Left in the Shadows
Chapter 8: Mixed Signals- Part 1
Me: Yay! I got nice reviews! 4 in all! I hope animefreak54 told my previous reviewers that this fic moved here…
Yusuke: Don't worry. I'm sure she'll update soon. Everybody gets busy sometimes.
Me: Wow, Yusuke. I didn't know you could be so sweet.
Yusuke: -smug- better than old three-eyes.
Hiei: HN
Me: Speaking of sweet…Hey, volcano-head. Other people who've read this fic think that it's nice that you're being kind and not just showing off your tough-ass reputation.
Hiei: Hn. I am not "nice" nor am I weak.
Me: I never said you were. Sigh… now for the disclaimer.
Kuwabara: -surprised- You're actually gonna say it this time?
Me: yeah… I do not own YYH-don't you dare say anything, Hiei!
Hiei: -a bit shocked at the tone of voice(but doesn't show it)- Hn.
Me: I just own my own Oc's and the storyline. Now-
Kurama: Now please continue reading "Left in the Shadows"
Me: oh yeah, look for the numbers next to some of the sentences, there will be a/n's at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 8: Mixed Signals- Part 1
----- Later that night and back at the temple-----
"I wonder what's taking them so long…" Kurama voiced worriedly. Only he, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Botan were still awake.
"The rain and snow probably held them up." Yusuke replied, his anger at Hiei completely forgotten. "Oooh… they have to spend the night together…We might have a new couple."
"Yusuke, don't be like that." Botan scolded. "But it would be cute, though." She added, giggling.
Kuwabara let out a huge yawn. "C'mon, guys, it' already pretty late. We can make fun of them in the morning."
Everybody agreed and went to their own rooms.
Two pairs of feet slowly made their way through the new snow that had fallen in the freezing hours of the night. Hiei and Amanda walked in complete silence, until Amanda decided to break it.
"So… are you going to be the one to teach me?" she asked tentatively.
"…It depends on what Genkai wants. You might be training with the idiot because you know him better." He replied, not taking his eyes off of the path.
"…oh."
"Hn. You better keep an eye on the ground. The tree roots…"Hiei began, but Amanda had already tripped over a buried tree root.
"Thanks…for the warning." She told him, rising to her feet. But she let out a small wince and quickly switched her weight to her other foot. "Great. Now what?" she asked sarcastically.
Hiei rolled his eyes. "Baka onna." He muttered.
"I think I just strained it. I'll be okay." Amanda told him confidently, holding herself up with a tree trunk. She gingerly took a step forward on her injured foot and as quickly as possible, took the other step to relieve it of the pressure. Hiei gave a sigh of frustration and deciding that she wasn't moving fast enough, he scooped her up in his arms and proceeded to walk towards the temple.
"You ningens are so weak. The ferry-girl can heal you when we reach the temple." He said rolling his eyes. He carried her bridal style the rest of the way, where the others were waiting. Kuwabara and Botan were hiding in the trees while Yusuke and Botan were hiding behind them. Upon seeing the two, Kuwabara began snickering uncontrollably until he toppled out of his hiding place, a few feet to Hiei's left. Said fire apparition gave a small growl, knowing the others would take this the wrong way.
"The detectives can take it from here." He said, dumping Amanda on the ground.
"Oh, don't be that way, Hiei." Botan giggled, coming out of her hiding place to heal Amanda's ankle.
"Huh. I never though you would soften up." Yusuke teased.
"I haven't gone soft, detective." Hiei snapped.
"Shorty's got a girlfriend!" Kuwabara sang loudly, pointing at him. Hiei began stroking the hilt on his katana out of habit but quickly ceased when Yukina came out to see what all the commotion was about. He turned to leave but a familiar raspy voice caused him to turn back.
"Okay, slackers, your new training regimen begins today!" Genkai announced. "Dimwit, you will train with me-" Yusuke let out a loud protesting groan at the thought of training with her for two weeks, "-Kurama, you will train with Kuwabara, and Hiei with Amanda."
"Aw c'mon, Genkai! Can't Mandy be with either Urameshi or me? The shrimp is-"
"No. Because of the circumstances, he is the best one to train with her right now. Now move!" she ordered. Yusuke dragged himself in the direction of the dojo, Kurama and Kuwabara chose to train in the west section of the forest, and finally, Hiei chose to train in the east. He grabbed Amanda's arm and took off at a steady walk.
"H-Hiei, wait!" Amanda protested, her voice stuttering from being jostled, "I need to get my jacket! It's freezing out here!"
"You won't need one." He replied shortly. They soon reached a large clearing by a frozen-over lake and he turned to her. "Right now, we should work on hand-to-hand combat before weapons. You need to at least have a basic way to defend yourself."
"Well aren't you just full of nice things to say…" Amanda muttered, scowling. 'I knew last night was a fluke. Look, he's back to his old self again.' She thought wryly.
"Hn. Do you want me to teach you, or not?" Hiei asked impatiently.
"I do, I do! It's not like I have a choice of who to train with…"
"Good. Because I have better things to do, so you had better pay attention." Hiei told her, although the truth was, this was better than sitting on his ass and doing nothing. He never was a demon of little action. He always needed something to do to keep him busy.
Amanda merely scowled again but she let him teach her what he knew.
The first week passed by smoothly. Amanda excelled in hand-to-hand combat and her training with weapons had begun. So far, she found herself pretty good with sais and a katana; and she was almost on par with Hiei in terms of speed. At the end of the week though, there was only one problem to tend to.
Her mother's funeral.
(Amanda's POV)
I still can't believe it. Mom is… but if I remember correctly, Hiei had said it wasn't an accident. But who would do it? I mean…there was nothing she could have done to make any enemies. After all, we've only lived here for a little over two months. Well…at least I have…
"Are you okay, Mandy?" Yusuke's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Yeah…I'm fine." I replied quietly. We were walking back to the temple after I had spread Mom's ashes in the river at the edge of the city.(1) "Just thinking, that's all."
"Well you seem pretty deep in thought, then." Kuwabara commented. They were the only two who had come with me to the river after the cremation. For the funeral everybody had come, along with some of the people that my mother had worked with. The priest kept talking on and on about all the wonderful qualities my mom had, but it seemed fake. He never knew her.
"Hel-LO. Earth to Mandy!" I was once again snapped out of my thoughts.
"Huh?"
"We were asking if you wanted to go to the arcade. You know, to get your mind off of things." Kuwabara said.
"Oh. No, it's okay. I'll be fine." I replied with a small smile. We continued to walk in silence until we reached the temple. I quickly began to rub my eyes, for I knew they were red and puffy from crying. But it was too late. Yukina and Botan had come from outside and they saw me.
"Are you okay, Mandy-chan?" Yukina asked.
"Yes, I'm fine." I replied wearily. All this had taken a lot out of me. "Listen guys, I'm gonna go to bed early."
"But it's only six!" Yusuke protested.
"Yusuke!" Botan scolded.
"I'm just…tired right now." I said.
"I'll tell Nii-san that you went to bed." Yukina said sweetly.
"Thanks, Yukina." I answered. I felt dead on my feet. When I finally reached my newly finished room, I saw that a certain someone sitting on my windowsill.
"…Hn. You okay, onna?"
"You know, Hiei, you're the third person who has asked me that since I came back. You should feel special." I sighed.
"Hn."
"Besides, I didn't know you cared. I'm just some girl who means nothing to you, am I right?" we had had an argument about this over the past week. Sure, he doesn't like me, but the way I see it, can't we just be friends?
"Hn." Oh sure, the famous line.
"Anyway, I'm going to bed. Good night, volcano-head." Yet another thing I picked up on this last week. A lot of things have happened. Yusuke says I've become more outgoing. I'm not sure.
"I thought I told you not to call me that." Hiei told me. From the tone of his voice, I could tell that he was slightly annoyed.
"Yes, but do you think I'll listen?" I replied. Yup. Yusuke was right. I suppose I act this way only around people I really trust. But I act more so around Hiei than even him and Kuwabara. I have no idea why…But right now, at least it's getting my mind off of other things…
"But… you are okay?" he asked. Wow. From the tone of voice (again), it seemed that it came out despite himself.
"Yes, Hiei." I replied and I couldn't keep small smile from crossing my lips. "But since when did you actually care?"
"Hn. I don't." He answered, a bit too quickly in my opinion.
"Well, if that's what you say." I told him, my eyes beginning to drift shut. "But I think it's kinda nice that you do care. Even if you say you don't."
"I'm not nice." He replied. My smile grew a bit wider.
"If you say so." I murmured. "G'night."
"Hn." It might have been my imagination, but I thought I heard him murmur "Good night, onna." It's funny…he can change his attitude in a split second. It makes me wonder that maybe we can be good friends after all. (End Amanda POV) (End Chapter 8)
Me: well, not much to say, but I made Amanda be a lot more stronger, personality-wise. I was kinda happy about this chapter except the part about the funeral. Which reminds me… (1) I have no idea what happens at a cremation, so I left it out. And on a different note, I need the right requests for my answering machine fic. You need to write who you are talking to and what you want to say. Basically, what you are doing is leaving a message on the person's answering machine. My friend, neko no koi, should have put up an example in the reviews. Thanks Aru-chan!
Yusuke: oh are you talking about that midget?
Me: shut up, Yusuke. She's gonna kill you if she hears you say that. –thinks- Hm… kinda like Edo-kun…
Yusuke?
Me: Oh, never mind. And I just read over the beginning of my fanfic, and I saw that I kinda rushed into things. Maybe I should rewrite it…
Yusuke: but then you wouldn't be able to write more chapters.
Me: Hm… true. And I don't think I would find any ideas in my head to be able to rewrite it anyway. Oh yeah, please review!
Yusuke: Yes, because she's only gotten five stinkin' reviews for seven chapters. But she got the needed three, so that's the only reason you're all listening to our babbling.