A/N: Don't own any of the yyh characters blah blah blah
But after over a year long hiatus on writing, I'm back, hopefully better than ever! This one's extra long so please enjoy.
"Wake up demon." A voice grunted. The sound of the key unlocking the cell echoed throughout the dungeon. "The Prince is waiting for you."
Slowly the shadow apparition arose from her crouched state, failing to stretch her currently bound arms. Without a word she followed the guard through the dungeon, eyes focused straight ahead of her. The numerous possibilities of her sentence raced through her mind just like the numerous getaway plans she's been concocting if the prospect of an immediate death sentence was in her near future.
Yellow eyes narrowed at the guard walking ahead of her. His hands gripped his weapon tightly, knuckles white from the sheer pressure. Small drops of perspiration pooled at the corners of his temple while his eyes kept darting to the prisoner next to him.
"You're nervous." Rei drawled, her voice low and inhuman due to the metal mask covering her mouth. A small smirk made its way to her mouth and amusement was visible in her one eye.
The guard's body tensed at her remark, tightening his grasp around the weapon even more so than before.
"Do I scare you?" she continued after receiving no response. A deep, sinister amusement danced in the demon's eyes. She reveled in her ability to evoke such fear from a being even while handcuffed and caged like an animal.
He opened up the door, making sure to avoid any and all contact with the prisoner next to him. "Here…" He muttered; head low and jaw clenched.
"You called, Koenma?" She started, walking into the room that was now occupied by the usual company and a new presence she couldn't quite pinpoint or spot at the moment.
The blue haired grim reaper bounced up next to her, unlocking the hand cuffs at her wrists. "Well don't you seem bubbly?" The black haired girl muttered, unclipping the mask around her face. Simply shooting her a smile, Botan waved to the group, muttering something about forgetting to grab a thing.
Furrowing her eyes in confusion, she leaned forward attempting to see the papers on his desk, only to have Koenma shut them in front of her. Damn it, she thought, scanning the room and landing on the fire demon eyeing her. "Well, he's here, so when's my death date marked down?" Rei muttered, not breaking eye contact with the Jagan wielder.
"Actually," Koenma started, making her break her stare down to look at him. "Everybody, Hiei included, is in favor of this." He waved the closed folder in the air, smiling at the confused demon in front of him. "Listen up, Rei Kuroda, also known as Ruki Nishimori, is hereby sentenced to two months probation under the supervision of Master Genkai." The prince paused for a moment, to shuffle for something in his desk. "If passed, upon the completion of this probation, you are to serve a minimum of two years under Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi to repay the debts of your past. You are not to leave Japan or cross over to the Makai unless instructed by myself or Genkai. Furthermore, until it is deemed fit, you are to wear energy locking spirit cuffs."
"And if I refuse the cuffs?" she asked quickly, eyeing the toddler.
The Prince shrugged, "If you refuse the cuffs or fail any of the reviews, I will lock you away to rot the rest of your life in jail."
"Or we are forced to kill you, if need be." chimed in Kurama.
A snort escaped the demon's lips. "If 'we' includes him," she said, thumb directed at the now angered fire demon, "I think I'll be okay."
Hiei stepped forward, only to have Kurama's hand block his path. "I could gladly kill you now," he snarled.
"Oh and one more thing!" Koenma cut in, scratching his head. "Almost forgot, the terms of your probation are as followed: you are to live with and train under Genkai. She will assess you and report directly back to me. If you are in any sense at all dangerous to them, the human or Spirit World, I'm dragging you back here at the drop of a hat."
Rei's mouth dropped as the weight of her punishment just registered in her mind. Frustration was evident in her eyes as she realized how dumb of an idea it was to give herself in. "But.."
She wasn't given a second to retort as the sixth person she felt stepped out. "You are living with me in my temple." The pink haired psychic stared at the demon, daring her to argue otherwise. "I am Genkai and I have no patience for excuses. There is a room set up for you already and Koenma filled me in on everything." Rei's voice got caught in her throat. The infamous Genkai. "If you have any possessions you want to get, you can when we get back to the Human World. Otherwise you're rooted to me. Understand?"
"But…people…" She muttered, looking around the room for any way out. "Um…you, big one, come here and let me kill you!"
Kuwabara furrowed his eyebrows and pointed a thumb at himself, "Me?"
Rei nodded quickly and looked to the side as Botan came in carrying her sword. The shadow apparition's eyes grew big as she saw her weapon.
A small chuckle was heard from the three-eyed demon. "Don't bother Assassin, if he was that easy to dispose of, I would have done it a long time ago."
Yusuke's loud laugh covered the 'Hey!' from the irritated human next to him. "Face it Rei, you're stuck with us!" The detective came over, ruffling her hair in the process.
Swatting his hand away and deciding to let go of the fact that he called her by her real name, Rei eyed the smug looking fire demon. "Is death not even an option?" her shoulders slumped as a big sigh escaped her mouth.
"Why do you object so much? The fox demon asked, stepping forward from the wall he was leaning on.
"Yeah we can't be that bad!" Yusuke exclaimed next to her, pouting.
"Or are you hiding something from us!" Kuwabara exclaimed, chest out and inching toward the small girl. A chuckle escaped her mouth as she shook her head.
"I'm being serious!" He yelled, getting frustrated that she wasn't considering him as a threat.
This only caused the demon to laugh even more. "Sorry, but what's the worst you can do? Swing your sword at me until I get bored and decide to stand still?"
Kuwabara let out a loud groan and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Asshole demons…"
Shrugging her shoulders, a defeated sigh escaped from Rei's lips. "I guess you can say I prefer to work alone. There are fewer casualties to worry about nor do I have to deal with betrayal." A small silence filled the room. "You see me as a threat, but I see the same in every one of you."
"Don't flatter yourself." Hiei barked, stepping forward to make eye contact. "You wanted to help, here's your chance, but don't make this your pity party Kuroda."
Rei's body stood still as her eyes remained locked with his piercing red ones. Finally blinking, she turned toward Genkai and extended her arms forward. "Ready when you are."
"I trust you can wait until we get back to the temple,"Genkai started towards the door with Rei following behind.
"Catch you guys later," Botan yelled, walking after the two with the katana still in her hands.
"I'm surprised that she or the hag went for it." Yusuke laughed, scratching his head.
"Trust me, even dealing with you and the lummox is easier than the alternatives," Hiei spoke, back against the wall and voice bored.
"You're looking forward to her being with us, aren't you little buddy?" the dark haired detective chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I don't like to lose," he shrugged.
"You've got your creepy little eyes on her don't you shorty!" Kuwabara teased, "No need to hide it, everyone needs some love." He continued, not noticing the shorter demon's hand twitching near his sword.
"Kuwabara…" Kurama warned, amusement written all over his face, while Yusuke burst out laughing.
"I mean you can take her on creepy little dates, have a creepy black wedding, and then a few creepy little kids." He laughed, imagining the terrifying offspring of the two demons.
"Kuwabara," Kurama warned again as he watched Hiei unsheathe his sword silently.
"What?" The tall human asked, completely oblivious to the man he was mocking. "I think it's good the shrimp is developing a love interest."
"I am going to murder you," the voice was as sharp as the blade held against Kuwabara's neck.
The Prince of Spirit World sighed as he stamped away. If this ends badly, father is going to kill me…
X.X.X.X
"You will be up every morning at the crack of dawn." Genkai explained as she gave Rei the rundown of the compound.
She briefly met with the ice apparition, Yukina, but couldn't stay long enough to chat. Her eyes seemed oddly familiar, but the feeling was brushed away when Genkai decided to start the tour.
"I'll run you to the ground with drills, and by the end of the session, you can do as you please," The old woman let out a low chuckle, "if you have any energy left."
They continued to the edge of the woods at the back of the grounds, walking towards the clearing that may as well have been a cemetery.
"Why did you agree to this?" The amber eyed demon asked, perplexed at the old woman's trust.
"You are not a mindless killer." The psychic stated curtly, keeping her pace. "I heard your story; you are not the first to do anything for strength. We've both done questionable things and took paths that should be avoided…and we both learned from it."
She still didn't get an answer to her question but decided against prying any further. The dark haired girl trailed behind, getting herself ready for a painful two months.
X.X.X.
The buzzing of electrical generators, low humming of cars and miscellaneous vagabonds took away from what should be a silent night. A lone figure stomped along the street, hands deep in the pockets of a borrowed black hoodie that seemed much to long for her small stature.
"Dumb humans…Dumb demons…" muttered a low feminine voice. The hood covered any trace of the face under it aside from the mess of black hair sticking out from the side. "Stupid Spirit World…Stupid toddler…" the low voice continued, sulking in her own self-pity. The shadow demon cursed under her breath, kicking a stray bottle cap off the side of the street. "Two month probation period…this is bullshit."
A whole month of Genkai's training passed and her body felt like it has been through hell and back. The practice and strength were well worth the pain in her book; however, not being able to use her powers seemed to work against her. Her energy was scratching at her core, begging to be let out, yet she could do nothing about it. Rei's frustration stemmed from how truly out of shape she was, but she was more than grateful for being allowed out. A scoff escaped her lips at the irony of the situation, the great Silent Assassin, caged like an animal.
Taking a pause, Rei took a long deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Hello, there." She muttered, a smile playing at her lips. Demon was in the air and the shadow apparition was itching for a fight.
A small chuckle escaped her lips, "Maybe I'll get brownie points from Koenma for getting a rogue."
She felt for her katana or any weapon for that matter, but came up short. Cursing her own carelessness, the girl shrugged her shoulders. I like the challenge. Orientating herself in the direction of the demon she raced down the empty streets, adrenaline and excitement rushing through her body.
Making a left at an abandoned alleyway a sharp, blood-curdling screech caught her attention. The dark-haired apparition stood at the end of the alley looking at the large back of a purple demon. His muscles bulged as he stood leaning against something in the corner. Rei's eyes narrowed, glowing in the pale moonlight.
"Now what do we have here?" She snarled, teeth barred at the behemoth in front of her.
The large demon turned his head in Rei's direction, red eyes zeroing in on the intruder of his meal. From behind the mass of purple sat a frail looking girl, terrified to no end. Her blonde hair disheveled, pale dress torn, and eyes wide in horror.
The demon gazed at the short girl and laughed while turning back to his meal. "One moment sweetie," his chuckle echoing in the alley, "let me finish up here first." His hand extended towards the blonde on the floor.
"DON'T TOUCH ME, FREAK!" She screamed, slapping his arm away from her face.
The dark-haired demon chuckled at the human's resilience. While her words screamed defiance, her trembling body told otherwise.
"Run! He's not normal!" she managed to get out before her attacker let out an angry growl and threw her against the brick wall. The blonde's body dropped like a rag doll to the floor, trembling in an attempt to get up.
She can see him… Rei thought in surprise. There's something you don't see everyday
"Bitch…" The demon mumbled, inching towards the almost limp body sprawled on the floor.
Realizing that there is only so much damage the human body can take, Rei began walking forward. "I don't like being ignored…"she started, arms dropping to her sides.
"I said I would get to you!" he growled, turning his back to the blonde completely.
The amber-eyed girl arched an eyebrow at the purple demon. "Too bad, I have no patience." She stopped a few feet in front of him, face calm and emotionless.
A loud laugh echoed through the alleyway. "That's cute little girl, but the playground's that way" He laughed, pointing behind Rei.
Rolling her eyes, the demon sighed. "Like I haven't heard that one before." She muttered. In mere seconds she was in front of the red eyed demon, fist heading straight for his face.
His body was knocked straight into the wall behind him. A groan was heard and he stumbled back up. "Guess I'll have my appetizer first!" he snarled running straight at Rei.
X.X.X
The Prince of Spirit World sat at his desk, fingers laced under his chin, eyeing a large stack of papers in front of him. As he reached to take a look at the documents the sound of the door opening and closing made him pause for a moment. "Come in," he responded sarcastically, not even looking up.
"Is there something you need, Koenma?" A bored voice echoed from the far side of the room.
The toddler's gaze shifted to his company. "I have a favor to ask of you," When he received no response he continued. "Normally I'd ask Yusuke but I felt this was more of your expertise." The fire demon's eyes shifted to the small ruler, hands buried in his pockets. "And I'd prefer if we kept this between us, for now."
"And what do I get out of this?"
A long sigh was heard from the ruler. "Exterminate her if circumstances deem it necessary."
X.X.X
A slight whimper left her mouth as the blonde girl struggled to lift her body. Her head was pounding and the whole alley seemed to be spinning around her. Squinting her eyes, she tried to focus in on the two people in the alley. Blinking through the head pain and spinning, she finally managed to get a decent view of the two in front of her. Her assailant, the large purple, red eyed monster moved away from her and towards the small girl instead. What is she doing, she thought, He's going to kill her. But no words could leave her mouth. The warnings, the screams, they all got stuck in her throat and came out as a whimper.
A loud laugh came from the purple monster, "That's cute little girl, but the playground's that way," he chuckled, pointing behind the short female.
Why isn't she scared? the human thought, staring at the new victim. The moonlight cast a demonic glow on the black haired girl, the one visible eye shining yellow. Her long black pony tail shifted in the wind and her eye narrowed at the monster.
She muttered something inaudible and suddenly disappeared. What? The blonde searched the small area for the short girl with the yellow eyes. Am I going crazy? Suddenly the purple man was thrown into the adjacent wall while the pale girl stood where he once did. The girl's eyes widened at the sight before her, How…?
As the demon groaned and stumbled up she saw his red eyes ignite with anger. "Guess I'll have my appetizer first," he snarled running straight at the black haired girl.
The blonde watched in amazement as she dodged the attack, kicking him straight in the jaw. "Too slow," she muttered, voice bored and unamused.
She seemed to be toying with him. He ran at her once more, quicker this time, but missed the hit again. Lilac eyes watched the female. She seemed to be searching, scanning the area while avoiding every single blow he made. Her body moved fluidly across the small space, not even breaking a sweat.
The demon stopped, a deep growl came from him. "I didn't think you'd be such a nuisance." He muttered. "Now you'll see the true power of the mighty Doku!"
Sitting up to get a better view, not the smartest idea in this situation, the blonde girl felt a chill run down her spine. The monster Doku suddenly seemed to be emitting a pale purple glow, freezing the blood running through her body, yet the small girl seemed unfazed.
"Ready to die!" He yelled, clenching his fists in front of him.
She eyed her possible hero and her voice was void of any emotion. "Tch, hardly," was the only response that was heard.
"Brat…I've seen flies bigger than you, girl!" He spat raising his hand parallel to the ground.
The blonde watched amber eyes zero in on something near her. A deep sigh left her lips, "Want to hurry this up then, Daiko?"
"Bitch, dodge this!" He yelled.
A gasp left the injured girl's mouth as he started shooting what looked like his nails at the dark haired female. An evil laugh reverberated against the walls as he shot more and more. His opponent however dodged them all with ease, flitting through the small space.
X.X.X
"Koenma-sama…" A soft voice broke him from his thoughts. Pale eyes stared him down with worry. "Do you think this is a good idea? Rei has no spirit energy right now, sir. What if the girl dies?"
The Prince shook his head, "Don't worry, it won't come to that."
"Why not just tell her? You know Rei would do it, no questions." Botan spoke, not comprehending the Prince's motives.
Koenma shook his head, face devoid of any emotion. "I want to see if she is capable of saving a life, without it being an order."
X.X.X
Frustrated with the lack of spirit energy, Rei dodged all the darts, flitting off the side of the walls. She needed to get a makeshift weapon, quick. It's a matter of time before he gets her.
"Is that all you can do girl? Run?" He laughed, shooting an insane wave of darts around the whole area.
In the midst of trying to get his opponent a few sets of darts were sent straight at the human girl in the corner. Noting the trajectory there was something in the yellow eyed demon that made her heart stop completely. Why is she still here! She growled, shifting her direction completely.
The girl sat motionless, mouth gaping open and eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Rei made a straight beeline towards the female, knocking her out of the way just in the nick of time. Within mere moments of making contact with the girl a searing pain shot up from her calf all the way up her thigh. "Fuck," she muttered taking a deep breath. Shooting a long stare at the girl lying petrified on the side, Rei stood up; taking note at how deep the darts were embedded in her skin. That's going to require some effort…
Doku smirked as the blood surrounded her leg. "Can't run any more girlie"
"Whoops," she muttered, straightening up while clutching to a large chunk of stray glass. "Play time's over, big boy."
Voice stoic and dark, the yellow eyed demon made her way towards her opponent. Using the last burst of energy to reappear at the demon's shoulder, Rei leaned in to whisper, "I don't leave survivors."
Much more difficult than with a katana, she jammed the glass straight across his neck, letting the blood gush out. Amidst his dying screams the demon grabbed a hold of her already injured leg and sent five more nail darts into her thigh.
A sharp hiss left her mouth as Rei jumped off, grabbing her leg in agony as it made contact with the ground. Deciding to bear it through until she got back to Genkai's compound, the demon limped away from the alley, completely neglecting the human girl gaping in the corner. She's alive…the rest is not my job, she thought, holding in the pain as warm blood oozed down her leg leaving a crimson trail behind her.
A low shuffle, following by the sound of stumbling legs was heard behind her. "Hey!" Yelled a soft, feminine voice "Wait up!"
Taking a deep breath and letting out a low sigh of aggravation the short demon ignored the voice and continued to trudge forward. The soft yells continued, getting closer and closer to the wounded creature. "Should have let him eat her…" she muttered, hoping the girl would get the hint.
A soft, cold hand made contact with Rei's wrist. "…guess not" she breathed, stiffening at the contact.
"Hey…" the offender breathed, trying to catch her breath and steady herself. "For an injured person, you walk pretty damn fast!" the voice laughed.
Rei's body went still as the girl still had her hand clasped around the demon's wrist. "Let go." She started, pausing at the end of every syllable. "NOW", the last word coming out as more of a snarl than anything else.
The opposing hand became rigid at the command but slowly let go. Feeling the presence leave her wrist, Rei continued forward leaving a bewildered girl standing behind her in the middle of the street. Her silence only lasted 5 steps until a body hopped in front of her, blocking the path.
Looking up, Rei came face to face with her so-called damsel in distress. Towering a decent couple of inches over her shorter form, the girl looked about the same age as the detective. Aside from the disheveled curly blonde hair and dirtied dress, the human was very endearing. Cheeks tinged pink from the fear or the cold, possibly both, full lips parted trying to regain her breath, and large, innocent, lilac eyes bore straight in Rei's narrowed ones. The demon stood still, fists clenched at her sides from the searing pain and annoyance.
"…Well?" Rei questioned, eyebrow raised.
The girl's wide eyes looked straight into Rei's, searching for any form of an answer. "Do…I call the… police?" she finally spoke, hands fidgeting in front of her.
Rolling her eyes the former assassin snorted, "Do whatever you please" she said, shoving past the human.
"Just tell me what I saw!" the blonde yelled after her, keeping pace with the surprisingly quick female.
A groan was the only response she heard from her nameless hero. "He was purple…"The blonde continued "…that isn't normal…"
A sign of exasperation was Rei's only response. Stopping dead in her tracks, Rei turned to face the blonde who was now staring at her. The demon clenched and unclenched her knuckles a few times , observing the still figure in front of her. A short silence encased the two girls, amber eyes squinting in deep thought. For what seemed like an eternity a low hiss finally escaped from the short girl's mouth. "Shut up" she snapped, her face now expressing only one emotion: annoyance. "Just shut up," she repeated, jaw tight and eyes narrowed. "…before I make you." Voice low and teeth gritted.
The blonde stood still, taken aback by the sudden hostility. She watched her enigmatic hero begin to limp away from her but intercepted the demon yet again.
"Please…" she begged, eyes searching for some help from the small female. "I know you saw what I saw…he was purple!"
Sidestepping the girl, Rei shook her head, infuriated from the night's events. This was not her job. Babysitting some spiritually aware human was never in her job description. "Just go home." She muttered, hoping to get to Genkai's compound before her leg completely gave out. Looking down the blood flow seemed to slow down, however the pain only intensified.
"He isn't the first one…" The blonde muttered, following Rei down the street. "I know I'm not crazy…"
"Positive?"
Footsteps stopped and a small part of the demon hoped the girl would go home. Rei reasoned to herself that this girl was not her priority. The demon was eliminated, the girl was saved. Humans were of no concern to her, it was her job to protect them but the rest was up to those who cared.
Unfortunately fate had other plans for the convict. As if waking from her stupor the human girl jogged after her hero, flats echoing through the empty streets. Grinding her teeth in frustration, Rei shoved her hands in her pockets to restrain herself from ripping this girl to shreds then and there.
"Fuck off." She barked, limping away quicker.
"Not until you tell me what I saw!" The human remarked, chest puffed up with pride and determination gleaming in her eyes.
An animalistic snarl left the previous lord's lips as her hand shot up to grab the girl's throat. "I will kill you right now if you don't turn your ass around and go home."
The blonde's eyes widened, staring straight at her supposed hero. Going against her instincts to run the human stood her ground. "You won't kill me." She whispered, voice trembling "I'm not scared…"
Letting go of her throat Rei came closer to the girl, a slight smirk tugging at the side of her lips. "Really…" she sneered. She brought her hand up to shift her bangs, snorting as the girl flinched in response. "I have no problem detaching that pretty little head of yours from the rest of your body." She finally spoke, venom and sincerity dripping from every word.
The human's façade of defiance faltered when lilac eyes came in contact with Rei's wolf like stare. Fear rippled through the girl's body when she realized her hero may not be as heroic as she thought. Voice caught in her throat the girl's lips began to tremble. Her hero was no combat savvy girl, there was something else in her eyes, something that made the girl's blood freeze in her veins.
The shadow apparition smiled devilishly when she caught the realization dawning on the human. "Are you willing to bet your life to see if I'm bluffing?"
A silence encased the two with only sound being the low hum of cars driving in the distance. Rei narrowed her eyes in hopes of that this girl would just get the damn hint and go home. The former assassin grunted in frustration and kept walking.
"Cheiko…" the girl stated from behind Rei, relieved that nothing escalated. Going against her better judgment she stepped forward following the dark haired girl yet again. Though her brain told her otherwise, her guts knew this girl might be her only chance to find out what is wrong. Why she can see things others can't.
"What?" Rei snapped, regretting her words the moment they left her mouth. Can't keep your mouth shut, can you Rei?
"My name…Mizushima Cheiko." The girl kept a small distance between them, for safety, she reasoned.
"I don't care."
"It means wisdom, you know," she continued, eyes glued to the black of the apparition's head in hopes to keep some conversation flowing.
To her dismay the only response was a scoff followed by a low hiss in what might have been pain.
"You're injured…" Cheiko spoke, making Rei roll her eyes.
"Well aren't you the observant one," she remarked, grinding her teeth in pain.
The duo continued forward, Rei limping ahead while Cheiko following behind her, getting closer and closer.
"The hospital isn't too far, I could take you there." The blonde stated, ridden with guilt at the current predicament.
Choosing not to respond Rei veered left, off the main streets towards Genkai's compound. Counting the seconds until she could take the damn nails out, she willed herself to keep marching forward.
"I'm serious!" She heard Cheiko ramble on behind her. "At least let me help you, it's my fault that you're injured so-"
She was cut off by Rei, her eyes glaring daggers. "It was, so shut up and fuck off."
Cheiko's face puffed up like a child whose mother just scolded her. A small silence followed the comment, bringing a small source of relief to the pained apparition.
"You don't have many friends, do you?" the blonde finally muttered, voice low and slightly detached.
Rei chuckled at the comment, "Says the girl following a stranger at 3 in the morning."
Taken aback by the comment as well as intrigued, the human girl said nothing, making sure to keep her nameless hero in sight as they headed towards the woods.
Realizing what she did, Rei's smile dropped and was replaced with her usual emotionless mask. However, the gesture was not lost on the blonde.
A small sigh left Cheiko, "I just want answers…"
The only response that was given was the shaking of her head. It isn't my job to introduce her to my world
"So where are we going?" Cheiko continued obliviously, finally understanding to drop the injury subject.
"We aren't going anywhere." Barked Rei, nerves on edge again.
"He had horn!" Cheiko continued from before. "His skin was purple!" She exclaimed, trying to get even a smidge of an explanation.
Her statements were only met with silence as Rei continued, trying to remember when the walk to Genkai's turned so agonizingly long.
"What are you…?" The human finally asked, voice hesitant and much fainter than before. Silence washed over the two, with only the sound of footsteps and leaves crunching under their feet. The lack of a response gave the girl an ounce of courage to continue her questioning. "I hope that doesn't come of offense, because you are the only reason I am alive…but something about you just doesn't add up." Once again, no response. "Something…I don't know what, isn't right about you."
"Annoyance," Rei muttered, "with a hint of murderous intent." Once again, she regretted even opening her mouth, but something about this girl just had her responding, which angered the demon even more so. In hopes of getting to her destination quicker the dark haired girl stomped forward, sending a shooting pain up her thigh.
"Stomping like that won't alleviate you injury…" Cheiko stated after hearing a hiss from the dark haired girl. Pausing to get a response and when none was given, she continued. "I'm sorry for that…truly…I am forever in debt to you…can I at least bandage it before you get home?"
Ignoring the girl's requests and apologies, Rei marched forward.
"What is your name?"
Yet again, no response.
"Alrighty …but thank you." She mumbled, red cheeks hidden in the dark. "And…" she laughed, as if remembering some joke, "I'm really happy you saved me…" She trailed slowly behind the demon who seemed to be getting farther and farther for her. "I feel like we are going to be really good friends." Her laugh got a little louder, too loud for Rei's liking. "Don't know why…but we will!"
The amber eyed girl cringed at the term and even more so at the idea of being anything with a human but bit her tongue and shook her head at old memories of similar caliber arising. No…she thought Not again.
The girl's voice got distant and Rei didn't even notice herself beginning to halt.
"You're no regular guard or soldier," A voice followed her through the castle hallways. "I'm not dumb" it continued behind her. "I order you to stop walking!"
Rei stopped,back facing the demon speaking to her. She stood still, eyes closed and body stiff.
"Thank you…for protecting me…" The deep voice started, barely a foot behind her now. Letting out the breath she didn't even realize she was holding; the warm air slowly escaped through the pores of her cloth mask. "I know my father told you too, it's your job after all…"he rambled softly, hand on her shoulder. Even through the thick cloth she felt the warmth of his hand. "but, thank you. If not for your quick wit and speed, I would have been dead." He chuckled. "I think everybody but my father knows I'm not much of a fighter."
The shadow apparition felt the heat of his hand spreading through her whole body. Clearing her throat she whispered, "You should go to sleep Master Ichigo."
"Ruki…" He started, but paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Please, turn around."
Rei closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before slowly turning to face Lord Aoi's son. She kept her head down and eyes on the ground, avoiding any eye contact.
"Why do you keep the mask on?" He asked, staring straight at the 'man' avoiding his eyes. "We are in a safe place."
Clenching her jaw she looked up, eyes now hardened and narrow. Cold amber eyes met with warm, chestnut ones. For somebody whose father was a stone cold ruler, his son was not cut out for the job to take over. "I'd advise you to go back to your room." She finally muttered voice low and firm.
No response came from the young lord, his eyes bore in to hers, searching for an answer. The moon shone in pale light from the hallway window, ironically casting an angelic glow on the demon in front of her. His hand moved up, fixing the mess of brown hair on his head. In the mere moments of silence, Rei felt her voice catch in her throat at the man in front of her. Shaking her head of such thoughts, especially of the Lord's son, she blamed it on the long day that passed.
"If I were to command you to take off the mask, would you?" He finally spoke, a small smirk playing at his lips. The remark elicited no emotion or response from the being in front of him. "…or what if I spoke to my father about a certain red-haired servant? She has been dropping a few plates too many."
Forgetting all proper responses or reactions in the presence of the Lord's son, Rei's hand shot forward, pinning the man to the stone wall behind him. "You wouldn't dare!" She growled voice low and venomous. However the moment she spoke, she wished she could take her words back. Amidst the anger and primal need to protect her sister she forgot to mask her voice. Her hands loosened and body stiffened.
The brown haired demon suddenly let out a loud, bark-like laugh. "A girl?" He chuckled, bringing his hand to her chin. "I apologize…Ruki…truly; it was my curiosity that got the best of me. But no matter, your secret is safe with me."
He side-stepped the bewildered shadow apparition and began to walk to his quarters. "I promise both you and your sister are safe." He grinned. "Sleep well…Ruki…"
The dark-haired girl stood at the side of the hallway, hands glued to the wall in front of her and head bowed. "Fuck"
Shaking her head off any thoughts of the past she moved forward, gritting her teeth at the pain. Now is not the time Rei, get a hold of yourself. She thought, mind still thinking back to the young Lord. The silence and darkness of the forest comforted her. Darkness, literal and metaphorical, always had a way of following her. What used to give her nightmares and terrors as a child soon turned to her main source of comfort, her only friend, the one thing in the world that would never leave her. The darkness spoke to Rei, enticed her and kept her alive.
Midway in her thoughts the shadow apparition paused, taking note of the silence. Silence. "Shit!" she burst out, head turning back and forth. The girl was gone. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and searched for the girl's miniscule spirit energy. Nothing.
A small part of her wanted to find the girl, to make sure she was okay, but shook herself of the thoughts. Not my problem. Hands deep in her pockets, the demon continued forward. A month with the detectives did not unlock some deep, hidden love for human kind. It did not make her a better more moral person. Rei Kuroda was not and never will be a saint. She had her own agendas, her own rules, and her own morals. Saving some concussed human girl who decided to follow a stranger into the forest was not on Rei's to-do list.
Tired, pained, and irate, Rei finally walked into the compound, thankful Master Genkai was nowhere in sight. Making her way through the darkness she entered her room and hit the light switch. Bare walls and emptiness greeted the female apparition. She slumped to the floor, leg finally giving out. With a loud grunt she tied up the rest of her black hair, taking note that it is time for a haircut. Tearing part of her pant leg off, Rei observed the damage done to her leg.
"Too much blood…"she muttered, using her hands to climb up the wall to grab a wash cloth. As she walked to the bathroom images of the human girl came to her mind; bloodied, bruised, and unconscious. Various apparitions stalked through the forest, looking for a new prey. She tried to get herself to focus on her leg but the girl's wide innocent eyes reminded her so much of Ichigo…
Wrapping up a quick make-shift bandage the dark haired girl made her way back in to the forest trying to pin point where the girl's scent disappeared. Luckily for her and her leg, it wasn't far enough from Genkai's compound.
Rei stopped for a moment and stared at the human. There she laid, blonde hair sprawled around her like a halo, in a small depression in the grass.
X.X.X.X
Leaving the girl with Genkai, Rei sat on the floor of her room yet again. After a long detailed explanation to Genkai, many fumbles up the stairs, eight nail like darts embedded in leg, 4 in the morning; she could finally fix her leg. If she had enough intelligence she would have let Genkai wake Yukina up, but Rei had a pride that took precedence over intellect many times.
"This is what I get for helping humans…"She mumbled, trying to pry the darts out of her leg. Self-healing was never a strong suit for the Silent Assassin.
"He sent you to follow me." She stated softly, not even looking up from her wounds.
The window opened as a blacked cloaked figure came in, positioning himself near a wall.
"I'm not stupid," she continued, hissing as she dug out the first of eight darts. "Although, I give him credit for sending you …"
"Hn" Red eyes watched the female struggle, taking note of every move, twitch, and groan.
A silence filled the two as he watched her tug out another two from her calf. His eyes followed her hand's movements, trying to uncover the female's true motives for being here. He knew her story wasn't the truth. His Jagan eye may not penetrate her mind, but he's no idiot either. "I've noticed you have a tendency of saving strays, Kuroda."
A deep sigh left the girl's lips but no response was heard. Rei was tired, pained, and on the brink of passing out. The last walk carrying that human, not only opened up the wounds on her legs, but truly showed how exhausted and out of shape she was.
"Never pegged you for the type to like humans," he baited, narrowed eyes watching her every expression.
"Don't kid yourself," she barked. "I did it so you wouldn't report back to Koenma."
"Liar"
She finally looked up from her leg, amber eyes dancing with amusement. "Wouldn't you like to know."
A deep growl left the fire demon's lips, but nothing came out. No remark, no threat, nothing. The lack of response threw not only Rei but Hiei off guard as well. He furrowed his eyebrows, perplexed at his own kindness to the shadow demon.
"You should try masking your energy better," She spoke, not hint of malice or mockery in her voice.
She looked up but came face to face with crimson eyes less than a foot away from her. "What are - "
"You're doing it wrong" He muttered, smacking her hands away from her leg.
Using the miniscule strength she had left, pale hands moved up to try and gain control but yet again got smacked away, forcefully. "I'm not a child" She grumbled
"Shut up onna" He grunted, ripping the rest of her pant leg off. "I'd rather you have two working legs when I beat you." With complete ease his hands pulled out the fourth dart, sending a wave of warmth up her body. "I get no amusement in killing cripples."
A light blush tinted her cheeks as his hands worked on pulling the rest of the darts out. Moving up from his hands, Rei watched the crimson eyed fire demon. It took all the ounce of power she had not to move the few loose strands of black hair sitting at his forehead. It's the blood loss…
The silence of the room alerted Hiei of the demon slumped next to him. He looked up from the wounds, seeing the amber-eyed demon's head slumped and eyes closed. "Pathetic" he mumbled, reaching for the bandages on the floor.
He wanted to know, no, needed to know what this female was hiding. The story she fed during her sentencing may have convinced the detectives, but he knew better. She was hiding a little more than just a few minor details and he was going to find out.
A/N: I know the ending seems a bit rushed and crappy but I finally got back into the swing of writing! I can't promise frequent updates considering this took me over a week to shit out and edit, but definitely won't be over a year!
Cheiko was introduced for a reason which will be worked through out the story however as of right now I mainly did it to show the different side of Rei.
I'm going to start opening into what went on back in demon world and what not.
I know when she was telling her story she said Aoi had no sons, yadda yadda, but there's a reason for all of it. Promise!
Thank you for everybody who stuck with me and this story and thank you for anybody new reading this, so I hope you enjoyed it, I apologize for my writing, it's been a while, but don't worry I'm on a roll :)