It's been a rough 2 years is all I can say.

Chapter 18-

Yusuke growled and kicked the tumble of rocks in front of them. "Another dead end!? What in the fucking hell! I thought you knew the way to your village, Daisuke!"

"It has been decades since I've been in the tunnels, boy, " the pale demon replied with a glare. "The Ekrichii travel these tunnels, eating rock, changing the layout and causing cave-ins." He turned from the blocked tunnel. "We must backtrack again, but we still draw closer."

Kurama took a deep breath, resigned to the situation. Nearly a day had passed since they found Daisuke and started the journey to the underground village. He was sure Hiei's code would keep him from killing the girl, but the two of them together was like fire and gasoline, and apparently the mountain held plenty of dangers on its own.

A strange sound, somewhere between a gurgle and shout, came from Yusuke as he turned around as well and followed the others.

"Daisuke, how much contact have you had with the village?" Kurama asked.

Daisuke signed. "It's sporadic at best. The last message I recieved was about six months ago. It is... it *was* hard to get communication back and forth between those trapped in the palace and those at home. The message that was delivered was a such a relief from the one that had come a few months before."

"And what was that?"

"The message before?" Daisuke continued at Kurama's nod. "The village had been attacked. A demon who melted through rock. They were caught unawares and defenseless. They had fought back, and about a quarter of the village had been slaughtered." His voice shook with emotion. "I was overcome when they managed to get me another missive, recovering as well as can be after such an attack."

Picking up his pace, Kuwabara trotted up to come level with Daisuke and Kurama. "Wait, wait, you said a demon who melted through rock?"

"Yes. They were caught unawares. The traps and alarms in the tunnels were useless against him."

Kurama's eye widened. A demon who melted through rock? "Daisuke," his voice was soft, "Can you tell us exactly what happened?"

The older demon's good eye narrowed at the fox demon. "You underestimate the quality of communication I've had with my brethren, Kurama. I'm eager to find out the details myself."

Mickey-Jo was heaved from her sitting position and flew over the ground, screaming obscenities she landed in a pile of limbs feet away.

"Center! I said find your center!" Hiei raged from his cross-legged position. He ground his teeth together. This was almost worse that Kuwabara. The stupid chit had no notion of training, and had been building on faulty foundation since her powers came about. Having to rewrite years of bad behaviour tried his patience to the limit. However, he had to teach this girl, or else be stuck in her mind for longer than he would like.

From what he surmised; when her spirit channel opened and their minds touched briefly, the combination of the Makai sickness, her weakened state, and memories of her boyfriend created a perfect storm and her spirit fled deep within herself. Hiei was sucked along in the vortex. Now they were stuck with an untrained psychic at the helm.

Mickey-Jo sat up with a groan. "I did find mah center, ya sadistic penis pimple, " she muttered.

"What was that, you weakling?" Hiei cracked an eye open.

"I did find my center! Then ya frikin' hit me like a rodeo stallion on hormones!"

"Obviously you didn't center enough! In case you haven't noticed we are stuck *inside of you*. If you had really found your center I wouldn't be able to move you no matter what I did!"

"How in the hell can I center when you keep bull-knocking me ev'r time I even get close!" Mickey-Jo stomped over to where Hiei was sitting. She was sick and tired of this game. Sick and tired of getting pushed out by this demon. Sick and tired of her fight. Sick and tired of getting hit with memories of Bo all the time. She was just sick, and tired..

...Of everything.

"I'm so sick o'you!" she screamed at him. "I'm so sick of demons! Of freaky powers! I'm sick of chasin' this damn jackrabbit all 'round the world! I'm finished. No more!"

Hiei shifted and got up on a knee, thrusting his face into that of the irate cowgirl attempting to tower over him. "I don't give a fuck if you're sick or tired," he growled. "I will not be stuck in here for any longer than I have to! You will keep training until you can release us both!"

Their eyes locked in a deathmatch. Chocolate brown swimming with frustration, ruby red simmering with anger. Mickey-Jo was breathing hard through her nose, lips stretched in a grimace. Fury was written in every line in her body. Hiei was calm. A statue. Emotions so in check it only showed in his eyes.

Red eyes narrowed and looked away. Disgust now dominated his features. "I guess the only good thing is that your spawn doesn't have to see his mother fail in this way. I mean, he's already gone. You can just give up on the both of you."

"YOU BASTARD SNAKE!" Mickey-Jo's fist connected with the smug jaw of the fire demon, he didn't move an inch.

"I think you missed. What was that supposed to be?"

Incoherent rage came from Mickey-Jo's vocal cords as her fists flew. Hiei's face merely shifted as he patiently suffered her pathetic attacks.

"Come on ya filthy demon! Fight the fuck back!"

Hiei caught her wrist as she came in with another punch. He stood up, bending her arm backwards. His face was calm, his eyes still told another story. "You're pathetic. If you cared for your son at all you would stop this stupidity and actually focus. No matter how you feel this is the hand you've been dealt. So deal with it and actually make an effort rather than coasting along!"

Mickey-Jo wrenched her arm out of Hiei's grasp and darted away, running full tilt in the expanse of white they were trapped in.

The fire demon growled as he ran after her. He caught up easily with his superior speed. Pacing alongside her, he taunted the girl. "What, running away? I expected as much from someone as pathetic as you."

She swiftly changed directions but he caught up again.

"Do you really think you can escape me? You're the one who pulled me in here! Remember I outmatch you on every scale. You can't run. There's nowhere to hide. You can't escape your path!"

Mickey-Jo stopped suddenly. Hiei flitted past her, coming to rest about ten feet away. She was shaking. Her face scrunched up in a feral grimace. The white expanse of her mindview suddenly turned black with an audible *snap*. She was glowing softly, and so was he.

'She's done it.' Hiei though to himself. 'Finally, we can move along.'

He wasn't expecting her to melt into the floor and leave him in pitch-black darkness. He stood still for a few minutes, trying to feel out with his senses. Nothing went through. He couldn't even sense the girl. Damn. What the hell was going on?

Hopefully I can get SF back on track. So much yet to explain! Hope you guys are still around. 3