The Koorime's eyes glided to Hiei's figure. His back was turned. She muttered something under her breath, commanding all her remaining life force. Then once more the katana in her hand glowed.
Odd. Eventhough her youki was getting bigger, the boy still didn't make a move. "Aitsume," she swore as her sword came in contact with the blood-stained ground.
The sound made by the blow was deafening, but somehow it wasn't loud enough to wake the sleeping Koorimes up. The ice maidens lying on the pink snow.. one of who didn't have a chance to see the Forbidden Child take all her hatred.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hiei looked frantically about him. He was enclosed in darkness, and he felt like there was a thousand eyes watching him fall. Watching him fail.
"Hn." There were no other creatures in there, it was him. "Just reflections," he thought.
His mind wandered over to his sister again. He had wanted to see her, and he would have if Mukuro hadn't sent him to patrol that forsaken region.
"Yukina..."
The fire demon closed his eyes as he hit the bottom of the glass case.. and passed out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Yukina's eyes looked thoughtful. "Something is not right," she murmured.
It was still dark outside, not to mention cold, but the girl sitting on the wooden stairs of Genkai-baasan's temple didn't seem to notice. How would she? Afterall, she was born an ice-weilder.
Born... yes, not alone though. She had a brother.
"A brother.."
A faint green-colored light radiated softly from her palms; a figure slowly taking shape in her cool fingers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The pretty snow maiden appeared to be more tranquil than ever. Kurama stepped closer, taking in the innocence she exuded.
"Yukina-chan?"
No answer came. "It looks like she's preoccupied with something," the youko told himself.
Indeed, she was lost in her reverie. A dream, of her mother... a being made of fire.. a clear Northern Makai sky...
"Yukina-chan?" Kurama was now sitting beside her.
"H-hai, Kurama-san?" She blushed, wondering how long she could have been dreaming.
"What's that?" the red-head asked, referring to the molded crystal in her hands.
"Kore wa?" Yukina looked at the transluscent substance she was holding. "I was just trying to amuse myself while waiting for the sun to rise."
"May I see it?"
Yukina nodded and handed him her opus. "Kurama-san?"
"Yes?"
"Ohayoo gozaimasu," she greeted. But the kitsune's attention was on the ice figurine. It resembled someone he knew. Someone close to him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hiei.
His mind was all in a haze. The little demon was running down a dark plane, without a hint of where he was going.
Yukina... It was the only thing he could think of. At last, he saw a glint of light. Hiei neared the finish line of a one-man marathon; the glint becoming a glow.
The light seemed so cozy, maybe _too_ cozy for Hiei.
The next thing he knew, he was diving into its brilliance. His weariness disappeared. A tingling sensation nibbled at his fingertips, his wounds began to heal. The tattered cloak he wore dissolved in the light's radiance, and was replaced by only pure energy.
The child didn't mind. He didn't care at all. He was totally absorbed in the image of a bishoujo in an icy-blue kimono. She was smiling, her blue-green hair fluttering in the breeze.
"Yukina," he managed to breath out before the vision faded. Before the light completely filled his head.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Botan."
The spirit guide tossed and turned in her sleep. "merry christmasss... genkai-sama.." She was dreaming.
"Botan," the figure called again.
"koenma-sama... you like the bib..."
Enma Daiou's son was quickly losing his patience. He stepped closer to the sleeping girl, crouched, and was about to yell "wake up" ontop of his lungs when she suddenly jolted upright, making Koenma lose his balance. The prince landed with a 'thud' on the wooden floor.
"Hiei-kun," Botan whispered.
"I see you already know," the bishounen from Reikai said while standing up.
"What should I give him for Christmas?"
A big sweat slid down Koenma's temple. He wanted to strangle the sleepy-eyed girl sitting on her futon for not realizing the seriousness of the matter.
"QUIT FOOLING AROUND!!!"
"Oh, good morning Koenma-sama," Botan chirped.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
He peered at the couple through tiny eyes. Kuwabara grinned, then walked towards them.
"Good morning Yukina-san, Kurama!" he greeted.
"Good morning, Kuwabara-san."
"Good morning." Kurama got up. "I'll go see if Yuusuke is already awake."
The clumsy-looking teenager immediately took the kitsune's place. As soon as he sat down beside the snow maiden, his temperature began to rise, making him seem like a living thermometer.
"What is the matter, Kuwabara-san? You seem like you have a fever."
He took her hand. "It's love, Yukina-san." He blushed even more.
Not having a clue to what Kuwabara was saying, the petite girl just smiled at him politely.
They remained that way for a couple more seconds until Yukina excused herself to make breakfast.
His gaze followed the hime-mitai bishoujo as she made her way inside the old-fashioned Japanese house. Kuwabara was still blushing. "Yukina," he kept on repeating to himself, tiny hearts pulsating in his retinas. Looking like a love-sick moron, he started dancing a little waltz on the temple stairs. Doing a pirouette here, and an arabesque there...
"Ow!" he suddenly cried, rubbing his right feet.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"E!?" Botan couldn't believe her ears.
The Reikai's prince nodded.
"What do you mean you CAN'T find him?!" Yuusuke's voice was almost hysterical.
"Could you tell us again what happened, Koenma?" ever calm and polite Kurama asked.
The four of them including Genkai were sitting on square cushions in one of the building's rooms. Botan was at the verge of tears, and Yuusuke was already radiating enough reiki to blow the whole house up.
Koenma cleared his throat. "I was doing some late night paperwork when...
George: Koenma-sama! Someone wants to see you.
Koenma: See me? This late?
George: Shall I send him in?
Koenma: Yes.
(George opens the gigantic doors leading to the topsy-turvy office of the prince with a pacifier, letting a hooded youkai in)
Youkai: Good evening, Koenma-sama.
Koenma: (eyes the youkai with small slits for eyes) What do you want?
Youkai: I just thought that you would be interested in the news I have...
Koenma: (sucks on his pacifier)
Youkai: (grins but continues) The Forbidden Child Hiei was seen entering Koorime territory just this afternoon. After that, an avalanche occured in one of the mountain ranges in that area. Explosions were also heard..
Koenma: ...
Youkai: Lady Mukuro sent three Class A youkais to check, and...
Koenma: (accidentally crumples one of the papers on his desk)
Youkai: They found four dead Koorimes. "
"Hiei-kun."
"As much as I wanted to have my men look for him, my father didn't let me. He said it wasn't our first priority."
"Ha! We'll be the ones who'll look for Hiei then." Yuusuke stood up, fire burning in his eyes; sparked by his concern for a friend, and fed by his need for adventure.
Botan nodded a sign of agreement.
"Yukina-chan." Kurama's voice was soft, barely audible, but it rang like a church bell to those in the room. All heads turned to what the kitsune was staring at, and they saw beads.. no, pearls. Yukina's tear gems, reflecting the rays of the newly-risen sun. They heard a door being slid shut, followed by rushing feet echoing through the halls.
Koenma took a step back as Botan and Yuusuke started towards him. "I-I didn't know she was listening," he reasoned.
"Koenma-sama! What will Hiei say?!" the spirit guide cried.
"Heaven only knows what he'll do!" Yuusuke added, grabbing the prince's collar.
"Stop it! It wasn't his fault." Genkai's eyes were closed.
"She's right. We still have to find Hiei," Kurama said in a worried tone.
Urameshii loosened his grip on Koenma. "Do you think you can arrange something so we can go to Makai?"
"I already have."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kuwabara picked up the crystal he had stepped on a while ago. A smile slowly crept into his pained face.
"Yukina-san must've made this." He blushed, everything about her made his heart skip beats. He examined the figurine. "Hey, this looks like... Hiei?"
Realization struck him like a blow on the head, only that it was his chest that was bleeding. Hot tears made their way through his freckled cheeks. He clutched at the molded crystal, "Yukina...san..."
Kuwabara was crying rivers now, he couldn't stop. Releasing all his emotions, he fell down on his knees, and pounded on the wooden floorboards... wailing like a child.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Precious pearls glistened at her feet. Koenma's words were like an old melody playing over and over in her mind. Sweet... yet at the same time, bitter. "The Forbidden Child Hiei..."
At some level she was jumping with glee for she finally knows who her real brother is. But still she cried.
Like ningen twins, she too shared a bond with him, eventhough
she didn't know who he was. And at that very moment she felt that the other
end of it was getting weaker, the spark silently dying out.