A/N: Meep... -humbly walks in and sets update on a platter before hurrying and zipping away-

Chapter Eight

Return of the Twirl

He was going to die. A painful, slow, and likely humiliating death. Nothing heroic either, no dying in battle, no legend now deceased. Death by oar.

He had battled, and defeated, countless monsters. He was one of the most feared demons in Makai. HE was the single weilder of the Dragon of the Darkness flame.

And dammit, he could steer this oar!

The thin wooden handled quivered in his palms as he tried to steady it. It was unreal. How did anyone expect to get ANYWHERE on this thing! If he hadn't had to go through the portals and if he knew how far Botan was, he would've simply ran. His stomach lurched as he suddenly veered to the left. "Forward you wretched piece of wood!" It began to obey him a little, crawling forward in a teetering fashion. He let his tensed muscles relax a little, momentarily satisfied.

Then he noticed a lethargic butterfly, casually flitting past them.

"Good hell!" He cursed in frustration, then yelped as it took a sudden dive at his outburst. Before he could collide with the ground, he managed to pull it upwards, missing death by a fraction of a second. His jagan eye flared with frustrated anger, but he forced it back. He panted slightly for breath. "You . . . stupid oar . . ." It trembled again, threatening to take off.

He growled, sitting suspended in the air five feet above the ground, not daring to say anything else. "Please," he groaned dejectedly after a few moments. He reminded himself that oars were not worthy of his apology, and were inanimate objects besides, but he was apparently not going to listen to himself. "Please. I have to get to Botan. . ."

The oar quivered with renewed life, seemingly enlightened by his pleading. As if it understood his request, it took off once again into the sky. Hiei was barely able to get a grip on the wooden handle before winds were rushing through his ears, the coldness stinging against his face.

He had no control over the oar now. It twisted and turned as it pleased, racing through the skies of it's own accord. The only thought that crawled across his mind as he closed his eyes against the blinding winds was, Dear Inari, let me live through this . . .

It seemed like they had been moving for well over twenty minutes. Hiei's hands were numb from gripping the wood so hard and being exposed to the biting chill of the wind. His back was tensed and pained because of his hunched over position on the oar. He knew his alleged speed was going to be hampered by the stiffness that would likely occur from it. Oh well, it wasn't like he was going to have to battle anyone. He was just breaking up a dance party.

He couldn't believe himself. He might have felt ashamed of his actions, but he knew he would feel more ashamed if he sat back and let Botan slowly drift away from him. It had only been five days ago that the thought of spending a week with the ditzy ferry girl had made his stomach churn and his skin crawl. She stood for the majority of the things that completely unnerved him. Foolishness, blind joy, affection for everything else, but most frustratingly, patience and caring towards himself, when he had made his distaste for her clear.

Then why wasn't he sitting back in the Makai, enjoying uninterrupted freedom?

That same odd, unknown feeling he had felt in the Makai forest that morning erupted once again in his stomach, causing his head to grow slightly dizzy and his heart to clench almost painfully. But it was such a wonderful feeling. He didn't know what it was, but he hated it. Then again, it was . . . nice, for a change. He closed his eyes, letting the feeling consume his mind. He was instantly filled with waves of blue hair and sunshine and smiles.

Before he could stop himself, a small smile formed on his lips. His eyes snapped open in surprise. What was wrong with him! He couldn't go rescue Botan! She didn't want to be rescued in the first place, and rescuing her would mean admitting final defeat. He would have to wholly accept the fact that he . . . cared for Botan.

Which he didn't! Did! Didn't really . . . . really did. He groaned. It was all so confusing.

He didn't get to dwell on the confusion long. The oar suddenly pulled to a stop, hovering close to the gate of a large, grand-looking palace. Hiei lifted his head, slowly straightening his back. He winced when a loud crack was heard as his spine popped. Moving crimson eyes over the scenery, he felt a pit of dismay form in his gut. This place was HUGE. Miles of perfectly gardened landscape stretched on all sides, the palace itself covering a good quarter mile each way.

"It was a valiant effort," he said after a moment, glad to have an excuse not to complete his embarrassing task. He grabbed the top of the handle and tried to pull it in the opposite direction.

The oar shook violently, as if to scold him for his words, and flew over the gate. In one swift jerk, it turned upside down, dumping Hiei onto the ground. He stared up in shock from his position on the ground. "You–" He stopped and glared viciously. The oar was doing showy victory twirls. It spun a final time before taking off again in the sky, quickly vanishing from sight.

For a long time, Hiei just sat there in the freshly cut grass. He was in the Makai. He could leave now, and get on with the unexamined life which he was so cared for. He glanced at the gate. It was awfully high. Perhaps a little too high for even him? It certainly wasn't the same as scaling buildings with his proclaimed speed. Yes, he probably wouldn't make it over.

He sighed as if horribly irritated. "It's too high. I guess I HAVE to find, Botan." He rose to his feet and started walking towards the palace, the beginning of what he guessed would be a long search.

"Another strawberry, my love?"

Botan forced a small smile and pushed the impending fruit away from her lips. "No, thank you. And I really don't feel comfortable with you calling me love."

Dimitri pouted. "Why not? I do love you..." When he said this, his eyes wandered over the soft curves of her body, his tongue grazing over his lips. Botan's stomach churned unpleasantly. She uneasily brought her hands around her stomach, wishing that she hadn't chosen to wear such a flattering dress.

"You know, really," Botan scooted as far away from him on the couch as she could, "I don't think you do."

"Oh, but I know I do." He scooted again until he was practically sitting on her. He grasped her hands in his, his eyes lighting with a fiery emotion that Botan couldn't quite identify. When his hands began traveling down her arms, she realized what it was. Lust.

With a frown of disgust, she pushed him off of her and stood to her feet, smoothing out her dress. "Look, I think we've misunderstood each other here. I'd like you to take me home."

"What?" he snapped, his face shadowing in anger. "I've offered you love, is that not what you want? You're surely not a bitter old maid?"

Botan didn't say anything. Love was what she wanted. But this man only had lust for her. She wasn't bitter. To reassure herself that she still wanted it, she closed her eyes to imagine life with love, as she had so many times before. Her eyes flew open in surprise.

All she could see was Hiei. "Oh god..." she muttered helplessly, bringing a hand to cover her mouth in an effort to contain the emotion. I love Hiei.

She ran through all other possibilities in her mind, but came up with the same answer. She had fallen in love with Hiei . . . in only four days. "Oh dear..." She wanted to laugh, because she'd finally found love, but she was silenced with the irony of how long she'd known him and only feared, disliked and shown indifference to him. She wanted to cry because she knew he would never love her in return, but was silenced again with the memory of his kiss.

She started to laugh to herself, her emotions confusing her. Gizelle had been right, so wonderfully, horribly right.

"What's so funny, love?" Dimitri's cold voice interrupted her thoughts as he stood and walked to her.

Botan met his harsh gaze determinedly, smiling with her new discovery. "Take me home, Dimitri."

"Not yet." Botan retaliated a little at his chilling tone. He grasped the sides of her arms tightly, drawing her to him. Her eyes widened in fear and she tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he silenced her by forcefully pushing his mouth onto hers, using her surprised gasp to slip his tongue into her mouth.

She moved her head away from him with a nauseated splutter, which only made his tongue move over her cheek, but it was better than in her mouth. "Get off me!" she shrieked, pushing violently on his arms.

His strong grip only held tighter as he brought his heated mouth by her neck. "I want you, Botan..."

Botan let out a soft whimper, realizing what was going to inevitably happen to her. In the next instant, his violating mouth was removed and his arms were being pulled away from her, his hands trying to grip onto her waist. Another pair of arms pulled her out of Dimitri's grasp and he was sent flying with a loud crash. It all happened so fast and before she could hardly realize she as free, she was against another strong body.

It held her in a protective embrace and was so warm, smelling of hemlock and pine . . . She heart caught in her throat as she raised her head. The man she loved sighed and gave a small half-smile. "Hiei!" She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, relishing in how she loved to hold him, loved to be held by him. "You're here..."

He laughed a little. "You were expecting me?"

Botan smiled up at him. "No, but I wished you were here anyway."

Hiei blushed uneasily and averted his gaze. Botan sighed sadly. She just HAD to pick someone like Hiei to love, didn't she?

"What are you doing here?" Dimitri spat from across the room, slowly climbing to his feet. "You're that little imp that suggested I date Botan!"

Hiei turned his head to growl at the blonde-haired demon, pushing Botan behind him with a shielding arm. He opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Dimitri's loud, "Yes! You are invading my territory, fire apparition! Leave the girl and go - you have no reason to be here!"

"I've plenty reason to be here." Botan could feel his body heating up with kempt rage.

"Oh you do?" Dimitri laughed coldly.

"You do?" Botan repeated quietly behind his back. She couldn't think of a plausible reason herself. Not that she cared that much, she just wanted to get away from here. She felt Hiei stiffen in front of her.

He had been dreading this. Through the landscaped lawns, through the castle gates and steps, through the stone corridors . . . even up until he had punched Dimitri for trespassing on what was his, he had wondered what he would say to her. In truth, he still didn't really know. Slowly, he turned to face her. "Botan . . ." She looked at him questioningly, innocently almost. His nerves returned and he swallowed painfully. And he thought training was hard? "This may be difficult to hear, coming from someone . . . like me, but, well . . . You're impossibly clueless at times and you're obnoxiously nice, and you smile too much and you're an incurable clutz," he paused, smiling at how her face was becoming more and more annoyed at hearing her faults. "But your smile can light up everything within seeing distance of it and your face is like an angel's, even when you're mad, which is actually more than you think because you get irritated by the most impossible things, and then two seconds later you're laughing about something else. Which makes me laugh at you, and I don't laugh very much, but you're actually funny, though you don't mean to be, in a totally bizarre, charming kind of way.

"And you have an inner courage that you only let through when something really important to you is in jeopardy, but when you do, it's dangerously strong . . . I can see it in your eyes and the way you carry yourself. And I think, Botan, that I'm attracted to you . . . as well, because I notice everything now. The way your hair falls over your forehead, the way your cheeks color slightly when you giggle, which I hate and love at the same time, and the way you leave a soft lilac smell wherever you are. . . even in a Makai bar. And" He paused, realizing with horrified embarrassment that he was rambling incisively, hardly knowing what he was saying. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he gazed at her sadly. "And I think I might just go insane with love for you, Botan."

He froze after his last sentence came out, immediately looking down. He hadn't meant to say that - he just had. But now that it was said, he knew he didn't particularly want to take it back. Did he really love Botan? Apparently, he did. Oh, how he did. So that was what that stupid/wonderful feeling had been. Who would have guessed?

He didn't dare look back up at Botan. Her reaction might be more brutal than he was ready for. He could handle rejection, what he couldn't handle is not being able to protect her, even to see her, if only for awhile. Keeping his gaze to the floor, he muttered, "Just . . .let me. I mean, don't hate me for lov–"

His words stopped as two hands cupped his cheeks. "Look at me." He looked. Botan's eyes were glistening with unshed tears, one of those uncomparable smiles he loved so much across her face.

Did he know how much she wanted to hear that? How could she describe what it felt like to know that he actually loved her? It was as if she had lived her entire life under a cloudy, rain heavy sky, with only weak, milky rays of light peeking out once in a great while. The wind was always cold and biting, the air always damp, the world always dreary and colorless. And then without warning, clouds cleared. Everything sparkled with the rain that had previously beat down upon her life. Light poured forth, bathing all she saw in radiance. And she felt as if no day will ever be as good as this day.

"Hiei, I–"

"Enough!" Dimitri's voice interrupted harshly. He drew a sword from his waist and pointed it at the couple. "Leave my house now, without her, or I shall be forced to drive you out!"

Hiei turned, an almost amused look on his face, pushing Botan to the side. He drew his own sword. "You may try to drive me out."

Botan placed a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful Hiei, he's a very high-classed demon."

"Hn," Hiei smirked. "The more embarrassing for him when he falls."

Without waiting for any more invitation, Hiei launched off the ground towards Dimitri. Before he could reach him, something pricked his arm harshly. Hiei stopped, mere feet from his target, and glared down at his arm. There was a small cut that was glowing a soft blue color. "What in the world. . ." He coughed slightly as a thick steam covered most of the half of the room where he and Dimitri were. "Idiot!" he snapped into the fog. "I can see you with or without the fog, you only waste time!" Indeed, he could see Dimitri. But he was still the few feet in front of him. He hadn't moved.

A cold laugh was heard. "I didn't create fog to cloak myself, you simpleton."

Hiei observed the fog. Something was ringing in his mind, urging him to remember something, but he just couldn't grasp what it was. "Come Hiei, if you can see me, and attack. Your sword must be awfully sharp."

Hiei blanched in surprise. That was it! In the semi-final round of the dark tournament, this same trick had been used against him. He growled. He wasn't going to play around this time, he'd just barbeque him and get it over with.

Sword in hand, he leapt into the air just as the fog was clearing. A green flame erupted around the blade of his sword and he brought it down to Dimitri's neck. In a blinding flash of light, the flame extinguished and Hiei was sent flying into the stone wall, creating a decent sized hole.

Hiei groaned in the rubble, ignoring the pains in his body and trying to imagine why, why it hadn't worked. At all! With a difficult heave, he pulled himself to the edge of the hole, brushing rocks off his shirt.

Dimitri stood, unscathed, laughing mirthlessly. "You see, Hiei? I'm actually very weak in physical strength, but that spell which pricked your arm enables me to know ALL of your moves, your techniques. Even every trick you've done with your sword - I know what it is far before you do it. The fog allows me to counter anything you've ever done!" He continued his audacious laughter.

Hiei frowned to himself. Every trick you've done with your sword. He glanced at Botan, who was gazing worriedly up at his position in the hole. An idea was worming it's way through his brain, albeit an odd idea. It was so obvious, he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before.

He jumped out of the hole and approached Dimitri again, a cocky smirk curving his lips. "Go ahead," Dimitri said, spreading his arms wide in open invitation.

Hiei said nothing, but broke into a light run. Right before he reached Dimitri, he stretched out his right foot. He placed his weight there and only hesitated a moment before doing a full turn, spinning his sword as he went.

Dimitri's eyes went wide as he felt no defense mechanism rising to his aide. "What the hell–" he stuttered just as Hiei's sword slammed into his gut and he was sent sprawling over tables and chairs, his abdomen bleeding heavily. On his back and amidst broken wood, he struggled to lift his head, looking at Hiei's triumphant face. "How did you . . . what was . . that?"

"That," Hiei said, sheathing his sword, "was the Twirl of Raging Death."

He turned and walked back to Botan. She raised an eyebrow, giving him a suspicious look. "Was that . . . my move?"

He smiled roughly. "Yes, love, it was." He gripped her hand and pulled her with him as he ran out the door. "But it didn't kill him, so we have to leave now."

"Okay." Botan was smirking as she sprinted along side him. "But I'll have you know that although it worked, yourform was quite atrocious."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "I'll allow your glory for now, since we're in this incredibly annoying situation, but come–"

The corridor they were running down suddenly went pitch dark, allowing not even the movement of one's own hand to be allowed vision. Botan ran into Hiei's back ungracefully, cursing as she tumbled to the ground.

But Hiei caught her before she completely hit the cold floor, positioning her back upright. With Botan's feet securely under her, Hiei prepared to open his jagan eye to look for a way out.

"Hiei?" Botan breathed as she clutched his arms for balance.

"Yes?"

"I suppose this may be the wrong time, but I didn't get a chance before and um. . . I love you, too."

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