AN: My first YYH fic!!! Yay! I got this idea when I was thinking about Youko Kurama! ((drools)) It’s an idea I haven’t seen on , but I haven’t looked around, so I wouldn’t know. So please REVIEW!!! Be kind to the newbie. I’m trying to expand my anime obsessions!

Summary: A little OOC. Youko Kurama was once a thief, and had a rival. The rival became his beloved, but he lost her once he was reincarnated as a ningen. But what happens when the youkai Kurama once knew was reborn as a... Deity of Death?! Kurama Botan, with hints of Keiko/Yusuke and Kuwabara/Yukina!!!!

Warnings: Tiny bits of language and spelling errors. Not much other stuff(besides mush)...

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Chapter One: Fortuneteller’s Words

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“A fair?” the brown-haired girl asked, staring up at the group of males before her.

Keiko, Botan and Yukina sat outside, and were eating at a popular ice cream parlor. They had all done some window-shopping before heading for something cool to eat. It was summer vacation and Botan had sometime off of her normal duties. They had just ordered a few sundaes when the four known as the Ren Kai Tentai were coming their way.

The cold-hearted bastard, also known as Hiei, walked beside the group, looking bored as usual. He merely nodded to their female counterparts, who waved back gently.

His ebony eyes were still like frost, even in the sun of the hot summer. His black clothing was coated lightly with sweat, but he wasn’t hot. He controlled fire and could very well be the devil in disguise. But that was part of his evil charm, I suppose...

The man with the red flaming hair, as well as attitude, was Kuwabara. He walked along side Yusuke. His light blue clothing was still on him, but he panted in the heat of the sun.

He was obviously seeking shade, and found it beneath the white umbrella that the girls sat beneath. He immediately made a beeline for Yukina and started to chat with the blue-haired youkai, while Hiei fought to not bash the idiot’s head in.

Yusuke was wearing his obvious green school uniform. His jet-black hair was sleeked back, giving him that same greasy look it had. He had automatically begun conversation with Keiko and began to try and rile her up for their usual afternoon argument.

He only succeeded in her pouring water down his shirt, leaving him confused at what he did and annoyed. She was the only woman, besides his mother that could get away with things that he’d kill others for.

The last, but certainly not least, was the scarlet-haired Kurama. His shoulder length hair framed his feminine face, making him even more angelic. His emerald eyes shone with the bright sun as he smiled and said his hello quietly.

His pale red school suit was on him, making his eyes highlight with his clothing. He stood to the side, feeling a little like an outside, but began talking when Botan began to speak to him.

And not one of them noticed a few female looks, which took the time to appreciate three of our heroes (AN: No offense to Kuwabara, of course).

“Yeah. I heard there was going to be a Star Gazing Festival.” Yusuke said, all attention turning to him, “There’ll be rides, booths, haunted houses and lots to eat. Not to mention a fireworks display as the finale.”

“That does sound like fun...” Yukina agreed quietly, looking at the others to see if they agreed. Kuwabara immediately began to show his support, causing the rest to shake their heads. He needed to try and be subtle, but that wouldn’t happen. Not on this earth, or lifetime.

“I say we should go tonight! A celebration for winning the Ankoku Bujutsukai,” Botan said, clapping her hands together. She wanted a traditional vacation here in the ningen world, and carnival sounded like fun.

A chorus of agreements rang out, and she smiled widely at her friends’ enthusiasm.

Yes. A fun night out was exactly what she needed, away from her duties as a ferry girl...

Xx At The Carnival xX

“Yusuke! Guys! We’re over here!!!” Botan screamed, waving her hands in the air. She, Yukina and Keiko had all arrived early and were able to browse along the rows of booths. They already had a good idea of what they would do tonight. They just had to get the others to agree.

When they finally caught up, the girls said their greetings and they were returned. But not ones to waste time, our three spunky heroines were quick to grab the four men and head to the roller coaster. Hiei was quick to decline, saying that he merely came because he had nothing better to do.

“I bet you’re just scared!” Kuwabara taunted, knowing himself that Hiei wasn’t afraid. He merely wished to annoy the fire demon, and it worked!

Grabbing his collar, Hiei lifted the orange-haired oaf off the ground and glared. Kuwabara thrashed, only to have the grip tighten around his shirt.

“Baka. I move at least fifty times as fast as that hunk of junk, and that’s when I’m taking it easy. Don’t you dare try and under mind me,” he snarled, growling at the high school student. Hiei dropped him unceremoniously onto the ground before walking away, muttering something about getting food.

Yukina was at Kuwabara’s side in a second, making him forget all about being angry at the pyro youkai that had tried to kill him. Putting on a brave face, he told her he was all right and “it was all because she was near him.” The others merely walked away from the corny pick-up lines.

As they stood in line, Yukina and Kuwabara had joined in again. The talking was scarce, but there was too much noise to hear each other anyway. They merely stood alongside one another, taking in the glow of the lights and the settling dusk.

They all boarded the platform and took their rows. The faded green cars were only able to seat two people, so, needless to say, Keiko and Yusuke would be sitting together. And, of course, Kuwabara would never give up the chance to sit near Yukina. He even hoped she’d cling to him, but that was just a little dream of his...

So that left our feminine looking kitsune and the Grim Reaper. Botan got in first, and Kurama followed behind her. Pulling on the bar, it fell onto their laps, rather tightly. The car was only a yard wide, giving the two very little room to move. They gave up their struggles with a sigh as the ride began to tremble.

“It’s starting!” Botan couldn’t help but cheer. Giving her a smile, Kurama peered at the over-excited girl. He looked away as the ride began to climb up the tracks and down by the force of gravity. All of this movement was accompanied by the screams of people, including Keiko, Yukina and Botan, The three had clamped onto the nearest person to them, which meant cutting off Yusuke’s, Kuwabara’s and Kurama’s circulation on their right arms.

The ride ended, and they all headed off the rolling cars, the three girls ecstatic from the ride. Our three guys were trying to find a way to get their blood back into their arms that had shrunken due to the zero blood flow.

Soon, our six were once again seven. Hiei had rejoined the group, telling them to try a noodle stand that wasn’t too far away. He hadn’t eaten yet, so he wasn’t picky. Agreeing, everyone headed to get some fried noodles. They ordered and paid, before finding a place to sit.

It was only seven thirty by the time they finished, so they decided to check out a few booths. They headed for the games section. Yusuke went for a cork-shooting booth, trying to keep up on his aiming. It had been a while since he had aimed at small objects, so this could be good practice.

“C’mon, Urameshi! If you miss this, then Genkai (spelling?) will be so pissed at her idiot apprentice!!!” Kuwabara jeered, missing the look of irritation on the young man’s face. Taking aim, Yusuke channeled just a little bit of his energy into the gun, not going unnoticed by Kurama or Hiei. Of course Kuwabara would have seen it, if he weren’t too busy trying to jinx him!

But when the gun was shot, its path was true. It not only hit the can and shattered it to pieces, but it broke every can in the row! This left everyone around the group with looks of awe. Quickly letting Keiko choose a prize to keep, Yusuke led everyone away from the spectators and into a different crowd.

“Urameshi, you cheated!!! Don’t expect your powers to handle everything!” he hotheaded Kuwabara said as he finally caught his trick. Their group only heard his words, so they wouldn’t rouse any more suspicion.

“They’ve been doing a pretty good job so far,” was Yusuke’s cocky reply. He had good control over his powers, and he knew that. So what was the big deal with using them once in a while?

“Hey! Look!!!” Yukina said, pointing at the epicenter of the crowd, stealing everyone’s attention from the mini showdown. There was a tall, muscular man standing with a smaller man at his side. He was carrying two large weights on his shoulders, and was holding them high off the ground. The smaller man was yelling at the crowd, to see if anyone would challenge this muscleman.

“What idiots. Going around and playing with rocks,” Hiei muttered darkly, turning away as if he were embarrassed for the ningen.

“It’s a contest of strength. Remember that humans are quite weak, and don’t possess the kind of strength that we were born with,” Kurama said to his friend, as he managed to hear Yukina whisper something about wanting one of those prizes. Always one to please, Kuwabara quickly jumped at the chance to win her good graces.

“Here he goes again...” Botan said, a sigh escaping her lip. A chuckle left the pink-haired man’s lips and was soon joined by the deity’s small, symphonic laugh. They watched as Kuwabara lifted the hefty man with one hand, leaving everyone in the crowd speechless.

“And he said I cheated...” Yusuke said, shaking his head at the goof who had given Yukina whatever prize she wanted. She accepted them with a shy smile, and a small ‘arigato’ left her lips. Before Kuwabara could say that ‘it was nothing’ and all that crap, Keiko quickly called out.

“Guys, let’s head over there. I heard that psychic is supposed to be really accurate and will tell you almost anything about your past lives and futures!” she said excitedly, grabbing Yusuke in a hurry.

“Do we really need to know?” Hiei began sarcastically, “I mean, I’m quite a few centuries old, and so is Botan, Yukina and Kurama. I was born and raised by bandits. Yukina has been making pearls for, pretty much, her entire life (AN: excuse me if I’m wrong about these guys’ pasts). Botan leads dead people to Ren Kai or to lead them to Koenma for deals, and Kurama was a thief for centuries.”

“Well not all of us are youkai or from other dimensions, so excuse me for being curious about my HUMAN life,” Keiko huffed, with a growl growing in her throat. Now she knew why that band of thieves didn’t want the fire youkai anymore.

She guided them through the crowd, and watched as the psychic woman finished a palm reading.

“You will live long, but not in a rich and expensive life like you want. You’ll find your end with your family beside you, content with the way you left the world,” was the fortuneteller’s prediction to the young woman who sat in front of her.

The pretty blonde teen smiled gratefully, and nodded to the seer. She took out her coin purse and handed her the money. But before the young girl could leave, she heard the medium say, “And watch out for that blue-haired girl. She’ll be the one to see you to heaven.”

Everyone, including the girl and psychic, stared at Botan. The group was stunned at that kind of accuracy. As the schoolgirl left, the group entered, and felt a strange spark shoot through them. It felt familiar because it was. This woman had very good control over her spirit energy, which meant that everyone would have to control his or her tempers in here.

“Madam Hiko,” Keiko said, taking one of the many seats she hadn’t noticed. As the oracle stared up from her crystal ball, she smiled. It was an ‘I- know-something-you-don’t-know’ kind of smile.

Her robes were dark blue, and flowed down to the ground. Her headdress that covered her hair was a maroon color, with beads dangling from the edges. Her ebony eyes sparkled mischievously, and she looked a lot younger than they had expected. The woman was only about thirty-years-old. Her young face made people second-guess her theories, but they were correct. They could tell this woman was the real deal.

“How may I help you all on this clear night?” was her greeting, and she watched as all of them sit down.

“Well, to be honest, I’m not sure...” Keiko said, looking at the group expectedly. Most of them were staring at the crystal ball that was placed on the table. It glittered in the light filtered by the moon.

“How about I do a combination of things. I’ll tell a few of you you’re past lives and the rest, you’re futures,” she said gently. Discussing who would get what, they nodded.

Yukina, Kuwabara, Keiko and Yusuke will have their fortunes told, while Botan, Kurama and Hiei would see what they were in past lives. But since this was another dimension, then she’d probably have to explain their pasts in Makai and Ren Kai. If she got those predictions right, then all of the destiny predictions were bound to be true! Besides, our three heroes knew what they’d be doing centuries from now, so they really didn’t care.

“Fine then. Starting with the one in green,” she said, pointing at Yusuke, “I need you to focus all of you energy on the crystal ball, but not too much. I don’t want you to destroy it.”

Doing as he was told, the Urameshi boy concentrated a tiny bit of ki into the clear orb. The clouds swirled within its confines, and her eyes seem to widen for a second, along with her smile. Her eyes were getting that same look again. She had a secret and she was more than happy to share.

“I see you having five children,” she began, making a few chuckles rise from the group at the detective’s shocked face, “and with just one wife. I see that you love her very much, and you love her, even at this very moment. That’s odd, since teen romance always ends very quickly. And, as luck would have it, I’ve already predicted your fortune as well, Miss.”

She looked between Yusuke and Keiko who stared at the crystal sphere. They glanced at each other for a split second, before their eyes tore in two different directions, huffing at the outcome.

“Please!? Why would I want to marry a chick like her?!” Yusuke said, tucking his hands behind his head.

“Yeah, I mean, why would I even DATE a thug like Yusuke?! Besides, he doesn’t even trust me, so how can I marry him?!” Keiko replied, her face burning with a blush.

“Whether or not you admit it, isn’t my job,” Madam Hiko said, “I merely tell you what is to come, not how to take it. You both love each other, and I can tell just by looking at you. I’ve never seen a couple more in love.”

The two didn’t retort, but just sank into their chairs. They really had nothing to say, which was beginning to scare the rest of them. Those two always had comebacks, whether they needed them or not.

“And it also seems that their prediction matches yours as well,” the soothsayer prophesized, mimicking towards Kuwabara and Yukina, “You will both have four kids together, but your love isn’t like these two.

“No... Yours is quite easy to see, especially by one of you. You share affection through gifts and talks, not through heated arguments, which those two have often, correct?”

She saw the group nod, and a heavier blush settled on the “couple’s” cheeks. There was also a dainty pinkish tinge on Yukina’s light skin, while Kuwabara was doing a little victory dance for himself. He was happy, and we couldn’t deny it. That meant he would have to woo her even more!

“And you three...” she said, motioning to the last of the group. Botan was in giggles, trying so hard to contain her bubbling laughter. Kurama smiled politely, nodding in confirmation at her. All the while Hiei was as standoffish as usual. Nothing new.

“Starting with you, in black,” she said, and he glared at her. He waited as she took out something. They were tarot cards, the kind where you could tell different fortunes if you used them correctly. She advised him to pick three cards from the deck. She had spread them out so he could pick any random cards.

Once he chose them, Hiei sat back and watched her chant over the three cards. The deck had been placed to the side, and she began to concentrate her spiritual energy. She set each card in front of the youkai.

“This one,” she began, pointing at the leftmost card, “will tell or your birth in your life. The next (pointing to the center) will tell us of your childhood. And the last will tell us how you lived your life.”

She flipped over the first card, which showed a maiden made of ice. She looked serene, holding an icy harp in her hands, with snowy cliffs in the background. She stood out, as light blue, against the ivory background. Her eyes were closed in concentration of her music.

“In the past, you were born where there were demons running about,” she started, “but you were the odd one out. The maiden appears sad, even a little angry, which meant that you were seen as a mistake.”

Turning over the next tarot, there appeared to be a shadow card. It was cloaked in darkness, and it loomed on the card ominously. In the background, though, were red flames, trying to touch the top of the card. There was an evil presence about it.

“This card means you were raised to be malicious, without family. And since there is only one shadow, which means you spent a lot of time alone, trying to get stronger. Your element was fire, which meant you were an outcast in the ice country you were born in. They wanted you dead.”

A collective gasp was heard as the last card was turned. In the picture was a small flame on a candlestick. There were others with it, surrounding and protecting the small flame.

“This card means you lived life in darkness, until... your friends came. They helped you, protected you and would even die for you if they could. You burned bright, alone in the darkness, but grew even stronger when you became surrounded with friends.”

Everyone stared at Hiei expectantly, and he nodded. What she said was true. His life had been dark, will probably always be dark, but not alone. He didn’t have to be, unless he chose to.

Kurama went next, and chose his cards quickly. He already knew about his entire like as a demon, stealing treasures. Hell, he could revert back to that body if he liked, but he had grown content in this life. He didn’t need anything else.

“Your first card is the fox,” she said, pointing at the ginger red fox on the card. It danced upon the card, its menacing eyes seeking for a target, “You were born very cunning, but alone, which is why the fox is somewhat lonesome. But you were strong, and survived on your own.”

“The next is a forest,” she said, pointing at the emerald vegetation. But the forest was dark, and bleak, much like Hiei’s past. But within the middle of the card was a light. It shone brightly, but it was all alone in the darkness.

“You lived by yourself, for most of your life. You are obviously very talented with floral life. You could control even the deadliest of plants, but you were enveloped in shadow, all by yourself. That tiny beam of light was your salvation, because someone special had entered your life. A lover, perhaps...? But that lover was also your enemy. You competed when you had a common goal, which was often...”

Everyone looked at Kurama, and he smiled slightly. So there were things that the kitsune was still hiding. He had loved a woman long ago, but he probably lost her after fifteen years. He had been reborn, after all.

“And the last card is...” she said, turning over the last card, “an infant...”

There was a small child on the card, happily playing on the ground. There was nothing gloomy about it. The child was carefree, much like Kurama became when he was brought back to life.

“You were reincarnated, and you brought along the memories of your past. That is why the child is so happy now. He can’t remember what he had done, what his youkai did in the past, until you hit a certain age.”

Nodding, Kurama applauded the woman’s work softly.

“Very well done,” he said, smiling softly. She had unlocked his entire life in a matter of minutes. That was something most people wanted to do, to find his heart and soul. But he had stored it away, with his past as well.

“Me next!” Botan said, obviously happy. She wanted to know if there was anything besides being a greeter for dead people. There had to be something, besides the obvious, special about her.

She chose her cards carefully, and handed them to Madam Hiko. They were laid across the table, just waiting to be turned over. Botan could barely stay in her seat, making everyone smile at her energetic attitude. She was like a kid in front of a candy store.

The first card was a pack of wolves.

‘Odd...’ she said, knowing she had nothing to do with any wolf youkai. And she knew next to nothing about her family. She just knew that she was a ferry girl, nothing more, nothing less.

The group of wolves was a family, snuggled into their mother’s fur. The pups were sleeping peacefully, and their mother was drifting to sleep on her paws. The father was lying near his family, so he wouldn’t disturb them. They looked content, sleeping. However there was a dark shade that was beginning to cover the family. It looked ready to draw the family in, and away from their happy life.

“You were born into a nice family, and as a wolf type demon. You were quick, and thought more with your heart than your head. Except tragedy struck you family while you were young, and it left you alone.”

The next card was a stream in the middle of the desert. It was isolated, and alone, except for a small animal that seemed to be its only companion. They lived off of each other. The animal needed water to drink, and the stream counted on its daily visits, so the spirit that lived in the water wouldn’t get lonely.

“You were alone, but very optimistic, which is why the bright desert sun signified your cheeriness. You also became dependant on someone, someone you always looked forward to seeing, which is why the desert hadn’t dried you out, the river. But, the animal would die, and then you’d be lonely.”

The final card was something that was rarely pulled from her deck, but the medium couldn’t help but smile. This girl was something else, and she didn’t even know it.

The card was half-dark and half-light. There were two people clothed on either side, one in white and another cloaked in darkness. They stood, back- to-back, and their eyes were closed in peace. The darker person was an old woman, frail and close to death. The one in white was a small child, a toddler even. Both people represented a balance of life and passing, dark and light.

“The dark represents a disaster in your life, but you followed the evil and was reborn into another person’s body and shared their soul. You hold the memories of a wolf water spirit. Your relationship with the person you followed was a love/hate connection. So to find conclusion, you trailed behind this person and are wandering to find him or her, whether you know it or not.”

Everyone’s jaw had dropped to the ground. That wasn’t what they expected, not at all...

Botan was shell-shocked. She hadn’t expected to have such a different past life. She had always been living a long time, but she didn’t know that another person had resigned in her body. Was that why she chose to be a helper to the dead? So she could find the person that had haunted her for hundreds of years...?

“And you know what else is strange?” Madam Hiko asked, “You and Kurama have a relation with each other. I think that you were once... well... together...”

Standing up, Yusuke threw his money on the table with a glare.

“That’s a bunch of bull,” he said as he began walking away, “Kurama and Botan are too different. Botan was still alive when Kurama was reborn. She couldn’t have been his girlfriend, or whatever!”

“They’re not the same person, merely the same soul. She holds the key to his past feelings,” was her reply, and she took the money that was on the table as everyone walked out. Some customers just didn’t want to believe in what they didn’t understand, but the Ren Kai Tentai should know better anyway. That had all experienced the unbelievable, so why couldn’t they believe her?

“Don’t mind that lady, Botan. Or you either Kurama,” Yusuke said, stomping his way down the street, “She’s a loony bin! I bet her predictions aren’t even true.”

“I don’t know, Yusuke,” Botan said, ignoring her thoughts about her past life for a second, “Yours and Keiko’s premonition seems pretty real. And I didn’t need a crystal ball to predict your future.”

“Exactly,” Yusuke said, “She’s probably wrong about everything anyway. Let’s just forget it!”

Treading down the street, everyone followed. Everyone but Kurama and Botan, that is. They had stopped in their places, and were soon staring each other down. But there was something very familiar about this position. It seemed as if she had watched him like this before, but they’d never been alone together.

Was Madam Hiko really telling the truth?

Cause if she was wrong, then there was definitely something different between her and Kurama...

And Botan wasn’t sure she could take it...

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AN: Please review! This story was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I might not update if I don’t get a good amount of reviews, so PLEASE REVIEW!!! I’ll even accept flames (but only if they have a good point). I try hard to please, but there’s only so much a girl can do!

So thank you for reading!

Well, till next time!

Much love,

Adobo-chan