Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or Osa.

Warning: More Heaven/Hell references.

Japanese to Know:

Uso janai - It's not a lie

Chapter 20

Forget

Angel fanned his cards in his hands. He looked from Yuusuke to Kuwabara through narrowed eyes. "Yuusuke," he said, eyes stopping on the man, "got any twos?"

"Go fish," smirked Yuusuke.

"Damn," Angel breathed, pulling a card off the deck.

"Youko!" a girl screamed from the kitchen. The fox came running out with a mischievous grin across his face. Botan shot out after him, chasing him about with a pan. Her face was flushed a bright scarlet. "Damn you!" She halted and stomped back through the door.

"What'd you do?" Kuwabara questioned, looking from his cards.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the fox answered slyly.

The front door slid open and two figures slid in.

"Hiei, Darkfire, where you guys been?" Yuusuke questioned, laying his cards down and standing.

"Out," Hiei answered, disappearing to his room.

"It's a long story of no consequence," Darkfire replied, holding up her hand to silence them. "Call me when the food's ready." She, too, departed to her room.

Yuusuke looked at the other three before darting after her. "Hey, Darkfire. Wait a sec."

She stopped, waited, and then started again.

"You know what I mean." He grabbed her arm and held her there. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," she answered, staring at the floor.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that."

Darkfire looked up and looked deep into his chocolate eyes. "Everything is fine."

"Hokage-kun—"

"Please, Yuusuke, don't." She pulled from his grasp and continued sadly down the hall.

"Hokage-kun, I can help."

She stopped and shook her head. "No, Yuusuke, you can't." And she resumed her trek to her room.

"You're a terrible liar."

"Fuck you, Hiei," growled Darkfire, glowering up the stairs at him. "Because of you, I was forced to remember the pain of my past. Because of you, I had to revisit every terrible memory. Because of you, Hiei, I nearly gave in."

"You didn't have to come with me. You didn't have to follow after me. I never asked for your help," Hiei hissed, making his way down the stairs slowly. "You didn't have to give up your happiness for my sake."

"What're you talking about?"

"Your little romance with the Devil."

Darkfire flinched. "You saw that?"

"Yes. And I heard it all. You're in love with Satan…I could see it in your eyes."

"I owe everything to that man. He's as a father to me."

Hiei laughed. "I told you, you're a terrible liar. Your eyes betrayed you. You can't hide it." He kept on walking towards her, advancing closer and closer. She backed away with his every step. And then she hit a wall. He closed in on her, trapping her. "I think you're afraid of me."

Darkfire tried to duck away, but he was there to bring her back.

"You're so scared. But I won't allow you to run. Not until you tell me everything you know about me."

"Please, Hiei—"

"No! Tell me what you know!" He slammed his fist against the wall beside her head and she jumped.

"I don't remember. Please, I don't remember anything."

"Liar!"

"Uso janai! Please! Let me go." She collapsed to the floor and hugged the demon's knees.

Hiei faltered, eyes wide. He looked down at her shaking figure and wondered how someone so weak could still be alive.

"Just let me put these memories to rest. Please."

"Why did you love him?"

She buried her head deeper into his legs.

"Why!"

"Because he was everything! He was all I wanted and more. He listened and understood. He knew when to let me be and when to hold me close. He knew how to love as no other could possibly know. And he only broke my heart because he had no other choice."

"Tch." He stepped from her grasp and flitted away.

"Hiei…don't you go breakin' my heart, too," whispered Darkfire, falling to her hands.

"Forget him," the voice advised.

"I can't. I can't forget him."

"Forget him, forget him. He will only cause you pain. Forget him."

"Forget…I have to forget…Hiei."

"Forget them all."

"Why'd you let her leave?" a man with short red hair questioned.

"Because I couldn't force her to stay," Lucifer answered, running a hand through his slick black hair.

"Can't even force the girl you love to stay by your side. Man, you've gone soft." His black eyes shimmered as the fire flickered.

"Michael…you shouldn't speak of what you do not know."

"You think I don't know love?"

"You know naked women…that is not love." He sighed. "You can't force someone you love into a cage and expect the same results."

"You have gone soft. The mighty Satan has been stilled by a woman. Are you still fit to guard Hell?" the angel challenged, smirking.

"Quiet, Michael! I can still defeat you."

"Don't make me laugh. Try as you may, but remember that I am the one who banished you here."

"With the help of Gabriel and God," added Lucifer, tempting Michael.

Michael bristled and the flames rose. "Don't mess with me, Satan! I have the power to take that which is most precious to you. I can make her disappear."

"Only God has that kind of power."

"And God is on my side. Or have you forgotten?"

Lucifer tensed as he twisted a flame about his finger.

"That's what I thought." The Archangel spread his wings and made ready to leave. "Keep Hell well for me, will you?"

"Darkfire!" a small boy cried, shaking the demonic angel. "Hear me, Darkfire! Please!" Tears streamed from his deep blue eyes. "Remember Tokiya, the demon you saved! Please! See me, hear me, I'm begging you!"

"What's all this noise?" Yukina said, moving into the doorway.

"Darkfire!" screamed the boy, slapping Darkfire across the face.

"Tokiya!" Yukina gasped, scooping up the demon child. "What's the matter with you?"

"She doesn't see or speak or hear. It's as though she's dead to the world. Why won't she answer me? Darkfire!"

But the girl didn't even bat an eye. Her eyes stayed dull and unseeing, lost and in pain. She stared into nothingness as though there was a purpose. Everything she had ever known was being locked away deep inside. Every human aspect of her mind was being sent away. Soon she would be just a shell in which a demon lived.

"Darkfire," Yukina whispered. She stepped out into the hall and screamed, "Yuusuke! Somebody, please!"

"Yukina-chan, what's wrong?" Kuwabara called as he stumbled down the hall.

"Yukina!" Yuusuke yelled, coming up behind Kuwabara.

"She doesn't answer," she explained, trying to comfort Tokiya.

Botan, Keiko, Shizuru, and Kurama came into the room shortly after the other two. "What happened?" Keiko gasped, taking the crying boy.

"She can't hear me!" bawled the boy. "She doesn't even flinch under my blows!"

"You hit her?" Botan shrieked, eyes wide.

"Just to wake her. But she didn't move. She didn't even blink. Darkfire!"

"Yuusuke, Yuusuke!"

The man turned to his name and saw Osadyro pushing her way through the door.

"What happened? What's wrong?" she demanded. And then her eyes fell to Darkfire. She ran to her and shook her. "Darkfire, look at me. Darkfire, answer me. Darkfire!"

"She can't hear you," the angel spoke, Darkfire's lips remaining still. "She doesn't even remember who you are. In just a few more hours, the girl you knew will no longer exist. She will be a shell."

Kuwabara faltered and Shizuru nearly fell to the floor.

"It hurts my head," Kuwabara mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Something like a demon is inside her. It makes my skin crawl and my heart ache," Shizuru choked, leaning against the wall for support.

Osadyro took Darkfire's shoulders and shook hard. "You listen here, Darkfire. I won't allow this. You've gone too far this time."

"Who are you to tell me what to do? You sold me out. You swore you'd support me in every way. And then you go and tell God to throw me into Hell," hissed the angel.

"You cannot take complete control of this girl. You cannot!"

"This is what I was designed for! Remember? This was my purpose! To be able to take complete and utter control of whomever I willed. Even Gabriel, remember?"

"I command you to stop! As a higher angel, I command you!"

Darkfire's hand flew across Osadyro's face in a wild and uncontrolled manner. "You have no such power over me. Not even God can stop me."

Angel pushed into the room to see the faces of the unfamiliar voices. He was stunned to see two people he knew.

"Angel, don't you remember me?"

His eyes narrowed, thinking, remembering.

"Come now, Angel, you couldn't have forgotten. You betrayed me as well."

"Darkfire, stop this. Let the girl go," Angel spoke, voice deeper and accented.

"Why should I? She doesn't want to be hurt anymore. She wants to forget. Especially you, Angel. You caused her the most pain. You're why she wants to forget."

"What about what you did? What about the pain you've caused?"

"She's forgetting everything. Soon she won't even exist."

"There must be some reason she wants to stay," Yuusuke blurted. "Something stronger than her pain."

"What? Love? Will you be the one to love her then? No. Nothing can bring her back. The ones she loves will never accept her; she knows this. Forgetting is the only way out."

"How weak."

The crowd parted and turned to see Hiei leaning against the wall across the hall.

"She always told me she was so strong, so mighty," he scoffed, strutting into the room. "But look at yourself, Darkfire. You look like a spoiled child who's lost her family to a murderer. You're just waiting for them to finish you off now. Pitiful." He stepped around Osadyro and kicked Darkfire into the wall.

"Hiei!" Yukina gasped, jumping.

He looked at her solemnly. "Who do you want more: Darkfire a little battered, or a demon in her body?"

Botan took Yukina into her arms and comforted her. "He knows what he's doing, Yukina. We just have to trust him."

Kurama pulled Osadyro from the floor and held her gently. Angel tensed but said nothing.

Sluggishly, Darkfire stood and wobbled towards Hiei.

"See? You can't even move as you wish. Nothing but a puppet."

"What do you want? What do you want from this girl? She has nothing to offer you!" Darkfire's arm twitched and her teeth ground against each other. "Nothing!"

Yuusuke uses the suffix "-kun" in addressing Darkfire because it sounds better than "-chan," in my opinion. And because she's more of a tomboy, making "-kun" even more approprite.