Dreams of the Damned
A/N: Centers around Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei. It will include angst, drama, adventure, fighting, romance, torture, graphic violence, blood, gore, character death, etc. For now, the rating is 'T'; it may go up to 'M' at a later date. Also, this will be a KuramaxYusuke.
Disclaimer: I do not own YuYuHakusho, its universe or its characters. I do not make any money off this story. I only own my ideas.
A/N: I'm so, so, so sorry it has been so very long since I've updated. I apologize for so many breaks in this story, but the flipping back and forth is necessary as it all happens on the same timetable. I haven't given up yet! I expect one more chapter after this one to complete the story. Enjoy. :)
Chapter Seven: The Finality
"Yusuke, where are you…?"
:-:
The wind was bitter cold as it swept across the Demon Plane, swirling dust and debris in its wake. Kurama would have shivered if the cold bothered him, but Yoko's demon blood pumping through his veins was hot and thick. It was always something of a thrill to step through the portal onto the hard, red clay of his home land. The air was heavy with scents which were indescribable to someone who had never inhaled it, rich with blood and raw power; something not found anywhere in the Human World. Despite the heavy feeling in his chest, he turned to his companion with a newfound determination.
"You're sure he's here?" the fox murmured as they began heading west.
"As sure as I can be. If my Jagan cannot locate the detective while in the human world, that only leaves two conclusions." Pulling the ward off, he finished, "He's either here, on this plane. Or..." He needed not complete the sentence. Or the she-demon already killed their friend. No, that wasn't something that needed to be voiced; they simply couldn't accept that outcome yet.
"I don't believe she would go to all this trouble just to kill him," Kurama reasoned next to him.
"Indeed," Hiei agreed. "If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say she was after his kingdom. What else do demons hunger over if not power? She must believe if she can defeat him in some way, before the eyes of his people, she can then ascend to the throne of Tourin."
"How can she possibly expect to defeat him? His power eclipses hers twice over, at least."
"Every evil mastermind has an ace up their sleeve." Hiei replied, frowning.
"So the question we need to answer is what her ace is. Based on her only talent, I'd have to say it must be something to do with Yusuke's mind... She... That's it. She plans on controlling him!" Kurama exclaimed after a moment. "She doesn't plan to take the throne from him, she-"
"She plans to rule his kingdom by speaking through his month." Hiei's frown deepened. "That clever bitch."
"How did we not see this before?"
"Because it wasn't immediately apparent that she hadn't meant to kill him. By using Kuwabara-"
"She simply set up a ruse. It was all to lure Yusuke to her. She knew that he knew of Kuwabara's powers. She knew Yusuke would eventually go find him, and when he discovered Kuwabara was being manipulated and kept prisoner-"
"She knew Yusuke wouldn't be able to resist sacrificing himself to save his friend, and thus the perfect trap."
"And we walked right into it. We practically shoved Yusuke into her awaiting arms," Kurama sighed.
Hiei shook his head, his eyes falling closed as he concentrated harder on searching for any trace of Yusuke's energy. Kurama watched carefully as they kept moving, waiting for any sign of success.
Hiei unconsciously pivoted, changing directions once, twice, before opening his eyes. With a curt nod and solemn eyes, he said, "I found him." Kurama smiled widely. "But she's hiding him from me. I can only catch traces, when he's actively trying to reach me. We need to hurry."
The Fox nodded, turning sharp eyes to the barren landscape before them. Realizing it was Tourin they were headed for, Kurama pushed himself harder to keep the impossibly fast pace of his comrade.
:-:
Yusuke struggled. He pulled, twisted, and squirmed as hard as he could. Finally, he forced his bright blue energy throughout his body. Strengthened, he released his built up energy all at once, forcing himself up against his restraints with all his might. However, instead of supplementing his strength as his energy always did, he realized it was being sapped from him as quickly as he could call it forth. Startled, he looked over the room again. This time, he noticed something he hadn't before. A small orb in the centre of the room, which had previously blended almost seamlessly into its dingy surroundings, was now glowing brightly and setting a sickly green glow across everything nearby.
Testing his theory again, he forced a small amount of his energy to his fingertip, with a practiced ease. Not giving it a real direction, he realised the little ball of energy. Just as he predicted, it curved and disappeared into the orb, causing the soft glow from the globe to brighten momentarily. Sighing, he collapsed limply back into his bonds, glaring around the room. "Hey! HEY! I know you can hear me, you crazy wench!" He shouted.
"Now, now," came the sickly sweet voice he was growing increasingly irate at hearing. "Can't keep the guest of honor waiting. How rude of me." She sauntered slowly over to him, until she stood before him. She slid a slender finger down his cheek, giggling gently when he flinched away.
"Don't touch me."
"So sensitive," she tsked. "I suppose you want me to let you down from there. However..." she giggled again, nearly forcing him to gag. "You see my little crystal ball over there?" Gesturing vaguely over to the corner of the room, she thumbed his cheek again. "As I'm sure you may have noticed, it's a bit... hungry. And I can't properly finish the next stage of my masterpiece until it's eaten everything you have to offer." She stepped away from him. "Until you have no energy left in which to fight me."
"Afraid of me?" he asked, shit-eating grin showing off his sharply pointed canines.
"Hardly," she murmured. "But I'm not ready to reveal my plans to you just yet, dear half-breed. Now, the crystal will continue to take your energy whether you consciously allow it or not. So, you can speed up this process, get it over with, and release your energy quickly. Or," she turned and began leaving the small, green-tinged room, "you can spend the next few days right where you are, in a slow, agonizing, and pointless show of will. Your choice," she called, as she slammed the metal door to his tiny prison, leaving Yusuke tired, uncomfortable, and optionless.
Carefully, trying not to expel too much energy too soon, knowing full well it would all be taken from him, he reached out as far as he imagined his mind could reach. Focusing on the fiery red energy signature or the leafy green one his mind had memorized over the years, he slowly used all the energy he had remaining. He hoped they'd find him... before that crazy she-demon could have her way with him.
:-:
They traveled quickly, making remarkable time across the vast desert that preceded the large city of Tourin. Yusuke's kingdom was huge, thousands of miles wide, but the portal had opened up most of the way through it, and they were nearly there. Despite this progress, Kurama couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding. They were too late. But too late for what? Hiei was still picking up on short, weak blips of Yusuke's energy. That meant he was still alive, at least.
As they approached the city from the southeast, Hiei abruptly turned them right. There, after just a short burst of speed from the city walls, there was a small opening to a cave. "Well, that's a bit too convenient, wouldn't you say?" Kurama murmured.
"Yes, but the last traces of his energies were from this direction, and we're out of time."
With a nod of agreement, Kuama asked, "Ready?"
"Hn," and with that, they descended into the tunnels below.
:-:
Yusuke was out of energy, out of time. Kurama and Hiei never came. He tried not to dwell on that, for he knew that they would've tried everything they could to find him. It didn't make facing the end much easier. He was defeated. For the first time in more years than he cared to remember, he had lost a battle that carried life and death consequences. He wasn't entirely sure what the she-demon wanted with him and his ki, but he was certain it was nothing good.
The room was going hazy; belatedly, he realised it was just his eyesight fading. He had exhausted all of the stores of his energy. He was dizzy, and spots were appearing in front of his vision, as well as darkness spreading in from the edges. He was so tired, and the orb was continuing to drain him, never mind that he had nothing left to give. He blinked his eyes slowly closed in a failed attempt to clear some of the haze. He hadn't considered the fact that it would be an impossible feat to open them again.
:-:
Hiei and Kurama chose to split up when the dark tunnel forked into three different directions. Kurama going left, Hiei right, and agreeing to meet back here to venture down the center path together, if the other paths yielded nothing. Not wasting any time, they disappeared into the darkness, Hiei keeping the Jagan open to better hear Kurama's mind, should he need assistance.
Fourteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds later (he counted), Kurama reemerged from his side, looking increasingly frustrated. Hiei leaned against the opposite wall, looking much calmer than he actually felt. "Nothing?" he asked the fox.
"A dead end."
"Mine, too. That leaves one path left."
"He isn't here, Hiei," Kurama stated.
"I agree that this has most likely been another ruse, but we should be sure."
"You're quicker than I am. Go, investigate. I will surface, and search our surroundings. Perhaps there's something we missed."
Hiei nodded, flitting off down the dark passage. Kurama, his heart heavy, climbed back up the path they'd taken in. A ruse. Yusuke wasn't here, and his energy traces had run out over forty-five minutes ago. Which meant... they'd failed him. Kurama stepped into the pale sunlight, feeling every single one of his thousand years. The area surrounding Yusuke's fortress was rather unremarkable. The terrain was bland and uncolorful, not unlike the deserts of the human plane. Vegetation was scarce amongst the reddish-brown, dry clay of Tourin. It left very few places to hide, and nothing seemed misplaced or unusual. If Yusuke had been held anywhere near this location, it had to have been in the cave they'd come from. Wearily, the brilliant fox thought over the previous information, searching for any puzzle piece he'd missed. Damage control was what they were left with now, it seemed. If the she-demon holding Yusuke had succeeded thus far, where would she take him next? The answer was remarkably predictable. Yusuke's fortress.
:-:
When Yusuke came to again, the world was tilted and fuzzy. It was almost like watching a movie of himself. He was aware of the fact that the actions he was witnessing were his; he just had no control over them. He tried to discern whether these were memories, or thoughts, or dreams, or... He didn't remember ever speaking these words to his most trusted advisor, Hokushin. Surely this was a dream...?
Slowly, the world got clearer, sharper, until finally, finally, he realized he could move of his own accord, and the sensation was disconcerting, to say the least. He gazed around the room he recognized well. The small room was much like he remembered, Hokushin's quarters. Many a strategy had been plotted in this very room. However, instead of comforting, in this moment, he was terrified of the consequences.
"Hokushin," Yusuke gasped, "I- I'm not..."
"My lord?"
"Have I been here long? How did I get here?"
"My lord, are you feeling well?"
"I'm- No. No, I'm not. Something's wrong. I'm not- I'm not myself. I- Where's Hiei? Is he here? I need-" A splitting headache was forming behind his eyes.
Hokushin nodded very slowly, "I'll send word for him, my lord."
"Don't call me- There isn't time. I don't know much longer until-"
"Until what, Yusuke?"
"Until she does- something to me. I- I can't... control it." He was clutching his head now, trying to abate the raging storm that had set upon his temples with a fury. His face blanked out for the space of two breaths before returning to a pinched wince of agony.
Hokushin was becoming increasingly worried, "My lord?" he asked again in a voice he hardly recognized as his own. He had never been afraid of the young demon lord all these years they had been together. His lord, who had powers to rival his great ancestor, but in that moment, he understood that such power in the hands of someone else, especially an enemy, was... Well, a nightmare. He frowned, studying the nuances of Yusuke's face, watching, almost detachedly, as the boy's control wavered. Hokushin knew, without doubts, that he would lose if he was forced to fight against the stranger behind his lord's eyes, as Yusuke's power outmatched the warrior monk's own. Making a snap decision, he moved quickly, quietly to the door, snapping his fingers to draw the attention of the young guard posted by the door. "Send for Hiei Jaganshi or Yoko Kurama. It's urgent."
"At once, sir," the demon spoke softly, turning away and stalking quickly down the hall.
Turning back to the dire situation at hand, he spoke calmly, in patient tones, "Come with me, my lord. I will take you to Hiei."
Without speaking, Yusuke followed him from the room. He was remarkably steady on his feet despite the way the floor tilted every time he blinked. He allowed his most trusted advisor to lead him through the heavy, wooden, double doors at the end of the long hall. It opened upon the large training grounds, a wide, open area of dusty dirt. When the warrior monk came to a halt several feet from the center of the large area, Yusuke eyed him carefully. "Where is he? This isn't a joke. I don't know how much time is left, before-"
"My lord!" came a shout from the doors they had just exited from. "The jaganshi's energy signature has been detected not far from here. A messenger has been sent to gather him. Shall I send him straight to you?"
"Yes," Hokushin replied calmly. "And do not delay. It is of the utmost importance that he arrive quickly." He turned back to Yusuke, words of assurance on his lips. Before his eyes, the demon lord's face slackened out once again, but this time his eyes remained dark and empty.
"Hokushin," came the calm, eerie voice that sounded just like the voice he'd come to expect from him, but the tone and pitch were all wrong. "Have you done as I've asked?"
"My lord?"
"Don't play stupid with me, monk. Have you readied my warriors, as I've asked?" The speech pattern was harsh, and belonged to someone else.
"Of course, my lord." Hokushin could only hope Yusuke's friends would hurry, for he wasn't sure how long he could keep this Yusuke imposter calm and distracted.
:-:
Just at the moment of Kurama's conclusion that Yusuke must have been taken to his fortress, two things happened. Hiei reappeared, clutching a strange, sickly green and glowing orb, not much larger than a grapefruit, "He was here, fox." At the same time, a strong energy signature could be felt moving quickly toward them. However, the two demons assessed the danger to be minimal. When the man appeared, it was revealed to be one of Yusuke's monks, dressed in an unremarkable brown garb.
"Lord Yusuke and Master Hokushin request your presence at once," the demon panted, slightly breathless at running so hard to meet them. "Please, follow me. I shall take you to them."
Hiei and Kurama acquiesced without complaint, exchanging wordless looks. Wondering, who, exactly, was pulling the strings behind this summons. As they moved swiftly toward Yusuke through the heart of Tourin, Kurama eyed the strange green ball glowing faintly in Hiei's arms. "She stole his entire store of energy?" Kurama asked aloud. "I've underestimated our opponent, obviously."
Hiei nodded slightly, "Yusuke couldn't stave off her mind control without it. By stealing it, she rendered him weaker than herself." He sighed as they came to the front gates of the fortress, "There is a very real possibility she's already brainwashed him."
Kurama frowned as they ran through the halls, "However, the orb is nearly empty. Did she return his energy to him, or did he escape somehow?"
"Only one way to find out," Hiei returned as they finally reached a set of towering, heavy, double doors and pushed their way outside.
Yusuke turned slowly as Hiei crashed through the double doors behind them, Kurama hot on his heels. "Yusuke!"
"You're alive."
Yusuke's expression remained lax, eyes unfocused, as though he was looking straight through them. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Kurama stopped short, sharp eyes searching, "Where've you been?"
"Ruling my kingdom, obviously. That is where a demon lord belongs, after all. What do you need of me? I'm quite busy."
Hiei's Jagan flared. "It would appear we're too late, after all, fox."
Kurama took several steps toward his dear friend, gazing intently at Yusuke as he approached. "Come now, kit. Don't let her do this," he murmured. "You have to fight, Yusuke. I know you can hear me."
Yusuke eyes suddenly widened as he reached for Kurama's hand. "Kurama?! No! You can't be here! I-" Then his eyelids drooped before snapping open once again to reveal the darkness. A cold smirk forming on his lips, he tightened his grip on Kurama's hand until a bone snapped. The cry that left the redhead's lips jerked Yusuke back as though he'd be been hit. His entire body went rigid. "Kurama!" He cried. He shoved him away from himself. "You have to leave! I can't control it!" With a scream, he gripped each side of his head, his mind was tearing itself apart.
Kurama watched, eyes wide. "Hokushin," he spoke to the monk, without taking his eyes off of Yusuke, "You must go and inform Koenma of this turn of events. He will be back in Spirit World by now." Hokushin nodded, turning quickly to leave. "And please hurry."
Dropping to his knees, Yusuke whispered, "I love you, fox boy... And that's why... Hiei is going to end this. Three eyes," he turned to the dark demon some feet away, who was watching the exchange with one hand gripped tightly around the hilt of his katana, only his fierce loyalty to Yusuke keeping his body still, though it was taunt like a bow string. "Use that blade." His breathing suddenly doubled, and he closed his eyes, his good and her evil at war within him. His body went limp, though not for long. As soon as his head smacked against the hard ground, an animalistic roar erupted from him as his back arched up until several loud pops resounded.
Kurama moved to restrain him at the shoulders. "Kit," he whispered, wincing as he used his broken hand to grip the younger man. "You can fight this. I know you can."
Yusuke opened his eyes to reveal they swam with tears. He was coated in a sheen of sweat and his body trembled and occasionally convulsed under the fox's hands. "I-I can't-t," he had begun shivering so violently that, despite the heat radiating from his body, his teeth chattered. "I c-can't, Kura-ma!" He shouted. "Hiei!" His wavering voice cracked. His panting returned. "You have t-to stop i-it... Please..." The scream returned, searing the fox's sensitive ears. "Get the fuck off me," his hard, clear voice snapped. Yusuke was gone again. He forcefully removed Kurama from him, rising easily to his feet. "I'll win. Yusuke is gone. Accept it. I've taken over him. He might try to fight me, but he has no hold left," The evil hypnotist spoke from Yusuke's mouth.
Suddenly, the jaganshi stood before him. Before either could take a single breath, the shorter demon's sword skewered Yusuke's abdomen. Instead of crying out in pain, he laughed, ripping the sword out and hurling it into the distance. The blood drenching his front as he taunted, "Is that really the best you've got, Hiei? Pity, I expected more from you." He chuckled again, rounding on Kurama once more. "I'll kill you both, while Yusuke watches behind his own eyes. He cannot stop me; I hold sway over his entire energy store!"
Yanking Kurama up by his hair earned a shout of pain from the fox who had been watching in horror of what had become of Yusuke, his Yusuke. He didn't want to fight him or harm him, but the bloody hole still pouring red down his front obviously hadn't had much effect.
"Yusuke!" He cried out.
It seemed he had reached him one final time. "K-Kur... Fuck..." He immediately released his grip, and moved both arms to his wound. "Little higher this time, eh, Hiei?" He winced, dropping to one knee. Coughing harshly and wiping the blood from his lip on one shoulder, he nodded to the fire demon. He couldn't bare to look at Kurama. He had hurt him, twice. Cursing himself, but feeling that bitch forcing her way through again, he shouted, "Now, Hiei!"
In a flash, the jaganshi stood before him. He bought a hand to Yusuke's chest, right over his heart. Plunging his hand in without preamble, he still flinched at Yusuke's expression. "I won't kill you, detective."
"Yes... You... will. I'm... stronger than... you." He smirked, but it dropped off his face as Hiei jerked his hand further into his chest cavity. "If you don't..." He had to pause a moment as it was becoming difficult to breathe, let alone speak. "I'll... kill you... both." His eyes and expression changed, then again, and again, and again. His control was lost, but he continued to fight, give it his all to protect them the only way he could until Hiei finished the job.
With one final jerk of his hand, Hiei curled his fingers around Yusuke's heart. The ex-detective choked, gasped, and his eyes settled briefly on the soft chocolate brown. He nodded once, but Kurama burst forward, "No, Hiei, don't! Please!"
Yusuke tugged himself backwards, and the light left his eyes, the Jagan glowing the brightest Kurama had ever seen it. It didn't matter. Yusuke dropped lifelessly backwards, his expression frozen in pain.
"What have you done?!"
A/N: Please forgive this awful cliffhanger. Please leave your thoughts in the lovely review box below! Thank you, lovely readers! :)
