Ryuusei No Solitude

Chapter XXXVIII



Hiei sat in a corner of the room were they kept Yukina, fingering the tear gem his mother had given him. It had been three days since Yukina's escape and his imprisonment. Not once had he moved from where he sat. Not once had he touched the food they have given him. Hiei just sat in the corner and stared. Twice a day Tarukane would visit to try and get more gems from Hiei, thinking that nostalgia over a missing sibling would make Hiei cry, but Hiei had shed no tears. At least, none for Tarukane.



(They're coming.)



Hiei quickly tucked the necklace away and raised the heat in the room. It may have been the same offensive Yukina had but Hiei wasn't giving up without a fight.



"Trying to act tough, are you," asked Tarukane as he walked in. "It must be tough, you're breaking out into a sweat just to boil water."



Hiei growled and clutched his fist.



(Don't let him goad you, said the Jagan. He wants you to fight back. Don't play his game.)



'That'll be hard to do, said Hiei. He likes to shoot his mouth.'



"Yukina was much easier to intimidate," said Tarukane. "Just hold a ward up to her and she starts crying."



(Hiei, NO!) yelled the Jagan but Hiei had already shot up and ran to Tarukane. He had just gotten a few feet when twin shots rang and Hiei felt a pain in his shoulder and thigh. He fell to the floor with a soft cry.



(Hiei, you've been shot!)



'Brilliant deduction.'



"Don't worry," said Tarukane. "The bullets passed through you." Tarukane turned to one of his guards. "Bring the doctor in. Minimal treatment."



(Sounds like I've got my work cut out for me.) Hiei could only growl in pain, unable to move and unwilling.



Tarukane left when the doctor arrived, but his two guards stayed behind. Tarukane was correct when he said the bullets passed right through. Both bullets seared through his skin and muscles and lodged in the wall behind Hiei. The doctor cleaned the wounds, patched it and left, leaving Hiei on the floor in pain.



Gasping in pain Hiei turned over on his stomach and crawled to the corner, where he slumped in exhaustion and closed his eyes in a healing trance.



(One of these days these wild acts of pride will get you killed,) said the Jagan.



'Maybe,' said Hiei. 'But I will go down fighting.'



(I hope you do. Heaven forbid if you die in your sleep of old age.) Hiei could actually hear the Jagan sigh before it continued. (What am I going to do with you?)



'Keep me alive.'



(Har-har.)



And Hiei fell into the trance.



XXXXXXXXXXXXX



Yukina thanked the blue-jay and it flew to perch on a tree. She turned to the rest of the group.



"He's agreed to lead you to the mansion," she said. "The obstacles are your problem.



"Obstacles," asked Yusuke.



Yukina nodded. "Tarukane has many demons and human security systems to protect his assets, and to keep me inside," she said. "Word around the mansion was that he had monsters in his basement. A collection they called it."



"We'll keep an eye out for them," said Kurama. "Keiko, Shizuru, you stay at camp with Yukina. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and I will go after Hiei."



All three girls nodded. All three walked through the portal they created and stood on the edge of a wooded area. Kurama could feel the age of the trees and hey were younger then he was. Kurama felt ashamed to be standing there. He had been in places of Makai where trees were so old he felt non-existent.



"Yukina said that humans will come by and often roam these woods," said Kurama. "You know what to do."



Both Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded. The tattoos on Yusuke's body disappeared and Kuwabara threw an illusion around himself, making him look human. Kurama's form changed the most. He shortened his height, and his hair, hid his ears and tail and changed his hair color to a blood red color and leaf green eyes. He changed his white tunic, trousers and shoes for a red Chinese tunic with a silver fox design and white pants. When his disguise was finished he checked over Yusuke and Kuwabara and nodded his approval.



"Let's go," he said and they headed down the path.



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX



Hiei woke from his healing trance when Tarukane returned. His arm and leg still hurt and was bleeding but he managed to fix most of the muscle. He still had a long way to go before he was could even manage to fight.



"It seems that by waiting we won't get anything from you," said Tarukane. "Unlike you, I am not getting any younger." He nodded to the two guards and they picked up Hiei, wrapping wards around his wrists to suppress his powers. "There. That's to make sure you stay a good boy."



Hiei didn't say anything as they lead him through the mansion and to the basement. They passed cages with a variety of grotesque creatures and Tarukane opened a door. Inside were various instruments surrounding a metal chair. The guards lead Hiei in and strapped him to the chair.



"I had this ready for the demon I purchased in case he was hard to crack," said Tarukane. "Imagine my surprise when Yukina was so easy. You hardly had to intimate her. I'm glad it won’t go to waste."



A man in a white coat placed a metal head band with wires attached to it on Hiei's head. Hiei glared coldly at the scientist and the man flinched.



"Electricity may be a bit old fashioned but still on effective form of torture," said Tarukane. "We'll set to the lowest setting first." And he nodded to one of the scientists. The man se the dial and pushed a button.



Hiei screamed as and electric charge ran through him.



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX





Kurama walked through the woods, aware of every sound and movement. His senses were deadened because of the human form he took but it didn't stop him from being cautious. A bush rustled and all three jumped, instantly ready to fight, but under the bush hopped a brown rabbit. All three chuckled as the rabbit hopped off.



"And we were ready for a big scary monster," said Kuwabara, and started walking again. They had gone several feet when they heard rustling again. This time none of them jumped.



"Can't keep jumping at rabbits," said Yusuke chuckling.



But what emerged from the bush wasn't a rabbit. It was large with coarse green fur and three claws on each paw. Two horns grew from its head instead of ears and had four eyes. In its mouth was a brown rabbit, its razor sharp teeth cracking bones.



"That's no rabbit," said Kuwabara.



"That's a Makai demon dog," said Kurama. Both gulped when two more joined the first.



"Scatter!" yelled Yusuke and all three separated. Demon dogs were highly vicious and hard to kill.



Yusuke had just rounded around a large tree when the demon dog jumped him. It took all of his strength to keep the teeth away from his neck while groping around for something to hit the dog with. Finally he found a branch and hit the dog over the head with it. The dog yelped and rolled away. It shook its head and charged again at Yusuke, who managed to stand up with a piece of the branch.



"Here, puppy," he yelled. "Have a snack!" And he shoved the branch in the dog's mouth. It whined gagged around the stick as Yusuke aimed his finger at it. "And here's another treat!"



And he fired in the dog's mouth. The head exploded and the body fell to the ground. Groaning Yusuke pulled himself up and trudged back to the other. He only had to wait a few minutes before Kurama return after hanging the demon dog chasing him up in a tree and Kuwabara sliced his to pieces.



"Okay, now that the exercise is out of the way," said Yusuke, looking at Kurama who nodded.



"Let's go," said Kurama.



XXXXXXXXXXXXX



Hiei gasped as the electricity ran through his system and abruptly stopped, but he could still feel it in his muscles and skin. He looked over as the scientists wrote on their clipboards and check gauges. Tarukane watched by the door with two guards beside him.



"Having fun," panted Hiei, glaring at Tarukane. "Is that all you've got? A sixty watt light bulb? A lighting demon would have gone seventy."



"Again," snapped Tarukane and the scientist pushed a button. Hiei screamed. Every thought in his mind told him to break, to do what Tarukane wanted and cry, but something deeper inside told him to not give Tarukane what he wanted.



Tarukane gestured and the machine stopped.



"Now do you have something to say?"



"Never give up," sang Hiei in a pant. "Amidst the wind. Turn your back to the twilight. It will take you anywhere. Lonely way."



It may have sounded like he had gone over the edge but in fact he was keeping himself from going insane. He hardly heard Tarukane order another round of torture. Hiei could do nothing but scream again.



The torture was cut short when a guard ran in and whispered in Tarukane's ear. Tarukane whispered back and the guard left.



"Well, it seems it's your lucky day," said Tarukane. "There are some intruders that are very adamant on getting in."



Tarukane picked up a remote and switched on a large television screen. On it was a feed from the security tapes outside and it showed two humans, one with black slicked back hair jeans, denim jacket, white shirt, and sneakers. The second one wore just a white duster and trousers. Bound around his wais were bandages and he wore black boots.



'Kuwabara, Yusuke' he thought.



(They came for you!) said the Jagan.



'But where's Kurama,?'



(Probably coming in from behind while those tow created a distraction.)



'Wouldn't put it past him.'



"Unfortunately for them I have mad a deal with a very ruthless demon triad," said Tarukane. "They will be killed very shortly."



Hiei gritted his teeth as he watched the screen.



XXXXXXXXXXXXX



Yusuke and Kuwabara groaned as they neared the mansion. Kurama did in fact charge them with distracting the guards and demons as he snuck through the back, hoping to get Hiei out of there before the plan was spotted.



"I can't believe Kurama left us as bait," said Kuwabara.



"Relax, we're just drawing the attention to us," said Yusuke opening the door.



"If it's attention you want," said a voice. "It's attention you've gotten."



Both demons looked over to see a demon woman standing in the hall.



"I'm your first obstacle, Mizuki," she said with a smile. "You'll have to beat me to get past."



"What the heck," cried Kuwabara. "I can't fight a girl!"



"What do you mean by that?" yelled Yusuke. "You fight Hiei in her female form all the time!"



Kuwabara looked around nervously. "Yeah, well, that's different. I know she's a man at heart."



Yusuke gave him a stupid look. "She was born a girl."



"It's a matter of pride!"



"Hello," said Mizuki slightly annoyed. "I'm still here."



Yusuke frowned at her. "I can remedy that," he said raising his fist.



XXXXXXXXXXXX



Kurama slowly crawled toward the mansion in the form of a fox of Ningenkai. To say that he didn't like the plain color red was an understatement but he dealt with worse. He spotted another security camera attached to a tree and went around it. He knew a fox wouldn't be worth a second look but he didn't want to be taking chance.



He was nearing the mansion when a scuffling and huffing reached his ears and he froze, fur standing on end. From the underbrush came an animal that could have been a deformed pig, if not for the spiked coming in from his back, the horns coming out of its head and the claws on it feet. Two sharp curved tucks jutted from the lower lip and well past the muzzle and both blood red eyes looked straight at Kurama.



Makai targs were vicious, unpredictable, and constantly hungry. Dead or alive, fresh or rotten, they'd eat any type of meat and it was uncommon for them to attack people. They only way to beat one was to strike first because they were very fast.



The targ squealed and charged at Kurama. The fox hardly had time to jump away and run. The targ followed him. In his fox form Kurama's abilities was limited but it never stopped him from fighting. He poured his ki into the plants around him. The grass turned as sharp as razor blades and the leaves into knives. He aimed the grass and the leaves at the targ.



Grass cut the leather like foot pads of the targ and the leaves flew toward it, slicing the skin and embedding into it. The targ squealed and Kurama could smell blood. Kurama stopped and looked back at the targ lopping after him, trying to catch up with the fox. It gave a squealing roar at Kurama and walked forward.



'I shall end your suffering,' thought Kurama and with a bit of his ki he turned a leaf above him as sharp as a knife and flung it at the targ like a kunai. The leaf embedded itself in the targ's head. The pig dropped dead on the ground. Kurama stared at the targ before continuing toward the mansion.



XXXXXXXXXXXXX



“That girl is even more complicated then Hiei,” said Yusuke as he and Kuwabara walked down the hall. They had just beaten Mizuki, albeit it was more like a humiliation then a defeat. “At least Hiei was an actual girl! No breast implants or facial reconstruction.”



“It still creeps me out,” said Kuwabara with a disgusted look.



“Come on. You live in a place where people lie out of their mouths every two seconds and you’re disgusted one demon had a sex change? You are such a wuss.”



“Watch it, Urameshi! I can beat you in a second!”



Yusuke laughed. “In your dreams.”



“Dreams can be given to you,” said a voice. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked over to find a second demon shrouded in a cloak. “Permanent dreams. I am your second obstacle, Inmaki.”



Yusuke sighed and looked at Kuwabara. “Your turn,” he said. Kuwabara cracked his knuckles.



XXXXXXXXXXXXXX



“How can that happen,” asked Tarukane as he watched the video feed. “Two of the three demons triad have been brought down.”



Hiei smirked. “Stubborn, aren’t they?” said Hiei. “I have never known them to turn down a fight.”



Tarukane walked over to Hiei and slapped him. “Shut up, you monstrosity,” he yelled. “I’ll get rid of them soon enough.”



Hiei started chuckling. “You’ll never get rid of them,” he said. “My friends are going to come here, free me….” And he gave Tarukane such a glare that the human was truly frightened, “and kill you.”



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX



Kuwabara and Yusuke simultaneously kicked the demon blocking the corridor and the demon fell. Yusuke stretched as they walked over the giant ogre.



“Well, so much for the demon triad,” said Yusuke “That was really a warm up. No sweat at all.”



Kuwabara pointed down the hall. “That way. I can sense Hiei’s energy in that direction.”



“All right. Let’s go! Hopefully Kurama got in safely.” Yusuke heard a growl and turned to the cat demon. “If you were hungry then just say so.”



“That wasn’t me, Urameshi,” said Kuwabara.



“Come on, I plainly heard your stomach growl,”



Kuwabara stared firmly at Yusuke.



“It wasn’t me!”



Yusuke looked at his friend, confused. “Well, if it wasn’t you, and it certainly wasn’t me….”



Hearing the growl again both looked down the hall to find large a large creature blocking the corridor.



“Oh, shit,” they said.



XXXXXXXXXXXXXX



Kurama walked through the halls easily. With all the attention on Yusuke and Kuwabara it left the rest of the mansion free for Kurama to pass through unnoticed.



Almost freely. Up ahead in the hall a devil laid resting. It resembled a human Doberman pincher, except for its blood red fur and two horns coming out of its head. Six inch incisors curled out of its mouth. It was lying on the carpet on its side, as if in pain.



When it heard Kurama it struggled to its feet and growled at him. At this angle Kurama could tell it was a female, and he could see her ribs.



“Well, that’s no good,” said Kurama. He reached inside his belt and pulled out a strip of dried meat. He tossed it on the floor and reached for another. The dog sniffed at it. “Go on. Have a bite.”



The dog seemed to agree and at the strip and the next one. Soon it ate all of Kurama’s traveling food and was nuzzling against Kurama’s thigh.



“You poor miserable bitch,” he said. “I’ll take you back to Makai, if you wish. There you can eat as much as you want.”



The dog barks and followed Kurama down the hall. Following his nose and his sixth sense, Kurama easily found Hiei in the basement. Hiei was strapped to a metal chair and everyone was watching a television screen with Yusuke and Kuwabara fighting the demon creature on it.



‘Well, those two are doing their job,’ he thought.



“This is impossible,” said Tarukane. “How can two people beat all those demons and creatures by themselves?”



“That’s what they’re great at,” said Kurama and everyone looked at him. Beside him the devil dog growled.



“I knew I’d see you with Yusuke and Kuwabara around,” said Hiei with a smirk.



“Did you think we’d let you run off by yourself and not come to help when you get in trouble?’



“And who the hell are you,” yelled Tarukane.



“I’m his lover,” said Kurama. Beside him the dog went from growling to snarling. “And that’s your dog.”



And the dog charged at Tarukane the fat man squealed and ducked, making the dog leap over him, but she recovered quickly and jumped off the wall and landed on Tarukane’s back. The human landed flat on his stomach with the dog standing on him, six inch incisors right over his head.



“Get it off me!” he yelled.



“I think she likes herself where she is,” said Kurama and went over to un-strap Hiei. “Next time you plan on playing hero, tell us before hand.”



Hiei nodded and walked over to Tarukane. His step was a bit shaky because of the electric shock and the bullet wound but he managed to keep himself upright. Kurama saw the injuries but didn’t say anything. He’d heal them when they left. The devil dog got off Tarukane as Hiei walked over.



“Thought you could break me?” he yelled at Tarukane who crouched on the floor. “Thought you could make me into a mindless slave?! In your dreams, human!”



And he starting kicking and punching Tarukane in every available place as Kurama and the dog watched. Yusuke and Kuwabara walked in as Hiei finished turning the human into a figurative puddle of pulp.



“All done,” asked Yusuke, leaning against the doorframe. Hiei nodded before kicking the him one last time.



“Whose dog,” asked Kuwabara.



“I’m thinking about keeping her,” said Kurama. Hiei walked up beside Kurama and the fox slid an arm around Hiei’s shoulders. Hiei’s face softened a little bit. “Let’s go home.”



And they walked out of the mansion.



TBC