How could Hiei-san have done this? Yukina stared after him for
a
moment before a low moan caught her attention.
"Kazuma-san!" She pressed her hands against the flowing tide of
blood, concentrating on healing the twin wounds on either side of
his torso. Delicately probing, she found that Hiei’s thrust had
left clear-cut edges which would be relatively easy to bind
together, and heal. He had missed the heart, but he had come
close - so very close! - nicking the aorta, causing the fountain
of blood which was pouring from her beloved’s chest.
Carefully, she bound the severed blood vessels, easing Kazuma
into a gentle sleep. She observed his sleeping face closely.
Yes, he would be all right, now. She felt a touch on her
shoulder, and looked up to see a worried Keiko. Beyond her
Yuusuke was alternating between gazing in concern at Kazuma and
scowling out the window.
"He’ll be okay?" He asked quickly, as she stroked her fiancee’s
brow.
"Hai," she replied quietly. "The katana missed his heart.
He’ll
be just fine when he wakes up." She turned her red eyes towards
him, as he sighed in relief. "Yuusuke-san, what happened?" She
pleaded. "Do you know why Hiei-san did this?"
Yuusuke winced. "Well…"
"I know they had their quarrels… but they were still friends!"
He sweatdropped. "Ummm…"
"Yuusuke!" Keiko ordered crisply. "Stop stalling and tell us
what happened!"
"It’s because of me, isn’t it?" Red eyes darkened, as she came to
her conclusion, then glistened with unshed tears. "I know it
is! What did I do wrong?"
Keiko hugged her shoulders, while Yuusuke looked distinctly
uncomfortable.
"You haven’t done anything wrong, Yukina-chan," Keiko soothed.
"Has she, Yuusuke?" Her voice took on a sharper edge.
"No…" He sighed, squaring his shoulders. He opened his mouth
and -
"Kurama! You can tell them why Hiei lost it, right?"
The slender redhead was standing in the doorway behind them,
soaking wet and breathing heavily. A dejected look was on his
face.
"I lost him," he panted. "He was just too fast for me. Will
Kuwabara be all right?"
"Hai, Kurama-san, he just needs to rest." She directed her
despairing gaze at the youko. "Please tell me, Kurama-san, they
were fighting over me, weren’t they?"
Kurama’s serious green gaze caught her own; he paused to catch
his breath, considering.
"Hai, Yukina," he told her at last. "They were arguing over
you. But - " he continued hastily as she smothered a sob, hands
covering her mouth. "But Kuwabara didn’t know that it was you
they were talking about."
Yukins blinked. "I don’t understand. Why didn’t he know?"
Kurama gazed at her steadily. "Because Hiei was talking about
his *sister*."
She gasped. His sister! She was his *sister*! And
he was her
brother! But why didn’t he tell her? Didn’t he like her?
Was
that why he had hurt - no, tried to *kill* - Kazuma? To hurt
her? No! She couldn’t believe that! He had been horrified
when
he had seen her standing there. He would never hurt her! But
he
had, by not telling her the truth…
She shook her head, confused. "But… why did he…?" She trailed
off, uncertain as to whether or not she really *wanted* to hear
the answer.
"Kuwabara didn’t know that it was you," Kurama repeated gently.
"He was drunk, and he said something he shouldn’t have. Hiei
was
just trying to protect you… but his instincts carried him a
little too far…"
She stared into his emerald eyes for a moment, before making her
decision. Kazuma would be all right without her now.
But her
brother… Hiei would not come back on his own, she knew.
So
*she* had to go to *him*.
She checked Kazuma once more before standing up. "I have to see
him," she told the others. "I have to *know*."
Kurama nodded, and stood aside. She left the room, and set about
finding her brother.
She had always had a bond with her twin. It was that bond which
had caused her to seek him out in the first place - for without
him, she was incomplete. She had hoped that Hiei was her brother
the first time they had met… but he had never said a word to her
about it. Why hadn’t he? Did he simply not care?
No, she knew
that wasn’t true - else why would he have looked at her with such
despair in his eyes…? He tried to hide his emotions from the
world, but he couldn’t hide them from her, not completely. Nor
could he hide his presence - not that he was trying very hard at
the moment. It was his speed that had forced Kurama to give up
the chase through the rain.
Hiei was fast - but so was she! She ran where her heart led her,
ran as she had never run before, until she caught sight of a dark
form, huddled on the muddy ground. Heart racing, she slowly
approached.
"Hiei-san?"
He didn’t move.
"Hiei-san, Kazuma-san will be okay; you didn’t kill him."
He seemed to relax a bit.
She reached out to touch his shoulders; he slowly raised his
frightened eyes to meet hers.
"I’m sorry, Yukina-san," he choked out. "I didn’t mean to…"
"It’s all right, Oniisan," she smiled at him.
His eyes widened in shock.
"How can you say it’s all right?" he burst out. "I almost killed
your fiancee! How can you possibly accept me…?" He trailed
off,
despair in his eyes, turning away from her.
She hugged him.
He froze.
"You *didn’t* kill him, Oniisan," she told him forcefully. "And
you *are* my brother. Unless," she hesitated. "Unless,
you
don’t want *me* for a sister."
He stared at her, taken aback for a moment, before shaking his
head violently. "You’re the best sister anyone could ever have!
And the kindest and the gentlest and the sweetest…"
She laughed, delighted. "And you’re the best brother I could
ever have!"
Slowly, the corners of his mouth turned upwards. Soon he joined
her in joyful laughter.
"Now everything is perfect!" she exclaimed.
Beside her, she could sense her twin’s complete agreement.