12.24.03
A/N: *grins then grimaces* itai…hurts… Yep, I'm still in pain. Shocker, isn't it. I think the pain is worse than yesterday. Thanks to all my great reviewers! ^_^ I'm so glad people like it. *Shakes head* Who knew that pain could be a great inspiration?
Shadow: Only for you, Schizo, only for you.
Schizo: ^__________^ Hai! Itai! *groans* The pained sounds Hiei will be making are like the ones I made-to the closest approximation, that is. Grrr…it hurts just to sit like this…but because I'm so dedicated to my writing and to my great reviewers, I will bear the pain and continue writing! Enjoy the newest chapter!
Abc: thoughts
Abc: emphasis
[abc]: references
DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH.
Vardoulacha
Gasping in pain, occasionally letting out pained cries, Hiei crawled to his feet awkwardly holding up his upper body in such a way that he looked like a hunchback. He looked ultimately stupid, but it was the only way to lessen the pain but it didn't help much. Especially since he was moving around, looking for his friends.
Where…where are you? That bastard better not have gotten you!
The terror that had been with him ever since the Makai returned full force. He was alone!
Iie! I can't be alone! No, please, I don't want to be alone!
Wide, bright red eyes darted around the room, taking in nothing and seeing all. Hiei's eyes glistened wetly with tears as he realized that he was alone again. The only comfort he felt was that he was sure he was still in the temple. That and the presence was gone.
Kurama…where are you? You promised me that you wouldn't leave me alone. You promised!
"Kurama-AH! Have to, have to focus…must find the others. Kurama! Yusuke! Kuwa-ssssssst!" Hiei hunched over as immense pain literally exploded in his upper back. "Kuso! Why, why is it worse to-Ah! Iie. I can't give in…not now." A whimper forced its way out of Hiei as the pain grew. Holding his breath, Hiei straightened slightly, effectively working out the pain.
Mmm…Damn it, Yusuke! Kurama! Where are you guys??? Yukina?!
~~~~~~~
Keiko slowly cracked open an eye and realized that something had happened.
But what? And what am I lying on?
"Oh! Yusuke! Gomen! Yusuke?" Keiko hurriedly rolled off Yusuke and began shaking him.
He's not breathing! Oh Yusuke…don't you dare die on me. Having you almost die once was enough…and the fire…I refuse to let you die again, not while I'm here!
Leaning over Yusuke, Keiko pinched his nose shut and performed CPR on the unconscious boy. Slowly, Yusuke's chest began to move up and down. Regardless, Keiko continued CPR until Yusuke's eyes snapped open and he rolled on his side, coughing.
"Yusuke! Thank Kami you're alright!" Keiko cried jubilantly. Forgetting everything, she hugged Yusuke tightly.
"Keiko! Ah-need-to-breath! Lemme go!" Yusuke choked, prying Keiko's arms away from his neck. Blushing Keiko sat back and watched Yusuke regain his breath.
"Daijoubu ka?" Keiko slowly rubbed Yusuke's back in circles.
"Hai, daijoubu. Where are the others? What happened to Him? What happened to Hiei? Where is Hiei?" Yusuke fired at her, looking frightened.
"Calm down! I don't know anything. When I came to, you were the only one here…I thought I had lost you." Keiko looked away, refusing to let Yusuke see the tears building up in her eyes.
Lost me?
"Lost me? What? Keiko, tell me what happened!"
"I don't know! There was this bright flash of light, then nothing! All I know is that when I came to, you weren't breathing! I couldn't let you die, not like last time. Not like before you became a Spirit Detective or during the Dark Tournament."
"Keiko, I didn't die both of those times."
"I know but it was so close!"
Wow…Keiko must have been extremely worried if she's like this…
"Don't worry. I'll never leave you. I have to torment you some more!"
"Yusuke Urameshi!"
Together, the two laughed, briefly forgetting their troubles for a moment in which nothing was wrong. Regrettably, the happy moment disappeared as the hazy darkness enveloping them disappeared.
"What's happening? Why didn't, I mean, how come I didn't notice the darkness before?" Yusuke asked to himself, holding Keiko protectively.
"Yusuke! Keiko! Thank Kami we found you!" The sound of running feet reached the pairs' ears.
"Kurama! Kuwabara! The others are with you guys as well? Awesome! Demo…where's Hiei and where were you guys?" Yusuke asked, jumping up as he greeted his friends.
"Hiei isn't with you? I was hoping he was with you. I'm not sure where we ended up, but it looks like we're still in the temple. I wonder how we were separated. However, I know Hiei is here. I can feel him." Kurama answered.
"You're right, I can feel him. Shorty! Where are you?" Kuwabara shouted, deafening the people next to him.
Iie! I can't be alone! No, please, I don't want to be alone!
Their breaths caught in their throat when they heard Hiei.
Kurama…where are you? You promised me that you wouldn't leave me alone. You promised!
"Hiei, gomen nasai! I'm so sorry! Where are you?!" Kurama said anguished.
Mmm…Damn it, Yusuke! Kurama! Where are you guys??? Yukina?!
"Oh! Hiei! I know where he is! Come on!" Yukina suddenly shouted running.
"Matte!" Botan chased after the fleeing girl and soon, there was a train of people running through various rooms of the temple. To the others, it seemed as though they were going in circles. They knew that they were lost.
"Yukina, I hope you know where you're going! Genkai's temple is large and even I don't know all its rooms!" Keonma shouted.
"I know where I'm going! I can feel him! Hiei, please stay where you are! Onegai!" Yukina cried, running faster than ever.
I know he's here…I can feel him getting closer. I'm getting closer to him. Hiei, please be okay!
~~~~~~~~~~
Scowling furiously, Hiei stupidly slammed into the door, trying to break it up. At once, his back arched in pain from the jarring movement.
"AHHHHHH!" Hiei gasped as his tears threatened to build up in his eyes. Panting for breath, he clenched his eyes shut, praying the pain would leave his body. Eventually, it did and Hiei was able to straighten up, to the best of his ability.
I know he's here…I can feel him getting closer. I'm getting closer to him. Hiei, please be okay!
"Yukina?! How?" Hiei was utterly bewildered. How could Yukina be the only one who could track him down so easily. Even he didn't know where he was! Unless…
"Spirit gun!" Hiei leapt away from the door he was standing nearby when he heard Yusuke shout out. Landing crouched on the ground, Hiei snapped defensive eyes up to the group. Ignoring the pain his jump had caused him, he noticed that the darkness he had not noticed before was slowly disappearing.
"How…how did you know I was here?" Hiei questioned Yukina fearfully.
What if she knows?!
"I don't know…I just felt you and I knew where you were." Yukina said, looking down.
"Hn…What's with this darkness? Ungh!" Hiei winced as he finally took notice of the pain in his upper back.
"We don't know. Your shoulder, it's gotten worse, hasn't it." Shizuru said matter-of-factly.
"Aa. Where is He?" Hiei spread his senses around, looking for the terrifying presence. He found nothing.
He must've escaped. Next time, he won't escape!
"He's gone. We defeated him, for the time being. Hiei, whatever you do, you must not leave this temple with one of us. One or two of us have to be with you at all costs." Yusuke said, glaring at Hiei, daring him to defy him.
~*flashback*~
Hiei didn't say a word as he closed his eyes and tears ran down his face. Burying his face deep into Kurama's shoulder, Hiei could not restrain himself from shaking like a leaf. Pain engulfed his right shoulder blade but he blindly tightened a grip around his friend, as if Kurama was the only thing keeping him from being consumed by the terror in his mind and around him.
~*end flashback*~
Remembering the terror he had felt, Hiei eagerly consented to Yusuke's demands. No way did Hiei ever want to be left alone again. Not while He was out there. Moaning from pain and relief, Hiei limped towards his family. Rushing forward to meet him, Kurama and Yukina wrapped their arms around him while the others stayed respectfully back.
"Are you hurt?" Yukina asked, even as she examined the shaking demon.
"Iie, only my shoulder…What happened? Why was I alone?" Hiei asked, clinging to his sister and Kurama for support and warmth. Pain entered Kurama's eyes as he remembered Hiei's accusation.
Kurama…where are you? You promised me that you wouldn't leave me alone. You promised!
"Hiei, I'm so sorry. I never planned to leave you, especially alone! I'm really sorry." Kurama said, releasing Hiei.
No! Don't let go!
With mild disgust at himself, Hiei realized that he was being childish. At the same time, he didn't care. Kurama, Yukina, his friends and family were here and with him right now. Reaching out quickly, he latched onto Kurama as well as someone else.
Someone else?! It doesn't feel human!
Eyes wide, Hiei jerked away from his friends, cradling the hand that had touched the thing. Ignoring his friends worried inquiries, Hiei stared at the spot the thing was. He didn't see anything. It was too dark.
Too dark?
"Too dark…He-It's-teme! It's here!" Hiei spat, backing away from the dark spot. Tense and ready, Kurama whipped out his Rose Whip and pushed Hiei behind him.
"What the- Kitsune! What do you think you're doing?" Hiei demanded of the red head.
"You're in no condition to fight this-this thing. I suggest you shut up and let us protect you." Kurama snapped, not turning to look at his friend. Hiei bristled but complied, knowing what Kurama had said was true.
"Come out, you thingy!" Kuwabara shouted as he pointed his Spirit Sword towards the too dark spot.
Yusuke looked askance at Kuwabara. "Thingy. That was the best you could come up with?"
"Urusai, Urameshi! It's moving!" Kuwabara retorted, forcing Yusuke's concentration back on their enemy.
"No, it's not. It's growing, you dimwit." Shizuru snapped from behind. That's when Hiei realized that all of them, including Yukina, were surrounding him, protecting him. They all waited with bated breath, as the thing grew larger and larger.
"Shi-ne!" Kuwabara shouted insanely as he leapt at the thing, stabbing cleanly through it with his Spirit Sword. Pulling his sword out, Kuwabara laughed. "HA! ONCE AGAIN, THE GREAT KUWABARA IS THE HERO!"
"He's not dead yet! You only stopped his growth!" Koenma shot towards the "hero" angrily. "Get back here before he kills you, you carrot-headed oaf!"
"Nani?! I cut right through him! It has to be dead!" Kuwabara said fearfully.
"Tough luck, it's not." Keiko said. She was holding a wooden stick in her shaking hands.
Suddenly, Hiei realized that the room was too small. If they stayed in the room, they would all surely die. "We have to move. This room is too small."
"Hiei's right. Let's go!" In a blink of an eye, they all ran from the room, desperate to reach the open spacious garden in the back.
Once in the garden, the circle reformed around Hiei. Unfortunately, the creature had other ways of attacking its prey. Purple strands rose from the ground around Hiei, forming a cage. Luckily, Kurama had been over-cautious and had stuck a seed in Hiei's cloak when he [Hiei] was hugging him [Kurama].
"Grow!" Kurama shouted, throwing out a thread of ki in the direction of the seed. Praying to all the Gods he knew, he put everything he had into making the seed grow.
"Hiei!" Yukina screamed. Suddenly, there was a flash of green and a plant grew. It grew so quickly, barely beating the purple cage to Hiei. However, the plant made it and formed a cage around Hiei, protecting him. Shocked, Hiei slumped to the ground against the plant, knowing the purple cage was trying to break through yet failing. Leaning back against the wall of the plant cage, Hiei curled in on himself again, hoping against hope that everything would turn out okay.
Everything is going to be okay…everything is going to be okay…
~~~~~~~~~
Yusuke sighed in relief as he saw the beautiful yet dangerous plant wrap itself around Hiei protectively.
Kurama, thank you for your over-protectiveness of him!
Grinning maniacally, Yusuke taunted the Thing. "Now we're ready to fight! You're going down!"
Snarling, the Thing attacked them all at once.
~~~~~~~~~
Unbiddened tears came to Hiei's eyes. Sounds of the fight outside drifted through the walls of his…shelter. Shouts, screams, swearing, everything could be heard. The sounds were so close, too close, for Hiei's comfort. Scrunching up his eyes, Hiei covered his ears, trying to shut out the noise. Shaking, he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head between his knees. No matter what he tried, nothing seemed to work. Too add to his discomfort, pain was prominent in his shoulder blade, neither growing worse or better.
So cold…Why is it so cold? It shouldn't be cold at all.
To make matters worse, Hiei was coming down with a fever. Mewling without realizing it, Hiei clenched his mouth into one straight line as he tried to tighten his closed eyes even further. Grabbing fistfuls of his robe, Hiei covered his ears, tighter and with more blockage this time. This dimmed the noise but he could still here it. Then the walls started to close in on him but Hiei never noticed. His eyes were shut too tightly and he was too involved with blocking out the sounds of the fight. Not until he felt something pressing on him did he realize that the walls were closing.
No! Yamero! What's happening?!
Hiei's control had finally snapped. The pain and stress, both physical and mental had proven too much for him, especially with the Jagan Eye to control. He was imagining the walls closing on him, producing an acute problem of claustrophobia. Too bad Hiei was too far-gone to notice that the closing walls were a figment of his imagination. Casting red eyes, wide with insanity, around his "imprisonment", Hiei wrapped him up with black fire from the deepest pits of the Makai.
Have to get out!
Screaming, Hiei strengthened the fire, not caring that it was burning his clothes and soon, his skin. The flames licked up and around the plant, destroying it. Unbeknownst to Hiei, the darkness that had been fighting his friends noticed the absence of the plant and took that opportunity to attack.
Dark tendrils wrapped around Hiei's ankles and because Hiei was unprotected from everything, the sheer power of darkness it held overwhelmed his mind and pushed him further towards the edge. No, Hiei had not been pushed off the edge yet but he was getting close. Too close.
~~~~~~~~
No! Yamero! What's happening?!
Startled, Koenma looked towards the plant, hoping that what he heard was nothing. His hopes were shattered when he saw black flames burn the plant from inside out.
Have to get out!
Eyes widening, the others turned to look towards the plant as well, dread rising from the pit of their guts when they saw Hiei doubled over, clutching his stomach wearing smoking clothing that were badly burnt.
Why did he burn it down? He knows it was for his own safety!
Scowling angrily, Yukina froze half of the Thing when she saw it wrap around Hiei's ankles.
"Let him go!" Yukina yelled, trying to force the Thing to release Hiei.
"Yukina! Don't you touch my Yukina, kisama!" Kuwabara snarled as he saw It slash the ice maiden's arm, causing it to bleed. In return, Kuwabara slashed at the Thing, dispersing the tentacles that had wrapped around the twins.
"Yukina, Kuwabara! Get away from Hiei! He's out of control! I can't find him at all!" Koenma shouted desperately.
"Nani? What are you talking about?" Kurama asked the God, fearing the worse had happened.
"He's insane. Not completely, but anymore of this and he'll be gone, forever. So much has happened that he's too close to completely losing it. If he loses it, we'll all be killed, quite possibly, the whole of the Ningenkai would be destroyed! Hiei has immense power locked up inside him without the Jagan. With the Jagan, his power is too much for him to handle without the demon limiters."
"Demon limiters? I've never found any on him."
"Of course you haven't. They're spells, spells placed on him by Mukuro, Yomi, and me. I fear that those spells placed on Hiei are stretched to their limit."
"Koenma! Kurama! Quit the chitchat! That thing is going after Hiei and if Koenma is correct, we really don't want that to happen!" Yusuke shouted as he ran past them, firing up his Spirit Gun. Wordlessly, the two followed each readying their strongest attack.
Hiei, don't you dare flip out and do something drastic! When Kurama promised that you wouldn't get hurt or be alone ever again, that promise is the same for the rest of us! You little annoying demon had better not force us to break our promise! I'll kill you myself if we do!
"SPIRIT BOMB!" Yusuke shouted, throwing everything he had into that one attack. Turning around, the creature expanded, as if It were trying to become a wall.
"I don't think so! Rose whip!" Kurama struck the wall, right down the middle, forcing the creature to revert to it's normal huge self. "Botan, get Hiei out of there!"
"Already done!" Botan had foreseen what would happen and had already pulled Hiei to, not in a literal sense, to safety.
A high pitched scream, very much like a banshee's resonated through the area. All around, people were dropping whatever they were holding or doing and covering their ears. In nearby hospitals, those in the ICU or in surgery died from the immense pressure put on their already weakened minds and body. Many ears began to bleed, many young children and very old seniors died. So many died, so many became deaf, and so many lived. The destruction and damage was great. Yusuke and his friends suffered the same thing but for some reason, they were relatively unharmed and living. Why? They had someone to protect. They had a mission to fulfill and a promise to keep. Until the mission failed or succeeded, until the promise was broken or kept until the bitter end, until that someone died or survived this ordeal, they refused to die. It wasn't that they couldn't die, it was that they refused to die.
However, what happened to Hiei? His mind was so far gone and his spirit was cracked in a thousand places. Did he die? Or did he survive?
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It's definitely shorter than the first one, but I hope the context made up for the lack of length. Remember, I'm not Japanese so yeah.
Daijoubu: I'm okay
Kitsune: fox
Shine: Die
Ningenkai: human world
Kami: God
Urusai: shut up
Kisama: bastard
Teme: b****, f***
Yamero: stop
Hai: yes
Iie: no
Aa: yes
Daijoubu ka?: are you alright?
Gomen: sorry
Gomen nasai: very sorry ( I think it's also politer to say this one)
Kuso: Shit
12.25.03