Chapter 5

A New Power, a Great Risk

Botan awoke, strangely to the weight of something or someone on top of her. She groaned and tried to turn over. But she was pinned. Finally giving in to the morning coolness and opened her eyes. She met the face of a very peaceful koorime. He was still sleeping and itlooked as if he had never killed a soul.

She smiled and placed her hand on his face lightly tapping his cheek. He sighed in his sleep and moved his head in the crook of her neck. Botan's face immediately turned crimson and she looked over at the window.

Something was different...it wasn't raining it was...Botan squealed. Hiei immediately jumped of the bed and got into a fighting position on the edge of Botan's bed. Now...where was his sword?

Botan took this time to run over to the window and fling herself on the windowsill. She stared out at the white blanket covering the ground.

Hiei blinked a couple of times and walked over to Botan. "Hiei look! It snowed!" Botan said pointing outside. Hiei watched her with amusement shining in his eyes.

He looked over Botan's shoulder and watched as kids and their parents ran around in the snow playing. Hiei watched Botan's eyes light up at a thought. She turned to Hiei and smiled. "Hiei I have a great idea!"

"Hn." Hiei said and crossed his arms with a smirk on his face remembering how jealous Botan was writing her diary entry. It made him feel a sense of pride.

"We could have a CHRISTMAS PARTY!" Botan shouted jumping off the windowsill and almost falling flat on her face. "It's only one week before Christmas now and I figured we could have a get together. And besides...it hasn't snowed in Mushyori City in years."

Hiei sighed. He knew what having a party meant. He was going to have to go with Botan to the store, which she will be at all day, and help her pick out the decorations and such. Joy...

Botan ran over to her closet and opened it pulling out some blue bellbottoms with white on the bottom. And she took out a pink turtleneck with a while snow leopard on it.

Botan was about to take off her shirt when she remembered. She blushed and turned to Hiei. "Uh..." Hiei held up his hand and walked out of the room fast so she couldn't see the slight pink tint on his cheeks.

Hiei went over to the couch and sat down. He was half pissed and wished that she had forgotten he was in there. He kicked his feet onto the table and sat there awaiting Botan to come out.

Botan changed as fast as she could. She then ran over to her dresser and brushed her hair and tying it in a high ponytail. When she was finished she walked out of the room to meet Hiei. He was currently in the kitchen once again attempting to make breakfast...actually succeeding this time.

Botan shrugged and walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. "Hiei?" He jumped and whirled around a look of relief on his face once he registered who it was. Botan smiled as Hiei walked over to the table placing the dishes down in the process.

Botan's smile widened as the smell reached her nose. She immediately dug in as the plate was placed in front of her. Hiei smirked and started eating his as well.

When they were finished with the meal Botan dragged Hiei out of the apartment and down to her car. "Oh no! If you're driving...I'm not going!" Hiei said.

"Oh come on Hiei. The malls not that far away!" Botan eventually got Hiei in the car. He was holding onto his seat so tight that the leather was starting to tear. "HIEI?" Botan shouted looking at what he'd done. Then she remembered. "By the way...why were you in my room last night?" Botan asked. Hiei blushed and Botan didn't miss it this time.

"I uh..." He didn't have time to answer for Botan stepped on the gas and the car was swerving down the highway with poor Hiei hanging on for dear life.

oOo

They were at the mall in no time due to Botan's 'extreme' driving. Botan got out and walked over to Hiei's door after noticing he wasn't getting out. She pulled the door open and almost fell to the ground laughing, but fell anime style instead.

Hiei was sitting in the seat, hands gripping the sides, eyes wide, hair flowing back, and he actually looked like he was a terrified guy that had just been hit by a massive tornado.

"Oh Hiei." Botan said in a sweet voice. Hiei didn't move. "I'll use the whistle if you don't get out of the car right now." She continued to use the sweet voice.

Hiei slowly turned his head to her. "Don't you dare onna!" Hiei said through gritted teeth.

Botan giggled and stepped out of the way as Hiei stepped out of the car and followed her to the mall entrance. They walked in and were blown away by all the bright lights and cheerfulness. Botan grabbed Hiei's hand as she heard him groan and pulled him through the crowd. He groaned.

Hiei was looking around at the decorations as Botan walked into a store and was coming out back and forth asking him which he liked better. "Hiei waddya think?" Botan came out with a bunch of things in her arms and flashed them before Hiei.

He yawned. "Fine." He said.

"That's all you have to say?" Botan said walking back into the store and coming out minutes later with many bags. "Alright...I have the decorations...now we need food!" Botan said handing Hiei the bags.

"No wait...we'll get the food last, because I want to get an outfit for tomorrow night. It is a party and I have a lot of people who are going to attend. I'll have to ask the lady at the front desk if we can use the lobby for the party." Botan kept rambling on while Hiei looked at the dresses they had on display.

"Onna...can we get the food now? You can find something at the apartment. You don't need anything new." Hiei said walking towards the grocery store. Botan pouted and walked by the dresses following Hiei. She really wanted a dress. But Hiei was right. She could find something at the apartment.

When they had all the food they started for the exit when someone bumped into Botan knocking her to the ground. Hiei would have caught her...except for the fact that he was carrying all the bags.

Hiei looked through the bags to see none other than Buttercup. Hiei groaned inwardly. Botan got up and brushed herself off. Then she glared at the orange haired girl in front of her.

Buttercup seemed unfazed. She turned to Hiei with squeal. She ran over to him and clutched his arm knocking all the packages in his hand to the floor. Botan was even more pissed now.

"Oh Hiei...I can't wait for the party tomorrow night!" Buttercup said with a large smile. Hiei looked around for Botan...only to see that she was nowhere to be found. He looked towards the exit and saw her walking out the door.

"Onna?" Hiei said. She didn't turn around. Hiei saw it. Someone was flying straight for Botan. He tried to get out and protect her...but Buttercup didn't have the slightest clue what was going on. That...or she just didn't want to let go.

Hiei was about to jerk free until someone shot out, grabbed Botan around the waist, and knocked her to the ground with him. Botan screamed in surprise. The demon that was flying after her slammed into the window and disappeared in a flame.

After Buttercup registered what just happened she let go of Hiei and stared shocked at the window to the mall. Hiei let the sliding doors open and he ran out. He was met with red hair.

Kurama was on top of Botan shielding her from the demons. Botan's eyes were tightly shut and she was clutching onto Kurama's coat as her lifeline. He held her tightly.

Yukina was holding off more demons from getting to Botan and Kurama. But no one would leave Yukina alone. Yusuke and Kuwabara were on their way to get some stuff for the party and came across the demons.

Botan looked out from under Kurama and noticed all the demons coming their way. 'There's no way they'll be able to hold them off.' Botan thought pushing Kurama gently off of her body. She felt the warmth leave her. Once he realized she was getting up, he quickly stood and grabbed her hands helping her to her feet.

She knew what she had to do and she would risk every demon in Makai finding out...but it would be worth it if she could save her friends. Hiei had joined in the attacking shortly after he had come out the doors of the mall.

"Botan what are you doing?" Kurama asked placing a hand onher shoulder.

"I have to Kurama. I wasn't given this gift to just sit around and do nothing." Botan said as Kurama nodded in understanding. Botan walked up to the demons and watched all the others that were coming.

'Besides this is half of Makai anyway.' Botan thought with a smirk. She pulled the Dragon Tear off of her neck and placed it in her hand.

She stood to her side and placed her right hand out and muttered something under her breath. The Dragon Tear's colors started fusing together and her eyes began to glow a bright red and blue.

"Kitakyoshu noheri ine meki!" Botan shouted launching a large blast towards the demons. The colors, Blue, black, red, and pink swarmed the beam and collided with the demons. When the light disappeared the only thing that was left was a bunch of dead demons, who were starting to slowly disappear, and Botan who was completely worn out. Hiei and Kurama ran over to her supporting her body.

"Botan are you alright?" Kurama asked as Yukina ran over and healed the cut on Botan's leg, which was caused by the furiosity of the beam.

"I'm fine...don't worry about me. Now Hiei...lets get to the apartment and start decorating!" Botan shouted running over to the packages and picking them up running back over to Hiei.

"Well she seems fine." Hiei muttered still not recovering from the fact that Botan was that powerful.

"Well are we going or not?" Botan said after giving Hiei some of the packages and grabbing his hand, dragged him back to the car. Hiei's eyes widened with horror.

"Oh hell no!" Hiei shouted turning back to Kurama who was holding his sister. "Fox! Destroy thatidiotic machine!" To late. Botan pushed Hiei into the car and locked his door from the outside.

"Have a good day you all! Oh and Yusuke...no fudge, remember what happened last year. You were hyped all night and we had to tie you to a tree for you to calm down. And that didn't even work." Botan groaned at memory and then shrugged getting in on the driver side. Yusuke sweat dropped.

"I'm doomed to die." Hiei said once again clutching the sides of the car. With that said Botan stepped on the gas and once again they swerved on the highway.

oOo

When they got back to Botan's apartment, Hiei stumbled out of the car. "I am never riding with you...again!" Hiei shouted as Botan grabbed the bags and walked through the front doors. Hiei followed, swirly eyed, after her.

She walked over to the lady at the front desk dropping the bags off on the way. Hiei sat in one of the chairs in the lobby to regain his composure. "Hiei guess what! We can have the party in here tomorrow night!" Botan shouted jumping up and down. Hiei's eyes followed her. "I invited everyone! You'll get to see all of them tomorrow!"

Botan grabbed the bags...and Hiei and dragged them upstairs to her room. She kicked the door open and flung the bags on the couch. She ran into the kitchen and placed all the food where it was supposed to go so it was preserved for tomorrow. Hiei watched as she ran back and forth organizing things left and right.

He sighed and grabbed her hair as she ran past him. She fell to the ground with an 'ompf' and stared up at him angrily. "Hiei what are you doing!"

"What is the Dragon Tear?" Botan stared up at him in disbelief. She pulled herself up off the ground and sat on the chair in the living room.

"Y...you know about it?" Botan asked staring at the wall in front of her.

"Yes and no. I want answers. How did you get that power?" Botan sighed. She knew someone would ask about it sooner or later.

"Oh alright! I am the keeper of the Dragon Tear as you already know. But I was given this tear from my own dragon. When I was alive. Well I am now...but because of Koenma, but when I was alive I had a dragon named Aritha." Botan said looking at a picture on her desk with tears forming in her eyes.

"We were great friends until we were separated. I never saw her again. We were separated when I died by Dragon slayers. I was riding Aritha at the time and the spear instead of her struck me. And I got the tear when she cried for me." Hiei sat on the arm of her chair. She looked at him.

"I was buried with the Tear strung around my neck and Koenma made me a ferry girl. He could not get the tear from around my neck and only I was able to pull it off. I never wanted to part with it. I heard that my dragon was eventually killed...but Koenma said it was not certain. All of the dragons now live in the Dragon Realm...much like the human and demon realm. When I get stronger...I will go to the Dragon realm and find Aritha." Botan said standing up.

"Stronger! But you're already almost stronger than Yusuke!" Hiei said standing up as well. Botan turned to him with a sigh.

"Yes Hiei. Now if you don't mind I'm very tired!" Botan was once again cheerful. "I never could activate the power of the Dragon Tear before today. I guess you could say I was being just as careless as Yusuke." Botan smiled and Hiei smirked. "Good night Hiei." Botan walked back towards her room not expecting a sound from the Fire Demon.

"Night onna." He said and turned for the guest bedroom. Botan was shocked but eventually smiled and closed her door softly.

They both fell into a peaceful sleep not knowing that the Dragon Tear not only resembled Botan's Dragon...but also the bond Botan and Hiei once shared a long long time ago.

To be continued...