The next morning, Hiei is gone.
"He'll be back," Mukuro assures Yukina. "He never stays, and he never stays away." If her voice is especially tight, Yukina doesn't know her well enough to be sure.
After their conversation the night before, she can't imagine what he's thinking. Only his inability to back down from a challenge stops her from assuming she pushed him away for good.
In the meantime, she gets busy with her promise. Without asking why Yukina wants to practice self-defense, Mukuro sets her up with a fighter named Natsume who responds stiffly to Yukina's greeting. To her surprise, Natsume looks humanoid and, as Yukina tells, her has a cute ribbon—but as soon as they stand opposite each other in the training room, Yukina senses she'll be a relentless tutor.
She's right, though luckily Natsume starts with the foundation rather than trying to beat power into her. She works on fundamentals from Genkai that slipped in Yukina's years of peace—dodges, blocks, and throws that take advantage of Yukina's small stature for leverage. Yukina leaves each session feeling clumsy and sore, unable to shake the feeling that she's wasting Natsume's time. Her tutor speaks little beyond what's required, but she often sticks her tongue in her cheek as if there's a remark on the tip of it that she would unleash on any other student.
Probably hearing from Natsume that Yukina has no clothes fit for battle, Mukuro loans her a blue tunic and white shorts that on Yukina function as a dress and loose pants. She rolls up her sleeves, the abundance comforting her like when Kazuma lent her sweaters, though those were covered in cat hair and lacked this metallic smell.
When not training, Yukina now finds it hard to stay idle, lending her healing powers to the medical sector. Her technique and bedside manner don't mesh with the clinical team's machines, but she powers through to feel skin stitching together below her fingers and hear a relieved sigh.
One day a human that fell through the border is carried in over a broad shoulder for hypnosis. One of the human's arms hangs at the wrong angle, making Yukina glad he's not awake to feel the pain.
"It must have twisted under him when he landed," Yukina says, laying it out on the table. The demon preparing for the operation doesn't look at it.
"Our job is only to return them without their memories. As it is, he'll realize he took a nasty spill and go to his own world's hospital to get fixed up. We put him in a splint, and everyone'll say, 'who gave you that?"
Yukina pushes up the man's sleeve. "As long as it looks like a human treatment, will it matter?"
"Hell if I know what humans do for their brittle little bones."
But Yukina knows, and if she doesn't interfere with the hypnosis there's no reason she can't set the arm, so she does.
In Hiei's absence, Mukuro begins to call on Yukina. The monitors have been fixed and doubled, a whole wall of landscapes that Mukuro's eye flits between. Dizzy if she looks at the swooping pictures for long, Yukina kneels in the corner during long periods of silence. Out of the blue, as Yukina's legs begin to ache, Mukuro will ask a question—what materials humans build with, or what the lowest temperature is that Yukina can summon, or what Yukina thinks of the fourth screen down and to the left. Otherwise, compared to her training and healing, she feels useless until one day when she answers Mukuro's summons and finds a demon stumbling out of the room, half-squealing an apology. The demon glares at Yukina, mumbling get here sooner next time, and when Yukina enters, Mukuro's ashen knuckles loosen against her elbow.
After that Yukina makes a point of showing up whenever the fortress is especially chaotic, and Mukuro doesn't question her presence. For something to work on Yukina asks for sewing materials. With Mukuro's approval Yukina alters the tunic and pants to fit her so that she won't trip so much. Though her room is windowless she sews curtains to hang, embroidering them with a rose pattern she once used on a pillowcase for Kurama. It cheers the place up enough that she embroiders a matching blanket, then knits Mukuro a snug-fitting scarf, as her current one is stretching.
When she presents it, Mukuro appears so confused that Yukina worries she's offended. For almost a minute Mukuro turns it over in her hands before donning it. It's almost funny, a knitted item around such an otherwise tough appearance, but Mukuro strokes the material while she goes about her business.
The next day Yukina's sitting in the cushioned chair Mukuro set up for her in the corner when, without a word, Mukuro drops a book in her lap. "A trader I dealt with had it," she says. The edges of the pages are warped, dark patches betraying water damage. Carefully Yukina pries it open and gasps.
"It might be a knockoff," Mukuro says. "How else would they have gotten it?"
"No, it's real," Yukina whispers. The smell of residue from the trees that grow around the Glacial Village is unmistakable, and she recognizes the first verse of what appears to be a poetry collection.
"Then perhaps it fell out of the sky into a river," Mukuro muses. "It would explain the damage. Are your people in the habit of dropping books off of cliffs, or just babies?"
Yukina's grip almost tightens, but she's holding the book as if pressure would melt it. "You don't have to give this to me."
"Well, it's yours to keep if you want. Or don't—it wouldn't take much to destroy."
"No…. Thank you very much."
She's touched, really, that Mukuro would want to give her something. But if Mukuro asks if she's read it, she'll say she's worried about damaging it further. Once in her room the book gets packed away in the suitcase of things from her past she doesn't want to see.
When her mother died, Yukina was too young to have much of her besides the necklace. Growing up she sat periodic vigil over her grave, listening to the wind howl and wondering what it was that flickered inside her. The others' blue eyes closed upon her return. They rarely met hers, fear filling them when they did. She accented her hair and clothes with red in case any of them thought she didn't notice.
After finally learning the reason behind her mother's death, Yukina had run out to visit her, her fuse igniting. At the time she didn't have the words anger or hatred, or any words to tear from her throat. She simply knelt there, trembling violently, wondering why her mother had to abandon the child she had left, wondering why any child had to be abandoned at all. It wasn't long before she ran away, dreaming of a place with of other beings of fire and a brother who could punish their people in her stead.
Her human friends died peacefully, in the way humans are meant to. Their deaths couldn't inspire Yukina to anger, or to action. She doesn't know what to do with her suitcase full of treasures, and her friends' graves are a world away. Her mourning has none of any world's rituals, only a winter that's set in.
"What did you do for work in the Human World?"
It's the second question Mukuro's asked that day, the other being where did the fool who just left put my remote? She's since found it and seems bored by the content on the monitors, which after a false alarm hasn't changed. Yukina has been knitting her a new headband.
"Mostly I did housework. I also helped rescue and nurse stray animals. There was a job I wanted, but…"
"But?"
"Humans have doctors called therapists. They listen to people's problems and try to help them feel better. But given everything, I wasn't qualified to get the training."
"An entire profession just to listen to others' problems? I can't imagine what sort of training could be required for that."
"It's not so easy. Most humans have a hard time absorbing people's feelings that way, not to mention figuring out the best way to help. But I'm trained to turn off my emotions, or at least not show them."
"In that case, why don't you get some practice by listening to me?"
Yukina looks up from her knitting with surprise; since the night she stumbled into Mukuro's room, Mukuro has not discussed her personal life. "Of course," Yukina says.
Mukuro glances toward the closed door, then kneels in front of Yukina and places a finger against her forehead. "I communicate better without my voice."
Seeing Mukuro's scars hasn't prepared her for the images that flood her mind. It throws walls up instinctively, but they crack and melt at even a fraction of the story Mukuro is trying to tell. Mukuro recedes before getting far.
"I thought you said you were trained to turn off your emotions?"
Tears are hardening at the corner of Yukina's eyes. While wiping them away she realizes she's quivering. "I am, but…"
After a few halting attempts at speech, Yukina takes Mukuro's hand and returns it to her forehead. She manages to convey her own past imprisonment and torture before her mind shuts Mukuro out. Absently Mukuro brushes Yukina's bangs.
"It may not be your ideal nest, but perhaps it's not so bad you found your way here," Mukuro murmurs.
Her voice regains its usual tone as she stands. "In any case, I must prepare for tomorrow's outing. Join me if you'd like. I think we agree that being stuck inside gets unpleasant."
Not privy to the schedules, Yukina doesn't learn that Natsume's out patrolling early the next morning until she enters the training room. Since she's already there, she starts warming up. She doesn't get far before a shadow fall over her.
"Where're your bodyguards, glacier girl?"
Tusks protrude from below the demon's snout, which Yukina is treated with the underside of. Quickly she stands, her viewpoint changing little.
"I have no bodyguards," she says, bowing. "But thank you for your concern."
While the demon laughs, Yukina sizes him up. There's no caution in his stance—they're alone, and he's seen her clumsy warm-ups. His belly is wide open, but attacking first would only give him an excuse.
"Seems to me an ice maiden going around alone is just asking for trouble."
She adjusts the weight on her hips, forcing her face to be blank. "Oh, no, I don't mean to make trouble."
"I didn't ask, did I? Those jewels you cry, for instance—we all know Mukuro has been pumping you for them. But she's too greedy to share the spoils. It's pissing the rest of us off."
"Mukuro would never do something like that!" Yukina snaps before she can stop herself. She bites her tongue as steam emits from the demon's nostrils.
"So she has gone soft. We've known for years, y'know, but everyone still wussed out at her empty threats. I'm not that weak."
The demon reaches for her, palm out, claws extended. Yukina bends her knees and grabs hold of his arm with both hands, using her leverage to send him careening over her shoulder.
She breaks into a run. She's barely aware that she frosted the ground, or that he slides along the ice. At the doorway she skids to a halt.
This is her first time seeing Mukuro look murderous. Really murderous, Yukina realizes with an outbreak of goose bumps.
"Step aside," Mukuro says.
"Wait, are…are you going to kill him?"
"Oh, he'll wish I had. Unfortunately, the last ruler forbade death penalties for crimes without some silly appeal to authority. Not that any authority beyond mine is needed here."
Yukina hadn't heard of the law. It gives her hope that Demon World is moving toward only allowing death as defense, or it would if she weren't preoccupied. She steps aside only after pleading with Mukuro to be careful.
By the time Mukuro is done, the tusked demon has blown enough steam to melt the ice. Mukuro brings in several others to drag him out by the ankles.
Yukina knows she'll never see him again.
Mukuro keeps Yukina close while the centipede rolls to wherever it is she wanted to take her. "You know what they think," Yukina says. "I can stay in my room—"
"You will stay where you are." Mukuro's voice makes it clear this isn't a day to do more than nod.
As soon as the fortress stops, they exit, earning whispers from those they pass. Most weather has little effect on Yukina, but the dry heat outside seems to melt and evaporate her at once, making her drag her feet. Mukuro has to walk so slowly to match her that Yukina can almost hear her joints creak. Sometimes she shoots ahead, her energy flaring, and Yukina lets the temperature around her drop as she runs to catch up. The resulting breeze seems to pull Mukuro back from whatever fog tugged her, and she stops to wait for Yukina, her hand over the bump just below her scarf.
The air moistens as they approach a stream. At first the plateaus looked like any other, but now Yukina realizes this is the path she first traveled upon arriving in Demon World.
"So this is where you were ambushed?" The question jars Yukina. Neither of them spoke on the walk, and she's surprised Mukuro is only now interrogating her.
"Yes. They had Hiei against that rock face—" Her mouth clamps shut. Mukuro's quirks.
"This is why I'm asking you. Especially since half of my monitors were blown out at the time."
Wary of explaining Hiei's weaknesses in the open, Yukina suggests telepathy, transmitting the scene to Mukuro. Mukuro's face is impassive, and she closes the connection as soon as Yukina is done.
"You did well," Mukuro says. "Earlier, too—you would have escaped that pig without me. As for now, this fills in a few gaps of our investigation. It's not like Hiei left much of them to identify." With her toe she nudges a bit of metal plate that was heavy enough to sink into the dirt. After the morning she had, recalling the scene left Yukina light-headed; seeing the plate triggers the memories more acutely, making her knees give way. Mukuro catches her with one arm. Through the sleeve Yukina can feel that it's the mechanical one and tries to straighten.
"Either side of me is strong enough to bear your weight, you know." Though Yukina feels she's burdened Mukuro enough, she goes limp to avoid insulting her pride. The metal cutting into her shoulder shakes the last of the memories away just before the stench of Mukuro's breath brings them back.
Wait. It's the same…?
"They ate humans," Yukina says. "Those demons." She'd been too focused on defending herself to notice, but inhaling the same smell here confirms it.
"I forgot to pack my breath mints, did I?"
"No, I…"
"I'm teasing. So? What can we conclude from that?"
It's an obvious test. Yukina weighs her words. "Nothing certain, but it supports the idea that they worked for human traffickers."
Shadowing Mukuro has told Yukina more than anyone will directly. The assumption is that the attacks on the monitoring technology and on one of Mukuro's strongest fighters coincided so that demons could conduct illegal activity between the worlds. Humans are in high demand—the current ruler was devoted to Urameshi's ancestor, and in his honor banned killing humans for food. Only the recently deceased whose spirits agree to the purpose are to be eaten.
However, complaints about stringy, tough corpses birthed an underground market of humans raised for flavor. Yukina imagines dozens of humans herded into cages like the one where a few of them once held her, and Mukuro's grip on her tightens as she shivers.
"What can I do?" Yukina asks. Once the humans are freed, her powers and words can heal them, but that does nothing now. "If they kidnapped humans while everyone was distracted, we're going to save them, aren't we?"
"In due time. The enemy's strength is preparation; we'd be fools to rush in. Don't worry, they won't slaughter anyone until they're good and fat. At least a few years, if they want to fetch a high price for marbling."
"But in the meantime, they're still—!"
Mukuro squeezes Yukina, who cuts off her protest. Before she might have doubted Mukuro's conviction to saving human livestock, but not since she's seen the imprints on her wrists.
As soon as Natsume is available, Yukina resumes training. With more at stake now than a silly bet, she can't afford to slack—but before they finish, Natsume halts, motioning for Yukina to kneel and handing her a flask. Yukina takes it, confused. Natsume's training style allows for few breaks.
Yukina sips the liquid, scrunching her face at its burn. If she didn't know better, she'd think Natsume chuckles. "Don't go overboard. The oaf I got it from has strong taste, but it does the trick now and then."
She settles behind Yukina, touching her neck. "I'm just fixing your hair," she says when Yukina jumps. Wondering if she really seems that disheveled, Yukina sits still. If she closes her eyes, it's like Shizuru is the one behind her, braiding her hair as she often did to relax.
"You've been working hard, but it does no good if you can't collect yourself," Natsume says. Yukina's eyes fly open. Natsume has never acknowledged her feeble efforts.
Once Natsume is done, Yukina feels behind her head and finds a plush ribbon above her new braid. "Nobody besides me wears one like it around here," Natsume says, settling in front of Yukina. "It should reinforce that you're not someone to mess with."
So that's what this is about. "I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean to drag anyone into—"
"If you want to be polite, I'll accept a thanks. But believe me, nobody was sad to see that pig go."
Yukina sniffs the drink. "Thank you, then."
"You know, your people hid from battle, but ice is a dangerous element when honed. Decades ago my brother fought an ice apparition, and he still talks about it."
"You have a brother?"
"Yes, we're twins. He can be conceited, but at least he's an honorable fighter. Why?"
In lieu of answering, Yukina takes a swig from the flask.
Mukuro works harder than ever to confirm their theory—eating humans does not necessarily mean a demon kidnaps them, as she points out more than once. Yukina nods each time. She follows as readily as Mukuro's shadow through the investigation, relieved whenever it takes them outside. It happens less often than she'd like, as Mukuro is preoccupied with internal problems.
"My monitors went blank because the cameras were attacked—there's no doubt about that," she says. Not just the cameras, Yukina thinks; some have been hidden around Demon World, but others are attached to patrols, especially flying demons.
"But hardware threw a hissy fit on our end, too," Mukuro continues. "That suggests either a coincidence or an inside job, and I'm not foolish enough to hand wave it. So how does a spy allude detection by Demon World's best telepath?" Her hand comes crashing down on the table. Yukina rearranges the papers displaced by it.
"You were a king for a long time. Didn't any spies ever make it into your court?"
Mukuro snorts. "Of course. One of them's still my right-hand man. Tells you how closely I kept my eye on them."
Yukina almost chokes on a slice of pickled daikon. She's been preparing dishes she can carry around and eat easily; she craves the chance to nurse a bowl of stew.
A few days later, a patrol demon bursts in unannounced, his smug grin revealing a gold tooth. "We caught a little birdie flying in through the border. Sure didn't look like a demon or a human to us, and she tried to flit away from our questioning."
Mukuro brushes past the demon, responding to his request for a reward with a short don't get ahead of yourself. She stops in the doorway, crossing her arms. Yukina can't see past her, but she recognizes the yelling well enough.
"If you don't let go of me, whoever is in charge of your afterlife journey is going to hear about it, I promise you that!"
Mukuro lifts her elbow to let Yukina squeeze through. Paying no mind to the demon gripping Botan's arms, she throws herself around Botan's neck while her old friend squeals in delight.
It takes a minute and Mukuro's strength to untangle the ensuing confusion. Yukina folds her hands sheepishly. Usually her greetings are more polite, but shock overcame her. The demon lets go of Botan, though she's flanked closely, and she and Yukina both earn suspicious glances. Botan brushes off her sleeve.
"A fine welcome this is! I passed through legally and have caused no trouble. What kind of operation are you running?"
"A tight one," Mukuro says. "We'll release you sooner if you stop squealing and state your business."
"Squealing? I'm being perfectly…"
Mukuro bares a set of fangs, and Botan shrinks back. "Mukuro, I'm sure Botan doesn't mean any harm," Yukina cuts in. "Can't she explain better if we give her some space?"
Despite wordless grumbling—Yukina doubts that Mukuro actually thought Botan a threat, rather than someone to mess with—Mukuro backs off.
"I'm just here for Yukina," Botan says.
"Is she dead?"
"Wh—? No! I mean, I'm here to visit her."
"You are?" Yukina breathes. She wouldn't have imagined someone flying two worlds away just to see her.
Mukuro turns to the demon with the gold tooth. "I believe you mentioned a reward for bagging a harmless ferry girl?" While the demon sputters excuses, Botan slips away to hide behind Yukina. She's still trying to make herself compact enough when Mukuro turns back to them. "As for you, this put us behind schedule. You realize you stick out; if you'd like to avoid further misunderstandings, you'll do me a few favors. Report to me after you two are finished."
Botan looks ready to snap back. Knowing nothing good can come of arguing with Mukuro, Yukina touches Botan's arm, and luckily she puts off retorts in favor of following Yukina to her room.
As soon as they enter, she pulls Yukina into a hug. The scent of incense brings back memories as Yukina drops her nose over Botan's shoulder. "How have you been?" Botan asks, backing away just enough to cup Yukina's face. "Look at you—your cheekbones are as sharp as my wardrobe. Oh, sweetie, I'm so happy to see you."
Even to an ice demon the hands that guide the dead feel cold. Regardless Yukina is warm enough to burst, overwhelmed by the return of birdsong in the midst of a long winter.
"I'm happy to see you, too." She glances around her room, glad that she thought to put up curtains. "I'm sorry about Mukuro."
"It's fine. I've already gotten over—okay, seriously, how can she order me to report anywhere? She's not my boss!"
Yukina hides a smile. "She probably wants you to help patrol from the air. Be careful if you do—the patrols were targeted recently."
"Don't worry about little old me. I doubt anyone will associate me with her," Botan says, flapping a sleeve. The pink kimono is partially disguised by a cape Yukina vaguely recognizes from an old cartoon.
"I'm sure she won't actually make you do it. But if you did, you could stay here for a little while."
"Now there's a cheery thought. What do you say we round up a pack of drinks and have a slumber party for old times' sake?"
Rounding up anything is easier said than done, let alone all of the games the group used to play, but Botan has practice at bringing cheer to drab situations, and Yukina floats through the evening.
After Yukina makes Botan breakfast, Mukuro appears in the kitchen alcove and tosses a video camera to Botan. Having never learned to like machines that capture her image, Yukina flinches while Botan inspects it with a whistle.
"Change into something that stands out less and fly around for a while," Mukuro orders. "Your route should be recorded on it already."
"What are you offering for this? Ferry girls don't get paid vacation days, you know."
"I'm giving you board. This is a special, special privilege," Mukuro says. Yukina dips her head down, cleaning the remains from the fire. "But if you don't want to, why don't you tell us why you're really here?"
Yukina has learned the tone Mukuro takes when she already knows an answer. Botan pales. "I—I already told you. I'm here to…"
"Yes, but why now? You must have learned about Yukina's situation somehow."
A squeak punctuates Botan's laugh."I'm from Spirit 're not the only one with fancy surveillance." Mukuro doesn't respond, leaving with the air of someone who's won what they were after.
She has. Having secrets kept from her raises Yukina's hackles. "What did she mean?"
"What did who mean? Oh, that? It's nothing, really. She was just trying to scare me into working for her."
Yukina takes Botan's cup and bowl to wash in a small tub of hot water. "You don't have to lie. Even by demon terms I'm not a child anymore. My feelings won't be hurt if you're here for something besides me."
"But I am here for you. And, well, maybe for me. It's been lonely, taking our friends over and then going back to the daily grind. Besides, I was worried about you, especially after Hiei—"
The top of the water ices over as Botan slaps her hands over her mouth. Yukina taps the film with a nail, cracking it to free the dishes. "So that's where he went. I hope he didn't give you much trouble."
"Not exactly. Lord Koenma had to deal with that particular headache." Botan winces. Yukina makes a mental note to trap Hiei for a while upon his return.
"What did he want?"
A puff like Shizuru's smoke plumes from Botan's mouth. Having seen the way Botan huddles around fires, Yukina tries to rein in her power. "He…he wanted us to bring them back," Botan says.
The ice reclaims the cup. Yukina scrapes around it, drawing meaningless patterns. "Oh."
"I would have if I could. It's just, their souls already moved past our jurisdiction. We can't—"
"You don't have to explain, Botan. I understand."
With her frozen hands she reaches out to cover Botan's. Botan holds them to her cheeks and cries. The tears solidify around Yukina's fingers, not forming spheres but rather tiny icicles clinging to her skin.
Hiei must have known, but he's never been one to acknowledge limitations. Fire melts the tears framing Yukina's knuckles.
…In exchange, you try to make me happy.
So this was his solution to her challenge. To travel dimensions away from her and demand that the dead take his place. If she were someone else, she might have laughed or cried, but she only squeezes Botan's hands.