Those three things have owned me almost all day, and in a way I'm glad, but in another way I'm not. Kinda wasted my day on all that stuff, but I did get something accomplished, which I'll share in a moment. ^_^

So during spurts over the course of the day, I played more KH, realizing how stupid I was in Agrabah when all I had to do was hit that stupid pillar to move on. *hangs head in shame* Some expert gamer I am. lol But anyway, as I progressed on to Monstro, which I totally owned, I began to like the relationship between Riku and Sora more, since for the majority of that game I hated the former. His attitude used to annoy me, and still does to a certain degree, but after I beat the game, I felt that he redeemed himself and earned a spot on my "you're an all right guy list". Moving on, I breezed through Monstro, and proceeded onto Atlantica, just then realizing where all the Sora x Ariel fans come from. I hadn't really paid good enough attention to Atlantica's role in the plot due to how much I hated that world, but since I had a good idea of what I was doing this time around, I noticed the interaction between the two, and kinda developed a soft spot for it. Dun get me wrong, I'm still a very, very strong Sora x Kairi fan (13thleprechaun - *relieved sigh*), but I thought the potential of SxA was just too cute to ignore. I'll have to look into it more.

Thus ends my KH-ing of the day.

I didn't play FFX for very long, just about twenty minutes or so, because another KH urge overcame me when I reached the ruins right after Tidus is sucked out of Zanarkand. I'm wanting to play through to Luca so that I can clarify a certain part of the game. Why do I wanna do that, you ask? Because I have a short sequel piece in mind for Promise, my Auron and Yuna cuteness drabble. ^_^ So I wanna double-check something, and once I do, I plan to write my idea based on those scenes. Go me!

Dude, I finally caught Episode Thirty-five of FMA in English tonight, and loved it! *drool* Laura Bailey and Johnny Yong Bosch kick tush, man! I like this episode in English lots better than the Japanese personally, because you can tell the difference between Lejon and Scar's brother's voices, and that makes a huge difference. I hadn't noticed that in that first hug scene you hear Scar's brother, and I was like: holy crap! So yeah - the dub is good because it helps clear things up for us slow people. lol I can't wait for next Monday, too, because they'll be airing Episode Thirty-six, another one I'm dying to catch in English. Rick and Leo are cute little boys love!

So what was my accomplishment of the day? Writing another piece for the 100_women challenge! ^_^ I filled in the slot for "Sight" with a sibling piece sort of spun off from The Earring, but is very readable without that massive piece of work. And I have to say, thanks are in order to greedyslayer who wrote that little blind!Yukina piece for me a few weeks ago when I felt I couldn't. I tried my hand at it again, so this is dedicated to her! ^_^ Thanks so much, hon! Much love and Greed shaped cookies for you!

Title: Blinded
Prompt: #67 Sight
Character(s): Yukina and Hiei
Rating: PG
Genre(s): Angst
Warning(s): There are slight references to my fic, The Earring, but this piece is very readable without it.
Summary: Sent on a simple mission gone horribly wrong, Yukina has been blinded, and it's Hiei that comes to her aid.

Blinded

It had been so dark for so long, now, Yukina realized. She had to wonder if she would ever see again, much less get home. Koenma had given the Ice Princess another mission, one that wasn't supposed to pose any sort of problem. In fact, it was merely reconnaissance, and she didn't even have to introduce herself to any warmongering (and mate-seeking) tyrants. But nevertheless, the unexpected occurred, and she was spotted prowling on the grounds of the minor stronghold for some random thief that was causing some trouble to the new Makai leader.

She tried to get away before meeting her fate, but was trapped in a thick smog of poison, the deadly cloud nearly claiming her life while she was inside. However, since she wasn't hindered by any barrier in this realm, or in the area for that matter, she rallied her own power to ward off as much of the toxin as possible. But not before severe damage could be done, her skin badly burned, and her eyes were sealed shut, as if the eyelids were adhesive to each other, and thus remained closed no matter how hard she tried to open them.

To her advantage, her own ice and the poisonous cloud mixed together, creating a decent wall that the thief could not peer through so easily. So with this as her only ally at the moment, she took off running in the direction she came from, fleeing into the woods for shelter. No doubt she would become lost easily within the forest, but at the time, she didn't know that her eyes would be glued shut for so long, so she just kept running, ignoring all the branches that were scratching and tearing at her face. She tripped over several rocks and crashed into dozens of trees besides, but these events did nothing but slow her down instead of stopping her completely, for her will to survive was too strong. After all, she had endured much more trying circumstances after the mission to turn in Kaihiko ended in near disaster, standing against her murderous father, learning of her forbidden brother (in one of the worst ways imaginable), and challenging an on-going blizzard while trying to rescue those that had been trapped at Kaihiko's compound.

Yukina knew she could handle this, but she didn't know how much longer she could manage before standing still in utter confusion and frustration. These woods were extensive and thick, so passing through them with one's own eyes open was challenging enough, but to be blinded (what she hoped was temporary) was another trial all together.

As she originally thought before, it felt like it had been days when she last saw light, or someone's face for that matter. She wasn't even sure if it had been days or only hours, but all she could understand at the time was that she was tired and losing confidence in herself. This blindness would just not leave her, and thus she condemned herself to doom in this tangle of both dying and flourishing vegetation.

Feeling around with her scraped hands, Yukina felt the bark of a big and thick tree, and with a relieved, but depressed sigh, she leaned against it and sat on the ground. She wanted to cry, but doing so would bring tears that she could not shed, and thus would cause her further pain to her already badly damaged eyes. So she waited for nothing, it seemed, listening to the sounds around her and remembering the last time she was in this forest. It had been a few years, but she recalled passing through it on the way to find the barrier that would allow a low level Ice Apparition like herself to enter Ningenkai unharmed. From what she could gather, this particular forest was indeed a dangerous one, but practically harmless compared to others on the opposite end of Makai. Various critters and weak youkai wandered about freely, and she understood that most probably deemed her worthless in her condition, so none came after her as prey. She found that peculiar at first, but soon after felt grateful that she was in such a poor physical state, as no youkai in his right mind would want her for a meal.

She then wondered just how bad she looked. She could feel pain and stinging on her arms and legs, and there was a dull, but constant throb in her abdomen. Touching her stomach gingerly, she winced between clenched teeth, withdrawing her hand quickly from its advance. No doubt the poison had damaged her in more places the one, she noted, but since she couldn't see where her wounds were, much less recall how to use her energy, Yukina denied her body's needs for healing when she realized that she would need her strength for the remainder of her journey - which could take months, for all she knew.

Letting a semi-relaxed breath float out between her lips, Yukina began to will herself into a state of sleep, hoping that she was in fact dreaming, and that none of this was real. She wanted to wake up to see Kazuma's smile, not just hear his voice.

Just as she felt herself drifting into sleep, her senses suddenly kicked in and she sensed a strong and undeniable presence draw near. Not knowing what direction the aura was coming from, she shielded her head with her arms and curled up tightly, hoping that they were coming from the direction her back was facing. Denying the urge to whimper, she waited in silence when the dark figure came so close, she could smell the familiar scent.

Wait... familiar?

"Yukina, you don't have to hide from me." the cold, but still comforting voice said from above.

At the sound of his tone, she dropped her arms and surged forward, fumbling around until she managed to grapple his waist. "Brother!" she exclaimed, her visitor no doubt confused by her clumsy behavior.

In a gesture he only showed her, he let his arms wrap around her and draw her closer, her face pressed hard against his black cloak that he was famous for. He understood that being alone in a forest like this could make someone like her easily fearful and grateful for a familiar face, but again, he had to wonder why she was acting so strange. "Yukina, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Ningen-" He stopped suddenly when she pulled away just enough for him to see her bruised and torn features.

Withholding a gasp of terror, he noted every cut, scrape and burn, and began to feel his flame of rage swell inside his body. Someone had hurt his sister and there would be Hell to pay for it. "Look at me, Yukina." he ordered calmly.

"Brother, I... I can't."

Hissing in frustration, he forced out his response. "Why not?"

Yukina swallowed heavily and tilted her head back slightly so that he could observe her facial appearance better. She assumed that her eyelids were burned, or at least damaged in some way or another, so she figured he could get a good enough idea of her condition from taking a long, hard look at her. And just a moment later, she swore she could feel the heat radiating out of his body at the realization that she had been blinded, and gathering her courage, she choked out her next words. "I can't see..."

Snarling, he clenched his fist so tight, his nails began to dig into his skin and make blood seep out onto his fingertips. "Who did this to you?"

Folding her hands in front of her shyly, as she always did, Yukina prepared a rather weak reply. "It's... rather hard to explain, Brother..."

"Take as long as you need to, but just tell me so that I can give whoever did this to you a bloody death." he shot back sharply, not caring at the moment if he dampened her spirits. Revenge was prominent in his mind. Sibling affection could be saved for later, he concluded.

Turning her face away from him, Yukina knew that he would be furious with the information she could give him, and though this thief did deserve punishment, a death granted by her ruthless brother was something the thief had not yet earned. But as she felt his gaze bore down on her, she gave in and told him that which he wanted to know. "Koenma gave me another mission, but it wasn't supposed to be a dangerous one -!"

"Koenma what?!" he shouted, most assuredly angry beyond his own comprehension.

"Hiei, please, don't be mad at him -"

"Mad? I'm not mad. I'm going to kill the little rat."

Reaching out and fumbling around for his hand, Yukina took it and held it for a moment, trying to be the voice of reason in this situation. Hiei did have every right to be angry and furious at the thief, but directing his fury at Koenma was not justified. "Hiei, the mission was almost identical to yours from before, remember? I was only supposed to gather intelligence on the area, but I was spotted, and thus I sealed my own fate. It's a risk all tantei make, don't you agree?"

Furrowing his brow and growling softly, he replied. "Well, yes, but that doesn't -"

"Koenma did nothing wrong by asking me to take the mission." Yukina interrupted him. "It seemed simple enough, so that's why I agreed to do it. I know you understand, Brother, but please, don't be mad at Koenma."

Though he still felt animosity for the toddler of a ruler surge through his veins, Hiei conceded the win of the argument to his sister, and proceeded to inquire on the rest of the operation turned failure. "Fine, but if he isn't to blame, who can I kill for hurting you?"

Hiei's request for the truth was one she was a little afraid to grant, but surely he would help her get out of this terrible prison, and on the way, she could convince him to not go after the thief responsible for her blindness. "I'm sure you know about it by now, since you still serve under Mukuro. Do you know about the thief, Raisuke?"

"Yes." he replied simply, knowing a nod was a wasted gesture on his part since she couldn't see it.

"At first his crimes were petty, stealing minor things from random youkai in the area, but he's recently been targeting those of higher power. When Enki was robbed of a small, but still precious jewel collection, he requested that Koenma look into it." Yukina told him, letting it sink for a moment as she recalled the mission's objective report.

"Hmph, why should a 'king' ask for another lower king's help when he can easily do away with the thief himself?" Hiei commented dryly, still holding that familiar tone of arrogance he was known for.

"You know as well as I that doing such would violate Enki's new laws of peace and stability throughout Makai. He can't just order Raisuke's death and expect to remain in power." she informed him, allowing her rarely heard firm tone of voice be heard. She hadn't used it since under Tarukane's captivity, and that was already beginning to look like several years past.

"Good, then we can have another tournament and Mukuro can assume control of Makai."

Shaking her head, she sat back down, hands folded neatly in her lap to show her calm exterior, but on the inside, she was beginning to grow tired of Hiei's constant arrogance. "Putting all that aside, I only want to help do my part in avoiding yet another war. I know that you love those types of things, Brother, but... I don't."

At her words, a slight pang of guilt overcame him and his expression softened, regret replacing a cocky demeanor as he looked at her for several long moments. His sister had done more than her fair share of good deeds to repay the "debt" she seemingly owed the tantei for her rescue, but taking on the burden of keeping Makai in a state of peace was something she accepted eagerly. Yukina didn't want war or bloodshed over something as trivial as thievery, so she was willing to stop that at all costs. Hiei had to admit that he admired her even more for her selfless traits that made her such a jewel to adore and love, and in that moment, he relinquished his own selfish ambitions to tend to his sister's needs.

Exhaling, he knelt down in front of her and focused on her deepest wound over her stomach, her kimono tattered and ripped in various places. He didn't have a very strong healing energy, but he had enough to at least help the wound begin to close. "Stay still." he said sympathetically, the soft red, almost pink glow hovering over the dark blotch on her kimono.

"Brother, you don't have to -"

"Yes," he stopped her abruptly, glaring gently at her almost emotionless features. "I do."

Realizing that there was nothing she could do to change his mind, she let him offer his aid, however little it was, and in return, she was immensely grateful. Surprisingly enough, his energy not only numbed the pain, but it sealed more of the open wound than both expected, so besides her recently acquired blindness, she was relieved of her second greatest hindrance. But as he moved on to start healing the tears on her ankles, Yukina heard a soft mumble come from his lips.

"You're right..." he muttered quietly, the hum of his energy drowning out most of his words, but thankfully, Yukina's hearing had adjusted accordingly so that she could listen to every word he said. "Even if I don't like that king, or whatever he is, he has managed to keep us all at peace, and Mukuro doesn't seem to mind that peace, herself. As her heir, I suppose I should be grateful for the standstill, too."

Yukina smiled for the first time in days and reached out to him, fingers plunging carefully into his black hair as she stroked through the strands gently. "War is never something one should look forward to. Only those that are evil should seek it, and I know you're everything but evil, Brother."

Looking straight at her, and still knowing that she couldn't see the almost touched look on his face, Hiei realized that Yukina saw more in him than Mukuro did. Yes, Mukuro saw potential and helped him find peace about his dark past, but Yukina saw a sort of innate goodness that he forgot was deep inside him. For being blind, she could see and understand more than anyone else.

"Come on," he said promptly, lifting her to her feet and keeping her steady as she adjusted to being upright again after the healing process. "Let's get out of here, then we'll see what else can be done about this Raisuke. If I could, I would take care of it myself, but like you, I want to avoid war as well." Again, her heart-warming smile remained in place for him to admire and seek comfort in, and returning a small, but similar gesture that he hoped she could at least feel, he went on. "Can you walk on your own, or do you want me to carry you for a while?"

When the wobbling of her legs ceased, Yukina reached for his hand and spoke. "Just hold my hand, Hiei. I trust that you'll lead us in the right direction."

Letting his faint smile widen a bit in absolute and pure adoration for his precious sister, he gripped her hand gently in his and proceeded to lead them down the path. After a few moments of adjusting to find the right pace to walk at, his grin became a sly smirk and he spoke. "So, should I be expecting any nieces or nephews soon?"

Spread the sibling love, darn it!