Chapter

8

For the next two and a half hours everyone spent the time recovering and somewhat cleaning up the lair, it was a wreck. Genkai was administering medical treatment to those who had been injured, after that they went to help clean up. Everyone accept Hiei that is, who was staring at the spot Kiri had collapsed. And he looked at the medium drops of blood that she must have coughed up after being shoked so violently. The others tried to get him to come over to where they were but he wouldn't budge. "What do we do now?" Donny asked not sure there was much they could do at that point." We need to get Kiri back that's what." Raph said. They nodded and cast a few quick glances to where Hiei was sitting.

Yusuke got up and walked over to him. " Hiei listen, I know this is kinda hard for you but, you gotta try to move past it. Focus on the problem. We'll get her back."

For a while Hiei didn't say a word, then,"She saved my life on more than one account, this time she got put in the hands of one of the most ruthless, torturing murderers in the city because that, and I haven't done a single thing to repay her. I couldn't even stop Shredder from taking her, couldn't stop that arrow, or stop her pain. I just stood there frozen and watched her suffer right in front of me." The fire demon didn't look up at Yusuke and the spirit detective looked on with both worry and shock. Worried for his freind, because of what this was doing to the demon, and shock because Hiei was showing so much hurt and concern for someone else, and a girl no less.

Yusuke was about to say something when Hiei interrupted," I know what you're thinking Yusuke,'why am I so concerned for a human girl?' " He said. Not really asking Yusuke, but more-so asking himself the question. Why did he care? Hiei had never really given any kind of interest in other people, much less a girl. He thought friends were a weakness and the human search for female(or sometimes male) companionship was nothing but foolish frivolity, and a waste of time. Love was something he had never known, so he had no experience with it. And if he had never truly been treated with such kindness, why give what little amount of said emotion that he did have to someone else? Better to keep it locked away inside where not even he could reach it.

But the rush in his heart and the warmth he felt when Kiri was around or when he saw her, couldn't be described. She was so strong and kind. She faced the world and her problems as best she could and with a smile, so as not to burden everyone else with them. She hid her pain so well, none of them had even noticed she was suffering as much as she was until it was too late. Hiei mentally went through all the things she had done for him, everything they had done together and everything she had said. All of it flashed before him like a video.

-Hiei extended a hand towards the white wolf.

-She whined.-

-Hiei slowly moved his hand to the wolf's head. -

-He picked her up and she settled into his arms.-

-She rested her head on his shoulder.-

-She wagged her tail and whined as he came up to her.-

-Hiei was sitting up and sleeping, his hand on Kiri's back and her head resting on his lap.-

-They were both asleep together-

-They snuck to the serface and ran, leaping over rooftops, playing above the heads of the late night bar goers below.-

-They went to the park. Weaving in between the trees sisde by side, ejoying the night air and eachother's company.-

-They sat by that lake, almost every night. And each night he would tell her something new about him.-

-Hiei told her of his past, and when the demons withing himself began to surface, she rested her head on his lap and gave a soft whine or a comforting lick.-

-When he was down, she tackled him from behind, trying to get him to play with her.-

-They wrestled and romped together, in the lair and at the park.-

-She made him forget his worries, and helped chase away the demons of his nightmares.-

-His eyes scanned every inch of every dark corner, for a flash of golden eyes or white fur.-

-Kiri whined softly and sadly, as if she was unsure or afraid.-

-Kiri had pushed him out of the way of someone's energy attack.-

-Hiei looked at her and she glanced at him sadly for a moment then hung her head and averted her eyes from his.-

-Kiri let out of sharp cry and ran over to help her friend but her way was blocked by some foot ninja.-

-"Hiei...Hiei!" She called. -

-"It's me. And I'm so sorry for the pain I've caused you and the others, I really am. But please believe that I have no intention of helping Shredder achieve his goals and I didn't say I would, I promise you." -

-"I am NEVER going back with you!" Kiri yelled as flames began to suround her and Hiei. -

-"Hiei, what are you doing?" -

-Shredder stabbed her side and hooked his claws into her to get a firm hold, and then he tore her off him by force.-

-She lay as a red and white blood matted lump in the shallow sewer water a few feet away.-

-Kiri turned around to find Shredder pulling his claws out of Hiei's chest-

-"Hiei! Hiei!"-

-Hiei had his arm slung over the wolf girl as they lied next to eachother unconscious, and covered in blood.-

-"You don't know a damn thing about what they think!" -

-"Hiei knew and he doesn't hate me!" -

-"Hiei"-

-"I know that at this point I owe you my life for two accounts Kiri, and even if I didn't, there's no way that I would let Shredder take you from me!"-

-"I won't let you die Hiei"-

-...-

-"HIEI!"-

His eyes snapped open and he stood up. I understand now. He thought, realising why he wanted to protect her, why he wanted to be beside her. The happy grin of the white wolf, and the light smile of the girl that he would give his life for, flashed across his mind and her voice calling his name rang in his ears. He loved her. That's all there was to it. And he would do anything to get her didn't matter to him if he'd only seen the wolf up until now. It was still Kiri, it always had been, no matter what form she took. " Let's go." He said coldly to Yusuke. The detective looked relieved that Hiei was showing signs of action but also a little afraid at the demon's tone. Nonetheless, they all got up and followed Hiei out of the lair and they headed to the surface to Shredder's hideout.

He had one of their friends, they wanted her back, and the one she loved, the one who loved her, would do anything to safe her.