Tears of Amethyst
Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.
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Botan led them through the rough terrain. The surrounding area was rocky. Trees began to grow scarcer and the grass receded. They had used up at least four hours just climbing the hills onto this rocky outstretch. It looked like the plains, except with rock and sand, not grass. Botan stopped and typed some more on the communicator. She then began walking again.
"We should get across here without being spotted, which means we're going to have to hurry." Youko said, narrowing his eyes as he looked across the wasteland. Yuusuke wiped sweat from his forehead and shifted his pack.
"How much further does this last?" He asked, looking at Botan.
"About five miles." She replied. Everyone groaned. "Come on, we're not going to get it done unless we get started." Hiei knew this area well. He also knew the dangers of it.
"I suggest I take lead." He said, frowning. They followed him at a steady pace. Botan walked behind Youko and in front of Yuusuke. Botan knew one word for this land. Dead. Everything was dead. It was a barren wasteland. The rock, more like dried dirt that hadn't seen water in fifteen years, stretched as far as the eye could see. The dead leaves of plants were shriveled up, some blowing in front of them in the warm breeze. She was fascinated by what she saw, but she was also appalled. They soon had to stop because of the darkness. It grew colder in such a short time that they all had blankets wrapped around them and were hunched close to the fire. Botan sat up on guard duty with Hiei. She couldn't sleep anyway. Youko groaned and woke up, sweating. He could feel the cold from the wind. Dust flew and Botan held the blanket over her eyes. After it died down, she stared at the ground and took her water bottle. She put two drops on the dirt and set it aside. Then she poked Youko. He looked at her in confusion. She gestured for a seed and he handed one to her, interested. She pushed it into the damp earth. Then her hands began to glow blue. A small green plant popped slowly out of the ground from where the seed had been. It looked vibrant against the cracked, brown dirt.
"This is the seed that will bring life back to this place." She whispered. She blew on it gently and its leaves became damp, dripping crystal drops of water onto the ground.
"You're amazing, Botan. I think you should get some sleep for tomorrow's walk, though." She nodded and moved closer to him, away from the plant. He wrapped an arm around her, silencing his silent plea to hold her near. As soon as she was asleep, Hiei spoke.
"Danger lurks in every possible shadow. Take care of her and protect her. We can't afford to lose her."
"You don't need to tell me that. I've been here before, as well. This land brings nothing but death. Not even magic plants could stay living for long. This place is a plague. Nothing more." Hiei leaned back, looking up at the sky. A few stars dotted the sky with their white glows. The moon was no where in sight, providing none of it's silver light.
"Nothing can be here for long. That is why we must leave as soon as possible." He closed his eyes, frowning. "There are more dangers waiting than this."
"Demons live out here somewhere. I cannot say where." Youko sighed. "Get your sleep or what you can of it. It's my watch." Hiei nodded. He laid back and closed his eyes.
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Dark clouds massed above them as they shouldered their things and started off. Hiei took the lead and Akuro brought up the rear. Kuwabara eyed the clouds distrustfully.
"It don't look like the weather's gonna be too wonderful today." Yuusuke looked up as well. "What do you think is gonna come out of those clouds, Urameshi?"
"Can't be rain by the looks of this place.. no even a cactus in sight." He then looked down at the sand. There was dirt and rock in some places but an ocean of fine sand consumed most of it. They remained quiet and alert all through the day, not even being able to tell where they were or how far they've gone.
"Looks like more than five miles to me.." Botan said, biting her lip.
"It might look it by that thing but look how far we've traveled. It's over twenty miles long." Hiei stated, crossing his arms. "We better hope that those clouds pass without any incident."
"Doubtful." Youko muttered. "I can smell the scent of a storm.. this is going to be strong. We better continue at a quicker pace."
"We can't go any faster." Akuro said with a frown. "We'll need our strength for braving the storm." They stood still, breathing in the air. Youko's eyes scanned the horizon.
"We better move. Come on." He took a step forward then his eyes widened. "Shield yourself!" He went over to Botan and pulled her down, shielding her with his body. The others covered their heads and closed their eyes, pressing themselves against the ground. The wind suddenly whistled in their ears and they could feel the heat coming from it.
"Its a sand storm.." Yuusuke said to himself. Hiei stood up, covering his eyes with his arms.
"We've got to move on.. There's no other choice." Everyone stared at him. "Come on." They got up and forced themselves to balance against the raging winds.
"One of us.. might get lost." Kuwabara said, helping Akuro to balance. They stood there, trying to adjust themselves to the force of the winds. Yuusuke suddenly grinned.
"I have an idea. We can use the ropes we have to tie around our waists so that we can't get separated!" Youko was already digging in his pack and Botan's.
"Good idea. Let's get this over-with so we can move on." He tied one rope around both his and Botan's waist and tied the other one to the end of that. He then handed it to Hiei. Once they were all sure that the ropes were secure, they started forward in the direction Hiei started in. Akuro brought up the rear, having Kuwabara in front of her. Yuusuke was just in front of Kuwabara. They closed their eyes and let their other senses get stronger. The wind whistled in their ears. They could barely breathe. They all knew Botan couldn't shield them with her powers. She was limited. Her powers could be drained so easily. She just didn't have enough control on the use and range of her powers. Unfortunately, she was thinking differently.
"Youko, hold me and.. don't let go." He nodded and pulled her close to him. She opened her eyes, which were glowing blue. Youko knew he would have to carry her if she were to use the shield. He was wrong. The wind and sand no longer touched them. Hiei wasted no time and he moved on. They kept the ropes on just in case Botan's powers didn't hold.
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As it was, Botan was leaning on Youko, sweating and struggling to hold the shield. Youko was concerned. She looked pale and fragile as she walked on, shaking and stumbling. 'She's killing herself..' He thought to himself. Everyone else thought the same thing when they looked at her.
"Botan, drop the shield. You're not going to last as long as this storm." Hiei said, looking back. "We're ready to brave it. This is a test. I know it is. No one has ever survived this place because of this storm." Botan closed her eyes and the shield dropped. Youko put her arm around his shoulders and put his arm around her waist, holding her close to him. Hiei pushed them on and they knew they were slowing. They had lost all sense of time. Yuusuke and Kuwabara often stumbled and Hiei had to stop them. Botan was still pale and depending on Youko for support. They drank a little of their water, using it sparingly. After a short rest, Hiei started them on again. They were thankful to the koorime for leading them. If it weren't for him, they would be lost and going in the wrong direction, not being able to tell where they were.
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The gang went on like this for how long, they couldn't tell. When the winds died down and the storm slowed, they were able to see again. Botan was a little better, having at least half of her power back by now. They still could see no end to the ocean of sand.
"We are more than half-way there." Hiei said, turning to them. "We should reach the end in two days or more." They all nodded, relief filling their hearts. Yuusuke looked back.
"Are those clouds always there?" Youko looked back, his silver hair blowing slightly.
"Yes." He answered coldly. "This land is cursed. Let's leave those clouds behind us now." They felt refreshed and they didn't even know why. The air became unbearably hot about two miles down. Yuusuke almost fell over and Akuro was sweating, shedding the cloak she had on. She had a tank top on and pants with a belt and a bow and a quiver of arrows slung across her shoulders. She also had a knife and katana on her belt. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a pony tail and her blue eyes were alert and showed a little weariness.
"Please tell me this is almost over.." Kuwabara fell over, breathing heavily. Hiei grumbled, knowing they needed to stop now. They all fell over when he revealed his decision. Botan took a sip from her water and blinked, rubbing sand out of her eyes. Youko was alert and unaffected by the heat. He narrowed his eyes.
"A pack of demons.."
"Dammit!" Hiei cursed, drawing his katana. Botan's eyes widened. Her power hadn't come back fully.. Akuro stood up, pulling her bow and an arrow from her back and taking aim. The arrow flew with great precision and hit one dead on. Hiei and Youko met the attack with their weapons and fists. Youko used his rose whip and Hiei, his katana. Botan's eyes widened, seeing them battle with a ferocity she never knew was possible. The demons were all dead within seconds. "Hurry up. We need to get moving. Now."
"But-" Kuwabara tried to object. Hiei glowered at him. Kuwabara wasn't objecting anymore.
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What will happen next? Our poor gang will have more bad luck in the next chapter! Maybe, possibly, they will get out of that desert.
-Jess-
Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.
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Botan led them through the rough terrain. The surrounding area was rocky. Trees began to grow scarcer and the grass receded. They had used up at least four hours just climbing the hills onto this rocky outstretch. It looked like the plains, except with rock and sand, not grass. Botan stopped and typed some more on the communicator. She then began walking again.
"We should get across here without being spotted, which means we're going to have to hurry." Youko said, narrowing his eyes as he looked across the wasteland. Yuusuke wiped sweat from his forehead and shifted his pack.
"How much further does this last?" He asked, looking at Botan.
"About five miles." She replied. Everyone groaned. "Come on, we're not going to get it done unless we get started." Hiei knew this area well. He also knew the dangers of it.
"I suggest I take lead." He said, frowning. They followed him at a steady pace. Botan walked behind Youko and in front of Yuusuke. Botan knew one word for this land. Dead. Everything was dead. It was a barren wasteland. The rock, more like dried dirt that hadn't seen water in fifteen years, stretched as far as the eye could see. The dead leaves of plants were shriveled up, some blowing in front of them in the warm breeze. She was fascinated by what she saw, but she was also appalled. They soon had to stop because of the darkness. It grew colder in such a short time that they all had blankets wrapped around them and were hunched close to the fire. Botan sat up on guard duty with Hiei. She couldn't sleep anyway. Youko groaned and woke up, sweating. He could feel the cold from the wind. Dust flew and Botan held the blanket over her eyes. After it died down, she stared at the ground and took her water bottle. She put two drops on the dirt and set it aside. Then she poked Youko. He looked at her in confusion. She gestured for a seed and he handed one to her, interested. She pushed it into the damp earth. Then her hands began to glow blue. A small green plant popped slowly out of the ground from where the seed had been. It looked vibrant against the cracked, brown dirt.
"This is the seed that will bring life back to this place." She whispered. She blew on it gently and its leaves became damp, dripping crystal drops of water onto the ground.
"You're amazing, Botan. I think you should get some sleep for tomorrow's walk, though." She nodded and moved closer to him, away from the plant. He wrapped an arm around her, silencing his silent plea to hold her near. As soon as she was asleep, Hiei spoke.
"Danger lurks in every possible shadow. Take care of her and protect her. We can't afford to lose her."
"You don't need to tell me that. I've been here before, as well. This land brings nothing but death. Not even magic plants could stay living for long. This place is a plague. Nothing more." Hiei leaned back, looking up at the sky. A few stars dotted the sky with their white glows. The moon was no where in sight, providing none of it's silver light.
"Nothing can be here for long. That is why we must leave as soon as possible." He closed his eyes, frowning. "There are more dangers waiting than this."
"Demons live out here somewhere. I cannot say where." Youko sighed. "Get your sleep or what you can of it. It's my watch." Hiei nodded. He laid back and closed his eyes.
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Dark clouds massed above them as they shouldered their things and started off. Hiei took the lead and Akuro brought up the rear. Kuwabara eyed the clouds distrustfully.
"It don't look like the weather's gonna be too wonderful today." Yuusuke looked up as well. "What do you think is gonna come out of those clouds, Urameshi?"
"Can't be rain by the looks of this place.. no even a cactus in sight." He then looked down at the sand. There was dirt and rock in some places but an ocean of fine sand consumed most of it. They remained quiet and alert all through the day, not even being able to tell where they were or how far they've gone.
"Looks like more than five miles to me.." Botan said, biting her lip.
"It might look it by that thing but look how far we've traveled. It's over twenty miles long." Hiei stated, crossing his arms. "We better hope that those clouds pass without any incident."
"Doubtful." Youko muttered. "I can smell the scent of a storm.. this is going to be strong. We better continue at a quicker pace."
"We can't go any faster." Akuro said with a frown. "We'll need our strength for braving the storm." They stood still, breathing in the air. Youko's eyes scanned the horizon.
"We better move. Come on." He took a step forward then his eyes widened. "Shield yourself!" He went over to Botan and pulled her down, shielding her with his body. The others covered their heads and closed their eyes, pressing themselves against the ground. The wind suddenly whistled in their ears and they could feel the heat coming from it.
"Its a sand storm.." Yuusuke said to himself. Hiei stood up, covering his eyes with his arms.
"We've got to move on.. There's no other choice." Everyone stared at him. "Come on." They got up and forced themselves to balance against the raging winds.
"One of us.. might get lost." Kuwabara said, helping Akuro to balance. They stood there, trying to adjust themselves to the force of the winds. Yuusuke suddenly grinned.
"I have an idea. We can use the ropes we have to tie around our waists so that we can't get separated!" Youko was already digging in his pack and Botan's.
"Good idea. Let's get this over-with so we can move on." He tied one rope around both his and Botan's waist and tied the other one to the end of that. He then handed it to Hiei. Once they were all sure that the ropes were secure, they started forward in the direction Hiei started in. Akuro brought up the rear, having Kuwabara in front of her. Yuusuke was just in front of Kuwabara. They closed their eyes and let their other senses get stronger. The wind whistled in their ears. They could barely breathe. They all knew Botan couldn't shield them with her powers. She was limited. Her powers could be drained so easily. She just didn't have enough control on the use and range of her powers. Unfortunately, she was thinking differently.
"Youko, hold me and.. don't let go." He nodded and pulled her close to him. She opened her eyes, which were glowing blue. Youko knew he would have to carry her if she were to use the shield. He was wrong. The wind and sand no longer touched them. Hiei wasted no time and he moved on. They kept the ropes on just in case Botan's powers didn't hold.
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As it was, Botan was leaning on Youko, sweating and struggling to hold the shield. Youko was concerned. She looked pale and fragile as she walked on, shaking and stumbling. 'She's killing herself..' He thought to himself. Everyone else thought the same thing when they looked at her.
"Botan, drop the shield. You're not going to last as long as this storm." Hiei said, looking back. "We're ready to brave it. This is a test. I know it is. No one has ever survived this place because of this storm." Botan closed her eyes and the shield dropped. Youko put her arm around his shoulders and put his arm around her waist, holding her close to him. Hiei pushed them on and they knew they were slowing. They had lost all sense of time. Yuusuke and Kuwabara often stumbled and Hiei had to stop them. Botan was still pale and depending on Youko for support. They drank a little of their water, using it sparingly. After a short rest, Hiei started them on again. They were thankful to the koorime for leading them. If it weren't for him, they would be lost and going in the wrong direction, not being able to tell where they were.
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The gang went on like this for how long, they couldn't tell. When the winds died down and the storm slowed, they were able to see again. Botan was a little better, having at least half of her power back by now. They still could see no end to the ocean of sand.
"We are more than half-way there." Hiei said, turning to them. "We should reach the end in two days or more." They all nodded, relief filling their hearts. Yuusuke looked back.
"Are those clouds always there?" Youko looked back, his silver hair blowing slightly.
"Yes." He answered coldly. "This land is cursed. Let's leave those clouds behind us now." They felt refreshed and they didn't even know why. The air became unbearably hot about two miles down. Yuusuke almost fell over and Akuro was sweating, shedding the cloak she had on. She had a tank top on and pants with a belt and a bow and a quiver of arrows slung across her shoulders. She also had a knife and katana on her belt. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a pony tail and her blue eyes were alert and showed a little weariness.
"Please tell me this is almost over.." Kuwabara fell over, breathing heavily. Hiei grumbled, knowing they needed to stop now. They all fell over when he revealed his decision. Botan took a sip from her water and blinked, rubbing sand out of her eyes. Youko was alert and unaffected by the heat. He narrowed his eyes.
"A pack of demons.."
"Dammit!" Hiei cursed, drawing his katana. Botan's eyes widened. Her power hadn't come back fully.. Akuro stood up, pulling her bow and an arrow from her back and taking aim. The arrow flew with great precision and hit one dead on. Hiei and Youko met the attack with their weapons and fists. Youko used his rose whip and Hiei, his katana. Botan's eyes widened, seeing them battle with a ferocity she never knew was possible. The demons were all dead within seconds. "Hurry up. We need to get moving. Now."
"But-" Kuwabara tried to object. Hiei glowered at him. Kuwabara wasn't objecting anymore.
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What will happen next? Our poor gang will have more bad luck in the next chapter! Maybe, possibly, they will get out of that desert.
-Jess-