I'm now happy to present the next chapter of this epic drama, featuring the most unlikely partnership ever! Regardless of whether you're a Hiei fan or a Kuwabara fan- or just a fan of Yu Yu Hakusho in general- my hope is that everyone who takes the time to read this will enjoy it and if they would, leave me a review to let me know how I'm doing and even feedback as to how I might be able to improve this.
Thank you,
-Bojack
Chapter Fifteen: Contemplation and Battle Plans
The mood was certainly new; having observed what was now their greatest victory against a formidable enemy. For the time being, the atmosphere was cheerful, the town now had its first hero- Garland- back and the demons were currently back in their own base- licking their wounds.
"Five days," Hiei thought to himself. "That's how long we've been here." He then turned and looked at the collection of humans gathered around in the main room.
He quietly as the taller of the two sisters was busy talking with his reluctant ally. He wondered if Kuwabara was simply just trying to play dumb to her obvious advances at him, or he was just very dense. He guessed that it might even be a combination of the two.
The human did seem stronger then usual, and Yukina wasn't even around. His strength always had seemed situational- such in the case of desperation or outrage. Was his innate sense of morality driving him on?
He watched Kuwabara smile at something Lin told him. Bohen was busy talking with another man- with white hair. He knew that Rain was with Garland upstairs. This now left only one person unaccounted for...
"Hello, Hiei."
His head quickly turned to the side to look at the smiling face of the short girl. "Shera." He spoke quietly with a simple nod. The uncomfortable situation continued as the girl remained beside him.
"Isn't this wonderful, Garr is back?" She asked happily with a bright smile and a slight flush of emotion on her cheeks.
Why was it that Hiei always ended up holding his tongue around this girl, why was he always feeling so obligated to be so friendly to around her. Maybe he just had a soft spot for unassuming girls... "Yama knows that I could never do anything but smile at anything my sister says." He thought. "Is it her purity, her delicate nature, her unassuming demeanor?" He asked himself silently. He wondered if she just reminded him of Yukina, or...
"I suppose so," He conceded to her, mostly so as not to upset her with his silence. "We have a great battle ahead of us, and I'm not sure if he can held up in it though." He added, calmly as he looked at her.
"That's alright, what's important is that Rain is happy again." She replied.
Hiei was rather surprised by this, but chose to instead ask her a somewhat nagging question that had suddenly entered into his thoughts, he needed to test something. "Shera, are you ever afraid?"
She seemed surprised, but thought about the question for a moment. "Well, sometimes," she began. "I was always worried about my father and especially my sister." She added.
"Why only your sister?" He asked her.
She seemed to become serious. "Those soldiers you saved her from," she began. "They always used to be around here." She added. "They were always giving the older girls around here a hard time, and sometimes doing bad things to them." She spoke with a slight shiver. "The ones they would take would never come back, and I wouldn't want to imagine what might have happened to them..." Her words stumbled slightly. "They used to look at my sister a lot because she is so tall and pretty, I was so scared for her." She continued.
The words were striking; he had not even considered the danger that a young woman would face in a place- such as this- full of trashy low-ranking demons. "Weren't you ever worried about yourself?" He asked her. Somewhat out of character with his new concerned tone.
She smiled oddly and looked off to the side and her hair almost seemed to cast a strange shadow over her eyes. "I never had to worry about it, I guess it's because I'm kind of a runt and not nearly as pretty as my sister." She replied, her face unreadable.
Hiei caught sight of something, her hand was gently shaking. He sensed that a shadow seemed to be hanging over her and he almost gave himself a heart attack when he reached out one of his hands and touched it to her shaking one.
She snapped to attention and found herself eye to eye with Hiei.
He didn't really take her hand, but rather brushed against it slightly for a brief second and then looked her in eyes. "They won't take you, ever." He spoke, a strange fire crackling in his eyes.
"Hiei?" She began. The girl was confused now. What did this mean, was this compassion? Was this the kind of determination of a hero? What was in her heart for him, was it... "Hiei, I..." she tried to think of something to say.
"Always keep a brave heart." He told her and then quietly walked away.
He scratched his head. "You don't give yourself enough credit." He replied. He could tell that she didn't really understand his statement. He smiled at her. "You're a strong girl," he began. "You may not be a fighter, but your strength comes from your heart and you have the strength to endure this." He explained professionally.
"That's kinda what I was always telling her."
The two of them turned around to Garland standing in the doorway. He was leaning against it for support. He was dressed in a white shirt and a pair of green pants and boots, his hair still pointed upward. Rain stood close at his side, obviously apprehensive.
Garland made his way forward and hugged Lin, and then turned to face the new comer.
Kuwabara quickly turned to acknowledge the other fighter. "My name is Kuwabara." He began as he introduced himself.
"Garland." Offered the other young man as he held out his hand. "I want to thank you for everything you've done." He explained. "Not just for saving me, but for looking after Lin and Rain." He added.
Garland looked around. "Hey, you're all acting like I'm dead, what's up?" He shouted to the others.
"Garland." Bohen exclaimed as he embraced him. "I'm so glad you're finally up, we had almost given up hope on you." He conceded.
"It's nothing," he began. "The real miracle is the arrival of the two strangers that Rain spoke of." He replied. "It looks like the deliverance has finally come."
He looked over to the side and then kneeled down slightly. "Hey, kid!" He exclaimed happily as he noticed Shera. "Well, little lady, how are you?" He asked.
The girl smiled and he almost engulfed her when he hugged her. "I'm glad you're back, Gar." She replied.
"You all must be close." Kuwabara remarked, after observing his actions.
Garland stood back up and smiled at him and laughed. "Were all like brothers and sisters." He replied. "So, I'm no competition for you, if you know what I mean?" He replied slyly.
Lin was surprised and blushed, while Kuwabara wasn't sure as to how to react.
"Hey!" Garland exclaimed. "Where's the other guy, Hiei?" He asked. "I sure would like to meet him."
"I last saw him talking with Shera." Lin replied.
Garland moved over to Shera and kneeled down to look at Shera, noticing that she was still deep in thought.
"I bet you got a boyfriend, is it him?" He asked, making a cat smile.
Shera blushed. "No!" She exclaimed as she tried to push him back.
"You can't lie to your big brother!" He exclaimed with a smile. The fire-demon in question was silently sitting outside.
"What's happening to me?" He thought. "These people don't mean anything to me, why should I care?" He asked. "Damn that girl!" He clenched his fist.
The Jagan eye had let him look into her and see what she was really like- exactly the same on the inside as she was on the outside! Trusting, unassuming, selfless, always thinking of others instead of herself.
"So much compassion and love in her heart," he thought. "Not like me." He went on. "Why'd she have to infect me this stupid concept of compassion?" He asked himself silently. "Damnit, I must have gotten soft years ago, because of that damned Fox and Yusuke, and not least of all- Kuwabara." He chided himself.
"I'm getting so pathetically weak!" He looked at the dark green sky. "I don't need any of this crap- not love or any of it." He thought. "But now I'm stuck with it." He added. "Why can't I just go on hating these dirty humans like I used to?" He asked himself.
Someone was coming!
"Hiei, I presume." Garland spoke as he stepped outside. "Thanks for looking out for all of my friends and my brother." He added.
Hiei just grunted in reply. "I have two questions for you," He began. "How does a man who was left for dead for weeks survive with no food or water? And, how does a man with no soul in him talk?"
"Both are excellent questions." Garland replied. "The answers are kind of complicated," He began.
"Try me."
"Our birth was a freak occurrence. As twins, we should be separate of one another, but somehow, we're linked." He explained. "I'm not sure how, but because Rain managed to sustain himself as long as he did, I was able to survive on the link that our life forces share." He added.
"The old man said that you shared one life force." Hiei inserted.
"Yes, but we're two individual people." He replied. "However, we didn't split right and I ended up with most of the body mass and physical prowess." He paused. "But Rain had this strange ability to do very bizarre things." He continued. "It was almost as if he had some kind of magical power." He finished.
"Rain must have most of the spirit energy." Hiei remarked.
"Is that what it's called?" Asked Garland, the new tidbit peeking his interest.
"Where I'm from, it's called 'Rei-ki'." He replied. "Its means spirit power." Hiei paused. "All life forms give off spirit energy, but some give off more than others- like Rain." He went on. "Unfortunately, he only showed it twice: the first was during a battle in which he created a force field around me- it drained him for almost a whole day." He spoke at length. "When he saw you, his power multiplied massively, and he demonstrated his ability for offensive powers." He then stood up and looked him in the eyes.
"The event that took place today has set in motion a potentially earth- shattering problem." Hiei began.
"What do you mean?"
"He means we've passed the point of no return." Kuwabara answered darkly as he appeared from their side.
Garland turned to look at him.
Hiei took a step towards Garland. "The time for scattered skirmishes has ended, and soon we will be faced with a full-scale war and enemies that are far more powerful then anything we have yet to see."
The group continued talking, unaware that a nervous figure was watching them from the shadows.
"Kuwabara and I were going to leave to get information about penetrating Darkon's layer, but I realize that we must make the next move." Hiei informed them.
"What are you saying we should do?" Kuwabara asked.
"The Demon's castle is too far from here for them to be able to keep mounting attacks so quickly." Came the small demon's reply.
"You mean they're getting help?" Kuwabara asked.
"They are, and I know who is helping them." Garland spoke. "A mile from here, there is a mansion where a man named Siegfried lives; he's one of the demons' special human servants." He informed them.
"Good," Hiei began. "We have to take him out and destroy their relay point, this will force them to drastically delay any future attacks long enough for us to get the information we need." He finished. He then turned to Kuwabara. "You and I are leaving tomorrow for this Siegfried's dwelling." He instructed him.
"Wait, I'm coming too!" Garland exclaimed, but quickly gripped his side.
"You're in no condition to fight and I won't except any excuses." Hiei snapped.
Garland backed down, knowing that he couldn't win the argument.
"I'm coming with you." Lin instructed them as she walked into the middle of the group.
"What?" Kuwabara and Garland exclaimed in unison.
"If Garland can't go, then you'll need someone else who knows the way there." She replied. "I'm done watching as you guys take all the risks, so I'm going with you." She informed them sternly. "I'm going!" She added.
Hiei smiled devilishly. "Suit yourself, whatever makes you happy." He replied sarcastically. "I can see that you mean to wage a war against the Dark Lord?" Bohen asked.
"The war started the moment we saved the girl." Hiei explained.
Bohen looked at Hiei and Kuwabara as they stood before him. "I admit that you both are extremely powerful, but I'm worried that even your strength may not be enough to stop Darkon.
"No one is invincible." Kuwabara announced. "We've been in some bad situations before and we've always made it through, we'll do the same this time." He added proudly.
"Darkon and those who serve him will soon come to fear us." Hiei explained darkly.
"So be it, then." Bohen replied. "I have faith in both of you that Lin shall come back safely." He added.
Garland walked forward, not limping anymore, but his movements still seemed somewhat strained. "I can feel my strength returning, and I'll be ready to help you soon." He began. "I'll be standing beside you at the gates of the Dark Castle." He finished.
Bohen watched as Hiei and Kuwabara left, accompanied by Lin. "God help us all." He thought.
End of Chapter Fifteen
I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope all of you liked reading it. I worked hard to try and present the characters properly. I would be greatly honored by any feedback you could send me- preferably in the form of a review - ;;
Special thanks to KuwabaraLover, Zinic, Draith, Asilin Kheldarson, ElfRanger, Kazima Kuwabara, and all the others who took the time to review my fic in the past.
P.s. I am going to make a shout out to PurpleChaos04, because her review inspired me to write it.
-Bojack727