A/N: Hi again! I hope everyone liked the last chapter, I worked hard on it! Poor Kasumi though, she keeps getting beat up, I need to give the girl a break…but I'm pretty evil, so who knows if that'll happen. I don't have much to say today, so happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho nor am I making any money by writing this.

Warnings: Swearing, adult themes, blood/gore, violence, etc.

. . .

I don't remember being carried up to my apartment, I think I must have been lying on my couch for a while before I even noticed we were no longer in the truck. I felt comatose and I didn't come out of that state until Botan arrived to "patch me up," which turned out to be something completely different than what I was thinking. It was like magic, that's the only way I can explain it, though she told me that while it was similar to white magic it was actually her using Reiki or Spirit energy to amplify and speed up the body's natural healing processes. It had an actual name…Pneumotherapy, I believe she called it. It was odd all the same and I was not at all prepared for the sensations of being healed.

Her energy was a light yellow in color and looked like electricity, so I automatically jerked away from her hands when she came at me with them. It took her a couple of tries before I calmed down enough to allow her to hover her palms over my body and even then I laid there tense and wary. The feeling of the energy itself was interesting, it was warm but cold at the same time, if that made any sense. When it actually healed my wounds, it made me shiver and itch, because they were spontaneously closing themselves. Watching it was even weirder, so I just closed my eyes and tried to pretend it wasn't happening.

She healed Hiei's burns too, because at one point I felt her hands come over my neck and then gently remove the bandages that were only barely hanging on at that point anyway. When she got to my arm she was able to heal my wrist but an alarmed, "Oh dear…" had my eyes shooting open.

"What is it?"

She looked up at me worriedly from her position kneeling next to the couch, "I'm not able to heal this one."

She indicated the palm mark on my arm, still black and ashen, like it has caused my skin to decay there. I had to avert my eyes from the sight because it made my stomach churn to look at it.

"Is this the mark that black smoke left on you?" She asked.

I nodded, not really in the mood to talk.

"I see my salve also did nothing for it." Kurama was hovering over me now as well, but behind the couch. I felt like a science experiment by this point.

"Perhaps we should take her to see Master Genkai?" Botan suggested.

Genkai…? I knew that name. Master Genkai was famous in Japan, but especially in the rural areas, like where my Grandfather had lived. He had been to see her on multiple occasions for advice or spiritual healing. I had even met her…just once, when I was very young. She was a martial arts master just like my Grandfather and as far as I could tell he had respected her a great deal. I could remember him telling me that if I ever got myself into a lot of trouble (of the demonic variety of course) I should pay her a visit and she would more than likely help me.

"I was planning on going to see the old hag tomorrow afternoon," said Yusuke from one of the armchairs, not sure which.

"We could take her tonight…?" Botan said.

"I'm not going anywhere tonight, forget it." I said, but it came out muffled considering I had thrown an arm over my face to block out the ceiling light.

"I'm not going tonight either, I just had to kill a bunch of demons and need a break."

"Then we should take her first thing in the morning, Yusuke." That was Keiko and she sounded disapproving, like we should have gone at this very second.

I thwarted all their plans then and there, "I have to work tomorrow, I don't have time to go see some old lady."

"You have to work on a Sunday?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes, Yusuke, the police don't close down just because it's Sunday."

"Well, maybe they should."

"Right…that would go over really well I'm sure."

"It could be the one day a week no one would get in trouble for anything, what's so bad about it?"

"Maybe the fact that murder and mayhem would likely occur!" I snap.

"Alright children, that's enough," Botan said through a giggle and shake of her head.

"Who's the child, because it sure as hell ain't me!" I say with a pointed look towards Yusuke.

"Ain't is not a word," I hear Keiko admonish from her seat at the kotatsu.

I roll my eyes, because what else can I do? Arguing with her would be pointless. I can feel Botan still trying to futilely heal the palm mark on my forearm so I pull away from her and roll over on the couch so my face is buried in the back cushions. It's better if I can't see them. If I remain silent long enough maybe they will just all go away and I can finally get some peace and quiet.

"When is your next day off Kas?" Kazuma asks.

"I don't know…" That wasn't true, I did know. I just didn't want to go get poked and prodded by Master Genkai.

"I'll go check; she hangs her schedule on the refrigerator." Damn you Keiko, I silently seethe, as she rises to go do just that.

As Keiko leaves an uneasy silence falls over the room, Yusuke starts to whistle and Botan joins in a moment later which does nothing but irritate me. Kurama hushes them after only a few seconds of the sound – whether it was because it bugged him too or not, I couldn't tell you. It only takes Keiko about a minute to check my schedule and then return to inform the room at large that I had Wednesday and Sunday off next week. Everyone begins to debate which day would be better, not including me in the conversation at all, which gets old pretty damn fast.

"We can go Sunday, if it's really that important to you fools." I say into the couch.

"Wouldn't Sunday be too late?" I hear Kazuma ask.

"What, am I dying?" I say sarcastically.

"Not that I know of…" Kazuma says, but it's uncertain, which does nothing but worry me.

"I can't go Wednesday and neither can you Kazu – we have class, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! We start University Monday!"

"Glad I could remind you, baka."

"When do your classes run till, Kasumi-san?" Kurama asks.

"Three in the afternoon, I believe." I answer.

He stops to think for a moment, "If we left right away that would give us enough time."

"It takes two hours to get to Grandma's." Yusuke points out.

Grandma? Was she seriously his Grandmother? No way this street punk was related to the great Master Genkai, how was that even possible? If that were true wouldn't he have known some other techniques, like Reiki? I had only heard stories about Genkai's powers, but my Grandfather was adamant that he had seen them with his very own eyes.

"I realize how long the trip will take Yusuke, but if we picked Kasumi-san up from the university –"

"Easy, peasy, because I'll already be there," Kazuma interrupts.

"And left right away," Kurama continues as if Kazu hadn't said anything, "That would give us a few hours with her before we would have to return."

"And what if this thing has cleared up by then?" I ask the back of the couch.

"There will be no need to go see Master Genkai, if that is the case."

"Well, let's hope for that then." I say petulantly.

"Ahem," I hear Botan clear her throat. "I have some other news that probably won't go over well."

"Oh yeah, what is it now Botan?" Yusuke says; an air of annoyance surrounding him that's very obvious given his tone.

"Koenma-dono wishes for Kasumi to be watched…at all times."

This had me shooting up on the couch so I could stare at Botan absolutely horrified. There wasn't a chance in hades I was going to be babysat. I could take care of myself, whether these idiots wanted to believe that or not.

"No way! Not going to happen!" I hold my hands up in an X, like I was calling out a penalty during some sports game.

"That won't be a big deal, I'll just stay with Keiko and Kuwabara can watch her at school."

"What about when Kasumi-san is at work, Yusuke?"

He floundered for a minute and then, "Oh I know! Hiei!"

I choked because that was the last thing I wanted. I was smart enough to figure out that Hiei wouldn't be watching me from inside the police station, which would be foolish and also suspicious on his part. No…he would watch me from outside, at a distance…with that fucking eye of his. The thought sent shivers down my spine again – having Hiei in my head all day…could end up very dangerous in deed. I would have to be careful of what I thought about and that would do nothing but distract me from my work. I couldn't allow this to happen.

"No," I said it so coldly, so firm, that everyone instantly went silent. I wasn't about to let this happen, when it could hinder my progress towards finding Hitomi. She was my number one priority, even with all this demonic shit I had suddenly been thrown into.

I knew my face must be just as harsh and deadly as my voice, if their looks of trepidation were anything to go by. "I don't need a babysitter, let alone one who is going to dig through my every waking thought."

"You know of his Jagan then?" Kurama asks.

Jagan…? No, I didn't know what that was, but it was easy enough to figure out. What a fitting name for that creepy thing embedded into his forehead: The evil eye.

"If you're referring to the fact I know he's a mind reader, then yes."

"He told you that?" it was Yusuke this time.

"No, I found out on my own after he picked through my head enough times." I practically spit at him, because I still feel violated and scared and worried. I don't know what he's seen…and that scares me even more.

"What if we made him promise only to watch you, nothing more?" Kurama suggests.

I shake my head no and glare at him again, "My decision is final. Koenma can kiss my ass."

I hear Botan start sputtering indignantly from beside me (she had slipped up onto the couch after I finally sat up) and Yusuke burst out laughing, but I didn't find it funny. I was completely serious. If Koenma was making sure I was kept in the dark about things that pertained to my sister than he best believe I will make things harder on him in the meantime. He may be a God and I have never met him, but that didn't mean I couldn't dislike him anyway. I knew I would have to corner Yusuke at some point to find out anything and even then, I wasn't so sure he would tell me what I wanted to hear. How strong of a hold did Koenma have on these people? And what would it take for me to break that hold?

"Kasumi-san, I really am sorry but you need to believe that we are doing it for your safety." says Botan earnestly, pleading with me with her big, pink colored eyes.

She was pretty, a cute, up-beat, interesting woman but I would not be so easily tricked. I stared at her dead in the eye, a glare that could freeze over magma still set on my face, and said: "If one more person here treats me like I'm made of glass…I will prove to them how far from the truth that is."

Botan's face paled and the half smile she still had sucked in on itself until it was just a thin, scared looking line. I used my eyes to my advantage, their dead like quality thanks to the color making it easy to frighten people into submission – as I had just done with the blue haired Shinigami. I didn't feel guilty for scaring her and what I had said certainly wasn't a bluff. If anyone was stupid enough to challenge me now, they could be my guest. I'd have them beaten into the floor before the first minute was up.

"Oi, piggy, no one here needs the proof so get your panties out of a bunch."

With Yusuke's stupid little comment the electricity in the air dissipates and I allow myself to sink back into the cushions, fold my arms over my chest, and release a breath. My muscles were tense and I had a lot of pent up frustrations and emotions I was having a hard time dealing with, but he was right. There was no point in fighting right now – it wouldn't get me anywhere.

"How does Urameshi get away with saying that stuff? If it was anyone else Kasumi-chan would kick their ass." I hear Kazuma say.

I can't help the laugh that spills out from between my lips, "I've already lost to him once. I won't be stupid enough to try again."

Yusuke laughs at that, as does Kazuma, and Kurama releases a gentlemanly chuckle but Keiko only clicks her tongue in disapproval. I stick mine out at her and smile when she rolls her eyes in return. The tension in the room has started to lessen and my body begins to relax, so much so that I don't notice when the tickle in the back of my head starts. This continues on to the point where I'm reaching up to scratch the back of my head every so many minutes as conversations begin around me and I'm just adding my input here and there. They have strayed away from the demonic side of things – more than likely to give me a break. While I appreciate that they're thinking of me…I would have preferred to have everything on the table. I also knew the subject of my protection also had not been officially dropped, but they were unwilling to negotiate. I was too tried to give a shit and I become lost in my own thoughts for a while.

I distance myself from the chatter surrounding me, my eyes are drooping (it must be well into the wee hours of the morning) and eventually I find myself asleep. I don't know exactly when I drifted off or even how, because Kazuma and Yusuke were being so loud, but I began to dream almost instantly.

. . .

I'm inside my Grandfather's dojo again, but there are slight differences to the surroundings this time. It isn't how I remember it from when I was child…but how it sits now, in the present day. There are lighter areas on the wooden walls, where weapons and scrolls had hung for so long the wood around them had aged and darkened. I had taken those down three years ago and put them away in storage. The dojo had become a place for vandalism, graffiti painted on the outside of the building and holes in the rice paper doors indicating where rocks had been chucked through them. I bent to pick up one such rock, the sleeve of a black kimono falling into my view.

…The same kimono I had worn to my Grandfather and Grandmother's funerals. Why was I wearing it now? Who had died?

"A piece of yourself, Kasumi."

I hadn't been expecting an answer and out of instinct I threw the rock in my palm as hard as I could. I watched the man grab it out of the air and hold it up to his hooded face between his forefinger and thumb. He rolled it around for a moment, chuckled, and then dropped the stone to the floor. His outfit was similar to the one he had worn previously, black hooded yukata with red hakama, the bottle of sake still hanging at his hip. The only difference in his appearance was the lack of shoes (he was quite barefoot) and the fact the front of his yukata was hanging open to show nothing underneath but bare expanses of skin. He had a very well defined chest, hairless, and I could see a hint of a black tattoo peeking out near his shoulder close to his neck but couldn't make out what it was. At his waist was a belt that held two swords – one I did not recognize…but the other one…

"Where did you get that sword?"

He chuckled again, that same dark and sinister voice floating out from the darkness his hood created. I shivered – not out of fear, but because the voice seemed familiar to me now. Not because of the previous dream…but for another reason that I could not place. Where else had I heard him?

"I got it from you, obviously."

"That's impossible, I know exactly where it is and I sure as hell haven't given it away!"

"Perhaps you aren't as sure as you sound."

I glare at him, "I'm positive."

Like last time, he ignores me so he can untie the bottle of alcohol from his waist and take a long sip. He holds it out to me again...and again I refuse it. It gets placed at his feet and soon after he joins it, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the dojo. He pulls the sword, scabbard and all, out of his belt and lays it across his lap. There is no mistaking it – it is mine…the same exact sword, sheathe, and tsuka my Grandfather had handed me the day he'd named me his successor.

It was handmade, beautiful, and perfectly balanced. My Grandfather, amongst his many talents, had also been a swordsmith. That is why the dojo had always been covered in weapons – anything with a blade he could create. Before opening the dojo it had been his only source of income. People came from all regions of Japan to purchase his weapons – nothing beat the quality or the heart that went into his work.

But his most prized and well-made sword had been the one he presented to me. He had toiled away at it since I was a child, every time he had a spare minute. It was sharp enough to cut through stone, the blade polished to the point you could use it as a mirror if you wanted. The tsuka (handle) was wrapped in a gorgeous black and red ito (braid) and at its base hung a chain with a pretty red stone at its end. The chain was long enough to wrap around my arm or swing the blade around my head should the need ever arise. The sheathe itself was pretty ornate, a solid deep red in color with a hand painted inscription along its length. In flowing gold lettering were the words strength, loyalty, and honor. Near the top, so it wrapped around the sheath, was my name also in the same script. And now I could do nothing but stare at it sitting on this freak's lap and seethe in suppressed rage. How dare he put his slimy hands on it – if I had the chance I'd chop them clean off to show him just how much of a mistake he's made.

Slowly, he pulls the katana from its sheathe and tosses the wooden receptacle aside. "It's a beautiful blade – such a shame you don't use it."

"That doesn't give you the right to put your grubby paws on it!"

He scoffs, "I will do as I please."

I move toward him, forgetful in my anger of what he can do, and it takes him very little to stop me. He holds out a hand, his fingers bent inward as if grabbing for something and that one movement causes my body to feel as if it has gone up in flames. I slam my eyes closed and grit my teeth so hard I feel as if they are going to crack from the pressure. My fingernails are digging into my palms, I can feel blood welling up beneath them and dripping to the floor as I fight the pain I am suddenly in.

Every single inch of me is in pure agony, as if napalm is traveling through my veins and melting me from the inside out. It is a blinding, searing, horrible type of pain: the kind that could drive someone mad from prolonged exposure. I'm having a hard time staying on my feet and have already fallen to one bended knee, my hands wrapped around my head trying to keep my brains from liquefying and leaking out of my ears. I manage to open my eyes only briefly, to try and locate the swordsman, but they are drawn to my arms instead, so close in my range of vision given their current position.

I am horrified to see every one of my veins shining a bright white straight through my skin and even through the haze of pain I pull one hand from my head so I can inspect the odd phenomenon. I rip my kimono sleeve clean off just for a better view, only to discover that it is stemming from the burnt palm mark on my forearm as it is glowing even more brightly than my veins.

'What the fuck' travels through my mind more than once.

That is until the light pulses and the pain intensifies. At this point my mind is completely blank, too focused on surviving the utter torment my body was being put through to think about much of anything else. Another shock travels through me and now I am unable to control my body's movements – I fall flat on my face to the floor. I'm just happy I was already on my knees, or it probably would have hurt a lot worse.

I dig my nails in the wood of the floor, deep enough to make gouges and get splinters stuck in my fingertips. Kami, it hurts, I just want it to stop. I would do anything to make it stop.

"Anything?"

I must have said the last part out loud, because the hooded man is standing over my prone form now, his feet right next to my head. I don't have the capacity to answer verbally but I manage a nod. He bends at the knee, so he's closer to my level but still hovering over me like a black cloud. A hand reaches out from the depths of his yukata and lands on the mark on my arm. The burn and his hand are a perfect match and with his touch the pain lessens, like he is sucking it out of me, until it is gone completely. I sigh in relief, though I'm not out of danger yet.

"In return, give me the talisman around your neck."

"What?" I ground out.

"You said you would do anything to make the pain go away – that is what I want."

"No."

"Well then…" He grabs my arm again and the pain returns tenfold. I am unable to keep myself from screaming as it tears through me and not before long I am writhing on the ground, trying to keep the contents of my stomach where they belong: inside me.

"If you give me what I want, I will stop." I hear him say through the fog of pain, but I am stubborn and still I refuse. The necklace is all I have left of my father, I wasn't about to give it up.

He tires of my insolence rather quickly and pulls me up off the floor by the collar of my kimono. He holds me at arms-length, my toes only just barely grazing the floor. He hits me hard in the side of the head, letting me go, and the punch sends me flying. I crash through one of the numerous rice paper doors, pieces of wood flying in all directions, and skid across the lawn before my back slams into the tall, heavy fence that surrounds the property.

I don't even feel the impact, too focused on the blazing, white hot blood I have rushing around inside me. I scream and scream – I don't think I have ever been in this much pain. I would have to take a beating from Yusuke or a burn from Hiei ten times over to feel something even remotely close to it. I grit my teeth, trying to suppress my hideous bout of weakness but when it once again surges through me, I scream at the top of my lungs and slam my eyes closed. By the time it has faded enough for me to open them again the hooded man is in front of me, my beautiful blade held in his hands and prepared for a downward stroke – a stroke that would most certainly end me.

"This is for what you did to me, Morimoto Kasumi."

Through my haze of pain I cannot fathom what he's saying – what it means. I've never met him, how could I have done anything to him? Shouldn't it be me saying that, with my sword held above his head? I want to ask him, to defend myself, or stop what is about to occur because I'm not ready to die but my mouth is dry and all that comes out is a broken, garbled mess. I don't try to call for help, because what would be the point? No one would come. The pain he's putting me through lessens a bit – perhaps so I can better feel the sword as it slices through me – and I lean back against the fence, prepared to take my death like a man.

He lifts his arm, ready to swing, and I allow my eyes to sink closed so I won't have to watch my own demise. There's a whoosh of air that makes my hair fly around my face and then a loud clang, like metal on metal that has me shooting my eyes open after them only being closed for mere seconds.

In front of me is a black clad man, broad shouldered and short, and he is holding back the swordsman's blade with one of his own. He is unmistakable in appearance and posture and with one look I know who it is – Hiei. Hiei, the fire demon, has come to my rescue again and even though I feel a surge of elation at being saved…I am lost as to how he got there.

"Move Kasumi," He says as he pushes the other man back with enough force to send the guy skidding into the Zen garden my Grandfather had designed so long ago.

The sand goes flying as Hiei follows him and then the two men are nothing but blurs of color and flashing light as their blades clang together in a cacophony of sound. The pain the hooded man had been using to control me is long gone, thanks to Hiei's distraction, but I am still unable to stand in fear that I would be caught in the fray. I try to follow them as best I can, but they both move faster than the speed of light and I am lucky to catch a glimpse if they slow down even a little. At one point Hiei comes skidding out of the sand, covering me in a thin layer of the stuff, as the other man throws him back with some kind of energy blast. The fire demon dodges easily enough and then leaps into the air for a counterattack. The other man follows, but Hiei has the jump on him. He hits him hard enough to send him flying to the ground, his body smashing into the earth and creating a crater where he lies unmoving.

For a time I think Hiei has won, so I slide my body up the length of fence, using it as support but my moment of relief is short lived. The swordsman turns into black smoke, so thick it looks solid and it shoots in my direction. Hiei is there instantly, his sword held aloft in a defensive stance but it does little to stop the smoke. It congeals around us in a swirling mass, sucking the air out of the pocket it has created, and sends us both to our knees.

I can't see anything, the smoke is so dark it has blotted out any light that might try to filter through, but I can still feel. I can tell when Hiei moves closer to me and grabs my shoulders in his hot hands, his face must be very close to mine because I can feel his breath ghosting across my skin so I blink a few times to try to clear my vision. Red eyes wait there in front of me, so stunning I feel like I am drowning in them again, just like every time I catch myself looking at him. But then he shakes me, hard enough to practically give me whiplash.

"Wake up Kasumi, or you are going to get us killed."

"What?"

"Wake up now!"

His voice sounds distant now…but why? He's right in front of me.

"Wake up!"

. . .

Before my eyes even manage to open my hands have shot out and grabbed the first object they come into contact with. Shortly after my lids shoot up so I can see what I'm hanging onto for dear life. Hiei's face swims in my vision and I am holding onto his upper arms desperately, like he has pulled me from the depths of the sea after I have begun to drown. I don't let him go, because I am gasping for air and I can feel so many eyes on me, staring, waiting for me to fuck up and say something weird and I don't want to do that. I swallow back the bile that rises in my throat and I'm shaking and afraid and this man sees all of that and more. I don't even know when he got here but I am thankful for him all the same.

He picks me up from the couch, lifting me not so gently over his shoulder, but I don't care. I hear the protests of several people at once – Kazuma, Keiko, Yusuke, but he doesn't stop to answer them. He just carries me up the stairs; kicks open my bedroom door, and slams it shut behind him as if this was a normal thing for him. I am unceremoniously tossed onto the bed where I land on my back and just stare up at my dark ceiling. I must have slept for a while, because I can see the sky is beginning to lighten outside. The sun is rising…

An eternity passes before I feel brave enough to speak and am sure I won't throw up the second I open my mouth. "What was that?"

"You tell me."

He's in the chair in the corner of my room, just sitting there with his legs crossed, that same bored expression on his face as he always has. I want to say something to wipe it away, to make him realize I'm not just the average girl…but he already knows that, doesn't he. It hasn't changed how he looks at me.

"…I've dreamt of him before." I finally say.

"When?" It's more of a command then a question, but I let his brazenness slide.

"Right before I met all of you…the night before we moved in here."

He says nothing and I don't have the energy to try and pry an answer from him, so I roll over so my back is facing him. I think about going to sleep again but I am afraid – afraid of what I might see. I also have to get up for work in a few short hours, so it would be pointless to go back to bed now.

A shift in the mattress has me rolling back over and there is Hiei, kneeling on the edge, practically looming over me. He's looking for something, questioning me with his eyes but I don't know him well enough to attempt to figure out what he's trying to tell me. For a minute I think he's looking for a place to sleep…but that can't be right. Why would he pick my bed of all places?

"I don't wish to lay with you, fool."

"Whatever," is all I can say, because I just don't have any fight left in me. "What do you want then?"

"Show me."

"…Show you what?"

He sighs in annoyance, "The last time you saw him."

My brows scrunch up in confusion and I can tell by his exasperated expression that I am taking too long to figure out what he's saying but it dawns on me eventually. He wants me to show him the last time I dreamt of the hooded man. He was asking for permission to dig through my head.

Something deep inside me told me this was important. That Hiei was not the type of man to ask for permission to do anything – he just did what he wanted. I wasn't certain that it meant he respected me more or if he had seriously taken how I felt about his mind reading to heart, but it was appreciated none the less.

"Yeah…I guess. What do I do?"

"Close your eyes and bring the memory to the forefront of your mind. I will handle the rest."

I do as he commands and I can feel him shift closer to me on the bed, so I peak an eye open a crack to see what he's doing. He notices and glares at me in irritation but I just smirk at him. He's sitting on my bed beside me now, Indian style, with his shoes off for once. That was honestly the most interesting thing about the whole scenario – his lack of shoes. He had no manners, that were obvious anyway, and he had never taken his shoes off when entering my home, not even once. He also did not wear any socks. I figured his feet would be odd looking, maybe even clawed, but no they were regular old feet if not a little stubby. His toenails could use a trim, but they were far from being claw-like.

"What are you looking at, baka onna?" he barks at me.

"You need to cut your toenails."

I don't think he was expecting that, because his face morphed into the most expressive state I had seen it in to date. His nose scrunched up, making a corner of his upper lip rise with it and his brows drew down over his eyes in bewilderment as he stared at me like I had grown three heads in the span of a few minutes. I laughed straight in his face, the first real laugh I'd been able to release in days, because he looked so fucking cute like that I just couldn't help myself. It was certainly a nice change from his usual glaring.

It was short lived though, my excitement washed away as I let my eyes fall shut so I can pull up the memory for his viewing. The pieces I can't readily recall he drags forward himself and the experience is so surreal and hard to explain. It doesn't hurt, but you can tell he's there, like a purple colored itch at the back of my head. I reach up to scratch and feel my hand slapped away, "Concentrate onna."

And so I do, as best I can. It plays through like a movie on fast forward and even though it is my memory I can't keep up with it. It takes him little to no time at all to view it and pick it apart piece by piece – analyzing what he's seen. When he's finished I feel him withdraw, the same fluid feeling as water washing over your skin, and then it is over. When I open my eyes Hiei is gone and I am alone once again.

I don't bother getting up to see where he's gone off to, because the breeze from my open window (which was not open before) is enough to answer that question. I let the cool air wash over me, take a deep breath of it, and release it. I do this several more times and when my heart rate still hasn't slowed, several more. This seemed to happen with any encounter I had with Hiei – racing heart, quickened pulse, shortness of breath. It took a lot out of me, which is why I didn't really want him around all that often. Having him watch me from a distance sounded not only unpleasant but could seriously cause problems with my health and sanity.

I look to the digital clock on my bedside table, it reads four AM and I know that I need to get up and start getting ready for the day. The energy I needed to do so was being quite elusive, unfortunately. I manage to roll over again so I'm on my stomach and then I drag myself across the bed until I'm near the edge. I roll over, flop to the floor, and then just lay there like that has made so much of a difference. I groan because I really don't want to go to work and put on a fake happy face and act like nothing strange happened last night. I bury my face in my hands and moan again.

There's a displacement of air in the room, enough to alert my attention, but not enough for me to remove my hands from over my eyes. The breeze could have picked up, but the more likely scenario is that Hiei has returned for some reason. Perhaps for his smelly boots, though I didn't notice them lying on the floor…not that I had really looked. I contemplate saying something witty, but a shadow falls over me and I stiffen. Whoever it is still has not said anything and for some reason I just don't see Hiei doing that.

I whip my hands away from my face so that I would have the element of surprise but who I see looming over me is not Hiei. The man smiles, picks up a hand in a little wave and says, "Yo!"

I scream, because upon popular belief I am in fact a girl and discovering some strange man standing over you in your bedroom in the wee hours of the morning is actually really fucking scary. He scampers away from me, trips over the long cape he's wearing, and falls on his ass. With wide eyes I sit up so I am leaning on my hands and then we are both staring at each other with equally horrified expressions. In his mouth is a blue pacifier and he's chewing on it furiously, either out of nervousness or habit, I'm not sure. He wears a long set of red and blue robes, Asian in style, and his honey brown hair lays in a carefully styled state about his head. Warm brown eyes, set in a regal face, lay underneath a small tattoo in the center of his forehead which read Jr in bold black lettering.

I hear shouts and pounding feet as my friends (I was including Yusuke, Kurama, and Botan in there as well at this point) come barreling up the stairs. My door is flung open hard enough so it hits the wall and leaves a hole there (damage to apartment number 2, which I fix later so Baba Chiyo never notices) and standing in the illumination from the hallway is Kazuma – my knight in shining armor…or idiot in tinfoil, which ever you prefer.

"Kasumi!" He bellows and then is shoved aside so Yusuke, Kurama, Keiko, and Botan may also pile into my tiny space.

"Koenma? What the hell are you doing here?" I'm still on the floor, but I can hear Yusuke well enough.

"This is Koenma?" I ask, with a thumb jerk in the guy's direction.

Said man stands to his full height (which is quite tall, even taller than Kazuma) and brushes himself off, straitens his cape and robes, and then clears his throat. "Yes, I am the great Koenma ruler of the Judgment Gate."

He's trying to sound dramatic, but it fails miserably. All I can do is sit on the floor and stare up at him with my mouth gaping open. I'd gone from scared to dumbfounded in about zero point five seconds. The God of the Reikai was the last person I expected to be standing in my bedroom and seeing him for the first time was rather…anticlimactic. He was attractive; I'll give him that (minus that disgusting pacifier. What is that anyway?), but besides his odd choice of clothing there wasn't much of anything special about him.

So, because he was not frightening or intimidating by any means, I conveniently forget my manners, "What the hell are you doing in my room?"

His eyes narrow in displeasure, but even that doesn't stop me, "I mean what the fuck is wrong with you? You just sneak up on people?"

He sputters indignantly, "You have quite a mouth on you!"

"I'll take that as a compliment, thanks." I rise off my floor, straighten my clothing (which are still torn to shreds and covered in blood from wounds that are no longer there), and face him head on.

"I've come to speak with you, Morimoto Kasumi-san."

"Oh?" Is all I can say, because I seriously don't believe he's going to tell me anything.

"It is convenient that you are all here," he gestures to the group of people piled over by my door, "Because it will pertain to you as well."

"We're not all here though, Hiei's gone."

"Where has he gone to then, Kurama?" Koenma asks.

"Ask Kasumi, she saw him last." Yusuke points at me and shrugs.

Koenma's gaze turns to me and all I can do is shrug as well. "He went out my window, that's about all I can tell you."

He sighs, "Someone contact him please and get him back here."

"I'll go," says Botan and then out pops the infamous oar.

She pulls it from empty space, the only way I can explain it is that it was not there before and then it suddenly was. She literally makes it appear from nothing, it is stunning to see…but also confusing as all hell. She brushes past Koenma and I so she can get to my window and side-straddle the oar, with a little wave and a happy smile she flies out of the opening. I can't help it when I run over to watch and make sure she doesn't fall, but I am greeted with the amazing sight of her taking off high up into the air, racing towards the rising sun.

I lean out the window so I can call to her, "Botan-san, promise to take me for a ride someday?!"

She turns around with a grin a mile wide and waves enthusiastically – I take it as a yes. The thought of being able to soar through the air, like a bird, uninhibited and free, was a thing of beauty. Botan was a lucky woman to get the opportunity to do so on a daily basis. I couldn't wait for the chance.

"It's not all that fun, ya know." Kazuma had come up behind me and I turned to grin at him.

"Says you, you're afraid of heights."

"I am not; I just don't like high places. There's a difference."

"Keep telling yourself that," I say with a laugh.

"Ahem," Koenma clears his throat, obviously annoyed with being ignored, but Botan's oar was certainly more exciting.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" I say, as I pull myself back through the window and shut it so no more heat escapes.

"We need to have a chat." he says.

"Now you want to talk to me?" I purse my lips and feel like snubbing him. He was too good to talk to me before, so why now?

"I have duties to attend to; I can't just drop everything to travel to the Ningenkai on the daily."

I have nothing to say to that, because I didn't care. He had enough time to brief Yusuke and the others on matters pertaining to me, but had decided not to include me. He may be a God, but I had never been religious, I felt no desire to be nice to him. I had no loyalty to this man and very little patience left considering what I had been through just this past evening. I wasn't interested in having 'a chat' with him – not now, not ever.

"Unless you plan on telling me the entire story, I want nothing to do with you." And just like that I walked out.

Everyone was even nice enough to get the hell out of my way (or maybe they feared my wrath, either worked for me) and so I began my morning routine. I worked out, going through my tai-chi and katas, as well as the basic steps for kendo. This became a spectator event for everyone in the house other than Keiko and Kazuma – Kazu chose to join me while I went through my repertoire of Kendo moves and Keiko went off to make coffee – whereas Yusuke, Kurama, and Koenma stepped off to the side. Koenma kept angrily whispering something to Yusuke who would turn and roll his eyes every so many seconds. I don't know what the godling was so worried about anyway, Botan hadn't even returned with Hiei.

After going through most of the basics I offered to spar with Kazuma, but he refused and then asked if he could show me something without me freaking out.

"Why would I freak out?" I said with this sort of half-smile as I wiped the sweat from my brow with an old towel.

"It's just…now that you know about us…I've always wanted to show you this."

"Show me what?"

He doesn't wait to explain, instead he holds his hand out in the same manner he would hold a sword, but it's empty. For a minute I'm a little lost as to what he's doing, but with a crackle of energy that makes my hair stand on end a brightly glowing sword appears in the hand that was devoid of anything just seconds before. I think my jaw must have hit the floor – out of all the things I thought would happen, this was not one of them. Kazu's energy was just as orange as his hair and even at the distance I'm standing I can feel the heat coming off the blade. I don't know how energy can look sharp, but he manages it as the edge of the blade is quite refined, to the point if it wasn't glowing it might look real. It's noisy, but not unpleasantly, and each time it crackles I twitch because it's a little too much for me right now.

"How…?" is all I can manage.

"It's my Reiki in sword form, I call it a Reiken." he smiles jubilantly like a child holding a toy and then waves his weapon around to show off, but I'm still too stunned to even move.

"Look Kuwabara, you broke her. Nice job," says Yusuke.

He stops waving his sword long enough to look at me and then with a flash the sword disappears. "I'm sorry Kasumi-chan!"

I know I have ruined his exhilaration and the pride he felt at finally getting to show me something he has had to hide – something that has horrified me to the point I can't even look him in the eye. Reiki was not something new to me, but I had never seen it. My Grandfather and Hitomi both had small amounts of the stuff, enough to heal bruises and scrapes, and Botan's healing abilities had not scared me. This…this was different. I had never seen a Reiki weapon or that much energy produced all at once and for that matter, I hadn't been able to see Ojichan's or Hitomi's…much the same as everything else supernatural back then.

I didn't know how to feel about it – should I clap him on the back and say 'way to go!' or should I fear him? I would bet my life that thing could cut through steal. Cutting through someone's body would be child's play. There was also a little piece of me that was kind of jealous…how come Kazuma could make something like that? Where was all my energy? How come he had it and I didn't? The demons I could understand…they aren't human…so what made Kazuma so special?

"Ah, I see," says Koenma.

"You see what?" I snap at him.

"You have little to no spiritual ability, but being around Kuwabara has strengthened what you did have."

"Excuse me?"

"It can happen over time, when a human with latent abilities is around someone with strong spiritual power."

"Oh yeah, I never even thought about that!" my friend says and smiles at me apologetically.

"How long have you known Kuwabara?" Koenma asks.

I sit on the bench by the window, wrapping my towel around my neck to collect the cold sweat there. "A little over three years now, I think."

"Interesting," he says.

"What is?"

"I'm surprised it's happening now…"

He's being cryptic and it's annoying. "Your point?"

"It usually does not take such a long time; you should have felt your energy grow before now."

"I haven't felt shit, not even now, so I think you're off your rocker."

"I've been meaning to ask you, Kasumi-san, but what is that necklace you wear?"

I hadn't noticed that the pendent had fallen out of my shirt, but Kurama's eyes had zeroed in on it quick enough. I figured it had no relevance to Koenma's line of thinking, but the god seemed just as interested in my answer as the demon did. I look to Yusuke, but he's looking pointedly at my chest…looking for more than just my necklace, no doubt. Boys – they're all the same.

"It was a gift from my father…why?"

"Do you know what language it's in?"

I look at the redhead funny, "No."

He frowns and I watch him share a look with Koenma, which grates on my nerves. Couldn't they at least be a little less obvious about keeping me in the dark about shit?

"Breakfast!" Keiko yells from somewhere down below and Kazuma and Yusuke take off, racing to see who can reach the table first. There is plenty of pushing and tripping involved, even before they reach the stairs.

I wince when Yusuke laughingly shoves Kazuma down the staircase, he rolls head over heels but then laughs at Yusuke when he hits bottom because he's closer to the table. Yusuke solves that problem by jumping over the railing of the loft and taking off as soon as he hits bottom. This all happens before Kazuma has even managed to stand up. These men would likely be the death of me someday. And Keiko's too, if her indignant squawking from down below was anything to go by.

I begrudgingly start off to join them, Kurama and Koenma following behind me at a much slower pace than the other two boys. By the time I have made it to the table, Yusuke and Kazuma have taken the two remaining seats (because I broke one like a psycho) and Keiko smiles at me apologetically. I wave her off, take the plate and mug of coffee she hands me (praise the lord!), and move to sit at the kotatsu. I listen as Kurama awkwardly accepts a plate of food from her as well and I have a hard time not laughing at him.

Koenma is already seated in one of the armchairs, having refused breakfast completely. I ignore him as I sit to eat mine but he has grown weary of my continued disrespected. This is when I learned that Koenma wasn't as funny as he looked and he didn't take kindly to the way I had treated him.

"Get up," he says, before I have even brought a single morsel of food to my mouth.

"Excuse me?"

"I've let you play your game long enough."

I drop my chopsticks and go to rise, not because he has commanded me, but so I can confront him face to face. Of course, I change my mind as soon as I lay eyes on him. He's very obviously angry, his face cold and harsh, lips set into a thin line of displeasure and eyes narrowed hatefully. I had not expected this from him but even his tone of voice had been frosty. I knew I had been rude, but didn't I have the right?

"I don't know what you mean," I say.

"I realize you are unrightfully upset with me, but it is high time you stop being childish."

"Childish?!" this time I do get up from my seat, but before I can yell at him some more Botan comes crawling through the window that leads out to the fire escape.

"Yoo-hoo, I found him!" she says as Hiei climbs in behind her.

And then I've forgotten all about Koenma because the sight of the fire demon makes me remember my dream and how vivid it was and the most important part of the whole thing wasn't the fact he was trying to kill me – it was Ojichan's sword. I'm off like a shot, leaving the people in my living room confused as hell, but that is the least of my worries. I don't notice that I'm being followed as I take the stairs to the landing two at a time and race off to my room. I throw the door open and head straight for my closet where I begin to dig through it, throwing articles of clothing and shoes every which way.

"What are you looking for?"

I jump, because once again there is a strange man standing in my room without my knowledge, but at least this time it is Hiei – the only strange man who has seen all my dirty little secrets (or at least, I assume he has). I don't answer him, too intent in my task of tearing my closet apart. Where is it? I know I put it in here…

"Ah-ha!" I say in triumph as I pull a long white box out of the deepest corner of the closet.

I swing around with it only to have to bite back a laugh when I see Hiei standing amongst the numerous items I had tossed behind me. He must have been forced to dodge it all…but hadn't been completely successful if the pair of panties stuck to the back of his shoulder was anything to go by.

A deep blush spreads across my cheeks and I'm just standing there with the box in my hands and he's looking at me quizzically like 'well, are you going to open it?' but I can't with him so oblivious to the pair of frilly underwear he's currently sporting. So, I do the only thing I can think of to distract him – I shove the box into his hands and clap my hand over his shoulder, right on top of my undergarments.

"You open it, I'm afraid at what I will find." I say, as I try to discreetly draw the underwear away from his body.

I'm not discreet enough though; he drops the box to the floor and grabs my hand so he can pull it away from him. Of course I still have the panties clutched in my fingers when he draws it back and there's an awkward moment of complete silence. This moment doesn't end, even when he plucks the pair of underwear from my hand so he can hold it up in front of his face in curiosity. I don't think I've ever blushed so much in my life.

After inspecting my panties his eyes flick to me and a smirk spreads across his lips. He stuffs the undergarments into a pocket of his cloak and my mouth falls open in disbelief.

"What are you doing, give those back!" I lunge at him to try and steal them from his pocket, but he holds me back with nothing but the wrist he's currently gripping.

"Perhaps you should not have thrown them at me, if you wanted them so badly."

"Well what the hell are you going to use them for?!"

He shrugs nonchalantly, like it doesn't matter what he plans to do with them, but it does! It seriously does! I can't just have some random hot guy running around with my underwear, how embarrassing! I lunge at him again, but yet again he holds me back with ease.

I give up, sinking to the floor amongst my fallen clothing and shoes and other various items. "Whatever you pervert, enjoy!"

He's still holding onto my wrist, so my arm is stuck up in the air and when he's sure I've given up only then does he release it. My panties come fluttering down before my eyes seconds later. I look up at him in confusion, but his face gives away nothing.

He was just messing with me, the little bastard.

"Open it."

I don't need to be reminded about what he means, so I draw the box to me and slowly remove its lid. I wasn't lying earlier when I told him I was afraid at what I would find, because if the sword wasn't there that means the dream was real and I will have lost something that holds a very special place in my heart.

Said heart begins to beat faster as I gently set the lid off to one side and push back the thin paper the sword box should be beneath. I am relieved to see the ornate holding box, meant to keep it safe from the elements, still within the package but here is where I pause. Hiei sighs in frustration above me and then bends at the knees so he can tear the lid of the receptacle off and toss it aside. Inside the black lacquered wood is my sword – intact and just as beautiful as the day it was given to me.

A surge of relief and elation floods through me, so much so I could have leaned over and kissed the man in front of me, but I didn't. Instead I whisper, "Thank Kami…"

I look up to Hiei, but he does not look pleased at the sword's presence. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"What you saw wasn't just a dream." With that one sentence every ounce of happiness I had gained from my discovery flew out the window.

"Then why is the sword here?"

He shrugs, seemingly just as clueless as I am. He picks up the lacquered lid and replaces it, settles the paper back around it, and then closes up the white box completely. He picks it up and places it in my arms afterwards where I just cradle the box to my chest. Did that mean it would still be taken from me?

"Call for me if you dream of him again."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Yes it was, but I still felt the need to ask. "But how will I call for you?"

"Think of me and I will come."

I don't know why but another blush spread across my cheeks at his statement. So he wouldn't see I put the box away and then busied myself with putting away my rumpled clothing. Hiei didn't help; he just took a seat on the edge of my bed and watched me with those hauntingly gorgeous eyes of his. It took me very little time to put away my clothing (because I didn't have much, more sweaters than anything) and by then I remembered that I had left Koenma stewing in his anger downstairs…whoops.

"I should probably go back downstairs…" I'm standing awkwardly in front of the demon now, shuffling my feet and trying hard to come up with an excuse to not have to leave the safety of my room.

"I didn't take you for a coward," he says.

"I'm not!"

"Then why the hesitation?" It's an honest question, with no malice or ridicule behind it, but I decide that actions speak louder than words.

I march off to the stairs, Hiei close behind me, but when I reach the top step I'm stopped in my tracks because a very displeased god is standing at the base with his hands on his hips. He's tapping his foot and glaring at me with enough malice to make me take a step back. A hand on the small of my back keeps me from going anywhere and it is hot enough to spread warmth completely up my spine. I shiver, but not in displeasure, and the hand retracts. I turn to look at Hiei and all he does is nod.

I suck in a deep breath, hold it for a minute, and then release it. Time to deal with the weirdest of the weird Kasumi – hope you're ready.

. . .

A/N: A lot more Kasumi/Hiei interaction in this chapter. And who is this creep invading her dreams? Hmmm. Who knows! I tried to throw a little humor in here too, while this story is pretty serious, the YYH gang is always doing something funny so I have to do it (plus Hiei with panties on his shoulder? Come on, I would be laughing so hard I'd have tears in my eyes!). Oh and Hiei thinking he can just go into Kas' bedroom whenever? Yeah, that doesn't change, lmfao. Oh Hiei…

By the way, Pneumotherapy is a real medical term, it was a lung treatment back in the day that used gases but that is what Botan calls her healing powers in the Manga. I can't recall which volume exactly, but it is somewhere around volume 2-4. Whether this is a poor translation or what it is actually called I'm not sure, but that's where I got it from! Just an fyi, lol. Anyway, thanks for reading! I'd love to know what you all thought!