So, I thought I'd let you guys know that between moving, working full time, a total overhaul at said job, writing two novels and editing one, I've managed to map out the last bits of this section of story. According to my outline The Balance of Chaos will end up being about 37 chapters long. I have plans to do a third installment, The Broken Renewed. I haven't finished (or even started) mapping that out yet, though I've been chipping away at story ideas. So far I have roughly 70 pages of potential story arcs (like four different ones, btw). I'm also considering doing a KuramaOC story in the same universe. I have a tiny bit of that drafted as well.

To add to my workload because I'm obviously a total masochist, I'm thinking I may go through and redo The Reborn Forgotten. Over the years I've developed a lot as a writer and I think I can sharpen the story and add more to it. It needs cleaning up as it is. I'd love to hear your opinions on that matter.

Anyway! Thank you all for reading!

Kin Jiro wrinkled his nose as Yukina sighed beside him. She understood his frustration. Hiei and Amon-Shinpi had told them both to remain in the castle, in their hall, so they wouldn't encounter the other visitors.

Particularly Mukuro.

"Hey." Kuwabara wandered into the room and greeted the two demons. "Yukina, my sweet, how are you?"

"I'm great, thank you for checking on me Kazuma." She beamed at him. "Though I think that young Kin is a little cooped up. It doesn't do to keep a young boy locked up."

"Yeah. Ichi was pretty pissed you two showed up." He scratched his temple, forcing a smile. "I think she's just worried you know. With everyone here and the war happening, she wants to keep you safe."

"She's worried what will happen if Mukuro finds me." Kin Jiro huffed, annoyed. "She's always been afraid of Mukuro but I don't see what the big deal is. If Ichi could beat Hiro then why can't she just beat Mukuro?"

"I think it's more complicated." Kuwabara sighed. "Besides, she needs all the kings on her side for this to work out, especially Mukuro since she has the biggest army. You being here is sort of a distraction."

"We never needed an army before." Kin seemed indignant. "If the Special Defense Force hadn't put those inane binds on her, my sister would be able to handle this all by herself. If this gets into Human World it'll be all their fault. They should be the ones here fighting."

"I'm not going to argue with ya, kid. But the fact remains. Ichi said to keep you safe." Kuwabara pointed his finger at the kid's nose. "You think I like being a babysitter? Psh. I fought the Toguro brothers. Hell, I helped fight Sensui. I even made it through high school. But Ichi asked me to so here I am."

"Honestly, that proves nothing to me except that you'll take orders even if you don't believe in them." Kin deadpanned and Yukina giggled slightly at the uncanny resemblance to his older sister.

"It means that I trust your sister's judgment and so should you, you little twerp." Kazuma ground out through a locked jaw. "Sheesh, you two are so alike. It's no wonder she's worried about you getting into trouble."

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Kurama looked around Amon-Shinpi's bedroom as she pulled her tunic down over her clothes.

The fox had been sent to find the demon lord by one of the mouse girls who tended to the castle. The girl, with her plain brown hair hadn't been able to offer an explanation for the request. Kurama, naturally, grew minutely suspicious. He'd never been summoned to her personal chambers before and given how Hiei reacted to Hayato being in them…

Well. It had better be a good reason.

"The future." She made a slight face as she turned to face him, her eye still covered. She handed him a small yellow ball. "I tried to talk to Hiei but he wasn't interested in listening to me."

"Why are you giving me this?" Kurama examined the message sphere with pinched brow.

"It's not for right now. But you'll need it after the war is done. It contains some instructions that I want you all to follow." She explained lightly. Green eyes met her blue ones.

"Instructions you don't think you'll be able to give us in person." Kurama spoke clearly. "You've been particularly careful lately, Ichi, and you've mentioned that you might not make it back with us before. What is going on?"

"I've examined the possibilities, Kurama." She sighed heavily. "My chances of coming out of this war are not high. The final battle will be the tipping point and there are only so many paths for everyone to follow. I put my odds of surviving at around forty-three percent."

He balked at the figure. "Why so low? Is it the seals?"

"No, when the time comes the seals won't be an issue." She shook her head, missing the shivering curtain of red. "The truth of the matter is that I'm going to win this war for us and to do so will cost me dearly. I've already made up my mind. I know what will happen. It's the aftermath that is uncertain. What I do know for sure is that I will be weaker than when you first met me and everyone will want to kill me or contain me."

"Why?" He demanded and she looked away.

"Because they'll be terrified." She stated coldly. "Either the kings will move on me or the SDF will. If the kings don't decide to kill me, they'll at least try to get me under control in some way. Facing the SDF will be out of the question. I'll be banished from Human World."

"You seem so certain." The fox looked down at the sphere. "What is going to happen, Ichi?"

"The final battle is going to fall on the night of the full moon. It has to. By that point the war will be on my land and there will be nothing we can do but act as the barrier. You have to know that the barrier is weakest here. This place has always been closer to Ningenkai than the other parts of Demon World. It's the most strategic place to overtake to attack the humans." She pulled out a notebook and handed it to him. He blinked, reading the name and dates on the leather cover.

"One of your personal notebooks." He looked up at her face and she nodded once. "Why are you giving this to me, Ichi?"

"It's a bribe. I don't want Hiei to know what's going to happen. That's why I gave you the orb. I fear that if he finds out what I'm going to do he'll try to intervene. We won't survive if he manages to do that." She explained. "He's already on edge with me talking about the eventuality of my death."

"We all are." The red head eyed his female teammate but made no move to deny her bribe. He tucked the notebook against his side. "You've been very morose as of late."

"I told Hiei that if I die, I want him to find a good place for Kin until he's of age to take over. He will need your help. Hiei knows what I want for my brother more than anyone, but I think you'll have to guide him through the experience. He suggested he could just take Kin, but if I'm gone, the grief will likely change his mind." Ichi ran a hand over her hair and continued the motion after the ends stopped. She seemed to catch herself and made a face. "Kurama, I trust you more than almost anybody. That's why I'm telling you all of this. I know you'll understand how to use the information best. You should go read the journals in my study from about a hundred and fifty years ago. I think you'll find one particular story about the festival interesting."

"We should speak to the entire team about this." He told her firmly. "A secret of this magnitude will only serve to divide us and that is something we can't afford right now."

"I intend to tell everyone except Hiei, after you read the journal, if you still think it's best. Before you dart off though, I did already ask them all to come to the conference hall so we can talk about something else." She made a face. Hiei had pressed the issue that she should open up about her current state to them. In fact some of his first words that morning were that if she didn't tell them, he would.

She decided he was right.

"There's more?" Kurama followed her as she began walking. "I suppose I can't blame you for keeping secrets when so much as happened to you in such a short time. Your enemies must seem to loiter around every corner."

"That's not the reason for this secret." She idly touched where the seals had been placed on her skin. They entered the room as they chatted.

Hiei leaned against the wall with one foot up, knee bent. He smirked when she walked in and Kurama stared at his friend's neck and the impression of teeth displayed for the world to see. Hiei had dropped the formal wear and opted for his black sleeveless shirt. The redhead spun to stare at the small woman at his side who shook her head at the fire demon and his smug expression.

"You're going to get in trouble." She chided him lightly, lifting her chin.

"Nothing I can't handle, if that's what you're worried about." He watched her walk toward the table.

"If you say so." She raised her eyebrows. Yusuke and Kuwabara came in after them.

"Yo. Nice hickey, Hiei." Yusuke joked and the fire demon looked over at Shinpi who made a face and sighed heavily. Then the Spirit Detective turned to tease her. "I didn't think you were the PDA type, Ichi."

"It didn't happen in public." She rolled her eyes. "Wolf demons mark their mates. This isn't anything knew."

"It is the first time you've ever done it." Kurama pointed out, looking at how proud of himself Hiei seemed to be by proxy. "Has Mukuro seen you?"

"No. And I'm not concerned if she does. I've been open about having a relationship with Shinpi." The fire demon huffed. "We're not here to talk about this."

"Getting embarrassed?" Kuwabara guessed.

"Why would I be embarrassed?" Hiei flattened his expression.

"I mean, most people are embarrassed by hickeys." The human rubbed his neck. Hiei glanced at Kurama for an explanation.

"Amongst humans love bites, or hickeys, are marks left on the skin like bruises. It's not something people display proudly. It's normally a sign people got a bit carried away." The fox waved his hand. "To be fair, most apparitions feel the same way."

"Fools." Hiei rolled his eyes. "For Shinpi's kind it signifies a bond. It's a mark of intentions."

Crimson eyes settled on the okami and she smiled at him, small and then it was gone.

"I want people to know she's got her sights on me." Hiei continued to watch her and then noticed Kurama studying him carefully. "What are you staring at?"

"I admit, even I thought you just were proud of the conquest. But you're not. You're proud that Ichi is finally showing others what you mean to her." Kurama stated and the fire demon blinked at him. The other two men grinned like idiots and the fire demon closed his eyes, eyebrow ticking in a way that made the wolf demon chuckle.

"Shinpi." Hiei stated seriously and she hid her laugh behind her hand and nodded once, single blue eye bright.

"Right. Well, Kazuma do you mind closing the door. I want to show you all something personal." She directed her pupil who nodded and closed the door. With a deep breath she let the glitter fall from her eyes as she became more somber. Swallowing, she started to unwind the covering from her eye, then the patch she'd started wearing underneath.

Slowly, she raised her gaze to stare at her team with one crimson eye and one blue, wincing at their stricken reactions. She turned her face away so they could only see her blue eye. It bothered her immensely, the horror on their faces. Closing her eyes she reached for her patch and found a bandaged hand in her way. Hiei scanned over her face then shook his head slightly, causing her to drop her gaze.

"They need to get used to it. You have no reason to hide." He told her quietly, and it forced the team out of their stupor when they realized the demoness looked deeply uncomfortable.

"I'm not even used to it. I can't ask anyone else to be." She responded to him, still looking away and down. Hiei put a crooked finger under her chin to raise her gaze to meet his. He didn't flinch or hesitate.

"What happened?" Kurama asked, stepping forward. She looked over at him and he felt a pressure when the crimson eye fell on him, his step faltering. She swept her gaze over the other two men.

Kurama's energy was controlled, it didn't radiate. No. It coiled tightly around him, carefully wound. Hiei always seemed to have smoky tendrils coming off of his form and Yusuke bubbled with blue light. Kazuma was surrounded with a faint aura of gold. They were all so different, she noted. Then she looked at her own hands. Her right arm glowed red, wispy like Hiei's energy. Her left hand was green, her natural energy controlled very much so like Kurama's.

"I almost died." She frowned at the difference between her arms, distracted by it. Her tone was lost as she answered the fox's question. "I'm off balance. My right arm is growing stronger than my left."

Hiei blinked at her. "Shinpi, you need to explain."

"Right." She shook herself out of it. "I forgot you can't see them the way I do."

"Them?" Yusuke stared at her. She nodded.

"Energies. A borrowed trick from my grandfather." She explained. "What they did to me in that cave, it nearly cost me everything. My life. They drained me to empty. I had to do something or I would have died."

They all grew grave as they listened to her. No one had pressed too hard for the details of what had happened to her. They had seen her damaged body, and respected it was traumatic. She met their faces, unable to dispel the looks she saw.

"I made a deal with my grandfather. I would host his spirit as a means to use his energy and in exchange, I would give him some of my life force as it came back to me." She made a face then and looked at Hiei who was scowling at her. "Grandfather wants a chance to live again but I'm not sure what that means. What I do know is that even though I'm getting stronger everyday I'm still living on borrowed energy, not my own."

Kurama's eyes widened as she met them and he understood their earlier conversation suddenly. This was why she wanted him to wait to read the stories until after he'd heard her speak.

"So, let me get this straight. You were dying so you thought, why not harbor some sort of spirit in your body without asking for what he really wanted." Yusuke gestured loosely and Hiei smirked.

"Even the detective finds your logic flawed." Hiei pointed out as if this settled some argument.

"It was either live with Hotaru or die at their hands." She spoke stiffly. They all stared at her. "If there had been another choice, I would have found it. God knows I had enough time to spend thinking since I couldn't move or fight. There wasn't. I was alone, being tortured every day, and they were taking every drop of blood in my veins from me."

Kurama's fist clenched and he noticed that Kazuma was quietly staring at his master, his own hands in tight fists.

"I'm so sorry Ichi." Kazuma's face cast in shadow and she turned to watch him. "This is all our fault. If we had been with you, you would never have been taken. If we had just noticed-"

She blinked at him, taken aback.

"Kazuma." She walked over and wrapped her arms around him and he shook in her hug as he tried to fight back tears. Her voice was soft, comforting, as the much larger man allowed her to rub his back. Hiei found himself lifting his lips in a sneer at the display. "Why are you so upset, you didn't do this to me."

"You were gone for so long before we noticed though." He sniffled, cheeks wet as his voice clouded with guilt. Kurama and Yusuke looked down at the floor, hard set expressions on their face and Ichi pulled back from the human, staring at them. Then Hiei glared at all of them from behind her. They all waited for her to say something and when she didn't, they looked over at her.

Ichi was staring at them all softly, mildly confused then she smiled gently.

"You're all such big idiots sometimes." She sighed. "You all came as soon as you could. You have lives that don't revolve around keeping track of me. I went out on my own without waiting or even asking for help. This isn't on you. It's not on any of you. And if I didn't have such devoted friends, I would have died."

"While that may be true, had we been around more, you wouldn't have suffered to this point." Kurama met her gentle gaze, his own dark. "Hiei was the one who noticed you were gone, the one that rallied us to find you. We should have known long before he did."

She looked back down at her hands and then her smile changed into something a bit wider, rougher on the edges. Her eyes glinted dangerously.

"No. This played out exactly how it was meant to. Stop worrying." She scolded them now, then turned her hands into fists and looked up. "I won't hear anything else about this. If you feel guilty, then that's on you. Do something about it. But just know that I'm not the one holding you to that standard."

"Maybe you should." Hiei countered darkly, causing her to shake her head. Then she held up her left arm to display the final fading seal. His eyes widened as did the other's. When she grinned, it showed fang.

"You know, I'm beginning to think that maybe being knocked off my pedestal was the best thing that ever happened to me." She laughed. "Grandfather's energy is allowing me to circumvent the seals. Here in my land, in my home, I am stronger than ever. With his soul and mine interwoven the way they are, this year seems to be closer to less than six months. He's accepting some of the limitations for me, allowing me to grow. And if you thought my energy peaked after those spirit cuffs, I think you're going to be quite impressed when this seal finally breaks."

"Damn, Ichi." Yusuke laughed, walking over to toss her into a headlock. "Did you get a new set of balls with that eye or what?"

"I don't know when the last seal will fade, but I hope that it's before this battle starts." She admitted. "I'm not sure what will happen when I can use my energy again, or what grandfather wants to do, but I know with all of you at my back, I can never lose."

"Hn." Hiei narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't care about some old soul. Just remember our arrangement."

"I won't fall again, Hiei." She nodded at him. "Not on your life or mine."

He just smirked at her returning confidence. He missed this side of her personality, hot headed and self-assured. It could be annoying but it was her. For the first time in months his okami was beginning to act like herself and he couldn't help but enjoy it.

They parted ways shortly after, Ichi offering Kurama directions to her personal office so he could rummage for information. Then she tittered with Yusuke and Kuwabara for a while, just explaining things to them and allowing them to get a sense of her new energy. Her friends adjusted quickly to the state of her, something she hadn't anticipated. Hiei allowed his okami this reprieve and left to find his leader.

He passed Yukina on the way out and cast her a wary glance. She shot him one in return, stilling him for the moment. Then she swallowed and walked into the conference room.

"Ichi." She called softly and earned the demon lord's attention. "While I was tidying up the room you allowed me, Kin seems to have," she fought back a wince, "slipped away."

"What?" The redhead let her jovial expression falter. "What do you mean?"

"One minute he was helping me clean, the next he was gone." The ice maiden winced. "I'm so sorry."

"That boy." Ichi rolled her eyes. "Don't worry Yukina, it's alright. He does this all the time. Slippery little child."

Yukina seemed relieved to not be incurring the wolf demon's wrath.

"I hate keeping you away from the action, you know. I just, if certain people were to get their hands on you I'd never forgive myself. I don't want you to get hurt." Ichi explained as she moved to the door, touching the Koorime's arm lightly. "I care about you and your safety. I'm sorry that it makes me look tyrannical."

"I know your heart is in the best place." Yukina offered, though her smile was tight. "Although I think I'm better at taking care of myself than you realize."

"You're right." Ichi allowed and then bowed the ice maiden. "Be careful, Yukina. I'll be here if you find trouble."

"In that case I think trouble will find you long before me." Yukina quipped and they both laughed. Hiei watched the display with heavy interest then was gone.

Kin stood in front of the mechanical King with his grandfather's sword in his hands, poised to fight. His blue eyes were narrowed. She studied the child with mild amusement as a small amount of wind swirled around his feet. His energy was plentiful but still paltry compared to her own. She'd seen his picture once, something Hiei had left out before discovering his mistake. She recognized the child easily enough. The fire demon wasn't one for sentimentality, but recently something had been changing about him.

Seeing him in the flesh, however, was unexpected. She reined in her confusion to study him.

"You mean to kill me." She stated this as fact, that small smile on her face. He fought back the growl brewing in his chest. Sister would be composed if she were here.

"Yes." He nodded once, trying his best to pull off the dark mask his sister wore in battle. It wasn't having the same effect on the face of the apparent eleven-year-old.

"May I ask why?" She tilted her head.

"Because you killed my mother and father." He told her coolly. Hiei sighed from behind Mukuro, having walked up on the scene having just left the meeting with the team. The boy's soft wind didn't touch the sword in his hands, something the fire demon noted. What was he thinking?

"Kin, you're being foolish." Hiei walked over and jerked the weapon from the boy's hands with his eyes closed. Kin squeaked at the fire demon's sudden presence then again when he realized Hiei could hold the sword with no issue. "Mukuro is not your enemy."

"She killed my family!" He raised his voice. "How can you sit there and just, and just, just-"

Hiei knelt down on one knee, laying the blade against his own shoulder. He stared the child in his blue eyes.

"Mukuro saved me. And she has saved Shinpi." Hiei lowered his voice gently. Mukuro blinked at the tone. "And she is not the same person she was so long ago. If your hard headed sister can step away from her hatred, then so can you."

"Give me my sword, traitor." Kin frowned at the fire demon, who deadpanned. "You can't be our friend and hers in the same life, Hiei."

"This is unusual." Mukuro commented from behind them. Kin glared at her while Hiei sighed.

"Kin, you're better than these petty actions." Hiei snapped and the boy winced at the words. "Your family wouldn't want you out here making a fool of yourself."

"I agree." The sensation of biting wind had Mukuro stepping back. Amon-Shinpi arrived from an indiscernible location, quickly, and without notice, her expression a cool mask as she regarded the small boy. The other king stared at the wolf demon as her red hair swayed in the bitter wind. "Kin Jiro Takani, I very clearly told you to stay inside the damn castle where you'd be safe and out of sight."

Amon-Shinpi wacked her brother on the top of the head with the sword's scabbard, producing a lump as she closed her eyes.

"And you left the sheath behind." She hit him again, lightly. He rubbed the spots tenderly while Hiei rose, wearing a smirk. The fire demon continued to hold the sword against his shoulder as comfortably as if it were his own. "You troublesome boy. You can't go around picking fights with Kings."

"You do." The boy complained and Hiei chuckled earning a dark glare from the woman.

"He has a point, Shinpi." The youkai reminded her. She glared. "Thinking yourselves bigger and stronger than you actually are must be an inherited trait."

"You're one to talk." She pointed out. "Thank you for stepping in, Hiei."

"I wasn't just going to let him try to fight Mukuro." Hiei rolled his eyes. "He'd have been slaughtered."

"Hey!" Kin snapped. "I'm not that weak, you know!"

"You're weaker than me and I'm weaker than her." Hiei told the boy coolly, gesturing to his king. "You need far more practice before you can go around making good on blood oaths."

The boy wrinkled his nose in his aggravation and Hiei reached over his head to hand Shinpi the sword. She accepted it and replaced it in the sheath. In the process Kin began to look deflated, heaving a sigh. The fire demon looked at his okami and then down to her brother, wondering if she had ever been like him.

"Apologize. And mean it." Shinpi glared down at her brother. He crossed his arms over his chest and seethed. "Kin Jiro so help me, you will bow to them on your own merit or you bow under mine."

He looked up at her with narrowed eyes. Hiei fought back another chuckle at the boy's defiance. Even Mukuro seemed mildly amused. After an intense staring contest the eldest Takani won.

"I beg your forgiveness King Mukuro and Mr. Hiei." He bowed deeply at the waist. Shinpi nodded once at his display and when he stood she put her hand firmly on his shoulder, causing him to scowl.

"It won't happen again." She assured them both. "Thank you again, for how delicately you handled this."

"I have a question. When exactly did your family become able to rise from the dead?" Mukuro asked curiously. "I thought Kin Jiro's death seventy years ago was what had drove you over the edge."

"A fortunate twist of fate has proven that to be an exaggeration of events." Amon-Shinpi stated coolly, not interested in playing into Mukuro's curiosity. She tolerated the female king out of need and courtesy, not trust. She would not allow this woman any more information or leverage than was absolutely necessary, despite acting so respectfully.

"Resurrection seems to be a trick your family has mastered." The comment earned a snort. "Should I be looking forward to meeting anymore dead Takanis?"

Ichi smirked viciously and said nothing. Hiei raised his eyebrows at the expression but Mukuro only seemed amused.