"Yukina, slow down!" Rui cried out exasperatedly, slightly winded from trying to keep up with the little girl. Yukina pelted between eyeless statues, giggling as she evaded the grasp of her god mother.
"Try and catch me!" Yukina teased, casting a glance around her shoulder to see Rui with her robes in her hands, trying to up her pace. Yet Yukina was simply too quick for Rui to catch, and the older koorime fell behind. Yukina looked over her shoulder again and again, wondering where Rui had hidden off to, only to run smack into someone else. She fell onto her bottom, crunching in the snow.
She looked up to find a thin, white haired wraith looking down at her with a small weary smile.
"I'm sorry, elder Taida!" Yukina gasped, horrified to have hit one of the oldest and most respected koorime. Taida did not seem to mind, tilting her head to the side so that a great wave of silver hair blew in the wind.
"You are enjoying the good weather, Yukina chan?" Taida asked, her voice raspy and ancient.
"Yes ma'am." Yukina got to her feet with a clumsy toddler fashion. From behind her, Yukina heard a great heaving breath that signaled Rui's arrival. Sure enough, Yukina suddenly felt a great cluster of robes at her back, and she looked up to see the bottoms of Rui's clothed breasts along with her sharp pointed chin.
"Taida." Rui managed between heaving breathes. "Forgive us both. We forgot ourselves in the good weather."
"It is not a crime to enjoy the fresh air." Taida smiled wearily as Rui bent down to scoop Yukina into her arms. Yukina was hoisted into the air, and clutched at Rui's neck nervously. All the elders made her slightly uneasy, though admittedly Taida was the least threatening. Still, Yukina knew Taida was extremely important to the community as the only elder who remained outside constantly despite the harsh weather of the Hyouga. It was her prophetic predictions that ruled the future for all the people of the land. Yukina often wondered how she saw what she saw. Did she have a special mirror that she looked into? Or maybe she simply watched the stars...
Those dark eyes of Taida's had seen many terrible things... after all, she was the second oldest koorime next to Shikei. Some swore that she'd birthed over a thousand children, yet all of whom had died.
Yukina wondered what that kind of pain felt like.
Hiei touched the hilt of his sword, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as the lone figure sitting on the bench.
"Who is she?" Mukuro demanded in a harsh whisper to their guide, Yukina. "Do you know this woman? Is she a foe? Is she even alive?"
Yukina peeked around Hiei's shoulder, chewing at her numbing lips.
"Oh!" Yukina gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth. "Oh! That's one of the five elders! That's Taida!"
"Taida, eh." Yusuke grumbled, "She's an old goat, that's for sure. So who wants to blow her brains out? I say we play rock paper scissors for it-"
"I'm not playing the fucking game again; the whole lot of you are bastard cheaters!" Hiei snapped angrily, withdrawing his sword with a sharp 'shing!'. "I'm taking the miserable bitch out, end of story."
"Now wait one goddamn minute here!" Yusuke interjected, grabbing Hiei by the elbow before he could march forward, "I've been drug all the way around the world, and I want a good fight! I slept on a nasty old floor, I've been eating nothing but ice and frozen rats! I want my fair share! I want this one!"
"No!" Yukina begged, "No you mustn't hurt her! She's not an enemy!"
"Are you so certain of that." Mukuro sneered, "You've been gone a long time, Yukina."
"Shikei was the only one who hated my mother! The others just followed her lead!"
"But babe, she could be really dangerous." Kuwabara urged. "What if Shikei's made her mind all funky and stuff?"
"All funky... and stuff..." Mukuro repeated Kuwabara's words, her eyebrow raised in dramatic irritation. "Do you speak so eloquently to everyone or is this privilege just for the few?"
"Actually, I agree." Kurama interjected gently. "Kuwabara's words have wisdom in them. Shikei is powerful, and has already shown her willingness to sacrifice innocence in the name of black magic. I suggest that Taida has been overtaken... no doubt she has no recollection of her former self and will act as a puppet."
"But we don't know that!" Yukina added hotly, "You're just assuming!"
"Baby, I can't help but agree!" Kuwabara laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. Yet she shrugged it off, bothered by the idea of Taida being marred.
Hiei looked back around, ready to storm up to Taida and engage in a duel, only to find that she'd vanished from the bench.
"What?" Hiei muttered, confused.
"Oy, where did she go?" Kuwabara demanded, suddenly spotting that Taida had vanished as well. "Did we all imagine it, or did she get up and move?"
Mukuro was irate, craning her neck around the statues to see if Taida was hiding amongst them.
"Goddamnit we were too busy fighting amongst ourselves." Mukuro growled, "Now the bitch has gone and slipped off!"
A fierce wind blew their scarves and cloaks, so that the group suddenly had to huddle together in order to keep warm.
"Fucking hell!" Yusuke snarled, almost blown off his feet.
As soon as the wind died down again, Kuwabara had to shake his jacket sleeves to get the snow out of his clothes. Hiei shook his head as hard as he could, snow falling from the tips of his dark fonds.
That was when he felt it.
Icy cold fingers on his neck.
"Imiko... Child of hell..."
"HIEI LOOKOUT!"
The cry from his sister came far too late. Hiei was hoisted up as if by a giants hand, and flung high into the air! He rocketed through the sky, limbs flailing wildly as he desperately attempted to gather his surroundings and sense of gravity only to begin falling back to earth!
He could hear screaming down below him, alongside explosions and the sudden crackling of energy from demonic attacks. He heard the whooshing of a great object coming towards him, and was suddenly caught mid-fall by a sizable plant creature with wings like a moth. Hiei had seen such a beast before during the epic fight with Sensui years ago, and knew that Yoko Kurama had saved him from what would have been certain death. Had he hit the ground, he would have broken his neck.
Hiei was jarred, gasping for breath at such unbelievable elevation. Now floating high above the scene, he looked down to find that his friends had scattered like a pack of geese, taking up refuge behind statues as Mukuro and Yusuke faced off with Taida head on. Yusuke was firing rapid spirit gun shots, blowing holes so high that they came close to touching Hiei's feet. Taida was flitting in and out with such speed that Yusuke couldn't land a single blow, leaving Mukuro to take the brunt of the offense as she kept a crackling wall of energy up. Yukina was behind a statue, protected by Kuwabara who had his spirit sword out. He slashed wildly through the air, but like Yusuke could not land a single damn blow!
Kurama took a different approach, spiraling plants around the battle scene so that a sordid ring was formed. Suddenly, Taida was pinned in by ravenous flesh eating plants-!
"Spirit gun! Spirit gun! Spirit gun! Goddamnit stay still!" Yusuke howled angrily, all his blows for naught as Taida spun through the fog and snow like a ghost! Mukuro was getting just as irritated, for with each spin that Taida took, flecks of razor like snow shot through her barrier and cut her across the cheek. Taida screeched at a particularly sharp blow, waving her white robed arms so that snow suddenly blasted into the air. Hiei realized, hanging in the air like a weird black coat on a plant rack, that Taida's energy for attack and defense came from snow. She'd blown him high into the air simply by blowing the snow on which he stood. Given the fact they were battling in a land that could be equated with a fucking freezer, Hiei knew in that instant that Taida had the great upper hand. They would not be able to land a blow or defend an attack standing in the snow like this!
"Let me down! Let me down, goddamnit!" Hiei snarled, thrashing in the hold of the moth-plant. It was steadfast, holding him tight at the nape of the neck even as he attempted to get free!
"Fucking Fox!" Hiei shouted from high above, "LET ME DOWN!"
Yet Kurama wasn't listening, far too occupied with keeping back from Taida's attacks. His plants were being frozen solid!
Hiei managed to get a firm grip on his sword once again, and without a second thought slashed at the moth wings that were beating heavily about him. The plant shrieked, suddenly crippled, and Hiei plummeted to the earth once again! But this time he was ready, with his sword out and pointed as his feet squared for the landing. He crashed into the snow, blowing a wall of white high into the air as he managed to hit the ground while still keeping his balance. Decades of intensely trained sword play had crafted him to perfection, but today Hiei would not be relying upon his blade to win the battle.
Today, Hiei would be using another tactic.
He forced his energy outward, and a massive ball of fire engulfed him!
Snow hissed, evaporating at once underfoot! Hiei heard a high pitched scream of anger and fear- Taida could not evade nor punish the fire.
Yusuke flung himself out of the way, rolling through the fast evaporating snow to dodge the fire that spat out from Hiei like a firework display. He scrambled for cover, managing to use one of Kurama's frozen plants as a shield while Mukuro simply flung her arms up and allowed her energy to block the flames.
Amid the snow and the steam, Hiei flung jets of flame that sparked black and purple. He could hear high whippish screams, and knew that some of his bombs had landed on their target. But at the same time, he had no visible target to aim at- no way of knowing if he'd struck a blow at Taida. This was no way to win a battle, there was no strategy!
"Goddamnit!" Hiei snarled angrily, halting the flow of fire momentarily to gauge his surroundings. The brief halt was all that it took to give Taida the upper hand.
The bitch grabbed him by the throat! Her icy, boney hand came right out of the fog and mist, snagging him so tight that he could not gain breath! Hiei gagged and floundered, unable to swing his sword while his brain was deprived of oxygen. For a brief moment, Taida's face flashed in the snow, and Hiei could finally see his enemy! But what good would that shit do him if he was going to choke to death?! His savior came in the form of Kurama, who shot vicious plants with thorns the size of fingers at Taida. They latched onto the offending arm, wrapping around her tightly and squeezing like a python!
Taida screeched, and her arm shattered!
Hiei fell backward at once, his head spinning with a warm woozy feeling as he was able to gain proper breath once again. He sagged, taking deep breaths as he heard Kurama and Taida squabble in a vicious hand to hand combat. He felt someone touching his face and neck, and opened his blearily eyes to see Mukuro before him. She used her energy to heal him, stroking his neck and wrenching off Taida's hand that was still loosely hanging onto his skin. It fell to the ground, dead.
"I'm fine." Hiei grumbled, straightening up from her touch, "I'm fine. Let me back at her."
Hiei heard a yowl of pain, and whipped around to see Kurama bleeding heavily from the cheek and neck! Taida had vanished again, using the steam from Hiei's fire to her advantage. Now the group was disarmed again, out in the cold and open to attack!
"Damn her!" Yoko snarled, healing the cuts in his skin with his teeth bared. "Keep your guard up! She could be anywhere!"
"Her arm broke in two but there was no blood! You saw that, right?!" Yusuke demanded, pointing to the dead hand on the ground, "I swear to god, I hit her a couple of times with my blasts, and she still didn't bleed! If we can't take her out physically, then how do we do it?
"I believe the situation is much like the Sage Beast that I destroyed so long ago." Kurama growled, his hands splayed out with plants blooming from them like tree limbs. " Somewhere in this snow, her center beats. We must find it and destroy it. There can be no other way."
"Well tough luck on that shit!" Yusuke snapped, his finger ready and pointed with a glowing blue tip, "This place is too big to cover, even with the six of us!"
"Quiet!" Hiei snarled, hushing his two friends. "If we shuttup, we might hear a clue!"
Yusuke and Kurama fell silent at once, only to be replaced by the roar of the mighty winter wind. Mukuro looked about, clearly nervous. She could not protect herself from something she could not see.
For several minutes, nothing happened. Even the steam and fog which had been blasted into the air settled down once more. Had it not been for the team in formation or the battle holes in the ground, it could appear as if a row never occurred.
"... Maybe... we did hit her?" Mukuro whispered, unsure. "Maybe she's gone?"
"I highly doubt it." Hiei growled softly.
Mukuro slowly dropped her hands, unsure of her partners wariness.
"How odd." She looked down at the ground for a moment, "Unlike any demon I've ever fought before. If she didn't bleed then she's not alive, but even so- AAHHHH!"
From deep within the snow, an icy hand shot up! It grabbed Mukuro tight around the ankle and sucked her right into the earth, swallowing her up in a wave of snow so that she disappeared!
"Holy shit!" Yusuke screamed, "She got her!"
"Mukuro!" Kurama shouted, panicking without a clue as to how to defend!
Hiei stared down at the ground where Mukuro had vanished, his mouth wide open with shock.
"Kurama!" Hiei snarled, "Give me a vine!"
"What?!"
"DO IT NOW!" Hiei screamed, gesturing even as he kept his eyes locked on the snow. Time could not be wasted! With every passing second, she could die-
Kurama tossed him ample amounts of vine, shot out from his hands like a silken thread. Hiei tied it at once around his waist, his mind forming a plan even as he registered the situation. He acted on instinct alone.
"Y-Yusuke shoot the snow!" Hiei stuttered, snarling his words, "Shoot the snow where she was taken! Do it now!"
"Fuck man, whatever you say!" Yusuke agreed at once, aiming carefully, "SPIRIT GUN!"
A great jet of energy burst from Yusuke's finger, blowing a sizable crater into the snow, and Hiei was suddenly flush with the icy cold as he felt the after affects fly into his face. Yet it did not matter. Nothing mattered at that moment but getting her back.
He would retrieve her. There would be no other outcome.
Hiei dove, like a swimmer into his pool, sinking into the sudden crater and using the added depth to his advantage. The snow swallowed him up in an instant, the dark energy rising and engulfing him so that he too vanished into the white!
All was quiet, unearthly so.
The others waited... and watched.
The vine which Hiei had took with him into the deep was slack, shifting every so often, as if deep within the ice Hiei was fighting. The earth was unsettled, and Kurama could tell that Hiei was attacking Taida with all his might.
From outside the circle of vicious plants, Yukina clung to Kuwabara, petrified of what might be.
Yusuke gritted his teeth so hard that it physically hurt.
"Come on... come on..." he whispered, his fists shaking even as he clenched them. "Come on, you friggin midget, you."
A minute ticked by.
Then another.
Silence.
Then-
"AUGH-!"
By the divine grace of an unknown savior, the vine that Hiei had taken was suddenly taught tight! Kurama pulled with all his might, and Yusuke immediately sought to lend his strength so that the pair of them pulled hard as from deep within the snow... Hiei and Mukuro emerged.
They were bleached white with frostbite and hypothermia, shaking and shivering even as they clung to one another. Their eyes, their hair, their clothes- all of it was covered with snow. They fell slack upon the winter's ground, trembling violently with blue lips and eyelids. In Mukuro's hands, a dark blue organ pulsed violently.
She had done the impossible, even while staring death in the face.
"Hell yeah!" Yusuke cried, pumping a fist delightedly into the air, "Now that was some cool shit!"
Kurama dropped the vines at once, letting the plants disintegrate into the snow. The smile of relief upon his face was infectious. Yukina grinned from ear to ear, looking up to Kuwabara with a sigh of relief. Kuwabara let his sword vanish into thin air, taking a deep breath to let the tension vanish.
They rejoined the group, and offered their aid to the fallen pair.
"Get up, get out of the snow." Kurama urged, grabbing Hiei under the armpits and hoisting him to his feet. Hiei staggered, still holding tight to Mukuro so that even as Kurama pulled Hiei he inadvertently pulled Mukuro as well.
"Damn are they okay?" Yusuke asked, helping Mukuro to her feet even as she squeezed the pulsing blue organ. "Hey! Hey can you hear me?!" He demanded, slapping Mukuro hard on the back.
She shot him a filthy look, and punched him hard in the nose. Yusuke barely dodged the blow, jumping back at once as Mukuro straightened up on her own and helping the blue organ high.
"No one makes a fool out of me!" Mukuro snarled. "No one!"
Unable to stop herself, Mukuro took a huge bite out of the organ, so that dark black blood oozed down her arm and dripped from her elbow to the ground. She chewed the meat, spitting it out and baring her now black coated fangs.
Hiei wiped snow from his face and hair, flaring his ki once more to re heat himself. He aided Mukuro, touching her upon the shoulder so that she was automatically warmed.
"You did it!" Yukina cried out, embracing Hiei tightly. "You defeated an elder, Hiei! I can't believe it, they're supposed to be immortal!"
"No one is immortal." Hiei assured his sister, unable to help the dark smile that played at his lips.
Mukuro spat dark blood into the snow, tossing the now dead organ aside.
"Your elders were no challenge." Mukuro sneered, "Next time send two."
"There are five of them, or have you forgot." Yukina added teasingly, bouncing on her heels, "Well, four I should say now."
"Can we go inside now, I'm fucking freezing." Yusuke demanded, shivering in the cold as the wind picked up again. "Hell, we did the work. Now let's enjoy the reward!"
"Of course!" Yukina nodded her head, dashing through the snow as she made for the castle side door. The others followed at once, hasty to get out of the snow and into the dry fortress. The side door opened with a slight groan, and all six of them slipped inside. As soon as they vanished into the gloom, Yukina closed the door swiftly behind them and dead-bolted it shut. They were cast into the dark, and Hiei lit a flame in the palm of his hands to cast light on their new surroundings.
As predicted they were in a kitchen. It was meagre and small, clearly made for smaller meals than grand feasts, and was covered in a thick coat of grime. Molding dead rabbits hung from the ceiling, filling the whole room with a gamey smell. Flies buzzed around rotting fruit which lay in a bowl upon a frozen table.
No one had eaten here in ages.
No one had been here in ages.
"So, I guess there's no chance of us catching a quick lunch." Yusuke joked darkly. "Sheesh, Yukina, your elders keep a mess."
"Oh this castle has always been dingy and dusty. No one lives here save for five people... and really they only take up so much space." Yukina admitted. "I expected this." She ran a lily white finger across the dusty table, inspecting her digit to see the black grime. Two doors were before them, one leading down while another lead up. Yukina seemed unsure of which one to take, and looked to Hiei with a speculative smile.
"Why not use your jagan?" Yukina asked. "You can find Shikei easily."
Hiei smirked, untying his headband and cracking his neck to relax.
"Dude that third eye still creeps me out." Kuwabara grimaced. Yusuke and Kurama waited patiently while Mukuro unhooked her hearing piece to dig snow out of its tiny holes. She could not afford for her gear to fail her now.
The jagan's iris roved as if with maddened delight at being freed. Hiei let out a nearly indiscernible sigh, as if enjoying such an exercise.
Dark fog
A layout, immense but easy to navigate. Below them, a basement full of deadened stocks. Utterly useless.
Above them, a series of passageways. This would be the way to go.
Yes... there was a hallway... a great labyrinth network. And they were not alone.
Two elders were positioned at the front door.
An elder was stationed at the back door.
Both knew of the disturbance with Taida. Hiei could sense their fear and anger.
The final barrier was waiting ten floors above them, in a massive entrance hall that stood between them and a dark pulsing aura.
A faint flickering light.
A strange sense of longing.
Even in the dark... a vestige of hope appeared.
Hiei grimaced as if in slight pain, making strange noises as he shook his head.
"... Something... else." hiei muttered, making no sense what so ever. Kuwabara and Yusuke swapped confused looks.
Kurama and Yukina waited, wary.
Mukuro replaced her hearing aid, and waited for Hiei to return to them.
"Is it important?" Mukuro asked him.
"...Very..." Hiei replied after a moment of quiet.
Is it important?
Her voice bounced across his skull, tasting of blood, sweat, ripe fruit, and sweet herbs. Colors burst before his eyes: red, orange, white, pink... a wide array of sounds followed. The shouts of an argument; the laugh of relief after a battle; moans and pants of sex.
Mukuro.
"... Very..." Hiei's own voice replied.
That pinprick of light was dwindling yet pure. It seemed to call to him. It seemed to urge him up and onward.
'Come to me...' the light offered 'And avenge all'.
Hiei opened his regular eyes again, and the jagan slid closed.
"We go up." Hiei snapped. "Three elders are at opposite ends of the castle doors. The last is ten floors above."
"There's an important room on the tenth floor." Yukina offered at once, "It's used for the passing of the torch from one elder to the next. Like a chapel."
"That is where she waits." Hiei agreed, "That is where we go."
Hiei lead them across the room, heading for the stairs which lead up and out. The others followed behind him, their weapons drawn and their eyes wide. They moved silently now, like ghosts amid the frozen castle. Hiei used what he had discerned from the jagan to find the correct path up. At the first flight, they reached a corridor that lead only to the left or right. Hiei took the right, noticing the change in temperature. It was getting colder, not warmer, which went against the laws of physics that stated heat rose. This was no doubt the work of Shikei, but Hiei was not afraid.
Doors flitted past them. Hiei did not mind them. He reached the end of the hall and opened a heavy door to find a spiraling staircase. He ascended at once, with the others right behind him. Just like before, Yukina shut the door behind them. Their breath began to rise in a mist before them, and Hiei noted a heavy sheet of ice that was beginning to cover the walls and stairs. If they slipped, it would be the death of them.
"Shit, man. This place is a block of ice." Yusuke muttered, displeased with his slippery feet.
"No joke." Kuwabara agreed, holding tight to the rail. "Everybody be real careful not to slip and fall."
They passed one flight, then another, each one taking them higher and higher up into the cold. Hiei paused, as they reached the ninth floor, his head pulsing angrily. Behind him, the others halted as well upon the stairs. They waited for him to make the next move.
"... Wait." Hiei muttered, letting his jagan open again. "Something... is not right."
The jagan's purple iris was revealed for the second time, and it automatically swiveled right towards the door to the ninth floor.
A child, several older women, one nearing the age of an elder.
Innocent.
Petrified.
Trapped.
A cell, made of powerful ice. Only his heat could break it.
Hiei opened his eyes again, and his jagan closed once more.
"Well?" Mukuro asked expectantly. "What is it? Another elder?"
"No. Prisoners." Hiei corrected her, looking to the ninth floor door.
"Prisoners?!" Yukina demanded, her eyes wide with hope and fear, "You mean innocent villagers?!"
"Yes." Hiei nodded.
Yukina looked from Hiei to the door.
She did not waste a minute.
She ran past them all, grabbing the heavy oak door and yanking it open to vanish into the dark!
"Yukina, wait!" Kuwabara cried, attempting to run after her. His fast movement nearly sent him crashing down the slippery stairs. Kurama and Yusuke both had to grab him tight by the neck as he almost fell to a very painful death.
"Don't fucking slip!" Yusuke argued, shoving Kuwabara up the stairs and through the door which Yukina had taken. Hiei was right behind Kuwabara, desperate not to lose his sister in the dark. Mukuro followed up, and so their group diverged from the original plan to detect the trace of prey amid the ice. Hiei ran through the dark, letting his flame go out. The whole team was running blind, like rats in a maze, with only the way forward to take.
"Where are we going?!" Yusuke demanded, "Hiei, we're in the fucking dark here!"
"Ahead!" Hiei urged, "There's a wall, take the right path!"
They did as he commanded, almost crashing into the concrete wall as they groped blindly forward. Yukina was fast, using memories from her youth to find her way in the dark. Yet the others were just as quick, and soon they caught sight of her heels as she headed towards a strange icy blue light. It was small, but growing larger, and Hiei could tell it was blocking a door. Was this the cell?
The group came to stop before the massive wall of shimmering blue ice. It was thick, but not completely white. They could see flickering shadows of things on the other side... a group of shapes. Of people.
Yukina reached out to touch the ice, panting.
After a moment of hesitant pause, another hand reached out on the other side- a dark shadow of five fingers- and placed itself atop Yukina's.
There were people on the other side.
"Kazuma! Hiei! Do something!" Yukina begged, looking to her lover and brother for help in her time of need. At once, Kuwabara squared his shoulder and rammed the ice with all his might. Like a mighty ox, he crashed against the ice but could not manage to break its hold. Hiei grabbed Kuwabara by the jacket, tugging him away as he formed black fire in his hands.
"This ice will not break. It has to be melted by a special flame." Hiei addressed, the black flame in his palms growing bigger and bigger. "I will do what I can. You can break it once I melt it part of the way."
Kuwabara readied himself, his shoulder aimed at the ice wall.
Yusuke and Kurama held their breath as Hiei placed his fiery black hands upon the ice. It hissed violently, melting at once into a puddle on the floor. As layer after layer melted away, the forms on the other side got more distinct. Hiei could now see it was a group of nearly ten koorime, with a child in their midst! Hiei pulled back, his hands burning, and gestured for Kuwabara to continue. He charged forward with a deep bellow, slamming into the ice. It cracked!
"Again!" Yukina begged, "It's going to cave!"
Kuwabara rammed the ice once more time.
It shattered into a thousand shards.
Screams hit the air of frightened females, and Mukuro threw up her hands to shield her eyes as movement from the other side of the now revealed cell took place. People were running, hiding in the corners as if thinking the group to be attackers.
As soon as the dust settled down, the group got their first look at other koorime.
It was a pitiful sight.
The women were tattered and bruised, covered with cuts and sores. Their hair hung lank about their faces, and even the child looked unkempt. They ranged in age, but their expression was the same. One of absolute fear.
"Ataka?!" Yukina gasped, "Ataka is that you!?"
One koorime in particular looked about, petrified.
As soon as she saw Yukina, the girl relaxed automatically, and broke into a great smile.
"Y-y-yukina!" Ataka cried, "Can it be?! Can it really be you?!"
"Oh, Ataka!" Yukina could have wept for joy. She ran forward, embracing her friend at once, and the two women collapsed into one another with hysterical noises of relief. The others swarmed Yukina, touching her clothes and face, looking amazed to see her again.
The other five waited outside the cell... the dark sheep amongst this now reunited family.
"Yukina?!" An older woman seemed to doubt her eyes, touching Yukina's face over and over again.
"Susumo!" Yukina practically shrieked, embracing the older woman at once, "I can't believe it's really you! I've missed you so much!"
"My god, Yukina. Look at how you've grown..." the older koorime named Susumo murmured. She had a dark cut across her cheek that looked infected and painful, "You're a woman now... beautiful too... I can hardly believe it. I confess I thought you dead-"
"No, I'm not dead." Yukina could have giggled at the ludicrousness of it all. She spotted the little girl, who stood at the ankles of the others.
"Oh my goodness." Yukina murmured, politely surprised. "Who is this?"
"You missed the birth of my latest." A random woman from the crowd spoke up. "I had Itako about four years after you left."
"Yes! Yes, how could I forget." Yukina laughed. "We've never met have we... Little Itako, you're so young!"
The little girl just stared, shy and unnerved. She hid behind her mother's skirts, and did not speak.
The little girl spotted the others outside the cell.
"Momma." Itako tugged at her mother's kimono, "What's that?" She pointed through the legs of the koorime towards the door of the cell.
The other koorime looked around.
The joy slipped from their faces to be replaced by horror.
"... No..." Susumo whispered, horrified, "No it cannot be... It could not possibly be... What atrocity is this?"
"Nice way to say thanks." Yusuke snorted. "In case you didn't notice, we broke your cell door."
The others were not amused.
Even Yukina looked fretful.
"...These are my friends." Yukina began, gently as if explaining to a child (in a way, she was). "They are all dear to my heart, and are good. I assure you, they mean you no harm."
"Are those... Are those men?" Ataka asked, nervous as she pointed at Kurama in particular.
"Yes." Yukina smiled bitterly.
"... You're friends with men?" Ataka demanded. "Yukina you can't!"
"-This is heresy!"
"-You'll be killed by the elders for this-"
"-You're not pregnant are you?!-"
"-How could you have done this Yukina-"
"-What if they're going to take us prisoner next?-"
"No!" Yukina urged, using her hands to ask for silence from the group, "No, please, let me explain-"
But the group could not be soothed. They were panicking, backing up and looking for protection from one another-!
Yukina looked around at the others, shrugging as if to say 'what do I do?'.
Kuwabara's jaw was set, in a determined and hard face.
He stepped forward.
"My name is Kazuma Kuwabara." Kuwabara introduced himself, speaking up for the first time to the women. They fell silent, staring at him with large protuberant eyes full of nervous anticipation. "And I am a warrior of love."
"Oh not this shit again." Yusuke moaned, putting his head in his hands, "Talk about fucking up first impressions."
"Shh." Kurama placed a hand upon Yusuke's shoulder.
Perhaps... just this once... they would indulge Kuwabara's antics.
"I rescued Yukina long ago from an evil villain. I slaughtered monsters of very shape and size on my way to her cell, and when I reached her I was tested to the limits of my strength. But I did it gladly, and would do it again in a heartbeat. Because from the first time that I saw Yukina, I loved her more passionately and deeply than any man has ever loved a woman before." Kuwabara took to a knee, and Yukina flushed embarrassed amongst her peers.
The koorime women gawked at him, rather impressed if not downright confused.
"I love Yukina with all my heart. I swore my life and devotion to her long ago. If you are her villagers, and you are suffering, then I must swear my life and devotion to you too! I promise to avenge and protect you during this dark time! The power of my love persuades me to do so!" Kuwabara thrust a hand upon his heart, his gaze intense with fierce loyalty. "I beg of you, do not think me or my company to be men of evil intent! We are honest and good men, of character and valor!" Kuwabara gestured to the group behind him, and Hiei grimaced as he readied himself for the inevitable introduction.
The women looked up to the others outside the cell.
They seemed a little more relaxed.
"We are forbidden to love men, or to leave our sacred realm." Susumo finally spoke to Kuwabara, "We forswore ourselves to celibacy and silence long ago, warrior of love."
Kuwabara was not deflated by the set back; in contrast, he seemed almost more determined to make his case. He clasped his hands as if in prayer, looking up into the eyes of Susumo.
"My lady, I beseech you to have pity on me and my company. We are men of earth, yes, but our souls are good and our hearts are pure."
Kurama and Hiei shared a look of dry irritation.
Susumo's reaction was one in the same, but there seemed to be a sense of gentility in her dark eyes. She opened her mouth, as if to reprimand Kuwabara a second time, before coughing to cover her lapse in judgement and returning to a stony face.
"I know you might be angry." Yukina ventured once more, "But I left the village long ago. I've moved on with my life, and I'm happy with the path that I have chosen."
Susumo was displeased, and she let out a heavy sigh.
"Yukina, you have your mother's desire to see the world. You were never meant to stay still, I suppose. But this place is too dangerous. Our home has been turned into a hell. You must leave and take your... your... who are these people?" Susumo demanded again, gesturing at Hiei, Yusuke, and Mukuro. "And why have you brought them with you when you know men are not permitted in the village?"
"That's right!" Ataka added stubbornly, "No men allowed! Choppy choppy! Heads will roll!" She even added a slicing movement to her neck with her thumb, receiving a few laughs from the others behind her. Hiei, however, found none of this funny.
"If you must know, I didn't start this journey... I just followed." Yukina's tone had become short. Perhaps, in her idolization of home throughout her journey, she'd forgotten what home had really been like. After all, one was never so pleased to leave as when they'd stayed a little too long. Perhaps Yukina was starting to miss the dojo, and her comfortable life in human world where she was free to work as she pleased without inspection of her actions. No such luck would be found here in the Hyouga, where everything was ordered by an elder, and those who disobeyed were left in the cold. Literally.
"Then whose ridiculous quest is this?" Susumo asked, her voice just as dry as Yukina's.
"My brother's." Yukina explained.
A silence fell over the group of chittering koorime, and looks of delight turned to expressions filled with horror in an instant. A few koorime even gasped aloud, turning to one another in terror. Susumo, in particular, seemed utterly shocked. She just stared at Yukina with her mouth open, perhaps not understanding what had been said. For surely, such a thing could never happen here in the Hyouga. Genocide and ravenous leaders were one thing, but the return of a cast out imiko was downright unthinkable.
"...No." Susumo whispered, shaking her head and backing up a little. "No, this cannot be. You are mistaken, Yukina. Your... The... the imiko was cast out long ago. He died off the cliffside. You are weary from travel, and do not understand what you say. You are merely repeating Rui's dream-"
Yukina wordlessly turned, pointing to Hiei without ever taking her eyes off of Susumo.
"I am not weary. My head is quite clear, thank you very much." Yukina snapped. "My brother did not die on the cliffside. He survived and stands before you now. His name is not 'imiko', and I will not have him called as such in front of me. His name is Hiei. These men are his friends. This woman is his lover. These things are indisputable, Susumo, as is my leaving this village. I came here to rescue you from your prison. I see that you are still imprisoned in your mind, however."
Susumo's nostrils flared at this, angry at the insult. Yet her anger towards Yukina was set aside for her morbid curiosity to see Hiei in the flesh. She stepped around Yukina and Kuwabara both, her withered face now locked onto Hiei's own. She took a few hesitant steps forward, seeming to regret the decision as she met Hiei's angry gaze.
Rui and Yukina were the two Hiei would put up with.
The others, he could not stand.
"... It cannot be..." Susumo whispered, looking Hiei up and down, "And yet it is... It is you. Rui's prediction was true. You've come to kill us all!"
"Susumo!" Yukina cried out, angrily, "That's not true at all!"
Even Kuwabara from the floor rose up in defiance.
"Hiei would never kill anybo-!" Kuwabara suddenly shut his mouth at this, inwardly chastising himself for his poor choice of words. Yusuke almost cracked a laugh at this, for a more untrue sentence had never been proclaimed about Hiei.
Hiei, however, just sneered.
"Where is Rui." Hiei demanded, his voice hard.
"She was taken by Shikei. She is lost by now, or so I fear." Ataka finally spoke up after his words were greeted with long silence.
Hiei narrowed his eyes at this.
So Rui had lived, and apparently had been captured along with the others. This explained why the house had been abandoned and yet not ransacked. If Shikei had taken her, Hiei could not waste anymore time. He would have to be quick if he wanted to save Rui and destroy Shikei both.
Hiei turned to go, following his original intended path to the tenth floor where Shikei no doubt waited. Mukuro followed him at once, and even Yusuke seemed to be ready to go, but Susumo's voice stopped them all as she called out down the hallway.
"You have her eyes!" Susumo proclaimed. "You have her voice, even... and you have her anger. I suppose, it might even be right for you to slaughter more koorime. But our numbers have dwindled through genocide, and I ask of you though I know I have no right, to be merciful and not destroy what little we have left. Your rage is not without cause... but we have already suffered enough. If you want to kill us, then do it now and get it over with."
Hiei paused momentarily, narrowing his eyes at this.
"Hiei-" Mukuro began quietly, but Hiei cut her off with a dark look. He turned on his heel, storming back to the cell where koorime suddenly scattered like frightened sheep to hide in the corner. Susumo alone braced herself for what she surely thought to be her ending blow, as Hiei yanked his sword from his belt and pressed the tip of it lightly to her wrinkled throat.
Yukina's face had turned white with fright.
She waited silently, her heart hammering in her chest.
Hiei sneered again.
"... Will you kill me now, imiko?" Susumo murmured, even with the steel at her throat, "Will you kill me now, Hiei. For your mother or yourself."
"If I wanted to kill you, I would have used my hands." Hiei growled. "You are not worthy to die by my sword. That grace belongs to another of your kind. Stay out of our way, and get out of this castle while you still can. I will not come to save your ungrateful ass twice."
Susumo was confused.
"You do not mean to kill me?" Susumo sounded unsure of her own words. "Even after-"
"Get out of my sight if you don't want to die!" Hiei snarled angrily, his voice echoing about the hall, "I have come here for revenge, and I will have it whether I take your head or not!"
Susumo backed up at once, shaking.
"Get out." Hiei snarled again, pointing with his sword down the hall where the stairs lay waiting. "Do as I say or I will kill you! Get out all of you!"
They ran, grabbing at one another and crying out in panicked voices. Little Itako was sheltered in her mother's arms; Ataka and Susumo both lead the way, running down the hall past Mukuro and Yusuke as they bolted through the door and fled down the stairs.
They were alone once more, and no better off.
Yukina sighed, rubbing her temple as if suffering from a migraine.
"... Sometimes... I wish I could beat some sense into them." Yukina moaned. "They can be such wonderful people when they're not ignorant."
"I do not have time to dawdle on their arrogant affairs. We have work to do. Upstairs." Hiei snapped, pointing down the hallway where the others had just fled. While the koorime went down, they would be going up. Yukina and Kuwabara brought up the rear of the group, with Kurama chuckling to himself as they walked along.
"Your speech was very moving, Kazuma." Kurama began, but Kuwabara just flushed a bright red.
"I- I meant every word that I said! I was trying to make the right impression!" Kuwabara was getting flustered, even though not a single insult had been said.
"No, I enjoyed it!" Kurama added, sounding rather sincere. They reached the stairs and began their ascent, "Your heart was in the right place, Kazuma. But.. I must confess I think you're working with a tough crowd. Koorime do not allow men in their village, nor amongst their kin."
"He's right, Kazuma." Yukina patted Kuwabara gently on the arm. Yet, in an unexpected move of open affection, she kissed him chastely on the cheek, "But I loved your words, non the less."
Kuwabara looked like he could have squealed.
They reached the final landing, and as they greeted the last door, Hiei noted the darkness that consumed the landing. Though they were now at the very height of the castle, it was as black as the basement. But why?
"Stick close, everyone." Yusuke murmured, "I got a bad feeling about what's up ahead."
They drew their weapons, each fighter preparing himself (or herself) as they stepped into the black hallway. Hiei used his flame to light the way, and they observed blackened moldy paintings on the wall. It was sickening, and Hiei's lip curled at the sight. The floor was just as dirty. Up ahead, a strange puddle lay in the middle of the rug, and a peculiar smell met Hiei's nose.
"Fresh blood." Hiei growled, moving faster.
It was like his dream.
He came upon the spot on the floor, and took one knee to dip two fingers into it. Bringing the wetness up to eye, HIei saw it was dark crimson, and dried quickly. One lick confirmed everything... it was indeed blood.
Rui's blood.
"Damn." Hiei hissed, spitting out the blood and rising back up. The others had surrounded him, and were looking on worriedly.
"The blood is Rui's." Yukina asked, fearfully. Hiei nodded, scanning the blackened horizon.
"Not again!" Mukuro hissed, clutching her pocket as the sound of rattling clay broke the air. "The damn- jar-!"
She withdrew Hina's urn from her pocket. It was jumping and shaking so hard that she could barely contain it!
"Hold it tight!" Yukina begged, "We can't drop it now, Mukuro! The doors are just up ahead. If we can just get through those doors, we can kill Shikei-"
"AHHAHHAHHA!"
A high pitched unearthly shriek of vile laughter bounced around the empty chamber. Kuwabara almost spun on his heels, unnerved at the sound. It was loud, as if uttered by a giant, but no mouth claimed the laugh. Where had it come from?
All six looked ahead to the two mountainous doors which guarded the final room.
"You know, I can take a lot of things." Yusuke growled, rolling up his shirt sleeves, "But being laughed at aint one of them."
"Guess there are punks everywhere. Even all the way up here." Kuwabara sneered. In his hands, he formed his spirit sword. It glowed with a hot energy, crackling in the crisp air around them.
"I confess, I have never enjoyed mockery." Kurama agreed, pulling a budding rose from his silvery mane. With a flick, it became a long whip that coiled into the palm of his waiting hand.
"But hey, if she wants to play... then let's play." Yusuke grinned callously at this, his eyes sparkling with a youthful malevolence. "I like a bit of fight in a girl."
Mukuro held tight to the rattling pot, but there was anger in her gaze as she looked to the door.
A high pitched scream broke the air, of a woman in dire pain, and Yukina gasped as she clutched her throat!
"Rui!" Yukina could not contain her fear, looking to Hiei for what to do, "Hiei, we have to save her!"
Hiei grimaced.
"I say we bust down the door!" Yusuke snapped, "I could blow it down if you like!"
Another scream- this one even more dire and petrified. It was as if Rui was being tortured!
"Do it! I beg of you!" Yukina pleaded, wringing her hands. "Please, Yusuke! Please!"
"Boom goes the dynamite!" Yusuke aimed his pointer finger, which suddenly glowed hot blue. Hiei knew what was coming, and backed up immediately dragging his sister with him.
He aimed.
He fired.
"SPIRIT GUN!" Yusuke screamed, and from the tip of his finger and unbelievable power burst! The hot blue ball of power and energy spun towards the mighty doors, and with a tumultuous crash it broke them open like a wrecking ball! Wood, dust, concrete, and ash flew everywhere as the massive entranceway was destroyed in an instant!
The debris clouded the air, unfurling like a dragon's tail so that their view was momentarily obscured by dirt and dust.
Yusuke smirked, lowering his arm in the foggy aftermath.
"Knock, knock." He joked darkly, stepping forward.
Hiei followed him, clutching his right arm tightly.
He had come here to destroy, not to parry; he would not waist time with his sword. He would unleash the dragon as soon as he decided he could. Shikei would be swallowed by her own dark prediction of hellish flame- a fitting end to a disgusting woman.
The six mounted the steps which were now littered with wood chunks as shafts of white light from within the chamber shone through the dust. They stepped through the doorway, into a bright new room that was shockingly clean and well kept compared to the rest of the castle (and land). White marble floors, high blue pillars of ancient stone, and before them all a throne of beautifully polished crystal
On the floor, in a bloody pile of rags and hair, lay Rui.
And on the throne, clothed in white with hands stained by blood... was Shikei.
The withered crone sneered at her new company, tilting her chin high with dark pride.