Chapter Six : The Sword Welding Fire Demon
Upon entering the house, Sora heard the familiar sound of video games. Looking around, she discovered that her guess had been right; most of the guests Kuwabara had introduced her to earlier that evening were gone. Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, Yukina, Shizura (Kuwabara's sister), Genkai, of course and Botan and Koenma, two of the people Kuwabara had introduced Sora to earlier that evening. He had said they were two of the people in charge of spirit world.
Everyone was clustered around a small TV in the corner of the room. Some were sitting on the floor, some were sitting on the couch, but everyone was watching Genkai and Yusuke play each other in some sort of racing game. From the looks of the crowd, it seemed that Genkai was winning. Sora smiled; some things would never change.
Sora slid over to where everyone was sitting, and sat down on the floor next to the blue haired girl that Kuwabara had called Botan. Botan glanced up at her, and smiled, "Ah! Glad you could finally join us! You must be Sora. I'm Botan! Keiko's been telling me all about you!"
"Has she?" Sora asked wryly, leaning forward to give Keiko, who was sitting on the other side of Botan, a mischievous glance, "Only good things, I hope."
Keiko giggled, and smiled, "Of course only good things! What else would there be to tell?"
"Kurama! There you are!" Botan said pleasantly, looking up as Kurama entered the room, "We were wondering where you had gotten off to!"
"I was in need of a little fresh air," Kurama said apologetically.
"No harm in that," said the boy with a pacifier in his mouth. Koenma...that was his name. He turned his eyes to Sora, "So you are Sora, correct? I am Koenma, prince of spirit world. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."
Sora bowed her head respectively, "It is an honor to meet you sir."
"The honor, I assure you, is all mine," Koenma said mischievously, "Everyone seems to speak very highly of you."
Sora blushed embarrassed, and mumbled, "You can't believe everything you hear..."
"Nonsense!" Botan said cheerfully, "I'm sure you're a wonderful person!"
"She is!" Keiko agreed.
"Well, now that that's settled," Botan said, turning back to watching Yusuke and Genkai's game. She watched for a moment, and then spat out viciously, "For goodness sake Yusuke, can you at least make it LOOK like you're trying!"
Genkai chuckled, "I think he is trying. That's what makes it so pathetic."
"Shut up you old hag!" Yusuke grumbled.
"Mind you manors, dimwit," Genkai said, in an almost motherly way.
"I'll mind my manors when I win!" Yusuke argued.
"So Yukina," Kuwabara asked, turning his attention away from the screen, "What brings you back to our neck of the woods? Not that I'm complaining..."
"Well," Yukina said carefully, "As you know, I am searching for my twin brother. I wanted to see if maybe he was in another part of human world...but apparently not. And I don't think I'm quite ready to go back and try to search through demon world."
"Shhhhhh!" Kuwabara said soothingly, bending down to sit beside her and rub her shoulders, "You don't have to. Hang around here; I'm sure that you will find your brother eventually!"
Sora sensed an awkward sort of tension in the room, emanating from everyone except Keiko, Kuwabara and Yukina. She chuckled as she saw the look of restraint on Yusuke face. Sora smiled lightly, now knowing exactly what Keiko meant when she had said that Kurama and Yusuke got all red when Yukina's brother was mentioned.
"On another note," Kurama said suddenly, "My mother is expecting another child."
Everyone clapped and applauded. Yusuke and Genkai even stopped the game to offer their congratulations'.
"It was why I was gone so long," Kurama explained. "She came down with a bad sickness, and no one could figure out what it was," he paused carefully, "You see, they had taken certain...precautions...and mother didn't even want to hope that she could be pregnant after her sickness a few years ago. In any case, it seemed the "horrible illness" she was experiencing was just a heightened form of morning sickness, which some women get from pregnancy."
"That's wonderful Kurama!" Botan exclaimed. "Well, not about the morning sickness part, but about the baby!"
"Isn't it?" Kurama said with a big smile. "The doctors say the baby should be born in July."
"Well," said Shizuru mischievously, "Since we all seem to be sharing important news today, I also have a message," she paused for dramatic effect.
"What is it sis?" Kuwabara asked, breaking the tension by making everyone laugh.
"Aw, bro you ruined the moment!" Shizuru said, pretending to be disappointed, "Besides, shut up. You already know," she looked around at everyone else. "I'm getting married!"
Everyone was all gasps and congratulations', and who's the lucky man? The girls all wanted to see the ring.
"His name is Taro," Shizuru said, holding out her hand so everyone could see the small diamond on her finger, "And we've known each other since I was your age bro. But we've been seeing a lot of each other this year...and...well...last week he popped the question!"
"That's wonderful Shizuru!" Botan exclaimed, marveling over the ring.
"Good news all around today, it seems!" Koenma said brightly.
Sora smiled, and laughed along with the rest of them, but she had a sudden feeling that there was something nearby. She could sense it; a dark cloud of hate and mistrust very close at hand.
Unable to shake the feeling that there was danger at hand, she glanced hesitantly over her shoulder, but had not been expecting what she saw. Standing behind her, looking down on her with an expression of curiosity on his face, and a dark sort of power in his eyes, was a short man, with crimson eyes, and black hair that shot up from his head like flames.
Sora was so surprised she jumped back with a scream. Barely even stopping to think, she began attacking the stranger with full force. But the man had the upper hand, and the element of surprise. He was also much stronger than she was. Sora soon found herself with her back on the floor, and a blade pressed up against her throat.
"Who's your friend, Yusuke?" the man asked. There was no sneer in his voice, just a calm, calculating sort of sound, that made Sora very afraid.
Everyone had gone deathly quiet, and now turned to face Yusuke to see what he would say. Yusuke didn't answer right away. But then his voice came out, sounding very surprised. "Sora...Sora Koyo...a human...or so we thought..."
"Hn," said the man, glaring down at Sora carefully, in case she should try to attack again, his sword still at her throat. "So did I, until she attacked. She masks her energy well."
"Her attack style reminds me very much of Raizen..." Yusuke said slowly, contemplatively.
"There can't be a blood relation," Koenma said slowly, "She must have trained under him."
"Yes," said Sora, her voice coming out weak and shaky because of the blade pressed against her throat, "King Raizen was my master. I trained under him from the time Yoko Kurama was presumed dead until Yusuke came to demon world."
"So...you're a demon..." Keiko said, sounding hurt and confused.
Sora lowered her eyes, "Yes," she said softly, "I am an ice apparition. I am sorry that I did not tell you sooner, Keiko...but I didn't want to frighten you. I didn't want to frighten any of you," she added, looking up into everyone's eyes.
"Frighten US!" Kuwabara said with a laugh, "We've fought more demons than you can count on both hands and feet. Heck, Yusuke makes a living out of fighting demons. How could you have scared us?"
"Yusuke doesn't make a living out of fighting demons anymore, though," Keiko said, her eyes narrowing.
"No, of course he doesn't," Koenma said quickly. A little too quickly. Keiko looked glaringly in between Yusuke and Koenma.
"I realize that now..." Sora said softly, breaking the tension, "But by the time I had realized that, I had been living a lie for too long. It was hard for me to find a good time to admit that I had been lying to you all this time, and the longer I waited, the harder it got..." Sora looked up at Keiko as best she could with the sword still to her throat, "But I did want to tell you."
Keiko nodded, "I believe you," she said softly.
Sora sighed with quiet relief. "Now...if this...kind gentleman...will allow me to live, I promise that I will leave and never come back."
"Uh oh, we better not let you live then," Botan teased.
"Don't be stupid Botan," Yusuke said, standing up, "Hiei, put the sword down. You just gave us a little surprise with your attack there Sora. Hiei, I said put the sword down!"
"And who died and made you King?" Hiei sneered.
"Raizen," Yusuke said with a smirk.
In a blink of an eye, without even shedding blood, Hiei pulled his sword from Sora's neck, and lunged for Yusuke.
"Hiei?" Sora murmured, taking Kurama's hand as he reached down to help her up, "Is that your name? I've heard it somewhere before..."
Her question was ignored as Yusuke and Hiei jumped into a full out battle with swords and fists swinging seemingly pointlessly.
"Speaking of surprises," Kurama cut in before Yusuke and Hiei could inflict any damage, "What brings you to the human world Hiei?"
Hiei and Yusuke stopped fighting very suddenly. Yusuke was grinning widely, and seemed to have stopped simply because Hiei stopped fighting; it looked like he had been wanting to fight for some time. Hiei, however, wore a look that no one could read, and looked down at the blade in his hands. Sora could see a strong emotional battle raging in his gaze. Anger, hatred, fear, and heartbreak all swirled around within his crimson eyes.
After a time, Hiei managed to mutter, "A disagreement."
There was silence. Yusuke and Kurama both looked shocked, and distressed. Koenma and Botan exchanged knowing looks.
"I see," said Kurama after the silence had stretched out.
"Wow..." Yusuke said, sounding almost as if he was on the verge of tears, though Sora knew that he was no where near it. It was simply how Yusuke showed shock. "I really thought everything was going well for you Hiei."
"I was deceived," Hiei said sharply, glaring up at Yusuke and causing some of the girls to jump, "I am not proud of it, but I am merely wounded."
"Deceived by whom?" Kuwabara asked, sounded genuinely confused.
Yusuke and Kurama both looked over at Kuwabara in surprise, looked at each other, and then looked away. Kuwabara got the hint; his face began to go red in anger.
"WHY AM I ALWAYS THE ONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING!" he burst out angrily.
"Hush Kazuma," Yukina said softly, eying Hiei curiously. Sparing a glance over in her direction, Sora saw the confusion, anger and jealousy in the girl's eyes, and wondered what the story was behind that relationship.
"It doesn't matter," Hiei said bitterly, "I am here now. I wish to remain here for a time."
Genkai rose from the floor with all the grace and dignity of a tired swan. "My home is always open to wandering apparitions," she said softly, "Especially those who I know and trust. You are welcome to remain here as long as you wish, Hiei."
Hiei glanced at her, his face blank. "It is appreciated. Thank you." And then, with a swish of his cape, he had turned around and was walking down the hall to one of the many rooms in Genkai's home.
Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Kurama spoke. He sounded puzzled.
"That may be the first time since I have known him that I have heard Hiei thank someone..."
"He must be hurting worse than we thought..." Yusuke mumbled.
"To think..." Kurama said, the sadness evident in his voice, "They looked so happy at the tournament..."
Suddenly, Sora got a very vivid image in her mind of where she had seen Hiei before. He had been the one to battle Mukuro, one of the fiercest battlers in history, and one of the leaders of demon world at the time. Everyone Sora knew had had been talking about the fight the whole time leading up to it; the two fighters, Hiei and Mukuro, were legends for their ferocity, for their ruthlessness, for the bloodshed they had caused. These two fighters were set to face each other. It was guaranteed to be the fight of the century.
Sora remembered that fight clearly because of the disappointment that it had caused. There had been very little, if any, bloodshed, and the battle had been over very quickly, naming Mukuro as the winner, which wasn't a surprise, and yet was shocking in the same instant. As the fight ended, Sora had continued to watch as the two fighters embraced, and Sora had had a feeling she couldn't shake; the feeling that there was something else going on in that fight...something that no one else was supposed to, or needed to, understand. She knew now that that feeling had been right.
"I wonder what happened to separate them." Yusuke asked curiously.
"A disagreement, Hiei said," Kurama noted.
"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT!" Kuwabara asked angrily. Yukina hushed him; she was following Yusuke and Kurama's discussion very closely.
"A disagreement with Mukuro?" Sora asked Kurama quietly.
Yusuke and Kurama looked at Sora in surprise. Neither one of them had expected anyone, except maybe Botan and Koenma, to know what they were talking about.
"Wow Sor," Yusuke said in admiration, "You're just full of surprises tonight!"
"How did you know?" Kurama asked.
"I...I saw the fight at the tournament..." Sora mumbled, "Hiei and Mukuro's fight, I mean. I...I thought there was more going on there than what met the eye."
"Whoa, wait a sec, back up..." Kuwabara said, putting two and two together, "HIEI HAS A GIRLFRIEND!"
"Kazuma, PLEASE be quiet!" Yukina said softly.
"Apparently," Genkai said softly, catching everyone's attention, "He doesn't have one anymore."