Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or Osa.

Side Note: Sorry it took so long to update. Been battling a cold/headache.

Other Note: When you come across text that's in all italics, that's a flashback, but I think you'll figure it out.

Chapter 24

Darkfire of Hell

"Darkfire, are you ready?" Hiei called, pounding on her door.

"I do not need to be ready. It is not I who is going."

"I wasn't talking to you!" the demon snarled, wrenching the door open.

"Really? Was it not my name which you uttered?"

He said nothing as he stared at the creature before him. A sight he had never quite seen before. This girl…this woman…had always worn boy's clothes far too big for her small figure. For the first time, he was seeing her not as an ally or a weakling or "one of the guys"; he was seeing her as a woman.

"Yes, isn't she beautiful? Don't hurt her, Hiei. Treasure this night as if it were her last."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't just a mission for her, Hiei. She's never been to a formal dance. Please, don't ruin it for her."

Sighing, he stared into the mirror. He straightened the collar of the black dress shirt. Pushing aside the soot-colored trench coat, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black slacks. "Let me speak with the human."

"Human? There are no humans in this room."

"Your host…she is a human."

"Hokage? Silly Hiei, she is a demon like yourself."

"Whatever, just let me speak with her."

"You still believe me to be human?" she whispered.

"Yes."

"But I'm a demon! Why can't you see that? What must I do to prove it to you?"

"Get rid of that pure aura! Stop feeling! Stop caring!"

"The aura is not mine! And I tried both of those! But you stopped me!" She glowered from behind her mask at him. "You're such a jerk!"

"Prove it to me tonight, then. Show me you know how to be a demon." He extended his elbow to her, being as much of a gentleman as he knew how to be. Hesitantly, Hokage took his elbow and together they walked from the room. They made quick pace downstairs to meet the others.

"Michael!" Raphael snarled, coming up behind the Archangel.

"Yes?" he said smoothly, turning into a sharp punch. He gasped, "Bastard!"

"I should kill you for all those things you said!" Grabbing the front of Michael's robes, Raphael shook him violently. "I should kill you!"

"But was I right?" the Angel challenged, eyes narrowing.

"Don't flatter yourself." He threw the Fire Angel to the ground, pale eyes glaring down at him.

"I know you love her."

"Someone has to."

"It's forbidden! Even for Satan! Why must you twist between the Rules to suit your needs?" He stood and dusted himself off. "It's against a Law you wrote."

"She's still an angel, Michael."

"She's a cursed angel! The same as a demon! The same as Lucifer." Michael sighed and shook his head. "She'll pick the Devil over you, Raphael. Never will she return your love."

Raphael turned his head away.

"You've seen it, haven't you? You already know this fate. Then why? Why do you insist on trying to change her mind?"

"Because the future is not certain."

"Raphael, it's happening now! It was happening two thousand years ago. She loves Satan…and he loves her. You know you can't measure up to that. You know she won't love you because you're an Archangel."

"And Satan's the Devil!"

"A Fallen Angel! He knows her pain, Raphael! They understand each other in a way you couldn't possibly."

"I know," sighed the Angel of Sight, rubbing his eyes. "But she needs a friend Up Here. No one else trusts her."

"Because she was trying to destroy Heaven's Order. She was trying to bring Heaven down." He laughed cynically, "Of course, it's our fault. We created a monster."

"But she had cares. Emotions beyond our reckoning. Remember those tears?"

"They still haunt my sleep."

"Kurama, you look stunning!" Hokage gasped, turning to see him enter. He was wearing a rose-red leather zip-up vest with a black studded collar. Black slacks hugged his legs, and a red belt hung sideways on his hips. His hair was tied back, but a few strands framed the fox mask he was wearing.

"And isn't the mask appropriate?" Osadyro smiled excitedly, coming up behind him. She had on a strapless black satin dress. Her hair was down and curled into light waves. A red studded collar was strapped around her neck; a white tiger mask sat on the side of her face.

"For both of you," she laughed, hugging her friend. "You look amazing."

"Kurama bought it for me," the angel smiled, taking Hokage's hands. "We have something for you, too." Kurama came up behind her and held out his hand. In it was a golden cross on a silver chain.

"You shouldn't have," the demon gasped, touching the cold metal as he clasped it about her neck.

"I'll be the judge of that," laughed Kurama.

"Well, you can't wear that without a counterbalance," Osadyro added, holding out a silver satanic cross with a gold chain. She hooked it aroundHokage's neck beside the other.

"You really shouldn't have."

"We wanted to."

"Oh, Osadyro-chan, Hokage-chan, you look beautiful!" Yukina breathed. Her sea foam green hair was pulled back into a loose bun with stray curls here and there. She was wearing a long-sleeved blue dress with a low back that flowed gracefully behind her.

"The same can be said about you," Hokage smiled gently.

"She doesn't believe me when I tell her that," joked Kuwabara, wrapping his arms around the ice maiden's waist. He had on an ice-blue tuxedo and a dark blue bowtie.

"Very sharp, Kuwabara," Kurama complimented, nodding in the human's direction.

"Yukina picked it out!"

Hiei twitched in annoyance.

"Darkfire of Hell, you are hereby condemned to wander the earth for eternity," an angelic judge sentenced, looking over at the black-winged angel. "Is there anything you'd like to say?"

She looked back at Satan, in his dark cloak and downcast eyes, and shivered with pain. Turning back to the judge, she shook her head. Then she looked at God. "Forgive me," she whispered.

"Fine. Then this court is adjourned." The judge stood and left.

"Nothing to say?" Michael laughed. "You sure had a lot to say during the trial."

Darkfire didn't even meet his gaze.

"I'm talking to you," he hissed, raising his hand.

"Stay your hand, Michael," Gabriel said, coming up beside the Fire Angel.

Michael huffed and the two walked away. The large room soon cleared, save Darkfire, God, and Satan.

"You disappoint me, Darkfire," God began, shifting over to the girl. "I thought you had learned your lesson."

"It's Your fault. You made me this way," she sniffed, staring at her cuffed hands.

"You can change, you know that."

"A fool's hope."

He stood and began to leave, saying, "I'm sorry, Darkfire. I'm so very sorry."

"Won't you say anything?" Darkfire questioned the Devil after a moment's silence.

"What do you want me to say?" Satan answered, red eyes looking up. "That I forgive you?"

"Please, Lucifer, don't be crude." She looked back at him with sad eyes.

"Your tears will no longer serve to convince me."

"Please, I love you! But you lied to me, Lucifer! You told me you would give me a second chance! I trusted you with that."

"And now you get a second chance! Now you will get a body. Be happy."

She pulled at the chains holding her in place as she tried to reach for him. "Lucifer! I'm begging you not to think ill of me. I tried, Lucifer, I really did try!"

"Lot of good that did you!"

Tears began to form on the girl's long lashes.

"Don't you dare cry any more tears over me! Don't you dare!" the Devil warned, gliding up to her. He hit her across the face, screaming tears flying into the air. They screamed out incoherent professes of love and pleadings for forgiveness. And then they died away. "Never again cry for me."

Darkfire rubbed her red cheek, holding back more tears. "Was your love real?"

Satan knelt down and held her in a tight embrace. "More real than you'll ever know," he whispered. Then he stood and left quickly.

"Lucifer! Lucifer, come back! Lucifer!" she called after him, guards pulling her through a separate door. "Lucifer! Please, Lucifer! Let go of me! Lucifer!"