Hey guys! I'm gonna try to start updating more. I don't really have much to say so here it goes:

Chapter 4

Thunder rolled through the dark sky. Blood ran down her fingers as she sat next to the fresh grave. The thorns from the rose drove event deeper into her hands. This wasn't just any rose though. This was his last rose.

Tears began streaming from the amythist eyes when the thought occured. She looked at the gravestone infront of her. It read:

Here lies a man as beautiful as a rose, and just as decieving.

Shuichi Minamino

She looked down at the rose she was holding. Her eyes again filled with fresh tears. The red of the petals reminded her of his fiery hair, and the green of the leaves resembled his emerald eyes. The wind picked up and her blue hair began to dance around her face. At that moment she felt the pressance behind her. She glanced around and found herself looking at a small fire yokai.

"Why do you mourn when you caused it?" he asked her, then he flitted away. A drizzle of rain began, and blended in with her tears.

Botan awoke with a start. What a horrible dream. Hiei's voice kept running through her head, and his human name on the headstone. Was this dream a sign? Had she really caused his pain?

'No,' she thought, 'It was just a dream.' Yet she could not help but think that the dream had held some element of the truth. Botan looked at the calander across from her bed. She suddenly remembered that this was the day that Yukina had said Kuramawould be able to walk! This was cause for a celebration.

She grabbed some paper from her desk and began planning. After several hours, she had finally finished and began phoning everyone.

LALLLALALALALAL

That morning Kurama had gotten out of his bed for the first time in two weeks. He had made Hiei and himself pancakes for breakfast. they had just begun to eat, when the phone rang.

"Minamino residance," Kurama answered. "Hello Botan. Yes. That sounds like fun. What time? We'll be there!" he finished. "What'd she want?" Hiei asked. "Botan is throwing a party, and wishes for us to attend," Kurama answered. Hiei gave Kurama a look that plainly said, 'do I have to?' Kurama, seeing this look, said that he did indeed have to go. Hiei just glared. The fox just smiled back in his direction.

He knew he was pissing Hiei off, but that's what you get if you hide something from a fox. "Come on Hiei, it won't be that bad," Kurama stated. The unhappy fire demon just growled.

When they got to the party, nothing out of the usual went on. They sat around and talked, and Botan cooked. Everyone are and tried in vain to swallow the horrid food. That was when Koenma suggested it. The one game that ensured mayham, and chaos. The terrible game of Truth or Dare! Bum bum bum!!!!!

Everyone, except for the anti-social Hiei who was forced to play, agreed and sat in a circle. Since Koenma suggested it, he got the pleasure of starting the game.

"Kurama, truth or dare?" the demi-god asked. This was the first time in over a hundred years that the fox was cornered, and couldn't get out. "truth," he answered, hoping he could slither out of the question. "Is it true that there is someone in this room that you care for?" Koenma asked.

"Of course! I hold all of you in my heart," Kurama replied sneekily. "Ididn't mean it that way!!!" the prince of Spirit world was about ready to throw a temper-tantrum. "But that's what you said. You asked if I cared for anyone, not if I loved anyone as a lover," The fox was once again happy with himself. "Smart ass," Koenma mumbled. Kurama just smirked.

"Hiei, truth or dare?" Kurama found this the perfect opppurtunity to get the secret out of the damn little demon. Hiei looked at the fox. He would be tought a coward if he didn't choose the latter, but either way he risked loosing his secret to the team. "Dare," he replied cockily so as not to reveal his hesitation. Kurama's smirk deepened at the answer.

"I dare you to tell me the secret you've been hiding!" the yoko dared. "I don't have time for this nonsence," Hiei stated as he stood to leave. Kurama grabbed his pants leg as he walked by. "Not until you've completed the dare." "I will tell only after you have told the true reason for your futal attempt at suicide," Hiei countered. "Sorry, vut your the one who chose dare remember?" Kurama stated rather than asked. It was a good thing he was caniving, or this would be one hell of a situation.

Hiei stood again, and before anyone could react he was gone. Everyone gave Kurama puzzled looks. He simply shrugged it off, "Shall we continue?" "First you have to tell us what game you and short-stuff are playing," Yusuke stated, saying what almost everyone else was thinking. The fox sighed, "It's not really a game. He's keeping a secret from all of us, and that secret is causing him more pain than most of you have realized. I've been trying to weasle, or should I say fox, it out of him, but he refuses to even acknowledge that it's even there," he answered.

"But what did he mean the real reason? We all know it was cuz of some girl," Kuwabara stated. 'They know so little, and yet they pretend to know so much. Human's are a breed unlike any other. In there lives deception is not an option, it's a way of life,' Kurama thought. Koenma was about to say something, but Kurama cut him off, "If you value your own secrets you will rethink what you were about to say,"

Koenma went immidiatly silent. Kurama couldn't possibly have dirt on him, could he? "I'm sorry, but I must take my leave now," Kurama said getting up. They all watched as the fox left. "Alright Koenma, you know what's bugging them. Now spill," Yusuke said.

"I only wish I could, but I can't risk it incase Kurama really does have something on me. Knowing him, he probably does. You and Kuwabara already know Hiei's part anyway," Koenma stated. Yusuke and Kuwabara thought about this for a minuet. a light clicked on somewhere in Yusuke's mind, and he suddenly knew what was going on. Kuwabara, on the other hand, was still completely clueless. "So your saying. . ." Yusuke hinted. "Precisly," Koenma nodded.

"They're not the only ones who know Hiei's half," Genkai stated. Koenma blinked, "How do you know?" he asked her completely puzzled. "Hiei came to me a few days ago. He needed someone to talk to. I'm not sure why he chose me, but if what I suspect is Kurama's half is true, then the both of them are dimwits," she replied. "You probably know more than us. Care to tell?" Koenma asked. She nodded.

"When Yukina announced his arrival she told me that there was a deep look of sadness in his eyes. I didn't think much about it since he always looks depressed, but when I saw him, I realized what she was talking about. It wasn't just sadness, it was pain. He told me of his infatuation with Kurama, and that he couldn't handle his suicide attempt. He did something then that I, at the time, didn't think he was capable of. He cried, and not just one or two tears, but actual fall to the ground sobbing. When I went over to comfort him, he flinched away from my touch. I don't know much about his past, but for him to flinch at a single touch I'm guessing he was aboused," she stated.

Everyone in the room was now speechless. "You're right in your assumption, but I'm afrain it gets much worse. I told Yusuke and Kuwabara a very vague version of his past. As you all know he was raised by theives. And being thieves they were horrid to this child. He was raped and abused untill he began to fight against them, and eventually killed one of them. At the very young age of five, he had seen more than most human adults will ever see. I don't know much more, but I'm sure he's been raped atleast twice more," Koenma stated.

He looked around the room to find that Yukina, Botan, and Keiko all had tears in their eyes. "No wonder he's so cruel and cold-hearted. Hell, anyone would be if they didn't kill themselves first," Botan stated.

"I have one question," Shizuru started, "How do we get them together?" "I have an Idea," Yukina stated. Everyone looked at her. "Maybe if we talked to Kurama about it, and let Hiei over hear it," the ice-maiden suggested. Koenma thought about the idea. It could work. With that they began planning.

LLALALALALALALALAL

Kurama sat at his desk looking out of his window. He couldn't believe Hiei had ran away from the question, but then again when was anything ever that easy? "Kurama," said person fell out of his chair at the sudden word. "Yes Koenma?" the fox asked recomposing himself.

"Have you considered bribing Hiei?" Koenma asked. At this the shadow in the tree appeared. Just like they had thought he would. "How could I bribe him?" Kurama asked. "Tell him that you really tried committing suicide because you can't have him." Kurama froze," How did you know?" "Idiot. For a fox you sure can be stupid. You told me, not to mention I'm a god in training."

"I only wish that I could tell him. If I were to tell him, the friendship I have worked so hard to keep would be gone. That's something I do not want to happen." Koenma jumped as the shadow fell out of the tree, that had not been expected. Kurama rushed to the window and looked down to see what had fallen. "HIEI!!"

Well that's all for now!! I G2G!!

Ja

ElfRanger