A/N: Sorry for not updating. I was gone for four weeks at camp. But I'm
back so yeah.
Chapter 6: The First Day of the Rest of Her Life
Hiei sat watching Amaranta, who was looking out the window at the rising sun, her face expressionless. What had Kurama talked to her about? Ever since he had come out of the room he seemed different, sadder, more depressed. This demon seemed to have that affect on people. He had seen what happened to Yusuke when she had kept her gaze in his eyes, and his into hers. Kurama sat down next to Hiei, causing his thoughts to vanish.
"Kurama," Hiei began.
His friend looked warily over at the demon, who was interrupted at the light sound of knocking billowing from the front door. Kurama got to his feet and answered the call for Yusuke. He walked back into the kitchen not alone but with Kuwabara and Ukina.
"Hello Kuwabara," Botan greeted. "Ukina, how are you enjoying your time in the mortal world?"
"Kazuma is showing me a great time," the ice apparition replied in her normally sweet voice.
"That's good."
Botan forced a smile to meet Ukina's.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, her smile faded and noticing the rather grim expressions on everyone's face.
"It's just this demon over here," Yusuke said, perking up a little. "She's most likely the cause of any of us feeling like crap."
Ukina watched Amaranta, who hadn't looked away from the window. The baggy boxer shorts and oversized T-shirt were out of place on the dismal, pale looking figure.
"She looks like a demon," Kuwabara commented, causing Ukina's gaze to falter over to him. "What do you mean she is most likely the cause?"
Kuwabara and Ukina took a seat as Kurama explained about everything that had happened and what the girl had said.
"Freaky," Kuwabara said when Kurama had finished.
"I need to walk," Hiei said bluntly, standing up. "Kurama, join me."
"If you wish." He turned to Amaranta. "Amaranta, would you like to come along as well?"
She looked over at Kurama, which surprised him a little, and got to her feet.
"I don't care."
She walked slowly away. Keiko gasped and stood up quickly.
"Wait. You can't go out in that."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sun had now risen and cast dark shadows from the trees in the forest. Although the canopy was thick, some rays were able to sneak through and light up patches of the earth ground. Hiei and Kurama watched Amaranta walking a little ways in front of them. The white sundress that reached her ankles (property of Keiko's) contrasted greatly with the darkened surroundings. The simple white tennis shoes (also property of Keiko's) made little noise against the twig and leaf littered ground.
"Kurama," Hiei began, wanting to continue what he had began to say back at the house, "what did you discuss with the girl?"
"We just furthered the conversation about her master and why she had decided to hold her ground against the tree," Kurama answered, as if it was nothing.
Hiei didn't say anything, but looked at the ground. As Kurama spoke, his vision returned to watch the fox demon.
"Although, I found something very interesting in what she had to say."
"What was it?"
Kurama paused for a second, his gaze falling, before he said, "Well, she told me about a fate that has been bestowed upon her and why she is doomed to meet it."
"What is the fate?" Hiei asked when he noticed Kurama had paused again.
"She says that in four days time she will die. According to her, she will die because she will be happy and she will be happy because she is dying." Kurama paused. "This is the first day of the rest of her life."
Hiei, expressionless, looked over at Amaranta, who was kneeling next to a small patch of flowers. Her long braid was draped partly over her shoulder, and a butterfly landed on an outstretched finger. Unlike most people in this situation, Amaranta looked solemn, expressionless, maybe even a little depressed.
"You mean to try and help her," said Hiei, still looking at her.
"Of course. I would greatly appreciate your assistance if the need should arise."
The butterfly took off from her finger, dancing among the trees, in and out of the sunrays. Amaranta looked after it, almost longingly. Hiei glanced away.
"Hn. I don't see why you want to help the demon. It's her own problem what fate has in store for her." Hiei looked at Kurama. "Kurama, you can't help everyone."
Kurama sighed, looking at the ground.
"I realize that." He paused. "But that doesn't mean I can't try and help some."
"Sometimes it's useless to try if you know from the start that it's a lost cause."
Hiei and Kurama stood in silence looking at one another for a couple seconds. It was as if they were exchanging some verses telepathically. They looked over to the now empty patch of flowers where Amaranta had been seated. She was gone. But where could she have disappeared to?
"Hiei," Kurama began, but Hiei already seemed to know what Kurama was going to say.
Hiei had vanished from Kurama's side in the blink of an eye, a gust of wind swept quickly past the patch of flowers and through the trees. The flowers were blown in one direction, the petals ruffling and breaking loose. The soft, different colored petals drifted slowly to the ground, landing in the grass of the silent surroundings.
Chapter 6: The First Day of the Rest of Her Life
Hiei sat watching Amaranta, who was looking out the window at the rising sun, her face expressionless. What had Kurama talked to her about? Ever since he had come out of the room he seemed different, sadder, more depressed. This demon seemed to have that affect on people. He had seen what happened to Yusuke when she had kept her gaze in his eyes, and his into hers. Kurama sat down next to Hiei, causing his thoughts to vanish.
"Kurama," Hiei began.
His friend looked warily over at the demon, who was interrupted at the light sound of knocking billowing from the front door. Kurama got to his feet and answered the call for Yusuke. He walked back into the kitchen not alone but with Kuwabara and Ukina.
"Hello Kuwabara," Botan greeted. "Ukina, how are you enjoying your time in the mortal world?"
"Kazuma is showing me a great time," the ice apparition replied in her normally sweet voice.
"That's good."
Botan forced a smile to meet Ukina's.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, her smile faded and noticing the rather grim expressions on everyone's face.
"It's just this demon over here," Yusuke said, perking up a little. "She's most likely the cause of any of us feeling like crap."
Ukina watched Amaranta, who hadn't looked away from the window. The baggy boxer shorts and oversized T-shirt were out of place on the dismal, pale looking figure.
"She looks like a demon," Kuwabara commented, causing Ukina's gaze to falter over to him. "What do you mean she is most likely the cause?"
Kuwabara and Ukina took a seat as Kurama explained about everything that had happened and what the girl had said.
"Freaky," Kuwabara said when Kurama had finished.
"I need to walk," Hiei said bluntly, standing up. "Kurama, join me."
"If you wish." He turned to Amaranta. "Amaranta, would you like to come along as well?"
She looked over at Kurama, which surprised him a little, and got to her feet.
"I don't care."
She walked slowly away. Keiko gasped and stood up quickly.
"Wait. You can't go out in that."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sun had now risen and cast dark shadows from the trees in the forest. Although the canopy was thick, some rays were able to sneak through and light up patches of the earth ground. Hiei and Kurama watched Amaranta walking a little ways in front of them. The white sundress that reached her ankles (property of Keiko's) contrasted greatly with the darkened surroundings. The simple white tennis shoes (also property of Keiko's) made little noise against the twig and leaf littered ground.
"Kurama," Hiei began, wanting to continue what he had began to say back at the house, "what did you discuss with the girl?"
"We just furthered the conversation about her master and why she had decided to hold her ground against the tree," Kurama answered, as if it was nothing.
Hiei didn't say anything, but looked at the ground. As Kurama spoke, his vision returned to watch the fox demon.
"Although, I found something very interesting in what she had to say."
"What was it?"
Kurama paused for a second, his gaze falling, before he said, "Well, she told me about a fate that has been bestowed upon her and why she is doomed to meet it."
"What is the fate?" Hiei asked when he noticed Kurama had paused again.
"She says that in four days time she will die. According to her, she will die because she will be happy and she will be happy because she is dying." Kurama paused. "This is the first day of the rest of her life."
Hiei, expressionless, looked over at Amaranta, who was kneeling next to a small patch of flowers. Her long braid was draped partly over her shoulder, and a butterfly landed on an outstretched finger. Unlike most people in this situation, Amaranta looked solemn, expressionless, maybe even a little depressed.
"You mean to try and help her," said Hiei, still looking at her.
"Of course. I would greatly appreciate your assistance if the need should arise."
The butterfly took off from her finger, dancing among the trees, in and out of the sunrays. Amaranta looked after it, almost longingly. Hiei glanced away.
"Hn. I don't see why you want to help the demon. It's her own problem what fate has in store for her." Hiei looked at Kurama. "Kurama, you can't help everyone."
Kurama sighed, looking at the ground.
"I realize that." He paused. "But that doesn't mean I can't try and help some."
"Sometimes it's useless to try if you know from the start that it's a lost cause."
Hiei and Kurama stood in silence looking at one another for a couple seconds. It was as if they were exchanging some verses telepathically. They looked over to the now empty patch of flowers where Amaranta had been seated. She was gone. But where could she have disappeared to?
"Hiei," Kurama began, but Hiei already seemed to know what Kurama was going to say.
Hiei had vanished from Kurama's side in the blink of an eye, a gust of wind swept quickly past the patch of flowers and through the trees. The flowers were blown in one direction, the petals ruffling and breaking loose. The soft, different colored petals drifted slowly to the ground, landing in the grass of the silent surroundings.
