Promises of the Past pt. 15 Mirai Menai E (Towards the Unseen Future)
Rei wiped a tear away as she felt the bonds of friendship between her and all the people she knew being cut in two. Her defeated troops lay around her. Fiore placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you going to be all right?" he whispered wrapping his arms around her.
She nodded.
"The future doesn't look good does it?" he asked worriedly.
"Honestly, I don't know what the future holds," she murmured lying. "All I know is that there are so many things people of our world have left undecided. We may feel lost, but we're not alone. A new day is dawning on this world, all we can do is just walk towards the unseen future and see what it holds for all of us. Mirai menai e. . . Towards the unseen future."
Fiore nodded and pulled Rei closer. They looked up into the humble orange dawn feeling a solemn serenity amidst the chaos around them.
Slowly, Koenma pulled out a long blade from a hidden place in his armor. He raised above this head. Botan looked up and gasped.
"Koenma!" she cried. "What are you doing?!"
He didn't reply. Then, he plunged the long dagger into her heart. She slumped down with her body still and her limbs going cold. A maniacal laughter escaped from his lips. He heard a soft growling behind him. He turned and found the demon dogs snarling at him. His eyes went wide. Terrified screams emanated from his mouth. The dogs pounced. Rabid snarls echoed through the battlefield as blood dripped from Koenma's lifeless fingers.
"Your Highness!" the guard screamed running into Queen Makoto's throne room. "Venus, Neptune, and Mars have all fallen.
"How could we have lost so many in one single night?" she whispered gravely. "How?"
"There is no time to ponder about that your Majesty," the guard said urgently as he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the throne. "There is something else wrong."
"What is it?" she questioned worriedly.
"The demons have broken into the palace," he answered.
Queen Makoto's eyes went wide. Instincts kicked in.She started running toward her daughter's room.
"There is no time!" the guard cried stopping her. "We've sent the others down to protect her! She is safe!"
I hope so, she thought softly.
Kurama plunged his sword into the one of the demons forcing their way into the castle. The soldiers pushed the door as hard as they could. It was in vain. A flood of demons overflowed the castle door and rushed inside. The cries of the soldiers bombarded his ears. Many soliders fell around him. Quickly, he ran towards Kizna's room trying to beat the racing demons at his heels.
He burst through the door. Kizna looked up to him with weak eyes.
"Princess," he panted, "we have to get you out of here."
A low growl growled behind him. Kizna's eyes went wide.
"Kurama!" she screamed.
The demon's claws sliced through the air. Kurama barely dodged. He pressed his hands to the large marks on his chest. Marring the white suit, crimson liquid seeped through his fingers. Quickly, he drew his sword.
He thrust Yukina against the rough bark of a large tree. She screamed. Her screams of pain resounded through the battle field around them. Yukina gazed into his eyes searching for the man she once knew.
"Kazuma!" she gasped hoarsely. "Stop it! This isn't you!"
"Silence, Wench!" he commanded wrapping his large hand around her small throat.
Her small hands clawed at his arms as his free hand wrapped around her neck helping the other one squeeze the life out of her.
"Kazuma!" she rasped digging her nails into his arms. "Please! What's wrong with you? Stop please!"
He raised his hand and struck her. A loud snap echoed through the battlefield. Yukina's limp body fell to the ground with her head landing at an odd angle. His eyes glazed over seemingly bringing him back to reality.
He looked down on the ground and gasped.
"Yukina!" he cried worriedly starting to cradle her in his arms. "Yukina, wake up! Yukina? What's wrong with you? Yukina?"
Realization hit him. Tears began trickling down his face. This happened because of me, he thought. I couldn't stop him.
"Yukina!" he anguished still cradling her.
The battle raged on around them. He continued weeping. The cold ice storms of mercury swirled around them. He pulled her close and leaned up against the tree and held her with his body quickly weakening and growing tired in the icy winds. Then, he closed his eyes. The snowy winds turned colder and harder.
With the angry guards of mars, Hiei's head rolled at their feet with sad and forlorn eyes staring up at them.
Jin screamed feeling the cold sword plunge deep into his flesh. Watching, Kohaku screamed too. Quickly, she grabbed her glaive and forced her way through Jin's protesting guards running to him. The viciousness of battle raged around them, but to her, everything faded away. Jin! Jin.. I have to get to Jin! She thought quickening her pace. Jin's injured form collapsed into her arms. A sad waterfall of tears fell from her eyes.
"Hey, Kohaku," he rasped out reaching to dry her tears. "Why are you crying?"
"Oh, Jin..." she sobbed. "Y-you're dying."
"Now, now," he chided, "what did I tell you about our love? Do you remember? How it will last forever.. How you'll use the memories to move on.. How we'll find each other again one day?"
Kohaku nodded. Her tears intensified.
"I think now's a good a time as ever, Kohaku," he said. "Do it. Use the power that you were born with."
"But, Jin..." she trailed off. "If I use that power..."
"I know," he whispered sadly, "but we've got no other choice."
Gravely, she nodded with an unending river of tears.
"Just so you know," he began again, "I love you."
Kohaku held her glaive pulsing seemingly alive with energy into the air.
"I know," she smiled sadly. "I love you too."
A bright light filled the planet blinding everyone for miles. When the light cleared only a barren wasteland stood where a great kingdom once stood.
Yusuke held Keiko's limp and battered body in his arms not believing what he had just done. Tears streamed down his face. A soft rain fell from Jupiter's storm clouds up above him. Rain fell upon his face and rolled down seemingly making more tears. Then, he picked up a dagger and pressed it lightly to his aching heart and quickly forced it into the soft flesh. He pulled it out, tossed it to the side, and collapsed onto her with his blood slowly seeping into the earth along with the sad rain's water.
Fiore stood trying to keep the demons at bay as they clawed at the closed Time Door behind him. Rei pressed her back against the door trying to hold it back.
"Don't worry about me, Rei," Fiore urged. "Hide!"
"No!" she cried. "I'm staying with you!"
"No!" Fiore screamed desperately pushing her away from the door. "Rei.. I'm going out there. I'll hold them off as long as I can. I'll lock the door behind me."
"You can't!" Rei protested. "I have the key!"
I've already lost everyone, my troops, my friends, my family, she thought. I can't lost you too. Fiore pulled out a small gold key from his pocket.
"No you don't," he whispered sadly. "I do."
Then, Fiore opened up the heavy door and rushed outside shutting it quickly behind him. She heard the small click of a lock and the loud growling of the demons. Tears fell from her eyes.
"Fiore! Fiore!" she screamed banging on the door. "Let me out! Let me out! Fiore!"
A light shined under the door. The demons screamed with agony.
"I'm sorry, Rei," Fiore said weakly through the door. "I don't think I can make it. But just so you know.. I love you."
Rei's staff fell from her hands hitting the ground with a loud clang. The growling outside the door grew louder. She rammed against the heavy door trying to budge it. It wouldn't move.
Tears rolled down Fiore's face. He held a large ball of light in his hands.
"I love you, Rei!" he cried one last time. "And I always will!"
Rei collapsed to her knees clawing at the door feebly. Her tears fell quickly. She listened helplessly to Fiore's dying screams and the loud growls of the relentless wave of demons clawing at his flesh. Then, it went silent. Rei gasped. Fiore? Fiore? Her heart called out longingly. A small lake of blood formed at the bottom of the door. No.. Not Fiore. A fresh tidal wave of tears fell from her eyes.
"Your Highness," a guard gravely informed the Queen, "it seems that Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, and Pluto all have fallen to the enemy. The Princess's guardians died honorably."
Queen Makoto sat staring wide eyed up to the guard. That's almost everyone. How could we be doing so badly? She wondered feeling a painful pang strike her heart. Makoto sighed. How? Why? The endless questions ran through her head as she tried to deny everything that had happened.
"How fairs my daughter?" she asked worriedly.
The guard didn't reply.
Wounded and tired, Kurama still fought back the demons trying to protect her.
"Stop!" a voice cried out making the demons turn.
"Ruka," Kurama glared. "You did all of this didn't you?"
Ruka laughed.
"You give me far too much credit," she retorted. "I did have a little help. Your Generals were quite handy."
Kurama's eyes went wide.
"What?!" Kizna cried. "No! They couldn't have! Botan and the others loved them! Kurama please say it's not true!"
She looked up to him with wide and desperate eyes. Ruka laughed again.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head over it, Princess!" she sneered. "Kurama had no idea. The stupid little Twit couldn't see the problem in front of him because he was too busy dealing with you. If anything, you two should have never met."
Kizna lowered her eyes in shame. She's right, she thought. If Kurama and I had never met, this would've never happened. This pain would've never happened. If we had never met.. We never would've fallen in love..
Suddenly, Kurama pulled her close and stared deep into her eyes.
"Don't think like that, Princess," he whispered with tears in his eyes. "I heard every word you thought, and I never want you to think like that again. I don't regret meeting you... and I... don't regret falling in love with you. Don't you see, Kizna? To me, you're not just another Princess. You're the love of my life."
Two tears fell from Kizna's eyes, and he kissed them away.
Ruka glared. No! She screamed. He's supposed to be mine! And only mine! She pulled out a dagger from the ruffles of her dress.
"Die!" she screamed angrily throwing the dagger at Kizna's direction.
Kizna's eyes went wide. Kurama shielded her placing himself in the dagger's path. Tears burst from Kizna's eyes. Gasping and shuddering, Kurama collapsed into her arms. A gold hilt protruded from his back.
"Kurama..." she whimpered with tears falling quickly.
He smiled up at her and weakly wiped her tears away.
"I love you," he whispered meekly.
She placed a kiss on his lips. He kissed her back weakly reaching up to dry her tears. Then, his hand fell limp. She pulled away slowly with more tears forming in her eyes.
"I love you too," she murmured forlornly.
Her tears fell in gentle droplets plopping on his face. She shook him.
"Come on, Kurama," she whispered unable to hold back her tears. "Wake up.. You have to wake up.."
Ruka watched with her eyes wide. No, she denied. It wasn't suppose to be this way. He was suppose to be mine.
"I don't understand!" she screamed making Kizna look up to her. "Why did Kurama love you, when he could have love me instead?"
Tears fell from Ruka's eyes. She collapsed to her knees. The grieving Princess's tears continued falling.
"Because," Kizna replied quietly, "it's a secret known to no one.. Not even to me. No one can understand the love's true nature. What lies deep within a person's heart is an unsolvable mystery. I don't know why he chose me over you, but I suppose we may never know."
Slowly, the Princess pulled out the dagger from Kurama's back with tears in her eyes. I'll be with you soon, my love, she whispered. Kizna raised the dagger over her head and plunged it quickly into her heart. Weakly, she pulled the Prince close placing a lukewarm kiss on his cold lips. I'm coming, Kurama, she thought weakly closing her eyes. Wait for me. She felt the darkness surrounding her and calling her. The Princess lay still in her bed with her Prince in her arms. Ruka looked up to them. Gentle tears fell from her eyes. A small bit of her humanity had returned. I think... I may finally be able to understand, Princess, she thought. He's yours.
Then, the guards rushed in and gasped. Quickly, the grabbed Ruka and dragged her to the Queen. Queen Makoto glared down at her.
"Ruka," she whispered with a mix of anger and sadness, "what do you have to say for yourself?"
Ruka didn't reply. I will not be defeated this easily! The spirit that had been possessing her bellowed. Her eyes turned black, and she lashed out at the guards killing them all in one sweep of her clawed hand. Her humanity disappeared as quickly as it had returned.
"Very well," Makoto concluded solemnly, "I shall banish you and all of your minions back to the darkness from hence you came!"
"Your Highness no!" an advisor shouted. "You'll die!"
"It's for the best," she began summoning the Silver Crystal in her hands. "This way I can guarantee everyone a better and happier future this way."
She raised the crystal into the air silently making her wish. I wish everyone could be happy, and I wish that this demon witch and her minions be banished to the darkness depths of space so that she may never been seen again! She wished. A bright light filled the room. Ruka screamed with pain.
"Dead Scream," Rei whispered sending a bright red ball of light flying at the door.
The door shattered into splinters. She stepped out and gasped.
As the light faded, the Queen watched the people of her kingdom and the other kingdoms float into the night sky glowing her magic and the star's light. Her dress was torn, and she was wounded. Makoto leaned against a broken pillar.
Quickly, Rei ran to her side.
"Your Highness!" she cried. "Are they all..."
The Queen nodded.
"Rei," she whispered hoarsely, "as my last request... go to the Time Stream... and make sure they get down to earth to be reborn. Watch over them no matter how many lives they go through.. Leave me here, and do it quickly."
"Yes, Queen Makoto," she said sadly. "I understand."
Rei stood and ran back to the Time Stream. She watched everyone's journey with tears in her eyes. Sayonara, everyone, she whispered.
The Queen smiled, and she slowly drifted off to her rest amidst her broken kingdom.
Queen Shiori watched the night sky as a sudden meteor shower fell upon the earth. What? She thought as her eyes suddenly filled with tears. What is this feeling? .. Kurama...
As the centuries passed, a lone figure on the moon watched over the Princess and her friends doing as she was commanded, so very long ago.
She watched a young dark-haired woman run into the waiting arms of a young red-haired man. She smiled.
"You've made it, Princess," she whispered. "You've finally been able to be with your one true love after all this time."
The eyes of their friends smiled at them. Somehow, they all resembled the Princes and Princesses of centuries long ago including the girl with long black hair and bright blue eyes.
The young man pulled her close.
"My Moon Princess," he whispered to her tenderly.
"And my Earthly Prince," she whispered back.