Chapter 8: "Past of a Slave"
The fortress was a flurry of motion despite it being late at night. Three more messages had arrived from Spirit World since Hiei returned. The first gave more details on the kidnapping that had happened in the fire demon's absence. It seemed a young female demon had been taken from the palace of one of Yomi's viziers. At the time they were still investigating the circumstances and would get back to him with more information. The second message had contained a confirmation of the female's identity and the testimonies from the demons that had seen her last. It also said that Yusuke was staying in Spirit World and would arrive at the palace the next morning to start the case.
The third message had gone through Mukuro before Hiei had a chance to read it and for a moment she was speechless. Leaning heavily against the wall to keep steady, the former lord read over the message several times before she fully absorbed it. For a moment she could hardly think and she forced herself to keep her wit as she went seeking Hiei to pass on the message.
The fire demon was with the head of the palace guards, discussing the new security measures to be enforced while he was gone. He wanted the amount of soldiers in the palace to increase by almost twice their current number and for scouts to be sent out to watch the forest surrounding the palace. He wouldn't risk anything happening while he was gone and Mukuro agreed with the measures. Things were becoming more and more dangerous for both of them. Any one trying to deter Hiei from the mission would come to the palace, and Mukuro didn't want to try and fight on her own.
"Hiei?" she said once he had sent the demon on his way to institute the new precautions. The fire demon turned and walked toward her, noticing immediately the scroll in her hand and the troubled look she wore. "This came for you," Mukuro said softly, holding out the scroll for him to take.
Hiei glanced over it briefly, not comprehending. Ignoring his heart beating in his throat the fire demon read the message again slowly and felt his knees hit the cold stone floor. His body felt numb and when Mukuro knelt beside him he could barely bring himself to look up at her. "How…?" he asked in a whisper and Mukuro shook her head softly, her hand closing over the one of his that rested on the floor. "Damn him!" Hiei shouted suddenly, his other hand clenching into a fist. "That stupid bastard, I knew he was worthless but I trusted him!"
"You couldn't have known this would happen," Mukuro whispered.
Glaring at the floor, Hiei tried to steady his ragged breathing and swallowed forcefully. His whole body was shaking and when he spoke his voice wavered sharply. "I'm going to Human World right now," he said, "and I'll kick his ass for allowing them to take her…"
Gently Mukuro ran her hand through the fire demon's hair and pulled him into a soft embrace, weaving her hand into his. "That won't change anything," she whispered in his ear. "You should get some rest so you'll be ready tomorrow. I can finish the preparations." Kissing him lightly, Mukuro helped Hiei to his feet and nudged him in the direction of the door.
"I'm doing this for you," Hiei said sadly and Mukuro nodded.
Once the fire demon had gone she left for the armory, planning to gather the rest of the supplies they would need for the journey. Hiei and Yusuke couldn't fail this mission and she would never forgive the fire demon if he did. Atasu was hurting too many and she couldn't stand to see strong demons like Hiei in tears. She would kill him herself if she could, but that was out of the question for a number of reasons. The only thing she could do was prepare Hiei as best she could and hope he was lucky.
Apparently the fire demon had already talked to the demons in the armory because when Mukuro arrived there she found all the supplies waiting. Quickly she looked through them before taking the pack over her shoulder and heading back to her chambers. Inside was a pair of hunting knives for Yusuke and Hiei, a piece of flint (this probably was unnecessary considering Hiei's powers), maps of the different regions of Demon World, containers to carry water (certain parts of Raizen's territory were desert) and finally a small vial that Mukuro had added herself. The bottle was a light purple and the thick liquid inside was clear. It was a medicine that could be used to heal most anything, be it a fracture or pneumonia. They would more than need it.
"That should be everything," Mukuro murmured to herself as she crossed the palace to her chambers. Yusuke would arrive around sunrise and they would travel through the day. Hiei had wanted to travel at night, using the darkness to their advantage, but she had crushed that idea with the statement that they were much more likely to be attacked at night than in broad daylight. Only when they found Atasu's lair would they need the stealth that night allowed. Yusuke had seconded that idea and Hiei had grudgingly conceded defeat.
The fire demon was curled in a ball on her futon when Mukuro arrived at her chambers. Quietly she set down the pack of supplies and turned to leave, not wanting to wake him up. It was a wonder that he got any sleep at all. Before she could leave, however, Mukuro sensed Hiei watching her and turned around, crossing the room and sitting down beside him as he propped himself up on his elbow. From the look in his eyes it seemed he hadn't even thought of trying to sleep.
"You really do need rest Hiei," Mukuro said softly but the fire demon simply looked at her and she knew it was out of the question. Hiei nestled against her chest as she lay down beside him and Mukuro held him tightly. "Try not to think about it," she whispered in his ear, "it'll only dull your wits."
"How can I not think about it?" Hiei asked angrily. "My sister's been kidnapped by a demon who'll probably torture, rape, and then sell her to another bastard that'll do just the same! That damned Atasu is a slave trader!"
Mukuro tensed at his last words and Hiei looked up at her, startled by her reaction. He suddenly remembered the night before when Yusuke had talked to them and the distant look in her eyes. She had been rubbing her wrists….
"I can't believe that after all this time things like this would still be happening."
"You're right Hiei," Mukuro murmured, hiding her face in his hair, "he'll treat her to a living Hell."
To put it in more blunt terms, he became a slave-trader.
The former lord ignored Hiei's questioning gaze and held him tighter, struggling to bury the wave of emotion that had surged into her throat. Silently she willed him not to ask and to simply let it go, but she knew that wouldn't happen.
"I fought for my freedom, even if it meant disfiguring myself..."
A tear made the jump from her eye and slid slowly down her cheek. She cursed softly.
"He'll treat her to a living Hell."
Anxiously Hiei tried to search her mind to see what was wrong but the strength of the barrier he hit was enough to knock him backward. He felt her tears against his neck and tried to ignore the tightness in his own throat.
The shackles on her wrists...
"It was you…" Hiei said suddenly, looking up and met her eyes, which seemed only to confirm what was swirling around in his mind. "What you meant yesterday…Atasu was the one that did this to you." He touched her cheek gently, the side that was metal. "He was the one you were trying to escape from."
Suddenly all the memories of everyone that he had spoken to about Atasu came back. They had always mentioned Mukuro. Only after he used her name did Guilin concede to get the file. Kyata guessed it was Mukuro that had sent him to learn about the slaver. She had made sure he learned as much about him as he could so he would know exactly what he was up against and not underestimate him. A sudden surge of anger flowed through the fire demon. There was no way Atasu would do those things to his sister and the woman he loved and get away with it!
"I thought you would have figured it out before now," Mukuro said, startling Hiei out of his thoughts. "I figured Guilin or Kyata would have told you. I suppose not. Well you guessed right Hiei." She leaned away from him and the fire demon noticed just how much she had been scarred. "Now you know what you're up against." Her voice was cold and distant but underneath her mask Hiei could sense the painful memories unfolding in her mind.
"It's not that simple," he stated. "You know yourself it's not that simple. It took you a thousand years to forget. You can't fool me like this Mukuro," he whispered, nuzzling her softly. "You've toughened yourself to try and forget. I've done the same in so many ways so you can't hope to fool me."
"You can't live forever on what happened in the past," he continued, his hand slipping down her arm and massaging her side. "I'm not asking you to try and forget," he corrected, seeing the skeptical look in her blue eyes. "I know I won't forget right away. But this is the present."
The truth in his words cut her and she pulled him close so he wouldn't see. Never would she have guessed Hiei to say something like that but it had a powerful effect all the same. Something in the way he had spoken seemed to say "Don't worry anymore, I'll get him." Desperately she wanted to believe that; Yukina didn't deserve to suffer like she had. The ice maiden was too pure and honest for Atasu to hurt. Please don't let her end up like me, Mukuro thought, please don't let that happen.
"Don't worry," Hiei murmured, "I'll make sure I stop him. I have to survive to kick Kuwabara's ass."
Mukuro chuckled softly. "Always the fighting motive. Just be careful," she added seriously. "Don't let him find out you have connections with me." When the fire demon raised an eyebrow questioningly she said, "I was the only one to ever escape. I'm sure he's not proud of that."
"So instead of allowing me to taunt him you're forbidding me from even mentioning you?"
"That's an order Hiei," Mukuro said jokingly, catching the fire demon's wrists before he could shove her and pinning them above his head. Noting his lack of dominance Hiei glared and growled darkly under his breath as Mukuro smirked at him. "So as much as you want to taunt him, as much as you miss me while you're gone," she nuzzled him, "you're not allowed to say anything," she whispered in his ear. Annoyed that she had him pinned and that he couldn't shove her off Hiei cursed and Mukuro bit his ear teasingly.
Not being submissive by nature, the fire demon leaned up and kissed her, catching the former lord off guard. Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in concentration he pushed her knees out and rolled her over, landing triumphantly astride her with a smirk. This new arrangement didn't seem to bother Mukuro and she allowed Hiei to kiss along her neck, shivering when she felt his tongue tracing her pulse.
In the six months of their relationship Hiei had come a long way. At first he could barely stand to be around her without blushing or looking extremely awkward. Seeing the fire demon embarrassed was hilarious for Mukuro and she would still smirk when he blushed, which was very rarely once he figured out what she was doing. Almost immediately he had installed preventive measures against any romantic nicknames and was strictly against any public displays of affection, something that Mukuro had agreed to at once. It had taken what seemed like forever for him get over the fact that she would kiss him and even longer before he would initiate one himself. They had progressed slowly for the fire demon's sake and were at the point that he would take dominance, a huge leap from his first kiss.
But he still had never indicated any wish to claim her. Mukuro would be honest; the thought of having Hiei as her mate had crossed her mind more than once. She knew that the fire demon was extremely timid in matters like these and had tried to draw subtle hints from him, never discovering any telltale signs. She considered them lovers; he didn't ("That sounds like some stupid human endearment," he had said). What she truly thought was that he was afraid of the obligation that came with a permanent relationship. Hiei had never been what most demons would consider loyal.
"Hiei that's enough," she said breathlessly and the fire demon looked up from where he had been unbuttoning her shirt, disappointed. "You have to leave early tomorrow," she said in response to his annoyed look and grudgingly the fire demon slid sideways off her hips and curled up beside her. "Don't be like that," she groaned and he looked up, rolling his eyes.
"Hn, one display of affection and you go all defensive," he murmured, nestling his head against her shoulder. "You really need to calm down."
"Hiei! Hiei help me!" she shouted desperately, trying in vain to break the rope that bound her arms. He stared at her for a moment before the realization of what was happening sank in and he bolted for her side. Blood trickled down her neck from a wound that seemed to stretch across her throat. She would die if he didn't get there. The darkness around them was overwhelming, weighing down on him as he tried to run and making his feet drag. It had to be one of Atasu's spells and try as he might he couldn't break it. It was succeeding in taking her.
"Hiei!" another voice shouted and his head whipped around as he recognized the voice. Behind him, seeming to grow farther and farther away before his eyes, Mukuro fought hopelessly against a heavy pair of shackles that had her wrists bound. Her shirt was staining red from a fresh chest wound and the chains around her wrists cut deeply into her arms, the blood drying on the steel.
Yusuke was dead, his body lying nearby covered in wounds. The Spirit Detective had fought until the end as was his style, but Atasu was much stronger than him and took joy in beating the human down. Before he had died Yusuke had made him swear that he would kill Atasu and take his body back to Spirit World, which he had hoarsely agreed to. Then the human that was the most powerful defense of Spirit World had died. Now he was the only one left and stood torn between the two, petrified by the sights.
There was no way, even with his amazing speed, that he could reach both of them in time. Whoever he neglected would die and it would be his fault. Already the loss of blood was affecting both of them and it was only a matter of time before they passed out. He had no choice; he stood no chance of defeating Atasu without Yusuke or some form of backup. Even if he freed her Mukuro would be too weak to fight alongside him.
"Brother please!" Yukina shouted and Hiei whipped around, staring at her. Barely standing, her face deathly pale, Yukina shouted to him again, this time much softer. Sinking to her knees, she glanced up at Hiei and locked gazes with him, her red eyes pleading.
Blood is thicker than water…
Mukuro was watching him, not protesting, not trying to dissuade him from his mission. Her eyes had a deadened look in them that Hiei had only seen once before. She had given up.
"You shouldn't rush into death…death finds us all soon enough."
"No," he moaned, sinking to his knees. He couldn't chose like this. Mukuro had warned him about Atasu's tricks and he had been overconfident. Now it was too late for both of them and he would loose the only two that he had ever cared for. In the distance he could hear Atasu laughing at him and couldn't even bring himself to curse the demon. This wasn't all Atasu's fault.
From both sides he could hear the slow breathings begin to fade and closed his eyes to try and block it out. Mukuro's once raging demon energy was nearly non-existent and Hiei heard her gasp sharply before it vanished altogether. Bitter tears stung his eyes and he looked up helplessly at Yukina, who was struggling not to choke. The ice maiden coughed and a trickle of blood dripped down her chin. After all the death he had seen Hiei knew she would be dead within a few minutes. The thought only left a deadened feeling in his heart.
She died silently a moment later, her eyes slipping closed peacefully. The tear gem around her neck snapped from its cord and fell to the ground, where it was tainted by the pool of her blood. Hiei watched in a trance and felt his necklace snap as well, landing on the ground with a strange echo. The fire demon slowly looked down at it and saw it had cracked into three pieces: one for Yukina, one for Mukuro, and one for himself.
"Hiei!"
The fire demon jerked awake at the familiarity of the voice and immediately saw Mukuro staring down at him, her hand on his shoulder. He searched her face and wrists for blood and seeing none breathed a sigh or relief. That dream had been extremely vivid. Any moment he expected to look up and see her bloody and dying.
"Are you alright?" she asked anxiously, glancing him over. "You were shaking terribly. Your necklace broke," she said sadly, holding up the gem by the broken cord. Hiei stared at it for a moment with wide eyes before sinking weakly back onto the bed, the gem in his hand. Breathing heavily, he murmured, "What time is it?"
"Almost dawn," Mukuro told him and instantly he was alert, sitting up and looking around as though Yusuke would appear at any moment. "Hiei?" she asked questioningly as he stood up and crossed the room, grabbing his cloak and sword as he went. "Hiei it's not even dawn yet."
"I want to check the defenses," he said without turning around and Mukuro stared at him.
"Why?' she asked blankly. "Hiei you took care of it last night, everything's fine."
"I had a dream last night," Hiei said, turning to face her. The severity in his eyes surprised Mukuro and silenced her before she could interrupt. "I dreamt that you had been kidnapped along with Yukina. You were both severely wounded and I wasn't able to save you." Looking away, he said softly, "I don't want anything like that to happen."
For a moment Mukuro was speechless and Hiei was almost out the door when she called him back. Holding something in her hand, she took the tear gem he had tucked in his belt before he could protest and strung it on a silver chain, which she passed over his neck. The fire demon smiled slightly in gratitude and tucked the necklace inside his shirt where he could be sure nothing happened to it.
"I want you to come back, remember that," she whispered, pulling him into her arms. "No reckless chances or Yukina and I will never forgive you."
"I know," he said, "and I don't look forward to having you mad at me. Don't worry," he said reassuringly, "I'll hit him so hard he won't dare come out of hiding again."
Awww...
...that's not much of a lime scene...hardly even citrus... o.O
