Chapter 9: Back at the castle
The three didn't get back until after midnight. Karen, Koenma, Botan, Keiko, and Yukina were waiting impatiently in a room with comfy leather couches. Karen was pacing back and forth.
The three walked into the room. Karen raced over and hugged her weary friend.
"Ow…" Kris murmured. She was about to fall asleep standing.
The others all stood up and walked over to greet the people.
While everyone said hello, Kris slumped down by Hiei's feet, asleep.
Yukina led the way to Kris's room, Hiei following her and carrying Kris.
Yukina kicked Hiei out of the room and began the long process of healing Kris.
The next morning, they all met down at the long table for breakfast. Karen sat next to her tired friend.
"How are you feeling?" Karen asked.
Kris shrugged. "Like the crappiest crap. Better than I was though…"
"At least you're alive," Karen commented. She put four pancakes on her plate before handing the dish of pancakes to Kris.
"Oh real food. You gotta love it!" Kris indulged in pancakes, waffles, French toast, bacon, and sausage. "I'm going to be so fat by the end of the day."
Karen laughed. "Yeah right. You are the only person who has a high metabolism than mine."
"So? I don't think I have ever eaten this much. Maybe I'll go for a run."
After everyone had finished eating and they went their separate ways, Koenma and Hiei walked up to Kris as she was going to go out the door.
"Kris, we know that the men who abducted you will be looking for you, so I want you to be with someone at all times. Hence, Hiei is here," Koenma said.
"I have to be watched? Oh come on… that's not fair." Kris knew that she would be safer with someone watching her, but she liked solitude.
"It's for your safety, all of ours. Think about this: if they get you, then they'll go for Karen, then all the rest of the girls. This cannot happen."
Kris looked at Koenma. "Fine." She turned to Hiei. "I'm going for a run."
Hiei followed the girl out of the castle.
They had been running for the most of the afternoon, and Hiei many times caught himself thinking rather bitterly that he had better things he could be doing than running. But he had made his promise to Koenma, and he was going to keep it. Besides, he still blamed himself that Kris had been abducted.
They finally stopped next to a lake. Kris sat down on the shore. Neither had spoken a word since they had left the castle.
Hiei hesitated, but sat next to Kris.
Neither spoke.
Kris wiped off the sweat the had gathered on her forehead from running. She looked out across the lake.
"I can't go home, can I?" she asked quietly.
Hiei looked down into the sad, green eyes. "I don't believe so, no."
Kris chucked a rock into the water, breaking the calm surface. After a minute, she fingered her neck. "Did it…?"
"…yes."
Kris looked up at Hiei. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Watching me, like Koenma said."
Hiei looked away and shrugged.
Karen walked around the castle for the fiftieth time. She had given up on looking for Kris. She wanted to talk to her, and see if she was really okay. She rounded a corner and walked into Kurama.
"Sorry," they said simultaneously.
Karen smiled. "Have you seen Kris lately? I kinda want to talk to her."
"No, I haven't. The last I knew, she was going for a run," Kurama offered.
"Yeah, me too. Oh, well I'll talk to her later then." She paused. "So what are you doing?"
"Oh nothing. Just going to my garden. Would you like to join me?" Kurama asked politely.
Karen shrugged. "Sure." She followed Kurama into a clearing in the forest.
Karen gasped. There were plants galore. She couldn't imagine what they looked like in full bloom.
As if Kurama had read her thoughts, he said, "They bloom tomorrow, exactly at midnight. It's quite a sight. You should come watch."
"It's beautiful now, I can't imagine what it'll look like. I would love to see it." Karen walked around, admiring all the different plants. She couldn't find more than one of everything except the roses. There were the classic red roses, cream, white, and black.
"How do you so this? I can't even keep grass alive," Karen added sarcastically.
"I have a special knack for it, you could say I guess." Kurama's ego was inflated, and he was happy someone admired his work.
Karen smiled.
