Chapter Elf

After dinner everything seemed a bit melancholy. Botan sat in a chair facing Yusuke and Kuwabara who were sitting on the loveseat. No one dared utter a word about the graves outside, though Botan knew they would want to know sooner or later.

She knew from experience what missing people she thought dead felt like and could only imagine the pain of knowing they were. She figured that they hadn't asked her yet either because they weren't ready to learn the truth of it or they knew the truth and the shock of it hadn't hit them yet, she knew it to be the latter.

The clock ticked and tocked away the time that they would never get back as the three waited Hiei and Kurama to emerge from their rooms, hoping that they would gather their complex memories.

-

Gripping his sword tightly as if for dear life; the strain of his past shaping him into what he what he was and knew. Trust. How many had he trusted and of those trusted, how many were true? He flinched as no answer came; No one was true to the trust he had given, No one…But Visions. Visions of something, of the true answer filled his head.

Maze castle and the Gate of betrayal, Yusuke had trusted him to pull the switch thus saving them all. Kurama who had trusted him all along and Kuwabara, he had to admit had trusted him, somewhere deep with in. Lastly, there was Botan, seeing enough of him to see the good in him and still knew the fear she should feel.

In a moment Hiei's sword was on the ground as he let it slip from his fingers. The memories faded from his mind. In the next instant he was back in his room looking at his empty surroundings. The he heard a simple knock on his door, followed by a voice.

"Hiei are you all right?' Kurama's soothing voice drifted through the keyhole. Kurama pushed open the door seeing Hiei standing there just looking at his hands. "So I see you got your memory back as well." Hiei nodded as his gaze met the fox's

Botan walked into the hall upon hearing the commotion and Smiled to see the two boys standing in the hall. "Hiei, Kurama!" She exclaimed running up to them, hugging them tightly before dragging them to the living room. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?

"No thank you Botan." Kurama smiled and looked over at Hiei who shook his head no. Botan frowned, she wanted them to eat, in her little way it would help her know if they were really alive and not really part of her imagination.

"Hey Guys." Yusuke sat up jadedly and greeted them. Then the room became still again, and Botan's smile faded as she felt their gazes again. It was time for her to tell them. The shock of the truth would not hit them until they knew what happened, she did not need to be told to explain.

A Week Earlier

…Botan Wandered back slowly to the temple and froze as she saw the fresh blood trail, Botan Knew already what it was, The puzzle was not the issue, The issue was whether or not she choose to believe it or not. To take those few steps inside.

She couldn't as she walked into the temple. The smell of blood stained the air with dark fumes of invisible death.

Turning the corner to the living room she found them: innocent Yukina face down on the ground next to Keiko and Shizuru who were in the same state. A pool of their Blood rivered into a small lake around them.

A week later (present)

"So he killed them. I lost everyone that day." Botan finished, "and you lost the ones that meant to most to you."

The silence was sickening and smelled of tears that would not fall. A tsunami of emotions swept through their bodies and any happiness that had resided in them was now gone, dead and out to sea.

"No." Yusuke said bluntly in a tone that told everyone that he did not want to believe the truth; he wanted to think that Keiko was alive and waiting for him to save her, save her just in time life usual. That was how it went and he would be damned if it went any other way.

"And What of Genkai?" Kurama asked trying to change the subject,

"She-" Botan Pause, what did happen to Genkai? "I don't know she was not here." With that the sadness and silence reunited and circled around the five of them. Circle, the shape that never ended only went around over and over again.

Soon a mix of Hatred and anger filled the circle and suppressed the sadness. No one wanted to show the pain of their loss show. Botan knew it was thus that allowed the beast of denial grow, swallowing the circle of dark emotions as if it were nothing.

Now that the truth was known, what wound be done? The boys Unknowingly answered their question as they slithered out of the temple and to the forest and meadows in the back. The Sounds of Fighting could be heard. They eave fought with the wind. Fighting seemed to be the only way for them to forget the pain of what they had lost.

Botan never fully understood the relationship two fighters had, but she had see them fight many times and it seemed, to her, that the opponent was the only thing in the world of the fighting, Just two people, Pasts, presents and race all forgotten.

She didn't know how but she knew everything would get better, nowhere to go but up, as it were. Botan walked to the porch and watched each of them train letting all frustration and anger out, She feared that they would need more than air to release it all and soon start on each other, in which case Botan would have to step in. dangerous yes, but not as dangerous as a group of friends who kill each other because they get lost in the heat of battle. "Be strong guys, I know you can," She whispered to them.