This song by Nichole Nordeman seems to describe Kuwabara pretty well, don't you think?---sent in by my dear buddy joy. Gonna give this a try. As always i dun own nothin!


Kuwabara sighed, coming home from another mission. He was 23 now, and though he was young, felt old from battles. He went in his bathroom and took a shower, poking the wound caused by an arrow, on his left side.

~*~I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest~*~

Kuwabara sighed, and bandages the wound, and dressed. Once done he lay on his couch starring at the fan. Koenma praised them every time. But recently Kuwabara had begun to feel useless. It had fully hit him he wasn't as good as the others, no matter how much praise he received.

~*~You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much~*~

Kuwabara smiled thinking that it was nice to be praised, but in the end he was still tired and worn. Still feeling aged and forever tattered. He smiled closing his eyes. There was another mission. He needed rest, but sleep, but sleep would not come.

~*~I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world~*~

Death. Kuwabara's eyes opened. That word flickered into his mind. Lately, he'd been thinking a lot about death. He thought about what his friends would do. He'd written out a will, and everything. But there was more.

He felt as if he needed to leave something behind. Not something he treasured, but something of himself. He wanted to leave behind something that he'd done that his friends would remember. So that they were proud to be his friends. He knew he was proud to be theirs.

~*~I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?~*~

He thought of all the things he felt for them. He loved them. They were his family. His parents were long gone, and only had Shizuru, but sometimes that wasn't enough.

~*~Did I choose to love?~*~

He was hoping he made some sort of imprint on his friends lives. Even if it wasn't good, he just wanted to know he affected them somehow. It was hard, especially since they were demons. He wasn't demon and they still looked so young. He, himself, looked young still but he knew by 50, they would still look the same.

~*~Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?~*~

Kuwabara's mind shifted to his best friend.

Yusuke Urameshi.

He remembered a conversation he had with Yusuke. It was after they fought a demon. The demon had said Yusuke was a disgrace to holding onto that idiotic friendship with him.

Kuwabara took Yusuke aside and apologized.

Yusuke blinked, "For what?" Kuwabara had looked at the wall to his left and muttered, "Because I'm human, and not as strong as you, You keep having to save me. I'll never be able to help you in the way I should." Kuwabara stopped there, being as Yusuke had grabbed a hold of his jacket.

"Kuwabara," Yusuke growled, "our friendship helps me get through all this Hell. Don't ever apologize for it, you can't control that we're demons and your not. Apologizing is like saying your sorry you ever met me!" "I'm not!" Kuwabara had gasped wide eyed.

"I know." Yusuke smiled, "Don't let what that idiot said get to you." They had embraced, and the awkwardly let go, coughing, trying to cover up their sentimental moment.

~*~I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who blessed your name unapologetically~*~

He realized that's what he wanted to be remembered as.

A friend, and nothing more.

~*~And leave that kind of legacy~*~

Kuwabara closed his eyes, and was woken by being shaken. A concerned Yusuke hovered over him, Kurama and Hiei peeking over his shoulder. "What are you doing in my house guys? It's late!"

The three looked at him uneasily, "Kuwabara it past noon. We got to go." Kuwabara looked at his clock with surprise. "Whoa, must have slept through my alarm."

Kuwabara got up, and ushered them into the kitchen, and went in the room to change. Once out of the bathroom, and fully dressed he stepped into the kitchen.

"Human, what happened?" Hiei pointed at Kuwabara's side.

Kuwabara wore his long whit jacket, and his side was bandaged up tightly. "That arrow, it kinda got infected, but I fixed it."

"Maybe you shouldn't come this time." Yusuke said nervously.

"No way! I'm coming!" Kuwabara said stubbornly. "Okay, okay! After this we're going to get ice cream, we need to relax!" Kuwabara's face lit up. He loved ice creme.

~*~I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy~*~

On their way to the demon world, Kuwabara began to feel funny. He felt as if he had food poisoning and would throw up at any given moment.

"Kuwabara?" Kurama asked looking back at him.

"Sorry, got lost in thought."

"That's dangerous for you."

"SHUT UP ANKLE BITER!"

Kuwabara humped, and shifted gears to what he was thinking about last night. His thoughts of death had come back. Something lingered in the air, and hung disturbingly to close. Kuwabara sighed again.

He did not have to think for very long, the demons had appeared, and the fight was under way. They were all surprised, being as this was supposed to be a peace meeting.

His friends, lashed out at the demons, but Kuwabara felt weak from his injury, and the sick feeling was back. A demon kicked him in his wounded side, and he puked all over the demon.

Everyone, including the demons, turned back. "Kuwabara?!" Yusuke gasped. "Da*m him to the depths of Hell!" Hiei cursed, furious that Kuwabara would fight sick.

Kuwabara recovered, and killed the demon covered in his half digested food. "GET HIM! HE'S WEARY FROM HIS ILLNESS, GET HIM!"

Kuwabara was brought to his knees, by an attack on his side, and smashed on his left temple. He fell on his belly, dust from the earth flying around him. He heard his name called, and the scuffle of fighting. Within an hour the sounds of the fight stopped. Kuwabara had tried to get up. He really had! But he found himself unable to move.

"Kuwabara!" He heard his best friend's voice, and was rolled on his back, he opened his fevered eyes, starring at his friends.

"Kurama, look at his side." Hiei pointed out, touching the wounded area. Kurama ripped off the bandages. "Oh my God." Kurama looked at Yusuke, "It's not an infection! It's poison!" He looked down at Kuwabara, "The arrow must have been poisoned!"

~*~It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy~*~

Kuwabara was beginning to lose hearing, and felt as if his body was shutting down. Painfully, almost blindly he grabbed Yusuke's hand. Yusuke squeezed it and yelled, "Grip my hand! Grip it for all it's worth!" Kuwabara held onto his hand as tight as he could, both their arms shaking from the strength.

Kurama and Hiei were working on him, and Kurama was cutting into him. Slicing off the poisoned flesh, and tissue, so that they might be able to repair it, and save Kuwabara's life.

"Yusuke, your my best friend." Kuwabara stated matter of factually. Yusuke was starring at him, and made a cocky smile, though his eyes were filled with pain. Kuwabara's grip began to loosen and he kept talking, trying to keep himself alive. "I haven't been to, too many places have I? We all...all need to take a trip, and just do something other that fight."

"That's it keep talking Kuwabara!" Kurama encouraged, as Hiei applied pressure to some pulsing veins.

"I should do more. Read those books sis keeps giving me, I'm so lazy..."

Kuwabara paused.

"Do you think...I'll get to see my parents up there?"

"Oh you will human, just not now." Hiei growled, blood on his face. Yusuke and Kuwabara locked eyed, and they held each others hand, fingers intertwined. Yusuke looked at him, his eyes glassy, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"No..." He whispered, as if he knew what was to happen next. Kuwabara smiled sadly, and pulled Yusuke to him, and embraced him, Yusuke unable to hug back.

"Your dealing with this mushy crap today Urameshi. Just this once...."

~*~Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...~*~

Kuwabara's arms loosened and went limp, and when Yusuke pulled away his friend's eyes were open starring at the distance. He looked completely relaxed.

Kuwabara died, with Yusuke's hand still in his.

end.