Chapter Three

Evening came quickly in the Living World. Kurama and Tamara, Hiei's mate, were walking down the busy street with three or four bags in each hand.

"Thanks for all the help," the fox said. "I wouldn't begin to know what sizes to get."

The woman shrugged. "Be glad that mom taught me. SIx years ago I wouldn't have had a clue how to shop for a kimono."

He couldn't help but smile at her. She hadn't aged a bit, even though she was now twenty-seven. She was big and pregnant with her third child, able to go into labor at any given moment. The woman was still strong, though, even though her youki decreased while with child. Thankfully the doctors gave the woman another month, though, before the child would be born.

Kurama remembered meeting her six years ago, when she was so thin she could barely stand. Now she had five and two year old daughters, with a baby boy on the way. She and Hiei had a house built just outside the downtown part of the city, and lived peacefully. Well, for the most part. Sometimes Tamara had to travel to the "Otherworld," as she called it, and Hiei would sometimes go on a solo case. Luckily Uncle Kurama lived a few minutes out of town, and could easily watch the children for them.

"I just don't understand why Koenma is making me shop." He sweatdropped. "The girl won't even tell me her name. At least you did that when we met."

Tamara laughed in response. "In the West, saying your name is the first part of any conversation." Her black curls bounced with her steps. "At least you didn't judge me by my skin color."

This was true. Tamara's being half-black didn't change a thing in any of their eyes. She was still beautiful. Kurama was almost jealous of the fire demon for finding someone who was just as magnificent in looks as personality.

Tamara had helped the fox pick out several kimonos for the demon to wear. He had a picture and her measurements on file so he could get the right sizes. Tamara had also taken the time to pick out some underwear and hair pins for her. These were, apparently, necessities for a woman.

"I just hope she doesn't go in a rage and destroy them," he continued. "She can be rather eccentric."

"Well, you were given a duty, and you're expected to complete it." She sounded like such a mom. It was almost cute. "I just wish this kid would pop out already. I'm ready to be skinny again.

They both laughed. Tamara only worried about three things when she wasn't pregnant: her kids, cigarettes, and her weight. Naturally, the kids always came first. She would give up anything if it meant they were happy, safe, and healthy.

Honestly, no one in their group of friends had expected there to be three of them. No one had expected the two girls to be so adorable, either. Everyone loved Tamara and Hiei's daughters. They were cute, active, and took after Hiei in almost a bizarre way. Except for the fact that they were a little nice, at least. They were shy, and most of the time kept to themselves. Tamara made sure they were well-mannered, and not total rude-asses. She feared that her children being too much like Hiei would get them into trouble.

"Well, are you going to have any more?" Kurama asked. "Having three will be awful, considering your two now are a handful."

She shrugged. "Hiei and I haven't really thought about it. Personally, I'm done after this one. Having kids hurts. You're the one that needs to worry about reproducing. You're twenty four and still single."

Kurama looked down at her seriously as they walked. "I'm a human, Tamara. I'm not going o have a mate or anything like you and Hiei."

"So? Go on a date."

"Yoko doesn't exactly approve of the girls that I do see."

She sighed. "You need to do what I did, Kurama."

"And what's that?"

"You need to accept the fact that you and Yoko are the same person now. You two are the same soul. Although, that doesn't mean jack shit. You are not the same Yoko, if you don't want to be. That's a personal choice."

He shrugged. "In a way, I guess, we are very similar. We just have… different ways of courting."

"Ew, no, don't tell me anymore." She didn't skip a beat, this woman. "What about that girl you're helping? Even if she does look young, if you've already seen her naked and have boring conversations, you're already halfway there."

He chuckled darkly. "Don't be ridiculous. She has something else on her mind, and it isn't romance."

"And how do you know?"

He hesitated. "I can see it in her eyes. She's always staring off, like she's remembering something. I just have to find out what."

It was hard to keep from sobbing aloud.

The lights were out again. The darkness was back. She had her rose-whip ready for anything that might come out and try to hurt her.

No more, she thought. No more pain. Please, by the gods, don't hurt me anymore…

She could end it, she realized suddenly, and sat up in her cot. Her rose whip could be used. She didn't need the fucking plants; the most beautiful were removed today, anyway.

Her tearful eyes scanned the ceiling for the millionth time, looking for something like a beam. Something she could hang a noose on. Something that would help her finally end the pain.

Nothing. Shit. Maybe the plants would have to do. But if so, it wasn't part of the plan. She couldn't be in this lab and release the pain in her body.

She plucked the sharpest thorn she could find from her whip, cutting her own thumb as she did so. The thorns she had were much larger than those of Kurama's whip, she noticed.

Kurama. She tilted her head, eyes moving to the veins on her wrists. It had been nice to make his acquaintance, even if she hadn't given her name. He was a sweet boy, and she wished him all the best.

The pain almost set her off, but she couldn't turn back now. She dragged the thorn along the length of her forearm, wincing at the pain. The tears she shed didn't help, only making it worse.

Had she hit an artery? It was her left arm, after all. She hoped so. Then it would all be over.

She forced her demon heart to beat faster after she slit the other arm. It was going to be awhile before she bled out. It was times like this that she wished she was a human so that she could bleed to death in a matter of minutes.

Alarms. Red lights. Shit, they had been monitoring her vitals the entire time, without anything even connected to her. Making sure they could keep her alive as long as they could. At least until they got what they wanted from her.

What did they want, anyway? There was nothing she had to offer them, except a name. Was it truly that important? There was nothing significant in her name. Nothing they could gain. Nothing at all.

People were running into her large cell. At least, they looked like people. Her heart was beating so loudly that it made her vision blur. How long had she been forcing her heart to beat at a human rate? Surely they couldn't save her. It had to be too late for them to attempt to save her. Too… late…

"Get Kurama here as soon as you can!" the voice was in the distance. "There's flowers blooming out of the wounds!"

She had lost so much control. Were the rest of the plants feeding off of her body now? How amazing…

When she closed her eyes, the darkness was back. She grew afraid, and actually stifled a sob. A real sob.

Her arms were hurting. Oh, this was going to be hell on her later. She'd lost control of three different death plants that were feeding on her life energy. There was no way she could be saved.

She was in and out of consciousness. So many voices. So much pain. Darkness. Evil. She wasn't paying much attention to what was going on. She honestly couldn't hear what the voices were saying. Everything was a blur. She was nauseated. She felt like she was spinning.

God, this was not the way it was supposed to happen. She was supposed to return to the Demon World, and use her body as a fertilizer for her demon garden…

"Oh god… what… what did she do!?"

Kurama? What was he doing here? Wait, why had she heard him? His voice seemed to stand out among the others that were distorting her concentration.

"All right, I need you to put her to sleep. This is going to take awhile."

Sleep? Was he actually going to try and save her? There was nothing he could do.

She opened her eyes. God, it was so bright. Fuck, were they trying to blind her?

"Hn. I suppose she is interesting enough to save."

That wasn't Kurama. This voice gave her chills, and not the good kind. Suddenly she felt more afraid than she had on that day…

Moving her head made the nausea worse, but she had to see this person's face. Where had Kurama gone? She could still sense him.

The sight before her made her freeze, body and mind. Kurama hadn't been lying, after all. No, the boy had been telling the truth about his name.

The demon Yoko Kurama stood before her. Ogres were backing away; only Koenma stood his ground. He wore white robes that exposed his chest, and his hair was longer and now silver. He now had fox ears and his clawed fingers were tapping his chin gingerly. He wore a cold grin that was bringing back too many memories.

His cold eyes glinted upon meeting her own. She stayed silent. "Like Shuichi said, put her to sleep. I don't want her trying to attack again."

She remembered the first time she had met him, many years ago. What he had done back then… But that didn't matter. She was tired… It was time to let go… let go of everything…

For once, the darkness wasn't so bad. The pain was gone, at least physically. In her head, everything was stirring up. Why was she still haunted? These events from four hundred years ago still tormented her every thought and dream.

"I'll find you! If it's the last thing I do, you'll never escape again!"

Her eyes snapped open. Kurama stared at her, stunned. Had she had a nightmare? She'd been sleeping so peacefully this whole morning.

They were back in her cell, the clothes he'd bought her all hanging up by a new full view mirror. She'd slept through all the changes.

Her arms were bandaged tightly, and she raised them up to stare at them for awhile.

"That was quite a scare you gave me," he said with a kind smile. "I've been up all night to make sure you were alright."

That had sounded bad. Had he really been worried at all? Or was he just doing his job?

Shuichi, don't be stupid, a familiar, dark voice said in the back of his mind. Do you still not remember her?

Not at all, he thought. Who is she?

Never mind. Just watch her carefully. She's valuable.

Valuable? He raised an eyebrow, watching as she turned her head to stare at him. How could a demon with a broken mind be valuable?