Title: Never Thought
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Characters/Pairings: Kuwabara. Very light KuwaYukina.
Rating: K+
Genre: Dark, apocalyptic.
Word Count: 917
Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me.
Notes: Directly related to Inability to Breathe.

The beautiful blue sky above is so clear and so beautiful. Birds chirp out their songs and you've gotta wonder: Paradise?

It's almost too good to be true, you know?

But maybe I'll visit Yukina today. It seems just like the type of day to do stuff like that - take your One True Love out to a picnic and recite poetry and all that kind of love stuff!

Then again, for me, every day is the day to do that.

I mean, why not? I love her so, so much. There just isn't a reason not to! Okay, so I get a little worried about what if she doesn't love me as much as I love her. I mean, the worst she could do is, like, dump me and leave me really, really heartbroken.

Ouch.

But Yukina's not like that. If she really, really, truly didn't have any feelings for me, she'd've already told me and stuff. So, I mean, she's gotta like me!

Yeah, yeah. How could someone and beautiful and kind and all actually care for a goofball like me. Well, I'll have you know that there's no one as manly and courageous and strong as Kazuma Kuwabara.

Yup.

Darn. What time is it? Shoot, Urameshi and the guys and me are supposed to meet up to do something about our newest case. Grrr.

I forgot about that. Well, I guess I won't be able to visit my beloved Yukina today.

Sigh...

Kurama looks, like… really, really bad. I dunno what it is, it's just… he looks like he's been up all night, pale and sick, ya know? And there's something with his breathing, too, like he doesn't want to be breathing the air and stuff, but he still does it. It's weird.

"Hey, man, what's the matter?"

Kurama's eyes are shadowed and he sighs.

"Nothing, Kuwabara."

"But—"

He shuts his eyes tightly and shakes his head at me.

"It's nothing."

Yeah, sure, it's nothing when Kurama goes down on his knees.

And then suddenly, it's there. It's this really bad feeling, like as if all the light in the world was gone. It's like the feeling when you get sick as a dog and you feel like dying - except a lot worse. It's like the feeling you have when all of the people you care about are in trouble and you can't do a thing to stop it. It's like the worst pain in your heart - and it hurts so much you wanna throw up every meal you've ever had.

"What is that?" Urameshi asks. Man… he sounds worried. And I seriously can't blame him. Does he feel it too, I wonder? 'Cause I mean, it's no secret that Urameshi's spirit awareness isn't anywhere near as high as everyone else's. Is it that strong?

"Yuusuke," I hear Kurama gasp, as he falls back into a faint.

He wakes up a few minutes later, after we've all done our freaking out (though, Hiei, that bastard shrimp, didn't even twitch an eyelash) and he looks worse than ever.

"I'm all right," he mutters.

I'm not quite sure what else he says to the others, only that they try to contact Botan and Koenma for a while before giving up.

All I know is that the feeling within me is getting more and more intense by the second. Something's wrong, something's wrong, something's so damn wrong and I don't-get-it, dammit!

But… I do.

I think… I think this is the end. You know. THE END. Like, meteors and all that crap, the stuff you see on movies.

No. No way. How could this happen? I mean, it's like, this perfect day and all and here I am, saying it's Doomsday? No, man. No way.

Stupid nagging feeling…

"Hey, Kurama? This isn't… The End, is it?" I ask, wanting to know the answer to the question that's been on my mind for the past few minutes.

He nods at me.

And my heart just drops down to the floor.

"Oh… And there's nothing that we can do to stop it?"

Pleasesayyes. Pleasesayyes. Pleasesayyes.

"It's not Koenma this time, Kuwabara. Yama's orders supercede his son's. There is nothing… nothing for us… to do."

Kurama lies back with his eyes closed, and if I didn't hear his ragged breathing, I swear I'd've thought he was dead or somethin'.

Damn.

There's nothing we can do.

I mean, there's always something we can do. We're the Spirit Detective people, gosh darnit! There is always some way that we can fix this. But… still, Kurama's the smartest one of us all and he just said…

The sky is as blue as anything I've ever seen.

Urameshi and Hiei have run away, and as I look back down at Kurama, I see that he's crying with his eyes shut.

I turn my face up to the bright, bright sky. It's so pretty, blue and all. There's this light in the sky that I've never seen before, like it's getting bigger and bigger, rushing at me.

I never thought I would die like this. I never thought I'd die without beating Urameshi at least once. I never thought that I'd die without it being in some sorta fight. I never thought…

But… as this bright rushing light reaches out and is about to touch me, I think…

Well…

If you look on the bright side…

Maybe now Yukina and me can be together forever with all the others.

Even my sister.

The prequel (of a sort) is Inability to Breathe and the sequel (once again, of a sort) is Our Dying Day.

Review, yadda yadda ya.

(revamped 7/3/05) (reformatted 12/10/11)