Priestess Aishisu: This fanfiction is set several years after the show, and Kurama had a sex-change.

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Perched at the top of a tree, Hiei watched the child playing. She was small, adorable thing, young and almost painfully kawaii like the others, but different from the others. She was kind and sweet, with wide emerald eyes that radiated her purity. Her long hair was pitch-black like Hiei's, but other than that her looks belonged to her mother.

The other children didn't have a mother, though they had two fathers. This child was the only one who remembered her mother, though Suichi Kurama had died when she was only three.

Hiei loved all his children. He had never been the type to feel love, except for his sister and Kurama, but he had promised when Suichi was born that his children would feel the love he never had.

Yes, Suichi. That was what they had named her, though she was not a boy. As if Suichi Kurama had known already that her time was going to be up soon. She had always wanted a child, Hiei remembered. That was why s/he had had the sex change in the first place.

Hiei loved all his children, but Suichi would always be his favorite.

"Chihi," said Suichi, kneeling next to a child younger than her, with a cherub face and innocent golden eyes. Suichi lifted the edge of her skirt and wiped her brother's cheek. "Chihi, be more careful."

"Make me," Chihi muttered between mouthfuls.

Hiei smiled. Suichi was always the tender, caring one. She would be a great mother someday, as her own mother had been. Chihi was not like her, but not a troublesome child. Not like Yourara.

Chihi looked like a very cute, golden-eyed version of Hiei with a foxes' tail. Only the red at the tips of his hair and tail—and his obvious charm—even hinted that he had been conceived almost a half hour before Kurama's death, though Yokou had given birth to him: Yokou was still male, in spite of Suichi Kurama's sex change, but because of it he could give birth.

Hiei had never had a sexual preference, and other than her curves (and all the horrific mood swings of pregnancy) Suichi Kurama hadn't looked much different as a woman. Yokou looked feminine, too, slim and clawed, with long silver hair and Suichi Kurama's facial features. Of course, he would never be mistaken for a woman. Not with his voice, and those cold golden eyes that only seemed soft when they landed on Hiei or their children.

Chihi pretty much spent all his time eating or sleeping. Yukina knew this, and always brought some treat for him on her daily visits, which concerned Hiei sometimes. Some of the cakes she brought were bigger than Chihi.

Yukina and her husband lived on Mount Fuji with a child of their own, but she still came every day. Yes, husband. Hiei was still a bit put off by the fact that his sister had married Kuwabara of all people, but oh well. As long as she was happy, he didn't mind that her husband was a moron and her daughter was named after a cat.

He was happy, too. He had children he loved, a husband he loved, a sister he loved, friends he respected and grudgingly cared about—he was happy. But sometimes, he wished…

A roar distracted his attention, and he looked to see Yourara running towards his brother and sister, garnet eyes blazing furiously.

Yourara, slender and pale with long flowing silver hair and a white tail which was already beginning to split into two, was Yokou's child. Anyone could tell this from looking at him, though he had Hiei's eyes and threads of black in his hair. He was the problem child, the one who could always be counted on to cause trouble and distress Chihi and whoever Yokou had managed to sucker into babysitting.

He wasn't quite as responsible/devoted a parent as Suichi Kurama had been, nor as gentle a lover.

Still, Hiei loved him, and in spite of his flaws he was an excellent provider and lover, as well as a good companion and fun sparring partner. Besides, he was a Kurama too.

"Whittle baka!" shouted Yourara, lunging at Chihi and gripping his neck in an attempt to strangle him. "You took my food, you baka! Give it back! Give back!"

"Yourara!" yelled Suichi in her young kawaii voice, tugging on his arm. "Leave Chihi alone!"

"You weave me wone!" he yelled, his tail smacking Suichi away. It wasn't strong enough to kill her as a regular tail would (she's tiny!) but it did knock her onto her back. Hiei's eyes narrowed, and he sat up straighter. Suichi got up again and continued pleading, though after being smacked twice she decided not to pull his arm. Chihi was turning a very interesting shade, and sobbing so hard he probably wouldn't have been able to breathe even if Yourara let go.

Hiei was about to come over and cut off Yourara's tail when the lifesaving shout came: "Hey! Cut that out!"

Hiei sighed and settled back in the trees. Yusuke dashed into the clearing, waving his arm frantically. In surprise, Yourara released Chihi just for a moment, and he fled. Yourara gave chase, but Yusuke grabbed him by the tail. "I told you to quit bugging him! Damn it, Yokou Kurama is so dead when I get my hands on him!"

"Wemmego!"

"Huh?"

Hiei watched this with amusement. Yusuke was older now, and married, and more powerful, but personality-wise he was still the same. Some people would never change.

"Weave me wone!"

"Leave you…not until you leave Chibi-Hiei alone!"

"Chihi."

"Huh?" Yusuke said for the second time, turning to see Hiei, who had decided to come down from the trees. He picked up Suichi and kissed her skin where it had turned red, trying to soothe it.

"His name is Chihi, not Chibi-Hiei. Though I suppose it is kind of short for Chibi-Hiei…hmm…" he put a knuckle to his chin, pretending to be deep in thought, though it was very hard to do so when an adorable little coal-haired girl was covering his neck with kisses.

"Hiei, quit thinking and help me out here," said Yusuke. "Yow!" he yelped, as Yourara sank his tiny little fangs into his hand. Releasing him and shaking his hand off, he gave Yourara room to escape and chase after Chihi. "Hey, get back here!" he began chasing after Yourara. Over his shoulder, he shouted, "Hiei, you had better help me out here!"

Hiei shook his head, still holding Suichi. "You promised Yokou that you would take care of the kids," he reminded Yusuke. "Suichi, that tickles!"

"Hiei, I'm going to rip you to shreds when I get my hands on you!" Yusuke shrieked, now rather far into the distance. Hiei watched until he had vanished before turning to Suichi with a smile.

"They'll be fine."

"Why didn't Mommy help?" asked Suichi, and Hiei felt his heart twist. He had never told Suichi her mother was dead, only that she had become Yokou. It was true, wasn't it?

"Mommy was busy," he replied.

"He's always busy," she muttered sulkily, pressing her head against Hiei's chest. Hiei felt his heart contract. This wasn't really true, though compared to Suichi Kurama Yokou Kurama was gone a lot. Then again, Suichi Kurama was always home.

Home. They had a home now, too, but it was a different home. It wasn't in the human world, though it was close enough that those living in the human world (a.k.a Yukina and Yusuke and Keiko and even Kuwabara) could visit all the time. Hiei was glad he didn't live in the human world anymore, and so was Yokou, but he could not deny that he had learned to enjoy living in that world.

As long as Suichi Kurama was there, he could enjoy anything, even being in prison.

"Daddy, you said that Yokou Mommy was Mommy now, but he always gets so mad when I call him Mommy. And he has white hair and a Daddy voice and Chihi eyes and there's hair coming out of his back like the boys—but even more than the boys. Mommy didn't look like him. And Mommy wasn't a him, either. She was a her."

"Mommies change, just like babies change. Remember how Yourara and Chihi were born with very little hair, like fuzz? And they didn't have back-hair, either." Suichi called tails back-hair.

"Yes they did. Just really little."

"Little enough to hide it with their clothes," he agreed. "Now they stick out. Yourara's would probably tear through his clothes if we didn't cut little holes in the back."

"Why don't I have any back-hair? And why don't you? Do you and Yusuke and Yukina and Kuwabara and Koenma and Botan and the others all hide their tails? They wear clothes, right?"

Hiei smiled at his adorable little child's curiosity, clearly a kitsune trait. Hiei had never been the curious type, but both Kuramas had always wanted to know everything.

"Most people don't have any back-hair."

"Why?"

"Everybody's different, Suichi. I was really different." Now his gaze and voice darkened for a moment, bad memories putting a damper on his good mood. He sighed deeply, smile gone.

"Do you hurt here?" Suichi asked tenderly, laying a perfect little hand on his heart. Hiei remembered how, when he was upset or sad, Suichi Kurama would speak in that same gentle tone, and place his hand on that exact spot.

When he was sleeping, Yokou would sometimes rest his hand there as well, as if subconsciously recalling. Hiei highly doubted that it was in order to comfort him. He rarely felt sad when he was around Yokou, anyway.

"I miss your Mommy, Suichi."

"But…" her perfect little eyebrows knitted in consternation. "I thought…"

"Yes, of course," he interrupted her. Someday he would be able to tell her the truth. "Just…I miss the way she was before the change. I mean, I love the way your Mommy is now, but…"

"Why did Mommy change? I like how she used to speak soft, and be around always, and smell nice. I mean, she smells nice now, too, but…different. Not soft-nice."

Hiei nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. Yokou Kurama smelled of musk and foxes, of wide-open fields and fresh grass strewn with dew. Suichi Kurama smelled like roses, though she did have a bit of a fox-like scent, too.

"I don't know why your Mommy changed, Suichi," he replied, stroking her hair. "Maybe…" he lowered his eyes, remembering how hard Suichi Kurama ha always worked. "Maybe it was because she realized she couldn't do it."

"Do what?" she gazed up at him with those big, endearing emerald eyes.

He smiled again. "Deal with Yourara and Chihi, of course. I mean, you, Uncle Yusuke, and Auntie Yukina together can't. Mommy and Daddy are completely hopeless."

"I saw Mommy today."

"Of course you did, you see him everyday."

"Not Yokou Mommy."

Hiei blinked at her. She looked up at him, her face simple and honest, eyes shining. She wasn't making up stories like she did to soothe the boys when Yourara was mad or Chihi was sad. She really believed she had seen Suichi Kurama.

But…that was impossible…

…Right?

"She said to give you this," Suichi said, pulling something from the folds of her skirt and handing it to him. It was a small box, about the size to hold jewelry, carved in the shape of an elaborate rose.

Hiei smiled down at it, then at her. "It's very nice. You go run along and play. See how Uncle Yusuke is doing with Yourara and Chihi. I'd hate for someone to get hurt. Yokou would have me for breakfast if that someone was Yourara or Chihi."

"Kay!" said Suichi cheerfully, jumping out of his arms and skipping off. Hiei watched her, a trace of a smile at his lips.

Only when she was gone, likely to try and break up the fight, or perhaps go to one of the flower fields she liked to frolic around in and pick flowers, did he look back down at the box.

It couldn't be from Suichi Kurama of course, that much was obvious. It was probably just Suichi's imagination, or maybe Yukina or Yokou had created an illusion to humor her. Still, he couldn't help notice how distinctively it smelled of Suichi Kurama. He shouldn't feel nervous, but he did. Why were his fingers trembling so much? It was just a box! All he had to do was open it…

Hiei gasped and staggered backwards.

It was a delicate silver chain with a pendant hanging from it, that of a ruby fox set in swirls of crystal roses. He had given it to Suichi a long time ago, and since then she had never taken it off. She had been wearing it the last time Hiei saw her. Yokou had said it was gone.

He couldn't have lied, could he?

But then, how…?

"Kurama…"