-[The Fear Of Blood Tends To Create Fear For The Flesh – Hiei Jaganshi]-

CHAPTER FIFTY: Rhapsody Of A Windy Night

Silence rung throughout the area, a dull sense of foreboding about the area as the sun began to rise in the distance. The forest was cold, damp, and in all manner of speaking, depressing. The sounds of a small stream flowing in the distance was all that could really be heard, and there wasn't much else to mention. Three forms remained outside a cave leading to the inside of the cliffs along the forest edge, one, unconscious from what one could only assume was strain from injuries he bore over his body, and the other two silent and motionless, one seated up on a boulder furtherest from the mouth of the cave, and the other sitting cross legged next to the unconscious man.

Yusuke let out a weary breath, looking over at the fire apparition seated upon the boulder about eight meters away with a look of weary curiosity over his face. Hiei had been silent the whole night, and Yusuke was wondering what was on the fire apparition's mind. Instead of that usual 'I'm bored, I'm gonna stare out at the distance' look he had whenever he just sat there like that, a look of deep thought was written across Hiei's face. Flecks of blood were still over Hiei's face, flecks of her blood, and it didn't seem that Hiei even noticed – another hint that Hiei wasn't in his usual bored state.

Yusuke let out another breath, looking down at his right hand after a few moments. He shouldn't have slapped her, but at the time, he couldn't think of any other way to snap her out of that state she seemed trapped in. It was the most soul crushing sight he had ever seen. Kurama was having trouble keeping Meia from struggling, and he was trying to find some way to snap her out of it. They had heard her start screaming, he and Kurama came running. As soon as he had slapped her, she fell motionless, and her eyes snapped open immediately. He had thought she had snapped out of it, but that empty, unseeing look had him question it, right before several gashes in her chest above her heart burst into existence, exactly the same way as the first time he had seen her. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand after a few moments, letting out another breath. Yes, exactly the same way as her arm nearly becoming amputated when he and Kurama tried to splint her leg way back in the beginning.

What was it that made her react like that? Made her body react with such ferocity that gashes and fricking impalements and amputated limbs would suddenly burst into life? As if something invisible had just come and did that to her? He could recall another two times asside from her most recent episode that her body had spontaniously decided to turn masochistic, to the point where he knew Hiei and Kurama had decided that with the amount of blood in that basement, it would be wiser to just sit and watch instead of coming down at a run to see what had happened every time she seemed to cut herself. It wasn't hard for anyone to notice, they'd just sit there and wait for her to eventually come out requiring medical assistance.

Footsteps met Yusuke's hearing, and, he placed his gaze to the mouth of the cave as he spotted visible movement. The weary form of Kurama stepped out into the early morning light, his emerald green outfit speckled with dried blood. Yusuke watched, taking in the sight of all the blood that covered his hands and half way up his right arm.

"How is she?" Yusuke asked, his weariness evident in his own voice. It seemed the only person around that wouldn't be tired beyond belief, was Kuwabara when he woke up, although those injuries the human had sustained were quite serious. They had taken the abilities of Yukina and Spirit World for granted, Yusuke noted. Either Yukina, or the Shade Demons in Spirit World were the ones that usually took care of any real injuries that they sustained, and this was the first time in years that Yusuke knew of, that they'd have to let the injuries take their time to heal, unless they came across a healer somewhere along the track, although Yusuke very much doubted that there would be a magical healer wandering around somewhere in the makai.

"Well, she doesn't seem like she's going to bleed to death anymore." Kurama commented wryly, and Yusuke reluctently nodded after several moments. "I believe, as soon as she's conscious again, we should start moving." Yusuke blinked in shock, and it was written plainly across his face.

"Hold on a second!" He suddenly exclaimed, and he felt Hiei look over after a moment. "We can't move her straight after she wakes up! She's got a freaking hole in her chest!"

"The sooner we get moving, the more distance we put between us, and spirit world's tactical forces." Kurama replied, picking up the plastic bag that contained at least one change of clothing, and Yusuke cursed as the Kitsune began to head down to the stream.

"This is rediculous!" Yusuke spat, glaring after Kurama's disappearing form as he felt his irritation begin to take over.

"She'll survive." Came the tiniest hints of Hiei's voice, so suddenly that Yusuke jumped. He looked over to the fire apparition in mention immediately, to see him glaring over at Yusuke.

"What?" Yusuke spoke, and he saw Hiei roll his eyes as he placed his gaze back to the forest to his right.

"She's difficult to kill."Yusuke blinked, almost not able to comprehend that statement. She's difficult to kill? Yeah right, more like she's difficult to keep alive. Though each to their own take on it, the people out to kill her were probably thinking the same as what Hiei had just said, and were probably just as frustrated with the whole situation as he was.

"What're we gonna do when she wakes up?" Yusuke wondered out loud, looking up at the trees above him after a few moments. "It's not like we're gonna be inconspicuous wandering around the countryside carrying two crippled people around! Someone's bound to notice!" No comment met Yusuke's rhetorical remark, and he found himself somewhat glaring. How he just wanted to argue his point some more, but it was his oppinion against Kurama's probably much smarter oppinion, and Hiei's lack of complaint didn't exactly help. Though it wasn't like Hiei to complain about very much, he just usually brooded until he felt better. Maybe he had already spent all night brooding, and had nothing left to brood over? Yeah right, any other day, yeah, but not with all that had happened in a matter of three days. Oh Keiko was going to kill him for not turning up yesterday evening, but what could he do?

The tiniest hints of movement next to Yusuke dragged the tiniest hints of confusion out of him. Looking down at the Human that had made the sounds of movement, Yusuke realised that he was waking up. Poor Kuwabara, talk about bad luck – All that Kurama had said was that in the moment that he had gotten back to the house, he was ambushed by Spirit World's Special Forces. Kuwabara was lucky that Kurama had noticed his flickering spirit energy within the house – only just enough time to escape. Kuwabara seemed to be waking up, Yusuke noted as the human stirred even more, and he glanced over at the cave as Kuwabara grunted slightly. He very much doubted Meia would be awake anytime soon. If she didn't wake, they'd have to move her, and it didn't seem likely that she'd survive being moved again.

"How're you feeling?" Yusuke asked as he heard Kuwabara sit upright after a few minutes, seeing the human look at him after a few moments.

"Like I was pounded up that punk with the Yoyo's again." Kuwabara ground out, a hand going to his swolen face. "Scratch that, like you smashed my face in."

"I haven't done that in years, and you know it." Yusuke spoke quietly after a few moments, looking back over at the cave again. He hoped Meia would wake up soon, his nerves weren't settling like they should.

"Where are we, anyway?" Kuwabara's voice came after a few moments, snapping Yusuke out of thought suddenly.

"I dunno, the Makai?" Yusuke commented, and he almost felt that frown smack him upside the head.

"Forty days travel from the Frozen wastelands." Came Kurama's voice from behind, causing Yusuke to look over after a few moments. Kurama, fit with clean clothes, was blood free, and looking a little more refreshed. Yusuke just couldn't be bothered in washing up at the stream – a little blood never hurt anyone, though the sickly sweet scent that was now obviously the smell of Meia's blood, was beginning to get to him again.

"And where's that?" Kuwabara asked, a sluggish tone to his voice.

"Not too far from where we found Meia-"

"What?" Kuwabara suddenly exclaimed, snapping Yusuke's gaze straight back to the human. Why did he sound surprised? "Where is she? Is she okay?" Kuwabara exclaimed, scrambling to his feet quicky, despite the fact that his injuries should have kept him seated at the very least.

"You're acting like you didn't know." Yusuke commented, and he felt a frown cross his face as Kuwabara looked at him in pure confusion.

"Meia's not in the best of condition -" Yusuke coughed slightly to stop himself from saying anything snide "- But she's inside." Kurama finished, motioning to the cave, which sent Kuwabara stumbling away almost immediately. Yusuke drew his gaze to look up at Kurama, taking in the look of unease, reminding him of those nerves of his that hadn't settled yet.