Okay. I said I might give a sequel. My mind would not let this go. So here it is. The sequel. And its bout 200 words more than the last one. I'm so proud of myself.
For the reveiwers:
Chloe- here you go, just like you asked and as soon as this is posted, I'll send it to you.
TehFawks- Thank you. And for your reading enjoyment, heres more action-ey-ness. (BTW this story is dedicateed to TheFawks. My good friend and Beta, though we've never met face to face. Here's to you)
Kyla Mizuki- Another chapter. And I might continue to write more if you keep up with your stories!
Hamco- Thank you very much, Master. I bloom withing your watchful eye. (this is the other person this story is dedicated to. My faithful friend through my years in school, and fellow crazy person.)
Onward!
Shinrei moaned and stirred. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that she was no longer in the castle of Kouu, but in a clean room full of light. She slowly sat up and felt the soft blanket that covered her. Looking at her arms, she saw that her cuts were bandaged and her bruises were healing. 'Where am I?' She thought in confusion. 'I was at the castle and then Hiei came and- Oh Kami! Hiei!' Shinrei buried her head in her hands as tears started to fall from her face.
The door opened and her back stiffened. "It's nice to see you're finally up," called a voice from beside her. Shinrei lifted her head and looked around but saw no one. The voice cleared its throat and commanded, "Down here."
Shinrei looked down and saw a boy, no older that a human toddler looking back at her. He had the word Jr. seemingly tattooed to his forehead and a pacifier in his mouth. She could only assume that he had perfected the art of speaking around it, if indeed he could speak at all. "I'm sorry, but please don't tell me you're the one in charge here" she said to him.
The boy chuckled. "I am. My name is Koemna. Perhaps you would feel more comfortable if I were in this form." There was a sudden poofing noise and before her stood a teenager. The only things which linked him to the boy she saw before were his clothes, tattoo, and the pacifier in his mouth. "Is that better?"
"Slightly" Shinrei told him. She tuned him out as she looked around the room, taking notice of the coverings over the lights which cast the place into shadow, and smiled. Kouu had never left shadows in the room for her. If it were daylight she was forced into the sun and if it were nighttime, she was set under the bright lights which had been brought specifically from the neigin world. 'Don't think of that. It's in the past.' She shook herself to rid the memory from her mind.
Koenma noticed her shake. "Are you ok?"
"What? Oh, um… I'm fine."
"Good. As I was saying, since I am the prince of the spirit world, it is my responsibility to see to your punishment. However, we do not know exactly what happened at your ancestral home. We need you to tell us so we have an accurate idea before your punishment can be determined. Do you understand?"
Shinrei bowed her head. 'Kill me. It's what I deserve. I killed Him. I deserve to die,' her mind screamed. But instead she hugged herself close and said, "Yes, I understand. I have one request though. Please… only let one person question me. I… I don't think I could handle more than one."
"A reasonable request. Lay down and rest, I will return soon." He walked to the door as she turned away from him, toward the wall and lay down to wait.
o.o.o.o.o
"So what's the verdict, toddler." Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi asked Koenma as he walked out of the room Shinrei was in.
"Yeah. She gonna talk or what?" His carrot-top partner, Kuwabara, asked to put his two cents in.
Koenma held up his hands. "Shinrei has said that she will tell us of what happened."
"Why do I feel like there's a BUT somewhere in there?" Yusuke mumble to Kurama, the half fox demon beside him.
Koenma cleared his throat before continuing. "She will tell us what happened, but she has one request."
"Knew it!" Yusuke claimed before withering under Koenma's glare.
"One of you will be allowed to question her." Koenma said pinning each of the reikai tentai with his glare to make sure they understood. Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yusuke traded glances before all looking at the fourth of their number, a small demon who had red eyes and black hair.
"What?" he snapped.
"Hiei, you should be the one to go."
"Hn. Why's that fox?"
"You didn't see her after Kouu released her. She really thought she had killed you."
"Fine." Hiei said and pushed past the others to the door. "I'll go."
o.o.o.o.o.o
Shinrei heard the door close but didn't move. She closed her eyes and started her story. "Kouu and Hiei were my father's trusted guards. When he died, I was still too young to take possession of my inheritance. My father made them swear to protect me until I could. For years we lived together in that castle, my father's castle. About fifty years ago, when I came of age, Hiei had wanted to leave me be, but Kouu… Kouu didn't. I guess he expected me to give him everything as a gift of appreciation or something. I don't know.
"The two fought, and Hiei lost. Honor said that he had to leave, it was in the rules of the engagement, and he did. After that, Kouu started to push. When I kept refusing to do what he wanted I was forced into the light. Always the light. That was the one thing that could hurt me. That damn light. No shade, no darkness, no shadow. No where to find solace." Shinrei started to shake as she tried to hold back her tears. "I almost lost my mind. You know the only thought that kept me sane? I was that Hiei would come back. He told me so, before he left. He told me he had a bad feeling and that as soon as he could he would come back for me. Not in so many words of course, but you learn to understand a person after living with them for so long. Takes longer for some than others, though.
"But you don't want to know that. Kouu would use his 'punishments'- as he called them- to make me see reason. I tried not to give in. After a while he began to ask for favors with more value, like a bit of my power "to help protect me" he said. Finally, maybe about a year ago, he asked me to be his mate. Didn't ask really. Just assumed I would. He marked me. I refused him. He would just abuse the power it would give him. Father wouldn't have wanted that… Hiei wouldn't have wanted it." Tears began to pour down her cheeks, soaking the sheets below her. Sobs wracked her body so hard that she could barely speak. "All day and all night he forced me into the light, and then he took me out. He brought me to him and said, "My dear Shinrei. Hiei is coming, we must set the trap."
I don't remember much else. Just the thought that my body wasn't listening. Then I woke up and Hiei was on top of me, bleeding. I didn't know what had happened until Kouu brought the memories to my mind's eye. They weren't even my memories, but what he saw as he watched the fight. He told me of Hiei's friends who came through the hall door. He told me that I knew what to do. He tried to get in, but I didn't let him. I was too angry. Angry at Hiei, angry at my father, angry at Kouu, and angry at myself."
"Next thing I know, I'm waking up and I'm here. In this place full of shadows and comfort. I guess it sounds crazy, but even though I can't convince the shadows to let me out, I feel safe. I shouldn't feel safe; I've killed the one person who ever thought of me as more than my father's daughter. I should be stuck right back in that light where I belong.
o.o.o.o.o
Hiei POV
I walked in the door and saw her laying there. She looked a lot better than she did. I wonder what the toddler did to heal her. Now she looks more like she used to, before her father died. As soon as I walk in the door, she begins to speak.
At first I thought she realized it was me, but as I listened I realized it wasn't me she was talking to. I heard everything; even what I already knew had happened.
I became furious. Kouu had no right to push her not like that. I didn't say anything though. I couldn't. This was something she had to say. I knew that. If she didn't she wouldn't move on.
Same thing happened to me, when I was cast out and my mother was killed. I held it in until I almost burst. I kept it to myself for years, not caring who I lashed out at. The feeling of lashing out helped and I didn't care who got hurt. I liked it in fact, the hurt I caused. Until she helped me let it go. I was a guard, my job: protect her. And I did, though snapped a few times and always had a sarcastic comeback ready. She took it all. Took it and let it go.
I said I'd come back. Heh. I'm glad the others thought I should come in for this. They'd laugh themselves silly. Well sillier. She's starting to cry now. Kami, I just want to hold her. The only person I have ever wanted that for and I can't give it. She really thinks I'm dead. Maybe I should let her. It would be better for her, not getting in with people like me. I'm just gonna walk away. Go through that door and tell the others it wasn't her fault, just like I thought. I'm just going to turn around and- and who am I kidding, I can't leave her like this. To hell with what everyone thinks.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Shinrei felt the bed move behind her and two strong arms pressed against her back. Her eyes slowly opened and she shivered as her listener's hot breath brushed by her ear. Then she heard a voice she thought she would never hear again. "Did you really think you could kill me?" As Hiei moved away from the bed she once again rose into a sitting position, her eyes never leaving his face.
"Hiei! But you're-"
"Dead. Heh. I'm still faster than you, young Shinrei, and such an insignificant cut as the one you gave me will not end my life."
Shinrei's mind raced, thoughts flying through her head. 'He's not dead. He's alive. And Kouu's dead. That means I can finally-'
"Finally what?" Hiei asked after reading her thoughts, amusement and curiosity lacing his voice.
Shinrei bit her lip before reaching out to grab the front of Hiei's coat and pull him close. "Finally do this." She said and yanked his head down, hesitantly brushing her lips against his before taking a deep breath and passionately kissing him.
Just as he began to think, 'Now I can see why that stupid detective enjoys this so much,' she pulled away blushing. He reached up to tuck a strand of her midnight black hair back. "Why?"
Blushing deeper, Shinrei told him, "I've wanted to do that since you left." She looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. 'And I've just made a fool of myself.' She thought. "I'll let you tell your friends what I said." She lay back down and turned to face the wall.
Suddenly the arms were back again, supporting her weight as she leaned into then, arching her back as a cat would. She felt Hiei come closer to her. Finally, with his breath caressing her ear and throat, he said, "This is what I have wanted to do, even before I left." He swiftly brought his teeth to her neck, just above where Kouu's mark had been and she felt a sharp pain followed by immense pleasure as Hiei claimed her and licked the blood away.
Hiei smiled as he brought his head up. 'No one can hurt you now.' He sent to her and backed away toward the door. 'Not even Kouu's ghost would touch you.' Then as silently as he entered, he left- both the room and Shinrei to her thoughts.
Shinrei stared at the wall in shock, goose bumps rippling up and down her flesh as she pieced together what had happened. Her hand snaked up to touch the newly made mark. Finally, her thoughts became too much and she let herself drift to sleep with a smile on her face and her hand resting on Hiei's claim.
o.o.o.o.o.o
"Well, Shrimp?" Yusuke demanded as the dark haired demon stalked toward the group.
"Well, what?" He snapped, his usual mask back in place.
"What'd she say? Did you tell her you're not dead? What should we do to her?"
"Leave her alone, detective." Hiei told Yusuke calmly. "Let her live the life she should have lived. What happened to me was not her fault, it was Kouu's. She was forced." He kept walking down the hall and added in a soft voice, which only Kurama heard, "And I'm sorry I couldn't stop it."
Kurama glanced at his friend and saw a single tear roll down Hiei's face and into his hand were it solidified into a brilliant ruby gem.
"Will she be okay?" Kuwabara asked.
"She'll be fine." Hiei said softly, curling his fist around the gem now resting in his palm. 'We'll be fine.'
OK! There you go. As soon as I get the betaed ver back ill put it up. To those of you who can guess where the names of these two come from, Kudos! And there will definatley be another sequel, my mind simply will NOT let this go!
Oh, before I go, I have a friend who has never watched or even heard of Yu Yu Hakusho. I was explaining to her the plot and characters. She said that Hiei sounded a lot like French Toast. Hard and crusty on the outside, but warm and chewy on the inside. Just thought I'd share that. However, sharing's done... SO REVIEW!