Ah...It's the day before school down here, and I couldn't be more ready than to want and kill myself...I dun wanna go to school...complain...

Enjoy the revised version!

1234

EPISODE NINETEEN: Slowly Fading Away.

Koenma cursed softly as once again he failed to hide the crosses in Kuwabara's eyes.

"I've tried everything," he whispered to a stiff and quiet Kuwabara, "these...these crosses aren't going to go away...I can't hide them...I don't even really know what to do to hide them!!" Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei gave out defeated sounding sighs, while Kuwabara remained slumped in his chair.

Kuwabara did not look like himself.

He was pale, and rings were under his eyes. He had the beginnings of a scruffy beard, and he no longer gelled his hair, so his curls hung messily around his face. Both he and Shizuru wore all black in mourning of their mother and father, but it was Kuwabara who'd been wearing it the longest. He blamed everything that had happened on himself, and no one could convince Kuwabara that all this hadn't been his fault.

Boeton came running into the office, and clutched Koenma's arm gasping out, "He's coming...Your father is coming here!" Boeton panted, eyes bulging in shock, and slight terror. Koenma rose stiffly, and stepped in front of his friends, eyes wide with panic. "What? What does he want?"

"To fix all that has been done wrong my son."

All but Kuwabara turned to the fearsome King Yenma who stood before them. He was a giant, and Yusuke had to bite his tongue so as not to make a crude remark about how it was possible for Koenma to be made. Kuwabara carelessly turned his head, meeting the eyes of Yenma, who gazed back.

Koenma suddenly blocked his view, "I won't let you dad...get out of here, this is our problem," the demi-God hissed.

"What's going on?" Yusuke demanded, hand instinctively coming on Kuwabara's shoulder. Kurama had rose from his seat and drifted to Kuwabara, just as Hiei stopped leaning against the wall and joined his friends. Kuwabara made no movement except to turn his head away, and looked back at his limp hands that rest in his lap. Kuwabara was in a protective circle of his friends, and the small group was ready to force Yenma out if necessary.

Yenma stood with his chin raised, leering down at all of them. "Under normal circumstances, I would take Kuwabara now, and make him join me at my side in my realm where he would spend the rest of his life under my protection. He would have no contact with anyone he'd met in his life, and would not have any type of relationship with anyone until he was dead and gone."

"WHAT?" Yusuke snarled, bracing himself for a fight, brown eyes flashing.

Yenma ignored the mans outburst, sighed and let his shoulder's slump. "But that is not what I'm going to do...I have been working tirelessly on something since you all arrived." Yenma approached them, the ground rattling as he walked. He looked down at Kuwabara who did not look at him back. Kuwabara wasn't refusing to look back at Yenma he just didn't care to…there were a lot of things Kuwabara just didn't care about anymore.

"Kazuma Kuwabara...your parents...it was my fault they were gone. I gave up the search for them when they were taken, I shouldn't have done that...or I at least should have told you and your sister what had happened," Yenma spoke slowly emphasizing each word carefully, but Kuwabara didn't make any sign to let Yenma know if he was listening, "Well...I have a few things to tell you...and give you. One...is the apology of a God...another is...well this." Awkwardly he dropped something on Kuwabara's lap.

Slowly, Kuwabara plucked it up.

That was the first sign of life they got from Kuwabara.

"Contacts?" Kuwabara asked softly, finally looking at Yenma.

"Not really, they will hide the crosses in your eyes, not fully but they will be shrunk down back to the normal size of a regular pupil, while you wear those…and that will make it harder for anyone to notice the crosses in your eyes." Yenma sighed relived that Kuwabara had said something, "You'll have a much easier life if you're able to hide your eyes from those that would like to try this all over again. And...I want to personally explain what you did when you tore off your wings and put them in Urameshi's body."

"Well that one is obvious! He brought me back to life, that's easy enough to see," Yusuke snapped hatefully at the lord. They didn't have a good history between them after that Sensui mess.

Yenma sighed, ignoring Yusuke, and went on, "Yes, yes, you were brought back from the dead, but Kuwabara shared his soul with you...your souls are now tied together. He is going to live the very long life of a demon, just like you will."

Yusuke looked shocked and felt Kuwabara stiffen, "What...?" Yusuke whispered, Yenma sighing in response.

"It's very complicated to explain..." Yenma sighed but after a moment of consideration decided to try and explain anyway, "You're souls are now tied together. It was a risky thing what Kuwabara did. It could have gone two ways for Kuwabara. An early grave, or a very long life…and it went the latter. You see when Yusuke died Kuwabara's soul instinctively tore his wings from his body. The wings jolted Yusuke's soul back into his body…it could have ended there, resulting in Kuwabara's spirit to just…cease to exist. But Yusuke's soul instead decided to coexist with Kuwabara's…thus changing what Kuwabara is," Yenma sighed and in a low voice said, "Kuwabara…you are neither human or demon…"

Those words sounded hard but Yusuke broke the tension by saying, "So he's like some higher being then. An angel or a saint maybe…he did bring me back to life. Just because he can't be considered human anymore…it doesn't make him different. Kuwabara is still Kuwabara." There was a cold tone in his voice, this being directed at Yenma.

Yenma let it slide and added, "Yes, Kuwabara, you are not bad. You saved many lives and brought your friends back from death…"

Yusuke looked down at Kuwabara, who just kept slouching further and further in his chair.

"Hey," Yusuke whispered ruffling Kuwabara's hair, "Thanks man...you brought me back and now you're stuck with me. You're going to age with me and die with me…we can be two crazy old farts together…sounds like a blast huh?"

Kuwabara did not respond to Yusuke, but looked at Koenma, "But what about Keiko?"

Koenma blinked and whispered, "She'll be granted a life as long as a demoness since she's marrying Yusuke…a wedding present from me to Yusuke." Koenma said glancing at Yusuke who gave him a wide appreciative grin.

Kuwabara nodded, but didn't look satisfied in the least. He looked at Yenma, whispering harshly, "I don't want it...I don't want to live a long and happy life...cut the connection." Yusuke pulled back from Kuwabara surprised, "What...Kuwabara you don't know what you're saying!"

Kuwabara rose, the chair banging to the ground, "I KNOW DAMM WELL WHAT I'M SAYING! I DON'T WANT TO LIVE A LONG AND FRUITFUL FUCKING LIFE! TAKE THIS CONNECTION AND SERVER IT!"

Yenma looked down at the human calmly, who growled in response and revealed his spirit sword.

"It's not my decision, it's his," Yenma nodded towards Yusuke, Kuwabara angrily turning on him.

"Urameshi, say you want this undone-SAY IT!" Kuwabara shoved his glowing sword in front of Yusuke's face, but his best friend stared calmly back at him, and shook his head no.

"Kuwabara...you deserve at least-AT LEAST-this...no...as long as I live...that's as long as you'll live."

Kuwabara's eyes prickled with tears, and he turned to Yenma, charging foreword, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Before he could hit Yenma, Hiei had grabbed him around the waist, and with a grim look on his face, held the struggling man. Everyone watched the struggling man, until he gave out and sunk limply to the ground, Hiei's hands still on his back.

"Why...?" Kuwabara croaked, "Why Urameshi...? I'm no good...no good to anyone...I should just die and rot." Yusuke dropped next to his friend, and seized him by the shoulders, "Like hell you will," Yusuke snarled, making Kuwabara look him in the eyes. "I am not too proud to beg my best friend not to die and give up on life. I'm not too proud to beg Kuwabara, I'll do it...I'll beg for you to live, so don't you think...don't you think you can just give up on me and die like a little girl!"

Kuwabara's chin trembled and he dropped his head, his hand coming to his face. As he sobbed loudly Yusuke pulled the man to him, and listened as the man choked out, "I want to forget...but I can still see it...I can still see them and the gate...Urameshi...I did all that I could but they still..." Kuwabara sobbed, Yusuke crushing his best friend to him. He let his brow rest on Kuwabara's messy curls, and he, himself fought back burning tears.

"I have...a gift for you Kuwabara..." Yenma whispered after a long silence. Only Kurama, Hiei, Boeton and Koenma looked at him. Yusuke and Kuwabara just ignored the man. "It took a great deal of bargaining and effort on my part, but your parent's souls have been released, and moved onward to heaven...I can't give them bodies our bring them back. They'll just have to be reincarnated like anyone else would...but I promise you...the next time you're all together again...I won't let anyone mess it up...you and your sister will have your parents the next time."

Kuwabara and Yusuke had turned to Yenma a look of shock on their face. At once a cheer went up all laughing, and congratulating Kuwabara. Kuwabara did not cheer. He looked at Yenma with lazy eyes, and grabbed the contacts off the desk. "Thank you," He whispered, no heart ringing behind it. "Thank you." He slowly walked away, leaving everyone behind. Yusuke watched him, and swallowed hard.

It was as if his friend was disappearing before his very eyes, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

End of this chapter.

Well this was a short episode. Ok I can tell you what happens, Kuwabara decides he's too much of a risk to be around, and doesn't want to be around depressing everyone as Keiko and Yusuke plan their wedding. So Just like in Episode one, he leaves a good-bye note behind, and sets out for a place he can hide himself away.