I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have read this story thus far, and have offered your encouragement and support. I hope this chapter is to your liking, and I can't wait to hear your feedback. :)

It was strange packing up our things from the hotel. Even stranger leaving a small memorial to Genkai.

I played with Yukina's hair and braided parts of it to the side while Shizuru and Keiko said their goodbyes. I didn't want to do this, didn't want this finality. What was I supposed to say? I missed her in the same moment that I was angry at her. She had told Toguro to kill Kazuma, had caused so much pain to all of us. She had also known what she was doing, and known that he wouldn't truly kill him. So while she had caused so much suffering, it had all been for the show, and for making Yusuke stronger. She died because she chose to die, not because she couldn't put up a fight. She died to make Yusuke strong enough to defeat Toguro.

Yukina gave me a sad smile, playing with the end of my ponytail before taking her turn to say goodbye to the powerful psychic she had so briefly known.

"Ella."

I nodded, sighing and walking up to the small grave, kneeling down in front of the hat Botan had rested there.

"I guess I don't really know what to say still." I told her, playing with the end of my shirt. I glanced over my shoulder to watch Keiko and Yukina looking for shells, Botan with her feet in the water and Shizuru smoking. I turned back to the grave and nibbled on the inside of my cheeks. "I miss you. I'm angry at you. You made me think Kazuma was dead, Genkai." I felt tears burning my eyes, my raw tear ducts allowing hot trails to leave their marks on my face. I swallowed hard, sniffling to trying to focus. "I hated you in that moment, Genkai. I fucking hated you for doing this to us. And I hated myself for hating you, but you hurt me so bad."

I let out a breath, my chest constricting. I gripped at the hat on the ground, wishing she was here.

"You taught me so much. You saw something in me and made me take the step to understanding what I was. You're my teacher. My friend. You were my family, Genkai. You weren't supposed to go like this. We need you. What are we supposed to do without you? Give me a sign, tell me what to do. Just one more time, please."

I pressed her hat to my face, trying to breathe. I felt arms wrapping around me, a pull on my shoulders, and I resisted it.

"I love you." I spluttered, setting her hat back down and choking for breath. "Please be okay. I'll see you again someday, and I'll make you proud. I promise. I'll take care of Kazuma and Yusuke, and we'll make you proud."

Shizuru finally managed to pull me back into her, and she stroked my hair while I cried. I felt so tired, and curled into her. I felt numb when she pulled me up, and the water on my face hurt so badly. Botan hooked her arm around my elbow and led me around the edge of the water, carrying her shoes with her and just existing with me. Her eyes were swollen as well, her cheeks and lips red. I knew I must have looked just as awful, and I leaned my head on her shoulder, closing my eyes when her arm wrapped around me. I watched the water move around my feet, parting for me, and I looked out around us to the horizon.

Wind blew through our hair, a sudden warmth that filled me up, and I burst into giggles, making Botan jump.

"She wouldn't want us to be moping." I explained, wiping at my eyes again and leaning on her again. "I just... feel she would give us some snappy comment right now."

"She probably would." Botan agreed, giving me a tentative smile. "She would probably tell us that life goes on, or we need to stop being babies."

I smiled at the idea of her being grumpy, crossing her arms at us and raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going to remember her that way; the crabby old woman in the mountains." I informed her, and Botan nudged me.

"I think she's going to like that."

I glanced over my shoulder at Shizuru, who was with Yukina and Keiko, saying one last goodbye.

"Are you ready to go?" She wondered quietly.

"I think so." Botan nodded, holding onto my arm once more and taking me with her. I was the only one who had packed my bags, apparently, and I helped Yukina pack up her few things, telling her about how I was doing in school. She seemed particularly interested in history, and learning about human history. She only had knowledge of what she knew from her few pickups of rumors in her little exposure to anywhere other than her frozen world. It seemed so lonely; she didn't fit in with the ice maidens at all.

"I'm going to be sorry to see you leave again, Yukina. I wish you could stay with us."

"I hope to see you all again one day; there is so much I have to do when I return home." She looked down. I set down her kimono and stepped around the bed to get a better look at her.

"You know, you could always stay if you wanted to."

"I couldn't." She insisted, her crimson eyes watering every so slightly. "I have to go back. I received permission to come here to search for my brother, and now I need to go back. It's my duty."

I bit on my lip, but was cut off with Botan coming in grinning at us.

"Ladies, we have decided that we're going shopping before we go to the ship."

"Are you serious?" I winced, imagining all of the ridiculous things she and Keiko could manage to orchestrate in the duration of our trip out.

"That we are." She declared, smiling at us. "We're going to leave our bags at the desk so they can hold them for us and then we're going to bring what we buy back to the boys and head out."

I glared at the blue haired woman when she eyed me up, lifting a brow when she grinned.

"Have you ever worn a skirt? Outside of school I mean."

"I am a girl, Botan."

"A certain boy might think it's nice to see you in something other than workout clothes."

"These aren't workout clothes-"

"I have just the thing."

I let my body fall into the wall, my head cracking lightly with the wall. "Yukina, help."

"I think you would look pretty in a skirt, Ella." She smiled innocently, and I glowered at her. Botan came back in and brought back an admittedly adorable knee length blue and green skirt that reminded me of the sea. I relinquished and changed, pulling on some ballet flats and letting Botan do my hair while we waited for Keiko and Shizuru to finish up their packing. Yukina sat in front of me and let me continue the braids from earlier.

"How domestic." Shizuru teased me, and I stuck my tongue out at her in response.

"Sometimes it's fun to be a girl, Shizuru. You should try it sometime."

"Don't tell my baby brother; it'll give him more of an excuse to be a whimp."

I sniggered, touching my finished hair and throwing my bag over my shoulder, helping Keiko carry one of her bags.

We wandered around the shops in the hotel for around an hour, bonding and eating ice cream, which was my personal favorite for the day, and just chatting about. I loved listening to them banter, and disappeared into bookshelves when I got bored. I ended up buying a few books, a gorgeous new unitard, and a new pair of headphones for my walkman.

The boys were sitting around in the cafe, and while Kurama could fit in anywhere he went, I was shocked at seeing Hiei and Yusuke somewhere so classic and clean. It just... didn't seem quite right.

"-just like family vacation. My dumb sister's always making us late." Kazuma complained, and Shizuru's eyebrow twitched. She walked up behind him in her terrifyingly silent way, leaning down next to his ear. "Probably plucking her mustache."

"Should I tell them about your fluffy doll?" She wondered, making him literally jump into the air. Kurama stood up, and Kazuma made a perfect landing in his seat.

"That was actually pretty impressive." I complimented him, grinning when Puu flew into my arms. "Hi sweetie. Missed me, huh?"

"You're a moron." Shizuru rolled her eyes at him.

"Sorry we're late." The girls stated in unison, their smiles not apologetic in the least.

"Oh look, the tone deaf sirens." Yusuke mumbled.

"Catch." Shizuru threw her bag and purse at Kazuma, and I smirked, turning to Hiei to ignore the inevitable manipulation of my younger cousin. Puu flew from my arms back to Yusuke, ears flapping wildly on the way.

"Thank you for saving me yesterday, Hiei. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner in all of the hustle." I bowed slightly, skidding my foot on the ground. He just 'hn-ed' me and closed his eyes again. I couldn't help but smile, and picked up my bag before it too could be tossed over the table.

"No way, Botan, you're not my sister." Kazuma argued, already resigned to carrying his older sister's things in order to impress the girl who was already head over heels for him.

"Yes, but Yukina's socks are in here." She winked at him. I shook my head and shoved my bag into my duffle, shouldering it so we could make it out to the boat in time.

It was amazing looking at the island for the last time. So much damage had been done. So much blood had been spilt. And still the sun shining down on the water and basking the trees and the ridges in its light was gorgeous. My shoulder bumped Hiei's, and I blushed feeling his eyes on me. I glanced at him, and he looked away. So like a boy.

"Oh lookie here, our ships arrived! Isn't that happy..." Kazuma trailed off. The grey shape on the water was so dreary, so wrong in this picture. Part of me didn't want to go back.

"Back to skipping detentions." Yusuke smiled.

"And video games!" Kazuma smiled.

"My human mother."

"Various crimes..."
"Alright, let's go home!" Yusuke cheered, and there was a resounding cheer of excitement.

"Well excuse me if I'm a little insulted."

Everyone stopped, and I whipped around to see the last person on earth I ever thought I would see again, crisp and clean in her red training outfit and her hair down, walking toward us with her hands behind her back. I dropped my things and was moving before I could think of a reaction, darting towards her.

"Genkai!"

"You just gonna leave the old fossil behind?" She teased, and opened her arms to my embrace. "Hey kiddo. You made me proud."

My heart skipped. Was she really...?
The group ran towards her, all of them crowding her space in disbelief and even more relief.

"Must've rubbed off on me, dimwit. I died like you; half-assed."

He broke into a grin and ran towards her, his eyes lighting up like they hadn't in what felt like years now. "Genkai! Come here you beautiful hag!"

I grabbed her bag for her, laughing when Kurama was a 'gentleman' and took my duffle bag to alleviate some of my load.

The ship was even more strange, with humans instead of demons this time around, spread across the surface and below deck, commencing with their daily lives. It didn't feel right, and part of me wondered how many of them truly knew what had transpired. Or how many of them actually cared.

Hiei joined me staring over the side of the railing and watching the spray of the tide. I glanced over at him, smiling when he looked me over and didn't look away this time around.

"See something you like?" I teased him.

He flushed, grunting and looking down. I laughed; how was it he managed to be so adorable from being such a sourpuss? His eyes flitted back to mine, and he frowned at me.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You." I said quietly, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. I pulled away, my face warm and a smile on my lips. His face turned red, his wide eyes panicked. I jumped at water splashing upwards from a particularly large wave, and when I looked back, Hiei was gone. I shook my head, unable to dampen my spirits at his natural reaction to things he wasn't expecting.

Gods I was falling hard.