A deep sigh escaped his lips. He couldn't take it anymore. It was torture. This was torture. Seeing the situation, witnessing it, he knew every breath he took hurt his soul. How could he stand here in a far off place, safe, when another soul was on the verge of death once again? How could he not do anything?

Sure he couldn't...no, wasn't allowed to do anything but someone important to him was being pained, being condemned...for...what?

Innocence?

Why?

It. Made. No. Sense.

A splash on the lake. The fire child was falling. Why couldn't he do anything? Just this once.

Throwing all caution, he finally made his presence known, using his supernatural powers to let the three figures fall into temporary sleep.

He knew he shouldn't interfere in mortals' affairs but this was different. This was too personal and he had quite enough of the youkais who had chosen to cross his fire spirit; who, in the process, had upset him as well. It was time to take over from here on.

Throwing himself from the cliff, he swam quickly, searching for a black-clad figure. Turning his body around, he looked frantically for the half-koorime, knowing that even his own life depended on it, odd as it may sound.

Seconds passed but he couldn't see anything. Delving further in the deepness, his eyes widened as he finally saw what he had been looking for, what his heart had been searching for. Hiei...
 

The black-winged youkai male knotted his brows as he saw that no one was guarding anything, all the  doors was passable and there was no danger at all.

He and his companion then moved to the back of the cave as quickly as they could as they felt the fire spirit's youki flickering, almost disappearing. They had to get there fast.

Seeing the entrance to the cavern with the lake, they pushed harder, rushing, running their hearts out.
 

The fire spirit's eyes were closed and he knew that he had already given up. He knew why. The fire demon was too tired...of life...of love...of what he couldn't have.

Pulling the smaller being close to his chest, the half-god finally did the one thing he knew that could save the demon.

A firm yet warm and gentle pressure was being applied to his lips and he was becoming stronger. Was he dead? How come he felt so good? What was happening?

Opening his eyes, the half-koorime stared with half-lidded eyes at the creature kissing him, breaking all his bonds and bringing them up to the surface.

He could breathe again.

Two beings rose up to the surface in a moment of enchantment as life was passed on between them, bubbles around the semi-lit underwater, a mystifying background, as both were entertwined in silence, their lips never parting.

Two heads surfaced at the freezing lake, each holding tight to the other.

Honshu smiled as he held on to the fire spirit. Hiei had looked at him without that glare for once and for that, he was thankful...even if it had only been for a moment. After they had surfaced, Hiei just nodded quietly then had collapsed against his shoulder, tired and weak.

He carried his light burden towards the shore and lay him down on the rocky ground. Hiei looked so peaceful...so marvelous...so beautiful. How could he not resist?

Staring at the demon's face, he descended, touching his lips once again at the demon's, contented at the quiet moment. Perhaps this was going to be the last time he was going to have the chance to do this but what the heck! Hiei will always be the first person he had loved and it didn't matter anymore if his love was unreturned.

Separating, Honshu saw that Hiei had weakly opened his eyes to see what was going on. He smiled gently at the youkai and whispered. "You'll live. Just always remember me."

Blinking his eyes once again, Hiei focussed his vision. The figure he had made out was familiar, but due to the light coming from high above the caves, he really couldn't tell. Blinking once again, he heard a gentle whisper. Live... Remember...

Breathing deeply, fatigue pulled him down to darkness once again. He wasn't dead and he owed it all to his savior...an unknown savior. Maybe he still should live. Maybe he still should go on. Someone had saved him so that meant, someone had cared for him? But then, who could have saved him? Who would have wanted to let him live? Could it be possible that he was still...

Needed?
 

Two black figures stopped as they saw a small dark figure on the rocky surface near the lake. Hiei? Could this be the youkai they were searching for?

Black spiky hair. A white starburst. Small. Black-clad.

Definitely.

Looking around for anymore danger, they were surprised as they saw that three of the most powerful demons in this cave had collapsed. How could that be?

Staring in confusion, they wondered. Only a god could have saved Hiei.

The woman in black crouched and checked Hiei then gave a nod of reassurance to her companion. Amazing. Hiei's youki was becoming stronger and stronger...

"Let's get out of here." the man with the worn cap then said as he crouched and carried the small youkai with ease. "That Kurama. I think I need to speak with him."

Walking out of the cavern, they had no more worries. Every danger was gone. Each enemy was within an odd deep sleep. The child...

He was born a miracle. His twin was luck. They knew that they both had almost no chance against three S-classes but somehow, they had managed to save this young fire spirit. He was lucky indeed. Perhaps he was loved...and that love...

Had saved him.

In the shadows, an invisible being just smiled. His fire spirit was going to be okay. His fire spirit would live. He just hoped that he would remember his words...remember him...

Because he will never forget him.