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Chapter 2
Hiei

Mukuro lets me leave two days early. I take it with gratitude and race through the Ningenkai to my fox's parents' house, where he is staying for the ningen holiday of Christmas. As I get closer to where he is, I hear a strange, wailing sound. I ignore it and continue. I want to be with my fox. I've missed him.

Before I get to the house, I see the fire. My fox's house is on fire! Is he in it?! I run faster. The wailing noise is coming from the three large red vehicles that are surrounding the burning building. There are three bodies on the ground outside the house. Ningens wearing strange clothing surround the house, spraying water on it from huge hoses. I find that I am grateful toward them for trying to save my fox. But they can't do it on their own.

I reach out with my ki and stifle the flames in one blow. The ningens look confused for a moment, then rush into the house with stretchers. They come out with four blackened bodies. I feel for youki coming from any of them. And find nothing. No...It can't be...Can my fox really be gone? He is...I know it...and I am frustrated and saddened by the fact that I cannot change it. Holding back tears, I run away from the blackened hulk that was my lover's home...and from the burned shell that was my lover's body.

I run to Yuusuke's house and knock on his window. After a while, he opens it, yawning tiredly. Evidently, I woke him up, but I don't care. Everything I cared about, with the exception of Yukina, died with Kurama. Maybe the fact that Yukina needs me will keep me alive. Self-hatred surrounds me. She got along fine without me before. She can get along without me again. I jump into Yuusuke's room.

"Hiei?! What're you doing here?!" he asks. "I thought you were in the Makai!"

He doesn't know yet, I think sorrowfully. I will have to show him. All I say is, "Turn on the television."

For a moment he looks like he might refuse. I just stare at him, and he finally does. He flips through channels. I tell him to stop when I see an image of Kurama's burning house. "...Once again, there was a fire at the Minamino residence. Four bodies were recovered from the blaze. They are assumed to be the family. The cause of the fire is unknown at this point in time. The police are investigating..." I have heard enough and turn off the television. They did not mention the three bodies that I had seen outside, but I am too depressed to question it.

Yuusuke looks stunned. He sits down on the bed and looks at me. "Kurama...is he...dead?" I nod and look away. "We'd better tell the others..." he whispers softly. I only nod again, not trusting myself to speak.

The ningen dresses quickly and we head to Kuwabara's house. His parents work during the night, so we are able to go right to the front door instead of sneaking in through an open window.

Kuwabara's sister, Shizuru, answers the door. She immediately lets us in. "What is it?" she asks. She is one of the few humans that know about the Urameshi team.

Yuusuke brushes past her and turns on the television, turning to the channel where we had seen the broadcast about Kurama's death. Sure enough, it is still on. Evidently, not many problems happen in the Ningenkai. Ningens are much too stupid to cause problems. At least...I used to think so...

"...fire fighters are still trying to discover the cause of the blaze and the reasons the fire went out so suddenly." It shows an image of the huge fire engulfing the house, then suddenly disappearing altogether. Yuusuke turns his head toward me sharply, and I know that he has figured out why I knew about Kurama's death. His look is pitying, and I don't want pity. I remain motionless, not caring. "Once again, a fire broke out in the Minamino residence. There were no survivors..." The screen goes dark as Yuusuke flips off the television.

Shizuru sits on the couch heavily, her face pale. She looks like she wants to cry. I am surprised. I have come to respect Shizuru for her bravery and nerve. She is one of the few ningens to have gained my respect. And now...she's about to cry. She pulls herself together quickly, to my relief. If she starts crying, I don't think I'll be able to hold my emotions in. "I'll...I'll go wake up my brother."

It takes a few minutes for the idiot to get downstairs. He thinks it's another mission. I can tell by the stupid grin on his ugly face. "Well, who do we have to fight? I, THE MIGHTY KAZUMA KUWABARA SHALL-"

I lose my temper, which is probably good because I know that I'll cry if I don't get rid of some of this bottled up emotion. "SHUT UP, DAMMIT!!" He turns toward me and opens his mouth, probably to say something rude to me. I turn away, shaking with bottled up emotions, knowing that if I yell again, or if he yells at me, I will cry. "Kurama's dead," I whisper, almost inaudibly.

Kuwabara hears me despite the almost inaudible tone of my voice. "N-nani?!" I don't turn around, so I don't see the look on his face. "He...he's lying, isn't he?!"

Yuusuke answers him quietly. "He's not lying. And...unless I'm wrong, he was there when it happened." I stiffen in shock. Even though I know he knows, I don't expect him to say it out loud. I want to leave, but I can't move. I lower my head, and close my eyes.

Everyone is quiet for a few minutes. Finally Shizuru breaks the silence. "Let's go to Genkai's." We leave and start toward the temple. No one speaks the entire way there. Finally we reach Genkai's temple and wake her by knocking on her window.

The old ningen female lets us in. "Something is wrong," She states. As if no one could tell.

Yuusuke glances at me, and I look away. I'm not going to say anything. He sighs and answers her instead. "Kurama is dead," he says reluctantly.

Genkai looks shocked. "How?" she asks.

The black-haired ningen looks at me again, but I still say nothing. "There was a fire at his home. He didn't get out alive. Neither did his family."

There is a small gasp from the door. A small voice says "Kurama-san...is he really..." It breaks off as the speaker starts to cry. Yukina...She heard. I turn and start to walk away, but she calls to me. "Oniisan! Please don't leave!" I can't refuse her, my sister...

I stand there, uncertain of what to do. The room is silent for a while. Finally Genkai breaks the silence. "We should contact Koenma. There is a possibility that Kurama is in one of the other worlds."

The old woman has a point. Perhaps...no...I won't let myself hope...If I do, and he is truly dead, I will not be able to continue living. But I ignore my own advice. Beyond all sense, I hope...

Koenma arrives just after daybreak. No one has slept; no one can. Yuusuke got Keiko shortly after we summoned Koenma, and she is sitting with Yukina, crying. And Shizuru has smoked so many cigarettes that I'm surprised that her lungs haven't collapsed yet. Botan and Hinigeshi come with the demi-god, and they immediately join Keiko and Yukina, crying in the corner. That's when I start to suspect that the news isn't good.

The first words out of Koenma's mouth are "I'm sorry," confirming my suspicions. The pacifier-sucking infant continues. "Neither Kurama nor his family reached the Reikai. And we can't find them in the Makai either." He looks up, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I fear that their souls are lost."

I can't stand being here any longer. I jump out the window, and run until I can run no more. Then I go back, having exerted all of my excess energy. I know that I must go back...Yukina needs me...and I need her. But I am depressed, and don't wish to live. My fox, the one person who I knew I could always trust, is gone. And the irony...He died in fire...I feel as if I killed him myself. My hopes of him being alive are hopelessly crushed forever...

Geez. I can't believe that I'm that sadistic...I usually write funny stories. I want you to know that I cried as I was writing this. And it only gets worse before it gets better. Keep the tissues close.

On to Chapter 3

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