[A/N:What up you guys! It's finals week, and as a result I feel like my brain is about to melt from all the Japanese I've been studying! I decided to come back to update so I could give my brain a break. With any luck, I'll be back to updating regularly next week. Rejoice! I also have an Eizou Hakuso chapter or two I'll probably be posting soon when my brain gets tired of studying again. Don't forget to review!]

Chapter Seventeen: Everybody's Got a Dark Side

"What are you?" Hiei asked Ichigo, threateningly, still pressing the tip of his sword to his throat.

"Hiei-."

"The next words out of your mouth had better be an explanation Shinigami or I'm not going to hesitate to-."

"Hiei, stop," I said, forcing myself painfully to my feet. "Just let him explain first."

"I promise I won't kill him until he's finished talking," Hiei said dismissively.

"Just now when you were fighting Ginyu, you were a hollow," I said to Ichigo.

"Yeah," he said.

"But how-."

"I don't know," Ichigo said.

"Bullshit you don't know," Hiei said.

"Hey, I don't know, all right!" Ichigo said. "It's just this other part of me. . . I don't know where it came from, but he just. . . He keeps trying to take control of me."

"And he succeeded," Hiei said. "And she almost paid for it."

There was a long uncomfortable silence while the two glared at each other.

"Uh. . . Did I miss something?" I looked over and saw that Yusuke had returned with Kuwabara and Rukia.

Hiei smirked as he sheathed his sword. "Are you going to help her or are you going to wait until she falls over?"

"You know, you're an asshole," Ichigo said.

"That may be true, but you're dangerous, and quite frankly I think you're smart enough to realize that your issues are going to be much more of a hindrance than mine," Hiei said.

888

"Are you going to tell me what that was all about?" Yusuke asked me, when we had returned to Kisuke's to await the arrival of my father and the rest of our shinenju search party. We were sitting in one of the empty rooms. I was propped up against the wall while I healed my broken ribs.

"I don't want to talk about it," I sighed.

"Come on. It's pretty obvious they hate each other a million times more than they did before you left," Yusuke said.

I shook my head. "I don't think they hate each other. For a while there they were actually getting along. But Ichigo had a severe lapse in his mental state when he was fighting Ginyu and now Hiei doesn't trust him."

"What'd he do?" Yusuke asked.

"It's hard to explain. One minute, he was Ichigo. The next he was a hollow. And that's when he killed Ginyu," I said.

"So, he's like part hollow or something?" Yusuke asked. I shrugged. "How do you not know?"

"He doesn't know," I said. "He says it's just another part of him that keeps trying to take over."

"Well, Hiei's right. That doesn't sound safe," Yusuke said. "Still, looks like he got the job done. No harm, no foul."

"I'm sure Hiei would totally agree with you if that had been the case," I said.

". . . What was the case? He killed Ginyu right?" Yusuke asked. I nodded. "And then he went back to normal right?" I nodded again. "And no one got hurt right?"

"Thankfully," I said.

"Oh, so there's the kicker. What'd he do? Punch Hiei in the face or something?" Yusuke asked.

"I wish that's what had happened. . . In reality, this Hollowfied Ichigo was busy killing Ginyu, and I might have been in the line of fire, and he might've almost killed me because I couldn't get out of the way because of six broken ribs," I said.

"Oh, so that's why Hiei flipped out and tried to kill him," Yusuke said. I nodded. "Sounds like your boyfriend needs to get his shit together."

"Something like that," I said with a frown.

"Aw, come on, I'm sure he's not psychotic and evil. He seems like a decent person," Yusuke said.

"He is a decent person," I said. "He's just weird and fucked up like the rest of us."

"We're not all weird," Yusuke said. "Yukina seems decidedly normal comparatively."

I shook my head. "Being in school with her has given me a completely different outlook on her. She's strange. I think Keiko wins the award for being the most normal."

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah she would if she were still alive."

I frowned. For a moment, I had completely forgotten she and Kurama were dead.

"I know she's coming back, but I miss her," Yusuke said.

"That's reasonable," I said. "She is your girlfriend after all."

"But she's more than that, you know. She's it. The one," Yusuke said. "I know I'm kind of a creep and perv, but even though I have a healthy appreciation for female anatomy, Keiko's the only girl I want. She always has been."

I smiled. "You're a good guy, Yusuke. Even if it's only to Keiko."

"I'm not always a good guy," he said. "I think I'm a probably a pretty shitty boyfriend. Like yesterday I accidentally told people I went down on her."

"How do you accidentally tell people that?" I asked.

"It's easier than you think," Yusuke said. "It also probably didn't help that when she started yelling at me I was all like 'going down you isn't the worst thing we've ever done together.'"

"So you when you say you told people you went down on her, what you actually meant was that everyone at Sariyaski knows you and Keiko's entire sexual relationship," I said.

"Yes, but luckily most people don't actually believe she's my girlfriend," Yusuke said.

"I bet she was still humiliated," I said.

"Definitely," Yusuke said. "It was actually pretty funny to be honest. You'd agree, but you're feeling all sympathetic."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because, that Yachiru girl is very talkative. She told us all about what happened when they paid you and Ichigo a visit yesterday. I bet you were plenty embarrassed with her waving your panties all over the place," Yusuke said.

I groaned. "There aren't words for what I felt yesterday."

"What did happen with Ichigo that Yumichika got the opportunity to point out how cute they were?" Yusuke asked. "You and Kurosaki getting busy?"

I shook my head. "No. It wasn't anything serious. We were just fooling around or whatever."

"So, things with you two aren't serious?" he asked.

"I've been with him a month. I'm not gonna sleep with him," I said.

"Truthfully, and I'm saying this because I'm your best friend and I have to tell you this regardless of how it effects your feelings, but I don't think you're ever going to get that far with him," Yusuke said.

"I don't know what you mean by that," I said.

"I like, Ichigo. He's a cool guy, a nice guy. I can see why you like him. But you know, I think you'll only ever like him," Yusuke said. "I mean, as long as Hiei's around you're always going to only like anyone you're going out."

I rolled my eyes. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you still like Hiei, and you like him more and more every time you see him," Yusuke said.

"I do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Give me a break, Yusuke," I said.

"I really think you still like him. Just like when you 'weren't' dating Trunks," Yusuke said.

I shook my head. "Hiei thinks I still like him too."

"Oh, really?" Yusuke asked. "Why is that?"

"Because I told him I miss him sometimes, even though he's back and I see him every day. He said I still have feelings for him and that I'm confusing the two," I said.

"Sounds legit," Yusuke said.

"It does not," I said.

"It does, and I'm going to tell you how with a little bit of personal experience," Yusuke said.

"Please do," I said.

"Because, I miss Keiko all the time, even if I'm sitting in the same room as her," Yusuke said. I rolled my eyes. "You keep doing that, they're gonna get stuck in your head."

"What is so special about Hiei that you all seem to think it's impossible for me to get over him?" I asked. Yusuke went to talk but I stopped him. "I'm going to tell you, exactly what I told Hiei—I am dating Ichigo. I gave Hiei his chance and he bailed on me and that is that. He doesn't matter anymore."

"Well if that is true then you shouldn't care so much," Yusuke said,

"Care so much about what?" I asked.

"About why he blew you off. You got over Trunks blowing you off. Why not Hiei? Because you like him," Yusuke said. "And don't give me that bullshit excuse that you need 'closure' and that's why you keep bothering him because closure doesn't exist."

"Whatever, Yusuke," I said.

"You're only upset because I'm right," he said.

"No, you're not right," I said. "Hiei cannot stay put, he is incapable of admitting to his own feelings, and he's an asshole. Why would I jeopardize what I have with Ichigo over someone like that?"

"That's what you did before," Yusuke said.

"I don't care what I did before," I said. "I wouldn't do that to Ichigo, because I remember what happened before."

Yusuke shrugged. "Fine. You don't like Hiei."

"I don't," I said.

"If you say so, then it must be true," Yusuke said.

I got to my feet and looked down at him.

"You don't have to be a jerk, you know," I said walking over to the door.

"I just call them as I see them," Yusuke said. "I'm your friend, my job is to be honest with you even if you don't like it."

"Even if you're wrong?" I asked.

"I'm not wrong," Yusuke said.

"You sure about that?" I asked.

"You are more than welcome to prove me wrong," Yusuke said.

"Gladly," I said.

I walked out of the room and bumped right into Orihime.

"Oh! Sorry!" she said.

"I was the one who walked out without paying attention," I said. "Yusuke's got me all distracted."

"Because you can't handle the truth," Yusuke said.

I slammed the door closed, leaving him to sit in the room alone.

"Everything okay?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah. Yusuke's just an idiot," I said shaking my head. "I'm beginning to get the feeling that the only person who wants me to be dating Ichigo is Ichigo." Orihime shrugged. I sighed. "Oh, don't tell me you feel that way too."

"Oh! I don't! I think you and Ichigo are great! Like Frosted Flakes! Great," Orihime said.

"Uh. . . Huh," I said.

"I was just playing Devil's Advocate—agreeing with the opposing side for the sake of argument!" Orihime said.

Why was she always like this—perfectly normal and fine one minute, then quiet and indifferent the next, and then existing on a plane of awkwardness and weirdness the next. She made my head spin. What was I saying that was making her act that way?

"Excuse me," she said dashing off. I scratched my head.

"She sure is a puzzle isn't she?"

I looked back over my shoulder and Rangiku was standing there.

"I guess you could say that. She's so strange," I said.

"You poor, poor thing," Rangiku said. "You're just as stupid and oblivious as that boyfriend of yours."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

Rangiku patted me on the head. "You'll figure it out eventually."

She walked past me off towards Orihime and left me standing there. I shook my head.

Yusuke walked out of the room and looked directly at me.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked.

"Why?" I asked.

"I think there's something you should see outside," he said.

I followed out to the front of shop and looked up at the sky. The was nearly set now, but it wasn't the cosmic view that had grabbed everyone's interest.

The Valley of Screams was now even more visible in the sky.

"It's getting closer," she said. "We haven't got much time left before we hit the point of no return."

I nodded. "So the Valley of Screams is about to collide with the Living World, and additionally, we still haven't sorted out the whole issue of the imbalance which is going to destroy the entire fabric of the universe."

"But who would want to do both of those things?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah, you'd think a bad guy would just want to take over the world. Not destroy everything," Kuwabara said.

"Maybe they do want to take over the world," Orihime said walking out of the house. "Maybe they just don't know how."

"That would suggest that all of these events were orchestrated by an idiot and I don't think I'm comfortable with that," Uryu said. "If someone's motive were to get control and this is the route they're taking they clearly have no idea what they're doing."

"Who did you guys think was behind all of this?" Yusuke asked.

"Garlic Junior," I said.

"Did he strike you as an idiot?" Hiei asked.

I shrugged. "He was before my time. You'd have to ask Gohan. But from what I could tell, he had a plan and he stuck to it. Accidentally destroying the universe doesn't sound like anyone I know."

"Except for maybe Frieza. He'd do it just because he was mad," Goten said.

"Well maybe that's what's going. Someone's mad and they're having a fit and taking it out on the universe," Ichigo said.

Uryu adjusted his glasses on his face. "I really hope that's not the case."

888

"Please tell me you threw a dog biscuit at him," Vegeta said to me once we had returned to the Look Out. The sun had set. Night had come. For the moment, things seemed still. The day had been exhausting, both physically and emotionally. I was ready to fall over.

"I didn't—but I threatened to and he totally overreacted and threw a bus at me," I said. "But mostly that was Ichigo and Hiei's fault."

"You were fine," Ichigo said.

"That is so not the point," I said. "And I'm your girlfriend. You're not supposed to let people throw school buses at me."

"How was I supposed to know he was going to throw a bus at you?" Ichigo asked.

"I think she keeps forgetting that if he hadn't thrown the bus at her, we wouldn't have been able to get rid of him," Hiei said.

"Neither of those things is the point," I said. "You can't use a person as bait without alerting them to the plan first. That way I can prepare to have a school bus thrown at me."

"You're never going to be prepared to have anyone throw a school bus at you because it never happens," Ichigo said.

"It literally just happened to me, Ichigo. You were there. You saw it happened," I said.

"Maybe you should learn to dodge."

I paused and looked over to Piccolo who was standing there, as calm and cool as ever.

"Then again, inability to dodge seems to be a trait that's inherent in your family," he said. I frowned.

". . . So you didn't throw a dog biscuit at him," Vegeta said.

". . . No I didn't," I said.

"And you didn't dodge either," Hiei said, turning and walking away.

"I'm gonna punch that guy," I said.

"For being right?" Piccolo asked. I turned and looked up at him.

"Don't you start, Mister Piccolo. I'm not afraid to punch you either," I said. Piccolo chuckled before walking off with Vegeta. "It's weird how whenever I'm around these guys I realize that I might actually be the normal one despite being so weird under other circumstances."

"Like earlier today?" Ichigo asked.

I looked over to him. He hadn't stopped looking guilty since we'd left.

"Look, you can feel shitty for letting him throw that bus at me, but what happened with Ginyu—that was not you," I said.

"It was-."

"It wasn't," I said. "Would you ever do something that you know would endanger my life?" He looked down at me and shook his head. "Right. And I know that, and, despite Hiei being a little shit, he knows it too."

"But I can't really control it," he said. "It's because I'm not strong enough."

"That's not true," I said. "Let me let you in on a little secret. This hollow, whatever it is, it can't make you do anything you aren't capable of doing yourself. It's impossible."

"If I'm so strong then why can't I control it? How do I control it?" Ichigo asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know anymore about what's going on with you than you do. But if you start beating yourself up and thinking you're not strong enough. . . That doesn't lead to anything good, ever. And right now is not really a great time for you to start doubting yourself because we need you. So get it together. Besides, if you really think you're the only one here's who's gone batshit crazy and tried to hurt people you didn't mean to you are very, very mistaken."

"Is that from personal experience?" he asked.

"Unfortunately," I said. "But now you know no one here is going to hold it against you."

"Except for maybe Hiei," Ichigo said.

"Hiei's going to hold everything you do wrong against you. That's just how he is," I said. "But despite being an asshole, he's reliable and he's loyal and he talks a lot of mad shit about how awesome he is, but he can usually back it up—truthfully, that's mostly why I find him obnoxious. He's never lost a fight that we know of. Well, except to Yusuke that one time. But regardless, even I don't have a success rate that high."