More Than Anyone Else
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho!
A/N: This was originally supposed to be part of the first chapter, but since it was so long, I had to cut it! So, this takes place on the same day as Chapter 1.
Chapter 2
After some further harassing from both Keiko and Shizuru, they all decided to go back to the hotel. The girls marveled at how regal the hotel was and their eyes were wide as they took it all in. As they continued to look the place over, they began to notice something strange about all of the occupants.
"I was under the impression that this was a demon-world affair, why are there so many humans around?" Shizuru asked as she pointed skeptically.
"Many corrupt and greedy humans who have business with the Black Market are also involved with Demon World affairs. They place bets on their favored teams and watch the tournaments from special box-seats above the arena. Lord Koenma, the man you both met earlier, is an important guest and owner of our team, so he is probably around here somewhere as well," Botan explained.
"The toddler's here?" Yusuke asked, his brows quirked up as a mischievous grin appeared on his face. "Quick, Botan. Go make sure he didn't get lost, a baby shouldn't be left unattended, you know."
"Yusuke!" Botan admonished. "You know he doesn't like it when you make fun of his age!"
"Toddler?" Keiko echoed. "The man we met before wasn't a toddler."
Botan smiled sheepishly, trying to move the conversation away from her boss.
"Don't bother yourself with the nonsense that comes out of Yusuke's mouth; let's go see our room, shall we?" she suggested, taking the two girls' hands in hers and leading them to their appropriate suite.
"What are they so excited for?" Yusuke muttered as he watched them enter the elevators. "This isn't a friggin' vacation, it's a demon tournament!"
Kuwabara nodded in agreement.
"I don't have a good feeling about them being here, Urameshi, it's too dangerous."
"There is nothing more we can do," Kurama informed. "There are no more boats scheduled for departure until the end of the tournament. They have no choice but to remain on Hanging Neck Island until that time comes."
"That's no good…" Yusuke muttered as he ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm sure Koenma will keep an eye out for them when we are engaged in battle," Kurama offered.
"He still hasn't mastered the art of potty-training," Yusuke countered. "I doubt he could keep track of them."
"There's always Botan," Kuwabara mentioned hopefully.
Hiei resisted the urge to snort. That ditzy woman looked incapable of monitoring herself, let alone two other women.
Yusuke's face fell.
"…Botan? The same girl who we had to save about a hundred times on our mission to rescue Yukina?"
"I forgot about that!" Kuwabara laughed nervously before his face suddenly brightened. "I wonder how my ice-princess is doing. Who knows, she might even be here and I'll be able to see her beautiful face again!"
The enamored look in Kuwabara's eyes made Hiei scowl in disgust. It was obvious the fool had some sort of sick affection for his sister, but Hiei was sure Yukina would never fall for an imbecile like him; he was just too dense. He was even foolish enough to think that she would be at this tournament surrounded by bloodthirsty low-class demons. It was preposterous. She would never come here; no matter how important the reason.
"I can only assume she is living a safe and comfortable life back in the Ice Village," Kurama hoped.
"Yeah, I'm sure she's doin' fine." Yusuke's eyes landed on the fire-demon. "What do you think she's up to, Hiei?"
Hiei turned from Yusuke, his eye twitching in annoyance. He could feel all of their gazes on his back and he was sure that the detective was wearing that smug look on his face while Kurama just stood there with that equally infuriating all-knowing half smile. Sometimes he wondered if he would have been better off rotting away in the deepest pits of Reikai Prison. No punishment could ever be as dreadful as being surrounded by these idiots.
The girls look over their room, happily. It was beautiful; complete with all the accommodations necessary for them to enjoy their stay comfortably. Their belongings were already inside the room, courtesy of George. They began to unpack their clothes and claim their beds when Botan suddenly jumped up.
"What am I doing? I should be fulfilling my duties as Team-Trainer!"
"Are you even an actual trainer, or did you just make that up to get in on the action?" Shizuru asked as she lit a cigarette.
"I'm a licensed trainer, honest! And with my skills, I assure you, our boys will win this tournament!" She winked at them as she flashed a grin.
"I guess you're the optimist of the team, huh?" Shizuru confirmed as Botan actually contemplated it for a bit, before answering.
"In conditions as dismal as these, they could use some optimism. They didn't exactly sign up for this tournament and they were forced to participate in what is known as the most cut-throat and unruly tournament in all of the three worlds. Even bystanders are prone to injury or death, and that's just part of the thrill for these demons. They're going to need all the help they can get, and that's where I come in!" She picked up her first aid kit and made her way over to the door.
"Hey Botan?" Keiko called before she left and Botan turned back around.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry if I was rude to you earlier," Keiko admitted, thinking back to how she and Shizuru ganged up on Botan and forced her to bring them to the tournament. "I was just so tired of being left in the dark all the time and I guess I took it out on you."
Botan smiled warmly.
"Don't be silly, there's no need to apologize. I understand your frustration; if I had Yusuke as a boyfriend I'd be just as aggravated as you."
"He's not my…" Keiko began but Botan had already giggled and ran out of the room. "…boyfriend."
"Hello, boys!" Botan said cheerfully as she stepped inside the room, carrying a first-aid kit. Yusuke, Kuwabara, the masked fighter, and Kurama were seated near the couches which surrounded a single mahogany table. Hiei sat on the windowsill with one arm in his pocket and the other at his side. "How are you all feeling?"
"Great!" Yusuke claimed sarcastically. "We just barely survived the first round and everyone on the island would rather have us dead than alive and kicking. How do you think we feel?"
"What do you mean? You all won, didn't you?" She heard Kuwabara grunt and looked over to him sympathetically. "I mean, you all tried your best and that's what that matters!"
At their silence, she continued. "I assure you, pure dedication and determination along with a healthy dosage of confidence in your own strength will allow you all to come out victorious! You boys are the strongest fighters I know, you can do this!" Botan confessed as she pumped her fist in the air, smiling brightly at them. Her countenance seemed to be infectious as Yusuke's shoulders relaxed and he leaned back into the cushions of the couch, without making any further complaints.
Hiei laughed darkly at her incompetence and all eyes turned to the demon that was isolated in the corner of the room.
"Even you should at least have some sort of feel for sensing energy; were you unable to notice the strength of Team Toguro?" His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "It is going to take a lot more than your silly little convictions to win."
"They aren't just 'silly convictions!' A little belief goes a long way, you know!" Botan shot back.
When Botan began spouting her nonsense, Hiei had already become increasingly annoyed. Kuwabara had said the same thing earlier, and look where that got him: he was the only member on the team who lost. If these humans continued to believe in such nonsense, it would only serve to lull them into a false sense of security, and in turn, they would end up losing. He had to put a stop to it now, seeing as he was the only member on the team who wasn't being swayed by the woman's words.
"What we need is more power," he began simply, his cold eyes resting on her form. "Even someone as simple-minded as you could understand that concept."
He could see from the corner of his eyes that she was taken back by his candor, but he was only speaking the honest truth. He had to resort to using his most powerful technique in the first round, costing him dearly. Team Toguro would be a difficult one to defeat, that is, if they could even make it up to the last round. Hiei knew fully well that they were the least favored team and there was no doubt in his mind that the Tournament Committee would make it hard for them to succeed. He wouldn't put it past them to try and disqualify or put them at some sort of disadvantage.
"Well excuse me for trying to help!" Botan huffed as she crossed her arms, turning her nose upward.
"Make yourself useful and leave," Hiei ordered and she faltered, breaking the proud stance she was once holding. "Your presence is not required here."
"I can't leave yet, not before making sure all of your injuries are tended to," Botan said stubbornly. "It's my duty as both assistant to the spirit detective and team-trainer!"
"Hn," he grunted as he jumped off of the windowsill. "I do not need your assistance," he replied proudly and before she even had a chance to protest, he had vanished.
"Must be that time of the month…" Yusuke muttered before looking at Botan. "Hey, don't look so down, Botan. Hiei just has a special way of expressing himself."
Botan just sighed in response, completely deflated after her argument with Hiei. His feelings towards her were pretty clear; and all she wanted to do was help him and the rest of the team.
"Urameshi's right, Hiei's like that with everyone," Kuwabara reassured. "He just thinks he's better than us, that's all."
"Yes, well, even if he doesn't like me, he could use my help. I'm quite good at healing, actually," Botan confessed.
"In time he will warm up to you," Kurama assured, realizing the true reasons behind Hiei's motives. The fire-demon did not want to alert anyone on the team of the damage the dragon had inflicted on his right arm. Kurama could only assume the use of his arm would be lost for the remainder of the tournament.
"I do hope he's alright, though. I'm sure he didn't escape Zeru's wrath completely unscathed." She watched the spot he previously occupied before snapping out of her thoughts. "I'll deal with him later; right now I'll be glad to patch you all up!"
By the time she finished healing and tending to the group, she found herself reasonably tired. The girls had finished packing their clothes and getting settled in and looked up to greet her when she re-entered the room.
"How did it go?" Shizuru asked.
"Everyone is in tip-top shape!" She exclaimed and then her face fell. "Everyone except Hiei, that is. He stormed off when I tried to help! It wouldn't kill him to accept some help, once in a while. I know he's used to doing things on his own, but we are comrades now!"
"Hiei's the same one who kidnapped me, right?" Keiko asked and Botan suddenly blanched.
"Uh…" Botan stuttered. "That's right, but he's uh, very sorry for that. He even told me to tell you how sorry he is!" Botan lied while laughing nervously.
"You're a horrible liar; you do know that, don't you?" Shizuru muttered as she took a drag of her cigarette.
"Yes, I've been told so." Botan's face fell. "I'll say it on his behalf, since Hiei isn't one to apologize. I'm sorry, Keiko. I'm sure he never meant to put you in any harm, he just needed a way to draw out Yusuke."
"Of course, because infecting me with some sort of demon eye that turns people into mindless slaves wouldn't be putting me in any harm at all," Keiko grumbled, still a bit sore over the whole ordeal.
The ferry-girl sighed.
"That's all in the past, let's just forgive and forget, shall we?" She briefly wondered why she even bothered to defend Hiei at all, but quickly shook that thought out of her head. He was an important asset to the team and had helped out on several occasions. "Hiei is on our side now; he even helped save all three worlds!"
"It's okay, Botan. You don't have to convince me, I hardly remember the day he kidnapped me. I can't hold a grudge for something I can't remember, right?" Keiko stated, her anger dissolving upon witnessing the ferry-girl's insistence. If someone as kind as Botan was defending him, he couldn't be all that bad, she figured.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Botan asked hesitantly as her eyes lingered on the other girl.
Keiko nodded.
"He has changed, hasn't he?"
"Not exactly…" Botan began and Keiko shot her a confused look. "The only reason he's helping us is because that's the only option he has, other than serving a rather lengthy sentence in prison. I'm sure he never imagined he would be working with a spirit detective and fighting to save the living world."
"Well, that's good enough for me," Keiko concluded with a small smile.
"Huh?"
"He can't commit anymore crimes now and…" she paused. "He's helping Yusuke. That's all that matters."
Botan nodded.
"That's the spirit, Keiko!"
Shizuru, who had remained silent for quite a while, finally spoke up.
"What's the deal with the redhead? He looks human, but something about him doesn't feel it."
"I'm always amazed by the spiritual awareness of the Kuwabara family!" Botan announced before letting out a long yawn. "It is a long and complicated story. One you will have to ask Kurama himself, I'm sure he can tell it better than I can. I think I'm going to take a small nap, all of that healing has zapped my energy!"
"Alright, you do that," Keiko soothed.
"If Koenma needs me, please wake me up."
"Will do," Shizuru said with a nod.
She climbed onto the bed with the intent of taking a short nap to regain her energy, but the soft bed and warm blankets lulled her into a deep sleep, and by the time she had woken up, it was already dark outside. She rubbed her eyes groggily and looked at the small piece of paper on the night stand. Keiko had written it, telling her that they were in the dining hall for dinner, and that she should come and join them as soon as she woke up.
After splashing some water on her face and making herself look more presentable, she had yet to shake the listless feeling off of her body. She knew just what would wake her up perfectly as she summoned her oar and hopped out of the window. Flying always made her feel like she was alive; even though she was technically already dead. As soon as the wind hit her body, she felt rejuvenated and a smile slowly appeared on her face.
Soon she had lost track of time and she flew around aimlessly, enjoying the feel of the cool night air against her face and the view of the stars that seemed to be within reach. As she gazed up, an energy blast made contact with her oar, sending her spiraling down back onto the land with a loud scream. She tried her best to steer her oar in such a way that the force of her fall would lesson, but it proved to be more difficult than she previously assumed, seeing as her oar was less than half of the size it originally was.
Finally, after a few moments of panicking, she managed to slow herself down enough that the fall wouldn't be fatal or injurious, and she hit the ground with a thud. Rubbing her sore back she stood up, eyeing her surroundings, and wondering if the energy blast was accidental or intentional. She then looked down at the splintered oar in her hand with a frown. Koenma would surely be mad at her for breaking her oar, again.
"Oh, I'll be in so much trouble!" Botan moaned as she examined her oar further. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice the figure that had crept up on her.
"I should have known it was you who was making that racket."
She jumped and almost let out a scream as she put a hand to her chest.
"Oh, Hiei! Thank goodness, it's only you."
He simply pointed to her as he looked at the broken oar in her hand.
"You were flying around on that thing?"
She nodded slowly and hid her splintered oar behind her back, suddenly feeling as if she had done something she shouldn't have.
Hiei narrowed his eyes and scowled in disgust.
"Demons don't think highly of you or your precious Spirit World. It isn't wise to go around flaunting who you are."
"I wasn't flaunting anything; I was minding my own business when a huge blast of energy came out of nowhere and ruined my oar!" Botan said animatedly as she withdrew her hand from behind her back and pointed to the broken oar with her free hand.
"Unfortunately the demon who aimed to kill you had horrible aim," Hiei mumbled as Botan's eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
"That isn't a very nice thing to-"
"-Showing your affiliation with Spirit World is like handing them an open invitation to attack. Next time you wander off to do something stupid it would do you well to remember that," Hiei ordered as he turned around, preparing to walk away.
"That's why you came all the way over here? To tell me how foolish I was acting?" Botan asked, shocked that he wasn't even going to help her get back to the hotel safely.
"I only came to find the source of that vile shrieking and kill it," he answered without turning around. "Seeing as you're under Koenma's protection, there is nothing I can do about it now." With that said he vanished from her sight, like a dark shadow blending into the night, leaving her alone and defenseless.
"He could have at least made sure I was alright before he left," Botan muttered before shaking her head. 'Then again, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything more,' she thought. 'I guess I'll just have to get back on my own!' Botan put on a brave face as she attempted to make her way out of the dense forest. She had flown around aimlessly before, without really watching where she was going, and now she was thoroughly lost. She figured if she could at least get out of the forest, she could make her way back to the hotel in one piece.
The eerie silence of the forest caused panic to settle in her gut. There were no sounds inside the forest and no indication that anyone else was around, and yet she still felt as though someone was watching her. The air around her was thick and heavy causing goose bumps to rise on her arms and the hair on the back of her neck began to stand. She surveyed her surroundings cautiously and her pacing picked up its speed.
Suddenly a large demon lunged out from a bush and pinned her down to the ground. She struggled against him, but it was to no avail, he was nearly twice her size and considerably stronger than her. She began to scream for anyone to save her but the demon laughed at her.
"No one will come to your aid!"
The reality of his words hit her like a ton of bricks and she willed herself to calm down. If no one would save her, she would just have to find a way to save herself. Her eyes lit up with realization as she remembered the item she was wearing underneath her shirt. Pulling the small whistle out, she inhaled deeply, and blew into it.
The demon's face scrunched up in pain and he released her, clutching his ears and groaning. She managed to wriggle free from under his body and began to run as fast as her legs allowed her to.
Hiei, who had been trying to rest in one of the trees that he had found to his liking, heard the atrocious noise and nearly fell off of the branch he was perched upon. He jumped down from the tree angrily and caught sight of Botan running towards his direction. There was a silver whistle hanging around her neck and his eyes narrowed as he realized that she had been the cause of that dreadful sound.
"What did I tell you?"
Botan came to a sudden halt when she saw Hiei a few yards ahead of her. She almost let out a sigh of relief, but the murderous glare he was throwing her way quickly suppressed any thoughts of salvation she thought she had found in him.
"I didn't do anything to draw attention to myself, honest! I was simply walking back towards the hotel when a demon attacked!"
"So you're telling me you weren't the source of that agonizing sound?" He said as he stepped closer towards her.
"I used it to create a distraction and make my escape!" Botan explained frantically, taking a step back when she noticed Hiei was advancing on her.
"You fool!" Hiei bit out harshly. "That whistle alerted every demon on Hanging Neck Island of your presence!"
Botan gasped upon hearing this, her eyes wide in fear.
They heard the rustling and sounds of footsteps coming from behind them and Botan tensed up. It sounded like more than one demon, and she could only assume they were all after her. Hiei took one look at the ferry girl, who had been standing there terrified, before cursing. She would never make it out of the forest in time without her oar and he couldn't ignore her obvious needs for help and leave like the last time.
Keeping his injured hand concealed within his pocket, he grabbed her roughly with his free arm, throwing her over his shoulder effortlessly. She yelped at his sudden gesture and, without so much as a warning, he began to sprint off. Tears sprung to her eyes as the wind bit harshly against her face due to Hiei's speed. She forced her eyes shut to avoid the wind and considered urging him to slow down, before quickly dismissing that thought. It was either put up with Hiei's unnatural speed or get mauled by a mob of angry demons. Her heart was beating loudly and she was certain Hiei would be able to hear it, but before she had a chance to think another thought, they had come to a stop. He dropped her unceremoniously on the ground and Botan winced, still sore from her first fall.
"Stay out of my way, woman. You have already distracted me enough and I assure you I will leave you to die a painful death if you go out wandering on your own again." His ruby eyes seemed to glow against the backdrop of the black sky, only adding to his intimidating countenance.
Botan gulped and nodded her head nervously; suddenly finding it very hard to speak. The way he spoke, with such indifference towards her life, was frightening, to say the least. There was absolutely no need to be so cruel; she was positive he was only doing this to scare her, and it was working.
"Get inside," he ordered and she just stared back at him, confused. She figured he would leave her again without caring whether or not she got inside safely, just like he did in the forest.
"Are you deaf, woman? I said go."
That's when she noticed a couple of demons walking towards them, one of them being the same one that attacked her, and her eyes widened in realization.
"Please, be careful," she urged, sending him a concerned look. He stared back at her for a moment, his crimson orbs boring into her own, before she tore her gaze away from his and ran inside the hotel. She was lost in her own thoughts as she continued to walk away from the entrance of the hotel, wondering if he was actually trying to protect her. Before she could contemplate his actions any further Keiko had rushed up to her.
"Botan! Where were you? We've all been worried sick!"
Confusion seeped onto her features as she watched the others quickly come to her side.
"I just went for a stroll…" she stated, deciding to downplay the events of the night.
"When we came upstairs to find you gone, Keiko nearly flipped. All the guys were about to go searching for you; it's a good thing you came back while you did," Shizuru acknowledged.
Botan nodded slowly, a sheepish grin on her face.
"And just what the hell made you think you could go walking around unprotected in an island full of demons at night?" Yusuke asked as he eyed her suspiciously.
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Botan claimed in a vain attempt to defend herself. Upon hearing Yusuke snort, she went on. "Besides… I wasn't alone."
"Oh, is that so?" Yusuke muttered sarcastically, upset that his friend would do something so reckless. "Imaginary friends don't count."
Botan glared at him defiantly.
"I was referring to a living, breathing person, Yusuke."
"Yeah and who might that be?"
"For your information, the person who saved me was-" she suddenly froze as Hiei's voice appeared in her head.
'Tell them I aided you and I will not hesitate to torture you slowly,' he said simply, and Botan gulped.
"Saved?" Kuwabara echoed.
Botan was too busy contemplating the validity of Hiei's death threats to hear what the others were saying. The troubled look on her face only increased as the seconds passed by.
Yusuke's eyes narrowed.
"You got yourself into trouble again?" He sighed. "Didn't anybody ever tell you curiosity killed the cat?"
"Leave her alone, Yusuke!" Keiko said as she pulled the ferry-girl away from Yusuke's interrogation, believing that Yusuke was the source of her anxiety. "All that matters is that she's safe."
"Keiko's right. You must be hungry, you haven't eaten since we got here," Shizuru added as she put a hand on the ferry-girl's shoulder.
Botan snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Shizuru with a forced grin.
"You're absolutely right, a good meal is just what I need," she said as she laughed sheepishly and took this opportunity to distance herself from the group and their attentions. She was never good at keeping secrets anyway and if she continued to be questioned by them she was sure to let it slip that Hiei had rescued her.
"Botan, you're going the wrong way!" Keiko called to the ferry girl.
"Oh, you're right," Botan said absentmindedly as she looked around, realizing she had no clue where to go.
"Perhaps you two should direct her to the dining hall," Kurama suggested as he turned to the two remaining women.
The girls took his advice and joined up with Botan, leading her to the dining hall.
When they were out of earshot, Kurama turned to Yusuke and Kuwabara.
"Follow me."
Kurama had seemed awfully serious and they wasted no time in asking for explanations, instead choosing to follow obediently. As he led them outside of the hotel, they were surprised to find the remains of a few demons scattered on the ground. After the initial shock subsided, they took notice of Hiei, who didn't seem the least bit affected by what surrounded him.
"It really must be that time of the month; first you take your anger out on Botan and now on these poor bastards. Remind me not to get on your bad side," Yusuke said half jokingly, unsure if Hiei had snapped or was simply defending himself.
Hiei remained silent, not even bothering to look at the three members of his team.
"Are these the demons that were pursuing Botan?" Kurama questioned as he looked up from the corpses lying on the ground and focused his gaze on Hiei.
At this Yusuke and Kuwabara frowned, realizing she was in some sort of trouble and didn't even bother to tell them.
"Hn." Hiei crossed his arms, refusing to look at him. It was only natural that Kurama had heard that infernal whistle and would have realized that something was going on.
"I take it you disposed of all of them? It wouldn't be good for her to have enemies in a place such as this," Kurama noted.
"This has nothing to do with that woman's safety," Hiei assured. "They crossed me, and that is all you need to know."
Kurama just nodded in response, his years of experience in dealing with Hiei giving him an insight which the other two teammates lacked. He smiled as he turned around began to walk towards the glass doors of the hotel.
"So, is she in trouble or not?" Kuwabara asked, looking between Kurama's retreating form and Hiei's stationary one.
"Let's turn in for the night, we have to wake up early and scout the competition tomorrow," Kurama reminded, without answering Kuwabara's question.
Yusuke lingered for a moment before he smirked knowingly.
"It really pisses me off how you demons like to speak in code," he began nonchalantly as he followed Kurama back inside the hotel. "But, I guess since you're so relaxed we have nothing to worry about."
Hiei merely grunted and began to walk off in the opposite direction of the hotel; back into the depths of the forest. As he sheathed his sword, he winced at the discomfort he felt whenever he used his injured hand. Tomorrow would be a whole day without fighting; he would use it to regain his strength and somehow figure out a way to salvage the usage of his right arm. He couldn't afford to go on another day in this tournament without being in peak physical condition.
"Botan, what's going with you?" Keiko questioned as she stared at the unusually quiet girl.
She looked up from her place with a half-hearted grin.
"Nothing's wrong, I'm perfectly fine!"
"You haven't touched your food at all and you haven't said a word since we sat down," Shizuru countered. "I know I haven't known you for very long, but I'd say by now I know you well enough to realize when something's bothering you."
She began to laugh nervously as the two girl's attentions became unnerving.
"I'm probably just tired, is all! Wandering around in the forest can really drain a girl's energy!"
The two women just stared back at Botan, apparently unconvinced. Their gazes became too much for her and she broke under pressure.
"Okay, already, I'll tell you both, but you have to promise not to tell a soul!" Botan urged, before her brows wrinkled in thought. "Then again, with his jagan eye, he could probably just read any one of our minds and find out that I told you! It would be best not to say anything, after a-"
"So Hiei's the one who's been on your mind!" Keiko concluded with a self-satisfied expression on her face.
Botan eyes widened at the mention of his name.
"How did you know?"
"If the jagan eye wasn't a dead give away, I don't know what was," Shizuru replied.
"Oh," Botan huffed. "Well I suppose there's no point in keeping the secret anymore."
"You can tell us, we won't tell a soul," Keiko insisted as Shizuru nodded in agreement.
Botan took a deep breath before going on to tell them about the argument the two of them had in the hotel room, then how she happened to stumble upon him twice in the forest, and how he saved her from the horde of demons that were after her.
"So he argues over your clashing ideals and disregards you when you try to help him. Then he abandons you in a forest full of demons, only to come back and save you. And to top it all off he threatens you into keeping it a secret," Shizuru said summing up their encounters.
Botan nodded.
"That's right."
Suddenly Keiko began to laugh and the two other women turned to her with confused looks.
"Is something the matter?" Botan asked.
"I'm sorry," Keiko said as she stifled her laughter. "It's just… he almost sounds like a child."
"A child?" Botan echoed as she cocked her head to the side.
"He sounds like one of those little boys who are experiencing his first crush. They tease and bully the girl they like, only because they don't understand what to do with their own feelings. Then they have their sweet moments, before quickly reverting back to their childish ways."
"You're right," Shizuru agreed. "But could you ever imagine Hiei having something as innocent and pure as a child-like crush?"
"That's exactly why I was laughing," Keiko revealed. "It's impossible."
'He just doesn't understand…' Botan thought as Keiko's words echoed in her head. Maybe, he didn't hate her after all; he just had a different way of expressing himself. The very fact that he went through all of the trouble of carrying her out of the forest and confronting the demons that were after her only proves that he must have a noble heart and a good conscience buried somewhere deep within his chest.
Then again, she had honestly believed his words when he claimed that he wouldn't hesitate to abandon her, should she get into trouble again. And he did sound awfully thrilled at the prospect of torturing her slowly, should she slip up and mention that he had saved her. There was so much mystery surrounding him that she never knew was to expect with a guy like Hiei.
Botan just couldn't figure him out and more than anyone else, she wished she could.
I'm so happy I'm getting such good feedback for this story! I thought the HB fandom was practically gone, but it's good to see people are still interested in it! Thanks a lot for the kind reviews, they motivate me to stop being lazy and actually update. Hope you liked this chapter!