Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha or any of their characters. I do, however, own any OCs created and the story written.

A/N: Since I raised Kagome to 16, I need to age-up Souta as well. His exact age is unclear to me (9-10?), I'm not sure, so I'm making him 12. Which is what I actually thought his age was. Lol.

Chapter 6: Stones & Mazes

Kagome looked over in annoyance at the compact mirror on her dresser. She had just gotten home from her training with Genkai and she was exhausted. Her mom was still shopping and Souta was at soccer practice. She was pleasantly surprised by the conversation she had with him before he left.

1-2-3-4-5

"Hey, sis." Souta came in her room and hugged her, "You look tired."

"And sore." She laughed, "I wasn't allowed to do that type of stuff with Inuyasha, unless I was running for my life." She sat on her bed, "Off to practice?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you first."

"About what?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and wanted your opinion."

"Okay." She cocked her head, "Color me intrigued."

"I know it's planned for you to take over the Shrine from grandpa."

"Hopefully in the far, far future."

He chuckled, "Right. Um, anyways, I've been helping him out a lot the last few years, what with your travels and training and all…"

"I'm so sorry that fell on you."

"It's okay. Really. I don't mind it. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't know if you know this, but I really like antiques."

"Antiques?" She stared, "Like, the creepy old things in the basement that weirds you out, so you don't go down there?"

"Not anymore. I've been doing a lot of studying on that stuff, and I've gotten pretty hooked on it. I think I want to do more work like that, after school."

"Like archeology?"

"Yeah. Also, mythology and ancient civilizations." He hesitated, "I'm going to a school to train as a Shinto priest first."

"What? Souta…"

"Let me finish. I've already talked to grandpa. With all of your training that you've been getting, and knowing there's a chance you'll get called to help our cousin," Kagome had told her family everything, "you can use some help. And before you say it's not necessary, it's what I want. Like I said, I've gotten to where I really like helping out around here so… I want to co-run this place with you. That way, we can both do our thing together and separately."

"Together and separately."

"Well, I want to open a museum here on the shrine. I've got all these ideas to help bring in more money and get more people up here. Also, if I can get a part-time job after college working with antiques in some way, I'd be doing something I loved and bringing in money to the shrine." He stared at her, waiting.

"Souta," she hesitated, "that's amazing. The fact that you're only 12 and already know that you want to do all this stuff is awesome. I haven't even figured out what I want to do outside of running the shrine."

"Can I make a suggestion?"

"I am all ears."

"Okay, so, outside of Miko training, you can go to college to be a holistic healer."

"Huh?"

"A holistic healer. They don't go to school as long as doctors do. There's degrees in aromatherapy, apothecary, botany, herbalism…"

Kagome started laughed, "You've given this a lot of thought."

"I have." He started getting excited, "And I know you like flowers, especially ones that can be used for stuff. There's natural medicines you can learn with flowers…" he trailed off at the look on her face, "oh, I'm sorry. I forgot. I know he's the one who got you hooked on plants, I shouldn't have…"

"It's okay. It's getting easier. It still hurts, but not as much. And yes, I would love to build a greenhouse on our property. One where I can grow healing plants and herbs. And you," she poked him in the shoulder, "are getting to be one smart cookie."

"So, you like the plan?"

"You and I train to co-run this place together, as a Miko and Shinto Priest, and we both go to school to pursue our individual likes that'll help the shrine." She smiled, "Love it."

"Yes." He hissed, giving her a hug, "That's awesome. Okay, I've got to go to practice. Um," he scrunched his nose, "when you finish unpacking, you might want to take a bath. You smell like you haven't washed in the entire six months you were gone."

She squawked as she threw a pillow at him, "Get out of here!"

"Love you too, sis."

1-2-3-4-5

She had just gotten out of the bathtub when the compact went off. She shook her head as she ran a brush through the still damp locks, "Not fair. I'm not even an official Spirit Detective. Why call me? I just got home." She picked up the compact that Botan and given her that morning and opened it, "You just gave me this. I hope it's important."

"Depends. Do you think demon beasts releasing demon parasites into the human realm and holding the only thing that can stop them as ransom important?"

Kagome just stared at Botan, "I'm sorry, what?"

The bluenette shook her head, "I don't have time to get into more details. Come to this location, your compact should tell you where, and meet with Yusuke and Kuwabara. They've already gone done the breach in the barrier. They need your help."

"Okay, what kind of help?"

"Get through the Maze Castle, stop the four Saint Beasts and get the whistle that's controlling the Makai Insects."

Kagome put her compact down and pulled her hair into a high ponytail, "Got it. I guess I'm fixing to put all that training with Genkai to use." She opened a bag pulled out some clothes that the psychic had made for her, "Give me a minute to change clothes and I'll be on my way." She closed the link and changed.

She wore black leggings, flexible boots, a quarter-sleeved red shirt and black corset vest. She added her utility belt, with the new gadgets that Genkai helped her make and put her boomerangs turned shredder blades into her boots. She added her arm guards, new WristBow, multiple new knives, retractable Chakram on one hip and new collapsible bow on the other; finishing with her arrows on her back. She grabbed the compact and special night glasses before heading out the door.

Following the directions on the mirror, she found the building indicated. There was a mark on the floor in writing, 'Lift this tile.' She sighed, "Okay." She pulled the square up and, seeing the green smoke, shrugged, "Here goes." She jumped strait in and, due to her abilities and new training, landed on her feet.

She looked around at the black castle and ignored the creepy thunder in the sky, "Alright, cuz." Botan noted in the compact that the breach had been shifted closer to the castle so she can catch up to the others, "Here I come."

1-2-3-4-5

Hiding her Reiki, Kagome crept along the walls until she came to a tunnel. She looked through it to see Yusuke, Kuwabara and two others being forced to hold the ceiling up. Mocking them on the other side was a large purple eye with bat wings. He was going on about one of them needing to betray the others in order to survive.

'Yusuke.' Her cousin jerked in confusion, 'Don't look back. Get the others to move to the sides and leave a clear path down the center of the tunnel.' He hesitated, 'Just trust me, okay?' He nodded.

"Guys!" He yelled, "I have an idea." She smiled, "Everybody move to the sides."

"What's wrong with you, Urameshi? We can't hold it that way!"

"Just trust me, okay?" The group hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Once the path was clear, Kagome readied her WristBow and shot it a dart straight at the floating demon. Taken by surprise, the purple creature was hit dead center in the eye and fell straight to the floor without moving. "Nice shot, cuz!"

"Cuz?!" Kuwabara exclaimed with a smile, "She's here?"

Kagome shook her head and ran through the tunnel, making her presence known, "Pull the lever on the wall!" She nodded at her cousin and complied. Once done, the ceiling stopped pushing down on the team. Her head snapped up moments before a boulder fell straight down on her.

"Kagome!" Yusuke rushed out of the tunnel, oblivious to the look of shock on his red-headed companions face. When the dust cleared, they saw that the boulder had crumbled around her Reiki shield, "You're okay." He grabbed her in a hug, "That was scary. How'd you get here?"

"Botan gave me a communication compact this morning when we met up. I was fixing to lay down when she contacted me." She shook her head, "Does this Koenma guy not have anybody else? First it was those thieves you were telling me about, then it was Rando and now this. Like, hello? Really?"

"Tell me about it." He was shoved out of the way as Kuwabara rushed over to give his own hugs, happy at seeing the Miko, "Geez, Kuwabara, slow down. You can say a proper hello later. We've got work to do." He looked at his cousin, "We'll introduce those guys later. We've got to go." The group nodded and took off.

The two demons fell behind them, "What's wrong with you?" Hiei muttered, so the others wouldn't hear, "You froze once the Detective said his cousin's name. Do you know her? Or is she from the past?"

"I think… from the far past."

"From before your second life?"

"Yes. I did die once. 500 years ago. It was before the barriers went up. I earned enough credit and was Reborn in Makai 200 years later. I never regained all of my memories from that time. Just impressions and feelings."

"So that girl's name brought up a past feeling from 500 years ago." Hiei shook his head, "How is that possible? She's not a demon and Yusuke called her cousin."

"I'm not sure, but I need to find out. She could be the key to unlocking my memories."

1-2-3-4-5

The team of five made their way down an eerie corridor, only to have the quiet abruptly broken as a ringing sounded out of Yusuke's pocket, scaring Kuwabara.

"What is that thing? Is it safe?"

"Relax, Kuwabara." Kagome shook her head, "It's probably Botan on the Communication Mirror." She looked at her cousin, "She did give you one, right?"

"Yeah, right before I jumped down here." Yusuke rolled his eyes as he flipped the compact open.

"Hello, Yusuke! It's Botan here in the Living World. You copy?"

"Yeah, I -"

Kuwabara shoved Yusuke away and jumped into frame. "Hey, what's up Botan?! This is the brave Kuwabara reporting at your service. I'm taking very good care of Urameshi and Kagome." He crooned, missing the Miko's narrowed eyes.

Botan laughed. "I'm so glad to hear that! I've got things under control here as well, more or less. The Makai Insects only like to nest in depressed people's minds. That narrows down my search a bit. I've also found another spy for the Saint Beasts. I just can't figure out how they're getting past the barrier. See, I think they're demons from outside the city taking orders along the wall."

"WATCH OUT!" Kuwabara and Yusuke yelled, seeing a demon sneak up on her.

Without batting an eye, Botan calmly swung her bat behind her, knocking out the spy that she'd apprehended.

"Don't worry, those guys are weaklings." Botan said cheerfully, but her face fell. "The real challenge is finding those Makai insects. I've only caught fifteen of those buggers and I've been searching for nearly an entire day!"

"Don't worry, baby. You'll - Ungh!" Kagome wince when Yusuke punched Kuwabara to take the Communicator back.

"Fifteen? That's not much help!" The teen exclaimed.

Botan shook her head and, to Kagome's delight, whacked the demon spy again. "Yusuke, fighting people controlled by the insects takes time. That's why we need to get that whistle."

"Ok, we're trying," Yusuke grumbled. "But this castle is kind of rough."

"Well of course it is. No-one's ever survived it before." The Reaper explained before closing the link.

Yusuke shook his head as he stuck the compact in his pocket.

"Dang it." Kagome sighed, "I wanted to ask her if she got the information that I had asked for. It's been six months and she was dodging me about it this morning."

"Oh, you mean that stuff about your adopted demon family and your mate?" Yusuke asked, nodding at her to keep walking.

"Yeah. Training with Genkai, I wasn't able to follow up with her. I hope they're avoiding giving me answers. It's going to piss me off. I just… I really wish I knew if they were alive or not."

"Don't worry. Once we're done here, we'll tag team her. She can't avoid the topic forever. Not with both of us hounding her."

"True." They walked for awhile before Kagome grabbed her cousin's arm to make him stop, "I was too rushed before to get down here and Botan didn't have time to tell me anything. I need the lowdown on these Beasts."

"Actually, I don't know anything about them. We were pretty rushed, too." He turned to the red-head demon in the pink suit, "Kurama, what do you know about these four Saint people? Botan pushed us down that hole like a couple of cows and I didn't have a chance to ask her." Kagome's eyes widened at the name her cousin called out.

"She wouldn't have told you much, I'm afraid." Kuwabara grunted in shock, "Ever since the barrier wall was raised around the city, Spirit World Intelligence virtually forgot this place existed."

"What do you know?" The pompadour teen asked.

Kurama continued to smile. "Let's just say that when you see their bodies, you may be very surprised."

"Terrified," A guttural voice suggested. "Isn't that more like it?"

Everyone looked around to find the source of their visitor.

"Who said that?" Kuwabara asked, scared.

Kagome looked back from where the came, "It's coming from back there."

"Very good, little girl." The voice laughed, "Go to the door behind you." The voice ordered. "Please, take it!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara kicked the door open. "Ladies first."

"You're too kind." Kagome rolled her eyes as she hit with an elbow on her way past him, "What a time for you to find chivalry, cuz."

They entered a dungeon-like room; empty but for some lit torches along the wall. Yusuke picked one up and threw it further into the room.

"You know I could've done that without the fire, right." Kagome whispered before stepping back against him as a giant rock monster was revealed. "No longer matters." Yusuke stepped forward and pushed her behind him.

"Welcome, trespassers." The beast smirked maliciously. He was an enormous creature that seemed to be made of nothing but stone.

Kuwabara reared back, "Okay, I'm surprised!"

"I am Genbu of the Four Saint Beasts. Do you have a request before you die?"

"Yeah, tell me how a beast is a saint? I'm lost!" Yusuke asked.

"I don't think that's relevant at the moment, cuz." Kagome poked his back.

"This stairwell is the only way to the castle tower." Genbu said, ignoring the question, "You can either defeat me and go up on your own, or be dragged there once you've stopped breathing!" He slammed his tail into the floor, leaving behind a giant crater.

"Why don't you all attack me at once?" Genbu suggested, "Then the last one left won't feel lonely!"

Kuwabara looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. "He's a rock, Urameshi! How are we supposed to fight against a talking rock?!"

"By not falling to pieces." Kagome grabbed his shoulder and forced him to calm down, "You need to chill and we need a plan."

"I will fight him." Kurama said, stepping forward.

Yusuke blinked. "Are you sure?"

"It would be ill-advised for all of us to attack without first knowing his power. Besides, I can hardly let Hiei get all the credit for this mission, now can I?"

"Are you going to explain the whole credit thing?" Kagome asked, looking at her cousin, "And is one-on-one the best way to go?"

Genbu didn't care. He actually looked thrilled. "You want to die one by one? I can do that too!"

"Hey!" Yusuke called out. "Wouldn't we be better off trying to lure him back to that drop-down ceiling or something?"

"Obviously, you are underestimating Kurama." Hiei said quietly. "Do you know why I chose him to be my partner? To avoid fighting him myself."

Kagome faced Hiei, shocked. "What did you say?"

"Watch," Hiei said simply. "He's more cutthroat than I am when it comes to battle, and unbelievably precise."

Kagome turn to the shorter demon with wide eyes, "He's a fox, isn't he?"

"I believe you and he must have a conversation." He shrugged, "I don't gossip, especially to tag-a-long human girls who have no business being here."

She glared, "Listen here, three eyes." The group turned to her in shock, "I don't know who you are and I don't care, as long you help us get out of here alive. I spent too long being looked down on by egotistical demons like you who thought me pathetic and an easy target. Not anymore. Don't push your luck."

He stood there, staring, "How do you know about my third eye? And how did that boulder break?"

"Not telling." She turned back to the other teens and focused on the room.

"Well," Kuwabara shrugged, "I don't know guys, he's still a talking rock."

"Who could probably run you through with his tail." Kagome rolled her eyes, "Don't worry about it and focus on your teammate."

Kurama assumed his position in front of Genbu, "Sir, the first move is yours." He said, smiling pleasantly at his opponent.

They stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity; no one moving.

Kagome grabbed her cousin's arm and pointed behind Genbu. The beast's tail was slowly sinking through the floor as if it were made of water.

"Hey!" Yusuke called out, "Stone-man's doing something freaky with his tail!"

Kurama whirled around just as the spiked tail started to come out of the floor behind him. With a lot of speed and power, it thrust itself towards the fox demon, Kurama tried to leap out of the way, but the tail was able to slice across his stomach, drawing blood.

"Kurama!" Yusuke cried out.

Kagome stared with a grim smile. If he was who she thought he was, this dumb rock-slide of a beast didn't stand a chance.

Genbu laughed as his withdrew his tail back to him, "Thanks to my body's structure, I can become one with any type of rock! And since this old chamber is made of stone, I have you surrounded. There's nowhere to run!"

"We're in trouble!" Kuwabara squeaked.

Kurama got to his feet rather shakily, clutching his torso.

"Oh man, now he's wounded," Yusuke muttered.

"Maybe we should help?" Kuwabara suggested.

"There is no need," Kurama said to them with a calm smile. "I've been hurt, but he will not take me by surprise again."

Genbu didn't look remotely concerned. "Wait until you see the full extent of my power. Then you won't be so confident."

Like with his tail, Genbu's entire body began melting into the floor as if it were a puddle of liquid.

"Huh?" Yusuke stared in shock, "He's gonna put himself into the floor."

"Do something Kurama!" Kuwabara yelled, watching in disbelief.

They watched as he complete disappeared into the ground. The group stared as the only sound was the fire crackling from the torches.

"Now he could be anywhere." Yusuke complained, looking around the room.

"I can't even sense Genbu's energy." Kuwabara muttered.

"He could be anywhere!" Yusuke growled.

"He's still in the room." Kagome remarked, leaning against a pillar, "He's completely blended himself into the rocks." She watched in silence as Kurama darted his eyes back and forth… waiting.

Genbu sprang up behind him, but this time Kurama was ready. "Same old trick." He muttered. He jumped off the ground and dodge Genbu's stone fist from the front.

"Watch for the tail!" Yusuke warned.

"He's getting attacked from both sides!" Kuwabara yelled.

Twisting in the air, he was able to avoid the tail coming at him from behind. By the time he landed, Genbu had disappeared back into the stone.

"Would you two stop yelling?" Kagome whispered, "He needs to concentrate and you're not helping. Cut it out."

"Where'd that freak go now?!" Kuwabara panicked, ignoring her.

Kagome gasped at the same time as Kurama; just before the beast burst from the floor. The red-head was forced to do some kind of gymnastic move to circumvent the attack. Genbu just retreated back into the stones, laughing. "You'll never defeat me by just running away!"

Kurama closed his eyes with a smile. "Yes, Genbu. I believe you're right,"

With a flourish, he reached under his hair and behind his shirt. Lift his hand, he now held a perfect red rose. "Yes." Kagome hissed, reaffirming her suspicions.

"A… flower?" Yusuke asked weakly.

Kuwabara shook his head. "If he's trying to win the beast over, I don't think that's a good idea."

Kagome just deadpanned a look at him, "You're a dill-weed."

"It's no ordinary flower," Kurama said, holding the rose up.

Petals from the rose flowed off the stem and started to float around the room. Kurama spun around in a circle, brandishing the thorny vine out, "Rose Whip!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara looked awkwardly at the petals raining from down.

"Well, everything's coming up roses." Yusuke offered.

"It smells girly," Kuwabara complained. "I don't think I like it."

"Oh sure," Yusuke rolled his eyes. "I guess he should be a tough guy like you and be obsessed with kittens."

"Shut up!"

Kagome shrugged, "I have an overweight cat name Buyo." He comment seemed to please Kuwabara as he got stars in his eyes.

Genbu's laugh echoed through the room, "You still don't understand your problem! What good will a fancy whip do if you can't tell where I am?"

"Yes, not being able to find you is a problem," Kurama agreed, smiling.

Kagome shook her head. Knowing the fox, he had something good planned.

"You just can't be scared, can you?" Genbu grumbled. "Well, I'll soon change that!"

Kurama looked at the ceiling with a pause, "Found you!" He jumped up as Genbu oozed from the stone, slashing his whip out.

"It's over," Hiei smiled. "The thorns on Kurama's whip can slice through any substance, including solid stone."

"Rose Whiplash!"

Kurama swung his weapon in multiple directions, cutting Genbu into pieces. He landed softly on his feet as the Genbu chunks thudded on the ground.

"How did you find me?" The Beast's head demanded.

"Your smell." Kurama explained. "After filling the room with the rose's sweet aroma, your putrid odor was easy for me to find."

"Well that's no fair. Why is it none of my fights end that quick?" Yusuke grinned.

"You beat him in one blow!" Kuwabara cheered. "Now that's what I call a whip!"

"You idiots," Hiei scoffed. "it only looked easy because Kurama was the one fighting. If you had fought, you would've died in under a minute."

Kuwabara raised a fist to Hiei. "Why does everything you say make me wanna bash your face in?! Listen," he proudly jerked a thumb towards himself. "I just happened to place third in Master Genkai's fighting tournament. The only ones who beat me were Yusuke and an evil monster!"

Hiei looked bored. "And what's your point?"

Kuwabara grabbed Hiei by the collar. "You little -! OW!"

"That's quite enough out of you," Kagome said calmly, "One day your anger is going to get the best of you and there's not going to be anyone there to save you." She twisted his ear more as she pulled him back, "Now, be a good little delinquent and shut up."

"Children! Would you mind saving it for the bad guys?" Yusuke said indignantly.

"I know you're not talking to me." Kagome glared at her cousin, who hastily backed away from her, "Keep it up and I'll give you a set of prayer beads to go with that school uniform." She released Kuwabara's ear, "Both of you."

"Awe!" Kuwabara grumbled. "But he started it!"

"I don't care who started it!" Kagome said loudly. "I'll finish it!" She stepped back in horror, "I just had a horrible childhood flashback. I sounded like my mom just then." She shuddered, "Please don't make me do that again."

Yusuke looked at Kurama. "I guess now we go up the stairs?"

Kagome shook her head, "Not yet." She looked in Kurama's eyes as he nodded in understanding.

He glanced sideways at the Beast, "It seems my fight is not over."

Sure enough, the pieces of Genbu had started vibrating. They watched as the rocks shuffled to reform into his body. The monster just laughed as his head floated up and reattached to the rest of him.

"You can disassemble me all you like. I'll come back together every time. Actually, it makes for a very nice attack!" His hands, arms and head detached from his body and flew at Kurama.

"Rose Whiplash!" Kurama sliced apart the rocks again.

"Right in the head!" Yusuke cheered, "Let's see him come back now!"

Laughing, Genbu merged his pieces back together, "Want to try again?"

"Okay, that was luck!"

"It's not luck, cuz." Kagome frowned, "It's how he's made… or… remade."

"Let's end this." Genbu growled. "How'd you like to be stoned to death?"

Like bullets from a gun, stone after stone fired themselves at Kurama, too fast for his whip to defend.

"They're coming back!"

"Kurama!"

Kagome watched the pieces hurling themselves at the fox demon and paused, "What?" She looked at Kurama and saw that he had noticed the same thing. A small piece of glowing red rock flying through the chaos. He flung himself to the floor to avoid the flying missiles and watched as the rocks regrouped shot out at him again. Instead of making any evasive moves, Kurama just stood up.

"What the hell's he doing? He's gonna get killed!" Yusuke yelled.

"No, he's not." Kagome smirked, "He's figured it out."

"Figured what out?!" She just shook her head and watched.

Kurama raised his arms to defend his face and body from the rock and reached toward the red stone. He dropped to the ground and to gather himself as the rocks just floating in the air behind him.

"You're not even fighting back now!" Genbu laughed. "Those blows must have made you insane!"

Kurama looked back, laughing softly as he watched Genbu reform himself.

"Yes, I'm sure of it." The Beast continued. "You're laughing at nothing. Wait! How did you get on the ceiling?" He stared at an upside down Kurama.

They watched as Genbu had reassembled himself out of order. The best part of the rearrange was that his head was now his crotch. "What's wrong?"

He looked so ridiculous that Kagome had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing; but she still ended up in giggles. However, nothing stopped the other teens as both boys were doubled over in hysterics.

"I've heard of brass balls, but come on!" Yusuke cackled.

"Yeah, I'd like to see him use a toilet!" Kuwabara agreed, tears in their eyes.

"What did you do to me?" Genbu roared, horrified.

Kurama held up the pulsing red object. "I took this."

Kagome expected Genbu to know what had happened, but he seemed more shocked than scared. "What's that?!"

"I believe this is the equivalent of the hypothalamus portion of your brain. It regulates all the functions of your body, including the process of putting them back together. It seems to relay an energy signal when you separate it, making it very easy to find."

"You can't do this!" Genbu roared. "Give it back to me!"

Kurama tossed the red stone into the air. "Farewell." He said coldly, and cut the rock in two with his whip; causing Genbu to explode in a flash of light.

As the dust settled, Kurama collapsed on the floor in pain.

"Kurama!" Everyone ran over to check on him.

Yusuke got there first. "Are you ok?"

Hiei looked serious. "If Kurama is injured, we're going to have some problems."

"I'm sorry Yusuke," Kurama said softly.

"Nah, you've earned yourself a break," Yusuke waved it off.

"Yeah, I'll handle the next one!" grinned Kuwabara.

The five of them turned to the next staircase. Time to face the next challenge.

"Kurama." Kagome walked next to him, "I-I can heal you, if you'd like. Don't worry, I promise not to purify you."

"I didn't know Mikos could heal demons." He smiled at the look she sent him, "I recognizes the shield you used to protect yourself from the boulder."

"Oh. Well, I've had some very specialized training the last six months. I'm not great, yet, but I can stop the bleeding and make you more comfortable. Might make it easier with the fighting going forward."

He nodded, "I know you. Somehow. I just can't place it."

She paused, "I sense the demon in you, but you're a human."

"I'm more of an avatar." He chuckled, "I was a 300 year old fox demon living in the Makai. I was wounded, to the point of almost death and was able to escape to the human realm. I didn't have enough energy to possess an adult human, so I merged myself with that of a newly created embryo. I was raised here as a human, but I had all of my memories of my time in the Makai." He paused as he watched her frown, "I do know that I wasn't always in the Makai. I believe I was in the human realm before."

She stopped him and, ignoring the other three who stood back to watch, healed his wound as much as she could, "You were Reborn?"

"Yes. I had earned enough credit in the afterlife to start again. But, the barriers had already been raised so I was put in Makai. I don't have a lot of my memories from before. They're more a sense of recognition. It's impressions and a certain sense of knowing. Every now and then, something will click and I'll gain a new memory."

She finished with his torso and stepped back, tears glistening in her eyes, "I can help you. But I don't know if it'll fix everything."

"How could you help me? As a human, you wouldn't have lived 500 years ago."

"It's a long story. How about we finish our task at hand and after…" she sighed, "we'll talk and I'll tell you everything." She nodded and turning away from him, walked over to her cousin, "Let's go. We've got three more Beasts to deal with." Her heart, that had spent months healing, felt like it was breaking all over again.

Kurama stared at her retreating for in worry, "Why do I know her?" He rubbed his chest, "And why does it feel like my heart is about to burst out of my chest?"

Hiei smirked, "Apparently, 500 year old you knew her quite well. Interesting."