InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Dreamweaver's Curse ❯ The Rabbit and the Hole ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Pretty in Pink 
In which Hiei plays hero and Kagome chases shadows.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 03.24.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 578 | Status: Work In Progress
In which Hiei plays hero and Kagome chases shadows.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 03.24.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 578 | Status: Work In Progress
Sorry it has taken so long. Senior year is extremely stressful. Anyway, hope you can enjoy this. =D
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The Dreamweaver’s Curse
The Rabbit and the Hole
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A deathly hush fell over the crowd as the lord of the castle knelt beside the fallen miko, glass crunching beneath his boot. They watched in fear and anticipation as he seemed to focus his attention on her unmoving chest. “Is she-?” one teary-eyed demoness began before her mate shushed her quietly and hugged her to his chest to calm her.
Sesshoumaru paid no mind to them. The great demon turned his head and lowered one elfin ear to lay above her right breast. He listened closely and after a moment heard one deep, slow heartbeat. A few moments later, he heard another. But it was so slow.
“What happened?” he asked, letting no trace of the anger that raged through his spirit trickle into his voice. His façade was as cold and statuesque as ever when he turned his attention to the three women in front of him.
The one who spoke earlier lifted her face from her mate’s shoulder. “She was just talking to us, and suddenly said she felt dizzy. And then she just collapsed, like that! It happened so fast! Is she…?”
“She lives,” he said quietly, turning his eyes to the mess beside her body. Several small pieces of glass were embedded in the palm of her hand and he carefully extracted them. The blood oozed slowly out of the small wounds and mixed into the puddle of wine her hand lay in. It had already soaked into the lacy end of her sleeve, staining it crimson.
“Was she drinking this?” he asked suspiciously. He could smell only a little alcohol on her.
“Only a sip. She took it off the tray of a server when she came by.”
If it was poisoned, he couldn‘t smell it over the alcohol. “Servants!” It might have been a shout, if it hadn’t been issued from Sesshoumaru’s mouth. However, being incapable of such shows of emotion, it was only a curt command. The crowd once again parted to allow eleven young demonesses to quickly assemble in a line. Sesshoumaru rose to his full height and faced the trembling young women dressed in white and silver, who bowed in unison when he addressed them.
“Which one of you served this drink to Kagome?” His voice was deceptively soft as he inspected each one with seething amber eyes, looking for any trace of deceit.
They remained silent for a few moments before one of them took one step forward. Her voice only wavered slightly when she spoke loudly and clearly to him. “It was none of us, m’Lord. But, there is one missing.”
“Sesshoumaru-sama!” the short, stubby toad named Jaken squawked as he scurried across the wide expanse of the ballroom, having come from the kitchens. “Sesshoumaru-sama!” He skidded to a stop, panting and puffing. “A servant girl, m’Lord!” Puff, puff! “She was found dead in the pantry!”
Sesshoumaru rose to his feet again, taking a step toward the kitchen doors. However, Shippo, who had disappeared as soon as Sesshoumaru announced that Kagome was still living, appeared carrying the limp form of a young demoness, a scowl setting furrows into his handsome face. Her long, brown hair was pulled back into a braid, revealing two pointed ears. Her face was round and plain, appearing younger than the other servants. Her only distinguishing feature was an iridescent shimmer to her flesh, as if it was covered in pale blue scales. She was a young water spirit.
Shippo knelt before Sesshoumaru and laid the girl down carefully at his feet. “This was found with her,” he told the older demon, pulling an empty vial from his breast pocket. Sesshoumaru first sniffed it delicately, then looked down his nose at the young woman.
He could detect no signs of life from her, and was not surprised. She’d probably drank the poison and taken her own life after poisoning Kagome. What did surprise him, though, was her identity. She was the youngest daughter of a lesser lord who had sent her to work in the castle to strengthen ties between their lands, as was most of the young servant girls in the castle. Sesshoumaru prided himself on his excellent judge of character, but this girl had somehow escaped his notice. He had seen her and met her, yes, but she had always seemed so meek. Kagome had been fond of her, but that wasn’t unusual. He had never smelled any deceit on her.
“Shippo,” he addressed the young fox who had already begun questioning some of the people who had been with her last. Among those was Kouga, the leader of the northern wolf clan. To say the least, the boisterous wolf was causing a stir. After overcoming his initial shock, he, like the rest of the crowd, had begun to discuss the issue amongst themselves. His discussion, though, consisted mostly of curses and promises of death to whomever had committed such a heinous crime.
The fox slunk through the crowd and joined his lord’s side, stepping carefully around the fallen woman who had not been moved . Sesshoumaru commanded him in a soft voice to retrieve his sword from his chambers and then turned on Jaken while Shippo quickly whisked up the stairs and through a doorway. The old toad was sweating and hopping from one foot to the other. Periodically, a hollow thud was heard as he tapped his staff against the ground, a nervous gesture. His bulging, yellow eyes darted over Kagome’s limp form in worry.
“Jaken, you will prepare Kagome’s bed. I will be up shortly,” he commanded calmly, softly. The toad nodded and scurried frantically away, muttering to himself.
“This is the one who gave Kagome the glass,” the silver-haired lord addressed the woman from before. She nodded drearily.
“Yes, that’s her,” she hiccupped. Then, her pretty face wrenched into an angry grimace. “You will punish her for what she’s done?” she growled, gnashing her fangs. Her mate tried his best to calm her.
Sesshoumaru did not answer, and his perceived indifference infuriated the demoness. However, knowing her place she held her tongue.
Just then, Shippo returned, carrying a long sword in a flawless mahogany sheath. He passed it respectively to Sesshoumaru, who drew it. Knowing his thoughts could interfere with the sword’s magic, he directed his mind elsewhere, to Kagome. He had purposely not given a reason for wanting the Tenseiga, and had refrained from even dwelling on the subject. Over the years, he had come to learn certain things about his father’s fang, and had gained better control for it.
He carefully cleared his mind and focused his thoughts on Kagome. The young miko who had stolen first his brother’s heart, and then his. Though, not in the same manner. He played images of her in his head, of her planting flowers in the gardens, training with the soldiers, helping the servants with dinner and chatting animatedly with his own retainer. A calmness swelled in his soul and washed over him.
The sword in his hand pulsed once, sending a wave of soothing power over the crowd, pulling them into a hush once again. It pulsed once more. Sesshoumaru continued his mantra over in his head, never letting his thoughts stray from the woman lying at the center of the crowd. He raised the sword and opened his eyes, focusing them on the girl at his feet.
But, he could not see the creatures of the otherworld. The sword had seen through his guise. It would seem his turmoil was too great to hide his true intentions from his father’s fang.
Cursing silently, Sesshoumaru sheathed the sword once more, shoving it to the hilt perhaps with more force than was necessary. Frustration and fury welled up again, but he tempered them. He needed to think clearly.
“Shippo, keep them calm and see what you can gather from those who were with her,” the lord commanded. He turned and kneeled beside Kagome, scooping her gracefully into his arms and, after motioning for two of the remaining servants to follow, disappeared up the staircase and through one of the doorways. The others young women seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief and went about cleaning scooping up the glass and mopping away the wine and blood from the marble floors. Shippo commanded two of them to take the body of the other to the dungeons, where it was cooler and would last longer. She would be sent back to her father, undoubtedly, though in what condition he could not say. Sesshoumaru was difficult to predict at the best of times.
By this time the low din of the crowd had returned, and was steadily growing into a roar of excited and frightened chatter. Shippo began questioning some of the nobles who had been standing near Kagome when she collapsed.
Some of the less powerful demons were becoming nervous and panicked. Fears of civil war and conflicts between neighboring territories grew and circulated through the crowd. The Lady was loved by her subjects, and when word got out that she had been poisoned, all hell would break lose. Speculations of treason began to rise, and the rulers glanced suspiciously between one another. The atmosphere was thick with electricity.
Hiei observed, unnoticed, from his position leaning against the wall near the entrance hall. His ruby eyes darted over the crowd, alert and aware. His ears were tuned into their heated conversation. These soft nobles scared easily, and he wasn’t surprised when many of the lesser lords began pointing fingers. The way it looked, there would be war if the situation wasn’t resolved soon.
The hybrid nearly snorted in derision when his eyes found the red head of his former partner. Kurama was trying to extract himself as nonchalantly as possible from the crowd. Hiei saw where his attention was directed: toward the small hallway that led to the vitals of the castle. It was where the two servant girls had taken the body of the other. Undoubtedly, the fox wanted to search her for clues. He loved sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.
“Where is the dog now?” Youko’s voice slithered into his head through their connection. He could tell from his tone that the fox was enthralled with the recent happenings. Treachery, mystery, and a possible war all in one night. It was a gold mine for the thief.
The hybrid tapped into the Jagan briefly, using it to find the energy of the taiyoukai where it was most concentrated. ‘In the east tower. If he catches you snooping around after what just happened, you will become suspect,’ the hybrid warned him wryly, although he knew it would make no difference.
‘I won’t get caught.’ The fox gave him the impression of a toothy grin.
Just as he was about to squeeze unnoticed out of the crowd, Shippo caught him by the arm and wasted no time in questioning him about his whereabouts in the last hour. The fox mentally cursed and Hiei smirked at his antics.
There was an eruption of excitement from the site of the crime, and Hiei’s eyes immediately found the source.
One of the servants was holding something in her hand. “Shippo-sama!”
The young fox turned to see the girl rushing toward him, hand outstretched. In her palm lay something small and black. Shippo took it from her hand with his thumb and forefinger. “What is it?” he asked, holding it up to the light. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a small, round sliver of a disk. It was so thin, the light could pass through it. It was soft and squishy, and black in color. However, at the center of it was a tint of red that radiated out toward the edges. He’d never seen the like of it.
The others had quieted again and were focused on this new development. The servant bowed quickly. “It was in the wine the Lady drank from earlier. We just found it as we were cleaning the mess,” she explained anxiously.
He raised it to his nose and sniffed, but could smell nothing over the alcohol. Kurama, his attention drawn away from his previous endeavor and now towards this more interesting development, gazed down at the object in the other fox’s palm.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” The thought reached Hiei from Kurama’s counterpart.
Kurama extended his hand to Shippo, gesturing for the strange object. “May I examine it?” he asked politely. Shippo handed it over easily enough.
His thoughts were racing with Youko’s as they turned over the tiny thing in their palm, noting the strange coloration and odd texture. Outwardly, he said, “It’s a fungus. More specifically, a mushroom,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“A mushroom?” Shippo questioned. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I wouldn’t imagine you had. It’s not native here. They grow in the Ningenkai, in South America. The natives use it to communicate with the spirits.”
“What does it do? Is it lethal?” the red fox asked worriedly. His jewel eyes were hot with emotion.
“In large doses, yes, but this is only a very small amount. It won’t kill her.” As he spoke, his voice deepened an octave; Youko was excited now and had risen to the surface as he personally inspected the little mushroom. “As for its uses,” he continued, “the outer part of the hood induces mild hallucinations. Closer to the core, the red center, it induces an unnatural sleep. The core itself is a marvel among the three worlds. It induces a deep slumber and a dream-like reality. To the outside world, the person merely appears asleep, but the mushroom causes their own mind to produce sleeping hallucinations so real, it is near impossible to awaken them. They cannot decipher their dreams from reality. For this reason, it is called the dreamweaver.”
“But how could that girl have gotten it?” Shippo pondered. “Kouga!” He motioned for the wolf who was just about to begin up the stairs, undoubtedly to see Kagome. “Take this up to Sesshoumaru.” He gave the sliver to Kouga and he was up the steps and out of site in a whirl of wind.
“How do we wake her up?” Shippo had turned back to Kurama with a hopeful expression. He sized up the other fox with a hard gaze. He hadn’t ridden to the top of the ranks by being gullible. He had only just met the fox and had not yet a reason to distrust him, but Sesshoumaru had not been kind in his assessment of the reborn thief.
To his knowledge, the only way to even communicate with the person after they had fallen to the mushroom was through telepathy. In fact, he had heard of some youkai with powers of the mind who specialized in working with the dreamweaver. Perhaps the girl had been one of them, but there was no way to find out now. Kurama decided he would come back to that possibility later.
He put on his most thoughtful expression and said, “I only know of one method that has even come close to pulling the person out of the slumber, and that is through telepathy. However, none have been successful.”
The red fox seemed to have stopped listening after he’d heard what he wanted, and had rushed off somewhere down the corridor that lead deeper into the castle. Kurama cursed when he saw that he’d taken the very hall he’d wanted to explore. He couldn’t risk being caught now. He turned to find Yomi in the crowd.
Mukuro was conversing with the blind ruler in low tones off to the side. While the nature of their relationship was a subject of rumors, the two had been in contact with each other more often than not in the last few years since the end of the tournament. As he approached, he was able to pick up some words.
Mukuro was worried about the possibility of war. Many of the nobles in attendance were already beginning to point fingers at one another. Shallow furrows of distrust were deepening into deep rivers of open animosity. Relationships that were shaky to begin with were falling apart. Accusations of treason were flying from the lips of angry lords.
Normally, this wouldn’t worry Mukuro; she and her forces were strong enough to hold their own and keep themselves removed from the conflict. However, with the barrier between the worlds gone, a war in the Makai could very easily spill over into the Ningenkai. Chaos would ensue.
Yomi agreed that a possible war could not be allowed, but regretted that he didn’t know how they could stop it. There were simply too many factors to consider to stomp out the flame before it grew. The old youkai heard him coming and asked as the fox closed the remarked, “Your knowledge of the plant world continues to astound me, my old friend. It is strange that the Ningenkai could hold such a thorn; they are usually reserved for the realm of demons.”
“Yes, and whoever placed it in the Lady’s drink knew exactly what they were doing. It is true that there are similar such fungi in the Makai, but, being a miko, her body would have automatically neutralized and destroyed the effects of anything of demonic origin. This was very well planned,” the fox explained. He seemed to be thinking as he casually let his eyes scan over the other lords and ladies.
“Ningenkai plants aren’t common knowledge in the youkai realm. This person must have much experience with plants and fungi with this specific range of effects; a telepath perhaps?” Youko asked contemplatively. He often bounced ideas off his counterpart, thinking out loud so to speak. It wasn’t something he’d often done in his past life, but in the privacy of their shared body it had become habit.
One would seem a likely suspect. We also need to consider a motive. It is possible they have a personal grudge against the Lady, though I can’t imagine why. She certainly doesn’t seem like someone who could garner any ill feelings in others. I think a grudge against Sesshoumaru is more likely. They are using her to get to him, Kurama hypothesized. He purposely projected his thoughts in the hope that Hiei may have some insight on the situation.
‘There is also the possibility that this extends beyond those two. Maybe it isn’t personal, but doing away with the woman was to some advantage to them.’ Hiei could hear their thoughts clearly in such close proximity, and had graciously decided to donate his own take on the situation. Despite himself, he too was curious about the events.
“Kurama,” Mukuro pulled the fox out of his inward reflection. When he focused on her, she continued gravely, “You know the consequences of a war of this scale. Kagome is extremely popular among the people; a civil war would tear the Makai apart, not to mention spreading to the human world. And, not only the less powerful rulers fighting amongst themselves, but if this issue isn’t resolved, we must also consider the possibility of a conflict with Sesshoumaru himself. He is a very levelheaded individual, but with the Lady in danger, there is no telling how he will react.”
“I am well aware what that would mean. Enma will probably find out about this soon enough. He may have to use his SDF again. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Kurama continued to survey his surroundings with no real purpose, watching and thinking.
“You have an idea, Kurama?” Yomi asked calmly, directing his eyeless gaze at the fox. He could not see him, but could feel the contemplative air about him. He could imagine the former thief’s mind was probably racing a mile a minute.
Kurama hesitated. He did, in fact, have an idea as to a possible solution. But, it would involve a lot of persuasion and perhaps some force. “I think,” he began in a hushed tone, “the only way to stop this will be to cure the Lady.”
“The hybrid,” Yomi spoke softly, an enlightened smile gracing his pale face.
Kurama suppressed his own grin. It would seem Yomi was thinking along the same lines as Youko and himself. “Yes, but he will not help willingly.”
“You are suggesting that Hiei could use telepathy to pull Kagome out of the hold the dreamweaver has on her mind.” Mukuro seemed to think the idea had merit and nodded. “The Jagan is certainly very powerful; under his will, it could be able to overpower the curse.”
“He will not help if it does not benefit him to do so,” Kurama warned. “We could find another telepath, but that would take time and I think Hiei is probably the most powerful we could find anyway.”
Mukuro’s face hardened. “His sister lives in the Ningenkai and would undoubtedly be put into danger if the conflict were to spill over, which is very likely. And besides that, he is my ally and active agent. It would be his duty as an agent for the safekeeping of humans to help.”
Kurama nodded, but on the inside knew it may not be enough. If only it was that easy. “Shall I ask, then?”
‘Don’t waste your breath, fox. I won’t do it,’ Hiei asserted through their connection. Kurama could see the sour expression on his face from across the room.
“Fickle, selfish, pointy-headed bastard,” Youko grumbled. Hiei showed no reaction.
Kurama thought it was odd that his counterpart had responded in such a harsh manner, but supposed the old spirit was probably just bored and, more than anything, wanted to know more about the mystery surrounding the poisoning of the Lady of the West. You are the best person for the job.
‘Find another telepath.’
You know you are likely the most powerful we could find. You would have the best chance at getting the Lady back. Kurama tried to reason with the moody hybrid, appealing to his ego.
Hiei didn’t bite. ‘The death of some privileged, self-important aristocrat is not my problem.’
Kurama suppressed a sigh of frustration. It will be once it spills over into the Ningenkai.
‘Hn.’ The hybrid crossed his arms and leaned casually into the wall. ‘Enma won’t let it go that far. He’ll send his SDF before it becomes a problem.’
Kurama had to admit that that was probably true. Still, hundreds or thousands of lives could be lost in the conflict, and even if they didn’t matter to Hiei, it could upset the delicate peace that had settled over the Makai after the tournament.
“We’ll find another one. There’s an old dragon I know who would be willing to help. That little runt wouldn’t stand a chance against the dreamweaver’s effects, anyway.” Youko goaded, coming to the forefront of Kurama’s mind.
‘I’d fare better than some decrepit reptile,’ Hiei rebutted, the fire rising in his crimson eyes.
“Right,” Youko drawled sarcastically. “The bastard son of a koorime with an artificial psychic eye could beat a three-thousand-year-old dragon telepath.”
Hiei’s hand twitched and he reached reflexively for the hilt of his sword. Realizing it wasn’t there, he only growled menacingly. ‘You’re overstepping your boundaries, fox,’ he warned.
“Little prick doesn’t like hearing the truth, does he?” Youko continued nonchalantly.
‘Kurama, rein in that loud-mouthed fox of yours before I gut you both like a fish,’ Hiei warned the more reasonable of the two.
Youko only seemed to gain steam. “No, I’ll bet he couldn’t handle the stress of sorting through the woman’s mind and the chaos the dreamweaver has probably cast it into. Our best bet is a dragon, Kurama. Come on, we can tell Sesshoumaru and have him send someone to find Shiroyama.”
Hiei quietly seethed. The fox obviously needed to be taught a lesson. He’d always been a thorn in his side, from the beginning, and now to talk down to him with that pompous tone and that condescending gaze. The hybrid considered setting fire to the avatar’s hair.
Shippo appeared out of the crowd and started toward Kurama with a determined look. Hiei watched with some interest. “We need a telepath, a powerful one,” Shippo informed the avatar when he closed the distance. “Do you know one?”
Kurama, head spinning from the argument between Youko and Hiei, was just about to suggest the dragon his counterpart had mentioned when the air shifted to his left and a streak of black materialized between him and the other fox.
Shippo looked down in surprise to see the brooding hybrid he’d met earlier glaring up at him with ruby-colored eyes.
“Take me to the woman. I’ll pull her out of the curse,” Hiei demanded.
Kurama blinked in astonishment down at the little demon standing between them. Shippo narrowed his eyes and stared down the hybrid, skeptical. “I’ve never heard of hiyoukai with telepathic abilities.”
Hiei glared fiercely. “I won’t offer twice.”
“Alright, I’ll take you to her. You’ll have to talk to Sesshoumaru, though.” At the hybrid’s curt nod, Shippo led him away from the others and up the staircase to the upper levels of the marble fortress.
“I knew it,” Youko snickered.
Kurama only rolled his eyes.
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Hiei looked down at the woman who seemed, for all appearances, to be slumbering peacefully. She had been changed into a white silk nightgown and her hair was now free of its earlier style. It’s full length was spread out in thick, inky waves over her pillow and some of it spilled over the edge of the bed.
Sesshoumaru had been easy enough to persuade. He agreed, grudgingly, to let the hybrid attempt to bring Kagome out of her sleep. Hiei had to assume either he was desperate or had heard of his strong telepathic abilities and had decided he was the most qualified for the position. Hiei leaned towards the latter; he couldn’t imagine someone as old and powerful as the Lord making hasty decisions.
He had, however, insisted that the door to the Lady’s chambers be left open through the proceedings, and had stationed guards in the hallway. Hiei was annoyed, but understood his reasons.
The hybrid found a plush chair and pulled it over to the side of the bed. Taking a seat and untying the bandana from around his head, he let the Jagan flare into power and prepared to enter the woman’s mind.
When he closed his eyes and focused on the only other energy source in the room, that of Kagome, he was surprised to feel the Jagan hesitate. However, with a push, it opened fully and delved into its new playground. The hybrid had to reign it in when it began to push too violently against the few mental barriers the woman had. Searching for weak points, he was able to bypass them easily enough and finally entered the outermost region of her mind.
Despite the appearance of sleep, her mind was a jumble of activity. There was much more mental activity than would be expected from simple dreams, and even more than the average level during waking hours. Mentally, she was wide awake.
The first thing he “saw” was a burst of brilliant color. As he searched for the correct frequency, the level that she herself was consciously experiencing, the colors began to take on familiar shapes and he knew he must be getting close. Eventually, the shapes sharpened and focused into a scene outside the castle. Using images from her experiences from her own memory, Hiei forged a representation of himself so he could interact and communicate with her as needed.
He looked around, gauging his position. He was at the top of the steps, just outside the castle doors. He could hear laughter and music inside. Strangely, the scene seemed much more real than a dream. He could feel the dampness of the fog around his feet, the cool wind that blew down the slope. He could smell the sweet scent of the nearby moonflowers and the woodsy smell of the surrounding forest. It was as if he was really outside the fortress instead of sitting in a chair in Kagome’s chambers.
It made sense, now, how someone under the influence of the Dreamweaver could truly perceive themselves in reality. How could such a tiny sliver of a mushroom cause such profound effect?
To his left, in the front hall, he heard footsteps. A dark figure came into focus, the woman he was looking for. Kagome, still dressed in her ball gown, stepped out of the doors and into the moonlight, casting an eerie silver halo around her form. When she saw him, she smiled politely. “Hello, Hiei. Needed some fresh air?” she asked casually, stopping a few feet away.
“Onna, you need to wake up,” he ordered bluntly, bypassing the pleasantries.
Unsurprisingly, the woman knit her brow in confusion. “Wake up? I’m standing right here.”
Hiei knew this would be difficult from the beginning, so he simply decided the truth was the best option. “You were poisoned, and you’re really asleep right now. You need to wake up.”
Kagome stared at him for a long time, then shook her head. She took a few steps toward him with a worried frown. “Did you have too much wine at the party, Hiei?”
“No, you are sleeping. This is all a dream, a hallucination. I am here to wake you out of it,” he tried again to explain.
She opened her mouth, then closed it again with a “hm,” at a loss for words. She shifted her weight and pushed her hair over one shoulder when a curled strand brushed her cheek. Suddenly, her face lit with a sly smile. “Oh, I see. You know, they never told me you were such a joker,” she laughed.
Annoyance lit his eyes and he gave her a hard glare. He was about to try again, when she suddenly whipped her head to the side. Her blue eyes were wide, searching the area to her right, in front of the tiered buildings extending from the castle. “Did you see that?” she asked quietly. “There was a man there,” she said.
Hiei looked, but there was no one there. “Someone from the party?”
“No, I didn’t recognize him,” she dismissed absentmindedly, turning and walking in that direction. She continued to search visually as she went along. Hiei followed, wondering what sort of hallucination this was. He certainly hadn’t seen a man.
She led him, her pace quickening, around the side of the buildings to a flat, open area. It was gated and held a large stable. Hiei could smell other creatures in the large stable near the front of the gate.
She stopped and looked around the surrounding forest. “Hello?” she shouted. “Do you need help?” There was no response, but that didn’t seem to deter her.
“Onna, you need to come back with me,” Hiei tried again.
Reluctantly, she pulled her eyes from the woods to focus on him. For a moment, it looked as though she hadn’t heard him, but then she shook her head. “It’s alright, I told Sesshoumaru I was coming out here.”
“I mean you need to wake up-”
“That again? It’s not funny the second time, Hiei,” she easily dismissed him. Then, “Oh! There he was again!” and she took off at a run. “Sir, do you need help?” she shouted.
Hiei looked on in confusion. He was sure he hadn’t seen anyone there, and this time he had been looking in that direction. He watched as she stopped suddenly, seemed to think for a moment before turning heel and hurrying to the gate. She opened it and ran into the stable where he heard several animal grunts and huffs.
The hybrid started toward the building, but before he could make it, she came out of the large sliding doors, leading a white and brown spotted horse. When she was outside, she easily swung up into the saddle with practiced ease and rode it at a trot out of the open gate.
“I’m going to follow this guy. He seems suspicious,” she explained, closing the gate behind her.
Hiei watched her and wondered at her sanity. She hadn’t seemed this… impulsive earlier. “I think you should come back with me.”
“That’s alright. But, you can come with me if you want. You can borrow a horse,” she shouted back at him as she trotted away, the horse’s long white tail swishing behind it.
The hybrid looked back at the castle, then at the strange woman riding away into the woods, chasing shadows. She just wouldn’t listen. It was like dealing with Yusuke. Hiei almost sighed in annoyance, realizing that this wouldn’t be as simple as he’d believed. Like anything ever was.
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AN/ Eh, a little short, but I thought that was a pretty good stopping place. Now we’re getting into the action! And, yes, Kagome is supposed to be sort of out-of-it for right now.
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The Dreamweaver’s Curse
The Rabbit and the Hole
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A deathly hush fell over the crowd as the lord of the castle knelt beside the fallen miko, glass crunching beneath his boot. They watched in fear and anticipation as he seemed to focus his attention on her unmoving chest. “Is she-?” one teary-eyed demoness began before her mate shushed her quietly and hugged her to his chest to calm her.
Sesshoumaru paid no mind to them. The great demon turned his head and lowered one elfin ear to lay above her right breast. He listened closely and after a moment heard one deep, slow heartbeat. A few moments later, he heard another. But it was so slow.
“What happened?” he asked, letting no trace of the anger that raged through his spirit trickle into his voice. His façade was as cold and statuesque as ever when he turned his attention to the three women in front of him.
The one who spoke earlier lifted her face from her mate’s shoulder. “She was just talking to us, and suddenly said she felt dizzy. And then she just collapsed, like that! It happened so fast! Is she…?”
“She lives,” he said quietly, turning his eyes to the mess beside her body. Several small pieces of glass were embedded in the palm of her hand and he carefully extracted them. The blood oozed slowly out of the small wounds and mixed into the puddle of wine her hand lay in. It had already soaked into the lacy end of her sleeve, staining it crimson.
“Was she drinking this?” he asked suspiciously. He could smell only a little alcohol on her.
“Only a sip. She took it off the tray of a server when she came by.”
If it was poisoned, he couldn‘t smell it over the alcohol. “Servants!” It might have been a shout, if it hadn’t been issued from Sesshoumaru’s mouth. However, being incapable of such shows of emotion, it was only a curt command. The crowd once again parted to allow eleven young demonesses to quickly assemble in a line. Sesshoumaru rose to his full height and faced the trembling young women dressed in white and silver, who bowed in unison when he addressed them.
“Which one of you served this drink to Kagome?” His voice was deceptively soft as he inspected each one with seething amber eyes, looking for any trace of deceit.
They remained silent for a few moments before one of them took one step forward. Her voice only wavered slightly when she spoke loudly and clearly to him. “It was none of us, m’Lord. But, there is one missing.”
“Sesshoumaru-sama!” the short, stubby toad named Jaken squawked as he scurried across the wide expanse of the ballroom, having come from the kitchens. “Sesshoumaru-sama!” He skidded to a stop, panting and puffing. “A servant girl, m’Lord!” Puff, puff! “She was found dead in the pantry!”
Sesshoumaru rose to his feet again, taking a step toward the kitchen doors. However, Shippo, who had disappeared as soon as Sesshoumaru announced that Kagome was still living, appeared carrying the limp form of a young demoness, a scowl setting furrows into his handsome face. Her long, brown hair was pulled back into a braid, revealing two pointed ears. Her face was round and plain, appearing younger than the other servants. Her only distinguishing feature was an iridescent shimmer to her flesh, as if it was covered in pale blue scales. She was a young water spirit.
Shippo knelt before Sesshoumaru and laid the girl down carefully at his feet. “This was found with her,” he told the older demon, pulling an empty vial from his breast pocket. Sesshoumaru first sniffed it delicately, then looked down his nose at the young woman.
He could detect no signs of life from her, and was not surprised. She’d probably drank the poison and taken her own life after poisoning Kagome. What did surprise him, though, was her identity. She was the youngest daughter of a lesser lord who had sent her to work in the castle to strengthen ties between their lands, as was most of the young servant girls in the castle. Sesshoumaru prided himself on his excellent judge of character, but this girl had somehow escaped his notice. He had seen her and met her, yes, but she had always seemed so meek. Kagome had been fond of her, but that wasn’t unusual. He had never smelled any deceit on her.
“Shippo,” he addressed the young fox who had already begun questioning some of the people who had been with her last. Among those was Kouga, the leader of the northern wolf clan. To say the least, the boisterous wolf was causing a stir. After overcoming his initial shock, he, like the rest of the crowd, had begun to discuss the issue amongst themselves. His discussion, though, consisted mostly of curses and promises of death to whomever had committed such a heinous crime.
The fox slunk through the crowd and joined his lord’s side, stepping carefully around the fallen woman who had not been moved . Sesshoumaru commanded him in a soft voice to retrieve his sword from his chambers and then turned on Jaken while Shippo quickly whisked up the stairs and through a doorway. The old toad was sweating and hopping from one foot to the other. Periodically, a hollow thud was heard as he tapped his staff against the ground, a nervous gesture. His bulging, yellow eyes darted over Kagome’s limp form in worry.
“Jaken, you will prepare Kagome’s bed. I will be up shortly,” he commanded calmly, softly. The toad nodded and scurried frantically away, muttering to himself.
“This is the one who gave Kagome the glass,” the silver-haired lord addressed the woman from before. She nodded drearily.
“Yes, that’s her,” she hiccupped. Then, her pretty face wrenched into an angry grimace. “You will punish her for what she’s done?” she growled, gnashing her fangs. Her mate tried his best to calm her.
Sesshoumaru did not answer, and his perceived indifference infuriated the demoness. However, knowing her place she held her tongue.
Just then, Shippo returned, carrying a long sword in a flawless mahogany sheath. He passed it respectively to Sesshoumaru, who drew it. Knowing his thoughts could interfere with the sword’s magic, he directed his mind elsewhere, to Kagome. He had purposely not given a reason for wanting the Tenseiga, and had refrained from even dwelling on the subject. Over the years, he had come to learn certain things about his father’s fang, and had gained better control for it.
He carefully cleared his mind and focused his thoughts on Kagome. The young miko who had stolen first his brother’s heart, and then his. Though, not in the same manner. He played images of her in his head, of her planting flowers in the gardens, training with the soldiers, helping the servants with dinner and chatting animatedly with his own retainer. A calmness swelled in his soul and washed over him.
The sword in his hand pulsed once, sending a wave of soothing power over the crowd, pulling them into a hush once again. It pulsed once more. Sesshoumaru continued his mantra over in his head, never letting his thoughts stray from the woman lying at the center of the crowd. He raised the sword and opened his eyes, focusing them on the girl at his feet.
But, he could not see the creatures of the otherworld. The sword had seen through his guise. It would seem his turmoil was too great to hide his true intentions from his father’s fang.
Cursing silently, Sesshoumaru sheathed the sword once more, shoving it to the hilt perhaps with more force than was necessary. Frustration and fury welled up again, but he tempered them. He needed to think clearly.
“Shippo, keep them calm and see what you can gather from those who were with her,” the lord commanded. He turned and kneeled beside Kagome, scooping her gracefully into his arms and, after motioning for two of the remaining servants to follow, disappeared up the staircase and through one of the doorways. The others young women seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief and went about cleaning scooping up the glass and mopping away the wine and blood from the marble floors. Shippo commanded two of them to take the body of the other to the dungeons, where it was cooler and would last longer. She would be sent back to her father, undoubtedly, though in what condition he could not say. Sesshoumaru was difficult to predict at the best of times.
By this time the low din of the crowd had returned, and was steadily growing into a roar of excited and frightened chatter. Shippo began questioning some of the nobles who had been standing near Kagome when she collapsed.
Some of the less powerful demons were becoming nervous and panicked. Fears of civil war and conflicts between neighboring territories grew and circulated through the crowd. The Lady was loved by her subjects, and when word got out that she had been poisoned, all hell would break lose. Speculations of treason began to rise, and the rulers glanced suspiciously between one another. The atmosphere was thick with electricity.
Hiei observed, unnoticed, from his position leaning against the wall near the entrance hall. His ruby eyes darted over the crowd, alert and aware. His ears were tuned into their heated conversation. These soft nobles scared easily, and he wasn’t surprised when many of the lesser lords began pointing fingers. The way it looked, there would be war if the situation wasn’t resolved soon.
The hybrid nearly snorted in derision when his eyes found the red head of his former partner. Kurama was trying to extract himself as nonchalantly as possible from the crowd. Hiei saw where his attention was directed: toward the small hallway that led to the vitals of the castle. It was where the two servant girls had taken the body of the other. Undoubtedly, the fox wanted to search her for clues. He loved sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.
“Where is the dog now?” Youko’s voice slithered into his head through their connection. He could tell from his tone that the fox was enthralled with the recent happenings. Treachery, mystery, and a possible war all in one night. It was a gold mine for the thief.
The hybrid tapped into the Jagan briefly, using it to find the energy of the taiyoukai where it was most concentrated. ‘In the east tower. If he catches you snooping around after what just happened, you will become suspect,’ the hybrid warned him wryly, although he knew it would make no difference.
‘I won’t get caught.’ The fox gave him the impression of a toothy grin.
Just as he was about to squeeze unnoticed out of the crowd, Shippo caught him by the arm and wasted no time in questioning him about his whereabouts in the last hour. The fox mentally cursed and Hiei smirked at his antics.
There was an eruption of excitement from the site of the crime, and Hiei’s eyes immediately found the source.
One of the servants was holding something in her hand. “Shippo-sama!”
The young fox turned to see the girl rushing toward him, hand outstretched. In her palm lay something small and black. Shippo took it from her hand with his thumb and forefinger. “What is it?” he asked, holding it up to the light. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a small, round sliver of a disk. It was so thin, the light could pass through it. It was soft and squishy, and black in color. However, at the center of it was a tint of red that radiated out toward the edges. He’d never seen the like of it.
The others had quieted again and were focused on this new development. The servant bowed quickly. “It was in the wine the Lady drank from earlier. We just found it as we were cleaning the mess,” she explained anxiously.
He raised it to his nose and sniffed, but could smell nothing over the alcohol. Kurama, his attention drawn away from his previous endeavor and now towards this more interesting development, gazed down at the object in the other fox’s palm.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” The thought reached Hiei from Kurama’s counterpart.
Kurama extended his hand to Shippo, gesturing for the strange object. “May I examine it?” he asked politely. Shippo handed it over easily enough.
His thoughts were racing with Youko’s as they turned over the tiny thing in their palm, noting the strange coloration and odd texture. Outwardly, he said, “It’s a fungus. More specifically, a mushroom,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“A mushroom?” Shippo questioned. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I wouldn’t imagine you had. It’s not native here. They grow in the Ningenkai, in South America. The natives use it to communicate with the spirits.”
“What does it do? Is it lethal?” the red fox asked worriedly. His jewel eyes were hot with emotion.
“In large doses, yes, but this is only a very small amount. It won’t kill her.” As he spoke, his voice deepened an octave; Youko was excited now and had risen to the surface as he personally inspected the little mushroom. “As for its uses,” he continued, “the outer part of the hood induces mild hallucinations. Closer to the core, the red center, it induces an unnatural sleep. The core itself is a marvel among the three worlds. It induces a deep slumber and a dream-like reality. To the outside world, the person merely appears asleep, but the mushroom causes their own mind to produce sleeping hallucinations so real, it is near impossible to awaken them. They cannot decipher their dreams from reality. For this reason, it is called the dreamweaver.”
“But how could that girl have gotten it?” Shippo pondered. “Kouga!” He motioned for the wolf who was just about to begin up the stairs, undoubtedly to see Kagome. “Take this up to Sesshoumaru.” He gave the sliver to Kouga and he was up the steps and out of site in a whirl of wind.
“How do we wake her up?” Shippo had turned back to Kurama with a hopeful expression. He sized up the other fox with a hard gaze. He hadn’t ridden to the top of the ranks by being gullible. He had only just met the fox and had not yet a reason to distrust him, but Sesshoumaru had not been kind in his assessment of the reborn thief.
To his knowledge, the only way to even communicate with the person after they had fallen to the mushroom was through telepathy. In fact, he had heard of some youkai with powers of the mind who specialized in working with the dreamweaver. Perhaps the girl had been one of them, but there was no way to find out now. Kurama decided he would come back to that possibility later.
He put on his most thoughtful expression and said, “I only know of one method that has even come close to pulling the person out of the slumber, and that is through telepathy. However, none have been successful.”
The red fox seemed to have stopped listening after he’d heard what he wanted, and had rushed off somewhere down the corridor that lead deeper into the castle. Kurama cursed when he saw that he’d taken the very hall he’d wanted to explore. He couldn’t risk being caught now. He turned to find Yomi in the crowd.
Mukuro was conversing with the blind ruler in low tones off to the side. While the nature of their relationship was a subject of rumors, the two had been in contact with each other more often than not in the last few years since the end of the tournament. As he approached, he was able to pick up some words.
Mukuro was worried about the possibility of war. Many of the nobles in attendance were already beginning to point fingers at one another. Shallow furrows of distrust were deepening into deep rivers of open animosity. Relationships that were shaky to begin with were falling apart. Accusations of treason were flying from the lips of angry lords.
Normally, this wouldn’t worry Mukuro; she and her forces were strong enough to hold their own and keep themselves removed from the conflict. However, with the barrier between the worlds gone, a war in the Makai could very easily spill over into the Ningenkai. Chaos would ensue.
Yomi agreed that a possible war could not be allowed, but regretted that he didn’t know how they could stop it. There were simply too many factors to consider to stomp out the flame before it grew. The old youkai heard him coming and asked as the fox closed the remarked, “Your knowledge of the plant world continues to astound me, my old friend. It is strange that the Ningenkai could hold such a thorn; they are usually reserved for the realm of demons.”
“Yes, and whoever placed it in the Lady’s drink knew exactly what they were doing. It is true that there are similar such fungi in the Makai, but, being a miko, her body would have automatically neutralized and destroyed the effects of anything of demonic origin. This was very well planned,” the fox explained. He seemed to be thinking as he casually let his eyes scan over the other lords and ladies.
“Ningenkai plants aren’t common knowledge in the youkai realm. This person must have much experience with plants and fungi with this specific range of effects; a telepath perhaps?” Youko asked contemplatively. He often bounced ideas off his counterpart, thinking out loud so to speak. It wasn’t something he’d often done in his past life, but in the privacy of their shared body it had become habit.
One would seem a likely suspect. We also need to consider a motive. It is possible they have a personal grudge against the Lady, though I can’t imagine why. She certainly doesn’t seem like someone who could garner any ill feelings in others. I think a grudge against Sesshoumaru is more likely. They are using her to get to him, Kurama hypothesized. He purposely projected his thoughts in the hope that Hiei may have some insight on the situation.
‘There is also the possibility that this extends beyond those two. Maybe it isn’t personal, but doing away with the woman was to some advantage to them.’ Hiei could hear their thoughts clearly in such close proximity, and had graciously decided to donate his own take on the situation. Despite himself, he too was curious about the events.
“Kurama,” Mukuro pulled the fox out of his inward reflection. When he focused on her, she continued gravely, “You know the consequences of a war of this scale. Kagome is extremely popular among the people; a civil war would tear the Makai apart, not to mention spreading to the human world. And, not only the less powerful rulers fighting amongst themselves, but if this issue isn’t resolved, we must also consider the possibility of a conflict with Sesshoumaru himself. He is a very levelheaded individual, but with the Lady in danger, there is no telling how he will react.”
“I am well aware what that would mean. Enma will probably find out about this soon enough. He may have to use his SDF again. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Kurama continued to survey his surroundings with no real purpose, watching and thinking.
“You have an idea, Kurama?” Yomi asked calmly, directing his eyeless gaze at the fox. He could not see him, but could feel the contemplative air about him. He could imagine the former thief’s mind was probably racing a mile a minute.
Kurama hesitated. He did, in fact, have an idea as to a possible solution. But, it would involve a lot of persuasion and perhaps some force. “I think,” he began in a hushed tone, “the only way to stop this will be to cure the Lady.”
“The hybrid,” Yomi spoke softly, an enlightened smile gracing his pale face.
Kurama suppressed his own grin. It would seem Yomi was thinking along the same lines as Youko and himself. “Yes, but he will not help willingly.”
“You are suggesting that Hiei could use telepathy to pull Kagome out of the hold the dreamweaver has on her mind.” Mukuro seemed to think the idea had merit and nodded. “The Jagan is certainly very powerful; under his will, it could be able to overpower the curse.”
“He will not help if it does not benefit him to do so,” Kurama warned. “We could find another telepath, but that would take time and I think Hiei is probably the most powerful we could find anyway.”
Mukuro’s face hardened. “His sister lives in the Ningenkai and would undoubtedly be put into danger if the conflict were to spill over, which is very likely. And besides that, he is my ally and active agent. It would be his duty as an agent for the safekeeping of humans to help.”
Kurama nodded, but on the inside knew it may not be enough. If only it was that easy. “Shall I ask, then?”
‘Don’t waste your breath, fox. I won’t do it,’ Hiei asserted through their connection. Kurama could see the sour expression on his face from across the room.
“Fickle, selfish, pointy-headed bastard,” Youko grumbled. Hiei showed no reaction.
Kurama thought it was odd that his counterpart had responded in such a harsh manner, but supposed the old spirit was probably just bored and, more than anything, wanted to know more about the mystery surrounding the poisoning of the Lady of the West. You are the best person for the job.
‘Find another telepath.’
You know you are likely the most powerful we could find. You would have the best chance at getting the Lady back. Kurama tried to reason with the moody hybrid, appealing to his ego.
Hiei didn’t bite. ‘The death of some privileged, self-important aristocrat is not my problem.’
Kurama suppressed a sigh of frustration. It will be once it spills over into the Ningenkai.
‘Hn.’ The hybrid crossed his arms and leaned casually into the wall. ‘Enma won’t let it go that far. He’ll send his SDF before it becomes a problem.’
Kurama had to admit that that was probably true. Still, hundreds or thousands of lives could be lost in the conflict, and even if they didn’t matter to Hiei, it could upset the delicate peace that had settled over the Makai after the tournament.
“We’ll find another one. There’s an old dragon I know who would be willing to help. That little runt wouldn’t stand a chance against the dreamweaver’s effects, anyway.” Youko goaded, coming to the forefront of Kurama’s mind.
‘I’d fare better than some decrepit reptile,’ Hiei rebutted, the fire rising in his crimson eyes.
“Right,” Youko drawled sarcastically. “The bastard son of a koorime with an artificial psychic eye could beat a three-thousand-year-old dragon telepath.”
Hiei’s hand twitched and he reached reflexively for the hilt of his sword. Realizing it wasn’t there, he only growled menacingly. ‘You’re overstepping your boundaries, fox,’ he warned.
“Little prick doesn’t like hearing the truth, does he?” Youko continued nonchalantly.
‘Kurama, rein in that loud-mouthed fox of yours before I gut you both like a fish,’ Hiei warned the more reasonable of the two.
Youko only seemed to gain steam. “No, I’ll bet he couldn’t handle the stress of sorting through the woman’s mind and the chaos the dreamweaver has probably cast it into. Our best bet is a dragon, Kurama. Come on, we can tell Sesshoumaru and have him send someone to find Shiroyama.”
Hiei quietly seethed. The fox obviously needed to be taught a lesson. He’d always been a thorn in his side, from the beginning, and now to talk down to him with that pompous tone and that condescending gaze. The hybrid considered setting fire to the avatar’s hair.
Shippo appeared out of the crowd and started toward Kurama with a determined look. Hiei watched with some interest. “We need a telepath, a powerful one,” Shippo informed the avatar when he closed the distance. “Do you know one?”
Kurama, head spinning from the argument between Youko and Hiei, was just about to suggest the dragon his counterpart had mentioned when the air shifted to his left and a streak of black materialized between him and the other fox.
Shippo looked down in surprise to see the brooding hybrid he’d met earlier glaring up at him with ruby-colored eyes.
“Take me to the woman. I’ll pull her out of the curse,” Hiei demanded.
Kurama blinked in astonishment down at the little demon standing between them. Shippo narrowed his eyes and stared down the hybrid, skeptical. “I’ve never heard of hiyoukai with telepathic abilities.”
Hiei glared fiercely. “I won’t offer twice.”
“Alright, I’ll take you to her. You’ll have to talk to Sesshoumaru, though.” At the hybrid’s curt nod, Shippo led him away from the others and up the staircase to the upper levels of the marble fortress.
“I knew it,” Youko snickered.
Kurama only rolled his eyes.
.
Hiei looked down at the woman who seemed, for all appearances, to be slumbering peacefully. She had been changed into a white silk nightgown and her hair was now free of its earlier style. It’s full length was spread out in thick, inky waves over her pillow and some of it spilled over the edge of the bed.
Sesshoumaru had been easy enough to persuade. He agreed, grudgingly, to let the hybrid attempt to bring Kagome out of her sleep. Hiei had to assume either he was desperate or had heard of his strong telepathic abilities and had decided he was the most qualified for the position. Hiei leaned towards the latter; he couldn’t imagine someone as old and powerful as the Lord making hasty decisions.
He had, however, insisted that the door to the Lady’s chambers be left open through the proceedings, and had stationed guards in the hallway. Hiei was annoyed, but understood his reasons.
The hybrid found a plush chair and pulled it over to the side of the bed. Taking a seat and untying the bandana from around his head, he let the Jagan flare into power and prepared to enter the woman’s mind.
When he closed his eyes and focused on the only other energy source in the room, that of Kagome, he was surprised to feel the Jagan hesitate. However, with a push, it opened fully and delved into its new playground. The hybrid had to reign it in when it began to push too violently against the few mental barriers the woman had. Searching for weak points, he was able to bypass them easily enough and finally entered the outermost region of her mind.
Despite the appearance of sleep, her mind was a jumble of activity. There was much more mental activity than would be expected from simple dreams, and even more than the average level during waking hours. Mentally, she was wide awake.
The first thing he “saw” was a burst of brilliant color. As he searched for the correct frequency, the level that she herself was consciously experiencing, the colors began to take on familiar shapes and he knew he must be getting close. Eventually, the shapes sharpened and focused into a scene outside the castle. Using images from her experiences from her own memory, Hiei forged a representation of himself so he could interact and communicate with her as needed.
He looked around, gauging his position. He was at the top of the steps, just outside the castle doors. He could hear laughter and music inside. Strangely, the scene seemed much more real than a dream. He could feel the dampness of the fog around his feet, the cool wind that blew down the slope. He could smell the sweet scent of the nearby moonflowers and the woodsy smell of the surrounding forest. It was as if he was really outside the fortress instead of sitting in a chair in Kagome’s chambers.
It made sense, now, how someone under the influence of the Dreamweaver could truly perceive themselves in reality. How could such a tiny sliver of a mushroom cause such profound effect?
To his left, in the front hall, he heard footsteps. A dark figure came into focus, the woman he was looking for. Kagome, still dressed in her ball gown, stepped out of the doors and into the moonlight, casting an eerie silver halo around her form. When she saw him, she smiled politely. “Hello, Hiei. Needed some fresh air?” she asked casually, stopping a few feet away.
“Onna, you need to wake up,” he ordered bluntly, bypassing the pleasantries.
Unsurprisingly, the woman knit her brow in confusion. “Wake up? I’m standing right here.”
Hiei knew this would be difficult from the beginning, so he simply decided the truth was the best option. “You were poisoned, and you’re really asleep right now. You need to wake up.”
Kagome stared at him for a long time, then shook her head. She took a few steps toward him with a worried frown. “Did you have too much wine at the party, Hiei?”
“No, you are sleeping. This is all a dream, a hallucination. I am here to wake you out of it,” he tried again to explain.
She opened her mouth, then closed it again with a “hm,” at a loss for words. She shifted her weight and pushed her hair over one shoulder when a curled strand brushed her cheek. Suddenly, her face lit with a sly smile. “Oh, I see. You know, they never told me you were such a joker,” she laughed.
Annoyance lit his eyes and he gave her a hard glare. He was about to try again, when she suddenly whipped her head to the side. Her blue eyes were wide, searching the area to her right, in front of the tiered buildings extending from the castle. “Did you see that?” she asked quietly. “There was a man there,” she said.
Hiei looked, but there was no one there. “Someone from the party?”
“No, I didn’t recognize him,” she dismissed absentmindedly, turning and walking in that direction. She continued to search visually as she went along. Hiei followed, wondering what sort of hallucination this was. He certainly hadn’t seen a man.
She led him, her pace quickening, around the side of the buildings to a flat, open area. It was gated and held a large stable. Hiei could smell other creatures in the large stable near the front of the gate.
She stopped and looked around the surrounding forest. “Hello?” she shouted. “Do you need help?” There was no response, but that didn’t seem to deter her.
“Onna, you need to come back with me,” Hiei tried again.
Reluctantly, she pulled her eyes from the woods to focus on him. For a moment, it looked as though she hadn’t heard him, but then she shook her head. “It’s alright, I told Sesshoumaru I was coming out here.”
“I mean you need to wake up-”
“That again? It’s not funny the second time, Hiei,” she easily dismissed him. Then, “Oh! There he was again!” and she took off at a run. “Sir, do you need help?” she shouted.
Hiei looked on in confusion. He was sure he hadn’t seen anyone there, and this time he had been looking in that direction. He watched as she stopped suddenly, seemed to think for a moment before turning heel and hurrying to the gate. She opened it and ran into the stable where he heard several animal grunts and huffs.
The hybrid started toward the building, but before he could make it, she came out of the large sliding doors, leading a white and brown spotted horse. When she was outside, she easily swung up into the saddle with practiced ease and rode it at a trot out of the open gate.
“I’m going to follow this guy. He seems suspicious,” she explained, closing the gate behind her.
Hiei watched her and wondered at her sanity. She hadn’t seemed this… impulsive earlier. “I think you should come back with me.”
“That’s alright. But, you can come with me if you want. You can borrow a horse,” she shouted back at him as she trotted away, the horse’s long white tail swishing behind it.
The hybrid looked back at the castle, then at the strange woman riding away into the woods, chasing shadows. She just wouldn’t listen. It was like dealing with Yusuke. Hiei almost sighed in annoyance, realizing that this wouldn’t be as simple as he’d believed. Like anything ever was.
.
AN/ Eh, a little short, but I thought that was a pretty good stopping place. Now we’re getting into the action! And, yes, Kagome is supposed to be sort of out-of-it for right now.