by Akuma
 
 
 

          Yukina opened her eyes slowly and sat up. She discovered herself in a walled garden of some kind, beneath a towering, ancient sugi tree. She blinked; she was sure she remembered laying down in her own bed to go to sleep...
          "Imouto-chan..." a deep, warm voice called softly. Yukina leapt to her feet, looking around eagerly.
          He was standing on the other side of the tree--leaning against it, actually, in a casual pose. His arms were folded across his chest, and he had one leg drawn up nonchalantly. He wasn't much taller than she, but he was strong--powerful. He waited in the shadows.
          "O...oniisan?" Yukina asked breathlessly, scarcely daring to hope. She clasped her hands before her, her eyes glittering with hope. Was this to be the day she'd waited for so long?
          He looked up. His face was still shadowed, but she could clearly see his gentle smile. A thrill of tremulous joy shot through her. It was her brother! She threw herself into his arms with a glad cry and hugged him tightly.
          Strong, loving arms closed around her shoulders. Yukina gave a happy sigh and snuggled further into her brother's embrace. She felt warm and safe here. She felt...whole. As if she'd found part of herself that had been missing for as long as she could remember.
          "Imouto-chan..." his voice whispered softly into her ear. His cheek rested on her hair, and Yukina smiled. She could stay his way forever, she thought. Happy. She tilted her head back to look into his face and tell him so.
          Suddenly, he was gone! Yukina gave a gasp of dismay. "Oniisan!" she cried fearfully. "Where are you!?" The garden started to dissolve around her into a chaotic void of blackness and shadows. "Oniisan!!" Yukina half-sobbed, frightened.
          "Imouto-chan!" his voice cried back, as if from a great distance. Yukina whirled. There! Being sucked away into the shadows!
          "Oniisan!" the Koorime screamed. She raced toward him. The closer she came, the further away he got, it seemed. Yukina forced her legs to go even faster. "Please don't leave me!" she shrieked, tear gems dripping from her cheeks.
          "Imouto-chan!" her brother called back. He stretched a hand out toward her imploringly. Yukina stumbled on. Almost there...almost... With a triumphant yell, Yukina clasped her hand around her brother's.
          Her fingers sank through as her brother faded like a phantom in the mist. The young Koorime fell to her knees. "Iieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!" she wailed.
          Yukina sat up in bed with a gasp. A tear gem dripped off her chin and rolled across the sheets. The girl pulled her knees up and buried her face in her arms, sobbing.
          A long while later, she rose and gathered up the tear gems. She sighed as she looked at them in her hands. Oniisan...she thought sadly, and bit her lip. The tear gems joined others in a velvet pouch. Yukina tucked it away again in its hidden cubbyhole. The act gave her time to recover her composure.
          Someday, oniisan...she thought. A look of determination crossed her features. If any who knew her had seen, they would have been vastly surprised. The expression was one they would expect on Hiei's face, or even Kurama's or Yuusuke's, but never on Yukina's. The Koorime clenched her delicate hands into fists as she reaffirmed her vow. Someday, I will find you. We will be together!