Life and work have been getting in the way of writing lately, plus my muse has been on vacation. I don't really plan any of the story ahead of time, so when my muse leaves, I'm rather stuck. She seems to be back, and nicely tanned too, I might add, so hopefully I'll get back to updating more often.

The explanation of youki in this chapter is mostly an invention of my imagination. If you don't like it, well, too bad for you. :)

Easy Japanese to English:
youkai - A demon
youki - A demon's power/energy

It gets kind of confusing, so if you are not used to the Japanese wording, make sure to pay attention to which one is being used.

Still don't own Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho--I just borrow them from time to time.

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Inuyasha was extremely glad that they were traveling downhill. Not only was the traveling easier, he had also been this way before and knew basically where he was going. He may have been bleeding and fatigued, but he'd be damned if he let that bastard carrying Kagome know that he was moving on pride alone. Just a glimpse of Kagome's curled up in the youkai's arms was enough to keep him going for several more miles. After all, the sooner they made it back to camp, the sooner the little bastard would take his leave.

When they had left the cave it had been late afternoon, at least as far as Inuyasha could tell through the blinding snow. Now, full night had fallen, and with it the blizzard had finally subsided. However, as if Mother Nature were mocking them, the clouds began to break up, leaving a clear view of the night sky. Generally Inuyasha enjoyed walking by starlight, but tonight it meant that the temperature was plummeting. Without the insulating effects of the clouds, what little heat that could be found on this mountain was now radiating off into space.

Wading through snow that was sometimes up to his waist, Inuyasha, for the first time in his long life, wished that he was wearing some of those stupid human contraptions know as shoes. He could not feel his feet at all and it was only his youkai balance that was keeping him from making a fool of himself. He had to lock his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering and he began to wonder if Kagome would make it through the cold unscathed. While he at least had some youkai blood warming his body and partially shielding him from the cold, she was totally vulnerable. The temperature kept dropping and it was already well below when they first headed up the mountain. If she had been freezing then, now she would be an icicle.

Inuyasha looked over to check on her and almost fell on his face as he did a double take. Not only was she still in the youkai's arms, which pulled an involuntary growl from his throat, she was totally free of the snow and ice that was caked on Inuyasha's own form. Her lips weren't blue and her teeth weren't chattering. Something very strange was happening.

Although Inuyasha did not always act like it, he was a fairly smart guy. If he had been as stupid as he acted, he certainly would not still be around to talk about it, not as a hated hanyou. He had learned at a young age that quick wits, cleverness, and intelligence would get him much further than his weak little claws. Over the years he had grown more powerful, but he had not forgotten the hard-learned lessons of his childhood. So therefore, when he saw that Kagome was warm and happy, with a content little smile gracing her face, his mind immediately began mulling over the possibilities.

Inuyasha took a closer look at the demon holding Kagome. He certainly wasn't much to look at, all dressed in black, but Inuyasha noticed that he too was free from snow and ice. Even as a hanyou, Inuyasha was aware of youki coming from other demons. He could feel Hiei's youki swirling around him, but he had brushed it off as a warning to others. Now he was reconsidering. 'I wonder, what type of demon is he, exactly?'

All demons have a certain "base" amount of youki. The amount can fluctuate depending on the health and emotional state of the youkai. If a demon is fatigued, then their youki will be diminished. If they are extremely angry or in combat, then their available youki will increase dramatically. However, if their youki increases too much or without control, then the demon will be forced to transform into his/her true form. Youkai can also change into their true form at will, assuming they have a sufficient amount of youki to accomplish the transformation.

Different types of demons use youki in different ways. It can be used as an attack, as is the case with Sesshoumaru's whip and Inuyasha's Sankou Tessou. It can also be used as transportation, shielding, and in certain cases to alter the immediate environment, such as temperature, weather, or wind. Youki can also be used to warn other demons in the area to steer clear. Strong demons tend to leave their youki unleashed all the time to warn lesser demons to stay away, unless they wanted a slow arduous death. Lesser demons generally do not leave their youki unleashed for two reasons: it allows more powerful demons to find them easily and it tends to drain their power too quickly to be useful.

Inuyasha knew that the demon walking a short distance away was extremely powerful. He may not have looked like much, but his body housed and incredible amount of youki. 'Not that I couldn't kick his ass anyway.' He had just assumed that because Hiei had so much youki that he left it unleashed to ward off other demons. Looking more closely, however, Inuyasha saw something that explained the lack of snow on his traveling partner. Not only was his youki swirling around him, heat waves were radiating off above his head. 'Heat waves, huh? I guess that narrows down his type to something that can control temperature.'

Not that Inuyasha would ever, ever admit it out loud, but he was secretly, deep in his heart, glad that Kagome was carried by the youkai if it meant she would not have to suffer the biting cold all the way back to camp. Inuyasha, in a rare display of both control and intelligence, refrained from making any rude comments to the youkai about his inability to handle the cold without the help of his youki. 'Kagome, you had better appreciate this...'

Now that he knew that Hiei could control the temperature, it was a tiny mental leap to peg him as a fire demon, since that was the first demon that popped into Inuyasha's head when he thought of a youkai radiating heat. When he remembered what he had seen in the cave, it seemed to fit. He knew that Shinbuu had entered the cave slightly before he had, but by the time he had ran in, the only thing left was a bloody floor and a pile of ashes. The ashes certainly could have been the remains of Shinbuu and the cave itself was extremely warm, most likely since the demon had been in a fit of rage when he first saw him.

With that bit of knowledge, Inuyasha was confident in his assessment that Hiei was indeed a fire demon. Inuyasha figured they would eventually have to fight, it was practically inevitable, and he was extra glad that his fire rat clothes were almost impervious to heat and flame. 'Makes fighting a fire demon a bit easier, at least, since he won't be able to just fry me, he may actually have to fight for once. After I get him away from Kagome, I'll show him how a real fight works,' Inuyasha thought smugly.

--

Hiei was somewhat surprised that the hanyou was still standing, what more actually walking down the mountain. A tiny, minute, almost imperceptible amount of respect for the hanyou worked its way into Hiei's system. Hiei had been expecting him to just fall over for the past five hours. He had figured that when the hanyou had been looking intently at him five hours ago that he was swallowing his pride to ask to make camp for the night. However, the fact that the question was never asked made Hiei wonder what exactly had been going through the hanyou's mind. 'It's too late now,' Hiei thought. He may have been able to read minds, but picking a certain thought out of the past was nearly impossible, unless it was an exceptionally memorable moment for the person involved. Humans were especially difficult to read, with their chaotic thoughts and feelings.

He had been trying, unsuccessfully, for the last five hours to break into the mind of the miko currently sleeping peacefully in his arms. On more than one occasion, when he tried to merely force his way through her mental barriers, he had gotten a rather nasty mental shock from her returning powers. It wasn't enough to hurt him, just startle him, but he wondered if the same would be true when she had regained her full strength.

It was strange, really. It seemed as if her barriers were sentient beings. They would reinforce wherever he was attacking and would immediately block any holes or weak spots. Hiei wondered, in awe, if the miko was even aware of what she had created. Perhaps she was still controlling the barriers while passed out? The possibilities were endless and Hiei was determined to force the answer out of her. He hated not being able to solve a puzzle.

Hiei looked up surprised, as a beam of sunlight struck his eyes. 'Dawn already?' They had been walking for nearly fourteen hours straight. Hiei noticed the hanyou was now staggering more than he was walking, but he was still on his feet and moving forward. Hiei's respect for the hanyou rose another notch, not that he would ever admit it. He watched as the hanyou's ears perked up and he sniffed the air. A look of relief spread across his face. Hiei cursed himself for not paying more attention, because now he could see what appeared to be a camp just a few hundred yards further down the mountain. 'I take it that is our destination. Finally, I can wake the girl, kill the hanyou, and be on my way.'

In a show of energy the hanyou bounded the rest of the way down the mountain into the camp. Hiei decided to follow at a more sedate pace. When he finally arrived, he saw that two humans and a fire cat had joined the hanyou. One of the humans, the male, appeared to be a monk of some sort and female was dressed in the traditional garb of the demon slayers. Hiei had learned not to underestimate his opponents, but this group really would pose no challenge to him if he decided to kill them all. The monk did have a strange aura around him and the exterminator had what was obviously a youkai bone boomerang, but they still were not a threat. The hanyou looked half dead already, so Hiei was beginning to wonder if it was even worth the small amount of effort that would be required to kill him.

As soon as he stepped into the camp the exterminator rushed towards him. Just as he was about to drop into a defensive position he realized that she was calling out to the miko. She kept shooting him wary glances, but most of her attention was on the woman in his arms.

"Kagome? Kagome can you hear me? It's time to wake up, please wake up." Sango kept trying to wake Kagome, while keeping an eye on the demon currently holding her friend. Inuyasha had told them what had happened the last few days and that Kagome had asked him and the demon, Hiei, to not kill each other until she awoke. Both she and Miroku had agreed not to attack the demon, especially since he was carrying Kagome. However, if the demon made one ill move toward Kagome then Sango would have no problem with killing him as painfully as possible. Sango schooled her face into what she hoped was a neutrally friendly look. "Hiei-san, we have put out Kagome's sleeping bag. I'm sure she would be more comfortable if you put her in it."

Hiei found, to his annoyance, that he was strangely reluctant to part with the girl in his arms. He thrust the miko into the arms of the woman before him and raced away from the camp, down the mountain. "Well that was weird," Sango mused, using one of Kagome's terms. She took Kagome over and tucked her into the sleeping bag near the fire. She was surprised that Kagome's body was warm and dry. Even though the temperature here was much warmer than what she expected the mountain summit to be, it was still cold enough to require extra clothing. The fact that Kagome's exposed hands and face were warm was something to ponder on later. Now she had to check on Inuyasha. He had looked half dead when he walked into camp earlier and she had feared the worst when she saw that Kagome was not with him.

"Inuyasha, you should take a break, it looks like the other youkai is gone so Miroku and I can handle things until Kagome wakes up."

"Keh. I don't need a break, I'm perfectly fine..." Inuyasha started to wobble on his feet, belying his words. Before Sango could even force the issue Inuyasha fell over backwards, exhausted to the point of passing out. "Well at least he landed half on a sleeping bag, not that I think he'll notice." Sango took the other half of the bag and wrapped it around his feet, which were thankfully towards the fire. She knew his youkai blood would keep him from getting frostbite, but his feet still looked like blocks of ice. She looked over at Miroku, "Now I guess we wait for one of them to wake up."

Miroku shot her a lecherous smile, "My dear Sango, I know how we can pass the time and keep warm..." he winked at her.

"Stupid hentai!" but the words did not have any real heat behind them and a smile was threatening to break through her mock angry look.

--

Hiei had never been one to run from confrontation, so why had he bolted out of the camp like a coward? At the time he had been angry for letting the girl get to him, but instead of staying and merely killing the whole lot of them, he had ran away. Perhaps he was angry at the pure concern for the miko that he saw in the exterminator's eyes. After all, he had never been looked at with anything but hate and fear. Mostly, deep in his heart, he was afraid the miko would wake up, realize he had stolen the shard, and attack. He was not afraid of the miko per se, he was unwilling to test his theory that he could not kill her, since it would be a major weakness on his part and he prided himself on not having any weaknesses.

Hiei looked at the little shard in his hand. It was broadcasting a large amount of power for such a tiny little sliver. He had managed to pry the shard from the miko while he was carrying her. When the shard was in her grasp is had been a light pink color and glowed softly. Now the glow was gone and the shard was slowly loosing its pink color, turning into a deeper violet. Hiei had heard rumors that the Shikon no Tama had appeared again, only to be broken. It was said that even a single shard could grant enormous power to a youkai or human.

He was confident that the shard in his hand was a shard of that famed jewel. Hiei wanted to become more powerful, but not by using such a cheap trick. He would keep the shard for now, it was bound to lure demons for him to fight, but he would not actually use it. Not until he knew more about it at least, and why the girl was searching for it. Plus he had yet to find out how Onigumo figured into the girl's quest. 'I guess I'll just have to find out for myself, I'm sure someone can be persuaded into disclosing that disgusting human's location, then I can kill him slowly and painfully.'

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