What seemed like hours after they'd finished the quick tour and Kurama had led them to the main sitting room of Genkai's home, after the arrival of Yusuke with the others, the withered, pink-haired woman appeared, Botan and Yukina at her side, all three looking slightly exhausted. Kurama was instantly in front of Genkai, questioning, "Is she all right?"
"She'll be fine...she had a broken arm, and some cracked ribs, but that was the worst of her injuries," Genkai answered him, glancing outside to see that it was still early in the morning. "Yukina, Botan, take Kasumi and Natsumi to their rooms, then the two of you get to bed yourselves." As she said this, she looked to Yusuke while the four girls left the room, "Dimwit, you can take Keiko and Shizuru to their rooms, as well. Kuwabara and Hiei know where theirs are. You'll all be staying here tonight. It's too late for any of you to be returning home."
Hiei was the only one who mildly protested at basically being told he was too weak to be walking alone, and his only offer at a protest was, "Hn."
Kurama waited patiently until they'd all left, staring inquiringly at Genkai. He knew she wished to speak with him some more. She sighed once the door closed behind her guests, and motioned Kurama to sit down at the couch, taking a seat in the armchair herself. He paused, but did what she indicated---Genkai was not one to take disobedience and rebellion lightly.
"I'm pretty sure you know that it's worse than that," Genkai spoke, her voice soft and sympathetic. Kurama nodded, his emerald gaze flickering with concern and anxiety as he waited for her to continue. "Sakai has stolen a piece of her soul, her very essence. I doubt she'll be able to remember anything that happened, and that might be a good thing. She's young, and strong, but I don't think she could be able to handle the full weight of the truth of her situation. Sakai has tasted her soul; he won't give up on acquiring the whole. We both know that as well as we both know Akira is dead."
Kurama's eyes widened slightly, when she confirmed his suspicion about Akira. Sadness and regret crossed his features, but he quickly schooled them, nodding at her to show that he understood, and she could go on. She took a deep breath, and did so, "I'm not entirely sure how she'll be affected by the side effects, Kurama. She might not be herself anymore, though I highly doubt that. And now, since she's in danger, she will need to be as wary as humanly possible. If not, she will need to be watched carefully, so no harm comes to her. Do you understand?"
"You want me to keep an eye on her. I understand. Do you really think Sakai will return for her?"
"Hai. I really think he will. Akira was right about one thing; Sakai is pure evil, and Asa is pure good. Since he devoured a small piece of pure good, Sakai became ill for a while, but once his black heart could convert Asa's purity to his own purposes, it filled him with a thirst---one that could not be quenched by any normal human soul. I believe that Asa is a very special child, more so than even Yusuke. She has the potential to become a very powerful young lady."
"What do you mean...?" Kurama started, but Genkai's look silenced him.
"I merely mean that she has potential. Any further questions, I cannot answer. I think, however, that you already know someone who can," Genkai told him, giving him a meaningful look. He knew who she was talking about---Youko. "I think it's high time you went to visit with her...if she is awake, find out what she remembers, but don't tell her anything. Answer her questions gently if you find that you can. I'm going to bed."
"Arigato, Genkai-sama," Kurama said, bowing his head at her. She offered him a small smile, and left him there. He listened to her footsteps echo down the hall, before he stood up, rushing to Asa's room. He opened the door quietly, walking into the room and shutting it behind him to look at Asa where she lay asleep.
"Oh...Asa..." he breathed mournfully, eyes taking in all of her. Her hair was slightly disheveled, but Botan had done the best she could to put it into a loose braid that hung over her shoulder, and her face was bruised and covered with butterfly bandages. Her lower arm had a cast on it, and he could tell from the different shape of her feet through the blanket that lay over her that her fractured ankle was wrapped, as well.
She was in a different outfit, one that had undoubtedly been borrowed from Yukina, since it was a white sleeping kimono with a loose collar that revealed the base of her throat. Her school uniform, the one she'd been wearing the day she was kidnapped, was in a pile in the corner, he noted, glancing around the room as he came to the side of the futon and lowered himself to one knee. He couldn't inspect her any more thoroughly to make sure every hurt had been attended to, so he sufficed with taking her hand, and holding it in both of his against his forehead as he leaned forward slightly, lowering himself to sit beside of her, and closing his eyes.
I promise you, Asa, he'll pay. And I promise, I'll never let anything like this happen to you again...I'm sorry.
"Sh...uuichi...?"
The quiet voice caused him to look up in surprise. When he saw Asa's eyes half-open, he nearly yipped in joy, and restrained himself from grabbing her up in a hug for fear of hurting her already bruised ribs. She looked over at him, slightly dazed, but otherwise alert, confusion written clearly on her features.
"Asa, you're awake," he finally said, quite lamely.
"Hai, but...what happened...? ...Shuuichi?!" she squeaked in surprise, when he buried his face in his hands, hiding his tears of relief from her view. "Shuuichi..." she said then, softly, reaching with the arm closest to him, since it was the good one, to tug on his hand lightly. His shoulders shook with his silent sobs, and she fought, wincing as she forced herself to sit up as much as she could. "Shuuichi, look at me," she ordered gently.
His emerald, tear-brimmed eyes found hers from behind his hands, and she almost gasped at the pain she saw there. She moved her hand from his, to cup his face, trying to sit up further, and he immediately helped her, knowing that once she resolved to do something, there was nothing that would bend her will. She weakly smiled at him as he reached out his arms to wrap them around her, pulling her into an upright position, but he only gazed at her sadly, his eyes still welling.
"Asa...gomen, I'm so sorry," he whispered, hugging her as carefully as he could without doing any more damage to her already frail body. His tears fell into her hair, and she let him hold her like that for many moments, until she was sure that he'd calmed somewhat, then pulled away to look him in the eyes. Her breaking the embrace made him lean her back against the pillows and back off a bit, merely settling for holding her hands in his.
"Shuuichi, why are you sorry? What happened?" she inquired again, just as softly, as if she were speaking to a small, distraught child. He was surprised at his sudden yearning to hold her again when he heard the way she spoke to him, and shook it off.
"You...don't remember?" he asked, feeling slightly foolish for allowing himself to cry in front of her. She shook her head once, looking down at herself and blinking. He almost sighed, partially in relief that she didn't remember such a horrifying experience, partially in regret that she didn't know his reasons for being so upset with her condition and his partaking in it. "There was...an accident," he worded it carefully, so as not to alarm her, "We...didn't know if you would make it. We brought you to Genkai's. She's...a sort-of doctor, you remember. Your father knows you're here, too...so don't worry about that," he added as an afterthought.
"Hai, arigato, Shuuichi-kun...what kind of accident was it? I mean, geesh...this is pretty damn serious," she said, wincing as she looked at him. The question caught him off guard, but he realized it was mostly for myrrh. She was trying to lighten his mood and ease his concerns, he knew, but he couldn't help but feel guilty as he gazed at her for many moments.
"The accident...was serious, Asa. You could have died..."
"So, did a truck hit me? Because that's what it feels like," she smirked up at him. No, losing a piece of her soul didn't seem to effect her personality, at all, he decided, raising an eyebrow at her taking the situation and making a joke out of it.
"Asa, this isn't really something to kid about," he scolded lightly.
"I know, but you looked so damn serious that I couldn't help it. You know me, I had to do something to cheer you up...you looked like you just killed a kitten."
Kurama's eyes widened at the metaphor, and as Asa giggled at his dumbfounded expression, he found that his face had formed its own smile of amusement, and he finally abandoned his resolve to keep this current conversation serious as he joked, "I'm not so sure I'd want Kuwabara to hear that..."
"Heh, yeah, the big softy; he'd probably try to kill you," Asa rolled her eyes, settling down so that her head rested against the pillow again. Kurama smiled gently at her, still holding her hands in his, and, when she looked pointedly at their intertwined fingers, blushed, pulling away to shift his position so that he had his back to the wall behind her head. "Shuuichi?" she asked, after a silence.
"Hm?"
"You still haven't answered my question."
"About the accident?" he asked knowingly.
"Mm hm," she nodded, though she knew he couldn't see it, since he was staring at the opposite wall.
"I'll tell you later, Asa-chan...get some rest."
"Okay...but don't go being all guilty-like again, Shuuichi-kun. Promise?"
"Hai, I promise..." he answered, fighting the urge to cross his fingers. "Oyusami nasai, Asa."
"Oyusami," she answered with a yawn, then, after a long pause, her breathing turned deep and even. He turned his head to look at her as she slept again, and, before he could think about exactly what he was doing, leaned down, planting a kiss on her forehead and smiling as she squirmed underneath the contact against her skin.
"Sweet dreams, Asa-chan," he said after he pulled away, and pulled a knee to his chest to rest his arms on as he, too, allowed himself to give into the exhaustion that overtook his body.
- - - - -
Meka- Well, I think I'll end it there...since what I have in mind next is kinda non-fluff. But hey, I put in a little fluff! Go me! Yay! Happy, everyone? No tomatoes? Okay? Okay. I'm glad we've come to an agreement. Oh, right. Review responses. BOYS!
Rekai Tentai- WHAT?!
Meka- It's time for the responses!
Yusuke- ((mumbles)) Damn it, I was so close, too.
Meka- ...Close to what?
Yusuke- Beating the last level of FFX-2.
Meka- Phht...you suck if you can't beat that---wait, you played Final Fantasy X-2?! You actually let yourself be a girl?!
Yusuke- ...This does not leave this room. ((sends warning glances around))
Kuwabara- ...Right. Well. Moving on...
Kurama- Ooh, it's my turn today! Melanie and Ayame, yay, you came back! Happiness and obligedness, as well. Have you updated your story yet? ((bounces up and down excitedly))
Meka- I apologize for him... ((whacks him on the back of the head, rendering him unconscious)) He had caffeine this morning. A LOT of it. Here, you two girls can have him while he's asleep! Just don't molest him...much. ((hands him over to Mel and Ayame)) Have fun!
Yusuke- I can't believe you just rendered Kurama unconscious and then gave him to a girl who'll probably take advantage of him while he's asleep.
Meka- Why can't you believe it?
Yusuke- Because it's BRILLIANT! Can you send Hiei, too! I wanna see someone grab him up!
Meka- ...Okay, but YOU'RE explaining it to him when he wakes up in someone else's room...okay, who wants to claim Hiei?
Hiei- CLAIM me? .... ((sweat drop))
Meka- Yup. Come on, I know SOMEONE wants to...you can claim Urameshi, too, if you like. Mel, you were right about Jin and Touya and Natsu and Kasu. Oh, they're claimable, too...Jin and Touya, that is. Inquire within a review!
