Guess what… here's the next chapter TA DA! …. Okay uh… ONTO THE CHAPTER!

Chapter 21: Life or death

'Hiei come back here.' Came a telepathic message from Kurama. 'What fox?' Hiei asked but started to where they're ki signatures were. They were standing in front of the place where Hiei had felt a sudden change in his surroundings .

"What?" He asked again coming to a stop and looking at the three individuals. "Hiei Yusuke and Kuwabara can't get past this barrier." Kurama explained, "can you do something to get it down?"

"No, not without specific materials and time is something we don't have." The kitsune explained as he looked around at his friends.

"How about you two just go then?" Yusuke piped in., "no w-."

"Kurama this wasn't our battle to start with and you two will more then likely do better on you own anyway." A smile passed his face, "we'll stay here though, just incase."

Hiei and Kurama nodded simultaneously as they understood Yusuke's reasoning. "So go kick some demon ass!" Kurama shook his head but the two were odd in the direction of Ryu's castle.

"What plan of action do you suppose we take?" Hiei asked as his eyes flashed over to Kurama's green ones. "Search them out, then go in and get them."

Hiei scowled, "is that all you got?"

"Depends, how badly do you want to get Ash back?" He smirked at the glare he received. "That's what I thought." The black castle was coming into view now. They stopped just at the clearing of the trees.

"Where do you sense Kianna and Ash?" Hiei closed his eyes a moment. "Kianna is in the basement somewhere, Ash is on the second floor hallway." Kurama nodded.

"And Ryu?"

"I can't sense him at all."

"Fine do y-." He stopped when he noticed Hiei was already gone. 'I guess we're splitting up then.' He thought taking off at a run in the direction he could loosely feel Kianna's presence in.

Ash's P.O.V

Hiei's presence has returned along with Kurama's, he's going to look for Kianna I can feel it. So that leaves me to deal with the fire demon. I know not to take him lightly or anything in this situation for that matter but I have come to my decision and I feel I cannot turn against it.

Whether either of them try's to protest I have made my decision and it will be wise for them to support it. He's inside now searching, I don't care everything will play out, and hopefully flow the way I need it to.

Either way it will end in the same way in the long run; death.

Normal P.O.V

Hiei ran down a long hall, he turned a sharp corner and stopped suddenly. Ash stood at the other end of the hall. "Ash." She didn't respond, she stood silently and blankly just watching him like she knew this would happen and what was to happen.

Finally she smirked, "it's been awhile Hiei. Honestly I expected you to come days ago."

"I was set back." He said hearing the iciness in her voice. She didn't say anything, didn't do anything her gray eyes seemed to be holding up a wall, blocking things from getting in and out of her.

"Ash you need to come back with us."

"As opposed to staying here and living?" His look fell to slight confusion. "You know my unstableness will soon come to kill me unless treated right, something I can get here." She explained.

"You're telling me to come with you, to my death." She smirked when he came back with nothing. "I've made my decision… I made it a long time ago and until now it just supported it even more even though it has been hard to keep the same."

"And that would be?" He asked even though he was sure she had chosen to stay here. "I'm not going to give up that easy, I want to test my strength as well as yours."

His look stayed in confusion it seemed that every sentence she said was spoken in riddles all with second meanings and know way to fine the true meaning.

Suddenly a sword with a blade of fire appeared in Ash's hands. (Like Kuwabara's sword but the blade is fire.)

Hiei's P.O.V

She charged suddenly with speed I had never known to be possible of her towards me, her blade ready for a strike. I instantly unsheathed my own blade to simple block her, I couldn't hurt her; never.

But I couldn't say the same for her, every strike she made came closer and closer to really cutting me down, it was getting hard to block her and still try and think of a way to stop her without hurting her in any way.

Normal P.O.V

After going at each other for a few minutes, Ash was finally able to pin Hiei to the ground with her blade mere centimeters from his neck. His crimson eyes orbs met her blank gray ones.

"This is it." She said, "your life is in my hands now, life or death." She stopped after that and for the first time Hiei could see her hands shaking as they clenched the hilt tighter.

'She's going to kill me.' He admitted to himself silently in taking what was to be his last breath.

A/N: ha ha! Don't you just hate it when I make these evil cliffhangers? Well sadly that was two chapters so you'll have to wait till I write two more chapters! BUT the way my mind is working now that might be really soon!

Sis: why do you give us these bad cliffhangers?
FS562: because then people give me reviews demanding more
Sis: and that's good?
FS562: OF COARSE! I love all my reviewers and all my reviews!
Hiei: But you're going to kill me again!
FS562: ties Hiei down to a chair shhh don't give it away!
Kurama: I guess I'll have to say it… please review and the next update will be soon.