It was true that time passed for everyone equally regardless of species. No one could stop the changes in the world or themselves. As one who saw it all, she could truly say she had see the change, even felt it. What was the most difficult for her was watching others cope with learning about change. This is where we find ourselves entering the story…

Genkai sat sipping her tea while looking out. She smiled fondly as she remembered long ago. Times when her temple had housed rowdy boys who were wet behind the ears. She could see Yusuke complaining about training. Kuwabara fighting with him and making a fool of himself with Yukina. She saw Kurama studying diligently one minuet then ruthlessly training the next. She saw Hiei watching lightheartedly disapprove of their playful actions.

Oh how the times change everyone. In a single decade so much had changed. The team had been very tightly woven all those years ago now only were together on seldom occasion. She held a Christmas party every year so that they could catch up. Other then this they would stop by occasionally to check in with one another.

Kurama had done well with his life. Being the intelligent person he was he had graduated from the university early and now was a top notch botanist, with a night job on the side no one really knew about. He had moved into his own home shortly after the group had broken apart. He chose to live on the outskirts of town whereas not to draw suspension to his colossal garden.

Kuwabara had buckled down and gotten through school and now was finishing his studies to become a veterinarian. He and Yukina were planning on getting married in the spring after he graduates. He and Yusuke had went house searching recently and soon Kuwabara would be moving into his home.

Yusuke had came back from the demon world and broken Kayko's heart. After high school he had found a small place downtown and rented out. Never gaining any actual skills he worked many odd and end jobs never settling for very long.

Hiei was the free spirit he always was, living in demon world and human world back and forth. Genkai had even gotten him to admit once that the only reason he kept a place in human world was because he would miss his friends. Of course he quickly acted as the conversation had never occurred and it was not brought up again. Hiei became so much more cautious and not revealing himself when he did come around.

Christmas had came and now was gone. Genkai sat alone at her temple trying to recall sending the invitations. She had indeed sent them all reminders of their annual get together. What could have possibly caused her adopted group of misfits to not come or at least give her a reason of not coming. She was worried so she decided to call them to check in. Yusuke was always first on the list. He promptly answered and his reply to not appearing was he had gotten into a fight and ended up passed out in his kitchen. He then swiftly told Genkai that he would be by Saturday. She called Kurama whom answered on the fifth ring saying that he had forgotten that yesterday was Christmas and that he had spent it in the lab. Kuwabara's reply was that of complete honesty of losing track of time with Yukina. It was pointless to try Hiei because he was never a technology bug. They all had their reasons; but it all boiled down to the same thing, she had spent Christmas alone and they had forgotten her. She knew they hadn't really forgotten her but for a amount of time she had slipped their mind. She guessed this is part of growing old. Everyone she knew started to have their own lives and she found herself alone.