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Chapter 4

"Where did you get that?" Asked Korien surprised

"In some rubble at the warehouse that was destroyed...." Hiei began quietly.

'Oh..." Korien turned her face away from his

"It was you who destroyed it wasn't it?" Hiei asked, looking at her crumbling face. Korien just squeezed Higue closer not daring to look Hiei in the eyes. She didn't even know his name to begin with, so why should she tell him all these things.

Hiei was waiting for an answer, but only instead leaped full force into Korien and Higue pushing them to the ground "Watch out!" As they hit the ground hard, a streak of blue light flashed above them leaving a large hole in the fences and farther on to other yards.

Kurama and their girls turned to see a familiar Spirit Detective and Kuwabara on the other side of the fence. "Hiei get out of the way so I can smash her to bits!" Yusuke screamed aiming his finger once more at the unmoving Korien. Higue had squirmed from his mother's arms and was shaking her.

"Korien...wake....up...mommy...wake up!" He screamed shaking her. Yusuke aimed, Hiei shaking his head from the debris and blow, looked up to see Yusuke aiming at the boy.

"NO DON"T!" Hiei screamed angrily, but Yusuke had already fired, at the last moment Korien had opened her eyes and shoved baby Higue out of the way, and she took on the blast full force, sailing through the air and slamming against the metal fence. Her right shoulder and been severed and burned greatly, and blood spilled from her like a faucet.

"Yes I got her" Yusuke replied triumphantly. Hiei had gone over to baby Higue, and moved the child to safety. He turned back to help Korien, but found she was already back on her feet.

"How dare you...take a shot...at Higue...you bastards...were going to kill an innocent child....just

because...he happened to be in your line of fire.....are you nothing more....than heartless jerks...."

Korien was staggering closer to Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were both in shock she could still stand. There was a strange black energy being admitted from Korien and her eyes were cased into a deep black.

"Well well Kuwabara, it seems as though this demon has some fight to her" Yusuke replied cackling as he rose his finger for his third shot. "NOW DIE!" He shot of the next blast, and it fully hit at Korien, and she was lost within a cloud of smoke "Well that's the end of that" Yusuke sneered wiping his hands.

"Uhh Urameshi" Kuwabara pointed to the cloud of smoke, as it spread itself in two revealing an unscathed Korien.

"You boys will pay, for every threatening Higue" She hissed. The energy around her growing stronger at her feet, the spirit energy forcing her gold hair up, as it shifted to a red color. Her outfit changed too, into a battle armor sort. She rose her hands together, forming a enormous compact blast, three times the size of Yusuke's spirit gun, but suddenly her eyes switched back to green "Get away NOW!" the voice screamed, and Yusuke and Kuwbara dived to the floor as the blast just missed them.

No one was fully sure what was going on with Korien. She sank to her knees holding her head screaming and crying, dozens of gems fell into the grass and the black aura around her grew thicker and thicker. Higue was with Hiei screaming frantically for his mother, and Hiei wasn't even sure what to do with the little human.

"Get away Yusuke...." screamed out a tired Korien as she held her head again. It felt like many daggers were shifting their way into her skin. Korien had lost all control over her body at this point, as it stood on its own.

"What the hell do we do?" Yusuke asked Kuwabara

"I dunno Urameshi, you were the one who came up with ideas" Kuwabara replied taking a step back.

"RUN NOW" Korien screamed as her hands locked themselves together, and the black energy began to form another spirit blast. "NO!" She screamed trying to pry her own hands apart. Yusuke and Kuwabara wouldn't be able to dodge the blast, it being the Spirit Nova.

Everyone seemed to be frozen in place. The Spirit Nova was a powerful attack, that could kill Korien, and Hiei sat there against the fence with Higue begging her to stop. The girls and Kurama in the bushes watched unable to utter a word, while Yusuke and Kuwabara tried to brace themselves the best they could for the attack.

"SHOOT ME DOWN!" Korien screamed as the energy condensed again "I don't want to hurt anyone, shoot me down before this attack is ready. I don't care if I die I just want Higue to be safe! Please YUSUKE DO IT!"

Yusuke had no other choice, that Nova could easily destroy this block, he aimed his finger, tears in his eyes, and shot Korien, the blast smashing through her chest and out the other side.

"NO!" Hiei watched as she fell to the ground, and Higue screamed uncontrollably.

Korien's eyes widened with surprise, she didn't know it would hurt so bad. She fell back to the ground, her hair and eyes shifting back to her normal colors, her armor returning back to her normal clothes too as she hit the Earth with a thundery thud. Blood bubbled and poured from the hole in her chest with each rise and fall from her breathing. She coughed lying there, and more blood could only emerge. The puddle of blood around her quickly began to grow and she laid there, paralyzed with the shock. Hiei left Higue against the fence, the poor child had fainted. He ran up to her, and lifted her limp body.

"You can't..." Hiei was both sad and angry. He had finally found another fire apparition, someone he could know and relate too, but it was their mission to destroy the demon, and here she was, dying in his arms.

"Hey...no worries....I'm just....grateful Higue's alright" She whispered wincing.

"No...you can't do this"

"Hey Mister, you're Higue's protector remember? You gotta be strong so he'll become strong too." She laughed and rested a hand on his face "You take care of my boy alright? Mystery man, I never did get your name" She whispered again smiling

"Hiei..."

"Mmm black dragon. Suits you" she looked to him laughing again and then coughing up more blood.

"Just hang on...I'm begging you" Hiei cried, a gem falling from his eye. That was probably the first gem Hiei had seen fall from his eye in a very long time, it was black like her's, and shimmered, even the damp color it still was beautiful

"Hey look...now you can put your bead on his necklace" she sighed cheerfully.

Kurama and Botan had both sprung from their hiding places and ran beside Hiei.

"Let us heal her" Kurama snapped hastily placed his hand on her chest, Botan's resting hers on the girl's forehead. Hiei was cast aside for a moment as the rest of the team joined nearby. Shizuru was holding baby Higue, and Kayko was at her side.

Yusuke and Kuwabara both stood hanging their heads, oblivious to the whole story and history this girl had. As Korien was being healed, she felt her eyelids grow heavy, and eventually they closed, feeling relaxed by the blue healing light around her.

Kurama and Botan both finished with a sigh, draining most of their power just to close the huge hole in her heart. "Where should we let her rest?"

"There's no way I'm letting this poor dear stay another night with that man" Botan said sternly.

"Maybe it'd be best if she stayed at my estate. Mother and I are the only two, and we have a whole floor of extra bedrooms, so you can all stay the night as well, I'm afraid its grown quite late."

"What about Koenma?" Yusuke asked

"We'll deal with the toddler tomorrow" Hiei barked. Kurama scooped Korien up into his arms, and when no one was looking, Hiei picked up the tear gems, both his, and all of Korien's. He slipped them into his pocket, and followed behind the departing team.

So many questions were going through his head, and he stared at the back of Kurama's head, and Korien's limp and sleeping body in his arms. The walk was silent, no one wanted to speak, it was a given. Higue was still asleep in Shizuru's arms too, but Shizuru seemed quite at ease with the boy. "He has such sweet dreams" She whispered looking at the adorable boy.

They arrived at Kurama's house at a quarter past ten. Kurama advised everyone to wash up and find their rooms while he ordered Chinese takeout. Korien could hear many voices down the hall from her bedroom, she was only semi-conscious. She was too weak and exhausted to go and join them but she slipped off her blood clothes and let them fall to the floor and then she crawled back into the bed. Korien worried for baby Higue, but she knew that, for some reason, he'd be safe.

Korien didn't know that Yusuke and Kuwabara were in the house, or she would have easily panicked, but she had only remembered Kurama and a blue haired girl's face, she could trust Kurama, he wouldn't be so mean.

Korien slumbered peacefully for a while, until she heard a small pebbles hitting her window. She looked to the clock on the mantel, and it read 2:15. She let out a small groan and wrapped herself in the red silk comforter as she pushed open the window. She looked out, but didn't see anything, so she laid back down in her bed.

"Hey" A unseen voice whispered

Korien sat up quickly and looked around "Hiei....?" Korien asked doubtfully. Hiei emerged from the shadows looking at her, almost nervously. "What's wrong?" Korien asked as she laid back down wincing.

"Don't strain yourself" he said quickly running to her side.

"Since when were you such a worrisome guy?" she asked laughing. Hiei looked at her with a grunt and scrunched face, but he softened seeing her. She looked so frail, and tired. He sat down on the edge of her bed, reaching over to leave her gems on the night stand. "Hmm..you found them" she whispered quietly.

Hiei only smirked and chuckled. For a little while, the two sat in silence, Korien finding a bathrobe sat up against the bed's frame, and Hiei perched against the wall, his knees bent as he looked at his tear gem.

"I can't understand it"

"Understand what?" Korien asked sadly

"Why I would shed a tear over an insignificant human girl?" He spoke, not really directing his question at her, but held up the gem and stared at it.

"You know...as well as I do....I'm not human apparently...." Korien hugged at her knees staring at the bed sheets. "So what am I?" she asked starting to cry.

Hiei looked to her unsettled "Why are you crying?"

"I feel alone. I don't know what I am anymore. And I guess, I'm afraid."

"...."

"Well, you did come to kill me didn't you? Might as well just do it now, and get it over with. That was your mission right? To find the one who destroyed the warehouse, and take them in right?"

"Yes, but...."

"I couldn't control it...." she cried. "I was so afraid. I didn't want to go through the same pain again. I just snapped, and screamed, when I woke up, everyone was already dead."

"So, you don't remember what happened?"

"I can't remember a thing" She said sadly staring at him "I just woke up, with the gems at my feet. My hands were burned, and I was tired, but that's it."

Hiei looked at the girl, now realizing he didn't know her name. He recalled Kurama mentioning a girl named Korien, so he put two and two together. Hiei had never really been affected by someone else's emotions, he could usually remain cold and heartless, but something about her, he couldn't turn away.

"Hn. I won't be the one killing you. I told you that earlier" He scoffed "Koenma may have given me orders, but I don't plan on listening to a toddler. Besides, I don't think Kurama would let any of us hurt you anyway. He seems strangely protective of you."

"Kurama?" Korien thought back a little "was he the one who healed me, with that blue haired lady?"

Hiei nodded "That wench's name is Botan. She's the Grim Reaper you could say" he laughed "But I don't know what real noble demon would float around on an oar and giggled Bingo and other foolish sayings"

Korien couldn't help but let out a small giggle, and Hiei looked away trying to hide some unreasonable appearance of blush, "So, he's your son then?"

"Yes." Korien nodded slowly. "Higue's my son, three years old"

"Aren't you young or something, I'm not familiar with human customs"

Korien winced slightly looking into the darkness of her room "He was my boyfriend. I remember that night. It was right around this time. He got drunk one night at a party. I was walking down some hallway, when he slammed a baseball bat into my head, knocking me out. When I woke up, it was already over, the damage done, and I forever scared"

"Why didn't you abort the child. It was not something you willingly wanted, why burden yourself with it?"

"Because...." Korien stared down "People, demons, everything has a purpose. No matter the way we are born, or the society we are born into, we're given a destiny. It doesn't matter, if the whole world rejects you, because, you still have a mission to do. So why, cut someone short of that journey, before they can even take their first breath"

"So you've discovered that I was a demon?"

"I figured, when you cried, that you weren't at least a human." her words soft, as she thought of him crying "Hiei?"

"Hn?"

"What are we, what are you?"

"I'm a fire apparition, we're fire apparitions. That's why our tears our black gems when we cry, its one of the gifts. That's why your hands were burned, and the men you killed were burned, you unleashed the flame properties that were dormant in your veins. That's why, you transformed the way you did, that is your demonic form."

"Do you have one?"

"Yes. But it is not one that people find charming, not as though it matters, my prey usually dies before they can look at me."

"Oh" Korien shivered suddenly feeling very cold. She scampered across the bed and scooted next to Hiei, and took his hand "Wow, you really are warm"

Hiei just looked down at her with a perplexed expression on his face, but Korien only smiled gently running her finger over the many curves and lines in his hand.

"See this one, it means that you're protective. You're protective of something you view from a far. And this one, this one shows that you're restrained, like you have things to do or say, and someone holds you back. And this one...this one shows you're sad, like you have something that carries with you everyday" she rubbed his hand gently, lacing her fingers through his for a moment, and smiled, turning her hand back over "See this one, this one says that I'm misinterpreted, like people mistake me for something greater than I am. This one shows that I've had a not so happy past, and this one, it shows I'm different"

"How can you learn such things by looking at someone's hands?" Hiei asked curiously

"Well, its said that when you meet your soul mate, when you hold their hand, its supposed to fit yours like a hand in a glove. The lines on your hands, those are just some childish things that people came up with, like astronomy or the Chinese zodiac animals"

"Seems some what juvenile"

"Indeed, but that's why we're human, we're supposed to be ignorant at points, that way, we can only see the unconditional joy before it all fades away"

"Hn."

"So, if Botan isn't human, and neither are you, is Kurama different too? Is that why he could heal me?"

Hiei nodded "Kurama is reincarnation of a famous demon named Yoko. Kurama took shelter in the womb of a woman when he had been injured, now people here call him by another name sometimes, or his "mother" does. His specialty is by far his wits, and he has strange powers with plants."

"What about Yusuke, he wasn't ordinary either"

"Yusuke is a human, he just has some special powers within him."

"Oh...I'm figuring the same for that Kuwabara boy?"

'That buffoon? I'm surprised he can dress himself in the morning"

"Ha. Can you tell me something else?"

"What?"

"Am I...a disappointment to you?"

"Disappointment?"

"I can tell, you were searching for me, not me me, but like another fire apparition, I can see it in your face. I'm afraid, that I'm not much use to you, because I don't really know anything about myself. I was raised a normal human, I'm figuring, that my mother must've been the demon, so I'm probably not even a full demon. I"m probably useless to you now.

But, I saw you crying, like you really had so much to ask me. Kids used to pick on me when I was a kid. They picked on me because I was the fastest, I was the strongest girl, I could beat all the guys, I was the smartest, I learned things faster, that told me I was weird.

It was hard I guess. I wanted so much to be with them, play with them, and it always felt like I was rejected. A disappointment to everyone, especially my father. Hehe, I guess he never forgave me for delivering Higue, I was only fifteen then. But I still stayed with school, I'd bring him with me, I'm not afraid to hide my son. I think, hiding him, would make him wonder if I was ashamed him. My boyfriend is already in jail, so there is no reason to continue thinking about it. I just, felt like, at times, that maybe I was a real weird girl"

Korien turned her face to Hiei, her eyes a mix of happiness and sadness

Hiei understood the feeling of rejection. He had be born into the world as the forbidden child, and was even rejected by his entire society. He had to wander the world alone for a very long time.

"You're not a disappointment, just different. You still need to search and understand yourself, so you can become strong, but that's nothing to be angry with. You've lived in this human world for eighteen years, its not surprising your mind is clouded with their ways."

Korien smiled sweetly, which found Hiei feeling awkward again. Hiei looked down, to find she still held onto his hand, squeezing it gently. His face softened, she reminded him of Yukina.

"Thank you Hiei."

Hiei opened his mouth to say something more, but there was a knock at the door and both turned their heads toward it.

"Miss Meoji are you awake?" Kurama's voice called out quietly.

Korien looked to where Hiei was sitting, but found, he had vanished, she hadn't even felt him let go of her hand.

"Yes Kurama, I'm awake" she whispered. Kurama slid the door open and walked in just some long pants holding baby Higue in his hands "Oh Higue" Higue was asleep peacefully against Kurama. Kurama smiled as he sat down beside her and handed her Higue.

"He slept fairly well, probably because of his shock, but I knew you'd probably be missing him"

Korien rocked him gently kissing his soft brown hair and looked back to Kurama smiling.

"I can't be without him, it becomes too lonely" She replied.

"Indeed. I wanted to say, I was sorry"

"Why are you apologizing? I've mostly figure out the whole scenario. You were ordered by Koenma to find and capture the demon who destroyed the warehouse, which was me. You had no idea it was me, and frankly, I didn't know either. I've never....used these powers freely, it only seemed to have opened up this past year, when dad's beatings got severe. Botan's the Grim Reaper, so she must've had a file on me, that's why, everyone's looking at me differently.

Yusuke feels guilty for trying to kill me, because I'm a single mother, and because of Higue. It reminds Yusuke of his mother and him. But I don't want sympathy, I will never regret having Higue, even if I was fifteen. I know what happened was wrong, but it wasn't something I could've controlled. If you still need to take me in, you can, it doesn't matter. I can't control it, it'd be safer if I was repressed somewhere."

"Korien...."

"No its okay Kurama. I'd do anything, to get away from that house. Its stale and old walls still linger with the memories of my mother, and her painful and slow death. The corners still whisper about my beatings, and my father's whip. The spider webs still are stained with my blood, the carpets too, and all the beers my father must've thrown about the house.

The house might have Higue's giggling voice and angel smile, but its still dark on the inside. It holds a dark presence, that slowly eats away at me with each passing breath. I don't care if I have to stay with the worst demons in the world, or even if I'm going to be killed, anything would be better, then looking my father in the eye again as he beat me." Korien whispered tucking baby Higue under her covers. "Anything would be better for Higue, then to grow up and spend the rest of his life with that heartless man."

"Korien. Botan and I spoke with Koenma, and he now understands this ordeal. You won't be going to jail, but it has been issued that me and the rest of the group remain with you for the next few months. Are new role, is to help you develop those powers and control them. We also have to, make sure that Higue doesn't or does not have the same gifts as you. So you, Higue, and all my friends will be living in this house. We'll all go to school, and normal things, but you won't ever be left alone if we can prevent it"

"Okay Kurama. I hope I don't get in the way"

"I never could imagine that" Kurama answered gently, caressing her cheek. "Do you keep it all inside?"

"What?"

"You smile so sweetly, better than I'd expect someone who went through what you did, but tell me Korien, do you keep that pain all inside? Don't you ever cry? Feel some sort of sorry for yourself?"

"My past my be rough, and full of a lot of hurt, but I can always smile, because out of the rubble, came something very beautiful, Higue. Even though I went through hell, I was given him, my boy, a child who loves the world and loves me unconditionally. He's pure, nothing like his father or grandfather. After a fire, there will always be ash, but even if a single flower can bloom up from the soot, it is something to rejoice about"

Kurama looked over to sleeping Higue, and Kurama patted the boy's head with a small grin.

"So you truly have no regret?"

"Life is short, and you aren't given many chances. If you spend your days regretting the past, you'll never see the present or the future ahead of you. By the time you realize that, it will already be gone, then, you're left with nothing."

Korien watched Kurama stroke her boy smiling, with happier tears in her eyes, none which that fell, but the overpowering feeling still lingered in her heart. Truthfully, at this moment, she felt extremely lonely. Living with a new group of people, and she didn't even know who she was anymore. She had Higue, that embracing joy, but, who could she really spill her heart to?

Kurama looked back to her smiling, caressing her cheek. His hands were so delicate. His green eyes, they were kind looking too. Maybe they could be trusted, but deep in her mind Korien had to tell herself not to. These people, may appear nice, but any of them might want to use her the way other boys did.

"I do believe the sun will be rising soon, its almost six."

Korien looked to the clock surprised. How long had she been talking to Hiei? Korien walked over to her windowsill, resting her elbows against the frame, her chin in her hands. Her eyes wandered about, hoping to find Hiei rush about. She looked to a tree right be her window, and there he stood for the briefest moment, with a smile, and then disappeared.

Maybe the future was looking brighter....or was it only so dark, she couldn't see at all?

Author's Note

Alright I got some reviewers! Thank you so much! I hope you all keep with it! Hey you might want to check out my Fruits Basket Fanfiction, everyone seems to like that one too! :-D