Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Freedom ❯ Chapter Seventeen ( Chapter 17 )

 

Chapter Seventeen

 

Hiei spent the first part of the party avoiding Bulma's mother, Bunny Briefs. The ningen woman was safe but she was also exceedingly annoying. She kept pinching his cheeks , 'Aren't you just the cutest little thing I've ever seen.' The overall effect was almost enough to make Hiei want to kill her despite what he was sure the consequences of such an act would be. When Ariana saw him sitting in a corner by himself and snatched him up it was almost a relief. He had a feeling that as long as Ariana was present that Bunny would leave him alone.

 

Ariana took him to a tree some distance from Capsule Corp. where Yusuke was waiting for them. Goku and Gohan were a small distance away having a small but animated conversation.

 

 

“Goku and Gohan have said that they'll go easy on the two of you. Don't return the favor. Give them hell.” Said Ariana.

 

“Do you want me to use the Dragon of the Darkness Flame?” Asked Hiei.

 

“Unless you can think of a reason not to use it and you want to, go for it.” Said Ariana.

 

Yusuke's match with Goku started out as most people would expect it to go. Goku was stronger, faster, more experienced, and had been training to fight since before Yusuke had been born. Then Yusuke's hair lengthened and blue tattoos became to appear on his exposed skin as he tapped into the power that his Mazoku heritage had given him. Suddenly, even if it only lasted for a handful of seconds, the tables were tilted ever so slightly in Yusuke's favor.

 

“That was unexpected.” Said Gohan.

 

“Especially when one considers the fact that until Yusuke was fourteen he had no formal training. Until then the only training he got were the fights that he picked and was challenged to on the streets.” Said Ariana as a well aimed Spirit Gun hit Goku square in the chest momentarily stunning the Saiyan warrior and allow Yusuke to follow the initial attack with a Spirit Gun Rapid Fire.

 

“How old is he?” Asked Gohan.

 

“Eighteen.” Said Ariana.

 

“How can he be that good with only four years of training?” Asked Gohan.

 

“Easy. Fighting is in his blood every bit as much as it is in your father and mine.” Said Ariana.

 

“Your father would tell you that that's not possible because he isn't a Saiyan.” Said Gohan.

 

“That's because he never met Raizen.” Said Hiei.

 

“Raizen wasn't that much more powerful than Yusuke is now.” Said Ariana.

 

“That was after a several thousand year hunger strike.” Said Hiei. “At he end his power was little more than a drop in the bucket compared to what it was even five hundred years ago.”

 

“And how would you know that?” Asked Gohan.

 

“I was there.” Said Hiei.

 

“That's impossible.” Said Gohan.

 

“He isn't lying.” Said Ariana. “Hiei is roughly five hundred and fifty years old.”

 

“He didn't need to know that.” Said Hiei.

 

“I didn't know you were self-conscious about your age.” Said Ariana. “Besides, it's not like I told him your birthday.”

 

'You know my birthday?' Asked Hiei telepathically.

 

'September 15' Said Ariana. 'At least that's what your records in Reikai state.'

 

'Koenma didn't know that.' Said Hiei.

 

'Koenma never bothered actually looking at your record.' Said Ariana.

 

'Then how did he find out about the Detective and I?' Asked Hiei.

 

'He looked at Yusuke's file.' Said Ariana.

 

Hiei and Ariana were jerked from their silent conversation when a ki blast from Goku hit Yusuke and sent him flying through the tree behind them. Yusuke got up, muttered a few curse words, and threw himself back into the fight.

 

A few seconds latter Yusuke fired a Spirit Gun point blank in Goku's face, but Goku ducked and the blast only knocked down several trees in the area surrounding the area that they were fighting in. Goku's fist in Yusuke's stomach knocked the breath out of the former Spirit Detective but he still pulled of the Shot Gun that he had been powering up.

 

“I know a little old lady who can hit harder than that.” Said Yusuke.

 

Goku laughed.

 

“That's hard to believe.” Said Goku.

 

“Did he get hit upside the head when I wasn't looking?” Asked Gohan.

 

“No, he's just having fun.” Said Ariana.

 

Yusuke went flying by, propelled by a particularly hard pinch to his stomach.

 

“Don't you think you should intervene?” Asked Gohan. “Yusuke is getting pretty beat up.”

 

“You underestimate him.” Said Ariana.

 

“I think you are overestimating him.” Said Gohan.

 

“And you should shut up.” Said Hiei. “The only thing coming out of your mouth is utter stupidity.”

 

“I second that.” Said Yusuke as he walked past them. There was a large bruise on his back that made Ariana wonder when his shirt had disappeared.

 

When the fight was over, nearly half an hour later it was without anyone intervening because Yusuke was the one who ended it. Yusuke's back, front, and arms were covered in bruises but he was still wearing a big grin when he sat on the ground near Ariana's feet.

 

“Have fun?” Asked Ariana.

 

“Yeah. I hope I get to do that again sometime.” Said Yusuke.

 

“I think that I can arrange that.” Said Ariana.

 

Hiei's fight with Gohan started out with Gohan on the defensive as Hiei pounded him with a barrage of attacks most of which made it through the half-saiyan's defenses. It was several seconds before Gohan managed to turn the tides and make Hiei go on the defensive. He did not, however; manage to land a single blow on Hiei.

 

Several minutes later, Gohan began using ki blast which Hiei evaded as easily as he had the earlier kicks and punches.

 

“You should have told me that Hiei was that fast.” Said Goku.

 

“He's faster than that.” Said Yusuke. “He's barely going half speed right now.”

 

“Half?” Asked Goku.

 

“And if he breaks out the Dragon of the Darkness Flame his top speed will go up even higher.” Said Yusuke. “But I think the next thing he's going to do will be to bring out his katana.”

 

A few minutes later Hiei tossed his cloak at Yusuke who grabbed them out of the air. Hiei did bring out his katana like Yusuke had predicted but a ki-blast that Hiei dodged managed to hit the katana, breaking it a couple of inches above the hilt. Hiei threw the katana at Gohan who dodged it and then doubled his speed, pushing Gohan back onto the defensive as Hiei used Fists of the Mortal Flame which sent Gohan flying clear across the clearing and through four trees before he came to a stop.

 

“Was that the...” Started Goku only to be interrupted by Yusuke.

 

“No. That was the Fists of the Mortal Flame.” Said Yusuke. “I haven't seen him break that one out since he went up against Kuro Momotaro at the Dark Tournament.”

 

Than Hiei tossed the bandana that covered his Jagan eye to the ground and began unwrapping the wards that covered his left arm.

 

“Now that is him getting the Dragon of the Darkness Flame ready.” Said Ariana.

 

Hiei launched his dragon straight up into the air. The dragon gained quite a bit of altitude before turning around and charging right back at Hiei who smirked evilly at his opponent who was staring at him in utter confusion.

 

“He isn't by any chance related to Vegeta, is he?” Asked Goku. “Because that smirk looks an awful lot like his.” Said Goku.

 

“You do realize that my father would kick your ass for implying that there is anything but one hundred percent Saiyan blood running through his veins, right?” Asked Ariana.

 

“He isn't here.” Said Goku. “And shouldn't Hiei be getting out of the way of his own attack?”

 

“Sit back and watch. Hiei knows what he's doing.” Said Yusuke.

 

Hiei's dragon slammed into him in a display that completely destroyed his shirt without damaging anything else that he was wearing.

 

“Remind me to buy extra shirts for you and Hiei next time I go shopping, Yusuke.” Said Ariana.

 

“Okay.” Said Yusuke.

 

Hiei threw himself at Gohan who had only made it halfway back from where Hiei's last attack had sent him. Seeing the even faster Hiei practically flying at him, Gohan powered up to Super Saiyan.

 

Yusuke pressed the side of his face against Ariana's leg and wrapped an arm around it.

 

Everyone was shocked when Hiei still proved to be significantly faster than Gohan.

 

“Damn, that proves it.” Said Yusuke. “I knew he was holding back on the speed when we sparred but I had no clue he'd cut it down that much.”

 

A few seconds later, Gohan managed to push Hiei onto the defensive where he kept him until Hiei's attack ran it's course and the fight came to an end with Yusuke catching his friend before he could hit the ground.

 

“Who do you think I should ask to handle their training?” Asked Ariana.

 

“Mirai would be best to take on Hiei's training. I'll handle Yusuke's myself.” Said Goku. “Do you think that the day after tomorrow in the afternoon would be a good time to start Yusuke's training?”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Said Ariana.

 

It was then that Bulma's strident voice was heard announcing the arrival of the pizza delivery guy. Both Goku and Gohan disappeared without a word. Despite the temptation to do so, Ariana did not follow them. Instead she took Yusuke and Hiei to their room where she put Hiei to bed after wrapping a fresh set of wards over the now dormant dragon and putting him in a pair of pajama pants and healed what remained of Yusuke's numerous bruises. Then, and only then, did she go to get he share of the pizza.

 

~*~

 

The next morning Ariana woke first. In the night Hiei had cuddled into her front and Yusuke had positioned himself almost all the way on the other side of the bed. Ariana wrapped her left arm around Hiei and smiled slightly when Hiei pushed himself closer before opening his eyes. Hiei's entire body tensed for a moment when he realized the position he was in but he made no attempt to get away. Ariana kissed his cheek and began running a hand up and down his back.

 

A moment later Hiei made a small unidentifiable sound and then but his lip to keep anymore from coming out. Hiei decided that this time he wasn't going to let he know how much he like what she was doing to him. It didn't work. A few seconds later another small sound slipped from Hiei's mouth and he bit into his lip harder and harder until his teeth cut into his lip, drawing blood. Hiei stopped for a moment and then bit back down on his lip in a new place until that too was bleeding. It was the third time that that happened that Hiei let out a small whimper of pain.

 

Ariana froze instantly when she heard that sound and then gently pushed Hiei away from her until she saw his bleeding lip. She brought up her left hand and gently brushed a finger across Hiei's bleeding bottom lip, healing the self-inflicted wound. She made the blood on her finger vanish with a simple ki trick she had learned from her father.

 

“If you'd wanted me to stop, why didn't you ask me to?” Asked Ariana.

 

Hiei just looked away so Ariana reached out and gently made him look at her.

 

“Why?” Asked Ariana.

 

“I didn't want you to stop.” Said Hiei. “I just didn't want you to know that I liked it.” The last part was mumbled but Ariana had no trouble understanding it.

 

“And why would you want me to not know that?” Asked Ariana.

 

Hiei looked away again and this time she let him because the faint redness on his cheeks was all the answer that she needed.

 

'Is it because you want more than what you've been getting?' Asked Ariana. 'Do you want me to finish what I started that day in the kitchen?'

 

Hiei's blush darkened but he did nod.

 

'It would wake the Detective and he might not have a good reaction.' Said Hiei. There was a tinge of what could easily be regret in his mental voice.

 

Ariana go up and went through the dresser pulling out clothes that she'd put away before she went to bed.

 

“Get in the shower. I'll be there in a couple of minutes.” Ordered Ariana as she tried to remember what logic she had used when putting the clothes away and also trying to figure out why she always ended up putting things away or cleaning when she was drunk.

 

She heard Hiei get out of bed and walk to the bathroom and the only thing that that made her wonder was if he would like what she had in mind for what would happen during their shower.