That night, once everyone had gone to bed, and Lerra had disappeared to wherever she went most days, Hiei guided Ari back to his room. They spent the night together there in his room, not talking, or really doing much besides enjoying one another's company. It was too easy to lose oneself in each other's company. Neither of them spoke of the revelations they'd had earlier that afternoon. Their love simply was and even if they didn't tell the other, they reasoned, it wouldn't matter.

So instead, they relaxed next to one another. Hiei cleaned the sword she'd gotten him. Ari rested against his side as she read a book she'd found on his shelves, which were surprisingly full of old texts she hadn't read in ages. And that was how they ended the day before they were off to face Valek before he could decide to strike.

The next morning they were the first ones ready to go. Hiei was wearing his characteristic black robe-cloak. Ari was in a pair of black pants and loose flowy maroon tank top which floated around her hips despite there being no breeze in the early morning. Koenma had come and gone, telling them about the portal and where it would land them and the rest of the Spirit Detectives who were going in as backup and distractions. Kurama, Kuwabara, Jin, Yusuke, and Touya would go and take care of the demons that followed Valek. Hiei, Ari and Lerra would be the driving force at Valek and the other three elementals. They would land just outside of the fortress they were to infiltrate with Lerra's knowledge as guidance. All in all, it was a decent plan.

The portal appeared on time, letting them jump into the Makai easily enough. She had to laugh at the tumbling insanity that was Kuwabara and Yusuke. It felt nice to laugh when she knew that in all likelihood, they were going to face a very tough battle ahead of them. She perhaps showed off just a little bit by jumping into the portal head first, flipping mid air to land gracefully on her feet beside Kuwabara. The young man looked at her and shook her his head as Hiei landed next to them as well.

Before them lay a building of immense height. What they hadn't planned on however was Valek knowing they were coming and set out a welcome party— a pack of fifty demons. It took them less than ten minutes to dispatch them though and soon they were running into the fortress, Lerra's ghostly body guiding them through to a large fighting area. Ari skidded to a stop as before them stood four figures, as if waiting for them to join them.

The most notable was the woman on fire. She had the smuggest smile out of the lot. Her body practically shimmered reds and golds, leaping with the fire that illuminated her body. On her right was the single man in the group. He stood at almost 6'4'', beating the fire woman by at least 5 inches. He had a superior tilt to his head as if he were the gods greatest gift to womankind—hell to the world even.

On his left stood a woman who looked serene and calm, her dress made of water that swam just as her hair did around her face in bright ringlets that glittered like a lake under a clear sky. On the far side, left of the fire elemental woman stood woman who looked simply bored, vines covering parts of her body so that her breasts were covered before a green silk skirt covered her from the hips down.

They were an impressive sight, but Ari just took in the two in the middle. They were the ones who had tortured her. She didn't need her memory to know that. All she cared about was that they pay for their attack on her.

"So you finally arrived little pet," the man said, making it obvious that he had been the voice in the air. After all who else could he be but Valek? He stepped forward and spread his arms out as if to welcome them. "What do you think of my castle? I've yet to name it, but let's all be honest. You won't live long enough to appreciate it anyway. None of you will."

"Do you honestly think that we are going to let you kill all of us?" Yusuke challenged.

Valek ignored him and his grin turned vicious as he recognized Lerra's shimmering form. "Ah, the shadow walker is here is she? And here I thought I was done with having to deal with you. What am I to do with you, Lerra? I kill you once and you come back to bite me for it? I thought all you wanted was death to join your whore of a soul mate?"

Lerra's form shimmered as her anger at the man rose. "His occupation has nothing to do with you," she said as calmly as she could, which took most of her strength to accomplish. She was far more aware of what Yoritomo's occupation of choice had been. It had been how they had met after all.

"True, I suppose," Valek conceded though his voice was still mocking. "You'll join him soon enough now that the Spirit Detectives know of your existence though. I'm sure Koenma is quite eager to right the balance between the universe where you are concerned. Too bad you refused to bow to me, or you would have joined me as one of my queens."

Lerra snarled, "I would sooner make love to a snake," she snarled unhappily.

"That could have been arranged if you were so inclined," Valek sneered, before he motioned towards Ari, "What do you think Rahina? Do you think she would enjoy another visit from your skills?"

Rahina's cackle was rough as the fire that formed her clothes leapt and her hair sizzled in delight. She came forward to lean against his side, "Mm, maaybe," she drawled. "What about the rest of them?"

"Talira, Loria. Take care of the others. Rahina and I shall take care of Maribella and her boy toy," Valek chuckled. The water and earth elemental stepped forward quickly, jumping at the chance to actually fight instead of being just ornaments to Valek.

Fights broke out between the group. Talira and Loria were not just ornaments. They could fight as well as control their individual elements to eat others advantage. They soon had Ari, Hiei and Lerra cut off from the others. Hiei didn't wait for a 'start'. He launched himself forward to lock in battle with Rahina as Ari began to form her powers around them. Water beat fire right? Wrong. Ari was struggling to control her magic and soon she was left to using her daggers. Something was still inhibiting her ability to use magic. Why? Why could she not access it.

Valek watched all of this with amusement, lounging back against the wall as Rahina fought. He was a lazy man in all truth. Ambitious, but lazy. If he could get someone else to do the work for him, he would. Especially if it was fighting. Not that he lacked the power or skill to fight.

A scream from the other fight rang out as Loria the earth elemental's body was stabbed through the heart by an ice shard by Touya. While they had wanted to keep the elementals alive, it was more important to all involved that the Spirit Detectives stayed alive as well. Lerra saw her chance in that moment. She looked from where she was holding up a shadow barrier between Ari as she struggled to get her powers to the dead body. Even with the ice shard through the heart, she could…

Ari locked in a tiny thread of her magic, attaching it to Rahina's neck. The air started to go out of the fire demon's lungs. She was so focused on her magic that she didn't see Valek straighten and start for her. Rahina was having trouble breathing now, and struggling to keep her awareness as she fought Hiei who was becoming even more of a blur…

Hiei saw Valek heading for Ari; saw the magic that denoted his magic swirling up, ready to attack Ari as Ari was attacking Rahina. Hiei didn't even hesitate. He broke off his fight was Rahina and dove forward. The magic aimed at Ari shot through Hiei instead, stealing his capability to breathe, to move, everything. His body screamed for air and yet he couldn't even twitch a muscle to bring in air. And then his own sword, now in Valek's hand, the sword with the dragon that Ari had given him that day which he had enchanted and honed to as fine a blade as any demon made one, the one he had named Air Dragon, was being shoved through his chest and out his back.

He had a flashback then, as his body fell back with the sword inside his chest, of another time in the past. Yusuke had almost given his life in defense of Keiko against Suzaku, the Fourth Saint Beast.

Here's what I don't understand. Why would he bother saving her if he died in the process? He had asked Kurama, of Yusuke's sacrifice. He hadn't understood it, or Kurama's response of Trust me Hiei, there are reasons, until that moment. He understood it now. Even if he died here now, he'd know that Ari was alive and safe, and would be okay. He was almost glad he hadn't told her that he loved her. Now she would never be burdened with that knowledge. His customary smirk appeared. Yes… She could be happy if she believed he never had fallen in love with her.

Ari turned just in time to watch Hiei become impaled on the sword by Valek's own hand. She screamed, at least she thought she did. Her ears buzzed, her body shuddered. No, no! She felt like she was moving through sludge to get to Valek, to wring his would be sorry neck. Her mind screamed, her body found one of the daggers as she flew for him. Only it wasn't just the dagger that was flying at him. Whatever had been holding her powers back burst and so it was air and water as well that engulfed Valek's body, starving him of the oxygen he so needed despite his elemental powers. Her dagger found his arm first, stabbing through the muscles there before she yanked it back and dug it into his neck, just shy of his voice box and not quite in his artery.

The crazed woman who attacked Valek was almost unrecognizable to her friends. Her skin had become translucent. Her hair growing and becoming a swirling storm cloud of lightning and rain as her eyes became all white except for the pin-pricks of a pupils. The black marks denoting her soulmate bond had grown as well to encompass not only her arms, but her whole body, drawing flames and spirals in the shimmering liquid. Fiery wings burst from her back—a side effect of her bond with Hiei. Fire soon joined the water and air that assaulted Valek. No, tortured. She du her dagger into every inch of him while keeping him just on the verge of life.

"Enough!"

Loria rose from where she'd lain, dead by Touya's hand. Her voice was strong, cutting through Ari's mind. Loria moved towards Ari, and pulled her away from Valek who was no more than a twitching body of bloody gashes. Ari fought her, trying to pull back to cut his head off.

"Enough, Ari, enough," Loria soothed, wrapping her up in arms that shook. This body was not strong enough to keep up much longer without healing. "Valek is dead, or close to it. Still, child." Ari sagged against Loria, sensing the change in the woman. It was not the earth elemental who spoke, but someone else—Lerra. Whatever had broken inside her at Hiei's death had left her far more powerful—powerful enough to sense Lerra underneath the earth elemental's skin.

Ari turned slowly from Valek and then went to Hiei's side, kneeling next to him. Kurama was already there, easing the sword from his heart. Ari rested a shimmering hand on Hiei's cheek, feeling the coolness where heat should have been. She didn't let it stay, she fed the energy she now had into him. She reserved only enough for herself to survive herself.

"I will not let Koenma have you," she swore to Hiei, fighting the feel of his soul leaving. "I shall not let you go without me." Her appearance slowly faded back to her normal one—all except markings vanished. Hiei twitched, and then slowly his eyes opened to peer up at her.

"You won't let me go?" He asked, voice hoarse , full of held back laughter.

"Never," she sobbed as she gathered him up and hugged him tightly. "Never without me."

"Good. Because I love you and I'm never going to leave you either," he said simply, hugging her back…

With the help of Lerra—now in the body of Loria— and the others, they gathered up those they had captured—Rahina and Talira— and left Valek to die. Before they left the fortress however, Jin and Ari turned to the fortress. Combining their powers, they demolished the fortress on top of Valek, entombing him in rubble. Then they took the portal to Spirit World where they would be healed and receive their orders for Rahina and Talira, both of whom were to be imprisoned until they had been dealt with.

Back at the rubble that had been Valek's fortress, an old demon woman moved forward, eyeing the destroyed building. She used the staff she was carrying to nudge some dirt. "How long are you to play dead?" She asked the world. Slowly a bloody and dirty hand pushed its way out of the dirt…

To Be Continued In:

Trial By Spirit, Part 2 of the Soulmate Trials