Chapter Eighteen: Defiance of a Misplaced Heart
Hiei left the forest, putting Kitrone behind him. That girl needed to get a life of her own, this was something he already was beginning to feel. He didn't know why she kept showing up, but frankly, he didn't want to know. She was an annoyance that he was more than happy to put behind him.
His thoughts returned once more to Botan's declaration of love. He had thought about this more and more these past couple days, and the more he considered it, the less sense it made. She was a Reikai spirit, that alone made it pointless. Reikai spirits and Makai demons didn't mix well, there was a rivalry there that had lasted for ages. As far back as the birth of Makai, as far as he knew. His kind did not mingle with hers.
What was Kitrone up to? She was a horrible liar. He could see right through her easily, and it wasn't difficult to guess why she hid her eyes. Obviously a spy for the enemy, another inept act from the idiot that was Tsarakino. Hiei was forced to stifle a chuckle at that. So much power bestowed upon a man that didn't have the first clue how to use it. The only thing that idiot had going for him was invulnerability, and even that was questionable. He knew this wouldn't last much longer.
But he had almost taken Botan. Hiei couldn't forget that, and something inside him burned with anger at the thought of it. He remembered her again, her tears, the way she cried and the way he held her. There had been a gentleness in his touch that had surprised even him. He had passed off her approaches and her idiotic crush, but he couldn't forget how strongly his heart had beat in that moment, as he held her crying form. And he certainly couldn't forget the rage he felt towards Tsarakino, the fury he had lashed out at the astral specter with.
And then there was the hellbitch, Megumi. He hadn't known her too long, but he already despised her. She was nothing compared to Botan, just a pathetic, by-the-book worm that needed to be removed from the team. Koenma's decision to put her with them had to have been influenced by stupidity, this was something he was certain of. Of course, many of Koenma's actions had to have been influenced by stupidity. There was no doubt in his mind of that.
She was no Botan. She would never be Botan, she would never have the kind of talent or flair that Botan had always carried with her. And she couldn't even begin to match the kind of cheerful, happy charm that Botan had used to capture his–that Botan kept up. This idiot was nothing like her, and he would be more than happy to see her gone.
He needed to speak to Kurama, there was no doubt of this. Kurama would be able to help him figure things out. Of the people he knew, Kurama was the only one he really trusted, though he wasn't sure if he could trust him with something like this. Part of him told him not to be weak, that this was the wiles of a girl trying to confuse and distort his judgment. But he didn't know what to think, and the rest of him strained to find an explanation.
He needed to speak with Kurama.
Hiei raced across the rooftops, leaping from roof to tree to roof, while his mind consistently returned every time back to her. Part of him wondered why he had listened to Koenma's decision, that none of them, especially him, could see Botan. The other part of him wondered why he even cared.
As much as he refused to admit it, something Kitrone had said had gotten to him. Her words about him being domesticated was beginning to grate at him the more he thought about it. She was wrong, dead wrong. He knew that much. But, the problem was, he hadn't quite figured out what was right. It all went back to Botan. They told him not to speak to her, but that's not why he'd refrained. He had no reason to have contact with her, right?
A sigh of frustration escaped Hiei's lips, as he leapt from the roof to the next tree. His Jigan was guiding his trek, and he knew he was close to Kurama now. He landed softly on the tree branch, and there he was, the fox demon in the guise of the red-haired boy was walking away from the Kuwabara household.
Hiei's eyes spied him carefully, waiting for the perfect time to make his approach. He wanted to make a good entrance, but that was always a challenge with Kurama. The fox was crafty and, above all, observant. He knew that he would need to remain hidden for a while, just to ensure there was no one else around, and to make certain Kurama wouldn't detect him until he wanted him to. After all, Kurama was smart. Kurama was craft and observant. Kurama was constantly aware of his surroundings, and would be difficult to–
SLAM
...Kurama had just walked into a tree. And now, stealth and subtlety fell to the wayside. Hiei had to struggle just to keep from laughing from the sight of Kurama floored by a tree. He couldn't help himself, he had to call attention to it. "The great Kurama taken down by a tree," he mocked. "You know, there is a touch of irony in that."
Kurama's prone form emitted a groan, then mumbled, "Nice to see you too, Hiei." He pushed himself up with his arms, slowly standing himself up, while he came to his senses. "Is there something I can help you with?" He was a bit more irritated than usual, but that was easily due to the pounding headache from the tree. Hiei couldn't help but wonder what could have captured Kurama's attention so thoroughly as to lead him into it.
Hiei opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He found himself questioning the wisdom of his choice here. True, Kurama was the one person he felt safe talking to, but he didn't really feel that he wanted to discuss this. Why had he even come here, he wondered? What was he looking for? What did he want Kurama to tell him? "Nothing," Hiei closed off. "Never mind."
"There's something bothering you." Kurama could read him like a book, always could. "Hiei..."
Hiei cut him off before he could go any further. "What happened to us, Kurama?" That was a question he had pondered for some time, actually. "When did we stop being demons and become...domesticated?" Kitrone's words echoed in his head, and he was beginning to feel that she'd been right. He had allowed his will to be compromised by that of humans and by that of Koenma.
Kurama blinked for a moment at the question. "I'm not sure I understand. I...um...'domesticated' myself, if that's what you mean." He'd been taken completely by surprise by this question.
Hiei's mind was beginning to run faster now. He had once challenged Koenma's rulership, stolen a powerful artifact from Koenma's vault. And now? He had found himself fighting to protect that very same vault. There was a time he had taken what he wanted, a time he would not allow his will to be subverted by the will of another. So why should he listen to Koenma's order that he could not have what he wanted?
"Wait..." Kurama had the eyes of a fox, and his ability to perceive the truth was becoming a nuisance. "Is this about Botan?"
Hiei stumbled around that question. Yes? No? Somewhat? He didn't know! Everything was becoming too confusing, and now he was starting to feel anger begin to well up inside of him. What had that girl done to him! He snarled at Kurama's question, becoming defensive. A demonic growl emitted from his throat as he spoke. "I...no. No, this has nothing to do with Botan," he spoke with confidence, but his eyes betrayed him.
Kurama took a step towards the tree, with quiet contemplation in his eyes. Hiei watched him for a moment, then realized what was happening. Kurama was sizing him up, watching for subtleties of movement and expression. He was reading him, just as he did with everyone he met, to see beneath the masks and facades.
Hiei turned away, quickly, taking off across the rooftops and leaving Kurama back there. Confusion and anger were beginning to blend together inside him, and he didn't need to have Kurama prying over his soul. But this confusion left him, once again, with the question of what he needed to do, what he wanted to do, what he should do. Defiance and apathy fought and struggled within him. He could defy Koenma's orders, and go see Botan. But did he want to see Botan?
What did she do to him? That question returned to his mind, and he found himself becoming more and more angry as it swirled within him. He abandoned the rooftops, leaving back for the forest that he had made his home, as he struggled to figure out what had happened to him. His hand lifted to his forehead, and he rubbed it softly, trying to understand, but finding only questions.
She had done this to him. She had placed him under some kind of power, some kind of manipulation to control him. She had done something to him, he just didn't know what. He didn't have an answer for this, an explanation for why she kept coming to his thoughts, kept returning to his mind. He didn't know why images of her came to him when he was alone in the woods, or why his mind repeatedly flashed back to that moment.
He could feel her sorrow, her despair, out somewhere in Reikai. He could feel the tears she shed echoing softly within his soul, reverberating within his very being. He felt her when he was alone, felt her sadness, and it howled at him like an angry demon, beckoning him to find her. It was as though, somehow, she had taken a piece of his soul with her, and now he didn't know how to handle it.
Botan...what had she done to him? For the dozenth time, he asked that question, but he knew he would not find the answers here, in this forest. He needed to see her. Only she had the answers he needed. He needed to find her, and if that meant going against the will of Koenma, that would only be an added bonus. He needed to see her, he knew that. He needed her...
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And so it was that he found himself standing in Reikai, a little over an hour later. He walked slowly, silently towards the hole that had been blown in the wall by the blood ogres during Tsarakino's assault on the place. He found himself not caring, at the moment, about the ogres, about Tsarakino, about any of it. All he wanted was to find Botan and get her to undo whatever curse she had placed upon him that made him feel like this.
As he stepped through the hole, he passed by two ogres that were busy preparing to repatch this wall. The reconstruction had been going strong this past week, though numbers and morale were still down after the civil war and after Tsarakino had Ramboed his way through two guard units to breach the vault. Hiei was uncertain where Botan would be in the palace, but it didn't matter. He would find her.
One of the ogres spotted him, but he passed by without a care. He stepped quickly down the hall, his three eyes constantly scanning every person that passed him by. Turning the corner, he made his way towards the hall of records, to see if she was massaging that brain of hers in there. All he found, however, were two ogre guards that refused to let him in, but were willing to tell him that she was not here.
Hiei passed Koenma's office without even stopping for a moment. He didn't care enough to speak to the idiot toddler, he was determined to find Botan. He passed the office by, moving swiftly down the hall, and it was then that he saw the instrument that would carry the answer of Botan's location: Megumi was stalking down the hall with a scorned, angry look on her face, and it brought a smile to Hiei's. Two birds, one stone.
"Megumi," Hiei snarled, approaching her quickly. He didn't even give her time to register him, before he shoved her back against the wall. "Where is she? Talk." No subtlety, no grace, just a direct movement for a direct answer.
Megumi scoffed at Hiei's question. "I don't know why you're here, when you should be back in the human world, but if you mean who I think you do, you and I both know Koenma's word." Her cold eyes glared at him, spurned by his sudden, direct insubordination.
"You speak as though I care," Hiei snarled, but she cut him off before he could continue.
"You are treading on thin ice," Megumi insisted. "You would do well to turn around and walk back out the way you came, or I can guarantee you will be sorry." Her voice sent daggers, but Hiei didn't even hesitate for a moment.
The demon shoved her against the wall, pressing her hard against it by the shoulders and snarling. "Where is she, Megumi? I will not ask again, and I don't care for your–"
Megumi struggled against Hiei's grip. "You will care, you worthless animal! This is direct insubordination, and it will have DIRE consequences. We own you, you simple beast. You are not in a position to make demands, you are nothing more than an animal on a chain, and we will–"
CRACK
That shut her up hard. The back of Hiei's fist had struck across her face, and she slowly turned her head back, shocked and stunned by the blow, with a look of incredulity on her face. Hiei shoved her aside now, away from the wall, causing her to hit the ground hard. But her astonishment was too much, she turned her head to look at him and couldn't look away. One hand reached up to rub the red spot where he had struck her, and she couldn't believe what had just happened. "...I..." She was speechless.
Hiei's hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword, unsheathing it only an inch, while his left gripped her forehead. "I will not ask again. Where is she?"
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Hiei left the limp, stammering form of Megumi behind, moving swiftly down the halls. Having just attacked one of Koenma's people, he knew his welcome here was officially over. He had trouble finding something inside him to care, however, as he moved swiftly down that narrow hallway towards the private bedrooms of Koenma's angels of death.
"Hey, you! Stop!" Word spread fast in this place, and there were eyes everywhere watching for security. An ogre stood between him and the passage he needed, but rather than cease, Hiei picked up the pace. The ogre couldn't even register his movement before the demon was behind him, up in the air, striking his elbow into the back of the ogre's head and rendering him unconscious.
Hiei kept his movement, going faster down the hall. Two more ogres came at him, but once more he moved too fast for them, driving his fist up into the chin of one, then kicking off his falling body to deliver a powerful kick to the side of the second's head. With both down, he made off faster, and now he was really beginning to feel alive. Something that had lain dormant within him was awakening now, and the thrill was beginning to reach out to him again, that same thrill he'd only truly felt twice before, when he had ripped off Koenma's vault and when he had fused with the Black Dragon Hellfire during the Dark Tournament.
Security was cut hard by Tsarakino's assault, and that made it only too easy to make his way to the private chambers. He didn't even hesitate a moment, finding the door that Megumi had told him was Botan's, but after he found it, that was when hesitation set in. Here he was, standing before the door of the woman that had taken him this far. And once more, he found himself questioning just what it was he was here for. What would he say when he saw her? Why did he need to see her? Could she undo whatever it was she had done to him?
Hiei drew in a deep breath, then twisted the knob and pushed the door open. But the vision that greeted him was not what he had expected. Botan's room...well, the room itself looked about how he'd envisioned it. Girlish enough, with light blue bedsheets and a feminine decor that left no doubt in his mind the pink-kimono'd spirit girl dwelled here. But what surprised him was that the place was a mess. It was like she hadn't bothered to really clean the place for days.
The girl, however, was not here. Hiei breathed a sigh of disappointment to find the room had been a dead end. But then, that begged the question of where she could be, if she wasn't here? Hiei pressed his hand to his forehead, thinking. There was only one person who knew this place well enough that he'd know where she was, but he wasn't going to cooperate voluntarily, and would be on his guard. But it was the only way.
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Koenma watched the attack on the monitor screen across from his desk. He felt a mixture of confusion and fear wash over him, trying to figure out what was going on. Hiei was attacking his guards, Hiei had attacked Megumi, and now Hiei had broken into Botan's bedroom...everything was going to hell.
He saw Hiei on the monitor, taking out more guards, and a chill went down his spine as he realized he recognized the route Hiei was taking. He was coming to... "SEAL THE DOORS!" he ordered to his two ogres, and cursed himself for giving Ayame today off. Hiei was coming for him, and he couldn't afford to–
The doors smashed inwards, and one ogre flew through the air, having been standing there trying to keep it shut. Hiei, the fire demon, stood proudly in the doorway, with his trademark katana held powerfully in his right hand. Fire seemed to burn around him as he threw his question straight into the room. "Where is she?"
The second ogre moved to intercept, but Hiei was simply too fast. Striking at the back of the ogre's neck with the back of his sword, Hiei put him down hard, though once again avoided a killing blow. He came to a landing on the ground right in front of Koenma's desk, facing towards the screen, then turned his head slowly to look at Koenma. "I won't ask a second time."
Koenma's eyes faltered for a moment, uncertain as to what to do. He had prepared for Hiei to betray them, he'd been expecting it, but it still came as a surprise. He knew who Hiei was after, and it only made him fear for Botan's safety even more. What would happen if this demon found her? He had to be strong, he had to be brave. The toddler was more frightened now than he had ever been. He'd seen horrible things on the monitor, seen his fighters against the most impossible odds, but this was the first time he had ever been cornered in his office.
"You can't have her," Koenma exclaimed. "She's somewhere safe, somewhere you can't get to her." He was bluffing, of course, he didn't have a clue where she was, but he was trying to be brave, for her sake. However, when Hiei turned to face him, lifting his blade menacingly, the toddler king found his strength faltering. He was terrified now, and he knew that there would be no stopping Hiei if he decided to get serious.
Hiei was tired of not getting the answers he sought, and he had gone this far already. He would find Botan no matter what the price, even if it meant threatening the ruler of Reikai himself! He lifted his blade menacingly, with a snarl emitting from his lips. "You know where she is, now talk. You can find her. There is nothing that happens in Reikai that you don't know about."
Koenma shrank back into his chair, heavily intimidated by the fire demon that had taken down his two guards. "You can't...I won't let you hurt her. She–YUSUKE!" Relief washed over his face as he looked towards the opening, causing Hiei to turn his attention as well.
Yusuke Urameshi stood powerfully in the door, his right pointer finger directed straight at Hiei, with a blue energy glowing from the tip. His Spirit Gun was already charging. Standing behind him, to his left, was Kuwabara, with his orange Spirit Sword already emitting from his hands. Lastly, on his right, was Kurama, with both confusion and compassion visible on his face. "Stand down, Hiei," Yusuke spoke quietly, with a serious determination on his voice.
Hiei turned to face the Spirit Detective, and shifted his sword to his left hand. He knew he couldn't face down all three at once. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama...his pride told him he could beat any of them. But he knew all three together would be too much for him to handle. But he was determined to not be Koenma's lap dog any longer, and more determined to find Botan. Black energy began to ripple down his right arm, the Black Dragon Hellfire preparing to tear this entire place apart. If he had to go, he would go out with a bang.
