Anemone: sorry the last chapter was sooo short! lol it seemed longer as I wrote it...lol a lot of big words haha...Skippin' ahead today...Fox?
Kurama: Chapter 24, enjoy.
Chapter 24: An Internal Struggle
Kurama roared softly, pain stinging at all angles about his torn body.
"My God..." Keiko stuttered softly.
"He can't be going insane!" Yusuke snarled at the stunned dragon. "He can't be!"
"Look closely, Detective," Hiei ordered sternly, Yusuke, and the others, doing so. At first glance, it seemed Kurama was just trying to hold back a temper tantrum...but, as the sight lengthened, each of the Urimeshi team, let Hiei, pricked in shock.
Between the strained gasps of air and the soft cooing wails, with each pulse of Kurama's heart his eyes stung golden, dimming almost instantly to their natural emerald.
"Oh my God!" Kuwabara and Yusuke breathed in unison.
"He is fighting against himself," Hiei explained flatly, his expression that of surprise at Kurama's will to remain as Suichi Minamino. "Half of Kurama is blinded by the immense pain of his arrow wounds and the temptation to revert to a powerful state...this part of him is trying to convince him entirely that this is indeed the most dire of situations, and that his opponet is not Ryooki but his father, Grapko, and that this is the time to transform into Yoko. And the other half of him still has his wits about him...this part of him knows that he can't change yet, that he must remain as is for the time being."
"How can he be fighting with himself?! I mean, this is Kurama! The calmest person to ever walk the friggen planet!" Kuwabara seethed in response. "He is the last person in the world to ever go nuts!"
Keiko stepped closer to Yusuke, the Detective instantly coiling his good arm about her shoulders in reassurance as both locked their wide gazes for the wailing fox. Yukina stuttered in horror, whimpering in fear.
"Indeed," Hiei snarled to the red-headed punk. "You do not understand, you fool...Kurama is beyond solace at times, I do not deny this...but, when one has a split personality, at times it can be hard to maintain them both and remain mentally stable...Kitsune is on the cusp between sanity and insanity, the back of his mind that hides his Yoko past trying to seep through to the surface, and his Suichi Minamino self struggling to keep the demon within him at bay." Hiei cast narrow, stern eyes for the numb-minded Kuwabara. "If you were a demon with two personalities, I doubt you'd be anywhere near the same league as Kurama when it comes to maintaining sanity...it is remarkable in itself that he can even stay calm all the time...cut him a break with this situation...it is true that his Yoko form has never before threatened to take over...but with that gem and with all that pain he must be feeling at the moment, can you not try to understand his lapses in coherence?!"
Silence laced the group, Hiei glaring blood daggers to his companions. "None of you could understand inner torment like that." his eyes graced before him to the sight of the troubled Kistune, his tone soft and his eyes faceting to a distant memory. "Not a one of you."
Kurama snarled hard breaths...the only thing that separated the wound in his chest and the gash at his back was his heart, each pulse stinging mad stabs of pain in front and back. The fox could only force one eye open his winces were so tight and sharp. With every strained beat of his heart his eyes stung golden, fading quickly back into the trademark emerald. "No..." he scolded himself sharply, sweat breaking loose from his temple as he jerked his face aside. "That's not Grapko..."
His eyes stung golden. "Yes it is..." his Yoko voice escaped his brief smirk.
"What the-?!" Yusuke and Kuwabara gaped in shocked unison...Keiko stuttered sharp breaths of disbelief...Yukina fainted in Kuwabara's arms...even Hiei was shocked at how violently thin the line was between Yoko and Suichi at this point.
Ryooki stared in awe at the tormented Kurama, not daring to attack while his brother was down...despite being controlled with that device to his head, Ryooki was refraining from any and all offense to his little brother...for now, anyway. "My God...it would seem he is schizophrenic."
Kurama's narrow stares faded into green, his human voice stinging at his throat yet again. "No! It's my brother..." now the color changes didn't depend on the beat of his heart...but wavered between the two as his will to maintain Suichi Minamino began to falter. The gem strung about Kurama's neck singed with a glow like none other, burning a brilliant red as strain overwhelmed the struggling Kurama, who was trying in utter desperation to shun his demonic personality.
Golden. "Do not fool yourself...now is the time to allow me to take over."
Green. "Hardly!" Suichi countered viciously. "I must wait...I cannot let you overcome me!"
Golden. "But I am you, Suichi." a smirk tainted the Kistune's lips.
Green. The smirk instantly jerked to a tight, defensive grit of teeth. "Pah! You are nothing but my past self...I've a new life...a life that does not concern you."
Golden. "This whole situation concerns me, Suichi...you are fighting MY family, remember?"
Green. "So?! I still must remain as my human self! I can't let you come out...not yet, anyway..."
Golden. "Why?" the demonic tone was greatly tempting the human Suichi. "Would it not be better to allow me to take over? This is the most dire of situations..."
Green. "No it's not! It is NOT the most dire of situations! I am fighting Ryooki, not Grapko! When I do take on the wolf, then, and ONLY then, will you be allowed out!"
Golden. "You've faltering control over me, Suichi...you're having trouble maintaining full reign of the body. Besides," the tone was a soft, smooth coo. "This is Grapko." Slowly, Kurama's form began a shivering pulse that jerked him up and down slightly, pain stinging at him all over. A deep moaning wail began to slip from within him, and shock like none other veiled the Urimeshi team...Kurama's trademark crimson mane was beginning to stain silver at the roots, slipping slyly for the ends.
"My God!" Yusuke wailed in pure horror, instantly binding himself to the terrified Keiko in a firm, protective brace, focusing wide chocolate eyes for his tormented friend. "No! Kurama!"
Kurama's eyes were clenched shut, pain singeing his cheeks and the slope of his nose pure scarlet. Sweat began to tear from his temples, some swarming viciously in the depths of his graze. His teeth were knit shut in a tight grit, pure agony pulsing through his system and burning into his scalp. Suddenly, he flashed his eyes wide, and in his Suichi voice, snarled a vicious "NO!"
Instantly, a spurt of Spirit Energy, the kind that belonged to Suichi alone, sprayed from his scalp, his silver-slicked mane immediately flashing back to it's bushy mass of redness. His eyes stung from the controlling golden and faceted straight for the trademark emerald of the humaniod fox. A vicious snarl tainted Kurama's face as a roar swarmed in the depths of his chest. "NO, Yoko! You cannot take me over!" his human voice echoed in sharp tones in the wide, cool cavern...Suichi had won.
"Yes!" Hiei smiled in relief. "He has fought his inner demons and he has come out victorious! Not only that," Hiei examined the strong Kurama with a positive expression of amazement about his face. "...but he has regained his Spirit Energy in that outburst of anger...he's even stronger than he was before we arrived at Mount Shiverku!"
The entire team beamed in relief, let Yukina, who was still unconscious in Kuwabara's arms. "Yu-Yukina?" he breathed slowly, a slight bit of poison still stinging at the gash in his chest. "Yukina, it's all okay! Kurama's fine! He's still the red-head Kurama and everything! Yukina...?"
Kurama glared emerald daggers before him. "I am fine now...just a brief lapse of insanity...courtesy of this," the fox coiled his nimble fingers about the scarlet surface of the smooth ruby about his neck. It's burning glow had dimmed since he regained control. Kurama eyed it curiously for a moment, a stern expression of his trademark calmness about his blood-stained face. The fox slowly shifted in a heavy sigh as he dragged the gem from his neck, and he cast his now solace stare for the side, catching Hiei's crimson glare.
"Hold this for me Hiei? That way I shouldn't lose myself again," Kurama stated in his famously composed tone, not waiting for an answer as he flicked the ruby in a lashing toss for the dragon, Hiei jerking his hand up for the catch with a calm expression about his features. The gem stabbed into his palm from the forceful toss, the dragon instantly bracing it in his clasp with tight fingers.
"Will do, Kistune...that would probably be best..." Hiei slowly dimmed his voice as he cast his soft stare for the unconscious Yukina. Kurama followed where his gaze led, and Kurama instantly understood as his emerald glare graced the sight of the delicate aperition's numb form. Hiei continued his sentence. "You gave us quite the scare with that little fight with yourself."
Kurama responded with a soft, very Suichi type of smile. "I greatly apologize...that blasted jewel robbed me of my better judgement."
"Obviously."
"Indeed...now I've a battle to continue," Kurama flashed a smirk of pure calmness for the entire gang...Yusuke and Keiko slowly eased apart in relief as the fox bowed in stance. "Alright Ryooki...I'm ready."
"Good," Ryooki smiled faintly to the humaniod fox. "I must say...that little conversation with yourself reminded me of father."
"Ha!" Kurama smirked. "So you say lunacy is hereditary?"
"I think you've proven it," Ryooko twinged an eyebrow as a smirk of his own tugged at his features, the demon gracing his arm to the arrow-sling about his back, dragging four from the little casing.
"Well, I severely doubt Grapko has a gem about his neck that can bring out your most powerful state, causing hysteria as you try to keep that particular state at bay until it is truly necessary," Kurama countered slyly.
"Oh, touche, little brother," Ryooki pinched the four arrows to his bow. "Touche," he allowed the weapons to slip from his grasp as he pinched Spirit Energy into each, the four stabbing the air straight for Kurama. The sly Kistune crouched low, pushing off for a leap into the air. Kurama whirled in graced movements through the cool cavern, each arrow taking on a life of it's own. The fox jerked in various positions in the air, the four arrows stabbing for him and just missing.
"Wh-huh?" Yukina gurgled softly as her delicate scarlet eyes peeled open. "Kazuma...?" she mumbled faintly, cradled in Kuwabara's arms.
"Yukina!!" he beamed joyfully, threading her in a tight embrace. The mint-haired aperition smiled softly, until her memory caught up with her and she jerked away.
"Kurama! Is he alright?" she inquired quickly, Kuwabara looking a little more than hurt.
"See for yourself," Hiei's monotonous tone leaked into the silence of the group. Yukina jerked her scared gaze for the depths of the cavern, and to her immense relief she spotted the gentle red-headed Suichi. "As you can see, the human Kurama won against the demon Kurama."
"Thank goodness," she sighed, nestling against Kuwabara's shoulder.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
Anemone: hey there! Yeah, this chappie's a lot longer than the last one...I think...lol?
Kurama: yes, it is.
Anemone: Flames!
Hiei: what?
Anemone: say your line.
Hiei: no.
Anemone: do it!
Hiei: *groan* FINE...go review...now.
Anemone: that isn't your-
Hiei: -go, review, now.
Kurama: Mones, perhaps allowing him to say that would be best.
Anemone: *sigh* FINE...latr readers.
Kurama: Chapter 24, enjoy.
Chapter 24: An Internal Struggle
Kurama roared softly, pain stinging at all angles about his torn body.
"My God..." Keiko stuttered softly.
"He can't be going insane!" Yusuke snarled at the stunned dragon. "He can't be!"
"Look closely, Detective," Hiei ordered sternly, Yusuke, and the others, doing so. At first glance, it seemed Kurama was just trying to hold back a temper tantrum...but, as the sight lengthened, each of the Urimeshi team, let Hiei, pricked in shock.
Between the strained gasps of air and the soft cooing wails, with each pulse of Kurama's heart his eyes stung golden, dimming almost instantly to their natural emerald.
"Oh my God!" Kuwabara and Yusuke breathed in unison.
"He is fighting against himself," Hiei explained flatly, his expression that of surprise at Kurama's will to remain as Suichi Minamino. "Half of Kurama is blinded by the immense pain of his arrow wounds and the temptation to revert to a powerful state...this part of him is trying to convince him entirely that this is indeed the most dire of situations, and that his opponet is not Ryooki but his father, Grapko, and that this is the time to transform into Yoko. And the other half of him still has his wits about him...this part of him knows that he can't change yet, that he must remain as is for the time being."
"How can he be fighting with himself?! I mean, this is Kurama! The calmest person to ever walk the friggen planet!" Kuwabara seethed in response. "He is the last person in the world to ever go nuts!"
Keiko stepped closer to Yusuke, the Detective instantly coiling his good arm about her shoulders in reassurance as both locked their wide gazes for the wailing fox. Yukina stuttered in horror, whimpering in fear.
"Indeed," Hiei snarled to the red-headed punk. "You do not understand, you fool...Kurama is beyond solace at times, I do not deny this...but, when one has a split personality, at times it can be hard to maintain them both and remain mentally stable...Kitsune is on the cusp between sanity and insanity, the back of his mind that hides his Yoko past trying to seep through to the surface, and his Suichi Minamino self struggling to keep the demon within him at bay." Hiei cast narrow, stern eyes for the numb-minded Kuwabara. "If you were a demon with two personalities, I doubt you'd be anywhere near the same league as Kurama when it comes to maintaining sanity...it is remarkable in itself that he can even stay calm all the time...cut him a break with this situation...it is true that his Yoko form has never before threatened to take over...but with that gem and with all that pain he must be feeling at the moment, can you not try to understand his lapses in coherence?!"
Silence laced the group, Hiei glaring blood daggers to his companions. "None of you could understand inner torment like that." his eyes graced before him to the sight of the troubled Kistune, his tone soft and his eyes faceting to a distant memory. "Not a one of you."
Kurama snarled hard breaths...the only thing that separated the wound in his chest and the gash at his back was his heart, each pulse stinging mad stabs of pain in front and back. The fox could only force one eye open his winces were so tight and sharp. With every strained beat of his heart his eyes stung golden, fading quickly back into the trademark emerald. "No..." he scolded himself sharply, sweat breaking loose from his temple as he jerked his face aside. "That's not Grapko..."
His eyes stung golden. "Yes it is..." his Yoko voice escaped his brief smirk.
"What the-?!" Yusuke and Kuwabara gaped in shocked unison...Keiko stuttered sharp breaths of disbelief...Yukina fainted in Kuwabara's arms...even Hiei was shocked at how violently thin the line was between Yoko and Suichi at this point.
Ryooki stared in awe at the tormented Kurama, not daring to attack while his brother was down...despite being controlled with that device to his head, Ryooki was refraining from any and all offense to his little brother...for now, anyway. "My God...it would seem he is schizophrenic."
Kurama's narrow stares faded into green, his human voice stinging at his throat yet again. "No! It's my brother..." now the color changes didn't depend on the beat of his heart...but wavered between the two as his will to maintain Suichi Minamino began to falter. The gem strung about Kurama's neck singed with a glow like none other, burning a brilliant red as strain overwhelmed the struggling Kurama, who was trying in utter desperation to shun his demonic personality.
Golden. "Do not fool yourself...now is the time to allow me to take over."
Green. "Hardly!" Suichi countered viciously. "I must wait...I cannot let you overcome me!"
Golden. "But I am you, Suichi." a smirk tainted the Kistune's lips.
Green. The smirk instantly jerked to a tight, defensive grit of teeth. "Pah! You are nothing but my past self...I've a new life...a life that does not concern you."
Golden. "This whole situation concerns me, Suichi...you are fighting MY family, remember?"
Green. "So?! I still must remain as my human self! I can't let you come out...not yet, anyway..."
Golden. "Why?" the demonic tone was greatly tempting the human Suichi. "Would it not be better to allow me to take over? This is the most dire of situations..."
Green. "No it's not! It is NOT the most dire of situations! I am fighting Ryooki, not Grapko! When I do take on the wolf, then, and ONLY then, will you be allowed out!"
Golden. "You've faltering control over me, Suichi...you're having trouble maintaining full reign of the body. Besides," the tone was a soft, smooth coo. "This is Grapko." Slowly, Kurama's form began a shivering pulse that jerked him up and down slightly, pain stinging at him all over. A deep moaning wail began to slip from within him, and shock like none other veiled the Urimeshi team...Kurama's trademark crimson mane was beginning to stain silver at the roots, slipping slyly for the ends.
"My God!" Yusuke wailed in pure horror, instantly binding himself to the terrified Keiko in a firm, protective brace, focusing wide chocolate eyes for his tormented friend. "No! Kurama!"
Kurama's eyes were clenched shut, pain singeing his cheeks and the slope of his nose pure scarlet. Sweat began to tear from his temples, some swarming viciously in the depths of his graze. His teeth were knit shut in a tight grit, pure agony pulsing through his system and burning into his scalp. Suddenly, he flashed his eyes wide, and in his Suichi voice, snarled a vicious "NO!"
Instantly, a spurt of Spirit Energy, the kind that belonged to Suichi alone, sprayed from his scalp, his silver-slicked mane immediately flashing back to it's bushy mass of redness. His eyes stung from the controlling golden and faceted straight for the trademark emerald of the humaniod fox. A vicious snarl tainted Kurama's face as a roar swarmed in the depths of his chest. "NO, Yoko! You cannot take me over!" his human voice echoed in sharp tones in the wide, cool cavern...Suichi had won.
"Yes!" Hiei smiled in relief. "He has fought his inner demons and he has come out victorious! Not only that," Hiei examined the strong Kurama with a positive expression of amazement about his face. "...but he has regained his Spirit Energy in that outburst of anger...he's even stronger than he was before we arrived at Mount Shiverku!"
The entire team beamed in relief, let Yukina, who was still unconscious in Kuwabara's arms. "Yu-Yukina?" he breathed slowly, a slight bit of poison still stinging at the gash in his chest. "Yukina, it's all okay! Kurama's fine! He's still the red-head Kurama and everything! Yukina...?"
Kurama glared emerald daggers before him. "I am fine now...just a brief lapse of insanity...courtesy of this," the fox coiled his nimble fingers about the scarlet surface of the smooth ruby about his neck. It's burning glow had dimmed since he regained control. Kurama eyed it curiously for a moment, a stern expression of his trademark calmness about his blood-stained face. The fox slowly shifted in a heavy sigh as he dragged the gem from his neck, and he cast his now solace stare for the side, catching Hiei's crimson glare.
"Hold this for me Hiei? That way I shouldn't lose myself again," Kurama stated in his famously composed tone, not waiting for an answer as he flicked the ruby in a lashing toss for the dragon, Hiei jerking his hand up for the catch with a calm expression about his features. The gem stabbed into his palm from the forceful toss, the dragon instantly bracing it in his clasp with tight fingers.
"Will do, Kistune...that would probably be best..." Hiei slowly dimmed his voice as he cast his soft stare for the unconscious Yukina. Kurama followed where his gaze led, and Kurama instantly understood as his emerald glare graced the sight of the delicate aperition's numb form. Hiei continued his sentence. "You gave us quite the scare with that little fight with yourself."
Kurama responded with a soft, very Suichi type of smile. "I greatly apologize...that blasted jewel robbed me of my better judgement."
"Obviously."
"Indeed...now I've a battle to continue," Kurama flashed a smirk of pure calmness for the entire gang...Yusuke and Keiko slowly eased apart in relief as the fox bowed in stance. "Alright Ryooki...I'm ready."
"Good," Ryooki smiled faintly to the humaniod fox. "I must say...that little conversation with yourself reminded me of father."
"Ha!" Kurama smirked. "So you say lunacy is hereditary?"
"I think you've proven it," Ryooko twinged an eyebrow as a smirk of his own tugged at his features, the demon gracing his arm to the arrow-sling about his back, dragging four from the little casing.
"Well, I severely doubt Grapko has a gem about his neck that can bring out your most powerful state, causing hysteria as you try to keep that particular state at bay until it is truly necessary," Kurama countered slyly.
"Oh, touche, little brother," Ryooki pinched the four arrows to his bow. "Touche," he allowed the weapons to slip from his grasp as he pinched Spirit Energy into each, the four stabbing the air straight for Kurama. The sly Kistune crouched low, pushing off for a leap into the air. Kurama whirled in graced movements through the cool cavern, each arrow taking on a life of it's own. The fox jerked in various positions in the air, the four arrows stabbing for him and just missing.
"Wh-huh?" Yukina gurgled softly as her delicate scarlet eyes peeled open. "Kazuma...?" she mumbled faintly, cradled in Kuwabara's arms.
"Yukina!!" he beamed joyfully, threading her in a tight embrace. The mint-haired aperition smiled softly, until her memory caught up with her and she jerked away.
"Kurama! Is he alright?" she inquired quickly, Kuwabara looking a little more than hurt.
"See for yourself," Hiei's monotonous tone leaked into the silence of the group. Yukina jerked her scared gaze for the depths of the cavern, and to her immense relief she spotted the gentle red-headed Suichi. "As you can see, the human Kurama won against the demon Kurama."
"Thank goodness," she sighed, nestling against Kuwabara's shoulder.
%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%
Anemone: hey there! Yeah, this chappie's a lot longer than the last one...I think...lol?
Kurama: yes, it is.
Anemone: Flames!
Hiei: what?
Anemone: say your line.
Hiei: no.
Anemone: do it!
Hiei: *groan* FINE...go review...now.
Anemone: that isn't your-
Hiei: -go, review, now.
Kurama: Mones, perhaps allowing him to say that would be best.
Anemone: *sigh* FINE...latr readers.