~Chapter 2~
~Winds and Shadows~
Corana got bored with Ningen University in a handful of days and informed Kurama she wouldn't be going back.
"Why?" He asked.
"It bores me." She shrugged. "Besides, it takes away from the time I can spend sleeping." She grinned impudently.
"You're hopeless." Kurama shook his head.
"YOU've changed." Corana countered. "Time was when Youko wouldn't be caught dead following rules and orders." She grinned.
"Yes well I'm hardly Youko anymore." Kurama said a bit defensively.
Corana laughed. "It suits you. The way you are now. But you are still very much Youko. Even I can see that."
Kurama didn't know why that statement made him so uncomfortable. Ever since he'd decided to put the debaucheries of Youko behind him, he was almost ashamed of many of the things he'd said and done. Corana picked up on his unease and straightened. She looked at him seriously. "You can't spend your life feeling guilty for the past. All you can do is learn and move on. No one's a saint Kurama. Apologize maybe, but never regret." Kurama noticed a sadness in her eyes he'd never seen before.
~She pities me.~ Kurama thought sourly. "I should leave now." He said evenly and rose.
"Ja ne." Corana said uncertainly. He nodded and left.
Corana sighed sadly. She'd been lonely since Jin had left and spending the last few days with Kurama had helped ease that loneliness. "Now you've gone and alienated the one person who may have understood you." She muttered unhappily to herself. She got up and grabbed a jacket and headed to the park.
******
Hiei opened one eye when he heard someone walking slowly closer to him. He peeked down from his tree branch and saw the girl Kurama had been hanging around with for the last few days. He watched her closely as she walked. She looked sad. Her black hair reflected the moonlight as she shuffled along, eyes to the ground. She stopped halfway across the bridge that spanned a small pond and rested her elbows on the railing, looking out at the full moon's reflection in the shimmering water.
Corana lifted her face to the moon as a light breeze ruffled her hair. Hiei saw a look of peace cross her face and then heard her low murmur echo over the water. "No I am not alone am I? I will never be alone as long as you're here." Hiei watched as the wind and shadow seemed to envelope her in a soothing embrace before continuing on their ways. "Wind and shadow." He heard her sigh. "Such are all things in life I suppose. Just the winds and shadows of our minds."
She stood a bit longer watching the moon before turning back to go home. Hiei frowned at her retreating figure and then shrugged and fell asleep again.
~Winds and Shadows~
Corana got bored with Ningen University in a handful of days and informed Kurama she wouldn't be going back.
"Why?" He asked.
"It bores me." She shrugged. "Besides, it takes away from the time I can spend sleeping." She grinned impudently.
"You're hopeless." Kurama shook his head.
"YOU've changed." Corana countered. "Time was when Youko wouldn't be caught dead following rules and orders." She grinned.
"Yes well I'm hardly Youko anymore." Kurama said a bit defensively.
Corana laughed. "It suits you. The way you are now. But you are still very much Youko. Even I can see that."
Kurama didn't know why that statement made him so uncomfortable. Ever since he'd decided to put the debaucheries of Youko behind him, he was almost ashamed of many of the things he'd said and done. Corana picked up on his unease and straightened. She looked at him seriously. "You can't spend your life feeling guilty for the past. All you can do is learn and move on. No one's a saint Kurama. Apologize maybe, but never regret." Kurama noticed a sadness in her eyes he'd never seen before.
~She pities me.~ Kurama thought sourly. "I should leave now." He said evenly and rose.
"Ja ne." Corana said uncertainly. He nodded and left.
Corana sighed sadly. She'd been lonely since Jin had left and spending the last few days with Kurama had helped ease that loneliness. "Now you've gone and alienated the one person who may have understood you." She muttered unhappily to herself. She got up and grabbed a jacket and headed to the park.
******
Hiei opened one eye when he heard someone walking slowly closer to him. He peeked down from his tree branch and saw the girl Kurama had been hanging around with for the last few days. He watched her closely as she walked. She looked sad. Her black hair reflected the moonlight as she shuffled along, eyes to the ground. She stopped halfway across the bridge that spanned a small pond and rested her elbows on the railing, looking out at the full moon's reflection in the shimmering water.
Corana lifted her face to the moon as a light breeze ruffled her hair. Hiei saw a look of peace cross her face and then heard her low murmur echo over the water. "No I am not alone am I? I will never be alone as long as you're here." Hiei watched as the wind and shadow seemed to envelope her in a soothing embrace before continuing on their ways. "Wind and shadow." He heard her sigh. "Such are all things in life I suppose. Just the winds and shadows of our minds."
She stood a bit longer watching the moon before turning back to go home. Hiei frowned at her retreating figure and then shrugged and fell asleep again.
