Yu Yu Hakusho: For A While
OLDIE. Written when I was eleven - one year into my fanfiction career. =O
Hi! Hieibandit here with yet another Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic. This idea came to me when I was in my mom's car, watching the scenery... sometimes, when I'm on a sugar high and really, really bored in the car, I'll imagine Hiei is running along with the car. That's where I got the idea... heh, kinda crazy! Anyway, I decided it'd be an interesting fanfic.
Hiei: NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!
me: YES, I CAN. Member, I control you.
hiei: NO YOU DON'T! NO, NO NONONONONONONONO-
yusuke: geez, hiei, you sound like a mad tyke. Let koenma teach you how to do it properly -
koenma: WHY, I'VE NEVER BEEN SO INSULTED, I DON'T THROW TANTRUMS, I DON'T I DON'T IDON'TIDON'TIDON'TIDON'TIDON'T!!!!
yusuke: I rest my case.
koenma: GRRRRR...
everyone: HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
botan: Okay. Ready?
me: yeah, but -
hiei: SHE DOES NOT OWN ME, OR ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT FOR THE BRAT IN THIS STORY. AND SHE CAN STILL CONTROL ME?! HOW UNFAIR!!!!!
me: Oh, put a lid on it. Here ya go!
hiei:I AM NOT FINISHED -
For a While
Prologue
It is often said that a child is born and lives life with a guardian angel. The guardian angel… if a proper guardian, they will guide the child through life as a good soul, leading to heaven. But if the guardian angel does not guide correctly, the child will be a bitter person, and fall to the depths of the underworld. …But some cases are different, are they not? …And what if a child is born without a guardian? …What may happen to the child’s soul?
----
“Hiei. Because you’ve been… good except for the recent occurrences, you have a choice.”
The toddler in strange garb, with a pink and shiny pacifier in his mouth, spoke seriously. His face was set seriously, much to seriously for a boy who looked of his age. The small man across from him had a cold, stony expression. Fiery, pitiless red orbs gazed with hatred at the boy. His lip curled.
“And what might that be?” His deep, threatening voice resounded through the thoroughly silent room.
“Well…” the young toddler fidgeted with his pacifier. His large brown eyes stared hopelessly around, as if searching for an escape. Finding none, he returned his gaze to the man. Finding he could not stare the seemingly merciless man in the eye, he looked down at the stacks of paperwork upon his desk.
“Well… you can either go to Rekai jail or…” he muttered something incoherent.
The man’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Didn’t catch that last bit, Koenma.”
“Well… you can go to jail… or… or help a girl. A ningen girl.”
“And why would I want to do that?” Hiei growled, standing from his position against the wall.
“…That or you go to jail.” Koenma’s voice shook slightly.
“Hn.” He leaned back against the wall. “No other options?”
“…I’m afraid not. But that’s how it is. The rules have been set since you joined the team, and we all seriously doubted…
but…” Koenma sighed. “That’s how it’ll have to be. You must watch over her, if you choose that option, and be her guardian. She has… trouble. She’s a six-year-old ningen. She’s falling apart, Hiei. She has no father; her mother is a drug addict; she has to look out for her younger siblings, and to top it off…”
Hiei raised his eyebrow. “Continue.” Koenma bit his lip.
“To top it off, she’s having dreams - even visions, you could call them - of the Makai. They scare her, and… it’s not a good life for a young child of her age.”
Hiei frowned. Jail - no responsibility except for living. Guard - be free to do whatever, just watch over the kid. He promised himself he’d never go to jail. With a grunt, he gave his reply. “I’ll watch the kid.”
Chapter One: A Guardian Demon
Rain awoke, clutching her thin, old, and near useless sheets in terror as she shot up from her small bed. Her kind blue eyes were darting round restlessly, finding neither peace nor comfort in her familiar surroundings in the night.
The six-year-old child trembled as she saw her open doorway. In reality, she knew that it was her jacket that lay sprawled on the floor in the doorway. But it looked like a monstrous being in the shadows of night, a demon, coming to take her away and kill her. Like her dreams.
Rain slowly settled herself back in her bed, tightly shutting her eyes closed. Tonight, she had dreamed of an ugly, horrid and large demon that chased her - chasing and chasing, in an unwelcoming forest - until the dead end. Just like her other dreams, in the end it ate her, torturing her before it killed her…
The scene replayed itself in her head, over and over. She clutched her pale, almost whiteblonde hair and shook her head, whispering rather than screaming, in fear of waking her moody mother and younger siblings, over and over, “No, no, no, no, no…” she trembled even more so. Tears welled in her terrorized eyes. She wanted to close her eyes, block it out. She tried wiping her tears away, but she only managed to make her vision a bit less watery. She was going to shut her eyes as tight as she could - when she spotted him.
Fiery red eyes glared through the darkness at her. Her once empty rocking chair in her small room was being sat on by a man - no, an evil being, it looked - with tall, unnatural hair, a white band covering his forehead, black boots, a black cloak, and a white scarf. She let out a sort of silent scream before diving under her thin covers.
A… an illusion! That was it. She was having another dream - this was always how it started out, her in bed, when suddenly she saw a demon - either coming from her closet, window, door, under her bed - and she closed her eyes as tight as she could. She opened them, found herself in the forest, and began to run for her life…
“No, I’m not an illusion.”
She began trembling even more, if possible. “Not real… not real… NOT REAL…” she continued to whisper to herself.
She poked her head, or rather, her eyes and above, out of the covers to see if the man was still there. He was. Red eyes continued to gaze at her.
“Once again, I’m not an illusion. I’m real, brat.”
Rain’s eyes were as wide as possible. She didn’t know who he was, but all she could do was stare in silent terror. No longer did she notice the black, slightly open closet, the pools of shadow on her bed, the jacket in her doorway, the pounding and drizzling of the rain. Only him.
“Who… who are you?” she whispered, trembling even harder.
“Hn. My name is Hiei. A.K.A… your new guardian ‘angel.’”
I'm amazed. FIVE REVIEWS! You're all so kind (sniffle).
bluemarina and LODFluffiness - You're bothso kind! Why, yes, I think I'll update!
silver-kyubi - Well, he's not EXACTLY an angel... notice that the first chapter title is Guardian 'DEMON,' lol. Yes, it is a bit disturbing. lolz...
Pen AgainstSword - You do good reviews, LOL. indeed, it's missy. lolz...(gasping for breath) HUP TWO! HUP TWO! LEFT LEFT LEFT RIGHT LEFT! (faints)lol. mmm, glazed chocolate donuts... mmmm... COUGH IT UP! (literally.)
everyone: EEEEWWW!
just kidding. Yep, I've done the Hiei running thing. I just kind of imagined a little girl with white blonde hair and light blue eyes watching him in a car as he ran by, always keeping his eyes on her... (snaps out of it) Sorry. heh just some more ramblings and I'll give you next chapter.
flyboy62 - I know, that chapter was really short. I plan on making them longer, but sometimes I just kinda make 'em short.. hm, pairings? I don't have any room in the summary, so here they are...
I'm thinking of making this HieixBotan near the end. Rain won't be paired with anyone. ShizuruxKurama are the perfect couple... almost. that's what I'm thinking so far.
SO:
HxB
SxK
yuppers! I don't ownYYH. Only the plot and Rain.
Last Time: "Hn. My name is Hiei. A.K.A... your new 'guardian angel.'"
Next Time: 'Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you,Getting tolike you, Getting to hope you like me...' "Pants." (it'll be funny, I promise! And, yes, it's rated G.)
Chapter Two: A State of Shock
“I have… a what?” Her fear still in place, Rain cautiously backed into her pillow, clutching the sheets as nervously as ever.
“You heard me. A guardian ‘angel.’” Hiei snorted, as if very much doubting he could be an angel of any sorts.
“…B-but…” Rain was at a loss for words. “…Then why haven’t you shown up before now?” she finally demanded.
“Hn. I never knew of your pathetic existence.” He said.
“Pathetic? …Well, why not? Were you someone else’s -“
“No, brat, I wasn’t. I wasn’t even any sort of guardian.”
Finally beginning to believe him - a small child… most are gullible, are they not? …Though this could not be gullible, reader, for he was not telling a lie - she finally began to stop her shaking. Her grip on her sheets loosened.
“…Then why are you here now?”
Hiei didn’t seem to have any sort of reply.
“…Hiei?”
“What?” he snapped.
“…Why did you come here? You don’t really look like you wanted to come here.”
“That’s because I didn’t.”
“Then -“
“I had no choice,” he snapped again. “Now go back to sleep.”
“…Will you still be here?”
“Yes, now go to sleep.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, now get some sleep. What’s your name?”
“…Rain… Will you tell me a story?”
“I don’t tell stories.”
“Please?”
“Hn. No. Now get some sleep.”
“ Pl-“
“I said, get some sleep.”
Rain nodded in defeat and went under her covers, her innocent, bright blue eyes drooping. Hiei observed her, with nothing else to do. He couldn’t wake her up by opening the window, where a gust of wind would get in with the rain, so he couldn’t leave. He had to stay right there.
----
“…Koenma?” The blue haired deity asked slowly, a wooden oar in her hand in Spirit World, Koenma’s office. There were three other beings beside her - a red haired, emerald eyed teenager; a green clothed, black haired, brown eyed punk; and a tall, blue clothed, orange-haired teen. The disturbing thing, to all five people inside the room, was that there was no black haired, narrow red eyed fire demon.
“So… can we visit him?” she asked sadly.
The addressed shook his head slowly.
“Why not?” Botan demanded.
“Because… I gave him two options. To go to prison… or become a guardian ‘angel.’”
“So he chose to be an angel?!” Yusuke asked incredulously.
“…Not exactly an ‘angel.’ More like a guardian for a little girl without a guardian angel. He has no wings. He has his sword… he’s exactly the same, except for the fact that only the little girl can see and hear him.”
“So we wouldn’t be able to see him? Or hear him?”
“No, all of your spirit awareness is high, so you’d be able to.”
“Wait - so you… he’s… dead?”
“Of course not, Botan. If he were dead, you would’ve known a long time ago. No, he’s just… well, how can I say… invisible from most.”
“Then why can the girl-“
“Because he’s her guardian.”
“Oh. Where do they live?”
“In Japan of course… Kurama, why do you want to know?” Keonma asked this meaningfully, for Kurama had a tinge of mischievous gold in his bottle green eyes.
“Oh, just wondering. Tokyo, I presume?”
“Of course. But don’t meddle with him or the girl -“
“How old is she?”
“Might as well tell you… about six.”
“Good.”
“Botan, is there something you want to tell us?” Yusuke asked slyly. Botan flushed.
“Of course not! But Koenma-sama said he still had his katana. I’m just glad he won’t kill her right away… I mean, he wouldn’t kill a child! …Right…?”
Koenma didn’t know whether to nod or shake his head, for frankly, he didn’t know. He managed a small nod.
“Good. I’m just so surprised…” Botan said sadly.
“We all are,” Kurama said heavily.
----
Hiei gazed at the sleeping figure on the small bed, bored. Rekai prison would’ve been worse… right?
His thoughts trailed back to when - to how - he had gotten into this mess. If only he hadn’t…
FlashbackHiei was sitting in a tree in Ningenkai - a tree in the large, deep forest. In the heart of the forest, he knew he wouldn’t be bothered, and mentally congratulated himself for his new ‘spot.’ No stupid ferry onna to try to boss him around today. Nope, not today.
He heard rustling leaves - he immediately sat up from his resting position, his sword giving a ‘click’ as he unsheathed it. Aware of the rustles, he stood, ready in a defensive position to attack on a moment’s notice.
A lunatic - a maniac, madman, no other way to describe him - came out of the bushes, an unknown weapon in his hand. He drunkenly staggered to a tree, putting his hand on the bark for support across from the one Hiei was in. Did the man not notice him? The unknown object posed a threat. Hiei did not lower his katana, but was about to jump away when suddenly, the man raised his gun and shot at Hiei.
Hiei dodged it - “What are you trying to do, baka ningen?!” he roared. The man did not stop firing - he shot, again and again, Hiei easily dodging, until he sneaked a second gun out… one shot, making Hiei lightly step to the side, and another, unexpected shot, hitting him square in the stomach.
Demon skin saved him - but it threw him back, and some blood was poured, though little. Another shot made him barely move. He did not fear for his life - little ever did - but he was tired of playing games.
The man’s agonized, lunatic cries rang out through the forest, causing many birds to leave as a once rusty blade was smeared with fresh blood.
Hiei didn’t want to think about it any longer. He turned his head away, looking out the window as the pouring rain beat a steady rhythm against it. Why didn’t I just leave? He angrily thought. I knew the ningen was a waste of my time, but…
He slowly, unconsciously touched where he had been hit. Botan had taken the bullet out for him - he didn’t have Yukina do it, for he did not want to put stress on her life - and healed the wound in a second, though there was still a slight mark where it had hit.
Hieibandit here again with a new chapter! I know I probably won't be able to update everyday like I have... the evils of school... (sigh) but I promise I'll have it in by Saturday or Sunday... if I get writer's block, then maybe monday. I'll try, though, 'cuz this seems to be a hit!
flyboy62 - exactly - DRUGSequal EVIL. ... h i e i , my anti-drug! WHEEE! I mean, my hiei shrine would fall downinshameifI everdid anything like that! ((seriously, I have a hiei/anime "shrine" in my room. I have this really big berueu(sp?), and it has my TVand some other stuff... there's this cabinet in it, really big, with two shelves. The top one holds all my books, the bottom holds my picture frame of hiei and other anime stuff. LOL!))
silverkyubi - yep. They were anidiot, thinking he was some junior high kid... (mutters angrily) you've never read a HxB? OMG! Hurry, immediately remove yourself from here! GO TO MY OTHER FICCY, 'EVERYBODY'S FOOL!' HURRY! HUUUURY! teehee yep, it's actually quite the popular pair.
Pen Against Sword - ABOUT FACE! LEFT FACE! RIGHT FACE! ATEND HUT! LEFT RIGHT LEFT, READY FRONT, PARADE REST! (whew) sorry. I learned that from my sis. Heh... . I'll read it, and, yes, Hiei was having one of those days, why else would he kill him?
Lita Kitsune - cute, indeed.
Yusuke brat - yeah, this kind of struck me after I first posted it up. It's a father, daughter relationship in both cases, it's so sweet how Sesshomaru takes care of her. Is it just me, or is Sesshomaru-sama too old for Rin? 0o.. I've seen them paired, and it scares me...
dizapearingirl - I'd rather be crazy than boring teehee. yep, we all have the running-Hiei-outside-your-car syndrom. YAYNESS! . You and everyone else have inspired me to get this next chapter. I know you'll love it, it's a humor-ful chappie, after the serious tones of the last two.
Okay - I don't own YYH. ONLY THE PLOT AND RAIN! WHAAAA! BTW, I don't own the song 'Getting to Know You' from the King and I, either. It's a pretty well-known song, and it fits well, so I decided to use it for this chapter.
Note: Hey! First day back from'winter' (heck, I'll call it Christmas if I wanna)break... my science teacher((he rox, he's really funny and pretty cool - NO HW! MY SAVIOR! (grumbles about certain math teachers)))did this big thing on the tsunami that just hit India and other places. He got this thing on it from Discovery channel... I've gotten some ideas - ORIGINAL ideas - to put up under fictionpress from it. My penname there is DeepestWishes, named after my chapter in Everybody's Fool... was it chapter twelve? Anway - just wanted to say,let the Lord help those survivors of the tsunami survive. They'll be in my prayers and - if you pray, anyway - should be in yours, too.
Ja ne!
-bandit
Last Time:
He slowly, unconsciously touched where he had been hit. Botan had taken the bullet out for him - he didn’t have Yukina do it, for he did not want to put stress on her life - and healed the wound in a second, though there was still a slight mark where it had hit.
Next Time:
"Hiei... will you tell me a story?"
Hiei couldn't help but want to give in. She had asked him, every night, to tell a story. And every night he refused. But this could not go on forever...
"I'll tell you a story."
Chapter Three: Getting to Know You
Hiei snorted and rolled his head over. Stupid ferry onna… maybe it’s the oaf… or maybe the baka detective… maybe the fox… he thought, for there was something poking him in the ribs. After a particularly painful poke, he gave a grunt and jerked up to find Rain staring at him, holding in silent giggles.
Hiei didn’t know who this girl was - oh wait… hn. His punishment. He looked around for a sense of time. Sunlight flooded through the windows, landing lightly on the floor, warming everything but herself in the young child’s room.
“You were asleep!” she giggled again quietly. She must’ve been giggling quietly, he realized, because she didn’t intend on waking her moody mother yet. It was eight o’clock. It seemed they were the only ones up in the house.
“Hn.” Hiei sat up straight, having been slouched with his head lolling off of the chair.
“Will you tell me a story tonight?”
Hiei grunted in response.
“Please?”
“No, brat. I don’t want to.”
“…Why not?”
“I don’t know any stories.”
“Yes you do.”
Hiei raised an eyebrow. “And how would you know?”
“Because everyone knows a story. Even if it’s not made-up. Real kinds, actually, are better to me.”
“Real?”
“Yep. Real kinds. That’s how everyone knows a story. Because that’s their life. Our lives are stories, waiting to be told.”
Hiei watched the little girl. Such wise words… was she really supposed to be six?
“Will you tell me your story?” she asked again.
Hiei took this into consideration. “Perhaps, brat.”
“I’m not a brat.”
“What else am I supposed to call you?”
“My name is Rain.”
“Hn. Fine, then, I’ll call you Rain.”
“Thanks.”
“Hn.”
Rain giggled again. She yawned, rubbed her eye, then walked over to her closet. “I might need you to get some clothes for me so I can change.”
----
Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.
“Pants.”
“Hn. Pants.” Hiei dug through her drawers and tossed them carelessly to the hand that reached for them from the closet.
“Wrong pants. The ones without flowers and butterflies, if you please.”
“Hn. Pants.” He tossed another pair.
“I don’t like the kind with sparkles, either.”
Hiei’s eyebrow twitched. “Pants.”
“No! I don’t like straight-legs.”
Getting to know you,
Putting it my way but nicely.
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.
Rain stepped out of the closet, fully dressed. “Thanks, Hiei!” she smiled. She looked around the room.
Her room was covered in mounds of pants - the floor was hidden, as was the bed, dresser, lamps, and even the fan on the ceiling had three pairs hanging from it.
“Uh, Hiei, do you know how to fold?” they both sweatdropped.
Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say.
They walked in silence along the peaceful, near empty streets of the stores at seven o’clock the next day. Hiei had met her mom. Her mom was a drug addict, but she only took them every other day. Most of the time she was just drunk… Rain barely remembered her mom when she wasn’t an addict. She was really young. She desperately grasped onto the memories… her mom had been really nice. Not that she wasn’t nice now. She just… well, she was drunk. Exactly like Atsuko, only she tended to get up a bit earlier. But, otherwise, she wasn’t that bad. Hiei had told her he had a friend with a mom like hers.
“It’ll turn out okay.” He had said. Now, as they walked together, what would she say? She didn’t know much about him to strike up an interesting conversation.
Haven't you noticed,
Suddenly I 'm bright and breezy,
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day.
Hiei glanced at her as they walked around in the forest behind Rain’s house. It wasn’t very deep, and he didn’t want her to go in, but she assured him that it was okay. The forest was roomy - the trees were farther apart than in the Makai… little did she know. Hiei followed her as they went around. She informed him of all the times she had come to relax and get away. She was so mature for her age. Sometimes Hiei forgot she was only a child… like when she asked for a story. He couldn’t help but start to grow closer to the ningen girl. He stared at one tree for a while, transfixed with his thoughts. He didn’t mind her that much… A giggle brought him back to reality. He jumped slightly, causing her to giggle loudly even more. She smiled at him. They were getting closer, day by day.
Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.
She cocked her head in a confused way as they walked again a few days later. Hiei could walk miles, she thought, without tire. He was like a gangster! Only much nicer… he tried to act tough, but she saw him, at night, look with almost ashamed and sad eyes out the window. She wished he would tell her what was wrong.
“Let’s go into this shop!” she giggled, pulling him into a joke shop. Hiei’s eyes widened upon seeing two familiar blue haired females, with another brown haired female.
He dragged her out of the shop by the back of her collar, her protesting all the way.
Getting to know you,
Putting it my way but nicely.
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.
“Are you thirsty?”
“…No.”
“Really? You look thirsty. And we just bought this tea for mama, remember?”
Hiei watched the little girl. She was so… different. Six was such a young age to be shopping alone - well, not exactly alone, but near. He didn’t really count. In the whole town, there was only one grocery store that allowed her to shop there without parent supervision - the woman at the cash register was pretty nice, and sometimes drunk, so…
He nodded slightly, picking the sugar from her hand and fixing it up himself. She smiled inwardly. He acted tough, but he was just really a nice person on the inside.
Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say.
“You have to get up!”
“…I don’ wanna…”
“You HAVE to get up, Rain.”
“…”
Hiei pulled her ankles, but Rain held onto the bars of her bed. “Get UP, kodomo!”
Rain continued to hold onto the front of her bed. Was there anything she could say to make him stop?
“Hn, baka… um, Hiei.”
Hiei smirked, but continued to pull. Finally, with an evil thought in mind, she pulled up, making him pull back harder. And she let go.
THUMP!
…Followed by curses inappropriate for Rain’s young ears.
Haven't you noticed,
Suddenly I 'm bright and breezy,
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day.
Hello! Hieibandit again with the fourth installment... I know I promised it like two weeks ago, but due to tons of homework I had to wait. I had a math quiz yesterday, a science quiz, a math TEST today, a history quiz today, and a report for english that took me until 10. I THINK I HAVE A WORTHY EXCUSE!
yusuke: pssh... yeah, right.
YEP, IT IS RIGHT! i dont own yuyuhakusho, have a good day.
Chapter Four: I’ll Tell You A Story
It had well been five weeks into Hiei’s punishment. The two, the only company being each other most of the time, were closer. They knew each other well enough to be called much more than friends; best friends. That was it.
Rain peacefully closed her eyes as the rain gently ran across her window. Hiei, in the rocking chair as usual, was lost in thought.
Of all the things he could think about, all he could think about was his old life. He missed it, however much he enjoyed Rain’s company. It was the danger… the understanding… the name calling…
Hiei sighed and settled back in the chair, leaning his head against the cool window. His thoughts were mixed, in a jumble, waiting to be sorted and put away properly…
He remembered everyone… Genkai, the oaf, the baka onna, the fox, the detective, even the baby… And he had fleeting memories of a masked fighter; a glowing orange spirit sword in the hands of a strong-willed teenager; a cheery expression on the face of the deity of death as she sat on her oar, smiling at him. There was a smile from mysterious green eyes as a rose flew out of scarlet hair and suddenly became a rose whip; a cocky grin on the face of a boy with his hands shaped like a gun; even a bad-tempered boy with a pacifier nearly falling out of his mouth as he talked in agitation.
Hiei watched the soothing rain as Rain reached to turn out her light. But she stopped quite suddenly and turned to Hiei, who turned to her, noticing her mouth set in a determined line.
“Hiei… will you tell me a story?”
Hiei couldn’t help but want to give in. She had asked him, every night, to tell a story. And every night he refused. But this could not go on forever…
“I’ll tell you a story.”
Rain gave a genuine, truly happy smile as he sat up from the wooden chair and sat down on her bed next to her.
“What will you tell me?”
Hiei gave no reply. He went through his mind, thinking… and, quite suddenly, he decided on a no doubt interesting subject.
“Hn. I’ll tell you a story…
There was once a land of ice maidens who could only give birth to girls. When they gave birth, they always gave birth to twins. These ice maidens were beautiful, unearthly beings. They could heal well, and were usually kind hearted. Usually. They had silky, winter blue hair with fair skin and mostly innocent eyes. They were one with ice; they could use their powers to defend, heal, or attack if they wished to do so, with practice. When they cried, their tears turned to valuable, perfectly spherical gems. These beings were called koorimes.
The koorimes lived happily for centuries until, one day, one koorime gave birth to a baby boy and girl. Now, since they could only give birth to girls, the village was disturbed by the fact there was a boy. They called him… The Forbidden Child.”
Rain watched him eagerly for more.
“…The village elders - almost like a council - forbid the child to live because of the abnormality of being a boy. They ordered him to be killed by having the boy’s mother’s best friend throw him off of a cliff.”
Rain gave an audible gasp. “A baby boy?”
“Yes. Before the mother’s friend unwillingly threw him off, she tucked in a tear gem - his mother’s tear gem while she gave birth to him - in his blankets that covered him and whispered a prayer for him to live. Something in him understood this prayer… he had the will to live, to fulfill wherever fate and destiny, hand in hand, took him. He survived the fall. Now, he was found by a group of thieves who were willing to take him in and raise him to be one of their own. So the thieves took him in to their care.
The little boy grew. He saw the thieves as a family; they showed him how to fight, and to channel the… magic, you’d call it, in him to come out as fire. They taught him how to wield a sword; he turned out to be an exceptional fighter.
Finally, he became stronger than the thieves were. He also became more ruthless - he had lightning fast speed, allowing him to take anything he could steal. But not only did he steal for the thieves. He began to steal for himself, and became stronger and stronger, less and less trusting. The stupid thieves, thinking he would kill them all, wanted to banish him - kill him before he could kill them.”
“How old was he? Why would they think he would kill them?” Rain whispered.
“He was only a year older than you are. They believed he would kill them because thieves aren’t always nice; raising him that way, teaching him how to fight... many thieves only look out for themselves. The little boy was their strongest member… his distrust and own, private steals lead them to believe that he would turn against them all. One night, however, the thieves’ plan was spoiled. They spoke of their plan while they presumed the little boy to be out, stealing. He returned early, and, hiding behind a large rock, heard everything. Their plans, their distrusts of him… he was confused, being the child he was, and scared. All he knew was that, if he didn’t want to die, he had to leave. He didn’t want to die; he was too strong willed. He knew that there was something more that bound him to the land. So he ran.”
Rain’s innocent blue eyes startled Hiei as they filled with small tears. “Nani? What’s wrong?”
She sniffled a little. “He heard them talking about killing him! His friends… and he had to run, all alone. That would be scary, all alone… and he was only seven…” she wiped her eyes on her pajama sleeve.
Hiei nodded, lost in a swirl of thoughts. He remembered it all well, as if he had just witnessed it. The thieves’ faces… his first steal… he vividly remembered the scenery of the place in which he spent his first years. The soul-filling air… the forest, secluding them from any other places… the green trees with dew slowly rolling down their large leaves, the tall and wavy green grass. He remembered it all.
Why had he decided to tell her his story? Why not Yusuke’s, Kurama’s, even Botan’s? Why his? A simple thought came to mind …Maybe, but that seemed impossible. He quickly dismissed the thought.
“You should get to bed,” he said sternly, snapping out of his musings. “It’s nine thirty. You’ll be too tired in the morning.”
Rain groaned. “Just a little more of the story? Pleeease?”
Hiei shook his head. “You’ve already heard almost half of it! I’ll tell the rest tomorrow.”
Rain sighed, but nodded. She snuggled down into her covers as Hiei turned off her light and went to the rocking chair… of all the thoughts that had gone through his mind, the one that made him realize, perhaps, why he told her his story echoed uncomfortably over and over…
…I just wanted to be heard…
Chapter Five: The Zoo
Rain slowly opened her eyes. She was snuggled in her covers. From her vision range (constricted because of the many sheets wrapped around her) , she could not see Hiei nor the rocking chair. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Sure enough, Hiei was asleep. After all those sleepless nights, he should be, Rain decided. He only slept once a week.
“Hiei?” Rain asked cheerfully as she finished neatly tucking her sheets under her bed.
“Hn?” He sat on the rocking chair, quite still yet quite awake. He opened one scarlet eye lazily to survey the girl before him.
“What’cha wanna do today?”
“Nothing.”
“C’mon! Let’s do something. We’ve lounged around the WHOLE week. We need to do something!”
“Like what?”
“Um… the zoo!”
“What?”
“The zoo, silly!”
“Go ahead. I don’t want to.”
“You’re my guardian… um, angel.” Rain reminded him. Hiei snorted. “And as your ‘angel’ I say it’s best to stay here.”
“You’re no fun.” Rain pouted. Hiei, both eyes open, glared right back. She stuck her lower lip out. It was disgustingly yet adorably cute. Hiei ended up looking away.
“This is a BAD idea, kodomo.” Hiei grunted to Rain as they walked down the street. “And how are you supposed to get into this stupid ningen form of entertainment? It’s bad enough the ningen race is locking up beasts. But to pay? Ningens are getting stupider by the minute.”
As Hiei continued his rant, Rain happily lead him to the zoo, ignoring his speech.
“Here we are.”
Hiei stopped to glare at the place. It smelled.
The building was blocked off by a booth at the front, where a line of people stood.
“Hn. Do you have any money?” Hiei asked Rain. Rain grinned up at him mischievously.
“Well, since you’re invisible, and I can’t get in by myself…”
Hiei scowled, grinding his teeth together. He marched to the booth where the little bracelets were for children to put on and slipped one easily away. No one noticed.
He then made his way to the bushes that Rain was concealed in. They hid her well. He scowled again and handed it to her, who in turn slipped it on her wrist and made her way through the bushes - across the gates, that did not stop the plants from going through - and into the zoo.
“The peacocks are really pretty,” Rain commented as a peacock ran past. (Apparently that particular zoo let the peacocks run free.)
Hiei ‘hn’ed as they passed the lion pen. “Wow… They’re so pretty. I wonder why they smell so much.”
“The giraffes kinda smell,” Rain said, rubbing her nose. Hiei rolled his eyes. “Hn. This is nothing.” He thought, amused, about how wonderful the giraffes’ scent was compared to some of the lower class demons of the Makai.
“What should we eat for lunch?” Rain pondered, milling about the lunch stand. “There are hot dogs, but that’s messy, they get ketchup everywhere, nachos are definitely too messy, ‘cause they seriously pack the cheese on ‘em, hamburgers might be okay, but they’re kinda messy a bit and kinda expensive so I think I’ll take a corn dog.”
Hiei blinked. Sixty seconds. A new talk record.
“Mmm. That was good. What do you want for dessert?”
“Sweet snow.”
“Sweet - oh, ice-cream! I don’t think I have enough money for both of us…”
Hiei smirked. “Leave it to me.”
“You’re going to -“
“Leave it to me. Hn… I like white snow. You, Rain?”
“Um… chocolate, please.”
“Brown?”
“Er, yeah.”
“Hiei?”
“Yeah?”
“…How much ice-cream did you steal?”
…His face was covered in vanilla, going on chocolate.
Rain sweatdropped.
“Ooh, look at the kitty!” Rain giggled. Apparently a mother lioness had her cubs a week or two before, because there were little cubs roaming around, playfully roughhousing with each other and games of the such. One little cub looked at Rain, his eyes playfully flickering gold and honey. He ran up to the bars and put his paw through them playfully.
Rain giggled.
She leaned forward…
And for the briefest of moments, as paw and hand touched, it was like they were one.
There were no barriers between man and beast.
Only two minds;
Running freely together:
Running as one.
And then the connection was broken.
“Ya like him?” A zoo worker asked, grinning. Rain blinked, then nodded, smiling.
“’Is name’s… eh?… Wha’s ‘is name?” The worker scratched his rough chin. Leathery creases became apparent on his face as he frowned, trying to remember.
“Eh… I don’ remember… no, wait…” Rain glared at Hiei, who was laughing at the pathetic, absentminded ningen.
“Eh! ‘Is name is Rasha. I just remembered!”
“R…Rasha.” Rain tried the strange word.
“You don’ say it like ‘rash.’ You ‘ave to give it a ‘sh.’ Rasha.”
Rain tried it again.
“Rasha.”
“That’s it!”
Rain left the zoo along with Hiei quietly. The sun was lowering herself near the mountains, soon to disappear.
“What’s your favorite animal, Hiei?” Rain asked quietly. Hiei snorted. “None.” Rain smiled. “You have to have one. There must be one you like more than the others.” Hiei rolled his eyes. “Fine. Eh.. the big one.”
“Which one? There’s more than one, silly.”
“Hn. The big spotted one.”
“Leopard?”
“No. Fast.”
“Cheetah.”
“I suppose.”
…And they walked home in a happy, peaceful silence.
Long time no update:) This was MY ONLY filler chappie idea, sent in by... um... ? I fergot. I'm very disappointed no one else did... :( Anyway, I don't want to do anymore chappies.
Chapter Six: Growing up, and up... and up... School and Rain just don't mix... :( Intended to be a sad chapter. Maybe, maybe not. I dunno. Review, please!
bandit
Konnichiwa! Hieibandit with the sixth installment of 'For A While.' Oooh, sounds fancy, neh? I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while. I've updated almost all my other stories, and I'm going to try and update AT LEAST once a month for every fic. I hope you haven't given up on me yet, it seems for 'The Dance of Life' everyone has... -sigh- ANYWAY!
Reveiwer Reply! Yay!
silver-kyubi/asilin - No, I'm updating. Sometimes document manager often takes out things for me - usually spaces - and I meant filler chappies :)
maehiro - thank you! A long-ish review... yayness!
hiei's cute girl - Nah, 's cause he's a boy. I tink...
hiei: YOU DON'T KNOW? JEEZ!
LODF - Hmm... Good idea! I don't want to make her grow up THAT much, though, and she's the odd one out, and I already have everything planned, so I can't, though. :)
forbidden soul - picked on at skool? I can do that :) I already had that in mind. -hits head- Doy! I fergot about the rest of the story! -makes mad dash to add that into the weave of next chapter-
uncle kenny - o.0
silver demon, ayen, kitara, sasauge, dizappearingirl, sadandlonely - Thankies for the reviews:) Terribly sorry if I left anyone out. I just finished this chapter in about an hour and another one for a different fic in another hour x.X Two hours of straight writing... oy...
Chapter Six: The Girl Gang
RING!
RING!
The bell of the school rang loudly like a death toll; loud, slow, and in a monotone ring.
“Unh!” Rain made a small noise as she fell back. Ling laughed at her. “Well, get up, Rain… or LOSER.” He laughed some more and took off towards the building.
Rain spat up dirt. The hard ground had no mercy for the girl, and so a scrape ran along her elbow. She frowned at it; it didn’t hurt - heavens no, she learned not to let things hurt her like that long ago - but it would make her late for class. Again.
She hurriedly pushed herself up and grabbed her plain black backpack, beginning to take off, her feet echoing footsteps in the thoroughly empty playground.
She was suddenly swooped up. “Hn. You’ll never get to class on time.” She latched onto his back - piggyback style - and Hiei took off without a word.
Rain had grown. From that once optomistic child she grew to an… optomistic child. She was two years older; two years of knowing Hiei. She could barely remember a time without him.
She was pretty much the same. Lank, short white blonde hair, light blue eyes, pale skin, skinny. The difference?
She was at school.
Rain’s mother had once day regained some sense.
back then-
“Rain, shouldn’t you be going to school?”
The woman’s words were slurred, thick with alcohol.
“What does it matter?” the girl’s short reply came.
“Hon, you need to go to school…”
“Why? All they do is teach you pointless things.”
“No… get a job, then…”
“I’m too young!”
“Then go to school..”
“Mom-“
“Please. At least once a week…”
Rain glanced at Hiei, who shrugged in turn. She frowned and sighed.
“Once a week.”
now-
But it had turned to more than once a week. Now in the third grade, she SKIPPED once a week. It was utterly annoying.
The bell sounded once again, in it’s dull tones:
RING!
RING!
RING!
It signaled the time to eat and play: lunch. Rain frowned and put away her books in her backpack.
As always, she was the last to leave the classroom, basking in the safety of the teacher.
Of course, Hiei was always by her, but she already sent him home, telling him she could last the rest of the day. He would help on tests and homework, but he was only there to her. No one else could see him, her strong guardian demon. Angel. Ah, forget it.
Rain slipped out of the classroom quietly. Her worn shoes were thin. She wore them often, for they allowed her to move quietly yet quickly in enemy territory - the playground.
Her stomach grumbled - she was used to that - and then quieted. She always skipped lunch. Her mother barely had enough money to keep her two younger siblings in day care and keep Rain in school, and they needed all the food for breakfast and dinner. So Rain didn’t eat.
“Hey, Rain!”
She froze. She was tiptoeing to behind the portable. No one went back there, which insured a safe thirty minute break.
Behind her were the girl gang. It had all the girls in the class… or at least all the mean ones. About two girls weren’t in it, but they didn’t want anything to do with Rain, either.
“Hey, where’s your lunch?” The girls snickered. “Don’t tell me, you don’t have one! Your family’s THAT poor? Ha!” The girls laughed.
“What were you doing yesterday with Hisho yesterday?” One of the girls - Hitomi - hissed to her. Her green eyes narrowed and her red hair, hanging down in curls, bounced over her shoulders.
Rain frowned. She was trying to be brave, like Hiei. “Hn. Nothing. What does it matter to you?” She said bravely. Hitomi’s lip-glossed mouth opened, then she promptly shut it.
“So you’re probably thinking you’re Ms. Hotshot, huh? Walking ‘round with Hisho?”
Rain gulped. “I was only talking to him, and he was being nice and -“
“Only talking? ONLY TALKING?” Hitomi shrieked. “There IS NO SUCH THING as only talking. You’re after him, aren’t you? When you KNOW I’ve like him since first grade!”
Rain pointed out, in her mind, that first grade was last year. Her throat tightened and she couldn’t say anything.
“Oh, so now you’ve lost all your brave, huh?”
“It’s courage, baka. Not brave. Do you pay attention to English lessons?” Rain insulted her, wishing she had more. At least she was some where.
Hitomi flushed, her freckles lost in her red face. “Why… why you -“
She slapped Rain across the cheek, sending her staggering back, sending dirt ‘round, then grabbed her wrist. “I’m TIRED of you! You don’t deserve to live, you -“
She cussed. Some of the girls gasped, but Rain frowned. “Does your mom talk to you like that?”
“My mom? MY MOM? Think about YOUR drunk, dumb mom! She probably doesn’t have enough money to buy you decent shoes! Ha!”
“So she does?”
“Ooooh, that’s it! I’m putting you were you’ll NEVER get out!” The girls formed a protective group around them, as if suspicious anyone would see. Hitomi’s grip on Rain’s wrist tightened until her long, unkept nails dug into Rain’s skin.
They marched straight to the dim janitor’s closet - not the big ones, but the tiny ones that would surely suffocate someone with all the chemical fumes within two days.
Hitomi took one of the paint cans and dumped its contents on Rain. The paint fumes dizzied Rain, but she stood tall as paint drizzled down her hair and neck, ruining her clothes and hair. The girls cheered as others joined in the festivity by spitting at her and dumping water on her. Hitomi just grinned at her.
Rain spat in Hitomi’s face.
Dead silence.
Hitomi wiped it off and gagged. “You… you… You’ll never get out,” she smirked victoriously and pushed Rain into the closet as she and other girls spat at her. Then they slammed the heavy door shut and left.
--
I'm ready to vomit myself. Thank the lord I never finished it. That was a hot mess of eleven-year-old BS.
Hi! Hieibandit here with yet another Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic. This idea came to me when I was in my mom's car, watching the scenery... sometimes, when I'm on a sugar high and really, really bored in the car, I'll imagine Hiei is running along with the car. That's where I got the idea... heh, kinda crazy! Anyway, I decided it'd be an interesting fanfic.
Hiei: NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!
me: YES, I CAN. Member, I control you.
hiei: NO YOU DON'T! NO, NO NONONONONONONONO-
yusuke: geez, hiei, you sound like a mad tyke. Let koenma teach you how to do it properly -
koenma: WHY, I'VE NEVER BEEN SO INSULTED, I DON'T THROW TANTRUMS, I DON'T I DON'T IDON'TIDON'TIDON'TIDON'TIDON'T!!!!
yusuke: I rest my case.
koenma: GRRRRR...
everyone: HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
botan: Okay. Ready?
me: yeah, but -
hiei: SHE DOES NOT OWN ME, OR ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT FOR THE BRAT IN THIS STORY. AND SHE CAN STILL CONTROL ME?! HOW UNFAIR!!!!!
me: Oh, put a lid on it. Here ya go!
hiei:I AM NOT FINISHED -
For a While
Prologue
It is often said that a child is born and lives life with a guardian angel. The guardian angel… if a proper guardian, they will guide the child through life as a good soul, leading to heaven. But if the guardian angel does not guide correctly, the child will be a bitter person, and fall to the depths of the underworld. …But some cases are different, are they not? …And what if a child is born without a guardian? …What may happen to the child’s soul?
----
“Hiei. Because you’ve been… good except for the recent occurrences, you have a choice.”
The toddler in strange garb, with a pink and shiny pacifier in his mouth, spoke seriously. His face was set seriously, much to seriously for a boy who looked of his age. The small man across from him had a cold, stony expression. Fiery, pitiless red orbs gazed with hatred at the boy. His lip curled.
“And what might that be?” His deep, threatening voice resounded through the thoroughly silent room.
“Well…” the young toddler fidgeted with his pacifier. His large brown eyes stared hopelessly around, as if searching for an escape. Finding none, he returned his gaze to the man. Finding he could not stare the seemingly merciless man in the eye, he looked down at the stacks of paperwork upon his desk.
“Well… you can either go to Rekai jail or…” he muttered something incoherent.
The man’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Didn’t catch that last bit, Koenma.”
“Well… you can go to jail… or… or help a girl. A ningen girl.”
“And why would I want to do that?” Hiei growled, standing from his position against the wall.
“…That or you go to jail.” Koenma’s voice shook slightly.
“Hn.” He leaned back against the wall. “No other options?”
“…I’m afraid not. But that’s how it is. The rules have been set since you joined the team, and we all seriously doubted…
but…” Koenma sighed. “That’s how it’ll have to be. You must watch over her, if you choose that option, and be her guardian. She has… trouble. She’s a six-year-old ningen. She’s falling apart, Hiei. She has no father; her mother is a drug addict; she has to look out for her younger siblings, and to top it off…”
Hiei raised his eyebrow. “Continue.” Koenma bit his lip.
“To top it off, she’s having dreams - even visions, you could call them - of the Makai. They scare her, and… it’s not a good life for a young child of her age.”
Hiei frowned. Jail - no responsibility except for living. Guard - be free to do whatever, just watch over the kid. He promised himself he’d never go to jail. With a grunt, he gave his reply. “I’ll watch the kid.”
Chapter One: A Guardian Demon
Rain awoke, clutching her thin, old, and near useless sheets in terror as she shot up from her small bed. Her kind blue eyes were darting round restlessly, finding neither peace nor comfort in her familiar surroundings in the night.
The six-year-old child trembled as she saw her open doorway. In reality, she knew that it was her jacket that lay sprawled on the floor in the doorway. But it looked like a monstrous being in the shadows of night, a demon, coming to take her away and kill her. Like her dreams.
Rain slowly settled herself back in her bed, tightly shutting her eyes closed. Tonight, she had dreamed of an ugly, horrid and large demon that chased her - chasing and chasing, in an unwelcoming forest - until the dead end. Just like her other dreams, in the end it ate her, torturing her before it killed her…
The scene replayed itself in her head, over and over. She clutched her pale, almost whiteblonde hair and shook her head, whispering rather than screaming, in fear of waking her moody mother and younger siblings, over and over, “No, no, no, no, no…” she trembled even more so. Tears welled in her terrorized eyes. She wanted to close her eyes, block it out. She tried wiping her tears away, but she only managed to make her vision a bit less watery. She was going to shut her eyes as tight as she could - when she spotted him.
Fiery red eyes glared through the darkness at her. Her once empty rocking chair in her small room was being sat on by a man - no, an evil being, it looked - with tall, unnatural hair, a white band covering his forehead, black boots, a black cloak, and a white scarf. She let out a sort of silent scream before diving under her thin covers.
A… an illusion! That was it. She was having another dream - this was always how it started out, her in bed, when suddenly she saw a demon - either coming from her closet, window, door, under her bed - and she closed her eyes as tight as she could. She opened them, found herself in the forest, and began to run for her life…
“No, I’m not an illusion.”
She began trembling even more, if possible. “Not real… not real… NOT REAL…” she continued to whisper to herself.
She poked her head, or rather, her eyes and above, out of the covers to see if the man was still there. He was. Red eyes continued to gaze at her.
“Once again, I’m not an illusion. I’m real, brat.”
Rain’s eyes were as wide as possible. She didn’t know who he was, but all she could do was stare in silent terror. No longer did she notice the black, slightly open closet, the pools of shadow on her bed, the jacket in her doorway, the pounding and drizzling of the rain. Only him.
“Who… who are you?” she whispered, trembling even harder.
“Hn. My name is Hiei. A.K.A… your new guardian ‘angel.’”
I'm amazed. FIVE REVIEWS! You're all so kind (sniffle).
bluemarina and LODFluffiness - You're bothso kind! Why, yes, I think I'll update!
silver-kyubi - Well, he's not EXACTLY an angel... notice that the first chapter title is Guardian 'DEMON,' lol. Yes, it is a bit disturbing. lolz...
Pen AgainstSword - You do good reviews, LOL. indeed, it's missy. lolz...(gasping for breath) HUP TWO! HUP TWO! LEFT LEFT LEFT RIGHT LEFT! (faints)lol. mmm, glazed chocolate donuts... mmmm... COUGH IT UP! (literally.)
everyone: EEEEWWW!
just kidding. Yep, I've done the Hiei running thing. I just kind of imagined a little girl with white blonde hair and light blue eyes watching him in a car as he ran by, always keeping his eyes on her... (snaps out of it) Sorry. heh just some more ramblings and I'll give you next chapter.
flyboy62 - I know, that chapter was really short. I plan on making them longer, but sometimes I just kinda make 'em short.. hm, pairings? I don't have any room in the summary, so here they are...
I'm thinking of making this HieixBotan near the end. Rain won't be paired with anyone. ShizuruxKurama are the perfect couple... almost. that's what I'm thinking so far.
SO:
HxB
SxK
yuppers! I don't ownYYH. Only the plot and Rain.
Last Time: "Hn. My name is Hiei. A.K.A... your new 'guardian angel.'"
Next Time: 'Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you,Getting tolike you, Getting to hope you like me...' "Pants." (it'll be funny, I promise! And, yes, it's rated G.)
Chapter Two: A State of Shock
“I have… a what?” Her fear still in place, Rain cautiously backed into her pillow, clutching the sheets as nervously as ever.
“You heard me. A guardian ‘angel.’” Hiei snorted, as if very much doubting he could be an angel of any sorts.
“…B-but…” Rain was at a loss for words. “…Then why haven’t you shown up before now?” she finally demanded.
“Hn. I never knew of your pathetic existence.” He said.
“Pathetic? …Well, why not? Were you someone else’s -“
“No, brat, I wasn’t. I wasn’t even any sort of guardian.”
Finally beginning to believe him - a small child… most are gullible, are they not? …Though this could not be gullible, reader, for he was not telling a lie - she finally began to stop her shaking. Her grip on her sheets loosened.
“…Then why are you here now?”
Hiei didn’t seem to have any sort of reply.
“…Hiei?”
“What?” he snapped.
“…Why did you come here? You don’t really look like you wanted to come here.”
“That’s because I didn’t.”
“Then -“
“I had no choice,” he snapped again. “Now go back to sleep.”
“…Will you still be here?”
“Yes, now go to sleep.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, now get some sleep. What’s your name?”
“…Rain… Will you tell me a story?”
“I don’t tell stories.”
“Please?”
“Hn. No. Now get some sleep.”
“ Pl-“
“I said, get some sleep.”
Rain nodded in defeat and went under her covers, her innocent, bright blue eyes drooping. Hiei observed her, with nothing else to do. He couldn’t wake her up by opening the window, where a gust of wind would get in with the rain, so he couldn’t leave. He had to stay right there.
----
“…Koenma?” The blue haired deity asked slowly, a wooden oar in her hand in Spirit World, Koenma’s office. There were three other beings beside her - a red haired, emerald eyed teenager; a green clothed, black haired, brown eyed punk; and a tall, blue clothed, orange-haired teen. The disturbing thing, to all five people inside the room, was that there was no black haired, narrow red eyed fire demon.
“So… can we visit him?” she asked sadly.
The addressed shook his head slowly.
“Why not?” Botan demanded.
“Because… I gave him two options. To go to prison… or become a guardian ‘angel.’”
“So he chose to be an angel?!” Yusuke asked incredulously.
“…Not exactly an ‘angel.’ More like a guardian for a little girl without a guardian angel. He has no wings. He has his sword… he’s exactly the same, except for the fact that only the little girl can see and hear him.”
“So we wouldn’t be able to see him? Or hear him?”
“No, all of your spirit awareness is high, so you’d be able to.”
“Wait - so you… he’s… dead?”
“Of course not, Botan. If he were dead, you would’ve known a long time ago. No, he’s just… well, how can I say… invisible from most.”
“Then why can the girl-“
“Because he’s her guardian.”
“Oh. Where do they live?”
“In Japan of course… Kurama, why do you want to know?” Keonma asked this meaningfully, for Kurama had a tinge of mischievous gold in his bottle green eyes.
“Oh, just wondering. Tokyo, I presume?”
“Of course. But don’t meddle with him or the girl -“
“How old is she?”
“Might as well tell you… about six.”
“Good.”
“Botan, is there something you want to tell us?” Yusuke asked slyly. Botan flushed.
“Of course not! But Koenma-sama said he still had his katana. I’m just glad he won’t kill her right away… I mean, he wouldn’t kill a child! …Right…?”
Koenma didn’t know whether to nod or shake his head, for frankly, he didn’t know. He managed a small nod.
“Good. I’m just so surprised…” Botan said sadly.
“We all are,” Kurama said heavily.
----
Hiei gazed at the sleeping figure on the small bed, bored. Rekai prison would’ve been worse… right?
His thoughts trailed back to when - to how - he had gotten into this mess. If only he hadn’t…
FlashbackHiei was sitting in a tree in Ningenkai - a tree in the large, deep forest. In the heart of the forest, he knew he wouldn’t be bothered, and mentally congratulated himself for his new ‘spot.’ No stupid ferry onna to try to boss him around today. Nope, not today.
He heard rustling leaves - he immediately sat up from his resting position, his sword giving a ‘click’ as he unsheathed it. Aware of the rustles, he stood, ready in a defensive position to attack on a moment’s notice.
A lunatic - a maniac, madman, no other way to describe him - came out of the bushes, an unknown weapon in his hand. He drunkenly staggered to a tree, putting his hand on the bark for support across from the one Hiei was in. Did the man not notice him? The unknown object posed a threat. Hiei did not lower his katana, but was about to jump away when suddenly, the man raised his gun and shot at Hiei.
Hiei dodged it - “What are you trying to do, baka ningen?!” he roared. The man did not stop firing - he shot, again and again, Hiei easily dodging, until he sneaked a second gun out… one shot, making Hiei lightly step to the side, and another, unexpected shot, hitting him square in the stomach.
Demon skin saved him - but it threw him back, and some blood was poured, though little. Another shot made him barely move. He did not fear for his life - little ever did - but he was tired of playing games.
The man’s agonized, lunatic cries rang out through the forest, causing many birds to leave as a once rusty blade was smeared with fresh blood.
Hiei didn’t want to think about it any longer. He turned his head away, looking out the window as the pouring rain beat a steady rhythm against it. Why didn’t I just leave? He angrily thought. I knew the ningen was a waste of my time, but…
He slowly, unconsciously touched where he had been hit. Botan had taken the bullet out for him - he didn’t have Yukina do it, for he did not want to put stress on her life - and healed the wound in a second, though there was still a slight mark where it had hit.
Hieibandit here again with a new chapter! I know I probably won't be able to update everyday like I have... the evils of school... (sigh) but I promise I'll have it in by Saturday or Sunday... if I get writer's block, then maybe monday. I'll try, though, 'cuz this seems to be a hit!
flyboy62 - exactly - DRUGSequal EVIL. ... h i e i , my anti-drug! WHEEE! I mean, my hiei shrine would fall downinshameifI everdid anything like that! ((seriously, I have a hiei/anime "shrine" in my room. I have this really big berueu(sp?), and it has my TVand some other stuff... there's this cabinet in it, really big, with two shelves. The top one holds all my books, the bottom holds my picture frame of hiei and other anime stuff. LOL!))
silverkyubi - yep. They were anidiot, thinking he was some junior high kid... (mutters angrily) you've never read a HxB? OMG! Hurry, immediately remove yourself from here! GO TO MY OTHER FICCY, 'EVERYBODY'S FOOL!' HURRY! HUUUURY! teehee yep, it's actually quite the popular pair.
Pen Against Sword - ABOUT FACE! LEFT FACE! RIGHT FACE! ATEND HUT! LEFT RIGHT LEFT, READY FRONT, PARADE REST! (whew) sorry. I learned that from my sis. Heh... . I'll read it, and, yes, Hiei was having one of those days, why else would he kill him?
Lita Kitsune - cute, indeed.
Yusuke brat - yeah, this kind of struck me after I first posted it up. It's a father, daughter relationship in both cases, it's so sweet how Sesshomaru takes care of her. Is it just me, or is Sesshomaru-sama too old for Rin? 0o.. I've seen them paired, and it scares me...
dizapearingirl - I'd rather be crazy than boring teehee. yep, we all have the running-Hiei-outside-your-car syndrom. YAYNESS! . You and everyone else have inspired me to get this next chapter. I know you'll love it, it's a humor-ful chappie, after the serious tones of the last two.
Okay - I don't own YYH. ONLY THE PLOT AND RAIN! WHAAAA! BTW, I don't own the song 'Getting to Know You' from the King and I, either. It's a pretty well-known song, and it fits well, so I decided to use it for this chapter.
Note: Hey! First day back from'winter' (heck, I'll call it Christmas if I wanna)break... my science teacher((he rox, he's really funny and pretty cool - NO HW! MY SAVIOR! (grumbles about certain math teachers)))did this big thing on the tsunami that just hit India and other places. He got this thing on it from Discovery channel... I've gotten some ideas - ORIGINAL ideas - to put up under fictionpress from it. My penname there is DeepestWishes, named after my chapter in Everybody's Fool... was it chapter twelve? Anway - just wanted to say,let the Lord help those survivors of the tsunami survive. They'll be in my prayers and - if you pray, anyway - should be in yours, too.
Ja ne!
-bandit
Last Time:
He slowly, unconsciously touched where he had been hit. Botan had taken the bullet out for him - he didn’t have Yukina do it, for he did not want to put stress on her life - and healed the wound in a second, though there was still a slight mark where it had hit.
Next Time:
"Hiei... will you tell me a story?"
Hiei couldn't help but want to give in. She had asked him, every night, to tell a story. And every night he refused. But this could not go on forever...
"I'll tell you a story."
Chapter Three: Getting to Know You
Hiei snorted and rolled his head over. Stupid ferry onna… maybe it’s the oaf… or maybe the baka detective… maybe the fox… he thought, for there was something poking him in the ribs. After a particularly painful poke, he gave a grunt and jerked up to find Rain staring at him, holding in silent giggles.
Hiei didn’t know who this girl was - oh wait… hn. His punishment. He looked around for a sense of time. Sunlight flooded through the windows, landing lightly on the floor, warming everything but herself in the young child’s room.
“You were asleep!” she giggled again quietly. She must’ve been giggling quietly, he realized, because she didn’t intend on waking her moody mother yet. It was eight o’clock. It seemed they were the only ones up in the house.
“Hn.” Hiei sat up straight, having been slouched with his head lolling off of the chair.
“Will you tell me a story tonight?”
Hiei grunted in response.
“Please?”
“No, brat. I don’t want to.”
“…Why not?”
“I don’t know any stories.”
“Yes you do.”
Hiei raised an eyebrow. “And how would you know?”
“Because everyone knows a story. Even if it’s not made-up. Real kinds, actually, are better to me.”
“Real?”
“Yep. Real kinds. That’s how everyone knows a story. Because that’s their life. Our lives are stories, waiting to be told.”
Hiei watched the little girl. Such wise words… was she really supposed to be six?
“Will you tell me your story?” she asked again.
Hiei took this into consideration. “Perhaps, brat.”
“I’m not a brat.”
“What else am I supposed to call you?”
“My name is Rain.”
“Hn. Fine, then, I’ll call you Rain.”
“Thanks.”
“Hn.”
Rain giggled again. She yawned, rubbed her eye, then walked over to her closet. “I might need you to get some clothes for me so I can change.”
----
Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.
“Pants.”
“Hn. Pants.” Hiei dug through her drawers and tossed them carelessly to the hand that reached for them from the closet.
“Wrong pants. The ones without flowers and butterflies, if you please.”
“Hn. Pants.” He tossed another pair.
“I don’t like the kind with sparkles, either.”
Hiei’s eyebrow twitched. “Pants.”
“No! I don’t like straight-legs.”
Getting to know you,
Putting it my way but nicely.
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.
Rain stepped out of the closet, fully dressed. “Thanks, Hiei!” she smiled. She looked around the room.
Her room was covered in mounds of pants - the floor was hidden, as was the bed, dresser, lamps, and even the fan on the ceiling had three pairs hanging from it.
“Uh, Hiei, do you know how to fold?” they both sweatdropped.
Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say.
They walked in silence along the peaceful, near empty streets of the stores at seven o’clock the next day. Hiei had met her mom. Her mom was a drug addict, but she only took them every other day. Most of the time she was just drunk… Rain barely remembered her mom when she wasn’t an addict. She was really young. She desperately grasped onto the memories… her mom had been really nice. Not that she wasn’t nice now. She just… well, she was drunk. Exactly like Atsuko, only she tended to get up a bit earlier. But, otherwise, she wasn’t that bad. Hiei had told her he had a friend with a mom like hers.
“It’ll turn out okay.” He had said. Now, as they walked together, what would she say? She didn’t know much about him to strike up an interesting conversation.
Haven't you noticed,
Suddenly I 'm bright and breezy,
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day.
Hiei glanced at her as they walked around in the forest behind Rain’s house. It wasn’t very deep, and he didn’t want her to go in, but she assured him that it was okay. The forest was roomy - the trees were farther apart than in the Makai… little did she know. Hiei followed her as they went around. She informed him of all the times she had come to relax and get away. She was so mature for her age. Sometimes Hiei forgot she was only a child… like when she asked for a story. He couldn’t help but start to grow closer to the ningen girl. He stared at one tree for a while, transfixed with his thoughts. He didn’t mind her that much… A giggle brought him back to reality. He jumped slightly, causing her to giggle loudly even more. She smiled at him. They were getting closer, day by day.
Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.
She cocked her head in a confused way as they walked again a few days later. Hiei could walk miles, she thought, without tire. He was like a gangster! Only much nicer… he tried to act tough, but she saw him, at night, look with almost ashamed and sad eyes out the window. She wished he would tell her what was wrong.
“Let’s go into this shop!” she giggled, pulling him into a joke shop. Hiei’s eyes widened upon seeing two familiar blue haired females, with another brown haired female.
He dragged her out of the shop by the back of her collar, her protesting all the way.
Getting to know you,
Putting it my way but nicely.
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.
“Are you thirsty?”
“…No.”
“Really? You look thirsty. And we just bought this tea for mama, remember?”
Hiei watched the little girl. She was so… different. Six was such a young age to be shopping alone - well, not exactly alone, but near. He didn’t really count. In the whole town, there was only one grocery store that allowed her to shop there without parent supervision - the woman at the cash register was pretty nice, and sometimes drunk, so…
He nodded slightly, picking the sugar from her hand and fixing it up himself. She smiled inwardly. He acted tough, but he was just really a nice person on the inside.
Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say.
“You have to get up!”
“…I don’ wanna…”
“You HAVE to get up, Rain.”
“…”
Hiei pulled her ankles, but Rain held onto the bars of her bed. “Get UP, kodomo!”
Rain continued to hold onto the front of her bed. Was there anything she could say to make him stop?
“Hn, baka… um, Hiei.”
Hiei smirked, but continued to pull. Finally, with an evil thought in mind, she pulled up, making him pull back harder. And she let go.
THUMP!
…Followed by curses inappropriate for Rain’s young ears.
Haven't you noticed,
Suddenly I 'm bright and breezy,
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day.
Hello! Hieibandit again with the fourth installment... I know I promised it like two weeks ago, but due to tons of homework I had to wait. I had a math quiz yesterday, a science quiz, a math TEST today, a history quiz today, and a report for english that took me until 10. I THINK I HAVE A WORTHY EXCUSE!
yusuke: pssh... yeah, right.
YEP, IT IS RIGHT! i dont own yuyuhakusho, have a good day.
Chapter Four: I’ll Tell You A Story
It had well been five weeks into Hiei’s punishment. The two, the only company being each other most of the time, were closer. They knew each other well enough to be called much more than friends; best friends. That was it.
Rain peacefully closed her eyes as the rain gently ran across her window. Hiei, in the rocking chair as usual, was lost in thought.
Of all the things he could think about, all he could think about was his old life. He missed it, however much he enjoyed Rain’s company. It was the danger… the understanding… the name calling…
Hiei sighed and settled back in the chair, leaning his head against the cool window. His thoughts were mixed, in a jumble, waiting to be sorted and put away properly…
He remembered everyone… Genkai, the oaf, the baka onna, the fox, the detective, even the baby… And he had fleeting memories of a masked fighter; a glowing orange spirit sword in the hands of a strong-willed teenager; a cheery expression on the face of the deity of death as she sat on her oar, smiling at him. There was a smile from mysterious green eyes as a rose flew out of scarlet hair and suddenly became a rose whip; a cocky grin on the face of a boy with his hands shaped like a gun; even a bad-tempered boy with a pacifier nearly falling out of his mouth as he talked in agitation.
Hiei watched the soothing rain as Rain reached to turn out her light. But she stopped quite suddenly and turned to Hiei, who turned to her, noticing her mouth set in a determined line.
“Hiei… will you tell me a story?”
Hiei couldn’t help but want to give in. She had asked him, every night, to tell a story. And every night he refused. But this could not go on forever…
“I’ll tell you a story.”
Rain gave a genuine, truly happy smile as he sat up from the wooden chair and sat down on her bed next to her.
“What will you tell me?”
Hiei gave no reply. He went through his mind, thinking… and, quite suddenly, he decided on a no doubt interesting subject.
“Hn. I’ll tell you a story…
There was once a land of ice maidens who could only give birth to girls. When they gave birth, they always gave birth to twins. These ice maidens were beautiful, unearthly beings. They could heal well, and were usually kind hearted. Usually. They had silky, winter blue hair with fair skin and mostly innocent eyes. They were one with ice; they could use their powers to defend, heal, or attack if they wished to do so, with practice. When they cried, their tears turned to valuable, perfectly spherical gems. These beings were called koorimes.
The koorimes lived happily for centuries until, one day, one koorime gave birth to a baby boy and girl. Now, since they could only give birth to girls, the village was disturbed by the fact there was a boy. They called him… The Forbidden Child.”
Rain watched him eagerly for more.
“…The village elders - almost like a council - forbid the child to live because of the abnormality of being a boy. They ordered him to be killed by having the boy’s mother’s best friend throw him off of a cliff.”
Rain gave an audible gasp. “A baby boy?”
“Yes. Before the mother’s friend unwillingly threw him off, she tucked in a tear gem - his mother’s tear gem while she gave birth to him - in his blankets that covered him and whispered a prayer for him to live. Something in him understood this prayer… he had the will to live, to fulfill wherever fate and destiny, hand in hand, took him. He survived the fall. Now, he was found by a group of thieves who were willing to take him in and raise him to be one of their own. So the thieves took him in to their care.
The little boy grew. He saw the thieves as a family; they showed him how to fight, and to channel the… magic, you’d call it, in him to come out as fire. They taught him how to wield a sword; he turned out to be an exceptional fighter.
Finally, he became stronger than the thieves were. He also became more ruthless - he had lightning fast speed, allowing him to take anything he could steal. But not only did he steal for the thieves. He began to steal for himself, and became stronger and stronger, less and less trusting. The stupid thieves, thinking he would kill them all, wanted to banish him - kill him before he could kill them.”
“How old was he? Why would they think he would kill them?” Rain whispered.
“He was only a year older than you are. They believed he would kill them because thieves aren’t always nice; raising him that way, teaching him how to fight... many thieves only look out for themselves. The little boy was their strongest member… his distrust and own, private steals lead them to believe that he would turn against them all. One night, however, the thieves’ plan was spoiled. They spoke of their plan while they presumed the little boy to be out, stealing. He returned early, and, hiding behind a large rock, heard everything. Their plans, their distrusts of him… he was confused, being the child he was, and scared. All he knew was that, if he didn’t want to die, he had to leave. He didn’t want to die; he was too strong willed. He knew that there was something more that bound him to the land. So he ran.”
Rain’s innocent blue eyes startled Hiei as they filled with small tears. “Nani? What’s wrong?”
She sniffled a little. “He heard them talking about killing him! His friends… and he had to run, all alone. That would be scary, all alone… and he was only seven…” she wiped her eyes on her pajama sleeve.
Hiei nodded, lost in a swirl of thoughts. He remembered it all well, as if he had just witnessed it. The thieves’ faces… his first steal… he vividly remembered the scenery of the place in which he spent his first years. The soul-filling air… the forest, secluding them from any other places… the green trees with dew slowly rolling down their large leaves, the tall and wavy green grass. He remembered it all.
Why had he decided to tell her his story? Why not Yusuke’s, Kurama’s, even Botan’s? Why his? A simple thought came to mind …Maybe, but that seemed impossible. He quickly dismissed the thought.
“You should get to bed,” he said sternly, snapping out of his musings. “It’s nine thirty. You’ll be too tired in the morning.”
Rain groaned. “Just a little more of the story? Pleeease?”
Hiei shook his head. “You’ve already heard almost half of it! I’ll tell the rest tomorrow.”
Rain sighed, but nodded. She snuggled down into her covers as Hiei turned off her light and went to the rocking chair… of all the thoughts that had gone through his mind, the one that made him realize, perhaps, why he told her his story echoed uncomfortably over and over…
…I just wanted to be heard…
Chapter Five: The Zoo
Rain slowly opened her eyes. She was snuggled in her covers. From her vision range (constricted because of the many sheets wrapped around her) , she could not see Hiei nor the rocking chair. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Sure enough, Hiei was asleep. After all those sleepless nights, he should be, Rain decided. He only slept once a week.
“Hiei?” Rain asked cheerfully as she finished neatly tucking her sheets under her bed.
“Hn?” He sat on the rocking chair, quite still yet quite awake. He opened one scarlet eye lazily to survey the girl before him.
“What’cha wanna do today?”
“Nothing.”
“C’mon! Let’s do something. We’ve lounged around the WHOLE week. We need to do something!”
“Like what?”
“Um… the zoo!”
“What?”
“The zoo, silly!”
“Go ahead. I don’t want to.”
“You’re my guardian… um, angel.” Rain reminded him. Hiei snorted. “And as your ‘angel’ I say it’s best to stay here.”
“You’re no fun.” Rain pouted. Hiei, both eyes open, glared right back. She stuck her lower lip out. It was disgustingly yet adorably cute. Hiei ended up looking away.
“This is a BAD idea, kodomo.” Hiei grunted to Rain as they walked down the street. “And how are you supposed to get into this stupid ningen form of entertainment? It’s bad enough the ningen race is locking up beasts. But to pay? Ningens are getting stupider by the minute.”
As Hiei continued his rant, Rain happily lead him to the zoo, ignoring his speech.
“Here we are.”
Hiei stopped to glare at the place. It smelled.
The building was blocked off by a booth at the front, where a line of people stood.
“Hn. Do you have any money?” Hiei asked Rain. Rain grinned up at him mischievously.
“Well, since you’re invisible, and I can’t get in by myself…”
Hiei scowled, grinding his teeth together. He marched to the booth where the little bracelets were for children to put on and slipped one easily away. No one noticed.
He then made his way to the bushes that Rain was concealed in. They hid her well. He scowled again and handed it to her, who in turn slipped it on her wrist and made her way through the bushes - across the gates, that did not stop the plants from going through - and into the zoo.
“The peacocks are really pretty,” Rain commented as a peacock ran past. (Apparently that particular zoo let the peacocks run free.)
Hiei ‘hn’ed as they passed the lion pen. “Wow… They’re so pretty. I wonder why they smell so much.”
“The giraffes kinda smell,” Rain said, rubbing her nose. Hiei rolled his eyes. “Hn. This is nothing.” He thought, amused, about how wonderful the giraffes’ scent was compared to some of the lower class demons of the Makai.
“What should we eat for lunch?” Rain pondered, milling about the lunch stand. “There are hot dogs, but that’s messy, they get ketchup everywhere, nachos are definitely too messy, ‘cause they seriously pack the cheese on ‘em, hamburgers might be okay, but they’re kinda messy a bit and kinda expensive so I think I’ll take a corn dog.”
Hiei blinked. Sixty seconds. A new talk record.
“Mmm. That was good. What do you want for dessert?”
“Sweet snow.”
“Sweet - oh, ice-cream! I don’t think I have enough money for both of us…”
Hiei smirked. “Leave it to me.”
“You’re going to -“
“Leave it to me. Hn… I like white snow. You, Rain?”
“Um… chocolate, please.”
“Brown?”
“Er, yeah.”
“Hiei?”
“Yeah?”
“…How much ice-cream did you steal?”
…His face was covered in vanilla, going on chocolate.
Rain sweatdropped.
“Ooh, look at the kitty!” Rain giggled. Apparently a mother lioness had her cubs a week or two before, because there were little cubs roaming around, playfully roughhousing with each other and games of the such. One little cub looked at Rain, his eyes playfully flickering gold and honey. He ran up to the bars and put his paw through them playfully.
Rain giggled.
She leaned forward…
And for the briefest of moments, as paw and hand touched, it was like they were one.
There were no barriers between man and beast.
Only two minds;
Running freely together:
Running as one.
And then the connection was broken.
“Ya like him?” A zoo worker asked, grinning. Rain blinked, then nodded, smiling.
“’Is name’s… eh?… Wha’s ‘is name?” The worker scratched his rough chin. Leathery creases became apparent on his face as he frowned, trying to remember.
“Eh… I don’ remember… no, wait…” Rain glared at Hiei, who was laughing at the pathetic, absentminded ningen.
“Eh! ‘Is name is Rasha. I just remembered!”
“R…Rasha.” Rain tried the strange word.
“You don’ say it like ‘rash.’ You ‘ave to give it a ‘sh.’ Rasha.”
Rain tried it again.
“Rasha.”
“That’s it!”
Rain left the zoo along with Hiei quietly. The sun was lowering herself near the mountains, soon to disappear.
“What’s your favorite animal, Hiei?” Rain asked quietly. Hiei snorted. “None.” Rain smiled. “You have to have one. There must be one you like more than the others.” Hiei rolled his eyes. “Fine. Eh.. the big one.”
“Which one? There’s more than one, silly.”
“Hn. The big spotted one.”
“Leopard?”
“No. Fast.”
“Cheetah.”
“I suppose.”
…And they walked home in a happy, peaceful silence.
Long time no update:) This was MY ONLY filler chappie idea, sent in by... um... ? I fergot. I'm very disappointed no one else did... :( Anyway, I don't want to do anymore chappies.
Chapter Six: Growing up, and up... and up... School and Rain just don't mix... :( Intended to be a sad chapter. Maybe, maybe not. I dunno. Review, please!
bandit
Konnichiwa! Hieibandit with the sixth installment of 'For A While.' Oooh, sounds fancy, neh? I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while. I've updated almost all my other stories, and I'm going to try and update AT LEAST once a month for every fic. I hope you haven't given up on me yet, it seems for 'The Dance of Life' everyone has... -sigh- ANYWAY!
Reveiwer Reply! Yay!
silver-kyubi/asilin - No, I'm updating. Sometimes document manager often takes out things for me - usually spaces - and I meant filler chappies :)
maehiro - thank you! A long-ish review... yayness!
hiei's cute girl - Nah, 's cause he's a boy. I tink...
hiei: YOU DON'T KNOW? JEEZ!
LODF - Hmm... Good idea! I don't want to make her grow up THAT much, though, and she's the odd one out, and I already have everything planned, so I can't, though. :)
forbidden soul - picked on at skool? I can do that :) I already had that in mind. -hits head- Doy! I fergot about the rest of the story! -makes mad dash to add that into the weave of next chapter-
uncle kenny - o.0
silver demon, ayen, kitara, sasauge, dizappearingirl, sadandlonely - Thankies for the reviews:) Terribly sorry if I left anyone out. I just finished this chapter in about an hour and another one for a different fic in another hour x.X Two hours of straight writing... oy...
Chapter Six: The Girl Gang
RING!
RING!
The bell of the school rang loudly like a death toll; loud, slow, and in a monotone ring.
“Unh!” Rain made a small noise as she fell back. Ling laughed at her. “Well, get up, Rain… or LOSER.” He laughed some more and took off towards the building.
Rain spat up dirt. The hard ground had no mercy for the girl, and so a scrape ran along her elbow. She frowned at it; it didn’t hurt - heavens no, she learned not to let things hurt her like that long ago - but it would make her late for class. Again.
She hurriedly pushed herself up and grabbed her plain black backpack, beginning to take off, her feet echoing footsteps in the thoroughly empty playground.
She was suddenly swooped up. “Hn. You’ll never get to class on time.” She latched onto his back - piggyback style - and Hiei took off without a word.
Rain had grown. From that once optomistic child she grew to an… optomistic child. She was two years older; two years of knowing Hiei. She could barely remember a time without him.
She was pretty much the same. Lank, short white blonde hair, light blue eyes, pale skin, skinny. The difference?
She was at school.
Rain’s mother had once day regained some sense.
back then-
“Rain, shouldn’t you be going to school?”
The woman’s words were slurred, thick with alcohol.
“What does it matter?” the girl’s short reply came.
“Hon, you need to go to school…”
“Why? All they do is teach you pointless things.”
“No… get a job, then…”
“I’m too young!”
“Then go to school..”
“Mom-“
“Please. At least once a week…”
Rain glanced at Hiei, who shrugged in turn. She frowned and sighed.
“Once a week.”
now-
But it had turned to more than once a week. Now in the third grade, she SKIPPED once a week. It was utterly annoying.
The bell sounded once again, in it’s dull tones:
RING!
RING!
RING!
It signaled the time to eat and play: lunch. Rain frowned and put away her books in her backpack.
As always, she was the last to leave the classroom, basking in the safety of the teacher.
Of course, Hiei was always by her, but she already sent him home, telling him she could last the rest of the day. He would help on tests and homework, but he was only there to her. No one else could see him, her strong guardian demon. Angel. Ah, forget it.
Rain slipped out of the classroom quietly. Her worn shoes were thin. She wore them often, for they allowed her to move quietly yet quickly in enemy territory - the playground.
Her stomach grumbled - she was used to that - and then quieted. She always skipped lunch. Her mother barely had enough money to keep her two younger siblings in day care and keep Rain in school, and they needed all the food for breakfast and dinner. So Rain didn’t eat.
“Hey, Rain!”
She froze. She was tiptoeing to behind the portable. No one went back there, which insured a safe thirty minute break.
Behind her were the girl gang. It had all the girls in the class… or at least all the mean ones. About two girls weren’t in it, but they didn’t want anything to do with Rain, either.
“Hey, where’s your lunch?” The girls snickered. “Don’t tell me, you don’t have one! Your family’s THAT poor? Ha!” The girls laughed.
“What were you doing yesterday with Hisho yesterday?” One of the girls - Hitomi - hissed to her. Her green eyes narrowed and her red hair, hanging down in curls, bounced over her shoulders.
Rain frowned. She was trying to be brave, like Hiei. “Hn. Nothing. What does it matter to you?” She said bravely. Hitomi’s lip-glossed mouth opened, then she promptly shut it.
“So you’re probably thinking you’re Ms. Hotshot, huh? Walking ‘round with Hisho?”
Rain gulped. “I was only talking to him, and he was being nice and -“
“Only talking? ONLY TALKING?” Hitomi shrieked. “There IS NO SUCH THING as only talking. You’re after him, aren’t you? When you KNOW I’ve like him since first grade!”
Rain pointed out, in her mind, that first grade was last year. Her throat tightened and she couldn’t say anything.
“Oh, so now you’ve lost all your brave, huh?”
“It’s courage, baka. Not brave. Do you pay attention to English lessons?” Rain insulted her, wishing she had more. At least she was some where.
Hitomi flushed, her freckles lost in her red face. “Why… why you -“
She slapped Rain across the cheek, sending her staggering back, sending dirt ‘round, then grabbed her wrist. “I’m TIRED of you! You don’t deserve to live, you -“
She cussed. Some of the girls gasped, but Rain frowned. “Does your mom talk to you like that?”
“My mom? MY MOM? Think about YOUR drunk, dumb mom! She probably doesn’t have enough money to buy you decent shoes! Ha!”
“So she does?”
“Ooooh, that’s it! I’m putting you were you’ll NEVER get out!” The girls formed a protective group around them, as if suspicious anyone would see. Hitomi’s grip on Rain’s wrist tightened until her long, unkept nails dug into Rain’s skin.
They marched straight to the dim janitor’s closet - not the big ones, but the tiny ones that would surely suffocate someone with all the chemical fumes within two days.
Hitomi took one of the paint cans and dumped its contents on Rain. The paint fumes dizzied Rain, but she stood tall as paint drizzled down her hair and neck, ruining her clothes and hair. The girls cheered as others joined in the festivity by spitting at her and dumping water on her. Hitomi just grinned at her.
Rain spat in Hitomi’s face.
Dead silence.
Hitomi wiped it off and gagged. “You… you… You’ll never get out,” she smirked victoriously and pushed Rain into the closet as she and other girls spat at her. Then they slammed the heavy door shut and left.
--
I'm ready to vomit myself. Thank the lord I never finished it. That was a hot mess of eleven-year-old BS.