Epilogue

70 years later

"Hiiro, give it back!"

"Don't think so!"

CRASH! BANG!

"Ow!"

"Mother!

Hiei ran out from a meeting of the youko generals to find two young kitsune kits approximately seven human years old. One had black silver hair, white ears and tail and gold eyes. The second had grayish silver hair and gold eyes. When Hiei advanced on them both looked sheepishly at him.

"What is going on here," asked Hiei crossing his arms.

"Uh…."

"Where are your uncles?"

Just then Yusuke and Kuwabara ran up and stopped when they saw the two kits and an angry fire demon. Both kits were entangled on the floor looking sheepishly at Hiei while Hiei was glaring at the two demons.

"What was the point of having you two watch them if they're going to run wild?" asked Hiei to his two friends.

"Well…."

Hiei groaned and held his head in one hand. "Why do I bother?"

"Sorry," said the two. Hiei looked up and down the porch.

"Boys, where is your sister?"

XXXXXXXX

Kurama hummed happily as he walked through the forest toward the kitsune capital. He had spent the last seventy years living in Ningenkai as the son of two loving parents under the guise of Minamino Shuichi. He kept his demon life a secret and lived as a normal human, or a normal as a powerful demon could.

His grandmother had been a priestess of a temple and found out about his unusually high energy signature. For five years Genkai-obaa-chan trained him in the temple life and made him a protector of human life. He was grateful for her attentions and the duty given to him, seeing it as a chance to expand his leadership skills. And he didn't have a choice. His grandmother was a stubborn woman.

On his fifteenth year as a human Koenma, son of the King of the Dead had found out who he was and let him stay in Ningenkai, for a price. With the help of his assistant, Botan, Kurama was to keep Ningenkai youkai free. Kurama readily agreed.

Because youko were familial creatures, Kurama couldn't stay mateless in Ningenkai and married a childhood friend named Kitajima Maya. They had one child together and stayed together for many years. through Kurama felt a strong attachment for her, his love stayed with Hiei. Maya died ten years before he did and Kurama stayed in the temple ever since.

And now, after over seventy years, he returned to Makai and made his way to Kitsune Valley. Along the way he visited friends and old haunts. After an internal debate he took a detour to the Makai Sea and visited Kanna, Hiei's adopted sister and Princess of the Makai Sea. She had finally taken Hiei's advice and mated Mizuki. They had and named her Hinata after Hiei's mother. When Kurama told Kanna of his mating with Hiei she enthusiastically hugged him and gave him a shark skinned outfit as a mating gift. She even sent a coral shell necklace for him to give to Hiei. After spending several days with Kanna and the water demon tribe Kurama left to return home.

And now he had returned and was walking through the familiar woods. He smiled softly as he walked through the trees. He heard a rustling and looked over to see the two black ears poke out of the bush, followed by a silver head and an entire youko kit with gold eyes and a black tail. And odd combination.

"Ouch, let go!" She hollered, shaking off a vine. Kurama chuckled and the looked at him.

"That's a Twisty Twine Tree," said Kurama crouching next to her. "Very useable, once you show them whose boss."

Touching the vine he sent a strong burst of his energy into it. The vine quivered and shook for a moment before unwrapping from the kit's ankle.

"Oh, wow, thanks!" she said happily.

"You're welcome," said Kurama with a chuckle. "What's you're name?"

"Yuri, it means 'lily'."

"Indeed it does and it's a very pretty name for a pretty kit. Where's your mother?"

Yuri gasped. "Oh no, Mother's gonna be so mad at me. I ran off again."

"Again? You do this often?"

Yuri nodded shamefully. "Mother said I get it from Father. Mother said I even look like him!"

Kurama chuckled. He was always found children to be adorable and wished he had more then the single son he had with Maya.

"I'll take you to you're parents," he said. He held Yuri up and held her against his hip. "Where do you live?"

"That way," said Yuri pointing to the capital. Nodding Kurama started toward the city. He saw no harm, he was heading in the same direction.

"Tell me about your parents," said Kurama.

"Mother very pretty," said Yuri. "And very strong, but always sad."

"Why?"

"Father left a long time ago, before I was born."

Kurama looked at Yuri in surprise. "He died?

Yuri shook her head. "No, he just left."

"I've never heard of a youko leaving his mate."

Yuri glared at Kurama. "He didn't abandon us! He had to leave."

"Where did he go?"

Yuri shrugged. "I don't know."

Kurama softly petted Yuri and continued walking toward the capital. After a few minutes the heard rustling and two large shapes bounded out of the trees and landed heavily on Kurama. Kurama landed around Yuri protectively.

"Paku, get off us!" asked Yuri. "You're squishing me!"

The "puppies" barked and go off the two foxes. Now that Kurama could get up, he recognized the two dogs.

"Inuhi? Byakko?" Inuhi barked happily as two kitsune appeared and stared at Kurama in surprise. "Koaru? Koichi?"

"Oji-chan," yelled Yuri happily and ran to the twins. "I'm sorry for leaving. Is Mother mad?"

But the twins didn't answer her and just stared at their older brother. There was a crashing sound followed by Yusuke and Kuwabara, with them were two more youko kits. The two demons looked in shock at Kurama.

"Hiiro-onii-chan! Shimo-ani-chan!" said Yuri happily and went to her brothers. The raven kit, Hiiro, hit her over the head. "Ouch! Hiiro!"

"Stupid! Mother is very angry with you," yelled Hiiro. Yuri's ears drooped.

"Where is Mother?" asked Yuri nervously.

"Coming now," said Shimo. He looked over at Kurama. "Who's he?"

"He saved me from a Twisty Twine!"

"A Twisty Twine?!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara still stared at Kurama as the bushes parted and Kimiko and Hiei rushed into the scene.

"Yuri, where the hells have you been," said Hiei. "I'm very disappointed in you. Shimo and Hiiro know when to stay put. They…."

"Hiei."

Hiei stopped lecturing his daughter and looked at the extra person on scene. Everyone was staring in shock at Kurama, who was staring at Hiei happily. Hiei stared back in equal surprise and slid to the ground. All the kits ran to him anxiously.

"Mother, are you okay," asked Yuri afraid her mother was sick, but Hiei didn't answer her.

"Kurama…"

Kurama smiled, stood, brushed himself off and walked over the prone fire-Koorime. Crouching down, he cupping Hiei's cheek with one hand he smiled down at his mate.

"I'm home."

END