Fire and Ice (YYH)

Chapter Eight

~Kimi's POV~

Everything was a blur. I wasn't entirely sure if I was really functioning or if I'd fallen into some sort of trancelike state and everything that was happening was just a projection of my coping mind. Kurama and Hiei had showed up in an attempt to console me, their mouths were moving but it sounded like I was underwater only catching slight glimpses of conversation. Somehow they'd led me from the interrogation room and brought me to a much more comforting room. Yusuke and Kuwabara were there, I thought, and so was a toddler, a talking toddler, which led me to believe none of this was really happening and I'd probably hit my head or collapsed from smoke inhalation and was currently in a coma somewhere.

The toddler had attempted to explain something to me, about spirit world, and demons there was mention of a spirit beast and a spirit detective. Everything was spirit this spirit that and it made my heart hurt painfully in my chest as I remembered Dee's final moments. My best and only friend was dead, because of me.

"I think she may be in shock." A familiar scratchy voice said softly from behind me and it took me a moment to orient myself to my surroundings. I was in some sort of sitting room curled up in a ball atop a comfy plush sofa hugging a mint green pillow to my chest as if my life depended on it.

"What gave you that idea, genius?" Yusuke barked in reply and a thought crossed my mind, I could hear everyone clearly, it didn't sound like I was underwater anymore.

My body ached as I attempted to move, keeping me frozen in place. How long had I been like this? Every muscle screamed in protest at the thought of moving as if my body had adjusted to staying in this position and now would never move again. I looked down at my hands desperately clinging to the pillow in my arms and stared for a long moment. My nails were longer and pointed now, but that wasn't the only unusual thing, there was also a mess of brilliant auburn tinged golden blonde hair falling around me in perfect silken waves. Blonde hair? When did I get blonde hair? But the madness didn't stop there, curled up at my side was an absurd brilliant auburn fox tail with a snow-capped tip. Were the guys playing some kind of prank on me in a pitiful attempt to cheer me up?

"I kind of thought she'd take the news a little better." Yusuke added and I realized I'd zoned out of their conversation at some point.

"I don't think she heard anything that's been said to her this entire time." Hiei noted from somewhere across the room.

An image of me desperately clinging to him with tears streaming down my pallid cheeks flitted through my mind along with my own choked words, 'please kill me'. Had I really said that? But why? I couldn't leave, Nana needed me... Nana? Did Nana know where I was? Did Nana know what I was? Did Nana know about Dee? Another wave of agony surged through me and my body screamed in protest as I gripped the pillow against me more tightly.

"Ah!" Kuwabara yelped from somewhere behind me, "She moved!"

"She's not a zombie, moron." Yusuke muttered, "She's not moving now though." He added.

"Probably a muscle spasm." Kurama said sympathetically.

"Nana." I breathed and cringed at the sound of my own voice, it was soft and scratchy as if I'd been screaming my head off for hours or crying endlessly for days on end, which with my current perception of time could all very well be possible.

"She said something." Yusuke noted and I heard the scrape of a chair sliding against wood as if he'd gotten up abruptly from a table. "Kimi, are you with us?" He asked softly, his voice getting louder as he got closer.