Forgotten

Summary: "It's like… like I don't know who I am anymore. Who I belong to…." Hiei/OC

Author's Notes: Hey hey! Almost done here. Exciting, no? Well, I'm excited. I've already got plans for my next fic. It's gonna be great. But first thing first. Here's to all of last chapter's reviewers:

darkXdemon15: Sorry for missing you in the last chapter! I didn't know you reviewed until right after I had posted part nine. Please forgive me! Anywho, thanks for reading the fic; I'm glad you like it so much!

samuraiduck27: Yeah, it was really short. I hadn't intended for it to be, but that's just how it went I guess. This chapter will be long though, I think. There's a lot of stuff that's got to go into it. Thanks for being such a loyal reader.

AnonymousHieiFan101: I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic. Keep reviewing!

You people make me feel so important. .

DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing. At all. Nothing. Not even a witty disclaimer to put here.

Part Ten: Blood of the Night


In the silence that followed Santidad's statement, the hordes of mercenaries retreated back into the white halls of the city. Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara and Hiei were all temporarily immobilized by surprise; Yusuke was the first to voice what all four of them were thinking.

"So after all the crap he went through to get her back here, all he wants is to kill her?"

Santidad spoke again. "All these years," he mocked, "you never had the opportunity to prove what you said. You failed, as I said you would."

There was an almost imperceptible tightening in Akiko's jaw.

"Now it is time for me to remove the stain from our race," the angel growled, a spear-tipped staff materializing in his hand.

"Do what you want," Akiko's voice echoed. "It will be your fall, not mine."

Santidad's speech suddenly changed, "Τα χέρια μου θα είναι καθαρός."

"What did he say?" Kuwabara whispered.

"My hands will be clean," a new voice said.

"Fuerza," Hiei frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Fuerza's eyes narrowed. "Listen."

"Το αίμα μου θα σώσει αυτοί."

Yusuke glanced over to Fuerza. "Well?"

"My blood will save them."

"We can't let him kill her," Hiei stated firmly, drawing his katana.

"We have to," Fuerza responded. "What is fated to happen must happen."

"So you would just let your sister die?" the fire yokai demanded.

Akiko's brother didn't respond at first. "There is nothing more that I can do for her," he said finally.

Attention returned to Santidad, who now had one huge hand clasped around Akiko's neck. "You bring death upon yourself," he whispered to her.

Defiant as ever, the girl retorted, "So do you."

It took less than a minute. Akiko's body was skewered on the end of the staff, blood staining her robes. At the same instant, the great white marble columns that filled Tierra des Ángeles began crumbling—as if the world itself was dying.

In panic, Santidad pulled the spear out of Akiko; he took hold of her shoulders and shook her violently demanding, "What did you do? What the hell did you do?"

The girl didn't have to answer him: the upper half of one of the great columns toppled off its base and fell forward onto Santidad, crushing him but missing Akiko by inches.

A grim smile on her face, Akiko muttered, "I told you so."

"What the hell is going on?" Yusuke questioned. "It feels like the whole place is going down.

"Probably because it is," Kurama stated. "Which means we have to get out of here."

"I can get us out," Fuerza stated.

"Why would you help us?" Kuwabara demanded.

"I owe her," the angel stated simply. "As long as everyone is within a certain radius of me, I can transport us all to anywhere in your city."

Kurama nodded. "That seems to be our best bet, then."

"Yeah, there's only one issue," Yusuke said.

"What?"

The tantei pointed to where Akiko lay, Hiei now beside her, lifting her limp form off the marble floor.

Tierra des Ángeles shuddered more violently.

"We're running out of time," Fuerza stated.

"Hiei get your ass down here!" Yusuke shouted.

In a few flashes of black, the fire yokai was once again standing with the other tantei, Akiko's form cradled in his arms.

"All right, let's get out of here," Yusuke stated.

Tierra des Ángeles melted away from them; they watched it crumbling until the last image of it faded to darkness.


"Damn, that's one way to cause a migraine," Yusuke grumbled, blinking to force his eyes to adjust to the sunlight in the park.

Kurama looked around cautiously. "Fuerza, what made you decide to bring us here?"

The angel indicated Hiei, who was now placing Akiko on the ground, still cradling her upper body. "He met her here," Fuerza stated evenly.

Akiko's vision slid in and out of focus; she could scarcely make out the visage of the one who was holding her.

"Hiei?" she whispered, wincing inwardly at how weak her voice sounded. The yokai's only response was to hold her tighter. A soft smile on her face, she fumbled around, trying to find Hiei's hand with her own.

"Hiei," she whispered," I'm gonna die."

The yokai shook his head, "No," he stated.

"I am," she whispered.

"I don't want you to."

"I'm sorry. I can't help it."

"…I know."

"I did the right thing."

"I know."

"She can rest now."

"Who?"

"The angel. Paciencia. It's over."

Akiko took a shuddering breath; Hiei held her closer.

"Do you think I'll enjoy heaven? After everything that's happened, do you think it'll be better?" the girl asked softly.

"I think it will be," Hiei said in a barely audible whisper.

"So do I." Her eyes slid shut and her breathing ceased.

Struggling to keep up a mask of stoicism, the yokai set Akiko's lifeless form onto the ground.

"You were too late, then?" Koenma's voice questioned. "I was afraid that'd be the case."

The Reikai deity appeared standing beside Akiko's body, looking down at her. "I take it Tierra des Ángeles has been destroyed."

Fuerza nodded. "Completely."

"No more than I expected." The deity crouched beside Akiko. "Let's see what I can do here," he mumbled, pulling his pacifier out of his mouth and extending a hand over Akiko's body.

Pulsating white light spread from Koenma's palm and enveloped the lifeless girl, wrapping her in a warm glow. The slightest movement of her fingers indicated that Koenma was achieving his purpose.

"Akiko," Koenma whispered. "Akiko, can you hear me?"

The girl gave the slightest groan in response.

Slowly, her eyes flickered open.

"How do you feel?" Koenma asked her.

"Like crap on crutches," Akiko responded, trying to sit up.

"You're still weak," Koenma stated, pushing the girl back to the ground. Koenma stood, addressing the entire group now.

"All of you are going to be going to a safe house in the Reikai. You'll have to stay there for a while. I'll give you more details when we get there."


All seven of them lounged around a scrubbed wooden table. Koenma had used a power highly similar to Fuerza's to transport the group to the safe house, in the kitchen of which they now sat, awaiting some form of explanation.

Koenma sat in silent observation for a few moments, his elbows on the table and his head resting on his entwined fingers. A centuries-long ordeal and now it was finally and suddenly over.

"I suppose you'd all like to know some details about all this," the deity sighed.

"Firstly, I want you to know that I had no idea as to what would result upon Akiko's arrival in Tierra des Ángeles. At least, not until I saw Paciencia's memories."

"Forget that," Yusuke interrupted. "Why did Tierra des Ángeles start crumbling when that guy stabbed Akiko?"

"I've been wondering that as well," Kurama said. "But I'm more curious as to why Akiko's would-be assassin didn't know what would happen when he harmed her."

The deity nodded. "I'm surprised that Santidad wasn't aware of that myself. My only theory is that Santidad wasn't completely informed on Paciencia's reincarnation deal."

Akiko leaned forward in interest. "What about the reincarnation deal?"

Koenma rest his eyes on Akiko, studying her carefully. "When Paciencia was promised a reincarnated form, it was guaranteed her until she was able to prove that humans were no worse than angels. When Santidad stabbed you, he proved that an angel can harbor the same rage and hate that any human can. Since Tierra des Ángeles was created on the principle that the angel race was morally superior to humans, it stands to reason that, when that principle was proved false, the land wouldn't stand. I suppose that's why Santidad wanted Akiko back in Tierra des Ángeles. I think he knew that, should Paciencia's bargain ever come through, Tierra des Ángeles would be in jeopardy."

Silence followed this explanation, as each member of the group was absorbed in his or her own thoughts.

Sighing, Koenma heaved himself up from the table. "You all should probably stay here for a few days. There's quite a bit regarding Paciencia's reincarnation file and Akiko's 'death' that I'll have to take care of. Not to mention the fact that Akiko's been reported as a missing child."

Akiko cocked her head to one side. "I have?"

"Did you think your father wouldn't notice if you were gone for three months?" Koenma asked. "Don't worry about it, though. I'll take care of it." The deity began walking away, but stopped at the door. "By the way, Hiei, I've kept my promise. You're free to go back to Makai whenever you see fit." And Koenma disappeared, returning to Reikai to fulfill his duties.

After a few moments, Fuerza, Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara all made their way to their respective rooms, leaving Hiei and Akiko alone at the table.

"You didn't tell me you'd be leaving," Akiko whispered, not looking at the yokai.

"I didn't think it was important," he responded.

"Well, it is. Why are you leaving?"

"I have to."

"But why?"

Hiei did not answer her.

"Hiei—"

"I don't belong in this world," he interrupted. "I need to go home."

Akiko turned away from him.

"I won't leave without telling you," he told her as he stood from the table.

"I'll miss you," the girl whispered.

Hiei didn't respond; he stood and left the room, leaving Akiko by herself in the kitchen until she decided to go to her room in a somewhat melancholy state.


Author's Notes: Yeah. I'm sick right now—can't breathe through my nose. But that's not important. This fic is just about done. There's only one chapter left, and I've already got it ready to post. But I'm not going to post it until May fifth. So you'll have to wait in suspense until then. Ok, here's the part where I need serious reviewer feedback (well, it also applies to the next chapter, but I want to know now anyways): should there be a sequel to this fic? Yes? No? You tell me. Thanks bunches! See you in the next (and... LAST) chapter. Read and review!