Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or it's characters. I do own Angela, Star, and the twins. Oh, and I forgot to say that I own the Darkness, the shadow creatures, and the zombie queen.

AN: I told you I was evil. Didn't mean to drop you off a cliff...Oh wait..Yes I did! ;

Legend:

-Thought-

-Telepathy-

/Flashbacks/

/Dream/Visions/

Noise

Chapter Five

Kurama stood outside of Angela's room, waiting for her to come out. He knew she was awake, he could hear her pacing softly. He debated on whether or not he should knock on the door. Finally he decided to knock. "Angela? Are you awake?" he asked, though he knew the answer.

She replied after a few seconds. "Yes."

"Are you going to come with us to cheer for Rinku?"

There was a pause. After a few minutes he heard her sigh and answer him "I guess...Let me get dressed."

Several minutes later Angela came out in a black sweater, blue jeans and tennis shoes. She hadn't even bothered to do her hair or put make-up on to hide the puffiness and redness of her eyes, signs of having been crying hard.

"Angela? What's wrong?" Kurama asked.

Angela shook her head. "I just miss Hiei, is all."

Kurama hugged her and told her reassuringly "He should be back within a week." Angela nodded though her eyes were sad.

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They walked to their normal cheering perch, joining Chu and Jin. "Hi Angela!" Jin said cheerfully, despite the depressing rain and drizzle. Luckily their perch was under an overhanging VIP box.

"Hi," Angela said distractedly.

"What's the matter sheila?" Chu asked, patting the girl's shoulder lightly.

"I just..." Angela paused, not really wanting to tell them about the horrible sensation she had concerning Hiei. "...I just miss Hiei, that's all."

Chu nodded, "Understandable. He's your man, and you're his sheila. I'm sure it's hard on both of you to be apart."

"Aye, he was quite upset at having to leave. He threatened us to make sure you'd be safe. He still thinks someone might get at you to get to him. But Ol' Jin here doubts it," Jin said.

Kurama nodded. "Yes, the other day I was talking to the chef to get you some food and he said he'd do anything for you because you were Hiei's wife. I think everyone is afraid to mess with you for fear of feeling Hiei's wrath and revenge," Kurama said to her.

Angela's eyes narrowed when Kurama said 'wrath and revenge'. -Why does that ring a bell?- She thought about it, trying to remember where she had seen, heard or felt those words. -Where?-

"Ah, there be the kid!" Jin cried, pointing to a screen. On it was Rinku matched against a girl.

"I think this match is in the bag," Chu said. "He's matched against Sasuga. Now his head will be in the clouds."

Angela looked to Chu and asked "What do you mean by that?"

Chu smiled. "Rinku lost to her in the first tournament and fell in love. He's crazy 'bout her. I don't think he'll have his mind on the fight at all, the li'l runt. He should forget how he feels 'bout her and remember to fight," he said wisely.

Jin grinned. "You should listen to your own advice ol' boyo. If you were matched against Natsume you know you'd be doing the same thing."

Chu blushed real big and turned his face to the ceiling. "Well..." was all he said. Angela smiled, glad for something to take her mind off of her worries.

Mukuro saw them standing under the overhanging. She paused to create sheilds around her emotions and thoughts, not wanting Angela to sense what she knew. She walked up to them, saying "I see Rinku is having a hard time." They nodded.

"Yeah, Chu says it's because he's paired with Sasuga," Angela said, being helpful.

Mukuro nodded. "Ah, first love and young love. They can be wonderful things and they can get you into trouble." She looked at the screen. "I just hope his defeat isn't too humiliating." Angela laughed. Mukuro noticed that it was a strained laugh. -I'm sure she felt it, but is hoping that it isn't true.- Mukuro thought as she studied the woman. -I'm sorry Angela. I didn't mean for this to happen. I don't ask for or expect your forgiveness.- She looked at the screen to see that Rinku had lost. "I should be leaving." She turned to leave.

"Mukuro?" Angela asked. Mukuro turned to see worry in her eyes. Angela opened her mouth, then closed it, shaking her head. "Nevermind." She turned back around. Mukuro left, her heart heavy.

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"Where is he?" Star said, despair in her voice. She had spent all day searching through her crystals for Hiei, but all she had gotten was a blood red fog. "I have to find him! But I can't see him!" She paused and consentrated on something else. Angel appeared in her crystals. She was looking out a window, tears running down her face, clutching Hiei's necklace. "Oh Angela, can you feel him? I can't see him. And I fear the worst has happened." Again she tried to find Hiei, but only the fog appeared in her crystals.

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Angela clutched Hiei's gem. It was the only thing that gave her hope. She could feel him faintly. -Hiei...- She worried. Despite Mukuro's shields, she could still feel the remorse and guilt in her. -She knows something but refuses to tell me.- Tears started to stream down her face as she looked out her window in the direction Hiei had left. -Where did you go? Are you alright? Will you come back to me?- She held her belly. -To us?- As she looked out the window a vision of glowing red eyes flashed in her mind. She began to feel faint. After a few seconds the vision passed and so did the faint feeling. -Oh Hiei! Please come back!-

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The next day, as Angela ate breakfast with Yusuke and Kurama, an explosion was felt and heard through out the stadium.

"Yusuke! Stay here with Angela!" Kurama ordered as he got up and ran out of the cafeteria.

Angela huddled against Yusuke as people ran around, shouting about an explosion in the hotel. Yusuke held her tight, thankful that they had insisted Angela come eat breakfast with them instead of eating in her room. He opened his mouth to comfort her when she started to shake, but he could find no words. He couldn't say it was okay or that it would be alright, because it wasn't and wouldn't be. After several minutes another explosion rocked the stadium.

Kurama ran in with half of the DT gang. "We have to leave now!" he said urgently. He took off his coat that he had been wearing against the winter cold and put it over Angela's long coat while he gave orders to Jin, "Take Angela and fly high into the sky, away from all of this!"

Jin nodded. He gathered Angela into his arms. "Up we go then!" he said as he flew out of a side door into the outside.

Kurama turned to the rest to give them orders "We have to start evacuating the people. It's not safe in here." Everyone nodded. "Go tell the others to start the evacuation!" Everyone split in several directions.

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Up in the sky Angela shivered. "What's going on Jin?" she asked, scared as she looked at the smoke rising from the stadium and hotel.

Jin shook his head. "I don't know."

Angela knew it was bad if Jin wasn't refering to himself as 'Ol' Jin'. "Will everyone be okay?" she asked. Suddenly an explosion ripped through the cafeteria. "NO!" She cried. -Yusuke! Kurama! Everyone!- She screamed telepathically, hoping that they would answer. She then started to struggled against Jin to fly to them.

-Don't worry, none of us were in there,- Kurama replied soothingly. Angela sighed and ceased her struggles.

People started to run out of the stadium through all of the exits that were not blocked by the fires, smoke or rubble. The evacuation went on for what seemed like forever, but only took less than thirty minutes. Angela and Jin looked on as several more explosions errupted in the stadium. After awhile they spotted all of their friends and most of the border patrol flee the crumbling building. Jin stayed in the air until he was given sign to come down. He worried about Angela because she was shivering badly. "Don't worry, we'll have you somewhere warm soon, I promise ya that," Jin said trying to sound cheerful. Angela nodded through her chattering teeth, clutching her stomach protectively against the cold.

After a few minutes Kurama waved them down. Jin zipped to the ground and handed Angela to Kurama, who was holding a thick blanket for her. Jin turned to Yusuke. "What happened?" he asked.

Yusuke shook his head, "I'm not sure but Mukuro probably knows. She asked you to find her when you got down."

Jin nodded and flew around the groups of huddled, scared and injured people. Finally he found Mukuro with several of the higher ups of the border patrol.

Mukuro looked at him before he could say anything. -Don't speak,- she said telelpathically. -The explosions were caused by the demons that had disappeared. Over a hundred people have died, several hundred are injured and the tournament has been permanently canceled,- she said, her gaze going over what was left of the higher officers. -There's more bad news. I believe Hiei won't come back. I don't know if he's injured or dead, but I doubt he'll come back. I can't afford to lose anymore of you. Right now the battle front is here. We need to find all of the people that may be like the ones that have disappeared and keep them away from the others. We need to do everything to prevent something else like this.-

Suzuka looked hard at Mukuro. -What about Angela?- he asked.

Mukuro shook her head. -I don't want her to know about Hiei, though she might suspect it. I also don't want her to be here anymore; it would be best if she went back to Human world,- she replied. -I'm sending you and Shishi to escort them back,- she ordered, refering to not only Angela but also Kurama and Yusuke.

Suzuka nodded. -I'll get them now.-

Mukuro shook her head. -Not now. They need to rest,- she said, more afraid for Angela's health do to her long period in the frigid air than the condition of Yusuke and Kurama.

"We need to organize an infirmary for the injured, shelter and fires, and gather food," she said out loud. "I'll send a few runners to outlying towns to gather help. The ones that are uninjured and able to walk need to either go home or help with the injured or any other work. Got it? Then let's get started."

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Angela walked around the large campground of makeshift tents and fires, looking for Mukuro. She finally found her at the edge of the crowded grounds, looking in the direction of the Forest of Fools. "Mukuro," she said gently. Mukuro looked at her, unable to hide the guilt in her eyes. "Tell me what you know about Hiei. Tell me true, please, I beg you," she pleaded, her eyes teary.

Mukuro looked at her, eyes dark. "Walk with me first," she said, beckoning the girl further away from the makeshift camp. Angela followed her.

They walked for several minutes in silence. Finally Angela stopped. "Tell me," she said, her eyes hard. "No more stalling."

Mukuro nodded. "It all starts with the death of Enki. He didn't just die, he was murdered. I, Hiei and the higher officers of the border patrol were the only ones who knew that. Except for myself and Yomi all of the higher officers joined the tournament to try to find the murderer and any of their accomplices," she said.

Angela nodded, "I knew he had some other reason for being here."

Mukuro went on. "We found out that several of the fighters had disappeared before the tournament and had mysteriously reappeared here with a change in attitude. We weren't sure what to make of it, then the explosion on the arena and the fire in the waiting room happened. The explosion was caused by one of the fighters that had disappeared and the fire was created by one of the lower officers of the border patrol." Angela gasped. Mukuro continued. "The only connection between the two was the fact that they had 'disappeared'. Technically the officer wasn't thought to have disappeared, he had been on a mission and had taken a long time to return. He had come back with a changed personality. I sent two of my best officers to investigate where the officer and fighter had last been seen. They came back gravely injured, one near death. They reported that the last place the fighter and officer had been was the Forest of Fools. They went to investigate the forest and were attacked by D-class demons that fought like S-class demons. I knew that it was serious and we needed more information about what was in the forest, so I sent Hiei. He was one of the strongest and fastest fighters we had. I thought that if he ran into trouble he would have had the most likely chance to escape." Mukuro paused.

"Why do you use the past tense?" Angela asked, fear in her voice.

Mukuro sighed and said, "The night before last I felt Hiei's energy disappear. It was about the time that he should have made it to the forest. I fear he might be dead."

Angela let out a strangled sound and fell to her knees. Tears started to stream down her face as she shook her head violently. "No!" she croaked, though she was reminded of the nightmare that she had had that same night. "He can't be! I can feel him through his gem!" she said ernestly, though she knew that she couldn't always trust what she felt through the gem. She had been fooled before.

Mukuro looked sadly at the girl. "I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen." She started to turn away.

Angela stopped her. "Who are you sending to find him?" she asked.

Mukuro didn't turn around. "No one. I can't spare anyone to go on a useless hunt." Mukuro heard fast footsteps and felt a hand jerk her around.

KERACK

Mukuro felt a sharp throbbing sting on her left cheek where Angela had slapped her. Angela glared at her, green eyes condemning. "You bitch," she said harshly. "I thought you cared about Hiei." Mukuro stood there, not saying a word. "How dare you consider your self a friend of his or mine when you so easily give up on him," Angela spat. She turned to go, but paused. Not looking over her shoulder she said, "I still have hope. If you won't go looking for him then I will. Don't try to stop me. You have yet to see my wrath." She walked briskly towards the camp.

Mukuro stayed there in silence, Angela's words resounding in her ears.

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"What?" Yusuke yelled after Angela told him what Mukuro had told her and of what she had decided to do. "You're not going any where but home!"

Angela stepped up to him and got in his face. "Try and stop me. You know very well that if it comes to it I will fight you," she said cooly but dangerously.

Yusuke looked closely at her. He could see fear and desperation in her eyes, he also saw determination and hope. He sighed, "...Fine, but you must promise that if we sense any danger we're out of there fast." Angela nodded.

Kurama stood by, watching. He was unsure of what to do, but he could see the same thing Yusuke saw in Angela's eyes. -We have to try. She needs him. But we can't go by our selves,- Kurama thought.

Kurama walked off in search of Mukuro. He found her talking with the old doctor. "Mukuro, a word with you," he said quietly. Mukuro nodded. The doctor said his goodbye and walked off.

"Yes Kurama?" she asked.

"I'm sure you know that Angela is set on going to find Hiei, even if it means going without us," he started. "We're going but I would like to have a few more people."

Mukuro nodded. "I was going to send an escort of two with you to Human world, but they can go with you where ever you go," she said.

"May I have Jin and Chu?" Kurama asked.

Mukuro nodded. "Yes."

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"We'll be leaving tomorrow," Kurama said when he met up with Yusuke and Angela. "We need to rest."

Angela nodded her agreement. "Fine." Yusuke left to get some blankets for them.

"Angela," Kurama said. "I don't know what we'll find out there, but I don't want you to get your hopes up."

Angela glared at him. "Why doesn't anyone believe that Hiei is alive?" she asked harshly.

Kurama shook his head. "It's not that we don't believe, it's that we realize the chances of him being alive are not so good. He went into dangerous territory that two others have already come back from gravely injured," he said, eyes filled with hard emotions. "I don't want to see you get hurt if he is-"

Angela turned away from him, "I don't want to hear it," she said, trying to keep the tears from coming. They waited in silence until Yusuke returned with the bedding.

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/Angela was again looking over the forest. She didn't know why she was here, only that it meant something. She looked everywhere, trying to figure out where she was. Something caught her eye on the ground. It was at the edge of the forest. She flew over there, something inside of her sensing something familiar. She was high in the air so the being she saw on the ground was like an ant. It was standing just outside the tree line. After a few minutes it went in. She then heard a blood chilling scream and an equally blood chilling laughter.

Suddenly the wind all around her grew deathly cold and whipped about her. The clouds became thick and dark, and the trees started to glow red as they thrashed about. This lasted for several minutes; then, as abruptly as it had started, the odd storm ended, and the trees' sick glow faded.

Angela heard the laughter again. "Come here child. We forgive you, Angela. Come here." She thought the chant would repeat over again as it always did, but it didn't. Something was added to it. "Come here if you want to ever see your beloved again. Come here and we will forgive you." Angela felt herself being tugged back into wakefulness as the laughter followed her./

Kurama shook her gently. "Angela, wake up. We need to get ready to go," he said as he shook her again.

Angela opened her eyes and looked around her blearily. She was laying on the ground next to a fire and not in the air over a forest. -Wait! I can remember my dream!- She sat up abruptly. "Kurama, do you know of a big forest with plateaus scattered through out it?" she asked hurridly.

Kurama nodded. "Yes...That would be the Forest of Fools. Why?"

Angela looked at him. "I had a dream of it..." She told him about the dream. "...And then a voice said 'Come here child. We forgive you Angela. Come here'. But it didn't stop there, it continued. 'Come here if you want to ever see your beloved again. Come here and we will forgive you'," she finished, worry in her voice.

Kurama thought about it for a long time, then he looked at her. "I want you to stay here. I think it will be too dangerous for you. We will find him. I promise, but I want you here and safe, and I'm sure he wants that too. Please Angela," he begged, looking deep into her eyes.

Angela shook her head. "No. It made it clear that I must go there if I wanted to see Hiei ever again. I must go and I will go. With or without you."

Kurama stared at her. "You're serious," he said, despairing.

"Yes," she said, her eyes stubborn and determined.

Kurama sighed. "Then let's get ready."