Chapter 1
                       "Strange Sensations"

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          A young man walked silently among the people. The busy streets of
Tokyo did no help to calm his senses, but he continued to move on, deep in
thought. Minamino Shuuichi. No. Kurama. His thoughts shattered as he bumped
into someone carrying a whole bundle of cartons and shopping bags! "Sale",
they read. His eyes were quick; and who could blame him, for he was a you--...
  
        "Watch where you're going!!" The person shrieked. It was a female
voice. Dazed at her sudden reaction, he shook his head, and got up, dusting
himself from the dirty cement walkway.     
  
        "I beg your pardon," He apologized. "I didn't see you coming." He
stooped down, and picked up the bags that had fallen from her arms earlier.

         "Figures." She pouted, as she flipped her long golden hair over her
shoulder, and straightened her clothes. "What were you doing anyway?
Daydreaming?"
  
        Kurama said nothing. Maybe he was daydreaming. He didn't know anymore.
He wasn't himself. He felt... strange. 
  
        "It's nothing," He reassured her, a ghost of a smile flickering on
his pleasant, yet troubled, face. Carrying the girl's load in his arms, he
walked on. "So, tell me where you live." His gaze referring to the bags and
cartons he carried in his arms.

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        Cloudy day, Yusuke thought. He stared up at the sky where masses of
big grey clouds surrounded the ozone. Keiko was late. Sitting on the park
bench didn't make Yusuke comfortable; it made him restless. Urameshi Yusuke.
Spirit detective. Somehow, it felt odd for him to be called that. But why?
Just a few years back, he was admired for that name. Now it seemed like a
myth. Youkai haven't been entering Ningenkai lately, but then why was he
feeling something strange?
  
        "Sorry, I'm late," Came a familiar voice. Keiko. "There was a sale
going on downtown, and I had to buy something before anyone beat me to it."
Her smile was heaven for Yusuke. Her long, mousey-colored tresses were swept
back, tempting Yusuke to touch them, to feel the soft strands between his
fingertips.
  
        "Keiko," Yusuke's voice cracked. Keiko gave him a bemused look. "Is
it really your dream to become a teacher?" He didn't look at her, instead he
looked at the ground where his feet were.
  
        Keiko smiled at him. "Yes. I would like to teach kids the value of
education." And she glanced teasingly at Yusuke. Yusuke nodded, his face and
tone serious.
  
        "That's good. At least you know what you want to be."
  
        "Yusuke, stop that! You're scaring me!" Keiko scolded him, her big,
brown eyes blinking at him in a sad, surprised way.
  
        Yusuke took her hands, and brought them to his lips. "I know I might
not be the best boyfriend, and I know I always keep things from you..." He
paused to catch his breath. "And I know you know that I'm a des- cendant
from S-youka..."
  
        "Y-Yusuke, what are you saying?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
  
        Yusuke couldn't find it in his heart to say it to her. He let her
go, and stood up. Then he ran, leaving a bewildered Keiko on the park bench.
It began to rain. Keiko couldn't feel the tears trickling down her
cheekbones. Her hair and clothes were soaked from the sudden downpour. She
didn't care. `I love you, Yusuke...' her voice a feather to her lips. Her
shoulders shook from a sob, and she cried in her palms. Yukimura Keiko felt
her heart grow empty.
   
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        A dark figure stood among the shadows. It watched intently over
Ningenkai... for awhile, but lost interest a few moments later. Ningenkai
was a second home. No, it was home! Makuro didn't understand that. She just
didn't understand what this world meant... Cursing his fate, Hiei gazed at
his bandaged arm, then stared up at the sky. It had turned black now; black
as his youkai heart. Right hand man? Hiei had a choice: to return to the
mortal world, or to join Makuro in Makai. He closed his eyes to think,
savoring the scent of wet earth, and listening to the rhythm of the steady
rain. He enjoyed it, and realized that never in Makai would he be able to
see rain like this. Never in all his life. Raging storms, perhaps, but never
like this. He stepped into the falling rain, and smiled, licking the salty
wetness that landed on his lips.

        Reluctance settled into his fine features. There was another thing
that held him back from joining Makuro in Makai. Yukina. His sister. He knew
she'd be safe in Ningenkai, protected by Yusuke, Kurama, and, yes... even
Kuwabara. Hiei even had the Jagan to watch over her. He lowered his dark
head, his fiery eyes gleaming a hint of sadness. How he longed to tell her
the truth! He sighed, and noticed that it had stopped raining. 

        It was only then that he felt that there was something terribly
wrong. He couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the force, however he knew
Ningenkai was in trouble. Deep trouble. The feeling sank to the pit of his
stomach with an imaginary `thud`.  Hiei tried to ignore it, but it cried out
to him. "Help me," it pleaded. A bolt of excruciating pain passed through
him. Hiei held his head in his hands, his mind whirling. All he could see
were blurred visions of Ningenkai, Makai, and Reikai. He screamed in pain.
He was falling... falling into a pit of blackness. He had passed out.

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Hugs and smileys galore!
Animatedly,
KC ;D
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Oh... and, uh, another home page is on its way... eh-heh... ^_^
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