A/N: I'll keep this short since I have come to realize that when I usually read a fanfic, I could care less about the author's note and usually just skip to the story. I do only have a few things to say.–I checked FF for any story similar to this and couldn't find one and if there is, I missed it. –The stuff in the flashback was in the manga (not animated series) and the rest is mine. Lastly, – Another reason I wrote this because a lot of people don't know the story.

STORY NOTE – This takes place sometime after the animated series. The lines in between means the scene has changed or something like that.

Please review :)

It's Better This Way

Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing, erasing your memory.

What would it have been like if you still remembered? What would it have been like for us? All I could think of was many unpleasant things, especially with my reputation. You would have been in grave danger, even with your spiritual awareness. Sometimes I would notice you from afar. Curiosity I guess. You still had your short hair and youthful glow, like you did years back. My hair was short as well at that time. I never had the courage to get closer to you. I always stayed back a few feet. Until now…

BAM!

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't see you when I turned the corner. I should have been more careful! Here, let me help you pick up your stuff." She bent down.

"It's alright. I should have paid attention to where I was going." I bent down to assist her as well. At the sound of my voice, she looked up even though I continued to gather my things.

"…Shuichi?"

"Maya! Hello!"

"Long time no see! What has it been? Five years?"

"Something like that, yes." I smiled and rose to my feet.

"Oh, here." She handed me one of my books.

"How have you been? Your hair has gotten much longer." She asked.

"Well, I wanted to be daring for once and let it grow. Then I thought it fit me better, so I just kept it that way."

She laughed slightly and asked, "So what have you been up to?"

"I recently started working at my father's business. And you?"

"I'm actually about to go into nursing school! I'm a little nervous though." She giggled.

"I'm sure you will do fine." I smiled back. Her face seemed strained for a moment.

"I'm sorry. It's just, I feel as if we were good friends, but I don't remember talking to you that much when we were in school. You were always the quiet one."

She doesn't remember.

"I think I still am the quiet one."

She laughed and said,

"Well, I better get going. My boyfriend is expecting me. Maybe I will see you around?"

'Boyfriend'

"I'm sure you will. It was nice to run into you."

"Same here. Goodbye!" With that, she hurriedly ran down the sidewalk. I stood there and watched her leave.

The pollen did exactly what it was meant to do, erase all her memories and feelings for me. From past experiences, usually girls would stay and try to chat as long as possible with me. Although, recognition did appear on her face for a very brief moment. Could the pollen wear off with time?

I shook my head and walked home.

When I entered my room, I placed my books on my desk. Without looking I said,

"Hello Hiei."

"Where have you been? You're exactly 11 minutes and 27 seconds late." He was sitting on my windowsill with a scowl on his face.

"Sorry, I didn't know anyone was counting the minutes until I would arrive." I took a seat on my computer chair and faced him.

"Hn. So what made you late?"

"An encounter with an old acquaintance."

"It was her wasn't it?" Hiei's jagan eye flashed from under his cloth. He saw everything.

"I don't remember you ever being that clumsy unless it was on purpose." He said.

He got me.

"I was just checking to see how she was doing after all these years."

"Hn! If someone just wanted to see how she was doing, they would have just asked her and not put on a show like you did. What you really wanted to know was if she still had feelings for you."

I sighed inwardly. He knows me well.

"So do you regret it?"

"Regret what?"

"Don't play the fool. That role is reserved for Kuwabara. You know very well what I'm talking about. Do you regret erasing her memories?"

I looked away. "I don't know." That was the truth.

"I'm beginning to wonder if she could have been a useful ally with her spirit awareness." I said.

"You have feelings for her don't you?"

"Nonsense."

"That's exactly what you said that day."

I stayed quiet.

"Ha! Humans with their 'feelings'. Staying in your human form has made you soft, Kurama."

"Really? Then can you please remind me why you were trying to locate Yatsude that day as well?"

He frowned and gave me his signature death stare. I knew I had said the right thing.

"That's different."

"Perhaps, but not really."

Hiei only seemed to get more irritated.

"In my opinion, you should just forget about her. She's not like us, Kurama. She wouldn't understand the things we do."

"She has spiritual awareness. We could have trained her like Kuwabara."

"First of all, stop bringing up that idiotic monstrosity. Second, do you really expect me to believe that? That's just an excuse to get close to her. You would have never put her in any danger. The detective did the same thing with his woman."

Silence came between us. Hiei knew he had won.

"Why do you care anyways?" I asked.

"I don't." He gave a small grin and jumped out of the window.

Typical Hiei.

Everything he said was true. I'm selfish. She's doing great things with her life so why should I disrupt it? She deserves a normal and safe life. Something she would not have had if she knew me.

I got off my chair and went to my bed. With my hands behind my head, I tried to recall everything that happened that day.

Flashback –

As I entered the classroom, I remember many of my classmates huddled together talking about a recent disappearance of a couple of students. None of them were my friends, but none of them were my enemies either. I was always the kid that was just 'there'.

I remember hearing,

"Some kids have disappeared again!"

"I know!"

"They probably just ran off…"

One girl said, "Maybe they went into town. It's pretty boring around here."

"Yeah right! Be realistic!" The boy next to her replied.

"Well at least I'm not like Maya!" The girl put her hands on her hips.

That's when she confronted me.

"Hey, Minamino! What do you think about all of this?"

I was caught off guard. Nobody really ever talked to me and I kept my distance from people. She was always the one who put the effort to include me in a conversation.

"They probably just left on their own."

Her arms flew around her and she insisted on other possibilities.

"No! What about aliens? Ghosts? A black hole? A cult?"

"I think that's a little far from reality." I didn't look at her. Even back then I knew I was no good for her.

As she kept on rambling, my keen ears picked up students talking about me.

"He's no fun!" he huffed.

"Everyone knows that Maya has a crush on Minamino!" the girl next to him named 'Tasaka' told him.

I brought my mind back to what Maya was saying just in time to hear,

"You know, I can see spirits!"

Suddenly my reflexes kicked in and my hand caught something coming at me from behind. There in my hand was an…eraser?

"How did he catch that?" I heard them say.

Eventually, I found myself roaming the halls well after the school bell had rung. I began thinking about the recent disappearances and knew that this was most likely not a coincidence. There really was a strange presence I had been feeling lately around town.

As if right on cue, a grayish goo came out from under the tiles. A creature with two horns and sharp teeth appeared before me.

"Kurama…" It hissed. "We're going to kill you. Then, this town will be our's."

"Hedoki…" My anger flared up inside me, but I kept it in check. "Did you forget that when I beat you before, you said you wouldn't come into this town again?"

"You... will... die! I have a strong ally now!"

Hedoki then jumped swiftly out of the window, which was shattered upon impact.

When a low-class demon like him comes back, it means he must really have a strong partner. I hoped not to use my energy…but I had no choice. I'll fight to protect this town… not as a human but as a demon.

"What was it? Was it a demon?"

It was Maya! I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't sense her behind me.

"It's the first time I have ever seen anything like that! It was horrible!"

What would you think of me then?

I was surprised that she was actually able to see it. It was true then, she could see spirits. Her being around me must have made it grow stronger. I tried to play if off.

"What are you talking about? It was just your imagination."

"You can't fool me! I saw it and you were just talking to it! I think it's really cool. You should tell people!"

She clasped her hands together and said,

"From the moment that I met you, I knew you were different. I have been searching for someone with the same kind of power, and now I've found him!"

"It also happens to be the person that I'm… in love with. How romantic! Like something from a movie." She giggled.

I was at a loss for words. She noticed my silence and spoke up.

"So, you didn't know about how I felt?"

Evading her question, I said,

"It's getting late. You should probably go home."

"But you still haven't answered me."

We both walked side by side down the dark street.

"It's okay to tell me. I'm listening." She was smiling, hoping that my answer would please her.

What could I say? Knowing what could happen, I couldn't reveal my feelings for her. She doesn't know who I really am. Shuichi Minamino is a lie. I couldn't… I couldn't say it…

"Sorry."

Her head fell.

"I… I see. I guess I'll go." She turned away.

All of a sudden I sensed a strong aura. It was fast. I grabbed her shoulder, preventing her from leaving. She looked at me in question.

"Keep close."

My instincts abruptly jolted me. In one rapid motion, I picked up Maya and jumped away just in time to elude an attack. There, where we were standing seconds before, was a short man with black hair except for a white starburst in the front. He was wearing an all black tunic and a white bandana. A long sword was expertly held in his hand. He seemed to be aggravated with my escape.

"Are you okay?" I asked the girl in my arms.

"I… think so." She was clearly shaken up and surprised with my strength. "How about you? Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me."

Thinking quickly, I reached inside my pocket and grabbed a seed. With a burst of energy I transformed it into a leaf blade. With no hesitation, the dark clothed demon rushed me with speed I've never seen before.

"Hurry! Get out of here!" I yelled to her.

Although I was blocking all of his attacks, I knew I had to move the fight somewhere else to protect Maya. So that's what I did.

I had left her alone. That was my biggest mistake.

In another part of the town, this strange man and I were still fighting. He was just as skilled as I was, and it was an even match for the most part.

"You're pretty good." He told me. "Why is a guy like you working for Yatsude?"

"What? Yatsude? You mean he's HERE?" Yatsude was an enemy from my past.

Stopping in the middle of our battle, he said,

"Huh? You mean you're not working for him?"

I put my leaf blade away. "Now I understand. It's okay. You can put you're sword down. I live in this city."

"Hn. I let my temper get the best of me. Ugh!" He clutched his chest and fell to his knees. I could see the blood that was soaking through his clothes drip from around his fingers.

Yatsude…

I knew I couldn't fight him on my own with the power I currently had. I would need help.

I carried the unconscious demon back to my home.

Later, he awoke in my room. He sat up and turned to see me sitting on the floor next to the window.

"You recover quickly. Only took you four hours."

He looked down to inspect his chest and realized the wound was gone.

"You had a deep cut so I didn't hesitate in healing it. Herbs from Demon World are very effective."

"You were uttering a name in your sleep. Who is Yukina?"

He stared at me and said nothing.

"You weren't born with that jagan eye. Your power must have decreased greatly when you acquired it. You must have a good reason for using it. What does that girl have to do with Yatsude?"

"You're very talkative aren't you? If you hadn't helped me, I would have killed you. Hn, maybe I should have." He spat. Getting up, he made his way to the window next to me.

"Let me give you some advice. Your curiosity will get you killed someday." He pulled back the curtain and was about to leave.

"What about your injuries?"

"The more he eats… the stronger he gets." I saw the determination in his eyes. I knew I wouldn't be able to stop him.

"At least let me know your name."

He looked uncertain.

"It's… Hiei."

With those two words, he flew off into the night.

I recognized that name. He was a known bandit in Demon World. Although, I doubt he can fight Yatsude alone and win.

The phone ringing jarred me from my thoughts. I walked over and picked it up.

"…Yes, this is him."

"Shuichi! This is Tasaka from school. Maya hasn't come home yet. Is she at your place?" I heard through the phone and my heart stopped.

"I'm coming with you!" I said to Hiei as I appeared beside him. We were jumping from rooftop to rooftop through the city.

"Really? Why is that?"

"I have my reasons."

"Is it that girl?'

"Nonsense."

We ended up at an abandoned doll factory by following a strong aura. He must have welcomed guests. As we went deeper into the factory, we noticed doll parts starting to build up at our feet. Only a closer look would discover numerous body parts scattered among the fake ones. No doubt he was saving these for later. I was extremely worried about Maya. Had I come too late?

Suddenly there was a rustling behind us!

"You're going to die!"

Hiei and I narrowly escaped his fist. Instead, he hit the concrete floor under us. When we turned to face the monster, I knew it was Yatsude. He had three pairs of arms on his tall body and straight blonde hair. One pair was in the place where his ears were supposed to be. His eyes and mouth were only thin lines and he had no nose.

"I'll only ask you one time. What was the name of the ice maiden you ate?" I didn't have to look at Hiei to know he was furious.

"Why should I tell you?" he sneered.

Cutting Hiei off from retorting, I asked my own question.

"One of your men took a girl earlier. Where is she?" Sweat rolled down my face.

"You know her? I'm sorry…" He then held up a small piece of clothing dripping with blood."…Was she a friend? HAHAHAHA!"

I couldn't feel a thing because I was so numb. At that moment, for the first time, I knew what heartbreak felt like. I don't even remember taking my leaf blade out and moving my legs. All I knew was that I was attacking Yatsude with all the force I could summon.

His sharp nails on his second pair of arms deflected my blade with ease. Hiei then joined me a split second after my attack with his own blade.

"You guys are so pathetic!" In the blink of an eye, he swung his nails at me causing a long gash across my abdomen, sending me flying back. When I got on my feet, I saw that Hiei had gotten the same treatment as he jumped to my side.

"It's no use trying to attack him separately." I said. He nodded back to me and we knew what to do.

"Huh?" Yatsude was taken back as we emerged before him.

"Attacking at the same time?" He was having a harder time deflecting our attacks now.

Hiei then took the opportunity to use me in front of him as a distraction and to disappear from sight. Although, the larger demon seemed to discover our trick. He raised his head to see Hiei coming from above. Knowing Hiei would be defenseless if someone attacked him, I rushed forward to Yatsude and swung my blade.

"It's no use!" He caught my weapon in between his nails and pulled his fist back. All of a sudden, Hiei jumped in the middle of me and Yatsude's fist. A loud crack was heard throughout the factory. There at his feet was a shattered doll.

"NO!"

Hiei was in the air with his sword ready to come down. He sliced across the monster's neck as I cut through his stomach. When his head fell to the floor, he opened his mouth to speak.

"You… won. I'll now tell you what you want to know."

I listened intently to his next words.

"The girl is safe… and if I did eat an ice maiden, I would not have… lost." The slits in his face then closed and he was dead.

She was still alive! I discovered her unconscious body in a room not too far away. My heart felt as if it had jumped out of my stomach back to where it was supposed to be. Though hard to see, relief was also on Hiei's face.

I put Maya on my back and started to carry her home.

"Uh… Shuichi? Is… this a dream?" She was still in a daze.

"Yes, it's just a dream. You will forget about everything when you wake up…"

"You smell good…" Her voice faded as she fell unconscious once more.

"You will forget everything, including your love for me…"

It didn't matter how much it pained me to do it, I still knew I had to. No matter how much I cared for her.

"That's flower pollen from Demon World. You're going to erase her memories?" Hiei asked.

"It's for her own good."

"You still haven't told me your name. I'll make an effort to remember it."

"It's… Kurama."

End Flashback

That was a year before I met Yusuke.

Looking back on everything I have gone through with my friends, all the threats the human world has received, and everyone that I've fought, I realized that it's better this way.

Better for you…

…not to know me.

A/N: Yay! I don't know if I should make a sequel but I think it's better this way (no pun intended). You can let me know in a review if there should be one. Thanks for reading.

-Eat4Fun