DMG: I am so depressed. I have this huge, major writer's block and I feel like I can't write at all. To top it all off, I'm sick. Not nice. I will get through the action scenes as quickly as possible, because that's really not my forte AND I SUCK. I am a romance/humor writer, for cryin' out loud! I might put a little fluff in here soon, maybe… I need fluff to survive. *sighs*
Hiei and Kurama: It's okay, we love you anyway.
DMG: Really? *sniffs* Thanks guys, you're the best! *hugs them*
Random Muse: Well, it appears DMG is busy at her little pity party right now, so I'm here to tell you that she doesn't own YYH.
DMG: *sees muse* There you are! Where have you been! I need creativity!
Muse: I was…on vacation?
DMG: GYAHHHHH!!! *lunges*
Hiei and Kurama: *sweatdrop*
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Kuwabara ran desperately along the twisting stone passageway, trying to catch up to the rest of the team. The fight had taken a long while, and he was afraid he might get left behind.
He stopped at a large room. "Huh?" he asked himself. "Who did this?" A demon was lying face down on the floor, seeped in a dark substance, which pooled in a thick mass around the body. It took Kuwabara a moment to realize it was blood. "Ewwwww!" The thing had a ghastly wound in the back of its neck. Its weapon, a wicked-looking scythe, lay flung across the room.
Kuwabara backed away slowly then fled down the corridor.
Kai wasted no time after she ascertained the fact that her opponent was dead. She retrieved her sword and knife, and wiped the blades on the demon's garments. Then she assessed the damage to herself. A few scratches, bruises where she had not been careful enough. Nothing life-threatening, nothing that could not be taken care of later. Then she noticed a long, shallow cut that sliced the length of her right arm. 'How did I get that?' she wondered to herself. She had no recollection of being hurt. Kai shrugged, and left the battle scene in search of her teammates.
Hiei's breath was coming raggedly. He had been fighting all out against a dragon for what seemed like an eternity. Now he knew why this dragon was smaller than usual. The thing was agile and quick. It could maneuver well in the enclosed area. And it had airspace.
Hiei cursed under his breath. He had three identical long, jagged gashes across his chest where he hadn't been quick enough to avoid the dragon's claws. His katana was virtually useless, as the dragon's dully shining black scales could not be cut. That left one option. The Black Dragon Wave.
Hiei hesitated to use his ultimate weapon. For one, he wasn't sure even if that was enough to finish the thing off. He had heard somewhere that a dragon's scales had enchantments on them, making them impenetrable to any attack. Second, it would drain all his energy, and make him completely useless for the rest of his team afterwards. But he had little choice. Sometimes it was best to fight fire with fire.
"So." Kurama and Yusuke whirled at the sound. "It appears some of you have made it to the end after all," a deep voice spoke from the shadows. "You Spirit Detectives really are amusing." The voice now held a hint of mocking.
"You know, Kurama, doesn't it get annoying how everyone we fight underestimates us?"
"True, Yusuke," Kurama agreed, unperturbed. "But overconfidence is the curse of all demons."
"You are intelligent, Kurama," the voice said. "But then again, all kitsunes are."
"Show yourself!" Yusuke shouted. "We don't have all day!"
"Ah, but I do, and you see, it is what I want, that counts here," Mokkan said, stepping out of the shadows. "But, yes, begin, by all means. I grow bored of this exchange. The first move is yours."
"Don't trust him, Kurama," Yusuke said unnecessarily.
"Don't worry," replied Kurama.
Hiei untied the headband that bound his Jagan eye. "Black Dragon Wave!" he shouted, as the dragon unfurled its wings and prepared for another aerial attack.
The battlefield was engulfed in a strange black light. When the smoke cleared, the dragon was lying stretched on the floor, its wings twisted and burned, completely useless. But it was breathing.
Hiei clenched his teeth. It should be dead! He picked up his trusty katana. At least the thing was severely weakened.
Struggling to its feet, the dragon prepared to charge one last time. Hiei circled the thing to check for weaknesses…There! There was a place right between the elbow and the heartgirth* with loose skin and no scales. Seeing his chance, Hiei drove his sword deeply into the dragon's side until he felt it pierce the heart.
Hiei leaned against the wall, intending to join Kurama and Yusuke as soon as he recovered a bit from using the Black Dragon Wave.
Kai's quick footsteps echoed all around her as she walked onwards. She stopped as she came to a large hall…large didn't even begin to describe it. It was enormous; the lofty ceiling was lost to shadows and the floor was as long as a small meadow. It was plenty big enough to contain the body lying inside it.
Kai gasped. She was well traveled, and an experienced fighter, but she had never seen the like of this creature. It was a dragon. Its bloody black scales shined dully in the dim light. The eerily bright emerald eyes were glazed over in death, and the once-leathery wings were now a twisted mass of burned flesh.
(Kami, I am in such a bloody mood today!)
She stepped over to the beast, and examined the foot-long pearly white fangs that protruded from the half-open mouth. She stuck her foot on the edge of the dragon's snout, and with a grunt of exertion, yanked the fang from the mouth. She hefted it, admiring the weight and quality. Then she proceeded to attack the other fang.
"What are you, some kind of grave robber?"
Kai jumped at the sound. She did not think there was anyone else in the room with her and the dragon. She turned to face Hiei's voice. Her ears twitched in annoyance. "No…"
Ignoring the fire youkai, Kai turned back to the dragon's body. "Hmmm…" The neko wrenched off one armor-like scale. It was roughly the size of her hand span. She tore off another, just like it. Humming softly under her breath, Kai went over to join Hiei.
"How did you get those?" she gasped, tracing her finger along the gashes in his chest.
Feeling her soft fingers on his chest, Hiei went rigid. He said nothing.
"Hmm?" she asked, still feeling the wounds. 'Kami, what am I doing?' she asked herself desperately.
"It's nothing…" Hiei muttered. 'Baka neko! What is she doing to me?'
Kai drew back, blushing faintly. "You should take care of that," she whispered.
"Later," he said. "Why do you have that stuff, anyway?" He indicated the dragon fangs and scales.
"I collect things," she replied simply, "from all over the Makai. If you ever get to see my den, I'll show you some of them."
Hiei was very nervous. 'Her den? Why would I be going to her den? Why am I thinking about her den?' He 'hn'ed' in response.
"We should go look for the others. They might need our help," Kai suggested.
"Hn."
"But," she continued speculatively, "You're youki is very low. What did you do? Well, it doesn't matter now… but we should go look anyway…" she said as though she hadn't noticed his sudden reclusive behavior.
"Hn."
"I'll take that as a 'yes.'"
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DMG: *has muse duct-taped to an iron chair* Well, there it is, the ninth chappie! Hopefully it's better than the last one. I added fluff, though very little. V.V PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! This mission is going to be DONE in the next chapter! YAY!! *dances around* *cough* ahem… I'm done now… Just review!!!!!!
* For those of you who don't know, the heartgirth is located just behind the elbow of a horse in front of the barrel (round middle area) Um, not that anyone cares…
