sorry this has all taken so long, but I just moved, and I have no internet access, but I do have a best friend. Everyone thank Osa-P and read her story Dachi! The best KuwabaraXYusuke story ever! It's such a clever idea, and I've been pressuring her for a year to get it out. It was as good as I hoped.

Well carry on! Enjoy the new revised picture

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EPISODE EIGHTEEN: THE QUESTION WHY

Yusuke sat still, eyes vacantly glued to the wall in front of him. They'd come so far, only to fail now. His friend's laughter, his goofy antics, his corny noble speeches, swam in his head. Yusuke had been alone most of his life, with only Keiko as a friend. But being friends with a girl can only go so far, Keiko didn't like to talk about fighting, or new arcade games, and besides Keiko was more than a friend now. When he and Kuwabara became friends, Yusuke finally had another guy he could talk to, another person he could hang out with. But now...Kuwabara was gone.

"Yusuke..." Kurama whispered approaching his friend cautiously.

"We failed Kurama," Yusuke croaked, "sure Batto and Sage are dead, and sure the world is safe, but what about Kuwabara? What about him? He's the one that saved us all...he's supposed to be here Kurama...Years ago he said I was supposed to be there for him, and then a year later he begged me not to die saying if I was gone he wouldn't know who he should be, but didn't he get it, what he said about me, applies to him too? He's supposed to live out his life with me...he's supposed to be at my side at my own damn wedding...HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!"

Yusuke began to pound the wall in front of him, blood pouring from his cracking hands, "YOU DIRTY BASTARD! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE AND LEAVE ME ALL ALONE! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD! YOU CAN'T BE DEAD! KUWABARA! KUWABARA YOU SWORE YOU WOULDN'T DIE UNTIL YOU BEAT ME, AND YOU HAVEN'T DONE THAT SO YOU CAN'T BE DEAD NOW! KUWABARA, ANSWER ME GOD DAMMIT!"

Yusuke let his bloody hands drop limply next to him, and he began to sob sadly. "Kuwabara...why you? You...You deserve a medal for all the things you've done, not a seat in hell!" As he let his head sag as he sobbed thinking nothing could be any worse then as it was now…Mukuro's voice suddenly broke through asking, "Where are Kuwabara's parents?"

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Kuwabara opened his eyes, staring around him. The place he was in was so terrifying, so vile, it could not be described in any language. There were no words powerful enough to cover the terror, the pain, and the deep sorrow he was feeling as he drifted closer to the gates. "I'm going to become bar of the gates of Purgatory...this is really it...This is really where my life ends," Kuwabara whispered miserably.

Sooner than he hoped he was directly in front of the gates, and he stood wide eyed, staring at the gates made of people, flesh, bone, blood, fire, thorns, glass, made out of everything and anything painful, and horrifying. Kuwabara looked down at himself, and realized his clothes had burned away. He sighed, "I won't be needing those anyway." He looked out at the gates, sighing, "There was really no way for me to win was there?" Kuwabara sighed, and touched his face. It was wet from tears.

"I hadn't realized how miserable I was until now...and how happy I had been when I was with my parents...even for that brief moment," Kuwabara sighed a little sadly.

His hand reached out to touch the gates, remembering what the child that resembled him had said for him to do. Before he could touch the gates, two hands found themselves on his back. He turned, and gasped at two people he saw.

"Mom...Dad! What...what are you doing-"

Kazuma interrupt his son with a hug, and pat his head lovingly. Kari embraced her son, and smiled at her taller child. "Kazu...we are sure the devil would appreciate two pure new souls, instead of one," Kari said with a heartbreakingly sweet smile. Kuwabara's eyes went wide and a tight rasping strangled sound escaped his throat. His parent just kept smiling at him as if nothing was wrong, as if they weren't suggesting…

Kuwabara shook his head, "NO!" He cried, "NO! MOM! DAD! YOU CANT! YOU CAN'T!"

Kazuma pat his son's face, "Yes we can, look...I'm sure the devil himself is listening right now, and I am sure he will take us instead of just you...it is a better deal."

Kuwabara shook his head frantically, his mind reeling. His parents really couldn't be suggesting what he thought they were suggesting, could they?

"We followed you in here, we saw the angel you talked with," Kari told him, "In the angel's own quiet way, it was letting us know we could take your place." Kari kissed her son's hand, "We are so proud of you, and always will be, we love you so much. Tell Shizuru we always thought of her, and love her so much." Kazuma kissed his son's brow, "I'm sure you can do that for us my son," he whispered, as Kuwabara began to shake his head harder. Kuwabara was crying and shaking. Kuwabara had resolved himself up to die, he was prepared to die…to live life without his friends…without his family…Tears poured down his face in a continuous stream and Kuwabara found he could not find any intelligent thing to say back to his parents to convince them to not take his place.

"Mom…Dad…" Kuwabara finally croaked looking into the smiling faces of his loving parents.

Kuwabara could feel something tearing him away from them; he was being dragged away from the gates, being dragged back toward a tiny white orb.

"No! NO! I JUST GOT YOU BACK! YOU JUST GOT YOUR FREEDOM, YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I…I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN! AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF SEPERATION…MOM! DAD! NO! NO! STOP!" Kuwabara wasn't even sure what he was protesting anymore. He felt like a child throwing a tantrum, but right now he felt like he had no choice. That there was no other alternative…

Kazuma and Kari watched as Kuwabara tried to fight against a million multi-colored hands that dragged their son back. "No parent should ever outlive their child," Kazuma whispered, taking his wife's hand. "We love you!" Kari whispered tears splashing down her cheeks.

Kuwabara screamed as he watched his parents turn, and grab the bars. He didn't know what happened next for the hands grabbed him fully, and he was spun into a million colors, and felt a million needles stab through his flesh, then there was nothing but the darkness that was followed by those spinning colors.

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Hiei, Mukuro, Kurama, and Yusuke stood apart from one another, a heavy silence in the air. Yusuke had stopped crying long ago, but he remained seated in front of the wall where Kuwabara had vanished, his hands still bleeding freely from their assault on the cavern wall. The stone before him was cracked, and stained with freckles of blood. Kurama, Hiei, and Mukuro looked at their miserable friend, and Kurama sighed calling out, "Yusuke lets go home."

Everyone looked at Kurama, and then back at Yusuke who sighed, "Yeah...but first lets look for Kuwabara's parents...they probably got blown outside by the strong winds."

Yusuke's friends nodded a bit nervously, feeling uneasy about Yusuke's calm stature, and simple acceptance about going home. Yusuke wasn't the only one unnaturally calm; it was as if this calm had settled over everyone. They had tried so hard to save Kuwabara, only to have Kuwabara escape, and then watch as he sacrificed himself for a world that would never know what he'd done. They were so tired…and they had all tried so hard, but they had failed. And now there was nothing left to do but go home. The gates had completely vanished, and the small group knew there was no way Koenma, or anyone would open the gates just to rescue one man…even if they wanted to.

Yusuke sighed brown eyes staring dimly at the wall before him, "I'm sorry man…Kuwabara…I'm so…so sorry. I really tried to save you. God dammit…" Yusuke sighed and felt a heavy tension flow away from him as he let go of something…something important to him. Maybe it was his resolve, maybe it was his belief that he could do anything, maybe it was that promise he had made to protect his friends, whatever it was…Yusuke let it go along with Kuwabara. Yusuke rose still staring at the wall and placed a bloody hand on the cold stone. Yusuke thought of apologizing again, but what would it matter? Kuwabara wouldn't hear him. Finally turning Yusuke met Kurama, Hiei, and Mukuro's gaze. They seemed to sink a little when they met his eyes and saw the loss there.

Yusuke went to walk towards his friends when a bright light flashed from behind him, causing him to turn. Kurama, Hiei, and Mukuro dashed to Yusuke staring as millions, and millions of hands delivered the unconscious form of the man they had come all this way to rescue.

Kuwabara was completely limp, nude, and his whole body was chapped red. No one said a word at the sight of the twisting ever-changing hands that passed Kuwabara through a portal and towards the cavern floor. The hands laid Kuwabara down on the ground; his eyes were still closed as if in sleep...or death. The hands disappeared slowly retreating back to the wall and dragging themselves away from Kuwabara. The wall closed up, leaving a naked Kuwabara, with his back turned towards his friends.

There was a long shocked silence before Hiei removed his cloak, and approached the nude man in long wide strides. Hiei approached Kuwabara covering his lower waist with his cloak while whispering, "Hey...Kuwabara…Kuwabara?" Kuwabara didn't respond so Hiei pulled Kuwabara in his arms, and tensed up when Kuwabara's eyes snapped open. The crosses focused on Hiei's face, and Kuwabara let out a low moan, as tears dripped down his face.

"Kuwabara...Kuwabara do you hear me?" Hiei whispered, as Kuwabara began to fidget in his arms, and thrash his head left and right, all the while hissing in pain from his burning body. "Kuwabara...Kuwabara..." Hiei whispered trying to hold the human as gently as he could, "Kazuma..." Hiei whispered softly as delirious blue orbs turned to look at him, "I owe you money...you were right...okay? Do you remember what you wrote…I owe you money…I was wrong and you were right about something…say something stupid Kuwabara…" Hiei insisted trying to get a response from Kuwabara.

Kuwabara did not respond to Hiei's words, just kept groaning and hissing in pain, obviously confused by his surroundings.

A spell that had kept Yusuke back, broke and he ran towards Hiei and Kuwabara. Kurama, and Mukuro had been right behind him and the two stared down at Kuwabara in blatant disbelief. Yusuke took his best friend, and Kuwabara moaned in pain from the further contact of his skin. The confused man had been in enough pain with Hiei holding him and wrapping up the cloak around his waist, but Yusuke's grip was hard. "It hurts…" Kuwabara moaned and Yusuke loosened his grip.

"You're real…" Yusuke whispered, "How...How can this be...you were gone...look at you...you're all red..." Yusuke sniffed, his voice sounding far different then it ever had before. Kuwabara's glazed over eyes looked up at his best friend, and he croaked, "My parents took my place…Why? Why…did no one stop them? Let go…let go it hurts…"

A shocked silence filled the air, and Yusuke looked away from his friend. He scooped Kuwabara up, adjusting the cloak around Kuwabara's privates better, and held his ailing friend close. "Come on...we're leaving."

Yusuke left the cave, not looking back once, holding the moaning boy in his arms. Kuwabara looked to his right, and saw the small angelic child from before, and watched as the odd spirit removed the black strings of death off all his fingers, but one. Kuwabara's right index finger still held the black string of death. The angel was gone, and Kuwabara looked at his hands. The black tattoos were gone, no longer visible, but Kuwabara could still see the black string that had been left on his finger. Kuwabara let out one last groan before closing his eyes, and going slack in Yusuke's arms. Yusuke glanced down at Kuwabara wondering what the delusional man was thinking, wondered if Kuwabara really understood.

Yusuke hoped Kuwabara understood, someone should…

Kurama, and Hiei boarded one of the flying beasts, while Yusuke carried Kuwabara to the other, and took his place behind him. Mukuro decided to stay behind, and free the slaves that Sage had collected, and destroy the cave where the portal had been opened. Even though the gates were no longer there, there was the possibility it could come back, so destroying the cavern so no other demon would accidentally stumble upon the gates and get the same idea Sage had.

"Hiei, I expect to see you back again." Mukuro said the tiniest of smiles flashing on her face. She was stunned when a bandaged hand came to her cheek, and he just looked at her. Hiei smirked at her stunned expression before turning away.

The four took off in the air, and silence hung about the group as they flew on. Kuwabara woke at one point, but said nothing. He stayed curled limply against Yusuke's chest, eyes barely open, and not looking at anything or anyone. He seemed to be nothing more than a life size doll of the man he used to be, the only difference was a few more scars, and chapped skin.

He didn't acknowledge anything when they landed on the ground. Or when Yusuke carried him up the steps of Genkai's shrine. Or when everyone ran to meet him, crying out his name. Or when his sister hugged him, while he was still in his best friend's arms. He didn't even notice the week that went bye as he lay recovering in one of Genkai's rooms. He didn't seem to be aware of anything until his body was completely healed after two weeks of rest.

He dressed in clothes his sister brought over, and left the room he'd been confined in. His friends were in Genkai's living room everyone was there. Shizuru, Boeton, Koenma, Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, Keiko, Yukina, and Genkai herself of course. No one looked happy, and all talking ceased when Kuwabara stepped into the room. Yusuke, and Shizuru were the first to rise, staring into Kuwabara's eyes. The others rose, and Yukina whispered Kuwabara's name, and rushed to him taking his arm. He pushed her away, startling the others. Hiei flinched but held his temper in check, and all watched as he left the shrine walking outside with a slight limp, and walking into the middle of the clearing that was outside Genkai's shrine.

His friends watched from the porch, as Kuwabara stood away from them, his back turned to them. Slowly Kuwabara's body began to shake, his shoulder's sagged, and he bent a little forward and screamed, "WHY? WWWWHHHHHYYYYY!? This is…THIS IS NOT HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO FUCKING END!" His fists came up and he tore at the clothes on his chests, screaming as thunder that wasn't there before rolled on. He fell on all fours, pounding his fists on the ground screaming again, "WHY? IS THIS SOME SORT OF FUCKING JOKE?"

Yusuke stepped off the porch, and stood just in front of Genkai's shrine watching his best friend scream in misery. It began to rain hard, but Yusuke did not shrink back to the porch where he could stay dry. He let the rain wash over him, and watched as it fell on the miserable man in front of him.

Kuwabara's face was contorted with anger and misery. His eyes flooded with tears and he growled like a wild animal, "THIS…I GET SAVED AND MY PARENTS WHO HAD TO ENDURED THE MOST DON'T? WHAT KIND OF SHITTY ENDING IS THAT?" The group didn't know if Kuwabara's words were directed at himself, them, or God…but they were words that just couldn't be answered. "WHY? WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!?" Kuwabara went on bellowing slamming his fists into the mud, tears and rain falling from his face.

"THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! WHY? WHY?"

Shizuru turned away from her brother, her hands on her face, eye closed tightly. She made no sound as she cried for her brother.

"WHY? WHAT DID I DO WRONG? I COULDN'T HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO DESERVE THIS! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? I'M ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS! THE HEREOS! THE HERO IS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT ALRIGHT IN THE END! BUT I'M NOT ALRIGHT…NOTHING IS RIGHT!!"

Yukina hiccupped loudly gems falling down her face, several perfectly round jewels joining the dozens that lay on the ground.

"COME ON, THIS ISN'T RIGHT! DAMMIT! WHY!"

Boeton turned away hugging tightly to Koenma, who enveloped her in his arms, staring off at Kuwabara miserably. He closed his eyes not wanting to watch Kuwabara pound at the earth anymore, but he could not close he ears to the man's screams.

"I'VE DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO DESERVE THIS TYPE OF PUNISHMENT! WHY THE HELL AM I BEING PUNISHED, WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE!? DAMMIT! SOMEONE FUCKING ANSWER ME!!"

Genkai watched with the strangest look on her face. She seemed calm, though her old hands were shaking terribly behind her back, and her eyes seemed shinier than they normally were. In truth she was trying not to blink. She felt that is she did, the dam she was holding back would burst.

"DAMN YOU WHOEVER'S UP THERE! I FUCKING…AGHH! I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME ANYMORE! YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE TO ME THAT COULD MAKE THIS WORSE! DAMMIT!"

Keiko turned away and went back inside, making a half hysterical Yukina and Shizuru come with her. They didn't need to see this anymore.

"WHY THEM? YOU DIDN'T EVEN LET ME HAVE A WEEK WITH MY PARENTS! JUST ONE DAMNED WEEK…! WHY? DAMMIT! ANSWER ME! ANSWER ME!! ANSWER ME!!"

Kurama leaned against the house sinking to the ground, and sat still watching the rain drown the boy in more ways than one. It just wasn't fair...just wasn't right. None of this was right.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MY FAMIY? WHAT TYPE OF SICK BULLSHIT IS THIS! WHY? WHAT THE HELL COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO MAKE ME DESERVE THIS, TO MAKE THEM DESERVE THIS! DAMMIT!"

Hiei looked at Kuwabara with a look he'd never spared to anyone. Sympathy.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!! WHY…WHY COULDN'T I HAVE BEEN THE ONE…WHY WASN'T IT ME THAT…WHY WASN'T IT ME THAT DIED?" Kuwabara's voice cracked, and he grabbed his throat, coughing harshly. He fell hard to the muddy ground and lay there coughing hard from all the effort that his screaming had taken out of him. He blinked as rain splashed with out mercy all over his face. He touched his eyes gently, knowing that the crosses still remained burned in his eyes. In a weird way he could feel them, he knew they were there he knew they hadn't gone and disappeared. He let his hand drop into the mud, and listened as he heard footsteps approach him.

A hand was on his back, and Yusuke's voice drifted in his ears, "I was hoping...that when you started talking again, it would be...like old times Kuwabara. Where you threaten to beat me, call Hiei a shrimp, or ask some stupid question." Kuwabara looked at Yusuke, barely turning his head. He didn't say anything, but just stared at Yusuke as he let the rain fall on him. Yusuke looked back at Kuwabara, his eyes gleaming with sadness. Yusuke sighed, "I guess that was just wishful thinking, eh Kuwabara?"

Kuwabara looked way from him, and lay still as the rain pelted his body. He lay in the rain, completely aware of Yusuke's hand that never left his back.

End of this one

There is more to come, this isn't the enc, though wouldn't I be the worst person ever if I left it like this? And yeah Kuwabara's parents are in hell…nervous laugh…I feel like I'm going to get a few death threats soon.