Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Yu Yu Hakusho series. I do own Queen Meena and Princess Aurora and General Zan and his son Roger. But that is it. And as one of my followers has asked... Yukina will make her debut here in this chapter. And I only changed the fact that Hiei is like ten or twelve years older than Yukina is. So Alrighty then my peoples. Without any more bull from me, here is the next chapter of Forbidden.

_))_))

Hiei sighed lightly as he leaned over the table and looked into the cup of tea that Yukina had sat in front of him. He knew that she had put a sleep aid in it, because she had been trying to get him to take one for the last two nights. He refused and knew that she was trying to dose him in one way or another. Genkai was responsible for that. She was such a sweet woman until she came to live with the old human. Now she had learned how to lie and to keep a secret from him. He didn't like that. He had loved the fact that his little sister was an innocent young woman who would do things the honest way. Now she would trick him in order to get her way. But he knew that she was only trying to help him, but he was still disappointed. His love for his sister was stronger than a little trick to get him to sleep for a few hours.

Yukina frowned as she watched her brother look into the cup with a disappointed scowl on his face. She shook her head and silently wished that he would tell her what was going on with him. He had showed up here one night and had been sulking around for three days. This was the first time that he had even sat down with her for a few minutes. Yukina looked over the table at her brother and sighed lightly.

"I wish that you would tell me what is going on with you, Hiei," Yukina said to him.

Hiei looked up at her and knew that he was going to have to tell her sooner or later. He sighed heavily and leaned back against the chair. "I was fired."

Yukina frowned. "What? Why?"

Hiei shrugged his shoulders. "All hell broke loose at the castle and Youko accused me of trying to become more than a bodyguard with Aurora."

"Is it true? The King wouldn't accuse you of such a thing unless he had merit to believe it," Yukina was a little smarter than she looked when it came to her brother. Although he was about four and a half years older than her, he was still an open book for her. Hiei had never been this upset about being fired.

Hiei shook his head lightly. "Not true at all. I mean Aurora and I have always been close. But now that she is getting a little older our bond seems to have shifted in the King's eyes. It hasn't for us though. We still were just really close friends. She trusted me and I trusted her."

Yukina sat back against her chair and pondered what her brother told her. There was something more that he wasn't saying and she tried to figure it out. "Does Aurora feel anything for you?"

Hiei shook his head. "She made it very clear to her father that she didn't have any type of feelings for me. Not the kind that the King was suspecting anyways."

"But the way you are describing it, you must know something more," Yukina said to him before taking a sip of her tea. "There has to be something more, Hiei. You have been fired before and you have never been this upset. You have been fired for many different reasons and one time you WERE fired for sleeping with the bosses daughter. What has you feeling like someone ran over your dog?"

Hiei smirked at the human expression. Thanks to Genkai and the two humans she trained for Lord Koenma, Yukina had a wide variety of sayings that she used towards him. But she was right, he did feel like someone ran over his dog and he knew the reason. He didn't want to leave, but he knew that if he had stayed, something WOULD have happened with Aurora and he dared not go down that road with the Princess.

"I'm upset because that place became my home, Yukina," Hiei lied, hoping that answer would satisfy her for the time being. "Having to leave because of the uproar that I was causing the King was the hardest thing I ever had to do. You must understand what that feels like, you have had to leave your home before."

Yukina snorted. "The Ice Kingdom was the place where we were born, and after mom died it never felt like home. I left because I wanted to be with my family, not a bunch of people that thought I was odd because of the fact that my big brother was a fire demon. Your situation, however, is somewhat similar, I have to agree."

"Thank you," Hiei said sarcastically at the reminder that he was 'The Forbidden One'. "But Yukina, they wanted you, not me. And my situation is not the same as yours. You wanted to leave that forsaken place, I didn't."

"Then why did you?" Yukina pointed out. "The King fired you, he didn't kick you out saying never to return."

Hiei looked down, damn his little sister was perceptive. He didn't have to tell her anything and she could read it in his face. That was a trait of hers that Hiei didn't like one bit. "Yeah, well I left because I had to."

"Why?" Yukina pushed. When she didn't receive an answer she sat her cup on the table and leaned forward. She cleared her throat as she delved into the mind of her brother. "You left because you DO have feelings for the Princess and you wished that you didn't. Tell me I'm wrong."

Hiei groaned as his sister read the next pages of his open booked face, making him dislike this trait of hers even more. Yukina didn't give him a chance to answer, for she had only taken a breath to continue.

"You left because you feared that staying there would only tempt you to make the King's accusations correct. You do have feelings for her and the fact that she stated out loud to her parents that she didn't return your feelings made you leave. You care more about what her parents think of you, than what is good for you."

Hiei sighed heavily. "Please don't, Yukina."

"No, Hiei," Yukina said as she pressed on. "You need to hear the truth out loud because you know that what I say is true. You don't just have any feelings for her, you do in fact love her."

Hiei looked down and groaned inwardly. Shit...

"There is something that you do not know about our kind, Hiei," Yukina said as she stood up from the chair across from him. She sat in the one that was next to his and she took his hands in hers. "When a Koorime chooses to live away from the Ice Kingdom and they choose to have a mate in life, there can only be one. Yes there can be temporary partners and an occasional fling with a stranger. But there is only one person out there for us that is our mate. Our soul mate. The one person that is created as our equal to fill in the voids of our hearts. When you find that person a very special bond is made, Hiei. One that cannot be broken. A bond that is so tight, but parties are left heartbroken when they are separated. That is what you are feeling, brother."

Hiei looked up at her. "Soul mates are a myth."

"Not true," a voice said as a horse and rider came thundering up from the forest.

Hiei blanched as he stood up from his chair. What the hell was Zan doing here?

"You are one tough cookie to track down," Zan said cheerfully as he dismounted.

"What are you doing here, Zan?" Hiei asked as the taller demon walked over to him.

To Hiei's surprise, Zan actually hugged him tightly before releasing him and reaching into his coat pocket. "I was sent by Youko. He has a message for you."

"Go home, Zan," Hiei warned darkly as Zan held out a rolled up scroll. "And take the King's message with you."

Zan frowned. "Hiei, I don't understand... he wants you back home."

Yukina smiled lightly as Hiei visibly flinched at Zan's words. "You see that, Hiei. You left a void in more than one heart."

"Zip it, Yukina," Hiei barked and slightly turned to her. His eyes were darker than normal and Yukina bit her tongue.

"Hiei, listen," Zan began but Hiei held out his hand to stop him.

"Don't," Hiei said sternly. "I am not going back. Now, you have tried to deliver the message and it was denied. Go back to Youko and tell him as much. And then leave it alone, Zan."

Zan's frown deepened as he returned the scroll to its hiding place and walked back to his horse. "Very well, Hiei. But heed this warning... the King will know where you are. And I won't be surprised if I am not the only visitor that you receive."

"Tell the King not to waste his time, I won't be here when he arrives," Hiei said coldly as he watched the man mount his horse.

Yukina shook her head lightly as Zan and his horse stared at Hiei for a moment. With a heavy heart and a dreaded message to return to the King, Zan turned his horse away and was gone as fast as he had appeared. Hiei sighed heavily as he turned to Yukina who was now standing with her hands on her hips. He frowned and knew that she was about to explode on him. He growled lightly and walked passed her into the dojo. Yukina turned and followed him closely, knowing that if she didn't talk to him now, then he would leave and she wouldn't get the chance to again.

"Hiei, why on earth did you do that? The King wanted you back, what does that tell you?" she said quickly as she tried to keep up with him.

They walked passed the two humans as they were sitting on the couch playing a video game. Genkai was standing at the doorway that lead to the bedrooms and seen that Yukina was upset. She knew that if she stood in the way, Yukina would be able to settle whatever it was that was going on with them. She stood directly in the middle of the closed doorway and crossed her arms. Hiei frowned at the old woman who dared block him in. He turned and seen that the two humans had paused their game and followed suit with the door that they had just come through. Yukina was still standing behind him waiting for his response but he refused to give it to her.

"Hiei," Yukina said softly. "If you walk away now, then you will regret it for the rest of your life. Soul mates are built and designed like that. Once that connection is made, there is NO going back. It is permanent."

"You act as if you know what it feels like, Yukina," Hiei snapped as he turned to her. "You don't, Yukina. You are still young and I know for a fact that you don't know what I am feeling."

"And what does being young have to do with it, Hiei?" Yukina barked. "You act like you are fifty years older than me, but you aren't. You are just as young as I am!"

Hiei growled at his little sister. "I have seen things that you will never see in this life, Yukina... I have been places that your darkest dreams couldn't compare to. Some things in life are never what they appear to be.."

"Enough, Hiei!" Yukina shouted. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself! If you think for one second that you are feeling like shit, think about what Aurora must be feeling! What your absence is doing to her! If you could just stop and think about what one selfish decision will do to the ones that you care about!"

Hiei frowned. For the first time, in a long time, he was only thinking about himself. He hadn't forgotten about Aurora but he didn't take into consideration what would happen if he did leave her alone. Yukina took in a deep breath. She blew it out in a slow steady motion as an attempt to calm herself down.

"If you feel so bad about having to leave, multiply it by two and add a bunch of hormones to the mix," Yukina said. "A sixteen year old girl, the soul mate that left... you left her family with a ticking time-bomb with a fragile trigger. If she hears that you refused to come back, I fear what will happen back at the castle. You had better hope that the King intercepts Zan and hears it alone, not where Aurora can hear it."

Hiei blanched again, this time causing his blood to run cold. Yukina was right, Aurora did have a temper. If she found out that he left and refused to come home, all hell would break loose all over again. He shook his head and sighed heavily. "You are right, Yukina."

"Damn straight I am!" Yukina snapped. She seen that his eyes were back to normal and smiled lightly. "You really are a stubborn man, brother."

"And you are a persistent little shit!" Hiei said to Yukina as he seen Genkai step away from the door. He turned and walked out of the door and to his bedroom. There were a few things he needed to take care of before he left to go back, he only hoped they wouldn't take very much time.

_))_))_

Three days later, Hiei was tightening the strap to his saddle when he heard a small group of horses thundering in the distance. He looked beyond Quicksilver's head and seen what he knew would be coming sooner or later. Youko and Zan and Roger were coming at him at full speed. The look on Youko's face wasn't one of anger though, Hiei knew that face all too well. He frowned as the small group came closer. Youko pulled his horse to a stop and looked around.

"Where is she, Hiei?" Youko said quickly.

"Who?" Hiei asked as he slipped the reins over the horse's head.

"Aurora!" Youko said quickly again, his breath coming in quick pants.

Hiei frowned, the look Youko was wearing was of worry, not anger. "What do you mean? I haven't seen her. What is going on?"

Zan swallowed hard. "She intercepted me before I could get the message to Youko... she has been missing ever since."

Hiei's heart fell to the floor. "Why on earth would you tell her?"

"I didn't have to! She smelt your scent on me, and put the pieces together herself," Zan defended. "She went looking for you, but the guards at the territory border said that they hadn't seen her either. Is there another way into the human world?"

Youko looked at Hiei and frowned when Hiei shook his head. "She must still be in the central lands then. Hiei you have to find her, you know her better than anyone. You know where she goes when she needs time alone."

Hiei pulled himself up onto his mount and nodded to the King. He turned back to the dojo where Yukina was standing. She waved to him with an all knowing grin on her face, he was just glad that her hearing wasn't as good as his was. For all she knew, the King was simply telling him that it was time to come home and Hiei was agreeing. He needed something that she had, though. She possessed a crystal that would show you what you want most. He knew that if he asked her, she would know instantly, but that was a chance that he was willing to take. He turned his horse to the dojo and trotted up to her.

"Give me your Ashokken crystal," he said and reached out a hand to her.

Yukina frowned. "Why?"

"I need to borrow it," he answered simply. "I will return it to you soon, I promise."

Yukina frowned deeper as she reached around her neck. She pulled off the necklace that held the special crystal that her mother had given her. Hiei knew that the crystal was how she had found him, she wanted her brother back and that crystal had led her directly to him. She handed the crystal to Hiei and smiled lightly. In that moment, he knew that she understood why he needed it.

"I hope she is alright," Yukina said softly as she looked up at the King. "I know that you will find her though."

Hiei smiled lightly and placed the crystal around his neck. He turned the horse back to the small group and kicked his heels into the horse. Like a bolt of lightning, the horse was with the group and the four of them headed back to the Youko's territory.

_))_))_

End of Chapter Ten. I told you that things would spice up soon. Now the Ashokken Crystal is not real. In the story it is a crystal that can lead a person to the thing that they desire most. It is like a compass that leads the user to what they seek. Alright, comments and reviews welcome, until next time. Hope you enjoyed.