Kurama: I don't think they're going to kill you Varan.
Varan: If you say so...:steps out into the open: Uh...anyway here is the final chapter of K.L. the Elemental! Wow, it seems like it's been forever since I started it!
Kurama: Well you've been lazy lately.
Varan::sticks out tongue: As I was saying, I plan on writing a sequel that will delve more into K.L.'s past, but first I have to finish the fic that I have on Mediaminer. I've kinda been neglecting that lately. So here it is! Thank you all for your support!
Disclaimer::running from a pack of rabid lawyers: Dammit I already told you I don't own them! Leave me alone you psychos::Jack watches holding a bag of popcorn and laughing his head off: I'll get you for this ototou!
Nightshade chuckled quietly as the elemental's aura pulsed with emotion. He could almost taste the hate and anger she felt towards him.
"You humans become so emotional over the smallest things." K.L.'s hands clenched into fists and her teeth ground together.
"Small? SMALL! YOU KILLED HIM YOU BASTARD!" Over their heads the flame K.L. had created earlier flared even more brightly than before in response to the spike in the girl's energy. Nightshade ignored the girl's rage, and waved a dismissing hand towards Kurama's body.
"You creatures are nothing more than insects," he told her. "Nuisances that are easily crushed underfoot." K.L. shook her head fiercely as tears gathered once more.
"Don't you ever...EVER...insult Kurama." Blood dripped from the indentations in her palms in time with the tears that fell from her cheeks. She raised her dripping hands in front of her hand held her palms out toward the demon. "Take this you bastard! Ice shackles!" Cold air shot from her palms and drove the shadow into a nearby wall. As soon as his back touched the wall, the air wrapped around his neck, wrists, waist, and legs before crystallizing. K.L. reached into her hair with her left hand while she formed a fiery dagger in the right one. She retrieved the small leaf that Kurama had given her earlier and transformed it into a katana. She crossed the two blades and charged toward the shadow. Nightshade narrowed his glowing eyes and sighed.
"Really, I expected better Elemental." As K.L. drew closer he melted into the wall and slid away from the cuffs. K.L. stopped dead and stared as he peeled himself away from the wall with a laugh. "You can't possibly hope to kill a shadow." K.L. glared at him, gripping her weapons so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"I can and I will! I would never forgive myself if I allowed you to walk out of here alive!" Nightshade shook his head slowly.
"Baka ningen, I am a shadow. Shadows are not 'alive' as you define the word. We have no flesh, no blood, no heart." As the demon spoke, the light dimmed and a dark void appeared above his head. "We are the tangible forms of human emotions, some of the most powerful weapons in creation." Something began to move in the void, and the girl could hear the whisper of anguished voices calling out to her.
:How could you do this to me:
:I hate you:
:Kill them all, spare none not even the children:
:Die.:
:Die:
:DIE: Shadows erupted from the void, filling K.L's mind with their cries. The elemental's weapons fell to the floor and vanished as she brought her hands up to cover her ears. She could feel the spirits anger and hatred washing over her as they writhed their way out of the void. Hundreds of pairs of blazing red eyes bored into her soul as the shadows slowly surrounded her. K.L.'s eyes burned, desperate to cry but unable to find any remaining tears to shed.
"Stop...," she whispered. "Stop...leave me alone!" One of her knees buckled and she fell harshly to the floor, still clutching her head. "I didn't do anything to you!" Nightshade's voice managed to cut through the din to reach K.L.'s ears.
"You see? Dark human souls make the best of tools if you know how to use them." K.L.'s pounding mind scrambled for a way to drive off the shadows, and eventually managed to grasp one of Rita's attacks.
"H-hurricane Gale!" Dozens of miniature tornadoes formed around her in a tight circle before launching at the shadows. She watched through dry, red eyes, praying with all her might that it would work. It didn't. The hurricanes hit the shadows and were immediately swallowed up. K.L. ground her teeth in frustration. "Shimatta. I can't take this." The shadows sensed her weakness and pressed forward while increasing the volume of their voices in her mind.
:DIE::DIE::DIE: K.L. curled into herself at their incessant chanting. Images of Kurama being run through flashed through her mind and jabbed at her heart.
:It's your fault that he died: one of the voices declared.
:You were too weak to help him: another added.
"No...Kurama..."
:Is never coming back. He's DEAD! And it's all your fault:
"No...NO!"
:You can't deny the truth:
"No Kurama!" K.L. heaved a dry sob. "Kurama...I'm so...so sorry." Darkness and despair engulfed her heart as the shadows continued to taunt her.
:And it's not only him! The others are gone as well. Can't you hear them: one of the shadows rasped. :They're screaming at you:
:They hate you:
:Weakling.:
:Weakling:
:WEAKLING:
"No..." Try as she might, K.L. couldn't fight off the dark feelings in her heart. Truth be told, she had always doubted herself. No matter what Koenma or anyone else said, deep down she was just a human girl who really like anime. How could she have what it takes to save the world, especially one that wasn't her own? She hadn't even been able to break out of Nightshade's cage to save the one she loved! She was worthless! Absolutely worthless! As she fell deeper into despair, a musical note floated towards the sea of malicious voices and into the girl's ears. K.L.'s head perked slightly as she tried to identify the sound. The musical note then became an entire song that wove its way past the darkness and filled her heart with warmth.
:It's all right K.L., I'm here.: The elemental uncurled slowly as she felt the shadows begin to back off. Her jaw dropped at the sight before her. Standing protectively over her huddled form was a gigantic beast that glowed brightly. Warm amber eyes looked down on her and a soft tail wagged slowly.
"A-Angel! Is that you!" The familiar bent her head to her partner's level.
:Hai, it's me. I guess Kurama was right about me not being a normal wolf.:
"Then...that music..."
:Was me.: She winked one of her large amber eyes. :A wolf's howl can cut through even the darkest night after all.: Angel lifted her head to look at the shadows around them. :There's only one thing to do.: She lifted her muzzle and let loose a long melodic howl, causing the light that surrounded her to flare and grow. The shadows shrieked in agony as the light tore through them, shredding them to pieces. Once all the shadows were gone, the wolf turned to face Nightshade who was glaring at her.
"You will pay for that you filthy mutt." Angel looked down her long muzzle at him.
:I am not a mutt.: She snorted then turned back to K.L., lowering her head to nuzzle the side of K.L.'s small human one. :Thank you for everything K.L.: She pulled away, ignoring her partner's curious gaze.
"A-Angel?" The wolf readied herself to charge, focusing wholly on Nightshade.
:I'm sorry for this K.L., but it must be done.: Angel's light pulsed once more, eating away at her physical body until fur, flesh, and blood gave way, transforming into pure light that had a vague lupine shape to it. Once her transformation was complete, she charged headlong at Nightshade. The shadow demon stretched and grew, matching the familiar in size and braced himself for impact. They clashed with a silent flash of light, and K.L. had to shield her eyes to watch. The two creatures melded together, visibly struggling for dominance. Nightshade's darkness tried to spread out and consume Angel's light, sending tendrils of power out to wrap around the glowing wolf. In response, Angel's light became even brighter than before. The darkness wavered, then crumbled away into nothing. Power pulsed through the entire room, blowing over K.L. and Kurama, and then the light began to fade. As it did, K.L. felt a strange sensation run through her body. Looking down at her shaking, bloody hands, she saw them fading as well. With a strangled cry she reached out to the nearest solid thing in the room, desperate to anchor herself to the world she was in. Kurama's body was right beside her, but just as she was about to grab a hold of him, she disappeared completely, reappearing in a grassy meadow. K.L. looked around slowly to find that she was now located in a park that was near her old orphanage. She was back in her dimension. She clutched her chest tightly as pain shot through her heart.
"No," she whispered. "No, no, no, no, no! Why! Wasn't it enough that I lost him! It's not..." she stopped, feeling something poking her from inside her shirt. Shakily, she reached into her shirt pocket and gently pulled out the orchid Kurama had given her. It was a little crumpled, but otherwise perfectly fine and healthy. Kurama's words shot through her mind as she stared at its soft petals.
:As long as I am alive, it will always remain in perfect condition no matter what and it will never wilt.: Half sobbing and half laughing K.L. clutched the flower to her chest. Now she knew what Angel had been apologizing for. It wasn't for getting herself killed, it was because Kurama was alive, and now K.L. would never see him again.
A few days later the Reikai Tantei and company were all seated in Koenma's office, alive and a little worse for wear. Aquarion and Kurama had both lost quite a bit of blood and were heavily bandaged, but the others were strong enough to demand to know what had happened to the elemental.
"K.L. isn't...isn't dead is she," Rita asked softly, tears forming in her eyes. Koenma sighed and shook his head.
"Iie, she isn't."
"Well then what the hell happened to her," Yusuke snapped. "Humans can't just disappear into thin air ya know!" Koenma ignored his detective and focused on Kurama. The kitsune sat directly across from him, head lowered and eyes shadowed by crimson bangs.
"Listen, in the final battle K.L.'s emotions were so strong that Angel was able to achieve her true form as a spirit wolf," the currently teenaged ruler explained. "She became a creature of pure light in order to cancel out Nightshade, a creature of pure darkness. Angel sacrificed her self in order to defeat Nightshade, and she was the anchor that tied K.L. to this dimension. Without Angel, K.L. couldn't remain here any longer."
"Can she come back," Aquarion asked. Koenma shook his head slowly.
"I'm afraid not. There is nothing left to anchor her here." Kuwabara's hands clenched into fists.
"That stupid mutt! How could she do such a thing?"
"There was no other choice," Koenma snapped. "If Angel hadn't taken action you would all be dead and Ningenkai would be enslaved! Sending K.L. back to her dimension was a small price to pay!" Kuwabara looked away as Rita began to cry.
"How can you say that? Do you think it's a small matter to us? To K.L.? To Kurama!" She turned and buried her face into Hiei's shirt. The fire demon started, but didn't push her away or move to comfort her. He merely allowed her to cry softly into his shirt. "You're horrible!" Koenma looked away, ashamed and didn't lift his head until Kurama spoke.
"She's still alive," the kitsune said softly, raising his head to glare defiantly at the prince of Reikai. "So there is still hope. I won't give her up so easily." Aquarion's lips formed a small smile, his first true smile in many centuries.
"And I will help. It's the least I can do after all." Rita pulled away and nodded rapidly, causing tears to splatter on Koenma's desk.
"Me too! I'll do whatever I can to bring her back!" Yusuke grinned.
"Damn straight! If she needs and anchor then we'll find one! She'll be back before you know it." Kuwabara punched the air energetically.
"Yeah!" Hiei stared stoically at the floor.
"I'll help. The baka onna still owes me sweet snow." Kurama smiled and bowed his head.
"Thank you everyone." Koenma sighed in exasperation and leaned back in his chair. Once again his detectives were going to set out to do the impossible, and this time he really didn't think there was any hope that they would ever succeed.
Varan: See! I didn't really kill him!
Angel: No you killed ME!
K.L.: It's all right Angel, we'll get our revenge for this later.
Varan: Nani!
K.L.: You took me away from Kurama!
Varan: Heh heh, I think I hear my mom calling::runs off:
K.L.::yells after Varan: This sequal had better be to my liking Varan!
Kurama: --U That's it for K.L. tee Elemental. Please review so that Varan can start pacifying these two.
