The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Seventeen: Dawning Impressions

Hiei slept soundly that night. Dawn broke with smiling, ginger tainted eyes, yawning sleepily over a faraway mountain in the east. Warm sandy rays brushed Hiei's cheek as he watched the sun make its steady trek over the high peak from his window. His deep, vermilion eyes took in the beauty before him without expression.

Thorn awoke, well-rested, from the willow tree below Hiei's window. BlackFire hummed gently in her ear, ensuring her that he had masked their energy through the night and Hiei was not aware that they lay not two stories below the window he now looked out of. She stretched, opening her bright emerald eyes to the burning orb to the east. She was silent as she slowly stood up, her body swathed in the umbrage of the great tree. The great locks hung down near the ground, the velvety leaves like fallen tears along a frozen tear-streak.

She jumped down from the tree with ease, walking around the west side of the building, making sure that Hiei's sharp eyes did not see her shaded form. She walked along the streets, humming a soft tune to herself. The streets were beginning to become cluttered with cars and people as she made her way into a nearby cafe. A waitress came and took her order a moment after she sat down. She crossed her booted feet beneath her chair, looking out onto the slowly thickening river of people on the sidewalk outside the window. Her long hair ran down her back, where BlackFire lay cloaked in an invisibility spell. Her mind wandered as she sipped a hot mug of steaming chocolate that the waitress brought a moment later along with a large, plain, doughnut. Coffee made her too paranoid and quick to act, clouding her judgment. Not to mention it made her way too cheerful, something BlackFire detested. She looked out on the awakening day solemnly, cupping her hands around the warm mug and watching the sun make its steady embark into the sky.

Hiei walked down the streets through the masses of people that swarmed the sidewalks like giant hordes of demons. Only the demons were more easily toleratable to be around and did not continually yelp and growl into electronics held to their ears.

'This mission will be over soon enough. Even if I don't take her to Koenma today, I wont stay in this city any longer. Besides, it will be more fun if I draw this mission out for a while,' Hiei thought amusedly as he walked along. The hotel had accommodated for his breakfast with prompt room service and he was not out looking for Thorn. (A/N: Does he eat human food? I know he drinks coffee, but... yeah wateva) He had decided just to take a walk. He knew that she would appear at the designated area at dusk. But in the mean time, he had to find something to occupy his mind. He came upon a tall building to his right.

'Hn,' he thought, leaping from a dark alley to the top of the building. 'A good place to wait out the day.'

Thorn walked from the cafe nearly an hour after entering it. People had begun to crowd in, waiting in line for orders to be taken and fulfilled. The amount of people made Thorn growl under her breath. She hated being crowded as such and so left after paying her small bill. She walked along the streets until she came upon a large park.

'I can wait for dusk here,' she thought, sitting down on a wooden bench under the broad branches of a large oak tree. 'Meditation will do me some good,' she thought as she closed her eyes, breathing deeply and regularly. She sat up straight against the stiff bench, clearing her mind.

'Mistress, let me loose while you rest. You'll be more at ease if you know that I'm protecting us," came a deep and brassy voice, eager and sweet like a child trying to deceive a parent into doing something they wanted.

'No, BlackFire. I've very nearly promised Hiei a fair battle, with both of us at our peak. If I release you I'll be using spirit energy. If I do that, it will be like breaking a promise. You know I never break a promise. Now let me meditate so I will be at my ultimate best,' she thought to her sword.

'But you can best him easily even with releasing me. You know that. Just your human spirit energy, which has increased greatly since we met and bonded, would be enough to give him a worthy fight. You know that from your training with him and Kurama. I still don't understand why you used only your human abilities when you trained with them,' came the huffy reply. He snorted.

'You know why. If there came a time when we were separated I need to make sure that my abilities are compatible with theirs so that I could get you back. If Koenma really does find out who you are then we'll be in a lot of trouble. And if he were to somehow get you back, well, I just want to know that I can get you back before he locks you up and I never get you back unless Rose dies again. And I think that it would arouse suspicion if Rose were to suddenly die again and then, once more, you were to disappear. I wonder if he even knows she took you from his safe. Oh, how amusing. I do love keeping secrets from people that should see the truth that is sitting right in front of their face. Well, now let me concentrate. Keep watch,' she said, chuckling to herself.

'No need. Hiei is at the top of a building on the east side of the city,' came the wise old voice unhappily.

'Well keep an eye on him anyway. Hiei's not one to make a large scene, but he's also not one to underestimate, a thing you have a tendency to do,' she said with a smile.

'Yes, Mistress,' came the humbled voice before retreating. Thorn sat back contently, enjoying the sun on her face as she cleared her mind.

The day passed silently for both. Hiei, atop the tall building, watched people go about their daily business in the loud city. He'd never seen so many people rushing around a city. Even in the day the lights were bright and alive along the streets. Thorn, in the calm, quiet park, meditated in the silence. Birds flitted through the tree above her. She opened her eyes. She had been in her void for nearly five hours. She stood up, stretching in the afternoon sunshine. She walked down the street, she wasn't hungry, but the last thing she needed was BlackFire nagging like a mother about eating nothing when she had a battle in nearly nine hours. She would not eat before her battle, and so now she would have to consume a reasonable meal to enhance her healing abilities. Just in case.

Hiei went back to the hotel to eat his own lunch. After an hour he was bored once more and so went back to the streets.

Thorn, after eating her lunch, went back to the park. She walked around the park twice in an hour, loosening stiff muscles before once again taking her seat on the bench.

*

Hiei opened his crimson eyes into the setting sun.

'Time to go,' he thought. The sun's bottom edge began to drift behind the westerly horizon. With a quick leap he landed in a slowly shadowing alley. He walked purposefully to the north, hands in his cloak pockets. People walked around him with large steps, and cars flew past with high whines when not backed up or stopped at a sign or light. Once out of the city the crowds had disappeared, melting away into nothing. Hiei looked to the west, where the ground was lush with green, then to the east, where it began to fade into sandy brown of a desert. The mountain, which was hardly what one would call tall, lay straight ahead of him. Its top was rounded, looking more like a giant slug that of a jagged peak as most thought when concerning the normally monstrous structures of nature.

Hiei continued his quick pace. It was not dusk as of yet, but he did not know how long it would take him to find out where the girl was. If she wanted to pull a sneak attack he would rather it be with at least a bit of sun then in total darkness. But the darkness would be to his advantage. In his dark clothes he would blend in perfectly with the shadows. Not to mention the Jagan eye had no problems seeing in the dark. The only drawback to using it would be its lime-green glow.

'No matter. This shouldn't take long,' Hiei thought. He stopped at the base of the mountain, looking up. 'She's here. I can feel her. She's not being secretive about where she is. Hn. Well that's just like her. She wants a battle face-to-face, none of this hiding and seeking shit that some demons pull.'

Hiei walked up the mountain with a long stride, her energy signal bringing him to the western side of the mountain. About half-way up he walked into a steep clearing that lay on the face of the mountain's side. Thorn was there, sitting on the grass with her legs crossed and stretched out before her. Her arms supported her at her sides, bearing most of her weight. Her eyes were on the setting sun, which was less than half-way set, painting the sky warm and comforting colors.

"You shouldn't leave yourself so open to attack," Hiei said stoicly, walking up to her until he was not ten feet away. A safe distance, she would not be able to jump up and attack before he could avoid it.

"We're not fighting yet. Besides, I'm watching the sun set. Its not even dusk," she said.

"Hn. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't have attacked you if I had felt like it," he said, watching as the sun caressed her fawn-hued skin with bloody rays.

"Well, then I guess I would have had to jump up pretty quick is all. Sit down. I'm not moving," she said, her eyes on the tapestry of corals and amethysts as they danced about in the sky. Hiei did not move. Fifteen minutes passed. The sun continued its colorful farewell. Night creatures were beginning to stir around them.

"You might as well relax and sit down. It wont be dark for at least an hour and a half," Thorn said. She hadn't moved or blinked. BlackFire buzzed and vibrated quietly under the black-brown cascade of locks that rested on the soft earth.

'I don't think so. She's not pulling me into a trap,' Hiei thought.

"I don't pull stupid stunts like that, Hiei. Have a little trust. You have done nothing to make me fight you yet and so I have no reason to attack. You seem to know that I don't attack without reason. Why don't you trust the information you have gathered and take a seat." Hiei's dark eyes glowered at her. It was silent. Finally, Hiei sat down, far enough away so that he could bolt out of the way of an attack if necessary and in a position that would help him leap up quickly.

"Really, Hiei. You are too paranoid." Hiei did not answer. He looked straight ahead to the slowly darkening sky. They sat together for the hour it took for the last of the glow to diminish from the sky and the coolness of twilight to come about. Stars began to shimmer in the sky. Diamonds glittering in the sea of blues and blacks. The moon was bright, a smiling pool of wonder-filled, alabaster, light. The air took on a chill breeze, but the temperature was perfect in every aspect.

Thorn's eyes had risen to look at the stars above them, taking in their bright beauty. A smile curved her lips. A smile that was strangely genuine. Hiei's eyes moved to glance at her, wondering.

The nightly creatures sang gentle songs, blending the cool breeze with their warm songs. Even BlackFire was silent, seeming to enjoy the night. Or perhaps asleep, if he did such a thing. Neither of the two moved. Only the small zephyr touched them, making their hair sway with its gentle waves. The grass was a soft gray, bathed in the waters of the moon's fingertips. Neither offered a word as they watched to moon steadily rise and set in the sky as well as the stars shift position around them. Nor did they move. They waited. Waited for the other to make their move. Hiei thought he could outwait her, thinking of her inpatients on the last day of their training. But she never moved. Not even a twitch. Nothing.

-Well this isn't the first time I say that people underestimate me far too often-

Her words rang in his mind, from the first time they had met. 'Hn. Looks like I've underestimated her. No matter,' Hiei thought to himself, his eyes still intent upon her still form. He watched as he saw the shadows in area before him begin to lighten. Dawn was approaching steadily at his back. The night sounds were slowly being replaced by the murmurings of waking birds and the life of the day.

Hiei looked at Thorn. Her smile was slowly fading, just as the darkness of the night was. Her eyes, which had reflected the moon and stars in their dark and valiant depths, were slowly fading into their bright chartreuse dye. Suddenly, the distance was thrown bright with the sun's first streaks of light, and Thorn's smile vanished. Her eyes changed too, they brightened, but in a morbid way that would churn the coldest of hearts. Except for his, of course, he told himself.

Hiei stood up, making Thorn move for the first time in nearly eight hours, turning toward him and blinking. He looked down on her as she turned forward once again. BlackFire hummed gently, now to be seemingly awake. Her expression grimmed and she gave a small nod.

"Time for me to take you to Spirit World," Hiei said dully, looking down on her.

"I'm not going anywhere until I feel like it, Hiei," she said, her voice blank.

"You'll come with me if you know what's good for you."

"I know perfectly well what's good for me, and going with you will not improve my health, thank you," was her almost sarcastic answer.

"Then I must bring you there by force." He smiled. "I will enjoy this," he said. Thorn sighed and climbed to her feet slowly. She stretched and yawned once before turning to him.

"Just to let you know, you cannot kill me."

"Yes, I remember what you said. BlackFire will not let you die."

"No. You cannot try to kill me either. If I were to die, Koenma would be held responsible for the death of an innocent. I'm sure that it would not be a pretty picture for you or him if that were to happen."

"Who said you were innocent?"

"Who said I was guilty? Until you have proof that I stole this power that you talk of, I am an innocent. You have nothing pinned against me other than a sneaking suspicion." She crossed her arms.

"That's good enough for me," Hiei grunted.

'But is it really, Hiei? To forbid one just because others are fearful of you? Of what you could possibly do to their future? Just like what the Ice Apparitions did?' Thorn thought to herself, frowning. But she was silent. Finally, after about three minutes of nothing but the chirping of birds to fill the void, Thorn turned away.

"Good-bye, Hiei. I must be home by noon and traveling from one coast to the other takes time. Not to mention I need sleep. I enjoyed having your company. I'm sure this wont be the last time we see each other." She turned her back to him, waving over her shoulder. Hiei narrowed his eyes, a smile fleeting to face. In a flash he was in front of her.

"You don't think I'm just going to let you go, do you?" he asked. Thorn gave him a huffy look.

"Let me go, Hiei. Or I'll be forced to push you out of my way," she said, smiling slightly herself.

"I'd like to see you try," Hiei said, his smile widening slightly, tracing into a smirk.

"Well then, lets see." Thorn's hand went to the back of her head, tying her hair back with a leather thong. She brought an empty right hand straight out beside her, palm facing toward him. A bright light flashed in her hand, long and thin. When the light passed, she held her staff in her hand. Her right foot strayed behind her, lowing her already-short body closer to the ground. She held her staff in front of her, her eyes laughing as she looked at him.

"Let's," the youkai said, drawing his sword. They waited. And waited. And waited. The sun's rays were just beginning to creep into the edge of the clearing when they moved.

"I grow tired of this," Hiei said, slashing forward with his sword. Thorn dodged with her usual ease.

'She's faster,' Hiei noted. 'It doesn't matter. I'll get her.' He followed her, his sword flashing easily in the sunlight, brushing her skin once, but never marking it.

"Quit running around," he said at last. "You'll never get any better by running away."

"Oh, so now you're giving me tips, Hiei? Well I guess I could take your request," she said with a laugh. A real laugh. One that said she enjoyed every second of the battle.

She stopped her swooping and planted her feet, her staff held at ready, smiling. Hiei charged in and her staff shifted into an immediate defensive position, its face turned toward Hiei's oncoming sword.

'Wrong move,' Hiei thought with a smirk. 'I've got you now.' He thrust with his sword, right under her staff's head, near the bottom of her throat.

"What?" he gapped. Thorn's smile grew. Hiei's sword lay trapped in the space between her crescent and star head to her staff, its hilt bringing its glide to an abrupt halt as it connected with the golden metal, not inches from her throat. She wrenched her staff around, tearing the katana from his grasp. It flew into the sky, the sun's rays glinting blindingly off its metallic surface. It landed twenty feet away, its blade imbedded in the earth nearly four deep inches. Thorn's crescent half of her staff flew to Hiei's throat, but the fire youkai ffitted (there's the sound!) away. Thorn cut him off before he could reach his sword.

"Hn, impressive," he said with a smirk. She smirked as well.

"You have no idea, Hiei," she replied. Her imaged fluttered into the shadows, disappearing and making Hiei take up his ultimate guard. He sped forward to retrieve his sword, but a coolness against his throat made him stop dead. Thorn's staff lay against his neck, her left hand resting on his left shoulder.

"Really, Hiei. You've seen my magic more than just once. I would have thought you would have figured out how it worked by now," Thorn whispered in his right ear from behind his. Her voice was bathed in amusement. Hiei did not move. But in his mind he was smiling. Yes, this was the challenge he had been waiting for.

Suddenly, he disappeared from under her grasp. Thorn bolted forward. She had felt it with her free hand, for that had been its purpose. But she was not nearly as swift as the boy and he stopped her with his sword's point. She stopped short, the point just under her chin, as she looked up from its sharp blade to its welder. Her green eyes danced excitedly, her smirk growing.

"You should expect the unexpected," Hiei said calmly, looking down on her from behind his sword, his own eyes dancing.

"I did expect it. I just didn't have enough time to prepare is all," she replied. She flew backward suddenly, away from the tip of the katana, landing expertly on one knee. She looked up, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Hiei ran forward, his sword held in position for an attack. He slashed twice, the first grazing Thorn right below the throat, yet not drawing blood. But the second attack was warded off, putting them in a death lock, the sword's hilt against the base of the staff's crown. They stared at each other, testing the other's strength, smiles on both their faces. Their strength was....equal.

'No way. How can a mere human have this much strength?' Hiei thought in shock. 'It is possible for her to have great amounts of spiritual energy, but not this much brute strength! Hn. A challenge, that's for sure,' Hiei thought grimly. Thorn's expression changed, just slightly. With a great surge of power, she pushed forward, centering her force upward. Hiei's footing faltered, and the girl took that instant to strike his left ankle with the end of her handle. Hiei fell backward, but refused to fall, using his free hand to twist into a back flip, landing on his left knee, his left hand centering him on the ground.

Thorn bolted forward, using the moment of his unsteadiness to her advantage. Hiei brought his sword up just in time to ward off the vicious attack from the girl. He gritted his teeth against the strain of her pushing her weight down on his blade and upper body. He kicked out with his right leg in an attempt to catch her left foot and trip her. Thorn saw this and jumped up, using Hiei and his sword as a solid object to push off of as she leaped at least sixteen feet in the air, flipping over backwards and landing squarely on the balls of her feet, holding her staff in front of her body. Hiei rushed forward, hoping to get a hit in before she rebounded from her jump. But he had no such luck. Thorn rose her staff before dropping it down on the speeding youkai, forcing him to bring up his katana in a block.

'I don't like this. I hate taking to the defensive,' Hiei thought, the metal of both weapons grinding against each other in high whines. 'I need to catch her unaware if I'm to even get a hit in.'

He pulled back from her staff quickly, her last-minute swipe slicing the front of his cloak neatly, but shallowly. He jumped up, disappearing in the glare of the morning sun, which had slowly made its way higher in the sky without their knowing. Thorn looked up, but the sun blinded her. BlackFire hummed just slightly and the smirk on her face, which had fallen slightly at his disappearance, brightened. Her eyes changed slightly, adjusting to the sun's fierce rays. She smiled. He wasn't in the sky anymore, she knew.

'Well, I'll just have to humor him,' she thought. She steadied her position. Instead of watching for an attack, she closed her eyes, depending on her hearing to help her. Using her powers once was her limit for this match. Her shadow skill had been shown, and that was the last she would use her powers. The rest of the match would be pure skill with their weapon of choice. They both knew the rules of the match without saying a word. It was not to the death. A battle more for their amusement than anything. Once blood was drawn, or one was to go powerless, the match would be over. But neither were to suffer. The lines were clearly drawn, and both respected the lines with dignity.

With hardly a sound, Hiei rushed in from behind her, his katana held ready to strike. But Thorn heard that little sound he made and turned to face him. She knew that his speed was swifter than her own and she would not be able to bring her staff up in time to stop the attack.

'You almost caught me, Hiei,' she thought. She dropped her staff and did a series of back handsprings and flips, trying, and succeeding by a hair's breath, to avoid his various attacks.

'She can't keep this up forever. And when she stops she'll be at my mercy. She has no weapon to protect her now,' Hiei thought confidently, continuing his relentless attack on the girl, who spun and twisted in the air to avoid the biting point of his sword. After just a few ground-covering flips they were in the forest, making it harder for the girl to judge her position. This vivid action continued so what seemed far more than just the two and a half minutes it was. Thorn's energy began to diminish, slowly, but surely. They had slowly circled the small clearing, leaping up the steepness of the mountain.

'I don't think so, Thorn. I wont let you get back to your weapon,' Hiei thought, cutting her off before she reached the lighted patch of treeless ground. She growled before pausing just slightly on her arms and pushing herself upward onto a tree branch. She landed easily, but bolted to the next without looking to see if Hiei was following. He cut her off before she entered the clearing once again, making her jump to higher, thinner, branches of the trees. Every time before she made the final leap into the clearing the fire youkai cut her off. She was still smiling, just slightly. Most, by now, would have panicked, using their energy in a desperate attempt to run away from the katana. But Thorn stayed calm, seeming to enjoy the extra challenge of being defenseless. She flew from tree to tree, watching as Hiei followed out of the corner of her eye, not gaining, even though they both knew he could come in for the strike at any time. He was waiting. Wondering how she would get out of this mess. She smirked.

'If that's what you're waiting for then I will not keep you in suspense any longer,' she thought. She was three trees in from the clearing. Easy enough. Her image blurred, her powerful legs thrusting her upward, into the morning sky. The sun played the same trick on Hiei's eyes as it had done on hers. When his eyes did adjust to the brightness of the light, it was too late. She was already gone. Hiei looked toward the clearing. Nothing. Literally. Nothing.

'Hn. Looks like I gave her too much time. She's got her staff,' he thought. 'Well, it seems she's wait-' His thoughts were cut off as he heard the tell-tale whine of metal hissing through the air. He felt the wind from the strike and tried to step to the side before it hit, but he was not quick enough. Her silence had caught him off guard, not giving him enough time to move out of the way, even with his superior speed. He felt the blood as it began to trickle down his back. A small wound.

They both jumped to the ground of the clearing, Hiei holding his small wound on his left shoulder with his right hand, his left hand returning his sword to its sheath. Thorn landed easily, although the acrobatics had tired her considerably, facing Hiei.

"Hn. Not too bad," Hiei said, standing straight and tall. Thorn nodded from her distance of eight feet away.

"You're not too bad yourself, Hiei," she said, using her staff to straighten. They stood there, both panting slightly, Thorn more than Hiei, but not exhaustedly so, looking at each other. The sun resumed its laborious crawl, splashing over the two beings with its soft, young light.

After about two or three minutes, Thorn opened her right palm, which was holding her staff, letting the smooth wood rest against her hand. There was a small flash of light, which retreated into her hand, and the staff was gone. She stepped forward, her eyes straying to the shoulder of the cloak, which was beginning to darken with his blood.

"What are you doing?" Hiei asked, watching her with eyes that had suddenly lost their amusement and grown suspicious.

"What do you think? I can't leave you wounded. Even though I made the wound in my self-defense, its not right," she replied, stopping before him.

"And so now you're helping your enemies. Hn."

"Who said I was helping my enemies? I am only helping you."

"You don't seem to realize that I am an enemy. Although I cannot hand you over to Koenma now, with my injuries, what makes you think that I will stop trying to get you to Koenma?" Hiei asked, looking straight into her eyes. She looked back and smirked at the expression in his eyes.

"Because you enjoy the hunt," she replied quietly, her eyes deep and bright. "If you wont let me heal you, which is reasonable, because Koenma would begin to wonder, then at least let me dress the wound. Getting you sick would hardly do me any good, and infections spread fast in the human world."

"Hn. I can take care of it," he said, adverting his gaze to his right. Thorn straightened, trying to look down on the youkai, yet their height was nearly the same, and she failed miserably. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You're so stubborn. Just like at the turnamate. You didn't trust me then either. Sometimes you need to have a little faith, Hiei. Not everyone is out to kill you as soon as you let your guard down an inch. And I'm sure as hell not going to kill you. That would take all the fun out of the hunt, don't you think?" she asked with a small smile.

"I guess it would," he said, glancing back at her. She suddenly had a clean white cloth in her hands, no doubt using the same trick with it as she had with her staff, asking him if she could tend to his wound. He didn't move for a moment, still unsure. He knew that he could not bandage the wound himself, it stretched too far down his back and over his shoulder blade, and to consult Kurama would almost be shameful.

"I will have your hands as a prize if you try anything," he said darkly, removing his torn cloak. The wound was hardly deep, although not shallow, but it was long and clean. It took her only a few moments to tend to the slice, cleaning and bandaging it with ease. Her fingers, Hiei noticed, with reluctance, were tender as she tended the wound. Their tips were soft, even through the calluses that rittled them, suggesting that she trained long and hard. They stroked his skin gently with the cloth, working quickly and efficiently, not wasting any energy with unneeded clumsiness. They were long and graceful, all-knowing to where the pain would lay if touched, and they avoided it with ease, clearly not wanting to make the fire demon feel its cringing sting. Finally, after about ten minutes, she stood up from where they had knelt, wiping the small amount of blood from her hands onto another white cloth.

'It seems she was prepared to draw blood all along, although not kill,' Hiei thought as he, too, stood. With a sigh she turned away, pulling the leather thong from her hair as she walked, letting her locks fall feather-like over BlackFire, who hummed sulkily.

"I will just hunt you down again. But I'm sure you are well aware of that," Hiei said with a small smile, standing up himself.

"You hunting me? Do you not remember that it was I that found you?" she asked, stopping and looking over her shoulder with an upraised eyebrow, a coy, disbelieving look on her face.

"Hn. Did you forget that I drew you here?"

"Hm. Yes. Well then, I suppose we are even then."

"I will follow you. Its my job," he said, looking toward her, into her unnaturally bright eyes.

"Oh I look forward to it, Hiei. But to make sure that you do follow me, take this," she said, turning back around and pulling from an unseen pocket a textured paper. Hiei took it, looking at her quizzically. It held the same symbol as the one she had given Koenma. The red and black rose with their vines intertwined around the hardly noticeable, silvery outline of the sword was centered on the paper. "I'm sure I'll regret it in the future, but I like living with a constant reminder that there is always a chance I'll be defeated. Keeps one humble, don't you think?" she smiled. "It'll help you find me. Now I have to go back home before someone gets suspicious."

Hiei looked up from the card, watching her as she left.

"How does it wor-" he began, but Thorn had retreated into the shadows of the morning, leaving him alone with a breeze that rustled through the leaves of the trees. "Hn."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: Hello all!

Yusuke: you suck at updating on time…

THWAK!

Kurama: -sigh- Yusuke, you really must learn not to insult her.

Yusuke: -glowering- ouch! -rubs head- what did I say?

Hiei: -shakes head- he'll never learn, don't waste your breath, Kurama.

Keiko: Yusuke, you're such a jerk!

Kuwabara: Yeah, Urimeshi, you should know better by now.

J: look at that, everyone, EVERYONE, knows not to pester me about that crap! -snort-

Yusuke: hn, well its true… geez that hurt

All: -shakes head- baka,

J; but I am really sorry for yet another late update! I'm been trying to get this out since Thursday, when I normally post, but nothing's been cooperating with me! Agg! And this chapter is kinda bad, but I'm too lazy to fix it.

Shizuru: Oi, J-chan, ya got reviews…

J: oh! yea! Awsomeness, let us reply!



SilverKnight7: -blush- I really am sorry, SilverKnight7. You reviewed just an hour later than I posted! soo sorry. I've been shopping lately and stuff so I haven't had a lot of time on my hands like normal. ^_^ I'll try to keep the updates swift! but thanks for the reminder!

RoseWhip of the Darkness Flame: lol! Yeah, I have a bad habit of puttin' lots of talking into battle scenes, example, this chapter! ^_^. Frankly, I find it a good time to find out about someone and discover secrets and stuff :X must not say more or I'll spoil the next fighting scene!

Kurama: well you did just give away the point that there will be another fighting scene…

J: whoops…-blush- well, you were bound to find out…

Anywhoo.. Hope you break free from your 'evil entertainment stealing slavedriver woman a.k.a your mother'. lol. I got a kick outta that. And the party favor thing too! Loved it! ^_^ thanks for the pride! And 16 wasn't very talky I guess… glad you liked it! Goman ne.. I had already written this chapter by the time I got your review, I just haven't been online to post it! Gaa! Or else I would have edited it. I still should, but again, I'm too lazy! Oh, and the revealing of secrets comes later in the story. Never fear, for it is all planned and outlined, just ready to be pieced together! And I watched Pirates of the Caribbean today, and Johnny Depp is pretty cool! I like him 'dead' as the pirate… and drunk too! ^_^

Well, back on task, after the fight scene we do discover a little bit about Thorn… it should be exciting!

baka-chibi-puffs: lol! Thank you for your wonderful and… hyper-seeming review. ^_^ well, I hope your readers perform a 'nice' form of torture to make you review. Theses guys keep bugging me because they say that I'm torturing them. -huff- yeah right, we the authors are doin' all the work! And yay to the cheezy cake…or something like that ^_^ (lol, j/k… Cheese to the Cake I know, its so kawaii!

Kuwabara: geez, took ya long enough.

J: shut-up! Anyway, enjoy and until next time! Kuwabaka, disclaimer!

Kuwabara: aww.. -pout- damn. Yeah, well, J-san dun own us, thankfully. But, ya know, she does own that creepy enemy… or something like that, of ours, Thorn… and her swordy-thing BlackFire… oh yeah, and Rose, from the beginning.

J: good boy. Now, tata until next week!

Review please!!