::Puts on helmet and armor:: Okay…I'm ready…

Angry reviewers: DAMMIT JESSICA WHY HAVEN'T YOU UPDATED!?!

Me: Um….writers block?

Silver Youko 300: KILL THE WRITERS BLOCK! ::Whacks it in head with a rose whip::

Writers block: Owie!

Me: Sorry for the long wait folks, here ya go!

Disclaimer: For the last 6 chapters I haven't owned it, what makes you think I do now?

Melting a Heart of Ice

Chapter 7

Quicker than lightning, Hiei jumped from tree to tree, building to building, following the strong ki he could sense ahead. He wasn't too surprised to feel Natalie following close behind. Even though he thought she had an attitude, was annoying, and was a total bitch, he did have to admit she was fast.

Hiei never really kept track of his age, but he could tell that she was younger than him. When he had entered her dream, he saw how powerful she was, and he was amazed. Such a tiny girl, so you even imagine what she would be like when she was older, and had some proper training? The thought was just a little overwhelming…….

He stopped on the branch of an oak tree, waiting for the others to catch up. He turned back and saw a bunch of tiny dots running along the ground. He rolled his eyes. Could then run any slower? The branch creaked below him as someone else landed next to him. He looked up to see Natalie, her sapphire eyes flaring as she smirked at him.

"What's the hold up Hiei? Why are you waiting? Do you really think we need the others just to destroy a few demons?" she blew a strand of blonde hair out of her face, which by the way was only a few inches from him. Hiei wasn't sure if she was being brave or just plain cocky, but whatever it was, he sure did like it. With a slight nod of his head, he took off, Natalie right behind him.

As they ran, their sensitive hearing was met by a blood curdling scream. In a flash they followed the sound to its source. A little boy was lying on the ground, a deep gash in his leg, his clothes drenched in blood. With out hesitation Natalie ran to the boy, ripping of a piece of her shirt as she went. She didn't seem like the kind of person, but she handled the wound with the up most care. With gentle hands and a soothing voice she wrapped the clothe around the cut, and picked up the whimpering little boy. "Shhhh..." She whispered gently, "It's ok, don't be scared."

Quickly scanning the area, she saw that most people had left the park, running from some sort of danger, but one woman was left. She was trying to help another child, not caring that she was risking her own life in the process. Natalie ran up to her and set the boy down. "Please...watch him?" the lady was surprised, but she nodded, picking them both up and making her way towards the parks exit.

As if from thin air, a spear flew out and landed in front of the woman, blocking her way. Natalie turned to see a shadow standing on top of a huge water fountain. She couldn't make out their face, but she could see he was in a fighting stance. She drew her sword, and prepared her self. "Go!" she yelled. The woman nodded and ran, not looking back to see what had attacked her. Hiei landed next to Natalie, and also drew his sword.

"Who is he?" Hiei whispered, eager for a fight. Natalie shrugged, not straying her eyes from her opponent.

"What's going on here!?" they turned to see the others, each breathing heavily, but ready to fight.

"Finally! Took you long enough!" Natalie snorted. "Well sorry, but not all of us are short and quick!" Kuwabara panted.

"Oh just shut up Kuwabara! We have more important things to worry about! Like who that guy is!" Yusuke said, indicating the shadow on the fountain, who still hadn't spoken.

"I am the chimera, Rokumo" The man sprang forth from his perch, and landed gently on the ground. He was indeed, like he said, a chimera, but not one they were expecting. His black leathery bat wings were folded behind him, and his black claw like nails could be seen. Long, raven hair cascaded down his back, and his tail swished to and fro. He was wearing silky black pants, and a black tank top that exposed his pale chest. He had pointy elf ears, and large reddish purple eyes. His eyes, defiantly his oddest feature. From a distance, they looked like normal eyes, but up close you could see that they weren't. They had no pupil, just a purple red iris. And they seemed clouded over, like a thin mist separated him from actually seeing what was going on.

"Well Rokumo, what business have you here? Why have you come to the Ningenkai?" Kurama asked him, stepping forward. Rokumo smiled, and what a sadistic smile it was. His eyes lit up, and he bared his fangs.

"I have come….to kill!" He extended his hand, and pointed strait at Natalie. Natalie froze, fear visible in her aqua depths. "Natalie? Do you know him?" Boton asked, coming up next to her.

"Why do you want her!? What has she done to you?!" Yusuke yelled, "Speak quickly bat, you are trying my patience already, and we haven't even fought yet!"

"Yusuke….don't," Natalie spoke up. She sheathed her katana, causing them all to gasp, and walked forward until she was only a few yards from her enemy.

"Rokumo…what are you doing here? Why do you want to kill me?" Their was such familiarity in the way she spoke, you'd think she had been close friends with him. "Rokumo, don't you recognize me? What's wrong with you?" Natalie quirked and eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Natalie…." His voice was like velvet, and his words flowed out quietly. "You have betrayed our master. You have gone against all that we have taught you, and for that you must pay!"

Out of no where he pulled another spear, and lunged. Natalie was unprepared, and had to jump away. She unsheathed her weapon, but she did not repeat the attack. "Rokumo! Stop this! I won't fight you!"

'What is he doing?' she wondered. 'I have known him for years…..why does he attack me?' Visions of when she was young flashed through her mind. When she was under Suzaku's training, she met him, who was also being trained by her master.

They grew up together, as sparing partners, team mates, and best friends. When ever she needed some one, she would always go to him, for help, advice, everything. When she was a kid she had trusted Suzaku, but she trusted Rokumo with her life. She never had a real family, but he was the closest thing to a brother she ever had.

"Rokumo! That fool of a demon was our master, but not any more! We are older and more powerful now. We don't need him!" she shouted.

Rokumo frowned. "How dare you insult Suzaku! After all he has done for us! DIE!" He continued his assault, barely missing her each time.

"Suzaku? Wasn't he the leader of the 4 saint beasts? What does he have to do with this? Urameshi killed him!" Kuwabara voiced.

"Yea…..how weird….I swear I killed that freak a long time ago…." Yusuke wondered out loud

"Natalie did you know him? Do you know Rokumo?"

"Mind your own business Yusuke! My past is none of your concern!" Natalie said, sending the other a glare. Hiei felt a surge of guilt as he heard this. Natalie did know Suzaku. He had saved her, and raised her when she was still a baby. And apparently, he did the same for Rokumo. He was the only one who knew anything about Natalie's past……should he tell them? Something inside of him told him not to, so he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Detective that doesn't matter now!" his voice rang out, startling the others. "Why is Hiei taking her side?" Kuwabara asked his friend. "I don't know…"

"Enough chit chat!" Rokumo screamed, waving his hand. "Natalie…it is time for your demise!" His cold voice sent shivers down her spine. 'Why is he doing this? I don't want to fight him….'

"Hey Boton, what's wrong with his eyes?" Yusuke asked his assistant. "It appears," Kurama spoke for her, "That he is under some sort of spell." He was met by 3 pairs of questioning eyes.

"I don't believe that this demon wants to hurt us. I think some one is controlling him," he stated calmly.

"That must be it…" Natalie whispered. 'He would never hurt me on his own…..he loves me.'

"Rokumo! Snap out of it! Try to fight it! You don't want to kill me!....I love you!"

His ruby eyes flickered for a moment, but became hard once more. "Feh, do not try to stall your death with petty confessions!" he held his weapon in front of him, "Now die."

The others were literally in shock at hearing that statement, but Hiei jumped into action. He leaped, and landed in front of Natalie, blocking the others assault.

"Hiei what are you doing?! You should know damn well by now that I can take care of my self!" She slashed her sword at him, but Hiei met her blade. "Hiei this is my fight," she said through clenched teeth. She pushed him back, and he stumbled a bit.

"Fine," he said just as dangerously. "Get your self killed! I don't care…" he leaped backwards, and landed ion a tree branch. And there he sat; back resting against the trunk, a scowl on his child like face.

Rokumo chuckled lightly. "I see you have made a little friend Natalie. Hiei, right? Well I'll have the pleasure of killing him also, as soon as I'm done with you." He snapped his fingers, and demons crept out from the shadows, "And just so I have no distractions….take care of the others."

With an earsplitting screech, the demons attacked the others. Boton screamed and leapt into the sky on her oar, but the others held their ground. "Spirit gun!" Yusuke shot a blast of blue spirit energy out, and killed one of them. Kuwabara called on his Spirit sword, and slashed one him self. Kurama pulled out his rose whip, and killed a few instantly. But right where the demons fell, more appeared, and continued to charge them.

Natalie on the other hand, was busy with Rokumo. His weapon of choice was a long and spear like, except both ends had a point, and were about 6 inches long. But Natalie already knew this; she had grown up with him, and when they were kids they would spar with each other. She knew exactly when to raise and slash her blade, and how to defend her self with only a one sided sword.

But as she leapt from one point to the next, he just increased his pace. He had no trouble at all keeping with up with her, and he showed no signs of ceasing. A bead of sweat dripped off her brow as she swiped back at him. 'How did he get so fast? And how did he get so much stronger than I?'

Her pace slowed, and she started to pant in her efforts. Rokumo smirked, and used her lack of energy to his advantage. He waited for an opening….there it was! With a twist of his spear he plunged one of its edges into her side.

Natalie let out a scream of pain, and brought her hands to her wound, which was dripping crimson blood. "Natalie!" Yusuke's voice rang out, getting everyone else's attention.

"I grow tired of this…." Kurama spoke, his voice dangerously quiet. His emerald eyes flashed, as he pulled a beautiful red rose from his scarlet tresses. "Yusuke, a little help please?" he smirked at his fellow spirit detective, and faced his opponents once more. Yusuke did the same.

"Fuuku Enbu Jin!" Kurama slashed his rose whip high above him, and as it fell back to the ground, thousands of razor sharp petals came with it. The low class demons they were fighting were instantly slaughtered by this beautiful attack.

"Shot gun!" Yusuke held the wrist of his right hand with his left, and a blast of cerulean energy came forth and killed the remaining demons.

Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara ran the moment the last demon carcass hit the ground, ready to defend the injured Natalie. "Sword get longer!" Kuwabara's Spirit sword grew, and would have punctured the chest of Rokumo if he hadn't jumped backwards back onto the water fountain.

The smile he then gave them was so evil, so cold, that it could have frozen fire. "Well, it seems I shall have to return to my master empty handed." He examined his black clawed hand. "I told him I would be able to bring him Natalie's head on my return……no matter. My job here is done. I distracted you all long enough so you wouldn't interfere with my masters' plan. Even now as we speak, my comrades are leaving Spirit world, the staff that will open a pathway to your world in hand."

Boton gasped. "Oh my god! You wouldn't! Why in Koenma's name would you need the staff?" her voice shook as she spoke.

"Silly ferry girl, why else would we need it? Natalie is obviously a demon, and her home was in the Makai. How did she get here you ask? She disobeyed master Suzaku's orders, so she was killed and thrown into this pathetic human world. We thought she was dead, but it matters not. Her being alive has the just helped us more! When her body passed through from our world to yours, she left a portal behind her. Because of her so called 'strength', the portal was rather large. We need the staff to keep that portal open. But do not fret dear humans, we will return the staff……After every demon in the Makai has entered this realm!" His maniacal laughter rang out in the silence, causing birds to fly from their homes in the trees.

He turned his attention to Natalie. "Don't miss me too much Natalie, for I shall return……maybe even sooner than you want. And as I go, I leave you with a little gift!" He pulled his spear out and sent it shooting strait towards Natalie. It pierced her left shoulder and sent her falling backwards.

"Natalie!" Hiei screamed, leaping from his spot on the oak tree. Using his demon speed, he ran and caught her just before she hit the ground. Blood soaked through her clothes and onto him, but he didn't care, he held onto her as if his life depended on it.

"Rokumo you cocky bastard! SPIRIT GUN!" Yusuke's attack missed the sneaky demon, and hit a tree instead. Rokumo spread his wings and hovered in the air. "Tootle loo!" he wrapped his wings about himself, and in a cloud of smoke, he was gone.

TBC