thought, flashback, or dream
emphasized word
/telepathy/
"speaking"
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or it's characters.
Bleed out all empathy this vessel has
No spirit left to hold on to lies I've lived in full
How long can I hold tight with every movement
Tension binds and denies my true nature
The Balance has shifted warped sick and twisted
Grabbing at angels when I fall
'Cause I am more than this idol endless recital
For all my demons to applaud
I am free
Hide myself from it all while every fear is
Screaming night into dawn until I find
I have to believe them (lies)
In order to attain fulfillment
I have to succumb to (lies)
All my inner fears that tear at me
I will never believe them (lies)
I'm sick of the weakness that controls me
Now that I've fallen I will not repent
-High Wire Escape Artist by Boy Sets Fire-
Chapter 8
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The changelings had them surrounded. Edeth looked from side to side, panicked. He caught Mia's odd look. "No, I'm not that rusty!" She just nodded. Looking irritated, Edeth added, "You have to cut of the heads or destroy them."
By the time the enemy had completely risen out of the sand, the group was set. Yuskue only had to wait a moment for the mist around Kurama to fade and reveal his fox form before firing his Rei Gun.
It all went downhill from there. The changelings were not dampened by the fact that they had to step over the lolling decapitated head of their comrades. They kept coming strong, more popping out of the sand at each death. Kuwabara couldn't move fast enough to keep up, and even Yuskue and Kerr needed a little assistance every once in a while when they nearly became dog-piled. They refused to let the group separate far enough to launch strong enough attacks without risking a fatality in their own ranks and moved to quickly for them to duck either. It was quickly becoming ridiculous. Mia, forbidden to kill, made due with jumping on their heads to distract them and periodically ramming a metal bar into the face, torso, and... other places.
"They have to end at some point!" Kerr exclaimed loud enough for the changeling that wasn't trying to kill him overheard.
"Keep saying that to yourself, Kerr," muttered Edeth. With a ruthless movement, he struck forward, tearing the head off the changeling that had been moving forward toward Mia. "Stay behind me."
Surprisingly, she did as he said and stepped behind him. "I can't give off a charge strong enough yet."
"After several days! Mia, damn it, what have you been doing?"
"Living," she stated dryly.
"I didn't know that took so much time."
"Then live a little more."
Mia watched from behind Edeth, occasionally hitting one upside the head for good measure when they tried to sneak up behind them. Her face grew grave as time went on. Without warning, she jumped in front Edeth and swung her staff like a baseball bat knocking the creatures around her back a bit farther than what should be possible.
She turned to Edeth and handed the spy a new set of daggers. The hilts were delicately detailed steel wrapped in tattered, yet clean white cloth and the blades seemed to be made of the same material with sphere shaped gems embedded into it haphazardly yet sparingly save only the sharp edges.
Edeth stared at her stunned. A weapon like this was worth its weight in gold and reflected light from the gems, instead of making it look gaudy, appeared to give them an aura of their own.
"I can't rely on spelled weapons, Mia."
"You'll eventually absorb their powers the more you use them," she stated impatiently.
Mia handed him two gems. "The gold is for Kuwabara and the light blue is for Yuskue," she spoke quickly before swinging once more. "Hurry, give them to their proper owners."
Edeth sank into the ground and reappeared behind Yuskue and Kuwabara fighting side by side. "Give off a stunning shot gun, Yuskue, no one's in front of you." After registering Edeth's voice, he did as asked and turned his head.
"What do you want? I'm kinda busy here," the detective growled. Without a word, his companion dropped the marble into his blood stained hand. It glimmered and shifted into a mean looking black gauntlet with a blue runes burnt into the leather. Yuskue only hesitated for a moment before putting it on. Immediately his energy seemed more concentrated, less wild. Not necessarily more powerful, just easier to handle. Energy sparked over him to match his mischievous grin as he went back to work.
Kuwabara's gem changed in the same manner but what appeared was a giant two handed hilt. Yet it wasn't uncomfortably heavy despite being made completely out of a tarnished gold color except for the guard, which was solid black crystal. He swung it once experimentally and his energy poured into it easily to form a clean blade. "Nice," he grunted, joining his best friend.
Mia watched, a content look coming over her face. She pulled out another set of gems as she ran. She stopped and handed a dark blue one to Kerr that changed into a evil looking spear with a black handle and a steel colored blade with a blue/black gem encrusted into it, surrounded by swirling designs. With further examination, the Thirian found it could be pulled apart into a set of spears that could be easily handled by his large hands.
The youth's next stop was Hiei, which took a while. Out what appeared to be sheer luck, she predicted his next move and cleared the spot. The koorime landed there a moment later. "Hn."
She tossed him a black sphere with pearly white swirls under the surface. Just when he had registered how it looked, it morphed in his left hand into a black metal hilt, bandaged where his hand would rest and a awkwardly cut, clear gem at the base. He glared at her.
"Do you honestly," he paused cutting down a few changelings and knocking back a few more to turn to see her following his second example. He continued without her looking at him. "Think I'll lower myself to the level of that baka?"
"Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to think that?"
"Th-" a glimmer in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Without thinking he swung the hilt in his hand at it. Off flew a changeling's head with little resistence. Hiei stared at the blood dripping off an invisible blade. He shifted the hilt slightly to reveal it wasn't invisible, but made of an impossibly clear crystal. When he looked up, she had created a temporary barrier around them that couldn't be seen out of and probably not into either.
She walked up to him quickly, pulling a rope necklace with three gems embedded into it out of her cloak and off her neck. "Here." She held it out to him.
"Hell no."
Before Hiei could react, it was snug around his neck, satisfaction shining dully in Mia's eyes. "Get this off," he growled, pulling on it. It didn't budge. Instead it grew tighter.
"Just leave it be and no one will see it. It'll enhance your Jagan eye."
He let it slip from his fingers and it slacked under his shirt. He could no longer even feel the coarse rope against him.
Suddenly she was before him. "Tell no one you have it. Keep it under your shirt so no one may see it. Never, never, run energy through it."
"Why not?" he growled.
"Changelings like it a lot." The shield dropped and the rest of the team was thrown in about them.
"We're gonna die," Edeth moaned as he gazed over the hopeless situation around him.
"That's not very helpful," Kuwabara muttered, cutting another head off.
"Positive thoughts, Edeth," Kurama stated, a bit stiffer that what he had probably planed.
"Okay," He said in a panicked voice, pulling a dagger out of yet another throat. "We're gonna die painless deaths." He paused slicing again.
"That's not encouraging, changeling," muttered Hiei, having as much difficulty as the rest.
"Except for maybe Mia, who they seem to want to let their leader torture."
"Thanks," she muttered.
And so it continued. Tighter and tighter the group was pulled together until back was touching back. Even the weapons Mia had given them, though strong enough to easily repel a few changelings, the endless hordes of them were proving to be boundless and relentless despite how many were struck down.
A gasp of pain caught the ears of our team. Edeth dropped his daggers and took a step back.
"This is enough," muttered Mia. "Edeth, drop."
Said changeling sank through the sand after a moments hesitation revealing a P.O.'ed youth. She had her head bowed. Two daggers slipped out of her sleeves, one gliding into each hand.
A changeling pushed in front of the rest, the one who had not recklessly rushed forward, and sneered at the girl. "Foolish child."
Mia turned sideways, holding one long dagger just above the back of her head and the other delicately in front of her.
The male before her laughed. "Don't be stupid, I know that you've been forbidden to kill." He continued his gales as the world around him grew dark.
"Forbidden doesn't mean unable." Her position sunk lower and the man before her slowly stopped. The Changelings stood around them, heeling and pulling back. They all stared at her.
"You're too weak to play chicken, I'll plow you over head on."
"I'm not fond of cheating, but shit has never held my respect much."
The changelings cold gray eyes grew dark in anger. " 'She doesn't spill blood, and she doesn't cuss.' It appears my sources were wrong."
"Well, now that I know your sources are from inside the Spirit World, I'll have to continue." She shifted back into a position with her blades hidden in her huge cloak.
"You have no honor, sinking to change who you are just for information! I expected the 'Traitor' over there to be as st-" he gave a gurgling sigh before Mia pulled the stacked blades in his neck in opposite directions, causing he head to loll on the ground from side to side.
"If any of you have the courage to leave, I suggest when you go to your master, you tell him not to let a loose mouthed lower class leader against me."
She looked up at the people around her. The faces of her teammates were the most surprised to see her blood splattered features. A smirk so sickening and blood thirsty it curdled blood fell upon her features when Edeth rose from the sand behind her. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked around them, a matching curl of the lips playing across his face. "Nice to have you back." She simply nodded in reply.
The changelings took a step back and a new found energy filled the out numbered group. Hope.
"They appear to be waiting for the rest of your speech, my Lady," Edeth stated in a sadistic voice.
"Your people talk enough for me to go mute." With that she struck forward again.
The battle was short from there. The changelings that didn't run were quickly cut down by the opposing team that was lost without a leader. It was bloody to say the least, but when the flesh of the creatures turned into dust and the bones began to decay, the blood lost it's scent, so once they found a river, they could easily wash it off and clean out the smaller wounds Kerr ran out of energy to heal without worry.
"Mia...are you alright?" Edeth's face darkened and the group turned to her.
She stood there, breathing slow, deep breaths through her mouth. Her hood hid the upper part of her face, but flecked blood could be seen along her jawbone. Mia was hunched over as though injured, yet no one had seem a hit land upon her, and her cloak was whole. The strange creature remained silent for a while. "I'm...fine physically Edeth. It's just..." Mia raised her hand in front of her face. It was covered in wet blood, flowing in a constant stream from one of the the two tarnished blades so thickly that it was staining her black sleeve. "...been a while."
"Em...Em, please. Don't regret this."
"Don't be a fool." She slipped her bloody hands back under her cloak. "I might turn on you if you don't berate me for this, you know."
"Mia, he...King Enma will..."
"Not care," she whispered, causing all but Edeth to strain to hear her voice. "He's too stubborn to admit this."
"But...you were placed for a reason! There has to be something you can-"
"-Not everyone understands why I'm here, Edeth. Most people don't even want to... include me." Mia stood straight, pulling her hood down farther. "The quicker I'm out of this job, the better."
Yuskue's communicator vibrated. Before coming to the island, he had been warned that no signal was to be made on his end and they could only risk to contact him in emergencies. His heart raced for a minute, mind over flowing with disturbing possibilities. He pulled it out.
Red writing on the front cover appeared as soon as he looked at it. Throw me on the ground. The detective stared at it, surprised. "It talks." Yes, I 'talk.' Now, Throw Me On The Ground! Yuskue didn't have to be told again, he had dropped it out of sheer shock. You would think I would be used to stuff like this by now, he thought bitterly to himself.
The thing clicked open and a weak flash of light, just strong enough to make the group blink, came out. "Forgotten Soul Pattern confirmed. Sending hologram through," it beeped at them. An image of King Enma slowly formed above the make-up container shaped device.
The strange youth walked up to the floating form, nearly as big as the true Lord of the Dead himself. Mia looked into the eyes of King Enma's hologram. "Yes?"
"Insolent brat! You dare to go against my orders and kill and then have the nerve to look me in the eye even with that speckled face! Drop your gaze. Good girl."
Hiei saw her clench her jaw as she obeyed, though no one else had. Perhaps he had been watching her closely for so long, even the slightest movement he could read. Or perhaps they were just to enthralled with the God of the Dead to care.
"You know I can not allow this, Mia. I've told you time and time again to put reigns on that blood lust." Edeth looked like he was going to vouch for the young woman, but clasped his throat instead, gasping for air.
"Now allow the bands to touch your skin. NOW!" he bellowed when she made no movement. Slowly, Mia slid her hands out from underneath her cloak and rolled up the bloody robe sleeves to reveal two thin golden colored bracelets. Tucked underneath them each was a strip of cloth. Reluctantly, she pulled them out allowing the metal to brush her skin. The sickening smell of burning flesh quickly overpowered the scent of blood.
"Now step forward." After a moments hesitation, Mia stepped towards the illusion, hands twitching slightly from irritation. 'King Enma' placed a hand on the girl's forehead. A shadow aura fell over her and white electricity flickered over her frame. She stood there, the smell increasing, for several minutes. Without warning, one of her legs gave out and a slight groan emitted from her lips. The first verbal sign of pain she had ever made before them.
"Now, will you heed my law?"
She made no movement.
"Reply, wench, before I reveal more."
Mia forced a nod from her kneeling position.
"Verbally," he sneered acidly.
"Yes," she whispered.
"What?"
"Yes."
" 'Yes' what?" he smirked.
"Yes, my Lord," she spat out the last two words like venom.
The Immortal smiled viciously down at her despite her tone and then disappeared leaving the echoes of his voice. "Pride comes before the fall, Forgotten."
Edeth, as though suddenly released from a spell, stumbled forward instantly to help her. "Idiot," he whispered, "You shouldn't have stopped me."
Mia skidded away from his touch, muttering something, and headed for the field slowly placing the clothe back under her bracelets. The group soon followed.
"So, it's true; what they say on the demon plains." Hiei spoke, the malice in his voice elevating at every word. " 'King Enma has a new bitch.' "
Edeth turned to look at him, horrified. "Hiei, NO!" His warning came to late.
Mia had him on the rough ground quicker than what the koorime had though possible from her. Her hands, despite the blackened and decayed wrists, gripped strongly around his throat. Hiei reached for his sword, but his arms were pinned by her legs. He tried to gather energy, but she seemed to be sucking the his very life through her hands. Bruises began to form on the fire demons throat; air came short in his lungs; the screams and attacks of his teammates began to fall on deaf ears; his limbs became heavy and couldn't seem to fight back properly.
The black that had seeped into his sight had almost completely consumed him when a burst of fresh air entered his lungs. The weight was removed from his chest. Someone, or someones, pulled him up straight. Slowly, the world around him came back into focus. Standing across from him was Mia, being held back by Kerr and Edeth, screaming at him.
"How DARE you claim me to be his SLUT! To say that I would WILLFULLY subject my self under such a abomination of a creature! To SHAME myself to that level! HOW DARE YOU!"
Instantly it hit him, why he had been so irked by this woman, so eager to find a flaw. It was because up until now she wasn't natural. Her actions were to precisely calculated, to perfect. Mia's emotions were boundless yet hollow. She had been unreachable.
But, now, looking at the female across from him, face twisted in hatred, he greatly wished for the collected creature that had stood up to Kerr not a day ago. Now she was mortal, like him, but also, that meant she could change and scheme. She could kill him despite her orders. She could traitor them.
Though he had no fear of her in a one on one fight, the prospect of her hands on his neck again from no more than a comment was not a risk his mind had registered before.
There was a loud crack through the air and Edeth and Kerr dropped Mia into the mixture of sand and weeds. A perfect imprint of the back of the Thirian's hand was beginning to swell below her eye. The changeling began to yell at Kerr, berating him for striking her.
Hiei heard none of it really though. He was too busy trying to form his words as he walked to the woman before him. /It appears we are both marked my multiple hands now/ he spoke softly, yet harshly in her head.
Mia stared at the sand, saying nothing through her lips nor the mind link.
/I can smell your blood now, onna. Did the child's father do that to you/
/.../ Nothing.
/I saw none of them cut you and your wrists are only-/
/-Stop./
/Stop what/
/Mocking me./
The group around them had grown quiet, staring, even though the conversation could not reach their ears. Hiei toyed with the idea of letting it, but decided against it almost instantly. It was not his goal to mock her after all.
/This can not continue./
/You seem to enjoy it./
/Perhaps./
Once again, Mia's mind fell silent. The fire koorime grabbed her chin, bending his knees slightly in the process, and forced his gaze into hers. Part of him wanted to kill her then even more than before, but another stopped him for some reason. The curiosity was now gone replaced with an empty grave. She was mortal completely, for a deep hate seared his soul through her eyes. But the more he stared, the more he understood.
The hate was not aimed at him, but at King Enma. Though there was anger and dislike at him, it was not as great as he had first thought. Other emotions played in the dark depths that he couldn't see from a distance. Pain. Resentment. And, ever so slightly, hope. The greatest realization came with the physical struggle; her pupils were fighting to remain normal. To reflect, to block his conclusions.
She was allowing him to look.
/Let it mirror, onna/ his voice was softer that what he had planned.
/No/ her voice was weak, as though letting him enter had drained her. Yet somehow she remained defiant.
/Why/
/Because./
Needless to say, the childless answer surprised him. /You allowed the Thirian-/
/-I do not respect the descendant of Cathmor./
It was no more than a whisper, yet the sting was far greater than that of the bruises on his throat. Hiei stared at her coolly, allowing his hand to steadily drop. Despite his calm gaze, the wheels were beginning to shift in his mind. Perhaps not toward respect, but tolerance. A great deal of it.
She shifted under his gaze, uncomfortable to say the least. Betrayed by the way her muscles grew tighter and tighter. Finally, unable to bare his calculating gaze, she stood, only to have her knees buckle weakly.
Before everyone knew what was happening, Hiei grabbed her upper arm roughly, steadying her till he was certain she could stand. Mia stared at him, her eyes level with his as though she had shrunk, questions that only he could read written on her features.
/You didn't answer my question on your wounds./ His mind began to sort through the new information. How can I read her now? Her face shows no more than what it did before. "Lead the way," he growled aloud.
Her eyes narrowed at him, though it was only the same game he played with the people around them. She slowly began to make her way, the grass getting higher with each step. It was a while before she replied through the link he kept open. /It is not important./ The hollowness was slowly seeping back into her actions and mind.
/I am beginning to wonder it you would think a missing limb was 'not important.'/
/ 'Perhaps.'/ she replied, completely mocking him for the first time.
Hiei allowed himself a smirk, only confusing the muttering group about him further. What was becoming a regular occurrence, only Hiei picked up her subtle, questioning look at him. /Let them wonder. A little thought can't hurt them./
/I beg to differ./
Something in his mind whispered to him, but he ignored it. One coincidence was not enough to snap at her, not when she was allowing him to enter her mind and briefly scan it. What if it's just another trick! his mind screamed. He pushed it into a pocket up his soul's sleeve where it could not be heard, but was there when needed pulling out or adding to. But, after all, a sleeve could only hold so much without the seem tearing. /How so/ he replied, making sure not to give his thoughts away.
/Kuwabara does not seem the kind to think to hard with out having a melt down./
/Perhaps./
Her lips curled up slightly, even when he shut the link between them. Despite everything that had just happened, he knew she was mortal now. Able to fall, able to change, able to feel. And maybe, able to be respected. He shook his head. But in the next few minutes of thought, he found himself placing it in the other other sleeve. The one that he could use for her.
---------------------
"We travel through the night today," Mia stated plainly, much to the dislike of her companions who would have much preferred to stop and wash themselves, but figured she had a good reason. The earth beneath them steadily became vegetated until none of the sand remained. The terrain became rougher, and they soon figured that they had to watch their footing when Mia -much to the shock of all- nearly fell over a lump in the ground and a loud 'CRACK' rang through the group's ears as she broke a large reed.
Mia fell again about fifteen minutes later and would have hit the ground hard if Edeth hadn't caught her and helped her straight. She was quickly back on her feet again and sprinting with the rest, undeterred.
Kurama saw Edeth clench and unclench his hands nervously. "What is it," the koorime questioned suspiciously, quietly.
"Nothing," he answered quickly too quickly as he glanced at his hand.
The fox demon reached out suddenly and grabbed his wrist, still moving as he stared at his palm. It was covered in blood that smelled familiar. "What is this from?"
"Nothing," he said again, pulling away.
"It came off of Mia's robes didn't it?"
He looked at him questioningly, his face unable to choose an emotion.
"I smelled it on her earlier," Youko replied simply.
"...I fear King Enma over did it. He is known for his... over done punishments. He loathes Mia on top of that, so any mistake she makes is exaggerated as you saw." He spit on the ground. "All she did was fight for my sake any way."
He chose not to comment on the changelings last comment. "Why would he put her in a position of power if he doesn't trust her."
" 'Keep your friends close.' "
" 'Keep your enemies closer,' " the fox nodded. "But, why not his secretary or someone of low status."
"And give Mia all those opportunities to poison him? He hates her with a passion, but not to the point of stupidity. He's been doing this to long to the people he dislikes to make that mistake. Besides, the higher up she is the easier it is for him to punish her severely without question. You can't do stuff like that to a secretary unless they're a spy or something."
"But why hate her?"
"Her soul is too close to being immortal. She, at full power, could easily pose a threat."
"She can get that strong?"
"Why do you think they didn't let her form her own body? This one can't do everything her old one could and it can't channel nearly as much energy."
"How do you know all this?"
"Not only have I known her for over a century, I helped her gain that body. I was the one that presented the possibility to her."
"That's -" Mia fell for a third time, just barely catching her body with her hands, but her legs had become completely tangled.
The changeling walked up her her and gently pulled her up by the upper arm. He was glad the group was too tired to comment on his actions. Guiding her swiftly before she could protest, he swung her small frame piggy back on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding them there. "Don't complain," Edeth grumbled, quieting her retort as they continued to run. "Just tell me where to go and I'll lead them. I have a better sense of direction than even you."
"I doubt that," she muttered, but did as he asked any ways. As time passed, she began to visibly relax on him becoming more and more distant and no longer flinched at the sound of crunching grass.
"Edeth," she said drowsily.
"Yeah?"
"You're being over protective again."
"Really?" A smile carved his features.
"...Edeth?"
"Yes?"
"You're a ninny."
The changeling nearly fell into the knee high foliage from her odd choice of words. "You're tired, get some sleep."
There was silence for a few more minutes. "And Edeth?" Her voice was little more than a whisper in his ear now.
"What?"
"I missed your company."
He stopped, staring up at the female on his shoulders, but she was obviously out cold.
-End Chapter 10-
Please R&R