Don't own anything; if I did, it wouldn't exist. I own nothing of value. Flames will be used on my textbooks and to the 'Heat my Room This Year' foundation.
Warnings: Shonen-ai: Kurama/Hiei; Hiei/Kurama. It's just a small bit at the end, because I really can't write relationships that far just yet. Also, I put in angels even though they don't really have a place set for them in the YYH universe.
One more thing: I'm NOT depressed; angst just makes the love taste sweeter in the end.
Hiei walked along on the bridge's path, the snow falling all around him in fluffy white flakes. When he got to the center of the bridge, he leaped onto the ledge and looked into the dark flowing waters far below the metal structure on which he stood. He glanced around him in the darkness. All alone; except for the humming of the lone streetlight above his head that cast an eerie light, and the rippling waters below. His visible breath floated into the dark sky to join the clouds. He glanced back down into the water, captivated by its rippling surface.
'Why not just end it now? What do I have to look forward to? I'm just the heartless one; and Yukina must never find out who I am, so, why bother?' He thought, still enthralled by the shimmering dance and, even more tempted to join it. To just let go, to let himself tip forward and fall into the deathly cold water.
Inhaling, he closed his eyes and began to let himself fall forward.
"I wouldn't do that. People need you." He stopped, opening his eyes, as someone gripped at the back of his shirt. He turned and glared angrily at the person behind him, but found he was face to face with a young red-headed boy about 7 or 8; floating a foot or two above the ground.
"What?" He questioned, hoping to intimidate the boy into leaving. "How would you know that, little boy"
"I'm not a little boy! I'm your guardian angel. I'm just as old as you, heck, maybe older."
Hiei blinked, wide-eyed. Koenma had never mentioned anything about angels working in Spirit World. "How can I believe you? I've never heard anything about angels." The young boy just grinned at him.
"I knew you'd say that. Listen, I've shown myself tonight to try and get you to change your mind about your decision."
"I've already decided. It's no use stopping me. Everyone would have been better off if I was never born."
The young boy looked angry, then regained his 'composure'. "Alright. I'm gonna show you what would happen IF you hadn't been born. Maybe then you'd change your mind." Hiei smirked to himself. Nothing could change his mind.
With a wave of his childish hands, the boy sent sparkling 'glitter' everywhere. Nothing seemed to change, and Hiei started to turn away. "Well, I'd figured as much." He was stopped by a hand on his.
"Where do you think you're going? You've got to at least go and see if anything has changed. Don't worry. No one can see you." With much protesting, the demon was dragged off the bridge by the little kid into the near center of the city. "What is the meaning of....."
He was silenced by the scenes around him. The streets were littered by the bodies of fallen humans of all ages, and the streets were deprived of any activity. Crimson and black banners with demons printed on them hung on the buildings and streetlights, declaring their message loudly: "Demons Own You!!"
"Wha...what happened here?" Hiei stammered for the first time in his life, shocked by the horrors around him.
"What happened? Demons happened. You weren't around to help Yuske and Kuwabara defeat them." The kid replied, looking at Hiei with green eyes. "In fact, they never made it past the Four Saint Beasts."
Hiei was just about to ask another question when he was interrupted by marching troops and rival demon leaders. Demon slave drivers whipped at the humans who slowed, forcing them to fight against their friends and family for the sake of their demon captors. "You see, the demons force the humans into doing their dirty work, for their own amusement." The kid summerized.
"Listen! Take me to the homes of Yuske and Kuwabara!" Hiei demanded. The little kid shrugged, but complied by transporting them at Yuske's home. Upon entering, they were confronted by the crackling of electricity.
"Suzaku?!" The leader of the Four Saint Beasts didn't even turn, but kept his concentration on Atsuko, who scrubbed at the dishes in the sink. Her clothes, ragged and dirty, were splashed with blood.
"Hurry up, wench!! You still have to make my food and wash my clothes before I even CONSIDER giving you your son's body!"
"As you can guess, Yuske was killed by Suzaku, and has his mother working like a slave to get his body back." The boy said simply. "Care to see what Shizuru's new life is like?"
"Shizuru? What about..." Hiei began, and found himself at the apartment of the 'idiotic red head with an ugly face'. The door was lined with barbed wire, and a Wiccan symbol was painted on it in red paint. The green-eyed boy pushed open the door and led Hiei into what was once a living room. He saw a grotesque ice sculpture sitting among the many wooden crates, and it only took a moment to realize what, or who, it really was.
"Kuwabara?" Hiei gasped at the horrified expression on Kuwabara's face. Sure he always disliked the guy, but never really wanted anything that bad to happen to him. (Yuck! He sounds too OOC right about now.)
"Yup. Frozen like a brick, by the Saint Beast that you killed originally. But since you don't exist in this place, you weren't there to do it this time." The boy shook his head in a pitying gesture, and turned to face Hiei. "Wanna find out what happened to Shizuru and Kayko?"
Hiei turned back to the kid. "Do I really want to?" came out a little too late, as the 'angel' had already transported them to a giant throne room. The heads of people and demons alike lined the walls, as two humans in black and grey robes were dragged in an thrown at the feet of the demons' king.
The giant, black and red, muscled and horned beast looked down at the two small forms that moved. "Are these the two members of The Resistance you found?" The other demons grunted in reply, and the two robed figures stood up, letting their hoods fall back. The defiant stares of Kayko and Shizuru matched the leader's.
"What's wrong with you humans? I allow you all to remain in your homes and give you food. But you humans formed The Resistance as payment to me for all I've done?" The great brute thundered, his shout shaking the building.
Shizuru stepped forward. "Most of your demons force us to hand over our houses, and serve as slaves for them! They force those who can't onto the street where they are later killed or die! There's barely enough rations for everybody, and people die of starvation, or are killed by demons or humans who take their food!"
"It just serves as a lesson for all the other humans. It's survival of the fittest, and if you humans had only kept to your primitive natures, you would have stood a chance against us demons." The demon king replied. "Now tell me, who's The Resistance' leader and I might spare you."
"No! We'd rather die than serve another day under you!" Kayko shouted, Shizuru, nodding in approval. The demon king stared at them in slight confusion, then delivered the deathblow. Hiei shook with some emotion he couldn't name, as the 'angel' took them to an underground chamber.
"If it's any help, here's The Resistance HQ." Hiei looked around and spotted the familiar old hag, Genkai, dressed as Kayko and Shizuru were. Two other similarly dressed figures stood around her.
"I'm afraid that two of our best Resistance members were killed just now. The demons are too powerful for us." Genkai looked at the hooded head of the person. "We can't give up. We have to keep serching for anyone who might be of help to The Resistance, and have them hone their skills."
Another robed figure, escorting a feminine figure in a black jumpsuit and matching mask, approached the two Resistance members and Genkai.
"I've found a willing assasin for our side, and she has quite an impressive resume. She's killed many of our former enemies, and seems to be loyal to mankind"
"I sense her loyalty to us, and her power, but what is her name?" Hiei gasped in shock as the female removed her mask. How could this be?
"Yukina. My name is Yukina, and I am the most powerful ally you will be able to find." The angel noticed Hiei's expression.
"This is a place where YOU don't exist. That doesn't mean that she can't either. I'd say that her fighting spirit grew when she 'took over', as you could say, your position in life. She just wasn't in the right places at the right times to really get a decent effect."
"But...what will happen to her?" "She will later be killed in the final battle with the lead demon, and the Earth will be barren of all humans."
Hiei was silent as he pondered over everything he had just seen. This 'new world' without him was a mess, and he had only just begun to realize how deep his impact was on the people around him. It was then the angel poked him back to reality, and he found himself in Kurama's apartment.
"I've saved this one for last. I bet that this one will help you decide." Hiei looked in the direction the angel pointed to, and found Kurama kneeling over a picture of his mother. He wore his best tux, and set a beautiful red rose in front of the picture.
"Goodbye, Mother. Please forgive me for what I'm going to do." Two paths of tears ran down his cheeks as he stood up and opened the balcony door, then stepped back a little ways.
"Wait! Is he...? He's not....? He can't!" Hiei exclaimed. The angel touched his arm as Kurama disappeared into the dark outside. "He is. His mother died because the Forlorn Hope was never stolen, because you weren't there to plan the theft of it. Therefore, his mother died, leaving him with no one to turn to and nothing left to live for."
Hiei stood, shocked at what the angel had told him. For some reason, Kurama's death had hit something deep within; a feeling hidden far below Hiei's rough surface that had just now escaped to the surface. Quickly wiping away the water from his eyes, Hiei turned to the angel. "I'm ready. Take me back."
"Really? Has the visions of what may have been inspired you to return?" Hiei smirked. "No. Somebody has to teach the stupid idiot Kuwabara, and I personally like the job."
Kurama sat by the fireplace, enjoying an enthralling novel while sipping hot cocoa. The fire cast a glow upon the walls as shadows danced on his face. The empty boxes from the Christmas decorations sat untouched on the floor beside the fake tree. He barely glanced up upon feeling a familiar presence enter the room.
"Kurama?" He looked up over the top of the book and found that the person was indeed who he had sensed. "Yes Hiei?" Hiei shifted slightly; barely detectable to the untrained eye, then pulled the book down farther. Red eyes stared deeply into emerald green as their faces drew nearer.
Kurama was a little surprised when Hiei captured his lips, but wasted no time in melding with the other's lips. The book fell, completely forgotten on the floor as Kurama laced his hands on the back of Hiei's neck. After seemingly an eternity, both broke the kiss to breathe.
"What made you kiss me like that?" Kurama asked. Hiei smiled, also very undetectible.
"Let's just say that I had a little revelation; and how could you not notice the mistletoe above you?" Kurama looked up, and saw that Hiei was right. A branch of it had been placed directly over where he had sat. It also wasn't the only place it had been stuck. Kurama looked slightly puzzled as he pulled a branch from his hair, then caught on when he saw the smirk on Hiei's face.
"You were still under the mistletoe. You know what that means..." The clock on the wall chimed midnight as Hiei had once again captured Kurama's lips in a very passionate kiss.
Merry Christmas, Happy holidays, and have a Happy New Year. Once again, this was my first shot at this pairing. I tried my best.