Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or Osa.

Japanese to Konw:

Hokage - Japanese version of Darkfire, roughly translated
Tenshi - Angel (Angel's Japanese name/nickname)
Nan desu ka - What is it?
Sou desu ne - Is that so? (more of a statement than an actual question)
Sou desu- Yes, that's so/right

Chapter 18

I Owe Her My Life

"How long they been out?" a man asked, peering at four figures sprawled out on the floor.

"Since yesterday around noon. But they were gone for three days," a woman answered, closing the door.

"Doing what?" the man questioned, astounded.

"We don't know. All they wanted to do was sleep. And I suppose when they wake they'll want to eat they're fill. After that, I suspect, is when we'll get our questions answered."

Tears welled in the woman's bubble gum-pink eyes.

"Oh, Botan," the man whispered, clutching her tight. He knew no words that she didn't already know that would comfort her. As she began to sob wildly, he held her tighter.

"Yuusuke," another girl whispered, jogging towards him.

"Keiko," he sighed.

"Botan-chan…. She's been so worried," the girl sighed, taking the sobbing deity from her lover's arms.

"Let go of me, witch!" a small boy screamed, dragging himself and a woman across the floor.

"I'm not a witch, you brat!" the woman retorted, rearing up and sending the boy back into her arms.

"Release me! I want to see the angel who brought me here!" He tried to wriggle free, but to no avail. "Let me see the black-winged angel!"

"Quiet, child," Keiko scolded, kneeling before the two. "No angel brought you here. At least not one with black wings."

"You dare call me a liar? I saw her wings with my own eyes!"

"Hush now! Do you wish to wake her from her much needed rest?"

"If it'll save me from you people, yes!"

The door slid open and closed. "Hush, child."

"Ah! My angel!" the boy cried, grasping for her.

"I said be quiet," she hissed.

The boy silenced immediately and stopped his struggle.

"Shizuru, it's alright."

"Darkfire, he's a wild one for so young," the woman sniffed, releasing the demon boy.

"I know. Come here, boy." The boy stumbled to Darkfire's feet and hugged her knees tightly. "What's your name?"

"Tokiya," the boy murmured. "Please, let me stay only by your side."

"Tokiya, you must learn to trust these people." She pulled the demon up to her and held him to her breast as a mother might. "I will not let them harm you."

"Your wings…where did they go?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure they'll be back." Darkfire turned her gaze to Shizuru. "Can you cut my hair even?"

Shizuru laughed a little and nodded. "I think I can manage that."

"Darkfire, would you care for some food?" Keiko questioned.

"Yea, that would be great."

"Hokage-sama," Tokiya breathed.

"No, I am no lord," Darkfire said, petting the boy's head.

"But you are an angel."

"No." She kissed his head gently. "I am a demon tossed from Hell. Treat me as your equal, Tokiya, as I will treat you the same."

"Darkfire!" Hiei gasped, jolting forward and clutching his pounding heart. He scanned the room for her, but only found Kurama and Kuwabara sleeping soundly. "Was it all a dream?"

"Was Darkfire never really here?" he thought. "Could it have all been just a silly dream? Will I walk from here and find nothing of her presence? It all feels so surreal. As if when I leave here I will simply see Yuusuke's idiotic grin; Botan's cheerful smile; Yukina's soft, pure eyes. Would it really be all that terrible…for this to have all been a dream? Would it hurt for Darkfire to have never existed?"

He pushed himself from the floor and silently slid the door open, closing it in the same manner. Looking down the hall on either side of him, he stole down the passage, bare feet padding noiselessly on the carpet.

"Oh, Hiei-kun!"

Hiei stopped dead in his tracks at the familiar voice. He turned and stared at the ice maiden. "Yukina," he murmured.

"I was just coming to leave some clean clothes in the room. Here, these are yours." She held out a pair of folded pants and a pale blue tank top. "If you weren't a fire demon I would ask if you were cold."

The demon looked at his tattered attire. He remembered the wounds that caused the tears in his clothes, but there were no such wounds to be found. Not even the wound in his stomach was there. "I remember," he thought, "her holding me close. Could she have healed me?" Gently, he took the clothes from Yukina's soft hands.

"Yuusuke-kun has returned with Tenshi-san and Osadyro-chan. They are with Hokage-chan in the kitchen on the first floor," Yukina said as she left.

"So, she isn't a dream," Hiei concluded, racing down to the kitchen. "Then that means…I owe her my life." He slid the door open harshly and stared at the kitchen's occupants.

"Good to see you, too, Hiei," Yuusuke smirked, sipping his tea.

"Wow, you look like you been through some hella shit," Osadyro blurted, not really caring what the demon might do as an answer to the harsh comment.

But Hiei neither said nor did anything. His eyes wavered out of focus and his breathing became quick and shallow. He heard words, but they were muffled and made no sense. Everything was spinning in that foggy haze. All the colors melded into a solitary shade: black. And then it became white. An eerie sort of white.

"Hello, Hiei. It has truly been a long time. Last I dared meet you was when you were still a small boy," a soft voice spoke. From the whiteness, a figure cloaked in blood red cloth appeared, large, feathery black wings framing it. "You killed me then. I suppose that's the thanks one receives from you when you've never met them."

"Who are you?" Hiei questioned, voice echoing in his head. "I feel as though we've met somewhere. Long ago in a distant land."

"Distant indeed, cursed demon of the floating kingdom. And long ago it was. You were just a baby then." The winged figure moved closer to Hiei. "But I would not expect you to remember such an occasion."

"Where are we?"

"We are in the realm of your forgotten memories. The place where things of past importance were placed so you could forget them. But this space has another purpose."

"What?"

"Remembering." The demonic angel began to fade from him, drifting away slowly.

"Wait! Don't leave me here! I still have questions!"

"Hiei. Hiei? Hiei!" a voice called from far away. "Snap out of it, Hiei!"

He blinked several times while shaking his head, ridding himself of the blurry figures. Looking up at the person shaking him, he noticed everything seemed taller.

"Hey, you ok?" Yuusuke inquired, kneeling beside the demon.

"Uhn," Hiei groaned. Yuusuke helped him to his feet and led him to a cushion. "What the Hell was that?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Darkfire said, suspicion gleaming in her eyes.

Hiei met her eyes with his own distrust shimmering against the blood rubies. Ever since that day in the castle, though not so long ago, something changed. When she brought him back from the sudden Hell, he remembered something. She suddenly became familiar from some past he could not recall. And then when she said she pitied him…it hurt. He didn't know why it should, but it did.

Hiei stood and walked from the room. He fingered the clothes Yukina had given him and decided that they were better than what he had on. Removing the tattered black shirt, he slipped on the light blue top. After scouring the room for a hiding spot, he settled on a small closet. He slipped in and changed pants as quickly as possible in the cramped space.

"Damn closet," he sneered as he stumbled out. Throwing his torn clothes on the couch, he moved toward the front door. The door that led to the soft grass. The River Styx. Freedom.

"Hiei?"

The demon turned his longing eyes to the figure that uttered his name. "Nan desu ka." His eyes turned as stone.

"Wanna take a walk?" She, Darkfire, moved close to him and touched his shoulder. "It's nice out. C'mon. Your heart longs for it."

Hiei turned from her soft gaze and stared at the door. "Koenma would never allow it."

"Is that the reason you've stayed with Yuusuke for so long? Because Koenma ordered you to?"

"No!" the demon snarled, glaring at the demonic angel.

"Then why do you hesitate now? Is it because of what I said earlier? I didn't mean it. Pity isn't what brought you back to life. Sorry for saying that. Please don't be mad." She bowed.

Hiei shook his head. "You're pathetic. You know that?"

"So…are you going to walk with me or not?" Darkfire questioned, smiling.

"Hn." Darkfire took his arm and pulled him out the door. She dragged him to the edge of the river and stopped, taking in a deep breath.

"Smell that? Isn't it nice?" she inquired.

"If you say so." He looked across the river to the other side. It looked just the same as this side. But he knew there was a whole other world over there. "What do you suppose that side looks like?" he questioned.

"The other side of the river?"

"Yea."

"You don't wanna go there. You don't wanna know what that place really looks like." Darkfire's face twisted into a sickened snarl as she stared into the calm river. As she gazed, she saw the faces of so many dead. She heard their screams, calling out to her.

"You've been there?"

"In a sense…I was born there."

Osadyro knocked softly, timidly on Kurama's door. She held her breath as she waited for an answer. Her heart pounded against her chest. And her hands were shaking.

The door slid open and Kurama stood before her.

"Yes?" he questioned softly.

For a moment, she froze. Then, she stuttered, "Yuusuke…he talked about you…while we were training."

"Sou desu ne."

"Sou desu. He called you 'The Bandit King'. Will you tell me of your adventures?"

"Osadyro-san, please, come in." He stepped aside and Osadyro entered, jumping slightly when the door closed against the frame. Offering a seat, he began to pace the room, seeming to be arguing with himself. "Are you afraid of death?"