Yes, I am FINALLY back. School sucks, I have writer's block, and I think I'm starting to fail History (anything under 90 is considered failing for me and my mom. T.T) Gah, I hate History! But, finally I have Chapter 25...Here you go. -thumbs up-

"You're a coward! You hide your face from everyone! Why is that? Are you afraid or something?" She yelled at the ex-leader. He seemed to smirk, even if you couldn't see anything. "Do you really wish to see who I am?" He asked, his voice but a mere whisper that she still caught.

Before she could respond, a bright flash of light blinded her, and she clenched her eyes shut until she was sure it was okay to open them. Her eyes widened with shock as she saw who stood in front of her.

Tears began to brim in her eyes; it couldn't be. He was dead! "..B...Brother...?" She asked, stretching out a hand slightly towards her older brother.

"Is it really you?" She continued, a tear falling down her cheek. A smile crossed his features as his eyes, a mixture of their parents blue and gray, sparkled. "Who else would it be?" He asked in return, his voice sparking something inside Evee that had long been forgotten.

Ch 25: Family Battle

"But... You were... Mother said... You're dead!" Evee cried as tears spilt down her cheeks, holding Kitty tightly. Her older brother laughed.

"Of course they'd tell you I was dead. I tried to kill you and Mother when she was pregnant with our little Kitty." He replied, his smile disturbing to the sight. "Do you really think Mother would want you to know your older brother was... different.

"Mother erased that part from your mind, she didn't want you to grow up to hate me. Though that is unavoidable." He finished, his steel blue eyes glimmering with malice as they settled on Kitty. Evee gripped onto her sister tighter. "I'm not going to let you do anything to her.. Even if you are my older brother!" She yelled protectively.

Neither of them had noticed that Hiei had snuck behind her older brother, katana raising to pierce into his flesh. He swung it down, but in a flash of movement, he was knocked back by a fist to his stomach. He slammed back into a wall, and fell to the floor, one eye closed from the force of the blow to the wall.

"Bastard.." Hiei muttered, spitting out blood from his mouth. Hiei stood back up, katana raised in his hand. Evee was about to go towards him, but gasped as her brother appeared before her, towering over her.

She took a step back, but found she could move no further. Her body wouldn't obey her mind's command to move. Her brother smirked at her, steel blue eyes glowing ominously as they stared down at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that both Yoko and Hiei were unable to move!

She could do nothing as he took Kitty from her grasp, and walked back to the cauldron of steaming, red liquid. Taifu gathered up Hiei, Yoko, and Evee, and tied them together with a tough rope. All three of them watched helplessly as Evee's older brother lifted Kitty over the crimson liquid.

His steel gray eyes gleamed as he relaxed his wrist, and Kitty fell from his grasp, and disappeared into the red liquid. Instantaneously, the liquid began to boil, and the room began to quake. Steam hissed from the hole, and an ear-piercing scream emitted from within it, before everything fell silent. The liquid shot up, turning a violent mix of shadows and blood, as it hurled towards the ex-leader.

All of them watched as he was engulfed by the furious wave of liquid, a cocoon forming over him, shielding him from view. The liquid glowed, painting the walls with its crimson beauty as if the walls were dripping with blood and shadows were creeping towards them.

Evee felt a jerk; something was happening to Kitty! She struggled against the binds on her arms until she got free and rushed towards the crimson cocoon. She dodged Taifu's oncoming assault, and lunged at the cocoon. A bright light flashed before her eyes, enveloping her in the light.

88888888888888

It's dark...

Yes it is, little one.

Am I dead?

Do you believe you are?

I don't know what to believe...

That is good.

It is? Who are you?

You know who I am.

I do?

Of course, don't you remember me?

I don't think so... Who are you?

I'm your older brother.

I have an older brother?

Yes, my name is Yukio.

I never knew I had a brother...

Yes... you were very small when I left home.

Does Evee know about you?

Yes, she does... Kitty, do you want to help me?

With what Nii-san?

If you help me, I'll help you get out of here.

...What are you going to do Nii-san?

It's not going to hurt, if that's what you're worried about.

Well... I guess I could...

Good, just focus on sensing a presence nearby. That will be me.

Yes Nii-san.

She focused all her willpower; until finally she sensed someone nearby. Just as she reached out towards them, she sensed another presence nearby, a familiar one.

Kit, don't do it!

Sis?

Don't listen to her, Kitty. I can help you out of here.

No, shut up!

She felt compelled to obey her brother; that was just what she did. She heard her sister scream, and let out a scream of her own as her brother's essence overpowered her. She saw two, steel blue eyes hover in front of her, as if laughing at her. She shrieked again as she felt pain begin to override system, and fell into the darkness she had wanted to escape from.

888888888888888

The crimson and black lights began to swirl faster and faster. A bright, blood red light filled the room, and Evee was flung out of the cocoon-like swirl of black and crimson. She flew back into the wall, unconscious, and slammed into it, before crumpling to the ground. Blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth; the swirling lights became faster. Hiei tried to turn his head to look towards Evee, but he couldn't move his head far enough. Yoko, however, was struggling against the binds that held him.

The swirling lights began to fade slightly, a form was visible inside. Yukio stepped out of the cocoon, and it vanished instantly. He opened his eyes, and they flashed a mixture of four different colors, blood-red, onyx, azure, and ash. He looked at his hands and a manic grin spread across his face. "I did it." He said in a low voice, eyes wild with glee.

"I did it!" He yelled triumphantly, laughing. "At last, her powers are mine!" Flames sprouted from his right hand, and blue liquid encircled his left hand. A vine broke through the floor, and wrapped about his left leg, at the same time as the wind twisted itself about his right leg.

"What have you done with Kitty?" Yoko yelled, interrupting Yukio's train of thought. Yukio turned his manic eyes towards him, lips twisted into a gruesome grin. "Oh, my little sister is gone. I have absorbed her into my body! She's a part of me! Her powers belong to me!" He cried ecstatically.

"You bastard!" Yoko yelled, struggling against his binds as he lifted himself onto his knees. Yukio laughed, his laugh echoing about the dark room. "You think you can stop me? Do you really think you can fight me? I have my sister's powers; I am the most powerful being on earth now!"

Yoko broke through the ropes, and rushed at him, whipping out his trademark Rose Whip. He flung it towards Yukio, but he easily sidestepped it.

"You don't understand. You are no match for me, pretty boy. You're out of your league." Yukio said icily, before thrusting his palm out towards Yoko. Flame erupted from his palm, heading straight for Yoko! He jumped back to avoid them, stopping long enough to slice the ropes holding Hiei apart before jumping clear of the flame arrows again.

Hiei rushed to Evee's side, picking her up and jumping away right before the flame arrows hit the floor where they had been. He jumped aside from a fatal hit that Taifu tried to make, carrying Evee in his arms. He glanced back to where Yukio and Yoko were.

'He took her powers, that means that he's stronger than how he was before. I'm sure we hadn't seen the true extent of Kitty's powers, if he figures out how to tap into the ones that reside deeper in her... We have to kill him quickly!'

Hiei swiftly slapped Evee, hard enough not to hurt her too bad. With a jerk, she awoke, looking around. He put her down, and both of them dodged another onslaught of flame arrows. "Is there any way to bring Kitty back, Evee?" Hiei asked, whilst dodging flame arrows as well as Taifu. Evee spared a glance towards Yukio battling Yoko, before flipping backwards to avoid another lunge from Taifu.

"Not any way that I know of..." She admitted regretfully; Hiei grimaced, there just had to be a way!

If there wasn't... they'd lose Kitty, again.

To be Continued...

I still haven't named chapter 26, that's the only reason why there's no 'next chapter' thing... Yeah.. I have a Konoha headband, I feel so special! Bwahaha! I am a ninja! Fear me! Haha, bye byes!