Hearts Held Captive

Chapter Two: A String of Revelations

"Botan?" Hinageshi asked as her small fingers clasped themselves around the edge of the slightly open door. "Are you here?"

The ferry girl looked up from her seat at her desk, calling out to her friend. "Yes. Yes, I'm here." She promptly rose from her place to open the door fully, exposing the worried red head. Botan shook her head absent mindedly as she sniffed a little. "I'm sorry. Please come in."

Hinageshi walked into her friend's quarters and sat on her bed, her eyes falling onto Botan's ruined dress. She touched the fabric thoughtfully. "Ah, the coffee spill…" She remarked as she smiled warmly at Botan's broken expression. "It's not the end of the world. We can fix it." Hinageshi glanced down, not failing to notice the redness of her amethyst eyes as they stared at the wall.

"No we can't. That's my only dress, and the stain won't come out. I've tried. Maybe I just shouldn't go." She heaved her shoulders in a sigh as she lay full out on her bed beside her sitting friend.

Hinageshi cocked an eyebrow. "Right and what fun would that be?" She grabbed Botan's arm and tried to pull her up. The fellow ferry girl just stared at her in indifference. "I mean how many times does Koenma actually throw a party. Everyone's going to be there. Who knows, maybe you'll meet someone new! The way I hear it, love is in the air." She nudged Botan's elbow cheerily. "And anyways," Hinageshi continued standing up, "I happen to have an extra dress that would look excellent on you!"

"I don't know if I even want to go anymore. I couldn't think of a present for Koenma and I've been thinking about it forever. There's nothing I could give him."

Hinageshi scoffed at the comment, "Please, you give your life to the guy. I'm sure he won't notice that one person didn't give him a present. He probably won't even look at the tags on his gifts; he'll be too busy ripping them apart. So are you gonna come to the party?" Botan gave a nervous frown. "Come on, you can't leave me to fend for myself. Please go, for me?" Hinageshi bent down and applied her puppy dog eye affect, sure to sway Botan's decision.

Luckily, it elicited a smile from her target. Hinageshi grabbed her arm excitedly as she dragged her from the room. They both giggled girlishly, and Botan almost forgot about Koenma and Ayame.

Almost.

Hiei stared dumbfounded at the sheet of parchment Yuka handed to Kurama. "What the hell?" He turned his head to Tsutamae's right hand minion in disbelief. "There's no information given on that sheet of dead tree at all. We have a floor map of the Rekai palace and a room number. What are we supposed to do?"

"Remember, this is Kurama's job Hiei. Just leave it all to him." Yuka grabbed Kurama's chin with her long nails, making him look into her dark eyes. "And you Kurama, all you need to do is kill the one who walks into the room after the party. Do it however you want, but you know…I've always liked it messy. Paint the walls with blood kitsune."

Kurama grabbed her wrist and growled, his primal nature taking over temporarily. "How many times do I have to tell you, don't touch me." Yuka wrenched her arm from his grasp, taking a step back.

"By the way, why do I have to be there in particular?" Hiei questioned nonchalantly, as if bored. "If Kurama's going to be the one carrying it out then why would my presence be even slightly necessary?"

Yuka laughed as she began to back slowly out of the room, hanging idly at the doorway. "Think of yourself as the babysitter. We can't very well leave our little Kurama all alone so soon after his earlier episode. I had to monitor him quite closely on his last kill, and though it was impressive, Tsutamae and I would feel much better if he had a little chaperone with him." She walked out the door, only to pop her head back in from around the corner. "By the way, it's Koenma's birthday party tonight. As the party ends and the people start to leave, make your way to the room and wait for her. Tsutamae has your clothes ready so you'll blend in rather well before you have to slip away. Don't do anything stupid."

"Hn. Great. A party." Hiei fumed silently as he thought about it. "Their idiocy seems to have no limits, how reassuring…"

"What?" Kurama asked seriously. "You don't like to dance?" He tried to keep a straight face, but broke into a small grin at Hiei's deadened look. "Yes, I supposed you would have such a reaction." He sighed. "Have you ever worn a tuxedo?"

"A what?"

"It's formal ningen clothing. Very uncomfortable. I'm pretty sure you'll hate it."

"What don't I hate?" Hiei asked logically.

The words made Kurama's grin widen. The fire demon was quite an interesting person to have a conversation with; of course, there really weren't many others around. Few lived long enough to make any alliances. "Have you told her you maybe be gone for a few days?"

"I'm going to right after I finish this pointless conversation." He stopped and shot back, "Have you?"

Kurama bowed his head, "I told her I was going on a school trip." He ran his hand through a shock of his red hair. "You know, it doesn't matter how many lies I tell her, it never gets any easier. Every one is just as hard to tell as the first."

Hiei nodded. "Some are just natural born liars I guess, but you being a thief I figured you would be better at it."

"It can be hard…to lie to those you love. I think that's it."

"I wouldn't know."

"If that were true you wouldn't be here." Kurama said knowingly and stared at the fire demon, attempting to push something out of him, but yet, to no avail.

"I'll see you later tonight. Don't be late." Hiei avoided the challenge, not bothering to be inconspicuous, just closing off any other chances for words. He took a right down the hallway, grabbing a torch and strode quickly down a wide corridor to the kitchens. He walked briskly around creating a meal out of the scanty sources provided. He placed them on a cold metal plate, filled a cup with tea, and carried it down the hallway to an abandoned room.

Inside there was nothing interesting, just cobwebs and dust on the few pieces of ancient looking furniture. Scattered bits of random objects littered the floor and Hiei stepped on them without taking notice. He lifted the tattered carpet that lay in the center of the room, holding his breath as a great cloud of dust rose from its disturbed threads. He kept his gaze on the door as he felt around his pocket for the key to the lock.

He found it quickly and bent down to the uncovered entrance, swiftly unlocking it and walking down the cold stones steps concealed beyond the hidden door. He ducked below and made his way deliberately towards the only doorway in the tiny corridor. As he unlocked it and turned the handle, he cracked the door open only widely enough to slip himself and the tray of food inside.

"Hello." Said the cell's inhabitant quietly, her deep red eyes were soft as she smiled at him. "I was hoping you would come soon." She sat up from her chair and neatly smoothed her kimono.

"You must be hungry then." Hiei replied gruffly as he placed the meal before her. "Eat now." He made no indication of affection as she did, with her small smiles, but he watched her silently as she picked up a spoon and began to thoughtfully sip her soup.

"It's good. Thank you." She said simply and bowed her head slightly in an act of respect and gratitude. "But your food isn't the only reason I look forward to your visits."

"I didn't cook your food." He lied as he was dealing with the bewilderment from her last comment. He just stared at her questioningly, and as she took another sip she noticed his perplexed gaze and responded.

"I don't know why, but you make me feel…not so alone I guess, like you almost…" She trailed off and laughed at herself. "Never mind. I was just being silly." She cast her eyes downward, like stopping herself from finishing her sentence was painful.

There was silence for a while; just the sparse sounds of the girl eating filled the room. She finished after a few minutes, and she let the spoon fall to the bottom of the empty bowl with a clang. Her fingers tentatively reached for the small loaf of bread and ripped it in half. "Would you like some?" She asked in that same tone of voice she always spoke in.

Hiei almost wanted to cringe. He glanced at her for a moment and looked away. To him, she was so pure, too pure to be in such an awful place, to be tainted by such awful things, to be kin to such a despicable character as himself.

How can…she even stand to be in the same room as I am…

He had stood there in that daze for several moments, long enough for the girl to make her way beside him and to tap him worriedly on the shoulder. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Her sudden appearance beside him startled Hiei a good deal and he jumped slightly. He regained his composure quickly enough and replied. "Of course." He walked right past her and began to collect the dishes, leaving her the two full glasses of milk and water. He started towards the door when he stopped.

"I won't be here tomorrow. Someone else will bring you your food."

"Will you be here the day after?"

He closed his eyes as he took his first step beyond the door. He could feel her eyes burning into his back like a cigarette, her gentle breaths indicating her concern. It was always like this, every time. "You really shouldn't ask so many questions Yukina."

And with that, he shut the door.

"Be careful…" She whispered.

"So what's wrong with Botan again?" Keiko questioned hesitantly. She sat at one of the tables, covered in white silk table cloths as Koenma's workers ran around shouting orders to one another. She kept her hands curled slightly in her lap as she leaned forward to try and make sense of Yusuke's answer.

The detective looked at her exasperatedly and ran a hand through his hair as he went through the explanation once more. "She didn't brush her teeth. I mean something has to be wrong if you don't brush your teeth."

"Yusuke, this is the fifth time you've told me this and it still doesn't make any sense. Could you please tell me something useful? Anything?"

"Well geez, I don't know. Just girly problems I guess. She was ranting on and on. I barely caught any of it."

Keiko frowned. "But you did hear that extra helpful bit about how she forgot to brush her teeth. That's just great." She stood up from her seat and began to walk away hurriedly. "I'm going to go look for her and to find out what's really wrong."

Yusuke drummed the tabletop impatiently as he watched his girlfriend rise from her chair. "You don't even know where to look for her. I don't even know where she is. What are you going to do? …Wander around like a ghost?" He began to chuckle from his own little joke. He received a look of disapproval.

"At least I'll be a bigger help than you are. Some friend…" She sauntered off into the hallway and didn't bother looking back.

"Hey!" Yusuke shouted as he jumped out of his seat in defense. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!" He waited a moment for a response, but when the only thing that returned to his ears was silence, he slumped down in his seat. "I hate it when she's right." He muttered before taking off down another corridor.

Keiko strode with purpose as she cursed Yusuke under her breath. "Inconsiderate pig, lazy, stupid, oblivious. Where is his mind? I thought he cared about his friends. When we're all off in a life or death situation he's all for sacrifice, but when we get back home it's back to being an apathetic slob. He's such a jerk. Jerk, jerk, je—" She stopped her quiet ramble when she heard soft laughter in a nearby room.

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Please? It's my birthday!"

Keiko slid silently towards the door where the voices were coming from. The first one was distinctly feminine and distinctly flirty, yet she could not place it with a name. It merely sounded familiar. The second voice was Koenma. There was no doubt about that. The door was ajar, left open a good seven inches. Keiko could not sate the need to see who was in the room with the Prince of Rekai.

"It doesn't matter. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"I really don't like surprises. It's my day; I should be able to get what I want right?" Koenma's voice was tainted with a flirtatious twang. It made Keiko cringe as she neared her destination.

There was more soft laughter and then silence.

Keiko maneuvered her head around towards the crack and peered inside. She wasn't quite ready for what she saw. The second voice was indeed Koenma and the first was Ayame. Yet that wasn't what sent her into shock. It was the fact that they were…kissing. Keiko stood there for a good minute, her mouth agape, waiting for the couple to separate. They took no notice of anything or anyone, save themselves. It was enough to make her blush and cause her mind to wonder if something like this had ever happened to her and Yusuke…

She would have stood there all day if that's how long Koenma and Ayame stayed 'connected' to one another, but Yusuke had spotted her far down the opposite end of the hall. He wasn't quite sure what she was doing at the time. He began jogging towards her, Keiko not realizing he was even there.

"Hey Keiko!" He hollered as he peeked in the room that she seemed to be so amazed by. "Why are you just—holy shit!" He stumbled over Keiko, watching Koenma and Ayame pull apart. Their faces were the same shade of a guilty, guilty red.

"H-how long have you been standing there?" The Prince's voice was strung high and tight. Even in his older, post pubescent teenage form his voice sounded young and girlish from the sudden situation on his hands.

"I—uh—I…" Keiko offered as her stare shifted from face to face. First to Koenma's, then to Ayame's, then to Yusuke's.

"All I know is that I saw you two suckin' face. Since when did that happen!" The couple looked stricken as they stared at one another. "Keiko, did you know about this?" They all stared at her once again, and their gazes did not shift, but stayed locked on their target.

"I—uh—I…IhavetogofindBotanI'msosorrybye."

Replies to Reviewers:

Hirui no Shadow: Yes, I like these types of stories too. That's why I decided to write one! I'm sorry I didn't update quite as soon as you would have liked. You even said please. ( Thank you for being polite and I hope to not disappoint you quite so much in the future.

animegirl007: Man, I can't wait to kill them too! My fingers are just itching to do those suckers in. But if I did the story would end quite abruptlyand it might not make too much sense. So many consequences either way. Believe me, the time shall come...I hope.

Lady of Roses: Bah, blasted spells. Those are some pretty evil characters, yes? I'm hoping to vomit up another chapter of this rather soon and have Kurama and Botan's meeting included. I hope their reactions towards one another will meet your approval. )

Kuramazlilsis: I hope this chapter wasn't quite as sad. There were moments, but hopefully it wasn't as angsty. This story will have it's tragedy, but with all tragedy comes a bit of happiness to balance things out. Here's the update. Hehe...I'm an irresponsible writer...

crescentmooncat: I hope I get Kurama and Botan meeting each other in my next chapter. I hope I update really quick too. >

JDFielding: I am SO very flattered that you reviewed my story. You're a legend here. At least you are in my book, but I know for a fact that many others share my opinion. Feel free to point out mistakes. I would be honored. I know my first mistake was not updating for about nine or ten months...nervous laughter Thanks for your time though. I was ecstatic!

TaintedInuShemeeko: Hello my buddy! -lol- I wish I could be like you and update reasonably. Give me pointers! Haha. Thank you so much for your review. Much love!

Cristina Gomez: Thank you for your review. I'm sorry I didn't update as soon as you would have liked...

Chris: I'm glad you enjoyed my chapters so.

MarialeBenitez: All shall reveal itself in due time...haha. I'm glad you like it! I hopeI can add in some moreinteresting twistsfor you.

Camiyu: I'm sorry it took me so long. Thank you for reviewing though!

Author's Note:

I'm back from the dead. gasp I'm always pulling silly stunts like this. So sorry, really. There is no sarcasm involved in this little entry. I am really, really, really sorry. I'm an awful writer, inconstant, fickle. Everything. Thank you for your reviews. I guess life got busy after a while, fights with friends, falling in love with a friend, moving to another state, writer's block, band trips, tearing my ACL, having surgery, more writer's block, death, anniversaries of death, blah, blah. That's a whole bunch of excuses, but I really am sorry. I had most of this written but I never posted it. I don't know why, but I didn't. So I finished it up like two days ago and I'm hoping that some of you people will read it. I'm going to start working on my other stories too now. Forgive me please.

Reika

Thank you to all of my reviewers. I'm a little behind and a little frazzled + a bazillion other things.