Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or practically anything else. Though I wish I owned Hiei grins maniacally I also don't own Hot Topic, Happy Bunny or any of the other sayings on the Hot Topic T-shirts, Good Charlotte: 'The Day That I Die' or 'The Anthem', Evanescence: 'Haunted', Final Fantasy X, or anything else that may appear in this chapter that you know is owned by some other big company. And I still don't encourage underage drinking, duh. The first bit is completely redone.
Genkai's First Student by Toxic Tears
Chapter 15: In 'Da Club (I also don't own this song)
Nearly two months had passed since the group had first met Nikai in mid August. She and Yuusuke had long, animated talks about 'Grandma' that seemed to really cheer him--Yuusuke--up.
Kuwabara had come to be slightly wary around her since a case involving a group of female demons he had refused to fight. The memory of the yelling she had given him still gave the boy shudders.
Botan tried to be Nikai's friend, she really had, but it had just become too much of a hassle, so she settled with Sukara and Keiko to talk about shoes and hair. Speaking of Keiko, she and the demon girl were on good terms. Nikai respected Keiko for being able to keep Yuusuke in line and Keiko respected Nikai because she had cheered her boyfriend up considerably.
Nikai and Kurama just enjoyed being in each other's company. There wasn't anything in particular the two talked about. Though they did find that they both liked to meditate on the roof sometimes. Go figure.
Hiei came to love Nikai more every day, though he fought like hell to not show it. But it was all too obvious during their late-night make out sessions. Both of them were trying hard to not let happen what almost did when Nikai fixed Hiei's jagan, but the struggle was becoming futile.
As for Nikai herself, she was happy beyond words. She had friends, ones she could trust with her life, and that was the best feeling in every world.
One day, the team was called to Kurama's house for information on a new mission. As usual Botan was giving the briefing.
"There's a demon going to show up tonight at a nightclub and Koenma wants us to go and arrest him." She said.
Sukara, who was there as well, spoke, "Can I come too?" The water dragon had tried to come on as many missions as she was allowed to. She was a good fighter and came in handy sometimes. Botan nodded and Sukara pumped her fist.
"Can we have some more information, Botan?" Yuusuke asked.
The ferry girl shrugged. "All I was told was that we're supposed to arrest him, and the club is called Tsukineko." (A/N: Tsukineko is just two Japanese words I knew, put together. Don't ask me, I can't really speak Japanese)
"Tsukineko?" Nikai was the one to speak now. She and Hiei had been sitting on the window and she had an incredulous look on her face. "If we're going there we have to get you guys a whole new wardrobe."
Botan looked confused. "Why Nikai?"
"Because!" she exclaimed. "It's a punk/goth club!"
"How do you know?" Kuwabara asked.
Nikai looked at him and shrugged. "Because I used to go there a lot. They have the best music and the biggest fights in town. I can't believe you people haven't heard of it!" Hiei was looking at her like she was crazy. Did she acually enjoy doing something completely human in nature?
Yuusuke looked sort of thoughtful. "Yeah, actually I think I have heard of it. Isn't the owner from America or something?"
Nikai nodded and looked at the others. "As, much as I hate it, we're going to have to go shopping. C'mon." She walked out the door, with the others more or less following.
Half an hour later, all those going to the club were standing in Hot Topic. (A/N: As much as I hate that store for dragging in posers and freaks, they do have the best clothes) Nikai and Sukara sifted through the racks of clothes expertly.
"Botan!" Sukara called. She instantly ran over. Sukara held out a pair of tight black jeans with several chains. "How's this?"
"Thanks, what about this shirt?" She held up a Happy Bunny shirt with the evil Happy Bunny that said 'Cute, yet kind of scary'.
Sukara nodded. "Cool."
On the other side of the store, Hiei was sulking and Nikai was trying to get the others boys to look at the clothes she had picked out. Eventually she had to hit them.
"I am not your mother, therefore I do not enjoy picking out your clothes. But if we have to go to Tsukineko, we have to at least look punk!" she fumed. She suddenly felt a cold hand on her shoulder and she spun around. A tall boy with Benji tears and a shirt that read 'You laugh because I'm different, I laugh because you're all the same' stood there.
"Hey Nikai." He said in a bored tone, but you could still tell he was somewhat happy to see her.
"God Kan, you surprised me!" The others looked at him questioningly. 'Idiots, do they really think I'm going to introduce a felon?'
Hiei size Kan up. He didn't seem to be interested in Nikai, so he supposed he could tolerate his presence.
Kan looked around as if to make sure they weren't being watched and whispered, "Your order came in, do you want it now?"
Nikai glanced back at the team. "Yeah, where is it?" she asked quietly. He motioned towards the back and started over. Nikai followed after warning pain unbearable if the others decided to be nosy. Kan moved a curtain aside and entered the storage room. Walking to the very back, he reached into a dusty box and pulled out a small gray case. 'WARNING' in big yellow letters was visible before Nikai quickly slipped it into her cloak.
"Be careful with that stuff, I know what it can do to you." Kan said. She nodded, but didn't really listen to him. "I can help your friends with clothes if you want."
"Thank you! They are hopeless!" They walked back into the store and Kan helped the boys pick out clothes.
That night, the boys and Nikai were sitting in Yuusuke's living room, waiting for the other two girls to get downstairs. Hiei couldn't help but really like what Nikai was wearing. She had on a short black skirt with belts criss-crossing the front (A/N: Like Lulu's in Final Fantasy X, only a lot shorter. If you have never played that game, get off your lazy ass and rent it because it's great! IMO at least) and a black corset-like top that laced in the back. To finish off the look, she wore her necklace. (A/N: Or life-force, whatever you want to call it)
Tapping her foot impatiently, she yelled up the stairs, "It's nine o'clock. Can't you hurry up just a little bit?!"
Sukara yelled back, "We're getting dressed!"
"I got dressed in five minutes!" She stalked over beside Hiei on the window and leaned against the wall. Looking at the others she felt she and Kan had done a good job picking out their clothes. Yuusuke wore baggy, army-green cargo pants and a shirt that said 'Your powers are useless, I have the clowns on my side'. Kuwabara had on jeans and a T-shirt that read 'Can't sleep the clowns will eat me'. Being the polite, against-anything-remotely-punk-looking person he is, Nikai had only gotten Kurama into black jeans, a plain black t. She had quickly slipped a spiky chain over his neck to make him look a little better and now he was looking at it scornfully. Hiei was sitting on the window in his regular outfit and though she didn't know this, wondering how long it would take him to get her out of that skirt.
A few minutes later, Botan and Sukara came downstairs.
"Well, how do we look?" Botan asked. Her blue hair was down for once and she was wearing the outfit she and Sukara had picked out at Hot Topic.
"Fine." Yuusuke said without looking at her.
She put her hands on her hips. "Hmph!"
Kurama looked at Sukara as she walked over to him. "You look nice." He said softly. He was right. She had on an oriental blood red dress that came up to her knees with tiny black velvet flowers all over it. (A/N: I saw the dress Sukara's wearing at Hot Topic and it was soooo cool. But it was $30 and I don't have that kind of money. My dad wouldn't buy it for me either. Jerk.) She smiled.
"Well, lets go!" Botan said cheerily.
"Keiko's gonna kill me if she finds out about this." Yuusuke said as they walked outside
"I wish Yukina could have come." (A/N: -.-" I feel truly sorry for that poor girl) Kuwabara said wistfully.
Hiei was very glad Yukina hadn't come. From what Nikai had briefly told him, Tsukineko could be very dangerous if a fight broke out, which was pretty often. He didn't want to put his baby sister in danger.
"We must remember this is a mission," Kurama reminded them. "So be on the lookout for anything demonic." They nodded.
"But until the demon shows up, have as much fun as you want!" Sukara said. She and Nikai stopped by an alleyway.
"Where are you guys going? The quickest way is through here." Nikai said as she led them all through twisted paths until they reached a large warehouse with a sign that said 'Tsukineko' in blood red letters. In the distance, they could see a few police cars with their lights on.
"This is a nightclub?" Yuusuke asked "Why can't I hear any music?"
"Sound proof walls." Nikai said simply as she led them to the door. She opened it and the blast of music almost burst their eardrums.
'I swear the happiest day of my life is the day that I die'
'Can you feel the cold tonight'
'It sets in but it's alright'
'Darkness falls I'm letting go'
'All alone but I feel fine'
Sukara grinned. "I love this song!" They all walked in and Nikai closed the door.
"Hey, why aren't there any bouncers?" Kuwabara asked, yelling.
"Anybody can come in. The owner is really cool about that. She's from America." Nikai replied. She led them around the dance floor, full of moving bodies, to a woman with army-green cargo pants, kick-ass boots, and a shirt that said 'My imaginary friend thinks you have serious problems' (A/N: I'm wearing that outfit right now and feeling pretty good about it. Ahem, shutting up now.) She looked pretty young, maybe only fifteen or so and apparently she had ADD or something because even in all this commotion, she was completely zoned out. Nikai slammed her hand down on the turntables and she came back to earth, looking up angrily.
"What have I told y'all?! Never touch my turntables!" The girl yelled. Her voice had a heavy Texan accent. She looked Nikai over for a moment with her blue-gray eyes. "Wait, Nikai?!" She jumped up and enveloped her in a tight hug. "We haven't seen ya in like, a year!"
"Yeah, time to let go now." She said with a half smile.
The girl released her and looked at the team. "All them with you?" Nikai nodded and she stepped around her. "Call me Victoria, Nakura, or Kittyshark. Never call me Vicky or else." They nodded.
Suddenly Botan spoke up. "Aren't you a little young to be running an alcohol-selling nightclub?"
Victoria raised her eyebrows at her. "Hon, who has time for legal shit when you're running a club that rakes in a good 5 grand a week?" She turned back to Nikai. "You know what tonight is right?"
"Uh, no."
"Karaoke contest!" She suddenly pressed the pause button and the music stopped. She grabbed her mike. "All y'all freaks freeze!" They stopped dancing and looked at her. "As you know, tonight is the big karaoke contest. Well we have the queen two years running, Nikai! So be prepared for one kick-ass voice tonight!" She turned the music back on and the humans started up again. "I'll call you when it's time to sing."
Nikai beckoned them to a table in them corner. "Okay, a quick run-through, the bar's over there, the stage there, and upstairs is another dance floor." She vanished before anyone could ask about her singing.
"Where'd she go?" Kuwabara asked.
"To dance." Sukara said and pointed. Nikai was right in with everybody else, dancing and paying no attention to anything else. Botan jumped up to join her and Sukara a moment later. Yuusuke and Kuwabara got up to get drinks, leaving Kurama and Hiei.
Kurama cleared his throat. "Hiei, you're drooling."
Hiei jerked up and glared at him. Very discretely he wiped the side of his mouth. He had been staring at Nikai. She was so comfortable here in all this commotion. 'I don't see why.' It was a bit too much for him. He watched as a guy with quite a few piercings walked up to her, obviously drunk. Hiei couldn't hear what he said over the music, but smirked as Nikai socked the guy hard.
Kurama looked at him. "She's a different one, ne?"
"Hn, hai."
Yuusuke and Kuwabara came back with drinks; beer for them and Hiei and some surprisingly unsuspicious-looking water for Kurama.
"You really shouldn't be drinking." Kurama said.
"Don't worry Kurama, we're only going to have one." Kuwabara said.
Hiei snorted. "There's no such thing as 'just one' for you idiots."
"Shut up Shorty!"
"Hn." He went back to watching Nikai.
A bit later the music stopped again.
"Alright," Came Victoria's voice. "Time to get this contest started! If Nikai would give us the first song?"
They saw Nikai disappear into the crowd and reappear by the DJ. She whispered something into her ear and she nodded, handing her a mike. She stepped up on stage. Victoria placed a CD in and searched for track five. The air seemed perfectly still before the music started and Nikai began to sing.
'Long lost words whisper slowly to me'
'Still can't find what keeps me here'
'When all this time I've been hollow inside'
'I know you're still there'
'Watching me, wanting me'
'I can feel you pull me down'
'Fearing you, loving you'
'I won't let you pull me down'
'Hunting you I can smell you - alive'
'Your heart pounding in my head'
'Watching me, wanting me'
'I can feel you pull me down'
'Saving me, raping me'
'Watching me'
Nikai closed her eyes as she finished and bowed her head as she stepped down. There was tons of applause and a few whistles.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Another girl stepped up sing.
Nikai walked over to the table and sat down.
"Wow, you have a really good voice Nikai." Yuusuke said.
She smiled slightly and reached for the bottle of sake Sukara had gotten a little while ago. After she'd had some, she leaned back and closed her eyes. 'Why did I pick that song?' she wondered. She had planned on singing something a little more cheerful, not 'Haunted'. 'Does this mean I'm more worried about Shoula than I'm willing to admit?' Apparently she was, and it was showing in her singing. It was in her fighting too. She never would have used paralysis poison on Yuusuke if she hadn't been so nervous. Softly she sighed. 'Why can't he just leave me alone?'
Hiei watched the pained expression on her face. It might have been the liquor he had drunk, or it might have just been his emotions, but he had an irrepressible urge to comfort her and this time he didn't care if the others saw him. He pulled her over and put his arms around her waist. She looked up with her vibrant eyes and smiled a bit. He nuzzled the back of her neck with his nose. Hearing snickering on the other side of the table, they flicked the others off and they immediately shut up.
"Hey where's Sukara?" Botan asked out of nowhere.
They all looked around and didn't see her.
Then Nikai pointed. "Over there." Sukara was standing by Victoria, talking to her. The girl who was singing finished and gave Sukara her microphone. She stepped up as Victoria pressed play on another CD. Music completely different from Nikai's started.
'It's a new day but it all feels old'
'It's a good life that's what I'm told'
'But everything at all just feels the same'
'And my highschool it felt more to me'
'Like a jail cell a penitentiary'
'My time spent there it only made me see'
'That I don't ever wanna be like you'
'I don't wanna do the things you do'
'I'm never gonna hear the words you say'
''Cause I don't ever wanna I don't ever wanna be'
'You...Don't wanna be just like you'
'What I'm saying is this is this is the Anthem'
'Throw all your hands up'
'You...Don't wanna be you'
'Go to college a university'
'Get a real job that's what they said to me'
'But I could never live the way they want'
'I'm gonna get by and just do my time'
'Out of step while they all get in line'
'I'm just a minor threat so pay no mind'
'Do you really wanna be like them?'
'Do you really wanna be another trend?'
'Do you really wanna be part of that crowd?'
''Cause I don't ever wanna'
'No I don't ever wanna be'
'You...don't wanna be just like you'
'What I'm saying is this the Anthem'
'Throw all your hands up'
'You...Don't wanna be you'
She finished the song with a huge smile on her face. There were even more cheers and whistles than for Nikai.
"Crowd seems to like the newbie, so I guess we have ourselves a new winner! Give it up for home girl!" There were more whistles as Sukara went through the crowd. A couple of guys decided she was very pretty and ended up getting in a fight over her. No one made a move to break it up. Sukara sat down beside Kurama and Nikai glared at her.
"You beat me. I don't like being beaten."
She shrugged. "Deal with it."
Nikai shrugged as well and without another word, got up and walked to the rickety stairs. Sukara and Botan went to dance again, Yuusuke and Kuwabara went to talk to Victoria, having taken a liking to her, and Kurama was viciously dragged away by a group of girls.
Hiei decided to go look for Nikai. 'What could be wrong with her?' he wondered. 'It's obviously not just that she lost some pointless contest. He traveled up the stairs and across the other dance floor to another stairway. He could sense that Nikai had been here just a minute ago. Walking up, he came out on the roof. His cloak blew slightly in the wind and he looked around. He saw Nikai sitting, looking up at the stars, so he went over to her and sat behind her. She was so deep in thought she didn't even sense him. Hiei was very worried now. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap. Nikai jumped, but realized it was him and leaned against his upper body. "What's wrong, Itoshii?" (A/N: itoshii = beloved. If anyone sees things wrong with my Japanese, please please please tell me!!)
She ignored his question and came up with her own. "The stars, they're so far away, ne?"
He looked up. "Hn."
Nikai continued to stare at the sky. "So far..." She mumbled distantly
Hiei growled. "What's wrong with you onna?"
She finally looked at him. "Doshite?" (A/N: doshite = why)
"Aishiteru baka. (A/N: I love you idiot) Now tell me what's wrong." He ordered.
She sighed. "Why can't he leave me alone?"
Hiei knew who she was talking about. "Tell me what he's done to you." But Nikai shook her head. "Fine." He really wanted to know, because it would give him an even better reason to kill Shoula, but he wasn't going to force her.
Nikai really did love Hiei. He never forced her to do anything she didn't want to, like Shoula had. He never hurt her, like Shoula still did. She leaned back and rested her head in the crook of his neck.
Hiei ran the back of his hand down the side of her face softly. It lingered over the spot where her neck and shoulder met. He just realized there was no mark there. "He never marked you?" he asked, almost shocked.
"No, he said it was too permanent and it supposedly marred my perfect skin." She scowled. Her eyes suddenly opened as she thought about something. "Will you mark me Hiei?"
He looked at her. He wanted to more than anything, but was it really what she wanted? "Is that what you want?" She nodded. He smiled and turned her around, kissing her deeply. Once he was done exploring her mouth he trailed his lips down her neck. He placed open-mouthed kisses down its whole length. Nikai moaned softly and tilted her head to the side to give him better access. Hiei stopped for a moment. "Are you sure?"
"Uh-huh." she mumbled, after a slight pause.
Hiei sunk his fangs into her neck and felt her arms tighten around him. He didn't want her to be in pain, but it was necessary. He drank some of the blood and kissed the wound several times to heal it. He brought his head back and looked at her. Nikai brushed her lips softly against his before placing them to his pulse point. Gently she sucked on it and was about to bite down, but she hesitated.
"Hiei, I don't think I can." she whispered against his skin.
The demi-koorime was fighting to not let any disappointment show on his face. "Then don't."
Nikai looked up at him with pleading eyes. She wanted him to force her, she wanted him to make up her mind for her. But he wouldn't. "Hiei..."
There was a surge of yells from downstairs. Nikai and Hiei shot away from each other and ran back into the club. He missed the apologetic look she gave him. The humans were quickly filtering out, still screaming. Victoria was nowhere to be found.
"Hiei! Nikai!" came Yuusuke's voice. The two ran to his voice and stood by the rest of the team. A cold mist was coming from the stage and they looked over.
Nikai choked. "Shit, not him!"
MWHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Definitely a cliffhanger! Well I think the smart people in the room already know who it is and after the teaser those with lesser brains will know too. Also, to clear up some confusion, there is a major difference between punk and goth. Goths are freaks who sit around and talk about dying all the time. Punks are really awesome people who aren't afraid to have fun and rock out. Ok, just clearing that up for you loyal readers who don't have a clue. How was that chapter? Hiei marking her ties in with later stuff in case you were wondering. Also, if you found it annoying that I put those songs in there, I'm sorry, but they're some of my favs. If you also found it annoying how I described in detail about all the clothes and stuff, get over it!!! Thank you!
TT: walks in with a huge smile on her face
Carrie: looks up Finally!!
TT: grins
Hiei: walks in behind her smirking slightly
TT: goes over to read all the reviews
Carrie: Finally again!
Kurama: So Hiei, how was it?
Hiei: None of your damn business fox!
Kurama: smirks
TT: finishes reading Those were great you loyal reviewers! Don't forget to keep sending them!
Teaser taken directly from Chapter 16: She'd Give Anything
Sukara watched in fear as Shoula managed to slice Nikai's shoulder pretty deeply. Luckily it wasn't her sword arm.
Kurama looked down at Hiei. "Are you going to do anything?" he questioned.
Hiei took a moment to respond as he watched Nikai's blood drip to the floor. "Not yet." He said shortly.
Genkai's First Student by Toxic Tears
Chapter 15: In 'Da Club (I also don't own this song)
Nearly two months had passed since the group had first met Nikai in mid August. She and Yuusuke had long, animated talks about 'Grandma' that seemed to really cheer him--Yuusuke--up.
Kuwabara had come to be slightly wary around her since a case involving a group of female demons he had refused to fight. The memory of the yelling she had given him still gave the boy shudders.
Botan tried to be Nikai's friend, she really had, but it had just become too much of a hassle, so she settled with Sukara and Keiko to talk about shoes and hair. Speaking of Keiko, she and the demon girl were on good terms. Nikai respected Keiko for being able to keep Yuusuke in line and Keiko respected Nikai because she had cheered her boyfriend up considerably.
Nikai and Kurama just enjoyed being in each other's company. There wasn't anything in particular the two talked about. Though they did find that they both liked to meditate on the roof sometimes. Go figure.
Hiei came to love Nikai more every day, though he fought like hell to not show it. But it was all too obvious during their late-night make out sessions. Both of them were trying hard to not let happen what almost did when Nikai fixed Hiei's jagan, but the struggle was becoming futile.
As for Nikai herself, she was happy beyond words. She had friends, ones she could trust with her life, and that was the best feeling in every world.
One day, the team was called to Kurama's house for information on a new mission. As usual Botan was giving the briefing.
"There's a demon going to show up tonight at a nightclub and Koenma wants us to go and arrest him." She said.
Sukara, who was there as well, spoke, "Can I come too?" The water dragon had tried to come on as many missions as she was allowed to. She was a good fighter and came in handy sometimes. Botan nodded and Sukara pumped her fist.
"Can we have some more information, Botan?" Yuusuke asked.
The ferry girl shrugged. "All I was told was that we're supposed to arrest him, and the club is called Tsukineko." (A/N: Tsukineko is just two Japanese words I knew, put together. Don't ask me, I can't really speak Japanese)
"Tsukineko?" Nikai was the one to speak now. She and Hiei had been sitting on the window and she had an incredulous look on her face. "If we're going there we have to get you guys a whole new wardrobe."
Botan looked confused. "Why Nikai?"
"Because!" she exclaimed. "It's a punk/goth club!"
"How do you know?" Kuwabara asked.
Nikai looked at him and shrugged. "Because I used to go there a lot. They have the best music and the biggest fights in town. I can't believe you people haven't heard of it!" Hiei was looking at her like she was crazy. Did she acually enjoy doing something completely human in nature?
Yuusuke looked sort of thoughtful. "Yeah, actually I think I have heard of it. Isn't the owner from America or something?"
Nikai nodded and looked at the others. "As, much as I hate it, we're going to have to go shopping. C'mon." She walked out the door, with the others more or less following.
Half an hour later, all those going to the club were standing in Hot Topic. (A/N: As much as I hate that store for dragging in posers and freaks, they do have the best clothes) Nikai and Sukara sifted through the racks of clothes expertly.
"Botan!" Sukara called. She instantly ran over. Sukara held out a pair of tight black jeans with several chains. "How's this?"
"Thanks, what about this shirt?" She held up a Happy Bunny shirt with the evil Happy Bunny that said 'Cute, yet kind of scary'.
Sukara nodded. "Cool."
On the other side of the store, Hiei was sulking and Nikai was trying to get the others boys to look at the clothes she had picked out. Eventually she had to hit them.
"I am not your mother, therefore I do not enjoy picking out your clothes. But if we have to go to Tsukineko, we have to at least look punk!" she fumed. She suddenly felt a cold hand on her shoulder and she spun around. A tall boy with Benji tears and a shirt that read 'You laugh because I'm different, I laugh because you're all the same' stood there.
"Hey Nikai." He said in a bored tone, but you could still tell he was somewhat happy to see her.
"God Kan, you surprised me!" The others looked at him questioningly. 'Idiots, do they really think I'm going to introduce a felon?'
Hiei size Kan up. He didn't seem to be interested in Nikai, so he supposed he could tolerate his presence.
Kan looked around as if to make sure they weren't being watched and whispered, "Your order came in, do you want it now?"
Nikai glanced back at the team. "Yeah, where is it?" she asked quietly. He motioned towards the back and started over. Nikai followed after warning pain unbearable if the others decided to be nosy. Kan moved a curtain aside and entered the storage room. Walking to the very back, he reached into a dusty box and pulled out a small gray case. 'WARNING' in big yellow letters was visible before Nikai quickly slipped it into her cloak.
"Be careful with that stuff, I know what it can do to you." Kan said. She nodded, but didn't really listen to him. "I can help your friends with clothes if you want."
"Thank you! They are hopeless!" They walked back into the store and Kan helped the boys pick out clothes.
That night, the boys and Nikai were sitting in Yuusuke's living room, waiting for the other two girls to get downstairs. Hiei couldn't help but really like what Nikai was wearing. She had on a short black skirt with belts criss-crossing the front (A/N: Like Lulu's in Final Fantasy X, only a lot shorter. If you have never played that game, get off your lazy ass and rent it because it's great! IMO at least) and a black corset-like top that laced in the back. To finish off the look, she wore her necklace. (A/N: Or life-force, whatever you want to call it)
Tapping her foot impatiently, she yelled up the stairs, "It's nine o'clock. Can't you hurry up just a little bit?!"
Sukara yelled back, "We're getting dressed!"
"I got dressed in five minutes!" She stalked over beside Hiei on the window and leaned against the wall. Looking at the others she felt she and Kan had done a good job picking out their clothes. Yuusuke wore baggy, army-green cargo pants and a shirt that said 'Your powers are useless, I have the clowns on my side'. Kuwabara had on jeans and a T-shirt that read 'Can't sleep the clowns will eat me'. Being the polite, against-anything-remotely-punk-looking person he is, Nikai had only gotten Kurama into black jeans, a plain black t. She had quickly slipped a spiky chain over his neck to make him look a little better and now he was looking at it scornfully. Hiei was sitting on the window in his regular outfit and though she didn't know this, wondering how long it would take him to get her out of that skirt.
A few minutes later, Botan and Sukara came downstairs.
"Well, how do we look?" Botan asked. Her blue hair was down for once and she was wearing the outfit she and Sukara had picked out at Hot Topic.
"Fine." Yuusuke said without looking at her.
She put her hands on her hips. "Hmph!"
Kurama looked at Sukara as she walked over to him. "You look nice." He said softly. He was right. She had on an oriental blood red dress that came up to her knees with tiny black velvet flowers all over it. (A/N: I saw the dress Sukara's wearing at Hot Topic and it was soooo cool. But it was $30 and I don't have that kind of money. My dad wouldn't buy it for me either. Jerk.) She smiled.
"Well, lets go!" Botan said cheerily.
"Keiko's gonna kill me if she finds out about this." Yuusuke said as they walked outside
"I wish Yukina could have come." (A/N: -.-" I feel truly sorry for that poor girl) Kuwabara said wistfully.
Hiei was very glad Yukina hadn't come. From what Nikai had briefly told him, Tsukineko could be very dangerous if a fight broke out, which was pretty often. He didn't want to put his baby sister in danger.
"We must remember this is a mission," Kurama reminded them. "So be on the lookout for anything demonic." They nodded.
"But until the demon shows up, have as much fun as you want!" Sukara said. She and Nikai stopped by an alleyway.
"Where are you guys going? The quickest way is through here." Nikai said as she led them all through twisted paths until they reached a large warehouse with a sign that said 'Tsukineko' in blood red letters. In the distance, they could see a few police cars with their lights on.
"This is a nightclub?" Yuusuke asked "Why can't I hear any music?"
"Sound proof walls." Nikai said simply as she led them to the door. She opened it and the blast of music almost burst their eardrums.
'I swear the happiest day of my life is the day that I die'
'Can you feel the cold tonight'
'It sets in but it's alright'
'Darkness falls I'm letting go'
'All alone but I feel fine'
Sukara grinned. "I love this song!" They all walked in and Nikai closed the door.
"Hey, why aren't there any bouncers?" Kuwabara asked, yelling.
"Anybody can come in. The owner is really cool about that. She's from America." Nikai replied. She led them around the dance floor, full of moving bodies, to a woman with army-green cargo pants, kick-ass boots, and a shirt that said 'My imaginary friend thinks you have serious problems' (A/N: I'm wearing that outfit right now and feeling pretty good about it. Ahem, shutting up now.) She looked pretty young, maybe only fifteen or so and apparently she had ADD or something because even in all this commotion, she was completely zoned out. Nikai slammed her hand down on the turntables and she came back to earth, looking up angrily.
"What have I told y'all?! Never touch my turntables!" The girl yelled. Her voice had a heavy Texan accent. She looked Nikai over for a moment with her blue-gray eyes. "Wait, Nikai?!" She jumped up and enveloped her in a tight hug. "We haven't seen ya in like, a year!"
"Yeah, time to let go now." She said with a half smile.
The girl released her and looked at the team. "All them with you?" Nikai nodded and she stepped around her. "Call me Victoria, Nakura, or Kittyshark. Never call me Vicky or else." They nodded.
Suddenly Botan spoke up. "Aren't you a little young to be running an alcohol-selling nightclub?"
Victoria raised her eyebrows at her. "Hon, who has time for legal shit when you're running a club that rakes in a good 5 grand a week?" She turned back to Nikai. "You know what tonight is right?"
"Uh, no."
"Karaoke contest!" She suddenly pressed the pause button and the music stopped. She grabbed her mike. "All y'all freaks freeze!" They stopped dancing and looked at her. "As you know, tonight is the big karaoke contest. Well we have the queen two years running, Nikai! So be prepared for one kick-ass voice tonight!" She turned the music back on and the humans started up again. "I'll call you when it's time to sing."
Nikai beckoned them to a table in them corner. "Okay, a quick run-through, the bar's over there, the stage there, and upstairs is another dance floor." She vanished before anyone could ask about her singing.
"Where'd she go?" Kuwabara asked.
"To dance." Sukara said and pointed. Nikai was right in with everybody else, dancing and paying no attention to anything else. Botan jumped up to join her and Sukara a moment later. Yuusuke and Kuwabara got up to get drinks, leaving Kurama and Hiei.
Kurama cleared his throat. "Hiei, you're drooling."
Hiei jerked up and glared at him. Very discretely he wiped the side of his mouth. He had been staring at Nikai. She was so comfortable here in all this commotion. 'I don't see why.' It was a bit too much for him. He watched as a guy with quite a few piercings walked up to her, obviously drunk. Hiei couldn't hear what he said over the music, but smirked as Nikai socked the guy hard.
Kurama looked at him. "She's a different one, ne?"
"Hn, hai."
Yuusuke and Kuwabara came back with drinks; beer for them and Hiei and some surprisingly unsuspicious-looking water for Kurama.
"You really shouldn't be drinking." Kurama said.
"Don't worry Kurama, we're only going to have one." Kuwabara said.
Hiei snorted. "There's no such thing as 'just one' for you idiots."
"Shut up Shorty!"
"Hn." He went back to watching Nikai.
A bit later the music stopped again.
"Alright," Came Victoria's voice. "Time to get this contest started! If Nikai would give us the first song?"
They saw Nikai disappear into the crowd and reappear by the DJ. She whispered something into her ear and she nodded, handing her a mike. She stepped up on stage. Victoria placed a CD in and searched for track five. The air seemed perfectly still before the music started and Nikai began to sing.
'Long lost words whisper slowly to me'
'Still can't find what keeps me here'
'When all this time I've been hollow inside'
'I know you're still there'
'Watching me, wanting me'
'I can feel you pull me down'
'Fearing you, loving you'
'I won't let you pull me down'
'Hunting you I can smell you - alive'
'Your heart pounding in my head'
'Watching me, wanting me'
'I can feel you pull me down'
'Saving me, raping me'
'Watching me'
Nikai closed her eyes as she finished and bowed her head as she stepped down. There was tons of applause and a few whistles.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Another girl stepped up sing.
Nikai walked over to the table and sat down.
"Wow, you have a really good voice Nikai." Yuusuke said.
She smiled slightly and reached for the bottle of sake Sukara had gotten a little while ago. After she'd had some, she leaned back and closed her eyes. 'Why did I pick that song?' she wondered. She had planned on singing something a little more cheerful, not 'Haunted'. 'Does this mean I'm more worried about Shoula than I'm willing to admit?' Apparently she was, and it was showing in her singing. It was in her fighting too. She never would have used paralysis poison on Yuusuke if she hadn't been so nervous. Softly she sighed. 'Why can't he just leave me alone?'
Hiei watched the pained expression on her face. It might have been the liquor he had drunk, or it might have just been his emotions, but he had an irrepressible urge to comfort her and this time he didn't care if the others saw him. He pulled her over and put his arms around her waist. She looked up with her vibrant eyes and smiled a bit. He nuzzled the back of her neck with his nose. Hearing snickering on the other side of the table, they flicked the others off and they immediately shut up.
"Hey where's Sukara?" Botan asked out of nowhere.
They all looked around and didn't see her.
Then Nikai pointed. "Over there." Sukara was standing by Victoria, talking to her. The girl who was singing finished and gave Sukara her microphone. She stepped up as Victoria pressed play on another CD. Music completely different from Nikai's started.
'It's a new day but it all feels old'
'It's a good life that's what I'm told'
'But everything at all just feels the same'
'And my highschool it felt more to me'
'Like a jail cell a penitentiary'
'My time spent there it only made me see'
'That I don't ever wanna be like you'
'I don't wanna do the things you do'
'I'm never gonna hear the words you say'
''Cause I don't ever wanna I don't ever wanna be'
'You...Don't wanna be just like you'
'What I'm saying is this is this is the Anthem'
'Throw all your hands up'
'You...Don't wanna be you'
'Go to college a university'
'Get a real job that's what they said to me'
'But I could never live the way they want'
'I'm gonna get by and just do my time'
'Out of step while they all get in line'
'I'm just a minor threat so pay no mind'
'Do you really wanna be like them?'
'Do you really wanna be another trend?'
'Do you really wanna be part of that crowd?'
''Cause I don't ever wanna'
'No I don't ever wanna be'
'You...don't wanna be just like you'
'What I'm saying is this the Anthem'
'Throw all your hands up'
'You...Don't wanna be you'
She finished the song with a huge smile on her face. There were even more cheers and whistles than for Nikai.
"Crowd seems to like the newbie, so I guess we have ourselves a new winner! Give it up for home girl!" There were more whistles as Sukara went through the crowd. A couple of guys decided she was very pretty and ended up getting in a fight over her. No one made a move to break it up. Sukara sat down beside Kurama and Nikai glared at her.
"You beat me. I don't like being beaten."
She shrugged. "Deal with it."
Nikai shrugged as well and without another word, got up and walked to the rickety stairs. Sukara and Botan went to dance again, Yuusuke and Kuwabara went to talk to Victoria, having taken a liking to her, and Kurama was viciously dragged away by a group of girls.
Hiei decided to go look for Nikai. 'What could be wrong with her?' he wondered. 'It's obviously not just that she lost some pointless contest. He traveled up the stairs and across the other dance floor to another stairway. He could sense that Nikai had been here just a minute ago. Walking up, he came out on the roof. His cloak blew slightly in the wind and he looked around. He saw Nikai sitting, looking up at the stars, so he went over to her and sat behind her. She was so deep in thought she didn't even sense him. Hiei was very worried now. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap. Nikai jumped, but realized it was him and leaned against his upper body. "What's wrong, Itoshii?" (A/N: itoshii = beloved. If anyone sees things wrong with my Japanese, please please please tell me!!)
She ignored his question and came up with her own. "The stars, they're so far away, ne?"
He looked up. "Hn."
Nikai continued to stare at the sky. "So far..." She mumbled distantly
Hiei growled. "What's wrong with you onna?"
She finally looked at him. "Doshite?" (A/N: doshite = why)
"Aishiteru baka. (A/N: I love you idiot) Now tell me what's wrong." He ordered.
She sighed. "Why can't he leave me alone?"
Hiei knew who she was talking about. "Tell me what he's done to you." But Nikai shook her head. "Fine." He really wanted to know, because it would give him an even better reason to kill Shoula, but he wasn't going to force her.
Nikai really did love Hiei. He never forced her to do anything she didn't want to, like Shoula had. He never hurt her, like Shoula still did. She leaned back and rested her head in the crook of his neck.
Hiei ran the back of his hand down the side of her face softly. It lingered over the spot where her neck and shoulder met. He just realized there was no mark there. "He never marked you?" he asked, almost shocked.
"No, he said it was too permanent and it supposedly marred my perfect skin." She scowled. Her eyes suddenly opened as she thought about something. "Will you mark me Hiei?"
He looked at her. He wanted to more than anything, but was it really what she wanted? "Is that what you want?" She nodded. He smiled and turned her around, kissing her deeply. Once he was done exploring her mouth he trailed his lips down her neck. He placed open-mouthed kisses down its whole length. Nikai moaned softly and tilted her head to the side to give him better access. Hiei stopped for a moment. "Are you sure?"
"Uh-huh." she mumbled, after a slight pause.
Hiei sunk his fangs into her neck and felt her arms tighten around him. He didn't want her to be in pain, but it was necessary. He drank some of the blood and kissed the wound several times to heal it. He brought his head back and looked at her. Nikai brushed her lips softly against his before placing them to his pulse point. Gently she sucked on it and was about to bite down, but she hesitated.
"Hiei, I don't think I can." she whispered against his skin.
The demi-koorime was fighting to not let any disappointment show on his face. "Then don't."
Nikai looked up at him with pleading eyes. She wanted him to force her, she wanted him to make up her mind for her. But he wouldn't. "Hiei..."
There was a surge of yells from downstairs. Nikai and Hiei shot away from each other and ran back into the club. He missed the apologetic look she gave him. The humans were quickly filtering out, still screaming. Victoria was nowhere to be found.
"Hiei! Nikai!" came Yuusuke's voice. The two ran to his voice and stood by the rest of the team. A cold mist was coming from the stage and they looked over.
Nikai choked. "Shit, not him!"
MWHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Definitely a cliffhanger! Well I think the smart people in the room already know who it is and after the teaser those with lesser brains will know too. Also, to clear up some confusion, there is a major difference between punk and goth. Goths are freaks who sit around and talk about dying all the time. Punks are really awesome people who aren't afraid to have fun and rock out. Ok, just clearing that up for you loyal readers who don't have a clue. How was that chapter? Hiei marking her ties in with later stuff in case you were wondering. Also, if you found it annoying that I put those songs in there, I'm sorry, but they're some of my favs. If you also found it annoying how I described in detail about all the clothes and stuff, get over it!!! Thank you!
TT: walks in with a huge smile on her face
Carrie: looks up Finally!!
TT: grins
Hiei: walks in behind her smirking slightly
TT: goes over to read all the reviews
Carrie: Finally again!
Kurama: So Hiei, how was it?
Hiei: None of your damn business fox!
Kurama: smirks
TT: finishes reading Those were great you loyal reviewers! Don't forget to keep sending them!
Teaser taken directly from Chapter 16: She'd Give Anything
Sukara watched in fear as Shoula managed to slice Nikai's shoulder pretty deeply. Luckily it wasn't her sword arm.
Kurama looked down at Hiei. "Are you going to do anything?" he questioned.
Hiei took a moment to respond as he watched Nikai's blood drip to the floor. "Not yet." He said shortly.
