Happily Ever After

"We have reason to believe that the human side may be the next target; there's so much life energy easily obtained there. For now we just have to wait. Yusuke and Kuwabara, go home, but keep an eye out for anything strange. Hiei, we need Miya on this!"

"Sorry, not happening."

Koenma's mouth dropped open.

"But…"

"I said it's not happening. I do not believe it would be wise to involve her in this. She cannot handle it in her present state and I don't plan to test it."

"Hiei! It's life and death here! I know you don't care about humans but have a heart!" Hiei remained stubbornly silent. "Yusuke, reason with him!"

"Hiei," Yusuke began tentatively, well aware of the koorime's temper, "don't you think it's a little over the top. I mean, I know you want to protect her and all but…"

"But nothing. I know she'll agree, that's why I'm not asking." Hiei made a bee-line for the door but paused with a sneaky smile on his face. "I have to consider what's best for the baby."

Everyone stared at the door; Hiei vanished and for a while, no one moved.

"Baby!" Koenma yelled looking accusingly at the other two as if they had deliberately hid this piece of information from him. "WHAT BABY!?"

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Miya was practically giddy. Hiei had insisted they come back to the castle the moment he found out. She had argued and reasoned but he would hear none of it. It was bad enough that she insisted on coming with him in the first place. No woman of his was going to be tracking or fighting while carrying a baby.

Yukina was thrilled; Chi was worse. The news spread like a wildfire through the castle. Miya was pregnant!

The ice-yokai rushed around like a mad woman fixing up a room just off of Miya's, getting a crib built, getting clothes, toys…everything imaginable that a baby could want or need. On more than one occasion Miya had to remind her that she was only having one baby, not sextuplets. And each time Yukina waved her off with the same excuse. She was going to be an aunt and the whole purpose of an aunt was to spoil nieces and nephews rotten. Miya had to sit down and laugh when Yukina suddenly appeared with eight different shades of pink and twelve different shades of blue wallpaper for her to choose for the baby's room.

"One of each!" she insisted, "so it doesn't matter what gender the baby is."

"Yukina, I won't be having the baby for another three or four months." Yukina didn't seem to hear.

"I wonder if shades of purple would be better."

"YUKINA! Don't you have other things to do?"

"Oh ,yes! Here, I've made a list of as many names as I can think of. Take your time in choosing!" By now Miya couldn't contain her laughter.

"Yukina, you are insane!" Yukina giggled too.

"I am, aren't I? ... So, do we go with purple?"

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If Hiei were to imagine a perfect life, he wouldn't have to change a thing. He had always wondered what had possessed Kurama to marry and have a family. Families tied you down. They got in your way, prevented you from being free. Right now Hiei wouldn't trade what he felt for the world. Finally he understood what Kurama felt.

Miya…he never thought he could feel this way about somebody but here he was, just risked getting his arse fried by Koenma to protect her…and her baby…and their baby. He froze just outside his palace. The thought finally sunk all the way home. He was going to be a father! He chuckled to himself.

Never thought I'd hear myself say that! He rushed inside. As he rounded the corner to their room he saw Miya, standing on a chair, trying to put a bag of baby clothes in a top corner.

"Kami, Miya! What the hell are you doing!? Get down now!" With a slight growl she stepped down and faced him with a glare.

"I was trying to put some stuff away. It would have been much easier if I could just grow a plant to stick it up there but somebody has forbidden me to use my spirit energy, remember?" He grabbed to bag from her and tossed it up where she was trying to put it.

"How many time have I got to tell you…"

"Hiei, did you expect that the evil shelf would attack me?!?! Give me a break already; I'm pregnant, not invalid! He ignored her.

"You need to pay more attention to potential dangers. What would have happened if you fell off the damn chair?" She crossed her arms.

"I would have done a back flip and maybe a hand-spring for good measure and land neatly and expertly on my feet. You know, exactly the same way I've been landing for my entire life!" He snorted.

"You are the most impossible woman to invade my home." Miya smirked and marched off, pausing in the doorway to do a back-flip, just to see the koorime's face. "MIYA!" She smiled sweetly.

"Yes? Is there something you need?" He merely growled and she laughed. He was so easily angered and it was just so fun to see him throw a fit.

Hiei watched her for a moment, a half smile on his face. She finally noticed he was staring.

"What's so interesting?"

"That's the first time I remember hearing you laugh. It's annoying; knock it off." She couldn't help but laugh again before disappearing.

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She stared out her window, much more interested in the outside world than her homework. Kiete watched her, this unnamed girl caught up in a daydream. He wondered what she thought about: that special someone, a future that would never come…

She blinked, startled from her reverie by a dove flying into her closed window. It fell, crumpled to the floor.

Sometimes the most innocent in appearance among us are those to be feared the most. Beware the wolf in the flock.

She ran to the window, flinging it open. She reached down and carefully picked up the motionless bird.

"Oh Kami! Please don't let it die!" She pulled it inside and closed the window. Suddenly it looked up at her with burning red eyes and flew into her mouth. Its body constricted itself into an oblong, forcing its way inside. She tried to scream but couldn't make a sound. She stood for a moment, frozen, eyes and mouth shining red. A circle of light appeared in her chest, centered between her pert breasts. From this circle a raven flew, a light-blue swirling mass of energy clutched in its beak.

Her body fell backward as the bird phased through the closed window and a few flaps of its wings landed it beside Kiete's perch on the roof. It dropped the ball of energy into its master's outstretched hand.

Kiete's fingers closed around the ball. Her screams echoed in his mind and slowly faded to silence, energy seeping into his body.

She had been both young and beautiful and her memories recorded that she never failed to use her body to her advantage. Kiete groaned as the sensuality of her teenage mind filled his own. With his eyes closed he could vividly see her naked in his mind and he imagined touching her, taking her. Perhaps he had been too hasty; he was still human after all.

Hikari had taught him how to suppress this hunger but Banshi was his sensei now. He would succeed in his task first, then experiment with all the things he wasn't allowed at the dojo.

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Miya sat in the garden in the centre of the castle. Sunlight filtered through the overhead leaves, painting the floor different shades of green. Her feet dangled in the pool, creating ripples in the water. Idly she sighed. There was absolutely nothing she could do without Yukina, Hiei or Chi appearing and vetoing it. She was starting to feel like a porcelain doll: too dainty to be of any practical use. She was only five going on six months into the pregnancy and already everyone was going crazy. She was afraid what would happen once she got to eight, almost nine months. She was basically hiding in the garden in the hopes no one would look for her there. Attention was nice but too much made her nervous.

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Sometimes the most innocent in appearance among us are those to be feared the most. Beware the wolf in the flock.

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She tucked her hair behind her ear. It was getting longer, growing faster than she thought it would. Already her once crowning glory was regaining some of its old beauty.

"Who am I?"

Miya sat bolt upright and looked around. The child's voice echoed in her ear. Nobody was there. She got up and walked around but she was quite alone. No one else was in the garden with her. But she was certain she heard someone.

"Who am I?"

There it was again, that small voice tugging at her mind…

With a start she realized that she wasn't hearing the voice at all. It was a telepathic broadcast; someone was communicating directly with her mind. But there was only one person who could do that.

"Hiei, are you there?" There was no answer. She decided to try mentally. "Hiei?"

"Hiei…is that who I am?" Miya looked puzzled. This was definitely not Hiei.

"Where are you?"

"I don't know…I don't know anything. Can you help me?"

"Hold on, I'm going to trace your signal."

"Trace my signal?"

"I'm going to find where you are. Don't worry."

Miya closed her eyes and focused all her telepathic ability on the other person.

"This can't be right!" All her broadcasts bounced back. It seemed that all telepathic ability originated from her! "I'm sorry, I can't find you. Give me a sign; let me know where you are." For a moment there was nothing. Miya was beginning to worry; was she imagining things?

Without warning she felt a sharp pain in her middle.

"Have you found me yet?" One hand rested on her stomach and her eyes narrowed. Babies don't start kicking yet but hers just…Kami!

"Can you do that again?" There was another pain as the baby inside her kicked. Her hand pressed against her stomach and she could feel the mental images of a tiny hand pressing back.

"Have you found me yet?" She nodded as tears of happiness formed.

"Yes, I've found you!"

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You forget, little one, that in order to have a silver lining one must have a cloud. You've let your guard down and I am free to attack. Pity, what happened to the fighter I want to challenge? You insult me by making it all too easy. Maybe if I give you another chance to defeat me…what would you do with it?