Chapter Eleven

Fire-demon Sensei

~

It was first morning light and the group had gotten ready to depart to head off on their journey again. Shuichi had given Ajisai a few apples to eat earlier, which she had consumed already and she stood by the flower field looking out towards the beautiful backdrop as she drank from her canteen. The two men gathered around her at the tree, waiting for her so they could leave.

Ajisai closed her drink in contemplation as she stared out across the field with a thoughtful look. It was too bad she wasn't able to stay here longer, it was so beautiful out here. This wasn't a sight seeing adventure however, and they had to leave this place behind.

"Uh, Hanako?" Shuichi asked with a polite tone, tentative as he approached her, he was wary of her from yesterday continuing with, "We should get going."

Ajisai put her drink down and glanced down towards the flowers that swayed gently in front of her. As her eyes closed, she said softly to him, "I think I would like to be called, Ajisai, if that's okay with you."

Shuichi's eyes swam as he smiled down at her warmly before saying, "Of course! Ajisai it is then." There was a smile plastered on his face when he turned away in the direction of the trees as he put a hand up to his face saying, "What an honor. So, you have chosen the name I have given you. What a kind and considerate girl you are, Ajisai." Ajisai sighed, embarrassment flushing her face as she made to walk over to the men.

"Okay, let's get going," she told them quietly and hesitated, glancing between the two of them with uncertainty. Shuichi glanced over toward Hiei, who was facing away and then back to Ajisai before saying, "Here, I can carry-"

"I will carry the girl," Hiei told him abruptly, irritation lacing his voice. And then he turned to walk over to a suddenly shy Ajisai, who was staring down at the ground with a blush. Her eyes widened when he turned again and without looking at her, crouched slightly in front of her to let her get on his back. And then her face fell as a sudden thought hit her and a whirl of emotions swam inside of her chest.

"I'm the monster, Hiei," repeated in her head from last night. Ajisai hesitated, taking a step back. Thoughts from yesterday floated back up to the surface and the girl's eyes threatened tears as she stared at his back. He still had on the black T-shirt from before. It was slightly ripped and frayed from their fight.

Hiei must have noticed her hesitation, as he had straightened up and turned toward the girl with lowered eyebrows. He then suddenly walked a few steps forward and before she knew it, she was facing his broad shoulder. "Hiei what are you…" he cut her off, easily picking her up to throw over his shoulder potato sack style.

And then he turned to carry her off with one arm secured around her back knees, the other half of her upside down facing his back. "Hiei! This hurts!" The girl called out, voice muffled at his back.

The blue dry-bag on her back slid down to squish her face into his shirt, threatening to fall off if her shoulders. With fists clenched, she weakly banged on his hard muscles, saying, "Put me down! Please! I just ate, I feel like I'm about to be sick," she covered her mouth with a hand.

Hiei ignored her pleas as he continued to carry her like that. Every step he took bounced her solar plexus into his hard shoulder blade, making this ride very uncomfortable for her.

And then when he had made his point across, he suddenly stopped walking to regard her with, "Next time, if you hesitate this is your option, girl," and then he let her down gently to the forest floor.

"Okay," she told his shoulder quietly and moved to take a step back and give them some distance. The closeness to him was giving her weird butterflies in her stomach. Then she walked around him to hop on his back. Before she did so, he stopped her suddenly, pulling her arm back around to him as he said, "Wait, look up at me."

Ajisai obligated, hesitating before looking up into his face. She wouldn't, and couldn't meet his eyes though, as he carefully searched hers. The black haired demon then scowled and gave her a tug on her arm, "Look at me," he said again and she did, sliding her eyes up to greet his.

Crimson eyes bore into hers for a moment before she suddenly broke eye contact to look away in embarrassment. "As I thought, they appear much lighter now," he mumbled to himself quietly, almost inaudibly as she stepped back again.

The girl then chose to walk around him again, silently. Face flushed, she finally went to climb onto his back. Hiei didn't say anything for awhile, being too distracted lost in thought.

"Hold on, Ajisai," he told her quietly, almost at a near whisper before he adjusted the girl. Then he grasped onto her thighs and took off, a waiting Shuichi gave the two a glance before following as well. They leapt through the trees in silence.

Ajisai held onto his shoulders tightly, a slight bit of confusion in her face. What was that interaction? And then they sped up and everything was a blur.

The girl closed her eyes tightly, feeling a wave of nausea hit her from the motion sickness and she lowered her head to place it on the back of his neck. Sandalwood wafted into her nose and she picked her head up slightly, breathing it in to calm her stomach. It helped, easing the sick feeling away.

They ran like that for a few hours, stopping only briefly to let Ajisai stretch her legs, drink water or to adjust herself on Hiei's back. After awhile, her legs and arms were getting tired and she felt like she was about to fall off of him. The guys pushed it for longer that morning to make more ground, catching up to where they should've been had all that drama not held them back in time.

And it was dramatic, she knew. The girl felt extremely guilty about her past actions whether it was excusable by memory loss or not. She treated her friends like crap. And that just wasn't her. Or at least this new identity that's been created. The girl was lost in thought when the guys finally moved to slow down.

Ajisai glanced up from the hole she was staring into Hiei's back to witness a large lake in front of them, it's ripples glistening brilliantly like silver from the sunlight. The view made her breath catch, experiencing this new landscape with wonder. She was still staring out toward the lake when Hiei let her down and she slid off his back promptly. Then the girl fell down onto her noodle legs, wobbling over to sit next to a tree by Shuichi.

When she was settled down, Ajisai gave out a tired sigh, then glanced up suddenly to see blazing crimson eyes on her. "What?" She asked Hiei, who was staring at her expectantly.

"I told you this morning that we were training, did I not?" He told her blandly and turned to walk over to the sandy beach. Ajisai moved to get up but her knees gave out, resulting in her plopping back down onto her butt. Shuichi gave Hiei a worried glance as he pointed out, "Maybe you should let her rest a moment first?"

"Rest from what? She was carried the whole way," Hiei said with an irritable tone and then he glanced over to to the girl in question saying, "Ajisai. Come."

Ajisai sighed and pushed herself up, walking over to him gingerly as her thigh muscles got used to walking. She drug herself forward, her arms and legs were so tired from having to hold herself on his back. When she made it to the edge of the beach, she gave them a good stretch before continuing further.

"Fight me," Hiei suddenly demanded her just as her feet stepped out onto the sand, "Get ready, I'm about to hit you."

"Wha-," Ajisai made out just before dodging a flying fist, feeling the wind from it as it whooshed by her. She paused, staring down at his muscled arm with wide blue eyes. Hiei was being serious.

The black haired demon wasted no time twisting around to hit her again, sending another fist flying with velocity. The girl was able to catch his arm then and tried to maneuver it around her body to redirect him. Suddenly, a knee shot up and slammed into her soft torso before she could, leaving her immobile for a minute. Ajisai lay over his upper thigh, coughing and struggling to breath on his knee.

Hiei then carefully let her down for her to crouch, bringing his knee back down to let her breath. After awhile he told her, noting her fighting style, "You move like water but when I hit you, there's no resistance. Your core is off."

The fire demon then blinked slowly and crossed his arms, asking her, "Who taught you that fighting style?"

"Kenji," she made out through strained breaths. When she had finally recovered enough to stand up, she then added, "Kenji taught me everything I know."

"Hmm," he walked around her, examining her stance slowly before telling her, "Let me see your stance." She switched to a fighting stance and he seemed to notice some flaws already. Nudging her leg and adjusting her arm before moving in front of her to stand, he turned his attention back on her.

"Now. Hit me," Hiei said and he pointed at his abdomen, "Right here."

Ajisai didn't see the point in any of this. She was a long-range fighter. But Hiei had asked- no, demanded she join him in training every rest break. The girl's stomach growled just then, "But I'm hungry. And I don't wanna hit you," she whined softly.

"You get to eat when you've put in some work," he told her and straightened his back with his arms crossed, "Hit me and stop being lazy."

Ajisai glowered over at him and clenched her right fist, glancing down at the hard muscle she could see showing under his black T-shirt. Bracing herself, she swung at him, sending her fist flying right at about where his belly button should be. She missed, hitting hard muscle. The shock of the impact went through her forearm and her knuckles screamed. Hiei hadn't budged at all.

She took her hand away and shook it with a, "Oowww, what are you made of? Steel?" The girl blew on her knuckles, whimpering in pain.

"Weak," he told her which resulted in her full on glaring over at him before he said, "You're stance is way off. What did that monk teach you? How to braid daisies?"

At the mention of Kenji, her former friend and trainer, Ajisai pursed her lips and tightened her jaw muscle in sudden anger. Ajisai may not remember but Hanako inside of her does. This set her into a bad mood as she clenched her fist again and swung as hard as she could at his abdomen.

The impact was harder, so the shockwave was as well, and the pain to her fist. The girl drew her hand back quickly and rubbed it, easing the sharp pain with her thumb as she rubbed it. She glared up at Hiei with heat behind her eyes. The girl wanted to punch him in his face just then.

"That's the attitude you should have," he told her and then pointed at her arm, telling her, "But you don't know how to throw a punch."

Hiei moved closer to her and grabbed her arm, moving it into position. Then he wrapped his hand around her fist and positioned her thumb down with his. "Like this," he told her and stepped back.

The girl held that position for a second, familiarizing it into her brain. And then she swung her arm as hard as she could, hitting him in the abs again. This time, her fist didn't hurt as much and she felt his muscles give just a little.

"He didn't teach me how to fight like this," she told him, then gave his abdomen another punch before adding, "He only showed me how to dodge and redirect attacks. I didn't fight offensively with him around. He said the aggression would taint my energy."

"Hn. So, the monk is a bullshitter as well as a liar," he told her and she instantly took offense to what he had just said, glaring up at him with fire in her eyes. Hiei continued anyway, ignoring her to point at his head and say, "It's you who controls your energy. Not your body or your actions."

After awhile he asked another question that startled her, just after she gave him another angry hit to the abdomen, "Between the two of you who was the most dominant?"

Ajisai was taken aback as she stood back on her heels to straighten up before she answered him with, "I don't know what you mean by that or why it matters but he did most of the close-range attacks, letting me use my bow or my moon discs to attack from a distance."

"The monk, he didn't teach you any close-range attacks besides redirecting attacks?" He said and she nodded, and then he said simply, "So the ignorant monk refused to teach you your basics just so he could 'protect you'." Ajisai was taken aback by his words and her eyes narrowed.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't put words in my dead friend's mouth or insult him for that matter," she hissed through her teeth. Hiei was unfazed, telling her, "But it is the truth. You skipped through the basics to fight long-range. He was responsible for your bad habits now because he thought of himself a 'man', taking the brunt of the attacks himself. What an ignorant fool he was."

He finished and Ajisai was dumbfounded at his audacity, "You can't just-"

"I am right though," he told her simply before pointing to her abdomen, "I see a half taught student with extremely bad habits that can get you killed. The monk should have realized he wouldn't be with you forever and taught you this in case of his absence. He neglected your basic fundamentals, teaching you a form of his fighting style or not, your structure is weak."

Ajisai stared for a moment before glaring at his stomach and punching it a few more times, each punch growing weaker and weaker. Hiei simply stood there and let her take it out on him, not moving an inch. When she finally tired, he moved closer to her and stood there for a moment before uncrossing his arms.

Hiei simply poked her stomach, causing a jolt of pain to run up to her heart. "Ow," she grit out, holding a hand up to her abdomen.

"That is your core," he told her simply. The girl stared at him then glanced down to where he had just poked her. Then she closed her eyes, committing this to memory.

"You will do exercises every day to strengthen your muscles and get into shape," he told her and walked off toward the tree. She followed with a sullen look, refusing to look at him or acknowledge him for awhile. Shuichi gave her berries with their lunch of fried fish with an apologetic look on his face.

"He's rough but at least he has your best interest at heart," Shuichi told her helpfully, watching her as she plopped a few wild berries into her mouth. She shot him a glowering look before swallowing and saying, "He can save that roughness for himself. I didn't ask to be trained."

And then she added before plopping more berries in her mouth, "He also said a few negative comments about Kenji that I do not appreciate." The girl irritably chewed as she glared down at the ground before saying, "What does he know, anyway? He thinks he's so much better than Kenji."

"Well," Shuichi sighed and thought for a moment before saying, "That's because he might very well be. At least when it comes to fighting in hand to hand combat and strength. You're Kenji was a mortal, correct?"

Ajisai stopped chewing and stared up towards him as he continued, "A long time ago, our group of friends and allies used to attend several fighting tournaments with demons and human fighters alike. One in particular used to be held every four years to award Demon Realm a successor. Hiei fought in every single one of them and won all of his battles. There stood only one demon that would manage to beat him and end his streak."

"Who was the guy?" Ajisai wondered, whoever it was must've been insanely strong.

"A woman. By the name of Mukuro." Shuichi told her and her eyes widened. It took a moment for her to respond, "She must be strong as hell."

"Not strong enough, I'm afraid. Unfortunately she lost to Demon Realm's newest dictator who's been ruling for the past twenty years straight." Shuichi said and stared down at the ground as he added, "Something that I'm sure has caused a rift between her and Hiei."

"They were close?" Ajisai asked just before plopping another berry into her mouth to chew. Shuichi regarded her for a moment in silence before saying, "Very. They lived together for a time."

Ajisai didn't understand why but that made her heart sink. Pushing back against those negative feelings, she tried to remain positive by saying, "She must've been something amazing to get Hiei's attention!"

Shuichi watched her as she distracted herself with more berries before telling her, "But in the end, the two differed greatly. See, Hiei has always had a connection to the Mortal Realm, it's been like a second home to him. Mukuro is your typical high-ranked demon ruler, like most other of her standing. She didn't care about Human Realm or its plight when everything went down twenty years ago. They both went their separate ways and haven't seen each other since."

"It's ironic really. Hiei once held thoughts of taking over Human World when he was younger and a lot shorter," Shuichi said and laughed in his hand at the remembrance. And then he pointed to her head, saying, "Before maturity, he was even shorter than you in fact!"

"Taking petty jabs at me behind my back, are we Fox?" Hiei told him coldly as he appeared before them with his hands in his pockets, glaring down at the red head with heat in his eyes. Ajisai watched them bicker as she ate berries in silence, wondering about Hiei's past love life.

"I was only making fun," the red head smiled with amusement before telling the fire demon, "Oh, but you were cute though, weren't you? You must've only weighed a hundred pounds back then."

"A hundred pounds of my foot up your ass if you don't stop your pestering, Fox," Hiei glowered at the smiling red head and then over at Ajisai when she started to chuckle, "You'll get it too, girl. You think this is funny now, just wait until our next training session."

Hiei glared over to her, watching as she tried to hold back laughter with mirth sparkling in her blue eyes. The girl took a glance at Hiei's face and stopped abruptly, trying to straighten her face up as she said, "I bet little Hiei was cute!" And then she gave him a warm smile, putting her hands into the shape of a heart.

Hiei's eyes widened before he turned away to sulk off. She watched his form disappear into the woods as her and Shuichi finished packing. After letting Shuichi braid her hair up again, the girl pondered to herself about Hiei's past as she placed her hairbrush into her bag.

I wonder if their relationship was purely platonic. Or if they…

She thought about it for a moment, wondering if Hiei has ever kissed anyone before. A bright blush warmed her face as she fastened her bag up, realizing what she was thinking about. Embarrassed, she pushed these thoughts away as she threw her bag over her shoulder.

Before too long, they were leaving again to head to their next destination, which would most likely be their camping spot for the night. Shuichi had packed up his bag and stood waiting as Ajisai hopped up on Hiei's back. Quickly, the group set out at an easy pace.

As they passed the lake entirely, Ajisai glimpsed tall buildings to her right on the other side of a forested hill. Tugging on Hiei's shirt, she pointed at the buildings in amazement. He stared in that direction for awhile and then forward as he ran.

"I forget that you were a mere child back then," Hiei whispered and then he broke off from their designated path, leaving a bewildered Shuichi behind to veer off after them. The fire demon leapt quickly through the trees and brought them high up into their canopy as Ajisai hung on for dear life, spikes of fear shooting through her chest with each leap.

And then they were at the tallest tree on the hill and the view was well worth it. It wasn't as beautiful as the lake, but seeing one of humanity's 'cities' was still pretty amazing. There stood various concrete structures with two shiny metal ones, all of which had various plants and vines growing on and around them. Nature had taken back its kingdom.

Happiness welled in her chest as her wide blue innocent eyes took everything in. And then her brows lowered as she realized this could have been her home. Sadness started to creep in to ruin her mood.

This could've been her life had it not been for humanity's collapse. Had the demons not come and destroyed her home, she could've been living in one of these buildings, innocent and unaware. She wouldn't have to worry about survival, getting killed, or losing her friends and family to a demon's bloodlust or to starvation.

She remembers the stories that the old ones would tell the younger kids, about easy days of a peaceful life. This life was so vastly different than when humanity was at its peak. Her early memories confirm this and the girl slumped into Hiei's back and looked away from the scene, pushing back tears as she remembered.

She remembered the murmuring hustle and bustle of the city streets. So many people! She remembered the cars traveling through tall steel buildings like a mechanical river. She remembered how easy going life was and how the kids played freely in the swing sets of the park, innocent to the destruction that was about to unfold on them.

And she remembered her mother and father tucking her into bed with sweet goodnight kisses. The way her blankets made her feel safe against the warm cocoon of her bed. She remembered her mother's soft smile when she would read to her at night. And the comfort of closing her eyes at night without the worry of danger lurking around the next corner.

Ajisai blinked back tears and stared out into the forest, refusing to give in to her sad memories of the past.

Hiei turned his head and eyed her for a minute before taking them back down the mountainous hill back to where Shuichi stood waiting. "Sight seeing I see?" He asked with a smile. Ajisai nor Hiei answered him and he turned his head as they passed, watching the girl in particular.

"It makes you sad doesn't it?" The red head said after catching up to them, running alongside Hiei. Glancing over to him, the girl nodded quietly as a response. Shuichi turned to look ahead of him, emerald eyes lost in thought.

"Let's rest at the spot up ahead, Hiei," he said after awhile, his words careful to not give it away. Ajisai blinked then looked forward, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. The group ran for awhile until the trees broke away to reveal an unusual spot.

Hiei let the girl down to wander before disappearing out of sight as she took in the scene. It must've been connected to the town, this great big train station. Ajisai marveled at the long steel structures that still sat docked in their railway tracks. Piles of rocks gathered around the tracks, cushioning the steel structures below.

"Those are high-speed bullet trains," Shuichi pointed at the structures then pointed over to the building. "You would go inside that building to buy what's called a 'ticket', then you'd follow those signs right there and your train would be waiting for you here to take you to your next destination."

Ajisai walked forward in silent amazement, staring through the train's windows as she walked closer. And then she walked along the cracked concrete, following it down to the big building with shattered glass windows. The place was pretty big.

Before she turned her head away from the train, she noticed an opening and ran up to put her hands up on the railing to look inside with curiosity. Ajisai poked her head into the train car and turned her head left and right before moving to back up, accidentally stepping into someone. "Sorry!" She exclaimed loudly.

And then she glanced behind her to see Shuichi staring at the train with emotions whirling in his eyes. "This train would've lead to where we are going, ironically enough." He then put a hand up on to its rusted and white steel surface, staring at it with a longing Ajisai didn't understand.

Was this really what it was like? She turned her head back to the opening and made to go inside, cautiously of course. As soon as her weight pushed down the bottom, the girl felt it shift and heard a loud groan. With an "Eep!", she jumped backward like a startled stray cat.

Ajisai had never been on a train before, or at least, not that she could remember. Shuichi chuckled and easily stepped out on to the train, holding a hand out to Ajisai as he went. Taking it, she held his hand tightly as they walked through the train, Shuichi appearing much more confident than she felt. This experience was so new for her.

The girl stared at everything like it was from another world and for her, it was. Her eyes took in the dry rotted seat cushions, the dirty glass windows, the metal poles in the center. Shuichi forced open glass paned double doors that connected to another train car, then grabbed Ajisai's hand to coax her forward.

Ajisai followed reluctantly and took in the next train car with her eyes first before moving ahead. She probably looked like a nervous mouse next to the confident fox that was Shuichi, striding through with no care in the world. Just when they were about to walk through another set of doors, Ajisai glimpsed something and let go of Shuichi's hand.

Carefully, Ajisai picked up the small stuffed teddy bear with such gentleness and care. Slender hands wrapped softly under its arms and around its fluffy body, her thumbs touching at its chest. Slowly, she held the item up in front of her with wide innocent blue eyes. And then her eyes watered and a few tears fell from her face, dropping like raindrops below her.

"I had one of these," she whispered quietly to him. Shuichi watched her with deep sympathy as she took in the little brown bear with a red bow tie. The bear smiled warmly back at her with a stitched smile and glossy black eyes.

"Would you like to keep it?" Shuichi asked her after awhile, he carefully took the bear into his hands and gave it a once over, "It's in surprisingly good condition. We can wash this little guy with some soap and let it air dry out in the sunlight."

Ajisai nodded and took it back into her arms, carrying it with her the rest of the way. Shuichi had looted through whatever items were left, placing various objects into his bag. He had found an old cell phone and handed it over to Ajisai to look at when she sat down to rest, which she flipped open and closed curiously, mouth partly open in wonder.

"Look Ajisai!" He handed her a blocky laptop computer, "I used to have this very model." She opened the strange device and sat it down on her lap, poking the buttons with her index finger.

"I wish I had the ability to carry it with us to see if it still powers up," Shuichi said sadly as he watched her play with it, continuing with his eyes closed, "But I don't have the space sadly."

"I can take it," Ajisai said simply and shut the lid of the laptop, getting up to carry it over to her bag she said, "I'd like to see it 'powered up'," she annunciated the words that were foreign to her. Placing it in her bag carefully, she tossed it back on her shoulder to leave the train car when she glanced soft emerald eyes watching her.

"Thank you, Ajisai," something danced in his green eyes and she smiled back an equally warm smile. "No problem, Shuichi. Anything for you."

Suddenly, Shuichi pulled her into a rare hug, long arms wrapping around her tightly. The girl accepted it, slowly wrapping her own arms around his waist with her head on his shoulder. He felt warm as she gently caressed his back with one hand, her fingers dipping across the crease of his back muscles.

After awhile, Ajisai was about to pull away when she felt his arms tighten again. She blinked, feeling warm tear drops hit her shoulder and he pulled her in closer. Ajisai allowed this silently, not being used to physical touch but she knew he must be remembering his old life.

"Sorry, Ajisai," he whispered in her ear and she turned her head slightly to look at him. Just as she did he pulled away quickly to wipe his tears, not letting her see his face. She put a hand on his shoulder and waited for him before they made their way out towards exit of the train car.

Just as they left through the exit, something caught Ajisai's eye and she hesitated before grabbing it and bringing it with her. It was a white jacket with high collars and attached was a hoodie lined with fur. She sniffed it for mold and put it under her arm to take with her. Shuichi had waited for her at the entrance to the train station entrance.

The two had looted the building quickly, scavenging more items before meeting up with Hiei towards the back of it. The girl looked up at him as he stood on top of a large box-shaped vehicle of some sort with his arms crossed, impatiently waiting. They were now in an old parking lot, vehicles scattered throughout.

"Are we done here?" He asked with irritation and Shuichi smiled up at him before telling him, "Give me a moment to scavenge these cars and we can be on our way."

Hiei glowered down at him before moving to sit down, letting one of his legs hang off the side of it while he propped up an elbow against the other. The sour demon held his cheek in his hand as Shuichi wandered around from car to car, annoyance on his face as he waited.

Ajisai glanced up at him for a second before moving to follow Shuichi. She then stopped as she had remembered something and turned back toward the sulking fire demon. Then she undid the front of his black cloak and pulled it off before tossing it up to him.

Hiei grabbed it out of the air with a confused look on his face, glancing down at the cloak and then back to Ajisai as she shrugged on the white jacket she had just found. "I figured you'd like to have that back eventually," she told him with a smile.

The black haired demon stared over at her for a moment with a neutral expression before tossing it back to her saying, "Where we are going will be cold." Ajisai grabbed it from the air, its fabric bellowing down as it landed in her hand.

"Are you sure?" She asked him after awhile and held the fabric up with her brows nit in confusion, saying, "Wouldn't you be cold as well without it?"

Ajisai gave him a quick once over, seeing that he only had on black jeans, his two belts, his sword and a black T-shirt on. Of course, the hiruseki stone as well which hung gracefully from his neck. Comparatively, she was more bundled up than him.

"I don't need it," Hiei told her in irritation and crossed his arms at his spot on the van. Ajisai didn't believe him saying, "But you wear it all the time. I have a jacket now, I don't need it either."

"Then throw it away like you did back then," Hiei spat and turned away from her, his mood growing more sour. Ajisai sighed and glanced down at the fabric, staring at it for a long while. Gently, she put her other hand on top and smiled a soft smile.

"I won't ever throw it away again, Hiei," she told him with meaning and turned her head to look at him. Hiei regarded her with a scowl as he told her, "If I wear it it'll be difficult for you to ride on my back." And then he looked away again.

Ajisai's eyes widened and a pink blush colored her cheeks warmly. Then she hugged the fabric to her chest and turned away in embarrassment. " O-okay," she told him and tossed the cloak over her bag to put it back on. Hiei watched her silently for awhile as she secured the cloak under her fur hood.

When she was finished securing the cloak, Ajisai was about to go join Shuichi when she noticed Hiei shuffle uncomfortably on top of the van. He kept his eyes away from her, glancing at her every so often. She softly sighed and waited patiently. Hiei, apparently wanted to talk, so she listened as he asked, "Have you been in one of these… contraptions?"

Ajisai looked down at the vehicle then back up at him with a small smile, "I actually knew someone who had refurbished a 98' Toyota once." Hiei's eyes widened and he looked at her with interest as she told her story.

"I was twelve at the time and a few of us were sick of the camp we stayed at. The camp was run by a power hungry greedy old man who took everything for himself, including the car one of the kids got ahold of. This kid was a genius. He knew how to wire it up and get it to start. The issue was getting gasoline for it, we had to suck it out with a plastic hose from a few old run down cars on the roads surrounding our 'town'."

She continued as Hiei listened to her intently, "Eventually, he got it to start. And we drove for quite awhile in search of a new home. It ended up running out of gas and well uh…"

Ajisai trailed off, remembering the walk through the woods. It was the first time she had been without a place to go back to. Luckily, they found an empty dojo in the woods that they had stayed at for quite awhile.

A grouchy old woman with white hair lived there by the name of Genkai. She wasn't sure if that woman was still alive anymore being that she was pretty ancient then. Damn near a hundred years old is what she would tell her, as Ajisai would help her draw her bath. Absentmindedly, she played with the collar of her jacket as she reminisced on old memories.

It was the day that she ventured too far away from the old dojo when she was attacked by that demon in the forest. And that's where she met Kenji. It's amazing how much things change in your life and how quickly.

"You met Genkai," Hiei told her and she stared back up to him with confusion. He stared back down at her for awhile before saying, "What a small world."

"You knew her?" She asked, her head slightly tilted.

"Yes, she was a well known human psychic who mastered the use of chi," he said and closed his eyes, going silent.

"I had to help bathe her," Ajisai told him before turning toward the approaching Shuichi, who was making his way back to the two of them. His bag was packed full of new, and probably interesting items.

"Did she not train you?" Shuichi asked her out with curiosity, as he adjusted the bag.

"Well, no. She was damn near senile. I'm surprised she lived alone for as long as she did," Ajisai said and nit her brows together, "Was she a really big name or something?"

They both just smiled at her, reminiscing on something. It was Shuichi that finally broke the silence, "I think we should head out now. We're pretty close to our halfway point." He pointed in a direction.

Hiei leapt down from the top of the van and was about to walk over to her when he sensed something, lifting his head up with a blank expression. Shuichi did too and then Ajisai felt it, all three turned their heads in the direction it was coming from. It was a demon in the far off distance. And a pretty powerful one at that.

And just as quickly as they felt it, the aura disappeared.

"Do you recognize that energy signature, Hiei?" Shuichi asked him warily, keeping his eyes trained on the horizon.

"Hn. No," Hiei answered as he glared off in that direction. He then pushed the girl back gently and moved to step forward. When he did, to Ajisai's surprise, unleashed all of his demon aura at once flaring his black and violet flames like a raging bonfire.

Ajisai's eyes widened at the display of power, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck going up. Dark violet lighting crackled around him and she took a few more steps back as she watched on with amazement. Shuichi moved around to stand next to her.

"He's a show off," he told her with amusement in his voice.

"What is he doing?" She asked in wonder, glancing over to Shuichi before staring back in bewilderment towards Hiei.

"Displaying dominance, is what I would assume," Shuichi told her and then he narrowed his eyes, saying, "We will need to remain cautious though, having you around. No need for any unnecessary fights, right Hiei?"

Hiei turned back toward them when a wild look in his fire red crimson eye and a devilish smirk on his lips. With a sudden whoosh, he let his aura recede back into him like an extinguished flame. Turning back toward them fully, he told the red head, "Sorry, Kurama. It's been awhile since I could fight full out. Forgive me for 'playing with fire'."

Ajisai's chest tightened with a slight bit of fear and astonishment as she witnessed this other side of him. Hiei truly was a demon, through-and-through. Spending so much time with him has made her comfortable with the laid back side of him. But, he obviously had other wilder sides to him that she hasn't seen yet.

The girl had to remember that he was still a powerful S-class demon as well. Way above any demon she's ever encountered during her time as a demon hunter. The fire demon could easily hurt her. And she was just picking on him earlier too.

Ajisai felt a twinge in the back of her neck as she pondered, waving it off as a side affect of Hiei's residual energy in the surrounding area. She thought on the training sessions. He must've been going extremely easy on her. The girls face paled at the thought of it. If he wanted to he could easily kill her.

Before she knew it there were crimson eyes staring at her face, softer than usual. Hiei slowly blinked, before telling her, "Come, Ajisai. Let's go." And he crouched to let her on his back.

The girl hopped on, feeling strong hands grip her legs as she held on to his shoulders. Instantly, she felt safe and warm again, his body heat hotter than usual after the flare up he just did. She relaxed against his back and laying her cheek against his shoulder, she breathed in his sandalwood and pine scent.

Yusuke followed the beautiful Yurei through winding corridors and staircases through the maze that was her mansion, showing him different rooms along the way. He would simply glance in, not see Kuwabara and move on. This woman was wasting his time.

As they walked she would idly chit chat, telling him, "You know, I had this built here a while ago. Before the Fall of your civilization even." She told him and showed him an immaculate ball room. Yusuke glanced in, unimpressed. He searched the room quickly with his eyes before backing through the doorway and turning to head back down the hallway.

"You could sight see a little," she pouted, running to catch up to him. Yusuke glared forward, ignoring her to ask for the 20th time that day, "Where's Kuwabara? I'm not here to look at your stupid mansion."

"Oh but you are," a glint shone in her eye and she covered it up by smiling a fake smile. Yusuke noticed the woman doing that a lot, but didn't see her as much of a threat. Her power level only felt like a mid-C level. This lady was weak as hell.

Something really odd that Yusuke noticed was that the mansion had a lot of mirrors. Like, in just about every hallway and room in this joint. Maybe he could smash all of them in a fit of rage? Oh, yeah that'd be nice right about now.

Yurei showed him one more room before he got fed up and pinned her against the wall by her throat. "Enough games," he growled, a red glint in his eye. The demoness smiled and waved her hands, saying, "Alright, alright! Right this way."

He let her go and followed her closely down a hallway with red carpet, eyeing around him as they went. The woman was acting very suspicious. This place seemed off as well.

Yurei stopped at a big double door entrance at the very end of the hall. Moving her kimono to the side, she gestured into the room with a closed eye curtsy smile, saying, "Right this way, Urameshi."

And the doors slid open on their own, revealing a Japanese style hallway before him, lined with rice paper doors. "What the Hell is this?" He asked, irritation in his face.

She simply smiled and said, "Do you not sense your friend in there? Well, go! Hurry up!" She motioned forward and continued, "Go get him!"

Yusuke eyed her suspiciously before continuing on, putting his hands inside of the blue jeans he had on. And then he heard a snap and turned to watch the now closed blue doors behind him. He went to open them then, but they were locked.

"Hey, lady! What the Hell!" He hollered only to be met with silence. That is, until he heard and felt Kuwabara somewhere among the rice paper doors, "Urameshi!"

Wasting no time at all, Yusuke charged forward, realizing quickly that the doors would open automatically as he passed through them. He ran and ran, feeling for Kuwabara's bright orange energy signal.

It had dimmed slightly and he turned in the direction it was in, sensing it to the far left. He ran in that direction, his leather jacket straps whipped as he turned sharp corners, his sneakers slapping on the glossy wood floor beneath him.

"Urameshi! Help!" That was odd, Kuwabara's voice called from the completely opposite direction. Yusuke turned and followed it, running at full speed as his demon energy flared red around him.

"Kuwabara!" He yelled out, making it to the end of the hall and veering to the right. What he saw made his sneakers squeak as he stopped abruptly in his tracks. It was a mirror. An ornate, standing brass mirror that reflected the ceiling above him.

"What the Hell?" He asked himself and made to go touch it. Just as he touched the glass, he heard and felt Kuwabara somewhere behind him. Yusuke swiveled and ran in that direction, quickly growing aggravated.

He made it to the location and found another mirror, sitting in a hallway with rice paper doors around it. A simple one with a modern black frame. Yusuke flared his energy and was about to punch it when he felt and heard Kuwabara to the side of him, "Urameshi!"

Yusuke charged up his Spirit Gun and shot just off center, using its path as a short cut. And when he made it, he witnessed Kuwabara being pulled into the mirror by some unknown person. "Kuwabara!" He yelled and reached out to him.

Only to just miss him, his finger grazing the leather of his shoe. Yusuke yelled and punched the mirror into pieces, letting the shards of glass fly everywhere. "Give me back Kuwabara you assholes!" He screamed at the ceiling and started smashing the rice paper walls around him.

One more time, he felt Kuwabara's energy and dashed toward its direction. Smashing his body through various different rooms, decorated in various different ways, Yusuke barreled through like a mad bull, his sneakers smacking tatami mats as he ran.

This time, the last mirror was in a brightly decorated Japanese style room, with a low table and on the table was a large vanity mirror. Kuwabara's hand melted into the shiny glass surface just as Yusuke tried to grab it. Another missed opportunity.

Yusuke smashed his fist down into the table in his rage. Something flew up and caught his eye however as he turned to look at a black VHS tape slowly falling down. Brows slowly furrowed as he watched in slow motion the tape turn to show its label.

Brown eyes widen and he snatched the tape with his hand before it fell to the ground. "H-How?" He asked himself as shaky hands turned the tape around to the side, in big bold black letters it showed - Chapter Black.

A glint caught his eye and he turned the tape to show the front. Clear tape secured a ornate round mirror onto its black plastic, its gilded gold frame decorated with shining diamonds. "Huh?" He turned the mirror to face him and when he looked into it he was blinded.

A brilliant blue light sucked him into the mirror and then it fell and shattered.

"No, I'm not going to hit you in the face!" Ajisai yelled as she dodged another fist from the raven haired demon. "That's where I draw the line!"

Hiei paused, irritation in his eyes as he told her calmly, "Foolish, girl. If you expect to win in a fight and save your own skin you will need to learn how to fight aggressively." He then glared at her and added, "Give up and you are a coward."

Ajisai put her hands up in surrender, "I don't mind being a coward. I didn't wanna do this whole sparring thing anyway." She was about to leave when she saw a fist flying at her from the side. One eye glanced it just before she bent backwards, just barely missing it.

She straightened up to see a ticked off Hiei marching over to her, his hair seemed spiker than usual. Flaring his energy a little, he glared into her eyes and said, "You will not just give up like that! Now hit me in the face, dammit!"

Ajisai dodged another fist just to get the other right in her gut. The wind whooshed out of her but in a split second decision tightened what little ab muscles she had and forced her spirit energy in her solar plexus as not to not get completely winded. The impact knocked her back down on her butt though.

Rubbing her belly, she glanced up to a searing Hiei and with innocent eyes, she asked him, "Are you a masochist Hiei? Is that what's going on here?"

"Foolish girl! You aren't even taking this serious are you?" He glared down at her with heat in his eyes, then he pointed a finger at her and said, "What happened to the feral side of you that we saw the other day. I want her!"

Ajisai's eyes must have betrayed her thoughts on that, when Hiei put his finger down and looked away. The girl breathed in and out and closed and opened her eyes, pushing herself up with one arm. Her face suddenly got so serious.

"Fine, if that's what you want," she told him coldly. "Maybe you are a masochist, Hiei."

"Hn. I'll do whatever it takes to get you to fight!" Hiei said and charged after her again. Before she knew it, Ajisai felt a little bit of her old self come in and she casually moved to the side.

"The face was it?" She asked him, sapphire eyes glinting before she made her move finally.

Hiei's eyes widened as she suddenly threw a fist back and launched it at him full force. He seemed to smile just before her knuckles connected with his jaw, knocking him backward slightly. Ajisai pulled a little bit of sacred fire into that punch, searing his skin. And then he smirked with a wild grin.

She watched his body fall back a little before taking her other white flaming fist and punching him in the gut. And then she ripped his shirt to pull him closer with a head butt.

Blood ran down her face as she glared into his crimson eyes, dark blue eyes alight with fire. Ajisai started to feel like she was losing herself to the moment, so she straightened up and tried to calm down. Hiei though, he apparently wanted more.

So he punched her in the forehead with a orangey fire fist, calling upon mortal flames. Ajisai growled through her teeth, letting the blood drip down her face. And then she let Hanako have full control.

The change was mainly in her eyes and facial features. Ajisai closed her bright crystal blue eyes and the next moment they were dark sapphire blue. Ajisai coldly glared over to the fire demon before kicking at him with sacred fire around her foot, leaving a white arch in the air.

Hiei dodged easily, then assaulted her with multiple punches from the air. Ajisai brought up her barriers, blocking them all. When he landed, she ran to him with sacred fire blazing in both fists.

"Dinner is ready," Shuichi called and she hesitated, looking over to him with hungry eyes for a second before having to dodge another fist flying in her direction. Ajisai grabbed Hiei's arm and threw him over her body. The demon bounced off his hand back into the air with a flip.

"I'm starting to think you're enjoying this," Ajisai told him with a cold tone.

"If you weren't such a weakling, maybe," he told her before sending fireballs to rain down upon her. Instead of using her barriers, she dodged them with her body before she leapt up into the air with a palm down hand pointed to the side of her.

Just as she made it to him, she unleashed her violet moon crescents. They sliced through an afterimage of him and she turned her head back and forth to look for him. She felt him before she saw him running up to the side of her, fist in the air. The girl managed to catch that as well and threw him over her body again.

The girl was starting to wonder why he let her throw him when a flamethrower of orange fire was sent her way from the ground. She leapt up and curled up in midair, blocking it with her forearms with violet sparkling around her as her energy barrier kicked in. Just as her body passed the plasma layer, a flying kick flew at her face. Her eyes widened and then she was knocked down.

Landing in a crouch with her eyes closed, she straightened up just for her stomach to growl. "I give in Hiei!" Ajisai called, doing the timeout signal.

"I'm tired and hungry!" She continued, opening her crystal blue eyes to see a fist flying at her again. It connected with her forehead and just about made her black out if it weren't for the thin pink barrier separating knuckles from her head.

"Shuichi! Tell him to stop please!" She whined, holding her head in pain. Hiei walked up to her sitting form and ground a fist into the top of her head, saying, "You don't eat until we're done here."

"Are we done when one of us passes out, orr?" She asked, weighing her options.

"You're not getting out of this, Ajisai," Hiei growled and pulled at her arm to stand her up. Ajisai made her legs into limp noodles, refusing to budge.

"No!" She told him, letting him drag her limp body upward. Blazing crimson eyes met soft innocent blue. "I just want wanna eaat, Hiei. I'm so hungryy!" The girl whined pitifully.

He dropped her with a growl and turned away, mumbling, "Disgraceful coward."

"Thank you!" She yelled out and rushed over to Shuichi, who was sitting by an oak tree. "Uh, Ajisai," the red head pointed to her head. Dried blood caked her face from the head wound.

"Oh!" She brought her hands up and a soft glow emitted from her hands. "Do you need any healing, Hiei?" She called out over her shoulder. The fire demon ignored her.

They were in a small clearing of a forest up in the mountains. Hiei had pulled Ajisai for one of their training sessions and they had camped out in the area. The nighttime air breezed through her hair gently as she glanced behind her. Hiei responded to her with an irritable glare as he leaned against one of the many trees surrounding the little meadow.

"Eat and go get washed in the hot spring, please," Shuichi told her as he handed her a bowl. Ajisai gratefully took it and dug in hungrily. It had been two days since she attended her first training session with Hiei and she was burning a lot of energy keeping up with him.

Each break, he'll teach her something and have her implement it in practice. Tonight, he was getting her used to fighting more aggressively and what weak points to hit. Hence, why he demanded she punch him in the face.

Ajisai finished her bowl quickly and grabbed her bag to go wash off the blood. She was getting used to being hit and having to heal herself afterwards, also making her reflexes quicker. It was be hit or dodge, like a game.

At first, Hiei restrained himself and would let her get away with light punches. But lately, he's been on edge about something. Probably the other demon's energy signature that was felt around this area.

The girl wonders if he's been trying to get her prepared for a potential danger, accelerating their sessions more aggressively. She pulled her soaps out of her bag and an extra set of clothes, placing them on the edge of the hot-spring as she pondered. Did he really think she could fend off such a strong attacker, though?

Ajisai undressed and stuck her foot in the water first. Satisfied, she let it drop all the way in with the rest of her body. Instantly, she was cozy and warm in the hot spring water. The girl relaxed for a moment with a sigh, enjoying the way her taut muscles from the sparring session melted like honey.

After unbraiding her hair leisurely, she dunked her head quickly and plopped back up with a splash, burning her face slightly in the water. Wiping the water away, she reached for the soap and rubbed it into her hair and body, creating sweet smelling soap bubbles. When she was finished with the suds, she dunked into the water again to rub at the soapy hair and her face with gentle fingers.

When she came back up for air her eyes were met with a pair glowing yellow eyes. The girl screamed, causing the gray imp-like creature to hold her mouth closed with a little paw. It whispered to her urgently with a tiny voice, "Shut up, human!"

"No, you get the Hell away from me!" She screeched and sent a few pink crescents at its nimble little body. It scurried around in a circle on all fours, trying to dodge the energy attacks. Ajisai stood up then and tried to grab one of its long whip-like tails, but it dashed away from her reach behind a rock.

"You aren't supposed to be here, human. Do you know where you are?" It asked her quietly, peeking out from behind the rock. Ajisai looked down at it with confusion just as a black streak phased into a black shadow before her. And then crimson red eyes glared into her eyes.

Giving out a loud yelp, the girl ducked into the water with a splash, pointing at Hiei and saying, "Hey! I'm naked, Hiei! Look away!"

"Stop with your insufferable yelling, woman," Hiei growled out and glared down at her, ignoring her demands before asking, "Why did you scream like that?"

Ajisai craned her back to look around him at the rock and noticed that it was gone, the little imp had vanished. "Oh, I don't know. I'm seeing things I guess," she whispered to herself. That's odd.

Hiei took a glance over toward the rock then back over to her with annoyance in his face as he said, "There's nothing there. Why are you causing drama, woman?"

Ajisai ignored him, watching the rock with narrowed eyes as she pondered what she had just seen. The little demon had no energy signature that she could sense. It also seemed to have been warning her of something.

"That's so weird," she mumbled to no one.

Hiei glanced down at her then turned to look back at the rock. Sliding her eyes over to him, she watched him for a moment before her lips curled into a smirk and she asked with amusement, "Hey, you wanna bathe with me?"

The girl was kidding, she knew he wouldn't consent to that. But it was a hilarious thought to see him blush with embarrassment for once. She hid her snicker behind her hand but did not expect his answer.

"Fine, woman. I'll make this quick," Hiei said before pulling his shirt off. Ajisai's eyes widened like saucers and she turned away, saying, "I didn't think you actually would!" The girl's face flushed ten shades of red as she heard fabric pile up behind her.

Closing her eyes, she heard the swooshing of water next to her and waited until it stilled to open them again. Hiei was sitting across from her, one muscled arm propped up against a rock, his back against the side with an annoyed look on his face. He didn't even look bothered at all being undressed in the same pool as her.

Ajisai lowered herself deeper into the water, her face flushing with embarrassment. They made eye contact and her face burned knowing that he was naked under the water just out of eye-shot, chiseled abs melting into where his hips should be underwater. And seeing his bored, nonchalant expression, he didn't seem to care at all.

"You wanna use my soap?" She asked in the middle of their little staring contest.

"What did you see out there?" He asked her and looked out toward the tree line, where the rock lay. Ajisai took a glance behind her and said, "A little demon," and turned to see Hiei glaring at her with a heated stare.

"And you're just now telling me this," he said with an annoyed voice. Ajisai turned and grabbed for her bag, feeling the heat of Hiei's stare on the back of her head as she grabbed the soap. Keeping her body under the water, she swam over to where he sat and handed him the bar soap.

"I didn't wanna worry you over a little bitty demon," Ajisai finally told him and he grabbed the soap, holding it in one hand as he glared at her. Ajisai turned and scooted back over to her original spot.

Hiei stared at the spot for a moment before slowly dipping his chest then his head fully in the water below, coming up to immediately wash his hair with the bar soap foam. Quickly scrubbing at his dark tresses, he shot a glance over to the girl and then back to the rock. The fire demon seemed to be in a rush and on edge, she noticed.

Ajisai sighed, figuring it was the other mysterious demon in the area causing this with him. She turned around to stare at the rock again and by the time she turned back to glance at Hiei, his hair was completely rinsed. Inky black locks lay drooping around his face like a wet cat, making the red of his irises stand out like red maraschino cherries.

He looks kinda cute like that.

Ajisai smiled and Hiei shot an irritable glance over to her before shaking his wet hair all over her. Then he sat back against the rock to relax, crimson eyes trained just behind her. She had guessed he had already washed his body as well, glimpsing the bar of soap sitting on the rock shelf behind him.

She watched him for awhile before gliding back over to him and putting a slender hand up to his scorched cheek. A warm pink glow illuminated between her fingers and she starting healing the wound caused by her sacred fire. Blackened skin melted into pink before her eyes.

"Don't waste your energy on me," he told her without moving, turning to watch the spot Ajisai kept glancing at earlier like a guard dog. "Hmm, I didn't ask if you approved," she told him quietly with a smile.

When his cheek was done she went to do his chest burn next. The girl moved the hiruseki stone out of the way and touched his chest with her other hand. Hiei grabbed her arm, then slid his eyes down to her with an odd look. The girl blushed and moved to pull away.

The sound of moving bushes drew both of their attention to the tree line. A figure walked into view and Hiei dropped her arm as Ajisai moved away, face red with embarrassment. It was Shuichi.

"I did not expect for you two to be bathing together. Did I miss something?" Shuichi asked and Ajisai opened her mouth to answer but Hiei beat her to it, "She saw a demon and screamed. Then asked me to bathe with her."

Ajisai felt like drowning herself at that moment, lowering herself in the water as she scooted to the very edge of the pool. Then she lifted her arms up and rested against the edge with her arms beneath her chin, saying, "I didn't think he'd actually do it."

She heard the sound of Hiei getting up out of the water and she closed her eyes and covered them as she heard him walk over to his clothes. "Towel right there," she pointed to her bag with one hand covering her eyes.

"I don't need it, silly girl. I'm a fire demon," Hiei chuckled and she listened as he walked away. She finally opened her eyes to see Shuichi there leaned against a tree, keeping a watchful eye out for her no doubt.

"It's ok, it's gone now. I bet Hiei scared it off," she told him in a helpful voice and he glanced one more time at the rock before leaving her in peace. Finally.

The girl made to get out of the water herself to dry off and get dressed. After gently squeezing the water out of her hair and rubbing the towel over her quickly, she grabbed the pile of clothes and went to put them on. After putting on her pants and everything else, she pulled her white T-shirt over her face and pulled it down. Something, however caught her eye immediately.

Wide yellow eyes peered up at her as she pulled the shirt down. "Huh, you look more like a cat than an imp, come to think of it," she told it.