Yukina soon found that her arm was going numb as Rui pulled on it.

When they entered the town, Yukina got shivers down her spine. She knew this place too well.

The dull gray stone streets were covered with snow, as there were few people out of their houses.

Yukina saw Rui turn around as if she was going to talk to Yukina.

Yukina got her hopes up that maybe this was all some big joke and maybe Rui will have her at her house. But instead, Rui nodded towards the gate entrance.

Rui slowly let go of Yukina's arm and grabbed her hand.

Yukina quickly turned around to see what or whom she was nodding too. Yukina looked to see a few women standing by the gate-doors closed.

Yukina wanted to cry, but she could not find any tears left within her.

What will happen to me? Are they going to punish me? I have not returned in such a long time…perhaps they are upset with me…!

Yukina did not bother to struggle or try to run away.

Though Rui did not know of it (nor did the elders), but she once did try to escape. When she would walk around the town, she would look for places to escape-but had no success. This town was on Koorime Island after all. The island was to separate the Koorimes from the rest of Demon world.

And just as the Koorimes are demons of ice, so are their hearts. The elders of Koorime Island seemed to have the most ice around their hearts of all.

Yukina meet them before, they were cold hearted, and they looked down at her.

She wanted to escape their judgmental glances, but she stood silently in respect.

When she thought about having to revisit them, only this time to probably receive a punishment, she could hardly breathe.

It seemed as though the more she thought about seeing them again, it seemed the more the ice cold air burned her lungs and her stomach seemed to ache with pain as her knees became like lead as she found herself trembling.

Finally, they were at the place of the elders.

It was a large building. The building itself was gray and round. It looked like half a circle.

Rui pulled on Yukina's arm as she yanked her into the building.

The place's walls were stone as was the floor.

No snow was inside the building but it was as cold as outside.

Rui finally let go of Yukina's hand. Yukina pulled her hand back quickly.

Yukina pulled up her sleeve to see the red mark of where Rui had been holding her arm.

Her arm was now becoming less and less numb and more and more painful.

When Yukina looked back up at Rui, she signaled for Yukina to follow, though still never looking at her.

Can this truly be the Rui I know?

Yukina slowly followed, keeping her distance.

Rui led Yukina down hallways with barely any light in them.

Finally, they came to a single door.

The hallway they were in was dark and it was taking Yukina's eyes a while to adjust to the darkness.

But she could see Rui reach in front of her, then she heard the sound of a door creaking open.

Yukina could see a small light coming from inside the room.

Her eyes were now having an even harder time seeing now that light was back.

But after a second, she noticed them.

Their faces were barley being shown through the light. The elders of Koorime Island.

Yukina started to shake with fear. She had never in her life wanted to return to this place.

Yukina wanted to find her brother, but she also used it as an excuse to leave this place.

When she looked into the lifeless eyes of the elders she was reminded of the last time she saw Hiei and her tear gem.

I had asked him to, incase he saw my brother, for him to give him my tear gem and tell him that I was waiting for him. But two long years have passed and I have not heard word from Hiei…or my brother.

"Yukina." Yukina, startled, shook as she heard the cruel yet fragile voice of the older woman.

"Yukina, you have disappointed us."

Yukina knew that the elders could see the fear she had.

Genkai once told her that by looking into Yukina's crimson eyes.

The woman did not say anything, Yukina wondered if they wanted her to reply.

"H-How? What have I done?"

Yukina's voice was shaking as she spoke just above a whisper.

"You have left us to find your brother."

Yukina gasped.

She is right! I did leave without permission to look for him. But…I did not think they would be so upset.

One of the other elders sighed and spoke up,

"Yukina. Do you know why we Koorimes live on Koorime Island instead down below with the rest of demon world?"

Yukina was scared and could not speak. She only shook her head slowly.

"It is because we know that the rest of the world has gone mad. No Koorime was to be at the tournament that was held to decide who was to be the next ruler years ago. We Koorimes are the only ones who know that this world is destroying itself. We know. So our ancestors saved us by staying on this island now called Koorime Island. It protects us from their impure hearts. Demons are evil. Koorimes are just. It is just the way things are."

Yukina gasped. She thought of Kurama. Hiei. And the others who have been so nice to her.

Yukina's fear started to fade as she thought of the elders calling them evil.

There was silence.

Yukina stopped shaking from fear and trembled with anger.

Yukina had never shown her anger.

She normally didn't want people to notice her so she would hide it in and later release it with tears.

But she could not. Would not. Not this time.

"You're wrong!"

The elders looked at her in an instant and Rui gasped.

"You are wrong! I mean…you are right about some things. Yes, we all know that Demon world has made mistakes and that some demons are bloodthirsty and would give anything for a taste of blood. But do not label all demons bad! Why do you think they held the tournament? It is because if it were not held, Demon World would be in an all out war. Even if a human thought of the idea (A.N.- Yusuke thought of the idea, if you don't know already), demon world did not object it!"

The elders were silent until the first elder laughed softly and spoke with a mellow voice.

"True child. We are aware of that. But why do you think they accepted it? Because they wanted blood. Blood. Blood! Do you still not understand?"

Yukina was silent. Until finally, she said, "Do not."

"What?" The elder said with more of anger then surprise.

Yukina was always such a quiet child. I would never have expected her to act like this…!

"Do not label all demons to be like that."

Yukina was fighting tears.

"… I see. Being out has corrupted your mind. Well, I think…"

"No! It has opened my eyes! Our ancestors may have had us live on this island for our protection, but it has caused us to be blind. It will destroy us. That is the fate of the Koorimes."

The elders did not say anything.

They all had their eyes on her.

Yukina could hear Rui breathing hard.

Yukina removed the scowl from her face and lowered her head.

I have done it. I have gone against the elders of our island. But now what?

Finally, an elder (A.N.- OMG! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I USED THE WORD ELDER!), who had been quiet this whole time, spoke up.

"Yukina. Do you know why we did not want you looking for your brother?"

But the elder did not give Yukina a chance to respond.

"Because we know that he was either dead, or that he was polluted with the demons' sick minds."

Yukina thought about that, then quickly shook her head.

"Y-You're wrong!"

She was stuttering from the thought of all her searching only to find that he was dead or a bloodthirsty killer.

"You cannot be right. You are wrong…!"

Yukina could feel an ice cold tear running down her cheek. She spoke in a whisper, "You have to be."

The elder ignored her suffering and continued.

"You have two choices now, Yukina."

Yukina looked up to meet the elders' glances.

"You may stay here loyally and give us your word that there will be no escape attempts or any more of this foolishness of demons besides the Koorimes being good."

Yukina wiped her tear.

"What is the second option?"

The elder smiled, it made Yukina terrified to see such a smile.

"Or you can refuse to be loyal and be put into that room."

Yukina was now breathing harder and you could see her breath in the ice-cold air.

N-No…I can't go there…! But I cannot stay here either!

Yukina could no longer hold back her tears. Her knees weakened and she fell onto the floor with her head dropped.

She was whispering to herself, "No…I can't…"

She started to sob and she screamed out, "I can't do it!"

The elders looked at her with shocked faces.

Rui wiped a tear from her eye. Why did I bring this poor child here? What was I thinking? How could I? I'm…I am a monster…!

"I can't betray my friends! I can't do it! I cannot go against master Genkai! Yusuke! Kuwabara! Hiei! Kurama! They have all been there for me! I cannot pretend as if I was never their friend!"

Yukina could feel her throat and her head throbbing from screaming and soon she was surrounded by small jewels from her tears.

Rui got down on her knees and put her arm around Yukina. Yukina pulled away, still crying.

"Rui!"

The elder's voice startled the woman.

"Show her to her room."

Rui was shocked that the elders could be so cruel. "Do not be so cruel!" Rui cried. "This girl has been through enough! She has lost everything! You cannot do this! I won't…"

"Now Rui! Take care of her just as you did to her brother!"

After not moving or speaking to anyone, Yukina looked up at Rui.

Rui met her glance.

Yukina could see the tears coming done Rui's face.

Yukina spoke in a tired and shaken voice.

"R-Rui… Rui. It's okay. I chose this. I will not go against my friends, and you are only doing as you are told." Yukina smiled, "I know you mean no harm…" and with that, Yukina collapsed.

The mountain at the bottom was hard ground with some green on it.

But as Kurama got to the top, the grass died away.

There were small patches of snow on the brown ground.

It's about time the snow went away…I assume it will all be gone by tomorrow or so.

Kurama continued.

If you were to go to Kurama at that moment, you would see that his eyes had lost their shine and he no longer looked like he had a smile within him.

Kurama turned around to see that he had already made it halfway up the mountain.

The sun was about two or three hours away from setting.

"I will need to find shelter."

Kurama turned and looked up to the top of the mountain.

"But if I remember right, about seven hundred years ago, there were caves about an hour or two away from where I am now."

Kurama kept walking up the rocky hard mountain. "I should make it there by sundown."

Yukina woke up to find herself on a hard surface.

Where am I?

Her body ached. Her head was hurting; her eyes were tired.

She wanted to sleep for at least two more hours. But she could not.

She got up slowly. Her head felt heavy.

Oh, yes. I remember.

Yukina looked around.

The small room she was in was dark. It had no windows. There was a door in the corner that had bars in it. It was her only source of light.

The only thing in the room was a bed that was raised by chains hanging from the ceiling of the room.

It was a stone bed, just like the walls and floor.

There was no blanket on the bed. But there was a small pillow.

Yukina smiled with sorrow in her voice, "Even the room where the man who wanted my tears kept me was better."

And with that, Yukina sobbed the night away.

Many, Many Miles Away...

On a ledge of hard rock stood Hiei.

It was well past midnight. Hiei could not sleep.

"What could cause my uneasiness?"

The air was cold, the sky was black.

There were no stars out tonight.

Hiei could feel something not right.

"Hmph. There is only one thing that gets me this worked up."

Hiei reached up to remove his bandage around his forehead. As he uncoiled it, he thought to himself.

Could it be? Or am I just imagining things?

When Hiei had all of the bandage removed, he let the wrappings go and the long bandage flew away with the cold night breeze.

Hiei's third eye opened. "Now, is she here, or not?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE- OMG! (and by that, I say Oh my Gosh) I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while! And I know it's not very long...but I hope you enjoyed it : )