Chapter 1: Hope by ARaZhi
Two years later...
A knock on the door nearly sent Botan on edge. Yusuke isn't due home in the next couple of days. They hardly get any visitors. So, who is knocking on their door?
"Who is it?" she called out, sharply. On her hand, she gripped tightly an equally sharp knife.
"It's me," Kuwabara answered.
Kuwabara?> She reached out with her ki to confirm his identity. Her body visibly relax as she open the door.
Kuwabara quickly slipped inside the room. Together they bolted the door shut.
"What brings you here? Trouble? Is Yusuke..."
"No. Yusuke's fine," he gave her a ghost of a smile. "I just dropped by to get some rest. If you don't mind?"
"Of course I don't mind!" she exclaimed. Her heart went out to the young man. Kuwabara has changed so much since Yukina and Shizuru's death. His huge smile became replaced by a mere ghost of the old one. His voice became more serious, quieter, tighter.
The only times they saw a real smile light up his eyes is when he sees her daughter. Like now.
"OTOOJI!!" two-year old Kim, ran up to Kuwabara and hugged his leg tightly.
"Kim-chan!" he quickly picked up the girl and began tickling her.
Kim laughed her eyes dancing happily.
"I'll go prepare us something to eat. Will you stay for dinner?"
"Definitely!"
"Yey! Otooji, will you tell me stories later?"
Botan left the room. In the kitchen, she could still hear their laughter.
After several minutes of nearly non-stop laughter, the two of them finally settled down.
Kuwabara took the young girl and sat her on his lap. "Will you do me a favor?"
"Sure! But that'll cost you another story!" she grinned at him, her eyes shone with mischief.
He laughed, "Sure!"
"What do you want me to do?"
He took off one of the two tear gems on his neck. They tear gems were the only ones that survived the fire that killed his sister and wife. "I want you to have this." He place the necklace on the young girl's neck.
"It's so pretty," she said, admiring the tear gem.
"That's Yukina's tear gem. She wants her twin brother to have it. I don't know who he is... I don't think I'd live long enough to find him for her."
"Otooji!?" she young eyes are filled with terror.
Idiot!> he berated himself. They've discussed long ago that they'll try to spare their children the terror of war and death. That was the reason why Yusuke made sure his family lives in a place as far away from the war as possible. "I'm just kidding!" he said quickly. "No one can take on *the Great* Kazuma Kuwabara!!"
She grinned. "What do you want me to do?"
"Did Yukina-obasan tell you about her twin?" She nodded. "Well, I think that you will have a better chance of finding him compared to me. I want you to take good care of that gem. When you find Yukina-obasan's twin, you'll give it to him, okay?"
"Hai, otooji. Err--how do I---" her words are cut off by a sudden loud explosion.
"KUWABARA! GET KIM OUT OF HERE!" Botan screamed.
Kuwabara turned towards Botan, just in time to see several demons behind her. Two demons are holding her, another one stabbed her.
"BOTANNN!!!"
"KAACHANNN!!"
He grabbed Kim to prevent her from running towards Botan. Holding the child in one arm, he summoned his rei ken, ready to fight and die for a child whom he loves as his own.
But the enemies kept coming. They were too many.
His life is draining away. "Yukina," he whispered softly.
He looked at Kim, the terror and grief in her eyes are replaced by an angry determination so similar to that of her father.
He gave her a final smile.
"Otooji?"
No response.
The air began to cackle with unsurpressed power.
"NOOOOOO!!!!"
Miles away, in another rebel camp.
Kurama and Yusuke are going over their tactical plans when they heard a deep rumble.
"Earthquake?" Yusuke asked.
"No, look!" Kurama pointed outside the small window. It seems like an explosition that could rival that of an atomic bomb is taking place. The blue-red explosion is located at a very disturbing place.
Yusuke's eyes are wide, "That looks like...home!" he ran out of the room with Kurama close behind. Using his ki, he tried to probe the location, trying to find his wife and child.
"Kim..." that explosion was caused by his daughter! He could feel her energy, her anger and pain.
"Botan?" he whispered. I can't find her!!> He strained in panic. NOO!!> "BOTTAAAANNNN!!!"
Sixteen years later...
"I'd like to give you a flower, Mukuro. But there aren't any around," he said, looking down at Mukuro's grave.
He had heard of his sister's death. But he didn't go back to Ningenkai. There was nothing he could do. Nothing he could say would make anything better. Neither will it make the pain go away. Kuwabara would avenge his sister's death. He knows that much.
He is needed here. He *was* needed here.
Now, Mukuro's gone. There was nothing left for him in Makai.
Ningenkai.
"Hn."
Maybe it's about time he paid his former teammates a visit.