InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Hiei's Angel ❯ Hiei's Angel ( One-Shot )

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inu Yasha, they are from the lovely minds of Yoshihiro Togashi, and Rumiko Takahashi. I do not make any money from writing these stories.

Written for: The Deadliest Sin community Fan-Fiction contest “The Rest of The Story. Inspiration for this piece is drawn from the fan-art contest entry “Cheating Death” by nyctoshing

Author's Note: This story takes place several years after the Inu Yasha story-line, and a short time after the ending of Yu Yu Hakusho. It is assumed that King Enma forgives Koenma, and he and Yusuke and the others are re-instated to their positions. (Yes, I take liberties with the story.)

Warning: There is a fairly intense scene in this story during which Hiei is in a lot of pain. It may disturb some readers. Aside from that it should be okay for all audiences.

 

Hiei's Angel

 

Koenma was sitting at his desk, stamping papers when the door to his office flew open.

“Koenma,” Yusuke bellowed, as he barged in followed by the three other reluctant tantei, “we need to talk!”

“Yusuke, I know the rebellious youth act is your thing, but you've got to learn you can't just barge in here like that. If you've got something to discuss with me, you'll have to make an appointment through the appropriate channels. Summer is a very busy season for me.”

“Yeah, well it's a busy season for me, too,” Yusuke yelled, undeterred by Koenma's dismissive tone, “Kikyo and I planned a romantic cruise this weekend, and now we have to cancel because of this!” Yusuke slammed a video tape down on Koenma's desk and looked at him expectantly.

“I'm sorry if spirit world affairs are interfering with you `getting some,' but this is an important case. More importantly, it's one handed down by my father.

Yusuke paused, confusion evident on his face. “I thought we were just some joke to the big guy, why in the hell would he want our help?”

“This mission is…delicate…given your high rate of success it was determined that you boys were the best for the job.”

“So by delicate you mean dangerous,” Kurama clarified.

“Well, there is a low probability of success, yes,” Koenma agreed.

“Tch, so the great King Enma's beloved spirit defense force is too scared to go after a human girl?” Hiei mocked.

“They are, and with good reason. In fact, I'd feel better if you and Kurama sat this one out as well,” Koenma said, knowing the warning would go unheeded.

“Hn. I'm not scared of any human miko,” Hiei grunted.

“If she is who I suspect she is, perhaps you should be, Hiei,” Kurama cautioned.

“So you know her, Kurama?” Kuwabara asked.

“Know of her. When I was just a kit in the Makai there were stories of a jewel that granted unimaginable power and the fearsome priestess who guarded it. It's said that she had powers both demonic and spiritual, and was the embodiment of a warrior's spirit. Of course, that was all in the time before the barriers between worlds. Surely this cannot be the same priestess.”

“Yeah, unless this jewel grants immortality, in which case we're screwed if we have to fight her.” Kuwabara was half joking, but a spark of new-found interest entered both Hiei and Kurama's eyes at the prospect of immortality.

“Greeeat, so how much of fox-boy's bed time story is true?” Yusuke asked.

“Well, seeing as the realms were just being established when the shikon jewel first came into her care, I'm afraid we don't know much about her, but early intelligence reports that she did indeed command demonic and spiritual powers, including the ability to purify non-human entities.”

“Purify?” Kuwabara asked

“A pure form of holy magic that can be wielded only by one whose soul is unblemished,” Hiei explained.

“It is an energy that seeks out anything in its path with the slightest hint of impurity and breaks it down into a raw state absorbing it within itself, thus purifying it.” Kurama finished.

“Yikes! But you're sure it doesn't work on humans?” Kuwabara asked nervously.

“No,” Hiei sneered, “the source must once have been pure in order to be converted to a raw state.”

“What are you saying,” Kuwabara asked defensively, “that humans are less pure than demons?”

“Very good,” Hiei patronized, “Of all the craziness Sensui spewed, his beliefs were correct at their core. Humans are the real monsters, not demons.”

“So I'm confused. If `miss peace and a holy' has been protecting this thing all this time, why is it now so important that spirit world have custody of her and the jewel?” Yusuke asked.

“Something has changed,” Koenma explained, “a shift between the jewel's powers and the priestess'. The shikon jewel has been off spirit world's radar for thousands of years, but in the last month surges of its energy have been detected multiple times. Concerns over its stability have risen, not to mention that if we are detecting it, you can be sure that some demons of the not-so-cuddly variety have noticed it as well. If this jewel falls into the wrong hands, it might be more than even you four can handle.”

“Hn. Then let's go priestess hunting.” Hiei said, turning toward the door.

“I'd still feel better if Hiei and Kurama stayed away from her, but I know by now that it's pointless to try to keep Hiei from a potential fight. Just keep in mind that we need her alive.” Koenma cautioned as they all turned to leave.

“Can I ask why spirit world wants her alive?” Kurama asked.

“Oh, we want to throw her a party and make her queen for a day.”

“That's cool,” Kuwabara said, clearly missing the sarcasm in Koenma's voice.

“Wait…really?” Hiei rolled his eyes at Yusuke's half-serious inquiry.

“No, you idiots! We plan to wipe her memories, sever her ties to the jewel, and make her a celestial being.”

“Oh, that's probably a better idea.” Kuwabara reasoned.

“Alright, let's do this,” Yusuke said as he ushered the group out of Koenma's office, “between the four of us I see no reason why we can't get this done in time for me and Keiko to enjoy our cruise.”

“I don't think we should rush into this blindly, Yusuke,” Kurama cautioned.

“Oh boys!” They all turned at the sound of the unmistakably bubbly voice.

“There you are, Botan, we need to get back to human world asap,” Yusuke said, Kurama's warning doing little to quell his patience.

“Right oh,” Botan said, hanging Yusuke a packet, “Koenma guessed that you'd also need the address that the power surges have been originating from.”

Yusuke let out a nervous laugh. “Riiiight, I knew that.”

Botan giggled, “Come on sillies, let's get you back.”

“Yeah, let's collect miss `soon-to-be-celestial-being' and her magic rock so I can enjoy my vacation.” Yusuke agreed.

“What? Celestial being?” Botan's voice was as close to horrified as the perky ferry girl could manage, but it was the sad look on her face that spurred Kuwabara's question:

“What's wrong with that?”

“Nothing…” she replied, trying to conceal her sorrow.

“Stop lying, woman, you're bad at it and I find it annoying.” Hiei grunted.

“Yes, Botan, tell us what's troubling you,” Kurama encouraged.

“I'll show you,” she said finally, “but I could get in trouble if we're caught, so tick close.”

Botan snuck them into the upper levels of spirit world unnoticed, and stopped outside of a gilded door. She made a quick glance around, and when she was certain all the ogres were looking elsewhere, she swiped her keycard and they slipped inside.

“Oh wow, it's a room of rainbows!” Kuwabara exclaimed.

“Idiot,” Hiei muttered.

“It's a dimensional curtain, Kuwabara,” Kurama explained, “it seems the celestial beings are housed in a different dimension within spirit world.”

“Right you are, Kurama,” Botan said, motioning for them to follow her through the curtain.

Once they emerged, they saw a beautiful scene. Gorgeous beings in flowing robes, with white wings wandered a breath-taking landscape of shimmering waters, fields of wild flowers, towering trees, and every wonder nature could provide. In one corner a woman sat with her toes in the water, cradling a fawn in her arms. In another a man and woman sat smiling beneath a tree. Far across the field children were picking flower bouquets, new flowers instantly replacing the ones they picked.

“It's beautiful,” Kuwabara sighed.

“It's fake,” Kurama said, horror stricken at the absence of smell or plant energies.

“Fake or not, wandering around a tranquil atmosphere, completely at peace for all eternity doesn't sound half bad,” Yusuke said enviously.

“They aren't at peace.” Hiei stated, “They aren't anything.”

“What do you mean?” Kuwabara asked

“They are empty,” Hiei explained as he Jagan glowed a pale green, “no souls, no memories, no past, no future.”

“No pain, no suffering, no fear, no problems,” Yusuke added.

“No love, or hope, or purpose, either, Yusuke.” Botan finished grimly, “They are shells. They can't be reborn, they can't join their loved ones, they are trapped here in a state of forced euphoria.”

“Well that part doesn't sound so great,” Yusuke conceded.

“I can't believe King Enma would send someone here that has spent thousands of years protecting an artifact from the forces of evil, it's not fair.” The anger in Botan's tone surprised them.

Kurama place a gentle hand on her shoulder, “We'll see what we can do for her, Botan.”

Botan gave a sad nod as she lead them back out.

Later that night…

“So what exactly is the plan, Urameshi?” Kuwabara asked as they exited the bus.

“Well, I thought we'd go to her house and ask her to give us the jewel.” Yusuke said.

“And you expect her to just hand it over?” Hiei asked, his tone clearly expressing that he thought Yusuke was an idiot.

“Well, if not, then we take it by force!”

“Brilliant strategy as always, Yusuke,” Kurama sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he felt a headache coming on.

“Hey, every time we make a plan it always turns out bad, so I figured why bother.”

“I'll wait outside.” Hiei announced as they started up the steps to the temple.

“What's the matter, Shorty, ya scared?” Kuwabara taunted.

“No, fool.”

“Hiei's right, someone should stay back in case something goes wrong, besides, he's the most at risk since he's the only one with no human in him,” Kurama agreed as Hiei darted off into some trees.

“Why do all temples have to have stairs?” Yusuke exclaimed, annoyed.

“At least there's not as many as there are at Genkai's,” Kuwabara noted.

Hiei flitted his way from tree to tree until he found one close enough that he could see and hear almost the whole house. It was a large tree, and had small charms of some sort hanging from it. Hiei perched on a limb, ready to jump at a second's notice as Yusuke knocked on the door to the house.

No one answered the door, but Hiei saw a shift of shadows from inside the house. By the third knock the door finally opened just a crack, and a woman peered out. All three boys suppressed gasps. Yusuke had not been expecting someone so young to be a priestess. Kuwabara sensed so much spiritual energy coming off of her that it was making him dizzy. Kurama was more concerned with her ashen complexion and the dark circles under puffy, bloodshot eyes. The girl did not look well at all.

“There are no ceremonies being held here today.” The girl said in a weak, gravelly voice, “The worship areas and sacred blessing tree are open to the public. Feel free to use them.”

Yusuke wedged the toe of his shoe into the door just as she tried to shut it. “Actually, we're here to see you.” Yusuke said casually.

“I'm sorry, I am no longer acting priestess of this temple. The new one comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can't help you.”

“We're not in need of a priestess,” Kurama said softly, as he stepped around Kuwabara into her view, using the gentle tone and soft expression he did when talking to his mother, “We're looking for Lady Kagome, are you she?”

Kagome's eyes widened as she felt a twinge of familiar energy while looking into those kind emerald orbs. “Shippou?” She whispered softly.

Kurama's brow furrowed in confusion, instantly pulling her from her thoughts, “No, of course you're not him. He's dead. They're all dead. I'm sorry.” She muttered as she retreated further inside, leaving the door cracked.

The boys exchanged glances before Yusuke shrugged and pushed the door open.

“Ma'am, may we come in?” Kuwabara asked as they stepped inside.

“I can't help you.” She muttered again as she sat in a rocking chair in a dark corner of the living room.

The boy's noses wrinkled as several strange funks culminated, invading their senses in a putrid perfume of body odor, spoiled food, and dirty laundry.

“Are you saying you're not Lady Kagome, then?” Kurama asked, walking around to kneel in front of her chair so he could see her face.

“She doesn't exist anymore.”

“Doesn't exist?” Yusuke questioned.

“It's just me now.” She said sadly, staring again into Kurama's eyes.

“Yusuke,” Kuwabara whispered so only he could hear, “it's definitely her, she's got a crazy aura and massive power.”

Yusuke nodded. “Let's let fox-boy do his thing, maybe he can get through to her.”

“You think she's crazy?” Asked Kuwabara.

“She's…I don't know. She reminds me of when my mom drinks tequila.”

“Her energy feels off. I mean, maybe it's cause she's got demon and spirit energy, but so do you, and yours doesn't feel this…this..foreign.”

“My God, you remind me so much of him!” Kagome said to Kurama as tears entered her eyes, “You are a kitsune, aren't you?”

Kurama met her gaze with barely shielded surprise. “I am a spirit fox in a human host, yes.”

“I was friends with a kitsune,” Kagome explained, “but that was lifetimes ago.”

Kagome didn't bother to brush away the tears as they streamed down her cheeks.

“Look, lady,” Yusuke's tone was kinder than usual despite the rudeness of his words, “We're looking for a jewel that's in your possession. You're clearly not capable of protecting it, so give it to us, and we'll be on our way.”

“Yusuke!” Kurama scolded, shocked at his friend's lack of finesse.

“Your friend has the temperament of an inu demon,” Kagome said to Kurama.

“What? Did she just call me a dog!” Yusuke yelled, as Kuwabara couldn't help but laugh.

“Not a dog, a mutt,” Kagome said, smiling at a private memory, “a half-breed mongrel. Most disagreeable dispositions they have.”

“Kurama, she's off her rocker, let's just look for the jewel ourselves.” Yusuke said, stepping closer to them.

“Sit boy!” Kagome yelled. Her voice was so weak that it came out at normal speaking volume, but it was the loudest thing she'd said since their arrival.

Yusuke paused in confusion, not sure whether to obey or be offended.

“Never should have removed those beads.” Kagome muttered after glancing at Yusuke's neck.

“We really do need to find the jewel.” Kurama said softly.

“They all seek the jewel of four souls. They don't understand the cost,” she lamented.

“Cost?” Kurama prodded.

“It destroys and corrupts. Even a strong spirit like yours,” Kagome explained, “It is evil, none can control it but me.” Kagome let out a hysterical laugh, “Go away now, boys. Go home to your families and forget that the jewel exists.”

“I can't do that,” Yusuke said, his voice hardening and taking on a more business-like manner, “I have a job to do, and I'm not leaving until it's done.”

“I don't want to hurt you,” Kagome explained, “give up on this.”

“It's not me that's going to get hurt.” Yusuke said; his voice a warning.

“Yusuke…” Kurama cautioned as he felt her power beginning to flair.

“He's hot headed like that damn mutt too,” Kagome said.

“Please, we don't want any trouble,” Kurama said in an attempt to calm her, “we work for spirit world. They sent us to relieve you of the burden of protecting it.”

“It would taint you before you got it out the door.”

“Well then why not come with us and deliver it yourself,” Yusuke offered.

“No, Yusuke, I promised Botan,” the stubbornness could be heard clearly in Kurama's voice.

Yusuke sighed, “Look at her, Kurama, we'd be doing her a kindness.”

“I've got to agree with Urameshi on this one,” Kuwabara said grimly.

“I don't think she's really crazy,” Kurama explained, casting a sad glance into those intelligent brown eyes, “I want to try to help her.”

Kagome placed a hand on Kurama's cheek. “Such a good boy,” she praised, “always ready to help.”

“Yes,” Kurama said, covering her hand with his, humoring her delusions, “tell me how I can help you.”

“Hand me that box behind you,” she said, indicating a small blue tote.

Kurama handed it to her, his heart skipping a beat, wondering if the jewel was inside. She opened it to reveal an assortment of prescription medications.

“Let's see,” she muttered to herself as she searched through the bottles, “Yellow blue and white.”

“Uh, guys, should we be letting her do that?” Kuwabara asked.

“Kagome, what are those for?” Kurama questioned.

“They'll make me feel alright!” She said, giggling at the rhyme she made. She then lifted the two remaining bottles. “Red to sleep as if dead, and brown when really down,” she explained.

“Can I see them?” Kurama asked, picking up the bottles she had just taken pills out of.

She smiled and nodded as he examined them.

“What are they, “ Yusuke asked.

“An anti-psychotic, a mild sedative, and happy pills,” Kurama explained, “the brown ones are a heavier duty anti-depressant and the red are tranquilizers. All heavy stuff and probably counter-acting each other, I'll bet these are what are having an effect on her brain.”

Kagome nodded as he spoke, “Blue to know what's true, yellow makes you mellow, and white makes everything alright,” she continued her rhyme. “They call them happy pills, but really they just make it not hurt so much.”

“Kurama, if she was prescribed an anti-psychotic, she was clearly messed up before the drugs,” Yusuke reasoned.

“Not necessarily,” Kurama said thoughtfully, “it is very possible that she confided in someone, and they presumed her to be crazy.”

“Yeah, I could see that happening.” Kuwabara agreed.

“Well still, what are we supposed to do?” Yusuke asked.

“I can make up some herbs that will help clear the build-up of herbs in her system. See if that doesn't clear her mind.”

“Why do I have a feeling that's going to take longer than an evening?” Yusuke asked, annoyed.

“I'll need at least the weekend,” Kurama confirmed.

Yusuke sighed, “Alright, if you really think you can help her, I go break the news to Keiko.”

“Thank you, Yusuke,” Kurama smiled.

“Kuwabara, do you think you could bring Yukina here? And extra pair of hands would be helpful.”

“Sure, but I can't say. I've got practice exams early in the morning. Shizuru will kill me if I miss them.”

Kurama nodded his understanding. “Yusuke, Spirit World will probably know something is up. We'll need a plan to keep her away from them.”

“Meet at your house tonight.” Yusuke agreed.

“That leaves Hiei to watch her,” Kurama said doubtfully.

“Yukina will be here to keep him in line,” Yusuke assured him.

“Send him in on your way out, then,” Kurama nodded.

***

By the time Hiei entered, Kurama had already grown several plants and was grinding some leaves into a paste. Kagome was sound asleep in her chair.

“What's going on?” Hiei demanded.

“Ah, dry these please,” Kurama said, pointing to a bundle of leaves.

Hiei obliged by using his flame on them. Kurama then crushed them and added them to the paste.

“She's sick, “ Kurama explained, “and we're going to make her better, so maybe Spirit World will let her be.”

“Hn,” Hiei grunted.

“I'm making this into a tea, you'll need to get her to drink a cup every hour.”

“Me?”

“Yes, unless you want to meet Yusuke for a strategy meeting.”

Hiei grunted in response, knowing it was best to let Kurama make the plans.

“Besides,” Kurama added, “Yukina will be here to help.”

Hiei walked closer to look at the sleeping priestess. Sensing someone watching her, Kagome slowly opened her eyes. She gasped loudly as her gaze rested on garnet irises staring back at her, surrounded by pale skin, dark hair, and a demonic aura.

“Kagome, are you alright?” Kurama asked, putting himself between her and Hiei.

Kagome shook her head as if to clear it. “His eyes look like Naraku's.” Kagome explained, then leaned in her chair to look at Hiei around Kurama, “Your eyes look like Naraku's.”

“um…who's Naraku?” Hiei asked.

“He's a bad man, a human-turned demon. He's the only one to nearly get the jewel.”

“Human. Turned demon,” Hiei repeated, trying to wrap his mind around the concept, “the time before barriers must have been a strange place.”

“Indeed,” Kurama agreed, handing a cup of tea to Kagome, “drink this, it will help you.”

Kagome took it and drank it all down. “Ick, tastes like burnt Ramen!”

“Who burns ramen?” Hiei asked, making Kagome giggle.

“Inuyasha does.” she laughed, “Did. Inuyasha did. He's gone now.”

“But we're here,” Kurama said, resting a hand on her shoulder, unable to bare the sadness in her eyes.

“And you're not Shippou,” she stated with a sad smile.

“No, I'm not, but I am going to help you, and so is Hiei.”

“They say they can't help me.” Kagome muttered.

“But we're not them, we're us, we can help you,” Kurama smiled cheerfully at her.

“Ok!” Kagome smiled back just as cheerfully, the sadness of a moment ago seemingly forgotten.

“Kurama, I'm not sure I can do this,” Hiei said doubtfully.

“You can, just be kind to her. You've got to try to keep her emotionally stable. I imagine that's what causes the surges. We need her to be invisible for two and a half days while all these poisons are flushed from her system.” Kurama explained, “The tea will keep her sleepy, but I imagine her body will react violently when it's time for her next dose of the drugs. Spirit world has been picking up readings for a month, which means she's been on them at least that long. She's no doubt dependant by now.”

“Wonderful,” Hiei grumbled, “and what happens if she loses it completely and thinks I'm this old enemy of hers?”

“Kagome,” Kurama smiled at her, as if talking to a child, “I need you to remember that Hiei is a friend, okay? He's here to help. Can you remember that for me?”

Kagome nodded vigorously.

“Good,” Kurama praised, “now I have to go out for a bit, but I'll be back. Hiei will take good care of you.”

“Kurama, can't you stay until Yukina gets here?” Hiei pleaded.

“It'll be at least another hour before she arrives. I'll miss the bus back if I wait.” Kurama explained, “Just keep giving her the tea and letting her sleep. If you can, get her to eat.”

“Remind me why I'm doing this again?” Hiei growled.

“Because,” Kurama smiled knowingly, “you had an intimate look into the celestial beings, and you do not wish that fate on this girl.”

“Hn,” with that inarguable truth Hiei had no more to say, so he walked away, allowing Kurama to leave without further protest.

Hiei sat across from Kagome and watched her sleeping face. She was thin, too thin. Her cheeks were sunken, her skin looked more like a corpses than a living beings. She looked fragile.

But you're not, are you. I felt your power surging earlier.

The jagan was prodding into Kagome's mind almost before Hiei realized he'd willed it to, it's natural curiosity having been tugging at the mental confines he kept it in. It roamed freely through her memories. Laying bare to him her past, her pain, her fears, all that she was touched his consciousness. He felt her fear and uncertainty at finding out she was the guardian of the jewel, her love for her friends, her hatred of Naraku, her anger at her predecessor. He felt an overwhelming sorrow as her friends died off one by one protecting the jewel, her sense of loss as her grandfather slipped from this world, no longer present to guide her in the spiritual ways.

Then there was the guilt. It was rare that Hiei was affected by the emotions of others, but this one left him unable to breathe. The pressure kept growing in his chest. Other than the fact that the guilt was somehow connected to her brother, beyond that, the memories were walled so well, even her subconscious couldn't access them. Hiei had to force the jagan to retreat from her consciousness as the feeling began to overwhelm him.

Hiei's eyes snapped open, and he rushed to the bathroom where he emptied his stomach's contents into the toilet. Hiei sank to the floor, watching his shaking hands.

How? Hiei thought, shocked, How has she been through all that and still maintained such a pure and gentle soul?

After regaining his composure, Hiei made his way back, still feeling a little off-kilter. When he entered the living-room, Kagome was staring at him with a stern expression.

“It's not polite to pry into people's private thoughts,” she accused.

“I didn't mean to…” Hiei began.

“Yes you did,” she interrupted, “but it's okay. It's been a long time since anyone capable of believing the truth knew it.”

Hiei nodded his understanding, because for the first time in all his years of possessing the jagan, he had felt the consciousness of someone and fully understood them. Everything Kagome did, every choice she had ever made, had been in the service of others. Even her choice to seclude herself as she had was to protect others. She had led a life in direct opposition to Hiei's. Yet somehow, he understood her perfectly.

Hiei brought more tea from the kitchen.

“Bleh, burnt ramen.”

Hiei couldn't help but smirk at her expression, “Just drink. Then why don't I make us some real ramen?”

Kagome giggled, “Then un-burnt kind?”

Hiei rolled his eyes and turned back to the kitchen.

***

Kagome fell asleep before the food was ready, but was woken up when Yukina arrived, and Hiei showed her in.

“Hello, miss Kagome,” Yukina smiled.

“You have eyes like Naraku too,” Kagome exclaimed, “are you two related?”

“No,” Hiei answered abruptly, “we're not.”

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she studied both of their faces, “You're right,” she agreed finally. “She's not scowly enough to be related to you.”

Yukina repressed a giggle.

“Besides,” Kagome added, “the height difference makes it obvious.”

Hiei grumbled his way back to the kitchen. When he came back with three bowls of ramen, Yukina had her hands on either side of Kagome's head.

“She does not have a mental illness,” Yukina announced, “Mr. Kurama was right, it's something else. Things are fragmented. Like something important is being hidden, and it's making the pieces not fit together right.”

“Maybe they're hidden for a good reason,” Hiei said, as he thought of the story her mind had shown him and the things she had faced, and wondered what could have been so horrible that she would need to repress it after all the other things she had lived through.

Hiei pushed some papers off of the coffee table to make room for the ramen.

“No, can't lose that!” Kagome exclaimed, leaning forward to retrieve a green envelope from the floor, “It's important, I have to remember.”

Hiei picked up the letter and looked at it. It was from Cherry Hill Hospice. Curious, he opened it, and found a bill addressed to Kagome, for the care of a resident.

“This is your mother,” Hiei stated, more than asked, the jagan had supplied him with a basic knowledge of everyone in Kagome's life.

Kagome nodded slowly as she slurped her ramen. Hiei's brow furrowed. Memories of her mother had ended abruptly when the jagan had hit her mental wall. “Can you manage on your own for a bit,” Hiei asked Yukina, suddenly overcome by curiosity.

“Yes, I think so.”

“I'll be back,” with that, Hiei was gone in a blur.

***

Once at the hospice center, Hiei used the jagan to locate Mrs. Higurashi's room, and easily snuck in. There he found a woman sitting in a chair, staring out a window. Hiei couldn't help but think how eerily familiar the scene was to when he'd first seen Kagome.

Hiei stepped forward silently, unsure of what to say, or even of his reasons for being there. He saw that the woman was clutching a photograph of a boy in his mid-teens.

“Isn't he a handsome boy?” She asked suddenly, startling Hiei who was sure he'd slipped in undetected.

“Uh…”

“Souta was my baby.”

Kagome's brother. Of course.

“Was?” Hiei was asking the question before he consciously thought it.

“Yes,” she said, tears forming in her eyes, “he's dead now.”

“What? How?” Hiei was sure the jagan would've seen that.

“I don't remember,” she confessed with a sad sigh, “when your only child dies, its less about how, and more about why.”

“You mean son,” Hiei corrected, “your only son.”

“Souta was an only child. We tried so hard to give him siblings. I desperately wanted a daughter.”

“But…Kagome…” Hiei was thoroughly confused.

“What a pretty name that would've been for her.” She said thoughtfully, “Who did you say you were?”

“I'm uh…a friend.”

“Of Souta's?” she asked, “Such funny hair, may I touch it?” Mrs. Higurashi didn't wait for a reply, but Hiei's glare made her draw back after a few quick pats of his head.

Hiei was still trying to figure out why she was here, when her eyes suddenly glassed over and got a distant look in them. “Souta always finds the strangest friends. Have a seat, I'm sure he'll be home from soccer practice any minute now.”

Hiei allowed the jagan to prod her consciousness. He felt instantly that her mind, unlike Kagome's was not just jumbled and confused. Souta's death had broken something inside her. As he searched her memories, he couldn't find a trace of Kagome. When he at last located the memories of Souta's death, it was as though she was there witnessing it, but one moment he was alive, and the next he was lying lifeless on the ground.

Hiei pulled the jagan back from her consciousness with a sudden realization. Mrs. Higurashi's memories were not suppressed or buried, they were gone. It was as if someone had removed them. The anger that washed over Hiei at that thought surprised him. Hiei often times looked into people's inner most thoughts without their consent, and it had crossed his mind more than once that this was not unlike rape, but somehow the very idea of making someone forget important parts of their life, of erasing a part of who they were, infuriated him.

Living in ningenkai is making me weak.

 

***

 

By the time Hiei returned, Yukina had cleaned the house up significantly. The trash had been taken out, the dishes done; she had even helped Kagome bathe, and done some laundry.

“Welcome back!” Yukina greeted him.

“Hn. Were you able to help her?”

“Not much I'm afraid. I didn't want to force anything on her that she wasn't ready for.” Hiei nodded. “So I figured I could at least clean up a bit.”

“My sense of smell thanks you.”

“I got a bath!” Kagome exclaimed when she saw him.

“My sense of smell is grateful for that as well. No offence but you stank.” For a moment Kagome seemed to get lost in a memory, and her eyes filled with such sadness he thought she might cry. “But you smell nice now.” He added, hoping to prevent the waterworks.

“It's rose scent.” Kagome smiled.

“Hn. Ningen senses, so dull and easily confused.”

“Time for another dose.” Yukina announced, as she came in carrying another cup of tea.

“No more,” Kagome whined, “It's gross and it makes me sleepy.”

“You need your sleep.” Hiei argued.

“Pleeease,” Yukina asked sweetly, “drink it for me?”

Kagome scowled.

“What about for Mr. Hiei, will you take it for him?” Yukina prompted.

Hiei missed the slight blush that crept to Kagome's cheeks as she nodded her agreement.

 

***

 

Yukina fell asleep shortly after Kagome, and Hiei stayed awake, waking Kagome just enough every hour to swallow the tea. She slept soundly most of the night, but woke up early. Hiei was sitting in the living-room window sill. Kagome just lay watching him for a few minutes.

“Do you not sleep?” She whispered finally, her voice sounding the most sane Hiei had heard it.

“Not often,” Hiei replied as he continued looking out the window at the sunset.

“Bad dreams?”

“Sometimes. Where I grew up, sleeping was dangerous. I learned to go without for long periods.”

“You've had a hard life,” Kagome said softly.

“No harder than anyone else, “ Hiei answered, clearly wanting to change the subject.

“Somehow I doubt that.”

“No harder than yours.” Hiei challenged, finally meeting her gaze as he turned from the window.

Her eyes were clear, and Hiei felt a twinge of relief that the Hiei episodes were most likely past.

“My life, and the lives of those who came before me, and the lives of those that come after is destined to be hard,” Kagome explained.

“If this jewel causes so many problems, why not just destroy it?”

“I considered it,” Kagome explained, “many times, in fact, but aside from having no idea how to do that, many people, people I loved, died keeping it safe. I don't think I could bring myself to do it.

“Was Souta one of those people?” Hiei asked the question cautiously not wanting to cause her to regress into another bout of Psychosis.

Kagome's eyes darkened as if she was trying not to remember something sad. She let out a sudden whimper and put her hand to her head.

“What's wrong?” Hiei asked nervously, flying to her side.

“Headache. Bad one.”

“Kurama said this might happen,” Yukina explained as she got up from her spot on the couch, having been woken up by Kagome's small cry, “it's withdrawals from all the medication.”Yukina placed her hands on Kagome's forehead.

“It by withdrawals, you mean it feels like my brain is being pulled apart, then you'd be right.” Kagome agreed.

“Well the pills caused a chemical imbalance in your brain, and knotted up all your thoughts and memories, now your mind is trying to sort it all out, while your body is fighting to keep it as it is, and ordering you to take more meds,” Yukina said as she removed her hands.

“Thank you, that feels much better.” Kagome said, relieved.

“Things definitely seem better in there.” Yukina smiled. “I'll go make us some breakfast.”

“Why?” Hiei demanded once Yukina had left.

“Why? I'm going to need some adjectives in order to answer that question.” Kagome teased.

“Why did you do this to yourself? You knew you didn't need that junk, so why did you take it?”

Kagome's eyes took on a guilty look, and she looked away as if she were a child being scolded by a parent. “I guess…I was tired. I wanted to believe that it really was all a delusion in my head. I thought maybe a false reality would be better.”

Hiei stared at her for a long moment. “Hn. You're weaker than I thought.” He said before turning to look back out the window.

“I know.” Hiei was surprised to hear the genuine humility in her small whisper. “I tried to be strong. I tried so hard for so long. I was just so tired. I couldn't do it by myself.”

Hiei almost regretted being so harsh with her as he heard the sorrow in her voice. “You don't have to explain.” He grunted, and the conversation was dropped as Yukina returned with sandwiches.

 

***

 

Kagome's head continued a dull ache all through the morning, and got worse with every dose of the tea. But along with the throbbing pain came more clarity of thought, so she welcomed it. She also considered the pain a well-deserved punishment for her selfishness. She had been mentally berating herself since Hiei's earlier comment.

After her noon dose of the tea, Kagome's headache escalated severely. It was beginning to affect her vision, and she found it hard to concentrate on anything but the pain. She excused herself to go to the bathroom.

The next thing she knew she was laying on the couch and Hiei and Yukina were both hovering over her.

“She's burning up.” Yukina announced.

“Are you ok?” Hiei asked, the barest hint of genuine concern creeping into his features.

“I think so…it's just this headache…” Kagome said weakly. She really didn't feel well at all.

“What should we do?” Hiei asked.

“I'll call Kurama and see if this is normal.” Yukina replied, walking over to the phone.

Kagome drifted in and out of consciousness for the next hour. The pain in her head seemed to be spilling out into the rest of her body, and it felt as though there was a flame burning in her stomach. Suddenly the fire seemed to spread through her entire body, and she felt as though she could no longer contain it. She was pulled back to consciousness by the searing pain. She was briefly aware of shouting in the distance, and a burst of sacred energy.

Are we under attack? she wondered briefly, before the darkness reclaimed her.

“Are you ok?” Hiei asked Yukina as he pushed himself off of her.

“Yes, I think so.” Yukina replied. “What was that?”

“I'm guessing that's what Spirit world has been picking up on.” Hiei said, grunting as he stood.

“You're hurt!” Yukina exclaimed, pointing to Hiei's shoulder.

Hiei looked at it, unable to hide the surprise on his face. He had been nowhere near the trail of pink light that had been emitted by Kagome's body when he leapt on Yukina to knock her out of the way. He had been careful to avoid it, but even from a distance it had managed to injure him. Had it touched him he'd be a smoldering pile of ash.

“Here, let me heal it.” Yukina said, reaching for his wound.

Hiei pulled away. “No time.” He said, unsheathing his sword and rushing out the door.

Yukina peered out the window to see a Hiei staring down a giant tiger demon. She gasped as the tiger swiped at Hiei, though he easily deflected the monstrous claws with his sword.

“There's a demon here.” Kagome said weakly, and Yukina turned to meet her pain-filled eyes.

“It's alright. Mr. Hiei is facing it.”

“Have to… protect… the jewel…” Kagome said as she forced herself up off the couch.

“He's really quite capable of handling it.” Yukina assured her, while trying to get her to sit back down. Kagome resisted for a second before her legs gave into her weight and she sank back down.

 

***

 

“I will have the shikon jewel!” The beast bellowed as it gasped for air.

“Not likely,” Hiei replied evenly. “I saw the idiot that defeated the strongest of your kind, I don't foresee you standing much more of a chance against me.”

The tiger growled and sprang at Hiei. There was a moment of stillness as Hiei lay pinned beneath him before rolling his dead body over and retrieving his sword from his chest.

“Was I this foolish as a B class demon?” Hiei muttered to himself as he cleaned his sword.

 

***

 

When Hiei entered the house, Yukina handed him the phone. “It's Kuwabara-kun.”

“When is Kurama coming back?” Hiei snapped. “I'm no babysitter!”

“Listen, Hiei. Those spirit world special defense squad guys are on their way to you. They picked up on that power surge. Yusuke and Kurama tried fighting them, and they were arrested! You've got to get out of there! It's over, they've found her. There's no use in all of us being drug in front of King Enma, especially not since you and Kurama are still serving sentences from your last crime against Spirit World.”

Hiei hung up the phone with a growl. He paused for a moment. His head told him that running was the smart choice. He had no desire to be caught by Spirit World, and he knew he was no match for the whole defense squad. But his heart wouldn't let them just take Kagome. He couldn't let them turn her into some angelic zombie.

“Come on, Onna, we've got to get out of here.” Hiei barked, gathering the thermos of tea and a blanket. “They are coming for you.” Hiei helped Kagome to her feet and scooped her into his arms.

“I'll stay here and try to slow them down. “ Yukina offered.

“No. Get as far from here as you can. You don't need to be wrapped up in this.”

Hiei's tone and expression left little room for argument, so Yukina simply nodded her agreement.

 

***

 

As Hiei jumped from tree to tree through the forest his mind worked trying to decide where they could go. He knew he had to put some distance between them and the city. Hiei stood a far better chance in the woods. He finally decided to take Kagome to some training grounds in the mountains where he and Kurama frequently trained. There was a network of cave systems that he could use to his advantage.

He tried to shield Kagome from the branches, and to make the trip as smooth as possible, as he could tell she was still in a great deal of pain. It took them nearly twice as long to reach the caves as it should have, but he hadn't felt any power signatures following them, so for the time-being they were safe.

He chose a cave that was some-what sheltered by the mountains, the less wind that passed by them the less chance there was that their scent would be carried to unfriendly noses. Once inside the cave, he saw that Kagome was unconscious again. He set her down carefully on the cave floor, but the loss of his body heat woke her.

“We're safe for now.” Hiei assured her.

Kagome shivered and drew into a tight ball. “So cold.” She murmured, only half conscious of her surroundings.

“We can't start a fire.” Hiei explained as he laid the blanket over her. “We can't risk someone seeing the smoke.”

Kagome gave a half-nod and pulled the blanket tightly around her. Hiei stood watch in the mouth of the cave for nearly 3 hours, only stopping long enough to wake Kagome and give her the tea. When it became so dark that he was using his demonic senses more than his sight to keep watch, and Kagome had drank the last of the tea, he ventured back into the cave.

He cursed when he felt the spike in Kagome's fever. Her skin, which had felt tepid to his hot touch before, now felt slightly warm. Her shivering had turned violent, and her skin was ghostly pale with a thin sheen of sweat.

Hiei ripped off his cloak, leaving him dressed in his thin blue undershirt and black pants. He tucked the cloak, still warm with his body heat between Kagome and the blanket, and sat down next to her, gathering her into his warm arms.

“You're warm.” Kagome said gratefully as her shivering began to subside. Hiei decided it was worth the risk to raise his power just enough to emit extra heat for her. Kagome sighed contentedly and nuzzled into his chest, falling into the most restful sleep she'd had in ages.

Her restful sleep was soon interrupted by disturbing dreams. Images of something she had tried hard to forget. The one memory that she had kept at bay with the help of mass quantities of medication now came back with a vengeance. Images as vivid as the day they happened flashed repeatedly before her mind's eye, like a movie stuck on repeat. She felt another wave of heat begin to spread from her stomach but was shaken awake harshly.

“None of that.” Hiei ordered. “You release one of those power surges in here and we're both dead.”

“I'm sorry.” She whispered. “I was having a nightmare.”

“I know.” Hiei replied, reaching out to brush a tear from her eyelash, and holding it up to show her. “You were crying in your sleep.” He explained as he realized that the glare she was giving him was because she thought he'd been in her head again.

“Oh.” She said with a sad smile.

“You've got to try to control your emotions. We can't afford for you to have another…incident.”

“I'm sorry.” She said apologetically, “I'm trying.”

She glanced to the opening of the cave. “It's still dark? I feel like I've been asleep a long time.”

“Dark again.” Hiei corrected.

“I slept a whole night and day?” Kagome exclaimed.

“Yes.” Hiei said, putting a hand to her head, “But it seems to have worked.”

“I do feel much better,” She agreed.

They sat there in silence for long moments as Kagome thought about how sweet it was for the surly demon to stay by her side the whole time. Hiei's thoughts were a tangled web of confusion over his feelings toward the girl in his arms. He respected her as he had no other living being. He was awed by her strength and her purity. For the first time in his existence he felt the need to protect someone other than himself or his sister; a human no less! He felt as though Kagome might be the only soul on earth that he could understand, and he hoped that maybe he'd finally found someone who could understand him, as well.

Sure Hiei often acted as if he preferred being alone, and as if he didn't feel the need for companionship as the others did, but the truth was he'd never met anyone that didn't annoy him, and he'd never thought he would have the companionship of another so he hadn't let himself want it. But now, sitting here with this girl, this human girl, he wanted nothing more than to keep her by his side. He had not been quite himself since meeting her. Even then, when he first thought she was completely crazy he'd felt a sort of connection to her, and now here he was, Hiei, the fire jaganshi, self-proclaimed most selfish being in the 4 worlds, risking everything, defying spirit world, just to delay her inevitable fate.

“You know before?” Kagome asked, “When you asked what happened to Souta?”

“Hn.” Hiei nodded.

“My dream was about that.” she explained. “All of this has been about that awful day.”

“Don't talk about it if you don't want to.” Hiei's voice sounded almost soothing, and it foreign even to his own ears.

“No, I think maybe I need to.” Kagome insisted. “We…I, was attacked by a demon that wanted the shikon jewel. He had a strange ability to see a person's life thread.”

“The tether that holds a being to a physical plain? I thought that was just a myth.”

“It's worse than that.” Kagome explained. “When a person dies natural the thread fades. The person's soul must follow it through a barrier before the ferry beings of spirit-world can even contact them to guide them through their afterlife. Usually as the thread fades it pulls the soul through the barrier without the soul even knowing it. But should the life thread be cut…”

“The soul would be lost. The human body would be unable to sustain it, and it would be unable to cross over.” Hiei finished for her.

“Yes. This demon threatened to cut Souta's life thread if I didn't hand over the jewel.” Tears began to fall freely from Kagome's eyes. “But I couldn't let him get it. If someone with that kind of ability were to be controlled by the jewel…” Kagome sobbed.

“So, you let him cut your brother's life line?” Hiei asked, suppressing the horror in his voice so that his tone simply sounded strained.

“No, I couldn't do that, either. I…”

A sudden sense of understanding washed over Hiei, but he refused to say it. He knew she had to say it out loud to come to terms with it

“I killed him before he could cut it.” She choked out, her tears falling harder. “I couldn't let him be lost forever.” Her words did little to console her, and Hiei did the unthinkable. For the first time in his life he hugged someone. He wrapped his arms around her trembling form and let her bury her head in his shoulder. Hiei tried to picture what he would do in that situation, and it hurt to even think of Yukina being in that kind of trouble.

When another thought struck him, he blurted out his horror before thinking. “And your mother saw the whole thing.”

“Yes.” She sobbed.

Hiei tried to imagine what it would be like for Kagome's mom to see one of her children kill the other. He had been inside both of their heads, and the one constant in both their memories was the overwhelming sense of love between mamma Higurashi and her children.

“What did you do to her?” He asked, suddenly realizing that Kagome was responsible for the heinous crime of removing her memories that had made his blood boil earlier.

“She went crazy from the grief.” Kagome said, sniffing back any further sobs and trying to regain her composure. “I thought maybe it was knowing that I had been the one to kill him that she couldn't deal with, so I contacted a master I knew, and had him erase all memory of me from her mind. When that didn't help we tried erasing the memory of actually seeing Souta die. That helped a bit. She went from a catatonic state to a deep depression. The doctors were hopeful that with enough counseling she'd begin to recover, but she didn't. She just kept getting worse.”

“Then why not put her memories of you back?”

“I had caused her enough pain. It was then that I decided to shut myself off so that no one else would be hurt by this cursed jewel.”

“How long has it been since your brother's death?”

“Almost 6 years, and the memory still haunts me like it was yesterday.”

“Some memories stay that way forever.” Hiei said, a far off look taking over his eyes.

“You have one too?” Kagome asked softly.

“Yes.” Hiei answered absent-mindedly, still lost in a replay of the day his mother's people dropped him to his death.

“What of?” Kagome asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“Falling.” Hiei answered simply. Kagome's brow furrowed, and Hiei could tell there were more questions on her lips. “Don't worry about my demons, Onna, they aren't worth your concern.”

“Do you think I'm a terrible person?” Kagome questioned.

“It doesn't matter what I think.”

“It does to me.” Kagome's eyes searched Hiei's and he felt as though she were the one looking into his mind now.

“No, Onna, I think you're amazing.” Hiei said softly, the confession falling unbidden from his lips which were soon touching hers in a tender kiss.

They stared at each other for a long moment, both afraid to breathe. Finally, as Kagome's blush began to wane, she broke the silence. “So, what about you?” she asked, purposely looking away from his eyes in an effort to slow her racing heart. “I shared my deepest secret with you, something I've never spoken out loud to anyone. Now it's your turn.”

“A secret?” Hiei asked, his head still foggy from the kiss and the knowledge that she must like him back since she didn't pull away.

“Well, it doesn't have to be a secret. I mean, I don't know hardly anything about you, so pretty much everything is a secret.” She smiled teasingly.

Her words were innocent, but they made Hiei's heart sink as he realized that she didn't know anything about him. She couldn't possibly like him. In fact he was fairly certain once she did get to know him she'd hate him. Panic caused his chest to tighten, and he had the urge to run far away from her and never look back. But he couldn't bring himself to even loosen his grip on her. He wanted to believe that she could understand him like he did her, but for the first time in his life he was hesitating because he was afraid. It suddenly struck Hiei that he was having a lot of firsts lately.

“Go on, “ Kagome encouraged, “tell me anything.”

Hiei desperately searched for any small fact or detail about him that didn't make him sound like a blood-thirsty monster. “You were right about Yukina,” He finally blurted out, “she's my sister. She doesn't know it.”

“What? Why on earth would you keep that from her?” Kagome exclaimed, “She told me she was searching for her brother!”

Hiei's heart sank a little at Kagome's tone. “She…I don't want to disappoint her. I don't want her to know that her brother is a killer, and a criminal.” Hiei searched Kagome's face for a reaction to his words, but he found no condemnation in those gentle brown eyes.

“I understand.” She said softly, and Hiei nearly breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“It doesn't bother you that you're in the arms of a killer?” Hiei asked.

Kagome smiled mischievously. “What makes you think this is the first time?”

Hiei let out a small, uncharacteristic, laugh.

Kagome yawned. “I shouldn't be saying this, but I'm sorta tired.” She confessed.

“Go back to sleep.” Hiei said softly. When you wake we'll take the jewel to Spirit World and explain to them what happened.

Kagome's expression darkened. “I can't do that.” She said flatly.

“What? But Yusuke and Kurama have been arrested! We have to do something.”

“Hiei, they'll have to kill me to take the jewel.”

“You can trust spirit world with it. No one gets into their vaults. Well, me and Kurama once, but since then security is much tighter.”

“No.” Kagome said, lifting her shirt to show him a scar in her side, “I mean, they'll really have to kill me.”

“It's inside you?” Hiei asked

“Yes. It's a part of me. When I die it will pass on to the next one chosen. I mean, I suppose Spirit world might have a way to intercept it before it does, but either way, I'm afraid you rescued me from my craziness just to have me die anyway.”

“Well, maybe we can convince them that you can control it,” Hiei said hopefully, “explain that it was the medication that caused the problems.”

“That's not the only reason.” Kagome said softly. “I've felt my hold over the jewel slipping for some time. I might have gone to spirit world much sooner with it if I'd known how.”

“No, you can't!” Hiei exclaimed. “You don't know what they plane to do to you. I've seen it. Soulless beings trapped in a false paradise for all of eternity. That can't happen to you! I won't let it.” It surprised Hiei how panicked and sick he felt when he thought of her there.

“After the life I've lead, that doesn't sound so bad.” Kagome joked.

“Don't you want to stay,” Hiei asked hesitantly, swallowing hard before finishing, “with me?”

Kagome's eyes widened and she studied his face. “Is that what you want?”

Hiei nodded slowly, the sincerity in his eyes making words unnecessary.

“Then yes, I'd like to stay with you.” Kagome smiled, reaching up to touch Hiei's cheek.

She lay in his lap staring thoughtfully into his eyes for a long time before sleep finally claimed her. He ran his fingers softly through her hair, a gesture that was very unlike him, but that seemed completely natural between them.

***

 

As Kagome slept, Hiei racked his brain for solutions to the situation. Between the warmth of Kagome in his lap, and the cool air flowing in from outside, he soon found himself nodding off. He had expended a lot of energy healing the damage to his shoulder and keeping Kagome warm, his body was demanding sleep even though his mind knew it was dangerous.

Hiei was woken by Kagome shoving him roughly to the other side of the cave. Her eyes were glowing with an intense pink light as she fought to keep the energy contained in her body. It was a losing battle and she knew it. She darted from the cave, and waited until she was several feet from the entrance before releasing it in a wave of blinding energy that left her laying in an unconscious heap on the cold ground, fighting it that long having taken all of her strength.

Hiei rushed to her, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her back to the cave.

“Kagome?” Hiei shook her gently. “Kagome, wake up!” he urged, shaking her harder.

He gathered her back into his arms. “We can't stay here.” He said to himself as he started out of the cave. Hiei took two steps before a flash of demonic energy sent him careening backward.

“Going somewhere?” A dark voice asked as the silhouette of a man with a sword appeared at the cave entrance.

Hiei's heart thundered in his chest as he felt the man's power level. Another S class, and we're trapped.

“I've been circling these mountains for nearly two days searching for the bleeding youkai and the human miko.” The demon said, tossing a branch with a bit of Hiei's blood on it on the ground. “You've had ample time to get the jewel from her, and since you haven't yet I'll assume you don't deserve it, so I'll be taking the girl off your hands now.”

Hiei drew his sword, knowing that he'd lost the battle already unless the other demon made some serious mistakes, but he didn't seem like the mistake making type to Hiei. The other demon accepted Hiei's challenge, drawing his own sword.

“Not giving your prize up without a fight I see. Such a shame you'll die for the sake of a human.” The man said as he attacked.

Hiei blocked the man's lunge and countered with an upward slash.

“You sure it's me that's going to die today?”

The man narrowly blocked, Hiei clearly had the advantage when it came to speed.

“The truth is it doesn't matter if I kill you. I'm not the only one seeking the jewel. It's only a matter of time before the rest find us here.” The man said.

The two expert swordsmen continued to clash swords until both were thoroughly exhausted.

“We're evenly matched,” Hiei announced through gasps, “this is pointless.”

“You're right,” the man agreed, “it's been a long time since I've met a skilled swordsman in battle. I think it's time I show you my pet.” The man whistled loudly, and a giant shadow filled the cave entrance, blocking out all light.

Hiei's eyes fought to adjust to the darkness, but he didn't have to try too hard, as the cave suddenly lit up with a bright glow as a flame shot from the dragon's mouth. Hiei barely ducked in time.

“Easy, Shiro, we need the girl alive…mostly.” The man ordered.

The beast snorted and raised a giant clawed hand. Hiei turned to shield Kagome's unconscious body with him own. Every survival instinct Hiei had screamed at him to go with the blow and allow the creature to bat him aside, but his heart was demanding that he protect Kagome.

He braced himself against the beast's blow, screaming as its claws ripped deep into his back. The head that began spreading instantly from the injury site told him that he had been poisoned.

The man let out a dark laugh. “If you've got any final words you better say them quickly. Shiro's poison will reach your lung soon, and you won't be able to breathe.”

Hiei's vision was blurring and he had to fight the nausea in order to speak through gritted teeth. “You showed me yours…” He said, raising his arm as if to shoot power at the other man but instead choked on a scream as Shiro latched onto his arm, biting him up to his shoulder. “Let me…show you…mine…” Hiei struggled with the words, coughing up a large amount of blood as soon as they were said. He smiled darkly as he released his dragon. The last thing Hiei saw before he collapsed on top of Kagome was his dragon ripping Shiro in half and continuing on to devour his master.

Moments that seemed like day later, Hiei, who was still conscious enough to hear what was going on around him, even though he didn't have the strength to open his eyes, heard the sound of many feet rushing into the cave.

“We found them!” a young female voice called.

“Excellent,” praised an older male voice, “grab the priestess and let's get her to King Enma. He's no doubt chomping at the bit by now.”

“Sir, what should we do with him?” A young male voice asked.

“Leave him,” the older voice commanded, “it's a kinder fate than Enma would give him.”

With that, Hiei slipped into an inviting darkness, the last sounds he heard were of the group walking away and leaving him for dead. He kept waiting for his soul to cross over, and to see the perky blue-haired ferry girl greeting him, but it never happened. It seemed like he waited a long time, but after a while even his sense of time began to slip.

 

***

 

When at last Hiei felt like he had enough strength to open his eyes, he was greeted with a harsh fluorescent light, and teen Koenma's worried face. He sat up quickly, cringing at the pain in his bandaged back and arm. A quick glance around told him he was in a hospital room in spirit world.

“Where is she? What happened to her?” Hiei demanded.

“If you're referring to the priestess, she is in the celestial realm, and the jewel of four souls is locked up safely in the spirit world vaults.” Koenma replied.

“How could you let them do that to her?” Hiei exclaimed, “You stupid, good-for-nothing, sad excuse for a ruler! How do expect to control the other realms when you can't even do the right thing in your own?”

Hiei knew he had struck a nerve when the godling looked as though he was going to cry, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Without another word Koenma turned and left the room.

“That was uncalled for!” George yelled from the far corner of the room. “Koenma sir put a lot on the line to save you, Hiei. He used the power stored in his pacifier to save your arm, and probably your life. He went before his father and pleaded on behalf of you, Yusuke, and Kurama. If you only knew how King Enma treats him…”

The door to the room opened, and Koenma slipped back in. “That's enough, ogre.” He said sternly.

“Have Kurama and Yusuke been released then?” Hiei asked, feeling humbled that the cowardly minion had been angry enough to yell at him, knowing that even in this weakened state Hiei could snap him like a twig.

“Yes, my father was willing to forgive their part in this. You, on the other hand, are to face him for judgment.” Hiei let out a humorless laugh at the suck that was his life at that moment. “I'm sorry, Hiei, I tried.”

Hiei nodded, and Koenma and George left him to rest.

 

***

 

A few days later, Botan escorted Hiei to King Enma's office. “Just remember, Hiei,” Botan warned, “be polite, and only spoke when spoken to. Maybe it won't be as bad as everyone thinks.”

Botan stayed by his side as he was ushered before the god-lord.

“Ah, Hiei. Do you understand why you are here today?”

Hiei clenched his jaw tightly, willing himself not to say what was on his tongue. “Because you think I deserve punishment. He answered finally.

“And don't you?” King Enma asked, raising the paper in front of him. “While on parole in Ningenkai for grave crimes committed against Reikai, You disobeyed direct orders, deviated from mission objectives, harbored a person of interest in an ongoing investigation, and hinder the arrest of said person of interest.”

Hiei's temper flared, besting his self-control. “Why don't you say what you really mean?” He shouted at the god-king. “That you sent me to help you kidnap a human girl who spent her life protecting something that could bring about the destruction of all 4 worlds, so that you could reward her service by sucking her soul out and sticking her in a bubble for all eternity, and when I tried to help her prove to you that wasn't necessary, your people left me dying in a cave!”

Botan looked at Hiei wide-eyed before giving a nervous laugh. “Ha, ha, ha, Hiei, such a joker!”

“And just how did you plan to prove that to me?” King Enma snapped. “Do you think I enjoy this? That I didn't look at every possible angle before reaching this decision? The Jewel of four souls was created and entrusted to a priestess of the sacred order before Spirit World was even formed. The priestess was to be granted a certain support system of warriors, spiritual leaders, and demon guardians to help her manage the task of protecting the jewel. However, with the erection of the barriers, she lost the support of her demon guardians, with the growing lack of interest for the spiritual among humans, once her grandfather died she lost her spiritual leader, and the death of her brother severed the final thread of her support system. She was losing her ability to contain and control the jewel. It would've destroyed her and half of human world. There was no other choice. If I allowed her soul to be reborn the jewel would be reborn with it and the cycle would start over again.”

“So you created this problem.” Hiei accused flatly.

“What? How?”

“Before the existence of spirit world and the barriers she was fine!”

“But the world wasn't, Hiei. Demons terrorized Humans. Souls ran rampant. There was no balance.”

“King Enma, sir,” Botan asked in a timid voice, knowing she was pushing the limits by interrupting, even if King Enma did have a soft spot for her, “if I may make a suggestion?”

“What is it, Botan?” The king asked in a gruff voice, clearly still disgruntled by Hiei's disrespect.

“Couldn't Hiei be her demon guardian, sir?”

Hiei's eyes widened at the prospect of a new solution, but his heart quickly sank.

“Absolutely not,” King Enma exclaimed, “he's proven already that his alliances are shifty at best.”

“No, please, I want to.” Hiei said hopefully. “I care about her. If you let me, I'll never leave her side.”

King Enma sighed heavily. “It's not that simple. Only a demon with a pure heart can be entrusted with the duty of helping the priestess. That disqualifies you immediately. A demon guardian must be able to put the priestess before himself. More importantly he must be able to put the priestess' desire to fulfill her duties before her safety and well-being. If you care for her as you say, I doubt you are capable of that.”

“I do understand that her mission is more important than her life. Believe me I understand.” Hiei assured him, remembering how it felt to be inside her mind, and feel her determination to keep the jewel safe even as everyone she loved died helping her. “There must be something I can do to prove myself to you.”

King Enma studied Hiei for a long moment. “You are sincere.” He stated finally.

“Yes.” Hiei replied, letting the unmasked desperation to save Kagome show clearly on his face.

“You could go through the trials…” King Enma spoke more as if he was thinking to himself than directly addressing Hiei.

“Anything.” Hiei replied.

“It will be hard.” He warned. “The trials will cause you to face up to every wrong deed you've committed in your life. You will feel every pain you have ever inflicted. The physical pain felt by your enemies as you needlessly took their lives, the emotional pain of those enemies' loved ones, the sting of betrayal, the pain of the very Jagan whose eye you currently wear.”

“I had nothing to do with that!” Hiei protested.

“It suffered and you gained,” King Enma explained, “therefore you are responsible, that is how the balance system works.”

“Then what about the good I've done?” Hiei asked, “I've helped save the worlds countless times!”

“You think that really makes up for anything, Hiei? Happiness is fleeting, pain is lasting. If you don't want to go through with it I'll understand, your past is far from clean.”

“No. I'll do it.” Hiei replied.

“Very well,” King Enma said, “You will be allowed to choose one person to help you through the first part of your trials if you so choose.”

“One person?”

“Yes, anyone you like.”

“There really isn't anyone…”

“Don't be afraid of them refusing, anyone you name will be ordered here.”

“I can't think of anyone.”

“Remember what you are about to face, Hiei, I assure you, you don't want to go through it alone.”

Hiei didn't know why he did it. He had fully intended to decline. But a name slipped from his lips at the last moment, “Genkai.”

Even Botan was a bit confused, but had no time to question Hiei as Genkai appeared in the office.

“What's the big idea?” She demanded gruffly, “I was about to hit level 9 on zombie fest 3000!”

“Sorry, Genkai,” King Enma said, smiling down at her, “but Hiei here has requested your help.”

“Huh?” she asked, un-amused.

“He has agreed to go through the trials.”

“Are you crazy?” Genkai yelled at King Enma, “The trials are intended for humans who don't wish to go to hell, nor for demons! Demons grow up in a world where pain and suffering are daily occurrences!”

King Enma squared his shoulders, feeling the need to look even taller than his already enormous frame under Genkai's disapproval. “Never the less, he will be doing them, and you will be helping him.”

Genkai opened her mouth to argue, but found herself standing with Hiei in a room that seemed to go on forever, yet not to go anywhere at all. Everything was stark white, from floor to ceiling, and the lighting was uncomfortably bright, yet seemed to have no point of origin. “Stupid, spoiled, God-king, thinks he can just zap people around from one place to another.” She muttered angrily.

“I'm sorry for dragging you into this.” Genkai's eyes widened at hearing the apology as she turned and looked at Hiei.

“You look like the same pain in the ass demon, but you've changed, Hiei.”

Hiei nodded his agreement, “I'm doing this to save someone I…care…about.” Hiei explained, tripping over the foreign words.

Genkai raised an eyebrow, “Well, the surprises keep on coming. Why the hell did you choose me?”

“I don't know.” Hiei answered truthfully.

“Do you have any idea how much pain you're about to be in?” Genkai asked.

“I've got a pretty good idea, yeah.” Hiei said dryly.

“I'll do what I can for you.” Genkai promised.

AS the trials began, Hiei had clear pictures in his mind to accompany the pain in his body. His first kill as a child was fairly painful, as he was sloppy an inexperienced. Hiei grunted as cuts broke out on his skin in the same spots he had cut his enemy. They healed almost instantly, but their pain remained. There was very little emotional pain tied to that one, so he assumed that no one missed that particular demon.

As the trials continued Hiei tried to maintain his composure, but within the hour he was screaming and writhing on the ground. He reminded Genkai too much of Yusuke during his time absorbing the spirit wave orb. She had prayed she'd never have to witness such suffering again. She was consoled by the fact that at least this time she was not responsible for it.

 

***

 

Hiei suffering continued for hours, and Genkai knew that the soothing words and promises that an end would come that she had offered to Yusuke were not going to help Hiei. Instead she talked him down, taunted him, gave his mind the anger it was used to using to fuel his ability to tolerate pain in battle.

Hiei wasn't sure what was worse, the physical pain that consumed his body, or the emotional pain that bore down on his mind. He had never felt such sorrow, and his consciousness was chiming in with its own guilty pain at some of the people he had killed. Fathers, mothers, children, lovers, beings that died for no other reason than his own greedy bloodlust, temporary thrills to fill the empty void in his heart.

After several hours there came one that Hiei had been dreading. The one kill that haunted his dreams to this day. The kill that shamed him, even then, as bloodthirsty as he was. he had tortured a weak demon for days, breaking him mind, body and spirit until the demon had brutally ended his own life rather than waiting for Hiei to do it.

Genkai knew there was something bad happening when Hiei's curses gave way to pure, unadulterated screams of pain. She paused for a moment, frozen by the look of anguish that contorted Hiei's normally composed features, before shaking her head as if to brush off her disturbance.

“Come on pussy-boy, suck it up!” She yelled gruffly, unsure if at this point Hiei was even hearing her through the blinding agony. “What's next, you gonna start crying on me?” She taunted, comforted by the small spark of anger that briefly lit up Hiei's eyes.

“I don't cry,” He struggled out, “I can't. I had my tear ducts…cauterized…when I had the...jagan implanted.” It took all of Hiei's concentration to speak rather than scream as the torturous pain continued.

“Why would you do that?” Genkai asked, hoping to keep him talking.

“Tears are for the weak.” Hiei spat through clenched teeth.

“Or is it because you didn't want yet another tell-tale sign that you are part Koorime? I'm sure the red eyes were bad enough, given that most fire demons have yellow eyes, add to that the legends of the forbidden child born of fire and ice, and it'd be a dead give-away. But as long as no one could make you cry hiroseki stones, they couldn't prove that it was you.”

Hiei grit his teeth as he spoke. “Good idea in theory, but that didn't stop anyone from just assuming I...”

Hiei's words were cut off by a heart-wrenching scream.

“Enough of this.” Genkai said, as she rushed forward placing her hands on Hiei's blood-soaked side as she began to pump what little of the spirit wave's healing powers that she still possessed into him.

“N-no,” Hiei said weakly, “they're my sins, I will pay for them.”

Genkai studied his face for a moment before removing her hands. “Then suck it up and pay for them, my ears are ringing!” She yelled gruffly, returning to her former method of comfort.

A small sense of relief hit Hiei when the pain from the last kill he'd made before joining Yusuke began to subside. That was quickly ruined however as the flood of pain of all those he'd killed for spirit world began to hit him. “No…fair…” Hiei grunted. This pain wasn't as bad. Being the master swordsman he was few realized that when Hiei did take a life, he did so in the quickest way possible.

Genkai began to relax as it seemed the worst of the trial had passed, but her heart went out to Hiei as his eyes flew open wide, and he tried to scream, but was in too much pain for words. His skin began to blister as though he was being burned. It was then Genkai realized he was reliving the pain of the victims that the dragon of the darkness flame had killed by his command.

He looked young, and helpless laying there, lips parted in a silent scream, body writhing of its own accord in an attempt to deal with the onslaught of pain. Most of all he looked remorseful. Blood began to trickle from his eyes in place of tears in a steady stream.

The worry overtook Genkai's features, and she wanted nothing more than to cradle him as her motherly instincts kicked in, but there was nowhere on his body she could have touched without causing him more pain.

As the pain began to subside, Hiei was shaking uncontrollably. He was a bit surprised the pain hadn't killed him. A sense of dread washed over him as he realized that he had killed more than once with the dragon, and there would be more to come. As the next one neared, he found himself trembling in fear. More blood spilling from his eyes.

It's for Kagome. Remember why you're doing this.

Hiei's mental mantra helped him a bit, and nearly an hour later, as the pain from his final kill, the man in the cave, died, he struggled to his feet. His body felt weak, his mind felt remorse, but most of all he felt an odd sense of lightness, as though he had faced each one of those enemies and been granted their forgiveness.

“Are you alright?” The worry on Genkai's face looked to have aged her even more, and Hiei graced her with one of his rare smiles as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Yes, Genkai, thank you.” The softness of his demeanor and the warmth in his eyes sent a shiver down Genkai's spine. She felt as if she were looking at a stranger wearing Hiei's skin.

 

***

 

A door appeared in the wall, and they walked through it, back into King Enma's office. The artificially cooled air felt good against Hiei's sweat slicked skin, the memories of his flesh being burned to the bone still lurking in the shadows of his mind.

“I did your stupid trials, now give me Kagome,” Hiei growled.

“Not so fast,” King Enma said, “you've proven that you're worthy to be her demonic guardian, but you must also prove your ability to guard the jewel.”

“I've proven my abilities countless times!” Hiei snapped.

“To my easily impressed son, perhaps, but now you must impress me,” King Enma said smugly, “and you'll have no help on this one.”

Hiei suddenly found himself standing in a dark room. Two spotlights flicked on loudly, and underneath each one there was a platform. Shock overtook Hiei's features as he saw that Kagome stood on one, and Yukina on the other. Both girls were bound.

“Hiei!” Kagome exclaimed, genuine happiness in her voice.

“Mr. Hiei,” Yukina called, “please help us!”

Suddenly a fire roared beneath them, and both girls expressions went from worried to panicked.

The floor to Hiei's right shifted, and a console rose from below. It had no buttons, just a level that could be pulled to either the right or the left.

“This flame is alive,” King Enma's voice thundered from seemingly everywhere, “It seeks out even the tiniest seed of evil in a person's soul and devours them. It will not disappear until it has fed. Whichever direction you pull the lever the platform on that side will fall away and the girl you choose will feed the fire. You have one minute to make your decision or they both die.”

“You're a real monster,” Hiei said, anger making his voice tremble. He walked to the console and grabbed the lever. He looked up at the girls, willing his head to make a decision his heart was incapable of dealing with. Finally he released the lever and sank to his knees. “I'm sorry, Kagome. I can't do it. I can't make the decision to sacrifice my sibling's life. I won't.”

With that Hiei rushed forward, hurling himself over the edge of the precipice, flinging himself into the fire. Hiei was amazed as he fell through the fire, that the by now familiar sensation of being burned alive didn't begin. He continued falling, further and further down until finally he landed on something much colder than he would have imagined finding at the base of a fire.

He opened his eyes to find himself surrounded not by fire, but instead laying face-down on the tiled floor of King Enma's office. He pushed himself up, looking every bit as confused as he felt.

“Congratulations Hiei,” King Enma said gently, “I'm impressed.”

With that, Hiei was warped to an all too familiar scene, the fake paradise seemed even more eerie now than it had before, but all was forgotten as he heard the voice he longed for.

“Hiei?” He turned and saw Kagome, still bearing the angelic wings, looking around, clearly confused. “What happened? Where are we?”

Hiei ran to her, drawing her into a tight embrace. Kagome hugged him back, further confused as she noticed her wings. “Am I dead? Am I an angel?”

Hiei smiled softly, drawing back to look her in the face, a trickle of blood spilling from one eye. “Yes, you are an angel.” Kagome cast another confused glance his way at the whole situation. “Let's go home.” Hiei said finally, leading her through the dimensional curtain, her wings disappearing once they were on the other side.

 

***

 

“Wow,” Koenma said as he sat in his office, watching the scene on his television, “Hiei is like a new demon!”

“Well, Koenma sir,” George said, “He found his angel.”