Hiei's hand slowly twitched, which caused Yukina to stare at his body teary eyed.

"B-brother?"

The two crows stirred and looked at each other with cocked heads.

The color returned to Hiei's face, and he jerked up with a cough attack. Yukina, totally freaked out, jumped backwards in surprise and fright. This sudden "awakening" also caused both Muruko and Yomi to caw loudly and flap out to the tree branches to get away from this living dead.

"You're...alive...?!"

"Of course, I'm alive." Hiei spat as he glared at Yukina. He still was terribly upset with himself about his letting go of Kurama, and allowing this shit to happen.

"But..." Yukina stopped herself in mid sentence and her eyes fell upon Kurama's limp form still lying within the blood. "What...what about Kurama?"

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Sitting himself next to Kuronue, Kurama sighed as he turned to the light blue sky that was dappled with the cotton-like clouds.

"So the great Youko finally got caught, eh?" Kuronue looked at Kurama through the silted fringe of his hat. "Hn. But in human form, so that's another factor, I should guess." He smirked. Of course this was just like old times to Kuronue. He was still the jokester he always was.

"Heh. Yeah, like you would be an expert on the subject, Kuronue." Laughing, Kurama lay back in the grass staring at the sky.

From where he sat, Kuronue smiled his very rare true smile, but it quickly faded.

"Kurama, you don't belong here...at least not yet. Go back..." This was obviously very hard for Kuronue considering how many times he had to pause and how a very faint build up of moisture appeared sparkling in his eyes.

The Youko pushed himself up so he was sitting again and looked Kuronue in the eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kuronue cut him short.

"Please, don't make this harder than it is..."

After a pause, Kurama nodded. "Alright. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Was all that Kuronue stated as a consolation.

Standing, Kurama turned away from his friend and mumbled beneath his breath. "Well then, I guess I'll go find Koenma..."

"Kurama, don't consider this a goodbye for forever...just...until next time."

"Until next time." Kurama repeated out loud, almost in an answer form, then started walking away.

The smile returned to Kuronue's face. "Don't you go forget me now!"

"It isn't possible, Kuronue...That just isn't possible..."

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Just as Hiei walked over to Kurama's still empty body, Kuwabara appeared in the door with Yusuke at his side.

"What the hell happened here?!" Yusuke peered inside, noting all the blood, an array of black feathers, Karasu's body and then Kurama's.

"Nothing that concerns you." Hiei bent down and picked Kurama up. Even with the size difference, it did not seem to be much difficulty for the Youkai and he strode out past Yukina, Yusuke, and Kuwabara.

"...This must be hard for him." Yukina added as the three of them watched Hiei carry Kurama's blood-soaked body supposedly to his small home.

"Poor guy..." Yusuke mumbled. He knew that Botan was somewhere up in Spirit World taking care of Kurama's case. It wasn't like the Fox Spirit could just disappear without a trace like that...at least...not Kurama.