After a long meeting, everyone crashed at the temple in various areas. Kurama, Botan, and Hiei were still awake into the late hours of the night. Botan's nerves were shot, her insides curling with uncertainty and guilt. Kurama was studying what he could of the theology, hoping to find some way of escape for his two friends. Hiei was alternating between watching the ferry woman and looking out the window.
Wringing her hands together again as she thought through her predicament, Botan found her exhausted gaze traveling to Hiei's form on the windowsill. He was staring out at the trees as the moon washed him in a heavenly glow. During times like this, where the ferry woman was free to take him in to her heart's content, it was so easy see the good in him.
While Hiei didn't have to be here and help her, her favorite fire demon still came. He was a dark knight; a begrudging hero some would even say. Sure, he had his tortured past and still harbored what many considered negative traits but the ferry woman found those easy to look past. At his core, Hiei was a good demon; Botan was certain of that fact.
Hiei had an honor code he followed strictly. He cared in ways that confused others but made sense when all the other parts of him came into play. As difficult as it could be to get past his tough exterior, Botan knew it was infinitely rewarding. Sighing wistfully, she knew that, even with all of that hard work, she still wasn't as close as she dreamed of being. The desire to know him in all ways rushed through her.
Unable to help herself, the ferry woman's eyes traced his bent leg. She stopped at his mid-thigh briefly to appreciate the muscled form barely made out under his pant leg. His clothes were fitting a little tighter than the last time they'd met up and she couldn't help but to stare for a moment. Finally, though, Botan's eyes moved on.
She gazed at his arm that rested loosely on his knee. Hiei's forearm flexed as his hand clenched into a fist briefly before unclenching. A warmth spread through Botan's chest a little at the action, heart picking up speed just a touch. Her eyes slowly trailed up his bicep, pausing to take in the sculpted shape where shoulder and arm met. The muscles, even relaxed, were prominent.
Amethyst eyes followed up Hiei's shoulder to his neck. She ran her gaze over his jaw line, noting that it was a little clenched. It made sense, though. The day had been a rather upending one so it was only right he was tense. Continuing her slow journey, Botan's eyes traveled to his chin and then to his mouth, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Her eyes lingered there for a good amount of time before she shook her head a little, clearing it out. Moving further up his face, she noted his nose before moving to his eyes. Eyes that happened to be staring directly at her.
"You're staring at me. Why?" Hiei asked bluntly. A deep blush took over her face.
"No reason! Sorry!" The ferry woman whispered hastily before scurrying off down the hall. Going to the end of it, Botan slid down the wall and onto the floor. Hiding her embarrassed face deep in her hands, the ferry woman attempted to breathe in and out calmly. A giggle tried to climb up her throat but she held it back, feeling a little delirious.
She needed sleep but it was going to elude her, Botan just knew it. Leaning her head back against the wall, the bluette closed her eyes to the world. She could sense the energies of her friends around her, comforting enough to relax in. Letting her thoughts just drift, Botan wondered what would happen if she wasn't able to make it out of the demon prince's clutches. Would she go straight to hell? What did this demon prince want with her anyways?
"Have you ever considered that I want revenge?" A voice floated around in the back of her head, much like the laugh from earlier. It made the hairs on her body rise and a scream got trapped in her throat. Her hands shook a little as her heart and breathing picked up the pace. "Each time I take one of you, he loses power over binding me to this plane of existence."
Suddenly the voice disappeared with a hiss and Botan was pulled out of her own head to Kurama crouched in front of her and Hiei standing beside him. Both had looks of concern (Hiei's significantly more mild) on their faces and the ferry woman realized that the redhead had stuck a piece of paper to her.
"It's a ward." Kurama explained. "You ought to get some sleep."
"I'm terrified, Kurama." The ferry woman finally whispered, her voice cracking just a touch. Tears filled her eyes as fear flowed through her. "I didn't know what I did was enough to lure him in. I didn't know."
"It's okay. We believe you." Kurama reassured her, not enjoying seeing his friend in such distress. He rubbed her back soothingly, hoping to calm her down.
"The rules of sin have always been murky." Even though Hiei's words were more flat than soothing, Botan found comfort in them anyways. She gave him a weak smile of gratitude before pushing herself off the floor. Kurama caught her elbow, steadying her as she wobbled a bit from sleep deprivation.
"We'll figure this out but right now you need to sleep. You won't be able to fight against this if you're too tired." The redhead explained. Botan knew he was right and allowed him to guide her back to the room she'd just come from. Yukina had quickly prepared futons for everyone hours ago before heading to bed herself. "We're all here to protect you."
"Thanks, Kurama." She smiled at him before turning her tired sights on Hiei. His crimson eyes were focused on her and Botan couldn't help but notice the worry in them, even if it was quite a bit more subdued than Kurama's. It touched her to know that the fire demon concerned himself over her, even it is was just a bit.
"Onna?" He raised a brow at her and Botan realized she'd been staring a little too long. Biting down the blush that threatened her again, she smiled instead.
"I know I already said thanks earlier but…" She trailed off, if only to gaze at him a moment longer, before continuing, "I really do appreciate your help. I feel safer with you near."
Both Hiei and Kurama blinked in surprise but Botan didn't seem to notice while making her way to the futon against the wall. She had changed into comfy pajamas hours ago, hoping that sleep would come then but it had not. Now, though, the ferry woman felt safe enough and tired enough that sleep should come to her easily. While the voice had been scary, the ward pushed it away within an instant. Laying down, she succumbed to the dreamworld quickly.
"Have you figured out how to defeat the demon prince after her?" Hiei asked as they moved back over to the window. Kurama looked tired but far too stressed to do anything about it.
"Yes." His voice was low as his emerald eyes stared out the window a little dejectedly. "I'm afraid most of the ways I've come across aren't viable and the ones that are…I'm not sure about."
"You and the toddler have been talking in circles all night about this demon prince. Just tell me about him." Hiei, tired of the run around, shot Kurama a frustrated growl.
"This demon has a tighter hold on Botan than Koenma realized. He said he can see how much influence she's under. So we hesitate to offer solutions in fear of it making the issue worse." The fox explained, his gaze pensive. "Besides, some of the solutions would be unfair to ask of you."
"Then ask someone else." That response made Kurama let out a sigh as he shook his head.
"We can't. Only you could perform them." He responded. It pissed Hiei off, being giving these half answers but he could tell that the fox wouldn't be giving any straightforward information about the subject.
"And of my problem?" Changing the topic, the fire demon decided to try and get information about the other pressing issue.
"I think, if you've completely tamed the dragon as you've demonstrated before, then it's merely a waiting game of when the beast shows himself on one of the two planes to fight you. Use the dragon against him and send him back to oblivion where he must build all of his power back up after essentially being burned into atoms." The assured confidence that Kurama spoke with relaxed Hiei a fair amount. If the fox wasn't that worried, then neither would he be.
"Seems simple enough." The fire demon shrugged but Kurama leveled him with a look.
"Don't underestimate your opponent. He comes bearing thousands of years of experience whereas I am only providing information I've read. I do believe that the dragon will be enough to send him back to the depths of hell but I don't believe you will come out unscathed." That didn't concern Hiei. The fire demon didn't like that there was another demon trying to take the dragon back from him. "Though, this belief does hinge on the dragon being fully committed to you as its master."
"It is." Hiei responded without hesitation.
"Then you should end up the victor." There was silence again and the fire demon could sense the restlessness in the fox. He knew to wait it out. Kurama, much like himself, would speak when he was ready to. "I worry about what will happen if she does break free of the demon's hold on her."
"Why? Isn't that what we're doing this for?" Hiei glanced at the bluette asleep on the futon. Her words still rang in his head and the stares she had been giving him all night left confusing emotions twisting through him. He knew that the ferry woman loved to meddle and people-watch but her gaze had continued to return to him throughout the night. What that meant, he wasn't sure.
"Yes and no. Talking to Koenma has left me feeling unsettled about this whole thing." The redhead slipped his hands into the pockets of his sleep pants while keeping his emerald eyes on the black forest through the window. "I think he'll take her physical form away once we defeat this demon."
"She walked herself into this mess. Those are the consequences." Hiei shrugged, though he didn't agree with the words. While they were factual, he didn't like the odd upset they left in his mind.
"No, this is different. This has far more history tied to it. This demon's had his eye on Botan for a long time, waiting for her to slip even just once." There was a seriousness to Kurama's speech, making Hiei take note. "Due to events that took place ages ago, this demon has a huge vendetta against her and others like her. But this really boils down to the sin she committed and the fact she's part of the world that's been keeping him in hell."
"So he's seeking revenge?" Revenge was something Hiei could understand. He knew how to manipulate beings who were seeking revenge, getting into their heads and using their vulnerable points. He would merely need to do that with this demon prince and then use the dragon to send him to hell.
"Partly. It's complicated and I'm worried speaking about him any longer will bring him fourth and burn through that seal faster than I can get her another one." The two demons cast a glance to the sleeping woman, noting the piece of paper was clutched tightly in her fist. "Before I go to bed, may I ask you a question?"
"Hn." Hiei grunted and the redhead took it for a yes.
"How far are you willing to go to help her? If you held all the power to save her soul…" Kurama turned his eyes from the sleeping ferry woman to his fire demon friend, "Would you do what it took to keep her from hell?"
Hiei blinked in surprise at the question but the fox had already turned to leave before he could respond. The fire demon didn't know what to say as an answer anyways. Clearly Kurama thought that the solution to Botan's problem was up to Hiei but how could he solve her problem if he didn't even know which demon prince was after her in the first place? Even still, he was left bothered by the intensity of the parting words.
With silent feet, the fire demon pushed himself from the window ledge and padded towards the ferry woman. Settling against the wall near her futon, he found himself staring. Her hair was disheveled and bags were under her eyes. Her fingers were practically white-knuckle gripping the paper, even in her sleep (it was a little impressive, really). The rise and fall of Botan's chest was steady and even. She finally had some peace.
The fire demon thought about the position she had been put in. Over the years, Botan had moved up the ranks swiftly and landed herself as God's right hand ferry woman. Hiei would give that to her; she was driven and willing to do the work to get to where she was going. Which begged the question of which sin the ferry woman committed that she would be so easily dragged down with it?
Rarely did Kurama lose faith in people but he seemed to lack faith that Botan would do what it took to fix this mess. In the years he had known both the fox and the ferry woman, Hiei had rarely seen their hopes dashed. It was unsettling and really drove home how serious this situation was. That only frustrated him further since no one was actually giving him answers.
Tomorrow, he and the ferry woman would have a talk. She needed to be determined to help save herself because he wasn't going to do all the leg work. He would also demand she tell him which demon prince had set its sights on her and why. The time for beating around the bush was over. Hiei was tired of not having answers and if Botan didn't talk, he would use the jagan eye to get the information he wanted.