Me: -struggling against ropes that hold me to a chair-

Hiei: Frozen Flame is a little, uh, tied up right now. She asked me to tell you that she does not and never will own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Me: -speaking through a gag- Eeeeooooooosssss!!!!

Hiei: Oh yeah, she wants reviews too.

(By the way, this is not yaoi)
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Chapter 2: Kurama

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I'll never forget that horrible day. The day someone I cared for was lost forever.

This is the second time in my life someone I cared for has been taken from me because of my own foolishness. This is the second person I have cared for that has lost their life because of me. And I called myself their friend.

In my life there have been very few people that I have sworn loyalty to. As a youko I am not so quick to trust, and not so quick to be trusted. In fact, most despise youkos. But those people have had my complete honesty, trust, and faithfulness, and I have had theirs.

Shiori, my human mother.

Kuronue, my old partner.

Hiei, the fire demon.

Of the three, two have died. And it was because of me, the one that vowed to stand by them no matter what.

Kuronue had been very special to me. He had known who I was, what I was, and yet it didn't seem to matter to him. He was the first to trust me when no one else would. And in return I granted him my trust. Then he died.

Hiei was the same way. He sought me out, even though by then I was a human, a weakling in his eyes. But he trusted me with his life, even before we formally met. Then he, like Kuronue, died.

In fact he died exactly the way Kuronue did. Kuronue told me to run. He told me to save myself. He told me that he would follow me soon. So I ran. But he did not follow. I watched him die while I stood by and let it happen. After his death I vowed never again to let the same thing happen. Yet it did.

-----Flashback-----

"KURAMA!!!" "AAHHHHH!!!" The dagger hit me hard in the back. I reached behind me and yanked it out. It was huge, three times the size of a normal dagger. And the whole thing, from tip to hilt, shone red with my blood. I dropped the knife and fell to the ground in pain.

In a flash Hiei sliced his way through the onslaught of demons attacking us and was beside me. He created a temporary barrier around us.

"Are you all right, fox?"he asked, kneeling at my side. I forced my eyes open. "I think so," I answered. "The wound is painful, but not life threatening, and in time it will heal." He sighed in relief. "But, if I suffer another wound like this..."

I trailed off, not wanting to worry him. But my words had already taken their toll.

He looked away from me and said, "Kurama, when this barrier comes down, I want you to run."

I looked up at my friend in surprise. "What?" I asked. He ignored me. "Here," he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me up. "On your feet, fox."

He released my arm when he was confident I could maintain my balance and stared outside the barrier at the demons still trying to get through. He looked like he was coming up with a plan, but I knew he was just trying to avoid me.

"What do you mean?" I asked persistently. He sighed in annoyance. "Just do as I ask," he answered coldly.

I was confused and hurt. Hiei never asked anyone to back down. Did he think I was weak, too weak to be anything more than an annoyance?

"You want me to leave you here."

That didn't come out exactly how I had planned. But still I was angry at him for ever thinking I would leave him and run like a coward.

"Kurama, you and I both know what will happen if you continue fighting. I'll hold them off long enough for you to get away," he replied with seemingly no emotion in his voice. But I could hear the concern.

Then I realized Hiei was worried about me. He didn't want me to get hurt. But I didn't want to see him hurt for my sake. I couldn't leave him to fight alone. He couldn't take all those demons and still live to tell the tale. He and I both knew that.

"So you want me to leave you here," I repeated.

I stared at him, and he flinched under my gaze. "Yes, that's right. I want you to leave me here to deal with the scum." He jerked his head toward the demons outside. Then he growled in discomfort when the sudden movement pulled at a deep cut in his neck.

I retained a smirk. "You're not exactly in prime condition, either," I truthfully stated. "I'm better off than you are," he retorted.

"I wouldn't say that." I looked over his mangled, bloody body. He scowled. "I'll be fine. You just go. I'll follow when I get the chance."

I shook my head. "Either we both stay or we both go. I'm not leaving without you."

"Baka ijizuku kitsune," Hiei muttered."I heard that," I said absentmindedly. He ignored me.

"I can't hold the barrier much longer. Be ready," he warned.

Trying to seem as confident as usual, I whipped a rose out of my hair. But the flower flickered, and both he and I knew that I was very weak.

Sighing, Hiei drew his katana. "Now."

The barrier dropped.

"Rose Whip!" I shouted. The whip extended, but the instant it did I knew I didn't have complete control. It slashed me down the arm. I cried out. Five demons took advantage of my painful shock and jumped on top of me.

"Kurama!" I heard Hiei yell.

In a blur of flashing metal three of my attackers fell dead. He kicked one off me while thrusting his sword through the other. Then he pulled me up.

"Run," he whispered. "But..." I protested. "Just go!" he yelled as two demons grabbed him from behind. "GO!"

I knew I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I had to help him. "I won't let you die," I panted as bursts of flaring energy exploded from my body. "You're not strong enough! You'll kill yourself!" he shouted, but I ignored his words.

My blazing energy ripped through the field, burning everything it touched to cinders. The pink energy flames made the grass grow to ten times its normal height.The blades of grass sharpened at the tips and thrust themselves through many of the demons, including the two holding my friend back. I saw him fall as a few hit him, but I was totally out of control. I couldn't stop myself.

Shrieks of dying demons filled the air. But finally, after what seemed like hours, all our enemies lay dead, and I ran out of energy. I fell to the ground, shaking and panting.

"Kurama." Hiei pulled himself up from where he had fallen and ran to my side. "Are you all right?" he asked for the second time. "I...think so,"I mumbled. "Just...tired..." "We have to get out of here. The Masters are probably coming for us at this very moment. Here." I felt Hiei grasp my arm and pull me up again. He let me rest on his shoulder.

Then I felt something. "Hiei..." "I feel it too." An arrow whizzed right byhis ear. He quickly drew his katana and sliced through another arrow headed straight for my head.

It seemed we had been mistaken. Not all of our adversaries had been defeated. Twenty of them came charging form behind a massive boulder that had shielded them from my attack.

"I want you to go now," Hiei said as more arrows flew toward us. "No." "Please, Kurama." "I can't leave you. I won't leave you. You're too weak to take them by yourself." I knew I probably wouldn't survive, but I could not just leave my friend to die.

Hiei pushed me off him, away from our attackers. "Go!"

"I can't..." "Please, Kurama!" I looked straight at him and saw the pleading look in his eyes. I realized he wasn't telling me to go. Nor was he asking me. He was begging me.

Our enemies came closer and closer. I stood frozen, now unsure of what to do. Hiei grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me hard. "Run, fox. Run and don't look back."

And I ran. Like a coward I ran. When I was a safe distance away, I looked back, even though he told me not to. And I watched him die.

The demons came down upon him like a pack of hungry wolves. Hiei fought bravely, taking down at least seven.

Then a demon caught him by surprise and kicked him in the face. The demon snatched his katana and slashed a deep wound in his back. He cried out and dropped to the ground in pain. He was able to recover quickly, though, and rolled swiftly away from the killing stroke.

He attempted to leap up, but by that time some demons had pulled out chains. They lassoed the strings of metal around his neck and arms and held him there, helpless, while their partners laughed at his futile attempts to free himself. One or two whipped him with the chains, and the others laughed.

Finally the leader drew his bow and arrows. One by one, he shot six arrows at close range into Hiei's chest. Hiei fell to his knees, breathing slowly and heavily. The gang of demons laughed. Then they dispersed to search for me. They left him, dying, on the ground.

He looked up into the hills to make sure I was safe. Finally his wandering gaze found me.

Our eyes locked. "Go, Kurama." His whispered words caught on the soft breeze and drifted up to me. My eyes wet with tears, I nodded in understanding. The ends of his mouth twitched in a small smile. Then he fell, never to rise again.

-----End Flashback-----

I always thought Hiei was the strong one. The one who would pull through no matter what injuries he suffered. I was wrong. No one is invincible. I've known that all along and yet the realization still comes as a shock to me.

Perhaps I allowed my feelings to cloud my judgment. Perhaps it was just the feeling of security that came with Hiei's presence. Perhaps I'll never know.

Now I am left alone. With no one. No one to talk to like I would talk to Hiei. No one who understands me the way Hiei did. No one to share my fears with, my dreams with, my anger, my sadness, my happiness with, like I would share those things with Hiei.

And the only one I have to blame is myself.
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Japanese translation:

baka- fool

ijizuku- stubborn

kitsune- fox

youko- spirit fox (refers to Youko Kurama)

Hiei: You killed me! I can't believe you killed me! I thought I was your favorite character!

Me: -hiding behind desk- It was for story purposes…

Hiei: You baka insensitive onna!

Me: Hey! Who are you calling insensitive, Mr. Insensitive?!?

Hiei: -starts chasing me with katana- BAKA ONNA!! I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S INSENSITIVE!!! BAKA!! BAKA ONNA!!!