Chapter 10: The Truth Behind It
~Flashback~ The girls walk though an opening in the passageway where they enter a large room. The ceiling is high now so they can stand completely up and the decoration isn't that much different then the hallway. What they saw inside the room makes them smile. There are rows upon rows of weapons, armor, and other devices.
"You guys," Anneliese says while doing the first true smile she had done in awhile, "I think our luck just changed."\ ~End Flashback~
"HA! And you said reverse psychology didn't work!" Ellen dances around the other two. At first Anneliese and Theresa ignore her, but as her "dance" persists, they begin to become annoyed.
"I am forced to warn you that is you do not end this action of yours I will not be held responsible for any harm that you may and will receive." The second Anneliese finishes her threat, Ellen stops dancing and both she and Theresa step back.
"Wow, that was a Hiei line if I ever heard one," Theresa inches farther behind Ellen.
"Hn.." Anneliese frowns and crosses her arms.
"See, there she goes again," Ellen mutters to Theresa.
"Anyway, I don't think we should touch anything in here just yet." Anneliese looks around the room.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!" Ellen and Theresa say in unison. "Haa haa, jinx...double jinx!"
"Will you both shut up?! Or will I have to change your dippers before that happens?" Anneliese looks at them both coldly.
"Oooo ouch.."
"Man, harsh.." Theresa and Ellen look down dejectedly.
"Sorry you guys, it's just that I can't tell if it was an accident or not that we found this room." The ice disappears from her eyes as suspicion taints them.
"Well, maybe it wasn't an accident..or maybe someone just wanted us split up from the guys and forgot that this room was here." Theresa looks off dreamily while thoughts of Kurama inhabit her mind.
"I like that second theory better, and besides..." Ellen stops as she catches sight of a paintball gun hanging on the wall. Her eyes widen as she begins to sprint toward it. Anneliese and Theresa, realizing what she is about to do, lunge for her, but miss.
Ellen, upon reaching the wall, snatches the gun and raises it above her head. "BWAAHAAA!!! IT'S MINE!!!"
The two wait expectantly for something to happen, Ellen is petting the weapon muttering "my precious".
"Nothing happened...then, I guess it's okay." Anneliese checks around one more time then heads to the nearest weapons row.
"So let's get loaded up," Theresa says excitedly while eyeing a nearby sword.
Hiei and Kurama are still walking in the same hall. They have been silent for a while now. Kruama is about to reask his question when Hiei begins.
"A long time ago, before I met you, even before I truly became a thief, I live with a couple that first found me after I had been thrown from my birth island. I expect they accepted me as a demon because the man was a fire demon himself; the wife I wasn't sure about. They had a son also, but I never really got to meet him, I only knew him by name, he was away somewhere after having some sort of dispute with his parents. At this same time, news was spreading that countless murders were being committed in the demon world. All on the account of one, his name was Hikoro. The killings were in irregular intervals, but they were still happening none-the-less. There would be many one year, then next to none the preceding year. Almost as if he was searching for something he kept losing hope in finding. After about three years of living with them, they gave birth to a child; a girl."
"Anneliese," Kurama muttered.
Hiei nodded.
"Correct, Anneliese was the child, and at birth she was given a small rusted key. At the time I had no idea of what the significance of that key would be. Being only three myself, I put it out of my mind. It wasn't until two years later that it was brought up again. Anneliese had taken off her necklace and thrown it on the floor when her father immediately scolded her for doing such a thing. He then told her that she was to never take it off. This seemed to confuse her and she questioned why. I was in the room with them, but I was hiding behind a chair so as to be able to listen in. He said to her that she was one of two Guardians that protected a gate deep underground. When she replied that she didn't want to guard a dusty bug infested gate he laughed and tussled her hair. Then he said that she would never have to go down there if she promised to always keep her necklace on and not let anyone ever have it. This seemed to convince her and after a moment she spoke aloud about the other thing on her mind. She asked who the other Guardian was since she was only one of them. Buru, which was the man's name, looked around him sensing the air. He then walked over to the chair I was behind and looked over the side of it where he saw me kneeled down. He had then picked me up by the back of my shirt and carried me over to sit next to Anneliese. After that he pointed at me and said to Anneliese that I was the other Guardian. When I told him that that couldn't be right because I had come from a different family and I didn't have a key he smiled at me and laughed again. We'll just have to fix that, he had said. Then he called the wife into the room. She came in and joined the group all sitting. Buru asked her if she would present me with her own key, which she obliged smiling delightedly. I was given a trinket that exactly mirrored Anneliese's key. The couple grinned at each other and stood to stand next to one another. The wife then explained to us that she and Buru had met and gotten married all because of their 'occupation' and that maybe one day Anneliese and I would get together. Hn..I remember Anneliese's exact reply to that remark. 'What! Me marry him? Mom you're crazy. Hiei is my friend, we're not going to get married.'"
Hiei actually shook his head and laughed at the memory. Even at age two she had had quite the attitude. He continued.
"Then couple explained to us our duties as the gate's protectors. Sorry Kitsune, I cannot reiterate what was said, but actually we did not have that many things to do."
"I understand. I did not expect you to tell me anything." Kurama smirked as he walked on, but was startled to see that Hiei was having trouble continuing his story. So Kurama prompted him. "What does this have to do with Hikoro?"
Hiei was silent for a few more moments. Kurama was surprised at how much emotion was shown on his friend's usually blank face as he continued.
"That same day, at nightfall, we were sitting outside the house and enjoying the last few days of warm weather when a man in complete black approached the walkway leading to our house. Buru walked over to the man and stood in his way, blocking us from the man's view. I heard the man ask to come in, and Buru refuse him. Then I remember the man getting angry, and Buru yelling for his wife to take Anneliese and me inside. Once there we could here more shouts and the wife kept looking anxiously out of the window. Apparently this man was none other than the mass murderer, Hikoro, and he wanted to be allowed to search our house. Buru of course would not allow him to do this and asked him to leave immediately. Then I heard Hikoro suggest that they should settle this the way all things in the demon world should be settled, with a fight. Buru consented and they readied for battle. Upon hearing this, the wife went into some kind of frenzy. She went to a desk and began furiously writing a letter. When it was finished, she gave it to Anneliese. Then she gave her one final hug and held her hands over Anneliese's face. A pale mist seemed to seep out of her fingers and travel into Anneliese's open mouth and nose. Within seconds, the girl was knocked unconscious. The wife then turned desperately to me.
'I have erased her memory. She will not remember anything when she awakens. Please take her somewhere safe where she can start a new life, somewhere far away from here. And no, you must not stay with her, wherever she goes. Until you both are older and much stronger your keys and yourselves will be much safer at a distance.' She kneeled next to me and hugged me as well. 'I have loved you like any son, and I know this is much for someone so young to take on, but I trust in you to handle it. And who knows, maybe you two will find each other again someday.' She gave me a last smile.
We heard a loud crash outside and the wife's eyes widened in fear. She yelled for me to get going. I gave her a last look and sped out the back door, barely reaching it before I heard the front door being blasted open. I heard a scream and stopped in my tracks. I just couldn't leave and not try to help. I set Anneliese down on the back porch and went back inside. The scene that met my eyes still shocks me. Blood was everywhere and Hikoro stood in the center of the room spotless. The wife was spread out on the floor. She..she had been completely torn apart..nothing was attached anymore. I lunged at him wanting nothing less than a very painful death for him. I knew I was being reckless, but what did I care. The one woman that came somewhat close to a mother for me was lying in pieces on the floor. Hikoro barely had to touch me for me to go crashing to the ground. Then he stared down at me and fixed me with a gaze that seemed to look through me. Then he hissed at me that he was searching for a key and asked whether I had seen one around the house. Thankfully it was hidden down my shirt and when I was silent he said that I was just a waste of his time and disappeared. I felt ashamed of myself, but Anneliese was still in danger there so I had to get her to safety. I brought her to a forest where I knew she would be found and left. A few years past and I came into conflict with Hikoro. It resulted in almost the same way. Then just a couple years ago, I came into my most recent conflict with him. It ended with a draw with us both being severely wounded. And here we are now, and I plan to make this my final battle with him."
More silence followed the end of Hiei's story.
"But..why have you not shared any of this with Anneliese yet? Why did you only wish to tell me?" Kurama looks slightly perplexed.
Hiei looks down and the ground then locks his gaze with Kurama's.
"It's more difficult than that." Hiei looks his most serious. "It would be hard for her.
"But won't she want to know who Hikoro is, what truly happened to her parents? What about her brother? Would he help her if he knew that she was in need?" Kurama tries to see what Hiei is keeping back.
"No, he would not help." Hiei's eyes narrow. "You see, the brother and Hikoro have the same motive, they both wish to find the Guardians and what they possess."
"But that still does not answer my question of why you will not tell her about him." Kurama said.
"The true reason is that the two who seek us," Hiei took a breath in. "are in fact the same. Hikoro is Anneliese's brother."
Heehee yeah! Thanks for the reviews...took a little longer than we wanted, but hey we got them so thanks! And if you could do it again that'd be great. Tell me your favorite part I wanna see how your going to take this.kk? now review!
~Flashback~ The girls walk though an opening in the passageway where they enter a large room. The ceiling is high now so they can stand completely up and the decoration isn't that much different then the hallway. What they saw inside the room makes them smile. There are rows upon rows of weapons, armor, and other devices.
"You guys," Anneliese says while doing the first true smile she had done in awhile, "I think our luck just changed."\ ~End Flashback~
"HA! And you said reverse psychology didn't work!" Ellen dances around the other two. At first Anneliese and Theresa ignore her, but as her "dance" persists, they begin to become annoyed.
"I am forced to warn you that is you do not end this action of yours I will not be held responsible for any harm that you may and will receive." The second Anneliese finishes her threat, Ellen stops dancing and both she and Theresa step back.
"Wow, that was a Hiei line if I ever heard one," Theresa inches farther behind Ellen.
"Hn.." Anneliese frowns and crosses her arms.
"See, there she goes again," Ellen mutters to Theresa.
"Anyway, I don't think we should touch anything in here just yet." Anneliese looks around the room.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!" Ellen and Theresa say in unison. "Haa haa, jinx...double jinx!"
"Will you both shut up?! Or will I have to change your dippers before that happens?" Anneliese looks at them both coldly.
"Oooo ouch.."
"Man, harsh.." Theresa and Ellen look down dejectedly.
"Sorry you guys, it's just that I can't tell if it was an accident or not that we found this room." The ice disappears from her eyes as suspicion taints them.
"Well, maybe it wasn't an accident..or maybe someone just wanted us split up from the guys and forgot that this room was here." Theresa looks off dreamily while thoughts of Kurama inhabit her mind.
"I like that second theory better, and besides..." Ellen stops as she catches sight of a paintball gun hanging on the wall. Her eyes widen as she begins to sprint toward it. Anneliese and Theresa, realizing what she is about to do, lunge for her, but miss.
Ellen, upon reaching the wall, snatches the gun and raises it above her head. "BWAAHAAA!!! IT'S MINE!!!"
The two wait expectantly for something to happen, Ellen is petting the weapon muttering "my precious".
"Nothing happened...then, I guess it's okay." Anneliese checks around one more time then heads to the nearest weapons row.
"So let's get loaded up," Theresa says excitedly while eyeing a nearby sword.
Hiei and Kurama are still walking in the same hall. They have been silent for a while now. Kruama is about to reask his question when Hiei begins.
"A long time ago, before I met you, even before I truly became a thief, I live with a couple that first found me after I had been thrown from my birth island. I expect they accepted me as a demon because the man was a fire demon himself; the wife I wasn't sure about. They had a son also, but I never really got to meet him, I only knew him by name, he was away somewhere after having some sort of dispute with his parents. At this same time, news was spreading that countless murders were being committed in the demon world. All on the account of one, his name was Hikoro. The killings were in irregular intervals, but they were still happening none-the-less. There would be many one year, then next to none the preceding year. Almost as if he was searching for something he kept losing hope in finding. After about three years of living with them, they gave birth to a child; a girl."
"Anneliese," Kurama muttered.
Hiei nodded.
"Correct, Anneliese was the child, and at birth she was given a small rusted key. At the time I had no idea of what the significance of that key would be. Being only three myself, I put it out of my mind. It wasn't until two years later that it was brought up again. Anneliese had taken off her necklace and thrown it on the floor when her father immediately scolded her for doing such a thing. He then told her that she was to never take it off. This seemed to confuse her and she questioned why. I was in the room with them, but I was hiding behind a chair so as to be able to listen in. He said to her that she was one of two Guardians that protected a gate deep underground. When she replied that she didn't want to guard a dusty bug infested gate he laughed and tussled her hair. Then he said that she would never have to go down there if she promised to always keep her necklace on and not let anyone ever have it. This seemed to convince her and after a moment she spoke aloud about the other thing on her mind. She asked who the other Guardian was since she was only one of them. Buru, which was the man's name, looked around him sensing the air. He then walked over to the chair I was behind and looked over the side of it where he saw me kneeled down. He had then picked me up by the back of my shirt and carried me over to sit next to Anneliese. After that he pointed at me and said to Anneliese that I was the other Guardian. When I told him that that couldn't be right because I had come from a different family and I didn't have a key he smiled at me and laughed again. We'll just have to fix that, he had said. Then he called the wife into the room. She came in and joined the group all sitting. Buru asked her if she would present me with her own key, which she obliged smiling delightedly. I was given a trinket that exactly mirrored Anneliese's key. The couple grinned at each other and stood to stand next to one another. The wife then explained to us that she and Buru had met and gotten married all because of their 'occupation' and that maybe one day Anneliese and I would get together. Hn..I remember Anneliese's exact reply to that remark. 'What! Me marry him? Mom you're crazy. Hiei is my friend, we're not going to get married.'"
Hiei actually shook his head and laughed at the memory. Even at age two she had had quite the attitude. He continued.
"Then couple explained to us our duties as the gate's protectors. Sorry Kitsune, I cannot reiterate what was said, but actually we did not have that many things to do."
"I understand. I did not expect you to tell me anything." Kurama smirked as he walked on, but was startled to see that Hiei was having trouble continuing his story. So Kurama prompted him. "What does this have to do with Hikoro?"
Hiei was silent for a few more moments. Kurama was surprised at how much emotion was shown on his friend's usually blank face as he continued.
"That same day, at nightfall, we were sitting outside the house and enjoying the last few days of warm weather when a man in complete black approached the walkway leading to our house. Buru walked over to the man and stood in his way, blocking us from the man's view. I heard the man ask to come in, and Buru refuse him. Then I remember the man getting angry, and Buru yelling for his wife to take Anneliese and me inside. Once there we could here more shouts and the wife kept looking anxiously out of the window. Apparently this man was none other than the mass murderer, Hikoro, and he wanted to be allowed to search our house. Buru of course would not allow him to do this and asked him to leave immediately. Then I heard Hikoro suggest that they should settle this the way all things in the demon world should be settled, with a fight. Buru consented and they readied for battle. Upon hearing this, the wife went into some kind of frenzy. She went to a desk and began furiously writing a letter. When it was finished, she gave it to Anneliese. Then she gave her one final hug and held her hands over Anneliese's face. A pale mist seemed to seep out of her fingers and travel into Anneliese's open mouth and nose. Within seconds, the girl was knocked unconscious. The wife then turned desperately to me.
'I have erased her memory. She will not remember anything when she awakens. Please take her somewhere safe where she can start a new life, somewhere far away from here. And no, you must not stay with her, wherever she goes. Until you both are older and much stronger your keys and yourselves will be much safer at a distance.' She kneeled next to me and hugged me as well. 'I have loved you like any son, and I know this is much for someone so young to take on, but I trust in you to handle it. And who knows, maybe you two will find each other again someday.' She gave me a last smile.
We heard a loud crash outside and the wife's eyes widened in fear. She yelled for me to get going. I gave her a last look and sped out the back door, barely reaching it before I heard the front door being blasted open. I heard a scream and stopped in my tracks. I just couldn't leave and not try to help. I set Anneliese down on the back porch and went back inside. The scene that met my eyes still shocks me. Blood was everywhere and Hikoro stood in the center of the room spotless. The wife was spread out on the floor. She..she had been completely torn apart..nothing was attached anymore. I lunged at him wanting nothing less than a very painful death for him. I knew I was being reckless, but what did I care. The one woman that came somewhat close to a mother for me was lying in pieces on the floor. Hikoro barely had to touch me for me to go crashing to the ground. Then he stared down at me and fixed me with a gaze that seemed to look through me. Then he hissed at me that he was searching for a key and asked whether I had seen one around the house. Thankfully it was hidden down my shirt and when I was silent he said that I was just a waste of his time and disappeared. I felt ashamed of myself, but Anneliese was still in danger there so I had to get her to safety. I brought her to a forest where I knew she would be found and left. A few years past and I came into conflict with Hikoro. It resulted in almost the same way. Then just a couple years ago, I came into my most recent conflict with him. It ended with a draw with us both being severely wounded. And here we are now, and I plan to make this my final battle with him."
More silence followed the end of Hiei's story.
"But..why have you not shared any of this with Anneliese yet? Why did you only wish to tell me?" Kurama looks slightly perplexed.
Hiei looks down and the ground then locks his gaze with Kurama's.
"It's more difficult than that." Hiei looks his most serious. "It would be hard for her.
"But won't she want to know who Hikoro is, what truly happened to her parents? What about her brother? Would he help her if he knew that she was in need?" Kurama tries to see what Hiei is keeping back.
"No, he would not help." Hiei's eyes narrow. "You see, the brother and Hikoro have the same motive, they both wish to find the Guardians and what they possess."
"But that still does not answer my question of why you will not tell her about him." Kurama said.
"The true reason is that the two who seek us," Hiei took a breath in. "are in fact the same. Hikoro is Anneliese's brother."
Heehee yeah! Thanks for the reviews...took a little longer than we wanted, but hey we got them so thanks! And if you could do it again that'd be great. Tell me your favorite part I wanna see how your going to take this.kk? now review!