A/N: This is probably going to be another confusing chapter...hopefully not as confusing as the last...anyway, I'll now update sooner because now that school is over I don't have to worry for another three months. Isn't that great!?! I think so. I swear...I hate math...and I hate finals...and I hate oysters.

Disclaimer: Well, well, well....what have we here? A person who can't see my disclaimer? Well then, I guess you must be blind because I DON'T OWN YU YU HAKUSHO!!!!! I DON'T OWN YU YU HAKUSHO!!! I DON'T OWN YU YU HAKUSHO!!! Hmmm....I wonder what the people who do own Yu Yu Hakusho do for entertainment since they already know what's going to happen in the series...hmmmmm

Enlightening Erudition

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The door opened, spreading weak light into the dark room. Filth covered the floor. The stench caused most of the guards to grimace or gag. A small movement in the corner drew the attention of the guards. An alarmingly thin face looked up, golden eyes weary.
"Don't you know by now that I won't tell you anything?"
"He said it doesn't matter anymore. He has what he wants. Today we're only here to get to know each other. How does that sound, Kyros?" The golden-eyed creature froze, a look of horror etched onto his face.
"I- I have no idea what you're talking about. You must be mistaken, that is not my name."
"You really shouldn't waste your breath bluffing, we already know who you are and where your family is. As of right now I'm taking care of little Lanien. She's very talkative, we've become the best of friends." The guard talking smirked, enjoying the comic display of different emotions pass over Kyros's face. "Anyway, that's enough chit chat for now. I need to get to start to know you." Another sickeningly smug grin settled on the guard's features. The guard stopped talking, raised his hand and flicked it forward. Two other guards stepped forward and took hold of Kyros's arms. Together they dragged him over to one of the walls holding manacles. The iron cuffs encircled thin wrists. The two guards stepped back. One returned to the spot he had occupied earlier. The other went over to a sack another guard had carried in. Untying the string holding the top together, he reached his hand in and brought out a object concealed by the darkness. "See, I brought a few items to help to get to know each other. Hopefully, they'll help speed things up." The silent guard handed the obscured object to the lead guard. Stepping forward allowed Kyros to see what the guard held. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes, preparing himself for what was to come. He felt the guard take one of his hands in his. Kyros could feel the cold, sharp tip of the weapon rest on the pad of his thumb and the block of wood being held on top of his nail. "I really hope we become good friends." With those last words the guard twisted the screw into his thumb, driving the treacherous metal into the waiting wood.

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Kyros groggily opened his sleep-crusted eyes. Blinking, he slowly turned his head this way and that, fighting rising nausea. Silence filled the dim cell. Relief washed over him as he realized that he was safe for the moment. Pushing himself to a sitting position with his elbows, he winced. Kyros slowly inched towards the single torch bracket that held light. By the time he reached the light, he was gasping for air. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself for what he was about to see. Kyros, as soon as his eyes opened brought his thumbs to where he could see them properly. Small holes started from the surface of his nail and ended at the pad of skin on the other side. With sick fascination, he ignored the pain and brought one of his thumbs up to his eyes. He wondered at the site of seeing the torch through his thumb. Bringing his thumb down, Kyros heaved a sigh of relief; at least the holes were a clean cut and did not have jagged edges. Kyros, for the moment, forgot about his thumbs. He wanted to see what was left of his legs and arms. He brought his forearm to where he could see it clearly. Most of the skin he could see was red and inflamed. At the center of the swelling infection he found what he was looking for. A patch of skin was missing and about an inch of the surrounding skin was burnt. Once the men had finished with his thumbs, they started using heated pliers to rip skin from his body. More then once he had passed out from the immense pain. Using what little water he could afford from the water he was given once a day, Kyros tried to clean his wounds as best he could. Darkness enveloped him on his second try.

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The cell door clanked as it opened, awakening Kyros. Heavy footfalls approached the exhausted figure lying on the floor.
"Are you ready to tell me now?" The snide voice was slightly muffled, as though the person was speaking through their hand.
"I will never tell you anything about my family." The soft, hoarse voice emitted from Kyros was filled with determination. "I would die before I would betray them."
"Yes, well. I didn't come to talk about your family. Actually, I've had the pleasure of meeting them. Not too bright of folk. Don't seem to know what I'm asking about. I guessed that they would know since you hid them, but I guess you just hid them so they wouldn't come to harm when I found out only you knew. Isn't that right? Anway, Stefan already told you that he was playing with Lanien. This shouldn't come as a big shock to you."
"What have you done with them!?! I swear if you hurt them it will be the last thing you ever do."
"Oh, don't worry. They're here and will remain safe if you cooperate. That shouldn't prove to be too hard. Just answer my questions." Kyros remained steadily silent. The stranger sighed. "This would be much easier if you would comply. You don't know who I am and you do not know what I am capable of. I could have you trembling in a week; ripping your hair out, tears streaming down your face, begging for mercy, pleading for death." Still Kyros remained silent. "Fine. Stefan will be seeing you shortly." The dark stranger turned on his heel, and without a backward glance left.

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Stefan entered the room by himself carrying a small bag that jangled slightly. A wide grin graced the torturer's features. Without a word, Stefan closed the door and walked forward to Kyros. Kneeling, he emptied his pack. Small pliers and thin needles fell to the floor. Kyros's face drained of all color. He had heard what methods could be practiced with such tools. Unfortunately, none were as excruciatingly painful as what would be practiced on him.
Stefan took the pliers in a firm grip and grabbed Kyros's hand. The pliers jabbed under the nail of his ring finger and then his hand was on fire. Screaming, Kyros tried to rip his hand free but Stefan kept a strong hold. After moments the searing, sharp pain subsided to be replaced by a dull throb. Kyros, dim with pain, looked down at his hand and his mind reeled. His nail was missing completely.
Kyros quickly swung his eyes to Stefan. He put down the pliers. Kyros started to sob with an odd kind of relief; that was all they would do to him. He would only have to survive the rest of his nails being torn away in the same way. At least, that was what he thought until he remembered the needles.
Kyros's sobbing grew frantic as Stefan picked up on of the thin, long needles. Grinning gleefully Stefan stabbed the needle into the quick of the missing nail. The needle was driven deeper and deeper vertically so that the needle was parallel with the bone of the finger. The sobbing abruptly halted.

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Whew! I finally finished typing this. I had to type it at work because I'm working now and didn't have any other time in between. I'm saving up to get my own laptop and I'm getting paid 9.50 and hour. So yay! Then you guys won't have to wait forever! Anyway I have a few things to explain.

1. The torture methods I wrote about in this chapter are actual torture methods from the Salem Witch period. These methods were used not only in Salem, Massachusetts but also in Germany, Spain, France, Scandinavia, Poland, and many other countries. The first one that was used on Kyros's thumbs were thumb screws. The screws would be pushed all the way through the finger into a block of wood on the other side, although sometimes the wood wasn't used. I cannot remember what the name of the second method was but if I can remember I will post it next chapter. Anyway, executioners/torturers/witch hunters would heat pliers, rakes, cat paws (a weapon that kinda looked like a rake that would be pulled across the skin), etc., and rip pieces of skin from the victim. On a woman the executioners/torturers/witch hunters would rip pieces of the breast off. In one case a woman's breasts were actually all the way cut off and then put in the mouths of her sons... the last method I described was Turcas. Actually I believe it was the pliers that were the "turcas" instead of the method. Short and quick, the pliers would rip off the nail of the victim and insert the needles into the quick.

2. The second thing I want to explain is that Kyros is not a sissy. Just because someone cries doesn't mean their weak. I mean, I know I would probably be insane if someone did that to me. Plus Kyros is actually smart. I think that if you try not to scream and cry and pass out then you're wasting needed energy. That is why he was sobbing. He's SMART!

3. Let me clarify something in the story that might be confusing. When Stefan said in the first clip that , "He said it doesn't matter anymore. He has what he wants." It meant that the stranger guy that only I know the identity of THOUGHT he had what he wanted. In the third clip the stranger said, "I guessed that they would know since you hid them, but I guess you just hid them so they wouldn't come to harm when I found out only you knew." This means that once again he THOUGHT that he had what he wanted but he actually doesn't. He thought Kyros's family could tell him something but they couldn't. Only Kyros and I know what the stranger (whose name I shall reveal in the next chapter) wants to know.

Anyway, I think that's about it. If you guys have any questions or concerns about my minds state of health please post them. If not then don't! Sorry I took so long to update. I hope it was worth it. I'll try not to let it happen again. I should post the next chapter about the same time next week if not sooner. Ciao!