Warnings: mention of suicidal thoughts
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Connection
Genkai held the phone in her gnarled hands, lips pursed, studying the photograph. "We've been here before." The phrase was fully formed in the last text Sophia had sent to her only a week ago, right before she was taken.
"Well, it's certainly strange," the old woman began, handing the phone back to Ashley as she crossed her arms over her chest, "and worth checking out. Hiei. Take Kuwabara with you when he gets here later. I'd like this little worry put to bed before anything else happens with the Legion. For now, though," she leveled her gaze at Ashley, "It's time for our training session."
Ashley followed Genkai outside, groggy from lack of sleep. After she and Hiei had put two and two together, or what little they had of two and two, they went back to the temple, sneaking in while everyone was already asleep, and made their way to their room. Ashley had caught Hiei's arm as he tried to make for Genkai's room. "What good will it do waking her up now? We've just had a thought, is all, and there's nothing to be done about it now."
He'd consented, and changed the position of his arm so that he was no longer being tugged by her, but he had taken her hand into his as he led them to his room.
Her hands. Soft and delicate. Perfect for playing the piano she so loved. Untouched by violence and hardship.
He laid next to her in bed. And although he desperately wanted to do something more, he followed her lead, which was just to lay in bed until they both fell asleep. Which didn't come quickly.
As soon as the sun rose Hiei stirred to life, and slipped carefully around Ashley's sleeping form. Getting dressed, though, must have woken her because by the time he donned his pants and sleeveless shirt and turned for his sword, he captured her gaze.
"Were you really planning on sneaking away?" She asked, but there was no hurt in her voice. Not like the night before. Her hand was tucked under her face, hair messy from sleep.
"You need to sleep when you can," he replied instead. "I'm going to go on to Genkai."
"Well that's okay; I'll go with you. Let me just put on clothes." She pulled herself out of bed, stifling a yawn. "I'm sorry I haven't been more help." She apologized and looked away as she stood and made for her closet.
What was he supposed to say? "You… just need to learn how to control your power… helping will come." That was good, right?
She didn't respond, but instead pulled on a pair of shorts and sweater, and followed him through the hallways. With the possibility of others awake, he didn't take her hand. They found Genkai relatively easily, and told her what they knew.
Now, it was time to wait for Kuwabara to arrive. Kuwabara would likely be a few more hours, and the impatience ate away at Hiei. He found a tree branch easily enough, and watched Ashley train to take his mind off of it.
They only got a few rounds in before a call reached his ears. "Miss Ashley?"
Her name caught Ashley's attention, below, as well. "Ren?" she called back, much to Genkai's annoyance. "Tetsuya?"
"Girl! Back in position! We'll break when I say we break." Ashley quickly retained form, and the two demons from her class stayed at the tree line.
Hiei watched them as Genkai coached Ashley how to maintain her form as she called her power to the surface. It was child's play. Decades ago, when he was a child, it was less taught and more figured out. If he couldn't figure out how to control his own ability, he would be killed. It was the same among most of the demons who dotted the tree line. Learn to defend yourself or be killed. Having the luxury of not having to figure out their own power until later when someone taught you wasn't even an option.
It was hours before Genkai let Ashley break, and by then, a certain orange carrot-top had appeared on the porch, Yukina hovering next to him. Hiei saw them talk with Genkai as Ashley made her way over to the two demons who had caught her attention earlier. As much as Hiei wanted to get on over to London and figure out what the hell was going on, Ashley came first, and he gathered his energy - a simple technique at this point - and sprinted to Ashley's side. "What are you doing here?" Ashley asked as Ren and Tetsuya were immediately put off by Hiei's sudden appearance.
"Don't worry," Hiei growled. "I'm not going to cart you off to Spirit World even though I should." Tetsuya looked appeased, even if Ren didn't. They were both B-class demons, and had snuck through the barrier after Shono had opened it all those years ago. They had been two that he had been assigned to track down.
"What on earth are you doing here?" Tetsuya asked Ashley as Ren watched Hiei askance.
"Well," Ashley began and stumbled. She obviously had no idea how to explain any of it, looking back to Hiei for guidance. "I, uh… I seem to have developed an ability or an affinity, I think Genkai described it…"
"Really." Ren asked forcefully, glaring outright at Hiei. He returned the favor, knowing exactly what she was implying and hating her for it.
It took every ounce of his self control not to lash out at her. But they were both Ashley's students, and that would be rude, as Kurama would say.
"What's your affinity?" Tetsuya asked, either oblivious or ignoring the tension between his mate and Hiei.
Again, Ashley stumbled. It was annoying, even as he tried to have patience with her; why couldn't she just have confidence in her ability?
"Well, uh, Genkai described it as electricity. Like, my spiritual power naturally seeks out electricity more than anything else." She paused, sparing a glance back at Hiei. He caught it and raised a brow. "She said that demons have affinities like that for different elements, as well."
Well, that explained why she looked at him. At some point he had missed that conversation, and he had thought he'd kept her under a hawk's watch since they arrived.
Tetsuya, however, was nodding. "No, that makes sense, though I've never heard it described with that term before. Ren is a wind demon."
At that, the petite woman perked up, her name having caught her attention. "That's right!" she exclaimed, cheeky smile lighting her eyes. "But Tetsuya is a Strongarm, too."
That caught Hiei's attention, the term Strongarm taking him back to Mako's memories. Demon World was a large place. It likely wasn't possible that Tetsuya knew the Takeshi from Mako's life.
Ashley, however, stood in indignant surprise. "I can't believe I've known both of you this long and didn't know this about you," she said, mostly to herself.
Ren just grinned. "You never asked," she teased.
"Ashley!" Genkai's call caught their attention, making them look over. Genkai stood with Kuwabara and Yukina. Kuwabara had a glint in his eye that he only ever took on when he was serious about something. Or as serious as the oaf got. Genkai must have filled him in. Even if Genkai didn't show her discomfort with the situation, Kuwabara definitely did.
"Be right there!" she replied, and turned back to her English students. "I've got to get back to it. She's like a drill instructor."
"What is it she's having you do?" Ren asked, eying Genkai across the clearing.
Ashley merely shrugged. "Right now we're focusing on drawing my energy into my hands and being able to use it in an attack. Although, I'm kind of having issues with it."
Although as Ashley spoke, Ren tried to hide an expression that clearing said, "oh dear god." But she still forced a smile and said, "Well if you need any help, let me know. I might be able to give you some pointers." Hiei didn't need to read her mind to know that her thoughts took her down the same path that his did. Ashley would already be dead if they were in Demon World.
"Oh, that'd be great!" Ashley replied instead. "Maybe this afternoon? Genkai usually lets me have a break just after lunch?"
Hiei didn't say it aloud, but Ren's family was one of the most prominent clans in Gandara. If he couldn't be the one to teach Ashley how to control her ability, or affinity, rather, Ren was a good substitute.
As they parted ways, and Hiei and Ashley made their way back over to where Genkai and the others stood, Bjorn having joined them at some point, Ashley leaned over to Hiei. "I'll always accept pointers from you, too."
It was clear she was trying to ask him to train her again, but the teasing glint she had in her eye and the way she smiled at him, said that she was trying to flirt with him, too. This close to the others, he didn't indulge.
"I've filled Kuwabara in," Genkai said as they reached the others. "You should leave as soon as you can. Girl. Let's get back to your training." Genkai marched off, and as Yukina enveloped Kuwabara in a sweet embrace that made Hiei feel the need to turn away, Ashley stood a respectable distance away.
"Tell Sophia hi for me, will you?" She asked, her hands clasped in front of her. She was picking at a thread in her sleeve. "I texted her this morning to let her know that you were coming but the reception out here is spotty, so I don't know if she got it."
Hiei didn't know how to close the distance between them, but he nodded, and hesitated. Did he need to embrace her as his sister had embraced Kuwabara? Did she want to be embraced by him?
He didn't need to toss the idea around for too long. As Hiei turned to go, she closed the space between them, embracing Hiei around his waist.
As much as he enjoyed it, he also desperately wanted her to stop. The others would be watching. He pulled back almost immediately, hissing, "I've asked you not to do that in public."
Hurt flashed across Ashley's expression, but she didn't bother hiding it. "I thought things had changed after last night…" she trailed off, tears swimming in her eyes, and immediately he felt like an ass, and wanted to pull her close again, but she'd stepped out of his range, and if he embraced her now, he'd only draw more attention to them. "I'm sorry I assumed. Have a safe trip!"
She walked away from him, back toward Genkai, swiping at her eyes as he felt Kuwabara's presence come up behind him. Turning, he saw that Yukina had already disappeared. "Ready?"
Kuwabara didn't tease him, or comment on anything he might have seen, for which Hiei was grateful. At least not before they stepped through Bjorn's portal and it closed behind them.
"You know, sometimes it's sappy the way Yukina wants to show me affection," Kuwabara began before Hiei could cut him off. "But it's the fact that she wants to show me she loves me is why I let her do it. She's choosing me, in front of everyone else. Hey, let me finish-" he overran Hiei's protests - "Out of all the guys out there, she chose me, and continues choosing me, even when people might be watching. Not going to comment on you and Ashley, but I thought I'd let you know."
Kuwabara's statement, however he'd meant it, was very pointedly directed at him and Ashley, and honestly, he'd never thought about it like that before.
Sure, Kuwabara had always had a more open appreciation for public affection, having openly courted his sister for years, but Hiei had never thought about Yukina's part in it. Yukina, who was always a very private person, openly embracing her significant other. That spoke volumes. But Hiei stayed silent.
The street stretched empty before them. Autumn had already begun claiming leaves as they turned from green to red, and fell to the street in brown piles around them. While it had been cool from a human's perspective back in Japan, in Pleckly, England, it was even colder, and Kuwabara immediately began shivering. Trees lined the street, as houses stacked neatly next to each other bordered them on either side. He'd been to London before, with their houses all squished together, sharing the same walls and the same roofs. The houses out here, though, all had their own plot of land and their own space.
Hiei took out the piece of paper that Ashley had scribbled the address for him on: 703 Whiteborough Lane. Her handwriting was neat and almost bubbly, and it only sent a pain through him that he'd been such a dick to her before they left. She didn't deserve that. Not after what she'd just been though earlier in the week. Hell, she didn't deserve that from him period. Even when he wanted to be mad and frustrated with her and stew in it, she still worked to bridge them back together. She deserved more from him.
Well, they were on Whiteborough, as indicated by the street signs to their right. "Let's go," Hiei merely said, beginning to walk down the street.
As they moved however, Kuwabara fell back more and more. By the time Hiei finally came to a halt, turning toward him in frustration, Kuwabara merely said, "This whole place… Hiei, this entire street gives me the tickle feeling! I-I think it's more than just this street, too. Hiei. I think it's the city."
Hiei, honestly, wasn't sure what to do with that information, except stay on the defense. If the entire city was reaching Kuwabara's sixth sense, what was the House going to do?
As he looked back at the house nearest them, the number, 703 caught his attention. Matching it to the piece of paper in his hand, he pushed the white picket gate open, and left it open for Kuwabara to follow him.
The house in front of him was two-story, but compact. Steps led up to the small porch and a red door. In front of the steps were two rosebushes, as well as along the body of the white house. A single tree, painted red and gold with autumn stood watch outside the house. Bay windows traveled from the ground, to the second story, to even the third-story or the attic, but what looked to be a figure of a woman stood at the window.
A breeze passed, touching Hiei's cheek and ruffling his hair, and the next moment the woman was gone.
"You saw that, right?" Hiei carefully asked Kuwabara.
"Uh huh."
A woman stood at the rosebushes, shears in hand, trimming away the growth and dead twigs. She turned as they entered through the gate. She was all skirts and large brown curls, her cheeks rosy from the cold, but immediately Hiei could see the family resemblance.
"Ah! Here already?" she exclaimed and hastily put down her shears, wiping her hands on the apron she wore. "I thought you might be another week, but that's no issue!" She smiled, dimples forming at the corners of her mouth, and stuck her hand between them as a greeting. Kuwabara took it. "It's so great to see you both. I'm Sophia."
She turned toward Hiei after Kuwabara introduced himself, but Hiei didn't say a word. "You must be Hiei," she said, clasping her hands in front of her in the way that Ashley so often did. "It's lovely to see you again."
"Again?" Hiei growled, latching onto the word immediately. They had never met, nor even had a phone conversation, even as much as Ashley would talk to her sister in front of him. She always promised to introduce them one day, though.
Sophia merely huffed a sigh. "Let's go in, why don't we, and I'll answer your questions. Please, come in!"
Kuwabara followed Sophia more aptly than Hiei did, right on her heels as she led them up the steps and into the house itself. Hiei, however, paused before the steps and glanced up toward the attic, but the woman from before had left the window.
As soon as he followed Kuwabara and Sophia and stepped over the threshold, he was immediately struck by the creepiness of the entire building. It seemed that Kuwabara was in overload mode, stiff as a board and his gaze jumping from object to object.
Sophia, however, didn't seem to notice their discomfort. "Shall I put on a pot of tea? Are you hungry?" She called from the kitchen, just past the staircase that drew their eyes upward. To their left was a study crammed with books and stones and lamps. The desk was covered in papers, though of what, neither Hiei or Kuwabara approached to see the subject matter. To their right was a sitting room. Bookcases covered the back wall, and a little stove sat in the corner, untouched for however many years, with an old wooden rocking chair next to it. The bay windows looked out on the garden they had just come from, a small bench built into the windows. The sitting area itself had a large oriental-type rug that sat beneath an armchair, coffee table, and a couch that was pushed against the wall. More books were crammed onto the bookshelves - how many books did this family feel they had to own? - and objects decorated the shelves were there were no books. A spyglass, photos of the family throughout the years, a pocket watch, and vases, to name a few. Taxidermy ducks hung from the walls and decorated a marble-topped table that sat between the armchair and the couch. A lamp was turned on on the table, along with more dusty books, and a manila folder, that looked like it had only just been handled. Where there weren't taxidermy ducks on the walls, shadow boxes hung like picture frames, their contents hanging inside, untouched by however many decades it had been: pearls, gloves, a brooch, lace, scissors, movie tickets. Even some silver platters were hanging on the walls.
It was like an organized hoarder's home. Every item that might have carried some significance seemed to decorate the room, and from the looks of the study as well, this type of decoration might very well cover the entire house.
"Is there anyone else here?" Kuwabara asked as Sophia came back and set another silver tray on the coffee table with a steaming pot of tea that looked a hundred years old and some cookies.
"Oh, no," Sophia replied, "Just me today. Daniel needed to visit his family in the city. He just lost his sister a few weeks ago."
"But we saw someone in the window upstairs. On the third floor?"
"That was probably just Emma. She tends to wander when there are guests. She was always very shy when she was living, you see, and actually hated to entertain!" she laughed, as if it was the funniest thing in the world. When both Hiei and Kuwabara stayed silent, she tried to explain. "Well, women of that generation were expected to entertain. But since she hated it so much, the people of Pluckley stayed away to the point that there was a rumor that the house was haunted. The entire city is haunted of course, but it allowed Emma to keep to herself. Especially after Annabelle died."
Her explanation did nothing to quell Kuwabara's tickle feeling. Hiei could tell he was on edge, which only heightened his alertness as well. Hiei hovered by the entrance to the sitting room, unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched. From the corner of his eye, up the stairs, he could have sworn he saw a figure walking by, but when he looked, there was nothing. A chill rose the hairs on the back of his neck, and he shifted, uncomfortably.
Sophia sat in the armchair as Kuwabara slowly made his way to the couch, admiring all the different trinkets. "You know, Sophia," Kuwabara said as he made himself comfortable. Even as comfortable as he tried to be, Hiei could imagine that whatever discomfort he was feeling, it was a hundred times worse for the oaf. He'd always had an affinity for the supernatural. And this house was filled with it. It made Hiei's skin crawl. "You could open up a psychic business here. It would definitely fit with the decor."
"Ah!" Sophia exclaimed, and clapped her hands together once. Hiei noticed she did that a lot. "Well, you see, I'd make a rather poor psychic. At least in the future-telling bits. That's my brother's specialty. I can only tell pasts and presents, which no one really is interested in hearing."
Something in what she said caught Kuwabara's attention. "Wait. Say that again?"
A smile quirked at her lips. "What I said was that I can only tell you the past or the present. Does that interest you?"
Even as engrossed in their conversation as they were, Hiei had the distinct feeling like she was testing Kuwabara.
"No, it's just…" he rubbed a hand around his neck, sheepishly. "Something you said reminded me of something else. That's all."
Sophia smiled when Kuwabara looked away. It was a sly, knowing sort of smile. "You see, I think you've heard this before Hiei," she turned in her seat to face him. "Why don't you sit down?"
"I'm fine, thanks."
"Well, you see, all of the Evans family has some sort of gift with the supernatural. My brother, while he's not entirely talented, he is useful. I've always just known things, which has only deepened since… and my sister has always had an affinity for the supernatural beyond both Oliver and I. There's a saying that says that the youngest Evans child is always the most powerful. Which is why it was so odd that Ashley chose not to take over the house after her graduation. In fact, she wants nothing to do with it. Tell me, how's her training going? It's really about time that she embraced her power rather than say she's not spiritually inclined. We all know that's a lie. Is it true she made a tree explode?"
The air in the room disappeared.
Hiei recovered first and moved to grip the top of the armchair.
"How do you know about that?" He snarled at the same time Kuwabara asked, "You're a Connection, aren't you?"
Sophia only smiled at Hiei and pointed at Kuwabara. "I was wondering how long it would take you to notice."
"Yeah, Hiei," Kuwabara said, adjusting how he was sitting on the couch, almost nervously. "Genkai told me about them when I first started training under her. They're called something else traditionally… I can't remember it, though. But they exist both apart from time and within time." While he was speaking, both Sophia and Hiei watched him. "They know everything that happens." Sophia only spoke when he was done.
"He's right you know."
"Why didn't you tell us outright?" Hiei hissed, stepping back.
"I couldn't."
"What do you mean you couldn't?"
"Just that. A Connection isn't allowed to tell others. We exist in all three worlds. Used to, chiefs would use us to help protect the tribe or the clan, or the town, but now, we are usually shunned. In the middle ages we were burned as witches. Our one rule is that we are unable to share the knowledge we gain with others unless they figure it out first." She shrugged. "I had to wait until one of you spoke it aloud before I could tell you myself. Which is really only a compounding on my ability already. I've always known things. Even Before. It made dating very hard, let me tell you that." When neither seemed particularly convinced, she said plainly: "Anything that is spoken aloud, whether in the present or in the past, I know. I know it in the same way that I know the sun is going to rise or that the sky is blue. No one had to tell me. It's just knowledge that comes to me and I know like someone told me outright."
"You said there are Connections in every world?" Kuwabara asked, finally picking up a cup of tea and sipping on it. "This is really good by the way!"
"Oh, thank you! But yes. There are Connections in every world." Sophia turned back to where Hiei stood. "I believe you've already met Amma at your most recent trip to Spirit World. Have you found the people she told you to find?"
This woman was ridiculous. How she knew that was beyond him. "We just want to know why you keep sending Ashley the photos about the writing on the wall. 'We've been here before.' What is that?"
She sighed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's all connected, Hiei."
"What's connected?" He spat. "You keep talking in riddles, just the same as Amma did-"
"Hiei. Maybe we need to let her explain in the way that she can?" The oaf was incredible. Hiei resisted the urge to strange him.
"I've been trying to get my sister's attention on this for three years. She's never noticed before. You both experienced deja vu, right?" Sophia asked, settling back into the chair. "I would think it has something to do with that."
"Yes, but what? You know what it is." Honestly, he could strangle them both.
"I do know what it is, but I cannot say." She replied. She opened her mouth to speak again, and closed it when no sound came out. "And even if I did, I don't think you would believe me."
"Well, you're right about that."
She glared at him. "The person you're looking for has been in Ashley's life all along. He attends her class twice a week."
"That's all you can tell me?"
"Yes." Sophia replied, but watching Hiei she finally said aloud, "You don't believe me, do you? You don't believe that I have this power."
"No."
She sighed, and sat at the edge of her seat. "What can I do to convince you?"
The answer was obvious. "Let me read you."
"With the Jagan?" Hiei merely nodded. "Oh, that won't work."
Frustration mounted again. "Why?" The question was forceful.
"Well, I'm not really sure the reason why, but I know it won't."
Who was this woman? She was definitely Ashley's sister, that much was certain, but who was she to tell him what he could and couldn't do? Without reaching back to untie his headband, he unleashed the power of the Jagan onto Sophia.
With Ashley, he had felt her push back. Her defense, although weak, was stubborn, and tried to put up mental blocks to keep him out.
With Sophia, it was different. There were no mental blocks, there just wasn't anything to read. There were her memories growing up, and her memories with Daniel that flew past him with speed as he looked for the thing that would identify her as a Connection, or whatever the fuck it was that she claimed she was, but anything relating to her ability was fuzzy; like it existed in multiple places. Any knowledge she had existed behind this fuzziness, and no matter how hard he pushed at it, the fuzziness remained, like static interrupting a tv, eventually forcing an acute pain into the center of his forehead, right where the Jagan had been implanted.
With a grunt, he pulled the Jagan's energy away from Sophia, withdrawing it into the safety of his own being, but the pain remained; the only evidence that he had that Sophia was something other.
He'd never not been able to read another person.
Kuwabara must have realized what was going on and piped up, "Why don't you tell us something we don't know?" He was obviously trying to be helpful.
"Ah, that's a wonderful idea. Would you like to go first?" She stood, her skirt flowing around her shins. She didn't even mention having been assaulted by the Jagan, which honestly made Hiei wonder if she'd felt him in her mind at all.
Kuwabara, taken aback by her sudden rise, stammered, "Wh-Why are you standing?"
"Well, generally, when I read people, they don't like for the others in their presence to learn of what they hear. Things can get private." She said it as if it was matter-of-fact, but Hiei was still dubious. Still he waited in the sitting room as Sophia pulled Kuwabara into the hallway.
They were gone for five or ten minutes, and while they were gone, Hiei chose to look around the room, taking in a the little objects. Nothing in the room particularly stood out to him, except the ducks. The ducks definitely got under his skin.
Soft voices reached him from the hallway, and a moment later, Kuwabara strode back into the room. "Wow, Hiei!" He exclaimed, beaming, "She's really good."
Sophia stood at the doorway, hands clasped in front of her. "Your turn, Hiei?"
He swiftly crossed and exited the room, breezing past Sophia without much of an acknowledgment.
Once in the hallway, she took his hand between hers, her skin gentle and smooth against his. She held it there, between them in the darkened hallway, her eyes taking on a far-off look as she read him.
The seconds ticked into minutes, which ticked into five minutes, then ten. "Did you guys die out there?" Kuwabara hollered from the other room.
"We're fine!" Hiei called back over his shoulder. When he looked back at Sophia, she had shifted to gaze right at him.
Or rather, through him. The expression she wore was a cross between pity and understanding.
Immediately, Hiei yanked his hand back. She didn't try to stop him, but instead said, "After the first Dark Tournament, you felt lost. What were you supposed to do now? What purpose did you have?" The words cemented him to the floor as he braced himself for what was to come next; what always came next on dark nights when he was alone. The memory of that time in his life. As much as he didn't want to hear her say it, a morbid curiosity overtook him. "You considered taking your own life."
She continued without pausing. "More recently, and something you've never shared with anyone - when you saw the demon Mako's memories - his relationship with Takeshi stood out to you. You're jealous…no," she fumbled with the words. "Envious - that's the better word - of what they had. You want that for yourself but are afraid you're not worthy.
"You've never had a relationship like that and are afraid you may make mistakes, but want that with Ashley. I think you should try. She'll still love you, even through any mistakes you may make."
"Still?" Hiei caught the word immediately and the question tumbled past his lips before he had a chance to think them over. "What do you mean, 'still'?"
Sophia stuttered. "Still? Still what?"
"You said she'd still love me. What does that mean?"
"Wait," Sophia paused, one hand held up between them, watching him as she tried to figure it out. "She hasn't told you?"
Hiei merely glared at her. What on earth did she mean by still?
"Well," Sophia finally let her hand fall, surprise written across her face, which slowly morphed into an embarrassment similar to the one Ashley often took when she said too much and tried to play it off as nothing. "She does. She told someone that; I just assumed it was you!" In that moment, the family resemblance was too strong. "Well, cat's out of the bag now! Surprise! I'm sorry, though," she finally relented. "Even with being a Connection, I can't always tell who says what."
Without pausing to dignify Sophia's embarrassment, Hiei asked the other question that was bugging him. "So is that your psychic power, too? Knowing what she'll do?"
Sophia sobered, following Hiei's lead. "No," she replied evenly. "That's being her sister and knowing who she is…. Don't be afraid to take risks. It's likely she's been holding back waiting for you, too."
With that, she passed by him, walking back to the sitting room like she expected him to follow, which he did, but he took his time.
Sophia sat back in her chair, letting Hiei sit on the couch first. He had to admit, it was comfortable. Still - and he looked askance at Sophia - something about her just felt… off.
He pushed his energy out to hers, to get a reading on her, but that was the thing. Just like with the Jagan, she felt fuzzy around the edges, her energy did. Like she really wasn't completely there in that moment.
"You said to tell you something that no one else knows, and I did," Sophia finally said, watching Hiei. Her gaze was like a hawk.
"Well," Hiei began, throwing up his defenses. "You should have done it differently."
"Okay, then if you don't believe me, read this." She took the manila folder that was sitting on the coffee table beside where she sat and handed it to Hiei.
"What is this?" He didn't need to ask. As soon as it was in his hands he knew what it was, even though he'd never held one before, or seen one before. The gravity that this object held was beyond this world. He hadn't noticed the energy within it before, but as soon as he touched it, he was floored by it. "Where did you get this?"
"Where does it look like I got it?" Sophia asked, her tone even and hard; all seriousness.
"You're not supposed to have this," Hiei said as Kuwabara was looking at the object and made to touch it as well. Hiei let him, and immediately he yanked his hand away.
"I knew you wouldn't believe me any other way." Sophia said, touching the folder with two fingers. "I snuck into the Spirit World vault and stole this. I'll return it of course, but you had to go through my reading to take this with any face value," she said, explaining his next question before he even spoke.
The power that radiated off her was nearly overwhelming.
She was a Connection. That was certain.
Silence reigned. Hiei had seen the name written on the tab of the file and was rendered incapable of moving. "Why is this Ashley's file?"
She didn't say anything for a moment. "You need to see what's in there."
He didn't open it, not right away, feeling all eyes on him, but slowly, painstakingly slow, he slipped his thumb under the front cover of the file, and opened it.
Sure enough, Ashley's photo stared back at him from one side of the file, her hair a little shorter, a little more weight in her face. He realized, then, that this photo was from a few years previously. This was not the Ashley he knew now. Below her photo were her personality traits (all of which he knew with glaring intimacy), blood type, height, address, and so many more small details that no one but the government should know. As his eyes scanned the other side of the file, written in with notes throughout her life, he paused when he reached page three.
Heart hammering in his ears, the world around him narrowed until the note written on the page was the only thing he could see.
Date of Death: March 31, 2017.
Cause: Knife wound.
It had been a long time since Hiei had felt nauseous about anything, but seeing that, it made his stomach turn.
"Keep reading," Sophia said softly beside him.
Before she spoke he was already reading the rest of the page. Common sense told him that if there was a date of death, that was it. No more notes. Maybe something about their entrance into Spirit World, but beneath her date of death, were more notes. Notes that started with a different date. Even though the entire file before the date had been in chronological order, after the date, it was as if more notes had been made, as if someone had forgotten to record previous events.
"Hey, man, read it aloud, will you?" Kuwabara asked, straining to see the file in Hiei's hands.
Unable to do anything except react, Hiei read, "Date of death: March 31, 2017. Cause: knife wound. Next entry: August 2011: Begins high school. Location: Britain. Next entry: June 2013: accepted into Dean's College." He began reading them faster, his mind finally catching up. "May 2014: graduates high school. August 2014: begins university at Cambridge… What - What is this?"
Sophia took the file from his hands, and he let the file go without protest. She began reading aloud for Kuwabara's benefit, he was sure, "December 31, 1996: Born to parents, Wright, Susan Evans and Wright, William Winston. Two older siblings. See: Wright, Oliver Winston and Wright, Sophia McKenzie. August 2011: Begins high school. Location: Japan. August 2014: begins university at Oxford. July 2015: Meets demon, Hiei Jaganashi," Hiei, as he heard this, froze, but Sophia continued, "October 21, 2015: Organizes student-led organization, Coexist, to improve relations and spread tolerance between humans and demons of student population. Date of death: March 31, 2017. Cause: Knife wound.
"And then it continues where Hiei was reading," Sophia said, finally closing the file.
Kuwabara spoke it aloud before Hiei could find words. "If that's true, then time went backwards."
Sophia merely nodded.
"But that's impossible."
"Not to someone who has the ability - or affinity, I think you call it - to manipulate time."
"But they'd have to be really, really powerful."
"You are correct."
The dots were connecting, and it left Hiei feeling powerless. It was a shitty feeling, one that he hated to his very core.
This was all impossible.
There was something else, too. "Sophia," Hiei began, finding his voice. "Spirit World won't be forgiving if they find out you did this."
She merely nodded, as if she knew this already. But of course she would know. She still held Ashley's file. "Oh, I'm aware," she said, the gravity of what she'd done evident in her voice. "Connections are allowed to hint at things, but to give concrete answers and leads are strictly forbidden. I knew what the consequences would be, and I know they'll be even more dire now that I've told the two of you."
"But Sophia, maybe if you tell Spirit World why you did this it'll help?" Kuwabara asked. His tea remained untouched. "And you technically didn't tell us."
She laughed, once, without humor. "They don't care; they only care about others following their rules. But you have to understand, both of you," she leveled her gaze at them, serious once more. "I've known this has happened since we first went back nine years ago. I've known who did this, and I've waited for Ashley to figure it out. She hasn't, though, and the time line started varying vastly. In the last three years, I started creating hauntings, hoping she would get the message, but she hasn't yet, even though I know she has it within her to understand. But now that I have your attention, you need to find the man responsible for this time manipulation. I've been keeping tabs on the Legion and Guardians for years, and something is coming. Something that will leave no second chances. If you don't find him, Ashley will die before next winter. I can't have that happen. Not again."
"We'll find him, don't worry!" Kuwabara exclaimed, but Hiei's mind was on something else.
"You said something before, and something else just now," he began, trying to concentrate on anything except trying to figure out which of Ashley's students it could be. "Something about Ashley having the ability to understand, and before - about being the strongest of the Evans children. I've tested her myself. She doesn't have what you say he has."
Sophia merely smiled. It was a smile full of knowledge and frustration. "As I'm sure you've noticed, Hiei, my sister has a stubbornness and willfulness that is unrivaled except maybe by you." Hiei felt the jab, but let it slide. "What she wants to hide and bury, she will bury it even if it's by stubbornness alone. But I want you to ask her: How did she know that it was Annabelle who pushed her down the stairs?"
"Wait," Kuwabara pushed in. "Who's Annabelle, and she pushed Ashley down the stairs?"
Sophia nodded. "Ashley often uses that story as to why she doesn't come to the house often, that she was pushed down the stairs by Annabelle as a child while they were playing hide and go seek. She broke her leg, and never willfully came back, even though before the time manipulation she was preparing herself to take over watching the House and honing her psychic ability. Her electricity manifested at only sixteen years old. Her psychic abilities in general manifested at six. Annabelle died at ten years old, but she was the only one of our ancestors who could match Ashley by power alone. And she has never been one to take an insult sitting down, even as a dead ten year old." The implication was pointed.
Something shattered in the other room.
Sophia called over her shoulder. "You know it's true! Stop acting like a brat!"
The room chilled, and the hairs rose on the back of Hiei's neck again.
"Anyway," Sophia said, turning back to the two at hand. "I better let you both get back." She stood, smoothing her skirt, and they followed her lead, heading toward the door. Outside, Kuwabara bounded down the stairs, as if excited to get away from the House. Hiei couldn't blame him, but still hesitated on the porch. Sophia stood in the door, looking drained.
"I'll find him," he admitted aloud, promising her. Promising himself. He had to find him. "I won't let anything happen to Ashley. I promise."
"Thank you, Hiei," she replied, watching Kuwabara below. "You've done amazingly so far. I have a theory about that, actually." When he didn't move, she continued. "You lost her once. Your subconscious doesn't want to lose her again."
That made sense. More so than anything he'd thought of. Since day one that Dion had threatened her, he'd felt an overwhelming urge to protect her at any cost.
Still, he didn't say it aloud, and when he turned to go she spoke again. "By the way, if you ever need me, we're connected now since you tried to read me with the Jagan. Even if we're out of range distance-wise, you'll be able to reach me. It's part of the perks of being a Connection.
"Also, and I don't really know how to say this," she began, and stepped closer to him, lowering her voice so that Kuwabara and any listening spirits might not hear. "Ashley face a choice she needs to make soon. Please respect her decision, even if it's hard."
Dread pooled in his stomach. "Of course I will," he ground out, though, his pride a little hurt that Sophia might think him to do anything else. "You keep telling us things that you shouldn't know about. Hints at the future. But you said you only know the past and present."
The question was there, and Sophia adopted a mischievous glint in her eye, so similar to Ashley that he was struck, again, by how similar they were, even if they were a few years apart. "I have my source," she teased, but said no more.
Knowing that was all he would get out of her, he left to join Kuwabara in the front garden of the House.
"Have you already called Bjorn?" Hiei asked.
He nodded. "Portal's coming. What are we going to tell Ashley?"
Hiei sucked in a breath. Being blindsided was not something he was used to. "Nothing specific. Time has gone back. That's all we know. She doesn't need to be told that she's supposed to be dead. Not after everything else."
Kuwabara nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."
The portal opened up before them, Bjorn calling them back. With a last glance toward the House and Sophia on the front porch, Hiei stepped through with Kuwabara at his side, to be met with Genkai's training grounds, and Ashley blocking an attack from Tetsuya. Ren and Genkai stood on the porch with Yukina.
Tetsuya. He was one of the ones in Ashley's Tuesday and Thursday class. A Strongarm, but was it possible that he had time manipulation within him? It would take a powerful demon, or human, to turn all three worlds back. He stepped in between Ashley and Tetsuya, "Was it you?" He snarled, although he knew he should be thankful for him, whomever the time manipulation master was, all he could feel was rage.
"What are you talking about?" Tetsuya growled, thrown off by a second person entering his sparring match. Tetsuya tried to step around Hiei. "Look, Ashley and I are having a match, so if you don't mind…"
Hiei didn't wait for him to finish. He saw Tetsuya try to walk around him, and something inside him snapped. "WAS IT YOU?" he bellowed, on Tetsuya in an instant, his blow sending the much-taller demon into a nearby tree.
"Hiei!" Ashley yelled, but he didn't have time to wait for her to explain herself. He crossed the field in an instant.
"Fuck!" Tetsuya groaned, trying to stand. "What was that about-"
Hiei's hand closed around Tetsuya's windpipe. "Was it you? Huh?" He snarled into Tetsuya's face. He was the larger, demon, sure, but Hiei had power on his side. And right at that moment, he wanted nothing less to take out his frustration against him.
She had died.
Rage blinded him, and he pulled back a fist, only to feel a hand clench his shoulder. He started to turn and aim his punch to them, but the next thing he knew he was on the ground, his body spasming uncontrollably. "Hiei!" Ashley shouted from above him. "What the fuck?"
"W-Wh-Wha-t… d-did… you-"
"Ashley learned how to incapacitate her attackers with a touch, today, Hiei. How kind of you to ask," came Genkai's unimpressed drawl. "I think it's time we debrief in my study, don't you?" She turned to Ashley, ignoring Hiei twitching on the ground. "Good job today. You learn faster than the dimwit at least. Consider the rest of your day free." She turned away from Ashley, who glared at Hiei on the ground, still twitching. "Yukina, patch this one up, would you?" She asked with a nod to Tetsuya.
"What the fuck was that earlier?" Ashley exploded as soon as Hiei walked into their shared room.
Hiei didn't answer Ashley directly. "Your sister is a powerful psychic," he said instead, sitting on the edge of the bed to explain that Sophia was a Connection, and what that meant, as well as everything she'd told Hiei and Kuwabara. Well, everything except a few details.
He had already relayed all of it to Genkai, Kurama, and Botan. Kurama said he'd relay it to Yusuke, while Botan said she'd relay it to Koenma. They'd all agreed it was best to keep Ashley out of it. Especially after all she'd been through.
By the time he was finished, Ashley was sitting on the bed beside him, and Hiei had entwined his fingers with hers. Her hand, soft and delicate, held his, too. He had been so close to never holding her hand. Whomever this time manipulator was, Hiei recognized that he owed him. Had time not gone backwards, he might not have gotten to be this close with Ashley. He might never have known her. And that just about broke his heart.
"On Tuesday we're going to need to come up with a way to determine who this guy is. The sooner we figure this out, the better." Hiei muttered. He'd been thinking about it all afternoon.
"What if I just teach class like normal and you can use the Jagan?" Ashley suggested, floored. Besides coming to sit on the bed with him, she hadn't really moved.
Hiei nodded. "That could work."
"So, that's why we've been experiencing deja vu?" She asked, changing the subject. "Because we've literally done all of this before."
"Yes and no," he replied, wincing internally. How to explain this without letting her know the specifics? "Sophia told us that while time went backwards, events changed. The deja vu thing, she didn't really fill us in on." He could see the wheels in her brain turning. "I also had a thought while I was there," he began, treading carefully. "You told me once that it was Annabelle who pushed you down the stairs. When we first met. Back when you originally told me about the house. How did you know it was Annabelle?"
If he didn't know her so well he would have missed how she stilled.
He continued, "Stepping into that place, I can see why you don't go back, but how do you know? They all feel the same."
She turned toward him, then, studying him. She was so much like her sister he almost couldn't stand it. Or maybe Sophia was like her. However it had happened, they were so similar in their behaviors it was laughable.
She paused before she spoke, and immediately he knew she was lying. She'd done it only once or twice since he'd known her, but it was iconic for her. "Sophia told me. After it happened."
She said it in a way that didn't allow for other questions.
Still, being this close to her, knowing that she shouldn't be there at that moment, and feeling the rush that came over him when he thought back to how she was able to ground him so easily, affection swelled in his chest for this person. Slowly, he brushed his thumb against her lower lip, watching her carefully in case she objected to his affections. She didn't move. They were inches from each other when Hiei paused, lips parted. He didn't have to wait long. Ashley closed the distance, kissing him, her tongue slipping between his lips. The action sent a fire to warm in his belly, and he drew her closer to him, moving so that she could straddle him.
He tangled his fingers in her hair, relishing in the soft fruity scent, as his other hand slipped under her sweater. His touch must have caught her off guard because she broke the kiss, gasping in surprise. That pushed him further, catching her gasp and kissing her again, deepening the kiss, until they were tangled together.
He wanted, more than anything, to get as close as possible to her. To end the barriers that divided them, and make love to her.
He bit her lip teasingly before trailing a series of kisses down her neck before her sweater covered her shoulder. That needed to come off.
"I have an idea," Hiei gasped as he pulled off his own shirt. Ashley took his face between her hands and brought him back to her lips.
"What is that?" She asked between kisses.
He broke, momentarily, to smirk at her, but continued to run a hand around her waist. "In demon world, when we're with partners, we can use our ability to… excite the other person."
She blushed. "So…?"
The hand that was running over her waist suddenly heated, and he moved it so that it could slip down her abdomen. "Oh," she reacted, biting her lip.
How he wanted to take her lip between his own teeth.
"And you," he said, kissing her again. "Can use your ability… with me."
She stiffened, but kept kissing him. Hiei moved to pull off her sweater, so that she was only left in her bra and shorts.
He pulled her closer, still running his hands over her body. "Whenever you're ready," he growled in her neck.
She hitched a breath, and a small tingle of electricity tickled his chest, but it was nothing. "Little harder; I need to feel more than that." As if for example, he kissed her, knowing his fire was entering her sternum as she gasped and arched.
Still, she hesitated. He kept kissing her, wanting to change position so that he was over her, but just as he felt the sharp jot of her electricity flowing into him, she was pushing him away, and trying to disentangle herself from him.
"I-I-I can't, Hiei. I can't-" she was saying, as she rose and walked away, hands clasped over her head, before they broke and she ran them over her face. Hiei stayed on the bed, giving her space.
It was a good minute before she spoke again. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, her voice breaking. Ashley had yet to turn to face him.
Hiei, however, fell back onto the bed, reprimanding himself. Of course it would freak her out. It probably took her back to that warehouse.
Moving his head so he could watch her, he reached a hand toward her. "Hey, Ashley," he got her attention and she turned. "Come here."
The request was enough. She crossed the room to him again, curling up against his chest so that her head fit snugly under his chin. Again, the fruity scent of her hair reached him, and it was just… it was so Ashley, that he held her closer.
She should have died, but she was there. Somehow, by whatever power in the universe, he was able to hold her against him. Beyond that, Sophia had said she was going to make a choice soon. Dread, once again, pooled in his stomach. He'd been such a dick to her these last several months, he wouldn't doubt it if she chose to leave him. Finally. He deserved so much less than this incredible human in his arms. How he'd managed to convince her that he was worth fighting for was beyond him, but he would prove that she made the right decision.
"I'm sorry I was an ass today," he finally said. "Both times."
She didn't reply right away. "Thank you."
However long they stayed like that was lost on him, but the sun had finally set for the day, turning the room to shadows. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight." She muttered into his chest, not looking up.
"Then don't," Hiei replied softly. "I won't leave." He said it like a promise, because it was a promise.
With this, Ashley glanced up. "Are you sure? Am I taking you from anything?"
Hiei smirked. Always the worrier. "No. I'm staying."
"Even if I tell you to leave?"
Her words were soft - and was that a touch of humor? - but it cut through him like a winter wind, still. Immediately, his arms slackened around her body. "Only if you want me to," but even as he started to let go, she snuggled closer, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.
"No," she said, thoughtful. "No, I don't."
- End of Chapter Twenty-Six -
PLOT TWIST! MUAHAHAHA!
I've known this since August last year. Around chapter two or three. It's been killing me not being able to reveal it, but TA-DA! Ashley was supposed to die! And we'll find out more about the time manipulation in the next few chapters. Which, by the way, Chapter 27 will be out July 28 and Chapter 28 will be out July 29. There's a reason I'm posting them like that, and you'll see why when we get there.
On another note, I've created a playlist for this chapter in particular. It was such an important chapter there were only a handful of songs I was able to listen to while writing it. The link has been posted on my profile. I've also got the mood board link for Sophia on my profile as well.
And sometime since the last chapter I reached 100 followers! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And Thank you for the lovely reviews, too, by Guest and lisaisfire619 for chapter 25, and musicnutftw for chapter 15. As always, if you enjoy what you read, please review so that I know that you enjoyed it, too. I like to share in the enjoyment.
I do not own, in any way, the characters, places, or ideas of the Yu Yu Hakusho universe created by Yoshihiro Togashi. I only own my own characters and plot.