I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho fandom or characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and to Toshihiro Togashi. I do not make any monies or profit from the writing of this story.

Thank you, thank you to those who took the time to review and to those who made this story a favorite! As you can see from the title this is a re-written version of my original story. I hope you will enjoy it just as much. I really love to hear your thoughts and comments...Please let me know what you thought of this chapter as well whether good or bad. Thank you again!

Enjoy,

DawnFire_ice

Chapter 7

The faint glittering of the katana in the pale light went unnoticed as he placed the razor sharp tip just where his prey's heart would be. A cruel smirk twisted his lips as he looked coldly down at his soon to be victim he felt a swell of victory and fury. "You won't ever have her. I won't allow it." he said firmly, and with all the conviction within himself.

The blood tainted lips of his enemy turned up in a sadistic smirk "Neither will you." He laughed manically before cutting off with a gurgle as Hiei drove the katana into his enemy's heart. He watched with satisfaction as life blood stained the skin and the floor around Kage, relieved he was finally dead. But his words rang in Hiei's ears with bitter truth. She would never be his because she thought he didn't want her. She had resigned herself to marry Yusuke. Considering the situation she was in maybe it would be for the best if she did. Yusuke could love her without reservations. He could give her everything Hiei could not, affection and warmth of home and hearth. Hiei had nothing like that to offer her. Having children would be improbable with his mixed elements not to mention dangerous to her should they have offspring. The Mazoku was still partially human and their children would be-

The room blurred, as though someone had disturbed calm waters causing ripples. As the ripples of energy calmed once again Hiei found he was standing beside the form of his Miko. Something was wrong. Even though he was beside her he could not sense her nor did she move as he called her name. Her midnight hair hung around her face shielding it from his view. The posture of her body was slumped forward and her arms hung limply at her sides in slowly pooling crimson; her life blood.

Hiei stared uncomprehending at her figure. When had this happened? When could Kage have done this? Up until the final moment when Hiei had thrust his katana through Kage's heart he had heard her screaming his name. She had sounded so afraid, and her fear had spurred him to finish the battle all the more quickly. He had wanted to go to her to assure her that she was once again safe. He had come for her.

But they had failed. Shock was slowly giving way to horror as his heart began to understand what his mind already knew. Kagome was dead. Hiei fell to his knees before her and tried to pull her in to his arms but his katana was in the way. Thinking he had merely forgotten to put it away he moved to do so but found that it was stuck. Frowning he looked down at the weapon. It didn't appear to be stuck in anything that he could see so he pulled again and as it came free Kagome's body was pulled forward.

Hiei dropped the sword with a clatter as he moved to catch his beloved. Emotions swirled within him. He'd never even gotten the chance to tell her how he felt for her, as mute as his feelings might have been. Now she would never know that she had done something he'd always believed was impossible: she'd captured his heart.

Her skin was still warm as he gently pushed the hair from her face and saw for the first time the tears that clung to her dark lashes and stained her perfect cheeks. Guilt flooded through him as he lowered his lips to hers, softly kissing her as he should have done several months ago when they had first met. Now it was all too late. She was his light and now she was gone, her life snuffed out like a candle, leaving him alone once again in the darkness of reality. Damn it, this is why he hadn't told her. He had thought it would protect her if she didn't know; that somehow if he never confessed that his enemies would leave her alone.

Holding her close to himself he buried his face in her shoulder. "I'm so sorry." he whispered. "I tried Kagome, I tried to save you. I was just too late." The soft clatter of a hiroseki stone seemed to fill the silence as first one and then another and another fell. Vaguely he could hear footsteps approaching him and he buried his face deeper in her shoulder. Not caring that he would see them together.

"Hiei? What happened?" The soft voice of the avatar asked as he knelt beside his friend. His heart clenching painfully at the site of the woman both Yoko and himself had chosen for their own lying in a growing pool of her own blood. Glancing around him for some answer to his questions he spotted the Hiyoukai's katana and inhaled the scent blinking at what he found. Standing swiftly he moved to look closer at the weapon that was covered… in Kagome's blood.

Kurama could not believe what his nose told him, Hiei would never...as much as the truth had hurt when he had realized it, Hiei loved her. Glancing around the room he saw all the signs of a battle except the blood that should have been splattered showing that Hiei had wounded if not killed Kage. Inside his head Yoko raged demanding blood for her lost life.

Yusuke moved closer not believing what his eyes told him. Kagome was lying limp and broken in the arms of his team mate. Angrily he punched the ground as his grief turned to fury at the monster who had done this to her. He wanted to snatch her away from Hiei, but the tears on his cheeks stopped him cold. How had he not seen that Hiei was in love with Kagome? How had he been so blind? Silently he raised his pain filled eyes to meet the questioning eyes of the avatar. Had Kurama known? The tears wetting the emerald eyes shocked him. Had they all been in love with her then?

Hiei did not raise his head as he croaked out, "I killed Kage but I was too late." He slightly gestured his head towards the side of the room where he recalled the corpse lay cooling in a pool of his black blood. "He's over there." Kurama looked the direction of where his friend gestured and saw nothing. He shook his head negatively.

"There is nothing over there." Yusuke said softly. Suddenly understanding, but not comprehending the events, Hiei raised his head.

"You must be blind then, fool," he snapped, looking towards the wall where his victim lay. He frowned when his eyes met nothing. No blood, no corpse, nothing marred the pristine white wall.

Confused, Hiei looked around the room. Where were the blood spatters that had splashed on the wall as he fought? Something definitely wasn't right. He looked down at Kagome in confusion pushing her out and away from his chest to see her. Kurama gasped and turned shocked eyes to Hiei, the reality crashing through, Hiei felt his world shatter. The only wound on her was a sword wound piercing her heart exactly as Kage had been in his 'battle'.

Yusuke felt like he had been torn limb from limb as he too saw the sword wound and then the sword –Hiei's sword laying a foot away covered in her blood. He was frozen in shock and unable to move as sadly Kurama reached over and lifted Kagome's limp body into his own arms taking her from Hiei's limp grasp. Laying his lips to her cheek he kissed her softly in farewell, His heart was breaking as he turned his now amber eyes on his long time friend who was also grieving the loss, eyes burning with rage he demanded, "Hiei, what have you done?"

Yusuke laid a hand on Kurama's shoulder as they both watched in surprise as Hiei soundlessly sobbed. Red stones the color of blood littered the ground around him and Yusuke knelt and began to gather them. Though he knew that his friend would hardly appreciate the gesture he could not leave such rare things behind as a testament to his- their loss. After the last one was collected, Yusuke tied closed the handkerchief he'd collected them in. Surprisingly there had only been ten in all.

As the tears had stopped only moments after they had started but the dry sobs wouldn't stop, Hiei was ashamed and embarrassed by his display but couldn't seem to gain control enough to stop them. Finally he stood and held out his arms silently to the kitsune who, though he felt rage still over his part in the murder of Kagome, knew that it had not been intentional. Slowly Kurama transferred the still, limp form of the girl to Hiei's arms.

Light erupted around her body as a power filled voice rang through the room. "I thank you, for setting me free." It was a woman's voice. And it seemed to originate from the glowing sphere hovering above Kagome's chest where his sword had pierced.

Hiei frowned. "I did nothing," he growled at it.

The woman laughed. "Hiding your heart brought you here Hiei," she chastised as Hiei clutched the broken body of his beloved closer.

Yusuke growled. Feeling something amiss but Hiei was completely catatonic nothing He or Kurama did would rouse him.

"Do you wish her to return to you?" the feminine voice asked, chorused by deeper male voices. Hiei, unable to find his voice nodded. Sorrow tinged the voice as she replied, "She will return but not as she was. She cannot survive the blow you dealt her mind. Kagome had convinced herself that it all was a lie; because the shadow took on your form and confessed that you loved her. In thinking this was not true she was able to withstand all and any torment she endured. However, when you yourself said that you loved her in your own words, it shattered her mind. Truly, it was a mercy that she died, for she would have gone mad. Now though, we can restore her, but to do so she will have to forget."

Hiei hung his head as the truth of her words filled his mind. His love had killed her. He had broken her, as he had feared from the beginning. Just not in the way he had feared. His pride torn asunder he closed his eyes, speaking, for once, his true feelings. "Let her forget about me then, but if it must be so, then take my life now... as punishment for taking hers. I won't live without her. I will die for her."

"A noble offer Hiei…however, that is not what we wish to know. Would you live for her? Would you live every day for her sake? Draw every breath for her? Fight for her? Love her openly and without shame?"

Hiei frowned. "I do not understand, wouldn't Yusuke be a better choice?" he asked sadly. What had he been doing? He did live every day for her, and for his sister. As for drawing breath for her, he owed her everything for the sin he had committed against her. He had fought and lost, but of course he would fight for her; she was his. As for loving her, he didn't know how, other than instinct, and that didn't seem to cut it. How was he supposed to openly and shamelessly give something he knew nothing about? "I don't know how to love," Hiei said finally.

"You will learn. Kagome doesn't know how to let someone love her. You will learn together." The answer was spoken softly. Midoriko sighed. It was going to be a challenge to get Kagome to let him love her, especially considering the depth to which her self-worth had sunk. It had been slowly returning but the unintentional rejection of the Hiyoukai had brought her down again.

"Kagome is the eternal guardian of the jewel. Will you be her protector?"

Hiei frowned again at the jewel. "How can I be her protector when she won't remember me?" he demanded.

The laugh filled the air. "She will remember meeting you, just not her time here. This experience will have never happened to her. Only you and your friends will remember, so that you never allow it to happen again. She will not recall loving you, or wanting you, but she will remember that she knows you. Beyond that you will have to earn her love. There are no guarantees that she won't love another Hiei, she has been hurt before. Do not repeat his mistakes..." The voices of the jewel paused. "Will you still give her what we have asked? Will you give up your fragile inhuman soul for her and take on immortality? Even if we cannot promise her heart to you, will you give us your vow in exchange for her life?"

"It is given. Return her." There was no hesitation in his voice and there was no need to hesitate. Kagome was everything now. He knew that from the moment he'd kissed her cooling lips. He did not think of the power he would be granted nor of the immortality. No, his thoughts were on the lifeless figure in his arms. His eyes were riveted on her face as he waited for the first breath of life to again fill her lungs.

As he watched he realized the jewel had said she would remember him but did that hold true to the other two? Was he the only one who would be remembered? The thought twisted sourly in his gut. He wanted her but at the cost of his first and only friends? Grimacing he realized that his honor would demand he give them an equal shot at gaining her love. He would never be fully satisfied if he didn't.

Above her chest the jewel pulsed as it grew brighter before plunging into her body and filling it with light. Unnoticed by his companions the light expanded until it filled the entire fortress and beyond. A terrible shriek rent the air and seemed to go on forever as Kage was purged from his tenuous hold on reality and cast back to his own dimension. Hiei and Kagome seemed to glow brightest and then the light died and Kagome stirred in his arms. Hiei watched in complete fascination as her chest rose and fell with every breath. Her body was warm in his arms and the blood that had been spilled from her body no longer covered his hands.

Kurama and Yusuke were completely unaware of the changes that had occurred, or the conversation that Hiei had had with the jewel. They were getting ready to carry him and Kagome from that nightmare when Kagome sighed in her sleep, they were both shaken from their thoughts and hurled into the strange reality that, somehow, the girl they loved still lived.

Crimson met both coffee and verdant with no hesitation as he stared at his teammates over her sleeping form no longer covered in blood. Tears tracks were present on all three faces, a testament to their shared grief and loss. Kurama recovered his voice first and quietly queried "How?"

"The Shikon rests within her; she was made immortal by its whims." Hiei said frowning at the boldness of the Mazoku as he carefully but swiftly snatched the sleeping Miko.

Yusuke held her to his chest feeling her breath ghosting upon his cheek and he breathed a sigh of relief as his heart calmed. Nothing could take her from him again. Somehow he would convince her to marry him! He growled as Hiei took her back. (Oh hell no.)

Hiei's voice shamefully caught as he relayed the awful price he had paid to get her back. "Her mind was shattered, to bring her back cost dearly. Kage used all of us to break her so she had to forget."

"Forget what, Hiei?" Kurama asked slowly fearing the words.

"Us." The word burned like acid to the lips speaking it and the ears hearing it.

Yusuke's world shattered.