Heat rose from all around the demons in the forest setting. All three demons where ready for battle but only one had power to back him up in the fight. Hiei didn't know that he had the seal on him and Kurama was quite worried that the seal would bring them their down fall but he had to try. He had to trust that Yoko would figure away around the curse on them. Hiei stared at Karasu with hatred and Kurama stared at the bombs thinking of a way to get past them without hurting his friend or himself.
"It is pointless, Hiei. Without your power you can't defeat me." Karasu laughed as he stood their watching the two demons. Hiei didn't seem to hear Karasu for his eyes were now fixed on something behind the crow demon. What he was looking at was a mystery to both Kurama and Karasu.
"Hiei, give some more time and I will have us out of here in a bit." Kurama said figuring his plan in his head. Hiei shook his head knowing that Kurama would figure everything out quickly yet he still stared out past Karasu waiting to be freed. But what was he thinking inside his head, was there something in the distance that would help them win this fight against Karasu. No, that couldn't be, Kurama had been in these woods with Karasu for a time being but didn't see anything of use to him.
"Hurry up Kurama." Hiei growled getting impatient with his friend.
He needs to be more patient. I almost got my power back. Yoko told Kurama as he worked at the seal on his arm. If only I had more energy….Kurama lend me some of you life energy, not too much I don't want to kill you. Kurama nodded and gave Yoko some of his energy and finally the kitsune broke the seal.
+You did it, Yoko. You really did it.+ Kurama smiled and pulled out a rose he had hid in his clothes and formed the rose whip. He grabbed Hiei and put him behind him as he swung the whip at the bombs causing them all to explode at once. Kurama took some of the blows not wanting to harm his now mortal friend. When the bombs disappeared so did the fire demon.
Hiei ran off in the direction that he was staring at and grabbed his sword. He found the seal on his arm and cut it off ignoring the pain he just inflicted on his arm. He jumped into a tree then to another getting behind Karasu. Both demons where now facing Karasu with a smile of victory.
"Kurama, let me take him, whatever he did to you will be his down fall for no one can touch you without your permission." Hiei growled lifting his sword to an attack position. Kurama sighed and knew he had to let his friend to this or be killed in the process of killing another. Hiei charged at Karasu who dodged him so swiftly that you couldn't see him.
"Hiei, you can't defeat me, you still haven't regained all your strength. You still have very little power to fight one such as myself." Karasu smiled greatly and threw a bomb at Hiei which exploded taking Hiei to his knees. Kurama growled taking out his whip but stopped when he saw Hiei stand back up and attack again.
Why aren't you helping your friend? You were worried about him earlier and now you can't run out there and fight with him? Yoko asked watching Hiei fight against the crow.
+He asked me to stay back, I can't go out there and help till he wants it or at least till he falls. If he dies then I will not be able to forgive myself but he wants to protect me and prove that he will not let anyone hurt or harm me in any way again. I respect his wish but I want to help at the same time. For now I will watch and help when he needs it most.+ Kurama said most saddened that he couldn't be there for his friend when he was needed but could now. His eyes, they were so sad moments ago when I saw him. Now they are filled with anger and revenge. His feelings change so fast I can't keep up. Why is he trying so hard to protect me when he knows I can protect myself? What reasons does he have to protect me? Kurama thought as he watched his friend being thrown around the room and blood going everywhere.
Kurama, I have to protect you Swings sword at Karasu but his thrown back into tree. I know what he did to you and I am sorry I couldn't stop him. Forgive me…Kurama
Hiei struggled to stand, blood dripping down both his arms. His legs wanting to give out underneath him as he charged in for another attack. As he approached Karasu he was blown back with much force. Pain shot through his body as he hit another tree. His back and legs were sore. He used his sword for support as he struggled again to his feet.
"Hiei, stop it please, he will kill you if you don't stop." Kurama yelled from his spot about to run over to his fiery friend.
"Kurama, I would do anything to protect you from this beast, even if it means bring myself down with him." Hiei crocked standing up. "You're my best friend, almost my brother. Yes I am younger but I have the feeling that if I don't protect you then what meaning is there to my life." For once Hiei smiled at Kurama as he lifted his sword. "Karasu did horrible things to you in that room, I know. I will not let him hurt you any further. Not as long as I live any way." Hiei coughed up blood and was about to fall but caught himself.
"Hiei…" Kurama muttered not knowing what to say. I want to protect you too, but I don't know how. You never let me…help anyway. Kurama sighed as he felt Yoko put his hand on his own shoulder knowing how his human spirit felt. Watching a friend die was never something a human or demon would ever want to do.
Karasu laughed at the fire demon's effort. "Hiei, Hiei, Hiei…" He laughed harder. "You would do anything to protect him, why die, then he won't be protected." Karasu said as he stops laughing. "Friends…Ha, I laugh at both of you. If one dies the other will be guilty and will only want to kill himself but couldn't kill himself even if he wanted to so instead he would find someone else to kill him. So, Hiei if you die should I kill Kurama as well or should I just continue what I was doing before?"
Kurama was growling at Karasu as Hiei answered, "If I die, Karasu, Kurama will not die after me." He gasped for air for a moment then looked at his friend. "Kurama would fight with his life to kill you. As much as he hates you, there is no way he would let you take him back or kill him. I know him well enough to figure that out." Hiei smiled standing straight up against his pain. "Me on the other hand will kill you before Kurama even has a chance to fight." He said.
Kurama looked rather surprised at Hiei's answer. His friend was correct, but how? Kurama didn't know anything about Hiei and yet Hiei knew something about Kurama after all the years of silence they gave one another. They were better friends than he could have imagined. His best, no, his brother was fighting for him when he could just be giving the kitsune over to the enemy to save his own life, but he wasn't going to let that happen. Hiei was protecting him from both himself and from Karasu.
"How touching, little fire demon." Karasu said with a smiled. Karasu disappears into the trees. Hiei keeps his guard up looking out for the crow. Karasu comes up behind him and grabs Hiei by the arms. Hiei starts to glow madly and Karasu throws him of and Hiei explodes.
Smoke is all around the area where Hiei had been thrown. Kurama ran close to the smoke rather worried about his friend. His eyes scanned the area as he saw a shadow of someone lying on the ground amongst the smoke. Karasu watched Kurama looking around with worry in his eyes.
"HIEI!" Kurama yelled looking at his friend that was now lying on the ground motionless. Blood covered the demon's face and body. Kurama turned to Karasu with anger and hatred in his eyes. He would never forgive Karasu for what he had done to Hiei, never.
"You will never beat me Kurama, not unless you free your power, but how do you do that?" Karasu smiled as he formed an exploding sword in his hand. "You shouldn't have turned on me Kurama, you would have lived longer you know." Karasu charged at the fox then stopped to see the kitsune begin to glow.
"I will win Karasu, watch me." Came a voice that was mixed with both Kurama's and Yoko's. "You will die and I will live, I promise you that."
The light around Kurama grew as his hair changed to Yoko's natural color with some hint of red in it. His eyes where now green with gold pupils. His tunic changed to the color black instead of the beautiful white cloth it was before. Both Kurama and Yoko's soul had come together from the hatred toward Karasu and formed this being.
Karasu now shook in some fear as he peered at this new being. He was beautiful still but yet had more power than he did in the tournament. Karasu takes a step back taking in the sight before him.
"You said that you could defeat me Karasu." Came the mixed voice of the demon and human as the being spoke. "Why not try now to kill me and my demon self as we fight as one. Unless you are afraid. The being laughed as he looked at the nervous crow demon.
"What should I call you by?" Karasu asked trying to delay so he could think of a way out of his death.
"Just call me Yoko Kurama." The demon smiled as he charged at Karasu with a sword in his hand. Karasu dodged not knowing what to do but found that he couldn't dodge. When he moved away he was struck with the sword anyway. He fell to one of his knees as he held his arm tightly to his body.
"What the hell just happened?" Karasu asked looking at Yoko as the demon licked his bloody sword.
"Your blood his quite sweet." Yoko said lowering his sword. "The sword of roses, hits its target every time. It will never miss unless I choose for it to miss the target, but in this case, I will not let it miss once. Not when I am fighting you. Karasu." The new demon slowly walked over to Karasu about to strike when a bomb hit him from behind. He grunted with pleasure to see the crow trying to stop his new form.
That is it for now. Yes it is a short chapter but I had to end it there. I have the tendensy to stop things when they get good so I hope you will come back to read the next chapter. R&Rs please and thank you.