Hiei woke up with a start at the scream of someone he recognised. Sitting bolt upright in bed, he looked over to the door to see Shiori with her hand over her mouth.
"Hiei! What happened?!" She cried, and Hiei looked around him. The first thing he noticed was the smell coming from the bathroom. Someone had been sick and not cleared it up. Then he saw the blood stains on the sheet, but as it was such a small amount, he barely paid it any mind. When he swung his feet out of bed, though, his toes sank into moisture. He noticed the cold air around his body and realised he was naked, quickly pulling the bed sheets around him. Looking down to his feet for the source of the wetness, she found his toes immersed in a small pool of blood. He quickly lifted them out, small strings joining his feet to the floor. Apparently it had been there long enough to coagulate without drying. His eyes then caught onto the discarded school uniform he recognised as Kurama's, his own clothes messing up the floor, and then his heart sank. There, between the strewn clothing and splatters of blood was Kurama's rose. The petals were strewn across the floor as if it had been thrown down, and the stem was snapped in two, held together by only a few weak fibres.
"Oh my god…" He muttered, forgetting his exposure and kneeling down by the rose, caressing a petal as if it were Kurama himself dying before him.
"Hiei…" Shiori clamped her worry inside as she saw the distraught boy before her. She knelt down and pulled him towards her, hugging him tightly. He felt lost, and hugged her back.
"What happened, Shiori?" Hiei muttered, and she held him tighter.
"Hush Hiei. I don't know what happened, but we'll find out. First, you should put something on. Here." She reached across the floor and held out his boxers, then folded his pants and cloak neatly by Hiei's side. "Please hurry. I'll wait just outside." Hiei numbly dressed and pulled the door open. Shiori took his hand and led him down the stairs when he failed to follow. Hiei was trying to remember. He'd been waiting in Kurama's room for him to return with the antidote. He'd felt his control slipping, and he'd tried to run… Then, nothing. Had Kurama made it home? Hiei shook his head. He had to have done; those were his clothes on the floor. Why had he been naked? What was all that blood? His mind refused to accept what the evidence was telling him. "Hiei!" Shiori said sharply, and Hiei's head snapped up. He looked to her and she smiled sympathetically. "I said, do you know what happened?" Hiei shook his head, but before Shiori could ask more, the bell rang. She ran to answer it, Hiei close behind her. They were united in the hope of seeing long red hair and green eyes. As Shiori flung open the door, though, they were both disappointed. Before them stood Boton, with Yuusuke and Kuwabara at her shoulders.
"Oh, Shiori. We were coming to check on Hiei and K- Suichi." Boton said matter-of-factly. "Hiei!" She called, seeing Hiei at Shiori's shoulder. "How did it go last night, everything alright?" Hiei looked at her with lost red eyes, and her smile faltered. She braced herself for the worst as she walked inside. It was for exactly this reason that she'd bought Yuusuke and Kuwabara along.
"Suichi isn't here." Shiori said as they all trudged past her. "We were just trying to think where he'd have gone." Her voice was strained, and Boton put a hand on her shoulder.
"Perhaps we could have some tea, Shiori?" She asked, and Shiori nodded, walking stiffly into the kitchen as they all made their way upstairs. Hiei stood in the doorway as they all gawped at the state of the room.
"What the hell…" Yuusuke muttered.
"Shrimp, what did you-" Kuwabara was cut off mid-sentence as Boton put her arm across him. She knelt down before Hiei and looked into his eyes.
"Hiei, do you remember what happened last night?" She asked, but Hiei shook his head.
"All I remember is seeing you, then Kurama sending me back here." Boton nodded understandingly. Yuusuke and Kuwabara stared in silence. Hiei's voice was cracked with worry, drowning in emotion that he never showed. Yuusuke's eyes suddenly fell on the destroyed rose. The sight of it sent his mind into action.
"Forget the explanation. Let's just get out there and look for him. Now. Boton, you should go to spirit world. If you don't see Kurama then ask Koenma if he can locate him, or at least find out about portal activity last night or this morning. Kuwabara, you should search around town in case he's there. I'll go to Makai. Hiei, you and Shiori should stay here in case he comes back or look around the surrounding areas. You know all his favourite spots, right?" Yuusuke asked, and Hiei nodded. "Good. Let's go." They all leapt into action, piling down the stairs. Hiei, though, stopped in the living room with Shiori.
"They're going to look for him. We can stay here or go look around his favourite spots." Hiei said quietly, and she nodded.
"Thank you Hiei, but I think I'd rather stay here. I mean… He could just be out for the day to get cleaning things and didn't want to wake us." Hiei knew that she was only hoping for the best, but was thinking of the worst. He himself couldn't forget the rose lying on the floor above them. Was Kurama in that condition too?
"I'm sorry Boton, but Kurama hasn't come here. I monitor the activity in and out of spirit world at all times, and I look out for any demon signatures. I don't watch portals to Makai for demons, as there are so many. Instead I just keep a record of activity. I can only tell you when they were active." Boton looked disappointed, but nodded anyway.
"And? Was there anything last night?" She asked, watching several charts that Koenma was now inspecting.
"I'm sorry Boton, it's been a quiet night. There wasn't any movement in or out of Makai last night, but there were several early this morning. And there's one now." He said, watching as another blip appeared on his chart. "Looks like a powerful one too. That could be him." Boton shook her head disappointedly.
"No, that's just Yuusuke going to look for him."
"I'm sorry, Boton. I'll keep an eye on everything and let you know if I see anything that could be him, alright?" Boton nodded despondently and left the room, Koenma watching her with sorrowful eyes. He had seen what had happened the previous night as he'd checked up on them, but he was far too late to do anything. He had watched the room in shock for a long time after Kurama had left, and as a result had failed to see where the red haired demon had gone before he'd masked his power.
"Boton!" He shouted, and she poked her head back around the door hopefully. "If Hiei doesn't remember what happened, then watch this. If you are prepared for the worst, then you'll see. Don't, under any circumstances, let Kurama's mother see this." Boton felt a glimmer of hope, but the grim look on Koenma's face made her think again. She nodded, taking the tape in his hands and turning from the room. What was she going to tell the others?
Yuusuke was leaping around Makai, beating all demons he came into contact with for sightings of red hair. There had been none, and for once Yuusuke was glad that red hair was so rare. After several long hours of nothing, he returned empty handed aside from the knowledge that Kurama hadn't entered the demon world.
Kuwabara was sending his energy all over the town, following his instincts to check in all places for the illusive fox. He found no trace of Kurama, and even the people around hadn't seen him since the evening before. Kuwabara was mildly surprised by how many people seemed to know Kurama, of course they all knew him as Suichi. With a sigh he gave up and headed back to Kurama's house.
"Anything?!" Shiori asked, grabbing Yuusuke's shoulder tightly. He shook his head and felt even worse at the lifeless smile she gave him. "Thank you for trying." Yuusuke entered the living room to see Boton and Kuwabara sitting on the sofa, and Hiei on an armchair. Shiori took her head back in the other armchair and put her head in her hands. Yuusuke looked to Kuwabara, who shook his head, then to Hiei, who didn't even meet his gaze. He turned to Boton, and was surprised to find tears in her eyes. She took out the tape from Koenma, and Yuusuke looked at it for a moment. Boton then nodded to Shiori, and Yuusuke sighed. He moved over to her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, making her look up.
"I'm very sorry, Shiori." He said, and punched her gently in the stomach. She keeled forward, her eyes glazing over and then shutting. Yuusuke leant her back in the chair and made sure she was comfortable before taking the tape from Boton and slipping it into the player. The tv screen lit up, and they all watched as camera focussed through the dark. Seeing Hiei's form sitting on the bed, they waited. After a small while, the door opened, and Kurama entered, his vivid red hair visible against the dim light. They watched as Hiei pinned him to the wall, then hit him across the room. Boton covered her mouth as they watched the worst of it, and Hiei seemed frozen to the spot. They were all grateful that the tape had no sound. As they came to the end, Hiei watched with an open mouth as the flame lit over his fingers.
"No!" He shouted, abandoning his chair and shuffling closer. "No, don't do that!" He cried, but watched helplessly as he pressed his finger to Kurama's neck and watched the black dragon tattoo appear in the flame of the finger. His flame extinguished and they all sat in silence. They watched with baited breath as Kurama ran to the bathroom, and then returned to dress. They saw him leave, but even after he had gone they all stared at the screen until the white noise began, signalling the end. The player rewound the video and they all sat in horrified silence. Suddenly the screen flickered back to the dark room as the tape reached the beginning. No one moved. Hiei watched Kurama enter for the second time.
"Turn it off." Boton said with a shaking voice, tears streaming down her cheeks. Yuusuke switched off the tv, taking the tape out and regarding it silently. No one wanted to break the silence. Boton had already explained the sword and antidote before they'd arrived that morning, so he knew he couldn't blame Hiei, but there was something inside him that wanted to. He looked down to the demon kneeling before the tv, eyes still glued to the screen, and was surprised to see tears falling down his cheeks. Any anger he felt disappeared.
"What was that mark, Hiei?" Yuusuke asked, curious what could have made him cry out at the screen.
"All demons have a mark for their mates, and for each type of mate, the mark changes." Hiei said through gritted teeth.
"That's the mark for your mate?" Yuusuke asked, recalling the twirling black dragon.
"No." Hiei stated, more tears falling unhindered down his pale cheeks. "That's my mark of slavery." Sudden revulsion gripped Yuusuke's stomach, and he was barely able to restrain himself from hitting Hiei. Hiei seemed to be fighting urges of his own, however, and ran into the kitchen. They all heard the retching noises as Hiei was sick into the sink. When he returned, there was silence. It was Yuusuke that spoke up again.
"It doesn't change anything." He said firmly. "We still need to find Kurama and bring him back. I know he didn't enter the demon world. Any luck, Kuwabara, Boton?" He asked, looking to them for answers. Two heads shook in his direction. No luck. "Well we know he's on earth, at least. And probably still in Japan. Hiei, can you trace him with your Jagan?" Hiei looked up with empty eyes. "Can you?" He asked again, and Hiei nodded slowly. "Good. Then do it. Now." Hiei looked uncertain, but now he'd seen the tape he had to find his Fox. He had to at least try to ask for forgiveness. Pulling off his headband, Hiei activated his eye. For a moment he was glad he'd marked Kurama. That made him much easier to find. Then he remembered what he'd marked him as, and quickly focussed back on his task. He felt a small twinge of power, seeing forests swaying in the breeze, and then it was gone. He tried again, but this time there wasn't even an echo of power. Kurama was just too good at hiding.
"Sorry, Yuusuke, I can't find him. I felt his power for just a moment, but it was gone so quickly. He's in a forest, far north of here." Yuusuke nodded and grabbed a piece of paper from the stand by the phone along with a pen. Shoving them into Hiei's hands, he pointed to Shiori.
"North is good enough for now. We'll just have to go and see. Write her a letter; I don't care how long it takes. Explain to her that we'll be gone looking for him, and that she shouldn't notify the police. She knows you, it has to be you." Yuusuke was firm, and Hiei knew he was right. Leaning on the table beside his chair, Hiei began writing.
After several long minutes, he finished the letter and placed it on Shiori's lap. Hiei led the way from the house, and soon all four were heading north. Boton took Kuwabara on her oar, while Hiei and Yuusuke leapt below her, keeping up easily. Each was as determined as the next. They'd find Kurama. They had to.