Authoress's Note- Anywhoo, this is going to be the second to last chapter, unless I decide to make the battle scenes all emotional and drawn-out. So0o0o0o don't you hate cliffhangers? (grins evilly) Mu hahaah! Well, this is going to be another suspenseful chapter, so if you hate cliffhangers, I suggest you leave as of now. Bwahahah. You were warned. . .
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"We have to act now." Kurama said firmly.
"We can't!" Yusuke snapped. "Fighting Kusari yesterday took more than you think. Your Reiki isn't half as strong as it usually is. Even Hiei and I aren't at full power! Yakunan's horn stole power from each of us to cast his spell. Not to mention that bomb Yakunan planted when we were all stoned nearly blew off Kuwabara's head!"
He gestured wildly at Kuwabara, who was pressing a bag of frozen peas to an grapefruit-sized lump on his head.
"In short, we are all out of commission!" Yusuke hissed, his foul mood not helped by Kurama's stubborn insistence.
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"Damn!" Yusuke pounded his fist against the wall. "Damn damn damn!"
How could they have let their guard down so much that an enemy like Yakunan could slip in undetected? Sadly, they all knew the answer to that. Foolishly, carelessly, they had taken it for granted that their enemies wouldn't attack in Reikai.
Kurama swore under his breath, running his fingers through his scarlet hair.
"That cannot have just happened." Kuwabara muttered.
"Well, it did!" Hiei scowled darkly, his eyes flashing obsidian.
Then, Kuwabara glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye.
"Hey you guys, somehow I sense an aura around that rock." Kuwabara pointed to a strangely smooth, dull gray stone in the midst of the ruined office. As Kuwabara watched it, the aura made itself visible around the stone's claylike surface. It glowed and pulsed, throbbing gently, like a beating heart. Mesmerized, he reached out to grab it.
Hiei opened his Jagan and focused on the strange rock. Then his eyes widened and he shouted: "Don't touch that rock! It's a b-"
--BLAM--
The detonation of the bomb was deafening, but it did nothing to lessen the roar of the roof caving in, the growling of the crumbling walls, or the whooshing hiss of the leaping flames. The entire top half of the building shattered with the impact, raining down soot and ash. The bottom half of the building cracked under the pressure, and swayed, threatening to give way. Thankfully, it didn't, but the fire was slowly consuming what was left.
The Tantei had been blown backwards by the force of the bomb, and buried in falling debris. Scorching heat permeated the air, and the clouds of dust were stifling. Putrid winds fanned the flames. Could anyone have survived that?
Then the rubble began to vibrate, and one by one the Tantei emerged, bruised and battered, but not mortally wounded. All except for Kuwabara.
"Kuwabara?!" Yusuke called out. "Kuwabara?!?!" He yelled, almost choking on the fumes.
All their hearts sank when there was no answer. Even Hiei cursed softly.
Frantic now, Yusuke began pawing among the rubble until he saw Kuwabara's carrot hair. With the frenzied determination of a squirrel digging up his cache, Yusuke tugged fervently at the orange tuft of fuzz that protruded from the desolation.
All at once, Kuwabara's head popped out. He would have a brilliant set of black eyes the next day.
Despite that, and the fact that he was unconscious and barely breathing, everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief and caught their breaths. And lost them again once they saw what Yusuke did next.
"Wake up, idiot!" Yusuke screamed in his ear and slapped him so hard it left a handprint on his cheek.
"GAH! What was that!" Kuwabara yelped, waking instantly.
"Are you okay?" Yusuke asked worriedly, nothing but concern in his eyes.
Hiei rolled his eyes at the sheer idiocy of the humans. "A bomb just exploded in his hands, how do you think he feels?" He snorted.
"Well, Hiei's perpetual sarcasm hasn't diminished in the slightest, so I think we can conclude that none of us should be considered fatalities," Kurama commented wryly.
"Other than some first degree burns, a couple of broken ribs, and a mild concussion, I think I'm ok." Kuwabara said, rubbing his head. "Aha ha ha. . .oww. . ."
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"Then I'll go myself." Kurama said, his expression emotionless, his voice flat and dry, his eyes strangely devoid of emotion.
"Need I point out we have not the slightest clue where they frickin went?!" Yusuke cried in exasperation.
And that was the straw that broke the fox's back. Kurama dropped his emotionless facade and waves of sadness, anger, guilt, and fear washed across his face. He sat down heavily amid the rubble, lest his knees give way beneath him.
He buried his face in his hands, mumbling, "I can't just sit here and wonder what they're doing to her. Every time I stop to think, images of the worst possible torture invade my mind. Yusuke, how would you feel if it was Keiko?" He looked up, and his eyes implored Yusuke, saying what his voice didn't.
Yusuke sighed, knelt down beside him, and patted Kurama on the shoulder soothingly. "I'm sorry. We're all a bit tense. Let's start over. Hi, I'm Yusuke." He shook Kurama's hand vigorously. "We're going to be the best of friends, fox boy. Can I call you fox boy?"
Kurama chuckled hoarsely, and gave Yusuke a pained smile. He was sure his cheeks were cracking. "Thanks. I needed that. But what are we going to do?"
"There are two obvious answers. A, we sit around here like cowards or B, we find the Mydariga and make sure the two of them die a long painful death." Hiei cut in, holding a slightly burned map he pulled from the pile of smoldering ashes that used to be Koenma's desk.
"Oh, hell yea! Go Hiei!" Yusuke cheered. He grabbed Kuwabara's hands and did a little jig. "C'mon Hiei!" Yusuke pulled Hiei into his twisted little dance and chanted: "Going to the fortress, the fortress! We're going to the fortress to kick Kusari's ass! Wheee!" Yusuke let go of Kuwabara and Hiei's hands, causing Hiei to fly into Kurama, and Kuwabara into both of them.
"Stop the room, I'd like to get off please. . ." Kuwabara mumbled dizzily.
Hiei was ghastly pale, and a strange shade of lavender was making its way across his cheeks. "Yusuke, I pity Keiko when you do your wedding waltz."
Kurama shook his head, torn between wanting to strangle Yusuke or hug him. With that, the four of them set out for the Mydariga, Fortress of Nightmares, sure that they would pull through somehow.
Unfortunately, a cloud of gray pallor descended lower and lower the closer they got to the fortress, until finally it enshrouded them completely.
"Here we are." Yusuke murmured, staring dazedly at the gargantuan mass of stone. Before, he'd been burning with the fire of fight,. Now he only felt a vague cold suffusing his body.
"Hn. Ironic how something that once symbolized hope is now home to the two of the most vile creatures ever to set foot in Makai." Hiei muttered, kicking a stone across the ruined threshold.
"Uh, hope?" Kuwabara asked, clueless once again.
"Didn't you know that this used to be the elves' stronghold? It was where conventions were held, kind of as a neutral ground for Makai, Reikai, and Ningenkai." Kurama explained. "But this was a long time ago, and after the war it was decided that it was best if only a few select ningens knew about Reikai and Makai. Unfortunately this backfired, eventually causing the kidnapping of Yukina and the organization of the Dark Tournament."
Bored already with the short history lesson, Kuwabara sighed loudly. "Well, are we going in or what?" He walked up to the door and yanked on the handle. It was dry with centuries of rust and brittle as a piece of glass.
"Oopsie." Kuwabara laughed sheepishly as the handle came off in his hand.
"Then let's just make a new door." Yusuke pointed his finger at the door and shouted "Spirit G--mmph!"
Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara all had clapped their hands over Yusuke's mouth at the same time, oblivious to the fact that they were strangling him.
"Do you really want to the let the whole damn castle know we're here!" Hiei hissed. "Even the Neanderthal realizes that!"
"Yeah! Isn't it obvious, Urameshi? Wait, who're you calling a Ne- a Ne-" Kuwabara paused and mentally scratched his head. "A neantherderal?"
"It's pronounced 'Neanderthal', and I couldn't have been referring to you because you're a particularly noble Australopithecus."
Kuwabara shot Hiei an extremely distrustful look, and Kurama debated about whether he should let Kuwabara know what an Australopithecus was, or whether ignorance truly was bliss. Meanwhile, Yusuke was turning an unnatural shade of blue.
"MMMPHH!" Yusuke screamed thickly, thrashing wildly.
They glanced down, realized that turning blue wasn't normal for humans, and leapt back, allowing Yusuke the privilege of breathing.
"Next time you guys decide to strangle me, give me a warning!" Yusuke gasped.
As soon as the Spirit Detective recovered his breath, it was decided that they should split up. Despite the potential danger, it was the only way to find Mirakuru and Koenma quickly. After heated debate, it was decided that Hiei was to find Yakunan, Yusuke and Kuwabara went off to find then pulverize Kusari, and Kurama was to free the captives.
As Kurama crept through the damp and dark fortress he found himself thinking about what would happen after all this was resolved. Things could never be the same with him and Mirakuru. But now that she knew the truth and had realized her powers, didn't that mean--? He stopped himself.
I hate that feeling. That helplessness that comes with not knowing what comes next. I hate not knowing what I should do, and how no amount of intellect can make known what happens next in this grotesque game of cat and mouse.
Picking his way through the dimly lit corridor, Kurama used a long vine to avoid getting lost. The Mydariga's labyrinthine tunnels were menacing in the torchlight, and they reminded Kurama of the bowels of a fearsome creature. He glanced at the wall sconces and immediately wished he hadn't--they looked suspiciously like skulls. Forcing himself not to think about it, he hurriedly moved on.
Kurama!
"Now I'm hearing voices. I should get ready to retire," Kurama sighed to himself. "I'm not sure I can take much more of this."
Kurama! Kurama!
This time Kurama was sure it wasn't the stress of the past days that was wreaking havoc with his mind. He paused and glanced around. Then he frowned. The voice was familiar, but also very faint. He could barely hear it, even though it was dead silence all around.
Kurama! Please! Help me!
This time, the voice was louder and more frantic. Then Kurama caught on. "Mental telepathy. That's why Mirakuru's voice sounded different." In his mind, he called out: Mirakuru! Are you all right? Where are you?
I'm fine. It took you long enough to realize it was me. Go down the left corridor and turn right. Continue straight, then when you meet a dead end, kick the third brick from the bottom.
"Mirakuru!" Kurama bounded to the cell door, then used the stem of a rose to pick the lock. He untied her bindings and asked urgently: "Where's Koenma? And Kusari and Yakunan?" Then he stopped short upon seeing the look in her eyes. There was something wrong with her eyes. He couldn't explain it, but they weren't hers
"Kurama, glad to see you came to my rescue." Mirakuru's face elongated, her voice deepened, and her eyes changed to a fiery reddish gold.
"Kusari! What have you done!?" Kurama cried in disgust.
"No need to overreact. Princess and Koenma are right here." Kusari's demeanor was infuriatingly cold.
Two ceiling stones slowly descended, until they dangled a few feet above Kurama and Kusari's heads. Then their rock-like appearance melted away, and became cages with metal bars. Mirakuru and Koenma became visible, and it looked like Kusari was true to his word.
"Let them go." Kurama said calmly. Even though his voice was no louder than normal, there was a deadly, knifelike edge to it that made a shiver go down Mirakuru and Koenma's spines.
"As you wish." The cages clicked open, and Mirakuru and Koenma fell into the waiting leaves of Kurama's plant.
The stone floor disappeared, revealing a glass floor with a moat filled with demon fish from the Makai. If Kurama hadn't caught them, Mirakuru and Koenma would've broken through the glass and fallen into the waiting jaws of the fish.
"How did you know?" Kusari asked, more annoyed than angry.
"Simple. This glass sounds different than stone when it is stepped upon." Kurama's emerald eyes flashed. "I see you're looking at my plant. This same plant that saved my two comrades could just as easily slay you." Kurama said in that same deadly tone of voice. He was beginning to sound more like Youko with every passing moment.
"I seriously doubt that. But I'm willing to prove you wrong." Kusari powered up, calling upon his white-hot aura.
Kurama raised his Rose Whip, but Kusari was much faster. Kurama was blasted into the wall, and lay there, barely conscious as Kusari advanced menacingly. He struggled to get up, but his wounds from the other day had reopened, and were bleeding profusely.
"STOP! Kusari, leave him alone. This is between us." Mirakuru walked up bravely. For a few moments she was engulfed in light, then she reappeared in her warrior form. "I was the source of this fiasco, so it seems only fitting that I should be the one to end it as well."
