Hinote Kyou Mizu

Chapter 4

“No Mother, I want to go to Koorime. I can’t stand these stupid humans.”

Yukina felt the jewel-like tears fall as her daughter, Harime, threw a temper tantrum behind her, the older ice maiden’s back turned toward her child. The young ice maiden had been throwing a fit for the last few days, demanding she get to go visit the other Ice apparitions. Her mother had promised her she would take her, but right now was not the best time. Yukina had found out that Amaya, a good friend of hers, had been set to the Koorime Island, on a report that Mukuro, a fallen demon lord, was there and causing trouble.

“Harime, I don’t think it is best for us to go at this time. Maybe when Miss Amaya gets back we can….”

The ten year old jumped up and down, screaming at the top of her lungs. “NO NO NO NO!” Yukina turned to see her brat of a daughter flailing her arms and falling on her back , crying and screaming in a fit, her jeweled tears flowing freely. “I DON’T WANT TO STAY HERE! NO NO NO NO NO NO!”

Yukina looked despondent, not knowing what to do as the girl literally banged on the floor, whining and crying for not getting her way. The girl turned around as Yukina dropped her head, obviously conceding.

“Alright Harime, I will see if Hinote will or can accompany us.” She turned to her daughter, who had returned quickly to being sweet and innocent looking once she had gotten her way. She had done this before, turning from an angel to a devil in the blink of an eye. The girl was manipulative, mean and rotten, as Yukina, unable to deal with her child’s constant whining, gave into her every whim. She even now looked at her mother with a condescending look, one that said “Look what I got away with again”.

Yukina walked away to use the temple’s phone as Harime walked away, singing a song, the lyrics teasing her mother for being such a pushover.

“My Mommy is so bad,
She always lets me win.
No matter what I do,
I don’t commit a sin.”

Yukina sighed as she called the home of Amaya Saikoubai and Hiei Jaganshi. She would have to take Hinote, Hiei and Amaya’s only daughter, with her to the Koorime village. She would prefer to take Amaya, or at least some of the others who wielded power, but it was impossible. ‘Dear Kazuma’ was not welcome as a male and a human; Botan had to work, Yusuke was with Kurama, Hiei and Amaya, tracking the demon Mukuro, and Kaida was home with her twin children. The only two who could handle the threats in the demon world, and protect her and her child, were Hinote and Ryu. Ryu being male and human would end up being booted like Kazuma, so that left Hinote, who was rather powerful in her own right. She had some of her mother’s water abilities, as well as her father’s fire abilities. For some reason, Yukina wondered, Hinote had the abilities to use ice and cold powers. This was something that confused Yukina to no end. She let it go as she dialed the number and heard the sleepy voice of the young demon.

“Moshi-Moshi?”

“Miss Hinote?”

Hinote’s eyes fluttered open as she spoke, recognizing her aunt’s voice.

“Au…Yukina, it’s early. What’s wrong?” The demon-girl stopped herself, almost letting the word ‘Aunt’ almost slip past her lips. She was glad she had caught herself, remembering stories of her father’s threat to everyone about telling her about him.

“I am sorry Miss Hinote, but I was wondering if you would accompany Harime and I to the Koorime lands today.”

Hinote sighed, knowing Harime had gotten her way yet again. Yukina let that girl get away with everything, and it bothered Hinote to no end. She remained silent on the matter as she spoke.

“You don’t have to call me Miss, Yukina, just Hinote. Aren’t Mom and Dad in the Koorime Lands, looking for Mukuro. Ryu said that is where his Dad and Kurama are.”

Yukina audibly sighed over the line. “Yes, and Harime still insists we go, I did promise her some time ago that we would go. Since the village is not quite safe, I was hoping you would accompany us as extra protection.”

Hinote thought for a while, not sure she should. Her father had warned both her and Ryu to stay out of the Makai, feeling better if they were out of the line of fire at this point. They were not seasoned fighters, never having been in a true Makai battle. Hiei thought they were ready to learn, being more than old enough and strong enough, but Mukuro was not a fight he wanted them in. He had told them this a few days ago, when he and his wife were preparing to leave for the Makai, making them promise to remain in the Ningenkai.

“I don’t think we should, Yukina. Dad said it was dangerous with Mukuro on the loose.”

“Please Hinote, I believe it will be alright, with you accompanying us I would feel safer.”

What she didn’t state was, the fact she really did not want to deal with her daughter if she could not go, the temper tantrum and resulting cold would alert the nearby village to the fact something was not normal at Genkai’s temple. No one really wanted to deal with the girl, not even Kazuma Kuwabara, no matter how much he loved her mother.

Hinote conceded against her better judgment, not wanting to have to go deal with a whiny Harime who would throw ice shards at her next time she saw her, even if she took her to the Makai.

“Alright, Yukina, let me talk to Ryu and let him know where I am and leave Mom and Dad a note. I should be there in a few hours.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Around noon, Hinote, Yukina and Harime were in Koorime territory. The floating island was somewhere above Mukuro’s former territory at that time of year. Hinote hadn’t seen the island as they approached, Yukina having to lead the teenager as they went. As soon as they were on the ice island, Hinote was damn glad she was part koorime, even with the light jacket she wore.

“It’s really cold here, Yukina.”

The older apparition smiled, “I know, I am sorry, will you be okay?”

Hinote nodded. “I’ll be fine.” She wanted to tell her that her Koorime blood helped her against the cold, but didn’t, remembering her promise to her father.

Harime walked up between them, squeezing between her cousin and mother. “I want to go see Miss Rui.”

“We will in a minute Harime. Just be…”

“NO! I WANT TO GO NOW!” Another temper tantrum started, the girl shaking her arms wildly, making Hinote groan and Yukina shake her head in exasperation.

“Harime, we will. We have to walk to the village first.” Both girls followed Yukina, Harime randomly kicking at small animals that wandered too close, inspecting both cousins.

Within a few minutes they had arrived at the village, many of the other women shying away from not Harime and Yukina, but from Hinote, all of them sensing that she was not what she claimed to be. As they walked down the street, Yukina was confused as to why many of them ran and locked their doors as they passed. As they arrived at Rui’s house, a young girl answered, , the shining dark red of huge and blinking Koorime eyes looking out trustingly.

“Hello!”

Hinote and Yukina smiled down at the young girl, her smiling face even more beautiful than the young Yukina’s. The little girl smiled up at the visitors, not noticing the other young maiden in the background.

“Hello, little one. Is your mother around?”

The little girl nodded and let them in, smiling. “Yes, Mommy is in the kitchen.” She opened the door wider, allowing in Hinote and Yukina Harime pushed past, hands on hips as she looked around.

“What a dump.”

“Harime!”

Hinote looked to her cousin as her aunt spoke, both older demons not at all surprised at Harime’s rudeness.

“I am sorry, child, that our lodgings are not up to your standards. Unfortunately, we cannot all live in a nice well kept temple in the human world.”

A tall female walked out of the back, hair pulled back into a high ponytail tied with red, her blue kimono wrapped tightly around her, as if she had just woken up. She smiled at the visitors, looking at the oldest of them. Yukina recognized the woman, smiling back at the face of her mother’s old friend.

“Miss Rui, how are you?”

Rui sat at a chair near the three, the young child crawling into her lap, being held by the woman as she sat.

“I am fine Yukina.”

The ice apparition smiled at her mother’s friend, kneeling in from of Rui and the girl. “And who is this?”

The little girl cuddled with her mother as she spoke, arms wrapping around her mother’s neck. “This is Hina.”

Yukina looked surprised as the other woman smiled sorrowfully at her young child, holding her tightly to her body. “Your mother, she did nothing wrong other than love. Just because the elder decided that one of her children was not worthy of living did not make it true.” She looked up at Yukina, glancing at Harime, who just looked bored, and Hinote; the girl barely taller than Yukina. Rui stared at the young hiyoukai, taking her in from head to toe. Her eyes grew wide as she studied her, then calmed out as she turned to Yukina.

“Your brother, he came here years ago. He sought you.”

Yukina’s eyes lit up, intently looking to her mother’s old friend. “He came here? When? What did he look like?”

Rui smiled, putting Hina on the floor and standing, looking at Hinote, the understanding between them evident; Rui knew who and what Hinote was and Hiei’s greatest secret was about to be let out of the bag.

“He was a short man with pale skin, black hair with a shock of white and a black cloak. He also spoke very little.”

Yukina looked confused, recognizing the description as both she and Rui turned to look at Hinote, her father’s Koorime red eyes speaking volumes. Even Harime turned to watch her squirm, enjoying the other girl’s discomfort.

Yukina’s dark red eyes met Hinote’s as she spoke, looking at the girl.

“Hinote? Your father?”

Hinote let her head fall, blue hair covering her face and showing off the shock of white hair she had inherited from her father. “Yukina…”

Yukina scowled, not happy that the girl was avoiding her question. “Hinote. Please, tell me. Is your father my brother?”

Hinote looked up, silently apologizing to her father in the back of her mind for telling his sister what he had kept from her for so long.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Yukina.”

The woman turned away from her niece and sat down, guided by Rui to the chair, her face a mix of shock and confusion. Harime stared, looking up at her newly found cousin. “You’re going to get in trouble for telling, aren’t you.”

Hinote watched her aunt, walking to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Dad never wanted you to know, he didn’t want you to know what your brother was. He wanted you to believe your brother was a good person.”

Yukina shook her head. “I am not sure who he is even now. Why didn’t he tell me?”

Hinote pulled a chair close and sat in front her aunt. “He didn’t want you know because of his past. He was a murderer and a thief. He didn’t want you to know how evil he was at one time. You know him now, a demon who cares for his family, and who wants to do what is truly right by his own code of honor. That’s who you should recognize as your brother.”

Yukina looked up at her tears in her eyes. “But, I would have accepted him either way. I would have…”

“He also had a price put upon him in exchange for the Jagan he had implanted to find you. He could never tell you who he truly was. Shigure placed that upon him before he even met Yusuke. He was not allowed to tell you, and everyone else who knew would not tell out of fear of what Dad would do. I was not even told until I was ten, so I would not let it slip when I was a child. My father wanted to protect you. You were the only one he truly cared for until he met my mom.”

Yukina stared at her niece, her face ranging in emotion from pain to disbelief. At that moment, little Harime decided it was her turn to speak.

“You mean that stupid little demon is my uncle! Gross! Hmpf, if he’s a murderer and a thief then well…”

Hinote turned to her cousin, her eyes completely cold.

“Harime...”

“What?”

The older girl turned on her cousin, demeanor extremely angered, but voice deadly calm. “Shut up. You little brat, you don’t know the full story.”

Hinote watch as her cousin’s face showed disbelief as someone dared to back talk her. Her fists clenched beside her, face turning red in the dim light.

“Well, you don’t need to be here anyway. You’re not even a full Koorime. Why don’t you go home to that filthy human boyfriend, half-breed father, and that mongrel mother of yours. Mother and I don’t need you, him or any of them.”

Hearing this Yukina looked at her daughter, absolutely stunned at the words that came from her daughter’s mouth. Her daughter was a brat, but she had tried to raise her to be good and sweet, not hateful and full of spite. Yukina stood, silent and calm as she looked down at the child she had given birth to. Without warning and remorse, Yukina proceeded to slap her own daughter across the face, her hand making quick and hard contact with her daughter’s cheek.

“Don’t ever speak of your family like that again.”

Harime held her face stunned at her mother’s outburst. The girl turned around and ran out the door. Her cries were silent, the only evidence of tears were the hiruseki stones on the frozen ground.

Yukina turned to her niece, smiling weakly. “Hinote, I will make sure that Mr. Hiei doesn’t blame you for telling me the truth. Right now, we need to find my daughter and go home.”