Yu Yu Hakusho: The After Years

Episode 38: Polygraph

Kurama slammed the bedroom door behind him. Rieka jumped, unused to seeing the normally cool and confident Kurama look like someone had ruffled his feathers.

"Stubborn woman," he muttered, "Though at least she's in a good mood now, I'm afraid of what will happen once the nightmares begin to set in." Kurama rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I may have to take extra measures for security..."

"Hey, Kurama," said Yusuke, "I get that she's drugged and everything, but why exactly are you locking a girl in your bedroom?"

Once again, color rose to Kurama's cheeks, "The withdrawal from the drug causes nightmares, which in Ana's case could prove to be especially...troubling. There was something else of importance I know I needed to tell you two but—damn, if my memory wasn't being blocked again!"

Rieka set Mike down then, and looked curiously at Kurama, "What do you mean, memory blocked?"

"Someone here, someone at the tournament has a barrier ability. It is not only limited to physical barriers but mental ones. I think she called it "out of sight, out of mind," because if you lost sight of someone it would cause you to forget them. It happened when Ana and I became separated, but it broke at the tournament today...only...now..." Kurama appeared to be at a loss for words as his voice trailed off. He looked as if he were lost in thought.

"Barriers?" said Rieka, "But that could mean..."

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Ayame came to in their hotel suite, and found Hiro hovering over her. His cool hand rested on her forehead. He looked at her, an easy smile resting on his lips. It was not the first time Ayame had thought that Hiro had a handsome face. His crimson eyes were friendly and wide, almost like a doll's. His features were even and boyish, but there were lines there that hinted that he would one day lose that boyish cuteness to become an attractive man. His mint green hair stood out at odd angles, as carefree and easygoing as his personality. His looks were enough to distract her from her mission.

Then again, she realized as she looked over his shoulder and saw Kuwabara standing behind him, it was hard to believe he shared DNA with that goon of a father of his.

Kuwabara was positively glowering down at her, his brow ridge forming a deep shadow over his eyes.

"Hey," Hiro said to her, "Welcome back to the land of the living. That was quite a bump you took on the head there, but don't worry, I healed you. You should still take it easy, though."

"You should never have let her get hurt in the first place," Kuwabara scolded, "This is not how I raised you."

Hiro threw his arms up in mock defeat, "You told me never to hit girls, yet Rieka was my training partner. Also, it seems all the girls I get close to end up throwing themselves headfirst into danger, and I can hardly be blamed for that."

"Why is your father in our suite?" Ayame asked, with as much innocence in her voice as she could muster.

Hiro smiled wanly, "The jig is up, it seems."

Ayame's heart started racing. Did this mean they knew?

Seeing Ayame's panicked face, Hiro nodded solemnly, "Yeah, around the time you were knocked out, Ketsueki split open Rieka's mask so everyone could see who she was." He shrugged nonchalantly, "It seems I'm grounded  until adulthood."

So they didn't know. Her heart rate slowed a touch. But things started coming together in her mind. The kitsune wasn't with them, and he knew. She had to make him forget about her. She concentrated her reiki, fitting it like a glove over her body. It was a special sort of barrier she had developed from her time in the lab.