Chapter 33

Breaking Apart

Kurama woke up in the hospital wing of the Reikai palace, swathed in bandages, like he had earned badges for his deeds. He looked around to find the others; they too were in hospital beds and wrapped up like mummies. He felt like crap; restless from the effects of super-natural caffeine, aching from his injuries, and everything felt like a third-degree burn; probably from wandering around the erupting volcano. At least he wasn't covered in ash and mud and smelling like rotting seaweed anymore…

Cripes, even is hair hurt; it felt like wire and straw as he scratched an itch, and immediately wished he hadn't. For some mocking purpose, there was a mirror on the wall right in front of him, to balance out the room because the only window was on the far side of the wall. "You've seen better decades, old friend." Yoko's voice spoke from his mouth. "All too true." He sighed and gingerly lay back down. He'd probably have to restock all the seeds he carried in his hair that were scorched. Judging from the light in the window, it was either just before noon, or just after, he couldn't tell which way east was. Crap, if this was noon of the same day, no wonder he was so damn tired. "It's actually been a whole day since you came back."

Kurama jumped uncharacteristically. Koenma bobbed in the air beside him. "I remember my first cup of Joe," the princeling sighed, shaking his head. "The most horrible caffeine rush I ever had; made me want to vomit. But I cleared my entire desk! All the paper work was gone."

Kurama was too distracted by the thought of having only been sleeping for 24 hours. "How is Gabi?" he asked, trying to change the subject away from the damn coffee. Koenma looked rather somber, "Not too well, I'm afraid." he replied.

"What?" he furrowed his brow and his eyes grew wider in concern.

"Her vitals are fine, if anything, she is healing faster than any of you. The problem is, her spirit is still weak. Her heart and soul are intertwined closely together. Her sadness may affect her body, being a handler of spirits and psychic properties. I'm hoping her heart won't give up the will to live."

"I can't say I blame her." Yusuke said, waking up in the bed next to Kurama and listening in. "He was one of few things that were stable in her life. She could wake up in a tree house in the Amazon, or underground in an Indian cave, and he was a constant presence. She could remember where she was with him, and have a personal reminder that she wasn't wandering across the world alone, she was just exploring with a companion."

The day dragged on, and they went back to sleep. Gabrielle sat up from her sleep at sunset, shaded in a golden-red light from the window in front of her. She sighed sadly, pulling off the cumbersome bandage from around her head. Her head was swimming, but she didn't care. Her life had a huge chunk taken out of it. She was forced to move on.

She wandered out of the room, limping with each step, and her heart heavier than her exhausted limbs. Gabrielle all too soon welcomed darkness as she entered her home and fell on his bed. His cool silk and satin sheets were much more comfortable to her blistered skin.

Yusuke walked up to his companions, still swathed like a mummy across his torso, but he could move about. He looked up at them sadly, "I followed her home, and she was asleep in the dark, just listening to Metallica over and over," he said, his breathing was quick, and uneven. They stood outside Kurama's house, having been released from Reikai hospital hours before.

"I think somebody should talk to her," Kuwabara said.

"It doesn't matter; I just got back from checking on her for the second time. She's leaving." Yusuke responded.

"What?" Kurama breathed in disbelief, "What do you mean 'leaving'?"

"There are boxes all over the place as I looked in her window; there were ogres from Koenma helping her. She's moving; I saw a letter on the table; it was Daren's will. She's leaving to sort out his affairs and assets."

"Why is that so shocking?" Hiei asked blankly.

"She inherited a castle in Makai that belonged to a clan of werewolves."

"Shit! That dude was a werewolf?!" Kuwabara cried. Kurama's heart stopped, he had a heavy, sick feeling. Without another word, he ran, ignoring his injuries and went to Gabrielle's apartment. He burst in the door out of breath, "Gabi-!" he gasped in horror. The walls were bare, the floor was empty; she was gone and he was too late. He didn't see her again for two years.

Koenma sat at his desk, milling through a lifetime of paper work that had to be annulled because the world didn't end. He sighed tiredly and dragged his sleeve across his eyes. He was exhausted, for a Reikai prince. Botan walked in with her oar over her shoulder, she too was frazzled. "I've ferried them both, Koenma sir, Morpheus and Daren," she said. "They're at rest."

"Very good, Botan," the prince sighed.

"She has a message for you, you know."

"Gabi? What on earth for?" he turned to his view screen. The screen blinked and the blonde's face showed up. Her face had change since she began working for him. Her eyes were deeper, wiser, and her hair had grown quickly over the short time she was in Japan, from just under her chin to just under her shoulders.

"Hey, Koenma, it's me. I have to quit your team for a while," Gabriel began her recorded message, "I have yet to get over my grieving for him, but he was a strong man and I feel I should live up to the image he left me; I have to wake up every morning because the sun will still rise. As you well know, when Daren passed, and he left everything to me; I plan on transferring his entire estate to Reikai instead of Makai. I don't belong to Ningenkai anymore; I don't know how to change back to how I was, but I have time now to try." She pointed to her ears, which had grown very pointy in her attempt to regain her rightful form. "My life will be divided into finishing my studies and taking care of Daren's affairs. If you want to tell the others what I am, I don't mind. And if you really need me again, you'll know where to find me… but please, don't tell the boys where. I have to figure out who I am as a person and try to understand my memories. Goodbye for now."

Botan was in tears; Koenma thoughtfully chewed on his binky, and sighed. "There is truly a great young woman and perhaps … Botan, why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

The ferry girl nodded and took off into the Reikai sky, swooping low to weave through a forest. Birds fluttered beside her in their impeccable white plumage. A pair of doves; birds so sensitive they could not live without their mates. They were birds of peace, love and purity. Their polar opposites the ravens, though lowly scavenger birds and omens of doom, were as passionate mate sand parents. Two different birds matched in love, who did they remind her of? The doves and the ravens…

AN: Hey guys, it's that time again, when I receive death threats for cliffhanger endings. This part of the story is through, the Doves and the Ravens. But, it won't take me so long to update the next one. The only thing holding me back is the title. I turn to the readers to say you guys are awesome and deserve recognition for giving me the motivation and inspiration for these two lovers. Even just a single review makes my day, and a single review gave me the strength to finally end this story and begin another.

I won't be long…