Sakura: Yeesh! This isn't much but it still took forever!

Hiei: Take this you bloody flamers!

Sakura: Now now Hiei, settle down!

Kurama: What Sakura is going to do is, she will finish this story, no matter how much she hates it and no matter how many flames!

Sakura: Yeah! Oh- and, I won't reply to any of the reviews, like I used to, because Flames make me cry. Like, not even kidding.

Hiei: hugs Sakura

Sakura: LOVE! shnuggles Anyways, I will be redoing this story once I finish it on my new account, Eternity in a Sock. Look for it:) The stories will be better- no worries! And people reading my HP fic, I have the next chapter for that too! But... it'll take a while to get online again.

Kurama: Please enjoy this chapter, there are only like, three left. :)

Sakura: I don't own YYH, but I DO own a Hiei plushie and a Hiei keychain! WOOOOT:)

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As Achiko lay on her bedroom floor, she couldn't help but think of all her friends and all she had learned spending time with them. She couldn't help but think of all the things that they had had to go through to deal with her.

She frowned at the ceiling.

Why was it that bad things seemed to chase her wherever she went? Why was it that whenever she tried to run, it just seemed to catch up as easily as if it were never trying?

Achiko's frown deepened. She wasn't quite sure what it was. Yet. But it was all a matter of time until the mystery of it all became unfolded. Why her night life seemed so possessed, why she never totally felt free- like something was nagging the back of her mind, as if something were there that just wasn't supposed to be.

Achiko sat up, annoyed with herself for thinking too much on it. The past wasn't something to dwell on all that much. It was better to just leave it behind.

A knock at the door.

"Lunch, Achiko!"

Achiko smiled as a warm, rosy scent reached her tender nose. She walked to the door to greet the scent and it's beholder.

"Good afternoon, Kurama," Achiko sighed, a smile displayed across her pinkish cheeks.

The two walked together over to the kitchen and took a bowl of ramen, lunch for that day. It was Yusuke's turn to cook, and that was all he knew how to do. Achiko thoroughly enjoyed ramen however, and had no problems when it came to assimilating such a delicacy.

Everyone gathered around the TV, slurping all around, laughing when the show was funny, sniffling when it was not, and lots of refills.

Achiko sat, her legs crossed in a pretzel shape in between Hiei and Kurama. They both noticed her furrowing her brow in deep concentration as she looked at the TV. Something was obviously bothering her. And so it was, for Achiko had come across another thought, one of her past, yes, but an ingenious one all the same.

Perhaps… her sister wasn't dead…

Those familiar eyes, charcoal colored hair. Mayhap it was actually Maru. Or Maru reincarnated. Or something like that. But a Maru look-a-like all the same.

"I'm sorry."

Kurama turned around, wondering if Achiko had, indeed, spoken.

"What? Why?" Kurama asked as the others turned to look at her forlorn features.

"For causing so much trouble. I'm really not worth it at all. And even though I haven't been much of a help I'm going to do my best to help you in whatever way I can this next mission!" her eyes were determined and her face matched the expression.

There was no way anyone could just say 'no' to suck a look. And they weren't going to. Once Achiko had her mind set, no one could stop her. No one.

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"Good night!" Achiko shut the door of her room tentatively and turned towards her bed.

"Hello bed!" she smiled and jumped atop it.

Snuggling into the cushions, she stared at the wall across from her. Eyes blank in thick concentration. Finally, she ditched whatever it was her thoughts were, rolled over, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

She rolled over maybe twice before settling into a deep, unbreakable sleep.

---------------doodle----------------

Hiei woke from his home in the trees.

Something was disturbing his thoughts. The only sound resonating from Achiko's room was heavy breathing and the soft sound of something falling to the floor.

He was curious. He went to investigate.

The curiosity just astounded him, making his thoughts run wild like the wind. Hiei stood at her window, trying to make out the person standing near the wall, which was hard for the moon glared at the window like Hiei had often glared at Yusuke and Kuwabara.

Impatient as ever, Hiei opened the glass window delicately and jumped into the wolf-girls room.

"Achiko- what are you-!" Hiei rushed forward to stop her actions.

Standing before him with a triumphant smirk was a mahogany eyed Achiko, her hair cut just below her ear.

"If I can't kill her," the voice coming from Achiko's mouth was not her own, but a dark voice, pitch black and harsh, "I can take away her pride,"

Hiei grabbed both of Achiko's hands and held her against the wall.

"Fine. I'm going. But this, I'm afraid, will not be the last you see of me. And I've left my little mark." Achiko's hand glowed hot, the star-like symbol burning hottest.

With those final word and a mischievous grin, the girl possessing Achiko fled. The wolf girl fell into Hiei's arms, strands of her once long hair falling onto him.

Wary of her burning brightly hand, he sat her up on the bed and checked her over quickly for injury. Nothing.

But her hair. Her silky, shiny, beautiful tresses. Hacked to a point that it took him a minute to realize that it was indeed Achiko. She had two, thick, long strands reaching to her shoulders in the front, hanging beside her face. Near the bottom of each was a violet bead with a symbol on it.

Achiko's eyes flickered, her red orbs fighting to regain focus. Her eyed blinked wide open and she sat straight up- a hand on her head. The hand traveled down to the ends of her hair.

"Why is my hair… Oh… Hiei… Why are you in my dream?" Achiko's eyes regained a dreamy look.

"This isn't a dream." Hiei spoke tersely, words filmed with regret.

"But my hair is much longer in the real world." Achiko smiled, a hint of worry tracing it's way up to her eyes.

Hiei remained silent.

"But then… why… what happened?" she paused and Hiei opened his mouth to answer, "Wait- I know. Maru did this. It was that girl. The mahogany eyed girl. My… sister. Maru… she knew… my hair… such meaning… sister… She doesn't know. She doesn't know I'm her sister. She-"

Her head pounded and Achiko clenched her hair in her hands.

"Maru… what? What are you saying?" Hiei asked, taking her hands from her hair.

"Maru. Maru, Hiei! That girl- the one Botan showed us! Atticus, Ryu , and Maru!" Achiko was clearly distressed, her eyes agitated, worried, and confused.

"Is everything ok in there?" a knock and a voice came at the door.

"Kurama- I know who that girl is! Not Atticus- the other one!" Achiko spoke to the door as it opened.

"The black hai- Achiko? Your- your hair," Kurama came rushing in.

"No, no! Ignore my hair for a minute! That girl that Botan showed us, Maru, I know her too! Her name is Maru- and she's my older sister! Grrr… I need to see that file- where's Botan!" Achiko stood up, shaking her left hand.

Kurama looked at Hiei curiously.

"Please! I know it's the middle of the night, but I really need to get a hold of the file!" Achiko stood in front of Kurama, pleading.

Kurama nodded and took Achiko's right hand, leading her out of her room and down a few halls. Hiei followed persistently, as did /Yusuke and Kuwabara who had awoken shortly after Achiko began yelling.

The kitsune knocked tentatively on a door. The sign above it read 'Botan', the wooden sign blue and the letters pink.

"Botan? Botan! Wake up, this is important!" Kurama persisted until Botan finally opened the door.

"It's past midnight… this isn't my shift, what do you guys want?" Botan's normally perky eyes were tired and filled with a longing to return to her warm bed.

Kurama blushed and turned his head saying, "Ahem, Achiko needs to see the folder that you had of those people regarding our latest mission."

Botan wondered what it was Kurama was blushing about and looked down, "Eek! Hold on…" she muttered and turned to button up her blue pajama shirt.

"I've got it on my desk, hold on." Botan reached into her room and grabbed a manilla folder from atop her desk.

Achiko took it quickly, ignoring as Botan began to rapidly ask questions about Achiko's hair. She flipped past Atticus' and Ryu's page, turning to the girl.

"Maru. That's my older sister. She doesn't know who I am though! Ugh, so confused." Achiko plopped down to the floor in front of Botan's door, muttering to herself.

Suddenly, she stood up. Achiko began to run back to her room, dropping the folder behind her.

The folder toppled open and landed on Ryu's page facing upwards. The picture grew a smirk as the icy-eyed man began to laugh, softly at first, but then manically. The others gaped at the site and Yusuke picked up the folder.

"Fools!" the portrait laughed, "Fools! You have figured this out all too late! And soon, the lot of you will be dead- along with your precious wolf friend!"

The picture continued to laugh until Botan took the folder from Yusuke and slammed it shut. The sound of silence filled the hallway. Botan was shaking, Hiei was gone and Kurama started running back to Achiko's room.

Achiko grasped under her bed for the twin blades the gang had gotten her for Christmas. Her first Christmas. Her last Christmas.

She took a minute to look in the mirror, an angry gleam in her eyes. She knew it all. Ryu's entire plan. In the beginning, it had seemed like Ryu was just a random enemy of Achiko's. But he wasn't. He was pulling all the strings in this little charade he had conducted.

"Going somewhere, Ookami?"

Achiko turned angrily to the shadow flickering in her window.

"Sorry Hiei, I have to go." and with that she jumped at her friend, shoving him out of the way.

Hiei toppled a minute, not expecting that, but grabbed onto a tree branch before falling. He looked around for Achiko before jumping down from the tree.

But she was no where to be seen. She was long gone, lost in the darkness that was night.

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Sakura: Thanks and good... afternoon? I have guitar... so ... bye!

Kurama: Thanks for reading and for all your wonderful reviews!

Sakura: AND ONE MORE THING! HIEI IS MIIIINE I TELL YOU! MUAHAHA! Lolz. Someone reviewd saying Hiei was theirs- what pish-posh! Lolz. I might be willing to share... XD

Hiei: Oh, and, to all the reviewers (not flamers), Lemon Freeze Sticks!

Sakura: Yay! eats