Standard Disclaimer: I, very sadly, do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or even at least a part of Hiei *SOB*.

Fugen: The world is so CRUEL!

Hiei: To you it isn't. You just think it is.

Fugen: But I can't OWN you!

Hiei: No one owns me, you stupid ningen!

Kurama: But what about me? Don't I own you, Hiei?

Hiei: Why you....

~Genkai's Temple~

"You're kidding, right? But why didn't anyone else notice?"

Kurama sighed. He was telling Yusuke about what had happened to him just an hour ago. Not waiting for Kurama to answer, Yusuke demanded, " So what happened to the eye patch guy after he saved you?" " I don't know," Kurama answered truthfully. "Once I was safe, everything turned back to normal, as if nothing had ever happened." "Why don't you tell Hiei about it?" Yusuke asked. Kurama glanced over at Hiei, who was creating a buffer zone between Yukina and Kuwabara with his glare.
"I don't know," Kurama murmured. " Something tells me that I shouldn't." "Well, you'll have to tell him sooner or later," Yusuke pointed out. Kurama nodded slowly in agreement. But why did he dread it so much? What harm was there in telling Hiei about the one-eyed stranger?

~Underground Cavern~

The shadow of a small-boned, longhaired figure loomed over the sleeping samurai, who was as ever immobile and unresponsive. A second shadow, obviously taller than the first, soon joined it. Nothing was said.

The shorter of the two shadows walked around the samurai in a half- circle, each step deliberate and slow. The head was upturned toward the false sky, and out loud the shadow read the words the stars formed.

"' Ashes to ashes, heaven to earth, earth to heaven, life to death, death to life, everything to nothing, nothing to everything. Sleep to awaken, awaken to sleep. What will he decide? Assimilated much of the six- tailed fox he has. Too strong a bond he has created between the world and himself. What then will humanity do for a guardian? The Abyss Eye he hides below and to the right of the jagan will soon take him over. What then? What then will his kitsune decide, what then will he do? Awaken, demon of the four swords...'"

The second shadow inquired curiously, "Why stop there? There's more, as you can see." "There's five," the first shadow said abruptly. " What does it matter? Soon it won't matter anything," the second shadow replied. "To Kurama it will," the first shadow pointed out. "Are you that eager to hurt him?" The second shadow merely shrugged. "Continue."

"'Awaken, demon of the four swords, give us thine answer. All but thine word hangs by a thread. Awaken. Open thine eye. Face the past, the future, the present unafraid. Will you not be willing to save your beloved? Already you have begun to stir, though only to save him. Soon, you must do more, lest more occurs. You cannot do as you do now forever.'"

~Kurama's House~

Without warning Hiei turned his head, and Kurama ended up kissing his cheek. Startled, Kurama leaned back a little. Hiei was looking out the window, his right eye strangely cloudy and pale. Alarmed, Kurama asked, " Hiei, are you all right?"

Hiei blinked and turned his head to face Kurama again. Had it all been imagined? Hiei's right eye was just like his left, brilliantly red and expressively large. Frowning slightly Hiei demanded, " What?" " No, it's...just that your right eye...looked pale and cloudy for a minute there," Kurama stammered. Hiei frowned more deeply, but not enough to tell Kurama that it bothered him.

//Hurry.//

Kurama's voice froze in his throat. For a split second that seemed more like a eternity, the Hiei in his arms turned into the one-eyed samurai from before.

//I'm waiting for you. Hurry. Time's running out.//