A/N: Hello once again, Dearest Yu Yu Hakusho Lovers!

I realize I have a bias since it's my character, but the scene that picks up towards the end of the chapter is another favorite of mine between Shikiyoku and Hiei. Heheh.

Symbols Guide:

* : Written by CM; She writes for Akari and Hiei
3 : Written by Star (supposed to be the 'heart' symbol, but FF doesn't like the 'less-than' sign, so it's a 3 instead); She writes for Toriko and Kurama
~!**!~ : A universal transition between scenes or characters, sometimes used to indicate a passage of time, but most often used to transition between major scenes that are happening. As the story progresses, this will evolve into mainly separating the (usually two) scenes happening between authors/characters.

As a general rule, anything in italics is thoughts.
Unless it's used in a sentence like this, which merely indicates emphasis.
"Quotations are usually reserved specifically for telepathic dialogue being transmitted from one being to another, but sometimes this can also mean a character isn't being careful about what they're thinking and anyone with telepathy in the nearby vicinity can listen in without taking any effort."

The only exception to that last rule is for the Shiba Inu dog, Nabu. All of his "spoken" dialogue will be in italics and quotations, but is communicated through body language or dog-like noises, so unless a character is able to translate those they are unlikely to pick up on what he is saying any more than the average person might understand his general moods like aggression (bared teeth, ears back) or excitement (wagging tail).

Previously on Yu Yu Hakusho!

Nabu, Foko, and Akari for a while longer until the three of them collapse to the ground for a rest.
Foko asks Akari if there is anywhere in the three worlds she might wish to be,
and she admits to a wish to seeing the Fourth Level and the flowers there.
Foko expresses a gratefulness to her for being a distraction from his 'duties.'

~!**!~

Shikiyoku is still struggling with the feeling of uselessness,
trying to rid herself of such feeling by implanting a purpose
in the stead of Hiei actually giving her one.
The next morning, Shubou enters the tent searching for a remedy for a headache,
and the demon leader and Hiei exchange words on the subject of Shikiyoku
that leave Hiei with a bit more insight into his Ward.
After Shubou leaving, Shikiyoku wakes up and Hiei suggests that they get something to eat...

The smell struck Shikiyoku's nose when Hiei mentioned food, and her stomach simultaneously roiled within her in distaste, but also sent her signals that told her she should eat, since the last time she had consumed food had only been a bite last night and she had danced since then, which always made her hungrier than normal, an aftereffect she had forgotten.

She wasn't sure if she could eat and keep anything down at the moment though.

Still…

Shikiyoku nodded and got up, adjusting her clothing and smoothing down her long, dark hair as she made her way towards the exit of the tent. 3

Hiei noted her hesitation, but paid it no mind and turned towards the front of the tent, taking a few steps until he was standing before the flap, turning to wait on Shikiyoku as she considered. Either way, they were leaving the tent at that precise moment. Whether she decided to eat or not, well, that was only a matter of which direction they were heading.

As soon as she nodded, he turned and waved away the tent flap, the brightness of day shining harshly into his eyes and causing him to blink two, three times before he proceeded out into the open campgrounds. His hand held the tent flap until Shikiyoku was close enough to catch it when he released it, and a beat later he was turning and moving through the tribal community in search of the fire that was still roasting some sort of meat.

And it smelled rather scrumptious.

~!**!~

Akari found herself turning to Foko with a gentle smile, finding his admission to be somewhat of a compliment. After a moment, she reached forward and tugged on a strand of his hair, and when she found it to be soft, smooth, silky, she did so again, this time winding her fingers through it as he had done to hers. "Glad to be of service. I am, after all, a great distraction. At least, that's what I've been told." *

"Is that so?" Foko gave her a roguish smile, turning his eyes to her and quirking an eyebrow, "Well, it seems that I can't disagree with whoever made the statement."

Foko had stopped petting Nabu by this time, both hands behind his head, and he just watched Akari's face as she wove her fingers into his long, silver hair.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes scanned the encampment, following Hiei more than her nose.

"Are they cooking some of what you killed?" 3

Hiei continued moving, eyes roving over the tents he passed and the demons who moved by, doing whatever it was they did daily. He glanced back at Shikiyoku, then sniffed at the air again and realized that the scent was the same as the meat Hideki had offered the night before.

"Seems so," he finally answered as a small group of demons game into view, made up of three who all watched the fire they sat around, snickering at something or another that Hiei hadn't listened to. Hideki was, not surprisingly, among the three, a wide smirk on his face as he waved around his hand in a tell-tale show of finishing up a story.

All to which he paused when he caught sight of Hiei and Shikiyoku, his eyes gleaming in amusement as he waved them over. "You're welcome to join us! We have scraps leftover, if you wish to have them!"

And Hiei did not hesitate this time to join the demon who had called out.

~!**!~

Akari gave a small laugh at his words, eyes on the strands of hair that she toyed with, not really doing anything more with them than running her fingers through. "I try," she joked with a simple shrug of her shoulders, scooting a little closer to the male as she began running her other hand through his locks as well, now completely relaxed again.

"Of course, I had practice too." Her smile was one of sarcasm, of jokes untold. *

"Mm?" Foko intoned, his eyes having closed at her attentions to his hair, "Good at being a distraction for many reasons, then?"

~!**!~

Still following after the fire demon, interest piqued at knowing that at least a part of what was releasing that smell had been due to Hiei's contribution to the hunting, Shikiyoku took to sitting next to Hiei once he did so, her stomach having gotten over her previous thoughts and now growling angrily at her lack of attention to it.

One of the demons around the fire laughed at the noise as he passed meat to her, then more over to Hiei, and she stuck her tongue out at his chuckles, but accepted the offer.

After the initial bite and interest in the flavor, Shikiyoku tried her best not to wolf the whole plate down, restraining the urge to dip the entire plate into her mouth all at once.

The ritual had left her more ravenous than she remembered being in a long time.

And food hunted and cooked in this way always tasted better. 3

Hiei was comfortable in a moment's notice, sitting alongside Hideki and Shikiyoku with a plate of grub in his hands, a piece of meat already hanging from his lips as he idly chewed at it. The male beside him continued in his storytelling, turning back to the other two who had been listening intently before.

"Of course, this is the moment when the guy's all puffed up like a boar and his nose is so high in the air, that I-"

"Hideki," another demon called, approaching the group with weapon in hand, "Shubou gave us a new task for the day." Okahito's eyes glanced briefly at Hiei and Shikiyoku, offering a nod of acknowledgement before turning to the other again. "I believe it's best to get it out of the way first thing."

Hideki released a small sigh. "Always during my stories."

"Of course," the other snickered once before waving him onward. "I believe the two of us can handle it nicely. Champion," Okahito nodded at Hiei before turning to Shikiyoku as well, "the Missus."

Hiei nodded his own greeting in return, mouth full enough to keep from giving him the opportunity to respond verbally before Hideki was standing and the other was gone.

"Well, I'm off. If you're gone before my return, I wish you two the best of luck in your travels."

~!**!~

Akari's smile widened and became a bit more slanted, her teeth showing on one side. "I can be," she responded naturally, eyes flickering to his ears as she considered messing with them as well. "Of course, it just depends on the situation. For instance…" her words trailed away and her hands ceased with their toying of his locks.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she was crouching down, movements slow in an attempt to keep the fox from noticing her intentions, breath held as if it would help.

Her hands were flat on the grass, lowering herself until she was even with the top of his head, at which point she smirked mischievously and nipped at the top of his ear, quickly moving and sitting up again.

"And that puts me as the leader now, not you. And since I have no canine ears, you can't revoke it!" *

Foko opened his eyes, ear that had been bitten flicking once, and blinked at Akari, no sense of understand behind his gaze at the gesture whatsoever.

Not to mention the fact that he had no canine ears either...

"And tell me, oh fearless leader, what will your first act be now that you've abdicated my throne?"

~!**!~

Without missing a beat, or even looking up from her plate, Shikiyoku hurled the bone she had just cleaned in the direction Okahito had disappeared, earning herself a satisfying exclamation of pain from the other demon now out of sight. 3

Hiei turned his eyes to Shikiyoku after the sound he'd caught, raising a brow at her as if asking 'really?' But the expression turned to one of mild amusement as he turned away, taking more meat into his mouth with vigor.

"At least wait until we're gone to start fights," he began, "It's too early."

The two left nearby released long breaths, as if they'd heard this conversation before. One smirked and made a sound of mock disappointment at Hiei. "It's never too early for a fight."

~!**!~

Akari stifled a sigh at the expression Foko wore, point going totally missed it seemed. But at his question, she was smiling again and sitting up straighter, eyes closing in a dignified manner. "First…" she began, pausing as she thought for a moment before continuing, "you're going to sit up so I can play with your hair, without breaking the beautiful grass beneath it." *

Foko wriggled around for a moment, obviously torn.

"But...the grass is so soft and comfortable." He pouted a little, turning over onto his stomach and mumbling something into his hands, enjoying the warmth of the earth as it radiated up towards his skin.

~!**!~

"He deserved it for being cheeky. Besides," Shikiyoku countered, looking up from her meal with a telltale glow of energy in her eyes, releasing one soft pulse of energy into the air, "There isn't a demon here who can fight me." 3

Hiei's eyes slid to Shikiyoku again, chewing on the meat in his mouth for a moment longer before swallowing. He assessed her for a moment before scoffing once and turning away. He went quiet again, as did the pair across from them.

And he couldn't hold back what he wanted to say.

"It wouldn't be a matter of fighting as it would be of ignoring." Of course, he was referring to the energy that now made her eyes shimmer and glow just lightly. A smirk formed on his expression. "Hn, any fool with discipline can do so."

~!**!~

Akari huffed at Foko's response, her cheeks puffing up at him in disappointment. She thought for a moment, watching him as he rolled over in the grass, before she suddenly realized she now had even better access to his full head of hair. Her expression swiftly shifted to cheer and she stretched out, leaning forward until she was crouched on her knees, hands grabbing his hair and toying with it thoughtfully, as if she might be able to fashion it in the most elaborate way possible.

"This will do, sir. This'll do." *

"Mm. Good. Because I wasn't really planning on getting up anyway." Foko told her, burying his face in his arms.

His ears would move occasionally in her direction as if to hear her as she moved about, and every so often his tail would twitch as if aware of how revealed it was at that moment.

~!**!~

"Luckily 'fools' are often the easiest to ensnare." Shikiyoku released her energy and turned back to her own food. "You'd be surprised how many fools thought they could fight me." 3

Hiei released another sound of amusement, but otherwise said nothing in reply to Shikiyoku, as he'd seen only a few examples of her power. While humans were very easy to compel under one's desire, even by simple wording of one's sentence, he figured it was much the same for the weaker demons. Of course, some of the higher ranking demons could be the same, but normally that was another story.

Which is where Shikiyoku's energy would have come in handy, were it necessary.

And, of course, Hiei felt no need for such use of her power. Why spend her energy when Hiei could persuade them in any which way he desired?

Of course, there may be times where he had no other choice. After all, he wasn't the best at swaying others to his will. He knew that. It's simply where he'd resorted to persuasion via sword.

"I suppose it's a good thing I am no fool then, hm?"

~!**!~

Akari ran her fingers through the other's hair, ridding it of any tangles and stray blades of grass that she encountered. And after a moment, she found herself wondering a few things, though one thing stuck out much further than everything else in her mind. At first, she'd decided not to ask on it, but…

It simply wouldn't leave her be.

"Foko, if I had decided to join when asked, what would have happened? Would you still be playing a charade, or would it be… like this?" *

"What do you mean, inu?" Foko opened his eyes and turned his head to look over at her, puzzled by her questions.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku coughed, choking a bit on the meat she had just attempted to swallow as she fought back a smile.

"I suppose." She echoed. "As only a true fool would try to fight me." 3

"Hn." Hiei would have responded more, if he hadn't decided to take another bite to finish off his meat, and on top of that…

He really didn't have much to say about the topic any more. She was right, after all. Hiei knew that if she desired to do so, he'd be under her every command, under her thumb and doing whatever she demanded of him. It was much the same for others, though not many seemed to understand such a wild concept of being, simply put, mind controlled.

And quite frankly, he didn't wish to know how it felt. So he'd just stick to his job of protecting, and hope he doid a well enough job to not create a veil of ire thick enough to provoke her.

Unless he did it for fun.

That's a different story.

~!**!~

Akari didn't respond right away, her eyes staying trained on the three strands of hair she'd retracted from the left side of his head. She weaved the strands in and out of one another, directing them towards the center of his head, at which point she took a deep breath and paused her motions, thinking for a moment before dropping that single braid and doing the same thing, starting from the right side of his head.

"I mean," she began calmly, "that when Otento gave the off-"

She paused, frowning to herself suddenly.

A thought had crossed her mind, but for the moment, she decided to ignore it, until it was confirmed or denied.

"When Otento offered for me to… join the ranks, would you have played as Youko, or would we still end up… playing games and keeping one another company?"

Part of her hoped she wasn't right, but… Well…

It wasn't likely she was wrong. *

Foko watched her as she kept moving his hair about, his expression remaining neutral throughout her questionings.

"I do not have an answer for you, inu." He finally said after a long pause. "There are many variables to account for within your question. Had you at that point realized the human boy Shuichi Minamino was in fact the vessel for Youko Kurama? If so, you would have likely saw through the deception quickly. Would I have approached you about the masquerade before then, preemptively attempting to warn you of my true nature not being the real Youko? This is also possible.

"I think..." Foko grew thoughtful, "My closest comrades know I am not Youko. Know that I must keep the form to further the cause faster. Would you have been one such comrade?" He raised and lowered a shoulder, indicating as he said before that he simply did not have an answer that he felt would satisfy her curiosity.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku passed her empty plate back to one of the demons still around the fire.

"My thanks for sharing this meal."

"It ought to be us thanking you." One said. "A meal is the least we can do for the unity you have blessed us with. I hope this feeling lasts for a long time." He grinned at the other tribesmen at the fire. "Or that I don't forget it very quickly."

Shikiyoku said nothing else, but gave a nod of her head in understanding. 3

Hiei watched the exchange with keen eyes, ears listening just as keenly to the conversation at hand, choosing not to add to it. He could see and feel the sincerity from the demon who had replied, thanking Shikiyoku for her ritual and all it meant for the tribe. Hiei himself felt as if it were a magnificent feat, something of such a magnitude. When Shikiyoku said nothing in reply, he turned a neutral gaze onto her, as if he'd thought she would reply sooner or later.

When she made no such indication, he moved to stand, nodding once at the eyes that turned to him curiously.

"Your generosity is greatly appreciated," the fire demon began, deciding he might as well and end their stay here as cordial as possible, "But we do need to continue on."

~!**!~

Akari listened, eyes trained on the motions her fingers made as she deftly braided the small portion of hair she'd plucked from the right side of his head, her fingers moving until they met the other braid in the center of his head.

By this time, he had finished speaking, and she'd allowed the silence to hang in the air between them. So, Otento's offer hadn't been some measly trap that she hadn't noticed until now. It wouldn't have surprised her, though, after all that had happened already. After all, he had grabbed herself and Kurama from the park and tossed them into a dark room.

He had snatched Toriko from her home, with Hiei even nearby, and-

She stopped her thoughts right there, her fingers even pausing mid-twist as she stared at the formation she'd begun. Her eyelids slid closed and she took a very slow breath in through her nostrils. "I'm not sure it would have happened." she admitted, her hands resuming their work on his hair. "A lot has happened between then and now. I'm not exactly who I was then."

She gave another pause, realizing who was behind such changes. Her hands stilled again, this time finishing the job she'd been working on and tying the last braid in a loose knot, so that if he wished, he could undo it all.

He's caused a lot of changes lately.

The mental image that she'd been able to fight away the past day and a half floated to the forefront of her mind, and this time, she released a small sigh. Was the lip contact really necessary, you moron? *

After speaking, Foko had felt himself relaxing more and more under Akari's touch, to the point that his breathing had deepened and he was on the verge of sleep.

Her words danced vaguely across the front of his mind when she spoke up again, but he had not the effort within him to give any answer, instead letting the quiet afforded them by their private park hush over their company.

~!**!~

Even before the demon had thanked her, Shikiyoku's eyes began to darken, turning inward to the slight turmoil that had started up in the pit of her stomach at the realization that they would soon be headed towards-

Shikiyoku stood mechanically, murmured a last farewell, and moved off into the treeline.

As soon as those in the encampment could no longer see her, her eyes glazed over now, her body turned and began heading in the direction they had come from, back towards where the entrance to Human World lie. 3

Hiei had lead the way away from the camp, nodding farewells here and there as he passed demons who wished him and Shikiyoku safety on their journey, or in the very least, a cheery farewell and thanks towards the female who had accompanied him.

He moved into the treeline, Shikiyoku at his side, and he continued walking, eyes focused ahead as he considered several things at once.

If they so wished, the pair could very easily stay in Demon World, especially this far down where the Spirit World had little to no control. It likely wouldn't be the first time something of the sort had happened.

However, if/when they returned, what would happen next? Would Toriko take over again, leaving the fire demon with a human who he didn't actually know anything about. He frowned at the thought of dealing with relearning about the person he was supposed to protect.

Or would it be the same?

They cou-

Suddenly, Hiei was aware that he was alone, and his steps made a sudden halt in their tracks, his body turning so that when his head moved as well, he could see back in the direction they'd come from, searching for-

"You're going the wrong way." If he knew that, wouldn't it be painfully obvious for her?

~!**!~

Akari noted the lack of response from Foko as she sat back again, though really, she wasn't much more aware of anything else. Her attention was turned inward, her eyes glazed over as she continued to consider the fact that there was a specific reason she'd changed the way she had.

Sure, Nabu helped a lot with coming to terms with herself and keeping herself in check, but…

How can one person be such an influence on another?

She thought back, to the first moment when she'd done something… out of character. And she realized it was the same day she'd followed him to the school, to enroll. He'd been snide, as had she, but when it came down to it, she didn't really strike back as she would have normally done. It was a small thing, but she wondered if that small thing had really actually turned her into the person who now did a job she'd been given without second thoughts, without considering each and every option and how to get away from the command she was now under.

In fact, she didn't really even feel like she was being ordered around, as she had with Sensui, who'd watched her each and every step. Here, she was practically doing whatever she wished.

And it just so happened that it turned into her learning a few things along the way.

A frown settled over her expression again, and this time, she emerged from her inner thoughts and looked down again at Foko.

Is this… right?

Her frown deepened, creating wrinkles in her forehead. The slow, steady rhythm of the demon's breathing had her yawning, but otherwise, she felt no need for sleep now.

Maybe…

Maybe she'd go to school tomorrow. Maybe… it isn't as bad as she'd been telling herself.

~!**!~

Pen scratched along paper, making markings along lines and lines of bold, black print that she'd stopped actually processing hours ago. Yet, her reading continued, and thus, Akari's hand continued to scribble answers on the very last sheet of homework she'd been given.

Despite her anger at the subject of Algebra.

Who in their right minds put letters in math?

"Akari…"

The demoness paused, her pen lifting from the paper as her eyes shifted down to the dog who was now sitting beside the chair she'd taken to sitting in, an expression on his face that told her he'd been awoken by her occasional growls of irritation. "Did I wake you?"

The dog huffed once at her, but otherwise continued on. "You still haven't slept. It's not good to do that. I don't see how you're even able to read all of that stuff. Or concentrate."

"Practice, Nabu. Practice."

"There are some cases where practice doesn't make perfect." Wide, brown eyes turned to look at the nearest window, ears falling slightly. "You're not leaving for school soon, are you?"

"Well, wandering town is boring. And Foko's busy."

"Busy playing tricks…."

"Enough, Nabu."

"You know it's true. No one who pretends to be another is nice."

Akari took in a deep breath to calm herself before turning back to the paper she'd been working on, eyes quickly finding the last blank on the paper before her pen continued its work, a few minutes passing until she finally sat back and stretched. Her bones cracked and popped from having sit here for so long, and her stomach made a small sound that said she'd neglected eating long enough. Still, she reached for the lone remaining bottle of water on the desk and twisted the cap, earning a small sound as it was opened for the first time before she took a long drink from it.

"That isn't good either."

Akari ignored Nabu altogether this time, twisting the lid back onto the bottle and standing from her chair, quickly shuffling each paper into her hands in an orderly fashion before sliding them into the open bag on the floor, her left hand reaching for her uniform shirt, along with the white undershirt that was appropriate for such a jacket, as soon as she had achieved placing her papers away calmly.

The female moved across the room, peeling off the sweater she'd been wearing all night and pulling the white tank over her head, her messy hair protesting the motion and getting stuck underneath her shirt, to which she quickly fixed by tugging it out from beneath the tank before turning to the mirror that she'd scrounged from a junk pile outside another house.

She frowned at her reflection, red, puffy, glassy eyes staring back at her as she pouted. She looked just about as she felt, she assumed. She peeled her eyes from her own face and up to her hair, the curls anything but neat being, at first, ran through with her fingers, followed by a comb that didn't seem able to pull each and every tangle from her locks.

So she settled for pulling her hair up atop her head into a bun that she wound around and around, only her bangs and a few side strands falling to frame her face. It wasn't too bad. It seemed to hide the disheveledness of her state just a bit better than keeping it down.

"'kari… Stay home. You need sleep and-"

"Nabu, I said that's enough."

While her tone hadn't been harsh, her words made the dog lower his head, and after another moment of watching her dress herself for school, he turned and slinked away, hiding in the blankets of her makeshift bed.

Akari released a sigh as she finished tucking her tank into her skirt hem, pulling the jacket over her arms, pausing for a moment to glance at the scar that just peeked over the collar of the undershirt.

253. It was hardly noticeable to anyone who looked, but the numbers were tattooed on her skin, following her collarbone as if they had been fashioned to sit on it like a shelf. She took another deep breath in, eyes sliding closed as she pulled the jacket over her shoulders and proceeded to button it up, hiding the rest of her markings easily.

By the time she had her shoes on and tied, the sun was completely up and the human world was bustling with activity, people moving to work and school with varied speeds. Not worried about being late in the slightest, the redhead grabbed for her bag and slowly maneuvered about the room until she was standing in the threshold of the door, glancing back at the lump beneath the covers that was Nabu.

She almost said her normal farewell, but instead she merely turned and shut the door behind herself with a soft click, slowly moving to blend in with the crowds and saunter her way up to the school. *

~!**!~

At the sound of Hiei's call, Shikiyoku stopped dead in her tracks, eyes clearing, and subsequently widening as she came back into herself.

Without a word, she pivoted around and came back to where Hiei had paused, moving past him to keep heading towards The P-

-other side of the Ninth Level, obviously. 3

Hiei watched silently, waiting for Shikiyoku, who seemed to act as if she'd done this on purpose. Almost as if she'd been waiting to see if he would notice.

And yet, her movements were jerky, making it seem as if she'd had no idea whatsoever of her own movements. Both options had him frowning slightly as she caught up, at which point he turned and began walking alongside her, this time much more aware of her presence than before.

And he said nothing about her change in direction, choosing to act as if it hadn't happened in the first place.

~!**!~

Akari moved with the crowd, easily blending in with the bustle despite her leisurely pace, her mind blank of any and all thoughts and.. well, most emotions. Here and there, a shoulder would bump into hers and her eyes would snap over at the perpetrator, who would simply continue on, oblivious to the ire that they'd provoked.

And it was never to any specific person.

She took a deep breath and rubbed at her face, rubbing her eyes free of the sleepless night she'd had and shaking herself awake mentally. At least, that's what she told herself she was doing.

In reality, she was in a sort of daze that was only interrupted by physical contact of another running into her, or by the fact that she had to pause at a crosswalk or simply be run over.

By the time she was on school grounds, her eyes were as alert as possible in her state and her frown was aimed at any and all who cut her off in her walk, in her desire to get to class and simply sit in a desk and do nothing but listen to someone ramble for a while.

It was odd how she wouldn't mind sitting still today, when yesterday she'd been hell bent on moving around, not being in one place for more than an hour or so.

At least the hallucinations had ceased for the time being. Doing work with a commenting Kyu over her shoulder had been hard work.

But nothing was as bad as doing work with Sensui standing over her, watching her each and every movement, correcting each and every mistake she made. That one she still had yet to get over. It had scared her enough to keep her from sleeping the rest of the night.

By the time she was standing outside the appropriate classroom, she was pulling herself from her thoughts again and simply staring at the open door. There was still time to go back, if she desired.

But, she'd already gotten here. Might as well stay.

Still, she made no move to enter the room at that very moment. *

Kurama stared out the window, lost in thought.

How long had Toriko been gone? How long had it been since Hiei left with her?

Long enough that someone, Kurama had his suspicions as to who, had arranged it to be that Toriko was studying abroad for a time.

It didn't seem like too much of an issue. Like himself, Toriko could have easily tested out of Meiou High.

The issue was, where had the two of them gone?

And why?

Demon World. Considering Koenma's refusal to answer.

Could their mission be one connected back to the fake Youko?

Kurama hoped so, since there had been no further breakthroughs on that front either.

~!**!~

The next few miles Shikiyoku covered with Hiei were pleasantly void of any major encounters, though she remained quiet the entire time, fighting viciously with the urge to turn back, every step heavier than the last as they dashed through the treeline much like they had at the beginning of their trek across the Ninth Level.

Four miles later and Shikiyoku halted in place, eyes glazing over once more, jaw clenching this time as her stomach roiled into knots at the resistance before the tension released, and the female hopped down from the tree branch and began walking back the way she came for a second time. 3

Hiei had kept very close watch of his companion this time, still trying to decode if her earlier change in direction had been intentional or otherwise. He didn't see why she would do so without meaning to, but-

There it was again. The fire demon pulled to an abrupt stop and turned to face Shikiyoku, who was walking in the opposite direction entirely for the second time. A frown pulled his lips downwards and made his brows furrow in confusion.

Definitely not by choice.

"Wrong direction," he called once more, eyes watching her keenly, waiting for a response even as he stood in the shadows of the tree branches.

~!**!~

Akari took a deep breath in and rubbed at her eyes for the third time since she'd arrived on campus, her hand moving from there to brush her hair from her face soon after. She took a single step towards the door, but paused when unnatural movement caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to the dead end wall of this hallway to see a single, slithering shadow moving along the floor. A frown colored her features as she tugged lightly on her energy, recalling the ribbon so that it dissipated in the air entirely.

That's not good.

She hadn't noticed her energy doing that before now, when it would matter most. If a human saw it, who knew what would happen.

She took another deep breath to gather herself, composing her expression into a calm one before she took the final steps that lead her into the classroom and right up to the teacher's desk, hefting her bag up and onto the wooden surface as the teacher pulled his gaze up to her with a smile.

That smile twitched momentarily before dropping entirely, forming into a slight frown. "Good to see you again." Akari dug in the bag she'd opened up with deft fingers, rifling through the papers until each and every sheet of work was in her grasp, to which she held out silently to the older human. He blinked at her hand and reached to take the papers almost robotically, slowly sliding them from her grasp. "Already? Is this why you missed classes yesterday?"

"No," Akari replied simply, tone flat. "Circumstances left me unable to attend, sir."

"Well, as I said, it's good to see you again," he repeated, eyes carefully going over the work in his hand. "Toriko's seat is open again today. She's studying abroad, so you can either have her seat until then, or the one you had occupied previously. Your pick, as a reward for your hard work." He paused, looking up again with a half-smile. "Though, I'd suggest the latter, as your partner is nearer."

Akari nodded once before turning away and taking the same path she had the last time she'd been in class, taking the same seat in front of Kurama. And again, she didn't pause to even glance at him, nor did she even make as if to notice the ramblings of the humans who had seen her stalk by.

It wasn't as if she weren't aware of her physical state. *

Kurama remained lost in his thoughts, only vaguely aware of the classroom around him, until a small blip of demonic energy just at the edges of his vision brought his attention back to the present.

His eyes fell first to the floor, and a deep frown creased his forehead.

Akari's shadow was...moving. There was no other word for it. And as Kurama checked, Akari herself was not.

Kurama leaned forward in his chair a little, not enough to be inconspicuous, but in an attempt to get the demon's attention as he whispered her name.

"Akari?"

~!**!~

"-go back to Human World. Leave. And go back to Human World."

The mantra rang loudly in Shikiyoku's head, and on some level, she wasn't sure when it had morphed to include a return to Human World, the knot in her stomach simply directing her away from the land of The Palace she was fast approaching.

On the main level of her consciousness, she continued traveling in the opposite direction. 3

Hiei scowled at Shikiyoku, who gave no pause at his calling out to her. The bond in his mind was ringing, as if it were dire that his attention be on Shikiyoku, who continued to make her leave.

After another moment of simply watching her, Hiei dropped to the ground and, utilizing his full speed, moved so that he cut off her trail, giving her no room to alter her course. His arms were crossed, expression now slightly irritated, accompanied by the gleam of confusion in his eyes.

"You're going. The wrong way."

~!**!~

AKari had gotten comfortable slumped slightly in her chair, legs stretched out until her feet were beneath the chair of the girl in front of her, arms crossed her her stomach as she took a deep breath. The atmosphere in the room was already too much, as a few students were still watching her, staring.

Yes, I know. I look like hell. Shut up.

Her ears caught sound of the movement of the person behind her, bringing her out of her thoughts in time to hear her name become a whispered question that asked for her attention. She turned her head enough to show she was listening, but not enough so that he would see her face.

Make one comment, fox. Just one.

A sneer formed on her features, though it left just as quickly. "Hm?" she finally hummed out, tone curious despite the thoughts she'd just had and her complete and utter desire to be left alone. *

"You appear to be...dancing." Kurama couldn't help but stare briefly at Akari's seated shadow, which had started to throw its hands around and wiggle in the shadow-seat of the shadow-desk. "Is that intentional?"

~!**!~

Shikiyoku actually bumped into Hiei before startling back and looking up at him, confused for a moment until she shook her head a little, mind clearer than before again.

"Sorry," She mumbled under her breath, turning and leaping up into the trees to dash off in the right direction. 3

Hiei stayed where he'd stopped Shikiyoku from advancing, arms still crossed over his chest even as she apologized and turned away, taking off in the same direction they'd been going before she'd ceased all advances. His frown now turned into a discontented scowl, accompanied by keen eyes following her motions until she was out of sight.

There was no way she did that on purpose. The look she'd had in her eye before running into him was not a gleam of someone who was consciously doing what they were doing.

Finally, he took off after her, this time staying behind her to make sure that if she turned around again, he could stop her before she got too far and interrogate her.

If there was no third time, he would let the subject go.

~!**!~

Akari listened to Kurama's words, at first completely and utterly confused. She hadn't moved in her desk? She hadn't done more than turn her head since she'd sat down. What on earth would make him think that-

Her body tensed visibly in her seat and her eyelids slid closed in realization. It's happening again, isn't it? Her eyelids slid open again and she glanced down at her own shadow, frowning to herself as she watched it move about, and then its head turned as if it were turning its eyes onto her.

Admittedly, it was the weirdest thing to see, her own shadow staring at her.

Enough. Sit still, or leave.

The shadow moved again, turning its head away from her and making another odd motion that could only be described as a twitch of defiance.

What did I just say?

It twitched again.

Your master is ordering you to sit still, right this instant. Or so help me, you will cease to exist.

In a motion too jerky to be possible, the shadow snapped back into its normal position, mirroring her own frame perfectly now just in time for a human nearby to glance at it, as if interested in whatever it was that had warranted a harsh glare from Akari.

Good. Now stay that way.

The pulse of energy that she earned from the shadow told her it had bowed to her will, and she turned forward again, this time speaking aloud to the male behind her without really looking at him. "Let it do as it pleases. It needs its day too." *

Kurama had leaned back in his chair once the dancing shadow had been brought to Akari's attention, but he continued to watch what he assumed was a silent exchange between the two before it settled down once more.

She still hasn't slept yet. The thought stabbed across Kurama's mind in a fleeting moment. Too much more of this and it won't be just her shadows that are out of control.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku tried to keep her thoughts steady on simply reaching the other side of the Ninth Level, but even with that distraction, her speed through the trees had slowly decreased, appearing to simply become more measured as if through a more dangerous stretch of branches.

Grinding her teeth together, Shikiyoku fought with her speed, increasing it once she noticed it had become lax.

That is, until she reached the edge of lands surrounding The Palace.

Shikiyoku looked as if she slammed headlong into a wall, her nose instantly bleeding, dropping out of the tree branch on which she'd planted a foot. Her body twisted easily in the air so that she landed with steady assurance on the forest floor, and then she shot off in the wrong direction at nearly twice the speed she had been going up until that point. 3

The fire demon had continued on without incident for a bit, and he'd almost begun to relax when he noticed her stride adjusting here and there, at which he simply adjusted his own speed to match so he would not catch up with the female.

And then she was completely stopping and turning tail again, moving much faster than before. His muscles struggled with the sudden stop and he quickly changed direction as well, this time moving throughout the treetops until he was again in front of her, where he dropped to the ground, plucked the female from her running position, and returned to the trees, moving as high up as the weaker branches would allow and setting her on her feet in front of him again, eyes narrowed at the sight of the blood running down her face.

"What's wrong with you, giving up? You're being pathetic."

~!**!~

AKari relaxed in her chair again after checking her shadow a second time, ensuring it had indeed ceased all motion for the time being. Satisfied, she slid down into a lounging position in her seat, arms crossed over her stomach still and head falling forward just slightly. Her eyes remained open, staring at her desk blankly as she checked her energy.

It didn't feel out of control…

"That's because you're lacking in discipline, Akari."

"What he said, sweetheart."

At the voices that intoned suddenly, she gave an audible groan, likely a little louder than she'd intended. Can't you two find someone else to pick on?

"Of course not! You're simply too fun to mess with!"

Sensui gave no reply other than leaning over her desk to peer at.. something or another.

"Yo, Shinobu, care to-"

"None of your business."

"Not Shinobu. Another one. Which one are you?"

"Doesn't matter. You're losing it again. Where has your self discipline gone?"

Akari's eyes opened and turned to look down again, but found nothing out of the norm. What are you on about?

"It's getting away, sweetheart."

Another sound of impatience as the demoness found the small, shapeless blob of darkness sliding along the sides of her desk, almost appearing to be a bug as it made its way to the floor and under several other desks before she called out to it. That's quite enough out of you.

"Perhaps you're in need of another one of our lessons, Akari."

No thanks.

"What she needs is-"

"No one asked you."

ENOUGH! *

While Kurama could feel the fluctuation in demonic energy from where he sat, he could not actually see what was happening in front of him.

He recognized the signature to be Akari's, but at this vantage point he could not make out what exactly was going on.

Luckily it appeared her dancing shadow was still under control. But he felt his entire body tensing as if he were going to have to scoop her up and barge out of the room should things go too far south.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's head reeled, struggling to simply stand in place, but with enough sense in her mind at Hiei's abrupt interruption of her fleeing to come back to the present.

She knew she was looking at Hiei, but she wasn't seeing him.

Blood trickled farther down her nose and Shikiyoku reached up absently with a hand to wipe it away, staring at the red mess for a second before lowering her hand back down.

Do not return!

Shikiyoku's body shuddered violently at not moving away from her former homeland, and her eyes squeezed shut, coughing as blood caught in her throat and causing more to spill from her nose in the meantime.

"We should...keep moving." Keep running! Shikiyoku's eyes flickered in the direction they were meant to go, "It's...not much farther." 3

Hiei frowned at Shikiyoku, the sight and smell of her blood keeping him where he stood with his hands on her shoulders to keep her in place among the branches. One step this way or that and she would be falling much further than before.

Admittedly, the sight of her nose dripping blood at such a rate was an unsettling one, and of course he noticed the way she seemed to swallow around what he could only assume to be more of the crimson life essence.

"What's wrong with you?" His question was a bit more demanded than before as he raised a hand to wipe at the blood still spilling from her nose just as she had. This was definitely not of the norm.

~!**!~

Kyu sighed at Akari's impatient air, making the female turn her eyes up with a glare aimed specifically at him. He caught her glare and countered it with a smile of innocence that was defined even more so by the batting of his lashes.

"After your school activities today, you will meet me in the gym. Understand?" Akari's eyes shifted to Sensui, glare harsher than before, to when he reached forward and flicked her forehead. "None of that. You know better." His normal, fully colored appearance was even weirder when he stood next to the grayscale Kyu.

A defeated sigh left the demoness and she let her eyelids slide closed, the feeling of the shadow she'd been addressing before moving along her skin not even so much as bothering her. Remain unseen, would ya? The shadow gave a brief pause, the chill in the crook of her elbow making bumps rise on her arm before it continued moving up her arm and over her shoulder, coming to rest at the base of her neck as if created by the bun she'd put her hair into.

After a moment, she realized it had paused to contemplate Kurama, and she tugged at her energy again, telling it to stay still. And it did, despite the way it contemplated the male behind her. Her shoulders moved with another sigh. At least they listened when she addressed them. *

Kurama had the distinct feeling of something staring at him, but with the aura of energy that had started to become more pronounced around Akari, he found himself distracted, glancing calmly around the rest of the room to see if any of the other students, or perhaps the teacher, had caught on to the aura yet.

Much more of this and even the dullest of human senses were going to be able to catch what was going on, and know that Akari was at the heart of it.

But what was he supposed to say to her?

The entire thing was still hanging over him as likely his fault anyway.

Short of knocking her out and removing her from the room himself, Kurama didn't think his options were all that open.

Unless…

~!**!~

Shikiyoku took a moment to process the question, eyes starting to glaze over again before she fought off the urge to knock Hiei's hands off of her and start running again.

In fact, it seemed him physically holding her in place was actually helping a little, as she had a pause where she could begin to overcome the compulsion without having to move forward.

She didn't notice it on a direct level, but 'overcoming the compulsion' was actually causing her to release more and more of her energy, her skin starting to prickle with power and her scalp tingling as her hair released more scent.

"I'm-" Her eyes had just started to take on that otherworldly glow when another pang of demand hit her stomach and she coughed again, the glow disappearing as this time she pulled up her hand and released the blood that had started to coat her throat into her palm.

While coughing, she moved her other hand up to Hiei's shoulder, as if physically holding onto him would both steady her as she coughed and somehow prevent her from dashing away. 3

Hiei continued to stare at Shikiyoku, eyes narrowing in thought slightly as she made an attempt to speak, but was unable to continue as her words were cut off by a cough. The smell of blood became stronger, making his features darken with a scowl etched in stone and wrinkles in his forehead that looked as if they'd always be there. When she had a hand on his shoulder, that's when he decided to try something else.

Because obviously talking was not a simple option anymore.

His hands moved to grab her face, guiding her eyes until he was staring directly into the emerald color, his Jagan completely awake and open by that point. His mind reached out and touched hers, brushing it gently at first before simply seeming to invade.

"Look at me. Now." The harsh words were nothing more than a whispered demand, said both aloud and telepathically. With the invasion of her mind, he was able to get a feel of what was going on, though it was only a vague impression on his part. "Resist. We can leave as soon as this is over, and never return if that is what you wish."

~!**!~

Silence seemed to fall around Akari for the moment, both Kyu and Sensui standing silently on either side of her desk with arms crossed and watchful gazes. The shadow at the base of her neck moved only slightly, as if intrigued, and again she tugged at her energy, pulling it inward just a little as if tightening a leash on a puppy. It stilled immediately once more, feeding her information of the person behind her.

Unwanted information, quite frankly.

Enough, little one. Your interest does not suit my needs at this time. Keep it to yourself. Her energy pulsed again with the shadow's reply, and again she tugged at it. No.

"Better, but not much. Keep it up. Make su-"

No one asked for your instructions, Sensui.

"I think she's had enough."

"What you think means nothing to me."

The sound Akari released was somewhere between a sigh and a growl, both sounds of irritation that meshed together to only end up stuck in her throat, almost like a cough that wouldn't leave. Her eyes suddenly focused on the room around her, and she realized there had been a lecture going on, the teacher standing in front of the room and gesturing to the chalkboard, though his words were entirely lost on her.

She wanted nothing more than to leave.

But at the moment, she realized it was not actually a possibility. At least, not a discrete one. *

Kurama sat back in his seat, appearing to pay avid attention to the lecture going on in front of him, but glancing his eyes over to a potted plant in the corner of the classroom to get the vision of its location in his head.

Using a discrete amount of energy, he woke the plant up, talking to it with his demonic power and coaxing strength into its fragile limbs, and moving one such limb meticulously towards the fire alarm in place nearby, following the action with two or three more limbs until they were deftly curled about the mechanism.

As soon as he felt the plant able, testing the might of the alarm versus that of the plant, Kurama had the plant give a sharp downward tug, standing up almost in the same instant and grabbing for Akari's arm.

Immediately alarms blasted into the air, and Kurama was already moving for the door with Akari in tow.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's eyes flickered timidly into Hiei's gaze, finding that she could not look away from his blood-red stare.

She felt something brush against her mind, and then suddenly he was there all at once, his warmth flooding into her head through the Jagan's power.

Her mind was in turmoil, two sides desperately fighting at one another-one to run, the other to keep going-but for the moment, neither winning.

It took everything in her power not to take off in either direction.

"Don't move." She managed to tell him, her breathing labored.

Shikiyoku finally became aware of her energy slowly building to fight off the compulsion and she let it go even further, actively releasing it in an attempt to climb higher than the compulsion that had been placed on her eons ago.

Without directly forming the words, Shikiyoku let images pass through her forethoughts in an attempt to explain to Hiei what was going on.

The attack on The Palace-the place they were traveling to now. Herself as nothing more than a toddler with just the strength to walk and talk on her own. Her mother holding her face just like Hiei was holding hers now in a room where the enemy had not invaded. They did not have much time before they would be discovered. Her mother's overwhelming power, the mesmer, the order. Do not return. Stay away from everyone. A hug, her mother shoving her into a secret passage, compulsion to flee set into place as Shikiyoku began stumbling through the darkness, urgency to get out building up until she ran as fast as her tiny frame would allow, and upon breaking through the secret passage and out into Demon World, continuing to run as far as she could until she collapsed to the ground in some of the Northern-most reaches of the level in exhaustion. 3

Hiei hadn't planned on moving away from her, neither mentally nor physically. His hands remained on her cheeks, keeping her from moving away even if she wanted to, and his gaze stayed locked with hers. He didn't respond to anything she said, simply watching her eyes with a steady gaze.

And then images were flooding his mind, like a movie he'd seen sometime before now and was only recalling the most intense scenes. The small child running from who he could only guess to be her mother, who had ordered her to leave. The prospect had his brows raising in realization that their pasts were very, very similar in such a way.

The images faded and he was left staring at Shikiyoku again, his expression now neutral as he allowed his mental presence to seemingly consume her mind.

He would wait until all was well before even considering leaving her mind.

"I hadn't known."

~!**!~

Another sigh passed over the lips of Akari, taking the brief moment of silence from the pair in stride an-

Suddenly, an extremely loud and annoying sound was piercing the air, and she cringed at the volume of the sound. Within the next moment, she was pulled from her seat by the arm, stumbling once before gaining her balance and turning her eyes up to the male who pulled her along, out the door before any other students had gotten as far as they had.

She would have growled at him, but quite frankly, she herself felt relief at being pulled from the classroom. The circumstances, however, were confusing, and the hand Kurama had no control over reached up to cover an ear to ward off the worst sound in the world.

"What is that?"

"Your saviour," Kyu answered over the loud sound with a snicker. "You're lucky Red pays attention and no one else does!" *

Releasing his energy on the plant after reverting it back to normal, Kurama continuing moving Akari out the classroom door and heading for the main doors of the building, managing to pass all of the other classrooms with his pace before they even had their doors open with faces starting to coming out into the hallway after him.

He felt Akari's willingness to go, and he himself had no small amount of relief at her not fighting against him, though his grip had not been meant as forceful.

His ears picking up her question, Kurama didn't bother glancing down at her as they kept going.

"Fire alarm." He said simply, knowing any further explanation might be heard and questioned by unwanted attention.

As soon as they made it out into the sunshine and safely down the steps of the school to the ground, Kurama gently let Akari go to stand on her own two feet, a moment of confliction passing over his face.

"I'm sorry." He meant it for more than just the abrupt exit, as he now took notice of her sleep-deprived features and mentally berated himself for them, chalking each detail up as his own damn fault.

~!**!~

As Hiei overtook her thoughts, making the last emotions of the images passing through her mind's eye-ones of urgency to flee, core-pulsing and pounding energy through her veins as she ran desperately for her very life-fade with his enveloping warmth, Shikiyoku felt her eyes closing in relief and she simultaneously leaned forward until her forehead rested against his, just below the Jagan, and reached up to wrap the fingers of both hands around his wrists.

She sat there, doing nothing but breathing heavily and living inside his presence in her head, feeling his warm hands against her cheeks, and let her energy spiral more in the air around them, building up a visible resistance to the internal fight to flee from the lands to which she had come so dangerously close. 3

Hiei's own eyes slid closed as several thoughts occurred to him at once, at first not seeming to notice the new form of contact being induced. In his mind, behind a wall that Shikiyoku could not pierce, he realized that the amount of power one had to have to create an order strong enough to last this long, and remain strong enough to create such a struggle within one's mind…

He couldn't even begin to comprehend the amount of power Shikiyoku's mother coveted. It was obvious that she was at least an upper A class at the time, due to the fact that the fight Shikiyoku was putting up at that exact moment was causing such turmoil, both in her mental state and her physical state.

Next, he realized how much power Shikiyoku herself had the capability of having. If her mother could do that, then what could Shikiyoku do? It was likely that she could do just as much, if not more.

And again, he found such a thought difficult to wrap his mind around.

Why would anyone with such power at such a great amount refer to themselves as useless? The displeasure he felt at the prospect had his eyes opening again, looking into the face of the female whose head touched his own gently. He realized they had been standing like this for a bit, but he felt no desire to pull away.

And suddenly, Hiei found himself unable to veil his own thoughts, his own emotions over the matter. His awe at such an amount of power, his conflicted emotions over the way she called herself useless of all things.

~!**!~

Akari made no further sound to Kurama as he lead her out the doors, pulling her arm away just as he released his hold on her. The sun that bared down on her felt harsh, making her eyes sting and her head ring with the sound she could still hear from the building she now stood outside.

"Pathetic."

"You need to be nicer to her, Shinobu."

"What she needs is not kindness."

Akari tried to ignore the pair that seemed to enjoy bickering with one another, taking turns berating her while the other seemed to defend her. It was unsettling, really, but she held no capacity to deal with it at the moment. Could you guys shut up for two whole minutes?

Silence ensued, making the female realize Kurama had spoken. Wait, what did he say?

"He apologized, sweetheart." Kyu answered as he slid into her view, hands on his hips as he leaned forward, smirking at her. "You're losing it."

She scowled at the male and waved a hand in front of her face impatiently, trying to ignore him to the best of her abilities. "Quite frankly, I was searching for an exit myself. I had actually contemplated jumping out the window, but it was simply too obvious."

"Not what he's referring to."

The impatient sound she made this time left her lips as a groan, her glare intensifying at Kyu once the sound passed. *

Kurama watched Akari carefully as they stood there, hearing behind them that the other students would soon be outside.

"Akari...how long have you been without sleep?" He would reserved judgements on her behavior, such as the way she glared at him and made him feel worse, until he had an answer.

~!**!~

Shikiyoku's energy steadily filled the air, coming off of her in gentle waves of power that caressed both her and Hiei as they stood unmoving.

For a long time, it was all she could do to actively let her power go, feeling as it strengthened the impulse to turn and run lessening in return.

Becoming aware of Hiei's emotions, Shikiyoku felt herself flush with embarrassment at his suddenly revealing how much admiration he held for her power.

"I'm just old." She countered, sounding flustered and equating 'old' and age with power accumulated over time. "And I have no purpose. No reason to live." She replied, unsure how to approach the 'useless' subject and flushing slightly more at remembering the night before and the feeling of inadequacy she had gotten for dancing such a foolish dance and receiving no answer. 3

Hiei didn't react to her words the way she must had assumed he would. Instead of scowling at her like he normally would, he merely made a small sound of disagreement, resisting the urge to shake his head and instead sending the impression of such a motion through his Jagan for her to feel.

"No demon who can bring full tribes together is useless by any means."

He went silent again, making another attempt to veil his own thoughts, but being unsuccessful in doing so. He felt as if it were almost entirely impossible to do such a thing at this point in time, which was a little unsettling, but otherwise nothing more than a slight inconvenience.

It wasn't like he had anything to hide after all. *

Thanks for reading! Bless your face. If you sneezed during this chapter, bless you. Peace off! -Star