Rescuing Hiei

Scene 9 ------------------------------------------- Demon World

* Hiei is sitting with his back to Shishi. The koorime is in full protection mode as the Banshee nurses Imiko. Shishi feels his Alpha's tenseness and lifts a hand to lay it on Hiei's shoulder gently. The Alpha acknowledges the gesture by placing one of his hands on top of Shishi's. Before anything can be said, though, Dasan enters with a burlap sack. He pauses in the entrance when he feels Hiei's aura. For a couple moments the two males' eyes meet. When Hiei finally lowers his the mage continues on in.

Dasan- We need to wait here for a while... I gathered some more food for all of you.

* Being the claimed "submissive" in the cave, Shishi holds his tongue on the questions that flow through his mind. Hiei 'hears' them and settles on one he feels most important to ask. He looks up at the older demon.

Hiei- wait for what? I need to get my family the h--- away from here before Spirit World can send.. someone else after me!

* Dasan scratches his head, wondering what he should do. Having been under Kichiro for decades, always being told what to do next, the old demon finds this new situation of being in control a bit unsettling.

Dasan- Eat your food... There's fruits and vegetables for your Banshee... I need to go think...

* Dasan turns to leave. Finally, Shishi risks reprimand and speaks up.

Shishi- Can you release us from these wards??

* Hiei half glances over his shoulder toward his mate, but then decides to look up at Dasan again. The old mage hesitantly turns back to look at them sadly.

Dasan- (Quietly) I can create wards and seals.. But then they can't be reversed unless...

* Hiei's growl quiets Dasan. The pair allows him to leave now. Shishi sighs and looks down at Imiko. Hiei turns to begin rummaging through the sack. Dasan moves away to a lookout where he stands, watching what's left of Little Saurijo's ruins burning in the distance. The old mage is too preoccupied with worry for his younger brother to notice that he's being watched, himself, from a short distance away. In their hiding place, the larger of the group of four canine demons looks at his companions to send them mental orders, 'The Leader says for us to take that one out, then surround the cave to wait for him and the rest to get here'. Back inside the cave, everything is quiet for several minutes as Hiei peels a couple banana-like fruits to feed his mate. As he reaches the last one over to Shishi, he begins to feel something stirring inside him. Something that he hasn't felt in a couple months, but recognizes immediately. Shishi feels something, as well, and looks up at Hiei. The koorime watches Shishi's black collar suddenly fall off of his neck and looks down at his right arm with wide eyes. In the torchlit cave Hiei watches the black sealing band retreat from his wrapped arm quickly. Shishi raises a hand to rub his scarred neck as he watches Hiei's hair bleed back to it's normal color. The two demons' eyes meet again.

Hiei- Something's happened to Dasan... He's been killed...

* Shishi notices Hiei's jagan begin to open. In a knee-jerk reaction he lifts his hand to cover it as he looks away.

Shishi- You can't open that in your condition, Shi!! The Dragon will...

* Hiei turns to face the entry suddenly and his arm does begin to smoke as the jagan continues opening. Shishi guards his slightly burnt hand.

Shishi- Now what?
Hiei- Can you change forms?

* Hiei feels the intruders outside. He forces himself to stay calm, fighting the
deja-vu of this situation.

Shishi- I don't know... I'm not as strong as I used to be, Shi...

* Hiei growls as his jagan begins to glow.

Hiei- Shishi, there's a large group of uglies gathering out there... My jagan is telling me that their intentions are to take us out, then... feast on our babies... S---, one of them is...

* Hiei stands in a defensive posture as a figure begins to stroll into the cave. The memories of what happened last time don't only affect Hiei. Before the koorime can react, or Ginsen can speak, two tiny bodies blur in front of their Papa. Both raise a finger instinctually at the intruder. In the next instant blue energy, though no way near their sire's strength, flashes in the cave blasting the canine clean back out of the entrance. Hiei stares down at his twin boys stunned for all of about a minute, then he spins to look at his equally stunned mate.

Hiei- Stay in here and hide yourself!! Use that flimsy material of yours!

* Before Shishi can respond Hiei blurs out of the cave. The Banshee quickly gathers the spent twins back over beside Imiko. He gives them orders as he fingers through his ponytail.

Shishi- Ichi, Jiro, you boys did good. Now I need you to stay still and keep Imiko quiet, darlings.

* When the boys nod wearily, Shishi finds what he's searching for and pulls it out quickly.

Shishi- Cloak of Invisibility!

* As he flicks the sheer material over top of the three infants he can hear the sounds of battle begin not too far away.

Shishi- Now stay and don't move until we come back for you... Don't cry.
Ichiro- (Whisper) Yes, Momma Shishi...
Jiro- (Quiet Sob) Go help Papa...

* With Jiro's urgent plea the samurai turns and hurries out of the cave. Using his slowly-returning energy, Shishi hones in on the various sounds of fighting. As he nears the battle area he discovers that many of the pack of canines has already been dispatched. He finds one corpse still clutching a sword. Shishi gives no hesitation in kicking it loose from the dead dog's hand.

Shishi- Since you're not using this anymore...

He catches it in midair and tests it for a couple quick, but somewhat clumsy, swings.

Shishi- Ohh, nice... You must have stolen it, you b------.

* Shishi then hurries forward with a trademark yell of his Banshee heritage. The shrill scream serves to temporarily cause the rest of the fighting pack to grab at their ears. The brief pause in their attack allows him to blur to his wounded Alpha's side. Hiei growls as the Banshee's eyes evaluate his condition quickly. Only minor cuts and bites, so he turns his attention back to the regrouping pack.

Hiei- What are you...?!
Shishi- I have been soo longing to kill something for too long to let you have all the fun, Hun.

* Before Hiei can give Shishi the order to return to the cave, the pack that remains renews their attack. Shishi gives another scream, but it doesn't take the dogs by surprise this time. The fray begins anew, with Hiei and Shishi both using their stolen swords to slice and hack desperately. Hiei, as well, heeds Shishi's earlier warning. He also struggles to keep the jagan closed and the too-powerful-to-handle Black Dragon contained. Not just for himself, but for his battling, protective mate struggling at his side. In a matter of a few minutes, though, the two manage to dwindle the pack's numbers down until only three of the dogs remain. By this time, both Hiei and Shishi are exhausted... and cornered against a large pair of close-growing Makai trees. For a couple minutes the two sides have a glaring, growling standoff. Then the dog in the middle twitches his ears backward, catching a faint cry from the cave behind him. As is usually the case in Demon World, events take place in successive blinks. The middle dog shoves his two companions toward Hiei and Shishi.

Dog- Get them!!

* They rush forward to meet their deaths obediently as the middle dog spins and makes his dash for the cave.

Shishi- Cover your ears, Hun!!

* Hiei quickly obeys. Shishi sends a shriek even more piercing than his last. This time the last dog of the pack hits his knees howling out in pain. As he is busy clutching his ears Hiei blurs straight for him, taking the canine's head off with one desperate swing. Hiei lands in a crouch on one knee, heaving, and using the sword to keep himself upright. But then he hears Shishi emit a different kind of sound behind him that makes him spin. He blinks back to Shishi who is collapsed down to his knees and holding his belly.

Hiei- You d---ed idiot!! This is why I told you to stay hid!!

* Shishi bows his head and sobs from pain and exhaustion.

Shishi- (Sob) Had to... pro-tect... you...

* Hiei shakes his head, forces his worried anger back, and manages to help Shishi back up into the cave. He clicks to locate the babies as he helps Shishi to lay down. The twins throw the sheer Cloak of Invisibility off of them and it dissipates. When Hiei sees that they are all okay he turns his attention back to his barely-conscious Banshee. When he worriedly checks Shishi's body he finds no extremely-threatening wounds, so he figures the pain must be from overstressing the unborn babies he's carrying. The koorime lifts Shishi's head and very carefully opens his purple jagan slightly.

Hiei- (Quietly) The babies are stressing, Shishi... Trust me and let my jagan relax you... You need to calm down...
Shishi- (Wearily) We need... to.. get out...
Hiei- I'm not moving you until you calm down for a while, Banshee! I'm not going to allow you to lose your babies, d--- it!

* When Hiei flares his dominant aura once more, Shishi has no choice but to do as he asked. He fixes his gaze on Hiei's partially-opened jagan and feels his body slowly relaxing. When Shishi's head rolls back, Hiei situates him down comfortably, then hurries over to nuzzle the three babies, purring to quiet their fears.