Hiei opened eyes he didn't remember closing. He opened all his eyes. The jagan was wide upon his forehead, feeling as though it were burning. He touched it, felt the wet eye there and winced at the flash of pain the touch set off in his head.
The seal was gone.
Kurama had...
Hiei touched his mouth and the memory of the youko's blood made him close his eyes.
But where was Kurama?
With his eyes still closed, he used his jagan to find the fox. He was laying against the trunk of a tree. His eyes were closed, his mouth was slightly opened and dried blood stained the side of his mouth.
"Kurama?" Hiei said as he approached the green-eyed human.
Kurama didn't stir.
Hiei noted that the tree seemed to twist around him protectively as he approached and Hiei paused, remembering.
He hadn't been able to stop himself, had he? He glanced at the bite-marks on Kurama's throat and the one thought that was in his head was, "Kurama knew. He knew what would happen and he still...."
"Hn..." he muttered outloud. "Stupid fox."
He approached the tree slowly and pulled the unconscious form down. The tree bent towards him as though it would strike, but it was ineffective, a gentle thing, not a fighter. More like a mother.
Hiei glanced down at the form in his arms. "You're alive." he said. "I have no intention of being held to your stupid promises."
Then, he vanished in a flash of speed.
Behind him the blades of grass rose once, then fell.
....to be continued....