Word Count: 4630


Chapter 49: Beginnings and Goodbyes

Ray

"Kazuma, how…why…who?" My hands shook as they brushed the fabric of his dark shirt, and a light pink dusted across his high cheekbones. How long has it been now since I last saw him? My, he has grown in the past four years. His face is softer and yet still angled, and his eyes have an almost sleepy innocent look to them. His copper hair has grown longer and is actually down in unrestrained curls, like when I first saw him. If possible, he's grown even taller and broader. Jeeze, what has Shizuru been feeding this kid?

"Portal, to see ya, and Kurama."

"Huh?"

"You asked how, why, and who." Portal, to see me, and…

"Kurama!"

"Yes, Ray?"

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" When I looked over at my cousin, he was smiling and raising his hands in defeat.

"I told you I had a surprise." Hmpf, that was an understatement.

"You look…different." I turned my head at the low, husky voice and felt a grin split my face.

"Shizuru! You came too!" I yelled and pulled her forward. Both Kuwabaras had to bend down to hug me, and I didn't want to let them go when the hug was over.

"You do look a little funny, Auntie Ray…" Kuwabara said and poked one of my ears. I hit him with one of my tails and smiled to show off my fangs.

"All of the clothes in the Human World makes sense though," Shizuru said and traced a scar on my shoulder. I opened my mouth to reply, but I felt something pulling on one of my tails. I looked down and saw a giant pair of red eyes staring up at me. The eyes darted away to greet the newcomers and then quickly returned to my own. Without another word, I bent down and gathered Asher into my arms. Kurama said he had explained how Asher had come to be my son to all of my friends in the Human World, but the two humans in front of me still looked a little surprised. Maybe it's because he looks so much like me?

"Asher, this is Kazuma and Shizuru. Do you remember me telling you about them?" I asked the now three-year old.

"Zuma, Zuru? Yu-Yu?" Asher's brilliant red eyes glittered a little, and I felt my chest pull a little.

"He's really missed his Uncle Yu-Yu," I explained to the siblings. Kazuma nodded his head, and Shizuru locked her eyes with Asher's. She bent down so that they were eye-level, and Asher went completely still as he looked into her whiskey brown eyes.

"My name's Shizuru. What's yours?"

"Asher."

"Asher, huh? Cool name, kid. How old are you?"

"Three."

"How many is that?" Asher raised three of his fingers and smiled. Shizuru reached up to ruffle his hair, and Asher squealed a little. Asher blinked up at Kazuma next to see what he was going to do. After a moment's hesitation, Kazuma clapped his hands and held them out to Asher. My son turned to look at me, and I nodded my head in approval. Asher easily went into Kazuma's arms, where he was bounced gently by a pair of large hands.

"Zuma!" Asher yelled and wrapped his arms around his Zuma's neck.

"Your kid loves everyone, Ray," Mukuro said from my side.

"And everyone loves him. How can anyone say no to that face?" I said and brushed a finger across his cheek.

"Pretty impossible," Kazuma mumbled as Asher started to actually talk. Some of it was gibberish, but it sounded adorable anyway.

"Ray? Are you going to introduce any of us?" I stiffened at the sound of Tiger's voice and rubbed the back of my neck. I was so close to all of them that it was hard to remember that some of them had never met.

"Kazuma, Shizuru, I'm sure you remember some of these faces. There's Jin and Touya, they're lieutenants of the elemental division. Chu there is a lieutenant of the 'brute strength force,' their words, not mine. Rinku is Asher's personal bodyguard when I'm not around."

"Hi! Remember me? Wanna spar later? Unless you're scared of getting beat again," Rinku said quickly and with a big grin.

"That was a fluke, and ya know it!" Kazuma yelled and pointed a finger at the small demon. Chu and Rinku fell over each other laughing, and I just shook my head as Lia reached around to hit them both in the back of the head.

"That wonderful woman is Lia, a lieutenant with Chu. On the other side of Jin and Touya is Ayame and Souketsu. Ayame is a soldier under Chu and Lia, and Souketsu is her annoying mate."

"Hey!"

"Next to them is Tiger, my oldest friend and a sergeant. He oversees the archers. This is the king and queen of the Demon World, Enki and Koku. Next to them is Kagemusha, my second sergeant. And you already know Botan."

"Hi, Kuwabara! Hi, Shizuru! Won't you come sit down with us? You can sit by me! Oh, and this is the twins, Vash and Faye," Botan said in one breath.

"They're captains. They keep the palace secure during battles," I explained. Kuwabara sat down beside Botan, and Shizuru sat down between her brother and Faye.

"Twins, huh? You two don't look anything alike," Shizuru said. I saw Faye blink and smile as I walked back to my spot between Tiger and Enki.

"We are complete opposites, which makes it easier to deny him in public," Faye said. Vash started yelling behind her about how much of a meanie she was while Jin laughed maniacally, and a moment later Vash and Jin were rolling around as they wrestled.

"Is it always like this?" Kuwabara asked as Asher started pulling on his hair. The kid has definitely got a fascination with hair for some reason. Reminds of a little Yusuke…

"Most of the time. Isn't it wonderful though? Oh, I'm so glad you both could make it!" Botan yelled and clapped her hands.

"Excuse me, Lady Ray?" I tipped my head back to look up at the small maid and smiled. She was the one who usually took care of Asher, Mashie.

"Yes?"

"All of the preparations have been completed," she said with a small gleam in her eye.

"And you did what I asked?"

"Of course, my lady."

"You heard the woman! Let's go celebrate!" I yelled.

.xXx.

Asher spent a lot of his time with his various aunts and uncles, but he also spent a lot of time playing with the children of the servants. I had asked Mashie to ask the people she worked with to let their children come to the party, because I didn't want Asher to be the only child. He needed to play and have fun, so I was very happy when we walked inside the massive ballroom and saw it filled with children. All of the servants were now officially off-duty and would remain that way for the rest of the night. Their last orders were to simply have fun with the rest of us.

"He looks happy." The deep voice caused my body to tense, but I quickly relaxed and smiled up at the tall demon.

"He is, but I'm not sure if Shura's going to make it." Yomi and I shared a quiet laugh as Shura was tackled by Asher and about eight other little demons.

"How have you been, Ray?" Yomi asked. I looked up at him, still smiling, and grabbed his hand with one of my own.

"I think the question is, how have you been?" Yomi's other hand rested over mine, and I felt the tension in my chest ease as he genuinely smiled.

"Busy, mostly, but fine. Shura and I would have visited sooner, but some of us do actually run our kingdoms."

"Hey! I run my kingdom just fine," Mukuro said from Yomi's other side. Shizuru was standing next to her, and I couldn't stop my smile. The two had been talking for the past two hours, and it almost appeared as if they had been friends for years.

"Ah, a human. Who is this?" Yomi asked.

"Shizuru Kuwabara. Who are you?"

"Nobody important," Mukuro whispered just loud enough for Yomi to hear. Oh my…I think Koku's been spiking the punch again. I better find Botan soon and make sure she's okay. She always seems to get the worst end of the deal when Koku is feeling mischievous.

"This is Lord Yomi, who I work for," Kurama said.

"Really? Yusuke's told me about you. Said you were good at kicking his ass," Kazuma said with a quiet chuckle. Yomi laughed at that, and I felt even lighter as the demon seemed to completely relax. He began telling Kazuma about his usual sparring matches with Yusuke, with both Kurama and Mukuro adding a few extra details. I slipped away as they talked and decided to check on the rest of the guests. I saw a lot of rosy cheeks, which can only mean that the Queen has been having a little too much fun. Wait…she just smirked in my direction…Dammit!

Botan

"Why is it always so hard to find the bathroom? Why are there so many hallways? Why do I love this punch so much?" I raised the small cup to my lips and poured the last remaining bit into my mouth. My head was tipped back so I could get the last drop (I don't want to be wasteful!), and my shins collided with something hard.

My hands landed on the giant footstool that I had ran into, and I blinked as I looked around the room. Oh, I was in a library. Where did the ballroom go? Did I get lo—Oh! Wow, that is one big painting. It might even be the same size as King Enma! It was…a battle? Yes, a battle! A horrible battle from the looks of it. There was so much blood, and some of the demons looked like they came from my darkest nightmares. The picture itself was done beautifully though. How can something so beautiful be so terrifying at the same time?

"Lady Botan?" A shiver danced across my spine as I twisted my upper body. I already knew what I would see, but I was still surprised. Heavy boots, skintight black pants, pale torso with black markings, full lips with peeking fangs, swirling gray eyes, and all of that long black hair. I wonder what it looks like down?

"Oh, hi, Kagemusha," I said with a smile. I could feel my cheeks warming, like they usually did whenever I was around him. Why does he make me blush so much?

"What are you doing here, Lady Botan? My general was getting ready to send out a search party for you."

"I am not lost!"

"Then why are you in the library?"

"It was loud and noisy in the ballroom, so I wanted to walk around and clear my head a bit. I saw the painting from the doorway and decided to take a closer look," I said and pointedly turned to look at the painting again. Yeah! That sounded believable!

"I did not realize that you liked this kind of art." I jumped a little since Kagemusha was right beside me. Wow, just how tall is he? If I'm five-five, then he has to be about…six-seven? Eight, maybe? Those gray eyes focused down on mine, and I saw the tips of his fangs as he smiled. Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be answering his question, right?

"It's a little terrifying, but it's beautiful too," I whispered. Kinda like you, was what I wanted to add, but I could never! He'd probably just laugh in that quiet way of his and disappear.

"Someone as innocent as you should not look upon something so ugly."

"Hey, I am not some weak little girl! I've seen ugly things! I've seen this before!" I yelled and pointed to the gigantic painting. I had seen battles before…I had seen my friends beaten and bloody, holding onto their last bit of life with both hands. Kagemusha's eyes lightened into a silvery glow, and I felt cool fingers drifting across my cheek.

"I am sorry you had to see it, but you are a very brave and loyal friend, Lady Botan," Kagemusha whispered.

"You are too, Kagemusha! The others have told me how good you are in battle, but I still don't see how you always still look so perfect—Oh!" Kagemusha's eyebrow raised at my small slip, and his lips curved into a smile. A throat cleared behind us, and we both turned to see a grinning Ray.

"When you two return to the ballroom later, she had better be blushing and holding your hand. Botan needs someone to love her right. Don't you agree, Musha?" she asked. Ray's eyes were only a few shades lighter than Kagemusha's, and they were sparkling.

"I do, my general."

"Good answer. I'll see you two later," Ray said and disappeared. Did I miss something? I felt cool hands pulling on my own, and I stared down in confusion at Kagemusha. He was on his knees, so he was only slightly shorter than me.

"Kagemusha, what are you…?"

"Lady Botan, may I court you?"

"What?" It felt like someone had set my face on fire, but Kagemusha had a firm grip on my hands so I couldn't cover my blushing face.

"May I court you?"

"C-c-court me?" Oh, and now I can't even talk right! He's going to think I'm such an idiot!

"Yes, you," Kagemusha said with another one of those slow smiles.

"I…uh…mm…Yes, you can court me." Was that my voice? Why do I sound so breathless? Oh! Breathe!

My chest expanded as I took in a deep breath, and I saw Kagemusha's dazzling eyes as I exhaled. He was still kneeling, but his face was right in front of mine. Something soft tickled my lips, and I gasped at the light sensation. The touch grew more firm, and my hands fluttered as they landed on Kagemusha's strong shoulders. The kiss was kept light and sweet, but my head still swooned a little. Kagemusha's hands still held mine, and his lithe yet strong body kept me from falling over. The kiss ended much too soon for my taste…

…and I was still blushing when we walked back into the ballroom.

Ray

"You've been meddling again, Ray." I turned to look at the owner of the amused voice and laid my head against his arm.

"It's nice to have you this tall again, sir," I said and grinned up at the young-looking ruler.

"Quit trying to change the subject, Ray," Koenma said and lightly tapped my head.

"I didn't meddle. I merely gave a gentle push in the right direction," I said and smiled again. Koenma was looking across the room at his second, whose face had nearly turned purple as she was surrounded by a group of giggling women. She was clutching Kagemusha's hand so hard that I wouldn't be surprised if he bruised, but he just smiled like he was the luckiest man in the world.

"He'll treat her right, won't he?" Koenma asked.

"Yes, I believe he will."

"He'd better," Koenma grumbled. The prince might complain about Botan from time to time, but I knew that he'd do anything for her. They were almost like brother and sister, and Koenma definitely had the look of a big brother right now.

"Ray!" A flushed and panting Vash slid to a stop in front of me, and I reached up to push some of his sweat-slicked blonde hair away from his face.

"What'd you do now?" I asked.

"I can't find Asher. Me and Jin were playing hide-n-seek with the kids, like you taught us, but we can't find him! What are we gonna do?" Vash yelled and grabbed my shoulders.

"Vash, I can always feel Asher. If he was in any danger, I would be the first to know. I'll go get him; you and Jin go play with the kids," I said and reached up to pat his shoulder. Vash's face lit up in a smile, and he happily skipped back over to where Jin was laughing with a group of kids. I said a quick goodbye to Koenma and then walked off to find my "missing" son. I could feel him, and I let my feet lead me to him.

Asher was very good at hide-n-seek, almost too good. It was yet another thing he had inherited from his Uncle Yu-Yu. The one time that stands out the most was when Yusuke was four. We were playing hide-n-seek in the house; it was raining outside so we couldn't go to the park like we usually did. In my human form, it's much harder for me to sense energies. After checking all of Yusuke's usual hiding spots, I began to panic. I screamed until I was hoarse, but still no Yusuke. It felt like an eternity before I heard the light thumping noise, and my eyes widened so much that I thought they were going to fall out. I found a curled up and fast asleep Yusuke in my oven. If he hadn't been stretching in his sleep, I might have never found him.

"Mama!" I stopped in my tracks at the sound of the sweet voice, immediately snapping out of my thoughts of the past. That's when I felt it. It was love and hate, anger and joy, comfort and agony…all rolled into one being.

"H-Hiei?"

"He insisted." Asher was laying comfortably in the fire demon's arms and running his fingers over the dragon that twisted around Hiei's bare arm. Hiei was dressed in his usual black pants, a semi-nice and sleeveless black shirt, and a red sash wrapped around his waist. It was a shock to see Asher with his head resting on Hiei's chest, one floppy ear nearly brushing Hiei's chin.

"I'm sorry, Hiei, I didn't…"

"Stop. He is not bothering me." I nearly swallowed my own tongue and then stepped forward. I finally realized that I was standing on a small porch, and the dark sky was perfectly visible. I didn't stop until I was standing next to Hiei and Asher, and I leaned my hip against the railing. Asher was still touching the dragon on Hiei's arm, but the dragon didn't seem to mind. Hiei was looking down at Asher, and I could almost swear that he was smiling. But that can't be right…can it?

"Asher." At the sound of his name, Asher raised his red eyes to lock with another pair.

"Hiei."

"You need to return to your party. Your friends miss you," Hiei spoke in a quiet voice.

"Mama?"

"Mama will be there soon." Asher nodded his head and stretched his arms around Hiei's neck. Hiei allowed the hug and then placed Asher on his feet. His hand ruffled the white hair for a moment before Asher toddled off to rejoin the party. Hiei and I were both silent as I felt Asher's presence get farther away, and my body relaxed once Asher was surrounded by his extended family.

"Hiei? What's going on?" I had never seen the fire demon look so…calm. There wasn't a scowl on his face or any trace of anger. I had never seen him look so at peace, and it kind of scared me. I didn't know what to expect. Should I say something first?

"Yomi and I have come to an agreement to stop being too close. I've been using him for far too long, and it won't happen again. We are friends and nothing more," I said and looked over at Hiei. He stepped forward until his thighs rested against the railing, and I felt a callused palm rest over the back of my hand on the railing. Hiei was looking up at the sky and not at me though.

"How old are you?"

"To be exact, five hundred and twenty-three."

"You have never been with anyone? Never given yourself to another?"

"My scent alone proves that, but the answer is no. I have never really wanted anyone. There were times when I considered it, but I could never go through with it."

"I am different." It wasn't a question, but I answered anyway.

"Yes, you are different."

"Why?" Hiei's fingers tightened around my hand, but he still wouldn't look at me. This was a side to him that I had never seen, and I had to resist the urge to throw my arms around him.

"I've loved you since the first moment I saw you. I already knew about you. The fire demon that managed to sneak into Spirit World and steal a sword that could turn humans into low-level demons. The same fire demon that helped make sure that some of my loved ones made it out of that horrid Maze Castle alive.

"You're stubborn and rude, but I don't care. I know that you're loyal and you're caring in your own way. You're strong and honorable. There isn't a single thing about you that I hate, at least not constantly. I love everything that you are, Hiei."

"You are my soulmate."

"And you are mine. For me, there will never be anyone but you." At that, he finally turned to look at me. The look in his large red eyes nearly brought me to my knees. He looked so lost, and he complied for the first time when I gently tugged on his hand. His covered forehead brushed my shoulder, and I brought my free hand up to his hair. A quiet rumble shook his chest, but that was all.

"There have been others. I have touched no one since meeting you, and I intend to keep it that way," Hiei breathed against my skin.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what's going on?" I didn't want to ask, but I had to. With the way Hiei was talking, I was starting to get worried that someone had either possessed or drugged him.

"I have accepted the way you feel for me, even if I do not understand it."

"Hiei, does this mean—"

"I'm leaving for the Human World. There's something I need to take care of, and I don't know when I'll return. I will be gone for a very long time."

"So, you're here to say goodbye?"

"Yes." My eyes clenched shut as a familiar pain warped my soul, and I felt a rough fingertip trace across my cheek. Despite my tightly closed eyes, a few tears had managed to escape.

Soft lips touched my jaw, and all of the tension fled from my body. I sagged a little against the railing as Hiei's lips continued to caress my jaw line and cheeks, and I felt even more tears slip from beneath my closed eyes. Hiei's fingertips caught all of the tears, and I tightened my fingers in his hair. Lips finally closed over my own, and I felt my body getting lifted. Hiei sat me on the low railing and moved between my thighs, but his lips never strayed from mine.

It was Heaven. It was Hell. Small fangs nipped the edges of my ear, and my legs locked around Hiei's waist on reflex. Then those lips were covering mine again and those small fangs were nipping at my bottom lip instead. It was almost too much for me to handle, but there was no way I was going to ask him to stop. The kiss remained mostly chaste, and soothing hands ran all over my body. It was like pieces of my soul were coming back together, if only for a little while.

"Return to the party," Hiei whispered against my jaw.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Not yet, but soon. Return to the party." I felt his fingers on my face, wiping away the last of the tears, and then he was gone. I finally opened my eyes and worked on my breathing. When I rejoined the party a few minutes later, a smile was plastered to my face.

.xXx.

I was sleeping so peacefully, but there was something that was telling me to wake up. Just for a moment. A breeze kept my usually warm skin cooled, and a thin sheet covered my lower half. I always slept in a pair of panties and a large shirt, and my hair was left down to cover the entire pillow. I felt my bed shift, and I slowly rolled over. It wasn't unusual for Asher to sneak into my room, but I found a different pair of red eyes in the darkness this time.

"Hiei, what are you—"

"Shh, go back to sleep," Hiei whispered as he slipped into the bed. I felt the sheet settle over our bodies, and Hiei's arm wrapped around my middle and pulled me back against him. His body curved around mine, and I felt him bury his face in my neck.

"Goodnight, Hiei," I whispered. I lifted his hand up to my lips and then cradled it next to my heart.

"Goodnight, Ray."

No One

"Leaving now?" Red eyes blinked against the rising sun, and he didn't even both scowling at the woman beside him.

"Yes. You know how to reach me if you need anything." The female lord sighed and ran a hand through her shaggy hair. The red eyes of her second moved up to the seventh floor balcony, where a white-haired wolf was still sleeping peacefully.

"Tell me, Hiei, do you love her?" Mukuro finally asked. She had seen the way the powerful demon's eyes followed Hiei's every move, and there was no doubt to what her feelings were. She had given up Yomi for the stubborn fire demon.

"I do not know," he said without looking away.

"While you're gone, try figuring it out." Eyes finally looked away from the balcony and glared over at his superior.

"Hn."

"And say hello to your sister for me." The small fire demon didn't even grunt in response this time. He just disappeared from sight as the first rays of sun began to peek over the horizon. The female ruler blinked against the harsh light and sighed. Now she understood. And she was starting to wish she didn't. How did the saying go? Ignorance is bliss…And she hated knowing just how much pain her friend was in.

"Lady Mukuro?" The ruler's back straightened as she turned around, and she didn't bother to smile at the somber looking tiger.

"I worry about them," she confided.

"The two are complicated, but you do not need to worry about them," Tiger said. His yellow eyes were nearly dull, and Mukuro stepped forward until they were facing each other.

"Before Raygan, I had never had a true friend. Without even knowing me, she took a blade meant to pierce my flesh. She carried my body despite being heavily wounded, found out my one true secret and promised to keep it forever, and she then preceded to get me and my entire kingdom drunk. Hiei has a soul and personality very similar to my own. I think of him as the son I will never be able to have. To see them both hurting…"

"Lady Ray is strong. It will take more than your stubborn second to bring her down," Tiger said with a tired smile.

"I just hope, for her sake, that he comes to his senses soon." With that, Mukuro turned and walked away. The tiger demon stayed where he was and looked at the changing colors of the sky. His last words drifted on a small breeze before he turned to follow Mukuro inside the palace.

"Don't we all…"


Ending Note: All together now people, "AWWW!" Am I the only one who thought the Hiei-Asher/Hiei-Ray scene was absolutely adorable?

I realize that Hiei was OOC in this chapter, but…for this story, you better get used to it. A lot of the characters are about to deviate from the norm, but I promise that I can justify everything in my own little way. No one stays the same forever, right?

To see a beautiful image of Hiei holding Asher, go to my profile and remove the spaces from the link under the label Hiei and Asher! It was created by wolvesrain17, who has created artwork for all of the OCs in this story, but the Hiei/Asher picture is my absolute favorite. All of her artwork is amazing, so give her some love while you're there!