Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Lands of the Diamond Dolls ❯ Chapter 2

Chapter Two
Brian sighed softly, looking at the key and wondering what course of action he should take. Ever since the problem with the Dark Princess, he'd kept the key where he could find it, extra careful not to lose it again, but equally careful to keep it from his mother's eyes.

He'd gotten home from school a few days before to find that the key had turned into some sort of crystal. Of course, just his luck, it had been the middle of the week, so he couldn't disappear without his absence being noticed. Now it was Friday evening. "What does it mean, boy?" he asked his dog. "Is Rainbowland in trouble?" What if something happened to Rainbow?

Brian sighed again and made a fist around the key, deciding, finally, what he was going to do. "I'm going, boy." The dog whined at him. "No, boy. You'll have to stay here." Brian walked to the closet and turned the key in the lock, opening the door, pulling the key out and putting it in his pocked. Instead of the rainbow, a solid-looking wall of the crystal substance was in the doorway. He swallowed hard, closing his eyes tightly, and walked through the doorway, hoping he wouldn't crash into the seemingly-solid crystal.

To the boy's relief, he went through easily. The relief faded as he opened his eyes. Rainbowland had been transformed into crystal, just like the key. Brian raced into the Color Castle, wondering what had happened to Rainbow and the others.

Twink lay near the door to the Color Console room, a shocked look frozen on his face. Brian edged around him and into the room. He froze in shock. The Color Kids were near the console, each crystallized in the middle of their moves. Brian could actually imagine what each of them had been doing when it happened. Rainbow Brite stood, her frozen hand near the Color Belt, the only uncrystallized thing in the Castle.

Brian backed away, numb with disbelief. He cried out as he tripped over Twink. His head cracked against the crystal floor and everything went dark.

Kurama gently wiped Hiei's face with a cool, damp cloth. The fire demon remained asleep. Yukina frowned. "How long since he's had water?"

The fox sighed. "I don't know. He didn't have anything last night, and he's been asleep most of the day..."

Yuusuke frowned. "I can't remember him having anything except for a little water after you gave him painkillers."

Me neither," Boton whispered. Kuwabara just shrugged.

Yukina closed her eyes. "Maybe that's why he's so tired...Dehydration?"

"Maybe," Kurama conceded. "In any case, he needs to drink something." The fox shook Hiei gently, waking him and helping him sit. He frowned as the Jaganshi refused the canteen. "Hiei! You're going to become dehydrated."

Hiei glared at him. "Kurama, every time I eat or drink something, the crystal rises."

"What?! But when I gave you painkillers-"

"The same thing happened, but the pain was dulled because of the painkillers. There's nothing I can do about it."

A tear gem fell beside Yukina, clinking on the crystallized ground. "Why didn't you say something?! We could have traveled faster!"

Hiei shook his head. "We've been traveling as fast as possible. We can't go any faster. Not with me like this."

Kurama scowled. "You still could have told us! If we'd known it would spread, we could have amputated it!"

Hiei glared at Kurama, then sighed. "I didn't tell you before. There was another survivor. His legs were both afflicted to the knee. When it started to spread, they amputated them. But it continued to spread. He died." The fire demon scowled. "At first, my foot was crystallized, but it also spread." The Jaganshi glared at Kurama. "If this kills me, I'll die with two legs."

Kurama sighed. "So it spreads if you eat or drink anything?"

Hiei shook his head. "It spreads all the time, but the process slows if I sleep. My body's been trying to put me into hibernation..."

Yuusuke sighed. "So let it. I know where we are and all we really have to do is follow the crystal."

Kurama smiled. "But first you're going to take some painkiller." He held up a vial. The Jaganshi took it without complaint, along with the water that the fox handed him. He quickly fell asleep, and Kurama covered him with a blanket.

They started off again, soon reaching a field of crystallized youkai. Hiei's battalion. Kurama helped Boton through the field, followed by the others. When they were through, Yuusuke sighed. "Only two survivors of over a thousand youkai, and one of them is dead."

Kurama's face was grim as he looked at Hiei's sleeping form. "And, if we don't find a cure, Hiei will follow shortly."

Murky grinned at the portal in front of him. What luck he'd been having lately. He now ruled two worlds, and it was beginning to look like he was going to gain control of a third. "Lurky! Get over here!"

Lurky ran over, leading Starlite by a tough vine looped around the horse's neck. He stopped about ten paces from his insane former friend. "Yes, Murky?" Murky had become very unpredictable as of late, and Lurky was sure to be very cautious around him.

"Hitch the horsey to the Crystallizer, Swampbreath. We are going to expand my kingdom."

Lurky jumped to the task, mentally comparing Murky to the Dark Princess and finding only one difference. The princess had been a pretty lady and Murky was quite ugly. Lurky was beginning to wish the Murky had never invented the Crystallizer.

"Hurry up, Bird Brain! And be careful!"

Lurky worked faster, not voicing his opinions aloud. I wish we were back in Rainbowland...