Memory
1_ When Magnolias Rain

"You know, there really are times when I just cannot understand you," Hiei stated one day.

The team had noticed that since Kurama had those dreams he kept falling deeper and deeper into guilt, sadness, and solitude. They could find him sitting under the magnolia tree lost deep in thought. He would allow one of them to sit with him but he would hardly say anything.

Kurama didn't looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, kitsune," Hiei said.

Kurama finally looked at him, "Wouldn't you feel the same way if you broke Yukina's heart?"

"That's not a fair comparison," Hiei stated, "She's my kin not my lover."

"Regardless, wouldn't you Hiei? If you were to got to her right now and brutally break her heart and never have the chance to correct it, would you not regret it centuries later?" Kurama saw his friend shift uncomfortably at the question.

"Yes," Hiei answered.

"Okay, now we're on the same page," Kurama got up and began to walk away.

"Kurama," Hiei said. Kurama stopped. "How do you know she didn't forgive you? She could have."

"She didn't, Hiei," The red head stated.

Hiei got up but he didn't go to the kitsune, "After all this time why are you thinking about it?"

"The magnolias," Kurama stated looking up at the magnolia tree as petals rained down around them. "They were always her favorite," Kurama slightly grinned for the first time in days. "She was so beautiful inside and out..." Kurama caught a magnolia bloom as it fell, "She could put the most beautiful bloom to shame. At least to me she could."

Hiei studied the kitsune intensely. He could tell that whatever Kurama said to her it was really eating away at him; his very core.

"She was my better half, Hiei," Kurama continued, "And being the self-righteous fool that I was then I had to ruin that. I was perfectly capable of protecting her with my own hand, but I was so focused on my greed of being a bandit that I didn't want to make her safety and happiness my responsibility nor my priority."

Kurama felt a painful jolt hit him hard, "When I finally realized my mistake it was too late...She took her own life...because of me..." Kurama crushed the bloom in his hand, "Her blood is on my hands and it can never be washed away."

"Kurama, what if her death was a lie?" Hiei suggested, "A lie to make sure you'd never find her? For all you know she could still be alive."

"No Hiei," Kurama shook his head. "If she were still alive," He pressed his hand that held the crushed magnolia to his heart, "My heart wouldn't feel so numb." Kurama looked up at the blooms still clinging to the tree. "I'm so sorry...Mayuna," Kurama thought to himself, "I would do anything to correct my mistake...anything."

To Be Continued...