-1Hiei had heard tales of the legendary fox demon, Youko Kurama, during his years with his bandit clan. The stories often ran toward the fanciful (as bandits' yarns usually do), but even in his youth, the fire demon had been discerning enough to discard most of the embellishments. It was said that the great thief Youko was more silent of foot and subtle of mind than all but the oldest of their kind, that his heart was as cold as the ice lands where Hiei was born and that his power with plants was a truly terrible thing to face.
If even half of this was true, he decided, then this Kurama was a more than worthy target for his efforts. Hiei dug below the rumours of the fox demon's death, eventually tracking him to the rather disappointing young human body that now housed him. Humanity had tainted Kurama but he was still skilful in the extreme, deadly precise both in thought and the application of his whip. Hiei found that he could respect the will that had trapped itself in so repugnant a shell in order to survive; he proposed a partnership.
During their brief time together, Hiei found Kurama to be by turns brilliant, frustrating, confusing and fearsome. He could feel, could almost see the demon of legend sliding below Kurama's human skin, and he grieved for the pure form that had been lost. It became a carefully sheltered secret hope within Hiei that he might one day see Kurama free of the repulsive living flesh that caged him. This desire was purely for Kurama's sake, of course. No demon should ever be so sullied by humans; a figure of such skill and renown even less so. He wanted only to see one of his own kind unshackled.
Hiei got his wish, and was undone by it. When the smoke that obscured the battle arena cleared, when the sunlight flashed in matching silver hair and eyes, he was devastated. In all the legends of the cunning fox, never had Hiei heard of the unmitigated beauty that he beheld there, in the ring.
Youko Kurama, sleek, elegant and terrible, performed his greatest feat in that moment, as he stole Hiei's heart.