"A sword?" Rui asked, "Hina are you crazy? Is that how you cut yourself yesterday?"
"No," she replied, "and I'm not crazy. Hiei should be able to protect himself. There's nothing wrong with that."
Rui asked, "Where did he even get a sword around here?"
"I got it," Hina answered, "when I left ice world all those years ago. I never thought I'd use it, especially not here in ice world. Now Hiei can, in case the elder tries to kill him when I'm not watching."
"And what's he supposed to do with it?" she demanded, "Cut down the elder if she tries to kill him?"
"If that's what he decides then so be it," Hina said as she started preparing food on her counter. "Anything else you'd like to discuss?"
"What are you doing?" Yukina asked.
Hiei turned around from his carving and said, "Carving my name into this tree. Do you want your name carved into one too?" He pointed his sword at a tree next to him.
"Okay!" she replied.
They spent the day carving names in the trunks of different trees throughout the forest, from their name, their mother's, other women's in the village, and even the names they decided to give different animals.
Week after month they spent time together in the forest, far away from those who shunned them for being different. For Hiei, being a boy, and for Yukina, having crimson red eyes just like Hiei. It was several years before anyone figured out Hiei even had a sword. Hina was right, he did grow into it. Eventually it fit perfectly on his side under his black and red long coat.
"I wish I had a sword," Yukina said one day as they stood in the forest.
"Ask mother for one," Hiei replied, "she found this one, right? Maybe she can find another." She pulled out his sword.
"Hiei!" a voice came from far away. They looked over and saw the elder, staring at both of them. "Where did you get that weapon?"
Yukina stood in front of him and said, "Our mother gave it to him."
"Hina!" she said coldly, "That woman has lost her mind. We never should have let her keep a boy." She turned around and starting moving toward the village.
"Don't touch her!" Hiei shouted. He jumped up and cut the elder off easily, blocking her path with his sword drawn.
"We should have killed you off years ago," the elder said angrily, "you're going to kill us all, you cursed child." She tried to move away from him only to have Hiei slice into her arm.
"Hiei!" Yukina shouted.
He said, "Stay away from my mother."
"Hiei!" Hina shouted from the distance, "Get over here, now!" He withdrew his sword and jumped over to his mother. Yukina ran after him and she shut them inside of their house. "We're leaving," she said hastily.
"Why?" Yukina asked, "The elder started it."
"We should have left years ago," she said frantically, "actually, I never should have come back here. They almost killed Hiei at birth and now look at the situation we're in! We have to get out of here before-"
"Hina open up!" someone demanded outside, "We know the cursed child is in there!"
Hiei asked, "So that's it? You're just going to run away?"
"What else can we do Hiei?" she asked, "We can't change their minds. We tried that and now look. They're going to kill you if we don't leave."
"I'd like to see them try," he replied as he pulled out his sword.
Yukina asked, "What are you going to do, kill them before they kill you? That would only prove them right, that you're some kind of monster just because you're a boy. Mother's right, we should leave." The banging on the door only got louder. They finally came to an agreement and made a run for it.
"It's so warm down here," Yukina remarked as they moved away from the bridge to ice world.
"It'll only get warmer as we get down to ground level," Hina replied, "come on Hiei." She pulled him along.
He asked, "What's your plan now?"
"Truthfully, I'd like to find your father again," she answered, her face turning red as she remembered the time they spent together, "but demon world is a big place. I doubt that'll happen right away. For now, it'll just be the three of us." She kneeled down and hugged her children.
Yukina asked, "Do you think any of them will ever come after us?"
"No," Hina replied as she stood back up, "they're all far too afraid. They'll stay up there for the rest of their lives."
For months, they camped out around demon world. Hiei would build their fires and Hina would cook any food for them. It seemed everything was going their way, until one fateful day as they walked on a trail in a forest, someone came up from behind them. "Look at what we have here boys," Hina quickly turned around and hid her children to see ugly demons behind them, "an ice maiden."
"What do you want with me?" she demanded.
More demons came out of the woodwork around them and said, "You make good money, lady."
"Run!" Hina shouted as she ran with her children. They ran into the forest off of the path. Just when it seemed like they were getting away they heard more noises around them.
"We're surrounded," Yukina said nervously, "I can hear them."
Hina sat down to her children's eye level and said, "Listen to me, you have to run."
"Why not fight?" Hiei asked, "We can take them."
"Their's dozens of them," she replied, "the tears we all produce, even you Hiei, they're worth a lot of money."
Yukina asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Over here!" someone shouted, "I think I hear something!"
"We're splitting up," Hina said, "if they get you they'll imprison you to steal your tears but if they get me they might leave you two alone. No matter what happens I love you." She hugged them both tight. "Stay together," she whispered.
Hiei said, "Wait, how will we find you again?"
"Look for me," she replied sadly, "one day you'll be strong enough so finding me won't be so hard. I love you both so much." She stood back up and ran in the opposite direction.
"We can't just run away," Hiei said to Yukina.
She stopped him and said, "We don't know how many there are, mother is right. Come on." They started running in the opposite direction, but no matter how far they went, they still heard voices all around them.
Yukina finally said out of breath, "It's no use, Hiei."
"You're already tired?" he asked, "Come on, just a little further."
"Where did they go?" someone asked.
"Try over there!"
She said, "They're coming. We should split up. I'm only holding you back."
"I'm not leaving you behind," he insisted.
"There's a river ahead," she replied, "I can hear it. We'll meet on the otherside." They could hear more voices coming closer. Hiei finally agreed and took to the trees as Yukina ran across the ground.
He made it across the river easily, and walked along it, expecting to find Yukina sitting under a tree, waiting for him. He never did.
