Ch. 12 – The torture house

"Konton!" Kagome knocks on Ronin's door. " I know you spent the night! Wake up!"

"What do you want?" She slowly opens the door.

"Hiei's home!"
"Really?"

"Yup! He's walking up the stairs right now. Wanna go outside and get him with me?"

"Sure." They walk through the house and then out the front door, waiting at the top of the outside stairs for Hiei.

Hiei reaches them 15 minutes later, his clothes resembling rags. "Hn."

"Took you long enough to get up here slow poke." Konton retorts.

"I hate you." He looks over at Kagome, saying something to her telepathically before falling forward unconscious.

"What did he say?" Konton asks.

Kagome switches to demon form and picks Hiei up off the ground, heading towards the front door. "He said you are never to do that ever again." She brings Hiei inside.

(Later)

Konton walks over to the training field to find Hiei sharpening his katana. "So Hiei, tell me, where'd I send you?"

"You don't even know where you sent me?" He glares at her.

"Well I know I sent you to your worst nightmare. But I have no idea what that is. So… care to elaborate?"

"No."

Flashback

Hiei finds himself in a dark room. After a few minutes he senses where he is. "Kill me. I'd rather die then be here." He quickly scans the room looking for any threats. "At least it's dark in here." He turns to approach the nearby window. A light flicks on. "AAAAA!" He screams out in horror.

"Hiei!" He's immediately tackled to the ground.

"We missed you Hiei." A female green dragon demon whispers in his ear.

"We've been waiting for you to return." A female white tiger demon purrs in his other ear.

"We're so glad you've come home to us." A female red fox demon hugs him from behind, holding him around the waist.

"Try not to leave us this time. We get lonely without you around." A female purple harpie demon gently brushes his cheek with her hand.

"If you refuse to stay we shall have to tie you down." A female black bat demon sits in his lap.

"You people are insane! GET OFF!"

"But we need you Hiei." The fox holds onto him even tighter.

"Unhand me woman!"

"You know there's more then one of us." The dragon states.

"You cannot deny us." The bat smiles.

"There's no way in hell I'm staying here!" He shoves one of them off.

"I'll get the rope!" The harpie runs off.

End flashback

"Why would I tell you what kind of torture you put me through? So you can send me back?" Hiei glares at Konton.

"Well if you don't tell me where you went I'll send you through another wormhole so you'll end up at the same place and follow you so I can find out for myself where it is."

Hiei shudders. "You will not send me there."

"I can and I will if you don't start telling me details." She smirks.

"Hn."

"Well then, as the Avatar of Chaos, it is my duty to…" She gives him her cheshire cat smile. "Send you back." She snaps her fingers and a wormhole opens up above him. His eyes widen slightly and he attempts to run away. But Konton grabs hold of his arm and throws him in, jumping into the wormhole after him before it disappears.

(Meanwhile)

"Are you looking for something?" Kurama finds Kagome in her demon form searching through the training field.

"Someone. I can't find Hiei."

"So you're trying to track him?"

"Yes. But his scent just disappears and I can't reach him telepathically."

"What about the burn mark? Hiei said you have one too."

"Oh you mean this." She pulls up her sleeve to reveal a burn mark of a sword and arrow crossed.

"Yes. Can't you locate him with that? Hiei used it to locate you."

"It only works when we're in range of each other. Do you know if anyone else is missing?"

"I'll check." He runs off and comes back 15 minutes later. "Only Konton. Why?"

"Then I have a pretty good idea of where Hiei is."

"Really?"

"Yup. And Konton went with him. She's going to regret that." Kagome smiles.

"Kagome… where did they go?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Cause I said so."

"Well then…" Kurama shifts to Youko. "What about telling me then?"

"Nope!"

"Please?" He smiles at her sweetly.

"Nope!" She laughs.

"C'mon! Please?"

"Nope!" She runs off.

"Well you'll have to tell me if I catch you!" Youko chases after her.

(Elsewhere)

Konton and Hiei land on a carpeted floor in a foreign house. "Where are we Hiei?" Konton look over at him but he's no longer there. "… Are you hiding behind me?" She quickly turns to find Hiei standing there.

"You might as well be of some use."

"Well here's where you come in use." She picks him up by the collar. "Where the hell are we!?"

"Shh! They'll hear you."

"Don't you shush my half pint. Tell me where we are."

"We're in a creepy house in Makai. Now put me down so we can get out of here before we're caught."

Konton slowly puts him down and Hiei starts to step away from her. Both freeze when they hear a noise behind them. They slowly turn to find 5 female demons standing there, watching them. "Hiei!" All of them scream out, 4 of them tackling him to the floor.

"So you're scared of a harem. That's funny." She looks at the girl who hasn't tackled Hiei, a green dragon. "Which way is out?"

"Follow me."

"Don't you DARE leave me here!" Hiei screams as he is dragged back down to the floor having tried to leave.

"Later Hiei." Konton smiles evilly as she follows the green dragon out of the room and down the hall. After walking down a number of hallways Konton starts talking to the green dragon. "Were are we going? I asked for a way out, not for you to lead me further into this house. If you don't let me out right now, there will be hell to pay."

"Your powers will not work in this house."

"Why not?"

"This is the torture house. Powers fade and weapons disappear. They only come back when you step outside."

"Then tell me where we're going or I'll kick you ass."

"There is no need to be hostile." She turns and opens a door. "This is your room."

"What?"

"This is your room." She shoves Konton in. "Enjoy your stay in our house, Konton."

"How do you know my name!?"

"It matter little, but we get it when you enter our house." She shuts the door.

Konton looks around. "No lights, great." She hears movement coming from somewhere in the room. "Whoever and wherever you are, come near me and I'll kill you."

(Back Genki's)

"So they went to wherever Hiei's worst fears are?" Youko sits in a tree holding Kagome.

"Yup."

"So what is Hiei most afraid of?"

"That's two questions. I said I'd only answer one."

"C'mon! Please?"

"That is Hiei's secret, not mine."

"Don't demons end up at the torture house when they're sent to confront their fears?"

"… That place still exists?" Kagome sounds nervous.

"I heard it was immortal. Why?"

"Then… Hiei's in trouble. And so is Konton. I'm going to Koenma's, you coming?"

"Why are you goin to Koenma's?"

"I can't send myself to the torture house. So I'm going to have Koenma send me there."

"I'd go with you, but Kurama is supposed to visit his mother in an hour."

"Alright. I'll be back later." She teleports herself to Koenma's office.

-Liar.-

-You don't even know what the torture house does!-

-Then explain it to me Youko.-

-It's a place demons end up when they are sentenced to face their worst fears. It resides in the deepest, darkest, coldest corner of Makai. And not a lot of people come out alive.-

-Have you ever been there?-

-NO! I've done my best to stay clear of that place.-

-What do you fear Youko?-

-I've overcome them already.-

-So there's absolutely nothing you're afraid of? You're fearless?-

-I don't want to lose her.-

-You can't lose her if you're there to watch over her.-

( Koenma's)

"Are you insane!? Have you lost your mind!?! No way!"
"Koenma I can't send myself there!"

"I'm not sending you there!"

"Hiei and Konton need help!"

"You'll be condemning yourself to torture!"

"I don't care!"

"If I send you Kagome, you will still be blind. You'll never come out of there alive."

"Then give me back my eyesight."

"I can't. It's on your contract."

"Send me anyway."

"Are you stupid!? You'll die!?"

"I don't care!"

"You're not gonna leave… are you?"

"I'm not going anywhere till you send me to Makai."

Koenma sighs. "Fine. But at least let me help you a little bit."

"How?"

"Here." Koenma takes something out of a draw and puts it in her hand. "Unfold them and put them on."

"What is it?"

"They're special glasses. Try them."

"Wow. I can't believe it."

"You can see, I know."

"It's not that. You have bad taste in wallpaper."

"Kagome!"

"I'd tear that stuff down if I were you."

"Kagome! I'm helping you with your sight and you're criticizing me about my choice in wallpaper!"

"But it's ugly."

"I don't care! Go take care of your brother and Konton! I've had enough!" He opens a dark portal.

"Thank you! Took you long enough to let me go!" She disappears into the darkness.