Just as a reminder: We do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! We do however own Soko, Xhi, and Mag.

Soko's POV

{Poor Hiei! Having a wild, clawing fuzz ball on his head! And Jin beating him with a spatula! He's going to have a major headache…} Hiei was now rubbing his head. Jin and Yoko stood next to him; Jin was apologizing while the fox was trying to keep the small fire demon's temper in check. Hippo was now in Mag's arms, looking put off as his owner stroked his ruffled fur. Xhi looked… dead. I walked over to her to see if she was alright.

"Xhi? Are you feeling okay?", I asked, shaking her gently. After a minute or so, she returns to normal (or as normal as normal was for Xhi). "Ugh…", she groaned. I sat her down and told Jin to get her some water. "You gonna be okay?", I asked. Xhi nodded slowly as she took the glass of water Jin handed her. She smiled a little and sipped on it lightly. I looked at Yoko and Hiei. "Okay. Something is wrong here. People don't just go into a coma standing up for no reason.", I say. Hiei nods. "Someone's here."

Yoko and I walk to the nearest window. There is no one around, and I couldn't sense anyone even near our territory. "They must be telepathic. There's no one here.", I say. Xhi grumbled. "Man, I've got a headache.", she said. Mag attempted to comfort her. I look to Hiei. His eyes were closed except for his Jagan. No doubt he's looking whoever it was that made Xhi go mentally limp. His ruby eyes open. "Whoever it was isn't here now.", he said. Walking to the window, he paused. "I have business to attend to." He flitted off through the open window, off to who knows where.

"Well, what are we goin' ta do now?", Jin asked. Everyone shrugged. "Maybe we could just go look around.", Xhi suggested, blushing slightly. Jin smiled. "Ya! That'll be mighty good fun! I could zip around and whoo and whee! We'd have a great deal of fun, we would!", he said, his Irish accent growing more and more indecipherable as he spoke faster. I nodded. "Yes, we should show you guys around. How rude of us to not have already done so.", I say, glancing at Yoko. He smirks. He opens his mouth to speak, but the 'door bell' rings. The fox turns towards the hallway. "I wonder who that is…"

We follow Yoko down to the door. He opens it to find a boy: about five foot six with brown, green-dyed frizzy hair. The boy smiles warmly as he gazes at us. "Hello Connor.", Yoko greets, his expression slightly befuddled. "Hello, Yoko-san. I heard you had guests, so I thought I'd stop by.", Connor states, his eyes meeting mine for a brief moment before turning back to Yoko. My partner doesn't seem to notice this and stands aside to invite the boy in. The fox closes the door. "Xhi, Mag, Soko – this is Connor. Connor, meet the girls.", he says. Connor smiles and gives a small wave. "Hi," he greets, mirth dancing in his eyes. Mag and Xhi return the salutation. I nodded my own cautious greeting. {How did he know we were here? He doesn't seem like the type Hiei would associate with…}

"Well Connor, Soko and I were just about to show these two lovely ladies around the gardens. Would you care to join us?", Yoko asked. That smile appeared on the boys face again. "I would be delighted.", he says, gazing at my new friends. Were I not already taken and loving it, I would be jealous that I wasn't getting that look. Mag, however, is easily affected by his dazzling smile and flushes a soft shade of pink. "I know that you've only been here a few times, Connor," Yoko began. "But you can show them around on your own, right?" Connor nods. "Then lets split up.", the fox says, reaching behind me to put his hand on my opposite shoulder. Jin beamed. "Alrighty then!", the imp cheered. "C'mon Xhi!" Before my smallish friend can object, Jin is dragging her out the door; his own feet already off the ground. They're soon out of sight. Connor chuckles before turning to Mag. "Well, my dear, it seems as though I am to be your guide.", he speaks, his voice alluring. He offers his hand. Mag reaches out with her free hand to grasp his, her face flushed a little darker now. Connor smiles again {He smiles too much…} and leads her outside towards the garden. I look up at Yoko. "This could be interesting.", I say, keeping my voice neutral. I loop my arm through the one he offered me. Heading outside, Yoko closes the door. We head towards the field to enjoy the morning, but more than that; to enjoy his company.

~*~

Xhi's POV

Jin picks me up and flies me away from the tree house. "EEP!" I squeak and grip onto his neck. "Eh, watch it, 'kay? I don't want to die" he says, grinning broadly. "Hold on!" he exclaims as we go higher. "And his is Yoko's house, the big tree, the other big tree, the little tree…" He faded out quickly. A dark figure stood in the darkness. "When the Blood Moon rises and mirror images join the realm of dust, shall I meet thee again. What's mine is gone. Two are guilty… but all shall pay."

"Xhi! XHI!" I shot up at the voice, oblivious to what had just happened. "Hey Jin! What's up?" I say, shaking my head vigorously. Jin gives me an unbelievable look. "Sorry," I say. "I must have gone to sleep. "Sleep?! Sleep?! It was like ya were dead! Ya went all still and quiet like an' suddenly WHOOSH! Ya went all limp. I nearly dropped ya," he explains hyperactively and apologetically. "I really don't know what you're talking about." I explain, getting up off the ground. He just stares at me. "Oh well. C'mon," he says in his really fast, hard to understand Irish accent.

He grabs my hand and drags me along a path. I freeze. There's a shadowy figure standing in the shade of a large tree. "Um… Jin…" I say nervously. "Ya?" He's turning to look where I'm staring but the figure's gone. "Oh, nothing."

Suddenly I notice something. {Ah! He's holding my hand!} I blush and jerk it away sharply. He looks at me strangely. "Sorry," I mutter, eyes downcast. {Ah! What it this? Why am I blushing? Why do I care?} "C'mon," he says, still watching me. We start to walk again, through the entire – or at least some of – the forest. Something suddenly jumps out at me. "Ah!", I cry and fall to the ground. On top of my stomach was a little fuzz ball with light brown fur. "Hey! Looks like the lit'le guy's taken a likin' to ya." Jin smiles down at me. It yip/barks at me before hopping off. I couldn't help but to think that it looked like the fur ball from m dream, so I say, "Hey Briskay, would you like to come home with me?" It once again yip/barks – I'll just say it yarks. "Will Yoko mind?" I ask Jin. "He didn't seem too happy to see Hippo." "Oh, he won't mind a bit. They say it's an Elfin creature." He pauses and looks at me, tilting his head to the side. "You an Elf?" "NO!" I almost yell in frustration. "Ok, sorry" he laughs. I couldn't help but to think that he had the cutest laugh ever. {Ah! Stop it Xhi!} I pick up Briskay then Jin and I head back to meet the others. Jin cautiously reaches out and takes my hand. For some reason I don't pull away. {Idiotic moron!} I yell at myself. {Pull away! Pull away!} Needless to say, it didn't work.

~*~

Mag's POV

Well, this is odd. Both Xhi AND Soko have abandoned me, leaving only Connor and I in what appears to be a quite ravishing version of a garden. Rose vines climb glimmering pond side statuary. A birch tree grows in the center, shading a bench, old and creaky from decades of use. Gentle breezes ripple melodically through the hedge rows to tickle remarkable crystal wind chimes. It is simply amazing how each crystal can reflect a whole rainbow in one simple sun ray's glance. I stop in front of them, letting Hippocrates glide from my arm. He runs off in search of what I can only assume to be lunch. Slowly, I reach my now freed right hand out and gently tap the chime with a finger, almost like a kiss.

I realize that Connor is watching me and, having refused to relinquish my left hand to my possession, has stopped too. I blush, not knowing why. Suddenly very aware of our intertwined hands, I clear my throat nervously. "That's Elvin crystal, that is." Connor states. My surprise must have shown because he laughed. His eyes twinkle when he laughed. {Ah! Stop thinking like that!} "Oh," I say simply, wondering how I could have possibly turned to such mush. "You" Connor starts, then stops and clears his throat. As he begins again, his voice is suddenly much deeper but still crackly. "…You… seem surprised. Do you doubt the existence of… elves?"

I suppress a smile. Had someone told me a week ago that I would now be standing in the most glorious of gardens with… um… Connor… and I was to be having this conversation, I would have called them mad… mad, mad, mad. But now I am not so sure.

Connor is waiting for an answer. "No… no, I um… er… believe." I sounded a little more skeptical than I could have wanted but at least I said it. "Sure you do." Connor teased. I just smiled. We walked on, talking about herbs, alchemy, our loathing of modern science. It is amazing how Connor is so in tune with me. Maybe… I… we… {No, stop thinking like that!}

I stop along the gravel path, smelling each new herb as it comes into view. A heavenly aroma reaches my nose and I stop to smell it better. There is a mixture of herbs whose combination is no doubt the cause of such a heavenly scent. My eyes are drawn to one herb in particular. In my crouched position, I bend to smell it, head gliding closer and closer. A warm hand cups my chin, redirecting me. I look up to find Connor crouched beside me, eyes locked with mine. "Not that one, Magdalene," he says, using my full name. Only Aunt Verna calls me that. "Oh, don't be silly… it's just a…" I am stopped mid-sentence as the potent scent of the mystery herb reaches me. I shoot up to a standing position, not caring for the lives of the other herbs, undoubtedly damaged during my recoil.

"It's mint," Connor says compassionately. "Your parents…" I don't even register what he's saying or the fact that it is rather odd for him to know this about me. "Yes," I cringe, "my parents. Every ointment, every cleaning supply… the whole hospital smelled of it." I give a choked laugh. "They can't stop you from dying but they can make sure you smell good when you do." I realize I am crying but I don't care. "Even… even what was left of their damn air freshener smelled of it. I hate…" I sob. "I hate… the…" I draw ragged breaths of air.

All of a sudden I am ashamed of the way I am acting; and humiliated, and scared. It all flows out of me at once; four years of bottled up regret, hate, love, sorrow and despair. I cry like never before, hunched over in the dirt, sobbing. My whole body aches with the strain of it. I shudder. Out of what seems like heaven, a secure arm encircles my shoulders. My breath slows, tears stop flowing and the sun comes out from behind the clouds. I look up to see Connor beside me, face strained with worried compassion, free from pity. Sunlight bounces off his frizzy multicolored hair. He smiles and slowly guides me to a stone bench. After sitting down opposite each other, Connor takes my hand in his and smiles crookedly. To me, this lopsided smile means more than 'feel better'; it means 'have hope, I'm here for you. It's ok. You don't have to cry any longer.' Suddenly, my head clears. I can think. I am no longer ashamed of my display or my now mud covered green skirt.

A thought strikes me. "How did you know about me and… mint?" I ask. Shyly, Connor smiles. "I can't see the future, but I can read the past quite well." He braces himself as if preparing for rejection. It doesn't come. I look into his green eyes. "Thank you." I say. {For more than you know…} "I'm sure they were great people." Connor says. "Your parents, I mean. Do you… do you want to talk about it?" He waits, expecting me to fly off and say 'NO!', but for the first time in four years the answer is, "Yes! Yes, I do!" They were great people; why shouldn't they be remembered? I give Connor's hand a squeeze and start the first steps on the road to redemption, and they begin with, "My parents…"
~*~