Yes, I'm a couple days late in uploading this chapter, but I have been struggling with computer problems that I hope to have wrapped up be the end of this week. That being said:
Disclaimer: All characters found in this fanfiction with the exception of Hinata, Mizu, and Hidesuke, are the property of the creative mind that is Yoshihiro Togashi.
Warning: Story contains OC romances concerning Hiei and Kurama. If you are expecting a love at first sight story, I'm sad to say you will be left lacking. I am going to keep each character in character to the best of my abilities, and the main ones concerned will need time for things to develop romantically.
Continuation: I will only think about updating this story when I have received somewhere close to five reviews per chapter. Flaming does not count as a review. I would like to thank Kuramasredredrose, heve-chan and chocolateluvr13 their reviews, support and constructive criticism. You guys are amazing and I hope that this chapter is worth the wait.
Chapter Three: Sibling Rivalry
Part 2: The Fall of Twins
Kurama, thankful his hand had somehow remained clenched around his whip, shifted his eyes to his sister before those too would succumb to the paralysis faced by the rest of his body, "We seem to be at an impasse."
"Have you accepted your fate so readily, or are you trying to hold out for your comrades? You know how quickly the paralysis will take over your organs." Hinata snarled, put off by Kurama's apparent calm and composure.
"Hinata," Mizu pleaded, casting a sympathetic look at Kurama's still body, "it wasn't supposed to end this way."
Her pleas fell on partially deaf ears.
'It's not as if I'm in the position to get up and get the restoration powder. He started this. He started this over a century ago.' Hinata reasoned in an attempt to lessen the guilt that sent her heart plunging into her stomach, 'This is just the last sparing match we'll have.'
The light dimmed from Mizu's normally brilliant blue eyes. The sting of tears pricked her senses as water welled up along her lower lid and threatened to spill over.
Hidesuke strained his ears to hear past the sounds of the night for distortions on the earth's surface, tuning out the dramatic turn of events behind him.
"Kurama," Hiei called out, the lack of oxygen still taking an effect, "don't stop fighting. The detective and moron should be here soon." he panted.
'They, they won't make it in time.' Mizu thought, losing the battle with her tears, resigning to letting them fall freely. With every tear that dropped to the ground, more and more of Mizu's arms solidified.
"So where are these friends of yours?" Hinata asked almost conversationally, meeting her brothers gaze for what she thought might be the last time. She felt her heart sink a little lower upon hearing Kurama's haggard breathing.
"Kurama! Hiei!" a voice bellowed before a muffled thud was heard coupled with a high pitched groan prior to the voice's owner sinking to his knees. His hands clutched his abused member as he crumbled into the fetal position.
"Damn Urameshi, brought to your knees by a crotch shot from a kid." a deep nasally voice laughed before succumbing to the same fate as his partner.
"That was them. Idiots." Hiei grumbled, having little sympathy for the pair, "Get up! Kurama doesn't have much longer!"
As if to accentuate the his circumstance, a shaky gasp passed though Kurama's lips. His eyes bugged out until they slowly began to recede and roll to the back of his head.
"Hidesuke, get the restoration powder." Hinata commanded, for the first time letting panic lace her tone.
Mizu watched Hidesuke scamper down the hallway leading to the bed rooms. She released Hiei from her grasp and placed one hand over her racing heart.
"What's going on here? Kurama? Is he... he's not...?" the newcomer Hinata presumed to be Yusuke Uramashi asked in rapid succession, not able to bring himself to finish his last question. His orange haired partner that, through process of elimination could only be Kuwabara, stood dumbstruck at the situation unfolding.
Within moments, Hidesuke was back, hand clutching a vial with a sprinkling of light blue powder floating along the bottom. Hand shaking, he passed the vial to Hinata.
"Is Kurama going to be okay?" Kuwabara asked in a nasally voice, looking from the vial to Kurama and back again.
Using his katana, Hiei sliced through the whip binding Hinata's wrists together, an easy enough task due to the lack of Kurama's spirit energy, "There is a chance." he snarled.
'He's not breathing.' Hinata noticed, struggling to remove the thorns now embedded within the skin of her wrists and ebb the flow of blood.
"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" the spirit detective demanded.
"Mizu will have to do it." Hidesuke said, taking notice of Hinata's unsteady hands, 'She might spill what little we have.'
Hinata agreed and passed the vial carefully to Mizu.
"It has to reach his lungs. He's stopped breathing and doesn't have much time left. Work quickly." Hinata directed, stepping aside and leaning against a wall for both support and to give Mizu a unobstructed path to Kurama's deathly still form.
The water elemental's usual grace left as her body surged toward the object of her unrequited affections.
Upon reaching him, she turned him onto his back and pried his mouth open. Wasting no time with gazing into his eyes, as she normally would have if given the opportunity, Mizu emptied the contents of the vial into her mouth before placing her warm, moist lips upon the cold, lifeless ones of Kurama, blowing out the restoration powder which filled his lungs.
All that was left to do was wait.
Seconds, feeling more like hours, ticked by as the six fighters in the room looked for any sign of life from the still body in the middle of the room.
"Maybe... maybe he just needs some more?" Kuwabara offered, trying to break the awkward silence that seemed to encompass the onlookers.
Tears once again fell freely from Mizu's dull eyes. Her body shook with the force of her silent sobs as she stared down at Kurama's face, contorted in efforts to fight the inevitable effects of Hinata's paralysis powder.
"This is so stupid! How can he die?!" Yusuke yelled, on the verge of tears himself
Hiei let loose a savage snarl, turning his piercing red eyes, fixed in a glare, at the one responsible.
Hidesuke countered Hiei's glare with a stoney one of his own as he stood alongside Hinata, for better or worse.
'Mizu was right, it wasn't supposed to end like this. Was it supposed to end at all?' Hinata wondered, her ears drooping to the side as the guilt continued to ravage her heart, tearing it into tiny pieces.
A noise, so quiet she thought she might have imagined it, reached her senses.
Her ears swiveled forward into their alert position and her head snapped up as a second noise came from the direction of her brother, 'He's still not breathing, but what is that sound?' She strained her ears until she could pin point the noise. It was a faint heartbeat, growing stronger with the passing seconds.
Slowly, a smile of relief lifted the corners of her lips and she placed a hand on Mizu's shoulder, gesturing towards Kurama.
Kurama's eyes flew open and he let out a loud gasp as much needed oxygen flooded his lungs. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he gulped down several large breaths of air in an attempt to rid his lungs of the burning sensation they faced due to being starved of oxygen for so long.
Sliding along the wall, Hinata sank to the plush carpet below and closed her eyes. She felt Hidesuke beside her as he followed her example, though not completely as she could still feel his stare.
'What happens now? We've never failed before.' Hidesuke pondered, looking over at a slightly deflated Hinata.
No one took notice of the mentally exhausted pair as they rushed the newly revived Kurama.
"Yusuke. Kuwabara. I'm glad you made it." Kurama panted, looking up at them from his position on the floor. Groaning, he attempted to sit up, his body still stiff from its bout of the nearly permanent paralysis, "I must regain control of my body." he said in response to Yusuke's outstretched hand.
He struggled to his feet as his partners and Mizu, now restrained by Hiei, backed away to give him some space.
Hidesuke gently shook Hinata's shoulder as the sound of Kurama approaching reached his sensitive ears before scampering off to the bedroom, 'If we are to be taken captive we will be prepared.' he reasoned, packing as many of Hinata's poison powders as could be hidden inconspicuously.
A long shadow engulfed Hinata's tiny form, all the smaller in her shame and embarrassment.
Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara and Mizu watched from afar as Kurama gathered both of Hinata's wrists in one hand and hauled her to her feet.
Hinata reluctantly opened her doe brown eyes, expecting to meet green orbs, soft and gentle in comparison to the molten gold eyes she normally attributed to her brother. Unfortunately, like everything else that night, she realized her expectations did not mirror reality.
While the rest of her brothers appearance was that of his human form, a prominent difference gave Hinata pause. Cold, hard, golden eyes that haunted her memory bore into her's, pure frustration and anger shining through the multitude of other emotions.
Without a word, Kurama regained his composure, his eye color morphing back to his forest green, before he relinquished his sister to his three teammates. The action was coupled with a warning, "Keep a tight hold on her. I know what she is capable of."
'Had he not been so angry with me, that might have been a compliment.' Hinata thought, a light chuckle escaping at the realization.
Yusuke and Kuwabara tightened their hold on the chuckling Hinata as Mizu caught Kurama's eye. She blushed and seemed to apologize for her leader's sudden outburst.
Hidesuke scampered to Hinata's side, glaring at anyone who dared look in her direction. When his emerald eyes met the forest green of Kurama, Hidesuke's glare intensified tenfold and his little body shook with the effort of remaining still by Hinata.
She wrapped a maternal arm around his shoulders, holding him closer to her in an attempt to calm his writhing fury.
"So where do we take them Kurama?" Yusuke asked.
"Yeah, I mean it's not like they actually stole anything." Kuwabara added, looking between the three culprits.
"We shall take them to a holding cell in Spirit World for the night until Koenma has time to see them. We cannot keep them here." Kurama reasoned. He quickly led the group out through the barren door frame with Hiei at his side. The others followed some distance behind.
"You went too far Hinata!" Mizu scolded, her voice deathly serious and quiet, a rarity for the water elemental.
Hidesuke, blood already boiling, snapped back quietly, "She was only protecting herself. He would have surely killed her had she not. He's lucky she felt sorry for him and gave the restoration powder"
"Don't talk about things you don't understand!" Mizu hissed.
Hinata remained silent throughout this exchange while Yusuke and Kuwabara listened intently for clues as to what happened in that apartment prior to their arrival.
"He... he said he wouldn't go easy on her, that... that it was time to end it!" Hidesuke tried to argue, stammering ever so slightly.
"Tell him Hinata. Tell him how it was supposed to be fun, how you were only supposed to pin him for a ten count!" Mizu berated, "But you went too far."
"But she proved she was the better fighter. He would be dead without her." he defended as they crossed the barricade into the Spirit World and a wall of holding cells came within their range of sight.
An iron gate on rusty hinges noisily swung open, ending the conversation for the time being.
Mizu and Hidesuke both filed in obediently, moving to the back of the enclosure while Hinata stood by the gate.
The hinges creaked in protest once more and a deafening clang reverberated around the room as the gate was locked and secured.
"I want to speak to you. I think you owe me that much, brother." Hinata snarled, her fingers encircling the bars of the wrought-iron gate of the holding cell.
"What makes you think he owes you anything?" Hiei growled, putting a great deal of pressure on one of her injured writs with the intent of forcing her further into the cell.
An unlikely ally came to Hinata's aid.
"Hiei, let 'em talk!" Kuwabara said as he stepped forward, "And let go of her. Real men don't hurt girls."
"Real men aren't fooled by cheap tricks*." Hiei snarled, looking over Hinata disdainfully, but releasing her all the same.
Mizu and Hidesuke stood motionless, mouths agape at the implication along with Kuwabara.
"Whoa whoa whoa Hiei. That's hitting a little below the belt, don't ya think?" Yusuke reprimanded. Based on what he had seen, Hinata had saved his teammate. While he still saw her as a criminal, he figured she deserved a little better than underhanded shots.
"Hn. Do what you will Kurama. I don't care." Hiei said as he left his partners to their own devices. A nagging curiosity surfaced from the back of his mind, keeping him from venturing too much further once he was out of their range of vision. He crouched in the shadows and removed his bandana, allowing his Jagan Eye to open.
"It would be better for everyone if we are well rested. Head home and get some sleep. I will be along shortly." Kurama said calmly, effectively dismissing them.
Hidesuke found himself glaring at Kurama, sending silent venomous curses at him.
"What is it you want Hinata? I'm beginning to tire of this already." Kurama sighed, acting very much the exasperated older brother.
Hinata placed a strong hand on Hidesuke's shoulder, forcing him back, reminding him of his place and order, "Just for you to admit it. Admit that I bested you." she smirked, preparing herself for the one thing she longed to hear since she was left behind.
Golden eyes once more betrayed Kurama's otherwise calm composure as he fought to remain in his human form, "I will not admit something that isn't true." he said through clenched teeth.
Hinata felt the air rush from her lungs as if someone had sucker punched her.
Mizu stood dumbfounded while Hidesuke had finally reached the limit of his tolerance.
"She was CLEARLY the victor! She saved you from her attack! You would have died!" Hidesuke shouted, his hands balling themselves into fists.
Kurama sighed, as if bored with the conversation, "Precisely why she will never beat me. She was unable to finish the fight." An almost sadistic grin lifted the corners of Kurama's lips as his molten gold eyes glimmered in the dim lighting, "She will always be weak."
Where Hidesuke found the speed, even he didn't know. All he was aware of was that he now had a fist full of Kurama's shirt, forcing the once feared thief against the cold iron bars of the cell.
"Let him go Hidesuke! What are you doing?" Mizu wailed in alarm.
Hinata watched in surprise and mild amusement until Hidesuke spoke.
"He deserves to know how 'weak' she is." Hidesuke announced, his voice cracking, "My mother died before I met her. Hinata... Hinata gave up her food for me so I wouldn't end up sick like her and my mother. When... When the time came that there wasn't anything else to eat..." Hidesuke trailed off, his hold on Kurama's shirt tightening, "we were forced to eat what remained of my mother!"
Mizu felt her jaw drop. Hidesuke's past had always been shrouded in mystery, and now she knew why.
"It's all your fault!" Hidesuke continued, shoving Kurama away from him as tears fell freely.
Hinata held Hidesuke close, petting the back of his head in a comforting manner as he buried his face into her chest.
"Why don't you leave Kurama? You're good at that." Hinata said bitterly, turning her back on her brother.
"Koenma will see you tomorrow." Kurama said as a means to excuse himself, not sure how to respond to the weeping earth elemental.
Hiei closed his Jagan Eye, leaving the facility to ensure he wouldn't encounter Kurama.
Once Hidesuke had calmed down he smiled weakly at Hinata, "We're not going to be here when Koenma comes to see us, are we?" he asked, pulling out a vial of rust colored powder.
Mizu looked at the pair bewildered, "You aren't serious are you?"
Hinata answered her question by uncorking the vial, directing the flow of the powder toward the door of their cell.
"I don't have a choice in coming with you do I?" Mizu sighed.
Tired with Mizu's complaining and whispered insults, Hinata turned to her partner and glared, "Stay if you want, cowering with your tail between your legs. Apparently fighting isn't for everyone."
A look of confusion flashed in Mizu's eyes, "You want me to stay here?" she asked, sounding as if she were holding back tears.
Hidesuke shared an eye roll with Hinata as they each took one of Mizu's arms and led her through the large gaping hole in their cell.
Authors Note: *"Tricks" refers to either sexual favors from prostitutes or ploys they use to get business.