Howdy everyone, I know I usually update on Sunday/Monday but with the holidays being those days of this week, I'm posting early.

Also! I'm cross-posting this story on Ao3 now, so if any of you wanna help me out a bit and hop over there to give it some kudos or something, I would be really grateful.

Merry Christmas to those that celebrate it and Happy Holidays to those that don't, hope to see you all in the new year!

Onwards

Trailing behind Kurama and Hiei, I followed the sounds of a fight ahead of me. The sound of some large creature roaring making me flinch in surprise when I got close enough. Peering through the bushes, I felt my heart stop at the sight of a familiar red demon being held down by a blue rope of fire. Purifying fire tightened around him, making the demon roar in pain, trying to thrash free from the figure of a older man holding a staff in front of him. Both Hiei and Kurama stood behind him, unsure if they should intervene or not.

A quick glance at the fire demon jolted me out of hiding. I could see him already pulling his sword free as he glared at Daisuke, clearly planning on cutting the man down. "No!" All three jumped in surprise at my outburst, my brother and Hiei spinning to stare at me in surprise, my Master however choosing to shoot me an annoyed look over his shoulder instead as he finished his chant.

A final echo of his words washed through the clearing, both Kurama and Hiei flinching at the wave of purifying energy that washed over them as Goki burst into flames, his flesh crackling for a second then burning into dust before our eyes. And with his death, Daisuke spun on his heel, walking up to the three of us, the bell on his staff chiming softly with each step he took. Eyes flicking over my panicked expression to Kurama's cautious one then finally down to Hiei's furious look with a slight downward twist of his lips.

"Shohei, what is the meaning of this?" He finally rumbled out, waving his staff at both Hiei and Kurama, eyebrow raising slightly when I shuffled forward to stand in front of him, keeping his attention off the demons for the time being. "I was not aware you kept such... Interesting company."

Wincing at the tone in his voice, I ducked my head, hands pressed in front of me in a slight prayer. "Daisuke, hear me out for just a second." I pleaded, ignoring Hiei's scoff of annoyance just before his warm energy vanished with a flicker. "That's um... Well-" I stumbled a bit, my panic dying a little once I realized he wasn't going to attack anymore. Weather it was Hiei or Daisuke I was worried about remains to be seen.

Brown eyes flicked between mine and my brother's faces for a second, recognition lighting in them for a second. I could hear my heartbeat in my throat in the silence that hovered around us, still worried he might try to attack Kurama despite realizing who he was to me by now. Heaving a sigh, he lifted his staff and turned around, nodding his head towards the direction he was facing. "Come on then, best we sit and talk about this properly, shouldn't we?"

Letting out the breath I didn't now I was holding, I looked over at Kurama and offered a weak smile at his bland expression. Yep, he was mad. Fantastic.

Both Kurama and I sat across from Daisuke in his home, tea already poured and in front of us. Looking back and forth between my Master and brother, I felt more anxiety now than I did when facing off the demon that took our classmate. From my point of view, it was like two titans facing off in front of me, the energy flowing from both of them almost physically sparking in the air between them.

Needing something to do, I picked up my cup and took a drink, trying not to duck my head under the weight of both of their stares when they turned to look at me. Struggling not to choke on the tea, I swallowed and offered up a light smile. "So, Daisuke, I didn't know you were out demon hunting again."

"They were becoming a nuisance. And until you are fully trained, I'll need to keep the population down to make sure you survive long enough to see the end of it." He explained in a clipped tone, lifting his own cup up and taking a sip, eyes never leaving Kurama's as he did so. Great, he was angry too.

"Did you um... Know what he was doing then?" I hummed, trying to settle into the usual conversation we normally would. Easy, calm and to the point with almost a blunt honesty. Looking down at my cup, I trailed a finger around the edge, deciding for the moment, not to freak out about the fact the Kurama's and Hiei's partner in crime for the heist in Spirit World was now down for the count and instead focusing on why Daisuke was even there to begin with.

"Several parents came forward saying their children have disappeared over the last few weeks. A quick look near their homes and the parks where the children play told me everything I needed to find the filth." The way he spat out that last word nearly made me flinch, the rise of energy coming from beside me, however, did make me shift away from my brother a bit. "I would assume someone with skills would be able to do as much." That was pointed at Kurama who shifted in his seat, tensing just the slightest bit.

"Fair enough, been busy." I snapped out, cutting my brother's attack off and drawing Daisuke's wide-eyed stare to me. "Our mother was taken to the hospital this morning after a few weeks of poor health. Apologies."

Drawing up a bit, he eyed both me and my brother then let out a sigh, relaxing and drawing his energy back within himself. "I'm sorry, Shohei, I didn't know." He murmured, reaching out to touch the back of my hand gently. "Forgive me."

"Just... Can we stop with the posturing for a second? It's been a rough day." I sighed, running a hand over my face and dropping my head to the table, ignoring the loud thunk it made on contact. "You're smart enough to see this is my brother-" I waved at Kurama, shooting him a look from where I had my head pressed against the table, making him reluctantly calm down and settle back into his seat. "And yes, he is a demon."

"Something you failed to mention." Daisuke hummed, watching me lift my head from over the edge of his teacup. "Though, I can understand why considering some of the things I've said in the past." He admitted when I narrowed my eyes at him, eyes flicking away then back to me curiously. "How you've hidden it, however, tells far more about your power however."

"What are you talking about?" Kurama spoke for the first time, green eyes narrowed in slight confusion at Daisuke. The older man studied us for a moment then reached down beside him and picked up the staff he carried earlier, setting it on the table between us, Kurama flinching back from it in surprise.

"Daisuke, can you not freak my brother out?" I sighed, watching him trail a finger over the bell at the top and leaving a line of his energy shimmering in it's wake. He chuckled lightly, flashing me a wry smile before gently pushing the staff towards me with a nod. Reaching out I slowly wrapped my fingers around the rod, it's metal warming under my touch. Lifting it, I frowned slightly, lifting it to my ear curiously.

"It's humming." I finally murmured softly, closing my eyes and listening to it with a tip of my head. "Like it's alive."

"It is." Kurama cut in, his voice with a sharp edge to it. Looking over at him, I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion at the disgusted look on his face. Tearing his eyes away from the staff now settled across my lap, he looked up at me. "It's made from the bones of a demon."

Jerking slightly, I lifted the staff and set it on the table quickly, resisting the urge to wipe my hands on my pants. "It's what?"

"Made from the bones of a demon." Daisuke repeated, eyeing both of us with a critical expression. "Ironically the only thing powerful enough to handle the purifying energy of our type for extended periods of time." Reaching out, he touched the staff with the tips of his fingers, the bell at the top ringing gently at the action. "This was created many years ago during a time when the Human and Demon worlds weren't separated. A powerful priest sacrificed his life to destroy a powerful demon that threatened our kind." His eyes stayed focused on the staff while he spoke, his words winding through the air and painting a picture for us while we listened.

"He died tearing the bone from the demon's chest, the last of his purifying energy destroying the creature and solidifying the bone into something powerful. His followers took this new material and formed it into this, a weapon for us to use against the creatures that wished to wipe us from existence. A weapon powerful enough to take our energy and expand it farther than we could ever hope to do on our own." Looking up, Daisuke locked eyes with me, giving neither of us any room to interrupt. "It is my wish to pass this to you when you finish your training. And when I pass, my temple, will be yours."

It was a silent walk back that night, both of us lost in thought on the way home. Vaguely, I could feel the brush of Hiei's warm energy for a moment when we exited the temple steps before it flickered away again just as quick. Not bothering to say anything about it, I followed Kurama back to our house, eyes stuck on the backs of his shoes as he walked in front of me.

Once inside, I hesitated by the door, watching him take his shoes off and walk into the kitchen. I knew he wanted to talk, I knew what it was about and I knew for the most part how it would end but at the moment there was something far more pressing to deal with. "Goki wasn't supposed to die." I heard the sounds of him in the kitchen stop at my words.

"Who is Goki?" He finally asked, the gentle clink of cups and plates resuming. Letting out a sigh, I followed him into the kitchen to help prepare dinner before he ruined it again.

Putting the wok on our stove, I warmed some oil in it, watching Kurama cut some tofu with a hum. "The demon Daisuke killed. His name was Goki, and he wasn't supposed to die yet."

He hummed in reply, deep in thought for a moment, watching me prepare a simple dinner with ease. Just one other thing I knew I was better than him at for the record. English and cooking, frowning at that thought I tried to ignore the sting of knowing I wasn't very useful at all no matter how much training I had gotten. "Was he important?"

"Vaguely. Only for a little while, but-" I cut myself off, chewing on my lower lip in thought a moment. "Kurama, have you discovered anything that might be able to help our mother yet?"

Kurama blinked in surprise at the change in topic and stared at me in confusion. "While I can understand your concern, how does that tie into this conversation?" He finally asked, helping plate up the dinner and bring it to the table so we could sit and eat.

Not sure how to answer, I took a bite of my food, chewing slowly to try and buy some time to think of how to word what I wanted to say next carefully. Looking down at my plate, I set my chopsticks to the side and let out a low breath. "What I am going to say next is what was meant to happen. And now it's going to be different because someone is already dead." I finally said slowly, not looking up while I spoke. "You, Hiei and Goki were meant to find three items in Spirit world. One of which would cure our mother." Keeping the details purposely vague, I licked my lips and let out a low breath. "Afterwards you would be found out, return the item but only after curing our mother with it."

"And why do you think this may not work without a third member of our party?" He asked after a few moments of silence. His voice calm and to the point, telling me nothing about his emotional state right now.

"He was a juggernaut. A wall of strength that would have helped with the large group of SPF members that would have tried to stop you. While I have no doubt you and Hiei can get through it without a problem, it was hinted that Goki did most of the killing to get you three out of there, leaving a lighter sentence for you and Hiei for the most part." Finally looking up, I frowned at his focused expression. "What are you thinking?"

Resting his chin on his hands, Kurama studied the table in front of him silently. Deep in thought over what I just told him. The flicker of his eyes moving back and forth as if reading something I couldn't see the only thing letting me know he was still paying attention to anything I said. After a while, he finally looked over at me and let out a breath. "Nick..." He hesitated, green eyes flicking over my face for a second then dropping to his folded hands. "I think... Perhaps, we should bring someone into this information."

Drawing my eyebrows together, I frowned in confusion at that. "What are you talking about?"

"I think it's time to tell Hiei about this."

"Are you insane?" I pressed my hands to the table and stood up, staring wide-eyed at Kurama in shock. "You're the one that said we couldn't trust him to begin with! Now you want to tell him about all of this? That has to be the stupidest thing you've ever said."

Keeping calm, Kurama stared up at me from where he remained seated, arms folded in front of him on the table. "This concerns him, and if we need his help to do this, to heal our mother, then I believe it may be important to plan accordingly. Perhaps not everything, but at the very least about the break in at Spirit World. If you feel uncomfortable with him knowing, we can play it as a plan we've come up with instead. However, we will need his help to find a third party to do what you've told me."

Dropping down into my seat, I let out a long breath, staring out across the room in front of me, deep in thought. The idea of telling Hiei was always a bad one in Fanfiction, he could either A: Be completely unbelieving of it and angry over their 'lie'. or B: He could believe it completely and be angry over the fact this person knows many of the things he didn't want others to know. Like his sister for instance. Oh yeah, I'd be fried extra crispy for that if he found out and shuddered at the thought.

"Kurama, Hiei is... Volatile and you know it as well as I do he could react badly to this information." I murmured slowly, dropping my gaze to my brother with a worried frown. "Not to mention I'm pretty sure he can tell when someone is lying to him. There's just something... Electric in the air that just tells me it's a bad idea."

Kurama nodded slowly in agreement, a hand passing through his hair in thought, shaking it out a bit with a noise of frustration. It was getting longer, like mine, nearly reaching our shoulders now. "This will be entirely up to you, Nick. I won't make this decision for you."

"I know you won't. I just..." Chewing on my lip, I let out a sigh through my nose and tugged at one of my ears in thought. "I just think this is a very delicate situation that needs to be handled with extreme care. I don't mind him knowing, but how he'd react might end up killing me."

"I hardly think he'd be able to." The subtle threat in his voice made me finally crack a smile and look back over at him. "Do you honestly believe I would let that happen?"

"No, but I can still be worried. I do have some self-preservation despite what you think." I chuckled, earning a wry smile from Kurama. "Look, you definitely have more experience between the two of us, so I'll follow your lead and agree with you on this. But I'm telling you, I honestly have no idea how he will react. At all, and it's a tad frightening."

Reaching over, Kurama nudged my plate closer to me and nodded at the cold food. "Understandable. For now, let's eat then we can figure out how to go about this after." Reluctantly pulling it closer, I picked my chopsticks back up and continued eating, a thoughtful frown tugging my lips downwards. Quietly, we finished our meals and cleaned up.

Settled on my bed with a book afterwards, I tapped my fingers against the cover, placed a bookmark to save my spot and closed it with a snap. "Kurama, what do you hope will come out of telling Hiei about this?" Across the room at his desk, Kurama hummed and turned to look over at me with a thoughtful look on his face.

"I'm not entirely sure, but having another member of our little group could prove to be helpful in the long run. If this story you remember plays out in real life like we expect it to... Then eventually others will need to know, having more than one person, particularly one that is known for not being trustful without reason to be, may make it easier for others to believe without much argument." He finally explained slowly, clearly having thought about this for some time before bringing it up to me earlier.

"But why Hiei? You don't even trust him fully, yet you're planning on letting him in on one of the biggest secrets we share?" Putting my book away, I got up and wandered over to my desk beside his, falling back into my chair with a sigh and turning to face him with a frown. "It's a bit... Odd coming from you."

A smile twitched Kurama's lips upward at that comment and he nodded slowly. "I can see what you mean." He trailed off, eyes drifting over to the window in thought, pale fingers combing through his long hair while he did. "However... There are some things he's said during my midnight 'walks'." Looking back over at me, he offered up a small shrug at my confused look. "He tends to appear at random. Very rarely does he ever engage in conversation, but the times he has, has lead me to believe that perhaps there is something more to his presence in the human world."

"Oh definitely more to him being here, trust me." I muttered, rubbing my hands over my face, deep in thought. "I'm sure you're smart enough to figure that out already, stop beating around the bush. What was it he said recently that made you think he might be trustworthy?" Peering between my hands, I raised an eyebrow at his amused expression. "What?"

"Sometimes I forget how fast you figure things out." He commented idly, amusement deepening at my light glare. "A compliment, I promise."

"Riight..."

Clearing his throat, Kurama turned back to his desk and picked up a workbook to get started on some schoolwork while we spoke, eyes sparkling at some hidden joke I couldn't figure out yet. "He's made a point of telling me whenever he spies a demon near the house while I'm gone. Even after being warned efficiently about the protective plants I have around, he seems intent on making sure I know something may threaten your safety."

"So... You suddenly took a liking to him because he wants to keep me alive?" I frowned, reluctantly turning to my own homework with a sigh. "Seems a little shallow if you ask me."

"Of course, but for now, it's peaked my interest considering the kind of man he presents himself as." Kurama hummed, pencil scratching away on paper filling the silence between us for a few moments. A easy atmosphere settling in the room with just the sounds of our pencils, flipping papers and a few muttered questions between us.

It took nearly a hour, but with a groan of relief, I slapped my math book shut and leaned back in the chair with a sigh. "Finally. You know, the last time I graduated, I promised I would never have to do this crap again." I grumbled, listening to Kurama laugh beside me and grinning reluctantly over at him. "I've always hated math."

"Fortunately, it wasn't something I had to do in my own past." Closing his own book, my twin turned to look at my slumped figure with a smile. "However it doesn't seem so hard."

"Says you." Rubbing at my face, I got up and headed towards my closet, planning on taking a quick shower then heading to bed before Kurama stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

Looking at him with a raised brow, I watched Kurama rub at his hair curiously. An action he only ever did when truly nervous about whatever was on his mind at the moment. Something I've only really seen him do whenever Mother's condition worsened. "With Mother being taken to the hospital earlier, the school should let us out for tomorrow." He began slowly, clearly working through something while he spoke. "I would like you to come with me tonight."

Turning to look at him, I blinked a few times and tried to process what he just said. "Wait, hold on-" Holding a hand up, I rubbed at my face with a forced chuckle. "All these years of me asking you if I can come with only to be told no every single time. I finally get over asking and just accept the fact you don't want me out there with you-" I hold my hand up higher when Kurama opened his mouth, silencing him so I could complete my thought. "And you find out I'm somehow in line to become a Exorcist and inherit a temple- Which, I might add, I wasn't aware of until earlier- And now you want to take me out with you?"

Sucking in a slow breath, I locked eyes with my twin and raised an eyebrow at the look on his face. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked sheepish, almost ashamed of what he seemed to be thinking at the moment. "I may have... Underestimated your abilities, Nick." He finally admitted lowly, fingers combing through his hair and tying it back in a low ponytail I immediately recognized. "I want to make up for it now."

Leaning against my desk, I watched Kurama pluck a few seeds from the desk and tuck them away in his hair with a small smile, just content to see something like this play out. It was soothing almost to see a familiar image like this. Reaching up, I tugged at my hair a bit and reached over to pluck one of the ties from his desk, tying my hair back with an expert twist and smirking at his surprised look. "I had long hair in my last life too. Some things you don't forget with death."

Lifting his hands in surrender, Kurama smiled and shook his head. "No questions."

Rolling my eyes, I tugged a few sutra from my desk and tucked them into my pocket with a frown. "I need a better way to store these. Putting them in my pocket like this could tear them eventually." I muttered, glancing over at Kurama and watching him tuck a few more seeds into his hair. "Unfortunately they're too big to tuck in my hair like you can your stuff."

Kurama hummed in thought, glancing over in thought and studying my clothes. "Perhaps a light outer coat with pockets on the inside?" He offered, making me shake my head.

"No, even a light jacket would make me sweat bullets during the summer. I need something easy to reach without really changing what I wear. I mean, I can barely handle our school uniform when it gets hot out." I gestured at the outfit hanging from the back of my closet door as I spoke. "I just get too hot too easily. Kind of sucks really."

Trailing off on my rant, I looked over and flushed at the amused smile twitching on Kurama's mouth and pointed at him with a scowl. "Don't you start laughing at me. It's annoying and you know it."

"Never said it wasn't." He hummed, leading me towards the stairs with a light nudge to my shoulder and heading to the front door. Despite that, he continued chuckling under his breath as we made our way outside and down the road.

"Well, something's got you tickled pink and I'm not entirely sure I want to know what it is." I grumbled, kicking a pebble away from me and ignoring the quiet laughter from my twin beside me.