"This is an utterly disgusting endeavor."

Hiei was following the young woman through a pointedly more girly store than the one where Ari had gotten her outfits. Loads of pinks and light blues and greens fabrics. The two of them together—him in his usual black cloak ensemble, and her in her new goth look—stood out entirely to much in a store like this, hell in his opinion as well. Everyone was staring, their thoughts unguarded to his telepathy. They were not welcome there by the mothers who feared their little precious bundles of joys would like what they were wearing and the store employees feared they were going to ruin the stores reputation and steal.

"It is not," Ari countered. "I have to repay Botan for getting all the stuff for me in the first place, and while she can kick ass when she wants to in a goth dress, she's far too into pinks and blues to enjoy something from the store I like."

"Then pick something and lets go," Hiei growled. "Kuwabara and the other two are waiting at the food court."

"I can't decide!" Ari complained in typical girly girl fashion just to annoy him. "Pink ruffly top, or blue tank with pink skulls."

"Blue," Hiei said with exasperation. "Just choose the fucking blue!" That got them even more attention from those around them, shrewd 'how dare you cuss' looks from adults and wide eyed innocent looks from the younger women in the vicinity. From the woman, he was with however, he just received a stuck out tongue as she nonetheless picked up the blue tank top.

"You are a horrible shopping partner," Ari informed him.

"I'm only here because I'm supposed to be protecting you. Not to be a shopping partner!" That definitely made the shop workers panic a bit more. Mothers ushered children away from them while clerks shifted closer to the panic buttons they had in the store that would call the security guards to them quickly. Ari scowled at him and took the shirt to the front register. The clerk paled before her as she helped Ari check out before she swept from the store, Hiei right behind her.

"I just want to get everyone a present for helping me out Hiei. There's nothing wrong with that."

"There is when you put everyone around you in danger by being out in a human mall without powers to defend yourself," Hiei accused.

She stopped, shoulders stiffening as she turned to glare heatedly at him. "You-!" He was right, a small part of her warned. The other part, the part who didn't like being told she put people in danger reared its head and hissed. "How would you feel if you were without your powers Hiei?! Would you be willing to just sit and watch those around you get to do anything want, whenever they want without worrying about collapsing in a puddle just from walking around for an hour? Or would you show the thing that defeated you that you are not that easy to be defeated; you are not going to just lie down and let it run your life?"

"That would never happen," Hiei said confidently.

"It could. It almost did. I read the file on the Dark Tournament. If you hadn't been trapped in the force field by that enchantress chick, you would no longer have the use of your right arm," She countered. "As it is, it wiped you out of the fights until the end."

Hiei's eyes darkened, and he matched her glare with one of his own. They stood there for a minute locked in a glare battle of wills, until he finally broke the silence. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. You weren't there. You have no right to compare it with your fuck up."

"You're right Hiei. I wasn't there. I was away in a coma, which I was put into after being almost consumed by a fire demon!"

"That is your own fault. If you'd been smart, you would have scouted. Did you scout before facing it?" Hiei shot back.

Her mouth opened to reply and then shut. Her memories still refused to return. She knew that it had happened only because of Botan's retelling of the mission file. She still couldn't remember it though. She couldn't bring up anything except the dreams shed had when waking up about soul mates, and the brief flash the night before f the man with the woman on fire.

"I'm sure I scouted," She finally forced out, before turning and rushing onward. "I'm sure I did."

Hiei had seen the uncertainty in her gaze though. She couldn't remember, he realized. How much did she have to guess about? How much was pushing at her to remember, but she and her subconscious didn't want to remember?

He remembered what it had felt like to have his arm seared and useless at his side after using the dragon. The pain had been as bad as when he'd gotten the Jigan put into his forehead. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like to have his entire body put aflame. Perhaps he was being a little too hard on her…

By the time that he caught up, Ari was stepping into another store. She ignored him most of the next five minutes as she grabbed a dagger and paid for it. The only time she acknowledge his presence was when she had to ask him to get out of her way. He made no attempt to break the silence though. Eventually, they left, and Ari continued to walk until they reached the food court without stopping at any other stores. When they found Kuwabara and the others, Kurama was there, which Hiei was grateful for. He didn't like leaving his sister in just the protection of the Kuwabara siblings, even if they had both shown that they could protect her if worst came to worst.

"Oh goodie," Ari chimed when she saw the red head. "Kurama, would you mind coming with me for a few minutes? I'd love to pick your brain a little on some of the Japanese words I'm seeing. I'm passable in it but not perfect yet."

She quickly hooked arms with him, not even giving him a chance to refuse before practically dragging him away.

Once they were as alone as a pair of people could be in a crowded mall, she relaxed and slowed her steps. "I'm sorry for being so commanding Kurama. I just can't deal with any more of Hiei at the moment."

Kurama smiled and nodded. "That is quite all right Maribella. He is a bit of an acquired taste for sure," he chuckled. "But he is a good demon despite his arguing to the contrary."

"Perhaps," she said thoughtfully before sighing, still arm in arm with him. This had less to do with she liked being his accessory, and more with the fact that she was exhausted. The looks from women and men who passed them were more annoying than flattering as she fought to stay upright with her illusion in tact. Kurama's friendly arm to keep her up was just what she needed to keep herself together.

"Does he always insult people?" she asked, gaining another laugh from the man.

"Yes. The more he does, the more … I guess you could call it the more affectionate he is to you? No that's not the right term. Hmm, when he starts repeating a particular insult to you, then he's accepted your presence in his life. He thinks I don't know but mine is damn fox. He just doesn't show kindness well. He's never had the need to. He's never been shown it before joining the Spirit World Detectives really either," Kurama explained, more than happy to help her remain on her feet as they meandered through the mall.

Ari frowned up at him. "Never shown kindness? Not even as a child?"

"Never. He was banished from his mother's arms a few days after he was born because he was a male. From what I can gather from him and the files I've managed to look at, he was picked up by a bandit gang after that and trained under them from childhood," Kurama said, much to the horror of Ari.

"Banishment as a child?" She asked, trying to clarify the information. No that was just cruel. "That is never a pleasant experience, but just because he was a male? Not many societies do that. Most treasure males as superior, except a few like-" she broke off as it all kind of fell into place.

"Except?" Kurama prodded, guiding her to the conclusion he could see on her face like a rabbit to a carrot.

"Except the ice demoness'! Yukina-!?"

"She is his sister," Kurama confirmed with a smile. Maribella stared at him, surprised and then confused.

"But she Is looking for her lost brother? Doesn't she know? Doesn't he-"

"He knows, but does not believe she should know or would be happier not knowing that her brother is a felon," Kurama explained, "His words to be precise. Yusuke and I share the opinion that she would care for him no matter.

"What about Kuwabara? What's his opinion? Surely as her boyfriend he would know what she would think?" Ari pointed out.

Kurama chuckled and looked up at the sky lights above them. "Somehow, as perceptive as Kuwabara can be, he has remained ignorant of the fact. He does not know that Hiei is the lost brother. He haven't the heart to ruin that. After all… he is as easy to read as a child. Yukina would merely need to ask and he'd spill the knowledge. Perhaps even on purpose for the reason of making Yukina happy."

Maribella frowned and looked down at the floor again. "That's…. That's just cruel," she finally concluded. "To Hiei and to Yukina."

"As true as that may be, I will not disrespect Hiei's wishes," Kurama warned, "And I ask that you do the same Ari."

This gained him a scowl from the woman. "Why? Yukina deserves to know!"

"Think of it as repayment to Hiei for saving your life yesterday," explained the man, "Or respecting another's wishes, or simply as a thank you for keeping you safe during your time here."

Maribella made a noncommittal noise and looked away at anything other than the red head. He was right…

"Fine," she finally agreed. "I will nt tell Yukina that Hiei is her brother." Of course… That didn't mean she would just drop it though.