Of Demons and Roses
Chapter 14: Healed and Unhealed Wounds
Nobara woke in her bed to a bright sunny day. Her mother had used some herbs to heal her wounds. She was just sleeping to regain her energy. Not long after Nobara woke up, Kurama came in to check on her.
"Oh, you're awake. You've been sleeping for two days! How do you feel?" said Kurama, walking over to his daughter's side.
"Really? I guess I'm better," answered Nobara as she sat up with Kurama's help. Nobara noticed that Kurama's wounds were also healed. She sat in thought for a minute while Kurama cleaned up all his herbs.
"Kasan..." Nobara said, breaking the silence, "Can I go visit Niji later?"
"When you get all your strength back, yes," answered Kurama. "I'll go tell your father you're awake. You look like you need to talk with him," added Kurama, noticing the distant expression on Nobara's face. He kissed the top of his daughter's head and went out the door.
As soon as the door was shut, Nobara gathered her energy and stood up. She slowly walked over to her closet and picked out an outfit to wear. She got a pair of plain black pants and a black tank top with a gray rose pattern on it. To complete her outfit, Nobara got a long gray coat. After she got dressed, she sat down on her bed and rested. That's when Hiei arrived, knocking on the door.
"Come in Otosan," said Nobara to the closed door. Hiei opened the door and walked in, stopping next to Nobara. Nobara kept her gaze fixed on the floor.
"Nobara," Hiei started, "I'm proud of you for what you did."
Nobara looked up at her father and smiled.
"Do you think this made Niji happy? Do you think she can rest now?" Nobara asked as tears formed in her eyes.
Hiei sat down and took his daughter in his arms. They sat without saying a word for a few minutes while Nobara's tears kept flowing. Hiei was the first to speak.
"Nobara, I'm not going to tell you that the pain will go away. Things like this cannot be forgotten, whether you live 50 years or 500 years. This is a wound that can't heal, an ailment that can't be cured. But, that's life. You must learn to take the good along with the bad. If there was only one, then there is no life," Hiei said, holding his weeping daughter in his arms.
Nobara sat up and looked her father straight in the eyes. Through her tears, she was able to smile a faint smile. Hiei wiped the tears from Nobara's different colored eyes.
"Arigato Otosan," said Nobara before she hugged her father. "I understand now." Nobara and Hiei couldn't help but smile at each other.
Later that afternoon, Nobara left her house to visit her late friend. Nobara stopped to buy some red and white roses for Niji. She darted to the graveyard with her impressive speed, but walked when she got to the gates. She asked the gatekeeper where Niji was buried, and he took her to the grave. She thanked him and he walked away.
Nobara stood alone in silence for awhile, staring at the tombstone. She put the flowers down in front of the stone and stared at it for a while longer. A light breeze lifted Nobara's low ponytail and waved it around gently.
"Niji..." Nobara whispered to the grave, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I wish I could go back in time and start all over," Nobara closed her eyes for a moment, trying to fight back tears. She took a breath and continued.
"But I can't. Things happen for a reason. Life isn't kind to anyone. And it certainly isn't fair. I know that Niji. All I can do for you is kill your killer. And I did. So Niji, my friend, I hope that will do. I'll never forget you, and I'll come back to visit often!"
For some reason, Nobara started to smile. She tried to treat it like Niji was still alive. It gave Nobara some comfort. She said her goodbye and walked away. This visit almost made parting easier.
When Nobara reached the gate, she stopped and turned around, getting one last look at Niji's final resting place. The sun was starting to set. Nobara didn't realize she was gone that long! But, she decided to take her time getting home.
Nobara stopped at a park, where she and Niji used to play. Memories of their childhood came into her head. She closed her eyes and watched the movie of her childhood. When she opened them, she saw Kurama and Hiei standing before her. She couldn't help but smile. And it was contagious because Kurama and even Hiei smiled back.
"Let's go home Nobara," said Kurama. Nobara nodded. They started to walk back together, as a family.
"Otosan, we never finished our duel. Remember?" said Nobara said jokingly.
Hiei nodded his head. As soon as they were home, Nobara changed and she and Hiei resumed their duel. Kurama watched on as things seemed to turn back to normal. He had to smile, watching his husband and daughter tie.
"Round 2?" asked Hiei.
"You're on!" said Nobara.
"This may take awhile!" said Kurama in light laughter, as Nobara and Hiei went back to their duel.