HEY! Everyone say thank you to Joy. She gave me Morgan D's site, to look at some episodes to refresh meh memory and all that jazz. Everyone also say thank you to Morgan D, for one of the flashback quotes come from her info.

So...

YAY JOY AND MORGAN OKAY! And…enjoy the new and revised chapter

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EPISODE TWELVE: THE STORY OF KAZUMA AND KARI

Kuwabara sat stunned for a few seconds before jumping up, chest rising up and down at a fast pace. 'Okay, calm down Kazuma...calm down...you have to get out of here!' Kuwabara thought looking around. He looked down at himself, and cringed, "Well...maybe I have time to find some clothes..." He turned and saw his face in the mirror, "And hair gel." As he set out to find these things, he pushed out the question of Batto. I mean, if Kuwabara was back inside his body, where was Batto's deranged soul?

Kuwabara walked into a room, and recognized it as the one he'd woken up in when he first arrived. Kuwabara suddenly paused in his actions and counted on his fingers to himself. "Have I really been here only four or five days?" Kuwabara looked around carefully and tore apart the room in search of clothes. He found some, they weren't his, but they were better than what he had on. He pulled those on, after taking all the jewelry and other needless accessories off his body. He cringed slightly as he wiped glitter off his face, "Ew...I must have looked so fruity...what the hell is wrong with Batto and Sage…besides the obvious…"

Kuwabara had managed to find plain clothes, at least what you could consider complain. The pants were a cream color and, in lack of better words, "poofy." The end of the pants reached his ankles, and looked okay there, but then it got strange from there on up. They stood out, bulky and seeming to defy gravity just a bit. The shirt was no better it was black and long, a little tight, but then again Kuwabara knew these clothes were not meant for him. Though these pants were weird, these were the best he could do. Kuwabara was very relieved to be out of other odd clothes had had been in...They were far worse then the ones he was wearing now, if you could believe that. Amazingly he found some hair gel, and styled his hair the way he usually had it styled. He looked at himself, and smiled, 'I'm back,' he thought.

He frowned slightly, and touched the mirror where his cursed eyes were. "Almost..." He said aloud.

Those crosses in his eyes were burning hole through him.

His anger flared up at what had been done to him, and he punched the mirror shattering it. He looked at his bleeding hand, and whispered, "Why me...?" He ran out of the room, his minds spinning, 'Why,' he thought, 'Why me? Why my parents...am I really this pure hearted thing meant to open those gates. I'm not anything! I'm not a weapon for the end of the world! I'm just not...I can't be. I refuse to be what will end the world! I absolutely refuse it! I'm just Kazuma Kuwabara!!'

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Kurama had woken in the clearing, and found it empty.

"He's already gone," Kari's voice caused the fox to turn sharply around, "We have food." She and Kazuma had made breakfast, and were waving at him to come sit and have some. He walked over, trying to think of a way to tell them what Yusuke went to go do. That Yusuke was off to go kill their son.

But it was not needed.

"Yusuke...he went to go kill my son didn't he?" Kazuma asked taking a bite of a large mushroom, that Kurama had said was safe to eat their first meal together. Kurama sat down and couldn't look him in the eye. "It's for the best..." Kari whispered, as a startled Kurama looked at her. She had the saddest expression on her face. "My boy...he would hate to see what he's been forced to become. My son...did you know at the age of six, he came home carrying a bird he had killed. He'd found it with a stick through its neck..." Kari shook her head, "No way to save it, It was suffering the poor thing...but my little Kazu...he ended it's life to stop it's pain. But he was so sad. I'd never seen him so sad."

Kurama looked at them both eating slowly. A hand came down on his shoulder, and Kurama looked up at Kazuma. "Did he and Hiei...were they good friends?" Kurama shook his head no, but smiled, "They said they were going to kill each other almost every five seconds. I've seen them defend each other, fight side by side, and rescue one another...never seen either of them try anything more than that. Hiei might take a swipe at Kuwabara-but Hiei was my best friend. I knew his real actions…I knew all his words were farce. Though they weren't good friends I think…Hiei and Kuwabara both wanted to be." Kurama smiled, softly, and covered his eyes.

Kari sat next to him, embraced him and stroked his hair, "Shush dear...shush. It's all right now, you have no reason to feel bad about what you want." Kurama stiffened in her arms, "We heard what you said...and it's okay. You are not a bad friend. You have a right to be angry...I'm sorry...that poor man...poor Hiei." Kari released him and looked at Kazuma who nodded at her. Kari smiled, "Can we tell you of how we came here?" Kurama nodded, he'd been wondering about that for himself, quite some time now.

Kazuma set his meal down, gazing at his wife, as she nodded at him to begin the tale of how they had arrived here.

Years ago…

Kazuma and Kari were laughing as their daughter cooked, a proud smile on her face. "You're doing wonderful dear, you'll pass that cooking class for sure!" Kari said with a pleased grin. They heard the door open and close, and Shizuru, holding some of the cookies she'd just made, went to go greet her brother. "Kazu look what I-OH MY GOD! YOUR FACE!"

At her cry Kazuma and Kari went to go see their son, who was a complete mess. "Oh sweetie..." Kari whispered touching his face. His clothes were dirty and ripped, and one of his eyes was swollen shut, his lip was busted, and his nose bleeding. Tears were in his blue eyes and he didn't look up at his parents. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled, Kari hugged her ten-year-old son, who was already almost her height.

Her son was the tallest in his grade, but definitely not mean or anything horrid like that. He didn't even like fighting, and to be honest preferred reading comics, or just sitting outside under a tree. It would be a big contrast to the man he would become years later. Kazuma picked his boy up, and set him down on the counter, and began washing his face. "Son, you've got to defend yourself!" Kuwabara didn't say anything, didn't even look his dad in the eyes. "Kazuma I'm not mad at you," Kuwabara's father said to him. He sighed looking at his sulking boy, and playfully tugged at one of his boys copper curls, "I'm never mad at my little junior!" He playfully tickled his son who finally showed signs of life by giggling.

That night as Kazuma watched TV with his kids, and with Kari leaning against his arm, the phone rang. He answered and cheerfully said, "This is the Kuwabara residence, who is speaking?" A low chuckle appeared on his phone, and a voice said, "You've helped Yenma haven't you?" Kazuma stiffened. Yes, he and his wife did assist Yenma, but that was confidential, no one knew, but those in spirit world. "Who is this?" Kazuma demanded, but the laughing voice just whispered, "You'll find out soon enough." There was a click, and the voice was gone.

The next day, Kazuma waited for his son in the car. He didn't want his son to come home with bruises again, and since the phone call last night he'd been a little anxious. He watched his son exit the building but he didn't leave the playground area, in fact he headed for three older boys. Kazuma worried, stepped out of his car, and decided to watch what was taking place.

Kuwabara stood in front of the two older boys, who glared at him. "Here again Ku-ku?" Kuwabara glared at them, and muttered, "Give Casey back his book. He needs that book, it's not yours!" The two older boys laughed, "It's been four days of us beating you to a pulp, and you're not going to give up? That Casey kid and you aren't even friends! Besides…there's no way you can be Casey's friend! We used to pick on him last year and he's not around any longer!" Kuwabara glared at them, "That doesn't matter. I'm getting it back for him!" Kazuma watched in shock and pride, as his son and the two boys began to fight, and Kuwabara held his own. Kazuma now knew where the bruises and injuries were coming from, but he still couldn't understand why his son didn't tell him about this situation.

Kazuma marched for the fighting three, and yanked the two older boys up by their colors. "Give the book back, and I might not turn you into your principals!" He snapped at them both. They both stuttered that the book was in their backpack, which Kuwabara retrieved. Before Kazuma set the kids down his son had taken off without a word. "Kazu!" Kazuma called in shock as his son raced off. He set the two boys down, and glared at them, "If you lay a finger on my boy, you'll be in serious trouble." The boys glared at him, and Kazuma grabbed the nearest boy, "Ichi…I swear you will suffer," the boy paled at Kazuma's words.

"How do you k-know my name!/" The boy squeaked.

Kazuma was using his abilities to learn about the boy and allowed his eyes to glow, "Trust me boy there is much I can do that you can't understand!" He dropped the boy and with his friend, the children ran off screaming.

Kazuma searched for his son and eventually found Kuwabara in a graveyard one of his regular hang outs-though Kazuma could not figure out why of all places. His boy was kneeling down and talking to a headstone, resting the book under it. "Here Casey, you can go home now. I got your book back for you." Kazuma stared in shock. 'My son...can see spirits?' Kazuma thought to himself. He knew Shizuru was like himself, and Kari, but his son had shown no signs of seeing spirits. Kazuma watched his boy rise, and turn, staring at him with a freshly split lip. Kazuma smiled and walked over to him, "Kazu-chan you're very honorable, promise me not to change?" Kuwabara's face lit up, and he hugged his dad, who laughed at his boy.

But on the car ride home disaster struck.

When the two pulled up to their home, Kuwabara was asleep and that was when Kazuma first met Sage. The man had been about to lift his son out of the car when a cackle filled the air. He quickly locked his son in the car, and spun around to face a small monk, but Kazuma wasn't one to be fooled. "Demon...what are you doing here?" The demon laughed, "Greetings Kazuma, I'm Sage, and I've come to ask a favor of you." Kazuma kept his eyes on him, and said, "Well, if you're favor is good I might consider..."

Sage laughed, and faded away, only to reappear at the window a sleeping Kuwabara leaned against. "It's a simple task, just open the gates of Hell..." Kazuma gasped, "What...what? No, I won't do that! I don't even know what you're talking about!" Sage laughed, "One of you holds the Spirit Sword...a sensed it...I'm not sure who though...it just so happens that your entire family has a high level of spirit awareness, and it's hard to find the right one of you who has this power...though I'm almost positive it's you. So come with me...and I'll stay away from your darling children..." Sage's hand was on the window, and Kazuma could see him powering up. Kazuma growled, "THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Kazuma dropped his head and sighed, "I'll come with you Sage..."

"And I too."

The two turned to Kari, who walked steadily towards them. She took her husbands, shocked hand, and whispered, "I felt your presence, and I'm coming too." Kazuma grabbed his wife's shoulders, and cried, "No you can't!" Kari smiled at him, " 'For better or worse, I will love you,' " was all she said. Kazuma looked at her, and then to his son in the car. He sighed, unlocking the door, and picked him up, placing him on the doorstep to their house. He turned towards his wife, and Sage, "Let's go."

Back to the present…

"…And then we were brought here, and he realized we weren't the ones with this, "Spirit Sword," or "Jigan-To," or whatever it's called and he knew it could only be our son. So...with that he made us slaves, and waited for our boy to get old enough to use the sword. But when he went back to get our son, he'd found he'd moved, and it took some time to find him." Kazuma sighed, "I wish Kuwabara had never been found then...he wouldn't have been..." Kari bowed her head, sighing, "No use dwelling...we have...we have one child we must live for...and we'll live for him even if...he's dead..."

Kurama looked at them, "How can you stomach me...when I want him to die?" he finally burst.

Kazuma and Kari looked at him. Kari cocked her head as touched Kurama's face, "Because dear boy, you don't. In your eyes, I can see it. You are trying to forget what Kuwabara is, and the more you force it down, the more it comes back up. You want to forget my son, what he really is, so that killing him, will be like killing another monster that you've been assigned to kill."

Kurama felt sick, and trusted the woman's words though he could still feel the festering hate inside him.

Kurama rose looking at them, and turned away, flecks of tears falling off his cheeks. "I don't want to lose anymore of my friends." With that said he ran off, and the memories he'd been suppressing rushed back. Fighting side by side, helping him study for an exam, Kuwabara standing next to him at his parents wedding...all that. But one memory forced itself to the front of the stream of memories, and hit Kurama hard, as if he'd crashed into a brick wall.

He could see Kuwabara standing in front of Genkai's steps. The intense light made him look dark. Kurama noted that this was not how it was when it really happened, he could see Kuwabara then, but now he couldn't. He was standing away from him looking at the steps, the light shining so intensely in front of the copper haired boy. Kurama heard himself ask, "What is it, Kuwabara?"

The wind blew Kurama's red hair as he ran, and the wind in his memory also stirred his hair. Kuwabara gave one snort of laughter and sighed, "Urameshi and I met Genkai for the first time when we climbed this long staircase to take part in the contest that appointed her successor," Kuwabara said with nostalgia, "Then we fought against the Four Beasts, then in Taroukane's mansion...and of course, in the Dark Tournament. Now Urameshi became a Makai child himself... but I think everything started in this staircase. I can't forget..."

Kurama hadn't realized how sad Kuwabara sounded until this moment, nor had he caught the hidden message in his voice…it was as if in Kuwabara's words he could hear, "I'm being left behind...I'm going to be alone..."

Kurama closed his eyes growling. "NO! I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN! I'M SORRY! I KNOW WHERE I STAND NOW! I KNOW! I SHOULDN'T WANT YOU DEAD, I SHOULD WANT YOU TO COME BACK!" Youko screamed to himself, picking up speed.

But Youko stopped his whole body freezing at a sharp piercing scream in the air. Youko almost collapsed right there. That was Kuwabara's cry. "Oh God...no...no! I can't be too late! NO! I just can't!" Youko Kurama sniffed the air and realized he could smell blood, Yusuke...and...

"Kuwabara..."

Youko collapsed, and gazed at his hands as they dug into the dirt.

Kuwabara appeared in his head again, but this time he wasn't a blackened out figure, he could see him. Kuwabara seemed to glow with a celestial light, and his eyes looked at peace. However there was this intense sadness…just hiding in the depth of his eyes. He was wearing his school uniform that Kurama had first met him in. Youko Kurama looked up at Kuwabara who looked down at him, in every sense of the word. Kuwabara looked so sad, and utterly disappointed. He turned and walked away tossing over his shoulder, "I wouldn't have given up on you Kurama. It's awful hard and sad to see you give up on me."

End of this chapter

Oooo sorry Kurama...this was mean...but it's okay. everyone still loves you...I think...and in the next episode: we find out why Kuwabara screamed and if Yusuke really finished the job.