<Part 1>
 
 

 Hiei blurred through the portal between Makai and Ningenkai, Mukuro had summoned him to take a certain roll of film to Anja. He grinned at the thought of what must be on it.

 Half way to Kurama's home, the koorime stopped. He heard a strange song coming from the woods, In a clearing by a pond, he found Anja. Playing that piece of wood she always carried around with her. ‘Guitar' she called it.

 Her words started to sink in and the Koorime stayed hidden, afraid of disturbing her peaceful remembrance of her first family.

 "Oceans apart, day after day. And I slowly go insane, can't hear your voice on the line, and nothing can stop the pain. Oh can't you see it lately, you've got me going crazy. Where ever I go, what ever I do you know I'll always remember you. What ever it takes or how my heart breaks you know I'll always remember you."

 She wiped away a stray tear and continued, "I took for granted, all the times that I thought would last somehow. I felt the laughter, tasted the tears, but you can't hold me now. It will be long forever, till we can be together. Wherever I go. Whatever I do you know I will always remember you. Whatever it takes or how my heart breaks I will always remember you."

 The ending strum of the strings was so alone. Hiei could feel her pain slice through his chest so similar to his pain before he had found Kurama. But he had come to accept the weakness of loving his human sister, as he had the weakness of loving his fox. Because the reward was so much greater than the cost. Hn, now if only I could tell them that.

 She started playing again. A simple song that seamed to have no lyrics to it. He took that moment to jump into view. "Anja."

 "N. . . niisan! How long have you been there?"

 Hiei just smiled and tossed to her the roll of film. "Mukuro asked me to give this to you."

 "Oh!" Anja laughed out loud, "The pictures. . . Yomi," she laughed until she had tears running from her eyes, "I forgot all about it!"

 Hiei smiled then, A real smile.

 Anja stared, lost in it for a moment then she smiled too, "You know, you look really handsome when you smile niisan." She said, smoothing her hand through his hair. "You should try it more often."

 "Hn. I smile enough."

 "No. . . You grin and glare." Anja made a face trying to copy Hiei's trademark death grin and the Koorime actually laughed! "Th. . . that's the first time I've heard you laugh!"

 Hiei sobered instantly, "I haven't had much to laugh about." He told her truthfully.

 Anja nodded sadly, "It's hard to be reikai tantai, and to be Mukuro's heir too. . . I can just imagine."

 Hiei nodded, "But for some reason you always make me forget myself."

 Anja grinned, "No da, it's because I am your Imouto and you love me."

 The koorime was silent for a moment but then said softly, "That tear I cried, in Kurama's house, when Shori had hurt you. . ."

 "Yes."

 "I. . ." He paused then thrust out his hand dropping something in Anja's. "Hn."

 "Nani. . ." she took the necklace from him, the tine silver chain held Hiei's tear gem, but he had carefully shaped it into a bat charm.

 " I . . . You like bats, ne? And Koorime's give each child a tear gem. You are my sister now so. . ."

 "H. . . Hai." She said, still dazed then she jumped to Hiei, throwing her arms around his neck, "Oh thank you niisan!"

 His lips turned up only slightly, but he hugged her back then, "If you tell anyone what we talked about I'll kill you."

 Anja laughed, "You know everything you say is safe with me Hiei-chan."

 The Koorime blushed and sat beside Anja, "What was that song?"

 "What one?"

 "The one with no words."

 "Ah, my tousan wrote it a long time ago."

 "Can I play it too?" Hiei took out a flute-like pipe and blushed.

 Anja smiled at her Niisan's shyness and nodded, "Hai." She started to play and Hiei followed her example. When she began to sing he listened once then joined her.

 "The night is dark and deep, there is no place for you to sleep, the wind is howling through the trees. Though you run on and on, their memory still goes on, don't try to run, forget, the pain will cut you deep. . ."

 Anja smiled at her niisan and he smiled back at her. They made a bond in their hearts and souls with the simple song. They were family.

 Before Hiei left, he fastened the necklace on for her, "If this keeps up you will run out of room to wear your tokens." He noted.

 Anja smiled and pressed her hand to the tear gem. "Arigato niisan."

 "Hn." He said but not harshly. "Mukuro would like you to give her the pictures yourself. She is curious about you."

 Anja smiled, "Hai! I want to meet her too!" Then she stopped a moment, "Come with me."

 "What?"

 "To get the film developed. Come with me. I still haven't picked up the prints from the picnic either."

 Hiei thought a moment but unwilling to let the moment go, he relented, "Hai."

 Anja smiled and went to where she had hidden FireStarter. "Come on then." She placed the helmet on her head and grinned, "hold on!"
 

 When they got to the shop Hiei grinned at Anja's wind mussed hair and she teased his glittering eyes. They walked in and the man almost went into shock.

 "Oh! Hi! You're back! Um, here they are!" He hurried trying to get them to leave.

 Anja smiled and took the packet from him then handed his the new film. "We need this done in an hour." She smiled, "Niisan and I will wait in here."

 "Oh!" The man looked faint and Anja laughed, Hiei just grunted.

 "Ok, we'll go outside then if we both you so much." Anja nodded to Hiei, "Come on niisan, I want to get some sweet snow."

 "Hai." He nodded and followed her to the nearest ice cream cart.

           After they had gotten their ice cream, the two sat in a tree outside of the shop and waited , and Anja looked through the pictures in her hand. The picnic. She smiled and showed Hiei the one where he had pulled her into the pond.

 Hiei looked at the picture in shock, Is that me? I was smiling! I was happy. He looked at his new sister through his bangs and felt something akin to wonder when he caught her tender gaze on him. She is like Yukina and I would have been, had I not given my word not to tell her. . . I have a sister. She really loves me!

 Anja smiled deeper when she found the pictures that Yuusuke, Kuwabara, and Shori had taken. Hiei sweat dropped and Anja laughed, "So that's what they did!" She smiled at the sweet scene in the photo, "I have to thank them for that." She handed one of the doubles to Hiei, "Here." She smiled, "For you."

 Hiei looked down at the picture at a loss for words. He looked so happy, so innocent. How. . . I have killed so many and done such horrible things. . . his hands shook as he held the photo, How can I still appear so untouched by it?

 Anja understood her brothers dilemma and hugged him close, "Never live in the past, what you do now is what's most important." She smiled, "And you have always come to my rescue when I needed you."

 Hiei looked through the rest of the pictures with her and saw many of Anja and Kuronue playing together. Some of Shura with them. One stopped her though, and it was her hands turn to tremble. The picture she held was of her first family all piled around her in the ocean, trying to run away from a huge wave that must have ended up catching them. A tear splattered on it and Hiei looked up at her watery eyes.

 "Hn," She sniffed, "I wish I could cry tear gems too." She teased, "It's less messy."

 Hiei saw through her jokes, he saw her pain. "Don't cry."

 She looked at him sadly, "Easy for you to say."

 He grinned ruefully, "No it isn't."

 "I'm sorry."

 Hiei didn't know what to do, so he just held her. Soon she softened against him. "Ok now?"

 "H. . . hai." She smiled weakly, "I just miss them so much."

 Hiei didn't say anything, she didn't need to hear words now, she just needed her niisan. When she stopped shaking, he gently jumped down from the tree with her and shoved the pictures into her motorcycles saddlebag. "It's been an hour."

 "Oh! Mukuro's pictures!" Anja pulled herself together and hurried into the shop. The man looked like he would be rude to her, but one fanged grin from Hiei shut him up.

 When they left Anja turned to Hiei and fanned the packet in front of her, "Ok, let's go see Mukuro."

<Part 2>
 

 Hiei led Anja through the huge gates of the palace. The moment he had stepped foot inside he had taken on an air of command that Anja made very hard by giggling at it.

 She seamed very amused that the guards scurried away from the two of them.

 When they reached the throne room, Hiei swung the doors open and stepped inside first. "Mukuro."

 "Hiei." She looked up and smiled, "Back so soon?"

 "I brought my Imo. . . um, Anja, to see you."

 The ningen in question stepped forward from behind her brother and gasped at Mukuro. Her face was half bionic! But she was still so. . .

 "I am sorry if I offend you." The woman offered.

 "Oh no!" Anja smiled, "It just caught me off guard, I hadn't expected you to be so beautiful!"

 Mukuro seamed at a loss for words.

 "Oh! Here." Anja stepped forward and handed her the packet, "Here are your pictures."

 The woman smiled and took Anja's hand, "Come, let us go into the sitting room and look these over."

 "I. . . I think I've seen enough." Anja stammered.

 "Mukuro!" Hiei hissed and took Anja's arm.

 "I'm fine niisan, you don't have to baby me."

 The koorime glared at Mukuro but stayed quiet and followed the girls into the sitting room.

 "So Hiei is now your niisan?" The woman asked after sending an oni to fetch some tea.

 "Hai." Anja nodded, "My first family was killed, so the tantai and the Minamino house adopted me."

 The queen looked saddened by the news, "And then Yomi captured you on top of that." She shook her head, "Why did Yomi capture you?"

 "I got too close to prince Shura." Anja blushed.

 "How close?"

 "He caught us kissing."

 "That's not so bad."

 "In Shura's bed. . ."

 "Oh!" Mukuro grinned, "Well that's more like it."

 "Anja had been put on the menu as Yomi's main course but she beat up the cook and Shura helped her find her tokens." Hiei offered.

 "I see." Mukuro looked at the jewelry the child wore, "What do they mean?"

 Anja smiled, "This ring." She held up the silver claw, "Was given to me by Kuronue after I saved his life. The choker and pendant he gave me later. The choker just because he liked it, the pendant when we became more than friends."

 Mukuro nodded.

 "The claw necklace was my mothers when she was a child, and this ring. . ." She showed a silver and turquoise ring that looked like two thrown together as one which Anja wore on her right thumb now, "It is made of my mother and father's Indian weeding bands. After they died I welded the two together."

 Mukuro nodded and smiled at the child. Hiei was practically fawning over her, making sure she was all right. The queen liked this side of the demon. "And what is that last necklace?"

 Anja smiled, "My teargem." She picked the little winged shape up and help it lovingly. "My niisan cried it for me, and shaped it. Isn't it wonderful!"

 The queen had to admit, it was good. "Hiei, you have hidden talent."

 "Hn!" He snorted and reclined on the back of Anja's chair.

 "Feet off the furniture!"

 Hiei almost fell of backwards to obey but ended up sprawled on Anja's lap.

 "You can share my chair with me niisan." Anja laughed, "It's huge!" She scooted over and made room for Hiei and Mukuro almost choked on her laughter, they made such a pair!

 "So Hiei, who is training her?"

 "Hn. I am."

 Anja smiled and hugged Hiei tightly, "He's a great teacher too!"

 The fire demon grunted, "I wouldn't trust anyone else to it."

 "And Yukina is going to show me some of her healing techniques."

 Mukuro nodded, "And Genkai will teach you your history. . . but what about magic?"

 "I only know what Kuronue taught me and my healing."

 "I could teach you." Mukuro offered.

 "Honto?!"

 "No."

 "But Hiei why not?"

 "Hn!" He said obviously meaning to put an end to the conversation.

 "Well I want to." Anja smiled, "I'd be honored to learn from lady Mukuro."

 "We have one thing in common." Mukuro frowned.

 "What?" Anja asked.

 The woman looked at the pictures Anja had brought to her and a tear rolled out of her living eye. "Yomi."

 "H. . . Hiei, could you please leave us alone for a minute?"

 "Hn." He nodded and left the room stiffly, closing the doors behind him.

 Anja stood and went to the woman's side, "What happened?"

 "When I was younger, Yomi raped me. I was kept by him for so long. I did this," She gestured to herself, "To make him stop, to get away."

 Anja frowned and hugged the lady tight, not caring if she was a queen or not, she looked like she could use a hug.

 Mukuro hugged the ningen back, ashamed to show such weakness to one who was almost a stranger to her, but needing the comfort of the friendship that was for no reason but the sake of being friends. "Thank you Anja." She smiled, "I can see why they called you she-who-cares."

 "Hai." The ningen sat back and wiped Mukuro's tears away, "I wish you hadn't had to go through that. But it made you stronger hai?"

 "Hai."

 "So it had it's uses."

 The lady smiled slantedly, "Here." She sorted through and pulled out a picture. "This is for you."

 Anja looked at it. It was Yomi from just above his private areas and up, clearly showing her sign tattooed across his chest. She laughed and Mukuro laughed with her at it.

 "You did a good job on him. Even if he gets it removed surgically, he'll have a bat shaped scar and I heard you still have his knife too."

 "Hai. It was too good for him." She grinned.

 Mukuro laughed, "You are going to be a pleasure to train."

 "She is not training with you!" Kurama burst into the room followed by Hiei.

 "Kurama." Mukuro stood and addressed him dryly, "What do you want?"

 "I want my sister."

 "I am fine niisan." Anja smiled. "I like lady Mukuro."

 Mukuro stepped between them, "I mean no harm to her Kurama, I like her and so I want her to be taught as best she can be. She'll live longer that way."

 "And what do you want in return?"

 Mukuro frowned, "Nothing. She is my friend."

 "Bah, Friend?"

 "Yes!" Anja said standing next to the lady, "Friend."

 Kurama was speechless.

 "They get along well fox." Hiei admitted gruffly.

 "If Anja trains here I or another tantai will be coming with her each time she comes."

 "Of course." Mukuro smiled.

 "Come on Anja, It' s getting late and we have school tomorrow."

 "Hai niisan." Anja took Kurama's hand, "Good bye Mukuro-chan," She did her best terminator stance and grinned, "I'll be back." Then Kurama pulled her from the palace.

 "I really like that kid." Mukuro smiled then noticed Hiei still standing there.

 "If you hurt her, I will have to kill you." He said softly.

 "I wont hurt her." Mukuro smiled, "She will be like a. . . like a daughter to me."

 Hiei nodded and then blurred off with a displacement of air, to catch up to Anja and Kurama.

 When he found them Kurama was pushing her through the portal muttering about her behavior. Hiei snorted, Nothing unusual. He followed them into Ningenkai and walked beside them for awhile.

 "What is this?" Kurama asked taking the picture Mukuro had given to her. He stopped in mid step and his eyes nearly bugged out! "Is this what you did to him?!!"

 "His upper part anyway." Anja grumbled.

 Kurama showed Hiei then started to laugh, "Oh! Yomi is going to be very unhappy with that!"

 Hiei handed the picture back to Anja, "You did a good job."

 Anja smiled and soaked up the rare praise, "Thank you niisan." She tucked the picture in her pocket and yawned.

 "We go to Genkai's temple tomorrow after school."  Kurama sighed, "For more training."

 Anja nodded and leaned on Kurama as they walked back to his house. He maneuvered her half sleeping form into her room and helped her get ready for bed then tucked her in with a smile.

 After Kurama shut off the lights, Hiei slipped in through the window. He leaned over Anja's sleeping form and kissed her forehead gently, "Goodnight Imouto-chan, thank you."
 
 
 
 

~Owari~