The Gift of Oneself
By IppikiOokami13 and xDarkxMagicianxGirlx
Disclaimer: Neither of us own anything.. but we can dream, right?
Chapter Fourteen
Yusuke's eyes widened slightly and he started pounding on the side of the orb, watching as Kurama, both tired and soaked, stood.
Karasu looked at the fox. "You look very nice wet, Kurama."
Kurama growled, ignoring the comment. "What are you doing? What do you want with Yusuke?"
The crow suddenly jumped up, landing on the top of the orb with the trapped teen. "If you want to see Urameshi alive again, you'll find Kuronue and have him transport you to Yin and Yang's world."
"Yusuke, no!" the fox cried out as the orb, the teen within, and Karasu disappeared with only the echo of the redhead's name from Yusuke's lips. When the two were inside the new world, Karasu jumped off the orb, walking off as the orb followed after him.
The younger teen growled, eyes narrowing in hate. "Why do you find pleasure in torturing Kurama?!"
Though he continued to walk, the raven-demon glanced at the younger teen over his shoulder. "It's fun, I suppose......." Yusuke turned his back on the demon, disgusted with his attitude.
"Whether he comes for you or not is none of my concern, because either way, I'll get what I want, one way or another...." The other sighed in response, he knew Kurama would come for him.
"That's what I'm counting on... But if he doesn't, I'll kill you, and then take Kurama for myself."
The delinquent growled low at that, watching the same black surroundings pass by over and over again. Finally, Karasu stopped walking, the orb halting suddenly. The sudden jolt threw Yusuke around a little, causing him to stumble slightly. Regaining his composure, he turned to look where Karasu had taken him.
"I suppose we'll have to wait a while, since Kurama will take a long time to get to Kuronue in his weakened condition......" the crow said, sounding as if it was no big deal.
Yusuke sighed, slumping down in the orb, pulling his knees to his chest, there was really nothing he could do.
Karasu seemed to think for a minute. "Now, should I kill you first..? Or should I torture Kurama while you watch?" The teen's chocolate orbs narrowed as he looked at the demon, a look of disgust in the depths of his eyes.
"But.. I would have to take care of Kuronue first.. That would be sure to break Kurama's spirit."
"And you think Kuronue is just gonna give up to you?"
"If Kurama is in danger, what choice would he have?" The teen looked away, a fear for the other welling up inside him.
Karasu laughed. "Once Kurama comes for you, my plan will fall into place, where I can get rid of you and Kuronue. You probably can figure out what will happen to Kurama if I do that......"
"That's if you can get rid of us," Yusuke growled, not looking at the crow before him.
"Well, if you don't want Kurama in danger.."
The other shut his eyes tightly, he was feeling helpless again, and the fear that he held for the other was enough to make him vomit.
"As I thought....." Karasu paused, then started to leave. "I better get into place. Kurama and Kuronue are coming sooner than I thought." The younger teen watched as the demon left, leaving him sitting alone in the darkness for what seemed like forever.
Though it seemed like hours in the emptiness of the broken world, the darkness was soon broken by a bright white flash as Kurama and Kuronue appeared, the fox leaning against the taller demon in his weakened condition.
Yusuke looked over at the two, and said urgently, "Kurama! Please, you have to leave!"
The redhead left Kuronue's side, walking up to the orb and placing his hands on it. "I'm not leaving. Not until I can get you out of here."
Yusuke shook his head, crawling closer to the side. "Please.. you have to leave.. Karasu.. he's.." He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence as he looked at the weakened fox.
Kuronue looked around, keeping a sharp look out for the crow. "Be quick, Kurama," he warned.
"I'm trying," the fox replied, running his hand over the orb, searching for a weakness. The younger teen watched the other in curiousity.
As he continued, the fox gasped as his hand, on a certain spot of the orb, absorbed some of the dark energy. He pulled back his hand, but then replaced it on the same spot, flinching as the energy poured into him. As it did so, the orb thinned and dimmed.
"Kurama, stop!" the younger yelled, seeing him flinch as the dark energy was absorbed into the teen's body. The orb suddenly disappeared as the redhead fell to his knees panting, beads of sweat appearing on his brow.
Yusuke dropped from the orb onto the floor on his feet. He walked to the older boy, embracing him tightly. "We have to leave.."
Kuronue came towards the both of them, concern in his eyes as he watched the fox.
"Well, that worked nicely," Karasu said, suddenly appearing before the three of them. Yusuke looked up to find the demon before them, his eyes narrowed slightly. Kuronue's eyes narrowed as well, glaring at the crow. Kurama moaned slightly, fidgeting in the younger teen's protective embrace.
"You shouldnt've come, Kurama..." Yusuke whispered to the older teen, still staring at the demon.
Kuronue looked at the fox, before his eyes focused back on Karasu. "What did you do to him?"
Karasu laughed. "I did nothing to him. He did it upon himself. But, if you should know, he absorbed much of my energy to free Urameshi.." The younger teen tightened his embrace slightly, still glaring at the crow.
Karasu smirked. "So, what are you planning to do?" he asked tauntingly.
"Firstly, I'm not going to let you carry through with your plan," he growled.
"Well, you're doing a lousy job of it so far.." The teen glared at the demon, having nothing to say. Kuronue growled, getting to his feet.
"Ah yes, I almost forgot about you. What are you planning to do, Kurnoue?" the crow mocked. Saying nothing, Kuronue charged at the other demon, his body glowing dangerously, matching Karasu's aura.
Yusuke stood suddenly, eyes wide. No! We have to fight him together! As if hearing the other, the bat froze in his tracks. Quickly, he glanced at the detective. The delinquent glanced back at the bat, then quickly at Kurama, before stepping away from the fox. Kurama moaned quietly, stirring slightly. The dark haired teen glanced once over his shoulder at the older boy before going over to the other two demons.
Karasu laughed. "What are you two going to do about it?"
"I highly doubt you can take both of us.." Yusuke replied, a reddish aura starting to form around the angry teen.
"Well, Urameshi, when you're right, you're right. Which is why I have a backup plan," His eyes began to glow slightly.
"Aah.....!" the redhead cried out suddenly, his body glowing darkly.
The younger teen shuddered slightly when he heard the other cry out, he glanced at Kuronue, hoping the demon could hear his thoughts. We need to fight him.. if we give in, Karasu is only going to hurt Kurama more than ever..
Kuronue nodded, ever so slightly. Agreed, the bat replied mentally. But how do we fight him if he continues to use Kurama as his shield?
I'm not sure.. Yusuke replied mentally, even though he wasn't speaking aloud, you could still tell there was sadness in his words.
Karasu rolled his eyes. "Are you two aware that I can hear your thoughts as well?" he asked, slightly impatient for their stalling.Yusuke growled at the other's words.
Kuronue's eyes glanced at the fox teen before glaring at the other demon. He then looked at Yusuke, his eyes seeming to say, 'It's now or never.' The detective looked at the other from the corner of his eye, nodding ever so slightly. Karasu watched all the while, slightly amused.
Taking the lead, Kuronue charged at the crow. Yusuke fell in behind the bat, the red aura flaming around him and gathering in his right arm. Karasu's eyes suddenly started glowing again. On command, Kurama's eyes opened dark and void of any life. He then jumped up, landing between the two and Karasu.
Both Yusuke and Kuronue stopped dead in their tracks, any thought of attacking long gone as they looked into the lifeless orbs that stared back at them. The detective shuddered as the fox's green eyes pierced into his own chocolate ones.
"Kurama!" the bat called out. But the fox showed no sign of recognition.
"Kurama! Snap out of it!" Yusuke cried, trying to break the other from the dark control that held his mind. "You're protecting the wrong person!" However, just as before, Kurama's reaction was nothing.
Karasu's eyes glowed again, and the fox slowly began to walk towards the two, his body glowing in the same dark light. Yusuke looked from Karasu to Kuronue and finally Kurama. He stepped to the side slightly, hoping the fox would follow him. Kuronue took a step back, knowing full well that he could never fight Kurama. The fox's lifeless eyes looked from the younger teen to the bat, as if trying to debate which to go after.
"If you want to fight someone, Kurama, fight me.." Yusuke replied, looking at Kuronue, his eyes telling the other to go after Karasu.
Kuronue, seeing the look in the detective's eyes, nodded, stepping to the side away from Kurama, trying to get to Karasu. The fox, as if hearing the younger teen, walked toward him. The younger teen walked backwards, drawing the other away from the two demons, Kuronue needed time. Slowly, Kuronue backed out of the fox's sight, heading towards Karasu.
The redhead suddenly charged at the younger teen, pulling a rose out of his hair. In response, the detective leaped backwards away from the elder. Dodging is all I can do..
As Kurama quickly snapped his wrist the rose melted into a thorny whip and the redhead lashed it at the delinquent. Yusuke dodged the other's whip, its thorns just barely missing him. As Kurama lashed the whip at Yusuke again, he jumped, a grass in his hand suddenly becoming a long sword, which was then thrust in the delinquent's direction.
Yusuke dodged the whip successfully. The sword, however, came at him quickly and he tried to move out of the way, but the tip of the blade pierced his side. The teen grimaced and put his hands to his side as the wound started to bleed. With the younger teen distracted, the fox thrashed his whip again, successfully snaring it around Yusuke's torso.
Yusuke gasped and cried out in pain as the thorns dug into his flesh. "Kurama.. please.. it's me.." he said, once more trying to snap the one he loved out of the trance. Just as a sign of life flashed in the fox's emerald orbs, Karasu, who was busy fighting Kuronue, looked over at the two His eyes began to glow, deepening his grasp on the fox's mind. In response, the redhead pulled on the whip, tightening the hold it had on the younger teen.
Crying out again, Yusuke tried to pull the whip off him, the thorns lodging themselves in his skin as crimson blood spilled from the wounds. The cry of pain rang in the fox's head, pounding at his heart. Life flooded into his eyes as the whip dropped from his hand, suddenly turning back into a rose.
Dropping to his knees in relief, the younger teen wrapped his arms quickly around his bleeding torso. Tears fell from Kurama's eyes as he looked at the other in pain. He clenched his eyes shut, turning away from the other, opening them again to glare at Karasu.
Yusuke looked up at the other, the loss of blood starting to make him dizzy. "Kurama..?" he called. A light blue aura surrounded the redhead's body when Yusuke looked up, his blurry vision betraying him for a moment.
Kurnoue! the fox called mentally. Let me handle him....
Kuronue froze, then jumped and landed next to the redhead. "Are you sure?" he whispered. The fox nodded, a dangerous look in his eyes as he glared at Karasu.
The younger teen was starting to feel tired. "Be careful Kurama.." he whispered, hoping the other had heard him.
Karasu watched with amusement at the fox, until he noticed the strange look in his eyes. In rage, Kurama charged at the crow, not caring at what little chance he had.
Kuronue, however, went to the younger teen and kneeled beside him, his hands glowing as he healed the detective. Yusuke leaned tiredly on the bat for support as he healed him, watching Kurama attack Karasu.
"What are you going to do?" Karasu taunted, as the fox dodged Karasu's bombs. Kurama knew full well that he couldn't dodge forever and he growled.
There's one option.. Kurama thought desperatly, But.. to do that-- I have no other choice...
Yusuke, still leaning against Kuronue on the sidelines, found that he found barely keep focus or think, but he also couldn't pry his eyes away. "What-- what is he going to do..?"
It was then that Kurama was struk, and his body sent through the air. Landing on the ground, Kurama's light blue aura suddenly began to take the shape of a fox.
Finally finished healing the younger teen, Kuronue looked towards the redhead. "Kurama! Don't!"
"Kurama..." Yusuke whispered, tears starting to form in his chocolate orbs.
The fox glanced over at the two of them over his shoulder, before turning back to look at Karasu, his fox aura engulfing and destroying the crow in a flash of bright light. Yusuke looked slightly relieved when the crow was destroyed, but he continued to watch Kurama tiredly. As the light faded, the redhead collapsed onto the floor.
The younger teen pushed himself up, stumbling forward. "Kurama...!" Kuronue followed after the younger teen.
Yusuke made his way to the other, collapsing to his knees near the fox. "Kurama.." Tears started dripping down his cheeks.
Kneeling next to the fox, the bat placed his hand on his neck, hoping to feel a heartbeat.
"Is.. is he..?" the younger teen started stuttering.
The bat looked up at the other sadly, before looking away.
"N.. no.." the teen whimpered, pulling the older teen closer to him. He wrapped his arms around his redheaded lover tightly as tears started falling down his cheeks faster. The bat looked down at the ground as tears formed in his own eyes.
Yusuke buried his face in the other's chest, sobs wracking his body. "If Kurama isn't here, there isn't anything keeping me here either.." he whispered, his words muffled by the older teen's shirt.
"Kurama died for you...." Kuronue said, though his voice wavered slightly. "Would you really let his sacrifice be for naught?"
The teen didn't say anything, just sat there, the elder in his arms, tears flooding from his eyes. The bat just sat there as well, there was nothing more that he could say.