&nb sp;  Here comes the next one, enjoy!   =blah= -typed <blah> -telepathy ‘blah’ -thought (blah) –translation  

Farewell Butterfli

By Ryoken             & nbsp; “Let’s go over what we know. VT, care to start?” Kurama started.             “Okie doke!” VT cleared her throat before she began. “Mizu was captured by some demons. She was captured at some point between when the nurse took her out of the room and when Hiei came back with the Mizu-fake. We haven’t seen or heard from Hiei since then. Da Mizu-fake tried to capture me, but I kicked her ass. Lila said that the real Mizu was bein held in demon world, in a secluded part, which doesn’t really narrow it down much.”           &n bsp; “That about sums it up, but demon world is a big place. We don’t even know where to start looking,” Yusuke said.             “Which is why we need to start looking as soon as possible,” Botan chimed in. “Start packing your things, boys, we’re heading back!”           &n bsp; “What about meee!?! I have to go too!!” VT whined.             “Of course you’re going, silly! How else are we going to keep an eye on you?” She winked.             “YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!” VT yelped, glomping Botan in thanks while Yusuke and Kuwabara winced. That said, VT ran off to pack her things.             “Meet back here when you’re done!!” Botan yelled after her. “I’m going to let Koenma know what’s going on, be back soon!” >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> & nbsp;           ‘There has to be a way out, there’s just gotta!’ Mizu thought. After running for what seemed an hour, exhaustion was starting to settle in, but that didn’t stop her. Back at the house, she knew she had to escape to the others. Something about Hiei’s new personality didn’t fit. She couldn’t believe that he’d be interested in her in that way, let alone go out of his way to bring her all the way out to demon world. Demon world! She still couldn’t believe she was really here, and the fact that she hadn’t run into any demons didn’t lead her to believe it might be so either. Deciding that the dress she wore wouldn’t be good for running, she had torn off half of the skirt and had found some shoes, although not the best for running. At least they would protect her feet. After that, she ran out, and had been running ever since. Her skin had scratches from sharp brush on her arms and legs, and a scrape on her chin and palms from tripping on unseen rocks and tree roots. She was so exhausted she didn’t even hear her name being yelled from behind and the warning that followed. All of a sudden she hit a painful wall of electricity, sending what felt like a hundred thousand volts of electricity were coursing through her body. The pain was so great, and stopped so suddenly, she had no chance to scream. Before she blacked out however, a familiar looking black-haired man came into her range of view saying something she couldn’t understand… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>& gt;>             “What on earth did you pack, VT?!” Botan asked when she saw her two duffle bags, jam-packed with things poking through the material.             ; “Oh not a lot. Some clothes, some pictures I drew, BOB-,”           &n bsp; “BOB?” Botan whispered to Yusuke.             “You don’t wanna know,” he murmured back.             “-some paper and charcoal, a few photos of me an’ the Mizu, some dvds, music, some of my favorite plants, can’t leave em unattended!, and some special candy for me and BOB, my flute, Mizu’s violin, and some other things like a toothbrush and stuff!” She said happily.             Botan sighed. “Sure, why not, never know when you’ll need a flute…Anyway, let’s get going. Mustn’t keep wasting time! Puu and Genkai are waiting for us on the other side of the portal.”              “And where is the portal this time, if I may ask?” Kurama said.             “In VT’s pond. Come on!” Botan said as she took the lead. As soon as they were all gathered in the garden, Botan showed them through example by hopping into the pond and disappearing. In a matter of seconds, all five of them were in a forest in demon world, an old woman and a blue phoenix awaiting them.             “It’s about time you got here, Puu’s been anxious to see you again, Lamebrain,” Genkai said.             “Nice to see you too, you old hag,” Yusuke said as he gave Puu a scratch behind his ears.             “Puu here is going to give you a lift so our search will be easier. I’ll be flying around on my own and-,”           &n bsp; “I’ll go my own way as well,” Kurama said, insinuating the plant that gave him flight.             “Right! Spread out!” Botan said as she floated up on her oar. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   ;           “Mizu…Mizu…can you hear me…” Came a distant voice. Mizu. That was her name. Or was it? She wasn’t sure. In the darkness that surrounded her, the voice cut through it, giving her a sense of direction. She was barely able to open her eyes, but she could see that familiar looking man with the black hair. She knew that she knew him, knew his name, but what was it? He-something…          & nbsp;  “Hee…” She tried to say, hoping he’d finish the word so that she could remember.             ; “Don’t talk, you need your strength,” he said gently. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Get some rest, Mizu,” he said, brushing some hair away from her face. He kissed her cheek and, feeling quite drowsy, she fell back into the darkness. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>             “What is it, Puu? You see something?” Yusuke asked the spirit beast. Puu had suddenly stopping moving forward, hovering in the air. No matter what Yusuke tried, he couldn’t get him to move. Sighing, he told Puu to put them back on the ground.  “Stupid bird…” Yusuke muttered as he started walking forward. But before he could take three steps, Puu snatched him up by his shirt with his beak and plopped Yusuke on the ground, farther away from the direction he wanted to go in. Yusuke looked at him as though the beast had lost his mind.             “Maybe he can sense something we can’t, Urameshi,” Kuwabara suggested. “Kinda like a dog.”           &nb sp; “Like what?”           &n bsp; “Obviously something dangerous!!” VT said matter-of-factly. “Or else he wouldn’t be preventing you from going forward!!!!” Puu voiced his agreement with her.             Testing her theory, VT picked up a pebble and threw it in the direction Yusuke had wanted to go. After a certain point, electricity singed the rock and it fell straight to the ground. “Okay then, now what?” Yusuke asked.             As the three pondered what they could do, VT suddenly snapped her fingers with an idea. “I’ve got it! Thank you, oh Masterful BOB!!” She praised, looking to the sky. “You guys get some big rocks and bring em here! I’ve got an idea…!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three hours later, Yusuke and Kuwabara had gathered many rocks, most of which were as big as boulders. “Now what?” Kuwabara asked. “Now stack em up near the barrier in an arch!” To get her point across, she started drawing in the dirt with a nearby stick. She drew an arch to represent how the rocks should be stacked. “I think maybe if we can build em like this, it’ll make a gap in the barrier once we push it in!” “How the heck did you come up with a plan like that?!” Yusuke pondered. “Video games…” She replied. “Now start yer stackin!!” She said, blowing on a whistle she seemed to get out of nowhere. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;             Hiei opened his eyes at the odd sound. A whistle? Or was he just dreaming it? But then it sounded again, this time in short bursts. He got up from his chair next to Mizu’s bed and looked out the balcony. He couldn’t see anything out of the window with the naked eye, so he used his Jagan eye instead. Now he knew the source of the whistle; it was Yusuke, Kuwabara, that spirit beast, Puu, and the other girl, VT. He smiled inwardly. The fools wouldn’t make it past the traps he had set to insure no one could make it to the house. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>             “Great, now to test it and see if it works!” VT said. She picked up another nearby pebble and threw it into the gap they had created. The pebble went straight through.             “Nice!” Kuwabara said. “Shouldn’t we get Kurama?”              “No need, I’m already here,” the redhead said as he landed. “I thought I sensed a strange barrier, and came as quickly as I could.” He looked at the archway. “Impressive. Who thought of this?”           &n bsp; “VT,” Yusuke and Kuwabara said. VT grinned.             “Well, what are we waiting for?!” VT said. She hurriedly went through, the others following suit.             “You wait there, Puu! We might need a fast exit!” Yusuke called back. Puu just watched with knowing eyes.             “We’re coming, Mizu!!!” VT shouted. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;             The darkness surrounding her was beginning to fade as she slipped back into consciousness. She looked up to see the canopy of the bed. She sat up and winced. She had burns wrapped in bandages scattered over her body. There weren’t many, nor were they large, but they hurt all the same. She looked to the balcony and saw the same familiar guy looking out at the scenery, as if something had caught his attention.           &nbs p; “Hee…” She started to say, but she still couldn’t remember his name. However, it did grab his attention.           &nbs p; “Mizu, you’re awake,” he said. He smiled. The smile…something about it didn’t look right, but she couldn’t figure out why.             “Who…are you…?” She finally asked.             The man had a surprised look on his face. “You don’t remember?” He asked. Mizu gently shook her head. He smiled. “I’m Hiei. Ring any bells?” That was his name. Hiei.             “Hiieeeiii…” She said, testing out the word.             “That’s right. How do you feel?”           &n bsp; “Have a…headache,” she said, touching a hand to her forehead. Her head had been pounding since she sat up.             “Lie down. You still need some rest.” She obeyed.             “What happened?”          &nbs p;  “You ran into a special barrier. It’s supposed to electrocute anything that touches it, but…I’m not quite sure how you survived, much less are conscious.”          &nb sp;  “I can’t remember…anything…” She said sadly.             He smiled again. “I’ll help you remember,” he said. He kissed her lips gently so as not to hurt her. He started to go back to the window when Mizu grabbed his wrist.             “Help me remember now,” she asked.             Hiei laughed a little and gave her a mischievous grin. “I wouldn’t want to injure you more than you already are,” he said.             “That’s…not what I meant,” she said as she blushed and smiled. He smiled that smile of his, lied down next to her, and gently held her in his arms. ‘That wasn’t what I meant either,’ she thought. She smiled, snuggling closer to him. ‘But this is good too…’ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>& gt;>>           &nb sp; “SPIRIT GUN!!!!!!” Yusuke shouted as he fired his gun at the ten-foot tall skeleton that had popped out from deep within the forest. The blast hit the skeleton dead on, and he exploded into a million pieces, making it rain bone fragments. “Well, that was easy,” he said. “OW! What the-,” Yusuke yelped. He looked at his shoulder and saw a miniature version of the skeleton biting him. In fact, he saw a LOT of mini skeletons the size of his hand, covering him, all looking hungry.             “They’re everywhere!!!!” Kuwabara said, trying to shake off the tiny skeletons that had moments ago, been the raining bone pieces. Kurama tried to brush them off, getting the backs of his hands bitten in the process, while VT tried to grab them, throw them off, and squish them beneath her feet. Once VT had finally caught a skeleton off guard and underneath her heel, she realized that the skeleton had been ground to dust, and wasn’t coming back to life.             “SQUISH THEM!!!! They don’t come back!!!” She shouted to them. Soon, they were all playing the part of giants, smashing the skeletons as though they were only bugs. In a matter of minutes, there was nothing but bone dust covering the ground. “Okay, maybe we should be a little more careful...” Yusuke said.
            “Yes, yes, that we should!” VT agreed, nodding rapidly.
            The four companions marched on through the forest, VT marching more than the others. It wasn’t long before the complaining began.
            “Does anyone even know if we’re going in the right direction!?” Kuwabara whined.
            Kurama opened his mouth to speak but was abruptly interrupted. “Of course we are, you ninny!!” VT said.
            ; “Hey, who are you calling a ninny, you short pint!?”
            “Now is not the time for this,” Kurama said calmly as the two began a stare down.
            “Kurama’s right, we gotta stay foc-AHH!!!” Yusuke shouted as he disappeared from sight.
            In front of them, two to three acres of trees began falling into a lake-sized pit filled with spikes.
            “Yusuke!!!” Kurama said, looking over into the previously hidden pit with Yusuke hanging onto a tree root for dear life. Under the sudden weight, the tree root was beginning to rip, threatening to drop Yusuke into the dangerous pit.
            “Don’t worry, I’ll just blast my way back up!” Yusuke grinned. He aimed his finger at the angle that would push him back up to the top and looked like he was beginning to power up when he suddenly brought his finger to his face, looking questioningly at it.
            “What’s the hold up, Urameshi??” Kuwabara asked, angry at being held up.
            “My Spirit Gun’s not working!” He shouted back up to the three.
            “You gotta be kidding me!!!!” VT said.
            Yusuke tried again, but no avail. “Nope, not workin,” he confirmed. The root jerked under the heavy weight once more. “Uhh, I think we need a new plan!!! Like now!!!!” He said nervously.
            “Can’t you just push off from the wall?” Kuwabara suggested.
            “I don’t think putting more pressure on this root is such a good idea at the moment!” Yusuke replied.
            “And the wall is too flat and sheer for him to climb out, we’ll have to pull him out with something,” Kurama added.
            “You mind hurrying it up up there? Don’t think this root can hold me much longer!”
            “You guys are taking too looooooooooong!!” VT whined. She took off her beanie, her master, BOB, inside, and handed the items to Kurama. “Guard him with yer life, I’m goin in!!” She said. Kurama stood confused, the rubber duck and beanie in his hands. VT grabbed Kuwabara by the shirt and started to drag him to the edge of the pit.
            “Hey, what do you think you’re doin??!” He squrimed. As they got to the edge, VT released Kuwabara.
            “You are to be holding my ankles and then pulling us back up, kappesh?” She said. Before Kuwabara had a chance to answer, VT was lying on the ground, pushing herself over the edge. By the time VT could reach Yusuke, her entire body was dangling like a worm on a hook, Kuwabara grasping her ankles as best he could. Wiggling her fingers and grinning, VT reached out to Yusuke. “Grabbeth the hands!!”
            Yusuke returned the grin and cautiously gripped VT by the upper wrist of each arm. “Crank us up!!” VT commanded. As the two were dragged up, VT’s shirt started to sag and reveal more than she was aware of. Yusuke blushed and tried to avert his eyes.          “What??” VT asked innocently.
            After the two were pulled up and had dusted themselves off, Kurama stepped up to VT. “Here,” he said, handing the hat and rubber duck back to VT.
            “Tanka tanka!” She said happily, replacing the duck and beanie back on her head.
            “Right...” Kurama said. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>& gt;             Well, there you have it folks, yet another chapter! Two chapters in one week, what’s with that!? ;D Jaa ne!