Author's Note: Sorry about the year wait for the new chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
I dedicate this chapter to all my faithful reviewers. Times get hard, and I feel for all of you. Hope everyone is doing well.
Please read and review.
Two Months After Kuwabara's Death
Higurashi Residence
6:00pm - 6:45pm
Kagome couldn't explain it, but the week and days following the fair all felt wrong. It didn't matter what she did, how it was done, and who did what - everything felt off. Waking up felt like she was in an inescapable dream, one where her every move took her nowhere.
She wanted to say that it was simply because Rei moved out a week after her friend died, but that would've been a lie. Kagome and her cousin hadn't been all that close since they were children and though she didn't hate her, she couldn't claim to be affected all that emotionally by Rei's kaleidoscope of a heart.
Still, at the same time, in her heart, she knew that it somehow had to do with the feeling she'd been having.
Facing the mirror, she frowned slightly. 'How did I go so long without cutting my hair?' It was almost like looking at Kikyo's reflection. It was a strange feeling to appear so much like the woman who she hated for so long for having Inuyasha before her. Kagome always understood that she appeared similar to the priestess of old, but strange, she never actually saw it herself until that very moment.
Her luscious wavy, dark hair had grown three to four inches since coming back to the present time. Kagome's skin seemed fairer than she ever remembered, and the grim line on her lips were reminiscent of the Kikyo she'd once been afraid of. Biting her lip, she muffled an angry scream.
Something was wrong and no matter how she tried to figure out what it was, nothing made sense.
Some days, she woke up forgetting why she'd come back to the present day. There were times when she forgot that for some reason, when she came back to her home time, that she had aged back to sixteen... the very age she was when she defeated Naraku and destroyed the shikon jewel. Yet, since being home all she felt was Naraku and the shikon jewel all around her.
It was wrong. All of it. Nothing was right. Yet none of those reasons made sense for the feeling she within her heart.
"Kagome-chan," Miss Higurashi called from outside her room, "Your uncle, Governor Hino-san, is here to speak with you."
'Strange...' Kagome bemused. She hadn't seen him since she was ten years old when he asked her to step in for Rei at a conference. She'd gotten birthday cards and money over the years, but he never really dealt with her in person if he didn't have to. "I'll be down." She faked a smile despite the fact that she knew no one could see it.
"Governor-san."
"Call me Tonosuke -san, young lady. We're family after all." Governor Hino smiled that empty smile that won so many citizens over. It was strange to see him after so long. Like his daughter, he was impeccably beautiful with sea green eyes and exotic sandy-blonde hair and like his European mother, round eyes that were rare in Japan.
Despite being older than her mother, he didn't appear much older than the average twenty something or maybe thirty year old man.
"Governor-san," she replied, taking note of his change in position with her choice of words. "Is there anything I can do for you?" As she spoke, Sango took this time to set a mismatched tea set down on the table before them. Kagome wasn't sure that was on purpose, but judging by her uncle's expression, he felt it was.
"I've been notified that my daughter hasn't been to school in precisely thirty-five days." The kind tone changed immediately. It was the gruff and cold tone she last remembered him using when talking about Rei missing an important event. His smile faded and she found herself seeing Kikyo standing there in his place.
'You shouldn't be here!' Kagome looked around, swearing she heard a woman's voice screaming at her. It wasn't Kikyo's though. No, it was familiar but someone she'd never met. She was sure of it. It didn't make sense but...
"Kagome-chan, are you listening at all?" The tall, brooding female said next to him, her eyes so tight that she couldn't make out the colour at all. "We need your coopera-" Governor Hino's hand went up and immediately, the impassioned woman silenced.
"Please," he touched Kagome's hand softly, his eyes almost resembling a caring family member. "We heard about the death of Rei's trouble making friend. She's lost a grandfather less than a month prior. I just want to find my daughter so that she doesn't do anything stupid."
Kagome's eyes widened. She flashed back to the days after her mother's death. Her entire body shook, remembering Rei standing in the rain, her eyes pink and face flushed.
'Higurashi-san, it's not working!'
Kagome remembered watching her from inside her grandfather's temple while her mother went outside to retrieve her cousin. It'd been pouring that day. The entire week had seemed to be that way.
'Rei-chan, let's go inside.'
'No, not yet... I want it to work.'
'You want what to work, honey?'
'Mama got sick and went to heaven. Grandpa says that if I stay outside, I'll get sick... he keeps warning me that I'll get a shot. Mama had lots of shots; I can remember all of them. At first, she would be able to play with me for a little while.' Rei turned to Kagome's mom and smiled. The turning of her lips never quite reached her eyes. 'No one must've warned mom that she'll get sick. She just kept on getting sick. She kept on getting shots. After awhile, she stopped smiling.'
'Rei-chan, let's talk inside.' Kagome could remember her mother's voice become urgent. She could tell her mother was trying to keep from crying. 'My sister wouldn't want you out here right now, you know that...'
'Mama isn't here. I don't need shots to not smile anymore. Mama stopped smiling then she died. If I get sick like her...'
"Kagome-chan, if you see Rei, please let me know so that we can talk. If you can speak some sense to her, please do. You two have always been so close."
Kagome nodded and sipped a bit of her tea. Governor Hino mirrored her movements and smiled. "Thank you, Kagome-chan!"
Standing up, he took out his handkerchief and awkwardly waited for her to stand. "Gomen nassai." The older man apologised and when it became obvious that she wasn't going to stand, he leaned over and began to use the handkerchief to wipe her face, "I didn't mean to... make you cry." His voice was so tender and kind. For a moment, Kagome didn't know what to think or say.
She hadn't even realized that she'd begun to cry. "T-thank you..."
Tokyo Institute of Technology Library
6:27pm - 6:45pm
Yusuke didn't even know that Japan had places like this. The library looked like more money had been spent in making that place than his entire neighborhood put together. If he were honest, it sort of pissed him off. He looked around and saw adults and teens walking around, not a care in the world, feeling protected in their illusions.
They had rich places like this to comfort them, to remind them that they were better than scumbags like him from the ghettos. Had he not gotten an invitation by email to meet someone there, he'd probably never known that places like the Library where rich people rent books about... he turned to see a book with a pink elephants... damn, they even have books about pink rhinos. Only rich people would know they exist and hide it from the fucking poor. Damn, damn, damn..
He walked past many entrances. Though he should've been reading each sign to figure out where to meet the girl, he just kept up his pace and ignoring all the stares from the adults with their children. Yusuke could tell that they thought he didn't belong there.
"Urameshi Yusuke, what the hell are you doing here?!" A gruff voice practically yelled in whispered tone. It didn't take the teenage boy long to figure out who it was speaking. In fact, the moment he spoke, he knew who it was. The damn officer who arrested me after Rei stopped coming to class. Apparently, he worked directly with the governor and made it his duty to make his life a living hell.
"I wants ta get a book. Ya gotta problem wit dat!"
"Listen, punk! Ya may got your grimy hands on the governor's innocent daughter, but you ain't gonna find no ass here, Urameshi!" Between every word, spit shot out from his missing tooth. Yusuke noted that he wasn't so quick to grab him like last time; he must've remembered who made it possible for him to not worry about brushing all twenty-six teeth anymore.
"Leave me alone. Don't you have other kids you can mess with?" Exasperation escaped Yusuke's breath. He didn't have the emotional strength to get in an argument with an idiot. "I mean, seriously... you should be applauding me for being here."
The officer cocked his head to the side and sighed. He almost looked disappointed. "Yeah, well, whatever."
Yusuke waited until he walked away then stepped over to the window. His energy level seemed like it was always down lately... even when he and Keiko were getting it on. His mind always went back and forth about Kuwabara and the Mars Princess. He'd think about Rei and their kiss then think about how he would tell Keiko - or probably not tell her. It didn't mean anything. Then, when he'd think about that, he'd convince himself that the kiss wasn't important enough to worry about, only Kuwabara was.
In the end, they would all collide, and he would just simply feel bad. He'd feel bad for not being able to protect Kuwabara; he couldn't avenge him against that stupid Princess then when it was all said and done, he'd remember that he actually enjoyed that kiss. The kiss that meant nothing felt just as natural with Rei as it did with the one he loved more than the world. When Keiko would ask him about it, he never said a word.
Speaking the truth meant telling her about how he cried everyday after Kuwabara died; it meant admitting that he wasn't strong enough. Most importantly, he would be the one to break Keiko's heart.
"Kazuma-san hasn't come home yet, has he?" A soft voice interrupted Yusuke's thoughts. He could see in the reflection that it was that genius girl that started tutoring Kuwabara a few months ago. Her name had never been that important so he never bothered learning it despite the fact that Kuwabara always talked so well about her.
Idiot always talked well about everyone, especially females. Sure, he wasn't the best guy, but he was a damn good one. He could see the girl was clearly worried, an expression he hadn't seen with most people when it came to his best friend. Many knew that Kuwabara could defend himself; he was the second greatest fighter known in the area, the first being Yusuke himself.
He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. If only they knew the truth... the image of the last time he'd seen Kuwabara seared into his mind - the horrid scent of his burning flesh, his charred bones, his spiritual energy flaring above all natural levels even after his death. Yusuke could remember everything like he was living in that moment still and yet, he had to agree to a lie that Kuwabara was just missing.
He remembered his first reaction to run over and try to put the fire out, knowing it was already too late
"His cousin goes to school with me," she said suddenly with serious oceanic blue eyes. "We've decided to start a committee to look for him and to get the police more involved." Her fist tightened at her side, but there was this fire in her eyes that reminded him of Rei. Somehow, it made her seem more genuine.
"His cousin?" He'd forgotten that she was supposed to be visiting him soon. Kuwabara always talked about pretty she was and how cool she had to be in school.
"Yes, Aino-san and I met through him." She smiled gingerly. There was a sweetness in her that Yusuke admired, and instinctively, he laughed at the uncomfortable thought. Maybe he really did have a good judge of character.
"Sorry, I never proper introduced myself. Kuwabara-san always spoke so well of you so it feels like I know you, myself."
"Yeah, same to you. My name's Urameshi Yusuke." He realized that he didn't need to say his name. She mentioned it in the email that she sent him, but still, he wanted to hear her name from her own mouth.
"Mizuno Ami, and it's nice to meet you, Urameshi-san."
Minamino Household
6:30pm - 8:00pm
"This scene seems familiar," the redheaded teenage boy teased. There were only two people in the world whoever snuck into his room through his window; one declared himself his enemy. The other stood with her back against his wall, her violet eyes staring into his forest green eyes.
Rei smiled but it never quite reached her eyes. "Doubt your girlfriend would appreciate that." Kurama could tell it was an attempt to joke back, but the lack of conviction in her voice made it seem more like she'd been insulted. He was sure that she may have felt a bit jilted by the joke, but even after these years, he knew when to apologize and when it was inappropriate.
He chuckled softly. "So..."
"I'm sorry..."
Why did every conversation between the two of them end up with her apologies? He didn't bother hiding his distaste. "Why haven't you been home?" His voice came out more sternly than he planned.
"I can't be there... not right now." Her eyes were cloudy, and her lips trembled. "All they see is just 'sad, poor little Rei-chan' there. I had to get away." No matter how she tried, she couldn't stop seeing Kazuma in his final moments. Rei couldn't let go of his final embrace, his gruff voice telling her that it was okay. "That's not who I am."
Kurama sighed and folded his arms over his chest. He couldn't say that wasn't what he saw; it's what he'd always seen. "Why haven't you been to school then?" From what he heard, Rei was an outsider there. He doubted anyone would care enough to look upon her with sympathetic eyes.
She didn't say a word. He could tell she was calculating a plausible lie but coming up with nothing.
"Yusuke emailed your phone, but you never messaged him back. Is he also looking at you like your family is?" Kurama knew that answer. Yusuke always cared too much, but he wasn't one for appearing that way. No, he'd rather deal with the situation head-on; ask questions later; pop some sense in people's heads then tell at them for not seeing it that way from the beginning.
"He..." She paused, her mind going back to the kiss that they shared. His soft lips on her's, her betrayal of Keiko to get him to stay away. Instead of even thinking of the girl who'd been so kind to her, Rei could remember feeling somehow as if she betrayed Shuichi. "Yusuke cares too much."
Kurama cocked his head to the side and stepped closer to her, his soft green eyes glistening in the little bit of light coming in from outside. He grabbed her arm softly, and he felt her shiver but it was different. He didn't know how to really explain it not without comparing her to that woman. Something was off and so right at the same time, and a part of him felt compelled to her because of it and the other part felt angry. Sad, even.
She touched the inner part of his sleeve, her warm hands accidentally touching his skin. Kurama felt for her aura, scared that what he was feeling was real. It was as if the past had caught up to him. He expected to feel the aura of the Mars Princess emanating from her, but from what he could tell, she only possessed the powers of a strong priestess.
"Then why'd you choose to come and see me?" He leaned over, their lips almost touching. He could feel her breath on his skin, and they were standing so close that he could feel her heartbeat getting faster.
There was silence. It was comfortable, and it felt natural. Botan could never know about this; even if they did nothing.
"Shui-rama, what are we doing?"
"Why'd you choose to see me over talking to your family and Yusuke?"
"I had to... no, I wanted to talk to you." If she were honest, Rei would've admitted that ever since that day, she needed to see him. There was a longing for him that she didn't think she had before the fair, before her true form came out of its dormant state.
She didn't remember much from the fair besides being trapped in the fun house and Kuwabara trying to save her. Rei remembered regressing back to her princess form and being the reason for his death. That part, well, it gnawed at her every night. Even more than that, though, it was confirmed to her that Kurama and all his friends weren't normal. No, they were the sort of creatures that she, as a priestess, was meant to hate. As a Lunarian, she was trained to kill demons if they chose to live in the terrestrial realms of Earth. As a girl who spent her entire life in a Catholic school, she feared them for they were evil and caused trouble for mankind.
She'd spent her entire senshi life destroying people like Shuichi. Or dispelling them from humans. Rei, the civilian and the person that cared for the person before her, didn't hate him nor Yusuke. Princess Mars loved a youko; he was a powerful thief, the most feared and wanted demon in the known world at the time. She was friends with his family and loved them as such.
Still, Rei was scared of being like her past self. They were still two different individuals with different values. She fiddled with his shirt, her fingers moving away from the cloth and feeling the coldness of his skin. His hair stood up at her touch and she involuntarily laughed.
"Hino-san..."
Kurama's bedroom door opened. The room illuminated and standing there was Botan. "Oh... hi Rei-san, Kur-I mean, Minamino-san." Even in the dark corner of the room where they stood barely a breath between them, she could see Rei was blushing.
"There it is," Kurama said, grabbing a book on politics behind her and handed it over to Rei. "Maybe this'll help you deal with your father." Rei's mouth stood agape but she nodded in agreement and quickly moved out of the awkward position.
"Thank you. And good evening, Botan-san." She didn't look her in the eyes as she quickly walked out the room, holding the book to her chest, her face completely flushed. Botan pretended not to notice.
She waited until she heard Rei leave before walking completely into the room. Botan sat there, her eyes on the ground, wondering if it was wise to talk to him about what she walked in. It might've been nothing. Of course it was. Kurama would never be interested in a normal girl. It wasn't like they were kissing or anything.
"Botan, about just now..."
Botan's eyes widened. No, not right now. This wasn't the time. She didn't want to talk about it. "Kurama, it's fine. I trust you... I just came to deliver a message from Koenma."
"A message?"
"Koenma has been looking for a way to bring him back to life... but that..."
"Yusuke was given a second chance. Can't you do the same thing for him? No one could've possibly thought he'd be killed by a ghost, a woman who was killed thousands of years ago."
"His soul has been ravaged and is almost completely destroyed." Botan looked up but her voice didn't shake one bit. Kurama didn't understand how she could seem so calm while telling him that their friend couldn't even rest in peace. His blood boiled. "There are very few ways for a person in that condition to be resurrected. Without Chronos' agreement to reverse time on just his soul, then..."
"We have to try everything..."
"Kurama, we have limited resources. Not only is it shredded but even the savaged parts we have that's in tact is unusable without the missing parts of his spirit. The Mars Princess grounded his soul to a world worse than hell."
Kurama squeezed his fist and bit his lip so hard that it bled. He felt the tears that he'd kept inside fall. It was the same anguish he felt when Hiei first told him that they were to be enemies. Yes, it was the same dolefulness he felt when he lost yet another friend to a person that was once his lover in his past life.
For the first time since his days as Youko Kurama, the underground thief, he felt useless. The tears that fell the day that he realized that despite all his brains, his powers, and his ability to make an entire generation fear his name, he couldn't protect his siblings or his lover. The memories rushed through him, and he found himself getting lightheaded.
"Kurama, we will..."
"Please... just go."
Kurama's POV
Dream of Two Months Ago
It's been the same dream every night ever since the day of the fair. Every night, she's been cursing me, her eyes that once comforted me are the same ones that I've learned to hate. She stands there over Kuwabara, her cruel flames coursing over his large, muscular body, tearing at every cell. Princess Mars doesn't look at me; she knows who I am, I'm sure of it, but she doesn't acknowledge me.
I can feel the cold air gingerly brush against me and there I stand, just as I did before, unable to do anything as I watched, my mind racing, my heart crying out, and more than anything else, this soul of mine raging with vengeance. I feel myself wishing that I never understood human emotions, hoping that I could go back to a time where sadness was a quizzical thing, a feeling that my siblings and I claimed to be for the weak. I bite the inside of my cheek, a nervous tick that I didn't know I had until this moment.
The taste of my own blood comforts me, scares me, angers, and it reminds me that I have more to lose than just an associate. No, I correct myself. That was one of my friends, a loyal companion, the partner I always wanted but never knew it until I met him.
Yusuke is raging beside me, tears run down his eyes, his face looks almost like a wild animal, his veins are bulging and snot is running down his nose.
He runs forward just as I knew he would. Every instinct, I'm sure, telling him to save the already departed. I should stop him, but I don't. I can't explain why I don't. For some reason, I'm envious of Yusuke; his ability to truly never wear a mask is unnerving. Tears run freely as he watches his best friend fall to the ground, Kuwabara's entire body is scorched and the flames won't stop. No, these flames will never stop, that I know. I've always known that. The Mars Princess was the only person I'd known whose powers could keep one's soul from going to the afterlife. Her power is a tortuous one that only the daughter of the God of War would have. It's a power that could keep a person alive while her power forever wages war against its victim.
Yusuke throws dirt on Kuwabara; he's not even paying attention to the woman who's watching him with cold violet eyes and matching hair. She doesn't say a word, and she doesn't need to; her words mean nothing to any one of us.
"I'll save you, Kuwabara..." Yusuke is screaming. I know, just as I knew back then, that I should tell Yusuke to get up and that it's too late, but my focus is only on the woman before me. "Get up! Get up!"
I can't explain it, but I'm angry and scared yet I'm relieved and powerful. I feel my entire body tense at seeing her and feeling the unmistakable aura, her scent the same as I'd always remember it to be. Princess Mars almost immediately freezes upon seeing Yusuke run over to him. I know, even in this dream, that I need to get Yusuke to get away from her. He needs to stay away, and we need to figure out how to handle her. Still, I say nothing, just as it happened that day.
"He's dead," she finally whispers, not looking at either one of us. I've seen her in action before; I know that if I attack right now, even with my best plan, we would lose. In my current state, it would be impossible to even get close to her. She makes direct contact with me, and I feel my veins freeze and for a moment, my heart stopped. "Takeru-san..." Did she just call me my brother's name? "Please go get your brother; it's dangerous here."
"Fuck you!" Yusuke yells as he stands up, his pants covered in dirt, and tears and snot coming down. "Who the hell are you?" He runs forward, and I shout for him to stop but before I can react, he's in her face, screaming at the top of his lungs! "I'll make you pay for this!" He's punching but hitting nothing but air so he starts to kick and still nothing lands.
Her speed is incredible. It's almost as if she's transporting herself from one place to another. Yusuke jumps back a few yards back, and I yell for him to stop. I know what he's trying to do. "Spirit GUN!" His power is enormous; it has to be one of the most immense amount of power I've ever seen him release at one time.
Botan and Yukina are behind the Mars Princess, and I know that if the attack strikes her, it's going to take the both of them with it. I run to them, a part of me was wishing that Hiei was there; he'd be there in time. I'm quick, but I'm not fast enough.
Princess Mars raises her hand and her entire body glows red. "Flames of the God of War, dispel this evil spirit!" She whispers into the air. I feel my flesh burning, and I'm paralyzed not in fear but because of her power.
The spirit gun attack stops midair then suddenly returns back to Yusuke with twice the velocity and speed, her flames pushing it forward and surrounding his attack. It hits him with so much force that he's sent flying back through the fun house and into the brick wall. The wall broke upon impact. He screamed. While his attack disapparated into the air, her attack came again and this time, he was thrown into a car which exploded upon impact.
Botan cries out for Yusuke to stay down. Yukina, however, surprises me and breaks free from the paralyzing powers of the Mars Princess. She's sweating and the look in her eyes is almost reminiscent of Hiei. "Kazuma-kun! Kazuma-kun!" She runs past her and holds him tight in her arms. She's holding him in her arms, the fire blazing against the skin of the ice youma. "You hafta get up! C'mon, please, Kazuma-kun! Please!"
Princess Mars looks at her, but I can't see her expression. "Please..." Her voice almost seems tender. "Allow me to extract his soul. I need to free him from this torment." Yukina doesn't move, but rather, she's supplanted in position. "He cannot leave this world until I free him. Is that what you want?"
Yukina's expression changed to something I'd never seen on her before. Clouded with a hatred that she didn't even have for her kidnappers, she stared at the woman before her. "Free?! Why would I want him free? He needs to be alive. Kazuma-kun is supposed to be laughing his goofy laugh, and I'm supposed to be by his side. I don't want him free..." She stood up and the air around us became cold. The ground turned to ice. Small ice daggers came from the ground and shot at the celestial royalty. The attack is weak; Mars doesn't even flinch, the attack does nothing against her natural protection against creatures like him.
Yukina tries it again, but it was clear that the second time was enough to try her patience.
"If you wish to be with him, and you do not wish for me to free his soul, then maybe it'll be easiest for me to send you to hell with him!"
Finally, I break free and throw myself in front of Yukina. There's no time for me to make a plan; I have to go in blind. I push Yukina out the way, just in time for the flames stop just inches from me. Princess Mars's eyes widen and her expression softened.
"Little Youko... you've changed." There's a fire in her tone, and I can't read her. For some reason, she stalls and frowns. "Possession of a human is a criminal defense that I can't forgi-"
"Chronos Typhoon!"
"Silent Wall!"
Celestial originated energy strikes the ground, and wind throws Yukina, Botan, and I away from the princess then an energy not much different from my own creates a black wall of energy. It encircles Princess Mars as what appears to be black lightning strikes from the inside.
For the first time since her appearance, she appears afraid. "What is this?!" She screams as she thrusts her hand forward then shoots flames into the black wall. The energy is sucked into the wall of darkness then released back to her from the other side with the black lightning surrounding the flames. She doesn't have time to react before the attack slams her against the wall.
She screams and I swear that it seems like she won't stop. The black lightning keeps coming towards her, and I'm reminded in that moment that she once saved me in a similar situation. I can see myself and two siblings all begging for the people to forgive us, and asking them to just let us be free. We won't come back.
Did you not hear the children?
Children?! Are you crazy? Priestess of the Silver Millennium, surely, you feel the demonic aura coming off these! Creatures! They don't belong here!
Taking a rock off the ground, I throw it into the wind that was keeping us back to test to strength of its power. In half a second, the rock is grinded to sand. Touching the ground, I feel for all the seeds in the ground. I cannot stop the wind powers on my own, but I can find the cause of the attack.
Vines begin growing out the ground and it finds the origin of the attack. I know this is stupid, and had I never known Yusuke or my human mother, what I do next would've never happened. I owe the Mars Princess for saving my family's life once. I will do this once, but next time, I promise myself that her head will be mine because I believe in an eye for eye.
She's saved me and my siblings once so for that, I will stop myself and those two as equal payment for her kindness. The vines reach up to them quickly; there's a brilliant flash of light, and I'm unsure what happens next. My powers are sucked away from me, and all I see is Botan standing there besides Princess Mars. There's no one else but the three of us then suddenly, and I know I must be hallucinating, I see Hiei standing beside a girl who looks exactly like my younger sister.
No, I'm wrong. I can feel her aura. I remember this power, this energy, those eyes. I know Ogata Yami like I know the back of my hand. I mumble her name over and over in a row voice, hoping she'd hear me. The memories of the day that she and her twin brother were born repeat over and over in my head. I go back to the day when I told her to stop seeing the human whose name I couldn't remember, and I can see her smile when telling me not to worry.
"Yami-chan!" I yell and she turns to look at me with spiteful eyes. It's almost like she doesn't recognize me.
She turns away as fast as she looks at me. "Mars-hime, we can still save Takeru-chan. Please... do this for him. Do this for Lady Kagome." What is she talking about? I can see Botan pleading with Mars. Why hasn't she attacked her? She's fought with everyone in our group, but not Botan.
I can't move. I need to get closer. I don't know how, but I am able to see Kuwabara's soul and able to hear its screams. Mars extends her hand over his chest and a lone tear falls down her cheek as she reaches out to the sky with her other hand.
A red light shoots out from the sky and covers over Kuwabara's body. I can hear his soul silenced. I can tell Botan is thanking her, but behind them all, I see a shadow. Its also touching Kuwabara. The shadow touches Botan and somehow it feels as if she's touching me. With a soft whisper, in a voice that couldn't be much older than my human body, she says, "Tell Father that this is only the beginning."
Botan looks at me immediately, and I see the fear. The red energy turns dark and shoots into the ground. The two girls I attacked earlier jump down and remove Botan from the danger zone. I see a boy come running forward who looks similar to my brother who has the scent of a human on him. There are two others - one, I immediately recognize.
Kagome-chan.. and I don't know why, but it's the first time that I realize that she and Lady Kagome not only share the same name, but their aura and looks are almost impeccable.
Author's Note: I apologize if the final scene sucks. I wrote it in many different perspectives and just couldn't seem to get it right. I also apologize for any Kurama OOC-ness that may have happened in this chapter.
I have the hardest time writing in his perspective.
Please read and review. Next chapter will be: Sango and Hotaru-centered. I already have one scene written for it so hopefully, there won't be as long as a wait for the next chapter.