I am soooo sorry about not updating this sooner but I was feeling bad about some things and I just haven't had the will to type. No I haven't died, no I haven't become ill-I only wish, lord it sucks to have such a great immune system, I can't even make myself throw up. I know I shouldn't have but I've actually tried and it didn't work. I am the only person I know who has horrible gag reflexes that can't make themselves sick. Really, the last time I got sick enough to actually consider myself sick was at band camp in August. I think I'm getting depressed in a weird sort of way.

Onto other topics-of actually relevance that you people actually care about-this chapter is completely with Hiei and Yukina. Thank you all for reading all this so far, I hope you've enjoyed and will stay with me. I have no idea how much longer this will be.

A/N-Just to avoid confusion, when Kurama's having discussions with himself between Yô-ko and Shuichi, I'll distinguish then but outwardly, no one can tell the difference because of the depth of their merged souls so he's just going to be referred to as Kurama. Any questions?

Chapter Ten

Hiei sneezed, mid-sentence.

"Someone's thinking about you." Yukina teased gently, causing a blush to erupt on his cheeks. Even with the embarrassment of her constant teasing Hiei was glad that Yukina had accepted him so readily and easily.

"Hn." Hiei grunted. He held the note up to his nose and sniffed, wishing he had Kurama here to do this for him Then again, he thought to himself, If the fox were here to do this he wouldn't have to. After the initial shock of rushing into the room following Kurama's keening warning only to find a note addressed to Hiei where he once lay, the fire-Koorime felt his temperature shoot through the roof along with his anger. Those Koorime witches had taken, had potentially, fatally sickened him all to take care of a mess that shouldn't have even become a mess to begin with. All those responsible for Hiei's birth were dead, the hybrid could not be blamed for their actions.

Shaking his head to banish the thoughts of pure torment he'd put those kidnappers through if Kurama died, he focused his attention to the paper in his hand. The letter, it smelled, as far as Hiei could tell, of snow and ice. Nothing surprising or helpful, the whole Island smelled like that.

"Can you tell what demon sent it?" Yukina asked.

"Very few could, seeing as I'm not some animal spirit that list does not include me." he paused in thought for a moment, "Though I could track them well enough." The twins remained silent as Hiei's Jagan opened and he searched. As expected he found the stranger's energy signals on Koorime Island and though he couldn't get a definite read on her he knew it was just the distance that was the problem.

His twitched mouth told Yukina what he knew long before he said it.

"I've found her and now I've got to hurry, for Kurama's sake. Silver kitsunes weren't bred for cold." Hiei made to leave.

"Wait, Brother." Yukina grabbed his arm, in much the same manner as she had in Tarukane's compound. Hiei looked at her in surprise. she was holding back tears, why would she be crying?

"Why?" Hiei finally asked when one of her gem clinked to the floor.

"I don't want to lose you when I just found out the truth." she cried, "Let me come with you, please?"

After a minute of her pleading looks he eventually sighed in defeat, "Fine, you can come." out of everyone he knew only his sister could get anything out of him if she wanted in just about any situation. The girl smiled sweetly, she could tell, under all his layers of shells and fake exasperation, her twin was practically wild with worry and a suspicion began seeding in her mind.

"Calm down, Brother, I'm sure Kurama will be alright." Yukina lied, she was worried too. When she had approached the house she had felt the kitsune's growing weakness. She wasn't sure if he'd been fit to sit up much less survive on her home world where he would be forced to protect himself as well as keep himself warm.

"Yukina." Hiei sighed, "Don't lie. It only makes the truth harder to accept." he picked her up gently.

She stared at him questioningly, "Hiei, I can walk."

"Running's faster." he said, his version of an argument. Yukina fell silent and closed her eyes, enjoying her brother's warmth and the security that he gave her.

Just hours later, Hiei stopped directly under the floating island.

"Yukina." he murmured, shaking his arms slightly to wake her.

"Hiei." she mumbled, sleep dazed, then, after a moment's thought, snapped to full awareness. "Are we there?"

"We're under the Island." he looked at the white-brown earth above him. "Would you wish to jump or take some other means?"

"I created a portal so that I could search for you." she took his hand in her's and tugged him to a patch of pine bushes. Hiei watched in slight shock as his sister opened a portal that, Hiei was sure, must have taken her forever to make then steady. "This should get us up there safely."

Hiei nodded and, following Yukina, when through the portal into the snowy, freezing plains of his birth and banishment.

I feel so bad about not updating earlier and I don't have a good excuse except that I was lazy, please forgive me and leave a review.

Please? I'd feel more inspired if you did.

Thank you for reading.