Well, Chapter 6 of "Sleeper" is here!  This one is called "The Mage."  Yes,
the mage has finally made the appearance in this chapter.  Told you it's
going to pick up in pace starting from chapter 5.  Have fun reading.
Constructive C & C are welcome.

-Shuichi Minamino
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SLEEPER
Ch 6 The Mage

	He looked down at his hands, thinking hard.  It had almost been a month
since his creation went to Ningenkai.  The plan seemed to be working quite
well, for Kurama trusted Karasu.  All he needed to do now was to wait a
while longer for their friendship to deepen.  And then, he clenched his
hands into fists and smiled to himself, and then...he would get his revenge.

	"Korin-sama!" A familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.  He looked
up abruptly, his sapphire eyes meeting a pair of wise ruby eyes.

	"I've told you not to disturb me," he said without any emotions. "you
should know that by now."

	"But...about the person you sent after Karasu..." the man paused.

	"Yes?"

	"He was killed, by someone unknown to us."

	"Oh?"  He asked with disinterest.  "Who may that be?"

	"I...we don't know.  A girl, a brown hair girl with blue eyes, that was
what we've found out so far..."

	"Is that all?" Korin asked the man.

	"Ah...yes, your majesty."

	"Well then, leave me alone." Korin stood up and went to a nearby table to
pour himself a drink.

	"Child...stop it now," the man spoke up suddenly.  Korin paused in his
action but didn't turn his head.

	"Korin-sama...You are killing yourself doing this."

	"I can take care of myself," he replied coldly. "you can't expect me to
change my ways."

	The man looked as if about to say something but changed his mind.  He
sighed and shook his head.  He then turned around and silently closed the door.

	Korin looked at the liquid in the wine glass.  Blood red...he mused, that
would be the color of Kurama's blood when he get his revenge.  He drank down
the wine, imagining it to be Kurama's blood.  It was all because of Kurama,
that he became what he was.  There was no turning back anymore, he had
already made his creation and his plan was going as he had planned.  The
girl who killed his follower?  He laughed softly at that thought.  Yes,
everything was going according to plan.

**********************

	"So...let me run this by you again," Kurama said.  "you saw a girl who used
the crossbow to save you?"

	"Yes."

	"I don't know, Karasu," Kurama said slowly. "I don't like the sound of
this.  None of these is making any sense to me at all."

	"I somehow felt that that girl may be able to help.  If only I can find her
again."

	"Didn't you feel the youki?"  Kurama asked suddenly.  "It's strange.  It's
very strong, almost too strong.  High power youkais don't usually come to
Ningenkai without some means to cause trouble."  Something was missing here,
Kurama thought, and Karasu had been acting very strangely ever since that
encounter with the mysterious youkai.

	"I have to remember," Karasu said quietly. "I need to know why I am here,
and why I want to kill you."

	"Me?" Kurama blurted out. "You figured out that Hiei and I switched
identities?"

	"I'm not stupid, Kurama." A strange smile appeared on his lips.

	Kurama stood up and took a step back subconciously.

	"Don't worry," Karasu smiled. "I'm not planning on killing anybody.  I've
actually grown to like you a lot."

	*Great...* thought Kurama grimly. *I hope he meant it as a friend...not the
perverse kind of 'like' he had for me during that tournament...*

	Before he could recover, Kurama found Karasu suddenly standing before him,
his arms were wrapped tightly around Kurama.

	"Karasu...wha...what..." Kurama stuttered, too shocked to do anything.

	The sudden opening of the door alarmed both of them.  Kurama and Karasu
turned their heads to see Hiei standing at the door, looking extremely
furious.  He glared hard at Kurama and then flitted away.

	"Hiei!" Kurama wrung himself away from Karasu and called after his friend,
although he knew already that Hiei was gone.

	*Damn!  He must've heard what went on here and got the wrong idea!* Kurama
thought.  *This is really the last thing I need.  Things are going crazy
around here!*

	Meanwhile, from a distance, someone was watching what had gone on inside
Kurama's house with interest.  Her sapphire eyes glittered strangely as a
smile appeared on her lips.  Everything was going as planned.

----------------Sleeper: The Mage End (TO BE CONTINUED)---------

	      --Shuuichi Minamino
	      ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` 
	    *      Shuuichi Minamino / Silver Fox / Youko Kurama       *
	    * The Proud Maintainer of the Yaoi/Slash Info Mailing List *
	    *  Firm Supporter of the YYH Dynamic Duo: Kurama X Hiei    *
	    *       A Thousand-Year-Old Fox Spirit As Human            *
	    *   Innocent Student At Large in Northwestern University   *     
            *              http://www.kurama.ranma.com                 *  
	      `~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~