Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Book Two
chapter 13
by Angel Ishe
CHAPTER 13: OF LIFE AND LOVE
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“That’s it, Botan! Thrust! One, two, three thrust!” Hiei instructed her. I was already tired and I looked more than disheveled. My skirt was ripped and I had a bandaged arm but I hung in there. I didn’t want Hiei to think I was a weakling. So I continued to thrust with all my might. He continued to train her until it the sun set. “Oh! Look, Hiei!” I exclaimed as I stopped. My gaze was to the sun that was setting so slowly in the west. Blanketing the Earth with the last of its warm orange rays. “Yeah, what is it?” Hiei grunted. “The sun! It’s so beautiful!” I cried. “What about it? It’s just an orange ball of fire.” he grunted as he turned away. “No, no it’s more than that!” I said pulling his arm. She touched me! How dare she touch me!, Hiei thought with murder in his eyes. But Botan didn’t seem to notice. “Don’t you ever stop to admire the beauty of nature?” I asked. “No.” he said flatly moving away from her.
I stared at him harshly. I didn’t think he could be that cold! Then suddenly remembering his past, I softened my gaze. “Hiei, Nature is as precious as life is” I said. “Life precious? Life is no more than a cruel joke. I have taken it for over a thousand times and until now I feel no remorse.” Hiei scoffed. “It’s because you have yet to experience the true joy of living.” I said with a sad smile. “I know you think the world has damned you and that no one cares for you but you’re wrong. We care for you, your friends. I, Yusuke, Kurama even Kuwabara would give our life if it meant saving yours.” I said. “Hn! That’s horse shit! You don’t know me. How dare you say you do!” he yelled. “I know you well enough to discern what you will do next. You will either try to hurt me or run away somewhere or maybe both!” I screamed at him. *Shit! She was right I was thinking of pounding some heads and may be disappearing afterwards.* He turned his back to her.
“My eyes have seen everything especially my jagan and all I have seen is hurt, pain and hatred --that is life.” He said. He turned to go. But before he could leap off. I stepped in front of him. I slowly brushed the hair out of his face and touched his jagan. “But not love you have yet to see love.” I whispered to him. He stepped back startled by the nearness of her face and the truth in her voice. “What are you so afraid of, Hiei? “Hn! You don’t know what you’re saying! What does an airhead like you know about life, of love?” he yelled. “Who’s the airhead? I’m not the coward that’s running away from the people he loves, and love him in return.” I pointed out. He looked away from her calculating stare, she was right and here I thought she was an airhead. Well, I guess you couldn’t be a goddess if you were stupid. “What are you so afraid of, Hiei?” I asked once more, almost whispering. “Myself.” he answered her. I looked up in surprise. I guess I wasn’t really e xpecting an answer. But he was gone. Again. I sighed as I headed back towards Yusuke’s.
Hiei jumped off the trees as fast as he could. His face still stung from its intimate encounter with Botan’s oar and hand. He wanted to kill something. He stopped. He was doing exactly what she said he would. Running away and killing. Her words echoed in his mind- you can’t solve everything by killing. Damn that woman! She was making him feel things he didn’t like to feel, remember thoughts that he had put at the back of his mind. Bringing out emotions he had buried so long ago. But she was right… and he damned her for it.
“Where are they?” Kurama asked for the nth time. “Chill Kurama.” Kuwabara said, “Botan is probably caught up in some sale somewhere.” “Yeah, you know how girls are when they’re shopping.” Yusuke said. Kuwabara and Yusuke were playing cards while Kurama was making a hole by pacing back and forth the room. “And besides she is with Hiei.” Kurama murmured. Yeah! They all nodded at this realization. Suddenly a wind blew through the room. “Who’s with me?” a voice asked. They all looked up. “HIEI!” they all choked. “Where is Botan?” they all asked in unison. Hiei merely shrugged. Yusuke grabbed the front of Hiei’s shirt. “You mean to tell me, you left Botan alone?” he roared. Hiei smirked and cross his arms over his chest and said calmly, “I believe she’s capable enough of taking care of herself, don’t you?” Why you?! Yusuke raised his fist menacingly.
Suddenly, the door opened and Botan stepped into the room. “Yusuke! Hiei! What are you doing?” I screamed seeing the scene before me. Yusuke was ready to pound Hiei. “Ummm Botan! We were ummm nothing just training.” Yusuke said stammering. Training? That was training? Why it looked more like a street brawl was about to break out. Training was what we did earlier. I looked at Hiei, he turned away. I mentally sighed [yes, people this is possible]. “So, I said brightly I’m off to fix dinner. Who wants to assist me?” They were all looking at her with widened eyes. “Why? What’s wrong?” I asked. I looked down on myself and shrugged so my skirt was shorter than usual so what, I thought as I headed towards the kitchen. They all breathed out heavily. Wow! I didn’t know Botan had such white long beautiful legs! Kuwabara thought. Phew, her skirt is shorter today and thank god for that! Kurama blushed at his thought. Who knew Botan of all people had killer legs like tha t! She always did wear that impossibly long kimono. Yusuke thought. “I’ll help you fix dinner,” they all exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other and raced to the kitchen. Hn! Stupid ningen! Even Kurama suffered from crazed sex hormones. He grinned at the thought of cool calm Kurama succumbing to burning hot desire. The thought almost made him laugh. Almost.
I looked at the thundering herd that was peeling my potatoes. They were all in deep competition. Even Kurama was playing a part in all of this. Must be a male thing.
Kurama looked up from the potato he was peeling, this was crazy he thought. He looked at the others. They also looked up and they laughed at the foolishness of what they were doing. Do you realize what we are doing? He told them through a telepathic link. Yeah! Peeling potatoes because of some hormone overdrive! Yusuke answered. Yeah, but still I’m gonna peel more potatoes than you! Kuwabara said haughtily. “Oh no you don’t!” Yusuke and Kurama said and they all resumed peeling potatoes faster than ever before.
I curiously looked at three (stooges) that were busy with the job I gave them. They seemed to stop for a moment and look at each other and then resumed to peeling at faster rate. I shook my head and headed out towards Yusuke’s room to change into the clothes I had bought on my way home.
We all sat down to eat. Thank God the raging male hormones have past, I thought as we ate peacefully as peaceful as things can get with Yusuke and Kuwabara gulping down their food like pigs. Kurama was explaining his long and tedious search for an antidote of sorts to shield them from Kuroi‘s power, all he and Koenma had come up with was a mysterious inscription written in the oldest book on mind manipulation demons. It had said in its last page the one that hadn’t been torn: When all else fails, it is best to try love. “What kind of a saying is that?” Hiei bellowed. Kurama shrugged, “Sorry it was all we came up with.” “Love! Hn! What’s love got to do with it?!” Hiei grumbled. I giggled, “Why Hiei that’s a Tina Turner song!” I exclaimed. “Yeah! That’s my favorite song from her!” Kurama cried. “What’s love got to do with it, got to do with it? What’s love but a second hand emotion,” we sang merrily. Hn! Hiei grumbled as he disappeared out the window and in to the night.
