Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Cross of Flames ❯ Can't Turn Back ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Yu Yu Hakusho.

 

 

A Cross of Flames

 

He followed her stealthily for a few weeks now. Koenma wanted constant updates on her every move, reports on her progress, and statistics on her abilities. She came out of nowhere, and the knowledge of whether or not she was a human or demon had yet to be determined.

It was part of his mission to develop that conclusion; however, she was making it very difficult to be tracked down.

“Koenma, sir. Why not send Yusuke on this mission?”

“Forgive me for not informing you earlier, Botan, but I've personally sent Yusuke on a different mission of more importance. I've come to the conclusion that after what has happened in the past that Yusuke should be the last of the spirit detectives. He needs to settle down with Keiko.”

“Of course, but why did you send Hiei on a mission?”

Koenma looked up from his paperwork to the bubbly girl in front of him.

“It's simple. Yusuke has Keiko, Kuwabara has Yukina, Kurama and Shizuru, and I have you,” he said with a smile.

“Now Hiei needs someone,” Botan added.

 

“Precisely,” Koenma concluded.

`I've got her this time,' Hiei thought.

He watched from above like every other time he followed her. Her long brown hair with purple highlights cascaded down her body and would sway in the direction she moved.

Her eyes were bright blue and would glow with immense power when she was about to take down an enemy. She was beautiful to say the least, and with a complimenting dark blue fighting kimono to emphasize her body, she could have been a goddess.

“I know you're watching me,” said the woman.

Hiei jumped down from his position in the tree with grace, and kept his composure placid as always.

“What do you want?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“Who are you?” Hiei asked with malice.

“Why do you wish to know?” she returned with a glare.

“I personally don't; however, I've been asked to gather information.”

“Ha. And you want me to just spill my guts?”

Hiei didn't answer, only grinned calmly.

“Stop following me,” she finished before disappearing.

 

“She slipped away again!”

“Why can't I just kill her, Koenma? This game is getting old.”

“You've been tracking her for three weeks now and you've yet to gather any valuable

information. And no you can't kill her, she could help us,” he lied.

“Whatever, I'm through with this.”

“Hiei, wait! Oh man. That boy is worse than Yusuke.”

“Koenma, sir. Do you still think this is such a good idea? I mean, she may be slaying demons, but Hiei might not-“

“Botan, drop the sir, and no. I still think this the perfect woman for him. He just needs to talk to her.”

“You know, Hiei isn't the type of person to speak to others.”

“I do know, but that's why I've had him gathering information. To anyone except you I'm going to play stupid about her. I know more than I've led him to believe. Don't doubt me Botan. I know what I'm doing.”

“Of course.”

“He'll come around, just let him be for now,” Kurama interrupted, entering the room.

“Kurama! How are you and Shizuru doing?” Botan asked excitedly.

“We're doing fine. I'm graduating soon, but back to Hiei. He's going to analyze her from a distance, which is what Koenma is having him do now. Then after he's gathered all the information he needs he'll establish his thoughts. Don't expect them to be good; after all, this is Hiei we're talking about, and he doesn't do well with the opposite sex.”

Botan laughed and glanced at Koenma to hint something, but he didn't catch on like Kurama had.

“I'll leave you two alone. Nice seeing you again,” Kurama finished and exited the room.

 

 

`That fool, Koenma. Who does he think he is?' Hiei thought while sitting on the branch of a tree.

`And that stupid female always escaping without a trace. I'll find her again,' he assured himself before falling asleep.

Unbeknownst to Hiei the woman who had frequently slipped from his grasp was watching him closely and making her approach.

She sat in front of him and took in his appearance. Black hair, black clothes, and red eyes lay behind delicate lids.

`Everything about you is dark isn't it?' she thought.

He was seraphic in her point of view, and she couldn't take her eyes away from him. His strong facial features itched at her fingertips; she wanted to touch him.

Reaching out with a gentle hand she hesitated.

`You'll wake him, idiot,' she mentally scolded before noticing his bandaged arms. The bandages were no longer white, but were now a grungy red color.

`Dried blood? Who the hell is this demon?'

The memories of the previous day filtered through her thoughts.

“Who are you?”

“Why do you wish to know?”

“I don't.”

`Silly boy, surely you could come up with a better answer than that.'

Hiei flinched suddenly and the mysterious girl tensed up.

“I'll find her,” he said in his sleep.

The girl smiled to herself before she could no longer help it and brushed the back of her fingers down the side of his face.

Immediately Hiei awoke and withdrew his sword from his side, catching his perpetrator by the neck.

He was breathing heavily and poised for the kill, but slowly began to calm down when he saw who it was.

“You're dancing on a devils ground, girl,” he threatened.

“If you're going to kill me, do it quickly. I hate pain.”

Hiei sheathed his blade and leaned back against the tree.

“That'd be to easy.”

The girl smiled once again at him and took the time to admire his beautiful eye color. She knew his eyes were red, but she didn't know of the longing that resided in them.

“Are you ever going to tell me your name?”

She watched him carefully as he did with her; they analyzed each other, and searched for a hint of attack. They found none.

“It's Shiori.”

“Shiori,” he repeated.

“Yes, and you are?”

“Hiei, and I'm assuming you're a human. I don't detect any demon traces in your scent,” he said cockily.

Shiori smiled, “Do you think a demon would kill her own kind?”

Hiei continued his grinning, “Well, I think anyone with your power would kill anyone; after all, you've killed a few humans too.”

“The humans I've killed were monsters. You can't deny that,” she defended, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Koenma was right about you; you're an interesting girl indeed.”

Shiori glanced at the sun and realized it was becoming late.

“Hmph. Sorry to break it to you, but I've got to run.”

Hiei acted quickly. He grasped her shoulders and threw both of them off of the tree to the ground, pinning her underneath him.

“I don't think so. Not until you tell me how you've been getting away,” he demanded.

Shiori smirked now and noticed that he was just as small as she was in body size.

“Well wouldn't you just love to know?” She replied sarcastically.

“Tell me or I'll kill you,” he growled out, pushing all of his weight on her.

“Hiei.”

Hiei stopped his attempt at crushing her for no reason known to him, and looked her in the eyes. He was mesmerized by her intense beauty and couldn't stop gazing at her.

“Stop it,” she whispered, turning her face away from him.

“Stop what?” he questioned, confused almost.

“Stop looking at me,” she squirmed.

“I could kill you and you ask me to stop looking at you? What the hell is wrong with you?” He yelled, grabbing her by the chin and forcing her to look at him.

“Get away from me!” She yelled back.

Hiei had yet to release her, but she was no longer screaming and kicking now.

Fiery anger burned in her eyes and Hiei removed his hands from her and crossed his arms, leaving him in a straddle over her body.

Shiori sat up as far as she could with her forearms supporting her.

“Damn you. What do you want from me?”

“I've told you what I want,” he glared.

“Well,” she grinned again, “I can't tell you, but I can show you.”

“Hmp. Then do it,” Hiei retorted egotistically as he kept a keen eye on her.

Her eyes began to glow that amazing blue color that always caught him off guard from afar and before he knew it she disappeared.

Completely dumfounded, Hiei blinked and stood to look around.

`Damn her! She was toying with me this whole time.'

Frustrated with the Shiori girl and himself, he left the forest he'd been camping out in to return to his friends.

 

“Keiko, are you ready to go yet?”

“Yes, Botan, but we have to wait for Shizuru, Yukina, and a friend of hers to get here,” came her reply.

“What friend?”

Keiko descended the stairs and made her way to the couch in her living room.

“I think Yukina said her name was Shiori.”

“Shiori?” Botan thought aloud. `Isn't that the girl Koenma sent Hiei after?'

“To anyone except you I'm going to play stupid about her,” she remembered him saying.

`Then I have no other choice than to play along as well,' she thought.

“How wonderful to have another companion tag along!” Botan exclaimed.

Walking into the room with Yukina and Shiori behind her, Shizuru added, “Yeah, wonderful for everyone who's not Kuwabara. He gets so jealous when she's around.”

“How nice to meet all of you,” Shiori greeted.

“Goodness you're pretty,” Botan commented.

“Uh, thank you?” The girl squeaked.

“What inspired you to bring such a lovely friend Yukina?” Botan asked cheerfully.

“Actually, Shiori and I have been friends for a while now and she's never met my brother. I just thought today would be a good opportunity.”

“That's great!” She smiled. `But too bad you don't know that they know each other already, sort of.'

“We ready to go now?” Shizuru asked impatiently.

The other four girls replied simultaneously, “Yep!”

On their way to the mall to meet up with the guys Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru got caught in a conversation while Yukina and Shiori shared one of their own.

“So, how is it going with that stalker of yours?” Yukina giggled.

“Funny you should mention him, Uki. We crossed paths today in the forest outside of town. I was hunting a snake demon when I came across the boy.”

“Did you two fight?”

Shiori laughed.

“Not really. I found him sleeping in a tree actually. He's got some very striking features. Anyways, being the type of person I am, I couldn't tolerate just looking at him, so I brushed my fingers down the side of his face.”

“It sounds like you're developing a crush,” Yukina giggled again.

“Don't be silly, Uki. He's gathering information on me. Not that I care, but it's distracting.”

“Do you think he means any harm?”

“I'm not really sure. He catches me off guard on most days and that gives him plenty of opportunities to strike, but in the end I always slip away from him. Today was the first day he was actually able to touch me.”

“What did he do?”

“Eh, it's not important, but he stared at me for a while. And you know how I feel about that.”

“I don't see why that makes you uncomfortable. You're very pretty. You just need to learn to accept that. After all, you're still young.”

“I guess you're right, but I'm young and self conscious.”

Botan looked back at the other two females in their group and shouted, “Hey you two! Hurry it up!”

“Coming, Botan,” the girls shouted back in unison.

 

“I don't see why I need to come with you idiots.”

“Shut up, Shorty. Yukina says she wants you to meet somebody.”

“Don't make me have to kick your ass Kuwabara,” Hiei threatened.

“Now, Hiei it'll do you some good to hang out with your friends,” Kurama offered.

“I wouldn't go as far as friends,” he retorted back.

“Oh come off it. Besides, it's not like you have anything better to do. Koenma's told me that you can't keep track of that girl demon killer,” Yusuke added.

“Did he now? I might just have to do something about that,” Hiei hissed, glaring at Koenma.

Koenma put up his hands defensively and said, “Hey! It's true!”

Hiei crossed his arms and stuck out his chin in a defiant manor.

“Awe is the little man having trouble with the ladies?” Kuwabara teased and ruffled his short friends hair.

“Don't touch me,” he growled again as he moved a few feet away.

“Hey guys it's the girls,” Yusuke informed as they reached the food court.

“Yukina!” Kuwabara shouted.

As he made his way toward her he noticed that Shiori was sitting at the end of the table by herself, but he didn't really think anything of it and sat next to his girlfriend.

“I didn't know you were bringing her,” he pouted.

“Don't be silly. I told you I was bringing a friend. She's my friend, and she could use some time away from her daily job,” Yukina smiled.

“Yeah, yeah,” he sulked when the two girls started talking to each other.

Having yet to reach the table, Kurama asked, “Who do you suppose the other attractive woman is?”

“I don't know. Friend of the girls I guess,” Yusuke answered.

“From the looks of things she appears to be friends with Yukina,” Koenma added.

Still angry about the predicament he found himself in, Hiei ignored his friends as they reached the table.

“Hey guys,” Keiko greeted.

“Who's your friend?” Yusuke asked while he, Kurama, and Koenma took a seat.

“Oh,” Botan started, “This is Yukina's friend, Shiori.”

At the sound of her name Shiori looked up to meet everyone, but when her eyes landed on him her eyes changed color for only a fraction of a second.

He was just as surprised as she was from the moment Botan had uttered the name.

They glared at each other momentarily before Hiei smirked and took a seat in front of her.

Regaining her composure, she said, “It's nice to meet all of you. I've heard great things about you from Yukina.”

“Fancy that. I don't remember her telling me anything about you,” he spat.

“Brother, be nice,” Yukina defended.

“Brother? This is your brother?”

“Yes. This is Hiei. He is my twin I was telling you about.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” Kuwabara interjected, “I was just as surprised as you are when I found out.”

On the other end of the table Kurama whispered to Koenma, “Do you suppose they know each other already?”

“To tell you the truth, that's the girl I've had him tracking these past few weeks,” Koenma whispered back.

“She's very pretty,” Shizuru and Botan commented, completely obvious to the conversation their boyfriends were having.

“She's very mysterious and powerful too,” Koenma informed. “But none of you can tell Hiei that I know that.”

Shiori continued to glare at her friend's brother when no one carried on a conversation with her.

Hiei couldn't help but support one of his grins while watching her sit in discomfort. He hadn't noticed it before, but she had two very light scars on her face. They were right above her left eyebrow in fact, and though the bangs of her hair hid them well, with his abilities and the small distance between them it was easy to see.

“I'm sorry Yukina, but I must go,” Shiori announced politely.

“So soon?”

“Yes,” she flinched, noticed by Hiei. “I've got that funny feeling again.”

“Oh my, again? It was only two- well, all right then. I'll see you later,” Yukina stopped herself.

“Bye.”

Without anyone besides Yukina and Hiei noticing, Shiori disappeared.

“Yukina.”

“Yes, Hiei?”

“How does she do that?”

“Do what,” his sister asked innocently.

“Never mind. I'm leaving. I can't stand being around you fools any longer than need be.”

Without another word Hiei vanished too.

`Stupid girl. Always slipping away from me, and even when it's not in battle. I won't let it happen again.'

Using his Jagan eye he followed her to the same forest where they had encountered each other earlier that day.

In a close by tree he could see her kneeling on the ground and clutching her stomach in obvious pain.

`What the hell?'

Drawing closer but still out of sight he couldn't figure out what was happening to her.

She screamed an ear-piercing scream and coughed up blood.

He winced at the high-pitched torture his ears received, but didn't fail to notice a snake demon approaching her rather quickly.

He watched in fascination as the girl put up a protective barrier around her, and yet continued to shriek in agony.

“It's no use you pathetic human girl. Your power is draining faster as you continue to use that barrier,” the snake demon said.

“Do you think I don't know that, you miscreant?” She seethed, coughing up more blood.

`If I don't do something quick I'm going to die.'

Another sharp pain racked her body and she fell to the ground in a heap, losing her protection in the process.

Venom dripped off of the fangs of the demon as he poised them above the nearly unconscious Shiori.

Her eyes began to glow and very slowly her body faded away before becoming visible again.

Hiei did nothing but look on in horror as the snake sank his teeth into the defenseless girls body and became enraged that someone would attack another who was that vulnerable.

Another scream fell on deaf ears as Hiei quickly raced to her defense. He withdrew his sword and slashed at the demon many times until it fell in pieces at his feet.

After sheathing his sword again he turned and knelt down next to the obviously ill girl.

“What's the matter with you?” He demanded.

He received no answer and rolled her onto her back. Her once blue eyes were now dull and almost lifeless. In addition to the change in eye color, her skin had started to turn an off shade of green.

“You've been poisoned,” he realized. “Tough luck,” he said, standing and walking away.

Every step he took made him more frustrated as he tried to leave her, but something ate at him.

Infuriated, he turned back to Shiori, picked her up, and tossed her over his shoulder. He wrapped one arm around her legs and moved the other so he could rest his hand on her lower back.

“Always stuck with the babysitting,” he muttered before taking off.

Miles into the same forest Hiei located his home and rushed inside the small shrine. As delicately as he knew how he set her down on a futon, and then retrieved a bucket of cold water and a cloth.

After placing the cool washcloth on her forehead he dialed the number to Kuramas cell phone.

“How nice of you to call, Hiei. What's up?”

“I'm assuming you're through with your little escapade, so I need you to come to my shrine right now.”

“Why the urgency?”

“Don't dottle you fool, and bring one of your curing concoctions.”

“What am I curing?”

“Snake venom,” Hiei concluded and hung up.

Returning to the girl's side he rinsed the cloth and replaced it again.

“If you can hear me, I'm not a pervert and I'm not taking advantage of you, but I need to remove your clothing to cleanse your wounds.”

No reply came from Shiori; not that he expected one, and he continued with the deed.

After stripping her of her clothes he wrapped a blanket around her upper and bottom half, leaving only her mid section visible.

Two large teeth marks graced her abdomen and he couldn't help but pity her.

Despite the fact that she was a good fighter and had the power of invisibility, which he just found out, she was still a human woman, and like all others, she was fragile.

“Hmp. I can't believe I'm thinking and feeling such things,” he said aloud.

“What things?” Kurama interrupted.

“You're very slow. She could have died by now,” Hiei barked.

“Who?”

“Shiori.”

“Shiori's the one who has been poisoned?”

“Yes. Now treat her so my conscience can rest easily.”

“Have you developed feelings for her or something? Saving a human girl is not like you.”

Hiei stared in disbelief at Kurama and gave him a stern look of disapproval. “Don't be foolish. She's one of Yukina's friends, and I don't feel like taking responsibility for her death. Yukina has been through enough.”

“I see. In that case, I can not help you.”

“Excuse me? Why the hell not?”

“Because I don't want to be responsible for her at all. In addition to that I'm not fond of being a pervert, which you apparently are,” Kurama stated as he nodded in Shiori's direction.

Hiei clenched his fists and shouted, “I'm not a pervert! I was waiting for you to get here so I could disinfect her bite marks.”

Kurama laughed at his friend's defensiveness and reached into his pocket for the necessary medicines.

“Of course you were. Anyways, here is the medicine to make her better,” he said, tossing a packet of powdered meds. “And this is ointment for the wound. Apply it often,” he informed and tossed it too.

“You can't expect me to do this,” Hiei said seriously.

“I wouldn't have expected you to have saved her.” Kurama smiled and walked out the door.

Hiei glared at the doorway where his so-called-friend once stood and sighed angrily in defeat.

`Damn you, you foolish human.'

He filled a tall glass with water and stirred in the packet of medicinal herbs.

“I hate you,” he vented.

He knelt next to her and used one of his knees to rest under her neck and one of his hands to cradle her head as he brought the glass to her lips.

The liquid in the cup slowly became nothing and he threw it against the wall to watch it shatter.

Shiori's hair was everywhere at this point and Hiei was forced to tie it up. He ran his fingers through it a few times before giving up.

“Screw it. I don't care.”

Picking up the ointment Kurama had so graciously given him he dabbed a bit onto the infected area.

Finishing the task as quickly as possible he washed his hands and placed another blanket over her.

Having to no longer tend to her, he rested against the wall with one leg close to his chest and the other outstretched in front of him.

`Now that that's over with… Time for some much needed sleep.'