A/N: So here's a new spin on the way overdone 'Karasu returns' fic which is actually a Karasu/Kurama, Yusuke/Kurama, AND Hiei/Kurama fic…oh yeah, with a teeny itty bitty bit of Yusuke/Keiko too, 'cause I couldn't leave her out in good conscience, no matter how much I might have wanted to.

Anyway, this repost is mostly thanks to a sweet pm I got just last month. I know this isn't technically new but I'd still love feedback!!! (if anyone reads YuYu stuff anymore...)

Summery was on the outside…so…yeah, I guess I'll start.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything...well, I do own SOME stuff...just not this.

Crow's Call

By Yami no Kokoro

Prologue

Yusuke's POV

In the start of the dream everything's as it should be. We're all at Genkai's temple, training together, while Keiko plays jump rope in the courtyard, mom sits in a corner watching TV, and Shizuru braids her hair.

Ok, maybe things aren't exactly as they should be, but it's still pretty nice.

The old lady stands in front of us, screaming orders that everyone but Hiei jumps to obey. The smirking fire demon just stands in line next to Kurama, arms crossed, insulting Kuwabara's stance. It's annoying, but it kinda makes sense, 'cause the idiot seems to be trying to do pirouettes instead of the blocks and kicks we're practicing.

Anyway, we're all hanging out, doing…whatever the hell it is we're all doing, and that's when the dream begins to get freaky.

Some bird starts squawking outside, from the courtyard. It's really loud and annoying, and mom tells me to shut the window so she can hear the TV better. I sigh and go to it, while Genkai screams for me to get back in line and practice. Ignoring her, I look out the large window leading into the enclosure.

Keiko's not there anymore. She's totally disappeared. In fact, the garden's empty except this big, black bird. A raven or something. It's just flying in circles around the courtyard, crooning away, but as soon as I start to close the window it changes course to soar straight at me at a speed even Hiei would envy, a hypnotizing look in its purple eyes.

Kind of stupid, huh? I mean, "oh, a scary black bird". Like I haven't faced demons and monsters a hell of a lot badder than an oversized black pigeon. Whatever. It's a dream, alright, and it's terrifying.

I can't take my eyes off of it, until we almost impact. Then, a second before, I hear a warning shout that sounds like Hiei's voice and I'm knocked out of my daze, swinging the window shut just in time.

Spinning around with the intention of asking Hiei what the hell's going on, I find that the room is completely void of anyone save Kurama, who's standing at its center, forest-colored eyes piercing me with a deep sorrow.

"Yusuke…"

I don't like seeing him look so upset, so I step forward to find out what's wrong and comfort him, but my attention is momentarily caught by mom's TV. It's still there, playing though its viewer has disappeared. It seems like my mom was watching a fight from the Dark Tournament on it, one of Kurama's, but I can't tell against who-the opponent's off screen.

The kitsune's eyes follow mine, and even as I turn back to him they focus on the screen with a barely concealed look of horror. I step closer again and grab his arm, trying to pry his terrified gaze away, or get him to talk, or do something besides watch the screen, transfixed. He completely ignores me.

His total disregard for me stings for some reason, and I turn away to try and look for the others instead. Maybe one of them can tell me what's so scary about a TV and a bird. That's when I realize that Hiei's shout from earlier…it had come from outside. Even though I'm sure that the small garden had been empty, was it possible that that's where everyone went? Did I lock them out there with the killer raven?

Panicked, I head towards the room's window to check, but as I reach it Kurama finally decides I matter more than a cruddy low-definition screen, and shouts, "Yusuke, no!"

He doesn't want me to open it, but even as I try to pull back and heed his warning I hear the faint croons from outside and seem to be drawn in by them. My hands knock the window open against my will, and I see the raven again.

No…not a raven, I realize suddenly. A crow.

Kurama is still screaming, now horrible, wordless cries that match with explosions suddenly echoing in surround-sound from the TV. I want to go and help him…to stop the explosions, bandage the burns and the blood that I can faintly smell behind me, but I'm frozen, once again unable to move, trapped in the crow's glinting violet gaze.

It swoops in towards me again.

And that's when I wake up. Four nights since the end of the Tournament a week ago it's been the same damn thing. Sometimes it starts out a little differently, like Yukina was there with us once, or we were at school that first night instead of the temple, but it always ends up the same.

Kurama screaming and that crow flying at me.

One would think I'd be having more nightmares about Toguro, or Genkai being killed, or…hell…even Kuwabara dying. I've had a few of those, sure, but the majority of nights it's just been the kitsune and the bird.

Something's really friggen wrong with that, right? I feel like maybe I should tell someone, maybe Kurama, but what the hell would he do? We're all having our fair share of nightmares, and frankly I'd rather not let him know that most of mine are about him getting hurt. It feels weird, like…why do I worry about him more than Kuwabara, Genkai, or Hiei?

Whatever. They're just stupid dreams. I'm not spiritually aware like Kuwabara or anything, so it's not like it's a warning. It's just a funny dream. Not funny in the 'haha' sense of the word but…you know…weird. Definitely weird.

Shaking the confused thoughts away I turn over and drift back to sleep.

It's different this time. Takanaka is telling me to close the window so we can finish our tests in peace, but I'm ignoring him, instead doodling something in red pen all over my paper.

I'll fail if I hand it in this way, but when have I ever given a damn about that? Anyway, my picture really needs to be completed. It's almost perfect now.

"Urameshi, close the window immediately."

I lean in closer to the paper, shading darker with the pen. It's not red enough… no matter how hard I push the pen it just isn't enough.

"Yusuke..."

Frowning at the interruption, I glance up to see Kurama at the desk beside me, test already completed and arms nervously crossed across his chest.

"You don't want to let him in, do you?"

Tonight the fear of it doesn't strike me the way it usually does, and I smirk lazily at my friend's question.

"It's just a bird, Kurama. If you're really that scared of it, I'll protect you."

He regards me skeptically, then looks down to the picture I'd been drawing.

"Do you promise?"

Just then the bird's screeches get louder, and I bring my hands up to my ears, dropping the pen to the floor. From Kurama's other side Hiei (yeah…Hiei's in school too) smirks and draws his katana.

"Why do you even bother asking, fox?" Strangely, I can hear his voice though my ears are covered tight. "He hears the crow's call. Look how the fool is covering his ears- he thinks he can block it out that way. You might as well just finish his picture for him now."

Kurama sighs as the shorter demon hands over his blade, then raises his right palm and draws the sword across it. My eyes widen as his blood beads up, and I uncover my ears, only to put my hands back again as the screeches become unbearably loud.

Looking to the front of the room furtively, as though Takanaka would spot him and be mad, Kurama reaches over to my desk and squeezes his hand into a fist, allowing several drops of crimson blood to fall onto my paper.

Then he pulls back, wiping the sword clean on his sleeve and returning it to Hiei with a polite "thank you" as though nothing incredibly freakish had just happened.

Shaking my head, I look down to the now completed portrait, and a smile spreads across my face. Yes, that's the perfect color. So realistic. Now my image of Kurama is finished.

The crow is on my shoulder. Funny, I hadn't noticed it come in. In a distant kind of way I sort of realize that I'm in danger, but the picture is holding me within it…so much that I just can't begin to care.

His blood made it all so perfect…

"Yusuke!"

I stand at the sound of Kurama's shout, and as soon as I reach my feet I realize that we're alone again. There's no one present except for me, Kurama, and the crow.

The fox eyes me sadly, as he always does, before turning away, crossing his arms protectively over his chest.

"It's here now, Yusuke. Will you still protect me from it?"

Smiling serenely, I step towards him, and as I do the crow and I begin to blend, become one. My black hair lengthens, my stride becomes longer, and I feel my smile transform into an unfamiliar smirk.

"Kurama…" I croon softly, running a hand through compellingly soft crimson tresses. I feel him shudder beneath the touch. "I'll always protect you." Slowly, he turns to face me, verdant eyes shimmering with both fear and hope.

"No one can ever hurt you," I continue, "except for me."

"Please…Yusuke, don't…" My hands trail from his hair to rest on his throat as he tries to jerk away. Caressing his collarbone lightly but firmly, I lean in to lay a gentle kiss over his soft, trembling lips. Whimpering, he continues attempting to pull back, murmuring soft protests and pleas, all of which I pointedly ignore as I push him back against the chalkboard at the room's front, cornering him.

"Mine, Kurama." I breathe, before devouring his lips again. With a soft whimper he turns his head to the side, breaking contact.

"The only thing we will do is destroy each other." He mutters bitterly, as though repeating a line he's spoken many times before with no effect. My eyes narrow, and I force his head back to face me.

"Mine." I repeat evenly. Holding his head and throat still I kiss him third time. He shivers, jerks back, but can't get away. After a long moment he seems to surrender to my advances, as with a soft, broken whine his lips begin to follow mine, parting and moving in time with my own, though his whole body continues to tremble fiercely.

The feel, the taste, of his fear is as intoxicating as his kiss.

I tighten my grip on him, pressing harder, loving every second of my domination of the usually controlled and focused kitsune.

That unbelievable taste of him...I'm kissing him…harder…stronger…deeper…gods…I can't get enough…

Suddenly, Kurama makes a choked sputter and begins to pull away again, trying desperately to arch back from my touch. His hands reach up to claw at my own, which are still gripping his throat. I growl against his lips. I won't let him escape me again.

Impatiently, I dip my mouth down harder against his, waiting for him to return that mind-blowing kiss once more, but he seems to have no energy.

His breath is stolen- my hands are too tight on him- and he can't get free, but I don't attempt to let go.

His life is slipping away so quickly now... the feel of it should be disgusting, I know, but instead it's intoxicating, elating.

The intimacy that victim and murderer share is unparalleled.

Finally, his futile clawing stops, his hands drop to his sides, and his lips begin to cool against mine.

Still smiling, I pull away and lay him in the front of the classroom. His gorgeous eyes have slid shut, his normally rosy cheeks chalk white, and his lips are tinted a pale purple-blue. He looks almost perfect, now, but something's still missing…

My test drifts to the floor in front of me, and I eye it for a moment before realizing what's wrong.

"Of course." Carefully, I aim my finger down towards his chest, blue spirit energy forming at it's tip. "Bang." I murmur, and my spirit gun fires, hitting the area right above his heart. It leaves a small burn wound from which blood begins to flow.

The blood makes it perfect…just like the picture.

"A plus, detective." I turn away from my fox's corpse to see Hiei standing behind me, leaning against the chalkboard and glowering. "You let the crow in. I did what I could…but now it's up to you. Think you can handle it without this really happening?"

The screeching of the bird starts again, but for some reason it doesn't bother me anymore. Meeting Hiei's challenging gaze evenly, I grin.

And sit up in bed, heart racing.

Damn it, that whole thing was seriously not good. By far the absolute, total worst of those nightmares yet. What the hell is wrong with me that I'm killing Kurama in my dreams? I took his life away so slowly and painfully…and I enjoyed every second of it.

The kissing him thing…that's a bigger and even weirder issue that I won't even try to deal with right now.

That dream was a nightmare. Just a horrible, disgusting, sick…gods, I wish it were. Kurama's one of my best friends, and I was smiling as I murdered him. I want to be sickened. I should be sickened. I'm sickened that I'm not sickened.

Why the hell did I enjoy that so much?

TBC