Author: Time for another chapter people! Hope you all enjoy it!

"Kirana's telepathy"

"Hiei's telepathy"

Hiei's thoughts

"Hiei's Jagan"

Kurama's thoughts

Youko's thoughts

'People talking telepathically with Hiei'

'People talking telepathically with Kirana'

(Author's note)

---------Time and/or location change---------

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Chapter 43

They all entered Kirana's mind and decided that they would have to wander about and find a locked door that would be surrounded by as many kinds of traps and locks that would be possible to have. Kurama said that the mind was like an office building, full of rooms and hallways they would have to navigate in order to find Kirana. Hiei warned them to stay away from the room for the Jagan. If anyone entered that room the Jagan would think it was being attacked and would more than likely attack back possibly killing the mind and soul of the person who entered. All agreed that the best way to go about it would be to go as a group. This was decided because the one most likely to find Kirana would be Hiei, and the only two who would be able to get through the traps would be needed to get to her.

"Do not screw around in here. It could be dangerous to not only us, but Kirana as well," Kurama said firmly.

They all agreed and set off in the direction Hiei could feel the pull of his mate. Not much time had passed when the came up on the first trap. Kurama quickly and effortlessly disengaged the trap and the group moved on. Hiei sensed the next trap and used the Jagan to negate it. They were making progress much more quickly than they had expected to.

As they walked along the corridors, they saw room names on the doors. Kurama almost went against the rules they had made and entered a room with his name on the door. He could only imagine what would be in it, and he shuddered. Then they had to stop Yusuke from opening the door with his name on it. But the one to challenge the group the most was a door with no markings at all. It was scarred and locked with multiple blocks and locks and traps around it.

"She has never even opened this door. Kurama that is a suppression ward… someone suppressed some of her memories," Hiei said angrily.

"Hiei, we will have to teach her to enter her own mind properly, and then maybe she can get into that door, but for now we need to save her," Kurama said green eyes locked on the door.

"Onii-san! Please we have to save Onee-san!" Yukina said pulling the boys out of their trance.

"Right… this way!" Hiei said and then started running.

He stopped abruptly in front of another door with no label. Again the door was locked and scarred. And once again there was a myrad of locks and spells and traps around the door, but this time Hiei knew she was in there.

"Kirana, unlock the door, Baby. Please Koibito, let me in," Hiei yelled in the direction of the door.

"There is a soundproofing something around the room. She can't hear you. We will just have to force entry. Hiei work on the things you can with the Jagan, and I will get the rest of these traps and whatnot," Kurama said green eyes flecked with gold.

"Okay," Hiei said softly.

Quickly and quietly the two worked. Hiei had disengaged all but two of the wards and spells cast by the Jagan, and Kurama had one lock left to unlock. Hiei had decided to leave the room soundproofed, so that she would not be able to hear them until they entered. The soundproofing was not something that would keep them out, and he would be needing all the strength he could get in order to get her out.

Finally after only a few more minutes they were ready to enter the room. Hiei thought it would be wise to warn them of a few things before they went in though.

"Remember, she will be hurting. I know what her greatest fear is, and she would have had to endure all of us leaving her abandoning her and calling her… well you know. We will have a lot of convincing to do, and I have no idea how long it will take. If any of you get pulled from her mind because the effects of the plant wear off, come back as soon as possible. Now that you are this far if you go in that door you must be prepared to come back as soon as possible. Youko… forgive me my friend, but you cannot enter this room. I do not think she will be ready for this yet, and you have to be ready to produce more of that plant to get the others back here to her. Thank you for getting me this far, I never could have done it alone," Hiei said briefly hugging his friend.

"I will wait here for the plant to lose it's effect, and then I will start growing more. Bring her back Hiei. Please bring my sister back to me," Kurama whispered stepping aside so that he would not be seen when the door opened.

The rest of the group quickly entered the room and found Kirana huddled in a corner. The minute she saw them she started screaming and crying. Hiei was beside her in an instant pulling her close to him despite the fight she was putting up. No matter how upset she was with him she could not use her power against him, and so she merely struggled to be released. Not listening to a word he was saying to her.

After a few minutes she finally calmed down some, and Hiei began stroking her hair and whispering softly to her.

"Kirana, Koi, Yokoshima was a demon of fear. None of what you saw was real. I love you, Aijin. I love you, please don't turn away from me. I need you," Hiei said softly.

"Then why didn't you save me!" she screamed.

"I tried Koi, but I couldn't get to you… I tried to save you. I found you in the warehouse, and then Yokoshima… and there was a blast, and I was thrown from the room. Then we wandered all over Makai, waiting for a sign. We talked all the rulers into watching for you. Yokoshima contacted me, and I willingly went into a trap just so that I may have been able to save you. Then the rest of the group came and saved us both. Yokoshima is dead, and no one will ever take you from me again. NEVER! Unless you stay here trapped in your own mind. But if you do I will keep using the Jagan to get in here, and I will keep finding you and holding you until you realize that I am here and that I will not leave you and that I love you," Hiei said holding her closer.

"Kirana, Imooto, I… I should have been able to protect you, and I failed you, but I don't know what I would do if I lost you now. If I lost you to that bastard after we saved you, just because you believed that fear. I know, that it was scary, and I know that it must have been rough, to have had the people you loved saying things like that, but I will not stand here and let you believe it and leave us. Hiei hasn't left your side since we saved you from Yokoshima, and if you don't come back to us… I don't know what will happen, so please, Imooto, please come back to us," Yusuke said taking her hand in his.

"I am not sure how much what I say will affect you, Kirana, but you changed my life. I loved you from the second you spoke to me all those years ago. You made me who I am today, and not only me. Kirana, Youko has been beating himself up since that morning, in fact I think he hates himself right now. If you don't come back, I don't think either one of us will survive," Botan said chocking on tears.

"Yes Onee-san, please come back. I finally had a family, and now with you gone I will be losing both you and my Onii-san. And I can't lose the family I just found! Please come back to us!" Yukina pleaded a tear gem falling to the floor.

"I'm scared," Kirana whispered tears and tear gems falling to the floor.

"Then let us help you. We are your family, and that is what family does. We help each other," Yusuke said softly.

"How do I get back?" Kirana whispered.

Hiei smiled, "Well you have to trust me. We will all leave, you can't escape your mind if other people are in it, but I will be holding your hand the whole time I promise. Then you just walk out of this door. Walk out and think about home. Close your eyes and then when you open them again you will be back." Hiei said.

"O-okay, but if you are not there holding my hand I reserve the right to kick your ass," she said still terrified.

"Absolutely, Koibito," Hiei said.

"Okay then. You can go and I will follow," Kirana said softly.

"Know that if you are not back in five minutes, I will come back," Hiei threatened.

"I will come back, Hiei," she said softly.

"Give me a kiss before I leave, Koi," Hiei said gently turning her face toward him.

Kirana hesitated for a second, but then moved and pressed her lips to Hiei's. Both pulled back fairly quickly, Hiei not wanting to rush her, and Kirana still afraid that he would turn on her. Then just as suddenly as she pulled away she threw herself into his arms again and kissed him passionately.

When they pulled back Hiei smiled at her, "I love you Koibito, never forget that."

"I won't, and I love you too," she whispered back.

"Okay, guys, I would say it has been about an hour, you should start returning to your bodies soon, and then Yukina and I will follow, and Kirana will follow us," Hiei said.

Just as he finished this statement Botan faded. Hiei knew Youko was gone then. Youko had taken his first. He would have been the first to fade. Then Yusuke faded, and Hiei took Yukina's hand.

"I will see you in a few minutes Koi," Hiei said and then him and Yukina left.

Hiei opened his eyes and noticed the rest of the group was there. He sighed. He did not want to do what he was about to do, but it needed to be done.

"Fox…I think-" Hiei began.

"I know Hiei. I will talk to her soon though. But you are right. She is not yet ready for me. Tell her I love her, Botan," Kurama said green eyes sad, and flecked with gold.

"I will Koibito," Botan whispered as Kurama left the room.

Kurama had only been gone a few seconds when Kirana's eyes fluttered open. She quickly surveyed the room and noticed her hand was being held by her mate's. Smiling she slowly sat up. She had decided that her friends would never abandon her.

"Hey, guys, long time no see," she said voice hoarse from little usage over the last few weeks.

Everyone smiled back at her and then she was engulfed in arms and bodies, everyone hugging her at once, but through it all her mate's hand stayed holding hers tightly. Finally everyone dispersed, and slowly left her and Hiei alone.

"Is what Yusuke said true?" Kirana asked softly.

"What about me not leaving your side?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Then, yes, the Detective was speaking the truth. I have fed you when you couldn't feed yourself, and taken care of everything. You could not do things for yourself, and I would never lose you, so I took care of you," Hiei answered. "But you have to know something, something you maybe don't want to hear yet, but you have to hear it. Youko helped too, a lot. He also told Botan to tell you that he loves you, I told her not to tell you, because I would. He wants to talk to you whenever you are ready. Perhaps now would be a good time, Koi?"

"Will you stay?" Kirana asked.

"I will not stay. I love you Kirana, but this is something you and Youko need to work out. I have already said my peace with Youko, and neither one of us has anything more to say on the matter with each other, but you need to be able to accept your brother. When you are ready let me know Koi, but you have to do this on your own. I will be right outside the door though," Hiei answered.

"Onii-san… Hiei, Koi I think I am ready," Kirana answered.

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Author: Only two chapters left! I know this one was long, but there was so much to include! The next chapter will not be quite as long, but will be much more emotional! Until next time, ja ne!