This story is based on Volume 7 of the manga. There is certain dialogue that coincides with it, so it will be very recognizable.

It takes place during Hiei's first match of the Dark Tournament; where he fights the blonde fire demon Zeru, and first uses the Dragon.

Warnings: Shounen-Ai, Hiei-Zeru, implied Hiei-Yusuke, small spoilers for Hiei's past.

Keep in mind that since I am writing about Hiei's past, that his character is slightly altered (since part of the story is one of the many events that hardens him into the tough and shielded character he is in the series). I don't consider it OOC (As Hiei is not prancing around saying "I love you" while wearing a pink tutu); I consider it…explaining character.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho © Yoshihiro Togashi.

Without a Trace
By Zelia Theb
July 3, 2005
The echo of boos and demonic disgust roared around them, calmed by the gentle steps of the opposite team's captain to the arena. He was familiar; a little too familiar to one of them. Not only was he the pallid and built blonde who all but destroyed their complimentary coffee the night before, he was also a ghost of the past; his past.

"I'll take him. I want to get back at him for making fools of us yesterday," announced he, stepping into the arena. After all, his other team mates weren't able to fight. Kuwabara was but a bruised copper curled lump with bad luck, and while Kurama easily beat his earlier opponent; he most likely wouldn't be able to handle the Captain. And he…that empowered boy, Yusuke, was still recuperating from his training with Genkai.

However, this was not just revenge for the day before. No; it was something inset into his soul; into his memories that he had all but forgotten. Revenge…

A black blur moved through the woods; silent except for the rustling of what his victims believed were leaves. In an instant he appeared before them, dark midnight strands billowing in the wind of his own wake, and garnet gems gazing into their very beings.

"H-Hiei!" one of them stuttered, "What is this, some sort of game?"

Their short predator smirked; after all; this is how games were played in their world, right? Everyone betrayed each other; however, he wasn't really in the mood to play this game. He had business to attend to.

"Yes," he chuckled, "Now move."

The preyed-upon pair took heed of the warning and hustled; fearing for their lives. Although Hiei was a kid; he was the fastest kid that they had ever taken in; and the rumors were that when he got bored of the bandits pilfering lifestyle, he would play with them…that he was responsible for the disappearances of their comrades lately. And they could not fight him; they were the weakest of the bunch.

"Hah, you fools! If you were really as almighty as your clan claimed you to be, you'd have stayed and fought!" Hiei malevolently laughed as he sprinted forward, catching up to his fellow bandits in seconds. He grinned at them like death once he cut them off, and announced, "Maybe you'll help me test out something that I've been working on."

"Uh… W-what's that, H-H-Hiei?" the second stammered, leaning on his back leg in preparation to escape.

The demon let his katana rest at his side. A vibrant ember aura encased the youth's body then. Flames danced around him, licking at the hairs on the bodies of his prey. After smiling again, he said, "Don't worry. I was only kidding. They've been searching for you louts all day, and finally sent me to retrieve you."

"Oh…hehehehe…" they laughed in unison. Hiei soon joined them, knowing where their fear had stemmed from, until a quizzical look as to why they suddenly stopped graced his face.

"What?" he demanded, narrowing his thin eyebrows into an authoritive expression. Before the bandits could answer, their bodies tore in half, spilling their blood and entrails all over the twigs and moss. Hiei quickly leapt upwards, sensing an attack from behind; then landed so that he could face his new opponent.

Hiei snarled, hands still placed casually within his pockets; "I checked that cup. It looked like it had been sliced by a blade, but the edges were melted. You lack refinement." The taunt agitated Zeru, but now…now he was much better than the fire-starter. He was no longer the young and impudent bandit of two centuries go.

"What's it matter?" seethed Zeru, folding his arms with that same arrogance he held in the past, "I don't take criticism from a belly-crawlin' evil-eyed rodent." Their eyes met in agreement of one thing; their past was going to be settled on the stones of the arena, and witnessed by the thousands of spectators surrounding them. But not one of them would know what was going on…

A female voice beamed over the cheers of the crowd, and shouted, "Begin!"

"Pitiful!" growled the bronze ogre as Hiei parried. Venomous saliva emptied from the corners of his mouth, splattering onto the blades of their swords. The droplets sizzled as the liquid's acidic properties corroded the folded alloy of the katanas…yet, it seemed as if Hiei's sword was the only one weakening.

This foe was powerful.

"Hah!" the monster teased, bring his sword down. Inside, Hiei knew that this blow would land, so he raised his dissolving sword in an attempt to soften the attack. The ogre's superior blade made quick work of Hiei's weapon, and dug deeply into the skin of the demon's right shoulder. A fresh sluice of blood was left behind as Hiei leapt backward; avoiding anything deeper.

"I'll exterminate you vermin one by one!" bellowed the beast, swiftly moving in. Crimson water trickled down his leg from another fresh wound. The remaining acid on the blade ate away at his skin; he would be scarred for sure if he survived.

"Damn," Hiei cursed beneath his breath. His world around him became dizzy; a side-effect of the poison; and soon everything moved in slow motion. No matter how quickly his eyes darted around, the shift in light was painful; but it was then that he pinpointed the ogre's weakness. His footwork was dreadfully careless; why had he paid so much attention to the weapon? Sharp wit would have easily dispatched this fool.

An after-image of Hiei was slain, only moments before the ogre's skull collapsed from the jagged hilt of the demon's broken blade. The larger of the two fell with a thud; breaking branches beneath his burly corpse. Hiei let go of the handle, and slowly dragged himself to the closest tree to rest.

He had heard of a pyro-technique that could eradicate poison, but he had never managed to discover its secret. The only magic that he had learned was the ability to call forth flames into his hands. So he went to work, using an illuminated finger to trace over the wound and burn the poison. It was no use; although the wound had ceased bleeding; it was now scarred over and the affliction would course through his veins.

"Focus your aura inward." Who had said that? Drudgingly, his half-lidded eyes moved upwards, greeting a fair-skinned stranger.

"Tch," Hiei spat, disgusted, "What do you know."

The blonde bent down, dangling chest length locks of sunshine into the air, and squinted. The look startled Hiei, and he gasped.

"Just do it," he advised, "Your blood cells are infected, but you have the ability to set each and every one of them on fire." The stare became intense; he was under inspection and Hiei had no options left. Even if this man was trying to destroy him, he could just as easily slay him with his own fists if Hiei didn't comply.

The injured one took the risk, injecting his blood vessels with the crackling caress of fire. His vision slowly graduated from a blur to the intense clarity it held only a recent time ago, and the last image recalled was the smiling face of his teacher.

He awoke in a cave similar to the one of the bandit lord back home. Different colored throws littered the walls and floor, and torches sang their song of light; kissing the edges of glimmering treasures.

"Zeru!" someone shouted, "Zeru!" The voice traveled around the one of the caverns many twists and turns, and then finished with, "Zeru! He's awake! He's awake! What should I do?"

The recognizable voice of the one who had saved him returned with, "I'll take care of 'im. Just get us some grub."

"All right!" And then he heard the minion's scampering footsteps fade as Zeru's clicked along the earthen floor.

As he rubbed his head, he noticed that his shoulder had been bandaged clear across his chest; and that he was wearing different pants all-together.

"So," Hiei muttered, "You're Zeru. What did I do to deserve this sort of treatment?"

"I shouldn't have to answer someone whose name I don't even know," the blonde smiled, "But I will." Zeru knelt beside him to check the bandages; "Because the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Hiei rolled his eyes sarcastically; "Haven't heard that before."

"Be that as it may," Zeru said, standing, "You've got a lot to learn about the art of pyromancy. You've got a pretty weak aura for someone of your stature."

"Weak?" scoffed the now standing demon, "Feh. Why not ask the many bandits who have fallen to my blade."

"Your blade, yes. But have you ever tested the limits of your powers?"

"All of the time."

The servant returned with a partner, who helped it carry trays of food and drink. They set it on at a table on the opposite side of the cavern, then quickly meandered off before angering their leader.

"Hn," grunted the taller, beckoning Hiei with his hand to join him for dinner, "Let me guess; in the confines of your training area. You like to burn the branches off the trees, but ya can't summon the flames in quick enough to kill a moving target."

His assumption having been correct; after seeing many of his newly inducted bandits fall to the same weakness; Zeru awaited Hiei's reaction. But the demon was not speechless. Upon sipping the beverage served to them, he remarked, "So then. Do you intend to show me anything or just keep me captive so that you can taunt me over dinner?"

An amused expression rested on Zeru's face; "Heh. I like you. You've got that cynical attitude that pushes you." He broke apart a biscuit; "But this ain't all a give-give situation. What goes around, comes around, know what I mean?"

"Just get on with it."

"Hah! Feisty!" Zeru swallowed; "You've gotta join us, now. Won't make you go through all of the newbie crap, but you've gotta pull your weight."

Hiei grinned; "Fine."

"And no playin' games, kiddo," Zeru warned, "I've seen too many of the kids get themselves killed that way."

"So how do you expect me to practice?" Hiei quipped, caressing the tips of his nails with his thumb.

"Don't worry," replied Zeru, "Fodder is fodder."

The raging waters boiled. Hiei stood triumphantly on the banks, staring maniacally at the villagers on the other side; taunting them to ford the river in its heated state. Zeru patted him on the shoulder with bruised knuckles, and praised him.

"Quick thinkin'," he stated, "Come on. The boys are on their way back. I've got somethin' to show ya."

They ran through the woods like quicksilver; although Hiei did have to be mindful of his pace so as to not run ahead of the one he was following. The sky above the trees grew dark; thunder tore through the air waves as bloodened lightning scorched the clouds. An immense power; the likes of which Hiei had never known existed until that very moment grew exponentially as they reached their destination; a cliff overlooking a canyon simply known as the Abyss.

"Hn," said Hiei, regarding the blackness that blanketed the bottom, "What is it?"

"Not quite sure," replied Zeru, "I've only heard of scrolls through taverns in the old world that speak of it."

"So why are we here?"

"The ultimate form of pyromancy, Hiei," Zeru assured him, "The legends say that something truly vile and destructive can be summoned from these very pits; that it can incinerate anyone into a shadow with its breath alone."

The fire-storm brought a wave of warning that washed over them like water. The intense forces pushed through them; and Hiei could only compare the feeling to a free-fall.

"Do you feel that power, Hiei? If anyone could tame that, they would be a terrible person." Kneeling as he usually did, Zeru swiped at the burnt earth with his finger; "It goes by a few names, but the legend is always the same." He rubbed his fingers together to rid them of the soot, and listed them; "Dragon of the Darkness Flame, Black Dragon of Hell Fire, Black Flames of Dire…it goes on."

"And to summon it?" the pupil asked, watching as the lightning turned his ally's hair the luminous color of neon red.

"Heh, Hell if I know," he said, standing, "All of my leads have been dead-ends."

Hiei vowed to find a way, eventually. What a better way to destroy an island than to melt it beneath the backstabbing citizens' pathetic feet? He leaned over; if only his eyes had the power to see what was swimming below. If only…the ground beneath him hadn't cracked.

"Idiot!" shouted Zeru, grasping the curious demon's wrist tightly, "Are you really so intrigued with death?" His muscles flexed as he pulled the suspended youth to solid footing. They both lost their balance and tumbled backward, landing a few safe feet away from the canyon.

Hiei blushed as they pulled apart; since when had Zeru become so attractive? He was naïve to the notion that perhaps…perhaps it was because he had already saved his life twice now.

"Idiot," the blonde repeated, brushing them off, "Let's go."

"Yer cinders, man…" the captain warned. Autumn painted flames swirled about like a tornado as he proved just why he was the leader, and always would be.

The audience cowered, and Hiei heard Kuwabara complain of the heat. Was this supposed to intimidate him? Perhaps…it was that same free-falling feeling.

"Impressed?" Zeru inquired, "You should be! A mouse like you could never in his whole life summon this much aura." The blonde was right. Hiei was still the child from before; the one who relied on everything but his inner power. With Yusuke he had used the power of the Jagan, his evil eye; and with Seiryu…his sword had split that inferior into icy cutlets of purple flesh.

"Enough talk," Hiei stated indifferently, "Move."

Zeru had bested him again. His fist of flames connected clearly with his abdomen. The blonde laughed as Hiei was sent backwards, left to convert into coal. The captain grimaced as the crowd cheered, and remarked, "Heh… Hardly worth gettin' out of bed for that."

Hiei could bear the agony of defeat no longer. But it was only his garments that were burning, right? Yes, his defense was as he had thought before the match. He would be the one to prove that Zeru was but an overgrown rat. As Hiei emerged from the flames; much to Zeru's apparent surprise; he teased, "You're not bad. Pity I have to kill you." It was not just a case of the student overthrowing the master…

The sweat was whisked away as the water cooled his body. After training alone all day, he hadn't expected to see Zeru at all, however…

There he was; white skin reflecting the blue moonlight, with taut muscles expanding and contracting as he bathed himself. He turned as the liquid ripples of Hiei's presence tickled his body, facing the youth with his cruel gaze of authority.

Whatever drove him then, he would never be able to say, but when his companion was completely facing him, he could not help but lean into his form. Small hands gripped at the sides of the tallest's muscular abdomen. Zeru's fingers of sunshine had become pearlescent locks of white that clung to his body. Hiei played with them for a moment, enjoying how the slick strands fell through his fingers; just like the water.

With a sincere and calm tone, the nude bather asked, "What is it, Hiei?" When Hiei could not respond with words, he carefully pulled them apart, and stated, "I'm finished. Come and see me when you're through." The aloof demon was left alone with nothing but a warm emotion that may have very well been a fever…and it urged him to join Zeru later.

The other bandits were asleep in various futons that littered the way to Zeru's rocky chamber. Hiei's soft shoes pittered quietly in the cavern. What was it that had come over him? If Zeru even noticed the change in behavior; and Hiei wasn't stupid; he knew that he had; he would probably slay him. Yet he continued his walk toward most uncertain death, only to discover a cocky Zeru, seated shirtless within the plush of pillows and blankets.

"And what is that you want?" Hiei asked nervously.

"Maybe I should be asking you, Hiei," Zeru replied, rising from his bed. In a flash he had stepped forward and thrown a punch at the shorter, who blocked it with his forearm.

"Come on, Hiei!" the bandit leader pressed on, "Show me what you've got!" He delivered a round house kick to the defender's side, which was blocked by a sheathed katana.

"Heh!" laughed Hiei, skidding through the throws on his feet, "I don't even need this to beat you!" On that note, he tossed the sword to the side, expecting it to land with a hard clink upon the floor. However, in his patience he was pinned by Zeru, who was pushing the protected weapon into his chest.

At first desperate to escape, Hiei clutched the tough leather-bound encasing of his sword; trying with all of his might to lift it off himself. When that failed, he kicked upwards, tossing Zeru hard onto his back. Like a savage animal, he went in for the kill, and grappled with the blonde. Once again, he expected that Zeru would push back, but instead was proven wrong once again as he let down, allowing Hiei to corner him in his bed.

"So, Hiei," he uttered, "You're refusing to use your pyromancy." A growl emerged from Hiei's throat, calmed by the gentle hand placed upon his cheek; "Is this because you love me?"

The words hit his ears like a foreign language. He never uttered the word; not once, yet he knew its meaning; and what sorts of tragedies this word brought about. It was a weakness; this moment of thought; and Hiei was rolled over onto his back, now aching at the sight of his long-haired leader looming over him.

"No."

"Liar." And Zeru pushed their lips together like their fight had been foreplay. Awkwardly, Hiei responded, and dipped his tongue into the chasm of Zeru's mouth.

An ivory hand trailed beneath Hiei's coverings, and removed them with a simple touch of magic. Tender fingers kissed his chest, and as the two pulled away, Zeru whispered, "This is what you want, isn't it…"

An irresponsibly sensuous moan chorused in Hiei's throat; brought on by the sensitive touch to his formed stomach.

"No."

"Don't lie…" Zeru suggested, his fingers adeptly working at the buckles of Hiei's belts, "Because your body tells me otherwise."

Hiei could hold in his emotions no longer. He let forth a pleasurable sigh as Zeru let his fingers glide over the newly exposed and hardened pink flesh.

Violet bursts of tumultuous and abysmal energies surrounded Hiei. Zeru had insulted the strength of both he and the Jagan, and would pay dearly.

"That's not possible!" his opponent exclaimed in disbelief. The heat was intense, and he could barely pay mind to the consolations of ill-training that Hiei was throwing at him.

"My right arm should be enough for this," Hiei informed him, a dark orb surrounding his fist, "See? This is real pyromancy…true evil that your match-play lacks!" The grinning demon continued to step forward in defiance; he was always the rebellious one.

"Wait…you can't!" Zeru shouted in warning, feeling the tips of his spiked hair already burning to a crisp.

Hiei didn't care much for the warning. In anticipation, he announced, "Here it comes!" and then…so dangerously…oh so very sweetly…he summoned the beast that swam in the pits of the Abyss.

"And what will you do now?" the crow questioned him, cawing at the captured demon he had once called an ally.

"Hn," he muttered from his chains, "I'll slay you."

"Hahahahahaha!" the bird cackled, "You'll never be able to! You were thrown right into our hands! Now it's time for us to avenge the death of our comrades!" The winged beast used its raptor-curled claws to perch upon the wall of Hiei's stomach; using his sharpened beak to peck into his chest for torture.

"That's enough!" That familiar voice…to his rescue again. Surely his lover could best the bird and remove the warded chains from his limbs!

The bird obediently stopped; a most unusual reaction to the victim. Zeru approached the bloodied mess against the wall, and stopped square in front of him. His hand slipped in between the tangled hairs of Hiei's head to grip at his skull. Tilting the captured head up, he asked, "What is it that you want?"

Blood riled in his throat, and dribbled between his lips. He responded meekly, "For you to save me…" The hand let go of his hair, and fell to his chin. He felt the vibration of Zeru's evil laugh as his face was roughly pulled.

"Hah! Save you?" Zeru grinned greedily, and said, "I was the one who sold you! These bandits were offering a bundle, and when one of those ancient scrolls of the Darkness Flame was tossed in, do you think that I could refuse?"

"Shallow bastard!" Hiei hissed, struggling within the chains. The insult was retorted with a punch to the stomach, causing Hiei to cough more of his life through his mouth.

"See you in Hell, Hiei," Zeru remarked with a wave, allowing the crow to return to its tormenting.

A shadow resembling the reformed shape of Zeru was plastered against the far wall of the arena. He had done it.

It was a shame that Zeru spent his life searching for the secrets of the Dragon. Perhaps that was the reward their team was looking for. The damn fools…

Hiei scoffed as he trekked out of the ring, ignoring the sounds of the annoying announcer's voice. Thankfully his suspicion had worked; the Dragon was much like a dog. It was a creature that required to be fed, and what better snack than the life energy of a demon? But…his arm…

Kurama's eyes held concern as he stepped down. The fox would certainly scold him for this later; but it was no matter. Hiei's ambidexterity was rather sharp.

The demon looked to Yusuke as his eyes fluttered open. Such precious brown eyes behind those whisks of ebon. This boy was genuine; he had no ill-intent. No strive for power.

However, Hiei needed no love. Yet whenever Kurama had questioned him; whenever that damned fox persisted on asking him about his feelings…

He answered as he did then.

The End

Author's Note

Please leave me any and all reviews! I'm curious to know what you all think of this unusual story.

Zelia