Okay...cracks knuckles where to start? Sorry? Well...it did take a while to get this up. It is no longer allowed to post ANs as a chapter and I DO respect the rules. So, if anyone is looking for information on updates, please check the bio! This is where I will make any announcements about delays and such...oh, yeah. FINALS ARE OVER! YAY! And I passed them all. . um...recent problems ranging from heath issues and computer viruses also played a role in the lack of updates. So Thank you everyone for being so patient with me. I am updating two chapters here and then I will be out of town for several weeks (back into the wilds of Wisconsin where I will surely face internet withdrawal) before crawling my way back home to write more before summer school starts! Unless of course, I get eaten by a bear..or trampled by mad dairy cows... My other stories will also have one update this week before I leave so be aware! Anyway, thanks from both of us for reading and for your encouraging comments!

Sylvannastar and Yabou

Chapter 4

Hiei knew the moment she started to dream again. The slightest movement of her frail human body against his legs sent a message to him that she was still alive and still fighting for her survival. He watched the dark-haired beauty through half closed lids and waited. He was no longer certain if he was waiting for her to die, or to live. Either way, it did not really affect him enough to cause a difference in his life. But in the mean time, it was a welcome distraction from the thoughts that would consume him in the silent moments of his life. Anything was better then reliving your past and all your mistakes...

He let his mouth fall into the natural scowl that had become a habit and tensed his shoulders, trying to banish that thought before it developed into a brooding session. He deliberately kept as still as his body would allow, fighting the impulses to move and run that come with the fire apparition side of his blood lines. That intensity and energy mimicked the flames they were born from, and could easily threaten him if he lost control. His Koorime half was not built to take the heat and speed of a full fire demon.

He had to keep himself controlled at all times so that he would not burn himself out. However, when in battle, or when he did move, it was obvious that he enjoyed the quick and graceful movements of the flames that he answered to, when all was said and done. Though he had both ice and fire apparition bloodlines, Hiei favored his father's heritage more than that of his mother and the people that abandoned him as a child. Had he let go of the bitterness he felt for that abandonment, he may have developed the skills of an Ice Apparition...but he had not been given the chance. And though he had to learn the ways of fire on his own as well, as a child, it and been easier to repress the inherent abilities of his mother's blood rather then being constantly reminded of his exile...

Feeling alone was something that Hiei had become so used to, that it felt strange to him to be with others. He knew that it was a bit odd that he would choose to remain apart from others still, but the way he had lived so far, had proven he could survive without. Without anyone. He was comfortable with the pain of loneliness. Like a sickness that stays, he was accustomed to his singular ways, unhealthy though they may be.

Unhealthy...sickness...wounded...the girl stirred again, tears slipping from under her lids and a wince of pain twisting her bruised features. Her dreams were full of images as dark as Hiei's past...

Kagome heard the voice shrieking in her mind. It pierced her heart in ways the she couldn't even comprehend. She knew that voice...knew the terror that was causing it to swell into such a pained outcry. Desperately, Kagome tried to find the source. She twisted in every direction, panted with exertion...and saw nothing.

It was dark, and the mists of her dream world flowed around her, mocking her inability to find peace in her own head. She knew that she was still dreaming...she could tell that what she saw was nothing but what existed in her mind...though she also knew the truth of the memories that these scenes stemmed from.

The howl of an agonized child echoed through her thoughts no matter how she tried to find the source. Unable to hide the tears that coursed down her cheeks, Kagome winced as the sound went on and on. Unable to hold it back, Kagome started to yell for the child.

"SHIPPO?!" she tried to yell over the screams. "SHIPPO, WHERE ARE YOU?!" She sobbed and clenched her fingers into fists.

Finally, when she was unable to find the figure that was still screaming in her mind, Kagome tried to turn from it. Hiding her head in her hands she dug her blunt fingernails into her own forehead and screamed her own terrible howl that sent shudders down the spines of everyone that heard it. That is when it got eerily silent.

Hiei bolted upright when the silence was shattered by a scream of pain so intense that he found himself cringing in sympathy. He shoved the half drawn katana back into its sheath and scooted away from the ningen female that was currently letting loose a sound so agonized, he could not even begin to comprehend what had happened to aggravate her.

"What is wrong with her, fox?" he demanded harshly of Kurama who had scrambled over on hands and knees in his hurry to help the injured woman, while the two humans were still trying to untangle themselves from one another. Hiei did not spare them a glance, but kept his eyes trained on the girl now hissing sobs between clenched teeth.

Kurama shook his head and pressed a trembling hand to her forehead. "She's feverish," he whispered sympathetically and brushed his hands over the bruised flesh around her eyes and cheek.

"She's been that way for a while now," Hiei admitted. "She has been dreaming..."

Yusuke finally kicked Kuwabara off of him and stumbled over to the other two team members before he crouched down to stare along with them at the pinched face of the dark haired girl. "That was no dream," he sighed. "That was a nightmare..."

"Hn," Hiei agreed and was tempted to knock the kitsune away from the girl so that he could take a closer look at her condition. He avoided that impulse by turning slightly away from her shaking figure.

Kurama sighed and shoved a hand through his tangled red hair and wished that he had the foresight to bring a brush with him on this mission. The red locks were pretty enough, but now they were getting in his way of examining their...companion? Prisoner? He wasn't sure...

"What now?" Yusuke asked, the worry in his voice obvious to those who knew him well enough to recognize the brusque patterns of speech he used when actually concerned.

"Is she gonna die?" Kuwabara asked quietly from over their shoulders. "She seems really pale."

"Maybe," Kurama sighed unhappily.

"Maybe we should take her back to Koenma's," Kuwabara said. "I bet that they could help her easily."

"Koenma won't let us return till we have some information on that energy first. He said it was too big to safely ignore. In fact, it was massive. A real threat to everyone and everything...if he's right, we can't afford to change our priorities. She will have to wait till we break this case..."

Kuwabara glowered at Yusuke and crossed his arms in anger at the callous words of the team leader. "How can you just let her lay there suffering, Urameshi? There has to be something-"

"He's right," Kurama interrupted the larger boy quickly. He did not appear happy about the decision and continued to caress the silky hair hanging in the girls eyes as he checked her wounds. He sighed again and pulled away from her to look at Kuwabara. "Our duties require that we may have to sacrifice her in order to save the lives of countless others...we do not know what we are facing out there. All we know is that it is powerful..."

"Hn," Hiei agreed again.

Kuwabara watched unhappily as the others made a half hearted effort to sooth the girl and their guilt. "It still isn't right," he muttered but moved away from her and the dark look of warning on Hiei's face.

Kurama stretched his sleep cramped muscles and sauntered over to the mouth of the cave as he tested his joints. Touching the frost tipped leaves of the plants he had sprouted the evening before, he convinced the growth to move aside to create a window to the white world outside. Another foot of snow had fallen and caused the drifts to rise to about mid thigh. But, the sky was dawning clear and bright, giving him hope that the weather was going to cooperate this day.

He caught Yusuke glowering over his shoulder into the untouched mounds of snow and ice. "It will be easier to travel and search today," the fox commented.

Yusuke just frowned and wrinkled his nose at the pretty picture sparkling innocently from the hole in the living door. "Damned cold, if you ask me," he pouted. "We'll all freeze to death before we ever find out what broke through the barrier. Well, everyone except for Hiei," he amended with little optimism.

"Hn," Hiei smirked and sucked the heat he had been expelling for the ningen's comfort back into his body with an abrupt move that mirrored the effects of stepping into a cold shower. He was careful to keep the area around him at a more tolerable level for the onna sprawled at his feet.

"Aagh! Damn it, Hiei!" Yusuke cursed and dove for his jacket.

Kurama just rubbed at his arms in a distracted manner before turning to the others. "We can't take her out there with out killing her for certain."

Hiei frowned at the narrow eyed stare that the kitsune was giving him and deliberately crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive stance. The fox was planning something again, and Hiei had a suspicion that he was not going to like the results of the kitsune's thoughts. "Hn."

Yusuke managed to pull the puffy coat over his bare skin and had zipped it up to cover his chin and mouth. "What do you suggest we do with her then? Let her freeze to death in here instead?" he asked, his voice was muffled through the thick fabric.

"Of course not," Kurama frowned at the younger boy. "Hiei should stay here with her."

"What?!" several voices yelled at once and Kurama turned his disapproving frown on all of them.

"She will not make it out there. We can't abandon our mission either. So, one of us needs to stay with her while the others search for the energy that broke the barrier." Kurama dared any of them to argue with his logic and just like clockwork, they all did.

"Why should Hiei be the one to stay?!" Yusuke whined. "He should be the one out in that frozen waste. It doesn't bother him..."

"Indeed," Hiei sneered and focused on the fox. "Why should I stay?"

"Yeah!" Kuwabara added.

"Can you keep her warm long enough to live?" Kurama demanded of the detective.

"Hiei is the girl's only hope for survival."

"I have no desire to babysit this ningen, Kurama." Hiei growled angrily.

Yusuke pinched his lips together but looked longingly at the heated section of the cavern where the girl was still laying. "But he's right," Yusuke said mournfully, " as usual. You have to stay here with her, Hiei."

Hiei growled louder and gripped his sword hilt with the force of his anger and glared at Yusuke and the fox calmly watching him.

"She needs you," Kuwabara agreed and warily watched the short demon losing his temper. Hiei was volatile and not known for his liking for humans..or anyone for that matter. He wasn't the safest member of the team to leave a weak woman with, but he was the best choice considering the temperature and location they were in. Still, Kuwabara did not trust the fire apparition.

Kurama zipped his own coat tighter and gestured toward the doorway. "The sun has risen, shall we go now?" he prodded the others.

Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded quickly and followed Kurama through the larger hole in the plants before the kitsune closed it back up. They were more then ready to escape from Hiei's enraged presence, even if it meant wandering back out into the cold wastelands of Northern Makai...and infinitely safer...

No sooner had the green shifting leaves closed over the portal, then they could hear the enraged curses of a very angry fire apparition lending them a will to move on with all haste...

((This is a collaborated section!))

The unholy wailing abruptly stopped, leaving Kagome in a world of darkness and silence. She whimpered and bit her lip hard. The silence scared her more then the loud bawling of her little kitsune. It was as if... he had vanished. She was alone again in the dark.

"Shippo," she croaked with her voice broken by the sobs caught in her throat. She fell to her knees on a floor that did not exist and covered her ears to block out the silence that had replaced the previous cries.

Kagome dropped her arms and allowed her shoulders to droop as she continued to whimper the name of the child she had grown to love. "Shippo..."

The slight shifting in the air alerted her to the gentle breeze now playing with the ends of her hair and tingling the nerves across the back of one slender arm. Slowly, it danced its way through her dark, thick tresses and whispered softly into her ear. There was a familiar feeling mixed into that wind that teased her senses and turned her tear filled eyes hopefull. "Shippo?" she asked as she raised her face into that soft breath of air.

The invisible tendrils of energy tangled in the air abandoned her warm body to mold themselves before her very eyes into the form of the child she searched for with such love and devotion and she was confronted with the biggest cerulean blue eyes she had ever seen.

"Shippo!" she gasped happily and lunged toward the little fox cub standing silent and pale before her...Kagome was only inches away from having the young kit safe in her arms when he stepped back . She caught her self before she fell and panted in sudden fear. Was he rejecting her? Would Shippo turn from her now? She sucked in a breath as she looked at him carefully. His beautiful eyes, so full of life..were staring at her blankly. It was an expression she had only seen once before, on a face so similar to her own. She tried to grasp her trailing thoughts even as Shippo's innocent face twisted into a mask of bitterness and betrayal.

Two tiny white fangs peeked through his taut lips and his normally soft red gold tail was bristled out in fury and looked twice its normal size. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration and the once gentle breezes surrounding her body picked up speed and force, whipping their way through the battered remains of her clothing.

"Kagome," he answered her softly.

She reached for him again, intent on taking the child into her arms to hold tightly as the atmosphere stormed arround her. He avoided her touch again and Kagome cried out loud in pain. He was refusing her comfort...

"Kagome, why?" he demanded with a angry growl. "Why did you leave me?"

Her fist clenched convulsively against his withdrawal. Her insides battled between her will to protect him and the force compelling her to attempt to understand his actions. She swallowed several times, begging her body to release her and allow her to make some form of reassurance or comfort to the small child before her. His eyes were wide and pleading even as he bared his fangs at her. She bit into her already bruised and bloodied lip before she tried to make him understand. "Shippo I-"

The kit cut her off with a wild yell. "YOU LEFT! YOU LEFT WHEN YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED! HOW COULD YOU?" Shippo's small body shook with the force of his anger and the twisting winds responded to his fury.

She attempted to shield her eyes from the howling winds as they ripped desperately against her battered remains, and yet through the storm, his high pitched screams still rang clearly in her ears. Once again, her hand reached out to offer some form of relief for the small kitsune cub. "Shippo, I had to!" she cried and begged for the child to offer her some sort of relief, or forgiveness.

Shippo's tiny fists waved wildly in the air as he accused her of abandoning him. "You left," he finally whispered as the anger died away.

He looked at her with his eyes returning back to that pain filled blue of despair that ate at her heart. Her hand paused only a breath away from his skin and began shaking violently as she willed it to move. Behind him, Kagome could see the wind still writhing in tormented circles.

Yet, even as the storm dissipated, her feeling that things were only getting worse increased. The blurred stains of color that still cycled constantly in the background reminded her that this was no more then a dream world and she was caught in the middle of the vortex of her own guilt.

Those pockets of color used her fear and pain as a source of power to take shape and quickly condensed into the gruesome visages of monsters that she would never forget. Fearfully she glared at the circle of monsters that had appeared just out of reach of her now limited senses. With her powers drained and restricted as they were now, she could feel only the barest hints of Youki around her. Suddenly, the grinning faces began laughing and snarling in a threatening manner as their circle tightened. The terrorized cries of her fox kit suddenly began haunting her mind again and the wailing shrieked through her head. She quickly looked back down at Shippo only to find that he wasn't there anymore. Her kit was gone.

Remaining traces of the wind faded into nothing as the memories stirred in her mind, taking the grinning faces of the devils with it. Once again...she was alone.

"No," she moaned. "Not again. I can't..." she sobbed. "No! NOOOO!"

Kagome felt the weight of the emptiness press even heavier upon her then the tortured screams of her kit had and shrank into her self.

((End of collaborated section!))

Hiei kicked a the unyielding green foliage with a black boot and scoffed as the plants simply regrew every time that his foot went through them. "Damn you, Kurama!" he raged and kicked again at the living door.

Hiei even went so far as to take several feral swipes at the plants with his sword before slumping angrily to the floor to sulk. He glared with his crimson eyes at the place that the others had just left through and felt his anger only growing for the humiliation of being left here to watch a dying ningen female.

It seemed that he was always being left behind, tossed aside, forgotten, used and discarded. His menacing growl grew louder as he imagined setting those pretty red locks of kitsune hair on fire.

His loud swearing and stomping around finally agitated the girl enough for her to move and groan in protest. When she got his attention with her weak struggles, he moved to her side and glared at her with his hands on his hips. "This is all your fault," he informed her with a angry scowl.

He was surprised to see her head loll toward the sound of his voice and shocked to see the lids of her eyes flutter gently as she worked at finding the strength to face that angry voice. She opened her eyes slowly until they were wide in the dim light.

Hiei felt all the anger and frustration melt away in moments as he stared at the pale face etched in lines of sadness. There was only one thought that made any sense to him as he looked at her. Her eyes are blue...