CHAPTER 12

Minoly looked up. She noticed a wilted tree lily on the branch in front of her. She felt sorry for it. Poor flower, she thought reaching over to touch it. It wilted too early.

The instant her finger touched the wilted petals a small light pulsed through it and it slowly began to come back to life. The girl watched the flower in awe. Did I do that?

She remembered something like that happening to her once a long time ago when she was only seven. She'd brought home some flowers for her mother's garden. The day had been hot and by the time she'd gotten home the flowers had wilted. She'd gotten very upset and had touched the flowers wishing they would come back to life. Almost instantly the same light had pulsed through them and the flowers had come back to life.

She'd never told anyone because she did not understand it.

How am I able to do this? she thought feeling strange all of a sudden. Why is this happening? What am I?

She felt the moonlight on her back. It felt warm and comforting. She turned her head toward it and closed her eyes. Light... she thought as the wind blew her onyx hair. What is it about light... that makes me feel this way?

Hiei gasped for air against Noda's choke hold. The demon was trying to kill him again. He couldn't let that happen.

With some effort, because of lack of air, Hiei thrust his leg into Noda's stomach. The force caused the shadow demon to let go of the fire/ice demon's neck as he was sent flying backwards.

Hiei watched Noda go flying then made his move. Since his hands were tied behind his back he couldn't beat the crap out of Noda. Instead he turned and tried to run.

"No, you don't!" Noda shouted behind him.

Shadow fire hit Hiei hard in the back. "GAH!" he screamed as he fell to the ground.

The shadow demon walked up to Hiei and kicked him in the back. "Don't ever try that again," he growled.

"Don't ever choke me again!" Hiei snapped, looking over his shoulder.

Noda grabbed Hiei's right arm. He jerked the demon to his feet. "I don't have to listen to you, punk," he reminded him. "It's the other way around."

Hiei planted his feet firmly on the ground as his muscles tensed. "I don't think so!" he yelled.

Then he threw himself into the air and flipped backward, knocking his enemy over in the process. The fire/ice demon landed on his feet and crouched.

Noda got up and glared at Hiei. "BASTARD!" he shouted running at the smaller demon.

Hiei expected that move. He threw himself forward and slammed into Noda's stomach. It didn't do much. Noda's abbs were like rock. Hiei grunted as pain shot though his head and spine.

Suddenly he felt the shadow demon grab him again. Before Hiei could react to this Noda thrust him over his head.

The fire/ice demon flew through space and slammed hard into the ground on his back. A burst of stars exploded in his vision then nothing.

Noda stood over Hiei's unconcious form. "That's what you get for defying me," he said.

Minoly's eyes snapped open. She felt a strange disturbance somewhere. What was that? she thought. feeling herself grow cold for some reason. What is going on? she wondered, rubbing her arms for warmth.

Genkai and the others were at the spot where the old woman had spotted Hiei's sword.

"Are you sure it was Hiei's sword?" Yusuke asked.

The pink haired woman nodded. "I'm possative," she said. She held it up. "See for yourself."

"It is," Botan confirmed the second she saw it.

"But what about the blood on the ground?" Kuwabara asked pointing at the dark brown blotches on the sidewalk and street.

Kurama stood over the blood for a moment. He caught a familer scent coming from it. I know this blood, he thought.

"Kurama?" Botan asked.

He looked back at them. "It's Hiei's," he told them all. "I can tell by the way it smells."

"By how it smells?" Yusuke asked confused.

Kurama closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes.."

Something snapped in Yusuke's head as he tried to figure that out. "Eh...," he said.

"So he is going into the forest?" Genkai asked.

"Yes," Kurama said again. "Him, Minoly, and..." another scent filled the air, one he hadn't noticed before. He shivered. "...someone else..."

"Someone else?" Botan asked.

"Yes," the fox demon replied. "I smell... a dark essence in the air..."

"What kind?" Genkai wanted to know.

Kurama turned to his friends. "Darkness... demon... shadow demon..."

"Shadow demon?" Yusuke asked. "Why would a shadow demon be after Hiei?"

"And how did a shadow demon get here anyway?" Kuwabara wondered.

"I don't know," the fox demon said shaking his head. "But we have to find out." He started for the forest. "We'd better get going... before it's too late..."

Hiei was dreaming.

It was one of the strangest dreams he had ever had. Not a flash back, not a nightmare. Just a very weird dream.

He stood in a field of dandelions. The sun shone down on him. The sky was blue and a beautiful snow caped mountain range loomed in the distance. The wind blew his black hair and the scent of dandelions filled the air. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, drinking in the freshness of the day.

Suddenly he sensed someone behind him and turned.

Someone dressed in a white kimono was walking toward him. It looked like a girl. A girl about his age and height. Her shiny purple hair hung around her neck, back, and face. Her glowing purple eyes held his as she got closer. She held a white dandelion covered fan in her pale hands.

Who is she?

The girl's pale face broke into a soft smile. She looked so beautiful. So familer...

Minoly?

The girl waved her fan and dandelion petals swirled around. The petals reflected the sunlight like prisms.

"Minoly?"

The girl looked at him. "Hiei?" she said. "Why are you here?"

"I don't know. Why are you here?"

Her face was peaceful but her eyes seemed haunted. "This is my only true reality," she replied waving her hand.

"What?"

"What you see exists in your mind as well as your heart."

"What do you mean?"

She rested the fan against herself and looked at it. "Your heart is the only real thing," she said. "It holds all your feelings. Hiei. It's not time for yours to flower yet."

"Huh?"

"Let them in... please..."

"What? What do you mean? Let what in?"

She stared at him. "I can't tell you," she said seeming to get farther and farther away. "This is something you have to figure out for yourself."

Hiei's eyes came open. He discovered he was lying on the ground. He stared up into the trees a moment trying to figure out what his dream ment. What was that about? he thought. What did she mean?

A/N

I am such a retart. This chapter did not go the way I wanted it to. I'm not going to change it though. It will take too long. Just to let you know I have no idea it Kurama has a good sense of smell I just figured he did since he's a fox demon and foxes are dogs and dogs have a good sence of smell... Sorry! (I was also thinking about Inuyasha when I did that part. The episode where Sesshoumaru meets Rin. Like I said before, I'm a retart) That dream was kinda wonky well I did say it was strange. Please don't kill me! It'll get explained later! Same with Minoly's ability to revive flowers... :sweatdrop: umm that's it. Please don't be mad. Oh and Hiei will get to fight Noda again he does in the next chaper, please be patient okay?

Sorry for any spelling, grammer, or character errors.