Chapter 7: Kurama's Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Italics can mean emphasis OR mental thoughts. Okay... last chapter! Then, it will be completed!

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Hiei awoke with a jerk, startling everyone. Koenma rushed over to him.

"Well?" The young god asked. "Did you succeed?" Hiei disappeared, then reappeared at Kurama's side, on his knees. Kurama was still Youko, and Hiei's eyes immediately went from cold to despair. Koenma sighed. "I guess that means 'no.'" He said, quietly. Hiei didn't respond.

"Koenma, are you sure there's no other way?" Yusuke asked. Koenma nodded, slowly, but it was still a nod. "Can't you do to him what you did to me?" Koenma shook his head.

"For that to happen, the whole underworld council has to agree, and I don't think they will. Especially since this is Youko Kurama." Yusuke cursed. Just then, Yukina stood up.

"I think I'll go get some water from the stream." She quickly said, and rushed out of the room, Kuwabara following her. Hiei had not moved. Yusuke looked over to Kurama. Indeed, he looked a bit paler, and his breathing had slowed, but only a bit. Yusuke lowered his head, and slumped down against the wall, clenching his teeth. Koenma looked away.

Chink. Yusuke looked up, to see a black tear gem roll across the floor. Hiei. Chink, chink, chink. Three more gems joined the first one, and Koenma looked up.

"Hiei..." Yusuke said, but Hiei didn't seem to hear.

"I-I failed him..." The Jaganshi whispered.

"Hiei..." Koenma said. Again, Hiei didn't seem to hear.

"Kurama..." Hiei whispered.

Chink. A tear gem followed the name. Neither Yusuke nor Koenma had ever seen the fire demon so upset. In fact, this was the first time they had seen him express so much emotion to anyone, including Yukina.

"I'm so sorry, Kurama." Hiei was apologizing?! Now Yusuke and Koenma knew something was wrong.

"Hiei... are you okay?" Yusuke asked, hesitantly.

"No, I'm not okay!" Hiei snapped. "Kurama has saved my life, I don't know how many times, and I couldn't even help him once!" Then, suddenly, the coldness turned back into despair. "You didn't see him, Yusuke. You didn't see the look on his face when he was being dragged off... He looked so vulnerable... so helpless... so... scared." Chink. Yusuke didn't ask.

"It wasn't your fault." He said instead, trying to comfort the demon.

"Yes it was..." Hiei said, so quietly, Yusuke couldn't hear. "Yes it was... I shouldn't have let go of him..." Hiei looked at Kurama in such heartbroken sorrow, Yusuke stood and walked out, Koenma following him. When the Spirit Detective walked out, though, you could see a shimmer on his right cheek, as was the same with the young god, before they were quickly brushed away.

When Hiei was the only one left, he gathered up Kurama's silky silver hair, and buried his face in it, taking in the fox's sweet scent one more time. He closed his eyes, recalling all the precious memories, before they slowly began to fade. Hiei opened his eyes just a bit, seeing Kurama's soft, crimson hair through blurred eyes, before closing them again, and another chink was heard. Suddenly, Hiei's eyes snapped open, looking at the locks of hair in his hands. Kurama's hair was red. It-was-RED!!!

"Find something you like in my hair, Hiei?" Hiei dropped Kurama's hair, backing up as the kitsune sat up. Kurama looked around, and saw the tear gems. "All this over me?" he asked, looking at the small demon with large eyes filled with emotion. Hiei finally stopped backing up, and stood there, staring at Kurama in disbelief. Chink, chink, chink, chink, chink. More tear gems rapidly progressed down his cheeks and fell onto the floor. Hiei swallowed, and managed to utter a single phrase.

"K-Kistune no baka..." He quietly said, before tackling Kurama in a huge bear hug. Kurama gave Hiei one of his soft warm smiles, before translating, and saying it back.

"Yes, I would've missed you too, Hiei." He said softly, before returning the embrace.

~~Owari~~

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AN: *sniffs* Awww... wasn't that sweet? So maybe Hiei was a bit OOC. Okay, people. The hugging at the end was BROTHERLY!! I don't write yaoi! OKAY?!?!?!?! Okay! ^_^ So... tell me what you thought of it. Umm... at the end, Kurama came back, because the jerk that jerked Hiei also jerked Kurama with him, making him more in the light. Okay?  Please review! Hey! No more stuff! YAY! *Gets hit by a toilet seat* @_@ Oro?