Summary:

Hiei, Yarika and Yona reach the island. They find a pentant Rui, who they convince to defect. Yarika works on convincing the rest to defect, if only to discomfit the elders.

Notes:

Warning: mention of the infanticidal practices of the ice maidens, trafficking, depression, and suicide.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Just like he did once before, Hiei easily located his birthplace, the floating glacier. Unlike last time he had company on his journey. His lover and his child were not unwelcome but they considerably slowed him down.

Yarika, being a meticulous planner (no doubt from her experience as a single parent) had packed more gear than Hiei was accustomed to carrying with him, but as they were traveling with a small child he allowed this. She had assured him that she had only packed what she thought was absolutely necessary. This proved wise: Yona needed to make frequent stops and needed regular snacks on the way, this saved Hiei the headache of finding more food than he was accustomed to doing. He also carried the sleepy child without much complaint when she was too tired to walk to save time. When it came time to rest or to make camp, he found safe places for them.

When they rested, he watched them. He observed the loving way Yarika treated Yona and his thoughts turned toward his late mother Hina. Is this how his childhood would have been like if Hina had raised him? He knew Hina had loved him, his only memories of her besides her futile pleas and cries to spare him were the loving words she had spoken to him and to Yukina as they grew in her womb. He had understood them as soon his ears had begun to work. Her tear made into his necklace was the physical manifestation of that love.

He was beginning to understand what it felt like for Hina. In the months he's known of his daughter, he understood the desire for one's child to be safe, to grow up happy. The desire for the child to be better than he was, in this case not a misanthropic criminal like him. He was even beginning to understand the depths parental love could reach. He couldn't deny that he cared about his little girl anymore. Yes, he loved Yona. It was impossible for him not to. That hollow place that should have been filled with familial love growing up was beginning to be filled with his relationship with her and Yukina. He could never be a sappy and indulgent parent, but as Kenji had pointed out to him, all she really needed was attention and love.

His relationship with Yarika was more complicated. He did love her, but his reluctance to get close to people and his self loathing hindered development of that. He wondered what she saw in him and he thought he was wrong for her, but she insisted on following him and getting close. The most he had allowed himself was their friends-with-benefits arrangement. Fate seemed to have other ideas and was pushing him toward more long term relationship. Yarika still wanted him and not just for sex. She actually liked him for himself. Hiei didn't understand his own appeal, but he knew what he liked about her: He liked her company, the way she touched him, her understanding of him, her determination, her fierce independent streak, and the way she always got the better of him.

He came out of his pondering with a start at Yona's shrieks. He raced off to prevent her from being eaten by a fierce demon fish that rose out of the pond she was skipping stones on. He would have to start training her soon.

When they passed through a town, he also paid for a room for the three of them and a meal at the pub below. This was his way of rewarding them both for keeping complaints to a minimum, that and he knew Yarika preferred hot baths and wanted to give Yona one. Hiei disliked these places, but even he needed shelter indoors now and then and endured them.

Hiei was well known across Demon World: first for his reputation as a bandit, later as a fighter. Even so, some fool sometimes thought it safe to annoy him. In this instance, by attempting to buy his lover and daughter.

The prick was obviously a slave trader, he might as well be wearing a sign. He acted all casual, sidling up to Hiei.

"I noticed you have a hanabito woman and child with you. They're a rare breed, worth a lot in certain markets."

Hiei narrowed his eyes. While he was fine with murder and thievery, he thought trafficking to be low and disgusting. "They are not for sale."

The slave trader was not easy to shake off. He tried to persuade Yarika to go with him, only to be ignored, so he made the brilliant move of putting an arm around her.

Hiei took exception to this and the arm the prick had around Yarika fell to the floor. Yarika shielded Yona from the worst of the gore.

"Never, EVER touch my woman," hissed Hiei. "If you ever touch her or another like her again, it will be your legs, too." He hurried the two of them up to the room they were staying in. He hadn't intended to say that out loud, but now that he had, he couldn't take it back.

That night Yona slept between both her parents, who were awake. Yona wasn't especially disturbed by the earlier scene, as she was confident Daddy would protect them from anyone who meant them harm. She slept easily and soundly in the big bed between her parents.

Yarika had heard what he said. He'd called her his woman. She may have found that insulting if anyone else had said it, but she knew Hiei did not see her as property. He merely lacked softer words for what he felt for his comrades, his family, and his lover.

The two of them lay there in the knowledge of what he had said, that they were no longer simply friends with benefits. They were a couple.

Yarika lay facing Hiei, with an arm around their child. Hiei reached over and laid his hand on hers. She took it, gently squeezing it. That simple gesture he initiated told her the feelings he had hidden for her all these years, that she reciprocated. If Hiei had had a human heart, it would have leapt in his chest.

In due time, they reached the glacier the ice maidens, also known as koorime, called home. While it did indeed float, the part of it that jutted out down below regularly bobbed down to touch a hidden access point to the world below. This enabled the ones that dared leave to trade for needed goods or have illicit relations with men. Or in Yukina's case, run away. The only other way off was a sheer drop to the world below to certain death. The ones that had jumped or been thrown off all died including all the males born there, save Hiei. He had survived through a combination of determination and luck when he was an infant mere hours old.

Yarika had dressed herself and Yona in warm winter weather clothing in preparation for their ascent. They would be the first outsiders to visit the frozen island in centuries. Heeding his warning, she did not look down as she followed Hiei up the staircase carved into the bottom of the island, clutching Yona's hand. It was a long walk up the precarious stairs and up through the bowels of the island itself. The way through the innards of the glacier was lit by strange glowing lanterns made of ice.

"Pretty lights," was Yona's comment.

Eventually they reached the surface of the island. Powder snow blew around the outskirts. The landscape was bleak and lifeless as the women who lived there.

Hiei strode through the village as he had once before, the terrified women running into prim western style houses that looked artificially cheery. It looked rather like Main Street at Disney theme parks, Yarika thought, it only lacked crowds and costumed characters. She felt eyes on her from windows as she followed Hiei. Yona waved cheerily at a child about her age, as her terrified mother dragged her away. The child managed to give a small wave before the mother rushed her into a house and barricaded the door behind them.

"The Imiko has returned!" a voice said. "Save yourselves!"

Hiei was right. This place was like death for the living, a waiting room to the final destination. Only the very young ice maidens showed any signs of life. The older ones were like moving ice sculptures. No wonder Yukina had run away.

Hiei made his way to the other side of the island where they buried their dead. He quickly located Hina's nondescript grave. He took the flowers he had carried from down below out of his coat and laid them before the marker. Two bunches, for himself and for Yukina. The flowers were more alive than the women on the island, although the flowers would soon freeze like their metaphorical hearts.

"Yona, this is your grandmother's grave. Pay your respects."

Yona laid the paper flowers she had painstakingly folded onto the grave. She bowed with her hands together. "Hi, Grandma Hina. I'm Yona."

Yarika also laid flowers and prayed. She had heard about Hina and her sorry fate. "Nice to meet you, Miss Hina. I'm Yarika, your grandchild's mother. I hope that wherever you are now, you're at peace and know your children are doing well as is your grandchild."

They were not alone.

"You have returned," said a soft voice behind them.

They turned to a woman with long hair tied into a high ponytail and a sorrowful face befitting her name. She had made her daily pilgrimage to Hina's grave, the penance for killing her son. Only he was not dead and he had returned with a child of his own.

"Rui," said Hiei, recognizing the woman who had pitied him before dropping him to his fate.

"It is I," she said softly. "have you come to kill us?"

Hiei scoffed. "I can't kill what is already dead."

Yarika saw an opportunity. "Miss Rui, why don't we sit and talk somewhere?"

In hopes that the forsaken forbidden child would decide to kill her, she brought them home with her. She lived in the furthermost house from the village square, the one nearest the graveyard. As the house was rather drafty and cold, Rui built a small fire in the hearth for them. Ice maidens did not need the heat to stay warm, but the child and woman did not look like they were as tolerant of the cold as Hina's son. Yona sat, warming her hands.

"This is Hina's grandchild?" asked Rui. Hiei nodded.

Yarika leaned in toward the fire as well. "She is. Her name is Yona. I'm Yarika, her mother."

"What kind of demon are you?" asked Rui.

"I'm a hanabito, as is Yona. Like you, I'm from a race of only women."

This interested Rui. "I've heard there were others like us, but your kind lives among men."

"That's right, we like men. Or women. If we like someone, we stick with them. I picked Hiei here."

"Hiei... so that's your name," said Rui. "Have you found Yukina?"

Hiei nodded. "Years ago. She's doing fine, she lives in the humans' world now."

Rui wiped her eyes, a few tears clattering to the ground. "I'm so glad."

"She is, Yona and I see her a lot," said Yarika. "She's like a sister to me."

Rui wanted to hear more about Yukina.

"She's engaged to marry a mutual friend of ours. A fellow named Kuwabara." Yarika told her. She held up a hand to silence Hiei's protests.

Rui was shocked. "Yukina is… marrying a man?"

"A human man. He treats her like she's the most divine creature in existence."

Rui looked thoughtful. "So the elders were wrong, men aren't all bad?"

"Of course not! Humans are okay as a whole, too. My father is a human, he is a good and kind man. He raised me after my demon mother died."

Rui took a long time to process this. Her entire world view was shaken. The Imiko was not as evil as prophesized, he even had a lover and a child. Yukina was happily living with humans, and was to marry a male of the species. The Imiko's half human lover seemed to be a friendly woman and a loving mother.

She had heard of the hanabito, those flower women, they were a mercurial race that lived by their whims and passions, to the ice maidens they were considered libertines living a dangerous life among men. This one was particularily brave, to be the woman of a violent fire demon. Rui had to admire her. Like most ice maidens, she was timid, but the compassion in her had not entirely frozen like most of her race. She knew their cruelty to the women who slept with men and their sons was wrong, but she was not brave enough to speak up.

Yarika saw a chink in the proverbial armor. She was determined to convince Rui to leave this frozen hellscape. She stroked Yona's hair and the child began to drift off to sleep.

"So, Rui, you were the one who was ordered to throw Hiei off the island?"

Rui nodded, her face full of shame. "It's a crime I deserve to die for. I am indirectly responsible for Hina's death, too."

"Yukina told me she was a kind woman," said Yarika.

Rui nodded, wiping away another tear which fell carelessly to her feet as a jewel. "Yukina takes after her."

She looked up at Yarika. "Does this… Kuwabara… make her laugh?"

Yarika chuckled. "He's the biggest ham I know. Yukina thinks he's funny."

"Then she really does take after Hina… that's what Hina liked about her lover, he made her laugh."

Hiei grunted, not caring about his sperm donor. Yarika was curious, though.

"You should go see Yukina," said Yarika. "she spoke of you sometimes. You're the only one she misses from this place."

"M-me? Leave?" stammered Rui. "But I need to stay and do penance for what I've done to Hina, Hiei, and Yukina."

"If you are truly sorry, then you deserve to leave this place and have a life," said Yarika. "You want Hiei to kill you? Maybe he will do it if you've truly lived first."

"But where would I go?" asked Rui helplessly.

"Come with us back to the human world. It's a lot more orderly than Demon World."

Rui was beginning to cave. Yarika had a way of convincing people.

"If you hate it, you can always come back here to this dead island," said Yarika. "I can give you my personal guarantee that no one will harm you, unless Hiei decides to kill you as you wanted."

"I'll consider it," said Hiei.

Rui sighed, resigned. "Very well. But what about the rest of us here?"

"If anyone else has a conscience, they can come with. Otherwise, Yukina herself may come back, but not with goodwill. It's her right to pass judgement on the women who harmed her family. I do not think she would kill you, though."

Rui let them spend the night, partly to get to know Hina's family and partly for protection from the furious elders. The elder who had ordered Hiei be tossed to his death had worked up the nerve to visit Rui's door.

"How dare you shelter the Imiko, you are complicit in the impending genocide of our people!" shouted the elder, pointing an accusing finger at Rui.

Rui cringed. Yarika popped up over her shoulder. "He's not going to kill you, it's not worth killing someone who is dead inside."

"Who are you, strange woman? State your purpose here!"

Yarika puffed up to her full height, her gaze steely. "I am the mother of Hina's grandchild. This is merely a visit to pay respects. Who are YOU, old lady?"

"I am the chief elder of this village. I demand you leave, you and the Imiko and your evil spawn before you kill us all."

Yarika gave a stare that made the old woman shake in her zori sandals. "If he is evil, you made him that way. This way you have of treating baby boys creates monsters. If he was in the mind to do it I'd help him kill each and every one of you for what you did to him and to Hina. If you do not leave us in peace, we just might. Now good night!" she slammed the door in the elder's face.

Hiei watched this with interest. Seeing Yarika scare the evil old bag who had ordered his death out of her wits was satisfying. He was also turned on by her ferocity. Rui stood there, amazed. She'd never seen anyone tell the elder off like that.

"You showed the mean lady, Mommy!" said Yona sleepily.

The next day, Yarika slipped some prepared leaflets under doors. The terrified ice maidens made no move to stop her, the word that she was the Imiko's lover had spread. She had spent the last several weeks thinking about how to best convert the locals to a life of freedom and men, she had studied up on propaganda techniques to deliver the message most effectively. Hiei had to admire her nerve and ingenuity, as well as a certain deviousness that used to irk him. If Yarika wasn't well raised with a fairly accurate moral compass, he could easily see her leading her own nation or cult. Her biggest faults were her temper, her need for acknowledgement and admiration as well as that deviousness, but she had turned them all into a very effective weapon.

She worked all day, patiently going door to door. She wasn't trying to rescue them all, just ruin their peace. If some saw sense and wanted to defect, they would be spared, otherwise they deserved Yukina's coming wrath. The elders told anyone who would listen that the imiko and his trampy hanabito lover were trying to steal the women off the island, probably for some perverted purpose.

Some of the braver ice maidens eventually became curious about her. Despite the elder's prohibition, they opened their doors a crack. Yarika was perfectly pleasant, introducing herself and reassuring them that she meant them no violence. Yona chirped greetings at her side, charming the few brave ones instantly, but not enough to allow them in, though once she played a clapping game with an ice maiden child through a plate glass window. A few of the young adults dared ask questions about life below and about men through the crack in the door, which Yarika gladly answered. Hiei stood at a distance, making sure they were not attacked with ice or makeshift weapons. The only one who tried to attack them was the chief elder, but Hiei swiftly appeared and scared the mean old bat off.

"What's the point in talking to them?" asked Hiei after.

"Think of it as planting the seed. You were here twice and did not harm a single one. I spoke to them directly because I'm a woman and less scary to them, so they're more likely to listen to me than to you. I think a few of them now have doubts about what the elders have been telling them, they asked me questions about life below, and what it was like to live with men. Even if they don't leave, the seed of discontent has been sown and life here will never be the same. That elder is going to shit bricks more than ever."

Hiei was impressed. "Kurama couldn't have done better." This was high praise.

Rui was also a bit more resolved to leave after hearing Yarika talk about the merits of freedom, although she was not interested in men.

"I think the elders might be wrong about men all being brutes after what you told me," she said thoughtfully. "But I don't think I could ever like men the way you and Hina do."

"Nothing wrong with that. I know plenty of women who like other women, I'd be more than happy to introduce you if that's your cup of tea," smiled Yarika.

They left the glacier the following morning, the elder hurling curses at the four of them and telling Rui that she was dead to her and the other ice maidens. Yona turned and stuck out her tongue. "You're one mean old lady, you should be ashamed!"

"You tell that miserable old bat," said Hiei, patting her head.

Rui shook with fear as he feet touched the ground below but obediently followed the trio. Yona squeezed her hand when Rui stopped and trembled with fear when she met any men below. "It's okay, Aunt Rui," she said, attaching the honorary title like she did to all her parents' friends and acquaintances. Even Hiei felt a little sorry for Rui, the indoctrination was hard to break. She was as much a victim as he was in her own way. The ice maiden clan on the glacier was as bad as any cult, isolating and brainwashing their members into complete obedience.

But she did it. Rui had left the glacier with the feared world before her. Rui swallowed her fear and followed three of them across the harsh landscape of Demon World, toward the world of humans.

She wondered what lay ahead beyond the portal. She was about to find out.

Notes:

I always felt sorry for Rui and thought she deserved to be spared the genocide Yukina wants to commit on her people.

Yarika's female only race is called hanabito, said like flower people, but written with the kanji for hana=flower and bijin or bito/mito=beautiful person/people (bijin refers to women, usually) they smell floral after hitting puberty and can use body fluids for various purposes. They're passionate people and like freedom to do as they please, like sex and like being admired. They're mercurial and a bit vain but not known to be cruel in general.