Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Happy 4th of July everyone! I felt like writing a drabble to kick start the day before I head out to a family reunion. Hope you enjoy!


Hiei hated being trapped in the confines of a human city—his punishment for his crimes against Spirit World. The ferry girl had done as promised and gotten him a slight pardon. She pleaded with the Spirit World ruler and made a case for the fire demon. The conditions were for him to reside in Yusuke's city and help with cases that were too demanding for a human boy who had only just started to get the hang of his spirit energy. Hiei figured things could be worse, but what he really wanted was to return home.

Hiei had been fairly close to it when he assisted Yusuke, his human oaf of a friend, and Kurama in a Demon World city. To be honest, he was so, so close to getting out of his punishment. He resolved to let the other three die at the entry gate while that stupid bat's voice grated on his eardrums. He thought the one human foolish for suggesting they all die there together. It was not Hiei's responsibility to keep the others alive. He only lived for himself. That's how it was for so long.

"I trust you."

Hiei's eyes snapped open as the detective's words hit him again full force. He had given the human no reason to think he would help them if he were to get free. Scarlet eyes were wide open as he replayed the scene in his mind constantly. No one, not even Kurama, had ever said those three words…and Hiei already promised Yusuke his death beforehand. The detective was either incredibly stupid or brave, but Hiei could not figure out which. Yes, the detective was a lucky fool at times and idiotically sacrificed all of his energy to protect that girl—something Hiei swore up and down to Kurama he'd never do. Even that didn't seem to help Hiei come to an answer about Yusuke's trust in him.

He saved them. Him, Hiei, a fire demon, the imiko, a felon, saved two humans and a former demon thief possessing a human. They weren't his friends, although Kurama would be the closest if he'd accept he had any. They weren't anyone to whom he truly held loyalty, and yet he saved them. Those words struck his soul. The first being to ever trust a creature like him was his human enemy. Yusuke expended his energy to hold Hiei's share of the weight with the full belief that Hiei would help them all. The whole ordeal astonished the fire demon.

Then Hiei was faced with the switch. He could easily let the ceiling drop and be free. His head whipped around as he weighed his options. It was between freedom and camaraderie, to be alone or to be part of a team.

Hiei scoffed at the though. No, he just needed them alive to get through the castle. Even though he was strong, taking on four opponents at their level with his weakened energy would have been suicide. He ignored the fleeting thought, one that asked the demon why he would have even needed to take on the castle in the first place considering the mission was to protect Human World and not his own interests.

It was night in the human city and Hiei found a nice park with plenty of trees in which to sleep. There was hardly any light there compared to the rest of the city, and he could see the start clearly. Occasionally, he heard random passersby walking through the park together at late night hours. For the most part it was peaceful.

Unfortunately, that night the noise was unbearable. Hiei heard the shouts and loud conversations of humans who all seemed to come to that particular park. They were sitting in chairs, on the ground, going to booths and playing games that were set up. Hiei's eyes narrowed at the sight. Why were there so many people there that night?

His answer came in the form of a loud explosion. Hiei instantly prepared for an attack, readied himself on the tree. Instead of seeing burning fire consume the park, he saw lights in the sky. It was clearly fire, but it was colorful and disappeared. He could hear the enchanted murmurings of the humans on the ground. They seemed amazed and impressed by the lights.

Hiei took in his surroundings and surprisingly spotted the ferry girl. He assumed she was there to check up on him to make sure he wasn't violating the agreement he made with Spirit World. She was looking at the glowing fire in the sky, her eyes full of mirth and interest. He wondered if the lights distracted and stopped her from performing her duties.

Not wanting to prolong her questioning, Hiei flashed closer to her in a different tree. She was shocked that he appeared beside her, and her oar bobbed in the sky as she looked at him. A smile graced her features. "Oh, hello Hiei. How have you been? I haven't seen you since you returned from Maze Castle."

Hiei kept his expression neutral, however his mind yelled out. Wasn't she here to see him? Why was she treating him like another colleague or friend? He hadn't expected this. If she wasn't there for him, what was she there for?

When he didn't answer, Botan giggled and then looked back out to the colorful, tiny flames. "Isn't it amazing?" she asked him. "All those colorful, little lights look like stars." She looked down to the crowd. "They look like they're having fun down there."

Hiei crossed his arms. "Are you telling me you came for this spectacle and not stalking me?" he asked curtly.

Botan held out her hands in a settle down motion. "Don't worry," she chimed. "I assure you; I came at my own leisure. I didn't even know you'd be here. Did you come to see the fireworks too?"

"Fireworks?" Hiei repeated.

"Yes, they're pyrotechnics that humans shoot off for entertainment, sometimes to celebrate something and sometimes just for fun. It's like art. Each different one does something new with different colors, and sometimes they're paired with similar colors. It's like art in the sky. It's beautiful."

Hiei eyed the ferry girl strangely before he looked down to the crowd. "What could they possibly be celebrating? The fact that their race didn't succumb to the effects of those flies?"

Botan chuckled. "They didn't know about the flies, just that some humans went crazy. And honestly, I don't know what they're celebrating. They might just be doing it for fun. I was ferrying souls one day and I heard a few people talking about the light show. It's just a coincidence is all, but I didn't want to miss it. Didn't you come because you were curious about the lights?"

"No," Hiei replied. "I've been residing here since my release."

Botan nodded and did not pry more. Truthfully, she was surprised Hiei humored her enough in her ramblings. Actually, he surprised with a lot of things. Mainly, the fact that he was actually adhering to the conditions Koenma set. The ferry girl knew how much the demon hated the world he was trapped in, but he wasn't fighting her and even admitted that this was where he was staying, a little factoid she'd keep in case he was needed for another case.

Her eyes went back to the beautiful lights in the sky as they fell to the earth and disappeared on their way down. Hiei noticed the colors reflected in her shining orbs and then scoffed before he plopped down on the branch. Botan regarded his form once again, then grinned and took a seat next to him. Her oar disappeared. The two quietly watched the glowing fire in interest, though Hiei still appeared bored. He never attempted to leave as he leaned back against the wood. Botan leaned forward; her feet dangled as she took in the sights. She didn't notice that Hiei's eyes were on her. He stopped watching the fire a while ago.