Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Hakida? ❯ The Rose Bud ( Chapter 5 )

"Inari… Father…." Hakida mumbled in her sleep and slowly opened her puffy red eyes to a dark room. She started to sit up but soft hands pushed her gently back down. "Sleep, everything is ok." She was aware of movement. She sniffed the person in front of her, "Who are you? I don't know you're scent. You're not human… you're from Makai." She sniffed again, "Kurama?" She wrinkled her nose, "And Hiei?" She fell back onto the bed. : It's not Kurama and Hiei's scent is too faint to be him. Who is it? Is it anyone? Am I alone again? : She sighed as she heard the door open and close, there was silence in the room. "I was right, I am alone again." She whispered.

"Not exactly."

She shot up "Who is that?" She relaxed as she sniffed again, a stronger but still faint scent of Hiei; it was mingled with roses and soap. She moaned, "Where is Kurama?"

"In the human world."

"Where am I?"

"Not the human world."

She rolled her eyes, "Then where."

"The Makai." He paused then continued, "I thought the human world would have been the wrong place to take you." She was still silent. He scoffed, "And you said I'm a lousy conversationalist."

"I have nothing to say to a heartless being." She rolled to her side looking to the open window. : This room is so stuffy. Why can't I be out there, where I belong? Why can't I roam the grassy hillsides that bring me so much comfort? Why can't I run through the trees, Inari wrapping his comforting scents and arms around me as I run? Why am I not home? : She sighed, "Leave me alone Hiei."

"Hn." He made no attempt to leave.

"If you won't leave me then let me leave." She stood and advanced to the open window only to be pushed to the bed. She growled, "Hiei, you do not want me to get angry."

"Would you shut that worthless hole in your head and listen to me."

"Why should I; just so you can `make everything better' for Kurama? At this point I don't care; I don't care about anything but my home and being with Inari. At least there, Mukuro won't threaten to take my hide for a skin treatment!" She crossed her arms and looked at the emotionless figure before her.

"I do have a sister."

She sighed, "Your point?"

"You said I wouldn't care for my sister."

"Well obviously." She squirmed to where her tails were swishing angrily on the edge of the bed.

He looked at her tails; "She's not much taller than you; she's my twin."

"Fire demons only have one child; everyone knows that. It is physically impossible for a fire demon to have twins. The fire inside the mother would be too much for any demon to handle."

"Kitsune, let me explain before you stick in your idle words!" His eyes flashed impatiently.

She nodded and rolled her golden eyes, "Then continue." She rubbed her tongue over her sharp tooth impatiently.

"My sister is a Koorime; therefore I'm a Koorime."

"You're a fire demon and male; you can't be a Koorime."

He glared at her and she clamped her mouth shut; He continued, "My mother was a Koorime, but fell in love with a fire demon."

She mumbled, "That was doomed."

"She conceived me and my sister; however my sister took after the Koorimes but I took after my father."

She squinted, "You're the Forbidden Child?"

"You've heard of me?"

"Inari spoke of you a few times. He said you had led a sad life."

"I don't want your sympathy Kitsune."

She rolled her golden eyes, "I wasn't offering it." She then looked at him intently, "Koorime? But… Yukina is a Koorime… is she your sister?"

Hiei looked away from her. : I told the wrong details of the story. How could she not have known? K'so! How ignorant can one person be? I didn't have to tell her that. But I wanted her to understand… to understand what? :

"She is isn't she?" She bit her lip, "Is that why you were so protective of her?"

: Kitsune! Shut-up! Can't you see this is something I don't talk about! Why don't I talk about it? It's not that it's personal… is it? Why am I questioning myself? Because I'm an ignorant fire demon. I am not! Am I fighting with myself? This is absurd! :

"It all makes sense now. You've got a heart but it's small." She peered at him, her golden eyes shimmering as she sorted out the puzzle before her.

:I should have known she'd enjoy this… after all Kitsune's are curious by nature. She's almost reveling in the fact that she has figured something out. :

"Hiei." Her soft voice floated to his ear.

"Hn."

"Why do you work for Mukuro."

He growled, "I told you Kitsune, she teaches me to fight."

"I know that is what you told me, but what is the real reason?"

: How can she see past that… she can't. : "I told you."

"I don't believe you."

He stared at her shocked. : She refused to believe me? She is more complicated than Kurama! How can she not believe me? I told her…. :

She continued, "I don't believe you because… I don't want to believe you, even if it is true. I suppose, somewhere inside of me, I want to believe that my brother was justified in befriending you… that you aren't evil like Mukuro."

"Hn." He glanced at her dim golden eyes staring at the bed sheets. "Why would you want to believe that."

She shook her head, silver strands falling into her face. "I don't know… because I didn't want this time here to be a waste? Because… somewhere, I hoped that I would fit in and finally meet someone for companionship… even if it is silent and when not silent it's a little crass and insulting." She blew at some wispy strands of her hair, "Because I wanted to be like Kurama. He fits in no matter where he is… he is accepted by many… even you accept him. I was accepted by most of the Reikai Tantei… all but you. I shouldn't have assumed that you would accept me easily. Kurama and you have a friendship, a close friendship that I could only hope for." She sighed and looked up at him, "I suppose all I wanted was… to know that I was still worthy of being loved. I found that in the Reikai Tantei… but it wasn't enough." She sighed and looked away, "They throw love around too easily. Love is something to be cherished, to be fought for… to sacrifice for… to die for… they don't seem to go to that depth when they say `love'."

"Hn. Then you know nothing of the Reikai Tantei. They would die for their friends without thinking." Hiei growled angrily.

"Oh I know that Hiei." Her silver ear twitched, "But that is not what I meant." She sighed as if ending the conversation, "I- I want to go back home."

Hiei nodded, "I know; but Inari has yet to call you and I don't know where your home is."

She sighed again, closing her eyes, "I'm in the den of the enemy and yet I'm the safest I've felt since I left Inari." She looked out of the window; "Living at my father's house… there is nothing like it. The smells, the sights, the feelings… it's all so fresh." She looked at Hiei, "But even there something is lacking." She stifled a smirk, "Being a silver Kitsune, I'm sought after by many; but I seek after none." She half smiled, "There was one I thought I could love. He was a red Kitsune, very beautiful… but I couldn't make myself love him. I became withdrawn, desiring the one thing I didn't have. I walked the halls lined with gold alone. Inari treated me like a queen, I am his first daughter after all; he's had more after me but he swears I'm his most prized, most beautiful, most honored, and most powerful that he has. Sometimes… that can kill a spirit quicker than your fire can consume paper."

Hiei looked away, "Hakida… there is something… something I need to tell you. When you asked why I was working for Mukuro… I didn't lie. She teaches me to fight… while I will never turn on her, it is a waste to let such power die in her. I want her power so I can protect Yukina and the Reikai Tantei."

She tilted her head, "The Reikai Tantei, all of them? Even Kuwabara?"

He grimaced, "Even the fool Kuwabara." He looked up at her, "I- I am more sensitive than what Kurama knows." Wind breezed through the window adding a chill to the air, "Kurama thinks he knows me… but Hakida I promise you that he does not. We have a friendship, and the closest I've had… but he has not begun to scratch the surface of all that lies in me." He shivered at his vulnerability.

Hakida leaned toward him, her gold eyes seeming to stare through him; "You hate talking about this don't you?"

"Hn. It's a weakness."

"Agreed; but…" She paused taking one of his gruff hands in her own soft one's rubbing it softly, "In order for a blister to grow into a callus it must be exposed to what hurts it."

He looked down at their hands; "You don't practice with your hands much do you?"

She smiled at the off the wall question, "Yes I do; I just don't with a Katana." She let a finger roam over his opened palm, "Hiei… I know that I cannot be Kurama." She sighed, "And I know I can't be Yukina. But I can be someone who understands and is here to help you reveal those weaknesses so they won't be revealed in a fight."

"Hn. I wouldn't reveal them in a fight."

"I know you wouldn't… but they might choose to." She sighed, "While I do not agree with Mukuro and what she did, or with your being an heir to her kingdom… I will be here if you need someone to be silent company, Hiei." She covered his palm and then removed her hand; a small bud was left in its place. She smiled, "Kurama uses one's in bloom… as though he's forgotten about this stage in their life. Before a rose is a rose it but first be a bud, tightly closed keeping all intruders from it's delicate center." She stood, "I need to be going back before Kurama gets worried."

He nodded and showed her to a gate in the Makai, "This will lead you to Genkai's temple."

Hakida nodded and smiled at him, "Thank you Hiei." She gave him one warm look before disappearing through the gate. Hiei smiled and tucked the rose bud in his scarf, he didn't need her, but… if he wanted her here; he knew where she'd be.