I know for a fact, dear readers, that I will never finish my YYH 100 - Theme Challenge.

Although I'll always be a fan, this entry, my 195th story (and first on my countdown to 200) will be my last Yu Yu Hakusho story. Therefore, it is dedicated to the wondrous Hiei x Kurama, which always caused so much controversy, in the past.

Alas, farewell, fandom.

Disclaimer: For the last time, Nothing.

-The Tears of The End-

On their own, each demon was already renown throughout the different realms. In Spirit world, they were villains, bandits, and even murderers. In the Demon world, they were of the highest ranking, held honorable positions, and struck fear into everyone's hearts but their own. In the mortal realm, however, they were unusual, smart, isolated and surprisingly, crime-fighters. That last role, they laughed at it when looking back onto the past. What had they been thinking? Seriously. At the very least, the living realm provided them with a safe haven, a reclusion resort, and a place to get away where together they were infamous.

Alas, it was also their final resting place.

Demons did not age as mortals did. There were no evident signs upon their flesh. Their hair did not fade to an ashen color, nor did their skin become riddled with creases of wisdom. A demon remained young, for the most part, but its body did relent and suffer from aging, but only internally and at a much different pace. The pair, an untimely duo, partners, and then lovers, watched the mortal realm decay as they remained there. Their friends and remnants of a family delusion all passed on and flew off to desk jobs in the spirit world. Visiting their graves every year became easier a task. There were no ghosts to talk to.

Hiei and Kurama would have departed for the Demon world and never looked back, but they, nonetheless, lingered. Perhaps they lamented the past and pined for it. But really, they both knew that in the mortal world, nothing was expected of them. They could live out their last years in tranquility, enduring the muscle aches and pain together, as opposed to fighting through the burning and inflicting more injuries. Demons, they knew, for that same, tainted blood coursed through their hearts, knew exactly when their time had come.

The fire of Hiei's heart was dwindling, flickering abruptly, haphazardly, and constantly flamed up, only to fall closer to his demise. Kurama also felt the vines gripping at his heart, squeezing, tightening, as the thorns continued to pierce his hybridized being. Demons were killed in battle or died from their battle wounds. The war of their lives had been arduous, torturous, and agonizing. Not even demons outlived time.

They lasted but they too expired eventually.

There was no need to mourn though and no one left to do so.

The earth of the Earth was comfortable.

There, they could burn out and disintegrate into fertilizer for the plants.

No tears, they murmured to one another, there were no tears, in the end.

A demon, much like the animals of the mortal realm, died, by choice, alone.

This was no different.

Hiei sighed deeply, his breaths short and raspy, as Kurama stared into his burgundy eyes and absorbed all the heat he could. They exchanged one last kiss, after their long and passionate tryst, and then walked away from each other.

Their end was meant to be this way. They knew it, felt it, and let it overwhelm the last of their strength. But, they were not supposed to cry. Tears were weak. They extinguished the flames of life, those drops of resignation. However, they also caused nature to grow and spring anew, for the future.

Hiei cried bitterly, as he choked on his last breaths and Kurama wept silently, with a warm smile flushed across his face.

-EndE-