Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Slayers Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Eight Anime Kingdoms ❯ Old memories bloom like a rose ( Chapter 15 )

A/N Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of the Eight Anime Kingdoms. Here is the chapter you've been waiting for with the cast of Yu Yu Hakusho. Sorry to keep you guys waiting for this chapter. On with the fic!

Old Memories Bloom like a Rose

---*---

After the adventure with the fierce amazons, the four fighters have finally made it to the kingdom of the Yu Yu Hakusho cast. It was a grueling journey, and the four fighters were filthy from traveling. They couldn't find a decent place to stay for almost three weeks.

"Satoshi, please tell me I'm not hallucinating." Aya begged in an exhausting tone.

"If you're losing it then so am I." replied Satoshi.

"Then that means we're finally here!" Aya cheered, while Li Xiang and her jumped up and down in joy.

"Finally, I can sleep on a soft bed instead of the ground!" beamed Li Xiang.

"I can finally take a decent bath and wash my clothes." said Haruki.

"I'm gonna hit the all-you-can-eat-buffet table!" cheered Satoshi.

"And I'm gonna head to the palace to meet Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei!" chirped Aya.

"But first, let's check into a hotel!" The four fighters declared.

---*---

"Ah, it's so good to soak in the hot springs after weeks of traveling on foot." sighed Li Xiang, as she and Aya head downstairs to join Haruki and Satoshi for lunch.

"Yeah, I feel totally refreshed." replied Aya.

"Aya, Li Xiang, over here!" Satoshi and Haruki waved to the two girls from the table they were sitting at.

"We already ordered our lunch, it should be arriving soon." stated Haruki.

"Great, I'm starving!" Aya chirped, as the girls sat down.

Unbeknownst to the four fighters, a group of dark-clad men were sitting at a table not too far from them. The men stared hard at the four fighters and whispered amongst each other. Aya glanced in their direction and abruptly stood up.

"What are you doing, Aya?" questioned Haruki.

"I've decided that I'm not that hungry. I saw this cool looking flea market on our way here, so I'm gonna do a little shopping." replied Aya.

"You want me to come with you?" offered Li Xiang.

"No, it's all right. You guys just save me some lunch when I get back." Without saying a goodbye, Aya left the hotel, with the dark-clad men close behind her.

---*---

Aya whistled the opening theme song from Yu Yu Hakusho, while strolling around the flea market, but she never noticed the dark-clad men following her. She merely acted like they weren't even there and casually strolled into an alley. The men quickened their pace, while drawing out their weapons. They ran into the alley to try to corner Aya, but to their surprise, she was no where to be found.

"Where did she go?" The men asked each other.

"So, trying to jump me, eh?" said a voice.

The men gasp and looked up, to find Aya standing on a roof top of a building.

"I had a feeling you were following me, so I had to lead you away from my friends." explained Aya.

"Well, come and get me, if you can!" taunted Aya. The only answer Aya received were the dark-clad men firing arrows at her.

"WHOA! I was just kidding! Can't you guys take a joke?!" Aya yelped, as she dodged all the arrows.

`It's no good if I just stand on this roof. I gotta get on the ground and fight them myself!' thought Aya, as she leapt off the roof and landed perfectly on the ground.

Aya ran out of the alley and into the crowded flea market, while the men ran after her. One look at the weapon wielding dark-clad men, cause the people in the market to scatter in fear. This gave Aya more space to fight, and she didn't have to worry about hurting any innocent bystanders.

Aya drew out her sword, "Okay, who's first?!"

One of the men charged at her, but Aya kicked him directly in the face. The rest of the group stood away from each other, ready to attack from all sides. Aya attacked from one

man to the other man, hitting them with kicks or the hilt of her sword. In order to fend them off, Aya threw some merchandise from the shopping booths at them. Aya jumped up and performed a flip, landing on another shopping booth. When the men tried to get on the booth, Aya swiftly kicked them off. She did another flip and landed behind her attackers.

"This is getting me no where! I'll just throw a couple of fireballs and get it over with!" Aya placed her hands together and charged up to perform her spell.

"FIREBALL!" Unfortunately, only a small puff of smoke shot out of her hands. Aya and the dark-clad men fell over anime style.

"What in the world?! How come I can't use my spells?!" exclaimed Aya. Aya suddenly remembered her training with Lina Inverse.

`Eating and sleeping will help recharge your powers.'

"Oh yeah, I forgot I skipped out on lunch and breakfast." Aya said nervously.

Aya backed up, as her attackers closed in on her, "Well, looks like I got no choice, but to fight them off myself."

The men lunged at her, but she defended every single attack, and countered by slashing at their mid section. Oblivious to Aya, one of the men were standing far behind, and in his hand was a thin hollow bamboo shoot. He placed a dart in it, and blew it out, where it headed straight towards Aya. The dart zipped past the attackers, and pierced the back of Aya's neck.

"Ow!" Aya yelled out in pain, and pulled the dart out of her neck. She looked at it, then threw it to the ground, and stood in a battle stance once again. Strangely, Aya's vision became blurry, she felt hot, and collapsed to the ground, using her sword to support her.

"Wh-What's happening to me?" gasped Aya.

The men smirked and one of them marched up to her dangerously, carrying a massive battle axe. He lifted it above his head, ready to chop Aya in half.

"SPIRIT GUN!"

A pain stricken expression crossed the man's face, as a stream of blue light shot through him. The battle axe dropped from his hands, and he plummeted to the ground with a loud thud. A young man with dark hair slicked back with gel, and wearing a sleeveless yellow shirt with blue pants, and sweatbands on his wrist, stood before Aya. His arm was outstretched and he pointed his index finger like a gun.

"Huh, so more of Yorunotobari's bastards came to play. That's good, I was getting a little bored from sitting in my palace all day." The mysterious man smirked.

Aya's eyes widen in shock, `No way…is that Yusuke from Yu Yu Hakusho? I'd recognize that spirit gun from anywhere!'

While Aya watched Yusuke battle off some more attackers, another man sneaked up from behind her.

"Rose whip!"

Suddenly, a vine with thorns slashed the man's back, creating a deep red gash. He collapsed to the ground, motionless. Aya gasp when she heard a thud from behind her. She turned around, and standing before her was an incredibly handsome man, who seems to resemble a rose. He had long red hair, beautiful green eyes, and wore a red Chinese robe.

"Ku-Kurama?" Aya stuttered.

The man's green eyes widen in shock when he saw Aya, "Kaguya?"

"Hey Kurama, I could use your help here!" shouted Yusuke.

Kurama snapped out of his daze and looked at Aya, "Stay here, you'll be safe."

Aya gave him a questioning look before Kurama went to aid Yusuke. It was strange, but she felt like she met him before. Not on the TV show, but from a long time ago. A short while later, all of the dark-clad men were on the ground in a beaten pile. Satoshi, Haruki, and Li Xiang came running into the scene, with two other men leading them. One was a tall bulky man, with an odd looking face, and orange hair. The other was a short man, with spiky black hair, red eyes, wearing a long black robe, and a white bandanna around his forehead.

"Hey Urameshi, you didn't save any action for us?!" The orange-haired man said angrily.

"Sorry Kuwabara and Hiei, I guess you guys came a little late," laughed Yusuke, before noticing the other three strangers, "Who are those guys?"

"These three followed us. They said they're friends of Ranma." explained Hiei.

Haruki gazed at the fallen attackers, "Who were these people?"

Hiei bent down, picked up an attacker by the collar, and showed him a tattoo of a black snake with wings on the back of his neck.

"They're humans, who've made a pact with Yorunotobari. The dark lord offered them power, if they join forces with him. All humans have some sort of evil in their hearts and Yorunotobari found it." said Hiei.

"Aya, are you all right?" asked Li Xiang, as the three fighters helped Aya stand up.

"Yeah, it's okay guys. I'm fine-" Aya's eyes began to flutter, and she collapsed once again.

"Aya, what's wrong?!" Satoshi gasped, as he caught her before she hit the ground. He felt her forehead, and discovered that it was burning hot.

"Aya, you're burning up! We have to get you inside right now!" exclaimed Satoshi.

"Hold on, Satoshi." Haruki stopped him, and showed him the puncture womb on the back of Aya's neck.

"What is that? A bug bite?" questioned Yusuke.

Haruki searched his surroundings and found a black dart on the ground. The archer picked it up, studied it carefully, licked the tip of the dart, and quickly spitted out the poison from his mouth.

"Aya was pricked by this dart. It's a deadly poison created by Yorunotobari." explained Haruki.

"A-Are you serious?!" gasp Li Xiang.

"Quick, we have to suck the poison out or something!" said Satoshi.

"It won't do you any good. The poison has already spread throughout her system." replied Haruki.

"But, isn't there an antidote or anything?" asked Satoshi.

Haruki looked down in sadness, "There is no antidote."

Everyone looked shocked, before Li Xiang spoke up, "How long does she have?"

"About an hour, I think. The poison has three stages. The first one is a high fever, the second one will cause the victim to have a verge of nightmares and the third…" Haruki trailed off, not wanting to say what happens next.

"Hold on, are you saying that you're just going to let her die?!" exclaimed Yusuke.

"That's right, Aya's done so much for us. We can't just abandon her while she needs us!" yelled Li Xiang.

Kurama spoke up, "Take her to the palace."

The three looked at Kurama, "Lord Kurama?"

"Hurry, we don't have much time!" ordered Kurama.

---*---

`Please, save yourself! Forget about me.'

`Kaguya, stop! Don't do it!'

`I'm sorry, I must do this.'

`Kaguya, no!!!'

Aya's eyes snapped open, and she sat straight up in bed. She breathed heavily and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Wh-What a nightmare." panted Aya.

Aya searched her surroundings, to find herself in a large bed chamber, and she was wearing a pink kimono. Her black hair was also untied, clinging onto her dampen forehead. She tried to smooth her hair back, but noticed that she was holding onto something. She turned to her left, and gasped when she saw Kurama, sleeping peacefully, clinging onto her hand.

`Oh my god! Oh my god! KURAMA is sleeping right next to me! What do I do? What do I do?' Aya thought in panic, her heart beating rapidly.

`Maybe I should let go of his hand.' Aya tried to gently pry her hand away from Kurama's, but when she did that, he stirred a bit and held her hand tighter.

`Well, so much for that,' frowned Aya. As Kurama slept, Aya couldn't help but gaze at his face.

`I have to admit, he's looks really hot in person than on TV.' thought Aya. A piece of red hair fell onto Kurama's face, without thinking, Aya brushed it away, causing Kurama to stir from her touch.

`Oh no, he's waking up!' Aya thought in panic, as Kurama slowly opened his eyes.

Kurama blinked a few times to focus his vision, and noticed Aya staring at him.

"Oh, you're awake." said Kurama.

"Yeah, you are too. Um, do you mind?" Aya looked down at her hand, which Kurama still held on to.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Kurama lightly blushed and let go of her hand.

Yusuke then came into the room, along with Kuwabara, Hiei, and Aya's friends.

"Hey, looks like the patient has finally woken up. You're lucky that Kurama found an antidote or you would've been a goner." Yusuke grinned.

"Aya, are you all right?" Satoshi, Haruki, and Li Xiang rushed to Aya's side.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Aya replied.

"Thank goodness, we thought you were going to leave us!" exclaimed Li Xiang.

"Your friends told us everything," explained Kuwabara, "We got a message from Shampoo that you'd be coming here."

"Yeah, I can't believe the reincarnation of Kaguya is standing right in front of me!" exclaimed Yusuke.

"If this girl is really our savior, then we're all doomed." Hiei remarked coldly, while everyone looked at him in question.

"I saw the way you fought out there, and I'm quite disappointed. If you think those men were dangerous, you haven't seen Yorunotobari's real power. We're all relying on the priestess Kaguya to help us, not some scrawny, inexperienced little girl." indicated Hiei, in a bitter tone.

"Hey shrimp, give the girl a break why don't ya?!" yelled Kuwabara.

"Yeah, lay off her, she's had it hard enough!" Yusuke shouted angrily.

"I'm a scrawny inexperience little girl, huh?" Aya said in a chilling tone, as a strange aura surrounded her, causing everyone to shake in their boots.

"Uh-oh, Aya's got that look in her eye." shivered Satoshi.

"Let's hope she doesn't mangle Lord Hiei too badly." said Haruki, as sweat started to run down his face in fear.

"Hey Urameshi, I feel a freaky aura coming from that girl." Kuwabara shivered in fright.

"Actually, I'm starting to feel it too." Yusuke replied fearfully.

Everyone expected Aya to go on a murderous rampage on Hiei, however, to their surprise; she simply looked up and smiled.

"You're right, I guess I do need to train a lot harder," Aya smiled, "It won't be easy, but I'll do the best I can."

"Huh?" Everyone blinked at Aya's change of mood.

"I have to admit, you have a strong spirit, but it alone can't save you," Hiei smirked, and headed for the door, "I'm going to the training grounds for awhile, I'll see you around."

"That…was strange." stated Satoshi.

"Do you think Aya has finally learned to control her temper?" whispered Li Xiang.

"If she did, it's quite a miracle." Haruki responded quietly. Meanwhile, Aya was having a few thoughts of her own.

`That jackass, I'll show him who the scrawny one here is, just you wait.' Aya thought furiously, still trying to keep the smile on her face.

"Well, I'm glad all of you came here to check on your friend, but she needs rest right now. If you would be so kind, I think it's best if we all leave the room." suggested Kurama.

"You're right, we'll see you later Aya." said Satoshi.

"Yeah, try to get better, okay?" said Li Xiang, as everyone departed the room.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Aya replied.

"If you need anything, just call one of the servants and they'll be right with you." explained Kurama, before leaving the room.

"I guess I should get some sleep." Aya lay down on the bed, and covered herself with the soft blanket. She tossed and turned in the bed for about an hour, until she finally couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it, I can't sleep at all. I'm going out for a walk." Aya said firmly, and hopped out of bed.

---*---

Somewhere outside the palace, Aya discovered a beautiful rose garden while she was out exploring the place.

"Wow, what a beautiful garden." Aya said in awe. Cautiously, she searched her surroundings to see if anyone was there, since she didn't want to get caught for sneaking into someone else's garden.

Aya stepped into the extravagant garden of different colored roses, and breathed in their luscious scent. She would stop by each rose bush and feel their soft petals.

"Amazing, I wonder who grew all these roses." said Aya.

As Aya continued with her tour, she gasped when she noticed something amongst a bush of red roses. It was a well-sculpted statue of a woman's figure, but when Aya took a closer look, she discovered that the statue looked like her!

`That statue looks like me, except prettier.' thought Aya. True, the statue had Aya's face, but it looked more like a figure of an adult woman, instead of a teenage girl. The statue had hair that was long, and braided into a style similar to Li Xiang's. The statue was also wearing a flowing ancient Chinese gown, and clutched in its hand was a dark red rose.

`I wonder…if this statue is really the priestess Kaguya.' wondered Aya, remembering the painting of Kaguya in the kingdom of the Fushigi Yuugi cast.

`The painting of Kaguya and the statue do look alike. Maybe it is her.' Aya reached out to touch the cool stone texture of the gray statue. Strangely, when she touched it, a sudden flash of an image raced through her head. She withdrew her hand, and clutched her forehead.

"Wh-What was that?" panted Aya. The vision that appeared in Aya's head was an image of the Priestess Kaguya smiling brightly, and receiving a rose from someone. Aya saw the vision for only a brief moment, so she didn't know who Kaguya was smiling at.

`That vision was about Kaguya, just like the one in my nightmare,' thought Aya.

"Miss Aya, what are you doing out here?" said a familiar voice.

Aya whipped around to face Kurama, "Oh, um, I couldn't sleep, so I came out here!"

"Oh, I see," replied Kurama.

"These roses are so beautiful, did you grow them?" asked Aya.

"Yes, I tended these roses myself." replied Kurama, but he discovered Aya was too busy fixated on the statue.

"It's a beautiful statue, isn't it?" said Kurama, snapping Aya out of her daze.

"Uh, yeah, it is. Is it a statue of the priestess Kaguya?" questioned Aya.

"Yes, and that's why it's so beautiful." Kurama then smiled at her

Aya's face began to glow red, since Kurama wasn't only complimenting the statue, but her also.

---*---

Meanwhile, as Aya and Kurama had their conversation, Satoshi was walking around the palace grounds, and spotted the two talking to each other.

"What's Aya doing with Lord Kurama?" Satoshi noticed Aya giggling when Kurama said something to her, and couldn't help but take a closer look. He hid behind a tree and eavesdropped on their conversation. He also noticed Kurama had a type of expression on his face. It was an expression of…love? Is Kurama staring at Aya with love in his eyes?

"Why's he looking at her that way?" Satoshi asked himself bitterly. It was strange, but he felt a bit jealous. Wait, why is he jealous of Kurama?

Coincidentally, Li Xiang was also walking around the palace grounds. She spotted Satoshi hiding behind a tree, and noticed there was a grumpy look on his face. Then she spotted Aya and Kurama talking, and realized Satoshi was watching them. A wicked thought came to Li Xiang's mind.

"Hey Satoshi, what are you doing?!" Li Xiang shouted loud enough to cause Satoshi to jump in surprise.

"My god Li Xiang, don't scare me like that!" yelled Satoshi.

Li Xiang giggled, "Sorry, but I just wanted to see what you were doing."

"None of your business!" snapped Satoshi.

Li Xiang gasped, "Oh my, is that Aya and Kurama kissing?!"

"WHAT?!" Satoshi whipped his head around, but suddenly realized he had been tricked.

"That was not funny, Li Xiang!" Satoshi yelled angrily, while Li Xiang was having a giggling fit.

"You're jealous of Lord Kurama, aren't you?" Li Xiang asked teasingly.

"I am not!" Satoshi said defensively.

"Oh please, it's so obvious that you have a crush on Aya."

"I don't! Besides, you like Haruki and you don't see me poke fun at you."

"Th-There's nothing going on between Haruki and me!" Li Xiang blushed.

"Yeah right, I've seen the way you look at him. Plus, you two are always together!" Satoshi pointed out.

"That doesn't prove anything!" Li Xiang said in her defense.

"Are you two having a lover's quarrel?" said a familiar voice.

Satoshi and Li Xiang blinked in confusion and turned around to discover Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei watching them.

"Hehe, you two sure are a cute couple!" snickered Kuwabara, while Satoshi and Li Xiang looked disgusted.

"EW! You've got to be kidding me!" gagged the acrobat.

"Yeah, Li Xiang is too old for me anyways!" yelled Satoshi.

Li Xiang bonked Satoshi on the head, "WHO'S TOO OLD?!"

"SHHH! Quiet down we're trying to hear!" Li Xiang and Satoshi gave Yusuke and Kuwabara odd looks, as the two lords eavesdropped on Aya and Kurama.

"Hn, how stupid! I don't want to get involve in this. I'm going back to the training grounds with Haruki." grunted Hiei, and turned to leave. Before he left though, he took one more glance at Aya and Kurama.

`Kurama is very fond of that girl, and I guess being here will eventually jolt her memories of her past life. It might also show her that one horrifying memory.' thought Hiei.

---*---

"Lord Kurama-" Kurama cut Aya off before she could continue.

"Please, I prefer that you just call me Kurama." said Kurama.

Aya blushed, "R-Right, um, Kurama…you seem to know a lot about Kaguya and I was wondering if you could tell me some things about her."

Kurama smiled, "Of course, Kaguya loved red roses, so that's why I had some planted around her statue. She loves red roses, because a special someone gave them to her."

Aya's eyes widen in surprise, "You mean, her demon lover?"

"Yes, but he wasn't just a demon. He was an infamous thief…an infamous FOX demon thief. His name…was Youko Kurama." explained Kurama, with serious expression on his face.

`N-No way! Kurama was Kaguya's lover?!' Aya thought in shock.

"Kurama, please tell me what happened to Kaguya. What does it have to do with you?!" Aya cried pleadingly, and clung onto his arm. However, when Aya came in contact with Kurama, another image flashed through her mind. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her head in pain.

"Miss Aya, are you all right?!" Kurama asked in a panicked tone, as he knelt down next to Aya, and helped her stand up.

"Y-Yeah, I think so," replied Aya, before she collapsed again.

"You still haven't fully recovered from the poison. All that excitement has drained you of your energy." said the handsome ruler.

"Here, I'll carry you back to your room." Kurama offered his hand, but Aya didn't accept it.

"OH NO!! Don't worry about! I'm fine really!" protested the priestess, her face blushing furiously.

"Please Miss Aya, it wouldn't be wise for you to walk around in your condition. You'll be completely drained of energy, if you keep pushing yourself too hard."

"W-Well, okay, but I'm warning you, I'm really heavy."

Kurama chuckled, "It's all right, I can handle it."

The red haired king, carried the reincarnated priestess with ease in a bridal style, and headed towards her room. Aya's face was as red as Kurama's hair, as she was held closely to Kurama's muscular chest.

`He's…He's so warm.' Aya thought in a dreamy state. (a/n Don't you wish you were in Aya's place right now?)

Meanwhile, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Li Xiang, and Satoshi, were watching their every move.

"Wow, I never seen Kurama act this way around a girl before." said Yusuke.

"You think there's something going on between them." asked Kuwabara.

`Oh my god, Aya is being carried by Lord Kurama! What a lucky girl!' Li Xiang thought, giggling like an excited school girl. The acrobat suddenly paled when she felt an eerie chill beside her. She turned around, and saw Satoshi, glaring at Kurama and Aya.

"Hey Satoshi, do you think those two might like each other?" Yusuke turned to Satoshi for an answer, but Satoshi only glared at the young ruler as a fiery aura surrounded him. By the looks of it, the saiyin wasn't in the mood to answer that question.

"On second thought, maybe I just won't ask." Yusuke said fearfully, as Kuwabara, Li Xiang, and him, inched away from the dark Satoshi.

---*---

"You're so lucky Aya!" chirped Li Xiang, sprawling on Aya's bed. After Kurama left Aya in her room, Li Xiang came in to chat with her.

"What are you talking about, Li Xiang?" questioned Aya, obviously clueless that Li Xiang and the others spied on her.

"That the number one bachelor in all of the eight anime kingdoms is in love with you!" the acrobat replied teasingly.

Aya blinked, "Who?"

Li Xiang rolled her eyes, "Lord Kurama, of course!"

"Th-That's crazy, I just met him!"

"That's where you're wrong! You and Kurama were former lovers in your past life. It's so romantic." Li Xiang sighed dreamily.

"Wait a minute, if you know about me and Kurama that means…" Aya held a chair over the acrobat, threatening to bash her with it, "You were the one spying on us! I had a feeling someone was!"

"Now, now, let's not change the subject!" Li Xiang said nervously, holding her hands up to defend herself. Luckily, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." said Aya, placing the chair down.

A female servant walked into the room, while carrying a large box in her arms.

"Mistress Aya, Lord Kurama wishes to go out with you for dinner tonight." said the servant.

Aya looked surprised, "Huh? Go out?"

"If you agree, he would like for you to wear this." The servant then handed Aya the large box.

"I'll come back if you have decided." The woman bowed in respect, and left the room.

Li Xiang gasped, "Aya, I think Kurama just asked you out on a DATE!"

"A date?! No way, I can't go! I've never been on a date before!" cried Aya.

"You have to go! You owe Kurama for saving your life," stated the acrobat, "By the way, what's in the box?"

"Um, well, let me see." Aya opened the box, to reveal a beautiful red Chinese dress, with gold trimmings, golden designs of wonderfully stitched roses, and matching shoes to go with it.

"Oh my god, it's even made out of real silk and gold. This must have cost a fortune!" exclaimed Li Xiang.

Aya held the dress in front of her and surveyed herself in the mirror, "Wow, it's just my size. You don't think this is too good for me, do you?"

"Of course not, but this means you really have to go out with him. He didn't spend this much money on that dress for nothing."

"B-But look at me, I'm a mess! I've never even worn make-up in my life, and the only type of hairstyle I know is a hair bun and a ponytail!"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll have you all dolled up for your date tonight. Just leave it all to the professional!"

---*---

"Why do you look so down, Satoshi?" questioned Haruki, as the two men walked around the palace halls.

"It's nothing." Satoshi replied bitterly.

"Did you and Aya have another lover's quarrel?"

"NO! It wasn't like that!"

"Sure, whatever you say."

At that moment, Li Xiang came out of Aya's room with a proud look on her face.

"Why do you look so happy, Li Xiang?" asked Satoshi.

"Don't you guys know, Kurama and Aya are going out on a date." said a familiar voice. The three fighters turned around to see none other than Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"A date?" blinked Haruki and Satoshi.

"That's right, and Aya is all ready and set thanks to me. Aya, you can come out." Li Xiang opened the door to let the heroine through.

All the men gasped when out stepped Aya looking absolutely breath taking. She wore the red dress Kurama gave her, it also had a slit on one side so you could see her well developed legs, her hair was styled into two Chinese buns that were fastened with red ribbons, and she wore a small amount of makeup.

"Um, h-how do I look?" Aya stuttered in embarrassment.

"Wow, you look hot!" Yusuke grinned.

"Kurama's gonna fall head over heels when he sees you!" Kuwabara gave her a thumb up.

"Perfection personified." smiled Haruki.

"What about you Satoshi? What do you think?" questioned Li Xiang.

Satoshi snapped out of his daze, "Huh? Uh, yeah, you look great."

Yusuke and Haruki stuck their arms out in a gentlemen fashion, "Shall we go, milady?"

Aya smiled and took their arms, "Gladly."

Then everyone left the palace halls to meet Kurama outside.

---*---

Kurama waited patiently outside for Aya to arrive. Kurama ordered a carriage, so that he and Aya can go out on their date. Truthfully, he was a little nervous. It's been a very long time since he met Kaguya, and it might not be like the old days, since she's been reincarnated.

"Kurama!" cried a familiar voice.

Kurama looked up to see Aya, looking extravagant in the red Chinese gown he gave her. Kurama couldn't help but be awed by her beauty.

"Are you ready to go?" Kurama smiled, opening the carriage door.

"Yes." smiled Aya, as Yusuke and Haruki helped her in. Soon after, Kurama hopped into the carriage, and told the driver to go.

"Have fun you two!" grinned Yusuke.

"Don't stay up too late!" said Kuwabara, as he waved goodbye to the departing carriage.

"Should we follow them?" whispered Yusuke.

"Oh yeah." replied Kuwabara. When Aya ad Kurama were out of sight, another carriage came out of its hiding place. The driver opened the door to let Li Xiang, Haruki, Yusuke, and Kuwabara in.

Satoshi couldn't believe what he was seeing, "What the-?! You're actually going to follow them, even you Haruki?!"

"I just want to see if everything goes all right." the archer replied.

"You coming or not?" asked Li Xiang.

"No way! I don't want to get mixed up in your crazy adventure!" Satoshi shouted and headed back inside the palace.

"Okay, we'll just go to Kurama and Aya's date without you. They're most likely making out or that stuff right now. We'll remember to give you ALL the DETAILS." Yusuke said in a mock tone.

Soon after, Satoshi and the others followed the carriage Kurama and Aya were riding in.

---*---

"Wow, this is so amazing. I've never rode in a carriage before," said Aya, looking through the window to see the kingdom at night.

"The whole kingdom looks so beautiful in the evening. The city lights where I live are nothing compared to this." Aya exclaimed.

"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself." smiled Kurama.

"What restaurant are we going to?" Aya asked, not looking up from the window.

"We're going to my favorite restaurant; we should be there any moment now."

Right on cue, the carriage came to a halt in front of a large oriental type building. The driver opened the door to let Kurama out first, and Kurama then helped Aya out of the carriage.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" Aya said in awe.

"Shall we go inside?" asked Kurama.

"Yes!" Aya replied cheerfully and held onto Kurama's arm.

The two entered the restaurant, and at the moment they stepped in, the manager came out to greet them. He bowed respectfully to the pair.

"Your majesty, it is an honor to have you in our humble presence," The host said politely, "As you requested, we set up a private dinner for you and Lady Aya upstairs."

"Yes, thank you very much." said Kurama.

A hostess dressed in a short blue Chinese dress, bowed deeply to the two. She led them upstairs, to another dining room. In the middle, was a red table for two people, two lit candles stood on top, and there was a large window revealing the night sky outside.

"Please take a seat. Dinner will arrive shortly." The hostess bowed, before leaving the two alone.

Aya pressed her hand against the glass window and gazed down at the kingdom; it was even more beautiful from up here. Aya did a double take, when she saw a familiar pink haired person, accompanied by four others, enter the building from below.

`Strange, I thought a saw Li Xiang, Haruki, and Satoshi with some other people.' Aya thought.

"Is something wrong?" Kurama asked, noticing Aya's confused look.

"Oh, it's nothing. I've must have been seeing things." Aya replied.

---*---

"What do you mean you can't let us in?" Yusuke snapped at the guard in front of the dining room.

"I'm sorry your majesty, but lord Kurama's orders. No one is to disturbed him and Lady Aya." The guard said calmly.

Yusuke groaned, "Man, this sucks! Now how are we supposed to get inside?"

"See? I told you coming here was pointless." indicated Satoshi.

"Then why did you come with us?" questioned Haruki, but Satoshi remained silent.

"I know a way to get inside." said Li Xiang.

"How are you going to do that? There's no way in." said Kuwabara.

Li Xiang winked, "Did you forget? I'm a ninja, stealth is my specialty."

"Of course, you can sneak in and tell us all the details!" exclaimed Satoshi.

"Here take this with you," Yusuke handed her a compact mirror, "This device is a `Communication Compact'. I had it since my days as a spirit detective. You can tell us what's happening with this."

"Okay!" chirped Li Xiang. The acrobat did a couple of strange hand gestures, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Suddenly, a ringing sound was heard from Yusuke's pocket. Yusuke took out what appeared to be another communication compact. He flipped it open and saw Li Xiang's face appear in the mirror.

"I'm in!" grinned Li Xiang.

"How did you do that?" asked Satoshi.

"It's called ninjutsu; a type of ninja ability I learned from my home village, but I don't use them very often. I'm much better at martial arts." replied Li Xiang (a/n I'm thinking about putting the anime `Naruto' in this fanfic.)

"Anything happening so far?" asked Yusuke.

"Right now they're just having dinner, but they're not talking to each other." Li Xiang then showed them Aya and Kurama eating dinner.

---*---

Aya couldn't help but be silent; she was nervous! For awhile they just sat there eating dinner, which happened to be very delicious.

`What do I say? I've never been on a date before. What can I do to start a conversation?' Aya thought nervously.

`Boring,' Li Xiang thought from her hiding place, which happened to be behind a potted plant, `My god, they haven't done anything exciting yet. When are they going to kiss?'

"Miss Aya, you've been awfully quiet. Is something wrong?" asked Kurama.

Aya looked up, "Huh? Oh, I was just thinking."

Kurama finished the last of his meal, "About what?"

"Um, I was wondering about my past life. You know, when I was Kaguya." replied Aya, while a servant picked up their empty plates.

"I'm sorry if I'm being a bit nosy, but I want to know some things about her. I also want to know what connection she has with you." Aya said boldly.

Kurama looked thoughtful for a moment, before some music started to play from out of nowhere. Aya noticed there was someone in the corner of the room, playing romantic music on the piano.

"How about I tell you over a dance?" offered Kurama, getting out of his seat. He held out his hand to Aya, and she gladly accepted it. The handsome ruler led the reincarnated priestess onto the dance floor, and started to waltz to the music.

"Before I became one of the rulers of the anime kingdoms, I was a fox demon named Youko Kurama. I was reborn many years later as a human when I was shot by a hunter. As a demon, I spent most of my time stealing valuables and causing mischief. That was when I heard of a valuable item in Kaguya's village. I went to go steal it, but I ran into Kaguya and lost. However, she didn't kill me." Kurama smiled when he mentioned her name.

"I didn't know why she let me live, so I stayed behind; watching her. She didn't mind my presence there, but I wouldn't leave till she gave me her answer. Eventually, we became closer and fell in love. That was when HE arrived." Kurama eyes darkened, as an image of Yorunotobari's face flashed through his mind.

"It turns out that Yorunotobari was once an ordinary human. He was villager, who was infatuated with Kaguya. However, jealousy and rage consumed him and become what he is today. He tried to kill me, but Kaguya stood in the way. She sacrificed her life for me, so it is my fault that she died." After Kurama finished his story, he felt Aya tremble in his arms.

"Aya, what's wrong?" Kurama asked with concern in his voice.

"I-I'm sorry, it must have been so painful for you," sniffed Aya, as she wiped away her tears, "It's strange, but another part inside of me is crying too."

Aya looked up to him as more tears streaked down her face, "Kaguya doesn't blame you for her death. She died, because she loves you very much. She could never hate you Kurama and the reason why I'm saying this is because I can feel Kaguya's emotion within me. Do you…understand?"

Kurama smiled sadly, "Yes, I do. Thank you, Aya.

The two gazed at each other lovingly, their faces only inches apart. Kurama began to lean down to kiss Aya, while she closed her eyes.

Li Xiang gasped, "I think they're about to kiss!"

Meanwhile, outside the room, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Haruki, and Satoshi watched the scene through the communication compact.

"Oh my god, they're going to do it!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"Go Kurama!" cheered Kuwabara.

"I can't believe this is happening." said Haruki. While everyone waited patiently for Aya and Kurama to kiss, Satoshi felt a great pain in his heart.

`I can't watch this anymore.' Satoshi thought sadly, as he got up and left the building.

Hello, it's the lovable Li Xiang here! After Aya's little date, Kurama offered her something a girl has always dreamed of; her hand in marriage! Poor Satoshi, I wonder why he looks so sad. While Aya is busy deciding, Shittobukai is back and even stronger than before. He and Aya face each other in a one on one match. Hold on, what's this? Shittobukai also has a connection with Kaguya?! This looks like Aya's toughest battle yet, I hope it doesn't cost her life. Next episode, `The fall of the reincarnated priestess'. See you real soon! ^_^V

I'm so sorry for not updating in a long time. I've just been busy lately and I'm also very lazy! Please forgive me, I will try to update more frequently.