Well, I shall try typing this again, as the damn computer deleted the last attempt to write Chapter eight of Hiruiseki. *sigh* WHY must it torture me so? And Inu-chan, I appreciate the fact that you enjoy this story, but kindly do not review every chapter telling me to hurry up. It won't work, and it's just annoying. ^^ Thank you. Last chapter, Kaeru was having a bit of trouble understanding "Seven Minutes in Heaven"...and she never really got the concept, but we love her anyway. And then there was the black-out...so let's just hope she, Yukina, and Rinku are all right...wherever they are.
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"...Kaeru! Wake up!! C'mon, wake up!!!!" A small brown hand shook the Koorime's shoulder roughly.
Kaeru slowly opened her eyes, shutting them immediately as harsh yellow light struck her sensitive pupils. She had a pounding headache and her legs ached fiercely from their cramped position.
"Oh good, you're alive!" Rinku rocked back on his heels, smiling relievedly. "I was afraid you were dead...you were so still. Even Yukina was thrashing..."
"Yukina-chan?!" Kaeru sat up immediately, opening her eyes more carefully this time and looking around. After a keen observation, she concluded that they were trapped in some sort of chilly stone dungeon. Yukina was lying in a crumpled heap on the damp floor, groaning slightly, with her aqua tresses strewn across her face. Frantically, the other Koorime crawled over to her companion. "Yukina-chan, wake up!"
"...Kaeru-chan?" Yukina didn't even bother to open her eyes.
"Hai." Incredibly relieved, Kaeru looked over at Rinku. "...Where are we? Do you know what happened?"
"Do YOU?" he countered. "That creepy shadow thing seemed to know you."
The Ice Maiden blinked. "Creepy...shadow...?" And then she remembered.
She had been on the couch with Yukina and Rinku. Rinku had woken up, and had seemed quite nervous. And then all three had felt this horrible chill. Before Kaeru had a chance to do anything more than scream, the cold and awful darkness had overwhelmed her...she was dimly aware of the ornament being pulled out of her hair, but then she knew no more.
"It was saying your name," Rinku recalled. "And laughing."
Kaeru shuddered. "Zenkai..." She blinked at the little yo-yo-toting youkai. "Rinku...why are YOU here? Zenkai only kills Koorime..."
"I followed you!" the boy told her, puffing out his chest. "He didn't know I did, and I bet he still doesn't know I'm here."
"Good." The Koorime turned her gaze to a high-placed barred window, where small patches of moonlight filtered through. "I think I have an idea."
"Really? What?" Rinku seemed intrigued, eyes lighting up at a possible new challenge.
"What?" Yukina echoed, gazing at her childhood playmate trustingly.
"If we can somehow get Rinku up to that window, I think he's small enough to fit through the bars and find help." Kaeru smiled slightly. "Zenkai doesn't even know he's here, so I doubt he'll be much concerned if he comes back and sees two Koorime."
"Ohhh..." Rinku caught on. "If one of you can give me a boost, I think I can use my yo-yos to reach the window and pull myself up."
Yukina and Kaeru exchanged glances. "Who's taller?" Kaeru asked.
"I think we're about the same size...maybe if we both lift him?" Yukina suggested.
"Good idea." Both Koorime knelt and Rinku placed one foot in each girl's hand. They rose carefully, and the boy pulled out a pink yo-yo, snapping it towards the window. The string flew straight up, wrapping securely around the bars.
"...Are you sure it can hold your weight?" Kaeru inquired, somewhat doubtfully.
"Sure. Supported Chuu once when he went rock-climbing, and he forgot the rope." To prove his point, Rinku pushed off, shimmying up the string and reaching the top. The Ice Maidens watched fearfully, hands clapped over their mouths. Even though he slipped once and almost plunged to the ground, he maintained his grip and hauled himself back up again. Halfway through the act of slipping through the bars, he glanced down again. "I'll be back, 'kay?"
"We know you will," Yukina reassured him.
"Good!" He grinned and squeezed through completely, jumping down and vanishing from sight.
"I hope he'll be alright..." Yukina fretted, ruby eyes concerned. She turned back to Kaeru-and did a double-take. "Kaeru-chan, your hair..."
"I think I dropped my hair ornament." The Koorime fingered her hair guiltily. "So I'll just have to wear it down for now."
Her friend suddenly giggled. "Look at us-talking about hair when we're prisoners of Zenkai."
"Takes your mind off of it?" Kaeru started to giggle as well.
Elsewhere in Zenkai's dungeon, the other prisoners wondered if the two laughing Koorime had gone insane.
***Suzuki's House...***
"They'll be fine, I'm sure!" Kia tried to reassure a stricken Kuwabara.
"YUKIIIIIINNNAAAAA!!" the lovelorn boy screamed in anguish, completely ignoring her attempts to placate him.
Chitsuko and Kurama weren't having much better luck with Kuronue. The chimera was staring at the empty couch, still in shock, mind racing. *Kaeru...I'm supposed to watch her...I failed her...*
"Kia, help me!!" Kelsey yelled, sitting firmly on top of a struggling Hiei. "He's trying to get away!"
"I would, but Kuwabara-"
"YUUUUUUUUKIIIIINAAAAAAAAAA, MY LOVE!!!!!"
"Mou, Suzaku, calm down!!" Mizu looked alarmed as the Saint Beast banged his head repeatedly on the coffee table until the glass surface shattered and his head hit the wooden level below that. Undeterred, he found this just as satisfactory and went about it with renewed vigor.
"You're paying for that," Suzuki informed him, scowling.
"Shut up, Suzuki," Jin groaned.
"YUUUUUUKKIII-"
"Shut UP, KUWABARA!" Kia had finally lost her patience. "Screaming her name is NOT going to get us anywhere!!"
Kuwabara obediently shut up.
"Kia!!" Kelsey wailed. "HELP!"
"Let me GO!!" Hiei raged.
The older Mirror Holder blinked, before running over and plopping down on Hiei's back. "Now, Hiei, don't make me lecture you too."
"Get...OFF...Bakas!!"
Shishiwakamaru, Touya, Chuu, Shizuru, Z, and Botan stood watching the chaos. Suzuki was now scolding Suzaku thoroughly on breaking his furniture, with Mizu trying to console Suzaku and hush Suzuki at the same time. Chitsuko was waving a hand in front of Kuronue's face. He was still staring unblinkingly at the couch. Kurama seemed worried, but Rei was approaching the stony chimera with a black permanent marker. Kuwabara was sobbing incomprehensible phrases, and Shizuru went to go tell her brother to "buck up or shut up". And Kia and Kelsey were bracing themselves against Hiei's wriggling and creative death threats. Yusuke and Keiko were helping out wherever they could.
"Okay...let's try to think this through." Kia sighed. "We're missing two Ice Maidens and a little kid. I think we only have one suspect."
"Zenkai!" Hiei growled, crimson eyes narrowing maliciously.
"Very GOOD, Midget!" Kelsey patted his hair, grinning. "Hey, your hair's soft...I always wondered how you slept on it."
"...Kelsey." Kia raised an eyebrow at her friend.
The blonde grinned sheepishly. "Gomen."
The Jaganshi gritted his teeth. These two were keeping him from finding his precious little sister! How DARE they!
Kurama glanced over at Hiei, frowning when black fire raced along his friend's arm. Surely he wouldn't...try that Dark Dragon of his!
"Someone's coming..." Shizuru said calmly.
"Uh...Oi, it's Rinku!!" Chuu, peering out the window, flung open the door and raced outside, returning with the battered little youkai in his arms.
"Rinku!" Z looked over at him. "Daijoubu?"
"Where are Yukina and Kaeru??" Keiko asked anxiously.
The boy took a deep breath, straightening his pink cap. "They...Zenkai's got 'em!"
"Who's right?" Kia murmured triumphantly.
Kelsey high-fived her. "You are."
"And...Zenkai is...where?" Chitsuko prompted.
"I can lead you!!" Rinku told her, perking up slightly.
"So who's going?" Z asked hesitantly.
"Me!" Kelsey and Kia said in unison.
"And Hiei," Kia added, looking down at their disgruntled prisoner. "Before he kills us all."
If only you knew, Kurama thought.
"Yukina!" Kuwabara headed for the door. "My love, I'm coming!"
Suzaku lifted his head. "I'm going. Before the bat gets to her."
"Speaking of which..." Chitsuko turned. "Kuronue, do you want to-" She blinked blue-gray eyes in bewilderment.
"Sorry, Axe, Old Boy..." Rei said apologetically to her weapon. "You can cream me at Tic-Tac-Toe next time."
"...And there goes Lover Bat." Botan grinned. "Did anyone see him leave?"
Everybody shook their heads.
"...Right." Kelsey stood up. "Let's go save some Koorime, people!"
"...Get OFF me!" Hiei yelled.
The two Mirror Holders sweatdropped and obediently got off. And Hiei sped off.
"...Well, to those of us who aren't super-fast..." Kia sighed. "Let us go."
*OOC*
I'm so sorry, minna-san!! My computer was being crappy for the past three days and wouldn't let me use Microsoft Word! But it's better now. ^^ Umm..lemme see...NEXT chapter! Please review!
* Chuu's driving...oh, good GOD...
* Kaeru and Yukina encounter other prisoners...and...well, one of the prisoners...is actually a lecherous old man. Poor little Koorime...
* It's Hiei to the rescue! ...Boy, is he pissed. X.x
* ...And here comes Kuronue! Why is Zenkai so damn bitter?
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"...Kaeru! Wake up!! C'mon, wake up!!!!" A small brown hand shook the Koorime's shoulder roughly.
Kaeru slowly opened her eyes, shutting them immediately as harsh yellow light struck her sensitive pupils. She had a pounding headache and her legs ached fiercely from their cramped position.
"Oh good, you're alive!" Rinku rocked back on his heels, smiling relievedly. "I was afraid you were dead...you were so still. Even Yukina was thrashing..."
"Yukina-chan?!" Kaeru sat up immediately, opening her eyes more carefully this time and looking around. After a keen observation, she concluded that they were trapped in some sort of chilly stone dungeon. Yukina was lying in a crumpled heap on the damp floor, groaning slightly, with her aqua tresses strewn across her face. Frantically, the other Koorime crawled over to her companion. "Yukina-chan, wake up!"
"...Kaeru-chan?" Yukina didn't even bother to open her eyes.
"Hai." Incredibly relieved, Kaeru looked over at Rinku. "...Where are we? Do you know what happened?"
"Do YOU?" he countered. "That creepy shadow thing seemed to know you."
The Ice Maiden blinked. "Creepy...shadow...?" And then she remembered.
She had been on the couch with Yukina and Rinku. Rinku had woken up, and had seemed quite nervous. And then all three had felt this horrible chill. Before Kaeru had a chance to do anything more than scream, the cold and awful darkness had overwhelmed her...she was dimly aware of the ornament being pulled out of her hair, but then she knew no more.
"It was saying your name," Rinku recalled. "And laughing."
Kaeru shuddered. "Zenkai..." She blinked at the little yo-yo-toting youkai. "Rinku...why are YOU here? Zenkai only kills Koorime..."
"I followed you!" the boy told her, puffing out his chest. "He didn't know I did, and I bet he still doesn't know I'm here."
"Good." The Koorime turned her gaze to a high-placed barred window, where small patches of moonlight filtered through. "I think I have an idea."
"Really? What?" Rinku seemed intrigued, eyes lighting up at a possible new challenge.
"What?" Yukina echoed, gazing at her childhood playmate trustingly.
"If we can somehow get Rinku up to that window, I think he's small enough to fit through the bars and find help." Kaeru smiled slightly. "Zenkai doesn't even know he's here, so I doubt he'll be much concerned if he comes back and sees two Koorime."
"Ohhh..." Rinku caught on. "If one of you can give me a boost, I think I can use my yo-yos to reach the window and pull myself up."
Yukina and Kaeru exchanged glances. "Who's taller?" Kaeru asked.
"I think we're about the same size...maybe if we both lift him?" Yukina suggested.
"Good idea." Both Koorime knelt and Rinku placed one foot in each girl's hand. They rose carefully, and the boy pulled out a pink yo-yo, snapping it towards the window. The string flew straight up, wrapping securely around the bars.
"...Are you sure it can hold your weight?" Kaeru inquired, somewhat doubtfully.
"Sure. Supported Chuu once when he went rock-climbing, and he forgot the rope." To prove his point, Rinku pushed off, shimmying up the string and reaching the top. The Ice Maidens watched fearfully, hands clapped over their mouths. Even though he slipped once and almost plunged to the ground, he maintained his grip and hauled himself back up again. Halfway through the act of slipping through the bars, he glanced down again. "I'll be back, 'kay?"
"We know you will," Yukina reassured him.
"Good!" He grinned and squeezed through completely, jumping down and vanishing from sight.
"I hope he'll be alright..." Yukina fretted, ruby eyes concerned. She turned back to Kaeru-and did a double-take. "Kaeru-chan, your hair..."
"I think I dropped my hair ornament." The Koorime fingered her hair guiltily. "So I'll just have to wear it down for now."
Her friend suddenly giggled. "Look at us-talking about hair when we're prisoners of Zenkai."
"Takes your mind off of it?" Kaeru started to giggle as well.
Elsewhere in Zenkai's dungeon, the other prisoners wondered if the two laughing Koorime had gone insane.
***Suzuki's House...***
"They'll be fine, I'm sure!" Kia tried to reassure a stricken Kuwabara.
"YUKIIIIIINNNAAAAA!!" the lovelorn boy screamed in anguish, completely ignoring her attempts to placate him.
Chitsuko and Kurama weren't having much better luck with Kuronue. The chimera was staring at the empty couch, still in shock, mind racing. *Kaeru...I'm supposed to watch her...I failed her...*
"Kia, help me!!" Kelsey yelled, sitting firmly on top of a struggling Hiei. "He's trying to get away!"
"I would, but Kuwabara-"
"YUUUUUUUUKIIIIINAAAAAAAAAA, MY LOVE!!!!!"
"Mou, Suzaku, calm down!!" Mizu looked alarmed as the Saint Beast banged his head repeatedly on the coffee table until the glass surface shattered and his head hit the wooden level below that. Undeterred, he found this just as satisfactory and went about it with renewed vigor.
"You're paying for that," Suzuki informed him, scowling.
"Shut up, Suzuki," Jin groaned.
"YUUUUUUKKIII-"
"Shut UP, KUWABARA!" Kia had finally lost her patience. "Screaming her name is NOT going to get us anywhere!!"
Kuwabara obediently shut up.
"Kia!!" Kelsey wailed. "HELP!"
"Let me GO!!" Hiei raged.
The older Mirror Holder blinked, before running over and plopping down on Hiei's back. "Now, Hiei, don't make me lecture you too."
"Get...OFF...Bakas!!"
Shishiwakamaru, Touya, Chuu, Shizuru, Z, and Botan stood watching the chaos. Suzuki was now scolding Suzaku thoroughly on breaking his furniture, with Mizu trying to console Suzaku and hush Suzuki at the same time. Chitsuko was waving a hand in front of Kuronue's face. He was still staring unblinkingly at the couch. Kurama seemed worried, but Rei was approaching the stony chimera with a black permanent marker. Kuwabara was sobbing incomprehensible phrases, and Shizuru went to go tell her brother to "buck up or shut up". And Kia and Kelsey were bracing themselves against Hiei's wriggling and creative death threats. Yusuke and Keiko were helping out wherever they could.
"Okay...let's try to think this through." Kia sighed. "We're missing two Ice Maidens and a little kid. I think we only have one suspect."
"Zenkai!" Hiei growled, crimson eyes narrowing maliciously.
"Very GOOD, Midget!" Kelsey patted his hair, grinning. "Hey, your hair's soft...I always wondered how you slept on it."
"...Kelsey." Kia raised an eyebrow at her friend.
The blonde grinned sheepishly. "Gomen."
The Jaganshi gritted his teeth. These two were keeping him from finding his precious little sister! How DARE they!
Kurama glanced over at Hiei, frowning when black fire raced along his friend's arm. Surely he wouldn't...try that Dark Dragon of his!
"Someone's coming..." Shizuru said calmly.
"Uh...Oi, it's Rinku!!" Chuu, peering out the window, flung open the door and raced outside, returning with the battered little youkai in his arms.
"Rinku!" Z looked over at him. "Daijoubu?"
"Where are Yukina and Kaeru??" Keiko asked anxiously.
The boy took a deep breath, straightening his pink cap. "They...Zenkai's got 'em!"
"Who's right?" Kia murmured triumphantly.
Kelsey high-fived her. "You are."
"And...Zenkai is...where?" Chitsuko prompted.
"I can lead you!!" Rinku told her, perking up slightly.
"So who's going?" Z asked hesitantly.
"Me!" Kelsey and Kia said in unison.
"And Hiei," Kia added, looking down at their disgruntled prisoner. "Before he kills us all."
If only you knew, Kurama thought.
"Yukina!" Kuwabara headed for the door. "My love, I'm coming!"
Suzaku lifted his head. "I'm going. Before the bat gets to her."
"Speaking of which..." Chitsuko turned. "Kuronue, do you want to-" She blinked blue-gray eyes in bewilderment.
"Sorry, Axe, Old Boy..." Rei said apologetically to her weapon. "You can cream me at Tic-Tac-Toe next time."
"...And there goes Lover Bat." Botan grinned. "Did anyone see him leave?"
Everybody shook their heads.
"...Right." Kelsey stood up. "Let's go save some Koorime, people!"
"...Get OFF me!" Hiei yelled.
The two Mirror Holders sweatdropped and obediently got off. And Hiei sped off.
"...Well, to those of us who aren't super-fast..." Kia sighed. "Let us go."
*OOC*
I'm so sorry, minna-san!! My computer was being crappy for the past three days and wouldn't let me use Microsoft Word! But it's better now. ^^ Umm..lemme see...NEXT chapter! Please review!
* Chuu's driving...oh, good GOD...
* Kaeru and Yukina encounter other prisoners...and...well, one of the prisoners...is actually a lecherous old man. Poor little Koorime...
* It's Hiei to the rescue! ...Boy, is he pissed. X.x
* ...And here comes Kuronue! Why is Zenkai so damn bitter?