Warnings: fight, fight, FIGHT!

The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Begin the Battle

"What's the matter with Hiei, Kurama?" Yusuke asked quietly. The sky was beginning to lighten in the east, although dawn was still nearly an hour away. They had planned to be up early to search for Thorn, grouping together fifteen minutes before. Kurama still remembered the hesitating glances from Shizuru as they picked Kuwabara up. By the looks she had given them, she had received another dream from Thorn.

The kitsune looked behind him at the youkai, who was walking slowly with his hands in his pockets. He seemed in a daze and it was clear he had hardly slept the night before. His eyes had a far-away gloss to their cherry depths. He had hardly spoken since Kurama had awoken, telling him only to take the message Thorn had left with them.

"I don't know. I've never seen him like this before."

"Well just as long as it doesn't interfere with his fighting it can wait," Yusuke said, quickening his step to come even with Kuwabara. Kurama looked back and shortened his stride, falling even with the black-clad fire youkai. Hiei offered no indication that he had registered the move.

Hiei had not slept after his encounter with the Black Blaze the night before. Well, actually, it had been about three in the morning when the wolf had appeared, so technically he had not slept in the remainder of the early morning. His thoughts were boggled, a whirlwind of questions and feelings that refused to settle into place so that he might decipher them.

Love? What had BlackFire meant by that? And if he were to die, Thorn would as well? What did that mean? Perhaps it would be because without his influence, Rose would return. But why didn't he kill Hiei while he was sleeping to keep him from killing either of them? Surely he had the power to do so, as well as the time. But he woke him instead to rely a message that he did not understand. And how could he emerge like that? Without Thorn containing him? He seemed free to do as he wished at the time. But why? And how? How indecipherable. He couldn't understand it.

Kurama stopped suddenly, his hands in his pockets. Realizing that the kitsune wasn't following, Yusuke stopped and turned around. Kuwabara followed suit and Hiei ended up nearly running into the two.

"Watch what you're doing," he growled, following their gazes back toward Kurama, who was pulling something out of his pocket.

"What is it, Kurama?" Yusuke asked. Kurama looked down at the paper he had taken from his pocket. It glowed, energy coming from it. Hiei watched, silent. He knew what was occurring. She was calling them.

"There's a sword here," he said in a questioning tone. Yusuke gave him a confused look and stepped forward, looking over his shoulder.

"What dayya mean?" Kuwabara asked, stepping forward as well and peering at the parchment.

"Hey yeah, that wasn't there before," the carrot-top said as he looked at it.

"Its pulling me this way," Kurama said, walking to his right, crossing the empty street. Hiei seemed to brighten at this and followed the other three willingly. They walked for a half hour before they came to the edge of a sparse wood. They hesitated at its edge, looking at each other. They nodded in determination.

"Let's go," Yusuke said seriously as they took a step into the forest. It took them another ten minutes to pinpoint the location, but when they did they held their breath as they listened to the faint morning sounds around them. They didn't see Thorn anywhere.

"Ya sure its here?" Kuwabara asked, looking around with a careful eye. Kurama looked at the paper again.

"Yes. Its not pulling me anywhere," he answered as he looked down on it. The sword. It was the Black Blaze. That might not be a good sign. He looked up.

"Do you feel anything, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara seemed to think for a moment, glancing around him with more urgency.

"Yeah. Yeah! She's here alright. But I can't tell where," he said. They all looked around cautiously. Hiei's eyes darted around the large clearing they were now situated in. Apparently, she felt they would need space. It was as large as the Tournament arena, with wavy grass that grew to their ankles. Trees lined its edge, as if planted by some perfectionist god who wanted them to grow in a perfect circle. The ground was flat and free of rocks, the sun beginning to lighten the watery black that dusted the clearing as it rose.

"Come on out, Thorn!" Yusuke called. He was answered with the double-thumps of soft, booted feet landing. They all jerked their heads to their left.

The short girl emerged from the shadows, her face deadly serious and expressionless. Her long, purposeful stride brought her into their view quickly, the absence of trees bringing light to her features, although the shadows on her face only seemed to deepen. But what deepened the shadows around her bright, glowing green eyes to a higher degree than the tree's umbrage was the sword on her back, which glowed cheerfully under her no-nonsense braid. Hiei narrowed his eyes. The Black Blaze. She looked at them from their left, making her way carefully into the clearing's center.

"Thorn. You should stop this," Kurama said coaxingly. She glared at him, then closed her eyes, but did not humor them with her usual, amused smirk or even a change of expression. All was silent as she stopped in front of them, her face hard and her body cloaked in shadows. The sun was approaching from the boy's right, her left, but it was still a far-cry from dawn.

"Come with us and we'll take you to see Koenma," Kurama continued when she said nothing. Silence.

"Hey! Are you listening?" Yusuke demanded, his right hand forming a fist.

"Yusuke, stay calm. We should try to reason with her first," Hiei said, unconscious of his own actions, yet knowing that was what Kurama was trying to do. In vain. Yusuke turned to look at him, noticing the gloss in his eyes as he spoke and wondering about it.

"Thorn. Please, listen to me," Kurama began. Yusuke turned back in time to see the girl's eyes bolt open, their unnatural glow startling them all. "L-let us take you to Spirit World."

"You should know better, Kurama." Her eyes bore into his own intimidating. "I refuse your offer," she said darkly, making them all shudder.

"Then you give us no choice," the kitsune said. "We must to take you by force." She growled slightly.

"As you wish," she said quietly. Kuwabara stepped forward.

"I'm goin' first you guys! I have a score to settle here!" Kuwabara said, looking at the girl. She glared at him with her intense eyes. She shrugged.

"If it pleases you. Your sister should have taken my advice and kept you at home. But it seems she does not believe everything she dreams. Although she should start," the girl said.

'If I remember correctly, Shizuru had said that her dream had warned her not to let Kuwabara come. That he would be...' Kurama took a sharp breath and his eyes widened. 'She's going to kill him!'

"Kuwabara! Don't be an idiot! You can't take her on by yourself!" Yusuke growled at his school and teammate.

"Shut-up, Urimeshi! This time I wont hold back." Kuwabara said first addressing Yusuke, and then Thorn, walking toward her. Her usual smirk did not grace her face. She seemed to grim at the prospect but spoke, none the less, in her dark tones.

"Unfortunately for you, neither will I." Kuwabara ground his teeth and formed his Spirit Sword in his right hand. He rushed forward determinedly, sword held at ready. Yusuke clenched a fist and opened his mouth to retort, but was held back as Kurama spoke.

"Let him fight. It will give us a chance to study her skills, Yusuke. It was unavoidable." Yusuke growled and stood down, settling to watch the battle.

Thorn disappeared as Kuwabara swung his sword, her shape reforming behind him, seeming to seep up above the ground in a black blob before taking on definition. He looked around and upon finding her, turned and swung again. The act was repeated.

"Hey! Cut it out! Stand and fight!" Kuwabara yelled after the fourth attempt to strike her. He turned around once again to see her standing there placidly. She did not move as he turned.

"As you wish, Kuwabara. I respect the last requests of the Living Dead," she said. He growled and charged in impudently once more. He jumped up, bringing his sword down heavily. She didn't even blink. Suddenly, his attack was brought to an abrupt halt. They all gasped. Thorn's right hand flew upward, catching his attack as he landed. Her hand lay clasped around the shimmering Spirit Sword, clothed in a thick black glove that seemed to resist the sword's power to slice through its tough hide. Kuwabara ground his teeth and tried to force his sword down harder. When it did not work he tried to pull it away. Her strength held it and he felt like she was pulling it toward her, extracting it from his hand. But the sword's shape remained the same. He tried to call back his energy, but as he did it seemed only to extract more from him.

"Hey! Give it back!" he growled, panting for breath and trying desperately to wrench his energy from her grasp. Her face was blank as she looked at him, consuming his energy.

"A shame you would end this way. Now Koenma can finally accuse me of stealing something," she said as he weakened.

"What is she doing to him?" Yusuke asked Kurama uncertainly.

"She is... stealing all of his Spirit Energy," he said, his eyes wide.

"But... if she does that then she'll take his life energy and he'll..." Yusuke paused, realization striking him dumb.

"Yes. He will die unless she stops soon," Kurama said quietly. Hiei was silent as he watched.

With a flick of her wrist, Thorn sent Kuwabara crashing through a tree behind him, his body stopping only when he came against a thick oak tree. (Do they have oaks in Japan?). He groaned and fell to the ground just as Shizuru burst into the clearing, his mind flooding into darkness before he could even catch a glimpse of his sisier.

"Go to him. I have taken nearly enough. But I despise killing when one who loves them is watching. Unless I kill them as well. But you hold nothing I desire. It would be a waste of life. Go, before I change my mind and kill him," Thorn said to the older girl, who stood in chock. The boys all watched as Shizuru clenched her jaw and ran to her younger brother. She knelt beside his unconscious body before turning toward the other girl.

"Bitch," she snarled. Thorn remained expressionless as she turned away.

"He will live. This time." She looked at the boys before her. Yusuke seethed in enmity. "Be thankful for the smallest of favors I hand to you."

"Yusuke, we should work together to get her," Kurama said, looking at him as the boy took another step forward. Yusuke fist clenched tighter, but he nodded.

"I would say now to give up, but I know you will not stop until we are dead or unable to fight. I just want to warn you though, that I have both Kuwabara's as well as the Black Blaze's spirit energy, as well as my own. You will not succeed in your mission," she said in her blank, melodious, voice.

"We will see," Kurama said. Yusuke bolted forward, his speed blinding. He was a distraction.

"Rose Whip!" Kurama called, his vine snaking its way toward the girl as he transformed the rose that lay hidden under this thick red locks. She dodged and Yusuke flew in toward her, his hand reaching for the sword that lay on her back. She growled and turned toward him with bared teeth. She grabbed his wrist roughly, twisting it uncomfortably.

"Never touch him, Yusuke. He is set upon killing you and to touch him will only give him the chance he desires," she said in a fierce growl. He twisted away, his hand in his trade-mark 'Spirit Gun' position as his index finger began to glow a bluish tint.

"Shut up," he spat as he leaped away.

Kurama lashed out once more with his whip, gaining her attention as Yusuke powered-up for his shot. She glared at him, but was not quick enough to spring away. She pulled her arms up in a block, yet did not succeed entirely. The vine slashed at her revealed stomach, drawing a thin line of blood. Kurama's eyes widened.

'That was a direct hit, she should be bleeding freely now, but from the wound's size, it looks as if I only scratched her,' Kurama thought in confusion.

"You have tarnished the thickest armor known to any creature with that whip. A dragon's armor cannot be pierced, yet you have done it," Thorn said, lowering her arms as she ran her fingers across the mark, soiling them with blood. "It seems I underestimated you for that."

"Shut-up! I'm still here too!" came Yusuke's voice from above her. She looked up, but did not seem surprised to see him aiming down at her from the sky, the sun's distant rays barely touching him.

"Spirit Gun!" he cried as his energy erupted from his fingertip down upon her. She hardened her jaw and brought her hands up in a blocking stance.

"Shield of Hunger!" she cried as a black wall surrounded her fingers and spread to guard her entire front. Yusuke's Spirit Gun blast seemed to be absorbed, yet it pushed her down into a straining holding position, as if she was trying to hold up some unbearable weight. With a tremendous heave, she threw the shield at a tree to her right. Away from both Hiei and Kurama, they noticed, as well at Shizuru and Kuwabara, who lay behind her. She fell to a knee, panting, as if the weight had been a real one.

"What?!" Yusuke gasped as he landed before her.

'The shield ate Yusuke's attack,' Kurama thought. 'I never seen anything like it before.'

"That was heavy, Yusuke. I do not like that," Thorn said, looking at him with her glowing eyes. She stood up, panting.

"Too damn bad," Yusuke said, rising his hand once more into the Spirit Gun position. Thorn's eyes darted to her left, at Kurama's incoming whip. With a quick back flip she dodged, although she was not so lucky with his second attack. It lashed out at her shoulder, biting into her flesh, although this time no blood was spilled. She stopped after being struck, her hand straying to the pain. Yet she had no time to rest as Yusuke shot a second bullet of Spirit Energy. This turn she did not have time to create the shield that she had used before and instead engulfed herself in her own bright blue energy, the sphere's edge rippling serpentine rivers of black. Her hands formed the thickest part of the orb as the shot struck it, and her hands flung it upwards into the sky. She retreated the rest of the orb back into her body with a growl, although it was much less than it had been before. She panted before Yusuke, staring at him menacingly.

"I did not like that either, Yusuke. It was almost painful," she said, staring at him boldly.

"I'm going to kill you for what you did to Kuwabara!" he yelled at her brazenly. She didn't even give a humored smirk.

"Ha. I'd like to see you try. I really would."

"You will."

"Yusuke! Use your Spirit Wave!" Kurama yelled, his Rose Whip flying towards Thorn. She held up her arms in defense, but it seemed that was what Kurama had wanted. His whip wrapped itself around her wrists, paralyzing them in living cuffs. She looked at them, then at Kurama, fighting him. She turned to Yusuke, who was completing the Spirit Wave attack. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled back, baring her teeth in threat as she turned back to Kurama.

"How dare you!" she hissed. Her eyes became glowing slits. "Fine. If you wish to play in such a way, you may choose your death. I was going to make it quick. But I will let the Black Blaze take it from here." Hiei noticed, standing on the sidelines, watching the battle, waiting for his turn, her hands slowly rising. The medallion at her throat began to glow a fierce azure in the shadows, its eyes glowing as hers did, its hue the only difference, as well as the lack of pupil on the crest. Now that he came to see, the dragon that had reared upon her wall, as well as the one in Koenma's book, was the same one that snarled at her throat, its bright eyes, its shinning black texture of colored iron, as well as the scar that lay between the cunning eyes. His eyes widened.

"Kurama!" he called too late. Her fingers grasped it against her palm. With a quick twist of her flexible body, she released it from over her head, making her braid smack against her right shoulder as she tossed it aside. Consequently by Hiei's feet.

"Its too late, Hiei. It is too late..." she whispered, the latter statement able to be confused with speaking to the youkai or herself. She closed her eyes and mumbled something none could understand.

"Do not kill them," her words were barely heard by her own ears, but the happily snapping jaws in her mind heard them. The Black Blaze heard them.

Authoress' Note: tada! Here ya'll go! ^_^ cliffy cliffy! Yay! There's only about four more chapters left! Whoot! And the asking for the review thing, I know, is getting old. ^_^ I was just curious to see if it really worked. It, I noticed, didn't. ^_^ no biggy! Anyway, onward!

Yusuke: you are WAY too chipper for not getting what you want.

J: oh shush!

Kuwabara: its true, ya know. -stupid grin- she's normally totally ticked when she doesn't get what she wants and-

WHAM!

J: -twitch- sorry, I seemed to have misheard you, Kuwabara. You did just say that I am a very kind author to let you LIVE! Especially since you have no part in the rest of my stories really.

Kuwabara: @_@ gaa… look at all the pretty fireworks!

Kurama: -smiles-

Hiei: -smirk- baka.


J: yes, well onto more pressing matters. REVIEWS! Whoopy!

Reviews:

SilverKnight7: thanks! ^_^ here's not only yer update, but an even bigger twist!

Miyako14: yeah! Twists! Hold on tight, this roller coaster is about to turn once again! Thanks for reviewing!

Hiei's1girl: two more reviews! Yay! Its okay. ^_^ but reviewing gets rewards, while lack of does not! Lol. :D thank ye!

Hiei's1girl: here's t' yer second review! Yes, evil teaser. ^_^ me evil. Yes! Hiei will love you forever! -hides sweet snow- now, hopefully he wont be able to sniff it out. Lol. Thank ye yet again!

baka-chibi-puffs: yay! Freedome for B-C-P! hope yer party's kickin'! so short because it was supposed to be one chapter, this one and the next, and that was the best stopping point I could find. ^_^' be kind.

Midnightdream51: ^_^ yes yes, short, but interesting! And there's the wolf! I can't help it, they're my second favorite animal! And he did catch Hiei off guard. Left him flabbergasted, that he did! ^_^x lol, and soon comes the mushy-feely stuff. Patients is a virtue! Wow, you really look into the teaser! ^_^ but not quite. I can't say anything else or I'll end up spoiling the next chapter! Lol. Yes, BlackFire is just soo polite and courteous. And, err, the BlackFire being upset comes soon. Like, in three or so chapters. ^_^ near the end. But I will say that in the sequel there is a lot about his power over her revealed. So you'll just have to wait. ^_^ but more secrets are revealed soon. And the Thorn/Rose relationship does get cleared up. And if it doesn't get cleared up enough, then I'll use a chapter as an authoress' notes thing and explain it. It's really confusing, so I don't expect everyone to just know. But more will be revealed soon. If yer questions aren't answered before the end of the story, post 'em in a review and I'll make a big post just for answering questions. Lol. Yes, I did like yer wolf story. You really should try to finish it. As well as 'Touched by an Angel' -hint- -hint- lol. ^_^

Midnightdream51: yay, the last review! Lol. Givin' me a hard time, eh? Lol. -hides- here's yer chapter! Up today, like I promised! Eep!

Teaser:

The dragon growled as the attack hit him square between the shoulders. He shook himself before looking over at Yusuke.

"That boy should be proud. He made my Mistress scream in pain. She never feels pain," he said with a sneer. Kurama gapped at him.

"What do you mean?" Hiei asked, looking up from the crumpled body before him. The dragon's sneer grew.

"I feel no pain as long as she lives, Hiei. Which is why I plan to keep her around for a while. When I am in this shape, she cannot control me, yet I have total control over this body. When pain is meant for my body, it is transferred to her and Rose. I feel no pain. That is why I am unstoppable," he said with a sadistic laugh…

J: -ducks head- don't throw anything at me!

Hiei: -throws an apple- what the -BLEEP- is wrong with you?!

J: oi! That apple was fer my lunch, dammit!

Yusuke: -glare- what did you do to me in the next chapter?!

Kuwabara: and why am I like, dead?!

Shizuru: awesome chapter, J-san. I got to call your OC a bitch.

J: ^_^' glad someone liked it. Now, if everyone'll excuse me, I'm gunna go take a nap. -yawn- I've stayed up 'til 1 to watch that new Witch Hunter Robin an' Inuyasha an' I'm tired. Review please!

Yusuke: we'll get her next time. But we can't until we get reviews. -glares at readers- c'mon! review!