A guest reviewer asked if this fic would cover the poltergeist report movie, so I figured now was as good a time as any to state that Friends will only cover the Sensui arc. After that, we'll dive into the sequel, which deals with the romantic aspect of HB's relationship. :)
Life after the Dark Tournament was characterized by halcyon days and relatively tranquil times. Genkai's revival and Yukina's subsequent relocation to the human world lifted all of their spirits. And the boys were free to resume their usual pre-tournament routines.
There were a couple of missions scattered here and there, but no enemy posed much of a threat in the wake of the team's newfound strength. While Botan greatly appreciated the passing tranquil days and nights, she could tell that they were eating away at Hiei. Stirring up a longing within him that the world of the living simply couldn't fulfill.
The fire-demon had been visibly restless lately, the thin veneer of his patience worn down to transparent levels, making his displeasure more obvious. Being subjugated by the Spirit World's law and forced to do their bidding couldn't have been easy on a soul as rebellious and willful as his. And try as she might, she couldn't figure out how to help him.
They currently sat in a small donburiya in the shopping district. The place was crowded, marked by its satisfied patrons and savory aromas wafting in the air. The chatter of humans and clinking of cutlery punctured the silence spanning between the fire-demon and ferry-girl.
"Will you tell me about Makai?" Botan asked suddenly.
Hiei glanced up from his yoshinoya beef bowl, fixing her with a raised brow. "Why? You've never shown any interest in it before."
"Just wondering…" she replied, setting her chopsticks down onto their ceramic rest. "I know next to nothing about it, aside from the rumors I've heard in passing. And most importantly: it's your homeland. I'd like to know more about the place you were born and raised."
"Hn. Always so sentimental, woman."
"And you're always so tight-lipped," she quipped back with a grin, resting her chin in her hand. "I'm only asking for a couple of details. Surely you can give me that much?"
"…"
"Please?"
"… Fine," he yielded eventually. "Makai is an unforgiving land, filled with icy tundras, barren wastelands, maze-like terrains and deadly forests. Danger and decay scent in the air. Power rules all."
Botan blinked in surprise. "It sounds… harsh."
"It is." Hiei smirked. Under the honeyed lights of the shop, the sharp edges of his expression held hints of warm pride. "Unlike the human world, the land of apparitions is only governed by chaos and strength. There are no rules or restrictions."
"You miss it, don't you?"
The fire-demon hesitated, mouth pressed into a thin line. "Makai is where I belong. That's all."
"Well, what's the first thing you'll do once you finally return?" she asked lightly. "Seek out worthy opponents? Settle the score with an old enemy?"
"No," he replied, eyes growing distant. "I'll continue the search I started before I came here."
The ferry-girl leaned forward, interest twinkling in her eyes. "A search? What were you looking for?"
"My mother's hiruiseki stone," he muttered lowly. "I lost it years ago during a scuffle in the highlands."
Blue brows lifted in surprise. Hiei rarely brought up his past and she certainly wasn't expecting him to reveal something so private, so plainly. The thought of losing such an important memento made her heart sink. She couldn't imagine how he must've felt when it happened. "Do you have any idea where it might be?"
"In the hands of a greedy wretch, I'm sure," he replied wryly. "The stones are highly coveted in Makai. There's no way it's unaccounted for."
"But how will you manage to find it? You said it's been years; your mother's gem could be anywhere."
"The jagan eye should be able to pick up on its distinctive energy, so long as there are no talismans blocking its frequency."
"That's wonderful!"
"Hardly," Hiei said, voice clipped as he reclaimed his chopsticks and refocused his attention on his steaming beef bowl. "There's little sense in thinking about the future. I'm stuck here indefinitely until your precious prince deems my sentence served."
Botan's gaze colored with sympathy as her thoughts drifted back to the obvious truths she'd been trying to ignore. Hiei had an entire life before he met them. He had goals, ambitions and plans. There were still important things he had to do. There were still things he needed to reclaim. But he was completely and utterly powerless to do any of that while he was tethered to the Spirit World's command. She picked at her salmon absentmindedly, appetite long forgotten as she suppressed a sigh.
"Why do you look so glum, ferry-girl?"
The bluette jerked up in surprise to see Hiei staring back at her discerningly. She attempted to mask her troubled expression with one of forced levity. "I-it's nothing! I'm just not enjoying the food, is all."
Crimson eyes narrowed. "Don't bother pulling that false cheer with me, woman. I know when you're being contrary."
The ferry-girl's plastic smile fell apart. There was no use in lying to Hiei, not when he was an expert at reading her even without the jagan. She wilted slightly as she fixed her gaze on him once more. "It's just… I want you to be free," she confessed. "But the very thing holding you back from that is my world."
"You think I blame you," he realized.
"Not directly, but maybe a small part of you does."
"Did you break into Enma's stronghold, slaughter the guards and steal the artifact of darkness?"
"No."
"Then it isn't your fault."
"But-"
"It was my own hubris that led me here," he cut in, gaze cast out the window, his expression pensive. "I'm not so immature that I'd resent you over it."
Botan drew in a sharp breath, at a loss for words. "Hiei…"
He glanced back at her with a knowing smirk. "Don't get overly emotional, ferry-girl. It's simple logic, nothing more."
A relieved grin spread over her features. "Too late," she teased. "My heart is all warm and fuzzy."
"You're ridiculous," he scoffed, before shoveling some rice into his mouth.
Botan's expression warmed fondly as she followed suit.
By the time they both finished, the sky was dotted with stars and all the storefronts were lit up. As they passed building after building on Kaidan's lively streets, something small and alarming caught Botan's attention. She slipped inside the alleyway without a second thought, intent on confirming her suspicions.
"What are you doing?" Hiei asked, voice echoing in the enclosed space.
"I could've sworn I saw…" she trailed off, amethyst eyes darting around the alley. "Aha! There it is!"
Hiei followed the trajectory of her index finger, gaze narrowing. "A Makai insect."
They both watched it flutter past them, leading towards the very busy street.
"Don't just stand there!" she urged, shaking the fire-demon lightly. "Kill it before it has the chance to infect someone!"
Hiei rolled his eyes, but released a small blast of dark energy upon the insect, scorching it to a crisp before it could escape.
"Why on earth would a Makai insect be here?" she wondered.
Hiei pushed a hand in his pocket, lips slanted downwards just the slightest bit. "I've been detecting hints of the demon world leaking into this one as of late," he confessed. "A familiar rotting scent on the breeze and a malignant energy not native to this realm."
Botan frowned.
"I don't know what it means, but something is undoubtedly coming," he foretold.
Botan's worry increased tenfold as she clasped her hands together and lifted her gaze to the night sky. The human world appeared to be as picturesque as every other night that came before it. She couldn't sense any malignant auras brewing. There wasn't a single sign of unrest amidst the busy town. But Hiei's warning wasn't without credence. No matter how hard she tried to shake it, she feared that he was right.
These idyllic times were very likely the calm before a destructive storm.
.
.
.
A few days later, the storm broke.
According to the message Puu frantically delivered, Yusuke had been abducted by a couple of humans. The ransom note laid out directions to the old mansion in the Rokurokubi estates, stating that if Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei failed to arrive by eleven o'clock, the consequences would be dire.
Finding Kurama was a breeze, once they remembered the name and location of his school. Finding Hiei was another story entirely. They decided to reconvene at the park, giving them all time to prepare for the mission. Botan returned to the Spirit World and grabbed a briefcase full of detective tools, before hopping on her oar and zooming away. She didn't bother changing out of the school uniform she'd worn to visit Yusuke and Kuwabara earlier. There was simply no time for that. As she raced towards the park, she attempted to contact Hiei via the communication mirror. She even made a couple of pit stops in the places that Hiei was known to frequent. Much to her dismay, her searches came up empty.
She dismounted her oar and rejoined Kurama and Kuwabara near one of the many benches scattered along the park's pathway.
"Any ideas where Hiei might be?" Kuwabara asked.
Kurama shook his head. "I tried the few locations he usually frequents, but they all came up empty."
"Me too," Botan revealed. "I used the communication device as well, but he never responded."
"Darn…" Kuwabara sighed.
"We should assess the situation calmly," Kurama reasoned. "The city is large, but it's also crowded. Hiei wouldn't venture anywhere that was densely populated."
Kuwabara crossed his arms over his chest with a huff. "Great, that leaves all the shadowy, dark corners…"
"Fear not, Kuwabara, I have just the thing," Botan announced, kneeling down to pop open up the metal briefcase. "I'm sure one of these spirit detective tools will help us locate Hiei."
The psychic crouched down beside her, charcoal eyes peering down at the briefcase's contents. "That's a lot of gadgets."
"There's one for each and every occasion," she grinned, rifling past the psychic spy glass, mejiru seals and concentration ring. "There we are, the good old mystic whistle!"
"What does it do?" he asked.
Botan beamed proudly. "This lovely little whistle emits a frequency that only demons can hear. I'm certain if Hiei hears it, he'll make his way right over to us."
"It's worth a try," Kurama encouraged with a nod.
"You'll want to cover your ears," Botan warned. "The sound is especially unpleasant to demons."
Kurama brought his hands up to his ears and Kuwabara followed suit for good measure. Then, Botan drew in a deep breath and blew on the whistle. She couldn't hear a thing, but judging by the way Kurama winced, the whistle was doing its job.
A short while later, Hiei fell out of a nearby tree. He clutched his ear with one hand and gripped his sword tightly with the other. Botan lit up at the sight of him, relief flooding her anxious mind.
"There you are!" she greeted warmly. "I hoped you'd come if we called."
"I didn't realize it was you." He rose to his feet and sheathed his sword. "I only came to find the source of that vile noise and kill it."
"Sorry for the drastic measures, but I couldn't find you at all. And you never picked up your communication mirror, either."
"It broke during the last mission," he muttered.
"Again? This is the fifth one!" she exclaimed, red faced and indignant. She didn't know who was worse with their disregard of the spirit tools, Hiei or Yusuke. The thought of the detective quickly extinguished her ire and reignited her worry. Shaking her head, she approached Hiei. "Never mind that. We've got a real problem on our hands!"
Hiei accepted the letter and gave it a cursory glance over. Botan waited with bated breath as he read the contents of the message. She read it so often in the last hour that she could probably recite it verbatim. The thought of Yusuke - all alone and the mercy of his captives - made her chest ache. The sooner they rescued him the better.
"So, the detective's been ensnared. He must have been too cocky to realize his own weakness," Hiei remarked impassively, handing the note back to Botan. "Tell the kidnappers I turned it down. I'm finished babysitting."
The ferry-girl's lips parted on a gasp, too stunned to believe her ears or eyes as he turned his back on them.
"So you're just going to abandon Urameshi?" Kuwabara accused, hands balled into tight fists. "What about honor and loyalty?"
Hiei glared at the psychic. "Unlike you, my honor isn't dictated by brainless sentimentality."
"But surely your interest is piqued," Kurama tried. "An opponent strong enough to best Yusuke must be formidable."
The fire-demon scoffed. "Nice try, but I no longer care."
He pushed his hands in his pockets and completed three full strides by the time Botan found her voice again.
"How could you even think of walking away, Hiei?" she berated. "If you don't come, Yusuke could be killed!"
"Unless this is an official mission from your toddler prince, this isn't my problem," he replied indifferently. "The detective got himself into this mess and as far as I'm concerned, he's perfectly capable of getting himself out of it."
Botan bit her lip as Kurama attempted to coerce the fire-demon into joining them once more. The ransom note specifically called for Hiei's presence. If he didn't come along, there was on telling what unspeakable horrors the enemy would enact upon Yusuke. Unfortunately for them, Hiei seemed to have written the threat off as low level and was set on sitting this one out. He didn't appear to understand the gravity of the situation at all. There wasn't a single trace of the worry she felt reflected anywhere in his countenance.
Botan stared at Hiei contemplatively. Underneath the lamplight, both the sharp slant of his scowl and the defiant glint cutting his red eyes were thrown in stark relief. The hard set of his jaw matched the staunch line of his shoulders. His stiff posture, his short responses — everything about the fire-demon was steeped in defiance. If she had any hopes of getting through to him, she would have to face this logically and rationally. In past experience, the surest way of getting Hiei to conform was through an incentive. He merely needed something worth his while to push him into action. The ferry-girl wracked her brain for a potential incentive and then it hit her.
"If you agree to help us," Botan began, drawing Hiei's attention back to her. "I'll have Lord Koenma cut your sentence to time served. You'll be free."
Hiei's expression changed, breaking from its unyielding resistance for the briefest moment. She could see him weighing the options in his mind, sorting through that complicated honor code of his. He didn't accept her offer back in the Donburiya because he could offer nothing in return, but this was a worthy trade. If he helped them save Yusuke's life, he'd be reclaiming his own in a sense. And Botan knew fully well just how badly he wanted this.
"Can you even do that?" Kuwabara asked quietly.
"I don't have any other choice and we're all running out of time," Botan whispered back, before bringing her gaze to rest on Hiei. She only hoped Lord Koenma would understand her decision, seeing as her hands were tied and Yusuke's life was on the line. Her expression softened as she regarded him carefully. "What do you say, Hiei?"
He nodded, the hostility falling away from his disposition. "I accept."
She knew he would, but that didn't stop her heart from feeling heavy over the imminent end of their alliedship. Still - there much more pressing matters to worry about - so the ferry-girl faced forward resolutely. "Great, then let's get going," she urged, collecting the briefcase once more. "This is one house party we don't want to miss."
They hurried over towards the Rokurokubi estate, following the directions given on the back of the note. The further they ventured, the more nervous Botan became. There was no telling what awaited them and with Kuwabara's spirit energy on the fritz and Yusuke out of commission, they were at a serious disadvantage. Still, she couldn't afford to waver. Failure wasn't an option and with their combined strength, she was sure they would make it through.
After a few minutes of running, they came upon their destination. It was situated outside of the city, at the very end of a desolate block. The stone fence on the perimeter of the property was cracked in some places while grass and weeds grew wildly in all directions. The house itself was an odd looking structure with far too many arches, two slanted chimneys, and bizarre fixtures decorating its every corner. They approached the front entrance, stopping to study the note attached to its double doors.
"Once inside this room do not," Botan read aloud, pausing to glance down at the second line, "ever utter the word hot."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Kuwabara questioned, face twisted in confusion. "Is it some kind of riddle?"
"It's a warning," Kurama answered, his expression steeled. "One that we'd best adhere to."
Botan gulped. She was getting a terrible, terrible feeling about this whole thing. She took a step forward but was halted by Hiei.
"Return to the Spirit World," he advised. "There's no need for you to go any further."
"That's sweet, but you're already down one teammate and I'm the only one who can use the spirit detective tools with Kuwabara's energy out of commission. I couldn't possibly turn back now."
"Kurama and I can handle a couple of humans," he maintained.
"You don't know that for certain."
"The humans already have their spirit detective," he gritted. "Who's to say they won't want to add a ferry-girl to their sick collection?"
"Then I'll just have to be extremely careful!"
"Botan-"
"Besides, I've got Kurama and Kuwabara and most of all you by my side," she reasoned confidently. "I'll be just fine."
Hiei's shoulders fell, crimson eyes flickering under the bulbous light bulbs lining the door's awning. He always deflated whenever she put her full trust and faith in him and this time was no different.
"Fine, woman," he conceded. "If you're that determined, then be on guard and stay close to me."
Hiei ground his teeth as he listened to Kurama's insufferable classmate ramble on and on about his inconsequential life story.
If anyone ought to complain,it should have been the fire-demon. His life was reduced to nothing more than a joke. Day in and day out, he was thrown into lackluster missions - defeating his own kind and protecting the world he couldn't care less about, while serving an institution he held no respect for. Bound and shackled to laws he had no interest in maintaining. Forced to uphold virtues he didn't agree with.
Every moment he spent under the Spirit World's thumb ripped and tore away at the very core of him. Ironically enough, the only soul that made his probation bearable was the ferry-girl. He supposed it was fitting that she was the one to grant him freedom in the end.
All he needed to do was complete this one last mission and rescue the detective from a handful of psychics. Simple enough in theory.
Hiei refocused his attention on the present, taking stock of their current situation. The room had reached sweltering temperatures in an attempt to get them to utter the supposedly taboo word. As a fire-demon, it didn't bother him in the slightest. To his left, Kurama appeared as composed as ever, not a single red lock out of place. Kuwabara fumbled to unbutton his jacket with a huff, sweat beading on his hairline. And Botan wasn't faring any better as she fanned her heated face. It was only a matter of time until the oaf or the ferry-girl broke, and Hiei supposed this farce had gone on for long enough.
"Enough talking," he interrupted Kaito, unsheathing his sword. "We're wasting time. I much prefer action."
The fire-demon moved to strike the insufferable human down with the back of his blade. It wouldn't kill him, but it would at least incapacitate him. More importantly, it would spare them all of his annoying rambling. But before his attack could connect, an energy barrier encased the boy and shattered his blade to pieces.
"Violence isn't allowed in my domain," Kaito said, pushing his glasses up the ridge of his nose. The lenses were fogging up in the humid air, obscuring his beady eyes. "In here, words hold power and you're nothing but a tiny, powerless man."
Hiei discarded his sword and glared daggers at their enemy.
"Hiei…" Botan began warningly.
"Control yourself," Kurama urged.
But Hiei was well past the point of control. "Any buffoon can throw up a shield. How do we know his other claims aren't just a bluff?"
"There's only one way," Kaito tempted, a goading smile slanting his lips.
"No three letter word will rule my fate," Hiei snarled. "Hot."
In the next instant, a cold flame ran through him, seizing his entire body.
And then it all faded to black.
.
.
.
By the time Hiei awoke, the room was covered in all manner of flora and Kaito lay prone one the floor. The orb encasing his soul hovered just outside the boy's chest, prompting the events from earlier to come rushing back to the fire-demon. The bookworm's claims hadn't been unfounded after all. The psychics really did have power over a certain space and certain rules applied. He felt strange and out of place, but he supposed that would happen when your soul was forcefully expelled and then returned to your body. His eyes roamed over the rest of the team. Botan and Kuwabara were obviously victims of the same abilities that had bested him - he could see it in their eyes. That meant that Kurama had pulled them out of yet another difficult situation. He was the only one of them who could win a razor sharp battle of wits.
"Guess I'm up next," a tall, purple-haired human announced. He blew a bubble and popped it obnoxiously as his half-lidded eyes passed over each of them. "The name's Yanagisawa and I'll be leading you to your second trial."
Kurama and Kuwabara were the first to follow, while Hiei and Botan brought up the rear.
"Oh." The human tossed a bored look over his shoulder as an afterthought. "And don't bother pulling anything sketchy; Kaito might be incapacitated, but the no violence rule still stands."
Hiei scowled, pushing his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from doing something counterproductive - like trying to strangle the human to death.
"You okay?" Botan asked, no doubt sensing his frustration.
Crimson eyes shifted towards the ferry-girl. She clutched the metal briefcase tightly, a dispirited air undermining the reassuring look she threw his way.
"You lost your soul," he commented.
She nodded, placing her free hand over her chest. "I still feel sort of hollow and empty."
Hiei grunted in acknowledgement. Truth be told, so did he.
"But more importantly, what was that awful stunt you pulled?" she asked, her tone accusatory and frown sharp. "There was on need to be so reckless."
"What's done is done," he dismissed. "There's no use in harping over it, especially when everything worked out in the end."
"Even so, I hope you learned a thing or two about impulsiveness."
"Did you, woman? You fell for the same trick," he reminded her. "And knowing you, you blurted it out unthinkingly."
"I lost my soul over an honest mistake," she defended, an embarrassed flush creeping over her cheeks. "You lost yours intentionally. There's a difference."
Hiei averted his gaze petulantly. He couldn't deny that.
"In any case, it was awful seeing you like that," she confessed. "So lifeless and ice cold…"
The fire-demon swallowed thickly. Even now, her concern rested heavily on him in ways he couldn't quite conquer. "Botan-"
"Just… please try to be a bit more careful," she urged. "Who knows what we're walking into next."
"That should be my line, woman."
Botan smiled faintly as they entered the next area. The room was barren and fed into six separate, bizarrely colored staircases. Hiei couldn't sense any traps or tricks within the unassuming space. In fact, he sensed nothing out of the ordinary at all, not even the barest hint of bloodlust. Even so, he knew how unpredictable these psychics could be, so he fixed his hard stare on the purple-haired human.
"What is our next trial?" Kurama questioned.
"It's simple enough," Yanagisawa started, breaking eye-contact to look towards the hallways ahead. "Just make it to the next floor in one piece."
Hiei locked his arms over his chest and turned away. Of course they would make this more difficult than it had to be.
"And I'm assuming we must do this separately?" Kurama asked.
Yanagisawa nodded.
"How do we know that you won't ambush us once we split up?" Kuwabara questioned.
Botan nodded in support. "Kuwabara's right! We could be walking right into one of your underhanded schemes!"
"You'll just have to take my word for it," Yanagawisa replied. "But if it makes you feel any better, each route leads to the same destination. Once you reach the end, Yusuke Urameshi will be waiting for you."
The ferry-girl's amethyst eyes squinted skeptically. "You're not just saying that to lull us into a false sense of security, are you?"
Yanagisawa shook his head. "I'm telling you the truth. It's up to you to believe me."
"Very well then." Kurama faced the team, his voice low and careful. "It appears we have no choice but to comply. There is no telling what may await us inside; be cautious and raise your energy if you require help."
"Er, maybe I should take one of the communication mirrors," Kuwabara suggested, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "My spirit energy's been really faulty, so I might not be able to raise it well."
"Actually, I think I've got just the detective item for the occasion," Botan divulged. Her smile brightened as she opened up the briefcase and pulled out a few circular items. "Tada! One of a kind, Spirit World patented mejiru seals!"
"What does it do?" Kuwabara asked.
"Glad you asked, Kuwabara," she replied brightly. "These are a modified version of the inmate trackers used in the Spirit World prisons. It can only be removed by the applier, but it will automatically detach itself if the applier has died. Oh, and it also keeps track of the applier's physical state: blue if all is well, yellow if slightly hurt and red if seriously injured. Pretty neat, huh?"
Kuwabara perked up. "So we can just use them on each other to see if anyone's in trouble? This is awesome!"
"I agree. This will prove quite useful," Kurama commended, before looking over at Yanagisawa. "Are these allowed?"
Yanagisawa shrugged lazily. "Do what you want, I don't care either way."
"It's settled then," Kurama decided. "We will each write our names on the seals and attach them to one another. Should anything go wrong, we can backtrack and find each other."
Kuwabara and Botan nodded in agreement. Hiei watched disinterestedly, keeping his distance while the trio wrote their names on each seal and began applying them over each other's clothing.
"There, everyone's just about finished," Botan said, her gaze drifting over to him. "Everyone except you, Hiei."
"I don't need them."
"But how else will you know we're alright?"
"I can track you with the jagan."
"And how will we know you're okay?"
"I don't need to be coddled like a child."
"On the contrary." Kurama stepped in, attaching his seal before Hiei could object. "Wasn't your soul the first to be lost?"
"Heh, he's got a point, shorty," Kuwabara said as he slapped his mejiru over the fire-demon's chest.
"So there, rebel." Botan did a poor job at hiding her grin as she placed her seal right over his heart. "Now, if you'll just put yours on us, we can get this show on the road."
Hiei scowled as she left three tracking devices in the palm of his hand. The woman already took the liberty of writing his name down in her curvy handwriting and all that was left to do was to attach it to the others. Normally, he would object profusely and ignite the seals for good measure. But he took one look at Botan and found himself unable to follow through with that impulse. He didn't need the ferry-girl worrying over him uselessly. He didn't want that at all. So he followed suit with her request begrudgingly.
"All done?" Yanagisawa asked.
"Yes," Kurama confirmed. "We're ready."
"Then you're free to choose any path you like, as long as you're the only one traveling through it."
They stood in front of four different corridors, sparing a glance in each other's directions for a moment. Hiei noticed that Botan's gaze lingered on him once she was finished regarding the others. She was clearly apprehensive about this next trial, but there was nothing to be alarmed over. The mansion had all manner of strange things, but he could sense no evil or ill-will within its walls. This was all a game to these humans; if they played by their rules for the time being, no lasting harm would befall any of them. It didn't appear as though any of them were out for blood and he was certain that the ferry-girl and the others would be fine.
Hiei nodded at her in a gesture of reassurance. It must've been enough to soothe her, because she visibly relaxed before staring ahead.
"If you're all ready, you can proceed," Yanagisawa informed, signalling the start of their second trial.
.
.
.
The third psychic - Kido - possessed the ability to immobilize an opponent merely by stepping on their shadow. He held Yusuke captive just a few feet away, forcing the detective to play one of their convoluted games. The room was dark, save for the spotlights shining straight at Kurama, Kuwabara, Botan and himself.
If Kido's claims were true, then Yanagisawa had accosted and impersonated one of them during the trek up to the top floor. Yusuke was saddled with the task of weeding out the imposter within the next ten minutes, or the real one would be killed.
After a few rounds of fruitless questioning, the removal of the mejiru seals and even more wasted conversation, Hiei found his patience at its end.
He knew for a fact that Kurama was not an imposter; he was too smart to fall for any of the inexperienced humans' tricks. That only left the oaf and the ferry-girl. They were both far too trusting and lax. The enemy could have easily captured them during their time alone. He scrutinized Botan from her signature ponytail, to her bright kunzite eyes, to the moue of her lips as she fretted and worried over everything. His gaze traveled down to the school uniform she wore and the briefcase clutched tightly in her grip. Although Kido warned them that Yanagisawa's abilities turned him into an exact copy of the one he was impersonating, instinct told Hiei that the woman standing before him was the genuine article. He would have known instantly if a fake stood in her place.
Crimson eyes slid over to Kuwabara.
It must've been him, then.
"Time's up, make your choice Urameshi," Kido ordered. "I want you to approach the person who you think is the imposter and hit them as hard as you can."
"Are you insane?" Yusuke exclaimed.
"Sorry, but that's the only way to disarm Yana's power," Kido informed. "He needs to be hit hard enough to be knocked unconscious."
"This is really screwed up," Yusuke muttered.
"Try to be smart about this. If you choose incorrectly, your friend will be killed," Kido said, stepping off of Yusuke's shadow and releasing him from his hold.
Yusuke's shoulders were tense as his gaze darted between the team. Hiei stood on the defensive - shoulders squared and legs braced - in the slight chance that the detective's intuition was wrong.
"I hope I'm right about this," Yusuke murmured. Without further warning he surged forward, each step bringing him closer to the rest of them. In a matter of seconds his fist collided with Kuwabara's face, sending him sprawling to the back of the room. Hiei watched as orange hair morphed into purple and Kuwabara's features transformed into that of Yangaisawa's.
Kido looked back at Yanagisawa before letting out a low and impressed whistle. "How did you manage to figure out it was Kuwabara?"
"I chose him because I know he's used to me pounding his face in, if nothing else," Yusuke revealed. "Besides, Hiei and Kurama are too untrusting, they'd never just walk into your trap."
"Yes, or scream the word hot," Kurama teased lightly.
Botan covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.
Hiei stiffened. "Hn."
Yusuke's expression darkened as he pinned Kido with a threatening glare. "Now that only left me with Botan, and if you dirtbags took advantage of the only non-fighter on our team, it wouldn't matter if I died. I would still come back from the grave to kick your ass."
"My hero," Botan sang.
Yusuke smirked. "Now, give us back Kuwabara."
"Yes and he had better not be injured!" the ferry-girl added for good measure.
Kido nodded obligingly, hand dipping into his pocket to retrieve a small controller. "Kuwabara will be returned to you in the very near future, but first, I'd like to reveal to you the mastermind behind this plan."
The psychic pressed the red button and a previously concealed door in the corner of the room slid open. The lights flickered to life as a familiar form passed through the threshold and strolled inside.
"Genkai?" Yusuke muttered in disbelief.
"Dimwit," she acknowledged as she came to a halt in front of them.
The next series of events were as purposeless as they were dramatic: the bleach blonde fell to his knees in shame of failing his master, Yusuke expressed signs of jealousy over not being the old woman's sole pupil, and Kuwabara was returned to them in less clothing than Hiei would've ever needed to see.
When Genkai finally explained the reasoning behind her ruse, it finally all started to make sense. The unexplainable slivers of Makai suffusing through the human realm's air. The unprompted emergence of psychics cropping up. The undeniable sense that danger was near. It was all due to a coalition of psychics and their foolish attempt to carve out a tunnel leading straight to Makai. If they succeeded in their goal, it would spell the inevitable end of the human world as they all knew it.
A sudden ringing pierced the dead quiet of the room and all eyes turned to the source.
"That must be Koenma," Botan said as she opened up the briefcase. A fuzzy image of the Prince appeared on the screen, his voice thin and tinny through the speakers.
Hiei halfheartedly listened to Koenma's babbling. The conversation touched upon topics that he did not care for in the slightest, such as: the stages of the dark ages, the Spirit World's weak influence in Makai and the tearing of the kekkai barrier.
His attention drifted back to the small screen displaying Koenma's image when the prince began explaining the Spirit World's power classification system. If he heard correctly, the power levels ranged from E to S. Toguro had only ranked as an upper B class, meaning there were levels that they had not even imagined. The kakai barrier was designed to block out the A and S classes, but any demons ranging from B and under were permitted passage.
"What power level am I?" Hiei demanded to know, causing all heads to turn in his direction. "If you're going to label me, then I deserve to know what I am."
Koenma paused for a moment, seeming to contemplate whether or not he should speak before relenting. "You're ranked in the middle of the B class."
Hiei's jaw clenched. "Even now you underestimate me?"
"For the record, when you first entered this world you were only a D class. You jumped two ranks in half a year, it's very impressive."
The prince was patronizing him and all it did was serve to amplify his humiliation and frustration. He thought he'd made decent strides during the tournament, but his power was only impressive by meager human standards. Every moment he was confined to this world, he risked becoming softer, weaker. He didn't belong here. And with his sentence served, he was free to leave.
"I'm finished here."
They all balked at his declaration.
"Are you seriously bailing on us right now, shorty?" Kuwabara griped.
"This is your world, not mine," he replied, ignoring the looks Botan and Kurama gave him as he turned away. "Protect it yourself."
Botan could hardly believe her eyes as she watched Hiei walk out on them for a second time that evening. She felt utterly powerless in the wake of their newest enemy and it seemed as if everything they'd built up over the past few months was falling apart at her feet. Her throat closed tight with words unspoken. Her fists clenched uselessly at her sides as she watched him go.
But she couldn't very well let things end. Not like this. Without warning, the ferry-girl shot after her friend, hurrying down the nearest stairwell resolutely.
"Hiei, wait!" Botan called out, rushing out of the darkened passageway and onto the ground floor. The air was still muggy and suffocatingly humid. Kurama's plants grew in every direction, obscuring her line of visibility. She could still sense Hiei somewhere in the room, though, so she trudged forward. As she pushed aside a wall of vines, she was finally afforded a view of the fire-demon. "Hiei, will you please just listen?"
Hiei stopped, but didn't bother turning around. His aura was prickly and agitated as it flared around him angrily, but Botan wasn't afraid; she had no reason to be. She approached him determinedly, stepping directly between the fire-demon and the front door. His expression was much less severe than it was before as he lifted his red eyes to meet hers. His posture relaxed just the slightest bit in her presence and she felt her own unease slipping away in turn. A small ray of hope returned to light her eyes. Perhaps now that they were alone, she could talk to him one-on-one. Maybe he would listen to reason. Maybe he might stay.
"I-"
"Don't bother wasting your breath," he said lowly. "I'm not going to change my mind."
A wellspring of hurt and anger rose within her. It felt as though Hiei was discarding them. Casting them aside for his own selfish pride. She could tell that he was at the end of his rope; he was disillusioned and frustrated, but so was she. She thought he would push that aside in favor of helping them. This wasn't the average, run-of-the-mill mission. The fate of the entire human world was at stake. Countless lives were on the line. And yet, Hiei was all too eager to turn his back on them.
"So you're just going to leave when we need you?" she accused.
Hiei scowled, red eyes sharpened by disdain. "The team can handle it. And if not, they can recruit Genkai's band of psychics. I'm done being pulled around like a dog on a leash, doing the Spirit World's bidding."
Botan shook her head. "This isn't about any of that. The human world is in peril. Don't you care at all?"
"The fate of this world or the humans that live in it aren't my concern," Hiei maintained callously. "It's time for the detective and the oaf to pull their own weight and protect what is important to them."
"And you?"
"I'll be staying out of it."
"So that's it?" she tried, disappointment coloring her frown. "Nothing matters to you except your freedom?"
"That's not what I said, ferry-girl."
"You didn't have to! You're making it awfully clear where you stand, Hiei!"
"I stand with no one," he pronounced. "I'm leaving this to the others and if you had any sense, you would do the same."
"I could never just abandon everyone like that!"
"Then do as you will, ferry-girl."
Botan stared back at him wordlessly as the harsh reality of their situation sunk in. There was little she could do or say to make Hiei change his mind. Not when he was so intent on breaking away from the Spirit World and the rest of the team. She had no more cards to play, no more incentives to dangle in front of him. He made his choice and in doing so, he had shut them all out. As she searched his gaze, the fire-demon seemed miles away. So inaccessible and closed off. There wasn't a single hint of the friend she had come to know so well over the past several months. Standing in his place was a cold husk of a man who she couldn't recognize.
"...I never thought you'd turn out to be as heartless as you always claimed," she said, voice wavering under the weight of her dismay. "I see now that I was wrong about you."
Botan brushed past him before he could see her expression crumble and fall. Each step felt heavier than the last as her heart splintered into pieces.
"Any luck?" Yusuke asked.
The rest of the team turned to view her expectantly.
"No," Botan answered with a sad shake of her head. "I'm afraid we won't be able to count on Hiei this time."
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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as well. See you next time!
