I OWN NOTHING!
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It was 1862, the second year of the civil war, but to everyone, decades had gone by. It was an agonizing war, with so many young ones going off to die. During the battles, in the miserable war, the soldiers went against each other. So many reasons..slavery, states in the south seceding, the Proclamation of Blockade against the Southern ports; each side fighting for what was believed right by them.
But in the end it was just Americans fighting Americans.
During smaller battles, not the big ones read in history books, there were often small periods of peace so that the wounded and dead could be found, and carried away. It was during one of these truces, that two soldiers found themselves face to face.
A tall Copper haired teen, with blue eyes, and a shocked face, looked on at who was before him. He stood with his rifle slung over his shoulder, and his hands touching his dirty blue uniform. He had a bandage on his cheek, his only injury, thus far.
Staring back at the teen, was another one, in a gray uniform, his rifle at his side. He had black hair, and wide brown eyes, and a tan complexion. He was a little dirty, and his cap was missing. He was at one of his comrade's side, checking for a pulse.
Breaking the tension The Union soldier whispered, "Hey Reb."
Swallowing, The Confederate soldier replied with, "Hey Yankee."
The copper haired boy, lowered himself slowly to the ground, and looked at the other confederate soldier on the ground. "He dead?" The brown eyed teen nodded, and tried to ask casually, "You sent to retrieve wounded too?" The other soldier nodded, " 'Wounded first, then the dead,' as Colonel Koenma put it." The two looked at each other, and the Union soldier held out his hand, "My name's Kazuma Kuwabara." The other soldier blinked, offered a small smile, shook his hand, and said, "I'm Yusuke Urameshi."
The two rose, and began to tread the woods together, stopping to check pulses of soldier. "You say your Colonel's Koenma?" Yusuke asked as he watched the Union soldier check another's pulse. Kuwabara nodded, "Yeah, why?" Yusuke shoved his hands in his pockets, "My Colonel is Yenma, they're father and son."
A silence drifted between them, and Kuwabara rose, "Dead," he sighed. He looked at Yusuke, and as they took up to walking he asked, "Why did you join the army?" Yusuke looked at him, and admitted, "I don't really know what the war is for, but all I know is that when my parents died, I had no where to go. The army promised me food, and a warm place to sleep. So I joined." Kuwabara smiled and said, "I actually believe in what we're fighting for, but my friend decided to join, and I didn't want him to be alone. Guess that's the real reason I'm fighting."
Yusuke and Kuwabara smiled at each other, and Yusuke said, "Hey Yankee, I think if things weren't the way they are now...we would be good friends." Kuwabara nodded solemnly and sighed, "I don't want to kill you out there...I don't think I could if I see you again."
The two stopped searching, and just stood still. "Hey," Kuwabara said pulling out a peace of crumbled paper. "This here has my hometown and address on it, if you survive this war, come here, you got that." Yusuke looked at him in shock, and took the letter. "What a strange way to make a friend."
They stood alone, and noticed to soldiers laying on top of one another. One in gray, and the other in blue. They were white, and freshly dead, their arms were slung over one another, and the Union soldier's eyes were open and seemed to be looking at the confederate he was sharing the death bed with. Yusuke and Kuwabara both checked there pulses and found none. Turning away they left the soldiers be.
"Looks like there will be a lot of dead to collect," Kuwabara said with a sigh, touching his bandage, and wincing after he did so. A groan caught his attention, and just a few feet ahead lay a soldier that Kuwabara had secretly been hoping to find. "Kurama!" Kuwabara eagerly ran to him, picking him up. Yusuke looked at the red headed soldier, who has his eyes closed tiredly. He was bleeding from his arm and leg, looking as if he was fighting a losing battle against sleep. He raised his hand, eyes still closed, and found Kuwabara's face. "Oh...it's you Kazuma. I thought it would be." Kuwabara smiled shaking his head, and placing the man on his back, "You too tired to open your eyes?" Kurama nodded against Kuwabara's back, and went limp.
"Hey Reb, can you check my buddy and make sure he's still breathing?"
Yusuke nodded, and after checking him, and confirming that he was only sleeping asked, "This the friend you were talking about?" Kuwabara nodded, but the expression on his face had stiffened and he was staring at someone behind Yusuke. Yusuke turned seeing two soldiers, two Confederate soldiers. One was his colonel Yenma, and Hiei, a good friend of his. Yenma looked down at Kuwabara with hatred, who instantly changed the position he was standing in. It looked as if trying to hide Kurama on his back. Yenma smiled smugly pulling out his gun, "Well Soldier, look what you've done."
Yusuke stepped in front of Kuwabara, "Sir, forgive me, but we're on a truce! We have to look for our men!" Yenma turned his angry face towards Yusuke, and growled, "What's this? Have you befriended this...this..." Yenma had no more words, so he spit on the ground. Yusuke never got to answer, for the small soldier spoke up, "He is right. I wouldn't want to have to report something like this to head quarters." Yenma looked at him, and mumbled, "Yes Captain Hiei...you're right." Turning back to Kuwabara he snapped at him, "You're lucky boy...remember that, but don't worry your luck won't hold out. See you in battle."
Yenma stormed off but, Hiei approached the group. Kuwabara nodded his head at him slightly, and Hiei nodded back. "Yusuke, others are looking for men, so if you can't find any live ones in another hour or so, just start collecting the dead. We'll have to do that soon anyway." Yusuke nodded, "Yes Captain." Hiei rolled his eyes, "Don't call me that." He walked away and Kuwabara asked, "Who was he?" Yusuke smiled, "That was Hiei. Hiei there was sent down from head quarters to make sure Colonel Yenma wasn't doing anything out of conduct." Yusuke looked at Kuwabara, "Lucky thing too...or else Yenma might have killed you."
Yusuke and him walked back towards where Kuwabara's camp was, and somewhere in between, Yusuke found a confederate soldier, whose leg was busted. He picked up the moaning man, and regarded the other soldier before him. The soldiers looked at each other for a moment before clasping hands.
"See you around Yankee."
"See you later Reb."
/6 MONTHS LATER/
Yusuke walked through the thick woods, picking through thorn bushes and such. This had been the most gruesome battle he'd been in yet. No more than two soldiers had been found alive. The Union soldiers had been forced to retreat and Yusuke winced at every gun shot he heard. That just meant that his fellow comrades found another Union soldier alive, and took "care," of him. He was about to turn around when he heard a soft familiar voice.
"Hey Reb."
Yusuke turned around, it had been six months, but he knew who that was. "Hey Yankee," he said looking back at the Union soldier he had made friends with not long ago. Kuwabara was propped up against a tree, looking very calm. The left side of his face, was black and brown from a burn, but it wasn't just his face, the left side of his neck, and hand too. Yusuke couldn't even tell where Kuwabara's left eyes was. Yusuke went to him, looking at the wounds. Besides the burns, he had two holes in him. One at his chest, and the other at his hip. Yusuke heard another gun shot, and put his arms around Kuwabara, "I'm moving you okay?" Kuwabara nodded, "I can't feel anything anymore anyways."
Yusuke picked up Kuwabara, and moved him as far as he could, praying that his fellows wouldn't spot them and Kill Kuwabara.
Yusuke found a clearing and set the soldier down, dropping down next to him. Kuwabara sighed, and leaned against him, his unburned face resting on Yusuke's shoulder. They could hear faint gun shots in the background. "Hiei died two months ago," Yusuke said to Kuwabara. Kuwabara nodded slightly, "Yeah, Kurama died in the next battle after we first met," he panted, it was getting hard to breathe. Yusuke looked at him, and pulled out the address he'd received six months ago. "You keep that," Kuwabara suddenly spoke. "I have a sister, she'd like to know what happened to me...She'll take good care of you, help you find a place for you if you want"
Yusuke nodded, and realized that tears were rolling down his face. He looked at Kuwabara who looked the same. "If we could...if times were different," Kuwabara whispered trailing off. Yusuke bent down closer to him, Kuwabara's arm wrapping around his shoulder, his hand on the back of Yusuke's hand so that Kuwabara could bring the youth closer.
"Yusuke Urameshi, if times were different, I would like to be your best friend."
The hand on the back of Yusuke's head dropped, and the arm slung around his shoulder remained limp. Yusuke pulled away from him, the arm sliding off his back. Kuwabara was nothing more than a rag doll. Yusuke looked at his face. Kuwabara had died. Yusuke laid him down, and took up his rifle. Taking the but of the gun he smashed it into the ground, using it as a makeshift shovel.
For hours he dug with the rifle and his hands, to make a grave for his friend. When that was done he lowered the Union soldier's body in there. Looking down at him he paused, and took Kuwabara's hands placing them on his chest, and folding them up. He closed Kuwabara's open eye, and straitened out his bent legs. He then looked at him one last time, and picked up the dug up earth ready to fling it on him.
A loud crack filled the air, and a startled Yusuke looked down at his chest. Blood was bubbling up, and staining his uniform. Then a second later he collapsed on Kuwabara, eyes closed. He had died almost instantly.
A soldier emerged from the bushes, and stared in disbelief. "ShXt, shot one of my own guys!" The confederate soldier mumbled. Quickly scooping the pile of earth up, he covered the two, and pat the ground into a mound. Turning away, he fled the scene of his awful deed.
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"Hey..."
"Hey..."
"HEY KUWABARA!"
Kuwabara jumped and looked around the room, startled. Yusuke had a large grin stretched across his face, Kurama hiding his own, and Hiei looking annoyed. Koenma had his hands on his hips, and cried, "Kuwabara! Have you been sleeping through this entire briefing of your next mission?" Kuwabara yawned and mumbled, "Yes Colonel."
There was an awkward silence before Yusuke broke down laughing, and punched Kuwabara playfully in the arm. "Stay up all night watching war movies?" Kuwabara rubbed his eyes, and mumbled, "What did I say?" Yusuke laughed again, and Kurama kindly said, "Kuwabara if you're this tired why don't you go home. This mission isn't very important, and you've been cramming fro finals. Just go on home."
They waited for Kuwabara to respond, but only got soft breathing. Yusuke sighed, shaking his hand, "Geez Kuwabara, you are tired!" Yusuke shook his head, and helped Kuwabara asleep, waking him up once more. He draped Kuwabara's arm around him, and was startled when Kuwabara mumbled, "I'm glad times are different."
Everyone was staring at him now, and Kurama rose placing a hand on Kuwabara's brow checking for fever. "Is he delusional, or just being a moron?" Hiei carelessly asked. Kurama smiled, sighing, "I think he is just very tired." Yusuke nodded, "Yeah, the doofus probably has been studying too hard, or something like that."
Koenma however had a strange look on his face, "So he remembers..it figures." He smiled and looked at Yusuke and Kuwabara, "I'm glad times have changed for you too, Kuwabara."
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in case you don't get the ending, Kuwabara had a dream about his past life.