FCL64: We have returned!

Kiyoshi: With chapter ten!

FCL64: YAY!

Kiyoshi: Are you trying to make me deaf, woman?

FCL64: Quite possibly. Only Ayaka. Here we go!

Ayaka pov

1779 A.D.

I walk up to two men, one I would recognize anywhere and one I've never met. The latter is rather short, his hair is spiked in every direction, black with a bit of white at the front. A sword hangs at his side without any attempt at concealment. His eyes show no kindness.

My brother's face is covered in surprise. The white-blonde hair that matches mine hangs down on either side of his face. He has this hair that will never cling to his face but still manages to frame it, highlighting the jaw that is made strong only by his confidence. A tail and ears identical to mine except for their light gray tone mark him as my twin. I can hardly see his icy eyes through his hair. He shakes it back to look at me.

"Ayaka." He is slightly surprised.

"Kaien." I smile and throw my arms around him. "It's been so long."

He hugs me back. "And whose fault is that?" he asks, stepping back to look at me, once again shaking his hair out of his eyes.

I look at him. "Both of us. Yes, I know it's not all your fault. We both left. But I went back several times and you were never there. It took me forever to track you down." He nodded in agreement. "Who's your friend?"

The man behind him snorted derisively and walked away. Kaien nodded in a way that said this was the man's normal behavior. "That would be HiHiHiei."

"I see. He seems kind of cold." I poke his arm. "How do you put up with it?"

"He's a good man to have around when someone's got a sword pointed at your throat. How about we just leave it at that?" Kaien gives me that grin he has, the one that always made me laugh when we were growing up. It still works.

"Fine," I giggle. "So, what have you been doing the last four hundred years?"

"Whatever I feel like. I found a home among murderers, as bad as that sounds. You?"

I shake my head at Kaien's casual mention of murder. "While you have been out there killing for no apparent reason and getting rich off of it, I joined some of the most notorious thieves in Makai. For the most part, we didn't need to kill to get what we wanted." I am bragging a bit, I admit it.

"Oh, yes. I believe I did see something about that." He pretends he has forgotten something. "Kurama, was it? And Kuronue? And my sister Ayaka. What a trio. From what I've heard of those two, you fit right in."

"I did." I avert my eyes and stare at the ground.

"Past tense?" He takes a clawed hand and brushes the hair from in front of his eyes. "Ayaka, what has happened? You hide it well, but not well enough. You are devastated. But why?" He is picking up on something I have not said with more accuracy than Kurama ever managed. I can do the same with him. And this is one of the first times I have ever seen him this genuinely worried about me.

"Kuronue is dead." Since that night Kurama came back without him, this the first time I've said it in so blunt a manner. "A bounty hunter killed him. Then later came back for me and Kurama."

Kaien looks at me seriously, a great feat for him. "There's more to it than that."

I sigh and nod. "I know this partnership between you and Hiei is normal. Nothing more than business. I've had partners like that. But that was not the way it was with Kurama and Kuronue. The three of us were friends. So his death hit me and Kurama hard. Even after two hundred and fifty years, I am not over it. And Kurama got hit harder than me."

"There's not much I can do for you. But I'll do what I can." He hugs me and holds me until I finish crying.

1898 A.D.

"You again?" Hiei asks.

"Got a problem with it?" I snap. "Oh, Kaien!"

"Ayaka!" Kaien shouts. "You only left me for ninety years this time! Last time it was a lot longer."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get the point."

"Why'd you come back this time?"

"I got tired of being alone. You and Hiei always welcomed my company." I grin.

"Feh." Hiei says and stalks away.

"Okay, you welcome me, and Hiei tolerates me."

"We're going on a raid tonight. You want to come?"

"You know it."

We charge our way through the castle, killing anyone who gets in our way. In a sickening way, it's comforting. A way to release this anger I feel at the bounty hunter, at myself, at Kurama which is ridiculous, and at Kuronue which is even more so.

As we leave the castle, I catch a glimpse of the locket at Kaien's hip. Black onyx on one side, orange garnet on the other. I rub my fingers across the diamond and the sapphire set into mine and I smile. Our connection still holds strong.

1967 A.D.

"Oh, Kaien! Oh, Hiei!" I call loudly.

"Again?" I hear Hiei ask my brother. "She stayed for thirty three years the first time, and five years last time. How long this time?"

"You speak of me not only as if I'm not here, but if I am a liability rather than an asset," I tell him, acting hurt. "It's quite rude."

Hiei doesn't respond. Kaien laughs. "Ayaka, I have yet to figure out where your manners come from. One moment you're chastising Hiei for talking about you as if you're not there, the next you're breaking into someone's home and killing everyone."

"Got anything planned out for tonight?"

1977 A.D.

I approach Kaien but he doesn't give me a chance to speak. He stands and hugs me. "Good luck, wherever you're going. I'll miss you until you come back."

"You make this too easy, Kaien. I should feel bad leaving."

He shakes his head. "No. You're traveling with me. If I ever show up to travel with you, I don't want to feel bad for leaving you, when the time comes."

I nod and turn and walk away.

Hiei pov

2006 A.D.

"Kaien."

He looks at me. "Hiei. You have something in mind. Another raid?"

I nod. "I think we're ready. I've gotten enough power back."

He eyes me carefully through that white, white hair. "This idea you have… am I right in saying it's both more ambitious and more dangerous than anything we've attempted thus far?"

I nod. "I want three treasures."

"So what's the problem?"

"They are the conjuring blade, the rapacious orb, and the mirror of darkness. They are in the possession of King Enma."

"Hiei, we have neither the manpower nor the abilities needed to infiltrate the Spirit World's top security vault." He is not thrilled by my suggestion.

I stare at him and I can feel my third eye glowing. He does not flinch away from it. "We have the connections needed to find those people."

"No, Hiei." I don't show it, but I am surprised. He has never defied my suggestions before. "I am not prepared to risk my life for this. I may be stupid sometimes, but stupid is not the same as suicidal."

"We are going to do this raid, Kaien," I say forcefully.

He stands to face me, his five foot ten frame nearly a foot taller than my own. "I thought it was understood, Hiei, that this partnership was based on the fact that we are equals. If one of us wishes to postpone or not go on a raid, it is postponed or cancelled. That is why this works much better than most."

I glare at him. "There have been plenty of times your sister cancelled the raid on us. She was never part of this agreement. I let her become involved anyway."

"I cancelled because she did not feel well. One of her best friends had died. And if you don't want her involved, she does not need to be your way to manipulate me."

That damn sister of his. She brought out his soft side. He never did things the way he normally would have while she was around. "We are going on this raid, Kaien."

"Feel free," he responds, his hand drifting slowly to the hilt of his sword. "But if you go on that raid, this business we've been doing together… you can consider it over. Whether or not you are killed."

"Then that's the way it is." I meet his eyes but he refuses to look away. "But you know of my plans now. You know—"

"I know perfectly well what it means to you. But I will not just sit here and allow you to kill me."

My three eyes narrow and his hand tightens on his sword. My hand whips to my katana and both of our swords our unsheathed in less than a second. I hear the clash of metal and my mind goes blank.

Well, there was only one review, so here is my response...

Foxgirl Ray: I understand that this chapter probably doesn't entirely clear up her reaction to Hiei, just explaining her recognition. The next chapter should explain it though.