I hope everyone is staying safe. I don't own any YYH characters or concepts.


The girl rubbed her tears away. She tried to get up from Hiei's lap on her own. He flashed to his feet as her weight left him. He was tempted to help her, but he found he was also nervous to reach out. She managed to stand, but nearly fell as she put weight on her obviously injured ankle. He reached out an arm on instinct and caught her around the waist, pulling her with her back against his chest to help steady her. She gripped his arm with trembling hands.

Jin was watching him with narrowed eyes, a sharp canine in sight.

Hiei glared back.

Sharp spikes of ice suddenly appeared between them, snaking across the ground. Toya had worked quickly to recapture the enemy he had brought along, his icy prison having melted in the flames. He was the only one who sported apparent burns. His metal contraptions had melted, cooling in awkward shapes.

Had it been because he had been encased in the ice that he showed the outward effects of the flames while others did not? His comrade had been instantly incinerated. Was it from the proximity of the girl? But Kuwabara and Yukina were physically unharmed…

Perhaps the dead attacker was destroyed because he was touching Hikari when the fire released? Yet the first time they had met and Hiei felt the flames, her hand had been on his foot.

There are still so many questions without an answer.

It looked like their captured enemy had been trying to crawl away as they were distracted by the fallen girl. Either way, their prisoner would answer some of the questions whirling around in Hiei's mind. But then they noticed that he was foaming at the mouth and had stopped struggling.

Dammit!

Hiei, holding Hikari, couldn't rush over to the prisoner. Jin did instead.

"Damn." The imp growled, echoing Hiei's thoughts.

"Suicide?" Hiei asked, pissed. The wind master sighed and nodded.

"Feckin arsehole must 'av used de opportunity ter cark-it with a pill…"

Fuck. Guess they were back to square one…

"Hikari?" Yukina approached cautiously, bringing Hiei's attention back to the shivering girl in his arms. Hikari wouldn't meet her eyes, only sniffling out another apology. Yukina wasn't going to let it go that easily, it seemed.

She placed gentle hands on both sides of Hikari's face and lifted her so that she was forced to make eye contact.

Yukina smiled and brushed away some of Hikari's tears.

"Thank you, Hikari. You saved Kazuma and me." Hikari's eyes widened, and then she began to wail as a river of tears poured down her cheeks. She reached out her arms and gripped the front of Yukina's kimono tightly, burying her face into the ice maiden's shoulder. Yukina wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl, gently patting her back.

Hiei felt embarrassed for her, crying like a child.

But then he thought about it for a moment- Even if she had lived through being detained, even if she had been tortured… She couldn't remember it. All of this was new, her power like a flint against a raw blade.

He felt… sympathy? Was that the sensation that made him want to comfort her? He couldn't help it as his arms slightly tightened around her waist.

"How c-can you all not hate me?" The girl's words were muffled in Yukina's shoulder. "You g-got h-hurt because of me…"

So she had also been scared of being abandoned. To have nothing, no one to rely on… Hiei knew that life.

This power she held was prodigious. If anyone else had found her, would they have taken her in? Not likely. Her power awed him, but he didn't fear it exactly. Perhaps that was his own arrogance.

The sun was setting, turning the snow blood orange. Hiei noticed the burn marks that marred the bare earth. He still didn't understand how her fire spared some while incinerating others.

"Hiei!"

Hiei started as he heard Kurama's voice. The fox apparition was running towards them, a bag in his hand. Shizuru and Atsuko were coming up further behind him. Bringing up the rear of their little procession was Keiko, helping a limping Yusuke with his arm over her shoulder.

Hiei became angry at seeing the Detective's face. Call it idiocy or straight carelessness- his inability to finish off his opponent had almost gotten Yukina killed! And caused the girl unnecessary pain. Yes, he would have to be punished later for both slights.

The girl's crying had quieted to soft hiccups, but her face was still buried in Yukina's shoulder.

The new arrivals stopped in front of the rest, breathing hard. They must have run all the way from the village. Kurama surveyed the damaged inn and scorched earth. He didn't seem surprised at the sight of the two demon shinobi, so Yusuke must have told him that much at least.

Jin smiled sheepishly, and Toya just nodded curtly to Kurama's polite greeting. They both were still watching Hikari with careful eyes.

"We saw the fire." Kurama said. Hikari flinched.

"What happened? Yusuke didn't tell us much." Hiei could tell from Kurama's tone that he would not be the only one punishing the Detective for his stupidity.

"A lot…" Hiei growled. The girl's arms were covered in goosebumps, and Hiei had a feeling that her current shaking had just as much to do with the cold as with trauma. Perhaps it was better to move this inside.

Kurama sighed as he took in the many injuries visible on Hikari and the several left on Kuwabara, not to mention Yusuke's still bleeding wounds. He placed a hand to his forehead, looking both irritated and exhausted.

"I'm glad I brought more healing herbs and dressings, then…"