Part 4: Under Pressure
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about.
Watching some good friends
Screaming, "Let me out!"
Pray tomorrow – gets me higher
Pressure on people – people on streets.
There was a flurry of activity at the Sun and Moon Shrine that Hiei took note of but was sluggish to react. Half a mile away and yet, the second he saw her enter the veranda, it was as if all of his senses went into overdrive, and he was able to see her eyes, and by her reaction the same had happened to her. An utter stillness—shock?—overcame him and, though his temperature always ran high, as was the nature for a hiyoukai, he felt a sudden warmth overcome him, from the inside, manifesting physically, but feeling to him more akin to the sensations he felt fighting with his trusted allies, or simply being with Yukina, but so much stronger. He had never felt such peace in his life, and the mistrust of that deep contentment—his gut pulling him in one direction while his mind pulled back in abhorrence—was what finally threw him out of his fugue, just in time to see two Inuyoukai—powerful, most likely Inu no Taisho's sons, given the location—burst out of the building the two women had come from and look in his direction.
In that moment, Hiei knew what had happened, and knew what was coming.
And he ran. He knew he was faster than either of the brothers on his trail, and the dogs would have to trace him by scent, unless they increased their search party. But for the moment, Hiei knew his best plan of action would be to run haphazardly, give himself a chance to think, to plan. In the end, he knew it was just a matter of outwaiting, outrunning them just long enough that there was no need for him any longer. But then, if what he suspected—that he had somehow been chosen as the Heir's bondmate—were true, there would be no end to his pursuers.
Unless he disappeared completely. He'd done it before, long ago, but he could do it again. He could do it for however long it took. He could even ignore these sudden feelings that had so strongly begun to sing in his veins, contentment and a soul-deep pain that battled as he fled.
But first…
His mind made up, Hiei set about leading the dogs on a winding chase, hoping it would give him enough time.
He arrived at Genkai's shrine late in the evening, but the lights were still on, and he could see Yukina cleaning up in the kitchen. Knowing, even without him releasing his youki, that he was there, she looked up at him and smiled, as she always did. His heart—and fists—clenched as he watched her quickly dry her hands and hurry to the door.
"Hiei!" she called happily as she rushed toward him. "Kurama said you'd be coming."
He didn't return her hug as the feeling of dread crawled through him. "Kurama?"
From the light escaping the house, he could see the fox exiting through the same door as Yukina had. "Hello, Hiei," he said, voice and face blank. That was all Hiei needed to know.
"Traitor," he hissed, his arms tightening around Yukina in reflex to an urge to flee. But if Kurama was here, that could only mean…
"He isn't the one I would call a traitor," called a rough voice from behind him. Even with the Jagan, he hadn't felt them. He would have to be smart, quick, eliminate at least one of them, if he wanted to get out of here with his freedom.
"Yukina, go back inside," he said, urging her forward when she looked like she might refuse. As she entered the house, he saw Yusuke and Kuwabara exit it, sensing a disturbance and running headfirst towards it like the trouble magnets they were. Hiei tensed, trying to keep his eyes on everyone at once.
"What's going on here?" Yusuke demanded.
Kuwabara motioned to the inuyoukai brothers. "Yeah, what are they doing here?"
"You guys just stay outta this," the younger brother said. Sesshoumaru had yet to speak. "This is between us and the little guy."
Yusuke and Kuwabara made as if to protest the slight against Hiei, but Kurama held them both back with an arm. "Hiei has been chosen." His words caused at least Kuwabara to back down.
"So?" Yusuke challenged. "One miko doesn't get her way and she sends a couple'a thugs to get him?"
Kurama turned sharp eyes on him. "He has been chosen by the Heir."
Yusuke's eyes widened in acknowledgement. Hiei could see the frustration written all over his face, but knew that he would have no allies in this fight, though he also wouldn't have any additional opponents.
"Well," the younger brother spoke again as Hiei turned his full attention on the two, "now that that's settled, are you gonna come quietly?" Hiei drew his sword. "Thought not." He smirked, drawing his own sword, which transformed into a huge blade, as the stories said.
Hiei looked over the two, gauging his choices. The younger brother had painted himself as a target, urging Hiei to attack him, whether as a strategy or for the pure desire to fight Hiei neither knew nor cared. It was Sesshoumaru who was the more powerful of the two, and therefore the one he needed to eliminate if he was to escape the miko's sorcery.
At his fastest, ignoring the imagined pain throughout his body, he went for Sesshoumaru, and faster than even he could apprehend, Sesshoumaru's hand was centimeters from his face, and there was a sickly sweet scent…
And darkness.
