Kyla: Konnichi-wa, minna-san! Hajimemashite? ;p I'm doing good... It's 7:40 p.m. and I'm working on Chapter 7! w00t! Bout time I updated more, don'tcha think?
Hiei: Hn.
Kurama: You must not have had any homework tonight, hm?
Kyla: Nope! -grins- Yay4Me!
Hiei: -rolls eyes- Hn.
Kyla: Anyways, I'll try to get as much done as possible... Oh, guess what!
Kura: What?
Hiei: Hn?
Kyla: I found the written version of this story! Yay!
Hiei: Shows how messy your room is...
Kyla: HEY! Don't be mean... My room's.. moderately.. decent... There's a path to my bed and room on my bed to sleep. It's fine!
Hiei: -scoffs- Hn.
Kyla: -ignores Hiei- So, Kura, ready to do the disclaimer?
Kura: Sure.
Hiei: Hn... Wait! Why do you never ask ME to do the disclaimer!
Kyla: -groans- Do we have to go through this every single chapter!
Hiei: No. You just never ask.
Kyla: -growls- Fine! Hiei, do you want to do the disclaimer? And so help me, if you say something like...
Hiei: Don't ask me that, Onna! I don't want to do your pathetic disclaimer!
Kyla: THAT! -screams and chases after Hiei with broom in hand-
Hiei: -evades-
Kura: -mushroom sigh- Ah well... The disclaimer: Kyla owns her collection of anime and manga, but sadly, she does not own any of the characters to this or other anime.

A New Dimension, A New Adventure
:Chapter Seven:
Ugh.. schoolwork...! Wait.. Kiten!
by
Kyla

After Amanda left for home, Yusuke graciously plopped down a big pile of books, a smirk spreading over his lips. "Here's yours and Hiei's homework," he sneered while I scowled.

I groaned, "I hate school..." Hiei glared at the books in front of him, as if trying to make them do his work for him, but, alas, no homework magically worked itself out. The books just sat there.. never moving.. so evil.. yet, so small... I heaved a heavy sigh, "Well, I guess I'll go ahead and get started..." So, I picked up my English book and began my schoolwork.

-Normal POV-

Kurama entered the room right as Hiei was about to cave and start his work, too, but the redhead asked Hiei to talk with him privately. The fire demon shrugged and followed his yoko friend out of the room. "What do you want, Fox?" Hiei asked in a bored tone, wishing he could be back in Makai, kicking lower-leve demons butts.

"I was just wondering if you had found a girl to ask out yet.. you know, for your and Dani's bet?" Kurama inqiured casually, sitting back in his chair and carefully eyeing the small demon.

"No, I haven't," he answered coldly. As if it's really any of his business anyway... Wait.. "Why?" he asked suddenly, eyes narrowing in a glare that didn't seem to affect Kurama in the least.

"Because.. I know the perfect girl for you to ask," Kurama said, emerald eys dancing mischieviously. Hiei knew that look... It meant Kurama was planning something.. or he already had a plan, then a particular girl struck Hiei's mind.

"Not Danielle," Hiei growled, fangs bared slightly in a threatening way. He didn't want Kurama to set him up with that onna. He wouldn't let the redhead. He'd squash the yoko's plan here and now.

"No, no.. not Dani. I was talking about Amanda," Kurama said, a bright smile appearing on his face. Hiei's face went blank. What had the Fox just said? After a moment of silence, Hiei seemed to come out of his stupor.

"Amanda?" Hiei repeated, eyes blinking a couple times. He thought Kurama would try to set him up with Danielle... Scratch thought, he'd been sure the yoko would try to fix them up together.

Kurama shook his head up and down in a nod. "She really likes you, and she doesn't cling to you like other girls," Kurama listed off numerous reasons for the fire demon, but he really didn't want to encourage Hiei with this decision... He wanted Hiei and Dani to wind up together... Oh well.. I'll just have to find a way around all this, he subconsciously thought.

Hiei took a moment to consider and think about what the redhead had said, then... "I suppose... Fine, I just want this bet over with," he grumbled. Kurama sighed and nodded, then he and the small demon returned to the living room, seeing Dani showing Yusuke and Kuwabara how to do something.

-Dani's POV-

"Why am I teaching you two how to do today's math when I'm the one who was out?" I sighed in exasperation, running a hand through my hair absently. I noticed Kurama and Hiei walking into the room out of the corner of my eye, but I was too busy with Yusuke and Kuwabara to say anything.

"Because you're really smart and a really good friend?" Yusuke said with an innocent grin. I couldn't help but roll my eyes in response at his sweet talk. He and Kuwabara gave me the puppy-dog faces, and I couldn't help but cave.

"Fine.. listen, you have to subtract the 5 from both sides so that the 10x is on the left side by itself and a negative 5 on the right side. Then, you've got to divide neagtive 5 from both sides so the x will be by itself, and you'll have your answer. Which is?" I explained as I worked through the problem, pausing to let Yusuke or Kuwabara to figure out the answer.

Yusuke stared blankly at his paper then at me with a confused look on his face. Meanwhile, Kuwabara examined the problem then cried out, "Oh! The answer is x -2!" Finally! At least one of them was actually paying attention.

"Mhm, good job, Kuwa," I nodded grinning. "Heh, this ain't that tough," the orange-haired boy said confidently, beginning to fly through his remaining problems. Too bad Yusuke still didn't understand...

"Huh? How..? I still don't get it," Yusuke grumbled, eyes glaring a hole through the paper that was his math homework. Poor, Yusuke.. Math just isn't his thing... A sigh passed my lips as Kurama sat down beside me to have a look at the problem. "Can't I just copy your work when you get done?" Yusuke whined childishly.

"No, I don't like helping people cheat," I snipped. Kurama raised a brow and grinned, looking like he was about to bring up the way I was trying to help Hiei win the bet. "Shut it, Kura. Not. A. Word," I snapped, sending a small glare at the redhead, who merely chuckled but wisely decided to remain quiet.

"Huh?" Yusuke looked between us, searching for some reason why I snapped at the yoko. "Nothing," I grunted. After a minute or so, Yusuke shrugged, deciding he wasn't interested in knowing anyways.

"I'll help you with your math, Yusuke. Just let me check Dani's bruise," Kurama said, getting a nod from Yusuke as he not-so-quietly tried to figure out the next problem. He was screaming and yelling at his paper. Something about it being stupid and a waste of "his very valuable punk time". Ah well... Anyway, I laid down on my stomach and pulled my shirt up just enough for the readhead to examine what was left of the bruise, which was only a small dark spot. "Ah, it's almost gone. Excellent," he murmured.

I sat back up, letting my shirt fall down to its original place. "So.. that means I don't have to miss another day of school, right?" I asked hopefully. He gave me a sighed "yeah", then I grabbed my English book. "Good. Now all I got to do is finish all my make-up work..." And, Kurama started to tutor Yusuke in the ways of Algebra. Then, everyone except Hiei and myself had their homework done. Kurama began to cook summer while Yusuke and Kuwabara wanted to go out and spar to get their minds off "mindless, stupid schoolwork".

Hiei was only halfway done when I finished as well. "Stupid Algebra," he grumbled, glaring icy daggers at his paper full of unsolved problems. He was clenching the pencil so hard from anger, I thought it was about to snap!

"Need any help?" I inquired and peeked over his shoulder. He turned his head to the side to glare at me. "Hn, I don't need your help, Onna," he growled and looked furiously back at his work.

"Okay," I shrugged, standing to my feet, and walked into the kitchen to talk with Kurama. "Hey, Kura.. did you talk to Hiei about..?" my voice trailed off somewhere, but Kurama knew what I was talking about. Kurama gave her a measuring look then nodded.

"Yes, he said fine and that he just wanted this bet over with," he said, stirring something in a pot that sat on the stove. He heard my sigh, and I murmured, "Good... The sooner it's over, the sooner I can forget about helping Hiei win... And, then we can concentrate more on finding Kiten," she added thoughtfully.

"May I ask why you seem so curious about Kiten?" he asked from the stove, his back to me as he cooked. I shifted my weight unsurely to the side and shoved my hands into my pockets.

"Well.. that demon that attacked me.. said something about Kiten's soul being.. inside me... It also said that her soul would reawaken soon," I explained, my mind thinking of different possibilities of how I had a demon soul inside of me.

"Hm... Interesting," Kurama muttered under his breath, thoughtfully staring at the pan of sizzling steaks.

"I honestly don't see how I can have Kiten's soul inside of me, thugh," I grumbled, rocking on the balls of my feet.

"Well, you'll know for sure sooner or later," Kurama said, his voice fading into quiet. I shrugged and decided to try and change the topic, absently playing with a lock of my hair, but I never could change topic because it was then that I heard Hiei's voice carrying from the living room.

"Onna!" he yelled from the couch, glaring at his paper even harder, trying to make it burst into flames, but, no such luck.. it still stayed as white and annoyingly full of math problems as it had been a few minutes ago.

"What!" I yelled back from my spot in the kitchen, not bothering to move out of the room. He probably only wanted to yell at me. "Come here!" he demanded, voice full of irritation.

I sighed and made my way out of the kitchen and into the living room. I came to a stop in front of Hiei. "What?" I asked, voice more quiet, and crossed my arms over my chest, glowering down at the spikey-haired demon.

He continued to glare at his math work then ordered irritably, "Give me your Math homework." I blinked. No.. oh no no no... he was not trying to cheat! Psh, like I'm really going to let him copy off my work!

"No, if you need help, just ask me," snapped. He redirected his glare to me, and I returned the glare full force. I wasn't afraid of him.. much...We just sat there for a minute or so, then he growled.

"Gr..! I... Can you.. help me..?" he managed to grind out through his clenched teeth. A grin graced my lips in triumph. I had actually got the Hiei to ask for help! Ha, take that all you people who say I'm not good at anything! Ahem.. anyways...

"That wasn't so hard was it?" I asked innocently and pinched his (facial) cheek. He swatted my hand away as a deep growl rumbled from his throat. I couldn't help but giggle. "Okay, I'll help you... since you asked so nicely," I sniggered, sitting down next to him.

"Hn," he mumbled modily. I then began to show him how to do the algebra problems. Now, of course, I was looking at the problem, working it out as I explained to show him, but he couldn't seem to stop looking at me! Plus, it didn't seem like he was paying attention to what I was saying..! The nerve! But.. I do wonder why he wasn't listening and just staring at me.

-Hiei's POV-

I couldn't take my eyes off of her... And, I could hear her smooth voice but couldn't understand what she was saying exactly. What was wrong with me? I don't like her... I can't... I mentally told myself, but I didn't really believe that at the time...

"You see, Hiei? It isn't that difficult," she sat back smiling. I quickly looked back down at my paper, but the numbers didn't make any more sense than before... I inwardly scolded myself for acting like some lovesick buffoon.

"Hn," I replied, still very much confused. I had been too busy staring at her to really pay attention. Why had I been looking at her? It was like she had hypnotized me or something... I couldn't look away from her... Her voice, her hair framing her face that way, her eyes forward and focused... I would have smacked myself had I been alone. I couldn't think like that, couldn't fall for her.

"You're still confused, aren't you?" she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She didn't know the half of it. I wasn't only confused about the algebra but about my thoughts as well. I nodded in answer to her question, averting my gaze to glare at the paper. She smiled and said brightly, "Alright, let me try explaining it again."

-Dani's POV-

For the next little while I helped Hiei with his schoolwork, but for all the work he actually did, he had very little homework. I did most of it, trying to show him how to do most of the algebra and such, but he didn't seem to pay attention... Why? I don't know, don't ask me. Try asking him later... but, anyway, I didn't ask him about it.

Supper came and went rather boringly, and soon, I was dog tired and going to bed. All that schoolwork had made me so tired! Homework just kinda has that affect on me, y'know? Well, anyway, as I was saying... I yawned and slipped under the covers, sleep quickly taking over, my eyes drooping shut and sending me into an odd and enlightening dream.

:Dream Sequence:

"Huh? What..?" I muttered. Was I confused? Heck yeah, I was! I didn't know what was going on! My hair whipped wildly around as a gust of wind, seemingly from nowhere, continuously blew around me. I stodd inside something that seemed to be like a tunnel.. sort of... But, unlike most tunnels, this one flashed different colors as swirls rushed round and round.

Images flew by me, as well, and faded away as they sped off, racing eahc other down the tunnel. "Oh, um, wow... Dizzy," I mumbled, my head spinning around and around. Man, never look at a tunnel full of fast-moving images speeding around everywhere and a continuous gust of wind blowing in your face. I clutched my head, hoping to stop the dizziness... No such luck...

Someone chuckled from behind me, and I heard someone moving to stand right beside me. "Yeah, traveling through the dimensions can do that to ya," a feminine voice stated in amusement. I jumped out of surprise and swiveled to face whoever was next to me.

I gasped, "Kiten!" I couldn't help but gape... What was I supposed to do! The dimensional kitsune Koenma and the others were looking for was standing right beside me! And, she had just came out of nowhere! Wouldn't you be a little surprised, too?

"Mhm! How're you, Danielle?" she asked, a cheery grin on her lips. I hadn't really expected Kiten's soul to awaken like.. this... I would have thought it would have happened while I was awake, like maybe right in the middle of school! That would have been bad, yes, but I hadn't expected Kiten's reawakening to be so.. so.. how should I put this?.. quick and.. not-so-unique... Ah well.

"Uh, I-I'm doing goo-good... How about.. you?" I asked, still surprised to see her standing, well floating, there. I guess that demon that attacked me was right... Kiten's soul was inside of me.. heh, that's pretty cool!

"M.. pretty good," she yawned, stretching her arms up over her head. "Just woke up from a good little 16-year sleep," she grinned. "That's the longest I've ever been able to sleep! Now I feel rejuvinated and ready to kick anybody's butt!" she punched the air enthusiastically.

"So.. you.. your soul is.. inside of.. me?"I inquired, eyes widening, and she gave me a nod for an answer. She seemed so.. peppy... I hadn't really imagined her to be like.. this.. exactly... Maybe a little more.. stoic? Calm? Quiet? Well, guess she's not like that, but she still seemed pretty cool.

"Yep! Now, it's like there are two minds in one body!" she chirped. "If you ever just want to talk or anything, just call me in your mind, and we can hang out!" she added merrily. "Gotta go for now... See ya later!" She slowly started to fade, and everything began to grow dark around me. I gazed furiously around.

"Wait! You can't just leave! Just like that! How rude..." I grumbled. I had wanted to ask her more questions. Questions about her, her powers, her past, the different dimensions that there were, and where the heck I was! She was already gone though, and darkness was all around me.

:End Dream Sequence:

Soon, I realized the darkness was actually caused by my closed eyes, and I slowly opened them, blinking away my sleep. I sat up and looked around then murmured, "It.. was just a.. dream..? But, it seemed so.. real..." I rubbed my head in thought, then...

"Of course it seemed real! It was real, duh!" a voice whispered from beside me. I yelped and turned my widened eyes on none other than.. Kiten! Yes, she had somehow astroprojected herself out of our mind. Wait, would you call it our mind? Or my mind? Or her mind? Wow... I'm confused again...

"Kiten!" I exclaimed in shock. Unfortunately, it was loud enough for Hiei and Kurama to hear, and the two demons came bolting into the room, looking for an enemy or some kind of trouble or danger. "Hiei? Kura?" I asked blankly.

"Dani? Kiten?" Kurama and Hiei muttered in confusion, looking from me to Kiten. Kiten felt left out so she said, "Dani? Kura? Hiei? Kiten!" and she pointed to each person as she said their names. Hiei, Kura, and I sweatdropped at that. That was wierd...

"So, nothing's wrong.. right?" Kurama asked, breaking the akward silence. Kiten and I exchanged looks then returned to staring at the two demons in front of my bed. Then, I remembered what I had changed into right before bed... It was pretty skimpy, you could say... And, that's why I hadn't changed into it until right before I went to bed.

I screamed, "No! Nothing's wrong except you two perverts are staring at me in this ridiculous outift!" and I hastily wrenched the sheets around my body, glaring at the two, whose faces tuned a bright red. Kiten, meanwhile burst out laughing, tears coming to her eyes at the sight. "OUT! Out out out out!" I yelled, chunking a pillow at them, successfully hitting Kurama in the face, sending him out of his wideyed stare, and he immediately shook his head and disappeared from the room.

By now, my own face was crimson with anger and embarassment. "I said out!" I roared and threw my small, paperback book that had been laying on my nightstand at Hiei, whose face was as red as Kurama's hair, and he had an even redder spot on his face where my book had hit. He got the message, though, and hightailed it out of my room as fast as demonly possible.

I growled and tucked the covers more securely around me. "It wasn't that funny..." I glowered at the kitsune beside me. Her laughter eventually, slowly faded away, and she calmed down.

"Sorry, Dani, but it was pretty funny from my point of view," she grinned, one fang bared slightly. I only scowled. She could laugh about it because it hadn't happened to her. It had happened to me! Gr.. but.. I couldn't stay mad at her...

"It's okay.. I guess," I sighed and ran a hand absently through my brown hair, hitting a tangle and wincing as I pulled said tangle out. Kiten returned to.. wherever she had come from.. our mind, her mind, my mind.. what-friggin'-ever! I am not getting confused on that anymore! Though, I do wonder where... No! Stop that! Ugh, nevermind... Anyways, I laid back down after making sure my door was closed and locked so that neither Kurama nor Hiei could come in and scare the crud out of me in the middle of the night... Wait.. it was the middle of the night now! Nevermind... I need sleep... See you in the morning...

((-to be continued...-))

Kyla: Well? How was it! Great right? Seventh chapter! Hooray! And, the second update in just a few days! Aren't you proud?
Hiei: Not really...
Kyla: Hey! Do you want me to give you another bonk on the head?
Hiei: Gr...
Kura: Let me explain to you readers... While I done the disclaimer, Kyla managed to catch Hiei..(go figure).. and she tied him up and hit him upside the head a good numerous times. He's currently sitting on the floor, still tied up.
Kyla: Yeah, and I'm about to gag him with a pair of old, smelly socks... -glares at Hiei-
Hiei: -glares back- You wouldn't...
Kyla: Oh, wouldn't I? -evil grin-
Kura: -sighs- Must they always bicker like this?
Kyla and Hiei: Shut up!
Kura: Eep! -falls silent-
Hiei: -glares at Nenene- Yes, you wouldn't dare gag me with smelly, old socks...
Kyla: -smirks- Then, what do you call this? -stuffs pair of old, smelly socks into Hiei's mouth-
Hiei: Mmphh! Mmmmmppphhhhmmm! -gags- MaMellMisMorrible!
Kura: What?
Kyla: He said, "The smell is horrible!" -grins triumphantly-
Kura: -sweatdrops-
Kyla: See you guys next chapter!
Kura and Kyla: Sayonara, minna-san!
Hiei: Mmmmphhhh!Mon'tMeaveMeMere!MelpMe!
Kura: Huh?
Kyla: Translation: "Nooo! Don't leave me here! Help me!
Kura: Oh...