The last chapter covered a hell of a lot of information and storytelling so that this chapter would work better. I'm not sure if it's the dialogue heavy or the action heavy chapters that are harder to right. I suppose that it really depends on the overall story.
Chapter five was a lot of fun because I was finally able to write a proper emotional scene between Kuwabara and Yukina (my favorite couple from the series). Conversely, the second chapter had a really fun fight scene in it between Yusuke and Kagamaru. Another favorite moment for me was the emotional scene between Kurama and Hikari in chapter seven. It was a great joy to write something that I had in my mind for so long.
As for the time line, I've decided to update it and have Yusuke (as well of many of the others) be around my age. He was born in 1984, so he would have started working for Spirit world in 1998, so this fanfiction should take place around 2002.
.o.o.o.
YU YU HAKUSHO: DARK SEASON
Episode 10: "Once more unto the Breach"
.o.o.o.
Sensors had alerted the Puppet Master that someone was fast approaching his hideout. And of course, he knew that this person was in fact his target- the human spirit detective Kazuma Kuwabara.
He had done his homework- studiously pouring over the file he'd been given. And from this, he had created the perfect defense. Yes, he now felt supremely confident about the battle to come. Firstly, he had his own powers- and if that wasn't enough, there was also his dear Kugutsuko. Not to mention the other surprises that he'd arranged... and his bargaining chip. Yes, the Demon was confident that he held all the cards.
Unlike like him, Kuwabara had a weakness... one that he intended to exploit fully to his advantage. The weakness... was sentimentalism. What better way to destroy him then do so by using the very values his kind seemed to find so dear to do it?
The human would arrive soon- making a heroic yet futile attempt to try and save his beloved sister. But he would fail. How could he not? Especially when the odds were so strongly against him. Soon, Kuwabara would breach the front entrance... and then, when he ventured into his lair- the human's true battle would begin. What was one human against his awesome powers? He smiled inwardly, savoring the fact he had taken every aspect of the boys powers into consideration... There was no way for Kuwabara to win this fight- he'd made sure of this.
And at the center of his trap, he had placed the ultimate bait- and much like the ill-fated fly, Kuwbara would be loured into his web. "Hahaha... come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly..." He mused out loud, taking a small remote out of his pocket and pressing a button on it. "And now my dear, the time has come for you shine." He remarked softly as a smile graced his features.
.o.o.o.
Kugutsuko suddenly snapped to attention and grabbed hold of Shizuru by the arm, dragging her out of the dark room and into the hall. All the while, the human continued to resist her, desperately trying to break loss from her vice-like grip on her. As she continued to struggle and fight against her capture, she recalled again what Kugutsuku had said... Designed!
"He did something to you- didn't he?!" Shizuru exclaimed while struggling against her vice-like grip. "That man you serve... he did something to you- what did he do to you?" She asked, noting the her captor's movements seemed to slow suddenly. The brown-haired woman glared at her shadowy captor. "You're not following his orders because you want to, your doing it because you have to... something he did to you forces you to obey him, right?!" She exclaimed.
Kugutsuko jerked her arm roughly and glared at her. "Do you have any idea what you are saying?!" She demanded. "Ever since I came near you... I've felt conflicted." She added as the young woman continued to listen to her. "Why do you continue to cause me to feel this way... why are you doing this to me... invading my mind with your powers!" She snapped. "What do you hope to achieve with this pointless struggle?" As she spoke, her tone wavered slightly.
Shizuru sighed and looked at her, resigning herself to her fate. "...As long as I'm alive, I'll keep fighting." She explained in a grave tone. "...it's not in my nature as a human to give up... I have free will, and that's what allows me to chose my own path and the actions I take." She continued, looking into the cloaked figure's dark eyes as they both stood in the darkened hall. "...And something tells me that deep down... you have free will too." She added simply.
Her captor seemed taken back by the assertion- Shizuru sensed confusion in her at the moment, though she was no longer sure if this was a good sign or not. She was starting to feel as if she'd stirred up a behive. "...'free will'?" She murmured, trying to make sense of the human's claim. "...the ability to choose for myself..." She added darkly, looking intently at the young woman, who she still had held in a firm grip- though was no longer struggling with her. "...and you say that I have this?"
She looked at the cloaked figure with an intense gaze. "Yes," Shizuru responded. "I don't know what that creep did to you... but... but free will is what makes us different from machines or animals." She told her. "It's the ability to decide for ourselves... what kind of person we want to be." She explained. "Don't you ever wonder if you could be something more?" Shizuru entreated her in an imploring tone. "I can feel the conflict... Is this really what you want?"
Kugutsuko felt a chill and stiffened in response. "...what I want?" She asked, her mind realing from the sudden notion. She knew that she'd come too far to just simply forget what had happened to her... by now, it was a moot point anyway. She was questioning the most basic principles given to her, an act that already showed she was tainted. Worse yet, part of her wanted to know more about these concepts that Shizuru spoke of...
If she did have some inalienable right- then she should be able to choose her own path. Yet... she also knew that even if she broke free of the Puppet Master's control, she had gone too far to just simply turn back. And even if she could, Kugutsuko doubted that she could face what she had become.
Eventually, she shook her head and looked back over at Shizuru. "You're right... I realize now that I want to be more than just a tool for that man." she confessed in a forlorn voice. "But that's not possible..." she added. "You see, I'm different from you... my nature makes it impossible to resist his control." She added grimly.
.o.o.o.
The large doors swung open and Kuwabara rushed into the darkness. Suddenly, the lights came on- forcing him to shield his eyes for a moment as he adjusted to intense glare of the lights above him. He heard a clapping sound and looked up. A tall slender man was standing on a large catwalk, resting against the railings and looking down at him.
The man straightened himself up and smiled down at him. "Welcome- you must be Kazuma Kuwabara?" He began coolly. "I've heard so much about you... and I must say that's its a great honor to finally meet you in person." He declared from his vantage point while the young man in question glared up at him angrily. "I assume you must be here for you dear sister?" He asked, his tone calm and collected.
Kuwabara stepped forward. "What have you done with her- where is she, dammit?!" He exclaimed, prompting the Puppet Master to shake his head disapprovingly. The man then jumped from the gantry and onto the floor below.
Kuwabara stepped back as the demon attempted to deliver a side hook kick- evading the thrust and snap back of his leg. He caught the demon's first punch- a straight jab with his left hand. He then blocked the next- a forward punch with his right hand. The orange-haired youth jumped back to avoid a powerful side kick from his attackers right leg.
Kuwabar caught his left arm (at the wrist) as he tried to punch him and then grabbed hold of his underarm with his free hand. He swept a foot back and flipped the Puppet Master over him and onto the ground. Kuwabara then went on the attack- lashing out at him with powerful punches and kicks. The demon managed to deflect them and eventually countered with an attack of his own- striking him square in the stomach. Kuwabara then kicked him in the chest- launching him back onto the ground.
He smiled confidently at the fallen demon. "You're gonna have to learn to hit harder then that if you wanna hurt me," Kuwabara exclaimed as he moved in on the Puppet Master. "After all, I've fought Urameshi- so your attacks are no big deal by comparison." He added just as the demon flipped back onto his his feet lunged forward with a punch. Kuwabara merely side-stepped him and promptly kicked him in the back- sending the Demon crashing to the floor.
The Puppet Master rose to his feet again and brushed himself off. "Well, I should have guessed as much," He remarked nonchalantly as he quickly smoothed out his shirt and fixed his hair. "It's just like your file said- a head-on battle is no good against you." He added before jumping back onto the catwalk. "Still, don't think that you've won just yet." He declared as Kugutsuko appeared at his side, holding Shizuru. He smiled brightly, first at the captive woman, and then down at Kuwabara. "Excellent, at last we have an audience to enjoy the show."
"Kazuma!" Shizuru cried out while still held back by Kugutsuko. Her words easily getting her younger brother's attention- he looked up at her. "You have to stop this guy- no matter what happens to me! You have to bring this guy down! Do you understand me?!" She exclaimed in a fiery tone that was all too familiar to the young man.
A chill struck Kuwabara and he turned around in time as a mechanical, spider-like creature shimmied down the wall behind him. It's head rose and it opened its mouth to fire an energy blast. The young man narrowly dove to the side as the head rotated to the side and fired again. This time, Kuwabara had to form his Spirit Sword to deflect the blast- sending it off to the side and leaving a singed hole in the nearby wall. The Puppet Master watched gleefully as the human struggled to fight the mechanized spider, while Shizuru felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach and Kugutsuko merely watched dispassionately.
With some effort, Kuwabara at last reached the mechanical spider and cleaved through it with his reiken- effectively carving it in half. Above, the Puppet Master nodded to Kugutsuko- who released Shizuru and jumped down onto the ground. The demon held up his hand and extended thread-like beams of energy around the human to restrain her. He then pulled Shizuru to his side and smiled down at the scene about to unfold. "Now my dear, join me and watch as my beauty destroys your brother." He declared.
"My Kugutsuko is the perfect fightr, the ultimate weapon... far beyond anything you could ever comprehend- and nothing can break through her conditioning." He paused, leaning in closer toward Shizuru. "Not even that impressive bit of meddling you tried earlier." She paled at his last remark, feeling sweat run down the side of her face as he held onto her.
.o.o.o.
Samedi slowly lowered his white-gloved hand- Yusuke and Kurama were now lying unconscious on the ground before him. "Well, that should keep these two out of commission for a while." He reported, turning to face Gado with a smile on his painted face as he brought up his long ornate cane to rest on on his shoulder. "Still, I don't see why we don't just kill these two right now..." He reasoned, shrugging his shoulders in the process.
"All in due time my friend," He replied, glancing over at the Voodoo lord. "Don't mistake my actions for a sign a weakness- I could easily have killed them both, with little effort... and I expect that this is something that they will realize after tonight." He explained as he walked over to where Yusuke now lay and gave him an experimental tap with the tip of his cowboy boot. "No, the real purpose of this was not to kill them, but rather to let them know just who they're dealing with." He added as he nudged Yusuke onto his back with his boot, in order to get a better look at him.
Shimmer was currently kneeling beside Kurama. She brushed away a stray lock of brilliant crimson hair and sighed. "My... such a pretty thing he is..." She mused in a soft tone, tracing her fingers across the soft skin of his cheek. She then slowly rose to her feet and walked over to Gado's side. She glanced down at at the dark-haired young man. "So this is really him," she began in a silky tone. "this is the legendary Yusuke Urameshi?"
Gado nodded sagely. "Yes... hard to believe isn't it?" He replied, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at him. "This is him alright... disciple of Genkai and wielder of the mighty Spirit Wave." He explained. "...The same child who defeated some of the greatest demons ever known, and the only living carrier of the late Lord Raizen's genetic inheritance." He explained to the demoness at length. He looked back down at Yusuke and sighed. "Still, I somehow expected him to be taller..."
.o.o.o.
The moment Kugutsuko jumped off the catwalk and onto the ground, Kuwabara dove back into a defensive stance. The vibes he was getting from this new opponent were much more dangerous then the previous one... Her eyes began to glow red as she jumped towards him. He landed to the right just as she punched through the wall. She then effortlessly removed her hand and turned around to face him. She began slowly advancing towards him.
He formed his Spirit Sword and charged her. The cloaked attacker merely held up her left hand and formed an energy field to deflect his attack while gathering energy into her other hand and striking him. Shizuru watched in horror as he was sent flying back. He skidded across the rough floor, stopping beside a large metal tank. He sat up, noting that the front of his jacket was singed and hanging open. The young man got to his feet and dusted himself off.
The mysterious fighter was fast proving to be too much for Kuwabara. The older sister continued watching the battle between them unfold. No matter what her brother tried, Kugutsuko seemed to be able to counter it with little trouble. She could generate energy barriers (with the left hand) to deflect his reiken attacks and then counter him by forming attacks (with the right hand) from the same energy source. The elder Kuwabara sibling began to feel a sense of dread that she had not experienced in a very long time. For the moment, Kuwabara could do little more then defend himself as his opponent continued to go on the attack.
"The spider was but a mere prelude to the main event!" The Puppet Master exclaimed. "I wonder how long you can last Kuwabara? How much longer can you survive this waltz of death?"
Soon, the fight moved from the front of the building towards the center. Kugutsuko glided across the floor- straight into Kuwabara and sent him flying into a stack of of old oil drums. The impact brought them crashing down around him, but he slowly rose up from the rubble and formed his spirit sword again. He ran towards her and took several swings at her- yet each time, she easily evaded each blow by weaving in and out... to the left and right.
The Puppet Master ran along the expanse of the catwalk- dragging Shizuru along in toe with him. He watched gleefully as the battle unfolded. At the rate things were going, the human would soon be overwhelmed by his servant. A broad smile graced his features as he looked down. "I think it's time to step this up a notch and move in for the kill!" He exclaimed, casting Shizuru aside- though still leaving her bound in the spirit threads- and began reciting an incantation. "Arise!" He cried out.
The Puppet Master pulled back his sleeves and briefly flexed his his hands and forearms- getting them nice and loose. With that out of the way, he focused his power- causing his hands to start to glow with a strange energy.
Another figure appeared behind Kuwabara. This one was covered in a ragged hooded cloak that didn't quite touch the ground as it levitated before him. A pair of red eyes glowed from within the shadows inside the hood and it raised up a tattered sleeve. A mechanized hand appeared- it opened up and fired off at him like a missile, striking him in the chest and knocking him to the ground. Kuwabara watched in amazement as the hand came loose from him and returned its owner- as if pulled back by an unseen force.
"Why... why is this happening? What the hell is the point... what's it all for?" Shizuru wondered silently as her eyes began to water...
"You've got to be kidding me..." Kuwabara groaned as got to he feet and looked around. The first figure appeared to be closing in on him while the second one seemed to be getting him in his sights. Kugutsuko vanished- but before Kuwbara could do anything, his other attacker launched his hand and forearm at him again, clipping him in the jaw and knocking him down once again. Kugutsuko appeared beside him and reached down. She lifted him up by the arm and threw him across the warehouse.
Shizuru watched the fight unfold. As it went on, she felt an unfamiliar sting in her eyes and realized that she on the verge of tears. She crawled to the edge and looked down in time to see the two fighters mopping the floor with Kuwabara. "Little bro...?" She murmured softly, her lip quivering slightly as she watched the battle unfold. All her life, she'd always been the hard-assed one who kept pushing him. But now, she was watching her brother getting hurt while knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do as tears trickled down her cheeks.
"There must be more to life than this... There has to be more then just all this endless fighting and heartache." Shizuru thought sadly. "...My little brother is risking his life for me- he could die... and I'll be to blame..."
It was horrible... she had a front row seat for the death of her brother. She knew that he was holding back on her account. It made her feel ill- knowing that her brother was fighting for her- just like the selfless hero she knew he was. The more she thought about, the worse she felt- how could she live with herself, knowing that Kazuma had died for her. Just then, an even worse realization struck her.
...Yukina...
The little Ice Maiden with brilliant crimson eyes and sea green hair... The girl that her brother had fallen head over heals in love with at first sight. The gentle pure-hearted girl who loved animals and tended diligently to Genkai's Garden. The girl whose form and spirit had enchanted her brother and driven him to risk everything for love. There was no doubt that Yukina and her brother loved each other very much.
She recalled all the time she'd pushed her brother to step up and do what had be done... Well, now it was time for her to step up and lead by exmpale and not just words. Shizuru had made up her mind...
...No matter what it takes, Yukina won't have her heart broken again!
Kuwabara could sense the bittersweet aspect in the air around him as he got to his feet. It was his sister's sadness... filling the air like perfume. However, he wasn't the only one... Kugutsuko paused, unsure about what to do. She'd felt it too... the sadness, the loss... somehow it all seemed so familiar to her. She wondered if she was starting to remember some part of her old self... before she was changed? She looked up to the catwalk, at the sight of the distraught young woman and the maniacal demon. "...Is there something more?" She wondered silently.
A shiver ran through Shizuru... It was as if someone had walked over her grave. Except in this case- it was someone else's grave. Amidst the chaos, she'd sensed something... a name... "Emelia..." She spoke softly. "...my god... that's what he did to you?" She thought to herself.
"It's almost impossible to think about just how many lives he's ruined besides hers... How many other people has he used?" Shizuru thought as she turned to look at the Puppet Master, who was currently engrossed in controlling the other fighter. "It's all just some damn game for him... but it's our fucking lives he's playing with!" She thought angrily.
"I'm not going to be a plaything for him any more..." She silently told herself while the Puppet Master continued moving his hands about madly. "...Somehow, I'll make sure that you wont get away with this." She added. "...You're not going to leave this place alive!"
.o.o.o.
Gado stood on a rooftop- about a block from where the battle was raging. He was currently listening to the chaos unfolding inside. He smiled to himself- from the sound of thing, they were really raising hell in there! It sounded more like a damned war was going on inside- he wasn't sure if she should be amused or worried. At that moment, he sensed another presence and looked over his shoulder. A tall figure stepped out of the shadows and waved at him.
The man wore a heavy, gray, double-breasted trench coat. Underneath, his white shirt was visible, along with a dark pair of slacks and a red tie that hung loosely from around his collar. He had his hands tucked into his coat pockets as she shuffled towards the other man. A pair of oval glasses were perched on his slender nose- below his dark eyes. His hair appeared was unkempt- only brushed back to keep it out of his eyes and his face was unshaven. "You're playing a dangerous game, you know that?" He asked as he joined Gado at his side.
The other demon regarded him for a brief moment and shook his head. He quickly turned his attention back toward the building- just in time to hear another loud crashing noise. "You're one to talk," He replied wearily. "Grayson... where have you been all this time?" He asked him without making eye-contact, resting his hands on his hips.
Grayson brought a gloved hand and brushed his hair back. He chuckled faintly and looked up at the night sky. After a few secants, he looked back at Gado and grinned. "...Funny you should ask," He began. "...I got held up in Kyoto." He explained. "I'm honestly not too sure about the details... but I think it had something to do with couple of unexplained deaths..." He mused, tucking his hands back into his pockets. "...for some reason, the authorities thought I had something to do with them."
Grayson followed the other demon's line of sight to the building. He reached up and adjusted his glasses. "So... after all this time, we're really going through it then?" He calmly asked- receiving a nod from Gado. "What once seemed like little more then a dream is now reality... After all these years- our dream will soon become reality."
.o.o.o.
Kuwabara landed near another one of the large tanks. A fuel drum fell on it side and opened up- spilling out across the floor. Kuwabara looked at one of the large tank's gauge and noted that it there was still fuel in inside it. He rose to his feet just in time for the second fighter to launch his arm at him again. Kuwabara focused himself... and stepped to the side just as the arm flew past him. It lodged into the wall nearby. The second fighter struggled to reclaim it, trying to get it loose from the concrete surface.
"Damnit- stop screwing around!" Exclaimed the Puppet Master as he leaned out over the railing. The Second fighter nodded and glided towards Kuwabara. The young man reached down and picked up another drum and held in front of himself like a barrier- resulting in the attacker's fist becoming trapped in it when he tried to strike Kuwabara. The hand returned, but it was still stuck in the barrel. Kuwabara ducked off to the side as his attacker struggled to shake its arm free.
As the second struggled to get his remaining hand free, Kuwabara stepped back to the edge of the expanding puddle of fuel and formed his spirit sword. He swiped the spirit blade against the ground, igniting the fuel and setting off the large puddle that he his foe was now hovering over! Flames rose up around the second fighter- catching his cloak on fire as he slammed the barrel onto the ground,breaking it apart. The burning fighter raised his arm up and was about to fire on Kuwbara when a nearby tank exploded. The young man watched in amazement as the super-heated shock wave knocked the warrior to the ground and into the fire.
The hooded fighter let out something like a scream (or perhaps a howl) as his entire body became an inferno. Everyone watched as the fire continued to spread through the building, setting the whole place on fire in the process. Soon, the cloaked figure slumped down as its mechanisms burned away and its body rapidly became a smoldering heap. The orange-haired young man watched as the fires spread to the large fuel tanks that lined the walls on either side of the room. He ran for cover as the flames began heating the metal exteriors. Moments later, the tanks began exploding as the flames reached all the way to the roof of the building.
The entire building shook as the tanks continued exploding- each blast more intense than the last. At some point- during the chaos- all the windows shattered, sending smoke flooding out of the newly created orifices. The sky-lights in the ceiling quickly buckled from the heat and shattered- sending shards of glass down everywhere.
The Puppet Mast looked to his remaining fighter as the flames spread. "Look out, dammit!" He called out. Kugutsuko could only turn around and watch dumbly as the tank closest to her exploded in a ball of fire! Shizuru looked on in horror as she enveloped in a fiery blast as the whole building slowly burned all around them. Kuwabara got to his feet and made a run for a nearby ladder.
Something suddenly struck Kuwabara in the back- knocking him down onto his stomach. He cringed and looked over his shoulder. He turned around into a sitting position to see Kugutsuko standing before him. The heavy black coat was now badly burned and torn in several placed.
She reached over and tore away the remains of her right sleeve- revealing a sophisticated blaster on her arm. She flexed her fingers and reached up with both hands- first terring open her high collar and the ripping the front of her coat open- sending fabric and buttons flying in the process. She then ripping off her right sleeve. At last, Kugutsuko tore off and discarded the remains of the coat, revealing herself...
The overall shape was clearly female, with curves and long slender arms and legs. However, the entire body was made up a sleek metal-like substance with the arms and legs sporting lines running along them where the segments linked up, as well as various hatches. The hands and feet were stunningly detailed and linked to the limbs by rounded joints. The torso was in fact composed of multiple sections, with the legs linking into the lower pelvis-like segment. The rounded middle section linked up into the upper chest-like segment of the torso (complete with breasts), where the arms linked up to shoulder though similar rounded joints. Her neck was sleek and and slender and the face was surprisingly human.
She began advancing toward him, allowing him to make out the details of her face. The lower half was composed of a malleable metallic substance that was flexible enough to let her mouth move. A pair of red humanoid eyes (with black pupils) gazed out from the more solid upper half of the face amidst locks of black hair. Her dark metal eyebrows arched as she looked at him.
Kuwabara honestly didn't know what to do... He was trapped in a building where virtually everything was flammable... Fire burned all around them and the building was literally falling apart before his eyes. He glanced up and noted that the fire was fast spreading up the walls. Once the ceiling caught fire, things would get really bad!
"...I wonder if this is what Virgil was thinking of when he wrote the Divine Comedy?"
(- End of Episode 10 -)
.o.o.o.
This wasn't the original ending I had planned. However, as the chapter developed, it got longer and longer... till it ended up being over twelve pages and several thousand words long. So, I ended up having to split it in half. This is also unusual because I didn't have to go out of my way to for a cliff-hanger... There was a perfect stopping point already in the chapter.
Because the confrontation between Kuwabara and the Puppet Master (and his henchmen) ended up being so long and complex- there's still a hell of a lot to cover in the next chapter. And of course, Shizuru's arc also has to be resolved as well, so theres a lot to come in the next chapter.
Later,
-Bojack727