In the reviews, I received a question from A Life of Rules is No Fun (Darkfire), asking, "What is a pagan?" Well, there is no reason for it to be nosey, and I am happy to answer. A Pagan is a nature-based religion, which I guess could also be called witchcraft. Pagans, wiccans, druids, and religions like that (which are all earth religions), are religions that do not have rules through a book, like Christianity, but the world itself. We do use magick and we do cast spells, but spells are only a small portion of everything. It's about being one with the world and respecting nature. Everything had a soul; humans, animals, plants, rocks, everything. There is no true evil and we create our own destiny, for the most part. Some believe in Heaven and Hell, some don't. I for one believe that there is no Hell (but it works so much better having one in the story), but there is a Heaven, and however the person truly believes is where they go when they die. If they believe they will go to Heaven and they were 'good', they will go to Heaven. If they believe they will be reincarnated, they will be reincarnated. If they believe they're gone forever, then I guess they're gone forever. We do have our Gods and Goddesses… Gaia, the Horned God and whoever. That's only a small, basic amount of stuff… you could look some sites up. I'll leave a site on my profile for whoever doesn't want to go on a search for one (I don't own it). So, yeah. On with the story.

P.S. If anyone was offended, I was not trying to burn anyone's religions. I don't do that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho… but if I did… Oo! I'd buy a big house where we all could live!

I was tired. I had placed a failed teleportation spell, which I actually put a good deal of energy into, I had dragged around a ball and chain, and I apparently only had three glasses of blood in over a week. Tired was an understatement; I was exhausted. And I was in the arms of an ill lesbian lamia. Ill lesbian lamia? Also known as I.L.L. That just worked out almost too well.

Despite all that, I could not bring myself to slumber. Ashleigh was one reason, of course; but questions flooded my troubled mind. What does her master want from me? What all has happened in the past week? Why didn't my teleportation spell work the way it should've? Will Hiei leave me here?

My thoughts were interrupted hours later with the grip of soft, milky arms tightening around my waist and pulling me ever closer to their owner. The face I felt snuggled into my baring neck; light butterfly kisses blushed across. Somehow, I managed to withhold a whimper as I screamed in panic in my mind. Goddess… Help, please… Any tiny sliver bit of hope that I might have ever had repressed to keep me sane was probably gone now. But I continued to endure the kisses for maybe an hour until I felt a couple of pinpricks at the nape of my throat.

I yelped in surprise and frantically ebbed out of her embrace and over the floor where I landed on the iron ball painfully over the pelvic. I rolled off the iron ball and laid on my back half on the pink rug, half on the wood beneath it. I dabbed my hand on my neck and examined the proof, being only a small amount of blood from the light nip by her fangs. She had been nibbling my neck in her sleep.

I looked back at Ashleigh, realizing the ruckus made from falling and concerned of her resting. She somehow had continued sleeping soundly through all that noise, and pulled a piece of wadded blanket to herself. I sighed in relief and crawled onto the foot of the bed. At the corner, I curled up into a little ball and buried my head under my hand. There was plenty of room on the bed, but I didn't care. Hell, I obviously wanted to stay as far away from her as I possibly could and the end of the bed was my best option.

It must be about two o'clock by now, I though to myself, this has been a long morning… I was tired beyond belief, but I still couldn't bring myself to sleep. There was several times which I drifted, yet before I completely fell asleep I would involuntarily twitch myself awake to my greatest aggravation. I would groan in frustration then turn over to a new position, only to twitch awake again.

It seemed that I had finally closed my eyes when I felt myself being shook awake by delicately strong, cold hands.

"Dolly?"

I squeezed my eyes shut in attempt to ignore the child-like voice.

"Doll-y?"

No. I will not respond.

"Dolly? Wake up. We have to get ready for our evening meal."

My heavy eyelids pried themselves open and I barely propped up my body with my hands. With the last bit of my half-living strength, I tossed myself to the head of the bed and landed in a pile of pillows and an obscenely large white teddy bear; I went back to sleep. My little nap, however, didn't last very long, as I felt a light touch graze up and up… to my inner thigh.

I shrieked and leapt to the chandelier and clung to it for dear life. "What in the seven Hells, Ashleigh!" I roared; a perfect mixture of fury and terror on my face.

She frowned, "You didn't want to eat with me… I want to have fun with my dolly."

My expression morphed from mixed anger to pure wide-eyed fear in .3 second flat, "Not THAT kind of fun, you won't!"

Her visage carried a look as if she was about to cry. She was unhappy. And from what I had learned in this short time, things did not turn out well when she was unhappy. Ashleighs' eyes began to flicker in anger. Oh, shit…

"Let's get ready to eat!" I chirped as quick and as optimistic as I possibly could, "Go pick out my outfit."

Ashleigh became a little child on Yule morning when she squealed "Goody!" and rushed into the hidden closet.

A feeling of immense gravity had begun to take effect to my ankle, or become noticed. Somehow, my adrenaline had acted up enough to bring the ball and chain along with me when I leapt into the chandelier, letting my leg dangle. The chandelier jerked, and my eyes darted to the ceiling. The chain that held up the chandelier was pulling down the hook from the plastered ceiling. In fear of a temper tantrum if the chandelier fell, I dropped to the floor and landed on the balls of my feet; the ball rolled a small distance from my ankle.

I rose straight on my feet as Ashleigh re-emerged from the closet with two dresses in her hands. Both were rather puffy and porcelain doll styled, and were easy to depict whose was whose. One was a pale yellow with white lace trimmings whereas the other was a deep red with black lace trimmings. We changed into the dresses… or she changed into hers and then dressed me, and then she added accessories on the both of us.

An hour later, we were finally done, and I was garbed in the red dress, black fishnet stockings and black Mary Jane's. My makeup consisted of black eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara, and deep red lipstick. My hair was down with a black satin ribbon acting as a headband; tied at the top in a simple bow. I now was a gothic doll… a pretty one. In the short time with Ashleigh, I had even begun to pick up on the doll-face that she mastered long ago. She had made me adorable, no longer the sexy thing I was referred as by mortal males. Whether this was good or bad, I wasn't so sure, but judging the look I was receiving from Ashleigh at the moment, it wasn't the greatest thing in the world.

"So," I spoke to hopefully get her to stop staring, "What's for our meal?" I asked, "Tea?"

"Of course not!" she grinned, "That's not until teatime," Go figure… "I have something much better." She pulled out a chair at the little table and motioned me to be seated, and she sat across me.

She snapped her fingers a few times rapid-fire, and the door opened with Basil gripping on a pair of metal chains. On the end of these metal chains, he dragged two little mortal girls by the necks, probably each no older than eight. They were scared speechless.

"Oooh!" Ashleigh giddily clapped her hands together, "Yummy! Bring them over! Bring them over!"

Basil complied and jerked on the chains, making the children stumble and grip the rings around their throats before catching up to Basil reluctantly at the table.

"I hope you don't mind it I take the little yellow-haired one, Dolly…"

"Oh, no," I waved a hand, "Go ahead," I replied almost rushed. Ashleigh retrieved the blonde girls' chain as the child tried to run, but she gave the chain a playful tug and yanked the girl to the floor. The child gasped for breath and clung to the ring as Ashleigh dragged the body toward her by the neck and gripped the child's wrist. The child's hair waved behind her shoulder and I caught a glimpse of a yellow numbered tag pierced into her ear. They're homebred, I thought, Her family probably farm mortals…

I turned to Basil, who was offering the other chain to me, which I took. A child, who seemed to have learned from the other ones mistake, uneasily stepped to the chair at my left. She, like the blonde, was dressed in brown tarnished rags, her hair was raven black, straight and shoulder-length with bangs, and her dark brown eyes were filled with childish terror. Her pink flesh was covered in dirt. She looked younger than Ashleigh's meal, possibly seven years old.

Ashleigh wrenched her meal by the hair so her upper body was laid across the table. There was only a short cry as Ashleigh dove into the curve of the girls' shoulder and began to draw the sweet elixir, occasionally tugging on the flesh to maintain the bloods' constant flow. I faintly felt my child struggle within my carelessly strong grasp, but my hold didn't falter as I watched Ashleigh drain her victim dry.

She tossed the corpse onto the floor carelessly and gazed at me with innocent concern. "Dolly? Are you not well?"

"What?" I broke from my trance with a slight shake of my head.

"You haven't even touched your meal. Are you ill?" It was an awfully foolish question to decree considering there was next to no reason or possibility to be unwell.

"Oh," I shook my head, "No, no. It's just… I haven't fed from a child for—must be fifty years. I am not sure I even recall how they taste."

Ashleigh only smiled, "I promise you, they are quite luscious, Dolly. Give her a bite."

My face turned to the squirming mortal in my grip. She wanted to scream; I could easily smell it off her. The scent of fear radiated off her tiny body, arousing my bloodlust. And the fact that she knew that there was no hope for her to be saved.

With a firm clutch on her wrist, I pulled her closer to me, much more gentle than Ashleigh had been. Not wanting to deal with maneuvering around the shackle around her neck as Ashleigh had, I merely made a tighter grip around her wrist as I held it to my hungering lips; her gorgeous blue veins shone brilliantly through the thin pink casing. Without even a last glance toward the vampire doll, which was simply gazing at me; I stabbed into her wrist with my fangs.

My incisors tapped into the bloodstream, and a rush of great red warmth poured past my lips, which clasped tightly over the skin greedily. The blood of the pure innocent was intoxicating, and my primal instincts only begged for more, even as much as I received. My fangs buried deeper, and a gush of blood flowed more freely from her faint cry and tensing body, tempting me to tug at her flesh roughly. It was after several minutes of feeding when foreign sound caught my attention. A foreign sound away from my victim, Ashleigh, and Basil.

The child in my grasp fell motionlessly to the floor as my face darted toward the direction of the sound, as did Ashleigh. It came from the window, which curtains were drawn back for the soft waxing moon glow.

"Ooooh! A pretty birdie!" my eyes widened.

"Lynn…" I barely whispered as I stared at the large black raven seated on the windowsill, fluttering her glossy wings and cawing almost warningly.

Ashleigh rushed to the sill and attempted to catch the raven the way a mortal toddler would catch a firefly, and miserably failed as Lynn took flight to the chandelier.

"Come down, Birdie!" she pouted, stomping her feet childishly. Lynn hopped of the chandelier and only glided to my shoulder.

She cawed affectionately, as if to say that she was glad to see me, and I couldn't help but to smirk. No sooner had Lynn perched on my shoulder than the white door busted open.

"Miss Ashleigh!" the low ranked Makai demon guard exclaimed, "Intruders! Intruders in the ca-aggh!" the mortal demon didn't get to finish his little warning, however, due to a thorn-covered vine that wrapped itself around his throat. He was tugged back about a foot before he fell to the floor, dead and only to be replaced by the four mortals I had never been happier to see.

"Someone call for a rescue squad?" Urameshi grinned, standing confidently.

"Life! I came to save yo—" the Almighty Kuwabara was cut short by the sight in front of him. Apparently all of them were.

What they saw was myself in that cute little gothic porcelain outfit, seated on a cushioned chair at a lovely table. A butler standing to the side of me, but the bodies on the floor remained unnoticed. They all stood there with mixed expressions of stun and confusion. Ashleigh, whom they hadn't noticed yet, even after she had resituated herself in her usual seat, was glaring at the lot of them.

"Err… you did say you needed rescued, right?" the oaf asked stupidly, even though the others were most likely thinking the same.

I rolled my eyes and merely shook the chained leg, creating a bit of a rattle to direct their attention, and shrugged.

"Who are you?" she growled, and surprisingly in Japanese, "Why are you here?" her pale blue-gray eyes were glazing over to the deathly silver I recently learned not to drag on. "You're not supposed to be here!" her voice rose with hatred.

The boys finally notice the young lamia, startled. "We're taking Life back with us!" Kuwabara proclaimed heroically.

"NO!" her chair was knocked to the floor as she stood abruptly. She reached over, grabbed my wrist and pulled me close to her from across the table, "She's MY Dolly! MINE!"

"Dolly?" I heard Urameshi mutter to himself.

"Hn," Hiei smirked maliciously, "So we have to skip chatting. I have no complaints," he unsheathed his katana, "Don't take it personally when I use your blood to mop the floors."

"She's not yours," she growled, her skin ever graying and distorting, "She's Mine!" followed by a large leap over Hiei and to the disarmed carrot-top.

Her long fangs were nearly in reach of the oafs' throat when Kuramas' rose whip lashed around her ankle and flung her back against the opposite wall, into the shelves. Porcelain dolls fell from their spots on the shelves and landed all over the floor, some faces shattered on contact with the panel.

"This was much easier than I thought it would be," Hiei smirked as he clenched onto his katana in his right hand and stepped in front of her form, "Too bad. I was looking forward to a little more bloodshed," and with a simple gesture, the blade swiftly pierced through Ashleigh's chest, between the breasts.

Urameshi aimed his finger at the shackle around my ankle and shot it off with a weak spirit gun, "Why didn't you just use your magick or something?"

"There were runes cast on it," I replied monotonously, rubbing my ankle before standing, "They couldn't break from the chained."

Hiei wrenched free his katana from Ashleigh's ribcage and quickly wiped it clean on the covers of the pink bed before sheathing it and turned his back on her, "Let's go."

But I didn't move, "Hiei…"

"What?"

"You didn't kill her…"

"H—" but Ashleigh's delicate, gray corpse fingers gripped around his throat from behind; cutting off his precious air supply.

"The fuck!" Urameshi exclaimed.

Ashleigh's elongated fangs were bared for a split moment before they plunged deep into Hiei's neck. Hiei's knees nearly buckled as he attempted to break free of her hold, but to no avail. We were almost too shocked to even move and Ashleigh continued to drink.

Apparently, I was the first to snap to reality, "Ashleigh!" She ignored me. My anger rose, "Ashleigh! Stop it right now!" Yet again, she ignored me once again. Seeing Hiei's body weakening for some reason made me even more furious to my break point.

I disappeared to all eyes and reappeared behind Ashleigh. With each of my thumbs, index, and middle fingers pinched together, "I said STOP!" I struck a pressure point on each side of Ashleigh's face where the jawbone connects to the skull. Her jaw was unhitched and Hiei stumbled from her clutches, pressing a hand to his neck.

Ashleigh backed away from me with a pain stricken face, "Dolly? Why did you do that?" I didn't respond and distracted my eyes to the scene around me.

The floor possessed scattered blood splatters and two young bodies. Hiei kicked at one of the table legs, being broken with a swift crunch. Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara just stood there and stared at Ashleigh and me. And as if someone sent some silent signal, Kurama lashed out his rose whip at Ashleigh and flung her into the shelves again; another shower of dolls occurred.

Ashleigh fidgeted hastily as she crawled to her knees, "Don't take Dolly!" she screamed, "You can have any of these dolls!" she grabbed a doll on the floor and chucked it at Urameshi, who narrowly dodged it. She picked up another one and threw it at Kurama, "Take HER!" she threw another, "Take her!" and another "Take any of them!" she continued throwing more one after another, something glittering brimming her eyes.

Hiei advanced on Ashleigh, ignoring the dolls that flew by his head, the table leg held tightly in his hand in replacement of his blade. He reached out and seized her throat tightly, lifting her up eye level to himself. Ashleigh's skin paled back to its natural milk; her cheeks were dripping with water.

"Dolly…"

Then it hit me like a nascar and a concrete wall. Tears. The water was a tear. She was crying… over me? Why? A vampire can only cry once in an eternity, maybe twice. There she was, shedding countless tears… over me. She wasted her tears on me?

Hiei's grip on the stake was positioned over her heart, and between the masses of sobs, she didn't even attempt to fight back.

"Hiei."

"What the hell is it now, kyuuketsuki onna?" Hiei glared, agitated. I now stood beside him.

"Don't kill her."

"Why?" Kuwabara asked. He wasn't being ruthless, just curious.

I didn't even glance at Kuwabara, but kept my eyes on Hiei, "She's young. A child. And you know she's sick."

"Life," Kurama said, "She kidnapped you..."

"She was doing what her master told her to do," I looked at the tear stained Ashleigh, "She doesn't know what she's doing exactly."

Hiei didn't avert his burning red eyes from Ashleigh, but for some reason, I could feel him pricking into my mind. Why are you so keen to kill her? His glare intensified on the child, but didn't say anything, out loud or in my mind.

A few minutes passed and Ashleigh collapsed to the floor, "If we see her again, I hold you to blame." He turned away and walked toward the door. I made to follow, but was held back my ankle. Fore a moment I thought I was chained again until I looked down at the sobbing vampire.

"Dolly…Please don't leave me… You're my Dolly…"

I think it was pity that brought me to my knees at her level, "Ashleigh," I fought for the right words, "I'm not your dolly. You stole me. I'm their dolly," I motioned a hand toward the boys, which Yusuke and Kuwabara conveniently plastered on a wide clown smile baring all pearly whites. I nearly sweat dropped, but forced myself not to ruin the 'moment', "I need to go back."

She stared at me with pleading eyes until she pulled me into her arms, "I love you, Dolly," she murmured into my shoulder as I just knelt there; no response to the hug she had on me or anything. I only stared straight past her through it all. She let lose the embrace, "You go, Dolly."

I smirked almost warmly as I rose back to my feet. "Mommy's going to be very angry…" I heard her mumble to herself through the case of hiccoughs she picked up through all the crying. I left her behind as I began to leave with the boys through the door, "Wait, Dolly!"

The dress swished slightly as I turned back to her figure on her knees, "You said I could go…"

She rubbed the tears from her cheeks with the backside of her milky hand as she nodded, "But you need clothes. Girls clothes," her pale eyes peered up at me past her hand and her voice was slightly raspy, "I remember how they dressed you… You looked like a boy." Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I caught the Fool Duo snicker as Ashleigh rushed to the closet.

She came back with two dresses: the green one I wore the night before and a more casual black one. It actually didn't look half that bad. It certainly wasn't as puffy as any of her other dresses, but slightly width-like nonetheless and loose enough around the skirt for plenty of legroom still. The top of it was high and had no sleeves, but a long-sleeved charcoal gray shirt was beneath it with faintly ruffled cuffs and loose ruffle of a turtleneck. All in all, it would have looked very good with my trench and maybe some manageable stiletto boots… hell, it would have looked good with the Mary Jane's I was wearing right at the moment.

She set the dresses in my hands as she desperately tried to fight back her remaining tears, but proved useless when she shoved past the boys and ran out the door with loud wails that could be heard till she was some hall away. A twinge of guilt resided inside me, but it did not surface and was shoved to the corner of my mind.

"Life?" Kurama spoke.

I snapped from my trance, "What?"

"What you said earlier... Are those really the reasons you had Hiei spare her life?"

I directed my eyes to the floor, "Some…"

"Then what else is there?" the detective interrogated.

I shrugged, "It doesn't matter…" I glanced back at the boys who shared looks of longing for information, which I didn't give. "Well, let's get back. I must see Mum." I started to walk out the door with the boys… until…

"Hey, guys!" I turned around. Kuwabara was still in the room next to the broken table.

"Deciding to waste our time, baka?" Hiei sneered.

"Are these supposed to be dead?" he pointed to the corpses on the floor.

I gave him a quizzical look, "Yes. Your point?"

"I'm no doctor, but I just saw this one move," he directed us to the girl with black hair.

"You're seeing things, Kuwabaka. Let's go," Yusuke said, aggravated.

"Wait…" the scents my nostrils had been filled with finally received attention. How could I have missed it? Her blood reeked of life.

"He's right. I smell it. She's alive," Kurama spoke as he re-entered the room.

"Aye'," I agreed, still astonished that my senses hadn't alarmed me.

Cautiously we all stepped back into the room and I knelt by the child. I could hear her heart beat… barely. I propped her head on my lap. The child's eyes were half-opened, and fear could be barely traced in her eyes as much as she felt it when she saw me. But her dark brown orbs kept losing their focus. "I thought I killed her..." my voice was croaky and distant.

Kurama stood over me, "She's alive, but only just. You took a lot of her blood, Life. There is no way she will survive I'm afraid."

"That settles it then," Hiei proceeded toward the child and myself, his katana became unsheathed, "I'll put her out of her misery."

"Hiei, are you crazy!" Urameshi yelled, "She's just a kid!"

"Which is why she shouldn't suffer."

Yusuke opened his mouth to retaliate but closed it again. He knew Hiei was right; I didn't have to waste my magick to read his mind to know that was what went through his mind. I gazed down at the little girl on my lap. Each breath she took was struggled. This was why I hadn't fed from a child in over fifty years; I felt pity for them, and to feel pity for a meal just spoils it. I hated to see an infant suffer.

"I have an idea," eyes turned to me. I kept my eyes on the girl, however. I gently tucked a tangled strand of hair behind her ear, "Sweetie," my voice was a caring tone that almost couldn't be acted, next to a whisper, "Sweetie, what's your name?"

The girl seemed to have done her best to look back at me, but her eyes kept losing their focus, "U- Um- Umeko..." she choked.

"Umeko," I spoke, "I have a medicine, and it'll make you all better. Do you want to feel better?" She didn't speak, only giving me a short nod. "Okay then. Open your mouth," she did and I held up my wrist, looking around the room.

Hiei, who was standing next to me, still had his katana in hand, resting limply at his side. I swiftly grazed my wrist down the sharp end of the blade, leaving a deep bleeding gash on my wrist. Taken aback, Hiei pulled back his katana, but it didn't matter to me. I held my arm, wrist down, over Umeko's mouth. The blood dripped into her mouth in a rhythmic pattern. At first, it only settled on her tongue, but after a few moments, she responded to the liquid.

Her little hands reached out for my arm and pulled it to her hungry mouth. Her teeth clamped over my wrist, her teeth began to dig into my skin in hopes of drawing out more blood. The gang was watching in revulsion.

"What is she doing?" Kuwabara asked the others in a repulsed voice, "Life, what's going on?"

I didn't answer; I was wincing slightly in pain from the little girl's biting. Umeko only grew hungrier the more blood she acquired from me; making me weak and a little lightheaded.

"Umeko, that's enough," I gasped, but she didn't stop, "Umeko, stop! Enough!" I managed to wrench my arm away from her grasp. I found myself on my hands and knees, gasping in lack of oxygen and a bit exhausted, but I forced myself onto my feet and looked from the boys who were focused on Umeko, to Umeko herself.

She was breathing heavily, gasping for air, and digging her nails into the rug. She was in far more pain than I was in. My ears were filled with deafening scream from her lungs. She screamed over and over again until I thought she would go mute.

"Life!" Kurama asked panicked, "What's happening to her!" he yelled over her voice.

"Have you ever seen Interview with the Vampire?" I asked, "Her body's dying," I didn't bother waiting for their response, "It'll be over soon enough." I remained my calm composure the entire time I spoke.

A few minutes passed and then screaming faded. It was as if someone pressed the mute button on the back of her neck or something. She was no longer gasping for air or digging her fingers into the floor. The boys watched bewildered, as the split ends in her hair disappeared and her hair became an even length, and even as she was smothered in dirt and grime her hair seemed to become glossier. Her dark brown iris's seemed to melt into a lighter golden brown, seemingly grunge orange; her skin paled to the same milky tone as mine. And the last visible change? Her canines grew into a pair of sharp, deadly fangs.

"You didn't…" Urameshi's eyes narrowed at me.

"She's alive, isn't she?" I nearly snapped back at him.

Umeko sat up and looked at me expectantly, "I want more."

"I'm sorry, Umeko," I reached for her hand and pulled her onto her feet, "But you will just have to wait. There is nothing to eat here."

She turned her head around every which way, "What about him?" she pointed to Hiei, "Can I have him? He looks good."

"I guarantee you, he's delicious," I smirked at Hiei as he glared back, "But those boys aren't food."

"Can we go now?" Kuwabara griped.

"Baka," Hiei snarled, "It's your fault we're still here."

"Then let's go!" Urameshi hollered from the doorway.

I pulled Umeko on my back for a piggyback ride, and we all finally left.

ooo

Apparently, Kurama had left a trail behind in the halls of the castle, so getting out was all about following the plants growing out of the marble floor. We all made it outside with no encounters as we made our way the forest that surrounded the castle. I took a glance back, "So I was in a castle... It's so pretty…"

Okay, imagine the castle as one of those 'creepy' ones in horror films that just give off the oh-my-goddess-we-are-gonna-die aura. The gang stared at me as if I belonged in an asylum, because apparently the oh-my-goddess-we-are-gonna-die aura was actually getting to them… ex-nay on Hiei.

"What?"

Yusuke shook his head, "Nothing. Nothing..."

I snorted, "Hn. Whatever…"

Mountains and forest surrounded the castle on a cliff; there was no trace of civilization, other than the fortress itself. The night sky was enclosed with dark clouds.

"How do we get back?" I asked.

"Well," Kurama spoke, "We followed Lynn to get here, so we're not so sure where we're at."

"Lynn?" I glanced at the raven who was now perched on Hiei's shoulder, pecking at his hair. She's such a smart creature.

"But getting back won't be as difficult, thankfully," he finished.

Yusuke reached into his pocket and pulled out the compactor. The screen flickered and Koenma appeared, "Did you find her, Yusuke?"

"Yeah, we found her. Make us a damn portal already, Binky Breath!" Koenma scowled as a portal appeared and we all hopped through.

We all landed in Koenma's office. The boys all took their seats, except Hiei, who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed; Lynn still on his shoulder. Koenma in his teenage form was seated behind his desk.

"Life! Good to see you're back and well..." his voice broke at the sight of the little girl in rags attached to my back. Koenma soon regained his composure "And who is this, may I ask?"

I slung the girl off my back and gently nudged her toward Koenma's desk. She turns back to me, looking for reassurance, "It's okay," I spoke unusually sweet, "Tell him who you are."

She nodded hesitantly and turned to Koenma, "My name is Umeko," she mumbled timidly, "N—number 37455," she pulled back her hair from her right ear and showed the tag pierced into her ear, as if to prove she wasn't lying.

I heard the duo murmur to each other, wondering what the purpose of the tag was, but neither received answers. "Umeko?" Koenma spoke soothingly, "How old are you, Umeko?"

"Seven," her voice rose only the slightest.

"I see," he fixed his eyes on me and ditched the calm tone, "You made her into a vampire."

"I had no choice," I replied monotonous, "If I didn't she would've died."

"You know th—"

I held up a hand to silence him, "Perhaps we should discuss this in lesser company," and a pause, "And after I see Mum."

"Then I think we should discuss this tomorrow night."

"Why?"

"Because I would like you to send your mother down here after your talk with her."

I stared at him, "Hn. Fine, whatever…"

"You all may go. Life, sunrise will be in a few hours."

"Which reminds me," I turned, "Have a nice coffin brought to my room? For Umeko, of course. You know how homemade vamps are."

"Fine!" Koenma's patience lost, "Just go!"

"Sorry! You don't have to get all snippy," Urameshi mocked and with a few chuckles, we all left the office toward the bedrooms.

"I'm hungry!" Umeko complained as we drew near our rooms.

"I know," I coaxed, "But there isn't anything to eat here... We'll go out to eat together in the evening, okay?" She groaned but nodded. "Okay, let's go see my Mum." We departed to my mothers' room as the boys all stagger off into their own. Her room was clean and almost untouched, but Mum was nowhere in sight.

"Mum?" there was a shuffle and I glanced up at the ceiling. She was resting mainly on her chin and shoulders as she held her arms out for support and had her legs bending over her head and on the ceiling next to her hands. "What are you doing?" I asked exasperated.

She barely moved, "Yoga," her voice was low from the pressure, "On the ceiling…"

"Why?"

"I've been waiting for you," her legs swiftly swung downward and she gracefully dropped to the floor, "I couldn't leave. Koenma wouldn't let me." She sat down on the bed and peered behind me at the little child clinging to my dress, "Who's this?"

"Umeko," I answered, "She was from a farm. Bred," I showed her the tag on Umeko's ear.

"Hello, Umeko. It's very nice to meet you," she smiled, "Come here, let me get that tag off you."

Umeko inched her way over to Mum for the tag to be removed. It healed almost instantly. "You sired her?" it came more of a statement even though it was meant as a question, "You aren't keeping her, are you?"

I glowered at her, "Why wouldn't I? I'm all she has left."

"Alright. I was just wondering. I think she's adorable," we both watched Umeko wander around the room for a while, "So, what happened?"

I told her everything that happened from the time I were kidnapped to becoming Umeko's sire. "I see," she says, deep in thought.

"Something wrong?"

"Well, no, I don't know really... Woodruff, you said?"

"Yeah, you heard?"

"Kind of, I'm not sure. It sounds familiar... Then again, I have been around since the fifteenth century."

There was a few minutes of silence, "Well, sunrise is in less than an hour. I think we should turn in," I grabbed Umeko's hand and made my way to the door, "Oh, and Koenma said he wanted to see you in his office after we finished talking."

"What for?"

I shook my head "He didn't say."

I guided Umeko into my room. Resting on the floor next to my bed was a black glossy coffin. It looked awfully comfy. Soft white cushion walls and three white fluffy pillows. I helped Umeko into the coffin, "Sleep sweet," I said right before I closed it. I didn't bother changing out of the dress; I fell into the Land of Unconsciousness the moment my head hit the pillows.

ooo

My eyes fluttered open to someone nudging me. "Mommy, I'm hungry!"

Mommy? I thought, Well, it's not Sweet Cheeks…

"Mommy! Get up! I'm hungry!"

"Alright, Umeko!" I hollered into my pillow, somewhat grumpy.

I dragged myself out of bed, "We'll leave in a half hour." I went into the bathroom, showered; brushed my teeth and hair, and other necessities. Twenty minutes later, I came out in a towel. I glanced at Umeko as I fished for clothes. She was still wearing filthy rags. I tossed her my only remaining pair of baggy black pants and my black baby-tee. "Put them on for now," I said, "We'll go shopping." Digging through your drawers again I could only find my hunting outfit, my pajamas, and the pink top that I had found in my pocket over a week ago. Groaning to myself, I forced myself in the leather pants and tied on the pink top. It felt odd being that close to nude; I found my trench, slid it on, and for once tied it closed.

I turned to Umeko and chuckled at the sight of her desperately trying to hold up the pants. I opened my belt drawer: the fullest drawer I owned, to find it completely empty. "What the…" How could someone lose like fifty belts!

I picked up Umeko, who was still figuring out how to hold up the pants, and walked into Hiei's room. He wasn't there and seemed to be untouched. I checked all the other boys' rooms to find no life. I found my way to the living room. Hiei was on the windowsill, Urameshi and Kuwabara were watching the tele' with Kuri on his lap, and Kurama and Botan were playing a game of Speed. None of them noticed me, yet…

"Where are my belts!" I screamed, causing everyone to jump some distance.

"What do you mean, Life?" Botan asked politely from her spot on the floor with the vulpes.

I glared at them all, "I had a drawer filled with over fifty belts. I go in there to get one for Umeko, and NONE of them are there!" I caught a certain someone sniggering out of the corner of my eye. I step in front of him and glared menacingly, "Yusuke? Do you know where my belts are?" with a venomous tone.

Yusuke shook his head, "No, can't say I do."

I set Umeko down and she continued to fumble with the pants. I took a seat on Yusuke's lap and kept my eyes locked on his, "Umeko? What does Mama say about little boys who tell lies?"

"I don't wanna say!"

"What does Mama say?"

Umeko sighed "Little boys who tell lies will burn in the fiery pits of Hell with a domineering mother and an absent father."

"That's right. Good girl," still looking at Yusuke, "Yusuke, are you going to burn in the fiery pits of Hell with a domineering mother and an absent father?"

"No?" he choked.

"Give me my belts."

"I can't do it right now."

"Fine," everyone went wide-eyed when my hands went to the front of his pants, "I'll take yours then," I took his belt off and turned to Umeko to help her put it on.

"We are going out to eat. We should be back in about an hour. What time is it?"

Kuwabara checked his watch "9:30."

"Okay. I'll be seeing you all."

I left the palace to unknowingly have Hiei tail after me.

ooo

I gave Umeko a piggyback ride to the Ningenkai portal, and hopped from tree to tree through the forest and to the city. I set Umeko down in the crowded sidewalks and we began stepping down the crowded night streets.

"Now, Umeko. Hunting in cities is really simple. All you have to do is lure a person to you in a non-crowded place and take your snack."

"But the whole place is crowded…"

I pointed to a few alleys, "For the most part, those are always empty. Here, let me get you your first meal," I sat her behind a dumpster near the entrance of one of the alleys, "Watch." I stood at the entrance of the alley casually. I grabbed the wrist of a woman walking by and pull her into the alley, "Shizuka, is that you! Oh my! You look great! Did you lose weight? It's great to see you again!"

The woman was confused and a bit frightened, "Um… sorry. But I think you have me mistaken for somebody else..." I slammed her against the wall with one hand over her mouth. Her frantic struggled and her attempts of screaming were futile.

"Umeko, give her a try," she grabbed the woman's tan wrist and bit down. "Very good, Umeko!" I encouraged a few minutes later when the woman fell to the ground. Umeko, with blood stained teeth, smiled, looking very proud of herself.

"Shame on you, kyuuketsuki onna," a familiar soothed from behind me, "Continuing to break rules."

I turned and narrowed my eyes at him, "Well, rules are meant to be broken, Hiei."

Hiei was leaning against the opposite brick wall of the alleyway with his hands tucked into his pockets. "I take it you're babysitting?" I cocked an eyebrow and slipped a smirk.

"Of course… and Umeko," he leered.

I snatched another passerby from the sidewalk casually and reverse hand-chopped him in the temple. The mortal went limp in my hands. "Hungry?"

He glared, "Suit yourself then." I bit into the males' collarbone and drank my fill, which was not much; I did leave him alive, however. I let the body drop to the ground with a thud.

"We're leaving?" Hiei asked impatiently.

"We got stuff to do first," I replied, "Let's go, Makai Boy."

"Hn," he crept close to my ear as we three left the alley, "I'm not here to take orders from you, Sweet Cheeks."

ooo

The three of us were back in Spirit World by 10:30 with a couple of shopping bags full of clothes.

"And those are for…?"

"Umeko," I finished for the Duo, "She didn't have any." I stood by the couch watching Urameshi and Kuwabara play a game I understood as Halo 2 while I waited for Umeko to get out of the lavatory from changing into her new clothes. I needed my only good pants back. This Halo 2 didn't seem all that appealing, and I was relieved that I could soon be distracted from it by none other than Botan, who entered the room.

Accompanying Botan was my mum, "Koenma has been waiting to talk to you, Life. And he wants to talk to all of the detectives afterwards."

We all nodded. I looked to Mum and a thought struck me, "Were you in Koenma's office all day?"

"What?" she snapped out of a trance from the tele' apparently, "I mean, yes. The windows in the hall were open and the sun rose by the time we finished talking."

I shrugged it off as the lavatory door creaked open, "How do I look, Mommy?" She wore a flow-y navy skirt that reached her toes and a black long-sleeved shirt that read "My parents got me at a flea market!" next to a picture of cardboard boxes and a teddy bear.

I grinned, "You look adorable."

"Mommy!" the boys and Botan exclaimed.

"Got a problem with that?" I growled menacingly. I looked back at Umeko, "Me and the boys have to go talk to Koenma. Why don't you hang out with my mum, okay?"

"Okay!" she beamed. She grabbed Mum's wrist and lead her down the halls and away from sight.

ooo

The Reikai Tantei remained outside the door as I entered the office.

"Life," Koenma acknowledged my existence, "Sit."

I took a seat in a chair directly across his teenage figure. Koenma stamped a few more papers before setting it all asides.

"Life. You made Umeko a vampire," he spoke seriously.

"I'm a bit more than vaguely aware of that…" I grumbled.

"You are aware it is forbidden," he snapped, "I know that changing the young is illicit to your kinds' laws. And do not take me for a fool."

"She would have died," I retaliated.

"Which would have been much better than what she has to put up with now," he reacted, "She is only seven years old! She is young and defenseless. She will never be able to live alone."

"I know this!" I roared, standing upright and flinging the chair across the room, "Stop lecturing me! I will take care of her!"

"Can you! You barely have the time to be with your mother anymore and you haven't even had a mission yet!" he too, rose from his seat, holding himself up with the desk, "Would you even be bothered for her!" He huffed a few breaths, calming himself down, "I have made my decision," he spoke at a much lower tone than previously, "She will see daylight."

The door slammed open and Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama stormed in; Hiei strolling behind.

"Koenma, are you serious!" the detective yelled, "You can't kill her!"

"Yeah!" Kuwabara agreed, "She's too cute!"

"Seriously, Koenma, take a child's life?" Kurama reasoned, "It sounds a bit rash…"

"Hn."

"A bit rash?" Koenma clarified, "Kurama, do you know the laws of her world? I don't know many, but I know fully well of this one. If there is an underage homemade vampire, others will show no hesitation to put it out of its misery. Some will actually go out of their way to do so! And if they found out the sire, surely, some will kill them, too!"

"But we can all take care of her!" Yusuke cried, "Constant watch and we'll take out anyone who stands in our way. You know we can do that!"

"Please!" the Duo dropped to their knees as Kurama, Hiei, and myself managed to maintain our dignities.

Koenma groaned, "Fine! Fine! You happy? You all always somehow manage to get your way!"

"Yes!" the Duo cheered aloud and I inwardly did as well. But the twitch didn't manage to stay away from my lips, same with Kurama, and Hiei even tried to pay less attention than usual.

"Now," Koenma broke up the celebration, "News for all of you… or more for Life and Hiei," he tossed a hanger carrying a long black trash bag to the two of us.

"What are these?" I questioned.

"Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara already have these," he replied.

"But what are they?" Hiei asked.

Koenma grinned broadly, "Your uniforms."

Wow, that's the chapter. It's actually not as long as the last chapter was, but I was busy for a while. Sorry about that. I've decided something… If at least 5 people don't review, I'll stop writing! Yes, pay attention to the bold letters. Heed their words.

REVIEW, PLEASE!

The Hidden Pagan (a.k.a. Seira Relur)