Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or any of the characters from the show/manga. I am not gaining any profit either. However, the characters Neko, Kaze, Taki, Kanaria, Cuddles(the dragon) and the Shape-shifters of Darkness are my creations. I will allow others to use these characters, so long as credit is stated.

AN: My sole intention is for readers to enjoy two of the less-known characters of YYH. Plz do enjoy. If interested, I will be happy to listen and (perhaps) add ideas into this fanfic. Thank you.

CHAPTER TWO: NEKO AND KAZE, KANARIA AND TAKI

Jin and Touya tactfully picked their way through the brush of the old mountain, getting closer to the girls' home with each step. It was no easy task, to say the least. There wasn't any visible trail, it was an uphill walk to seemingly nowhere, they tripped often and Jin and Touya were frequently getting slapped in the face by plantlife. The mid-summer heat of the Human World didn't help either.

As the boys clambered upward, dripping with sweat and severely drained of energy, Cuddles slithered underfoot easily, as if it were a mere walk in the park. He was in a snake costume that was rather...unconvincing. Touya just hoped Neko was as blonde as the people in town claimed.

"Dammit! I'd take a trip to the Arctic over this any day! Why'd we agree to do this again!" Jin asked. In the summer heat, and under the circumstances, not a wise thing to ask.

"Your the one who said 'we've got nothin' better to do'!" Touya screeched, his usual patience shortened under the pressure of the situations at hand. Jin spun around, his eyes blazing with the old Irish anger.

"Yer the one that got killed in the first place!" he retorted hotly.

"Only after you---" Touya's remark was interrupted by a woman's shout of joy. Behind the boys, a full-grown buck crashed through the brush; dead. Lodged deep within the fallen beast's skull, a black arrow was all that announced the creature's cause of death. Both boys began to panic as footsteps raced to the site of the collapsed deer, running by the sounds of the snapping shrubs and undergrowth.

"All right! You got him, Kaze!" came a lightly-spoken, female voice. Two figures strode forth from the brush behind the boys, and stopped about four yards away from them. Jin and Touya gawked.

One girl was slim and short, about Touya's height, and frail in appearance. She was blonde, had light blue eyes, and wore a silk kimono, also the color blue. It fit comfortably, and it was apparent that she ate regularly. She obviously saw a lot of sunlight too, because an even tan coated her where cloth did not conceal her skin. A bright smile covered her face, and the boys dumbly grinned back. However, their smiles faded quickly once they caught sight of the other figure.

The second girl was the complete opposite of of the first, with the exception that she was also slim. Maybe a little too slim...but she still had a sturdier frame than the other girl. She had darker hair, streaked red here and there by natural highlights. Her eyes were hazel, but dark and calculating as well. She wore a tightly set frown, which didn't seem out of place when veiwed with her clothing; a black tank-top hung loosely over her torso, and baggy black jeans were secured in place by a belt of the same hue. Pale as a sheet of paper, it was clear she didn't spend her waking hours in sunlight, and darker patches of skin proved there were many scars concealed beneath her attire.

Dumbstruck by the odd pair, the boys gaped in shock. Such a nice, lovely girl, and such a menacing, tattered girl...a strange combination. And they lived in the same house.

"Just who the hell are you? And what are you doing on our property?" questioned the frowning girl, her mouth hardly muttering the words in a horrible growling sound. The other girl rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh! How impolite of us!" Touya exclaimed, bowing, "I am Touya, and this is Jin. We came here to see about renting some rooms in this area. Could you ladies help us?"

"Oh! Yes!" the girl in the kimono nodded, "We own the house on the hill over there. You'll have to excuse Kaze here. We don't get many visitors, and we prefer being left in solitude. There are two rooms up for rent."

"You go show them around, Neko, and I'll get this buck prepared for the market. And please warn them about what happens if anyone goes near my room." Kaze grumbled, glaring at Jin and Touya. Neko nodded.

"'kay. Are you eating tonight?" she responded. Kaze shook her head.

"It's a two hour hike down to the market, and it'll get dark soon. I'll be back in the morning, so you'll probably hear the door at about three. Just get these two shown around and hooked up for rent or whatever." was her gruff retort. Jin felt his anger rising at the girl's attitude, and gritted his teeth to hold back his comeback. Somehow, he didn't think telling Kaze to "shut the hell up and go so they could have some peace and quiet" was a very good idea.

As Kaze made her way down the mountain, hauling the dead buck with her, the boys followed Neko up to the cabin. The going was still rough, especially for Jin with his burned feet, but when they got there, any discomfort was forgotten either by awe or terror.

It was a beautiful cabin, made of dark wood, and it had only a few things that the boys thought unusual in Human World: iron locks on every door and window, chains on certain walls, the scent of blood around the place and weaponry stored in every imaginable place. Otherwise, a normal home. With a final exception; the "forbidden room".

The "forbidden room" of the house was Kaze's lair, a room that was blocked from the rest of the house by an iron gate. Through the gaps in the gate, the boys could easily see deep scratch marks embedded in the wooden door, which had been painted the odd color of black. Any questions they asked about why the room was blocked off or where the scratches came from were quickly interupted by Neko changing the subject.

Neko's room was approachable, and also very appealing. Deep blue wallpaper allowed the lighter colored curtains to appear more soothing, and pictures of cats were abundant within the compound. Light streamed in from the windows, and soft white carpet reminded Touya of snow. There was little the boys thought unusual about Neko's room.

The rooms the boys were staying in were also very bright and comfortable, and they settled right in. Agreeing to pay 200$ a month, (which Koenma would have to pay) Jin and Touya were soon eating stew with Neko. And still pondering...

"I don't mean to pry, but why is Kaze so..." Touya found himself unable to put it into words. Neko blinked, then sighed.

"Kaze...grew up very differently then I did, and I honestly don't know the entire story. But after nearly seven years of living in the same home, I have found out quite a bit. She...Kaze has...She's had a lot of...issues. Issues I don't think can be remedied." Neko said, struggling to explain.

"What...What kind of issues?" Jin asked, curiousity getting the better of him. His ears were trying to poke through the hat, and he had to make sure they didn't, or else he and Touya would be found out way too early. Neko bit her lower lip.

"Neko?" the ice master asked, after a minute of silence. The girl shook her head.

"I may have already told you too much." she whispered sadly, standing and taking the emptied dishes to the kitchen sink. Touya and Jin exchanged glances.

DREAM:

Later that night, as Jin and Touya slept, Neko silently made her way to Kaze's lair. She'd heard the gate like Kaze said she would, but she wanted to make sure it really was Kaze. Neko stopped at the gate, her heart pounding. Crouched between the gate and scratched door, glaring, was Kaze.

Kaze, in her demon form.

Maybe it was the way Kaze's silver eyes glared at her through the gaps in the old gate. Maybe it was the pair of tattered black wings and the long, whip-like tail. Or the black talons on both of Kaze's hands and feet, coated with blood. Whatever it was, Neko didn't like it at all.

It scared her worse than death. And then, she woke, covered in a cold sweat. Something had woken her from her nightmare. Something familiar; the gate.

END OF DREAM:

Touya shot awake as soon as he heard it. The iron gate. That meant Kaze was back, and he might get his answers. Or a black eye. Whichever she was willing to give.

'Which will probably be a black eye.' Touya thought, listening. He heard soft footsteps outside his door, heading towards the gate. Neko.

With Neko up, the ice master knew his plan of questioning Kaze would have to wait. Neko was too kind, and he didn't want her upset if he inquired Kaze in front of her. No. That would probably cause conflict. And conflict often got men kicked out of a home; rented or not. As he thought of another way to question Kaze, a hellish sound reached his ears. A menacing, hateful, growling. And it was coming from the "forbidden room", just down the hall. Then, there was a different sound.

The sound of ripping flesh.

Touya felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. Neko had just walked down to that room, and now the horrific sounds of something tearing at flesh. What was going on?

"Shit. What do I do?" the ice master asked himself, rising carefully from his bed. His attempt at a silent approach was broken first by the floorboards creaking, then by his own loud curse as he felt Cuddles, panicked, bite his foot. His hands immediately went to cover his mouth.

Jin was sleeping heavily when he first heard it; the scrapping and scratching. It wasn't loud; barely audible in fact, but more than just a little out of place nonetheless. He rose from the bed, and used a soft wind to float above the floor. He knew better. One creaky old floorboard, and whatever was scrapping would know he was awake. Who cared if Kaze and Neko figured it out tonight? It was so late that he could just say they were imagining things. Or, if that didn't work, he and Touya could always over-power them. They were, as Koenma had pointed out, just women.

'If that Kaze can even be called a woman.' the wind master thought to himself, still upset with Kaze's behavior. However, he realized, a guy had to admire a girl who could kill a buck so easily and not be afraid to touch it. Even demon women didn't like to touch dead things. Well, much anyways.

Jin and Touya entered the hall at the same time. They nodded when they saw one-another, then looked down the hall to Kaze's room. Both quickly gave a start.

Neko and Kaze were both chained at the gate; unconcious. Two figures were standing next to them, and with the moonlight's help, they both could see the attackers' faces.

"Not you two again!" Jin complained, falling to his knees and shaking his head. One of the figures leaped at him, and, before he even knew it, had him in a tight embrace.

"Oh, Jin! You're so sexy when you're irritated!" the girl exclaimed, trying vainly to get him to hold still long enough for her to kiss him. Jin pushed her away, stood, and turned on the hall light.

"Oh! Kanaria! You are so embarrassing everyone!" exclaimed the second figure, a girl with blue eyes light as ice and frost-like hair. She was obviously refering to the girl still trying to kiss Jin. Kanaria had red hair and forest green eyes.

"Ummm...Hello, Taki. Glad to know you can restrain yourself." Touya said to the blue-eyed girl, dressed in a deep blue kimono. She nodded, then sighed. Kanaria wore more... revealing clothing: a low-cut shirt of white cloth and a sky blue skirt with a slit all the way up to her hip.

"I'll admit that I think you're handsome, but I will not resort to knocking the owners of a house unconcious, chaining them to a wall, and tackling a former Shinobi because he looks hot." Taki responded, shaking her head in pure disapproval of her comrade. At that moment, Kaze opened her eyes.

"Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in our house?" she asked, obviously very pissed off. Blood coated her hands, and Touya instantly gave a start. Kaze saw this, and looked at her hands. Then she glanced back at Touya, blinked, and pointed to her stomach. If Jin and Touya hadn't been freaked out by the sounds they'd heard earlier, they were frightened at what they saw now.

The girl's stomach was torn up.

Neko woke a minute later, after she and the wounded Kaze had been released of their chains. She had a lot of questions herself, but the boys needed some explanations first.

"What the hell is up with this?" Jin inquired, laying a hand across Kaze's injury in a vain attempt to slow the bleeding. She didn't flinch or make any sound. She didn't even try to glare at him. Kanaria gave Kaze a look to kill, and Neko covered her mouth.

"Damn. What did this?" Touya asked, taking a closer look at the damage. Taki took a look as well. Suddenly, Neko spoke.

"They're...back?" she questioned quietly. Kaze gave a firm nod.

"Who is back?" Touya asked.

"Our old gang." Kaze replied weakly, before her eyes closed and she fell comatose.

"Your...old gang? What's she mean?" Taki needled Neko a minute later. The blonde girl sighed, then led them to Kaze's door. Running a hand over the scarred wood, she began.

"Kaze and I...we aren't human. We're...demons. She and I are transforming into two of the Shape-shifters of Darkness. Again." Touya and Jin jumped a little in surprise.

"Again?" the ice master repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Truth is, I'm really 90 years old. Kaze is even older, about 270 years old. That's why we're both at the S-class level." Neko explained. The two boys exchanged glances.

"But, why do you live here?" Taki questioned.

"...When we were young, Kaze and I were captured by the Demon Slave Trade. It took us nine years to finally escape. Then we fled here so we wouldn't be bothered, and over the years our powers have grown to S-class." the blonde replied.

"And this gang comes in where?" asked Kanaria.

"30 years ago, a group of other demons came up here. At first they just needed us to kill enemies, and in return they would make sure no one set foot on our property. But then things changed. They needed inside information of the Demon Slave Trade, because their leader had been taken. Kaze and I refused to help, and they swore to come back and kill us when they suceeded in releasing her." Neko continued. When she said 'property', she considered the other two girls, who had intruded upon their home. Taki gasped when she caught on, and bowed. Kanaria, hesitantly, did the same.

"We are terribly sorry. We heard that two boys had come up here hoping to rent some rooms. When we learned it was Jin and Touya, we wanted to see. But instead we ran into her." Taki explained, pointing at the hurt girl near the gate. Jin still had a hand pressed against the slash, but the flow of blood wouldn't slow.

"Speaking of, will some one go get some bandages? My hand's soaked with her blood." the wind master requested. From the look on his face the wound was not minor.

"Oh! Yeah, hold on." Neko said, heading into the large closet next to Kaze's room. She reappeared a minute later, a bottle of hydrogen poroxide, a bag of cotton balls, and a load of bandages in her arms.

"Uh...could at least you boys wait downstairs?" Neko asked, heading back to the closet. This time she returned with a black tank-top of Kaze's. Jin and Touya blinked.

"Huh?" they stated. After all, it was friggin' three in the morning. Their brains weren't working full capacity. Neko sighed.

"Well...the damage is on her abdomen. So..." she began, "I have to wrap that area up. To do that, I have to..." Neko didn't finish.

"What she's saying, boys, is that she has to take the girl's shirt off to tend to the wound." Taki finished. The boys' eyes widened.

"Oh..." they said, gazing at the unconcious girl. She also had several bruises...