"NOOOOOOO!"

Hikari's scream was not silent.

Hiei's heart pulsed as he sensed it.

In an instant, white flames erupted from Hikari's body. The fire shot towards the would-be assassin. In a fraction of a second, the attacker, his gun, and his bullets were incinerated to ash before they even left the chamber.

Kuwabara, Yukina, the two shinobi, and Hiei were all blown back by the sheer force of the flames. Hikari fell to the ground and curled into a ball. The white fire still surrounded her, leaping high into the air. The snow around her had dissipated with a hiss, and the bare earth began to crack and erode away under the pressure.

Hiei searched for Yukina. He was glad to see that she and Kuwabara were away from the flames, appearing to be unhurt in a nearby snow pile. Despite the proximity, they were not being burned- at least on the outside. Hiei felt as though the heat was invading his body from within.

The girl struggled to her knees, still curled up, fingers digging into her arms. Her silver hair waved wildly, blown by the power emanating from her own body. Kuwabara and Yukina were being forced to the ground by the crushing weight of the spirit energy being released. Toya and Jin were also pinned down, looking at the girl with wide eyes and open mouths.

Hiei tried to get closer. Maybe if he knocked her unconscious, the flow of power would stop?

He stopped when he realized she was screaming in pain. Was her own power hurting her? It had created a whirlwind of white around her. The pressure was prodigious.

"Hikari!" He yelled, his arms raised to block the worst of the flames.

Hikari twitched at the sound of his voice and raised glowing silver eyes to meet his. She was crying, her tears blown upward in the same invisible wind that whipped her hair around. They dissipated in the heat before they were to up her hairline. He had seen the same look when she had spiraled as they came up with names. It was causing her pain.

His Jagan allowed her silent scream to invade his mind.

HELP ME... IT BURNS

Gritting his teeth, he dashed with all his speed into the center of the flames, ignoring the shouts of the others. His cloak was catching fire, and he quickly discarded it. The flames licked at his arms, but his skin did not blister. Instead, he could feel the heat scalding him inside.

As he got closer, he recognized that strange energy signature he had felt from the flames before. It seemed distinct from Hikari's spirit energy, but he couldn't dwell on it now.

He had to reach her.

"Hikari!" He shouted again, piercing the innermost circle of the fiery whirlwind. He reached out a hand.

"Hiei…" The faraway look in her eyes faded as they widened. Suddenly, she bit her lip. She threw her head back and released a guttural scream.

The white flames danced higher into the sky, before whirling into a point and diving back to the girl. It pierced her chest as Hiei cried out. She shrieked but fought against the force.

Another second, and it was over, quick as the times before. The flames disappeared silently. Hikari's hair fluttered back down as a sweet burning smell lingered.

Hikari began to tilt, and Hiei slid his legs under her head in time to keep her skull from hitting the bare ground. She was trembling, her breathing erratic. But she was conscious and alive. Sweat ran down his jaw. Though this was now the third time he had experienced it, it didn't make it any less incredible.

Hikari met Hiei's eyes, and more tears spilled out.

She coughed. "Are… Are you guys… Ok?" She stuttered.

Hiei nodded. The pain, as it had each time before, was ebbing. The warmth remained.

"Am… Am I ok?" Hiei didn't know the answer.

"I didn't quite believe you all… It was… so intense… The white fire... it hurt…. I think… I think I was... burned by it before." Hiei smoothed a hair from her forehead, his mind churning. She was rambling on, probably from shock. If it burned her, and she remembered, he had a feeling that this was not a power natural to her. Somehow, the power of the white flames was implanted in her.

"WAAAT THE FECK WUS DAT?"

Jin had floated next to the two, his expression incredulous. He, too, was trembling. The girl flinched.

"I'm so sorry…" She sniffled. "And to be honest, I don't know…" Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. He was tempted to wipe them away. She looked so… vulnerable. Like the fire had burned the outside away and left her naked and open.

Jin let out a sigh, still examining the girl with intense curiosity. Finally, he placed his hands behind his head, brow furrowed.

"Oi tink we al' nade te 'av a long blather…"