A/N: Don't you love update flurries? Okay, a few more hints in this chapter: and while I make no promises, I think most of the secrets are going to get spilled in the next few chapters. Hang in there. :)

Chapter Eight

Two weeks later

Kurama was standing outside the cave, holding a cigarette in his hand and quietly watching the sun setting. It was nearly silent around him, the area cleared of life except for a few birds who were too afraid to sing with a fox so nearby. So it was impossible for him not to hear the sounds of someone bumbling through the forest long before that someone could be seen. When the newcomer finally fought his way free of the bushes and into the clearing, Kurama's only movement was his eyes, briefly taking him in. "What are you doing here?" There was no mistaking the ice in his tone.

"I came to join the intervention," Koenma panted, holding one side--apparently Makai's terrain hadn't agreed with him. He crossed the final few feet to lean heavily against the cave's wall, close but not too close to Kurama. "Since when do you smoke?"

"Yusuke smokes them," Kurama replied absently, as though that were sufficient answer. "If your reason for being here is to help Yusuke, why have you arrived when he is absent?"

"Bad timing, I guess."

"Hiei is also absent."

"Probably good timing, there."

"And quite deliberate. What did you want to say to me?"

Koenma shrugged, apparently not going to argue Kurama's assumption that it was him Koenma had really come to speak with. "I thought I'd start with hello."

Kurama was silent for a moment. His eyes were on the horizon, as though he could see something there. Eventually he stubbed the cigarette out and said, "I recommend you leave before they get back. If Hiei sees you I can't guarantee your survival. I also can't guarantee Hiei would stick around after seeing you, and Yusuke needs his help far more than he needs yours."

"So much for hello."

It was Kurama's turn to shrug, lightly. "I don't have anything to say to you."

For some reason, that nonchalance pricked Koenma's temper, and he turned angrily to Kurama and began a conversation that was ten years in the making. "Look, Kurama. You don't have to take that tone with me. Not one part of what happened between you and Hiei is my fault."

"Of course not."

"And nothing that happened between you and me was my fault, either."

"No."

"So why are you angry with me?"

For the first time since he'd entered the clearing, Kurama's cold, clear gaze met Koenma's eyes. "Because you agreed."

Koenma was flabbergasted. "But--but it was your suggestion. All of it."

"Yes. That doesn't mean I wanted to do it. The reason I don't like you is because you agreed."

There was a long silence. Koenma's face was flushed from anger or embarrassment, or both. "You didn't act like this until your fight with Hiei," Koenma finally said. "Say what you want, but that's what this is about. You blame me for what's happened between the two of you."

"I blame Hiei for what's happened between the two of us. Why do you insist that my dislike of you must date from that point?"

"What else am I supposed to think? You treated me differently before then. I know it wasn't ever--how you wanted it to be. But you didn't act like it was killing you, either. You acted like you trusted me."

"The difference after my argument with Hiei, Koenma, is not what I felt. It's that before then, I had something to lose by letting my feelings show. After, I'd already lost everything."

"...So..."

"You really should get out, you know. They're on their way back and I'm not prepared to stop Hiei if he tries anything."

Koenma stared at him for a moment. Kurama didn't look at him. "I'll leave," Koenma finally said. "But it doesn't have to be like this. I'm not proud of how things happened either, but I don't hate you. I wanted to be there for you when your mother--"

Kurama's eyes flashed gold, and Koenma stopped in midsentence. But Kurama contained himself, and only said mildly, "Your presence would not have been beneficial."

"I'm getting that picture. Listen, Kurama--I know you hate me, I get it, but just hear me out for a minute. I want to help Yusuke. I do. You said yourself Hiei would attack me if he saw me, and I don't think Yusuke will listen to me either, not after Keiko. You're the only one I can talk to. And this isn't about us, it's about him. What can I do?"

Kurama was silent for a long moment. "I'll let you know if I think of something," he finally said.

"Is that like 'I'll call you in the morning?'"

"No, I mean it. We all do things because of Yusuke we wouldn't do otherwise. I suppose if I can tolerate Hiei I can tolerate you. You have, by the way, about two minutes left to live."

"I'm going, I'm going."

He hadn't even gotten to the forest's edge before Kurama called to him. "Koenma!"

Koenma turned instantly, expression hopeful. "What?"

"What about Keiko?"

Koenma's face shut down. "What about her?" he asked flatly.

"Can she talk to Yusuke?"

"What makes you think she hasn't?"

Kurama was silent for a moment. "What happened?"

"He didn't see her. Just like he didn't see you, when you tried to talk to him. Or anyone else."

"He's not on snow anymore."

"He still wouldn't see her. Yusuke's not psychic. Never has been, no matter what he goes through. For him to see a ghost he'd have to be trying; he'd have to want to see it. And he doesn't want to see her."

Kurama nodded slowly. "I understand."

"Kurama... if I stayed, would it--"

"No," Kurama cut him off. "It wouldn't. Get out before you get hurt. I'll let you know if I think of something."

Koenma sighed, but he turned and vanished back into the forest. Kurama sat down with a sigh of his own, and waited. It wasn't long before the forest parted again, this time revealing Hiei with Yusuke slung over his back. Kurama sighed yet again and went down to help.

"I almost--had him," Yusuke gasped by way of greeting, unable to be of much help as Hiei and Kurama maneuvered him so that they each had one of his arms over their shoulders. "I'm--getting better."

"Hiei, don't wear him out like this," Kurama said with a frown.

"He does it to himself, fox. I told him I wouldn't carry his ass back here--"

"And yet you did."

Hiei glared at him. "Would you rather I left him?"

"Guys, I'm fine," Yusuke interrupted. He sounded punch-drunk to Kurama, his voice higher than usual and lilting slightly. "I can walk. Really. Or fight. Whatever. Just point me in the right direction, kay?"

Hiei rolled his eyes. Kurama had to suppress a smile, wondering just exactly how Yusuke'd gotten into this condition and how long Hiei'd had to carry him. Since beginning training a few weeks ago, Yusuke had tackled each day with everything he had to give, and then a little bit more after that. Typical Yusuke, but still enough to cause worry for the other two. They didn't mean to kill him with this.

Once they had carried him inside the cave Yusuke stopped claiming he could walk and instead regaled Kurama with a disjointed account of trying to keep up with Hiei as he ran and how he'd nearly caught him, numerous times. Hiei offered no verbal commentary but his face said plenty, and Kurama had to work hard to contain his laughter. Eventually Yusuke ran out of steam and curled up, cat-like, half asleep and possessively cuddling a bottle of water like it was a priceless treasure. Kurama considered making an assault on it, just to see what would happen, but decided it was too cruel.

Besides, Hiei wanted to talk to him. He hadn't said so, but they both knew that Kurama could still pick up on Hiei's nonverbal cues, so speech was unnecessary. Kurama followed Hiei to the mouth of the cave. "Did you slow down for him?" Kurama asked.

"Yes," Hiei said flatly, his face daring Kurama to comment. Kurama chose not to, mindful of keeping the peace. "He hasn't improved any since yesterday. He needs to take a rest."

Kurama sensed an edge of accusation to Hiei's voice, as though Kurama was the one preventing Yusuke from getting the rest he needed. He almost snapped back with a what do you expect me to do, tie the boy down, but managed not to say it. The number of hurtful comments he had swallowed in the past few weeks ought to make him explode soon.

He imagined Hiei was feeling much the same way. But they were both keeping themselves in check. Their shared laughter, on the day Hiei had found Kurama and brought him back, and then Yusuke had surprised them both--it had signaled a sort of wary, unspoken truce between them. After all, they really didn't have to fight just to prove how angry they were--everyone already knew.

And it couldn't possibly help Yusuke to have them going at each other constantly. They had both agreed to put in on hold until he was well; they weren't succeeding, but at least they were trying harder. "Well, don't run with him tomorrow, then. He can sleep in and then train with me."

Hiei grunted. So far Kurama had been doing most of the training--other than the endurance training--because of Hiei's inability to truly pick a fight with someone weaker than him. "So you were bored today?"

Something in Kurama's face changed. Hiei couldn't quite read it. In the past, he would have tried to figure it out, but now he told himself not to care. "Bored to death," Kurama agreed. "You'll probably want to come up with something to occupy yourself tomorrow while we train."

Hiei shook. "I'll watch. Tell him what he's doing wrong."

"I don't need your help." That one escaped, no matter how much Kurama tried to capture it. "I'm more than capable of coaching him myself."

"So am I. But I thought we agreed he'd do better if we did this together."

Kurama made a face suggesting he was battling down several more acidic comments. Hiei allowed himself to be amused by the expression but kept his amusement strictly hidden, knowing he risked an explosion between them if it was spotted. "Fine," was all Kurama finally said.

Hiei nodded towards the horizon, now gray with the very last ray of fading light. "Getting dark."

They had agreed to advertise their presence here as little as possible--which meant staying inside the cave after dark. There was nothing they could do about daytime distractions, but they could manage to avoid the attention of most of Makai's nocturnal predators. Kurama, however, made no movement. "I'll be in soon," he said.

His tone was mellow--so mellow that it instantly alerted Hiei. It told him something was wrong, and in the past he would have pursued it ruthlessly. He looked at Kurama contemplatively for a moment, then got up and went inside without a word.

Yusuke, to Hiei's surprise, was awake. Either that or sleeping with his eyes open, because the faint light glinted off of them. Hiei wondered if he'd been listening. Then he wondered how Yusuke felt about the fact that the times when he and Kurama were most at peace with each other was when they were deciding how best to beat Yusuke into the ground. Common purpose always helped, after all.

Yusuke spoke. Even his voice sounded like it couldn't take another step without collapsing. "Something happen?"

"What do you mean?" Hiei replied, settling down against the far wall.

"He seems blue."

"Didn't notice. Don't care." Hiei shut his eyes to block out the image of Kurama still sitting motionless at the mouth of the cave, outlined against the stars.