Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, they belong to their creator and such.

Summary: Kurama learns, that even in the best of stories, in the end, all you are left with are fading memories. The third and final tale in the HERO saga.

Rated: M

And a HERO Takes a Fall

Chapter 1

It was always foggy, to the point it was dense and murky. The grey thickness was almost suffocating and it was that way every time the lone figure made his way through the massive ornate, double arched, wrought iron gates. Automatically heading left, his first stop was sort of out of the way, but he'd felt obligated to visit since he'd heard the news.

With the moisture seeping into his clothing and the coolness prickling his face, the red head trudged along carrying a wrapped bundle close to his chest. After a few more minutes of walking, he came upon the first marker.

"Hello." He said, looking down at the cold slab of stone. The name TAKANAKA revealed itself to stare back at him from the swirling wisps of mist. Just a few short months ago, his former boss, and the man whose company he'd once stolen out from under him, had had a massive heart attack and died in his office. Finding himself just standing there, the red head realized he didn't know what to say. He hadn't worked for the man since handing his company back over to him and he'd even missed the funeral because he'd been out of town. Deciding he needed to say something, he mumbled a few prays before pulling out two long stem roses from the bundle he was carrying.

Bending down, he placed one on Mr. Takanaka's side and the other on his wife's, though he'd personally never met the woman. She'd passed a few years before he'd even joined the firm, from breast cancer he had heard.

Saying one last prayer, the red head straightened and began his real trek along the well worn path. Even if the path wasn't covered by the soupy mix, which he could never see but a few feet in front of him, he didn't need to see clearly to know the way. It was burned in his memory, this trek that would start him out on one end of the massive complex before leading him clear across it to the other side.

This was the longest walk he'd have to make and he always found himself walking in a sort of robotic march. A melancholy dirge that gave him nothing but time to reflex on his life and all the ups and downs that have filled it over these passed few years.

What seemed like an eternity, he finally cleared the tree lines, revealing his next stop.

"Hello mother." He said as he approached and his green eyes then scanned right. "Father." He said, maybe a little too curtly as he found himself wincing at the sound his voice made. "Sorry." He muttered as a way of an apology. He'd never had anything against his birth father, it was just he never really knew the man. All the memories he had were from the mind of a five year old and he knew those memories had become perplexedly disordered over the years. He could no longer remember what was real and what his mind was making up to try and fill the void his father had left in their lives. The memories of his mother were also becoming that way, fading more with every passing year. Letting out a big sigh, the red head pulled four roses out of the bundle and bent down to place two on his mother's side and two on his father's.

"Well mother." He began as he stood back up. "Things at the foundation are going well. I can still only hope that you are proud of what I've done."

He stood there for a few minutes longer before whispering a pray. "I'm sorry mother." He ended. "But I need to get going if…." He didn't finish the statement as he looked off in the direction he was heading next. Some of the truth was, he didn't know what to talk about anymore. If he truly believed in his beliefs, then she already knew what was going on his life and the real reason he was here. With one last glance, he continued on.

After about ten minutes and clearing another cluster of trees, he came upon the next marker. The oh so familiar slab of marble with the name KURONUE, Beloved brother/friend/partner, came into focus and the red head found himself smirking.

"What is it with you letting yourself go?" He said shaking his head and his smirk turning into a smile as he bent down to pull a few weeds that had grown out of the corners of the slab.

Tossing the weeds aside, he pulled two roses out of the bundle and placed them on the stone.

"There, that's better." He joked. "She probably told you I was coming and you grew those just to irk me." He had always hoped that his mother, father and Kuronue had met up in the after life.

Though he wanted to sit down, he found he couldn't do that anymore. He just couldn't talk to the man like he used to. There had been a time when he would sit and ramble for hours about things, but now...after all these years. Those memories of his former lover had been replaced and he just didn't feel right talking about being with another person.

"I hope you've met." He said. "I always had the feeling you two would have gotten along if you'd had the chance to meet down here."

He stood there for a few minutes before squatting back down and brushing his fingers across the engraved name. "I do miss you." He whispered. Though he didn't know if he was saying it more to convince himself of that or not, for if Kuronue hadn't died then he would have never met…. "And I know I have no right to ask you of this, but…" He closed his green eyes. "Please look out for him and…thank you…for everything." He added, standing back up.

Keeping his head lowered, he began his walk to the final destination, un-wrapping the remaining roses and wadding up the cellophane as he went so he could shove it in his coat pocket.

After another ten minutes or so, the red head passed through a small wrought iron gate that led into the newest section of the grounds. Here the markers were sparse and sporadic, but again, even with the heavy fog, he knew which way to head and he soon came upon the marker. Maybe it was from walking so long, or maybe it was from seeing the name and coming to grips with the fact that it had finally happened. Either way, the fog closed in even further around the red head and he finally lost it. Though he opened his mouth, not a sound came out as he fell to his knees, stunned and read.

May the journey on your next adventure

be as joy-filled as your time with us.

HIEI JAGANSHI

Firefighter – EMT

"Oh Hiei." The red head muttered in anguish.

Feeling something trickling down his wrist, green eyes looked down in time to see a red droplet hit the ground. Looking at his hand, he saw where he'd gripped the roses hard enough to draw blood from the thorns.

Letting out a sigh, he swept away some debris with his free hand before placing the remaining four roses in a fan, with the stems overlapping, in the center of the headstone.

"I know, I know." The red head started with a shake of his head. "I didn't have to, but you'll have to humor me now." He said with a small smile.

Hiei had never been one for flowers. He liked them, but didn't think they were worth paying for. His motto was, "If you're going to spend that much money on something, that's going to die anyways, you could at least make it something useful or edible."

Moving to sit cross-legged, the red head began to think back on the events that had led up to this.

"So this is it." The red head muttered. "This was how it was supposed to happen and…'damn it'…I wasn't even in town."

Yukina had been too upset to tell him what had happened over the phone, so he'd had to wait until he could catch the next flight back and get to the hospital before getting the story from Yusuke.

Yusuke, who just happen to be filling in for Captain Chu for a few days as a favor, went on to explain that Hiei had been filling in for Mitarai at Station 51 on the nightshift.

It was only a few hours before dawn and the end of the shift when they responded, along with Station 45, to a call of a single vehicle accident.

After getting the sole occupant stable and heading to the hospital, Yusuke came upon Hiei and Kuwabara playing a round of Jan-ken (rock-paper-scissors). They were doing the best two-out-of-three to see whose turn it was to sweep the debris from the roadway.

Kuwabara was commentating. "And it's down to the final move…tied one all…will the shrimp be the victor, or will the soldier-of-love keep his winning streak."

Getting irked, Hiei growled out. "Just shut up you fool and make your move…on three."

Both men began whispering to three, but just when they were going to form their move, Yusuke tossed a push-broom to Hiei, making him grab it instead.

The black haired growled and was about to rebuke when the raven haired cut him off.

"We don't have all day." Yusuke began. "We're already on overtime and the morning rush hour traffic will be starting anytime now.

"But why me?" Hiei almost whined as Kuwabara said a cheerful whispered. "Yes." Before heading off to clean up their gear and put it back in the truck.

"You're our guest of honor." Yusuke joked.

Though Hiei was grumbling under his breath and giving his retreating commander's back the 'one-finger' salute. He walked out into the street and began sweeping the debris to the side of the road.

No one could quite explain what happened next, but all agreed that the road was closed and Hiei was in the designated flared off area. They all said they heard a high pitch squeal, and then the next thing, seeing Hiei laying several feet away in the center of the road.

(Take the light and darken everything around me)

(Call the clowns and listen closely I'm lost without you)

(Call your name everyday when I feel so helpless)

(I've fallen down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this)

"When I got that phone call, I could have sworn my heart stopped." The red head said softly. By the time he had made it back, Hiei had gone through surgery and was placed in the intensive care unit. A week had passed with no signs the black haired was going to wake up.

Sitting there, he felt helpless even now, but knew there was nothing he could have done. "I could have at least been in town." He muttered.

(Hate the mind, regrets are better left unspoken)
(For all we know, this void will grow and)

(Everything's in vain, distressing you though it leaves me open)

(Feels so right, but I'll end this all before it gets me)

Though Yukina and Kuwabara, who kept pacing and muttering 'It should have been me.' And even Yusuke, who kept saying it was his own fault, had tried to tell him it wasn't anyone's fault…he couldn't help but have his doubts.

"Oh Hiei…why like this…" The red head choked out and began to cry. "I don't know what to do. And…I'm sorry…I couldn't be there for Yukina, she keeps asking me what she should do and…and…" His head fell in shame. "I just can't help her." He confessed softly, but then composed himself. "'I' should have done something." He stated firmly, wiping his face.

(Call your name everyday when I feel so helpless)

(I'm fallen down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this)

(Call your name everyday when I seem so helpless)

(I'm fallen down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this doubt)

When the red head had agreed to head up the foundation that he'd established in his mother's name, the first thing he'd told Hiei was that he would not travel. He would take care of business by conference-phone and any events would be held locally. That had barely lasted a year. With the growth, by word-of-mouth, he was having to travel to the facility in Northern Yama at least one week a month for various reasons and though Hiei had went with him several times, it was just too much.

"I should have realized what was happening…if only I'd stood my ground…then maybe…maybe. And here you were…" The red head shook his head. So many 'ifs' so many 'maybes', the 'would of', 'should of', and 'could of'…

All the while, Hiei's job as coordinator and trainer of the homeland terrorist team, under Raizen, had fallen on hard times. The lack of funding, and the low-risk of an attack, left Hiei growing restless for some action. With the red head gone, Hiei began planning his own adventures, his normal rock climbing hobby had turned extreme, to where he was climbing the highest peaks and then parachuting off the top. The blacked haired had picked up whitewater rafting and even began doing karate again, training for local tournaments every chance he got.

"You were so close to getting your scuba-diving license." The red head remembered.

This 'recklessness' lasted until one day Yusuke, who is the Fire Chief in the district, called and asked if Hiei would like to begin filling in at the Stations. On most nights, one or more stations always seemed to be a man down. Hiei jumped at the chance and after passing the Firefighter/EMT course with flying colors, he was immediately working most days or nights.

"If only I had said no." The red head said softly and thought. 'If you could have just picked…something…anything different.'

(I'll mend myself before it gets me)

From the time they had first gotten together, the red head had worried about the man. From that night of the dance when he saw Hiei all battered and bruised from diving out the window of a burning apartment building. To the many times after that when he would get a phone call from Shizuru telling him Hiei was in the emergency room with a sprained ankle, or a busted nose.

"Though the truth is…I could never ask you to stop." The red head admitted. "You wouldn't be who you are otherwise."

(I'll mend myself before it gets me)

Red eyebrows arched as green eyes noticed the fog getting denser causing the image of the grave to cloud over and fade from view. The red head then gasped as he felt tinkling in his fingers, that pins and needle feeling like they had been asleep and were waking up.

"HIEI!" His mind cried out as his surroundings completely faded.

(Call your name everyday when I feel so helpless)
(I'm fallen down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this)

(Forty-eight ways to say that I'm feeling helpless)

Green eyes blinked a few times, trying to shake the sleepiness and confusion so they could focus on what they were seeing. Kurama's head jerked back from where it'd been laying on his folded arms, which had been laying crossed along the side of the bed.

'Is this real?' His mind tried to ask him as he looked at his right hand, which had been laying open, was now lightly cupping a smaller, petite one. Blinking, he gave the hand a light squeeze and his eyes widened when the hand shakily tried to squeeze back.

"Hi…ei." He managed to squeak out, being too shocked to actually speak. Hiei had managed to worm his small hand into his.

Green eyes began to travel up the pale arm, to the shoulder, where they crossed the breathing tube, along the neck line to see a very pale face. There, his green eyes stopped, along with his breath and then he let out a big sigh of relief. Two red eyes were open and focused solely on his.

This had been a close one. Kurama had always just assumed Hiei would fall in a fire of some kind, not from getting hit by a drunk driver.

(I'm falling down, but I'll rise above this)

(Rise above this)

(Rise above this)

(Rise above this doubt)

Kurama was so focused on those red eyes that he didn't pay attention to the other petite person, who had been sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed, get up with a clamoring of noises and start muttering, yet was getting louder by the second.

"Oh my God…he's awake…he's awake…I'll get the doctor…"

End Chapter 1

Lyrics to the song: Rise Above This – By: Seether