Chapter 35: Day of the Dead
Hiei's eyes slowly opened. He sat up slowly, thinking about the memory that drifted into his mind. He stepped out of bed and wandered over to the window overlooking the garden. The orchards in bloom made it difficult to see, but during winter when the leaves were dead, he could still make out the ancestor alter in the distance. He wasn't sure why he thought about it in the first place, it had been awhile since he even laid eyes on the shrine. Although, it may have to do with the day's activities. Regardless, he needed to put her out of his mind. Doing so proved a little harder than usual but eventually, his mind was blank once again.
He got dressed and went to the small dining area where he usually had breakfast. Usually Yukina was there the same time he was but she must be helping Sakura get ready. Instead, Shana was sitting at the table. She was wearing one of her favorite travel outfits which was one of her more practical outfits. She wore a black skirt with a cupcake print and he was glad she didn't have it as poofy as usual. Her top was a simple white blouse and she wore black tights and her combat boots. Puling her hair back was a large pink bow.
"Morning, Papa!" she chirped.
He nodded a greeting as he sat down. He began to eat and Shana filled him in on her morning report. "Honjo is going to take care of everything in our absence and patrols in the inner grounds will be doubled while we are gone. Papa, have you heard from Ryuji? I was going to ask Yusuke-san but he's still asleep."
"If the Boy isn't here, he's probably in town," Heii responded. Shana sighed heavily, almost looking disappointed.
Hiei frowned. "What's wrong, what did he do to you? I told you to stay away from him."
Shana instantly reverted back to her usual, bouncy self. "Papa, there's nothing wrong. He didn't do anything and he's my best friend. I'm not going to stay away from him."
"He did something to you. You look upset," he growled.
"I'm not it's just," she paused and shook her head. "It would have been nice to know he was going to stay in town. He doesn't usually do that so…" she trailed off and Hiei had a good inclination as to why. The Boy more than likely wanted a good lay.
"This is why I tell you to-"
"Okay, Papa, tell you what? I'll round everyone up here and meet you at the border. You go and find Ryuji in town." Shana cut him off, and was staring at him as she waited for him to accept her terms.
"Yusuke should find his son," Hiei replied.
Shana grimaced. "Are you kidding? He and Yusuke-kun aren't on the best terms right now, especially since he decided to bring Kaneko-san to the human world with us."
Damnit. "Fine. Be on time. I won't wait around as long as I did last time."
Shana grinned mischievously, "I'm telling you it wasn't my fault, but we'll be there. Anyway, before you go Maria and Claudia wanted to see you."
Hiei finished his breakfast quickly and made his way down to the servants quarters, where the twins could usually be found. He ignored most of the bows and headed for the laundry room. He found the two women discussing something with one of the servants and waited patiently for them to finish.
The two demonesses flourished under him and, alongside Yukina, continued to manage the day-to-day upkeep of the fortress. They didn't change much over the years and still looked fairly similar despite Claudia cutting her hair short into a bob. Maria maintained her usual braid and the two dog demonesses wore the same navy dress with white apron as they always had. He was glad that amid the constant change around him, they remained the same.
Maria and Claudia finished with the maid and headed over to Hiei smiling.
"Good morning, Hiei-sama," they greeting together.
He turned and they followed him out to the corridors. "Shana said you needed to see me."
"Yes," Maria said nervously.
"Perhaps we should find someplace private to discuss the matter," Claudia suggested.
What now? This was just what he needed on top of leaving to the human world. Hiei opened one of the servant quarters he knew to be empty and they stepped inside. Maria closed the door behind her he crossed his arms at them. "What is going on?"
The twins glanced at each other nervously. "We need to order more grain for the kitchens," Maria said.
Hiei narrowed his eyes. "Again? That's the third order in the last two months."
"We also need more spiders cotton and thread for the servants clothes," Claudia added.
"Yukina just ordered all of that," Hiei snapped. This was irritating.
"Yes. There are rumors of a band of thieves running amok along the trade routes," Maria explained.
"We think that this gang has 1hit our trade line," Claudia added.
This wasn't the first rumors of the mysterious band of thieves running around and disrupting the trade routes. The issue was the current king didn't care enough to oversee most of the Makai. Tch, if he was king again… But those days were long over. There was no one to deal with the situation but himself.
"I can stop by Mukuro's host to find out what she knows on the way back from the human world. Is that too late?"
"No, we have enough supplies to get us through the end of the month,"Maria replied.
"After that, we will have to be careful but we can reasonably get by for another month," Claudia said.
"Good. Maria, be sure to inform Honjo of the situation in case it affects the guards."
"Of course, Hiei-sama," She replied, smiling.
Hiei motioned for them to come and they followed him out of the small bedroom down the twisting hallways to the front entrance of the fortress. He turned to them sharply.
"We won't be gone for long. If you run into issues, do not hesitate to act on your instincts," he instructed.
"We will be fine,"Claudia reassured.
He studied them for a moment before asking, "Maria, how are your cubs?"
"Wonderful," she beamed at him. "They learn so quickly, I fear I may blink and suddenly they will be all grown up."
"And your mate, Claudia?" He asked.
"We're fine, although someone," she cast her blue eyes towards Maria, "won't leave me alone about when we're having children."
"I would just love some nieces and nephews, is all I'm saying," Maria countered innocently. Claudia sighed and shook her head.
"You know, Hiei-sama," Maria began.
"We missed you while you were gone too," Claudia finished, smiling.
"Hn, I didn't say anything about that," Hiei said gruffly. He turned and pushed open the door but not without hearing the twins chuckling behind them.
Hiei made his way to Tomeda Village easily. The village was very close to the fortress and many of the servants or guards who had families lived here rather than in the fortress. The village had a small charm to it and generally everyone there was happy. If they weren't, he made sure to change it and fast.
Using his Jagan, it didn't take long for him to locate which room Ryuji was at in the tavern. Without a word to the tavern owner, he went right upstairs and he used his Jagan to unlock the door. He swung the door open and stepped inside. His attention was immediately brought to the bed where two attractive demonesses clutched the covers to their bodies and were staring at him wide eyed. Looks like he was right. He heard the shower running and he assumed Ryuji was inside.
"Get out," he growled.
Immediately the two females were scrambling and tripping over themselves, trying to get clothed and get out of the room. When they finally made their way out, Hiei closed the door and sat in the chair. At least they weren't whores. They were a dead giveaway since they tried to solicit themselves to anyone who walked through the damn door. It was pathetic and pitiful all at the same time. During his more tumultuous years after the fortress burned down, he visited the brothels frequently but every time he felt nothing but emptiness inside. Whatever he was trying to mask with other women didn't work so he stopped going. He wasn't sure if it was because he couldn't stop comparing them to her or if it was because he was never interested in casual meetings in the first place. Either way, he decided to ignored them.
Hiei finally heard the shower turn off and after a few minutes the door to the bathroom opened. Urameshi Ryuji bore a wide, amused grin as strands of his black hair dripped in front of his sharp, chocolate eyes. A towel wrapped around his waist and he leaned into the door frame.
"Yo, Gramps. What's the matter, you didn't like Ami and Yuri?" Ryuji's voice was very much like Yusuke's, deep but light. He supposed it was that, his toned body, and his chiseled torso that seemed to attract drooling bimbos in droves. Still, Hiei didn't see the point in being constantly surrounded by idiots.
"I don't waste my time," he growled. He didn't like being called "Gramps" either but he let it slide.
"Aw come on," Ryuji grinned. He sauntered over to a pile of clothing and picked up his underwear. Hiei turned away from him.
"You need someone to loosen you up," the Boy called to him.
"One woman is fulfilling, many are useless," he responded.
"Except you don't have a woman," he stressed. Ryuji walked in front of him, half dressed, looking for his shirt. He found it on the bed and sat down. "Look, Gramps, you're too uptight and it makes you really unpleasant."
Hiei glared at him. "I also don't use women to hide."
That wiped the relaxed grin right off of Ryuji's face. He yanked the shirt over his head. "You don't know anything," he snapped. He stormed about the room, collecting his things.
"I know Shana is displeased with you," Hiei said. Ryuji stopped for a moment.
"Yeah well, I don't have to tell her everything."
Hiei was going to respond but Ryuji's tone was off. There was something about the way the Boy regarded his demoness but Hiei wasn't sure exactly what, and it was much safer for Shana to distance herself from him because of it. He just didn't want to see her get hurt.
Hiei watched the Boy finish gather his things and stuff them into a pack. He slung it over his shoulder in a way that, for a moment, the Boy looked just like his father. "Let's just get this over with," Ryuji said. Hiei followed him out of the inn but it wasn't until they were out of the village that the Boy spoke to him.
"Sorry, Gramps. Look I just-" He stopped mid sentence and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I don't like Kaneko, alright? And I don't feel like taking her to see my Mom's grave."
So, the Boy was worried about this new woman replacing Keiko. "Don't be an idiot. What moron would take a woman he's courting to his wife's grave?"
"A moron who met her while at my Mom's grave!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Look I get the we-met-while-mourning-for-our-significant-others thing, but this is different. It's like he's…" Ryuji let his thought trail off and he sighed, his brown eyes downcast. He shook his head and started walking again. "Let's just get going. It doesn't matter anyway."
Hiei didn't like seeing the Boy walk away so downhearted. As much as he disliked the Boy's wanton ways, and attempts to keep Shana out of them, he was family. Hiei taught Ryuji everything he knew about the Makai when he came to live with him as a young man and Hiei enjoyed having him in the fortress. Despite being close, he didn't know what to say to his situation. He didn't like interfering in other's business and this was most certainly an issue with Yusuke. It was not his place to get in the middle.
They picked up the pace as they headed towards the border where they were supposed to meet with the others. Crossing the border into the human world was more regulated than before under the current King's rule, some old friend of Raizen. Human wars, plague, and technology were encroaching closer and closer to discovering the border between human and demons so Mukuro kept a vigilant watch. Hiei normally patrolled every two months solid and stayed home in the fortress for a month to make sure everything was running smoothly.
As they came to the clearing, a demoness was waiting for them. She stood patiently with her arms crossed as she leaned against a tree. He wasn't surprised to see her since Katsumi was on an errand for Mukuro. As they approached, he noted how her wavy dark hair gently swayed in the breeze, giving her a rather attractive look. She was always easy on the eyes with her olive complexion, dark eyes, and small smile. Today, he thought especially so and her fitted light blue sleeveless top and curvy black pants were an added bonus.
But her attractiveness left as quickly as it entered his mind, even as she sauntered up to them.
"Hello, Hiei. It's good to see you again."
"Simran," he acknowledged.
"Ryuji, how are you?" She asked.
"Well, you know I'd be a lot better if I was with you," he grinned.
She rolled her eyes. "How many times do you need to be rejected before you finally get the hint?"
"Ouch, that really hurt," Ryuji winced.
"I'm sure it did," Simran responded dryly. She turned her attention to Hiei and said, "When you get back the host, Mukuro assigned us for patrol together." She gave him a once over and added, "I'm looking forward to it."
"Good. I need to take care of a band of thieves," Hiei responded. Simran was a good asset to have. The water demoness flourished in Mukuro's host after leaving Mitage's palace and she was particularly adept with illusions and daggers. She would be good for sneaking around and providing distractions.
"Well I'm hoping to learn a lot from you while we work together. I hear you're a master at sword play." Hiei did not miss her suggestive tone or wolfish grin on Ryuji's face. This was… interesting.
"I am," he replied. Simran smiled at him. She had a pretty smile, he supposed.
"Well, I'm going to leave you two and see if I can locate- oh well never mind," Ryuji said.
Hiei turned to look and sure enough the rest of the group was walking up with Kurama and Shana in the lead. Shana walked up to the three of them and proudly looked down at Hiei.
"See? I told you I'd be here on time."
"Hello, Shana. How are you?" Simran asked.
"Oh, hi, Simran. I'm doing well, and you?" She replied. Hiei didn't understand what his demoness had against Simran but it was obvious her smile was fake.
"Fine," Simran replied.
"Hey, Shana. What's up?" Ryuji asked.
"Anyway," Shana continued, brushing by Ryuji, "We should get going." She stared walking in the direction of the border.
"Come on, Shana!" Ryuji groaned. He ran after her and Hiei turned back to Simran to see her greeting Yukina.
"Thank you for meeting us here. It's so good to see you again. You should come by the fortress when you have a break," Yukina said.
"Thank you for the offer, Yukina-san. I definitely will," Simran replied.
Hiei felt a tug on his arm and looked down to see Sakura. "Ji-chan, can we run there?"
"Go wait for me next to Kurama," he instructed.
"Yes!" Sakura pumped her fist in the air and ran off.
Yukina joined Yusuke and Kaneko as the walked by. When Hiei was last, he said, "After this trip I'll be returning to the host. In the meantime, if you can, go to the fortress and see what you can find out about these bandits. Start with Maria and Claudia and speak with Honjo to see if there is anything new. We can't be the only one's whose goods are being stolen."
"I'll try. Mukuro has me running the border for the next couple of days so it will be difficult but I'll keep an ear out for any news." Simran stepped closer to him. She had an earthy scent to her. Odd. He figured her scent would be akin to the fresh way a river or stream smells. He also didn't realize that while she was taller than him, it wasn't by much.
"Hiei-" she started but then Shana was suddenly next to them.
"So sorry but we really need to get going. See you later Simran!" Shana didn't sound apologetic at all as she gripped Hiei's arm.
Simran wrestled her lips upward into a smile. "Okay, Shana. Hiei, I'll see you later." With that, the water demoness was gone.
"Come, on, let's go!" Shana huffed.
Hiei didn't appreciate her rudeness but he wasn't going to get into that argument now. He followed Shana to the others and Sakura walked up to him, her yellow dress ruffling in the breeze. She grinned, "I'm ready!"
Hiei let her climb onto his back and when Yukina made sure he had a good grip on her, they were off. Only for his niece would he allow the privilege of running through the trees with him. He loved to hear her laugh as she clung to him tightly as he darted from one tree limb to another. He went at a fast speed but he made sure he had good footing before taking off to the next tree. After some time, Hiei landed solidly on the ground as Sakura cheered behind him.
"Ji-chan, let's do that again! That was awesome!"
"Oh? And would you run away from your big brother?" A deep, quiet voice asked.
"Oniichan!" Sakura gasped. Hiei let her gently onto the ground and the tall, young looking man kneeled to embrace her. Isao was an odd mix of his parents: Yukina's teal hair and round face with sharp brown eyes that resembled Shizuru more than Kuwabara. His oldest nephew was of a gentler spirit, like Yukina, and was extremely adept at healing. Humans and demons alike came to him for spiritual advice, carrying on his father's legacy in the spiritual world. Every now and then he took an apprentice but currently he was living in the temple with his granddaughter, Rei, a temple priestess.
Sakura chatted with her brother while Hiei waited for the others to catch up. Isao greeted him, interrupting Sakura for a moment, before returning to listening to Sakura tell him about the orchards fruit this season. Eventually, the rest of the group showed up and pleasantries were exchanged. Isao greeted Yukina reverently as he kissed her on the cheek and then the group progressed to the temple. Yusuke pointed out everything noteworthy to Kaneko and explained the significance of the woods, reminiscing about Genkai. Shana ran ahead and Hiei and Kurama walked behind Yukina, Sakura, and Isao.
"Is Minoru here as well?" Yukina asked hopefully.
"Ah, no, Okaasan. He said he was unfortunately very busy," Isao replied.
"Oh, I see," Yukina said disappointed. "I brought him some things from the Makai… will you see that he gets them?"
"Of course, Okaasan."
Tch, more like Minoru didn't feel like coming. Hiei couldn't entirely blame him for not wanting to come to this odd gathering; however, this was the only occasion Yukina ever came to the human world. He would need to have a talk with the boy…
They arrived at the temple where Rei, Isao's granddaughter, had a meal fully prepared. After Hiei ate, he slipped out into the woods. He enjoyed catching up with his nephew on his own time, not surrounded by others. For now, he wanted the solace of the familiar dark woods. They were different from the Makai and different than the woods everywhere else in the human world. Genkai's forest had an air of something special, something mixed and unique. He could feel the subtle traces of youki and reiki around him but it was a calming sensation, unlike the Makai where the air was tumultuous.
He nestled himself in one of his favorite trees and looked up at the stars. The sky was clear and the stars were lit brightly in the sky. Despite thinking there should be a difference, the Makai and Ningenkai shared the same night sky. The same twinkling lights mysteriously bound his world and the one he was in. How many other worlds shared the same sky? Or were there places where his world was a light in the sky?
"You mean her world, don't you Master?"
Hiei closed his eyes and Koku's image appeared before him in his darkness. No longer was she a small child. Now she stood as a full grown woman with long ebony hair and her red eyes deep and blazing. She was wearing a plain red kimono as she always did. She was frowning at him with a pained expression.
"Silence," he growled to the dragon through his mind.
"Master, fighting yourself like this does you no good," Her sturdy voice reprimanded. "It's been over a century. Why do you insist on tormenting yourself?"
"I am not tormenting myself." Hiei crossed his arms.
"You're lonely and you miss her but you won't talk about her so it builds up. Master, please, this isn't right."
"And what exactly would you like me to do? Cry and whine helplessly as others fawn over me and pretend to feel what I feel? " He snapped.
Koku sighed. "Kill something. Burn something. Do something. Do anything. Each year we come here you get worse…"
Hiei opened his eyes. He didn't like Koku intruding on his thoughts and she normally didn't but she had a right to be concerned. The one thing he was sure about was that he was Koku and Koku was him. Their souls were merged but not to where he wasn't himself and she was not hers. What he did learn from a near death experience was that his mental state affected her part of their soul. As a result, he just tried to block out those memories. Life seemed easier that way. Koku was only trying to look out for the both of them, not trying to pester, but it still put him in a foul mood. The stars no longer held the allure he was entranced by when seeing them earlier that night.
A soft hum whispered to him in the back of his mind. Koku was singing in her odd native tongue and he didn't know if it was for him, her, or for both of them but her melody lulled him into a dreamless sleep.
*~0~*
The tradition was simple. Everyone gathered around the gravestones of their loved ones and partied. Yukina always laid out a large blanket and food was served as everyone sat around reminiscing, playing games, or sparred. The tombs were laid out in specific plots on a beautiful hill on Genkai's land so as long as the weather permitted, the day was supposed to be pleasant. As Hiei stood over Kuwabara's grave with a shot glass in his hand, he didn't see how anyone could possibly be having fun.
Kuwabara Kazuma, the only man in the city to live to 112 years old. He lived a full life, starting a dojo and then, once the neighbors noticed Yukina didn't age, as a sage of spiritual advice and wisdom. To his credit, the oaf managed to not fall ill. Of course, that might have to do with having connections to Reikai but either way Kuwabara was still walking around challenging Yusuke as though no time passed at all. Tch, what an idiot. Always was, right up to the end. He passed away quietly in his sleep, thankfully. Yukina was sparred the grisly death of a warrior.
Kurama stood across from him, his long red hair draping over his shoulder as he stared somberly at the gravestone. His hand slowly turned the shot glass, a sign he was thinking. About what, Hiei could spend forever guessing. Was he thinking about their old comrade or about his mother, or even Kurone? Hiei glanced over to his left where Yusuke was standing. The detective slicked back his hair like he used to and was staring down at the tombstone looking conflicted. The man had been dead for fifty years, what was there to be confused about?
"Do you think he's working for Koenma?" Yusuke suddenly asked.
Kurama chuckled. "Knowing Kuwabara, probably. Nothing could keep him penned up."
"Yeah but do you think he works for him and, you know, talks to Boton and everyone else?" Yusuke asked hesitantly. Tch, he can't even say his own wife's name.
"Neither can you," Koku added.
Hiei knocked the shot back and tossed the glass aside.
Yusuke turned to him, fuming. "We're supposed to do it together!"
Hiei narrowed his eyes at him. "Go up there and find out or stop whining uselessly. Either way, I'm done with this stupid tradition." He turned and walked away, ignoring Yusuke's calls and excuses. He needed some peace. He scanned the hill and saw Yukina placing flowers at Keiko's grave while Sakura stood with her. Ryuji and Isao were talking while Shana and Kaneko ate. Hiei decided to find solace under the large cherry blossom tree Kurama planted as a tribute to his mother.
The tree was large, fueled partially by Kurama, with this branches perfect for sleeping and hiding from unwanted attention in. The blossoms were not fully bloomed, they came too early this year to see the small pink blossoms. Kurama would be disappointed. Shiori loved the trees in full bloom. Hiei jumped up onto his usual branch and stared off into the distance, glancing over the tree tops of Genkai's forest. He preferred it up there, with the quiet breeze of the wind. Up here, there wasn't anything to hide, no one to run from, and he was a small insignificant part of the forest. Just a speck of existence.
She commented on that once, a long time ago. "We all struggle and look for ways to leave our mark on the world. If we don't, what are we worth? " She once asked. He disagreed. Finding a reason to exist and holding onto that was enough; being swept in the ebbs and flows as he drifted along was perfectly fine with him, but not for her. She preferred to be a tsunami, a force of awe, might, and terror.
"Hiei."
Hiei snapped out of his daze. Damnit, why couldn't he get her ghost out of his head?
Kurama jumped into the tree effortlessly. Hiei tried to ignore him, he didn't feel like getting a lecture from the fox at this particular moment.
"Hmm… the tree isn't fully in bloom yet. I thought it would be by now," he mused.
"If it will save me your useless comments then by all means, go ahead and make the damn tree bloom," Hiei snapped.
"I could," Kurama replied, "But all stages of life are precious."
With a little less edge Hiei prompted, "Words of wisdom from Shiori?"
"No," Kurama said softly, "from Boton."
Boton, tch even worse. It was bad enough that their breakup was nasty and even worse that the fox couldn't let her go. What was wrong with them? Yusuke couldn't let Keiko go, Kurama was still thinking about Boton even though he was the one who ended the relationship, and Hiei was still seeing her.
Hiei turned to his friend. The fox was smiling wistfully at him, and Hiei supposed it was better than the dulled expression he carried for years. He wished his friend wasn't so damn stubborn. He could be happy if he chose, but all Kurama did was dwell and think too much.
Hiei turned back to his view. "You should see her."
"I said things I shouldn't have, things I didn't mean that I can't take back. You know that," Kurama replied.
"She's probably already forgiven you. There's no point in all of us being miserable all the damn time."
Kurama chuckled his know it all chuckle. "I'm not miserable. A little lonely and sad at times, admittedly, but not miserable. Yusuke seems to be perking up as well. I think the only one miserable is you, Hiei."
That was not true. He wasn't alone in this. Further out and below him he saw Yukina finally arrive at Kuwabara's grave. She sat with Sakura and the young girl began to talk animatedly at the grey stone. Yukina simply sat quietly and he wondered what was going through her mind. Was she miserable without Kuwabara? When he first brought her and the newly born Sakura to the Makai, he never did see her cry. In fact, it wasn't until the day Sakura said her first word that Hiei saw her break down. Yukina always knew she was going to outlive Kuwabara, but Hiei didn't think she expected to raise a child without him.
"She holds herself up well, better than the rest of us, I think," Kurama mused. "You can tell me what happened, Hiei. If you don't talk about it, you'll never move on."
"I don't want to talk about it," he snapped. "You know what happened." Was it necessary for the fox to turn the conversation back to him?
"Well, I know that Mitage decided to close the portal and I know that she killed him and left. The rest I only have assumptions for but I would much rather hear it from you." Hiei was about to give him a rather angry response but Kurama continued, "I know it helped me to talk about it."
Hiei scanned the area and noticed Ryuji and Yusuke starting to get into a heated argument. "I can't talk about it," he said. Without waiting for a response, he jumped down and moved quickly towards the Urameshi's.
He moved next to Shana and Kaneko who were watching the encounter. Shana was frowning, her eyes darting back and forth nervously between the father and son. Kaneko's hands were clamped together tightly, her face stoic.
"I don't know what you're thinking!" Ryuji yelled.
"Knock it off, Ryuji before-"
"Before what? You kick my ass into the ground?! What would Kaasan say?"
Yusuke's eyes narrowed. Usually, this dangerous look was reserved for enemies. This argument was not going to end well.
"Kaneko, why don't we give them some space?" Shana asked.
"They are fighting about me. Ryuji feels that his mother's position is threatened. I should… go home," Kaneko said.
"No they're not, they're just, you know father and son and, um…" Shana trailed off. Hiei noticed that she was looking at him for backup but he was watching Kaneko. She was a strong woman, on the outside at least. There was no way any of the three of them were coming out unscathed.
"Don't bring your mother into this," Yusuke threatened.
"You already did! You brought this random woman, here-"
"Kaneko, please, let's go," Shana pleaded. The demoness, however, remained still.
"I've brought her here before!" Yusuke interjected.
Ryuji froze. "What? How could you, Tousan?"
Shocked by the reaction, Yusuke stared at his son speechless. "Ryuji, I-"
"Whatever, Tousan. I don't care anymore."
Ryujji didn't glance at them as he walked towards the temple. Shana looked at Yusuke and back at Ryuji before running off to him.
Hiei turned his attention back to Yusuke as Kaneko turned and walked back towards Yukina. The detective stared at the space his son once occupied confused. But then the confusion turned to anger and his open hands became fists. Just as Hiei expected, Yusuke bounded into the woods.
Hiei went after him and didn't even wait before throwing the first punch. After that it became a blur. All Hiei wanted to think about was not getting hit by Yusuke's fist, and jumping to avoid his kick. He didn't want to think about her or Kurama and Boton or Kaneko. Just him and just Yusuke. Let their fists do the talking and let the cloudy thoughts drain out of them. He only wanted one focus, one goal. For awhile, that worked. But then Hiei was slouched over, panting heavily and unsure if he wanted to continue. Yusuke was the same, exhausted but unyielding.
"Alright, man. You win this one," Yusuke conceded.
Hiei turned towards the lake they ended up by and trudged over to the water. Yusuke wasn't far behind him and after a refreshing dip, Hiei sat on the bank. He watched Yusuke come up and sit next to him.
"I'm not pissed at you for leaving earlier. It is pretty stupid," Yusuke said.
Hiei agreed but he should have just done it again anyway.
"It's just that this time… I- I don't know what's happening between Kaneko and me. I just thought it was nice to have someone to grieve with but now…" Yusuke sighed. "I thought I was going to be like Gramps, psh actually, I thought I was going to live a normal human life and die with Keiko. I didn't- I don't want anyone else!" Angrily he pounded his fist into the ground.
Hiei had always known Ryuji's fears of Kaneko replacing his mother were unfounded but he didn't realize Yusuke was conflicted about mating with Kaneko, let alone interested.
"She would want you to be happy."
"I know," Yusuke shook his head, "She made me swear it on her deathbed but, how? How can I just, move on? I feel like I am but how can I forget her? She was always with me, ever since we were kids. How do I just let all of that go?"
"I don't know," Hiei responded quietly.
Yusuke let out a hollow laugh. "I suppose that's the million dollar question, huh?" For a moment, the old gleam was in his eyes but is soon faded as his brow creased. "And what about Ryuji? He's so against Kaneko he won't listen to anything I say. Did you see the look on her face as we argued? What if she won't want to see me again?" He let out a heavy sigh and glanced over at Hiei. "Sorry, man. I don't mean to weigh you down like this."
Hiei didn't respond not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't know how. "Keiko was a sensible woman, as was Kimiko."
Yusuke half smiled. "Kimiko… damn I miss her. She was just like her mother." Yusuke flopped backwards and stared up at the sky. "Do you think they're watching us? Or are we just imagining it?"
Hiei looked up. "The stars here are the same in the Makai. Are they the same everywhere?"
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Yusuke rising up, staring at him. His gaze followed Hiei's and he chuckled softly. "Glad I'm not the only one who has impossible questions." He breathed in deeply and suddenly sprang up. "Alright! I can at least talk to Ryuji. He might not listen to me today but I'm not going to let this go until he at least understands." He turned to walk away but then stopped. "Hiei, don't give up either."
Hiei watched his friend walk away before disappearing into the woods. Don't give up on what? Did it matter? Probably not. Hiei made his way back to the graves and found the place empty. Everyone was most likely at dinner. He walked amongst the graves slowly, starting with Shirori's marker first. He only wished her death had not caused Kurama to act so irrationally against Boton, who was doing the job she had always done before. Other than that, he had nothing to lament over her. He moved to the Urameshi section, where Yusuke buried Genkai, Keiko, and somewhat recently his daughter Kimiko. She was a smart girl who had a hell of a run working for Koenma. Kimiko became nearly as famous as her father in the Makai on her merit alone, and that was saying something.
He wandered over to Takao's marker. He wondered if he and Minoru ever reconciled before he died. Death was a hard reality but for Minoru, immortality was far worse. Next to Takao was Shizuru, who bore him and raised him herself. A sharp, cold feeling went down his spine and he quickly moved on. To the day she died, cancer and all, she never forgave him. He never understood why, he had to let her go. The next grave wasn't much better. Daisuke, Yukina and Kuwabara's third son, died in a car accident with his family at 40 years old. He remembered Yukina crying about how could he, the son of a demon and spiritual master, die in a car accident? The answer was that longevity was not the same as immortality. Next was Hajime, the second son, who lived a full life but was unable to have children. At least he was fortunate enough to grow old with his wife.
The last marker was Kuwabara's. Hiei didn't feel bad about ruining the tradition, but he knew that he owed the man respect. He was his brother-in-law, after all. What would he make of this, all of them scrambling around trying to make sense of the changes wrought by time? Hiei hoped he didn't notice at all. He didn't want the oaf to get worked up over them. Hiei didn't realize until after he died how Kuwabara was the glue that held them together. He lifted Yusuke's spirits when they were down, provided a simplicity and clarity for Kurama, and he kept Hiei grounded with them. Always the energetic one, rushing headlong into a fight, and now that was gone. The gaping hole he left wasn't going to be replaced by anyone, they all knew that. What had once been a simple, straightforward path suddenly started twisting and turning and he was no longer there to help them.
Just like lightning. Damn, he hated that analogy.
A soft breeze gently passed by him and he sighed. All these years coming here and remembering the deceased for what? Hiei, again, could not answer the question he asked every year so he turned away from the graves and started back towards the temple. One year, he will have an answer. He had to.