• 1-Always In The Fallen Rain
• 2-Inevitable
• 3-Fear... But where did it come from?
• 4-Forbidden Touch

In a small and filthy cell sitting in a dark corner was a teenage boy with a girl in his protective embrace. The girl was asleep, her head resting on his chest, but the boy was intently surveying the area, his blood red eyes piercing into the darkness.

The young girl had gorgeous blue hair the color of the clear blue sky early in the morning and she had eyes so red and so dark, it was like a deep pool of blood pulling you in if you stared too long. The boy had eyes just like hers. His hair was a midnight black and spiky with a white starburst in the middle. Both were short, the girl 4'10 and the boy 5'2, including his hair. They were both rather thin and pale. Their clothes were shabby. She wore a dark blue dress with many patches and a faded blackk jacket that couldn't stop the chill. He wore faded black pants with white belts holding them up and a black leather trench coat which seemed well-cared for. It was the only thing of actual worth inside that pitiful cage. His white shirt had been ripped to make a blanket to cover the girl.

It was a peaceful moment for them. A rare moment without turmoil, pain and fear.

"If ye ain't sol' today, Imma whip yer ass and ye ain't gettin' no food!" he yelled as he roughly shoved the slave boy out of the cage. The girl stared at him in fear as he cracked the whip in warning. The slave boy grabbed her hand and gently pulled her into the line.

*crack!* The whip was brought down on his back, but he didn't pause in his step.

"Brother!" the girl cried out as tears welled up in her eyes

Quick as a flash, he turned around, hugged her, whispered something in her ear and turned around again before the guy saw. The slave girl took a deep breath and wiped her eyes and continued to walk in the slave line.

"'E can do anythang ye ask of 'im and 'e's hella strong! E's also faz. Can run nearest da speed a ligh'. 'Is twin can do anythang in da house that ye ask of 'er and der's none that can sew better than 'er!" he boasted to the man eyeing them.

"How often does he run away?" the man asked as he circled around them.

He paused and pushed the boy to test his balance, but the boy ducked before the man could touch him and shot out a fist to hit the buyer in the nose.

The man screamed as he fell, blood gushing from his nose.

"'Iei! Ye Bastard!" shouted the slave trader. "Imma gonna whip ye!"

For a split second Hiei stood there staring at his sister, torn. "I'll come back for you."

He bolted. He ran so fast he was like a blur. He looked back once to look at the slave girl watching him escape. A fatal mistake. Hiei collided with something and he began to fall. He closed his eyes waiting for the dull pain from the fall, but it never came. He opened his eyes and all he could see was an emerald green. Hiei blinked and the green moved away to form green eyes of a handsome guy.

"Are you alright?" he asked. He was holding Hiei inches from the ground. Hiei hastily pulled himself up.

"I'm Kurama and you are.....?" he said holding out a hand.

Hie stared at him, confused. He had long silky red hair and large emerald eyes. He wore a white silk shirt with black pants and expensive black shoes. he was gorgeous and look like a delicate rose, but yet still deadly. Why? Hiei couldn't tell.

"Hiei." he said and grasped the outstretched hand. Kurama look down and saw his slave cuffs.

"You're running away." His grip tightened.

"Let go!" Hiei shouted as he tried to pull his hand away.

"Hold 'im!" called the slave trader panting as he and his helpers ran to catch up. He was getting close.

Hiei swung a fist at Kurama but he moved out of the way. He knocked Hiei on the ground and straddled his chest. Hiei tried to get away, but capture was now inevitable.

"Let me go please!" Hiei said in desperation as he tried to move his arm, but Kurama held them down.

"I can't." Kurama said sadly, "You must go back. It's against the law for me to free you. I'm very sorry." Hiei closed his eyes in defeat.

"Thank Ye!" panted the slave trader as he paused to catch his breath. "'Iei, Imma gonna rip ye apar'!"

One of the slave trader's men added a chain onto Hiei's cuffs and helped Kurama up. As for Hiei, he kicked him and yanked the chain till Hiei stood up.

"Me sorry sir. Forgive me slave fa' any injury 'e may 'ave caused. Apologize slave!" The slave trader said and turned back to look at Hiei.

Hiei was pushed to his knees before Kurama.

"I refuse to apologize to someone who was in my way in the first place…" Hiei grumbled.

Hiei had never seen his masters eyes bug out as much as they just did. The slave trader grabbed a whip and began to hit Hiei over and over in the back.

"Hey!" Kurama yelled and stuck out his arm to stop the whip. It wrapped around his arm leaving a welt everywhere it touched. Kurama yanked back his arm and the whip flew from the slave trader's hand. He caught the whip, unwrapped his arm and dropped it on the ground.

"I'll buy him," Kurama said.

"'e's a thousan' gold pieces." The slave trader said, "And ye 'ave ta buy 'is sista' wif 'im. She's fifteen 'undred gold pieces."

Kurama burst out laughing. "2,500 gold pieces for two slaves you're having trouble with? Seems, like a large amount for slaves you don't wish to have. Here take it, I'd say that boy slave is worth much more than that."

The slave trader caught the money thrown to him and greedily began counting it. "Ye can get 'im now. Do ye want da cage dey came in?"

Kurama shuddered at the thought. "No, I just want the girl in cuffs and the boy can walk freely."

"No. I can take the cuffs. Yukina is too weak, it has begun to hurt her." Hiei quickly said.

Kurama narrowed his eyes at Hiei's insolence, but silently agreed. He mustn't hurt the girl. He had a special thing for her.

"Don' talk back ta ye new masta!" yelled the slave trader as he punched Hiei in the cheek. Hiei barely registered it, all he did was move his head with the blow and after a pause, slowly move it back to face forward.

"Please don't touch my slave like that," Kurama slowly said becoming extremely calm, as he watched black and red begin to appear on Hiei's cheek.

The slave trader glared at Kurama, but nodded. He hastily picked up his whip and began walking back to the Slave Trade Fair.

Kurama took the chain leading Hiei from the guard and began to follow them back.

"So..... why are you in slavery?" Kurama asked interested to know something about his expensive new slave.

"I was captured." Hiei muttered, eyes straight ahead.

"When?"

"Years ago."

"Why?"

"I was weak at the time."

"What had happened?"

"....."

Kurama was going to ask him again, but they had arrived at their destination.

"Hiei!" Yukina cried and dropped out of line to run towards Hiei. A guard saw her and lashed out at her with a whip. Hiei rushed forward, yanking the chain from Kurama's hand, and pulled Yukina into an embrace that completely covered her. The whip came down a second later on Hiei's exposed back.

Kurama was shocked by how easily they hit their slaves. He watched as Hiei pulled on a leather jacket his sister handed him. How many scars did Hiei have on his back? Kurama didn't know, he never remembered ever looking at Hiei's back.

"A carriage arrived looking fa ye, are ye ready ta get dem slaves outta me sigh'? The slave trader had dropped his polite attitude now that the slaves had been sold.

"Yes, thanks. " Kurama said delicately as he stepped into the carriage, "Just bring them in here."

The slave trader glared at him but disappeared to do as he said.