Chapter 13: Fight Fire with… Fire?

"I'll take first watch," Faith told the gang.

Yusuke, Kuwabara and Ayamae were too tired to argue so they just mumbled in agreement and went to their tents. Hiei, being the non-verbal type, just walked off, leaving her there with Kurama.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah. I prefer the night. It's much more peaceful. I have some thinking to do anyway."

"Well, if you're sure…" he trailed off.

-Faith's POV-

I nodded. He smiled and kissed me briefly before heading off to the tent he shared with Hiei.

I sat down on a log a little ways off from the camp looking up at the night sky, a cool breeze swiftly blowing my hair to one side. I sighed, content with my current environment. Kurama would come to relieve me of the watch in a few hours and Yusuke would take over after that. I almost wished that I could sit here all night, but I knew if I stayed up all night I would be completely useless to everybody the next day. I sat thinking for a few moments when I heard a rustling in the tree beside me. I sharply turned my head towards the sound and saw Hiei.

"What are you doing here, Hiei?" I asked sharply.

"I couldn't sleep in that ningen contraption," he retorted.

I sighed, "And you had to pick this exact tree to sleep in?"

He looked down at me, his gaze hard and unwavering like he expected me to be scared. "Yes."

"Well, go find somewhere else, preferably away from me… AND Aya," I added protectively.

He didn't move an inch but instead glared at me.

"Don't make me have to annoy you. I'm not in the mood."

He continued to glare.

"… Sweet snow."

Through the dark I saw him lick his lips slightly and then he disappeared in a blur of speed.

Thank you! I told him telepathically and even though he didn't answer telepathically or verbally I could swear, somewhere off in the woods, he uttered the word 'hn'.

I shook my head, Bad! BAD! Now you can sense when he says that word! … Wait… is 'hn' even a word! Note to self: Stay away from Hiei for as long as possible. Reason: He's annoying, Aya hates him… sort of, he's contagious, he's… He's Hiei!

I mentally calmed myself down and then decided to check up on everyone. First, I reached out for Aya's spirit energy. Finding she was in our tent asleep, I moved on to Kurama's. This continued until I reached Hiei's. He was now in a tree by his own tent and had up a mental block.

Probably thinking about Aya, I thought. Or snooping around in Aya's head.

Hey! Hiei! I yelled at him, You better not be snooping around in Aya's head!

When I got no answer and was content that he would not be mister 'I-am-so-cool-because-I-can-snoop-around-in-a-girl-demon's-head-and-make-her-furious-with-me-to-the-point-I-get-my-sorry-ass-kicked' I turned to my own thoughts, putting a mental block up just in case the 'short one' decided to turn on me.

Before I knew it two hours had passed and now Kurama stood at my side, ready to take over.

"Go ahead and sit down," I told him. "I'm going to stay out here for a bit more."

He did as I asked and sat down next to me.

"Kurama, have you thought about the shape-shifter at all?" I asked, already knowing he had.

"Yes, I have. Why do you ask?"

"I'm not sure but I have this really strong feeling he was the one that killed Kieran."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah. It's just a feeling, but it's a really strong one. I've felt it ever since that night when he posed as Yusuke and it's been getting stronger, but there was also something in his eyes. Like he wanted me to know it was him, just to toy with me and weaken me and see me… helpless."

"Well, I trust you and if you feel that strongly about it then I have no room to say otherwise. As for the demon, we will find him and when we do you can do what you see fit to him," he told me with a smirk.

I laughed, "Thanks."

He smiled, "Anytime."

We sat there for a few moments in silence until he noticed I was nodding off onto his shoulder. He lightly sat me up and looked me in the eye.

"Go to bed," he ordered.

I laughed, "Make me."

He shrugged, "If you insist."

He stood up, picking me up as he went. I stared at him in shock. He just laughed and carried me off to my tent, setting me down in front of it when we got there.

"Thanks for the ride."

"No problem. Good night," he said and kissed me briefly.

"'Night," I replied and entered the tent, trying my hardest not to wake up Aya.

I lay down and tried to go to sleep when my thoughts took over again. My head had been doing this the past couple nights, in which case it took me hours to get to sleep. Tonight I managed to throw all my thoughts to the back of my mind and immediately fell asleep, completely exhausted.

-No One's POV-

Ayamae woke up to her arm lightly throbbing and sat up, staring at the burns. It took a minute or two before she finally snapped out of it. Sighing, she got up and left the tent, leaving Faith to sleep. She noticed Hiei asleep in a tree next to the tent he and Kurama were supposed to share and made a mental note to stay away from it.

She took in the crisp night air and sighed in contentment before deciding to take a walk. She had only walked a minute or two from camp when she decided to sit down and think. Minutes passed in which she could faintly hear Yusuke's snoring. Damn him! Doesn't he know he's not supposed to sleep on his shift! Baka…Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling to her left. She looked up and watched as a girl, near her own age, emerged from the woods, her dark blue hair with silver streaks swaying as she walked.

"Who are you?" Ayamae asked as her left hand found her dagger and her right hand slowly moved toward the hilt of her katana. "What do you want?"

The girl smirked, her small fangs showing slightly, and her solid silver eyes glittering. "Are you the one they call Ayamae Masuko?"

"Depends on who's asking," Ayamae replied.

"Answer my question, then I may tell you."

So she has something to hide, Ayamae thought … the real question is, is she affiliated with this Sayuri person? Ayamae switched her thoughts to the location of her team. Faith, she called.

There was no answer.

FAITH! she yelled into her best friend's head.

What the… Aya? Faith's sleepy sounding voice came into her head.

You might want to get the idiots together. I may need some back-up. Oh, and don't forget Kurama. We'll need his intelligence.

Like I could forget Kurama, Faith mumbled. So, what's the threat?

A demon, fairly strong by her aura, is asking questions. I think she's with Sayuri.

We'll be there ASAP.

-With Faith at the campsite-

Faith walked out of her tent heading for Kurama's.

"Kurama," she whispered once she reached her destination.

She waited a while and when no sound or movement was heard she went in.

Kurama lay there on the right side of the tent with his blanket drawn up to his waist, leaving his bare chest exposed. She blushed slightly as she knelt beside him.

"Kurama," she whispered.

She still received no answer. She reached up to lightly touch his shoulder, but for some unknown reason her hand diverted its course to his face. Her index finger and her middle finger lightly picked up a stray piece of hair that lay across his face, the back of her hand gently brushing his cheek as she put it behind his ear.

"Kurama," she whispered, yet again, gently cupping his cheek in her hand.

He shot up and somewhere in those next couple seconds he ended up on top of her, only inches of air separated their bodies and a deep blush was planted on Faith's face. Her breathing was heavy and once she calmed it down she could feel her rapid heartbeat pounding throughout her body. She silently prayed that her body wouldn't take over and amazingly it abided by her wishes.

"Faith," he whispered with a slight question in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"… Um… uh... oh, yeah!"

She started to sit up slowly and Kurama moved with her, eventually sitting on the ground in front of her.

"Aya came face-to-face with a demon who is asking questions. She needs us to get there as soon as possible," she replied to his earlier question, as she started to exit the tent.

Kurama followed, putting on his shirt as he went.

"You get Hiei. He's in the tree, there," she said while pointing, "and I'll get Kuwabara and the idiot sleeping while on guard that is Yusuke."

He nodded in silent agreement and they parted only to be reunited, with their respective persons, a few short minutes later where what remained of the campfire lay.

Faith had sensed Ayamae's location when she had got the message and she led the rest of the team to that very spot.

-With Ayamae by the forest; No One's POV-

She and the girl stared at each other for a time until the sound of Kuwabara and Yusuke's voices reached Aya's ears.

"So you called for help? Do I scare you, you petty, low-classed creature?"

"Don't you dare call me low-classed! I'm anything but! I simply don't trust those controlled by weakling demons such as Sayuri," Aya growled in response.

"I get hired, and am controlled by none, and I have no workers. I work alone."

"Then why take on those whose abilities you don't know?" Ayamae said, moving her right hand behind her back, trying to conger a fireball, but finding it impossible.

Faith, we have a problem, she told her friend.

Uh… how big of a problem?

Well… I can't create fireballs. I haven't tried anything else.

… Would it have anything to do with what you did to your arm?

… You know about that? … We don't have time for this! I can't do anything that she won't notice! And shut those baka humans up! She knows you're coming!

Okay, I'll send Hiei.

NO! Not him! Anyone but him, even the baka ningen is better than him!

Aya! I'm sending him! I don't want you to die just because of your argument with Hiei!

… Just hurry up yourself… I don't want to be alone with him for long. I'll keep her busy. She switched her mind to Hiei's. Get your ass out here before I have to rip her apart myself! Take her from behind.

Hiei didn't respond and she noticed a blur moving through the trees behind the demon. He was about to strike with his katana when the demon grinned.

"Water Barrier," she announced.

A sphere of water was created around her and Hiei, at the last second, backed off and stood at Aya's side. The demon lowered her Water Barrier, still grinning.

"Now that I know who you are, Ayamae, I suppose I'll tell you my name, the name of your assassin."

When Ayamae didn't reply, the demon continued, "I'm the one who you thought I worked for."

"Sayuri," Ayamae muttered.

"Correct."

Just then the rest of the gang entered the clearing, Faith leading the way.

"It's about time," Ayamae told them, mainly Faith.

Kurama called out his Rose Whip while Kuwabara called out his Spirit Sword. Faith drew her katana and Yusuke just charged Sayuri, which resulted in him being flung through the trees after bouncing off of her barrier.

Kurama circled her and soon found out that his Rose Whip could penetrate the barrier, though Sayuri ended up effectively dodging the attack.

Faith and Hiei used this opening to attack her, but had to back off due to her Water Barrier being back up.

"Aya! We could use some FIRE power!"

"I've been trying!" she yelled back, trying once again to conjure her fire and ending up with nothing. "I can't!"

"Oh, hell!" Faith cried out in frustration, sheathing her katana.

A white mist enveloped Faith and seconds later dissipated. Faith's hair was now silver with red streaks, but had maintained its length. Silver fox ears tipped black protruded from her head and twitched furiously as did her new tail which was also silver and tipped black. She wore black, baggy, cargo pants and a black shirt. On the front it read, in red letters, 'Do not start with me. You will not win.' On the back was a picture of a single white rose that had blood on its petals and that streamed down its stem, forming a puddle under it.

The gang's shock, not including Ayamae who had seen her in this form before, was clearly visible to anyone. Kurama quickly recovered, knowing that he had a job to do and it wasn't about to wait for him to ask questions. Hiei had the same thought pattern, but Yusuke and Kuwabara unfortunately did not and ended up being hit with Sayuri's newly formed Blade of Water. It looked as though they were out of the fight.

Faith summoned her Rose Whip seeing how Kurama's attack had previously penetrated Sayuri's Water Barrier.

The battle continued with just Faith, Kurama, and Hiei fighting their opponent and Ayamae trying with all her might to summon her fire attack. The battle made its way to a cliff where Ayamae was not of much use, even if she had her fire powers.

Kurama and Faith attacked Sayuri as one, perfectly in sync, while Hiei managed to smuggle in a few cuts and one or two major gashes. It looked as if the battle was about to end in Team Urameshi's favor until Yusuke came stumbling out of the forest, Kuwabara lagging along behind him. Yusuke raised his arm and before anyone could tell him otherwise shot his Spirit Gun. The attack hit straight on sending the demon Sayuri over the edge of the cliff.