Hinote Kyou Mizu

Chapter 4

Hiei laid next to Yusuke, actually curled up in a ball, pain wracking his body. The fire demon was trying to fight it, but it was turning out to be useless.

Earlier that evening a being dressed in white with sharpened armor came in. The man, if he could be called that was tall with long white hair, almost regal in bearing, and had a long whip in his hands, that glowed eerily in the dark. He looked around surveying the beings around him, finally casting his eye on Hiei and Yusuke.

“You two seem well enough. I think I will take you.”

The white being leaned down and tried to drag Hiei out of the room by the hair, wrapping his long fingers in the tufts of white at the front of his head. The fire demon hadn’t appreciated it. He had brought forth his Fist of the Mortal Flame and attempted to fight his way out of the situation. That had been a failure as the being held up his whip and snapped it once in the air away from Hiei.

Within seconds, the fire demon was on the ground and gasping for air, bowed over on his knees, screaming and crying out in pain. The shock ran through his body, bowing him as the ‘trainer’ released him. He felt like he was being choked and electrocuted at the same time, his body barely handling the crushing feeling.

“You will learn soon enough, number 242.” The man looked around to all of the rest, most cowering in fear, others looking away. “You are here for a reason. Learn your place.”

“Let me go!” the fire demon was screaming through the agony as he was being choked by the collar. “You fucking son of a bitch. LET US GO!”

As he spoke, the familiar black flames licked up his right arm, Yusuke mentally saying goodbye to Keiko, knowing if Hiei let loose in here, that they were all goners.

Instead, the flames died away as the trainer cracked the whip again and the fire demon fell back, the pain paralyzing him completely, his soundless screams filling Yusuke’s head as the Jagan eye opened up, glowing red. Yusuke could feel the pain radiating off of Hiei, and looked to him as he laid still, the agony still with him after a long while.

After the white trainer had left, the detective watched the other demon, which lay motionless next to him. Hiei was a proven fighter, who was not phased by physical pain. He had fought side by side with him in battle and in tournaments, and never had he seen Hiei give in to it.

Yusuke sat back, discouraged. The only way they were going to get out was if some how, some way, they could tell the others where they were.

He wondered if he would ever see his own child, or if Hiei would see his. The detective honestly wondered if they would make it out of this alive.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The fire demon was down but not out, giving every ounce of strength he had to try and send a message to anyone who could help. Kaida had taught him a few techniques to plant dreams in the minds of others and he needed to find someone trustworthy enough.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Botan was worn out as she collapsed on the bed. They had been searching for the lost ferry girl, a good friend of hers named Yomena, but now with the added Hiei and Yusuke to the list of missing, they were using everyone to try and locate them. She had passed out earlier and Koenma had told her to take ten hours and sleep. She had been grateful, but knew she wouldn’t sleep well, being too on edge to even be her own bubbly self.

As her head hit the pillow she slept, the urge to fall into dreams hitting her hard. It had been the perfect time to fall, as Hiei reached out and found her mind. He hoped the ferry woman was smart enough to figure it all out and tell someone.

Botan saw the red glowing eye that she recognized as Hiei’s, floating in the black darkness. He let her watch him, feel a bit of the pain, enough to get her attention.

‘~Tori Hiburakku, Help. Pain.~’

Botan recognized the voice and the eye, but did not understand his message.

‘~Hiei, where are you, we are looking everywhere!~”

‘~Tori Hiburakku. Help. Pain…~’

The fire demon trailed off, the few words he said sticking in Botan’s mind. She rose and ran out of her room. Exhausted or not, she had to tell Koenma. Now.

This may have been their only hope.