Part 13 – Traitor
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Miya lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. In her mind all the events of the day ran in no order what-so-ever. The confusion swamped her mercilessly, further jumbling her already incoherent state.
"I'll finally get revenge on both Hiei and Jougen! I'll finally be completely free." The mind of Kirai rejoiced.
"Free from guilt?" the part of her that represented Miya asked.
"Guilt or slavery…I choose guilt. I'm sure I'll get over it."
"This will be a slaughter; it isn't right!"
"So? Beating me to unconsciousness is right? I think not. An eye for an eye!"
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. Don't go through with it."
"I can't go back on my word even if I wanted to, which, consequently, I don't!"
"What about Yukina?"
"Yukina?"
"She's Lord Hiei's sister, a lady, royalty. Remember, someone said that they would show them what it was like to have their women violated. She's your friend! You'd actually be able to live with yourself after she's been raped and killed? Oh right, I forgot: you'd get over it!" Miya mocked Kirai. "An eye for an eye, right?"
"I cannot allow that!"
Miya pushed herself up off her bed.
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Silence reigned in the halls when she passed the different doors. Even the usual slaves were absent, preparing for the assault in the morning. She was trapped; there was no right way out of this. Either way she'd be a traitor. But she had promised Yukina to help her. She would never be able to let herself live if she was the one responsible for her friend's death.
Noiselessly she pushed open the door to Hiei's quarters; she couldn't risk anyone hearing her, especially that man from the meeting. She slid inside and closed the door behind her. The parlor was wide and tastefully decorated, carpets so soft she was almost afraid to walk one it. She crossed to Hiei's room and slid into the imposing darkness.
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Hiei felt when someone stealthily entered his room. He tensed, dreadfully displeased at being disturbed. Suddenly he lashed out, grabbing the person and dropping them onto his bed, throwing himself on top of them. The person didn't struggle. Soon Hiei was able to focus on the person's face.
"Kirai!" Though his face remained impassive he was slightly concerned at the tears in the corner of the kitsune's eyes. His hand itched to brush over her face. He had only seen her cry twice before and even now he wished he could comfort her but he couldn't.
His hands moved from a strangle hold around her neck to a feather-gentle brush across her shoulders. "What's the problem?" She took a deep breath and he noticed she didn't look at him directly.
"My lord…the slaves of the different Houses…they…they're planning a rebellion. They'll kill every lord and lady here. They strike before dawn; someone is going to hit the tournament gong when it's time to attack."
Hiei grew cold. Damn!! She had betrayed them to warn him! He slid off her hurriedly and Miya felt a brush against her cheek, as if kissed by the wind before he left the room, moving too fast for her to see.
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"Yukina!" Groggily Yukina opened her eyes when Hiei roughly woke her. She squinted at the light.
"What time is it?"
"That doesn't matter. Get up and get out; you're in danger." That got her attention. She sat bolt upright.
"What should I do?" She knew better than to ask for details. Hiei may be a pain but when it came to her safety he was second only to Kotsu.
"Put on something practical, something you can fight in. Kirai is waiting for you in the parlor; he'll get you to safety. Do what ever he says, no matter what it is." She nodded and jumped out of bed, rushing to get on a pair of pants.
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She had barely shrugged into a shirt when Chi and Yaku burst into the room.
"Lady Yukina! What's going on?"
"I don't know. Hiei said to get out so I'm getting out." They both helped buckle a belt around her waist.
Something was very wrong. Yaku's hands didn't leave her waist. When Yukina turned questioningly she caught sight of the long, jagged knife Yaku had pulled from the layers of her skirt. Chi yelped and Yukina's eyes widened.
"Ya…ku?" Yaku smiled.
"Sorry miss Yukina but I have to, for freedom!" Chi halted in her tracks when Yaku glared at her and pressed the knife against Yukina's stomach.
"Don't be stupid Chi. This has to be done, for freedom." Yaku's eyes widened and clouded over as she dropped the knife and fell to the floor, dead. She lay in her own blood at the feet of a very different Miya.
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I understand now. There's no such thing as a happy ending; only in fairy tales does the light defeat the dark. The light cannot exist without darkness. I have to embrace the darkness, I have to become dark in order for the others to remain light. That's why I had to kill to save Hana and Yukina. This is how fate has written it. My destiny is to kill to protect.
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"Kirai?" Miya ignored Yukina and walked directly over to Chi.
Chi trembled; the kitsune had changed. Her eyes were now a silver shade, her face blank, devoid of feeling, as if cutting down someone you thought was a friend was an everyday experience.
"I'm afraid I must do this." Even her voice was monotonous, empty of emotion. Yukina's slave wanted to scream as the fighters dead-cold hands pressed against her forehead. She jerked slightly when something that felt like electricity ran through her. Miya removed her hand and nodded, satisfied. Chi realized what had happened: the kitsune had scanned her mind to see if she could be trusted.
Miya led the way to the window and threw it open. It was pitch-black out there and the night breeze hit them. Miya reached out and a thick vine grew from the window and disappeared into the dark. Chi went first, testing the strength. She nodded to Yukina who, with a worried glance at Miya, followed.
A tendril wrapped around her waist and she was able to slide all the way down. She passed ground level and continued into a cavern, landing on top of Chi.
"Sorry!" She hurriedly moved off as the hole she just slid through closed to form a roof, trapping them in the cavern. "Chi, is something wrong with Kirai?" Chi nodded empathetically.
"He's dangerous now! Be careful around him miss!" She glanced at the roof. "Although you're probably the safest with him now, judging from the way he's acting."
Yukina winced at the muffled sound of fighting above them. Something had shattered in Miya's mind. Suddenly she realized what was so familiar about her: she had the exact same aura Hiei carried after Kurama and Kuwabara died!
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She was nearly in shock when Hiei had placidly told her that Kuwabara was killed. Koenma couldn't bring him back; they couldn't find his consciousness. It wasn't until later that she found out that Kurama was also killed. No one could find Shinbi and the baby.
Hiei had pushed everyone away from him and Boton felt rejected. She left and didn't come back. Koenma had to train another Shinigami and spirit detective; Yusuke refused to work with him any longer. He hadn't recovered from losing his mother when he lost Kazuma and he knew he'd be unable to control himself if anything happened to Keiko.
Something happened on that day, something no one but Yusuke and Hiei knew about. The hostility between the two was almost tangible; they refused to talk to each other; they went their different ways as if they were trying to put as much distance between them as possible.
Hiei disappeared for a year then one day showed up at Koenma's castle and announced that they were moving to his father's castle. He never mentioned any of the others and Yukina became afraid to ask. He had grown colder towards everyone until Miya came. Then it almost seemed like the light came back into him; he had a purpose now.
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A hole neatly opened up in the roof and the kitsune landed next to them, roof closing behind her. She stepped forward and a tunnel started forming in front of her. She glanced back at them.
"This way," she said, leading the way.
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They traveled in silence, neither lady nor lady's maid wanted to instigate a conversation with the fighter. They were admittedly scared of the kitsune now. Her clothes were bloodstained with the near-red of a hanyou and the ebony-blood of yokai but she wasn't wounded, leaving them to shudder at the thought of just what happened inside that room after they left. This sort of nervous travel went on for who-knew how long; Yukina, grew tired and even Chi, who was quite used to walking for long periods, felt the need to sit down. Though neither even thought about complaining they were immensely relieved when Miya stopped moving.
"Rest here for a while; I need to go back. If you get hungry fruit will grow from the plants that make up the tunnel." Yukina nodded. Miya turned to go back down the tunnel but the lady called out.
"Kirai, wait!" Miya stopped and half turned. Yukina sidled next to her and hugged her. "Thank you," she whispered. Miya stiffened then relaxed slightly.
"I made you a promise, my lady, and on my honor I intend to keep it. And just between us girls I don't care whether Lord Hiei objects." That said she slid into the darkness. Yukina turned to find Chi staring at her with mouth open.
"What?"
"Between US girls!" Yukina sighed and sank to the floor.
"Long story."
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The vines pulled her into the actual wall as she transformed her body into water and passed through the veins from leaf to leaf. Until just then she had no idea she could do that. It was almost as if she had transformed into a fighter that she didn't know, and the worse part about it was that she was finally happy about herself!
Finally the leaf her essence was in grew out into sunlight. As if she had known she could do this her entire life, she pulled herself out of the leaf and she re-formed her body. For a moment or two she felt weightless, then she regained normalcy, mostly.
A rustle sounded behind her and she spun to come face to face with the man who foretold her actions.
"I knew you were a traitor the moment I laid eyes on you!" She remained impassive as he rushed at her, sword drawn. She easily side-stepped his head-long flight and landed a blow in his back. A small smile tugged at the edges of her mouth as a satisfying crunch signified the breaking of his back. His accusing glare focused on her face.
"Whatever he has promised you won't get it, I assure you. He only did it to get you to betray the rest of us then he's gonna kill you!"
"Lord Hiei didn't promise me anything; he wasn't aware of anything until I told him. You see, I didn't actually sell you out, there's a slight difference between betrayed and sold out." His uncomprehending eyes started clouded over.
"But why? Why did you do it?" Miya bent down.
"Because I felt to," she whispered before she broke his neck.
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"Lord Hiei." Hiei spun round, then relaxed when he saw Miya.
"Where is she?"
"Below ground where you first camped after buying me. There's no way for anyone else to find them or to get in and it's impossible for her to get out." Hiei nodded, relieved.
"Good. Now help me get rid of the traitors."
Hiei wasn't sure what reaction he expected her to give to his command but he was more than slightly shocked when she nodded and drew her sword.
It was then, while they fought side-by-side that Hiei realized exactly what was different.
Damn! Koenma was right! She has lost all empathy! He's going to kill me for this.
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She was empty, devoid of any feeling at all. Her conscience didn't even flicker when she cut down fellow slaves. People she knew well or not at all, they were all the same to her.
Hiei was more than slightly nervous, and that was definitely a new feeling for him. That girl was fighting only for Yukina and nothing else. He had no doubt that she wouldn't hesitate to put a sword through his back if it was necessary for his sister's protection. He could sympathize; that was the same way he had tried to protect Shinbi after Kurama gave his life to protect Urameshi...he had failed then and he wouldn't let it happen again.
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"Damn it! Idiot! Look out!!" Hiei could see the blast heading at the ningens before they could. Yusuke, who carried the limp body of Kuwabara, looked up, frozen in place and unable to move fast enough to get out of the way. There was a flash of red and everything was blanketed in a blinding flash of light. Hiei protected his eyes and when the light dimmed Yusuke and Kuwabara were on the other side of a great trench.
"No!" Hiei slid down to the bottom and found the crumpled heap that was Kurama. Kurama looked up when he felt Hiei's hands support his neck.
"Hiei, I need to ask you for one last favor."
"Don't be stupid Kurama, you're not going anywhere! Koenma'll make sure you're not lucky enough to die!" Kurama shook his head slowly.
"I wish. I'm afraid, however, that today I'm going to die. I need you to take care of Shinbi and Miya for me."
"Shut up and save your energy baka!"
"Hiei! Listen to me! Please," his hand clasped the koorime's, "please take care of Shinbi and little Miya; Banshi wants her, he wants Miya because she's got a power that can be truly unimaginable. He'll kill Shinbi to get her; you must help them!" Hiei nodded slowly. He refused to wipe away the tear that slid down his face for before he could wipe it away he would have to admit that it was there. Kurama gave him one last smile and his eyes closed. The kitsune's body slowly disintegrated to dust and blew away on the breeze.
Hiei hardened. Damn those ningens! It was all their damn fault! If they had stayed behind like Kurama had suggested then none of this would have happened; Kurama would not have died!
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Miya stared at the sunrise, only vaguely registering the warmth. The nobles had won. Six bodies swung in the morning breeze, dangling from quickly-made nooses. They served as a reminder to all those who thought about trying to rebel; the vengeance of the Lords was swift and direct. They would not tolerate upstarts. Tokoro was at the far left, not quite dead yet. Their eyes met for a moment before he took his last breath. Miya turned and walked calmly away.
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Bodies littered the entire courtyard buried under the stench of blood. Miya carefully stepped around remains and headed to the castle. She was eyed suspiciously until it was whispered that he was Hiei's fighter and was on their side. Silently she snorted. Let them believe that she was on their side; that was their problem.
"Kirai?" Miya whirled at the voice.
"Yukina! What are you doing here?" Yukina looked out at the courtyard then back at her, tears in her eyes.
"Kirai, what…I mean…" Miya sighed uncomfortably and reached out to the ice yokai.
"Some things are necessary Yukina."
"But," Yukina sniffed, "was that?" With her hand on the lady's shoulder, Miya led her wordlessly back towards the woods. The moment they were out of sight of the castle the kitsune's senses went on high alert. Before she could move to protect Yukina everything went black.