<Part 2>
 
 
 
 

 "Anja! Matte! Slow down!" Kuwabara yelled, "Wait for us!"

 She didn't listen. On the way past the border she tagged the guard on duty, "Hi Chi! Tag your it!"

 The guard smiled, "Your in high spirits Anja, going to see Mukuro?" He asked running beside her.

 "Hai! My friends are coming to."

 "Can we scare them a little?" Chi grinned.

 Anja stopped running and grinned with him.
 

 "Kurama why don't you put your sister on a leash?" Yuusuke asked.

 "How come when she runs off or does something wrong she's my sister?"

 "Because she lives with you." Kuwabara answered smoothly brushing the Chibiera gently away from his face.

 "Well I. . ." Kurama stopped. "It's really quiet Hiei."

 "Hn."

 "Where is the border watch?"

 Hiei shrugged, he knew what Anja and her guard buddy were playing at and
he wouldn't spoil there fun.

 Everyone looked around nervously when suddenly the leaves above them
started the rustle. Their eyes all shot up.

 "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY FOREST!" A huge beast jumped out of
the safety of the shadows behind them and growled.

 "EEP!" Quatre and Duo both jumped into their lovers arms.

 The tantai jumped and swung their gazes around to the giant oni.

 Anja started giggling and swung upside down from the tree, "You should
have seen your faces!" She doubled up in laughter causing her body to disappear
into the leaves again. "What are you doing in my forest!" She copied the guard's low voice and giggled, "Oh brother!"

 "This is Chi. Mukuro's border guard and one of Anja's playmates when we visit." Kurama sighed looking up at the Oni. "You scared us."

 Anja fell out of the tree and landed on her feat, "That was the idea bakara."
She smiled at her brother sweetly and kissed the oni's cheek. "I'll see you hopefully
soon ne?"

 "Hai Anja-chan."

 Anja smiled and ran ahead again, "Bye!"

 "Anja! Ma. . . Oh never mind." Kurama ran after her and the Oni laughed.

 "Don't you worry about her?" Wufei asked him, "She could get hurt running
off like that."

 "Ne." The Oni shook his head, "If she is by herself there are only a few who
would hurt she-who-cares. When she is with the tantai it's different, she is a warrior then.  but alone she is a friend always."

 "She-who-cares?" Quatre asked.

 "Hai. She cares about every living thing." He nodded, "She once gave her
shoes to and injured tree spirit." He laughed, "And taught all of the convicts in her
cell at Reikai jail how to dance and sing."

 The boys looked oddly at Yuusuke.

 "That one surprised us too."

 Kuwabara chuckled, "She told us it was amazing what a little boredom and a
lot of time could do for you."

 Chi nodded and they finally came upon Anja. She was rolling around on the
ground being tickled mercilessly by a silver Youko (Fox demon).

 "Let her go!" Wufei stepped forward but Yuusuke caught his arm, "No, it's
Kurama."

 Kuwabara snickered, "Couldn't catch her in human form huh Kurama?"

 The fox looked up with a very exasperated look on his face, "What do you
think?"

 Anja laughed, "Please! Ahahahahahah! Make him stop!!!!!
H~i~e~i~!!!!!!!!"

 Kurama grinned at her through the fall of silver hair, "Do you give up?"

 Anja caught him in the stomach and kicked him off of her, "NO!" She eeped
and ran behind Hiei, "Save me!"

 Hiei looked up at the fox, "Enough Kurama."

 "Aww." The tall silver melted into the normal red head and Kurama
mumbled, "You always take her side."

 Anja stuck her tongue out at her brother over Hiei's shoulder and the
Koorime caught it between his fingers, "Ahhh! Hiei thetgoobmatug!"

 "What?"

 "She said let go of my tongue." The tantai translated.

 Anja tapped Hiei's shoulder, to signal she gave up. He let go.

 Kurama was grinning widely now.

 "Oh don't rub it in." She growled. "Hn, kitsune no baka."

 "Hiei she's picked up on your bad habits!" Kurama snarled as the others
laughed.

 Anja just grinned and ran toward the huge walls the could see in the distance.

 When they reached them Anja threw the doors open and ran inside, The
others barreling after her as she raced to the office.

 "Anja!" Mukuro stood and held out her arms.

 "Mukuro!" Anja hugged her, "I missed you."

 "And I you." Mukuro laughed.

 Everyone but Hiei stopped and stared at the scene. Hiei went to Kneel on one
knee before the woman. "Mukuro."

 "Hiei." She smiled and he stood, "What brings you here?"

 "We found a paige of yours." Hiei pushed the boy forward.

 The child looked terrified of her, "L. . . lady. . . I. . .I didn't get there."

 "Get where?" Anja looked up at Mukuro's face, "What's wrong?"

 "We have had some problems."

 Hiei looked curious.

 "Well, all of you don't just stand there, come in, sit."

 They obeyed with such haste that Anja laughed.

 Mukuro sat behind he desk, Anja sat on it to her left, and Hiei stood by her right side. "I have been tying to get a message to you and Hiei for days but every messenger has been attacked."

 Anja growled, "Yomi?"

 "I don't know. It was just an invitation to my masquerade, nothing horribly
urgent but it annoys me when someone toys with me like that." She sighed.

 "When is the masquerade?" Anja asked.

 "In two days."

 "Hey guys! Lets do it! Our com wont go through and we have nothing else to
do right?"

 Mukuro smiled, "You can stay here as long as you want to. Anja and Hiei
already have permanent rooms here and You can take some of the spares."

 Yuusuke looked trapped. "Uh. . ."

 "We would love to Mukuro-sama." Kurama bowed, "Thank you."

 "Yes!" Anja bounced and smiled.

 "I will even send my servants to help you make you're costumes.

 "Coolness!" Anja smiled and twisted around to hug the lady, "I've never been
to a Makai party before!"

 Hiei's lips twitched up a tiny pit at her enthusiasm.

 "Kai!" Mukuro called one of her Oni.

 "Hai Mukuro-sama?"

 "Please show our guests to their rooms and tell the chef we have guests who
have human tastes for a few days."

 "Hai." The oni bowed, "This way please."

 "Kai."

 "Hai?"

 "Human tastes remember, not a taste for humans."

 Quatre looked sick.

 "Hai."
 

 "And Kai."

 "Hai?"

 "Send a seamstress to each room to help them get costumes for the ball."

 "Hai."

 Anja hopped off of the desk and followed everybody, "I want to see who gets
what room." She explained to Mukuro, "Then can we have a practice session?"

 The lady nodded and shooed Anja out then turned to Hiei, "How is she?"

 "She improves each fight." He actually smiled then, "And she has a lust and
talent for learning the arts of magic and combat."

 Mukuro nodded, "I knew she would. Who are the others with you?"

 "Strays who fell into the wrong dimension and the wrong time."

 "Time?"

 "They come from AC 199, whatever that means."

 "How fun! Are they behaving?"

 "Mostly. One is just like a male version of Anja though, and an American too, he doesn't feel human but he isn't a threat. It's annoying." He paused, "And I think that the Chinese one, Wufei, is developing a crush on Anja. Shura and Kuronue might not take kindly to that."

 Mukuro nodded. "Maybe I should invited our guests to the training session
with us."

 Hiei silently agreed and walked away to tell the others.

 "Oh and Hiei."

 "Hai?"

 "While you are here, why don't you and Anja dress like the members of the
royal family that you are." She smiled, "Each of you has suitable clothing here."

 Hiei clutched his fists but ground out, "Hai." He hated wearing anything but
black! "But I will not be the one to force her into a dress if that is your wish. I still have bruises from the last time you tried that."

 Mukuro laughed.
 
 

 Quatre and Trowa fell back onto the bed they would share. The servant taking their measurements had just left and Quatre curled into the embrace of his beloved and shivered.

 "What's wrong?"

 "It's so different here! And the monsters, and the magic, and the lady with
only half a face. . ." Quatre's shock filled ramblings were cut off by Trowa's mouth
upon his. "You need to relax Koi." He whispered before his tongue once again
found the Arabs. "Mmm."

 Quatre moaned and wiggled cutely underneath him until Trowa couldn't
stand it anymore.
 
 

 The moans coming for the first door told Hiei quickly that those two weren't
coming to practice. He moved on to the second and Wufei answered.

 "Hn, Come on, we're practicing." He said shortly.

 Wufei grabbed up his sword and nodded. Then he followed the little demon
to the next door down.
 
 

 Heero took in the room, looking for any and all routs of possible attack or
escape. He found only two, window and door. When he turned toward the rest of the room his mouth almost fell open in shock. "Duo. What are you doing?"

 The braided pilot had removed all of his clothes except for his black silk
boxers, which did nothin to hide the fact the he was very aroused. "I was hot." He
smiled, "I still am."

 Heero sat down on the bed beside the sprawled out boy and took the braid in
his hands, taking it out and spreading his lovers long thick hair through his fingers.
Then he lowered his head for a kiss and Duo moaned into his mouth. Heero leaned
over the American and trailed his kisses from the boy's mouth down his neck and
further down to toy with his nipples.

 "Aaaaa! Hee~ro!"
 
 

 Hiei looked at the last door and snorted, "They aren't coming." He said.

 Wufei looked oddly green.

 "You don't like boys with boys." Yuusuke guessed.

 "It's unnatural!"

 "Obviously not to your friends."

 "Are any of you. . . ?" Wufei asked.

 Kurama hugged Hiei and Shura kissed Kuronue.

 Yuusuke started to turn green with Wufei this time.

 Kuwabara chuckled. "Only three of us left, ne?"

 Hiei led them into the training rooms before anything else could be said.

 Anja was doing her katas when they arrived. She let her sword fall and smiled at the new arrivals, "Hi guys!"

 Wufei looked at the sword and then at her face, "You know how to use that?"

 Anja just smiled and Hiei grunted, "No she carries it for decoration."

 "I have seen you battle uncoordinated oafs but how are you with real opponents?"

 "Hiei is he insulting me?" Anja grinned.

 "Time to teach him a lesson." Mukuro smiled, "You, sir, may fight her first."

 "I do not fight women."

 "Then think of me as a man and fight."

 He shook his head and before he could return his gaze to her she was in front of him, her sword cut his shirt from his chest. "Woman are you insane?!"

 "Fight me." She grinned. "Or are you not man enough?"

 Wufei frowned and walked onto the fight floor with her. His eyes widened as she instantly had him on the defense.  He blocked blow after blow but more kept coming. Finally a booted foot caught him in the gut and he reeled backwards and crashed into a marble pillar. Anja was on him in an instant, her sword at his neck.

 "Now what do you think about fighting women?" She asked.

 Wufei looked carefully at the blade, "I underestimated you badly, I apologize." His eyes were caught in hers, her face seemed to get closer and closer and then. . .

 She kissed him full on the mouth.

 Wufei gasped.

 Anja just smiled and took her sword away then walked off of the floor waiting for him to follow. When he regained his wits he did.

 Kuronue and Shura watched him carefully and Wufei fought the urge to run away from the obviously calculating demons.

 Anja was on the floor now, battling with Mukuro with magic and sword and knife. "Watch." Hiei commanded, and they all sat to the side.

 Mukuro charged and Anja quickly stepped aside letting her sword catch the
woman's dagger and flung it to stick into the wall. The young American charged and jumped over her opponent right before Mukuro could get a hit in. When she landed she slashed round in a circle and stopped when steel met steel. The two opponents grinned at each other then started to thrust and block as they danced across the floor. Anja jumped back and used one of the stone columns to launch herself at Mukuro. She caught the woman's sword between her own sword and dagger and wrenched it away but before she could land she was hit with a bolt of magic. "Itai!" She yelled, "That hurt!"

 "It was supposed to." Mukuro shot another but Anja dodged it.

 The human jumped from pillar side to pillar side. Sticking incredibly as if
she were defying gravity. As she jumped she chanted, "Night wind take wings to fly,
to capture my foe!" She held out her hand and the bat tattooed there came to life,
attacking Mukuro with razor sharp wings.

 The woman got cut a few times but Anja wasn't aiming to kill her, the Youkai summoned up a spell to send the creature back to Anja's hand. Right after the bat she sent a tranquilizer spell that knocked the girl from the pillar she was gripping and sent her rolling to the ground.

 Mukuro stood over her and helped her up, "Ok?"

 Anja nodded and shook her head to clear it.

 "You are getting very good with the sword Anja, but you need more work on
the simple spells that I threw at you."

 "Hai Mukuro-sama."

 The lady nodded and helped Anja to the side. The Chibiera fluttered worriedly around it's master. "She just needs to sit while to spell clears."

 Wufei went to the American girl's side, "You are truly skilled." He
complemented.

 She blinked her eyes hazily, "My ‘niisan taught me."

 "Which one?"

 "Hiei."

 Wufei looked out at the Fire demon who now fought against Kuwabara and
Yuusuke. "He is good."

 "Hai." She yawned and smiled. "Better than good. He's my niisan."

 "Are you all right?"

 "Yeah." Anja slurred, "Trank spell. . . makes you sleepy for ‘while."

 Kuronue moved to sit at Anja's other side and pulled her into his lap carefully.

 Shura moved to sit beside the Youko and cradle her legs. Then laid his head
on Kuro's shoulder.

 Wufei frowned, but Anja relaxed in the Youko's embrace and fell asleep.

 "I thought you two where. . ." Wufei started.

 "We are."

 "But. . ."

 "Anja is with us. We are all together."

 The Chinese boy looked blackly at the Youko.

 "Lady Mukuro?" Shura asked.

 "What?"

 "We three are tired from the day, may we retire?"

 Mukuro laughed, "Hai, here, let me give her a stronger sleep spell so that she
doesn't wake up bright and fresh at two a.m. The Chibiera has a little doll castle in Anja's suite to sleep in."

 "Thank you lady." Kuronue knelt so that Anja's sleeping form was reachable
and then carried her off to her room. Shura following beside him.

 Wufei glared after them and Mukuro laughed, "What is so funny woman?"

 "You like her a lot don't you." Mukuro chuckled.

 "I don't see how it is your business if I do or not." He frowned.

 "She's building up a male Harem!"

 Wufei turned an odd shade of purple.

 "Please. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but those two boys and she, they
are all romantically involved. You don't seam like the type would go for that sort of.
. . arrangement."

 "What do you mean?"

 "Well frankly my dear you act like you have a stick shoved up your ass."

 Wufei straitened, insulted. "What do you say woman?!"

 "You heard me." She frowned, "My little Anja has a mixed soul, It happens when a soul is too wild. Instead of one soul mate she has a number of them. The souls are a kaleidoscope of different parts. Kuronue shares the bigger halve Shura's is smaller, but fact is, they share each other's souls too and if you don't find them
attractive as well as Anja, you don't stand a chance."

 Wufei made an odd sound and stalked out of the room.

 Mukuro smiled at the soap opera taking place under her roof.
 
 

 The Chinese boy crept into Anja's room and looked down at the three
sleeping in the bed.

 She was magnificent. Nothing like the fragile or inane women he had known. Anja was a warrior, and had a beautiful heart. He fingered the ring beneath his shirt and bit his lip. Could you be the one? Somewhere in the back of his mind something clicked and he decided. He climbed up onto the bed and lay his head on Anja's legs, curling up at her feet. There he felt at peace. Finally he didn't feel like the odd one out.

 Anja unconsciously reached down to smooth his loose hair from his face and
he arched into the contact like a cat. A deep purr rising up in his chest.  Sleep
claimed him filled with sweet dreams for the first time since the war had begun.
 

~tbc~