Cool! People actually gave me good reviews! Well, I'm back now, so here's the second chapter. ( Oh yeah, and the usual disclaimer still applies. And I still can't figure out why it takes out the italics. :P Anywho, this chapter is a bit longer than the last one. (

Chapter 2 - Hiei, Meet the Gang

Before him, in a large clearing similar to the one he had envisioned, was a group of five. One, a monk by the looks of it, carried a large staff. There was another male, a demon, wearing a red kimono, who had a sheathed sword at his side. Two females stood together, giggling, the taller with a gigantic boomerang slung over her back. The last member of the group, and the only one shorter than Hiei, was a fox type demon, but different from Kurama. How did I end up here?! This isn't anywhere near Yukina! And who are they?

"Will you two please stop laughing?" Inuyasha shouted over his shoulder at the giggly girls. It was then he noticed Hiei, standing at the edge of the clearing.

"Hey, who's the shrimp?" he exclaimed, turning and running up to the fire demon. He stood there, not moving, only watching Inuyasha.

"Hey, look Sango!" Kagome said, pointing at Hiei and making her way toward him, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo following. (Of course, he doesn't know their names yet) What am I, a freakshow?

"Hey, I'm talkin' to you, shrimp!" Inuyasha said, poking Hiei in the chest with his finger. "Are you deaf or something?" he exclaimed. "I asked you a question!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, and he turned around.

"What?" he complained.

"Go easy on him, will ya? He's just a little kid!"

"He didn't look like a kid to me," Inuyasha muttered, turning back around. "Hey, where'd he go?!" Hiei was gone.

"Now look what you did, you scared him away!" Kagome cried accusingly, crossing her arms.

Fool. He didn't "scare me away". And I'm not a child either. Ditz. Hiei thought with contempt from his perch on a tree above the bickering couple. The monk looked up and saw him crouching in the tree, but said nothing.

Suddenly, he heard the girl say, "Sit!" and an odd noise which followed. Looking down, he saw the one called Inuyasha lying face down on the ground. He couldn't help but laugh, attracting the attention of the members of the party.

"Oh, look Inuyasha! He didn't disappear; he just went in the tree!" Kagome cried, pointing at Hiei. Standing up, Inuyasha jumped into the tree next to Hiei's. He's fast. But I'm faster.

"Come down here!" Kagome said, trying to coax Hiei out of the tree. What, does she think I'm two?

Jumping down from the tree, Hiei grunted in disgust. "I'm not a child," he said evenly, walking up to Kagome. Instead of having to look up to such a fool, he levitated himself above the ground so that he was staring her directly in the eye. She gave a gasp as she realized he was floating.

"Wow," Shippo whispered in amazement. He must be a demon too! he thought.

Inuyasha, noticing that the mysterious shorty had reappeared near Kagome, jumped over next to him.

"Who are you?" he asked again, putting himself between Kagome and Hiei. He snorted. He must like her.

"My name is Hiei," he replied, turning his gaze to Inuyasha. They stared at each other, Inuyasha wearing a wary expression, Hiei wearing none. Miroku broke the silence.

"So what are you doing here?" he asked politely, walking up to the floating fire demon. There was something about him that made Hiei want to trust him. Well, as much as he would trust anybody other than his sister.

"I don't know."

"Whaddya mean, ya don't know?!" Inuyasha cried scornfully.

Hiei remained silent. Sango had watched silently through all this, wondering who this Hiei was, and why he was here.

"Uh, guys?" Shippo said. "I hate to interrupt, but there's a demon coming."

"Where?" Inuyasha cried, forgetting about Hiei.

"Uh, he's right up there," Shippo said, pointing to a tree. There sure were a lot of people in trees today. Standing in the tree, rose in hand, was a tall, red-haired demon. Hiei's breath hitched. Kurama.
Okay, so I just HAD to throw Kurama into the mix! I couldn't help it! Please review!