A/N: This is embarrassing. I typed this up within 24hrs of posting the last chapter and then LOST the disk I saved it on to. Wow. Boy am I bad. Anywho, I feel bad, so I'm not only posting THIS chapter, I'm posting the epilogue too. Aren't I great?

Oh yeah. SHONEN-AI WARNING. DON'T FLAME ME. Italics after this are flashbacks.

Chapter 7: In Memoriam

Hiei gulped and stepped forward. As Riddle touched his cheek, he was suddenly washed with a deluge memories...

"You. Boy. Is your name Kurama?"

He looked confused. "It is. How did you know...?"

"That doen't matter. Hn. I am planning on breaking into the King's Vault. I need your expertise. Would you be interested?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment. "Yes. Certainly. And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

"...Hiei."

"How long have you been standing there?"

He stepped from the shadows, his eyes on Yukina and the group in the arena. "Long enough. I see I needn't have come after all."

"...hn."

"Why won't you tell the girl? She deserves to know she has a brother-"

"She deserves to be happy."

He laughed. "I thought they were the same."

"This is the way I want it..."

"Kurama? Are you awake?"

He opened the window. "Hiei! What are you doing here? It's pouring out there!"

"...Tell me about it. I'm drenched."

He stepped aside. "Well, come in."

"I'm soaking your floor, fox."

"Don't worry about it," He pulled a towel and some clothes from the closet. "Dry off and put these on."

"May I stay here tonight?"

"Of course. I'll sleep on the floor. You take the bed."

"...Kurama?"

"mhmm?"

"..............thanks....."

"What is this pink stuff?"

"Strawberry ice cream," Kurama grinned. "Try it. It's the best."

"Wow! This good!"

Kurama laughed.

"Why are you laughing?"

"I've never seen you get excited about anything before. It's cute."

"...hn."

"Are you blushing???"

"Am not!"

Kurama's grin widened and he leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Now you certainly are. You're redder than that ice cream you're eating!"

"Kurama..."

"Hiei! Kami-sama, what happened?!?" Kurama looked absolutely shocked.

"Yukina.... she's..........gone........"

Pain. It was pain beyond all pain. Hiei couldn't breathe, couldn't think. He was dying, but his kitsune was safe, and that's all that mattered.

A light. A light appeared before him, and suddenly the pain stopped. Death isn't so bad.... he thought.

Then, of course, he opened his eyes. And before him stood his sister. She was crying.

"Please, I beg of you," she whispered through her tears. "Leave him be..."

Riddle stared at her, so she continued, "He is my brother, my twin. I am the one who sent him here to free us. I'm sorry. I've been so foolish..."

Even in her ghostly form, her tears solidified and landed on the floor witha quiet chink before disappearing altogether. Riddle looked moved by this display of tears and growled, "Fine. Take the wand, and leave before I change my mind."

Hiei carefully got to his feet as Yukina took the wand from Riddle. Instead of rushing over to see what they had won, he went to the very still Kurama's side. Kurama's eyes were closed and he was very pale.

"Please," he murmured. "Please wake up."

Kurama's eyes opened and he said softly, "Hiei? Why did you do that?"

Hiei turned away, "You think I'd let you die like that?"

"Still... You shouldn't of-"

"Baka kistune, let's go home."

TBC