Another chapter up! This is been a productive week for me!
A special thanks to Just 2 Dream of You and KuwabaraMikey17 for being faithful reviewers. You make my heart sing!
And much love to all who have followed/faved so far in this journey. Y'all make me want to keep writing!
Chapter 13
Yusuke though it was a wonder Kurama, Kuwabara and himself weren't sucked down into the gaping hole created by Gala's lighting blast. When he heard Mickey-Jo scream and saw the girl and Hiei falling amidst raw chunks of rock all thought of being peaceful fled from his brain. He aimed his Spirit Gun at the enraged cat and let it blast. Curses flew from his mouth as she danced out of the way and roared laughter. The three boys split up, jumping out of the way of bright blue sparks of lightning.
"Oh crap! Mickey-Jo and Hiei fell!" Kuwabara shouted. He drew out his Spirit Sword. A finger of lightning jolted straight towards him. With a deep breath and a prayer, he swung his sword with all his might and managed to deflect the killing blast off.
Kurama clenched his teeth. "There must have been a cave system under the mountain. We can't worry about them right now. We have to take care of Gala, and then we can see if they survived." With a flick of his hair he drew out a rose and summoned his whip.
The large cat demon stalked forward, lighting crackling around her form. "I told you the first time you would be sorry, fox! No one humiliates Gala and gets away with it!" Her claws raked through the air and lighting shot from her fingertips. The boys dodged and rolled out of the way. Yusuke darted forward, gathering another blast in his fingertip. Gala was focusing her attention on Kurama. She flung her electricity at him from her hands and called it from the sky. She wasn't paying attention to the two human boys. Perfect timing.
"Spirit Gun!" The blue beam of energy rocketed forward. Somehow Gala noticed and flung a hand absently in his direction. Lightning crashed with spirit energy and the resulting explosion left a smoking crater. Yusuke felt his eyebrows. They were singed.
"Damnit!" Yusuke bit out. "Jeez, Kurama! What exactly did you do to her?!"
Kurama jumped and danced and dodged as swords of lighting wound ever closer. "I don't have time to answer that right now Yusuke!"
"Sword get longer!" Came Kuwabara's feral cry. The orange spear snaked around the lightning bolts and aimed right for Gala's heart. Summoning her energy around her hands, Gala grabbed the tip of the sword with a snarl. She was pushed back with the force of the sword but hung on. Blood started dripping from her hands. Lightning started arcing down the shimmering orange sword towards Kuwabara. The carrot-top clenched his teeth and dug in harder, pushing more energy and force into his elongated sword.
Kurama realized their opening and shouted to Yusuke. "Now, Yusuke! Use your Spirit Gun!" He raced forward with his Rose Whip and lashed it around Gala's neck. She dropped the sword to claw at the spiked vine around her neck with a terrified screech. The sound instantly turned into a pain-filled roar as Kuwabara's Spirit Sword tore through the fur in her chest and stabbed through her heart.
The detective ran forward and obediently fired another blast, putting a larger store of energy into this one. As it barreled forward it dug a furrow in the ground. Gala screeched again in ferocious anger at being taken down. She couldn't move out of the way of the Spirit Gun because of the sword through her heart and the whip around her neck. Her frantic eyes met Kurama's. Her piteous cried pleaded with the fox-demon, but Kurama's gaze was steely. She had tried to kill them over a trivial reason. She had brought this on herself. Her blue eyes squeezed shut in great pain, physical and emotional, and a shimmering tear leaked from her lids. She turned her face into the blast gunning for her form.
The blast faded. Nothing was left of the maddened cat. Kurama sighed heavily. While Gala wasn't exactly a friend, he did have history with her. She had always been a tad delusional though, and that was one of the reasons Youko had not stuck around the first time. Wearily, Kurama walked towards the giant tumble of rocks that covered where Mickey-Jo and Hiei had fallen. He heard Yusuke and Kuwabara come up beside him.
"You really think there was a cave system under the mountain?" Kuwabara asked. Apprehension was evident on his dirt streaked face. Hiei he wasn't so much worried about. He had come to like Mickey-Jo, and was earnestly worried about her well-being.
Kurama nodded. "There had to have been a cave system, or a large underground cavern at the very least. Otherwise the lightning blast wouldn't have created that deep of a hole. We can only hope that they were able to miss most of the falling rocks and get somewhere stable."
"Well, don't you have telepathy or something? I know Hiei does. Try to reach his brain signal or whatever," Yusuke suggested, resting on his haunches. He prodded at a few tumbled rocks with a finger. The ground rumbled ominously and he jumped back.
"Good idea, Yusuke." Kurama closed his eyes so he could concentrate. His awareness spread out like a wave of water. Down into the ground he directed it, flowing through the cracks in the rocks. He sought out Hiei. The fire apparition had a specific energy signal that was uniquely his own.
Hiei released Mickey-Jo's arm as the familiar thread of Kurama's mind brushed his. The girl fell to her hands and knees, panting. He rolled his eyes at her and opened his mind to Kurama.
Hiei! Thank goodness. Are you alright? Kurama asked.
Besides being trapped under a mountain with a human, I am fine. Hiei answered icily. Did you finish the cat?
There was a pause and Kurama's mind-voice sounded somewhat sad. Yes. Gala is no more. She would have killed us all given the chance. Luckily she underestimated all of us.
Wonderful. Hiei thought back sarcastically. Now what are we doing about getting the human and I above ground?
So Mickey-Jo is alright?
She's whining about her ribs and arm. Won't shut up.
Hiei could sense Kurama's exasperation at his intolerance for the cowgirl. Just keep her safe while we figure something out. I know Gala's compound has entrances to the caves, but there is a settlement of demons that resides deep in the heart of the mountain. I don't know if Gala had good relations with them or not, and we could possibly have complications if they found out we killed her.
Kurama! I am not a babysitter! Hiei shot a glare at Mickey-Jo crumpled on the floor. She glared back, mouth open in confusion.
"What're ya glarin' at me for, demon-spit? Ain't my fault I got just 'bout crushed by the damn rocks!" She shot at him.
Hiei ignored her in favor of Kurama's continuance. Yusuke, Kuwabara and I will go back to the compound and try to find a way too you. Now that I have a lock on your energy signal, it should be fairly easy.
Unless the caves are a maze, Kurama. I've never seen a cave system that was straightforward.
Thank you, Hiei, for looking on the bright side of things. Kurama retorted. Try your best to head east, that's where the compound is.
Hiei didn't reply. He cut off the communication with Kurama and started forward.
Mickey-Jo struggled to her feet. "Hey! Wait jus' a minute!" She gritted her teeth as the demon ignored her and started walking. Oh, how she wished she had her packs! But her healing components were in her saddlebags, which were on Dazzle's back, who had disappeared with her dog to only God knows where. But maybe….
She dug around in her pockets and crowed with delight when she found a little packet of powder in her shirt pocket. Hiei stopped and turned around, annoyed with her sudden burst of noise. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her with the packet of white powder.
"Now is not the time to indulge in mind-altering drugs, human."
"Aw, keep yer panties on, " Mickey-Jo scoffed. "It ain't coke 'r meth 'r nothin' like'at. It's a healin' powder. Now hush for a minute and let me do my thing. I'll be able t' keep up better with this." She tapped the full packet of powder onto her tongue and grimaced at the taste. Working up the saliva to dissolve and swallow all the powder was hard, as her mouth was dry and sore.
When she started to rip the bottom of her shirt off in strips Hiei's eyes widened and he moved forward to stop her. "What are you doing?!"
Mickey-Jo eyed him. "I'm makin' a wrap fer my wrist." She spoke slowly, as if to a child. "This's all I got to make one, 'less you got a med kit underneath yer coat."
"Hn." He blew out a breath and turned away. After a few minutes he turned around and saw her struggling trying to wrap her wrist with the tattered bottom of her shirt. "You're not doing it right."
Mickey-Jo didn't look up from her bandaging attempts. "Well it's kinda hard t' wrap it with one hand."
"It won't get tight enough and then all you have a strip of cloth around your wrist." Hiei added.
The cowgirl spat on the floor and stuck her arm towards him, jutting her hip out and raising her chin. "Well, you do it then since obviously I ain't no good! I gotta get this damn arm wrapped up a'fore a actually break it. Then I'll really be in trouble."
Hiei growled softly. He stalked over and roughly grabbed her elbow. Using only one hand, he deftly wrapped the plaid material into a tight, secure bond around her wrist and over her hand. Mickey-Jo's face was expressionless. Of course he would use this chance to show her up. Demons.
After he was done he dropped her arm and stepped back. "You can't tell me you haven't injured yourself in your pathetic two-year long failure at catching your demon."
"Pfft. A'course I did," she replied. "But I always had my bags with my healin' goo. Stuff's just about powerful to close a hole in yer chest."
"Hn." Hiei turned around and started walking away.
"Hey! We cain't jus' wander 'round in these caves! We gotta find a way to get to th' others!" Mickey-Jo trotted to catch up to him.
"That's what I'm doing fool! Kurama said to head in an eastwardly direction, back to the stupid cat's compound. They killed her." Hiei snapped.
"Wait a sec, Kurama ain't down here.." she murmured. She looked around quickly. No, the redhead wasn't down there with them.
Hiei slowly turned his head towards her and his Jagan eye glowed underneath his bandana. Mickey-Jo felt a sharp pain in her head and something that felt all-too like the fire demon shake her brain around. She grabbed her head and yelled out.
"Alrigh'! Alrigh'! Dammit, boy, leave my head alone!" She hissed. When the pressure faded she glared daggers at Hiei. "Did it ever occur you could jus' tell me ya had freaky mind powers?"
"Actions speak louder than words, fool." He smirked and continued walking.
Soon they came to a fork in the current tunnel they were traveling it, neither headed east. They had been walking in a northwesterly direction, and these tunnels branched off north and west. They paused for a moment. Mickey-Jo scratched her head and looked to either tunnel.
"Well, which one 'r we gonna take?" she asked softly.
Hiei rolled his eyes and felt for demonic energy in the two tunnels. When both came up negative, he started for the northern tunnel. Logically, the north tunnel would be more likely to head east later on. All things considered, it was really a gamble. Tunnels could move up and down levels, double back, dead end. Logic didn't always have a place, and given his recent luck, Hiei was certain something would happen.
Mickey-Jo bit back the comment that was on her tongue and sighed. Her ribs and wrist hurt, and breathing was becoming more difficult. She wasn't claustrophobic, but the air down here was dank and stale and dusty. She kept tripping over rocks and protrusions. Hiei was selfish with his light, just keeping close to him to light his way. Demons. Selfish bastards.
"Ya mind turning up the power on yer lil' flashlight up there?" Mickey-Jo asked. "'Less you want me to break m'leg or somthin'."
"You have Spirit Energy, make your own." Came the reply.
"Trust me, I would. But I don' rightly know how," she admitted.
"You don't know how to make a simple light? How stupid are you?"
Mickey-Jo bristled. "I ain't never had a reason to use my magic to create a light."
"What? Are you serious? It's pure stupidity not to prepare for any eventuality."
The cowgirl crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the fire-demon's back. "Well, excuuuse me fer not meetin' up to yer perfect standards. I did what I thought I had t'do."
"Obviously you didn't do enough."
"Jus' shut up and make yer nightlight brighter."
Apparently Hiei ignored her, for he did not reply, nor did his flame get brighter. Mickey-Jo struggled along, squinting in the near dark to keep her footing sure. Her jaw was set in a mulish grimace and she thought all sorts of curses at her companion.
I hope he steps in shit. Not jus' any shit, sick cow shit. With undigested corn in it. And no water t'wash it off with. That he gets stuck in Loo'siana in the swamps with no skeeter spray. I hope a damn pigeon flock attacks him and covers him in bird shit. Stupid, selfish, smug, sorry demon. They's all roaches.
While she was thinking all the nasty things she would like to happen to Hiei, she decided to do a little experimenting. If he could make a light out of his energy, so could she dammit! She remembered what Kurama said about Spirit Energy when they were first talking about their demon.
"It is the physical manifestation of the power of your spirit. Your body has the capabilities of channeling the power of your spirit into physical form, which can be used for many different things. That's what this machine does. It converts the energy from the soul into a physical thing."
So all she had to do was imagine a light and channel her power into that image, right? Right. She got a little closer to Hiei and started following his footsteps step for step. Hopefully doing that would avoid the worst foot traps so she could concentrate. Her hand started glowing the familiar purple when she used her maps, just by concentrating her power in her hand. It gave off too little light, however. That wouldn't do. Pushing a little more of her energy into her hand, it glowed even brighter. Thrilled with her success, she pushed a little more until she had a shining, purple beacon for a hand.
Hiei looked back. "Just what are you doing? You're energy signal is bouncing all over the walls. If anything is in here, it will find us from that lighthouse you have in your hand."
"I made a light for m'self! Ain't that what you wanted me to do?" She raised her hand a little higher. The light helped a little, but the purple glow washed out the deeper shadows of the cave, making everything seem more two-dimensional. She tripped over a large rock the light made seem smaller, and fell flat on her face.
"Useless." Hiei grunted. "At least drop your projection so you don't draw needless attention to yourself."
Mickey-Jo picked herself up with a wheeze. Man her ribs were hurting. Her breath came with more effort. "How 'xactly am I supposed to do that? I can't sense anything."
Hiei's expression was incredulous. "You never even learned to mask your Spirit Energy?! How idiotic can you be! That's how you were never able to catch this demon! He could sense you from miles away!"
"I never had no teacher on this mess!" Mickey-Jo snapped at him. "People I met up with only taught me what they knew!"
"You never thought to ask?" He snapped back. "Just like a human. Always thinking you know everything. You're weak and cowardly!"
"Oh yea? Well-"
A roar echoed down the tunnel. The rocks started shaking. The blood drained from Mickey-Jo's face. Something had found them.
"Shit."
*Le Gasp*! What has found them? What will Mickey-Jo do without all her tools, especially her fiddle? Find out on the next episode of Southern Fried!
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