The day Kurama died again was like any other. Hiei was in Alaric, helping choose a commander-in-chief for Mukruo's new army, and he had been wrapped up for days in the impromptu tournament the demons vying for that title had created. During one of the more heated battles, where it was hard to determine the victor because the opponents had already lost several limbs, a very nervous attendant handed the jaganshi a note and then suggested that it might want to be read in private.
Hiei gave him a glare that could set lesser beings on fire, opened the note, and after a moment let it drop from his hands. He was gone in a blur before it touched the floor.
The two demons had discussed what would happen if Kurama's human form were to give out, but it was a futile topic at best. Sure, soul transference and merging had happened before, just never with a human test subject. It was hard for them to tell to what extent the human in Kurama had been affected by the demonic soul – the redhead knew he would outlive normal humans, but by just how long was the question. And if that form did die, would he be able to return as Youko? The transformation to his older demon form still required foundation, and once Kurama no longer had a host body, where would his spirit go?
Neither were foolish enough to believe they'd live in paradise, just west of Reikai. More likely, they would be residing somewhere further south. Despite their numerous good deeds and their obvious inside contacts, karma and fate dealt a heavier hand than Emna and both had decided to live in each other's arms as if each day was their last. They were warriors after all, and knew that their life spans could be cut short at any given time. They were comfortable in that knowledge and accepted it just as they accepted their slow and sinuous love.
Throwing himself through a random portal, Hiei landed smartly on a tree branch several miles from Kurama's home. Traveling in Ningenkai was more dangerous these days – not only were there birds to contend with, but in the last few decades flying automobiles had become the rage and they seriously impacted Hiei favoured method of travel. Somehow, Hiei knew that Kurama, or anything having to do with him, would not be at his Ningenkai home. Shiori had died over a hundred years ago and Kurama had no close family or human friends – it had become too hard to explain just why the beautiful redhead wasn't aging and his growing S-class aura attracted too many demons for a normal human friendship to be safe. Instead, Hiei headed for Genkai's temple; ever since Kuwabara passed on, Kurama had been spending time at the demon safehaven as a liaison between the two worlds – with his dual soul he was the perfect choice and Yukina needed the help. That piece of property was becoming known across the three worlds as a place where youkai could train, rehabilitate, and start a new life and every year its population increased exponentially; if Kurama's body had been brought anywhere, it would be there…
And then Hiei could affirm things for himself.
Landing at the top of the numerous temple steps, Hiei wasn't surprised to see Yusuke and Botan waiting. The Toushin now wore his hair long and his tattoos proudly, displaying his heritage for all to see; after Keiko and their children had died, Yusuke returned to Raizen's territory but Hiei rarely saw him. Botan remained the same, still in a pink kimono and sporting a blue ponytail; however, her normally bubbly face was heavy with sadness.
"Hiei-" Yusuke began, but the apparition cut him off.
"Where is he?"
"He's…not here, Hiei." Yusuke ran a hand through his wild locks. "There isn't a body."
"What?" Even though his age now ranged in the hundreds, Hiei still looked like a broken child when his eyes widened like that.
"It was an explosion Hiei. One of his plant experiments went wrong and there was…there was no time. Everything for a mile around was leveled…"
"Shit." The jaganshi stared at the ground, wondering if he'd see his heart there. "Shit, shit, shit." Then he snapped his head up and gave Botan a piercing stare. "His soul?"
"We…" she hesitated. Hiei always scared her and right now she was practically trembling. "We can't f-find it."
Hiei snorted. "Fools." And without another word, or even a goodbye, he flitted into the woods. For hours he tore through Japan, exhausting himself, trying not to feel the pain and doubt that churned in his soul. No, Kurama couldn't be dead. Not his best friend, not his lover, not that Kurama. Where was he now? Was he even aware of what was going on? To know that there was no body, nothing he could even look upon and say goodbye to, made the whole thing seem unreal…
That's because it was. Kurama never gave in, he had to be up to something.
Finally, before he was too drained to fight if attacked, he shielded his ki and stopped by the Temple again to check on Yukina, then made his way back to Alaric. He would be of no use in Ningenkai, let the rest of them mourn in a group, he wanted to be alone.
Wisely, once he entered the castle, no one bothered to speak with him. Mukuro must have heard the news – she had spies everywhere – and arranged for Hiei to have his space. She probably didn't want half her cavalry charred or reduced to ashes; even after decades in her service Hiei's temper hadn't eased, he was just as – if not more – violent than ever and wonderfully unrestrained.
Storming into his quarters and slamming the door behind him, he tore off his cloak and stood in front of the window. Night had fallen, and two moons hung balefully in the sky.
"Kurama, where are you?" he murmured to the night.
"Right here, Hiei." came an unfamiliar voice.
The jaganshi spun, surprised that hadn't sensed a presence, and his eyes were like saucers as a small catlike youkai strutted proudly across the floor and sat on his bed. It wasn't fully grown, and looked a little worse for wear, but there was no mistaking the alien intelligence in its eyes, and the knowing smirk across its angular face.
"K-kurama?" Hiei stuttered, feeling for youki. Finally, he found it – a tiny silver stream with veins of gold and green, very faint, but there. "H-how?"
"It was just like the first time, although it happened much faster. But practice makes perfect I guess. At least I didn't have to be born again." His voice was young, childlike, but the pattern of speech and the pacing of words was definitely Kurama.
"You…you have whiskers…and a tail." Hiei couldn't think of anything more intelligent to say. Sure, he was elated, but the shock hadn't worn off yet; besides, elation didn't change his demeanour much anyway, he just wished he would stop stammering like a fool.
Kurama glanced at his skinny appendage, which was whipping back and forth, then seized it in hand. "It's not the first time I've had a tail, although this one's a bit on the thin side." He dropped it. "No matter. I'll shape this body as I did the last, I have time." He stood, balancing a bit, and Hiei didn't miss the fact that Kurama was still getting accustomed to his new form. Stalking over to the jaganshi, who was slowly returning to his usual state of indifference, Kurama smiled. "Did I worry you?"
"Hn." Hiei turned away from that unusual stare.
A small head leaned against his shoulder. The new form left Kurama a few inches shorter than Hiei, yet once he finished growing he would be significantly taller again. "Did you miss me?" It was much easier for Kurama to purr in this body, even if it did fit like a pair of stiff new jeans.
"Hardly." came the retort, although it had no venom in it whatsoever. Small thin hands with well-defined claws snaked around Hiei's chest. The jaganshi shuddered, muttering "Great, now I'm a pedophile." Actually, he didn't even know if Kurama was male or female – not that it mattered – but the delicate nature and the youth of the demon before him was slaking his sexual interest.
"Patience, Hiei. I didn't learn to live this long without patience. It will take me about five human years to regain most of my youki and by then I will have filled out quite nicely." Standing on his toes, he quickly kissed the back of Hiei's neck. "And, as usual, you won't be able to resist me."
A snort. "Should I set up the litter box in the corner then? OW! You scratched me!"
"I die and come back in this brand new body and all you do is insult me?" Two cat ears twitched irritably, that tail snakelike behind Kurama's back.
Hiei turned, felling blood well up in a line across his neck. "Where is the soul?" He asked, staring into those odd amber eyes again, odd because they were familiar, yet not.
"I don't know." That feline mouth tilted in a frown. "Either this boy was severely traumatized or deficient, but there was nothing inside…or it might be hidden away somewhere, in a part of the mind that I can't access."
"So if the true soul does emerge?"
A shrug, a wicked gleam. "Then I'll be a triumvirate."
Hiei sighed, "Wonderful," then arched an eyebrow. "You understand that if I walk around with a kitten I'll be the laughing stock of the castle, and Makai." He flopped on the bed, it had been an incredibly stressful day and his earlier attempts at exhaustion were catching up with him.
"Hardly. As soon as Yomi, or anyone else for that matter, learns of my condition I doubt they'll stop taunting me long enough to laugh at you. I suppose there are going to be quite a few roasted demons over the next few years…well, they do make such great fodder for my plants." Kurama jumped, trying to land gently on the bed next to Hiei, but the length of his new limbs threw his coordination and he instead ended up very ungracefully on his face. Hiei almost laughed, but he was too tired.
"Stupid feline," he murmured as sleep began to claim him.
Kurama smiled at the endearment, and after several shifts in position he found that he was most comfortable curled into a ball against Hiei's side. Although the jaganshi initially stiffened at the strange contact, he relaxed when the small youkai purred contentedly next to him.
Reaching out with a hand that trembled from exhaustion, Hiei gently stroked the smooth flat space between Kurama's ears in silent acceptance.
"You did miss me…I'm sorry I worried you," Kurama mumbled into the covers, drowsy from the soft movement of Hiei's hand.
"Hn," Hiei grunted almost lovingly. Kurama hadn't died, he was here with him now, and despite the shift in form, everything was OK. Drifiting fully into sleep, Hiei rested his hand against Kurama's sleek back, managing to yawn out with a smirk. "Tomorrow I'll ask Mukuro if she has a ball of yarn."