Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Guarding of Chaos ❯ Dress, Set, Dress ( Chapter 10 )

Sorry for the delay in getting this out. We got a bunch of big projects out of no where in my grade and there were like six or so grades hanging on the progress. It was nerve racking.

 

The good news is I had a great idea for the end to this, but it also means that this will go all the way through Hikari's senior year. But it's a good idea and it get's rid of some of the inconsistencies that this story can't seem to get rid of. This is the first story I started, so I learn with this one.

 

Chapter 10; Dress, Set, Dress

 

When Hiei awoke the morning after the sudden intrusion of the “puppy”, he was no longer in Hikari's room, nor was the strange animal to be found. Hikari was also missing; it didn't quite worry him as much as it could've. He'd heard her mutter at some point that her school wasn't out for another week. He was rather confident, for the first time since arriving there, that he knew where Hikari was. But that only lasted the first week that they constantly missed each other. By the middle of the second week of near misses, her disappearances were getting on his last nerves. The only difference of this morning was that there was a note taped to her bedroom door. Hiei stared at it stiffly for a few moments, surprised slightly by its existence. Finally he ripped it from the door and read its contents.

 

Hiei

 

Haven't seen you much, and thought, now that I remembered, I'd leave you a note so you'd know I was going to be gone all day. It's a band thing, so you don't need to watch me every second. I don't know if you do, but that staring thing has gotten kinda creepy. There will be plenty of people around, so don't worry. If you see my uncle could you tell him? Thanks.

 

Hikari

 

Hiei didn't believe her, not one bit. But every time he went towards the door, he'd stop and turn back around having completely forgotten his plan. He ended up doing this much of the day.

 

--

 

Hikari was ecstatic, surrounded by over a hundred of her peers. But she tried to ignore most of them and focus on the sixteen in front of her who really mattered. After all, they controlled how the rest of the people would see her for at the least the next three months. They were her section, the flutes of her high school marching band. But she looked over to the main two, the section leaders, and a little fear filled her. Relax! You aren't the only freshman here. There are six others in your section and more in the others. And remember I'm good enough to be here, it'll be fine.

 

“Hikari!” She jumped. She was sheepish as she looked at the others. She'd chosen the wrong time to give herself a little pep talk. But instead of the yelling some other section were getting, she got a couple of giggles from those who understood and a slightly exasperated sigh from one of the section leaders. Hikari smiled a little, the fear eased out of her as the director took the podium to calm the whole band.

 

As he opened his mouth to speak to them, a girl rushed in; blonde ponytail bobbing, a flag in hand.

 

“Mr. Hopkins!” she smiled, “You forgot to give us the taped music back.” Mr. Hopkins blinked before searching the upturned music stand in front of him and handing over the CD of music. The colorguard member thanked him and was quickly out the door. With a classic friendly teacher smile, Dan Hopkins turned back to his band. Hikari relaxed a little more, forcing herself to remember that it wasn't the first time she'd met him.

 

“Welcome to summer marching band camp. We'll be in here till nine and out side till noon. Then we will eat the provided lunch and start again outside. I hope you put on sunscreen and have a pair of sunglasses. The sun is out and shining today!”

 

--

 

Ten minutes to lunch, and all the new freshmen were close to falling over with the few exceptions. At least to the eyes of the second flute section leader Della. Plenty of her section was also sitting on the black top, not just the new ones. She looked to the director, saw him drilling the mellowphones, and sat down herself. It wasn't long before she struck up a conversation with those near her.

 

Hikari was tempted to pick at the tar covering the cracks in the black top in her boredom. Her friend was two rows up and three files over in the parade block they rested in.

 

“What time is it?” a male saxophone asked from behind. Hikari absentmindedly looked to her watch before swearing to herself that she would never wear a watch to another band camp. Ever.

 

“Two minutes to lunch.” There was muttered thanks as Hikari turned to squint towards the school doors. Hopkins hadn't been lying when he'd said the sun was out. You were lucky if the many metal-made instruments didn't blind you as you practiced. Most of the upperclassmen wore sunglasses and the lower ranks sorely wished they had. Very few had been smart enough to think ahead. Hikari and most of the flutes, clarinets, and saxophones beside her hadn't some of those few.

 

“Atten-hut!” Hikari jumped and rushed to her feet with the others. The mellowphones filed back into their spots, and Hikari grumbled a little as the sun got into her eyes off the instruments again.

 

“Your lunch is ready. Thank the cooks because they don't have to be here. Dismissed!” The band relaxed and most turned and ran for the doors in one fluid motion only a hungry, motivated teenager could pull off. Hikari turned to make the same mad dash as her peers when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. For one fleeting second she though it was Hiei or even her uncle, but instead she turned to see the odd blend of Irish and Japanese heritage in her newest and closest friend Kim's face. The girl smiled, but appeared to choke as she forced a sentence sticking in her throat.

 

“S-so is she saying a-attention or a-atten-hut?” Hikari laughed a little before pulling the red head to the school doors.

 

--

 

Hikari sat absentmindedly polishing the metal of her head joint after her lunch. The shade of the school was a lure back outside and so she sat out there with Kim who was sucking on her reed. There were still fifteen minutes left in their forty-five minute lunch break. Kim looked a bit sick as well, something about the ham or turkey sandwiches they had been offered for lunch. Kim had blamed it on memories the food had brought back up: something about a long family trip with nothing to eat except ham sandwiches. Hikari had laughed a little until Kim had taken on a greenish tone at the sight of the meat tray.

 

“Hey, I'll be right back,” Hikari whispered. Kim shrugged, now staring at the fight between classmates across the street. Hikari walked around the west side of the building and knelt down. Before long, the white “pup” that had jumped her and Hiei a week before was at her knees panting and dropping a mouse. She blinked a couple of times at the gray carcass before hesitantly petting its head.

 

“Never had a dog bring me a mouse before.” At her lunch break a week earlier the small animal had shown up. She'd broken a small school rule in leaving the building when she spotted it, but the fact that the animal she'd left at home had found her more then a mile away made her curious. She'd begun calling it Noishe. A name from a video game she'd once played, she wasn't quite sure how to pronounce it. She continued to pet the small white animal as it went weak in the knees and flopped into her lap. Petting it, her mind went elsewhere.

 

She hadn't seen Hiei in a week. Okay, so most of this was intentional. It was strange to know that she had snuggled in with him that night and promptly fallen asleep as though it was normal occurrence to have both a guy and a strange, unknown animal in her bed. She had to wonder if he wasn't angry with her for it. She shook her head to clear her thoughts before scratching behind Noishe's large ears. Gently, not to disturb the dog in ecstasy on her lap, Hikari craned her neck to see if she could catch a glimpse of the animal's eyes. She'd tried many times, but Noishe had quickly turned his head and she'd still been at a loss. Just as Hikari could've glimpsed the elusive orbs, a sound surprised them both and Noishe was gone. Hikari blinked a few times before turning to see who or what had surprised her “dog”. There, by the corner of the school building, was the dark skinned Della.

 

Hikari blinked at her section leader. Della smiled, revealing braces but rather straight teeth. Hikari doubted she had much longer to wear them.

 

“What are you doing over here, Chica?” Hikari blinked a few times again, turning to look for Noishe only to finally notice he'd scampered off. She turned back to the African American girl and smiled a little embarrassedly. Della laughed some.

 

“Being around a lot of people, you probably wanted a little time alone, right? Well, Mr. Hopkins is almost ready to put us back in that block, so you might want to hurry.” Della walked over and offered the freshman a hand.

 

“Della,” she said smiling. Hikari smiled a little too, taking in the brown eyes behind rectangular glasses.

 

“Hikari.”

 

“Well, come on Hikari, or Hopkins will be giving both of us push ups.” Hikari winced at the prospect of push ups on the hot black top and followed Della as she ran back to the gathering band.

 

“Okay people, now we work out the wrinkles of the street show. Everyone at attention. Okay, Ben.” Hikari swallowed nervously, she'd been royally screwing up one of the most important parts all day. Della smiled at her from a few people over.

 

“Relax, Chica, its three steps to each of the four positions. Remember to start with your left. And then the diamond cutter's done, and you can just keep walking. You can do this, just try again.” Hikari nodded, locking eyes with the junior for only a moment before the tap of the snare began and they were off.

 

--

 

So maybe she hadn't royally screwed up after that try, but practice she would need. So now, tired, sweaty, and feeling for sure that her skin was to burn from the sun's touch, she was at least inside. Standing within the cooler confines of the middle school gymnasium, all one hundred and thirty four people were dressed similarly in red and white jacket and red pants. White gloves, some without fingers, covered about three fourths of the band member's hands.

 

It was a waiting game right then. Main goal was to not pass out in the stifling wool uniforms. The second and official goal was not to get yelled at by Mr. Hopkins, who by three in the afternoon was beginning to finally lose patience with some of the groups. Della was doing a rather good job of keeping the flutes entertained. Stories from her two pervious years, with the help of the other juniors, had them listening intently and those who had been there were happily interjecting with their own stories. Ashley Hanson wasn't as enthusiastic about the method. She was more of the scared in to silence type and most knew it. Instead the rest of the section would gravitate to Della with her kind words and fun ideas.

 

Mr. Hopkins sighed. It was a long time, by many standards, to stay in the general area of a bunch of high school band members. Most things had gone well, with the expected slip ups of the new ones, and he was pleased to see the upperclassmen, for once, so keen on helping the freshmen out. Though it appeared to be more the juniors than the seniors at work. Though all things considered, that could possibly be good. They're the best year to come through my program in the eleven years I've taught. Hopkins looked, counting the number of groups still on the floor. There weren't many and once they got up those bleachers, they could take the blasted photo and set the wild one free. With that motivation, he moved to the clarinets and directed them where to stand.

 

Della laughed along side Claire and the rest. To her, the year coming in would be a good group. Intelligent with a couple of pranksters with enough sense to get their head into the marching when the need came, they were sure to entertaining. The best part of it, though, was that she was going to be there to see not only their fist year but the next as well. The second year was always better. She laughed again as Claire brought up a story every junior knew, and the sophomores and freshmen listen eagerly. Della turned after a moment toward the freshmen, naming each in her head in an effort to remember them. She stopped at Hikari, the last one, who sat beside a sophomore listening as intently as the rest. She got up and sat quietly next to the girl.

 

“Hey,” Della whispered. Hikari looked at her with a little smile.

 

“Did it get better? It looked like it did from my view.”

 

“Umm, yeah. Still needs some work though.” Hikari, catching herself making eye contact with the dark girl, looked away. Making eye contact only made it easier for people to ask questions about her eyes. But the sharp older girl had noticed before this. And the rumors too. A friend of Hikari's already in the high school had spoken about it and the spread started. Boy still didn't realize he'd made the wrong comment.

 

“Any reason you wanted your eyes to be different colors?” Hikari stiffened.

 

“I didn't do anything,” she whispered. Della blinked.

 

“Not wearing contacts?” Hikari shook her head. She was waiting for the disbelief.

 

“So it's natural? I think I've heard of that.”

 

“Yeah.” It's natural in another plane maybe, she amended in her head.

 

“I really do think I've heard of that. Can't remember the name but I heard it somewhere.” Hikari smiled very little, and Della looked apologetic.

 

“I shouldn't have brought it up. Bit of a sore spot, huh chica?”

 

“No it's okay, I guess.”

 

“Your eyes are pretty, so don't worry about it.” Hikari turned in surprise to Della. Before she could speak, Mr. Hopkins was beside their merry little group to line them up for the photo.

 

--

 

Hikari still felt a bit dazed from Della's comment and the heat of the longer-than-average day when she stepped inside her house. Her two dogs rushed to greet her, and to her surprise, Noishe was also in the house. She petted him gently and he leaned into the touch as always. Hikari glanced back up and around the area of the house.

 

“Annai? Hiei?” she whispered. The house felt so quiet and still compared to the school she'd left. Daylight was still strong outside, and she walked to the back door to check for both her uncle and her guardian outside. She stepped out on to the deck and did a quick sweep of the trees. If she had learned even one thing about Hiei, it was his fondness of high tree branches. She just wasn't sure how he got up there. But he wasn't in one of the nearby trees, so she shrugged and walked down the steps to the ground below. It would be easier to look for Annai instead of Hiei anyways. Hikari started to walk around the house but stopped at the east side. Three shadows extended towards her. Their tones were serious, and she slipped behind a bush to listen.

 

Hiding as she was behind one of the few surviving bushes around the home, Hikari could see two of the three people. One was clearly her uncle, jeans and ripped and worn t-shirt and all. The other was a woman in a long almost antique looking dress. White hair with soft curls and beads in her longer bangs, she was a strange figure. The third figure, she figured male, was hidden from Hikari by branches. As Hikari made to move, to get a better look at the man hidden, the white haired women began to walk towards the bush. Hikari froze and then ran.

 

--

 

Kathrine was frustrated. And the only way she knew to relieve that frustration, that didn't include destroying something, was to pace. Annai watched her. He refused to admit he'd said anything the wrong way. But his brother thought different. Hiro watched him with all the condensation a younger sibling could muster.

 

“Hiroshi, don't you look at me like that. Kathrine owes us answers and I'm going to get them. Even if you don't want to hear them.” Hiro's eyes narrowed at the implication his brother was making. With a slight stamp of his foot against the firm ground, Annai found himself waist height in the brown earth.

 

“HIROSHI!” came the half snarl and Kathrine turned at the snickering of her other younger brother.

 

“Hiro. Get. Me. Out. Of. This. Hole. Now!!”

 

“How am I going to do that?”

 

“You got me in this hole!”

 

“You're kidding right? You stepped in a sink hole!”

 

“There are no sink holes around here, you moron.”

 

“Okay, you two. That's enough for today.” Begrudgingly, Hiro forced his brother from the earth.

 

“Well,” Annai demanded, brushing dirt off his jeans. Kathrine looked to the ground shifting her weight. The brothers didn't have to prompt her as she swallowed thickly and looked up and spoke clearly.

 

“We may have a problem.”

 

--

 

Hiei's left eye twitched as the snow-white animal panted and wagged its tail at him. He'd made up his mind, at least the twelfth time that day due to what he assumed was a barrier-like thing at the door, to find Hikari. But as he got to the door he'd found the animal and Hikari's shoes.

 

He was about to side step the white canine when the girl he sought came rushing in from the hall behind him. The girl was out of breath and clutched him tightly, trying to speak.

 

“Annai…he's…he's..talking to… some strange people outside.”

 

“So?” What did she want from him with that information?

 

“Will you go out there? Please? And find out what's going on?”

 

“You can take care of yourself.” She pulled back in surprise. When he hadn't known where she was or what she was doing, he'd felt the compulsion to worry and to look for her. He'd squashed down most of the worry and had tried to nonchalantly look for her, yet the moment she had clutched his shirt, the compulsions had gone and he was able to return to his normal persona. She could do this on her own. She was a demon; she could do it if she tried, she could handle herself. Besides, he wouldn't be that far away. She blinked in her surprise at his words.

 

“You'll be right here inside, right? Just in case something happens?” He almost made a noncommittal response until that damn compulsion came back and the two thoughts came to a compromise.

 

“You won't need me, but I'll be around here, yes.” She nodded, gave him a long last look and began out the door to go after her uncle.

 

“Relax, isn't your uncle supposed to be harmless?” She let out a small laugh and nodded. But didn't he, hasn't he, attacked you?

 

By the time Hikari got to the east side, her uncle had been abandoned by his two companions and was only standing there looking thoughtful with dirt on his pants. Annai turned to her.

 

“Back already? Thought your camp was all day?”

 

--

 

By Saturday of that week, Hikari had had more headaches than she remembered having before. After the shock of thinking Annai had caught her spying, she hadn't been able to further question him. Trying to get Hiei to help her had caused another headache and more attempts to confront her uncle had left Hikari blinking stupidly. And so, she had decided to ignore the tension she felt and enjoy the day. Maybe then she would be able to figure out how to approach her uncle.

 

It wasn't very hard to forget, the marching band was to be in their very first parade of the summer season and she was nervous about performing. Had it not been for Della and Hiei, who had made a small on the side street appearance, Hikari was sure she would've passed out either from the waiting or the heat in the wool uniform. But the parade was over now, to her classmates delight, and Hikari had little to do. She'd declined the offer of a ride home and even asked Hiei to leave her be as she walked aimlessly down Main Street. She wasn't sure if he really had left him alone.

 

She stopped a half block from the district elementary school. Hey, a new shop. It's nice to see. An old store, out of business for as long as she could remember, gleamed with new paint, windows and door, a sign stated a welcome to a flower shop. She turned fully to look in one of the windows, seeing plants potted and cut. There was a floral piece on the counter near the register, a clear advertisement on the new owner's abilities. Hikari fought her want to go inside. Hot and sweaty from the wool uniforms and buses crowded with students, she had little doubt she had a bit of a body odor problem that none of the flowers inside would cover up. Should've gone home like the rest and showered, idiot, she thought to herself. Pushing aside the thought, she stepped into the cool interior and smiled at the sunflowers that caught her eye immediately. Next to the finished floral piece was a second half finished one. She admired the forming beauty and turned to some of the other flowers.

 

“Why aren't more people in this place?”

 

“We just opened.” Hikari jumped and turned to the soft, female voice.

 

“I forgot to put something out to announce it,” the woman rocked her knuckles gently against her head.

 

“O-oh,” Hikari managed out. The owner resembled the woman who had been speaking with her uncle well, but she appeared at least a little more with the times.

 

“Are you in the band? I've heard a lot about it,” the white haired woman whispered, gesturing to the black case clutched in Hikari's hand. Hikari barely moved her head in a nod.

 

“Must be quite the experience,” she whispered before searching the counter.

 

“Are you looking for something?” Hikari asked as she took a step forward.

 

“Yes, there was some ribbon on the counter, and now…” she trailed off. Hikari watched her search again then scanned the floor in front of the counter. Hikari spotted a reddish ribbon on the floor and set her flute case on the store's counter as she bent down to retrieve it. Smiling as she stood back up, Hikari held out the ribbon. When the owner looked up from her search again, her eyes widened and a smiled flitted onto her face.

 

“That's it! Thank you very much!” Hikari shrugged. The owner's eyes drifted to the case.

 

“So you play the flute? I went to the bank the other day and it was all the teller could talk about. It's really that popular here?”

 

“Yes it is!” The woman laughed a little, playing with the ribbon.

 

“Want to tell me about it?”

 

“Sure!” I'm Hikari Spirit.”

 

“I'm Kathrine, Kathrine Dassohei.”

 

--

 

Hiei stood across the street, staring into the store's front windows. His eyes narrowed as the protective compulsion washed through him again. He watched the white haired woman.

 

“What are you trying?”

--

 

Finally, the next chapter. Took a while but all creative strength was zapped for while. Thinking back on pervious chapters I feel inconsistent about things. Hopefully it'll change soon. I'm sorry if you've noticed and if it's been annoying.

 

BTW Dassohei is supposed to have a line over the `O'…