I am sorry this is super late, but I got a little stuck with it. However, I've got it all planned out and ready to get back in it.
Anywho, shout out to those who favorited/followed/and reviewed!: TiaKay, 21, pandacutie89, Lavi-hime 43-E, Wolffy1, , RamsFan7, icecoatedsha, backoff22, Zikuro,ThexyMallory, FalleWing8Tears, BlueWingedAngelReAnne, Celestial Moon Lady, RiA824, himeko63
It was actually a pleasant day in the Demon World for once. The usual heat was replaced by a similarly cool spring day. The sun was shining brightly, but casting a cool presence across the lands. A swift breeze blew in from the west, causing many to bring themselves out of their homes to enjoy the perfect weather.
Well, almost perfect weather.
Hiei gripped the railing tightly, to a point of bare white knuckles. His business here had been finished nearly eight nights ago, but he could not leave. Not yet. With a huff, he pushed off the railing, back into his room. He looked over at the sleeping figures on his bed, dropping his shoulders, he walked closer. Right in the middle of his, unneeded, massive bed his children clung to each other. Daisuke lay on his back with his sister tucked protectively by his side. Aiko had fistfuls of her brothers' shirt in her tiny hands, her face turned into his shoulder. Both looked peaceful, but he knew. Hiei knew that these three days have not been kind to them, to any of them. Grabbing a blanket from the chest at the foot of his bed, he flung it over them. Tucking in the side at Aiko's back, knowing that she could not sleep soundly unless she was almost suffocated by the fabric. The blanket covered her small body entirely, but only lay across Daisuke barely. From his chest up and feet still exposed to the world.
With a roll of his shoulders, he turned on his heel, leaving them to rest. As he silently closed the door, he stalked down the hallway. Passing by workers and soldiers alike. All bowed or curtsied with mournful looks on their faces. How he wanted to slap the looks from their faces. How he hated the pity. How he hated feeling helpless.
Level after level as he descended, his anger only grew at each passing face. Each quietly mumbled 'Lord Hiei' or pitiful grunts from those on duty. There was one person in the entire fortress that did not look at him with sorrow filled smiles or grieving tearful eyes. One that did not try to give him or his children words of comfort or offer their prayers of condolences. It wasn't because they didn't care; it wasn't because they believed in what the humans referred to as "tough love". None of that mattered, because they simply couldn't.
The only person who did not have anything to say was the same person that caused the sudden reactions through the entire staff and those he held personal close.
Hiei never felt heartbreak. He was shunned from the moment he exited the womb and took his first breath of icy air. From that time, ice filled his soul, filled his entire being. He carried it with him throughout everything. Every fight, every battle. Every instance in his life that should have been filled with happiness and care was coursing with nothing but hate and exclusion. But as he stared into the water-filled tank, he swore he could feel his near nonexistent heart breaking into thousand shards.
Her face was serene. If the mask did not cover her lips, he knew that a smile would be ever constant. From its arrogant smirk to her teeth baring laugh. If she were not asleep, if wanted to call it sleeping, her eyes would blazing in all their amber glory. How he wished to see them again, if only to judge her mood based on their color. It wasn't as if they changed colors entirely, it was more their hue lightened or darkened based off her feelings. All that he knew very well. From their almost chocolate color when she was upset or to the bright gold when she was at her most happiest. How they darkened to an almost black when anger flowed through her. Or, quite possibly his favorite, the near green they turned every time she looked at him with nothing but love. Not the lustful kind of love, that was a different color entirely, but the love he didn't have the luxury of growing up with. It was the same color that looked at their children when they accomplished something for the first time, when Daisuke first said 'dada' or when Aiko would come crawling into bed with them after a bad dream.
All of this lead back to him feeling helpless. Helpless when she fainted in the dinning room and wouldn't wake. The same helplessness when he carried her limp body to the infirmary, the same helplessness as he could do nothing but stare as Alaric's doctors fussed over her, the same helplessness when she stopped breathing. The same helplessness when he could do nothing to stop his daughters crying and screaming, asking what was happening to her mommy. Completely and utterly helpless. He began to think that whatever affliction was coursing through her body had began to dissipate. She regained most, if not all, her former strength back. She began eating regularly, keeping all of it down. She no longer needed her sedative to sleep at night, for the second he joined her in bed, sleep took her quickly. She laughed until she cried. Her antics with the Detective and the Oaf resumed causing everyone close to them to groan in defeat, except the children. Whom the three wrangled in to help with their pranks and schemes. She was getting better he thought.
It was a lie.
A vicious deceivious lie.
Refusing to believe her dead, Mukuro placed her in the regeneration tank. Within minutes, her heart began beating, her breathing normalized and her brain activity continuous. Yet, she still refused to wake up. Healers, doctors, shamans, scientists, all came to see her but none could figure out why she wouldn't wake. It wasn't until her old village elder came. He took one look at the sleeping demon, with a heavy head, he explained that physically she was the picture of health. It was her soul that was damaged. It was beginning to crumble like age-old mountains. Despite her return of demonic and spiritual energy, her soul still refused to heal. He said that it was almost has if something was holding it back. Slowly extinguishing it like the lack of oxygen in a fire.
He tried multiple times to get into her head, to read her mind, to try to reach her soul. The very thing that made her, her. Every time he was pushed back. The more he tried the more force her soul used. He could feel the dragon squirming under his skin, the beast became as accustomed and attached to her presence just as his master had.
He did not know how long he was down there for, but it was apparently long enough to cause his sister to come looking for him. With a tender hand, she took his hand in hers. Another on his shoulder, she turned him away. If it were anyone else, he would have shoved them away. Not his sister though. He could never shun her again. If it weren't for the woman who came give a second life, she wouldn't be down here. Comforting her twin as any loving sister would. He would be lying if he said that he did not depend on her. He knew that he shouldn't be placing any burdens on her, given the swell of her stomach, she should be resting somewhere on soft pillows while her idiotic husband tended and cared for her. Instead, she was down in the depths of the fortress, she was caring for him. She was caring for his children, despite needing to take care of her own, born and unborn.
They walked up back to the main floor, this time no one stared. It could have been his own weary eyes or the sharp razor like glare his sister sent their way that had them scampering down the halls or ducking behind corners. She sat him down at the table, gathered a plate, piling whatever was in reach onto it. She placed in it front of him with a stern, almost murderous, look. If it not for the situation, he might have been able to feel the pride that bubbled in his stomach. Silently he ate, as she munched away on ice chips to combat the heat of pregnancy.
When his plate almost empty, Mukuro walked into the room. Her hands were clasped behind her. The look on her face made Hiei feel uneasy. Hiei never felt uneasy. He took whatever came at him head on. Sword drawn, ready for the worse. But the look in her real eye, cause his hair to stick on end, his skin to prickle, and his dragon to almost hiss in fear. Then it all became to clear. Behind walked in the short imp who cared for nothing more than his own self.
"You're supposed to be dead."
Dr. Ichigaki mirrored Mukuro's stance before speaking. "Ah, that little tussle with Urameshi. Nothing a few stitches couldn't handle."
"Before you say anything Hiei, I brought him here to help."
"No." Hiei stood up from his chair with every intention of leaving. Possibly maybe even killing the imp on his way out. Before he even stepped away from the chair, Mukuro spoke again. "Nothing else has helped."
"No."
Hiei turned to leave out the servants doors to avoid any contact with the imp. Yukina not far behind him, shuffling along as fast as her kimono and pregnant belly could carry her. "I can fix her. You know I can." Hiei didn't pause, stop, or even think to carry a conversation with him, He kept walking.
Sleep was not something that came easy that night. He did not want his children around the imp, so he had their dinner sent to his room. They both ate silently until Aiko said she wanted to see her mother, so the three of them ventured down to the regeneration tank and Aiko spoke to her mother. Telling her the things she learned during her stay in Alaric, or of a new picture she drew. How much she missed her and that she wished she was better soon. Daisuke sat in a chair quietly, listening to his sister. When Aiko started to cry, Hiei scooped her up, taking her back to his room, leaving Daisuke in his chair. When Hiei finally managed to calm his daughter down, getting her to sleep, Daisuke came back into the room. Without a word, he laid back on the bed, which Aiko immediately sought out her brother. After they both were asleep, Hiei sat out on the balcony. Staring at the dark skies, he wished there was someone who could tell him what to do. As a rule, he never listened to anyone. He never gave anyone the power of telling him what to do. If you don't count his time under surveillance and punishment after he broke into the Vaults in the Spirit World. Even then, he half-assed his orders. Not even Mukuro had any real control over him. He only did what she asked out of respect, a mutual respect and understanding he thought they once shared. Her bringing that imp here nearly broke his trust in her. How could she think he could actually help. He only cared for himself and his experiments. He cared nothing for others or the impact his dealings held.
Despite all this though, his words kept echoing throughout his mind, Mukuro's as well. Nothing they've tried has helped. He did not trust the imp at all, but what if there was a chance he could help. What if there was a chance he could bring her back. That the imp could heal her broken soul and return her to him. Immediately he pushed the idea from his head. He couldn't do that. He could not let that monster anywhere near her. And in his personal opinion, if Hiei called you a monster, you were the worst of the worst. While she herself was no saint, Hiei would rather fall on his own sword than let those maliciously sadistic hands anywhere near her.
"I can fix her. You know I can."
Again, he shook his head. No. He couldn't do it.
With a jump of his slow beating heart, he flipped from his balcony to one near his. Throwing open the window, he climbed through softly landing on the floor.
Without much of a start, Kurama sat up in his bed. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stared at the demon across from him. "Hiei.."
"I need a favor from you." Hiei didn't wait for him to give a response. "Watch the children and Yukina for me." Again, without waiting for a confirmation, Hiei leapt back out the window. Kurama jumped from his bed, staring out the window. Hiei was not foolish enough to kill himself, Kurama knew this. It was not who he was, at all, but that did not mean he was any less worried. He looked out onto the lands before he barely caught the running form of Hiei in the distance. Leaning against the rail, Kurama rubbed his temple. Even with Yukina here, it was hard to keep Hiei's emotions in check. He was thankful however, that the others went back to the Human World a few days ago, as the children had to return to school. Kurama knew that at this point with all of them surrounding him, it would only worsen things. He set up a system in Alaric to where they would be able to call and check in. Something Keiko did near three times a day.
"I hope whatever you have planned works."
Knowing he was not going to get a response, Kurama grabbed his pillow from his bed and headed to the bedroom one floor up. He was nothing if not loyal. He would keep his unspoken word and look after the children while he was gone. He knew of Dr. Ichigaki's lurking around the fortress earlier, just as Hiei did, Kurama did not trust the demon at all. Throwing his pillow on the chaise lounge, Kurama brought the blanket to his nose, going back to sleep. Not before planting a few seeds near the door to alert of anyone close.
It had been two days since Hiei took off in the night. When Yukina and the others questioned Kurama, he did not have the answers for them. He told Mukuro of the night Hiei left and even she did not know what to make of it. Possibly the worst part of the whole ordeal was Daisuke. Perhaps there was still some resentment buried inside the boy for after he learned of Hiei leaving, he became instantly angry. Saying that Hiei still did not care for his mother or his sister. Aiko refused to listen to her brother, telling him that her 'daddy will come back'.
So when Hiei came strolling back into Alaric, Aiko gave her brother a triumphant smile, running for her father. Although, Hiei was not alone. Behind him walked in Yomi and Sayuri's old elder. Mukuro was nearly beside herself at the three of them together. She did not she would see the day when Hiei and Yomi would ever be seen working together, but here they were.
After much explanation of his disappearance, but not before sending the children to his room, the five of them found themselves in the presence of Dr. Ichigaki.
"This is how this is going to work. You will work with Shouro. He will tell you all you need to know about her condition. If you have any questions in regards as her history, you will ask either Yomi or myself. Then and only then, if all of us, excluding you, come to an agreement that you have no ill intentions, will you be able to actually see her."
Dr. Ichigaki went to say something but Yomi quickly interrupted him. "I will only tell you this once. If you at all deceive any of us in anyway, I will make certain that you rot in the deepest hole in this earth with only your worst nightmares to keep you company."
The imp took a second to himself before a sickeningly sweet smile, that Hiei did not trust one bit, crossed his face. "Of course. These all seem to be acceptable terms." Hiei nodded is head. Getting up to leave the others followed him with the exception of Yomi and Shouro. "Also, one of us will be with you at all times." He gave a smile grin as they imp's face fell. "You should get to work."
