"Mayumi! Mayu-chan, talk to me!"

Kurama held Mayumi in his arms, shaking her in his desperation. "Come on, you can't die! You defeated him!"

She opened her eyes slowly. "Go...gomen nasai..." she said softly.

The red haired boy smiled slightly. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You helped everyone."

"I have to leave you..."

"No." Kurama shook his head fiercely. "No, you're staying here. You're not going anywhere."

"Come on, Mayu-chan, you can beat this," Yusuke said softly. "You're strong. You can beat this!"

"I have to tell you something." Mayumi murmured. Kuwabara bent over her. "What is it?"

"Don't...don't make the same mistake that I made."

"Huh?"

Mayumi's voice was becoming stronger. "I said for you not to make the same mistake that I made," she repeated firmly. "I took forgranted every little thing in my lives, as a youkai and as a ningen. I ran away from the fights that seemed too tough. I made someone else fight for me."

"What are you talking about?" Hiei asked, but in a gentle, anxious voice that made the other boys look at him strangely. He glared at them. "What?"

"I spent so much time wrapped up in every bad thing that happened to me that...well, it got to the point that I never saw the good in anything anymore. I became such a huge pessimist that nobody wanted me around anymore...except the only two that would put up with me."

Hiei coughed.

"So I want you to enjoy your lives while you've still got them. Clear?"

Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded, apparently at a loss for words.

"No, Mayumi, you can't do this," Kurama said violently. "I won't let you!"

Mayumi grabbed him by the shirt collar. "Do you think I want to do this?" she asked him. "Do you think I want to leave all of you, when you mean so much to me? Do you think I want to die?"

Hiei shook his head. "Not from the way you're acting."

Yusuke threw a rock at him. "HIEI, WOULD YOU SHUT UP?"

Kurama shook his head as Mayumi let him go. "But..."

"No buts. I want you to listen to me. Go tell your mother that you love her, give her a hug, and thank God that you have her."

"But..."

Mayumi put her finger on his lips. "Would you shut up for a minute?" she said softly. "I'm trying to tell you something."

Kurama felt her pulse growing weaker. He bent closer so he could hear her.

"I already knew I was going to die...but I didn't want to tell you. Take care of the others, especially the two ningens behind you." She looked at them. "Be good. Where's Hiei?"

The fire youkai came over to her. She smiled slightly. "Try not to kill Kuwabara."

Hiei rolled his eyes. Kuwabara gulped. "Don't worry," Hiei said. "I won't." Kuwabara relaxed.

"Just...one more thing..." Mayumi whispered. "Don't--"

She stopped.

Kurama felt the hand that held his lose its grip and fall to the floor. The light was erased from Mayumi's deep blue eyes. All of them sensed her Reiki disappear.

Mayumi was gone.

They were all silent. Kurama closed Mayumi's eyes silently. Yusuke sank to his knees.

"She's gone." He seemed to be talking to himself. "She's really gone."

Kuwabara shook his head in disbelief. "Kuso..."

Hiei looked at the ground as though it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen in his life.

Kurama didn't say anything. He just continued to hold her.

Hiei looked up at the deep blue sky, the color of Mayumi's eyes.

He was the only one that noticed one of the stars go out.