Part 31: Rest In Pieces

There were few things that the former Rekai Tantei appreciated more than Genkai's occasional 'let's-get-together-and-celebrate-friendship-family-and-not-being-dead-yet" parties, especially since the old woman was a veritable well of awesome video-games, ancient stories, and a well-stocked sake supply. Even Ani had to admit that the old hag knew how to throw a party. He sat on the edge of the porch, watching with interest as an increasingly drunken Keiko attempted, for the fourth or fifth time, to beat the hell out of Yusuke, who continued to push her off, laughing.

In the corner a few of Kurama's 'associates', demons Ani vaguely remembered from the last Demon Tournament, were having a drinking contest, which the red-haired wind apparition was winning hands down, much to the chagrin of his blue-haired friend, who looked increasingly drunk and more and more like a cat whose dignity had been offended. When they had spotted Ani, sitting against a column smoking a cigarette (courtesy of Shizuru), they had immediately avoided him; now the demon was pretty sure he could dance sans clothing in front of them and neither would notice he was there.

"This," Genkai said beside him, "Is ridiculous."

Ani snorted. "Not as ridiculous as the time you tried to out-drink brother." He said, to which Genkai replied, with the smallest of smiles, "Which time?"

Kuwabara came to sit down beside them, his own cup of well-earned punch in his hands. "You'd think Hiei'd never seen a punch bowl before." He grumbled. To his left, Shizuru laughed. "You mean he's never seen a punch bowl with ice-cream in it before." She replied. From his perch a few trees away, pretending not to hear them and ignoring the festivities, Hiei continued to drink what was left of the punch with a long-stemmed ladle.

"I wonder if he'll eat the bowl, too." Ani half-murmured to himself. Kurama, heading over to the food table with Botan, shook his head. "don't give him ideas." He commented.

Hiei hadn't agreed to come to the party; he had been forcibly brought there by Kurama and stayed for the punch, or so he claimed, but all assembled knew better. Kuwabara had been thrilled; the first fifteen minutes had been spent in a verbal sparring match the likes of which Aniki Toguro hadn't heard in years, the insults ranging anywhere from 'shrimp' to explitives he hadn't even been aware Kuwabara knew.

There was a moment of mostly comfortable silence. In the six months since Yusuke's return from Demon World, things had straightened out fairly well. Kuwabara, mostly free from his demon-hunting obligations, was able to finish out his semester with no further absences, though a few late-night patrols still had him missing morning classes. Yusuke and Keiko were hip-deep in the planning of their wedding, the Mazoku taking every opportunity to hide from his slightly psychotic bride to be, even (to Ani's eternal amusement) camping out in the Toguro Brother's living room and hiding underneath the counter at Oblivion.

Kurama's secret still remained secret, although if Ani had to hazard a guess, he'd say a confession- complete with flowers and heart-shaped chocolates- would be coming soon. After all, Shuichi Minamino had never half-assed anything in his life.

The demon gazed out over the small group. Beside him, Genkai was a calming presence; he could smell the death on her, and she had seen the surprise in his eyes. He hadn't asked her how long she had left; she hadn't offered the information. She had merely smiled, and nodded, and sat drinking her sake, and Ani almost felt guilty that he hadn't known her longer.

He couldn't call these people friends, not yet; Kuwabara was a friend, but they were aquaintences. Perhaps someday, though, when he finished remembering how to be human, and when Kurama finally got over being one-upped, and when Hiei stopped watching his every move like he was some sort of poisonous viper. Aniki chuckled to himself. He really wouldn't have it any other way.

He took a deep, cleansing breath.

"Oi. Urameshi. You sober?"

The Mazoku glanced up at the demon from where he had managed to trip and fall on his ass while avoiding yet another of Keiko's drunken swings.

"Mostly," he said with a lopsided grin, "Why?"

Ani stood, stretching, the motion making his entire body arch like a cat. He reached for his lapel, pulling out from where they were hooked a set of dark sunglasses, marred with a single crack.

"think you can hit a flying target?" he commented.

Quiet stretched between them then, and Yusuke nodded, planting his feet wide apart, right hand already curled into a familiar position.

"Let her rip." He said, a wide, grim grin crossing his features. Ani nodded and, with all the finesse of an Olympic discus thrower, tossed the glasses high into the air, where they made a wide arc. For a moment all eyes glanced up, distracted by the sudden flash of sun off of lense; and in that instant a flash of blue tore the sky in two, and the ashes of Otouto Toguro plummeted without ceremony to the ground.

Ani let a small smile quirk his lips.

"Rest in pieces, you son of a bitch." Genkai said affectionately, and Aniki, for once in his life, had to agree.

A/N: Holy hell, it's done. –falls over—Thank you so much to all of you who have faved this story, reviewed, and were generally really awesome people. I'm sorry you had to wait so long for this last chapter (and I'm not making any promises; there's a distinct possibility that this might get rewritten in the near future) but for right now, I hearby declare this the end of Yu Yu Hakusho: Rest In Pieces. Stay tuned, because I doubt that I'm done with poor Ani, or Kuwabara, or any of the crew. Expect a maybe-sequel. If I can handle that. Thank you everyone!