sigh the holidays are over and here is chapter 7. Read and review!
Chapter 7: Restless
It had been a few days since the snow had started falling in Seriyu's forest and snow it did. The snow had come down laying thick white blankets on anything it touched. The forest sparkled with an unnatural beauty with the newly fallen snow. The sun had even made an appearance after being in hiding for so long. This was Seriyu's forest at it's best. The entire forest seemed to buzz with life as the birds flew in and out of the trees celebrating the snows end. Smaller animals ran around busing themselves with daily chores. The suns warm rays streamed down on the snow making it far brighter then normal. The sunshine even found it's way into the windows of the old mansion. The members of the household soon found themselves longing to go out and enjoy the day.
Kuwabara and Yusuke stood in front of a window staring at the front yard.
"I say, forget the darn curse, I wanna good spar!" Yusuke glanced to his side to see if his longtime friend agreed.
"I'm with you Urameshi. It's been so long since we've gotten a good fight in" Kuwabara replied. He watched wistfully as a few sparrows flew by the window.
Kurama and Botan emerged from one of the corridors to the room. The whispering they had been doing moments before ceased when they caught sight of their two comrades.
Yusuke had a pained look on his face, which quickly turned into a scowl when a chipmunk ran by. His redheaded friend looked down right pitiful as he stared out the window. A small whine escaped his throat when he seen the same chipmunk Yusuke had glared at.
Kurama and Botan tried their best not to laugh at the scene before them. The two looked like children standing in front of a pet store.
"It has been quite some time since we've all went outside, hasn't it?" Kurama watched his friends slowly detach themselves from the window to look at him.
Yusuke glared at Kurama for even mentioning leaving the house. "How are we supposed to do that with a stupid curse draining all our energy?"
Kurama sighed in defeat and turned his gaze to the window too. "We could all go out for a little while. It wouldn't kill us and Ashley needs to know exactly why it is we stay here."
"You mean it? We can go outside!" Yusuke's attitude magically changed in front of their eyes.
"Urameshi lets go kick Ashley out of bed and take her with us!" Kuwabara grinned widely at his plan.
"Yeah that's a great idea. Are you two gonna come out too?" Yusuke looked over at Kurama and Botan.
"Oh I'd love to go" gushed Botan. She ran off in search of her favorite pink coat and returned in seconds. "I'm ready"
Yusuke and Kuwabara looked ateach other and then looked at Botan. "Since your ready you can go wake up Ashley." Yusuke pointed a finger in the direction of her room.
A look of confusion and apprehension appeared on Botan's face. "Why me!I don't want to wake her."
The group as a whole had tried to get their friend out of her bad mood but had failed miserably. Ever since her encounter with Hiei she'd returned to her normal habits. Ocaisionly she would perk up or smile but it never lasted long. Maybe , just maybe this outing would bring her out of her depression.
A mischevious smirk apeared on Yusuke's face. "Hey how about we have Hiei wake her up?"
"Yusuke now is not the time for your games. I'll go get her since you see it as such a burden." Kurama replied cooly.
Yusuke grumbled and walked off to wake up their sleeping friend.
"Well that was easy enough," Kurama smiled to himself then turned to adress Botan and Kuwabara.
"You two remember the promise we all made long ago correct?"
The two nodded their heads in agreement.
"Ashley is not aware of the full effects that this curse has on us or herself. I believe that this is a perfect way for her to understand the dire situation she would be in if she were to leave."
"Huh, why would she do that?" The redheads face wore a look of total confusion at Kurama's statement.
An equally perplexed look was present on Botan's face.
Kurama gently massaged his temple as if theaction alonewould make all his problems go away. They didn't go away, instead they still stood cluelessly infront of him.
With a great sigh Kurama explained the situation for what he hoped would be the last time. "She's regressed to sulking around and I've caught her crying when she thinks no one is looking."
"Oh I think I seen her crying yesterday", chirped Botan.
"Then you understand where I'm coming from correct?" Kurama silently prayed that she grasped the concept.
"Of course I know silly. She's in a state of depression. I would be too if I lost my brother and home all in one day, then was forced to run off into a fobidden forest and now lives in house full of strange people, including cute little old me, and then being attacked by a short little-"
Botan immediately shut up, to the delight of Kurama, as she seen an all to familiar shadow come into the room.
Hiei glared menacingly at the trio as he passed them. His red eyes shined with annoyance as they fell on Botan.
The girl who had been smiling and talking moments before now did her best to hide behind the protection of her friends.
Hiei growled and continued on his way, only stopping once to send a warning glare to Botan.
They all released the breath they had been holding when Hiei finally turned the last corner.
"Oh does he really need to scare us like that!" Botan fumed and huffed to hide the fact that she had been scared silly.
Kuwabara shook with anger at Hiei and himself for being so afraid.
Even Kurama had been visibly shaken by Hiei's sudden appearence in their midst.
Yusuke grumbled all the way up the steps and down the hallway on his way to wake up Ashley. He had woken her up last time. She always lashed out at whoever was standing close to her when she came to. He still had a bruise on his cheek from a previous encounter with her. He slowed down as he came to her door. He knocked on it without breaking it hoping she was already awake. No such luck.
On the other side of the thick wooden door Ashley tossed restlessly on her bed. She was dreaming that a Hiei-shaped wood pecker was pecking her to death. It's annoying little jabs kept vibrating through her head. It even had the nerve to call her a baka. OH if only she could just reach out and put her hands around it's skinny neck and throttle it till it stoped breathing.
Yusuke watched from a good distance as she smiled evilly. She kept mumbling something about Hiei and putting her hands on him.
"Hehe, sounds like Hiei's been more hospitable then he lets on." Yusuke snickered to himself as he inched closer to hear what else she had to say.
Ashley awoke to find Yusuke standing at the foot of her bed. She gave him a strange look and sat up. "Why are you in my room?"
"Kurama sent me up here to wake you up so don't complain to me." Yusuke raised his hands to show his intentions were good. "Besides Kurama said that we can go outside today. It's stopped snowing and everything."
Her face brightened slightly at the prospect of going outside. "I'm in. I haven't been outside since I found this place."
Yusuke happily escorted her down to the entrance way where everyone else was waiting.
The foursome stepped out into the winter wonderland and stood silently. The moment didn't last long as Kurama was immediately pelted with a large snowball.
"SCORE!" Yusuke's voice boomed. Kuwabara ran over to him and the two started to make a snow fort.
Botan smiled and flounced off to another area to make some pretty snow figures. Ashley tried her best not to laugh as Kurama removed the offending snow from his face.
"Well Yusuke you've managed to catch me off guard, but I can promise you it will not happen again." He smiled confidently as he strode over to a placethat he found fitting of a fort.
Ashley side stepped out of the way so that the boys could play. A hand grabbed her wrist stopping her from going any further. She turned around to see who her captor was and found Kurama. She had to do a double take when she seen his face. Pure joy shined through his emerald eyes and he dragged her to his side of the yard. Everything from his posture to the slight smile he usually wore were gone. He now practically skipped around and hislips were turned up in a bright smile.
"You'll be on my team won't you?"
"Ok" She eyed Kurama supisciously.
As if on que a well packed snowball connected with her head. After thatshe needed no more coaxing to play.
The group played in the snow for what seemed like hours. Botan eventually joined in the snow warleading to a huge loss for team Kurama. Yusuke's voice could be heard from miles around when the other team finally admitted defeat. They all eventually laid down to make snowangels in what little snow was left. Eventually they all started to get very tired.
"Oh I just got really sleepy all of a sudden." Ashley said as her eyelids grew heavy. She smiled happily at her friends. "You guys don't get out often do you?"
"Your right we don't." Kurama answered, all playfullness gone from his voice. "Hiei is not the only one under a curse, we all are including you."
What Kurama had said sunk in slowly, very slowly. "Cursed...like how?"
"The life forces of those who..." Kurama hesitated to tell her everything lived here before us have taken hold our own life energy. That's why we rarely leave the house. The longer we're gaway from the housethe weaker we become."
"That means I-I can't leave." Ashley's voice raised in pitch as it became increasingly harder to breath. If she couldn't leave she'd never see Jinn again. She'd rather die. "How am I supposed to find Jinn if I can't leave?"
"To put it simply you can't." Kurama said quietly. "You are a prisoner here as are the rest of us. The only way for us to leave would be through Hiei."
Yusuke and the others watched silently as Kurama spoke to Ashley. Each one remembering the first time they found out that they would never see their loved ones again.
Botan's eyes became misty as she thought of the one she had left behind. It had been so long since she'd seen him. His warm smile and kind eyes and that stupid toy he insisted on chewing. Even though it had been years since she last seenhim she still remembered every detail.His voice she remembered most. That voice of his. She smiled to herself as tears rolled freely down her pale face. The sound of someone screaming broke her train of thought.
"What am I supposed to do? Jinn needs me! T-that man was trying to kill him when I left." Ashley was currently screaming at Kurama. She was trying her hardest not to cry at the horrible realization that she would never see her brother again.
Kurama did not attempt to comfort her and instead cast his eyes downward. Ashley seeing that there was truly nothing she could do took of for the house at a run.
Kurama and the others watched her retreat into the building. As they walked in Kurama stole a glance up to the highest window and caught a glimpse of Hiei before he moved out of sight. Maybe under theses circumstances Hiei would cooperate.
Tada! Wow it's kinda long isn't it? Well I gurantee action in the next chapter for sure.