Warnings: corny songs and blah blah. I don't like this chapter…
The Welder of BlackFire:
Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives
Chapter Thirty-Two: Cutting Ties
Hiei and Kurama made their way down the street toward Yusuke's apartment. Kurama knocked on the door. Yusuke opened it.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" he asked, noticing the serious expressions on their faces. Kurama held up the paper with the glowing crest.
"Damn," Yusuke cursed. "Hey Ma, I'm going out. Don't know when I'll be back!" the boy called, walking out the door and closing it behind him.
"Okay, Yusuke! Be back before school on Monday! And don't get killed!" Atsuko called after him in a cheery voice.
"Yeah, tell that to the enemy. Oh, I can't die! My Mom said I couldn't!" Yusuke mumbled to himself. "Well let's go get Kuwabara."
"Do you think that is wise, Yusuke?" Hiei asked. "She nearly killed him last time." 'Not that it matters, she's out to kill me now,' he thought, but did not voice his thoughts.
"Hey, we all got in this mess together and we'll all finish it together!" Yusuke said in a half-shout, half-growl.
"Hn. Suit yourself," Hiei said with a shrug.
"We should see if Thorn sent Shizuru another dream to warn her if she was going to kill Kuwabara," Kurama, the ever the optimistic, said.
"Yeah," Yusuke said lamely.
They reached Kuwabara's house not long after leaving Yusuke's. Again, Kurama knocked on the door. Shizuru answered the door.
"Hn. I figured you guys were going to show up sometime today," she said. They all exchanged glances. "That girl, she came in my dream again. She told me to let Kazuma come today. She said she wouldn't kill him," she explained as she let them in.
"Kazuma! Your friends are here!" she called to her younger brother. He barreled down the stairs a moment later.
"Hey guys, what's up?" he asked.
"The sky you nit-wit," Yusuke mumbled. Kuwabara looked at the sullen faces before him.
"What's wrong with you guys? You look like you're ready to go to a funeral," Kuwabara said. Yusuke snorted.
"Yeah, our own," he whispered.
"What was that, Urimeshi?"
"Nothing."
"Kuwabara, its time for us to go," Kurama said. The taller boy looked at him, confused.
"Where?"
"To fight Thorn again," the kitsune said, holding up the sheet of paper.
"Damn," he swore. "Okay, let's go."
"Hey, be careful little brother," Shizuru said as she watched them leave with an uncertain gaze.
"Don't need to worry about that! She's not gunna steal my energy from me twice!" Kuwabara said over his shoulder. They all walked down the street grimly, without speaking. Kurama followed the gentle pull of the card.
"So how are we going to beat her?" Yusuke asked at last, his hands in his pockets as he looked up into the sky, watching the sun slowly set.
"As long as we don't let her release the Black Blaze like she did last time, we should have a chance," Kurama said.
"Yeah? Well how do we do that?" Yusuke asked.
"That pendant she wears around her neck. Once she took it off, he released him. As long as we don't let her remove it, she wont be able to summon him," Kurama said.
"Yeah, well how do we know that she can't release him without taking it off?" Yusuke asked seriously.
"We don't. But why else would she remove it?" Kurama thought a minute. "Do any of you know what it was made out of?" he asked suddenly, turning to look at all of them. Yusuke and Kuwabara shook their heads. Hiei looked like he was thinking. "Hiei?"
"Black Iron," he said at last, his voice certain.
"You're sure?" Hiei nodded. Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged glances.
"Ah, what does that have to do with anything?" Yusuke asked.
"Well, it is said that there is a special metal that can weaken a dragon's strength," Kurama explained.
"What is it?" Kuwabara asked.
"Some type of iron, I know that for sure. But... Black Iron. I've seen it before. It is a very rare and valuable metal in the demon world," Kurama said. He thought back to the day he and Kuronue had seen the Black Blaze. Wait! The treasure! It had been made of Black Iron! When the dragon had attacked the village, it hadn't just been to feed. It had been to destroy the treasure! The only thing that could weaken him! Kurama caught his breath.
"Something wrong, Kurama?" Hiei asked, glancing up at him.
"No. It was nothing. We can't let her remove that pendant, or we will have little chance of defeating her," he said quietly. They all nodded dourly as they continued on their way. The sun was melting past the horizon when they finally came upon the large wood. They paused, looking into the dark shadows of the trees, before finally stepping forward, ready to face the challenge that lay ahead.
The walked for a long time, the sun's scarlet rays staining the bark of the trees, making them bleed in its disappearance.
"Hey you guys," Kuwabara said some time after they had entered the forest.
"What?" Yusuke asked, turning to look back at his friend.
"We're... going in circles," the boy said uncertainly.
"What?! Circles? What the hell?" Yusuke yelled. "Thorn! Come out of your damn hiding place and fight us!" he said, turning and yelling into the woods. He was surprised when his demands were answered. Well, sort of.
"Well, well. Good job, Kuwabara. You realized I was leading you all in a circle," Thorn's voice said, echoing through the trees with a chuckle. She was clearly amused. "I applaud your abilities." Two distant claps bounced off the trees and into their ears.
"Where the hell are you, Thorn?" Yusuke growled, looking around him, into the trees and into every shadow that could hide her. She sighed.
"Tsk, tsk, Yusuke. You shouldn't be so demanding. I'll come down when I'm good and ready. Until then, enjoy the night. I'm going to watch the stars before I come down to you. I have a moment of freedom to myself and I'm not going to waste it arguing or exchanging punches with you," she said. Hiei looked up. The sky was growing dark very quickly, the stars just beginning to flicker in the sky. The moon, he noticed, was bright, shinning off the leaves of the trees, which had slowly began to drain of their bright color. It was no wonder why she wanted to enjoy the night. It would be glorious. And if she was free, then it was even better. "Let's just call it a little camping trip I've brought you on. I won't come down until dawn. Until then, watch the stars or sleep if you prefer. I'm not moving until the sun rises, so make yourself comfortable." They all exchanged glances. Hiei was the first to take a seat and they all looked at him in surprise. He leaned against a very large and sturdy tree with scars lining its trunk.
"Hiei, don't you think she'll pull a sneak attack in the night?" Yusuke asked.
"She wont. If she says she's going to do something, she's going to do it," Hiei replied, putting his katana against his shoulder. The other three boys looked at each other, shrugging, before sitting down themselves. The night was warm, the smallest of breezes blowing against their skin with warm kisses. Hiei's eyes strayed to the sky and to the brightening stars that dotted it. A tune settled around the forest. It was a very sad arrangement, sung by a morose, yet sweet voice. After the music ended, another began, this one a desperate song, one that challenged the elements around them. This continued for hours, the two tunes taking turns at filling the air, until the second song, the one that seemed much less depressing than the other, suddenly grasped words. They were sung softly, as if the one giving voice to the heart of the words was in a trance, murmuring into every creature with their bold words. The words became clearer as it started once again. (By Bryan Adams, Gavin Greenaway, R.J. Lange. Its called 'You Can't Take me'. I love this song, and Bryan Adams does a great job singing it. There's another song he sings off the same CD Its the Spirit: STallion of the Cimarron CD, I got it and the movie for my birthday. =D. Yes, I'm into horses, can't you tell? Geez! I own one for cryin' out loud! ahh, anyway..... I might use that one as well, because its very sad and for the way I planned out the ending Yes, this is the end...boo hoo it fits right in perfectly for the way Thorn makes her exit from the group)
'Got to fight another fight
I gotta run another night.
Get it out,
Check it out.
I'm on my way and it don't feel right.
I gotta get me back,
I can't be beat and that's a fact.
Its okay,
I'll find a way.
You ain't gonna take me down no way.
Don't judge a thing 'til you know what's inside it.
Don't push me,
I'll fight it.
Never gonna give in,
never gonna give it up no.
If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it.
You can't come uninvited.
Never gonna give in never gonna give it up no.
You can't take me, I'm free.
Why did it all go wrong?
I wanna know what's going on.
What's this holding me?
I'm not where I'm supposed to be.
I gotta fight another fight,
I gotta fight with all my might.
I'm getting out, so check it out,
You're in my way,
So you'd better watch out.
Don't judge a think 'til you know what's inside it.
Don't push me,
I'll fight it.
Never gonna give in,
never gonna give it up no.
If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it.
You can't come uninvited.
Never gonna give in never gonna give it up no.
You can't take me, I'm free.'
The song was bold and forceful, a meaning hidden within it that three of the four did not understand. Hiei knew though.
'Hn. It seems she is telling BlackFire she is not to be tamed,' Hiei thought as he listened to it. There was a pause before it began again, this time softer, as if the voice was slowly fading off to sleep, or suddenly realizing what the meaning of the song held. The night was wearing on, taking its toll on the boys who tried to resist its warm embrace and refuse its offer of sleep.
'How can Hiei be so damn calm?' Yusuke thought, fighting off yet another yawn. He looked over at Kurama, who seemed calm enough, although not battling against sleep. He turned to Kuwabara, who was tired enough, but still extremely alert to his surroundings. Yusuke leaned back against his tree, looking up through the branches, listening to the song on the wind. Man, it was like a lullaby and it was putting him to sleep fast. Well, as long as he could hear her, then it was okay, right? Who knows? Perhaps she can throw her voice too, after all, she's got all them damn psychic powers. Yusuke yawned again and put his hands behind his head, looking at the stars above him.
'Man, I wish she would stop singing, I can't concentrate on where she is with that stupid song going through my head,' Kuwabara thought. 'I feel like there's something different about her energy now, though. But I can't find out exactly what it is. Damn it! Why can't she just shut up?!'
'I wonder why she led us all the way out here, just to have us wait for dawn,' Kurama thought. Kurama, always trying to solve the mysteries of the universe! 'Perhaps she is trying to fool us into a false sense of security before attacking. Or maybe she is trying to catch us at our weakness because of our lack of sleep. No, that doesn't seem much like her style. Neither do. Hm, I wonder what she's planning.' His thoughts wandered, and he was trying desperately to ignore the song that the air brought to him. Finally, after about two hours of contemplating, he stopped and listened to the song without struggle. But the song she sang only made him think more. 'It feels as if she is trying to say something. But to whom, and why?'
The night grew into the earliest stages of morning slowly. The stars rotated around in the heavens in a sleepy crawl. The moon crept to its zenith, then made a groggy descend back toward the earth. The celestial objects kept the time, as they retreated behind far-away hills and mountains, they told the creatures of the forest that day was approaching and would be upon them soon.
Suddenly, a new tune began to float through the air, making all four of the boys jerk their eyes open and listen. The tune itself was the melancholy one that had sounded earlier that night, but now, words graced it. (This song is Sound the Bugle by Gavin Greenaway, Trevor Horn, sung by Bryan Adams. The reason I picked this song will be clear when they see Thorn.) Hiei's eyes opened wide when he recognized a line in the song.
'Sound the bugle now,
play it just for me.
As the seasons change,
remember how I used to be.
Now I can't go on,
I can't even start.
I've got nothing left,
just an empty heart.
I'm a soldier,
wounded so I must give up the fight.
There's nothing more for me,
lead me away, or leave my lying here.
Sound the bugle now,
tell them I don't care.
There's not a road I know,
that leads to anywhere.
Without a light I fear that I will,
stumble in the dark.
Lay right down and decide not to go on.'
The last of the lyrics lay unsaid, although she continued to hum the rest of the song.
'I'm ready now,' she said to them in a sad voice. They all stood up, Kurama watching Hiei as he rose and brushed the dirt from his cloak. He had noticed the fire demon's eyes grow wide at the mention of the second line of the song and wondered why.
"Which way, Kurama?" Yusuke asked, although they didn't need to ask. She had taken up the song again, although this time, it did not surround them as it had before, as if it had been a thick mist that blanketed them. It almost seemed as if the song was a rope, pulling them toward its singer. They followed it dogly, the voice growing louder with every step, yet still beautiful. They reached a small thinning of trees and stopped.
'Then from on high,
somewhere in the distance.
There's a voice that calls,
remember who you are.
If you lose yourself,
your courage soon will follow.
So be strong tonight,
remember who you are.
You're a soldier now,
fighting in a battle.
To be free once more.....
That's worth fighting for.'
Thorn jumped down from the tree with a refreshed sigh.
"Well, what a lovely night, don't you think?" she asked cheerfully with a small smile. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at each other, startled. Last time she had been very grim and serious. Now she seemed almost happy. Almost. She also seemed a little sad.
"Why did you bring us here, Thorn?" Kurama asked, ignoring her manner of greeting. Her smile saddened.
"Oh, you know, for kicks. I wanted to watch the night," she said with a shrug, looking up at the sky. Kurama gave her an incredulous look.
"Ahh, why are you so cheerful?" Yusuke asked, confusion lining his face. She placed her hands on her hips.
"Geez, a girl can't be cheerful on her last sunrise?" she asked with a huff. She paused, as if realizing that she had said something wrong.
"What?" Hiei asked, voicing the surprise the rest of the group felt.
"Well, I suppose that was why I brought you here. I was going to tell you about that," she said quietly. She seemed to have recovered her lost seriousness.
"What are you talking about?" Hiei asked, his voice hard, trying to hide his confusion with it. She sighed and fell deeper into her seriousness, humor lighting only the rough edges of her voice.
"Yes, well, I didn't bring you here to fight. In case you haven't noticed, I have nothing that Koenma desires anymore." They all looked at her, even more confused then before. It was then that Kurama noticed that she no longer had the sword on her back.
"Where is the Black Blaze?" Kurama asked. The three other boys looked at him strangely before looking back at Thorn. The girl smiled and tapped her temple, much the same way she had done when Hiei had asked her where Rose was.
"He's right here." She chuckled. "You're all very confused, I see." Kurama nodded.
"We are indeed," he said. She sighed and leaned against a tree, crossing her arms.
"He's sleeping now, Kurama. And he will never wake unless I speak the words that break his slumber. And only I know those words. Soon, I'll be in a similar sleep," she said, looking up into the sky. The east was beginning to lighten slightly.
"What do you mean?" Hiei asked. She smiled at him, her eyes, he noticed, were not their normal brightness. They were softer, more natural to look into. They reminded him of the eyes of a normal human instead of what she was. Whatever that was.
"I mean what I say. He will never awaken unless I tell him to. Soon, I will put myself in a similar sleep. There is only one who will be able to wake me after Rose regains control of this body. And I doubt Rose will ever see them again." She sighed once again. "I came to tell you not to hunt me anymore. BlackFire will never live again unless I make him rise, and I don't want to do that. Rose does not posses the power to wake him, so there is no need to worry about that. Until Rose dies, or this body becomes too weak for her, I will be asleep in her mind and then, when she dies, only then will I wake to remake her body. Unless those specific words are spoken by the only person who knows them, you will never see me again. Unless you're at Rose's funeral, which I doubt. She wanted strength. That is why she kept BlackFire. But she did not know that I would come of this. She thought that it would be her where I stand. So now, I'm giving her what she wanted. Physical strength to match her mental strength. She will hold every power I posses, although she will have no knowledge of it. She wont remember any of this. She wont remember any of you," she said, looking at Hiei pointing. They all looked at her dumbly for a moment.
"If you're just going to put the Black Blaze in this sleep, then why not just give him to us and we will give him to Koenma?" Kurama asked softly. She smiled at him.
"Dearest Kurama. You have no idea of what could happen if he were to somehow fall into another's hands. If they are not strong enough to control him, then this world will parish, along with whatever other worlds he could get into. It doesn't matter if he were in Koenma's vault. Rose took him from there with ease, and another could as well. And it wouldn't matter how long he would have to wait. He is immortal and will never die unless his welder kills him. They are the only one who can. Eventually, he would be freed again, no matter how hard anyone tried to stop it, it would happen," she explained.
"Then why don't you just kill him?" Kuwabara asked. She smirked.
"You think I hold no respect for him? He deserves another chance at life. Maybe one day I'll come back. Maybe that day my powers will be needed. If that were to happen, if I were to need more strength than I have, then I would need him to hone my skills. That is why I let him live," she said.
"How do we know that if he will not kill, even in his sword shape, in his sleep?" Kurama asked.
"The sword is empty. I'd offer it to you, but I want to keep it in case I must awaken him someday. Now his soul is in this body, not in the sword. So it doesn't matter if the sword were to be destroyed or lost. It would be a futile effort to try to pretend that he still exists in it." Her eyes looked up toward the sky, which had grown lighter with each passing moment. Hiei looked into her eyes. They seemed to darken in color, although not in spirit. He remembered her eyes that night in Los Vegas. How they had saddened at the approaching dawn. They did now as well. But it was a deeper sadness, almost as a grieving. "The day is almost here. Rose will wake soon. But I want to be gone before she does. When she wakes she'll be without memories, her mind blank to what happened in the last several months. Those memories will be stored with me. She doesn't need their pain weighing on her mind," Thorn said, speaking as if more to herself than the boys around her. Her eyes returned to look at them. "In other words, its time for me to go." She straightened from her position against the tree, her arms falling to her sides. "I thank you all for the privilege. I've lived a very exciting and fulfilling life however short it was."
'You can't go,' Hiei spoke to her, speaking through her mind pleadingly. She smiled such a sad smile, one could tell it pained her to leave.
'I must. I'm a soldier. My wounds are far too deep to heal, so I am of no use. I've lost myself and it is something I cannot regain again any time soon,' she said back to him. 'But I want you to remember something for me, Hiei.'
'What is it?'
'Never forget: Every Rose has its Thorn.' Her eyes fell away from his and settled around the entire group.
"Tell Koenma that if the world is ever in danger, Rose will be a strong ally for you. She wont be aware of her powers, but that doesn't mean no one can show her how to use them. She's stubborn and she'll fight hard if she feels she should. But prehaps, when the world is on the verge of being destroyed, the one who holds the password will awaken me, and we will all meet again," Thorn said, turning away. "Good luck on future missions and don't be hesitant to call on Rose. She'd be happy to help I'm sure." They watched as the girl turned away. She waved over her shoulder before walking into a tree, which had suddenly grown into a bluish 'x', and dissapearing. They never saw her lip tremble.
Hiei rushed toward the portal, but it closed before he could reach it, sealing itself back into the solid tree.
"Damn," he cursed, hitting the tree with his clenched fist. He leaned his forehead against it and closed his eyes. If he consentrated he could barely pick up her scent. Kurama watched in silence, Yusuke and Kuwabara quiet in their unknowing state.
'I'll find you again,' Hiei vowed to himself. 'I will. And I'll never let you leave again.'
Authoress' Note: Well that's it for this fic! I know, it would seem like it would continue,
Yusuke: -- there she goes with that stupid super-hero stuff again.
WHAM!
Yusuke: Gaa...
J: -holds bloody frying pan, eyebrow twitching- You know, I really don't like you Yusuke. And look who's talking! Super-hero-I've-got-to-save-the-world-from-Toguro boy!
Yusuke: -holds bleeding head- What the hell was that for? It hurt!
J: For just being you.
Yusuke: Hey! That's no fair!
Kurama: -chuckle- Yusuke, you need to learn not to get on the authoress' bad side.
Yusuke: Like you? You bribed her with one of your stupid flowers!
WHAM
Kurama: -chuckle-
J: Don't make fun of my Kurama-kun! He's sweet and handsome and clever, unlike yourself! -throws bloody and mutalated fryingpan out the window-
Hiei: -dodges flying kitchen utensil- Yusuke pissing off the authoress again?
Kurama: -nod- Yes.
Hiei: -sits in random chair- This is always very amusing.
J: Hiei! Where have you been?
Hiei: I left when this story started getting mushy
J: -thinks- But that was a long time ago -realization- Hiei! You missed the end of my fic! How dare you!?
Yusuke: HAHA! Now its Hiei's turn. I'll get another frying pan. -gets up to run to the kitchen-
J: -throws random object from self at him, which is, unfortunately for Yusuke, a horseshoe-
Yusuke : -.-u ZzzzzZzzz
J: Baka. He wont be getting a very big part in my next fic, that's for sure.
Kuwabara: How come I didn't get a big part?
J: Because you're just there for comic relief. In all reality you're just a big oaf who follows Yusuke around trying to pretend that you're a good fighter.
Hiei: -chuckle- She hit the nail dead on the head.
Kuwabara: Hey! I'm a good fighter too!
J: Quiet you, before I make you really, really short.
Kuwabara: You can't do that!
J: Wanna bet? -holds hands over keyboard threateningly-
Kurama: I wouldn't antagonize her, Kuwabara.
J: tell you what. Hiei, because you missed my Fic, you have to do the disclaimer.
Hiei: -shrugs- Could be worse. At least this time she's not sicing fangirls on me. -stands up to get ready for speach-
J: -listens to screams from hall- Oh, yeah, and I forgot, you have two point five seconds before the Fangirls find out what room you're in and another six point three seconds before they break the door down.
Hiei- 00' NOO! You can't do this to me! -looks at door wearily-
J: Time is running out.
Hiei: Okay, okay! J does not own Yu Yu Hakusho. And for that I'm glad, or else I'd be constantly attacked by fangirls. At least Yoshihiro Togashi put is all in a protection plan so that this couldn't happen. -door crashes down, fangirls come running in, screaming for Hiei- Hiei flies out the window-
Fangirls: -run after him, falling the two stories to the ground, most dying on impact-
J: well, that solves THAT problem. Lol. Well, ya'll can read the Epilogue now, so I'm not going to bother with a teaser. Reviews are a different matter, however!
Reviews:
Miyako14: OMGOSH! I SWEAR I didn't mean to fergit you two! OMGOSH! I'm soooo sorry! My lamo step-dad edited everyone's controls so we couldn't get ANY e-mail! How screwed over is that?! So I've missed all of my reviews. I've gotten them all from the story itself. But I sneaked onto his name and changed the settings , so its all good now. I'm REALLY sorry!
lunar mercury: ekk! I'm SOOOOO SORRY! I can't believe I forgot you last chapter! And a NEW reviewer at that! I swear I'm sorry! Lol. Yeah, Mary-Sues, as long as they're in a nice plot and play a believable role in the story, they're okay. But there are so many fanfics out there that just pair and pair and are pointless. I don't like those. But I guess I'm a hypocrite, because Thorn's a Mary-Sue, although Rose and BlackFire aren't. lol, thank you! And again, goman!
Tearsofpain: thank you so much for the reiview! And the cookie! And the sweet snow! Lol. Sorry about the not-so-happy ending, and if you don't like sad endings, well, don't read the endings to my stuff that include my Ocs, because they mostly end like this one did, sadly. But the sequel is coming, and not even I know if its going to be a sad ending or not! Enjoy! And thanks!
BCP: lol! Don't worry! It'll be okay! And you think Hiei's sad NOW?! Hell, just wait until the sequel! Hope yer glad Hiei didn't hafta die. Personally, I like him too, and wouldn't want him to die. Err.. 0.0 well, Kurama, have fun saving BCP from… herself. Lovin' the cheese!
SSSRoaB: 0.0. Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you! I swear I didn't! don't hurt me please! -holds up hands in surrender-. Lol. I love yer devotion! Reviewing at school?! Talk about it! Lol. Thanks!
Midnightdream51: its okay. I waited fer ya, cuz I knew ya'd review eventually! Lol! Yeah, well, this chapter wasn't very fluffy, hai? Yay! I liked the feather thing too. Just a little twist to make things interesting and to clue the guys in on what was happening. I NEED more comic relief! I get too serious and totally forget about it! I love those authors who remember it, because I never can! And when the sequel comes, there will be TONS of action! Please be patient. Lol, no, I don't think yer ill! Thankies!
J: well! That's the end of this one, folks. But, as you can see, the Epilogue is up, and the first chapter to my new fic is comin' right along! I ask only fer yer patients, my dear, wonderful readers! Thank ya'll fer everything thus far!
Story Completed Junes 17, 2004
J