Botan's wide pink eyes stared solemnly at Koenma's image. "This is bad," the Reikai prince muttered, gnawing at his Fuukumen. "It wasn't supposed to be a dangerous assignment." He caught movement in the background as Sumireina entered the ferrygirl's room, sitting down next to her. "Pele's after Hiei and there's nothing we can do."
"She is the embodiment of woman," Sumi said quietly. "Mercurial mood swings, vindictive...She can be extremely fickle. Pretty much the only thing we CAN do is wait and hope She loses interest in Hiei...before She kills him - and us."
"This has happened before, I take it?"
Sumi smiled humorlessly. "More times that I can imagine. There are many stories of her exploits. There were many men - She left them all, eventually. Except one, I think."
Koenma perked up, his attention caught. "Nani? Explain," he demanded.
Sumi thought a moment. "His name was Kamapua'a, a Hawaiian demi-god - the god of pigs and growing things, I think. He had a love-hate relationship with Pele; he was her opposite and complement in the natural order of things. Hawaiians thought it was a good match, but I guess it didn't work out. He lived in the wet fertile areas, and Pele's domain - is - the volcano. Add to that the fact that both of them were stubborn as mules, and just as arrogant, and you've got an extremely volatile relationship on your hands."
"So what happened to him?" Koenma asked.
Sumireina shrugged helplessly. "Eventually Kamapua'a disappeared into the mists of time and legend - no on knows what really happened. In some stories, he finally got tired of Pele's possessiveness and wandering eye and fled the island. We could try asking the Menehune," she suggested hesitantly, "though it might not work. They've been skittish of late..."
"It's worth a try," Koenma decided. "They live in the rainforests, and you said yourself that this was the pig god's territory, hai? If anyone would know his whereabouts, it's them."
"Hai, Koenma-sama. It would be best if we split up for this - perhaps bring in Keiko and the others? If they were paired with a Tantei, it should be reasonably safe. I want Yukina to stay with Hiei, though. She's Koorime, and his sister. If anything should happen, she'd stand less of a chance of getting fried than say, me."
Botan looked at the youko vixen, then at her boss. "So do we have a plan?"
Koenma nodded. "See to it."
"She is the embodiment of woman," Sumi said quietly. "Mercurial mood swings, vindictive...She can be extremely fickle. Pretty much the only thing we CAN do is wait and hope She loses interest in Hiei...before She kills him - and us."
"This has happened before, I take it?"
Sumi smiled humorlessly. "More times that I can imagine. There are many stories of her exploits. There were many men - She left them all, eventually. Except one, I think."
Koenma perked up, his attention caught. "Nani? Explain," he demanded.
Sumi thought a moment. "His name was Kamapua'a, a Hawaiian demi-god - the god of pigs and growing things, I think. He had a love-hate relationship with Pele; he was her opposite and complement in the natural order of things. Hawaiians thought it was a good match, but I guess it didn't work out. He lived in the wet fertile areas, and Pele's domain - is - the volcano. Add to that the fact that both of them were stubborn as mules, and just as arrogant, and you've got an extremely volatile relationship on your hands."
"So what happened to him?" Koenma asked.
Sumireina shrugged helplessly. "Eventually Kamapua'a disappeared into the mists of time and legend - no on knows what really happened. In some stories, he finally got tired of Pele's possessiveness and wandering eye and fled the island. We could try asking the Menehune," she suggested hesitantly, "though it might not work. They've been skittish of late..."
"It's worth a try," Koenma decided. "They live in the rainforests, and you said yourself that this was the pig god's territory, hai? If anyone would know his whereabouts, it's them."
"Hai, Koenma-sama. It would be best if we split up for this - perhaps bring in Keiko and the others? If they were paired with a Tantei, it should be reasonably safe. I want Yukina to stay with Hiei, though. She's Koorime, and his sister. If anything should happen, she'd stand less of a chance of getting fried than say, me."
Botan looked at the youko vixen, then at her boss. "So do we have a plan?"
Koenma nodded. "See to it."