Kurama crouched, pounced, rolled with Hiei in a tangle of arms and legs, landed on him, dropped his head to kiss him, grasped and groped faster than Hiei could push him away. It was much easier to seduce Hiei in his dreams, as well; the boy had some _wonderful_ fantasies, and Kurama loved acting them out.

But Hiei wasn't in a playful mood this time. Kurama glanced around, to see if anything in the surroundings could give him a clue as to what was bothering Hiei; he could see nothing.

Hiei sat up, frowning. Kurama turned to follow his gaze.

Then he saw stars as a blow crashed against his skull, driving him out of the dream and into painful reality, and he heard a sound he recognised only vaguely as his own scream.

And then he was unconscious again.

He staggered to his feet, dazed, unable to wake. He remembered his training, forced his mind to clear, dropped into a defensive pose, took stock of the situation. His eyes refused to focus, but he could see a form moving in front of him, could sense you-ki, could feel powerful magic around him. He gritted his teeth.

"There's no one to fight," spoke a low voice he knew, from his past, from his nightmares. "Only me."

"Nanda?" he snapped.

"You aren't the same frightened little boy you were last time," she laughed, moving closer to him. He was suddenly able to focus on her face, and the sight of her fine features threw him back in time, to the weeks he'd spent with her.

"How did you bring me here?" he snarled.

"You were sleeping," she pointed out, "with your mind linked to that of a _Human_. They tend to sleep quite heavily, in my experience. It was easy enough to drop a little spell on you to ensure you stayed asleep. Still a little fuzzy, are you?"

"Bitch," he snapped. "Where's Kurama?"

"Your little friend is fine," she assured him, lifting her hand, waving away the clouds in his head. "He's being taken back where he belongs, right now." Hiei bared his teeth, disbelieving; she'd always been a liar. She laughed, knowing his thoughts. "I promise you," she said, "he's being returned to the Ningenkai with little more than a headache. I have no interest in him; it's you that I want." He did not relax. "Tell me," she went on, taking another step toward him. "What do you find so appealing about a Human boy, anyhow? They're so terribly -- mortal."

Hiei backed away, opening his Jagan in order to intensify his senses. No one behind him. In fact, there was no one in the room except for himself, and Reikaze. She'd always had her guards around her, before, no matter what she'd been doing.

"I told you," she said quietly, with a small smile, "there's no need for you to fight. I want to show you something, and then you can go." He stared. Reikaze motioned for him to follow her.

Despite his wariness, he did.

Out of the room and into a cold corridor; he recognised her palace. She led him down the corridor to an intricately carved wooden door, and placed her delicate fingers on the handle. "Look," she said, "but say nothing." He did not acknowledge her. She pushed the door open, and Hiei looked in, suspicious, ready for an ambush.

All he could see was a huge bed, draped in white curtains. "Sh," Reikaze warned him, and tiptoed inside. He followed her, silent. She pushed aside one of the curtains, gestured to the bed's lone occupant.

Hiei raised an eyebrow at the child who lay curled in sleep in the middle of the bed, lost in its vast whiteness.

He turned and walked out of the room.

Reikaze followed him, and shut the door. Hiei folded his arms, glared at her. "So?" he growled.

"She's yours," Reikaze told him simply.

"What do you mean, mine?" he snapped.

"She's your child," she replied. "From the last time you were here." His stomach clenched, and he felt sweat break out on his skin. Something tickled the forefront of his mind, something he desperately wanted to forget, and had.

"Nani?"

"Hiei," Reikaze said with an enigmatic smile, "walk with me. I have much to tell you." She turned and walked down the long cold corridor again. After a moment, Hiei sped to catch up with her.

He woke slowly, dizzy, his head pounding. He remembered the dream, suddenly, and sat up; he felt immediately nauseated, and fell back on his pillow, closing his eyes. "Hiei," he murmured, weak. "Hiei?"

No response.

"Hiei?" he repeated, sitting up again, forcing down bile, looking frantically around the still-dark room. The window was shut; and he was alone.

Kurama cursed.

He staggered to his feet, grabbed the first outfit he could find, and dressed, hurriedly. He leaned on the door, taking a deep breath, still fighting nausea, then stepped out of his room.

"Shuuichi?" He cursed again, silently, as his mother's sleepy voice drifted to him.

"It's all right, 'kaasan," he said. At least, that was what he _wanted_ to say. What actually came out was a strangled sound, and then he collapsed, hearing Shiori's cry as though from a distance. He noticed, before he blacked out a second time, that there was blood on his hands, and he could taste it in his mouth.

"I wanted a child, and you were there. I took what I needed, and she was born."

"So you've proven you can have children," Hiei spoke quietly, teeth clenched. "Why did you bring me back here?" She sighed.

"I want you to marry me, now," she told him. He stopped. She turned to look at him.

"I will not," he snapped.

"I want you to marry me," she informed him, "for her sake."

"Why?"

"She needs your protection." A pain shot through his head, as something tried to break through a barrier. Hiei stuffed it back behind its enclosure, willed the pain away.

"You've done well enough without me."

"I need you, Hiei." He paused. He turned to face Reikaze, watched her for several minutes.

"You never needed me," he told her finally. "You could have had a child with anyone else."

"I've needed you since the day you left," she told him. "I had no idea how attached I'd gotten to you, until you were gone."

"Then why now?"

"Do I need a reason? Very well. I love you. I love you and need you and want you to marry me, be bound to me for a lifetime."

"You have lied," he told her, "and you continue to lie." He turned to walk away.

"I named her after you," Reikaze called. "Her name is Juei." He kept walking. "She's as weak as you were, when I had you here." He clenched his teeth, but refused to satisfy her with a reaction.

"Otou...sama?" He froze. A child's voice, ringing out in the corridor, echoing off the cold walls for what seemed an aeon, before fading into silence.

He turned.

Peering sleepily out of a doorway was the tiny pale face he'd seen in the bedroom. She rubbed one eye with a little fist and looked up at him. Behind her, Reikaze smirked.

"Otousama?" the child repeated, blinking. "I knew you'd come for me." She walked toward him. He made no move, could only stare at this delicate thing Reikaze claimed was his.

She stopped, in front of him, and tilted her head up to him, and he knew in that instant she was his daughter; there was not a moment's doubt in his heart.

She had Yukina's eyes.

The pain in his head returned, intensified, threatened to overwhelm him as he looked into the beautiful blood-red eyes of his daughter.

Warm hands, on his face. Frantic voices. A telephone call; and then footsteps.

"Kurama?"

"Shuu...ichi," he corrected, his tongue thick.

"Kurama, it's me. Yuusuke."

"Yuusuke..."

"Your mother called. She said you were hollering for me. What the hell happened?"

"Hiei," he said, attempting to sit up. Yuusuke slipped an arm around his shoulders, helped him. He swallowed nausea. "Something's happened to Hiei."

"Something's happened to _you_," Yuusuke shook his head.

"Where is she?" he managed. "My mother."

"In the kitchen. Kurama, who did this?"

"I don't know," he said, closing his eyes. He heard Shiori's footsteps as she shuffled into the room in her slippers.

"Shuuichi," she said, her voice full of tears. "I brought you something for your head." He opened his eyes, waved away the little pills, but accepted the water she gave him; it made him feel infinitely better. If only he had a moment to himself, he could summon some chamomile, or even feverfew, for the pain in his skull -- peppermint, for his nausea --

"Arigatou, 'kaasan," he said, smiling to assuage her concern. She crouched beside him, stroking his hand. He glanced at Yuusuke. "Who -- what else did I -- call for?"

"Just Yuusuke-kun," Shiori replied. "And you begged me not to call the police." He sighed in relief. "But if someone broke into your room and attacked you -- " He cut her off, lifting his hand.

"'Kaasan," he said, "this isn't anything the police can help us with." She frowned, uncomprehending.

He crouched in front of her, his mouth open, staring. She smiled at him and held out her arms, the way Kurama did when he was sleepy and wanted a hug. Something flashed, catching his attention; and he looked down.

At her throat was a sparkling black jewel.

Reikaze laughed softly. "It's yours," she said, walking toward them. "You cried for me, remember?" He looked venomously at her.

"I did not cry for _you_," he said through his teeth.

"Otousama," the child spoke, and shifted her arms, hinting. He looked down at her again. Juei, that was her name. He didn't need to see it written to know how Reikaze had spelled it; the child's name itself was a mockery of him, as was her wearing his tear-gem.

He stood up, met Reikaze's black eyes. "Why are you doing this?" he asked quietly. She gave him a small smile, stopped just behind Juei.

"I need you," she said. "And I want you to marry me."

"I won't," he shook his head.

"If you don't," she said, "she will die." He looked down at Juei, felt his stomach clench again, at the sight of her beautiful eyes, Yukina's eyes. She smiled, and wrapped her arms around his legs in lieu of a hug. The pain in his head was blinding. He forced it back to a dull throbbing.

He looked up again at Reikaze. "What you do with her," he informed her, "is none of my business." He pulled away from Juei, taking care not to look into her eyes, and resumed his march down the hall.

"Why don't you want me?"

Juei's voice, that of a lost, lonely child, stopped him in his tracks.

He hated leaving Shiori without an explanation; but if Hiei was in trouble, he had to find him and help him. He could explain things to his mother, later.

He and Yuusuke travelled together to the Makai, for he had no doubt that was where Hiei had been taken. He scowled, flicking his ears swiftly, reaching out with his thoughts and all his senses, looking for the little youkai that had stolen his heart and his soul.

He felt a glimmer of black in one direction, and nudged Yuusuke that way. Neither of them spoke.

Juei had been tucked into bed, and Reikaze had spoken a warm spell over her, to stop her tears. Then she led Hiei to a dining hall, where scantily-clad servants -- male and female -- offered him food, drink, and any other pleasure he chose. He accepted nothing. Reikaze took a glass of some vile liquid, dismissed the servants, and sipped her drink slowly.

"Why did you give her that?" Hiei asked.

"Why not?" she shrugged. "It's a tie, to her beloved otousama."

"What did you tell her about me?"

"That you came here, half-dead, that I nursed you back to health, that you left before knowing I was pregnant."

"Half-truths."

"True enough, aren't they?"

"They're still lies. I won't be trapped into marrying you."

"I can make it very tempting."

"You don't tempt me," he assured her, truthfully.

"Oh, Hiei," she laughed, narrowing her eyes at him over her glass. "You know I can make you do whatever I want you to do." He ground his teeth.

"Meaningless," he said. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I want you to marry me," she began again. Hiei slammed his palms on the table, startling her.

"I want the truth," he shouted. "You're using her to get to me for some reason, and I want to know what it is." She shrugged.

"Warm my bed tonight, I'll tell you in the morning."

"I'm going home." He stood up, nearly knocking over the chair on which he'd been sitting.

"To him? That Human? What can he offer you that I can't?" Hiei cast her a scathing glare.

"If you want to kill her, kill her," he said. "I won't be forced into anything, for anyone's sake."

He left, without another word.

Kurama pulled up, frowning. Yuusuke looked sideways at him; Kurama turned around. "Hiei?" he spoke softly.

"Kurama?" Hiei appeared as though out of the air, landing lightly in front of them. "Yuusuke," Hiei noted, glancing at him. Yuusuke lifted a hand in greeting. "What are you doing here?"

"We came looking for you," Kurama snapped. "What the hell happened?"

"Long story," Hiei shrugged. Kurama grabbed his shoulder; Hiei winced.

"I've got all night," Kurama assured him.

"Otousama?" They all turned to see a pale child standing where Hiei had appeared; she stared directly at Hiei.

"What are you doing here?" Hiei snapped.

"I was looking for you," she told him unhappily, bowing her head, her shimmering hair falling into her face.

Kurama stared at her. "_Otousama_?" he repeated, squeezing Hiei's shoulder. Hiei turned pained eyes up at him.

"I told you," he said, "it's a long story."

"I think we'd better sit down for this one," Yuusuke suggested.

Reikaze nursed her drink, lifting the glass now and again to stare into the liquid depths. She finished it, finally, and set the glass on the table. With a thought, she summoned the Captain of her Guard.

"Get the Human," she commanded him.

"Hai," he said, and slipped away.