A.N. -- Reworked, and reposted. I feel it's much better now, and explains a little better why Hiei is acting the way he is. After all, if Mother Nature decides to interfere...

Disclaimer: YYH is the intellectual property of Young Togashi and is being used in this fan fiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Young Togashi are the intellectual property of me. People, situations, and characters in this story are entirely fictional, any resemblance to actual people or events is unintentional. I'm only saying this once, here, now & it pertains to the entire story. Thank you.

The Voice of the Forest

(Koe no Mori)

Hiei raced through the cool forest enjoying his time away from the others. Everyone else had separated and gone back to their respective lives during this rare break from the fighting. He had rarely had time to be off by himself, and he just wanted to be alone. It had been a long time since he had visited this part of the forest. He had run for so long, so quickly, that the nearest anything was miles away, just the way he wished.

He sensed an angry aura darting through the trees, following him as he ran, trying to herd him away from something to his left. This had never happened here before, what was the forest trying to protect? He turned, his hand rested on the hilt of his katana as he prepared to fight, then plunged into the brush to discover what was there. He sneered, whoever this was, they weren't going to catch him unawares.

Hiei ran faster, suddenly pursued by thick clinging vines and hampered by a profusion of sharp clutching thorns that tore at his clothes and skin, he could almost hear the forest screaming its rage at his sudden intrusion. A sneaky ivy vine twined itself firmly around his ankle and halfway up his calf, preventing him from going any further. He drew his katana and prepared to sever the offending vegetation from his leg when more vines dropped down upon him, pinning his arms to his sides and pulling him to kneel on the ground. His katana fell to earth some distance away, impaling itself halfway into the rich loam. His eyes narrowed as the vines continued tangling around him and each other, creating an intricate Solomon's knot as he scanned the clearing ahead.

He saw her standing near the center, her long hair floating about her with the same fiery blaze of reds, oranges and yellows that graced this forest in the fall. Her kimono was the rich deep brown of loam, the obi a dark green that matched the mid-summer grass underfoot. She walked slowly toward him, her skin reminiscent of very pale silvery-pink rose petals. What startled him the most though were her eyes, blue as the summer sky in June, and burning with anger, hate, and pain. He knelt there as she approached, unable to do otherwise, and stared into her eyes.

She reached out to the handle of his katana, her eyes betraying her intent to kill him with his own weapon, but drew back suddenly as if shocked. A wordless scream rose with the wind, whipping around them both as her eyes closed, her head tilted toward the sky, shrieking higher and higher before abruptly ceasing. As she fell, it was then that Hiei noticed the darker stain on her kimono, the tiny reddish puddle at her feet.

The vines slackened, as they became mere plants once more as the one who controlled them fell unconscious to the ground. He tore them apart as he stood and retrieved his katana, sheathing it formally as he glared down at this strange forest demoness. He should just leave her here to fend for herself, but something inside made him stop and pick her up. He would probably regret this later, but Kurama should be able to help her. Hiei ran swiftly back to the small town where Kurama lived with his mother, the strange woman's slight form cradled in his arms.

A tall slender woman entered the clearing invisibly as Hiei ran off, the sun shining through her transparent form. Her hair was green, covered in leaves and flowers, and her garments were adorned similarly. Her skin and eyes were both a warm nut-brown. 'Perfect.' she thought to no one in particular and smiled. The small hi-youkai hadn't noticed her 'nudge' of 'help' at all...

Kurama had just finished cleaning his room when he heard an insistent rapping at the window. Before he even opened it, he had recognized Hiei's bewildered scent. Hiei bounded through the window as soon as it was opened wide enough for him to enter. Kurama was just as perplexed when Hiei thrust an unconscious woman into his arms then retreated back to the windowsill. "Hiei, where did you find her? Who is she?" Why does she have no scent?

"I was in the forest and I don't know. She's hurt though." Hiei indicated the barely visible stain on the lower front of her kimono. Kurama looked at her more closely then, the scents were there, but very faint. Rich earth and sun-warmed grass along with the chill scent of autumn mingled with the sharper, stronger tang of her blood. He laid her on his bed gently.

"Did you do this to her Hiei?" Kurama knew that the small demon couldn't have done this on purpose, if he had even hurt her at all. He waited patiently for Hiei's answer while he gathered a large towel, bandages, warm water and a washcloth.

"No. It was strange though..." Hiei described some of what had happened to him, annoyed with himself for allowing her to render him helpless. Kurama listened as he tended her injury, her kimono had become stuck to the wound in her thigh and he needed to be very gentle if he wished to avoid reopening it. What he saw once her kimono had been freed shocked him, and he then realized just who this woman was.

"Hiei, you should come take a look at this." He held the kimono slightly aside so that Hiei could see. The wound was covered in a slightly sticky substance very much like dried pine sap, with no trace of blood anywhere to be found, only the sap. He spoke quietly, reverently, "She is the Koe no Mori. We need to take her outside if she is to be healed."

"Where do you want her?" Hiei asked as he picked her up. Nothing much surprised him now. She felt different, lighter somehow than she had earlier.

"In the garden by the shed, there's a bench there." Kurama said as Hiei carried her out through the window. They met by the shed, Hiei supporting the unconscious woman as Kurama dove into the shed, emerging with a shovel and a bucket. He dug in a corner of the vegetable garden, placing the removed earth around her feet and legs. Hiei watched the kitsune's questionable activities from his position as her backrest and could only stare as Kurama quickly buried the woman's legs in earth, then ran off with the bucket to fill it.

"Kurama, you'd better know what you're doing." Hiei said as Kurama began gently pouring the water around, and on top of the mound of earth covering the woman's legs, soaking her kimono in the process. He was beginning to feel unusually protective toward this woman, but she needed help, and Kurama was trying.

"It'd be better if we were in the woods, but this should help." He knelt down next to her, then taking Hiei's place when she stirred. Tiny vines grew along her kimono, drinking in the water and burying themselves in the loose dirt. They did not stop until her kimono, and the loose dirt were both dry as dust. She moved again listlessly as Kurama patted water gently on her face, replenishing it as it was absorbed. Hiei leapt up into the sakura tree to watch from a more comfortable perch.

"Iie.... doozo... doozo de kudasai." Her words were nearly inaudible. Her eyes fluttered before opening a moment later, fixating on Kurama who held her. The reddish stain and the miniature greenery that had traced along her kimono were nearly gone now, the dirt around her legs as dry and colorless as dust. She looked at Kurama, seeing the kitsune within his human counterpart. Her voice a little stronger, though still fatigued. "Arigatoo."

Kurama helped her up onto the bench, brushing the last of the dust away from her hem before sitting next to her. She looked around the small garden, at the forest of rooftops surrounding them outside of the wooden fence, then noticed Hiei ensconced in the branches of the tree. Her eyes narrowed as she hissed, the noise reminding Kurama of the dry menacing sound of a snake's rattle. She stood up too quickly and fell unconscious again, Kurama quickly caught her as she collapsed.

"Why is she so angry? Hiei, why did she react to you like that?" He shifted the Koe into a position more comfortable for both of them. She needed to be back in the forest, needed rain and rich earth to help her. But he also needed to find out what was going on so he could help her.

"How should I know?" Hiei leapt down from the tree landing neatly in front of them. He stared down at the woman in Kurama's arms, eyes widening briefly as Kurama passed her back.

"Hiei, take the Koeup into the woods. There's a cave there in a little clearing with a stream. I have to give my mother a reason why I'll be gone. I'll be there as quickly as I can." Before Hiei could argue, Kurama took off into the house. Hiei could hear Kurama's voice from his position in the garden, awkwardly holding the insensible Koe. He shifted her into a better position and took off for the cave Kurama had mentioned, hoping that he would arrive quickly.

Kurama arrived at the cave to find Hiei fighting off, what appeared to be a bramble-monster. Twice as tall as Hiei, the stocky golem was made from thorny bramble bushes and wielded a gruesome club. Vines snaked along the ground and through the trees hampering Hiei's movements. Kurama rushed forward to assist, but the vines quickly wrapped him up, holding him securely but not harming him. Kurama could only watch as Hiei was eventually overpowered by the vines and held as the Koe slowly walked toward where his katana had landed. She screamed as she touched the cold steel, her hand becoming surrounded by bright flames as she fought to hold onto the weapon. The wind whipped around the trio gaining momentum as she tilted her head back, then vanished as quickly as it had arrived. As soon as she fell to the ground insensible, the vines relaxed, fading back into the ground as Kurama and Hiei raced to her side.

"That, is what happened." Hiei stated as he sheathed his katana. He didn't know what was going on, but Kurama should be able to handle things from here. He turned to go, but Kurama stopped him before he had a chance to leave.

"Someone will need to stay with her, and protect her Hiei." Hiei sneered, she seemed quite capable of protecting herself. Kurama continued to persuade him. "I will speak with her when she comes around, but she needs time to recover. I need you to stay nearby. We need to discover why she has awakened."