Chapter Fourteen
The Fear And The Fearless
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Ajisai and Kurama made their way back to the coast, the girl in front as the fox towered behind her and slightly beside her. Both had their war faces on with determination set in their eyes as they marched on. Shuichi, before he changed to Kurama had retrieved her bow and arrows for her and that's where they were, strapped to her back with the sword at her side.
"Are you sure you can handle this in your state, Ajisai?" Kurama asked her with his deep husky voice. The girl nodded resolutely as she stared on, her brows lowered in determination. "I have to, Kurama. I'm the only one in the group that can defeat Ankawa, the fear."
The sword at her hip bounced loosely as she had only been able to tie its sheath to her with a white cloth, the sash secured around her hips. Kurama eyed it before asking her, "It might be difficult to use that sword without training. So, be careful with it. That's a deadly weapon."
"I'll only use it if I absolutely have to," Ajisai said and her brows furrowed as she glanced down at it, before straightening her neck to look forward. She then added, "The blade didn't want to be left behind. So I've decided to bring it with."
The two continued in silence as more and more sand deposits appeared and before too long the trees broke away to a beach as well as a beautiful glistening ocean before them. They were at the far side of the cove and would need to walk the beach around to where Hiei and the demon known as Ankawa battled.
Ajisai stilled, not seeing anything in the distance as she stepped out onto the sand. "Where is he? Where is Hiei?" Panic welled in her chest and she pushed it back as her eyes roamed the seascape.
"I feel his energy signature over there," Kurama pointed across the cove to the beach on the other side. "His energy feels much weaker. I wonder how he's faring, battling this calamity for six hours straight."
Ajisai hesitated and she turned back to him in alarm, "It's been that long?" She asked and whipped back around, whipping her braid as she continued marching down to the beach with her brows creased with worry. You better be ok, Hiei.
They continued in silence and picked up their speed as they ran across the beach, an urgency to their steps. Before long, they had made it halfway there and the waters next to them started to churn with movement below. Ajisai dodged to the side as a kappa launched itself toward her.
She kicked it with her right leg and brought out her bow, nocking an arrow to her bow spring. Suddenly, several more kappas torpedoed from the waves as they launched themselves at them. Ajisai drew back her bow and struggled to aim.
The girl was very rusty, managing to let fly a few measly arrows at the kappas feet. "Shit, this is harder than I remember," she confessed through her teeth.
Kurama knocked a few back with his whip as he worriedly glanced over to Ajisai, who's arm was shaking as she let loose another lame arrow at a kappa that was charging her. He flicked his whip at the demon, knocking it back several feet.
"Are you going to be okay, Ajisai?" He called to her just before an army of kappa torpedoed from the ocean towards the struggling girl. Yellow eyes widened then narrowed as he picked up speed, slicing into kappa bodies with his whip.
"First of all, I need to infuse my purification aura into these arrows," she admitted just as she grabbed one and stared at it. With an inhale and exhale she whispered something to herself and the arrow glowed a bright pink with a dancing white flame at the tip.
"Work with me here. We have to protect ourselves and Kurama," she told the arrow and nocked it just as another kappa made a beeline straight for her.
Blue eyes glinted as she pulled the bow spring back in a solid pull, fluid as she meant to before. With one eye closed she aimed, then opened both eyes before releasing it. A brilliant pink streak flew straight at the kappa and incinerated a hole straight through its body. She let loose a few more steady arrows like this, taking out more kappa.
Their beach lit up with pink streaks, green plants and silver as her and Kurama battled the kappa army. And it didn't seem to be slowing any as they would take out several of them and be rewarded with ten more from the ocean. Ajisai's stamina was really taking a hit, not being used to this amount of fighting.
Kurama seemed to notice as he had told her, "I can handle this. You go on without me. We need you to take down their boss. Go find Hiei!"
"Are you sure?" She asked the fox demon, watching as he took several out with roots that he commanded come out of the sand. "Yes! I'm positive. Now get going!" He called out to her as a huge plant erupted from the ground - a demonic looking Venus fly trap plant.
"Ok," she said quietly after shooting a few arrows at some kappa that had just climbed out of the ocean. She let loose a few more arrows before turning and running down the coast, glancing back at Kurama's fighting form and his demon plants as the distance between them grew larger.
She turned and closed her eyes, willing herself to leave him behind. Then she opened them to a determined look as she pushed herself forward. Before she knew it, Kurama had become a small speck almost across the water from her and she eyed his location warily as she ran.
Then she glimpsed something and she set her gaze forward. The sand on this side of the cove was blackened and burned from a hot fire. Hiei was here just recently, the sand melting together to create nodules of glass. She carefully observed the area, not seeing a sign of Hiei or Ankawa in the waters beside her.
She made to follow the blackened and melted sand, following its great expanse around the curve of the cove. And then she seen an impact crater and examined it thoroughly for any signs of him, in case he had fallen already.
She didn't like the thought of that, pushing that fear back as far as it will go. The girl had to remain resilient and brave right now, she couldn't think on obsessive useless thoughts like that right now. It did worry her how he fared though, having to fight for six hours straight must be taxing.
A memory crossed her mind and she pushed it back, the last time a person she loved had to fight one of these calamities for this amount of time ended up dying. Fortunately, she was able to seal that one in a scroll. She wondered if the demon was able to be released, but that thought was too distracting.
Focus. One calamity at a time. She told herself.
Ajisai suddenly heard a rushing of water and glanced behind her just as a massive tunnel of water erupted from the ocean and was headed straight towards her. She turned around to attempt to run away, but it easily caught the back half of her body. Like a suction, it attached to her and threatened to pull her in.
Just as the water tunnel hit her, Hiei finally appeared in a black flash and grabbed ahold of her left arm. The black haired demon held on tightly, refusing to let her go. The girl watched his face, taking in how wide his beautiful cherry red eyes were at this moment. She's never seen them so big. Fear left her the moment they locked eyes.
Ajisai reached for his arms with her other arm, and just when her fingers touched the dragon tattoo on his arm, her other arm slipped. Hiei's grip tightened, threatening to break her forearm, but she didn't care.
It happened in a millisecond. It must have been the spray from the water tunnel that caused it, creating a moisture barrier between his skin and hers. Ajisai was vaulted high into the air with a splash of water from the two forces pulling on her. Hiei's hand slipped.
Now her body was slowly somersaulting in the air, G-force pulling her body around and she watched as the starry night sky above her melted into a large sparkling ocean cove from the moonlight below her. Fear shook her insides once she realized the height she was at. So high up, that she couldn't even see Hiei on the beach.
Trees looked like sticks. The large cove looked like a thumb coming out of the ocean. Skyscrapers were at level with her, she watched as the moonlight glinted off their reflected surface. Just how high up was she?
Ajisai's insides burned with sudden fear and panic. She didn't know how she was going to survive this fall. Her body was too high up for it to be a safe landing.
The girl glimpsed something though when her body made another spin. A large black snake-like object looked to be headed her way. No way…
He can't have…
Ajisai spun another rotation and the cove was coming up on her fast. The girl splayed her arms out to fight against the wind rushing up at her. Then she seen it again and confirmed it in her mind.
It was the Dragon of Darkness Flame headed right for her!
Ajisai braced herself to either be instantly incinerated or slammed into by the thing. She wasn't sure, never having been a victim to it, only few had lived through it before from what Shuichi told her. And they must've been much stronger than she - a mere human Miko.
And then it came and she stared into its red eyes as it opened its large muzzle and took her into its mouth. Ajisai closed her eyes, expecting pain. She opened them.
She was perfectly fine. The Dragon was carrying her through the air, twisting and turning gracefully like a black ribbon in the sky. Ajisai hesitantly touched its nose and felt a warm dark flame caress her hand. The Dragon wasn't corporeal, but it felt like it as it clamped its mouth protectively around her body.
And then it changed its course and they were suddenly flying downward, the Dragon answering to its Master's call. Ajisai glanced down again and saw the great big flame of Hiei's aura. He was calling the Dragon back to him.
Ajisai's stomach churned with fear and admiration for the man. Emotions welled in her chest and swirled in a massive chaotic whirlpool as her eyes threatened to cry tears of joy. But her dire situation wasn't over yet.
The Dragon swiftly brought her downward toward the beach and as they flew closer, she could see its Master clearer and clearer. Before she knew it, Hiei was reaching up for her and she was crashing into his arms.
Hiei braced himself, sliding across the sand with her in his arms as his feet dug in. And then he managed to come to a full stop and she glanced up at his shadowed face then to the flames around them. Mystified, she watched as the black fire swirled around them like a fire tornado, flames clashing into one another.
Hiei was absorbing his Dragon back into him as he held her in his arms tightly. She blinked and looked back up toward his face. And then the man opened his mouth and let out a feral cry, full of rage and the want to kill.
Ajisai closed her eyes and braced herself against his ire and opened them when he had quieted. His face was still obscure but his eyes glowed blazing red through the flames. And then she felt the aura in the cove respond with its own flare and she looked out to see choppy dark waters dancing before them.
Hiei put her down on the sand silently as dark flames whipped around them and let her run away from him before he fully consumed the Dragon. The air around him quickly warmed and heated to an almost unbearable amount and the girl ran as fast as she could so he didn't accidentally burn her.
When she was at a safe enough distance, she turned and witnessed an astonishing event. Hiei had consumed the Dragon and glowed with hot blue and black flames. The water tunnel appeared again just then, challenging him. And this is where the fight began.
On demon time, she witnessed Hiei vanish in the blink of an eye to reappear above the water spout just as the bull launched out of it toward him. They clashed with bright lights and she stopped being able to distinguish one another as the two flitted around the cove in an aggressive flurry.
When the bull stopped she noticed he had grown legs where he once had fins. The demon must be able to interchange its mobility depending on where it was located. In a flurry, the two vanished again and Ajisai watched in fascination as blue flames and sparkling water danced across the sky.
And then she remembered why she was there and she reached behind her to grab her bow and an arrow to nock into the bowstring. Somehow all her arrows stayed in the quiver through the little adventure she had made in the sky earlier. The G-force of her somersaulting might've kept them secure inside.
Ajisai stared up into the sky at the dancing demons and then nocked her arrow before blessing it with her energy and pulling the bowstring back. Aiming for the bull's large form with one eye closed, she opened both of her eyes just as she let the arrow loose. It arced beautifully with a brilliant pink light as it shot up into the atmosphere headed straight for the bull's neck.
He dodged.
And then the bull turned toward her and with a curtain of sparkling water behind it, it torpedoed itself down to where she was on the beach. Ajisai shakily nocked another arrow and pulled it back just for it to be let loose just above his head.
Ajisai waited for death to take her, idly fingering the hilt of her sword as the bull bared down on her with its massive size and jet stream of water. She was just about to quickly draw her sword when she was roughly picked up by strong arms. Her head smacked someone's chest and she blinked back tears of pain as she was carried high into the sky.
"Crazy-girl, that was reckless," Hiei's voice from above her head told her and she could feel his hot breath on her ear. The girl turned to meet blazing crimson eyes and emotions welled up as she stared into them. She couldn't help but hug him. Tears streamed down her face, with arms wrapped around his neck.
"Hiei," she breathed into his skin, relief in her voice as she smiled against his neck. She felt his neck turn to look at her and he responded to her with, "You act as if I had died. I've been right here, silly girl."
Ajisai pulled back to look at him as stray hairs from her french-braided hair whipped around her. She furrowed her brows at him as she said, "You've been fighting for six hours. Of course I'm going to worry."
"Hn. Do you think so little of me that you assumed I would fall to this guy?" Hiei turned his head to regard the flying bull hot on their tail.
The words came out of her mouth before she had time to think, "No, but it scares me to lose you." And then she shut her mouth and a blush colored her cheeks. That was a bit too forward, Ajisai. She told herself with a grimace.
Wide crimson eyes stared into hers for a moment before Hiei responded, "Don't say such things. I'm not going anywhere."
Ajisai closed her eyes and slumped back into his arms. He had no idea what affect those words had on her. She knew he wasn't meaning it in that way, so she willed herself to not acknowledge it.
"I'm going to set you down here. Refrain from any more crazy stunts like you just pulled back there," he told her after awhile and she spotted them heading for the other side of the cove.
"Uh, no you're not! I'm very much involved in this fight too, whether you like it or not!" She told him as the beach grew closer to them. Whipping around, she turned to glare up at him with determined eyes.
"No. You're staying the hell out of this," he growled as his feet touched the sand. She stubbornly grabbed onto his neck, refusing to let him make her sit this out on the sidelines.
"I'm the only one of us who can beat him. I can't hit him from here," she glared up into his equally blazing crimson eyes.
"You're staying here!" He shot back, the muscle on his cheek dancing. And then he tried to pull her off of him.
"Hell no!" She told him. And then her blue eyes darted up to somewhere above him. She pushed him back hard as she grabbed her bow and quickly nocked an arrow.
"Don't move," she told him just before releasing it right above his head, which yielded a rare surprised look from him from the glare he once held on his face.
He turned his head to see her purifying arrow streak through the descending bull's shoulder, wounding it. "Finally got you!" She yelled at it.
Hiei glanced back at her and she looked back at him. They locked eyes just as the bull touched ground next to them in a splash of sand. Hiei drew his sword and darted after it, disappearing into the sand.
Ajisai trained her next arrow on the cloud herself, waiting to see a body part expose itself from the dust. She saw a whirl of movement and heard Hiei's sword hitting metal as they skirmished inside. Patient, she waited until she could get a clear shot.
And then the dust cleared and she witnessed the two blurring together in a violent frenzy. She exhaled and let her bow spring slack, realizing it was impossible to not also hit Hiei as well. The girl watched the fight carefully, waiting for a moment for them to slow down.
Just one well aimed arrow. She just needed to hit the bull's sigil. And all of this mess can be done and dealt with.
Ajisai wasn't expecting the kappa to grab ahold of her to drag her to to the ocean. With a cry, she wretched behind her and peeled its claws from her sides. It bit into her back muscle with its beak and she screamed.
Hiei, down the coastline to her, hesitated. Which gave the bull ample opportunity to get a few cheap licks in with his fist. The girl turned around on the kappa and drew her sword just as Hiei's black streak was knocked into the trees.
She hesitated, not sure what option to take. The bull was wide open but she also had this angry kappa to deal with. Uncertainty marked her face as she glanced between them.
The kappa made her decision for her by launching itself at her and for the first time, she swung her sword with an amateur swing at its head. The kappa ducked its head into its shell.
She missed. Then a black streak suddenly came up from the trees behind it and killed it, slicing it in two with one swing. Crimson eyes regarded her with an emotion before Hiei flitted off to continue his fight with Ankawa.
Ajisai breathed, experimentally swinging the sword again. It was surprisingly lighter than she thought but heavier than she could manage. Shakily, she sheathed it back in its sheath with wide blue eyes. The girl couldn't believe she had just done that.
She never thought she'd ever use a sword. Blinking, she turned to watch the fight continue. And then a sharp pain blossomed from the kappa bite and she glanced down and turned to see green mixed in with the blood leaking from the puncture wound and the crescent slice below it.
Ajisai glanced back up at the fight. She would need to end this soon. Poison was now running through her veins and she wasn't sure what it would do to her.
The girl nocked back an arrow and pulled the bow spring, feeling her tired muscles strain and her wounds ache as she aimed the bow carefully. When she got a clear shot, she would shoot. No more hesitation.
She swayed a little, messing her aim up. Pushing back the sudden weakness in her muscles, she held her breath and aimed again. Glimpsing the bull's exposed chest, she zeroed in. And finally having an opening - she took her shot.
Then her bow fell to the ground and she fell with it, the poison finally taking its hold on her. Looking down, she weakly pushed the bow out from under her and turned her head to see what was going on in front of her. Her vision blurred as she took in a single black form.
Froth bubbled from her mouth and she spat, just before convulsing into a spasm. All of her muscles seized up at once curling her into a ball. Luckily, she was gritting her teeth and not biting her precious vein filled tongue.
When it let go of her, the girl weakly grabbed at her bow and quickly bit into its wood as she convulsed into another seizure, harder this time. Her vision blurred again and she tried to fight off the feeling of passing out. Somewhere above her laying position, she heard quick footsteps across the sand.
Arms scooped her up just as she spasmed again and she bit down so hard on her bow, she felt the wood begin to crack in her jaws. Vaguely, she felt movement like she was being thrown through a jet stream of air.
The pain in Hiei's voice when he screamed, "Kurama," broke her heart to hear.
Hiei made quick work of the rest of Kurama's foes as the fox examined Ajisai behind him. When he turned to witness the poor girl go into another spasm, he clenched his fists. This was the third spasm as Kurama held the bow tightly against her mouth.
Hiei has witnessed seizures before, been the cause of them himself, even. But watching someone you vowed to protect undergo one without being of much help is something entirely. And there was nothing he could do to stop them.
The fire demon watched as the spasms stopped and Kurama stuck a plant seed into her wound. Giving it the last bit of his energy, the fox bade the demon plant grow and suck out her poisoned blood with its roots. He told Hiei that there was a fifty-fifty chance of her making it.
Hiei then took a few more hesitant steps as he watched the plant blossom around her, yielding beautiful blue flowers. His red eyes widened at the display. Fitting really, that her possible death would look so beautiful. And that color.
He then glanced down to look at her eyes and realized they were closed tightly and full of tears. She was still awake, even after all of that. He wanted her to open her eyes, just then. The girl's pretty blues were same color as the precious gem on his chest and it calmed him to see.
The thought of seeing them for the last time made him stiffen and he watched as the plant detached itself from her flesh. Slowly, his eyes trailed back to her lovely face as the plant withered above her. He watched on cautiously in case of another spasm.
No more came. The fire demon then relaxed and reached out a tentative hand to feel her breath. Slow and ragged. The girl was burning up too. "Save her, Fox," he said quietly, watching her breath.
Just breath.
Live. He willed the girl.
You are strong.
Kurama changed back into his human form and he sat beside her weakly, holding his hand up to her pulse to examine her. The crease on his brow made Hiei stiffen and he watched as he slowly pulled his hand away with a dark look on his face. That can't be good.
"What's her condition, Fox?" Hiei spat out and then his eyes traveled her damaged body. He hadn't noticed all of the claw marks and bruising. She should've stayed well away from this fight.
Hiei glanced down at her reward in his hand, the trade off of all her pain. The damned demon scroll.
With anger, tossed it down on the ground with a look of disgust. If only he could've just killed the demon himself without the use of her powers. She would be safe. He would've protected her better.
Hiei would've put her away in a sealed cave somewhere to keep her away from this mess. Crimson eyes glanced down to look at her broken bow. The thought crossed his mind that she would've have allowed that. She was a fighter, not a weak human girl.
"It's not looking good for her," Kurama finally admitted through clenched teeth. Hiei glanced up to see that shadows casted over his face after he took her vitals. He continued, "Her pulse is very weak. The plant had to suck out most of her blood. She's suffering from blood loss again, like the last time."
Kurama put his face in his hand and let out a strained groan as he tried to contain himself. This was worse than the last time, it seemed. He wasn't this glum the last time she was at death's door.
To check her himself, Hiei reached for her neck and felt her pulse, finding it right below her jaw bone. He waited a moment and felt that it was very weak. A feeling he doesn't normally feel washed over him just then – fear.
It must be that damned scroll. Glaring at it, he kicked it away, wary of its influence over him. In the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't the scroll causing these emotions.
"Water," Hiei's eyes shot up to the girl. She was trying to speak to them, "Need water… please…"
Hiei watched her face cautiously as Kurama shot up and ran into the trees, more than likely headed for the stream close by. The girl coughed and made to sit up. Hiei lightly pushed her back down by her shoulder. She stiffened and opened her eyes to glare up at him.
At least she's still feisty.
"Let me up," she told him weakly and he refused, holding her down with own hand.
"Don't move. You are weak and injured," he told her sternly. He was starting to sound like the fox, babying her. He didn't care at this point though. Relief filled him where that disgusting emotion once resided – fear.
"I don't really care," she made out and tried to sit up again. Hiei held her down, receiving heated glares. The fire demon didn't mind in the slightest. She's alive. And apparently pretty lively. It almost brought a smile to his face.
The girl weakly smacked at his arm and sighed, staring up into the sky. Hiei watched her faded blue eyes take in the scene above her before she said, "I'm assuming since were both here just chillin', the bull has been defeated."
Hiei nodded an affirmation and she closed her eyes with relief. They stayed like that in silence before Kurama appeared through the tree line with a full canteen of water. The girl went to sit up again and this time Hiei let her, watching her struggle to push through the weakness and pain.
Hiei gave in immediately and helped her up, seeing her struggle made him want to kill things. The girl made him do a lot of things that he didn't normally do for just anybody. Apparently, her pain made him want to inflict pain on others. Like that damn kappa that bit her.
The fire demon never hesitates during fights either. But hearing her scream like that made him want to kill. So he abandoned his fight for a second to eradicate the cause of her pain. However, it did make him proud to see her finally use that sword, although she is an amateur.
Crimson eyes slid over to the sheath at her side and he watched it for a moment before his eyes slid back to her face as she greedily gulped down water. She will survive.
Blue eyes slid over to meet Hiei's and she dropped her bottle to turn toward him and stare at him for awhile before she said, "Staring is rude, Hiei." And then she laughed that laugh that gives him a warm feeling in his chest.
"Hn," he looked away, not letting her get the best of him. The girl loved to pick on him when she was in a good mood. At least she's alive.
And then she tried to stand up and both him and Kurama held one shoulder down on both sides of her. She sighed before saying, "Guys, let's get out of here. I don't like it here."
And then her eyes trailed over to the graveyard of skyscrapers at the opening of the cove. Hiei read her mind just then. Oh that's right, the bull had told her she was born here. This place held painful memories for her. The girl wanted to avoid this area.
Hiei turned toward her then and grabbed her from behind her waist and under her knees and picked her limp form up. The girl seemed smaller in his arms somehow as he took in her pitiful state. Blue eyes turned up to glare up at him. The girl's spirit is definitely not pitiful, that's for certain.
"I can walk," she told him with annoyance and he chuckled saying, "Yeah, you can fall too." The glare she gave him made him chuckle again.
He adjusted her and held her up higher to his face as he told her, "You nearly die and you think you can make demands." She huffed, as she always does and turned to look away with her arms crossed.
Kurama picked up her ruined bow and walked over to them with it. With a sad expression the girl took it into her hands and felt the indention of her teeth in the wood along with the crack they made with her slender fingers. Looking at it closer, it looked like she had bit it pretty hard.
Not wanting to remember the sight of her seizing, Hiei looked away and out toward the cove. They have defeated another calamity. This one was twice the strength of the last one. Vaguely, he wondered if the calamities would increase in strength.
Part of him hoped so, it presented a challenge. Then he looked down at the girl who was fiddling with the broken bow in his arms. She looked so small and fragile at that moment, her hair was in a mess with blood all over her.
She nearly died. A quiet voice told him from the deep recesses of his mind.
We must protect her. It said again. And he glanced over to the sword that matched with her so well. He will train her well so she can fare better in the future. The next time a kappa runs at her, she won't swing and miss sloppily. He will make sure she slices through it like butter.
So she can survive a little bit longer.
It was glaringly obvious that the girl was prone to disaster, already dying previously before. When she was a wolf he didn't worry as much about her. Thinking back, they weren't as close as they are now.
Now though, she is a small fragile girl with Miko powers who has a big heart and a fighter's spirit. And loves him…
"Hiei, is there something wrong?" Ajisai asked him and he glanced down to her face. "You've been burning a hole in my bow for a little while now. Are you still mad at me for having to use it?"
"Hn. I'm glad it's broke," he told her and she glared at him again. He wanted to chuckle so instead he smirked at her response.
"You do realize I can't help defeat calamities if my bow is out of commission right? There's two left," She said with aggravation in her voice.
Yeah, human. That's a good thing too. You won't live past thirty at this point.
The thought that she wouldn't always be around bothered him. As is your typical human lifespan, short and boring it seemed. Not hers though, not the boring part at least.
"Ajisai, how old are you?" Hiei wanted to know how much longer she might be expected to live. Humans grow old in their fifties. It's an odd thing. He was still a child at fifty years old, hitting his young adult stage at a hundred.
"Why are you asking me that now?" The girl sighed, she was probably getting aggravated with his questions. But they weren't pointless and he wanted to know.
"Answer the question, woman," he told her, willing she listen for once. So damn stubborn.
She sighed again before telling him, "I'm twenty-five."
Hiei stiffened. She was already a quarter of a century old. And halfway until she's grown old. The girl watched his face for a moment before seeing something in his eyes, she was way too perceptive.
"Hiei, what's wrong?" She asked, concern etched in her brows. He'd have to get better at keeping a straight face around her. She could read minds as well as he could sometimes.
Twenty-five is just a baby to him. But to her she was already well past her youth. Hiei's arms tightened.
"It's nothing, human," he guarded himself against her again, he didn't mean to push the girl away. But sometimes he had to, for her own good.
He couldn't reciprocate her feelings. Hiei wasn't strong like his sister, who had openly accepted a human as a mate knowing she only had a limited time with him. His sister had a strength that he did not possess and it was her heart.
If Ajisai was a demon…
If Ajisai was a demon he would take her on as his mate in a heartbeat.
Not all demons mate for life. And he's had his fair share of flings in his years. But for her… he wanted her to live a long time with him. And she would be his sole mate for life.
If she lived a demon lifespan… that is.
Hiei felt a hand on his face and he glanced down to see the girl transfixed on a wound on his cheek. He felt the tightness of his skin as she healed him effortlessly. Before long the wound was fully healed.
Ajisai didn't even care about wasting what little energy reserves she had in her fragile body. If she saw a wound on him, she was healing it. No matter how superficial it was.
"Stop. You're wounded. Tend to your own wounds," he told her before carrying her away to the clearing they stayed the night at before. She will need rest and it was nighttime. Hiei glanced up at the moon, noting that it was midnight.
He will stay up all night like every other night to sit in the tree above her and watch over her as she slept, ever since he woke her human self up by that cherry blossom tree.
"My King, I bring dire news," the red ogre demon said as he walked up to the gilded throne, bringing a single piece of parchment. The shadowed King snatched the paper up with a golden clawed hand and read it as the ogre explained, "Fubuki has been defeated and completely purified. Our forces found the remains of her scroll in a cave near her territory. What do you make of this, Sire?"
The King dropped his arm and tossed the paper aside in aggravation as he responded, "This news does not bode well. We have a monk or a Miko on the loose."
And then, suddenly in a rage he yelled, "I thought I eradicated them all! The last one was killed two years ago!" He then shoved the ogre away, who blinked with confusion as he said, "Go now! Warn Ankawa! I have Ikari with me here, thankfully."
He reached his metal claws into his chest plate and summoned a single scroll. On it were the demon world characters - Wrath. The King inspected it with a scowl, his face shadowed in darkness.
"On to phase two of my plan. Has Yurei caught the half-demon?" He asked the ogre demon just as it was turning to fulfill his orders. The ogre stopped and glanced back at the throne.
"Aye, yessir your Highness. She will deliver him within a week-"
"That's not soon enough!" The King roared and slammed his arm into the armrest of the gilded gold throne. It creaked weakly, withstanding the abuse.
"You tell her that I want him within three days or she can join the Pit," the King whispered dangerously.
The red ogre nodded swiftly and turned to run away, dashing across the red carpet and through the doorway promptly. The King watched him go with a sneer. Then his eyes traveled back down to the scroll.
"I will kill them all with his wrath," he whispered to it darkly and let out a chuckle. And then the chuckle turned into maniacal laughter as he lifted his legs up and clutched at his chest, his mirth echoing through the chamber loudly.
When he was done, he tucked the scroll back into the safety of his gilded chest plate before adding, "The Mortal Realm belongs to me."
"Ajisai, be careful!" A red headed Shuichi called out just before the girl tumbled into the bushes. She had just broke her fever and was anemic from blood-loss. But that didn't stop her from trying to maneuver around the campsite.
The girl was just trying to get up to go sit by the fire. Her skin was cold and clammy, her fingers and toes numb from her suddenly low temperature. It wasn't her fault that they decided to place her down by a cold ass boulder, blocking the heat of the fire.
A black shadow flitted down in front of her and she glared up at the owner. Crimson eyed regarded her for a moment before bending down to pick her up. She smacked his arm away.
"Don't get mad at me. You are the one clumsy enough to wrestle a bush," Hiei told her before quickly scooping her up into his arms. She looked away from him with her arms crossed as she accused, "It's your fault. You put me in the coldest spot possible and now I'm freezing. I was just trying to go to the fire."
"Yes, to break the fever. But if you are now cold just say so," Hiei held her tighter to his chest and with a whoosh, expanded his flames out to envelope her without burning. Instantly, she felt warm and cozy. The fire demon watched as her eyes lazily drooped and she rested her head against his chest.
"Put me by the fire please," she mumbled through the sudden drowsiness, his sandalwood scent suddenly wafting up into her nose. Hiei glanced over to the weak flame then back at her with a smirk and said, "I'm better than that wimpy flame."
With a serious tone she repeated herself, "Put me down by the fire. Please." The fire demon obliged with a scowl, placing her next to Shuichi gently. The girl positioned herself to sit upright and hold her hands up over the fire.
"What's you're problem with me now, girl?" Hiei asked her with his arms crossed. The girl responded without looking away from the fire, "No problem with you, personally. I just don't want to be picked up or held."
Hiei's eye twitched and he pointed at Shuichi as he said, "But you let the fox hold you just fine! You even cuddle against him in your sleep!"
When the girl refused to answer, the red head glanced between the two and said carefully, "I believe what she's trying to say is that you make her uncomfortable."
"I make her uncomfortable?" Hiei said incredulously before turning to the girl, "You were just fine until recently. Then-" he stopped and scowled, staring into the flames in irritation.
"If it helps, when I get better I won't be needing either of you to assist me any longer," Ajisai told them carefully after some time. And then she added, "I'll use that trick on my legs to run faster. I won't be able to run as quick as you guys but…"
And then she looked out into the forest with her hands above the fire, "I want to start pulling my own weight. Maybe then you guys will see me as your equal and not just some damsel in distress."
There was a long silence before Hiei finally spoke up, "I don't see you like that-"
"You do. You think I'm fragile. I've sensed it in your aura before," she interrupted to counter him.
"Keep your nosy Miko senses out of my head," he responded with a scowl, turning toward her with his eyes alight.
"Keep your creepy eye out of mine," she countered again, tipping her head back to glare into his eyes.
They had a standoff, glaring into each others eyes in irritation before Shuichi suddenly chuckled and regarded the two of them with, "You two act like a old married couple."
Ajisai was the first to break eye contact and look away, a blush forming on her aggravated face. Hiei stiffened as he watched her with wide crimson eyes. Shuichi sighed before noting, "It was a joke, guys. I was merely just trying to lighten the mood."
Married? I haven't even been kissed before.
And then the girl moved to stand up suddenly, turning away from them as she said quietly, "I'm going to go get some water." And then she walked away, stabilizing herself by pushing against the tree trunks with her hand.
"I should not have said that," Shuichi told himself and pinched the bridge of his nose between his eyes. Hiei was silent, keeping his eyes trained on the girls figure as she slowly made it through the trees.
It took the girl way too long to find the stream, holding onto tree limbs as she went. When she finally glimpsed the sparkling water under the soft morning light, she pushed herself forward and stumbled onto the ground. Weakly, she pushed herself up off of her knees and made to stand up slowly in front of the rushing water.
"I could have carried you here, but you're too stubborn," Hiei spoke to her softly from somewhere behind her. Ignoring him to walk a few more steps forward, she attempted to reach the stream. Her foot caught a root roughly and it almost resulted in her falling face first into the water.
Hiei caught her easily, pulling her to his chest with one arm behind her waist. Ajisai turned and finally regarded him with lowered brows. "I can manage just-"
And then she blinked, suddenly finding soft lips placed upon her own. A warm blush graced her cheeks as she stilled, eyes roaming his face with confusion. Hiei had his eyes closed with a serene expression as he kissed her gently. He tasted like sweet apples.
Ajisai slowly closed her own eyes and accepted the kiss, staying like that for awhile as her senses were enveloped by the warm smell of sandalwood. Slowly, he pulled away just to envelope her into his arms giving her a rare moment of affection as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
She couldn't help the few tears that escaped her eyes as she blinked, staring at his black T-shirt. "Why are you doing this, Hiei," she asked him quietly, remembering his earlier words that opposed this very action.
"I thought you were going to die," he told her quietly and he paused before telling her, "I wanted to show you what a kiss felt like, since you've never been kissed before."
"Why did you do that?" She asked his chest, not believing his words. This wasn't Hiei. What had possessed him to kiss her? After telling her he would never take her on as a mate because she was human.
She pushed against him roughly with tears in her eyes, resulting in him letting go and taking a step back. With her head back, she glared into his soft crimson eyes as she told him with a shaky voice, "This isn't fair, Hiei! Why would you kiss me after rejecting me like that?"
His eyes widened and then he turned his face away to stare into the stream cutting through the trees next to them. Ajisai wasn't finished though, clenching her fists she told him, "I don't know how you demons work but to us humans, kissing is a form of courtship. What are you-"
"Do you love me, Ajisai?" He whispered, crimson eyes low as he watched a school of fresh water fish swim against the current. Ajisai stilled and remained silent as he continued, "I have never found a mate. My world consisted of violence before I met you."
And then his warm maraschino cherry colored eyes slid over to her own and she felt like she was in a trance. Her heart was racing as he continued, "Seeing you at death's door did something to me. I realized I wanted to protect you and care for you. I also realized that you do not have much time in this realm. Your life is so short and fragile."
Ajisai inhaled a deep shaky breath as she realized she wasn't breathing. She was about to speak before his lips parted again to tell her, "I can't promise I will take you as a mate. But I want to be around you for as long as possible. To experience your love."
Then he turned away and started walking toward the camp, leaving her there speechless with her face flushed red with a blush. What just… happened?
Ajisai brought her hand up to her lips and thought on the kiss. How soft and warm his lips were against hers. The way they had tasted like the apples Shuichi had found for them to eat. And his words.
The girl covered her suddenly hot face with her hands as she stared wildly at the ground through her fingers with wide sparkling blue eyes.
What just happened?
AN: Ive reached 100K on this story! So I wrote in an early kiss as a gift to you guys!
~Thanks so much for reading this far!~
