A/N: Last chapter was a doozy! Thank you to everyone who's been so supportive and for all the reviews! You guys are just wonderful and I love you all! This chapter picks up where the last one left off, except it has switched to Hiei's POV.
*Updates will be coming pretty slow for the next month or so. I'm finally moving. Yes you heard that right, we finally found a place. I'm such a bad procrastinator that I only started packing a couple of weeks ago. So now I have this whole house to box up…ugh. So, bear with me on the update front, sorry guys!*
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho; I just like torturing the characters.
Warnings: This chapter is in Hiei's POV! Profanity, blood/gore, violence, adult themes, sexual themes, etc.
. . .
I do not know how long we stayed like that. It was dark…I had no idea how far I had run. I just held her to me, avoiding the situation at hand.
The red thread of fate…
Soulmates…
Kasumi…
She's human…this wasn't possible. It had to be something else, something more sinister. It had to be.
It just…had to be.
My energy fluctuated beneath my skin. It made my blood boil and I could feel sweat dripping down my back.
Still I did not move.
I buried my face in her hair and breathed in her scent. I couldn't block the image from my head. I wished I hadn't looked at all.
She didn't wrap her arms around me in return. She didn't speak. But I could hear her thoughts.
Since the incident earlier with her blackened eyes I'd been inside her head. Chronos had forcibly pushed her way out. They were becoming one…and soon either Kasumi would cease to exist…or the god would.
I wouldn't allow Chronos to take her. Kasumi was broken…but stubborn. She didn't want that to happen either. But she'd given up earlier. She'd snapped.
I hadn't expected that from her. I'd been prepared to see her at her worst…I hadn't known it would be this bad.
Holding back the god was taking its toll on me. My energy would be completely drained in a few days at this rate.
She shifted against me, trying to extricate herself from my arms. I was burning her. I knew I was, but I couldn't stop it.
My hold on her tightened, I couldn't look her in the eye. Not now.
"Hiei…" she sighed.
I didn't want to admit to myself that I'd missed her voice…her scent…her touch.
After a month and a half of projecting myself to her, I'd gotten more attached than I liked. I didn't need this. It would make me weak. And it made me unbelievably angry.
Connected by destiny…
"Do you believe in soulmates…?"
A bond that crosses lifetimes…
Lifetimes…it made me recall my dream. She'd told me she would find me again. Had we met before, in a previous life?
"Hiei," she said my name again. It was firmer this time. She wanted to be let go. She didn't want to be near me.
I didn't know why I'd reacted the way I had. I'd run away with her and for what purpose? Now here I was…a weak, desolate, pathetic shell of a man.
The thought angered me further. My body temperature sky rocketed and Kasumi stiffened against me.
I won't let you go. I don't give a damn.
If I let her go…if I had to look her in the eye…I didn't know what would happen. I wanted to kill her. I wanted to maim her. But at the same time I wanted to throw her to the forest floor and fuck her senseless.
I'd told myself over and over that she was not mine for the taking.
But that wasn't true anymore, was it?
She was more mine than she was anyone's. No one could claim her. I would rip their still beating hearts from their chests if they tried.
Hearts…it was strange. A thread of destiny was normally connected to the couple's fingers. But ours…wrapped around her heart…my soul.
Kasumi didn't understand the significance. She didn't understand that to travel across a dimension a bond would have to be stronger than most. I was a demon…and it had compensated.
I didn't want this…I didn't fucking want this!
I let her go abruptly and she took two careful steps away from me.
Her face was washed of all color other than the dark circles beneath her eyes. She was not afraid of me. But she didn't like this situation either.
And those eyes…they were wrong. They were not her soft slate grey, but instead a dark, hideous purple. Her grey was only just lightening the black of Chronos' eyes.
It was even more reason for me to walk away from this. And never look back.
It's easier to run…easier to avoid what I had seen.
But I couldn't deny that I wanted her…more than ever.
I watched with shrewd eyes when she crouched to the ground. She sat and folded her legs beneath her.
Her skin was a bright pink, bordering on red. I'd burned every exposed inch of her body.
It made me cringe.
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Shortly after her pink power surrounded her and I saw the burns lessen. It looked as if she'd learned quite a bit in the past two and half months.
To distract us both from a conversation I was not ready to have, I demanded something of her.
"Show me the bow."
Her eyes snapped open and she stared up at me. There was veiled hurt and anger in them. If my heart beat like a human's it might have clenched then. I did not like being on the receiving end of such a look, not set on her face at any rate.
She didn't ask questions nor did she refuse me. She just brought that bright energy into the palms of her hands.
When she clapped them together and pulled them apart the bow appeared. I stepped closer, eyeing the spirit weapon with a critical gaze.
It was refined, the energy solid and strong. There were even details on the bow I hadn't expected. Lines of extra energy, like vines, twirled around it. The string sparkled and lightning traveled across the entire thing.
"Well," I said, "Are you going to show me?"
She frowned but stood from the ground. She pushed a little more power into her weapon. An arrow appeared, already knocked against the string.
She must have practiced with it more than I realized. She pulled back the string with ease…and let the arrow fly.
It was weaker than the one she'd used to blow out Takahiro's wall. But it still managed to blow holes through any tree it encountered. It flew so far I couldn't see where it ended.
She'd grown stronger…far stronger than I thought she was capable of.
It was time I stopped underestimating Morimoto Kasumi. She had a fire in her that couldn't be quelled.
It was no wonder I'd found myself desperate for her.
"What else have you learned?"
I steered the conversation into safer territory. As much as I appreciated and revered silence, it wasn't the right time for that. Her head would fill with thoughts. Things I did not want to know.
Like the fact she'd become ill after learning of the bond.
It had disturbed her to the point of sickness. That is how highly she thought of me.
She spoke, telling me of the new abilities she had obtained these past months. She'd learned enough to hold her own against a demon, it would seem.
But what I was truly interested in is the strange ability she'd used on me earlier.
"The clock?" I asked when the answer was not forthcoming.
She sucked in a sharp breath and her eyes darted away nervously.
It wasn't her power then. That explained it.
"You've pushed the god," I said.
Her predicament was brought on by her own doing. She'd learned of them combining and sped up the process, the fool.
That explained why Chronos wasn't putting in more effort to expel me. It was just enough to keep me on my toes, but not enough to hurt me.
Chronos was neither good nor evil. But like with any warrior, she did not take threats lightly.
"I thought it would be better…to get it over with," she said.
I growled deep in my throat, "What a foolish notion! Your body is far too weak to absorb her!"
How had she not realized that? She might have had a chance…if her training had been longer. But we didn't have time. Each day that passed was a day closer to her ultimate demise.
"We should go back," she said.
I don't want to fight with you, filtered through her head unspoken. She had no fight left in her to give.
She was weary from lack of sleep and fighting against the monster inside her. And I hadn't made it any easier for her tonight.
I didn't care.
She'd shown me something I never needed to know.
And if she thought her little ploy to keep me away from that wall had worked…
She was dead wrong.
There was something behind there she meant to keep hidden from me. I was sure it was erected merely to keep me out, no one else. The question was what could she possibly want to hide so badly?
I'd promised to break the wall down. But it had been an empty threat. I could accomplish it, if I used enough strength, but it would hurt her. It would be worse if she defended it. With her iron will, I had no doubt that she would too.
I would have to wait until a time she was weakened or defenseless.
I'd taken too long to answer her and she was shuffling her feet in the dirt. She was barefoot, I realized. And probably cold, given the way she was dressed. She wore a tight cropped top, meant only to hold her breasts in place. A loose pair of grey pants finished the outfit.
Her knuckles were bound in bandages, but other than that she didn't wear much else.
"Come here," I said.
She didn't move, which didn't surprise me.
I closed my eyes and sighed, "Kasumi, come here."
Her eyes narrowed into a glare. Defiance sparked to life in their depths. This excited me. This was the Kasumi I knew.
This was the woman I wanted to lock away somewhere. Just so no one else could ever lay eyes on her again.
"I want to go back," she said, tone firm, no room for an argument.
But argue I would. I wasn't ready to take her back. I wasn't ready to face the others with their idiotic questions.
"No," I said through my teeth.
I wasn't done with you yet.
She pursed her lips and then with a wide birth stepped around me. She began to walk away, straight through the trees.
If she thought she could walk back she was an idiot.
But the blatant disregard she had for me did nothing but enrage me. I had her pinned against a tree long before even I realized I'd moved.
She stared up at me without an ounce of fear, her eyes still defiant. It made my groin tighten and the undeniable need to taste her rose up.
In my nightly visits it hadn't been the same. They were just memories of how she tasted and felt, conjured by our senses.
I fought back the temptation. I feared what I would do to her should I let go.
But she was mine…wasn't she?
With two natures warring against each other I was unable to think clearly. It was much the same as the night I'd bitten her.
I gave her time to get away, to turn her head, to run.
But she didn't. When my lips touched hers she stiffened…and then let go.
Her arms reached up to grip my shirt, clinging to me like a lifeline. Her body trembled and the memories of our nights together filled her head.
A growl rumbled through my chest.
I lifted her legs from the ground and she wrapped them around my waist. Her ankles hooked behind my back, I held her up with a single arm beneath her.
I hated being touched. I hated closeness and affection. It disgusted me on a level a normal person couldn't comprehend.
But with her…none of that fucking mattered.
And I hated that too.
She was a distraction, a liability…a curse.
But as her mouth opened to me and I twined my tongue with hers, I didn't care.
She tasted just as I remembered, spicy and sweet and bitter all in one.
I devoured her, the kiss deepening while I pressed my hips up into her. She groaned, the sound getting swallowed up between us.
There was no way I was going to be able to control myself. Not now…not tonight, not after what she'd shown me.
The hand not holding her up went for the poor excuse of a top. I ripped it from her chest and her head snapped away from me in outrage.
"What the hell!"
I didn't give her time to question me or time to be angry. I just captured her mouth once more.
My burning hands cupped her. It was the first time I'd touched her there outside of her mind. I heard her moan and the tightness between my legs nearly became unbearable.
But then I realized what I was doing. This would only complicate matters further. It was time Kasumi faced her problems for once…instead of running from them.
It was time I stopped letting her get away with it.
My earlier need to flee had vanished. I stopped kissing her as sudden as I had started. But I didn't put her down. I would not give her the chance to walk away from this.
I rested my forehead against hers, making sure nothing but my eyes filled her vision. She needed to know how serious I was…how serious this was.
"This isn't something you can run from," I said, revealing this fact for both her and myself.
I abhorred the very idea, but this needed to be taken care of – tonight. We were about to go on a journey that could take a vast amount of time, just the two of us. The tension would only mount later on, it could become a distraction. It could mean our deaths.
"Put me down," she groused.
"No," I said in exchange. I wanted her to talk to me, to tell me what I wanted to hear.
But she didn't need to. Thoughts, emotions, desires…they all swam around out in the open of her mind. I picked bits and pieces from it, the ones that held meaning.
But the most prominent feeling was fear.
Kasumi put up a careful façade every day. She pretended to be someone she was not, especially in the face of something unknown to her.
This time, I was that something.
She was afraid of what this meant. She was afraid to feel for me. She thought I would leave her once she grew old and ugly. She was afraid she was going to die and it would hurt worse if she loved me.
Love…had that truly just filtered across her consciousness?
My arm slid out from underneath her. In a stunned silence I let her body drag down the side of the tree. Her feet hit the ground, but I didn't move away.
Love…? What did that even mean? The thought made me sneer.
But I was curious. I wished to know why.
So I asked a question I would normally never voice. Something so ludicrous even I began to wonder if Mukuro hadn't knocked me around one time too many.
"What does it feel like to…love?"
She sucked in a sharp breath, eyes going wide. I watched in awed fascination as some of the darkness receded, the grey showing through. The pressure in my head lessened. Chronos was backing off…interesting.
I watched her face flush, some of the old Kasumi showing through. The Kasumi I had met before all of this - the one that had drawn my attention from the start.
"Why do you ask?"
"Humor me," I said. I didn't tell her that I'd heard her thoughts. I was sure she already knew.
I figured she would refuse me. But I was pleasantly surprised when she took in a deep breath. Her eyes darted to somewhere over my shoulder and she began to speak.
"Love…well I'm no expert," she said. Her face morphed into a grimace. "I just know how its made me feel."
Her eyes darted to my chest and then to the ground. Her heart was racing; I could hear it loud and clear at this proximity. It was a wonderful noise, in its own way. But what excited me the most was the fact it was beating for me.
"And…how does it make you feel?"
She swallowed and after a moment her eyes flicked back up to me. I'd expected her to stay bashful. I had expected to dominate this situation. Instead the unabashed intensity in her eyes floored me. Why was she staring at me so?
"It's complicated and messy and all kinds of other awful things," she said. "But it's also beautiful and passionate and euphoric."
Once she started she couldn't stop. She purged, as if she'd held it all in for far too long.
"It makes you want to strangle someone, while simultaneously making you the happiest person alive."
Her eyes pinned me, a light in them that hadn't been there a moment ago.
"Hiei…," she said, "Love is fucking ridiculous."
I released a true bark of laughter at her words. I did not dwell on what she had said. For she was right…surely love was ridiculous.
I would never know. I knew nothing of love or affection. I'd had not a single person touch me with tenderness in all my years – until I'd met the Tantei (and even then, it grated on my nerves.) Kasumi was the only other exception.
It was then that it dawned on me why I became so angry around her. Why the knowledge of our sudden bonding had stricken me the way it had. It also explained why I hated the way she made me feel.
It was because it was new and it hurt and it drove me to insanity. She had run through my mind for days straight. This was something I'd never experienced before.
I didn't know how to handle it. Even with my current knowledge, I still had no idea.
But I'd already made a decision. I could either let her go…let her deal with her problems on her own. Or, I could do as I promised…and change her mind.
I wasn't the kind of man that went back on his word.
I leaned forward, my lips dragging across her cheek to reach her ear. With each word I spoke a shiver travelled down her spin, "Has it changed?" I asked.
"H-huh?" she was flustered. I could see that her freckled chest had begun to turn red too.
It helped to have demon eyesight. Even if it were pitch black, I would notice these little nuances about her.
I ran my fingers across those little brown dots, connecting them in a nonsensical pattern. She was still shirtless, so I was quick to shed my own and tug it over her head.
I repeated myself, "Has your opinion changed?"
She pretended to be fiddling with my shirt, tugging at the hem. She wouldn't look at me now.
Across her mind an image of me nude came to the forefront. I chuckled at her embarrassment. How many times had we seen each other in such a state? It was foolish of her to care now.
She opened her mouth to speak and I listened with careful intent.
"It changed a long time ago…" she whispered. "I just didn't want to admit it."
A cold gust of wind blew her hair around her face. I noticed it was longer than I remembered, the months apart showing through its growth.
Her heart beat slowed down…and then she was calm. A grin began to blossom across her mouth. It formed into a full blown smile when she finally looked up from the ground.
The look she graced me with made my breath hitch.
"I couldn't stay away from you if I tried," she said.
We didn't speak after that. I couldn't. Perhaps we would never speak of this incident past tonight. But I took Kasumi's final words as the confession that they were.
She wanted me just as much as I wanted her.
I picked her up in gentle arms, like she was made of glass. She stiffened only briefly, before settling against my chest. Her eyes drooped, her exhaustion finally catching up with her.
"Sleep," I said, "You are safe now."
As I began to run, back in the direction of the mountain, I heard a sleepy mumble: "How come your heart doesn't beat?"
Before I could answer her, I heard her breaths even out. I shook my head and felt my lips quirk into some semblance of a smile.
Foolish girl, demons came with a different set of rules. But it didn't make me feel any less.
. . .
I could feel the energy of my comrades, conflicted and worried as it spread through the compound. I did nothing to hide my return, but I avoided the area I knew they were in. Instead, I carried Kasumi to the room she'd been staying in.
The charred remains of the desk chair had been removed, but the door was still missing.
With the lack of privacy, I used the Jagan to search the other rooms. One of the rooms in the hall was occupied and my eyes settled into a glare. I recognized that energy. He was smart not to make his presence known.
I picked the bedroom farthest away from him. By then, the others had sensed me. I was sure they'd make an appearance soon, but I shut and locked the door to keep them out.
I settled Kasumi into bed. She never budged. She either trusted me too much or she was just that tired. I waited for them to find me, watching as she slept.
A pounding at the door had me flashing over to it and ripping it open.
"Be quiet!" I snapped.
Outside was Kuwabara, whose fist was still poised to smash into the metal again. He tried to look around me to get a look at the girl in the bed. But I blocked his view by stepping through the doorway and closing it behind me.
I stood like a sentinel in front of that room, my arms crossed over my chest. I glared at the group of people surrounding me. Their eyes held questions I wasn't willing to answer.
Yusuke was the bravest and he spoke before the rest, "So…what the hell happened man?"
With Yusuke's bravery the rest burst forth with their own questions.
"Is she okay?!" asked Kuwabara.
"Where did you two run off to?" Botan…
"Yes, I'd like to know that myself," Kurama…
"Is she dead?!" Yusuke again…
"Perhaps you should give him a chance to speak," a new voice joined the fray.
He stepped around a corner further down the hallway. At almost eight feet tall, Takahiro had an imposing presence. Electricity seemed to fill the air when he was around and the scent of rain was prominent. He was the embodiment of a storm, completely unpredictable and this made me wary of him.
As if on cue everyone else turned to stare at him. Then their barrage of questioning came to an end.
"Takahiro-san," Kurama greeted.
The tall man nodded in the fox's general direction but his eyes never left me. His grey, slightly darker than Kasumi's own, flashed with hidden knowledge.
"Why don't we all get comfortable? She'll be out for a while," he said, gesturing down the hall.
A door opening at the opposite end of the hallway had me stiffening. What the fuck did he want now?
Amano Ren stepped out, he took one look at the group gathered in the hall and halted. I felt my fire roar beneath my skin again, the sight of him angering me. He'd spent these past months with Kasumi, doing who knew what.
I felt my teeth drag back across my lips in a snarl. A hand landed on my shoulder and I turned with growl to whoever it was.
Takahiro stood beside me. I hadn't even noticed he'd moved.
If he didn't remove his hand, in a second he would lose it. "Jealousy is unbecoming in a suitor," he said.
He let me go, sensing that I wasn't in the mood for games. "You'd do best to remember that Hiei. If you act too possessive, she will run from you."
"What would you know?" I snarled through my teeth.
"I helped raise that girl in there," he snapped. "I know far more than you."
His glare rivaled my own, blue shocks of lightning traveling through their depths. It was a clear warning, but I wasn't afraid of anyone. I would not back down from this.
But I never had to, because Takahiro turned away first. He stuck his hands into his pockets, his body art on full display. I could have sworn I saw one the beast's eyes on his arm flash.
"Amano-san, there's no need for you here," he said.
The boy clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing in anger. But he heeded the man's words and turned without a second glance. I was shocked he'd obeyed Takahiro's orders, but he was a border here. He had nowhere else to go.
"He's a fool," the man said. "But he means well. His feelings for her have waned, so calm yourself."
"Really, I must say I'm surprised they've been quelled so easily," said Kurama.
"I wouldn't say they're gone completely. He just knows he doesn't stand a chance."
"Ha!" I heard Yusuke release a bark of triumphant laughter. Kuwabara high-fived him and I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes.
The orange haired moron probably had no idea why Yusuke was celebrating. Surely if the man knew that it was because I had claimed Kasumi first, he'd change his sentiments.
Takahiro eyed me once more, a contemplative look on his face, "Has it ended?"
I knew what he spoke of. He was asking after Chronos and whether she had given up. I doubted the god was finished with Kasumi yet…but it was over, for now.
"Hn," I grunted in answer.
"But…earlier…," said Kuwabara, uncertainty in his tone.
"I can explain that, if you'd come with me," Takahiro started down the hall, not caring if we followed or not.
I shot a final look at the door behind me, wishing I could crawl into bed beside her and forget all of this. But I followed after the others anyway. I wanted a full explanation, for I knew Takahiro held more knowledge than Kasumi.
I ignored their curious gazes as we traversed the compound. We entered into two different hallways and travelled up one stairwell into another. It was beginning to dawn on me how large this underground metal monstrosity was.
As we walked it gave me a chance to scan the lair with the Jagan. It traveled deep below ground where it ended with the arena. The upper levels were all inside the mountain. It reminded me of something out of the Makai. It was an interesting choice of location for a man like Takahiro.
We came upon another metal door, identical to all the rest. Takahiro ushered us inside. The room itself held the illusion of comfort, with a roaring fire place and bright colored furniture. But my eyes cared little for any of that, for they had settled on something else.
Sitting in an armchair, red hair dancing different shades in the fire light was Hitomi. I had been surprised earlier to see her hair had changed most likely back to its natural color. After forcing Chronos back she had retreated to leave us to clean up her mess.
I was now more interested in knowing how she'd controlled the god, than I was Takahiro's explanation.
"Hey, isn't that Kasumi's sister?" said the oaf. As if he didn't already know.
The girl in question turned in her seat to smile at him. Her green eyes lit up for a moment but then the emotion was shuttered. Her eyes had averted from Kuwabara to land on Kurama. She shrunk down in her seat. She looked like a scared child in that moment, just like some of Kasumi's memories had shown.
Takahiro didn't bother with hospitality. He just fell into the chair opposite Hitomi with a grunt.
"Hey kid," he said to her in way of greeting.
She said nothing but those wide green eyes swept over me and her face turned grim.
"How is she?" she asked me.
I knew very little about Hitomi other than what I'd seen or heard from Kasumi. I'd witnessed the change of events that Chronos had shown her sister. I'd seen the almost sadistic smile that had graced Hitomi's face while she'd plunged the knife through her uncle's heart.
There was something wrong with the picture that Hitomi presented. Something I could not place a finger on.
But I also did not believe her to be evil. She had no aura of malice or discontent. If anything…I would explain her as someone filled with life.
I began to wonder if the presence of the key did not affect her personality, such as Chronos with Kasumi. And the way she smelled…there was something off about that too.
Sickness…that is what it was. Something that was not easily curable. I wondered if the girl even realized…
Her eyebrows rose to her hairline when I did not immediately answer her. In exchange I grunted and then found a place against the farthest wall to rest. I sunk to the floor and drew one knee up to my chest. I placed both mine and Kasumi's sword before me, within easy reaching distance.
As if making myself comfortable was some kind of signal, the rest of the group took seats at the table in the center of the room. I took notice that Genkai was already there, sipping on a cup of tea. This was not unusual for her. What was unusual is she seemed uninterested about the entire situation.
"You're quite different from the man I met, Hiei-san," Hitomi called and my eyes snapped back to her.
"We have only met once before," I said. How could I possibly be different from just a few months ago?
Hitomi was about to reply but Takahiro kicked her chair sharply. There was enough force behind it to send it sliding a few inches. The girl scrunched her nose up at him and stuck her tongue out.
"I don't see what harm it would do," she said.
"Don't be stupid," Takahiro replied. "It would do more harm than good, to tell him that."
She pouted but agreed all the same. It left me nothing but irritated. Every day I ended up with more questions than I had answers for.
I'd also noticed since the day in the graveyard that I was unable to read Hitomi's mind. Even now, it was the same. She had mental defenses stronger than the Jagan. It added to my earlier assumption that something wasn't quite right about her.
"He'll find out eventually uncle Taka," she said. "I'll have to tell Kasumi where I've been."
"Yes, I think we are all interested to know that," spoke Kurama. It seemed he'd grown tired of being ignored. I could not blame him.
Hitomi's eyes flicked to him and she shrunk back in her chair once more. Originally, I had thought it was out of fear. Now, I saw that she only wished to avoid conversation with him. Wasn't this just a curious development, I thought.
Kurama noticed her strange reaction to him as well and I saw his brow furrow.
"Perhaps she finds you attractive fox," I sent to him telepathically.
I watched as he tried to suppress a grin. Kitsune were vain creatures. Kurama was no exception. I'm sure it would give him unending amusement should that be the reason.
"Kasumi will tell you…I'm sure," she ended up mumbling.
"Speaking of your big sister…," Takahiro steered the conversation back in the direction it had started.
It seemed I would have to once again wait to get the answers that I wanted. I knew for a fact I hadn't met Hitomi any time before the tournament. I knew my memories hadn't been modified in some way…so that left an imposter. If she'd met someone pretending to be me that would explain any differences she'd noticed.
But something told me that wasn't it either.
"I'm sure Hiei has already come to this conclusion," said the demi-god, "But Kasumi brought her earlier breakdown on herself."
"What's that supposed to mean?" groused Kuwabara. He'd defend the redheaded girl to the very end.
I was surprised that even the oaf had been fearful of her changes earlier. That blackness beneath her eyes…the way her voice had sounded nothing like her own. It wasn't the friend he knew. It wasn't the woman any of us knew.
"It's not Kasumi's fault uncle Taka!" Hitomi argued, turning angry eyes onto the man.
He pursed his lips at her, his face clearly stating that he was not amused by her outburst.
But Hitomi explained herself before he had the chance to retort, "She's confused…lost. She's done nothing but put all her heart and energy into finding me."
Takahiro sighed then, his eyes turning downcast, "Yeah, I suppose you're right. But this incident could have gone a lot different."
Yusuke turned towards me, "You gunna tell us what went on between you two?"
"No," I said bluntly. "But I can confirm that Kasumi pushed Chronos into action."
"Is she gunna be okay now?" asked Kuwabara. His eyes implored me to say yes, to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear.
But all I could do was shrug. I didn't know if she was going to be okay. I just knew that Chronos had stopped pushing back against me. So either she was about to redouble her efforts…or she'd given up.
"She's fine," I heard Takahiro growl from across the room. "It was my fault anyway."
"Huh?" Kuwabara turned to the large man with confused eyes.
"I told her about the merger…she took it into her own hands then."
"You're an idiot, Takahiro," Genkai joined the conversation. It was fitting for that to be her only input. They were my sentiments exactly.
The demi-god shot Genkai a withering look, "Shut up hag."
"I'm still confused," Yusuke moaned. He rubbed his head, messing up his slicked back hair in his frustration.
"It's quite simple," Kurama said with an amused quirk of his lips. "Kasumi was gaining some of Chronos' power in their merger, but she pushed too hard. The god fought back."
"So they're still combining then?" asked Kuwabara.
"Yes," answered Takahiro.
"So there's still a chance we'll lose her?"
The godling was about to answer but Hitomi shot to her feet. She pointed a finger straight at Kuwabara and stomped her foot.
"Don't underestimate her! It's not as bad as he's making it sound!"
This stunned just about everyone. Yusuke's mouth fell open and he released a drawn out, "Huuuuh?"
The oaf just stared at her like she'd suddenly grown a second head. Kurama merely raised an eyebrow. Whereas I was unimpressed by her show of bravado, it seemed Hitomi had a fire in her much like her sister's.
Before she could spew anymore nonsense, the idiot ferry girl opened her mouth.
"Hitomi-san, wasn't your hair black before?"
The girl lost her train of thought and the air deflated from her lungs. She slumped back into her chair.
"It was wash-out dye," she explained.
"Who cares about that, Botan? You're such a girl!" said Yusuke.
She turned to him indignantly, "I was just curious!"
"It's okay, Botan-san," said Hitomi. The ferry girl gasped when the girl spoke her name. As far as I knew they'd never even seen each other.
But Hitomi had an odd way of knowing things she shouldn't.
"My sister…," she began, "She bottles things up. She hides them away. She's been this way as long as I can remember."
The girl's eyes turned forlorn. She stared down at her feet, shuffling them along the cement floor.
"She's not as cold as she makes herself out to be. Please don't think she is."
She turned pleading eyes on the rest of us, unshed tears clinging to the corners.
"You need to understand. We didn't ask for this. Kasumi is dealing the only way she knows how."
That struck a chord. I had been angered over Kasumi's continued avoidance of her problems. But she wasn't really avoiding them was she? She could only handle so much at once. So she picked the things she figured were the most pressing – such as finding her sister. Now that she knew she was alive, she had lost that goal she had clung to for so long.
Kasumi's biggest problem now was her fate. It must be like having the weight of the world dropped onto her shoulders.
"We've been kind of cold to her lately…haven't we?" I heard Kuwabara say, his voice low and full of guilt.
"It is stress, I'm afraid. Fighting to save one world is difficult enough. But now we face the ending of all three," said Kurama.
"Is opening up Purgatory really that bad?"
Both Hitomi and Takahiro stiffened at Yusuke's question. They cast a look at each other, so quick only someone with eyes as fast as mine would notice. I heard Genkai snort derisively at her disciple's continued idiocy.
"It's a place worse than hell, so you tell me," said Takahiro.
"But what's in there that's so damn bad?"
"Not everything in Purgatory is evil…per se. But most…most end up full of darkness by the end," explained Hitomi.
"It's a universe with no color, only darkness and biting cold. If the elements don't kill you…the transformed beasts will."
"Transformed beasts?" asked Kurama.
"Ay, after a time whatever goes in changes. They spend so long in the darkness they no longer resemble what they once were," said Takahiro.
"So even if they weren't evil to begin with –" said Yusuke.
"They are after years inside Purgatory," finished Takahiro.
The room went silent then. With that statement the only thing I could think of was Kasumi jumping through that door. It would bring an end to Chronos and the opening of Purgatory alike. But would she be stuck in there for an eternity? Would she change into some creature that doesn't even resemble a human anymore?
Would she even be able to survive in such a world?
After a time they began to speak of more mundane things. Takahiro pulled his instrument out of empty space and began to strum its strings. He played a soft tune, even though Yusuke and Kuwabara requested something heavier. Hitomi sat in contemplative silence, staring into the flames within the fireplace. Genkai sipped her tea and cast shrewd eyes around the room. I had a feeling she'd known this would happen, but hadn't bothered to open her mouth.
I rose from the floor, placing my swords back in their rightful place. All eyes in the room shot to me, but I ignored them.
I walked to the door. "Hey Hiei, where you going man?" asked Yusuke.
I didn't answer him. I just slipped out and shut it quietly behind me. I was no longer needed. There was somewhere else I'd rather be.
I traversed the same hallways as before, backtracking to the room I had placed her in. Ren wasn't in the nearby vicinity this time. But it didn't matter to me anymore. He had come to learn his place and I wanted to trust Kasumi's judgement. If she was adamant about having him around…I would have to accept it for what it was.
I stood outside that door for ages. I'd never been this uncertain about anything in my life.
I wanted to join her in rest. My body weary from the day's events. But I didn't. I just stood there like some sort of statue…and waited.
The sound of footsteps brought me out of my reverie, but I already knew who it would be.
A head of bright red hair came around the corner and he shot me a smile that I did not return.
"Kurama," I said.
"I thought I would find you here," he replied.
The fox came to a halt beside me and looked from me to the door back to me.
"Well, are you going in?"
I said nothing. I wished to join her…but it left me feeling like I was losing in some manner. It was like giving up. If I go to her…if I let this continue as I wanted it to, where would that leave me?
Would I emerge the same person I was before? Or would Kasumi ruin me for the rest of my days?
A hand at my shoulder had me glaring up at Kurama. But he was still smiling, his lips quirked up knowingly.
"Loving someone doesn't make you weak," he said.
He always had a knack of guessing what I was thinking. Though I would not equate what I was feeling with love. I desired her…wanted her beneath me and beside me. But I would not say I loved her.
I wouldn't know…even if I did.
His hand on my shoulder fell away, "Hiei…sometimes you must make choices in life that seem uncharacteristic."
I contemplated this for a while but he continued to speak, "If you don't, there's a good chance you will never find happiness."
I scoffed at him. Happiness…? I didn't know of such things. It was just one more emotion I'd never experienced, nor did it matter to me if I did.
"Does she make you happy, Hiei?"
How was I supposed to know? I knew she drove me crazy. She burned me in a way my fire couldn't. She made me feel and think and express things that I would normally find disgusting. She made me angry. She made me murderous. But most of all she made me weak. Weak in body, weak in mind, I couldn't control my urges around her.
"Will you tell me, what happened between you two earlier?" the fox finally asked. I knew that was his true reason for coming down here. I would never speak of it around anyone else.
I didn't even wish to tell Kurama. But I needed to purge, needed to spill out the words and let them lie on the floor like broken glass. It was like a sickness festering inside me. If I could just tell Kurama…I would feel normal again.
"She showed me something," I began.
He listened intently as I told him about the red thread of fate. I gave him every detail, from how it was connected to how unusually thick it was – more like rope than string. I did not look to his face the entire time. I only stared at the door before me and spoke more than I ever have.
I was worried that Kasumi would change me…but hadn't she already? Would I be willing to tell Kurama this if she hadn't?
After I had finished my explanation Kurama hummed softly and contemplated his reply. In normal circumstances I was an impatient man. But in this moment I waited for him to collect his thoughts. I was uncertain if I wished to hear what he had to say.
But when he began to laugh I turned to him with widened eyes.
He wiped tears from the corners of his eyes, a smile so wide on his face I could see all his teeth.
My brows furrowed. This wasn't a laughing matter. Was he trying to get me to kick his ass?
"I-I'm sorry!" he choked out. "I'm just –" his laughter cut out the rest.
I balled up a fist, prepared to punch him straight in the face for laughing at me. When he held up a hand and shook his head.
"Hiei, I'm really happy for you."
My hand, ready to cause him pain before, dropped back to hang dejected at my side. I stared at him, stunned. He was happy for me? What was there to be happy about? I was permanently tied to this woman. I was never born to be captured or tamed. I had no desire to be held down by a woman – a human one at that!
But then I paused in that line of thinking. Kasumi wasn't that type of woman…was she? She didn't expect anything from me. She would never force me to do something I didn't want to, nor could she if she tried. And the human factor…it could be ignored. She was powerful, a person I could respect.
It was one of the reasons I had decided to pursue her in the first place. The night she had fought with Amano over me had solidified it. She didn't care about my past. She only cared about the man I was today.
She was a fool – a complete and utter fool.
But didn't me wanting her make me just as foolish?
"I don't know how to handle this, Kurama."
"Not many would," he replied. "But the course of action you take must be decided between the two of you."
Then he leaned forward and twisted the knob to her door. It fell open to reveal Kasumi sitting up in bed with blurry eyes. Kurama stepped out of view and I turned to shoot him a glare.
He gave me a secretive smile and said, "This is a once in a lifetime chance Hiei. Don't squander it."
Then he left the way he had come, without a backwards glance.
I stood on the threshold of that room, uncertainty making my steps falter. I could not enter. What would happen if I did?
"I'm not going to bite you," she said suddenly. But through her mind I heard, are you afraid of me now?
No…I was not afraid. It was just another unknown factor in my life. Much like the redheaded girl before me, I did not like what I did not understand. But what did it matter if we were tied by destiny? It changed nothing. It was just a fact. It was simple, irrefutable, fact. But besides giving me more doubt than I'd ever had before, it did not change what I wanted from her.
I stepped over that invisible line, a new resolve settling in my chest.
I walked until I stood at her bedside, looking down on her. The eyes that hid behind drooping lids were grey. The body that lay in that bed had grown powerful. Her mind was no longer wracked with doubts, but only determination.
She stared up at me with tired eyes and then smiled. It was that kind of smile that I hated seeing her direct at anyone else. It was a smile that should only be meant for me.
And then I kissed her.
I knelt on the bed and fused my mouth to hers and drowned in everything that was Kasumi. I buried my hands in her hair and tasted her, smothering myself in her scent. My chest tightened and I gripped her all the harder.
Her hands, small compared to mine, came up to thread through my hair. She tugged me down further on the bed and I found myself on top of her, instead of beside. A growl rumbled up through my chest, sounding more like the purr of a tiger than anything else.
When she drew away, she did not let me go. She only laid there, her eyes boring into mine.
"Everything's okay now," she said.
At first her words confused me. But it took mere seconds for it to dawn on me.
"Have you spoken to it then?"
She nodded hesitantly, having heard the warning in my tone. I did not like this. If she kept acting rashly she'd find herself dead long before the doorway opened.
I rose up on my hands, my arms on either side of her head caging her in. I felt a frown settle over my face.
"And what could it have possibly had to say?" I growled.
She didn't answer me, or at least she didn't give me the reply I was hoping for.
Her eyes swam with emotion that made me uncomfortable. She untangled her hands from my hair and brought them to my face. I flinched at first, but she followed me, determined. Her palms cupped my cheeks so I was unable to look away.
"I'm so sorry," she said.
"For what?" I asked. She was acting strangely, but at least it wasn't the crazed woman I'd seen earlier.
"Everything," she replied. "I've been wretched to you and everyone else."
"True," I said.
She rolled her eyes at me, but a tiny grin spread across her lips.
"I don't want to run anymore," said Kasumi. And then she leaned up and sealed our lips together once more.
I hadn't expected her to give up as easily as she had. What I'd told her two and a half months ago still stood. I would not have pursued her further if she'd decided to reject me again.
I was young in demon years, a veritable child compared to some. But in human years I was considered old. I knew what I wanted. I had no reason to pretend I didn't. I had no reason to play games.
It was hard for me to admit that I was…pleased that Kasumi had changed her mind.
The kiss turned more heated as she took control. She used her new found strength to roll us over, so I was beneath her. I found her straddling my hips, her hands gripping my hair or balling in my shirt. She couldn't keep still as she bore down on me, eager to take this farther. My hands snapped to her waist to keep her still before she could drive me mad.
But a knock on the door interrupted whatever she'd had planned. She groaned, annoyed that she was being bothered. She tried to ignore it, continuing to kiss me, but the knocking did not cease.
Then a voice, muted by the thick metal, drifted to us.
"Kasumi Oneesan, I know you're in there. Stop sucking Hiei-san's face for a minute would you?"
Her lips stilled against mine and she sat up, her movements slow and deliberate. She glared at the door and I couldn't help the chuckle that burst forth from my throat. That glower was directed at me then but I only smirked at her.
"Go to her. Your meeting is long overdue."
She groaned again and pouted, "But…"
The words were not spoken aloud but I heard them cross her mind, I missed you.
"We have plenty of time for these…activities later," I said.
"Do we?" she replied, her tone having turned solemn.
Her eyes shuttered now, the emotion leaving them, she dragged herself away from me. Her feet hit the floor, unbothered by the cold cement.
"I won't let you die," I said to her back. I'd repeated those words so many times now, it seemed.
She paused just before the door, her hand already reaching for the handle. "It's okay if I do. I'll find you again."
She didn't understand the strangled gasp that escaped my throat. She didn't know that I had dreamt of her saying almost those exact words to me. She didn't understand that it had plagued me almost every day since that very night.
"Why do you say that?" I tried to keep my voice calm, but she sensed the hidden discord in my tone.
She turned to look at me over her shoulder, "It's just a feeling. Now that I've found you…I'll never lose you again – not for long anyway."
Those were words that I should have spoken. They were words filled with devotion and longing that I did not deserve.
But Kasumi didn't do anything half-assed did she. I should have known that before I started pursuing her.
If I was to make her mine…I would have to become hers as well. That would be the only way it would work.
Was I ready for something like that? Could I handle what that entailed?
As my thoughts rushed around in an infinite circle of disgust filled doubt, she smiled knowingly.
"Baka," she said. Before I could shoot off a scathing retort she wrenched open the door.
Hitomi stood upon the threshold, a shit eating grin across her face. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have to steal Kasumi away if that's okay, Hiei-san?"
I sat up, legs falling over the side of the bed. I glared at her, "Like I care."
She laughed, not believing a word, "You do care, you big softy."
"You know nothing of me. Now leave, before I rip out your tongue."
"Oh, so scary," she said with a roll of her eyes. I was beginning to see more and more of Kasumi in her.
It didn't help that the girl in question was snickering behind her hand. So I sent a glare her way too, just for good measure.
She stepped through the door, her eyes straying back to me.
Everything was alright now. Soon we would leave to go on our journey. Soon, I would have Kasumi all to myself.
"Tell me everything," I projected to her.
I knew Hitomi would tell her what she'd been unwilling to tell me. It irked me that I was unable to read the girl's mind. Her mental defenses surprised me. I wondered who had trained her to block me out in such a manner. It was as if she'd known all along what my powers entailed…and how to prevent me from using them.
Kasumi nodded once, imperceptibly so her sister would not notice. And then she was gone, the door closing behind her.
It would feel like ages if I sat here and waited. I was not the most patient of men. I contemplated going to find the others. But I scrapped the idea. I'd missed my solitude these past months.
I needed the space to think…to try and comprehend all that I had seen and heard this day. So I left the compound. The mountain was surrounded by forests. It was the perfect place for me to find a spot to rest.
I hid my ki so I would not be bothered and settled in the branches of a large fir tree. The cold early Spring air did not bother me. Neither heat nor cold had much of an effect on my body.
I became so lost in thought that I almost missed when another presence made itself known. Someone else was inside my head. It was easy to tell who it was, that energy was unmistakable.
"Chronos…"
Her hideous voice chuckled darkly, "Should have known I couldn't sneak by you, Jaganshi."
"What have you come for?" I snarled.
"To make amends," she replied.
I released a humorless laugh at that. Did she really expect me to believe such nonsense?
"Come Jaganshi, surely you understand why my hand was forced," she said. But the simpering fakeness of her tone caused me to sneer.
"If your goal is to stop me from blocking you, you might as well give up."
I heard a drawn out sigh, one that told me Chronos was fed up. When she spoke again her voice boomed with anger but her attempt at intimidation was moot.
"I have plans for the girl. Plans that can either involve you…or not."
I did not understand how I could become involved in Chronos swallowing Kasumi up, unless it was to stop her. I was tempted to throw the god out just to be rid of her grating voice. But I was also curious as to why she'd made it a point to come to me. She had never done so before.
And for the first time since discovering this entity inside that tiny human woman, I needed to ask it a question.
I couldn't get passed the wall Kasumi had built inside her head…but I knew Chronos could. I was certain the god had seen whatever was behind it. I needed to know or it would plague my thoughts until I did something rash. If I just knew what it was…I could expel these unnecessary concerns from my consciousness.
"Ah…I feel curiosity here. I will tell you what you wish to know…for a price."
I sneered; of course it wouldn't come free. I knew that well enough. Everything in life came with a price…
"I don't make deals with things like you," I replied.
I felt her presence begin to fade…but as she drew away I could hear her laughing. Her laughter filled my head and grew softer and softer.
It only paused long enough for her to say, "That will change soon enough, Jaganshi."
Another bark of laughter, "Just give it time…"
And then she disappeared completely. I cursed silently and knew I would not be getting any rest now. How badly did I want to know what Kasumi was hiding? I didn't trust Chronos…but knowing what she had planned for the girl could be helpful too.
I now had a choice to make…
Make a deal with Chronos and betray Kasumi's trust, for her sake. Or wait and see what happens.
I was never the kind of man that sat around and chose to do nothing.
It left me with only one clear option – to trust my instincts. They'd never failed me before. And right now, they were screaming that trusting Chronos, no matter how infinitesimal, was the wrong decision.
I wanted to protect Kasumi; finding out what was behind the wall was an added benefit. But it could wait. She would let something slip eventually.
For now…I would not leave her side, Chronos be damned.
A plan began to form, one that I had little hope of achieving, but it would not hurt to try. If Chronos and Kasumi were combining…I wondered if there was a way to separate them again. The god once had a body of its own…and it has transferred to other vessels. Perhaps I can force Chronos out.
With this in mind I fled the tree and headed back towards the compound. If I recalled, there had been a large library on the third floor of Takahiro's hideout. I would start my search there.
Just hold on a little longer…it will all be over soon – one way or another.
. . .
A/N: So this chapter had a little bit of everything. I kind of feel like it was all over the place. It had a little angst, a little fluff, a tiny bit of humor and some frisky business. It's back to Kasumi's POV next chapter and will probably stay that way for a while. And finally, finally everyone will know where Hitomi was for four years. I hope everyone liked this chapter, Kas and Hiei finally got their heads out of their asses just a little! Thanks for reading!