Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or it's characters. I do own Angela.
AN: I'm soooo sorry! I messed up Hiei's dragon attack. It had been awhile since I had heard him say it and I forgot that it was Flame and not Wave. Please forgive me! I think I changed all of the 'Wave's.
REVISED AN: As in Chpt 16 I've adjusted some details to make it fit in the time line.
Legend:
Music
Noise
-Telepathy-
-Thought-
/Flashbacks/
/Visions/Dreams/
Chapter Eighteen
In a large room several people sat at a long table. Among them were Hiei, the DT gang and Mukuro, who stood at the head of the table. On the table was a large map of Demon World.
"Hiei, a group of shadow creatures have appeared in quadrant twenty three," Mukuro said as she pointed to an area on the map. "Take the fastest and strongest of the border patrol and get there as fast as you can." Hiei nodded, already making up a group in his head. Mukuro looked to another person with long black hair, six ears and seven horns. "Yomi, another group of shadow creatures have appeared in the Forest of Fools. Make up a team and get there fast." He nodded. She continued, "Now I will make up a team and head to quadrant eighteen. We're lucky that there are only three invasions. Meeting dismissed."
In a few days Hiei and his party arrived at the area of the shadow creature invasion. -So many! No wonder Mukuro wanted us to get here fast,- he thought as he surveyed the large mass of shadow creatures. "Alright. You know the routine. Surround them and attack them quick and fast. Let's go," he ordered. As Hiei fought, he thought about how many times he had to fight these groups for the past month. -Each time they get bigger and bigger. What's happening? Is the Great Darkness coming back as the prophecy said. Was the murder of Angela's family the 'blood of Angels' it was talking about?- Hiei's train of thought was quickly cut off as he dodged a clawed hand. He shook his head and put his thoughts back on the fight at hand.
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Angela worked in her garden, thinking. -It's been a month and Hiei hasn't returned.- She felt his hiruseki stone. She could still feel him, so he was still alive. That reassured her. -But why hasn't he returned? What's keeping him?-
Kurama walked up behind her. "So you're here hiding again," he said as he sat down.
Angela shook her head. "Not hiding, just thinking."
Kurama stared at her, eyes softening. "He'll come back. After all he loves you."
Angela nodded. "I know he'll come back. I just wonder when."
"When he comes back, will you confront him about your love?"
Angela thought about it. "I'm not sure," she said, looking at her garden.
Kurama thought for a while. -I wonder what will happen when the two reunite. Will Hiei be brave enough to tell her he loves her? Or will Angela have to be the first to make a move? Or will she give up? I know she misses him deeply, but can she wait for him forever?- "Well, Botan and Yukina are going shopping and want you to come," he said as he stood up. "You coming?"
Angela nodded. "Sure."
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"Oh! This is absolutely cute!" Botan said as they went through a baby store. She pointed out a twin set of baby pajamas. "Yellow and pink! Perfect for a twin boy and girl!" she said.
Yukina nodded. "That would be cute but look at the price."
Botan did a double take. "So much. I know! We'll get Koenma to buy it," she said happily. "You know he's just tickled pink about being designated as an uncle."
Angela nodded. "So is Yusuke. He's already planning what he'll teach the boy when he's older. Watch out Yukina, or your son will end up knowing dirty jokes that Yusuke passes on to him," Angela joked.
Yukina smiled. "Thanks for the warning." They looked at several different baby outfits and baby cribs.
"Kazuma and I are still deciding on what we'll do for the nursery. We don't want to do blue, it's such a cold color, we want to stay with the warm colors. We've decided pink for the girl but we haven't decided on the color for the boy," Yukina said as they walked to an ice cream shop.
They ran into Yusuke. "Hey girls. A little hot for you to be out Yukina," he said.
"Oh I'm fine. We've mostly kept in cool stores," Yukina said.
Yusuke nodded, "Hey, how about I buy you three an ice cream?" he offered.
The girls didn't turn him down. After they ate their ice cream the girls and Yusuke walked through town looking in various stores at baby things. Yusuke caught Angela looking longingly at the baby things several times, her hand wandering to a little bump on her chest indicating a hidden necklace. -Is she thinking about Hiei or having a baby? Or both?- he thought. -When Hiei comes back, will he be ready and willing to settle down and start a family?-
After several hours Yusuke rode with the girls on the train to the shrine then walked with them up the steps.
"Hey, Yusuke? Where's Puu? I haven't seen him for awhile," Angela said.
Yusuke shrugged and explained, "He's with my mother. She'd been dating this guy for a long time and she finally decided to skip town with him. I sent Puu with her. I kinda suspected that she would leave, she knew I didn't like him much even though I knew he would be good to her, and she didn't want to leave him, so she left. I had told Puu that if she skipped town he was supposed to go with her to keep on eye on her." He shrugged again. "Maybe one day they'll come back."
Angela looked at him closely, she even risked 'feeling' his feelings. He wasn't sad, he was actually happy for his mom. -That's good,- she thought.
When they got to the shrine Yukina went to get lunch ready, while Botan hurried to her room. "I've got a date tonight!" she said as she left, leaving Yusuke and Angela.
Yusuke looked at Angela. "I know you believe Hiei's coming back, but what if he doesn't?" he asked quietly.
Angela smiled. "He guaranteed that he was coming back. I know he'll come back."
Yusuke shook his head. "What if he can't? He's in Demon World battling shadow creatures. There's the possibility that he might die."
Angela glared at him. "Why do you have so little faith in him?"
"It's not that. I just want you to be prepared for the worst. You've already lost too many loved ones. If you lose him, I want you to know that we're here, and I want you to promise me that you won't think about suicide," he said, eyes concerned and serious.
Angela's glare softened. -He just wants me to be prepared. He really cares for me.- "I guarantee I won't commit or even think about suicide." She looked at the sky. "Do we look at the same sky?"
Yusuke knew what she was talking about. "I think the skies in both worlds are connected, so I guess you are looking at the same sky." Angela smiled.
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Kurama and Botan walked down the street, holding hands. "So, if you had been human, what do you think you would have wanted to be?" Kurama asked.
Botan thought about it for awhile. "I think I would have wanted to be...a teacher."
Kurama's eyebrows went up. "A teacher? Why and what age group?"
Botan blushed. "Well, being with the child Angela, I came to like being around children, I liked reading to her and taking care of her. I think I'd be a great teacher. And I would probably be a kindergarten teacher."
They talked about teaching for awhile, then they started to talk about their lives and them. Kurama put his hand in his pocket, fiddling with a tiny box. -Should I ask her? Is she ready to settle down? Am I?- He thought about it for several minutes before he made up his mind. He was about to speak when Botan's communication compact started ringing.
She answered it. "Yes?"
Koenma's face appeared on the screen. "I need you, Kurama and Yusuke to come to my office at once."
"Okay." She hung up and looked apologeticaly at Kurama. "I'm sorry for cutting the date short."
"That's okay," Kurama said, thinking that maybe now really wasn't a good time to ask.
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"What's up Koenma?" Yusuke asked as they stood in Koenma's office and hour later.
"We have a problem," Koenma started. "Recently several people with psychic powers have disappeared."
"Well, if they're psychics can't you track their auras?" Yusuke asked.
"That's the thing. Their aura's have totally disappeared too," Koenma said. "Usually that means they've died. But we've been unable to find their souls. So we don't know what's happened to them. Then there's the fact that shadow creatures have been spotted in the areas where the psychics have disappeared."
Yusuke's eyes narrowed. "So you want us to go sniff the place and see if we can find any clues?"
"Basicly, yes," Koenma nodded, handing them papers. "Here's the places."
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"Well, this place is totally clean," Yusuke said into his communication compact. "No sign of the shadow creatures and no sign of the psychic." He stood in an abandoned house.
"Same here," Kurama replied from the other end. He looked around the playground he was in. It was deserted except for Botan and himself. "All of the places that we've checked have been the same. It's almost as if these shadow creatures and psychics had never been here," he said.
Botan jumped up from the swing she was sitting in. "There's also the thing of how none of the humans have noticed their disappearences. It's almost as if they never existed."
Kurama thought about it for awhile. "Is it possible that these shadow creatures are able to manipulate peoples minds?" he asked, more to himself than to the others.
"It'd make sense, after all they were able to copy Angela," Yusuke said.
Kurama thought about that. "I see your point. Well, there's nothing we can do now. Let's go home."
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That night Angela had a semi good dream.
/She was in the dreamscape with floating grass walk ways and the cherry tree. She was swinging gently in the swing, looking at the stone Hiei had given her. She smiled sadly, wondering when Hiei would come back. If he'd come back. -Are you safe where ever you are? Do you think of me, like I think of you?-
"Yes, I do," a voice said.
She looked up. Hiei stood on the walk ways again. "How did you get here? Is it you?"
Hiei nodded as he sat next to her. "Yes, it's me. But I don't know how I got here." He looked at her eyes, they were sad and lonely. "I think a came because you needed me. What's wrong?"
She started to cry. "I'm just scared that something will happen to you. You've been gone for so long."
Hiei reached over and held her. "Nothing will happen to me. After all, I need to come back and get my stone."
"Will you stay when you come back?" she asked, hoping the answer would be yes.
Hiei was silent for a few moments. "I don't know," he said softly, not wanting to break her fragile hope yet knowing he had to tell her the truth. He held her a bit longer then sighed. "I have to go now. Please don't cry or worry," he said as he left./
Angela woke up. She refused to cry. She was happy that she got to talk to Hiei.
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Hiei woke up, unsure of how he felt about the dream. He knew one thing. Seeing her so sad nearly broke his heart. -I wish I was there to comfort you. I wish I could say 'I love you'. But I don't think I can put you at the risk that those words would bring you.- He tore himself up constantly about whether or not he should tell her. He remembered hearing what she thought, the dream making her thoughts audible. -Yes I do think of you.- If he wasn't busy fighting shadow creatures he was constantly thinking about Angela. How he missed her talking, how he missed watching her gardening. How he just missed her presence completely. And when he was asleep he dreamed about her. He missed her so much it was driving him crazy. -What are you doing to me Angela?-
There was a knock on his door. "Yes?" he asked.
"Uh...There's been more shadow activity," Touya said through the door. "Mukuro's called a meeting. You've got five minutes." He left.
Hiei gathered his clothes, wandering how long this would go on.
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"More disappearences?" Yusuke exclaimed a week later. He and Kurama had been traveling all over Japan investigating disappearences.
Koenma nodded, "Yes, more. This time in Europe."
"Why so far?"
Koenma shrugged. "Maybe they've gotten all the powerful psychics here and are now looking else where."
Yusuke shrugged. "Well, I'll get Kurama."
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"So you're leaving for Europe?" Angela asked. She and Yusuke were laying on the roof star gazing.
"Yeah," Yusuke said.
"When will you come back?" she asked.
"Dunno."
"Hm."
They laid there for a few minutes. Finally Angela sat up. "I guess I should go say bye to Kurama and Botan."
Yusuke looked at her. -She might not say it and she's trying hard to hide it, but she's sad that we're leaving. It must be hard on her to have Hiei gone, then have us leave.- He looked at the stars. -Hiei, where ever you are, hurry it up and get your ass back here to Angela.- It killed him to see Angela this way and not be able to comfort her.
"Don't worry. We'll be back soon," Botan said as she hugged Angela and Yukina.
Yukina nodded, slightly crying. "Be safe," Yukina said as she hugged Kurama and Yusuke.
"Well, Kuwabara," Yusuke said, clapping Kuwabara on the shoulder. "Keep them safe."
"I will, Urameshi, you can count on it," Kuwabara assured him, wrapping an arm around Yukina.
Kurama gave Angela a communication compact. "I'll be with Botan and she has her own, so I won't need it. If you're ever lonely and you need to talk to us or there is an emergency, call us." Angela nodded. Kurama hugged her. "He'll be back, and so will we."
"Well...I guess that's that," Yusuke said as he, Kurama, and Botan walked out of the shrine. "Seeya guys." He waved and the others waved back as he and Kurama hopped onto Botan's oar and they flew off.
"I wonder if they'll be back in time for the babies birth?" Kuwabara wondered.
"I'm sure they will," Yukina said.
Angela's hand strayed to the gem under her shirt. -Will you be back in time for your niece's and nephew's birth Hiei?- she silently asked, looking at the stars.
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Hiei stared at the mass of shadow creatures as they started to converge. He had been told about what the Koorime's manuscript had said about the Great Darkness. He had heard that the shadow creatures could do this. He had just hoped that they wouldn't. In seconds a three story high shadow creature stood in front of him and his patrol.
"This makes it easier and harder!" he shouted at his patrol. "There's only one target now, but it's tougher. Combine your attacks!" He looked at his patrol, saw nods and determination, but he also saw fear. -They have a right to be. We've already lost people to these monsters. How many more will we lose before these invasions stop?- He shook his head.
He yelled to his patrol. "Now ATTACK!" He quickly used his speed to slash at the being's legs, hoping to cripple it, while Jin and Touya teamed up to slash it with ice shards. Jin would use his wind manipulation to catch Touya's ice shards and blow them all around the shadow creature. Several others made such teams, one to make damage, the other to spread or amplify the damage. Hiei was the only one not paired up, and he paid for it. As he jumped to slice at the creature's arms, the thing surprised him by creating a new arm that slashed him across the back. He fell in pain. The slashes were deep.
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Angela woke up in a cold sweat. She had had a nightmare but she couldn't remember what it was. She thought she remembered pain slashing down her back. -Was it a dream about the time I was attacked at the concert? No...it felt different, like it wasn't me...- Her hand strayed to Hiei's hiruseki stone. She felt his presence, but it was weak. -What does it mean? Oh Hiei...Where are you? Are you alright?- she thought as she laid back down.
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Hiei recovered, though he was in pain. -I can get past this! If I can cut my own arm off, I can get past this!- he thought. "Everyone! Get back and attack from afar on my mark!" he shouted as he unraveled the bandage around his right arm. Everyone saw what he was doing and backed away. They knew the routine.
"Dragon! Of! The Darkness! Flame!" Hiei shouted as black fire rose out of the black dragon tattoo. The fire formed a large black dragon that raced towards the shadow creature. It screeched as it hit the being. Everyone else followed with their attacks, those that could attack from long distance attacked on their own while those that couldn't had their attacks carried by anothers, like Jin and Touya had done earlier. The large shadow creature screeched louder than the dragon had but it had survived.
"Again!" Hiei yelled. "Dragon! Of! The Darkness! Flame!" The being was carried all the way to the sky with this last dragon, when it fell back to the ground everyone fired with their strongest attacks.
It yelled as it disolved. "I AM COMING BACK! SOON HELL SHALL REIGN ON THE WORLDS!"
Hiei looked disturbed as it disappeared. Jin flew to him. "Isn't that what the shadow creature that tried to drown Angela said?" Hiei nodded.
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The next day Angela woke up and felt the stone. Hiei's presence was stronger. She sighed. -That means he's okay.- As she helped Yukina with the breakfast dishes, she looked out the window at the trees. -Hiei, how long before you prowl the trees again? How long before you watch me garden again? How long?- Her hand strayed to the hidden gem as it always did when ever she thought about Hiei. She was amazed to feel Hiei's presence even stronger. She remembered Hiei saying that she'd be able to sense him through the stone, and that she'd know when he came back. -Does it mean...- she wondered. She shook her head. -I shouldn't get my hopes up until it's for certain.-
Through out the day, she found herself looking more and more at the forest, and more and more she found herself sensing Hiei stronger through the gem. Finally she decided to follow where the gem took her. As she walked through the woods, she would turn this way and that, sensing where Hiei's presence felt stronger in the gem. After two hours, she thought she found him. She was in a heavily dense area. The trees were so thick that you couldn't see the sky. It was very dark and she kept running into hanging branches and brushes.
She finally stopped and called out. "Hiei? Are you there? Please come out." She heard a rustle behind her. She turned around smiling...