Epilogue
Akiko returned down the path like she did every day, but the usual spring in her step was gone. It had been a week since Kurama had passed back through to his own world and to his death. She'd stopped crying for him, but the memories had still remained, and going back to the park was like spreading salt on the wound. Today, instead of taking the usual road, she turned on one of the smaller paths and walked down it for a while, just to think.
Something small caught her eye as she approached a bend in the path. There was a tree, and in the center of the trunk was a crevice. Akiko knelt down beside the tree and pulled a small envelope from the crack. It was blank and unsealed, so she opened it. As her eyes scanned the page her hands began to tremble, and a tear coursed down her cheek. Inside was a letter, addressed to her.
Akiko,
If you found this, that probably means a violent demon lord hasn't overrun your world, and that means I'm still alive. I'm wearing your necklace and I don't intend to ever take it off. I miss you already and I haven't left yet.
There's a picture in here that Rena took that day she and I ran off together. It's to make up for the picture of you I took from your house. I think you'll notice when you stop to look. Your picture's currently tucked in my sash, and until I can have Kuronue frame it (he's good at stuff like that) it'll be there.
I know now that it's impossible for me to travel back and see you again. We were lucky the bounty hunters that work in Spirit World didn't notice me (yes it does exist, and so does King Yama. If everything goes totally wrong when I get home I just might end up on trial with him). Don't waste your time worrying about me, I'm going to be fine (unless, of course, you are under demon dictatorship, and in that case we're all probably dead anyway). I miss you even now as I'm hiding this, almost so that I can't bring myself to put it somewhere where you might not ever find it. I want to thank you because I never did while I was here, but you were the first friendly face I'd seen in a long time.
Youko Kurama
Akiko read the message over twice before she finally understood it. Kurama was alive! With trembling hands Akiko tucked the note back into its envelope and slid it into her backpack. She returned to the path and practically skipped down it to attend to her job. She was elated for the first time in a week, and at that moment nothing could pop the little happiness bubble that had lodged itself in her chest.
Just before she passed the tree that had been Kurama's hangout Akiko stopped, allowing her eyes to linger on the spot that had once been occupied by the fox demon. "Youko Kurama," she muttered to herself, "a legendary thief from Demon World. No one at school is going to believe this."