Somewhere Between Hope and Fear

After weaseling time off work to care for your non-existent sick aunt who lives over seas, you've arrived in Demon World and are making your way through a generic looking forest. The reddish sky above you is a bit disconcerting as you try to get your bearings. Dressed in traditional shrine maiden attire, you carry a large hiking pack with supplies for your trip.

Would have been nice if Koenma had an actual map of this place. Though you aren't surprised. To this day, Spirit World intelligence has yet to map all but the most surface places of this realm. You do however have a nice set of directions, and you know if you keep walking north from your point of arrival you should arrive in the city Gandara, built by Yomi, in a week, give or take a day or two. The stadium for the tournament remains near the city and that's where you'll need to be.

You set your pack down and climb up to the top of a tree and scan the horizon.

It will definitely take at least a day to get out of this forest.You conclude. In the distance you spot a fast moving dust trail and make a note of it. You don't know what you may encounter and you may have to fight.

You climb down and resume walking. You can't help but be a bit nervous, but you're putting faith in Enki's laws regarding humans and your own skills. You know you aren't some defenseless little girl. You've got ofuda hidden up your sleeves for both defense, offense, and a couple of other tricks as well.

I hope this tournament goes well. You continue onward until the sun begins to set. You post some of your ofuda on the trees around you, creating a barrier around your camp for protection. From your pack you pull out some nutritious and delicious instant ramen. Well, maybe not nutritious, but it was cheap and you didn't have a whole lot of time to pack.

After starting a small campfire you heat some water and enjoy the noodle bowl and its poor excuse for vegetables. When you're finished you spread out your bedroll and bank the fire. The night is uneventful, but you can't sleep.

***
After your sleepless night you are up with the sun, munching on a cereal bar of some variety and walking along over tree roots and fallen branches.

Gandara is supposed to be like our human cities and isn't far from the stadium. It was built by Yomi back before Raizen's death and the first tournament.You run through various facts in your mind. Maybe I'll be able to get a hotel room or something there. Not that you have any proper currency to pay for one though.

You spend several more hours walking and decide to get some water when you come to a stream. You kneel down and splash the cool refreshing water on your face and refill your canteen.

The ground starts shaking and your first thought is an earthquake. A sound, something that sounds vaguely like trees being ripped up fills your ears and grows louder.

Behind! You whirl around, pulling out ofuda as the noise and shaking suddenly stops. You gape at the gigantic bug before you, with its numerous legs and creepy eyes.

It's huge!

You stare, so transfixed on the creepy-crawly giant you don't notice the two figures standing on top until they jump down in front of you. Holding a defensive stance with your ofuda you quickly assess the two people before you. One probably comes up no higher than your hip at most and has the biggest nose you've ever seen. You'd swear it makes up at half the mass of its entire head.

"Human." It sniffs in your direction.

The other you estimate to be a bit shorter than yourself, gravity defying hair aside anyway. If you had to describe him in five words or less it would be "short, dark, and possibly sociopathic."

"Another lost fool. Come with us. We'll get you home." The one with the normal nose looks at you and you realize he has three eyes.

Not enchanted with the offer you reply, "Um, no. But thanks anyway."

He doesn't seem to care about your opinion on the matter and you step back as he moves forward.

"I appreciate the offer and all, but I've got things to do, so ah... Maybe you and your giant bug can give me a ride home later-"

"Hn. Sorry, humans have to be 'protected' here." The demon retorts dryly.

"Well glad to know I'm on the protected species list!" You skillfully fling three of your ofuda at him, but he seems to just vanish. By the time you realize he's behind you, you your head hurts and you feel consciousness slipping away.

...So much for protected species, is your last coherent thought.

***

You are acutely aware of two things. One, your head really hurts. Two, your moving very fast. As your eyes focus you make out the backs of 'large nose guy' and the young man with the long black coat. Fully awakening you realize you must be on the giant bug going somewhere.

"Hey!" You shout over the wind. "What's the meaning of this!?"

"It's for your own good, stupid girl." The demon glances back at you as the bug begins to slow to a stop before a fortress that is almost as creepy as the bug itself is.

"Follow me." He jumps down.

Aware that you are now lost like he said you were earlier you and your heavy pack descend less than gracefully.

"I'm not moving without an explanation! You're interfering with my assignment from Koenma!" You cross your arms and scowl, suspecting trying to fight wouldn't be wise right now and name dropping having better odds of getting him to listen to you. He silently turns to face you and studies you a bit more than he did during your initial encounter.

"Interesting." Seeing that you aren't going to budge, the guy with the huge nose bumps your legs and the other grabs your arm, pulling you along.

"Hey!" You protest, but lack the physical strength to put up much a resistance. The decor inside is disturbing to say the least and distracts you from protesting. Various facial features emerging from walls is highly disconcerting. As you pass by someone, your companion speaks to them.

"Get Mukuro." He then shoves you into a room.

Indignant, you have no words for the moment.

He leans against a wall and ignores you while you sit down in a chair. A woman with orangish brown hair about shoulder length steps inside. Half her face is shrouded but you can make out the edge of a scar by the bridge of her nose. She stands a bit taller than you, and if your memory serves you correctly, this Mukuro was one of the three rulers of Demon World before the tournament.

"What seems to be the issue, Hiei?" She doesn't bother to look at you.

Hiei? You recall the name from some of Urameshi's case files that you looked over. Small world.

She claims she's on an assignment from Koenma." Hiei shrugs uninterestedly.

"Oh? Then she's his new Detective?" Mukuro still doesn't bother to look at you.

"She hasn't offered up any proof, but she did seem a bit too well prepared to have just wandered in from Human World."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here." You stand up, getting their attention. You whip out your cellphone. You may not be able to phone home from here with it, but you know you always have excellent signal strength to Spirit World. "My name is Chiyori Fujiwara and you can ask Koenma yourselves if you like." You hit number two on your speed dial.

"Spirit World switch board. Where may I direct your call?" A voice inquires.

"Koenma's office." You answer.

"One moment please." You toss your phone to Mukuro, who catches it with ease and puts it to what you can only assume is some kind of artificial ear. In the silence you and Hiei can hear the voice on the other end of the line.

Lord Koenma's office! How may I help you?"

"Put me through to Koenma."

"I'm sorry, but Lord Koenma is actually in a meeting right now. If you'd like I can take a message and-"

"Tell him it's about his Detective." Mukuro cuts the receptionist off.

"Miss Fujiwara!? P-please hold!"

Well they seem to know her name." The female demon passes the phone over to Hiei to deal with. Koenma comes on the line after a few moments of irritating hold music.

"Who is this? What about Chiyori?"

"Hn. Who do you think it is?" Hiei snorts.

"Hiei." Koenma recognizes the voice. "Is Chiyori all right?"

"So she is your Spirit Detective?" Hiei asks.

"Yes, now is she all right-?"

"Something you should have worried about before sending her to Demon World alone. She's fine. We picked her up a little while ago." Hiei answers, glancing over at Mukuro.

"Well, would you please release her? She's on official Spirit World business!"

"No, we can't have a human wandering around alone." Mukuro looks thoughtful. "Tell him we either send her back home or he sends someone to be responsible for her."

Hiei relays the message in less words.

"... Very well. I'll be sending someone over as soon as possible." Koenma disconnects.

"Hn." Hiei closes your phone and throws it back to you. You fumble to catch it.

"Show our 'guest' to a room and keep an eye on her." Mukuro leaves.

"...Babysitting detectives again." Hiei grumbles.

You grumble under your breath, "This is ridiculous."

The room you are given is sparsely furnished and in your opinion, the bed resembles a giant beanbag chair rather than a futon or mattress. But it does beat sleeping on the ground. You choose to disregard the fact Hiei isn't leaving and set your things in a corner. He has nothing to say to you, and you have nothing to say to him as you remove several things from your kimono sleeves and place them on the table. You slip out of your lacquered wood sandals and sit by the window. You let your thoughts wander, but are startled out of them by the cheerful ring of your cellphone. It even gets Hiei's attention. You grab it off the table and answer.

"Hello!" Koenma speaks. "I just wanted to tell you someone will arrive in three days."

"Okay. Thanks." You don't think to ask who.

"Take care, Chiyori."

"Bye." You hang up and return to the window sill in silence, which is probably less awkward than trying to hold a conversation. It isn't as bothersome as I you expected and you could almost forget you aren't alone. Still, after awhile you decide to try striking up a conversation.

"So, will you be fighting in the tournament?" You turn your head away from the window to look at Hiei.

"Yes, though not out of any particular desire to rule." He doesn't even look up at you.

"Then what for?" You blink. He doesn't answer so you turn your attention to the slowly setting sun and change the subject. "... I don't suppose I can get some dinner?" You haven't eaten since this morning and there's not sense eating your own rations if you don't have to.

Hiei glances at you wordlessly and moves from the wall. You take this to mean "yes" and follow after slipping on your sandals into the hallway.

En route you pass by Mukuro and although nothing is said, you're sure some sort of silent communication was exchanged between the two demons. Eventually you arrive in a large mess hall. Based on the size you conclude that this fortress must have once housed a very large army. However, today there are only a few groups of demons scattered about. And they're staring at you, whispering. You simply ignore them.

You sit down with a bowl of... something, deciding you're better off not knowing what it is your eating if the decor of this place is any indication. While you're eating a curious enough demon approaches and addresses Hiei.

Why... has this human not been sent back-?"

Again, talking about me like I'm not even here. You set your spoon down and before Hiei can answer say, "Valid question, but not your concern."

The demon looks at you like its some kind of miracle that you can speak, then back to Hiei.

"As she says." Hiei answers. The demon returns to his own table.

Finishing your ambiguous stew you walk about a step behind Hiei, back to the room you've been given.

"Do all demons in this place treat humans as incompetent?" You muse.

"Most of you are." Hiei glances back at you.

"Well, we are only human after all." You smirk in mild amusement and close the door behind you both. Once again you remove your sandals. Hiei sits in silence while you shed layers down to your under kimono for bed.

"If there's some place else you'd rather be, or some one else you'd rather be with go ahead."

"There is." He rests his feet on the table. "But she wants me to babysit you."

"I'm not going anywhere. Even if I wanted, now that you knocked me out and dragged me here I really am lost. My head is still sore!"

"Hn, if you'd just been hypnotized like all the other idiots by my Jagan eye your head would be fine." He taps the center of his forehead where his third eye is concealed beneath a white band.

"My mind is well shielded." You flick one of your five earring, one with a chain connecting it to a ear cuff with two stones hanging from off it for emphasis.

"A talisman." Hiei notes.

You nod and yawn. You haven't slept in two nights actually. Last night you hadn't been able to, and you couldn't sleep the night before you left either.

"Good night." You turn out a few strange lamps of some kind and flop down on your unusual bed. Exhausted you fall asleep swiftly and dream of spraying giant bugs with Raid.