Sister: PLEASE, MOMMY! I WANNA SLEEP IN YOUR BED!
Mom: No! I said no because naughty girls don't get what they want.
Sister: YES! I WANT TO!
Mom: No. I'm sick of your mouth. You're a spoiled brat and you don't get what you want all the time.
Sister: (screams at the top of her lungs) No I'm NOT! I WANNA SLEEP IN YOUR BED! I WANNA!
Yume: See what I mean? She never shuts up until she gets what she wants.
Hiei: (pulls out his katana) Nothing a good old beating couldn't fix.
Yume: Hiei... no. You don't use swords to beat a child, you use them to threaten them.
Kurama: Not even that. You use gentle persuasion and compromise.
Yume: There is no compromise with my sister. It's her way or the highway. Believe me, when it comes to her whims, I'm the rebel.
Yusuke: What does she do? Cry until she gets what she wants?
Yume: Sometimes. Or terrorizes me by tearing my posters on my door or turning off the lights on me while I'm doing something important, or trying to tear up a drawing I taped on my wall.
Yusuke: And here I was kidding. (sweatdrops) --;
Kuwabara: Maybe you should just shake her a few times until she shuts up?
Yume: That might kill her. She's eight physically, but mentally she's still a child. Even if I tried to be nice to her she would still find a way to piss me off. That's why I don't want any children. They can be useless monsters dwelling on nothing but trouble and sucking every ounce of your time with their whims and pointless wants.
Yusuke: (walks up to Keiko) I don't want any kids!
Keiko: (blinks) Why not?
Yusuke: (plays videotape of my little sister being a mini-bitch)
Keiko: Oh my! Yusuke, no children!
Yusuke: Yesssss!
Yume: And now she is kicking the wall because no one is paying attention to her. My mom wants me to ignore it, but what am I supposed to do? Pretend it's a mini-bitch causing a flippin' earthquake in my room? Or a mini-bitch ghost throwing bowlingballs against the wall?
Hiei: Leave that to your imagination, Yume.
Kurama: Yes... I believe when it comes to your sister, that is a topic needing further research. You're sister is something else, Yume-chan.
Yume: And I still need to figure out what... --;
Kurama: Perhaps... we should further the plot of the fanfiction and leave this topic to the readers?
Yume: Yes, indeed. What do you think, readers? Would you have children, or not? Why or why not? How many, if yes? I think I have an allibi when I refer to my sister. Just remember... your poll is counted to a part of the upcoming story. Speaking of which...
The next day, Hinoki wore a dark dress. It was a one piece silk dress that fell just above her knees. It looked similar to that girl's dress that Hinoki had seen.
So those demons and demonesses were part of her new family as well? On her father's side no doubt. She would call on them only in the most desperate of times. She thought of how she would need them. Perhaps she could ask for one of them to substitute for Hiei. What would her father think of Hiei?
She pushed those thoughts out of her head. She was finally going to beat Shoken like she had intended a long time ago.
Now was the day, the judgement day for Shoken. Hinoki was just the one to give him a little push.
When she came out of her room Kurama, Yusuke, Kuwabara and the others were already waiting. One of the demon boys Hinoki had recognized from the arena. She assumed he was one of her half brothers, like her father had explained.
"I am here to replace your fallen team mate." The boy said. He was heavy set with green eyes and blonde hair, like his sisters.
"He isn't fallen. He is temporarily out of commission. Are you a relative to that blonde girl Kurama was fighting before?" Hinoki asked.
"Yes, I am. My name is Yasuno. A pleasure to meet you finally, sister Hinoki." Yasuno said politely, grabbing her hand and kissing it on the back.
Hinoki snatched her hand away, "I'm your half sister not a fiancée!" Hinoki said in outrage.
Yasuno chuckled, "Yes, of course. My apologies."
Hinoki sighed as she allowed her temper to fall from it's escaladed heights.
"Anyway, we should hurry to the arena. Soon the fight will ensue. The battle we have all been long awaiting. The battle with Shoken's team." Kurama said proudly.
"Then we should get going." Hinoki said dully.
Everyone nodded.
They had arrived at the arena only minutes early. "It's a pitty Hiei couldn't be here." Kurama thinking aloud.
Hinoki smiled, "Think of what he'd do if he found out we were only a minute early."
Yusuke laughed, "He'd probably charge up to the committee and demand they start the match immediately."
"Then he'd make some rude comment about how Kuwabara can stay here and wait while we go in and kick some ass." Hinoki laughed with him.
Everyone laughed except Kuwabara and Yasuno.
"Excuse me! Team Akumu!? I'm Aiichi. I'm supposed to help you in the final matches." Aiichi said.
"Thanks, but no help is required here." Yusuke said, pushing her aside.
"I remember you. You're that same girl Kurama was fighting with in the semi-final round." Hinoki exclaimed.
"Indeed. I apologize for any injuries you may have suffered on my account." Aiichi said to Kurama. Kurama responded to this with a smile.
"You can tag along. Just no fights. We wouldn't want you getting injured." Kurama said sweetly.
"Looks like I'm yesterday's news." Hinoki muttered under her breath.
"Would both team captains please report to the ring." Juri announced.
Hinoki left the group to the ring after getting a caution from Yasuno and Aiichi.
Her stomach churned when she thought of who she would be meeting in this arena. Someone she hadn't seen in almost five months. No sooner than her fears had consumed her, than the one she had been referring to had entered the ring full of pride and slightly different than what she remembered. But it was indeed Shoken.
He had strange blue markings on his face, neck, chest and arms.
His white hair had grown to be a dirty platinum blonde than it had been before. Probably from all the training he had endured.
He looked up at her and smiled with enthusiasm, "Well, my dearest. What shall the terms for this go-round be?"
Hinoki didn't hesitate. She knew the exact battle terms she had wanted and she was almost positive Shoken was going to hand the terms to her on a silver platter.
"A leader battle. Only the captains fight. I can sense the energy being emitted from your team's bodies, and they aren't remotely close to the strength on my team. They'd drop like flies in minutes, if not seconds. After all we've been through, my team doesn't have any conscious with destroying an obstical." Hinoki explained in one quick and long-winded breath.
Shoken smiled at her, "No. I think not. Why don't we test your theory out. Choose one of your best and I'll match their strength with one on my team. If you are right, then I'll fight you."
His voice was cold and empty, it wasn't as caring for her as it had been. The ordinary Shoken would have agreed completely and whole-heartedly. Something wasn't right, and she would have to find out eventually. Right now she had no choice.
"Alright, Shoken. You win." Hinoki muttered.
"Good." Shoken said simply with a hint of triumph in his voice.
Hinoki walked off and turned to Yusuke, "Yusuke, you're up."
Yusuke smiled broadly, "Yeah! About time my turn came up! I've been waiting for this. Thanks, Hinoki your a real pal. I'll kick this guys ass and then some."
Hinoki smirked at his confidence.
"Whoa! Hey! Why can't I fight this guy?" Kuwabara complained.
"Shoken wanted one of the strongest besides me. Sorry, but you don't qualify to that title." Hinoki said simply in a placid tone.
"And she compliments me. Gee, Hinoki. I'm starting to wonder if you've got a thing for me." Yusuke teased.
Hinoki only replied with a snappish, "Don't flatter yourself."
Yusuke only laughed and entered the ring to take down one of the ugliest demons on Shoken's team (just had to bring out the pug-uglies, didn't I).
The demon had scaly green skin, fangs, and spiky blue hair. His eyes were yellow and red. He was a lizard demon.
Yusuke looked at him and scowled, "A weakling? I could take care of this thug in my sleep."
The demon growled.
"Begin!" Juri shouted.
Yusuke powered up his spirit gun and fired. The demon was smoked in five seconds.
Shoken sweatdropped.
"A record slaughter!" Koto exclaimed.
"See? Now it's your turn, Shoken! Your skull is going to be the urn for this guys ashes!" Yusuke said confidently.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass. My fight is with the young woman behind you." Shoken said confidently.
Hinoki got into the ring and pulled Yusuke out.
"Fine! Kick me while I'm down, why doncha!?" Yusuke shouted angrily.
Hinoki smirked but continued on.
"The final round of the finals may now begin!" Juri announced.
Hinoki charged at Shoken. Shoken easily dodged her punch.
Hinoki growled. She knew his strength had improved.
She stumbled off balance from her punch at Shoken.
Shoken flashed in front of her and punched her.
Hinoki groundplated all the way to the edge of the arena. She jumped up onto her feet, ready to go again.
This time she allowed her katana to form before she charged at him.
She used Hiei's speed to attack Shoken.
Shoken's gaurd had been lowered enough for her to catch him off gaurd.
She sliced him once, grabbed his head by it's top, then swung her leg around to hit him directly in the side of the head. Shoken went flying.
It was the best combo she had pulled in a while.
"That was for the curse you put on Hiei." Hinoki said to him.
"What did she say?" Kuwabara asked from the sidelines.
"I've heard of that. A demonic curse must have been planted in that ice apparition's demon energy and sprouted inside Hiei like a seed. Ingenius." Kurama said.
"So Hiei is battling with a curse in that hospital?" Yusuke asked.
"Yes. It masked itself to look like blood poisoning and Hinoki's species are experts and relieving that sort of thing, so the curse is not in full bloom like Shoken had intended. But because Hinoki used her energy and skill to relieve the curse, she is still slightly weak from relieving it." Kurama explained.
Shoken laughed, "Very clever. You understood before your friends had even knew."
Hinoki spat at him, "It's not like I haven't encountered such a thing before. One of the weaklings I faced as one of Koenma's lapdogs tried the same thing on me. I learned how to conquer it while I suffered in bed in the human world. Koenma helped me by having his ogres look it up."
Shoken smiled at her and disappeared again.
He was behind her and sliced at her back with a blade that Hinoki had not noticed before.
Hinoki fell forwards, blood spurting from her mouth.
"I didn't mention that my hands can substitute for blades? A nifty little trick I picked up along the way." Shoken laughed.
Hinoki growled at him as she pushed herself up from the floor, wiping the blood from her mouth.
Back at the hospital, Hiei showed signs of consciousness again.
The demon heart within him began to beat like a human's. The nurses and doctors were not monitoring him at the moment.
Hiei's eyes opened and focused immediately.
He felt a sharp pain in his back. He reached behind him and felt nothing there but his skin.
His chest was bandaged up nice and tight like Hinoki had ordered and his shirt was open so his stomach was bare as well.
Unlike the human hospitals, they allowed the patients to stay in their clothes unless otherwise requested.
Hiei quickly ripped out the IVs and tore the suction cups off his skin. He cringed with pain, but it didn't matter. He sensed an urgency to get to the tournament arena.
Sneaking past security, nurses and doctors easily, he ran through the streets, his katana at his side and his shirt open and flapping in the wind as he ran.
Hinoki tumbled, rolling away in pain from Shoken after his last strike.
Hinoki coughed up blood. It poured out onto the arena's stone surface.
Was it futile to be fighting Shoken? No. She couldn't give up now. Not when she came this far. She couldn't give up.
"Hinoki! Come on! You can do it!" Called a sweet voice fromt he sidelines.
Hinoki turned and saw Akubo. He smiled at her sweetly from team Urameshi's side.
"Akubo? You shouldn't be here! Get out of here!" Hinoki screamed as more blood oozed from the side of her mouth.
"And miss my favorite female fighter? No way! Come on! You can beat him!" Akubo assured her happily.
"I don't think enthusiasm can help her right now, kiddo." Kuwabara said.
"She just needs a boost." Akubo whispered.
Hinoki looked to Shoken and spit out the blood that was in her mouth. "Here that? People are counting on me to slaughter your sorry ass. So I have to stop fooling around and kill you." Hinoki said.
Shoken's eyes lit up. He looked at her, as if daring her to try.
Before he could retort in a cocky way, Hinoki had disappeared quickly.
Shoken searched the arena for her. He couldn't see her.
"Up here, dumbass!" Hinoki shouted, landing on his shoulders.
Using all her weight against Shoken, she pulled him down foreward so he did a summersault before falling onto the stony floor of the arena.
He coughed up blood this time, being suffocated by the vice grip of Hinoki's legs (A handy trick in bed, I'm sure).
Shoken eventually resorted to clawing at her legs until blood poured crimson puddles onto the arena's surface.
Hinoki released Shoken, babying her legs from the wounds they had endured.
She winced in pain, but eventually ignored it.
Shoken growled. His eyes had become wild, like an animal.
"Playtime is over. Now you shall die, wench." Shoken growled.
He lunged at Hinoki, his hands ommitting an aura. They were now substituting for blades again.
Hinoki tried to run, but the pain in her legs was too great. She braced herself for impact.
She felt blood splatter, but she felt no pain.
Had Shoken inflicted a quick and painless wound?
Hinoki dared herself to open her eyes, and so slightly opened one eye.
Her eyes opened wide when she saw Shoken's hand pointing at her through a body.
It was Hiei! She recognized that pointy black hair and short stature anywhere.
Hiei punched Shoken so he groundplated all the way outside the ring.
Hiei fell to the ground on one knee, holding the hole in his chest.
"Hiei, why did you do that!?" Hinoki cried, kneeling at his side.
"Why? You ask me why?" Hiei asked.
Hinoki's mind flashed back to all sorts of times she had with Hiei.
Memory Lane
"I have no money, and my house isn't far from here either. I can run with Hiei's speed, carrying Kurama on my back. Hiei, I know can manage himself... for now. No one will see us if we run fast enough." Hinoki suggested.
"It sounds like a thorough plan. And as long as we avoid open areas and keep moving, we shouldn't get hit by the lightning." Kurama pointed out.
"How do you plan on carrying Kurama? He is bigger than you." Hiei asked in a cool voice.
"I'm stronger than I look. I can carry him on my back." Hinoki said, slightly annoyed.
They walked out of the McDonald's, ignoring the constant stares. Hinoki lifted Kurama onto her back in a piggy-back form and both Hiei and she ran off for her house.
"MARRIAGE!?" Kurama shouted.
"Hn... surely you do not take her for that big a fool, do you? Besides, imbaciles like yourself always have a catch or a vile reason for these sorts." Hiei stated.
"Now, now, Hiei. Surely you don't need to resort to name-calling? I'm hurt. But I do believe this is up to the lady, now isn't it?" The man turned his attention on Hinoki. "Now, my sweet. Would you like me to have these boys taken away? Or would you rather they stay?"
Hinoki looked at the two male demons and regretted her choice. She would just have to explain to them later. "They can go. I never really liked them anyway... " She said.
The man snapped his fingers and two blue male pixies entered the chamber. "Take these two away. Give them our nicest place." He ordered the creatures.
One of them smiled dryly, "Does master have his ducks in a row?"
The man's smile faded and he pointed a finger at the creature, "Obviously you do not understand. Up here I am God, not even King Enma or his brat son can stop me. You should think twice before you make that kind of a remark." With that, a bolt of lightning flew from the man's finger and zapped the poor creature.
The creature screamed with pain, "I'm sorry, master! It is not my place to ask you personal questions! Forgive me!!"
The creature sulked away with Kurama and Hiei in hand like a dog with it's tail between it's legs. Hinoki would never forget the hurt expressions that Kurama wore as he was being carried away.
Hinoki shivered as Shoken left her there. Watching him go, she stuck her tongue out at him as she barged into the room.
"I'm here!" She shouted.
She noticed only Hiei standing there in front of her, his arms crossed, eyes closed, sweatdropping.
"What? W-where is Kurama?" Hinoki asked, now sweatdropping as well.
Hiei looked at her through the corners of his eyes with that cool stare and wordlessly pointed at the door.
Hinoki blinked at him for a moment, and closed the door. Kurama was in an awkward position. He was passed out, his nose was bleeding, and he was slowly slipping off of the wall.
"Uh... Kurama... sorry... " Hinoki said with a nervous smile.
"He was listening to the conversation between you and Shoken outside our door." Hiei explained.
Hinoki looked up at Hiei as she kneeled by Kurama, "Really? Then did he hear anything that Shoken said?"
Hiei nodded, "Yes, he did. He was in the middle of explaining what he had said when you came barging in here."
Hinoki rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly while laughing nervously, "Yeah... sorry about that!"
Hinoki was stirred as she felt hands around her shoulders shaking her madly. A familiar voice called her name. She bolted upright with a start, nearly bumping heads with Hiei.
Hinoki looked at Hiei with a surprised look. As if this was the first time she had seen him. Then she remembered her capture and their rescue mission. She wanted to say something to Hiei about her dream of the past, but something held her back.
All she did was lower her eyes with embarrassment as she felt her cheeks grow hot.
Hiei grew irritated of the silence between them, and so spoke, "You were tossing and turning, so I woke you from your dream."
Hinoki felt a tingling sensation go up her spine as she felt Hiei's warm hands on her shoulders. What was wrong with her? Her heart was beating so loudly, she was afraid Hiei would hear her heart beating so loudly and quickly.
Her prayer was answered when Hiei released her.
Her reflexes got the better of her as she grabbed Hiei's wrist, "Hiei, do you remember Shiko-" she was interrupted by Kurama, barging in on them both.
"SHOKEN! LET THEM GO!" Hinoki shouted angrily.
"Ah! My beloved bride. Have you come to attend the execution of these trespassers?" Shoken asked.
"Hell no! I want you to let them go!" Hinoki snapped.
Shoken smiled with amusement, "A eager fire burns in your eyes. Beautiful."
"SHOKEN!" Hinoki screamed. She turned to Hiei and Kurama, "Hiei, you take care of Yusuke and Kuwabara. Kurama, you deal with the sprites. Shoken... is mine." And with those last words, Hinoki ran straight for Shoken.
"Execute them!" Shoken ordered, now understanding that Hinoki had no intention of marrying him.
Hiei ran for the Guillotine at his most impressive speed. His Jagan Eye glowed a glorious blue as his headbanned singed off his forehead. His fists glowed with orange spirit energy, like a fire. The Guillotine blade began to fall. Yusuke and Kuwabara screamed with fear.
"Fist of the Mortal Flame!" Hiei shouted as his flame-engulfed fists smashed the blade into tiny shards. Hiei then freed Yusuke and Kuwabara's necks from their imprisonment.
Hinoki ran up to the tree and gazed up it's branches to see Hiei.
"Hiei! Can you come down for a moment? We must speak with you!" Kurama called out to him.
Hiei opened his eyes from his deep thought and looked down at the pair of demons. He jumped down from the tree's upper branches to the lower ones, and then to the ground.
"Hiei, can you train me? I know that if I train with you I can get stronger. Besides, you're a lot stronger than me, and I don't like training with Yusuke or Kuwabara." Hinoki explained. Her eyes were full of hope.
Hiei looked into her hopeful eyes and looked away. He couldn't see her hopes crushed within her eyes.
"No." He said.
Hinoki's eyes lost their hopeful gleam, "Why not? I can take it. I may be a demoness, but I am no weakling as I demonstrated in Makai."
Hiei looked up at her again. His eyes got cold, "Are you willing to sacrifice your own life in my training? Do you swear not to quit when it gets difficult?"
"Do I look like a fool to you? Of course I would. If I have to sacrifice myself, don't you think I would? It would be a minor loss, but if it saves us of course." Hinoki said, getting slightly annoyed. She didn't want to tick Hiei off too much, otherwise he may not train her.
"Hn... I'll train you. But disobey my orders or fall behind and my training with you will cease." Hiei shouted.
Hinoki smiled with satisfaction, but was not overjoyed. She nodded her head and followed him to a forest in Makai.
She felt something like a sheet or blanket placed on her. It was a black cloak! Not only that but she could have sworn she felt something soft, fleshy and warm next to her. She rolled over and found herself face-to-face with Hiei. He was asleep and using his arm as a pillow. Surprisingly he didn't snore like many other young men.
Hinoki prevented herself from panicking and closed her eyes only some of the way so they were only tiny slits. She could vaguely make out Hiei's face.
He seemed so peaceful sleeping there next to her. She wondered what made him cuddle up next to her. Not to mention loan his cloak to her.
She didn't expect to see him open his eyes so soon. He opened them slowly, as if he knew she was watching him.
"Sleep well?" She asked, trying to ignore the fact that he was so close to her.
He stared at her a moment, blinked, and got up. He removed his cloak from Hinoki's legs as she sat up. He threw it around his shoulders.
Hinoki stood up, "Why did you do that? You didn't have to be so close to me like that. This is the second time you have placed your cloak on me." She said.
Hiei turned and looked at her. "Twice it was that you shivered uncontrollably. I couldn't lose you so soon to hypothermia. You are slowly improving."
Hinoki didn't know if he was complimenting her, or only explaining her progress.
"Kurama was right, you are a puzzle." Hinoki said. It occured to her that perhaps the saying she had told him had struck a cord in Hiei.
"We have to go back to the shrine. You have more training to accomplish." Hiei explained.
He didn't want to admit it, but slowly he was gaining respect for Hinoki. She understood him more than Yusuke and Kuwabara, and was near the same level as Kurama. It was a strange dream he had had last night of the past.
He took off his cloak and boots, leaving only his black pants remaining(Black hammer pants!). He watched Hinoki for a moment as she jumped around freely like a child.
Then something occurred to Hiei. He smirked, "Hn... you're the same careless child I rescued in the Makai forest. You haven't changed." He said calmly, but loud enough to get her attention.
Hinoki stared at Hiei, not paying attention to the fact that she jumped too high. She bounced high off the bed, bumped her head on the ceiling, and fell on her back on the floor.
Hiei walked to her, checking to make sure she was still conscious.
"Darn, I'm still alive, eh?" Hinoki teased, rubbing her head. She smiled a bit and stuck out her tongue playfully. Hiei rolled his eyes, "What part of spring supported mattress don't you understand."
Hinoki ignored this statement, "H-how do you remember the forest? Shikoshi! Th-the thieves! How do you remember all of that!?" She demanded.
Hiei shrugged, "Hn... it wasn't so hard to remember. Your childish actions simply reminded me of your previous self." Hiei responded.
Hiei went off for a moment and came back with a pale full of cold water. Lifting it above Hinoki's head, he dumped it all over her.
Hinoki stirred. She got on her hands and knees.
Hiei stood triumphantly, only to find that Hinoki shook herself off like a dog and crawled under the tree, curled herself into a ball and fell asleep.
Finally Hiei realized something else and decided it was his last option. He walked back over to Hinoki, leaned over her head and shouted in her ear, "BREAKFAST IS READY!"
Hinoki bolted upright so fast that Hiei didn't have time to react to her. So her head collided with his face. Hiei's hands immediately flew up to his nose and held it in pain as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He stumbled backwards, watching Hinoki's head look back and forth like a bystander to a tennis match, looking for her morning meal.
He made a mental note to never put his nose in her way ever again.
Hiei looked at her, "Are you sure you can handle it?"
Hinoki looked up at him, her eyes full of burning eagerness.
"Hiei, I can't play these games. I have to take whatever you throw at me. Don't hold back. Do whatever you have to that's necessary to increase my strength at least seven fold." Hinoki growled.
Hiei nodded.
"Hinoki, in a week, I will test you to measure how much you have grown." Genkai announced.
"And I will meet you here when the first snow falls." Kurama said sweetly.
Hinoki lept off the bike as it tumbled to the ground in a cloud of smoke that quickly errupted into flames.
She landed smoothly on one knee soon after the crash, silhouetted by the flame's light behind her. She slowly stood and walked forward, her duffle bag hung casually over her shoulder.
As she came into decent light, they had seen it was her. "Hey, guys. Sorry for the delay." Hinoki apologized.
Hiei stepped forward, "Hinoki." he said in a cool voice near a whisper.
Hinoki looked at him, already knowing what to expect.
"Why are you late?" he asked.
"Ah, you know. Trying to figure out a decent way of transportation." She lied.
Hiei saw through her excuse, but said nothing.
"Anyone with that cool of an entrance has to be put into the book of World's greatest entrances." Kuwabara exclaimed.
"Well... thanks to Hiei's training I was able to pull it off. If I were the same as I was a month ago, I might not have made that landing as smoothly as I did. Probably wouldn't have even had the guts to do it." She said with a smile.
She was trying to suck up to get Hiei off her back, and Hiei saw this. However, who couldn't feel at least slightly flattered after hearing a person you trained brag about how well you did?
Memory Over
"I... I don't know... my body moved on it's own. I can't explain everything I do." Hiei said.
He collapsed.
Hinoki turned him over onto his back, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.
Hiei was only moments away from death and he only smiled at her.
"Hinoki... I wanted... to tell you. When you said... you cared... for me. I lied... when I said... I didn't care for you." Hiei managed to say in between seering pain.
He raised a hand and wiped away a tear that had gotten past Hinoki's defenses.
"I'll be here, when you finish your fight." Hiei promised.
Hinoki carried him over to the sidelines and leaned his back up against the wall of the arena.
She jumped back into the arena, finding her second wind and whole new will to destroy Shoken.
"Shoken, if he dies, you'll be his playmate in the next world." Hinoki threatened through clenched teeth.
Shoken cringed as her power grew massively.
Before he knew it, Hinoki was on top of him, pummeling him into the arena floor.
His head bobbled around like a bobble head doll while coughing up masive amounts of blood.
His white hair was now being drenched in the blood that had stained the arena floor.
Hinoki had lost all sense of rationality.
Her eyes had become cat-like again.
Now her face was not only cat-like, but it was scary. Her fury caused her face to become monsterous.
Her hair had spiked, like a cat puffing up to defend it's young.
She grabbed Shoken's skull and began bashing her own against his.
Then she grabbed him by his hair and hammer threw him outside the ring into the stands. He slid across the stands, causing them to fall apart.
Shoken emerged, seriously hurt but still willing to fight.
Hinoki chased after him, she bit him on the neck. Burrying her fangs deeper and deeper into his neck.
Then she burried her claws into his back.
"Is this the affection you wanted, Shoken? I'm giving it to you. This is the best affection I show to my enemies." Hinoki whispered in his ear. Shoken's blood oozed from her mouth.
Strangely, the thrill of seeing Shoken's blood pour out thrilled her.
It gave her an incredible adrenaline rush.
She had truly become an animal, killing for pleasure.
Shoken screamed in pain.
"If I am to die, then I'll take someone with me!" Shoken said desperately.
He wriggled free of Hinoki's grasp, and as blood poured from his open wounds, he jumped up with his blade hand.
He was aiming to cut Yukina's rope so she fell to her death.
Yukina screamed in fear.
Hiei's face distorted with fear, despite the look of pain he was in.
He would have screamed his sister's name, but he hadn't found his voice. Instead, he was left with slowly mouthing her name.
Without a second thought, Hinoki's mother and brother swung their ropes in the way so that their ropes were cut instead.
Shoken fell to the arena, satisfied either way.
Hinoki looked away as both Damien and her human mother met the ground. Hearing the popping sound as their bodies collided with the ground brought tears to her eyes.
Her shoulders shook with a mixture of rage and grief. She turned her head to Shoken as her tears seemed to vanish. One thought raced through her mind: REVENGE!
"SHOKEN! THAT IS THE LAST STRAW! YOU MEET YOUR END TODAY!!" Hinoki shouted with even greater rage than before.
Shoken had realized his error, and now he was going to die.
But he wouldn't without a fight.
Hinoki rushed at Shoken and pummeled him. The only motivation she needed was to see the disfigured bodies of the once beloved family she had.
She felt another presence within her. It was enjoying the massacre, no matter what side it was on. Something that told her to draw her blade.
As tears spilled, she did all she could in her power to give Shoken the most painful death imaginable.
In a flash, Shoken only saw a flash of black-silver and the next thing he knew he saw himself detatched from his own body as it fell to the ground in defeat and everything went black (Yes, he saw his own head rolling away from his collapsing body).
As the black bladed katana retreated to the leather glove state, Hinoki collapsed in great heaves and pants.
Turning her head to look at everyone for congratulations as she lay there sprawled out on the floor, she found none. Everyone looked away from her.
Something clicked inside of her and she suddenly remembered.
Remembering her loss of her family, she got up only to be sitting on the floor.
"The winner is Team Akumu!" Juri announced.
"Shut up! I didn't win anything. My family is dead and my... my friend is badly hurt." Hinoki snapped.
"... Hinoki... " Kurama said softly.
Hinoki looked at him and saw his sad expression.
Kurama ushered her over, and Hinoki followed his order.
She walked up to him and saw him look away from her.
Instinctively, she looked at Hiei.
She saw his body laying still, his eyes closed and his mouth barely open.
Hinoki kneeled next to him and shook him, "Okay, Hiei. I beat Shoken. You can wake up now."
When Hiei didn't stir, her tone became more desperate, "Hiei! Wake up! It's me! Come on, you can open your eyes now! It isn't funny! You know how much I hate jokes about death!"
"Hinoki... " Kurama said softly, pulling her away.
"He died peacefully while you were fighting Shoken." Kurama whispered.
Hinoki looked at him with her eyes wide.
Tears flowed freely from her eyes. She shook her head in disbelief and pulled away from Kurama, only to run to Hiei's side again.
"Hiei, if you die... what am I supposed to do, huh? Am I just supposed to live my life forgetting about you? Please, you have to wake up. Please, Hiei!" Hinoki pleaded.
Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara looked away. They didn't want Hinoki to see their tears.
Hinoki put his head to her chest and cradled him in her arms.
'You can never tell him how much you love him. Never. You can call out to him, because he'll never hear it. He's gone... ' She thought.
"He's gone. HE'S GOONNE!" Hinoki screamed, tears falling like rivers from her eyes now.
Her scream echoed throughout the stadium and seemed to strike a chord in the audience who had been wooping and hollering for mass carnage.
Hinoki burried her face in Hiei's warm chest and cried salty tears. Mourning for the one dearest to her heart.
The loss was too great. Her family was gone, and now the one closest to her heart was also gone. Done in by Shoken's hands.
As the crowd only watched in excitement, Hinoki shouted at them with what was left of her now growing anger.
"This is what the path of hatred brings you! Innocent souls disappear from your lives. You all turn blind eyes to it, as long as it doesn't happen to you. Pure entertainment, right? Well, let us see how you would feel when the ones dearest to your heart suddenly vanished. Hm? Would you still be craving the sight of torn flesh, blood, and sinew? You are nothing but low-life cowards! Simple low-level demons with nothing but a glimmer of thought. The only love you ever feel is that for yourself! Am I wrong? Do you swear upon your own lives and darkened hearts that I am wrong?"
Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara watched her with amazement and awe.
Hinoki cried, wishing and hoping to wake up from this dreadful dream.
Note: A confuser, I'm sure. Don't worry. I'll explain a bit. Everything that was before the line after the whole thing with the memory. Those were bits of sentences from previous chapters. Hey, here's an assignment to you all. Try reading the chapters over again and let me know where you start to see Hinoki's attitude change. I bet you can't guess! I know where it starts! The people who guess it right will get their stories advertised in my next story or chapter and I'll read and review their story! Not much, but for those of you who are big fans of me will probably think it's not a bad honor. I might be flattering myself, but everyone has to do that now and again, right? Anyways... yeah. Hiei dies! TT I think I'm being way too cruel! Not to mention Hinoki's almost an orphan now! Will she move in with her father in demon world? Or will she bare this cross and continue her life in the human world? You just gotta keep posted for my next chapter, now doncha? See you next time (And I am aware Tokeshi probably either said a comment or was thinking one after I said he had to stay posted. I know him better than even his own father. Not a big surprise... --; Not going to get in depth on that, though. Sorry, suckers! ). See you later! Ja ne!