Disclaimer: I don't own anything of importance in this story.
Chapter 5
Botan jumped, pulling the communication mirror out of her pocket. She flipped the lid open, only to be greeted with a blank screen "That's odd, I was sure someone was calling me…" she muttered, starting to close the lid.
"Someone did call you," a voice snapped from the darkness.
Botan jumped. "Who's there?"
"It's Hiei, and I need you to come pick up the ea-sakusei," he explained.
"Oh, Hiei! I had forgotten that I gave you a mirror. Although, did you drop it or something? I think it might be broken. I can't see a thing," she said.
"That's because I'm currently standing in a swamp in the middle of the night," he replied, curtly.
"Oh, right. So, uh, what did you need?"
There as a long-suffering sigh. "I need you to come to the Makai and take this ea-sakusei back to Genkai's. I can't carry it around with me while I look for the other items," he explained.
"Right! Where are you, exactly?" she asked, summoning her oar.
"I'm somewhere in the Kinmotsu Marshes. Can you track the communicator, or do I need to start a bonfire?" he asked, sarcastically.
"I should be able to track the signal without too much difficulty. Uh, Hiei do you have something on your shirt?" she asked, looking at the screen intently.
"What? Why?"
"Well, there seems to be something glowing on your shirt, although it is rather difficult to see," she explained.
A piece of the glowing substance was ripped off and held up to the screen. "You can see this? Is this glowing?" Hiei asked.
"Uh, yes. Faintly, but it is definitely glowing," she replied.
The object was removed from view. "Figures," Hiei muttered.
"Hiei?"
"Just come get the bird," he said, snapping the mirror shut.
Shrugging, Botan mounted her oar and exited through the window.
. . .
Hiei glared at the moss he had placed in the vial. Glows faintly, does it? Didn't think it was important to mention that the glow can't be seen by demons?! The next time I see Fujio-- Hiei's murderous thoughts were cut off by a cheery voice calling down to him from the sky.
"Hello? Hiei, are you here?"
"I have fought enough hydra, pentapuses, wingapedes, draks and willo'wisps for one trip to the swamp-- I would appreciate it if you did not call any more," he replied. He watched as she descended toward the ground.
"Oh, there you are, Hiei! Very nice of you to put that glowing stuff all over your clothes so I can see you," she said, floating over to him.
"Here," he said, shoving the ea-sakusei into her arms. The bird thrashed, easily breaking free of Botan's gasp. Hiei deftly caught it, looking at the ferry girl disapprovingly.
"Where did it go, Hiei? I can't see a thing! What was that, by the way? It felt like I was holding onto bones until it started moving!"
"It is." Breaking a low-hanging branch off of a tree, Hiei stuck it in the ground and set the end on fire. The black flames provided enough light to see by and they stayed lit on the wet branch, the moss crackling as it burned. The sudden light startled the ea-sakusei, who began thrashing with renewed vigor. Its tail ripped through Hiei's cloak, causing a piece of paper to fall out and flutter to the ground. Grabbing one of the extra vines he had cut, Hiei seized the tail, tying it to the rib cage. "That should hold it," he said, turning back towards Botan.
The ferry girl's eyes were wide and she had her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. "H-Hiei, what ha-happened to you?" she asked, squeezing the words out between fits of giggles. His clothes and hair were covered in moss and mud and there were also a few twigs sticking out of his hair from his mad dash through the swamp earlier, courtesy of the hydra.
He glowered at her. "What?!" he demanded, not in the mood to be made fun of.
"Nothing!" Botan practically screeched, her attempts at containing her mirth failing miserably. She looked away, trying to calm herself before Hiei lost his temper. Her eyes landed on a piece of paper that seemed to have a long list of names on it. "What is that?" she asked, curiously.
Hiei followed her gaze. "It's the list of ingredients for the antidote," he replied, picking it up and putting it back in his pocket.
Botan sobered immediately. "All of those?" she asked, shocked. After all, it had been three days and this was the first item Hiei had found.
"Yes." He handed her what appeared to be a pile of bones tied together. "Take this back to Genkai's, and don't drop it-- I don't want to have to come back and find another one," he said.
Botan nodded, mutely. It was then she noticed the blood on his arms. "You're hurt!"
"Hn."
"Let me see it," she said, taking he arm and examining it. She held her hand over the gashes. "This should only take a minute."
"You should save your energy to heal the fox," he protested, but did not move his arm.
Botan didn't look up. "We're all counting on you to get the antidote, Hiei. If you die because of your injuries, it won't matter if we're healing Kurama or not."
"I won't die from a wound like this."
"Maybe not," she replied, taking his other arm. "But it certainly won't help you succeed."
"Hn."
Botan finished healing his arm and stepped back, mounting her oar, skeletal bird in hand. Hiei hesitated. "How's Kurama?" he asked, softly.
Botan lowered her head. "I won't lie, he's getting worse. There have been about three episodes per day, and he's getting weaker. I'm not sure how much longer he'll last," she said, whispering the last part.
Hiei paused, his emotions warring inside of him, before turning away. "Hn." He ran, disappearing through the curtains of moss as the black flames died down to nothing, leaving Botan alone in the darkness.
. . .
As worried as Hiei was, he returned to the waterfall, washing his clothes as he had done the previous night. His next target was the hiryuu and the strong odors of the swamp would alert any creature near him to his presence. Also, it wasn't the swamp that had been weakening him all day; it had been the poison moss covering his body. As much as he would love to burn his clothes, he didn't have time to find new ones and he refused to search for the snake naked. Feeling exhausted, Hiei returned to Kurama's lair and fell asleep, promising to get an early start the next day.
. . .
"Hold still, you!"
Genkai looked up, spotting Botan outside the window on her oar. She seemed to be struggling with what appeared to be a bundle of bones that had been tied together with vines. Getting the writhing pile under one arm, Botan looked up, noticing Genkai for the first time.
"Oh, master Genkai! I didn't see you there! Do you have a cage or something I can put this in?" she asked, gesturing to the bound skeleton under her arm.
Genkai studied the now still bones curiously. "What is that and why would I want to keep it in my temple?" the psychic asked.
"Well, I'm not exactly sure what it is, but Hiei asked me to come and pick it up, so I think he needs it for Kurama's antidote," she explained.
Genkai nodded. "How is the search going, by the way?" she asked.
Botan's face fell. She peered over Genkai's shoulder into the room, looking at Kurama. He lay on the futon, his eyes closed, breathing shallowly. His breath caught in his throat, his face contorting in pain. A soft whimper was heard as he moved his head to the side, as if he was having a nightmare. It was a few seconds before he relaxed, whatever pain or dreams plaguing him momentarily releasing their hold.
Satisfied that he was asleep, Botan's eyes shifted back to Genkai's. "Well, it's not good," she said, lowering her voice. "I saw the list of things Hiei needs to gather-- there were so many items! And this is the first thing he's found! I just-- I don't know if Kurama can last that long!" she said, trying to control her emotions.
"He'll make it," Genkai assured her.
"I hope you're right," the ferry girl replied. The ea-sakusei started thrashing again, still trying to get away. "Will you stop it, already?!" she exclaimed, adjusting her grip on the skeletal bird.
Genkai looked towards the doorway. "Yukina should be back in a moment. I'll meet you outside and show you where to put that, ah, creature," she said, leaving the room. Botan flew down and landed in the courtyard.
Back in the room, Kurama opened his eyes. Hiei has only found one item so far? I knew it would take him a while, but... Botan is right. I will not be able to withstand the poison for such an extended period of time. Kurama closed his eyes, remembering what Yuusuke had said earlier. Of course, it is not on my own energy that I have been able to last this long. He bit his lip to keep from crying out as a wave of pain crashed down on him. It felt as though he was being stabbed from within repeatedly with a hundred hot pokers. Breathing only intensified the pain, so he held his breath, waiting for it to subside. He felt a cool cloth on his forehead. Yukina had returned.
Kurama's lungs were screaming for air, so he drew in a quick breath. It turned into a gasp as the pain increased dramatically. His chest felt like it was on fire. I-- can't-- do this-- anymore-- he thought, his head falling limply to the side as he passed out. Yukina continued to wipe his face, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
. . .
Tetsuyuki jumped, startled to wakefulness as explosions rent the calm night air. Judging by the stiffness in his neck and back, he had been sitting in the same position for hours. He looked up at the sky. Hm, the moon is already going down. I must have fallen asleep shortly after that ferry girl came back. Is she waiting to take that vixen's soul? Well, she won't have to wait much longer, he thought, waiting for the ningen to wear himself out destroying plants.
Tetsuyuki watched as the battle drew to a close, his eyes following the movements of the tired teen as he went back into the building. Sneaking up to the edge of the courtyard once again, he watched as the lights all went out, one by one.
Not wanting to take any chances, the demon waited for about an hour before silently entering the courtyard. He smiled as he pushed open the shoji, silently making his way towards the kitsune's aura. He stopped in front of a room, sliding the door open.
Moonlight filtered in through the open window, illuminating the form lying on a futon. The soft beams made the face look as pale as death, the sweat soaked hair glistening eerily in the light. The blankets moved in time with the raspy breathing that was breaking the silence.
His prey in sight, Tetsuyuki stepped into the room slowly, anticipating an ambush. When nothing happened, he took another step, then another. He was now halfway across the room. A feral smile alighting on his face, he slowly pulled a sword from a sheath on his side.
He took another step forward and froze. His sword was partially raised in preparation for the strike that would never land. He face was twisted into a cruel smile, his eyes fixed on the form in front of him. The moonlight glinted off of the ice that encased him, throwing odd reflections dancing upon the walls. Kurama moaned softly, tossing his head to the side before settling back into his fitful sleep.
From a corner of the room, a crimson gaze studied the scene, eyes glowing hauntingly in the darkness.
. . .
Morning came, bringing a thunderstorm with it. Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking out any light from the sun as they let loose their fury. Rain pelted the ground, the sound drowning out all other noise except for the rolling thunder. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the landscape before all was cast into darkness again. A solitary figure traveled down a dirt road, heedless of the storm. Mud was splattered on his pants and his clothes, thoroughly drenched, clung to his body as he ran.
Hiei glared at the rain as it fell around him. First, I have to search through a swamp, and now this! Kurama had better appreciate everything I'm doing for him! he thought, trying to wipe the water from his face. He soon gave up the futile effort, ignoring the rain as it slid down and dripped off his nose. Growling, the miserable fire demon continued on, small amounts of steam rising from his clothing.
. . .
Kuwabara woke up to a cup of cold water being poured over his head. He sat up, sputtering and yelling insults at the person foolish enough to wake him in such a manner. His voice stopped abruptly as his eyes focused on Genkai's amused face.
"Well, that seems to have finally done it. If you don't like having such a rude awakening, I suggest you respond when I call your name. At any rate, it's time for you to give Kurama some more energy," she said, walking down the hall towards the kitchen.
Grumbling, Kuwabara walked down the hall towards the fox's room. He opened the door and walked inside. "Stupid old woman, thinks I'm Urameshi or something-- Whoa! Where did that come from?" he wondered, walking over to an ice sculpture in the middle of the room. He tapped his finger on it experimentally. "Yeah, it's real, all right."
"Good morning, Kazuma," came a soft voice from the corner.
Kuwabara spun around. "Oh, hey, baby! I didn't see you back there! Did you make this thing?" he asked, jerking his thumb as the frozen demon.
"I guess you could say that..." Yukina replied.
"Well, baby, you are good! I mean, look at the detail on this thing! Whoa, you even got all the scales on his tail! Although, it is kinda creepy looking... Not that I'm saying you did a bad job, 'cause you didn't, it's great! I just don't know why you'd make an ice sculpture of a demon like that... It would have looked much better if you made one of me!" he said, striking a pose.
Yukina looked at him blankly. What is he talking about? That's not an ice sculpture...
. . .
Eventually, the path Hiei was traveling on cut through a forest. The trees offered a little more protection from the rain, but not much. The fire demon slowed as he saw a figure standing in the middle of the road ahead of him. It looked like a large blue ball with arms and legs and a tuft of green hair on top. Its eyes were closed, letting the rain slide down its face, sighing contentedly. It seemed to be enjoying the miserable weather.
It looked around, spotting the koorime. Its eyes widened and it threw its arms up in the air, running away as fast as it could. Hiei watched as it disappeared into the trees, confused. Well, that's one less creature to get in my way, he thought. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued on.
. . .
Kurama cried out, involuntarily, as white hot agony raced through his body. A dim portion of his mind understood that he was dying. This same part also realized it hurt more than it should have. The reason for this was because both Kuwabara and Genkai were holding him down, trying to keep him from hurting himself during his seizure. The lack of freedom caused his muscles to cramp, contributing to the overall agony he was experiencing. The end result was unbearable. It had been like this the past few days and Kurama couldn't take it anymore. "Yu--kina," he ground out as she came closer. "Don't--"
She blinked, looking a little shocked and surprised. "Kurama-san, if I don't heal you, you'll die."
"Please--" he gasped.
"Shh, it'll be over in a few minutes," she replied, soothingly, as she placed her hands on his chest.
"No-- please-- JUST LET ME DIE!!" Kurama screamed, as another wave of agony ripped through him. His body was tense for a few seconds more, before falling back, flaccidly, as a soft blue light enveloped him.
Yukina concentrated on her healing powers, ignoring the soft clink of hirazuki gems as they hit the floor.
. . .
"JUST LET ME DIE!!"
Yuusuke looked towards the window the voice had come from, surprised and more than a little shocked at Kurama's words. His mind was brought back to the matter at hand when a vine wrapped around his leg, pulling it out from underneath him. Yuusuke blasted the vine, quickly climbing back to his feet as more plants converged on him. Hiei's supposed to be the fastest person in our group! Kurama can't last much longer-- what's taking him so long?! He needs to HURRY UP!! he thought, destroying the last few plants as the assault ebbed.
. . .
Hiei sneezed, skidding to a stop. I had better not be getting sick, he thought, glaring at the drizzle of rain all around him. The fire demon paused, cocking his head to the side as though listening. After a few seconds, he looked around, searching for the source of the noise he heard. It sounded like... laughter? Cautiously, Hiei continued down the road.
The fire demon spotted something flitting in and out of the trees ahead of him. The small creature had long green hair with butterfly-like gossamer wings and seemed to be dressed in large leaves. She didn't even spare Hiei a glance as he approached.
"I take it that you are a fairy?" the koorime asked.
Startled eyes met Hiei's before the fairy fled. Moving quickly, Hiei grabbed her arm; careful not to hurt the winged child while making sure she couldn't leave. She struggled in his grasp, hitting and kicking him before hanging limply in defeat.
"Normal demons can't see fairies! How come you can?!" she demanded, glaring at her captor. Her eyes moved up to his forehead, her expression turning to one of stern disapproval. "No fair! You have a Jagan!" she accused.
"I need a fairy drop," Hiei said, interrupting her tirade.
The small creature opened her mouth to reply, but clamped her sharp teeth on the fire demon's forearm, instead. Surprised, Hiei released his grip on her. She flitted a few feet away and stopped, turning back to face him. The koorime watched her carefully, allowing her to have her space, but ready to detain her if she tried to leave.
"It's not nice to grab someone and then ask for something," she scolded, his blood dribbling down her chin.
"Hn. It's in my nature," Hiei replied, not really in the mood to play word games with a creature less than half his size.
Suddenly, the fairy squealed, staring at the ground at his feet. Frowning, Hiei looked down. His pouch was on the ground, the strap broken, and one of the hirazuki gems had rolled out, glistening in the mud. He sensed rather than saw the fairy dive for the rare gem and quickly grabbed it, wiping the stone off before dropping it back into the pouch. It clinked softly as it hit the others and the fairy's eyes about bulged out of their sockets.
Noticing this, Hiei took his time examining the broken cord. It must have snapped when she kicked it, he thought. He placed the pouch in his pocket, trying not to smirk as her pleading eyes jumped up to meet his.
"Could I, maybe, have one of those?" she asked, timidly.
"It's rude to bite someone and then ask for something," Hiei mocked.
"You grabbed me!" she protested. An impish smile formed on her face. "Besides, it's in my nature."
"Hn. How about a trade? One fairy drop for one hirazuki gem. It is hardly a fair trade, but I'm feeling generous today," he said, holding out one of the stones.
She paused, uncertain. "Well, uh, you see, um, oh forget it! I want that gem! Okay, I'll give you a fairy drop," she said, lunging for the hirazuki gem.
Hiei pulled his hand back, closing his fingers around the stone. "Not so fast. Give me the fairy drop first."
The fairy looked at him, a pained expression on her face. "But-- but-- oh, all right! I'll get the drop, but I'm not going to do it in front of you!" She looked around, spotting a bush and disappearing inside it. Hiei took a step towards it when her voice stopped him.
"No peeking, or the deal's off!" she yelled. Hiei caught a few mumbled words, obviously not meant for him "Oh, I can't believe I'm doing this... What would mother say...?"
Deciding it was better to trust her, Hiei waited. He circled the bush, not getting too close, but making sure he was close enough to stop her if she changed her mind and tried to escape. After a few minutes, she emerged, holding a small clear stone on a large leaf. It seemed to catch what little light there was around it and magnify it, almost making the stone look as though it was glowing.
Hiei took the leaf from her, absently handing her a hirazuki gem as he studied the clear stone intently. "You are sure this is a fairy drop?" he asked, his tone implying dire consequences for her, should she be lying.
"Of course I'm sure! And, um, could you stop staring at it? It's embarrassing," she said, looking at the ground.
Hiei glanced at her, noticing her cheeks were bright red and she was looking anywhere but at him. Suddenly, it clicked together in his mind. The bush, her privacy, her embarrassment at him looking at it-- he realized exactly what the fairy drop was. "Hn." Some sort of fairy medicine. Riight. Folding the leaf around the stone, Hiei placed it in his pocket and continued on. All I have left to collect is the hiryuu's venom. There're still a few hours left before sunset, so I might be able to get the venom and be back in ningenkai tonight. Just hold on a little longer, Kurama.
Hiei heard the fairy's voice fading away as he ran. "Oh, man, this is so cool! I got an actual hirazuki gem! Laylia is going to be sooooo jealous when I show her..."
. . .
Evening rolled around and still the rain did not let up. Having left the partial shelter of the trees an hour ago, Hiei didn't even bother trying to dry himself off, opting to save his energy. He traveled across a grassland, searching for a suitable place to spend the night. He doubted one would be found before he reached the foothills a few miles ahead, but he kept an eye out, anyway.
He was running past a large boulder when a tentacle shot out, trying to trip him. The koorime jumped over it, landing in a defensive position, facing his opponent. Hiei blinked, cursing himself for his lapse.
A large green head turned towards Hiei, small tentacles framing it and waving in a mockery of hair. The creature had no eyes, ears or anything else, only a large mouth in the center of its face, filled with sharp teeth. The head set on top of several larger tentacles, which served as legs.
"Malboro," Hiei said, looking at the creature. In the poor lighting, he had mistaken it for a boulder.
The malboro leaned its head back, drawing in a deep breath, before releasing it in Hiei's direction. The fire demon jumped, barely missing the poison breath that killed the grass where he had just been standing. Not about to lose its prey that easily, the malboro lashed out with its tentacles, managing to latch on to Hiei's leg as it drew in another breath. Wincing as the acid on the limb burned through his clothes, allowing the suction cups to cling to his skin, the koorime unsheathed his sword and sliced off the end of the tentacle, ignoring the pain caused as he ripped the remaining part from his leg. The creature shrieked in pain, pulling back momentarily to nurse its wound. Not giving it time to strike again, Hiei jumped towards it, impaling his sword in its head. The tentacles clutched at him, burning through his clothes and tearing at his skin. The fire apparition wrenched his sword free, brutally stabbing the creature again and again in an effort to impale its brain. Eventually, the malboro's struggles became weaker, before they ceased altogether.
Panting, Hiei wiped his sword on his pant leg and sheathed it before looking over his injuries. His clothes had sustained the most damage, hanging in tatters on his body, although he had more than a few burns, as well. Amazingly, the fairy drop was still in his pocket, as well as the three remaining vials he'd gotten from Fujio, but the pouch containing the hirazuki stones had fallen out sometime during the fray. Blood dripped sluggishly from several minor wounds caused by the suction cups being ripped off his skin. He allowed the rainwater to wash his wounds clean before continuing on. The wounds weren't severe enough to warrant immediate attention and he had wasted enough time by fighting the malboro.
It was almost completely black now, making it difficult to see even with Hiei's superior night vision. Cursing softly at the creature that had made him lose valuable time, the koorime hurried on, hoping to find suitable shelter a few miles ahead in the foothills.
About an hour later, Hiei stumbled across a cave. The entrance was well hidden and the koorime wouldn't have even found it had he not lost his footing on the slick rocks and slid down the hill, literally landing in the cave's mouth. After searching around a bit, he decided that it would be an ideal place to spend the night. It appeared to have been occupied by some creature very recently, but it seemed to be empty and that was what was important. Dirty, wet and tired, Hiei sat against one of the walls, removing the ward from his forehead. He would not leave himself completely unguarded. Making himself as comfortable as possible on the cold stone, he fell asleep.
. . .
Hiei awoke with a start, wondering what had disturbed him. He heard a low hissing, but before he could locate the source, his instincts kicked in and he found himself skidding to a stop across the cave, looking at a creature that had pounced on the spot he had just vacated. The monster turned towards him, allowing the fire demon to get a good look at his attacker. The upper body resembled a cross between a baboon and a lion. A mane of pink fur framed the blue ape-like face and it stood an all fours, clawed monkey-like hands supporting it. The back end resembled a lion, powerful legs bent as it readied for another pounce. The tail was actually made up of three snakes, all of which were hissing and straining to reach the fire demon.
Hiei allowed himself a mental sigh. Of course. The cave I pick has to be inhabited by a nue. Stupid, territorial beasts. Fortunately, it's not mating season, so I only have to worry about the one, he thought, grabbing for the hilt of his katana. He was more than a little surprised when his hand closed around air. What the?! he thought, looking down. His sword was not at his side. He glanced back to the spot he had been sitting. The hilt of his katana was poking out from beneath the nue's back foot. The torn remains of his belt was caught on a sharp rock beside it.
The creature growled, rearing up on its hind legs, trying to intimidate Hiei into leaving the cave. A quick glance informed the fire demon that it was still raining outside. Figures, Hiei thought, jumping to the side as the nue pounced towards him again. He jumped for his sword, but the creature managed to grab his leg, biting down hard. Hiei bit back a cry of pain, instead kicking the nue in the eye. The creature dropped its prey, roaring, as it stepped back, pawing at its now useless eye. Taking advantage of the distraction, Hiei grabbed for his sword again, his hand closing around the hilt. He spun around, trying to draw his sword, but the nue's teeth closed around his right arm with the sword only part of the way out of the sheath. Pulling the sheath off with his left hand, he dropped it, grabbing the katana and plunging it into the nue's head, right between the eyes. The creature's jaw went slack, allowing Hiei to remove his arm before it collapsed, dead.
Kicking the cadaver off him, Hiei surveyed his injuries. The wards wrapped around his right arm were torn to shreds, blood seeping through the white material. It is fortunate that I have learned to contain the power of the black dragon without the wards, he thought, ripping off the torn bandages. Removing his tattered cloak, he held it out of the cave's mouth, allowing it to soak up the rainwater. He cleaned the wounds, tearing the remains of his cloak into strips and using them as bandages. He moved the injured limbs, experimentally. He was pleased to find he could still run, although the injuries on his leg did hurt his speed. He lifted his katana, swinging it downward. He bit his lip as it unexpectedly hit the ground, the impact jarring his arm and causing him to lose his grasp. The weapon fell to the floor. Hiei looked at his shaking arm. Blast. It looks like I'll have to use my left hand for a little while, he thought, sheathing his sword and placing it through his belt on the right side of his hip. He noticed that his belt had been ripped and it wouldn't take much to tear it completely. Walking over to the wall, Hiei picked up his other belt that had broken off, studying it. This one's no good and the other one is about to break. I need more belts.
Glaring at the rain falling just outside of the cave entrance, Hiei decided it was much too early to continue searching for the hiryuu. Pointedly ignoring the carcass, Hiei sat on the opposite wall of the cave, glancing down at himself. Kurama definitely owes me some new clothes, he thought, studying the poor state of his garments. Entertaining himself by imagining all the different things he'd make the kitsune buy him, Hiei fell asleep.
. . .
To Be Continued