"What did Yomi say to you before he passed on?" inquired Ashanti. Yoko Kurama tried to collect himself. The sting from having seen his best friend die in his arms was still hard on his heart. His reddened eyes peered at his brother. Yoko could barely swallow; a lump in his throat was refusing to budge. In a quivering voice, he replied, "Yomi told me to keep the girls safe. Save the life of Shizuru, Saito, and the life of our unborn child." Yoko rubbed the tears out of his eyes with his right arm. In the middle of rubbing his eyes, he came to an unnerving realization. "Dakota is going after the girls," Kurama gasped in horror. Quickly, both he and Ashanti dashed across the courtyard to the main temple.

Keiko watched as Shizuru paced the plank floors under her feet. "What's the matter, Shizuru, you seem tense?" she worried. "You better hide, Keiko, someone is coming, and judging by their energy, I'd say this one means trouble." Shizuru stared at the closed doorway of the temple. Keiko did as Shizuru suggested, and hid herself, Megumi, and Saito behind the bail of straw Hiei was still fast asleep upon. Shizuru held her ground in front of the bail, peering at the entrance in anticipation. Sure enough the doors swung open and the wolf, Dakota. "What do you want from us, demon?" demanded Shizuru. "Oh I have taken care of one of your dear, dear friends, and I am very hungry," he sneered. "I assume by hungry, you mean you are after human blood." "Smart human, you've probably also guessed since you are the one confronting me like this, you have volunteered to be eaten first." "If it came to that, I accept." "Shizuru, what are you doing?" whispered Keiko. "Oh it will come to that, right now," chuckled Dakota. He dashed towards Shizuru, slashing his claws out in her direction. The claws flew at Shizuru, quickly she dodged them, not allowing for them to make contact with her body. "You can't run from me forever, little girl. You might as well give up now and think up how you wish to die."

Suddenly, Shizuru felt her hands getting warm. She felt within her fingertips a surge of ki energy, reacting like a static charge. "Hmm, demon, I wish for you to lunge at me." "Shizuru, what are you doing? Don't let him kill you," worried Keiko, tears in her voice. "You want me to lunge at you, I can do that. That way it will be a quicker death for you." Dakota ran at Shizuru and jumped into the air. Just as he did so, Shizuru one fist atop the other, and the energy from her hands formed an enormous energy spear. "Spirit Spear," she announced. In a flash, the light spear smashing itself in Dakota's chest and broke straight out from his back. Dakota felt himself dangling in midair, like a shish kabob. From the doorway, Shizuru caught sight of Yoko Kurama and his brother Ashanti. Before she could say anything to Kurama, the wolf demon belted out a violent screaming yelp from his lungs. Shizuru grabbed the spear with both hands and jerked it quickly, causing Dakota's quick death. The spear diminished in her hands, and Dakota's body dropped straight to the floor. She stared straight towards the door, looking her demon fox husband in his eyes. "How did you do that?" questioned Keiko, sounding puzzled. "I am a Kuwabara, the abilities Kazuma has with spirit energy does not just stop with him. My whole family is like this. Keiko, who do you think it was who showed him this talent transcended to him?"

Yoko collapsed to his knees; relieved to know his wife was safe once again. Shizuru rushed over to him and stood before him. Without saying a word, she hugged him with all her might. He picked her up in his thick arms and held her close to his body. Looking into his eyes, Shizuru could still see a hint of sadness in them. Tears in her eyes welled at the sight of his. "Yomi is gone, isn't he?" The silver fox nodded his head, his tears streaming from his closed eyes, drawing down the cheeks on his face. Without saying another word, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and whispered into his ears, repeating the words "It's okay" to him. Out of love for her compassion for him, he placed her back on her feet on the plank wood flooring of the temple and reduced his size back to his human form. "Yomi is dead, yes, but I was so afraid I was going to lose...going to lose you." Kurama dropped his head and collapsed into her arms. Shizuru wrapped her arms around his upper body, cradling his head in her left hand, hiding his face against her shoulder. She didn't say much to him, only whispering, "It's okay" into his ears. She softly closed her coffee-brown eyes; her right shoulder becoming moistened by a shower of lukewarm raindrops pouring from her beloved's eyes. His mournful sighs became muffled inside her folded shirt collar. Her left fingers combed through his crimson hair.

"If only I could wish him back. Maybe if Ashanti and I weren't so deep in conversation," mumbled Kurama, his voice becoming choked by his shattered heart. "There was nothing you could have done. I cannot imagine what this must feel like...be like for you, but it will do you no good to fill your head with what-ifs and maybes. What's more important are the memories you shared with him. Instead of thinking what I should have done to save him, or maybe I want so badly to wish him back to life, remember all of the times, whether good or bad, you shared with Yomi. You of all demons should know his body maybe dead, but it is his soul, his spirit is still very much alive." His emerald eyes met her coffee eyes; tears still trickling from the corners of his eyes, dripping across his soft cheeks towards his quivering chin. Shizuru hugged him once again, this time her head resting against his shoulder and upper chest. "I am glad it was you who came in here. I felt a spirit vanish suddenly, and in that instance I was hoping it wasn't you who died. I don't know what I would do without you. I love you too much to have you disappear on me. Besides what would Saito and Sakura do without you? Kids need their father," she smiled at him, wiping the tears from his eyes with her right thumb. "Sakura?" "That was my grandma's name, Sakura Kuwabara. She and my grandpa were survivors from the bomb the Americans dropped on Hiroshima, back at the end of the war. That next week, she gave birth to my father. I felt through the chaos of this fight with Ani, our daughter ought to bestowed with her name." Smiling through his tears, he gave her a salty kiss on her lips. The sound of the name Sakura felt comforting to him.