A/N: You know the routine: I don't own any characters from Yu Yu Hakusho; I'm merely using them as my minions as I control the universe of Aniya. I am really sorry for the delay in getting this out.

Part 12: Facing the Facts

Aniya was completely surrounded in darkness. 'Where the fuck am I? And what the hell just happened?' Looking around, she saw nothing but darkness. 'This isn't usual. Where's dragon dude? He normally has all this light around him. The last time that I was in a dream with a lot of darkness was …'

Then she suddenly remembered what happened pushing her recent worry away. 'That's right. The bitch Calisandra pushed into the dance and she challenged me. Then Nara Ska suddenly appeared. She took the stone and smashed it…then there was pain…a lot of it. I'm not dead am I? I didn't think that the stone was linked to my life source.'

"It isn't my dear."

Aniya whirled around and her eyes focused on another pair, red and glowing. "Sukeisa."

The eyes crinkled with amusement. "It's so wonderful to see that you remember my name. How did you like my little trick?"

"What little trick you bastard?"

"The one where I used Calisandra as a distraction while my accomplice Nara Ska destroyed the stone."

Aniya growled. "Okay, mother fucker, why the hell are you here? I assume you don't want to just tell me where I messed up because knowing you, you'll want to pound it into my head and rub it in my face."

She heard chuckles from the direction of the eyes. "I am so glad that we understand each other."

"Sure, whatever."

"From the beginning Aniya, we have not been on the best of terms."

Aniya rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, "Gee, I wonder why."

"I ask myself that very question," continued Sukeisa, as if she hadn't said a thing, "and I wonder at why we aren't allies."

"Well, let's see, you're a blood thirsty demon who picks on people who are weaker than you and you use your friends, if you ever had any. And then there's the problem with your social skills. The cruel leader thing may suit you, but it doesn't suit the rest of the world."

"How is that much different from your attitude?"

She glared at him, "What do you mean?"

"Some of the things you've just said to me, ask yourself about them."

Aniya opened her mouth to retort, but couldn't come up with a good comeback. 'I don't pick fights with people who are weaker than me.'

"What is the arena? You are the top fighter. Everyone else is weaker, slower, stupider or less skilled than you. How can you say that you fight equally with every fight?"

Ignoring the fact that he was reading her mind, Aniya stopped to think, 'But it's not the same thing. They ask for fights! I don't hurt innocent people. I pull my attacks on the weaker ones so they can survive!'

"So they can come back, only to be pounded by yourself into the ground again."

"Stop reading my mind! And at least I have friends! All you ever had was followers."

"But are they really your friends? Think about it my dear…Kuwabara? He's nothing more than a walking bunch of energy. No intelligence or strength, no reason for him to be a companion for you. Yusuke has some good attacks, but he is, again, way below your level. Botan is an annoyance, someone who shouldn't even exist. Genkai and Koenma are just two names and faces to you. See, you don't really think of them as your friends, because they aren't."

"That's not true! The others are my friends!"

"Hiei and you, friends? Please, you are too funny. He would kill you if you gave him enough reason to."

'He'd kill Kurama if the kitsune gave him enough reason.'

The red eyes flashed a glare at her, "Speaking of Kurama, do you really think that he's your friend? He's just looking out for himself. He doesn't think that I can win if I face you, so he's making sure that you can fight me. He's only testing you. You're a weapon to him."

"Shut up. You're nothing but lies." Aniya tried to cover her uncomfortable ness. She knew what was coming next.

"How about Yukina? She'd been horrified if she knew who you really were. A murderer, a thief, a trouble maker."

Aniya smirked. "Is that it? Is that all you can throw at me? Well, I'm sorry Mr. Bad guy but that is the poorest excuse for a threat that I've ever heard of. Yukina already knows about me and she's actually interested in what I do. Tough luck there. If I'm a weapon to Kurama, why'd he bother asking to bring me to the ball? Hiei would kill anyone if they got him mad enough. As for the baka, well he's just stupid, but he's more than a rock to me. Yusuke is a great guy to know. I may not know Genkai or Koenma yet, but just you wait."

"I won't have to."

"What do you mean?"

"In three days, the portal to the past will open and my current powers will combine with my ancient powers, making me invincible."

"Yeah, so? I'll just kick your fucking ass back to hell or where ever it was that you came from."

"Aren't you forgetting something my dear?"

"No."

"Nara Ska broke your precious stone."

"Yeah, your point is?"

"Without it you cannot win."

"Why not, and why the fuck are you helping me? You're supposed to be fighting against me, not giving me hints!"

"I would hope that you would see otherwise."

"Why?"

"I have an offer to propose to you."

"Spit it out already, I have more important things to do with my time."

"You have twenty-four hours to make a decision: join me in victory, or your so called friends in death."

"Yeah right. I'll never join you. Hell, I'll whip your ass right then and there!!"

"Without your dracon powers or your magical energy?"

"What the fuck do you mean? I've got my powers right here!"

Sukeisa's eyes closed, "You'll see. I'll send Nara Ska to you after twenty-four hours to receive your answer. You will be kept informed."

Aniya felt herself fading out. "Where are you going?"

"It seems your stupid friend Kurama has given you something that is brining you out of my grasp."

"Dammit… Come back you bastard!!"

*****

The four spirit detectives, Yukina, Botan, and Koenma were all in Kurama's room. Genkai was downstairs explaining why there were suddenly eight people in a house with an unconscious girl. "Aniya got a little too hot in the dress. We think she fainted from the heat…" They could hear the psychic telling Mrs. Minamino what was going on.

Yukina kneeled by the bed, with her hands over Aniya, trying to bring her out of her unconscious state.  Yusuke was sitting in the swivel chair looking at the floor. Koenma and Botan were having a conversation outside about something important.  Kuwabara was just standing around, rubbing the back of his head with his hand, and looking stupid as always. Hiei looked out the window, ignoring everyone else in the room.

Kurama was sitting on the bed. 'We'll never know what really happened unless she wakes up. That plant that I gave her should be taking affect. We can only hope at this point.'

'Baka kitsune. You don't need to worry, the stupid human will be fine.'

'Hiei, she's just lost what power she used to have. Unlike demons, we don't know how this kind of deprivation of energy will affect her. Imagine if you lost your power.'

'Hn. I'd still have my speed.'

'Perhaps. Perhaps not.'

'Hn.' Hiei turned his gaze to look at Aniya. 'Stupid girl. She didn't take my warning seriously, and now she's been a complete idiot. She wasn't even smart enough to explain what she meant when she said that Sukeisa was there at the ball.'

'She said that?'

'That's what I just said.'

'But he couldn't possibly have been there. From the amount of power that Koenma says that he has, there is no way that he could have masked it.' Kurama's attention was drawn away from Sukeisa when he saw Aniya's eyes snap open.

"Ugh…headache…need aspirin…I think that's what it's called." Aniya raised her hands to her pounding temples. Suddenly, she felt the pain ebbing away and she saw Yukina's healing powers at work. "Thanks 'Kina." Then she noticed that everyone was staring at her. "What are you staring at?! Do I look like something from a museum that you can stare at?!"

An evil voice resounded in her head, 'My dear, really. They must really be good friends to stick around with someone who has such a temper.'

"Get out of my head!"

'Remember, you have twenty-four hours. Nara Ska will come and find you. You will give me your answer then.'

"I said, get out of my head!!" The others looked at Hiei, the known telepath in the group.

"Hn. Like I'd bother talking to that baka ningen."

'Choose wisely…'

Aniya sighed. "He's gone." Her eyes flared when she recalled what Hiei had said, "And I am not a baka ningen!"

"Have you looked in the mirror recently?" Everyone glared at Hiei, who turned to stare disinterestedly out the window again. Aniya glowered in his direction. "I'm not some prissy girl who has to worry about her appearance, thank you very much."

Kurama tried to tell her in a tactful way, "What Hiei means by that is that you…"

"You're a human like me and Yusuke!" Kuwabara stood there, smiling as if he had just done something tremendously good.

Aniya looked at her hands, which were covered in gloves. Removing the gloves, she noticed that her skin was peach, not the pale white that normally colored her skin. 'My scar! The one that I use to activate my powers is gone too!' Shaking her hair, she saw the black locks fly out in front of her. 'Okay, my hair's turned black, my scars gone and I have no power. I think I am human. DAMN SUKEISA!!!!'

Hiei winced at the sudden increase in volume in Aniya's thoughts. Aniya smiled at Kuwabara, "Thank you Captain Obvious for that interesting bit of trivia."

Kuwabara backed away. 'Hurt or no, I don't like the tone that she's using. It sounds like she's going to kill someone. Hope it's not me.'

Aniya stood up. "No matter what condition I'm in, I can still kick your ass!!" She made to run at him, but found that she was too tired and her legs didn't seem to want to support her.

"HAHAHAHA!!! That's funny. Shorty can't even walk!" Kuwabara started laughing his head off.

Aniya looked at the ground and quivered in rage. 'Dammit Sukeisa, did you take more than just my powers? Did you take my strength as well?' Then a thought hit her, 'If I can't even fight, how am I supposed to stand up to him. I'll be too weak…' Then, for the first time in her life, since she was a little girl, she felt tears come to her eyes.

'I'm going to let everyone down. I can't fight like this and I can't get my powers back.' She tried to push the tears back. 'Fuck this shit. Why am I getting so sentimental all of a sudden?' The answer hit her, 'My friends are going to die and I can't do anything about it.' She remembered the dream that she had, where she saw every single one of her friends die while she couldn't do anything. 'Damn, the dream really is coming true.'

Kurama smelt the change in Aniya. 'Salt? Water? Is she crying?' He decided to take action. "I suggest that the rest of you go home. There is nothing more that we can do for the moment for her."

Koenma and Botan nodded and promptly disappeared after Koenma said that he'd be back to check on things in the morning. Yusuke dragged Kuwabara out because the big dufous was trying to stay with Yukina, but Yusuke wasn't quite as dense and could see that Aniya needed to be alone.

Yukina ran over to Aniya on the floor. "Aniya? Is something wrong?" Aniya lifted her head and Yukina could see that her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Are they gone?" Aniya whispered to Yukina. Seeing the ice apparition nod, Aniya let the tears fall. 'I'm too weak. Training and fighting for nine years, all gone to waste. I can't save Yukina; I can't save any of my friends…'

She completely failed to notice Kurama and Hiei's stares. Yukina was looking worried. "Aniya, are you alright?"

Aniya nodded, sniffing up the remainder of her tears. "I'll be fine. I'm just overtired." Inside she was thinking, 'Put on a brave face for her. I don't want her to be scared. Let her live her final days in oblivious happiness.' Hiei twitched when he heard her say that. Regaining composure, Aniya whispered, "Why am I so weak?"

Genkai walked in, "Because your body is used to having your dracon powers to help you. Now, without your dracon powers, your body needs to readjust and regain its strength."

"How long will it take to adjust to these new conditions?" Kurama asked the wizened old lady.

She shrugged. "Who knows? It depends on how well she adapts and how willing she is to accept her new condition." Genkai headed out the door. "I will be back tomorrow. Make sure nothing happens to her because no matter what shape she's in, she's still the last defense against Sukeisa." Then she walked out.

Aniya gritted her teeth. "I wish everyone would stop talking as if I'm not here!! I have fucking ears you know!"

Yukina consoled her,  "They're just worried about you Aniya-chan."

Aniya forced out a smiled. "Thanks." Noticing Yukina yawn, she asked, "Yukina! You should be getting home. It's late. Where are you staying?"

Yukina frowned slightly, "I had thought that I would just return to my home, but that was before the incident…"

"Would you like to stay here for the night?" Yukina looked at Kurama and nodded.

"I'd love to, I just don't want to be a burden to you, especially since you already have two guests."

Hiei and Aniya twitched. Aniya because she didn't want to be a guest and Hiei because his sister had just made a reference to him. Neither one of them had planned to stay any more than they had to.

"Nonsense Yukina. You can sleep on the sofa downstairs, or you and Aniya can come up with some other sleeping arrangement."

Aniya looked at Yukina, "Would you like to sleep here? You can have the bed if you want."

Yukina shook her head, waving her hands in front of her, "I couldn't possibly do that. You're hurt, you need the bed."

"Nope. How am I going to get used to this body if I pamper it? A night sleeping on the floor will do me some good."

Kurama brought his hands together, "So it's decided. I'll go get you some bedding." He left the room, glancing at Hiei and Aniya, just daring them to try killing each other while Yukina was there. Soon, Kurama returned with fresh bedding for the bed and some cushions for Aniya to sleep on.

"Is there anything else that you need?" He said, before leaving. Both girls shook their heads and Kurama nodded and before he closed the door, sent Hiei a hint, "If you need anything I will be downstairs, especially since you need your privacy and I doubt there will be anything that will attack you tonight."

"Thank you so much Kurama." The girls chorused. Aniya glared at Hiei.

"Hn." He blurred away.

Aniya turned to Yukina. "I think, however, that I might need you to unzip this stupid dress." Yukina laughed and ten minutes later, both girls were sleeping, or at least Yukina was. The other occupant of the room was lying against the cushions that had been given to her and was thinking about her predicament.

'24 hours to get enough strength to show that I'm not some baka ningen…. three days to find a way to defeat the bastard…where the hell is dragon man when you need him? I have to find a way to fight…on my own.' Suddenly, words from the dream she'd had so long ago filtered through her mind: …your pride and your want to be alone were your faults. Now you must face the consequences of ignoring their help… Aniya shook her head, 'I'm not scared of some fucking dream!' Slowly getting out of bed, she collapsed silently on the floor. 'Dammit! I will not be—no, I am not weak! I must not be weak.'

Crawling over to the window that Hiei had left open, she pulled herself up to the windowsill. 'Oomph! When did I get this heavy? Or is it just my arms being weak? I might have to call 1-800-Jenny Craig.' Then she noticed the flaw in her plan, 'Shoot. There's no way to get to the ground without falling two stories…. wait…there's a tree.' The tree branch was at least seven feet away. 'I can't reach that…oh, fuck this shit!'

Aniya jumped and barely managed to grab onto the branch. 'YES!! I made it! Oh, shit.' The branch broke with a resounding crack! And Aniya fell to the next largest branch. 'Okay, that's over with.' Then she lost her grip on that branch and fell the branch closest to the ground. Unfortunately for the girl, the ground was still ten feet away.

'Come on Aniya. A normal human could do this…hell, Kuwabaka could do this.' Aniya got ready to jump down, preparing to do a summersault roll to break her landing. The summersault technique didn't work. It quickly became a smash-a-face-in-the-ground-while-looking-like-an-idiot-and-getting-extreme-pain technique.

"Fuck! Shit! Hell! That frigging hurt!!" Aniya cursed from her current position.

"What are you doing fool?" Aniya tugged her head away from the ground to see the other midget of the group sitting in the tree she'd just fallen from.

"What does it look like I'm doing, idiot? Isn't it obvious? I'm meeting a new friend. His name is dirt. Would you like to meet him too? That can always be arranged."

"Not at the moment. You look like you were practicing for joining Kuwabara's baka club."

Aniya glared at him as she pushed herself off the ground, "I was trying to get used to this fucking human body."

"Hn. Baka ningen." Aniya started fuming.

"Just because I'm weak and I don't have any spirit energy doesn't mean that I'm some stupid human!!"

"Quiet. Do you want the entire neighborhood to wake up?"

"If it'll get rid of you, sure why the hell not?"

"Hn."

Aniya crawled over to a tree, where she used it as a post to lean on as she pulled herself up. 'I can do this…I can do this…fuck, I sound like the stupid little engine that could.'

"What did you mean when you said that you had no spirit energy? Genkai said that you did."

"Any baka could figure it out: It means I. Have. No. Spirit. Energy. The. Lady. Was. Wrong. Plain and simple."

"How can you be so sure that she was wrong? What if she was right?"

"You're asking a lot of questions for someone who never seems to talk."

"You shouldn't be talking."

"Ah, but I am. Anyway, I have spirit energy; I just have not control over it. Besides, I don't have enough to make enough of an impact anyway. I'd need my dracon powers in order to harness enough to make a difference in the battle."

"So you're weak and pathetically useless."

"Shut up."

Hiei turned away from her, "So the prophecy was false, or it raised false hopes at least."

"What part of the prophecy was false?"

"It said that if you had friends, you wouldn't fall."

"Like you care if I die."

He whirled around and blurred next to her, whipping his sword out. "I care about what happens to Yukina."

"Well, you haven't read the prophecy very carefully."

"I haven't read it at all, as if I would waste time doing something as unworthy of my time as that."

"Anyway, the prophecy says that I will be friends with eight people, but I can't defeat the bastard without all eight friends. Then one of the people will help me defeat Sukeisa."

"Don't you mean that the eighth friend will help you, baka?"

Aniya shook her head, "Nope. Dragon man never actually said the eighth person was going to be the actual one to help me."

"Your point?"

"Well, you're worried about Yukina, aren't you?"

"What did you say?!"

Aniya smiled nastily, "My, my. What brotherly devotion. Didn't you here what I said earlier? Or were you concerned about your sister that you missed the fact that dragon man was showing me pictures of Yukina when we were little."

"I thought that Koenma said that you were only fifteen years old."

"I am, but dragon man messed around with my aging process, so I'm about the same age as Yukina."

"Hn."

Her eyes grew to be little slits, "You're afraid that something's going to happen to her."

"So? What concern is that to you?"

"It's my concern if you try to stop her from helping me to kill Sukeisa."

"You'll need more than her to defeat Sukeisa in your present state."

Aniya sighed, "That's why I'm out here meeting with my friend dirt; so I can get back on my feet and in some form for fighting."

"Baka. You do realize that only the people who put the spell on you can return you to your natural form."

Shrugging it off, Aniya began to stretch out her weakened muscles, getting back into the shape that she once was.

"Man, I have got a long way to go."

A/N: I know it's not as long as the last two chapters, but as I said, I never meant for them to be that long. Part 12 was originally like three more pages, but I had to shorten it or the chapters would just keep on getting longer and longer. Alright, two requests: (my god, this is so stupid) please REVIEW! And if you don't want to review, please let me know if you're reading it or not (oh my god. I think that writing Kuwabara parts in my story have affected my IQ).