Ticking Timebomb

Chapter 51 – Trouble Comes Running

. . .

The rushing sound of pouring rain. Numb skin, chattering teeth. Blue hands, clothes soaked through. None of that mattered. My thoughts still rushed through me, threatening to crush me beneath their weight.

I sat on that cliff for hours, shutting out the world.

I didn't feel any different, I thought. After marking Sayuri I'd felt that rush of power, the tentative touch of her soul to mine...and it had felt...wrong. Not like the time Hiei had bitten me. Back then, I'd felt the snap of a connection, the heat that had flooded my body, the pleasure of receiving it. None of that had happened with Sayuri.

Perhaps because it was a different type of marking, done out of duty and not for sexual reasons.

But then...what had happened with Hiei that time? Why had I felt that way?

I didn't understand enough about markings...and I'd fallen for a demon. What the hell was wrong with me? Hiei was right to disregard my feelings. I knew nothing. I was nothing. I was only good for one thing – fucking shit up.

And I'd done it royally this time.

I sighed loudly, shivering. I should probably head back. I could feel their energies, shining like beacons in the distance, worried. It was starting to get dark. If I didn't head back soon...

What did it matter? Maybe if I died here the prophecy wouldn't come to pass and everything would go back to normal. A girl could dream, right?

I stood up, covered in mud, uselessly brushing my hands off on my sopping pants. I didn't know what I would do once I headed back to camp. What could I even say? I'd jumped in without thinking of the consequences – again! I really was an idiot.

But I didn't regret saving her life. I didn't regret helping Caius either. Neither of them deserved to die.

However, I had successfully damned all three worlds in the process. And all the people I cared about in them. And for what? Someone I barely knew. Someone who had literally tortured me.

Maybe I had gone off the deep end.

As I began my walk of shame back towards the cave, I never bothered to pay attention to my surroundings. I was too lost in thought, too conflicted. I thought only of what awaited me back in that cave – a fate I had never asked for.

As I left the cliff behind me, coming to the beginnings of the forest's treeline, I heard a rustling. At first, I'd thought it was just the rain...but it grew louder and louder...until it sounded like a dull roar.

I backed away from the trees, seeing shapes moving in the waning light of Maikai's sky. And it wasn't just a few...but many lumbering bodies. Slow, but steady, they were headed straight for me.

I had only the shear face of the cliff behind me, an open chasm with a bottom so far down none would survive the fall. I had nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

I'd been smart enough to keep my sword on me, along with a couple of knives in my boots. I drew my blade, reaching down to palm a knife in my free hand.

What stepped out of the trees was something straight from a nightmare – one of mine in fact.

The only difference from that dream was the sword I carried. But the creatures remained the same. The cliff as my backdrop remained the same.

I stared down the herd of green skinned, sickly, beady black eyed monsters, my energy flaring. It was as much a warning – a call to arms – as it was my saving grace. There were far too many for me to fight alone. Hundreds at least. With teeth sharp as razors and thick corded muscles made for grabbing prey.

Where the hell had they come from?

But as I looked at the dirt and debris marring their skin I realized where – the ground. They'd come from underground. And I just happened to be around during the time they came up to eat.

Like hell was I going to become something's fucking late night snack.

I cut the first group down, slicing them in half with my sword, cutting off heads. I ignored the gruesomeness of it. They were mindless beasts, nothing more. No emotion or intelligence shined in their eyes, just an unending hunger.

I threw a knife through the skull of another, only stopping long enough to retrieve it. It was used to slit another's throat when it got a little too close for comfort.

But even as a sliced down one after another there were always more to take their place. They pushed me back, even as I fought harder to gain some sort of ground. I held my sword between my teeth, summoning my bow.

The first arrow was large enough to take out at least fifteen of them, and a decent section of the forest too. But more and more came. And with my still healing injuries, my energy having been expanded because of illness, I was at a huge disadvantage.

I was taking two steps back and only one forward the longer I fought. Soon enough I would be at the cliff's edge.

I heard my name called, even over the pouring rain I would recognize that voice. My heart beat a fast tempo in my chest, fear and trepidation and longing making me breathless.

He'd come for me, even after what I'd done. He had still come to defend me.

I cut another down, my foot slipping in the mud...and then it touched nothing but air.

"Shit!"

I reared forward, my arm getting grabbed by one of the creatures. It took a bite out of the flesh of my forearm, tearing skin and muscle. I screamed, stabbing it in the eye with the knife I held in my other hand. I kicked it away from me, not caring when I lost one of my blades in the process.

I heard my name called again, closer this time but still too far.

I was out of time.

Three lunged for me at once. I called my energy around me, the bright pink electricity flaring to life. But I hadn't considered that their mindless need to eat would make them numb to any kind of pain. They feared nothing, their minds stuck on one single track – eat, eat, eat.

I was thrown over. And just like my dream I felt that stomach dropping rush.

There was no hand to catch me this time. No soaking wet Jaganshi trying to pull me back to safety.

I closed my eyes. At least the impact would kill me quick. No prolonged suffering for me.

But a yell from above had them snapping back open. I watched, horrified, as a black clad body went diving over the cliff.

He'd gained enough momentum to catch up to me, wrapping me in burning arms, holding on for dear life.

"Fuck!" I screamed. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Hiei didn't reply, he only balled me up closer to him, curling around me, twisting his body so his back was facing towards the ground.

So he could take the impact. As if that would fucking save either one of us.

I had mere moments to come up with a plan. And when I did I prayed to anyone that would listen that it would work.

"Don't let go of me!" I hollered. "No matter what!"

I had no way to see his face, buried against him the way I was. I couldn't gauge his reaction, but I had no time to care.

I called on the ancient power of Chronos, the bits I had managed to steal and covet as my own. I had only done this once and now wasn't the time for practice. Not to mention I'd never teleported anyone besides myself before. This had major potential to fail, but it was better then both of us dying.

I felt the tingling sensation of the golden energy, little glowing lights flying off both our bodies with the force of the free fall. I wrapped my arms tightly around Hiei, refusing to let go.

It was time I did the saving for once.

Please work, please, I begged to no one. I slammed my eyes closed again, forcing everything I had left into this single instance. I felt the shift in the ether, the opening of a portal, so fast the naked eye would never be able to see.

We phased through it, all bright flashing gold and electric pink as we burst from the other side.

Except I hadn't correctly calculated how deep the chasm was. And there was still too far to fall.

We came tumbling out, still in open air. It wasn't a long enough fall to kill us but one of us was about to be seriously injured.

I tried to turn Hiei, but he held on resolute, refusing to let me take his place.

The impact was ear shattering. I heard the snap of bone, the broken scream Hiei released immediately after. His body still surrounded mine, protecting me from the brunt of the damage.

I moved off him, not caring about my own injuries, only worried about him.

"Hiei!" I screeched. "You idiot!"

Silence. Pure silence. And that alone was enough to scare the shit out of me.

I shifted around him, careful of where I was placing my feet, and then grabbed his upper body. I hauled him out of the crater our bodies had created, dragging him until we were both out of the mess of mud and water.

His left forearm had snapped in two, I could see the bone sticking out, a mess of torn flesh and blood. He'd landed wrong, too focused on protecting me. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him how goddamned idiotic he was. But there was no point. He was out cold. And I was stuck at the bottom of some chasm with no clue if there was even a way to get out.

I spun once, looked up, looked back down at the fire demon...and then plopped to the ground in defeat. I didn't even have my pack so I could treat his wounds. I was on the verge of a panic attack.

I pulled my shirt over my head, tearing it into strips like bandages, leaving a large enough piece to use as a sling. I wrapped his arm as best I could without causing further damage, then gathered his limp body into my arms, his back against my chest. I placed the sling around him, maneuvering his arm with care so I could slip it inside.

It was still pouring rain, the ground thick with mud. Even all the way down here the deluge did not relent. I needed to find cover, start a fire if possible. Hiei was in serious trouble...and it was all my goddamned fault.

I was prepared to drag him as far as I would need to – I would not leave him behind, even to look for shelter – when I felt the ground rumble. At first, I figured it was thunder...but it grew stronger and closer with each passing second.

I stiffened. Frozen to the spot. Horrified.

The thing was impossible to miss, even in the semi-dark, even through the storm. Its huge hulking body, moving much faster then I thought possible for its size, came bounding through the rain.

I couldn't even begin to describe what kind of beast it was. Covered in thick, leather like skin, caked in mud. Horns as thick as tree trunks protruded from its head. Teeth the size of meat hooks dripped with a gelatinous green saliva.

It paused, clawed feet digging into the ground as it skidded to a halt. It snuffled at the air. And I realized what had attracted it in the first place was the scent of blood. It must have a powerful nose indeed, to smell through such a storm. But Hiei's arm was leaking a steady river into the mud, coating my stomach and leg where it rested.

It snuffled again, moving closer. I didn't even dare breathe. And as it grew closer I discovered why it was having such a hard time finding us – the damn thing was blind in one eye, the orb missing completely.

The other stared off to the side, where we had originally impacted. I wasn't going to be able to run, not with Hiei in the condition he was in.

That left fighting. And I didn't have the first clue how strong the beast even was.

I gulped once, stealing my resolve. I made to move Hiei to the ground, when a strong hand gripped me around the arm.

Red eyes, glazed with agony, but awake and aware, stared up at me. "Don't count me out just yet," he ground out through pain clenched teeth.

"I won't let you fight that thing!" I said in a heated whisper.

He refused to argue, struggling to his feet, shoving me aside when I tried to help him. He drew the sword at his waist – my grandfather's sword – his long gone in the previous fray. His power flared around him, the heat bruising, turning the torrential rain to steam.

"Stand back, Kasumi," I heard him say.

"No way! I won't let you face it alone!"

He turned to shoot me a glare, but I ignored it, stepping up beside him and manifesting my bow in a flash of pink.

With the burst of our powers, the beast finally turned to pin us with his single good eye. It roared, spittle flying, the sound deafening.

Hiei swayed on his feet, but held his blade aloft, shifting his feet into a more defensive stance. "Don't be a fool woman. Run."

I scoffed at him, "Says the guy who can barely stay standing."

He opened his mouth to retort but I held out a hand to stop him, "We don't have time!"

As soon as the words left my mouth the beast came charging at us, maw opened wide, ready to swallow us whole. We dodged in different directions, Hiei flickering to the right and I to the left.

This confused the beast, making it stop to consider who to attack first. I didn't leave it time to make up its mind, afraid for Hiei more than myself.

I nocked an arrow, pulling back on the bow string as fast as my fingers would allow. I felt the energy slice through the skin there, my haste making me throw caution to the wind. I let the arrow fly. It struck the monster in the neck...but did little other than piss it off.

"Shit!" I swore again as it came charging straight for me, its nostrils flaring in rage.

I rolled to the side, narrowly missing the horns it swung at me with a jerk of its giant head. Hiei waited behind it, a counter attack at the ready. He came flying through the air above the beast, sword swinging down towards its spine.

It dug deep into its hide, the monster roaring in pain, bucking Hiei from his back. If the fire demon had the ability to use both hands I was sure the battle would have ended there...but we were not so lucky.

The pain caused it to become berserk, it thrashed about with no rhyme or reason, bent merely on destruction. It swung its horns in wild abandon and it was all I could do to dodge them again and again.

I tried to herd it away from the chasm's walls, afraid I would end up pinned against one and chomped in half by those gruesome teeth. I called my bow once more, readying an arrow. I shot a look towards Hiei, who still stood behind the big bastard, looking for an opening to finish it off.

I nocked another arrow, feeding it as much power as I was still able. I'd used too much phasing between dimensions to save us from the fall, I didn't have enough left to pierce its thick hide.

Which left only one place.

I waved at Hiei, trying to get his attention. When he noticed, I pointed at the things one good eye. He took my hint, giving me a curt nod in acknowledgment.

I waited just long enough for Hiei to distract it, to get the giant to turn where I needed it to. Then I ripped back on the string with all the strength I had.

The arrow flew tried and true. It hit its mark, sinking into the things bulbous orb, and bursting it like some sick twisted version of a water balloon. It fell to the ground, clawing uselessly at its face, shrieking in agony.

That was when Hiei came to finish it off. It took a single swing of his sword to cleave the things skull in two. He jumped back as blood sprayed, covering the sopping wet ground, sinking into the mud to join with the rain.

I slumped to my knees, panting for breath, trying to calm the heart racing in my chest.

It only ended up going double time when the fire demon approached me. And promptly fell to the ground, exhausted, face in the mud.

I lunged for him, lifting him from the mess. He groaned, but did not stir. Shit. Shit!

I bent at the knee, awkwardly picking him up so I could carry him on my back. I ended up jostling his arm and was glad he had passed out so he wouldn't feel the pain.

I needed to find shelter from the storm...and from anymore hungry demons looking for a meal. Once I had assessed Hiei's wounds and made sure he was going to be okay, only then would I start looking for a way back up to higher ground.

If only this goddamned monsoon would ever end.

I walked, weary, for a long time. I paused only to heft Hiei more securely on my back from time to time. The mud made it slow traveling, my feet getting sucked in and stuck. The added weight didn't help, but I wouldn't put him down. I'd carry him to the ends of the earth if I had to.

By the time I found some semblance of shelter, night had long since fallen. I could see in the dark better then most by utilizing my spiritual awareness, so I used it to guide me. I eventually came upon what I could only describe as a den. It smelled of rotting things and the sickening scent of dirty animals, but it was dry and safe as far as I could tell.

It must have belonged to the thing we'd slayed. I just hoped it didn't have any family that would come looking for revenge.

I settled Hiei down against one of the walls, kicking bones out of the way, not looking too closely at them. I shuffled away from him, hands patting the ground, passing over anything that seemed too smooth to the touch. After a time I found what must have been the beast's nest, because it was made up of dried grasses, sticks, and the bones of other creatures it had devoured.

I gathered as much kindling as I could, and two flat rocks I thought would work well as a flint, and returned to the fire demon.

I settled the sticks and grass into a triangular shape. It took me a bit to get the flint to light and even then the sparks it made did not immediately take off. It took countless tries, countless failed attempts. The irony of having a fire demon at my back was almost cruel.

I whooped in triumph when it did eventually light, throwing a fist into the air with short lived excitement.

I blew on it gently, helping the sparks to spread. Only when it blazed brightly did I finally sit back and rest. However, the rest was short lived. I took a deep breath and then crawled my way over to Hiei.

His makeshift bandages were already soaked through with blood and more stained various parts of his clothing. He was covered in mud and soaking wet.

I tore what remained of his shirt, ripping the side his broken arm was trapped in. I pulled it off him with shaking hands, tearing it into smaller pieces. I kept one for myself, setting it aside for later use. The rest I once again made into some semblance of bandages.

From here I rose, searching in the firelight. It didn't take me long to find what I was looking for.

I picked my way over to it – a skull, slightly bigger than an average humans, with a protruding jaw bone. I smashed my foot down near where the jaw connected, snapping it off.

I picked up what remained, cringing. I needed a bowl and this would be suitable enough...if a little uncleanly. I just needed to find something to plug the eye sockets. I looked around, eyes scanning every available inch of the den. I spotted a stick that looked a reasonable size and broke it into pieces. I fitted those pieces into the skull, jamming them in until they created a stopper.

I walked outside, holding the bowl towards the sky. It collected rain quickly, filling up till it was pouring over the sides. I took this back inside, being careful not to spill any before I'd had a chance to use it.

I settled back in front of the prone fire demon, picking up the piece of shirt I'd saved and wetting it with the rain water. I twisted it to ring it out and then leaned forward, hands once again shaking, to swipe at the mud on Hiei's cheeks.

I did this mindlessly, going to retrieve clean water when I needed, and just continuing where I'd left off upon my return. I did not stop until most of the mud was removed from his upper body, going so far as to tip him forward to get his back. I left his head resting against my shoulder, savoring his warmth, as ill begotten as it was received.

I spent a long time with him just resting there, making sure he was simply still alive – still breathing. What the hell had even gone through his head to make him decide to jump? Had there been any thought to it at all?

I dragged the cloth over his tanned skin, paying close attention to the scars on his back, just as I'd done to his chest. Memorizing each and every one of them. Playing a game in my head trying to figure out what sort of weapon had caused each one.

I was so lost in thought I never noticed when he stiffened beneath my touch. But I did notice when his breath caught in his throat, a shiver passing down his spine from the latest brush of the cloth.

"What are you doing?" it came out on a husky whisper but was soon followed by a groan when the pain registered in his sleepy mind.

"Shit..." he hissed through clenched teeth.

I helped settle him back against the wall, surprised he was even allowing me to touch him. Then I took in the glazed red of his eyes, the sweat coating his brow, the labored breaths that passed from between opened lips. His arm wasn't the only thing that had broken tonight – I'd guaranty that he'd snapped at least one rib too.

His eyes moved over me restlessly, passing over every bare inch of my skin. "You're injured," he said, jerking his chin towards my arm.

I'd forgotten about the chunk one of the herd had taken out of my arm. Right now I couldn't careless about it. I didn't matter. Why had he even noticed given his current condition?

"Don't worry about me," I snapped, not meaning to sound as harsh as I did. "Look at yourself goddamn it!"

He laughed derisively, "I've suffered worse."

He had to be joking. Did he think he was just going to play this off like it was nothing? That he could hide behind his male pride and act like he'd received a mere flesh wound?

I felt rage build in my chest and next thing I knew my hand was flying towards his face. It connected with a resounding smack, leaving a hand shaped welt on his cheek.

"You fucking idiot!" I screamed, tears beginning to stream down my face. "You stupid asshole!"

I was sobbing, fat droplets rolling down my dirt encrusted cheeks faster than I could wipe them away. He could have died! I could have lost him! And that thought alone was enough to make me sick.

I didn't care about our problems, or the fact he'd brushed aside my feelings like so much trash, or that I'd been a complete idiot again. All I cared about was the man in front me – breathing and alive and whole.

"Why are you crying, idiot?"

His words only made me sob harder. I stood, turning away from him. I made myself busy by picking up other choice pieces of kindling. I took my time, listening close for his labored breaths, making damn sure he didn't die on me. When my tears had at last stopped and I had collected enough wood to last us through the night, I returned to the fire.

I added a few more pieces to the blaze, sitting opposite Hiei, the fire between us. He stared at me through the flames, the colors flickering across the red of his irises, shadows casting his face unreadable.

"Why did you jump?" I finally asked, unable to bear the silence any longer.

He swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing, and then crooked his hand at me. "Come here," he said.

"Answer my question first."

"Just come over here, woman!"

I ground my teeth, tempted to tell him to go fuck himself, but I stood up anyway. I made my way over to him, kneeling so we were face to face. "What?"

He held out his broken arm, "Hold this."

"Huh?"

"Just do it."

I pursed my lips, but wrapped my hands around his forearm, careful of the bone protruding there. When he'd confirmed I had a firm grip he reached over with his other hand and with a hard squeeze he pushed the bone back in. He grunted, eyes slamming shut, and took a sharp breath in through his nose.

"Christ, Hiei!" I tore my hands away from him, my palms covered in his blood once again.

"It would not have healed correctly," he explained.

"It's not like it's going to heal over night! You need a doctor!"

He scoffed, settling back against the wall. He was doing his best to hide the amount of suffering he was in. But there were creases around his eyes, a tightness to his body, his breaths stunted so he would not expand his chest too far.

"There are no such things in the Maikai. Not of the kind you're referring to."

"I-I can't help with this Hiei...you understand that right?" I was afraid and it showed clear as day. I new basic first aid, I could stitch a wound, reset a dislocated shoulder. But broken bones...especially of this magnitude...

"I don't need your help," was his cold reply.

I rolled my eyes. Always with the bravado, with the show of strength. Did he really think I would consider him weak because he was injured?

I reached behind me for the abandoned strips of shirt, pulling them into my lap. Earlier I had found two sticks that were straight and sturdy enough to be used as a splint. I went to retrieve these, as well as the bowl of water and cloth. When I returned to his side, sinking down to my knees, he was staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

I lifted my hands to his arm, letting my hair fall into my eyes to shield me from view. When he jerked away from me I dragged a hand down my face, frustrated. "Just...just let me do this! At least this!"

I was the cause of his injuries. And I at least wanted to treat them the best I was able under the circumstances. I couldn't do that if he refused me. And I couldn't blame him, not really, for wishing I'd just stay away from him.

I heard him sigh, as if defeated, or perhaps disgusted with my show of emotion. And then he had lifted his arm, holding it out for me. I didn't wait for him to change his mind, leaping into action by peeling off the old "bandages" so I could replace them.

I cleaned the wound as thoroughly as I could. I refused to look at him while I worked, afraid I would say or do something I would regret.

As I was tying the first bandage around the splint I had fashioned, Hiei began to speak. "Why?"

"I already told you, it needs to be treated so just let me –"

"Not that," he interrupted, "Why did you bite the girl?"

I pursed my lips, a shaky breath falling from between my lips. "She was going to die."

"That is not a good enough reason to bind someone to you."

"I thought it was a pretty damn good one at the time," I replied. "Besides, who are you to judge when you just jumped off a fucking cliff to save me."

Here I paused, tying the next bandage a little tighter than necessary, taking mild pleasure in the pained grunt he released. "What the hell were you thinking?" I hissed.

I was once again greeted with silence, so I lifted my head to get a better look at his face. His eyes had darted off to the side of the cave, staring at nothing. "Answer me," I demanded.

His eyes narrowed, his lips pursed, total refusal or acknowledgment of the question.

"Goddamn it Hiei! This isn't funny!"

His eyes shot back to me, flaring with anger now. "I never said it was."

"Then stop acting like it's some big joke! You would have died! You must know that!"

"Stop acting as if you're not worthy of your life!" He shouted. "I jumped with no intention of being able to live through the fall! I meant only to save you!"

I felt tears gather in my eyes again, but I held them back from falling with shear force of will. "Every decision I've ever made has been the wrong one. How can you say I'm worthy of this life?"

"You have forgotten yourself, forgotten your own past. It's pathetic really," he said.

"Oh, because you know me so well!" I said, sarcastic.

"I know you better than most," he said, "Better than you know yourself even."

"You're so full of shit," I hissed. I finished the rest of his bandages with haste, eager to get away from him.

But before I could escape his good arm shot out, hand wrapping around my wrist, dragging me back to the floor. "Stop wallowing in your own self pity, it's demeaning."

"I think I liked it better when you didn't talk," I declared.

"If that is what you wish, then so be it," he sneered. "I can't stand another minute of your idiocy anyway."

My eyes fell closed and I counted to ten in my head. Because even though he'd said that, he had yet to let go of me, his grip still tight enough to bruise.

So I took the high road...and dropped the subject all together. "Get some rest," I said. "You need it."

"You truly do not know why I jumped?" he said instead, tossing aside my suggestion as if he hadn't even heard it.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "Would I have asked if I did?"

A new emotion began to swim in his eyes at my words. The glazed look cleared only sightly, as if he was forcing back his exhaustion just for this moment. But he said nothing. After a time he averted his eyes and dropped my arm. I took this as a dismissal and rose to empty out the bloodied bowl of water.

As I began to walk away I heard him say, "You are worthy of this life Kasumi. There is not a person in all the worlds that has not made mistakes. That has not walked the wrong path."

A beat of silence...and then, "It is just a matter of whether you are willing to walk the right one for a change."

I knew his words were just as much about himself as they were me. I knew that I should acknowledge them, that I should say something in return. But I told myself it was merely the pain making him act the way that he was. That tomorrow morning he would wake up and hate me once again. And I would go back to suffering in silence, to loving him from afar.

So I walked out without a word, back into the storm. Tension built in my stomach and erupted into a tortured scream – a scream of rage, a scream of pain – but most of all, a scream straight to the gods. To the ones who had cursed me with this life. To the ones who played with me like I was some kind of doll.

I threw the skull in my anger, taking pleasure in watching it smash to pieces.

And then I fell to my knees in the mud, letting the rain pelt me mercilessly...

And cried.

. . .

A/N: I've done my best to create characters with real life flaws. Kasumi went from an outcast, socially awkward, but tough girl who hid all her emotions to this. A depressed adult, with too much on her shoulders and an alcohol problem who doesn't know how to handle all the feelings she has. Or she handles them in poor ways, like ignoring them, drinking them away, fucking, or fighting. So now, with Hiei, she doesn't know how to handle him, just as he's lost on how to handle her.

I really enjoyed drafting this chapter. It's one I've had planned for a long time. And I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Thanks!