Author note: Hello dearest readers! The energy-draining leech plant was created by Sayuri with her demonic power: she uses it to lower her level to C-class in order to slip through the gap in the barrier between Demon World and Human World and it can also be used by her to absorb the power and life energy of her enemies, increasing her own.

Next chapter will be the beginning of the Four Saint Beasts Arc!

oxoxoxoxoxo

(Sayuri)

I stood on a six-storey building in Human World, trying to ignore the noise coming from the street below and to enjoy the clean air: up here the stench of smog and human sweat was nearly absent, allowing the unique subtle scent of Hiei's skin to drift to me, it was a delicious, intoxicating mix of burning wood, white musk and turmeric. The soft breeze caused the lower end of the cloaks we were wearing to swish softly back and forth. "Here we are". I looked at the building in front of me, then turned to address Hiei at my side, "Is this your idea of a joke?", I asked, my eyes once more roaming over his figure despite my best efforts to avoid it: he was really attractive and I bit my tongue as I wondered how it would feel like to taste his lips and...

He turned and met my gaze with those amazing ruby-red eyes of his, "Do I look like I'm joking?", he said in all seriousness. "That is a human high school", I replied. "I know". "But…", I sighed, "Oh, all right, you're the one with the Jagan Eye here. But why would he hide in such a place?". "I never said he was hiding". I frowned, "What do you mean?". "Simply that he's not hiding in there". "What other reason could he have to be in a human high school?". "To attend the lessons". I huffed, annoyed, "You're not funny". "I didn't mean to be", he said, his voice still deadly serious.

Try as I might, I could not detect even the slightest hint of mockery or mischief in his face, but if he was telling the truth… "That makes no sense whatsoever", I muttered, rubbing my arm right below the energy-draining leech plant that was feasting on my power to keep me at C-class level. He shrugged, turning his attention back to the courtyard of the school which was now filling with the students leaving for the day, "That is not my problem", he replied calmly, "You offered a reward to find him and I did". "Do you honestly expect me to believe that he is among those stupid human teenagers?". "Look for yourself".

I pursed my lips, trying hard to swallow my growing irritation, "It's ridiculous", I scanned the faces of the boys several meters below, trying to find the one which had brought me so far from my homeworld, but of course there was no trace of him and I turned to my companion with a frown, "He's not there". "Look more closely. The red-haired one", he pointed to a lone boy walking down the street, who had a long thick mane of silky rose-red hair and moved with both grace and confidence.

I felt a shiver run down my spine and if my Core had been able to beat like the heart of a human, it would have probably skipped a beat or two: I knew that walk, the way he moved and that subtle demonic aura that radiated from him…But that was impossible, "He is a human, how…". "He is no mere human". I turned to the man beside me with wide eyes, "But…But why…How can he…". "Can I have my reward now?", he cut me off, meeting my gaze once more. I hesitated, I wanted to believe him, to believe the impossible was possible, yet…"I want to speak to him first. Make sure it's really him". His beautiful eyes narrowed to slits, "Don't try and cheat me, Sayuri", he warned. "I won't, but I need to be sure". He looked at me for a moment longer, then nodded, "Fine".

I smiled and we ran from a roof to the next, never losing sight of that red-haired human and though we were hiding our auras, I had the feeling he knew full well he was being tailed. My suspicions were confirmed when he directed his steps to an abandoned building and slipped inside. My companion and I easily descended from our perch and onto the street and entered the building ourselves, only to be met with an empty space and a soft scent I would have recognized everywhere, the subtle scent of roses mixed with lime, fresh spring water and cold mountain breeze.

"Why were you following me, Hiei? And who is the one with you?", a male voice came from the darkness at our left, a voice that was more or less half an octave higher than the one I knew and yet carried the same quiet strength and resolve I was so used to hearing from him. "I need to speak to you", I said, fighting to keep my own voice steady, "And I mean you no harm, I swear". Soft steps announced him and he stepped into the light, allowing me to get a good look at him: he was a couple of inches shy of six feet, with discretely wide shoulders, lovely features, full lips and big, intense forest-green eyes which were currently narrowed with suspicion, "Let me see your face", he told me in the commanding tone I knew so well.

I threw back the hood of my cloak and his eyes widened as he inhaled sharply, a single word falling from his lips in a stunned whisper, a word nobody else would have ever used to address me, one only he would know. "Yuyu?". I couldn't help smiling happily, every trace of doubt leaving my mind at hearing that nickname, "Yes". He smiled back and in an instant, we flew into each other's arms. "Oh, Rara! I missed you so much!", I exclaimed, holding him close and he returned my hug with equal fervor.

"I missed you too, Yuyu, more than I can tell", he murmured, stroking my hair. I held him at arm's length and looked him over once more, "Hells, Rara, this human body of yours is so…So frail and weak! It's lovely, mind you, but…", I shook my head, smiling, "Ah, nevermind: I've preserved your real body perfectly, so you can get it back without trouble! Let's go home and…". "I can't come home", he gently cut me off. "What? Why?".

"I have to stay at least a week longer, or they'll enforce the sentence and lock me up". I blinked, puzzled, "Come again? Don't tell me that you of all people got caught!". "Not exactly: I turned myself in and Spirit World has decided to be lenient towards me because of it". My face twisted with fury at the mention of Spirit World, "Oh, how generous of them! They were the ones to kill you and now they have the gall to order you around?", I snarled and he stroked my cheek. "Easy little sister, don't get mad", he said in that soothing tone of his.

I immediately felt the anger subside as my body relaxed, "Fine, but…After the week has passed, you'll come back with me, right?", I asked hopefully and I was surprised to see him shake his head. "I…I can't, Yuyu. I'm sorry". "Why not?". "It's complicated". "We have time". "Actually, we don't: I have to go home…My human home", he amended at my frown, "Mother will worry if I am late". "Mother? Oh!", I nodded as I finally understood his meaning, "Of course, the mother of the boy you're possessing!". His eyes narrowed for a second, as if he was…Angry? Impossible, he would never get mad at me. "I am not possessing this body", he stated firmly, "This is my body now".

My jaw fell and I could only stare at him in shocked silence, even my ears had flattened against my head from the blow. Rara noticed it and his gaze softened as he explained me that after his 'death', he had merged his soul with that of an unborn human boy by the name of Minamino Shuichi, so now he was…Well, he was both a demon and a human, in short. He also added that he had developed an honest affection for Minamino Shiori, the human female who had given him birth in this new form and that he did not want to abandon her, as he was all she had.

I shook my head, feeling my chest tighten painfully, "Rara…You're all I have too", I chocked out, tears suddenly filling my eyes, "Do you have any idea how hard it has been for me these last fifteen years? I…I had lost you, nobody could tell me where to find you, I kept vigil on your body every day and…And all the time, you were here, playing at being a mere human child?", anger mixed with my pain and sadness, my fists clenched at my sides so tightly that my claws dug in my palms: how could he betray me like this?!

"Yuyu…". "Did you ever think of me in all these years, at least once? Did you, Rara?". His forest-green eyes were full of tenderness and sorrow and guilt as he moved to stroke my face, "I'm sorry…". I batted his hand away and glared at him, "Shut up. I thought you cared for me, but obviously I was wrong. Go home, Shuichi", I spat and he flinched at my harsh tone, "Go to your dear mommy and have fun being human", I turned on my heels and dashed away, ignoring his calling and swallowing my tears.

After a moment, I felt Hiei's energy and his soft, quick footsteps right behind me. "You'll have your reward as soon as we're back in Demon World", I told him without turning around, drying my cheeks as we ran. He didn't say a word and I was grateful for his silence. We left the city and went back to the hills, until we reached the barrier between this world and our own and like last time, I got rid of the energy leech plant right after passing through the gap.

I led Hiei to the small den and recovered a huge bag filled with gold, then I handed it to him and he nodded in silence, but before he could leave, I stopped him, "Wait". "What?", he asked, turning his head to meet my gaze. "Thank you. I…It didn't go as I had hoped, but I am grateful to you for giving me the answer I needed". He nodded and in a flash, he was gone. I dragged myself back into the den and next to Rara's body, all that was left of my beloved brother. I lay down at his side, wrapped my arms around him and broke down crying.

oxoxoxoxoxo

(3rd person POV)

Hiei sat down in a small clearing, the bag of gold tossed carelessly on the ground at his side. He could still see the look in her copper-colored eyes, so defeated and broken, the look of someone who has lost all hope. Normally he enjoyed seeing it on the face of his prey and reveled in the knowledge that he was the one to cause it.

But Sayuri was not his prey. He didn't understand why, but seeing her like that hurt him, made him want to comfort her, to say something that would make that beautiful, gentle smile lighten up her face again. He scoffed and shook his head to rid himself of such foolish thoughts: she was nothing and he had no reason at all to give a damn about her feelings.

Why then did he care?