~Easier To Run~

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AN: Um, just in case there's any confusion, Hiei and Teilen aren't a couple or anything. And I'm still not sure if I'll do the Kurama x OC thing, if I do it'll be in another story. Heh, I'm a firm believer in love taking time. Anyway, I will no longer stand in the way of you reading the next chapter of this fic! Thanks, reviewers!]
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Chapter Five: The Truth Comes Out
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Mare ran, although she didn't know where she was going. She felt like she just had to get away. She knew that she couldn't stay with the Makinos any longer. Thuurei knew where she was...she must have sent somebody to warn her. But for what?

'You can't escape us...Phedra.' Those words repeated themselves over and over in her mind. What did they want from her? She only wished for peace, nothing more. She had only wanted to start a new life. And now, this.

This was crazy. She didn't even know where she was running to. She had nowhere to go. Mare slowed to a canter as she approached the park. There was nobody there except for maybe Teilen and that Hiei guy, but she wasn't concerned about them. She just needed to be someplace where she could sit and think. Hiding behind some tall bushes, Mare changed back into her human form and went to sit by the water fountain at the edge of the park.

Just when she'd thought it was all over, the nightmares of her past had come back to haunt her. Mare wanted to forget it all. She wanted to forget that she ever went by the name "Phedra" and that she had done all of those awful things. If only she had been stronger, or braver. Why had she let herself be broken so easily? ...Dagni hadn't let them break her. Dagni would have rather died than submit to them. In fact, that's exactly what had happened.

Clenching her fists tightly, Mare felt the familiar feeling of inadequacy wash over her. She could never be half the person her sister had been. If only there was a way to retrace every wrong move she had made, she would do it in a second. Take back all of the pain Dagni had to suffer. Go back and do everything differently.

It had always been easier to run from her problems, to take the simplest way out, than stand up and face them. Maybe if she had chosen a different path, Dagni would still be alive...

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Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara arrived at the park a few minutes later. Kurama was certain that she would be there. Yusuke and Kuwabara bent over, hands on their knees, out of breath.

"Did I really see her change into a horse?" Kuwabara wondered, questioning his sanity.

"Yeah, you did," Yusuke confirmed. "You were right, Kurama. She's not human."

"Yes," Kurama nodded. "But there is more to the story than that, I'm afraid. It would seem that somebody has come after her, and her human family was the first target."

"That sucks," Kuwabara muttered. "So where is she?"

"Over there." Kurama calmly pointed to the slender figure sitting by the water fountain. The three of them slowly approached her, as if they might scare her off if they moved too quickly. She looked up briefly, just to make sure it was them, and then turned back to wherever she was looking.

The three of them sat down beside her. She knew what they were there for. They wanted answers. They wanted to know why she had changed into a horse and why she had run away like that. She also knew that whatever she told them, they would understand; both Yusuke and Kuwabara knew that Kurama was a demon. She could tell. After another minute, she drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"I'll tell you what you want to know," she said. "But first, I want you to know that I'm not here to hurt anyone."

"We understand that," Kurama replied, still serene as can be. The others became quiet, wanting to listen to what Mare had to say.

She continued, never looking at them. "By now you all know the truth--that I'm not really human. Kurama, you've known it right from the start. I knew you did, but I thought I could avoid having to explain everything if nobody else knew. You see, it's quite a long and painful story to tell. It isn't one that I'm proud of, either. I was young and foolish, and I got myself into something I couldn't get out of until it was too late.

"It all started when I was around 70 years old," she began, and Kuwabara made a sound like he was shocked. "My sister and I were very happy together. We were both horses running free, without a care in the world. It was nice. But one day we crossed paths with Thuurei; a rich, powerful demon woman who was the head of a business who made and sold dangerous drugs, naturally against the law. She had heard of the great abilities my sister and I posessed and wanted to use us for those abilities. My sister and I had powerful telekinetic powers. In my horse form, I also had the ability to breathe fire; in her horse form, my sister's breath could freeze anything it touched. Thuurei tried to convince us to join her, saying that she would pay us handsomely if we did. Of course, we refused.

"But later, I returned home one day to find my sister missing. It looked as though a struggle had taken place. Alarmed, I set out to find her; however I didn't get far before I ran into one of Thuurei's demon lackeys. He told me that Dagni was being held captive, and would be killed unless I agreed to work for Thuurei. So I did. Little did I know what I was getting myself into..." Mare paused for a few seconds to gather her thoughts, and then continued. "What I had agreed to do was become the Dark Messanger for Thuurei and her business; basically what that means is, I was an assassin. I was sent off to murder anybody who had become an enemy of Thuurei's, using my special abilities. I hated doing it, but there was no way for me to back out of it. I was out-numbered, and if I tried anything my sister would be killed. For every single life that I took, I swore I would make Thuurei's death that much more painful.

"Meanwhile my sister remained in her prison, refusing to agree to work for Thuurei. It was what I should have done in the first place. But I was too afraid... I was afraid to stand up for what I believed in and oppose Thuurei. I was afraid to die, or let my sister die. I remained hopeful that someday my sister and I would be free again. So very optimistic...so incredibly foolish." Mare could feel the tears forming behind her eyes, but did not cry, still focusing on the trees near the other end of the park. "When I finally realized that Thuurei was not ever planning on letting us go, it was too late. I had gotten myself in too deep to turn back, or so I thought. I had done so many awful things, I felt that there was no way to undo all the damage. And so, I continued to dig my hole even deeper.

"I know it hurt Dagni more than anything else to see me succumb so easily to them," Mare began again, looking very forlorn. "She would've rather seen me run away and leave her for dead than turn into the sort of person I was then. By that time it had been over 50 years since I had even seen her. Soon, I completely lost track of time. I was lost in a world of killing, training, and more killing. There was never a pay-off--I was just a slave for them. I knew that. But I felt that there was no hope for me. My spirit had been broken.

"One day I saw Dagni escape. She finally escaped her prison after nearly 200 years of being held captive. I could only watch helplessly from inside my own prison as every demon working for Thuurei ran her down..." Mare clenched her fists tightly. "...Ran her down...stabbing, clawing, digging, biting...Dagni...she desperately called to me, 'Remember who you are. Don't give up yet, you can still be different. You can still escape, it's not too late'... And then, they...they killed her. Like hungry savages..." Mare could feel her blood start to boil as she remembered, and she began to tremble slightly. "I couldn't take it anymore. I just went completely berserk. I don't even recall how I managed to escape, but I do remember murdering every one of the demons who went after Dagni first. Then I went after Thuurei. It was a tough battle. A long battle. Finally I emerged the victor, thinking that I had killed her. I wasn't sorry; not the slightest bit. She deserved everything she got. That was my thinking at the time.

"I left after that. I took on a human form and I left that place for good. I never wanted to see it again, and I wanted to forget about all the terrible things I had done. Of course, I'll never forget them. They'll always be a part of me--a reminder of what I had become for so long."

Finally, she looked up at them, seeing the expressions of astonishment on each of their faces. "It's been a few years since I left now. About two years ago, I found the Makinos' ranch. They didn't know about my human form, only about my horse form. They allowed me to stay with them. They were very kind to me, and in return for their kindness, I swore to myself that I would always protect them and never again return to my old ways. All I wanted was to start my life all over again, to live it the right way this time." She sighed. "And now, this happens."

There was a short silence as the three took the time to absorb everything that Mare had just told them. Mare brought a hand up to her face and quickly wiped the corners of her eyes. She hated thinking of her past, and it hurt her to remember the horrible person she had once been.

"So," began Yusuke. "You're sister helped you change?"

Mare nodded. "Yes, she did. Her words just struck a chord in me...for the longest time I had become so numb inside..."

"Yes," Kurama nodded. "I think I understand. But if I may ask a question: how does Teilen know you?"

"I was sent to kill Teilen once," Mare answered. "She had stolen something very valuable from Thuurei's vault, and naturally I was sent to retrieve it. I can track people fairly well, so I was able to find Teilen with little trouble. When I did find her, we both became engaged in a fight that lasted days. Neither of us would submit to the other. Finally we both came to an agreement: she would hand over the stolen item, and I would discontinue the battle and never bother her again. ...Of course you see how well that worked out. Anyhow, apparently I was the only one who ever survived a fight with the Shadow while she was in the theiving business. I seem to have earned her respect, and so when I ran into her the other day she actually treated me as if I were an old friend." Mare let a small grin creep across her face.

"I see," Kurama said thoughtfully.

"...So, how old are you anyway?" Kuwabara wondered.

"Two hundred and seventy-eight, I believe," Mare answered without faltering.

"Holy Crap!" Yusuke stared at her. "You're almost as old as Kurama!"

Mare shrugged. "I guess so." She smiled at them. "What? Surprised?"

"Well...yeah," Yusuke said. "You look damn good for an old lady," he added, teasing her.

"Old lady?" Mare shook her head and glared. "We do NOT go there, okay?"

He held up his hands, as if proclaiming innocence. "Okay, okay." He stared at the ground for a while before asking, "So where are you going to go now that you can't go back to the Makinos'?"

Mare sighed. "I really don't know."

"Hey, I'd let you stay at my place if there was any extra room." Yusuke shrugged.

"That's alright," she answered. "I suppose I'm used to sleeping outdoors anyway. I'll just have to find a spot where nobody will see me."

Kuwabara checked his watch. "Whoa! Do you guys know how late it is? It's eleven o'clock! Man, I'm dead meat if I don't get home fast!" He jumped to his feet, fearing his sister's wrath. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" He took off running and disappeared down the street.

"Bye Kuwabara," Yusuke muttered. He sighed. "I better get going, too. Not that anyone is gonna freak about me staying up too late, but I'm tired." He got up and stretched. "I hope I see you around, Mare," he said, and walked off with his hands stuffed into his pockets.

Mare looked at Kurama, who was the last one left besides her. "What did he mean by that?"

Kurama smiled, and Mare noticed how beautiful his green eyes were. They were comforting somehow, and she felt strangely captivated by them. "He just wants to be sure that you'll be alright," he answered her.

Mare sighed. "Well, I can't answer that for sure. But I can certainly take care of myself, if that's what he meant."

Kurama's gaze shifted from her to the night sky. "Mare, I'm sure my mother would not mind if I invited you to stay at our home for a while. I will explain to her that you're a friend of mine and your parents are away." He looked back at her and Mare smiled brightly, exposing her rows of white teeth (eating all that healthy food as a horse paid off).

"Really? You would do that for me? You barely know me, Kurama."

He shrugged, ever so slightly. "I suppose it's intuition," he said. "I feel as though I can trust you."

"Thank you so much," she said, leaning over to give him a grateful hug. "That's such a nice thing for you to do." She let go and they stood up. "So much has happened today... I wouldn't want to endanger your family."

"Do not worry," he said. "Should anything happen, there will be two of us to fend off intruders."

She nodded. "And you're sure your mother won't mind?"

"Of course not," he said. "She will understand. Shall we go?"

"Sure." Mare followed Kurama out of the park and towards the direction of his house, not realizing they were being watched from afar.

Two little demons had been perched high up in a tree on the other side of the park, listening to every word of the conversation and Mare's story. Teilen turned to smirk at her short companion.

"I told you you'd understand soon," she said.

Hiei just scowled. "It doesn't concern me. What do I care?"

Teilen shook her head at him. "You're worse than me..."

"Hn. Don't make me shove you out of this tree."

She just gave him an evil grin. "Ini set tep, Khewew Jeret," she said, calling him by the nickname she'd been using on him since they first met.

"I don't speak Egyptian, but I know what that means," he said to her. "I can always tell when somebody wants a piece of me."

"Alright, let's go then," she said. Without another word, Hiei vanished from the tree and Teilen followed him. It looked like it was going to be another long night of sparring.

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Translation/s:

Ini set tep, Khewew Jeret -- "Bring it on, Evil Eye"

AN: Okay, I don't know when I'll get around to updating next, since I seem to have a case of writer's block, ugh. I promise I'll update as soon as possible, though. I hate to leave you guys hanging. As you might have guessed, I'm pretty big on cliffies as it is. Anyway, please review my fic, oh and if Mare's story was too confusing, then let me know so I can fix it, ok?

Next Chapter: Adjusting