Hello everyone! I hope that you like the story. I don't own any YYH characters. Let me know what you think so far!

Kurama yawned. It had been a while since Yusuke had followed the girl out into the cold. His precautionary seedlings hadn't sent out any sort of warning yet, and Kurama could easily home in on the detective's spirit energy while focused, so they mustn't have gone far.

He re-read the note the girl had left for them. She really had found a place in their little group, and though misguided in her actions, he was happy she cared for them all.

He was surprised that Hiei hadn't awoken, but then by the end of the evening, he had had 4 shots of liquor. Kurama had never even seen him drink before. He smiled as he remembered Hiei's strange behavior earlier in the night.

Kurama didn't want to claim to understand the fire demon's feelings, but he was willing to bet that Hiei cared for Hikari on a deeper level than even himself realized. Kurama was happy for his friend.

Just then, he sensed something approaching. He relaxed as he realized it was Yusuke.

A few moments later, the door opened, and Yusuke appeared with Hikari in tow. It was apparent she had been crying, but she seemed excited at present. Kurama wondered what had happened.

He stood, startling Hikari.

"I'm glad that you are back safe." Kurama smiled at her.

"Ah, so you were awake then?" She asked, giving him a sheepish smile in return.

"Yes."

"Welp, this is awkward." She laughed nervously and took her note from the table where Kurama left it. She threw it in the trash.

"So, are you here to stay?"

"As long as you all will have me."

"Excellent." Kurama took one of her hands in his own. The poor thing was freezing. "Let's get you warmed up."

Kurama made the three of them tea quietly. He made sure to use a kind that didn't have caffeine, as he had a feeling that the detective and the girl were going to try and get a quick nap before breakfast. Luckily the glass doors faced the west, so the light from the rising sun was not overwhelming.

He turned into the lounge tray in hand and saw that his tea was not needed.

Hikari and Yusuke were sitting on the loveseat, Hikari leaning against Yusuke's arm. She was already fast asleep.

"I think she tired herself out," Yusuke whispered. "She cried a lot out there."

"I'm glad that you were able to convince her to stay."

"Honestly, me too."

Yusuke brushed some stray hairs from her face. Kurama helped him drape a blanket over her.

"You should get some rest, too, Yusuke. I can't imagine your hangover is too fun to deal with." Yusuke downed the cup of tea Kurama offered.

"Eh, it's not so bad. I might change my tune by breakfast, though."

Yusuke leaned back and sighed. The girl murmured in her sleep and nuzzled against his arm.

Pfft, she sure was affectionate. Kurama couldn't help but smile. Within a few minutes, Yusuke had also fallen asleep.

Kurama looked at Yusuke and the girl, both fast asleep. He had debated allowing the detective to go after the girl, or go after her himself. However, he had noticed that she seemed slightly less guarded around Yusuke. In the end, he was glad it was Yusuke that had gone after her.

He looked at the clock. It was nearly seven. The others would be waking soon. As if on cue, Jin sat up suddenly and yawned loudly, startling Kurama.

"Ah, top o' ye mornin' ter ya, fox fella!" Jin rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

He cheerfully turned to the loveseat and froze when he saw Hikari and Yusuke.

"Awe, come on! First de Jaganshi an' nigh Urameshi? Besides, Urameshi's taken, isn't he?" Jin pouted.

"Shhh," Kurama hushed Jin, "She had a bit of a rough morning. Yusuke is just offering her some comfort."

"Awe nigh, she weren't sick from de drinkin', were she?"

"No, more just worried about our well being. Luckily Yusuke was able to convince her to stay."

"Och, poor lass. She's really a sweet one, isn't she?"

Kurama nodded as Jin gazed at the sleeping girl with tenderness. Unaware, she mumbled in her sleep, unconsciously grasping at Yusuke's sleeve. In such a short time, she had successfully charmed them all.

"I'm glad that she's staying."

"Aye."

Hikari was falling asleep in her breakfast. Yukina kept gently nudging her to keep her awake. Hiei watched her. Once he had woken from an unusually deep sleep, he had been irritated to learn of the girl's escape attempt. He was even more irritated to see her snuggled on the detective. It was better that the Detective not get too attached. Otherwise, some sort of trouble was sure to ensue.

Once everyone had eaten and gathered their things, they met at the small runway to take an aircraft to the Gate.

Hiei was very against the idea. They would be vulnerable in the air for almost four hours. Plus, Hiei could reach the gate in just under an hour if he went full speed.

The problem was the others. If he genuinely tried, Yusuke could move almost as fast as Hiei, but he would tire much more quickly. Kurama was fast for only short bursts, and Kuwabara was slow as a turtle in comparison to the rest of them. And the women? Pft, if Kuwabara was a turtle, they were rocks.

Luckily, Hiei didn't have to voice his displeasure as Kurama was also wary of traveling by air. It left them open to an attack without much recourse, and after a moment of argument, even the two idiots saw the logic.

They were debating possible alternatives while the women chattered in the background. Hikari was swaying, obviously still tired. Humans were so weak- just one night of sleep deprivation, and she was absolutely helpless.

Suddenly, a portal opened right behind the unaware girl. She started to turn as a figure stepped through. In a second, Hiei tackled her to the ground, out of harm's way while the others were still reacting to the sudden appearance of the rift.

"Yo!"

Hiei slowly slid his sword back into the scabbard. Fucking Koenma. The prince of Spirit World was in his teenage form.

"Get… off!" Hikari snarled, facedown on the ground. Oops, Hiei was still kneeling on her. He quickly zipped to his feet.

"What the fuck was that?" She growled at him, raising herself up. Snow fell from her face, and Hiei was reminded of his own face the night they went ice skating.

"Wow, I see what you mean, Botan," Koenma said, watching Hikari, who twitched and froze at his perusal.

"Koenma, sir!" Botan saluted. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, sir, but why are you here?"

"I finally was able to arrange a temporary portal from here to Genkai's house. It took a ton of paperwork, but I figured it was safer than having you guys in the air. Plus, I wanted to meet Hikari for myself."

"We were actually just discussing that Koenma, so thank you." Kurama stepped forward with a smile. Koenma nodded in acknowledgment and then turned to Hikari.

"Hello, Hikari. My name is Koenma, and I'm the prince of the Spirit World." He bowed slightly. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh, are you the one Yusuke calls Binky Breath?" The girl asked bluntly, raising herself up from the ground with a hand from Jin. Her eyes were trained on the binky Koenma always had in his mouth. An anger mark appeared on Koenma's forehead, and his eyes flickered to Yusuke, who flinched while wearing a stupid grin.

"Sigh. Yes, that is me. I'm also his boss, and he'll be paying for that later." Gloom descended on Yusuke.

"Heh. I'm Hikari… your… majesty?" Hikari tilted her head.

"Just Koenma is fine."

"Thanks. So Botan told you about me?"

"Yes, right now, we are trying to find your identity in the human world. Do you happen to know if your hair color is natural?"

"I think it is since even my eyebrows match."

"Hmm, well, no girls of your age range and description has gone missing in the last 15 years. Under the assumption that your hair color was changed by some sort of catalyst, we need to examine all those files for someone similar to your description. Botan told me that you aren't sure how long you were captive, correct?"

The girl nodded. "I'm sorry, the only thing I remember before waking up in Kurama's room is that something painful happened. I have nightmares sometimes that give me clues."

"I see. Well, I'm sure we will find out who you are eventually." The prince turned back to the others.

"Genkai is expecting you, and I've filled her in on what Botan has told me. Right now, this portal is connected to my office. Wait two minutes, and then it'll connect to Genkai's. I'll be in touch soon Yusuke, you have a mission or two I want you to fulfill."

"Awe, dammit…"

Koenma swept back into his office and released his teenage form. George, the blue ogre, was waiting for him.

"Welcome back, sir! How did it go, meeting her?"

"Fine. Unfortunately still no more clues about who she is."

"You look worried sir."

"I am worried. Ever since Sakyo revealed his plans to me, I've had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don't think the girl is connected to anything like that, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. Not to mention, when I looked at her spirit, something was… off…"

Botan and his underlings were the only ones in the group who knew this, but as the prince of the Spirit World, Koenma could directly see a person's soul.

"How do you mean, sir?"

"At first glance, her spirit was mostly like any other human's- well, it was brighter than many, but I assume that's because of her independent nature. But when I looked closer, I noticed something hiding within it." Koenma put a hand to his chin, a sweatdrop on his cheek.

"What kind of something?" George asked.

"Something… dangerous."

Koenma remembered the glowing eyes that had stared at him from within the girl's soul. They were the eyes of a beast, surrounded by fire. Koenma had been worried that if he continued to stare, the creature would arise and swallow him whole.

They still had no idea who she might be, but she certainly wasn't an ordinary girl.

"Hey, Grandma!" Yusuke shouted as we came upon a traditional temple that was lightly dusted in snow, "where are you at, you old bat?"

A small shadow came flying out from one of the trees and drop-kicked Yusuke to the ground.

"Hmph, insolent little dimwit." An old woman with faded pink hair was standing on Yusuke's back. Yusuke tried to flip her off of him, but she just landed gracefully before kicking him so hard in the face he went flying. Goddamn, this grandma was a badass.

A strange flying creature had followed the woman and was circling Yusuke.

"Puuuuu!" It chirped happily. It kind of resembled a penguin, but with enormous bloodhound ears that it was using to fly. This must be Pu. Yusuke hadn't said it was freaking adorable. I tried to maintain my shriek of excitement at the cuteness, settling for screaming internally.

"Heh, still got it." The scary lady turned to me with a glare. I flinched, but still had a polite smile on my face.

"So, you're the one?"

"Sure?" I said, completely unsure. The woman gave me a once over. "Um, I'm Hikari." If I had known I'd be getting carefully examined by so many strangers, I would have worn cuter clothes.

"My name is Genkai. I am the master of this temple and the reluctant teacher of the dimwit." She pointed to Yusuke. Pu had settled on his head, still making happy noises. So goddamn cute.

"Ah, nice to meet you."

"Ah, hello, Miss Mask!" Jin greeted the old woman cheerfully. "I'm sad I didn't get de chance ter face ye meself in the tourney."

Toya bowed politely as the rest of the group also greeted Genkai.

"Perhaps another time, Jin." Genkai turned to lead us all inside the temple.

I took the opportunity to poke Yusuke with a stick. "Hey, buddy, you still alive?" Yusuke groaned in response. Pu chirped happily.

"Close enough."

A little while later, I watched as Yusuke and Hiei sparred, vibrating with excitement. I wasn't sure where Genkai or the two shinobi had gone. Kurama had left to check on his human mother, and Kuwabara was attempting to flirt with Yukina while the other women were preparing lunch. I had been playing with Pu while the other women cooked. I might not have remembered my previous life, but I somehow knew the kitchen wasn't the place for me.

I had stumbled on the training room by accident on my way to the toilet. Surprisingly, Hiei was no longer shadowing me. Did he feel more secure here?

Yusuke and Hiei were a spectacle to watch, their movements so fast I could hardly follow them. They weren't using weapons, which had me slightly disappointed. I wanted to see more of their abilities.

Hiei landed a hard kick to Yusuke's gut, and the Detective fell back with a grunt. He held up his hand, signaling to Hiei for a break. Hiei had discarded his cloak, instead wearing a loose blue sleeveless shirt. I noticed the bandage he always wore was still wrapped around his arm. I had tried to ask Botan about it while we were in the hot springs, but she had just assured me that it wasn't for an injury and that I should ask Hiei himself about it. I'd have to remember to ask him later.

Yusuke had decided to go completely shirtless for their match. His normally slicked hair was damp with sweat. Unlike Yusuke, Hiei hadn't broken a sweat, but I noticed he was breathing harder. I hoped he was back to full strength now.

Yusuke walked over to where I sat and grabbed a cup of water from the office style water cooler.

"Hey, Hikari, enjoying the show?"

I nodded vigorously. This was so cool to adrenaline was flowing.

"Hey, actually, Yusuke…" I started fidgeting. He looked at me questioningly. "Do you think you guys could teach me some of this stuff? It would be kind of useful in case we get attacked again."

Yusuke grinned. "Sure thing, kid. Plus, from what I understand, you pulled out some awesome moves of your own against those assholes." He must have been talking about the punches and kicks I had delivered to my would-be kidnappers. I laughed.

"That was just survival instincts, what you guys are doing looks so much cooler."

"That's not a bad idea." Toya had come up to me without me noticing, making me flinch. Well, he was a ninja. Jin wasn't with him. "Having some sort of martial art discipline might also help you control the fire."

"It will?"

"Maybe. The fire you emitted is filled with spirit energy. Many human martial arts rely on a balance of spirit energy, physical form, and mental discipline, at least when done correctly."

I nodded in understanding, even more excited at the prospect. I didn't want to hurt anyone else, and controlling this strange fire would be the first step.

I felt a twinge as I remembered the man that I killed, but I forced the feelings into the back of the mind. It was something I didn't want to think about too hard. I had done it to save Yukina and Kuwabara, but my conscience still weighed on me.

"Hiei, I'm going to teach Hikari some stuff really quick!" Yusuke's declaration pulled me from my musing. Sir grumpy-ass didn't say anything to acknowledge Yusuke's statement, just settled himself against the wall with his arms crossed.

Just then, Genkai appeared holding a gi in my size, scaring the living daylights out of both me and Yusuke. Jesus, I needed to put bells on the whole lot of them.

"Oh, wow, Genkai, is this for me?" She handed me the gi, and my eyes sparkled.

"I had a feeling you might need one." She smirked. "There's a room right behind this one. You can change in there."

I smiled and thanked her, quickly skipping to the room she had pointed out. As I changed, I couldn't help but hear the conversation of the others on the other side of the thin paper wall.

"How'd you know she'd want to learn some stuff, Grandma?"

"I recognized that look in her eyes. She has the look of a warrior. You learn to trust your gut feelings as you get older, and I have a hunch that she has the potential to be a fighter."

I stepped back out while tying my hair back, my ears warm after hearing Genkai. She looked at me, and I knew she knew I heard. I nodded a thank you to her, blushing. She just smirked, and then turned to Yusuke.

"Hey Dimwit, I want you to attack her head-on."

Wait what?

"Hold on, she's just a beginner, Genkai! Don't you think you should teach her some stuff first?"

"This is the fastest way to get a feel for her reactions and any skills she might already have. Just ease up your speed and strength, so you don't seriously hurt her."

Looking unsure, Yusuke turned to me. Though I was nervous, my own gut was telling me Genkai was right. I nodded to Yusuke, waiting.

This was probably going to hurt.

Yusuke sighed.

He rushed me, much slower than he had sparred with Hiei. For that, I was grateful, but I panicked as he got closer. I couldn't decide whether to try and kick at his feet to trip him or punch him in the gut. Before I knew it, he was on me. I threw out a weak fisted punch in my panic, and he sweatdrop grasped my wrist. He twisted it and threw me like I was nothing but a throw pillow. I landed on my ass a few feet away.

Ow.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Hikari, you ok?" Yusuke asked me, his eyes worried. He held out a hand to help me up, which I took gratefully. My ass was throbbing.

"Hey kid, a word of advice?" I turned to Genkai, who stared at me intensely. "Don't think about what you are going to do, just let your body react."

A sweatdrop appeared on my head. How was I supposed to not think?

"You ready to try again?" Yusuke asked, his expression still concerned. He could be sweet sometimes. Keiko was a lucky girl.

I nodded, though I was uncertain. I remembered what Yusuke had said, how I had gotten in a few good hits on the enemy yesterday. I hadn't thought my actions through at the time. I had just reacted. Maybe I just need to let my instincts take over as they had then? It was worth a shot.

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind and focus at the same time. I paid attention to my breathing.

Yusuke still looked unsure, but he rushed at me again. I didn't allow myself to think. As he reached me, instinct indeed took over. I reached an arm around his shoulder and threw my hip into his groin. Using the pronounced height difference to my advantage, I flipped him over my back, so he landed on the floor, hard.

Whoa!

I stepped back, in complete shock. Yusuke gazed up at me, mouth open. I'd knocked the breath out of him. The others were also staring, astonished.

"How-what-" Yusuke babbled breathlessly, sweat drops pouring down his head.

"I, I don't know." I reached out a hand to help him up.

Genkai marched up to me. "Ho! I knew it. You have been trained in Judo."

"I have?"

"Yep, that was a classic Judo throw, and judging by the fluidity of your movements, you've been studying it for a long time."

"Oh, shiet, really?!"

"Judo is an excellent choice for someone of your size- it uses the weight and strength of your opponents against them." Her eyes glinted. "I wonder…"

"What?" I asked, raising a brow in suspicion.

The old woman merely smirked.

Hiei was amazed. Perhaps the girl wasn't so helpless after all.

He had wondered if her first throw of Yusuke had been a fluke, but she demonstrated a mastery of several martial arts techniques with Genkai. Once she got out of her head and stopped thinking about it, her body flowed in the movements easily. She slipped into proper forms like one would a tailored coat.

Though the basic forms were classic, Hiei had noticed the slight modifications she made to counter her small stature. Genkai was right, Hikari had been well-trained. Judging by her moves, she was at least proficient in Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, and Muay Thai, not to mention her Judo skills.

She couldn't remember the names of any of the forms she performed but relied more on her body knowing what to do. If the movements were so heavily ingrained in her muscle memory, either her captors had taken her when she was really young and trained her, or her life had been spent in a dojo.

Before they knew it, the girls were calling them for their late lunch.

Hikari was breathing heavily and sweating. She looked… Alive. Her movements had been beautiful to watch, like an intricate dance that translated to brutality. She ran off to take a quick shower at the announcement of food.

Hiei couldn't help but watch her go. The more he watched her, the more questions he had.

Everything hurt.

I stretched on the futon Genkai had provided. Being in the dojo had been so much fun! My muscles were cramping, as though they hadn't been used properly for some time, but I tried to ignore it.

After the lively affair that was lunch, I had taken a quick nap, but unfortunately, a nightmare had caused me to wake. Unfortunately, I remembered every detail of this one, though I didn't want to.

I looked at the clock on the shelf in the room. I had only slept for about an hour. My body wanted to sleep more, but I didn't want to fall back into the nightmare that clung to the recesses of my mind. Shoving the memory aside, I decided I wanted to see the others. Yes, that should hopefully distract me. I left my warm nest of blankets.

I followed the growing noise down the hall and found the others gathered around some sort of board game. Pu sat in Keiko's lap. I was a smidge jealous.

Hiei was missing, but then I had a feeling that Mr. antisocial had reached his limit for dealing with people.

"Ah 'Ikari!" Jin waved me over as he noticed my entrance. I greeted the others as I made my way over.

"Oi 'erd dat yer quite de scrapper!" He patted the empty space next to him. I accepted the offer, smiling as I sat.

"Yeah, apparently, I know some martial arts."

"Well, yer an' oi nade ter 'av a sparrin' match put deese skills ave yers ter de test," Jin smirked at me with a cocky raised eyebrow.

"You're on," I smirked back. "But, no using your wind!"

"Awe, come on nigh, where's the fun in dat?"

You joined the others in their game, smiling and laughing.

I found myself wishing things could stay like this…. But I knew that would be impossible.