The Hearts of Two
Chapter Two
It took the insect transport about thirty minutes to arrive at Mukuro's headquarters. The base was where Mukuro had reigned as one of the three Makai rulers before the tournament had been set up. Hiei knew the place well, as he had trained for many long months here before the tournament. As his mind wandered to the tournament he grimaced.
"So many memories of those events..." he muttered to himself as he folded his arms. Memories of his and Mukuro's fight raced through his head.
"But those events were over years ago...why can't I forget like normal!"
Hiei scowled and clenched his bandaged hand that contained the Black Dragon Killing Wave power. Sentimentality was never his strong point and he wasn't going to let it start now. Mukuro had a job for him and he was going to see her to get that job and get it done, just like always. Nothing more. She, after all was his superior, appointed by the head of the Reikai, Koenma-sama, the King of Hell. The thought of the little pipsqueek holding so much power and authority made him chuckle again. Who'd have thought that little kid could have so much power? Yet, it had been his decision to have Mukuro supervise Hiei and a small band of A class Youkai. Hiei, being free spirited as he was, didn't want to, but after talking it over with Mukuro, he recanted and joined. He didn't know why she held such sway with him. Could the fox have been right? Could he actually be falling for her?
Letting out another "hn" he looked up. The transport had come to a stop. He was home.
Jumping down he put his hands back into his coat pockets and started walking toward the central building. Mukuros domain. As he walked down the hallway silently, he couldn't help but run through his head WHY Mukuro had actually summoned him. Was there problems in the Makai again? More Ningens and trouble making Youkai? He hadn't sensed anything wrong. He scowled a bit, was he that much out of practice to actually be Mukuro's lap dog half the time? The thought made him want to gag. He wouldn't allow it, never, if at all would he ever bend to her whim.
Suddenly the voice in the back of his head kicked on again, "and just why are you talking like that baka!"
His usual reply, "none of your buisness..."
The usual response also came, "I am you, you baka, so it is my buisness...hn, you really are pathetic."
Then the voice was gone, and Hiei scowled again. Here he was, having arguments with himself. His inner voice was right, he was rather pathetic.
He scowled again then stopped in his tracks, snarling, "I am not pathetic!" he yelled into the corridor. "I am Hiei, Fire Youkai, hear my name and fear me!!!!"
All he heard as the echo of his voice back at him.
"And why do you want the walls to fear you..." came a voice behind him. It was calm and serene, but also terrible at the same time. Hiei froze in his tracks, whispering, "Mukuro..."
The slender form of the Youkai Ruler walked around him and turned to face him. As usual her left half of her face was covered by the bandanges and the eyepiece, but her rightside looked almost flawless. The same face he had seen for many months and years ever since they had started working together. But for some reason Hiei found himself swallowing hard. Was he actually nervous for once?
Shaking his head he smirked a bit, "so, you are here..."
"Hai, I am..." came the reply.
"Why have you called me here Mukuro-sama? Didn't you know it was my day off?" he adressed her with the respect he gave to so few. Why he did not know.
"Hai, I did." came her reply.
"So, then tell me why..." He grimaced a bit, his voice raising a bit.
"Just because, I needed someone to talk to...thatas all..." came the Youkai rulers response.
"Someone to talk...to?"
The answer had caught him completely offguard and he faltered a bit, his cool demeanor vanishing in apuff of smoke. He winced and tried not to show his uncomfortableness.
The Youkai Ruler fell alongside him in steps as they continued to walk, "tell me Hiei...what was it like being abandoned so long ago?"
Hiei grimaced and clenched his fists again, "Do we have to talk about that?"
"I am only curious..." she replied calmly, still looking ahead as they walked, her face calm and serene despite the hideous damage done to the right side.
"I don't want to..." he replied as coldly as he could. But somewhere deep inside something ached and burned, wanting to tell her about the loneliness he had felt.
"I see..."
Hiei's eyes darted to the corner as he glanced over at Mukuro. Had that been...disappointment he had heard in her voice?
Nevertheless, he continued, "some things are better left alone Mukuro-sama, besides you know enough about me already...I don't like to recall what I have let go..."
Mukuro nodded, "I understand like I did then about letting go...thank you Hiei-san..."
Hiei stopped in his tracks, then turned and looked at her.
"What did you say?"
He blinked, had he just heard someone like Mukuro thanking him? He recieved thanks so little in his life, and only when it was necesarry. The only real other time a word of thanks had been issued had been from Urameshi before he had gone to fight Sensui.
Mukuro looked at him in the eyes with her one good eye.
"Yes I said thank you Hiei-san, without you I would never have let go...my bitterness would continue on, and I would be miserable...but you showed me how to break my bonds...how to let go, and for that I thank you."
Hiei nodded a bit and tried to look away from her eyes, he could tell they were shining. He couldn't face those eyes. Not without saying something he would most likely regret.
Inside he was asking himself, "Is this fear??? Am I afraid of her because I know she could destroy me at a whim? Or..is it...something else..." Suddenly his eyes went wide and he turned to look down the hall again as he felt Mukuro come closer to him. Something stirred inside him and began to beat faster and faster. He couldn't breathe, and he felt very dizzy.
"I'm sorry Mukuro-sama I have to go.." he replied quickly, trying not to show his afflictions. He wanted to get away, her presence was beginning to stifle him.
"Then go Hiei-san..." she replied quietly, "take the rest of your day off..."
Hiei nodded, not looking at her still. He didn't want her to see that he was terrified now, his heart beating in his chest. Never before had Hiei been so terrified in his life. Then in a blur he was gone.
Mukuro stood there, watching him leave. The female Youkai Ruler sighed a bit then continued to walk down the hallway and back into her chamber, the door closing behind her.
Chapter Two
It took the insect transport about thirty minutes to arrive at Mukuro's headquarters. The base was where Mukuro had reigned as one of the three Makai rulers before the tournament had been set up. Hiei knew the place well, as he had trained for many long months here before the tournament. As his mind wandered to the tournament he grimaced.
"So many memories of those events..." he muttered to himself as he folded his arms. Memories of his and Mukuro's fight raced through his head.
"But those events were over years ago...why can't I forget like normal!"
Hiei scowled and clenched his bandaged hand that contained the Black Dragon Killing Wave power. Sentimentality was never his strong point and he wasn't going to let it start now. Mukuro had a job for him and he was going to see her to get that job and get it done, just like always. Nothing more. She, after all was his superior, appointed by the head of the Reikai, Koenma-sama, the King of Hell. The thought of the little pipsqueek holding so much power and authority made him chuckle again. Who'd have thought that little kid could have so much power? Yet, it had been his decision to have Mukuro supervise Hiei and a small band of A class Youkai. Hiei, being free spirited as he was, didn't want to, but after talking it over with Mukuro, he recanted and joined. He didn't know why she held such sway with him. Could the fox have been right? Could he actually be falling for her?
Letting out another "hn" he looked up. The transport had come to a stop. He was home.
Jumping down he put his hands back into his coat pockets and started walking toward the central building. Mukuros domain. As he walked down the hallway silently, he couldn't help but run through his head WHY Mukuro had actually summoned him. Was there problems in the Makai again? More Ningens and trouble making Youkai? He hadn't sensed anything wrong. He scowled a bit, was he that much out of practice to actually be Mukuro's lap dog half the time? The thought made him want to gag. He wouldn't allow it, never, if at all would he ever bend to her whim.
Suddenly the voice in the back of his head kicked on again, "and just why are you talking like that baka!"
His usual reply, "none of your buisness..."
The usual response also came, "I am you, you baka, so it is my buisness...hn, you really are pathetic."
Then the voice was gone, and Hiei scowled again. Here he was, having arguments with himself. His inner voice was right, he was rather pathetic.
He scowled again then stopped in his tracks, snarling, "I am not pathetic!" he yelled into the corridor. "I am Hiei, Fire Youkai, hear my name and fear me!!!!"
All he heard as the echo of his voice back at him.
"And why do you want the walls to fear you..." came a voice behind him. It was calm and serene, but also terrible at the same time. Hiei froze in his tracks, whispering, "Mukuro..."
The slender form of the Youkai Ruler walked around him and turned to face him. As usual her left half of her face was covered by the bandanges and the eyepiece, but her rightside looked almost flawless. The same face he had seen for many months and years ever since they had started working together. But for some reason Hiei found himself swallowing hard. Was he actually nervous for once?
Shaking his head he smirked a bit, "so, you are here..."
"Hai, I am..." came the reply.
"Why have you called me here Mukuro-sama? Didn't you know it was my day off?" he adressed her with the respect he gave to so few. Why he did not know.
"Hai, I did." came her reply.
"So, then tell me why..." He grimaced a bit, his voice raising a bit.
"Just because, I needed someone to talk to...thatas all..." came the Youkai rulers response.
"Someone to talk...to?"
The answer had caught him completely offguard and he faltered a bit, his cool demeanor vanishing in apuff of smoke. He winced and tried not to show his uncomfortableness.
The Youkai Ruler fell alongside him in steps as they continued to walk, "tell me Hiei...what was it like being abandoned so long ago?"
Hiei grimaced and clenched his fists again, "Do we have to talk about that?"
"I am only curious..." she replied calmly, still looking ahead as they walked, her face calm and serene despite the hideous damage done to the right side.
"I don't want to..." he replied as coldly as he could. But somewhere deep inside something ached and burned, wanting to tell her about the loneliness he had felt.
"I see..."
Hiei's eyes darted to the corner as he glanced over at Mukuro. Had that been...disappointment he had heard in her voice?
Nevertheless, he continued, "some things are better left alone Mukuro-sama, besides you know enough about me already...I don't like to recall what I have let go..."
Mukuro nodded, "I understand like I did then about letting go...thank you Hiei-san..."
Hiei stopped in his tracks, then turned and looked at her.
"What did you say?"
He blinked, had he just heard someone like Mukuro thanking him? He recieved thanks so little in his life, and only when it was necesarry. The only real other time a word of thanks had been issued had been from Urameshi before he had gone to fight Sensui.
Mukuro looked at him in the eyes with her one good eye.
"Yes I said thank you Hiei-san, without you I would never have let go...my bitterness would continue on, and I would be miserable...but you showed me how to break my bonds...how to let go, and for that I thank you."
Hiei nodded a bit and tried to look away from her eyes, he could tell they were shining. He couldn't face those eyes. Not without saying something he would most likely regret.
Inside he was asking himself, "Is this fear??? Am I afraid of her because I know she could destroy me at a whim? Or..is it...something else..." Suddenly his eyes went wide and he turned to look down the hall again as he felt Mukuro come closer to him. Something stirred inside him and began to beat faster and faster. He couldn't breathe, and he felt very dizzy.
"I'm sorry Mukuro-sama I have to go.." he replied quickly, trying not to show his afflictions. He wanted to get away, her presence was beginning to stifle him.
"Then go Hiei-san..." she replied quietly, "take the rest of your day off..."
Hiei nodded, not looking at her still. He didn't want her to see that he was terrified now, his heart beating in his chest. Never before had Hiei been so terrified in his life. Then in a blur he was gone.
Mukuro stood there, watching him leave. The female Youkai Ruler sighed a bit then continued to walk down the hallway and back into her chamber, the door closing behind her.
