The loud rumbling thunder echoed through the vast forest atop Hanging Neck Island, bright strikes of lightning stretching across the dark evening sky one after another. The ground at the highest points of the island rumbled and shook with each strike of the storm within the sky above as the first day of the Dark Tournament reached it's end. Yusuke and his team had taken shelter from the storm within their room at the Hotel Kubikukuri, recuperating after their intense matches earlier that day.

Meanwhile, within the yet-to-be-revealed second Arena, Sakyo and several lower-class lizard Demon minions stood within Sakyo's Lab in which his project sat. Held up by mechanical braces within the center of the room stood Sakyo's Portal device, various cables running from it to a few computers set up around the room. Demon minions sat perched at each computer, their eyes locked on the neon screens as their fingers clacked against the keys.

Sakyo stood before the device with a smirk formed across his thin lips, bringing a cigarette to them and taking a long drag from it, the tip glowing red within the dimly lit room. Thunder continued to rumble outside of the stadium, an end to the ongoing storm clearly not to been seen anytime soon. Sakyo's dark eyes remained fixed on his precious device, narrowed into a confident and excited gaze.

'My dream is nearly a reality...,' he thought to himself before a female demon minion at one of the computers broke his concentration with her voice.

"Sir, I think the storm is interfering with the device. There are energy spikes all over the screen. It's like we're detecting another potential opening for the portal, but it's coming in waves," she stated, her eyes reflecting the light of the neon screen before her even as she shifted her focus to her Employer.

Sakyo's eyes narrowed further in response to her information before he moved toward her, his eyes shifting to the screen. As she had said, a signal repeatedly bleeped across the screen, fading in and out seemingly in rhythm with each lightning strike outside the arena. The dark haired male hummed in thought for a moment as he watched the screen before a grin curved his lips, "Well... Maybe it's a sign we should test the device. After all, how will we know that it works if we don't at least test it first?"

The demon females eyes widened slightly, holding a questioning gaze, though she knew better than to question him. After all when it came to the portal device he had a one track mind and was dead set on having his way in the end. "Channel into the signal. Let's see what it can do," he ordered, once more bringing his cigarette to his lips as he waited for the demon to carry out his request.

"Yes sir," the demon replied, her voice holding a hesitant tone before turning her attention to the screen once more. After several clicks upon the keyboard, a soft hum began to echo throughout the room from the device, sparks of blue electricity swirling around the device's round mechanical frame. A dark energy soon formed within it's center, radiating outward and filling the device's frame, the humming growing louder with each passing second. The lightning outside began to intensify as the device's power grew, striking the ground and walls around the arena and setting fire to several bushes and trees within the area.

Each of the Demon minions within the room grew more hesitant and backed away as the device continued to hum and swirl with growing power, sparks of energy beginning to strike randomly around the room. Backing away and hiding in fear, the Demons soon scattered out of the room leaving Sakyo the only one remaining as the energy grew wilder within the room as well as outside the Arena. Despite the intense danger within the room, Sakyo only looked on at his precious device with an excited gaze, anxious to see what the portal would bring forth.

---

'No...No...'

Small whimpered words broke the silence of a dark room as a brunette female stirred within her bed, her unconscious mind haunted with terrible visions. Fighting to regain consciousness, her brows furrowed and a deep frown formed over her lips. With a loud gasp her dark eyes opened, greeted by the dark ceiling of her room, her chest rising and falling with each heavy breath she took. Slowly sitting upright, she lowered her head to rest within her hands briefly before brushing her slightly damp locks back. A long and heavy sigh escaped her parted lips as her eyes closed, doing her best to calm herself from the nightmare she had just endured.

Swallowing roughly she kicked the blankets from her legs and swung them over the edge of her bed before rising to a stand, carefully making her way through the room and turning on the light. Her dark brown gaze shifted to the opposite side of her bed, falling upon a fairly large sleeping cat. A small smile curved her lips at the sight of her cat curled into a small ball and cutely sleeping without a care in the world. Though she was envious, more so was she happy that her pet was sleeping so soundly. After all, nightmares weren't uncommon for her to have during the night.

With a quiet sigh she decided to take a walk to clear her head, as she would often do late at night. Probably not what most people would do, but she wasn't like most people in the least. After slipping into a light black jacket and a pair of sneakers, she left her house without a single word, careful not to awaken her parents as she crept out the front door. Pausing in her footsteps she lifted her gaze to the dark sky above, storm clouds blocking the moon from her view and a light fog blanketing the town in all directions.

A low rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance, and despite knowing a storm was nearing she continued on her way, the soft tapping of her shoes on the concrete surface of the sidewalk being the only sound she made. The warm Summer air tickled her pale cheeks as a breeze blew past her, the gentle sound of trees rustling in the wind filling her ears. A single light post ahead began to flicker as the storm clouds rolled nearer, the rumbling thunder growing louder.

Ignoring the nearing storm, she took in a long deep breath, enjoying the strengthening breeze as it blew past her; her naturally wavy brunette locks brushing across her neck and face as she walked. Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, her fingers curled around the small Ipod Nano within, the cord of her earbuds wrapped securely around it. Pulling the small device from the confines of her jacket and unraveling the earbuds from around it, she gently placed one bud into her ear and turned it on. A soft sigh escaped her as the music flowed out, relaxing her as she continued forward, determined to at least walk around the block before returning to her home.

As she walked nearer to the light-post, she lifted her gaze to the flickering light overhead as she approached, a sinking feeling suddenly entering her as it flickered out completely the instant she stepped under it. Shrugging it off, she continued on, turning the corner ahead before her eyes widened as they settled on the sky above. Instantly stopping in her footsteps, her lips parted as a gasp left her, "..What the..."

The storm clouds before blocking the moon from sight had parted, revealing it to be a deep shade of red. Lightning began to strike across the dark evening sky, the wind picking up to an unsettling speed, swirling around her as she took a step back. Thunder clapped loudly overhead, lightning striking dangerously close into a tree mere feet away from her. As the tree came crashing down across the road in front of her she was too stunned to move for a matter of seconds before she spun on her heels and ran back toward her home.

Panting heavily as she ran, fear etched within her features as she cried out for help feeling herself being pulled backward by an unknown force. Too frightened to look back she reached out for anything to stop her as she was backward, but she was soon engulfed in darkness.

---

Gazing out his window, the Spirit World ruler sat perched, eyeing the storm outside as rain pitter-patted against the glass pane. His brow furrowed as he gazed out at the storm, sensing the growing energy within the distance. His brown eyes went wide once he realized the source of it, "What...?!"

The blue Ogre who had been seated in a chair a few feet from the toddler jumped from his seat, falling out upon the floor before jumping up and turning to Koenma. "Koenma sir, what is it? What's wrong?," he asked in a panic, leaning forward to follow the toddlers gaze out the window, "Did you see something?"

Completely ignoring his blue-skinned underling, Koenma tensed in his seat, his teeth clenching around his pacifier, "A portal has opened! And this isn't like any normal portal...! This one is connected to another dimension..! Who knows what could come through it!"

"Huh? What are you talking about sire?," the ogre questioned, blinking his eyes in confusion. Though before he could receive a response, Koenma leaped from his seat and made a break for the door, hurrying from the Hotel out into the storm.

"W-wait sir!," the ogre cried out, quickly running after the toddler ruler into the storm as a loud crack of thunder shook the ground ahead of them.

---

With a grin curling his lips Sakyo looked on as the device sparked and crackled, a burst of energy shooting from it. Though to his dismay, the device was suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning that crashed through the arena, splitting the ceiling and causing the energy to fade. With a disappointed scowl Sakyo turned to the Demon minions peering into the room from the safety of the hall. "Fix it! Now!," he demanded, his voice cold and brutal, causing the Demons to scramble back into the lab and fix the device.

Unbeknownst to them however, the device had actually worked, sending a human girl into their world from an alternate dimension. One in which, their world was simply an animated television show; Nothing more than fiction.

Rain poured from the sky, pounding roughly against the moist grass as the brunette girl lay upon it, small sparks of energy still dancing around her slender body before gradually fading out. Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up her body for a brief moment in the darkness, her pale skin seeming to glow despite the many cuts and burns upon her skin. A soft grunt left her lips as she regained consciousness, slowly sitting up as the rain pounded against her aching body. "..What..happened...?," she managed to mumble out the words, barely loud enough for even herself to hear through the sound of the rain and thunder.

Squinting her dark eyes through the darkness, she attempted to see through the rain surrounding her and engulfing her, her long eyelashes dripping from the downpour. Her head felt as though it were spinning, her vision fading in and out as she slowly made it to her feet, holding her aching body in a futile attempt to soothe it. As another flash of lightning scorched the dark sky and lit the area around her, all she could see were trees; vast amounts of trees in every direction. Beneath her feet, the grass had been scorched upon her arrival, black and crumbling beneath her weight as she struggled to walk forward.

Barely making five steps forward, she connected with a tree, her arms outstretched to break her fall, using the trunk for support as her vision grew continuously faded and shrouded in darkness. The rough bark stung her aching hands as she panted, her body growing weaker and knowing she would faint in a matter of seconds. Suddenly a light in the distance caught her eye and a small spark of hope lit within her, crying out with all she had left for help before finally collapsing unconscious once more.

Koenma clutched a flashlight in his small hand, upon his pacifier as though there were no tomorrow, clearly nervous about what he may find that had traveled through the portal he had sensed. His loyal Ogre companion, Jorge, stayed closely behind him, flashlight in hand as well and curiously looking through the heavy rain that fell. "What exactly are we looking for sir?," he questioned, hunched over as the hood of his jacket continuously dripped with rain down his horn and forehead.

"Like I know, you bird brain!," Koenma replied, still on his pacifier with vigor.

Jorge animatedly pouted, a comically hurt expression on his face, "Why are you always so mean to me? I feel so unappreciated sometimes, like you don't care about me at all."

The Ogre's whined words fell upon deaf ears as Koenma continued in his search, walking in the direction the energy spike seemed to originate. A cry echoed through the trees ahead of him and Koenma tensed before continuing forward, soon coming across the unconscious girl laying upon the soaked ground. A relieved sigh left him as his once tense form loosened, "Good, it's only a human girl... But we still need to find out where she came from..and hope her being here doesn't affect us..."

Jorge eyed the unconscious girl with a worried gaze before looking to the toddler ruler, "Wait.. what do you mean sir? Her being here could be bad somehow?"

Koenma nodded slowly, "It's possible... but it depends on her... If she's good or evil...and just an ordinary human.. We'll soon see I guess." Looking to his blue skinned companion he huffed, "Well don't just stand there, we need to carry her back to the hotel!"

"Oh, uh, yes sir. Of course," Jorge responded, quickly moving to the girl and lifting her into his arms. A deep frown appeared over his face as he looked down at the unconscious brunette, noticing the many scorch marks and cuts scattered over her body, "Sir...she's badly hurt..."

"All the more reason we need to hurry and get her back to our room you dummy!," Koenma stated matter-of-factually, hurriedly making his way back in the direction of the Hotel, Jorge following closely behind him with the girl in his arms.

Once the three had reached the Hotel and entered Koenma's provided room, Jorge laid her down upon one of the long sofas before looking back to Koenma, "What should we do now..?" Koenma hopped up and sat back on the recliner beside the sofa, looking at the brunette female, his arms crossing over his chest, "I've already sent for Botan. She can heal her and once this girl wakes up I'll have to question her. Her aura is... very different from any humans here in our world. It has its similarities though..."

Jorge sat back upon the opposite sofa from where the girl laid and gave a nervous sigh, "Do you think she's evil..? She doesn't look evil.. She looks kinda cute, but i'm no expert on these things.."

Koenma sighed, "I really don't know Ogre. You can't exactly tell something like that from looking at a person. We really won't know until she wakes up..."

"But..what is she is though? What if she tries to kill us or something? What if-"

"Will you stop it?! You're starting to make me even more nervous!," Koenma yelled, cutting Jorge off mid-sentence.

"..Yes sir..," the Ogre replied in a low tone, slouching in his seat as a knock was heard at their door before the Bluenette Grim Reaper entered, a usual smile on her face. "You sent for me Koenma?," she questioned the toddler as her purple hues fell on him though they quickly shifted to the human female laying on the sofa beside him. "Oh my goodness! What happened?!," she questioned, hurrying to the females side and looking her over, instantly taking notice of the various injuries covering her body.

"She fell through a portal into our world from another dimension... No doubt because of Sakyo's portal device. He used it quicker than I was expecting him to... We don't know anything about her yet.," Koenma began to explain, also looking at the injured brunette, "I need you to heal her as much as you can."

"Of course," Botan replied with a nod, her brow furrowed into a concerned expression as she knelt down beside the girl, hovering her hands over her chest. A blue glow soon emanated from the Reapers hands, gradually healing the unconscious human female, "What will we do when she wakes up..?"

"I'm going to question her. Find out if she'll be harmful to have around or not," Koenma answered, watching as the blue-haired female healed her.

Botan tensed, looking to the Spirit World Ruler, "After what she's been through you're going to interrogate her?!"

"I know what you're thinking Botan but it's something that needs to be done for our own safety," Koenma stated, ushering her to continue her healing. Though her face shown her obvious dislike of his response she nodded with a sigh and continued to heal the female without a retort. After several minutes, the Bluenette had healed the majority of the girls injuries, though a few small cuts remained. Botan rose to her feet, taking a few steps back and watched the girl as she began to stir awake.

Koenma inched forward in his seat, leaning closer to the brunette girl as her dark eyes fluttered open, her vision hazy for a long moment as she stared up at the ceiling. As her eyes slowly began to focus she turned her head, her eyes falling onto the three surrounding her and watching her. A loud gasp escaped her as she jumped up, quickly backing as far into the sofa as possible, her dark brow eyes wide in alarm.

"There's no need to be afraid, we aren't going to hurt you," Botan said in an attempt to console the girl as Koenma jumped up from his seat and walked toward her. "Yes, Botan just healed you. I'm sure this all must be very intense to you but I have some questions I need to ask you," Koenma started, receiving a scowl from Botan. "You can't bombard her with questions after she just woke up! Look at her, she's scared stiff!," Botan snapped at the toddler, gesturing with her hand at the brunette girl backed as far into the corner of the sofa as was physically possible.

Finally finding her voice, the brunette's dark eyes scanned over the two before her, interrupting their bickering, "..Am..I dreaming..?"

Koenma and Botan fixed their eyes on the girl as she finally spoke, blinking at her in confusion. "Dreaming? No, I can assure you that you are awake," Botan answered in a soft tone.

"..Then... am I dead..?"

Koenma and Botan then looked at one another with a confused expression on both of their faces before once again turning their attention to the questioning female. "You're very much alive. As I said, Botan here just healed you a few minutes ago..," Koenma answered, raising a brow, "What's your name?"

The brunette blinked her still widened eyes at the three in front of her, unable to believe what was happening. She knew each of them, quite well, from one of her most favorite animated television shows. What was currently happening, she thought, couldn't be real. Yet they were saying it was. It was all nearly too much for the girl to handle, though she did her best to remain calm.

"...Jessica. My name's Jessica..," she answered, swallowing roughly as the three remained crowded around her.

"Jessica... so you're a foreigner then," Jorge commented in response to the girls answer.

"Of course she is, it's obvious by looking at her," Koenma stated, his attention still on the girl, "Now.. can you tell me what you remember before you woke up here?"

Jessica's dark eyes lowered, her brows furrowing as she attempted to recall what had happened, "..I went for a walk at night.. There was a storm coming but I kept walking anyway. Then... the moon was red, like blood... and lightning knocked over a tree. I got scared and tried to run away but...something was pulling me back. I don't know what it was... and when I woke up... I was in a forest and it was raining really hard. I must have passed out again and then... I woke up here."

Her dark brown eyes lifted to them once more as she finished answering the toddlers question, her body loosening slightly. Koenma hummed softly in thought, folding his arms across his chest, "I see. This may be difficult for you to comprehend... but you have been transported between dimensions." Koenma watched Jessica's expression, expecting a look of disbelief or at the very least a confused one, however he received neither from the brunette. Blinking his eyes at her, he raised a curious brow, "You aren't shocked..? Or think that I'm crazy..?"

Gently shaking her head, Jessica answered him, her eyes shifting between them for a moment before once more resting on the toddler, "..No..."

With a confused expression on his face, Koenma's eyes narrowed slightly, "...Really..? Tell me...where did you come from exactly? ...Tell me about your world."

Jessica took in a breath and after a moment finally spoke, explaining to them about her own world and how she knew of them as characters of an 'Anime'. They became increasingly interested, urging her to continue about her knowledge of their world, and Jessica spoke for what seemed like hours. She told them how she knew of Yusuke and the others and their required participation in the Dark Tournament, after realizing where she currently was in their world. Along with her knowledge of them and their world, she told them of her own world, how it was very little like their own. Demons and the like were non-existent within her own world, at least to her knowledge, though they were feared by many from horror films and stories. Though the Demons written about in her own world were very different from those in theirs.

After quite some time had passed, and the storm outside finally began to calm, Koenma, Botan and Jorge both sat taking in the information they had just received. "The world you come from... it is impossible... You shouldn't have been able to come here...," Koenma stated, on his pacifier nervously, "It's never been done before... How could Sakyo have managed to do it.. It makes absolutely no sense..."

"Well... at least we know she's not a danger to us. Actually she might be a big help to us, if she knows about us and our future," Jorge commented, a hopeful expression forming across his face.

Koenma's eyes lit up at the Ogre's comment, quickly turning to face Jessica, "Yes..! You know how this tournament ends right..?"

Blinking her dark eyes at him, Jessica slowly nodded in response to his question, "..Yeah.."

"Tell me! Does Yusuke win? Does he defeat Toguro?," Koenma questioned, lunging over the arm of the recliner he sat in, his face inches from hers, "Does Sakyo have his way? Does he open the portal?...again.?"

Her lips parted, a bit hesitant to reply, but as she was about to give a response she was cut off. "No, never mind... Don't tell me. Telling me could have negative repercussions on our outcome... If we know our future it could be harmful and change everything...," Koenma stated, falling back into his chair and folding his arms across his chest with a huff, "Still... if it comes down to it and I have no other choice... I may need to ask you what will happen. So...you could very well be of use to us..."

Botan once more scowled at the toddler, having taken a seat beside the brunette, "Oh come on, hasn't she been through enough?"

"Yes, but I still have no idea how she got here and until I do, she's stuck here. While she's here the least she can do is be of help to us, especially with how much she knows," he retorted in a slight huff.

With a scowl still on her face, Botan opened to retort, though she was interrupted by Jessica's voice. "It's alright, I don't mind. I'd love to help in any way if I can...," Jessica stated, a hopeful glint within her dark brown irises. After all, to her, she wasn't of much use within her own world. The thought that here, in their world, she could be of us was enough to bring a small smile across her lips.

Botan and Koenma gazed back at her, Koenma smiling behind his pacifier in response to her words, "Good! I had a good feeling about you!"

Jorge's brow furrowed at the toddler, "But sir... you said you were worried she might be evil..."

Koenma leaped from his chair, comically knocking the Ogre upside his head and making him fall to the floor, before turning his attention back to the girl, "Ahem... Now then. You can go ahead and stay with Botan and the other girls."

Jessica blinked her eyes at Jorge, who was now sat up rubbing his head with beads of tears in his eyes before her gaze fell onto Koenma, "Oh...alright."

Botan rose from her seat, a cheerful smile on her face, "Great! Maybe we can find some clothes for you to change into too. And i'm sure you would like to have a shower.~ Especially after everything you've been through tonight." Making her way toward the door, Jessica smiled back at her lightly and nodded, following closely behind her. Turning back to Koenma and Jorge she smiled and waved at the two, "Uhm... see you later then. It was really nice meeting you both."

With that, she followed Botan out into the hall and was lead into their hotel room. Jessica fumbled lightly with the hem of her tattered shirt, feeling nervous about meeting both Shizuru and Keiko. Though as Botan and her entered their room, she was welcomed quite cheerfully by the both of them, and her nervousness soon subsided. "Let's see...," Botan hummed, searching through a suitcase, "You and I are about the same size... I'm a bit taller than you though... How tall are you?"

Jessica sat between Shizuru and Keiko on one of the sofa's watching Botan as she rummaged through the contents of her suitcase for an outfit she could wear. "Oh, i'm 5'5"," the brunette girl answered. Botan hummed at her response, "Well it might be a little baggy, but you can wear this shirt." Turning to face the other three girls, she held up a simple white dress shirt for Jessica to see. A small smile crept over Jessica's lips as she saw the shirt, rising from her seat and taking it from the Bluenette, "It's great, thank you.~"

Botan grinned and waved her hand in dismissal, "No need to thank me dear, we girls need to look out for one another.~" Returning to her rummaging, Shizuru too rose from her seat and moved toward Jessica, patting her shoulder, "That's right. Especially in this place filled with monsters." Keiko smiled and nodded, "After all, if we don't look out for each other who will?"

Chuckling softly Jessica nodded, "Yeah, you have a good point.~" Turning her dark gaze back to Botan, she watched as she continued rummaging before she pulled out another top. Holding up the pastel pink camisole for Jessica to see, "And this has a built in bra layer, so you can wear this under the shirt. Taking the pastel pink material with a smile, she draped it over the dress shirt laid across her arm, "Thank you."

"Let's see... I have a pair of jeans in here somewhere... ah! Bingo!," Botan stated, pulling out a pair of high waisted blue jeans. Rising to her feet she held the pants up to Jessica's waist, determining if they would fit, "Hmm.. It looks like they'll fit. Go ahead and get a shower and put these on, okay?~" Smiling back at her, Jessica accepted the blue jeans offered to her, "Thanks again, it means a lot..." Botan giggled and spun the brunette girl around, pushing her toward the bathroom, "Now now, no need to thank me, remember?~ Go take a nice relaxing shower okay?"

Chuckling softly, Jessica smiled and nodded back to her before entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. Botan spun around facing Shizuru and brought her hands to cup both sides of her face, her eyes shimmering, "Awww, she's just too cute!~" Smirking Shizuru nodded, pocketing her hands into her slacks, and Keiko giggled sitting upon the sofa.

After some time passed, Jessica emerged from the bathroom clean and dressed in the clothing Botan had provided her with, a few bandages adorning her remaining injuries. A small bandage covered a cut on her left cheek, and her right upper arm was wrapped in bandages beneath the sleeve of her shirt. As she stepped into the living area of their Hotel room, Jessica saw the three other girls seated and talking, though they turned their attention to her as she entered the room. "Feel any better now?," Shizuru asked before taking a drink from a can of beer.

Nodding, Jessica made her way to an empty seat upon one of the sofas, pulling the sleeves of her shirt over her hands, "Yeah, a lot better." Botan smiled happily and turned to the others with a small sigh as she rose from her seat and stretched, "Well, I think we should probably go to sleep. The boys have a day off tomorrow from fighting but we shouldn't stay up too late." Shizuru sighed, downing the remainder of her beer before she stood and toss it into the trashcan, "Yeahhh, we probably should." Shizuru's gaze fell onto Keiko who nodded and stood, a light blush on her cheeks as she thought of seeing Yusuke fighting once more.

Jessica smiled, noticing the growing blush on Keiko's cheeks, though she knew she would opt out of seeing the Spirit Detective the next day, not wanting to interfere with his mindset. Standing she watched as the three made their way to their room, pausing beside the window, though with the light in the room she could barely make out the scenery outside it. She could only see the reflection of herself and the room through it and sat on the edge of the window.

"Here's some blankets and a pillow," Botan said, walking up to the brunette and holding them out to her, "I'm sorry we don't have another bed you could sleep in..."

Smiling, Jessica shook her head and took the blankets and pillow from her, "No, it's alright. I really don't mind sleeping on the sofa. Besides, with how fancy these sofas are, it'd be just like sleeping on a bed.~"

Botan continued to hold a concerned gaze but nodded, "Alright, if you're sure..."

"I am," Jessica replied with a soft chuckle, "Go ahead and get some sleep. I'll go to bed soon too."

Botan smiled softly and nodded, following the others into their room closing the door behind them. Raising from her seat on the windowsill, Jessica moved across the room to flick off the light before making her way back toward the window. With the light off, she could see the trees rustling in the breeze outside, watching them sway in silence for a long moment as she thought about the events of that evening.

'I can't believe it... I'm actually here...this is really happening,' she thought as she continued to gaze out at the trees in the distance, 'Maybe I really am dreaming... and after I sleep i'll wake up back in my room...' A small frown curved her lips at that thought, 'I hope not...Especially since I haven't even met him yet..' Jessica could feel her heart seemingly skip a beat as Hiei's face entered her mind, wondering what it would be like to meet him. Would he hate her? Would he like her? Of course, she was actually in love with the fire Demon. Many would think her crazy or misunderstand her feeling for him as a simple crush, as ordinary people had on characters. However, her feelings were far different from a simple crush.

Of course, she had attempted to explain these feelings to some people before, but they simply brushed it off as a crush. Though, in her own world she had told a couple of close friends of these feelings and they were the only two who believed her. They had seen first hand just how deep her affections for the fictional character ran and knew for a fact her feelings for him were true. Her feelings for him were so deep and true that she couldn't feel the same for anyone else. Sure, she'd had boyfriends and such in the past, but even when it came to her love for them it didn't come close to comparing to how she felt for Hiei. A fictional character... It had been enough to anger her and even question her sanity many of times.

After some time had passed, she had come to accept her feelings and if she were crazy then so be it. After several attempts to "get over" her feelings for him had failed time and time again, she simply decided to accept it. It was almost sad how badly her attempts to forget the fiction fire demon failed, and a few years before she finally came to terms with her feelings. It was hard and her heart ached because her feeling would never be reciprocated, but she pushed through.

Raising a hand to her heart, she gazed down at the black marks adorning her skin, tracing the outline of the symbol tattooed there. Once she had accepted her feelings, she sealed it with a tattoo that would stay with her forever. An infinity symbol with the words "love" written into it and inside one of the infinity loops, Hiei's name was written in kanji.

The tracing finger stopped and she tensed her eyes growing wide as a thought came to her mind. What if Hiei saw that tattoo? Then again, she was certain he would never be close enough to her to read it. Still...she would have to make sure it was covered when he was nearby.

With a quiet sigh she moved from the window with her blankets and pillow draped over her arm before laying them out over one of the sofas. Slipping out of her jeans and gently laying them across the arm of the chair she sat down, tucking her pale legs beneath the blanket as she laid down. Nuzzling softly against the fluffy pillow she had been given she stared out at the window at her feet before her eyes fluttered closed. After some time passed, she fell asleep hoping when she awoke she would still be where she lay.