Yoko and Kanzuka did nothing for what seemed like an eternity. They stared at each other, never moving a muscle. If it had not been such a tense atmosphere, you would have thought them to be stone statues, painted and carved to look so very life-like.
Kagome watched them through wide eyes, taking in every detail. Yoko's tail flicked restlessly from side to side. Kanzuka's grip tightened on his sword. Slowly, the two started to circle each other, though they never took their eyes off one another. No laughter resided in either one's eyes. Their faces were set with grim determination and complete concentration on the battle. Neither one noticed Kagome's undivided attention, her face pale with worry.
Then, quite suddenly, they lunged at each other. Kanzuka brought down his sword and Yoko defended with his Rose Whip. Neither escaped unscathed. Kanzuka sported a deep cut on his left cheek. The blood poured down steadily in little droplets down his white cheek. Yoko was cut on his right shoulder. His blood stained the cloth around it. However, neither noticed. It was almost like each wound was a warning as to what was to come.
They lunged again. This time Yoko did not get hurt. Kanzuka got cut deeply on his right calf. Now they didn't wait to attack again. Yoko tried the same tactic that Kurama had. He wound the Rose Whip around Kanzuka's neck and pulled it tighter every second. It seemed, to Kagome at least, that Yoko would win. But her hopes of that were quickly dashed. Kanzuka curled up a fist, and then threw something into the air.
It looked like a seed. It glowed a silvery-white colour. The seed sprouted bug-like wings and grew much longer. It sprouted what looked like a tail with a sharp stinger at the end. It buzzed around for a moment then speed at Yoko. He was busy pulling the whip tighter, but as soon as the bug-demon pierced his leg he let out a cry of pain and let go of the whip. Kanzuka bounded out of reach of it. Growling with rage, Yoko grabbed the bug and strangled it with his bare hands. It was only then that Kagome realized where the bug had stung him.
It had sting him in a vein.
Obviously, it had let a poison into Yoko's blood. Yoko winced as he walked. The poison would work very quickly if it was already affecting Yoko's walk. Soon, it would surely affect his speed and his vision. Without those, he was as good as finished.
' Now's my chance to help!' She thought, ' I can heal that poison and keep the bugs away from him. Surely Kanzuka will send more out to hinder him!'
Indeed she was right. Just as she realized this, Kanzuka created two more. And another two. Followed by yet another two. This continued until he had created twenty. They fluttered around him, waiting for the signal to attack. Raising one arm, he pointed at Yoko. Instantly, the bugs swarmed at him, poking him with their stingers.
Yoko didn't know how much longer he could last, if this kept up. Kurama wouldn't be able to, that he knew. If only these bugs were not there, or otherwise unable to hurt him, Kanzuka would already be dead! These bugs were his problem, but Kanzuka was the threat. He needed to eliminate the threat before he eliminated the problem. But the problem was too hard to just ignore. Relentlessly, they struck him with their stingers, injecting poison into his blood stream as he walked slowly, but steadily, over to Kanzuka with a firm grip a new Rose Whip.
Then, quite suddenly, the bugs stopped poking him. Light engulfed them and seemed to set them on fire. They burned to cinders within the light, and those cinders fell to floor, only to vanish moments later. Yoko himself fell to his knees. The bugs were gone, yes, but not the poison. It still courses through his veins, weakening him with every passing second.
A bluish light engulfed himself then. It was not hot like fire, like the white light had been, but warm and comforting. It coursed around his body, healing his wounds. He breathed it in deeply, and it coursed through his insides, riding him of the poison. He could feel his strength return to him. He stood up yet again, and faced Kanzuka, cracking his whip threateningly. He looked over at Kagome, nodded his thanks, and then ran at Kanzuka.
' That is all I can do for him, isn't it, Kikyo?' Kagome wondered.
' Yes. It is his battle, not yours.'
Kagome nodded, watching Yoko rise to his feet and nod at her. She had helped him, but she could interfere with this battle no more. It was not hers to fight.
' Do you begin to understand who and what the Miko of Twilight is?' Kikyo asked presently.
' I do. As I watch this battle, I really do begin to understand much better.'
Kikyo nodded to herself, and smiled. ' You learn fast.'
Yoko lashed his weapon at Kanzuka lethally. He became scored in several places, and his sword could only defend him when he was being attacked. Yoko's ferocity was full blown now. Relentlessly, he lashed at Kanzuka, keeping Kanzuka on the defensive. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't summon his bugs for two reasons. One, Yoko was fighting without pausing which would give him an opening to attack, and he couldn't afford to stop defending. Two, Kagome would just burn them away again, so all that effort would be wasted.
Yoko pinned his arms and sword to his side, and wound the whip ever tighter.
" You die now, Kanzuka," he whispered, pulling it tighter. Ruthlessly, he kicked him in the abdomen and knocked him down. He wrenched the sword from his hand and held it above Kanzuka's heart.
" Now really brother," Kanzuka said in a calmer voice, yet anyone could tell it was backed with fear. " How can you kill me? Your own brother? Surely you know the story of that sword? What it will do to you when you kill me?"
" Story? Oh yes, I know the story," Yoko whispered, " And trust me, I will not fail to kill you with it."
" Those with an evil heart," Kanzuka said in a soft voice, " Will merely destroy themselves when they try to kill one of their kin. You will die, and I will live. It will stab me yes, but it will not harm me. Only you."
" Are so sure," Yoko said in a dangerous voice, " That this will kill me? You are far stupider than I thought! It will not be my demise, but yours. You are the one who has an evil heart, one who is full of greed. The other part of the story, however, tells us that is this sword is used by a pure-hearted person who protects others and then is used to kill his evil kin, the sword would be cleaned of any and every blood stain it has ever had when it was the possession of an evil man."
Kanzuka did not answer. Perhaps he had hoped that Yoko would hesitate, forget that part of the story, and loosen his hold on the whip. Then, he could have escaped. But no, his plans were ruined. Even he knew that.
" Goodbye Kanzuka," Yoko whispered, " Your time has ended."
Yoko plunged the sword into Kanzuka's heart. He let out a shriek so loud and terrible, Kagome covered her ears, though she didn't look away. It seemed that all the darkness of the Kingdom was being sucked back into Kanzuka's body. A swirling black cloud covered the two brothers, and Kagome could not see them anymore.
The blackness seemed to be there, swirling in the room for an age. Then, quite suddenly, it began to fade away into nothingness. Kagome stood up. She saw that Kanzuka's body had vanished and Kurama was back, the sword at his feet. A tear of joy at his safety fell down her cheek.
" Kurama!" she cried, running over to him, and throwing her arms around him. " Oh Kurama!"
He blushed. " Kagome…I missed you."
She buried her face in his shoulder. " I'm so sorry!"
" For what?"
" Everything! I ran away! I shouldn't have! There wasn't any reason for me to!"
" Kagome, you have nothing to be sorry for," he told her, " I understand completely. You don't need to say anything about it."
She bit her lip and looked up at him. He was smiling down at her. Kagome stood on her tip-toes and quickly gave him a kiss. He went a dark shade of red.
" What was that for?" he asked, still blushing.
" My thank you for saving my life. And, its also my way of saying…" She looked up at him.
" Saying what?" he asked her softly.
" That…" she took a deep breath. " That I love you."
She didn't know what to expect. She had no idea what his reaction might be. All she could do was be truthful to him and to herself. No more trying to hide from it. No. She was strong. She knew that. She knew that it was highly unlikely that he would reject her love, but if by some strange, cruel twist of Fate he did, then she would be able to handle it. It wouldn't destroy her. But she needn't have worried.
He hugged her tightly and kissed her. It was deep and passionate. She didn't quite expect that, but she didn't object to it either. She was in complete bliss. The two were suspended in time. But, all wonderful things must come to an end, and so finally they pulled away.
" I love you too, Kagome," he told her. " I've loved you for so long!"
She blushed. " We should probably find the others," she said quietly, " They'll be pretty worried about us I would think."
He nodded. " Yes. Lets go." He took her hand and together to left the Throne Room.
" Where are they?" Hiei complained, " Sango is dying here and they STILL haven't shown up! What's taking them so long?"
Kuwabara looked over at him. " Why are ya all uptight about it shorty?" he asked coolly, " You like her or something?"
Hiei scowled at him and scorned to answer.
" You didn't notice yet?" Yusuke laughed at Kuwabara. " He's been watching over her since the end of the battle, staring at her with a very worried expression--that just SHOWS he's in love with her!"
Both boys fell into laughter while Hiei scowled at them. Akira smiled to himself.
" So what if I am?" he mumbled to himself, so Yusuke and Kuwabara couldn't hear him. " What children they are!"
Hiei looked up. " I hear footsteps, outside the door!" he said loudly.
Yusuke and Kuwabara stopped their laughing and swirled around. Akira stood up. The doors swung open lightly, and into the room stepped Kurama and Kagome, both looking very happy and practically glowing with joy.
" You beat him, then, didn't you Kurama?" Yusuke asked, breaking into a grin.
" Yes."
" HA! I knew it! I knew you'd beat him!" Yusuke cried jumping up and punching the air, grinning ear to ear. " He didn't stand a chance against you!"
" Kagome! Get over here! Now!" Hiei called roughly, ignoring Yusuke's jubilant cries.
She let go of Kurama's hand, and hurried over to where Hiei was.
" What is--Sango! What happened to her?" She stared at Hiei with wide eyes, waiting for an answer.
" She was wounded in a battle against some assassins," Hiei told her, " And then fell unconscious. Her pulse is low, and she feels like ice. She won't live much longer unless you do something! No one else can! YOU are the only one who can heal her! She's lost too much blood from her wound to survive without help!"
Kagome nodded and knelt down beside Sango. She laid her hands on Sango's cold abdomen. She closed her eyes and a bluish light appeared at her fingertips. The Light spread over Sango's body making her glow eerily. It faded after a few minutes and then Kagome removed her hands. Hiei removed his cloak from her wounds to see it finish closing over with new skin. He felt her cheek. The warmth had returned to her body and she was breathing evenly again. She was still unconscious however, and there was nothing Kagome could do to wake her from it.
" We should just let her rest here," Kagome said, " We shouldn't move her too much yet. Her body is still too weak and unstable to take her out of the Makai."
" Akira," Kurama ordered, " Please prepare rooms for us all, but for the Lady Sango first."
" As you wish, My Lord," he said hurrying off.
Once Sango had been laid in her room, under covers of silk, everyone sat in the dusty Dining Hall. It either hadn't been used in ages, or Kanzuka just never bothered to clean anything up. The larder was full of food, however, so they all enjoyed a filling dinner, despite the state of the room. Kurama sat at the head of the table, at everyone's persuasion. Kagome sat at his right hand, and Hiei at his left. Beside Kagome was Yusuke and Kuwabara. Beside Hiei was Akira. Throughout the meal, Yusuke persuaded Kurama to recount the battle between him and Kanzuka.
" Enough," Akira said loudly, once Kurama had finished as Yusuke opened his mouth to say something. " Listen to me, please."
Yusuke closed his mouth and frowned, not liking that Akira interrupted him. Everyone became very silent as they watched the kitsune turn to Kurama.
" You do realise, My Lord," Akira said, " That you are the heir to this entire Kingdom, do you not? You have no more relatives left. Your brother is dead, as are both your parents and grandparents. Your aunts and uncles were disposed of by Kanzuka shortly after you vanished. You are the only one who has the right to rule."
" Yes…" said Kurama slowly, " Yes, Akira, I do realise this."
" You know that your coronation must also take place as soon as possible, should you accept your new role?" Akira asked him.
" Yes. I know this too…" he knew all of this. It was, however, slightly shocking. Just what was Akira getting at?
" You know then, that you must choose, by late tomorrow morning at the latest, whether or not you will become king of this kingdom?"
Kurama nodded. " Yes…I realise this. I do ask however, that you give me tonight to think about this. I will relate my answer to you tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock sharp."
Akira nodded. " With your leave, sire, it is late. I'm sure your guests would like to enjoy some much needed rest, as your royal self surely also requires. Pray, retire to your apartments. All have been prepared."
Kurama nodded. " Yes. That is sensible Akira." He turned to everyone else. " I suppose we ought to get some sleep then." He stood up, and so did everybody else.
Akira waved a young serving boy over. " You, take the Lady to her chamber in the Women's Wing. I will take the other's."
The boy nodded and beckoned to Kagome as Akira led the other's away in the opposite direction. Kagome turned to follow him, after wishing everyone else a hearty goodnight, but stopped as someone caught her wrist. She turned around, and looked up into Kurama's clear, emerald eyes.
" Oh! What is it, " She asked, then added playfully " My Lord?"
He smiled. " You don't have to call me that."
" I know," she shrugged, " Still, I thought it best to address the future sovereign of this land with the proper respect unless I was told otherwise directly by his royal self."
" You know I will accept?" he asked her, slightly surprised.
" Yes…Its not really all that hard for me to tell you, as I'm quite sure I'll explain once Sango is awake and well enough to also listen. Besides, you're a very kind and caring person. I highly doubt you'd leave this land to wither and die just because you didn't want to be king."
" True…and I do not want to be king if you won't be my queen."
Kagome stared at him with wide eyes. She blushed deeply. " R-really? Y-you really mean that!"
He nodded.
She blushed deeply then curtsied as best she could. " Then I shall consent," she said, still using what royal-like language she could remember from books and movies and such things.
He grabbed her around the waist when she was halfway through her curtsy, and kissed her quickly. He didn't want that serving boy to gossip too much. Servants had a bad habit of doing so, and thus changing the story they witnessed far too much.
There. Done. I hope you liked that. I found it quite hard to write, actually. The battle was the hardest, since I wanted to finish it off pretty nicely. There was a lot more fluff in this than I actually meant though. Still, I'm quite pleased with how this turned out, so I hope you all liked it as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Reviewer Responses
Inu-chan's luver: Thanks! I will.
cookiiex: Thank you! I know eh? It was pretty obvious, except to them I guess XD Thank you! Did you like how I ended it?
Amin Vanima MelloneaYep! He sure is! Yeah, I did have fun writing it, the only problem was trying to find the right way to word some parts. Cool! Yep, no more school X) its such a nice feeling.
Drachegirl14: Thanks! Sure, I'll try to.
tbiris: Yep, she was able. We can't let Sango die, now can we?
Vanya the Elven Maiden of the Valar:Thanks! No problem. I'll try to update more often.
Ryu Sneaky Lil' Fox: Heh heh…sorry about that. Okay, okay I will! I'll update as much as I can. I'll probably update my Harry Potter one next though, and maybe add another song-fic to A Twilight Song, before I add another to this one.
The Violent Tomboy:True, but still. XDDD Really? Awesome. I'll have to look for it.
AnimeMoonlightGoddess: Okay! I will.
RoseFire-shadow666: Thanks! I hope you liked this.
SilverShadowKitsune: That's great. I'm glad to know I brightened someone's day. Okay, I will.
WhiteRose-Kurama:That's awesome. Same with me. I didn't actually intend on using him, but I did anyway. No, probably not. He'll probably just be in the back of Kurama's mind. That'll be in the next chapter, so just be patient a little longer, okay? Thanks! I haven't got my report card yet, so I don't know how well I did…its so exciting, yet I'm still a little nervous about my marks. Anyway, thanks, and I hope you enjoyed this.
Inu-babe666: I will! There's more Kur/Kag fluff to come.
-TaiYoukai Sesshomaru-: Thanks.
HAYATE:I will! Hope you enjoyed this.
pitbull123:I will! I'm glad you're enjoying this.
sleeping yasha:Whoa, 5am? I'd have fell asleep with exhaustion XP I'm sure glad you like it though! Ooh thank you! That really means a lot to me. Okay, hope you liked this.
inukuramaRmine: It worked. I'm awesomely happy that you like it so much. I will!
unknown:Ah well that's because I had to end it on a cliff-hanger. I do that a lot actually XD Though, I don't think they'll be anymore of them.
Black Spell:Kagome's? You'll find out next chapter.
atth99:Nothing for you to do? That sucks. I have a bit to do. Update, chat online, play video games (I've been playing Tales of Symphonia for the third time in a row, and Baten Kaitos all weekend), and I'll get together with my friends too. So I'm not too bored. That won't happen till sometime in August I think. Yeah, same. I'll start complaining about nothing to do and then when school roles around, I'll be wishing I hadn't complained at all.
Princess Random: Oh yes, we simply MUST have fluff and romance and all. Can't just be all battles now can it? XD I'm sorry! I blame it on my video games. I was playing them all weekend otherwise I would have updated sooner. Well, that's a good question. Kanzuka is Kurama's brother no matter what form he's in. Originally, he was just Yoko's brother, but once Yoko inhabited Kurama's brother, his human half also became Kanzuka's brother. Does that help? Well, Kanzuka probably had spies watching Kurama and his actions, so he must have learned of it that way.
Angel'sMystery: Thanks! I will!
SE: Oh no, she won't be all powerful. Like, she won't able to resurrect the dead, or anything very extreme like that, and she could fall ill or die by violence just like anyone else. Basically, her power's are heightened and she's learned some new skills, most to do with healing. Nah, she's not descended from Midoriko. Besides, it was Kurama's battle with his brother, so there wasn't much sense to have Kagome battle him as well. Anyway, hope you liked what did happen.
Child of the Silvery Moon: LoL no, she doesn't. Not her or Sango. It's be very tragic if either one did.
Baka KitsuneBri: Yes, it has been a while. XD Yes, well, in this he did. Kisa was an evil person so I HAD to have him fight her. But yes, I do realise he normally doesn't. He goes a little far with not fighting them though XP Like, I know my friends or myself would have no trouble fighting a guy if we had to, but Kuwabara, like many guys, say they'd never hit (or hurt) a girl. XDD Anyway, you can ignore my babbling there.
SunStar Kitsune: LoL awesome. Hope you enjoyed it.
shiningsilveritsune: Thanks! Publish it? I don't think I could, since its not actually my own characters and stuff. It was all made up by someone else, and I just took it and did my own story with it. But, I'm glad you like it so much! I will!