Author's Note: Hi everyone! Well, I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter. I had so much fun writing it. Guess what? I am going out with the cutest guy in my class. He's been on of my best friends for a couple years, and I finally told him that I liked him, and he said he liked me too! I'm really happy. We make a cute couple, in my opinion. Ok, sorry for boring you all. On with the story!
One more thing. The italics in this chapter are more dreams. Hah, you thought I was done with those, didn't you?
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Kurama backed up frantically, tipping his chair over and crashing to the floor. Everyone in the restaurant stared at him as he scrambled up.
"What was that for?" he demanded. Ren looked surprised and a bit bewildered.
"So, you don't remember," she said softly. "I was hoping the kiss would bring back your memory of me, but I guess not…"
"What?" Kurama asked. He was absolutely dazed. What was going on?
"I didn't want to say anything before," Ren explained. She colored slightly, as if embarrassed. "It would have been dangerous, because of your memory loss, but I thought I'd take the chance. You and I, we're in love."
Kurama stared at her incredulously. "But what about K'Ray?" he asked finally. Ren sighed.
"She was my best friend," she said. "You and I were together, but I had to leave. K'Ray said she'd look after you while I was gone. You fell for each other, and though I was hurt, I was happy for you two. But now she's in trouble, and we have to help her. I was just hoping you still had feelings for me."
Kurama struggled to wrap his mind around this explanation. He couldn't remember how he had met K'Ray, so it was possible, but Ren? How could he love her?
Ren stood up and walked over to Kurama's side, taking his hand in hers.
"I love you, Kurama."
Matsuji smiled as he watched the unfolding events in his scrying mirror. Finally, things were coming together perfectly.
"The best thing about you, Ren, is what a magnificent liar you are," he mused aloud.
"Matsuji-sama," a demon greeted as it came into the cavern. It bowed down, on clawed hand over its heart in a sign of respect.
"Rise, Tyar," Matsuji said. The demon's general stood up, making sure to not make eye contact with Matsuji.
"The Ryokun and the fire demon have been sighted five miles from here," Tyar reported. "They have stopped to rest at the base of Trickster's Cavern. By my estimate it will take them a day or two to scale the cliffs and reach us. Shall we dispose of them?"
"No," Matsuji replied. He cupped his chin thoughtfully. "I think it's time to add one more element of drama to this already fabulous play. Wouldn't you agree?"
Tyar bared his teeth in anticipation. "Absolutely," he said. With one last salute to his master, the general left the cavern.
Matsuji spent another few minutes watching Ren and Kurama before turning his attention to K'Ray and Hiei. Yes, one more element of drama was exactly what this needed.
That night, after a day's worth of hard traveling, Hiei and K'Ray had set up camp for the night. They were directly below Trickster's Cavern and a few miles from the city. After a heated argument, K'Ray had agreed with Hiei's reasoning to stay out of the city. At daybreak they would scale the cliffs and look for Matsuji's hideout, where they would hopefully find Kurama.
Hiei rolled himself in his blanket, listening to K'Ray's rhythmic breathing. His respect for the girl had grown tenfold since he had first met her, and they were becoming closer friends every day.
Every day. Hiei sighed. K'Ray had come seeking for his help only three days before, and yet it seemed like an eternity. Now that he thought about it, it had been a month since he had last seen Kurama. A month! How could he have been so negligent toward his best friend?
After the initial fight with the fox, Hiei had regretted his words and had wanted to set off to find him immediately. Genkai, however, refused to let him go. She said that, though they all missed Kurama terribly, it would be useless to search for him. She had looked for his ki and found so many false trails and patterns that it was a lost cause.
Life had been so different without Kurama there. Yusuke was gloomier and didn't talk as much, Kuwabara had become quicker to anger, and the girls had cried constantly. Without the fox's guidance, fights between the remaining friends had escalated to blows almost every single time. Even Genkai was testy, saying that Kurama had been the only one she could trust with anything around her temple.
Hiei groaned. "Why did you have to leave?" he asked the sky before falling into an uneasy sleep.
That same night, Kurama groaned as he collapsed onto his bed. He had spent the entire day staving off Ren's questions about his feelings with excuses and evasive remarks. Finally, pleading exhaustion, he had holed up in his room.
He still couldn't believe that he had ever loved Ren. That girl grated on every nerve in his body. But why would she lie? And if she was lying, how did she know him then? It just didn't make sense, and the fox was too tired to think about it now.
And what about his so-called enemy, Hiei? When would he meet him? Ren had told him some horrible stories about the fire demon's heartless deeds, but after today he had serious doubts about their credibility, too.
Kurama sighed at the prospect of seeing Ren again. Maybe he should just say he liked her, and then hold out until his memory returned…
The fox fell asleep wondering what K'Ray and this mysterious Hiei were dreaming about.
It was dark, damp, and very cold. Hiei looked around as he walked forward, the pounding of the waterfall that hid Trickster's Cavern reverberating off the walls. In front of him, Hiei could see K'Ray. She quickened her pace and soon was swallowed up by the darkness.
"K'Ray, get back here!" Hiei hissed. Silence answered him. Speeding up, the fire demon cursed fluently. That stupid girl. She was always getting him in trouble.
Suddenly Hiei found himself in a large cavern. Torches fastened to the stone walls brightly lighted it. Across the room a demon was seated. He had long black hair tied back in a high ponytail and gray eyes. He waved a gloved hand in Hiei's direction.
"Hello," he greeted. "I've waited so long to meet you." Hiei slid his hand down to his katana.
"Where is Kurama?" he demanded. The demon laughed coldly. With a grin he clapped his hands.
Two demons came forward from behind his chair. One had Kurama in his grasp. The fox was tightly bound and gagged. He looked at Hiei with frightened emerald eyes. The other demon was also holding someone.
It was K'Ray.
"Get off me, you jerk!" K'Ray demanded. The gloved demon stood up, walked over, and slapped her.
"Shut up," he said ominously. "Or do I have to brand you again?"
Hiei growled. So this was Matsuji. He unsheathed his katana, the blade glinting in the torchlight.
"Give me them," he said. Matsuji shook his head.
"I'll kill them first," he replied. Hiei started forward, but he was too late. Matsuji stabbed at K'Ray with a dagger. The blade buried itself deep in her chest. Ripping it out, Matsuji turned to Kurama. He slashed the fox across the throat, smiling with triumph as Kurama screamed into the gag that filled his mouth.
Hiei threw his katana in fury, trying to kill Matsuji, but the demon was gone. The demon stepped back, melting into one of his portals. The katana whistled through the air, turning in a circle once before thudding into Kurama's stomach.
Horror gripped Hiei. He had stabbed his best friend! He had killed him! The fire demon knelt beside both of his friends, afraid to see their faces. K'Ray smiled softly at him, pain shadowing her gorgeous violet eyes. Her entire chest was soaked with blood. Hiei leaned down to catch her last words.
"Thank you, Hiei," she said. Hiei nearly cried. The Ryokun didn't realize that Kurama was dying. She hadn't seen the katana hit him, so she still thought he was alive. "Tell him I love him."
Her eyes slowly closed, and she was gone. Hiei turned to Kurama, fearing his soul had fled, too. To his surprise, the fox was still breathing.
"Kurama, don't die," he pleaded. "You've had worse than this before, I've seen it. Why die now?"
Kurama just looked at him with those bright emerald eyes. Hiei suddenly realized why the fox was dying; he had lost the will to live, plain and simple. These wounds only sped up the process.
"Kurama, I didn't mean any of those things," Hiei said. "You're my best friend. Don't leave me, please! You're the only one I can trust. You can't just give up!"
Kurama opened his mouth to speak. Instead, a coughing spasm seized him, and blood spurted from his mouth. Finally, it stopped. The fox took a ragged breath before trying to talk again.
"I…know, Hiei," he gasped. "This was…my fault. I can't live…anymore. I've hurt you…all of you…too much."
Hiei did cry now. His black tear gems clattered to the floor, bouncing off the stone. "Idiot," he whispered harshly. "Don't do this."
Kurama smiled one last time, tears in his dimming eyes. "I'm…sorry."
He was gone.
Hiei bolted upright, jerking when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. In his confused state, he still didn't know if he was awake or asleep. He lashed out, grabbing who ever it was in a vicious chokehold.
"H-Hiei!"
Hiei snapped back to reality. He looked down and realized that he was choking K'Ray. He scrambled back, eyes wide. The girl rubbed her bruising neck ruefully, a wry smile on her face.
"That's the last time I try and wake you up," she commented. Hiei stared at his shaking hands, trying to reorient himself.
"Hey, calm down. It's ok," K'Ray said. She went to Hiei's side, draping a comforting arm across his shoulders. "It was just a dream. Tomorrow we'll find Kurama and everything will be the way it should. Don't worry."
Hiei smiled (well, sort of), glad that K'Ray was there. She leaned her head down until it rested in Hiei's soft spikes of hair, adding even further comfort for the distressed fire demon.
"I'll make sure nothing happens, to you or to Kurama," she promised. Hiei brought her out to arm's length. He studied her for a moment before pulling her into a tight embrace.
"I'll protect you," he vowed, "even if it costs me my life."
K'Ray was surprised at first, but realized this was probably because of what Hiei had dreamed. She hugged him back, smiling when he reiterated his promise.
"I'll protect you."
Matsuji leaned back in his chair after dismissing the K'Ray and Hiei's images from the mirror.
"You'd better protect them," he said. "If you don't, your dream will come true."
"But sire, wasn't it just that? Wasn't it only a dream?" Tyar asked.
"Oh no. I just showed Hiei the future."
Tyar joined in as Matsuji laughed triumphantly.
To Be Continued…Author's Note: Well, whaddya think? I hope you all liked it. How is Hiei going to change the future? This all goes to show that dreams are so much more than they seem to be. Please, please, please review! Tell me what you think! Thanks everyone!
Oh, and it's National Friendship Week, so tell your buds you love 'em! Till next time!