Title: Needs of the Jagan Eye
Rating: PG-13 for cursing and suggested themes
Chapter Summary: All four arrive at the rave after an 'silent' ride. Celeste and Hiei parted ways: Hiei to the bar. Celeste to the dance floor. Only as one of them collasped on the floor under mysterious circumstances, did they see each other in a new light.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Yu-Hakusho or anything related to that anime. Why must you torture me so!
Author's note: Yay! Major fluff moments ahead for one who reads the end! The first 'real' one of the entire story (FINALLY!) . =^__^= But of course, this is as an apology for having to rewrite one of the chapters entirely from memory since I didn't save- yes, I've banged my head enough times already....
Longer too. A little graphic at the end. *sigh* I didn't mean it too be so freaking long! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
Kurama looked over his shoulder at the parted couple sulking at the back. Celeste and Hiei had directed their hard gazes out the window, making a rather large empty space in between. She leaned over the closed glass with a chin resting on her hand and wore a blank expression as the scenery passed them. Hiei had opened the window halfway, an annoyed look on his face as the wind that rushed in pushed back his hair. From time to time, they'll steal glances at each other but spoke nothing as both huffily turned back to their original positions. Yusuke, too, noticed as he looked at the mirror hanging on the ceiling of the car.
"What's with you two?" he asked. "Isn't being together meant you have to BE together?"
Hiei kicked his seat, causing the cocky young adult to press the horn with his chest. The whole car took a sharp swerve and swung the whole company to be thrown to the left side of the car. It was the first time since they had left that the 'couple' had made physical contact. Quickly, Hiei settled back to his spot and mumbled a small 'Sorry." He shot a glare at Yusuke before going back to his territory.
The swerve was no accident. It was definitely meant for Hiei and Celeste to crash into each other. Kurama had also noticed but his mouth remained in a tight smile. Yusuke, however, muttered a restrained" Oops" before letting out a deep throated chuckle.
It was an unusually long ride afterwards for, once again, the car shook with the vibration of Yusuke's music and disallowed anybody to communicate clearly. Though thankful that the singing had halted, Hiei still wanted the predictable beats and the single worded lyrics to cease. Celeste, like Kurama, still retained their forced smiles as Yusuke changed the CD to one of equal annoyance.
Twenty long minutes past before anyone spoke.
"Are we there yet?" Celeste asked over the deafening sound.
"What?!!" screamed Yusuke in reply. "Speak up! I can't hear you!"
"I said," started Celeste once again," Are we there yet?!!"
"What?!!" Yusuke repeated as he took a sharp right turn. Hiei had begun to hear something faint in the distance.
"ARE WE THE-"
"We're here!" The music stopped abruptly and the car was settled on a patch of litter grass between two other cars. Hiei peered curiously outside at the people surrounding them. Painted faces, swirls of neon colors, and what seemed to be hundreds of glow sticks illuminated the night atmosphere and penetrated the shroud of darkness.
People all around them, mostly young adults, hung in small tight groups though there were a few large gatherings. Quite a few pairs had already begun to kiss each other rather affectionately on the grass or on the hoods of other cars. Twenty or so yards away were the main attraction.
A circle of lanterns and lights hung from makeshift wooden or metal poles that surrounded a large patch of flattened grass. To the side was a bar set on top a cluster of fold-up tables and wooden crates. Rows upon rows of colored bottles lined the countertop. Behind were five people serving up the drinks to a mob of thirsty buyers. To the front was a disc jockey, choosing and playing the music that boomed in the surrounding speakers that eventually echoed off the nearby trees and faded into the woods beyond.
Crowds of people, some shining with sweat, continued to dance in wild unchoreographed movements. Some fast, some slow, some just stood and leaned against another body. Yusuke, with a glazed look, grabbed Kurama by the collar and started to drag him towards a group of girls in tight outfits.
"Yusk-ecchh," choked Kurama, trying to pull away from Yusuke's excited grip. His green eyes, widened with fear, aimed at Hiei for assistance. It was obvious that the redhead was somewhat reluctant following the former spirit detective.
Hiei smirked and waved lightly. "Have a nice time," he mouthed devilishly. Kurama was still trying to escape as he disappeared from view.
A pair of fingers glided into Hiei's cold hand. Celeste seemed nervous as she tried to shrink herself from the crowds but her face seemed to glow in anticipation. Fingers eventually morphed into an entire hand as it clasped tightly around his own.
"Wanna dance?" she asked breathlessly, following the lights of the clearing. Hiei shook his head, causing a look of dismay towards his companion.
"No," he started, looking at her with a blank expression," I want to have a couple of drinks first." He took his hand away from hers and pointed to the bar. "Aren't you thirsty from the long ride?"
Her shoulders dropped a little but a small smile still held fast. "Okay. Fine. But right after, I'm going with or without you," she declared. Hiei knew she was disappointed but they will have all night to dance, and he hadn't had a good drink in a while. Besides, his dancing moves aren't exactly dying to be reached out anyway...
They took a seat on a small round table with chipped blue paint and a wobbly stand. Celeste, in a rush, went to the counter and retrieved the drinks so she could get this over with as quickly as possible. Liquor for him. Beer for her.
His gaze wandered into the crowd until he finally saw his 'friends'. Yusuke was bending his arms and showing off the weak muscles he had to a couple of blonds and a brunette. Hiei didn't know whether the girls were truly impressed or just too drunk to notice. Either way, he could still hear Yusuke's babbling even over the loud noise.
"Yep. Been workin' out for four hours every day. Since I was three!" Yusuke struck another pose for the females as Hiei rolled his eyes.
Kurama was only a few meters away, separated by a circle of girls and, not surprisingly, a few guys. With an exasperated look, the pretty boy waved his hand at the oncoming admirer and repeatedly refused every offer of dancing.
"No. No. I'm sorry. I can't really dance at all," Kurama answered firmly," I'm a klutz- Yes, I'm a boy."
Chuckling, Hiei closed his eyes and leaned into the table. Celeste sat down across from his before setting down a bottle of liquor with a small glass in front of him. "What took you so long?" he asked, opening the bottle and pouring it into the glass. "Did it cost a lot?"
Celeste shook her head. "No. I didn't have to pay actually. One of the bartenders is a guy I know. He lives in the same apartment complex as me. Just a friend." She smiled mysteriously into the untouched amber liquid in her mug. "He's nice but can be really obnoxious sometimes."
He gulped up his shot of liquor, not paying attention to what she had said. She gave a frown as he poured another. "Do you drink a lot?"
"Often," he answered nonchalantly."I just prefer the taste of it," he ended not wanting to pursue the topic. As a demon, he was less affected by the destructive things as humans were but still achieve the general affect. Hiei had been drinking since he was introduced to it in his late childhood. It was something he did to stay awake during nights. It took a lot for him to completely fade out like humans would.
But it didn't take much for him to lose those wretched memories he still kept locked.
Celeste set down her untouched drink. "I don't drink that much," she responded looking at her swirling liquid, "Because I always make an idiot of myself when I'm drunk." She paused and looked over to the disc jockey on his stand. "Before I dropped out from school, though, I used to get drunk every weekend." There was a light laugh. She lowered her eyes to the table and rested her chin on her arm. "It just made me forget. You know? I hated myself afterwards and I just couldn't take it anymore. I still drink. But I don't as much as I used to."
Hiei stayed silent before speaking. "Don't worry about me. I would rather kill myself than act like a complete fool," he said in a determined tone after drinking another shot of liquor.
Celeste sighed. "Whatever you say, Hiei." She slowly stood up. "I'm going to go dance now. You can have my beer if you want. I'm not thirsty." With a small wave, she stepped into the thick crowd, lost between the bodies of strangers.
Hiei shrugged and didn't say a word in reply. After five more minutes, the whole bottle was gone and he started to feel a haze over his mind. He took the handle of Celeste's beer and left it empty within a few gulps.
Half an hour passed of observing the crowd when a strong sensation overcame his body and mind. He didn't feel anything physically but this didn't worry him in the slightest. His vision started to blur and a strong beating pulse started to throb in his skull. Hiei shook himself and rubbed his eyes. Celeste was only a few meters away and she was dancing so gracefully. Every movement perfected with each seductive twirl. The only problem was that there were other guys that seemed to eye her also.
Grumbling, he tried to stand but tottered over, leaning his entire body weight on the table. Those guys have no right getting that close to her! The thought allowed him the strength to stand up properly. He moved his feet like they were large cinder blocks. His double vision also didn't offer much assistance.
Celeste spotted him and waved. He gave her a wide smirk and waved back. She stopped for a moment and walked up to him, offering a hand after seeing him slightly wobbling. "Are you okay?" she asked, worried. He leaned into her from behind, laying his head in the nape of her neck while crossing his arms around her neck and shoulders.
He inhaled, accidently catching her familiar scent. Even slightly numb, Hiei could feel her heating up. 'She must be blushing again..." With a little difficulty, he turned her head to the side so that they met face to face. They were each so close that his blurry vision could make up her shocked pink features. With an unusual smile, Hiei looked directed in her eyes through half-shut eyelids. "You smell nice," he said in a low hoarse whisper. Her blush deepened into a deep magenta as she looked at him nervously.
"Are you all right, Hiei?" she asked as he began to tobble over again.
" Yes." He pulled away from Celeste, trying to prove that he was fine. Truthfully, he didn't feel like himself at all. The pounding in his head had amplified to the level of an orge repeatedly jumping on his skull. Though he was sweating, judging from the droplets on the tip of his nose, he felt cold. Hiei rubbed his blurry eyes again. And worse yet, the numbness of his body had grew to where he wasn't sure how to move his arms or feet. He blindly placed both hands over his ears to block out the music. His headache was getting worse with each booming beat with people constantly nudging and bumping into him.
Celeste seemed to have noticed his disgruntled feelings by the look on her face. She reached out with her hand, unsure of what was happening.
"Hiei-"
"Don't touch me!" He yelled, knocking her hand out of the way. The painful throbbing in his head getting worse by the second. Eventually breathing also became a chore. His knees began to weaken until, finally, he collaspe on the floor. The last thing he remembered before completely closing his eyes was Celeste's face; distorted with a mixture of sudden shock and helplessness. After that, the darkness seemed to have taken him and thrown him inside the deepest threat of shadows........
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Hiei's arms wrapped around himself to keep the warmth from escaping him. There was nothing but mounds and mounds of piling snows with more still falling from the infinite dark sky. Fog was everywhere; keeping him from seeing any further than a few yards away. He trudged on in tatterted clothing without even knowing how he came to be wearing them. Or how he had came to this barren iceland. Nothing was here except the freezing temperature, darkness, and a seemingly endless supply of the white stuff.
Guided by some unknown force, he plodded through, leaving deep footsteps behind him that traced the path. After he reached to the very summit of a particulary large hill, Hiei saw something unrecognizable below. As he drew closer, it seemed that there was more; a group of somesort. He stepped forward to the nearest one and quickly drew back in utter horror and disgust.
Bodies. Corpses of the nonliving seeping facedown in their own crimson blood. The identity of this one had black hair underneath the crusted rust-colored blood from its skull. Wait. Yusuke?!! Hiei forced himself to look once more to make sure. His irises dialated in black horror as he found themselves glued to the sprawled figure.
What had happened? Hiei swallowed hard and looked at the other bodies. They were those of the others. One of Keiko with her throat openely slashed. Another of Kuwabara with his neck at an impossible angle. Kurama, wearing a red uniform, just laid facedown in a pool of blood that soaked in the surrounding snow. Muroku. Shizuru. The teenage Koenma. Botan. All were brutalized.
Someone was missing. Where was his sister, Yukina? He urgently scrambled through, unable to look at the others who's open eyes seemed to glare accusingly at him. Where was Yukina? Where was the one whom he swore his life to protect? His heart, even in the morse atmosphere, couldn't help to flutter at the thought that...maybe...
But his hopes crashed brutally as his eyes laid on the smallest firgure in the blue kimono. Not wanting to believe it was her, he blurred his eyes purposely to twist the vision array. But it did not work. The sight was unbearable even in his thoughts. He fell to his hands and knees and sank into the deep snow away from it. "NOOOOO!" The anguished scream echoed. Cold, dry tears erupted from the lowest chambers of his heart then glided down his cheeks into beautiful round gems.
Something warm was covering his hand. He opened his eyes and looked at the crimson liquid that smoothly weaved in and out of his fingers. Blood? Hiei examined his hands closer. There was also a sharp jeweled dagger clutched tight in his right hand that stained with red. He looked at himself once more. The tattered clothes were soaked in it. The fresh blood made his skin trembled as it made contact with his flesh.
What did this mean?
Was he- was he the one? The monster who killed everone?
The thought shook his body and shattered his heart. The jewelled dagger dropped from his guilty hands. Quickly, he dug his blood-soaked hands into the snow, desperately trying to clean away the feeling it brought along with it. It didn't work. More blood soon appeared. Hiei was the killer. He was the moster that lead the people closest to him to their end....
Sounds of approaching footsteps made him turned around. Celeste stood with a pleasant look on her face. The gruesome scene didn't have an affect on her. She stood with a small smile and penetrating eyes with her usual mortal attire.
She appoached him; unfathomed by the blood covering him from head to toe. Instead, Celeste chose to kneel down and rip a small piece of her blouse to wipe away the stains covering his face. He looked at her in silent disbelief. After she was done, Celeste took his bloody hand and laid it on her left cheek; all the time wearing a knowing smile.
'Stay away from me!' he wanted to yell ,' Can't you see I killed all these people?' His confused red eyes looked into her soft comforting green ones as she gently wiped his tears away. Still holding the same mysterious smile. Exhausted, Hiei allowed his head to rest at her shoulders; kowning that she was the only one he had left. A sensation of peace overflowed him as she held him in her arms. Still, he remembered the dead eyes of his friends, his sister...
Celeste suddenly pushed him away. He fell back and felt his palms sinking into the snow. She looked at him with horror, her pupils grown to their fullest extent. Her hand was placed on her chest; trying in vain to cover a growing red spot over her heart. "Why Hiei?!! Why did you..." Before she can complete her scream of horror, she swayed to the side and fell down. Lifeless.
Hiei froze. 'No...no.." he whispered hoarsely and weakly paced to where she fell. He didn't need to look hard for the cause of her end. A deep wide gash penetrated from behind and aimed for her heart.
She had been stabbed in the back.
A cold metal handle appeared in his right hand. The jewelled dagger was still in his hand, shining with the blood of a fresh new kill.
"Celeste," he gasped....
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"Are you sure he's going to be all right?" Celeste muttered, padding Hiei's forehead to wipe away the sweat that had formed. It was uncomfortable back in the back seat of Yusuke's car but at least he didn't turn on the music this time. She sat by the cracked window with Hiei spread on the backseat. His head placed on her lap as a pillow.
"It happens all the time at these things. Guess he couldn't take it," answered Yusuke, though a note of worry still lingered.
Kurama sighed. "Don't worry. All he needs is rest. Water would be good too judging by how much he's sweating."
"But why is he sweating so much? He didn't even dance."
There was a pause. "He was drunk and the place was a tad uncomfortable," Kurama offered. "Anyone in his condition can feel a bit faint." Hiei gave an angry stir at the word 'faint'. Even semi-conciously, he refuse to be considered weak. Kurama and Yusuke laughed. Celeste, however, remained serious as she mopped Hiei's brow again.
Hiei suddenly took a large intake of breath and turned around. Celeste waited till he was down and moved to accomadate Hiei's new position. Yusuke, looking at the rearview mirror, gave a surprised, yet teasing, look. "Hmmm. Trying to get cozy aren't we?" Kurama gave him a sharp look while Celeste's emotions was advertised through her face in a deep magenta.
Yusuke tried to change the subject towards Kurama who had some strange tears in his shirt. "What happened to you? You looked like you were attacked."
With a sly smirk, he replied, "I might as well have been. Yusuke, this is the last time I'm ever listening to you. Please don't ever bring me to one of those ever ag-"
From the back, Celeste yawned. She looked haggard from tonight's events.
"Tired?" asked Kurama politely.
"Yeah," she answered just before grasping another giant yawn.
"You might as well sleep now. It'll be at least twenty more minutes," Yusuke stopped to point at the oncoming traffic. "Everyone around here's must be born nocturnal or something. I'll wake you up when we get there."
Celeste sighed but gratefully obligued. She leaned more towards the window, resting her head on the pane of glass. Soon afterwards, there was nothing but the breathing of two people from the back as they fell towards a deep slumber.
"Ain't I good or what," bragged Yusuke.
"Yusuke. I didn't tell Celeste this but there was something I had noticed," Kurama muttered quickly, taking on his serious tone.
"What do you mean?"
"Hiei is a demon. He couldn't get drunk that easily and that quickly. It would've taken hours for him to collaspe like that."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Positive."
There was a silent pause as they reached a stoplight. The line of red lights sparkled the road like a christmas tree. Yusuke, now solemn, asked, "He was drugged wasn't he?"
"Yes." Kurama stated. "I'm not an expert on this but I know the symtoms. Fortunately, as a demon, the affects arent' that strong to begin with. But it does lead me to inquire who would have the motive to do this type of stuff to Hiei."
Yusuke banged on his steering wheel. "I should've known. Maybe it was someone from the tournament. A rival?"
"That's too broad. Right now. We must've more than hundreds of enemies Hiei has made."
"Then what do we do?"
"All we can do is warn him."
Yusuke remained silent, openely frustrated at the thought that one of his friends was almost killed. After a minute or so, whilte waiting in a long line of cars, he took from his seat a small disposable camera.
"What are you doing?" asked Kurama.
Yuske turned around his seat and flashed at the sleeping couple. Kurama's jaw dropped. "Even under these circumstances Yusuke, you still managed to completely humiliate Hiei."
With a large grin, the dark haired young man answered coolly, "I said I wouldn't 'make fun of, insult, or make sarcastic remarks'. You didn't say I wasn't allowed to take pictures. Besides, the way I figured, Hiei always had enemies didn't he? Being drugged isn't something that he hadn't experienced before. I mean the guy's been cut in half before eh?"
The red-haired couldn't disagree with any of the points Yusuke had made. The cars began to move faster until they finally reached a stretch of space. The former fox-demon, still thinking, couldn't hep but feel that he was missing something.
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Yes. Its long. Yes. I know that most of you scanned over the 'blah blah' parts. I don't mind. (*not*)
='( CARTOON NETWORK CANCELLED YU YU HAKUSHO!!!!!!!! ='(
Does anyone know if they'll put it back on or not? Please? I'm hoping they'll at least finish the dark tournament saga. I'm not expecting many reviews but I'm still going to finish. Maybe it'll take a little longer but I'll eventually be done with it. *crosses fingers*
Reviews please. Thank you very mush.
Rating: PG-13 for cursing and suggested themes
Chapter Summary: All four arrive at the rave after an 'silent' ride. Celeste and Hiei parted ways: Hiei to the bar. Celeste to the dance floor. Only as one of them collasped on the floor under mysterious circumstances, did they see each other in a new light.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Yu-Hakusho or anything related to that anime. Why must you torture me so!
Author's note: Yay! Major fluff moments ahead for one who reads the end! The first 'real' one of the entire story (FINALLY!) . =^__^= But of course, this is as an apology for having to rewrite one of the chapters entirely from memory since I didn't save- yes, I've banged my head enough times already....
Longer too. A little graphic at the end. *sigh* I didn't mean it too be so freaking long! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
Kurama looked over his shoulder at the parted couple sulking at the back. Celeste and Hiei had directed their hard gazes out the window, making a rather large empty space in between. She leaned over the closed glass with a chin resting on her hand and wore a blank expression as the scenery passed them. Hiei had opened the window halfway, an annoyed look on his face as the wind that rushed in pushed back his hair. From time to time, they'll steal glances at each other but spoke nothing as both huffily turned back to their original positions. Yusuke, too, noticed as he looked at the mirror hanging on the ceiling of the car.
"What's with you two?" he asked. "Isn't being together meant you have to BE together?"
Hiei kicked his seat, causing the cocky young adult to press the horn with his chest. The whole car took a sharp swerve and swung the whole company to be thrown to the left side of the car. It was the first time since they had left that the 'couple' had made physical contact. Quickly, Hiei settled back to his spot and mumbled a small 'Sorry." He shot a glare at Yusuke before going back to his territory.
The swerve was no accident. It was definitely meant for Hiei and Celeste to crash into each other. Kurama had also noticed but his mouth remained in a tight smile. Yusuke, however, muttered a restrained" Oops" before letting out a deep throated chuckle.
It was an unusually long ride afterwards for, once again, the car shook with the vibration of Yusuke's music and disallowed anybody to communicate clearly. Though thankful that the singing had halted, Hiei still wanted the predictable beats and the single worded lyrics to cease. Celeste, like Kurama, still retained their forced smiles as Yusuke changed the CD to one of equal annoyance.
Twenty long minutes past before anyone spoke.
"Are we there yet?" Celeste asked over the deafening sound.
"What?!!" screamed Yusuke in reply. "Speak up! I can't hear you!"
"I said," started Celeste once again," Are we there yet?!!"
"What?!!" Yusuke repeated as he took a sharp right turn. Hiei had begun to hear something faint in the distance.
"ARE WE THE-"
"We're here!" The music stopped abruptly and the car was settled on a patch of litter grass between two other cars. Hiei peered curiously outside at the people surrounding them. Painted faces, swirls of neon colors, and what seemed to be hundreds of glow sticks illuminated the night atmosphere and penetrated the shroud of darkness.
People all around them, mostly young adults, hung in small tight groups though there were a few large gatherings. Quite a few pairs had already begun to kiss each other rather affectionately on the grass or on the hoods of other cars. Twenty or so yards away were the main attraction.
A circle of lanterns and lights hung from makeshift wooden or metal poles that surrounded a large patch of flattened grass. To the side was a bar set on top a cluster of fold-up tables and wooden crates. Rows upon rows of colored bottles lined the countertop. Behind were five people serving up the drinks to a mob of thirsty buyers. To the front was a disc jockey, choosing and playing the music that boomed in the surrounding speakers that eventually echoed off the nearby trees and faded into the woods beyond.
Crowds of people, some shining with sweat, continued to dance in wild unchoreographed movements. Some fast, some slow, some just stood and leaned against another body. Yusuke, with a glazed look, grabbed Kurama by the collar and started to drag him towards a group of girls in tight outfits.
"Yusk-ecchh," choked Kurama, trying to pull away from Yusuke's excited grip. His green eyes, widened with fear, aimed at Hiei for assistance. It was obvious that the redhead was somewhat reluctant following the former spirit detective.
Hiei smirked and waved lightly. "Have a nice time," he mouthed devilishly. Kurama was still trying to escape as he disappeared from view.
A pair of fingers glided into Hiei's cold hand. Celeste seemed nervous as she tried to shrink herself from the crowds but her face seemed to glow in anticipation. Fingers eventually morphed into an entire hand as it clasped tightly around his own.
"Wanna dance?" she asked breathlessly, following the lights of the clearing. Hiei shook his head, causing a look of dismay towards his companion.
"No," he started, looking at her with a blank expression," I want to have a couple of drinks first." He took his hand away from hers and pointed to the bar. "Aren't you thirsty from the long ride?"
Her shoulders dropped a little but a small smile still held fast. "Okay. Fine. But right after, I'm going with or without you," she declared. Hiei knew she was disappointed but they will have all night to dance, and he hadn't had a good drink in a while. Besides, his dancing moves aren't exactly dying to be reached out anyway...
They took a seat on a small round table with chipped blue paint and a wobbly stand. Celeste, in a rush, went to the counter and retrieved the drinks so she could get this over with as quickly as possible. Liquor for him. Beer for her.
His gaze wandered into the crowd until he finally saw his 'friends'. Yusuke was bending his arms and showing off the weak muscles he had to a couple of blonds and a brunette. Hiei didn't know whether the girls were truly impressed or just too drunk to notice. Either way, he could still hear Yusuke's babbling even over the loud noise.
"Yep. Been workin' out for four hours every day. Since I was three!" Yusuke struck another pose for the females as Hiei rolled his eyes.
Kurama was only a few meters away, separated by a circle of girls and, not surprisingly, a few guys. With an exasperated look, the pretty boy waved his hand at the oncoming admirer and repeatedly refused every offer of dancing.
"No. No. I'm sorry. I can't really dance at all," Kurama answered firmly," I'm a klutz- Yes, I'm a boy."
Chuckling, Hiei closed his eyes and leaned into the table. Celeste sat down across from his before setting down a bottle of liquor with a small glass in front of him. "What took you so long?" he asked, opening the bottle and pouring it into the glass. "Did it cost a lot?"
Celeste shook her head. "No. I didn't have to pay actually. One of the bartenders is a guy I know. He lives in the same apartment complex as me. Just a friend." She smiled mysteriously into the untouched amber liquid in her mug. "He's nice but can be really obnoxious sometimes."
He gulped up his shot of liquor, not paying attention to what she had said. She gave a frown as he poured another. "Do you drink a lot?"
"Often," he answered nonchalantly."I just prefer the taste of it," he ended not wanting to pursue the topic. As a demon, he was less affected by the destructive things as humans were but still achieve the general affect. Hiei had been drinking since he was introduced to it in his late childhood. It was something he did to stay awake during nights. It took a lot for him to completely fade out like humans would.
But it didn't take much for him to lose those wretched memories he still kept locked.
Celeste set down her untouched drink. "I don't drink that much," she responded looking at her swirling liquid, "Because I always make an idiot of myself when I'm drunk." She paused and looked over to the disc jockey on his stand. "Before I dropped out from school, though, I used to get drunk every weekend." There was a light laugh. She lowered her eyes to the table and rested her chin on her arm. "It just made me forget. You know? I hated myself afterwards and I just couldn't take it anymore. I still drink. But I don't as much as I used to."
Hiei stayed silent before speaking. "Don't worry about me. I would rather kill myself than act like a complete fool," he said in a determined tone after drinking another shot of liquor.
Celeste sighed. "Whatever you say, Hiei." She slowly stood up. "I'm going to go dance now. You can have my beer if you want. I'm not thirsty." With a small wave, she stepped into the thick crowd, lost between the bodies of strangers.
Hiei shrugged and didn't say a word in reply. After five more minutes, the whole bottle was gone and he started to feel a haze over his mind. He took the handle of Celeste's beer and left it empty within a few gulps.
Half an hour passed of observing the crowd when a strong sensation overcame his body and mind. He didn't feel anything physically but this didn't worry him in the slightest. His vision started to blur and a strong beating pulse started to throb in his skull. Hiei shook himself and rubbed his eyes. Celeste was only a few meters away and she was dancing so gracefully. Every movement perfected with each seductive twirl. The only problem was that there were other guys that seemed to eye her also.
Grumbling, he tried to stand but tottered over, leaning his entire body weight on the table. Those guys have no right getting that close to her! The thought allowed him the strength to stand up properly. He moved his feet like they were large cinder blocks. His double vision also didn't offer much assistance.
Celeste spotted him and waved. He gave her a wide smirk and waved back. She stopped for a moment and walked up to him, offering a hand after seeing him slightly wobbling. "Are you okay?" she asked, worried. He leaned into her from behind, laying his head in the nape of her neck while crossing his arms around her neck and shoulders.
He inhaled, accidently catching her familiar scent. Even slightly numb, Hiei could feel her heating up. 'She must be blushing again..." With a little difficulty, he turned her head to the side so that they met face to face. They were each so close that his blurry vision could make up her shocked pink features. With an unusual smile, Hiei looked directed in her eyes through half-shut eyelids. "You smell nice," he said in a low hoarse whisper. Her blush deepened into a deep magenta as she looked at him nervously.
"Are you all right, Hiei?" she asked as he began to tobble over again.
" Yes." He pulled away from Celeste, trying to prove that he was fine. Truthfully, he didn't feel like himself at all. The pounding in his head had amplified to the level of an orge repeatedly jumping on his skull. Though he was sweating, judging from the droplets on the tip of his nose, he felt cold. Hiei rubbed his blurry eyes again. And worse yet, the numbness of his body had grew to where he wasn't sure how to move his arms or feet. He blindly placed both hands over his ears to block out the music. His headache was getting worse with each booming beat with people constantly nudging and bumping into him.
Celeste seemed to have noticed his disgruntled feelings by the look on her face. She reached out with her hand, unsure of what was happening.
"Hiei-"
"Don't touch me!" He yelled, knocking her hand out of the way. The painful throbbing in his head getting worse by the second. Eventually breathing also became a chore. His knees began to weaken until, finally, he collaspe on the floor. The last thing he remembered before completely closing his eyes was Celeste's face; distorted with a mixture of sudden shock and helplessness. After that, the darkness seemed to have taken him and thrown him inside the deepest threat of shadows........
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Hiei's arms wrapped around himself to keep the warmth from escaping him. There was nothing but mounds and mounds of piling snows with more still falling from the infinite dark sky. Fog was everywhere; keeping him from seeing any further than a few yards away. He trudged on in tatterted clothing without even knowing how he came to be wearing them. Or how he had came to this barren iceland. Nothing was here except the freezing temperature, darkness, and a seemingly endless supply of the white stuff.
Guided by some unknown force, he plodded through, leaving deep footsteps behind him that traced the path. After he reached to the very summit of a particulary large hill, Hiei saw something unrecognizable below. As he drew closer, it seemed that there was more; a group of somesort. He stepped forward to the nearest one and quickly drew back in utter horror and disgust.
Bodies. Corpses of the nonliving seeping facedown in their own crimson blood. The identity of this one had black hair underneath the crusted rust-colored blood from its skull. Wait. Yusuke?!! Hiei forced himself to look once more to make sure. His irises dialated in black horror as he found themselves glued to the sprawled figure.
What had happened? Hiei swallowed hard and looked at the other bodies. They were those of the others. One of Keiko with her throat openely slashed. Another of Kuwabara with his neck at an impossible angle. Kurama, wearing a red uniform, just laid facedown in a pool of blood that soaked in the surrounding snow. Muroku. Shizuru. The teenage Koenma. Botan. All were brutalized.
Someone was missing. Where was his sister, Yukina? He urgently scrambled through, unable to look at the others who's open eyes seemed to glare accusingly at him. Where was Yukina? Where was the one whom he swore his life to protect? His heart, even in the morse atmosphere, couldn't help to flutter at the thought that...maybe...
But his hopes crashed brutally as his eyes laid on the smallest firgure in the blue kimono. Not wanting to believe it was her, he blurred his eyes purposely to twist the vision array. But it did not work. The sight was unbearable even in his thoughts. He fell to his hands and knees and sank into the deep snow away from it. "NOOOOO!" The anguished scream echoed. Cold, dry tears erupted from the lowest chambers of his heart then glided down his cheeks into beautiful round gems.
Something warm was covering his hand. He opened his eyes and looked at the crimson liquid that smoothly weaved in and out of his fingers. Blood? Hiei examined his hands closer. There was also a sharp jeweled dagger clutched tight in his right hand that stained with red. He looked at himself once more. The tattered clothes were soaked in it. The fresh blood made his skin trembled as it made contact with his flesh.
What did this mean?
Was he- was he the one? The monster who killed everone?
The thought shook his body and shattered his heart. The jewelled dagger dropped from his guilty hands. Quickly, he dug his blood-soaked hands into the snow, desperately trying to clean away the feeling it brought along with it. It didn't work. More blood soon appeared. Hiei was the killer. He was the moster that lead the people closest to him to their end....
Sounds of approaching footsteps made him turned around. Celeste stood with a pleasant look on her face. The gruesome scene didn't have an affect on her. She stood with a small smile and penetrating eyes with her usual mortal attire.
She appoached him; unfathomed by the blood covering him from head to toe. Instead, Celeste chose to kneel down and rip a small piece of her blouse to wipe away the stains covering his face. He looked at her in silent disbelief. After she was done, Celeste took his bloody hand and laid it on her left cheek; all the time wearing a knowing smile.
'Stay away from me!' he wanted to yell ,' Can't you see I killed all these people?' His confused red eyes looked into her soft comforting green ones as she gently wiped his tears away. Still holding the same mysterious smile. Exhausted, Hiei allowed his head to rest at her shoulders; kowning that she was the only one he had left. A sensation of peace overflowed him as she held him in her arms. Still, he remembered the dead eyes of his friends, his sister...
Celeste suddenly pushed him away. He fell back and felt his palms sinking into the snow. She looked at him with horror, her pupils grown to their fullest extent. Her hand was placed on her chest; trying in vain to cover a growing red spot over her heart. "Why Hiei?!! Why did you..." Before she can complete her scream of horror, she swayed to the side and fell down. Lifeless.
Hiei froze. 'No...no.." he whispered hoarsely and weakly paced to where she fell. He didn't need to look hard for the cause of her end. A deep wide gash penetrated from behind and aimed for her heart.
She had been stabbed in the back.
A cold metal handle appeared in his right hand. The jewelled dagger was still in his hand, shining with the blood of a fresh new kill.
"Celeste," he gasped....
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"Are you sure he's going to be all right?" Celeste muttered, padding Hiei's forehead to wipe away the sweat that had formed. It was uncomfortable back in the back seat of Yusuke's car but at least he didn't turn on the music this time. She sat by the cracked window with Hiei spread on the backseat. His head placed on her lap as a pillow.
"It happens all the time at these things. Guess he couldn't take it," answered Yusuke, though a note of worry still lingered.
Kurama sighed. "Don't worry. All he needs is rest. Water would be good too judging by how much he's sweating."
"But why is he sweating so much? He didn't even dance."
There was a pause. "He was drunk and the place was a tad uncomfortable," Kurama offered. "Anyone in his condition can feel a bit faint." Hiei gave an angry stir at the word 'faint'. Even semi-conciously, he refuse to be considered weak. Kurama and Yusuke laughed. Celeste, however, remained serious as she mopped Hiei's brow again.
Hiei suddenly took a large intake of breath and turned around. Celeste waited till he was down and moved to accomadate Hiei's new position. Yusuke, looking at the rearview mirror, gave a surprised, yet teasing, look. "Hmmm. Trying to get cozy aren't we?" Kurama gave him a sharp look while Celeste's emotions was advertised through her face in a deep magenta.
Yusuke tried to change the subject towards Kurama who had some strange tears in his shirt. "What happened to you? You looked like you were attacked."
With a sly smirk, he replied, "I might as well have been. Yusuke, this is the last time I'm ever listening to you. Please don't ever bring me to one of those ever ag-"
From the back, Celeste yawned. She looked haggard from tonight's events.
"Tired?" asked Kurama politely.
"Yeah," she answered just before grasping another giant yawn.
"You might as well sleep now. It'll be at least twenty more minutes," Yusuke stopped to point at the oncoming traffic. "Everyone around here's must be born nocturnal or something. I'll wake you up when we get there."
Celeste sighed but gratefully obligued. She leaned more towards the window, resting her head on the pane of glass. Soon afterwards, there was nothing but the breathing of two people from the back as they fell towards a deep slumber.
"Ain't I good or what," bragged Yusuke.
"Yusuke. I didn't tell Celeste this but there was something I had noticed," Kurama muttered quickly, taking on his serious tone.
"What do you mean?"
"Hiei is a demon. He couldn't get drunk that easily and that quickly. It would've taken hours for him to collaspe like that."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Positive."
There was a silent pause as they reached a stoplight. The line of red lights sparkled the road like a christmas tree. Yusuke, now solemn, asked, "He was drugged wasn't he?"
"Yes." Kurama stated. "I'm not an expert on this but I know the symtoms. Fortunately, as a demon, the affects arent' that strong to begin with. But it does lead me to inquire who would have the motive to do this type of stuff to Hiei."
Yusuke banged on his steering wheel. "I should've known. Maybe it was someone from the tournament. A rival?"
"That's too broad. Right now. We must've more than hundreds of enemies Hiei has made."
"Then what do we do?"
"All we can do is warn him."
Yusuke remained silent, openely frustrated at the thought that one of his friends was almost killed. After a minute or so, whilte waiting in a long line of cars, he took from his seat a small disposable camera.
"What are you doing?" asked Kurama.
Yuske turned around his seat and flashed at the sleeping couple. Kurama's jaw dropped. "Even under these circumstances Yusuke, you still managed to completely humiliate Hiei."
With a large grin, the dark haired young man answered coolly, "I said I wouldn't 'make fun of, insult, or make sarcastic remarks'. You didn't say I wasn't allowed to take pictures. Besides, the way I figured, Hiei always had enemies didn't he? Being drugged isn't something that he hadn't experienced before. I mean the guy's been cut in half before eh?"
The red-haired couldn't disagree with any of the points Yusuke had made. The cars began to move faster until they finally reached a stretch of space. The former fox-demon, still thinking, couldn't hep but feel that he was missing something.
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Yes. Its long. Yes. I know that most of you scanned over the 'blah blah' parts. I don't mind. (*not*)
='( CARTOON NETWORK CANCELLED YU YU HAKUSHO!!!!!!!! ='(
Does anyone know if they'll put it back on or not? Please? I'm hoping they'll at least finish the dark tournament saga. I'm not expecting many reviews but I'm still going to finish. Maybe it'll take a little longer but I'll eventually be done with it. *crosses fingers*
Reviews please. Thank you very mush.