Warnings: None really..

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Four: No Need for Sacrifice

Kurama looked around his modest room with sharp and calculating green eyes. He paused. There was something different. Yes, he had felt the same sensation the day Thorn had come to break the training deal. As though something was about to happen. This time, though, he would not ignore the feeling as he had then. His eyes fled to the window. Hiei was not in the tree, and hadn't been since morning when Kurama had woken and had left for school, but there was some creature shifting within it. The window was closed, although not locked. He walked over to it, scanning the branches cautiously. There was a bird in it. A large bird with bright brownish-gold feathers. It looked to be a golden eagle. But it was just slightly bigger and he could easily tell it wasn't. It looked at him with shinning, green eyes. It was not a real eagle, he knew. It's eyes weren't the only aspect that gave it away, although it was the main one. The eyes of a golden eagle were brownish red, not a bright, haunting green.

Kurama opened the window and took a step back as the eagle hopped onto the ledge. Its wings spread just slightly before closing as it settled on the ledge, revealing their large feathers and huge wingspan of about six or more feet, the shape changing into that of a young woman.

Thorn looked up at him from under the two bronze strands of hair, as well as a few thick locks that fell around her cheeks. She jerked her head up, sending the straight tresses back into a glistening cloud of gold, pushing them behind her ears, two rebellious locks falling back in front of her face. She sat straighter on the window's sill, her arms on either side of her, resting on the sill's edge as she crossed her booted ankles, leaning forward just slightly as she looked at Kurama with an unreadable expression.

They didn't say anything, instead just looked into the other's green eyes. Kurama took a silent, deep breath through his keen nose. As he had thought, her blood smelled different. But he had not been close enough the last time he had seen her to get a clear scent. But it was there. She looked different as well. She was... taller? She must use her shape-shifting skills to change her size he reasoned as he looked her over in his peripheral vision, his eyes glued to her own.

"What are you thinking?" Thorn asked curiously. Kurama blinked.

"Nothing," he said, his tone deep and blank. The rims of her lips curled just slightly.

"I know that is not the case," she replied almost sweetly.

"What do you want?" he asked, changing the subject, his voice slightly demanding. It was her turn to deny an answer to his question.

"Nothing."

"That's not true," he said. Her eyes laughed for just a split second. A mocking laugh.

"We're going in circles," she said. She stood up slowly. She was just as tall as him now, and her eyes were looking into his, but not baringly so. The look was almost soft, he noticed. The Black Blaze on her back glowed slightly. Kurama's eyes strayed to it for just a second.

"You're afraid of him, aren't you, Kurama?" she asked, stepping closer. His eyes returned to hers.

"No," he replied flatly.

"Well, I beg to differ. Youko is afraid of him. At least, he was. Tell me, what do you think Kuronue would say if you told him that you were this close to such a creature?" she asked, the curl to her lips widening sadly. Kurama was forced to take a step back. His eyes grew wide.

"H-how did you know?" he asked. The image of running with Kuronue away from the sinister creature flashed before his eyes in a flickering scene, his old, deceased partner leaping by his side.

"I've seen it, Kurama, the Black Blaze has shone me his memories. Even the great Youko felt that fear. Now, you feel it as he did." She stepped closer again. "But this time, there is a chance you will die," she whispered quietly. Her eyes, her expression, the way she moved, suggested that she was about to slaughter him. Yet there was something else too, a grace that didn't so much as hint the deadly look on her face. It was almost flirtatious, appealing to the eye, as if she had never thought of taking a life in her entire span of living. Kurama froze as she raised her left hand, uncertain as to if move away from it's poisonous touch as it rose higher. But she did not reach for the pleadingly humming sword on her back as he had originally thought. Instead, her hand brushed against his right cheek, so light it was nothing more than a breeze sighing sweetly against the skin.

"But," she continued quietly. "I will not kill you. And I don't suggest you try to kill me either, Kurama. I came to warn you, actually. Don't try to kill me, or he will kill you." Her eyes looked into his deeply, implanting the idea in his mind gently. He wanted to twist away from her touch, but it was so soft. A touch you wanted to lean into, one you never wanted to leave, you wanted it only to continue its soothing and comforting strokes.

"Who will kill me?" he asked, his voice recovering, breaking through the wall of shock in a quiet, almost whimpering tone. She leaned in closer and whispered in his ear.

"The Black Blaze spared you once. If you try to kill me, he will come back and take back the favor. And once I am unable to control him, he will rule both the human and the demon world with their fear of him, even if he does nothing wrong enough to make Koenma send his detectives after him. You will not survive a second encounter with him, Kurama. Lucky Kuronue isn't here, or you might have had to see him die again," she whispered. He knew by her tone that she was deadly serious.

"But how did he know we were there?"

"He knows many things. His power is unlimited. Not to mention, he could smell your fear, even over the stench of smoke and blood. He showed you his power. He wanted you to know just how easily he could kill. How much you were like the other demons. How effortless it would be to take your soul. He was insane then. He had no sheath to harness his bloody sword. Now he does. But if you destroy the sheath, the sword will again be bathed in blood. Perhaps even your blood." She looked at him seriously. "Do you understand, Kurama?" she asked.

"Yes, I understand," he answered gravely. She smiled and her hand fell to her side.

"Good. Oh, and I also came to tell you something else." Her mood seemed to lighten. "If, by some miraculous fluke you four do defeat me, don't let Yusuke touch the Black Blaze." Kurama gave her a confused look, his brow furrowing in question. "I just have this feeling. Make Kuwabara take him instead. I might not like Yusuke, but that doesn't mean he should be sacrificed. But the chances are slim to none that it will happen. Just keep it in mind." Thorn looked at him again and gave the quietest of chuckles. Her hand rose up and brushed away a stray lock of hair that had fallen into his eye, obscuring their brilliant emerald depths. She smiled again, but it wasn't her smile that made the kitsune want to shudder, and not just in fear, for sure. Her fingers were eerily gentle as they brushed against his skin. Kindness seemed to drive them, although he knew how deadly they could become with just a simple manipulation of her energy.

"If I didn't know any better, I could swear you were an innocent," she said quietly, her eyes deep and wondrous, flowing softly into his own. Kurama continued to look back at her stiffly.

"I could say the same," he replied. Thorn's fingers stopped stroking his long red hair and slowly retreated.

"Yes. Yes, you could," she said simply, quietly. Kurama stood there rigidly, as she turned away, her features tracing just a hint of sadness.

"When?" he asked. She turned her head to look back at him, the sun reflecting off the surface of her incandescent eyes.

"When what?"

"When will you come to inform us that you are ready to fight?" She looked out the window once again, and Kurama could not see her expression.

"I don't know yet. But it wont be long." She turned back to look at him mischievously and gave a half-smile. "Be patient. I will come to you. Just make sure you are ready when that time comes. And tell the others not to go off looking for me on their own. If they do I cannot guarantee that they will come back unharmed, or even in one piece," she said as she turned away from him.

Kurama watched in silence as her shape molded before him until a white eagle stood before him. Her bright green eyes glanced back at him, revealing a black scar between them, as the color blended into a brownish gold once again. She flapped her wings and landed on the window sill, where she turned her head a full ninety degrees to look at him once more. In a loud flutter of wings, she took off, leaving only a few feathers and a small screech in her wake as a farewell.

Kurama watched as Thorn left, out of his sight in just a few seconds as she ascended upward. His gaze turned downward, watching a large wing/flight feather drift slowly onto his carpet, catching a drop of sunlight and shinning a dull gold in it. He stood a moment without moving, just looking at it, watching it wink sleepily in the sunlight. He went over and picked it up, holding it gently and examining it. Its texture was soft as he ran his fingers over it lightly. Taking it, he walked over to his desk and sat down.

He began to think.

*

Hiei made his way back toward Kurama's house slowly. He must have walked around the city two or three times throughout the day. Restless was an understatement for his inability to keep still. As soon as he awoke that morning, just as the sun began to paint far-away rooftops, he couldn't help but fidget where he sat. As first he thought it was because of lack of exercise, so he took a long run at the edge of the city. It calmed him considerably, but he still felt reluctant to sit still. Finally, three hours and two sword-cleanings later, he got up from his tree and walked back to the city. He took his time, taking in the sights without interest. After another lap of the city the sun was beginning to dip in the sky. Kurama would be home by now, even if he had stayed after school for some useless class, Hiei thought. So he began to make his way back toward the Minamino house.

Kurama's window, Hiei noticed, lay open, a sure sign that he had returned. His mother always closed it after the boy had left for school and before she left for work.

Hiei swiftly jumped into the tall tree beside the window, stopping only when he reached his personal branch, which lay even with the window's sill. His hand lay on the familiar bark as he knelt on a single knee.

Pause.

Rewind.

He looked down at the wood. There were a dozen or so incises cut into the wood. They were deep, caused by powerful talons. He looked around him. There was a small, rich, mahogany-dyed feather. He went over and picked it up. A hawk perhaps? A falcon of some kind? No, the claw marks were much too large for either of those. He placed the feather on his open palm, where an abrupt, yet sighingly slow breeze snagged it from him. He could have grabbed it if he had been driven to, but watching it float away in its freedom seemed much more enjoyable.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked from the window. He had heard the soft foot-falls as the youkai had jumped up into the tree and had turned in his chair after placing Thorn's feather into a desk drawer so the slight wind did not blow it away. He watched as Hiei had observed the markings on the tree and picked up the feather. He saw a far-away look come to the demon's face as he watched the feather being gently pulled from his palm, like a mother prying loose an object from a child that did not know the danger it held, and placing it out of reached.

Hiei turned toward Kurama slowly, but it was not slowly enough to erase the look in his garnet eyes, although it disappeared a moment later. But Kurama had seen the sadness that had shadowed the valley in his eyes before it was covered in its usual, protective, fog.

"What?" Hiei asked, feeling slightly uneasy at the look on his friend's face. At first it was a blinking form of surprise before reverting back into its normal softness.

"Nothing," Kurama answered, turning away.

"Hn." Hiei returned his gaze to the sky, but the breeze that had taken the feather was long since gone, taking its prize with it.

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

Authoress' Note: End of this chappy! ^_^ I know ya'll probably dun like the point that I made it short, yet again, but it's all good!

Kuwabara: -whispers- hey, Urimeshi, why is she so happy-like? People are gunna get mad!

Yusuke: -whispers- she got her first flame.

Kuwabara: -confused- what the hell is a flame? Like, fire?

Kurama: no, it's more like criticism.

Kuwabara: and she likes it because….?

Hiei: -shrug- we don't exactly know.

J: Oi! Don't think I can't hear you boys and yer mutterings over there!

All: -gulp-

J: ^_^ but that's okay! I forgive you!

Yusuke: that… I find creepy.

J: So many reviews! -twirls- let's answer them, then I'll tell everyone how the manga of YYH is so much better than the anime! ^_^

Reviews:

Midnightdream51(For chapter 4): ^_^ glad you reread and got some answers!

Miyako14: thank ye!

SilverKnight7: The final battle is… coming. Kinda. There's still about three or four chapters until the first half of the final battle!

I hate Mary sues: ^_^ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MY FIRST FLAME! -huggles- it makes me feel SO special! -ahem- okay, serious (kinda) now. I do realize that Thorn is a mary sue character. I realized this about four chapters into the story by reading another, of which had gotten a review saying that their charry was a mary-sue as well. ^_^ but I was already getting reviews, so I shrugged it away and said (literally aloud) 'To hell with it. I'll post it anyway. If they don't like it, too damn bad.' ^_^. But I, too, don't especially like Mary-Sues, but if the writing and plot is good, I'll read it anyway. ^_^. Call me weird. I'm sorry to hear that you don't like my story because of that fact… anyway, enjoy it if you can bare it! Although I do promise that she seems less 'Mary-Sue' like soon, like in about… err… five or six chapters! :X but I can't tell you more than that! If you continue to read my story, I honor your ability to stick it out and keep reading. ^_^ THANK YOU AGAIN!

Midnightdream51:

^_^' yes, now, what do you think of having TWO short chapters? -laughs nervously, thinking 'please don't hurt me'- ^_^ yup, 5 day weekend this time! And I have next Monday off for Regents! -growl- damn state tests. I have to go in on Monday at 12 to take my Math A. damn NY and their precious state tests! NY is the hardest state to graduate high school from and people wonder why! Because they make our state tests so freakin' hard! -pauses for breath- -crickets- err… perhaps I should stop ranting, hai? ^_^' hope yer brother's head knots (from pummeling him -think the big anime bumps the charry's get when their girlfriend or friend hits them: ex- keiko hitting Yusuke-) go away. Maybe you gave him a headache in exchange for getting sick! Don't you just hate it when the stories have good plots, but the author is not such a great writer! I feel so bad for those people, because they come up with the most brilliant ideas! -evil grin- HAI! A sequel! I'm nearly finished with it. Actually, I think I'm on the last few chapters. I still haven't decided if this will be a trilogy yet. Maybe. I only have a vague idea if it is. Yay for you! Now all you have to do is post that story! -hint hint- -wink- ^_^ oh? I'll take that into consideration when I write in the future! From end to beginning, eh? Wow, I would get so confused.. Lol. I totally understand where yer coming from with the whole OOC thing! It's happened A LOT in this fic, and I've edited nearly every chapter because of OOCness. CONNECTIONS KICK! Empowered is a great word for it! For sure! Yay! -does happy dance- I'm gunna read the wolf story! And yeah, the title for this story is kinda like that, where you get the meaning of the title only at the end. X3 . Me no tell no more! And brainstorming as we speak is okay. ^_^ just as long as it's happening, right? Hai! Err… no I don't really know too much about Greek mythology, although I loved it when we talked about it in global. I find it very romantic as stories go. ^_^ lol. Hiei, I wish you would do that for me! Kurama always ends up doing it only AFTER I spoil it! Maybe I could bribe him to stop my slip-ups with sweet snow as well… -ponders- lol! Hot chocolate is GOOD! Especially for writers block! I like those AMP and other small cans of energy drinks! They really get the brain movin'! um, and yes, for the most part, my stories are ALL tragedies. ^_^ just not Hiei and chocolate. But for the most part, they all are. -shrug- I dunno. I like to make my readers cry! :D yes, a little bittersweetness. This one is bittersweet I guess you could say. But, I must say, I prefer angst. ^_^ lol about the needed excuse for rambling writers! Dun worry, as you can see, I do it all the time! Gaa! Yer already haunting me with all the suspense! I can't wait! Well, you didn't have to be too pacient for this one. It's pretty much on time, if not early! I've noticed that I've upped my chapters from once a week to twice! 0.0 gaa, this thing'll be over in no time at all! The ice cream scooper! Err.. -random thought- -Hiei getting ahold of metal ones and bashing Kuwabara- damn, he needs to be alive for the fic. -Hiei getting ahold of plastic one, busting it up and using the sharp edges to cut people-. Err… ^_^. I just bought a LARGE tub yesterday, so I'm all good on the sweet snow for a while yet. And I have NO clue where the Hiei 3's sweet snow or is a chocoholic. -shrug- and the romance is well… kinda half-hearted on my part. I don't really like romance, but I don't think this story would make it without it. ^_^ and I LOVE huge reviews! Keep 'em comin'! thank ye! (yer rev. response took up a whole page! 0.0)

Tomboy: ^_^ thank ye! As I told Midnight, I've started to update twice a week! 0.0. Yay for me! ^_^ I know, blame it on most of the peeps who write Inuyasha fics, because they got me thinking about the teasers and such, which make my A/N nearly as long as my short chapters! 0.0. And cliffies DO come up soon! ^_^ just to warn you. So, teasers, AND cliffies. Damn, I'm evil! And the e-mail addy is no biggy, since I copy and paste from the review e-mail I get yer entire review so that I don't have to keep going back from word to AOhelL just to type it up. ^_^ but, here's fer you, just Tomboy! ^_^ thank ye again!

Teaser:

"Oh, Yusuke, your friends are here. They said they had to talk to you," Atsuko said, smiling up at her son before getting up from her chair groggily and swaying into another room. Yusuke grumbled and sat in her chair with a heavy 'pluff' in annoyance from the cushion.

"So what's up, guys?" he asked through a yawn, blinking at the sleep with heavy eyelids. Kurama looked at Hiei, who nodded without looking at him, staring at his cup and the rippling surface of its liquid once again.

"I found this when I woke up this morning," Kurama said, removing a paper from his pocket and handing it to the boy, who yawned again.

Yusuke took the paper and looked at it, then looked up at Kurama strangely.

"Yeah, Kurama. Its paper. What the hell is so important about a sheet of paper that you had to wake me up at nine in the morning on a Saturday for?" he growled, waving it in front of the kitsune's face. Hiei gave a chuckle while Kurama sighed.

"Yusuke, flip the paper over," Kurama said.

"Baka," Hiei said with a small smile.

++++++++

J: ^_^ me so evil! Anyway! I just wanted to tell everyone that if you really want to understand YYH, get the manga! I bought the first volume and it really stretched the first five eps out so that you really understand what's happening! It's soooo cool! I love it! It is currently one of my most prized possessions! Alright, since this a/n has gone on long enough, Yusuke, you do the disclaimer.

Yusuke: me?! Why?

J: because yer a baka in the next chapter!

Yusuke: -grumbles- J does not own us. She owns The Black Blaze/BlackFire, Rose, and Thorn. Happy?

J: -nods- yes! Please review! I think I'm going to start requesting reviews sometime in the next few chapters. Like, probably only four or five, the norm that I get. ^_^ just because I LOVE reviews!