Chapter Two: Ambush

By Sha / #29 (Sunday, May 15, 2005)

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About half a hour passed since Hiei began to search for Yukina, and her kidnappers... He felt helpless, and he hated that...

How could this happen?

Why the heck did he fall for that mysterious place?

He felt a little shameful for that, and still felt like he had been set up somehow... He felt worse because what if he couldn't help Yukina, then he would probably just kil himself for that.

He swore to himself he would torture and murder those darn monsters who had Yukina in the worse way possible once he got his hands on them... if they did anything to her...

Hiei closed his eyes tightly, and stopped running. He wished he knew which direction to go to, but... nothing was helping at all... his mind felt like a beehive, too many thoughts, worries and fears buzzing through his head.

He growled, then shallowed hard, opening his eyes with a very determined look...

'I will never give up or forgive myself if I can't find Yukina and ensure her eternal safety...' Hiei vowed to himself, gripping his hands so tightly together that his fingernails cut into his palm, causing blood to trickle down his fingers as his re-opened his hands.

He stared uncaring at his bloody hands, then lifted his head up just as a cool breeze brushed across his face, filling his body with a strange and eerie feeling, which overwelmed him so much; Hiei gasped in surprise...

The feeling somehow made him feel as if he had to go towards the center of the forest... he looked to his right, into the once menacing trees... they looked completely harmless in the daylight...

He stepped down off the log he had been standing on, and debated a minute of whether to listen to his instincts... wait, what if it was true?

He needed to do it - for her safety, and so, he began to make his way to the center of the vast forest... it was only a matter of minutes until he finally made it.

Nearing his destination, Hiei could hear the faint sounds of shuffling movements, and small whimpering...

Hiei quickly ran forward into a circular clearing, where his sister was struggling with the two monsters from his nightmare.

She was completely helpless with one monster covering her face with his huge, hideous hand, and her small hands trying to tear them off, but it was useless.

He gasped, and glared at them with the utmost hatred.

"LET GO OF HER, YOU MONSTERS!" Hiei yelled at them, charging forward, withdrawing his sword from his sheath, ready to stab into one of them, but when he was only two feet away... one of the monsters made a strange laugh, and threw it's hand out, creating some sort of shockwave that caused Hiei to fly backwards and crash into the trees.

Hiei groaned in slight pain, his back was aching as he forced himself to stand up, as his vision cleared; he saw that his sword was a few feet away on his right, and that the same monster spreaded out it's hand again, and muttering strange sounds, somehow created a floating black vortex.

Hiei gasped, and ran forward, knowing what was going to happen, but he was too late, as his sister was dragged into nothingness with those demons... Hiei moved faster to get to the closing portal, but had the wind knocked out of his lungs as another demon appeared in front of him, slamming an iron fist into his stomach, sending Hiei crashing through several trees.

Hiei closed his eyelids tightly, gasping as a horrible and very sharp feeling invaded his chest... He was almost convinced his ribs were crushed... or at least, a few broken... speaking of broken, his back felt like heck.

He opened his eyes quickly as he heard dashing footsteps running towards him, and saw a whole gang of these black-clad ninja-looking demons gather around him.

Hiei leaped to his feet, setting off a trigger of pain throughout his body, causing him to topple over weakly... Hiei tried to lift himself up, but was struck down by a heavy weight slamming his bruised back, smashing him into the ground.

Hiei was now very shocked at how incredibly strong they were... but then again, what if he wasn't completely healed? Or what if the food he ate was... somehow affecting him in a negative way?

The last thing Hiei felt before he was out cold, was the sharp pinch as a needle injected his arm... and Hiei felt more pathetic then ever...

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Hiei opened his eyes to see a wood ceiling up above him... he felt confused, and his head hurt badly. He became alarmed to hear sounds that he couldn't figure out right now; he sat up quickly; and was surprised to find himself in a bed, with the blanket covering his legs.

He looked around and quickly spotted a female demon, sitting kneed on the floor a few feet away from him. She had carrot-colored, bushy hair that was only shoulder-length, and big, bright green eyes... she was also looking eagerly at him, and then smiled.

"Hey Grandpa! He's finally awake!" She yelled, startling the young fire demon.

Hiei stared strangely at her when a bushy, orange tail wagged from behind her... and he wondered why he hadn't noticed her two orange catlike ears first.

"Oh, I see he is..."

Hiei looked to the door to see an old, short man slowly walk in... this man also was a feline demon... only his furs and hair were greyish white, and his eyes were almost shut, you couldn't even see them... and he had very bushy eyebrows. The old man was dressed in a kimono, while his granddaughter had on a dull blue tanktop while showed off her slim waist, and fainted red short-shorts.

"Who the heck are you people!" Hiei demanded, standing up on the other side of the bed from them, glaring at them.

"Hey! How dare you! Grandpa and me took care of you even since this morning when we found you fainted in those dark woods!" The catgirl cried, with her hands placed on her hips, while her grandpa twitched his nose curiously, with his hands held before his humped back, nodding slightly.

"..." Hiei glared for a few more seconds, but the girl never flinched, and finally, he stared down, sighing; and looked back up at the two feline demons.

"Fine. I'm grateful you two took care of me." Hiei quickly said, then walked past them out the flapcovered door.

"Hey!" He heard that annoying girl yelled after him...

By the looks of it, he was in a pretty old village... all the houses looked as if they were just straw and wood... with 'doors' that you just toss up a sheet to get in...

All the people were also cats, and dressed in kimonos while the younger demons wore strange clothes (or in other words, human-type clothes... : P )

Hiei growled once the same catgirl from before grabbed his shoulder, and Hiei was happy to slap her hand off, while backing away.

"What's your problem!" She snapped, glaring at him.

"Apparently you." Hiei snapped, growling again. He really wished he wasn't here, he didn't want to be with - or near - anyone. He just wanted to find his sister...

"You jerk!" She cried, and turned on her heel, looking back towards the house Hiei had came out of, where her grandfather was standing, nodding and twitching his nose.

"Grandpa! He's so ungrateful!" She cried, while the grandfather started to make his way towards the two.

"Who said I was ungrateful?" Hiei snapped at her, crossing his arms.

"Your attitude!" She hissed, and looked to her grandfather, who was now smiling... and Hiei thought they both - and the whole village - all looked like a bunch of idiots.

"Now, now, children..." The grandfather chuckled, and turned to Hiei. "Now, what was your name?"

"Hmph..." Hiei growled, but finally uttered his name quietly.

"Hiei!" The catgirl cried loudly. "Oh my gosh! Are you that infamous thief who kills people!" She looked terrified, and Hiei smiled sadisticly.

"Yes, now, what's your problem?" Only his question wasn't really a question, more of a mockery...

"Hmm..." The grandfather stared (or at least Hiei thought he was staring... he couldn't tell because the old man's eyes looked shut...) at Hiei, and nodded slowly. "My name is Hara Taiki, and hers is Hara Miwa."

"'Miwa' means 'beautiful harmony'." Miwa bragged, and Hiei just gave her the evil eye, making her glare back at him.

"Why would I care?" Hiei said coldly, and turned back to the old man. "Your granddaughter is the most annoying thing I've ever met."

"Yes, yes, she is." The old man laughed while Miwa protested, and glared at both of them.

"That's it!" She turned around, and stormed off.

Hiei rolled his eyes, and nodded at Taiki. "Thankyou for taking care of me... You see, I'm actually on a mission, and I need to go as soon as possible."

"Nope, you can't do that." Taiki shook his head, and Hiei asked him why, Taiki nodded, then answered: "Any new person - unless they are a feline themselves - must go through - and complete most of the trials that we have set for them... it's a tradition..."

Hiei sighed, and glared at the old man...

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To Be Continued...

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