[Authors Notes] Hey guys, I've got a poll on my profile page, I was wondering if yous could take it for me. I'm just trying to gather information on what the people that read my fics think should be in a fiction, and all of that. Thanks heaps!

-[The Fear Of Blood Tends To Create Fear For The Flesh – Hiei Jaganshi]-

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE: The Silver Pieces

The sensations of fresh pain began to run through my whole being as I remained silent and motionless, my mind beginning to slowly churn away at what was there. For some strange reason, I felt like I didn't know this sensation. I felt the sensations of pain running straight through me, like something was poking and prodding me with a burning hot poker, right through my stomach, and through my heart. Silence was all that I could hear, and silence was all that I felt I could cope with, for some reason I couldn't seem to comprehend.

After several moments, my vision began to clear, and , I realised that, once again, I was in one of my dream states. My body's eyes continued to open slowly, and, as I began to wonder what had happened to me this time, I could feel that there was something very wrong. I was ... upright, for some reason I couldn't comprehend. I was staring out at something I hadn't seen before, a part of the caverns I had never been able to see, due to lying on the ground in exactly the same position over, and over again, where I was staring at the roots of the tree that was supposed to be right in front of me. I tried to pay special attention to what was going on – this was very strange, I knew it, even though I was somewhat used to my dreams, this kind of change in the dreams was ... unexpected.

I felt my body blink her eyes after a few moments, and, as her head tilted to the left slightly, I suddenly pieced together where I was. There was a large indentation on the wall just on the very edge of my vision, and I was beginning to feel the confusion overcoming me. I was upright, and against the crystal tree it seemed, only, I wasn't sitting on the ground, I could feel my body's feet dangling below her, like she was pinned to the tree like a poster on a pin-up board. I felt my body slowly blink, and I felt a flickering of intense pain as my body tried to shift slighlty, and, my gaze went as far as possible as I felt my body carefully lift her hands up and grab hold of something plunging straight through her stomach. The pain of ice cold ran straight through my bodie's hands, and I could feel the pain cause me to wish to be anywhere else. It looked like, from the very little I could see through the gaze of my body, that there were long, stalagmite-like shards of ice plunged through my stomach, just above where my heart was, and through my shoulders. I couldn't feel those ones though. My body tried to pull the icicle that was through her stomach clean from her body, but she didn't even budge it, and all that I was met with was severe, and agonising pain.

"Oh Meia." Came the tiniest hints of a voice, echoing throughout the completely sealed room as my body remained motionless. My confusion was increasing by ten-fold. There had never been another voice, not even another person, aside from that one dream that I had almost lost it over. I could feel the pain still coursing through my dream self's body, and as I felt her rest the left side of her head against the tree, I saw a long, elegant white hand slowly coming through the trunk ot the crystal tree. If I had any control of my body, my eyes would be wide with horror, anything, but she was just as tired and slow moving as she had been before the arm had appeared, or even the voice. I felt another arm touch the shoulder of my body as I saw the arm in front of me wrap around my shoulders, and I felt a weight suddenly set itself on my body's other shoulder. "Are you going to give me what I need, yet?"

"You ... should release ... me ..." Came the voice that belonged to my dream-self's body in this set of circumstances, and my eyes widened at the sound of her voice. She sounded like she had lived a great many years worth of turmoil and torture, and she did quite frankly sound like she was about to die, not that several large shards of ice through her body like she was a pin-up butterfly in a display cabinet took anything away from that.

"What's wrong with this? I'm just giving you a hug, god knows you miss them dearly, now." I felt my dream self tilt her head further away from where this being's head was. "Oh, that's right, you don't want anything to do with living creatures anymore." Silence greeted the being's statement, and I was left feeling ... a little confused. Why was I not wanting anything to do with anything still living? "I'm sorry, I'm babbling, I just feel, a little nostalgic at the moment." Came the voice again, speaking into my body's ear. I could feel the shiver run through the body so suddenly. "Give me what I want, what I need, and, I can end this pathetic set up, kill everyone. It's what we both want, really, if you think about it."

"I've ... said no ... more than enough ... times." My dream body spoke, and I felt complete confusion overcome me as I heard that voice giggle slightly. I would have though the voice would have been pretty mad to hear that.

"Aww, didn't Papa ever tell you, you shouldn't underestimate a Veiku?" Spoke that voice, and I felt my dream self shift fractionally. "Oh, I forgot. Your Mama broke him and locked him away years ago."

"The answer still ... stands." I felt my body say, and, I felt the arms slowly begin to release me.

"That's too bad." Came that voice, and, I could feel the being climb more out of the tree. "I was hoping that, given what had happened, that you'd see to reason." I felt horror overcome me as a form came into my body's vision, and, I was left staring at silver eyes. "I'll come back tomorrow morning." I felt all forms of understanding leave me as that form leant forward and kissed my body on the forehead.


My eyes snapped open as I awoke with a jolt, my heart racing as my eyes snapped over the room, taking in everything as I tried to ascertain where I was. My mind was thick with pure, concentrated confusion, and it was like my body was hard wired to that confusion as I felt myself suddenly drag myself upright so I could see where I was a little better. The sounds of something rattling badly was beginning to come to my attention, and I hesitantly looked at the bed side table to my right. Despite my racing heart, it wasn't made any worse as I saw that it was my mobile phone, newly returned to me, that I had someone calling me. I slowly released the breath that threatened to suffocate me, and I hesitantly picked up the flashing and vibrating phone.

"Hello ...?" I spoke quietly, holdng the phone to my ear as I placed my gaze upon the bed covers. I still felt a little pained and worn out, but that was the least of my concerns.

"Meia! I'm so glad you're awake!" Came Motoko's voice, and I had to hold the phone away from my ear so I wasn't deafened by her pitch. This better hearing was beginning to piss me right off, I could handle the highest pitch of Motoko's voice before.

"I'm awake because you woke me up." I seethed, and I heard her suddenly burst out in laughter.

"I'm sorry!" Motoko sung, and, I rest my elbows on my knees as I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Can I sleep over again?"

"What--?! Again?" I asked confusion crossing my face as I took the phone away from my ear and looked at the time – it was 5.13am according to the phone, and I felt a scowl cross my face. "You were here less than twelve hours ago. Are you planning on living here?" I demanded, and, I got no giggle from Motoko in the least, much to my confusion. The silence continued, and, I felt my scowl cross my face again, and this time, I could almost feel a little green. "Motoko!"

"What?! What'd I miss?" Came Motoko's panicked voice, and I glared at the bed covers.

"Talk to me before I pick up on what you're fantasizing about! And believe me, I will murder you if you torture me with that."

"What do you mean, torture? It's beautiful!" Motoko said in shock, and my glare become more potent.

"I feel like I'm gonna puke, you twisted fan-girl." I seethed.

"Damn, it's almost as if she can read my mind." I heard Motoko say to herself.

"I'm glad I can't, otherwise I'd have already killed myself if not you!" I spat.

"Okay, okay, no need to get so snippy." I heard Motoko say. "Anyway, can I come over or not?" I almost felt green as she said that, I had only just gotten the horror of her last stay out of my system – I did quite literally feel quite ill when she was over.

"I don't know ..." I said slowly.

"Please, Meia? Pretty please?" Motoko begged, and I scowled. Gone were the days that I thought it was good that Kurama had told me that Motoko was one they could have over all the time and there'd be no problem unless I had one. Now Motoko only had to ask me, and she was over.

"I'm not gonna be here until--"

"I'll bring you a two litre tub of Strawberry, Boysenberry and Vanilla Sherbert icecream free of charge!" I heard Motoko cut in, and I almost fell from the bed. "From Pen-Pen Icecreamary of course." Silence met her statement, I could feel like I was being torn apart at the seams – I wanted to avoid all illness-inducing conversations, and hearing illness-inducing fantasies that she seemed to have to tell me about ... but ... Damn that bloody girl!

"What --"

"I'll even pay for it." I heard Motoko add, and I almost screamed. She had this planned out from the very beginning! I swear!

"That's not --"

"I'll bring chocolate coated wafers too." I heard Motoko add simply, and I did almost begin to cry. I can't ... resist ... She probably had the whole lot sitting on the counter in front of her. I took in a breath as I felt my resolve break into a million shards of broken glass, almost literally, I did want to break a mirror at that moment.

"You monster!" I whimpered, and I heard a giggle from Motoko.

"Good, so I'll see you at twelve." She stated, and I hung my head.

"No, you're coming after dark, I've got someone I've gotta visit." I cut in, and I heard a sound of complaint. "I'm going, no matter what, and Kurama's not going to be here until six in the evening anyway." I lied, biting down on my tongue as I heard Motoko nearly cry.

"Why-- Not Kurama!" Motoko whimpered, and, I slowly flopped onto my stomach.

"Sorry to cut you short, but I gotta start getting ready to get going." I commented, and I heard Motoko grumble something that I didn't understand. "After dark, got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am." I heard Motoko say slowly, and I almost smirked at her disappointment. Teach her for torturing me.

"Gotta go, see you later." I said, then hung up. I merely tossed the phone onto the bed without care, squishing my face into the covers as I tried to comprehend how she had suddenly gotten the upper hand on me. She had it planned, I swear, no one could have won that quickly with bribes ... well ... she just did ... How could she use my weakness for icecream against me!?

'It's what we both want, really, if you think about it' Echoed through my head slowly, faintly, yet loud enough for me to notice. I sat up carefully, staring at the bed covers as I thought carefully. That dream ... it wasn't like normal ... it looked like ... my dreams were going to start getting more strange, weird by the moment. I slowly got to my feet, deciding to actually start getting ready to head out, Genkai was probably going to want me to do more laps of her temple. Thinking her name as Futako was so problematic, but I succeeded, I wasn't that stupid, with a Telepath in the house that seemed to catch me at the worst possible moment, it was beneficial to think Genkai's name as Futako.


I stepped up the steps of the temple that Genkai lived in, my gaze tracing the area as I walked. Unlike the last few times, there was no Genkai standing around waiting for me. Although, I knew where she was, for some reason, I could almost feel her presence over in the living quarters of the temple grounds.

"Hmm, it seems the Brain Donner's here." I heard Genkai's voice speak faintly, and I felt a frown cross my face. Did she just call me Brain Donner? "I suppose I had better go and call them." A door slid open as I came within a few meters of it, and the form that was Yukina stepped out carefully. She had a kind smile, like she always did, and I saw her hold out a cup of Tea to me.

"Welcome back, Genkai is bringing some people over to meet you, you should have a rest before you get into your training."

"Okay?" I said quietly, taking the cup of tea as I stepped onto the verandah carefully, seeing Yukina step into the living quarters carefully after a few moments. So much for keeping my training under strict confidentiality in case someone came across it. I sat down on one of the mats next to the table, and I watched as Yukina disappeared through the doorway that lead to the other parts of the living quarters I dared not to go down – this wasn't my house, so I wasn't going to set foot there. I placed my cup of tea on the table carefully, and just began to drift off into thought.