Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ "Don't Catch Me." ❯ Flight for her Life ( Chapter 4 )

"Don't Catch Me."

A Yu Yu Hakusho fanfiction

Me: Hello, minna-san, I know you're all going to be a little frightened, but here's a new chapter for you without a giant delay!!

Hiei: -running around, scared- It's the end of the world!! Everyone's gonna die!!!

Me: -hits him over the head, angry marks appear around head- Baka! Can you stop being obnoxious long enough to read the summary for me?

Hiei: -rubs head, where a bandage appears- Ow… -grabs envelope, sticking tongue out at me- Meanie… Last chapter, Hitoshi called upon Jiryu, Kiru's grandfather. He tried to convince her to come with him willingly, but she refused. So, saying it needed to be done, he forced her phoenix to try and return to the room of the trial (see last chapter for details) to undergo the test to become the next ruler of the demis. Kiru, whose ki was being ripped apart by the phoenix, fought to stay alive while I searched Jiryu's mind for the truth. After seeing the only way to give Kiru a chance of living, was to bring her to the room of the trial, Jiryu turned into his ryu form and we set off towards his kingdom.

Me: Standard disclaimers as always… I suppose someday I'll get over not really owning Hiei. -stares wistfully at pictures of the Hiei doll-

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Hiei held his love close to him, feeling pain rip through her body as he joined his mind with hers. His arms tightened around her as she bit back the urge to scream, using that energy to hold back her phoenix instead. He nuzzled her gently when her hands fisted in the fabric of his pants.

"Is she alright?" Jiryu asked as he soared through the sides, careful of his precious cargo.

"Not really," Hiei answered, "She's hanging on, but we need to hurry." He sighed, then turned his attention back to the woman in his arms. He noticed that, the farther they traveled, the more the phoenix relaxed. Like, right now, the phoenix had calmed, and Kiru slumped against him, panting. "Ru…you okay?' he whispered before kissing the top of her head.

"Hiei…" she panted, eyes closed, "I'll… be fine, just as… long as…I can control it…" Beads of sweat ran down her face, yet she smiled, "I think…after all I've been through…when we finally…have a baby…it'll be…no sweat…"

Hiei buried his face in her hair, "That's definitely my Ru talking." His heart clenched in pain- she would joke around to calm him, even in the face of such pain. My Kiru…so brave…so strong…

She laughed quietly, then gasped as the phoenix started to fight to free itself again. Hiei's arms tightened around her, and she smiled despite the pain tearing through her petite frame. "As long…as you're here…I can…fight it," she told him, then cried out, raising her ki to restrain the creature.

"Jiryu!" Hiei called, desperation in his voice, "How much farther!?"

"Not too long, about ten minutes more," Jiryu replied. Hang on, my little one…

"Kiru…" the fire demon closed his eyes. "Hang on…we're almost there, love." He brushed his lips over the top of her head.

Jiryu saw the tender scene out of the corner of his eye. He wondered if this fire demon was truly worthy of his precious granddaughter. Every time Kiru cried out, he winced as if it was his own pain. His arms were tight around her, and he was whispering comforting words to her. A few minutes later, the phoenix calmed again, and she fell limply back against the young Jaganshi, her breath coming hard and fast.

Jiryu smiled tenderly, his granddaughter obviously loved that little runt; despite her exhaustion and weakness, she looked up at him, eyes bright with the light of her love, talking with him quietly in an obvious attempt to downplay the situation. He heard them speak about children again. I wonder if their love is as true as it seems…

Hiei brushed his lips across Kiru's cheek, "Ru…love you."

"Love you, Hi-chan…" she moved so their lips touched in a gentle kiss.

Such a simple gesture, yet it speaks volumes of their love… Jiryu thought. He surveyed the area below and in front of him, seeing that they were little more than a mile away.

"Hiei, Kiru," Jiryu called back, "Get ready, we're very near the room." He looked at his granddaughter, "Especially you, it will fight you very hard here."

Kiru nodded, already feeling the bird stirring within her, and leaned back against her lover, "I'll be… fine, just as long…. as Hiei's…with me."

Jiryu nodded back then closed his eyes as he felt her ki tense and rise. The young one's arms tightened around her, and he felt a tear gem fall on his back when she screamed in pain. He felt her ki start to drain as he landed in front of the cave. Hiei jumped off his back to the ground, taking Kiru with him. Almost as soon as her feet touched the ground, she went limp falling back into the fire demon's arms, starting to lose consciousness.

"Kiru!" Hiei cried, lifting her into his arms, "Hang on!" Cradled against the Jaganshi's chest, her breathing caught and she screamed again, tensing up as the phoenix made a desperate break for freedom. Jiryu scanned her, seeing her ki as it started to shred under the strain of holding back the power of an immortal spirit.

He reformed to his humanoid form and yelled, "Quickly, bring her inside and lay her on the tablet there! Hurry!!"

Hiei blurred inside, and lay his pain-wracked wife down on the cloth-covered tablet in the middle of the room. Almost the instant she was down, her breathing stabilized and a bright light surrounded her body. The fire demon backed up to the doorway, not wanting to interfere, but unwilling to leave her side. He felt Jiryu enter the room, then watched as the ryu put that damned pendant around Kiru's neck. Jiryu stepped back and chanted something before stepping back to stand near Hiei.

He watched, spell-bound, as the phoenix left his lover's arms; her tattoo slowly fading. He gasped, feeling every drop of her ki leave her body, including her life force, and started to move toward her. Jiryu raised an arm to stop him, though, and he looked up at him.

"We must go," the ryu said, guiding him away from the cave. "It is time for her to face judgment. There is no place for us here." He led the demon to his castle, answering several questions on the way.

"Jiryu," Hiei asked, "Just how long will this take?"

"It is hard to say, young one," the ryu replied, "First of all, let me tell you what will happen. "If she has passed the test, Kiru will appear before us herself. If she has failed, the phoenix will appear, and will give us the necklace."

Hiei frowned, "Let us pray for the former."

"Yes," Jiryu nodded, "But to answer your question, it can take any amount of time. Sometimes, the phoenix appears in minutes; others…it takes days."

"Days…" Hiei muttered. My Kiru…please be okay…

They walked into the castle, and Jiryu brought him to a spacious room with a huge window, outside of which could be seen a giant crystal. Hiei sat down on one of the chairs in the room, and heard Jiryu order wine and a light meal be brought for them. He then joined the fire demon in the room and said, "This is where we will learn if she is dead or alive. Only time can tell where her fate lies right now, but let us hope for the best."

-Six Hours Later-

Hiei looked up from the old document about the test he was reading when the crystal outside started to glow. He put the parchment down on a table next to him and got up, joining Jiryu, who already stood near the window. The dragon pushed open the window as the glow intensified, then gestured for Hiei to step back. "It is time."

The two moved back to the middle of the room, holding their breaths as a form started to appear before them. The light flashed so bright, they had to shield their eyes. But when it faded, the two released breaths they didn't know they were holding in relief. Kiru, now clothed in a tight red and black top with black pants, stood before them. Her eyes were closed, her head bowed.

Hiei smiled and approached her, "Kiru, gods I was worried. Are you alright?" He reached out a hand to touch her.

Her head snapped up and she knocked his hand away. Her normally warm crimson eyes were now a cold, hard ruby, glinting more towards purple than their usual scarlet. Her face was a study in seriousness, showing a look so icy, Hiei was tempted to shiver. "You dare touch me?"

Hiei took a step back, "Kiru?"

After gazing at him as if he were crazy for awhile, she laughed, "Ah, you must be referring to the vessel, correct? Ha!" She smiled maliciously, "She is long gone."

"Vessel?" Jiryu barked, "What is the meaning of this?" He glared at her, "Who are you, and what have you done with my granddaughter!?"

"I am Phena," she said, "And for years I have waited for a vessel worthy enough to be possessed." She ran her hands down Kiru's lean, yet voluptuous form, "And finally I have found it."

"What have you done to her!?" Hiei shouted, drawing his katana.

"I have simply found I have searched for all these years," Phena said, "You should be proud, for she did what no one has done in many millennia." She smirked, "The test has finally accomplished it's task."

"Where is the phoenix?!" Jiryu said, "What have you done with her?"

"The phoenix?" she echoed before laughing, "All that is left of your patron beast is memory and that pitiful ki-beast that has tried to stop me all these years." She smiled again, "Now that she is out of the way, no one is left to stop me from taking over those who scarred my beauty forever!"

"You," Jiryu asked, "are the Phena the legends speak of? The one the phoenix defeated?"

"Very perceptive, ryu," Phena scowled, "I am, but she couldn't kill me. With the last of my strength I, unbeknownst to her, attached my spirit to her ki." She snorted and pulled the phoenix pendant from around her neck, "When she formed the room, she trapped my spirit in this pendant. But thanks to you, I have been freed at last. And thanks to your offspring, I have a body as perfect and beautiful as my original form, if not even more so."

"Kisama!" Hiei growled, "Get out of Kiru!"

"Ha! Never," Phena told him, "The only way for her to be free is to overpower me, and that will not happen, especially not with her drained of all her ki."

"Fine," Jiryu said, "Then I'll just destroy the pendant."

"It'll do you no good," she smiled, "I'm free of it." She laughed, "There is nothing you can do, so you might as well just accept it!"

Hiei growled. Kiru, there must be someway to get you back…

--

Me: Oooh…evil…hee hee.

Hiei: NOOOO! Kiru!!

Me: Oh quiet! Now be a good boy and say goodbye.

Hiei: -waving all cute-like and stuff- Bye bye!

Me: Oh, and don't forget to review! Ja ne!