~Chapter 4~
~Youko~
A/N: Wow I think I'm on another roll today. LOL...I just keep getting chapter popping into my head every time I try to go do something else. Hope you enjoy!
The dining hall was quite noisy as thirty students as well as faculty and their families crowded in to get a good seat. Kurama saw a familiar spiky head. ~What was Hiei doing here?~ he wondered.
"Hiei!" He shouted over the noise.
The person who turned to look at him was definitely not Hiei. She looked at him with a confused expression in her blue eyes before Alairia dragged her towards a table.
**********
"Lair." Kina hissed. "Who was that tall fox demon?"
"That's Kurama." Lair grinned. "Gorgeous isn't he?"
Kina nodded absentmindedly, searching for the fox.
"Alairia, are you going to introduce your new friend." He spoke calmly from behind her.
"Oh yeah! Of course! This is Hikina. Daughter of Hiei and..."
"Corana. Of course." Youko cut Alairia off. "I was friends with your mother and Hiei is still a good friend of mine." He told the girl.
"It seems everyone is friends with my mother around here." Hikina replied with a rueful grin.
"Why don't you two come by our chambers after dinner? I can tell you some more about your mother." Youko told them. Hikina nodded and Alairia looked like she couldn't believe her luck.
"I'm hanging out with you more often." She grinned to her friend. "You know everybody don't you?"
"I don't know anyone." Hikina blinked. "They all seem to love my parents though." She sighed. "Just what I need. Something to live up to."
Lair laughed at her friend and loaded the girl's plate with food. Hikina realized then that she hadn't had anything to eat all day and she dug in.
"Hey Lair! Who's the new girl?" a black haired wolf demon grinned, his blue eyes sparkling, as he sat down across from them. He had black wolf ears and was dressed in varying shades of gray.
"This is Kina. She just got here. She's got all five elements in her blood. Kina, this is Kage. He's Shadow/Wolf demon." She introduced the boy.
"Just call me if you ever need help getting the shadow side of your nature under control." He said with a jaunty wink.
"I'm quite adept at handling my shadow powers." Kina smirked.
"Oh now that's new. We haven't had a smirker yet." He grinned. "Our little group all have certain mannerisms, but I think a smirker is just the thing we need."
"Mannerisms?" Kina turned to Lair. "Well like Kage's a winker. He always flirts with the girls so don't let it go to your head."
"And Lair there, well she's the friendly one. She's always smiling. Even when she fights. Although she tries to insist that she's baring her fangs."
"I am!" She protested.
"Whatever. So you can become the smirker. The one who thinks she's so much smarter than the rest of us." He grinned.
"But I am." Hikina smirked, trying on the label for size.
"See that works perfectly!" Kage grinned. "Although I'm sure your smile is prettier." Hikina laughed out loud at Kage. "Yep." He nodded. "Your smile is definitely prettier."
Kina was trying not to blush too hard at the attention and tried to resume the smirk. She was unsuccessful however because someone else had come up from behind and accidentally bumped into her back. Her face went flying forward into her plate of food. She came up with some gravy and potato on her face and Kage and Lair burst out laughing. She stopped Lair's giggles by wiping her face on the girl's shirt, but Kage just laughed even harder until she kicked him in the knee.
"I'm sorry..." A boy stammered. He looked to be about ten years old. Had sky blue hair, dark skin, and piercing green eyes.
"It's fine." Hikina shook her head.
"C'mon and sit next to me." Lair made space for the boy. "This is Ametsuchi." Lair indicated. "He's an air/earth demon. Really good with growing things and healing." She ruffled the kid's hair.
"Suchi's gimmick is being the shy one. He's kinda clumsy, not a good fighter, but he's a hell of a pal." Kage grinned at the boy.
"He's an orphan. Just showed up here one day." Lair whispered. "Neko took him on if he promised to help in the gardens getting food and in the hospital wing. We think some nasty stuff happened to make him so nervous all the time."
Kina's eyes drifted to the boy who was focusing on his plate like it was his job. Then she remembered the demons she'd encountered on the way here. If she, a somewhat trained fighter, had been so easily defeated, think what must have happened to a small child with no fighting abilities whatsoever. Her heart when out to the boy.
After dinner, Lair led Hikina up to Kurama's quarters. He and his mate were waiting for them.
They entered and were greeted warmly.
Lair struck up a conversation with Arctic about last week's lesson and various ice tactics while Youko focused on Hikina. "Something's bothering you." He commented.
"It's just...well...My mother seems to have led this fantastic life before I came along. I just can't help but feel guilty about dragging her down." Hikina felt foolish before the obviously wise fox.
"I knew your mother a long time." Youko started. "The one thing she sought after her entire life was a family. Trust me. Nothing probably pleased her more than when she found out she was going to have you." He smiled kindly at the girl.
"Well...why didn't Hiei...well, just what happened there?" She wasn't quite sure how to phrase the question. "I mean...he seems pleased for the most part to have a daughter...why did my mom run away?"
"I have a feeling you were entirely un planned. I was actually present the day you were conceived. Hiei was in heat and he'd left so his sister wouldn't figure it out. He was a bit embarrassed. Your mother was close to her heat as well because the smell was driving her crazy. She left the house and went in the opposite direction. It was raining and I can only assume they somehow ended up in the same place. I know they both thought they were unable to have children. Pregnancy must have come as a shock to your mother." Kurama allowed. "now that I think on it, she left about a week after the incident. Anyways, you're mother didn't like to owe anyone anything and I have a feeling she didn't want Hiei to feel obligated to either of you in anyway so she left and hid herself well. Yukina was the only one who knew at the time. She had confirmed your mother's pregnancy. She let it slip to me when we were searching for your mother, but made me swear not to tell anyone." Kurama sighed. "how is she?" He asked.
"I'm not really sure anymore. She was really mad at me the night I left because Hiei had stopped by and I kept asking questions. Like I wouldn't figure it out with the Jagan and the hair." She rolled her eyes. "She seemed happy for the most part, but we never saw much of anyone."
"Well that is a bit strange." Youko allowed. "Your mother was always social."
"The only demons I'd ever seen before I left other than my mother was her brother's family." She shrugged.
"Why did you leave?" Kurama asked.
"We had a fight and I ran away." Hikina shrugged, knowing the fox wouldn't think this the wisest course of action. "I was attacked by demons when Hiei showed up and I guess rescued me, I was unconscious by that time. He brought me here."
"You resent your mother." Kurama noted. "Don't. She would easily give her life for you. She may have been selfish in keeping you to herself, but for the most part, I have never known a more generous woman. You need to think about the good things she's done for you for a while. That is my assignment to you for tonight." He smirked.
Hikina felt like grumbling. "Stupid fox." She grumbled as they left his room. "Think your so damn smart."
"That's exactly something your father would say." Kurama smirked from the doorframe. Hikina glared at him her father's signature death glare and followed her friend back to their dormitory.
It was eerie to Youko how much Hikina looked like her father without ever having known him up until a few days ago.
Hikina thought about Kurama's words without really meaning to. ~So mom was generous. Fine Youko. I'll think on it.~ she started thinking as far back as she could remember about all the things her mother had done for her. She saw her mom slaving as a laundress to get food for them. She saw her mother teaching her how to fly for the first time. She saw her mother going hungry to make sure her daughter ate. Hikina was suddenly overcome with guilt. She'd been an awful brat. Taking all that for granted. She got a sudden urge to go home, but something was telling her she needed to stay and learn about herself. She admitted to herself at least that she shouldn't have left the way she did, but it had definitely been time to leave. She opened her Jagan.
~Mom.~ she called.
~Hikina!~ Came the incredulous reply.
~Mom. I'm ok. I just wanted to tell you that. Hiei brought me someplace. Everyone knows you. I talked to someone named Kurama tonight and he really made me think about some things.~
She heard her mother's chuckle. ~I'll bet he did. Are you at Neko's school?~
~Yeah. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I've been lucky to have a mother like you and I shouldn't have behaved the way I did.~ Hikina didn't really know how else to put it.
~It's fine dear.~ her mother returned. ~Stay and learn as much as you can.~
~Do you know a guy named Touya?~ Hikina asked suddenly.
~He's a friend of Jin's.~ her mother replied.
~I met his daughter Alairia. She seems really nice. She's my roommate.~ Hikina informed her mother.
~Her father is an honorable man. I'm sure he passed that on to his daughter.~
~Good night mom.~
~Good night dear. And please. Check in once in a while. I'll still worry about you.~
~Yeah. Of course.~ Hikina grinned as she closed her Jagan once more, severing the connection with her mother.
A/N: Wow three decently long chapters in one day! Hope you like it!
~Youko~
A/N: Wow I think I'm on another roll today. LOL...I just keep getting chapter popping into my head every time I try to go do something else. Hope you enjoy!
The dining hall was quite noisy as thirty students as well as faculty and their families crowded in to get a good seat. Kurama saw a familiar spiky head. ~What was Hiei doing here?~ he wondered.
"Hiei!" He shouted over the noise.
The person who turned to look at him was definitely not Hiei. She looked at him with a confused expression in her blue eyes before Alairia dragged her towards a table.
**********
"Lair." Kina hissed. "Who was that tall fox demon?"
"That's Kurama." Lair grinned. "Gorgeous isn't he?"
Kina nodded absentmindedly, searching for the fox.
"Alairia, are you going to introduce your new friend." He spoke calmly from behind her.
"Oh yeah! Of course! This is Hikina. Daughter of Hiei and..."
"Corana. Of course." Youko cut Alairia off. "I was friends with your mother and Hiei is still a good friend of mine." He told the girl.
"It seems everyone is friends with my mother around here." Hikina replied with a rueful grin.
"Why don't you two come by our chambers after dinner? I can tell you some more about your mother." Youko told them. Hikina nodded and Alairia looked like she couldn't believe her luck.
"I'm hanging out with you more often." She grinned to her friend. "You know everybody don't you?"
"I don't know anyone." Hikina blinked. "They all seem to love my parents though." She sighed. "Just what I need. Something to live up to."
Lair laughed at her friend and loaded the girl's plate with food. Hikina realized then that she hadn't had anything to eat all day and she dug in.
"Hey Lair! Who's the new girl?" a black haired wolf demon grinned, his blue eyes sparkling, as he sat down across from them. He had black wolf ears and was dressed in varying shades of gray.
"This is Kina. She just got here. She's got all five elements in her blood. Kina, this is Kage. He's Shadow/Wolf demon." She introduced the boy.
"Just call me if you ever need help getting the shadow side of your nature under control." He said with a jaunty wink.
"I'm quite adept at handling my shadow powers." Kina smirked.
"Oh now that's new. We haven't had a smirker yet." He grinned. "Our little group all have certain mannerisms, but I think a smirker is just the thing we need."
"Mannerisms?" Kina turned to Lair. "Well like Kage's a winker. He always flirts with the girls so don't let it go to your head."
"And Lair there, well she's the friendly one. She's always smiling. Even when she fights. Although she tries to insist that she's baring her fangs."
"I am!" She protested.
"Whatever. So you can become the smirker. The one who thinks she's so much smarter than the rest of us." He grinned.
"But I am." Hikina smirked, trying on the label for size.
"See that works perfectly!" Kage grinned. "Although I'm sure your smile is prettier." Hikina laughed out loud at Kage. "Yep." He nodded. "Your smile is definitely prettier."
Kina was trying not to blush too hard at the attention and tried to resume the smirk. She was unsuccessful however because someone else had come up from behind and accidentally bumped into her back. Her face went flying forward into her plate of food. She came up with some gravy and potato on her face and Kage and Lair burst out laughing. She stopped Lair's giggles by wiping her face on the girl's shirt, but Kage just laughed even harder until she kicked him in the knee.
"I'm sorry..." A boy stammered. He looked to be about ten years old. Had sky blue hair, dark skin, and piercing green eyes.
"It's fine." Hikina shook her head.
"C'mon and sit next to me." Lair made space for the boy. "This is Ametsuchi." Lair indicated. "He's an air/earth demon. Really good with growing things and healing." She ruffled the kid's hair.
"Suchi's gimmick is being the shy one. He's kinda clumsy, not a good fighter, but he's a hell of a pal." Kage grinned at the boy.
"He's an orphan. Just showed up here one day." Lair whispered. "Neko took him on if he promised to help in the gardens getting food and in the hospital wing. We think some nasty stuff happened to make him so nervous all the time."
Kina's eyes drifted to the boy who was focusing on his plate like it was his job. Then she remembered the demons she'd encountered on the way here. If she, a somewhat trained fighter, had been so easily defeated, think what must have happened to a small child with no fighting abilities whatsoever. Her heart when out to the boy.
After dinner, Lair led Hikina up to Kurama's quarters. He and his mate were waiting for them.
They entered and were greeted warmly.
Lair struck up a conversation with Arctic about last week's lesson and various ice tactics while Youko focused on Hikina. "Something's bothering you." He commented.
"It's just...well...My mother seems to have led this fantastic life before I came along. I just can't help but feel guilty about dragging her down." Hikina felt foolish before the obviously wise fox.
"I knew your mother a long time." Youko started. "The one thing she sought after her entire life was a family. Trust me. Nothing probably pleased her more than when she found out she was going to have you." He smiled kindly at the girl.
"Well...why didn't Hiei...well, just what happened there?" She wasn't quite sure how to phrase the question. "I mean...he seems pleased for the most part to have a daughter...why did my mom run away?"
"I have a feeling you were entirely un planned. I was actually present the day you were conceived. Hiei was in heat and he'd left so his sister wouldn't figure it out. He was a bit embarrassed. Your mother was close to her heat as well because the smell was driving her crazy. She left the house and went in the opposite direction. It was raining and I can only assume they somehow ended up in the same place. I know they both thought they were unable to have children. Pregnancy must have come as a shock to your mother." Kurama allowed. "now that I think on it, she left about a week after the incident. Anyways, you're mother didn't like to owe anyone anything and I have a feeling she didn't want Hiei to feel obligated to either of you in anyway so she left and hid herself well. Yukina was the only one who knew at the time. She had confirmed your mother's pregnancy. She let it slip to me when we were searching for your mother, but made me swear not to tell anyone." Kurama sighed. "how is she?" He asked.
"I'm not really sure anymore. She was really mad at me the night I left because Hiei had stopped by and I kept asking questions. Like I wouldn't figure it out with the Jagan and the hair." She rolled her eyes. "She seemed happy for the most part, but we never saw much of anyone."
"Well that is a bit strange." Youko allowed. "Your mother was always social."
"The only demons I'd ever seen before I left other than my mother was her brother's family." She shrugged.
"Why did you leave?" Kurama asked.
"We had a fight and I ran away." Hikina shrugged, knowing the fox wouldn't think this the wisest course of action. "I was attacked by demons when Hiei showed up and I guess rescued me, I was unconscious by that time. He brought me here."
"You resent your mother." Kurama noted. "Don't. She would easily give her life for you. She may have been selfish in keeping you to herself, but for the most part, I have never known a more generous woman. You need to think about the good things she's done for you for a while. That is my assignment to you for tonight." He smirked.
Hikina felt like grumbling. "Stupid fox." She grumbled as they left his room. "Think your so damn smart."
"That's exactly something your father would say." Kurama smirked from the doorframe. Hikina glared at him her father's signature death glare and followed her friend back to their dormitory.
It was eerie to Youko how much Hikina looked like her father without ever having known him up until a few days ago.
Hikina thought about Kurama's words without really meaning to. ~So mom was generous. Fine Youko. I'll think on it.~ she started thinking as far back as she could remember about all the things her mother had done for her. She saw her mom slaving as a laundress to get food for them. She saw her mother teaching her how to fly for the first time. She saw her mother going hungry to make sure her daughter ate. Hikina was suddenly overcome with guilt. She'd been an awful brat. Taking all that for granted. She got a sudden urge to go home, but something was telling her she needed to stay and learn about herself. She admitted to herself at least that she shouldn't have left the way she did, but it had definitely been time to leave. She opened her Jagan.
~Mom.~ she called.
~Hikina!~ Came the incredulous reply.
~Mom. I'm ok. I just wanted to tell you that. Hiei brought me someplace. Everyone knows you. I talked to someone named Kurama tonight and he really made me think about some things.~
She heard her mother's chuckle. ~I'll bet he did. Are you at Neko's school?~
~Yeah. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I've been lucky to have a mother like you and I shouldn't have behaved the way I did.~ Hikina didn't really know how else to put it.
~It's fine dear.~ her mother returned. ~Stay and learn as much as you can.~
~Do you know a guy named Touya?~ Hikina asked suddenly.
~He's a friend of Jin's.~ her mother replied.
~I met his daughter Alairia. She seems really nice. She's my roommate.~ Hikina informed her mother.
~Her father is an honorable man. I'm sure he passed that on to his daughter.~
~Good night mom.~
~Good night dear. And please. Check in once in a while. I'll still worry about you.~
~Yeah. Of course.~ Hikina grinned as she closed her Jagan once more, severing the connection with her mother.
A/N: Wow three decently long chapters in one day! Hope you like it!
