Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Through Hell and Back ❯ Through Hell and Back ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Written for the Deadliest Sin community. May include themes some people would find offensive. Rated PG 13ish (for mild language, possibly disturbing content, but I think that's being overly harsh.)

My descriptions of the different levels of the underworld are loosely based on Dante's Inferno.

Prompts: The Underworld and Betrayal.

Italics represent private thoughts.

Bold Italics represent telepathic conversations.

 

This fic is dedicated to everyone who voted for me. Thanks for helping me come in second! ^_^

 

 

Through Hell and Back

 

Chapter 1
Vampires and Priestesses

 

“That was almost too easy.” Yusuke gloated as he, Kurama, and Hiei climbed the steps to Genkai's temple.

 

“You take your demon form too much for granted, Yusuke. Were it not for that demon blood, you wouldn't have lasted ten minutes in the underworld.” Kurama scolded a hint of amusement at his team-mate's ignorance coloring his normally calm tone.

“Hn. It was a pain in the ass if you ask me. Koenma takes us too much for granted.” Hiei grumbled as they reached the top of the steps and headed inside.

 

“How was it guys?” Kuwabara asked, jumping to his feet like an excited puppy as they entered.

“Piece of cake!” Yusuke said, sitting down at the table as Yukina excused herself to fetch the new arrivals some tea.

“Tiresome.” Kurama sighed as he sat next to Yusuke.

“Boring.” Hiei grunted as he sat next to Yukina's empty seat.

Kuwabara let out a deep-chested laugh. “Well, I guess that means Hiei didn't get to kill anything.”

“We were in the underworld, you idiot, everything there is already dead.” Hiei snapped, already annoyed by the big oaf.

“Oh, uh, right. Well, come on guys, you gotta' give me something! I helped catch them, and it's not my fault I couldn't go with you.”

“You didn't miss out on much, Kuwabara. The underworld is no place for living humans.” Everyone turned their attention toward the doorway where Botan stood, her arrival having gone un-notice until she spoke.

“Where the hell did you come from, Botan?” Yusuke asked a note of surprise in his voice.

“Well,” Botan began, “A river guardian is born when…”

“He means we didn't sense your energy, you baka.” Hiei interrupted

“Oh,” Botan said with a teasing giggle, “That's because I'm not emitting any.”

Botan reached around her neck to remove a pendant. It was flat and long and was glowing with a blue light. “Lord Koenma sent me to give you these. It's going to take a few days to repair the hole in the barrier between the ningenkai and the underworld, so he wants you to patrol the barrier frequently.” Botan explained, as she reached into her pocket and retrieved three more pendants. “These will keep your energy locked inside you. Keep in mind though, that while wearing them you won't be able to use any of your powers.”

“Then why would we want to wear them?” Kuwabara asked, clearly confused.

“Are you thick-headed or do you just not listen?” Genkai asked, appearing in the kitchen doorway with Yukina on her heels, tray in hand.

“Well, what would be the point?” Kuwabara asked, still confused.

“The barrier and the underworld itself feed on human energy.” Kurama explained, but the look on Kuwabara's face made it clear that more explanation was needed.

“Actually, they feed on any energy,” Botan corrected, “but humans have a particular weakness to it, and therefore are its favorite prey. That is why you couldn't accompany them to return the lost souls. Humans begin dying the second they set foot in the underworld.”

“Well Kurama is human, how come he got to go?”

“Kurama's body is human, but the energy he emits is both human and demon. Demon energy has a strong defense against the underworld's powers. Even still, I bet that Kurama felt the effects the most out of you three.” Botan looked at Kurama expectantly.

“I am quite tired.” Kurama admitted.

“These pendants will allow you to travel near and even beyond the barrier without having to sacrifice your energy.”

“Why in the hell didn't Koenma give us these before sending us there?” Yusuke asked, annoyed.

“Think, Yusuke,” Kurama explained, “What match would we have been for those prisoners without full access to our energy?”

“Riiight, I guess Red's got a point!” Yusuke said with a sheepish grin.

“At least with these pendants we can take them off when we anticipate a fight.” Kurama finished.

“Bingo!” Botan praised, as she handed each of them a pendant. “Now, Kuwabara, you have to promise that you won't take this off near or beyond the barrier. Leave the fighting to the others. We need you alive!”

“Right, I promise, Botan.” Kuwabara said with a grin, though they all knew that in a pinch he'd be stupid enough to do just that.

“There are a few important things you need to know about these pendants. They are actually pieces of one crystal. Their power drains out over time and they must be re-energized by being joined together. When they are growing weak, their light will begin to fade.” Botan explained.

“What? No annoying chirping sound?” Hiei asked sarcastically, shooting a glare at Yusuke.

“Would you let it go already? How was I supposed to know the underworld would suck the juice from my cell phone?”

“You should've known there would be no reception there anyway.” Kurama added.

“Just as well,” Botan chimed in, “can you imagine the surcharges for calling between realms?” Botan laughed at her own joke, but besides the small giggle from Yukina got no response, so she continued her speech. “Anyway, you only need to join the crystals for a minute or so in order for them to charge, so no need to worry about Kuwabara as long as you're all together.” With that, Botan said her goodbyes, and headed back to spirit world.

 

“Well, I should be going too.” Yusuke announced, “Keiko is trying new ramen recipes for the shop, and she'll kill me if I'm not home in time.”

“Geeze barely married a year and she already has you trained.” Kuwabara teased.

“Well, he always was a fast learner.” Genkai added without missing a beat.

“You're just jealous! At least I don't still live at home. When is Shizuru going to kick your ass out?”

“She knows I'm working hard saving for college, she knows we can't all get scholarships like genius boy over there.” Kuwabara retorted, indicating Kurama, who offered a sheepish grin.

“Hn. I think you're wasting your time.” Hiei said, with a tone that mocked their stupidity.

 

“What keeps you busy these days, mister Hiei?” Yukina asked with a smile.

“Uh…”

“Training the Makai border patrol last I heard.” Genkai said.

“Not by choice. Part of Koenma's mandatory services to pay for my crimes against spirit world, though if you ask me it's just a way to keep tabs on me when he needs me to look after those three fools on missions.”

“Hey, shrimp! It's not like we haven't saved your butt a time or two.” Kuwabara said.

“Hn. Usually your efforts to “save” me end up end up ruining my strategy.”

“Will you two knock it off, you're giving me a headache, temples are supposed to be peaceful!” Genkai yelled.

Kurama and Yukina laughed at the harmless yet familiar banter.

“I'm afraid I too must excuse myself. I promised to visit mother before my classes tomorrow.” Kurama offered apologetically as he rose, “Hiei, I trust that you can keep from killing Kuwabara long enough to patrol tonight?”

“Hn.”

“Alright, then. Yukina, thank you for your hospitality. Genkai, pleasure as always.”

Once Kurama left, Hiei got to his feet with a sigh, “Once again the work is left to me.”

“You mean us!” Kuwabara corrected.

“Not really.” Hiei said, grabbing his sword and walking toward the door. The fact that he wasn't a blurred shadow already miles ahead was Kuwabara's only hint that Hiei was accepting his help. Kuwabara clamored to his feet, gave Yukina a kiss on the cheek, and hurried after him.

“I'll be back later to say goodnight.” Kuwabara called over his shoulder.

Once at the border, Hiei and Kuwabara walked in silence, both alert.

“Wouldn't this be quicker if we each went a different direction?” Kuwabara asked, breaking the long silence.

“And without your Ki what would you do if you happened upon an escaped soul? Scream like a little girl? While I would find that highly amusing, it would hardly be worth the lectures I'd get from everyone for letting you die.”

“I don't scream like a girl!” Kuwabara offered in a weak defense.

 

Nearly an hour of silence and walking later, Kuwabara again found the courage to break the silence. “Hiei, I wanted to ask you, would be alright if I asked Yukina to marry me?”

“Kuwabara,” Hiei said, frustration battling for annoyance in his tone, “How many times have you asked me this?”

Kuwabara sighed, “This makes twelve.”

“And has my answer ever changed?”

“No.”

“It's alright with me that you ask her, as long as dying is alright with you.”

Kuwabara sighed again, as the silence returned.

Kuwabara stopped suddenly.

“What is it?” Hiei asked.

“I felt a tingle. It wasn't very strong, but…”

Hiei let out a low frustrated growl as he ripped his pendant off. “These things aren't worth it.” Hiei paused, trying to feel any traces of energy. “Are you sure you felt something?”

“Yes, but this pendant makes it hard to tell if it was living dead or undead.”

Hiei released an exasperated sigh as he removed his headband and let the jagan scan the area. “Found it.” He announced then he was gone in a blur.

“Hey, wait for me!” Kuwabara yelled after him, despite knowing he was already too far away to hear him, “Damn that shrimp is a pain in the ass.” He muttered to himself as he ran after Hiei's energy trail.

Hiei spotted the underworld spirit long before she sensed him. She had her eye on a group of campers in the woods ahead.

“I don't think that's such a good idea.” Hiei warned, as she prepared to attack them.

She locked angry eyes with his garnet orbs. “Move along little demon, I saw them first,”

Hiei scowled at the pun on his height. “I think it's time for you to go home. The ningenkai is no place for underworld scum.”

She scoffed at his words. “But demons are perfectly acceptable?”

Hiei narrowed his eyes to a glare. “I am on orders from spirit world. Now, you can either come peacefully, or I can kick your ass and then you can come peacefully, your choice.”

“I choose option three.” As she spoke her eyes glowed an eerie green.

“And what's option three?”

“It's where you walk over here.” To Hiei's dismay, his legs moved, seemingly of their own accord, carrying him closer to the woman. “You sheath your sword.” Again, Hiei's body betrayed him by following her orders. “You turn around.” Hiei's heart sped up as his body turned.

He would never willingly turn his back to an enemy. The very thought terrified him. He was pulled out of his panicky thoughts by ebony waves of hair spilling over his shoulders, and hot breath on his ear. “You tilt your head.”

Waves of dread crashed through Hiei as he realized what she was. “You're an energy vampire.”

Koenma had warned them about such creatures before their excursion to the underworld. They were beings, most often humans, but sometimes demons, who offered their bodies in life as vessels of evil energy and as punishment were doomed to prey on others in the afterlife. Such creatures could drain an S class demon of all his life energy in a matter of seconds. This one had clearly lived a very long time. Like any creatures, their powers increased with age, and even the jagan was at her complete mercy.

“Indeed I am, and you are dinner.”

Hiei gave only a slight grunt in protest as sharp fangs pierced the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Hiei's mind fought hard against her hold, but he felt his energy drain rapidly. His vision was beginning to blur, and darkness threatened to claim him, when he sensed a huge energy rapidly approaching. Hiei barely had time to shift his weight out of the path of the speeding arrow. The tip missed him and hit the vampire, sending her careening backward, but the energy trailing behind it caught his side. Hiei gasped in pain as he fell to the ground.

“Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!” Hiei looked toward the source of the voice, His vision was still blurred but he was able to make out the form of a teenage girl with raven black hair, holding a make-shift bow made from a twig and some fishing line. “My aim isn't so good without a real bow, are you alright?”

Hiei squeezed his eyes closed and re-opened them, rolling to his back and climbing to his feet once his vision focused. He looked down to find that the girl's power had burned through his clothes and seared his side. There was no blood, the heat had cauterized the wound the second it touched his skin.

“I'll live.” Hiei locked eyes with the mysterious girl. She was dressed plainly, she wasn't exceptionally beautiful, she didn't even have a dangerous aura, but Hiei sensed immense power from her. The jagan was also interested. It ignored Hiei's mental command to stand down and began to reach out to the girl's consciousness. It was interrupted, however, as a black streak raced past Hiei, slamming the girl into a tree. As the shock began to subside, Hiei realized that for the vampire to have survived that power she was indeed very old and very powerful.

The vampire had the girl by the throat, and as it stared into her eyes, the hypnotic green glow returned. “That's a good girl, look at me.” Deciding it would not be good for the already powerful spirit to absorb the mystery girls incredible energy, Hiei unsheathed his sword. He didn't attack, however, as he saw the girl raising her hand slowly, never taking her eyes from the vampire's gaze.

How the hell is she able to move?

The girl grabbed the vampire's arm and it began shrieking in pain, talon-like claws formed from the vampire's fingernails as she raised her hand, preparing to claw the girl's face. Hiei caught the scent of poison and in an instant his blade had severed the vampire's hand. His blade was back in its sheath before the hand hit the ground. The vampire released the girl, dropping to her knees. The girl released its arm, and fell to the ground, weakened. Hiei moved toward them, but the girl raised a hand to stop him. “Careful, don't get too close, she's a demon.”

“Actually, she's a spirit. I'm the demon.” Hiei corrected.

In an instant, the girl had readied another arrow, and pointed it directly at Hiei. “What the hell, lady? I just saved you!” Hiei said, moving into a defensive crouch, with his hand on the handle of his sword.

“All that means is that you want me alive.”

“What? Want you alive? I have no use for a stupid human girl.” Hiei flinched as an arrow landed at his feet, and by the time he looked back at her she had another arrow trained on him. “Watch it!” Hiei yelled, “Just what are you, anyway? You're no ordinary human.”

“How about I ask the questions.” The girl said, aiming the arrow away from his feet and toward his chest, “Who are you?”

“I'm a spirit detective.”

“Why are you here?”

“I was after the vampire.”

“How do I know you're telling the truth?”

“Well, my teammate is standing behind you, and you're still breathing.”

Hiei didn't lose a second as the girl turned to look behind her; he grabbed her, using his speed to take her to the ground, knocking the makeshift bow from her hand as he did.

“You're powerful for a human, but your intelligence seems average.”

“Get off of me!” the girl yelled, squirming and kicking beneath him.

“What the heck are you doing, Hiei?” Kuwabara called as he caught sight of them and sprinted forward. “She's not a spirit, she's a….a….” confusion creased Kuwabara's forehead as he felt the girl's power. “Just what are you?”

“Human!” The girl growled in frustration, “I'm just a human girl.”

“Not just. That arrow you clipped me with was full of purifying power, so start talking, onna.”

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Kuwabara asked genuinely concerned for his girlfriend's brother.

Hiei's only response was to roll his eyes. Why the fool had to be so dramatic was something Hiei would never understand.

“I'm a priestess. Not that it's any of your business.” The girl replied, squirming again, and this time Hiei let her up.

“You're kind of young to be a priestess aren't you?” Kuwabara asked.

“Well…it's kind of a long story.”

“Then spare us the boredom.” Hiei said coldly as he gathered the unconscious vampire. “Come on, Kuwabara, our work here is done.”

“Are all spirit detectives so rude?”

“Please forgive Hiei, he's a little…” Kuwabara didn't finish his statement. One look from Hiei promised a painful death if he did.

 

All of their attentions were drawn to the woods behind them as twigs snapped under light steps.

“Kagome!” called a young female voice.

“Did you get lost?” called another.

“Coming!” The priestess called over her shoulder.

“Hey,” Hiei said harshly, as Kagome turned to leave. She turned back, annoyance at his lack of manners written all over her face. “You and your friends should camp elsewhere. This is a dangerous area right now.”

“I think we'll be fine.”

“Stupid onna.” Hiei growled as she walked away.

Kuwabara watched as Hiei glared intently toward her. “Uh…so what do we do with her?”

“She can take care of herself.”

“I meant the spirit.”

“Oh. We'll take her back to the underworld.”

“I get to go this time?”

“Yes, come on.”

 

Japanese Words:

Baka-idiot, fool

Onna-Woman