The sun shone brightly on the tranquil rows of tombstones as incense burned and flowers swayed in the light breeze. The cemetery was silent aside from the light scrape of bristles over the pavement paths.

Kuwabara raised the broom over his shoulder and held up a fresh bouquet. He looked down at Kurama, who had just finished his prayers, and asked, "Where should I put these flowers?"

"Right over there," Kurama answered as he pointed to an empty vase.

Kuwabara placed the flowers down and was about to continue sweeping when he saw Keiko dip a cloth rag into a wooden bucket of water. "Yukimura, did you pick a college?"

"Uh-huh…" She was dressed in a black skirt and suit with matching shoes, and her brown hair had grown past her shoulders and cascaded down to her midback. "Yotsuya U, the education program."

"Gonna be a teacher? Guess that's okay," Kuwabara said with uncertainty.

"Gee, thanks!" Keiko narrowed her eyes as she cleaned the grave they were visiting.

Kuwabara rested the broom over his shoulder again as Kurama got to his feet. "Skipping higher education too, Kurama?"

"Yes," the red-head answered with a pleasant smile. "My stepdad's company is more edifying."

"There, it's all polished," Keiko announced as she hung the wet rag on the bar over the mouth of the bucket. "Where are they anyway?"

Kurama caught movement in his peripheral vision and smiled as he turned. "Speaking of which…"

"Hmph!" Kuwabara frowned, disappointed but not surprised. "Shuffling along as usual!"

"Yo!" Yusuke grinned and raised a hand in greeting as he and Sayomi arrived. He wore a short-sleeved, white T-shirt with black slacks. Sayomi wore her usual attire but had swapped her usual purple shirt for a sleeveless black shirt.

"Didn't even bother to bring flowers?" Kuwabara questioned with a judging raised brow.

"Hey, I brought my sunny smile," Yusuke teased. "Isn't that enough?"

Sayomi shrugged. "We were running kinda late, so we came straight here."

"I just came from an all-nighter," Yusuke said defensively.

"You louse!" Kuwabara grumbled.

Yusuke pointed down at the plate of food and asked, "May I have one of those dumplings?"

Keiko whacked him on the head and scolded, "Only after you say your prayers!"

Sayomi was already kneeling before the grave with her hands pressed together and her eyes closed. Hey, Genkai, I don't know if you can hear me, or if you even care about this sappy stuff, but I just want to say thank you. You may or may not have realized it, but aside from the old man, you were the first person to actually teach me what I needed to know and encouraged me to grow in more ways than I can count. You gave me the chance I so desperately craved and pushed me beyond what I ever hoped to become. I know I can never properly repay you, but I just hope I can make you proud through my actions moving forward. And don't worry, I'll make sure Yusuke and the others stay out of trouble or help them get out of it. Good luck on your journey through the afterlife and maybe our paths will eventually cross again in the distant future.

When Sayomi had finished and stepped away, Yusuke took her place and sat with his elbow propped over a raised knee. His eyes glazed over as he remembered his last moment with the old psychic. "Genkai passed away soon after the incident. She popped in to hassle… uh, advise me before I pressed the button." He let out a heavy sigh and said, "Guess she was about gone…"

Keiko balled up her fist and angrily punched the back of his head. "Show some respect!"

Then Shizuru stepped out from the cemetery temple door and asked, "Got a minute, guys?"

The group congregated inside the temple and sat down on the floor with Yukina and Botan as Shizuru lit a cigarette. She pulled out a plain white envelope from her pocket and Yusuke's eyes bulged. "Huh?! Genkai had a will?!"

"She asked me to read it out at a suitable time." Shizuru opened the envelope and unfolded the paper within. "As all concerned parties are here…"

Yusuke turned to Kuwabara with a mischievous smirk. "Maybe she's left us a huge fortune!"

"Or clues to a buried treasure!" Kuwabara added with a matching expression.

Sayomi stared at the boys and shook her head. "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you guys."

"Let's see…" Shizuru looked down at the paper in her hands.

"Get on with it!" Kuwabara urged impatiently.

"'To whom it matters…'" Shizuru began.

Yusuke let out a heavy sigh of disappointment. "That doesn't sound very promising."

Ignoring his rude commentary, Shizuru continued reading. "'By the time this document is read, some of you may have crossed over. Who knows?'"

"Hmph…" Yusuke scoffed.

"'However, I'll assume that everyone concerned is alive and well. Cutting to the chase, I bequeath to you all the land around my temple. The requisite paperwork is in a safety deposit box in ABC Bank, XYZ Branch.'"

"What?!" Yusuke and everyone else reeled at the news.

"'The property is a two-hour drive from the nearest town. Not exactly convenient, but not my problem. The point is it's a perfect refuge for demons. Leave it in its natural state, if you can.'" Shizuru finished reading and tucked the letter away. "So, who wants to take a little road trip? I'll drive."

Everyone agreed and parted ways to change their clothes. Then Shizuru drove around town, picking everyone up, before driving out to Genkai's isolated temple. They parked as close as they could, but it was still at the base of the mountain, hidden from the main road.

As they climbed the hundreds of steps leading up to the temple gate, Sayomi remembered her first day setting foot in the Human World. I didn't realize it at the time, but this place ended up feeling like my home. I knew I was always welcome here and I was free of any judgement so I could really be myself. She's right… it is a refuge and I intend to treat it as such. A two-hour distance by car is nothing for me once the sun sets, and I know Hiei wouldn't mind visiting since it's far away from the human crowds.

Once they made it to the top of the stairs, they turned to look at the view of forest covered mountains that stretched for kilometers. Yusuke took in the view and stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets. "So which part is the property exactly?"

"As far as you can see from here," Shizuru answered and Sayomi let out a low whistle.

"Seriously?" Kuwabara stared in awe until he wondered, "Okay… what now?"

Yusuke smiled as he appreciated the tranquil beauty of the nature he used to hate so much. "Leave it be, and make sure humans don't trespass."

Everyone took the time to stand in silence and listen. They heard the trees rustling in the wind as a woodpecker tapped at a nearby tree trunk. Sayomi spotted a curious gray squirrel at the base of another tree, watching them with a flick of its tail and twitching nose.

"Certainly too big for our pockets, anyway," Yusuke mused aloud. "Right, Clarisse?"

"Feh!" Kuwabara smirked at Yusuke's lame attempt at a joke.

"Shall we return by the scenic route?" Shizuru turned towards a beaten path that led westward. The others agreed and followed her down the path.

As they walked, Sayomi soaked in every detail. Genkai's death and the death of Raizen made her more appreciative of the moments she spent with her friends. They had become a family of sorts, and she cherished every single one of them. There was a time when I felt so alone, but I don't feel that way at all anymore. Even if I am physically by myself, I feel content with having met everyone and the events leading me to this new peaceful chapter in my life.

When they reached the peak of the mountain, Sayomi's eyes widened as her face spread into a wide smile. She had never seen the ocean before, so she was left breathless as the setting sun painted both the sky and the sea in a brilliant collage of pinks, purples, and oranges. The misty breeze carried the scent of the salty sea as its waves crashed over the sandy beach shores.

"Wow!" Botan raised a hand over her eyes with a big smile. "What a spectacular view!"

"So that's the ocean? It's beautiful!" Yukina beamed as she held her cap over her head so the wind wouldn't blow it away.

"Isn't it?" Kuwabara agreed beside her. He closed his eyes and cupped his chin as he turned towards her. "But there's someone even more beautiful…"

Shizuru stared at her brother and said, "Way too late, bro."

"Whee!" Botan, Sayomi and Yukina had already run off towards the glistening cold water.

The girls stopped running before the water could get their shoes wet, but Sayomi let the cold waves wash over her bare feet. She smiled and relished the feeling of her toes sinking into the soggy wet sand as the water pulled back to sea. She reached down to pluck a white shell from the floor and let the returning waves wash it clean.

Meanwhile, Keiko joined Yukina and stared out towards the horizon with admiration. Yukina's smile glowed in the dimming rays of sunlight as she said, "That's a gorgeous sunset."

"In daylight the water's as blue as the sky." Keiko stretched her clasped hands high above her head as she watched the glowing orange disk sink down to kiss the water's edge. "That's when I like the ocean best."

"I'd love to see that!" Yukina beamed.

"I'd love to see it reflect the full moon and night sky," Sayomi commented as she tucked the shell in her pocket and joined them.

"You just might get your wish," Shizuru said as an unlit cigarette hung from her mouth. "Gettin' dark. Mebbe we should find a motel…"

"Whoa!" Kuwabara raised a halting hand as his cheeks flushed deep red. "Students of the opposite sex mustn't stop at motels!"

"How noble," Botan said dryly.

"Are there even motels this far out?" Sayomi asked.

"Hmm…" Botan tapped her lip with a finger as she raised her eyes upward in thought. "That's a good question…"

Keiko found a beached tree branch and sat down as she watched Yusuke skip rocks over the ocean surface. The breeze blew her hair back as she asked him, "So what did you and Genkai talk about?"

"Nothing much," Yusuke answered as he picked up another rock. "She insulted me, then gave me a pep talk." He tossed the rock and let it fly across the water. "I couldn't choose a button, so she said to stop thinking and just do it."

"Did you finally press the red button?" Keiko asked curiously.

"What do you care? Anyway, I forget," Yusuke snapped as he reached for another rock and threw it as hard as he could, making a large splash. "Tah!"

Keiko stood up and placed her hands on her hips with a huff. "What's he mad about?"

Kuwabara grinned widely at Kurama and Sayomi who both smiled knowingly. Keiko's cheeks puffed up as she watched them. "What?"

Kuwabara rested his elbows over his raised knees and lowered his voice to keep Yusuke from hearing. "Don't tell him I told you, or he'll kill me. He didn't mean to say it, but it slipped out in the heat of the moment. He pressed the blue button. Isn't that your favorite color, Yukimura?" Kuwabara's grin stretched as he tried to keep from laughing. "Something else he said, that 'they may have a god, but I have a goddess on my side.'"

Keiko's eyes widened as a deep blush bloomed in her cheeks.

Everyone except Yukina and an embarrassed Keiko doubled over with laughter. Botan even fell onto her back as she clutched her aching ribs. " Ha ha ha ha ha!! What a cheeseball!!"

"Huh?" Yusuke blinked when he heard the commotion and turned back to stare at everyone confused. "What's so funny?"

Botan jumped back to a sitting-up position and waved off his concern. "Nothing, sir! Private joke!"

"Such a goof…" Keiko muttered under her breath with a pout.

"Ain't he, though?" Kuwabara grinned at her reaction.

"Goof…" Keiko started walking towards him and discarded her sweater vest then her sandals. Yusuke didn't notice her approaching behind him as he stared out towards the setting sun.

"Ooh!" Botan covered her mouth with a hand as everyone watched Keiko jump into the water and hook her arm around Yusuke's neck, pulling him down with her with a large splash.

Shizuru raised her index fingers in a silent cheer as she said, "Guess we're spending the night."

Botan giggled gleefully into her hand. "Oh my, is that the summer heat I feel?"

"It's about time, if you ask me," Sayomi agreed as she grinned and crossed her arms.

" Keiko!" Yusuke yelled as he jumped out of the freezing water, his hair and clothes soaking wet. " Have you gone totally bananas?!"

" Ha ha ha ha!" Keiko just laughed as Yusuke grinned and splashed her with the ocean water. Kuwabara and Botan laughed out loud while Yukina smiled brightly. Kurama and Shizuru smiled as they watched the peaceful scene.

Sayomi felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as she basked in the moment. She could just imagine what everyone else was doing while they spent the evening together on the beach. She could see Koenma stamping paperwork at his desk, Hiei napping high up in a tree in the Demon Plane, Atsuko gambling at the local horse races, Pu sleeping back at the temple, and Yasuhiro sharing private moments with Mukuro.

Back in Yusuke's room, the breeze from his open window sent a loose photo floating to his wooden floor. In the photo, Sayomi stood smiling with the boys. Kurama's arms crossed over his stomach and his hands rested on his hips as he smiled at the camera. Yusuke smirked as he stood sideways in his fighting clothes with his arms crossed and a couple bandages on his arm and cheek. Kuwabara stood behind them with one arm resting on one of Yusuke's shoulders and the other arm raised behind Kurama with a thumbs up. Bandages wrapped around one of his arms and covered a small cut above his eye as he smirked confidently towards the camera. Beside Yusuke, Sayomi had one arm hooked around Hiei's shoulders, who stared off to the side, as she leaned in close to him and grinned with her other hand raised in a peace sign.

And then…

The End.