I don't own anyone but the characters you don't know…duh

Pesky distractions and nasty tricks

Fate was cruel it had brought her back only for a moment only long enough to open old wounds and then in a flash she was gone before he had a chance to say he was sorry. 'I had no reason to apologise' Hiei was still stairing at the wall. 'She never did mean anything to me, she was a nothing like the rest, even less so' but his throat tightened and his body clenched he was angry at the loss of that nothing that didn't mean anything 'she got what she deserved for running away…running away from me' he wouldn't let guilt be a familiar emotion "hmm" he turned away from the scene, fists clenched. Kuwabara held Raven's jacket in his arms, her boy's uniform jacket, too tough for frilly skirts was that girl, but she wasn't too tough to die. He balled it up in his fist and through it at the cracked wall.

"This is all your fault Hiei" Kuwabara yelled running at the demon throwing a punch, Hiei contemplated letting it hit maybe then he would snap out of that mind fog, but he wouldn't give kuwabara the satisfaction, the punch missed by a mile.

"My fault? Fool your eyes must be playing tricks on you" Hiei scoffed "Did you see me launch a rock of any sort?" He sneered arms crossed over his chest.

"You're a real bastard you know that?" Kuwabara tried again and missed, again. "She wasn't running from genbu she was running from you, it was like she saw a ghost" Kuwabara ranted but hiei wasn't listening 'Raven wouldn't be afraid of a ghost or Genbu she wouldn't be afraid of anything' he paused 'except for me' his stomach soured he made a distaceful face, that when Kuwabara saw it, he snapped grabbing Hiei by the collar he shook him. "What the hell did you do to her Hiei?!"

"I've done a lot of things to a lot of people you can't expect me to remember them all. I suggest if you don't want something done to you then get your ugly hands off me" Hiei wouldn't back down he had enough anger in him to take on the whole room, the whole castle.

"Ha if there was anything left of the girl you could argue over her grave but that isn't the case so Ill do you a favor and reduce you all to ashes" Genbu was done watching them bicker he wanted more pain more death.

"Actually they could you know, if they really wanted to"

"What?" All eyes scanned the room for the voice they swore they heard. There was a small grunt and with that Raven moved out from the darkness and into the light her left arm was bleeding and she was dirtier than before but all in all she didn't look that bad, all in all she wasn't dead. This was the Raven Hiei knew the snarky fighter he had forgotten, he had forgotten her ability to get out of situations he had forgotten a lot about her, and against his wishes a floodgate had been opened and it was all coming back.

"I got one already picked out, not a gravestone or nothing, I think those are tacky. It's a tree, a real nice one". That sent Hiei recalling how he first met her. Raven had put up no struggle as two demons under 

Hiei's leadership brought her to their camp one holding her to his chest carrying her there. When they stopped Hiei tilted his head looking at her and before he could say a word ,the girl and the beast holding her were up in flames, the girl stepped away from the smoldering demon and smiled. "Just wanted to tell you, that it's risky business associating with such weak companions."She smiled turning to walk back they way they had came.

"I should tell you, I don't let those who challenge my judgment and kill my men go free" He had his sword blade at her neck. She moved her flesh ever so softly across the sharp edge small amounts of blood lined his blade.

"Hmm I wouldn't have taken you for the loyal type" She gave a small smile as she walked over to the dead body Hiei used his telepathic powers to spook the cocky girl 'Four times, I could've killed you four times since you've gotten here' 'Coulda shoulda woulda means nothing to me. ' she put out the fire in a way he didn't understand. "Don't want to let the trees catch fire they're real nice you know"

Returning to the time at hand he heard her continue to speak "body or not that's where I want people to remember me, so my friends can mourn me there…all three of them" She laughed genuinely three fingers up in display. She had missed it she really had, tests of will tests of strength tests of survival you just don't get stuff like that as a junior high student in the human world. She saw the stunned faces around her and she couldn't help it her smile grew. She locked eyes with Hiei just for a moment; fear had gotten her an arm wound, she couldn't be afraid. She gave Hiei a different smile, a cocky smile almost rubbing it in his face that she was still there. He sneered looking away before his face betrayed him and a small smile appeared.

"I won't miss you again" Genbu disappeared into the floor and prepared to strike.

"You're entitled to your opinion I guess" And Raven ran back into the darkness grabbing a marble in her pocket, she couldn't out run him, she hadn't had to really run in years but she could out smart him. Crash!

"R…Raven you're still ok right?" Kuwabara yelled "Maybe you could dodge him out in the light, where we can see you."
"No. She levels the playing field in the dark, she can't see where he's coming from but he can't see her either and she has no spirit energy to follow" Kurama watched as the room exploded with noise and dust.

"If she has no spirit energy that means she can't fight back. We gotta go in there" Yuske panicked.

"I didn't say she had no spirit energy just none to follow that girls not human I'm sure of that, but somehow she's concealing her energy. I agree with you though that we must step in we don't know what powers she holds and whether she is capable to hold her own"

'How? Why? Is she trying to prove something by eluding detection? All these years never a trace of her. I thought she was dead or a prisoner still. But it was a trick, a nasty selfish trick.' The last part he spat into Raven's head she lost concentration for a moment and fell to the floor.



"Has spirit energy, not a human, knows Hiei. Oh my god Raven you're a demon?! Why didn't you tell me?' Kuwabara slowly pieced together what was really quite obvious. Raven still on the floor moved half way into the light.

"To keep you from freaking out like this." She half frowned. "But really it depends on who you ask Im really only half demon" She shrugged. "Suppose you don't want to take a demon to the school dance understandable, really it is" Looking at the floor she sighed.

"You Have lowered your standards considerably" Hiei snorted at the thought of Raven and Kuwabara slow dancing.

"Don't Be silly Hiei I don't have any standards…never did" She shrugged there was a glint of playfulness in her eyes Hiei couldn't help but liking that look on her face.

"Um well. You haven't killed anyone have you?" Kuwabara asked tentatively.

"Haven't killed a human pinky promise and any demon I did, well they deserved it, they really did." 'really' Hiei looked over at Raven he remembered how much she used that word, at one time it made him smile every time she used that word her face would have some big emotion behind it. Now he dreaded it because it would stir up feelings and feelings were pesky little distractions he didn't need.

"Well….then you're ok in my book." Kuwabara laughed. Raven smiled Kuwabara was terribly silly but she liked that about him. There were two more attacks before anyone spoke again, after the last the room smelled like roses. Kurama was done sitting on the sidelines as nothing got accomplished. Raven sat over by Kuwabara as they watched. "How do you conceal your energy though? I mean I can't sense anything from you. And I've got some keen senses Ill have you know" Kuwabara half asked half bragged. The whole gang, except Kurama who was preoccupied looked at Raven intently. She looked down at her feet and frowned she didn't want to show them but had little choice her shoulders slumped as she removed her left boot. She shuddered she only took her boots off once a day in the shower to clean them, putting that days socks on as the water poured down. She did not like this at all.

Hiei had gotten her those boots, stole her those boots. Boots and two daggers. when he had asked her if she ever thought of being a thief she remarked that only two things ever crossed her mind. Boots because she had been shoeless when they met and for a year before that. And a weapon because the people who cast her out shoeless deserved to die for their cruel ways their heartless existence, though later she was ashamed of those thoughts, she no longer carries the daggers. She was a thief by association she said when given them, that if Hiei let her keep them he couldn't get rid of her for she was a thief now and couldn't see herself thieving with any other group. He let her keep the items.

She tilted the shoe so the boys could see inside. There stitched inside was a talisman one that worked to contain and somewhat cage her spirit energy. "Just a nasty little trick" she shrugged.

"Now I've got you" Genbu cackled and shot pieces of his body at her "That's for all your taunting and talking". There was a crack of a whip and Genbu fell to pieces this time without the ability to regenerate, Kurama had been victorious. They boys ran over to Kurama to congratulate him and tend to his wounds. 

Raven pulled her boot back on laced it up and stood walking back in the direction she had came. 'where are you off to' Hiei was inside her head. 'I had come here looking for a cat not a crusade and a trip down memory lane' She continued to walk. 'Hmm your not as stubborn as you were. Suppose those humans took their toll you're soft and worthless' he turned his attention back to Kurama.

"You always were a nudge" She gave a frustrated sigh and ran back to the group Hiei had a smug look on his face. Her arm grazed His and she felt a jolt she looked over it appeared he hadn't. 'of course not. He's moved forward an example I need to follow'. She trailed behind as the group moved up the stairs to the next beast.

I know this chapter was long and kind of confusing but put yourself in the characters shoes their confused too. Any questions comments suggestions?