Chapter Three- Explanation

"Kurama, I don't cry."

"Considering your upbringing, I believe that. However, I have already seen you being emotional due to the curse."

"You would too if you were a girl."

"Yes, I would. Now, you just need to shed one tear to see if it'll change. Just one."

"Fine," she conceded. She pictured the saddest thing in her mind and felt a stinging in one eyes. She blinked at the stinging and felt a wetness slide down her cheek. She let it go down and off her face. She heard a clatter and sighed in resignation as she looked down to see a Hiruseki stone that was greatly different from the others. It was a deep red like a ruby and had a black shimmer around it.

"Hiei," Kurama gasped as Hiei picked it up. "It's beautiful."

"Beautiful and rare." She took one of Kurama's hands, turned it palm up, and put the stone in it. "You can have it. I insist."

"Thank you. So, now we know. You have the powers and ability of an ice apparition," he said as he closed his hand over the gem.

"Yes, but I am not defenseless. No one is going to take me prisoner or hold me for long."

"That is true." Kurama knew that Hiei could indeed run into trouble, even with her powers. It would take a clever demon to trap her. I, for one, know ways to trap and hold her.

"Uh, Kurama? I just realized that I'll need clothes that fit."

Kurama blinked to see Hiei tightening the belt of her pants and that her shirt had come untucked due to her breasts. "Yes, of course. Yukina might have some clothes you could borrow or keep."

"Yukina?" she repeated and her tail twitched in an uncomfortable manner.

"You're about the same size and shopping would be somewhat difficult due to your cat features. We don't have to tell Yukina you're her twin as this curse was not a result of that bond."

"Of course I don't have to tell her. Getting clothes from her would be easier." Hiei's tail stilled as she relaxed.

"It would. When would you like to go?"

"Now. The sooner my clothes fit, the better." Hiei went to the window, leaped cat-like to land in the tree and then zipped off to head for the mountains. Kurama smiled in amusement as he went to dress and leave for the same destination. Hiei is pretty as a girl and adorable as a part cat. I liked hearing her purr and would like to hear it again. I think I will as Hiei becomes comfortable with her curse.

Hiei took her time getting to the compound, knowing Kurama would travel there the human way. That was fine as she had a lot to reflect on. The first was her gender. She didn't mind being female, though she would prefer to be male. But the curse is permanent so that is not an option. Still, my gender brings me closer to the part of myself that had been previously denied. I can use fire and ice now. I look forward to using ice at some point.

She leaped from one rooftop to another and felt the air ruffle the fur of her tail and tickle her ears which made her frown. She hated this part of the curse. Why did she have to be part cat as well? Kurama might know the answer. He did take his time coming back after I was cursed. He might have talked to Blair. I'll ask him when I next see him.

"Yes, I did talk to her," he admitted as they ascended the stairs. "She admitted to knowing of our relationship and did not want to ruin it. She knew of your cold, unfeeling disposition and that is why you're a girl. The cat part is because of their association with witches, are prone to being emotional, and your features would be a constant remainder of your dismissal of her powers."

"She wants to punish me by making me an emotional person," she huffed.

"It does seem that way," Kurama agreed. "And maybe you should go along with it."

"What!?" Hiei exclaimed, a cat's yowl sounding in the word. "Why would you say that?"

"Well," he said slowly. "This is a permanent curse. It would be a losing battle to resist a curse that will not lift. You have already exhibited cat moves and sounds and it would be best not to fight it. As for the female part…"

"I should go along with my impulses and express my feelings," Hiei cut in.

"Yes."

"I suppose I could do that. I'm not sure about the cat part."

"You can't fight it, Hiei. Besides…I liked it when you purred."

"You did say it was a sweet sound and…it was an involuntary reflex to what you were doing."

"It was? Interesting."

Hiei's ears twitched and turned. "Hmm…fascinating. I can hear better with these ears. It makes sense as animals tend to have sharper senses than humans and some demons."

"I can vouch for that. What about your nose? Is it sensitive?"

Hiei sniffed a few times and shook her head. "No. I have the whiskers of a cat but not the sense of smell."

"And not the eyesight either."

"It's just as well. I don't need to deal with a sharper nose or eyes." She looked behind her in annoyance. "I wish I could lose the tail."

"A tail can be useful at times," Kurama said. "I can speak from experience."

"But yours is not long like mine is."

"Perhaps you can wrap it around a leg so that it doesn't get in your way."

Hiei paused to work that out before finding that wrapping it around her lower leg worked best as her knees did need to bend so she could walk. Now I don't have to worry about tripping over it, she thought.

Kurama discreetly admired Hiei as they resumed their trek. It was easy to overlook Hiei's gender due to her cat features but now Kurama pushed past that to focus on the gender. Hiei had always been slender even when he trained though he did gain a muscular build. The body's frame had always been slender but it was more so as a girl due to the curved waist and hips. She still had firm muscles along her arms and legs from what he could tell.

Her hair hadn't changed but her eyes were wider and a softer red. Her facial features were delicate and the shape of her face was curved. Her chest was only slightly bigger than Yukina's. Kurama personally thought Hiei was like a darker version of Yukina save for the ears, whiskers, and tail.

I said I would still love her and I mean it. I will not let her be abused if I can help it.