okay...RAVE ON! Lol. Enjoy the newly revised chapter nine!!
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EPISODE NINE: KUWABARA'S CONFUSION, KURAMA'S SORROW
As Kuwabara slept inside the jewel, the world around him had faded into black. Everything was dark, but something was changing in the darkness. His limp curls became gelled up again, and he was no longer wearing the strange clothes. He wore a white shirt, and jeans, and the blackness turned to cool grass, that he was now laying on. Cool, shaded grass, under a large tree. The sky was blue, not red glass walls. The ground was soft, not hard and cold. The warm wind brushed his face, and a leaf landed on his cheek startling him, and forcing him out of his dreamless sleep.
Kuwabara looked around, and sat up, eyes wide. "I'm...I'm home?" He looked eagerly around, "Or is this some sort of dream...?" The eagerness he had dropped back down into dread. Kuwabara gripped his shirt, and after a long moment of hesitation, he rose to his feet. He stayed behind the tree but even from behind the tree he knew exactly where he was, this was his place. He turned looking at the tree with a soft expression on his face.
This was his tree…
He always sat under this grand tree for his studies. Kuwabara's soft smile faded as he jerked back and he remembered this was the tree Sage had told him to meet him at.
He visibly shivered, and looked around for any sign of danger. The wind picked up, and he gripped both his hands, he could feel something. Something was coming...was it Sage? Kuwabara sunk to his knees, and bent his head to his chest. Kuwabara was not one to be afraid, but this feeling was so powerful he knew he was truly afraid-no petrified. He stayed still, and let a shout fill the air when a hand touched his shoulder.
"What the Hell? Kuwabara!"
Kuwabara froze and dared to turn to stare at Yusuke Urameshi.
Kuwabara stared at Yusuke with his mouth slightly open in disbelief. How was Yusuke here…the last Kuwabara remembered of Yusuke was of him standing with a look of pure anguish in his eyes. But here in front of him was his best friend.
Yusuke had a worried, puzzled expression on his face as he met Kuwabara's startled and confused gaze. Yusuke wore his green jacket over a white shirt, with some old, almost threadbare jeans. Behind him, Kuwabara saw Kurama, and Hiei staring at him as well. Hiei had his normal bored expression on his face, while Kurama looked at him with a more concerned face. This was so familiar…but how could it be true? Kuwabara rose quickly and took a step back. Yusuke looked at him and laughed masking his worry, "What's wrong with you Kuwabara? I make you piss your pants?" Yusuke began to laugh flexing his muscles, while Kuwabara continued to stare at him, his face white.
'No...' Kuwabara thought frantically, 'This can't be them...Sage! Where is he...I know he's...he's still here! Somewhere-STILL AFTER ME!'
Yusuke stopped laughing when Kuwabara didn't say anything at him, the normal snappy comebacks Kuwabara usually threw were not thrown. Kuwabara wasn't saying anything; Kuwabara's head just kept swiveling around seeming to be searching for someone.
"Kuwabara...hey man you okay?" Yusuke asked seriously. Kurama looked at Kuwabara, his face filled with even more concern, and even Hiei lifted an eyebrow at Kuwabara's strange attitude. Kuwabara glanced at them but promptly ignored him making a move as if to turn around and walk away. But Yusuke put an end to that by reaching out and grabbing Kuwabara by the front of his shirt.
"Yo! Kuwabara…what is up man?" Yusuke asked brow raised.
Kuwabara pulled away from Yusuke and took a step back, his mind reeling. Thoughts of Sage, Batto, his parents, gates...the gates of Purgatory...He, and his mind, came to a stop when he smashed into the tree behind him. Kuwabara hadn't realized he'd still been walking backwards. "Kuwabara! Hey man...did something happen?" Yusuke asked, an extremely annoyed and slightly worried expression dancing across his face, a sense or urgency filled his voice that made it crack. Kuwabara panicked, knowing in his head this was not real, how could this be real? He knew what happened, he knew this was just some trick. Maybe from his own mind, or from a cruel illusion Sage decided to send him.
"Keep away from me," Kuwabara finally whispered startling the others.
"But Kuwabara-" Yusuke began, he never got to finish for Kuwabara pushed past him, and took off running not caring that he'd shoved his friend to the ground.
"KUWABARA WAIT!"
Kuwabara was running, running through the grass, and then leaping over a bend to get on the sidewalk. He began running down the sidewalk, until me made it into the streets, and when he got on the other side of the road he stopped finding Hiei there waiting for him and looking at him with an expression of annoyance. "What the Hell is wrong with you?" Hiei demanded sharply. Kuwabara stared at Hiei, and the shorter man growled, "What the hell is your problem?"
"How are you alive Hiei?" Kuwabara whispered eyes wide.
Hiei blinked startled and did not hide his confusion. "What? Kuwabara what the hell are you babbling about?"
Kuwabara just backed away from Hiei, and heard Kurama and Yusuke's voice calling out to him, on the other side of the street. He heard Hiei take a step forward, and Kuwabara took two steps back. "HUMAN! DON'T GO ANY FURTHER!" Hiei growled now steadily walking for him. Kuwabara took a step back, and found nothing there. He'd stumbled onto a stairway that led to the subway, and he fell down.
He was surprised at how falling felt...natural...good in a way. His back hit the stone steps, but he didn't care. He rolled, and rolled, but he didn't care. His body crashed into the walls, but he didn't care.
Kuwabara just didn't care.
It all felt strangely good...this pain. It felt...wonderfully real. Before finally completely collapsing on the floor, he was aware of smashing his brow on the last step, and red appearing in his vision. He heard Yusuke swear above him, and call him names, and as Yusuke continued yelling, his voice grew louder. Yusuke was headed for him.
Kuwabara's head was bleeding, and his body hurt, and he found that despite that there was no way this could be real, he wanted to stay. He wanted to see his friends, and be with them the way they used to be. Kuwabara was beginning to pass out, when Yusuke reached his side, and placed his hand on his back. He heard his name said, as well as other words, and he felt himself lifted and cradled in someone else's arms. Before he completely blacked out he heard himself whisper, "Please Sage don't kill them."
MEANWHILE
Kurama's arm had been set, and he had grown a plant that he could eat and that would speed up the process of fixing his arm. Yusuke had left to do only God knows where a long time ago. As soon as they reached the clearing he said he had to clear his head, and left. Kurama glanced back seeing Kazuma and Kari holding each other, weeping for their son. Kurama turned away from them. He felt sick with himself at the hate he felt towards Kuwabara. Even though he knew what had killed his best friend was not really Kuwabara, just a mere brainwashed shell. But he still felt so betrayed…so wronged.
How could Kuwabara do this to him?
"Why Hiei...why him? Why couldn't it have been me?" Kurama demanded in a harsh whisper. Tears sped past his pale cheeks. "It's not fair...Dammit!" Kurama had never been one to swear, or to cry, but there didn't seem to be a better word for what was going on, and the tears Kurama wanted to disappear just wouldn't stop pressing at the back of his eyes.
It was all so wrong.
First Kuwabara's presence disappears from this world, and then they show up here to find this, "brainwashed Kuwabara?" This had all been so…fake…and then Hiei died. Hiei, the small, angry, powerful, little demon died. How was this real? Hiei was too strong to die, to get hurt and not have some backup plan but he had indeed died…
Kurama went quiet, and grew some flowers, pale white flowers, that looked so like they were made of glass. He picked them up, and with his still aching arm he walked past Kazuma, and Kari.
"Kurama...I am so sorry..."
Kurama looked at Kazuma, who had just spoken.
"Maybe if I...maybe if we weren't taken...we could have still been with our son...everything could be different."
Kurama turned away from him, and whispered, "Kazuma...life is not built on, 'Maybes,' or 'What ifs,' what's done is done...there is no way to change the past...no matter how badly you want to. You can only go forward...and hope the ending to your life will be good one."
With that said, Kurama took his fragile flowers and left the miserable couple alone.
BACK TO KUWABARA
Kuwabara's eyes opened to a rag being put on his brow.
"Yukina-chan?" he whispered startling the small woman. She smiled at him, eyes shining with relief. "Oh Kazuma-kun!" She cried, "The others were so worried they will be pleased to know you are okay! We fixed your head, and back, but you got a fever...you worried me." Her face turned pink, "I mean us."
Kuwabara smiled and touched his head wincing, "It hurts..."
Yukina placed her small hands on his bandaged brow, a soft worried frown on her face. "The pain will go away with time, and your fever is already diminishing, let me got get Master Genkai." Yukina rose from her knees smoothing out the wrinkles in her kimono, before standing and scurrying off to exit the room and go seek out Genkai.
Kuwabara closed his eyes when she was gone. His head hurt and he was trying to put everything back together. Kuwabara wondered if Yusuke and the others were here…that questions was answered shortly. No sooner had Kuwabara thought that, he then heard a lot of commotion, caused by one Yusuke Urameshi. It seemed Yusuke was arguing with Genkai.
"What do you mean I can't see him, you old hag? He freaked out when he saw me I have to go-"
"Shut up! 'He freaked out when he saw me,' that's exactly why I need to talk to him first!"
"You didn't let me finish my damn sentence-Hey I'm talking to you!! Genkai!!"
Soon Genkai entered the room, and it was clear she'd won the argument, or at least in her mind. Genkai sat down next to Kuwabara's pallet, looking down at him and not saying a word. "They think I'm crazy don't they?" Kuwabara asked after several minutes of silence. Genkai didn't say a word and Kuwabara shifted sitting fully up placing the rag that had been on his head aside. "I dunno…maybe I am crazy."
Genkai made a small sound before speaking, "I think they are more concerned than anything else Kuwabara. You scared them. Before you passed out you said, 'Please Sage don't kill them,' Want to explain?" Kuwabara looked at her, and instead of answering tried to occupy his attention elsewhere. Seeing as he wasn't going to answer her so easily Genkai sighed.
"Did someone threaten you Kuwabara? Did someone tell you they were going to hurt them?" Genkai prodded. Kuwabara looked at her, not able to bring himself to tell her what was going on. He brought his knees up and pressed his face to them, he wondered if maybe this was the reality, and Sage, and the gates, were all fake...all a very elaborate nightmare. "Master Genkai...I'm in pain." His voice was muffled for he had dropped his face into his hands. "I'm in pain and I don't know how to explain or if I should…speakin' will make it real…ya know?"
Genkai rose, standing next to him and placing a hand on Kuwabara's back. "We can help you Kuwabara. Tell us what happened. Who is Sage?"
Kuwabara swallowed hard, and whispered, "He took my parents when I was ten and tried to get them to open the gates of Purgatory, they wouldn't and couldn't. So he now wants me to do it. He's a sick bastard who will wind up capturing me, place my soul in some jewel, and torture my friends before my eyes. Then when I think things can't get any worse he's gonna kill Hiei and then work on getting the others. There. That's it."
Genkai had gone very quiet, and rubbed his shoulder lightly. She looked at him and asked, "Kuwabara...is that all you wish to say? Are you not going to tell me the real reason your upset?" Kuwabara looked at her, laid back down, and then rolled over facing the wall. He rolled his eyes, 'great now people think I'm making this shit up…' Kuwabara thought grumpily.
"No," Kuwabara whispered, "I-I can't tell you what's wrong...I don't know what's wrong...I don't...but I have to say...no matter how miserable this situation, no matter how confused I am to seeing all of you like this...is wonderful, and terrifying at the same time. I was so afraid, I lost you all...but now your all back and Sage isn't here, it just doesn't make sense anymore."
"I don't understand Kuwabara." Genkai sighed, concern in her tired old voice.
"Neither do I." Was the only answer he could give.
BACK TO KURAMA
Kurama sat at the edge of the cliff where Kuwabara had flung his best friend's lifeless body over. He could see Hiei in his mind's eye. His face in pain, a look of shock and maybe even horror on it. His eyes dimming, and then-Kurama shook his head. He had woven the flowers into a crown, and whispered, "Good-bye Hiei...I'm going to get him for you...Not just Kuwabara, but Sage. He has taken both of my friends, and he's forcing Yusuke to torment himself...and...I-I'm afraid he'll..." Kurama swallowed. "Hiei...you were one of the many important things in my life...I don't know what to do now...all I can do is try to avenge you..." He released the ring of flowers, which floated down towards the waters.
The flowers landed in the waters and were swept away, dodging rocks, and going through rapids. It soon tumbled over a waterfall, and submerged only to pop up floating again. The waterfall led to a little pool of water, and the flowers floated gently towards land. It was stopped in its journey to shore by getting caught on a pale, limp, bandaged hand.
End of this chapter
ah poor confused Rekai. And poor dead Hiei...'least he got flowers. Next episode: Kuwabara is still dreaming, and is finding himself happier there...but he knows it fake-and he has a choice now, He can return to what is really going on or stay where he can be happy. Peace for now!
