Rain and Fire
Chapter 16: Fight!
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Hiei stared up at the ceiling. So much had happened, and he needed to start making some sense out of it. What had happened to Rain and Izumi? Who was Mizu? What sort of power could she possibly have that would make Yakumo want her that badly? Surely, it wasn't for her appearance that he went through all the trouble that he did.
He looked over, and his crimson eyes settled on Mizu. She was sleeping, her arms wrapped around Huo, who was snoring loudly. His hand was draped loosely on her waist, though it didn't seem to be in an overly friendly way.
He frowned. Why was she always hanging all over him like that? It was starting to get on his nerves...
He quickly shook his head, and looked back up at the ceiling. What did he care? She was just some girl that had some power that Yakumo wanted. Nothing more.
He heard the covers rustle, and he closed his eyes. He needed to get some sleep. He had a feeling that whatever Rydia had planned may not go smoothly, and he needed to be ready for anything to happen. And Yakumo was probably sending search parties everywhere for Mizu...search parties of Hunters, that is.
What exactly had happened that night...?
Something warm moved beside him, and his eyes snapped open. Mizu had crawled over to him, and had wrapped her arms around his waist. He looked over at her in surprise, but her eyes were closed. Her soft breath tickled his face, and he frowned. Why did she have to do that? Why couldn't she just sleep with Huo?
But...did he want her to sleep with Huo?
He sighed, and his eyes softened.
Mizu...
Mizu, Rain, and Izumi. Didn't Izumi mean "fountain" or "spring"? Spring, as in water? Rain was...well, rain. And Mizu...that meant water. All three names...each had something to do with water. Did that mean something? The way she had controlled the water so effortlessly earlier...
Mizu's face suddenly seemed pained, and he frowned. Now what?
"Hi...Hiei..."
His eyes widened. That hadn't been Mizu's voice just now. It had been...hers.
"Rain...?" he whispered.
But Mizu didn't say anything more. Her face relaxed, and she fell back asleep once more. He frowned. Had he been hearing things?
It didn't matter. He shouldn't even be there. He should be...just somewhere else. There was no reason for him to stay.
Soon after, sleep claimed him as well.
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"Oh sleeping beauty, it's time to get up." called a sing-song voice.
Hiei kept his eyes squeezed shut. He knew that it would be bright as soon as he opened them, and it wasn't something he wanted to experience.
"Hiei?" asked another voice.
Whose was it? It sounded like Rain...
"Yes, and he won't wake up, Mizu-chan. You think you could do something about that?" Huo's voice sounded as though he were laughing.
"Hai, Huo-san!" Mizu chirped.
"Ah, ah, ah! What did I say about calling me Huo-san?"
There was a pause. Then, "This one...is to call you...Huo-kun?"
Hiei's eyes snapped open, and he saw the two crouching down beside him. They both looked down at him, and Huo grinned.
"Well, about time." he said teasingly.
"She just-" Hiei stared up at Mizu, who smiled.
Huo ruffled the girl's sapphire blue locks. "Yeah, she can 'talk' now. Not very well, but she can form scentences."
Mizu leaned into his touch, and he smiled warmly. "Kawaii, na?"
Hiei sat up, his ruby gaze still locked on the enigmatic girl before him. "Did you...teach her?"
The horse demon shook his head. "Nope. I woke up this morning to her shaking my shoulders and saying 'Huo-san, this one is hungry'. Weird, huh?"
Hiei nodded. "Very. Where are the others?"
"The others?" Huo asked, looking back at his friend. "Well, Rydia is waiting by the front of the village, and she says that she's ready to bring you to someone who can help."
"Someone who can help?" Hiei repeated, raising an eyebrow. "And who the hell might that be?"
Huo shrugged, and stood. "As if I could understand Rydia's riddles."
The koorime chuckled, and stood as well. Mizu was already at the door, grinning at them.
"This one is excited!" she said happily.
Hiei frowned. "Why does she refer to herself as 'this one'?"
Once more, the fire horse shrugged. "Like I said - I don't know."
They all went out front, to where Rydia was waiting. She had her hands on her hips, and seemed prepared to go to battle. She didn't wear her usual baggy clothes - she wore tight clothes.
She tapped her foot impatiently. "Hey, where's Sesshoumaru-chan?"
The two youkai exhcanged glances, then looked back at the demoness.
"Um...we don't know?" Huo said.
She growled. "Baka! You don't know anything, do you?"
Something flashed behind his crimson eyes, and for a second, he seemed pained and shocked. Hiei opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but he was interrupted when Sesshoumaru came up then, Rin beside him.
Rydia grinned. "Sesshoumaru-chan!! I'm glad to see you'll be joining us, darling."
He narrowed his amber eyes. "Don't call me that."
She pouted, and took a step forward. "Sesshoumaru-chan, are you okay?"
He would've growled at her if it wouldn't have looked so strange. Instead, he started walking past her, and Rin blinked. He stopped when he was next to her, and said, "Rydia, I'm not your 'darling' or your 'fiance' or whatever it is that you've been calling me. We're friends, if even that much. I don't love you, and I never will."
Rydia's crimson eyes watered up as he spoke. She couldn't believe what she was hearing!
"B-But Sesshoumaru-"
He cut her off. "You said that you would help. Now tell us who Devika is and why Mizu keeps talking about her."
Rydia looked down at the ground, and her tears pattered to the dirt. "D-Devika is a F-Forbidden Child. She w-was the result of a d-demon and a g-goddess. I-I don't know why Mizu is talking about her, because she's b-been dead for quite a few years now. A-All I know is where she was buried."
Mizu's eyes widened. "Devika...is gone?"
Rydia hugged herself, more tears falling. "She's been dead for years."
Sesshoumaru was quiet for a while. He could feel Rin staring at him - he knew he had hurt Rydia deep down, but what could he do? Let her keep chasing him mindlessly, when it was a love that would never work? Especially...when he didn't love her in return?
Mizu spun on her heel, and started walking away from the group. Huo blinked, then ran after her. "Mizu-chan! Where are you going?!"
She didn't stop until he grabbed her arm and made her face him. She narrowed her eyes, and he realized that she was crying.
"Devika is gone." She pulled her arm out of his grasp. "What is there left for this one?"
"Mizu, how do you know her?" Hiei asked.
She looked over at him, and her eyes softened. "Devika...this one is Devika's."
"Eh? What's that mean, Mizu-chan?" Huo asked.
She shook her head, her tears falling freely. She mimicked Rydia's action and hugged herself. "This one is Devika's."
Rydia's eyes widened and she slowly looked up, letting her arms slip limply to her sides. "Mizu...you say that you're Devika's?"
Mizu nodded, more tears falling.
"Are you...her? The rumored child of Devika? The one that never should have been?" Rydia asked, all signs of her sadness suddenly gone as she stared at the blue-haired girl.
Mizu crouched down, choking out a sob. She buried her face into her knees, and Hiei frowned. He looked at Rydia. "What are you talking about?"
"There was a rumor. A rumor that Devika, the Forbidden Child, had had a child of her own. That was supposedly how she had died. Giving birth to a daughter. But they never found her...the daughter seemed to just...disappear."
More sobs shook Mizu's frame. "This one...this one did not kill her!"
"I still don't see what's so bad about her." Hiei said, folding his arms over his chest. "So what? So what if she's the daughter of some 'Forbidden Child'."
"So what?! Are you listening to yourself? Hiei, do you realize the kind of power that Mizu has?! Her mother was a legend in her own right, because she was the offspring of a demon and a goddess!! And Mizu is the result of that legend and a human!! She has the best of all worlds!! The ability to adapt like a human, to create things out of nothing like a goddess, and to use any type of attacks like a demon!!"
Hiei narrowed his eyes. "Are you done rambling, Rydia?"
She growled. "Baka! Mizu has enough power in her body to destroy the three worlds in an instant! And then create a new one! That's probably why Yakumo wants her!!"
Mizu's eyes suddenly widened, and she stood. She looked out towards the forest.
Huo blinked. "Mizu-chan?"
Her eyes got a far-off look in them. "They're coming..."
"Who?" Sesshoumaru asked.
Mizu suddenly spun to face them, her eyes wide. They were still out of focus, and everything about her was suddenly different. "It's a Hunter!!"
Hiei's eyes widened. That voice! It was...Izumi's!!
A Hunter suddenly sprang from the trees, its club raised above its head. It started to bring it down on them, and Sesshoumaru quickly grabbed Rin and jumped out of the way, as did the others. That is, except for Mizu.
Hiei's eyes widened. "Get out of there, baka!!"
Mizu smirked, and held up one arm. The club came down, but it didn't crush her as they had all thought. No, she caught it with her bare hand.
The Hunter was just as surprised as the rest of them. It pulled its club out of her grasp, letting out a roar. Mizu grinned, and thrust her palm at the ogre.
"Eat this, Jiro!!"
Blue light erupted from her palm, engulfing the entire Hunter. It let out a scream as it disintegrated. Mizu then lowered her hand, and grinned. She put her hands on her hips.
"Baka Jiro!! You think your stupid Hunters can hurt me now?! Ha!!"
Hiei was in shock. There was no doubt in his mind now. This voice...this 'Mizu' was Izumi. But how could that be?
She turned and grinned at him. "Ah, but ain't it great that we've been able to mature this far? Otherwise, I think we may have really been squished!"
"Izumi...?" Hiei asked.
She giggled. "Yup! I figured my battle skills were a bit more advanced than Rain's, so I decided to take over for a " Huo said. "I know you're Izumi but...how?"
"Ah, but that's where Rain would be better. I never was good at that explaining crap." She waved her hand, then grinned. "But it sure feels great to be out again!"
They all stared at her, and her grin widened.
"Well, guess we do have a lot of explaining to do!"
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Author's Notes: [cackles madly] I'm gonna cut it off right there!!!! MWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
Ah, well, I'm sure that everyone is completely confused right now! But don't worry - EVERYTHING will be revealed in the next chapter!!
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Chibi Lady: I love the name Devika. It means "little goddess". Oh yeah, their maturity levels DEFINATELY dropped quite a bit. And to think they've held that grudge for so long....... Yakumo with an afro? [breaks out in laughter]
slave2anime: Rin is fifteen.
ren: [looks up, holding snow in her hand] Good thing you stopped me. LOL. I'm only kidding.
miyako14: Yuppers!!
Coodle: Starting in the next chapter, things will be very exciting.
Story Weaver1: I took them down because they were getting to be a pain in my ass - I re-wrote the ending of the first story, adn have since had to make changes in every single story following so as not to spoil the series. If you really liked it, then I may re-post it later, when I get some free time. Though I don't think that many people really missed it.
TPM-girl: You know me, I've got to have at least one stupid-humor joke per story.
SarnaKiro: LOL!
