Chapter 20 The Visitor
Hiei didn't mind his emotions. He never really did, they were inherent part of him after all. The interpretation of or dealing with them was what irritated him and caused him to usually remain closed. When he became too emotional, his guard dropped, his technique suffered and he struggled physically and mentally. Usually by ignoring his emotions he was able to stay focused and true to his purpose. Only in the still serenity of the morning before demons hunted or killed, was he able to face himself. Often times he never had answers but as time went along and he learned more, some of them were answered. That didn't change the fact that when Hiei became emotional, he was swept away by the sheer magnitude of what he was feeling inside and caused him to be weak.
He was reminded of this when, in the still serenity of his time in the morning, Mîra was not in bed sleeping next to him. When they had returned to the fortress from their visit in the human world, Hiei was excited and a little nervous about making another move on her. He felt that she wouldn't reject him anymore, she had been extremely flirtatious with him the entire run home, but he knew that she seemed to have certain expectations. After discussing with Kurama, and Kurama only, he figured that she wanted it to be special as if it were her wedding night. Hiei felt that was fair since he had deprived her of that moment and so he had planned on brainstorming ways to properly woo her in his quiet time before Mîra awoke.
Instead she was sitting at her vanity, fully dressed. He wasn't surprised to see her up, occasionally it happened, but normally she would be dancing with her sword in the gardens or, now that it was winter, be curled up with a book in bed. He slipped out of the bed quietly and walked over towards her. He was surprised to see what she was wearing. The gown was primarily a deep red with gold fabric running down the middle portion of the bodice and skirt with twisting, thin vines and leaves stitched in. The sleeves were fitted halfway down her arm and then opened, allowing her arms to show in front of the gold fabric decorated on the inside and red on the outer part of the extended sleeve. The top portion of the dress was white silk, connecting the sleeves and trimmed the bodice of the dress, allowing the top part of her breasts to show tastefully. She had removed all of her earrings except for the rubies dangling from her lowest piercing. Around her neck was a medium sized ruby dragon pennant that reminded Hiei of Fealóce and was attached to a thin gold chain. On top of her head was an ornate gold and silver tiara and her hair was completely down. She wore no makeup on her face, accentuating her natural pale skin and her light pink lips.
Hiei realized that the woman before him was no longer his wife, this was Mîrvana the Queen. Hiei wondered vaguely if she always dressed in this manner when she was at home, she was breath taking. Mîra made no motion to acknowledge him and sat still in her chair, like a stone, staring down at a small gold hairpiece in one hand and what looked like a small rectangular painting in the other. Hiei frowned. In front of her open was the box Shana had looked into when Rodynar first arrived, the one that had shocked her.
He felt the air shift and he stared at her again, examining her cold, rigid structure. His wife had never appeared more regal and distant except on their wedding day, she always wore much simpler dresses around the fortress. He stood before her, not sure how to address her.
Mîrvana looked over at him slowly, her eyes far away. "He is coming today. Get dressed." Her voice, normally sweet, was quiet and solemn.
When Hiei went to speak, he realized he had been holding his breath. He let it out slowly before saying, "How do you know?" He was surprised that his own voice was eerily quiet as well.
She looked down at the items in her hands and placed them in the box. "I can feel it." She then stood and closed the lid. "Fasse," she murmured and Hiei felt the distance form into a wall between them. The box had remained unlocked, sitting in the closet they shared for weeks and now she had used magic to seal it up. She didn't want him looking inside. She didn't trust him. He was reminded of how foolish he was to allow his eagerness to make her his mate had made him blind to the bigger issue at hand; the other elf. He also noted that she had never dressed up for him in this manner despite the fact that her belongings had been here for a few weeks. She didn't want to dress up for him or even Rodynar, but this visitor… this visitor was worth waking up for in the black, cold hours of the morning?
He felt a pang in him as she walked past him with the box and went to put it away in the closet. Hiei quickly threw on clothes and she waited for him, patiently. He faced her and even though they were in the same room, he felt she was moving farther and farther away from him. What was with him? This was the woman whom he sparred with daily, the woman who smiled at him brightly and energetically. This was the woman who wouldn't hesitate to take down any sort of threat. This was the woman who could, in one bewitching look make him feel things he had only previously thought about in passing. This was the woman he cared for, the one he had chosen as his mate and damn it, he wasn't going to act as though he barely knew her.
"Mîrvana," he said as he stepped towards her. He took her cold hand and she looked at him surprised. "You forgot something this morning." He stared up into her eyes pointedly, trying to remind her he was there.
She looked down on him and Hiei was reminded of how much taller she was. Normally he didn't mind, he only became frustrated at most, but today it unsettled him. The way she gazed past him made him feel insignificant and small. Hiei suppressed a scowl. He was not insignificant, he was the damn King! That should have made him feel better but it didn't because in the long run, being King was temporary. It was just another part of his life and he wouldn't be King forever, would he?
Suddenly her cool visage broke and she smiled warmly at him, her eyes coming back in focus.
"Herven, good morning." He made her bend all the way down to kiss him softly on the cheek. "How do I look today?" she asked.
Her voice drew him out of his thoughts and Hiei paused before answering, there were quite a few ways he could answer. He chose the one he initially felt, the one she wanted to hear. "Lovely." She beamed at him and he added, "Regal."
"Yes well I thought I might dress up a bit today-"
"For the visitor?" He interrupted abruptly. He didn't want to be rude to her but he didn't like that she had dressed up for this possible lover.
Mîrvana looked at him surprised but then raised an eyebrow curiously at him. "Yes. Since I am receiving a guest I thought I should look nice. Is that not okay?"
He eyed her for a moment before saying, "It's fine." She sidestepped him and began to walk around to the door.
"I'll take care of the preparations here. Be sure to take extra guards, like I said before he'll be bound to bring tribute to you'll need the extra hands to transport it. I'll see you later, okay?" She said and disappeared. Hiei didn't want her to go yet. He had to tell her something, anything to make sure she was thinking of him.
"Mîrvana!"
She reappeared in the doorway and he beckoned her to him. She walked up to him nobly with her hands neatly folded together in front of her, the hem of her gown lightly brushing the cold stone floor. He then realized her forearms were exposed. He gestured for her to wait and he went into the closet and reappeared with her black cloak. She looked surprised as he walked over and stood on his toes to drape it around her.
"I want you to wear more dresses like this when you won't freeze. And put some gold studs in your ears. You look ridiculous without them," he added as an afterthought.
Her eyes widened and then she blushed, looking tenderly at him. "Of course. Will you choose them for me?"
She sat down at her vanity and Hiei rummaged through her jewelry until her ears were covered again. After she was finished putting in the last earring, she wiggled her ears and smiled at her reflection. She turned to him, her thin pink lips pulled into a playful smirk and her eyes twinkling.
"Anything else you demand of me, Nin Háran?"
"Of course, my Queen," Hiei smirked back. He tilted her proud head up to him, he liked looking down into her wondrous lavender eyes. Hiei placed a gentle kiss on her lips and he felt her arms wrap around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. His hands held her face lightly, and he was relieved from the earlier tension in her responsive kiss. This woman was his, and he didn't want to let her go to face whoever was coming. The kiss broke and she gently placed her hands on either side of his face, their noses rubbing and her eyes closed.
"Melindo, tye cardh nin emel," she whispered before tenderly returning her lips to his. Hiei couldn't translate the sentence because she had used words he wasn't familiar with but he was touched with the tone she had said them in. He felt her reluctantly pull away from him and she looked up at him as he stared into her caring eyes. Kami, she was beautiful.
"Hiei-sama?" Hiei looked at the door to see Shana hesitantly looking inside the room through the ajar door. He gestured for her to come in and the shadow demon's eyes lit up when she saw Mîra.
"Wow Mîra-hime! You look so pretty! When I'm taller I want to wear a dress like that too!" Shana squealed. Mîra smiled at the shadow demon and shana beamed at her before turning to Hiei.
"Hiei-sama there have been reports of activity from the portal," she said sternly. Hiei cast a glance down to Mîra and he saw her visage had become serious. She nodded to him and he gave her a long look before allowing Shana to pull him through the shadows.
The portal was opening when Hiei and Shana arrived. The guards were already placed and it seemed that this time, Shana had more courage to face whatever was coming through. Hiei stuck his hands in his pockets and waited. When the portal was finally big enough, a tall, broad figure appeared and stepped through without hesitation. Hiei stared him, sizing up the elf that had stepped through. Where Rodynar seemed passive, this man was the complete opposite. He was dressed similarly to Rodyn with brown boots and green slacks and shirt with a white tabard. The tree insignia, unlike Rodyn or Mîra, was red.
He strutted towards Hiei proudly, a contemptuous look on his slim but defined face. His obsidian eyes were cool, collected, and his long black hair loose. Hiei could feel the power radiating from him and he felt a small familiarity, this elf was possibly another Dragonsinger. When his contemptuous gaze reached Hiei, he turned his equally proud eyes up to him icily. With a twinge of jealousy, Hiei couldn't deny that's what it was, he noticed that the elf was rather handsome and was also around Mîra's height. If this was her former lover, he wasn't surprised. The man overqualified for her checklist, tall, handsome, and powerful as hell. Hiei liked to think he at least fulfilled two out of the three.
"I am Thalion, second in command of the Royal Guard. I bring gifts, Demon King," the elf paused, the translation magic vibrating in the air. Thalion's voice was deep and strong, and his humble tone was well rehearsed but definitely fake. "From my King as a token of goodwill," he continued smoothly. He dropped a sack in his hands to the ground and Hiei heard the thud of a chest. Shana moved to open and inspect it but he put his hand on her shoulder and motioned for a nearby guard to do it instead. Hiei's eye never left the elf's face and he was disappointed but excited that he had betrayed no emotion. Well, this was interesting. Why would he feel excited? Thinking for a moment it made sense, it had been awhile since he was threatened by anything or anyone. Hiei felt his lips pull into a smirk, this elf's visit was most certainly bound to be more entertaining than the last.
When the guard signaled it was clear, he took the treasure and disappeared. Hiei watched the elf look around and a look of disgust etched his face.
"So this is the place my Melda resides in. It's pitiful," He said disgustedly. Hiei felt Shana tense next to him and the guards shift.
"Not as pitiful as what can happen if you step in the wrong place," Hiei said evenly. The elf made no visible response but his eyes looked down on Hiei haughtily. Hiei signaled to the guards and neither of them spoke as Shana guided them through the shadows to the fortress. When they resurfaced, Hiei saw they were in the main hallway that led up to the main hall. Hiei rarely ventured there and only used it for special occasions. He vaguely wondered why Mîra was waiting there for them. He noticed Maria and Claudia on either side of the doors and they bowed deeply as he passed them.
"Welcome home, Master," they said simultaneously. He didn't respond as he pushed open the large doors. Normally, they didn't do this, Hiei was fairly casual when it came to his two head maids but he could only assume this was a product of his wife. When he entered the hall, his assumptions were confirmed. The fortress didn't have many decorations but he could see she had been working hard to make sure large tapestries hung from the walls, guards in shining armor lined the walkway, and tall lamps were lit. His wife was sitting on her throne, straight, tall and proud, her arms lining the armrest. Hiei 's gaze locked onto her stone cold visage and he walked up to her. She turned her head towards him.
"Welcome back, my Lord," she said smoothly.
Hiei leaned over and placed a light kiss on her cheek. "My Queen," he greeted. He sat in his throne next to her, eyeing the elf. He didn't know why Mîra was being so formal. He was not ignorant however, she was not happy about the elf standing in front of her. Everything from what to she was wearing to her words were a part of a delicate power game. He would have to keep Kurama informed while the elf was here. Hiei knew how to keep up but he didn't know exactly what role he was playing. Or what role he would be forced to play.
The elf kneeled, his head bowed and his arm across his chest reverently. Hiei noticed that it was not to the both of them but to Mîra.
"Aranel ," the elf said reverently.
"Stand," she said coolly in her native tongue. Hiei watched him carefully as he rose and approached his wife. She held her right hand out to him and he kissed it for a little longer than Hiei liked. The elf stood up and he, still holding her hand, said,
"I am pleased to see your un-paralleled beauty has not diminished, Melda," he said in elvish smoothly.
Hiei gave his wife a look, trying to imply that he didn't know what he was saying. Inside he was struggling not to show his displeasure. The word, 'melda' was bothering him and Hiei didn't miss the flush on her cheeks no matter how distant she tried to look.
Mîra caught Hiei's look and she waved her hard loftily in the air and Hiei felt the magic around them. "Don't call me that," She said coldly. The elf wasn't fazed as he stepped down in front of them.
The elf locked eyes with Hiei and he stared down at the man proudly. "This is our home," he said. Hiei paused, not sure what to say next. He didn't want to say he was welcome because the elf certainly wasn't but he didn't have a choice, did he? "You are welcome here, however you must be escorted anywhere you go."
"Of course," the elf said, smiling. He bowed and Hiei was tempted to pull out his sword then and there. This man was going to try and play him in his own house, he could feel it. This was one of the few moments he wished he was under Mukuro again. If he wasn't king, and working for her, he could have killed the elf on the spot and she wouldn't have batted an eye. Of course, if he wasn't king then he wouldn't be dealing with the elf now… Tch, that was something Kurama would say. Well it was better he picked up the fox's line of thinking than Yusuke's or worse, Kuwabara.
Hiei noticed Maria enter the room from the side entrance and walk up to Mîra. She bowed slightly and his wife leaned her head towards the dog demon as she whispered in her ear.
"Well it seems lunch is ready. Shall we?" Mîra said with a glance at Hiei. He nodded and stood and the elf watched him, a superior glint in his eyes. Hiei passed him when he realized Mîra wasn't behind him. He turned to look at her and she was glaring at him looking extremely cross. He frowned. Did he do something wrong? She stood briskly and walked towards him. Thalion stepped in her pathway, his elbow extended.
"Would you like an escort, Melda?" he asked.
Oh. That's why she was mad… How was he supposed to know that his wife wanted to be escorted? This political and social situation was going to wear him down faster than he thought.
"I said, don't call me that!" she snapped. Hiei heard her then huff indignantly and, with her head held high, she marched out of the hall proudly. Hiei didn't miss her complaints about barbarians underneath his breath. Great, now his wife was angry at him. Even worse, Thalion didn't look put off by her at all. In fact, he looked rather amused. Suddenly Hiei felt very out of place. He didn't acknowledge the elf as he walked to where they were eating.
Hiei really wished that he could order the elf to leave. He probably could send him back but that wouldn't look good, according to Mîra. He didn't know about her but he was ready to fuck the political rules. He never cared for them anyway. Hiei ate slowly, trying to observe the elf, looking for a reasonable opening to toss the elf out of his home.
"So tell me, Melda, do you even have books here? Do they even know how to read?" Thalion asked in elvish. Apparently the translation magic was only good for the room.
"Of course they have a library. Granted it hasn't been touched in forever and doesn't even compare to the volumes of scrolls and books we have," she snorted.
Hiei did not appreciate her contempt. Sure, nothing was a grand or luxurious here but she was happy sorting through the library. Not only that but it was her library. She had spoken as though she never went inside. He noticed that she did not reprimand him this time for his usage of the word 'melda.' He did not like what this man was doing to her…
"Mîra," Hiei said evenly and he gave her a pointed look. She waved her hand snippily, annoyed, and Hiei frowned as he felt the magic settle in.
"Oh yes, Melda, that reminds me," the elf said. He reached underneath the tabard and pulled out a small pouch.
Hiei watched her as one, she didn't reprimand him, two, she inhaled deeply, and three, her eyes looked curious. She was no longer stony or angry as before. She was warming up to him.
Thalion pulled out four crystal flowers tied together with a satin white ribbon. Hiei leaned in, never seeing anything like it before. The flowers looked like lilies but the stems and backsides of the flower looked like diamonds. The petals of the flowers were tinted a color, two were blue and two were pink.
Mîra gasped, a hand to her breast. She was staring at them in amazement and awe. "Those are Uir Indil! How did you find those?"
Thalion smiled charmingly. "They grow in the Aicale ello Fealóce. When you are with the dragon himself, they are quite easy to obtain." Hiei frowned, that meant he was very familiar with Rodynar. Thalion handed the bundle to Mîra and said, "I heard you do not have flowers to wear in your hair. That is a shame, as flowers always stood out in your hair quite prettily. I thought that these might be a suitable replacement."
Hiei watched as her cheeks flushed her eyes staring approvingly into Thalion's as she took the gift gently. That was it.
"She is mine," Hiei growled, standing abruptly. He glared furiously at the elf. How dare he try and take his wife, how dare he?
"I didn't know you allowed yourself to be anyone's possession, Aranel," the elf said, an eyebrow raised. Mîra suddenly straightened, staring at him as though she was insulted. He had called her Princess… Shit, Hiei was playing right into his hand and worse, playing on the one thing Hiei stood no chance against; Mîra's pride. He looked into her eyes trying to emit reason from them. This was his Vesse, why would she suddenly behave this way towards him? She studied him, the conceit in her eyes dwindling and he could see them being replaced with confusion. Shit, shit, shit!
"There is no need to be so angry, Demon King. Although, I have heard the stories…" Thalion let his words trail off and Hiei narrowed his eyes.
"Like what?" Hiei asked menacingly.
"Testaments from the war. You sound quite formidable. But, if you don't mind, I think I would like to put those stories to the test." The elf's eyes glinted dangerously. He wanted to spar did he? Well he was in for a special treat.
"No!" Mîra objected, standing quickly. "That is not nearly a fair fight Thalion and you know it, he isn't like us."
Hiei turned sharply towards her. What the hell? She had just put herself and this bastard above him, as if he wasn't worth of the challenge or fight. How dare she!
His pride wounded, the words spilled out of his mouth without thinking. "Need I remind you that you were the one who spent two weeks in my dungeons?"
Mîra looked at him, shocked. Hiei ignored the twinge of guilt inside of him as she averted her eyes, hurt. Before he could say anything, her head snapped back to him, her lavender eyes enraged and a snarl on her lips. "You were lucky," she hissed. "I was coming off of the battle with Mukuro and Yomi, I hadn't been properly rested, I wasn't at full strength, and you surprised me."
"Oh? Surprise you, Melda? Not many are able to do that. Now I'm very curious. Shall we go outside?" Thalion asked, amused.
Mîra didn't respond but she stared at Hiei hard, her eyes piercing into his. He was unaffected, angry at the elf and even angrier at Mîra.
"Fine," she snapped. "Let's go."
Thalion stood and offered her his arm. She stared at the other elf for a moment and Hiei really thought she was going to accept. To his relief, she stalked past him and out the door. Thalion gave him a snide smile before following her out the door. Hiei stood alone in the dining room for a moment, to catch his breath. Why didn't Mîra want them to spar? Was it because Thalion was also a Dragonsinger? There had to be more to it than that…
Suddenly Shana popped out of the shadows, her violet eyes downcast. She was fidgeting with her hands, her feet shifting uncomfortably.
"What is it? Make it quick," he snapped.
Fortunately Shana had been with Hiei long enough to ignore his tone when he was in a foul mood. "Um, there is something I need to tell you but I'm not supposed to tell you… but I have to!" she said, her eyes looking up at him desperately.
"Does it have to be now?" he growled. His assistant nodded at him more confidently.
"Yes, while I have you alone! Mîra-hime has also been teaching me elvish and, well…" she looked away nervously. "When I was looking through that box her brother brought," Hiei froze, not wanting to hear the rest. "I saw a small painting of a bust. The painting was of Thalion." The shadow demon shook slightly as she struggled with her words.
"What is it?" Hiei demanded. Now he knew why she didn't want him looking through the box.
"I flipped it over and on the back there was writing that said he would wait for her to return from the war to be… wed," she whispered. Then, Shana disappeared.
Hiei stood frozen. They were engaged? This wasn't just some lover, or any lover, they were to be wed… he was supposed to be King. Thalion was trying to get back not just her, but his crown. Hiei became enraged as everything clicked into place. Then 'melda' was a term of endearment… but she wasn't initially happy to see him. Something had happened. Rodyn said the relationship wasn't good… Hiei's hand subconsciously went to the hiruseki stones around his neck, seeking comfort. Instead, his hand pressed against her crystal. That was right. She was bonded to him. She couldn't leave him. No one could steal her from him, especially not an elf bastard who was pathetically trying to get back what he lost. He wanted a fight? He wanted to be surprised? Hiei would make sure he got both.
When he arrived at the sparring area, he saw Mîra had taken Thalion a little further in, away from the fortress. That was smart, he didn't want to destroy his home after all. He saw them talking quietly, he seemed to be telling her something but she was looking nervous.
He approached them, his hands in his pockets. "Let's do this," he said evenly.
Thalion smirked and he took Mîra's hand and kissed it before walking away from her. Bastard. Hiei looked up at his wife, she was looking down at her hand in thought. She looked down at him, her face blank. Hiei was about to speak when a frustrated look suddenly crossed her face.
"Well, get out there. Don't make me look bad," she snapped irritably.
"Hn," he said, turning his back to her. She didn't chastise him. Mîra didn't mean good luck or do well. No, she meant don't- make-me-look-weak-because-I-lost-to-you because that's how Mîra thought. Her pride would always come first. Always. Hiei smirked, suddenly finding that endearing. Well, that was a quality about her he found attractive, even if he was angry at her.
He turned to the elf to see he brandished a broadsword. Good. Hiei cast off his cloak and scarf and leaned down, his feet wide apart, hand on the hilt of his katana. He stared at Thalion as the adrenaline rushed in his veins. The elf was looking calm, relaxed, even. He was underestimating him. Hiei smirked, this elf was in for a treat.
Thalion charged at Hiei but he held his ground. Just as the elf reached him, he darted away. Hiei came around his back side and swung down but was greeted with Thalion's sword. Hiei jumped back and Thalion thrust his sword in the ground. He frowned, noticing that the hilt had odd looking stones and markings on it. Hiei saw Thalion mumble something and one of the stones on the hilt glowed.
"Tch," Hiei spat. He charged the elf head on but when he got within striking distance, his body suddenly slowed. He was still running and preparing for the swing downward, but he felt he was dragging, his body heavy. Hiei's eyes widened and he moved his head and narrowly avoided a punch to his head. He could not avoid the other fist swinging towards his gut. Pain and shock rippled through Hiei's body as he slowly arched back and he realized he was falling, the momentum in the air seemingly paused. Suddenly he was flying with a fierce velocity and hit a tree. The tree broke as his body went through the bark and he hit another tree and slid to the ground.
Hiei wearily stood up, his body aching. He looked down to see his sword still in his hand. Good. Hiei ignored the aches in his body, grabbed rock, and jumped into the trees and spotted the elf laughing. He was talking about something but Hiei wasn't paying attention. He threw the rock at the elf and while keeping an eye on it, darted to another tree. The rock flew quickly until it hit an invisible wall where it slowed tremendously. Hiei noticed a stone on the hilt glow until the rock hit the ground. Hiei frowned, that sword allowed the elf to slow time around him. He needed to get the sword away from Thalion. Hiei switched his grip on the katana and with a heave, chucked it at the elf.
Immediately after he ran a few trees down and charged. He watched the sword fly at the elf and when it hit the magic, it slowed. A second after, Hiei hit the magic as well, his body slowing. The elf dodged the sword and jumped back to avoid Hiei. He felt his fingers grasp metal as he was hit in the side with another energy blast. The attack wasn't as strong and Hiei was able to turn and catch himself. He landed on the ground, and hid his prize behind his back as Thalion laughed.
"You idiotic man, did you think that you would be able to tackle me with that silly diversion? I expected you to be more capable than this," he said haughtily.
Hiei grinned wickedly. "Who said I was trying to tackle you?" He brought his prize out from behind him and the elf's eye widened in shock as Hiei brandished the elf's sword. In a swift motion, Hiei threw the sword and it landed in the ground in front of Mîra. Hiei watched her look down at it in amazement and then at him, her face shocked.
"How- how dare you?" Thalion thundered. "Morinë!" Suddenly the sky grew dark and Hiei felt an odd magic around him. Hiei watched as the elf formed two balls of dark energy and threw them at him. Hiei dodged them and his eyes widened as they went through the tree without damaging it. What was this magic? He shot a glance at Mîra but she was staring at the other elf worriedly. Scowling, Hiei narrowly avoided another blast. He needed to bring her attention back to him.
Hiei landed some distance from the other elf. Hiei opened his Jagan, scowling as the elf laughed.
"You cannot escape me. There is a reason my Aranel did not want you to fight me. I was born with the unique ability of being able to tap into dark magic without it tainting me. It is not about the magic but how one uses it, that is what we are taught. And so, Demon King, other than the Angulóce Tae, I am the most powerful Angulóce Nyello there is! Be prepared to be destroyed by my dark magic!" He yelled. He hurled the dark magic at Hiei.
The Jagan glowed and Hiei thrust out his arm. "JOU ENSATSU KOKURYUHA!" He bellowed and the hellfire dragon raced out of him, stronger than Hiei had ever felt before. The dragon pushed through the dark magic as though it was just air and raced for the elf. Thalion began to sing just before the dragon reached him and the dragon shot upward, deflected. Hiei knew that he would have a difficult time breaking the song barrier but he brought the dragon back down on the elf anyway. The elf shot out blinding light, trying to destroy the dragon, but Hiei had plenty of practice avoiding this attack against Mîra. Whether he was stronger than her or not, Hiei felt he was still at an advantage. He hadn't even begun to show the capabilities of his dragon.
Thalion shot out more dark magic and Hiei dodged them while curling the dragon towards Thalion's back. Suddenly the glow around Thalion amplified and Hiei was blinded by the sudden surge of light. He felt his connection to the dragon disappear and he felt a weight on him. Swearing, he struggled to see as the light died. He barely made out Thalion laughing as Hiei saw two black orbs coming towards him. He moved but not quickly enough. The orbs latched onto him and Hiei could feel the dark magic spreading over his body. He heard Mîra yelling as the magic swept over his ears, dulling his hearing. Thalion was standing over him, a triumphant smirk on his face.
"She is mine," he whispered in elvish. Hiei couldn't respond, the magic was restricting his body movement. Hiei could faintly see Mîra running towards them behind Thalion as he ginned wickedly and said "Mando ello Morinë." There was a scream and then everything went black.
00000
Hiei was in darkness.
This was not the same darkness had encountered when he had visited Koku. Hiei felt this darkness was more evil than empty and blank. He looked around, feeling desperate. What had happened? Where was he? Anxiety began to grow in him when he suddenly saw a figure. The figure's back was turned to him but he could see that it was a woman in a teal kimono and long, thin, teal hair. Yukina? No, Yukina was shorter. Was this? Could it be?
"Mother?" he whispered, wide eyed. The word sounded so foreign to his ears but the figure turned. Hiei stared in shock at his mother as her red eyes pierced through him, a look of disgust on her face.
"You are not my son! You ruined my life!" Her echoed words cut through him like a thousand knives. Her figure disappeared and was replaced with Shana, Maria, and Claudia staring angrily at him.
"We don't need you! All you do is make us work, work, work! You don't care for us at all!" Shana's childish voice rang through him.
"No- no that's-" he struggled to say but their figures disappeared and was replaced with one of his wife. She was wearing a wedding dress, her white hair adorned with flowers. She looked down on him loathingly and she turned her head and turned towards a figure of Thalion. Hiei sunk to the ground, defeated as they embraced. What in kami's name? Was he really this worthless? He knew he was dark and cold but surely he wasn't this hated was he? He couldn't be. He couldn't…
Hiei's breaths were labored as his head snapped up when he saw someone standing before him. Mukuro. The one woman who could understand his darkness. She wouldn't leave him right? They were comrades, kindred spirits. She wouldn't leave him. But there she was, looking disgustedly at him.
"Pathetic." Her cool words shattered him.
He was left frozen as her image faded and he saw Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara. They stared down at him and then turned away. No, not them. They were the ones that made him into who he was to this day. Not Kurama, his oldest and closest friend. Not Yusuke, the man who placed his trust in him so willingly and so easily from the beginning. Not Kuwabara, damnit that oaf said he would help him! Kuwabara never left a man behind, never. Hiei reached out to them, they had to help him, he needed them! He called out to them but they kept walking until their images faded.
Hiei collapsed to the ground. What was the point? Everyone ended up leaving him, he was meant to be alone, betrayed, and tossed aside. He was cursed from his conception, the child of taboo. The one that should never have been born.
Hiei was born in darkness, lived in darkness, and would die in darkness.
"Nani? Where am I? This places reeks of something evil… Hiei!"
Hiei heard a familiar scratchy voice but he ignored it. That person would leave him too. He felt hands roll him over and he stared blankly at Kuwabara. His black eyes held concern but he looked like the image that had just left him with his white jackets and pants. Why did he come back?
"Hiei! What's wrong? Are you hurt? Where are we?" He asked worriedly.
"It doesn't matter," Hiei said distantly. In the end, nothing mattered.
"Eh?" Kuwabara looked down on him confused but he didn't care.
"Just leave me already, so I can die alone," he said.
"What?" Kuwabara cried, outraged. Hiei felt his large, strong hands grasp his shoulders and yank him up.
"Listen, I don't know what's going on here but I'm not leaving you alone!" he screeched.
"Why?" Hiei asked. That was strange. Why would this man want to help him? All they ever did was fight, they didn't like each other.
Kuwabara looked at him incredulously. "Because we're friends! I'll never leave a friend behind!"
Friend? The word sent a shockwave through his body. His body felt torn, as though he was on the brink of something but he didn't know what. They were… friends! He had friends who cared about him, Mukuro would never hurt him, Mîra did have feelings for him, and his mother loved him so much she died in despair over him. How could he forget these things? But what about those things everyone had just said, the way they looked at him so repulsively…
'If that bastard tries anything and you want backup for kicking his ass, you call me.'
The red-heads words suddenly echoed through his mind. That bastard… that elf! Suddenly things came back into focus. His head snapped to Kuwabara, his eyes sharp. "Kuwabara!" He stood and looked around.
"Finally, you've come to your senses! Now what the hell is going on?" He cried in his scratchy voice.
"I don't know. That elf did something to me when we were fighting," Hiei snarled.
"It feels really evil in here…" Kuwabara said shivering.
Hiei turned his head, hearing something faint. "That way!" Instantly the two men took off running. "Ignore anything you see!" Hiei called to him and Kuwabara responded with an 'ah!' Hiei didn't know if they would see any more visions. He hoped not.
Suddenly, Hiei smacked into a wall. He growled, rubbing his nose. "What the hell?" he snarled.
"Eh, a wall? I think I can hear something on the other side," Kuwabara said, pressing his ear against the wall. Hiei did the same and he heard a small female child singing.
"It's empty in the valley of your heart, The sun, it rises slowly as you walk, Away from all the fears, And all the faults you've left behind.
"The harvest left no food for you to eat, You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see, But I have seen the same, I know the shame in your defeat.
"But I will hold on hope, And I won't let you choke, On the noose around your neck! And I'll find strength in pain, And I will change my ways, I'll know my name as it's called again!"
The song filled Hiei with warmth and his eyes widened in shock as he recognized the tune. This was the song Koku sung, he had just never understood the words before. Koku was on the other side. If he could break this wall then he would be himself again.
"Koku!" He yelled. The song grew louder as he pounded on the wall.
"Move! Rei-ken!" Kuwabara yelled brandishing his sword. Hiei hoped, as Kuwabara brought the Jigen Tō sword down, that it would cut through. He had to get back, this had to work!
To Hiei's relief the sword ripped through and Hiei felt the magic around him disappear and he suddenly felt at home. The darkness surrounding them was his, and even if it wasn't entirely evil, it was him.
"A child!" Kuwabara exclaimed and Hiei turned to Koku. The black haired girl was kneeling in a white dress clasping her hands with her eyes closed, as though she was praying.
"So come out of your cave walking on your hands, And see the world hanging upside down, You can understand dependence, When you know the maker's land." She sang, her beautiful voice ringing through Hiei's ears. Things were going to be okay.
"That's…" Kuwabara let his words trail off.
"Kuwabara, you are no longer needed," Hiei said. He ignored the puzzled look on the oaf's face and he approached his dragon. Koku turned to him, her eyes opening to reveal bright glowing red orbs. Her hands were still clasped together as she sang.
"So make your siren's call, And sing all you want, I will not hear what you have to say. Because I need freedom now, And I need to know how, To live my life as it's meant to be!"
She continued singing as Hiei realized this song wasn't her song. It was his. He could not sing and so Koku was doing it for him. Hiei felt a newfound conviction as Koku finished the song. He was always in darkness, born in darkness, lived in darkness. But that wasn't a bad thing, it was made Hiei himself. The darkness would always be there, but so would the one thing that pushed him through all of his despairs; hope. The hope that one day, things would be better. And right now, he hoped that he would severely destroy that elf when he woke up.
"Koku, let's go," Hiei said holding out his hand to her. The child took his hand grinning widely, baring her fangs.
Hiei's eyes snapped open to see Mîra's bosom. His head was reeling but he could feel power surging through him.
"This is unacceptable! You're going to kill him!" he heard her cry desperately in elvish. His head was in her lap and he noticed they were still in the sparring area. Not much time must have passed.
Hiei sat up abruptly, causing his wife to gasp and the elf to look shocked. Thalion took a step back. Hiei smirked as he felt the power of his dragon around him, his Jagan glowing. He saw a black glow around him and his smirk turned into a menacing grin as the elf stared at him.
"That-that aura! It's not possible!" Thalion said wide eyed.
"Elf, you underestimate me. Your dark magic is nothing to me, because I am darkness." There was a loud roar as Koku materialized behind him. She thumped her tail on the ground menacingly next to Hiei and broke the ground. Thalion looked petrified. Hiei crossed his arms as Koku charged at the elf. Thalion tried to dodge her but she swiped her tail and knocked him into a tree. The tree broke but before he hit the next one, she grabbed him with her tail and threw him into the ground.
Thalion tried to sit up but Koku roared in his blanched face. Hiei hopped over to him and grabbed his collar. He glanced over at Mîra who was walking towards them, shocked. That's right, this man thought he could take his wife from him. And he failed. He then stared down at Thalion coolly.
"Se nasabar," Hiei growled, "So get the fuck out of my home." Thalion's eyes widened and Hiei smirked wickedly at the man. He grabbed the elf's collar and he raised his fist. He was going to make this elf suffer if it was the last thing he-
"NO!"
Stunned Hiei looked up to see Mîra approach him. She grabbed his arm and her stern lavender eyes stared into him. The dragon emitted a growl as he stared at her shocked.
"You can't kill him, you can't!" She cried.
The elf began to make noise and Hiei realized he was laughing. To hell with this! He punched the elf, knocking him out. Mîra began to yell at him but he ignored her and walked back towards the fortress. When she stopped talking, he realized she was no longer behind him. Mîra had stopped and was staring at the guards picking up Thalion off the ground. In a flash, he was by her side and grabbed her wrist. Ignoring her protests, Hiei dragged her back into the fortress, away from that bastard. He had beaten the elf, he told himself over and over. But with Mîra yelling furiously in his ear, he felt he hadn't won at all.
Translation Notes:
Fasse- Lock
Nin Háran- my king
Melindo, tye cardh nin emel- Lover, you house my heart
Aranel – Princess
Uir Indil- eternity lilies
Aicale ello Fealóce- Mountain of Fealóce
Morinë- Darkness
Mando ello Morinë- Prison of Darkness
Se nasabar- She is mine
Song: "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons