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The youkai flinched minutely, then glared at the redhead. "Hn!"
Kurama sighed as Hiei glowered. "Whatever." The fox rose and replicated two cups of hot cocoa, handing one to Hiei. The sanjiyan hesitated before taking a sip. "It was a nightmare, ne?" Hiei pointedly ignored him. "About the Gekai." Hiei looked up in surprise. "I had one the first night we were here...That they infultrated Voyager and captured us..." The fox trailed off, looking into his steaming cup.
"...Torture and death," Hiei finished softly. "If we had the same dream, I was right. The Gekai did bring us here for revenge..."
"I wish you'd been wrong, Hiei...I really do..." Kurama whispered. He looked up. "We have to warn Janeway. And we can probably help develop some of defense..."
Hiei nodded. "I have some ideas that might work..." He yawned suddenly.
Kurama caught the yawn and looked at the chronometer as he stretched. "It's three in the morning...Let's get a couple more hours of sleep. We'll talk to Janeway in the morning." Hiei shrugged, curling up beneath the blankets. Kurama yawned again and lay back.
Janeway was jolted from a deep sleep by the comm unit. She groaned as she blinked at the chronometer. "Janeway."
"I apologize for waking you, ma'am, but it's important that we speak to you as soon as possible." It was Kurama.
Janeway sighed softly, wishing she could sink back into her pillows. 5 am. I only had an hour left to sleep anyway. "I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Thank you, Captain."
"No problem. Janeway out."
Kurama smiled as he let Janeway in. "Thank you for coming, Captain. I'm sure you're hungry. We'll talk over breakfast." Janeway smiled appreciatively. "Thank you." She sat on the chair that the redhead indicated.
Kurama served bowls of rice and vegetables, then sat down and sighed. "There's a lot to tell you. I'm not sure where to begin..."
Hiei snorted. "She's ningen, Fox. Try the beginning. In words she'll understand."
Janeway hid a smile as Kurama glared at Hiei, who ignored it. "Baka youkai..." The redhead turned back to Janeway. "We'll start with the three planes of Earth. The Ningenkai, the Reikai, and the Makai exist on different planes of Earth. Humans live in the Ningenkai. When humans die, their spirits go to the Reikai. This is because the Reikai is above and in balance with the Ningenkai. There was originally a fourth plane as well, the Gekai, which was above and in balance with the Makai. However, millenia ago, the king of the Gekai, Yakumo, became power-hungry. He wished to control the Ningenkai as well, and there was a great war between the Gekai and the Reikai. Emperor Enma, after a long war, somehow managed to beat Yakumo." Kurama paused to take a sip of water, then opened his mouth to continue.
"You talk too damn much. Reminds me of Hinageshi." Hiei looked at Janeway. "So the Reikai won and sealed the Gekai in space. Gekai broke free and we had to kill Yakumo. We did and the Gekai was resealed in space. Guess what surrounds this ship. Of course, who could've guessed that humans would use their technology to do something other than destroy each other?"
"Hiei!" Kurama glared at the Jaganshi. Janeway sighed as the redhead began to speak in a language that the translator didn't have data on. "Look, Hiei, I know you're upset about being stuck here, but we are. So try being polite and cooperative so we have at least a slim chance of getting back to Earth alive!" Kurama had shifted to the well-known Makai language that he and Hiei had used to communicate before Hiei had learned Japanese. "Besides, I shouldn't have to remind you that the Makai has more wars in a year than humans have had in all of history."
Hiei scowled. "Fine. You can talk."
Kurama switched back to Japanese. "Anyway, Captain, the Gekai brought us here to take revenge for the death of their king. Our teammates may be transported here as well, but I doubt it. I'm betting that the Reikai has started watching the gates more closely since we disappeared."
"So they will definately attack in an effort to kill the two of you?" Kurama nodded gravely. Janeway frowned. "This Gekai...is there any way to defend against them?"
"I have some ideas," Hiei said softly. "Some Makai ward tricks coupled with your technology should work."
"'Makai ward tricks'?"
Kurama smiled. "Hiei is from Earth's Makai plane."
Janeway smiled at Hiei. "So you're not human?" Hiei looked away, frowning. "Voyager is a very diverse community. You'll fit right in. What race are you?"
Hiei glared at her, silent for a moment. Then he looked away. "I have no race...I'm a halfbreed." The words were barely audible.
Janeway realized that the boy did not wish to discuss his parentage any further and dropped the subject. "I'm going to have you two work out a defensive strategy with Seven and Tuvok in Astrometrics. I want you there in two hours."
Hiei shrugged. Kurama sighed. "We'll be there." He showed Janeway out, then turned to Hiei, who was glaring at him. "What's with you, anyway?"
The Jaganshi bared is teeth in response. "Go to hell, Fox."
Kurama glared at his vertically challenged friend. "Look, Hiei, I know you don't like to discuss your heritage, but she wasn't forcing you to speak!"
Hiei stood angrily. "You were the one who told me that we should cooperate so we have the chance of surviving for the next fifteen years. Excuse me for taking you literally!" The fire demon folded his arms over his chest. "You're such a hypocrite, Kurama. There's plenty you haven't told them."
Kurama looked away. "They don't need to know that..."
Hiei snorted. "And if we're forced to battle the Gekai? You plan on using your weak ningen body to fight? If you go youko in the middle of a battle, how are the ningens supposed to know you're not an enemy?! Like it or not, Fox, you have to tell them.
Kurama sat down heavily. "You're right."
Hiei shrugged. "Whatever." He left before Kurama could say anything else, grabbing his sword as he did. The fire demon walked through the corridors of the ship, exploring the territory more thoroughly. As he rounded a corner, he nearly knocked over a young girl. "Sorry," he mumbled as the girl caught her balance.
The girl looked at him for a moment, then smiled. You must be one of the guests that appeared in the Mess Hall." She nodded at him. "I'm Naomi Wildman."
"Hiei," the Jaganshi answered gruffly. "You were born on the ship."
The girl's smile widened. "You've been studying." The smile faded, and she cocked her head. "Were you looking for something?"
Hiei shook his head. "Exploring the ship."
The girl smiled again. "Well, you're in luck. Next to Neelix, I'm the best tour guide on the ship." She checked the chronometer on her wrist. "In fact, Neelix is about to go off duty. Do you want to meet him?"
Hiei considered. He did not have to be to the Astrometrics lab for another hour and a half. And he could always find out from his self-appointed tour guide where that was. He shrugged. "Fine."
The girl smiled, something that she seemed to do often, and beckoned for him to follow her, walking down the hall quickly. Hiei sighed and followed her. They entered a small room and the door closed behind them. The girl spoke. "Mess hall." Hiei grabbed the hilt of his sword as the room moved slightly, then relaxed as he realized it was an elevator of some kind. The girl frowned at him. "Why do you carry a sword?"
"Protection," Hiei stated simply.
The girl blinked. "We don't usually need protection on Voyager. And when we do, we use phasers." Hiei didn't answer and the girl shrugged. "You probably don't trust us very much yet. You will eventually."
Hiei shook his head. "I have very powerful enemies who want me dead. I've studies the defenses of this ship, and they could easily get past them. So I'm careful. If I'm not, I die." The lift came to a stop and the door opened. Hiei stepped out quickly. He was glad. He was slightly claustrophobic. He allowed himself to smile slightly as he remembered his first encounter with an elevator in the Ningenkai. No one had ridden in it again.
Naomi hurried after him and led him into a large room with many tables. The few people in the room looked up as they entered and stared at him. Hiei ignored them. Naomi hurried over to one of them, who was obviously not human. Hiei followed. "Neelix, this is one of the guests. I met him in a corridor."
Neelix, who could have passed as a youkai if he'd had a ki signiture, smiled at Hiei. "Ah. I saw you earlier, but you were asleep at the time. How do you like Voyager?"
Hiei shrugged keeping his face expressionless. "It's interesting."
Neelix frowned as he heard the bass voice. He had assumed that Hiei was a child, but he was obviously mistaken. He looked down as Naomi tugged on his arm. "I brought him here so you could give him a tour of the ship."
"Just a moment, dear." The Talaxian smiled at Hiei. "I'm the ship's cook. Would you like anything?"
Hiei frowned. He had assumed that the replicator was the crew's source of meals, but he was evidently incorrect. "I'm not hungry."
"You sure? I make a wonderful Terran sundae."
Hiei blinked. "Sweet..." He stopped and used the proper name instead. "Ice cream?"
Neelix beamed. "I made some homemade chocolate the other day for Seven. She enjoys it, though she likes to call it 'flavored ice'. And she can share. Would you like some?"
Hiei smirked at that. "Sweet snow? Sure."
The Talaxian smiled at the name Hiei used and turned to Naomi. "Did you want some 'Sweet Snow' too?" The girl nodded, and Neelix headed toward the kitchen.
Naomi glanced at Hiei. "Neelix likes to make sure that we all eat, and the replicators don't make very good ice cream."
Neelix returned with two chocolate cones and handed one to each. "Mind if I use your name for it? 'Sweet snow'. It sounds so much more interesting than 'ice cream'." Hiei shrugged and began to eat the ice cream. "How about that tour?" Hiei shrugged again. Neelix smiled and turned to one of the few people in the room. Mr. Kim, would you mind holding the fort for me until I get back?"
The oriental man grinned. "Sure. I assume you want it back in one piece?" Neelix nodded. "Aw...You ruin all my fun." The man turned to Hiei. "I guess you're one of the guests. I was in here when you arrived. Hear you're from Earth." He stuck out a hand. "Harry Kim."
"Hiei." Hiei nodded, but didn't shake hands with the man. "I'm not human."
Harry withdrew the hand. "Ahhh. So you don't shake hands. Gotcha." The man leaned back in his chair. "Well, I'll see you around. Along with the hot woman that came with you. No offense if she's your girlfriend or wife or anything."
Hiei couldn't help it; he chuckled. "Another one," he muttered, thoroughly amused. "You think Kurama's female?"
The man's grin faded. "She's a...he..?"
Hiei nodded his head. "Yup. All male." He grinned as the other guys at the table began to catcall, some of which the translator didn't catch, and watched as Harry Kim turned bright red with embarrassment. "But everyone thinks he's female at first. Even I did. It's the hair."
Neelix smiled. "Well, let's go on that tour now." Chapter Seven does not yet exist...
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