Chapter 11 - Restlessness
Hiei ran. No, rather he flew away from that insane woman and her mental thoughts. He was glad his sister was sick; it gave him an excuse to kill something. Those thoughts were just too disturbing even for his liking.
There was something about human females that made his skin crawl. Now he knew why: they could play dirty. Strike that, they liked to play dirty. He made a mental note to pay her back later on. Yes, payback was the best part of revenge.
He tapped his foot impatiently waiting for the rest to arrive at the top of the temple steps. They were pathetic excuses for mortals. He wanted to know what was wrong with his sister, and he wanted to know now. He couldn't just walk in and demand what was wrong. It would only draw unwanted attention. That was something he would never do.
He could never let Yukina know that he was her brother. No one would ever tell her. It was safer for her to live in this darkness than to see the light. She would remain sheltered and safe.
After an agonizing eternity, they finally dragged themselves up the stairs. The buffoon got a second wind as he saw the temple that housed Yukina. Hiei wanted nothing more than to slice his head open and watch the blood trail down his sword for even looking at his sister, but he couldn't, so he held a very tight reign on his emotions.
Hiei saw the looks that Kurama was giving him. He wasn't sure but he was even more convinced now that Shizuru was going to die a slow and painful death. He could feel Kurama trying to establish a mental link with him, but he wanted nothing to do with the fox at this moment.
He might have been the first to arrive, but he was the last one in the room. He couldn't allow his sister to think he was worried. It was bad enough that some people knew of his secret.
"What's wrong with her Genkai?" Yusuke's question snapped him back to reality.
Genkai shook her head. "I couldn't tell you."
Kuwabara held Yukina's hand. Hiei wanted to either hurl at the sight of the affection or cut the hand off. He was really leaning towards the latter. "Hey Kurama, you know about plants and such can't you fix her?"
'Fix her? The moron made her out to be a broken toy.' Hiei silently fumed. Strike all that, the buffoon would die first then the woman. No one was allowed to insult his sister and live to see a new day.
Kurama seated himself beside Yukina and looked her over. He knew that the fox was mindful of all hand movements. Not only was he watching him like a hawk but his hand was on the hilt of his katana ready to strike.
Hiei almost growled at the sight of Kurama's shaking head. "I'm afraid I know not of what ails her."
Hiei was about to take off and search for something to kill, but was stopped by the beeping sound that came from Urameshi's pants. Had he left a split second earlier he would have had to cover his tracks and hoped that Koenma never heard of his exploits. Now that sound meant a new mission and a new message brought the all clear to kill anything in his path.
He had never been so happy to hear Death's voice on the other end. He grew impatient as everyone gathered and waited for a portal to open. Precious seconds ticked by as that incompetent excuse of a guide took her time opening up a portal. This was his chance at unadulterated freedom, and it was just wasting.
He was the first one through; he didn't want to wait any longer. He felt his skin crawl with the need for release. Secretly, he was a junkie for killing. Why should he deny something that came as natural as breathing?
Once inside they all waited. He wanted to snarl at the prince to hurry up, but that would be acting out of his stoic-like character. He did have emotions. There was the "I'm so freaking pissed you're gonna die", and the "you're not worth my time to kill" faces. Right now he displayed the "I'm bored, I want to get this over and done with because you are wasting my precious time" face.
"We just have to wait for him to come and we'll find out what this is all about." Hiei glared at the man behind the desk.
"Koenma, what do you mean you don't know what's going on?"
Surprisingly, Yusuke was the voice of reason. He would have thought Kurama to say something so eloquently, but there was a first for everything.
The door opened, and a small demon walked into the room. Automatically Hiei shifted his stance so he was on guard. There was something about this child-like demon he didn't like.
"Good you are all here. You're late but nonetheless you're here."
"What's the meaning of this Hashi?" Koenma demanded.
Kuwabara looked at this Hashi demon and started to laugh uncontrollably, "What's this, the midget convention!"
Hiei saw red, but before he could act Hashi had pulled a sickle-type weapon from out of nowhere and placed it against the moron's throat.
This demon was good. A little too good.
"Next time you make fun of what I can't help, I will cut off your head and eat your soul." Hashi blatantly informed him, as if this was an ordinary occurrence.
"Hashi, kill him and you will have to answer to father."
The young demon snorted. "I will make this quick, the stench of humans is making me sick. Your team is going to be protecting you during the treaty."
"I thought that was your job?"
"You're not important enough to risk my life. I have better things to do with my time then to watch a child. If I wanted to do that," He looked at Hiei, "I would watch over the one you called Yukina. Such a shame she's poisoned and dying. But then she's nothing but a human-loving demon." Hashi gave Hiei a smirk before turning his attention back to Koenma.
"You leave in less than a day. I hope you all say your goodbyes before you leave. You don't know how long it will be before you get back. Your precious ice demon might be dead by then." Hashi blocked the sword that came towards his head. "Castaway, you are nothing but a waste of my time."
Hiei snarled. He was furious. Using his demon speed he placed himself behind the child. Without moving more than his arm, Hashi blocked that attack and several more that followed. Hiei was becoming more enraged. This child was only moving his arm, and here he was using everything that made him … well him, and he couldn't get in one single hit.
That's it. Hiei was going to use his trump card. He removed the cloth that kept his third eye dormant. The eye opened. His eyes widened slightly as Hashi smirked. Hiei started to look inside the child's mind. He was able to get a glimpse of a woman with dark hair being slaughtered with his weapon. Beside her was a man in old fashioned priest clothing.
That's all he saw before his eye was taken over by the darkest power that now linked to his mind. It was like a giant red dragon of power. He had trouble controlling the darkness dragon at the dark tournament, but this kid was the embodiment of something very dark and sinister.
:You like what you see. You know we are not that much different you and I. The only difference was that I killed my sister. But soon you will have the feeling of freedom you crave deep within your soul. I can see it you know, your darkest desires. I can make them come true.: Hashi's voice was angelic and tempting.
Hiei could almost classify this voice as being a siren, except he wasn't going to be lured to his death, especially not by this monster.
Hiei snarled as the other demon fed lies to his eager mind. He wanted to believe that, but he wouldn't pay the price with his sister's blood. He would not be the cause or reason for her death.
Hiei growled like a caged beast and unleashed his full mental power on Hashi. He wanted to kill him. He was nothing like him. "Never" was the only mangled word that came out of this mouth before he was violently thrown across the room.
To anyone other than Hiei, Hashi never moved a muscle. The sadistic smile that graced his lips never faltered. "That's all I have come to tell you. I do have one thing to say though." He faced Koenma and ignored the shocked and angered spirit detectives behind him. "If this is the best you have, then I wish you all the luck; you'll need it. These infants wouldn't be able to save you. The demon lord is ruthless, and as for the miko after your shard," He snickered, "You'd be dead."
He turned and walked out of the room. His eyes were down cast and full of evil, murderous pleasure. He forgot about Hiei and the speck of control he had on his mind. However Hiei was about to hear one thought before his blood ran cold: 'The jewel will belong to only me.'
"How does he know about my precious Yukina?" Kuwabara asked slightly puzzled over the ordeal that just happened.
"What the mother fucking hell was that about?" Yusuke snarled. "Who was that guy?"
Koenma started to pace back and forth on his desk paying no regard for the paperwork he was leaving his shoe prints on. "That was Hashi. He's my father's right hand man. He's usually so passive." He started to rub his temples; it was the onset of a migraine.
Kurama noticed Hiei was standing beside him once again, What happened?
Hiei said nothing, but Kurama could tell he would tell him later. Hiei's pride was hurt and the loom of his sister's death wasn't helping things either.
"Sir?" Kurama asked the pacing infant, "Would you mind if I tried some contacts to see if anyone is able to heal Yukina's condition? I would have to go to Makai, but I will return by morning."
Koenma just waved his hand dismissing not only Kurama but the whole gang. Everyone waited patiently as Botan sent Kurama off first in hopes of a cure for the ice apparition.
"So he knows why my precious Yukina is sick? I wonder if he knows what will cure her? Someone should've asked while he was here." Kuwabara went on, but Hiei blocked out the rest of his mumblings. He would rather die then let that beast come anywhere near his sister.
"Yeah you're right Kuwabara; we should spend as much time as we can with her. Who knows how long she'll live for?"
Hiei wanted to rip out Urameshi's throat for even suggesting something like that. It would be a cold day in hell before he wou—
Hiei looked up and he saw both of them staring at him. He didn't know what he missed so instead of stating that he spaced off, he stuck up his nose and gave them his universal 'Hn' and followed behind them.
Hashi watched from the staff lunchroom as the boys passed by him. He was smirking. This was never a good sign, and today was no different. The ice demon was the perfect pawn for his plans. He wanted to draw the miko out of hiding and now he was finally putting his plans into motion.
He now had access to the last shard, and with the miko having the rest it would be like taking candy from a baby. Oh yes, Hashi had a serious sweet tooth that could only be sedated with blood and pain: his candy.
Instead of simply waiting for the miko to arrive, he did what he wanted to do. He opened up a portal and stepped inside. The portal lead him directly into the heart of Makai. He did tell King Enma that he would be killed if spotted in the demon realm, but he wanted that. But right now he had other plans in mind.
Being a powerful demon with no soul or conscious he obtained enough land to allow his pet to roam free. It was a gift from his late and power hungry father. Hashi arrived home and found his pet restless.
His pet was always restless. It wanted to go out of his perimeter and feast on the flesh and blood that lay just beyond reach. He had come this far, and he wasn't about to let his pet spoil his surprise for the miko when the time came.
A trip down memory lane.
That's what he called this plan, except this time there was nothing for her to hide behind. He had waited this long, he could wait a little longer for everything to come into place.
The land he owned had a slight weakening in the barrier. Since he was King Enma's right hand man, he was able to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. All it needed was his pet to go through and it would be like dominoes ... Or better yet the London Bridge. Nothing would stop him from getting the jewel and destroying the world.
All good things come to those who wait. And he's been waiting.
Kurama returned the next morning with sad news. He hadn't been able to track down anyone or anything that would be able to heal Yukina. The best he could come up with was a plant that could slow down the process. He felt useless not being able to do more. There was one demon that could have possibly shed some light, but he was up in a remote region, and a three days journey. Time was not an ally.
But what could you do when the only plant capable of saving his best friend's sister had been extinct since the Feudal era?
If only he had been alive a few hundred years before…or better yet had taken a few sprigs of the plant when they were looking for Kikyo. If only…
Before venturing off to the treaty with the group Kurama made the plant into a paste-like substance. It was heart warming in the least to see that Yukina was surrounded by friends and loved ones. No one should die alone.
Keiko took the substance from Kurama's hands and reassured him that she would remember to apply the paste every six hours.
He hated feeling helpless. He wanted to slice through something, anything to get away from this feeling of not being good enough.
This was a new feeling for him and he didn't like it one bit. Solemnly he waited as Botan opened a portal for all five of them. He made sure he was the last one to enter. He had a last resort, but he didn't want anyone to get their hopes up.
He slipped a note to Botan as he passed through. She looked at it puzzled but she gave a firm nod of reassurance. It was going to be a long and edgy meeting.
The spirit detective team walked into the estate with little problem. Nothing had changed much since they were last there. So there was a new picture on the wall depicting death of a miko, and a statue of a miko being slaughtered, but other than that it was exactly the same as they remembered it.
The whole team was on edge. They wanted nothing but to get this over and done with. Everyone wanted to get back to their friend and stay with her till it was her time. Kuwabara and Hiei were the worst off. Although Hiei didn't show it, Kurama could see the strain behind the demon's mask.
Kurama opened up a mental link with the fire demon, only to have one of Hiei's memories slip into his mind. He didn't think Hiei would have let any part of his barrier down, but this only showed Kurama how distraught he really was.
Kurama was sickened by what the fire demon showed him. He wanted to find that little runt and slice off a few inches. He couldn't put into words the rage he was feeling, but he could imagine what Hiei was going through.
Hiei turned to Kurama and they both shared a silent moment of understanding: Hashi needed to die.
"Vermin are not allowed in this Sesshomaru's home. I do not tolerate human-loving demons here either. Take them from my sight."
So much for introductions, and the whole spirit detective team was up in arms over his last comment. It was too close to Hashi's words for comfort.
Koenma didn't want to start a fight but explained to the lord that they were here to protect him from any assassin that might want to stop this treaty from happening.
The demon lord did not look too pleased, but sat on this seat and ignored them. The rest of the council assembled and they got down to business. Yusuke was never one for meetings, and he had trouble keeping is eyes open.
Yusuke yawned loudly and rolled his eyes when the court turned and glared at him. 'What I wouldn't do to get some action around here. I wish something would happen. It's so boring.'
There was only one problem with wishes, they sometimes come true.
AN: hey people! Here's the next segment. Yes another plot twist! I can't tell you when the next chapter will be out, but I can assure you that this is a creative hump in the story, and now that I've gotten it out, it should flow…. Hey people For a LONG time I never got my reviews so I thought everyone lost interest in this story…so I stopped writing it. But now it's all fixed and better and more people love me So keep reviewing (now that I can get it) and keep my inspiration flowing!
Beta: Thank you for your concern Jinenji; I already have messed up things to keep me up at night, and I don't need more. Sorry for the late update people, it's my fault. J gave this to me almost a week ago, but between the hospital, school, and work I hadn't had time to look it over. Enjoy.
Remember to review! Oh and happy belated Birthday! I tried to have this out on your b-day but :points to beta: it's all her fault!