FIK: Okay, this chappie may strike you as a bit odd for the first part, but then the rest sort goes back into norm style. Hope you like it. I'm gonna try and update every 2 to 3 days now, so I can have time to think out the chapters. Thanks!!

Hiei: (no comment)

FIK: Well, geezus...

DISCLAIMER: NA NAH!! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!

Chapter Seven

"Raise ya twenty."

Yusuke solemnly added his pile to the pot, quickly discarding a card and pulling another from the pile. Kurama and Touya followed suit in turn, each placing their bets without a word. Scanning his cards, Yusuke felt only a little smug at finding himself holding a Straight, including the Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine and Eight of Spades.

Shizuru's apartment was subdued, with the boys on their dozen or so round of Poker and the girls chatting idly about the matters of the Ball. Touya folded a moment later, proclaiming himself 'not a gambler' and remained in his seat to watch. Kuwabara (yes, he knows now too) looked at his cards for a second, studied Yusuke's and Kurama's 'Poker Face' and then silently laid his cards down in a sign of defeat. Now only Kurama and Yusuke were left, each wondering what the other held in their hand.

Yusuke gnawed on his upper lip, waiting. Shizuru glanced over for a minute, a small smile riding on her lips as she read what each boy was holding. Yusuke secretly watched her reaction when she looked at his, then Kurama's, but was disappointed to find her reaction was blank and did little to hint as to what Kurama held. Kurama's face was calm, eyes a never-changing cool emerald as he stacked five ten chips neatly in the pot, saying,

"I bet twenty and raise you thirty." And with that, sat back, watching Yusuke's face turn into a slight frown as he pondered. Coming to a decision, he was reaching for his chips, ready to place his bet—

"—I wouldn't take the bet if I were you."

Everyone jumped, heads swiveling at the same time to where the voice had come from. Leaning against the kitchen counter was none other than—

"—Hiei?!!"

He grinned slightly, giving a short, mocking bow.

"The one and only, Urameshi."

Two seconds later, Yukina was hugging him tightly, all the while dragging him towards the living room where the rest of the group was staring on thunderstruck. Hiei patted her head, face softer than it usually was, and then lightly detached himself from her. Shizuru and Keiko exchanged glances, as did the other four boys in the room.

"Hiei."

Hiei looked at Kurama, raising a charcoal brow inquiringly.

"Nani, kitsune?"

"Where's Botan-san?"

At this, the room became quiet, all eyes turned on the stoic koorime. He smirked, crossing his arms across his chest arrogantly.

"Hn. Probably still wandering aimlessly around Makai, why?"

Keiko and Yukina gasped, as all the males (not Hiei) of the room glared furiously at the spiky haired demon, fists curling in rage.

"You're telling me you left Botan in Makai!?!" Yusuke yelled, jumping to his feet, grabbing Hiei by the collar and lifting him to eyelevel. Hiei coolly stared him down, his face showing no sign of caring or anxiety.

"Hmm... I don't know. Why don't you ask her yourself, baka?" He said icily.

Yusuke cinnamon eyes flickered with irritation and disbelief.

"I would do that... IF SHE WAS HERE!!"

"Which I am, by the way." Came another, exasperated soft voice.

Once again, everyone's eyes (excluding a one leering Hiei) bugged out ludicrously, jerking around to spot Botan floating cheerfully, cat face and all, above the dining room table, about ten feet from where they all sat.

"Well," She said, putting a finger to her chin in a thinking pose, "I think that I'm here, but maybe this is just some strange dream that we all are having at the same time." She pinched herself and said, "No, I'm definitely awake. So, Yusuke... would you mind putting Hiei down, please?"

Yusuke dropped Hiei straight away, whom was still smirking evilly at him, dropping limply back into his chair. Touya and Kurama had a dazed look on their faces; why hadn't they sensed her?

"B-But Hiei, he just, we thought, he said... man, I'm confused." Yusuke stuttered, dragging a hand through his hair as he looked at Botan to Hiei to Botan and back to Hiei. Botan giggled, flying over to come and stand besides Hiei.

"Oh, ignore him; he just likes to make people angry." She said, glaring at Hiei all the while.

"Botan, are you okay? Where did all those bruises and cuts come from? Is that blood? Were you attacked?" Keiko said, running over to her friend, and twirling her around.

Indeed, now that the initial shock of discovering Botan and Hiei were back (alive) from Makai (and that Hiei had pulled a fast one on them) they suddenly noticed the ghastly condition that Botan was in, not to mention a few observable injuries on Hiei as well.

Botan was currently dressed in black shirt a few sizes too large and a pair of baggy shorts, her jacket wrapped around her waist. From what they could see, her legs, arms and right cheek were bandaged, dirt and blood covering her from head to toe. Hiei, though not quite so mussed and bloody, had on his normal black tank and pants, his cloak was missing for once. They could see a large bandage on his right shoulder and abdominal area, and also several scratch marks on his left arm. They fleetingly looked at one another, apparently hesitant in explaining their present state.

"You see... umm... We got these when fighting—"

"—Ah ha!! I knew that you two were in danger!!" Yusuke shouted, pointing an accusing finger at no one in particular.

Hiei snorted, rolling his eyes rather uncharacteristically.

"Of each other, maybe. Seriously, Urameshi, do you doubt my capability that much?"

"Uh, well, no..." Yusuke muttered, looking confused. "What do you mean each other?"

"Is it really not that obvious? There was no 'danger' baka." Hiei grunted, sitting stiffly on the couch next to a bored looking Botan.

"Then where did all your guy's injuries come from?" Kuwabara asked thickly.

"Oh, for goodness sakes, we gave them to each other." Botan announced, dramatically flaring her arm out in sarcasm.

This caught them all off guard. Shizuru rubbed the back of her head, eyes clouded in bewilderment.

"Each other? You two... fought?"

"Yep. That's really all there is to it."

"Then where exactly did the scratch marks come from?" Touya asked suspiciously.

Botan held up her hand, allowing everyone to see her new claws.

"You did that, Botan?!" Keiko gasped, astonished.

She nodded, looking rather apologetically at Hiei, who just snorted.

"I had no idea that you were capable of injuring Hiei, Botan." Kurama said surprised.

"Well... It wasn't all me. I kind of was in a... 'Demon rage'?" She said sheepishly.

For the third time today, the entire room went silent, eyes all turned onto the pair sitting next to one another.

"Demon... Rage?" Yukina said quietly.

"Umm... yeah, you see... I was, well, angry and I just... lost control. I think we both did, for awhile anyways. I can't really remember too much of it, it's sorta hazy. If it hadn't been for Hiei, I don't know what would have happened. Isn't that right, Hiei...?"

He was gone.

Botan looked around innocently, her eyes indisputably puzzled,

"Was it something I said?"

Five days later, Botan found herself bored out of her mind, playing lazily with a paintbrush. In front of her sat a blank piece of paper, paints and oils untouched but ready for use. Sighing, she looked out the window, watching unmoved as children raced gaily across the courtyard, young parents following hand in hand. They were bundled up colorfully in winter clothing, the smallest child's hair done in cute ponytails over a big red scarf. Botan watched them walk on and continued staring at where they had been even when they had long disappeared from view.

Her heart was aching. Inside, she felt empty, lonely even, but at the same time, immensely confused and irritated. Was she experiencing what Hiei was feeling? She shook her head, getting up from her stool. She hadn't seen him since they arrived back in Ningenkai, not once since the time in Shizuru's apartment. For some reason, Hiei's absence saddened her, making her feel guilty in a way. She somehow felt responsible for his disappearance, and now she was paying for it by having to suffer through the full blown effects of their connection.

Her doorbell rang just then, and with a preoccupied spirit, Botan made her way to the front hall, opening the door.

"Botan!!"

Botan gawked flabbergasted as Keiko and Shizuru walked in, closing the door behind them. They smiled at her, waiting for her to speak.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Well, we decided that you had spent enough time moping around all alone," Keiko said.

"So we came to get you outside for some needed girl time." Shizuru finished.

"Huh?" Botan sputtered dumbly.

Keiko and Shizuru exchanged looks, sighing at Botan's haggard appearance. It looked as if Botan hadn't been sleeping well; in fact she looked as if she'd lost weight also. Without a word, they took Botan by the arm and headed for the bathroom. Ten minutes later, dressed, freshly groomed and a little warmer, Botan found herself being pulled along after the two chatting girls, who had yet to tell her where exactly they were going. In moments, the large, brightly lit shopping center came into view and soon they were weaving their way through Christmas shoppers.

"What are we doing here?" Botan asked finally.

They had stopped in front of a formal women's apparel shop let, which was full of glittering gowns, sultry cocktail dresses and pretty knick knacks of all kinds. Shizuru grinned deviously, while Keiko headed inside without them, eagerly beginning to sort through the racks upon racks of formal wear.

"To shop, of course."

"But... why here?"

"Where else would you shop for the Reikai Ball?" Shizuru questioned.

Botan froze, her mind doing a 180 on her. The Reikai... Ball?

"Surely you remember that it's next week, Botan?" Shizuru teased.

Botan nodded quickly, flushing besides herself. How stupid of her, forgetting about something as important as that. Koenma had been reminding her for weeks that it was coming up and she had been planning to go shopping until.... until it happened.

"O-Of course I knew that, Shizuru, it just.... slipped my mind that's all..."

"Mmm hmm..." Shizuru nodded knowingly.

To prove that she was serious, Botan marched inside the shop, leaving Shizuru to grin after her. 'She'd totally forgotten and I know exactly what, or I should say 'who' had been distracting her.'

(A/N::: Okay, I really like this next part, cause it makes me imagine such beautiful things. ENJOY!!)

Dusk settled early, draping the forest with cosmos of smoldering red galaxies among golden fireworks and plum smeared jades of sunless silhouettes. Timber giants stood silently, stretching tired limbs that were thickly weighed down with frozen piles of crystals made from iced-over raindrops. Space was disorientated with plays of light and natural pinwheels of melting snow sparklers, turning light into darkness and darkness into gray reality that spins the universe and tangles clarity. Miniature tundra's were spotted by lemon drops of honeyed sap and those timid paw prints of nocturnal spirits rarely seen by the day filled earth.

The sun was setting in the distance, hidden shadows drawing out from where they hid at midday. Musky greens were swathed among tired silvers, banishing the illustrious forests browns and blues that had been painted earlier when the wind had swept the chilling fog up and away. High, upon the top reaches of lumber and evergreen thistles that leapt vertically from the pits of molten earth, sat a solitary figure, draped in dusk's fingers, where crimson shone dully amid the darkness.

Wintry breezes nipped at his back, harshly reminding him of what had occurred not long ago and what had yet been faced. The smoldering red star was extinguished moments later, allowing his twin, a luminous disk of the heavens manifestation, to slowly begin its course, as flickering splinters of crystalline radiance danced beyond her deadened warmth. How lonely the form appeared, alone at twilight hours, graced only with the condolence of a quarter moon that spoke no words, but could only gleam her celestial knowledge.

'Why... Why does what happened haunt me? Is there any sense in what I did or was it all because I needed to ease my anger?'

He could feel the cold, but it did not affect him. The moon's surreal words slipped in and out of him, taunting his hidden spirit with the knowing that he could not simply run away and to the horizon, where the sky met the ground and the universe opened to its children. What kept him from leaving? Was it the fact that he had actual friends that cared for him? Was it that he did not want to go? Or was he deep down, beneath all the forced calm and shrugged rapacity, that he... liked it here? That thought alone had him snarling, leaping to his feet.

"What is it!? Why can't I just leave?! What is it I'm meant to do!?" He shouted at the moon, ruby orbs battling the pearly white globe.

"I think you're meant to shut up," said a rather annoyed voice from below him.

Hiei tensed, recognizing the punked-out, careless tone in an instant.

"What the hell do you want...?" He muttered, not bothering to turn.

Yusuke squinted up at Hiei's shadowed figure, spotting him standing near the middle where the pine needles thinned.

"It's not me that wants anything Hiei; I'm just here to talk."

"Hn."

"You're going to have to say more than that, Hiei, because I also wish to speak to you." Came another voice. Hiei groaned inwardly, catching Kurama's eye in a look that said, 'I don't care; leave or face my sword.'

Kurama nodded at Yusuke, coming up to stand besides him.

"This would be much easier to do with you on the ground."

Without warning, Hiei appeared before them, arms crossed irritably as he scowled at them from the corner of his eye, his back half turned to them. Kurama cleared his throat, clearly surprised that Hiei was co-operating so.... smoothly.

"Do not waste my time with idle chatting, fox. What do you and the dimwit detective want?" Hiei said, not an ounce of emotion held in the frigid tone directed at them.

"For one thing, I'm not a dimwit. Second thing, we're here about Botan." Yusuke spat, scowling.

"Hn. What about the baka onna?"

Yusuke opened his mouth to say something, but paused, as if he'd forgotten what he was going to say. Looking helplessly at Kurama, he shrugged. Kurama sighed, 'Did he have to do everything?'

"She's not been herself lately, not since when you disappeared. We are growing worried for her... and for you, really. Did something... happen, in Makai?" Kurama asked cautiously. Hiei closed his eyes, as if bored, but shocked them both when he spoke,

"Yes and no. It does not matter now, for it is what it is: the past."

"Hiei, don't be difficult." Kurama warned; steely stones of the purest jade bore a hole into the koorime's conscience.

"Hn. As she said: we fought. There is nothing more to it."

Yusuke had gotten a hold of his collar as he had done nearly a week ago, his face heated and eyes burning outrage.

"Damn it all Hiei, stop being your obnoxious self and tell us what the hell happened!! I'm getting really sick of your badass attitude and secretive mood swings!! Did something happen or not!?!"

(A/N:: Cookie to anyone who tells me why that sounds familiar!!!!)

Yusuke breathed heavily, trying to make Hiei's will submit to his fury. To his dismay, Hiei's face was blank, his crimson eyes flaring their distant, uncaring mind-set. Yusuke slowly let him down, stepping away quickly as if fearful. He glanced at Kurama, who had been watching attentively,

"Yo, Kurama," He murmured, "what's happenin' to Hiei?"

Kurama gave him a stern look, silently telling him to be quiet.

"I do believe that Hiei (finally) has to face changes of his own."

Unknown to the two detectives, Hiei was not hearing them, his distant look becoming one of absence as his mind drifted somewhere else...

..."I'm so sick of you... I'm tired of you and your careless mind-set... I have one thing to say about your heartless attitude: I hate it...

..."H-Hiei, gomen nasai"...

A face came into view, tears falling from amethyst pools...

..."You had saved me so many times before; it just felt like someone needed to save you for once. You're my friend Hiei, and you always will be"...

...A soft embrace, silky blue hair underneath his hand; a drained girl whispering to him in a warm, concerned voice...

..."You really are a baka, Hiei. I just wish that you'll consider me a friend one day too"...

... His mind was staggering back and forth, his primitive nature fighting for supremacy, desiring death, while his collected side demanded that he stopped now or face the penalty for surrendering to his blood thirst...

..."H-Hiei?"...

...She looked so petite, so delicate, so... enticing... he touched his lips carefully to her soft cheek...

..."We're going back... Arigatou... Hiei-sama"...

What... what was this? These feelings, these overwhelming wants? Why? Why did she do what she did? Her respect, her anger, her understanding, compassion, kindness, sorrow, anguishes!! It confused him, driving him insane, compelling him to do things his long years of solitude had forsaken as weaknesses. WHY!?!?

Shouting out in pain and confusion, Hiei fell to his knees, gripping his head as pounding drums beat against his skull. In the back of his mind he heard someone yelling out, calling him, but he didn't understand; he couldn't... Another wave of electricity overtook him, stretching him inside out and back again, the world tilting beneath him in somersaults of dizziness and then...

...Nothing.

Hiei's breath was harsh, lungs burning as he struggled to stand. Absently, he felt someone grab his arms, offering him support which he took gratefully. Blinking, his vision came back into focus and he could dimly make out the forms of Kurama and Yusuke. They were staring at him, frightened; stunned almost; just plain speechless. His insides quenched; turning and tumbling. Before the darkness in his mind could overtake him, he said,

"It's happened... f... ox..."

...Then blackness.

FIK: All right!! That, ladies and gents, wackos and cracks, was the 1/2 awesome chapter 7 of: SACRIFICE!!! So, tell me, how'm I doin'? Likes, dislikes? Goods, Bads? Peanut butter and Jelly?

Hiei: Hell and you...

FIK: Hell and me... Wait.... HIEI!!!

Hiei: (hiding under box)

FIK: (snickers) Lets just leave him there to sweat a bit. I'll be updating in 2 - 3 days, so make sure to look sometime during those days. REVIEW ONEGAI!!!