4.15.04
Schizo13: Salut! Comment-allez vous? Wow, a mix between formal and non-formal. In anglais: Hey! How is it going!? Anyway, as you can tell by the date, I started writing this chapter two months and a few days ago. Yep, I started it in April. From then to here…well, it's already July you can tell I was busy. I also had writer's block. Not to mention finals, meetings with the student advocate, a speech, last minute JAVA program…yeah, all those good stuff. Now, it's July and I have finally finished. I hope you like this chapter. Most of it, ok, all of it, was written around 12 am or later. Wow, look at the time. It's 1:02am. You should be proud of me. yawns Anyway, I wanted to thank all of my reviewers for their great reviews and support! I have exactly 50 reviews and am hoping for more.
Shadow: You're forgetting something.
Schizo13: Eh? OH! Yeah. Gomen, désolé, sorry, etc.! I am so sorry for the long wait! It's been how long since I last updated?
Shadow: March. The 22nd, to be exact.
Schizo13: --; Ok, so it's been a looooong time. Sorry!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH. If I did, why in the world would Hiei and Kurama be only "friends"?!
Schizo13: On with the story!
Abc: thoughts
Abc: emphasis
Abc: flashback
abc: Orcus (aka the Vardoulacha)
Chapter 6
Pain VI
Yukina looked frantically around. Where was Hiei? Where was her brother? Yes, she had found out the truth when she touched the last piece of the Chalice. She also knew why Hiei didn't tell her. Still, Yukina was glad to know Hiei was her brother. After all, she always wanted him to be her brother.
"Hiei?! Where are you?" Kurama shouted, peering through the dark flames. The awful scream did not stop. Nor did the flames dissipate. A low dark laugh drowned out the terrible pain-filled scream but Yusuke and the others froze with tension and a hint of fear rose in their hearts. Why the hell was Orcus still here? Why was someone screaming? More importantly, where were Hiei and the Crystal Chalice?
Ahhh…dear Hiei-kun!
Kurama bristled at hearing Orcus address Hiei so intimately. He [Orcus] didn't deserve that privilege!
Poor poor Hiei-kun! What are you going to do? Will you survive or will you play the fool?
"Orcus! What do you know?!" Botan shouted, glaring at the direction from where the voice originated from.
Everything! What would you like to know? Secrets of the 3 worlds? My history? Hiei's history? Or, is the knowledge you seek tied to our dear, screaming friend?
Fire bloomed in her eyes as Botan grounded out, "You know what I want, kisama. Either you tell me or we'll force it out of you."
If only you could. It matters not. I will tell you. Hiei…is in a rather tight spot, you could say. Truth is, the Chalice is trying to merge with Hiei once more. Yet Hiei does not wish for this to happen. Or rather, the demon and human sides are refusing to cooperate. Those two sides do not fully understand what it means to be the Chalice. They don't know why they have to merge so they are resisting the process. This in turn causes great pain for Hiei and unless all 3 sides of him merge, he will be in pain and eventually die. As long as the Chalice remains incomplete, I can stay here for as long as I want.
"You mean for as long as 'The Chalice' does not merge." Shizuru said coldly.
Hmm…I suppose so yes. With that, Orcus disappeared.
Koenma frowned, uncertain. Why…why did he tell us? There must be some ulterior motive. But what?
"Come, we must locate Hiei." Koenma instructed, striding off in one direction.
"Koenma-sama! Why are you heading that way?" Botan asked, eyes wide.
Exasperated, Koenma looked pointedly at his employee before stating, "I believe the screams we are continuously hearing are coming from this area."
"…Oh." Botan blushed, before hurrying to catch up.
Sure enough, a tall column of Makai flames met their eyes. Within this column was the writhing figure of Hiei. Blood trickled out from the corner of his mouth, giving evidence to the pain he must be in.
Pain, so much pain. Keeping his eyes shut, Hiei struggled to keep from screaming. Ultimately, he lost the battle and screamed once more. His voice, raw and almost gone, choked out a hoarse plea.
"Stop, please stop."
Who was he begging? Hiei had no idea. All he knew was pain. Crystal tears began flowing down his face. Wrapping his arms tightly around himself, he increased the intensity of the black flames which enclosed him within their hot embrace. No matter how high Hiei raised the temperature, the fire would not burn him. Hiei had nothing to relieve his pain. Despairing, Hiei cracked open his eyes and looked around for a weapon. As he looked straight across from him, he saw his friends. Another burst of pain exploded within his body leaving his mind disoriented and rendering Hiei himself unable to recognize his friends. Instead, all he saw was he being reflected in pained and horrified eyes. Within that reflection, he saw a crippled figure, bleeding and pale. He also noticed a sword strapped to his side. Realization dawned and in one swift movement, he unsheathed his blade and drew it across his skin.
Blood spurted out in a flowing crimson river. A detached sense of tranquility descended over Hiei like a shroud. Yukina screamed and ran. Ignoring the flames that licked at her skin, crystal spheres dropped to the ground and laid there. Finally reaching Hiei, Yukina placed her hands over the cut and frantically healed the wound. Tear filled ruby eyes lifted to gaze at identical blank eyes as sister and brother beheld each other within the ring of black flames.
"Why?" Yukina whispered.
"To stop the pain…It hut too much…I had to stop it. I was not strong enough…I am weak." Hiei said slowly.
"By giving yourself more pain?"
"The euphoria of the cut on my arm was what I was aiming for! The sense of detachment as I cut my arm. It was the only way to stop the pain that was eating me inside out."
"Couldn't you have found another way? Couldn't you have believed in us? Couldn't you have done something else?"
"No…This is the only way."
"You mean, this is the only way you saw. Hiei, you need to stop fighting, you must let your three selves merge! If you do, the pain will disappear! Please, Hiei, let yourself merge with the Chalice! You have to at least try, if not for yourself, do it for me and your friends. Do it for me as my brother."
"Your brother? How did you find out?"
"The last piece of the Chalice told me. But you must merge! I lost you once and found you. I won't lose you again! Merge!"
Hiei slowly nodded and his eyes slid shut. Slowly, the flames died down and the wounds on Hiei started to fade. The inner turmoil and chaos that ravaged the area also began to fade. With a sigh, Hiei opened his eyes and fire once again shone brightly within ruby depths.
Taking a deep breath, Hiei stood up and offered his hand to Yukina. However, Yukina knocked that hand aside and opted to leap up and hug her stunned brother.
"I'm so glad you're okay."
Hesitantly, Hiei hugged her back. "I thank you."
Isn't that a lovely scene? Brother and sister, reunited! It's so beautiful and happy; it makes me want to destroy something!
Narrowing his eyes, Hiei tightened his grip on his sister and shouted out, "Where are you Orcus? Why are you still here? Everything is complete-you should be gone!"
Well, yes. But thanks to the blood you spilt, it has let me stay.
Kuso! He is still here because of me. "I am glad, then."
Oh?
"Yes, because I will have my revenge! You will die by my hand for all the pain you caused me and the others. Come out and let us fight!"
Is that a challenge? Very well, I accept. You cannot defeat me because your so-called 'friends' are a weakness- they keep you from showing your true power!
"We'll see about that, kisama." Hiei spat, pulling out his sword and pushing Yukina into Kuwabara's arms. I will kill the carrot-head later. Now, I must focus on Orcus.
A dark space appeared a few feet in front of Hiei. Slowly, a person began to emerge from the darkness. When the figure was fully emerged, Hiei and the others finally saw the true face of the Vardoulacha. He did not look like the one Yusuke fought. He did not look even remotely like an evil being. A tall and exceptionally handsome man stood in shimmering raiment, with a full head of dark hair and piercing forest-green eyes. A smirk adorned a full mouth and milky white skin covered a lean yet muscled body. Long slender hands showed calluses, as proof of handling a weapon and his [Orcus's] clothes were light and loose, leaving room for fast movement. Orcus was the perfect image of a fighter and Hiei knew that the following fight was going to be long and difficult.
"Like what you see, Hiei?" Orcus asked, walking closer towards the smaller fighter.
"Are you here to fight or are you here to talk? I don't have time for small talk." Hiei shot back, eyes flaring.
"Hiei, you're not fighting him alone and I don't care what you have to say about that, we're helping." Yusuke said, walking up to Hiei with Kuwabara and Kurama at his side.
Hiei regarded the three with cold eyes. "Fine, do what you want but if don't get in my way."
Yusuke grinned, "No problems there. Just make sure you don't trip us!" Hiei snarled.
"Well, four against one? What unfair odds. No matter. I can defeat you all while sitting in a chair." Orcus said, delicately shrugging his shoulders.
"We'll see about that." With that said, Hiei disappeared, only to reappear behind Orcus his sword already an inch away from the Vardoulacha's head. With a speed rivaling that of Hiei's, Orcus moved out of the way and kicked up.
"I don't think so!" Kurama snarled as he wrapped his Rose Whip around Orcus's leg and pulled. Yusuke was there to catch Orcus with a powerful punch, knocking him [Orcus] several meters away. Kuwabara followed up with a powerful cut, right across Orcus's chest with his Spirit Sword. Backing Kuwabara up was Hiei with his own sword, which he stabbed right through Orcus's chest seven times.
Orcus collapsed in front of Hiei's feet, his blood quickly forming a large pool around him. Hiei narrowed his eyes. That was too easy. Raising his sword again, Hiei attempted to slice off Orcus's head. His [Hiei's] eyes widened when Orcus suddenly disappeared, only to feel him [Orcus] appear behind him. Turning around, Hiei was too late when Orcus sent a powerful blast of energy through Hiei's body, up close and powerful. Hiei was sent across the room, slamming into the wall. This time however, was different. Unlike the mind shattering pain Hiei experienced the last time Orcus threw him into the wall, all he felt was the pain equal to Mukuro throwing him into the wall. The pain was very much different. Hiei wondered why this was so. Suddenly, it came to him. The Chalice was completed. Before, it hadn't been so Orcus had been so much stronger. Now, that the Chalice was whole again, Orcus's power had to be cut in half, or even more. Hiei smiled coldly.
"Why are you smiling? As you can see, I am unhurt from all your deadly attacks." Orcus said, gesturing to himself. It was true, there was no blood, no holes, and no nothing to be found on his body.
"It's simple, you fool. I'm not stupid, unlike the carrot-topped ningen over there. The Chalice is completed. Your power, your strength has been severely lessened. You may have nine lives, like a cat, but eventually, you'll only have one and then none. You cannot win." Hiei said coldly, his power slowly beginning to show around him.
Orcus stiffened slightly but then relaxed. "That may be so, but I still have the strength to defeat you and your petty friends. I think I'll start with them!" In a flash, he appeared right next to Botan, his hand raised, deadly nails ready to plunge through her throat.
"No!" Keiko screamed, before slamming all her weight into Orcus's side, effectively thwarting his attack.
"Keiko!" Yusuke yelled, before moving at a speed he would never be able to reach once again. "Rei gun!" Orcus was blasted away from Keiko but not before, seriously injuring the girl. "Keiko! You bastard, you'll pay!" Tears in his eyes, hatred radiating from every pore on his body, Yusuke ran full tilt at Orcus, attacking him with a flurry of punches and kicks. Kuwabara and Kurama both were by Yusuke's sides in seconds, they too attacking Orcus with everything they had. Anger and hatred were written over the features and deeply ingrained within their hearts. They would kill Orcus for harming Keiko and Hiei.
"Die you bastard!" Yusuke shouted, firing his rei gun point blank into Orcus's chest. A whole section of his [Orcus's] body disappeared but a dark misshapen thing appeared to replace the missing section. Kurama's eyes widened.
"You're not invincible after all, are you." A cold cutting voice cut across the void, neatly preventing Kurama from saying the exact same things. "Any attack born from reiki will hurt you, and badly. No wonder there was a dark spot in place of the skin from which Kuwabara had sliced off. You may be able to replace whatever you lose, but the lost appendages are useless."
Orcus snarled and with a powerful burst of energy, forced Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama away from him. Claws extended, Orcus ran flat out towards Hiei, murderous intent clear in his actions. As silent as ever, Hiei's form blurred as he [Hiei] rushed forward to meet the attack head on. Sparks flew as sword and claws clashed.
"Your sword is but metal! It cannot do me harm!"
"Hn. This is no ordinary metal. My sword was forged in the depths of the Makai – this sword can and will hurt you. My own energy was imbedded deep within this sword when it was made, therefore doubling the pain you will feel. If you haven't noticed, the area I stabbed you in is nothing but darkness."
No more words were exchanged as the two fought each other with heated intensity. Ignoring everything around them, the two became interlocked in mortal combat, letting no one in and no one out. One of them was going to die or they would never stop fighting.
"Argh! Damn it all to hell! I can't get a shot in!" Yusuke shouted angrily, his hands clenching into fists.
"I know. As much as I want to get a shot at Orcus, this is not our fight. It never was. This was always between the Vardoulacha and the Chalice. Or in other words, Orcus and Hiei." Kurama said, green eyes narrowed.
"But he hurt Keiko! Doesn't that make this our fight as well?" Kuwabara asked, his sword glowing brightly.
"Yes, he hurt Keiko, but no, that doesn't make it our fight. I don't know how to explain. But, remember this- Orcus is the Vardoulacha and Hiei is the Chalice. If we were to fight Orcus, we could never kill him because we are just two half-demons and one human. Hiei, on the other hand, is a human, a demon, and an ethereal being. Orcus is an ethereal being as well, and I suspect, some demon blood lies within him. Only an ethereal being can hurt another ethereal being- like how only a diamond can cut another diamond. By ethereal, I mean celestial. Not dainty or airy." Kurama said, never glancing away from the battle.
"Still! I wish we could get some hits in!" Yusuke grounded out.
"We already have, Urameshi. When you blew out that whole section of Orcus, I made the slice across his chest, and when Kurama nicely cut his leg." Kuwabara said. Kurama and Yusuke were surprised. Kuwabara didn't usually point things out for them. Before they could say anything, if anything was to be said, an explosion sounded in front of them.
Hiei and Orcus continued to fight each other, both sporting injuries. Hiei had a deep wound on his arm and his face was bruised but Orcus was much worse. Parts of his body were truly gone, there was no darkness to replace anything, he had lost large amounts of blood, and his right arm was useless.
Hiei smiled grimly, he was winning the battle but there was still a long way to go. No matter how injured he was, Orcus still had enough stamina to last awhile. Parrying a blow, Hiei dodged yet another kick and rammed his knee directly into Orcus's solar plexus. Orcus reflexively bent over, but was met with yet another knee to the face and one directly to his groin.
"Mmph!" Orcus gasped out, pain shooting through his entire body. Yusuke and the other watching males actually winced – that had to have hurt. Hiei looked like he could care less, actually. He looked almost – happy. Fast as lightening, Hiei slammed his sword right through his opponent's sternum and yanked downwards, cutting through intestines and a stomach. A large red spot bloomed outwards as the Vardoulacha was cut neatly in half, beginning in his chest. Gray eyes opened wide as he felt his body being painfully split apart. Somewhere off to the side, Orcus heard the sounds of someone retching but he was too caught up in the fact that Hiei hadn't split him completely apart, which would ultimately kill him.
"…Why…" A strangled gasp wrenched itself out of Orcus's ruined larynx.
"Simple. I want you to hurt like I hurt. You see, when I was running through the forest, trapped by my own fear, I could not remember what happened to me. Now I remember. I remember the pain, the torture you put me through. You were the one who forced the Chalice to shatter. You were the one who put the first crack in the otherwise complete Chalice. Back then, I did not know because I was not supposed to know. But you knew and you found and captured me. Did you honestly think I would not remember what you did to me? You are a fool to think so." Hiei said coolly, regarding his handiwork with calm ruby eyes.
"You…aren't…sup-"
"I'm not supposed to remember, is that it?" Hiei interrupted glaring coldly at him. "Please. I am The Crystal Chalice. Any mind block you put on me or I created myself will disappear once I am whole again. You, as the Vardoulacha, should have known this. We are celestial beings, are we not? You will not die unless I say so. But because I am not you, I will not torture you until your mind is ready to snap and you are on your last thread of life."
"Then why…"
"I will not do any of those things, but I will give you a taste of my pain and terror. That is what you feel right now, isn't it? Pain, terror…you will know what those two words mean by the time I am through with you."
Kurama watched, worried, as Hiei displayed a side that was rarely seen. He [Kurama] was more than worried. He was…scared. Scared of what Hiei had become.
"Hiei…This isn't like you" Kurama hesitantly said, his quiet voice reaching Hiei's ears.
"Yes it is. You know it is."
"Well, this side, it's a part of you, but you rarely indulge in this side! Hiei, don't torture him!"
"Why shouldn't I? He tortured me, made me afraid, made me weak, and he was the one who started this chain of events. I have all the right in the world to do with him as I will. I already said that I would not torture him as badly as he did me and that is letting him off easily. He deserves worse."
"Just torture me then. Mm…You know I cannot win in my current condition." Orcus said.
Hiei turned to look sharply at him, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. Inwardly, Orcus swore. He had made a mistake. Now, Hiei would know that he [Orcus] was healing himself.
"So, you're healing yourself. No matter. You will die eventually." Hiei said casually, as if he didn't care.
"You are the one who will die. You and I, we were always meant to fight in this way. I knew since I was a child, it was a feeling I had for all eternity."
"I don't care. It matters not what you had felt since you were a child."
"Hiei, why are you doing this? Can't you just give him a quick death?" Yusuke tried, worry growing in his eyes. It seemed as though Hiei was still insane, although Insanity itself was dead and gone. "Hiei, please! Just kill him and get it over with!"
"Why should I, Urameshi? Have you ever been reduced to a terrified weakling? Has your mind ever been shattered?" Hiei asked, sharply, not glancing at his friend.
"Yes! I have been reduced to a terrified weakling. Toguro, remember? I may not have my mind shattered, but it certainly felt like it. Toguro…he scared, no, terrified me so much. No matter what I threw at him, he never flinched. He wasn't even deterred! So yes, I do know how it feels to be reduced to a terrified weakling. And to Toguro, I was a weakling! I didn't even have to be scared to be degraded like that!"
Hiei turned to look at Yusuke, eyes wide. He had forgotten. For some reason, he had forgotten all that he and his friends had gone through. All he could think about was what Orcus did to him. Everything else was blank. He had been blinded by revenge, by fear.
Yes fear…I'm still afraid of Orcus! I-I will never be unafraid of him because he is the first to have nearly broken me like this. This is not like me, at all. If I continue what I was planning to do, I'd be stooping down to his [Orcus] level. That can't happen. I am not like him. I will not be like him!
Turning his gaze back at Orcus, he was startled to notice that the Vardoulacha was gone. Where is he?!
"Behind you!" Orcus shouted, raking his nails down Hiei's back. Pain flared up but Hiei refused to let it consume him. Instead, he turned around at slashed his sword diagonally. Metal met claws and the two were interlocked with each other, leaving Orcus and Hiei to glare into each other's eyes.
A smirk slowly appeared on Orcus's face and he leaned close to Hiei, whispering "My claws are tipped with poison. How long can your body withstand it?"
Hiei unflinchingly met Orcus's eyes hissing, "Beyond your death!"
"We'll see about that, love." Orcus grinned, and in one swift movement licked Hiei's cheek.
Eyes wide, Hiei drew back, shocked. Disgust and fear flitted across his features, before hardening into a stony mask. "Is that all you have? That is truly pathetic. Resorting to sexual gestures to make your enemy lose focus. Is that your plan? If so, I might as well tell you ahead of time- your plan will not work."
Smiling, Orcus lazily licked his lips and said, "Oh really now. Your reaction was quite amusing. I believe my tactics will work. I highly doubt you've ever been kissed or touched in any intimate manner. By the way-you taste quite delicious. Exotic, really."
Furious, Hiei attacked Orcus once again, only to have his blow deflected and to be captured within a far too intimate embrace.
"Release me at once, fool!"
"I think not. You feel so right within my arms!"
"Let. Him. GO!" A green whip suddenly came out of nowhere, wrapping itself around the Vardoulacha's throat, and tightening. Blood began to trickle down as Orcus was forced to release Hiei in order to free himself from the deadly noose.
Burning green eyes shifted to golden as Kurama became Youko Kurama, "How dare you! You have no right touching Hiei or any of us! You have tried, tested and snapped the limits of my patience. Before, I was against the harsh treatment Hiei planned to use against you, but now, I believe that it is the best way for you to die."
"Stay out of this, fox! This is my battle!" Hiei snapped, glaring at Kurama. What the hell is he thinking?!
"No. This is my battle as well. I may not be able to kill him, but I can help. Don't even bother trying to dissuade me."
"Baka! Fine. If you get yourself killed, it'll be your stupidity that gets you killed."
"I doubt I'll die."
"If the fox wants to die by my hand, let it be. It will be nice to get my revenge on him as well. Ready, youko?"
"Not quite! We can't let you three have all the fun, can we? Orcus, you hurt my friends, so I'm going to help bring you down!" Yusuke cut in, grinning widely. Hiei snarled impatiently.
"Urameshi is right! There is no way I'll let you die without me bringing you down as well. Screw this being a battle between two ethereals or whatever! This is my battle too, no matter what!" Kuwabara shouted, powering up his Spirit Sword.
"Fine, you fools. Do what you will. Try not to die." Hiei snapped, turning his head away from his friends.
"Don't worry, we won't die. You'd better not die either-we went through too much for you to die on us now!" Yusuke said, patting Hiei on the head.
"Don't touch me!"
"If you four are quite finished, I'd like to continue my revenge." Orcus drawled, yawning.
"Don't worry- you are the one who will be 'quite finished'." Orcus whirled around when he heard a silky voice whisper straight into his ears. Turning around, gray eyes met gold and he felt something being planted into his stomach.
"No!" Orcus frantically reached for the seed, but he was betrayed by his own body. The wound had already closed up around the seed. "What did you do?!"
Kurama smiled a smile which sent shivers down Orcus's spine. "Nothing much, I merely planted a seed in your body."
"You know what I meant, bastard!" Claws rose to strike the youko in front of him [Orcus] but were prevented from doing any damage by a glowing orange sword.
"Don't try that again, Vardoulacha. The seed I planted inside your body will grow, but slowly so we have time to fight some more. It will take from 5 minutes to a whole hour. Even I don't know the exact moment when you will die. However, if you manage to kill us before time is up, the seed will die. Remember though, the seed is continually growing within you. It will wrap its roots and stems around your organs, squeezing, piercing, etc. So kill us if you can." Kurama said coolly, looking at Orcus's enraged face.
"You are going down!" Orcus shouted attacking with more ferocity, strength, and agility.
"Keiko, are you okay?" Yukina asked, as she finally finished healing the other girl.
Moaning slightly, Keiko shakily pushed herself up into a kneeling position, half expecting pain to come shooting through her body. None came. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Yukina. You probably saved my life."
"I'm just glad you're alright." Yukina gave one last sweet smile before turning to watch the battle, eyes following Hiei's every movement.
"He'll be okay. He always pulls through and he's never lost a single battle. Well, except when he had to fight against Yusuke and Kurama in the warehouse when Keiko was in trouble." Koenma lightly said, putting his hand on the small koorime's shoulder.
"Yes, but what about the scratches on his back? Those too were made from Orcus and they don't look like they're healing." Yukina said, watching blood slowly leak out from the wounds.
"He'll be okay. I know he will be. Even if poison is coursing through his body right now, Hiei won't give up, won't let up, and won't stop fighting until Orcus is dead. He won't die." Shizuru said matter-of-factly.
"How can you be so sure? Those wounds do look terribly deep." Botan said, frowning.
"I just know, it's like this feeling I have. I can't really explain." Botan looked confused, but didn't press the matter.
"Kami-sama! Who in the nine hells is winning?!" Keiko suddenly burst out, stressed.
"Keiko! Since when do you swear like that? Besides, it's kind of hard to tell, wouldn't you say? I mean, look at them. The odds might be against Orcus, but he's holding up pretty well. I'm impressed, to say the least. Not many would be able to hold out this long against the four boys. All of them [Y, K, K, H] are quite powerful, to say the least." Koenma said thoughtfully. "Orcus must be very powerful then."
"Hopefully, not too powerful that he can't be defeated. Look at him! He's fighting better than before!" Keiko said, gesturing towards the celestial being.
"That's true. What makes this worse is that he's a celestial being/ethereal. That makes him pretty much a god." Koenma added.
"You mean a demon celestial. Orcus…he's too dark to be heavenly, divine, whatever. He's like Lucifer or a dark god." Shizuru corrected.
"You could say that. We're lucky we have Hiei on our side. Don't forget that he's an ethereal/celestial being as well. Thankfully, on the light side." Botan reminded them.
"Yeah. He may act all dark and broody and he may have some powers of darkness, but he belongs to the light. Hey, Yukina…you wouldn't happen to be a celestial, would you?" Shizuru asked, looking at the blue-haired girl.
"No. Remember what Insanity told us? We are related, but only in demon and human side. I think more of the human side or maybe demon. I'm not sure about this. The Chalice belongs only to him. I don't have one. I think he is the Chalice because he is also the Forbidden one. I don't really know. Sorry." Yukina said, lowering her eyes.
"That's okay, Yukina. Don't worry about it." Shizuru murmured.
"Do you, do you think they'll win?"
"Yeah. Definitely. They have the strength and the spirit. They've also got each other. I think that alone, Hiei most likely stands a chance, but all four of them together…then they don't only stand a chance, but they will win."
"My, Shizuru! You sure have a lot of faith in those boys." Botan stated, grinning.
"I have to. -- My brother is one of them."
"Ehh….okay!" Botan shrugged, not really understanding but not really caring either.
Sweat and blood flew as flesh met metal or claws. The fight wasn't waning at all. In fact, it was becoming more intense, more ferocious, and more dangerous. Harsh pants of breath escaped through bloodied lips as beads of sweat rolled down planes of flushed skin. Heat emanated from their bodies as muscles worked smoothly in unison.
Orcus winced in pain as his left arm was severely jolted, causing agonizing pain to race through his body, bringing more beads of sweat to his face.
Flashback
"You'll never defeat me. No one has for thousands of years. I am the oldest celestial there is. What hope do you have?" Orcus hissed, blocking yet another punch.
"You moron. You may have been around for thousands of years, but I have been around since the dawn of time. I am the Crystal Chalice. Or have you forgotten with your senility?" Hiei jeered, slashing down and then across, successfully wounding Orcus.
"You are naught but a new invention. You have never been done before. There were always hosts, never the Chalice itself as a being. So excuse me if I find your claims to be of no importance."
"I may have had hosts, but I know myself very well. I'm also a youkai, and a strong one at that. I have lived for a long time, long enough to become acquainted with myself."
"Yes, but you still hate yourself because of your birth, ne? You, the Forbidden Child, forbidden because of what and who you are. A male koorime who controls not the element of ice, but of fire. You hate yourself because you were thrown off your birthplace and left to fend for yourself since you were but a babe. Tell me, how do you expect to defeat me with all those insecurities?"
"Because he has us! He may not admit it out loud, but we do loud and clear. We admit that we're his friends and we care about him. Sure, I may complain that he's annoying and Kuwabara will continue to tease and pick fights with Hiei, but we will never turn our backs on him. I also know he will not turn his back on us. He had a chance to get rid of all three of us, when we first worked together, but he didn't. He flipped the switch and saved us from death by being flattened by a stone ceiling. He was also reluctantly willing to go save Kuwabara when he was in trouble with Byakko. If I were to leave Hiei to die alone, I would never forgive myself and I know the others agree with me." Yusuke growled, accentuating his speech with a firm right uppercut to Orcus's jaw.
"I was and still am on parole, Yusuke, or have you forgotten?" Hiei snarled, forcing himself to keep from hitting Yusuke.
"Yeah, well, still! I know you're a good person and would never turn you back on us, so there."
"Hn."
"Touching, really, but that won't help you defeat me." Orcus said, bemused.
"Oh really?" Without warning, Hiei's form blurred and the next thing Orcus felt was his left arm breaking. "I think this will serve as a nice painful warning, don't you?" Hiei, in three quick movements, broke Orcus's arm in three places. Pain like never before shot through Orcus, blinding him momentarily.
"Augh!" Refusing to stumble, Orcus belatedly raised his arm to block yet another attack.
"Sorry, too late." Youko Kurama said before cutting a fine line across Orcus's throat. This time, the wound did not heal and darkness did not appear. Instead, a fine red trickle started to slide down taut skin. "Don't forget you're running out of time. 20 minutes have passed, you know. Time's running up."
"How does it feel to be nearing death? Your wounds can no longer heal by themselves. You also have a broken arm, a large handicap, don't you think?" Hiei calmly said before viciously slamming the hilt of his sword onto the broken appendage.
"AHHHH!" Orcus screamed in pain. He had never broken any part of his body in his entire life. For him to have a broken arm in the middle of such an important battle and to have his arm broken so horribly was agonizing.
End flashback
Grimacing, Orcus tried vainly to hold his arm in place while continuing to fight an onslaught of ruthless attack, but it was impossible. Kuwabara was moving faster than he had ever moved before, therefore getting plenty of hits in. Youko Kurama was actually toying with him [Orcus] and seemed to take perverse pleasure in attacking his broken arm. Yusuke was demonstrating his prowess with martial arts and Orcus was hard pressed to block/deflect every single blow. Hiei himself was bent on causing Orcus pain in every part of his body. He [Hiei] had even kneed him.
"How does it feel, bastard?! How does it feel to be in agony, with no way to heal you?! Does it feel good?! Does it?!" Hiei shouted, breaking several ribs with a vicious kick. "How does it feel to LOSE?!"
Orcus gritted his teeth as he summoned more ki, choosing to ignore his one-time victim. He could not believe he was losing. It wasn't supposed to happen! He had been so sure that he would emerge the victor. He [Orcus] knew that if he continued fighting the four detectives head on, he would surely lose. And there was the plant imbedded in his body to remember. He could feel it growing inside of him. It was not a pleasant feeling. But what could he do?
"I hope you're enjoying yourself, Vardoulacha! 'Cause you're about to go down!" Kuwabara shouted, grinning as he brought down his sword.
"Oh, I'm enjoying myself, but I'll enjoy myself more with my next move!" Orcus grinned at them, eyes sparkling. He had just remembered about the others, the four girls and the prince of the dead or something. They were vulnerable, helpless.
"Please, nothing you try will work against us. Admit it, you've lost." Youko Kurama said derisively.
"Maybe, but when I die, I'm taking your friends with me!" Using his unearthly speed, he appeared behind the unsuspecting group [Keiko and co.] and fired off a large, powerful, and deadly ball of ki. Hiei watched in fear as he saw his sister and the others freeze in terror when they saw and mimicked Shizuru when she [Shizuru] spun around to face the attack.
"NO!" Yusuke shouted, running towards his other friends. Golden eyes widening at the impeding danger, Youko Kurama threw out his Rose Whip, in hopes of reaching his friends before disaster struck. Kuwabara was shouting curses as he too ran towards his loved ones. He [Kuwabara] couldn't let any of them die. If he did, he would never be able to continuing living. Even if it was the last thing he would do, he was going to save his sister, his love, his boss, and his friends.
Watching in earnest, the four girls and one prince waited for the outcome. It was obvious that Orcus was losing, but they knew that Orcus would not fall that easily. But what would the Vardoulacha do? It couldn't be something good.
Shizuru, tensed, feeling something terrible was going to happen. Her senses were proved correct when Orcus suddenly disappeared from the fight. Where is he?! Shizuru thought, but before she could even finish that though, she felt his presence behind her. Kuso! Shizuru whirled around in terror, seeing naught but a large dark purple ball of pure energy racing straight towards her. Although she knew Keiko, Botan, Yukina, and Koenma were in trouble, she couldn't will herself to move. Never had she been this close to death – it was scaring the hell out of her.
Koenma whirled around at the same time as Shizuru as he too felt the menacing presence. Although he [Koenma] was quite powerful to begin with, when faced with certain death, even the prince of the dead can freeze in terror. His mind, normally busy with random thoughts, was blank; nothing was registering except pure unadulterated terror. For the first time in his life, he finally felt what his four detectives felt at some point in their lives.
When Botan saw the large bright ball, she didn't know what to think or say. For as long as she [Botan] could remember, she always had something to say about any situation. But this? She had absolutely nothing go on up in her mind or any other part of her body except for her sweat glands. Cold sweat had broken out across all over her body when she saw and recognized the bright ball for what it was. Even when facing Hiei when he was angry was no comparison to this event. If I get out of this alive, I swear I'll never do anything bad again! Botan thought to Kami-sama as she finally managed to close her eyes. Just get me out of this predicament!
Yukina was frozen to say the least. Terror was evident in her eyes and her face but somehow, she managed to elicit a scream. Memories of her captivity and being forced to produce tear gems flashed through her minds' eye. Death of birds and the long and lonely search for her missing brother was rudely and forcefully shoved to her mind as she too faced the ki ball. She [Yukina] did not want to die. Not like this, not right after discovering who her brother was. After finding new friends, family, and her brother, she had wanted to live a long life afterwards. She wanted to talk to her brother, connect with him and learn how his life was like. She also wanted to learn more of this "marriage" Kuwabara had told her about. It sounded very interesting. How was she going to do all of those things if she wasn't going to live much longer? Although knowing she had to do something, her mind came up blank. She didn't know what to do. All she could hope for was a miracle. Please…I don't want to die. I want to live longer with my brother…please, don't let it end like this!
Hiei was shocked and furious. For the briefest moment, he couldn't move. He was dimly aware of Kurama reacting, as well as Kuwabara and Yusuke, but he did nothing. He was just…frozen. It was as if he was trapped in a thick fog of some sort, unable to move, speak, or even think. It felt like he was trapped there for eternity until he heard Yukina, his sister, scream. That was what finally broke his trance. With a snarl on his face, Hiei ran. He ran right pass Yusuke and his anguished shouting, Kuwabara with his upraised sword, and Kurama with his shocked golden eyes and futile attempt with his Rose Whip. He [Hiei] ran past Shizuru, Koenma, Keiko, and Botan. He ran past all of them, ignoring their stunned states. With an extra burst of speed, he ran until he appeared directly in front of Yukina, forever protecting her from harm. With cold red eyes and movements so fast no one could see them [his movements], Hiei ripped off the ward around his right arm and unleashed his most powerful attack without a second thought.
"DRAGON OF THE DARKNESS FLAME!"
Schizo13: OK! Chapter 6 is done! Now to wait several months for chapter 7! I'm sure you're all ready for the wait.
-whispers- I don't know what's going to happen next!
Shadow: You are truly sad.
Schizo13: -sob- I know! Wah! OH! Idea! Here, please answer in you review, and PLEASE REVIEW!
Should Orcus die from that attack?
A: Yes, KILL THE BASTARD!
B: No, he's cool!
Should Hiei die?
A: Yes
B: IF YOU KILL HIM I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!!!
Anyone else you want dead/alive?
-insert answer-
Schizo13: Okie dokie! So please answer! Otherwise I'll just create some random happening and this random happening will NOT coincide with the story.
PLEASE REVIEW MY STORY!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!!!
7.4.04