Welcome to the last chapter of Zen Garden! Thank you so much for your support and sorry I'd been so erratic with my updating and stuff! I hope you enjoy!
And don't worry, this won't be the last time we see Zen. I'm already working on a sequel and a short prequel!
I was getting sick of running. But I was far too weak to deal with the Boss, and I currently had no plan. The one thing I did know was that Hiei and Kurama could not be allowed to hurt the Boss.
"Why the hell not?" Hiei snarled after I refused his suggestion of a Dragon of the Darkest Flame.
"Because," I gasped. "It's the Boss's defense mechanism. Ancient magic that protects him against attacks from those outside the Requiem. Not even your Dragon could override the mechanism."
Hiei swore violently, and I thought of a plan. I spun around suddenly to face the Boss.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Hiei bellowed. I threw up my hand, erecting something of the same force field that had protected Hiei from Tane's blast all those weeks ago. Except this one could only be broken by myself, and it was currently caging Kurama and Hiei in.
"Zen!" Hiei yelled. I turned to face him.
"Wish me luck!" I said, blowing him a kiss. He blinked at me, stunned. I looked away from him as the Boss finally caught up. A wicked grin slipped across his face when he saw the force field.
"All…alone." He managed to grunt. I gave him a small smile.
"That's how I've always been." I crouched low, slipping a dagger into each of my hands. "Don't underestimate me."
I dashed at the Boss, slashing my knives low. He dodged back, and I hissed in fury while executing a roundhouse kick. I caught him in the stomach, and his abdominal muscles shattered the bones in my left foot. I gasped in agony and fell to the ground.
The Boss laughed, a guttural sound that ground on my eardrums. One of his massive hands reached out towards my throat, with the certain promise of a broken neck. I hastily dug in my pouch tied to my waist, trying to ignore the pain in my foot. I pulled out the item I was looking for, put it to my palm, and slammed it against the Boss's lower torso.
The tool was a flat circle with two spikes on opposite sides. One of the spikes pierced right through his flesh, while the other impaled my hand. I winced, but forced myself to say the invoking word.
The Boss froze, and I found myself immobile as well. All I could do was watch as both spikes began to suck something golden and wispy from our bodies, holding it in the circle. My strength began to rapidly fade.
More ancient magic. The device was one that sucked the life from the two beings that were skewered by the spikes. It was killing us both.
My vision was becoming blurry now, but the golden glow was stronger than ever. I wanted it back, but…I…
The device retracted its spikes and fell to the ground, now a golden sphere. The Boss collapsed a second later as a pile of ash, which meant that I wouldn't be able to take a power souvenir from him but at the moment, I had more pressing concerns. I began to sway, no longer held still by the tool. I blinked once, twice, and fell back.
I was caught by strong, warm arms, and something in the back of my mind told me that my force field must have faded. I looked at Hiei's blurry features above me, glad that it was going to be the last thing I saw.
"Zen, what did you do?" He whispered urgently.
I found myself unable to explain. "Well, you know." I said softly. "Taking one for the team."
"Don't say that!" He snarled viciously. I fell quiet. I didn't want to spend my last moments in life arguing. I closed my eyes.
"Dammit!" Hiei cried, slapping my face roughly. My eyes fluttered open. "You are not dying on me!" He turned away from me, looking at Kurama in a panic. "Help me!"
Kurama muttered instructions to Hiei, but I couldn't hear properly. Hiei nodded curtly and lowered his head.
I received the shock of my nearly death when Hiei pressed his lips against mine. I couldn't breathe right anymore and I felt my heart beginning to beat stronger. But I was still weak. I felt the warmth leaving immediately when he pulled away from me. Black spots began to invade my vision.
"Hiei…" I breathed, just a second before I lost consciousness.
I came back into the world of the awake slowly. I felt heavy and groggy, like I had gained a lot of weight in a very short time.
I sat up, and my head swam. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to get over it. I was in a bed. Kurama's bed. But he wasn't around.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and stood up. I hissed in pain and my knees buckled. I had forgotten about my foot. It had been bandaged, but it was obviously still very broken.
The door flew open, and Hiei stood there. I had never been so happy to see someone before on my life.
"Zen!" He said, rushing to me. My skin tingled when he touched my arm to see if I was alright.
"Ow," I said, pointed to my foot. Hiei scoffed.
"You moron." Before I could retort, he scooped me up in his arms and laid me back on the bed. I was having problems breathing again, and my heart seemed to be doing a very fast march in my chest. Hiei closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
"You moron!" He yelled and I flinched. "What the hell were you using a Macedonian Draining Amulet for? You could have died!"
His shouting was making my head throb. I rested a hand on my head and closed my eyes. I felt Hiei press a hand to the back of mine.
"I'm sorry," He said quietly. I smiled slightly.
"Why didn't I die, though?" I whispered. "I may have had more life energy than the Boss, but that still should have killed me."
Hiei fell silent for a moment. "The kiss." He said softly and my heart leapt painfully again. "I transferred some of my energy to you."
I sat up slowly. "Thank you," I murmured. Hiei glanced at me like he wanted to say something. I waited.
"You aren't alone anymore." He said. My breath caught and I waited for him to continue. And waited. And…
"You mean a lot to me, Zen," Hiei sighed at last.
"And?" I prodded.
"And…I suppose I love you."
My mouth fell open in mock horror. "You suppose?" I screeched. "Thanks a lot! I might as well just up and leave right now!"
"No!" Hiei said hastily, reaching out to grab my shoulders. "That's not what I meant. I…I really do love you, Zen."
I smiled. "That's better." I stretched up on the bed to give him a little kiss on the lips.
Hiei cleared his throat. "I hate to remind you, but I am the only one who's confessed so far."
I laughed softly. "And I hate to remind you, but you are a telepath, aren't you? Reading my actual feelings seems much more personal than me saying them."
"Oh." Hiei said. I felt him probing into my mind and I pushed all my thoughts about him to the front where he could sift through them. "Oh!"
I reached up and hooked my fingers in the fabric of his cloak. I pulled him down.
"Get it now?" I whispered against his mouth. "I love you, you idiot."