" Kurama, you ready to rock?" Kewabara asked, looking to said man, laughing.

"Yeah, let's go." Kurama smiled, following them.

"So, do you know exactly where we're going?" Kewabara asked Yusuke. "Did Botan give you directions?"

"I don't thin we'll need them." Yusuke replied, a tight frown on his face. "I can sense him from here." Yusuke growled, looking to Kurama who nodded.

"Let's go get him, then." Kewabara said, laughing. "One to go and the world is a better place, Urameshi!"

"You ready, Kurama?" Yusuke asked, finally pumped up. He looked to him with a smirk.

"Why would you ask that? Of coarse I am." He replied, smiling to his friend brightly.

"Then what's wrong?" Kewabara asked, looking to Kurama questioningly.

"Nothing, nothing at all. Why would something be wrong?" Kurama asked, trying to feign innocent.

"Kurama, you know Kewabara can sense these things. So I'm going to have to trust his instincts here." Yusuke sighed, falling into step next to Kurama and Kewabara. "Besides, your minds elsewhere; you're staring at the ground and not talking with us like you normally do."

"I'm just thinking. I have a lot on my mind…" He sighed, shaking his head slightly; he had a bad feeling and normally that was a very bad thing.

"Well, whatever it is, forget it. Vampires are said to read minds!" Kewabara said, making a motion to his own head as if I would get the point across clearer.

"You idiot, that's only mythological!" Yusuke chided. He stopped walking, looking behind them; he had felt someone watching him. He looked around closely, bu didn't see anyone. As he started to concentrate his energy to raise his OWN power, jus in case, a gentle voice, belonging to Kurama, asked,

"Yusuke, are you okay?" He placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?" He looked back to the fox, his frown tight on his face. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine." He said, trying his best to be nonchalant. Kurama knew he was lieing, but didn't press it; had it been serious, Yusuke would have told him.

The group started walking again, unaware of the pair of red eyes watching them from afar, blending in with the shadows of the trees about them.

"Master…" Hiei said, seemingly to appear out of thin air next to the vampire.

"Yes, Hiei?" The vampire asked simply, not really interestee in what the shorter demon had to say. His eyes stayed trained on the group now joking and shoving themselves and eachother about, having fun. "Look at them…" He said, not letting Hiei say what he had planned. "Joking around as if they had more than a couple of hours to live. If only they knew." He pat, bitter, annoyance rolling off his tongue like water.

"What do you know of dieing…?" Hiei whispered under his be\reath, not meaning fr anyone o hear.

The vampire hissed, wheeling round to h\face Hiei, his ees glowing bright ora\nge in anger. He advanced, swiping hiei cross the cheek with the back of his hand, leaving a single red stripe.

Hiei recoiled, moving against the tree behind him. He looked to his master with fearless, yet fearful eyes. Eyes that betrayed his actual feelings.

"Oh, hiei-look what you've made me do…." The vampire said ently, eaning down next to Hiei on the floor and stroking his cheek, making the blood smear on is cheek and on the Vampire's finger. He put the finger, with Hiei's blood, into his mouth, sucking gently. "darling, Hiei…" He said afterwards, brushing the back of his hand agains Hiei's cheek. "Darling, darling Hiei…" He whispered, caressing Hiei's cheek gently. "What ever am I going to do wih you? If we don't get that crew down tonight, I'm afraid that I cant do anything to you…and that would be horrible…." He leaned in close, brushing heir noses gently together, holding Hiei's fce with both of his hands gently. "and you WANT me do o it to you, don't you….?" He whispered against Hiei's lips.

Hiei nodded. "Yes, Master…" He whispered, swallowing hard.

"Good!" His master stood up quickly, smiling down to him in triumph. "Than lets get them. Together; it's just you and me-the rest are l\slain, and you're my last hope!" He said dramatically.

Hiei stood, nodding. "Of coarse." He sighed, bowing his head slightly.

"And after that-" He leaned in again, smirking. This time he spoe in a quiet half whispr, half hiss, "your reward…!"