Story Title: Consumed by Hellfire
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.
Author's Notes: Originally, I had planned a lot more to happen in this chapter, but when I started writing it, I was barely halfway into my outline, so I halved it…out of laziness, mostly. Oh, two little hints for upcoming events….remember Hiei's vision and subtlety is key. Enjoy.
Chapter Four: Dance, Puppets, Dance
Hiei could not calm himself down enough to rest. Sitting still was never really being still. His body kept shaking, not like a nervous shake but more like he was waiting, waiting for events to fold out in front of him. Energy of anticipation mixed with the unknown— that was the sort of feeling he was experiencing. It was a warm night, and when the wind blew, it was quite comfortable on the skin. The moon blanketed a dim glow onto his body as tiny eyes of stars watched him as he walked underneath the trees. An owl hushed its hoot and turned its head completely around to follow Hiei. The demon paid no attention to the creatures watching him. His mind was more focused on finding the cavern.
The human world is actually covered in holes, invisible holes that is. Shinto priests, shrine maidens, and Buddhist monks all tried to patch these holes with their charms, Sutras, and words of power, but gateways can always be opened with the proper key. Hiei walked in the small running stream of water flowing into the cave. The light remained at the entrance and Hiei was walking deeper and deeper into darkness. It did not matter. Hiei could see very well with his own intuition.
He had been walking for some time now. Water dripped from the ceiling and through the many pores of the walls. The floor had become slick with a thin layer of ice. Hiei heard a noise growing up ahead. It sounded like…like breathing. It inhaled deeply, and then exhaled a violent gust of cold air. He could see nothing around him nor sense any sort of demonic energy. There was energy but was neither demonic, human, nor angelic. Energy of nothing was the only possible classification. Up ahead was a small shaft of light from an open hole in the ceiling. Now used to darkness, his eyes winced and ached at the sight of the light. Water still dripped from the ceiling and the breathing had grown in strength, but Hiei heard a new sound, faintly in the darkness.
"De…mon," it whispered in a raspy, hissing voice, "Be…ware."
From out of the darkness sprung a shadow. Hiei managed to dodge it but suffered a small bleeding cut across his left cheek. It was a remnant of a Shinto priest's protective familiar. So loyal, even in its master's death, it remained at its post and withered away to this ghastly form. Hiei had to commend it for its loyal service. And the best way to do so was to put it out of its misery. Drawing his sword as the familiar turned, the two raced for one another. In a single slash through the shadow's body, the creature was released.
Turning around while sheathing his sword, Hiei watched as a soft green glow lit through the darkness where the familiar had protected. Tied to dry, dead vines were paper charms. The glow was from the magic ink. Demon wards, they were and like the guardian, they too were weak and outdated. Perhaps if all the leftover magic was pooled together, he might have received an annoying shock. Hiei cut through the dried vines and proceeded to the main chamber.
The room was pitch black. A minute after Hiei had entered, corpse fires lit themselves in the corners like macabre candle lights. The room, of what he could see in the dim light, was round and more wide than tall. It stank of stagnant water and decayed flesh. Water could be heard dripping down the walls. Hiei walked deeper into the room. Something crunched underneath his foot. Hiei looked down and stepped back in surprise.
It was a skeleton's hand.
Hiei became aware that the floor was scattered with bony corpses. They weren't peasants or nobles, but priests, shrine maidens, and monks. Even in death it seemed, they would protect this unholy place.
The opening was in the center of the room, but it too was protected with wards and charms. They sensed to be as weak as the others. Drawing his sword, Hiei plunged into the center of the web of magic. But a surprise was in store for him. When his sword drew closer, the magic spiked in power and defended itself. The magic passed through his blade like lightning through a rod and coursed through his body. Hiei withdrew his sword and drew away from the wards.
"You shall not pass." A quiet, gentle voice spoke from behind Hiei. "This is a sacred place."
Hiei turned. It was a ghost of a shrine maiden. Her red hakama and long black hair billowed in a non-existent breeze. The maiden's hands were inside her white kimono sleeves. She had no expression and instead she flatly stared at Hiei as he did to her.
"I will go to Makai," Hiei replied sternly.
She repeated herself," You shall not pass."
Hiei narrowed his eyes," Hmp. As if you can do anything about it." Then he remembered the wards and took back his comment.
"This is a sacred place. A place of Light. There…" she gestured to the portal with her sleeve. "There is a place of Shadow."
Hiei's eyes remained on the sealed portal. A sigh slipped through his lips," I know…I am from there."
The shrine maiden had a look of aghast on her face as she circled him and peered into his eyes. "How can one with so much Darkness walk unharmed inside this holy chamber?"
"Look around you," Hiei replied.
And when she did, the shrine maiden saw the corpses of her fellow Shinto priests and monks, the dried blood on the stone floor, and her own skeleton. She fell on her knees to the floor, covered her face with her hands, and wept dry tears. "This too is a place of Shadow. This too."
Hiei rested a hand on her shoulder, "Are you afraid of Shadow?" The girl nodded yes. "There is a great Shadow coming. It will blanket the entire world. Do you understand me? Everywhere will be turned to Shadow."
Hiei turned to the portal," Unless I can pass. To the place of Shadow."
The shrine maiden dried her tears and rose onto her feet," If I do so and you go, can you stop it?"
He paused and closed his eyes," I don't know." Another pause as his fist is clenched tightly. The words came out from Hiei's mouth in a light whisper, so light the maiden seemed to hear them. " I may not return."
The shrine maiden floated around the portal. Raising both of her arms into the air, a golden ball of light grew in size. Cast into the center, the wards and charms fizzled into ashes and the portal to Makai was opened.
Hiei walked to the edge of the opening and stopped. There was no light or an apparent end to this tunnel. Taking slow deep breaths to calm his nerves, Hiei prepared himself.
The shrine maiden smiled brightly and crouched down to his eye-level," May Heaven's Light safely guide you on your way, even in places only Darkness may reach."
Hiei heard her blessing but did not react to it. Walking forward, he plunged straight down into the portal. The tunnel was wider than the opening proclaimed it was. There was nothing to see in the inky blackness, so Hiei kept his focus downward. Wind ruffled his hair and clothes. How long he would be falling, that too he did not know.
The alarm clock shrieked loudly as Kurama fumbled from underneath the thick, warm blanket for the off switch. His searching hand slid across the top, and instead of turning it off, he accidently knocked it into the floor. Groaning, he pulled himself from beneath the covers and turned off the clock. The time was noon. Rays of sunlight peeked from between the curtain folds. Birds were singing. White fluffy clouds were probably skating along merrily across the blue sky.
And Kurama pulled the covers over his head and wanted to make it all disappear.
He was already supposed to be at work. Obviously, that wasn't happening. His headache had returned, worse than ever. And for the cherry of this bad day sundae, there was Reikai's mission tonight. Kurama pointed a finger to his head and whispered, "Bang." Only for a second was he amused.
A knock rapped on his door," Shuuichi? Are you getting up soon?"
"Yes, Mother," he shouted from beneath the covers.
"Are you well? Do you need me to come in there?"
"No, Mother, I'm fine. I'm getting up as we speak," he said and pulled the covers around him tighter.
Sleep was finally returning to him. He was almost…seconds away from being sound asleep when his mother knocked on the door again. "Shuuchi? Shuuichi, dear. Kazuya called and says you haven't come to work yet. Did you forget your work schedule?"
"No, Mother. Tell him, I overslept and I'm sorry." Kurama groaned. She was his mother and he loved her but would she just go away already!
"I told him you weren't feeling well and he gave you the day off." Kurama sighed and smiled. Thank you…so much. "Shuuich? Is there anything you need me to do?"
He clenched a fist. Going away would be a nice start…"Oh, nothing, Mother", he called in a cheery voice. She left.
Kurama was in and out of sleep for a few more hours. He wanted to get as much rest as possible before having to chance a night's rest in the fields and woodlands of Makai. How long would he be gone this time? It really depended on where Reikai's portal sends him. It could be a day, a week, or even more. Kurama sighed. If he was away too long, his stepfather might get suspicious. Scratch that, even mentioning going away would make Kazuya ask questions. What was he going to say this time? Maybe he shouldn't say anything at all and slip out into the night. No…his mother would worry.
The night came quicker than he expected. Physically, he was supplied with his weapons and dressed for battle. But his heart didn't want him to leave. Kurama always felt this way before any mission, the feelings of abandoning all safety and love of which he had become accustomed to, but he told himself it was for the greater good and slowly pulling his bedroom door closed became easier and easier to do.
The lock clicked. Kurama taped the handwritten letter of explanation on his door and turned to leave. From the end on the dark hall, a hand grabbed his shoulder. Kurama's heart raced and he jumped in surprise.
"Where are you going, son?" His stepfather asked. Kurama remained quiet. Kazuya saw the note on the door and removed it. Walking downstairs to the kitchen where there would be light, he clutched the note in his hand and tried to read it in the dim moonlight. Kurama followed him. This was not going to turn out well.
Now with the light on, Kazuya adjusted his glasses and read the note aloud," To my mother and stepfamily, I regret to inform you that I have been urgently called away by a friend who has fallen fatally ill. As he seems to have little time left in this world, I have left in the middle of the night to quickly reach his bedside in Wakayama Prefecture. Either by the slim chance he recovers or death comes to him, I will return only then, however an exact date and time of my return I cannot provide you. Mother, please do not worry about me. I assure you I am well and safe. Kazuya, please deduct my missing days from my sick and vacation days. My family, please bear with me and my leave of absence. Signed, Shuuichi Minamino."
His stepfather laid the note on the faux marble countertop. His expression was a mix of sadness and disappointment. "Hmm, Wakayama Prefecture. That is quite far."
Kurama nodded in agreement. His stepfather rubbed his chin with his hand," Do you even know anyone in Wakayama?"
"I know many people," Kurama remained cryptic in his reply.
"What is the name of this friend of yours that lives in Wakayama Prefecture?"
Kurama only gave a first name. "Hideto."
His stepfather made a gesture like he wanted more. Kurama smiled and gave him a last name as well. "Jaganshi."
Kazuya made a face as if hearing the very word shot pain through his ears," Jaganshi? I've never heard of anyone with that family name." Kurama chuckled inwardly. That was because it wasn't a family name…more like a title.
Kurama turned to leave but Kazuya pulled him back by his clothes. The young man's tone became increasingly annoyed, "What? You know enough already?"
"Shuuichi, I don't appreciate that tone you've taken with me. Nor do I appreciate it when my stepson lies to me."
Kurama narrowed his eyes, "I have not lied to you."
"If you are leaving, where is your suitcase? And why are you wearing such strange clothes?" Kazuya's shoulders slumped. As if his stepson would give him a straight answer….
"I believe I am old enough to take care of myself, stepfather."
Kazuya cleared his throat, "And yet, you still live with your mother, stepson."
Kurama slammed a hand on the countertop," So is this what this confrontation is really about? I really don't have time for this. I have to be going."
"I'm just worried about you." Kurama rolled his eyes. And he was the liar… "You're almost a legal adult. You made top grades at an elite school but you won't go to college. You hardly go out and try to find a girlfriend. All day, you occupy yourself with plants instead. I applaud that you're working for me and you're very proficient, but I worry that you're wasting your intelligence. I just want better for my sons."
Kurama crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled," Sorry if the only woman I've touched is a belladonna."
"Shuuichi…"
Kurama had enough of his conversation. "Fine. When I get back, I'll apply for Tokyo U. I'll move out. In my free time, I'll work on finding that girlfriend you so desperately want for me." He turned and left the kitchen. Kazuya begged him to stay and talk and chased after him through the house. His stepson had nothing else to say to him as he threw open the front door.
"Shuuichi, please!" He shouted. Kurama began to run. Kazuya remained in the doorway as he looked over his shoulder and gave his stepfather a hateful glare. Never had he ever see his stepson look at anyone with such displeasure. So it seemed he reserved such looks only for him…
Hiei awoke, still falling, still in the inky blackness. Was it ever going to end? The last natural Makai portal he passed through never took this long to across over. Perhaps there was no other side, perhaps Hiei would eternally plummet downward. He was falling headfirst now. Maybe he wasn't falling anymore, but was flying upward now. No, he had to be going down—that was the only direction he could be falling. Up? Down? Hiei was losing track of direction in this constant freefall. He repositioned himself so that his feet were falling first. Suddenly, his foot appeared to slip into the inky darkness and then his entire body. Hiei held his breath as his head passed through the divide.
Sunlight scorched and blinded his eyes. He was now in Makai. The ground hit hard but luckily he landed in a sand dune rather than ordinary ground. Rolling down the dune, Hiei stopped at the bottom of the sand and, after regaining some strength, slowly rose onto his feet. Desert stretched on for miles. The landscape was completely different from his vision. For instances, the sand was a different color than this yellow-orange, and he walked on solid ground lightly dusted by sand in his vision. There was no ground in this desert, merely wind-swept hills of sand. Hiei drudged forward with no inkling of a direction as the sand tried its best to swallow him whole.
"What took you so long?" Koenma asked, slightly annoyed. He was in his teenage form.
"Family issues," Kurama replied nonchalantly. "Is the portal almost ready?"
Koenma pointed to the four Reikai operatives in white that stood in a diamond-pattern and focused their spirit energy. "In progress. I'll warn you. You'll arrive in the southern territory, but where…I can't say."
"That is fine." Kurama shifted his view back on Koenma," Koenma, can you provide me with any more information? Like what is this threat…is it a demon?"
The prince of Reikai hung his head and closed his eyes," I'm sorry, Kurama. That is classified information."
Kurama sighed," It always is." The four operatives stepped back as their combined energy opened a hole just barely large enough to allow him to pass through. "Koenma, if I complete this mission for Reikai, I want something in return."
"Anything, Kurama." His expression confirmed the seriousness of his words.
"Two things. First, I want that folder destroyed. Second, I never want to be put on a mission like this ever again. Not without Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei. You know this mission is not safe for one person."
"The first is already done." Koemna replied instantly. "And you're right, no one deserves this mission, especially someone like you. I'll see if I can send Yusuke and Kuwabara as soon as possible."
Kurama nodded and made his way to the portal. Pausing to hold his breath, Kurama passed through and the portal fell behind him. There was no telling where he would end up, but Koenma wished it was in safe territory.
The warm evening wind felt cold on Koenma's skin, "I promise…I'll send Yusuke and Kuwabara for you. I just hope you're still alive…" He could not finish the rest of his thought.
Kurama emerged in a rose-orange desert where the sands gently chimed sweet but solemn melodies like a little girl dressed in black singing at a funeral. It was mid-afternoon. The sun was blazing above him. In the distance behind him, he could barely make out the hazy image of the Southern Gate through the heat vapor. So he was as far north as the southern territory could go…and to reach the center of the territory would take how many days on foot? Gah, this mission was already becoming a complicated pain. Kurama wiped the sweat off this forehead and trudged forward. At this rate, he would be dead by sundown.
The winds howled and wisped sand violently across the land. There was not a crevasse in Hiei's skin or fold of clothing that did not contain the itching grains. Sand rubbed his flesh rough and raw—these small grains were literally removing his flesh layer by layer. The howls moaned and roared angrily in a nature completely different from the sweet chiming sands of his vision. And then, just as quickly as the sandstorm had brewed, it subsided. Calm had befallen the desert. Hiei continued on his path, still unsure of where his meandering was taking him.
Movement was up ahead.
Or at least Hiei thought he saw the sands sifting just below the surface. He could have written it off as an illusion of his eyes until he felt the tug from beneath his feet. Drawing his sword, his eyes darted quickly for any signs of movement. The sand was billowing up into waves as the creature moved underground and circled Hiei. His feet sensed the low vibration of its roar.
The large sand dune behind him raised high into air. The sand slipped away and revealed the head of the ancient earth dragon that had been sleeping in the sands for centuries. Its eyes were covered with a thin, opaque eyelid and its scales were smooth and dull from slithering through the sands. It had no arms or legs and it appeared to be blinded by the sunlight. Lowering its head in front of Hiei, it roared and filled the air with sand, saliva, and noxious oral fumes. Hiei remained crouched close to the ground but relatively undisturbed. The dragon flickered its long, thin forked tongue at Hiei to determine if he was edible or not. In response, he cut it off.
Blood spewed and darkened the sands, now beginning to clot into a thick paste. Screaming in pain, the dragon dove back into the sands. Now enraged, the beast churned the sands aggressively. Finding one of its coils, his sword could not pierce the dragon's top scales. Hiei returned it to its sheath. Perhaps his underbelly would be softer. The task now was discovering how to bring the monster back to the surface. The dragon charged from beneath the sands and grabbed Hiei in its mouth. Struggling to keep the mouth from closing on him, Hiei took a risk. Unsheathing his sword, he ran it across the dragon's fleshy palate and slit open the skin. Relying on his speed to save him, he vanished as the dragon closed its mouth. Blood seeped through the beast's mouth as it reared and moaned in pain. This was the opportunity Hiei was looking for as he drove his sword into the dragon's underbelly and slid straight down the beast, ripping the flesh open with his descent. The desert was soaked in blood as the dragon collapsed and exhaled its final breath.
The poor creature never really had a chance.
Hiei sat on one of its coils and rested. He cleaned the blood from his sword and sheathed it. A large band of soldiers in gleaming new metal armor were riding toward him on giant spiked armadillos that were easily caught and tamed for riding in desert regions. There were many of them—Hiei guessed a total in the thousands— riding furiously through the sands. They seemed to be headed toward him. He sat and waited until finally their leader made the signal to slow and they came to an eventual stop near Hiei.
"You there! Little Warrior," he spoke in a raspy, hissing voice. Already this demon with the flaming mohawk and smoking slits in the back of his head was getting on Hiei's nerves. "Is this your doing?"
Hiei refused to respond and looked away from the demon. He grinned wickedly, "Ha. I see…a proud warrior never boasts of his accomplishments, I can respect that." The demon leader dismounted and took a closer look at the dragon. "I can tell from here that you have a fine blade and vast knowledge of how to wield it." He turned and stared at Hiei. "This was mere child's play to you, I suppose."
"Hmp." Hiei responded and looked away.
The demon leader grinned, "Like ourselves, this beast was a proud demon. His name was Sunaryu Daioh and was Lord of the Sands. Many, many years I trained and honed my blade so that one day I would be the one to slay this beast…though it seems that dream has been taken by you." He walked over to Hiei and sat down beside him. "A warrior so young as you has taken part of my life's ambition. He he he, you wouldn't understand the musings of an old demon such as I. Young warrior, do you know who sits beside you?"
"Even if I did, I still wouldn't care." Hiei quickly responded.
His reply made the old demon laugh," I am ruler of the West, General Lord Honoo. I have seen more bloodshed and killed more people than you have hairs on your head. And you are, little arrogant one?"
Hiei glared, "A nameless shadow."
Lord Honoo stood and took a few steps away, "Well, Shadow, now is not the time, but one day I must face you in battle. It's a matter of honor. My enemy's killer cannot go on living now can he?"
"I understand."
Honoo smiled. He knew he would. Returning to his mount, the demon lord raised his hand in a gesture of farewell, "Until that day…this is where we part, young swordsman." He turned around to his soldiers, "All right, maggots. We ride!"
Leaving a cloud of dust in their wake, the soldiers and their leader rode off into the distance. To where, Hiei neither knew nor cared. Sliding from his perch, Hiei continued his wandering journey.
Three demon bandits had discovered something interesting lying on the desert ground. They were green orge demons dressed in makeshift armor of spiked leather and metal plates across their shoulders and on their heads. As desert bandits, they wore little else but riding boots and a ratted and soiled loincloth over their privates.
"T'wat is it?" the thin, wispy ogre asked with a gnarled, sniveling voice. "Is he alive?"
"I dunno," the leader of this small band replied. "Check and see if he's alive."
The thin orge pulled back his boot and kicked Kurama hard in the stomach. Kurama groaned in pain and clutched his stomach but his eyes remained closed. "Yep. He's alive."
The last demon of the band was a short hunched orge with stubbly arms. He squealed with a high shrill," Ooooo! Let's eat him." The two minion ogres bounced their bodies and heads rapidly to their leader. They hadn't had a good meal of fresh flesh in weeks. Their mouths were already watering.
Their leader remained in deep thought for some time, "All in time, boys. First, check him if he has anything good." Quickly the two minions searched Kurama's body. They found nothing.
"Now can we eat him, Surge?"
"No," the leader quickly replied and crouched down beside Kurama. "This is too strange. Wandering the desert with absolutely nothing on him…I smell something rotten here and for once it's not you two." He pointed at the hunchback orge," Grog, give him some water." He waddled back with a container of water. Surge snatched the bottle, raised Kurama's body, and poured water into his mouth. Immediately, Kurama choked and rose completely forward. When he stopped coughing, the ogre leader handed him the bottle and Kurama greedily gulped down the water, no matter how nasty it tasted.
His whole body was shaking. Kurama wiped his mouth," Thank….you."
"Heh, what pretty green eyes you have!" the thin orge called Needle licked his lips. "I cannot wait to taste them." In his current state, Kurama had not even heard what Needle had said.
"Boy? Can you hear me boy?" Surge asked. Kurama nodded his head deliriously, but then his eyes rolled back inside his head and he fell back unconscious.
Surge groaned and shook his head. The boy was in no condition to answer his questions. For a while it seemed, he would have to travel with them. If his condition didn't improve, Surge guessed he could get a doctor in Zeccho to look at him. But was his information really that important that he go out of his way and pay money for? Probably not.
"Okay, load him up." His two minions lifted Kurama and slung him on the back of Surge's armadillo. Covering him with an old canvas tent and securing him with ropes, Kurama wasn't going anywhere, even if he had the strength. The desert bandits mounted their beasts and took off. The plan was to head for the southeast, but Surge was going to take a more southern than eastern route in case a visit to Zeccho was in order. As the three bandits rode into the late afternoon, the wind brushed blew Kurama's hair into his face. Where they would take him, he did not know. But with his eyes closed, his mission failing, and laying unconscious on the back of the giant armadillo, at least his expression was peaceful.
–end Chapter Four
Author's Notes: I swear I'm always putting Hiei or Kurama in danger...the dark nature of the story I guess. Yea. I know it's a romance and I promise…eventually there will be some romance…and maybe even a happy scene. It takes time to get there though. I hope you enjoyed chapter four and the rest of this chapter a.k.a chapter five is in progress.