Chapter 2.
Did he say what happened?"
"No..." Kurama answered, his facial expression softening, from his cold one. An emotionless expression had replaced his usual sweet and kind appearance. //Hiei.// Sighing softly he cleared his mind and concentrated his thought on the fading youkai in the distance. Yusuke glanced at his friend as he struggled to keep up with the Kitsune as he darted and weaved gracefully throughout the trees. The smaller plants of the forest seemed to bend or part slightly as their master rushed through.
"Don't worry about that runt, he's probably just faking." Kuwabara muttered. His attempt to lighten the melancholy mood had failed.
Kurama's eyes darted in his direction narrowing dangerously. "Don't ever joke about something so serious...Hiei would never do such a dishonorable thing and you know it." Kuwabara snorted, hiding that fact that he too was obviously worried about the quick-tempered fire demon.
They continued their journey in silence, which was eventually broken by Yusuke. "What exactly did Koenma tell you?" The reincarnated fox demon opened his mouth to speak but closed it, pondering the question. After all, he had been summoned so quickly...
*~*~*~*~*~
An image of the Reikai prince formed in the back of his mind. "Ah.yes.Kurama." The childish voice came at him calmly, masking true emotions, but Kurama waited patiently. "There seems to be a situation in the Makai."
The teen quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering what made this mission so special that he was called first. "Oh.? Surely nothing we can't handle, right?"
The youth nodded. "Well of course not! It's just that well.word has reached me that Hiei has been injured..."
Frowning, he cleared his mind of all horrible images that had made themselves known. "What happened?"
"That's a good question. But that's not important now anyway.your assignment is to bring him back and hurry! He may be fatally injured."
*~*~*~*~*~
"Well.? I'm waiting. What did he say?" Yusuke's voice snapped him backing to reality.
"Nothing.he told me nothing." Kurama mumbled in reply.
"Over there.that's him!" Kuwabara announced pointing to the pile of black lying on bloodstained snow.
Kurama rushed to the spot kneeling besides the body checking for a pulse, paling a little when he found it was coming dangerously close to fading completely. "Is...he...dead...?" Yusuke asked quietly, watching as the red head immediately placed a hand over the wound in Hiei's chest.
"No, he'll be fine." he replied as he began transferring some of his youkai into the wound, healing it. At least he could do that much.
Kuwabara had started searching the area for nearby youkai or some sort of clue to help solve why this happened. After unsuccessful wandering, something glittering in the soft white snow caught his attention. "Hey guys! Over here! I think I found something!"
Kurama walked over to examine it frowning. "It's the tear gem Yukina gave him.Hiei would never leave it lying around." He said picking it up returning the gem to the sleeping demon. A sigh of relief excasped his lips as Hiei's breathing started slowly returning to normal. Wiping blood away from his face the first thing he noticed was the jagan. It stared ahead lifelessly, cold and dark. Just looking at it sent shivers down his spine. Unable to look at the eye implant any more Kurama closed it, for it wouldn't be any use for its owner anymore...
Yusuke took a communicator from his pocket and flipped it open then pressed a button and waited. He didn't have to wait soon because soon Botan's face appeared.
"Yes? Yusuke what is it?"
We found Hiei.and Koenma was right, he's hurt."
"What? How?"
"Wait, before you get all freaked out, plant boy healed what ever he could so I'm not sure how badly injured he is."
Kuwabara peered at the screen from over Yusuke's shoulder. "Well.what do you want us to do with him?" He asked, the cold was starting to get to him and the faster they got their instruction the quicker they could get some place warmer.
"Well.Koenma says it's to dangerous for him to stay in the Makai.the best place for him until he heals would be with you guys in the Ningenkai."
"Alright Botan." Yusuke closed the communicator and put it away, rubbing a hand through his slick hair. "Now...why would Hiei be out here in this place?"
Kurama picked up the limp body of the fire demon and turned to leave nodding towards the sky. "He was born here...it's only natural for him to want to return to his homeland every now and then."
Yusuke followed the direction up into the sky staring with wonder at the island. "That's where Yukina came from, right?"
"Yes.the floating island of the Koorime Ice Maidens." Kurama answered.
"I always knew that little punk had a sweet side." Kuwabara retorted.
Kurama turned to reply but found that he was beaten to it as a loud smack echoed through the air. "Baka! Now isn't the time for that!"
"Urameshi.I swear if you hit me again I'll rip you apart!"
"Oh yeah? Try it hot shot!"
Hiei stirred slightly in Kurama's arms, moaning slightly. The jagan seemed to flash with life before fading back into deathlike emptiness. //Hiei...what happened to you...? //
Did he say what happened?"
"No..." Kurama answered, his facial expression softening, from his cold one. An emotionless expression had replaced his usual sweet and kind appearance. //Hiei.// Sighing softly he cleared his mind and concentrated his thought on the fading youkai in the distance. Yusuke glanced at his friend as he struggled to keep up with the Kitsune as he darted and weaved gracefully throughout the trees. The smaller plants of the forest seemed to bend or part slightly as their master rushed through.
"Don't worry about that runt, he's probably just faking." Kuwabara muttered. His attempt to lighten the melancholy mood had failed.
Kurama's eyes darted in his direction narrowing dangerously. "Don't ever joke about something so serious...Hiei would never do such a dishonorable thing and you know it." Kuwabara snorted, hiding that fact that he too was obviously worried about the quick-tempered fire demon.
They continued their journey in silence, which was eventually broken by Yusuke. "What exactly did Koenma tell you?" The reincarnated fox demon opened his mouth to speak but closed it, pondering the question. After all, he had been summoned so quickly...
*~*~*~*~*~
An image of the Reikai prince formed in the back of his mind. "Ah.yes.Kurama." The childish voice came at him calmly, masking true emotions, but Kurama waited patiently. "There seems to be a situation in the Makai."
The teen quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering what made this mission so special that he was called first. "Oh.? Surely nothing we can't handle, right?"
The youth nodded. "Well of course not! It's just that well.word has reached me that Hiei has been injured..."
Frowning, he cleared his mind of all horrible images that had made themselves known. "What happened?"
"That's a good question. But that's not important now anyway.your assignment is to bring him back and hurry! He may be fatally injured."
*~*~*~*~*~
"Well.? I'm waiting. What did he say?" Yusuke's voice snapped him backing to reality.
"Nothing.he told me nothing." Kurama mumbled in reply.
"Over there.that's him!" Kuwabara announced pointing to the pile of black lying on bloodstained snow.
Kurama rushed to the spot kneeling besides the body checking for a pulse, paling a little when he found it was coming dangerously close to fading completely. "Is...he...dead...?" Yusuke asked quietly, watching as the red head immediately placed a hand over the wound in Hiei's chest.
"No, he'll be fine." he replied as he began transferring some of his youkai into the wound, healing it. At least he could do that much.
Kuwabara had started searching the area for nearby youkai or some sort of clue to help solve why this happened. After unsuccessful wandering, something glittering in the soft white snow caught his attention. "Hey guys! Over here! I think I found something!"
Kurama walked over to examine it frowning. "It's the tear gem Yukina gave him.Hiei would never leave it lying around." He said picking it up returning the gem to the sleeping demon. A sigh of relief excasped his lips as Hiei's breathing started slowly returning to normal. Wiping blood away from his face the first thing he noticed was the jagan. It stared ahead lifelessly, cold and dark. Just looking at it sent shivers down his spine. Unable to look at the eye implant any more Kurama closed it, for it wouldn't be any use for its owner anymore...
Yusuke took a communicator from his pocket and flipped it open then pressed a button and waited. He didn't have to wait soon because soon Botan's face appeared.
"Yes? Yusuke what is it?"
We found Hiei.and Koenma was right, he's hurt."
"What? How?"
"Wait, before you get all freaked out, plant boy healed what ever he could so I'm not sure how badly injured he is."
Kuwabara peered at the screen from over Yusuke's shoulder. "Well.what do you want us to do with him?" He asked, the cold was starting to get to him and the faster they got their instruction the quicker they could get some place warmer.
"Well.Koenma says it's to dangerous for him to stay in the Makai.the best place for him until he heals would be with you guys in the Ningenkai."
"Alright Botan." Yusuke closed the communicator and put it away, rubbing a hand through his slick hair. "Now...why would Hiei be out here in this place?"
Kurama picked up the limp body of the fire demon and turned to leave nodding towards the sky. "He was born here...it's only natural for him to want to return to his homeland every now and then."
Yusuke followed the direction up into the sky staring with wonder at the island. "That's where Yukina came from, right?"
"Yes.the floating island of the Koorime Ice Maidens." Kurama answered.
"I always knew that little punk had a sweet side." Kuwabara retorted.
Kurama turned to reply but found that he was beaten to it as a loud smack echoed through the air. "Baka! Now isn't the time for that!"
"Urameshi.I swear if you hit me again I'll rip you apart!"
"Oh yeah? Try it hot shot!"
Hiei stirred slightly in Kurama's arms, moaning slightly. The jagan seemed to flash with life before fading back into deathlike emptiness. //Hiei...what happened to you...? //