Unlike the first chapter, this one is not a songfic. In all actuality, I only do songfics when I feel really inspired, and while I may inspired, not in a songfic kinda way. And thus, I introduce to you, in her entire abused (of course) glory, Laylayla and her beautiful daughter, Lethe (she's actually the main character introduction, but this was what I ended up writing).
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Nothing bothered Laylayla more then quiet, and on this particular night, even the cricket demons were silent. In an attempt to soothe the silence, she was sharpening her dagger.
"Well now, look 'ere! Seems we got not one, but two o' the li'l demons bustin' in on our huntin' nights," a massive oni bellowed, suddenly lunging through the trees. Laylayla peered disinterestedly through her fringe of ebony hair with large, pupil-less coal colored eyes. She was mildly perturbed that he had managed to come this close without her sensing his presence. Ah, the effects of silence.
"Hey mahn, and she is a cute little thang, aren't she?" a second oni commented, coming up behind the first with a bag slung over his shoulder. Laylayla cocked her head and regarded them in silence.
"Come 'ere li'l demon," the first purred, extending a massive blue hand. Laylayla looked at his hand for a moment then followed his arm up to his face.
"If you get away from me now, I will neither question your charge nor relieve your torso of the burden of the bearing of your heavy limbs," she said softly, turning her eyes back down to the dagger she had on her knee. The two large demons exchanged toothy grins.
"Ah fightin' one are she?" the bag-bearing demon grunted. The other laughed and scooped Laylayla up into his huge palm. Tiny Laylayla fit comfortably between the folds in his hands.
"Cute though, she should be fun." Laylayla scowled and narrowed her eyes, slowly tilting her head up to glare at the two huge demons. They were both laughing quite joyously until suddenly a black blur shot by their eyes.
"I warned you," Laylayla said softly, carefully sheathing her dagger in its dragon sheath.
"You fast movin' li'l flea..." one started, but suddenly both demons' necks erupted into fountains of blood spray. Laylayla chuckled low in her throat and listened to the two lunk heads crash onto the ground.
"Now I will see what I've won myself," Laylayla commented with a sneer, slicing the bag open and hauling out its contents. Inside were several decapitated heads, very old by appearance, and one small figure that was such a mess of blood and cloth Laylayla couldn't tell what it was. Not much for tact, Laylayla immediately began prodding it with the hilt of her dagger.
"Wha--?" the lump muttered, lifting it's head up and peering at her through bleary charcoal eyes. Laylayla offered it a warm smile and brushed some of the dirt and blood off of it.
"What's your name?" she asked, sitting cross-legged in front of the being. It eyed her wearily before looking around and spotting the two large oni that had attacked before. It started when it realized that they were dead, but than looked at her with wide eyes.
"Relax, they're dead, and I won't hurt you," Laylayla assured softly, smiling. "So, what's your name?"
"Hiei..." he said, and it was definitely a 'he' with that voice, even as young as he was. Laylayla smiled and stood up, brushed her knees off, and offered Hiei a hand up. He stared at it for a long moment before slowly raising his eyes to her.
"Well Hiei, care to join me? I'll take care of you." Hiei blinked at her and smiled a little bit, than took her hand.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hiei had been with Laylayla for four years, and he had gotten to know her well in those years. Laylayla told him everything, and yet she never demanded ay thing from him, or any information beyond what he liked, what he wanted, and what his name was. He never felt guilty about it, because she told him once when he asked that it wasn't her business, and if she wanted to know, she would ask anyways. Laylayla was like that. Honest, friendly, though, and to the point, she babied him like her own child but made sure that he was always happy but not spoiled.
But lately her happiness is faked, something is bothering her. He knows that it has something to do with why she leaves so often, and she is leaving more and more often lately. So he decides to ask her, because she is always honest with him when he wants to know.
"Lay-san, what's wrong?" he asks, stepping around so he's in front of her at her seat next to the table. She started slightly but offered him a tired smile.
"Oh Hiei..." she sighed and looked away. "I had a baby a little while ago, but she was taken from me... and they killed her." Hiei stared at her stunned.
"Why?!" he exclaimed incredulously. "And who?" His anger was welling up within him for the misery they had caused a woman he silently considered pretty much a mother.
"Because the baby was illegitimate, so they killed her. And 'they' are my clan, my people. The Ravine Apparitions. I am a priestess, so I am not allowed to have children of my own. But I was raped, and came with child. I didn't want to tell you because I know how you'd react, and I wanted the baby to be a surprise, I didn't think they would kill her."
"Ravine Apparitions?" Hiei hissed through clenched teeth, fighting his desire to hunt and kill those who caused the one person in the universe that he cared about pain. Laylayla laughed a little and smiled.
"A Ravine Apparition is a winged-demon with huge power and short tempers for the most part. They are possessive and we live in clans in ravines so deep even the dead can't follow us," Laylayla explained.
"But you don's have wings!!" Hiei started, leaning around to look at her back. Laylayla chuckled and swirls of colors erupted from between her shoulder blades, leaving behind huge, black bat wings with silver tracings across them like thousands of spider veins.
"I can hide them, because I am a priestess," Laylayla explained to Hiei's wide wondering eyes. Hiei nodded slowly although he really didn't get it. Then another question popped into his head.
"How did they kill her?" he asked suspiciously, not quite believing someone would kill a child. Laylayla's jaw tensed for a moment, but she answered him.
"They stab them once in the abdomen, all the way through so as to sever their spinal chord, and then they leave the child in the woods for any beast that finds it," she said bitterly. Hiei realized she hadn't watched. He opened his mouth to ask her more questions, but then suddenly there was a loud noise outside and both of them went silent and listened hard for any noise. Suddenly Laylayla's eyes widened and she grabbed Hiei by the shoulder.
"Hiei, you need to hide. Right now, don't come out, no matter what." Hiei nodded, unable to deny her wide, petrified eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"What happened next?" Lethe asked softly, not looking at Hiei as he paused in his story. Everyone looked at her curiously, no one had noticed her come in.
"Well, when did you come in Lethe? Would you like some tea?" Botan asked cheerily, smiling at the tiny little girl with ebony hair and pale grey eyes. Lethe shook her head, still facing away from the group.
"They killed her. Some of the Ravine Apparitions came in and killed her. I came out to attack them, but they simply knocked me out and left me there. They took her body." Lethe nodded slowly and stood, turning to face him.
"Well, that certainly explains a lot," she said bitterly. Everyone looked at her curiously, and Hiei met her intense gaze.
"What do you mean Lethe? What does that explain?" Yukina asked, looking slightly frightened. Kuwabara rested a hand on her shoulder reassuringly and looked to Lethe, also curious. Lethe smirked and lifted her shirt out from her belt and pulled it up, exposing a long, ugly scar in her abdomen.
"Laylayla, the Priestess of the Ravine Apparition's Rain Clan, was my mother. They told me she tried to kill me because she went mad." Hiei snarled low.
"No, Lay-san was no madder then anyone here." Lethe regarded him then nodded, and dropped her shirt. Drawing her daggers, she looked to Hiei.
"Let's say we go visit the ones responsible, hey Hiei?" Hiei smirked and rose to his feet.
"So you later, detective."
"Wait!!" Botan cried. But Yusuke cut her short with a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't waste your time Botan, this is important to the both of them," Kurama said softly. Botan looked helplessly at the others, but they all shook their heads, even Rhiannon, who usually agreed with the blue-haired Ferry girl.
"Well... I suppose it gives them more time together..." Botan sighed in defeat, and collapsed on the couch. She never could win an argument.
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There!! Laylayla's death explained, and Lethe introduced. Now what couple should I do...? Maybe a slash piece...
R&R if you luvies me!! -Lethal-chan