Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Mute ❯ Finding Hiei ( Chapter 5 )

So someone thought this was dead. Obviously this isn't. Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy!

 

Mute: Chapter 5; Finding Hiei

 

Kathrine stood frantic by the couch where Hikari lay. Annai was berating her, but she didn't hear a word of it. She was doing a damn good job of it herself already. I shouldn't have. I really shouldn't have! It has hurt Hikari, scared Hiei, got Annai worked up and can have us found out. Kathrine shook her head.

 

“Why did I do this?”

 

“Because you don't think things through!” Annai admonished, “I told you this could hurt us. And the girl, Yukina! You've messed with her head! No matter that she could answer Hikari with one word, everything is still jumbled. What if this hurts her? And Hikari-,”

 

“Shut up!” Kathrine turned on the black haired man. Annai stood his ground though, prompting them to glower at each other. The deep plum of his eyes burning holes into her pupil less goldenrod. She didn't look away though, not yet. But she relented, as Hikari stirred, catching both their gazes in an instant. She did not wake, but the argument was over. As they looked at each other again, they both knew it.

 

Kathrine looked away, once again to Hikari.

 

“I didn't mean to put anyone in danger. I don't mean to endanger anyone. I don't hurt people.” Annai moved foreward to place a hand on his sister's shoulder. Her eyes had gained a faraway look, muttering continuously like a broken record. But all the while she stroked her niece's auburn hair.

 

--

 

Yukina was sitting on the back deck as the sun reached midday. She'd been out there all morning, watching the trees for any sign of Hiei. Annai had told her not to go into the woods, that he didn't need another person missing. So she could do nothing more for the moment. After all, what use would she be if she didn't listen, and got lost herself? She didn't know the area; she knew she'd surely get lost faster than she'd do any good. Hikari had yet to wake up and Kathrine was muttering to herself softly, Annai not too far away from her. So Yukina kept to her watch, thoughts wandering to this and that. But mostly her thoughts would stray back to Kathrine, her book, and the human language she now understood.

 

Yukina knew the words like the back of her hand; she could pair them up with the available equivalent in Japanese. But still, the word order, the way some things were said tripped her up as easily as any newbie worker could get caught on the simplest new task. But the rest seemed patient enough to wait for her to sort through her thoughts or offer what she could be looking for. Standing up, stretching her cramped limbs, she scanned the trees one more time, before starting to head in. Her stomach had been protesting for a couple of hours, but she had wanted to stay out there as long as possible, just incase.

 

With the time she had already spent in the house, she knew where the kitchen was. And Hikari had told her to not be worried and to just simply go and have something to eat when hungry. While she resolved to follow the girl, she also was quite determined to clean any sort of mess that came from the food. But what was surprising when she walked in to what was more then likely the cleanest room in the house was Hikari sitting on the counter, holding a glass of milk with both hands. Turning her eyes, and her eyes only, towards the Ice Child, she mustered up a nod. They watched each other for a few moments neither one speaking nor moving.

 

.”I was… coming in here for something to eat. Are you hungry?” Yukina whispered, choosing to ask in her more common language. Hikari blinked a few times, silence pounding in the room, before standing up and walking to the cupboards. Then she turned back to Yukina and smiled.

 

“I'll make something.”

 

--

 

 

“How long have you been awake?”

 

“Not long…Do you know what happened to Kath?” Hikari whispered; face contorting to a worried expression. Yukina couldn't do more then shake her head.

 

“I don't know, I was outside watching for Hiei since he left.” Hikari nodded, staring at her glass. Turning the cup again and again she whispered,

 

“No sign of him? None at all, I guess?”

 

“I'm afraid so. I don't know where he could've gone. He hasn't been out of your home much since…” Ahh, yes he's …rape. Though appearing quite lethargic, Hikari was thinking quite normally even if her body was slow to respond. He seemed alright when they got here. Yes, he couldn't speak but he'd been hurt, in ways no one should, and they were being hunted. If he had gotten his voice back, staying quiet would've been a good way to keep us off guard. But now we don't know anything…Damnitt! Hikari beat herself up for allowing any such thing to happen in her home. If she'd had the energy to search, sipping on milk she wouldn't have been.

 

A hand touched her shoulder. Jumping, she looked to Yukina.

 

“You were shaking…Are you alright? Are you still feeling unwell? Should you lie back down?” Hikari watched her. Honestly, she found the girl to be a little too kind, too kind for her own good.

 

“Don't know why, but I've felt out of energy since I woke up. Like I have absolutely no ki. I feel…lethargic.” Yukina looked at her worried. Hikari had been quite energetic on other occasions.

 

“Hey, don't worry about me! We should try and find Hiei. Kath should be able to help, I'll-,” Kathrine passed by the door, muttering with Annai hot on her heels.

 

“On second thought, I'm gonna find out what's wrong with Kathrine first.” And the auburn haired girl bolted out of the kitchen after her aunt and uncle. Yukina was left to sit there, finishing her food alone, before she returned to the deck to watch for Hiei. Two problems at once, it was only natural that family went to familial problems first.

 

--

 

For Annai, trailing his currently mental sister was not something he enjoyed doing. Especially since she was wandering around the house aimlessly. But that was what he was doing, as Hikari franticly raced through the house trying to figure out the cause for her aunt's mental break. So the black and cream haired man pushed his sister's snow colored locks away from her face, looking for her piercing if compassionate eyes. Finding the goldenrod orbs took not near as long as trying to decipher the look they contained. Sighing, he let his sister return to anguished staring out the window.

 

“Come on, Kathrine! Snap out of it. It's been years since what you're thinking about!” But still she didn't so much as blink, the look didn't disappear. She did, though, lean against him.

 

“Starting to listen to me, are you?”

 

“Nii-san!!” Annai cringed.

 

“Today is obviously not my day.” Kathrine formed a small smile on her lips.

 

“Annai!!”

 

“Somebody up there hates me!” And with that a lanky body barreled into the room. Hunched over with is small braid of bright auburn hair hanging over his shoulder, Hiro panted and tried to explain his appearance in the house he was never to enter.

 

“Hiroshi, what are you doing?” Hiro looked up sheepishly at the mention of his full name.

 

“Um, well you see...I, uh..?”

 

“Spit it out, Hiro!”

 

“Did something happen to the black haired boy we tracked the other day?” Annai stared at Hiro slightly stunned.

 

“You say him? And that's why you're here?”

 

“Well, yeah. He didn't look so good-,”

 

“You just thought he looked bad, that's why you're here?”

 

“Yes..?” Annai sighed in aggravation.

 

“Hiro, you idiot!! We've told you fifty times never to come here yet you do because you saw him in the woods!? The least you could've done was show up with him!”

 

“He's not in the woods. He was in town,” Annai just stared, “But I chased him back into the woods, and he gave me the slip.”

 

“So he's back around the house…” Annai looked to Hiro, “Don't think you can make a break for it.” And before the auburn haired brother could move, he was whacked soundly on the head.

 

“You are helpful, but an idiot!!” Hiro rubbed his head and turned to Kathrine, still by the window. Amusement was clear in her eyes.

 

“Glad this is funny, Kathy.” Kathrine just walked up to him and hugged him.

 

“You two…you're so strange…” Hiro blushed some and hugged his sister back.

 

--

 

Hikari plopped down next to Yukina, startling the girl. Yukina gave her a small smile as the girl huffed, an annoyed look across her features.

 

“Gomen, Yukina. It appears we're rather a disorganized group. Annai just went running out of the house, Kathrine's better, but not much and I've done nothing but be a bump on a log all day!!” Yukina giggled slightly as Hikari threw her hands in the air. Settling back down, she let out a sigh, staring into the woods. The wind blew.

 

“Yukina. It's an interesting name for an Ice Maiden. Means `snow plant', correct?” Yukina jumped and looked at Hikari, who stared still at the silent woods.

 

“Ho-how did you know I was a Koorime?” she stuttered. Hikari smiled.

 

“I'd really love the credit, but Kathrine figured it out. Figuring out Hiei wasn't hard, but you, you were. Healer, I know, but there was something else. So what is a Koorime doing in the company of a fire demon? Or off their island? Last that happened, `cording to Kathrine, nothing pretty came of it. A lot of deaths, she said.”

 

“A lot of deaths,” Yukina echoed in a whisper. Hikari put a hand on her shoulder, looking sheepish.

 

“Hey, it's not like you caused them. Don't look so down.” Hesitant for a brief moment, Yukina began to try and speak.

 

“Girls!” Kathrine's voice cut her off.

 

“Come on inside, please!”

 

“But! We're watching for Hiei!”

 

“Annai went to look for him. So come inside, it's getting late. The sun is starting to get a little too low for watching.” Yukina looked to the horizon, there was truth in that. And now Hiei was going on being missing for a full day.

 

“Come on in you two. Please? Annai'll find him. Don't worry.”

 

--

 

The door slammed as Annai stalked into the house, the hour late and the lights off to his displeasure as he ran into the potted plant near the door. Cursing colorfully he hopped into the other room, as a hallway light turned on.

 

“Could you be a little quieter? Some people would rather sleep than listen to your language.”

 

“Shut up, Kath, where's Hiro? I need to smack him. Hard.”

 

“You are not smacking your brother!” Kathrine snapped.

 

“What about me?” Hiro poked his head around the corner. Annai's eye twitched.

 

“What are you still doing here?”

 

“He's only been here for a few minutes, so just talk Annai. Don't take it out on everyone around you.” Annai growled.

 

“Did you find him?” Kathrine whispered.

 

“Who?” Annai growled, reaching to throw a potted plant only to have it taken from him by Hiro.

 

“Hiei!!”

 

“What about him?” Annai snorted. Kathrine sighed.

 

“Did you find him?”

 

“Unfortunately, I did. And he surely didn't want to come back willingly. Think I've got a couple second degree burns here. Can I get a hand!?” Kathrine huffed and walked over to take her brother's arm in a vice like grip.

 

“What happened?” she hissed. She felt too guilty to put up with her brother's whining.

 

“He ran. And attacked me. By the way, would you let go of my burns?! They hurt enough already!” Kathrine looked at the burn; indeed it was as bad as Annai stated. But here they were trying to get Hiei back, and all Annai, the last person to see him, would do was whine and complain about superficial burns. Annai sighed about the rough treatment of his burned arm.

 

“I'm not the one who should've gone after him. He perceives me as a threat. And you know what I found around him? Everyone else he thought was threats. A lot of dead, burning demon corpses! It's like he's attracting every demon within two miles radius.”

 

“But he's killing them?” Hiro whispered.

 

“His survival instincts are intact. That's for sure. And he's using his yoki? Something's going on here.”

 

“Maybe it's just her again. She took an interest in him; she doesn't want him dead. She's probably helping him.” Annai muttered.

 

“She's not,” Hiro whispered, “She's been hiding since Kathrine confronted her.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“Stumbled on her. She looked depressed. More so then usual anyway.”

 

“What are we going to do? We need to find him, and fast. Survival instincts will only help him last so long.” Annai looked away from his sister as she spoke.

 

“Kathrine? He looked half dead before he left. We may not have time, period.”

 

--

 

As the night waned and the sun rose, as Kathrine patched up Annai and listened almost contently to the boys she had spent so much time with argue, Yukina sat up to stare at the slowly lightening sky. She had hardly slept, her worry causing insomnia. Hikari slept almost contently nearby. Watching Hikari's deep breaths and listening for signs of waking life, Yukina gathered the threads of determination that she'd through the night and slipped from her resting place. Pulling clean clothes and shoes on, she slipped from the house.

 

She couldn't wait any longer to look for Hiei. She knew Annai hadn't come back with him. She knew he wasn't about to come back on his own either. The girl ran into the trees, looking out at all times for the familiar black blur. But she didn't see anything, nothing more than the squirrels that scurried on the ground. She stopped after a while, placing her hand on the rough bark of a nearby tree.

 

“Hiei!” she called out. No answer but the scurrying of the forest animals. She waited for a moment longer before moving on. Stepping on the top of a downed tree trunk, she looked to the bits of sky seeable between the leaves. The sky was darkening with clouds heavy with rain. And the wind was slowly picking up. Oh, it can't rain. Hiei will get soaked and what if he get's sick because of that? So she kept going, calling out for Hiei and watching the sky darken.

 

As she came to a clearing at the bottom of a small hill, she stopped again. The sky threatened rain more and more, low growls of thunder joining in. But still she hadn't seen a single sign of Hiei. As Yukina stared out at the clearing, at the two trees that leaned against one another in a lopsided `x', a pair of eyes watched her.

 

Hiei was in the tree. The same tree he'd been in since Annai had chased him with a long shafted weapon, a particular point he'd left out from Kathrine. He watched Yukina sit to rest at the base of the tree he hid in. Thunder growled again. Yukina looked up at the sky. As she turned her head to follow the path of a squirrel jumping between the trees, she spotted black in the branches. He didn't move as she stood with wide, happy eyes.

 

“Hiei,” she whispered. He didn't move, not a muscle, and he stared at her in an almost startling imitation of the squirrel that sat on the lower branch. She smiled, relieved that he didn't run. She waited a few moments before she spoke again.

 

“Hiei? Please come down here.” He didn't budge. A rain drop fell onto her hand.

 

“Please come down, Hiei. It's going to rain. I don't want you to be stuck in the rain.” A drop fell on him and slid down his face in a fake tear. A few more hit him before he jumped down and landed at her feet. She hesitated before gently touching his hand. When he didn't move, she grasped it tightly, smiling.

 

“Let's go back, Hiei.” He didn't answer, nor move, but she wasn't expecting him to. She took his silence for a bit of acceptance. The few drops of rain turned into a full blown down pour in seconds.

 

“Yukina!” Hikari's voice rang out. Yukina looked in the direction she had come from. Hikari stood at the top of the hill, gasping for breath, staring at them.

 

“You…You found him!” she gasped, sprinting towards them. Hiei suddenly tugged at the hand in Yukina's.

 

“Please, Hiei, don't run. We've been looking for you. Come back with us.”
He stopped tugging and with what Yukina could guess was reluctance, followed her. Hikari turned as they crested the hill. She stared at the crossed trees and shuddered. Is he really withdrawn, or is he fooling us?

 

With another shudder, she followed the other two.

 

--

 

And no, if there is another long absence, this is not dead…I write slow…and my teachers hate us all….