Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or Osa.

FYI: Yuusuke, Osadyro, and Angel NEVER came to the demon world. Therefore, Yuusuke CANNOT be the survivor.

Chapter 17

Pushing Every Button

Darkfire slid from Kurama's lap and stumbled over to the man who had spoken. She met his eyes and hated how cold they stared at her. Oh, how she longed to turn from them, but she couldn't. The pain of turning her back on those eyes again was too much. She didn't want to lose him again.

"Who?" she whispered, trying to banish her childish fears.

A small head appeared from behind the demon, evidence of painful tears staining his dirty face. The boy sniffled and wiped his eyes with his brown hands, smearing the grime. Darkfire knelt down and held open her arms.

"Don't be afraid, my child," she cooed softly, smiling.

The boy leapt into her arms and held her neck tightly. "He said you were a demon! But he's wrong! Please, angel, take me from this hell!" he cried, shaking.

"This is no Hell. Hell is much nicer. No one tries to kill you or judge you and all your pain is gone. But I will take you away, child. I will take you to a place where I will take care of you."

"You can't just take this boy to the Reikai," the demon warned.

"I'll take him if I so choose, Hiei. What do you care?"

"I don't. All I'm saying is that Koenma won't let you keep him."

"He will if he wants me to stay." She stood and cradled the boy carefully. "C'mon, we have to get Kuwabara."

"Darkfire, he's a demon," Kurama said, resting a hand on her shoulder.

She stopped and looked at the sleeping boy, tired from his tears. "I know," she murmured. "But he was mistreated just as all the others. I won't leave him to die because of his race. I refuse."

"You're a fool. Why would you save that which you've been hunting for so long?" Hiei sneered.

"I saved you, didn't I?" Darkfire retorted venomously. "This boy needs a family now. He needs someone to show him how to survive."

Hiei's icy heart cracked under the strain of unwanted memories. It began to chip in jealousy of her love for this demon child. He had been thrown from his home to be raised by ruthless bandits. What right did this boy have to be loved so easily? What right had he to be taken in by this woman? What right had he to steal her!

But what did it matter? She was only a human, after all. Expendable, weak, stupid. Why should a great demon like Hiei be jealous of her love for a damn kid? Why?

"Hey, I finally found you."

They all looked up and saw Kuwabara limping over the hill. He stopped at the top and glared down at them. Darkfire knew all too well whom he was really glowering at.

"You damn coward!" he snarled, an orange sword appearing in his hand. It wavered viciously, matching its master's anger.

Darkfire's wings fanned out to block Kurama from sight. "Hold your anger, Kuwabara. Talk this through like a civilized man. Don't be a fool."

"He ran from battle! He abandoned us! He abandoned you! How can you protect him?"

"He was trying to save you, Kuwabara! Running was the only way! If he hadn't, he would've killed you without even knowing it. Please, tomodachi, listen to what he has to say!" she pleaded, clutching the boy in her arms tightly.

He let the sword flicker away. "Well, tell me if that's what you want."

Kurama ducked from behind the black curtain, no longer silver. "Honestly, I don't know what happened to me. All I knew was that these thoughts of endless slaughter were pounding in my head and that I had to get away. Next thing I know, I'm standing in front of this black angel."

"I'm no angel," Darkfire murmured.

Kurama turned to her. "You are no demon."

"Why not? Why can't I be a demon?"

"Because you're a human!" Hiei snarled, slapping her. "You'll always be a human…just as you've always been."

"I believe I'm a demon, Hiei."

"Believing and being are two very different things! You can't just change suddenly!"

"What do you call this, Hiei! Have I not changed?"

"That doesn't make you a demon!"

"I may not have the blood, but I have the heart!"

"Ha! You couldn't kill a human to save your life! How can you possibly be a demon?"

"Not all demons murder people."

"To save their own necks? You bet they do! Stop living in a fantasy, girl. Wake the fuck up and deal with reality as it is." Hiei turned and began to walk off, kicking the corpses angrily.

"At least I know when I have something I don't want to waste! At least I don't let family slip through my fingers like water!" Darkfire screamed. She was referring to everybody back in the Reikai, but Hiei took it differently. He turned and sent her sprawling into the air. Her wings spread and beat steadily, keeping her aloft.

"I should kill you!" he hissed.

"Then why don't you? You always hesitate."

"Hiei," Kurama started, eyes firm.

"Leave him be, Kurama. I didn't bring him back just to be put on a leash again. If you must do anything, pity him. Pity the poor soul before you…for pity is what returned him to this earth," Darkfire taunted.

Hiei snapped and launched into the air. "I hate you! I hate you with everything I am! When will you die!"

"When you kill me."

"Shut up!" He landed a punch to the side of her head, sending her rocketing to the earth. A cloud of mud and blood sprayed into the air as Hiei touched down gently. The girl lay on her back, the boy nestled safely in her arms. He unsheathed his katana and held it above the boy. "Go to Hell," he growled, raising the sword and plunging it down.

Darkfire's eyes snapped open and a black flame knocked the blade away.

"This is between you and me, Hiei," she snarled, standing and laying the boy in the crater.

Snarling, Hiei rushed her and drove her to the ground, holding his blade against her neck.

"What are you waiting for? I know you want to do it…I can see it in your eyes. Stain those bloody rubies darker by shedding my blood. Prove to me you are the ruthless demon you claim to be."

Hiei moved his face close to hers, breath hot on each other's cheek. His lip brushed her nose ever so slightly; her heart skipped a beat. Every instinct told him to just push a little harder, then it would be over, she would no longer haunt his thoughts. Yet his heart defied these primitive senses.

"How did you know?" he whispered, eyes sharpening.

"Know what?" Darkfire questioned, honestly not knowing what he was talking about.

"Don't play dumb with me."

"I'm not. I don't know what you're talking about."

"About family…how'd you know?"

"You're not makin' any sense."

"How'd you figure it out? Who told you?"

"Told me what? Hiei, I don't understand."

"Tell me what you know about my sister!" Hiei hissed quietly.

"I didn't know you had a sister. Is this why you're so angry? You think I know something? You think I discovered some sort of secret?" She touched Hiei's face softly; he flinched under her touch. "Hiei, have I ever lied to you?"

"You told me you were human," he murmured, standing and sheathing his katana. He glared at the two onlookers and snapped, "We've been away too long. Let's go home."

"Home," Darkfire thought, ridding her wings of mud with a single beat. "That's right, my home is no longer on earth. I dwell now with them in the land of the spirits. I've almost forgotten. It's been so long. But how long? I've lost count." She picked up the still sleeping demon and cradled him as a mother would a small child.

"Why does this feel natural?" she pondered, standing next to the men who have protected her for so long. "Why does this feel like a family? This is not my boy, but his weight feels as though it belongs. These men are far from family, but it doesn't feel that way. Like brothers, fathers, husbands, and sons alike…that's what it feels like when they're near me. There's no way I could love them more."

"Ready to get back to the life you knew?" Kurama asked.

"Yea, I'm ready. Botan'll have a fit over how dirty I've gotten," she laughed softly.

"She's used to it. Besides, she'll be thrilled to be able to take you shopping."

I know, I know. In the last chapter Hiei admitted she wasn't human and now he says she is, and then again said she wasn't human. Here's my explanation: Stress.