dont own YYH...


Chapt. 36

Another Mystery

A constant pounding rang in my head. Hollow, steel pipes clashing against one another, trying to make as much sound as possible. An irritating sound, I assure you. Where I was, I did not know. Who I was with, I did not know. How long I'd been out, I did not know. What I had been done to me, I didn't really want to think about it. It wasn't that I didn't trust my new friends, just that my imagination sometimes got the better of my judgment. The steel pipes continued to clash in an uneasy rhythm.

I was no longer hot, but instead cold. The unnatural red was gone, replaced by the familiar blackness of my eyelids. I fought to move, but was unable to. I could breathe, but it was unsteady. Satin petals caressed my cheeks and wiped sweat from my forehead. They played over my lips. These satin petals played on my face, separated from a definite center. How I wanted to open my eyes and see these dancing petals, but my body would not allow such a hard feat.

"I wish you to wake soon, Darkfire," a silk voice whispered. My ears could now hear the sounds of people's speech. "The others are worried about you as well. They wish to see you smile as you did. I wish to see you smile."

The voice was so sad. A man that had not shed many tears, but was now in great pain, wishing for a tear to fall. Had I caused this pain? And what had become of Hiei? Smells came to my nose again. A sweet aroma of comfort and longing tickled it. I knew this smell, but I couldn't recall it now. My mind drew a blank, and the voice continued its talk.

"I thought that my life was a pain to deal with, but you've given us ten times more trouble than I could've imagined. You're harder to keep track of than Kuwabara. But, maybe, that's why I can sit here and not be sickened. Not that you would make me sick. A guess the weakness of a being makes me feel sick to my stomach." He stops. The petals stand still on my face. It was like this for a few moments. Then he continues.

"But, then again, you're not weak. A lesser being would've succumbed to the poison the moment it took hold of its body. But not you, you held on. For Yukina, Yusuke, Keiko, Botan, Shizuru, Kuwabara, Kurama, and even the annoying Puu. You held on for them. And even for our new friends: Yuushito, Yasha, Shoda, Mamoru, and the demon you beat, Kisho. You stayed alive for them all. And they're waiting for you to wake."

Just for them? What about Hiei? I held on because he begged me to. I wanted to rest, to sleep, but he pleaded with me to stay. So I did. I stayed with Hiei until I could no longer. But this voice was telling me that I did it for all but Hiei. I had forgotten about the others; it was just Hiei. Hiei kept me there. Why was Hiei's name not among that list?

"I did it for Hiei," I mumble, opening my eyes slowly. The petals jump from my face. The blurry figure that was the voice came into focus. "I did it for you," I whisper, smiling up at my shocked warrior.

"I'll tell the others you're awake," Hiei stutters. He stands and turns to leave, but I grab his hand. He looks back at me, and then looks at my hand.

"Don't leave me," I whisper, imitating Hiei when I was fading from him. I wasn't trying to mock him; I just didn't want to be lonely. I wanted to be shown the light when I was trapped in a dark world I couldn't escape.

"I won't ever leave you," he whispers, sitting back on the bed. He grasps my hands within both of his and pulls it to his lips. He kisses it lightly and just holds it there. Like, if he let go, I would fade from him forever.

"Hiei…" I whisper. He immediately drops my hand.

"Sorry." He looks at the floor.

"No, don't be." I turn his face back to me and keep my hand at his cheek. I gently stroke it. He presses my hand to his face, and then he turns into it and kisses my palm. He just sits there, holding my hand to his cheek. I sit up quickly and hold him around the neck. A tight embrace that I never wanted to break. I felt strong, quivering arms wrap about my waist.

"Don't ever leave me."

"Never, Hiei, I will never leave. I swear." He pulls back slightly and looks into my eyes. They pleaded for something, a strange wanting.

"May I?" he asks, moving his lips closer to mine.

I nod, unable to speak. Silken lips touch mine lightly at first. He pulls back slightly and looks into my eyes. No, he stared into my soul. The thing I wanted most was coming true. But I was scared. He pressed again. But this time was different. This time I returned the kiss. He pulled me closer and something sharp ran through my body. I bite my tongue and pull away sharply.

"What is it?" Hiei asks, sensing my pain.

"My back," I growl through clenched teeth.

"You're back?" He lays me on my stomach and pulls my shirt up. "Mamoru must've done that to get the antidote into you're blood stream."

"That puts a whole new meaning to the phrase 'back-stabber'," I grumble, still in pain from driving my teeth into my tongue.

"I'm going to go tell the others now." He stands up and walks to the door, stopping there. "This never happened," he says, not looking at me. He walked out the door and shut it behind him. Hiei was such a mystery sometimes.

Just when you think you've got him figured, he takes a whole new twist. And that messes everything up. How can you solve a mystery that's always changing? Always eluding truth? But I was going to solve this mystery, one way or the other. Even if I have to get my shirt dirty (not that I cared), I'm going to solve it. I mean, how tough could it be?

"Ah, Darkfire!" Yukina sighed, the first to enter.

"You gave us quite a scare young lady," Botan sarcastically punishes.

Keiko nods in agreement.

"Yea kid, ya gotta stop that," Shizuru smirks.

Osadyro says nothing, just smiles in relief that I made it. Yusuke and Kuwabara grin stupidly, holding something behind their backs. I eye them suspiciously. Jin is hovering above them, grinning from ear to ear as well. Master Genkai was standing in front of Kurama, smirking proudly. Kurama was relieved to see me up. Touya stands in a dark, secluded corner, looking at me through icy eyes. Team Ronan stands at the end of my bed, gently smiling at me. Mamoru is sitting on the foot of the bed, grinning madly.

"We got a surprise for you," Yusuke says after a moment.

"You do?" I ask, turning to him.

"Yea, so close your eyes," Kuwabara grins.

I hesitate, but close my eyes as instructed. There's slight shuffling and snickering and whispering, and then it all goes quiet.

"Ok, you can open them now," Yusuke says, trying to hold in his excitement. Slowly, I open my eyes. There, before my eyes, was the most wonderful thing I'd seen in my life. Yusuke held out a katana. The hilt was blood red beneath authentic ray skin (like a sting ray or a manta ray's skin). The scabbard was made of maple wood coated in that shiny black stuff. The hand guard was silver and rounded with a black and red dragon painted on it. The end of the hilt was capped with real gold.

Kuwabara held a wakizachi. Its hilt was colored silver beneath ray skin. The scabbard, too, was made out maple and coated with the black shiny stuff. The hand guard was red with a black and silver dragon painted on it. It too had a gold top on the hilt.

Jin hovered above with a beautiful tanto. Like the rest, the hilt was capped with gold and the scabbard was maple and coated black. The hilt was black beneath the ray skin. And the hand guard was black with a red and silver dragon painted upon it.

I could hardly breathe.

"You guys," was all I could gasp.

"Happy birthday," Kurama smiled.