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/THE NEXT DAY/
Yusuke woke up the next day and drowsily looked up at to where Kuwabara was supposed to be.
Keyword: supposed.
Instead of his best friend, an empty bedside was all that greeted him. Confused, he got up and looked around the room. Seeing no Kuwabara, he swallowed a lump in his throat, and forced a smile. "Ha ha ha...he...he must've got up!" Leaving the room, he crashed into Yoru, who was taking long angry strides out of the room where he and Kakaeru had been for the past several days. "Kakaeru's gone!" He spat bitterly as he tried to get up off the ground, and Yusuke.
Yusuke swallowed, and added, "So is Kuwabara..." A moment later, his concern lead to frustration, then anger. Finally he shouted, "What the hell is going on!?"
"Calm down..."
Both young men turned to see Genkai standing before them. "They're at spirit world. Koenma decided to have them healed all the way."
"Why?" Yusuke asked, though he was thrilled to hear Kuwabara was going to be okay. Genkai looked sad and turned away. "He's decided to send them home...Yoru, Kashi, Kakaeru, and Hame....you're all going home." Yusuke and Yoru stood frozen in surprise. "Send us home...why?" Yoru sputtered, looking at Genkai with betrayed eyes. "Because counterparts were never supposed to meet! Now that you've all met you feel each others pain...more than you should...the bond is too strong...Your all going home..."
/SPIRIT WORLD/
Kakaeru stood in Koenma's office, standing next to a very anxious Kuwabara. Both of them were completely fine now, and both very confused. The last thing Kuwabara remembered was going to sleep next to Yusuke...was that a dream? A delusion he'd made up? If so then...then what was real...was this real? He groaned covering his eyes, he wanted Yusuke to be here with him right now.
Kakaeru was very confused, more so than Kuwabara. The last thing she remembered was a bright light coming at her, and her arms raised in front of her creating a shield to block it...then darkness. "I wanna see Yoru." She sighed annoyed, breaking the tense silence in the air.
She played with her hair, which was back in its loose ponytail, all the while moving from one foot to another. When Kuwabara said nothing she sat down with a sigh next to him. Kuwabara had chosen to keep his hair down, and waited for Yusuke...he knew his friend would show up. He could remember a very blurry Koenma telling him the others would be on their way. Now that he thought about it, where was Koenma for that matter?
The door opened and Yoru came in the room head spinning looking for something. Something he held of great importance. Kakaeru leapt up, knocking her chair over, and ran to him tackling him. Yoru stumbled, eyes wide, caught himself, and then laughed merrily, swinging her around and hugging her to him.
Yusuke came in not a moment later, and once he saw Kuwabara the both soon were hugging and laughing. Hiei and Kurama joined the two, all talking quickly to Kuwabara, relived to see him alive. Hiei even had a bit of a smile stuck to his face, as he pointed out Kuwabara was looking a lot better.
Kashi had Kakaeru in a long hug, both girls holding tightly onto each other, giggling and smiling. Hame pat Kakeru's head and offered a true smile. That was it from him, but that was the most affection Kakaeru had ever received from Hame.
The door opened again, and in stepped Boeton looking rather sad. "Bakudan has been dropped off Koenma." Koenma, appearing out of no where nodded and sat at his desk. The groups turned to look at him, and he held all their gazes in his sad eyes. "I've brought you all here to tell you I know where the other demons are. Where their headquarters are..." He trailed off, and started slowly back up again, "I also brought you here to tell all of you Yoru, Kakaeru, Hame, and Kashi...your all going home...The bond between counterparts is supposed to be if one dies the other dies...but you've all grown so close it has become If one suffers the other suffers. If ones happy the others happy." Koenma shook his head and rubbed his eyes.
"I have no choice but to send you home...and erase your memories...We no longer need you anyway. Yusuke and the others can take care of the demons on their own..."
"THAT'S BULL CRAP!!" Yoru suddenly shouted eyes narrowed. "I want a crack at those guys for what they did to Kakaeru!" Hame eagerly nodded his head, "I will :die: if Makudo is not killed, remember that?!" Hame held out his cursed arm as he spoke these words. Kakaeru then shouted, "You can't make me forget my Best friend!" All looked at her, but no one thought what she said was silly, "You can't make me forget my friends!!"
"How dare you consider this after all we've had to go through!?" Kashi yelled at him angrily. Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara also were ready to add in their two cents, but Koenma slammed his hand on the table. "I'm not giving you a choice! Your all going to go through with this! I'm sorry they're not my orders, they're my Father's! We have no say in my Father's choice." The group went silent and Koenma sighed.
"Boeton get Kakaeru ready....She'll be first."
Yoru grabbed her hand and pulled Kakaeru behind him, glaring at Koenma.
"No."
"Please Yoru don't make this harder than this already is..."
Yoru was about to tell Koenma to back off, but Kakaeru sighed, "It's okay Yoru." He looked down at Kakaeru his heart splitting. "Look we can get out of here! Find those demons on our own, and take care of 'em! You and me!" He laughed and then continued, "I...I...I don't want to forget you."
The room was deadly quite.
Kakaeru looked up at the older teen and locked her pinky with his. To everyone in the room but her, this was the most ridiculous thing they'd ever seen. "Even with out my memories, I promise I'll see you again!" Yoru pulled his hands away, only so he could wrap his arms around. He held onto her, his face grim, and jaw clenched. Yoru released her, and turned away from her so Boeton could take her away.
Inside another room Kakaeru was dressed up in a white dress. It hung off her shoulders and had a pretty design along the front. It was long and went past her feet, and her back rase revealed. Boeton braided and twisted her hair atop her head letting several of her natural curls fall across her face. On her feet she was given silk shoes that felt like she had nothing on. Boeton also gave her a dazzling silver necklace, with a green jade in the middle.
Kakaeru's head reeled, everything was happening so fast...so very, very fast.
Boeton led her back to the room where Koenma had a strange looking head gear in her arms. "Kakaeru we're going to replace your memories with memories of a month long opera contest." Kakaeru nodded her stomach clenched."I guess this is the last time I have to be annoyed by you." Hame said who stood leaning against the door."Yep...For what its worth, I'm sorry we never became friends." Silence then, Hame's voice rang out, "What are you talking about?" He placed a hand on her bare shoulder, "We are friends."
Kakaeru smiled at him and walked to Kashi, both girls wrapping each other in a big hug.
"I'm sorry I never heard you sing."
"Well maybe if I goto Hawaii for a singing contest, you'll come see me." Kakaeru said sadly, Kashi holding onto her tighter. Kakaeru walked over to Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara. She bowed politely in front of them. "Thank you so much...its been really fun." She said when she rose. "Yes...it has." Yusuke said with a small smile. "You look lovely...good luck on whatever happens next." Kurama said smiling gently at her. Hiei nodded to her and Kakaeru gave him a thumbs up, which was returned. Kakaeru stepped over to Kuwabara and they gave each other bear hugs. Kuwabara smiled at her, they both wanted to say some thing but no words would come out.
Finally Kakaeru stepped over to Yoru. An awkward silence hung between them. "You look pretty..." He finally said, pointing at her dress, and then her hair. "Thank you...I'll miss you..." Kakaeru sniffed as if she was about to cry, but shook her head, refusing to. Yoru stepped closer to her pulling one of her curls playfully, and in a quick and sudden movement, the two were hugging. "I don't care if I won't remember you, if I ever see you again, I'll find you and challenge you to a rematch!!" Kakaeru whispered fiercely. "Ditto." Yoru agreed, smiling against her hair.
"Geez your so short...I didn't realize that until just now. You really are a little kid aren't you?" She pulled away putting her hands on her hips smiling. "Small is better! No extra height to slow you down!" She said smirking. on...its ready." Koenma hesitantly called her. Kakaeru looked at Yoru and hugged him again.
"I want you to know you're my best friend...I'm sorry...that we only had a few weeks."
"What are you kidding? Even with out our memories...I'll always know that I had a best friend...." Yoru gave her squeeze and she backed away.
As she walked towards Koenma, Yoru couldn't help but feel like he was saying goodbye forever...He took a step and Hame's hand was on his shoulder. Hame looked at him sadly and shook his head. Kashi stood behind him also looking miserable. "Ready?" Boeton asked, the strange helmet being hooked on her head. "No, not like it matters, right?" Kakaeru sighed. As the thing hummed in her ear she looked at everyone and gave them the 'ok' signal.
Her eyes locked with Yoru's yellow ones and she opened her mouth to say something she should have said when he saved her. Something she had wanted to say since she woke all those weeks ago in that dark room with him.
"I-"
But the machine started and her blue eyes went glassy and after several minutes turned black as midnight. The machine glowed while it worked what ever it was doing; her body shook with the sheer force of the machine's strange doings, and when it was done Kakaeru's head finally dropped.
Koenma took the helmet off and she eventually stood looking at nothing in particular, but had this eerie look on her face. Boeton stepped forward and placed a silver metal around her neck.
"Now what have you done for the past month?"
"I competed in an Opera Singing contest...I won 2nd place." She said with a monotone voice. "I'm going home to Papa today..." The other shuddered at her cold, dreary, dead voice. Yoru felt a horrible pain in his chest, but didn't say anything. Boeton beckoned the girl to follow and she did, but 4 steps later she gave a tiny gasp and began to fall backwards.
"KAKAERU!"
Yoru quickly caught her and held her in his arms. He shook her gently, but she did not reply. "Kakaeru!?" Her dead eyes finally looked up at him and she starred with confusion. "Who...are you?" Her eyes closed and she fainted, her head falling on his chest. He starred slightly horrified at her, but didn't say anything. He only tenderly lifted her up, and walked to Boeton placing the girl in her arms.
To everyone's surprise he bent down kissing Kakaeru's forehead, and whispered something that only he heard.
"I'll miss you Khaki."
He smiled, remembering she hated that nickname and watched as Boeton took her away.