Disclaimer: Another day, another chapter about a show that I don't own...

Chapter 4

(A.N. Alrighty, I need to say two things: first, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! and second, somethings in this chapter may contradict things said in the previous chapters. I am writing this with no peticular plan so... you see the issue... Anyways, enjoy and review!)

I would first like to point out that the room was pink. I hate the color pink. I'm not a Goth or anything, but I just can't stand that color.

The second thing I noticed was that a very small person, toddler size to be exact, was sitting behind a desk that would have swallowed me up. The kid behind the desk wore a blue tunic tied with a red belt over puffy yellow pants that tightened around his ankles. Oh, and aridiculously tall, blue hat sat atop his head. It had to be as tall as he was. He looked like a kid playing dress-up or something. I would like to mention that the pacifier didn't help at all.

Botan stood at his right, so I assumed that the kid was Koenma. Yusuke and Kazuma stood near her, but a little farther to the right, along with Kurama, I think his name was. To my surprise, Yukina was also there. Hiei made his was over to them as stopped next to Kurama.

"Welcome, Miss Tsukishi. I am Koenma, Ruler of the Spirit World."

I guess it was time to get down to business.

"So I thought. Um, before we get started, can I ask you a question?"

He looked a little weary but nodded anyway.

"Okay then, well, shouldn't you be older or something?"

Yusuke burst out laughing, followed by Kazuma. The little tike behind the desk turned bright red. I almost felt bad for embarrassing him. Almost.

Koenma coughed, clearing his throat. "Is that out of your system?"

Hiding a small smile, I nodded.

"Good. Now, I know this may be difficult, but you need to tell us all you know about your kidnappers. We need to know everything that you do. This is of the utmost importance."

"You sure I can't just hunt him down and kill him?" I was joking. I swear... Okay, not really.

Spirit World's ruler frowned, glancing at Botan. "I'm afraid we can't let you do that, Miss Tsukishi-

"Please just call me Kira. This isn't exactly a formal type of meeting. Under the circumstances, my first name will do just fine."

"Right, Kira, like I was saying, we can't let you do that. It would not only endanger you, but it would be like handing you over to them. That would not be wise."

I shrugged, not really caring. It didn't matter what he said now. As soon as I finish my story, I'm getting out of here and hunting that son of a bitch down, and killing him. "Where do you want me start?" I ask out loud.

"At the beginning."

I hate answers like that. I really considered starting with the day I was born, and then telling him my life story, which, by the way, isn't a very fun story to listen to either, or live, for that matter. But I didn't want to be here too long so I humored him.

"I was in my family's shrine in Kyoto..." As I told my story, or what I remembered of it, I could see it happening as if I was there all over again.

FLASHBACK

I was preparing for a scrying ritual. Gazing into the flames, I lost my awareness of the outside world. I never heard them coming.

A clawed hand wrapped around my face, forcing my mind back to the waking world with a startled scream. I struggled, throwing off my attacker with relative ease. He was not a high level demon. I had just enough time to wonder how they got through my wards when the next demon lunged. Then another and another. I think there are about fifteen of them, maybe more. All were low-level, and not hard to beat back.

Then he walked in.

His aura was different than the others. He was definitely more powerful. Much more powerful. He looked around, smiling, at the dead bodies of he other demons.

"Good, you are all we had hoped you would be, mage." His voice flows over me, a minor exertion of will to try and influence me. I push back with my own mind, causing him to smile further. "And maybe more than we hoped."

"Who are you?" I demand. "What do want with me, Demon?"

"You may call me Mizuru. Your soul and your power. That is what we desire. What else is there?" With those words, he extends his hand and I feel the beginnings of a spell. I throw up my own shields of fire, feeling confidant that he won't break them.

I should have known better.

Water formed a bubble around me, dousing my flames. I burst a hole through one side, diving for one of the swords on the wall.

"Hush little mage, it will only hurt more if you fight." He spoke as if I was a not to bright child as tendrils of water curled around my limbs. He comes closer, just inches away from me. Once again, I break free of the water, turning it to nothing but steam. Slashing with the katana, I wound him across the stomach, drawing blood.

He looks shocked. I take advantage of his surprise, slashing again and again, using skills honed by many years of training. I was sure I was beating him back...until he grabbed the blade of my sword. He smiled again.

"So, kitten has claws."

I yank the sword back, then lung forward to strike again. Again he calls vines made of water, and this time, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't evaporate them. They just replenished themselves again and again, with no end to their supply.

May I mention that I never, as a rule, liked the element water very much?

A bubble encloses itself over my head, suffocating me. I try holding my breath. Mizuru found this hysterical. "You do realize its useless, little cat. No matter how long you hold your breath, I will last longer."

Despite this, I continued to hold it, lasting about three minutes. I gasp, instinctively trying for oxygen, but only finding water. I choke. I fight my bonds, but, of course, I didn't break them. Liquid filled my lungs, constricting them.

I passed into darkness.

End Flashback

"I don't know how they transported me to the Demon World," I say to my silent audience. "They kept me drugged or something, because I never roused for, what I was told, a few days."

"You woke up in the tower?" Koenma asked me, leaning forward.

"Yes."

"What happened next?"

"I'm getting there..."

Flashback

The cell is dark, and circular. I'm suspended by a single chain that is attached to manacles around my wrists. My bare feet barely brush the ground. I'm dressed in a thin, white kimono that falls to just above my knees. I try to melt the chains, but my power only slides off. The metal is spelled. It was too much to hope that they wouldn't be.

I hang there for I don't know how long. Maybe hours, maybe days. I slip in and out of consciousness, knowing that that they must have drugged me. I feel sluggish, and it almost causes me physical pain to reach for my core, my power.

Then Mizuru came to visit. With friends of course.

"Kira, how are we today?" His smooth voice grates on my nerves. I glare at him, saying nothing. "Oh, don't be that way, fire cat, we only want one little thing from you."

"One little thing," I say in disbelief, "Your joking. I wouldn't call my soul 'little'."

He smiled and I wanted to cut it out of his face with a dull knife. A very dull knife. "It wouldn't be painful, Kira. Just let us have your soul, and it will all be over." His voice took on an echoing quality. Pushing its way into my head, planting the suggestion.

"Get out of my head, mother fucker!" I scream, shoving him out forcefully, causing him to actually take a step back. He glared and I smiled. "That's it, isn't it? You can only plant a suggestion, but you can't make me do it. You need me to give up my power willingly. Now why is that, I wonder?"

He seemed to think for a while, and then shrugged. "You won't live through this either way, so I guess it won't matter if you know something."

God, what an idiot. Doesn't he watch TV? The bad guy tells the good guy his plans, and then the good guy escapes and kills the bad guy's ass. Of course, as good guys go, I'm no role model.

"We need it to restore something that has been lost to us. We need five of each compass element. We have our five earth mages. They gave in the easiest; after all, they aren't warriors. We also possess five souls from air mages. Five water elementals have been collected as well. But fire... Fire has proven most difficult. We have only been able to procure two so far. Your kind seems to be too stubborn for the breaking process. We barely managed the first two, and the last one died during...persuasion. I hope you won't be so stupid. It was a very painful death."

"Bite me," I offered.

His face hardened. "Have it your way." Mizuru turned to the other demons that had entered with him. I scanned them. All were mid-level demons that I could have burned to ashes in a heartbeat if my powers were free. Mizuru told them, "You know what to do. Just don't kill her like the other one. If you do, you will regret it. Remember what happened to the one's who killed the last mage."

I could have sworn those other demon's shivered.

"I hope you enjoy the special attention you are about to receive, little cat." Those were his parting words as he slammed the metal door behind him as he exited.

I turned my attention to the other demons. There were five of them, each holding some evil looking tools. I spotted whips, daggers, swords, clubs... and other things I didn't know what too call. I guess my "special attention" was going to be torture.

Crack!

A whip opened a gash along my shoulder blades. I clamped my jaw, refusing to scream. Another lash, opening another wound down my spin. I felt two different blades bite into my skin on either side of me. Again, I didn't make a sound. I felt the blood running down my sides and back. I heard it drip onto the stone floor.

"A stubborn one," one demon growled. "We are going to have much fun with this one."

He friends cackled in agreement. Another remarked, "Even the other ones fainted."

A club hit me mid-back, breaking nothing, but undoubtibly leaving one hell of a bruise. A second swing from a demon in front of me forced me to cough up blood.

End Flashback

"Everyday, or at least whenever I regained consciousness, there was a session of that..." I trailed off, retreating into the farthest reaches of my mind, willing myself not to cry. I didn't cry or scream during the experience, and I wasn't about to do it now.

"So, as far as you know, none of the other girls lived or escaped." I was glad no one offered pity or sympathy. I would have gone homicidal if they pitied me, and sympathy would have caused a complete emotional breakdown.

"No, no one escaped them..."

"But you did."

I looked at Botan, who had spoken. "Yeah...I did..." Again, I didn't offer anything else.

"Then how did you escape?" That was Koenma.

I swallowed convulsively, fighting for composure. I would tell this part without breaking. I would. I opened my mouth...and closed it again. I looked down at the floor. A cool hand rested on my shoulder, bringing my eyes back up. I found Yukina's kind ruby gaze fixed on me.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

No, I wanted to say, but I just nodded, giving her a small smile of thanks. I expected her to pull away, and go back and stand next to Botan or someone, but instead she squeezed my shoulder and took my hand in hers.

"I think you should sit down, Kira. You're pale as snow," she told me, glancing over at Koenma.

The kid nodded, "Ogre!"

A blue demon I hadn't seen before poked his head through the doors behind me. "Yes, Lord Koenma?"

"Bring another chair for Kira."

"Right away."

A couple of seconds later, I found myself sitting in a purple chair with Yukina still holding my hand. I smiled at her. "Thanks. I'm okay now."

She nodded and let go, going and standing in between Kurama and Hiei. I waited a few more moments, trying to postpone the inevitable. Eventually I took a deep breath and continued, telling them about how I had managed to escape.

Flashback

"I hope you realize that this is utterly useless, kitten," Mizuru remarked on the fifth day of torture. I was exhausted, the chains, it seemed, also absorbed my energy, not just bound it. I had thrashed and kicked my torturers, even injuring some of them, but in the end, that had only wasted energy.

"Not to me," I growl, "Maybe you should just kill me."

"Oh no, kitten, I'm not letting you go just yet. I've found something that just might convince you to yield to me."

"Oh really?" My inquiry ends with a hacking cough that spouts nothing but blood. "I thought you would have learned that, by now, pain isn't an issue with me."

"Pain? Is that what you think I'm going to try? Oh, poor,naive little cat, you have no idea what is in store for you..." He smiled darkly as the door opened behind him. A humanoid demon entered the chamber.

He had darkbrown skin and black eyes and hair. He was tall, probably about 6'4, and wore only a pair of nondescript, dark colored pants.

"Is she the one we have been trying to break?" he asked Mizuru.

"Yes, she is, Dojitsu, she is. Do you like her?"

"Oh yes... I will be glad to help you with this one, Mizuru. In fact, I think I will even enjoy myself."

"Good." Mizuru made a sharp motion with his right hand and the chain suspending me jerked, lowering me to the ground, the shackles around my wrists springing open. My legs refused to hold my weight and I collapsed to the ground, cursing.

"Ah, such a fiery spirit, you have. We are going to have so much fun," the new demon, Dojitsu, remarks. I'm not stupid. I know exactly what he means. My body begins to shake as fear takes over. I try to control myself. I won't break. Not for anything. I won't give them what they want. I won't.

I feel around me, trying to find anything helpful without being noticed. My fingers close around a piece of a broken blade that one of my tortures had left behind. I curl my right hand around it, ignoring the sting as it bites into my flesh.

"I'll leave her to you, Dojitsu." Mizuru walked out.

Dojitsu focused on me as he approached. His very body language is predatory. He says nothing as he grabs me by both arms. I don't struggle as he forces me onto my back, pinning my wrists above my head. He is not the first to do this, and I know when to strike. I bide my time, hoping for the opening I need before... Before he completes what he's come here to do.

He forces his knee between my legs opening them. I still don't struggle. "You have lost your spirit already, human?" he asks heatedly, rubbing himself against me suggestively. I am silent. "Have I already broken you?" he asks, letting go of my right wrist and groping my breast. Then he continued to run his violating hand all over my body.

Now is my chance.

"You wish, you filthy son of a bitch!" I scream as I bring the sharp shard down upon his neck, going for the jugular artery. Blood spurts and covers my hand, making it hard to grip the metal. Dojitsu howls in pain.

With all my remaining strength, I kick off his heavy body, and roll to the side. I manage to hold on to the blade. I lunge; grabbing him by the neck and rolling him, putting him face down under me.

I slit his throat from ear to ear with onejagged stroke.

I ease off and retreat to a wall, taking deep breaths. I got up, and still clutching the shard of metal, I pull on the door handle. I almost cry with relief when I find it isn't locked. A short hallway lies before me. There are no other doors except the one across from this one.

I make my way slowly, cautiously. The other door opens easily and I find a spiraling staircase leading downward. I follow it, passing other doors that I assume lead to the other levels.

I couldn't believe that I had made it to the courtyard with out running into anyone. It was easy. And at the risk of sound too cliché, too easy.

This is why it only surprised me a little when I found Mizuru waiting for me in the courtyard at the base of the tower.

"Well, fire cat, I guess we underestimated you."

"Yeah," I spit out some blood, "you did."

"You have two minutes."

That caught me off guard. "W-what?"

"I will give a two minute head start, after which the hunting dogs and I will be coming after you. Of course, since we are on a plateau, I don't know where you'd run to." He was smiling again. That damned malevolent smile that I hated so fucking much.

I didn't give him an answer; I turned and ran as fast as my legs would carry me.

End Flashback

I sat silently for a moment, and then continued, "I ran through the woods. True to his word, I heard dogs running behind me after a couple of minutes. I made it to the cliff and..."

"And what?" Koenma pressed.

"And I jumped."

"You what!"

"I jumped. I figured that if I was dead, since there seemed to be no other way at the time, they couldn't take my soul. So I jumped. I never considered I'd survive the fall, but I did. They you guys found me, and now I'm here." I was finished. Thank God. I let a breath of relief and sank down in my chair, closing my eyes. I figured I could leave after I took a little nap.

I heard Koenma say, "I need some time to think on this. Yusuke, Kuwabara, you two can go back to the human world for now. I'll send Botan for you when I have a plan. Yukina, could you please escort Kira back to her room? Hiei, Kurama? I want you two to stay here or go with Yusuke, I don't care which. I'll find you when I need you."

I opened my eyes wearily as Yukina tapped me on the shoulder. I got up and followed out of the room, leaving everyone else to do as they were asked.

Hiei's P.O.V...

"Hiei?"

I turn and face Kurama. "What is it?"

"Are you going with Yusuke?" the fox demon asks.

"No."

"Really?"

"Hn."

We were standing out in the hall after the others had gone. Kurama came and stood next to me. "That girl, Kira, is quite extraordinary, don't you think?"

"If you say so," I tell him. Why would he ask that? It's not like I care. "I wouldn't know."

Kurama smiles slightly. "Oh, I think youdo, Hiei. I think you have."

"Just what do mean by that?" I ask quietly.

"You couldn't seem to stop looking at her, my friend. And, if I'm not mistaken, I could smell concern in your aura."

I glare at him. Sometimes Kurama could be too observant for his own good. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kurama." I leave him there, not wanting anymore questions.

I didn't want him to know that he was right.