Somewhere Between Hope and Fear

You wake early and stretch. Hiei is asleep in the chair and you move quietly so as not to wake him while you get your things out of your pack. You pull on your tabi socks to protect your feet from the cold stone floor and brush your unnaturally green hair. When Hiei awakens you're sitting on the window sill munching another one of your cereal bars.

"'Morning." You look over, but your greeting elicits no response. "Not a morning person?" You rise and look through your pack.

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes..." You pull out some canned tea. "Want some tea?"

"No."

You shrug and pop open a can then return to the window sill. It's going to be a long couple of days. You sigh and sip your tea. When your finished you straighten your under kimono and pull on your outer one and hakama. You slide your feet into your sandals and Hiei looks over at you.

"Going somewhere?" He asks.

"I don't recall being told I was confined to my room."

He rises from the chair and follows you out of the room.

"How do I get outside from here?" You look around at the ambiguous hallways. Hiei starts walking, so you shrug and follow.

"Always this sociable?" You inquire once you step outside. You can see the edge of the forest you'd been in, far in the distance. Travel by giant bug is apparently quite fast. The surrounding landscape is sparsely vegetated and uninteresting.

"Always." Hiei answer dryly. You roll your eyes and sit down, leaning against a rock.

"I see. You're a stunning conversationalist, Hiei." You produce a book from your large kimono sleeves and start reading a novel you'd been working on before you left Human World.

You're so absorbed in your reading that is startles you when Hiei moves suddenly. His sword is out and he's at someone's throat before you're even sure what's going on.

"Happy to see you again too!" A young man with slicked back hair grins. You recognize him as Yusuke Urameshi. You've met him a few times, and every now and then he and his fiancee Keiko Yukimura come by the restaurant you work at. You doubt she's thrilled Urameshi is here for the tournament.

"Don't skulk about, Yusuke. Are you here to collect her?" Hiei glances back at you. Yusuke peers around the short demon.

"Oh, Fujiwara? Nah, I thought I'd just drop by one my way to the tournament."

Hiei lowers his blade and sheaths it.

"And Kuwabara says hello!" Yusuke grins. Hiei scowls briefly and sits back down. Yusuke drops his bag and sits down as well.

"Actually, Koenma talked Kurama into coming, so you'll get to see him too." Yusuke stretches. "He wasn't planning on even coming to watch the fights... But he'll take Fujiwara off your hands."

"Not surprising." Hiei remarks. Never mind you've just been referred to like excess baggage by them both.

Kurama. You muse. Another name you recall from the case files you went over.

"You'll be fighting, right?" Yusuke inquires. Hiei nods in response.

"Good, maybe we'll have a chance to go at it again. Unless of course you're too caught up flirting- I mean fighting with Mukuro again." The former Spirit Detective smirks and ignores the glare Hiei gives him, turning his attention to you. "So how's the job going, Fujiwara?"

"Well aside from Hiei trying to give me a concussion yesterday, it's been all right." You smile. "So have you and Keiko set a wedding date yet?"

"Er, no... Sometime after she's outta college and all that... then we'll have the wedding!"

"Well, our offer to let you hold it at the shrine for free still stands. Let us know when you two set a date." You close your reading material.

"Yeah, sure thing, Oh yeah!" Yusuke looks over at Hiei, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Yukina's been wondering if you've had a chance to look for her brother." A wicked grin crosses his face and you get the idea you're missing something.

"Clearly I shouldn't have stopped my sword just short of your throat." Hiei snaps. Yusuke just laughs and drops it.

"Anyway, Kurama's actually gonna get here tomorrow. He left a day after I did."

"Cool, a day ahead of what Koenma told me." You nod.

"Good." Hiei growls.

"Aw, don't sound so disappointed!" Yusuke laughs. "She can't be that bad!"

"Well it's better than babysitting you and that idiot Kuwabara." Hiei smirks at Urameshi.

"Hey!" Yusuke huffs.

"I guess I'll consider that a compliment." You sweatdrop.

"Well," Yusuke grabs his duffel bag and stands up, "I got Hokushin and other loyal followers eagerly awaiting my return. See ya the tournament Hiei. You too, Fujiwara."

"Yeah. Maybe we can grab a couple drinks again sometime." You stand up too.

"Sounds good." He waves and starts walking. You and Hiei watch the former Spirit Detective leave, then head back toward the creepy fortress.

Kuwabara isn't that bad, is he?" You inquire.

Have you met him?" Hiei snorts. You tip your head thoughtfully.

"Once, I think. Yeah. Came by the restaurant I work at on a double date with Yusuke and Keiko. He was head-over-heels for this girl. She was a demon but I figured since she was with Yusuke it was okay she was in Human World." You muse, still walking and unaware Hiei has fallen over rather comically behind you.

"Hm?" You turn around as he picks himself up. "Um... are you okay?"

"Fine." He growls at you and resumes walking at a brisker pace.

Quirking an eyebrow curiously as you follow, you think, I'd call it a mood swing if his mood swung more than one way.

Hiei seems to be radiating a bad mood when you both get back to the room and you decide tomorrow can't come fast enough. You also consider changing your assessment of him from "short, dark, and possibly sociopathic" to "short, dark, and definitely sociopathic."

With nothing better to do at the moment you flip open your cellphone and partake of the joy that is cellphone games. The Tetris theme and annoying beeps fill the silence, and this goes on for some time. You draw closer and closer to level 10 and a new high score, focusing intently. If you can just clear a few more lines!

"What the hell IS that obnoxious noise!?" Hiei snaps from behind, looking over your shoulder. You jump in surprise, phone flying out of your hands. Instinctively you pull out an ofuda and slap it in the middle of his face. He stares at you, arms crossed.

"Damnit, don't startle me like that!" You shout. The Tetris music speeds, indicating an eminent game over. You grab your phone and then... game over. "Rrr! I was so close to a new high score!"

Hiei hasn't moved. You blink and look over.

"Uh...?"

"Take your stupid paper off!" He yells at you telepathically.

"Hey!" You check to see if you're still wearing your talisman, which you are. "You shouldn't be able to do that!"

"Idiot. Your trinket is only preventing me from hearing YOUR thoughts, not from speaking to you." You briefly consider leaving him paralyzed there, but don't imagine it would take him very long to break the spell and get free.

You pull your ofuda off his face and say, "Sorry about that. Reflex."

Hiei ignores you and leans against the wall furtherest from you. You sit back down and sigh. The rest of your day is spent in this fashion. In the evening you sit at the window sill and look at the unfamiliar starry sky.

"Are there names for constellations here?" You suddenly ask out of the blue. Hiei glances at the window.

"You can ask Kurama about such trivial things. He would know."

"'Trivial'? ... I'm sorry you feel that way." You continue to gaze out the window and recall when you were first asked the fill the job of Spirit Detective. Before taking the position you were introduced to the former Detective, Yusuke Urameshi. You had a couple of drinks and discussed the job and what it was like, since you wanted to know more before accepting it.

****

"So," You pop open another beer. "Last question."

"Shoot." Yusuke takes a gulp of his own drink.

"Any regrets about it?"

"Hell no." Urameshi smirks. "I can't help you decide or anything, Fujiwara, but I have one piece of advice. I probably woulda saved myself a lot of trouble if I'd listened to it sooner."

"I'm listening." You lean forward.

"You gotta have something you care about, with everything you got. Then you'll always know what the hell it is your fighting for. Don't fight if you don't know why you're doin' it."

"... Okay." You blink, finding it odd to get such advice from someone younger than yourself. "Something I care about with everything I got, huh?"

"Yeah." Yusuke finishes his drink and gets up. He throws his jacket over his shoulder. "Got anything like that?"

"Maybe." You force a smile.

****

Urameshi is a pretty cool guy. You hop off the window sill and get ready for bed. Dimming the lights you lie on your side and stare at the wall. You stay awake for awhile yet, wondering what you care about with everything you have.

****

You awake before dawn, the dim light on the table throwing shadows on the walls. Glancing around you slip out of bed, the stone floor cool against your bare feet. In the silence and poor lighting you can almost pretend your dozing companion wasn't present. You glance in Hiei's direction.

Almost looks more like a pouty boy than a dour demon when he's asleep. You suppress a chuckle, but the crinkle of your cereal bar wrapper wakes him.

"'Morning." You say through a mouthful.

"That's disgusting."

"As if you're Mr. Etiquette. Or do you always greet your friends with a sword to the throat?" You retort, but cover your mouth. Your mother did teach you not to talk with your mouth full. Or if you must, to at least cover your mouth when you do.

"I wouldn't call the former Detective a friend." Hiei shrugs.

"Word choice doesn't matter, relation's still the same." You know Yusuke must consider Hiei, along with the others he knows as his friends. The sky lightens outside the window, and a knock on the door cuts into the conversation. It opens and Mukuro steps inside.

"Go ahead and take a break, Hiei. I know this doesn't suit you." She leans in the doorway. Hiei rises without a word and you once again believe that they have exchanged words slightly. Telepathy no doubt. Mukuro takes the now empty seat and Hiei closes the door as he leave.

"Um... tea?" You offer the proclaimed tyrannical ruler a can of your tea.

"I'm fine." She studies you. You take the opportunity to do likewise, deciding that Mukuro doesn't seem like the tyrannical ruler previously described in old reports you looked over briefly before heading for Demon World. You decide she must have been through a lot.

"Your mind is well shielded." She comments nonchalantly. You suddenly realize this woman must know of everything you're said or done via Hiei. Telepathy must be very handy at times.

"... Yes." You sip your tea. "Something you wanted to know? It never hurts to try just asking." Things feel a bit tense right now, and you know she's looking for information from you.

"All right then." Mukuro smirks a little. "What is the little prince planning, sending you here?"

"I'm just here to observe." You flippantly toss your hair over your shoulder. "Spirit World and Human World have a vested interest in the outcome. After all, effects of the outcome could be felt far outside of Demon World."

"Yes, that's true. What if the results were found... unfavorable?"

"Haven't had orders." You don't mention the scroll or the threat Koenma spoke of.

"Then your appearance here in Demon World has nothing to do with the rumors of a 'Great Mother'?" She smiles and you realize she has you because this could be information you need.

"'Great Mother'?" You look at Mukuro questioningly. Could that be the threat Koenma was talking about? Why didn't he give me more information about it!? Or maybe he doesn't know-?

"Clearly it would be of no interest to you, Detective."

"If I knew more, it might not be of interest."

Mukuro leans back in her chair as if she's debating on providing you with more information. You suspect she's figured you out, and that you do have an interest in this apparent rumor she's brought up. Unfortunately you aren't sure her knowing this is a good thing for you or not. Ideally you'd like to keep a low profile and keep information on a need to know basis.

Before the discussion can continue, your door opens. Hiei steps inside and behind him a taller young man in some kind of green and white Chinese inspired clothing. His hair is long and red and his eyes a brilliant emerald green. You're positive you've seen him somewhere before. Where-? You continue to stare. Then something in your mind clicks. It's been years but he really doesn't look all that different.

"M-minamino!" You stand up in disbelief.

"Ah... Have we met before?" He looks at you, trying to recognize your face.

"I was a year ahead of you in high school!" Granted, that was back before you dyed your hair green and you never paid Shuichi Minamino much heed. Although many of your peers were infatuated with the lower classman, you weren't. And you always thought that he was aloof and a book worm.

"Kurama is here to take you off our hands." Hiei crosses his arms, emphasizing the other name.

"I think I recall seeing you on campus Chiyori." Kurama smiles.

Shuichi Minamino a.k.a Kurama!? Your mind boggles. The files you went over never mentioned such a connection. Or perhaps it was deliberately omitted... Either way, you think you'll need to reevaluate your opinion of Minamino.

"Yeah... Well I looked a bit different back then." You sweatdrop. "You hide yourself really well. I never noticed anything odd about you at all."

"Thank you. Oh, this is from Koenma. He realized a disguise might make traveling easier for you." Kurama hands you a bag. You reach inside and pull out a headband with furry cat ears. You go cross-eyed in silence looking at them. Even Mukuro raises her eyebrow.

"... Cat ears?" You look at Kurama skeptically.

"Yes, there's a tail and theatrical fangs as well." He scratches the back of his head. You peer into the bag, wondering why you didn't think of a disguise before.

"Out." You sigh. "I'm going to change."

"I'm sure we'll see you at the tournament." Mukuro looks over her shoulder at you as she leaves.

"I'll be waiting outside." Kurama waves and walks out. Hiei follows, then stops to look back you, still standing there clutching the cat ears in mild disgust.

"Absurd." He exits and you shut the door behind him.

Absurd doesn't begin to describe this. Did Koenma send somebody to a cosplay store or something? You grumble to yourself as you brush your hair, then pull it into two low pigtails over your shoulders to conceal your human ears. You dig through your pack and secure the brown tail to a pair of faded blue jeans. Tossing your kimono aside you pull on your pants and then slip on a white camisole. Over that you wear a white Chinese blouse with gold piping on the edges. Finishing up, you yank on some black hiking boots, pop the fangs on over your canine teeth and crown your head with fuzzy brown cat ears. The clear band is lost amidst your hair.

"Meow." You open the door. True to his word, Kurama is waiting just outside the door for you.

"Hm." He studies your disguise. "It should minimize curiosity, but it won't fool everyone."

"I guess." You shrug on your heavy hiking pack. On the way out you pass by Hiei and Mukuro and bow politely and thank them for their hospitality, such that it was.