(Sorry about frying Kurama's brain like that I just couldn't help myself, it was simply too tempting. I do NOT own anything yu-yu hakusho except for whatever characters I make up and throw in my stories.)
Keaka and Kurama followed Hiei into the room they were currently using at Genkai's. Hiei stopped in front of Kurama's bed.
"Lay down fox." Hiei ordered. Kurama shifted uneasily before looking at me with questioning eyes. I shrugged and nodded my head. Kurama lied down on the soft mat that was spread on the floor.
"Close your eyes." Hiei said. Kurama obeyed. Hiei knelt next to him taking off his bandana opening his jagan.
"Keaka get over here." He said. I knelt down beside him taking Kurama's hand in mine.
"What have you got planned Hiei?" I asked. Hiei didn't answer right away. I glanced over at him and saw his lips moving as if he were silently voicing an incantation or praying. He reopened his eyes and looked at me.
With your telepathic abilities and my jagan we should be able to get inside of Kurama's head." Hiei said.
"I've already tried reading his mind. He doesn't remember a thing."
"No not read his mind. This is much more potent than just a mind reading. Our souls will actually dispatch from our bodies becoming one with Kurama." Hiei said. I looked at him and breathed deeply.
"Isn't that ahh, dangerous? Not only for us but for Kurama too." I said.
"You said you'd do anything to get help him did you not? Actually being able to wander around inside of Kurama's mind is the only way to find wherever he's been locked away in there." Hiei said irritated. I sighed and looked at Kurama who had fallen asleep. I nodded knowing well this was the only way. Hiei placed my hand on Kurama's forehead covering it with his own. He grasped my other hand with his holding it gently.
"Now erect a barrier so that no one can enter not even that baka brother of yours. If our bodies our disturbed by even the slightest noise we'll go into shock and probably die." Hiei said. I closed my eyes and put up my strongest barrier that I knew not even Kazuma could break through.
"It's done." I said simply.
"Good. Now keep your eyes closed and concentrate. Think only about Kurama. Your mind cannot wander off the matter at hand otherwise this will not work." He said. I tightened my grip around Hiei's hand letting myself become absorbed in the past. The first time Kurama and I met, going over his house after school for tutoring, his amazing smile and gorgeous eyes. The way he always spoke to me softly even when he was upset with me, the first time I saw Yoko and couldn't take my eyes off of him. My head began to spin as I felt myself being tossed around. I squeezed Hiei's hand even harder for reassurance, weakly he squeezed back. My stomach began to drop and filled with butterflies making me nauseous. I felt myself flying forward as a million different colors flew past me. A sense of calmness came over me that I only felt when I was with Kurama and I knew that the first part of our mission had been accomplished.
I opened my eyes and stood up in the middle of a vast meadow filled with beautiful flowers that swayed and bowed gracefully in the light spring breeze. I looked around becoming alarmed when I couldn't find Hiei.
"Jaganshi?" I called out noting that my voice was several octaves higher not the womanly voice I had become accustomed to but the voice of my former twelve year old self. I looked down at myself and gasped. My old school uniform from elementary school. I smiled a little smoothing out my knee high red skirt reminiscing.
"I'm here." Hiei said simply landing in front of me. I smiled and giggled when I saw him. The black cloak that he had always worn, his bandaged hand, his height.
"What's so funny?" He asked impatiently.
"You. You look like a kid again." I said.
"So don't you." He said blandly. I nodded and shrugged.
"Why?" I asked.
"This is probably how Kurama remembers us best that is why." Hiei said. He lifted what appeared to be a string that was attached to his waist and tugged on it pulling me closer. I looked down to see a similar baby blue string that met with his purple one winding to branch off and go off into the distance.
"What's this?" I asked tugging on it.
"That is our life line. When it begins to fade we'll have to return to our bodies not only that but if we are broken apart from each other we will die so be careful." He warned walking off. I followed not really having a choice. We walked through the meadow that came to a clearing and a bubbling brook.
"Thank god! I'm so thirsty." I said running over to the water. I knelt next to it and was about to dip my hands in it when I was jerked back falling over with my skirt flying over that was my old fashion way of falling when I was a kid, I swear those guys must have seen every pair of panties I owned. I stood up straightening my uniform and glared at Hiei.
"What was that for?" I asked him watching him advance forward. He plucked a flower out of the ground and knelt down next to the brook.
"Watch." He said and dropped it in. I crawled over next to him and waited while he threw the flower in. The water began to boil and became thick, red. I gasped.
"Blood!" I whispered quietly. The flower wilted in the substance. I placed a hand over my mouth feeling sick.
"Come on." Hiei said a tone of disgust in his voice. We stood up and looked up at the sky. It turned blood red setting a menacing atmosphere. The breeze became heavy picking up whipping my hair around.
"If I didn't know any better I would say someone doesn't want us here." I said. Hiei nodded once in agreement.
"Either way we have a mission. Being unwelcome has never stopped us before." He said. I nodded and continued on.
Unbeknownst to us we were being watched by a very deadly enemy that knew everything about us. Over the years he had watched and waited from the darkness patiently waiting for his turn and as we were about find out he was not going down without a fight.