Kurama forced himself to stay awake through the interminable wait for Hiei's return. Finally, he sensed the nearing of his friend's mind. "Hiei, we have a problem."

"You think? Perhaps you would like to see where I wound up after that cheerful little tete-a-tete." Hiei broadcast the images in growing clarity as he approached and started opening the doors.

Kurama was horrified to see that, to Hiei's view, he had faded out of sight, and when Hiei pursued, it was to find Kurama's body laid back in Kharistahl's hand with Kiki standing over him with his heart still beating in her hand. Laughing. Then it turned to Hiei himself and in his other hand he held Kiki's lifeless body. Then it was Kiki laughing again and she flung Kurama's heart to Kharistahl and took off running into the mist.

Hiei raced forward and grabbed Kurama's limp body, but could not reach the heart. It seemed to stop beating and then turned to a shimmering red crystal. Kharistahl laughed and tossed the red stone at Kurama and it fell into the gaping wound in his chest. The wound closed and Kurama stood up, but it was no longer the Kurama that Hiei had come to know. This was Youko, with no trace of Suichi at all and he stood up and grasped Kharistahl's arm.

Hiei fled from his changed friend and chose to pursue Kiki. He chased after her and thought he had tracked her down. He was following a blond girl in a white dress, but she wasn't running very quickly. He tackled her and flipped her over to rip out HER heart, but when he looked at the terrified face looking back up at him through huge blue eyes, it wasn't Kiki.

"Stop." Hiei stilled and waited for an explanation. "Is Kiki safe?"

"No. She still has that nasty little bug she let Kharistahl implant. I don't know why anyone could be so stupid as to-"

"Have an artificial consciousness implanted in their body to help them find a way to what they want? No. I'm sure you don't."

"Hn. So now you want to stay in there. Yesterday, all you could think of was getting out."

"True, but yesterday, there was almost every chance in the world that I was going to fall into Kharistahl's trap by 'rescuing' Kiki from you and fleeing to Makai - probably the Nightmare Realm - to try to keep her out of Koenma's grip." Hiei could almost hear the gears of logic running through Kurama's head. "If that had happened, I would probably have wound up doing exactly what she wants and helping her to take over Makai. Possibly successfully."

"Only possibly? You're too modest. Besides, there's every chance that if Spirit World were not warned, they would never know what had hit them until after they were bowing to Kharistahl. And that other high-ranked Demons would see the inevitable result of combining your intellect with the power of an "S" level demoness. I shudder to think who would join your ranks. After me."

"This isn't a joking matter, Hiei. Have you notified Spirit World yet? Are they sending out the Special Forces?"

"I'm not. I didn't. They're not. Until I got here and we started talking about it, I had forgotten about that. And thank you for reminding me. Now, how does that make my opening this chamber and letting you out a bad thing?"

"I might still overpower you, grab Kiki and head to Makai."

"But you wouldn't. Besides, if I have a couple of more days to work on her, I think I can get this thing out without hurting her too much. If it weren't rooted in her fascination with you, it might be easier. Or if I was willing to rip all those pesky memories and feelings out with it, it would be a piece of cake. But you seem to think you want her just like she was before, thoughtlessly chasing after you forever. So, it will take me a little while. And since I know you DO understand this, where is the problem?"

"Well, the problem itself is in Makai. In the nightmare realm, to be precise. And she is sitting on a huge black throne made of evil energy and weaving her hateful plans through the unconscious mind of innumerable people. Even us. If she thinks there is a chance to convince me that you are going to hurt Kiki, she will find a way to do it. Or if she thinks you can be made to do her bidding through your dreams, she will do that, too."

"Hn. Not likely. Especially since she is going to be hunted down and eliminated as soon as the Spirit World Special Forces find out what is going on."

"Spirit World Special Forces only responds to threats they can do something about. Besides, she is not really a threat as long as I am not working with her. Even she agrees with that. And so the easiest way to prevent her from becoming a threat is to eliminate the one piece she needs to finish her puzzle. Me."

"Excuse me, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"No, but that's really the main reason I never said anything to anyone about this before. Of the two of us, which would be easier to eliminate and thereby nullify Kharistahl's threat to all 3 worlds? Without having to traverse uncharted sectors of Makai and half of the Nightmare Realm as well. Do the math. Then tell me that you think I should be out and about wandering loose before you are done freeing Kiki from Kharistahl's creature."

"And afterwards, what is to stop the same chain of logic from crossing the minds of those in a position to do something about you?"

"Hiei, if you were newly married to Kiki and aware of what Kharistahl is like, would there be a chance in any underworld of getting close enough to let her get her claws back into Kiki?"

"After what it's taking out of me to cut her free, you'd better not." Kurama could hear the exhaustion in his friend's "voice." "So, do we try to ignore her or do we try to fight her on her own ground or do we not sleep till this is over?"

"Well, I don't know that any of them is actually feasible, especially if you are expending vast amounts of energy to release Kiki from her grasp as well. We may have to try a combination of all three."

"And how do you propose that we do that?"

"Simple. We only sleep one at a time and when we are in mental contact, so we will know what the other is dreaming and can attempt some early damage control."

"Oh. Right. Simple. Hn."

"Well it's not a perfect solution, but it is all I could think of. If you have any better ideas, I'd love to hear them."

"No, but how do we decide who sleeps first?"

"You do. You are working on freeing Kiki from Kharistahl's creature, so you need to rest. I'm just sitting here bored. I can wait till you are done. Besides, I can defend myself from her depredations to a degree because she is going to be careful not to be too rough with me. After all, what use is the Coldest Mind in all of Makai if it's broken beyond usage?"

"Hn. Just don't slip too far into the dream with me. I don't want to wake up in the wrong head."

Kurama's chuckle echoed through the space between them as Hiei settled himself for sleep. "I don't understand why I can't let you out, but don't say I didn't give you a chance."

"Shut up and go to sleep."

"Can't. Tell me a story."

"Will it get you to shut up and go to sleep?"

"Maybe."

"Fine. Once upon a time there was a relatively young and impulsive demon named Hiei who drove his dearest friend straight into the arms of Kharistahl, Queen of Nightmares and Torments, who then forced the friend to help her take over the world. The end. Now go to sleep."

"Well that was a lousy story. Where is the happy ending? Who gets to live happily ever after? What happens to the young and handsome demon?"

"I said impulsive, but, in order, There is no happy ending. Kharistahl. And he winds up regretting being a pest and not going to sleep when he should for the rest of his life. Happy?"

"Not really."

"I suppose you want me to tuck you in, too."

"Only if you want to join me."

"Don't you think this is already a little too close for comfort?"

"Hmmm...coward."

"Hiei, shut up and go to sleep."

"Yes, Mother" Hiei rolled over and Kurama could practically see the smug little grin on his face at having got in the last word. Kurama sat back against the wall and ignored the slightly risque images Hiei insisted on sending to him. Eventually, Hiei fell into a restful and dreamless sleep.