FCL64: Kiyoshi and I are back! Aren't you guys excited?
Kiyoshi: This chapter she owns Yuri in addition to Ella.
FCL64: Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, read it cause it makes me happy!
Hiding It's Guiding Light…
"Again, Ella?" A girl asked, shaking her head.
Ella giggled, walking backward. "I can't help it. You humans are so weird. Why does there have to be a particular time for everything, and nothing outside its particular time? I find it fascinating, Yuri, you know that!"
"Yes. Well, I need to get home; my mom will be wondering where I am. Stay out of trouble! Remember I'll be gone tomorrow and this weekend, so there'll be no one to keep you in line." Yuri grinned, "No one to logically explain away anything strange you do."
"I'll be fine," Ella assured her. "I survived for years without your help!"
"In Makai. Not the human realm. People here start to wonder if you stick out to much. And Ella, with that hair and all your odd habits, you stick out like a sore thumb. And the last time I wasn't here, you walked around the city—and school—all day long without shoes on!"
Ella just laughed again, remembering all the stares she had gotten that day. "I'll be fine. Nothing will happen."
She couldn't have known that, at that very moment, she was being watched. A woman with hair that changed colors with the light had seen this lone demon in the human plane. She saw something very rare in that girl. Someone who saw no boundaries between the human and the demonic. To her they were all just… people.
But this girl was not the only one this apparently all-seeing woman was watching at that time. She also saw the man asleep in the tree. She had been watching him for almost a year now. He, too, was a demon. But, as far as personalities went, he and Ella couldn't have been more different.
He was cold, estranged from everyone around him. The only person in the world he cared for was his twin sister, although she was unaware of their biological relationship. His involvement in the Dark Tournament and the missions of Koenma's spirit detectives had brought him to the woman's attention. And she felt that alone was no way to live one's life.
Of the four, one was head-over-heels in love with this man's sister. Another was happy when he fought and happy when he was around a particular girl he had loved longer than he was willing to admit. They were a match she would have made, but they hadn't needed her help. The third had almost lost his life, but was now content living among humans with a human mother. Talk about a one-eighty from the vicious demon he once was. Only this one was unhappy.
Now, walking home, Ella would pass his tree. Perfect. But it wasn't time to get personally involved. Not yet. Hiding her guidance often worked better than working directly with the people. Just as she was walking by, the woman leaned down and blew a breath of wind through the trees. It caught Ella's papers, several of which got stuck in the tree Hiei was currently sleeping in.
She looked down at her now-empty arms, the expression on her face one of mild surprise. It seemed to say, "Now how in the world did that happen? I'm sure there were papers in my arms a minute ago…"
Looking up, as if that were the most logical place to search for lost papers, she spotted her biology homework in the tree. She laughed, "Why thank you, Mr. Tree! You have found my papers for me."
Hiei's eyes widened in wonder at this strange comment, having been woken by Ella's tinkling laugh. He could see her through the branches as she moved toward the base of the tree, where she kicked off her shoes. Humming to herself, she placed one calloused foot on an almost-nonexistent foothold and began to climb the tree.
When she reached the lowest branch, that look of mild surprise crossed her face again. Hiei just stared back, no expression touching his features. He blinked once as those startling silver eyes continued to stare at him in wonder. "You're not human," she said.
Normally Hiei wouldn't have dignified a statement as obvious as that one with a response. But, for some reason, he found himself answering, in spite of himself, "So? You aren't human either."
She pulled herself up onto his branch and looked down at her pale hands. Then she answered cheerfully, "I know."
She then swung out to the end of the branch, her small frame barely shaking the tree. She grabbed her papers then looked back at Hiei, "My name's Ella. What's yours?"
"Hiei." Why he had given his name to this strange apparition he couldn't have said. She just made you want to talk to her somehow. Maybe it was the fact that you got the impression she wouldn't remember anything you said anyway.
"Hiei? That sounds familiar…" This he had never heard before. Either people had heard of him, or they hadn't. And if they had, they knew exactly who he was and feared him for it. This girl just shrugged. "Well, bye!" She then dropped from the tree and scampered off after her other papers, leaving her shoes beneath Hiei's tree.
"Grab her shoes and go after her," the woman watching them urged, not that Hiei could hear her. "Take them to her. You're fast; you can catch her."
Hiei saw the shoes, briefly wondered if she'd come back for them, then promptly fell back to sleep.
FCL64: There's that chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!
Kiyoshi: Yes. We both do. FCL64 is here to write the chapter… I'm here to keep her on-track.
FCL64: What's that supposed to mean?
Kiyoshi: It means you've been drinking Dr. Pepper and are currently shaking from a caffeine/sugar rush. You get distracted enough when you're not shaky from too much sugar.
FCL64: Thanks so much. Well, please review!
Kiyoshi: Speaking of reviews...
FCL64: Oh yes! We have several very nice people who reviewed! Yay! Here they are:
SecretPassion21: Glad you're looking forward to this update! The title sounds familiar... I'll check it out!
no name 128: I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. Also it makes me very happy that you read my other story and liked enough to start reading this one!
animegrlsteph: yes... took me long enough to start posting didn't it? even now i'm not sure if i have enough chapters written in advance... hmmm... i guess we'll find out.
Kiyoshi: Until next time, then!
FCL64: Adios! Did you know that word comes from a spanish phrase meaning 'I commend you to God'?
Kiyoshi: Easily distracted? I think so. We're going now. (drags the author away from her computer.)
