A/N: Greetings, my friends! Ah, it's so good to be back in YYH mode, it really is. So what's this piece about, you say? Glad you asked! When I found myself rewatching the Dark Tournament recently, it occurred to me that during that six hour period between Hiei and Kuwabara's fights, Kurama's injuries healed quite well. So I had to wonder why that was. Granted, Kurama is good about masking pain and at times healing himself, but if he was entirely without his energy after his match with Karasu, it did make a few questions rise in my mind. Which brings me to wonder if Yukina somehow helped. It's unlikely that she did such, but blah. I dun care. I also wrote this so that I could see some Kurama and Yukina interaction, of which I have seen virtually none throughout the series. How sad. So anyway, enough of my rambling! Read on!
Disclaimer: I don't own YYH. Sure wish I did, though.
Strangers
A hand caked with dry blood touched his healing wound, open and still bleeding from the fight that took place what seemed like so long ago. Kurama hated knowing he was injured so badly that he couldn't aid his team in case he was required, but he was handicapped to just sitting in a slightly hunched position, doing his best to fight away the pain. No matter how hard he tried to will it away, it would only throb harder, reminding him of his failure to his team, even if it couldn't exactly be qualified as such, especially if it was a draw. But a loss or not, Yusuke was grateful for the effort his redheaded friend put into the match, as it was no doubt the most difficult task Kurama ever had to carry out.
Glaring across a narrow distance at an opponent who wanted literally everything about him, Kurama had every right to take the battle to the final second. He was willing to give up his life, but instead he survived, and for his selfless act, he was rewarded with this terrible pain. Kurama, however, dismissed it as the punishment for his actions, taking the potion in an effort to get stronger, instead of fully relying on his own strength for the whole fight. In a way, he was accepting his wounds as his due punishment, if there would be nothing more to bear in the near future.
With a sigh, he looked away from his book to his sleeping friend, or rather comrade since the two didn't exactly share any sort of brotherly bond. Kurama liked to think that Hiei was a friend, or at least a confidant - someone he could talk to, even if all Hiei would say in response was "hn". Regardless, the kitsune did appreciate Hiei's loyalty and fervency to end this tournament once and for all.
The two of them were fortunate to get a break from the action in the stadium, thanks partially going to Hiei for practically demolishing the ring, and thus they received some much appreciated recovery time. Kurama was grateful for the moments of silence when Yusuke and Kuwabara left to go check on the girls, who no doubt would either encourage or beat the daylights out of them. This made him chuckle a bit, the girls' company such a delight to experience firsthand.
But then he began to regret having them present, as they were all in a great deal of certain danger whether or not they won the tournament. Granted, they could fend for themselves for a short time, but not all of them could hold out for long. And being crippled to this practically useless shell, Kurama knew he couldn't help them if they fell prey to a random attack.
Shizuru was a strong woman, being that she raised Kuwabara into the capable, yet still goofy fighter that he was. It would take more than just a sane mind to raise him right, and there was no doubt in Kurama's mind that she instructed him properly. Strength ran in their family, so he had confidence that she could protect the others, at least long enough until help could arrive.
Keiko, like Shizuru, was strong-willed as well, but obviously appeared weaker physically. The idea that she was helpless didn't cross his mind, for he dared not step into such territory that would surely earn him a brilliant red mark on his face. However, since she was the closest friend to Yusuke, she would clearly be a target, and this troubled Kurama greatly. She would be sought after, and again, there would be nothing he could physically do.
Botan, their bubbly little grim reaper was a capable lady also, able to defend herself quite well against random opponents. But like most girls, she was targeted to weaken those she was closest to, meaning their team, who clearly cared for her safety, as well as the others. Kurama personally felt a special attachment to the deity and didn't want her to fall prey to the enemy, even if he didn't care about her the way he did. None of them deserved to be used in such a cruel way.
Lastly was the Ice Princess, Yukina, Hiei's little sister. She had an energy all together different than the other girls, but unfortunately it wouldn't do any good against monsters like the ones they were facing. In fact, the last two opponents that they were up against were the very two that had caused her a pain unlike anything she had felt before - the pain of watching helpless creatures die when there was nothing she could do to help.
Kurama knew how she felt now, having to sit and watch while his friends tried their best to win this fight to the death. It was as if he was paralyzed, forced to watch in agonizing silence as time slipped away and sifted between his fingers. How terrible it must have been for the poor girl to be trapped in a tower, knowing that the next day and the next would be just like the previous one. It was a never-ending cycle of physical and mental torture, and eventually, those monsters succeeded in making her shed the tears they sought. Never did they show her remorse or offer her consolation for what she endured, as she clearly didn't deserve anything of the sort.
Interrupting his thoughts, he saw a familiar pair of big scarlet eyes peer into the room from outside. "Ah, Yukina, come on in." he told her politely, standing up and ignoring the pain in his abdomen for her sake.
With the innocent smile she was famous for, she stepped into the room, hands folded in front of her when she looked at both Kurama and Hiei in a sympathetic way. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?" she asked softly.
Kurama shook his head and gestured that she take a seat on the empty bench he had been sitting on prior to her entrance. "Not at all. Hiei's sound asleep, and I don't think he'll be awake for a while, so I don't mind your presence at all." Once she was situated on the bench, he followed suit and sat beside her, being careful not to crowd the precious girl. Her demeanor was so pleasant, but at the same time distraught, as if she was feeling a massive amount of guilt that she somehow managed to mask perfectly. He could feel the pangs of sorrow in her heart, and resisting the urge to touch her shoulder in comfort, he inquired of her presence. "So what brings you here?"
As her hands began to fidget a bit in her lap, she replied shakily. "Well, I just saw how badly you were hurt in the ring, and I thought since we had some time before the next fight that I could at least heal you a little bit. I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but if I can, I'll gladly offer my services."
What a sweet girl Yukina was, Kurama suspecting that she had the same attributes of her mother - almost the exact opposite of Hiei, he noted. Smiling, he spoke. "I would be most appreciative of that, Yukina, but you don't have to use all of your energy on me. After all, Kuwabara or Yusuke may need your expertise later."
Giggling softly, Yukina lifted her hands and had them hover just in front of his dark-blooded wound. From her vantage point, it looked like his skin and muscle tissue had been chewed and left to look this way forever, scarring him beyond repair. But if she could help it, she would try to repair him as best she could. She then called forth the white energy and began to let it work, first numbing any discomfort that Kurama could feel for the duration of the healing process.
Kurama instantly felt the slight sting of the energy touch him, but when he noticed that the first wave was to numb him, he relaxed and let her continue. He found himself wondering how such a precious and adoring young woman could be related Hiei, but he reminded himself that not every set of twins was identical to the other. About the only thing the two had in common was that they shared the same womb and nothing more. Of course, Hiei had his reasons for being so cold, even to his sister, but Kurama almost felt the resentment pool out of Hiei's energy every time he saw Yukina. He thought at first that maybe Hiei hated the girl, yet soon after he learned that it wasn't hatred at all. It was the feeling that Hiei knew he was unworthy of sharing the same blood with her - an act of humility that many trouble-seeking brothers felt somewhere down the line.
The kitsune studied her a bit more, and even though he felt like he was a complete stranger to her, he was saddened to understand that he knew more about how Hiei and Yukina felt individually than the two knew about each other. Yukina didn't know her brother was right next to her, and Hiei didn't know that Yukina loved him anyway. They were the strangers, not him.
"How does that feel?" she asked suddenly, the white energy making her face glow even brighter.
Concentrating for a moment on his physical attributes, he finally conjured a reply. "It's feeling much better, thank you, though it still is a bit sore in the center."
"Oh, well let me work on it a bit more." she offered immediately.
"No, it's all right." he told her, holding her wrist with his right hand to prevent her from continuing. "You've done more than enough, Yukina, and I am very appreciative. I think I can handle it from here."
Withdrawing her hands shyly, she folded them back into her lap and let her gaze fall onto the sleeping Hiei directly across from her. He looked so peaceful and harmless in his sleep, but she knew for herself just how dangerous he was. He could kill at will and not care who his victim was. But he did save her, thus suggesting that he was kind to those he cared for. Why did he save her anyway when she didn't even know him?
"Kurama...?" she said timidly, voice still soft for fear that Hiei would awaken. "You've known Hiei for a long time, right?"
The kistune nodded. "Long enough, yes."
Biting her lip, she tried to arrange the words in her mind so that Kurama could understand what she was trying to say. Inwardly, Kurama felt he knew what was churning inside her heart - that nagging feeling that Hiei was something more than he was letting on. "I don't mean to sound self-conscious, but does he ever talk about me?"
On the outside, Kurama appeared calm and collected, but on the inside he was clamoring about for an appropriate response. He couldn't lie to the dear girl, but he couldn't declare the truth either, since Hiei was right next to him, and was probably capable of injuring the kitsune even more in his present state. No matter what he would choose to say, it would spell out more pain for him. However, his intelligence never did go un-noted by his opponents, so he tried to prepare a clever, but still heartfelt response.
"It's hard not to since Kuwabara talks about you all the time, too." he said with a friendly wink, making the Ice Princess giggle lightly. Kurama mentally patted himself on the back and continued. "You're special to all of us in one way or another, Yukina. In a way, you truly brought us together as a team, so we have you to thank for making this all possible, ignoring the tournament, of course."
Yukina nodded and hid the blush on her cheeks with the green locks of her hair, each strand serving its part in creating the shadows that danced over her face when she moved. "Well, I'm glad that I'm so important to all of you, but... I wasn't quite suggesting that."
Kurama felt another pang of guilt beat in his chest, now knowing full-well what Yukina was after. Trying to soothe her conscience, he interjected. "Oh, you mean Hiei specifically... Well, you know how he his, quiet and solitary, but he has spoken of you a few times."
Her face lit up with both joy and curiosity, this expression making Kurama aware that he had to be as gentle as possible with her. "Really?"
"Yes, I remember that right after he rescued you, he told me what a nice girl you were and that he felt shy around you. He was clearly glad that he arrived in time to keep you safe from the crime lords." Kurama replied with a smile, one that assured the girl before him that Hiei's heart was in the right place. But her countenance didn't seem to alter any, as if she was saddened by such a numbing choice of words. He knew what she wanted to hear, but he was deliberately avoiding it for fear that he would let his tongue slip. He didn't want to tell not only because Hiei could most likely kill the kitsune where he sat, but he felt that Hiei should be the only one to tell Yukina the truth. It wasn't his place to share such a secret, so with a comforting hand, he touched her shoulder and looked her straight in the eye. "Yukina, be assured that Hiei cares about you, as do we all, but there are some things that are better left unsaid by anyone else except him."
At his words, her eyes turned downcast and she tried to look away, but by gripping her shoulder a little tighter, he found her shaking eyes again. "Don't take this the wrong way, Yukina, but understand that as Hiei's closest companion, I know better than anyone else that Hiei prefers to do things his own way. If there is anything he needs to tell you, than he will. Hold tight to that, all right?"
She nodded her head and stood up, looking one more time at Hiei's motionless frame, then she turned her head over her shoulder to look at the kitsune again. "Thank you, Kurama. I appreciate it." But just as she stepped forward, she gave a soft laugh, making Kurama quirk his eyebrow just slightly, enough to show that he was curious of her actions. Finally, she turned to look at him and spoke. "You know, I used to think that all this time none of us really knew each other, but I think I'm the one who doesn't understand any of you. I'll definitely try harder from now on to see people as you do, Kurama. Thank you again for your help, and I hope you feel better soon."
He grinned widely in enlightened amusement, more than happy to hear that Yukina understood something he wasn't truly intending to teach, but glad just the same. "Thank you, Yukina. I'm certain that you will accomplish such a task quickly." And with that, the Ice Princess left the room and Kurama glanced back at his sleeping friend, who apparently dozed through the whole conversation. Kurama was grateful, though, and as he took up his book once more, he thought aloud. "Hiei, you don't know how much of a stranger you really are."
A/N: Alas, for I cannot leave siblingness out of a fic at all, can I? lol It's almost impossible for me, it seems. All right, if you liked this, leave a review. If you didn't and just want to flame, leave. Thanks so much for your time, all!
47thLight