Promises of the Past pt. 5 Koori No Naifu Wo Daite (Embracing the Knife of Ice)
Yukina walked out into a garden full of daisies as her thoughts turned to a man with short curly red hair. 'Kazuma Kuwabara,' she thought. 'Usually called "Kuwabara" by the other generals. And one of the saddest people I've ever seen. Why?' Slowly, she sat down in the garden soil as her light blue gown fell around her. She stared into the daisy's center as her mind wandered back to the night before.
~Flashback~
As the other girls and Generals talked, Yukina looked up to Kuwabara's sad eyes.
"Kuwabara?" Yukina asked making Kuwabara snap out of his sadden gaze. "Are you all right?"
"Yea," Kuwabara replied sadly. "You just remind me of someone, that's all."
Yusuke and Koenma turned and watched as Kuwabara left the others.
"Will he be all right?" Botan asked.
"Don't worry," Koenma replied sadly. "He just needs to be alone."
Yusuke watched as the small sea-green haired girl left as the others were unaware.
Yukina walked down the palace halls looking for Kuwabara. She stopped beside a room echoing with soft sobs. Slowly, Yukina walked up and looked inside a slightly open door.
Softly crying, Kuwabara sat on the bed gazing at a picture. Slowly, he traced his fingers over a beautiful girl's face as he laid down and softly cried himself to sleep.
Quietly, Yukina walked inside the room and made her way to the bed where Kuwabara and the picture lay. Nervous, she picked up the picture and stifled a shocked gasp. But, she thought. She looks like me. Yukina stared at the picture of a beautiful girl with her long, sea green hair, and her crimson eyes. Kuwabara stirred, making Yukina panic. Quickly, she placed the picture on a bedside table and ran out of the bedchamber quietly as Kuwabara opened his eyes.
~End Flashback~
Yukina looked up into the bright mid-morning sky. 'Who was she?' She thought. 'A relative? A former lover?' Slowly, she stood and walked towards the palace quietly thinking.
~*~
"Do you think we'll see those girls again?" Yusuke asked as he and Kuwabara walked out into the wooden room with their swords.
"I have no idea, Yusuke," Kuwabara replied as he stared down at his black boots sadly. "I think one of them was in my room last night."
Yusuke smiled an implying smile.
"Really?" he said smirking.
"I think she might have found Hina's picture," Kuwabara replied sadly.
"Oh," Yusuke said as his smile quickly faded. "You missed her, don't you? Hina, I mean."
Kuwabara nodded sadly.
"You shouldn't worry, Kuwabara," Yusuke said. "It happened so long ago, and it wasn't your fault."
"But that 'So long ago' feels like yesterday," Kuwabara answered as he stopped and stared out of a window in the hallway.
Out of the window, in the distance, Kuwabara stared longingly at a statue of an angel amongst the gravestones. 'I promised I'd always be there for her,' he thought. 'But I failed. I left her alone at the time when she most needed me.' Kuwabara turned as he felt Yusuke's hand land on his shoulder.
"Hey," he began, "why don't we go out there for a little bit? Our fencing can wait."
Kuwabara nodded as he and Yusuke turned and walked out of the hallway.
The gray clouds hung low in the sky, chasing away the bright sunlight as the birds in the garden became quiet. Yusuke and Kuwabara trudged up a hill littered with gravestones overgrown with weeds far from the earth palace.
"Yusuke," Kuwabara began softly.
"Yea?" Yusuke replied.
"Do you see that lake in the Prince's garden?" Kuwabara asked, pointing, as he and Yusuke turned back towards the palace.
Yusuke nodded.
"Do you see how stagnant and lifeless it is?" Kuwabara asked as Yusuke nodded. "That in a way is what lies in my heart. A stagnant lake rimmed with ice. Yet, despite the foolish facade I show to the world, I continue living in sadness because it is my fate to do so. But someday, I hope, someone will bring me peace to warm that frozen lake in my heart. And my frozen soul."
"Do you fear that Yukina may be the one to melt that frozen soul of yours?" Yusuke asked as Kuwabara stared at him strangely. "She may not know it, but I saw her slip away after you left. She was worried about you, Kuwabara."
Kuwabara continued staring at the smaller man beside him.
"I remember, as Hina once said," Yusuke began, "'Second chances rarely come. Especially for love. And when that second chance comes, it's best to grab onto it and never let it go. The icy knife that resides in one's cold heart can only be pulled out by the warmth of one's love.' She said that's what you did for her, Kuwabara. Now you should probably let Yukina do that for you."
Yusuke looked up to him smiling. Kuwabara smiled.
"I have a feeling you're right, Yusuke," Kuwabara replied smiling as he stared into the dark, gray sky. "I have a feeling you're right."
Yusuke turned to the angel grave.
"You still wanna visit her?" Yusuke asked looking at the angel as a warm wind blew rustling his clothes.
"Nah," Kuwabara replied. "I think I'll be just fine."
Slowly, Yusuke and Kuwabara turned away and made their way back to the palace in an friendly silence.
~*~
In the Moon Palace library, under the lamp's light, Jesscheaux twirled her purple pen around her fingers as she tried to concentrate. 'I have to find out what's going on down on earth,' she thought as she closed the book. 'I've tried to find every book on signs and omens in this library, but nothing turns up about a person being possessed. It's not demonic possession, I know that. It would be much more violent than what Hiei did to the Prince.' She sighed again. As the sound of a servant's footsteps came toward her, she turned.
"Lady Jesscheaux," the servant began as he bowed, "a man named Lord Goemon is here to see you."
Jesscheaux's green eyes glowed eagerly.
"Quickly! Quickly!" she began excitedly. "Send him in! Send him in!"
Quickly, pulling out the tangles, Jesscheaux ran her fingers through her brown hair as a handsome man with long, black hair, adorned in a fine grey suit, walked into the library. At his side, a sword clanked as he walked. He leaned down and took her hand in his.
"Lady Jesscheaux," he greeted as he kissed her hand, "so very nice to see you."
"It's very nice to see you too, Lord Goemon," Jesscheaux replied as she blushed. "So what brings you to the Moon? I thought you were handling business affairs back on Neptune."
"The Queen has offered me some time off," he said. "I figured this would be a good chance to see your beautiful face again."
Jesscheaux blushed brighter as her heart skipped a beat.
"How kind of my mother," Jesscheaux replied giggling as she hid her red face. "But what's her motive behind it? She's always saying nonsense things about me settling down."
"I honestly have no idea," Goemon said smiling as he placed his hand in his pocket.
He continued smiling as his hand closed around a black, velvet box sitting in his pocket.
~*~
In a swirl of light blue mist, with her glaive in her hands, Kohaku landed on a cold, white cloud and turned to the large crystal palace behind her. 'Uranus,' she thought quietly, 'a kingdom amongst the clouds.' She smiled and walked inside the palace. As she walked inside, the palace servants quickly cowered. She sighed. Curse my powers, she thought. Because of them, everyone fears me. Soft whispers went around the servants.
"It's her, the Messiah of Silence," a maid, adorned in black whispered. "Why is she here?"
"I have no idea," a boy in rags replied. "But with her around, it's never a good sign. She'll kill us all one day."
Kohaku sighed as she continued walking leaving the crowd behind her in a fearing silence.
"If you good-for-nothing servants don't have anything nice to say," a cold voice began, echoing through the grand hallway, "then don't say anything at all."
Kohaku turned, recognizing the voice.
"Jin!" she cried happily as the red-haired man walked up to her.
Jin smiled.
"Come," he began offering his arm to her, "I'll escort you to my chambers, and we shall talk."
Smiling, she and Jin walked out of the entrance hall.
~*~
"Lady Rei," a servant whined watching Rei pace nervously around her room. "You will wear out your carpet if you continue doing that, and it's making me dizzy."
"Huh?" she answered. "Oh, forgive me. You are dismissed, Sayo."
The maid lifted her black dress, curtsied, and walked out the door. Rei crossed to her bedchamber window and stared out into the fading sunlight. 'The Princess and her friends are bound to make another trip,' she thought. 'And I cannot stop them. No matter how much I want to.'
~*~
"Ready?" Princess Kizna questioned smiling eagerly. "Here we go."
The others nodded. Like the many nights before, they slowly disappeared, heading for earth.
~*~
"Kohaku," Jin began making Kohaku turn. "Why are you wearing that?"
He pointed to a small gold ring with a diamond resting on her left hand. Kohaku smiled.
"Because you gave it to me," Kohaku responded smiling.
She threw her arms around Jin's neck. He smiled. They turned and continued walking with the sun's flower-like rays withering in the distance.
"Do you remember when I first proposed to you?" Jin asked placing a cool hand on her cheek.
"How could I forget?" Kohaku replied. "I was so shocked, I cried."
"My dear," he stated pulling her close and touching his forehead to hers, "everyone cries when they're proposed to."
Kohaku giggled.
"Well, I wasn't planning to," Kohaku responded smiling. "It just kinda happened."
Smiling, he kissed her.
~*~
The rain descended from the heavens in heavy droplets, flooding the garden. The girls landed quickly settling in the mud-filled gardens. Heavy rain drops doused their gowns.
"Oh!" Botan screamed. "It's so cold!"
"I know!" Kizna shouted back.
The others nodded shivering.
"Kizna!" the Prince's voice cried out making Kizna look up.
"Prince Kurama!" she cried.
Quickly, Kurama trotted out to her and placed his coat over her head. The rain washed over him making his red hair stick to face. He smiled.
"Quickly," he began kindly. "You and the others get inside."
Kizna nodded motioning for the others to follow. Quickly, Kurama, Kizna, and the others rushed inside the palace.
Wrapped in blankets, sitting in Kurama's bedroom, Kizna, Botan, Keiko, Yukina, and Sakura sat around a warm fire chatting quietly gazing into the dancing flames.
"Where are, Yusuke and the others?" Keiko asked turning to the Prince.
A knock echoed through the room coming from the chamber door. Kurama smiled as he rose from his couch and walked to the door. Slowly, he opened it finding Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Koenma on the other side.
"What happened to you?" Yusuke asked.
Yusuke and the others sauntered into the room. Kurama turned. Kizna and the other Princesses looked up. Yusuke's smile grew.
"Oh," he began ambled towards the fire, "I didn't know we had company."
Keiko smiled.
"You all don't mind us here, do you?" Botan asked smiling.
"Not at all," Koenma replied. "Would I be rude in asking, Lady Botan, if you would like to join me in sharing our tales over a warm brandy?"
Botan smiled.
"No, most definitely not, Koenma," she replied standing and dropping the blankets from her damp form. "In fact, I'd be delighted."
Smiling, Koenma presented his arm to her. Blushing softly, Botan laid her hand in the crook of his elbow. They sauntered out door shutting it behind them. Yusuke and the others chuckled. Hiei meandered to Sakura's side.
"We have to talk," Hiei said softly.
Sakura nodded.
"Where you going, Shrimp?" Kuwabara asked.
Hiei walked out door leaving no reply.
Kuwabara turned to Kurama. He shrugged. Kuwabara turned to the remaining sitting by the fire. Yukina looked up locking her red eyes with his dark ones. Saddened, she turned away. 'He'll never love me,' Yukina thought. Kuwabara studied her worriedly.
"Hey," he said softly, placing a hand on Yukina's shoulder.
"Hey," Yukina smiled sadly.
"Are you all right?" Kuwabara asked worriedly. "You wanna talk about it?"
She stared deep into his dark eyes. She nodded.
"Yea," she began, "that might do me some good."
Kuwabara smiled holding his hand out to her. Slowly, Yukina arose to her feet. She and Kuwabara walked out the door, hand-in-hand.
"Hey," Yusuke whispered to Keiko, "why don't we leave his Highness and your Princess alone?"
Smiling, Keiko nodded. She and Yusuke stood.
"Hey, Kurama," Yusuke began with a teasing smile on his face, "I think Lady Keiko and I will take a tour of the palace. I'm trusting you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Very funny, Yusuke," Kurama replied monotonously.
Kizna turned to him and smiled.
"Your Generals are most amusing," Kizna said giggling.
Kurama chuckled sitting beside her. Kizna stared at the orange flames flickering onto Kurama's damp white shirt and in his green eyes. Slowly, Kurama turned to her, making their eyes meet. He placed a deep kiss on her lips.
"I'm glad you came back to me, Princess," he whispered softly holding her close.
"As am I," she whispered. "As am I."
~*~
After entering his bedchambers, Kuwabara closed the door behind them. Slowly, Yukina surveyed the large blue and gold room. Her eyes stopped on a familiar picture sitting on Kuwabara's night stand.
"Yukina," Kuwabara began sadly, "sit down would you?"
Slowly, Yukina sat on the edge of Kuwabara's bed fixating her sad eyes on her folded hands. An uneasy silence permeated the room. They quietly contemplated the events of the night before.
"Kazuma," Yukina began.
"Yukina," Kuwabara interrupted coldly. "I know you were in my room last night."
She turned away ashamed.
"I know I wasn't suppose to but," she began sadly with tears forming in her eyes. "But-"
"You wanted to know who the woman is, right?" Kuwabara finished. Yukina nodded sadly. Kuwabara sighed. "She was an old lover of mine. Her name was Hina. Her entire family was slaughtered before her eyes. She came to the palace. I took her in. And, we fell in love. "
"Where is she now?" Yukina queried sadly with her tears threatening to fall.
"She, passed away a few years ago, " he whispered sadly. "I had left with his Highness for a journey to another kingdom without telling her. At that time, she was still pretty devastated after what had happened to her family. After I left, she felt as though as no one cared for her. So, she did the only thing she could do."
Yukina's eyes went wide as two tears fell forming small jewels as they hit the bed.
"You mean she..." she drawled on softly.
Kuwabara nodded.
"I found her when I returned," he murmured. "She had a bottle of arsenic in her hands."
Softly, tears slipped from Yukina's eyes slowly making small jewels. Kuwabara stared. He walked to her and caressed her tears away.
"What are you crying?" he questioned softly looking down on the small gems littering the bed and carpet.
"Back on Mercury," she began wiping her face, "we call them Hiruiseki stones. Our country is a land of ice. Thus, we cry tears of ice."
O ne by one, Kuwabara cleaned up the small stones and rolled them in his hands.
"They're beautiful," he said softly staring into her scarlet eyes. "Like the one who created them."
Yukina blushed. Kuwabara leaned in catching her lips in a surprise kiss. The Hiruiseki stones fell to the floor. Slowly, Yukina closed her eyes with time standing frozen.
~*~
Roughly, Hiei tossed Sakura into a chair slamming his bedchamber door. Sakura stood. Hiei forced her back down into the chair. He placed his hands on the armrests blocking her escape.
"Let me go," Sakura threatened. "Or I'll scream."
"Go ahead," he challenged glaring angrily. "No one will hear you. The walls are thick in this palace. What stays in one room, stays in one room."
Sakura glared.
"What do you want?" she asked clenching her teeth.
"Why?" he asked angrily leaning close to her face. "Why did you do it?"
"The Kiss you mean?" Sakura asked smirking. "Isn't it obvious?"
"No," Hiei replied as he walked away from her. "But do explain."
Sakura stared at the blood-red carpet sadly.
"I love you," she whispered barely hearing herself.
"What?" Hiei asked coldly, "I didn't hear you."
"I said 'I love you'!" she yelled making Hiei's eyes grow wide. Quickly, Hiei turned back to her giving her a strange look. "I always have. And I always will."
As the tears rolled down her face, she pushed passed Hiei headed for the chamber door. Hiei grabbed her hand.
"Let me go," she whined as she struggled in his tight grip.
"No," he replied coldly.
"Why not? I've told you everything you need to know," Sakura replied still crying as she wrestled out of Hiei's grasp.
"But I haven't told you everything you need to know," Hiei replied grabbing hold of her arm.
"What do mean by 'I haven't told you everything you need to know'?" she asked struggling. "I get it. You don't love me."
As Sakura's eyes went wide from Hiei's sudden kiss, her knees buckled making her fall limp in Hiei's arms.
"You're wrong," he whispered as he buried his face into her neck. "I-I love you too."
(Author's Note: *hears Jesscheaux and Rei's murderous screams in the background* oookkk... Well, that's another chapter for you all of this fic! Hope you liked it! Jess you can bash Yukina all you like in your review and if you'll read below, it's more of that "I'm sorry for taking your Kuwabara away" r.p.'s! But since ff.net doesn't allow anything chat style, I'll just go into detail! Rei you already got one of these so don't complain about Hiei's o.c. And without further delay...
Jesscheaux watched frightenedly as Rando continued laughing. Quickly, Rando rushed to her side and hoisted her over shoulder. Jesscheaux struggled. Rando leapt out of the smoldering remains of their house as Jesscheaux's screams echoed through the neighborhood. 'Kazuma,' she thought sadly as tears trickled down her face.
~In Reikai~
Koenma watched the screen as his jaw dropped to the ground.
"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!" he cried to the ogres in the room. "GET ME MY DETECTIVES NOW! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! JESSCHEAUX HAS BEEN CAPTURED!"
"But sir," George said. "Jesscheuax has always been able to take care of herself. Why do you need the detectives?"
"Beacause you big, blue idiot," Koenma began as he started to whimper. "If Kuwabara finds out that his most hated enemy has taken the LOVE OF HIS LIFE, HE'LL BE FURIOUS!!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HE'LL DO IF HE FINDS OUT SHE'S BEEN HURT?!?!"
George gulped.
"Not to mention that he has no idea that Jesscheaux is with child," Koenma whimpered as he hid beneath his hat. "His child too... NOW GET ME MY DETECTIVES!!!!"
The ogres rushed out of the room in a panic.
~At another office~
Kuwabara sat behind a fine cherry wood desk reading and signing papers. MANY MASTER'S DEGREES from MANY PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES decorated his wall. He turned to them and smirked. 'And thought I was dumb,' he thought still smirking. 'Well they're not making themselves and their families 100,000 dollars a year! Well.. except maybe Kurama.. But he's still single.. He doesn't count.' (sorry Jess, but you have to admit, Kurama is like the smartest on the team, but think of it this way. Kuwabara is just as smart as Kurama!)
He leaned back on his Italian leather chair and relaxed. Then, as he was dozing quietly, *RING! THUD!* his phone rang making him fall out of his chair. He grumbled trying to reach the phone.
"Hello?" he said into the phone still sleepy. "Oh, hey, Yusuke.. Yea.. Uh huh.. Uh huh... WHAT?!?!?!?!"
~On the other end of the phone~
"So yea," Yusuke said casually as he picked at his nails. "Koenma said your wife got captured and that we're suppose to go rescue her. Oh.. Wait... I wasn't suppose to tell you that.. Oops... Kuwabara?? Kuwabara?? You still there man??.. Uh oh.."
~Back with Kuwabara~
The phone receiver hung limply over the desk as Kuwabara ran through the building frantically and dramatically.
"JESSCHEAUX!!!!" he cried dramatically as he ran out of the building with many people giving him funny looks.
~At some random bad-guy hideout~
Jesscheaux was thrown into a small cell with a large, barred window. She looked at Rando defiantly through her tears.
"LET ME GO!" she cried as her tears fell. "MY KAZUMA WILL GET YOU FOR THIS!"
Rando laughed.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU MEAN THAT PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN?!" he mocked. "Why I beat so bad the last time! It'll be easy to beat him again! Plus, I have a few allies on my side! And we call ourselves... D.D.R.!"
"Dance Dance Revolution?" Jesscheaux asked as she cocked an eyebrow.
Rando sweatdropped.
"NO!!" he cried with an anger vein throbbing on his forehead. "D.D.R. stands for the Dead Demon Ressurection!"
"Like.. That doesn't sound so good," Jesscheaux said in a "valley girl" accent.
"OF COURSE NOT YOU FOOL!" Rando cried. "COME OUT MY BROTHERS AND SHOW YOURSELVES!"
Slowly from the shadows, stepped some familiar demons. One was a familiar man with long dark hair, violet eyes, and a strange looking mask. 'Karasu,' Jesscheaux thought as she gasped. Another demon stepped out. He had blonde hair with two red tentacles. 'Suzaku!' Jesscheaux mentally screamed. The last "demon" came forward. 'It's.. James?' Jesscheaux thought confused.
"Hey!" she cried. "He's not a demon! He's James from Team Rocket."
"^-^ I know!" he said happily. "But I'm tired of losing! Plus, I'm doing this for the fashion. See?"
He proudly displayed an outfit similar to is Team Rocket uniform only to have a red "D" instead of the usual "R." Jesscheaux sweatdropped.
Yukina walked out into a garden full of daisies as her thoughts turned to a man with short curly red hair. 'Kazuma Kuwabara,' she thought. 'Usually called "Kuwabara" by the other generals. And one of the saddest people I've ever seen. Why?' Slowly, she sat down in the garden soil as her light blue gown fell around her. She stared into the daisy's center as her mind wandered back to the night before.
~Flashback~
As the other girls and Generals talked, Yukina looked up to Kuwabara's sad eyes.
"Kuwabara?" Yukina asked making Kuwabara snap out of his sadden gaze. "Are you all right?"
"Yea," Kuwabara replied sadly. "You just remind me of someone, that's all."
Yusuke and Koenma turned and watched as Kuwabara left the others.
"Will he be all right?" Botan asked.
"Don't worry," Koenma replied sadly. "He just needs to be alone."
Yusuke watched as the small sea-green haired girl left as the others were unaware.
Yukina walked down the palace halls looking for Kuwabara. She stopped beside a room echoing with soft sobs. Slowly, Yukina walked up and looked inside a slightly open door.
Softly crying, Kuwabara sat on the bed gazing at a picture. Slowly, he traced his fingers over a beautiful girl's face as he laid down and softly cried himself to sleep.
Quietly, Yukina walked inside the room and made her way to the bed where Kuwabara and the picture lay. Nervous, she picked up the picture and stifled a shocked gasp. But, she thought. She looks like me. Yukina stared at the picture of a beautiful girl with her long, sea green hair, and her crimson eyes. Kuwabara stirred, making Yukina panic. Quickly, she placed the picture on a bedside table and ran out of the bedchamber quietly as Kuwabara opened his eyes.
~End Flashback~
Yukina looked up into the bright mid-morning sky. 'Who was she?' She thought. 'A relative? A former lover?' Slowly, she stood and walked towards the palace quietly thinking.
~*~
"Do you think we'll see those girls again?" Yusuke asked as he and Kuwabara walked out into the wooden room with their swords.
"I have no idea, Yusuke," Kuwabara replied as he stared down at his black boots sadly. "I think one of them was in my room last night."
Yusuke smiled an implying smile.
"Really?" he said smirking.
"I think she might have found Hina's picture," Kuwabara replied sadly.
"Oh," Yusuke said as his smile quickly faded. "You missed her, don't you? Hina, I mean."
Kuwabara nodded sadly.
"You shouldn't worry, Kuwabara," Yusuke said. "It happened so long ago, and it wasn't your fault."
"But that 'So long ago' feels like yesterday," Kuwabara answered as he stopped and stared out of a window in the hallway.
Out of the window, in the distance, Kuwabara stared longingly at a statue of an angel amongst the gravestones. 'I promised I'd always be there for her,' he thought. 'But I failed. I left her alone at the time when she most needed me.' Kuwabara turned as he felt Yusuke's hand land on his shoulder.
"Hey," he began, "why don't we go out there for a little bit? Our fencing can wait."
Kuwabara nodded as he and Yusuke turned and walked out of the hallway.
The gray clouds hung low in the sky, chasing away the bright sunlight as the birds in the garden became quiet. Yusuke and Kuwabara trudged up a hill littered with gravestones overgrown with weeds far from the earth palace.
"Yusuke," Kuwabara began softly.
"Yea?" Yusuke replied.
"Do you see that lake in the Prince's garden?" Kuwabara asked, pointing, as he and Yusuke turned back towards the palace.
Yusuke nodded.
"Do you see how stagnant and lifeless it is?" Kuwabara asked as Yusuke nodded. "That in a way is what lies in my heart. A stagnant lake rimmed with ice. Yet, despite the foolish facade I show to the world, I continue living in sadness because it is my fate to do so. But someday, I hope, someone will bring me peace to warm that frozen lake in my heart. And my frozen soul."
"Do you fear that Yukina may be the one to melt that frozen soul of yours?" Yusuke asked as Kuwabara stared at him strangely. "She may not know it, but I saw her slip away after you left. She was worried about you, Kuwabara."
Kuwabara continued staring at the smaller man beside him.
"I remember, as Hina once said," Yusuke began, "'Second chances rarely come. Especially for love. And when that second chance comes, it's best to grab onto it and never let it go. The icy knife that resides in one's cold heart can only be pulled out by the warmth of one's love.' She said that's what you did for her, Kuwabara. Now you should probably let Yukina do that for you."
Yusuke looked up to him smiling. Kuwabara smiled.
"I have a feeling you're right, Yusuke," Kuwabara replied smiling as he stared into the dark, gray sky. "I have a feeling you're right."
Yusuke turned to the angel grave.
"You still wanna visit her?" Yusuke asked looking at the angel as a warm wind blew rustling his clothes.
"Nah," Kuwabara replied. "I think I'll be just fine."
Slowly, Yusuke and Kuwabara turned away and made their way back to the palace in an friendly silence.
~*~
In the Moon Palace library, under the lamp's light, Jesscheaux twirled her purple pen around her fingers as she tried to concentrate. 'I have to find out what's going on down on earth,' she thought as she closed the book. 'I've tried to find every book on signs and omens in this library, but nothing turns up about a person being possessed. It's not demonic possession, I know that. It would be much more violent than what Hiei did to the Prince.' She sighed again. As the sound of a servant's footsteps came toward her, she turned.
"Lady Jesscheaux," the servant began as he bowed, "a man named Lord Goemon is here to see you."
Jesscheaux's green eyes glowed eagerly.
"Quickly! Quickly!" she began excitedly. "Send him in! Send him in!"
Quickly, pulling out the tangles, Jesscheaux ran her fingers through her brown hair as a handsome man with long, black hair, adorned in a fine grey suit, walked into the library. At his side, a sword clanked as he walked. He leaned down and took her hand in his.
"Lady Jesscheaux," he greeted as he kissed her hand, "so very nice to see you."
"It's very nice to see you too, Lord Goemon," Jesscheaux replied as she blushed. "So what brings you to the Moon? I thought you were handling business affairs back on Neptune."
"The Queen has offered me some time off," he said. "I figured this would be a good chance to see your beautiful face again."
Jesscheaux blushed brighter as her heart skipped a beat.
"How kind of my mother," Jesscheaux replied giggling as she hid her red face. "But what's her motive behind it? She's always saying nonsense things about me settling down."
"I honestly have no idea," Goemon said smiling as he placed his hand in his pocket.
He continued smiling as his hand closed around a black, velvet box sitting in his pocket.
~*~
In a swirl of light blue mist, with her glaive in her hands, Kohaku landed on a cold, white cloud and turned to the large crystal palace behind her. 'Uranus,' she thought quietly, 'a kingdom amongst the clouds.' She smiled and walked inside the palace. As she walked inside, the palace servants quickly cowered. She sighed. Curse my powers, she thought. Because of them, everyone fears me. Soft whispers went around the servants.
"It's her, the Messiah of Silence," a maid, adorned in black whispered. "Why is she here?"
"I have no idea," a boy in rags replied. "But with her around, it's never a good sign. She'll kill us all one day."
Kohaku sighed as she continued walking leaving the crowd behind her in a fearing silence.
"If you good-for-nothing servants don't have anything nice to say," a cold voice began, echoing through the grand hallway, "then don't say anything at all."
Kohaku turned, recognizing the voice.
"Jin!" she cried happily as the red-haired man walked up to her.
Jin smiled.
"Come," he began offering his arm to her, "I'll escort you to my chambers, and we shall talk."
Smiling, she and Jin walked out of the entrance hall.
~*~
"Lady Rei," a servant whined watching Rei pace nervously around her room. "You will wear out your carpet if you continue doing that, and it's making me dizzy."
"Huh?" she answered. "Oh, forgive me. You are dismissed, Sayo."
The maid lifted her black dress, curtsied, and walked out the door. Rei crossed to her bedchamber window and stared out into the fading sunlight. 'The Princess and her friends are bound to make another trip,' she thought. 'And I cannot stop them. No matter how much I want to.'
~*~
"Ready?" Princess Kizna questioned smiling eagerly. "Here we go."
The others nodded. Like the many nights before, they slowly disappeared, heading for earth.
~*~
"Kohaku," Jin began making Kohaku turn. "Why are you wearing that?"
He pointed to a small gold ring with a diamond resting on her left hand. Kohaku smiled.
"Because you gave it to me," Kohaku responded smiling.
She threw her arms around Jin's neck. He smiled. They turned and continued walking with the sun's flower-like rays withering in the distance.
"Do you remember when I first proposed to you?" Jin asked placing a cool hand on her cheek.
"How could I forget?" Kohaku replied. "I was so shocked, I cried."
"My dear," he stated pulling her close and touching his forehead to hers, "everyone cries when they're proposed to."
Kohaku giggled.
"Well, I wasn't planning to," Kohaku responded smiling. "It just kinda happened."
Smiling, he kissed her.
~*~
The rain descended from the heavens in heavy droplets, flooding the garden. The girls landed quickly settling in the mud-filled gardens. Heavy rain drops doused their gowns.
"Oh!" Botan screamed. "It's so cold!"
"I know!" Kizna shouted back.
The others nodded shivering.
"Kizna!" the Prince's voice cried out making Kizna look up.
"Prince Kurama!" she cried.
Quickly, Kurama trotted out to her and placed his coat over her head. The rain washed over him making his red hair stick to face. He smiled.
"Quickly," he began kindly. "You and the others get inside."
Kizna nodded motioning for the others to follow. Quickly, Kurama, Kizna, and the others rushed inside the palace.
Wrapped in blankets, sitting in Kurama's bedroom, Kizna, Botan, Keiko, Yukina, and Sakura sat around a warm fire chatting quietly gazing into the dancing flames.
"Where are, Yusuke and the others?" Keiko asked turning to the Prince.
A knock echoed through the room coming from the chamber door. Kurama smiled as he rose from his couch and walked to the door. Slowly, he opened it finding Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Koenma on the other side.
"What happened to you?" Yusuke asked.
Yusuke and the others sauntered into the room. Kurama turned. Kizna and the other Princesses looked up. Yusuke's smile grew.
"Oh," he began ambled towards the fire, "I didn't know we had company."
Keiko smiled.
"You all don't mind us here, do you?" Botan asked smiling.
"Not at all," Koenma replied. "Would I be rude in asking, Lady Botan, if you would like to join me in sharing our tales over a warm brandy?"
Botan smiled.
"No, most definitely not, Koenma," she replied standing and dropping the blankets from her damp form. "In fact, I'd be delighted."
Smiling, Koenma presented his arm to her. Blushing softly, Botan laid her hand in the crook of his elbow. They sauntered out door shutting it behind them. Yusuke and the others chuckled. Hiei meandered to Sakura's side.
"We have to talk," Hiei said softly.
Sakura nodded.
"Where you going, Shrimp?" Kuwabara asked.
Hiei walked out door leaving no reply.
Kuwabara turned to Kurama. He shrugged. Kuwabara turned to the remaining sitting by the fire. Yukina looked up locking her red eyes with his dark ones. Saddened, she turned away. 'He'll never love me,' Yukina thought. Kuwabara studied her worriedly.
"Hey," he said softly, placing a hand on Yukina's shoulder.
"Hey," Yukina smiled sadly.
"Are you all right?" Kuwabara asked worriedly. "You wanna talk about it?"
She stared deep into his dark eyes. She nodded.
"Yea," she began, "that might do me some good."
Kuwabara smiled holding his hand out to her. Slowly, Yukina arose to her feet. She and Kuwabara walked out the door, hand-in-hand.
"Hey," Yusuke whispered to Keiko, "why don't we leave his Highness and your Princess alone?"
Smiling, Keiko nodded. She and Yusuke stood.
"Hey, Kurama," Yusuke began with a teasing smile on his face, "I think Lady Keiko and I will take a tour of the palace. I'm trusting you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Very funny, Yusuke," Kurama replied monotonously.
Kizna turned to him and smiled.
"Your Generals are most amusing," Kizna said giggling.
Kurama chuckled sitting beside her. Kizna stared at the orange flames flickering onto Kurama's damp white shirt and in his green eyes. Slowly, Kurama turned to her, making their eyes meet. He placed a deep kiss on her lips.
"I'm glad you came back to me, Princess," he whispered softly holding her close.
"As am I," she whispered. "As am I."
~*~
After entering his bedchambers, Kuwabara closed the door behind them. Slowly, Yukina surveyed the large blue and gold room. Her eyes stopped on a familiar picture sitting on Kuwabara's night stand.
"Yukina," Kuwabara began sadly, "sit down would you?"
Slowly, Yukina sat on the edge of Kuwabara's bed fixating her sad eyes on her folded hands. An uneasy silence permeated the room. They quietly contemplated the events of the night before.
"Kazuma," Yukina began.
"Yukina," Kuwabara interrupted coldly. "I know you were in my room last night."
She turned away ashamed.
"I know I wasn't suppose to but," she began sadly with tears forming in her eyes. "But-"
"You wanted to know who the woman is, right?" Kuwabara finished. Yukina nodded sadly. Kuwabara sighed. "She was an old lover of mine. Her name was Hina. Her entire family was slaughtered before her eyes. She came to the palace. I took her in. And, we fell in love. "
"Where is she now?" Yukina queried sadly with her tears threatening to fall.
"She, passed away a few years ago, " he whispered sadly. "I had left with his Highness for a journey to another kingdom without telling her. At that time, she was still pretty devastated after what had happened to her family. After I left, she felt as though as no one cared for her. So, she did the only thing she could do."
Yukina's eyes went wide as two tears fell forming small jewels as they hit the bed.
"You mean she..." she drawled on softly.
Kuwabara nodded.
"I found her when I returned," he murmured. "She had a bottle of arsenic in her hands."
Softly, tears slipped from Yukina's eyes slowly making small jewels. Kuwabara stared. He walked to her and caressed her tears away.
"What are you crying?" he questioned softly looking down on the small gems littering the bed and carpet.
"Back on Mercury," she began wiping her face, "we call them Hiruiseki stones. Our country is a land of ice. Thus, we cry tears of ice."
O ne by one, Kuwabara cleaned up the small stones and rolled them in his hands.
"They're beautiful," he said softly staring into her scarlet eyes. "Like the one who created them."
Yukina blushed. Kuwabara leaned in catching her lips in a surprise kiss. The Hiruiseki stones fell to the floor. Slowly, Yukina closed her eyes with time standing frozen.
~*~
Roughly, Hiei tossed Sakura into a chair slamming his bedchamber door. Sakura stood. Hiei forced her back down into the chair. He placed his hands on the armrests blocking her escape.
"Let me go," Sakura threatened. "Or I'll scream."
"Go ahead," he challenged glaring angrily. "No one will hear you. The walls are thick in this palace. What stays in one room, stays in one room."
Sakura glared.
"What do you want?" she asked clenching her teeth.
"Why?" he asked angrily leaning close to her face. "Why did you do it?"
"The Kiss you mean?" Sakura asked smirking. "Isn't it obvious?"
"No," Hiei replied as he walked away from her. "But do explain."
Sakura stared at the blood-red carpet sadly.
"I love you," she whispered barely hearing herself.
"What?" Hiei asked coldly, "I didn't hear you."
"I said 'I love you'!" she yelled making Hiei's eyes grow wide. Quickly, Hiei turned back to her giving her a strange look. "I always have. And I always will."
As the tears rolled down her face, she pushed passed Hiei headed for the chamber door. Hiei grabbed her hand.
"Let me go," she whined as she struggled in his tight grip.
"No," he replied coldly.
"Why not? I've told you everything you need to know," Sakura replied still crying as she wrestled out of Hiei's grasp.
"But I haven't told you everything you need to know," Hiei replied grabbing hold of her arm.
"What do mean by 'I haven't told you everything you need to know'?" she asked struggling. "I get it. You don't love me."
As Sakura's eyes went wide from Hiei's sudden kiss, her knees buckled making her fall limp in Hiei's arms.
"You're wrong," he whispered as he buried his face into her neck. "I-I love you too."
(Author's Note: *hears Jesscheaux and Rei's murderous screams in the background* oookkk... Well, that's another chapter for you all of this fic! Hope you liked it! Jess you can bash Yukina all you like in your review and if you'll read below, it's more of that "I'm sorry for taking your Kuwabara away" r.p.'s! But since ff.net doesn't allow anything chat style, I'll just go into detail! Rei you already got one of these so don't complain about Hiei's o.c. And without further delay...
Jesscheaux watched frightenedly as Rando continued laughing. Quickly, Rando rushed to her side and hoisted her over shoulder. Jesscheaux struggled. Rando leapt out of the smoldering remains of their house as Jesscheaux's screams echoed through the neighborhood. 'Kazuma,' she thought sadly as tears trickled down her face.
~In Reikai~
Koenma watched the screen as his jaw dropped to the ground.
"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!" he cried to the ogres in the room. "GET ME MY DETECTIVES NOW! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! JESSCHEAUX HAS BEEN CAPTURED!"
"But sir," George said. "Jesscheuax has always been able to take care of herself. Why do you need the detectives?"
"Beacause you big, blue idiot," Koenma began as he started to whimper. "If Kuwabara finds out that his most hated enemy has taken the LOVE OF HIS LIFE, HE'LL BE FURIOUS!!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HE'LL DO IF HE FINDS OUT SHE'S BEEN HURT?!?!"
George gulped.
"Not to mention that he has no idea that Jesscheaux is with child," Koenma whimpered as he hid beneath his hat. "His child too... NOW GET ME MY DETECTIVES!!!!"
The ogres rushed out of the room in a panic.
~At another office~
Kuwabara sat behind a fine cherry wood desk reading and signing papers. MANY MASTER'S DEGREES from MANY PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES decorated his wall. He turned to them and smirked. 'And thought I was dumb,' he thought still smirking. 'Well they're not making themselves and their families 100,000 dollars a year! Well.. except maybe Kurama.. But he's still single.. He doesn't count.' (sorry Jess, but you have to admit, Kurama is like the smartest on the team, but think of it this way. Kuwabara is just as smart as Kurama!)
He leaned back on his Italian leather chair and relaxed. Then, as he was dozing quietly, *RING! THUD!* his phone rang making him fall out of his chair. He grumbled trying to reach the phone.
"Hello?" he said into the phone still sleepy. "Oh, hey, Yusuke.. Yea.. Uh huh.. Uh huh... WHAT?!?!?!?!"
~On the other end of the phone~
"So yea," Yusuke said casually as he picked at his nails. "Koenma said your wife got captured and that we're suppose to go rescue her. Oh.. Wait... I wasn't suppose to tell you that.. Oops... Kuwabara?? Kuwabara?? You still there man??.. Uh oh.."
~Back with Kuwabara~
The phone receiver hung limply over the desk as Kuwabara ran through the building frantically and dramatically.
"JESSCHEAUX!!!!" he cried dramatically as he ran out of the building with many people giving him funny looks.
~At some random bad-guy hideout~
Jesscheaux was thrown into a small cell with a large, barred window. She looked at Rando defiantly through her tears.
"LET ME GO!" she cried as her tears fell. "MY KAZUMA WILL GET YOU FOR THIS!"
Rando laughed.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU MEAN THAT PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN?!" he mocked. "Why I beat so bad the last time! It'll be easy to beat him again! Plus, I have a few allies on my side! And we call ourselves... D.D.R.!"
"Dance Dance Revolution?" Jesscheaux asked as she cocked an eyebrow.
Rando sweatdropped.
"NO!!" he cried with an anger vein throbbing on his forehead. "D.D.R. stands for the Dead Demon Ressurection!"
"Like.. That doesn't sound so good," Jesscheaux said in a "valley girl" accent.
"OF COURSE NOT YOU FOOL!" Rando cried. "COME OUT MY BROTHERS AND SHOW YOURSELVES!"
Slowly from the shadows, stepped some familiar demons. One was a familiar man with long dark hair, violet eyes, and a strange looking mask. 'Karasu,' Jesscheaux thought as she gasped. Another demon stepped out. He had blonde hair with two red tentacles. 'Suzaku!' Jesscheaux mentally screamed. The last "demon" came forward. 'It's.. James?' Jesscheaux thought confused.
"Hey!" she cried. "He's not a demon! He's James from Team Rocket."
"^-^ I know!" he said happily. "But I'm tired of losing! Plus, I'm doing this for the fashion. See?"
He proudly displayed an outfit similar to is Team Rocket uniform only to have a red "D" instead of the usual "R." Jesscheaux sweatdropped.