Disclaimer: If I really owned YuYu Hakusho do you really think I'd spend my
time writing fanfics?
Chapter Eleven
Weary with fatigue and pain Adreana slowly made her way down the empty hallways towards Mizrahi's office. The papers he'd requested she steal were harder to get out of the facility than she or Mizrahi had expected. Besides, Adreana hadn't properly worked out in months, to stay the best she had constantly trained and having not had slowed her reactions and lowered her pain tolerance.
"I should have kept at it even though I thought I'd never do this again, it kept me in great shape and defiantly helped deal with pain." Her clothes were ripped, exposing skin and blood drenching the surrounding cloth. Several guards had gotten off shots and though none had pierced her skin, they grazed it, leaving bloody lines. And if anyone needed proof that she was rusty, she'd barely cleared the chain length fence surrounding the facility, and when she did clear it she'd stumbled, busting up her legs and knees.
She was a wreck, and as she pushed open Mizrahi's doors her eyes weren't even open. "I hope these papers of yours were truly important Mizrahi, because I suffered for them." When she heard no response she slowly opened her eyes. "Mizrahi?"
Mizrahi was sitting in his same chair as always, but his cup of tea was on the floor, spilt and broken. "What-"
"Don't ask me princess, ask him." He jerked his head to the left and she traced his line of sight to-
"Hiei...?" She stammered, shocked out of her mind. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and he did not look happy.
"So you're the famous princess of Street Fighters... I should have recognized you from the wanted posters in Spirit World... explains your mark. And why you haven't been with Kurama your whole life." He started towards her, his hands at his sides, balled into fists.
"Princess... my papers?" Mizrahi interrupted, fearful they would fight and something would happen to his precious papers. She didn't even look at him as she slid it from her sleeve and tossed it to him. "Ah yes... thank you, now if you'll excuse me..." He made his way past them and out the door, leaving the two alone.
Her head bowed and Mizrahi's voice from months ago echoed through her head. "No one wants a Street Fighter... especially the best princess." Then her thoughts drifted to the words, "Disgraced... even the most honorable of Street Fighters is nothing more then a Street Fighter... low... what a waste..."
"You failed to mention you were a Street Fighter, excuse me, the best female Street Fighter." Hiei's cold words snapped her from her thoughts.
"It's not exactly something I'm proud of. I tried to quit and come here to be with Kurama-"
"Doesn't look to me as if you quit," He snorted.
"Once a Street Fighter... always a Street Fighter." She whispered. "There is no turning back from the path which I've set."
"You didn't tell me, or Kurama." It wasn't a question, more like statement.
"Kurama would never believe I was capable... that it was his baby sister with the wanted posters all over Spirit World... and if I would have told you... you wouldn't want anything to do with me. Just like you feel now I'm sure." She sighed, feeling a pain like she'd never known in her chest. It felt as if her heart was sinking inside her.
Hiei sighed, "That's not true." He got closer and started to examine her wounds. Stooping to pick her up in his arms he started out towards his home.
***
Kurama was waiting when Hiei arrived with Adreana once again in his arms. She was a sight, bloodied and bruised. "B-baby sister! What happened to her Hiei?"
Hiei sent him a look that said quite clearly to be quiet and Kurama shut his mouth. He continued to carry her until she was in his room then set her on his bed. Taking the first aid kit from the bathroom he bandaged her wounds and convinced her to rest. "Lay back down Adreana. Go to sleep." Gently he pushed her shoulders so she lay back down and he tugged the covers up to her chin.
Clicking off the lights he left, quietly closing the door behind him and meeting up with Kurama in the living room.
"Is she going to be all right?" He demanded, his concern evident.
"She'll be fine. Just needs rest. Kurama... where was Adreana before she came here?" Hiei really didn't want to tell Kurama his only sister was practically an outlaw.
"I... don't know, she sent me letters occasionally, but now that you mention it, not once did it say where she was." Kurama said thoughtfully. "Why?"
"You've seen the wanted posters all over Spirit World."
"Of course," Kurama grinned, "We've been on them if I recall correctly, would you like me to find a copy of yours, Hiei?"
"... like brother like sister."
"...What are you saying, that my only baby sister is an outlaw?" Kurama demanding his voice rising.
"Kurama, she's the princess, the princess of Street Fighters. Her wanted poster is all over Spirit World. She bears the mark on her back." Hiei really didn't want him to know but it couldn't be helped.
"... I have one, it looked so much like her... it is her, isn't it?" Kurama sighed, sitting down on the couch. "At least baby sister isn't like the rest, she doesn't kill... but this explains a lot. So she was pulling a job..."
"For a human, Mizrahi, stealing some kind of papers that were stolen from him." Hiei leaned against the wall closing his eyes. "I want you to talk to her about it."
"And say what? That I forbid it? I could not... Adreana is not me, she makes her own decisions." Kurama stood. "Where is she, I wish to speak with her." Hiei jerked his head towards his room and Kurama left wordlessly.
***
Keiko sighed as she watched Yusuke finish off the sundae they'd been eating together. It was raining outside, and they were sitting in a both next to the large window.
"Hiei says she gets into more trouble than anyone he's ever known, she'll be a handful for him." Yusuke plopped the spoon in his mouth and picked the only cherry out of the melted ice cream and offered it to her. Keiko smiled wistfully, taking it and eating it.
"Thank you." Yusuke shrugged it off.
"He even said she's more trouble than you," Yusuke laughed and Keiko gave him an icy glare.
"Might I remind you that the only reason I get into trouble is because they find out that you care about me. If it wasn't for you, I would never get into trouble." She said dryly.
"Oh sure, blame me for feeling the way I do." He said throwing the spoon down into the ice cream dish.
Keiko smiled gently at him from across the table watching him fidget looking uncomfortable.
"You uh, never say anything about it, even though it's my fault. I always put you in danger."
"And you always save me too. Forget it Yusuke, like you said, it's not your fault for feeling the way you do." Keiko said quickly, ignoring the heat in her cheeks.
He sighed, "For once you'd think they'd take someone they think I care about, on mistake. Like Kuwabara, then I'd just let them kill him." With his hand he signaled for the waitress and ordered her a triple scoop of strawberry while he got vanilla.
"But then Yukina's heart would break, and Hiei would kill you," Keiko spooned some ice cream into her mouth.
"Hm, or worse, Adreana, I don't think I've ever seen someone besides me get so worked up over a girl." Yusuke laughed.
***
Yukina stirred her bowl of soup and glanced at Kuwabara, who was eating at super fast speed, devouring the noodles. "Brother is very concerned... as we all are, but... I haven't seen him this unbalanced in ages." She set down her bowl; sure she wasn't going to eat anymore.
Kuwabara stopped and set his bowl down as well. "Hiei isn't used to caring for someone like Adreana. She's different, and he's not used to a girl like her."
Yukina sighed. "Your right... Adreana is very independent; she doesn't like to receive help. And brother thinks it's his duty to rescue her, and she would never allow it."
"Should be funny to watch." Kuwabara grinned.
***
Adreana lay in Hiei's bed; the pain had now been reduced to a dull ache thanks to his care. Slowly she raised her arms and glanced at them, covered in bandages and black and blue from bruises. Sighing she leaned back into the black pillows closing her eyes.
The door opened and instantly she knew it wasn't Hiei. His steps were swift and quick, where as the person who entered feet were slow and deliberate. He was giving her time to realize who it was, knowing she could as no one else would. "Brother."
"Baby sister." Kurama made his way to the bed and sat near her, not facing her.
"So Hiei told you." Her voice was low and soft and ashamed. She could have grown up to be someone great, and instead become a lowly Street Fighter.
Kurama sighed but did not turn around. "I think I knew... I always thought it was strange you never mentioned where you were. Why your visits were so short and few... I just didn't want to admit it, even to myself."
Adreana would've sunk further into the pillows if it were possible; the feeling of shame, and guilt washing over here was so strong. True she hadn't lied to him, because he never asked, but she hadn't told him the truth either.
"I should have seen it coming... that you weren't all right, that you'd go down another path. It knocked you off the course you'd set onto another one, a one that even myself had not foreseen. His death rattled you, shook you to your very core I'm sure. Which left you feeling alone and angry, hungry for revenge and unable to provide the justice you felt he deserved."
Adreana felt her eyes start to well up with the blood from her heart, and drop from her eyes, leaving tear streaks on her cheeks. (A/N: Sorry, I have to back up and explain something, I used to think that if someone was crying they were bleeding, that the tears that came out of your eyes were the heart's blood, after deeply wounding your heart the blood had to leak out somewhere, and thus leaked from the eyes)
"So you turned into a Street Fighter, the best Street Fighter and tried to get revenge. But once you got it, it didn't help did it? There was still a void, a hole, that could not be filled. So you quit, and decided to come and be with me only to find that you cannot run from your past, no matter how fast you are." Here he paused, and sighed. "Am I correct, Adreana?"
"Yes Kurama... I am sorry." Her voice was trembling and now he turned to see her.
"You have nothing to apologize for Adreana, you do nothing that I would call wrong. You've never slain anyone... even the one responsible for his death, you have grown into a fine lady, of which I am proud."
Adreana felt the blood from her heart run freely now, down her cheeks and she choked back a sob as she flung herself into his arms. "Oh Kurama..."
A/N: Ohh, scandal, who is this boy they talk about who set Adreana down the path of a Street Fighter? And how did he die and why? Keep up the reviews, there are many more plot twists ahead, I'm just so devious. Thanks for reading!
Chapter Eleven
Weary with fatigue and pain Adreana slowly made her way down the empty hallways towards Mizrahi's office. The papers he'd requested she steal were harder to get out of the facility than she or Mizrahi had expected. Besides, Adreana hadn't properly worked out in months, to stay the best she had constantly trained and having not had slowed her reactions and lowered her pain tolerance.
"I should have kept at it even though I thought I'd never do this again, it kept me in great shape and defiantly helped deal with pain." Her clothes were ripped, exposing skin and blood drenching the surrounding cloth. Several guards had gotten off shots and though none had pierced her skin, they grazed it, leaving bloody lines. And if anyone needed proof that she was rusty, she'd barely cleared the chain length fence surrounding the facility, and when she did clear it she'd stumbled, busting up her legs and knees.
She was a wreck, and as she pushed open Mizrahi's doors her eyes weren't even open. "I hope these papers of yours were truly important Mizrahi, because I suffered for them." When she heard no response she slowly opened her eyes. "Mizrahi?"
Mizrahi was sitting in his same chair as always, but his cup of tea was on the floor, spilt and broken. "What-"
"Don't ask me princess, ask him." He jerked his head to the left and she traced his line of sight to-
"Hiei...?" She stammered, shocked out of her mind. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and he did not look happy.
"So you're the famous princess of Street Fighters... I should have recognized you from the wanted posters in Spirit World... explains your mark. And why you haven't been with Kurama your whole life." He started towards her, his hands at his sides, balled into fists.
"Princess... my papers?" Mizrahi interrupted, fearful they would fight and something would happen to his precious papers. She didn't even look at him as she slid it from her sleeve and tossed it to him. "Ah yes... thank you, now if you'll excuse me..." He made his way past them and out the door, leaving the two alone.
Her head bowed and Mizrahi's voice from months ago echoed through her head. "No one wants a Street Fighter... especially the best princess." Then her thoughts drifted to the words, "Disgraced... even the most honorable of Street Fighters is nothing more then a Street Fighter... low... what a waste..."
"You failed to mention you were a Street Fighter, excuse me, the best female Street Fighter." Hiei's cold words snapped her from her thoughts.
"It's not exactly something I'm proud of. I tried to quit and come here to be with Kurama-"
"Doesn't look to me as if you quit," He snorted.
"Once a Street Fighter... always a Street Fighter." She whispered. "There is no turning back from the path which I've set."
"You didn't tell me, or Kurama." It wasn't a question, more like statement.
"Kurama would never believe I was capable... that it was his baby sister with the wanted posters all over Spirit World... and if I would have told you... you wouldn't want anything to do with me. Just like you feel now I'm sure." She sighed, feeling a pain like she'd never known in her chest. It felt as if her heart was sinking inside her.
Hiei sighed, "That's not true." He got closer and started to examine her wounds. Stooping to pick her up in his arms he started out towards his home.
***
Kurama was waiting when Hiei arrived with Adreana once again in his arms. She was a sight, bloodied and bruised. "B-baby sister! What happened to her Hiei?"
Hiei sent him a look that said quite clearly to be quiet and Kurama shut his mouth. He continued to carry her until she was in his room then set her on his bed. Taking the first aid kit from the bathroom he bandaged her wounds and convinced her to rest. "Lay back down Adreana. Go to sleep." Gently he pushed her shoulders so she lay back down and he tugged the covers up to her chin.
Clicking off the lights he left, quietly closing the door behind him and meeting up with Kurama in the living room.
"Is she going to be all right?" He demanded, his concern evident.
"She'll be fine. Just needs rest. Kurama... where was Adreana before she came here?" Hiei really didn't want to tell Kurama his only sister was practically an outlaw.
"I... don't know, she sent me letters occasionally, but now that you mention it, not once did it say where she was." Kurama said thoughtfully. "Why?"
"You've seen the wanted posters all over Spirit World."
"Of course," Kurama grinned, "We've been on them if I recall correctly, would you like me to find a copy of yours, Hiei?"
"... like brother like sister."
"...What are you saying, that my only baby sister is an outlaw?" Kurama demanding his voice rising.
"Kurama, she's the princess, the princess of Street Fighters. Her wanted poster is all over Spirit World. She bears the mark on her back." Hiei really didn't want him to know but it couldn't be helped.
"... I have one, it looked so much like her... it is her, isn't it?" Kurama sighed, sitting down on the couch. "At least baby sister isn't like the rest, she doesn't kill... but this explains a lot. So she was pulling a job..."
"For a human, Mizrahi, stealing some kind of papers that were stolen from him." Hiei leaned against the wall closing his eyes. "I want you to talk to her about it."
"And say what? That I forbid it? I could not... Adreana is not me, she makes her own decisions." Kurama stood. "Where is she, I wish to speak with her." Hiei jerked his head towards his room and Kurama left wordlessly.
***
Keiko sighed as she watched Yusuke finish off the sundae they'd been eating together. It was raining outside, and they were sitting in a both next to the large window.
"Hiei says she gets into more trouble than anyone he's ever known, she'll be a handful for him." Yusuke plopped the spoon in his mouth and picked the only cherry out of the melted ice cream and offered it to her. Keiko smiled wistfully, taking it and eating it.
"Thank you." Yusuke shrugged it off.
"He even said she's more trouble than you," Yusuke laughed and Keiko gave him an icy glare.
"Might I remind you that the only reason I get into trouble is because they find out that you care about me. If it wasn't for you, I would never get into trouble." She said dryly.
"Oh sure, blame me for feeling the way I do." He said throwing the spoon down into the ice cream dish.
Keiko smiled gently at him from across the table watching him fidget looking uncomfortable.
"You uh, never say anything about it, even though it's my fault. I always put you in danger."
"And you always save me too. Forget it Yusuke, like you said, it's not your fault for feeling the way you do." Keiko said quickly, ignoring the heat in her cheeks.
He sighed, "For once you'd think they'd take someone they think I care about, on mistake. Like Kuwabara, then I'd just let them kill him." With his hand he signaled for the waitress and ordered her a triple scoop of strawberry while he got vanilla.
"But then Yukina's heart would break, and Hiei would kill you," Keiko spooned some ice cream into her mouth.
"Hm, or worse, Adreana, I don't think I've ever seen someone besides me get so worked up over a girl." Yusuke laughed.
***
Yukina stirred her bowl of soup and glanced at Kuwabara, who was eating at super fast speed, devouring the noodles. "Brother is very concerned... as we all are, but... I haven't seen him this unbalanced in ages." She set down her bowl; sure she wasn't going to eat anymore.
Kuwabara stopped and set his bowl down as well. "Hiei isn't used to caring for someone like Adreana. She's different, and he's not used to a girl like her."
Yukina sighed. "Your right... Adreana is very independent; she doesn't like to receive help. And brother thinks it's his duty to rescue her, and she would never allow it."
"Should be funny to watch." Kuwabara grinned.
***
Adreana lay in Hiei's bed; the pain had now been reduced to a dull ache thanks to his care. Slowly she raised her arms and glanced at them, covered in bandages and black and blue from bruises. Sighing she leaned back into the black pillows closing her eyes.
The door opened and instantly she knew it wasn't Hiei. His steps were swift and quick, where as the person who entered feet were slow and deliberate. He was giving her time to realize who it was, knowing she could as no one else would. "Brother."
"Baby sister." Kurama made his way to the bed and sat near her, not facing her.
"So Hiei told you." Her voice was low and soft and ashamed. She could have grown up to be someone great, and instead become a lowly Street Fighter.
Kurama sighed but did not turn around. "I think I knew... I always thought it was strange you never mentioned where you were. Why your visits were so short and few... I just didn't want to admit it, even to myself."
Adreana would've sunk further into the pillows if it were possible; the feeling of shame, and guilt washing over here was so strong. True she hadn't lied to him, because he never asked, but she hadn't told him the truth either.
"I should have seen it coming... that you weren't all right, that you'd go down another path. It knocked you off the course you'd set onto another one, a one that even myself had not foreseen. His death rattled you, shook you to your very core I'm sure. Which left you feeling alone and angry, hungry for revenge and unable to provide the justice you felt he deserved."
Adreana felt her eyes start to well up with the blood from her heart, and drop from her eyes, leaving tear streaks on her cheeks. (A/N: Sorry, I have to back up and explain something, I used to think that if someone was crying they were bleeding, that the tears that came out of your eyes were the heart's blood, after deeply wounding your heart the blood had to leak out somewhere, and thus leaked from the eyes)
"So you turned into a Street Fighter, the best Street Fighter and tried to get revenge. But once you got it, it didn't help did it? There was still a void, a hole, that could not be filled. So you quit, and decided to come and be with me only to find that you cannot run from your past, no matter how fast you are." Here he paused, and sighed. "Am I correct, Adreana?"
"Yes Kurama... I am sorry." Her voice was trembling and now he turned to see her.
"You have nothing to apologize for Adreana, you do nothing that I would call wrong. You've never slain anyone... even the one responsible for his death, you have grown into a fine lady, of which I am proud."
Adreana felt the blood from her heart run freely now, down her cheeks and she choked back a sob as she flung herself into his arms. "Oh Kurama..."
A/N: Ohh, scandal, who is this boy they talk about who set Adreana down the path of a Street Fighter? And how did he die and why? Keep up the reviews, there are many more plot twists ahead, I'm just so devious. Thanks for reading!