(A/N: Okay... well... I guess thanks for not throwing too many things at me? Anyway, this chapter should provide some more explanation of what's happened, and a hint of the shift the story's going through. Enjoy.)

CHAPTER SEVEN

No one but Yusuke was awake.

He and Hiei had rejoined the group several hours ago--after Hiei had set aflame, not just the den where he and Kurama had spent Kurama's last months, but the entire mountain. Yusuke didn't blame him. But he had been relieved nonetheless to find the others resting deep inside a cave, the entrance rocky and cleared of all vegetation, as safe from any passing wildfires as they could be. Genkai had been quietly sitting watch at the entrance while the others slept their grief and exhaustion away.

Hiei, without speaking to anyone, had gone to the section of ground farthest away from everyone else, curled up under his cloak, and immediately fallen into a deep sleep. Yusuke didn't blame him for that, either. It was obvious Hiei was even more exhausted than he was. And Yusuke was pretty exhausted--first the long journey, then what must have been hours of chasing Hiei all over the mountainside. He had the distinct impression that he had never caught up, but rather that Hiei had finally slowed down and allowed himself to be captured. Hiei's posture and expression told Yusuke how fatigued he was--he had probably been sleeping very little the last few weeks, taking care of Kurama, watching him slip away, trying not to miss anything. He deserved some rest.

Genkai offered to remain on watch, but when it became clear Yusuke wasn't sleeping no matter what she did, she lay down to rest with the others and left him to his brooding. So it was Yusuke who was awake, sitting just outside the cave and watching the remnants of Hiei's fire still burning through the night, spreading to the rest of the mountain range, when he felt a familiar presence appear next to him.

Yusuke tensed up. He did not turn to look. "Get out of here," he said between gritted teeth.

He heard her sigh. "I'm so sorry, Yusuke." Her voice was very small. "I didn't know what else to do."

Yusuke stood up and faced her angrily. Botan's eyes were red from crying, but he didn't care. He had never been so close to hitting a non-fighter in his life. "You could have told me the truth."

"It wouldn't have done any good."

"Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me it was Hiei and not Kurama?"

"I didn't lie, Yusuke. Hiei and Kurama's death papers were both ready. There wasn't any way to prevent Kurama's death--there never has been, not since he made his decision. Those papers were signed when he and Shuichi split. But there was a chance you could stop Hiei."

Yusuke's gaze narrowed. "Stop him?" he repeated, the resentment suddenly gone from his voice. "Are you saying... that he..."

"Yes. He already tried once. The death papers were ready that time, too, but Mukuro stopped him. I knew that if she could reach him, you could."

Yusuke didn't say anything for a moment. Botan waited nervously. When Yusuke spoke, his voice was quiet. "Those papers--are they still there?"

Botan's shoulders sagged. "I--I don't know. When Koenma found out what I did he banned me from that part of the building. But--but it's past the time that I saw stamped on them. So... I guess it's alright."

"You guess." Yusuke turned his back on her. "Thanks a lot."

"Yusuke, don't be like this," Botan said. "I can't help what happened, no one could have. And I came to tell you something really important."

"Yeah? You gonna tell me straight out this time, or send me on another stupid, ass-backwards--"

"I told you what you needed to know, Yusuke! You would have blamed yourself for Kurama's death--"

"I do blame myself for--"

"And now we can't find him."

"...You what?"

"We can't find him. Not a trace. It's just like--well, it's just like the last time Youko Kurama died. The soul didn't appear where it should have. Last time it was because he was hiding in Shuichi. Koenma thinks he may have fled to human world again, but I think that's ridiculous. Kurama was ready to go."

"Well then where the hell is he?!"

Botan glanced sideways into the cave. "I'm only guessing," she said. "But I'd keep a very close eye on Shuichi, if I were you."

"You think Kurama--"

"I don't think he'd ever do it on purpose. But maybe--" Botan was looking teary, which Yusuke knew was a terrible sign. "It's possible that his soul's been split so many times that he can't be completely in one place anymore. Traces of him are still in Shuichi. He might find his way back there."

Yusuke was quiet for a moment. "And if he doesn't?"

"No one's ever gone down this path before. I--if he doesn't go back to Shuichi, and he doesn't appear in Spirit World, I'm not sure where else there is... for him to go."

Yusuke fisted his hands. "How the hell do we find him?"

Botan was silent for a moment. When she spoke, it was clear she expected more anger from Yusuke, but felt she had to say what she thought anyway. "If this journey we've all just been on has proved anything, it's that none of us can find Kurama when he doesn't want to be found. You had to use his own memories to even get close. If Kurama doesn't turn up in Spirit World or in Shuichi, then we'll just have to wait for him to show himself to us."

"Then you don't think he... he..."

"Spirits don't just vanish without a reason," Botan said, sounding very much like she wasn't sure what she was saying was true but hoped it was. "He has to be somewhere." Then she burst into tears.

Yusuke watched her cry in silence for awhile. Then he walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Botan turned and threw her arms around him, which he really could have done without, but he didn't say anything. She cried for a moment, then pulled back, wiping her eyes and looking worse than she had before. "Thank you, Yusuke."

Yusuke gestured at the cave entrance. "Go get some sleep."

Botan shook her head. "No, I don't want to be here when everyone wakes up. I'm sure they're all just as angry with me. It's one of the worst things about having my job." She sniffed, wiping her eyes again. "Well, I'll let you know if Kurama shows up. You let me know, too, if you think you see him in Shuichi, won't you? Oh, and keep an eye on Hiei, too. I don't want to see him anytime soon." She almost started crying again, but seemed too worn out to let more than a few tears fall.

"He was really going to..." Yusuke trailed off again, unable to actually articulate the words.

"Yes. Maybe you ought to tell him about Shuichi. Maybe it'll make him feel like he hasn't completely lost Kurama, or at least give him something to pay attention to."

"I don't know. You should have seen him and Shuichi go at each other earlier--I think they hate each other."

"Well, come up with something else, then." Botan had materialized her oar and was hovering on it. "Just--just keep an eye on him."

Yusuke studied her. "You sure you're fit to fly, lady? Drowsy driving is a crime."

She shook her head, sniffing again. "I'm fine. But thanks for trying to cheer me up." She glanced out at the flickers of flame in the distance and sighed. "I'd better fly high to avoid all this smoke. Hiei certainly made his point. Kurama deserves it, too. I almost hope the whole mountain range burns."

She took off then before Yusuke could reply. He watched her out of sight--which didn't take long, with all the smoke in the air obscuring his vision. Then he gave a deep sigh of his own and turned back to the cave, thoughtful. He trained his eyes on the unmistakable head of red hair and watched its owner sleeping, watched the rise and fall of his chest. Wondering how much he remembered. Wondering how much he was about to.