Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Fornever Tantei ❯ Maya ( Chapter 12 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: purplehairedwonder 
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.16.2006 | Updated On: 02.16.2006 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 522 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.16.2006 | Updated On: 02.16.2006 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 522 | Status: Completed
Author’s Note: This is the sequel to Between Death and Reality. While it isn’t required that you read that first, some things referenced here may not make a whole lot of sense.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I am not making any money from writing this. I do, however, own my plotline.
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Chapter 12
Maya
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
There she stood at the head of the alley he had just passed. He was only able to stutter one word in his surprise.
“Maya?” She gave him a curt nod and his insides seemed to clench up. He found himself unable to say more. At the sudden sound of guards approaching, she broke eye contact, allowing the fox to finally let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A dark expression overcame her hardened features for a moment before she turned back to him.
“Are you coming?” she demanded. Her voice no longer held that soft innocence it had in junior high. It was surprisingly hard, though matched her new exterior.
“What?” he asked in surprise. His mind was still reeling from seeing her that he was slow to comprehend what she had said to him. More importantly, does she remember? She gave him an exasperated look for his slowness.
“You want to get away from those guards, don’t you?” she demanded and he nodded. “Then come on.”
No doubt about it. She remembers. The question now is how much she remembers… and how. Lights appeared around the corner and Maya’s features softened.
“Suuichi?” And doubt he had felt at her reappearance melted with the hardness of her features. For that moment she looked the same as back then. For a split second it was as if those five years hadn’t passed. He nodded for her to lead and she turned back down the alley. Kurama was hard on her tail. But his split second indecision cost him as the pursuing guards caught a glimpse of him heading down the alley.
“He’s going down the alley!”
“It’s a dead end down there!”
“We’ve got him now!”
Kurama frowned as he followed Maya. So many thoughts were running through his head at her sudden reappearance. Why was she helping him? Was she even helping him? What had happened to her in these last five years that had caused such a dramatic change? How and when had her memories returned and how much had she regained? At this moment, his blue coated pursuers were not his top concern, though that, Kurama realized, was probably foolish… and dangerous.
A wall suddenly came up on the two runners as they reached the end of the alley. Forced to stop, the two turned back to the open end of the alley to see the pack of blue coats approaching steadily.
“Dead end,” Kurama muttered. Perhaps Maya hadn’t been helping him after all. But after what he had done to her those long five years before, he couldn’t blame her.
“Maybe not,” Maya replied softly and the fox blinked.
“A cornered fox,” one of the blue-coated guards cooed as the group stopped in front of the two blocked runners. A shiver ran down Kurama’s spine at how similar that one remark was to one that Karasu had uttered. He shook it off mentally. Now was not the time for that.
“And who is this?” another guard asked, shining his light in Maya’s face. “Ah, one of the rebels. How perfect.” Kurama blinked. Rebels? The guards reached for the guns on their belts and Kurama tensed. The fox hated guns… they brought back bad memories.
“Don’t worry, demon. They’re only tranquilizers,” the lone woman said as she pointed her gun directly at his chest. “If you come quietly we won’t have to shoot.”
“Do you see that ladder one story up on the left?” Maya whispered from his side. Kurama glanced left and saw the fire escape ladder on the side of the adjacent building. It appeared to snake up three more stories before reaching the roof. Ah.
“Yes,” he whispered in reply out of the corner of his mouth.
“Could you make a jump up there?”
“Yes.”
“Can you make a distraction?” Kurama blinked before realizing what she was getting at.
“Yes.”
“On three then. I’ll meet you on the roof.”
“Alright.”
“One.”
“What are you two whispering about?” one of the other men demanded, leveling his gun at Maya.
“Cut it out!”
“Two.”
“Just surrender peacefully, Kurama. No one has to be hurt.” Kurama snorted.
“Do you really think I’m going to come along quietly?” The guards blinked. “It’s not my style.”
“Three!” Maya immediately made a break for the dumpster under the ladder while Kurama thrust his hands out in front of him and summoned a smoke screen. He lingered long enough only to make sure the smoke was thick enough to keep the guards disoriented. He then jumped and easily made it to the first rung of the second story ladder. He looked down to see Maya standing on the dumpster, pulling a grappling hook from her belt. She wound it up and threw it so it hooked to the middle of the first story ladder.
“Head for the roof!” Maya called when she saw him looked down at her. “I’m right behind you!” Kurama nodded and began his ascent up the ladder as Maya began pulling herself up the rope to the ladder. Kurama blinked in surprise. When had she gotten so athletic? As her foot made contact with the first rung, the first Organization guards pulled themselves out from the smoke, though they were still disoriented.
When Kurama made the transition to the third story ladder, something whizzed by his head and clattered harmlessly against the wall and back down to the ground. Looking down in surprise, he saw almost all of the blue-coated agents pointing their guns at him from the ground. That’s not good.
“Keep going!” Maya called from below him and he immediately started climbing again. Tranquilizer darts zipped by on either side of the fox as he made his was steadily up the ladder. He was mentally marveling at the guards’ poor aim when he felt a sharp prick in his thigh. He looked down in surprise to see a dart sticking out from his leg. A wave of dizziness hit him and he was forced to grab hold of the ladder on either side to steady himself.
“Suuichi!” Maya called out worriedly from below.
“Got him!” a guard cried out triumphantly.
“Not so fast,” Kurama muttered to himself as he reached down and pulled the dart from his leg. He studied the small size of tranquilizer it carried with disgust before tossing it down to the ground. The amount in the dart would certainly knock out a human, but not an A-class demon such as himself, though it would cause some dizziness and slow his reactions.
“I’m alright,” Kurama called down to Maya, who nodded before beginning her ascent again.
“Keep shooting!” a guard from below called. “It wasn’t enough! Take them down!” Kurama shook off another wave of dizziness before beginning his own climb once more. Luckily he had been only a few rungs from the top when the dart had hit him. He braced his fatigued muscles and hoisted himself over the wall onto the roof of the building.
“Damnit!” a guard cursed as he disappeared from sight.
“Take the rebel!” another called. Kurama looked over the edge of the wall to see Maya still a flight from the top.
“Maya!”
“I know!” she called back, voice tense. She continued her steady climb, managing to somehow avoid all the darts being shot at her. When she was a few rungs from the top, Kurama reached his hand over the wall and she took it. A combination of her momentum and the fox pulling her over the edge caused Kurama to lose his footing and the two ended up in a pile on the roof.
Kurama blinked, realizing he was on his back and that the weight he felt on top of him was Maya. She blinked as well and for a moment the two studied each other, faces only inches apart. Her brown eyes met his own emerald green as if searching for something. Her breath was warm on his face and her lithe form rested easily on top of his own. Overall, it was a very awkward position for Kurama.
“Damnit, they’re on the roof!” the guards called from below. Maya seemed to come back to herself at this and quickly pulled herself off of the red-head. She offered a hand to him, which he took and his head spun as he rose. He quickly shook it off.
“Are you alright?” she asked, noticing his quaver in balance.
“I’m fine,” he told her. “The amount of tranquilizer in that dart couldn’t take down a demon.” An A-class demon anyway. She nodded.
“Then we should get moving.”
“Where are we going?” the fox couldn’t help but ask.
“The rebellion headquarters.”
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Yusuke and Kuwabara stood watching the guards from across the street from Kuwabara’s home. While it didn’t seem like there were as many guards around the block, there could be more they just couldn’t see in the dark. Yusuke turned to Kuwabara.
“Do you think Shizuru is even home?” he asked. The orange-haired teen frowned.
“I’m not really sure. She sometimes has odd shifts at her job. But if she was home, don’t you think they would have taken her already?” Yusuke frowned at the grimness in his friend’s tone.
“Even if they did have her, don’t you think they’d wait for us to show up?” the ex-Spirit Detective replied. Kuwabara frowned thoughtfully, considering this.
“It’s possible.”
“What are you two doing in the shadows?” Yusuke and Kuwabara jumped in surprise, immediately throwing a hand over the others’ mouth to keep him from making any sound. Turning around they saw Shizuru standing behind the, hands on her hips.
“Shizuru!” Kuwabara hissed in a whisper. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“Sorry,” she drawled, hardly sounding sorry. “So why are you two in the shadows in front of our house?” She studied the two teens and Yusuke had to suppress the urge to squirm under her gaze.
“Shouldn’t you two be hiding after that news report?”
“Why do you think we’re in the shadows?” Yusuke grumbled.
“We were looking for you!” Kuwabara told her. She blinked.
“Why?”
“Because you’re in danger being related to me. Look at the guards around the place!” Kuwabara replied. Shizuru looked past the two boys, eyes widening as if she had seen the guards for the first time.
“Oh.” She swallowed. “Thanks, bro.”
“Yeah, yeah. Save the sappy crap for when we figure out what the hell to do now,” Yusuke said with a frown.
“Where are Kurama and Hiei?” Shizuru asked.
“Hiei’s at Genkai’s, we assume,” Yusuke replied.
“But we don’t know where Kurama is,” Kuwabara added. “We just know he’s somewhere in the city.”
“That narrows it down,” Shizuru muttered. “Wait! Where’s Keiko?” Yusuke paled. Keiko!
“Urameshi…” Kuwabara said quietly.
“She could be in danger!” Yusuke growled, barely containing his voice. Shizuru put a hand on his shoulder.
“Easy, lover boy.” Yusuke glared at her. Didn’t she understand that Keiko was in danger? “Going berserk and bringing attention to yourself isn’t going to help matters.” Realizing she was right, Yusuke was able to push his anger under the surface, though he was still seething at the fact that he hadn’t thought about Keiko sooner.
“We have to make sure she’s okay,” she growled.
“She lives a few blocks from here, doesn’t she?” Shizuru asked and Yusuke nodded. “Well, then let’s go check.”
“Unseen?” Kuwabara demanded.
“How long have you two known Hiei and Kurama?” Yusuke blinked, not having any idea where Shizuru was suddenly taking the conversation. He exchanged a confused look with Kuwabara before turning back to Shizuru.
“Years. Why?”
“Has nothing they’ve done rubbed off on you?” Yusuke blinked again before recognition dawned on him. He grinned.
“I guess it’s a good time to find out.” Kuwabara frowned.
“What?”
“It’s time to see if we can be as stealthy as them,” Yusuke said and a slight grin appeared on Kuwabara’s face at the prospect of a challenge.
“Right! Let’s go!”
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Kurama frowned as he walked behind Maya. The rebellion headquarters? What exactly did that mean? Though, some to think of it, one of the guards had called her a rebel. Was there really a rebellion going on? And if so, who was involved? And how had Maya gotten involved?
The two were walking through a maze of side streets and alleys that was confusing even to the fox, though he was mentally exhausted at this point and almost anything could have caused a brain cramp for him right then. They had evaded the guards by jumping several roofs before climbing back down to the ground. They stuck to the shadows and, though they had to press themselves against a wall whenever a truck with a searchlight drove by, they were no longer being pursued that they could tell. Every now and then a wave of dizziness would hit the fox and he would have to stop for a moment to let his head clear. But other than that, their escape continued to be uneventful. Neither of them spoke except when necessary; it was an uncomfortable silence. But the fact that he had attempted to erase her memories those years before was hardly something one brought up in conversation.
Kurama looked up at the sky after awhile and decided by the position of the moon and visible stars that it was sometime around midnight. Small wonder he was exhausted at this point. The fox followed Maya as she turned another corner, but almost ran into her as he realized she had stopped suddenly. He moved to stand next to her to see what had caused her to stop and frowned. The alley seemed normal enough to him.
“We’re here,” she said and the red-head blinked.
“What?” She looked over at him, a slight smirk playing on her features.
“The headquarters of the rebellion,” she replied. She pointed to a stairway that he hadn’t noticed before in the dark that led underground. “Down these steps.” She sighed softly as if relieved before heading down the steps. Kurama had no choice but to follow, which he did. She banged on the metal door three times before opening it. She walked in and beckoned him to follow, not bothering to take off her shoes. Stepping inside, it took a moment before Kurama’s sensitive eyes adjusted to the light, even if it was a dimly lit room. When they did, he studied his surroundings. He stood in a moderately spacious room that held several pieces of mismatched furniture. There were no windows, though there were several doorways leading to other rooms. Before the fox could say anything, a boy walked in through one of the doorways.
“Maya! You’re back!” he said with relief before looking at Kurama. The red-head had recognized the voice before the eyes had confirmed it for him.
“Mitari?” The blonde nodded with a slight grin.
“You look well, Kurama. Or as well as could be expected under the circumstances, anyway.”
“You look good yourself. You’ve grown.” It was true. Mitari had grown several inches since the fox had last seen him. His features were harder as well, though a certain softness remained. His hair was also longer and he seemed to have fleshed out a bit. Mitari flushed slightly at the words.
“Wait, Suuichi, you know each other?” Maya asked in surprise. Kurama and Mitari turned to her and nodded.
“We met about three years ago,” the fox replied.
“Wait, ‘Suuichi’? You two know each other?” Mitari asked in his own surprise. Kurama opened his mouth but found no words were forthcoming. Maya replied instead.
“We went to junior high together.” Mitari nodded thoughtfully.
“But you know who he really is?” Maya nodded.
“It’s a long story,” Kurama said, turning away awkwardly. He could feel both Maya and Mitari watching him.
“How did you two meet?” Maya asked Mitari after a moment. Mitari coughed uncomfortably and Kurama turned back to see the blonde teen looking uncertain.
“We were on… opposing sides for a time,” Kurama supplied. “But that didn’t last.” Maya looked over
at him, obviously interested.
“I never did tell you the full story,” Mitari muttered. “About my powers and all.”
“You said they had to do with the tunnel.” Mitari nodded.
“But I never told you hat I helped make the tunnel.” Maya paled slightly at this and Kurama frowned. What does she know about the tunnel?
“You… helped?” Mitari swallowed.
“I was one of the ‘Seven’ working to create the tunnel. I had my orders to take out Kuwabara, but he beat me and I was more or less taken prisoner by the Tantei - after they treated my wounds and all. But when Kuwabara got into trouble himself, I wanted to help him because he spared my life in our fight.” There was more to it than that, Kurama knew, but there was no point in complicating the story any further. “Kurama was one of the few on the side of the Tantei willing to trust me and let me help.” Mitari flushed. “I was really grateful for that chance.” Kurama smiled. He knew he had made the right decision that day.
“And he did help,” the fox put in. “We couldn’t have done it without him.” Mitari’s flush seemed to deepen.
“I didn’t do that much.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Kurama replied. The blonde teen gave the red-head a grateful smile.
“Enough about me. How did you to, well, yeah…” Mitari broke off.
“As I said,” Maya replied, sitting down on a couch. Kurama and Mitari followed suit. “We went to junior high together.”
“That doesn’t explain how you know about him,” Mitari pressed.
“Mitari, it’s complicated…” Kurama said with a slight grimace. The younger boy’s face fell slightly.
“Oh. Well, in that case, you don’t need to-”
“No, it’s okay,” Maya cut in. “It was going to have to come out sooner or later.”
“Maya…” She ignored the red-head’s concern.
“Back then I was really interested in the supernatural. I was still developing my sixth sense, but it excited me. It just happened that one Suuichi Minamino seemed to give off some strange vibes.” She paused and let her head drop back as if to look at the ceiling. Kurama wondered if she was trying to hide what was on her face as she spoke. “It didn’t help that I had a major crush on him as well.” Mitari snorted and Kurama gave him a look telling him to let her continue. He quieted down immediately.
“One day, after some students had vanished and rumors were flying, I followed Suuichi. I don’t know why, but my instinct told me I would get to the bottom of those strange vibes if I did. Anyway, I followed him to a run down area and saw him talking to this disgusting blob with a face and horns. It called him ‘Kurama’ and threatened him.”
“A slime ogre,” Kurama said before he realized it had slipped out. Maya looked at him for a moment with an unreadable expression before dropping her head back again.
“Anyway, I revealed myself asking what it had been and he tried to hide it from me. Me, being the silly naïve girl I was, I was so excited and confessed my love. He told me he didn’t return the feeling and I was heartbroken.” Mitari looked over at him and Kurama felt himself flush slightly. He could still remember that day, having to lie to her like that. It had broken not only her heart, but his as well.
“Kurama, you’re blushing!” Maya didn’t look up at this, but the red-head had the distinct feeling that she was smirking.
“After that we were suddenly attacked by a guy in back with a sword,” Maya continued.
“Hiei,” Kurama said and Mitari looked at him in startled disbelief. “That was the day I met him,” the fox replied with a shrug.
“Anyway, Suuichi protected me from our attacker. He pulled out a plant-like sword and fended him off, telling me to run. I was too afraid to do anything, so Suuichi led him away. After that I remember someone coming up behind me before I blacked out. When I came to again I was on Suuichi’s back. He told me it had been a dream. I remember a really nice smell before passing out once more. When I woke up again I was at home without a memory of what had happened.”
“But you remember now,” Mitari said. “How?” Kurama leaned forward. That was what he had been wondering as well. Maya sat up straight once more.
“When the tunnel was being formed and people - like you Mitari - were gaining powers, my sixth sense enhanced and with it, my memories returned. I don’t know what caused it, but one say all those memories returned,” she replied finally. She looked directly at Kurama. While the gaze was harder, something there was the same as five years before. Something fundamentally her. “When news of demons came around, I knew I wasn’t crazy with those memories. And today’s newscast sealed what I had so long suspected about you.” Kurama sighed.
“I didn’t have a choice that day.”
“You always have a choice.”
“Not then, I didn’t. I didn’t want you to be hurt because of me. You almost were then and I didn’t want to chance it happening again,” Kurama replied earnestly. Maya blinked, her eyes widening.
“You really did like me!” Kurama flushed again.
“Yes. But I was trying to protect you.”
“How noble,” Maya muttered, slumping back into her chair. “I wouldn’t have told anyone.”
“I know. But it was others I was more worried about. In case the newscast didn’t get it across, I’ve lived a long life and have made a lot of enemies,” Kurama replied, also slumping back into his chair.
“Wait, so what happened while Maya was unconscious?” Mitari asked curiously. Maya blinked and looked up. Kurama sighed. I at least owe her that much.
“I led Hiei away into the woods when revealed he thought I was working for a demon named Eight-Hands. I, of course, wasn’t, which caused some embarrassment for Hiei. He was injured though, so I treated his wounds. When Hiei came to again he went in search of Eight-Hands. He thought he was a lead in finding his sister. Anyway, I got a call from a classmate saying Maya was missing so I followed Hiei, realizing there had to be a link. She was going to be hurt and possibly killed because she was connected to me. Hiei and I fought and killed Eight-Hands, saving Maya.” He paused. He could remember the fear racing in his heart that Maya could be dead. He could remember the relief upon finding her alive and unharmed. He could remember her scent and the feeling o her on his back like it was yesterday. He could also remember how much it had hurt him to make the decision he had.
“I gave her a dose of Dream Flower pollen to suppress her memories so she wouldn’t be burdened with the terrible truths,” he finished. Maya rose.
“I’m going to bed. Will you show Suu-er, Kurama where he’ll be sleeping, Mitari?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
“Good.” She walked off without another word and Mitari and Kurama were left looking at one another. Mitari frowned and Kurama slumped with a sigh.
“She has a lot of think about tonight, I guess,” the blonde teen said finally and Kurama nodded mutely. She wasn’t the only one who felt that way. “I was kinda surprised when she said she wanted to come herself to find you instead of letting some of the others do it. But now I understand.”
“Others?” Kurama asked in surprise. Mitari blinked.
“Yeah, other members of the rebellion. Maya is kinda the unofficial leader of our city’s group,” he replied. This time Kurama blinked.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Maya was one of the fist humans the Organization targeted due to her sixth sense or whatever. Now I wonder if they somehow knew her connection to you… Anyway, some demons had already escaped. Not a lot, but some. Maya found some and helped other innocent humans like me escape when we were targeted. We went underground and she made contact with other branches of the rebellion around the country. Amazing, huh?”
“Yeah. Amazing.”
“Well, I can show you around tomorrow but I bet you’re tired, so I’ll show you where you can sleep,” Mitari said and Kurama nodded his thanks. They walked through a couple of hallways and stopped in front of a door which, when opened, revealed a small room. It may have been a closet in a past use of the building. A sleeping back and pillows and a lantern were already inside. “The bathroom is down the hall two doors on your left. I sleep right next door.” Kurama nodded. “Maya sleeps at the end of the hall. Everyone else shares.” Kurama blinked at this.
“How many others, Mitari?”
“About fifty. Twenty demons and thirty humans.”
“All managing to get away from the Organization?” Mitari nodded proudly. “Impressive.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kurama nodded and Mitari disappeared next door. The fox walked into the small room and closed the door behind him. His head was spinning as he pulled off his shirt and shoes. Lying down, he stared up at the ceiling. He suddenly found himself unable to fall asleep. His mind was beginning to reboot and process everything.
I’m a fugitive… again. My family knows who I am. I don’t know where any of my friends are. I was almost captured and rescued by Maya, who has her memories back and now I’m hiding underground with her and Mitari. He rubbed his face in his hands. Yeah, it had been a long day.
He nearly jumped when his pocket started buzzing. It was the communication mirror. Pulling it out and flipping it open, he was greeted by Botan’s face.
“How are you?” she asked without preamble.
“Alive” he replied. Not much more besides that at this point, but he didn’t need to tell her that. “Did you catch any of that?”
“Most of it,” she replied. He nodded. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes.” Botan fixed him with a level stare that caused his exhausted mind to rethink his answer. “I hope so. Right now I’m still trying to process everything.”
“I understand.”
“Yusuke and Kuwabara?” he asked suddenly.
“They’re with Keiko and Shizuru right now. They’ve decided to sleep at Keiko’s for the night,” she replied. Kurama bounded upright into a sitting position.
“They’ll be caught for sure!”
“Men have already been by the Yukimura home.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re not watching,” Kurama retorted.
“True, but they didn’t know what else to do.” Kurama sighed and lay back down. Botan’s amethyst eyes seemed to deepen in their worry.
“I have to find them.”
“Tomorrow,” Botan said firmly and the fox nodded.
“Tomorrow,” he agreed. “And Hiei?”
“Still holding up a barrier around the temple.”
“This has really split us up, hasn’t it?” Kurama groaned wearily. Botan nodded.
“But you’ll pull through. You always do.” Kurama’s right arm gave a sudden twinge and the fox looked down at the ugly brand with a grimace of distaste.
“Right.”
“I love you.” Kurama looked back at the screen to the face of his love and his heart seemed to warm.
“I love you, too.”
“I’ll be in contact in the morning.” Kurama nodded. “Get some rest.”
“Alright.” He shut the mirror and placed it with his shirt and shoes. He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the dark ceiling. The dark, unfamiliar ceiling.
What have we gotten ourselves into this time? His thoughts kept returning to his encounter with his family. They knew. He had no idea how he was going to pick up those pieces if he made it through this ordeal. He had always planned on telling his family, but on his own terms. But something about the way his mother had looked at when she had told him to run… Well, there was something there that gave him hope.
His thoughts then turned to Maya. He was still having a hard time grasping that she was back in his life and knowing who he was. It made him uneasy somehow, yet, at the same time, caused him some unexplainable happiness. She had been his first love in his human form, though he had been unable to tell her then. But she knew now. But times had changed.
The door suddenly slid partway open before shutting once more. Kurama pushing himself into a sitting position to see Maya sitting herself down next to him.
“Maya?” Her hair was down and brushed out. She looked much more feminine and approachable just by doing that. The fox’s stomach clenched as he looked at her. She sighed.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. Her voice had softened and sounded much like it had back then. He blinked.
“For what?” She looked over at him, expression unreadable.
“For my behavior earlier.”
“You saved me.”
“And then acted like a petulant child once we spoke of the past. I realized how immature I acted by leaving like that and I’m sorry,” she told him. “I suppose that since my memories returned I have held a bitterness towards you for what you did.” Kurama sighed.
“I don’t blame you for that.” But Mata shook her head.
“I did hold a bitterness. Until tonight. Hearing you tell your side… it was like you remembered it from yesterday.”
“That is how it feels to me.” Maya smiled. She no longer looked hard or bitter. No, she looked beautiful in the dim light from the lantern and the fox did not want to pull his gaze from hers.
“When I realized that you still carried that memory in your heart, I realized perhaps my bitterness was misplaced. You were trying to protect me and I appreciate that. Really.” Her gaze locked on his, neither party finding themselves able to look away.
“When I realized that you had cared about me as well, my heart seemed to swell and break at the same time.”
“I know what you mean,” Kurama whispered.
“And then I realized I had to know,” she whispered. He frowned slightly at that.
“Know what?”
Before the fox realized what was happening, Maya leaned in and kissed him squarely on the lips.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Author’s Note: I’m so sorry for taking so long to update. I have no excuse but my own laziness and that isn’t much of an excuse. So, to reward you for your patience with me, I wrote an extra long chapter, so I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. Just a little side note: I’ve recently really gotten into Fruits Basket so expect a little something in the Furuba category from me in the near future :) Anyway, leave me a review and let me know what you thought! Tell me you loved it, tell me you hated it, but tell me something!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I am not making any money from writing this. I do, however, own my plotline.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Chapter 12
Maya
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
There she stood at the head of the alley he had just passed. He was only able to stutter one word in his surprise.
“Maya?” She gave him a curt nod and his insides seemed to clench up. He found himself unable to say more. At the sudden sound of guards approaching, she broke eye contact, allowing the fox to finally let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A dark expression overcame her hardened features for a moment before she turned back to him.
“Are you coming?” she demanded. Her voice no longer held that soft innocence it had in junior high. It was surprisingly hard, though matched her new exterior.
“What?” he asked in surprise. His mind was still reeling from seeing her that he was slow to comprehend what she had said to him. More importantly, does she remember? She gave him an exasperated look for his slowness.
“You want to get away from those guards, don’t you?” she demanded and he nodded. “Then come on.”
No doubt about it. She remembers. The question now is how much she remembers… and how. Lights appeared around the corner and Maya’s features softened.
“Suuichi?” And doubt he had felt at her reappearance melted with the hardness of her features. For that moment she looked the same as back then. For a split second it was as if those five years hadn’t passed. He nodded for her to lead and she turned back down the alley. Kurama was hard on her tail. But his split second indecision cost him as the pursuing guards caught a glimpse of him heading down the alley.
“He’s going down the alley!”
“It’s a dead end down there!”
“We’ve got him now!”
Kurama frowned as he followed Maya. So many thoughts were running through his head at her sudden reappearance. Why was she helping him? Was she even helping him? What had happened to her in these last five years that had caused such a dramatic change? How and when had her memories returned and how much had she regained? At this moment, his blue coated pursuers were not his top concern, though that, Kurama realized, was probably foolish… and dangerous.
A wall suddenly came up on the two runners as they reached the end of the alley. Forced to stop, the two turned back to the open end of the alley to see the pack of blue coats approaching steadily.
“Dead end,” Kurama muttered. Perhaps Maya hadn’t been helping him after all. But after what he had done to her those long five years before, he couldn’t blame her.
“Maybe not,” Maya replied softly and the fox blinked.
“A cornered fox,” one of the blue-coated guards cooed as the group stopped in front of the two blocked runners. A shiver ran down Kurama’s spine at how similar that one remark was to one that Karasu had uttered. He shook it off mentally. Now was not the time for that.
“And who is this?” another guard asked, shining his light in Maya’s face. “Ah, one of the rebels. How perfect.” Kurama blinked. Rebels? The guards reached for the guns on their belts and Kurama tensed. The fox hated guns… they brought back bad memories.
“Don’t worry, demon. They’re only tranquilizers,” the lone woman said as she pointed her gun directly at his chest. “If you come quietly we won’t have to shoot.”
“Do you see that ladder one story up on the left?” Maya whispered from his side. Kurama glanced left and saw the fire escape ladder on the side of the adjacent building. It appeared to snake up three more stories before reaching the roof. Ah.
“Yes,” he whispered in reply out of the corner of his mouth.
“Could you make a jump up there?”
“Yes.”
“Can you make a distraction?” Kurama blinked before realizing what she was getting at.
“Yes.”
“On three then. I’ll meet you on the roof.”
“Alright.”
“One.”
“What are you two whispering about?” one of the other men demanded, leveling his gun at Maya.
“Cut it out!”
“Two.”
“Just surrender peacefully, Kurama. No one has to be hurt.” Kurama snorted.
“Do you really think I’m going to come along quietly?” The guards blinked. “It’s not my style.”
“Three!” Maya immediately made a break for the dumpster under the ladder while Kurama thrust his hands out in front of him and summoned a smoke screen. He lingered long enough only to make sure the smoke was thick enough to keep the guards disoriented. He then jumped and easily made it to the first rung of the second story ladder. He looked down to see Maya standing on the dumpster, pulling a grappling hook from her belt. She wound it up and threw it so it hooked to the middle of the first story ladder.
“Head for the roof!” Maya called when she saw him looked down at her. “I’m right behind you!” Kurama nodded and began his ascent up the ladder as Maya began pulling herself up the rope to the ladder. Kurama blinked in surprise. When had she gotten so athletic? As her foot made contact with the first rung, the first Organization guards pulled themselves out from the smoke, though they were still disoriented.
When Kurama made the transition to the third story ladder, something whizzed by his head and clattered harmlessly against the wall and back down to the ground. Looking down in surprise, he saw almost all of the blue-coated agents pointing their guns at him from the ground. That’s not good.
“Keep going!” Maya called from below him and he immediately started climbing again. Tranquilizer darts zipped by on either side of the fox as he made his was steadily up the ladder. He was mentally marveling at the guards’ poor aim when he felt a sharp prick in his thigh. He looked down in surprise to see a dart sticking out from his leg. A wave of dizziness hit him and he was forced to grab hold of the ladder on either side to steady himself.
“Suuichi!” Maya called out worriedly from below.
“Got him!” a guard cried out triumphantly.
“Not so fast,” Kurama muttered to himself as he reached down and pulled the dart from his leg. He studied the small size of tranquilizer it carried with disgust before tossing it down to the ground. The amount in the dart would certainly knock out a human, but not an A-class demon such as himself, though it would cause some dizziness and slow his reactions.
“I’m alright,” Kurama called down to Maya, who nodded before beginning her ascent again.
“Keep shooting!” a guard from below called. “It wasn’t enough! Take them down!” Kurama shook off another wave of dizziness before beginning his own climb once more. Luckily he had been only a few rungs from the top when the dart had hit him. He braced his fatigued muscles and hoisted himself over the wall onto the roof of the building.
“Damnit!” a guard cursed as he disappeared from sight.
“Take the rebel!” another called. Kurama looked over the edge of the wall to see Maya still a flight from the top.
“Maya!”
“I know!” she called back, voice tense. She continued her steady climb, managing to somehow avoid all the darts being shot at her. When she was a few rungs from the top, Kurama reached his hand over the wall and she took it. A combination of her momentum and the fox pulling her over the edge caused Kurama to lose his footing and the two ended up in a pile on the roof.
Kurama blinked, realizing he was on his back and that the weight he felt on top of him was Maya. She blinked as well and for a moment the two studied each other, faces only inches apart. Her brown eyes met his own emerald green as if searching for something. Her breath was warm on his face and her lithe form rested easily on top of his own. Overall, it was a very awkward position for Kurama.
“Damnit, they’re on the roof!” the guards called from below. Maya seemed to come back to herself at this and quickly pulled herself off of the red-head. She offered a hand to him, which he took and his head spun as he rose. He quickly shook it off.
“Are you alright?” she asked, noticing his quaver in balance.
“I’m fine,” he told her. “The amount of tranquilizer in that dart couldn’t take down a demon.” An A-class demon anyway. She nodded.
“Then we should get moving.”
“Where are we going?” the fox couldn’t help but ask.
“The rebellion headquarters.”
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Yusuke and Kuwabara stood watching the guards from across the street from Kuwabara’s home. While it didn’t seem like there were as many guards around the block, there could be more they just couldn’t see in the dark. Yusuke turned to Kuwabara.
“Do you think Shizuru is even home?” he asked. The orange-haired teen frowned.
“I’m not really sure. She sometimes has odd shifts at her job. But if she was home, don’t you think they would have taken her already?” Yusuke frowned at the grimness in his friend’s tone.
“Even if they did have her, don’t you think they’d wait for us to show up?” the ex-Spirit Detective replied. Kuwabara frowned thoughtfully, considering this.
“It’s possible.”
“What are you two doing in the shadows?” Yusuke and Kuwabara jumped in surprise, immediately throwing a hand over the others’ mouth to keep him from making any sound. Turning around they saw Shizuru standing behind the, hands on her hips.
“Shizuru!” Kuwabara hissed in a whisper. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“Sorry,” she drawled, hardly sounding sorry. “So why are you two in the shadows in front of our house?” She studied the two teens and Yusuke had to suppress the urge to squirm under her gaze.
“Shouldn’t you two be hiding after that news report?”
“Why do you think we’re in the shadows?” Yusuke grumbled.
“We were looking for you!” Kuwabara told her. She blinked.
“Why?”
“Because you’re in danger being related to me. Look at the guards around the place!” Kuwabara replied. Shizuru looked past the two boys, eyes widening as if she had seen the guards for the first time.
“Oh.” She swallowed. “Thanks, bro.”
“Yeah, yeah. Save the sappy crap for when we figure out what the hell to do now,” Yusuke said with a frown.
“Where are Kurama and Hiei?” Shizuru asked.
“Hiei’s at Genkai’s, we assume,” Yusuke replied.
“But we don’t know where Kurama is,” Kuwabara added. “We just know he’s somewhere in the city.”
“That narrows it down,” Shizuru muttered. “Wait! Where’s Keiko?” Yusuke paled. Keiko!
“Urameshi…” Kuwabara said quietly.
“She could be in danger!” Yusuke growled, barely containing his voice. Shizuru put a hand on his shoulder.
“Easy, lover boy.” Yusuke glared at her. Didn’t she understand that Keiko was in danger? “Going berserk and bringing attention to yourself isn’t going to help matters.” Realizing she was right, Yusuke was able to push his anger under the surface, though he was still seething at the fact that he hadn’t thought about Keiko sooner.
“We have to make sure she’s okay,” she growled.
“She lives a few blocks from here, doesn’t she?” Shizuru asked and Yusuke nodded. “Well, then let’s go check.”
“Unseen?” Kuwabara demanded.
“How long have you two known Hiei and Kurama?” Yusuke blinked, not having any idea where Shizuru was suddenly taking the conversation. He exchanged a confused look with Kuwabara before turning back to Shizuru.
“Years. Why?”
“Has nothing they’ve done rubbed off on you?” Yusuke blinked again before recognition dawned on him. He grinned.
“I guess it’s a good time to find out.” Kuwabara frowned.
“What?”
“It’s time to see if we can be as stealthy as them,” Yusuke said and a slight grin appeared on Kuwabara’s face at the prospect of a challenge.
“Right! Let’s go!”
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Kurama frowned as he walked behind Maya. The rebellion headquarters? What exactly did that mean? Though, some to think of it, one of the guards had called her a rebel. Was there really a rebellion going on? And if so, who was involved? And how had Maya gotten involved?
The two were walking through a maze of side streets and alleys that was confusing even to the fox, though he was mentally exhausted at this point and almost anything could have caused a brain cramp for him right then. They had evaded the guards by jumping several roofs before climbing back down to the ground. They stuck to the shadows and, though they had to press themselves against a wall whenever a truck with a searchlight drove by, they were no longer being pursued that they could tell. Every now and then a wave of dizziness would hit the fox and he would have to stop for a moment to let his head clear. But other than that, their escape continued to be uneventful. Neither of them spoke except when necessary; it was an uncomfortable silence. But the fact that he had attempted to erase her memories those years before was hardly something one brought up in conversation.
Kurama looked up at the sky after awhile and decided by the position of the moon and visible stars that it was sometime around midnight. Small wonder he was exhausted at this point. The fox followed Maya as she turned another corner, but almost ran into her as he realized she had stopped suddenly. He moved to stand next to her to see what had caused her to stop and frowned. The alley seemed normal enough to him.
“We’re here,” she said and the red-head blinked.
“What?” She looked over at him, a slight smirk playing on her features.
“The headquarters of the rebellion,” she replied. She pointed to a stairway that he hadn’t noticed before in the dark that led underground. “Down these steps.” She sighed softly as if relieved before heading down the steps. Kurama had no choice but to follow, which he did. She banged on the metal door three times before opening it. She walked in and beckoned him to follow, not bothering to take off her shoes. Stepping inside, it took a moment before Kurama’s sensitive eyes adjusted to the light, even if it was a dimly lit room. When they did, he studied his surroundings. He stood in a moderately spacious room that held several pieces of mismatched furniture. There were no windows, though there were several doorways leading to other rooms. Before the fox could say anything, a boy walked in through one of the doorways.
“Maya! You’re back!” he said with relief before looking at Kurama. The red-head had recognized the voice before the eyes had confirmed it for him.
“Mitari?” The blonde nodded with a slight grin.
“You look well, Kurama. Or as well as could be expected under the circumstances, anyway.”
“You look good yourself. You’ve grown.” It was true. Mitari had grown several inches since the fox had last seen him. His features were harder as well, though a certain softness remained. His hair was also longer and he seemed to have fleshed out a bit. Mitari flushed slightly at the words.
“Wait, Suuichi, you know each other?” Maya asked in surprise. Kurama and Mitari turned to her and nodded.
“We met about three years ago,” the fox replied.
“Wait, ‘Suuichi’? You two know each other?” Mitari asked in his own surprise. Kurama opened his mouth but found no words were forthcoming. Maya replied instead.
“We went to junior high together.” Mitari nodded thoughtfully.
“But you know who he really is?” Maya nodded.
“It’s a long story,” Kurama said, turning away awkwardly. He could feel both Maya and Mitari watching him.
“How did you two meet?” Maya asked Mitari after a moment. Mitari coughed uncomfortably and Kurama turned back to see the blonde teen looking uncertain.
“We were on… opposing sides for a time,” Kurama supplied. “But that didn’t last.” Maya looked over
at him, obviously interested.
“I never did tell you the full story,” Mitari muttered. “About my powers and all.”
“You said they had to do with the tunnel.” Mitari nodded.
“But I never told you hat I helped make the tunnel.” Maya paled slightly at this and Kurama frowned. What does she know about the tunnel?
“You… helped?” Mitari swallowed.
“I was one of the ‘Seven’ working to create the tunnel. I had my orders to take out Kuwabara, but he beat me and I was more or less taken prisoner by the Tantei - after they treated my wounds and all. But when Kuwabara got into trouble himself, I wanted to help him because he spared my life in our fight.” There was more to it than that, Kurama knew, but there was no point in complicating the story any further. “Kurama was one of the few on the side of the Tantei willing to trust me and let me help.” Mitari flushed. “I was really grateful for that chance.” Kurama smiled. He knew he had made the right decision that day.
“And he did help,” the fox put in. “We couldn’t have done it without him.” Mitari’s flush seemed to deepen.
“I didn’t do that much.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Kurama replied. The blonde teen gave the red-head a grateful smile.
“Enough about me. How did you to, well, yeah…” Mitari broke off.
“As I said,” Maya replied, sitting down on a couch. Kurama and Mitari followed suit. “We went to junior high together.”
“That doesn’t explain how you know about him,” Mitari pressed.
“Mitari, it’s complicated…” Kurama said with a slight grimace. The younger boy’s face fell slightly.
“Oh. Well, in that case, you don’t need to-”
“No, it’s okay,” Maya cut in. “It was going to have to come out sooner or later.”
“Maya…” She ignored the red-head’s concern.
“Back then I was really interested in the supernatural. I was still developing my sixth sense, but it excited me. It just happened that one Suuichi Minamino seemed to give off some strange vibes.” She paused and let her head drop back as if to look at the ceiling. Kurama wondered if she was trying to hide what was on her face as she spoke. “It didn’t help that I had a major crush on him as well.” Mitari snorted and Kurama gave him a look telling him to let her continue. He quieted down immediately.
“One day, after some students had vanished and rumors were flying, I followed Suuichi. I don’t know why, but my instinct told me I would get to the bottom of those strange vibes if I did. Anyway, I followed him to a run down area and saw him talking to this disgusting blob with a face and horns. It called him ‘Kurama’ and threatened him.”
“A slime ogre,” Kurama said before he realized it had slipped out. Maya looked at him for a moment with an unreadable expression before dropping her head back again.
“Anyway, I revealed myself asking what it had been and he tried to hide it from me. Me, being the silly naïve girl I was, I was so excited and confessed my love. He told me he didn’t return the feeling and I was heartbroken.” Mitari looked over at him and Kurama felt himself flush slightly. He could still remember that day, having to lie to her like that. It had broken not only her heart, but his as well.
“Kurama, you’re blushing!” Maya didn’t look up at this, but the red-head had the distinct feeling that she was smirking.
“After that we were suddenly attacked by a guy in back with a sword,” Maya continued.
“Hiei,” Kurama said and Mitari looked at him in startled disbelief. “That was the day I met him,” the fox replied with a shrug.
“Anyway, Suuichi protected me from our attacker. He pulled out a plant-like sword and fended him off, telling me to run. I was too afraid to do anything, so Suuichi led him away. After that I remember someone coming up behind me before I blacked out. When I came to again I was on Suuichi’s back. He told me it had been a dream. I remember a really nice smell before passing out once more. When I woke up again I was at home without a memory of what had happened.”
“But you remember now,” Mitari said. “How?” Kurama leaned forward. That was what he had been wondering as well. Maya sat up straight once more.
“When the tunnel was being formed and people - like you Mitari - were gaining powers, my sixth sense enhanced and with it, my memories returned. I don’t know what caused it, but one say all those memories returned,” she replied finally. She looked directly at Kurama. While the gaze was harder, something there was the same as five years before. Something fundamentally her. “When news of demons came around, I knew I wasn’t crazy with those memories. And today’s newscast sealed what I had so long suspected about you.” Kurama sighed.
“I didn’t have a choice that day.”
“You always have a choice.”
“Not then, I didn’t. I didn’t want you to be hurt because of me. You almost were then and I didn’t want to chance it happening again,” Kurama replied earnestly. Maya blinked, her eyes widening.
“You really did like me!” Kurama flushed again.
“Yes. But I was trying to protect you.”
“How noble,” Maya muttered, slumping back into her chair. “I wouldn’t have told anyone.”
“I know. But it was others I was more worried about. In case the newscast didn’t get it across, I’ve lived a long life and have made a lot of enemies,” Kurama replied, also slumping back into his chair.
“Wait, so what happened while Maya was unconscious?” Mitari asked curiously. Maya blinked and looked up. Kurama sighed. I at least owe her that much.
“I led Hiei away into the woods when revealed he thought I was working for a demon named Eight-Hands. I, of course, wasn’t, which caused some embarrassment for Hiei. He was injured though, so I treated his wounds. When Hiei came to again he went in search of Eight-Hands. He thought he was a lead in finding his sister. Anyway, I got a call from a classmate saying Maya was missing so I followed Hiei, realizing there had to be a link. She was going to be hurt and possibly killed because she was connected to me. Hiei and I fought and killed Eight-Hands, saving Maya.” He paused. He could remember the fear racing in his heart that Maya could be dead. He could remember the relief upon finding her alive and unharmed. He could remember her scent and the feeling o her on his back like it was yesterday. He could also remember how much it had hurt him to make the decision he had.
“I gave her a dose of Dream Flower pollen to suppress her memories so she wouldn’t be burdened with the terrible truths,” he finished. Maya rose.
“I’m going to bed. Will you show Suu-er, Kurama where he’ll be sleeping, Mitari?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
“Good.” She walked off without another word and Mitari and Kurama were left looking at one another. Mitari frowned and Kurama slumped with a sigh.
“She has a lot of think about tonight, I guess,” the blonde teen said finally and Kurama nodded mutely. She wasn’t the only one who felt that way. “I was kinda surprised when she said she wanted to come herself to find you instead of letting some of the others do it. But now I understand.”
“Others?” Kurama asked in surprise. Mitari blinked.
“Yeah, other members of the rebellion. Maya is kinda the unofficial leader of our city’s group,” he replied. This time Kurama blinked.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Maya was one of the fist humans the Organization targeted due to her sixth sense or whatever. Now I wonder if they somehow knew her connection to you… Anyway, some demons had already escaped. Not a lot, but some. Maya found some and helped other innocent humans like me escape when we were targeted. We went underground and she made contact with other branches of the rebellion around the country. Amazing, huh?”
“Yeah. Amazing.”
“Well, I can show you around tomorrow but I bet you’re tired, so I’ll show you where you can sleep,” Mitari said and Kurama nodded his thanks. They walked through a couple of hallways and stopped in front of a door which, when opened, revealed a small room. It may have been a closet in a past use of the building. A sleeping back and pillows and a lantern were already inside. “The bathroom is down the hall two doors on your left. I sleep right next door.” Kurama nodded. “Maya sleeps at the end of the hall. Everyone else shares.” Kurama blinked at this.
“How many others, Mitari?”
“About fifty. Twenty demons and thirty humans.”
“All managing to get away from the Organization?” Mitari nodded proudly. “Impressive.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kurama nodded and Mitari disappeared next door. The fox walked into the small room and closed the door behind him. His head was spinning as he pulled off his shirt and shoes. Lying down, he stared up at the ceiling. He suddenly found himself unable to fall asleep. His mind was beginning to reboot and process everything.
I’m a fugitive… again. My family knows who I am. I don’t know where any of my friends are. I was almost captured and rescued by Maya, who has her memories back and now I’m hiding underground with her and Mitari. He rubbed his face in his hands. Yeah, it had been a long day.
He nearly jumped when his pocket started buzzing. It was the communication mirror. Pulling it out and flipping it open, he was greeted by Botan’s face.
“How are you?” she asked without preamble.
“Alive” he replied. Not much more besides that at this point, but he didn’t need to tell her that. “Did you catch any of that?”
“Most of it,” she replied. He nodded. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes.” Botan fixed him with a level stare that caused his exhausted mind to rethink his answer. “I hope so. Right now I’m still trying to process everything.”
“I understand.”
“Yusuke and Kuwabara?” he asked suddenly.
“They’re with Keiko and Shizuru right now. They’ve decided to sleep at Keiko’s for the night,” she replied. Kurama bounded upright into a sitting position.
“They’ll be caught for sure!”
“Men have already been by the Yukimura home.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re not watching,” Kurama retorted.
“True, but they didn’t know what else to do.” Kurama sighed and lay back down. Botan’s amethyst eyes seemed to deepen in their worry.
“I have to find them.”
“Tomorrow,” Botan said firmly and the fox nodded.
“Tomorrow,” he agreed. “And Hiei?”
“Still holding up a barrier around the temple.”
“This has really split us up, hasn’t it?” Kurama groaned wearily. Botan nodded.
“But you’ll pull through. You always do.” Kurama’s right arm gave a sudden twinge and the fox looked down at the ugly brand with a grimace of distaste.
“Right.”
“I love you.” Kurama looked back at the screen to the face of his love and his heart seemed to warm.
“I love you, too.”
“I’ll be in contact in the morning.” Kurama nodded. “Get some rest.”
“Alright.” He shut the mirror and placed it with his shirt and shoes. He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the dark ceiling. The dark, unfamiliar ceiling.
What have we gotten ourselves into this time? His thoughts kept returning to his encounter with his family. They knew. He had no idea how he was going to pick up those pieces if he made it through this ordeal. He had always planned on telling his family, but on his own terms. But something about the way his mother had looked at when she had told him to run… Well, there was something there that gave him hope.
His thoughts then turned to Maya. He was still having a hard time grasping that she was back in his life and knowing who he was. It made him uneasy somehow, yet, at the same time, caused him some unexplainable happiness. She had been his first love in his human form, though he had been unable to tell her then. But she knew now. But times had changed.
The door suddenly slid partway open before shutting once more. Kurama pushing himself into a sitting position to see Maya sitting herself down next to him.
“Maya?” Her hair was down and brushed out. She looked much more feminine and approachable just by doing that. The fox’s stomach clenched as he looked at her. She sighed.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. Her voice had softened and sounded much like it had back then. He blinked.
“For what?” She looked over at him, expression unreadable.
“For my behavior earlier.”
“You saved me.”
“And then acted like a petulant child once we spoke of the past. I realized how immature I acted by leaving like that and I’m sorry,” she told him. “I suppose that since my memories returned I have held a bitterness towards you for what you did.” Kurama sighed.
“I don’t blame you for that.” But Mata shook her head.
“I did hold a bitterness. Until tonight. Hearing you tell your side… it was like you remembered it from yesterday.”
“That is how it feels to me.” Maya smiled. She no longer looked hard or bitter. No, she looked beautiful in the dim light from the lantern and the fox did not want to pull his gaze from hers.
“When I realized that you still carried that memory in your heart, I realized perhaps my bitterness was misplaced. You were trying to protect me and I appreciate that. Really.” Her gaze locked on his, neither party finding themselves able to look away.
“When I realized that you had cared about me as well, my heart seemed to swell and break at the same time.”
“I know what you mean,” Kurama whispered.
“And then I realized I had to know,” she whispered. He frowned slightly at that.
“Know what?”
Before the fox realized what was happening, Maya leaned in and kissed him squarely on the lips.
*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
Author’s Note: I’m so sorry for taking so long to update. I have no excuse but my own laziness and that isn’t much of an excuse. So, to reward you for your patience with me, I wrote an extra long chapter, so I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. Just a little side note: I’ve recently really gotten into Fruits Basket so expect a little something in the Furuba category from me in the near future :) Anyway, leave me a review and let me know what you thought! Tell me you loved it, tell me you hated it, but tell me something!