Epilogue

The eternal sun rose over the forest between the realms. Koi Tenshi made her way across the terrain as the sole guardian of the forest.

She had parted ways with Kurama, because they had two different destinies. Indeed she was saddened to leave him without getting to play with the infamous Youko Kurama. The thought of their markings and promises to each other kept her mind at peace. Maybe one day their paths would cross again before his human death.

Tenshi smiled at the thought, speaking to herself, "Yes, we shall meet again Master Bandit."

Then her thoughts trailed to Saya. It had been three months since her death. The pain was still so fresh in her mind, but she had this feeling that Saya had not entirely disappeared.

"You better be watching over us all missy or I'll make you regret it."

"So, did you do well on your biology exam Kurama?" Yusuke asked as he held his fiancée, Keiko, close to him.

Kurama turned from his novel on the Japanese sun goddess to nod in agreement to his companion. It had been five months since the Saya incident, and talking about the simple pleasures in life was the only way not to think about the fresh memories.

With Yusuke's marriage to Keiko coming up in two weeks the group was kept in chaotic motion, but Kurama couldn't keep his thoughts from Hiei and Saya. After that fateful night Hiei had disappeared and returned to Makai to Mukuro's lands.

All Kurama could do was continue on and finish his studies, and only Hiei would be alright with this entire ordeal and the scars it left upon his body and soul.

He turned to the window of the restaurant, looking out into the street.

He whispered, "Do be careful old friend. Do not let regret and grief consume you."

Koenma sat at his desk as he finished the paper work on his cousin's death. It was official in that all traces of Amatera in the Spirit and Demon Worlds were gone.

It took a good seven months after Ama's and Saya's demise to finally sign the papers. Although now he had a predicament his father left for him. The problem he kept in the Human world so that others would not know, but with the changes occurring, someone would need to be informed. Koenma suspected that this predicament he hid would be the target of the growing darkness.

Sighing he leaned into his chair saying, "Why must you make this difficult for me?"

Alone Hiei sat in a Makai tree in Mukuro's territory as the midnight's wind rustled his clothing. A year to this day had passed since he let her hand go. In the past year he had walked away from his duties as Mukuro's warrior and secluded himself in her lands. She did not mind as long as he kept himself close by so that he would not go off searching for death again.

He had come to conclude that those who carry such a heavy burden of the darkness flame belonged alone in the shadows.

"I've come to understand your pain Amatera, and I shall never back down from it," he spoke with barely a whisper.

The chilly wind continued to blow around him as Hiei kept him in perfect silence.

In the darkness the sound of a child crying echoes. Soon it is drowned by the laughter of a man, a menacing laugh. Along with the man, a familiar woman's voice screams in horror. In the blink of an eye all sounds fade as the woman now sobs alone.

Kurama stood before Koenma as he was briefed on the situation and the mission no one else in all the realms would know of.

"Kurama, a few days ago we were informed of a disturbance in the Underworld. We know the Underworld is just a branch of the Spirit world. Well, it seems my cousin Ama contacted my father. Someone came there and stole Saya's son's spirit from there."

"How can that be?"

"Ama feels this man was actually after Saya, but she is not there anymore."

"What?! Where is she? What of the Darkness Flame and Hiei?" Kurama questioned with great curiosity.

Koenma hesitated to respond as a sweat drop fell.

"Well, my father ordered me to take her soul and keep it safe. The only place I could think of was the Human world. So, I kind of cheated. There was a young lady whose soul accepted death, but her body did not die. Her entire family died in a car accident except her. She is your age, and is actually attending your university. That is why I called you on this mission. It will be your duty to watch over her until we settle this situation."

"Of course, but do you know who this man is?"

"Afraid so Kurama. He is the demon who kept Amatera as a slave for years, which killed her mother, the one who is my uncle. The former ruler of the Demon world in its ancient days, Zavior, my father's brother."

Kurama could only nod in acceptance of the truth as he replied, "I see, and I shall watch over her."

"Kurama, know this, Saya has no clue of her past life. She is a human recovering from memory loss and suffers. Also, do not tell Hiei. We wish to keep him and his pain as far from her as possible."

"Understood," Kurama replied as he left.

The End………………………for now.

I do hope you all enjoyed this almost year long journey with me of this story arc. I am already half way done with the first chapter of the sequel, and I have made layouts up to chapter III. I know the general direction of the story, but that can always change.

I do hope you are all willing to wait around for me...and continue to read this story arc I wish to express.

Since I love these characters so much.

Sayonara with love to all.

I want to give special thanks to those that read the story almost or all the way through and always reviewed:

HieiFan666

Kitsune Youkai

slancaster113

Story-lover14

& whitetee313