At least Hiei had lowered his sword.
The forest around them leaned in close and Hiei wasn't sure if it wanted a better view or if Kurama was calling to it. As for the fox himself, he seemed oblivious to everything.
"Who has taken her?" he asked.
"A human." Kurama said.
Hiei's bared his teeth.
"You had no idea, did you?" Kurama said quietly.
"What do you mean?"
Kurama was drifting closer. His hand touched Hiei's forehead and Hiei pulled away. "Your jagan is useless now, isn't it?"
"And if it were?"
Kurama paused, his eyes widened and then, incredibly, he threw back his head and started to laugh. "Haven't you figured it out, Hiei?"
"What, fox?"
Kurama's careful face tightened. "No. I suppose you haven't."
"Fox, if you don't start talk...."
Hiei never finished his perfectly dangerous threat.
There was a good reason for that.
At that moment, Kurama had suddenly cried out. "Rose whip!" Hiei watched, shocked, as Kurama snapped the whip back and sent it crashing down towards him.
Hiei jumped at the last second and the whip slammed against the kekai.
"What the hell are you doing?" Hiei yelled.
Kurama was standing too still. He was breathing too hard. "What I should have done a long time ago." he said.
Hiei's face grew livid, his eyes narrowed, and then, as Kurama readied for another attack, the eyes widened, the mouth opened. "Kurama..." Hiei whispered and sounded not dangerous, not outraged, only terribly surprised. Vulnerable.
The whip struck much closer that second time. Hiei dodged it only on instinct.
"Traitor." Hiei said, but it was a soft curse.
Kurama stared at him as he came to a halt a few feet away and stared up at him. Kurama's own mind was reeling. He had thought of confessing to Hiei, but he doubted the demon would have agreed to the solution. He doubted that he would have believed Kurama. He would have been stubborn to the death and Kurama could not have stood that. Why? Why? Why?
Because Kurama....to him Hiei was....
The third time Kurama lashed out with the whip, it caught Hiei in the shoulder.
The fire demon screamed and grabbed his arm, going to his knees, blood oozing between his fingers.
"Hiei?" Kurama said as he stood over him. The Jiganshi had his head down.
"Kurama...." he heard. The voice was low, angry, amazed. "Kurama!" Suddenly Hiei rose and in the same move he had pulled out his sword.
He raised it above his head and notice that Kurama wasn't backing away.
He was just standing there, like he was waiting.
What was going on? Why had Kurama done this? He should never have trusted the fox. He should never have stayed with such a deceitful creature. He should not have fallen for....He should not have....
The sword caught Kurama full in the chest.
A terrible sound, wet and cracking, resounded in the kekai. The trees shivered. Kurama groaned.
"Hiei..." he said and Hiei felt the fox's hand on his face.
"Traitor." Hiei managed. His eyes were hot. He hated them. He hated Kurama. He hated...
Kurama's hand brought his face upward until he was peering straight into Kurama's face.
"I'm sorry, Hiei." Kurama said and suddenly fell onto his knees.
Hiei never answered.
He was shaking.
He was disconcerted in a way he never would have believed he could be.
"Kurama..." he whispered.
Kurama never answered. He was reaching for a tiny flower that had fallen to the ground some time ago. A tiny, white flower, such a delicate, harmless thing.
....to be continued...