Memoir
Summary: Sequel to "Forgotten." "Time really does change everything, doesn't it? Hard to believe I'm the same person." Hiei/OC
Author's notes: Hmm…coffee. Well, I had a good day off. But it's nice to be writing again. Although, this chapter is probably going to be a bit short. Sorry. Actually, I'm going to try to get a lot of work done this week, because I'll be out of town and unable to update after Saturday. I won't be able to post again until the next Saturday, and maybe not until after that. That being the case, I guess I'll stop stalling here. I just want to be sure that I thank my reviewers!
DarkArcheangel: Yes, pity upon the little boy. As to when Hiei is going to show up again…. Well, I hadn't intended to tell that, but since you asked, it'll still be a while. He won't show up for another four or five chapters. Please don't send hamsters. My cats won't be able to take it. And I have more plastic spoons than I could ever need. Thanks for the review.
ImParanoid: I'M UPDATING, I'M UPDATING! A bit demanding, aren't we? That's okay; I need it every so often. Like I told DarkArcheangel, it'll be four or five chapters before we see Hiei. He doesn't come in until around chapter nine, I think. Sad, I know. I'm anxious for her to see him too. Keep on reading and reviewing.
sillylittlenothing: Wow, you read deep, don't you? That's good. I would love to answer your questions about the little boy (I suppose I'll have to give him a name eventually…), but I have to let the story do that, I'm afraid. It's nice to know the path that you're thinking along: it helps me to know if things are going the way I want them to. And I guess they are. Thanks for the review; keep on reading!
brezzybrez: Thanks for the review. I hope you like this update. Read and review.
MikoHatome: Quite freaky, I suppose. I feel sorry for him, too, but, well, if the story is to progress, then it had to work out that way. Glad you enjoyed the chapter. I hope you like this one, too.
BlueWater26: Ha, I'm the same way—only it's not so much fear of death as it is fear of pain. And I imagine it would be quite painful to be killed by a yokai. Don't worry about rambling in reviews (that goes for all reviewers). I like to hear what you guys think. Thank you for the rating. How nice of you! Can't wait to see your next review.
UmmeiGenkai: Thanks for the compliment. I hope you enjoy this chapter also. Thanks for reviewing
Thanks people; I hope I don't disappoint you.
Part Five: Sharing the Light
The lights in Koenma's office were bright and obnoxiously so. Akiko cradled her forehead in the space between her thumb and index finger, hoping that the rest of her hand would shade her eyes.
Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara and Akiko sat in the office in silence. Bits and pieces of what Akiko had seen of the little boy's death ran trough her head; she shivered, anxiety and exhaustion slowly taking their toll.
"Little spooked, aren't you?" Yusuke's voice asked her.
"You could say that," she said. "This place is strange."
Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, you never get used to it."
"You've been here before?"
"Yeah. So have you."
"What? No I haven't."
"What do you mean? Yeah you have. You came here three years ago. Don't you remember?"
Akiko shook her head.
"Weird. You sure? Cause I know you came here—Koenma remembers you."
"Yusuke, there's a lot of stuff that I don't remember from three years ago."
"Yeah, but this isn't the kind of place you forget."
"Neither was Tierra des Ángeles. But I don't remember anything about it."
"There's a reason for that," a new voice broke into the conversation.
Both of them turned to see Koenma entering the office.
"After Tierra des Ángeles was destroyed and Paciencia's destiny fulfilled, her presence in you and her memories disappeared. The memories about when you came here were tied to Paciencia's, so after she was put to rest, they vanished." Koenma studied Akiko as he sat down in his desk.
"So," the Reikai prince said, looking from face to face. "What brings you all here?"
"A ghost," Kurama stated. "It seems that a child murdered by a yokai has taken to haunting the city. If possible, we'd like to see if there's a file on the child."
Koenma nodded. "What's the child's name?"
"Itaka Nari," Akiko said, recalling the name from the gravestone. "He was six years old when he died." She stopped speaking when she noticed the look of shock on Koenma's face. "You know who we're talking about?"
"Yes, actually," Koenma said slowly. "The death of Itaka Nari is a famous case. We never figured out exactly what happened to him. Not even nine hundred years after the fact."
Yusuke spoke up. "Wait wait wait, so you didn't know this kid was killed by a yokai?"
"Of course we knew," Koenma replied, narrowing his eyes. "Nothing else could have… mutilated him so. But we've yet to figure out why the yokai killed him, or even which yokai did it."
"That's unusual," Kurama frowned. "Yokai are rarely discreet about killings. Surely someone would know why the boy was targeted."
Koenma nodded. "Yes, you'd think that. But no one's been able to uncover it. Maybe that's why he's haunting the city. Who's been seeing him, by the way?"
Cautiously, Akiko raised her hand.
Koenma raised his eyebrows. "Really? Well, that's unexpected."
Akiko shifted uncomfortably.
"Do you think that he's appearing to Akiko for a reason, Koenma?" Kurama asked.
"Probably," the deity responded. "You four go back to human world. I have to do some research into this. There's an odd situation arising here."
Author's notes: Bum bum bum…. Okay, no more of that. Sorry the chapter's so short. They should start getting a bit longer soon. Yeah, so now the little kid has a name (yay). Well, I really can't think of anything much to say…. Just read and review, then, I guess. Thanks!