"Don't you dare, Kurama!" Hiei shouted across the clearing, slicing a few demons in half with his sword. "We'll manage without!" He sliced through a few more, but was already surrounded again. He backed up until his back was against Yuusuke's and Kuwabara's.

"Sorry, Hiei." Hiei heard Kurama call from his fight. The wind suddenly stopped, and the trees fell silent. In one deft movement, Kurama released what was left of his energy. Hiei turned to see a demon take advantage of the opening. The sword slipped into Kurama's chest just as the ground beneath them was forced into the air. Hiei's last view of Kurama was a confident smile masking the pain. Hiei heard himself screaming the redhead's name. He felt Yuusuke's arms close around his shoulders to stop him throwing himself back down. The trees all around the small piece of earth they were standing on suddenly threw their branches to the sky, impaling all demons in the area with deadly accuracy. They were forced still higher on their make-shift lift, and thrown through the portal back to the human world. They landed unceremoniously at the foot of the portal, which promptly sealed behind them in a flash of red light. They sat in a heap, no one moving. Small chinks sounded, and looking to Hiei they saw why. Tears were rolling down his cheeks and solidifying into gems, falling to the floor. Boton appeared above them and landed swiftly at their side.

"Yuusuke! Kuwabara! Hiei! Kur-" She stopped. "The portals have all closed! Where's Kurama?!" He shaking voice made it obvious she'd already guessed.

"Gone." They looked around to Hiei, who had spoken almost inaudibly. He got to his feet slowly, thrust a small piece of glass into Boton's hands, and leapt off into the night.

"Gone?" Boton repeated helplessly, and Yuusuke nodded.

"We were overwhelmed, Boton. There were just too many. He… He used the only thing that outnumbered the demons. The trees." Boton fell to her knees, tears dripping down her cheeks. Yuusuke lifted his eyes to the lights of the town not far away, clenching his fists. His first thoughts went to Kurama's mother. She had to be told. He wouldn't have believed the redhead to be dead, but that amount of energy after already fighting would have killed anyone… And then that damn demon had stabbed him… And even if by some miracle he was alive, he was now sealed inside Makai.

"Urameshii?" Kuwabara called, carrying the sobbing Boton towards Genkai's temple.

"I'll be there soon, Kuwabara. I'm going to see Kurama's mother." Kuwabara nodded understandingly, and they made off in different directions.

Yuusuke raised his hand to know on the door of Kurama's mother and step-father, but something told him not to. He tiptoed over the grass to the window and looked inside the living room. He smiled sadly. That was as it should be. Hiei was there, hugging Shiori tightly, both crying. Yuusuke turned and walked back down the path, heading for Genkai's.

Hiei and Shiori were holding each other for a long time, and Hiei for once had no desire to pull away. The grief he felt at losing the love of his life was equalled by the grief she felt at losing her son. He'd hold her tightly for as long as she needed, glad for each extra minute. Then, when she was ready, he'd go. He already knew his exact location. Genkai's temple, and Yukina. If this was going to teach him anything, it was going to teach him to take the moment. This moment, though, was filled only with the grief of mourning.

"Hiei's with Kurama's mother." Yuusuke said by way of explanation as he entered the temple sooner than he had been expected. Boton was still sobbing on the sofa, Keiko patting her shoulder and Genkai was handing her a cup of tea. Yukina was tending to Kuwabara's wounds. She stood up as Yuusuke entered properly.

"How are your wounds?" She asked, but she shrugged her hands off.

"Fine. Don't worry about me. Hiei will be coming soon, you should get the things and tend to him outside." The firmness in Yuusuke's voice made Yukina nod and obey immediately, pausing only long enough to grab her things.

"What'd you do that for, Urameshii?" Kuwabara asked, obviously wishing to spend more time with Yukina.

"Hiei will tell Yukina he's her brother. They need to be alone." He said simply, ignoring the dumb look on Kuwabara's face.

"Yuusuke…" Boton murmured, and he looked up. "How did this happen?" She spoke in such a quiet voice that Yuusuke wondered if she'd ever be able to talk normally again. A hum of familiar energy made him aware that Hiei had just arrived outside.

"I don't know, Boton. We were heading home from the mission when we were ambushed. I should have seen it coming. He did what he thought best and probably saved all our lives."

"What about the piece of the glass he was holding?" Koenma's voice sounded loudly in the hushed room. Yuusuke turned and gave him a look of fury, advancing a few steps.

"Kurama just died, and that's all you can think about?!" He stormed, but stopped short of Koenma. To hurt Koenma now would not be what Kurama would want. "I don't know." He said at last, referring to the piece.

"I do." Hiei said darkly, entering the room. His dark aura pulsed around them all like pure sadness, and silence fell. Yukina followed Hiei in, her cheeks tearstained and a handful of gems in her hands. Some were white, but the others were a deep shade of red.

"You know what happened to his piece?" Koenma asked, looking at Hiei cautiously.

"Yes. Kurama gave me his piece before we set off." Hiei handed Koenma two pieces of clear glass. "I bet he knew what we were heading into. The forest would have been like an information network for him. He planned it this way." Yuusuke's hope got the better of him, causing him to speak.

"You think he's alive?" Boton sat up at the prospect, but Hiei diverted his gaze to the floor.

"I don't think so. I believe that the result would have been the same regardless of which portal we headed for. We were utterly surrounded the moment we left that castle. He knew he wouldn't be coming back, that's why he gave me his piece. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Now I wish I had…" There was silence, and Hiei turned, walking past Yukina.

"Where are you going?" Yuusuke asked, stepping forward out of reflex.

"The portals closed to protect the human world from the power surge, but they'll be opening again now, won't they?" He asked, and Koenma gave a confirmatory nod. "I don't know whether he's alive or not, but I don't intend to leave Shiori without even a body to bury." His bluntness stunned them into silence, so no one followed for several minutes after he left. When they did finally get back to themselves, Yuusuke and Kuwabara both set off after Hiei. He was right. That would at least bring closure.