Email: swythangel@hotmail.com
Title: The Reddest Rose
Type: Series 11/?
Rating: PG (just to be safe)
Disclaimer: All characters of YuYu Hakusho are owned by their writer and company. They aren't mine (sigh!) and even if I wished on a hundred falling stars, Kurama will never be mine. This fiction was made to entertain and hopefully does not infringe on their copyright.
Only a little more and we are done, all good children! ^-^
The Reddest Rose
Yukina closed the door carefully to avoid waking up the sleeping occupants of the room. As she crossed the hallway to where the others were, Yusuke met her halfway.
"How are they?" There was frantic worry in his tone.
Yukina rubbed her hand over tired eyes. The healing had taken its toll on her, a fact that Keiko recognized. "Give Yukina time to sit down first, Yusuke." She admonished while helping the tired koorime girl to the sofa. "Here, Yukina, drink some tea."
"Arigato, Keiko." She sipped a little of the hot tea and sighed, looking up at the expectant group. Yukina gave them a tired smile. "Everything is going to be all right. The doctor and I have patched up all the wounds. They're all basically only surface wounds, except of course for the sword thrust into Hitori's side." She frowned at that. "But its healing nicely. All they need is a good sleep. They'll feel better in a day or so."
Everyone seemed to visibly relax.
"I still can't believe Kurama would do that, even if he has been brainwashed." Yukina said in a little voice.
Koenma shook his head. "Not his fault. I told you guys that Kurama has been brainwashed and not a little bit controlled by Kitsune himself."
"How do we get him back then?" Yusuke was worried. Youko was a sonuvabitch. He wasn't anything like Kurama and Yusuke wanted Kurama back…for Hitori's sake.
"The only way I know how is to kill the controller. We have to kill Kitsune to be able to get Kurama out of his control."
"No other way? Can't we do something to jog his memory back? Preferably before his fight with Hitori." Yusuke said wryly.
"No other way. If Kurama's memory could have been jogged, it would have already, especially when you, Hiei and Hitori went there."
"Damn! We're in deep shit."
"Deeper than you know Yusuke." Koenma's tone was bleak.
"What do you mean?" Yusuke swung his head and looked at Koenma suspiciously. "You left something out of this, haven't you? Spit it out, Koenma."
Koenma looked at all of them silently before inhaling deeply. A missive had come from his father when Yusuke and the others had chased after Hitori and it had contained bad news. News he knew Yusuke and the others wouldn't be happy about. I'm not happy about it. But his father had issued an ultimatum and he had to carry it out.
"Enma Daio has sent orders for all of us." His voice was dull, lifeless. Like the voice of someone who had no other choice but to obey. "All of the Makai fighters must eliminate their opponents, the Nine Tails of Kitsune."
Stunned expressions graced every face in the room. The silence was deafening. But it didn't last as almost everyone broke out in incredulous clamor.
"Nani? Is he nuts?"
"Kisama!"
"Does he know how powerful those kitsunes are?"
In the clamor, it was surprisingly Yusuke who remained calm. He held up his hand for silence and turned to Koenma.
"What about Kurama?"
"Same as the others." Koenma said flatly. "There are no exceptions."
"That's not fair! Kurama is our friend." Keiko burst out.
"Yes, but at the moment he is our enemy. He is a Nine Tail."
"Surely there is some way…" this from Yukina.
Koenma shook his head. "If there is a way, you are all welcome to try. But when the tournament comes in and there is nothing, the order stands."
"How can you be so cold about this Koenma? You're his friend too!" Keiko's eyes were damning Koenma where he sat. He couldn't take it.
"Yes, he is my friend. But I am still the Prince of the Reikai. And right now, my priority is the safety of the Makai. If the Nine Tails of Kitsune are allowed to live, Kitsune will always have the possibility of resurrecting and destroying the Makai. Destroy even one of the Nine Tails and Kitsune will be no threat, unless he defeats us in the tournament that is."
"Aa. You said destroy even one, ne? Then we can just kill off one of the kitsunes, not Kurama." Yusuke told Koenma.
"Yes. But what if no one gets the chance to kill off a kitsune before Hitori and Youko's battle…"
Yusuke bowed his head, his expression unreadable. "Then we have no choice. For the good of the Makai…"
Koenma nodded grimly. "Hitori must kill Kurama."
***
"No! How can you ask that of me?"
Yusuke knew Hitori would react like this. She was looking at him like he had asked her to commit murder, which wasn't very far from the truth.
"That is so unfair, Yusuke, oniisan. Why?"
He wanted to rant with her. Yes, it was unfair, not one of them should have been asked to kill Kurama, especially not Hitori. Yusuke wanted to shield Hitori from the reality of life, this imoto he had only recently found, wanted to tell her that she didn't have to fight at all. But the impending battle did not give him that luxury. They needed Hitori and he needed to convince her of her duty to the Makai.
"Life isn't fair, Hitori." He shrugged, patting the distraught girl. "We don't really know why it's like that but it is. Kurama is our friend and if we can, we'd want to spare his life. But if he doesn't return to his old self, we cannot turn our backs on the whole Makai."
"But Kurama is still there, inside Youko. Didn't you see the glint of remembrance in his eyes when Hiei threw the Black Dragon at him?"
Yusuke shook his head. "No, Hitori. You are trying to convince yourself of something that we cannot hope for. Kurama might be inside but he isn't strong enough to break Youko or Kitsune's power. If he could, you and Kuwabara wouldn't be here with those injuries. No, Hitori," Yusuke's eyes were adamant, "Kurama might be there, but Youko controls him. Koenma himself told me that the only way to break that control is to kill Kitsune. And you know that is an impossibility. Our only alternative is to kill one of the Nine Tails. And if the others cannot do it, you will have to kill Youko."
"I can't…kill Kurama. I just can't."
Yusuke took Hitori by her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Listen to me, Hitori." He didn't have time to be kind anymore. "Remember the war? Remember just how many were killed in the battles? Well, if we don't kill the Nine Tails of Kitsune, what will happen to the Makai will be worse. Everyone will be killed off. Touya, Suzuki, Sisiwakamaru… and Kitsune will not be content with that. Soon, he will turn to the ningenkai and then what will happen? We cannot protect everyone, eventually even Keiko..Yukina and the others will be killed. Would you want that?"
Hitori kept sobbing and crying but Yusuke was relentless. He took hold of her chin and forced her head up. "Would you want that?"
The agonized look in her eyes should have been enough for Yusuke but no, he kept pressing her to answer. "Would you want that, Hitori? Answer me."
Her answer seemed a long time in coming and the only sound in the room was that of Hitori's sobs. Minutes ticked by but Yusuke remained adamant, he didn't take his hand off her chin.
"No."
Hitori's answer came out of the quiet. Yusuke finally let go of her chin. "Then you must remember your duty Hitori. I know it is hard to do but we all do what we can. To protect the ones we love. It is our duty."
***
To protect the ones we love? I love Kurama, why do I have to do it?
The gentle whistling wind played with her hair and dried the tears she had continuously shed after Yusuke had left the room. She didn't notice that though, didn't notice the almost breathtaking loveliness of this part of the Makai's forests laid out before her. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts to care.
Her whole being cried out against it but she had no choice. No, that wasn't necessarily right. She had a choice. She could disobey Yusuke, not kill Kurama and then all hell would break lose. She asked herself if she cared if it did. What do I care of duty if I cannot save Kurama? And then she remembered Keiko and the others, and she felt a twinge of guilt. No, I cannot desert the others too. Yusuke is right, I cannot sacrifice everyone's future for just one person. A flash of pain went through her. Even if it is Kurama.
Gods, I hurt. I hurt so much! She put a hand into her shirt and drew out the roses Kurama gave her in what now seemed like a long time ago. She had always carried them with her when the war broke out because it reminded her of him and comforted her. Red, red roses, like Kurama.
Hitori was surprised when she looked at the roses in her hands. Why are they white? They were red before.
And true enough, the roses in her hands were as white as the snow. But these are the same roses…I remember I broke this one's stem accidentally. She brushed a finger down one broken stem, wondering to herself. What had happened?
"Oi! Hitori!" Hitori turned around to find Kuwabara limping out into the balcony, smiling at her.
"Kuwabara." She nodded her head.
"Daijobu ka?" Kuwabara asked her, concern written all over his face as he saw her wan pallor.
"Aa. Daijobu." Hitori said, forcing a smile to her lips. "Where have you been?" She asked conversationally, trying to steer his attention away from herself. She didn't think she could handle concern right now…
It worked. Kuwabara grinned at her. "I've been with Yusuke to the Nine Tails exhibition matches."
Hitori whacked herself mentally. She had forgotten that the Nine Tails had arranged an exhibition today.
"Those kitsunes sure are a bunch of exhibitionist. They all but threw in the kitchen sink trying to impress everyone." Kuwabara rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "But they were really good."
Hitori shrugged. "Yes, most kitsunes with Nine Tails have the propensity to brag about their superior skills." She said dryly.
Kuwabara looked at Hitori. She seemed to be ok now. Thank God! He peeked out at her cheekily. "You mean 8 tails aren't so afflicted? Why I know one kitsune who…"
"Oh, you!" Hitori couldn't help but break out in a smile at Kuwabara's pun. She swatted him with her left hand, forgetting the roses she still held.
"Ah, that's not fair Hitori." Kuwabara said, trying to mock evade her swipe. Then he noticed the roses… "And attacking me with roses, hn! Really unfair!"
Hitori blushed and stuffed the roses back into her shirt.
"Hmm…Hitori?"
"Yes?"
"Where did you get the roses? I've looked very far for red roses here but strangely there isn't one rose here, let alone a red one. I wanted to give Yukina one." Kuwabara blushed. "Hell, if Kurama was here, he'd only have to wave his hand…Say! That's odd! I didn't see Youko throw a single rose in the exhibition today. Not even when he pulled out his whip."
When Hitori heard what Kuwabara said. Her mind went back to the day Yusuke had sent Kurama and her to buy the sake for the chicken…
**"I've never heard of a kitsune with the power to throw roses before…"
"You're right. There isn't any." Kurama had replied, pausing for a few minutes to appreciate the lush greenness of the forest. "When I was still in the Makai, my power of plant manipulation extended only to demonic plants. My whip came from thorn-filled demon vines as well. No roses. Not until Shiori-kaasan…**"
The white roses must be Kitsune's work. But why turn red roses white?
**The point is, roses only manifested themselves when I became a ningen. Once I gained human emotion. That is why you will never see a kitsune with roses in their repertoire. They don't have the human element.
It seemed a crime to have white roses, somehow white roses don't seem as alive as red ones.**
Hitori smiled to herself. If I can turn these roses red… She looked down at the roses. A plan was forming in her head, a dangerous plan that would entail…no, nothing would stop her. She had been the reason Kurama was like this in the first place. She would do everything to make it right.
Maybe, just maybe there was a way to save Kurama…and it was all thanks to Kuwabara.
She smiled brightly at Kuwabara and kissed him on the cheek. "You're brilliant, Kuwa-kun! Well I gotta go, I have to do something."
"I am?" Kuwabara said, confused, staring at Hitori's back. Now what was Hitori talking about? Honestly, no matter how old he got, he just can't figure out girls. He sighed.
TBC ^_~ Comments onegai? We're almost at the end so please hang on ^^