Later that evening, Kuwabara went to find Maribella, wanting to make sure she got settled in all right. What he found was her sitting on the front steps of the dojo, staring up at the sky. Hiei was sitting on a tree branch ten feet away.

"Hey Ari," he greeted, "Do you mind if I call you that? It's your online username so I'm more used to calling you that than anything."

Her gaze lowered from the sky and eventually landed on him. There were tears glistening on her eyelashes and that worried her friend. "Oh, Kazuma, yes. You can call me that," she finally managed after shaking her head a little as if to wake up. She reached up and wiped her eyes free of the tears as he moved over to sit next to her.

"Evertyhing okay? Do you need to talk?" he asked, raising his gaze to the sky as well as her gaze returned to it as well. This made Ari give the barest of smiles.

"No, but yes?" she said with a laugh that was weak. "Everything… Everything has gone to hell in a handbasket. I..." Her voice faded, and she sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest. Kazuma finally lowered his gaze back to her and frowned. He didn't speak however, letting her get around to speaking when she felt like it. He was more perceptive tan the others gave him credit for.

"I was powerful," she finally began, chin resting on her knees as her gaze moved to the wall around the dojo. "I had everything to look forward to in live, and now I am weak and lost. What ifs keep piling up in my head. I'm afraid to close my eyes, to sleep.

"It will take years for the scars to leave my body even with my ability to heal quickly. I don't know how long I'll be here. I don't want whatever is haunting me to hurt anyone here or anyone I know. I have people at home I'm supposed to be protecting. My job can be helped, but what if I can never work again? What if I've lost my ability to be a proper detective? What if the thing that is after me takes one of you and I can't keep you alive because I'm as weak as a newborn kitten?"

"Ari," Kuwabara interrupted gently, showing a side of himself he generally reserved for his kitten and Yukina. "You once told me that weakness and fear remain the true enemies of every fighter. It is what pushes us to greatness. I know at the time you were talking about the game, but for you, I think it still holds water. You will overcome this, because you are a warrior. Nothing short of death will keep you down. And as much as he pisses me off, Hiei will keep you alive. He kept me and the other two alive during our first meeting at Maze Castle even though he could have kept going without us. He has an annoying habit of finding exactly where to insult to set your anger alight, but I'll give him this much. He is a strong fighter who will do what needs to be done to keep his charge alive. He's an ass, but a strong stubborn one."

Ari looked up at her friend as he spoke, a slow, half-smile appearing on her lips. She was glad that they were friends. It didn't stop her worrying, but it made her feel a little more confident on surviving the night, which had been what was really pushing her to stay awake out on the front steps. "Thanks Kazuma," she said as she leaned against his side. He wrapped a brotherly arm around her shoulders and squeezed a little.

"Don't mention it Ari. It's the least I can do," he replied.

On the tree branch, face hidden in shadows, Hiei had listened. Stupid human. Of course Kuwabara would try and simplify what Hiei had done to loyalty to a cause. Not… that he was wrong of course. Hiei wouldn't let her die because it meant that he would be sent to hell. Not just that but because his honor system demanded it, damn it to hell. But he didn't want to, or have to, make nice with the bitch who had joined their group; who had taken his life and tossed it upside down just because she'd gotten beaten up by a fire demon.

Weaklings the lot of them, except for the fox of course. The fact that she'd been crying over things she couldn't control before Kuwabara had joined them made it even worse. He hated seeing women cry because it reminded him of one female he never wanted to see cry again in her life.

Hiei shook off the thoughts of his sister as he watched on, listening in to the conversation that Kuwabara and the girl carried on. It lasted another ten minutes before Kuwabara was able to coax her to return inside. Hiei rose from his perch and followed them through the hallways, a silent black shadow to their chatter. He didn't understand how the block head managed to get her to relax again. It made no sense to him. A few meaningless words and she was back to smiling and not being depressed?

"So what is going on tomorrow?" Kuwabara finally asked as they stopped outside her section of the house. Ari smiled and looked back behind them at Hiei who had stopped a few feet away, looking at them expressionlessly.

"I'm going to go get a few things, and see Jin. See if there's anything my style that is around this place," she explained. "Basically? I'm taking you all shopping."

The two male's faces got a sick look and shared a disgusted glance. They both were required to go. Hiei because he had a job to do in protecting her. Kuwabara because it would give him the chance to see Yukina, his girlfriend, and it was his sister who was taking them in her car.

"Oh," Kuwabara said, less than thrilled with the prospect.

"Don't be so gloomy Kuwabara. It's my treat, and I'll even buy Eikichi a new toy for your suffering in having to go with me," Ari promised. That seemed to make Kuwabara a little less disgusted at the prospect, but not entirely.

"Night Ari," He said, giving her a hug before turning to leave.

"Night Kazuma." She entered her suite of rooms and just as Hiei was about to enter, slammed the door in his face. The fire demon glowered angrily before shoving the door open. Impudent wench!

"Oh, Hiei! I'm sorry," false sorrow in every note of her voice as she turned back to him with wide eyes. "I didn't see you there."

Instead of replying, Hiei pushed past her and went through each room, before taking a seat out on the porch where she'd been sleeping earlier that afternoon. "Just go to sleep," he growled from his position there.

She glared right back at him. Once he'd closed his eyes, she moved to her bed and climbed in. She was going to make Koenma pay for this requirement; and pay big. A new wardrobe, a present for each of the guys, and one for Botan. A large cat house for Eikichi, Kazuma's kitten. Oh yes. Just you wait Koenma… Just you wait, she thought as she rolled over and tried to go to sleep.

Hiei's mouth quirked up as he picked up on her plans as she moved restlessly on the bed. Well, at least they had one thing in common—a thirst for revenge.