Chapter 3

"Hiei, wait!" Kurama called after the sprinting Hiei.

"God damn it Hiei! " Yusuke called too, chasing after Hiei.

"The shrimp is going to get himself killed" Kuwabara sighed.

"Hiei, stop already! We need to make a plan before you just go barreling into DemonCity!" Kurama yelled in exasperation. Hiei slowed just enough for Yusuke to beat Hiei senseless over the head.

"Fucking idiot" Yusuke growled as Hiei came to consciousness a few moments later. Yusuke was holding Hiei's arms behind his back, and Kuwabara had his spirit sword ready and pointed towards Hiei as well.

"What is this Fox?" Hiei said angrily and a bit fuzzily as he was still gaining coherence after the blow to his head.

"Yusuke and Kuwabara will stand down when you promise to STAY PUT until we develop a plan to rescue Hikari. I will not watch you run to your death, no matter who it is you are trying to save."

"There is not time!" Hiei spat at Kurama, Hiei's rage and sense of urgency back to full force as be fought Yusuke's tight hold.

"Then we will have to make time. As it happens, I have a suggestion of how to do just that which I would have told you earlier if you had given me the change to do so" Kurama said dryly.

"Hn" Hiei scowled at the ground, but stopped fighting Yusuke. At Kurama's nod, Yusuke let go of Hiei, and Kuwabara lowered his spirit sword. Hiei slid to the ground, at a loss for the first time he could think of in his whole life. What the hell was he going to do?

Kurama crouched in front of Hiei's slumped body and put his face next to Hiei's to get Hiei's attention. In a quiet and rather soothing voice Kurama said, "Hiei, I have a plan, but first I have a question. When you have been in Hikari's mind lately were you actively speaking to her or just observing?"

"I was observing, but what does that have to do with. . ." Hiei's voice trailed off as he understood Kurama's plan. Without a word Hiei walked over and sat under a nearby tree and closed his eyes.

"Ummm, Kurama" Kuwabara said hesitantly, "I think I am missing something here".

Yes, of course you are" Kurama responded absently. Yusuke snickered at the unintentional insult to Kuwabara as Kurama continued, "Hiei is buying us some time. Hiei and Hikari did not part on good terms when their relationship ended, so when Hiei has previously gone into her mind on this trip he stayed far enough away to observe without her realizing he was there. However, as we all know Hiei has the ability to read our thoughts and talk to us in our mind. His ability is particularly strong with Hikari because of the strong bond Hiei and Hikari used to share. Thus Hiei may be able to reach her mind even in the disheveled state it is now and talk to her. He might be able to buy some time if he can get in contact with Hikari enough for her to really know that help is on the way if she can hold on just a bit longer."

There was a slight pause before Yusuke responded saying, "Great, what do we do?"

"We figure out how to storm Demon City and rescue Hikari by the time Hiei is done." Kurama answered, and the boys immediately got to work planning.

Hiei had found the tunnel to Hikari's mind and was mentally sprinting down it. As Hiei ran he was periodically hit with bits of Hikari's thoughts that had spilled over into their tunnel, a result of her wall breaking so completely. Words and images of Hikari fighting, in pain, hurt, afraid, strong, defiant, lonely, broken, and dying swarmed Hiei as he continued on trying not to be overwhelmed. Hikari's mind had always been so ordered and so closed that Hiei's hope began to waver in finding Hikari's mind as open and chaotic as it was now. "Damn it Hikari, pull yourself together" Hiei growled, not in anger but in the fear he could not mask.

As Hiei kept wondering deeper into Hikari's mind he was stunned to see images of himself with Hikari flash before him. Some of the images he recognized as memories from times they had been together, things they had done with each other. Hiei felt strong pulls from those memories to be lost in these moments of time from the past, and had to fight to stay himself in the present. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, any sign of hope of piece of Hikari's mind that was whole enough to still be her and to understand his message.

Hiei had not conception of time while he wondered Hikari's mind, but he knew time was passing because he felt himself begin to tire. The constant strain of fighting through Hikari's memories, thoughts, and emotions was taking a great deal of his mental energy. Hiei knew he had to preserve his strength to travel back, but he couldn't bear the idea of giving up on Hikari yet. "Hikari" Hiei kept whispering, reaching out with his mind and emotions to touch her, pleading for some part of her to recognize him as a friend there to give her hope.

After a long while of searching Hiei began to hear what he thought was singing. He paused and put all his efforts and to listening. Yes, it was singing, it was Hikari singing. She wasn't singing words per say, just notes, strings of musical sounds. Hiei followed the music at a slow walk, getting faster as the song grew louder, until he was sprinting towards a figure sitting down. As Hiei drew near he saw a image of Hikari, her long hair curtained around her, knees drawn up to her chest, and head buried in her arms, still making small musical sounds.

Hiei crouched next to the figure, his hand hovering in momentary apprehension before he brushed the hair from her face. Startled, this figure of Hikari looked up at Hiei in confusion. As Hiei stared back he realized that a young child was staring back at him.

"Who are you?" the young Hikari quivered.

Hiei realized he had to take special care with the fragile little girl sitting in front of him. "My name is Hiei, and I am a friend."

"Friend. . ." Hikari whispered wistfully, and then said, "what do you want, friend Hiei?"

"I have a message for you from other friends. They are coming to help you get away from the bad people who are hurting you. You have to keep being a brave and strong girl for just a bit longer and they will come for you." Hiei finished, trying to explain things simply.

"Come for me? What do they want with me?" little Hikari panicked and scooted away from Hiei.

Realizing his error Hiei rushed to say, "Oh not to hurt you, they are coming to help you get away from the bad people. They are coming to bring you somewhere safe where you can be okay. The only think they want is for you to be okay and safe".

"Safe. . ." Hikari said as if to herself, as a tear fell down her cheeks.

Hiei inched closer to the girl, and gently pulled her into his arms. Rather than pushing him away little Hikari snuggled into him and let Hiei wrap his arms around her. "Can you be a strong girl for me, Hikari?"

"I can try" little Hikari said sadly. "It is very hard, the men are very mean."

"I know" Hiei said, clenching his teeth in rage at those hurting Hikari.

Soon the only sound was the soft breathing of a sleeping little girl in Hiei's arms. As soon as he saw little Hikari Hiei had know he could not leave her until she was rescued. Straining with his mental energy Hiei called out to Kurama's mind, "FOX!"

"What is it Hiei? Did you find her? Is she alright?" Kurama questioned. Hiei didn't have enough energy to explain everything with words, so he send Kurama an images of his journey finding Hikari and giving her comfort, ending with the image of Hiei holding the little girl in his arms. "I see." Kurama responded after Hiei's last image.

"I can't leave her. You will have to storm the castle without me. Just put my body up in the tree, I will return to it once Hikari is safe."

"We can do that. Yusuke and Kuwabara are just waking up from a nap. We have a plan to rescue Hikari, it is crued and mainly involved brute force in the right places, but I think it will work."

"Then do it now" Hiei responded. "And Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"Please hurry."

Hiei severed his link with Kurama and sighed with relief that help was on its way, Kurama was good with plans. Hiei looked down at the child in his arms and couldn't help but smile, she was so innocent and pure for a young demon. Had Hikari really been this way as a child? He had never known her in childhood. Still with her stubborn features and strong body there was no way this was not Hikari. He felt a flare of protectiveness and love for her, love that he convinced himself was misplaced fatherly affection and nothing more. Hiei had always had a soft spot for children, something very few people knew about him. They were too young to be ruined by the world, and too young to be those doing the ruining to others. Everything was dramatic, and everything was easily forgiven. Hiei was glad he had met the child Hikari, because he feared the adult version would not have been nearly so loving. And yet it was the adult version that shattered in pain, the adult version that needed healing and hope.

Hiei resituated the child Hikari more comfortably on his lap, and smoothed her hair. He rubbed her back gently as he hummed a lullaby in his warm baritone voice, putting himself to sleep in the process.

Hiei was roused suddenly by the screams of the little girl in his arms. "Hikari," Hiei gasped, "What is it?!"

"They are hurting me again. They burn me and drown me and suffocate and beat me. They rape me and cut me. They laugh when I bleed. They promise they will hurt me forever!" Hikari sobbed and buried her face in Hiei's shirt.

"No" Hiei said sternly, but gently as he pulled Hikari's face up to meet his eyes. He froze for a moment, those grey blue eyes bringing him images of Hikari as Hiei had loved her. "Hikari" Hiei soothed, "Remember what I told you about being strong? You can do this. My friends are coming to stop the bad men, they will be there very very soon. The bad men will not hurt you forever, they will die for the hurt they have caused you and will never be able to hurt you again."

Little Hikari snuffled, and said to Hiei, "Are you sure?"

"I promise on my life."

Hikari's nod was stopped by a fresh wave of pain. Her child's body shook in Hiei's arms as he held her close to him, offering any comfort he could. She screamed and shook over and over again. Her torturers would let up just enough to convince Hikari they were gone and then they would start in again, reveling at her shock and distress at new pain. Part of Hiei wished that his body was not safely hidden in a tree, because he wanted to be the executioner of these demons. But as Hiei looked down at the child in his arms he knew his place was here, that Hikari needed him here with her.

When there was a long pause in Hikari's waves of pain Hiei whispered, "Hikari, what's going on now?"

"They've stopped" Hikari croaked, her voice full of tears. "I hear lots of noises, but they are moving away from me."

"Kurama!" Hiei bellowed through their mental link.

"We've got them Hiei. Just. . . killed the last. . . one" Kurama huffed, obviously tired from a rough fight. "She is safe for the moment. . . but Hiei. . . I've never seen wounds like this. . . I don't know if she will-"

"I will stay with her until you get back to my body and give her all the strength I have. She will make it, you will see."

"Then we will probably have to carry you back too" Kurama replied.

"Just don't let the baka do it," hiei replied wearily.

"Which one?" Kurama said with a smile.

"Either. But for now I give Urameshi permission, I'd rather it be you who carried Hikari".

"Of course" Kurama said with another smile, and ended the link to carry out Hiei's request.

Hiei leaned down to whisper into Hikari's ear, "The bad men are dead. You are safe. Sleep now, and will stay with you until you do, and will be there when you wake up."

Hikari nuzzled into Hiei tiredly, and fell asleep mid-yawn, with Hiei right behind her.