"There you are!"

Hiei glanced up to see Botan already waiting for him on her balcony. Her hair was out of its usual ponytail, loose blue tresses flying in the evening breeze as she waved him up with an inviting smile. It was a sight that was becoming more and more familiar to him in the passing weeks as he continued to seek her out at the end of each mission. In turn, the ferry-girl had been staying out of the action or providing support on the sidelines. Their arrangement worked well. He didn't have to worry about her safety and could throw himself into battle without any hindrances. The fire-demon wasn't often one for compromise, but as he braced himself on aching legs and vaulted up to meet her, he could admit that their agreement wasn't the worst.

"Oh, Hiei, you're in even worse shape than last time!" Botan observed, crowding closer to him. He'd lost his shirt in the scuffle, which made it all the more easy for the ferry-girl's worried gaze to sweep over the cuts, bruises and lacerations littered over his skin. Amethyst eyes narrowed at the discoloration near his ribs, fingertips grazing over the sore spot lightly as she surveyed the damage. "Is it…?"

"Most likely busted," he confirmed.

"What happened?"

"We got ambushed," he answered plainly while propping his sword against the half wall with his non-dominant hand. His right wrist was out of commission after blocking a blow that would have ended Kuwabara's feeble existence and he would rather not use it if he could avoid it. Sliding his hand in his pocket and ignoring the lancing pain that followed, he fixed his eyes back on Botan. "Your Prince's intel was severely lacking, as usual."

"Well, that's no good…" she intoned, concern coloring her amethyst eyes and wrinkling the slender lines of her brows. "I'm almost afraid to ask how the others fared."

"They're fine. I only sustained these many injuries because they were careless."

"What do you mean?"

"As I've said, this job is nothing more than babysitting. Even Kurama made the mistake of getting caught in the crossfires to protect one of the hostages."

"Ah! So, you're saying that you only got so injured because you were looking out for everyone else?" she realized, admiration sparkling in her pink eyes.

"Babysitting, woman," he maintained pointedly. "Besides, these injuries are all minor. It's nothing I can't handle."

"Of course!" she agreed heartily, taking his free hand to lead him inside. "And you'll be feeling right as rain when I'm done with you."

He didn't shirk away from the contact, simply allowing her fingers to wrap around his and gently lead him on. He considered it a personal challenge to refrain from wavering whenever the ferry-girl did or said something that sent him off kilter, and this time was no different. He might not have been used to such casual gestures, but he could overcome them. He wasn't so weak as to be conquered by a touch that held no ill will.

They stood in the center of her room, at the foot of her bed.

"Ready?"

Hiei nodded affirmatively and then Botan got to work. Her hands rested above the worst of his wounds first, crackles of energy shooting out from her palms like little bolts of lightning. The first hit was always cool and soothing, like a balm, and then a rush of warmth followed after. He had to admit that its efficacy was impressive.

He let his eyes wander around the room as she continued to tend to him. There was always something new to find with each visit. He spotted a record from Kuwabara on her vanity. Seated in the corner, next to the balcony doors was a monstrosity of a plant that could only be from Kurama. And taped to her pink walls were a couple of photos of the ferry-girl and the detective. It didn't surprise him that she kept and cherished everything that was given to her.

"That should do it," Botan announced, pulling him out of his thoughts. "How do you feel?"

"Better," he admitted as he rolled his wrist experimentally. His injuries were nothing more than phantom afterthoughts in the wake of her white magic. And the sore ache of his overexerted muscles would be gone with a decent night's rest.

"Great! You can clean up in the bathroom; I've already got some of your clothes in there, too."

He nodded, making it two steps before he remembered to slip his hand in his pocket and pull out the remains of the communication device. "It was broken in the scuffle," he informed, tossing it to her.

Botan blinked down at the burnt and destroyed compact cradled in her palms with a pout. "Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that you're actually pleased with this turn of events?"

She wasn't exactly wrong; he still preferred the jagan over the device and he wasn't fond of carrying around anything from the Spirit World.

"Believe what you will," he answered, not bothering to suppress his smirk as he set off into the ferry-girl's connecting bathroom.

He followed the same routine as usual, shedding his clothes and stepping into the shower stall mechanically. Botan gave him a whole shelf filled with all sorts of products for the body, face and hair. He found it excessive and highly unnecessary, but it was nothing compared to the multitude of soaps and shampoos she kept for herself.

By the time he was finished, he found the ferry-girl seated on her bed with her nose buried in one of those sappy romance novels she loved so much. She was so engrossed in the story that she didn't even notice his presence.

"Enjoying your filth?" he asked.

"Hiei!" she startled, a hand over her chest as she let out a deep breath. "Give a girl a warning next time!"

"Hn. If you weren't so taken by your erotica, you could have saved yourself the shock."

An impressive blush swam over the apple of her cheeks. "I-it's not erotica!"

"So you say." He caught a glimpse of the words on the pages the other day. There was no denying it.

"Really!" she insisted. "It's a lovely story about passion and love and two souls connecting as one."

"Like I said: erotica."

"You can always read it yourself, since you seem to be so opinionated," she teased with a cat-like grin morphing her features.

"I'll pass."

"Well, literature aside, I was thinking we should start visiting some popular sites in the human world," she suggested, closing her book and setting it on the small nightstand to her right. "It could be fun!"

He eyed her warily. "Our ideas of fun are vastly different."

"There's an upcoming festival that's sure to be worth our while," she proposed with a hopeful lift of her brows. "What do you say?"

"I don't even know what that is."

"It's a lovely affair with tons of delicious fried foods and sweet snacks. They also have lots of games to try out. If you're lucky, you could walk away with some interesting prizes."

"It sounds like a trivial waste of time to me."

"You'll never know what you like if you don't experience new things," she said sagely. "And you've got nothing but time on your hands in between missions."

"I think you're just using me to live out your human related fantasies."

"Well, what are friends for, right?"

"You're more of a menace than a friend, woman."

She smiled knowingly as she watched him secure his bandana. "You're headed over to Kurama's right?"

He nodded. The fox's mother invited them all over for dinner, eager to meet the new group of friends that her precious son was spending all his time with. She was a kind woman, if a bit naive not to notice just how many sketchy affairs and unorthodox hobbies Kurama dabbled in. He met Shiori once before, during his first team up with Kurama a year ago. According to the fox, she'd been asking for him ever since. The woman was everything Hiei supposed a mother would be, and he found it difficult to turn down the simple request of joining them for dinner.

"I wish I could have gone," she lamented, lips curved into a downward slant. "But I'm stuck training the new ferry-girls tonight."

"Consider yourself the lucky one then."

"Don't be a spoilsport, Hiei," she said as she stood up and walked him out. "I'm sure it'll be a pleasant evening."

"I highly doubt that," he replied, before leaping up and onto the ledge. He stared out into the pink sky and then paused to glance back at the ferry-girl after a moment or two of uncharacteristic hesitation. "…I trust you'll find me if you need me."

"Aye aye, sir Hiei!" she saluted.

And then he jumped down onto the winding yellow road, leaving his sword behind. It wasn't as if he wouldn't be back again.

.

.

.

A few days later, Hiei stationed himself in a large tree that served as the midway point between the Yusuke's school and apartment. He knew the teen took this route home most often. And when he felt the familiar spirit energy drawing near, he cracked an eye open to see the detective strolling down the street, hands in his pockets and face without a care in the world. The fire-demon jumped down from the tree without further preamble, landing directly in front of the whistling teen.

"Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Yusuke frowned. "You ever heard of calling before dropping by?"

Hiei rolled his eyes as he thrust a video tape in front of Yusuke. "From Koenma."

Yusuke blinked down at it twice. "Isn't this Botan's gig?"

"The ferry-girl was busy." She had her hands full between soul retrievals, training the new ferry-girls and her detective assistant work. He never understood why she spread herself so thin, but it wasn't his place to question it.

"Nice of you to help out."

"I was merely following orders."

"Right…" Yusuke drawled, clearly unconvinced. "Because you're such a good little soldier."

"What are you implying, detective?"

"Nothing," he teased, accepting the tape with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I just think you and Botan are cute."

Hiei's expression darkened as he turned away. "I'm leaving."

"Hey!" he called out. "If it's a mission, we'll need you around!"

Hiei met Yusuke's gaze with an uninterested scowl. "The Prince said neither Kurama nor I are needed, meaning the enemy must be a low level waste of time. Protect your world on your own for a change."

He fissioned away, but not before catching Yusuke's miffed grumbling carried on a breeze. When he deemed himself far enough away, he settled on a tree in the park, content to leave the latest crisis to the humans. As much as the fire-demon enjoyed the thrill of battle, he didn't mind skipping out on a mission or two. Especially if the threat wasn't worth his time. In the past few weeks, he'd seen more of Kuwabara's cat, Kurama's mom and Yusuke's home than he needed to in a lifetime. If he wasn't needed for this case, then so be it.

A reprieve from the team and the madness that came with it was long overdue, so he ignored the persistent niggling in the back of his mind and closed his eyes.

.

.

.

The following day, Hiei couldn't shake the troubled thread that weaved itself around his every thought. He was on edge and unsettled, and that was never a good thing.

The fire-demon decided to check on Yukina first, removing his bandana and opening the jagan eye like clockwork. He searched and searched for the ice maiden's familiar energy signal, frowning when his efforts were all fruitless. There was something akin to a force or a wall blocking him. It would take advanced talismans and wards to fend off the jagan. His hands clenched into tight fists as he realized that obstruction was undoubtedly intentional.

His mind raced as he sought Botan out next. She hadn't said a word to him yesterday and the silence spilled over into today was highly suspicious. Something was going on and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

After a few seconds of darkness, the jagan managed to locate the woman. She was somewhere in the human world, a long way off from her usual soul collection routes, and she wasn't alone. Hiei concentrated on the hazy image of the ferry-girl and the detective. Their voices were muted and far off in his mind's eye, but he could still make out their conversation with relative ease.

"I still can't believe Hiei's got a twin sister," Yusuke said.

Botan brought an urgent finger to her lips. "Keep it down, Yusuke! This is sensitive information!"

"Relax, Kuwabara's so far ahead I can't even see him anymore. And even if he wasn't, he couldn't hear anything we were saying over his own, stupid declarations of love."

The ferry-girl sighed and rubbed her temples. "This is such a mess. Yukina's been abducted, Hiei's left in the dark, and the enemy not only has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, but a small army, too!"

"It's a shitty situation, yeah, but you seem even more invested than usual."

"That's because I met Yukina once before," Botan explained. "Although it was only a brief encounter, she made a lasting impression. I feel awful thinking about what she must be going through."

"Then stop thinking about what she's been through and focus on the here and now," Yusuke ordered. "All we gotta do is storm in, kick that greedy crime lord's ass, and save the girl, right?"

"In layman's terms, yes…"

"Then that's exactly what we'll do," Yusuke vowed, punching a fist into his open palm. "There's no way we can lose, not when someone so important is on the line."

"You're right." Botan nodded determinedly. "It's only a matter of time until we rescue Yukina. Then everything will be alright again."

Hiei let the connection persist as a low thrum in the background as he tried to make sense of all that he'd heard.

His sister was in danger.

He allowed her to fall into the hands of rotten, filthy humans.

And there was no telling what they'd already done to her.

Hiei stood up stiffly, blood boiling as ever muscle in his body screamed for vengeance. Dark swirls of energy rose and spilled out uncontrollably, enshrouding him in a malevolent aura that disturbed and unsettled the wildlife within the park. He didn't bother controlling himself, he was well past the point of that. Facing east, he prepared himself for what he was about to do.

Botan seemed to know exactly where Yukina was. If he followed the ferry-girl, she would lead him to the despicable cretin harboring his sister. He would find the enemy's stronghold, slaughter every last one of the offenders and then burn that accursed prison to the ground.


The midday sun beat down on Botan as she trundled through the grass and foliage of the forest. Kuwabara was valiantly leading the way, armed with his Warrior of Love headband and the sheer force of his latest infatuation, while Yusuke trekked beside her.

"How much farther?" he asked.

"I'd say we've got less than a mile to go."

"Alright."

'You must really take me for a fool, woman.'

Botan froze in her tracks, eyes going wide at the familiar voice inside her head. He sounded so cold and full of disdain; such a far cry from the man she shared most of her days with.

'Did your brainless Prince think I wouldn't figure it out? That I would remain ignorant to Yukina's whereabouts?"

'Hiei-'

'And what's worse: he sent the detective and the oaf after her.'

'Lord Koenma didn't want you doing anything rash. He was looking out for you. And I'm sorry for not telling you, either, but I thought it was for the best. We're nearly there; we'll find her and save her. Trust us.'

'I trust no one, least of all two human fools and a being from the Spirit World.'

That stung more than she cared to admit, but Botan understood his anger. And his sense of betrayal. Their newest mission was a sensitive subject on all fronts, and it hit far too close to home.

Yukina had been abducted by the crime lord, Gonzo Tarukane, who was looking to exploit her ability to produce hiruiseki stones. The gems crystallized from an ice maiden's tears, and the only way to get them out of her was presumably through physical, mental or emotional torture. Ice-maidens were taught to lock away their emotions and their tears, so Tarukane would have to go to extreme measures to get what he wanted.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Koenma had sworn them to secrecy. He feared if Hiei learned what was happening, he would kill every single human in sight. And if that happened, Hiei would be thrown back in the cell, or worse: sentenced to death.

This was a mission to not only rescue Yukina, but to prevent Hiei from doing the unthinkable. And now, Hiei was tuned into exactly what was going on.

'I'm sorry,' she tried. 'I couldn't sit on the sidelines after hearing the terrible news. I care about you both and keeping you in the dark seemed like the only viable option at the time…'

'That isn't the point.'

'Then what is?'

'…Yukina is my responsibility. The only one ending this will be me.'

'Hiei-'

The connection ended and she fixed her eyes on Yusuke's back.

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we've got a major problem on our hands!" she announced as she caught up to him. "Hiei's on the way!"

"Seriously?"

"He just confirmed as much with the jagan."

"Damn it." Yusuke swatted a branch out of his face with a sigh. "I guess we should've known he'd catch wind of it sooner or later."

"Yes. And we can't exactly blame him for jumping into action."

"Didn't expect him to give you a heads up, though. He isn't exactly that sharing type."

"I don't know. He's usually pretty honest and straightforward when he wants to be."

"…"

"He's also stubborn and doesn't listen to reason. And prone to giving into that awful temperament of his."

"…"

"Oh, this is terrible, Yusuke!" Botan said, clutching his arm and shaking him lightly. "We can't let him come here raining fire and brimstone. We might not be able to stop him from doing the worst."

"We'll just have to end this before he gets here," Yusuke decided. "Come on, let's catch up with our Dork of Love."

.

.

.

The series of events that followed unfolded like one horrible nightmare after another. From that disgusting spider demon, to the odd members of the demon triad, to the overwhelming strength of the Toguro brothers - it was a wonder they made it out alive. Botan's tired gaze drifted to Toguro, lying prone on the floor with Kuwabara's spirit sword sticking out of his abdomen. Kuwabara was a couple of feet away, battle worn and weary, but otherwise alright. Yusuke was beside her, hands on his knees as he breathed heavily. When she glanced up at the second level to view Yukina, she let out a panicked gasp.

"Yusuke, we have to stop him!" Botan exclaimed, tugging the detective's arm and pointing up at the relentless assault taking place above them. Hiei had Tarukane pinned to the console and was currently beating him bloody and unconscious. "Hiei is forbidden from taking human life. He'll be in grave trouble if he does!"

"Hey!" Yusuke shouted, eyes wide and body going tense as he took a heavy step forward. "It's over - you don't have to do this!"

"Hiei please! Stop this!" Botan urged.

The fire-demon paused, fire-filled eyes glancing down at them from the window. For a moment, she thought he might actually listen to reason. She thought he would release the crime lord and let justice be served. But then a cold determination shadowed his features as he reared his fist back, ready to deliver the killing blow.

Botan was frozen in horror, helpless as she watched the events play out in slow motion. Hiei's fist was mere inches away from Tarukane's battered face when Yukina latched onto his arm.

The ferry-girl couldn't hear them from here, but she could see the way his entire countenance changed. The rage that once rolled off of him in thick waves vanished into thin air as his expression went slack. His eyes were wide as he stared back at his sister and listened to her pleading.

Whatever she said must have worked, because Hiei released Tarukane and uttered a few words to Yukina with the softest expression Botan had ever seen him wear. She watched him, transfixed by the emotion showcased in his eyes. She continued to view the twins, heart aching as Yukina turned away and descended to the first floor while Hiei chose to keep himself at a distance. She couldn't imagine how he must've felt to watch the only family he'd ever known walk away from him.

Botan didn't have time to dwell on the heart wrenching scene, because Yukina was approaching her. The ice maiden recognized her immediately, a smile breaking out on her face.

"Botan," Yukina said. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"It's a pleasure to see you again, dear," Botan returned, taking the ice-maiden's cold hands in hers and squeezing comfortingly. "Although we have to stop meeting up under such dangerous circumstances."

"I agree," she returned. "I can't thank you enough for coming to my aid."

"Oh, there's no need for that. We're just sorry we couldn't get here sooner."

"Yeah," Yusuke added, cocking his thumb at Kuwabara. "No one was more eager to save you than that big lug."

Yukina's expression morphed into one of concern as she moved to tend to the psychic.

"Yukina-"Kuwabara began remorsefully.

"Stay still," she soothed, small hands planted on either side of his face. "I can use some of my energy to treat your wounds."

Yusuke and Botan turned away to give them privacy.

"We should head on upstairs," Yusuke announced loudly. "You know, to check out the damage."

"Yes," Botan parroted with a grin. "Up we go!"

They ascended to the viewing room, where a terse Hiei stood in the middle of four unconscious body guards and a badly beaten Tarukane. To her surprise, Kurama managed to make it as well, looking as composed and unruffled as ever as he leaned against the wall.

"Looks like the whole gang's here," Yusuke said, shooting a grin Kurama's way. "Could've used your freaky plants back when we were getting pummeled by the Toguro brothers, though."

"I apologize. I came as soon as I could once I heard the news."

Yusuke chuckled and clapped a hand on his back. "It's cool. Everything turned out okay in the end."

Botan wasn't so sure about that as she fixed her eyes on Hiei. The fire-demon's mouth was pulled into a taut line, shoulders squared and posture stiff with words unsaid. Down at his sides, his hands were drawn into fists and knuckles stained red with blood.

"Hiei?" she tried, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder.

"Don't," he cut in, before she could make contact.

Botan retracted her hand and stared at him sadly. It was clear that he needed some time to himself, but she just wished he wouldn't retreat into his guards when he had people who cared about him.

"You know where to find me if you need me," she reminded him quietly.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement and then left the room without another word.

"It's best to leave him be for now," Kurama advised gently. "He certainly has a lot to ponder."

Botan nodded in understanding, glancing down at Yukina and Kuwabara with a bittersweet weight resting on her chest. "I just hope he'll be okay…"


Several days later, Hiei found himself wavering on Botan's balcony.

He didn't have any real reason to be there. He simply wanted to see her, that was all. Pushing aside his hesitations, he tapped on the glass windows of the balcony doors twice.

Botan, who was seated at the edge of her bed, nearly fell off of it when she finally noticed him, but then she scrambled over to the double doors and opened them up. She stood in nothing but an oversized purple sleepshirt, staring back at him through rounded eyes.

"I didn't think you would come by," she breathed out in surprise. "I figured you were still mad at me."

"I wasn't angry with you."

"Could've fooled me…"

Crimson eyes shifted away from amethyst. "…I wasn't fair to you. I see that now."

"Well, I'm glad you realized that much," she teased lightly, the familiar lines of her smile hiding no traces of a grudge or anger. "But I truly am sorry. I felt awful about going on that mission without you. It was a tough call on all fronts…"

"Don't apologize," he said, turning towards the half wall and gazing outwards at the star studded sky. "Between the two of us, I've done worse."

Botan approached his left side, her body still angled towards his as she leaned against the wall. "Let's call it even, then."

He nodded, bringing his eyes back to hers. "I heard you kept Yukina company before she left."

"That's right," Botan revealed. "She ended up staying in the ferry-girl's quarters for a few days, so I visited her often." She smiled fondly. "She's a strong soul. And the sweetest darling to boot!"

Hiei had only known Yukina through the jagan, but he witnessed how good she was through each and every glimpse. They might have shared the same blood, but they were complete and total opposites when it came to everything else.

"After the dust settled, Yukina provided some key statements and testimonies that we can use against Tarukane," Botan continued. "I suspect he'll be sentenced to life in prison."

"That bastard deserves nothing but death," Hiei said lowly.

"He does, but I think he ought to suffer before that," she said.

He found it highly uncharacteristic of her, but then he remembered that the woman had a violent side, too.

"He's lost his fortune, his fame and his prestige. He's got nothing to hold onto and nothing to look forward to. It's a fitting fate for a covetous man like him."

Hiei considered her words. He knew all too well that living could be an even worse fate than death. A quick and easy end was too merciful for the wretch. Years of misery and helplessness would suit him much better, Hiei decided.

"I wish I could have joined you boys in seeing her off today," Botan continued. "How did it go?"

Hiei thought back to the memories of her departure. The glacial terrain with its biting winds and falling snow. The resolution in his sister's ruby eyes and soft voice as she bid them farewell. The image of her small and slight form walking away forever.

"It was Yukina's decision to return to the ice village," he stated evenly. "She'll be safer there."

Botan's expression slid into a hesitant, careful look as she continued. "But do you regret it at all? Letting her leave without telling her the truth?"

"I don't."

His very first interaction with Yukina was in the mansion of her captor. He'd failed spectacularly in his duty to her. And his very first act in her presence was to make her cry. He could still see the unshed tears in her eyes and the pain in her expression as she begged him to stop his assault on Tarukane. He could still hear the hurt breaking her voice. He could still feel her desperation as she clung onto him tightly.

The last thing she needed was a brother like him. Their first and only true interaction cemented that notion into solid fact.

"She's better off not knowing the truth," Hiei finished firmly.

Botan's lips curved downwards as her eyes searched his for something indeterminable. "You can't honestly believe that, can you?"

"The last thing she needs is to discover that her brother is nothing more than a criminal."

"That's a load of nonsense!" she objected hotly.

Hiei was taken aback by her fervor as she continued.

"You're a perfectly decent guy! Honorable, loyal and sometimes, you're even nice!" she counted off. "Anyone who can't see that would have to be daft or blind, and Yukina is neither of the two. She would be able to look beneath that hard exterior of yours and see you for the man that you are. And her life would be better for it. I know mine is."

"You don't know what you're saying."

Botan's voice was as stern as her frown, "I really don't like it when you treat me like I'm a fool, Hiei."

"You are foolish," he argued acidly. "Especially when it comes to me."

"Hiei!"

He sighed, tired on all fronts. "…I don't want to talk about this any longer, ferry-girl."

A heavy silence settled upon them as Botan gazed at him. Sympathy or pity or a combination of the two ran through her gaze as she deflated. He could tell that she wanted to say something doling and comforting, but such flimsy words wouldn't do well. Eventually, she breathed out a quiet and defeated confession. "I hate this…"

"What?"

"Not knowing what to say or do… not being able to set things right."

"It isn't your responsibility to."

"I just don't like to see my friends hurting. I wish I could do more… for the both of you."

Hiei found it ironic that she felt that way. The ferry-girl risked life and limb to save Yukina. She stayed with her in the days that followed. And she continued to waste her time and energy on a demon like him.

"You've done enough," he said. "For Yukina. And for me."

Botan blinked back at him in surprise. "You really think so?"

"I don't say what I don't mean."

A touch of amusement broke through her expression as she set a hand on her hip. "Actually, you can be very contrary at times… especially when you're in a mean and nasty mood."

"You presume to know me."

"Just a little bit."

"Hn."

Another lull fell over them for a while. The ferry-girl turned to stare up at the skyline, while he peered off towards the horizon, not really focused on anything at all. It was a moonless night, but the lucent scatter of stars was bright enough to cast a glow over the both of them.

The past few days were filled with turmoil and unrest, but things were different now. The maelstrom in his chest, the raging winds in his mind, the undercurrent of unease that prickled his skin – it was all gone. Vanished on the wings of another calm and quiet night with the ferry-girl. She didn't need to worry about him because he was fine. More grounded and settled than he should have been.

"Botan," he said, drawing her attention back to him. Her expression was open and genuine, as it always was, and he figured he could be the same in return. Just this once. "I meant what I said. You're good enough… you've been good enough to me, woman. I don't need anything more."

Botan was rendered speechless, doe eyes rounded and pink lips parted in disbelief. He refused to look away, keeping his gaze affixed on her until his words sunk in; until she believed them. As the woman's surprise faded into understanding, her gaze lit up like one of the stars overhead. Her voice was brimming with fondness and sincerity as she spoke, "You've been good to me, too, Hiei. And I'm really, really glad that you're here with me now."

Something shattered within him that night. A piece of the stonewall he erected to keep others out. The icy shards of the koorime's prophecies embedded in his mind. The binds tied tightly around his heart. The ferry-girl's simple declaration broke through them all, striking the deepest part of him.

For the very first time in his life, he understood what it meant to be accepted by another. To be wanted outside of his strength or power. To be welcomed for who he was and not what he could do. It shouldn't have affected him to this extent. It shouldn't have mattered to him at all, but it did. And despite the sentimentality of it, he resolved to commit this fleeting moment to memory and never let it go.


Thank you all so much for your continued readership, your reviews and your messages. I appreciate every one so much. Hope you enjoyed the Rescue Yukina arc; see you next time!