This next chapter is mostly filler used to set up for future events.
And, remember when reading this first scene, Hiei's past. Hiei cares deeply for Yukina because she is all he has to care about. It is NOT an incestual kind of love. It is just the deep bond between siblings that have no one else.
Also in response to a few reviews I have received...I decided to write this note.
Look, I know Hiei and Kurama are not gay and were never meant to be portrayed that way. In my fic, Hiei is Not Gay! Kurama is also Not Gay! However, I was informed that in the Japanese culture, the fox is a symbol of sexuality and passion. It is generally portrayed as a very lustful animal, whether it is desiring the possession of an object (hense Youko's profession) or an attitude of sexuality (preference disregarded). So, I am using Youko as an extreme example of these characteristics. But, even Youko is Not Gay! He's just not really concerned one way or another. Not that I have anything against this, but I have my reasons for the way I set up the characters. I will not have any real Yoai in my fic, but the attraction of Youko to Hiei is just a passing thing that allows us to better understand the vast difference between Shuuichi and Youko in the one body. The demon is the embodiment of power and passion while the human is the calming and serious side of Kurama. I want the extremes to clash. You see, Kagome has to learn to love them both...and Kurama doesn't think this will ever happen.
Explained any better?
Well, *sigh* I'll try harder to get my point across. There is a scene in the next two chapters about Youko and his desire for Hiei and it involves the feelings of all involved. I am not going to change my characters, so if you do not want to read this, skip it. But don't get upset that I wrote it in there. It is not graphic...it is just a conversation between them.
Thanks.
Sylvannastar
Touched by Frost
Hiei sat in the upper branches of a tall tree, watching the pale glimmer of his sister talking to herself. Kagome reminded him of her. Kagome had that same inner purity as Yukina. That's what drew him to her. He was disgusted with himself. He had been looking at Kagome as a sister substitute because he lacked the nerve to approach his real sister. He wanted her to see him; to know him. But he would not allow himself to chance corrupting her goodness. So why try to-no, want to allow Kagome close if she was so much like Yukina? Because she had already proven her resilience to the darkness of others. If only he could be sure Yukina had that same strength. Then he wouldn't be so alone. And so unforgiven.
With one last longing glance at the happy face of his sister, he left. He wasn't sure where he was going or maybe he didn't care. Either way, he needed to be away. He ran away from his loneliness by embracing it. If he made the choices that made him alone, it didn't quite hurt so bad. Hiei had always been alone. No family, no friends, no ties. Yukina was the only connection to his heart. He would protect her always from afar, because he could never taint the link to the family and love he never had.
With a blur of motion, Hiei returned to the Makai with every intention of picking a fight and killing something. It was something he felt the urge to do more and more often. It was because she was still here...Yukina was so close to him when he could never be close to her. Loneliness was crippling. He was hurting inside...and damn, if he wasn't going to share THAT emotion.
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Koenma followed Yusuke and Kuwabara back to Yusuke's house. Boton trailed slowly behind them, plucking absently at the sleeves of her pink kimono.
"Why are you following us? Don't you have some forms to stamp? People to send to hell?"
"Well, actually no. George is doing that today..."he said, referring to his employee, the blue ogre. He didn't take the hint. "I'll just follow you guys around today!"
"What!?"
"You heard me!"
"I'm not babysitting you in the human world!" Yusuke yelled.
"I'm your next assignment." Koenma said with a glitter in his dark eyes. "You are going to protect me for the day."
"No way!"
"You like your life, don't you?"
"Koenma!"
"Well, see you later, Urameshi!" Kuwabara grinned. "I'm off to see my love!"
"Kuwabara, don't you leave me here like this!"
"Sorry, Urameshi. Yukina calls!"
"Damn it! Why me? Why didn't you follow Kurama or Hiei?"
"Because I don't feel like sitting in the library or bathing in the blood of others. You're it, so get over it."
"I don't believe this!" Yusuke crossed his arms and stomped past his house.
"Umm. Yusuke? Isn't that your-" Boton said.
"I'm not letting my mother see me walking around with a two year old," he growled.
Koenma transformed into his teen self and shed his official robes for a more casual outfit. "How's this?"
"Worse. You can explain a pacifier on a toddler, not an adult."
"Oh."
"Koenma-sir?" Boton offered. "Why not transform that into something else too?"
He looked at her from the corner of his eye and took her suggestion to heart.
"Whhahahahahahaha!" Yusuke looked at the giant rainbow sucker in Koenma's hands.
"Maybe not..."
"WHAhahahahahahha!"
Koenma glared at Yusuke through the neon green, star-shaped sunglasses he now sported. "Hmmm..."
WHAHA...ha...ha...can't....hahahaha...breath...hahhhaaha!" Thunk. Yusuke fell to the sidewalk.
Boton hurried to his side to help. She looked up at her boss. "It is a bit much, sir"
"Think so?" He reached up and removed the yellow and pink pok-a-dot- bandana from his head. "Well, what do you suggest?"
"How about a necklace? Something simple..."
"Umm...I can do that."
"Uhhh, something simpler, maybe," she said eyeing the spiked collar. A thin silver chain with a charm on the end that read, JR. appeared. "Perfect!" she applauded.
Yusuke sat up and rubbed his aching ribs. "Ohhh." He looked at the teen Koenma. "Don't do that again. That hurt almost as much as Genkai's training."
"So what are we gonna do?"
"I'm going to Kieko's She said she had plans."
"Great! I'll join you."
"Damn it!"
Boton knew she wasn't needed so she let them walk further away from her. She needed some time to figure out why she felt so down. She passed a park and slowly walked through the trees and seated herself on the wooden rail of a short bridge. The water below her was filled with colorful carp that swam in lazy circles. It was peaceful and quiet. Peace...Quiet; things she had almost forgotten.
She watched as a new blossom, killed by the morning frost, drifted down onto the still water. Its ripple shattered her reflection. She kind of felt like that blossom. Frozen alive. Boton was a living spirit, who's job it was to deal with the spirits of the dead. So where was her true place? With the living, or with the dead? She had never felt quite at home with either. She rubbed her fingers together absently. Boton was lost.
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"That was almost pointless!" Inuyasha was complaining again. "You bathe, you stay and talk, and then you stink again!"
"I do not stink!"
"You don't smell like them as much as you did before." Shippo said. Besides, I like knowing that there is another Kitsune who can take care of you when I'm here."
"Feh!"
"Thank you, Shippo," Kagome said amused.
"You don't take care of her now!" Inuyasha growled.
"Do too!"
"You can't even take care of yourself."
"Can so!"
"You're pretty useless and I bet that other kitsune isn't much better."
"Kagome!"
"Inuyasha, quit picking on Shippo. He is very strong and helps me a lot." She ruffled his hair. "And why would you say such a thing about Shuuichi? He's a good person and from what I've heard, very strong."
"Keh!"
"Do you like this Shuuichi?" Sango asked in innocence. She had caught the end of the conversation with Kagome defending the boy.
Inuyasha snorted. "As if Kagome could fall for such a pretty boy. Really girly...smells like flowers."
Sango raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Kagome answered. "They all seem like the kind of people that you can count on. It won't be so hard to go home knowing that there are people there that I can trust. Like you guys!"
Sango smiled and scooted closer. "Is this guy pretty?"
Kagome fiddled with the strap of her backpack. "Yes and no. He reminds me of Sesshoumaru in a way."
Sango looked surprised. "Ah! I see..."
"What?! You think my brother is pretty?" Inuyasha was flabbergasted. ^.^
"No, " Kagome said calmly, "I think that Sesshoumaru is beautiful. And," she paused for effect, "entirely male."
Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious! Are you?"
Kagome looked over at Sango. "What do you think?"
"I agree. Who could resist a man that beautiful and that charmingly masculine?" Sango hid her smile in Kirara's fur. Taunting Inuyasha was everyone's favorite past time. "You are so lucky, Kagome, to have such a perfect guy to help you when you go home."
"Yes, aren't I, though." Kagome had trouble keeping a straight face and had to turn away form Inuyasha's searching eyes.
Shippo watched Kagome's face and understood the joke. But when he looked into Kagome's eyes, he saw a hint of truth there she couldn't hide. He smiled gleefully. Kagome was practically his mother and Inuyasha was anything but father material. And having another kitsune around suited him just fine!
"Arrghh! Take that back, Kagome! You don't need them! I'm here to protect you! You know that!"
Inuyasha was actually getting upset. Kagome stopped teasing. "I know, Inuyasha. You are always here for me." She gave him a quick hug which he did not return. "There, now I even smell like you." She sniffed. Uhhh! Inuyasha, you need a bath!"
He slumped in defeat. There was just no way to win. Shippo and Sango dissolved into laughter.
That's where Miroku found them minutes later. "Can you guys be more serious? I found us a place to stay the night."
"Let me guess. Another ominous black cloud is descending?"
"Exactly. But I won't expect them to believe me if I lead a group of giggling women and children in their midst." He reached a hand out for Sango. "Though they are such lovely-ouch!" She slapped his hand away.
"You might as well give up, Miroku. You're not pretty enough for them." Inuyasha stomped ahead.
"Huh?"
The girls started laughing again. Things were looking up!
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"Koenma sir!"
The door burst open causing George to look up hastily, miss the file, and stamp the back of his hand. Again.
"We have a prob- oh, hi George. Where's Koenma?"
"Out." The ogre moaned and shifted the huge stack of forms so he could see who had come in.
"..."
"Well, what's the problem?"
"....uh, there is a demon loose in the human world."
"What!?"
The door swung open suddenly, smacking the first messenger into the wall. "Koenma, sir! We have a situat-" the new voice started. "Uh, where's Koenma?"
"Out!" George desperately tried to catch the stack of folders sliding dangerously close tot he edge of the desk. "What's wrong?"
"Well, there is a demon escaped into the human-"
" I know. They just told me." George indicated the fallen messenger. They looked at each other uncomfortably.
"Uh, he's from another department." They said together.
"So?"
"That means that there is more then one demon loose...in ...the ..." gulp. George looked seriously stressed. The first messenger stood next to the second, both holding thick files in their hands, uncertain what to do with them, since Koenma was gone.
SLAM!
Both messengers hit the floor, scattering papers and forms.
"Koenma, sir! We just got word that-"
"Don't say it!" George pleaded, about to cry.
"But sir! There is a demon that got through the barrier! It's in the hum-"
"Aahhahhawhawhaw! Koenma sir...Please! Come back!" George cried. He was determined to never pick on the child ruler and his sometimes outrageous decisions again. "You said I just had to stamp a few files! Whaa!"