Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho

Warnings: Story is AU and YYH characters may portray OC characteristics at times.

Chapter 4

'Hiro!'

After a few moments the page appeared at his King's side.

'Go see if my son is bothering Prince Hiei and if he is up there tell him to come down to supper!'

'Yes Your Majesty.' Hiro moved quickly to do the King's bidding.

He sprinted out of the hall, up the stairs and down the long corridor to Prince Hiei's rooms. As he was about to tap on the door a voice addressed him.

'Enter Hiro.'

Hiro bowed and as he straightened he scanned the room, seeing the prince practicing his sword forms with slow, controlled movements.

'What do you need Hiro?'

At the crisp tone, Hiro once again jumped slightly.

'Well your Highness, I was actually sent for Prince Kurama. The King thought he might be here.'

Frowning slightly, Hiei put down his practice sword and walked towards the page who was now trying to see into the adjoining rooms.

'Prince Kurama has not come here. Have you checked his rooms?'

'I will go there next.'

He bowed and turned for the door.

Hiei grabbed his coat.

'I'll come with you.'

Following the page down the corridor they came to Kurama's rooms. As the page was about to knock, Hiei pushed through the doors and barged in. Hiro hesitated outside and not a minute later Hiei came back through the doors looking annoyed.

His pace as he walked down to the Hall was such that Hiro had to trot to keep up with him.

As Hiei entered the dining hall he was greeted by the King.

'Hiei, I sent for Kurama. Is he not well?'

'Sire, he is neither in my rooms nor his own. Has no-one seen him return from training?'

A look of concern flitted across the King's face, which was quickly masked.

'Someone must know where he is.'

'I'll check with the guards. He might have continued training with them after I left.' Hiei bowed and then strode out of the hall.

The King nodded and then turned to Hiro.

'Check if the palace staff have seen him.'

Hiro bowed and left to carry out his orders.

Everyone was asked and every place was checked. After a few hours of searching and questioning, Hiro ran up to Hiei.

'The King calls for you Prince Hiei. He is in the Crystal Hall.'

Hiei, used his lightning speed and arrived in front of the King in only minutes.

Seeing Prince Koenma's image in one of the crystals Hiei tensed before walking closer.

Then the other crystals glowed as the other Guardians' images appeared.

'Hiei and the others are here now Koenma. Please tell them what you told me.'

'Yes Sire. I'm not sure exactly sure what this means but… I can no longer sense the Earth Guardian.'

Gasps of shock filled the hall and the King signalled for silence and then nodded at the Guardian of Sight to continue.

Throwing protocol to the wind, Hiei got in first.

'What do you mean you can no longer sense him?! Does that mean he is…?'

Knowing the strong bond that Hiei shared with Kurama, Koenma decided not to torment Hiei like he usually did.

'Hiei I don't think he's dead. There is a greater sense of loss with the death of a Guardian, and you all would sense that loss through our connection. What I mean is that it is like someone has put a blindfold over my ability to sense where he is and that by itself is cause for great concern.'

Prince Yusuke was the next to interrupt.

'So does anyone know where he was last seen?'

The King answered this time.

'The whole palace was searched. The last time he was seen he was destroying my courtyard and wrapping my guards in vines.'

Everyone started talking at once.

'How can no-one have seen where he went?' [Princess Yukina]

'He doesn't just disappear like this. It's not like him.' [Prince Yusuke]

'Hiei you know him best, where would he have gone?' [Prince Koenma]

'Enough!' the King's voice echoed around the hall.

Hiei who had remained quiet and thoughtful finally looked up.

'He would have gone to the forest to train!'

As soon as the words had been spoken he disappeared.

'Wait! Don't go alone!' Yukina called after him.

Hiei was already at the forest in full Guardian gear - same style as Kurama but with the addition of a long cloak, and all in black with red and silver trim and a katana at his hip.

It was pitch black and the forest seemed quieter than usual. He scanned the darkness reaching out with his senses. Then he felt it. Only slight, but definitely the feel of Kurama's energy. He pulled off his headband revealing a small slit on his forehead. As he focussed his energy the slit opened into a third eye - his Jagan. Although seemingly a tool of Sight, it was actually an amplifier of his Fire Guardian powers.

The eye glowed purple as it tried to lock onto the faint trace of Kurama's energy. Then it opened fully and glowed bright – he found it! He replaced the headband, and flitted to a spot that seemed to give off a faint green glow. He reached down to touch it but was repelled by a small barrier. He stared at the spot for a moment, thinking; then he placed his hand above the glow and sent out his energy towards it. Feeling his energy being accepted he slowly lowered his hand until it touched the ground. With the barrier down, he was free to dig into the ground around where the glow had been. He sensed it more than he felt it as it was so tiny in his fingertips. He plucked it out of the dirt and held it up to his eyes. Even with his keen eyesight he could not see the details in the darkness, but knew it had to be a seed. He heard a sudden noise off to his right, and crouched ready for an attack with his hand resting on the hilt of his katana. He stretched out his senses and opened his Jagan. When he was shown the image of a bat that had just landed in a tree he relaxed his stance. He quickly scanned the rest of the area and found it empty of potential threats. Hiei checked the immediate area where the seed was left and saw signs of crushed foliage and twigs where someone must have sat or laid down. But the light was too poor to see any other signs so he tucked the seed away carefully in a compartment in his cloak and sped back to the castle and into the Crystal Hall.

The others ceased their discussion when Hiei entered the hall, but then launched into a tirade.

'That was so reckless Hiei!' [King]

'What if that was a trap?' [Prince Koenma]

'Even I thought that was stupid.' [Prince Yusuke]

'Thank goodness you're back!' [Princess Yukina]

'Quiet! I found something from Kurama!'

The King raised an eyebrow at this.

Although his outburst was mainly aimed the other Guardians Hiei bent his head slightly toward the King.

'…Sire.'

'Something from Kurama! Of course he left us a clue. As expected of the Earth Guardian!'

Yusuke rolled his eyes at this.

'Calm down Yukina, we don't know what he left us yet.'

Hiei took the seed out of his pocket and placed it on the viewing table so that everyone could see.

Then he placed his hands above it and sent his energy into it. The seed pulsed and glowed red and then began sprouting and grew until it became a large purple flower bud. Hiei growled quietly and fed more of his energy into it but the flower just glowed red and remained closed.

'It won't open.' He announced in frustration and withdrew his hands. His hand moved to his katana, but the King placed a hand over his wrist.

'Wait Hiei. This is an Agnosce flower. It will only open for the person for whom it is intended. If you try to force it open it will destroy itself and the message it carries.'

Hiei let his hand fall to his side and took a closer look at the flower.

'This is an Agnosce? But this flower is known as the "lovers' link". Why would Kurama use this in such a situation?'

Hiei walked off to the side thinking.

'He left a message for a lover?! Surely he would want us to have the information! We are Guardians like him!' Yusuke fumed.

'But Yusuke,' Yukina cut in. 'What if he thought it was… his last message. He… would want to say something to the person he loved before…'

'Do not fret Yukina. I am sure my son was not thinking like that.'

Hiei turned back towards the group.

'I agree. Kurama would go down fighting to the end. And as Yukina said before, he would have left us something to give us an idea of what the fight was about.'

The King narrowed his eyes.

'What are you thinking Hiei?'

'I'm not sure. My reasoning has… hit a wall.'

'Let us hear it.'

'Well, yes the flower is usually meant for a lover. And knowing about this strange restriction he would have known that the message could not be left for you as his father. He would therefore want to pick the nearest Guardian,.. or so I thought. But if not me, then who? And it must be a Guardian. Anyone else would not make sense unless his lover is a Guardian. Also, if he was sending a message he would not waste time choosing a Guardian who was not close by. He would know that it would take extra time for the flower to be taken to the Guardian or vice versa. If he knew he was going to be taken he would not have wanted the enemy to know he was leaving a message but he would not make it too complicated for us to get to. And knowing all this does not get us closer to opening it. So I give you the "wall".'

'No, I think you are on to something. You are the logical choice – you being here at this time - he would have chosen you.'

'But he didn't. I have already tried.'

The King frowned in thought.

Then Yukina suddenly jumped.

'Oh, I got it! Hiei, you said the flower is meant for a lover, right?'

'Yes.'

'Well could there be a special way for a lover to open the flower?'

'I don't know. I have only heard that an Agnosce can hold messages for lovers, I have never heard how one is opened. We have agreed that Kurama would want me to open it as the only Guardian here, but it does not accept my energy.'

Yukina chuckled, and the King smiled catching on to where Yukina was headed.

'You are so adorably naïve. I am guessing that the flower must be kissed by a lover Hiei.'

Hiei went from confused, to shocked, to embarrassed, to angry all in a split second.

'Don't be ridiculous! I am NOT –'. But before he could finish his protest the King moved to Hiei's side and held him by the shoulders. He bent and whispered urgently to him.

'We do not have time for this. Hiei, you know that this rose may hold the information we need to find Kurama. Don't let your pride eat up any more of what little time we may have.'

Hiei, a little taken aback by the King's rare display of emotion closed his mouth and nodded slowly, before stepping back from the King.

Thinking of Kurama battling alone and being captured, brought the anger back to the surface again and steeled Hiei's resolve.

But he still managed to grumble, 'If this does not work Yukina…'

He approached the flower and with tenderness no-one knew he possessed, he touched his lips to the soft purple petals.

A blush rose to Yusuke's cheeks as he watched the sensual act. He could feel his face heat up watching his stone-faced leader uncharacteristically be so gentle. He felt uncomfortable all of a sudden and coughed whilst turning his face away.

As Hiei withdrew from the flower it glowed once and then opened revealing a small piece of parchment rolled into a cylinder the size of a finger.

'Well done Yukina!' the King praised.

The King moved swiftly, removing the flower from the viewer, unrolling and flattening the parchment, and placing it on the viewer.

While the others looked on puzzled, Koenma had finished reading and translating and gasped.

'That is in the old language. It says:

"The key is of the earth. Only the key unlocks the power. To harness the power harness the key. Harness the earth. Break the key, break the power."

Before anyone could ask questions Koenma exclaimed:

'I'm getting a vision:

The moon….now dark tunnels… A man with bat wings wearing a crown. Kurama!... unconscious in a cage… surrounded by wards. Kurama again..on a stone table. Kurama's eyes are glowing bright blue! A blinding, white light! Ahh too bright! Now.. nothing. I feel cold… death!'