Chapter Eleven: A Spar

The trio, along with the unconscious duo, had made it out of the castle without any further complications. The seriousness of the last conversation was long gone as they talked and bantered about nothing and everything. Kurama was as Kainna suspected, very mischievous. He bantered with Hiei well, teasing him if he were to get too cocky. Kainna enjoyed their company as they made it outside the castle walls to where they were teleported before. As soon as they made it to the tree that had marked their entrance, they were teleported back to the same warehouse Kainna and the boys had entered through.

"Ugh, still as dusty as ever." Kainna complained as she had landed on her butt when she was thrown through the portal. It seems the way back was not as smooth as the way there. Kurama and Hiei managed to get their unconscious partners on their backs again as they looked expectantly at Kainna. "What?"

"We expected you to lead the way to Yusuke's home." Kurama explained.

"How would I know where Yusuke lives?" She asked. Both Hiei and Kurama looked at her with exasperation.

"You two trained together for 6 months straight, we assumed you would know where he lived." Kurama answered politely.

"We only trained together at Genkai's, where I currently reside. Yusuke offered his place for me to live but I don't believe in living with another male unless he is my mate. So, I've never been." Kainna answered. Hiei was surprised at her modest views although he couldn't say he disagreed with them. He would not like it if he learned his mate was staying with another male.

"But Kuwabara knows where he lives." Kainna said with a grin. Both demons looked at each other.

"He can't exactly tell us right now." Hiei stated bluntly. Kainna's smile didn't waver.

"Just bring them outside with me, I'll handle the rest." Kainna instructed the two. They looked at each other once more but shrugged and followed Kainna out of the warehouse. Kainna shoved open the exit door with excitement, glad to see the moonlight shining down on the ally way in front of them.

"I wish we had teleported to Genkai's, the moonlight there is unobstructed, but this will do." Kainna said, speaking mostly to herself. Her energy was returning at a fast pace already, her skin was taking on a white glow as she stepped into the moonlight. At first nothing happened, but Kainna felt it. The small spasms from her unhealed nervous system stopped as her energy repaired every damaged cell in her body before going on to her outwards appearance. The small cuts and bruises she had acquired during the last fights healed and her dehydration vanished. Her body took on a white aura as her energy reserves were flooded with the excess energy she was receiving. Both male demons watched with interest, neither had seen a moon demon during a full moon like this. Kurama considered himself lucky that the one time he had, she was a teammate and not a foe.

Hiei's eyes traced over her body as he searched for any indication that she was still hurt, as if her energy would miss a thing. He annoyingly could tell she was still masking her energy, the fact that she was glowing and yet he felt only a low-level c-class demonic aura from her indicated that. His eyes finally returned to her face, glad to see that although the dry blood still decorated her face, the cuts that he could see before beneath her bangs were now gone. His eyes flickered to her own icy ones; his chest constricted slightly when he realized she was already looking at him. He felt embarrassed to be caught staring at her.

"I'll heal Kuwabara now." Kainna spoke. She knelt down next to Kuwabara and rubbed her thumb over his forehead, a light transfer of energy from her skin into his. Kuwabara's eyes shot opened as he quickly stood up from the adrenaline he felt.

"What happened!?" He screamed as he took in his surroundings. Kurama approached him and gently explained what was going on as Kainna moved to Yusuke. She knelt next to him, looking over his battled body sadly. Hiei noticed she did not heal him as she healed Kuwabara, instead of placing her finger on his head she placed the palm of her hand over his chest. Her energy dispersed through his body like a pulse. Yusuke did not get up.

"Why isn't he getting up?" Kuwabara asked. Kainna placed her hands in her lap, a frown on her face.

"Suzuko tortured Yusuke with his electricity while I was trapped in the bubble. I've healed his nervous system and all his physical wounds, but his mind is still hurt. Only time can heal that. He will wake up when his mind is ready." Memories flashed through Kainna's eyes of not only Yusuke's torture, but her own. Her hand twitched slightly before she clasped it with her other quickly and stood up before the others noticed. Her mind needed some healing too, but that could wait.

"Which is why I gave Kuwabara some of my own energy, he'll be able to take Yusuke home now." Kainna smiled over at Kuwabara who looked over-powered with energy, perhaps Kainna gave him too much.

"I can get him home, that's not a problem. I've never felt more alive in my life!" Kuwabara chatted excitedly as he slung Yusuke easily over his shoulder before turning North.

"His mom might be home though, maybe I'll have him crash at my place while I come up with an excuse for her." He continued talking to himself before running down the alleyway with a spring in his step. The three demons stared after him for a moment.

"I guess he can't handle my energy too well, it seems too much for him." Kainna murmured. She still wasn't use to healing humans as much. With that thought she turned to the other two demons in front of her. "I still have loads of extra energy; you guys must be exhausted from carry them and fighting. Want some energy for the road?" She asked. Hiei looked over at Kurama, secretly hoping he would say yes so, he could finally feel Kainna's energy directly. Kurama shrugged with a smile and nodded along with Hiei.

"Sure, I would appreciate it. I have school in a couple of hours, it would be great not to be exhausted for it." Kainna smiled and motioned for him to bend his neck down slightly so she could reach his forehead. She swiped her thumb over his skin, he felt her cold energy travel throughout his body, healing anything that was amiss before refuelling his own energy. He felt better rested than he had ever felt in his life, although he had an unpleasant cold chill down his spine, a side effect from her healing.

"Thank you Kainna, I feel much better. I think the wound on my stomach is fully healed now as well." Kurama felt his stomach with his hand, noticing a thick layer of new skin there that didn't pull when he moved. She waved off his gratitude.

"It's no problem, I have plenty to spare on nights like these."

"Well, I best be going. Hiei, make sure Kainna makes it to Genkai's. It would be ungentlemanly of us to let her walk alone at night." Kurama instructed Hiei with a barely noticeable teasing grin. Hiei glared as Kurama left, like that wasn't weird.

"So wh-" Hiei stared but stopped once he noticed how close Kainna was to him. She stood in front of him, barely half an arm's length between them. Her bright teal eyes staring at his cloth-covered forehead with curiosity. He moved slightly away from her.

"What are you doing?" He asked with tension in his voice.

"I usually restore energy through the forehead, it's easier for it to go through the nervous system and spread throughout your body. But with you jagan eye..." Hiei relaxed hearing her explanation. He didn't know why her stare had made him tense but hearing it was simply for healing made it easier to bare.

"Well, this should still work." She muttered and without warning, she rubbed her thumb against his cheek, caressing his skin in an almost affection manner. Hiei sucked in a breath as he felt the softness of her skin before her energy delved into his body. She was right, it spread through his body quickly. A splash of cold coating any exhaustion or pain he felt into a refreshing and invigorating feeling. His own energy reserves skyrocketed into a new level he hadn't felt since before his surgery. His body shivered from the cold chill that settled afterwards but unlike Kurama, who hated the chill, Hiei found it pleasant. It provided his energy a coolness that it never felt before, awakening something in it that caused a buzz in his skin as his energy rushed and begged to be released. It wanted more of her energy.

Hiei controlled himself, clearing his throat as he took a step back from her. She smiled at him, unaware of the conflict she caused inside him.

"Did I give you too much? I still need to practice controlling my energy on full moons." She stated bashfully. She had thought she was better on estimating the energy demons needed, but perhaps she was wrong. It seemed Kurama was alright though.

"I'm fine, it was just surprising." Hiei clarified after a moment. He placed his hands in his pockets and looked away from her towards the street. "Which way to Genkai's?" He asked instead. Kainna looked up at the moon before turning West.

"It should be this way. Let's get out of this alleyway first and I'll be able to tell." As they emerged the walls surrounding them disappeared as the came upon an open street. Kainna looked around and was relieved to recognize the forest a few miles away in the distance. She looked back at Hiei.

"Genkai lives a few miles passed that forest's edge." She pointed. "But you don't have to walk me there, if you don't want to." Kainna spoke easily, giving Hiei an out if he so wished it. She didn't want him to stay out of obligation, it wasn't as if she was a defenseless human.

"It seems I'm a little more energetic than I thought I would be. I don't mind a walk." He answered instead, his eyes staring in the distance. He didn't think she needed protection, but he found he didn't mind the exercise or the company. Kainna smiled happily, accepting his reply. Her smile quickly changed to one of mischief.

"Enough energy for a run?" She asked. Hiei's eyes flickered over to her, a small grin appearing on his face.

"With you, it would be more of a jog." Hiei teased. Kainna pouted, pretending to be offended by what he said but she couldn't hold back the smile that broke through moments later.

"It shouldn't be hard for you to keep up then, hm?" She asked and, in a flash, disappeared. Hiei's eyes widened for a moment, before he caught her movement a few yards away, jumping from branches on trees to lamp posts. His eyes narrowed while his grin grew. It seemed she was faster at night, but still not fast enough. He ran after her but didn't use his full speed, allowing her to stay ahead of him for a couple of blocks. His energy was so powered up at this moment he was afraid he'd end the chase too soon if he put in his all. Besides, he liked chasing.

Kainna noticed he was staying behind while she travelled through the city, rather than relaxing her it put her more on an edge, waiting for the moment he would pick up his speed. She knew he would do so eventually, but when? She was honestly surprised he took the bait to run. She was always so full of energy on the full moon that she needed a running partner or a sparring part, which usually was Yusuke. But he was out of commission tonight, she wondered if Hiei would mind a spar...

Kainna suddenly felt a shift in the air as she stepped into the forest. Hiei changed his speed and was gaining on her by the second. She sent more energy into her legs and used a tree to launch herself forwards, gaining more distance from him. But she knew it was no use; he was almost here. Only a few more seconds passed before he was running alongside her, a cocky smirk on his face. She laughed, catching him off guard. He thought she would be angry but seeing her laugh made him grin, she was a good sport when it came to loosing. She took that moment of distraction to drop down below and out of his sight in the tree branches. He chuckled to himself before following her. On the ground he was able to follow her footprints until he caught up with her. She glanced behind at him, letting him know she knew he was there. She grinned at him.

"I hope I'm not boring you!" She called before taking a sharp turn at the base of a large tree. Hiei turned with her, unfazed by her tricks except for the growing smile on his face. He was having fun even if she was too slow for him, as he could catch her or pass her without a problem, but she was fun to chase. She was intelligent enough to keep him entertained with her tricks and had a great disposition all the while.

Hiei was having fun.

They ran through the forest, passing trees after trees until suddenly they broke through into a large open field. Genkai's house/dojo was seen on the far edge of the large field. It was completely dark, blending in with the shadows of the forest. Kainna jumped into the middle of the field, Hiei not far behind. He stopped a couple of feet away from her. Kainna was annoyed to see he didn't even break a sweat or was even panting like she was.

"Well, here we are." Kainna stated awkwardly. She finally caught her breath and was looking over at Genkai's window, wondering if she was awake despite the darkness of the room. Hiei didn't hear a word she said, he was too busy staring at her. While they were in the city and woods, most buildings and trees had blocked out any direct moonlight. Even when Hiei had caught up to her, he could only make out a small white aura around her body. But now, in the open field, he got to see what she looked like with the light of the full moon completely on her. Her aura was clearly visible, she glowed white almost as brightly as the moon in the sky. Her whole ensemble was affected by her energy, the sleeves of her kimono floated, her hair moved as if she was underwater, and a small crescent moon glowed behind her bangs on her forehead. It shone through the caked blood still on her face and matched the glow of her teal eyes. She looked truly demonic; his stomach turned nervously at the thought. He didn't think he could find her more attractive. He looked away from her face but found his eyes tracing the curve of her neck to her slender shoulders and down to her waist. With her aura it was easier to see her pear shape beneath her kimoni, the curve of her hip particularly distracting him.

"Hiei?" Kainna called his attention. He blinked, had she asked him something?

"What?"

"Have energy for a spar?" Hiei thought it over, she was clearly better from her battle before and he had to admit, he's been wanting to test her strength.

"I do." He answered simply before he smirked. "Any rules?" He asked as he took off and tossed his jacket behind him. It was Kainna's turn to blink. Her eyes uncontrollably traced the muscles of his shoulders, down his biceps and quickly ran over his chest before she gained control of them and looked away, a small blush on her face.

"Uh, how about hand-to-hand combat, no weapons?" Kainna spoke without looking at him. Hiei watched her curiously, he didn't understand why she wasn't looking at him, or why her face was red again. It was just like when he fought Seiryu... suddenly the answer hit him, she was blushing from him. It had to be him, Kuwabara was shirtless the whole time and she had no problem looking at him or even insulting him to his face. Hiei replayed the fight in his mind, her eyes were always straying towards him and away again whenever his eyes met hers, a blush on her face until he put his jacket back on. It only added up to one thing; she must be attracted to him. A conceited smirk overtook his features.

"Sounds fair, although you'll have to look at me." He teased finding great pleasure in her discomfort. She pouted and turned her eyes towards him, she didn't answer his taunt verbally but got into a fighting stance, her blush still present on her face but a look of determination settled in her eyes. Hiei grinned and got into his own fighting stance. For a moment neither one of them moved, they simply stared at one another. And then, they both moved together. They met in the middle, Kainna tried landing a kick to his side while dodging his punch. Hiei moved out of the way quickly with a side step, but he still felt a brush of her energy against his side. It seemed she didn't have to land the hit for him to feel it. He came at her again, forcing her to retreat backwards with every punch she dodged.

Kainna didn't like being put on the defense. She dodged once more before switching to a back flip, her foot aimed at Hiei's chin. Hiei smirked and took a step back, dodging a energy filled kick. He remembered that attack from before with the cultivated humans.

"Too predictable." He stated smugly. Kainna grinned from the critique, that sounded like he challenged her, and she loved a challenge. She completed her backflip and without a pause, ran at him again. She took a swing at his face that he dodge easily, side stepping out of the way, exactly what she was hoping. She quickly threw a side kick with her other leg, catching Hiei off guard. His eyes widened from surprise, and he was forced to use his full speed to dodge her foot. Kainna's sudden movement made her form unstable. Her leg continued the force of the kick without hitting a target and caused Kainna to tumble to the side. She quickly used her hands to stop her momentum and reflexively grabbed Hiei's fist that broke through the small dust cloud in front of her. She was panting but her hand was still cool as her fingers barely fit around his hand, her palm receiving the brunt of his punch.

"Predictable, huh?" She had shit-eating grin on her face, proud that she was able to predict his attack and stop it. Hiei was still, his face looked serious, but he had a glint in his eye. Hiei was impressed she saw him coming, even after she fell out of control she managed to stop his attack, and easily it seemed.

"Is this a friendly spar?" A voiced called from the darkness. As if the voice shocked Kainna, she let go of Hiei's fist and jumped back away from him. He returned to a normal stance, turning himself to face the stranger.

"Genkai." Kainna addressed with a low bow. "Sorry I thought you were sleeping. I asked Hiei if he would like to spar, he's part of Team Urameshi. I hope you don't mind us using the field."

"I don't mind at all; I assume the blood is from today's mission?" Genkai asked as she tapped her forehead to indicate where the blood was on Kainna. Her eyes widened as she realized she must have looked crazy, no wonder Genkai had asked if they were really fighting.

"Yea, it was a tough mission. The last guy really took it out on Yusuke and I." Kainna spoke as she tried rubbing the dried blood off her face. A water bottle was thrown her way, she caught it easily before removing the cap and letting some water out on her hands before rubbing her face clean. Genkai threw another water bottle at Hiei, who caught it with a curious expression.

"It's for drinking." Genkai joked. Hiei glared at her.

"I know." He snapped back. He was just confused on why she was being kind to him. He was a notorious demon after all. Kainna had finished cleaning her face and drank the rest of her water in one go before jogging over to Genkai. She handed her the empty bottle.

"Thanks, Genkai. Would you like to stay and watch?" Genkai waved off the question.

"Naw, it's too late for this old hag." She looked back over at Hiei with a curious expression. "It seems you found a good sparring partner. He's welcome to come train with us in the afternoons." And with that, she turned around and went back to her house. Kainna smiled before walking back over to Hiei.

"Shall we continue?"