Pt5
Miya slipped into her fighting clothes and checked to ensure that her illusion was still strong. It wouldn't do to have her breasts to suddenly appear in the middle of her match. Not even Ryoutou would be left alive if someone decided to tell Hiei. She headed out to the arena as usual. Half an hour later Ryoutou wasn't there.
"Darn it Ryoutou, where the heck are you?"
"He's otherwise occupied. He's agreed to allow me to take over today's lesson. You'll resume normal classes tomorrow." Miya didn't need to turn around to know that one of her worst fears had just come through. Hiei stood on the edge of the arena. "So far Ryoutou has been teaching you to use your powers to assist you in a sword fight. Today we will battle using energy attacks only. I'm assuming you know how to control ki?"
"Yes my lord."
"Good. This won't exactly be a battle, more of a demonstration. I want to see just what you can do." Miya nodded and took position.
Hiei threw a punch, using a little his of his energy for added force. Miya was smarter than he thought: instead of trying to block the punch, she dodged it. If it had landed it would have probably broken her arm seeing as though she still hadn't figured out how to use her energy as a shield to protect her body. As it was, Hiei hit the floor, causing a crater-like crack to form. She retaliated with a punch of her own, purposely missing him. When her fist collided with the wall a brilliant light emanated from it and momentarily blinded Hiei. Her fist landed in his stomach and, reacting quickly, he grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back. Her free elbow landed in his stomach, forcing him to let go. A split second later Hiei answered with a sharp kick to her spine, sending her tumbling across the arena. She did a hand spring and landed on her feet. Hiei ran at her, his attack was cut short by a flower bud that Miya threw at him. It exploded in mid-air, scattering pollen everywhere.
Miya took the opportunity to quickly trace a pattern on the arena floor. She calculated the invisible lines in her mind and mentally focused her energy on the design that she had traced on the arena floor. Plants grew up instantly, forming a hedge. By the time Hiei's vision had cleared they towered over both fighters. He spun around, wondering what the kitsune was planning.
"What the…" Vines ran out of a huge crack and wove around Miya's waist. Suddenly the vines started pulling her into the ground. "Dammit!" He ran towards her and before he could summon the dragon of darkness flame she yelled "Thorn Shower!" Hiei was hit with thousands of small thorns that launched from the plants. He crouched defensively, covering his face as small scratches appeared all over his skin. There were too many to dodge!
The barrage soon stopped but by then Miya had disappeared completely. Hiei ran forward and was greeted with a split pathway. Then it dawned on him.
"Damn! It's a maze!" He chose left and almost as soon as he had passed through the path behind him closed.
Hiei could never be sure where she would attack from next. She would just suddenly appear in the part of the wall behind him and launch an attack, then vanish just as suddenly. The kitsune's shadow was always in front of him, just around the next bend. The plant walls seemed to extend upwards forever and it was covered in a very sticky substance. He couldn't climb it, jump over it or even burn it. It continually repaired itself. He was pretty sure that the pattern of the maze kept changing as well.
He rounded one corner and faced a dead end. The path behind him disappeared, covered with plants, forming a small plant-prison. In the middle of this another plant grew, this one reminiscent of the legendary hydra. Its waving tentacles burnt through the edge of his shirt by just brushing against the fabric. Hiei backed away, trying to put as much distance between himself and the plant as possible, ever conscious of the glue-like coating of the wall behind him. The plant kept growing; almost all the space was taken up.
Hiei looked upwards and slowly wondered how the kitsune could possibly be able to grow those plants so tall and still have enough energy left to grow this type of fire plant. He remembered Kurama telling him that the fire-plants are the hardest and most energy consuming plants but they are perfect for destroying an opponent in a small space.
"These things feed off your body heat and multiply it. That's why they can burn through just about anything. You have to constantly be connected to it and it drains you pretty badly. If the opponent survives the death plant then you're in trouble. You'll have very little energy left to defend yourself."
There was just no way she would be able to do both. Then that means that only one of them was real, if either of them were. The fire-plant seemed real enough and Hiei was unwilling to risk it.
He jumped, propelling himself through the topmost part of the vine. It melted away as he touched it.
An illusion! The entire top of the plant is an illusion! From above he could see that the plants were only about four feet tall. He landed in the centre of the maze. There Miya stood with tiny vines running from her fingers, almost looking like puppet strings.
Hiei concentrated and the ground in front of him cracked. A huge boulder levitated. Miya's eyes opened in shock as Hiei hurled the boulder at her. Hiei focused, ready to change its course if he believed she wouldn't be able to handle it.
His jaw dropped as Miya crouched to the ground, covering her head, and her hair flared out behind her. Gold light formed a circle around her and as the rock entered the circle it disintegrated into dust. He used the dust cover to advance and he attacked with fire. The flame caught her upper arm and the stench of burning flesh filled the air. She was thrown against the arena barrier and blood ran from her skull. She was a little lightheaded but was able to pull herself together long enough to smother it. Even then her illusion hiding her feminine body held. She got up on one knee, clutching her arm in pain, to find Hiei's claws an inch from her neck.
Hiei reached down and pulled her up by her good arm. "Go and get that looked at." Confused, she let him help her up. She watched him walk away then, a little dizzy, headed to her room.
Miya looked up as Ryoutou entered the fighters' infirmary. She sat up and winced, unable to protest when Yaku, the fighter's self-proclaimed nurse pushed her back down onto the bed.
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"How ya holding up kid?"
"Pretty good, well except for the part where my shoulder burst into flames." The neko nodded.
"Still sarcastic, you'll be fine. Lucky for you I taught you how to concentrate on healing yourself. Lord Hiei went easy on you."
"So you saw?"
"Of course idiot!" Yaku interjected. "Everybody saw. It was pretty hard to miss the fireworks. I mean a big old cloud hung over the arena all afternoon. It's the longest anyone's lasted against Lord Hiei, even though he wasn't even at full power. What I'd like to know is…"
"I'm sure there are a lot of stuff you'd like to know Yaku but if you could just leave us alone for a few minutes, that would be great." Yaku stuck her tongue out at the hanyou and flounced off. Ryoutou turned back to Miya. "What am I going to do with you kid?"
"Hey! What did I do?"
"Using plants to transport you to a different part of the arena, creating mazes, growing fire-breathing plants, turning solid rock to dust…you've never fought like that against me. This is like a whole new level for you kid. Why the heck didn't you use 'em before?"
"In case you haven't noticed A: before all my injuries were minor before now. I don't seem to be any better for it.
"B: I was covering my head when the rock disintegrated. If Yaku hadn't told me about it I would have no idea that it even happened.
And C: I have no clue how to do most of the stuff I did today. Sure I can grow plants but I've never – I repeat – never even seen a fire-plant. And the whole illusion to make the hedges look taller, well I've never put an illusion over anything other than myself in my life. The rock thing is just weird; unlike the others I can't even begin to imagine how I pulled that one off. Either instinct kicked in or I've got some heluva guardian."
Ryoutou was shocked.
"You weren't aware you had this ability?" Miya shook her head. "Then I'm afraid to suggest this but…" Miya looked up.
"But…?"
Ryoutou sighed.
"I'm afraid I can't teach you anymore. Your ability far exceeds my own. Lord Hiei may just have to…"
"Don't even think of finishing that!" Ryoutou eyed her seriously.
"Don't try to fool an old cat Kirai. You cannot convince me that you did not feel a thrill when you thought who were about to defeat Lord Hiei. Don't try to tell me that you didn't feel the blood rush through your veins as you went blow for blow with him. You love it, you love the fight. There are people who can never be satisfied unless they are on the battleground. The immortal fighters' spirit is in your eyes. You want to be the best and I cannot help you anymore than I already have. Surely you understand that kid." Miya refused to meet his gaze, knowing that what he said was true.
"I am a fighter. I have to do whatever it takes to become stronger."
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Miya sat in the stables, stroking Set-shou and Akai, her two favorite horses.
"Is it that I'm so scared of him Akai? Am I only reluctant because I fear Lord Hiei?"
"I thought warriors don't get scared." Miya looked up at Yukina standing in the doorway.
"They don't, but I'm not a warrior, I'm just a fighter. I'd need to make a name for myself before I can be called a warrior. Right now I'm terrified." Yukina jumped up and sat beside the kitsune.
"I came to congratulate you. You're the talk of the castle."
"Thanks."
"What's wrong?"
"My sensei…he wants me to train with Lord Hiei permanently. I don't think I can do it." Yukina put her arm on Miya's shoulder.
"If anyone can, it would be you Kirai." They shared a smile.
"I really needed to hear that."
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The next morning quite early Miya was shaken out of bed and told that Lord Hiei wanted her to meet him on the gazebo in the garden.
"There's a garden here?" The aggravated servant practically dragged her inside the castle.
"You've never been inside before?" Miya shook her head, which annoyed the servant even more. He brought her to a room which Miya rightly guessed was in the center of the castle. Inside sunlight poured through the domed glass roof. Hiei sat in the gazebo. He looked heavenly sitting there. He noticed her standing there and smirked.
"Did I wake you up little Kirai?" She stifled the temptation to ask what it looked like. Instead she replied,
"I am told that early rising is healthy." Hiei nodded.
"Good answer, if you said no you'd be lying and if you said yes I'd be well within my rights to punish you." He indicated to the seat beside him. She sat down, acutely aware of their nearness. "Here," he handed her a rather large perfectly circular bead, "you will not be able to train today so I want you to practice focusing your energy. I was informed that you did not consciously create the illusion." She took the bead. "Now I want you to allow it to float in mid-air."
That was simple enough, as was projecting lights of different colors into it. It spun above her palm, swirling colors dancing on the white lattice work of the gazebo.
"Now I want you to display a picture through it. Use it to amplify your thoughts into an illusion." She concentrated on trying to hold a picture but it exploded into a million bits of light.
"I…can't'!"
"Yes you can." Hiei's hand slid under hers. "Concentrate. Make that tree look like a person."
Her head hurt from the tension of trying to maintain two illusions. It felt like something was prodding her to drop the illusion around herself but she shoved it back. Light danced around the tree in no set pattern.
Hiei's other hand snaked around her waist and she didn't notice when he pulled her until her head rested on his shoulder. His hands slid down the lengths of her arms until they reached her fingers. He saw when tears came to her eyes and telepathically prompted her to drop the personal illusion.
Suddenly he felt a blast of power from her and looked up. The tree was gone and in its place stood a tall, serious looking, older woman. Miya's eye's opened and focused on the illusion.
"I…I did it?"
"Yes you did." He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear as he stroked her beautiful hair. "Perfect, Kirai."
It was almost as if calling the name he had given her shoved both of them back to reality.
Miya stiffened and pushed away from him.
"Don't ever touch me again!" she whispered, not meeting his glare. The slap that struck her face seemed to hurt more than any before.
"You forget your place, slave. Get out of my sight." He didn't look at her as she ran across the garden and through the door.