"I haven't felt that way in such a long time; for once I controlled the situation, I had someone at my feet groveling for their life, I never felt so alive!"
"Yes but you know you cannot always rely on your ability, you are still learning how to use it and what if he were too strong to succumb?"
"Then we would have had to kill him with bare handed, nothing we haven't done before."
"That was once and we barely got out of there alive."
"Well I had to do something, I wasn't going to let..." the tragic sting hit her again, she flashed back to the time another creature ventured into their lives looking to make a meal out of them, it was but a few blocks from Shuichi and Shiori's house and she had to protect them. She fought hard and was injured greatly, but she kept her best friend and his mother safe. She had always saw herself as his protector, as exchange for accepting a half-demon as a friend she would do whatever it took to keep him and woman to become a second mother to her safe. However the memory only brought her to realization that the creature was venturing to that direction for no reason and even more possible that who she once thought was a frail human boy could've destroyed the demon much more easily than her. How many more times did he let her believe she was useful?
"Hey…don't do that, I know you and dwelling on the past is what you do best. You will drive yourself crazy if you pick over every moment with a fine toothed comb."
"I'm already crazy Zoie." It was then she heard their voices in the distance, she wasn't aware they were walking that long, it couldn't have been ten minutes but it felt like mere seconds to her, she hated when that happened.
"Hey you guys hear that? I think we have company again!" Of course, they were much more aware than normal people, sneaking up on them would not be wise.
"It's just us!" she called out and trotted the remaining distance to rejoin the group. She only met his eyes for a moment and yet read so much, he was glad that she was safe. Why was it that he could instantly calm her and yet stir so much anxiety at the same time?
"Wait how did you get in, we nearly got crushed to death trying to come into the only entrance." Her eyes glanced far behind them at the wall that nearly sealed their fates while she was toying around and a stab of guilt joined her already troubled conscience.
"We snuck in through a window along the side of the castle; we knew if their focus would be you guys at the front door then we wouldn't be noticed. But if I had known you would have been in so much danger I wouldn't have taken so long…I'm so sorry."
"Aw don't worry yourself, a pretty lady like yourself shouldn't need to fret. We men know how to take care of ourselves." The one called Kuwabara took her hands in his as he looked deeply into her eyes and she couldn't help but be curious…as well as a bit disgusted. She looked back and began to read his thoughts, trying to find a memory tell her where she had seen him. And then she found it. In a rage she flipped him onto his back and with both hands on his throat kneeled onto his chest.
"You! You tried to kill Kita! Didn't you!"
"Who...what are you talking about?!"
"Hey let him go!"
"Think…Genkai's compound, about six months ago you came across a wolf, he was brown with gray patches and one blue eye THINK!" Within moments she had gotten her answer and stood.
"What the hell was that about?! Why did you just throw him down like you were going to kill him and then let him go?!" Gees…I'm really not good at this making friends thing. She brushed off her skirt and reached for Kuwabara's hand who hesitantly took it. Now all eyes were on her, confused and a little upset.
"I have a pack of wolves, I raised most of them from pups on Master Genkai's compound. She had said she didn't care that they stay as long as she never had to worry about visitors ha! Um, anyway during that tournament she had one of them…Kita, had been injured. I remember seeing Kuwabara there but as it turns out he had helped him, not hurt him. I'm sorry I accused you."
"Wait, how did you know that?"
"I can read your memories, it's like being a telepath only I also see them as you do. All I have to do is ask a question and a person will think to that related memory even if they planned to tell a lie you cannot lie to the information stored in our own mind. I saw you pull Kita from the snare before running away."
"Consider her a walking lie detector, you could try to lie but unless you knew ahead of time what information she was even looking for you could never know what to not think about." Zoie explained it much better in her opinion and she felt the anxiety creep back in. she couldn't let them see how weak she felt. She held her head high, dominant and confidant and smiled in satisfaction.
"So anyway, we should get going, I hear there are foes to fight?"
"The four saint beasts to be exact, and this is not some field trip, I am not going to waste my time trying to save a hapless girl from certain death."
"Hiei she can hold her own, I assure you she may even be of some help." It was the second time he had acknowledged her since she even came here. She began to wonder if he was ashamed of her, was he embarrassed to have her there? They began walking again without another word and she let herself slip back to walk alongside him. He seemed different, his energy felt different and yet she knew it hadn't much changed from any other day, could it be that she trusted him so much that she let the façade go for all of these years? Why didn't she sense it? Her thoughts were interrupted by loud growling and a door opening to their right. As they walked in they peered upon the stone beast and she felt the shivers creep up her spine.
"I will fight him." She was equally stunned as the others but held her tongue. This is it; I will finally see just what it is he can do. She watched in amazement as he performed his attack how quick he was and his perception.
"Zoie, be straight with me, did you know he could do this?"
"Well, I knew he wasn't normal."
"And you didn't tell me?!"
"What would it have done? He obviously didn't want you to know and he was happy to let you be his little body guard. If you knew would it have made a difference?"
"Of course it would have! I wouldn't have felt so alone…"
"But you weren't alone, that's the point. I'm telling you, let it go or it will consume you." She thought back to a time when they were younger, they were climbing on the jungle gym as they mothers chatted in the distance.
"Tell me Shuichi, would you ever lie to me?"
"Why would you ask a question like that?"
"Because I don't like liars and I will know if you are!"
"Well…have I lied to you yet?"
"Well, no, it's why I was asking."
"I would never lie to you."
"Okay, then are you afraid of me?" she remembered how he looked at her then, those soft green eyes so confused and yet so wise, even at six.
"Why would I be afraid?"
"Because of what I am, aren't you afraid I would hurt you?"
"Friends don't hurt their friends, so if you ever hurt me then it would mean we aren't friends right?"
"I guess that's true."
"Would you ever hurt me, on purpose of course?"
"No never."
"Then that's your answer, I can't be your friend if I'm afraid of you and you wouldn't be my friend if you were to hurt me. Since neither of us want to do either then we have nothing to worry about." They sat at the top together and she would never erase his smile from her memory as he put her mind at ease.
"Best friends forever?"
"And ever." She snapped back and just like that the fight was over. Dammit, not again. She rushed over to join everyone else, and found he was hurt which sent her in a mild panic that she refused to show on the outside. But one thing remained, she was feeling a lot of conflict and the more that was added to her conscience, the more trapped she felt she had to talk to him but the question was how.
They continued to walk, moving on from the chamber of the stone beast and she once again let herself slip alongside him, the closeness of him eased her yet the silence tormented her; what was she supposed to say?
"You should really let me take a look at that." He looked at her almost surprised and she again felt guilt. Did he really think she stopped caring because she was angry with him?
"No…it will be fine, I have herbs that can assist in healing."
"Oh…Hey, K?"
"Yes?"
"Why didn't you just tell me? I would have kept your secret like you keep mine. I would have helped you with all of this stuff. I don't understand why for our whole lives you kept this from me."
"Hello my name is Shuichi Minamino, I have the spirit of a demon fox inside of me, want to share a juice box?" They both chuckled at that.
"Okay I can see that but I feel like you couldn't trust me, like I wasn't good enough to carry your secret ya know?" The group stopped to rest and the two sat against a wall just out of earshot of the others.
"I know you felt betrayed, I'm sorry I made you feel that way. It wasn't my intention to make you feel inadequate; I only wanted to protect you."
"Protect me?"
"This is a lifestyle that is a little new, but you can see that it isn't without its hazards. I didn't want you to be a part of that, I wanted you to lead a somewhat ordinary life."
"Did you forget who I am? I strive for unique."
"Indeed you do. I'm sorry Siera, can you forgive me?"
"I already have, I've missed this." She rested her head on his shoulder as he worked to patch his wound. It had been months since she had a conversation that didn't end with her yelling at him. Sometimes she wondered just why it was he put up with her. Those friends he had made seemed special, maybe she could use this whole experience to try to get to know them as well. she knew deep down she was possessive of him, territorial to be exact and she knew if she were to really be his best friend forever then it was vital that she loosen her grip on him.
"I told your mother that you would be at the microbiology presentation our teacher is giving in the next town. That is going to be going on for the next few days, I figured that would buy some time."
"I appreciate that." They sat in silence for a long moment and she let her fears creep back.
"Best friends forever?" He always knew how to lift her spirits.
"And ever."