Yay, rescuing time! Yep, that's right. I've officially digressed enough. It's time to save Hiei! And you're all thinking "Well it's about time!" right? I wholeheartedly agree. So, sit down, shut up, and hold on cause here we go! ON WITH THE FIC!
(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)(xxx)
The Jaki Tavern at the base of the Akuma Mountains was a regular hangout for assassins, bandits, and many others who would rather go unnoticed. Therefore, it is no surprise that when a tall figure hidden in a slightly tattered maroon cloak entered, no one spared the newcomer a glance.
The cloaked figure approached the bar and the grungy demon behind it glanced up. The cloak hid the stranger completely, overshadowing his face and falling gracefully to his ankles. Even without seeing the eyes hidden in the shadows the bartender could feel the cold glare he was getting.
"Anei." The word itself was not threatening in any way, but the way it had been spoken… The bartender nodded feebly and jerked his thumb towards the door next to the bar.
"Last door on the right at the end of the hall."
The stranger nodded and went through the door, closing it behind him. The bartender let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Something about that guy…he seemed familiar…like the cool bad guy of legends. The bartender shrugged it off, deciding that if there was anything more to that guy, he didn't want to know.
Once safely behind the door Kurama threw back his hood. The place smelled of stale alcohol and a variety of Makain tobaccos. He began to walk down the hall, trying to ignore the other noises and smells he encountered as he passed the other rooms.
Originally he had planned to bring Yusuke and Kuwabara with him when he ventured to the Koorime homeland, but he eventually decided against that idea. He wanted to avoid killing any of the Koorime, if possible, and that might prove difficult with the trigger-happy Yusuke in tow. Kuwabara was another difficulty altogether. There was a reason why Kuwabara did not know of Hiei's relation to Yukina. Simply put, Kuwabara could not keep a secret. He never told anyone on purpose, it just kind of slipped out. At the moment, however, Kurama was not in the mood to deal with secrets 'slipping out' into the open and if Kuwabara knew of Hiei's capture by the Koorime he would surely find out who Yukina's brother really was.
He reached the end of the hall and turned right. His hand hovered above the doorknob for a moment. He observed that his hand was shaking and balled it into a fist, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to steady himself. Then he opened the door and stepped in.
"So, you've finally arrived. I was beginning to lose faith in you," the shadow, Anei, greeted him from a table in the center of the room. He was playing some form of solitaire with a pack ningen cards, the kind with naked ladies on them. Kurama wondered if he just happened to like playing solitaire or if he had known he was coming. Either way, he might still not be suspicious.
"So, have you chosen which you treasure more?" The shadow looked up, sickly yellow eyes piercing Kurama's very soul. He felt very cold for a moment, but shrugged it off.
"Yes," Kurama answered calmly. He brought a sack from the folds of his cloak and set in on the table, partially to cover the exposed ladies on the cards. The bottom of the bag was caked with red that was turning brown, dried blood.
The shadow stared motionless for a moment. It was apparent to Kurama that this assassin had not actually expected him to bring it. Slowly, the assassin stood. His fingers trembled (with anticipation?) at the mouth of the bad. He hastily untied the string and pulled it opened. Kurama looked away as the contents were exposed.
The decapitated head of the prince of Reikai lay inside. His eyes were opened wide and his mouth slightly ajar, though the pacifier was still held firmly in his teeth, an expression of complete surprise plastered on his face. The assassin ran his fingers over the cold flesh, testing if it was genuine. It seemed to be. He touched one opened eye. It was real too. One final test. Reaching under the head, he placed a finger in a pool of blood that had not yet quiet congealed. Kurama nearly gagged as the shadow stuck the finger in its mouth. The blood was real too.
"Satisfied?" he asked hoarsely, glaring at the far wall. He felt the smirk that broke out on the shadow's hidden face.
"You truly amaze me," the shadow said almost admiringly. "I never thought you, the Great Youko Kurama who betrayed us and became human, would really do this. As promised, I'll take you to the Koorime."
Kurama nodded, keeping his eyes off the table. Just looking at that thing made him sick. It may have been his mother's idea, and he had to admit it had been a good one, but it still made him want the retch. The weight of the sack as he had carried it, the smell of the drying blood… He was going to have nightmares for weeks.
The shadow re-wrapped the gruesome package and Kurama breathed a sigh of relieve as it was stashed in some hidden compartment in the room. He knew better than to look. He had once been a thief after all. Watching another hide their loot was a good way to get killed.
"Come," the shadow said, walking briskly by him and out the door. "Let us go."
(xxx)
Hiei was in a light sleep when the sound of the door opening woke him. Groggily he sat up and was slightly startled to see Rui enter. His sense of time had improved over the last two months and though with no external source of light he couldn't be sure, he thought it was somewhere around midnight.
She seemed worried, looking over her shoulder and scanning the hall not once but three times before closing the door. Once it was closed she hurried to his side and pulled a key from her sleeve. She put it into the shackle on his left wrist and turned. The metal band opened, releasing him.
"Rui!" he hissed, surprised. "What are you doing? They'll kill you!" 'They'll kill me! And my child!' he added mentally, staring at her with wide eyes. For the first time in weeks she smiled.
"It's alright. That doesn't matter now," she said, reaching across him to unlock his other hand. With his freed hand he grabbed her.
"Rui, what…?" he searched her eyes, trying to find an explanation. All he found, however, was peace. Such a serene and complete peace that he was taken aback and his grip slipped from her. She took the moment to free his other arm and then swiftly moved on to his legs.
When they too were free he sat up fully, rubbing his wrists and ankles. He felt slightly dazed. What was going on? Still smiling Rui produced a black bag and handed it to him.
"Your teargems," she explained when he raised an eyebrow. "I didn't want them to know you had shed them. I guessed you wouldn't either." She was silent for a moment before she added, "I hope you don't mind, I borrowed one." He frowned at her, confused.
"Rui, what is this? What are you planning?" She sighed deeply. When she met his gaze again the smile was back. She took his hand in both of hers.
"I'm fixing it, all of it. I'm atoning for all I've done," she said. He frowned deeper. He was about to say something else, but she pulled sharply on his arm and he lurched forward off the table.
Two months of lying on a freezing table had turned his legs to jelly and he nearly collapsed. Rui, however, had been anticipating this and caught him, steadying him until he could stand on his own. When he was finally standing upright she took a step forward, pulling him along. His steps were shaky and unsteady. He felt like a child learning how to walk. There were very few people in any of the words he would allow to see him like this. He was surprised to find Rui was one of them.
"Wait, Rui, where are we going?" he whispered as they reached the door. She smiled, still supporting him.
"You'll see. Now you have to be quiet. If we get caught now it's over," she opened the door quietly.
Hiei nodded and allowed himself to be led through the door and down many halls. A few times he tried to summon his energy but found that after being locked so far inside of him for two months it was slow in returning. The child sucking, by now, nearly a quarter of it away wasn't helping either.
He was brought out of his thoughts as they reached another set of doors. She opened them and he was blasted with a cold wind of swirling snow. Shielding his face with one hand he let her drag him out into the snow. She approached a beast tethered to a pole a few yards away. It was scaly and lizard like, though it also resembled a ningen horse. Leathery wings were folded at either side and the thing eyed him with the weary eyes of an animal who has known praise as well as punishment from its masters.
"This Ekiuma will take you safely back to the boarders of the Ningenkai," Rui explained hurriedly. Hiei just stared at her, blinking dumbly. Was this really happening? She was really just going to let him go?
Suddenly she threw her arms around him. He stiffened, unsure of what to do, to push her away or not. Awkwardly, he raised his own arms and returned the hug, though less enthusiastically.
"I'm glad I got the chance to know you like this," she whispered. She pulled back, a tearful smile on her face. Gently, in a motherly way, she kissed his forehead just above the Jagan. He stiffened again but again did nothing against the action.
"Now go on," she couldn't seem to decide if she wanted to laugh or cry and settled somewhere in between, her voice choked with laughter as the wind whipped teargems from her eyes.
"Go! Go back to your lover and your home! Live your life! Be happy!" she shouted after him as he stumbled, still caught in a daze and not fully believing what was happening, towards the Ekiuma. The creature again gave him a look of weary distrust, but allowed him to climb on. He hung tight to the reins as the creature turned and began to gallop towards the edge of the ice world. He turned back, hoping to catch a last glimpse of Rui, but the snow was too thick and she was gone from sight.
(xxx)
"Take my hand."
"Excuse me?" Kurama eyed the offered hand wearily. He wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea of touching his 'guide'.
"Do you have a better way of getting there?" the shadow inquired. Kurama was silent. "That's what I thought. Take my hand."
Kurama remembered how that very hand had roamed Koenma's head, tasted the prince's blood. He shivered in disgust, but took the hand. It felt cold, dead.
"Hold on," the shadow instructed. Kurama had barely heard the words before his center of balance was ripped from him and he suddenly had the sensation that he was being pulled in a hundred directions at once.
Then he landed head first in something cold and wet. He sat up, sputtering, and looked around. Everything was white. Snow. He turned to look beside him, but the shadow was nowhere to be seen. Apparently Anei considered the teleportation to the Koorime homeland the end of their arrangement. Not that Kurama was complaining. The sooner they parted company the better.
He stood up, brushing himself off. Vaguely he wondered which way to go. Every direction appeared the same, white all around. He turned in place a few times, trying to find something to give him bearing. On his third cycle he thought he spotted the outline of something moving towards him threw the snow. The blizzard raging around him limited his vision to only a few yards. He squinted; trying to make out what it was that was moving towards him. Then his eye widened.
(xxx)
Hiei was lost in thought once more. What was Rui up too? Why had she wanted his teargem? What importance did it serve? He was pondering it when the creature he was riding gave an almost startled snort.
He looked up. There was something up ahead. No, he corrected himself, not something, someone. He brought a hand up to kept the snow from his eyes and squinted, trying to see who it was. His eyes widened as he caught a snatch of crimson from beneath the being's maroon hood. It couldn't be…could it?
His mind racing, he yanked back on the reins as hard as he could. The Ekiuma snorted and skidded through the snow, sliding sideways before finally stopping. The creature stamped its feet, obviously annoyed, but Hiei ignored it. Scrambling down he half crawled half ran through the snow. He stopped a foot in front of the being in the maroon cloak. They studied each other for a moment. He barely dared to hope…
"Hiei?" the voice was hesitant and unbelieving. A slender hand reached up and pulled back the hood, exposing long crimson hair to the wind and bright emerald orbs. Hiei was trembling.
"Kurama?" his own voice was barely a whisper, almost stolen away by the wind. He took a step forward but his legs, already weak from disuse and now weakened even further by shock, gave out. Kurama was there in an instant, both of them on their knees, holding him. Hiei returned the hug desperately, pulling Kurama as close to him as he could. No words were exchanged. No words were needed. There would be time for words later. Now, they weren't important.
Despite his overwhelming happiness, however, something still nagged at the back of Hiei's mind. Something about Rui and teargems, but he forced it away. He had his fox back and that was all that mattered at the moment.
(xxx)
Rui entered the Elder's chamber calmly. The other four were already there.
"Rui, what is the meaning of this?" the eldest asked, obviously still half asleep.
"Yeah!" another added. "What's so important that we have to meet now? It's the middle of the night!"
"All sins must be repaid eventually. Now it's our turn," Rui said simply. The others were instantly awake. Taking a small black sphere from her sleeve she held it up for all to see.
"Do you know what this is?" she asked coolly. The others stared blankly but the eldest's eyes widened.
"A teargem cried by the imiko," she breathed. The others looked at her, unsure what to make of that.
"Correct," Rui answered. "Do you know what a teargem really is?"
"What are you getting at, Rui?" the eldest asked. She was beginning to get a bad feeling. Rui ignored the question.
"A teargem is a solidification of the energy of the one who sheds it. All of that energy is contained in a very small space and if the gem is destroyed, it will release all of the energy very quickly. In essence, it is a bomb."
The eldest was beginning to catch on now, but said nothing. She didn't believe Rui would really do it. The others, still confused, understood that this was between Rui and the eldest and kept quiet.
"This gem was shed by an A class demon," Rui continued. "Therefore, it is a very BIG bomb." Feeding her own energy into the gem, Rui froze all the moisture in it. It was now a very brittle and unstable bomb.
"Rui," the eldest said quietly, "you don't want to do this."
"You have no idea what I want!" Rui spat. "And anyway, it doesn't matter if I want it or not. It has to be done."
"Rui," the eldest tried again, sweat beginning to accumulate on her wrinkled brow. "Think about what you're doing."
"I have thought about it. I've thought about it long and hard. We owe him this. You know it and so do I."
"Who do we owe? The imiko? We owe him nothing!" the eldest agued. Rui just smiled.
"You see, that's why you're going to hell." And then the frozen teargem burst against the floor.
(xxx)
Hiei gasped as a wave of energy, his energy, washed over him. In a flash he understood. Rui! But it was too late. Even before the energy had faded he felt lighter; as if some great weight had been lifted from him. The curse was broken. And that could only mean one thing. The Elders were dead, and so was Rui.
He suddenly felt very tired. So much had happened in such a short time. It was too much. It was all just too much! He griped tighter to Kurama as the edges of his vision swam in darkness. The redhead called his name in concern but he barely heard the cries. His last thought was of Rui's farewell, what she had said.
"Go back to your lover and your home! Live your life! Be happy!"
Then he fainted.