Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or Osa.

Shout Out: Thank you reviewers of all sorts, your words are much appreciated!

Warning: God and Satan "enter." If this bothers you, I suggest you get over it or stop reading right now because it will only get worse.

Chapter 14

I Won't Fail

Darkfire slid the door shut violently and held her head. Swaying and stumbling, she crossed to her bed and fell upon it. Everything hurt.

"What voice is this inside me? What being is this that speaks through my mouth?" she growled through her teeth. "My heart feels like it is being ripped apart."

"Let me be one with you, as it was meant. Stop rejecting your true self," a voice whispered within Darkfire's head.

"Go away."

"Fool, I cannot leave. We are one. Live up to your title as God's Fallen Angel."

"I am no Fallen Angel. I am human."

"Have you not always dreamed of this? Have you not always cursed the Lord and damned Satan?"

"That does not make me an angel."

"Of course not. You are a Fallen Angel. Pushed from God's good graces and rejected by Satan. You are a wandering fallen child. Have you not always dreamed you were more than human?"

"Dreaming and being are very different. You are just a voice in my head." Growling, Darkfire sat up and screamed, "Be gone from my mind; stop hurting me!" She panted and held her legs close to her body. "Curse you, God, for setting upon me this demon. And curse you, Satan, for forcing upon me this angel. Damn my soul all you wish, but I hate you both."

"Darkfire?" The door slid open and a face popped in. "Hey, you all right?"

"I'm fine," the girl lied, staring at the face out of the corner of her eye.

"I heard you scream," the man continued, stepping into the room.

"You were mistaken."

"If you say so." He sat on the edge of the bed and stared out the window. "You don't have to fear for them."

"Who?"

"Those that have died. We will get him. And he will pay for the damage done to those innocent souls."

"Innocent…. Who decides innocence or guilt? Humans are no judges; demons cannot be held in account. So who? God? Your Buddha? Enma? Hah!"

"So you're saying those people deserved what happened to them?"

"No. But what judge am I? I am simply saying that you cannot say they're innocent." Relaxing, she turned and stared at the back of the man's head. "Not even Satan can decide innocence or guilt."

He turned his beady eyes upon her. "Then who? Who decides innocence or guilt?"

"Those that think they have the power to, of course. Like Enma. No one can truly judge innocence because no one knows what it is. And, seeing as how guilt is the opposite, no one can say one is guilty. How will you judge me now, Kuwabara?"

The man pulled Darkfire close to him and held her tightly. He held her like a child, resting his cheek on her head. "I have never judged you," he whispered.

"Liar," Darkfire hissed, holding back tears.

"No man could ever judge you."

"At first light they will attack us with their feeble strength," a deep voice laughed, shaking the hall and driving fear into its followers. "Their only thought is of death. Thus they will kill every last one of us. You must kill them first, two traitorous demons and two righteous humans.

"Sleep well and dream of victory, for tomorrow we smite them!"

The hall echoed with his booming voice and great masses of cheers.

"A battle beyond Heaven and Hell…."

The cool night air brushed her cheeks softly. Her bare feet felt as though they were walking on fur the grass was so soft. And before her the River Styx glistened marvelously in the moon and starlight.

"You should sleep."

The girl turned her head a little and caught sight of blood red eyes. Smiling, she turned her face to the moon. "So should you."

"I don't need sleep."

"Then neither do I."

"Humans," the man sneered, padding up beside her.

"Demons," she joked, stretching her arms above her head.

"You do realize that your chance of survival in the morning is very slight, don't you?"

"Hiei…" she sighed, "defeat is not an option. I must make them pay for—"

"Being demons?"

"No, for their injustice." She glared at her reflection in the water. "I should've been able to save some of them. There had to have been more I could've done."

"You're only human."

"But I'm not. Can you hear them, Hiei? Can you hear their cries of pain and desperation? They think they can be helped, but they can't. Can you feel their tugging fingers?"

Hiei's reflection appeared beside hers "No, I can't. But you can, and that's all that's important. If you think you must repent for them, then do it. Prove me wrong again. Darkfire."

She turned and stared at him, their noses centimeters apart. Caught by the glowing pools of blood that were his eyes, Darkfire gazed dreamily at Hiei for a long while. Then her dream turned to a nightmare.

Stumbling away, she felt herself coming closer to the ground. Her arm jerked and she tilted to one side, touching the grass with her left hand. Looking up her arm, she saw a hand gripped tightly at her wrist. Traveling farther up, she realized that the hand was connected to an arm that was connected to Hiei.

"Klutz," the demon sniffed, easing Darkfire to the ground.

She took her hand back and looked away. "Thank—"

Hiei covered her mouth. "Don't," he said bluntly, removing his hand and sitting back. "Don't thank me or apologize…ever. I am undeserving." His eyes stared off into nothingness, becoming dull and unseeing.

"Hiei, what you've done, whatever it is, doesn't matter to me. If you don't want me to pity you, fine, I won't. But I'll thank you and apologize whenever I feel the necessity. And if you don't like it, humor me." She laughed and looked back to the moon. "If anybody is undeserving, it's me."

Hiei turned back to Darkfire, the brightness in his eyes returning slowly. "Why's that?"

"If I'm truly a Fallen Angel, why do I deserve to be thanked or apologized to? If I am truly one damned by Heaven and Hell, what right do I have to be shown kindness to?"

Without answering, Hiei also turned his gaze to the moon.

A star shot across the sky.

"Look!" Darkfire gasped, pointing. "Make a wish, Hiei, quick!" She closed her eyes.

"Let justice be done in the eyes of man," she thought.

Hesitantly, Hiei closed his eyes as well. He prayed, "Allow my secret to be kept for a while longer."

"If you believe it'll come true, it will," Darkfire smiled, staring at Hiei.

His eyes opened and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Hn."

"I won't fail, Hiei. No matter how much you want to prove me wrong, I won't give up. Even if it takes every fiber of my being, I will make sure that demon gets his just desserts before I die. I swear that to you." She glared up at the sky, face set and firm, a determined look in her eyes.

Hiei smirked, a slight chuckle sounding, as he laid back and folded his arms beneath his head. "If you intend to kill this demon, I suggest you get some sleep."

Darkfire nodded and curled up in the grass. She was out in moments, mind blank. But, for the longest time, Hiei stayed awake and watched her breathe. The gentle rise and fall of her ribcage, her rhythmic breathing, fascinated him oddly. She shifted only to allow herself more air, at which time she stretched out and took hold of a portion of Hiei's cloak. When she contracted, she pulled at the unyielding cloth. So, to become comfortable, she scooted towards the demon and stirred no more.

"Dream of victory, young one. Tomorrow we battle, and you'll need every shred of hope, strength, and courage you can muster," Hiei whispered, drifting off himself.

"Darkfire, wake up," a voice called. It sounded so far away. "Darkfire, you have a mission."

"Demon," Darkfire mumbled, eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes, demon. You have to kill it." A hand touched the girl's shoulder and rubbed it gently. Her eyes flickered open, blinking away from the sun. The hand helped her to her feet and held her steady.

"Kurama…. Where're the other two?"

"Waiting over there," he said, pointing over his shoulder. "Hiei said you talked in your sleep."

Darkfire went rigid.

"He said you kept saying you were sorry and that you needed saving. That a few tears would fall and then nothing. And you wouldn't release his cloak." He nodded to her hand.

Darkfire looked down and saw a black cloth gripped firmly in her hand. "Oh, oops. Hey, Hiei!" She rushed up to him and held out the cape. "Here."

The demon glanced at the cloth and turned away. "Hn."

"Won't you be cold?" she questioned, pulling at his tank top. A sharp glare made her back off. "I'm not contagious, you know."

Kuwabara walked off to speak with Kurama about something before they left.

"Just keep it," Hiei growled, pushing her hand away.

"Why? It's yours."

"Just…"—he took a deep breath and let it out—"just keep it, ok. No questions, just wear it today." Hiei yelled to Kurama and Kuwabara, "Let's get with it!"

They all jumped into the air and landed in a dark and desolate place. Well, desolate save the massive number of demons, the foreboding castle, and the dying trees scattered here and there. Lighting etched across the black sky and thunder echoed violently.

"I've never seen so many in my life," Darkfire gasped in awe, pulling Hiei's cloak over her head. It smelled like winter and fire.

"Here," Kurama offered, holding out two short weapons. "You forgot them in your rush."

"Thank you. If you guys weren't here, I think I'd forget my head if it weren't attached," Darkfire joked, trying to lighten the mood in vain. She sighed as the wind whipped her hair about viciously. There was a bad feeling in her gut. "Must they all die?"

"If you don't kill them, they'll kill you. That's how it works," Hiei answered, glowering at the moving mass below.

"So, yea, they must," Kuwabara added, tensing.

"It'll only tire us. Make us weak. We'll die before we ever see the demon," Darkfire said, gripping the weapons fearfully. "That's what he wants."

"Then what do you suggest?" Kurama asked.

"Something he doesn't expect: a human."

"I don't understand."

"He expects the strongest to even come close to making it. But if the weakest were to appear, he would scoff and not take them seriously. He expects a demon, so we give him a human."

"How do you know what this demon, whom you've never even seen, expects!" Hiei snarled, squeezing Darkfire's right bicep tightly. "How can you even pretend?"

"I'll prove it to you. I'll prove his arrogance will be his downfall," Darkfire retorted, glaring with determination.

"Ha, and I'll be sure to pick up all the pieces of your body before we bury you."

"And when I come back I'll personally say I told you so."

"You die and I'll kill you," a voice snarled in her head.

"Don't worry 'bout me. This isn't the first time I've done something incredibly stupid," Darkfire answered in thought, humor evident. "I swear I'll be back." She gave Hiei a reassuring smirk.

"You better," he murmured, letting his stiff grip relax.

"I need a safe, but discreet, path to the castle. Think you can handle that, guys?"

"Hiei, I have an idea," Kuwabara said, drawing a line with his eyes to the castle.

"Great." Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Just hear me out. You cut a path with your Hell Dragon and we all rush through"—he silenced Hiei with the wave of his hand—"making sure, of course, that Darkfire gets through unnoticed. It shouldn't be too hard; I mean they'll be spooked by the dragon." He looked to Kurama for support.

"You know, that might be crazy enough to work," the fox mused, his features slowly shifting. "It's not discreet, but you think you can do it, Hiei?"

"Tch, why couldn't I?" He glared at Darkfire with hateful eyes. "You've no one to blame but yourself if you die."

"I know…" Darkfire murmured, turning from the intense stare. But she could still feel his eyes on her, digging into her soul. She hated it. "Well, don't just stand there. Send out your dragon!" she snapped, glaring at him fiercely, determined to prove that she wasn't as weak as he thought; that she wasn't merely human; that she could be something much more.

Hell Dragon - See the manga, vol. 6 or 7 I do believe. In Hiei's fight againt Zeru.