Youko Revealed

This is my first YuYu Hakusho story. This is also the first multi-chapter fic I've written that I can say that I'm proud of.

I decided to write this fic after not finding a lot of good stories where Shiori finds out about Kurama. There are some good ones out there. You can check my fav's list on my profile to see what I find good.

I have taken some liberties with characters. Kurama, well Youko, is older than Wikipedia says he is in the manga/anime. Wikipedia has him at around 3,000 years old, I have him around 4,000. The reason I did this is that it says he worked for Yomi 1,000 years before the anime/manga takes place. Also, it says he worked as a thief for 2,000 years before that. To me that means that he has to be older than 3,000 because even in Makai you don't become a thief at a year old. So I added what I thought would be a reasonable amount of time for him to mature and gain a few tails. So that he has the knowledge/experience that would lead him to becoming a thief.

I have also played with the timeline a little, pushing the Three Kings saga back by about a year. This fic takes place after the Sensui arc.

If I get personalities wrong, please forgive me. As I said, I've taken liberties, and characters might be slightly OOC. Also, I haven't watched the anime in a while, so I'm unsure of Shiori's personality to start with.

Even though this is a multi-chapter fic this chapter can stand alone. Also, I have a hard time writing when not inspired, so please do not expect updates soon, or for this fic to go longer than 2 chapters, though it very well might if I continue to get inspiration.

Disclaimer: If I really owned YYH do you think I would be writing fanfiction? Huh, huh, do ya? I don't think so. So Lawyers stay away, I have nothing!

Chapter 1: Vines and Flowers

Shiori walked into Shuuichi's room to drop off some laundry. Her son usually put things away himself these days. He was fiercely independent for the age of 17. Shiori smiled to herself when the thought about what her son's reaction would be when he found his things put away. She loved to do things for him, but he would never let her, saying that he liked to take care of her.

Knowing that Shuuichi could be home any minute, Shiori, neatly, though quickly, began to put his things away. But when she went to open his closet door, vines sprang out from between the slats in the door, and wrapped around her wrist.

Shiori screamed.

Kurama, who had just opened the front door, heard his mother scream. Running upstairs with a burst of demon speed, he stopped at the bedroom door and took in the scene in front of him. There was a small pile of clothes on the bed meaning his mother had done the laundry. Kurama's eyes went from the laundry to his closet door, where he felt his reiki coming from one of the pants used to keep intruders out of his things.

Shiori had fallen to her knees, the vines (just a common Ningenkai climbing vine) had wrapped around her right wrist and started climbing up her arm. A smaller pile of, now disheveled, clothing was on the floor in front of the closet door.

Kurama immediately understood what had happened.

"Mother, don't," Kurama said. Shiori had been trying to use her free hand to try and un-wrap the vine from her arm. It hadn't been going well.

Shiori immediately stopped struggling and looked at Kurama with fearful eyes.

Kurama walked towards the closet door, the plant had stopped moving when Shiori did. Kurama laid one hand on the vines, the other opening the closet door, reaching for the seed he had placed in the doorjamb, to protect his things from a certain one-human, now demonic teenager who like to play jokes on people when bored.

Shiori watched wide eyed as Shuuichi calmly extended his hands and looked on as the vines slowly unwrapped themselves from her arm and retracted into the small seed her son now had cupped in his hand. She watched as she brought his hand to his hair in a practiced motion, and when it came away the seed was gone from his hand.

"I apologize mother," Kurama said, helping Shiori to her feet. "I thought I had remembered to key your energy signature into the plants. I am sorry they frightened you."

"You – plants – energy," Shiori stuttered.

Kurama could tell that it had frightened her greatly. Though he did have the sneaking feeling that if the plant hadn't grabbed her, and he had shown her, she wouldn't have been frightened.

Shiori could only walk beside Shuuichi as he guided her out of his room, down the stairs and into the living room. He placed her on the couch and walked away. A moment later she heard cups being taken out and water put on to heat.

Sitting there, thinking, Shiori knew that she'd always had a suspicion that he had something with plants. Of course, it now appeared that, that something was a lot more than she had previously thought.

By the time Kurama returned with the tea, Shiori had calmed almost completely down. He only detected a slightly accelerated heartbeat from the adrenaline still in her system.

Shiori looked up from the carpet when tea was placed in her hands. Shuuichi's eyes were kind but sad as he sat down next to her on the couch, a second cup of tea in his hands.

"I believe I owe you an explanation," Kurama said after a minute or two.

"An explanation would be nice," Shiori replied. "I must admit I'm a bit surprised about your control over plants. I've always known you had a green thumb, but I didn't think anything like this could happen."

Kurama smiled softly, leaning back into the couch. "What do you know about spirits and psychics?" he asked. It was slightly off topic, but he needed to know what his mother could possibly know and what she believed in.

Shiori was slightly startled by the question, but answered anyways. She had a feeling that this was going to go somewhere. "Well, I've always believed in psychics, even tried to be one at one time, in my younger years." Shiori smiled. "I suppose when it comes to spirits, I believe that they exist, until some proves me wrong." Shiori frowned in thought, "I think I remember reading a book in my teens about someplace called Reikai, and how lord Enma has complete charge over spirits when they pass on." Shiori looked as if she was debating something, then she spoke again, "Let me put it this way," she continued, "Until someone shows me infallible proof that things like psychics, ghosts, sprits and demons don't exist, I'll be completely open to the possibility that they do exist."

Kurama's eyes had widened the tinniest bit as his mother spoke. He could tell that she really did believe what she was saying, and until someone really proved her wrong well then she would believe.

"Well," Kurama said with a mental smirk, "Lord Enma usually just keeps an eye on things. It's Koenma that's to deal with everything. For a being who's over five hundred years old, he still has no idea how to control his temper, or his subordinates."

"Koenma?" Shiori asked. "How do you know all this Shuuichi?"

"Enma, Jr. - Prince of Reikai and heir to Lord Enma," Kurama said. "Everyone calls him Koenma, though Yuusuke just calls him Toddler." Shiori's eyes widened at the mention of her son's friend, but she stayed quiet and let her son continue. "As for how I know this, it has to do with my ability to control plants."

"Yuusuke knows?" Shiori asked.

"As well as Kuwabara and Hiei, mother," Kurama places his tea on the coffee table and looked directly at the woman in front of him. "You know all those 'trips' I've been on?"

Shiori nodded. Something about the way those trips were mentioned made her nervous. "Yes, they started a couple of years ago now," Shiori smiled, "How you kept up with your work I'll never know."

Kurama chuckled a little at that. Having at least a part demon physiology made it easier for him to stay awake for days on end if he needed to (he'd done it before, and will probably have to do it again). "Well those trips," Kurama said, when he finished chuckling, "Were missions given to the Reikai Tantei by Koenma."

Shiori looked puzzled for a minute as she absorbed what Shuuichi had said. Sure, she understood the words but there was a hidden meaning there, a meaning that Shuuichi was slowly revealing.

"Spirit Detective?" Shiori finally asked. Kurama nodded. "So you work…" She left it hanging.

"For Koenma," Kurama said. Sensing his mother was not about to say anything, he started explaining what the Tantei did. "We are sent by Koenma to either capture or kill demons that have escaped here to Ningenkai, the human world, from Makai, the demon world. Usually once the mission is complete we bring them to Reikai, the spirit world, for sentencing, and to report to Koenma."

Of all the things Shiori thought her son would say, that he fought demons was not among them.

"Who is on the team with you?" Shiori asked.

"You have met all of them before. I believe you remember Yuusuke and Kuwabara?" At Shiori's nod Kurama continued, "They are part of the group, along with Hiei."

Kurama tried to gauge his mother's reaction to the news. She seemed to be taking it quite well.

Shiori smiled weakly, it was a little difficult to take everything in at once. "Does your ability with plants have something to do with it?"

"Yes," Kurama said, "My ability to control plants, even use them as weapons – which is how I use them while fighting – come from my ability to use reiki." He wasn't about to tell her that most of the ability came from being Youko, though in his human form, he did use reiki, like Yuusuke used to, and Kuwabara does, only combined with his youki. Yuusuke also used a mixture of reiki and youki these days, with his heritage revealed.

"Reiki?" Shiori asked, unfamiliar with the term. She knew it meant spirit energy, but how could that control plants?

Kurama explained, "Every being alive has at least one type of energy residing within them. Life energy, which is what keeps you alive, it is impossible to live without life energy. Though it is possible for very short amounts of time." Kurama paused there for a second. He was bordering on Youko here, because he had found Shiori after he had used up his life energy. Kurama continued when he realized he had grown silent. "Reiki, or spirit energy, all humans posses, though in varying degrees. Reiki is what spirits, well ghosts, are, collections of conscious reiki. If someone has a large amount of reiki, they can learn to consciously control it." Kurama paused for another second, realizing, belatedly, that if his mother was to be trained in the use of reiki, she could be fairly powerful. "That's where my ability comes from, well most of it anyways. You can learn to specialize what you do with your reiki, and each person is also different." Kurama drew a breath, this was getting on even more dangerous territory here. "Demons have another kind of energy called youki. It works exactly the same as reiki, except for demons."

Shiori sat there thinking about things for a little while. She supposed that it all made sense. She'd seen enough odd occurrences in her life, and not all of them pertained to her son either, that, while it took her some thinking, she eventually accepted what her son had told her.

Kurama watched as various emotions played across his mothers face. Eventually the tumult of expressions faded, and Shiori reached up and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"Care to show me?" Shiori asked.

Kurama's eyes widened, and then he smiled.

Shiori smiled as her son's whole face lit up. She could tell that he had been wanting to show her for a long time and that he like showing off.

Kurama took Shiori's hand and led her outside to the garden he had taken care of since he was old enough that Shiori let him. It had flourished under his care, and Shiori had a feeling she knew why.

When they reached the backyard, Kurama left his mother on the porch and stood in the middle of the backyard.

After a quick scan of the surrounding area, to make sure no-one was watching, Kurama reached for his hair.

In one fluid motion he pulled the seed from where its tiny roots had secured it in his hair. He removed the seed by reverting it back to its seed form, and growing it out to an adult plant as he withdrew it from his hair.

With none of the usual flourishes, Kurama produced a perfect red rose. It took skill and concentration and Youko had four millennia of practice, he had it down to an art form.

Shiori started as Shuuichi produced a rose from his hair. "How did you get a rose?" she asked.

"Simple," Kurama said, pulling a couple more seeds out of his hair without growing them. "I keep seeds in my hair and I grow them as I need them." Kurama demonstrated by turning the rose in his hand back into a seed. Choosing another, Kurama produced common Ivy, letting it twine up his arm a little.

Shiori watched in fascination. She thought she saw a flicker of something in one of the backyard trees. Shuuichi seemed to also have noticed because he turned around.

Kurama turned as he felt a familiar aura flash behind him. He also knew that his mother had noticed when her eyes focused away from him and over his left shoulder.

Kurama knew that Hiei would show as soon as the kitsune flared his youki while using his plants. It never failed.

"What are you doing, fox?" Hiei asked, appearing next to Kurama on the ground, making Shiori start.

Kurama mentally cringed at Hiei's name for him. He had hoped to not introduce his mother to that particular facet of his personality so soon. Thankfully it appeared that Shiori hadn't noticed Hiei's name for him, still surprised over Hiei's sudden appearance.

"I'm showing my mother my plants," Kurama answered, placing his seeds back in his hair and searching for a certain Reikai plant he knew his mother would like, it changed color with the persons emotions.

"Well I felt your youki halfway across town," Hiei said. "Try to keep it down next time. If you're not careful you'll have half Makai on your tail," Hiei continued, with the slightest emphasis on tail.

"Sorry mother," Kurama said, turning back to Shiori. Kurama was also fervently hoping that she had missed both the tail and the youki statements. He wanted to break the news to her after she got used to the idea of reiki and demons. "Hiei tends to be protective of those he judges to be friends."

"Hiei?" Shiori asked. "You mentioned him and that he goes on missions with you. I've seen him in the tree outside your window before too."

Shiori really looked at Hiei. He shifted somewhat under her gaze, then, he seemed to flicker and appeared on a low tree branch. Shiori jumped and looked at Shuuichi. He didn't seem surprised in the least at what Hiei had done. Shiori had never had a chance to really look at him before, but now that she had, something didn't add up to her about the shorter man.

"Hiei," Kurama said, with the tone of someone long-suffering in a familiar position. "Could you not flit away every time a person looks at you?"

"Hn," came the response from the tree.

"What is he?" Shiori asked quietly.

Kurama was startled by the question. Then he chuckled. "Not who but what. Appropriate question mother," Kurama gestured for his mother to sit as he sat on the top step of the porch stairs. Shiori sat down next to him.

"So, he's not human?" Shiori asked.

Kurama nodded and glanced at Hiei, "Why don't you let him tell you himself?" Kurama said loud enough for Hiei to hear.

Hiei sighed and flitted down to the base of the porch stairs. He looked Shiori dead in the face, and she notices his crimson eyes for the first time. "I'm a fire demon," Hiei said bluntly. He raised his un-bandaged fist to demonstrate, and flame surrounded his hand.

Shiori jumped when she realized that he wasn't being burnt by the flame he produced. Just as swiftly as it appeared, the flame disappeared, and Hiei flitted back to the same tree-branch.

"Did you always know?" Shiori asked.

"I've always known that Hiei is a demon, if that's what you mean," Kurama said. "Though I did not know what kind at first." Kurama produced another flower, it looked similar to a rose, but it was currently a vibrant purple.

Shiori stared at the flower Shuuichi held out to her. She took it in her hands, and it immediately turned yellow.

Kurama chuckled at her surprised look. "It's a Reikai wild flower. It changes color with a person's feelings." Kurama smiled. "I think that's enough for now," Kurama said, standing up. He held out his hand to help his mother to her feet.

"I'll talk to you later Hiei," Kurama called, walking into the house. He felt more than saw Hiei's nod as he flitted away.

Shiori was finding a vase to put the flower in when Shuuichi walked into the kitchen. He watched as his mother found the vase she was looking for. Shiori filled it with water, and placed the flower in the vase. Placing it on the table Shiori took a seat herself. Shuuichi moved to the table and sat down across from his mother.

"How long have you known you can do this?" Shiori asked, waving her hand at the flower now sitting on the table.

"For as long as I can remember," Kurama answered truthfully. And it was the truth. Even as a kit, when he was growing up in Makai, he was good with plants. And after learning to control his youki, he was able to learn to control them. Of course, it took a couple hundred years, and his second tail to finally get it right, but it was worth it in the end.

Shiori nodded. "Did you teach yourself, or was there a teacher I didn't know about?" She said lightly. She had had a few shocks today, but she was taking it quite well. Nothing he had said or shown her that afternoon topped the first one, when the vine had grabbed her.

Again, Kurama answered truthfully. "I am self-taught with my plants, though someone did show me how to use reiki." Well, somewhat truthfully. He just switched what kind of energy he was shown from youki to reiki. He wasn't ready to tell his mother about his childhood in Makai!

"Thank you for telling me, Shuuichi," Shiori said standing up. "I'm glad you told me. I just need some time to think things out, to put all the pieces in place." Shiori started to walk towards the kitchen when she caught Shuuichi's pained look. Stopping she turned back and swept her son into a tight hug. "Don't worry Shuuichi," she said soothingly. "Nothing could change my love for you, even if you were a demon yourself." Shiori missed the joy that flooded Shuuichi's face for a split second at her seemingly simple statement. Shiori tightened her hug, and then resumed her walk towards the kitchen. "Do you want anything special for dinner, and will Hiei be joining us?"

Kurama was startled by the inclusion of Hiei, but he smiled. "Anything you want is fine mother. And Hiei will join us if I can talk him into it."

Shiori smiled and began taking ingredients out for dinner as Kurama headed upstairs, and finished putting his things away, opening the window for Hiei.

No sooner had Kurama finished putting his laundry away, Hiei appeared on the windowsill, "No Youko?" was the Jaganshi's greeting.

Kurama shook his head. "I am gently leading her there. I did not want to show her everything at once. I was not even planning on telling her so soon, but I was careless, and she activated one of my vines that I use to keep Yuusuke out of my things. I forgot to key her signature to the vine."

Hiei snorted, "You. Make a mistake," He chuckled. "The great Youko is losing his touch," Hiei teased.

Kurama's eyes flashed dangerously, a bit of gold seeping into the green. "Everyone makes mistakes, Hiei, even you."

"Hn." Was the response Kurama received. Hiei knew that the kistune would follow through with his un-spoken threat. Hiei also knew that he was not one to talk about making mistakes, he'd made enough in his life to know.

"So," Kurama said.

"So what?"

"Mother would like to know if you would join us for dinner."

Hiei stared at Kurama like he'd just grown another head, or turned bright great. "What?" it came out almost like a hiss.

"You heard me," Kurama said. "It's not like you have anything better to do. Besides," Kurama continued with a small smile, not un-noticed by Hiei, "It's supposed to rain tonight. You usually stay here when it rains anyways, what is a few more hours?"

Hiei glared, then his gaze softened, "Hn." Was the only response he gave to that, turning to look out the window.

Kurama correctly interpreted Hiei's grunt as a 'fine' and stood up, "I'm heading downstairs to help mother. You can come, or I will call you when it is ready." And with that Kurama headed out of the room and downstairs. The small fire demon chose to follow.

Kurama helped his mother with the last parts of dinner, and setting the table. When everything was done everyone sat own, Hiei grudgingly, and began their meal. There wasn't much chatter. Shiori was thinking most of the time. Kurama was content to just sit there and eat, letting his mother think. He was also trying to figure out how to tell Shiori the rest of the story. And Hiei, well he was just Hiei, which meant he just didn't want to talk and just sat there.

For all that dinner was silent, conversation wise, it went well, and after helping Shiori clean up, Kurama headed upstairs to do his homework. Hiei followed him.

Hiei immediately claimed the window sill while Kurama sat at his desk. He faintly heard the sound of the television from downstairs as he did his work. Hiei dozed off on the window sill, katana in his lap, ready to spring awake if something happened.

By the time Kurama finished his work, it was late enough that he decided to go to bed. He went downstairs to tell his mother goodnight, then went back upstairs and got ready for bed. Kurama also grabbed an extra blanket from the hall closet, and placed it on the floor near Hiei foot, just in case. Hiei was still on the sill, rain now splattering the now closed, but never locked, window.

Chapter End

Constructive criticism appreciated. Flames are ignored; unless they are constructive. Praise is always loved.

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