Standard disclaimers, kay peeples?

Hiei felt his blade hit flesh and heard a yelp of pain. He pulled back for a second strike without even thinking, but that voice was too familiar. Something was wrong.

"Yu-kina-"

Hiei stumbled back from the voice. No! How could he? Yukina was going to kill him! And speaking of Yukina . . .Hiei dropped his blade as he oriented on the doorway and his twin's familiar sense.

He heard Yukina's strangled cry, heard her rush across the room. She pushed him out of the way and he stumbled over something, falling to the ground hard. His head knocked the gorund and he lay still, willing the pain away.

"Please be okay, Kazuma-kun." Hiei moaned and pushed himself up. "Please, please, plaese."

"Yukina . . .did I hurt him badly? I didn't know . . ." His voice sounded so soft, so afraid. He was surprised to hear that it was his.

"He'll be fine, no thanks to you. He hit his head, but he'll wake up and be fine. What in the three realms possesed you to do something so stupid?!" Hiei didn't answer. Suddenly he felt a sharp slap across his face and fell to the ground again. "I can't believe you would do this! I wish you weren't my brother!"

Brother? She . . .she knows. This was all set up. Just one huge trap. Hiei stood awkwardly and went to the door as fast as he dared. He couldn't stay there. Not if she knew. Not after what he'd done.

At where the door shuold have been, Hiei hit a wall. A soft, warm wall. The wall wrapped slim but powerful arms around him, keeping him from leaving. "How long have you been back, Kurama?" He didn't bother to fight the embrace, breathing in the thick smell of roses.

"Long enough," came the gentle reply. "And this isn't something I'm going to let you run away from. Not until I . . .*we* hear the facts. You owe her that much."

"Besides," Yuusuke piped in, obviously not understanding the situation. "You need to be healed and Yukina's here now-"

"No." How could a single word sound so cold? "I will not help him after what he did."

"Yukina, you can't believe he did that on purpose. There must be more to it."

"I said no, Kurama!"

The youko had to struggle to keep a now fighting Hiei in his arms. "Let me go, Fox! I'm leaving and if they come after me, let them come. I won't stay here."

"You will stay," Kurama shifted, lifting his lover off the floor, "even if I have to carry you the whole time. Now tell us what happened!" It wasn't a request. But it wasn't a demand the fire demon was going to fulfill freely. "You're both to stuborn for your own good. Yukina, you know who Hiei is and you're just going to leave him like this?"

"He doesn't deserve my help."

"Please, Yukina." Kurama's voice was strained, but he managed to adress the Koorime polietly. "If you won't do it for him, will you please, please do it for me?"

Hiei was still struggling, but he heard a soft sigh. He was placed in a chair and held still by his love. He felt his sister's gentle hand unwrap the bandages. He tried to pull away, but it was no use. Slowly, he felt a warmth spread over his eyes and he knew it wouldn't be long before they were healed completely.

"Who did this?" The question was so soft, Hiei almost missed it.

"The same two bastards that tricked me into hitting the moron."

"Tricked?"

"They manipulated it so that he would be within range. I should have sensed the change." Hiei cursed himself for the hundredth time. He had been an idiot, and now Yukina knew. Now Yukina hated him. Abrubtly, the warmth was gone and Hiei hesitantly opened his eyes. He flinched an closed them tightly again.

The light was blinding. More than a day of total darkness made the world seem so . . . luminous. He fluttered one eye open again. There was so much blue and red. Their hair. He tried to focus on the swatch of blue that topped Yukina's retreating head. The brightness was too much, he closed his eye again.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, smelled the roses on the air. The thought gave him pause, the roses still smelled so strong. Stronger than he knew they truly were. Without sight, his other senses were hightened beyond belief. It was the body's way of compensating, he supposed. But he hadn't noticed before because he was to busy moping. Slowly he stood, keeping his eyes closed.

He could smell Yukina—her hair, her soft perfume. He could sense her ki too, but he blocked that as best he could. He reached out to grab her shoulder and felt her turn under the touch. "What, Hiei? I've done what I said I would."

"Yukina. You were with them, and they hurt you." He could smell the blood, faint, but obvious on her clothes. But there was something else; a burnt smell.

A smell that was very strong somewhere very close.

Yukina brushed her brother's hand away and he heard her kneel by Kuwabara's body. But that wasn't important right now. Behind him he could hear Yuusuke's concerned voice and feel Kurama's worried eyes. But he blocked those out and focused on the window. He could smell something burnt, and it wasn't him.

A noise. A soft rustling of leaves. But it was to sudden to be the wind. He cracked his jagan, thankful that it wouldn't be affected by the light like his regular eyes. There was no pain and he focused on the window, the smell and the noise.

Outside, the two demons were being careful to sheild their ki. To their credit, they were doing an excellent job, but Hiei hadn't found them based on their ki. He leapt onto the branch, ignoring the shards of glass from the newly broken window and swivled to the two. His sword wrenched into the tree, narrowly missing the girl as she dove into the apartment and relative safety. Hiei rounded on the more immediate threat as Delko attacked; hopefully the others could handle one demon female.

***

Yuusuke jumped in front of Yukina, blocking the sword before it found it's target. The redheaded demon jumped back and held her sword at ready. Kurama stepped forward, hand delving into his hair. Halfway throught the motion, he flinched and dropped to one knee. The demoness smiled wickedly. "I cut you pretty deep, before, didn't I? Haven't had a chance to heal, ne?"

Kurama stood again, pulling his rose whip out and settling into a guarded stance. Yuusuke moved closer to the attacker, energy poised for an attack of his own. The girl spun and threw a small dagger towards him. Yuusuke dodged easily, but heard Kurama gasp as he was attacked. How many blades does this girl have?!

Yuusuke charged again at the girl. He saw Kurama stumble, clutching his wounded side. Neja leapt back, staying well clear of the raven haired boy's reach. She produced yet another dagger and hurled it. Too late, Yuusuke realized it wasn't headed towards him. He dove back in front of Yukina and Kuwabara and felt the tiny bit of metal bite into his arm. Another sharp pain in his leg and he was down.

Neja stood triumphantly in the center of the room. "Ha! I'm still standing, and there's no way little Hiei-chan can beat Delko! Nothing can beat my poisons and blades! Or my brother." She continiued to gloat over the fallen fighters as Kurama pushed himself up.

Yuusuke saw the kitsune's move and had to think quick. "You think your idiot brother can beat Hiei? What are you, delusional?" Much to his delight, the tall girl focused on him and glared. "I mean, he's ten times the fighter that you are. He wouldn't have even worked up a sweat with the bunch of us."

"You idiot. He's a half breed, and half ice at that! He is weak, pathetic."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself? Hiei's been hunted by everything I can imagine, yet he has lived this long. I'll bet you grew up all pampered. Truly weak."

The marroon haired girl opened her mouth, ready with a cutting retort, but it turned into a silent scream. She turned and frantically faught off the other redhead, but now they were both wounded. Before long, she went down hard. Yuusuke noticed she didn't seem to be  breathing. He also noticed that Kurama didn't seem to care in the slightest.

The two fighters exchanged a worried glance and rushed to the window, Yukina not far behind. Below, Hiei and Delko were locked in battle. The taller demon kept in tight, too close for Hiei's blade to be used effectively. But the small Jaganshi was none to shy about throwing punches of his own. Yuusuke made a silent note never to really piss Hiei off.

He watched the battle rage for minutes with no sign of slowing when there was a loud cry from beside him. He turned and saw Kurama slumped against the wall, a dagger jammed between his ribs, just below the shoulder. Without a second thought, he fired his rei gun at the apparantly not dead girl still gripping the stout blade. She slumped to the floor and he fired again, not willing to be attacked himself.

Unfortunately, Kurama also slumped to the floor—he didn't look good. A final glance out the window showed Yuusuke that his short friend was not doing well any more either. Something had distracted him and Yuusuke had a feeling he knew what that something had been. He bent over the fallen fox and Yukina followed the motion. Maybe they could save him. Maybe he wasn't hurt as bad as it looked. Maybe . . .

***

***

I can't believe I just did that. I'm hurting all the bishies! They're going to rise from the dead and haunt me until I go insane!! Wait a minute, I'm already insane. Does that mean they'll haunt me until I become sane? *shudders* What a horrible thought. R&R!!