Yu Yu Hakusho:Kōrudokēsu

Chapter 9 The Frost Dragon

As Hideshi rode behind Botan towards the Glacial Village, he couldn't keep his mind off of how cold it was, even with several layers of winter gear on.
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"Botan? How much longer till we're there? This wind is really starting the freeze my bones!" he complained loudly to be heard over the sound of the air Botan was flying through.
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"Not to worry Romano, we'll be there in about an hour or so!"
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"A whole other hour?!?" The spirit Detective exclaimed, shocked at how long the trip would take them to complete. "You've got to be kidding me..."
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"I'm afraid not Romano... Remember we're traveling to a whole other section of Spirit Realm here. It's not like your typical trip to the super market!" Botan replied, trying to keep herself in high spirits.
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"Whatever... I don't even see why we should rescue this girl, she's a demon like Hiei. Dealing with her will be nothing but trouble."
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"Oh Romano, stop it! Yukina is a very nice girl, and besides, she and Hiei don't even share the same father, so she can't be even a half demon!"
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"How does that even work?!?" Hideshi questioned. "If everyone in the Glacial Village is a female, how are they able to reproduce? And also, I thought Hiei and Yukina were twins?"
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"Well, they are. Yukina was born the natural way, which is why she is a girl, whereas Hiei was born unconventionally, which is why he is a boy and is practically a full-blood demon."
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"But, wouldn't that mean she's got some of Hiei's father in her?"
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"Hmm..." Botan pondered for a moment, but found no satisfactory answer. "I don't really know Romano, I'm no genetics expert..."
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The spirit detective then perked up a bit. "Aha! So I am right! She could very well be a demon and we just don't know it yet!"
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"Ugh!" Botan groaned, giving up on trying to argue with Hideshi. This is going to be a long road trip...

***

The Ice apparition girl ran as fast as she could across the icy floor of the cavern where she was being held. She slipped and slided in places, but she knew she couldn't fall over or stop trying to find a way out.
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Yukina didn't have to feel it out. The dragon was awake now, and she had to find a way out before it found her.
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She tried navigating towards the source of the faint light which lit the walls of the cave. It was distant, but she knew she had to find it. The dragon's heavy breathing echoed throught the cavern, it had an audible tone of rage accompanying it.
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It was a loud snarl from the dragon, which was quickly gaining ground on her which caused Yukina to slip and fall face-first to the icy floor. She grunted loudly as the pain and chill of the cave overcame her body. Tear began welling in her eyes as she desperately tried to crawl across the ice towards that opening she saw the light entering from.
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Brother... I need you now more than ever! Please... Come and save me! she thought to herself in anguish.
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Miraculously, she was able to push herself back up into her feet and keep trudging forward, despite the pain she had begun to feel in her ankle from the fall. 'Is it broken? Sprained? Doesn't matter, I can heal it after I escape!' she thought to herself with determination as she trudged closer and closer toward the light, all while the dragon's cries of hatred and fury growing louder behind her.
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She rounded a corner in the cavern and saw what she dreaded most: a slope of ice and snow leading up towards the light.
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"No..." she whispered to herself in utter anguish at the sight of the slope of ice. Realizing there was no way she's be able to scale it, even if both her legs worked.
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She slowly turned around, facing the direction of the dragon's angry cries. Her heart immediately stopped as soon as she saw a massive puff of icy air flow from around the corner.
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Then a snout...
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Then several rows of sharp teeth...
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