Saiko felt like she had blacked out for a long time, but Sardonyx hadn't moved. Everyone was still here, nothing had changed.
"Are you ready to die?" Sardonyx rushed at Saiko. She ducked away to try and call forth whatever power she could. Sardonyx turned and fired his attack at her. Saiko only saw it at the last moment.
("I can't die. I made a promise…") The dark fire enveloped Saiko. "I WON'T DIE!" She burst out of the flames. "Goddess of the Eternal Dark!" Saiko cried. Her attack absorbed Sardonyx's attack as she hurled it forward. The power overwhelmed him and sent him reeling back.
"Wh… what in the world!? Saiko!" Yuske called. He took a step forward, but the possessed Kurama stopped him.
"Sardonyx…" Saiko gasped as she nearly collapsed. "You know now that neither of us can win in our current state. … Go… you and you're brothers and sisters. Prepare yourselves… for our next encounter and… next time, I'll be ready… and we'll finish this." Sardonyx and Sapphire both stared at Saiko in disbelief.
"Sapphire… Let us find the others and retreat for now…" Sapphire nodded and rushed past everyone to find his siblings. Sardonyx picked himself up and found Ruby. Then, the five demons left. With Sapphire gone, the spell over Kurama was broken. He looked around, confused. Saiko sighed and began to fall to her knees.
"S…Saiko!" Yuske gasped. Kurama turned around, utterly confused. He saw Saiko falling and rushed over to her. Yuske was confused now.
"Saiko? Saiko!?" Kurama caught her and slowly sank to the floor. "What happened here?"
"Hey, Kurama? You're on our side again, right?" But Kurama wasn't listening. He cradled Saiko in his arms, then he saw the blood. His hands were covered in Saiko's blood.
"Kurama… You did that." Hiei stumbled back to the group. "You almost killed her. … Kuwabara too. You tried to kill us all. She just got the worst of it. …" Kurama stared at Hiei in horror. "You ran a sword, my sword, through her." Yuske slowly walked away to find where Kuwabara was. He felt this conversation shouldn't concern him just now.
"How… how could I have done such a thing? Saiko…" he kissed her forehead. Hiei's eyes widened in shock. "I'm so sorry."
"You… you didn't hit anything vital. She was able to move in time to redirect the blow, but it wounded her badly… and she made it worse… when she fought Sardonyx."
"When she what?!"
"Yes, she fought him, and it looked like she might have been able to kill him if she weren't hurt. She saved us all, but… she was fighting for you." Hiei looked away. Yuske was kneeling near Kuwabara, knowing he should stay out of the conversation. "You were under Sapphire's control."
"I see… but that's no excuse for my actions. I couldn't even stop myself for her sake." Hiei placed a hand on Kurama's shoulder.
"I'm sure she forgives you, and she'll want to see you first when she wakes up. Don't leave her side until then…" Kurama smiled at Hiei. "…And if you hurt her again, I'll kill you." Hiei started to walk away towards Yuske. "Say a word of what I said and I'll make sure it's a painful death."
Boton had dressed Saiko's wound, knowing not to let the boys do it. Saiko was still unconscious. Kurama was standing outside Saiko's room when Boton came out.
"You can go in there now if you'd like to, Kurama." Boton said as she shifted the medical supplies in her arms. Kurama didn't seem to hear her. Boton stared at Kurama. "Hello? Are you even listening to me? Kurama?" She waited. "Well, whatever then." And she walked off. Kurama stayed by the door. Eventually, Hiei and Kuwabara came by. They saw Kurama standing by the door.
"How's Saiko doing?" Kurama glanced at them then looked away. "Hey, Kurama?" Kuwabara waved a hand in front of his face. "Are you still in there."
"Please refrain from doing that." Kurama said. Kuwabara stopped and just stared at him.
"Uh… Hey? What's wrong Kurama?" Kurama turned his head away. "Hey… Kurama…?"
"Kuwabara, why don't you go and find Yuske. Tell him I'll be a little late." Hiei glared at Kuwabara. Deciding it was best to not annoy Hiei, Kuwabara left. Once he was sure Kuwabara was gone, Hiei turned on Kurama. "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you with her yet? Is Boton not done dressing the wounds?"
"No, she's done. But…"
"Get in there then and see her." Kurama turned to Hiei in shock, but didn't move. Hiei was trying to keep calm. "I don't understand you. Don't you care about Saiko? I wonder how much it would crush her if she thought you didn't care about her."
"Hiei…!" Kurama started. Hiei punched Kurama in the jaw.
"I don't want to hear your excuses. Saiko loves you. She would have given her life to save you if it had come down to that." Kurama stood there holding his swelling cheek as he stared at Hiei. "I must be wasting my breath on you."
"I don't think I could look at her… not after what I did. I tried to kill her."
"Would you have rather have succeeded? Do you want to know what she said as she slid from the blade? She said 'I love you.' Do you want to know how Saiko was able to avoid being killed?"
"That's enough Hiei! What would you know about how I feel? You couldn't possibly understand what i…"
"Do you think you're the only one who loves Saiko? Yuske has known her for years. They went through a lot in their life together. Don't you think he loves her? It seems Saiko is the only reason Kuwabara was able to get on with his classes, so, don't you think he loves her? And… Saiko taught me things that I could never put into words if I wanted to. She's taught me what a friend really is… not just teammates… don't you think I love her too?"
"Hiei…"
"I'm going now. Remember, if you hurt her again, I'll kill you." Hiei slowly walked away. He never turned around to see if Kurama went to see Saiko. Kurama watched him walk off, then smiled. He turned and opened the door to Saiko's room.
"And he was just standing there. It was almost like looking at a dead man." Kuwabara was explaining to Yuske. "Hiei stopped to talk to him, and told me to go ahead. So, he'll be here in a little while I'd assume."
"That doesn't seem like him… I wonder what's wrong with Kurama…" Yuske thinks aloud.
"You're talking about Kurama?" Boton pops in. "I just saw him a little while ago, and it was the strangest thing… He was just…"
"Standing outside Saiko's door, not doing anything, and not moving, right? Kuwabara just told me. I wonder if he feels bad about being responsible for the condition Saiko's in." Boton looked at Yuske questioningly. "You'd understand if you had been there. Say, Boton? Where have you been lately? Some partner you're being."
"Yuske, that's not a nice way to speak of me! If you remember, I am the driver of the river Styx after all. I've had a major influx of people to take care of lately. Terrible disease outbreak. But, that has all be taken care of, and I'm back to working with you."
"Are you ready to die?" Sardonyx rushed at Saiko. She ducked away to try and call forth whatever power she could. Sardonyx turned and fired his attack at her. Saiko only saw it at the last moment.
("I can't die. I made a promise…") The dark fire enveloped Saiko. "I WON'T DIE!" She burst out of the flames. "Goddess of the Eternal Dark!" Saiko cried. Her attack absorbed Sardonyx's attack as she hurled it forward. The power overwhelmed him and sent him reeling back.
"Wh… what in the world!? Saiko!" Yuske called. He took a step forward, but the possessed Kurama stopped him.
"Sardonyx…" Saiko gasped as she nearly collapsed. "You know now that neither of us can win in our current state. … Go… you and you're brothers and sisters. Prepare yourselves… for our next encounter and… next time, I'll be ready… and we'll finish this." Sardonyx and Sapphire both stared at Saiko in disbelief.
"Sapphire… Let us find the others and retreat for now…" Sapphire nodded and rushed past everyone to find his siblings. Sardonyx picked himself up and found Ruby. Then, the five demons left. With Sapphire gone, the spell over Kurama was broken. He looked around, confused. Saiko sighed and began to fall to her knees.
"S…Saiko!" Yuske gasped. Kurama turned around, utterly confused. He saw Saiko falling and rushed over to her. Yuske was confused now.
"Saiko? Saiko!?" Kurama caught her and slowly sank to the floor. "What happened here?"
"Hey, Kurama? You're on our side again, right?" But Kurama wasn't listening. He cradled Saiko in his arms, then he saw the blood. His hands were covered in Saiko's blood.
"Kurama… You did that." Hiei stumbled back to the group. "You almost killed her. … Kuwabara too. You tried to kill us all. She just got the worst of it. …" Kurama stared at Hiei in horror. "You ran a sword, my sword, through her." Yuske slowly walked away to find where Kuwabara was. He felt this conversation shouldn't concern him just now.
"How… how could I have done such a thing? Saiko…" he kissed her forehead. Hiei's eyes widened in shock. "I'm so sorry."
"You… you didn't hit anything vital. She was able to move in time to redirect the blow, but it wounded her badly… and she made it worse… when she fought Sardonyx."
"When she what?!"
"Yes, she fought him, and it looked like she might have been able to kill him if she weren't hurt. She saved us all, but… she was fighting for you." Hiei looked away. Yuske was kneeling near Kuwabara, knowing he should stay out of the conversation. "You were under Sapphire's control."
"I see… but that's no excuse for my actions. I couldn't even stop myself for her sake." Hiei placed a hand on Kurama's shoulder.
"I'm sure she forgives you, and she'll want to see you first when she wakes up. Don't leave her side until then…" Kurama smiled at Hiei. "…And if you hurt her again, I'll kill you." Hiei started to walk away towards Yuske. "Say a word of what I said and I'll make sure it's a painful death."
Boton had dressed Saiko's wound, knowing not to let the boys do it. Saiko was still unconscious. Kurama was standing outside Saiko's room when Boton came out.
"You can go in there now if you'd like to, Kurama." Boton said as she shifted the medical supplies in her arms. Kurama didn't seem to hear her. Boton stared at Kurama. "Hello? Are you even listening to me? Kurama?" She waited. "Well, whatever then." And she walked off. Kurama stayed by the door. Eventually, Hiei and Kuwabara came by. They saw Kurama standing by the door.
"How's Saiko doing?" Kurama glanced at them then looked away. "Hey, Kurama?" Kuwabara waved a hand in front of his face. "Are you still in there."
"Please refrain from doing that." Kurama said. Kuwabara stopped and just stared at him.
"Uh… Hey? What's wrong Kurama?" Kurama turned his head away. "Hey… Kurama…?"
"Kuwabara, why don't you go and find Yuske. Tell him I'll be a little late." Hiei glared at Kuwabara. Deciding it was best to not annoy Hiei, Kuwabara left. Once he was sure Kuwabara was gone, Hiei turned on Kurama. "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you with her yet? Is Boton not done dressing the wounds?"
"No, she's done. But…"
"Get in there then and see her." Kurama turned to Hiei in shock, but didn't move. Hiei was trying to keep calm. "I don't understand you. Don't you care about Saiko? I wonder how much it would crush her if she thought you didn't care about her."
"Hiei…!" Kurama started. Hiei punched Kurama in the jaw.
"I don't want to hear your excuses. Saiko loves you. She would have given her life to save you if it had come down to that." Kurama stood there holding his swelling cheek as he stared at Hiei. "I must be wasting my breath on you."
"I don't think I could look at her… not after what I did. I tried to kill her."
"Would you have rather have succeeded? Do you want to know what she said as she slid from the blade? She said 'I love you.' Do you want to know how Saiko was able to avoid being killed?"
"That's enough Hiei! What would you know about how I feel? You couldn't possibly understand what i…"
"Do you think you're the only one who loves Saiko? Yuske has known her for years. They went through a lot in their life together. Don't you think he loves her? It seems Saiko is the only reason Kuwabara was able to get on with his classes, so, don't you think he loves her? And… Saiko taught me things that I could never put into words if I wanted to. She's taught me what a friend really is… not just teammates… don't you think I love her too?"
"Hiei…"
"I'm going now. Remember, if you hurt her again, I'll kill you." Hiei slowly walked away. He never turned around to see if Kurama went to see Saiko. Kurama watched him walk off, then smiled. He turned and opened the door to Saiko's room.
"And he was just standing there. It was almost like looking at a dead man." Kuwabara was explaining to Yuske. "Hiei stopped to talk to him, and told me to go ahead. So, he'll be here in a little while I'd assume."
"That doesn't seem like him… I wonder what's wrong with Kurama…" Yuske thinks aloud.
"You're talking about Kurama?" Boton pops in. "I just saw him a little while ago, and it was the strangest thing… He was just…"
"Standing outside Saiko's door, not doing anything, and not moving, right? Kuwabara just told me. I wonder if he feels bad about being responsible for the condition Saiko's in." Boton looked at Yuske questioningly. "You'd understand if you had been there. Say, Boton? Where have you been lately? Some partner you're being."
"Yuske, that's not a nice way to speak of me! If you remember, I am the driver of the river Styx after all. I've had a major influx of people to take care of lately. Terrible disease outbreak. But, that has all be taken care of, and I'm back to working with you."