*Taps computer screen* Okay, that cannot be right!! It can't have been THAT long since I last updated!! That was over two months ago!!
Aah, gomen!! I didn't mean to wait that long^^' But to make up for the long wait, this chapter is...
LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG.
25 pages to be exact. Longest chapter I've ever written^^
So get ready for a hell of a lot of reading.
Disclaimer: Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Own Bronwyn, Aiku, and that poor park attendant who has to deal with Hiei....may god bless her soul-_-
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Just a dream....only a dream....nothing but a dream...
It was no use. The repeated words running through her head were doing absolutely nothing to help get rid of the odd shivering sensation that was running over her body relentlessly.
Twisting the silver faucet so as to allow the water to flow freely, Bronwyn stared blankly down at the slick marble surface of the sink as it filled quickly, so many things running through her head that it was hard to keep track of hardly any of them.
Nothing made sense to the red-head anymore. If that stupid dream didn't mean anything, nothing whatsoever, then WHY had she dreamt it a second time???
Dipping her pale hands into the pool of water, she silently splashed it right at her face, hoping that it would wake her up from this recurring nightmare. If it would just leave her ALONE!!
She then proceeded to shake her head wildly, long tendrils of auburn-colored hair slapping her in the face as water droplets went flying in every direction, splattering the mirror. Maybe if she just shook her head hard enough, the horrible images would be flung from her mind...
She abruptly halted the sharp motions, and her gaze landed on her reflection in the mirror. She was a utter mess, alright. It seemed as though her tangled hair could serve as a nest for birds, the way it was hanging all over her head. Her large brown eyes seemed to be darker than usual, and she could immediately spot the huge bags under her eyes. It was understandable, considering she hadn't gotten one second of sleep since she had woken up screaming in the middle of the night....much to the displeasure of Shiori, Kurama, and Aiku...
Speaking of them...where are they?!?! The house is so quiet..
Oh yeah...The recollection of the night before, where Shiori had hurriedly mentioned to her that she would be going to a job interview early in the morning came back to her, as did Kurama informing her that he would be taking care of some business for a few hours. As for Aiku...aww, who the hell cared?? He had probably ventured off somewhere....
Since the water obviously wasn't helping her situation, she twisted the faucet back so that no more water could escape into the sink, and then she unplugged the sink, watching the water drain slowly.
Hugging her shoulders tightly, she brought her head up to give herself one last glance. She had planned to try and fix up her hair as best as she could, but when her eyes met the identical pair in the clear glass, she caught sight of something else...
Her eyes grew wide as, behind her reflection, she could see the forest clearing...the same one..
She could clearly see Hiei's small figure standing motionlessly...he seemed so far away, though...
The sword suddenly rocketed forward, cutting straight into his skin....blood...it was everywhere....
No....stop!!
Her silent pleas weren't doing anything to help whatsoever. Hiei's bloody body was shoved to the ground, and the silver blade was once again thrust, though this time straight at his neck...
NO!!!
Her deep brown eyes drifted down to her hands....they felt so moist suddenly....
Oh my god...
A low gasp slipped past her lips as she locked eyes on the dark red blood coating both of her hands...his blood....
Her pajamas...they were drenched in blood as well...every inch of her body was covered in Hiei's blood...
GET IT OFF OF ME!!
She valiantly tried to shake off the sticky liquid, but it stuck to her skin, to her clothes....she wanted to cry, to scream, but it was getting caught in her throat every time....
STOP IT!! JUST STOP IT!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!
Before she even knew what she was doing, she had pressed her hands up against the wall of the bathroom and without hesitating, slammed her head as hard as possible against the plaster.
"LEAVE. ME. ALONE!!!!" She screamed as loud as her voice would allow her to, falling onto her knees with one last anguished moan. Silence filled the room, the only noise, her heavy breathing.
No....
Clenching her hand into a fist, she slammed it against the wall, causing the room to shake slightly.
Though afraid of what she might see, Bronwyn slowly allowed her eyes to open. The first thing she laid eyes on were her knees beneath her, her clean, white pajama bottoms.
What happened...to the blood?
Rising from the ground slowly, she inspected herself throughly, and established the fact even further...there was no blood.
I...only imagined it....
Her dark brown eyes traveled back over to the mirror, and she cringed as she caught sight of a figure standing there in the clear glass. But she quickly realized that it was herself, only herself...
Okay, so now that I've arrived at the fact that I'm going insane....
Groaning, she slumped against the wall once again, her nervous and shocked expression now replaced with a tired and fed-up one.
What is going on with me?? Why am I having these stupid dreams???? WHY DOESN'T ANYTHING MAKE SENSE ANYMORE?!?!?!
She buried her face in her knees, noticing how quiet the room had gotten suddenly...
*Ding Dong*
"Oh!" The red-haired girl jumped a foot at in the air at the cheery sound of the doorbell as it echoed through the house merrily.
I'm losing...my....mind...
At first, she ignored the dings of the doorbell, hoping that whoever it was would just go away eventually and leave her be, but after almost five minutes of repeated jingles running through her ears, she finally jumped up from the cold tile of the bathroom floor, having had enough.
"Fine, I'm coming, I'm coming!!" She grumbled loudly, heading out the door and down the long flight of stairs, skipping a few as she went along. Finally landing on the hard marble of the entrance hallway, she trudged over slowly to the front door, and threw it open angrily, only to reveal...
"Botan?!? What are you doing here??" Sure enough, the blue-haired Deity of Death was standing on the front porch of the Minamino household, wearing a expression that was a mixture of worry and sadness.
"I...I just wanted to talk to you, Bronwyn..." She spoke, her voice only a small whisper, so quiet that the former assassin had to strain her ears to catch it. "There's something I need to know...."
"Oh....well, you can come in..." She moved out of the doorway so the Grim Reaper could enter the household, wearing a confused expression. What was so important that Botan couldn't wait....?
She shook her head, reminding herself that she was about to find out for herself. Closing the door, she followed Botan down the hallway to the living room, where she took a seat on the couch opposite of the armchair where Botan had seated herself, looking a little uncomfortable.
"...Well...?" Bronwyn finally broke the strange silence, appearing a little eager as she rested her head on the cushion of the couch, staring expectantly at the woman.
"Well...do you remember what happened yesterday...?" She began tentatively, fidgeting slightly in the chair, as if expecting Bronwyn to suddenly lunge at her.
Yesterday....yesterday...The red-head shrugged, no memories returning to her at the moment. "Can't say I do." She spoke breezily.
Botan's amethyst-colored eyes grew wide as she stared blankly at Bronwyn, her mind not seeming to register that Bronwyn couldn't remember the strange event that had occurred at the café.
"Can't you remember anything?!?!" She spoke, a tiny sweatdrop rolling down her head. "The cafe...Aiku and I....you were there with those potatoes..."
Bronwyn immediately froze in her spot, Botan's words bringing back everything that had happened. The newly-opened café, Botan and Aiku's date, her decision to spy...she could feel her face growing red just thinking about it. What the hell had possessed her to do that?!?! It had been the most humiliating moment of her entire life...
"Yeah...yeah, I do remember that..." She spoke softly, her gaze having dropped to the ground in all of her embarrassment.
"Well...I was just wondering..." Botan paused a moment, biting on her finger nervously. "You seemed a little bit...upset at the café...and I thought....that maybe....you still have feelings for-"
"STOP RIGHT THERE!!!" Bronwyn cried, pointing a stiff finger at the blue-haired girl, who jumped a bit at the sudden outburst. "I'll make this clear. I have NO more feelings for Aiku. Zip. Zero. Nada. Goose egg."
"But, at the café..."
"At the café...." Bronwyn interrupted once again, her voice thick with tense emotion. "I don't know what happened to me. You two just...surprised me, that's all..."
"Oh...." Botan looked thoughtful as she continued to bite softly on her finger. "So...you're okay with me and him...?"
"Of course!! Just...you should take things...slow...." Bronwyn had considered telling Botan about all that happened to her when she had been dating Aiku, but when she caught sight of Botan's hopeful expression, she knew that it would ruin everything. And maybe...maybe Aiku had changed his ways since then...
Besides...if it looks like he's going to attempt something...I'm sure to notice in time....won't I?
Of course I will....
"Of course I will!!" Botan chirped, her merry attitude that she always had seeming to return to her. "Thank-you so much, Bronwyn!!"
Before the red-head knew what was going on, Botan had practically jumped from the armchair over to the couch and had wrapped her arms around Bronwyn's waist, hugging her tightly.
"Okay, yeah, that's nice, Botan...waaayyyy too close..." She cried, trying to break out of the girl's iron grasp.
"Oh...sorry...." The blue-haired female whispered, loosening her grip enough so that Bronwyn could break away from the embrace, her cheeks a bit pink from her sudden outburst of happiness. But as she backed away, brushing a loose strand of blue hair away from her face, her eyes seemed to grow confused as she stared at the red-head.
"...Bronwyn, did you get much sleep last night? You look so tired..."
"Oh, nothing....I'm not tired, what gave you that idea??" This was the wrong thing to say, though, since the second after she had finished her sentence, a loud yawn escaped her lips, one which she hadn't been able to hold back.
"Ah-hah!! Yes you are! What's the matter?? Botan prodded, eagerly moving a little bit closer to Bronwyn, who had now become the one who was uncomfortable.
"Uh...well..."
"Is something troubling you?"
"Um..I..."
"Bronwyn, you can tell me. I'll listen." Botan whispered, suddenly losing the perky attitude and gaining a serious one, which was a little odd.
'Well..." Bronwyn hesitated for a moment, but decided that it would be best to tell someone before the dream drove her insane. "Okay...It's just that I keep having these-"
"YAAAAAHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
What the hell...?
Her sentence having trailed off, Bronwyn abruptly cocked her head over to the direction of the strange scream, which was the front door, as did Botan, who looked quite confused.
"What was that????" She asked the auburn-haired girl curiously, rising from the couch, having forgotten about discovering what was troubling Bronwyn.
"I...don't know...." She whispered, also jumping to her feet...
Their questions on who had screamed were suddenly interrupted by the rough banging on the front door of the household, followed by a loud voice that echoed throughout the room.
"LET US IN!!!!" Yusuke's voice was clear as he continued to bang on the door relentlessly. Botan glanced at Bronwyn expectantly, as if expecting the girl to jump up and run to the front door, but instead, the red-head stayed perfectly, wearing a blank expression as she stared straight across the room at the wall.
"OPEN UP!!!!!" The raven-haired male cried once again, his fists pounding harder and harder against the hard wood of the door.
"Uh...I'll get it, Bronwyn..." Botan finally said after a few more seconds, beginning to walk in the direction of the entrance hallway, but she was suddenly stopped by Bronwyn's tight grasp around her arm.
"Don't. I'm bored, and I'd rather hear more about what he wants before I just open the door." The former assassin smirked, dropping back onto the large couch. Even though the blue-haired Grim Reaper was quite confused, she cautiously sat back down again as well.
"GUYS, WILL YOU JUST OPEN THE DOOR?!?!?!?!"
"Who issssss it?" Bronwyn sang mockingly, loud enough so it was able to be heard outside.
"It's Yusuke, you bimbo!!! Don't you recognize my voice!?!?!" The boy was beginning to lose the little bit of patience that he had left within him, kicking the door hard with his left foot.
"AND KUWABARA!!"
"AND AIKU!!!"
Two more voices joined Yusuke's, both sounding as urgent and angry as his did. The pounding on the door continued, with no hint of stopping anytime soon, and Bronwyn sneered, rising from her seat and lazily trudging over to the front door, where she leaned against the wall right beside it.
"Well, I was just about to open the door, but I really don't appreciate being called a 'bimbo'." She whispered coldly, though still wearing a small smile as she gently tapped her knuckles against the wall.
"C'MON!!! I DIDN'T MEAN IT!! I REALLY NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!!"
"Weeeeeelllllll....okay." With that said, she outstretched her arm and grabbed the brass door handle, pulling open the door slowly. She had only just gotten half-way through the process of opening the door whenever she was practically ran over by the three males, who charged into the home, resembling a stampede of animals.
"Oh....sorry, Bronwyn....didn't see you there..." Aiku said, staring down at the girl curiously, who had been pushed to the floor by Yusuke and Kuwabara. He extended his hand for her to grab so he could pull her to her feet, but she coldly shoved it away, sneering at the black-haired male.
"I don't need any help." She whispered, rising to her feet and brushing herself off. Aiku only shrugged at her display of anger, smiling smartly.
"Suit yourself." He then turned away, and headed towards the other two males, who were excitedly jumping around the chair which Botan was seated in, squealing merrily.
"Yusuke, Kuwabara, calm down!! What is it??" Botan whispered nervously, holding up her hands wildly and trying to settle the pair down as they hopped around the armchair she was seated in, both wearing goofy grins.
"I won!! I WON!!!" Yusuke chanted, waving a large white envelope in front of the blue-haired girl's face, one which she eyed curiously.
"Won what??" Bronwyn growled, crossing her arms in front of her self-consciously, considering the fact that she was still wearing her pajamas, though none of the boys seemed to take any notice to it.
"THE CONTEST!!!" Yusuke cried, now turning to face the red-head, and waving the envelope in her face mockingly. She only stared blankly at it for a moment, before snatching it out of his hand and fingering it carefully.
"You still haven't told us what it is.." She commented disinterestedly, though opening the envelope anyway. Reaching her fingers in, she pulled out eight or so brightly colored pieces of paper.
"What the heck are these??" She asked, bringing them close to her face so she was able to read the neatly printed words on them. It read 'Yemmin Amusement Park: The most exciting place in all of Japan!!! With thrilling rides, delicious food, and challenging carnival games, you'll never regret your visit!! Hours: 8:00 a.m to 11:00 p.m.
"And this means...what??" Bronwyn asked in a bored tone, now having began to use the tickets as a fan, waving them towards her face.
"I won them at the mall!!! They were giving out raffle tickets and I won!!! Eight tickets to this cool amusement park!!! Wanna go???" The raven-haired male asked eagerly, glancing back and forth from Botan to Bronwyn.
"Go as in...there??" The former assassin asked, wearing a frown as she pointed a single finger at the tickets. "I don't think so...."
"C'mon!!! These tickets are only good for today!!!" Yusuke whined, staring at Bronwyn with begging brown eyes.
"Today?!?!"
"Well, no one said the mall I won them at was rolling in money...." He shrugged, grabbing the tickets back from her and shoving them into the pocket of his pants. "We've got to find eight people, and fast...well, there's me and Kuwabara...." He gestured his thumb over to the carrot-topped male who grinned and nodded.
"Aiku...." He glanced over at the male expectantly, who nodded as well.
"Botan...you in??" He asked, turning his gaze over to the blue-haired girl, who giggled quietly, shaking her head up and down, and casting a quick glance at Aiku.
Yusuke took a deep breath, rotating his body around so as to face Bronwyn, who was wearing an angry expression, one hand placed on her hip.
".....Bronwyn....?" He asked, his eyes purposely growing wide, in an attempt to woo her into accepting the invitation. She only shot him a dumb look before turning away from the group of four, sighing.
".....Fine...but only because you look so pitiful...." She finally sneered, leaving the group in the living room as she entered the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.
"Good, now we only have three tickets left...." Yusuke concentrated his two chocolate brown eyes on the cream-colored carpet, trying to think of any other friends he had...
"Is anybody here??"
Every head in the room abruptly turned towards the front door, where the voice had emitted, only to see the crimson-haired kitsune close the door behind him, wearing a polite smile as his gaze traveled over all of his friends, just realizing that they were present.
"What brings you all here??" He asked kindly, his stare settling on Yusuke, who gained a huge grin as he approached Kurama quickly, pulling a single ticket out of his pocket swiftly.
"Kurama, buddy, how would you like to go to the Yemmin Amusement Park with us today?? It'll be tons of fun." The Spirit Detective drawled, placing a friendly hand on the kitsune's shoulder, and waving the ticket in front of his emerald eyes.
"Well....okay, why not? I'm not busy today....I'll just have to ask my mother..." He answered happily, taking the ticket from Yusuke's grasp and reading over it intently before placing it in his coat pocket.
"Great!! Now, we only need two more people...." The black-haired male rubbed his chin thoughtfully, having returned to his silent state, before Kuwabara's deep voice interrupted his thought process...
"I know, I know!!! We will invite my beloved Yukina-chan!!!" The lanky teenager chirped, beginning to twirl around merrily at the mere thought of the gorgeous ice maiden.
"Suuurrreeee...." Yusuke whispered, though his expression was a bit weirded-out as he watched Kuwabara dance around the living room, chanting the koorime's name in a sing-song voice.
"One more person is all we need, and we're set!" He said, holding up the last ticket high in the air.
"What about Hiei?" Botan suggested timidly, running her fingers through her cerulean-colored ponytail.
"The shrimp?!?!?!" Kuwabara had ceased his ballet routine long enough to make a face at the mention of the fire demon. "No way!! He'll ruin everything!"
"And why is that??" Both males turned their heads to the entrance of the kitchen, where Bronwyn's head was poking out from behind the wall, wearing a venomous expression.
"Uh...no reason....it's just....we don't even know where he is!" Kuwabara covered up his blunder hurriedly, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Well, we could always just stand outside and scream his name until he decides to come out of hiding...." Yusuke shrugged, but his idea was interrupted by Bronwyn's loud chuckling, as she shook her head sadly at the adolescent.
"Amateurs." She giggled, holding out her hand. "Would you hand me the phone??"
Though quite confused, Yusuke wondered over to the clean white kitchen counter and picked up the cordless phone, which he handed to Bronwyn curiously.
"I suggest you take notes." She grinned, beginning to dial the numbers accordingly on the mechanical device. When she had finished with her task, she held up the receiver to her ear patiently.
"Yes, ma'am, would you be so kind as to do a favor for me??" She finally spoke up again, wearing a pleasant smile as she waited for a reply. Her deep brown eyes caught on Yusuke and Kuwabara, who both looked confused beyond recognition. Rolling her eyes, she silently mouthed the words 'city payphone', before clearing her throat and continuing with her conversation.
"You would? Why, thank-you, ma'am, I am forever in your debt." She spoke in the most kind voice the red-head could muster up. "I need you to turn around and scream as loud as possible, 'Hiei, Bronwyn's on the phone for you!!' Yes, I know it's a strange request, but you could please just do it for me??"
She waited for a few seconds eagerly, and then a huge grin spread across her face. "Thank-you!!"
The grin having now transformed into a smirk, she moved the receiver away from her ear and held it up high in front of her, much to the confusion of everyone else, who eyed the phone curiously.
The former assassin then raised her other hand up into the air, and without one word, held up five fingers, mouthing the number five.
Then, in the time that a second would pass, she brought down one finger, now mouthing 'four'.
She continued on with this, the crowd of teenagers growing more curious with each dropped finger.
Three....
Two....
One....
And at the exact moment that she gestured her hand towards the phone, a loud scream emitted from the device, so loud that it caused everyone to cringe uncontrollably, with the exception of Bronwyn, who only smiled broadly before returning the receiver to her ear.
"Hey, Hiei."
A pause.
"Oh, well that's too bad. You can take a nap anytime. I need you to come down to Kurama's house."
Another pause, as Hiei answered, though no one else could hear his reply besides the red-head.
"Why?" Bronwyn's smile lessened quite a bit as she realized that if she told Hiei the truth over the phone, he would never agree. "Well..because....because I asked you to!! Isn't that a good enough reason? For me??" She questioned him gently. She grew silent for a moment, before the grin returning to her face.
"I thought you would. See you in a minute. Bye." And with that, she clicked the off-button, and tossed the phone carelessly over her shoulder onto the couch, all with a pleased smile.
"He'll be here." She smirked, beginning to head towards the stairs, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get dressed." With that said, she left the group of five seated in the living room, all wearing dumbfounded expressions. After a long moment of silence, Kuwabara was the first one to speak up...
"How'd she do that?"
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"No."
"But Hiei...."
"Are you deaf?!? No. I'm not going to some place that's crawling with ningens."
"But-"
"NO."
Knowing that this wasn't going to accomplish anything anytime soon, Bronwyn instead threw up her hands in defeat and stormed away from the dark-haired fire demon, wearing a disgruntled expression.
"So? How'd it go?" Yusuke asked curiously, as he and Kurama placed the last freezer of drinks for the road in the small trunk of the red convertible. Kuwabara had somehow managed to convince Shizuru to let him borrow the car for the day, and for the last half-hour, the group of seven had been preparing for the trip. Hiei had shown up not soon after, and had finally been informed of why he had been invited. Obviously, he had immediately refused.
Bronwyn only casually leaned against the car door of the car, sighing. "What do you think??"
Yusuke stared at the girl for a moment before raising his hand up and making a motion that was similiar to that of a crashing plane. "Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....BOOM!!!!" He gestured the moments of an explosion.
"Exactly. Now what??"
Both males glanced towards each other nervously, and it was obvious that they didn't have any ideas at the moment. It was at this time, that Aiku arrived, wearing a pair of dark shades. He grinned broadly at the three as he arrived at the parked car.
"What's going on?" He asked, noticing that they all wore expressions that weren't too happy.
"Hiei's refusing to go." Bronwyn informed him coldy, turning her gaze away from the guys back towards the demon, who was she could spot perched up in a tree pretty close to the road, obviously watching them.
Aiku rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, before a smile spread across his face. Holding up a single hand, he gestured towards Yusuke and Kurama, and then in the direction where Hiei was situated. Without one word spoken, he began to slowly walk across the road over to the edge of the forest. The other two males shared a glance, shrugged, and then began to follow the black-haired boy curiously.
"Okay, almost time to get going, gang!!!" Botan chirped, wearing a large pair of sunglasses and swinging a large bag covered with sunflowers playfully as she arrived at the car. She glanced around curiously, having noticed at that moment that no one was there except for Bronwyn, who meanwhile, had jumped up onto the back of the car and was now swinging her legs playfully as she kept her gaze on the side of the forest, where she had left seen Aiku, Yusuke, and Kurama before they had all entered the forest.
"Where'd everyone go?" The blue-haired female asked, allowing the sunglasses to slip down her nose a bit, revealing vibrant amethyst-colored eyes. "We've got to get going!"
"I dunno, they went over into the forest to do god-knows-what...." Bronwyn sighed, placing her elbows on the slick red surface of the convertible. "They're trying to convince Hiei to come, but I doubt that-" Her sentence was suddenly cut off by a venomous scream that erupted from the trees...
"Put me down, you baka ningens!! PUT ME DOWN!!!"
No sooner had the two girls heard the scream, then the three males returned from the trees. As they grew closer to the car, Bronwyn had to muster up all of her strength not to laugh. Both Kurama and Aiku was holding Hiei's legs, while Yusuke carried the upper torso. You could easily hear the poor fire demon muttering curses at the three guys as they finally came to a halt right beside the red-head and Botan, whose eyes were wide.
"Paralyzation is a wonderful thing, isn't it, guys??" Aiku chuckled, his green eyes bright with glee.
"So, I guess we should put him in the car now, shouldn't we?" Kurama questioned the other two curiously.
"But why just set him in the car when we can do something a heck of a lot more fun?" Yusuke drawled, staring down at Hiei with an evil smile.
"You're all going to burn when I'm done with you..." The fire demon growled, wearing a purely venomous look.
No one seemed to mind the grave statement though, as Aiku, Yusuke, and Kurama shared a meaningful glance, the same idea seeming to reside in all three of their minds.
Slowly but steadily, they began to swing Hiei's body back and forth, laughing quietly as they did.
"And a one..." Yusuke began slowly, wearing a broad grin.
"And a two..." Aiku added playfully.
"And a THREE!!!"
At that moment, they all let go of Hiei only to watch his poor body tossed up into the air and land in the backseat of the car.
"YOU ALL WILL SUFFER FOR THIS!!!" A scream emitted from the seat.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah...." Yusuke waved away Hiei's words, still wearing the same silly grin. "Okay, guys, we've got about fifteen minutes before he can move and we all become pork-chops, so let's get going!!!"
"Oh, no worries!!" Bronwyn grinned, jumping over the car door to the seat where Hiei was helplessly laying in, shooting death-glares at no one in particular. "He won't be going anywhere."
With that said, she sat down right on his stomach, glancing over at the fire demon curiously to see what his reaction was.
"Hello, sunshine!!!" She giggled, ruffling his hair from her seat on his body. "You wouldn't dare push me off of you, would you??" She said mockingly, now beginning to run her finger down his face gently.
Hiei's crimson eyes followed her finger, but he remained silent, which Bronwyn decided to take as a 'no, he wouldn't'.
"Hey guys!!" Everyone glanced up towards the road to see Kuwabara skipping merrily down the sidewalk, clutching the small hand of a certain ice maiden who was smiling brightly, her light blue-turquoise hair flowing behind her in the gentle breeze. "You all ready to go?"
"Yeah, we're all fine. EVERYONE IN THE CAR!!!" He screamed, immediately jumping into the driver's seat, much to the surprise of everyone else.
"Uh...Yusuke...why don't you let Kurama drive? He's got a license, I think..." She suggested, casting a glance at Kurama for approval.
"Actually, it's only a permit..." He corrected her kindly. "I can't drive without an adult..."
"Well, at least that's better than what Yusuke has....a big, fat nothing!!" She stuck her tongue out at the Spirit Detective, who only shooed her away disinterestedly.
"Listen, I've been watching my ma drive forever, so I think that I can handle it, alright?" He reassured the group, leaning back against the cream-colored driver's seat, his hands placed accordingly on the steering wheel. "Besides, if there's any police on the road, I can easily lose them....trust me, I've done it before...." He grinned.
The rest of the gang shared nervous glances, but it was silently agreed that it would probably turn out to be alright, and everyone filed into the car accordingly. They were a little short on seats, though, so the final seating arrangement was Yusuke in the driver's seat, Kuwabara and Yukina both sitting in the front. In the back, It was Aiku, Botan, Kurama, and then Hiei's body, with Bronwyn sitting on him.
"Okay, let's get going then!!" Yusuke cried, twisting the keys in the ignition and hitting the gas pedal...
*^*^*
"When are we gonna get there???? We've been driving foooorrrreeeevvvveeerrrrrr....."
"Will you shut up, Kuwabara?!? We've still got at least half an hour before we reach the park." Yusuke gritted his teeth, completely sick of the orange-haired boy's endless whining, as was everyone else in the red convertible.
"Well, maybe if someone hadn't of had to buy a soda at the gas station, we would of been there by now!" Botan growled from the backseat, glaring at the back of Yusuke's head.
"Hey, don't blame me!! Driving takes a lot out of you..." The Spirit Detective drawled as he rose the nearly-empty soda can to his lips and finished off its contents before carelessly throwing it out of the car.
Bronwyn only sighed heavily, fed up with all the arguing and problems that had been taking place the whole car ride. Early on in the trip, Hiei had regained the use of his limbs, and had caused a traffic jam on the highway when he had attempted to strangle Yusuke(and nearly succeeded). But after a quick talking-to from Bronwyn, he had calmed down, and was now taking a nap. The red-head was now seated in his lap, since there wasn't enough room for her to sit anywhere else.
"Uh, guys...." Kuwabara started warily, wearing a funny expression as he fidgeted uncomfortably in the car seat. Yukina noticed right away and rose her head to stare curiously at him with deep crimson eyes.
"What's the matter, Kazuma?" She asked delicately.
"I...I gotta go." He stammered, a bead of sweat rolling down his face.
"Go? Go where?" Yusuke asked, his focus concentrated on the road at the moment, as he pulled around a corner sharply.
"You know....go...."
"I think what Kuwabara is trying to say is that he needs to use the restroom." Kurama explained the situation calmly, his red hair blowing wildly in the wind.
"Ohhhh....well, forget it, we don't have time, you're just going to have to hold it until we get to the park." Yusuke said sternly, before screaming, "WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO DRIVE, AN INFANT?!?!", at a small silver car that sped past their convertible.
"But Urameshi...."
"NO!!!"
Silence ensued for a second, with only the small sounds of fidgeting, courtesy of Kuwabara. The tall male looked quite upset for a moment, but slowly, a small grin spread across his face as he had a thought...
"A MILLION BOTTLES Of BEER ON THE WALL, A MILLION BOTTLES OF BEER, YOU TAKE ONE DOWN AND PASS IT AROUND-" He burst into song, causing everyone to raise their hands to their ears, except for Yusuke, who was unable to since his were on the steering wheel.
"Okay, okay, there's a gas station coming up, ARE YOU HAPPY????" The dark-haired male cried, immediately turning onto an exit where a gas station was located a little ways down the road.
When they reached the building, Kuwabara practically dove out of the car, running as fast as he possibly could, while everyone who remained in the still-running car sweatdropped.
"Unbelievable...." Bronwyn muttered under her breath...
*^*^*
"I can't believe it! We're FINALLY here!!" Botan chirped, glancing around happily at all there was to see, her amethyst-colored eyes bright with glee. Hanging over the group was a huge banner that read 'WELCOME TO YEMMIN AMUSEMENT PARK!!!'. Past the brightly colored banner laid the most amazing place that any of them had ever seen. Huge rollercoasters towered over the small entrance building, the blood-curling screams echoing through the park from their passengers. A few large buildings that were undoubtedly food courts almost rivaled the amazing height of the rollercoasters, as well as a few of the assorted park rides, such as a free-fall tower and a bungie-jumping area.
"Whoa...." Bronwyn commented nervously, some of her brave attitude temporarily abandoning her. Everything was so....big.....
In an attempt for comfort, she grabbed Hiei's hand, who had meanwhile awoken from his nap and joined the gang outside the amusement park. It seemed as though he was a tad surprised as well, his eyes a tad wider than they usually were.
"Well, what are you guys just standing around for???" Yusuke called from his position right in front of the entrance building, his hands cupped around his mouth so that his friends would be able to hear him. "Come on!!!"
The rest of the group quickly hurried down the walkway to where Yusuke was, just in time to see him hand the tickets to the woman standing in front of the metal bars that blocked the entrance to the park.
"Well, I guess this will be alright...what do you think, Hiei?" Bronwyn asked curiously, though her deep brown eyes remained on the strange place that they were just about to enter.
"....Hiei???" She asked again after a moment, realizing that he hadn't answered her. She finally moved her gaze over to the fire demon, only to grow even more confused.
He was glaring angrily at Kuwabara, who had just grabbed Yukina's hand as they arrived at the spot where Yusuke was standing. The small ice maiden had turned her head and smiled gently at him, though this seemed to upset Hiei even more.
"What's the matter?" The red-head asked quietly, squeezing his hand. Hiei finally removed his gaze from the pair and shook his head, glancing at her for a moment.
"Nothing." He spoke firmly, beginning to walk forward, pulling Bronwyn along with him, who was still a little weirded-out.
What was that.....??
"Okay guys, I already gave them our tickets, now all we gotta do is make it through the metal detector." Yusuke grinned when everyone had reached him. He immediately allowed the park attendant to run the metal detector over him quickly. When she was finished, she smiled brightly and gestured her hand to the open gate.
Next went Kuwabara, who also passed, and then Yukina, and then Kurama, and then Botan....
It was then Aiku's turn, but his experience turned out a little different than the others. This time, as the woman moved the detector over him, it started beeping quite loudly.
"Sir, would you please remove any metal items you might be carrying?" She asked him politely, moving away so he would be able to do so.
Sighing heavily, the green-eyed male reluctantly removed his knife, and the female's expression turned a little nervous as he held it up.
"I apologize, but I'll have to confiscate that." She gulped, as if afraid that he would attack her. "You may have it back once you leave the park."
"Fine." Without another word, Aiku allowed the sharp blade to fall into her open hand, and she immediately placed it in a small bin.
Oh crap.....Bronwyn ran her hand softly over her pants pocket where she feel the slightly bulging shape of her knife. She couldn't, wouldn't let this woman take her most valuable possession.
"Who's next?" The attendant asked brightly, having returned to her cheery attitude. She turned towards both Bronwyn and Hiei expectantly.
"Which one of you?"
"I'll go first." The red-head finally announced, letting go of Hiei's hand. She had already schemed a plan in those few seconds, and now headed towards the gate with a confident smile.
"Okay, hold still..." Biting her lower lip, the female attendant began to run the detector down and up Bronwyn's body, and sure enough, it began to beep loudly.
"Please remove any items made of metal that you might be carrying." She droned, in a voice that suggested she had done this a million times before and was getting sick of it.
"But I don't have any items made of metal." The red-head said innocently, pushing both hands deep into her pockets.
"You must be. These detectors are flawless." She urged, waving the mechanical device in the air. "Now I suggest you empty your pockets....unless you have something to hide...."
"Okay, no need to get upset, I'm doing it." The former assassin said quickly, beginning to pull something out of her pocket...
"Oh my god....is someone stealing free peppermints from the ticket desk?!?!" She cried, pointing behind the female attendant, who at this accusation, whipped around in a split-second, wearing a furious expression?
"WHERE?!?! Only one per customer!!"
In this moment that the attendant was occupied, Bronwyn whipped out of her knife, and then winking at Yusuke, threw it over the metal barrier to the group of teenagers who had already passed. Everybody immediately moved out of the sharp knife's path to the cement ground, and it ended up slamming against the floor with a sharp clang.
"Hey, there's no one over there!" The girl protested angrily, turning her body back around to face Bronwyn, who only shrugged in a confused fashion.
"Oops. My mistake." She drawled, beginning to tug on a particularly long auburn tendril of her hair playfully.
"......Well, like I was saying...." She shook her head, suddenly remembering her train of thought. "You must have something metal."
"And once again, I think you're mistaken. Why don't you check again?" The teenager suggested happily, gesturing towards the metal detector.
"Well....fine, but I don't see what it's going to prove.." Once again, the attendant ran the device up and down Bronwyn's figure, but this time, no metal 'beepbeepbeep' was heard.
"Huh??"
"Like I said, you must have been mistaken." The former assassin shrugged, grinning broadly at the attendant as she walked through the metal bar.
"But-but...." The woman stammered, her surprised gaze drifting from Bronwyn's retreating figure to the metal detector clutched in her hand tightly. After a few moments of utter confusion, she finally shook her head once again, muttering something that drifted along the lines of, 'I hate my job', and then turned towards the last person standing in front of her, which was, of course, Hiei.
"Okay, you're next." She gestured him to walk towards her, holding out the detector once again. The fire demon seemed to hesitate for a moment, and glanced over towards Bronwyn on the other side of the gate, who mouthed the words 'Just do it'
"Fine." He said coldly, taking a few steps forward and then standing perfectly still.
"Uh, guys...." Kuwabara stammered. "You know....Hiei's sword is made out of metal, isn't it? So that thing...it's gonna beep....right??"
Oh god....It suddenly clicked in Bronwyn's mind that the poor, poor attendant was going to try and confiscate Hiei's sword, which could NOT be good....
"This is not going to turn out well..." She winced, watching as she moved the metal detector up and down Hiei's body. The beeping sound suddenly filled the air, causing the attendant to wince as she realized that she would have to suffer through another 'please remove any metal items' event.
Sighing heavily, she started her boring speech once again to this stranger. "Sir, please remove any metal items you might be carrying."
To her confusion, Hiei seemed to have not acknowledged that she had spoken, even though both of his deep crimson eyes were focused angrily on the dark-haired park attendant as she stared back at him strangely.
"Um...did you hear me? You need to hand over any metal items." She repeated cautiously, wondering if the boy in black had any hearing problems so he had not been to hear her.
Silence still ensued, and the woman was beginning to get quite agitated as the black-haired male only continued to glare at her.
Why won't he say anything?!?! I hate this stupid job, this is so annoying!! I DON'T GET WHAT THE PROBLEM IS!!!
"OKAY, I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF METAL ITEMS, WILL YOU JUST TAKE IT OUT SO I CAN SEE IT, YOU IDIOT?!?!?!" Yep. She had finally cracked.
"THAT was a mistake..." Yusuke winced, and Bronwyn nodded in agreement, hoping that Hiei wouldn't do anything too drastic...
"You want to see my metal item???" The fire demon smirked, moving his hand slowly to his side. "Fine. I'll show it to you."
"Good, now-OH MY GOD!!!" The woman had been relieved for a split-second, but she immediately uttered a low cry of surprise as she found herself staring straight at the sharp silver tip of a long sword.
"You're not taking my sword, ningen, so I suggest you back away." Hiei's eyes glinted with anger as he gestured the sword a little closer to the woman's face, which had grown considerably pale in the last few seconds.
"I'll...I'll call the police...." She whispered, beads of sweat running down her face as she backed up nervously towards a phone that said 'employee use only' on the far wall of the entrance building.
"Touch that phone and I'll kill you." Before she knew it, Hiei had appeared behind her, still holding the sword up to her body.
"I-I..." That was the only thing that the woman could say before she fainted from the shock of it all.
Hiei only watched with a smirk as her body collapsed to the ground, and without another word, he slid the sword back into its holder in one fluid motion. Bronwyn mirror his smirk as he quietly made his way through the metal bar over to the group, who were all still wide-eyed at what had just happened.
"Was that REALLY necessary??" She asked him, crossing her arms in front of her smartly.
Hiei remained silent for a moment before answering with a single word....
"Yes."
*^*^*
"Okay guys, what do you wanna do first??" Yusuke asked, holding the unfolded park map up high in front of his face, closely studying all the brightly colored dots and vibrant black lines.
The group of eight was seated in a small café that was located a ways away from the entrance, for obvious reasons. While Yusuke stood in the center of all of the small tables, the rest of the teenagers were seated, obviously taking a quick rest after all they had been through that day. Aiku, Botan, and Kurama were all seated at one of the large tables, chatting nonchalantly as they waited for the Spirit Detective to decide. Hiei and Bronwyn were seated at the table next to them, not really doing much except for staring at Yusuke stupidly, waiting for him to figure out that he had the map upside down. Kuwabara and Yukina had the best seat, though. In the café, there was one table that was located right beside a huge window that practically took up the whole wall and allowed you to see a great deal of the park. Kuwabara had insisted that Yukina receive that seat.
"I wonder when that baka will realize that he's not going to get anywhere with that map turned the wrong way, huh, Hiei?" Bronwyn giggled, turning her gaze towards the fire demon.
To her confusion once again, though, Hiei's stare was focused on something else entirely. Bronwyn curiously followed the path that his eyes were aimed at only to see Kuwabara and Yukina's table. She watched as the carrot topped adolescent ran his large fingers over Yukina's delicate hand, though she seemed to be ignoring it, instead staring out the window. The red-head swore that she could hear Hiei gritting his teeth at the sight.
"Now what's the matter?"
"Nothing." Hiei repeated, rising from his seat abruptly. "I'll be back in a moment." He spoke quietly, and before Bronwyn could ask him where he was going, he had disappeared from her sight.
I don't get it...why he is so upset about Kuwabara and Yukina? Seems like a stupid thing to get mad about....
"Hello Bronwyn!!" The red-head's thought process was shattered as Botan's cheery voice rang through her ears. She glanced up from the metallic surface of the table only to watch as the Grim Reaper plopped into the seat that Hiei had been previously occupying, wearing a grin.
"Having fun?" She chirped.
"Not really...." She paused a moment, her face reflecting that she had dropped back into deep thoughts for a moment.
"Botan....do you know why Hiei acts so weird whenever Kuwabara and Yukina act together?"
Asking this, though, did nothing to decrease confusion, as Botan's face suddenly took on a bright shade of pink and she began to laugh nervously.
"Oh, that....no, I don't know why....why would you think I would know anything?" The blue-haired girl giggled, trying to hide the fact that she was terribly uncomfortable. She had been sure that Hiei would of told Bronwyn about Yukina....
"I dunno, I'm just curious...he seems to not like it when Kuwabara tries to touch Yukina. But I don't understand that, I mean, he seems to never talk to Yukina, so why does he care about what happens to her...?"
"Well, if you had a little sister, you would try and protect her, now wouldn't you??" Botan giggled loudly, not even realizing what she was saying.
Silence ensued for a moment, as Bronwyn's brown eyes grew wide.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT?!?!?!"
Finally realizing what she had just let slip, the amethyst-eyed girl's hand immediately flew to her mouth, but it was obviously too late.
"You-you mean that....Hiei and Yukina are...." Bronwyn stuttered, not being able to comprehend what she had just discovered.
Botan only sighed heavily, nodding. "Yukina doesn't know, though. Hiei doesn't want to tell her, so keep a tight lip, alright??"
"But...WHY?!?! Why...didn't he tell me....?"
Botan only shrugged, helpless to answer that certain question. "I was wondering as well..."
W-why wouldn't he trust me enough to keep his 'secret'???
"Oh, don't feel bad, Bronwyn!!" Botan cried, noticing that the girl's expression had become a little dark. "He probably had....a good reason....."
"No he didn't. He just didn't think I was trustworthy enough." Botan was a little surprised by how cold Bronwyn's voice had suddenly become. "Well...I'll teach him to keep secrets from me..." She announced, her face suddenly breaking out into a broad smirk.
"What...what are you going to do, Bronwyn?"
"I was thinking along the lines of....a practical joke..." The girl drawled, leaning back considerably in the chair she was seated in.
Botan opened her mouth to answer, but her gaze was suddenly pulled off of Bronwyn to over her shoulder, and her purple-colored eyes grew quite wide. "Well, you better figure out what you're going to do quickly, because here he comes..." She whispered, rising from the café chair, and then waving a nervous good-bye before heading back over to her own table.
Hiei sat back down without one word, and Bronwyn's deep chocolate-colored eyes followed his every movement, her mind filled with thoughts of her idea. If I can pull this off, I'll teach Hiei not to keep secrets from me anymore...plus, it will be as funny as hell...but it has to be just right, or it won't work...
Here it goes..
As casually as possible, Bronwyn placed both of her elbows on the table, moving her gaze slowly over to the table where Kuwabara and Yukina were seated.
"You know....Yukina's quite pretty...." She began tentatively. Hiei arched an eyebrow at the strange comment, and he turned his gaze in the same direction as Bronwyn's, though he remained silent.
"Hey, I just noticed something....you two...kind of...look alike..."
Hiei's head immediately turned back to face Bronwyn, his eyes a tad wider then they had been a second ago.
"What makes you say that?" He asked, though his voice sounded a little bit...strange....
"I dunno...you both are the same height....and your eyes are like, the exact same color...." She commented curiously, pretending to focus intently on the small ice koorime, as well as pretending not to notice that Hiei seemed to be growing quite nervous...
"You know..." She began slowly, "If I didn't know any better, I would think that you guys were brother or sister, or something like that!" She ended this sentence with a loud giggle, in a fashion that suggested that the mere thought of the idea was silly.
Hiei on the other hand, was frozen in his spot, not being able to comprehend that Bronwyn had just unknowingly stumbled upon his secret. The red-head's expression grew confused as she watched a small bead of sweat run down the side of Hiei's head.
"Why...are you acting so weird...?? I mean...it's not like you guys actually are related...are you...?" If Bronwyn had been able to at that point, she would of burst out laughing at the mere sight of Hiei's face. His expression was priceless, and the female wished for nothing more than to possess a camera to capture the moment.
Hiei still remained silent, unmoving. Bronwyn decided at that moment to pretend like she had just figured it out on her own.
"YOU ARE?!?!?!" She screeched, slamming her hands on the metal surface of the table.
"Well...." Hiei began, but before he could say anything else, Bronwyn interrupted him once more, her face filled to the brim with surprise.
"Does Yukina know about this?!?!?! Wait, of course she does, I mean, she must know that you're her brother, right??" She stared at Hiei expectantly, waiting for an answer, but the fire demon only cast a temporary glance at Yukina before dropping his gaze to the tile floor.
"No..." He whispered, his voice nearly non-existent.
"Well, then, she'll have to know, won't she?? I'm going to tell her right now!!!" With that said, Bronwyn immediately rose from the table, and sprinted over towards the table seated by the large window where the ice koorime was located.
"Bronwyn, no!" Hiei rose from the table as well, but it was already too late. He watched nervously as the red-head whispered something eagerly in Yukina's ear, and then to make matters worse, lifted a single finger and pointed straight at Hiei.
He couldn't believe it. His secret was out in the open. How had Bronwyn figured it out?!?!
He couldn't think about that at the moment though, because Yukina rose from her seat, and, staring curiously at Hiei, began to slowly walk towards him, each footstep she took echoing relentlessly through his ears.
She knows...I can tell....
The poor fire demon could only watch helplessly as his sister continued moving towards him, closer and closer, about to confront him on the secret she had just discovered...what was he going to say to her???
She finally stopped her paces directly in front of him, and for a moment, everything was dead silent before Yukina finally spoke up.
"Hiei...why didn't you tell me?" She spoke quietly, her crimson eyes burning straight into his soul.
"Yukina..." Was all he could mutter...
"If you had wanted to sit by the window, you could of just asked me!!!"
.........................................................................(silence)..........................................
"What?!?" Hiei cried, obviously confused. What the hell was she talking about???
"Yes, Bronwyn told me that you wanted to sit by the large window." She gestured behind her towards the red-haired girl, who was wearing a broad grin as she waved at Hiei wildly.
Bronwyn......
"Whatever did you think she told me??" Yukina questioned him, a little confused by his strange behavior.
"...nothing." He muttered quietly, shooting a venomous glare at Bronwyn, who was heading back towards the two, wearing a huge smile.
"Yukina, Kuwabara wants you to go back over there." She informed the small ice maiden, who nodded at her words.
"Alright....I'm sorry about the misunderstanding, Hiei..." She said gently before walking back over towards the carrot-topped teenager, who was waiting eagerly for her to return to him.
Both Hiei and Bronwyn remained completely silent for a moment, watching Yukina return to her seat and begin to talk to Kuwabara once more. When she was completely sure that the petite girl wouldn't be able to hear anything they said from then on, Bronwyn took this time, to burst into deafening laughter, much to Hiei's dismay.
"OH MY GOD, YOU SHOULD OF SEEN YOUR FACE!!! YOU LOOKED HILARIOUS!!!" She gasped, tears of laughter rolling down her face as she slammed her fist on the table rambunctiously.
"Will you shut up?!?" Hiei growled, understandably angry that he had been tricked.
"You really think that I would tell Yukina your secret?!?!"
The fire demon didn't acknowledge the question, instead turning away from Bronwyn in a solemn fashion.
"How...how did you know?" He asked firmly.
Bronwyn ceased her laughter momentarily so she could answer the question, though her expression had turned into a slightly angry one. "Botan had to tell me. You know, I would expect, considering our relationship and all, that you would tell me things!! But I guess you don't trust me, huh?" She sneered, crossing her arms furiously.
"It's not that....I didn't want anyone to know, but that baka toddler told everyone." He explained, his voice resonating a icy emotion. "It wasn't because I didn't trust you."
Bronwyn remained silent, speechless from this sudden explanation. After a moment, though, a smile slowly began to spread across her face.
"Aww, does Hiei need a hug?" Without waiting for a reply, she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and gave him a nice, big, hug, meanwhile whispering, "Don't you feel better now??"
Before Hiei could answer her, Yusuke's voice suddenly rang through the café, causing everyone to look up from what they were doing over to the Spirit Detective, who was jumping up and down, waving the amusement park map wildly in the air.
"Okay, guys, we've finally decided on what we're doing first!!" He cheered, "We're going on the rollercoaster!!"
Everyone erupted in pleased cheers, glad with the decision....well, everyone except Hiei, who appeared to be a little confused.
What the hell is a 'rollercoaster'???
^*^*^*^
Heeheehee, you have got to admit that was pretty hilarious! God, I love Bronwyn^^
And neeexxxxtttt chapter...
*Watch Hiei face the rollercoaster O_O...........*
*Bronwyn's in deep trouble!! But her rescuer might not be who you expect...*
Just so you all know...TODAY'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! JANUARY FIFTH!!!! I'M SO HAPPY!!!
Please leave me a review as a birthday present^^
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