A Forest on Fire (KuramaxOc)

Ch 2: Preparations

(Two days after the use of the
forlorn hope)

Lord Koenma looked over the paperwork in front of him again, humming to himself as a red-haired boy stood before him. "You understand the severity of your crimes, yes?" He asked simply.

"I do... I will accept whatever punishment you desire, so long as my mother is kept safe." The boy responded, emerald eyes showing no hint of emotion as he stood before the prince of the spirit world.

Koenma nodded again, then looked up at the boy as he continued.

"Given your reasons behind stealing the forlorn hope, as well as your efforts to assist my detective afterwards, I'm inclined to show leniency. I have a proposition for you. I am willing to expunge your criminal record, that means both yours, and Yoko's. In exchange, you will continue to assist the detective with his work, and do what you can to keep the peace within the city. It would also be a great favor to me personally, if you would help me with another matter." He paused, reaching for the remote on his desk, and directed the boy's attention to the screen.

The boy gasped audibly as the image of a young kitsune with fire-kissed hair and eyes like seafoam on a cloudy afternoon appeared on the screen.

"Yumiko Sayo, age 15, no truly, aged 15." The boy's eyes widened further at the revelation. His kind rarely left their homes before their first century. For the girl to be away from her home at all spoke of horrible tragedies in her few years. Within his mind, Yoko stirred, the silver kitsune mesmerized by her visage. 'A fire-branded kitsune, and so young... she'd be quite a prize...'

The boy grimaced at his demon half's thoughts. 'She's a person... not a toy, Yoko...' he scolded, waiting for the prince to speak again.

"She was born with the 'pulse' curse, but thanks to the efforts of the psychic Genkai, we were able to remove the 'pulse' core completely, and save not only her, but four other children as well. She's survived ten years now without incident, and one week from today, she will enter Meiou academy as a first time student. As luck would have it, Kurama, she'll be in the same class as you."

_______

(Meiou academy)

"Thank you again for hearing my concerns. This will be the first time my sister has actually been to a public school, so I want to ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible." A tall man with misted-ocean blue eyes, long black hair, and a charming smile addressed to the dean of Meiou Academy.

The dean shook his hand with a warm smile, and nodded reassurances to the male.

"Yes well, we're certainly glad to have her! Her entrance exam scores are the second highest in the school's history, only one point away from out star pupil in fact! Actually, he should be here any minute as I've asked Mr. Minamino to be your sister's guide during her first semester here."

Mako did his best to keep the warm, friendly smile plastered on his face. He had spent the last four days running around in human form trying to get everything ready for Yumiko's first day. She had passed the exam with flying colors, and he had already purchased and furnished a modestly sized apartment for them both, only a half hour's walk from the school.

He had chosen it as they could have all the units on the top floor, providing a balcony and a wonderful view of the city. He had grinned when he imagined her face lighting up the first time she saw the sunset from that balcony, and he couldn't wait to show it to her. He had spent most of the second day furnishing the new home, and moving what he could from the temple ahead of time. There was a small hope in his chest, the other units on the top floor could one day be for others like her, but for now, just seeing one of his kids get this far was worth the effort.