Me: Aaaaaaaaaand, I'm back! Trying to get a little more regular with the updates!

Hiei: Interesting.

Ghost: So…Mukuro now?

Me: Just wait. I have some more character building planned here. Ultimately this is what I wanted to get to in the first place.

Ghost: If you say so.

Me: Trust me. Gonna see Rin pushing the limits of her power here. Then she's gonna have to confront her feelings with Hiei and how to go with that. Things are moving now. As always, I only own my characters.

Chapter Start—

Chapter 67: Tangled Emotions

Eight against one…and my odds weren't getting any better. My entire body was still trembling from the hit Yomi dealt me, and it was a challenge to even sit up on my knees. I promptly fell back on my ass and raised my hands up, palms out so they didn't think I was reaching for the chakram on my hips. I scanned each of them and knew, while one-on-one I think I could manage, in my current condition there was no hope. This was what I deserved for letting my guard down. I really needed to remember that I was in the Makai after all. The demons looked between each other, and one shook his head as he lowered his sword, "Damn, I was hoping she would put up a fight."

"Hell after taking a hit like that from Yomi, I'm surprised she's even conscious. Maybe she's tougher than we thought," another said off to my left.

Or Yomi didn't want me unconscious when these brutes found me. Not that I would let them in on that possibility. Whether he did it out of strategy or kindness, I wouldn't know, but at least I had some say in how this next trip was going to go, even if it would be against my will. A few of them muttered amongst themselves. I didn't even bother trying to get a good look at them since my head was still buzzing and my ears were ringing annoyingly. Instead, I gingerly rubbed the back of my head and growled quietly, "I'm not going to try and fight you guys. For the moment I'm outnumbered and overpowered. I'll go where you want, but just give me a minute. My senses are still a bit scrambled."

"No surprise with how hard you went through that tree," one laughed causing the rest of them to bust into a dull roar of laughter. I winced and covered my ears, still trying to ground myself.

"Alright you idiots. We better get a move on. Don't wanna keep Lord Mukuro waiting," a demon with a large sword sheathed on his back said as he stepped forward and wrapped his hand tightly around my upper arm. With a rough jerk, he dragged me to my feet and gave me a shake as my legs nearly buckled under me. I let out a low growl and as I planted my feet in the ground, forcing them to stabilize out of sheer spite, I gave him a sharp elbow to his ribs.

"I already said I would go with you and I can walk fine on my own. I don't need to be manhandled," I snapped as I dusted myself off. When I turned my attention back to him I could fury flash through his eyes but as he raised his hand to backhand me, he paused and seemed to think better of it. He lowered his hand and huffed as he turned back to his comrades.

"Let's go, boys. You two, go ahead and alert them to our return. The rest of you surround her and lets go," he grunted as he gestured demandingly for me to follow him. I barely noticed two figures disappear from sight, leaving six to act as my armed guard. Another demon of similar stature, and equipped with almost the exact same sword, stepped to his side and led the march. I moved to follow and the two demons that fell in on each of my sides each held crossbows of some sort. The two that fell behind me each had a long whip on each of their hips. As we marched, I paid more attention to how they held themselves and knew my choice not to fight them had been the right one. They worked well as a team and no doubt had been picked for their jobs after proving their worth. While I wasn't a weakling, they caught me at a moment of absolute weakness while I was still reeling from Yomi's strike. I wasn't going to call it an attack because he was sure not to cause any actual damage, but I was beginning to realize what Yomi meant by causing chaos and turning me loose on someone else. He knew that Hiei was with Mukuro, and that I had a connection to him. Where he had been initially concerned that I would distract Kurama, he now hoped I would do that to Hiei and weaken Mukuro. Yomi was truly devious and he had to have an idea that Mukuro wouldn't kill me on sight for his plan to work.

Although, even I didn't know what she would do. She felt a connection to Hiei because he was always alone. He found his sister, but wouldn't burden her with who he was. He made the choice to always be alone and found strength and power in it. She too found strength in being alone. She had been abused and had to disfigure herself to find a way out. I shuddered at what she had gone through to become who she was. While I had my own demons to deal with, when it came to being dealt a shitty hand, her and Hiei were more alike than I was to either of them. So, would he still even want to pursue…whatever it was we has going on when he had someone who had experienced the pain he had? Instead of me who had seen it and knew it without knowing how it personally felt?

Even though these thoughts were bouncing around in my head, I wasn't discouraged. In fact, I wanted to know. I wanted to face this head on and if I was rejected, I would bow out gracefully. I didn't want to run from these things anymore.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the demons suddenly stopping in front of me and barely stopped in time to keep myself from crashing into the back of the one I jabbed with my elbow. I looked around expectantly, but there was nothing. I hadn't exactly been paying attention to how long we had been walking, but we were well out of Yomi's territory and we came to a spot where we were now standing along a tree line. The ground in front of us was well worn and some of the trees had been knocked down. I looked around quizzically, but all of the demons seemed to be just waiting for something. Before I could even ask, the ground started to shake and a dull rumble followed. All of the demons turned their attention to our right and I followed their gaze to see the one thing in the whole story, I had forgotten about. Mukuro's mobile fortress.

The enormous insectoid creature made its way to us and its large eyes caused me to shudder. It was mildly disturbing to think of the fact that Mukuro's castle was the inside of a bug, but actually seeing it in person was…I couldn't even think of a proper word for the feeling knotting up in my gut. As it got closer, I noticed at the joints and other parts that I could recognize mechanical parts, but then in others it almost looked organic. I couldn't be sure, but I had a feeling that at one point, that creature had been alive, but since its passing, Mukuro had outfitted it to suit her needs. Rather resourceful, if not disturbing. It came closer and the demon who tried to manhandle me before turned back and stared at me as intimidatingly as he could.

"There will be an entrance waiting for us at the side of the creature. When we jump, you jump in with us. If you try anything funny or try to run, I'll break both of your legs and you will have to crawl your way to meeting Lord Mukuro."

I waved at him dismissively, "I'm not going to try anything, I already told you that I was going to go with you."

He grunted in response and turned back. No doubt my willingness to follow them and not run away caught him off guard, but he didn't let down his guard altogether. I didn't blame him. If they were sent out by Mukuro to retrieve me, I sure as hell wouldn't want to return empty handed. Mukuro was definitely not someone to be trifled with. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't have taken the chance and knocked my target out the second I got the chance. As it was though, there were plenty of them to take me down if I tried anything and watching my back against them would not exactly be a walk in the park. I shook my head and watched as the fortress got even closer and prepared for the leap I would have to take.

Suddenly, I sensed a familiar presence nearby and slyly looked around; doing my best to not alert my armed guard that something was amiss. I scanned the tree line just behind us and quickly noticed that there was someone hiding in a particularly large tree just off to the side. Upon closer inspection, I recognized the dark eyes looking back belonged to Ghost and he was trying desperately to get my attention. I could feel him urgently reaching out to establish a telepathic connection, but I refused to let down my barrier. I offered him a small smile that I knew he could see and then a wave that I was careful to keep subtle so the guards around me didn't notice. Luckily for me they were too focused on the approaching fortress. Without waiting to see his reaction, I faced back with the rest of them and noticed each of the demons were tensing to prepare for the jump. I followed suit and the second one of them leaped into the air, I jumped as well. The air rushed through my hair and I momentarily enjoyed the thrill of flying through the air. It was amazing to be able to move like this and I had to admit, I didn't miss the limited mobility I had as a human. Then my feet landed on the ledge just before the open passage we would be taking to enter the fortress. Jumping from solid ground to suddenly land on a mobile platform was a bit tricky and for a moment I lost my footing. My body lurched back and I waved my arms trying to regain my foot and just managed to catch hold of the frame of the passage entry to keep from tumbling down the side. I sighed in relief and then looked to the group of demons who had been watching me.

"Pay up," the demon who I had been interacting with up to this point said looking to one of the other demons who had a whip on his hip. The second demon growled and reached into his pocket before slamming down a handful of coins into the open palm of the first. A few of the others snickered at their comrade's misfortune and moved further into the fortress. Soon, it was just me and the demon who was now a few coins richer than he had been. He watched his team disappear before turning to me and saying, "I don't know what game you're playing, but for your sake, you best not get on Lord Mukuro's bad side."

"Trust me, I'm not exactly planning on it," I answered simply. He eyed me down a moment more before shaking his head and gesturing for me to follow him as we went deeper into the castle. I looked around as we walked and couldn't help but shudder. This thing had definitely been alive at some point, and God only knows how Mukuro got the thing up and running without utterly decaying. Then again, maybe it was a combination between mechanic and bio-organic machines. I doubted that I would ever know, but the halls and everything looked like I was inside a living creature and it caused my stomach to turn uneasily. We made our way through a series of halls before finally stopping at one that seemed to go on almost indefinitely, as shadows darkened down it to the point where I could not see to the end.

"This is where you go. Walk all the way to the end. You'll get where you're supposed to be."

He turned away and left. I stood in the hall feeling chills creep along my spine. While it was a possibility I could turn back and try to find the way out from where I came, something inside of me wanted to meet Mukuro face to face. Did I want to make my claim known? Or did I want to see the woman I would loose out to? My mind swirled around the two possibilities. I wanted to fight for him, but I also knew that there was a level of darkness each of them had experienced that was almost cathartic to the other. Was is right for me to try and put myself in place of that, when my ultimate goal had been worrying about getting home? I smiled ruefully to myself. It was a little late to be thinking about that now since I had spent all this time trying to get close to him and now I wanted to think about his feelings? I shook my head. I was extremely selfish and now, with the time I have spent actually growing, I could only hope to salvage this in the best way for everyone. With that thought in mind, I sucked in a quick breath and started down the dark, lonely hallway.

It was eerie. There wasn't a lot of light to show the way, but I didn't have trouble with my demon senses. I could feel a faint energy at the end of the hall, but I couldn't quite tell just what it meant. It seemed weak…not like it was trying to hide from me, but instead growing or regaining itself. I furrowed my brow and continued my pace steady. Just what was Mukuro playing at? It wasn't that long after that I stopped at the sight of a door. I cocked my head to the side and debated on how I should enter. Should I just throw the door open confidently and stroll inside like I owned the place, or shyly peak in trying to see just what was going on first? Ultimately I decided on a middle ground. I approached the door and opened it carefully, but steadily in an attempt to seem like I was confident. At first glance, there was no one in the room, but there was a strange glowing pod like thing. My brain froze and I stared at the figure inside.

"Hiei."

I rushed over and placed my hands on the glass. It was indeed him. His third eye was slightly open, but it was clear that he was unconscious. I stared over him, from the various cables attached to him, to the breathing apparatus, and finally to the two tear jewel necklaces floating above his chest. I looked to his injuries, the ones he had injured in his fight with Shigure, and was relieved to see that they were mostly healed. He had already been in there for some time, and was very close to recovering. Now that I was so close, I could feel his energy humming. He was merely at rest, waiting for when he was back at his peak. Seeing him like this…was so strange. The last time I saw him in person he had been sleeping too. It was after the fight with Sensui. It felt like ages ago and yet I could still remember his scent. Despite trying to remain calm, my heart fluttered and my cheeks burned. It was official. I had caught feelings for him. My eyes wandered over his bare chest and I quickly looked away. Just staring at him when he was in such a vulnerable state seemed almost wrong and I carefully stepped back from the pod. At least he was healing, and by the looks of it, would be back on his feet soon. I looked back over his face and paused upon noticing that his third eye seemed to be moving. I cocked my head to the side and leaned in. I blinked in surprise. His eye was tracking me. Whether or not he was doing it consciously, he was watching me and there had to be some part of him that was aware I was there. The color drained out of my face. Oh he was going to kick my ass for leaving like I did.

"So, I finally meet the demoness I have seen so much about," Mukuro's voice broke out from behind me. I flinched in surprise, but regained my composure before turning around to face her. Had she been waiting for me? Or had she just arrived? Either way it went, I was too focused on Hiei to notice her energy anyway. I I don't know what I was expecting, but she was not it. She no longer wore the head covering she had been known for and her red hair was striking against her pale skin. I could see the acid scorched skin down the side of her face and neck to be hidden by her shirt and she had removed the cover over the eye that did not even had lids for protection. She bore her injuries like marks of pride and stared me down, with a small smile on her face. My voice died in the back of my throat and I felt my heart pound hard against my chest, but not in fear. No, there was something about Mukuro that I had never even thought of before. Back home…I hated her selfishly. It was fangirl jealousy that she had been paired with Hiei. At the time, I would have been happier if he had been single at the end of the anime. Then I could have my girlish fantasies of him being mine. Now, being faced with her. I was ashamed. When she realized I wasn't going to speak she said, "Something got your tongue?"

"N-no," I stammered and out of instinct bowed to her as I continued, "I'm sorry for my rudeness. I was just…fighting with myself."

"Interesting. From what I have seen and heard you're more than willing to fight with others than yourself," she noted as she approached to stand beside me and turn her attention to Hiei. Almost mechanically, I turned back to him as well and looked up at him, more conflicted than ever. I thought I was ready for this, but now standing beside her, I felt smaller than ever. She glanced at me from the corner of her good eye and said, "He will be back on his feet fairly soon."

"I'm glad," I whispered and lowered my gaze.

"I must admit, I am surprised. This meek display is not what I expected of you after what I saw of you in his memory," Mukuro noted and I winced. I couldn't exactly blame her for whatever she had been expecting.

"I'm not the same person I was even the last time I saw him," I said turning to face her and not even glance back at Hiei's direction. I noticed her brow arch slightly as she turned once more to me. We locked eyes and there was a part of me that actually admired her. She was one hell of a woman, and even if she was technically my competition, I would have liked to be friends with her if it was possible. I smiled weakly at her and said, "I'm sorry. I wasn't staring at you for what you think."

"Oh?" Mukuro asked and I saw genuine curiosity flash over her expression.

"I played over the possibility of meeting you many times in my head. I thought over endlessly what I would have to say and how I would act, but all of this was when you were just an idea in my head. Meeting you in person…well, my mind did not do you proper justice and if I'm being honest, I am in awe of you,"

The look that crossed over her face in that moment made it very clear that she didn't believe a word that came out of my mouth. No doubt she was sure that I was trying to get in her good graces as she shook her head and said, "Oh come now. I told you that I have seen his memories. I know all about your abilities and your knowledge of the future."

"Which is fast approaching it's end," the words came out of my mouth before my brain even processed them and by the look on her face, Lord Mukuro was just as surprised as I was. I wrinkled my nose at the predicament I may have just put myself in, but shrugged. Oh well, at this point, things were happening faster than I could have planned and rolling with the punches was something I was beginning to get good at. So, I looked back at her and continued, "It's fact. I only have a few months left of knowledge. Then everything will be just as unknown to me as it is everyone else. As for my statement, its true. I had a thought of you, an image; one that I thought I knew so well, and that was what all my responses and reactions were based on. Now, actually meeting you face to face…well I am woefully unprepared. The you I thought I knew…well it turns out I didn't know you nearly as well as I thought. And for that, I was a fool."

Mukuro simply looked back at me without saying a word. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her mind. I simply looked between her and back to the pod in which Hiei was recovering. All the while his third eye was watching us, and I smirked. Down and out, but still keeping an eye on everything around him. Even I had to admit it was a pretty useful trick.

"Now I see why he finds you so intriguing," Mukuro said suddenly bringing my attention back to her. This time there was a smile on her face now and instinctively I tensed. This caused her to chuckle. She then looked to Hiei's sleeping form and said, "Why not address the matter at hand that we both have been avoiding?"

"Heh, I suppose I don't have a choice," I sighed with a shake of my head. Both of us looked at each other and the root of what had us at odds came to the surface. We moved away from Hiei's pod in unison and began circling each other, intently inspecting our opponent. The more I watched her, the more I realized that she was way more than I ever made her out to be. Her shoulders were straight and her posture was confident. She moved with a smooth, agile grace of a magnificent hunter waiting for its prey to make the first move, and she never looked away. She never showed weakness. She was sure of herself, but without being arrogant. The more I watched, the more I wished I could be like her.

"Which of us do you think will prevail?" Mukuro asked simply. There was nothing else in her tone. No contempt. No concern. It was as if she were asking if I liked the weather.

"I'd rather not say," I answered truthfully.

"Meaning?"

"You're the better match. I've seen pain, but nothing like the two of you. I've had trials, but nothing like what you two have faced. I risen up from what was meant to put me down, but not like you and not like him. There is a part of me that is sure I will not be the right choice, but a stronger part of me can't stand down. Not now. Not after everything I have learned. I will see this through, and I will accept whatever comes from it," I answered as we both slowed our circling and stand facing each other. As I spoke the words, I felt a reassurance that had not been there before and took strength in them. Come what may, I can hold my head high and know I didn't back down. I will have no regrets.

"I would accept nothing less. Now, I have a test for you of my own design," Mukuro said as she reached into her pocket. She pulled out a strange syringe with a glowing red substance inside of it. I arched my brow questioningly at her, but she simply held it out where I could see and said, "This is a new invention my people have been working on for some time now. It is meant to stimulate a demons power potential. It helps them fight harder, longer, and heightens their instincts beyond their average capabilities. I've been assured that it has been refined and ready for a test. I believe you would be the best candidate for it, and then enter my training grounds, the same ones Hiei himself entered."

I pulled my lip back over my sharp teeth in a wary grin, "Oh of course, and what side effects can be expected from such a wonderful creation?"

Mukuro smirked, "I've been told the side effects should be limited to crashing at the end of its run through the system. The host will have to rest after such overexertion and recover."

"How long does it stay in the system?"

"That has not been determined. It is supposed to last. It burns through the body slowly, evenly, granting the user extended energy and ability to fight for longer periods of time, but even with knowing the most common demon genetic make up, they're still unsure of an exact time limit. A day? A week? A month? Maybe more."

I grit my teeth. She wasn't exactly demanding that I subject myself to being her little test subject. In fact, she made it sound as if I could turn it down and walk away, but there had to be more to it. I narrowed my gaze on the syringe and asked, "And what exactly did you have planned if I refuse?"

Mukuro shrugged, "I'm sure I can find others interested."

She slyly glanced over at the pod where Hiei was. I understood the meaning. She could easily use Hiei who at this point, would probably put up a fight but eventually give in. After all, he already submitted himself to her trials and was so willing to die in the end. I bared my teeth in annoyance, but sighed. She won. I held my hand out for the syringe. There was a satisfied grunt in the back of her throat as she raised her other hand to snap her fingers. The ground at my feet began to move and I stepped back to see a dark chute open up. I couldn't see the end of it, but I had no doubt it led to a similar chamber to what Hiei had fought in. I looked back to her and saw that she had moved to my side with the syringe still extended. I took it from her without hesitating. I locked eyes with her and said, "What are the conditions?"

"Inject that into your leg and jump down the chute. You will stay there to fight until I come for you. Are we agreed?"

A moment of tense silence fell and I looked between her and the syringe in my hand. I took a deep breath and looked back only once more at Hiei's Jagan eye. Then, before I could change my mind I jammed the syringe into the meat of my left thigh and injected the liquid into my system. When it was empty I ripped it free from my skin and tossed it to the side, already feeling a strange burning sensation spreading through the limb. I looked back to Mukuro and said, "I accept your challenge."

Then I leapt into the dark abyss below.

Chapter End—

Me: Well, I hope you all enjoyed this. Now we're getting toward the end of this story and I have so many mixed emotions.

Hiei: You are a touchy feeling one.

Ghost: So, what exactly are you getting at?

Me: Well, this story is the one that meant the most to me through the years. It helped boost my confidence and feel better as a writer. And sometimes I like to reread it because it reminds me of good memories I have while I was writing it and because of that, I want to redo it.

Hiei: Hn.

Ghost: The whole thing?

Me: Yes. Soon, I will be posting a story called Here We GO 2.0. Its going to start all over from the very beginning, but I will be changing how things happened and tweaking it. It will not be the exact same story, because lets face it, some of the things I had Rin doing we're exactly practical. And I want to redo how I have Morte and Azra because yes they were meant to go through the whole story, but I didn't want it to become the annoying cat and mouse game it devolved into. I had intended SO MUCH MORE for them, but I didn't have the skills to put it down in written form. Now I think I do, so I will be rewriting it. If you would like to read it, I would be happy, but if you're burned out I understand too. I just love this story and it helped me through a lot so I want to do it justice. Anyway, I will still get this finished to the end! See you next chapter!