Drowning in Flames Ch 36
Showdown in the Palace of Betrayal pt 2
Hiei saw Ashi heading back towards his friends but he couldn't help them. Shadow was still on him, breaking him down with each solid blow. His arms were tiring from absorbing the shock from blocking her attack and his heart ached. As much as he hated it, if he wanted to live and defeat her, perhaps finding a way to save her, he would have to return his heart to ice.
When her next attack came he stole a quick kiss to her cheek, almost costing him a slit throat. He pushed away from her and caught her eyes again before and closing his own, calling forth the pain and anger that had made him the cold killer he once was.
She came at him again, her blade held above her head in a powerful strike. As the blade came down aimed for his head he reached up and caught it, the sharp edge digging into his skin. Blood ran from the wound as dark energy swirled around him in an electrified spiral. His eyes, eyes he hadn't had in so long, cold and full of hatred, met her dead ones.
"I'm sorry, Onna, but I have no choice."
With a surge of his energy he sent her flying upwards into the ceiling, disarming her of her sword. She fell to the ground with a crash and drew the attention of the others.
Ashi stopped his approach on Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara and they lowered their defenses, all watching the scene unfolding in front of them.
Shadow brought herself to her feet, blood dripping from her lips and her neat appearance now in shambles. Her clothes were torn and her skin blemished with dust, dirt, and blood. She didn't say a word, only stared down her perceived enemy.
Silently she brought her hands to her lips and blew into them, a frosty mist billowing out from them and clouding the area. Hiei walked into it unafraid.
Her hands became encased with ice, forming a small blade on either hand. Hiei noticed movement in the mist and began to feel sharp pains. The ice crystals in the mist, he discovered, were sharp as any blade and moved around him, intently and rhythmically cutting his skin. He brushed off the pain, barely registering it. He slowly raised his sword and continued moving towards her.
The two locked eyes and in an instant were gone, flashes of light barely visible where steel met ice.
"Guys, I know I'm the only human here and that may be why but I can't see what's going on."
"Don't feel bad Kuwabara, I can't see much either." Yusuke said, straining his eyes trying to keep up.
Ashi and Kurama remained silent. Both demons were old enough and powerful enough to keep up and were watching their every move. Ashi was delighted with Shadows savage and brutal attacks and the sight of Hieis blood flowing from various wounds on his body. Yet he was angered by the fact that he wasn't dead yet and even seemed to be holding his own.
Kurama watched in apprehension for both his friends. Hiei, since being defeated by Yusuke years before, had come a long way in leaving his past behind and becoming the man he was today. Now he and Shadow both fought as if they had never met, as if they both were stuck in that cruel past, fighting to kill, fighting to survive. If Hiei accidently killed Shadow in this state and the rest of them lived after this, he knew his friend would never be the same again. They would both be casualties of Ashis selfish agenda.
An explosion of energy caught everyone off guard and knocked them to the ground. Two loud crashes could be heard as both Hiei and Shadow hit opposite walls. The four men jumped to their feet and searched the dust cloud for a sign of the two demons. As the dust settled they could see outlines of the two where they had fallen.
Shadow was already to her feet, Hiei on his knees and his sword gone, lost in the rubble. She walked over to him slowly, her eyes still dead and her skin covered in bleeding wounds.
Hiei watched as she approached him. His hatred was waning, the pain from the past leaving him. It hadn't been enough to make him stronger, more powerful. His sword arm was injured and he was getting light headed from the lack of blood.
She stopped in front of him, close enough for him to reach out and hold her to him if he did so choose. He briefly entertained the thought of doing so as she brought her ice blade down on him. He scoffed at the tragic notion. He didn't have much left but the Dragon and he refused to use it on her. Even if he did, they were mated and he knew the Dragon wouldn't attack her nor hers him if she tried to use it. Then he remembered that he carried her daggers on his belt. Kuwabara carried her sword, not that it would be much use to him now, but the daggers…
As she raised her blade he closed his eyes in silent apology and lunged up at her, plunging the dagger into her chest.
"NO!" came the collective cries of the other four men, Ashi in anger and the others in horror.
Tears began to line his eyes as he opened them to look up at her. His eyes caught the wound and he watched as the dagger glowed bright. As he watched, the glow flowed from the dagger into the wound and through her veins. Hesitantly he looked up to meet her eyes and in them the dead fog began to fade.
"Shadow?"
The fog left her eyes completely and he saw something that both terrified him and filled him with joy; recognition.
"Hi..Hiei?"
He smiled and carefully brought her down to cradle her in his arms.
"Yes, Onna. It's me."
"But… but you're dead.."
"No, Onna. I am alive, barely thanks to that training I gave you." He smirked, pushing her hair from her face.
She looked confused for a moment then realization dawned on her. She looked down at the dagger in her chest, horrified.
"Hiei.. I.."
"I'm so sorry, Onna. I had to stop you.. I just hoped that I didn't end up killing you.."
He rested his forehead against hers for a moment. There was a still calm as he grasped the dagger handle.
"Forgive me again, Onna. This is going to hurt."
Before she could protest he pulled the dagger from her chest and she cried out. He stifled the cry with a kiss.
By this time Ashis rage was boiling over, fire beginning to pour from his eyes.
"You bastard child! How dare you!?"
Hiei pulled out of the kiss and glared at him.
"Me? ME!? HOW DARE YOU!? You are the lowest of demons and I'll be damned if I let you use her like this! You can't have her body or her soul. As of now the wound is almost healed and we will crush you!"
Yusuke smiled and cracked his knuckles, "Well guys I guess our breaks over."
Kuwabara and Kurama smiled and nodded in agreement and all three men powered up for another showdown.
Ashi looked back and forth from them to Hiei, who was now standing with his arm glowing with the familiar glow of the Dragon. He looked down to Hieis side to Shadow. The two locked eyes and he knew the venom was no longer in her veins, she was no longer his. Deep down he knew she never was. The damned Jaganshi would always be able to get to her, one way or another.
"Mark my words you filthy insects. I will have my war and I will rule you all. You will all bow to me before I take pleasure in disposing of you!"
They rushed for him but he disappeared in a pillar of flame, leaving the room empty feeling and cold. Hiei ran back to Shadow as the others followed, searching the grounds for his energy signature as they ran.
Hiei carefully picked Shadow up and held her close, thankful to have her safe with him again.
"Hiei, can we go home now?"
"We can go to Alaric. It's not safe for you right now in the Ningenkai or near the borders."
"What? Why?"
He and Kurama shared an uneasy glance.
"Shadow, King Enma seems to think that you left with Ashi willingly and have joined him in his effort to start this war. He's ordered your execution and placed SDF at the crossing points to intercept you." Kurama explained.
She looked at him in disbelief and rested her head weakly against Hieis chest.
"Why would he…"
"It doesn't matter, Onna. I will not allow you to come to more harm. He stated that if we could prove you were not willing then he will cancel the order. For now you will stay in Alaric and recover. I missed your heart and lungs but I still did some damage."
She nodded and let out a deep sigh as the adrenaline left her and she passed into deep uneasy sleep.
The four men let out their own sighs. Relief, frustration, uncertainty, and anger all in one action. Ashi was still out there, Enma was still suspicious and the order was still in effect, but they had Shadow, safe and alive. If anything today was still a victory. They wasted no more time in leaving and headed straight for Mukuro and Alaric.
Two men watched them from afar, evaluating them.
Ashi, realizing he had made grave errors and assumptions of the Reikai Tantei, watched in anger and frustration. Vowing to not be beaten again, he began to plan his next move.
Enma, realizing he also had made grave errors and assumptions of both the Reikai Tantei and the demoness Shadow, watched in admiration and relief. He quickly canceled the execution order but replaced it with a summons for all five of them. If Ashis plan remained true they would have a lot of work to do.