[Insert stupid disclaimer.]
Ivy Raine: You actually did your homework, Michelle?
Michelle: Yes!
Kurama: I always do my homework. Doesn't usually take me more than an hour.
Michelle: Well, all of us don't have the advantage of being over three hundred!
Ivy Raine: Michelle, be nice. Kurama, no more of those comments.
Allyna: Kurama's three hundred?
Hiei: Wow! He's ancient.
*Ivy Raine and Michelle swap a glance and burst out laughing.*
Allyna: How old are you, Hiei?
Hiei: Two hundred and fifty.
Allyna: You're ancient, too.
*Ivy Raine finally gains her breath.*
Ivy Raine: Hiei, that was funny. That was really funny.
Hiei: Laugh it up, Ivy. Laugh it up.
Ivy Raine: I already did!
Michelle: Ivy Raine!
*Ivy Raine grins.*
Hiei: Now, before I kill this authoress, on with the story.
Allyna: Hiei!
---------------------------
She had been content with the circumstances that she was currently living under for the two and a half weeks that had passed. Living with Hiei was an interesting experience. Moreover, he started the fire first thing every morning at the house and at the school.
"Allyna? Is something wrong?" Hiei queried softly.
"No, not really. Tomorrow's Sunday. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling. Call it woman's intuition. Odds are that Crabby Abby's up to something. She's always trying to make me out to be a person unfit to teach the children."
"Some of the ningens in this realm are sour. They don't understand that things aren't always black or white. There are many shades of grey in between."
She smiled. Hiei was always acting so wise.
"Tell me about your life some more, please."
They had gotten to the part about the Dark Tournament.
"Where were we?"
"Let's see.. I think that you were telling me about when you used some powerful attack. Dragon of something."
"The Dragon of the Darkness Flames." He looked reflective. "Not one of my prouder moments, to be perfectly honest. My opponent over powered me. I realized that there was only one option left for me if I was to win the match. The Dragon of the Darkness Flames is an ultimate technique. The power of it literally turned my opponent into dust. He became a shadow on the wall of the ring."
"And the Committee did nothing? You weren't disqualified for killing your opponent?" she asked, eyes wide.
He grinned. "Of course not. The point of the Dark Tournament is for some demons, Apparitions, and foolish mortals to die. The messier the death, the happier the Committee."
"Who was the Committee?"
"A group of rich, powerful, corrupt humans. Crime-lords, they're called."
"Well named," she murmured.
"Very. To continue. It was painful. Very painful. The gathering of the energy caused the nerves of my right arm to literally die. The regeneration took a very long time."
"May I see it?"
He pulled up his sleeve and showed her the arm. She brushed her fingers against the still black marks. Though they were few, they were still there.
"They didn't amputate it?"
"No. Obviously. Demons amputate their own limbs. Not surgeons. I didn't deem it worth the procedure."
She blinked.
----------------------------------
He saw the shock on her face. The sympathy in her eyes. He looked away.
She pulled his sleeve back down and merely said, "What happened next?"
"Let's see.. I believe that Kurama fought the next important fight. If I'm correct, it was against a boy who was on the Shishi Wakamaru team. The boy used telepathy to supposedly ask Kurama for help. Help against the others of his team."
"What?"
"He wanted to lower Kurama's defences and arouse his sympathy. It worked, Kurama being his foolish self. He lowered his defences and told the boy that he would stun him. It didn't work. The boy tricked him and opened an item called the Idunn Box."
She raised an eyebrow. Allyna then asked, "What's that?"
"An item that rapidly de-ages anyone save the possessor. The ring filled with a purple mist. Then, this eerily haunting voice said, 'You made me younger than you intended, I think. Pity, really. I was beginning to grow accustomed to my human form.' Then, a man in pure white appeared.
"That was Youko Kurama, or the Spirit Fox. He was an excellent thief and code-breaker."
"Then, why was he in a human form?"
"About twenty years ago, Kurama tried to pull a risky, very risky, heist. He got caught. Not having enough Spirit Energy left to assume a human form, he chose to enter a human embryo. One that hadn't yet formed a soul."
"He took a child's life?!" Allyna asked, shocked.
"In essence, yes. However, I believe that Minamoto-chan doesn't care. I think that she senses it, but doesn't honestly mind. Kurama has been her son, Shuichi, for twenty years. That makes him her son."
"An honourable woman. She has my respect. I don't know if I could accept some one else for my son or daughter."
"What about a half demon for a child?"
"My father did. I could."
"What does that mean?" he asked.
----------------------------
She could have slapped herself.
"My mother was a half-demon, half-Apparition. I don't really know much about them, though, because Mama died when I was three or four. Before the War Between the States. I can do really minor things, like defence and weaker attacks, but I don't know how to use the more powerful attacks."
"Did you know that I was a demon?"
"When I first saw you, no. I didn't really know. The reason I didn't speak is because you frightened me."
She saw the look of shame wash across his face.
"I apologize for scaring you."
"It's all right. I'm glad that you're not mean, though."
"Do you want to learn how to use those attacks?"
"Give me a little bit of time to think on that."
"Sure."
"So, what happened next?"
"Well, naturally, Kurama fought the boy and won. The boy was killed by Shishi Wakamaru."
"This Wakamaru character killed his own team-mate?!"
"Of course. That happens all the time."
She felt faint. "Is there any water nearby?"
"I'll go and get a glass."
"Thank you."
------------------------
He knew that the story had shocked her. That there was honestly such brutality in the world, even if it wasn't her world.
'But it would be nice to let her see the land of her mother's birth,' he thought. Then, he hit his forehead, carefully avoiding the Jagan Eye. He'd done that once and it hurt like blazes.
He got her glass of water and went back to the main room. She was still sitting in the chair and staring into the flames.
"Fire Ball!" he heard her murmur. Immediately, the fire she had summoned came to her and she held it in her hands.
"That was nicely done. What's your element?"
"Anything I want it to be. I can work with water, ice, lightning, fire, wind, earth, plants, healing, human Spirit Energy. I can do it all. I just never learned the more powerful attacks."
"What is your natural hair colour?"
She spun and blinked. "Silver. A silver-white. I dyed it black because it's a more natural colour."
'In the name of Inarii! A silver-white demon/Apparition!?' he thought.
--------------------------
Ivy Raine: Well, well, well. Hiei, anything you want to say?
Hiei: *mutters* No.
Allyna: What's up with the silver-white demon/Apparition comment?
Hiei: Nothing. Nothing at all.
Michelle: Liar. Kurama, you know something?
Kurama: What?
*Michelle sighs.*
Michelle: Since Hiei's not talking, are you going to tell us the significance of a silver-white haired demon/Apparition?
Kurama: Ivy Raine, Michelle, Hiei, come over here. Allyna, would you get us some tea?
*Allyna walks off muttering. Kurama, Ivy Raine, Hiei, and Michelle gather in a circle.*
Ivy Raine: *shocked* NO!
Kurama: Yep!
Ivy Raine: Oh, Havens! No wonder you like her so much, Hiei!
Hiei: Shut up!
Ivy Raine: You actually did your homework, Michelle?
Michelle: Yes!
Kurama: I always do my homework. Doesn't usually take me more than an hour.
Michelle: Well, all of us don't have the advantage of being over three hundred!
Ivy Raine: Michelle, be nice. Kurama, no more of those comments.
Allyna: Kurama's three hundred?
Hiei: Wow! He's ancient.
*Ivy Raine and Michelle swap a glance and burst out laughing.*
Allyna: How old are you, Hiei?
Hiei: Two hundred and fifty.
Allyna: You're ancient, too.
*Ivy Raine finally gains her breath.*
Ivy Raine: Hiei, that was funny. That was really funny.
Hiei: Laugh it up, Ivy. Laugh it up.
Ivy Raine: I already did!
Michelle: Ivy Raine!
*Ivy Raine grins.*
Hiei: Now, before I kill this authoress, on with the story.
Allyna: Hiei!
---------------------------
She had been content with the circumstances that she was currently living under for the two and a half weeks that had passed. Living with Hiei was an interesting experience. Moreover, he started the fire first thing every morning at the house and at the school.
"Allyna? Is something wrong?" Hiei queried softly.
"No, not really. Tomorrow's Sunday. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling. Call it woman's intuition. Odds are that Crabby Abby's up to something. She's always trying to make me out to be a person unfit to teach the children."
"Some of the ningens in this realm are sour. They don't understand that things aren't always black or white. There are many shades of grey in between."
She smiled. Hiei was always acting so wise.
"Tell me about your life some more, please."
They had gotten to the part about the Dark Tournament.
"Where were we?"
"Let's see.. I think that you were telling me about when you used some powerful attack. Dragon of something."
"The Dragon of the Darkness Flames." He looked reflective. "Not one of my prouder moments, to be perfectly honest. My opponent over powered me. I realized that there was only one option left for me if I was to win the match. The Dragon of the Darkness Flames is an ultimate technique. The power of it literally turned my opponent into dust. He became a shadow on the wall of the ring."
"And the Committee did nothing? You weren't disqualified for killing your opponent?" she asked, eyes wide.
He grinned. "Of course not. The point of the Dark Tournament is for some demons, Apparitions, and foolish mortals to die. The messier the death, the happier the Committee."
"Who was the Committee?"
"A group of rich, powerful, corrupt humans. Crime-lords, they're called."
"Well named," she murmured.
"Very. To continue. It was painful. Very painful. The gathering of the energy caused the nerves of my right arm to literally die. The regeneration took a very long time."
"May I see it?"
He pulled up his sleeve and showed her the arm. She brushed her fingers against the still black marks. Though they were few, they were still there.
"They didn't amputate it?"
"No. Obviously. Demons amputate their own limbs. Not surgeons. I didn't deem it worth the procedure."
She blinked.
----------------------------------
He saw the shock on her face. The sympathy in her eyes. He looked away.
She pulled his sleeve back down and merely said, "What happened next?"
"Let's see.. I believe that Kurama fought the next important fight. If I'm correct, it was against a boy who was on the Shishi Wakamaru team. The boy used telepathy to supposedly ask Kurama for help. Help against the others of his team."
"What?"
"He wanted to lower Kurama's defences and arouse his sympathy. It worked, Kurama being his foolish self. He lowered his defences and told the boy that he would stun him. It didn't work. The boy tricked him and opened an item called the Idunn Box."
She raised an eyebrow. Allyna then asked, "What's that?"
"An item that rapidly de-ages anyone save the possessor. The ring filled with a purple mist. Then, this eerily haunting voice said, 'You made me younger than you intended, I think. Pity, really. I was beginning to grow accustomed to my human form.' Then, a man in pure white appeared.
"That was Youko Kurama, or the Spirit Fox. He was an excellent thief and code-breaker."
"Then, why was he in a human form?"
"About twenty years ago, Kurama tried to pull a risky, very risky, heist. He got caught. Not having enough Spirit Energy left to assume a human form, he chose to enter a human embryo. One that hadn't yet formed a soul."
"He took a child's life?!" Allyna asked, shocked.
"In essence, yes. However, I believe that Minamoto-chan doesn't care. I think that she senses it, but doesn't honestly mind. Kurama has been her son, Shuichi, for twenty years. That makes him her son."
"An honourable woman. She has my respect. I don't know if I could accept some one else for my son or daughter."
"What about a half demon for a child?"
"My father did. I could."
"What does that mean?" he asked.
----------------------------
She could have slapped herself.
"My mother was a half-demon, half-Apparition. I don't really know much about them, though, because Mama died when I was three or four. Before the War Between the States. I can do really minor things, like defence and weaker attacks, but I don't know how to use the more powerful attacks."
"Did you know that I was a demon?"
"When I first saw you, no. I didn't really know. The reason I didn't speak is because you frightened me."
She saw the look of shame wash across his face.
"I apologize for scaring you."
"It's all right. I'm glad that you're not mean, though."
"Do you want to learn how to use those attacks?"
"Give me a little bit of time to think on that."
"Sure."
"So, what happened next?"
"Well, naturally, Kurama fought the boy and won. The boy was killed by Shishi Wakamaru."
"This Wakamaru character killed his own team-mate?!"
"Of course. That happens all the time."
She felt faint. "Is there any water nearby?"
"I'll go and get a glass."
"Thank you."
------------------------
He knew that the story had shocked her. That there was honestly such brutality in the world, even if it wasn't her world.
'But it would be nice to let her see the land of her mother's birth,' he thought. Then, he hit his forehead, carefully avoiding the Jagan Eye. He'd done that once and it hurt like blazes.
He got her glass of water and went back to the main room. She was still sitting in the chair and staring into the flames.
"Fire Ball!" he heard her murmur. Immediately, the fire she had summoned came to her and she held it in her hands.
"That was nicely done. What's your element?"
"Anything I want it to be. I can work with water, ice, lightning, fire, wind, earth, plants, healing, human Spirit Energy. I can do it all. I just never learned the more powerful attacks."
"What is your natural hair colour?"
She spun and blinked. "Silver. A silver-white. I dyed it black because it's a more natural colour."
'In the name of Inarii! A silver-white demon/Apparition!?' he thought.
--------------------------
Ivy Raine: Well, well, well. Hiei, anything you want to say?
Hiei: *mutters* No.
Allyna: What's up with the silver-white demon/Apparition comment?
Hiei: Nothing. Nothing at all.
Michelle: Liar. Kurama, you know something?
Kurama: What?
*Michelle sighs.*
Michelle: Since Hiei's not talking, are you going to tell us the significance of a silver-white haired demon/Apparition?
Kurama: Ivy Raine, Michelle, Hiei, come over here. Allyna, would you get us some tea?
*Allyna walks off muttering. Kurama, Ivy Raine, Hiei, and Michelle gather in a circle.*
Ivy Raine: *shocked* NO!
Kurama: Yep!
Ivy Raine: Oh, Havens! No wonder you like her so much, Hiei!
Hiei: Shut up!