Welcome to Chapter II.
(So, I realize I'm making Hiei seem like a total pansy-ass, but hey, he'll redeem himself eventually. Maybe...)
Disclaimer | I, being of sound, mind, and body, do hereby decree that I take no part in ownership of Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters... sadly.
Like always, passage into the Living World proved hectic and nearly fruitless. However, my endeavors were often met by a rewarding welcome from Kurama as I crept through his bedroom window. My feet perched on a sturdy branch on the maple tree just beyond his window sill, and as I peered inside, I noticed something peculiar; it was empty. Not even the slightest hint of his presence. I grew curious and stepped closer, inching my head out from the leaves and nearly pressing myself against the glass.
Nothing. The small ounce of hope I had for some comfort vanished in an instant, and again I was left alone. I felt pitiful - so much I felt I could maybe stand the presence of Yusuke and Kuwabara, but I still had my pride. No amount of pain would push me that far over the edge. While I gathered my racing thoughts, I stared blankly off into Kurama's room. It was so well kept; I expected nothing less from someone like him. He was orderly in every sense of the word, which is probably why I chose to come to him before anyone else. I trusted him to keep his composure - even in his darkest hour. I couldn't help but feel a little resentment for him not being around when I now needed him the most.
Suddenly, though, as if on cue, the sound of footsteps caught my attention. They were steadily approaching. My first thought was his human mother; I couldn't let her see me outside of his bedroom window. She'd surely be suspicious, and I was in no mood to cause a ruckus. So, I pulled back into the brush and concealed myself in the shadows.
"Hiei, what are you doing?" That voice... So soft, like silk. I jolted forward and let my eyes follow the sound down towards its source. Kurama... "Something's wrong, is it not? You came to Living World in a hurry; I could feel your energy surging as you passed through the barrier. I'll open the window for you." I watched as that fiery mane of rose-red hair swept over his face like a glistening veil. He was most elegant - even in battle. We were truly polar opposites.
The window switch clicked, and Kurama lifted the glass enough for me to climb through. He cleared his throat as my first foot touched his bed. I rolled my eyes - proceeding to remove my boots and intentionally toss them at him, though not necessarily trying to hit him. He only chuckled at me. To be honest, his laughter made me want to blush; it was heartwarming.
"So tell me, Hiei. What has you bothered? It's been awhile since I've seen you, and you aren't looking like yourself." If only he knew how much I wanted to throw myself at him and wrap myself up in his warmth. It seemed like the one thing that would help to bring me closure at the moment, but instead I scowled at him - eyes cold and as distant as ever. Not even my admiration for the fox could penetrate the barrier of my harsh personality.
"It's... Yukina," I muttered. It took everything in me to force it out, though I hadn't actually explained what had happened.
"Yukina? What about her?" he asked. He was overcome by a wave of concern, I could tell. He already knew something had happened.
"She's... dead."
"... What?" I knew it was only rhetorical. He knew I wouldn't conjure up such a despicable lie. Despite that, I was infuriated, though not so much at him as I was at the fact that I'd only just then admitted it to myself.
"She's dead, didn't you hear me?" I snapped. Again, the tears were welling up, but I refused to let them fall - no, not in front of him. "They found her, beaten and slain at the hands of some filthy demon rat just on the outskirts of their island... And... the marks..."
"Marks?"
"The marks on her body were unusual... The killer had carved illegible symbols into her palms and just below her collar." By this point, my fists were shaking. Though I hadn't been the one to find her, I remembered clearly the way she looked when I saw her lying there in her bed. Her hair lay perfectly above and around her head like a halo, and her face had never looked more peaceful. I couldn't accept it, though. The blood surrounded her body in pools, and the marks on her skin were clearly some powerful incantation, but what kind I couldn't tell. I knew her spirit was not laid to rest.
"Often times, marks like that are left to seal some kind of bond between the killer and its victim. Usually it's assurance that the victim's power is guaranteed to leave its host and reconnect with whoever inscribed those marks onto the deceased body," he started, "However, it takes a great level of skill to successfully bond with an outside power source. Like a body accepting a donated organ, a weaker specimen is likely to fail in absorbing the full amount of another's power, which will leave them in an even weaker state than before - possibly even dead."
He always knew how to explain things, even when he had no idea what on Earth was happening. This is why I adored him, and this is why I could not have him. I sent him a phlegmatic glare as though I'd heard enough, but at least now I knew it wasn't some passing bandit out looking for blood that might've taken Yukina's life. Clearly, she'd fallen victim to the hands of a powerful creature - one even I, myself, might've had issues with should I encounter this beast. Kurama met my gaze with a troubled look of his own. Though I made an effort to keep my anguish hidden, he knew I was suffering.
"Look, Kurama, I didn't come here for sympathy from you. I just-" I was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping protectively around me, satiny hair draping over my shoulders and face. His rapid heart beat gradually died down to a steady pace, and briefly, I thought I heard him choking back on tears. "... Ku... rama..."
"Hiei... You don't have to hide from me... I know what it's like to lose someone so close to you... I know the pain you must be feeling." His words soothed me. I could feel his empathy as though he were channeling it into me through his alleviating embrace. I fought hard to hold back the tears. The moment he whispered my name, the task became more difficult than winning any battle I'd ever fought. My arms reached around him, and I latched my fingers onto his back -hands pulling down on the fabric of his school uniform; it was too much. My face found its way to his chest, and like the night before, I let go. I'd thought my grieving was over, but I was proven wrong. To anyone else, I would've been weak - spineless, not worthy of being a demon of such high caliber. Yet, to him, I had nothing of which to be ashamed. He understood.