouble.

A/N: Both the beginning and the ending of this chapter was a pain to write. But I'm happy with it now. And for those of you wondering about the race and lake scenes, don't worry. It's still going to happen… eventually. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and for reading! See ya next chapter!

-d101