Title: Erased In a Moment
Author: Ryukotsusei
Pairing: Hiei/Kagome
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. I merely borrow the characters for my own twisted amusement.
Summary: King Enma becomes interested in the destruction of the Shikon and Hiei is forced into becoming Kagome's jailer. As cruelties are revealed and plans begin to unfold, Hiei is forced into an action he would not otherwise take but will either of them survive?
Chapter Five
'It's time.' Night had long since fallen and Hiei knew that it was time for them to make their move. He knew Kagome had been waiting for the signal that they were leaving but he'd wanted to make sure that they wouldn't be spotted. Keeping a set routine had become crucial, even more so on this particular day to avoid raising suspicion.
Kagome sat up at the gentle mind touch. She'd been ready to leave hours ago, already having taken the time to get dressed. Of course, none of her own clothes had been appropriate for sneaking out of the palace and it had been up to Hiei to rectify the situation. Thankfully they were close to the same height and his clothing fit her fairly well, if not a bit tight across the bust line. 'I'm ready, let's get out of here.'
Quickly Hiei led her over to the door, pressing his hand against the panel. 'Wait here.' He knew she wouldn't object to the order, he had to make certain that there was no one in the halls that would see them leaving. More than once they had discussed just how this was to be executed and the girl was well aware that she should follow any order he gave because their lives depending on it.
A warm hand slipped into her own, giving a slight tug. Without protest she followed closely behind him, trusting in the apparition not to get them lost in this maze of a palace. Kagome winced as their footsteps echoed through the hallway, if anyone were around surely they would hear it and come running.
Hiei's thoughts were running on much the same idea and knowing it was a distinct possibility he sped up. There was no way she'd be able to run all the way there but the sooner they were out of this place the better. 'Hurry, we don't have much time.' He'd timed this almost perfectly, during the changing of the guards but it only afforded them a ten minute window.
'I'm trying!' Even though she was no longer injured, Kagome still had an ache in her side from the previous abuse she had endured. Still she didn't complain as she picked up the pace, hoping that it would be enough.
Coming to the intersection that led to the throne room, Hiei slid to a stop which brought Kagome up short as well. It was unlikely that Enma was in the room now but this wasn't the time to be careless. 'Follow me slowly.'
Mindful of just how heavily she put her feet down, Kagome walked behind the apparition while holding her breath. This was the second most crucial aspect of the escape, once they were beyond this corridor only the front doors remained.
Only once they were well past any danger did Hiei bother with a barely audible sigh of relief. Breaking out into a run once more, he pulled Kagome along after him. He could hear how labored her breathing was but there just wasn't the time to slow down. As the doors slowly began coming into sight he stopped once more. 'Dammit!'
Kagome's thoughts mirrored the apparition's as he pushed her up against the wall and into a shadow. The guards were supposed to have left by now but for some reason they had remained to talk with the new shift. 'What do we do now?'
'We find another exit.' Guiding her along the wall, Hiei searched for the corridor that would lead him to the room they had used when the artifacts of darkness were stolen. He'd wanted to avoid using this route if at all possible, there was a strong likelihood that Koenma had strengthened security there.
Not for the first time Kagome was impressed at just how well Hiei seemed to know the layout of the palace though he seemed hesitant when they approached a small room at the end of the corridor. Silently she waited while he did a scan of the area with the Jagan, knowing that if they were caught here there would be no escape.
Sensing nothing out of the ordinary Hiei pushed open the door and nearly scoffed when he saw the interior. Nothing had changed, there was no added security, no bars on the windows. Hell the lock they had broken hadn't even been repaired. Without a word he moved to the window and pushed it open. Barely pausing long enough to pick the girl up, the apparition leapt through the opening and disappeared into the darkness.
Kagome clutched at the front of his cloak and closed her eyes as the scenery flew past. Knowing she might as well enjoy the ride while she could, she tried to relax. Once they were beyond the perimeter of the palace Hiei had told her that she would need to run as well. His abilities to carry her extended only so far and there was no sense in exhausting them at the beginning of their journey. "Hiei where are we going anyway?"
Glancing down at the girl for only a moment, Hiei then redirected his attention to a mountain that was in the distance. Leaping over a fallen tree, he shifted her slightly in order to secure his grip. "You see the highest peak over there? That mountain is said to be sacred, allowing none with evil intentions to enter. I do not know if it is true or not but from the maps I examined it seemed ideal for our needs."
Kagome stared at the massive rock formation and paled in the darkness. It wasn't the size or the explanation that startled her but the sheer distance they would have to travel in order to reach it. She wasn't entirely sure how they would reach it before they were noticed to be missing. "How long will it take us to get there?"
Coming to a stop, Hiei set Kagome on her feet. Humans were notoriously slow, it was one of the reasons he had chosen this particular spot. Anything further they would never reach in time, as it was their destination was pushing it. He only hoped Koenma succeeded in doing his part in buying them some precious time. "If we do not stop, approximately six hours. Longer if you get tired and need to rest."
"I guess we need to keep going then." Kagome made the decision right then to push herself to the limits in order to keep from being a burden, Hiei certainly wouldn't thank her if she decided to complain the entire time about the distance. As they set out once again Kagome was grateful for the time she had spent in the past. If nothing else it had built up her endurance, something she was positive she would need before the night was out.
As they ran the apparition kept a very close eye on the girl. Hiei wasn't a fool, he knew that sooner or later her body would give out and it would be up to him to see she made it to the mountain. Even so, he was mildly impressed with the determination that she put forth. There was no doubt she was not one of those soft bodied females who could barely pull themselves off of the couch.
But all the determination in the world would not make up for her physical limitations and eventually they were forced to slow to a walk while she caught her breath. Reaching for her bottled water, Kagome took small sips. Their supplies were extremely limited, taking only what they could carry without slowing them down. It would be up to Hiei to hunt for them because without her bow she was useless for finding food. Fortunately there were other things she had learned in the past so she wouldn't feel completely worthless.
Just how long they would end up remaining in hiding was anyone's guess. Hiei had outright told her it could easily be years for the Reikai was unlikely to give up in their pursuit so easily. "How long do you think it will be before they notice we are missing?"
"If Koenma does his job another ten hours, perhaps longer. They should have no reason to check on you though I wouldn't put anything past them. Preparations for your death are well underway and with luck they will be too busy to bother with you." Visitations from the medical staff had become infrequent but that was always subject to change as Hiei well knew. Assuming they didn't stop by to confirm any of their data it might not be until the next day before any of them made an appearance.
Kagome nodded and tucked the water bottle away once more. "We should make it then without a problem." Once more she began to run with Hiei easily keeping pace beside her. Doggedly she ignored the stitch in her side that refused to disappear and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.
Another three hours past by before they were forced to stop again, this time because Kagome stumbled and dropped down to one knee heavily. "Gimme... a moment, I'll be fine." The tearing sensation just wouldn't go away though and it took her breath away. She didn't want to complain though, she had to pull her own weight in this.
Hiei watched her critically, he had been expecting something like this for some time now. What surprised him was that she hadn't complained and even now was trying to force herself to continue. They were over halfway there now, it would be difficult but he knew he could carry her the rest of the way if need be. Kneeling down in front of her he touched her shoulder. "We cannot afford to be delayed any further. Get on."
Kagome stared at him in shock for a moment as he presented his back to her. When he touched her she had almost expected him to tell her to suck it up and get back on her feet. The offer of a ride was surprising but she wasn't about to complain. Biting her lip to hold back a groan, she pulled herself to her feet and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. As his hands slid beneath her legs for a moment she was reminded of Inuyasha and the way he used to carry her. It had taken her a long time to come to grips with the fact he no longer knew she existed but she still carried the hope that eventually they'd find a way to undo what King Enma had done.
It was difficult to manage the extra weight but it wasn't long before he grew accustomed to carrying her in such a fashion. Had she been any taller he doubted that he would have been able to do it, at least not without slinging her over his shoulder or some other method that was guaranteed to offend. The only drawback to this method was the way she was pressed up against him, her body molding itself to his. Strongly reprimanding his body to behave itself, he tried to ignore the feel of her breasts pressing up against his back.
"Stop squirming!" With the way Kagome was rubbing up against him it was slowly wearing away at his concentration and he nearly breathed a sigh of relief as she immediately went still. With luck she would believe it was because it unsettled his balance as he ran instead of the tent that was beginning to form in his pants. Somehow he doubted she would appreciate knowing just where his thoughts were trying to run every time she brushed her center against his back.
Kagome tried to remain as still as possible while he ran but every time he leapt over a fallen tree or stream it made it increasingly difficult. Normally she would have snapped at him for taking such a tone with her but she stopped herself just in time. He was the one doing all the work now and he could easily drop her on her ass while telling her to run on her own. As his hands slid higher up her thighs in order to get a better grip she inhaled sharply. She could feel the warmth of his hands, even through the heavy black material. 'It's just adrenaline, nothing more. It happens when in risky situations!' Unfortunately while she knew that was true in a lot of cases, she'd often wondered what it would feel like to have him touch her like he was now but going even further.
'Not much longer now, then we'll be safe.' It was a good try in redirecting the way her thoughts were going, Kagome was almost half certain he knew just the way he was causing her to feel as he sniffed the air experimentally a few times. One way or another she had to get her thoughts out of the gutter! It seemed like it had taken forever but eventually the flat ground had given way to rolling hills and she could feel the near constant incline that Hiei was running against.
His body was in agony, there was no two ways about it. If it wasn't for the way his groin tightened when he smelled her arousal it was the way his legs were beginning to feel like dead weight and his arms were feeling the strain of being held in one position for so long. If it hadn't been for the fact that they were so close now, Hiei would have forced her to walk again just to give himself a reprieve.
While the maps had been fairly detailed about the mountain range and it's elevations, no further detail had been listed such as where caves were hidden. In a way he was thankful for that, it meant that should they come looking this way it would be more difficult to find them. Trees surrounded them on all sides as they made their way up the mountain, the lush undergrowth making it difficult to distinguish where a cave might be hidden.
As tempting as it was to use the Jagan, he didn't want to possibly give their location away. Instead Hiei paid attention to the smallest details, a shadow that looked a bit off or a depression in which certain types of plants grew. Seeing a likely prospect he set Kagome on her feet, making she she was able to walk on her own before moving away. "Stay close."
Watching as he pulled his katana, Kagome stayed nearby as he approached a darkened area. Plants grew all along the opening, signaling that it hadn't been used in quite some time. As the apparition pushed the leafy plants out of the way Kagome stayed just outside of the entrance as he went inside. Just because it appeared unused did not mean that there might not be another entrance into the chamber. She didn't come all this way to be eaten by a bear should they disturb ones slumber.
Carefully Hiei examined his surroundings for any signs of occupancy. A few old bones lay scattered on the floor, large teethmarks indicating some large animal had once used the cave. However all the signs were old and it was unlikely that it would return. Moving further into the cave he discovered a second chamber which had several cracks in the ceiling for ventilation. A larger crevasse was located near the roof which upon closer inspection revealed a third room, though to reach it he needed to crawl through the tight space. It was a perfect place to hide should someone stumble upon the cave.
Returning to the entrance he beckoned Kagome inside. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable of surroundings but it would do. Once he had procured some animal skins sleeping quarters could be made. He watched as she explored the two rooms, carefully waiting for her reaction. Whether she liked it or not, they weren't likely to find much better.
Kagome was slightly surprised by how spacious it was inside. The entrance way did not give any indication of the interior being quite so large. Of course, it wasn't a five star hotel but it beat being killed because of the jewel any day of the week. Smiling she turned towards the apparition, realization finally dawning on her. "We made it!"
While Hiei had been expecting some sort of reaction out of the girl, he hadn't been expecting her to launch herself at him. All of his previous aches disappeared at that moment as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her lips to his. Crimson eyes widened in surprise feeling her pressed up against him so firmly.
As if only just now realizing what she had been doing, Kagome started to pull back with a blush firmly painted on her face. She couldn't believe she had just done that, what had possessed her to kiss him. "I'm sorry Hiei I shouldn't have done that."
Feeling her start to withdraw, Hiei tightened his arms around her and pulled her back in closer. He didn't give a damn if she thought she should have or not, the girl had been driving him insane with need ever since he had picked her up and he wasn't about to let her become the shy maiden once more. He'd smelt her arousal earlier just as it was beginning to spike again when he refused to let her go. Not giving Kagome a chance to protest he sealed their lips together once more, taking the opportunity to back her up against the wall.
Kagome melted as his tongue slipped into her mouth, unsure of just what came over him but not minding in the least. The few kisses she'd shared before this with Inuyasha couldn't begin to compare. Those had been soft and sweet, these on the other hand were hot and demanding, full of passion as he relentlessly explored her mouth.
