Hello from the train darklings! I'm trying to get some chapters typed and give y'all a massive update, but I don't know how well that will turn out. As the poet says, 'the best laid plans of mice and men, have ever gone awry...'

thank you to my two reviewers who have been replied to personally. Thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter after I turned off the comp on tuesday night. I will reply to you later, personally. LostCause6661, my dear, thank you as always for your persistence in kicking my lazy arse into gear.

On to the show...

The next morning saw me awake earlier than normal and pacing the living room. 'Look, Lotus, could you maybe stop with the memories? I get it, you were my past life and a brutal whore.'

::I really can't control it. I don't want to be that person anymore:: My mind was filled with the image of a gorgeous woman with purple hair, her head bowed and hands clasped before her in a position of contrite submission.

'That's a huge change.'

::Look, Pyro, you've fought me ever since you became aware of me when you were a teenager. You're the only incarnation who ever has fought. I respect you for that.::

'So, you should not try to kill my friends then, yeah? I mean, that is kind of the reason I got saddled with the detective in the first place.'

::Sorry about that. When you get angry, so do I. And I don't know how to not kill as a retaliation. Next time I'm out, that's it. We'll really be one person then.::

'Am I really supposed to believe that? I mean, you did want to kill Kurama, and Hiei...'

The woman in my head smiled at me. ::Cherie, it doesn't matter if you believe me or not. I told you, I like you, and your determination. All of the emotions around you run true.::

She was starting to piss me off again. 'So?'

::So, if Hiei gets hurt in any way in your next fight, you won't be able to stop me. He loves you deeply, and you deserve to have that in your life.::

'You're starting to love him too, aren't you?' I grinned at her.

She laughed and shook her head. ::Starting? No. Remember, I'm you. I fell in love when you did. That helped to change me so much.::

I giggled. 'I really hate to say this, but I hope that next fight happens fast.'

She giggled as well. ::Sooner than you think, there are demons in the park around the corner.::

"She felt them too, huh?" Hiei asked from the bedroom doorway.

I jumped in shock. "Hiei! Sorry, did I wake you?"

He smirked at me. "No, Pyro, I woke because I felt unfamiliar demons in the area. You wore me out too much to wake me from just a nice chat with your past self." He walked toward the kitchen.

I followed him. "Do you want to know what she wanted?"

"If you feel comfortable telling me." He set the kettle on for tea.

I pulled out the mugs and tea strainer. "She said she's ready to be good and stop fighting me. Next fight, if she gets out, she's gonna put us back together like she was supposed to when I was born."

"That would be why you had so much control last night with those boys." He pulled the better tea out of the closet. The one he only made when he had a big client he was afraid to tell me about.

I grew a sprig of the plant Kurama had given me and added it to my mug. "She also said that if you get hurt at all, there's nothing in the three worlds that will stop her from getting out. And frankly, I'd let her, even if she wasn't ready to be good."

His hands stilled on the sugar jar. "Why? I'm not that nice to you half the time."

"So? How many people can I say are really looking out for my safety when they tell me what to do?"

"You could still do better." He looked down and away.

"With whom? Kurama? One of the damned boys at the market who love to flirt with me?" I put my hands on his shoulders and made him face me. "I love YOU. Not them."

His eyes grew wide as they searched mine for malice of intent.

"Yes, Hiei, I love you. My oni-san, my champion. I'd mate you right now, but I don't want to cut your life short. I wouldn't do that to you"

He pulled me close and inhaled deeply at the crook of my neck. "Thank you, onna."

The kettle whistled. I reached over and turned off the flame under it.

He slowly let go and returned to putting sugar in his cup. He took his tea with half a dozen spoons of sugar. His silence hid the words I knew he wanted to say.

"Its ok if you don't say it back. I'm ok with that." I said softly, pouring water over the dry leaves in the teapot.

"What do you want to do about the demons in the park?" He pulled out frozen pancakes and put several in the microwave to heat.

"Well, we can't very well let them stay there. Children play at that park, and you know how most demons are about human kids." I shrugged and put out the plates and utensils. I'm sorry, there are just some things that can't be eaten with chopsticks, and pancakes are one of em.

"I could just go take care of it." He popped his knuckles in irritation at the comment I made.

"I want to be there. I need the practice anyways."

"The detective will want a rematch the next time you meet." The microwave dinged. He divided the pancakes between us equally, then sat down.

"Exactly. I will need to prove I can still put him down any time I want."

We ate quickly in silence. There was a battle, and we wanted it over with as fast as possible.

The battle raged through the park. Luckily most kids were either in school or still asleep, and there was a large wooded state park right next to it. I was able to keep the assassins distracted with vines and roots for a long time.

Hiei slashed at the biggest one. It moved at the last moment. Hiei's eyes went wide when he stumbled back, clutching his chest.

I turned. A crimson stain bloomed on the blue tee I'd gotten him the previous week. My breath came in short gasps when he began to wobble. I ran to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Save yourself, onna." He pushed at me. It lacked his usual strength.

"Not a chance in hell, oni-san." My voice was dual toned, and I could feel her take over. "Nobody hurts my man and gets away with it."

"Ah, finally. Lotus comes out to play." The big demon laughed.

I propped Hiei against a tree, then turned to face them. "Play? I'm dead serious. You're not getting away." I started toward them. 'Look what I can do, oni-san.'

Their laughter grew as I walked into the center of their little formation and stopped.

I called the wind like I learned from Jin and made a tornado, which lifted me about a foot into the air. Then I called the black flames that Hiei controlled. The flames rode the wind, making my little pedestal a black flaming tornado.

The demons stopped laughing when they felt the sheer amount of power I controlled.

"I'm done running." I set the tornado to consume them all.

When the last had been burnt, I rushed back to Hiei's side. "Don't be alarmed, little dragon, she's gonna be in pain for a while." Lotus' voice came out of my mouth. I lost track of everything when the pain hit.

When I came back to reality I had been stripped and put to bed in the apartment. A loose t-shirt had been put on me, and I could have sworn to any god that it had been longer the last time I wore it. "Hiei?" I hoped to Hades he was alright.

A familiar black blur sped through the door to my side. "You're awake. But, your eyes..."

"Never mind me, are you still hurt, Hiei?" I waved my hand and looked into his red eyes to make sure he wouldn't try to lie.

"I had healed by the time you put down those rabid dogs. You're the one who passes out when you get injured." He chuckled and climbed into bed beside me.

I nuzzled the crook of his neck. "Thank you for taking care of me."

He nuzzled mine. "I couldn't just leave you in the woods like that."

"If its any consolation, its the last time. She's gone, and left all her demon slut memories behind."

"You have to make a report to Koenma. I did mine yesterday."

As if to answer his comment, a pop sounded throughout the room. The godlet in question hovered in front of us in toddler form. "I already know at least part of what you're going to tell me."

"Why have her eyes changed?" Hiei demanded, nearly growling at the deity.

"Because she's become a demon." The godlet replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The pocket of consciousness lotus created in your soul was for this very reason."

"I don't feel like I've become a demon. I feel damn near the same as before, but without the massive energy drain from containing the bitch." I said, bewildered by this new twist. "I can't be a goddamn demon!"

"It is entirely possible that you are a 'damn demon.' Just ask Yusuke, or Kurama." Koenma glared at me, like he was mad that I dared question his deified self.

"So, what, are you gonna have me 'put down' like you said before?" I used air quotes and let a bit of my annoyance get out. I kept my anger to my self.

Hiei moved so that his body mostly blocked mine. The growl he let out was just shy of feral.

Koenma backed up slightly. "Ah, no. Our best case scenario has come to pass. Your soul is no longer fractured, and you're not bent on controlling every thing and one in the worlds. I'm sure that even if that weren't the case, I'd lose a lot more than just the battle for your loyalties." The godlet pulled at his collar and gulped loudly.

Hiei slowly relaxed and stopped growling.

I blinked in surprise. "Now what then?"

"Now you can go back to the temple, if you wish." Koenma seemed full of pleased with himself.

I looked at Hiei. "All our faked papers are Japanese anyway." I shrugged. I refused to grin.

"The portal will be ready whenever you are." Koenma had lost a little of his smugness. He walked out through another portal.

Hiei was off throwing our clothes into duffel bags faster than I could blink.

I laughed and threw on a pair of shorts before moving to pack another room.

I was glad for the decision to put on shorts. Yusuke was sitting in the living room. Everything in here had been packed. They must have already known Koenma's decision about me before I woke up.

He waved at me. "Yo, witchy. Nice hair."

I stopped in my tracks. "Wait, what?" I took off for the hall mirror. "Ho-ly Hades." I had blue and purple hair and eyes. The blue matched my human eye colour, and the purple matched Lotus' hair and eyes exactly. Two fuzzy, black cat ears poked out of my hair. Living with cats really did rub off on me. "Oh dear gods, I'm a cat!"

Yusuke sauntered over and leaned on the wall. "When Hiei called us up after the fight, you were the cutest little black tabby, except for all the yowling you were doing."

"Really? Damn, that was totally unexpected." I grinned over at the zombie, whom I was now able to look in the eye without looking up at all.

"Oh, and don't worry. Hiei and I did all the dishes, packed and sent everything else on ahead to Grandma's. Your room wasn't packed cause no one could go in there without being in a hell of a lot of pain." He waved and walked off into a portal I hadn't noticed in my doorway.

"Clothes are ready." Hiei dropped the bags he was carrying and looked around. "Damn lazy ass..."

I picked up a bag and slipped my arm in his. "I'm no weakling, darling. Lets get back, shall we?"

He hefted the remaining bag and we walked through.

We were met by one of Botan's patented glomps. She tried to hug Hiei too, but he moved. "Pyro! Your hair is so pretty! And your little kitty ears are so cute!" the blue haired reaper squealed.

I tugged on my left ear. "Bo, seriously? They are super sensitive now." My tail swished in annoyance. 'Wait, tail?'

Hiei chuckled beside me. "Yes, onna, you have a tail. It matches your ears."

"Nice." I grinned. Then I saw all of the others waiting by the temple. "Holy Hades, the gang's all here!"

"You let her out. Hiei refuses to tell us why." Kurama sounded almost accusing.

"Well, Foxy, she and I came to a little agreement. She didn't want to be Lotus the brutal whore-bitch anymore, and I would use every power I could access if my favourite dragon got hurt in a battle. She told me that all of the true emotions in and around me made her want to go good." I had to pause, the thought of telling the battle was tough.

Hiei silently guided us both over to sit on the raised porch.

"There were seven demons in the play park near the apartment." I took a deep breath. "Hiei was wounded. It felt like the world crashed. I would have let her out either way at that point."

Hiei spoke up. "When the demoness got out, Pyro was still very much in control of the situation, and herself. She made the mortal flame attack ride on a tornado and roasted them all." He sounded proud of me.

"So who are you now?" Leave it to Kuwabara to ask the silly questions.

I made a grand sweeping bow. "Pyro Feochadan, witch extraordinaire and baby cat demon."

Yusuke started to laugh. "Baby my ass. You've got one hell of an energy signature."

Yukina nodded her agreement. "Mid-level A at the very least."

There you go, lovelies, another chapter. Worth the wait? She's not done fighting for her man, and there's a funeral in the future. Not telling who's it is though. You'll have to read and find out. Read and review. I will be back to replying to reviews in chapter next week.