Hello again, hope you like to see the whole gang in one room this chapter is funnier than the last one or so I think. So please enjoy. Oh, and for those of you that have to know how to pronounce the name in the last chapter, ME: it pisses me off when I can't pronounce the name right, if that's any consolation it's Kobe(co-bay). Not like the city in Japan has absolutly no relation and i didn't even know that a city called Kobe exsisted until i had to do a report about Japan in my History class, after i started this fic...strange i know.
The last word...the child's name...had come in a whisper as if he would blow the essence of the child's voice away.
He felt himself falling and he didn't know why the child's name had come and why he felt so sure that was the name… but blackness faded into white light … then all seemed well in Hiei's mind, but his heart was still at battle…
Hiei awoke from the dream; sweat was running off his face like a fountain.
"What the hell was that?" he asked himself, "Why did I know that boy…Kobe…why did I care…why did I…cry…," Hiei looked around, he was still in the tree that he had chosen to sleep in for the night.
He touched his hand to his heart. 'Ice?' he questioned silently.
Hiei always wore black. He had on a black cape that went all the way around his person, this cape also had sleeves, and he was wearing black pants and black boots. His hair was black with a little white in the front, and it stuck up on its own. His eyes were red and he was only about five feet tall, with a sword that was hidden beneath his cape. He also wore a white bandanna around his forehead so that he wasn't using his Jagan, a third eye that made him a very powerful demon.
Hiei sat back and tried to remember the last time he had a dream that seemed so real, if ever a dream at all. Even when the demon monster had killed him he felt pain. He felt sadness when he watched the child fall over the cliff. To him they were feelings that he couldn't explain to himself.
Hiei rose from the tree branch, the face and the voice of the child still firmly stamped into his memory. He proceeded to jump from treetop to treetop; he was making his way to Koenma's castle and a way to Ningenkai.
"Ah, Hiei, there you are, hope you know that we have been looking for you for a very long time… where have you been?" Koenma asked, not even looking up from his book to see who was at the door but just knowing. "Well, do you have an excuse for your rudeness in not contacting me and especially your friends."
"My friends, yea," Hiei remarked sarcastically.
"Well, they seem to think that you are their friend. Aria has been especially worried. And Kurama… don't even get me started, 'have you found him yet, have you found him yet?' sheesh, he hasn't stopped asking," Koenma said, looking up from his reading. Hiei's face seemed out of it and he was looking at the wall with what could be perceived as interest, but actually he was lost in his own thoughts. Koenma could tell, he was old enough to read a face. "Um…Hiei are you okay, you look like you're sick?"
Hiei looked at the short lord of the spirit world, "Tell me Koenma, when you have a dream it usually resembles things you have already seen or touched or felt, right?" Hiei asked looking around the room.
Koenma nodded and listened attentively.
"Well, what is different when you have a dream that has nothing to do with what you in your own lifetime have experienced; what is it called then?" Hiei asked, keeping himself from looking the ruler straight in the eye.
"Well, Hiei, it could mean a lot of different things, you could be seeing your past or your future, or the past or future of someone else… a vision, if you will. Hiei…" Koenma's voice became very grave, "Has this happened to you, is that why you're curious?" Koenma asked, looking at his guest's face and trying to read it again.
"I guess you could say that," Hiei said, twiddling with a pen that he'd picked up off the floor.
"Hiei, you should tell me about it, maybe I can help you," Koenma suggested.
"I just need to get to Ningenkai; can you help me with that or can you not?" Hiei asked, emphasizing his point, he set the pen back down on the desk and turned to the door as if to leave.
"Yes, Hiei, I can help you get there but you must promise me something, you have to go tell Kurama you're here or he will never leave me alone," Koenma said, continuing to read his book. "Go tell the guards at the gate I sent you and they should get out of your way, if they don't…beat them up or something." Koenma then waved Hiei out of the room.
Hiei left without a word and went to the human world gate. He smirked at the thought of being able to hit the guards if need be, ever since he'd awoken this morning he'd had an insatiable urge to hit someone, ever since the demon in his dream had killed him so easily. He found the two guards talking about something, when they saw him they immediately straightened up and looked serious. Hiei proceeded to walk right by them but they stopped him with their spears crossing in front of him.
"I'm sorry, you cannot pass, not without lord Koenma's approval," one of the guards stated clearly.
"I have Koenma's consent to go to the human world; now let me pass or I also have the consent to beat you both senseless," Hiei spat.
"I'm sorry, I cannot let you pass," the same guard said again.
Hiei sighed and pulled his hands out of his pockets and with what looked like a blur, and punched the guard in the face. He looked that the other guard who immediately backed away and let Hiei pass.
Hiei walked down a human world street, passing people as he went to Aria's house to find her and Kurama, keeping to the silent promise with Koenma. Women of all ages gawked as the handsome young man walked by them, although Hiei hadn't grown much in the past two years, only gaining three inches, making him only about five three. He was certain he'd continue to grow.
He kept to himself as he walked, his gaze met the blue eyes of a girl about his own age, and she quickly blushed and looked away, only looking back at him when he had walked past her.
Hiei continued walking, a couple of the men he saw as he walked looked a little shady and Hiei didn't feel he wanted to show off his power in public… not to mention that Aria would have his head for such a thing.
One person he walked by reminded Hiei of Kurama's human mother, of whom he'd only met once. And for some reason he liked her, she was kind and sweet, and very motherly, something that Hiei truly didn't know much about. The thought passed when he saw Aria and Kurama's house come into sight.
Aria heard a knock on the door and put down her cooking and went to get it. Knowing the others were too busy with their games to care who was at the door or if someone was even there at all.
She walked into the living room to find Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara way too involved in a video game. She also saw Boton, Shizuru, and Keiko playing a board game on the small living room table. She saw the little blue blob, Puu that was Yusuke's spirit beast.
"Dinner is almost ready people," Aria called as she walked through the room to the door.
She heard the boys as they yelled at the TV screen when their character died, as she opened the door she smiled and laugh at them, then turned to see Hiei standing in the doorway.
"Hiei!" She said happily, "Where have you been?" she said opening a path to invite him in.
He walked in looked at the others playing their merry games, "I guess I'm not missing anything?" he asked when he walked in.
Kurama heard the voice of his best friend and was the first off the floor to greet him.
"Hiei, it has been awhile," Kurama said holding out his hand.
Hiei looked at him and took a firm grip of Kurama's hand, and shook it like a gentleman, looking squarely into Kurama's eyes, seeing the friendly glow again was calming, especially after his dream.
"Hey Urameshi, look it's shorty," Kuwabara said standing up and walking over. "But he's gotten taller."
"Hey Hiei, long time, no see. What you been up to?" Yusuke asked resting his arm on Hiei's shoulder.
"Wow, Hiei, you're back… didn't think I would be seeing you again… not in a while, at least," Boton said leaving her game.
Hiei looked around for Aria but couldn't find her, "Where did Aria go?" he asked who ever would answer.
"She's probably back in the kitchen, she invited them all over for dinner and as you can see they all came," Kurama said, sitting back down to play his game.
"Aria cooks really good food," Kuwabara added; he too was sitting down to finish the game and was followed by Yusuke.
Hiei said nothing more but wandered into the kitchen and found Aria cooking just as Kurama said.
Hiei wasn't sure exactly what to call his relationship with Aria and Kurama, he just felt at peace around them and could talk to them easily. So when the chance came to spend time around Kurama or Aria, or both, he would gladly do it and sometimes he just had to get away from the girls and humans.
"Hiei, I'm glad you're here… could you stir that gravy for me? It would be really helpful of you," Aria asked, she motioned toward a small pot on the stove, and then she continued to cut up potatoes.
Hiei's first thought was 'What the hell is gravy?' but didn't say anything. Hiei looked at the pot of light brown, thick liquid and took hold of the spoon and the pot handle and began to stir it in circles, he wasn't sure what he was doing but he stirred like she had asked.
When there wasn't a 'no' response like she had expected, Aria turned to see him stirring the gravy without complaint.
"Hiei, there's something bothering you, isn't there?" Aria asked picking up the potatoes and dumping them in a pot of boiling water.
Hiei stopped stirring for a moment and looked, stunned, into the brown liquid that wouldn't even reflect his face so he could see the look his face bore, but after he cleared his mind again he resumed the circular motion with the spoon.
"Hiei, what's wrong? You would always protest when it came to helping me. Now you're not," Aria said, taking another wooden spoon out of a drawer and stirring the potatoes.
"Hey, how did you do that?!" Yusuke asked loudly from the other room.
They heard Kurama respond, " x, o, R2, L1."
"Kurama has changed… he would have never even attempted to play any of those games willingly if he was still the same," Hiei said continuing to stir the pot.
"It's been two years, Hiei, what would you expect… three years ago you helped in the Youkai tournament. And two years ago you helped us defeat Sensui. They're all are glad that they don't have to go out and fight… that's why I invited them over. The boys love to play games, and the girls either watch, play, or do something else," Aria said opening the bottom oven, causing Hiei to have to move over a bit, and then she checked on something inside and closed it again.
"You've changed too, Hiei, I didn't think you would ever help me even if I asked nicely," Aria said leaning against the counter.
Hiei paused for a moment; he had been a little different to himself and everybody else. He thought about where he had been for the last two years but nothing came to mind. He couldn't remember where he had been.
Aria then wandered back over to the counter and started putting some dough on a pan. She wandered back over to the oven and Hiei moved over again so that she could put what needed to be in the smaller top oven.
"Well, not long now," she said wiping the sweat from her head, "are you going to stay for dinner? I even have a room that you can sleep in."
Hiei didn't say anything, but it didn't bother Aria as she proceeded to finish cooking.
After Aria had taken everything out of the oven and off the stove, she began to set the table. Hiei had left her to go see what the others were doing and hadn't returned… again it didn't bother Aria. Even though Kurama lived with her, he never helped cook, she was used to it.
Hiei walked into the living room and looked at the people there.
Kurama wasn't his real name; his true name was Shuichi Minamino, or that was his human name; he was taller than everybody but Kuwabara, standing about 5'9" and his hair was long and red. His eyes were a bright emerald green and his clothing consisted of a maroon colored kung-fu outfit, his shoes were a simple brown. He was very good looking and all the girls at school thought so, too. But he was a very skilled fighter, and only became that way because of the demon spirit inside of him, the spirit of Youko Kurama. He had fought and saved Hiei once, so the two were the best of friends, even if they didn't act like it.
Then there was Kazuma Kuwabara he had orange-looking hair and his eyes were a brown color. He stood the tallest of the group at about 6'. He was wearing his school uniform, which was a blue jumpsuit. His shoes were the same simple brown, and his power was the power to summon a spiritual sword of a glowing yellow color. He and Yusuke were a good team although Kuwabara always thought that he could beat Yusuke but he couldn't. He even cried when at Yusuke's wake, demanding that he shouldn't have died then, right when they had a score to settle. They were good friends now even though they made fun of one another; they would put themselves in harm's way to save the other.
Then, there was Yusuke Urameshi, the 'great spirit detective' hand picked by Koenma himself. When he died because a car hit him when trying to save a young child. Koenma thought that his spirit was perfect and chose him to become a spirit detective; the plus to that was that he got live again, the bad end was that he had the duty of protecting the human world from the youkai. He usually wore green jumpsuit even to school, and his hair was black and usually combed against his head. His eyes were deep brown. He wasn't too much shorter than Kuwabara at about 5'8". His special ability was his spirit gun, which was a blast of spirit energy at an opponent. It was very powerful but both Kuwabara and Yusuke could street fight and then add their spirit energy to the mix they could knock out a powerful demon.
There was also Keiko, a girl who got into this mess all because she loved Yusuke a little too much. She was usually a quiet girl, but even Hiei didn't want anything to do with her when she got mad. She had medium brown hair and her eyes were a hazel with a tint of yellow. She wasn't very tall only about 5'5". She always wore some kind of dress but she never wore a really short one, because of all the boys she hung around.
Boton was the grim reaper of the human world; she came to pick up the people who have just died and take them to spirit world. She was also the guardian of the river Styx. She met Yusuke when he died… she showed him that he had to get back to the human world and protect his friends and family. Soon after that she became Yusuke's messenger -sort of- always giving him messages from Koenma and getting herself into trouble. Yusuke was glad to have her there, however, and every body else was glad too that she kept him in check. Because she is a spirit, her hair has a blue tint to it and her eyes are pink, which makes her different from the others; her really good usefulness to the team is her power to heal slight wounds.
And then there was Shizuru Kuawbara, Kazuma's older sister, she was shorter than him but she was definitely stronger than him, she stood about the same height as Yusuke, about 5'8". She kept him in check and like any other sibling was always looking out for him. Her hair was light brown and her eyes were the same brown color as her brother's. She had no really special powers but is able to sense ghosts and apparitions, she has a little psychic ability. She was a tomboy and always wore what Kuwabara or Yusuke would wear. Which was usually a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
And lastly there was Aria, she was a youkai now, but she hadn't been four years ago, at least she didn't know four years ago. She was a simple human, or so she thought she never knew her birth parents. She didn't stay in foster care long enough to find a home. She traveled across land and through forests and found her self in Yusuke's town. Badly beaten and bruised, she was being attacked by punkers and was helped by Yusuke. At the age of thirteen she came to live with Yusuke and his parents. A year later, Yusuke's father died and Yusuke's mother kicked her out of the house because his mom started drinking. Yusuke's mother blamed Aria for her husband's death and banned her from her house and the only home Aria had ever known.
Aria had found a way to live; she started working at an apartment building, in return she got to live there, and then started working another job to pay for food. She eventually found a well paying job and bought a house that she could live in and she went back to school. At the age of fifteen she had found all that she needed. Her luck never seemed to run out.
Then she died. She was caught up in great debt that she couldn't get herself out of and was killed for it. Yusuke didn't understand when he awoke from being dead for two weeks; it was Aria that had awakened him and she died bleeding in his arms. Aria had given up the last of her life energy to save him. Up until that point Yusuke and Aria were the best of friends and inseparable. She came back as her true form a demon fox, and a well-respected fighter in the youkai world. Even Koenma the lord of spirit world didn't make this creature angry.
She had medium brown hair that was slightly highlighted, and her eyes were an amber-yellow, though she could hide them and make them look aqua colored. She had brown fuzzy fox ears that when she was in public were hidden with her magic as well. She also had a pair of angelic black night wings that would recede into her back when she wanted them to. She, too, was a tomboy and wore boys clothing and never really thought otherwise.
Aria and Youko Kurama had known each other since they were children in Makai. They even were thieves together as well, but she got very badly injured and separated from Youko and their companion, Kuronue.
She found a way to save herself and took the chance…she became human.
She eventually found her way to the human world as a spirit and took over the body of a human child, becoming human herself. She took over the body of a dying baby, so she saved the child by becoming half of the babe's soul. She had forgotten all her memories and now knew it was the price to pay for the trade.
Not long after, although, unknown to the baby Aria. Youko had suffered a very similar fate, becoming a child to a human although the child he had become was a fetus, and when Kurama was born he did remember being Youko.
Aria was older by about five months than Kurama, in human years. Kuronue, their companion died soon after Aria, he had died trying to get back something very precious and was skewered by a trap hunters had set for him.
Although Kurama and Youko seem different, they are the same person, and because Youko loved Aria when they were thieves, his feelings never changed when he became Kurama. Aria had felt the same way ever since they met when they were children. And even though Kurama and Youko seemed like different people they are one in the same and what ever Youko feels so does Kurama and the same way around. And so if Youko loves Aria so does Kurama.
Kurama had once become evil, joining Hiei to get a demon mirror, and save his human mother, but when Yusuke saved his life and the life of his mother he and Yusuke were now on the same team.
Hiei was on the human side because he had fought Yusuke and was defeated by him once and now even though Hiei and Yusuke considered each other friends, Hiei vowed revenge for the defeat of simple luck. He also loves to fight people who can match his strength.
"Aww, Urameshi, you killed me again, you bastard," Kuwabara yelled at Yusuke who immediately retaliated.
"Hey, it's a stupid game; could you stop getting so mad… it's not like I'm beating you senseless again!" Yusuke yelled back.
They both heard the sound of the game ending and a winner being confirmed, "Well, while you two were busy bickering I won the round," Kurama said with a little mock in his voice.
"Hey, that's not fair, you cheated!" Yusuke said and then began to pout and restarted the game.
Kurama decided he was done and went to see what Aria was doing.
"Okay guys, everything is ready, you can go sit down and start," Aria said peeking around the corner.
"Oh boy, food!" Yusuke and Kuwabara said in unison then getting up and actually running to the table.
The girls made their way to the table as a group talking about something, and Hiei after hearing the word 'food' he became oddly hungry.
Aria walked through the doorway and looked at Hiei, "Well, you coming?" she asked.
Hiei gave her an odd look but got up and proceeded to the table. He sat down in a chair next to Kurama who immediately noticed him there and tried to begin a conversation. Hiei had never really seen human food or tasted it for that matter; he looked at the food and then at Kurama and the others. Yusuke and Kuwabara were piling their plates with food and Kurama was taking very little of everything. He then began to copy Kurama and picked up what ever looked edible to him.
After a while, Hiei had managed to eat everything on his plate and then some, he felt very full. Kurama was talking to Aria and Yusuke and Kuwabara were fighting over the last roll in the basket. The girls were again in conversation and he felt that they weren't going to talk to him and he didn't really care either. He excused himself and went to his favorite room in the house, the small library, which Kurama had stacked with books, from both the Ningen and Makai worlds.
He looked through the shelves and found a book with an interesting title and began to read. Not long after Kurama came into the room, Hiei immediately noticed because something changed in the air when Kurama came near him. That's why when the two had first met, Hiei felt this and immediately thought that he was an enemy and tried to kill him. Hiei was wounded from their fight and Kurama took him back to his house and treated his wounds, they became friends when Kurama had helped him defeat the demon he was looking for. From then on the were very close and they would tell stories from when they were little to each other, Kurama always thought that Hiei's stories were better though.
"Hi Hiei, what are you doing?" Kurama asked, his soft tone made the air about the room stay the same.
"Reading a Ningen book," Hiei said holding up the book so Kurama could read the title.
"A World War II book, I don't like those much… lots of death," Kurama said picking up a book from off a table near by. He sat on the couch in the room and began to read, Hiei had balanced himself on the top of a cushioned armchair.
Oooooo really like what happens next I hope you do too, but for this chapter please r&r and just like last time tell me if anything is wrong or needs to be fixed. And again for those of you that need the proper pronunciation it's Aria (Air-ee-a).