Warnings: This is one of those chapters that wrote itself. Seduction? Finally! Some answers! And this is one of those chapters you must read slowly or everything seems rushed. Then again, most of my work is like that… ^_^
The Welder of BlackFire:
Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives
Chapter Twenty-Two: Interrogation
Kurama and Hiei walked to Kuwabara's house the next day at about five o'clock. Koenma had informed them that he would send Botan down with a video to inform then on what information he had obtained in the last twenty-four hours and everything that he had learned previously.
Yusuke and Kuwabara were already sitting on the floor, yelling at each other for some unknown reason, Kuwabara's words slightly slurred and hard to understand due to the of the still slightly bulbous swelling of his cheek. They stopped when Kurama and Hiei stepped into the room. Hiei snorted and Kurama shook his head with a small smile at their childish behavior.
"Hey you guys, what took ya so long?" Yusuke asked, rubbing the back of his head with a large, stupid grin.
"We're on time. You're early," Kurama pointed out. He moved further into the room, leaning against the far wall and crossing his arms. Hiei leaned his back against the door frame with his hands in his pockets. Kuwabara mumbled something under his breath, but Yusuke heard it and glared at him. It did not take long for the former argument to flame to life once again. The two youkai watched, shaking their heads at their amusing behavior.
Suddenly, they heard a thunderous pounding on the stairs. The argument quickly died down as their heads turned toward the closed door. Botan burst into the room, breathing hard, tape in a trembling hand. Her eyes were wide with fear and her cheeks were flushed from her surge of exercise. She held the tape up, swinging it wildly in front of their face.
"What's wrong with you, Botan?" Yusuke asked huffily, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at the interruption from his argument with the redhead beside him. Kurama walked across the room and gently took the tape from her hand and placed it in the VCR.
"T-t-the.." she stuttered, only to be cut off as the tape began to play on the television screen and she lost their attention to it. Koenma appeared, sitting at his newly-cleared desk, although papers still lay stacked haphazardly behind his over-stuffed chair, threatening to topple at the slightest vibration. The toddler looked saddened as he raised his chin to look at the camera and fright sparked in the depths of his brown eyes, although he tried desperately to subdue its easily recognizable shine.
"Greetings, everyone. I fear I have found information that will prove both frightening and confusing, as well as a new mission for you that this information relates to. First thing's first." He picked up a book that lay in front of him, out of view of the screen. It was open to some unknown page and he held it up, showing them the open page. "I'm sure you must recognize this."
On the open page was a large broad sword, its hilt jutting two points of black at the base of the steel blade, and the dark blue sapphire imbedded in the butt of its hilt, which was made of shiny black scales.
They all gasped in recognition. "This sword you see here is one that we had actually acquired many months ago, and just realized it had gone missing not too long ago. It had been stealing the souls of demons from the demon world, so we acquired it and put it in our safe, but, somehow, it was stolen. The following film was actually taken from our safe's camera. It is not long, but I'm sure you will recognize the person and the item." The tape flickered to another scene, which was black and white, showing the inside of the vault.
/Inside the Vault/
All was normal, but for the broadsword that had been shown in the book, which was vibrating on its stand. If sound had accompanied the filming, it would have buzzed an annoyed tune. Someone walked through the wall to the camera's left, and looked around cautiously. Yes, through the wall. She was short, with long hair that fell nearly to her waist. She wore a dark tee-shirt with red writing on its front and dark, bell-bottom, jeans. She did not face the camera, but the machine picked up her features easily. She looked toward the middle of the vault, or what was close to the middle, were three mystical items lay, of which were familiar to all of them but for Kuwabara, before looking in front of her, making her hair flick in front of her shoulder, obscuring her face with many long, shoulder-length bangs that refused to remain behind her ears. She stepped forward boldly, but her step was also cautious as she walked toward the sword in front of her. She had the walk of someone who was used to sneaking around places they knew they weren't suppose to be. The stalking gait of a smart and cunning person. She knelt down. Her head tilted, as if she was listening to the vibrating sword, who seemed to calm as she knelt before it. She reached forward and touched it, running her hands down its length. A bright color shown around it, blinding even the camera. When the color faded, the camera filmed the two, unmoving but for the girl, who seemed to be talking to the sword. Finally, after a few moments, the girl looked around and stood up, picking up the sword as well. It grew smaller and suddenly invisible. She seemed surprised before rising her right pant leg and placing it against her leg, hiding it with her sock. She quickly made her way back toward the wall she had passed through and exited the room.
/End/
The screen returned to Koenma's grim face.
"You all, but for Kuwabara must recognize Rose, who got back her life after you defeated the Four Saint Beasts. She deceived us all into getting her life back and, at the same time, obtained a power that, no doubt, she could not control. The reason the sword is so important is that it is not a normal sword. In it is an imprisoned dragon, known by every demon in the worlds as the Black Blaze. He was a very powerful dragon that killed many people, mostly demons, but the rare human as well, in his six thousand year life, and consumed their souls. I have a picture of him here." He held up another book, revealing a picture of a dragon. Hiei gasped. It was nearly identical to the image painted on Thorn's wall. Only, in the book, the picture was black, with a white scar on the forehead of the creature, while the one on her wall was silver. But the eyes, they were both the same bright, insane blue. "A long time ago, a priest bound him to the sword shape he is in now. From the books I have read he has been imprisoned for nearly two centuries. He had been in the demon world before we brought him here, waiting for his welder. Only a human could weld him. And they must have a mind of steel to compete with the strength of his psychic powers, as well as a compatible heart. Apparently, Rose had both of these to be able to take him from the stand. Now comes the confusing part. How Thorn got a hold of the sword. If you notice they look a lot alike. The only thing I can think of is that Rose, perhaps, had a twin, or maybe its just coincidence that they look alike. But that is irrelevant.
"Now, for your mission. You are to apprehend Thorn and the sword. Kurama, Hiei, I can only warn you once. DO NOT TOUCH THE SWORD! I do not want to risk you two to the sword's ability to steal demon souls. This, actually, puts us at a great disadvantage. Hiei is the fastest, and would be best suited for removing the sword, which is a main source of her power, while the others distracted Thorn. So now Yusuke must do this while the rest of you distract her. You will all need to work together to defeat her. She possesses the most powerful and deadly creature ever known. I wish you all good luck." With those final words the screen continued into its routine of credits, blanking out on Koenma's sorrowful face and grim expression. Kurama turned the screen off before they ended. They all sat in silence for a long time. Finally, Kuwabara spoke.
"Sho who's thish Rosh person?" he asked, looking up from the blank screen to the thoughtful faces around him.
"She's a girl who died after we defeated the Four Saint Beasts. We met her in Koenma's office before she got her life back," Kurama explained quietly. It was hard to believe that the girl who had bubbled over him, shaking his hand, was a thief. And somehow connected to Thorn as well.
'Looks can be deceiving,' he thought. 'I should have sensed it. That she was a thief. I'm sure I would have felt it if she was.' The kitsune lost himself in a thick cloud of thought. 'But it explains how Thorn knows so much about us, I guess. A twin? Or perhaps Thorn stole the item from Rose. But something seems wrong with that.'
"Its all my fault that she stole the sword!" Botan cried, irrupting in a fit of sobs, accompanied by harsh sobs. "I was taking her past the vault before we went back to the human world. I searched for her and she said she got lost. Its all my fault! I should have known. But she had such a frightened look in her eyes and she seemed so genuine when she told me!" The pilot to the River Styx buried her face in her hands and began to weep. "I was so stupid!"
"Hey, take it easy, Botan," Yusuke said quietly, turning toward her. "Its not your fault. You didn't know she was a thief." The girl's wails became louder as she turned and ran from the room. Yusuke cursed.
"Damn. I knew I recognized her from somewhere," the spirit detective growled under his breath.
"Well, how doo wee fin' 'er shen?" Kuwabara asked. No one answered him.
'That must have been what she meant when she spoke of her twin,' Hiei thought. 'But that doesn't seem right. Why would BlackFire… no, the Black Blaze, want to weaken Rose to train Thorn? Maybe because Thorn cares for Rose? Hm. There's a piece missing to this puzzle that will set everything into place. I know it. And it has something to do with Thorn's relationship with Rose. Now all I have to do is find it.'
"What do you think, Hiei?" Kurama asked, looking up across the room toward the fire youkai, breaking from his train of thought to verbalize the question. Hiei didn't answer for a moment, his eyes still pasted on the carpet beneath his boots. He didn't know what to say, really.
"Its obvious that we should find her and get that sword," Yusuke said to no one but himself. 'It shouldn't be that hard for me to get that sword, she's not that fast,' he thought, already trying to conjure an attack to take her down.
"No duh, Urimesshi," Kuwabara said. "Its finding her that'sh the problem."
"That might not be as hard as you think, Kuwabara," Kurama said, glancing at Hiei. "Hiei. Where did you find Thorn while you tracked her?"
Hiei looked up, trying to keep a glare from his eye. He didn't like being put on the spot as he was and Kurama knew it. And he didn't know if he should tell them either. What was he thinking?! Of course he should tell them! It was his job!
"Hiei?" Kurama questioned when the youkai did not answer.
"I don't really know where the place was. But we should wait for her as she asked. It would probably be easier," he said.
"Bu' don'tcha thunk tha' sshe'll plot again't ush untul sshe finds 'ut?" Kuwabara asked, looking from Hiei to Kurama.
"She probably will," Yusuke muttered.
"But so will we. We will have to think of a way to get the sword. I have a feeling that it will take a lot more than just strength to get it with all her skill. It will take a strategy," Kurama said, eyeing all of them in turn.
"Nah, she can't be that strong. I mean, just look at what happened when she fought Kuwabara," Yusuke said pointedly.
"Yes, but if you think back to the other fights, like the one in Los Vegas, she was very powerful. She wasn't even serious then. And her healing abilities were exceptional at the Tournament, able to heal three of us and seem fresh just a few hours afterwards," Kurama reasoned.
"Yeah, that'sh righ'. When sshe wa' 'n the room affer the figh' sshe ssheemed normal again, even though affer 'ealing Urimesshi sshe had like none lef'. I' fel' almos' like sshe had a sh'ore o' energy tha' sshe never even ushed and jussh took I' an' recovered," Kuwabara said in his slur.
"Well Koenma said the sword was the source of her power, right? So that must have been where she stored her energy. She must have done the same thing when she fought Kuwabara, put all her energy in the sword," Yusuke said.
"Sso when sshe broke the ssword, like you tol' me, then sshe muss huve only ha' a li'lle o' her own powersh lef' in her body," Kuwabara said, thinking through his swollen jaw. They all pondered over the thought a moment. Suddenly, unnoticed, Hiei's eyes widened. His fingers smoothed the paper in his pocket, forgotten as he watched Koenma on the television. Just as before, she was near. No doubt she had been stalking them, waiting for the moment they would find out, he just hadn't noticed it as he did now. It was faint. She was hiding her energy easily, even from the 'map'; but, apparently, it could still pick up her signal. He almost gave a small smirk, his eyes closing. He straightened and exited the room without being noticed. The others were still in deep thought and not even Kurama saw the youkai leave through the open door.
"Where are you going, Hiei?" Shizuru asked, coming up the stairs with some drinks on a tray, looking up at the fire youkai.
"For a walk," he replied in his usual, blank tone, walking past her down the stairs and exiting the house. She turned back to watch him before her eyes narrowed, her mouth setting, and continuing her way up the stairs to the three remaining boys.
Hiei looked around a few moments, glancing down a few alleys and on the top of buildings, but not frantically so. He held the paper 'map' firmly in his hand. He was getting closer, he could tell, by the amount of heat and energy the parchment was beginning to give off. But he continued to walk calmly. A few moments later, he was jerked from his concentration on the 'map' to a sudden cry that echoed from the sky, making him look up and around. A golden-feathered eagle circled above him once before flying straight, along the road. Hiei grunted and crept into an alley, effectively jumping to the rooftops. He skipped along them easily, following the bird as it lead him in a westerly direction, into the path of the now setting sun.
'Kurama is following you,' came a familiar voice into the youkai's mind, overriding the barricade of mental defenses he had.
'Thorn. I have to ask you some questions,' Hiei said to her, keeping his eye on the gliding figure in the distance. The eagle turned back and circled back past him.
'Keep going,' she said. 'I'll find you in a little while. Shake Kurama from your trail and I'll come find you so that we may talk.' The eagle swooped low near a building on the other side of the street, watching him, he knew, but Hiei continued on for a long while. Finally, he came into the direct center of the city, where he stopped and looked down on the milling humans, who were wandering around the streets, seemingly without purpose in an aimless jumble of limbs and breath. He jumped down from the building and began to walk back the way he had come. He knew that if Thorn was right, he would meet up with Kurama along the way.
Sure enough, he did meet Kurama along the way. The kitsune was walking along quietly, his hands in his pockets as he strolled down the sidewalk.
"Hello, Hiei," he greeted placidly.
"Kurama," Hiei nodded.
"What are you doing out here?"
"I wanted to take a walk. To think," Hiei said, stopping in front of his friend. The kitsune stopped as well.
"Yes. This mission will be a confusing one. She is a confusing person," Kurama said, looking around the emptying streets.
"She is."
"But I have a feeling that she's less confusing to you than she is to me." Kurama's voice was not accusing, but Hiei could not resist glaring at him.
"I have studied her, yes. But, if anything, it makes her harder for me to figure her out than it will for you. What I have seen might prove to be conflicting with what we know," Hiei replied evenly
"Hiei. If you would tell me everything you learned, then she would become less confusing for both of us and we could get this mission over much faster," Kurama reasoned. Hiei did not look at him, instead turning to look at a passing human along the other side of the street.
"I've told you all before. This is my mission. I can handle it," Hiei said.
"Do you understand what you're going up against? The Black Blaze's power is unlimited. Once he consumes a soul, he gains its greatest power. If he were to somehow get your soul, we would all be finished if he were to learn the Dragon of the Darkness Flame attack." He paused, looking over the black-clad youkai. "But I have a feeling you already knew that," Kurama said. Hiei nodded, holding his friend's intense gaze stubbornly. "I know that you communicated with her. Somehow she found you and you ended up speaking with her. She gained some of your respect. Somehow. She is seducing you, Hiei, for your soul. She is trying to gain your trust so she can take your power. She might not be doing it intentionally, maybe the Black Blaze is forcing her to do it. I don't know right now. That is why I did not want you to go after her after her battle with Kuwabara. I knew that if the Black Blaze was her trainer he would want your power."
Hiei was dumbfounded to hear the kitsune speak as he was. But he did not move, his expression was frozen in blankness. No. That was foolish thinking.
"Don't be a fool, Kurama. I'm not stupid enough to get caught in a trap like that. Yes, I spoke to her when I first came to America. I needed to find a way to find her, so I found a way to lure her to me. I talked to her while we fought, nothing else. I ended up losing to the rules of the battle and lost her. But I tracked her down and followed her," Hiei explained. "I am no fool, Kurama, so don't ever take me as one."
"I do not take you as a fool, Hiei. I never have. I just don't want you to go headlong into a battle that will kill you," Kurama said quietly. Hiei snorted.
"I never go into a battle I'm an not sure I can win."
"Hm. Well, there's a first time for everything," Kurama said, turning away. "Think about what I've said, Hiei." Hiei watched him go, his ruby eyes burning into his back.
'How dare he? I can take care of myself,' Hiei thought angrily, although his temper was hardly ruffled. He knew that Kurama was only looking out for his well being. Yet still. She was an enemy, yes, and he had always seen her as such. That would not change. He turned and walked away, replacing his hands in his pockets. He fingered the paper in his pocket, following its heated directions as he walked, still pondering over what the kitsune had said.
'But what if he's right? It wouldn't matter. I wont get pulled into a trap like that. Besides, I'd have to touch the sword for it to kill me. As long as that doesn't happen, I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about,' Hiei thought as he made his way toward the outskirts of the city. Trees loomed in the distance, into the sun, which was just beginning to descend from its zenith in the sky. People, much to his dismay, were becoming more and more abundant in the rush hour time of day. But he was nearly out of the city now, and it did not bother him as much as it would have due to the thoughts that ran through his head.
Overhead he heard the cry of an eagle and looked up to see one circling and gliding along air currents in the sky, which was slowly gaining color as the sun began to set. With another scream, it took toward the path he was taking into the thick trees before him. He continued on, following its flight deep into the forest. He stopped as he felt the energy on the 'map' in his pocket explode suddenly and looked around. To his right, in a tree branch about twelve feet off the ground, was Thorn, twirling a cigarette in her fingers. It was unlit. A question struck his mind dumb.
"No. I don't smoke. But I like to revel on how disgusting humans are," she answered to his thoughts softly. She broke the white stick in half, letting the contents stream to the ground.
"There you go again," Hiei said, turning toward her.
"What do you mean?"
"Talking about humans like you weren't one of them," he answered, watching her stoic face. She was silent for a moment.
"Because I no longer am a pure human," she said quietly. Hiei looked at her wearily.
"What do you mean?"
"My twin was pure human. I am not. BlackFire has tinted my blood. That's what makes me so different than my twin. That's what makes her weaker." Hiei did not say anything, but was surprised. Surely Kurama could have smelled her demonic blood, right? Then why didn't he? Well, it didn't matter, but it did answer a few questions.
"I take it you were there to listen to Koenma telling us our next mission?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Yes," she said simply.
"Then you know that I could kill you right now and he'd be happy."
"You're wrong. As long as I have BlackFire, or the Black Blaze as you call him, I cannot die. And if I come close then I will fail to contain him. And if that were to happen, now that he has found a body, he will emerge, and repeat the destruction that he began as an infant and continued for centuries. And I'm sure Koenma would not be happy with that." Hiei looked at her skeptically, but did not doubt what she said. "But you said you had questions to ask me. Ask them, but I will tell you the same thing I told Kurama, there is only a small chance I'll answer them. But I'm willing to give you some information. After all. I know far more about you than you do of me and it would only be fair." She shrugged.
"Who is Rose?" he asked, lining up the questions in his head. This one would answer the most questions the fastest, he reasoned.
"My twin."
"Where is she?" At this she smiled, laughing quietly to herself. Hiei grunted.
"I don't see what's so funny," he said. She gave him a side-long glance.
"You would if you were me."
"Just answer the question." She looked forward again as she raised a hand and began to tap her temple with her index finger.
"She's right here," she said. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I can see you're confused."
"I am."
"You know, during the storm, you were thinking about what I had said about how storms were like people?" she asked.
"Yes," he said through grit teeth, clearly angered at having her hack into his mind without him knowing.
"Well you had said 'She is two people. She is two rain clouds. But she says she is the wind. Indifferent. Which makes her three people. A confusing person.'." She looked at him. "Well, you were right. I am two people. Two rain clouds. One is Rose, who begs to be strong, and does not mind manipulating or deceiving, but finds killing distasteful. Then there is BlackFire. He holds a great strength, even more powerful than you or Kurama or you two combined. He finds killing delightful and demands the blood once a month, as well as a soul. But me. I am and the Wind. I am what has come of the clashing of the two clouds, a neutral party that follows the orders of the one who wins the battle. But since it is normally BlackFire, I have become less and less Rose. She is my sister. Yet she is not. We are the same person, altered by the strict training of BlackFire." She sighed just slightly and turned back to watch the west as the sun made its way slowly toward the horizon. A small breeze ruffled her hair. Hiei was forced to look away, not wanting to stare. But she was beautiful. Her coppery skin covering a lithe, yet strong body. Her long dark hair with its golden mirrors, reflecting the sun, was so soft looking, he wanted to touch it, so see if its softness was just an illusion or if it really was as silky as it looked. Her face was smooth, perfect, framed by two, thin, unruly locks that refused to remain behind her ears. Hiei ground his teeth. Was it as Kurama said? That she was seducing him for his soul? Agg! He should stop thinking like this. He turned back to her, she was looking at him again.
"Is there anything else you wanted to ask?" She hinted at something. Damn, he thought. She must know. Well, he wasn't about to ask. At least, not now.
"Why did you steal him?" he asked. She growled and removed her glare, sending it into the branch she was sitting on.
"I did not steal him. I rescued him. I guess you could say I broke him out of jail. Although he hopes for me to break him out of a much more permanent, more confining prison. His sword shape. But I did not steal him. Frankly, Rose forbids stealing, as does BlackFire," she said, the bite retreating from her voice as she spoke.
"Yet you let him steal the souls of the dead," Hiei quipped.
"No. He does not steal them. He just takes them. Their body has discarded them and so he accumulates them, taking their powers to ensure that they live much longer than they would in another body. Although I can see that you do not believe me, and I doubt that anyone else would either. But that is what I will tell you."
"I want to know. Are you controlled by the Black Blaze?" he asked, looking up at her. She smiled just a little.
"Do you really need to ask that question? You really don't need it answered. You have the answer."
"Do I?" he asked skeptically.
"You do. I did not draw blood, even when BlackFire was screaming at me, pressuring my mind and body to kill Kuwabara. I resisted, and succeeded in my mission," she told him.
"So he does not control you completely," Hiei summed up.
"He hardly controls me. Actually, Rose seems to control me more than he. At least, in the day she does. At night, he becomes more powerful, but she still remains in control. Actually, the night we battled was just me, it was my night of freedom. But still, he does become stronger in the darkness of night," she explained.
"Why does he kill as part of your training?"
"I told you that a few days ago, Hiei. You're just wondering if I have a different answer. I don't," she said.
"Hn. By killing what Rose holds close to her, he weakens her and gains more of your mind. Correct?" She nodded. "Why does he want that?"
"The weaker Rose becomes, the stronger he becomes. The more of my mind he has, the closer he becomes to killing Rose. Once she 'dies' or he becomes too powerful for her, he can acquire this body. But we, meaning Rose and I, will not let him. I may be a neutral party, but I still have my own thoughts and understand that he will only take this body and begin his reign of destruction once again. We don't want that. Yes, I know it sounds like we are trying to save the world, and in a way we are, but in all reality, we are just trying to save ourselves. We really don't care about the world, and we care less about its inhabitants with the exception of the strongest creatures. Of which, we feel, do not include humans. But there is one thing he does not know about us." She paused, removing the sword from her back and thrusting it into the tree's branch. Immediately, it creased to glow and its song stopped abruptly. It seemed to have fallen sleep. "Once I have taken his power, I will be the next 'dragon of destruction,' as he put it, and Rose and I will be the most powerful creature in all the worlds. He will never again control us." There was a long pause, as she seemed to finish.
"If you are trying to save yourselves, then why not just get rid of him?" Hiei asked. She smiled and brushed her long and callused, yet soft, fingers across the hilt of the silent sword.
"Because, first of all, both Rose and I hold him very dear. Although his methods of training are harsh and anger us, it makes us stronger, and we are grateful for it. But there is another reason." She took a breath as though to gather her thoughts. Jealous thoughts. "If there were to be another human who would get him, they might not be as strong as us, and he might be unleashed once again." Her tone suggested jealousy for the mentioned 'someone' that was not herself. "Both Rose and I are selfish and wish to have him only to ourselves. That is why we wont let Koenma obtain him. We want his power. We want his strength." Hiei thought about this for a long moment. The silence continued. It did not end, even after the youkai had collected his thoughts.
"You have one more question," she said finally.
"Actually, that is all I came to ask," Hiei said. "I should go, Kurama did not want me to come."
"Yes, I know everything that you two spoke of. Although, he did not know you were coming to see me. He gave you a warning, and you want to know the answer to it," Thorn said, glancing at him briefly.
'What is she talking about? Does she mean when Kurama told me that she wanted my soul? Does she really?' Hiei thought. Thorn chuckled softly.
"What?" he asked with a slight snap.
"BlackFire says yes. Rose said no. So conflicting," she said with another gentle rumble echoing from her throat. Hiei growled.
"But what do you say?"
"I have no say, I'm just a neutral party," she said with a shrug.
"Tell me." She sighed.
"I say both. At first, that was the idea. I was, at that time, listening mostly to BlackFire and I was trying to get both yours and Kurama's souls. But now, now I say not anymore."
"So at first you were just trying to get our souls, nothing more. But now you're not. Is that right?" he asked. She nodded. Not guiltily, just agreeing. "Is that why you followed us for so long?"
"Actually, no. But yes as well. I followed you at first to pay my debt. I owed Koenma mine as well as Rose's life, and so paid him back by saving yours. I also owed him BlackFire, a prize that was worth much more than just the couple healings I gave at the Tournament. So I found out where your next mission was and followed you, saving your lives. Really, he cannot take us, we have paid for every favor he gave us. But I don't want him to know just yet. I'll tell him soon enough. But I want to fight you four first. I'll only use it as, I guess you can almost call it blackmail, when or if I need to. Only if you four are much more powerful than I think you are. But I have studied you all extensively, and highly doubt it."
'So that's what she meant when she had a debt,' Hiei thought.
"So when you excepted Kurama's offer for training, that was to find our weakness'?" he asked aloud.
"Yes. It was supposed to be used as a time I could study your styles, and weakness' as well so that I could find the perfect time to take your souls," she admitted.
"But…?" Hiei hinted, prodding her on.
"But I thought better of it after the first week, although I did want to continue to use it to enhance my human abilities," she said with another shrug. "And that's all you need to know," she said, closing the subject.
"Hm," Hiei mused. She didn't seem to be hiding anything anymore. She was being very open with him. "Why are you answering my questions?" She turned to look at him.
"Because you asked."
"That's not what I mean. I've told you before and I'll tell you again, I am your enemy, so why are you telling me everything I want to know?" he asked. He had asked her this question many times, and not just aloud, but in his mind as well. But it still plagued him that she would tell him what seemed like truthful answers to all his questions. Unless they did not matter to her. But, no doubt, she had revealed something, although he might not be aware of it, that could be used as blackmail.
"Because I do not fear you telling anyone anything that matters."
"Why?" She smirked.
"You find my trust in you disturbing. Because, Hiei, I know that you, too, have many secrets that you would not like anyone to know about. You know that I am aware of your past. You would not be so foolish as to try to blackmail me when I have much more powerful information to blackmail you with. But in reality, I do not like to rely on my blackmailing skills. I only use it as a last resort. I know that you wont tell anyone, its just the way you work." Hiei gritted his teeth. She was right, in every way; unfortunately. He growled silently. Her face flickered just slightly into the most fleeting of smirks.
"You shouldn't be so sure that's how I work," he growled aloud. "I can be just as unpredictable as you." This time, the smirk turned into a smile and decided to stay as she looked down at him, her right leg swinging slightly over the branch's edge.
"That's what makes it so perfect. You are unpredictable in almost every sense. That's what makes it so entertaining. Never really knowing if you'll tell or not, yet knowing you wont," she said, the smile evident in her voice. "I mean, unless I lose my form of blackmail on you. For example, you tell Yukina that you are her brother. But, as you've said, you are a rogue and a felon, and you want better for her than what you are. Not to mention your Jagan Eye would kill you because of a certain promise you made in your past. Although I disagree with the thought that you would be less than the best of siblings to her, it is your choice not to tell her, or have someone else tell her. Not that I would tell her. I wouldn't. I would want you to tell her. She deserves that much. And it would make you look less like a coward." She leaned back on the tree's trunk, either ignoring or not seeing the heated red glare that came her way. She sighed and closed her eyes, resting her left elbow on her left knee, the tips of her fingers caressing the hilt of the weapon that still lay imbedded in the tree trunk, running over the smooth scales and the round, sapphire gem. Hiei watched her in the silence. But it wasn't really silent. Birds flew in the air, chirping and screeching as they flew through the trees in the dimming light. The air rustled around them lazily, making the trees sigh contently in its wake.
Hiei began to turn away. Every question he had had been answered.
"Where are you going?" Thorn asked curiously, neither opening her eyes nor turning toward him but hearing his movements. The huff of his cloak, the nearly silent crush of litter beneath his boots. Hiei paused and turned back to look at her.
"I am done here. I have nothing more to say or ask. There is no reason for me to stay," he answered.
"I see," she answered. But sadness seemed to trace the depths of her voice. Hiei was surprised to hear it. "I enjoy your company, Hiei. I really do."
"Hn," he grunted.
'I do too,' he thought, again turning away and walking back the way he had come. He missed the smile that spread over her face as she felt him leave, but he knew that she had heard his unspoken words.
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Authoress' Note: yet another chapter completed!
Kurama: SHE WANTED OUR SOULS?! J-san, how could you?!
J: -shrug- I dunno. I didn't even see that turn coming when I wrote this chapter. And I knew that I had to have a 'questions answered' type chapter or else I'd totally confuse everyone.
Kurama: -chibi pout- but why?
Random Fangirls: -swoon-
J: -glare- damn them! -stalks off toward fan girls, who are currently drooling over Kurama's chibi pout-
Yusuke: -rolls eyes- anyway.
Kuwabara: an' I dun talk li'e tha' no mo'e.
Yusuke: -rolls eyes- baka. Yes you do.
Kuwabara: nu' I dun! -slurs from wheelchair- -glare through bandages-
J: -comes back after chasing away fan girls- -sigh- damn them. -looks to Kuwabara- are you still playing that stupid 'feel bad for me because I'm sick' game? Because it's getting really old. -gets out magic spoon-
Magic Spoon sparkles and Kuwabara's bandages and wheelchair disappear, as well as his slur.
Kuwabara: -eyes water- -runs off crying-
Hiei: -rolls eyes- now you've done it. He'll go to our owner and whine. Baka.
J: -growls- better not or I'll have to hurt him… -thinks- or make a fool outta him. -evil grin-
Yusuke: he's done it now. Baka.
Reviews:
SilverKnight7: hai, evil! ^_^ hmm, question of the day! But it's answered in this chapter, so I guess you don't need me to tell ya! Hai, finals do suck. I have midterms -scrunches up face is disgust- well, I'm happy that yer online reading stories. ^_^ makes me feel special!
Miyako14: here's yer update! Enjoy!
Midnightdream51: a swift update today! Freeze day here in central NY so no school! Yay! ^_^. Lol, yes, I'm sooo covering for you about the good stories take time -cough-not -cough- it's true! Good stories DO take time! same here about trashing stories. I loose interest and stuff. And I start so many that I have to get rid of some of them. -shrug- dun worry, you wont loose ME. I'm way too eager to read yer story! Well, make the plot 'reappear'! ^_^ get a magic kitchen utensil like myself! (I OWN the magic wooden spoon). Oohh. Well, get the story on yer comp finished and post it! ^_^ now I'm excited and can't wait to read it! -hits over head with wooden spoon- well, git yer willingness back! -grins- o:D And I really do wanna read the story you took off! Pweease ? -pout- with sugar on top and… Kuwabara for rent? Lol. And I read sucky work all the time, so don't be so embarrassed! (and in all truth I really do have nothing better to do ^_^')
All selfishness/stupidity is excused! ^_^ and the question part was n/p. I enjoyed it! It made me think about the readers point of view so that I could edit this chapter to make It better! ^_^ and I DID make it a lot better. And the pressure to update is GOOD! Lol. And I DO pressure you.. Right now! ~Pressuring J: update now dammit! I wanna read! Grr! Don't make me get the spoon out and hit you!~ lol. ^_^ j/k about the magic spoon bashing part. YAY! Glad you made the connection. I do realize now that it was a very sketchy connection that I made, but in the next two chapters he's revealed as being the wolf :X whoops! Wasn't suppose to say that! All: -shake head- -mumbles- can't keep a secret… ^_^' anyway. Lol, yes, last chapter was an informative chapter, as will be the next few until… a big scene I have planned. ^_^ glad my answers helped! -grins- I LOVE suspense! And I like keeping people in it, just not so long that they'll go insane or anything… cuz then, I've learned, they can't read! -looks nervously over at readers of first few fics, mumbling incoherently in straight-jackets- *sweat drops* err.. Yeah. ^_^ thanks again for the wonderful review!
Teaser:
Hiei shook his head. No, she wasn't trusting him. No doubt she could have jumped up at any moment and caught him off guard. But his guard had been tough that night, he had ensured it. That must have been why she did not attack. No, she had just been using a mask to give the image of being careless. Rose had been a good actor, she must have picked up that trait from her. That's it! She was acting. Nothing more. Well that answered alot of questions.
Hiei settled back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes as he became comfortable. Well, if it answered so many questions, then why did he have the feeling there were still many that went unanswered?
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J: yes, well next chapter just happens to be kind of short. I know I know, dun get mad, but it is! Goman.
Please review, for the newly-white button makes Kuwabara suffer emmence pain and gets Hiei sweet snow!^_^
Hiei: you had better review….