Chapter Thirty-One
While You Were Dreaming
"Oh, good," a voice caught Ashley's attention, whipping her head around to the demoness standing behind her. Yukina was fully dressed, her hair pulled into a ponytail which draped over her shoulder. Even though her chest was heaving, like she'd just run the length of the temple, tension pulled every muscle taught in her body. "You're awake. Get dressed."
"Yukina," Ashley began, her name soft on her tongue. As quickly as the noise began, it ended, abruptly. Yukina's eyes scoured the ceiling above their heads, as if searching for something, but at the sound of her name, her gaze snapped back to Ashley. "What's wrong? What was that?"
Yukina didn't reply or repeat what she'd already said. Her only reply was, "Quickly." She said it stern, as if it was imperative that Ashley did as she was told. But the Look that Yukina gave her cemented the idea that Ashley should do as she was told. Ice slid down Ashley's back from the chill of it, hairs standing on end. Whatever it was, it was bad, and Yukina's reaction was telling.
Quickly, she dressed, throwing on the same clothes as she'd worn the night before. Still smelling of campfire, she pulled on the only other article of clothing she'd brought - a sweatshirt - in hopes that one article of clothing that didn't smell of smoke would mask the smell somewhat. It only barely worked.
She raced after Yukina, who led the way through the winding halls of the temple, their footfalls the only sound in the entire building. The crashing had ended from outside, and with it, all sound seemed to have disappeared.
"What in the three worlds are you doing?" Genkai's voice snapped, thin and sharp. It was the voice she used when her patience was worn out. Barely-hidden anger lurked beneath her words, too.
Yukina and Ashley rounded a corner of the temple, to Genkai's office. On her desk sat a small computer monitor. She sat in the chair opposite, elbow braced against one arm of the chair, almost curled into herself - like a cat about to strike. "You're the last person in the world I thought I'd hear from today. Of all days!" She hissed.
Yukina slowly made her way into the room, being careful not to overstep her bounds. Genkai looked up at them and motioned for them to come all the way into her study. Yukina quickly crossed the room and came around Genkai's desk.
"Lord Koenma?" Yukina gasped just as Ashley also came around the monitor. This Lord was nothing more than a teenager. A teenager, with a pacifier in his mouth and dressed in formal robes, purple, and embroidered around the edges with pink stitch work. A red scarf tied about his neck, though formal, his clothes were ripped and dirtied. His face was covered in grime and the telltale red streaks of blood, though his own or another's was undetermined. Brown eyes wild, he glanced back down to the camera in his hand.
"Oh hello, Yukina!" He gasped in greeting as he ran and slid behind something, ducking his head so he wouldn't be seen. "Your husband and his best friend don't happen to be where they could help?"
Genkai nearly growled. "It seems you haven't received the good news. The Guardians attacked four major refugee stations this morning, close to dawn." Ashley's attention whipped to the old woman, the teenager Lord forgotten. "They're helping with relief efforts until the authorities can mobilize."
"Refugee stations?" Koenma whispered, concern washing over his expression as he ducked down behind the object again.
"Oh, you haven't heard, yet? Ashley, this will be good for you too; I won't have to explain multiple times," Genkai said with a touch of disdain in her voice. "Oh, and before I forget, Ashley, this is Lord Koenma, who oversees the Northern Asia region of Spirit World, mostly consisting of Japan, China, and the Koreas. Koenma, this is Ashley."
Koenma didn't look surprised to meet her, but rather, cautious as he took her in. Cautiously defensive. His lips formed a thin line, though his manners didn't dissipate. "Pleased to finally meet you, though I wish they were under different circumstances." His words were stiff, practiced, before his attention switched back to Genkai. "Which stations?"
It felt as though he had given her the barest of acknowledgments, really. Like he would have rather never met her. Like she was nothing more than an annoyance he had to get past.
Yukina glanced at Ashley, brow raised, as if to say, "What was that?". So she wasn't the only one to have noticed, then.
"Nigeria, Poland, British Columbia, and Chile." Genkai named countries where the stations had once stood. "They're estimating that over a thousand are dead."
Genkai said it in a way that she was watching for Koenma's reaction. When he didn't speak, she continued. "And now the Kekkai Barrier has been destroyed, but I suppose you already know that, don't you?"
The question was pointed. A challenge. Koenma blanched, but he heard something and his head whipped behind him, eyes wild as fear slipped back into his countenance. "Hold on!" He whispered as he got to his feet and ran again. All they could hear was his feet slapping against the ground and his breaths heaving as he ran. Eventually he skidded around another corner and waited, trying not to breathe so loudly. Ashley could even feel herself holding her breath, waiting.
"They've overtaken the palace and the control room." Koenma finally said, a whisper. His expression dropped, dread seeping into the lines of his face. Just then, he looked a thousand years old; no longer a teenager. "If the barrier is gone, then…"
"Then they've destroyed the control room." Genkai finished. "So much for shutting the barrier."
Next to Ashley, Yukina paled. "Can the Mafukan…?"
Koenma clenched his jaw. "No," he replied, the word final. "It hasn't been enough time since Sensui." Ashley was completely lost, but just then it wasn't the time to ask questions that could be asked later.
"And Jorge?" Yukina asked next. Fear seeped back into Koenma's countenance.
"He stayed behind… I don't know-" His voice broke, but his meaning was obvious.
Genkai cut in, then, stealing Koenma's attention away from the possible loss of his friend. "We can't help you this time, Koenma," she spoke, some sympathy bleeding into her voice, though it wasn't for long. "You're a Prince of Spirit World. You need to get back there and show the spirits why they follow you. End this rebellion once and for all."
It was all Koenma could do to nod, and without another word, the screen went black.
A beat passed, and Genkai leaned back in her chair before rising and leading the two of them out of the study without a word. They walked through the temple and out to her sloping lawn, stopping just a few feet away from the edge of the porch. Ashley made to follow, but as she stepped out from under the roof, the sky caught her attention. Gasping, she stumbled and froze, forgetting, for a moment, how to follow Yukina.
Hiei had explained the Kekkai barrier the night before. He'd explained how it was created by Koenma's father to keep humans safe from demons who wanted to eat them, and a way to control the more-powerful demons into staying in one location. He'd told her of their fight with Sensui and how Kuwabara had sliced through the barrier once before. But this… this was not a slice.
From what Ashley could tell, the barrier had extended across the entire sky. Almost like it was a protective wrap around Human World. As far as the eye could see in any direction the kekkai barrier protected them. But now, as she gazed up at the golden net that was visible for the first time, behind the scattered rainclouds that drifted across the sky, it was destroyed. Pieces were breaking off, falling toward earth and flickering until they disappeared forever. Parts of the net were gone completely. Only some pieces remained here and there, but they flickered, as if they were about to give in to gravity and fall the endless void to the earth as well.
She'd never seen anything like it.
Blood ran cold in her veins as instinct screamed that seeing that was not normal. It was not natural. And it was definitely not natural that it was breaking apart like it was.
"In your experience," Genkai began, thoughtfully, as she gazed up at the breaking barrier with Yukina and Ashley. "Why do people in power keep other groups of people separate from each other?"
"For safety," Ashley answered immediately, thinking back to what Hiei had told her.
"And?"
Ashley thought back to history lessons of wars won and lost. She opened her mouth to respond, but Yukina beat her to it.
"To prevent those groups from uniting and rebelling against those in power." Yukina was solemn and stoic, as if this was not the first time she'd witnessed something so horrific.
Genkai inclined her head infinitesimally. "Spirit World has often said it's to keep humans and demons apart for safety, especially since so many demons eat humans, but-"
"But Spirit World isn't always truthful about their motives." Yukina answered. "Koenma wasn't being entirely truthful just now." It wasn't a question. A light went off in Ashley's head.
"If he's the ruler, why would he run?" Yes, the spirits had attacked the palace he'd said, but he was supposed to be a god, wasn't he? A powerful being. Genkai shifted. "Unless he's in more danger than he's letting on…?"
"I think, whether he's doing it intentionally or not, Koenma is keeping us in the dark," Yukina replied.
"A way to maintain power even when he's weak?" Ashley asked, but it became less and less of a question as an idea clicked together.
Genkai harrumphed, and turned away. It was a lot to take in. Not only that Spirit World was the one behind the barrier to likely keep the worlds apart, but also that they had their hand in all of their lives, as Hiei had told her the night prior.
Nothing happened without their knowledge. Everything was mapped out. Decided. Final.
Yes, she'd learned all of this the night before, but with the barrier collapsing above their heads, it was like the weight of it all was collapsing upon Ashley.
It rubbed her wrong, quite frankly, that they had so much power to rule over their lives. Why were they the ones to get to do that? Who put them in charge? Why did they get to play God?
"I need to take a walk," Ashley murmured, crossing her arms around her body as a chill spread through her.
"Do you want company?" Yukina asked, turning back to her.
As much as Ashley wanted to accept, she wanted to be alone more. She shook her head.
Yukina, thankfully, understood. "There's a beach a short walk from here. Follow the path and you'll find it."
With a smile of thanks, Ashley left, finding the path easily and following it. Numbness left ice in her veins.
A thousand souls snuffed out. Four locations. Refugee stations… Genkai was talking about the demon refugee stations, so it was likely a Guardian attack, but for the barrier to fall so soon after…. Surely it was only a coincidence, right?
Ashley followed the path, not really paying attention to her surroundings or the early morning light filtering through the trees so high above her head. She didn't pay attention to the birds singing above her either, finally returning to their usual day after the excitement with the barrier only an hour prior.
Her feet carried her through the forest surrounding the temple as if she had any idea where she was going, when in actuality she did not. But the path stretched on before her until it opened up to the promised beach. Sunlight sparkled off the soft waves lapping gently at the shore, but all she could feel was the overwhelming sadness rising up.
No, she didn't need to cry - that wouldn't help anything, or anyone, but even as she thought it, the tears clogged her throat and slipped past her lashes. Sobs pulled from her body stole her strength and she fell to her knees at the edge of the water.
So many dead. So many. And for what? To prove a point? To make a statement?
Her sobs only grew louder. No one heard, and no one came. She was at the edge of the world, and besides the birds and the sun and the water and the trees, she was alone. The barrier still broke apart far above her head. She couldn't travel across the world because she didn't have any power. The power that she had was infinitesimal at best. And what could she do if she did go? She was weak. A weak little girl with no strength. Nothing to give. Couldn't even help herself.
Memories of the warehouse came flooding back. Memories of Isla's death, of watching Heathrow collapse in on itself. Memories of only being able to land Hiei flat on his back. That was all she could do. A very small thing in a world that wanted others dead. Just for being different.
If she were any younger, her mother would have comforted her, or maybe her sister. She and Oliver would have sat in their father's study in silence and just talked about it. No one else would have wanted to talk about it, but Oliver always did. He always let Ashley express what she was feeling, even if she didn't have the words. Even if she just wanted to cry. He would let her. He wouldn't try to console her, or tell her it was going to be okay. She appreciated her father for that, sure, but Oliver would just let her feel. Without expectations or words.
And now he, too, was lost to her. His hatred for those she loved the divider between them. The sobs wrenched themselves from her.
If she'd been at that age, she would have gotten an email or a call from the Dean's College, so that they could call on their members to hold a benefit for those affected. They had done that through everything. The Ariana Grande concert, the bombing of Syria, in invasion of Georgia, even before she could remember she'd heard they'd put on a benefit for their members to play after the attacks of September 11th. They always put on benefits to help those who needed it, not caring where they were in the world, or what the politics of the situation were -
She forgot to breathe, realization hitting her like a force.
No, she didn't have power. She couldn't defeat her enemies by sheer force or power alone, but she did have a skill - one that she could use to help others.
Sniffing back snot, and wiping her tears on her sweatshirt's sleeve, Ashley pulled out her phone. No signal all the way out where she was. Likely very little signal back at Genkai's either, but she had to get ahold of Laurie, her contact at the Dean's College. He always knew what was going on. He could help.
Quickly, she rose and headed back the way she came, up the path, and subsequently, back uphill, up the mountain she had made her way down to reach the beach.
It took over half an hour, probably closer to 45 minutes if she had to guess - had she really been so out of it she hadn't noticed where she had walked? - but soon she was huffing and climbing the last of the steps to reach the top of the temple. Though, as she neared the top of the temple's steps, she realized she wasn't alone. Four people stood at the top, and it was obvious that they were not from around there. Two of the four had seen her before she had seen them, she knew. Halting in her tracks, and focusing, she reached out her energy, to try to get a feel for who these people were -
Demons. They were demons, she knew immediately. Panic gripped her, narrowing her vision down to the four. Ashley tried to focus on her breathing, and reminded herself that she wasn't in her apartment's courtyard; no one was about to take her. If they wanted to, they would have done so already.
Still, she called to her power, and it rose, hovering just beneath her skin and ready to use in case she needed to. Though just from the way they held themselves she could tell it wouldn't be much of a defense. These were powerful beings.
The man closest to her turned her way, then, green eyes sharp. "Human psychic," he greeted her with a nod of his head. "Is the master of this temple here?"
Even as the panic and adrenaline faded away, warmth fluttered in her chest at his greeting. For once, she wasn't considered a powerless girl. He hadn't even called her a girl. Human psychic. The title made her proud.
But who were these demons to appear so quickly after the barrier fell? Unease nipped at her.
"Perhaps. Who's looking for them?"
A woman stepped out from behind the man. Side by side, it was obvious they were siblings. Same piercing green eyes, though hers were calculating while his were sharp, same nose, same blonde hair, though hers was fell to her butt and was shaved on the side and braided, while his was shoulder length and braided back to pull it away from his face. They were both tall, much taller than she was, and while the woman wore plain fighting clothes, the man wore decorative fighting clothes. The woman looked like a Viking goddess, powerful, intimidating, and confident. Envy panged Ashley, while at the same time every instinct screamed at her to run, but she held her ground.
"Ah, Koichi, this one thinks she can defend herself against us. Can you feel her energy? She's trying so hard to mask it from us." The woman spoke, a haughtiness in her speech that annoyed Ashley to no end, but at the same time her words confused Ashley. Masking her energy was one of the first things that Genkai had taught her, and she had been practicing. Was she really so terrible at it?
No. Genkai said she was getting better at it, learning it much faster than she should have. Genkai had even said while Hiei was at the House last weekend that any normal human wouldn't be able to tell Ashley even had spiritual energy. Maybe these two demons could sense her energy because they were more powerful than a normal human? Because they were already attuned to that sort of thing, or maybe because they were trained to recognize energy levels?
She would have to ask Genkai later. For now, Ashley just wanted to wipe the smirk off of the woman's face. The woman was still speaking, continuing from where she left off, and shaking her head as she said, "Don't even try, psychic. There is a reason why he is next in line for the throne and you are not. Now," she heaved a sigh, hands on her hips, "where is the master?" The men behind them watched Ashley warily, though little more than if she was a pest.
The one named Koichi put a hand on his sister's shoulder, sharing a look with her before turning to Ashley. "Forgive my sister. It has been a long day. My name is Koichi, Prince to the Terasu Forest, and this is my sister, Hana, and our men. We are here to discuss battle plans now that the barrier has fallen and our kind slaughtered at the hands of the humans. If you could point us in the direction of the master, or even better, the Jaganashi, we would appreciate it-"
Jaganashi? "You mean Hiei?"
"Oh," the one named Hana exclaimed, picking apart Ashley's tone and expression before she even thought to school it. "You love him! That's funny; a weak little human loving one of the most powerful demons." Her expression said she was completely serious; that she was incredulous at this discovery. "Does he love you?"
Ashley's jaw set in frustration and her fists clenched. Hana's shocked expression morphed into a smirk.
Koichi turned on her in an instant, hissing something in a language Ashley didn't understand. For a moment, Hana remained, but her smirk faded as she regarded her brother icily. She turned, slowly, toward Ashley and glanced her up and down. "Apologies," she hissed before stalking off and disappearing into the trees.
"I'm sorry for my sister," Koichi said, clasping his hands in front of his body. He looked apologetic, but when he opened his mouth next, any favor she had toward him evaporated. "But about the master…? We do need to speak to her."
So they did know Genkai after all. Fine.
"Follow me," Ashley replied instead, leading them across the grassy lawn and telling them to wait there while she went inside to find Genkai.
She was easy enough to find. She and Yukina were both in the kitchen, Genkai's gnarled fingers wrapped around a cup of tea while Yukina prepared food. The television was on in the corner. News images flashed on the screen depicting the carnage half a world away, while the text at the bottom of the screen asked, "Will the Human-Demon Treaty collapse?"
"Girl," Genkai's voice barely captured Ashley's attention. She said something to Ashley before it registered that she had said anything.
"Girl!" She snapped again, though not out of anger. Finally, Genkai ripped Ashley's attention away from the news. One brow was raised in question. "What is it?"
"Visitors," Ashley said, as if in a trance. She tried to take another peek at the screen, but the text had already disappeared. Was the treaty really about to collapse? "He - He said his name is Koichi, Prince of the Terasu Forest-?"
Genkai was on her feet and out the door before Ashley could finish.
Everything was hot. Hot and on fire. Or collapsing, or bleeding, or wailing.
Fire raged around them as Hiei fought to extinguish it. Yusuke worked just a few feet away, digging out a demon who'd had a beam fall on her leg. Bjorn spoke to the authorities with the government-issued translator. The authorities had taken their sweet time in getting to them, because of course the Guardians wouldn't just destroy the refugee center. No, they had to destroy the road leading to it as well. Mass chaos had ensued.
But the authorities had finally made it to where the building had once stood. Yusuke and Bjorn had gotten almost everyone out who was still alive, but there was only about two dozen of them at most, if that. Out of four hundred, only about twenty remained alive. Six psychics and the rest were demons. All were injured, of course, but alive. Hiei had focused on the fires and going through the memories of everyone rescued to see if there were any clues leading back to what happened.
No, the Guardians had been thorough, and hadn't left anything to chance. It had been swift, the attack, and anyone who might have seen anything had been reduced to ashes or crushed beneath the cement.
And just since dawn they had heard and felt the rumbling from the barrier breaking away. Terrified all of them, but as soon as Hiei looked to the sky, he knew what was happening. So did Yusuke. Even when they had battled Sensui he hadn't been powerful enough to cause the entire barrier to break way. And Kuwabara had just ripped a hole in it.
No, this, whatever it was, it was beyond any of them. Hiei and Bjorn had looked to Yusuke, to see what he would do, but Yusuke, glaring at the sky, had grit his teeth and turned away - "They need us here," he'd said, as if trying to convince himself as much as them.
Two hours later and most of the barrier had disintegrated. Only pieces remained, and beyond it, Hiei could begin to see Demon World, like a second moon in the earth's sky. No one had come to repair the barrier as it flickered out of existence, which either meant that they couldn't, or there was no one left to do it. But the apocalypse hadn't rained down on Human World, yet, so likely no one could.
Botan had been bringing reports of rebellions springing up with Spirits and Ogres leading them, against the Spirit World government, but Koenma hadn't asked for help. In fact, he'd allowed very little information to leave Spirit World. They only knew what Botan had let slip, but what he gathered was that Koenma and the Lords of the other regions didn't want outside help, and honestly, that was fine with him. Things were falling apart enough between Demon World and Human World; he didn't need to worry about Spirit World, too.
"Hiei," Bjorn called from a few feet away. The flames were little more than ashes. Hiei approached the Norwegian man, who didn't look Hiei directly in the eyes. The translator woman hovered off to the side, in case Bjorn or any of them needed her services again. She'd only come with the authorities, of course. Dispatched because the Chilean government knew who would be responding to the attack. "They've dismissed us."
It took Hiei a moment to comprehend what Bjorn had just told him. "Dismissed?"
Bjorn looked frustrated and annoyed, and heaved a sigh, but he wasn't offended. Not like Yusuke might have been. Not like Hiei was.
"What, so we just risked our lives helping them and they've dismissed us?"
Bjorn stilled. He had spent enough time around Genkai's temple and helping out the demons there to know that this was a sensitive topic, and where Hiei was coming from, but he would never understand.
"Hiei," he began, his voice calm as ever. "You know it's not like that."
"I know exactly what it's like. They don't trust us and want us gone."
"Hiei-" Bjorn began but Hiei ignored him and walked away, stepping over the rubble and away from the human authorities talking amongst themselves and others rushing into the fray.
"Open the damn portal, Bjorn," he said instead, calling over his shoulder as he heard Yusuke mutter, "What's eating him?"
"You two can stay here if you want, but I'm headed back." I've had enough of this, he didn't say. Humans "needing" help and then as soon as they get it, turn their backs on anyone who was a demon again. It was all bullshit, and he didn't need it.
Bjorn took his time, talking to Yusuke, who, Hiei noted when he turned to look behind him to see what was taking so long, had his hands on his hips and looked ready to rip the authorities a new one. Bjorn just happened to be the messenger.
Something caught his attention behind his two friends, however. A policeman bending over the humans who had been rescued and pushing something onto their wrists. It took Hiei a moment to understand what they were doing, but as soon as he did, he crossed the rubble and took the man's shoulder, forcing the man to face him.
"What are you doing?" He asked, forcefully. "They're obviously injured; they weren't Guardians. I've checked."
The policeman looked nervous, stepping away from Hiei's touch and his hand automatically going to his weapon.
It was only then that the translator ran up to the two, and asked Hiei to repeat what he'd just said.
Annoyance flashed through him, but he ground out, "What is he doing? They're injured; not Guardians!" The woman translated.
"They are all registered psychicsc with the government," The policeman's voice shook even as he tried not to show fear. His parter, behind him, also put her hand on her gun, watching Hiei carefully.
Once the translator relayed this, Hiei rebuked, "But they're not dangerous," glancing down at one of the psychics at his feet. A woman. Dark ebony skin streaked with blood and dirt, the tracks of dried tears had run down her face. "She couldn't even protect herself."
He was shaking his head. "They still come with us. They will receive proper medical attention, but we can take no chances."
The translator was finishing what the man said when another voice caught his attention, this one calling to him in Japanese. "Yo, Hiei!" A hand clapped down on his shoulder, spinning him toward Yusuke, whose expression was guarded and eying the gun in the policeman's holster. "Let them do their jobs."
Hiei reeled. Yusuke, who was normally so hot-headed, ready to take down any injustice… backing away?
"Hiei, come on," Yusuke warned, tension in his voice and in every line of his shoulders.
It was only then that Hiei saw what was around them: more policemen had gathered, all with their hands on their weapons, watching the interaction play out warily. Most looked ready to strike at the smallest provocation.
Understanding dawned. Even if it wasn't right, he would not make it out of that situation alive if he didn't retreat now.
The woman seemed to know it, too. "I will be okay," she said, and the translator translated for him. The words he recognized as English, even if he only grasped half of their meaning. She looked terrified, eyes wide, and shaking, but her voice was strong. "Thank you."
The female psychic would have to go with the policemen, and it tore him to shreds.
He turned, shrugging Yusuke's hand off his shoulder, and retreated back to Bjorn, who had opened a portal back to Genkai's. They stepped through it, Hiei only glancing back once he was through.
But he didn't get to see the woman handcuffed again. They had already moved her, and Bjorn's portal closed soon after they stepped through.
The scene in front of them, though, was the last thing that he would have expected.
The demons at the edge of the forest were gathered in clumps, whispering amongst themselves and watching the group that was crowded around Genkai. Ashley and Yukina stood at the edge of the porch, right where the steps met the grass, and he caught Ashley's eye from across the stretch. She immediately left Yukina's side after a quick word to her and began walking around the group in the middle, closing the distance between them.
The group, he never thought he'd see in Human World. Never in a million years. They were strong demons, A-Class, and they couldn't get past the barrier.
It took Hiei to remember that the barrier no longer existed. Of course they would have been able to pass through where it once stretched, now that it was no more.
Koichi turned to look at him, turning away from Genkai, his embroidered clothing sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the refugee demons at the tree line, and their own tattered clothing.
"We need to talk," Koichi said as Ashley came to stand beside Hiei. She didn't try taking his hand, for which he was grateful. Not that he didn't want her to, but the prince shouldn't be anywhere near Human World, and if he was here, then that meant his sister was nearby as well, and the Devil never posed an idle threat.
All his senses were on high-alert.
"Fine," Hiei said, standing a little taller and taking in Koichi's group. Three other guards stood around the prince, but Hana was nowhere in sight. "But not here." Genkai looked like she'd eaten nails. The acute feeling that something else had happened while they were across the world settled over him. He'd have to ask what, later.
"Genkai, can we use your study?" Bjorn asked, already thinking ahead. Genkai nodded and turned to allow them to follow her. Hiei took up the rear, and Ashley began to walk next to him.
"Not you," he said, holding her back.
She looked pissed. "I've been left out of enough, thank you." She said, forcefully. "Besides," she trailed off, glancing toward he edge of the forest. "Don't leave me alone with her." Hiei followed Ashley's gaze to Hana, who leaned against one of the trees with a smirk playing across her features.
Ashley wasn't timid or frightened, but wary, as one should be of Hana. The princess was a killing machine, but there was no way for Ashley to know that. Still, tension radiated between Hana and Ashley, the former who watched her with an animal-like curiosity.
"Fine," Hiei relented, and turned to Hana, calling out, "Are you joining us, too?"
She smiled, a stiff thing, more forced than anything. Hana motioned to him, in a grand gesture he'd only ever seen kings in movies do. Her voice was mocking, almost, an condescending in a way he couldn't place. "Lead the way, Hiei Jaganashi."
The others made it back within the next thirty minutes, which worked out okay. It allowed Yukina to make tea for those who wanted it and Genkai filled everyone in on what she knew concerning the barrier. The only team that didn't make it back in time were Chu, Touya, and Kuwabara. The rest returned in time. They would just have to fill those in later.
Ashley hung back at the edge of the wall with Yukina, allowing those who had to actually deal with the consequences of what was going on in the two worlds the seats in Genkai's study. Once or twice, Hiei caught Ashley's gaze, but never for long.
Koichi was never a man of many words, and his sister even less so. A trait, Hiei believed, they got from their mother, rather than their father.
It was simple enough, really. The Legion had been slaughtering their smaller attacks in Demon World. Mukuro and Yomi's forces had finally joined with the Hitomi's forces, but still, a large counter attack hadn't yet been organized or launched, and so the Legion still dominated Demon World, and every day their influence spread.
"At this rate, if we don't do something soon and take back the land they have taken," Two weeks prior when Hiei had visited Mukuro in Alaric, it was thought that the Legion was focused on the rest of Demon World, with skirmishes breaking out across Tourin and Gandara. In that time, Hana had sent out a team of scouts and discovered that the Leigon had conquired so much more. They had claimed most of Gandara, all of Tourin except the Terasu forest, and a good chunk of Alaric, too. And who even knew how much they had taken in the unregulated territories of Demon World. The singular "skirmishes" had just been to take attention off what they were actually up to, outside of anyone noticing.
Now that they had noticed, the only course of action to get back the claimed land was to launch a massive offensive.
Koichi continued, "They will overrun Demon World. Are you aware of what they're doing to demons they capture if they don't join with the legion?"
A beat of silence passed as Koichi looked around the room. Hana had taken up Kurama's usual place by the doorway, watching the discussion with a gaze like a hawk. "Join or die," she said, seeming to enjoy the faces that blanched at her words.
Koichi continued, barely acknowledging that his sister had spoken. "While you all focus your attentions here, on Human World, Demon World threatens to collapse."
The accusation was loud and obvious.
"What would you have us do?" Kurama purred from his seat. Legs crossed at the knee and arms crossed over his chest; he looked pissed.
"We understand that the weak and powerless humans need protecting," Hana began, her words sarcastic and disdainful, even toward Kurama. Her attention shifted to her left for a moment, toward Yukina and Ashley, who's fists clenched the barest amount, but Hiei still caught the movement as she glared openly at Hana. What had happened that morning? He'd only been gone for a few hours. "But so do your kin. Or do you only have feelings for the humans you love so dearly?"
"Hana," Koichi said, warning clear in his tone.
She smirked and answered Kurama's question, as if she hadn't just offended every other demon in the room. Though, Hiei recognized it for what it was. There would be time to deal with that later. "We mean to launch the biggest offensive attack Demon World has ever seen. They are currently camped at the Forest of Fools. With Mukuro's and Yomi's forces-"
"But they live peacefully," Kurama interrupted Hana. He likely had known what he was doing, but since he was the only one in the room that could interrupt her and still be in her good graces, she only barely raised a brow. "What happened to them if the Legion is there?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Hiei saw Yukina lean over to Ashley and whisper in her ear. Likely filling Ashley in on the Forest of Fools. Named as such because only fools lived there. The demons who wanted to live peacefully and avoid conflict. The irony that the Legion had chosen that location as their base was not lost on Hiei.
Well, irony or strategy.
"They are hosting the Legion. Some have joined," Hana answered, only the slightest irritation in her tone.
If they had joined, then they had the full intention of fighting with the Legion, Hiei knew. Then their role was no longer peaceful. Of course, the forest consisted of twenty thousand on its own, but even the ones who hadn't joined, were they being forced to host the enemy, or did they just support the enemy?
If their intel was correct, then the Legion was just under thirty thousand strong, including the forest's inhabitants, assuming that they had all joined. And Hiei knew that there were likely supporters who didn't announce that they were supporters of the Legion, too. How many quiet supporters did the Legion have?
Hana waited a few seconds to see if there were any other questions before starting again. "With Mukuro's and Yomi's forces, as well as our own, we mean to strike them with everything we have. We've scouted the area. Most of their forces are at the forest, though others have set up stations in the different cities across the unregulated territories. If we can attack the forest and at the same time send smaller attacks at the cities they've left with the barest defenses, we believe we can take back the unregulated territories, at least."
"What do you need from us?" Kurama asked. "As you well know, the barrier has just been destroyed. We will have our hands full just keeping Human World safe from the demons who are likely already flooding this world."
"We have a solution," Hana said, a knowing smile lighting her face. She looked to her twin, who leaned forward, forearms braced against his knees.
"Our numbers are just over sixty thousand strong, S-class all the way down to the lowest D-class, just the same as the Legion, but they all want to fight. Not all are honorable the way we are," he said as he looked around the room at the others, "but they want to take back control of their lives. They all want to take back their honor and dignity that the Legion stole." He paused, as if thinking over something, before continuing. "We will dispatch a few of our own to guard this world. To find the demons coming over and either send them back or destroy them."
Yusuke finally spoke. He also sat forward in his seat, forearms braced on his knees. "The barrier has been destroyed, in case you missed it. How do you expect them to stay in Demon World after you've sent them back?"
"Join our forces or die," Koichi said. If Hana had been the one to say it, she would have stated it as a fact, cocky and overconfident. As it was, Koichi had been the one to say the words, and his tone held a deep regret.
"But that's the same that the Legion is telling demons," Yusuke pointed out.
"Which is why I don't like it," Koichi replied. "But if you have a better idea I'm all ears." He leaned back in his seat and braced his arms against the armrests. "We don't have the capability to take prisoners right now; all of our attention is going toward this offense. We have the numbers, but they have more higher-ranked and higher-skilled demons. If we were to take prisoners, that would take up the holding cells when we need those for when we capture Legion troops. At this point, if they want to venture into Human World when they know that that is not by our laws as set up by Enki and upheld by Koji, then their choice should be to join us and save the two worlds they live in, or perish. Because they will perish anyway if we lose and the Legion has their way."
"Do you know any more about their end goals?" Genkai asked from her desk. Koichi shifted in his seat so he could turn to look at her directly.
"We know that their goal for Demon World is to conquer the land, just as the Great Mother once did, and their goal for Human world is to defend the demons here, but after that, we only know what you know."
"The Great Mother?" Genkai asked, drawing out the words in confusion.
"Every child knows the story," Hana snapped, her tone short. Again, she would have to explain to the humans. "The Great Mother who united the tribes and clans against Spirit World ten thousand years ago, before Spirit World was the Spirit World we know now."
To unite the tribes, cities, and territories would be one thing, Hiei mused, but this wasn't that. This was the Legion going around forcing people to either die or join them, even if it was a united Demon World. Doing it by fear and coercion wasn't the way to do it.
There was nothing uniting about the way they were doing it. And why were they still fighting a front in Human World? Why continue to defend the demons who had sought refuge in Human World unless they were hoping that those demons would join the Legion's ranks once they got fed up with the way the humans were treating them? It just seemed like there was a larger piece missing.
"But back to the point of why we're here," Koichi began, but Hiei cut him off.
"Wait." All eyes fell to him. "Great Mother. Dion said that once. She called someone the 'Great Mother'."
"Great, do you know who?" Hana asked.
At that, however, Hiei was stumped. It had been in the alley, back in Tokyo. Ashley had been behind him. So many months ago, though, he couldn't remember the exact phrase Dion had used. Slowly, he shook his head.
"Well, if she's calling someone 'Great Mother', I would think it would be Navia," Kurama mused from his chair. All eyes turned to him. "Navia is the name that Mukuro gave you as their leader, correct?" He asked Hiei. Hiei nodded.
"So it cements what we already know," Koichi put the pieces together. "That's good. We can use that. Especially if she's the one calling herself that. Then we know she thinks highly of herself. And that can be her downfall." He grinned at Kurama. "This is good."
Kurama only smiled a small thing. It didn't reach his eyes, but he nodded appreciatively anyway.
Koichi continued from where he left off before Hiei interrupted. "We will dispatch our own to guard the barrier and keep the humans safe from the worst that will try to come over. If," and he enunciated the if, and met the eyes of each of them. Of Hiei, Kurama, and finally Yusuke. "If you and your team here agree to fight alongside us when we launch the offensive. We believe we will have a much greater chance of winning if each of you are fighting alongside us. Of course, we would need your word." A promise, not to be broken, usually sealed in blood. Demon promises were always the strictest vows. To break a vow such as a demon promise would bring dishonor.
A beat of silence passed, then Kurama asked, "When?"
"The third Saturday of October."
There was a shuffling of paper from Genkai's desk as she tried to uncover a calendar. Demons didn't operate with actual dates like the humans did. "The 17th," she announced to the room.
"That's three weeks from now," Yukina finally spoke, her voice barely above a murmur, and if he didn't know her as well as he did, he would have missed the shake in her voice.
Hiei met Ashley's stormy gaze from across the room. The trepidation in her eyes reflected his own emotions.
Before, he had never had to worry about someone waiting for him. Never had to worry about surviving another day because someone else was never depending on him, or loved him, or worried about him. Now, all those feelings arose, and he restrained himself from crossing the room and pulling Ashley to him in an embrace. But they were still in the middle of a war meeting. Now was not the time.
Battle. Just three short weeks away. But they would get help in the meantime. Koichi was a man of his word.
Every attention slowly turned toward Yusuke, the natural leader of the group, even if he had never chosen it for himself. The others looked to him naturally. If he said they would do it, then they would do it. No questions asked. Ashley even looked toward Yusuke before Hiei did, and Hiei only did once he heard Yusuke suck in a breath.
He had changed positions and was leaning against the back of his seat, arms crossed, teeth clenched; his expression said it all: he didn't want to agree, not because it would be a binding promise, but because his friends would die. Not all of them would come back. They had the numbers, but a battle, especially one of this scale, meant death. But what choice did they have? If they waited and continued playing the game of cat and mouse that they had for the last several years with the Legion, they would never win and eventually be overtaken.
No one in the room breathed.
Finally, Yusuke's gaze hardened in conviction. "You have my word. We will fight alongside you."
- End of Chapter Thirty-One -
Hey everyone! Thank you for being so patient with this chapter coming out! I had written 90% of it last weekend, but over the week I realized there were a few small details that I originally mentioned in previous chapters that I needed to include in this chapter, so I've been tinkering with things because as you can tell, things are finally starting to come together now.
Thank you thank you thank you for the people who reviewed chapter thirty, and for the people who have been reviewing the other chapters as well. You all are amazing, and I am in shock that you all would leave me so many reviews. Each one of you are amazing and deserve all good things. JohnGreenGirl, Silverwing013, OdinsReaper, musicnutftw, cwsquared, and destinyswindow. I'm sending all of you all the love and support. Thank you!
Before I sign off on this chapter, I wanted to go over a few notes that people have been asking about. First, the Ouran bit. I probably should have explained this back when I actually went into detail about it in chapter 29. This is not going to become an Ouran fic at all (though I might still do a spinoff and write about Ashley's time at Ouran as a crossover, but that will be a separate fic). When I originally dropped the name in chapter one, I was dropping it simply because I needed a school in Japan where her rich father might have sent her. And Ouran immediately came to mind. I decided to leave it in the finished copy, but apart from seeing her memories from Timeline A, it will likely never be mentioned ever again.
Second, people have been asking about Nobuyuki and why we got the day re-do in chapter 28, and I know if people have been asking in PM's, there are people who aren't sending me messages who are confused, so I wanted to give you the Full Author Analysis, though I realize a lot of this did not come through in the story. If I had been actually writing this to publish it, an editor might have caught it and I would have changed the story so that it was more obvious. As it is with fanfiction, I am the writer and editor, and this story does not have a beta reader (besides the first two chapters and a scene or two here or there - Thank you Wistfulsin for reading over a scene in this chapter, actually!), so sometimes things that make sense to me actually don't make sense.
So, Nobuyuki and the day re-do. I will copy/paste the explanation I wrote to one of you who asked me, because this WILL come up in later chapters:
In chapter 28, when Hiei and Yusuke go to pick him up, it's described, "A madman's obsession covered the walls." He's been keeping track of her doings through the things she's done with her piano playing, and has been trying to predict what's to come, specifically for her. He's obsessed with her, not only to predict time, but to be close with his best friend again, in a sense. But when she originally confronts him in 27, he doesn't want to meet with her, just like how he doesn't join in with them when they're playing Never have I ever in 30. He recognizes that Ashley is a completely different person than she was when they knew each other, and is likely nervous to spend any time with her because of it. Even though he's followed her progress, really, he knows nothing about her. So in 27 he originally declines talking with her at all, even if it's just about his progress in class.
With his obsession to follow her and specifically to be close to her, however, he turns the clock back in order to get a re-do of the day. I never state it specifically, but Nobuyuki followed her to the student union where they "bump" into each other at lunch. It wasn't an accidental meeting. It was a calculated event, because he doesn't address her as "Miss Ashley" first. He sees her like he had when they were in college in Timeline A, standing in line to get food, and addresses her as he would a friend before realizing that no, she's his teacher. So, when they sit down and she starts talking to him like a teacher would to a student, he loses his shit. If Hiei and Yusuke hadn't have gone to get Nobuyuki that night, he would have turned time back again for a third chance to get to talk to Ashley normally again.
I hope this clears up any questions. Feel free to message me, though, if this isn't clear.
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.