Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or Osa.

Chapter 11

Blood and Silver

Hearing his name, the fox jumped to Hiei's side. "What is it, Hiei?"

"Darkfire," Hiei grunted, slicing through another shadow demon.

Kurama raised an eyebrow as he looked about. Sharp gold eyes rested on a gasping body. It quivered and lurched as it tried to move from its prostrated position. These new eyes took a moment to register the body as Darkfire, for the golden eyes had only caught glimpses of her before. Kneeling beside her, he pulled Darkfire to him.

"This is going to feel a little strange," Kurama whispered in her ear, his voice deeper that normal. A soft pink glow hovered around Darkfire's body. She winced, but she accepted this new sensation.

"Don't…" she gasped.

"Quiet, save your strength," the fox ordered softly.

"Don't…kill…" the girl continued, "them all…. You need…them…."

"I said quiet." He turned to Hiei. "Hiei, keep a few alive for questioning!"

Hiei gave a short nod.

"Darkfire, this will hurt. But I need you to keep as still as you possibly can. Moving will only increase your pain." The glow faded from Darkfire as Kurama moved his hands to the hem of her shirt. With a careful jerk, he tore the fabric, ripping it to the top of the wound. "Forgive me."

Darkfire gasped and jerked suddenly, coughing up a deep crimson liquid.

"Just hold on a little longer for me, Darkfire. Stay strong for me, ok?" comforted Kurama, reaching in a pocket. He pulled out several long, sharp thorns. Sticking them in his mouth, as one might do with sewing pins, he pinched the top edge of the wound together. Glancing at Darkfire with soft, gold eyes, he forced a thorn through the skin.

Her eyes widened and watered, but she refused to shake. She whimpered for a moment, and then she quieted when Kurama's golden eyes caught hers. "I know it hurts," they said, "but you have to keep still and strong." Darkfire's jaw tightened in understanding.

After sticking in three more thorns, Kurama placed his hand over them. Darkfire gasped as the ends stapled themselves to her. Moving a hand to her back, the fox checked to see if the wound went all the way through. It didn't. Replacing the remainder of the thorns, he pulled out a broad leaf. Softly, he laid it over the stapled wound and melded it to the thorns and her body. It was much less painful than the spines being pinned to her. The fastening of the leaf created little green veins about an inch long protruding in every direction.

"There, it's over," smiled Kurama. He noticed the odd angle of the girl's katana, as it was still in her belt loop. Pulling it from her jeans, he laid it beside them. Then he saw she had no shoes. "You came barefoot?"

She smiled weakly. "I forgot."

"Kurama, how's she doin'?"

"She's going to be fine, Kuwabara. Did you round some of the demons up?"

"Hiei did."

"And?"

"They sang like canaries. Hiei killed them all soon after. Made sure they weren't lyin' of course."

"Were there any survivors?"

"No," Kuwabara bit out, wrinkling his brow. "They're all dead. And the women and children…. I can't do any more tonight."

Kurama nodded. "That's ok. We'll start again tomorrow. Darkfire needs rest as well."

"You honestly think that human will be able to do battle? Don't be a fool, fox," Hiei sneered, materializing from the thick fog that had gathered. He licked the little blood that was on his lips. "She couldn't even handle these low class demons."

"She couldn't even see them!" Kuwabara argued, glaring down at the bloody demon.

"Even will all the training we gave her, she's no match forthese demon," Hiei continued, narrowing his red eyes as he stared at the gasping human.

"I'll face any challenge…you can dish out…Hiei," breathed the shivering human. Her fingers twitched around the scabbard of the katana. "Don't take me for a weakling. Don't take me…for a mere human."

"You are a mere human," the fire demon scoffed, watching the girl pull weakly at the sword.

"Maybe…maybe not." Her grip on the casing loosened and her eyebrows relaxed. Gently, her head lolled to Kurama's chest.

"Wore herself out talking," Kurama sighed, golden eyes flickering back to emerald.

"Wow, Osa, you sure can cook!" Yuusuke laughed, taking another helping of chicken and rice.

"I always tell her that, but she never believes me," Angel stated, sipping his glass of water.

"Liar, I always believe you. And you know it," Osadyro snapped, pointing her chopsticks at him.

"Never admit it to my face though…'til now, that is," joked Angel.

"Oh, just shut up an' eat." She flicked a bit of rice at him.

"That's not very lady-like," he lectured with a slight laugh, picking the rice off.

"Yea, Osa. Besides, you shouldn't waste food like that," Yuusuke grinned, nudging the girl.

They all laughed. Then Angel and Osadyro's faces became hard and pained.

"Uh, guys?" Yuusuke said, looking from one to the other. Then he remembered the last time Osadyro's expression faltered like this. "What's up with Darkfire now?"

"I don't know…but it hurts so much," growled Osadyro, gripping at her heart. "Like I'm being attacked two different ways."

Angel bit back all words of concern he so badly wanted to utter. He gripped his shirt tightly, knuckles turning white, as he prayed it was all just a bad dream. His heart ached, throbbed, begging him to say anything to ease the pain.

"She'll be fine," he thought. "Darkfire always pulls through. She treats physical wounds with little concern. And emotional…she simply banishes the pain. Darkfire'll be fine." Angel tried to believe that with all his might, the ache in his chest subsiding.

"D…" Osadyro whispered, letting her muscles relax.

Yuusuke draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "How can I ease their pain?" he thought. "The three are so tightly bound they feel when another is hurt. How do you cure that kind of suffering?"

"Osadyro, Angel, come with me."

The two looked up to see Riku standing in the doorway, face hard as ever. Both stood and followed her as she stalked down the long, dark hall. Neither dared say anything, for fear it might be the wrong thing.

Suddenly Riku stopped and turned on them. "Do you know why you're here?"

"No, ma'am," they answered.

"You're here to unlock any hidden powers or abilities. I can feel them pulsating, growing, inside of you both."

"If I may," Angel started.

"No, you may not," Riku snapped, glaring up at him through the dark. "You can argue all you like, it won't make any difference. The strange connection between the three of you confirms something special about you."

Her eyes snapped open as a sharp pain shot through her nerves. As a reflex, she jolted forward and began to look around the dark. Then another zing of pain hit her and she fell back to a soft pillow. She held her stomach and hissed.

"You're awake sooner than I expected," a smooth voice mused.

"Where am I?" the girl groaned. Her fingers skated over the satin cloth, hitting a couple buttons. "And who changed me?"

"You're in my room. And the girls cleaned you up." A small sliver of moonlight cast a golden glow off the eyes staring at the female.

Noticing the peculiar scent of roses, she whispered, "Kurama…?"

"Yes…and no."

"You are the golden-eyed Kurama. You are the yô-ko living inside him, aren't you?"

"He said you caught on quickly, but I never imagined…" he trailed off, chuckling at a privet joke. "But what else can one expect from you, Darkfire? You are, after all, a Fallen Angel."

The girl once again sat up with a start, this time ignoring the pain. "I'm a human! You're a fox, you should be able to smell that!"

"I can, but I also smell the stench of smoked feathers. And remember, before you passed out Hiei said you were a mere human; you answered 'maybe'. Isn't this what you've dreamed of?"

She stared at the beam of moonlight. Yes, it was everything she had ever dreamed of. But she didn't want to wake up and find it all a dream.

"What if this isn't real?" Darkfire mumbled, gripping the sheets. "I don't want to wake and find that this never happened."

"Trust me, girl, this is very real. Does that pain in your gut not prove it?"

"I don't know anymore. Every dream I ever had was shot from the sky. They told me I needed to pull my head from the clouds and live in the real world. All I ever wanted was to fly them up to those clouds and prove that my dreams were real. But something always bound me to the earth. Kurama, I don't want to be told that this is just a fantasy!" Her eyes once again caught that glimmer of gold as the fox knelt on the floor and stared down into her quivering brown eyes.

"This isn't a fantasy. The world you have come to know is very real. You can trust me." He gently brushed her cheek with a clawed finger.

"The other Kurama said you were a thief. What kinds of things did you steal?" Darkfire questioned, pulling away from the tender touch.

Taking a slight offense, Kurama pulled his hand away and stared through the darkness at the girl. "All kinds of things. Demonic relics, people, treasure…love." He tilted Darkfire's face back to his, though she could only see his glowing eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"So I can make my own judgment about whether you are a bad person or not."

"And am I?"

"Yes…and no."

"What an odd assessment. Would you care to elaborate?" laughed the fox, releasing Darkfire's chin.

"Would it be fair of me to say you are bad when we've just met? As a petty thief, I know the work it takes not to get caught. I also know the thrill of testing all the limits, small though the items I stole were. But I cannot say that you are good. For a thief such as yourself is no more good than the devil."

"You are a thief?"

"Is it really that surprising?"

"A little. What sort of things did you steal?"

"I am a petty thief, remember? A few shoplifting events, food, small things like that. Never been caught though. Have you ever been caught?"

His golden eyes disappeared and he stood.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer."

"Maybe one day you will learn, but tonight you must rest. Tomorrow we attack demons stronger than those today. You should be able to see these, though."

"I will only get in the way," Darkfire sighed, hanging her head. "Hiei was right, I am useless. And I get too emotional."

"Useless? Ha! You saved Hiei's life. He doesn't know how, and neither do I, but you saved him."

"For a split moment in time, I saw a sinister grin and a flash of light. My heart told me to save his life, so I threatened mine. And for a second, I saw fear and guilt in Hiei's cold eyes."

"You have once again bewildered a murderer. I congratulate you."

"Murderer?"

"Yes, murderer. Hiei has killed many in his long life. And had it not been for Yuusuke, he would still be killing." Kurama crossed to the window, carefully avoiding the moonbeam. "Will you judge him differently now that you know?"

"What right have I to judge him? He saved my life twice when he could have easily ended it."

"You are so perplexing." Chuckling, Kurama tore back the curtains. Moonlight washed over his long, silver hair. A long, silver tail swayed gently behind him and two silver ears quivered atop his head when Darkfire gasped. He was wearing silky white pants held up with a matching sash. The lack of shirt made a fierce blush appear on the girl's face.

"Sleep now, Darkfire. You will need the rest," he smirked, golden eyes locking with Darkfire's.

Nodding numbly, Darkfire lay back down and turned away from the window to block the light. She drifted off soon after.

Closing the curtains, Kurama whispered, "Sweet dreams, child. May death leave your thoughts to bother someone who can handle it." He sat down beside the sleeping girl and drifted off himself.