The next thing she knew, she was in the Mystic Medow. But deep in it. In an orchered-like area. She got up and woundered around. Her powers were back, she noticed by how her claws were back. She walked around looking at everyithng. She thought to herself, Why am I here? I thought I was killed. Was I? She contiued to wander untill she got to the area with the cabin. At least I'm in a fimiliar place. Then she saw Hiei up in a tree. "Hiei!" She called to him. Hiei looked down to her and smiled. "Hi Rika." He said. Rika blushed a bit. Hiei is smiling? Hiei lead Rika into the medow into a forest-like area, only all the trees were all cherry bloosoms.

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[cherry blossoms always are in the,] Mystic Medow

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Hiei sat down on a hill area and Rika next to him. Then, Hiei embraced her. Rika blushed with a shocked look on her face. "H-Hiei." Rika questioned. "I'm sorry..." He said in a quick tone. "What?......" Rika questioned. "When you were being attacked by the bandits.....They were actually the team...." Hiei answered hesitantly. "What!?..." Rika gasped still embraced by Hiei. Hiei drew her in tighter. "Genkai wanted to put you through a test to see how long you could....last without your powers. I knew of it....But-" Hiei said, Rika pushed away, her hands on his shoulders, and his hands on her waist. "You knew!?" She interrupted. She asked it in an angry, disappointed way. "Rika, Listen....I didn't go with it." He answered. "Because your pride didn't allow it!" Rika scowled as she turned her head. "I didn't want to hurt you." Hiei said calmly. Rika turned to him and her face had a surprised look on it. She felt her heart beat. She moved into Hiei again and he wrapped his arms around her. Rika closed her eyes tight. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked. "I.......................wanted to know, too." Hiei said hesitantly. Rika felt like pulling away, but Hiei embraced her tighter before she could. "But that's why I followed you and helped you." He said. Rika felt a little hurt, but also peaceful. She sighed and cuddled into him. Hiei rested his head on hers and embraced her. After a while with Hiei, Rika escaped while he wasn't looking and went to a cliff area of the meadow, which was quite rare. There was something she wasn't sure of, something that gnawed at her. The meadow felt......artificial. Like it wasn't the real thing. And Hiei didn't feel the same either. She felt as though like she was in a dream-like state. She sighed looking out at the sea. This feeling made her sad. Although she never felt it in a long time, she felt very upset and somewhat scared. "Rika?" Came a voice from behind her. Rika turned and saw Hiei. "Oh....Hiei. It's just you...." She answered with a bit of relief. "Something wrong?" He questioned tilting his head. "Uh, no, nothing...." Rika hesitated. Rika sat down on the cliff, then Hiei did. Hiei tilted his head again looking at her. Rika stared down into her lap were her hands tightly closed together. "Something is wrong." Hiei said breaking the silence. Rika looked up then to him. "I can see it in your eyes." He continued. Rika bit her lower lip, "I......I'm afraid to tell you...." She said. "Come on, you can tell me." Hiei answered. "The meadow.....it doesn't feel real. I can't feel it's magic. I can't feel it being here. And........you....you don't seem to be here either. I can't feel any energy." Rika answered looking back at the forest and then to Hiei. Then she looked back at her hands in her lap. "Nothing feels right....." She continued. Then Hiei's looked wicked and he smiled wickedly as well. Rika wasn't looking though to notice the odd change.

Back at the hotel. Rika was lying on the couch asleep. Kurama sat on the chair that was beside the couch. Yusuke leaned against the wall behind the couch. Kuwabara sat in another chair that sat facing the couch, and was behind the table that sat between the two. Genkai stood at Rika's side. Hiei sat in the window sill and looked outside to the rain. "So how long will she be out?" Yusuke asked Genkai. "I'm not sure. But I don't expect her to wake up from the dream spell anytime soon." Genkai answered. Hiei really didn't look to happy as he looked at Rika's reflection in the window. It irritated him that she was like that. Kurama noticed but thought it was best not to say anything. He sipped a cup of coffee he had. He kept think how Rika might react if she found out what really happened. he felt very uneasy and he sighed and looked into his cup. Yuniko was watching him from the door on the other side of the room. She looked worried about her boyfriend. Keiko, Siezuru (or however you spell Kuwabara's sisters name) and Yukina were in that room talking a bit. "Yuniko looks really upset. Maybe we should talk to her." Keiko whispered. "I don't think she feels much like talking. Besides she seems upset about Kurama after all, so I don't think we should talk to her about it." Siezuru whispered back. Yukina looked at Yuniko. Yuniko closed the crack in the door quietly and sighed. "Are you alright, Yuniko?" Yukina asked. Yuniko turned to them. "Kurama seems upset about his sister. I don't like seeing him this way." She answered. "Don't worry he'll be fine." Siezuru said. Yuniko looked at the floored, worriedly.

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[If you haven't noticed by now, everything dealing with the mystic meadow is a dream to Rika.]

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       Back to Rika's dream.
"I guess you have more power then I expected if you can sense my spell." Hiei said in a raspy, girl-like voice. Rika quickly turned to Hiei. "What!?" Then everything around her, the mystic meadow, the ocean, and the cliff all turned into a black obis. Hiei then changed into a strange creature. It had the head of a woman with brown hair and red eyes. It wore a white, ripped dress. Black, long, large tentacles came from beneath the dress. "WHO ARE YOU!?" Rika yelled. "I'm your worst nightmare!" The creature said swooping toward her and snatching her up. The creature flew off with Rika tied in her tentacles. Rika tried to fight them off but couldn't. A strange spell counseled Rika's powers and strengths. She then blacked out.

       Back at the hotel.
Genkai sensed her dream spell turn into dark magic. She gasped. "What is it!?" Yusuke questioned. "Something’s happened to my spell. It turned into dark magic." She exclaimed. Everyone gasped and Hiei turned quickly to them with a worried, surprised look on his face.

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The Nightmare begins


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