Chapter 9: An Indescribable Feeling
"Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara left for school just a little while ago," Botan said.
When the three demons had come back to the Urameshi residence, Botan and Yukina had been the only ones there. Yusuke's mother hadn't even returned from the party she had been at last night.
"Amazing. I never thought I would see the day when Urameshi would actually attend a class," Hiei said.
"Keiko made him go, if that's any consolation," Yukina explained.
Hiei looked at the ice apparition and shrugged.
"Well then I guess that leaves us to our own devices for the day," Kurama replied. "What would you girls like to do?"
"Oh, I don't know. I guess we could go into town or something," Botan suggested.
"That sounds like a nice idea," Yukina agreed, smiling.
"Hn. Whatever."
"What about you, Amaranta? Does that sound like a good idea?" Kurama tried, turning to the demon.
Amaranta just looked at him. "I could care less."
Kurama broke their gaze first and looked away, feeling a little frightened, cold and depressed. "Well then, to the town it is," he said, cheerfully, apparently hiding those feelings he really felt inside.
The five walked into town not talking much. The streets were busy for a mid-morning weekday. All the shops were open and everyone was wearing a smile. But as they passed by the small strange group, their smiles faded and they wore expressions of either sadness or anger until they were well away. When this would happen, Kurama would look at the back of Amaranta. He knew she was the one causing it, he knew she couldn't help it.
"Oh, what a cute little outfit," Botan exclaimed, running up to a window of a store.
Kurama's concentration was broken and his thoughts scattered. He looked to where Botan was now joined by Yukina. They were smiling and whispering, most likely about the outfit. Botan turned around to look at Hiei and Kurama.
"Boys, we're going to run into the store and check out some of the things they have." She smiled at them. "We'll be back shortly." Yukina and Botan walked into the store.
Kurama smiled after them, until he noticed Amaranta standing off to the side by herself. She was looking down at some roses by a flower vender. "Amaranta," he called, grabbing her attention. "Why don't you go into the store with Botan and Yukina. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you joined them."
Amaranta, obediently, left the organisms and walked slowly into the store. Hiei and Kurama stared after her. They could see her walk up to the other two girls, who were searching through a rack of clothes.
"Kurama," Hiei said softly, interrupting the silence.
"Yes." Kurama looked to his friend, who was still looking into the store at the girls. They were smiling, except for Amaranta of course, and holding up an outfit.
"When you hold your gaze with the demon girl, what type of feelings wash over you?"
Kurama ruffled his brow. Where could Hiei be going with this? What was troubling this cold-hearted demons mind?
"Well, the same that everyone else would get, I suppose. There's depression, sadness, a little anger once, and I think I also felt a little frightened before, too." Kurama paused and studied Hiei, trying to figure him out. "Why?"
Hiei looked up abruptly at Kurama. The look on his face, in his eyes, was indescribable.
"No reason." Hiei looked back to the store. Botan and Yukina were still going through some racks. Amaranta, however, stood away from them, looking down at the ground.
"Hiei. Please tell me what's troubling you. You know I won't tell a soul if you wish for me to keep it secret."
Hiei's gaze didn't falter. "Fine. I'll tell you, but if you laugh or suggest something you know I'll disapprove of, I'll personally rip out your voice box."
"Alright, Hiei. I'll try my best to leave my advice to your liking."
Hiei smirked and looked up at Kurama. But as his gaze fell back to the building, so did his smirk fall. "Those are the feelings you receive when your gaze is locked with this demons. But when mine is I get entirely different feelings."
Kurama hadn't even known Hiei had ever locked his gaze with Amaranta's. How could he get different feelings? She even said it herself, the powers she possessed were only to cause those types of feelings.
Hiei continued after a pause. "Somehow I am overcome with hope, even a little joy. And then there is this other feeling that I can't exactly explain. It seems to rest in the pit of my stomach. Kurama, it won't go away and I don't know why."
Kurama looked to the ground in thought. Why would Hiei be getting these feelings? It just didn't make sense.
"I guess, it could be because of how you are, Hiei," Kurama finally answered, giving it his best try.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hiei looked up at Kurama, a little pissed.
"Just that your personality and attitude differ greatly from my own. You are darker, less friendly and don't seem to be happy a lot. These feelings seem to be opposite from the normal ones she's told us about, and they might be caused because of how you are. You seem to be much like her, therefore, are affected differently by her power."
"But Kurama, if I am much like her, and she is affected the same way by her power as is everyone else, then wouldn't I?"
"I don't know, Hiei. I gave you my opinion." Kurama chuckled lightly. "This is a rare time you come to me for advice and I can't supply any exact answer."
"Hn."
"And as for that last part, about you having a feeling you can't describe. I would offer an explanation as to what I think it may be but you would disapprove of it and therefore rip my voice box out. Seeing as how I would like to keep my voice box I'll ask you if you would like to hear it. Well, would you?"
"Spare me."
"As you wish."
Hiei looked back into the store. He gasped quietly. Amaranta was looking out the window, from where she stood when Hiei had seen her standing last, at him. Did she know that they had been talking about her? Did she know what they had said?
A moment later she looked away and started walking towards the door. Hiei turned his gaze to the door to see Botan and Yukina exiting and walking towards them, a bag held in Botan's hand.
"Did you have fun?" Kurama asked, smiling and greeting them.
Yukina smiled back and nodded.
"We got Amaranta a new outfit, since hers was ruined in the falling tree incident," Botan said, smiling also.
"That's good. So where shall we head off to next."
Hiei looked over to the door as he heard it open. He watched Amaranta walk out slowly. She was looking at him. No, he was being paranoid. She was looking at the group because she was heading over to them. But her gaze seemed to be on him. The feelings he had confessed to Kurama washed over him. He started asking the questions if she knew what had been said in his head again.
"Hiei," Kurama said, bringing Hiei back to reality. Kurama saw that Hiei looked a bit paler than usual. He knew it must have been because of Amaranta. She did seem to be looking at him after all. "Is there any place you desire to go?"
Hiei was glad that Kurama had pulled him out of the sort of trance. "No. I don't care," he said, regaining himself.
Kurama nodded. "Then it's up to you girls, again."
"Could we possibly get an ice cream, Kurama?" Yukina asked in her sweet voice. "Kazuma treated me to one yesterday and I believe I have developed a liking to them." She smiled and giggled a little.
"Of course Yukina."
They started walking a couple steps down the street when Kurama turned around to see why Hiei wasn't joining them. He was looking over at the flowers Amaranta had been standing by earlier.
"Hiei, come along," Kurama said.
"In a moment."
Hiei seemed transfixed on the roses. They were no longer lush and beautiful. They were dead, dried out. Their color had turned to a distasteful brown and they were drooped over. One of the now coarse petals fell from the dead organism, landing softly on the cement sidewalk. Her stare did this? How?
"Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara left for school just a little while ago," Botan said.
When the three demons had come back to the Urameshi residence, Botan and Yukina had been the only ones there. Yusuke's mother hadn't even returned from the party she had been at last night.
"Amazing. I never thought I would see the day when Urameshi would actually attend a class," Hiei said.
"Keiko made him go, if that's any consolation," Yukina explained.
Hiei looked at the ice apparition and shrugged.
"Well then I guess that leaves us to our own devices for the day," Kurama replied. "What would you girls like to do?"
"Oh, I don't know. I guess we could go into town or something," Botan suggested.
"That sounds like a nice idea," Yukina agreed, smiling.
"Hn. Whatever."
"What about you, Amaranta? Does that sound like a good idea?" Kurama tried, turning to the demon.
Amaranta just looked at him. "I could care less."
Kurama broke their gaze first and looked away, feeling a little frightened, cold and depressed. "Well then, to the town it is," he said, cheerfully, apparently hiding those feelings he really felt inside.
The five walked into town not talking much. The streets were busy for a mid-morning weekday. All the shops were open and everyone was wearing a smile. But as they passed by the small strange group, their smiles faded and they wore expressions of either sadness or anger until they were well away. When this would happen, Kurama would look at the back of Amaranta. He knew she was the one causing it, he knew she couldn't help it.
"Oh, what a cute little outfit," Botan exclaimed, running up to a window of a store.
Kurama's concentration was broken and his thoughts scattered. He looked to where Botan was now joined by Yukina. They were smiling and whispering, most likely about the outfit. Botan turned around to look at Hiei and Kurama.
"Boys, we're going to run into the store and check out some of the things they have." She smiled at them. "We'll be back shortly." Yukina and Botan walked into the store.
Kurama smiled after them, until he noticed Amaranta standing off to the side by herself. She was looking down at some roses by a flower vender. "Amaranta," he called, grabbing her attention. "Why don't you go into the store with Botan and Yukina. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you joined them."
Amaranta, obediently, left the organisms and walked slowly into the store. Hiei and Kurama stared after her. They could see her walk up to the other two girls, who were searching through a rack of clothes.
"Kurama," Hiei said softly, interrupting the silence.
"Yes." Kurama looked to his friend, who was still looking into the store at the girls. They were smiling, except for Amaranta of course, and holding up an outfit.
"When you hold your gaze with the demon girl, what type of feelings wash over you?"
Kurama ruffled his brow. Where could Hiei be going with this? What was troubling this cold-hearted demons mind?
"Well, the same that everyone else would get, I suppose. There's depression, sadness, a little anger once, and I think I also felt a little frightened before, too." Kurama paused and studied Hiei, trying to figure him out. "Why?"
Hiei looked up abruptly at Kurama. The look on his face, in his eyes, was indescribable.
"No reason." Hiei looked back to the store. Botan and Yukina were still going through some racks. Amaranta, however, stood away from them, looking down at the ground.
"Hiei. Please tell me what's troubling you. You know I won't tell a soul if you wish for me to keep it secret."
Hiei's gaze didn't falter. "Fine. I'll tell you, but if you laugh or suggest something you know I'll disapprove of, I'll personally rip out your voice box."
"Alright, Hiei. I'll try my best to leave my advice to your liking."
Hiei smirked and looked up at Kurama. But as his gaze fell back to the building, so did his smirk fall. "Those are the feelings you receive when your gaze is locked with this demons. But when mine is I get entirely different feelings."
Kurama hadn't even known Hiei had ever locked his gaze with Amaranta's. How could he get different feelings? She even said it herself, the powers she possessed were only to cause those types of feelings.
Hiei continued after a pause. "Somehow I am overcome with hope, even a little joy. And then there is this other feeling that I can't exactly explain. It seems to rest in the pit of my stomach. Kurama, it won't go away and I don't know why."
Kurama looked to the ground in thought. Why would Hiei be getting these feelings? It just didn't make sense.
"I guess, it could be because of how you are, Hiei," Kurama finally answered, giving it his best try.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hiei looked up at Kurama, a little pissed.
"Just that your personality and attitude differ greatly from my own. You are darker, less friendly and don't seem to be happy a lot. These feelings seem to be opposite from the normal ones she's told us about, and they might be caused because of how you are. You seem to be much like her, therefore, are affected differently by her power."
"But Kurama, if I am much like her, and she is affected the same way by her power as is everyone else, then wouldn't I?"
"I don't know, Hiei. I gave you my opinion." Kurama chuckled lightly. "This is a rare time you come to me for advice and I can't supply any exact answer."
"Hn."
"And as for that last part, about you having a feeling you can't describe. I would offer an explanation as to what I think it may be but you would disapprove of it and therefore rip my voice box out. Seeing as how I would like to keep my voice box I'll ask you if you would like to hear it. Well, would you?"
"Spare me."
"As you wish."
Hiei looked back into the store. He gasped quietly. Amaranta was looking out the window, from where she stood when Hiei had seen her standing last, at him. Did she know that they had been talking about her? Did she know what they had said?
A moment later she looked away and started walking towards the door. Hiei turned his gaze to the door to see Botan and Yukina exiting and walking towards them, a bag held in Botan's hand.
"Did you have fun?" Kurama asked, smiling and greeting them.
Yukina smiled back and nodded.
"We got Amaranta a new outfit, since hers was ruined in the falling tree incident," Botan said, smiling also.
"That's good. So where shall we head off to next."
Hiei looked over to the door as he heard it open. He watched Amaranta walk out slowly. She was looking at him. No, he was being paranoid. She was looking at the group because she was heading over to them. But her gaze seemed to be on him. The feelings he had confessed to Kurama washed over him. He started asking the questions if she knew what had been said in his head again.
"Hiei," Kurama said, bringing Hiei back to reality. Kurama saw that Hiei looked a bit paler than usual. He knew it must have been because of Amaranta. She did seem to be looking at him after all. "Is there any place you desire to go?"
Hiei was glad that Kurama had pulled him out of the sort of trance. "No. I don't care," he said, regaining himself.
Kurama nodded. "Then it's up to you girls, again."
"Could we possibly get an ice cream, Kurama?" Yukina asked in her sweet voice. "Kazuma treated me to one yesterday and I believe I have developed a liking to them." She smiled and giggled a little.
"Of course Yukina."
They started walking a couple steps down the street when Kurama turned around to see why Hiei wasn't joining them. He was looking over at the flowers Amaranta had been standing by earlier.
"Hiei, come along," Kurama said.
"In a moment."
Hiei seemed transfixed on the roses. They were no longer lush and beautiful. They were dead, dried out. Their color had turned to a distasteful brown and they were drooped over. One of the now coarse petals fell from the dead organism, landing softly on the cement sidewalk. Her stare did this? How?
