Sakura: Hey y'all! Thanks for reading my story again! Sorry it took so long to update- major writers block, but now its all sorted out! Anyways, please review as always! Also, visit my website!
Http: It has character bio's, guestbook, updating page etc. So if you want to know when the next update is or keep me on task because you can only review once now, just visit the guest book!
Kurama: You really do need to keep on task!
Hiei: TT
Sakura: ; Hiei isn't totally happy with the chapter...
Kurama/Sakura: XD
Sakura: The chapter is dedicated to Keana-chan and Daisy-chan and Ivy-chan again.
Kurama: Keana-chan because Sakura and her had a fight over who loved their bishie husband more (Keana:Lava & Sakura:Hiei)
Hiei: Daisy because her Grandfather is sick.
Sakura: ((whaps Hiei)) And cuz we love her to peices and hopes she becomes uber perky!
Ivy: That's MY word!
Sakura: I know.
Daisy: ((laughs)) I'm fine you guys, no need to worry! But there is one thing that would make me feel better... ((shifty eyes))
Keana/Sakura: WHAT!
Daisy: A hug from Kurama...
Sakura: Awwww! Bro! Give my bud a hug!
Kurama: ((hugs Daisy))
Daisy:
Ivy: Sakura does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, thank goodness!
Sakura: ((glares))
All: On with the fic!
A sob arose in Achiko's throat as she pondered her latest dream. It had been but ten days into the New Year when the monstrous nightmare attacked her, its fangs bared and its meaning clear.
Everyone was dead. She couldn't help it, she couldn't stop it, and she couldn't cease the tears streaming down her face. Crying was not a habit of hers, and she felt alienated as the crystal clear tears continued to puddle onto the cold rocky flooring of her dream world.
As each of her friends called out to her, a new opponent would stand in their way and kill them. And when that opponent turned around, the blood of Achiko's friends smattered on her face, her clothes torn and her own body bleeding, it wasn't someone new that Achiko saw.
It was herself.
Achiko pushed through the barrier that kept her existence in the dream and began to pant as she was thrown forcefully back into reality.
The radio was playing nonsensical words as Achiko strained to hear them, and her eyes were clouded over with an unrecognizable wet substance. Tears. She quickly swiped at her tears, willing them to disperse and leave her being for another many years.
She sighed and swung her legs out of the bed she inhabited. The room was her own in a wing of a tower attached to Koenma's palace. Achiko stepped quickly into the bathroom and turned on the water for a bath. She slipped off her clothes, not recognizing the time on the analog clock on the bathroom wall.
There was a clock on every wall in every room. Achiko had wondered about their significance but lacked the creativity to think of a reason for their being. Maybe it was to Make sure none of the detectives were late? Maybe it had some sort of spiritually significance that one as unholy and bloodstained would never truly understand.
She turned the knob to turn off the bath water and slipped in, reminding herself to be out before she missed breakfast, but she still wanted to enjoy her time in the bath. She slipped in, taking the soap and shampoo and placing it near the tub.
Smiling she dunked her head under the water, letting her heavy body sink to the bottom. She opened her eyes. Blinking to get them used to the water and stared at the ceiling, watching as the iridescent bubbles that caused her to live, float towards the heavens, as she sunk ever downwards.
She felt drunk as she sat up, taking a deep gulp of air, and grabbing the scented shampoos and cleaning through her hair. She had always thought of getting it cut, but it had sentimental values. Her hair had been growing since she was very young and it had only been cut a few times, by stray weapons, giving it odd angles, and the ends so it would continue to grow.
But maybe getting it cut would help her let go of her past. Achiko shook her wet head, laughing at the thought. Even if she tried to leave her past behind, some way or another it would catch up to her.
She walked down the stairs into the living room that the Spirit Detectives and her shared. She couldn't help but like them, they didn't pick on her for her size, they loved her. Achiko sighed and ran into the kitchen to look for breakfast.
One by one the detectives came down the stairs, following the aroma of Achiko's cooking. As they entered the kitchen they were greeted by pancakes of all colors and flavors. They all stared at the extravagant pancakes and wondered how long she had taken to prepare the feast of which lay before them.
"Achiko, what's the occasion?" Kurama stepped into the kitchen to see the spectacle that bound Yusuke and Kuwabara's attention. Hiei walked curiously into the room as well, sneaking between the others to catch a look at her masterpiece. They all sat down and she solemnly served the pancakes, giving each what flavor it was they asked for. Chocolate chip pancakes were colored orange, and blueberry ones blue, they were color coded!
Achiko laughed as she took a chocolate chip one for herself. Kurama studied her and wondered what caused her to make them all such a nice breakfast.
She would never tell.
"Good morning, Spirit Detectives! Hope you all got some good shut eye!" Botan appeared in the room, a tinge of purple coloring under her eyes.
They all nodded except Achiko who watched curiously, knowing her own night had been just as hectic as sleepless as Botan's presumably was, without the blood-loss of course. Achiko fingered the bandages around her lower arm and tuned in to what Botan was saying.
"Well I didn't! Koenma had me up all night doing research for you people so you won't die on the next mission!" Botan shouted, watching as Yusuke sighed.
Achiko giggled, waiting for Botan to ask if Achiko had gotten a good sleep, whereas Achiko would reply that she hadn't, totally throwing the grim reaper off-guard.
But Botan asked no further question and threw down written orders from Koenma, with a little stamp in the corner, signifying its reality. The detectives read over the instructions and took a quick glance at Achiko, who was making coffee for Botan.
"We get the best jobs," Yusuke said, scratching his head shyly.
Achiko didn't know if he was just kidding or really meant it. Yusuke laughed and shoved the papers towards Achiko.
"We always get to go after the chicks," Yusuke smiled like an idiot and was rewarded with a hit in the head with an oar.
Achiko opened the manila folder and took a peek at the contents. Inside was a picture of a young girl, maybe two human years younger than Achiko. The girls eyes were large and round, the shade was a beautiful shade of mahogany, and the hair was the deepest shade of black.
Achiko glared curiously at the picture, knowing the face from somewhere. She turned the page, not bothering to read the file. The next page was glared at with all the hatred of her heart.
The unique colored eyes were framed by blonde hair and fox ears. Atticus. The picture seemingly sprung to life and cackled evilly, smiling ecstatically. "I can't wait to see you, sister!"
"Kya!" Achiko threw the folder on the ground, sweating slightly and glaring harshly. The other girl was familiar but a mystery but Atticus was a known enemy.
The others looked up curiously at Achiko as she walked out of the room, her wolfish ears flattened on her head and a fang bared in anger.
"Achiko?" Kurama walked out after her to ask on her reaction.
Achiko turned and glared, "All that 'research' Botan did sure did add up to nothing."
Kurama watched as she paced the room, trying to think of a way to tell him- or rather them for the rest of the gang was crowding around the open doorway leaving the kitchen. Achiko sighed and finally remembered what she was trying to do.
"Ah, right, well, remember the prancy fancy ladies that locked me in that infernal ice-chamber? Yeah, well, other than our fave Mikashi there was another girl there who was the true ring leader. Tell me, Kurama, have you seen a girl with blonde hair and black eyes hanging around with Mikashi lately? Or a boy with black hair and light blue eyes with her?" Achiko took a breath and held it until Kurama answered.
"No, I've only seen that girl once or twice and the boy never, speaking of which that girl hasn't been around lately, haven't seen her since we helped you out of that freezer mess." Kurama said, trying to understand the importance of it.
"Really? Well her name is Atticus and his is Ryu. Atticus is a fox demon and I know that you've all met Ryu before." Achiko glanced at the folder again, "The other girl has a strange familiarity but I do not know her. Atticus I know like a sister."
Everyone seemed startled by that. They had all moved into the room for Achiko's little 'story time' feature.
"Oh really?" Yusuke said.
"Yes! I do, and I hate her for it!" Achiko shot back, "We were friends when I was a child,"
Achiko sighed and told all there was to tell, foxes and wolfs were never supposed to be friends. It was a main factor to Achiko's beatings. But if you befriended Achiko, you were friends no matter what. But obviously, Atticus had gone to far.
"She's using my weaknesses against me, going to extreme lengths to torture me, and she recruited this kid we know nothing about to help her out- not to mention she got the person the entire wolf tribe hates with every power their being-" Achiko was ticking off the reasons on her fingers, a tear slowly forming on one eye.
She shook her head with a grunt and glared at the floor a minute before turning her gaze to Kurama, "On a sort-of-better-but-not-really-note, thanks for helping me out last night, Kurama,"
Achiko turned and stalked off to another room, leaving Kurama smiling slightly and the others in confusion.
"What'd she mean? What'd you do?" Yusuke asked slyly.
Kurama blushed at Yusuke's demeanor until Keiko sharply hit him upside the head.
"Well, she was sleepwalking last night, it was really…crazy though," he sighed, thinking of her little escapade last evening.
All eyes turned to Kurama as he continued the story, "At exactly midnight I heard a sound in the kitchen, like a fork or spoon hitting the tile floor," he sighed, "I figured it was someone up for a midnight snack but then heard something like water hitting the floor and got up figuring the mess would be there till morning if I didn't clean it."
Everyone was listening even more intently than before and scooched in closer as he started to speak again.
"When I got into the kitchen I saw Achiko with a knife in her hand and a lot of lacerations on her arms."
Hiei's eyes wandered over to where Achiko's room was, and wondered what in all the seven Hells was going on.
"Lacerations?" Kuwabara asked, looking at Kurama stupidly.
"Cuts, Kuwabara," Keiko answered, then stared intently once more at Kurama.
"But why…?" Botan asked, suddenly over her own sleepless night and tagged into Achiko's.
"When I looked in her eyes, they weren't her usual red eyes, but more of a mahogany colored, it could have just been the dark, but when I shook her she blinked and looked around the room, and asked what was going on." Kurama said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
"That must have been a pretty morbid dream she was having," Yusuke mused aloud, and everyone nodded.
"Let's just hope she doesn't make this sort of sleep walking a habit!" Botan said, shaking her head and leaving to go do more research.
Keiko looked at the floor sadly, remembering the time that one of her friends went sleepwalking and started talking about the fish in her pond and her dog. She didn't have fish. She didn't have a pond and she didn't have a dog. It was funny until she walked into the wall and broke her nose.
"We should probably keep an ear out at night just incase it happens again." Kurama thought and the boys nodded.
Achiko looked in the mirror and took a comb to it. She hummed a little bit and closed her eyes, taking out the two elastics at the base of her head. She remembered how her older sister used to do her hair and she stopped. Achiko put down the brush and took one elastic and put her hair in a Botan ponytail.
She sighed.
"What were you dreaming about?"
Achiko swiftly turned to see Hiei leaning against the closed door, her window cracked open a slightest, nearly unnoticeable bit. Achiko smirked.
"I don't remember, really," she smiled savagely, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Hn,"
They stared, eyes locked, for a while, time passing without question as to how much, though it seemed like eternity. Achiko surely hadn't been herself as of late, and the bandages on her arms proved her nightlife was more dangerous than hoped.
Hiei sighed.
He sat on her bed and looked at Achiko expectantly, a dark look hovering in his eyes. Achiko flitted over to him, her feet making only a whisper against the lush green carpet. She hopped on the bed, sinking in beside the man she loved.
Hiei stuck an arm around her shoulders and leaned her head on his shoulder, Achiko's ears twitched in surprise and tickled his own. She slowly smiled and snuggled into his warmth, putting her feet on the bed.
He scowled slightly, wondering what sort of dreams caused sleepwalking, and even more so, cutting yourself. Biting into your flesh with no thoughts of mercy. Wasn't cutting an act of self hatred?
Hiei stopped a moment, his breath bated as he looked over to Achiko's contentedly flicking tail. No. That couldn't be it.
"possessed,"
Hiei looked up. The word had come out of no where. Possession? That could not be it, could it though? Hiei thought on this airy accomplishment as Achiko snoozed on his shoulder. He dismissed the thought as Achiko's eyes opened.
"What's the matter?" she asked, feeling his muscles tense.
"Did you feel it?"
"Huh?"
"Did you feel it in your dreams? Cutting yourself?"
"Yep, but it wasn't the kind of pain that you usually get when, well, stabbed for say, it was more painful but also less. It's too hard to explain. Next question!"
So like her. Serious, then jolty and joking.
"Everyone's worried about your little escapade last night," Hiei said, playfully scratching behind Achiko's ears, her soft spot. Achiko's ears flitted in response.
"I know," she replied after a while, "but I didn't know what I was doing. In my dream… there was nothing but black. It was… so thick and strangling that I couldn't breath, and I hardly noticed the pain." Achiko sighed into Hiei's shoulder.
She moved her head a moment, listening outside the door, then she snuggled back into Hiei's shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. He slipped his fingers between hers and she flinched unexpectedly. Hiei let go of her hand, turning the palm upwards on his own.
Five small burns on her hand in an interesting pattern, one on top, two evenly spaced on the bottom, and two directly across from each other on each side of her palm. Achiko stared at her palm curiously, startling Hiei's curiosity.
"When did this happen?" he asked, trying to think of that ningen cooking contraption could have caused such marks.
"Just noticed it now, weird, I didn't use anything like this for breakfast," Achiko mused.
"Maybe you did something else last night, before Kurama found you in the kitchen," Hiei added.
"Don't ask me, I hardly remember what it felt like," her hands went to her marred arms, brushing invisible dust off each.
Achiko winced slightly, fleeting pain flashing on her face. She smirked, flexing her fingers cautiously.
"You okay?" Hiei asked tentatively, not wanting to step on her pride by mistake.
Achiko nodded, "I just don't understand how, after slicing so deep into my flesh, well, how I couldn't have felt it, or even notice in the back of my mind. Just wake up, you know?" Achiko lay back on her bed, sighing once more and staring at the ceiling, "My little excursion left me lacking in sleep though, ask Kurama if that happens when you sleep walk," she smiled.
Hiei stole her unmarked hand and squeezed it, "Then sleep, I'll make sure no one disturbs you," he kissed her forehead and watched as she curled into a ball on her bed.
Hiei draped a blanket around her fragile form, smiling to himself, and cursing himself. Love was a useless emotion, most of the time. He knew that if an enemy found out, Achiko would be in deep trouble. It's how life works.
Hiei sighed and left her room, door clicking shut behind him.
"Kurama,"
The kitsune looked up from his book and turned to his friend from his perch on the couch.
"do you recall seeing five marks on Achiko's left hand last night in the kitchen?" Hiei inquired, sitting beside Kurama and turning on the TV.
Kurama sighed and closed his book, "No, not really, but when I touched her left hand when she was awake, she did flinch." Kurama noted, a finger to his mouth thoughtfully.
Hiei nodded, adding Kurama's observation to the complications already compiled.
Evening fell lightly on the Reikai Tantei, all gathering for a healthy mean of pizza as dinner. Botan arrived with the pizza in apology for being so bitter in the morning. Achiko joined halfway through the meal. She apologized and yawned, grabbing a plate and two slices of pizza, drowning both in black pepper.
They sat around and watched TV awhile, comedy specials, cartoons, flipping back and forth, looking for anything seeming even remotely interesting, settling on the news.
After about ten minutes of news, Achiko stood up, "Well, this is just depressing," and she hightailed it to her room, bidding everyone good night.
Minutes later Hiei followed suit and went to his room, followed shortly by Botan and Kurama leaving to their rooms. Yusuke and Kuwabara fell asleep on the couch.
Achiko changed into black silky pajama bottoms and a black camisole to math. She sat in front of the large mirror and combed out her hair, tying it into one thick, low ponytail.
Hiei leaned against Achiko's door, listening for her to get in bed. As the slight weight of her body crumbled the blankets, slipping between them and flopping her head on her pillow, he left to his own room.
Kurama stopped by later as a double-check, glimpsing at his watch as he listened to Achiko breathing deeply in her sleep. ' 11 pm,' he thought to himself and walked to his own room, glad that Achiko was fine… so far…
BEEP! BEEP! ((crash)) BEEP!
Kurama sat up, startled. He looked at his watch angrily, remembering that it beeped EVERY hour. He began to lay his head down on his bed, but he quickly sat up again. Kurama swung his legs out from under the sheets and ran to his door, his feet pounding on the ground and with his heart in his throat, he ran to the kitchen.
Hiei awoke instantly when he heard Kurama's feet on the floor. His demon hearing was able to tell who it was and followed Kurama's instinctive to the kitchen.
The sight before the two was complete madness. Blood spilt all over the floor causing Yusuke and Kuwabara to slip and slide on the tile in their bare feet. Achiko's arms were in their own, trying to lessen her maddened struggle, but she was putting up one heck of a fight.
She growled deeply, face contorted by anger but her eyes blank and glazed over with sleep.
Achiko flipped the knife in her hands and sliced at Yusuke's arm. Yusuke jumped back in surprise.
"YOW! What kind of a dream is Achiko having!" Yusuke shouted, shaking blood off his arm.
Kurama took over Yusuke's spot, grabbing the hand wielding the knife and holding it steady. Kuwabara cringed as Achiko kicked at his shin and stomped on his feet, desperate to get loose.
Hiei had to think a second before moving. He had distinctly heard a "help!" in the back of his mind. It took him all of four seconds to take action. Hiei ran faster than ever and tapped his hand on the back of Achiko's neck. Achiko slumped, landing in Kurama's outstretched arms.
Kurama picked Achiko up and brought her to the couch, quickly. He grabbed the first aid kit and began to re-wrap the wounds, more carefully than before, handling her tender flesh with cautious tension.
Hiei walked over quicker than he had wanted to, staring at Achiko's torn flesh, the wounds angry and deep.
"Are you sure it's just sleep walking?" Hiei asked, grabbing her left, marked hand and inspecting it for changes.
Hiei put a finger to one, seeing them flaring up as if filled with a passionate flame, and quickly pulled his hand back, cussing in surprise at the heat emitted.
Achiko twitched in Kurama's grasp, the dots on her hand glowing softly, mysteriously.
"I think we can all agree that something much more… hostile is at work," Kurama mused, tying the bandage tightly and beginning on Achiko's other marred arm.
Hiei watched Kurama work, looking Achiko over for more injuries.
"But what else could it be?" Kuwabara asked, rubbing his shins and cursing per flaming bruise.
Hiei remained silent, but couldn't help but to think back to Achiko's room and the secret whispers of possession.
Kurama sighed and placed Achiko beside him on the couch, her head leaning back on the couch as he began to work on Yusuke's arm.
Achiko stirred in her troubled sleep and the boys tried their hardest not to look piteously at her.
Hiei sighed and leaned over to pick Achiko up, shifting her weight so it was more comfortable for the both of them, even though Achiko's weight was nearly non-existent. Ignoring the quiet snickers, Hiei made his way to Achiko's room without killing either ningen. Hiei set Achiko down on her bed and as he was gently drawing up the covers over her slight figure, Achiko's eyes burst open and she sat up, panting and nearly hitting Hiei.
Hiei fell to the floor in shock as she swiped at her eyes and looked around, coming to the realization of where she was.
"What happened…" she muttered to herself, drawing her knees up to her face and burying said face into her knees.
Hiei grunted as he lifted himself up off the floor. Achiko's head shot up and she glared at the black shape. She blinked and realized who it was, stare softening, eyes widened despite his aura of reassurance.
"Sorry, what are you doing here again?" Achiko rubbed at her eyes again and stared blankly at Hiei, who was dusting himself off indignantly.
"You went on a rampage in the kitchen with a knife again," Hiei said coldly, straightening his cloak once more and turning to stare at Achiko.
"Oh." Achiko stared at her hands, "Did I hurt anyone?" She paused a moment longer before continuing on to confess that the dream she had been having had to do with her hurting one of them.
Hiei shook his head and walked over to Achiko, pushing on her shoulders and pressing her into her bed. He shook his head again.
"What happened?" his movements just frightened the wolf girl even more.
Her breath was suddenly shaky and her body became one big uncontrollable shiver as she sat up again. She reiterated the question and Hiei again shook his head and tried to calm her down in what ways he could, which was not many since he wasn't used to it.
Hiei hushed her and stroked her hands, soothing her the best he could. Eventually she fell asleep on his shoulder, shivering for a few minutes until she settled into a sleep induced rigor mortis.
The dream that persisted shook her to the core and frightened her to the point of no return, pushing her past the limits of her sanity.
She was trapped, the bars burning hot and her surroundings black and blood spattered. The bodies of her friend lay strewn across the blackness, the blood plastered on the darkness their own.
Achiko's tears were pouring down her face and falling with a plop to the bottom of the cage, fizzing into a steam as some hit the bars. She sat there, covered in wounds, nothing but her friends bodies to comfort her.
Achiko, my friend, it is time we met face to face!
Achiko looked around from her imprisonment.
Your blood sister awaits your visit, as do I.
Blood sister… Maru… Atticus…
As everything became clear, her dream faded into the darkness and the message was no more. Although for the time being she was safe from the rampant chaos that existed within reality, come morning she would once again become part of her twisted fate.
But until morning, she was free.
Sakura: Well, thanks for all the reviews! Huggles for my reviewers!
Hiei's1Girl : Yep! They kissed! I'm really bad at that sort of stuff though! Thanks for the compliments! ((huggles))
Brandy : I wrote more! I wrote more! Thanks for making me write another chapter! ((huggles))
jennifer011121 : Thanks! Here's my update then! Lol.
Uncle Kenny : Nope, 'awsome' is spelt 'awEsome' ! I hope that you use your new spelling acheivement to spell me out another review! (I can't spell achievement!) ((huggles))
Naoko Asakura 009 : Yeah, the Santa thing was weird, your write, but it was fun to write! ; Thanks for the review! ((huggles))
Kuranga108 : Eh he he! I didn't update my other stories did I though? I'M SUCH A LIAR! Lol! Three kisses, and I suck at writing that sort of stuff, my friend might help me next time, if there IS a next time... MWAHAHA! Thanks again! ((huggles))
Dizappearingirl : I love YYH too! You're right, it was a bit out of place, more of a reminder to me than anyone else, cuz you see I'd forget if I didn't leave little reminders! L lol. Yeah, HieixAchiko went REALLY quick cuz I wanted to fit it in before the next couple of chapters... ; Thanks for reviewing! ((huggles))
Psychopyro16 : Thanks a ton! I guess it is a pretty sad story... I'm pretty morbid sometimes... O-o. Thank you so much! A short but very uplifting review! ((huggles))
ForestHanyou : Lol! I loved your latest chapter! What's this about a near death experience? And you updated! It was a very nice update too! I hope they are all as long as that last one! ; Thanks for visiting my site too! LAZY PEOPLE ROCK! ((huggles))
Iaragon : OMG, coming from you this is SO GREAT! I love your story, Vixenous! I'm only halfway through reading it cuz I'm lazy and only review on the last updated chapter, but it is SUCH a great story! Thanks a TON for the review! ((huggles))
Hitokiri-of-the-Shadows : Aww! Thanks a ton Konoko-chan! I love dedicating chapters! It sure as heck is fun to get him to do your bidding! MWAHAHAHA! ((huggles Konoko and Hiei))
Sakura: A special thanks to all reviewers! ((throws out rubber duckies)) Have fun! Please remember to review!
Fin Chapter 15