Chapter Seven

Rain, Energy, and Rose Petals

Katani ripped her necklace off and nicked her blood-stained shirt. The weight of her sword combined with the intense training Yusuke had put her through slowed her. Hiei sensed this weakness.

"If you give up that easily then your brother will never find peace. His soul is as good as lost in your incapable hands." The truth in his words stung. He lifted he sword and left the double-edged blade touch her damp forehead. Her limbs filled with resolve. She'd show him what love for those lost can do.

He disappeared in a blur and she panicked. Where did he go? She calmed herself and remembered Yusuke's advice to listen. She heard a rustle behind he and swung her sword in a Falcon Crest. The move knocked Hiei's sword away from her and he was taken by surprise. She wasted no time and moved with an attack she called Heron's Dive. She rained her sword down on him with quick multiple blows. The move was meant to be fast and unavoidable but he dodged every one as if she moved in slow motion.

If you want to hit me, guard your mind. I'm not the only telepath out there, woman. Guard yourself. He penetrated her mind and she staggered back in pain. It felt as if he had driven spike through her skull.

"Grurdad!" She yelled. Hiei staggered back. His attack bounced off the steel walls of her mind. The Phoenix Down was making her stronger.

Better, but can you do that and fight at the same time? He had to force his way into her mind but after he finished his sentence she built up the walls with even more strength. My mind is my greatest asset, she thought, without it I lose.

She stuck at him with the Hawk's Wing blow. Spinning at an angle made the sword deadly and if she could land a blow she would surpass him. He dodged easily. Your mind is exposed. He drove another spike into her mind. She fell to her knees and held he head in her hands. How did he do it?

"Get up woman." Hiei's sword was pressed to her throat. A drop of golden blood trickled down the nape of her neck. The pounding rain quickly cleaned her wound.

In barely a whisper she said, "Grurdad Maxiuma." As she went to pick up her blade from the mud diamond walls surrounded her thoughts and drove Hiei back. The words were foreign to her but she knew them as well as she knew the sword in her hand. Now she just had to keep her guard while fighting in combat. Easier said then done. His attacks called for her complete attention and he delivered three more spikes to her sore mind.

You are a fool to think you can surpass me. He struck her hip with the broad side of his blade while driving a hot spike through her mind. Katani had had it.

" Enough! " She yelled with her voice and mind. She was filled with fury at this miniature demon. How dare he look down on her like a child. She guarded her secrets, hopes, dreams, memories, desires, and prayers from him while delivering blow upon blow to both his mind and body.

He blocked most of them but grinned at her progress, he could not enter her mind now and she was fighting with mad fury. After another fifteen minutes her rage had subsided yet she continued to fight with her new skills. When the two hours neared an end the rain lessened till it become nothing more than a drizzle.

Katani was soaked to the bone and her dark t-shirt clung to her body while her jeans sagged. Her shoes were covered in mud and the hair that had fallen from her braid clung to her face. Never was her training so intense. She continued to fight and fight with everything in her.

"Stop. It is over." Hiei blocked her last horizontal attack. It fell weakly against his sword and she dropped the ground. Her sword changed back to a necklace and snapped itself about her neck. Her breathing was short and ragged. Her mind and body were utterly spent. Yet this was not the end. She still had two more sessions with the others. Her mind reeled from using so much energy, mental and physical.

She was on the edge of darkness when Hiei handed her a dark flask. "Drink,"

She needed no urging and drained the thing in one swig. It was water but nothing had ever tasted sweeter.

"Do you always push yourself to the point of death?"

Katani could see again and met his gaze. "Yeah, it gives me a kind of thrill. Besides, I saw no other option with you as my teacher." She tried to stand but her legs gave out from under her.

"Here," he handed her an odd chunk of meat, or what looked like meat. She couldn't be sure exactly what it was. "Eat it," he said when he saw the repulsed look she gave it.

It was around noon so she forced herself to eat. A surprised grin lit her face. Whatever it was, it was good. She felt life in her body again and stood without pain. Her shoulder healed and all the bruises on her calves, thighs, and hips simply vanished.

"That idiot Kuwabara will be working with you next. Don't expect much." He walked away without any goodbye.

"Hiei! " He stopped. Thank you.

"Improve yourself, Katani. I will not be seen fighting beside a pathetic woman."

Katani didn't have enough energy to retort. She walked over to a stump and tried to wash away the mud using the rain that had collected in an empty tree trunk. Relatively presentable she decided to take a break and drink from the now overflowing stream. Water had never tasted better.

With a sigh she leaned against a great oak. "How did I get myself into this thing?" She said aloud to no one.

A hour later she heard someone hacking their way through the forest. Oh great, it's the ogre. Katani stood and was just in time to see Kuwabara roll into the clearing, aura sword in hand. The rain had stopped but the sun still refused to show itself. The ground was mud and every step must be controlled lest you utterly disgrace yourself and become covered in filth.

"About time, get lost?"

"That's no way to talk to your teacher, Katani!" He waved his sword in her face.

"You are no teacher."

"For the next two hours I am. So get ready to learn my super ultimate moves of complete destruction!" He pulled out a headband tied it on.

"Does that say 'I love Ice Maiden' ?"

"Yes!" He stopped and his eyes filled with longing. "Yukina… I will see you again soon…"

Katani rolled her icy eyes. "So, grand exulted overlord, what do you want me to do?"

Kuwabara snapped back to the present. "First thing I will teach you is how to be a super swordsman!" He made a huge show of displaying moves.

"If I beat you can we move on to something else?"

"No! I will not fight a girl!"

"I see. You are wise to avoid a fight you would loose." Katani turned her back on him. She was enjoying messing with him, something to relive stress.

"It's not that! I have a honor code! Now try this," He swung his sword like a club. It made Katani sick. His swordsmanship was utterly abominable.

This went on for another fifteen minutes until Katani finally convinced him to teach her something useful.

"Fine, I'll teach you something good. The secret to fighting is this," he sat on a soaked log. "Love."

Katani tripped on rock. She caught herself before she fell facedown in the mud. "Love? You're joking right?"

"No," Kuwabara looked serious and this surprised her. He usually had the look of a five year old. "If I didn't have love I would have never survived the Dark Tournament."

"The Dark Tournament?" Kuwabara explained what the tournament was and how it had affected the fate of the world. She began to better understand just what kind of power these boys were capable of. After surpassing all others in competitions lasting to the death they had managed to win and save the world from those wishing to open a portal allowing demons to run free in the human world. To her own surprise she began to take this oversized carrot top seriously. "Why love?"

"Because without love you have nothing to fight for. When ever I was fighting in the Dark Tournament Yukina would be there cheering for me. Even if she wasn't with me I could feel her. She is why I fight and why I can win. I would have died big time if she hadn't given me the courage to live. Do you have someone you love, Katani?" He looked at her.

"I… well…" she blushed. "I don't know. I don't think I've ever been in love."

"Then you haven't. You'll find him. If you haven't already."

She looked at the ground.

"That is wha- kitty!" Kuwabara jumped from the log and dashed to across the clearing. A small tabby was drenched and mewing weakly from a tree. "Do not worry brave kitten! I, Kuwabara, will save you!" He jumped up and down to try and reach the branch.

Well I guess everyone has their moments.Katani climbed nimbly up the tree and scoped the tabby in one arm while dangling from the branch with the other. "Here," she dropped from the tree.

"You're a hero Katani!" He took the cat gently in his gruff arms and began to soothe it with words and strokes. He dried it and feed it some of the food he had with him.

Katani was amazed how gentle he could be. Yukina, whoever she was, must be like that cat, tiny, lonely, and lost. He really did love her. He's not such an idiot after all.Kuwabara fell off the log when he heard someone approaching. Ok, maybe I spoke to soon… Kurama stepped into the clearing.

"Hey, Kurama!" Kuwabara called. "Katani rescued this cat from a tree! I'm going to call him Okichi Junior."

Kurama spoke as he would to a child who had shown him a painting that was supposed to be an animal but was really just a sloshed mess of colors. "That's wonderful Kuwabara, though it's time for my session with Katani now. You've been away for three hours. The others are getting concerned."

"Alright, I'm going. See ya Katani!" He ran off with Okichi Jr. in his arms.

Katani stood and immediately put the training the others had given her into practice. She stood loosely incase of attack and erected walls around her thoughts. She didn't think Kurama was capable of reading them but she thought she might as well get used to the throbbing at the back of her head. She tried to look defiant, friendship (if they even had one) didn't apply here, but after six hours of intense mental and physical training such arrogance was near impossible. Her once combed blonde hair was now a matted mess of ponytail while her clothes were filthy, covered with mud and who knows what else. How grateful she was that black was the color she chose to wear instead of white.

The weather seemed to be training Katani as well and insisted on turning the drizzle into downpour. For a long moment they faced each other, each was measuring the other.

Kurama surveyed Katani's condition and found her to be in pitiful shape. If it weren't for the Phoenix Down she would most likely be in a state of shock. Kurama felt he should hold back but his instincts fought against it. He remained unsure of how far to push her even when he pulled a rose from his hair.

Katani released her sword without a word. She saw that same look in his eyes, that same fire he had in his other form. The flame of battle burned within him. Training or not, she knew he would hold back little or nothing at all. He looked oddly handsome in the rain with a rose in his hand. Katani jolted herself for the thought and instantly denied it. Wet fox, wet fox…She thought instead.

Kurama interrupted her thoughts. "Tired?"

Her sword felt very heavy at that moment. "Only a little."

"You wouldn't be human if you weren't."

Katani indicated to the wound on her shoulder. The blood was sloshing off from the rain but some had soaked into the fabric. "I doubt I'm human now." Even in the dim the flecks of powder shimmered.

"Shall we begin?" Without waiting for an answer Kurama flicked his elegant wrist and the rose became a whip. This was the first time Katani had seen it up close and just the sight of it sent shivers down her body. The whip itself was a good six feet while the handle was one. Every inch of the weapon was covered in tiny half-inch thorns. The tips gleamed like wicked teeth. In truth the thing looked more like a thick piece of barbed wire. The only hint of its flora past was the deep green color of the whip.

Katani cringed at the thought of what those teeth would do if they sank into her. Kurama held it with two hands, one tightly grasped around the handle and the other delicately place in the middle between the thorns.

"I will be teaching you strategy-" Katani sighed with relief "and evasive maneuvers." She gazed at him with wide eyes.

"You want me to dodge that?"

"Yes," he shrugged as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "Is that a problem, Katani?" He flicked the whip again and it cracked at her feet. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

Katani would get nowhere with words. The inferno within him was strong, she was a scented candle in comparison. He rotated his arm and brought the whip nearly on top of her before yanking it back. Katani stumbled and tripped over a root. Mud flew everywhere. Kurama didn't stop but lashed again. It would have sliced her in half if she hadn't held her sword aloft. The whip curled around the blade and yanked it away from her.

Her thoughts towards him became quite cold. The sword returned to a necklace and Kurama tucked it safely in his pocket. "You will not always have your sword. What do you do if your opponent separates you from it?"

"You… find another?"

"Do you think I'll give you a chance?" He twirled the whip in dazzling patterns that seemed to dance through the air. She was so mesmerized by its movements that she didn't see it come at her till it was to late. It bit into her shoulder. Katani gasped in pain and bit back tears. The whip tore the skin off her. She was ready this time. She stood and tried to dodge the whip using every jump, twist, spiral, and dodge she knew while trying to find anything she could use as a replacement weapon. It wasn't easy.

Katani put all her furry into her gaze but he was not intimidated one bit. Why should he be? Here she stood, a teenage girl weaponless against one of the most skilled thieves in the world. She thought she saw some regret in his eyes but she was focusing more on the whip so she could not be sure. By now her arms, thighs, hips, and knees bleed as freely as the rain fell.

Sick of bleeding like an anemic she tried one last dodge, a back flip. She was too slow and the whip gnashed across her back and shoulders. The scar created by the Phoenix Down was ripped open. Katani did scream this time. To her knees she fell with her back burning and throbbing. The scar came to life and her two golden wings broke from it. Katani cried in pain as the joints in her shoulder adjusted to support them. She would have passed out then if Kurama had not lent her some of his strength (unbeknownst to her). Katani was too weak to notice anything until the wings surrounded her.

She sat in awe of their grace. The were gently curved and sloped, like the wings of an eagle. Only hers matched the golden shade of her hair. No eagle had wings that shade of gold, nor that large. She tried moving them and they responded as easily as a finger or leg. She forgot about all the cuts and bruises on her body as she beamed in delight, she had wings!

She remembered Kurama and opened herself to the world. Rose petals flew straight for her. For a brief second she marveled at their beauty as they swirled around Kurama, his face giving away nothing. She snapped from her haze when she saw a petal slice through a tree trunk as if it were a sapling. Katani extended her wings and pumped downwards.

Faster then she had thought possible she shot into the air. She flew straight until the wind buffeted her. Fierce gusts made her tumble like a newborn sparrow.

"How the heck do you fly!" she yelled to the sky. Her cry was lost in the wind's howl. On impulse she just began flapping her wings as fast as she could. The only thing she accomplished was exhausting herself further.

Calm down, make long smooth strokes.

The voice was foreign to her but she listened to it. It was her only guide in this maelstrom. She expanded her wings to their fullest and thrust downwards with long smooth strokes. She flew upwards like a falcon while the tress became like a carpet of grass below her. Above the storm the air began to grow thin. Breathing became difficult but she used the opportunity to practice moving left and right, up and down until she felt confident enough to find Kurama and attempt a landing. She could almost she him as she drew close, her blood still ran through him.

He saw her as well. The branches of the trees rose like ivy to swat her from the sky. She banked left and then right in a rough tumble. Her wings were stiff and sore. The wings were new and the muscle soft. Putting them through this regime was like asking a five year old to run a 100m dash.

He's messing with me. Katani knew if he wanted her caught he could have done it long before now for her flying was poor and slow. She was forced to land away from him. As she tucked the wings to her side she fell much quicker than anticipated. Her only hope was to clutch a tree branch. The wind howled fiercer then ever and she ended up landing fifty feet from the tree she had originally intended on.

As she clutched the damp wood her body caved. She was too overtaxed to fight it as she dropped to the cold ground. As she lay in the pool of mud and water she almost didn't want to move. It felt so wonderful to just be still. So wonderful that she wondered if she would ever get up again.

Kurama stood waiting. She should have been back by now. The amount of time that had passed from when he saw her land was over ten minutes.

His chest was tight. He had overdone it. In his body he could still feel the golden blood. It told him what he already knew about her condition. She was spent. He hated being as hard on her even more then she did but adversaries she was likely to face would never give her any quarter.

Kurama let all the plants return to their natural states. From the struggle with Katani clusters of golden feathers had been caught in the branches of the trees. These Kurama snatched an placed in his pocket.

He ran with the fox's agility until he saw her. Human emotions took over and his blood ran still. She lay on her side, wings bent painfully. Her breathing was slow and harsh but at least she was breathing. Kurama's resolve held firm as he stood over her. Through an icy eye she saw him coming and tried to stand. But her trembling limbs could not support her for another moment.

"Rise," he said bitterly. "Pull yourself from the mud, stand up, Katani."

The only response she could give was a slight stirring.

"Is this all you can manage? It's no wonder your brother was killed so easily if the bloodline is this weak."

He felt the gold blood inside him pulsate with furry. It heated his limbs with anger. She tried again to rise but fell at his feet. Kurama had crossed a line, not even Hiei had insulted her brother. Was it so obvious to them how much she had cared about him? Why else why they go out of their way to use him as a tool? No way she would let them get away with it. Slowly her rage ebbed as she focused on standing. Her mind was clear and she could think again. Kurama wasn't satisfied.

"If you have nothing more to offer then we are through here. Return to your home, Katani." He turned and walked away. The sharp prick of a sword met his neck before he got more then three feet. The very sword he had tucked in his pockets earlier.

"Don't ever underestimate me, Kurama."

He turned to face her. She stood firm even though her knees buckled slightly. He was impressed and relieved that she had done it, she had her weapon back and stood before her. With is whip he struck at her again. With one heavy blow she cleaved it in two. The whip fell and landed as two halves of a rose. Kurama was not shaken at all and ran at her, his hands flat like boards.

Katani dodged with more flexibility then before and he only managed to slice the hem of her shirt. For another ten minutes they did this, each felt the other and neither gained ground. Finally Katani saw the opening she had been waiting for. Like a bat she used her gold wings and cuffed him smartly round the head. He stumbled slightly and she us this chance to press the blade to his chest.

"Don't go easy on me next time." She offered a shaking hand to him and he took it, calming it with his.

"The way you're improving, I won't have to."

This compliment made up for the edge in his earlier words. His eyes said it all. Katani smiled at him and he returned it. Genuine respect rose between the two of them.

Suddenly it didn't matter that every inch of her body was soaked or that it would take a miracle form God to untangle her hair. Even when her wings like silk sank painfully into her back she smiled. The fact that he had smiled in return had warmed her more then any cup of hot chocolate or blanket ever could.