Reaching Your Limits: Continual Cycle
Episode 5: The Price To Pay. Kurama's Life
The sound of the hospital eqipment seemed to echo in the room, even the slightest hum from one of many devices. The constant, but slow, pulse which sounded seemed to make every moment drag on. Hiei watched out of the window as the sun began to sink below the horizon, stealing a few glances at Kurama's form.
Kurama was pale as he looked at his mother, his hair even more flaming and his eyes even more brilliant although they were red with tears. The moment they had entered the room, Kurama feeding excuses to the nurses about having been unable to visit because of a house emergancy which could not be ignored, had burst into tears the moment he'd entered the room.
Hiei, despite the turmoil inside of him, had kept himself as emotionless as possible. He was not upset over the human woman. However, what he was about to let happen hung over his head like an iron weight waiting to fall.
"It is time, now," he said, glad when his voice didn't shake, as the sun finally vanished completely and the moon shone in its complete glory.
Kurama hugged his mother once again, then straightened himself. He cast Hiei a determined look, then nodded. "I'll perform the spell on the roof," he stated.
With nothing else to say, Hiei simply followed after him.
***
"Damn it all! I hope we're not too late!" Yuusuke yelled as he raced up the hosptial stairs. The detector in his hand was flashing, showing him that he had almost reached the top. The sun had gone down just a few moments before.
They had almost been at the edge of town when the detector had gone off, showing that Hiei and Kurama were close by. Yukina was able to sense them passing on a different bus. It had taken twenty minutes to get to the next stop and on another which would bring them towards the two demons. They'd gotten off the bus a few moments prior to the sun going down.
Unfortunately, this hospital seemed to have ten thousand stairs.
Yukina, who was running only a few paces behind him, had told him that the roof was the most likely place for the spell. Anywhere inside of the building would be too dangerous, and the mirror would have to be in direct moonlight for it work.
Finally, the doorway which would lead to the rooftop came into view and Yuusuke all but burst through it. Kazuma nearly ran into him, Yukina and Botan twisting around them as all four came to a stop at the sight of the two demons only a few yards away.
"Kurama, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Yuusuke yelled.
The red-head, his eyes filled with sadness, had just placed the mirror onto the ground. He looked up at his exclimation, but didn't move. "Yuusuke, you know how important my mother is to me. I have to do this," he stated.
"I don't know what price you have to pay, but it isn't worth it. Koenma has ordered you to be arrested. You'll spend the rest of your life in jail," Yuusuke replied.
Kurama looked at him for a long moment, then looked away. "My mother's life is worth it. She has given everything for me. This is the least I can do," he stated.
"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," Hiei added.
Abruptly sensing the tense atmosphere, Yuusuke felt his body stiffen. "What is it that I don't know?" he questioned, walking forward.
"The price which I will have to pay is my life. The Mirror of Utter Darkness will save my mother, if I give my life in return. I am willing to do this for her," Kurama explained.
There was silence for a few long moments before Kurama fixed them all with a hard look. "Wouldn't you do the same, in my position?" he asked.
The words echoed, and Yuusuke knew he could say nothing. For all of the problems between himself and his mother, he probably would do the same if he were in Kurama's situation. For Kurama to of already made the choice to give up his life for her, it seemed pety to stop him.
"You're just going to let him do this?" Yukina questioned, her tone sad as she looked at her brother.
Hiei shrugged, not meeting any of their eyes. "It is his decision. Who am I to stop him?" he replied, the words strangely echoing Yuusuke's own thoughts.
"There has to be a different way," Kazuma remarked.
Kurama shook his head. "There is not," he stated. Then he reached down, placing both of his hands on the mirror. "Mirror of Utter Darkness, in the light of the full moon, I am making a request of you."
The surface of the mirror gleemed in the moonlight. Suddenly, black streams of what looked like electricity exploded around it, travelling over the surface as well as Kurama's hands. "In exchange for your life, name your wish," a voice from the mirror stated.
"A woman named Minamino Shiori is dying. I want you to restor her back to full health, so that she may live a long and happy life," Kurama stated, his voice trembling slightly.
"So it shall be," the mirror replied. Energy seemed to explode from it, enveloping Kurama in black fingers of electricity.
Seeing the pain on his friend's face, Yuusuke jerked forward before he could stop himself and grabbed onto Kurama's hands. "I don't care what it takes, but I want you to live! Shiori wouldn't be happy without you. Hiei loves you, we all care about you! I can't let you die like this. Take half of each of us, if you must, but let Kurama live," he yelled, his eyes closing tightly as he fought back tears. He'd been through so much with this person. Kurama had been his first real friend, one of the few people who didn't judge him. He couldn't lose the other like this.
Pain pierced through his body, making him cry out even as Kurama did. If the mirror made any reply, Yuusuke didn't hear it before he lost conciousness and fell to the rooftop floor.
End Episode 5
Episode 5: The Price To Pay. Kurama's Life
The sound of the hospital eqipment seemed to echo in the room, even the slightest hum from one of many devices. The constant, but slow, pulse which sounded seemed to make every moment drag on. Hiei watched out of the window as the sun began to sink below the horizon, stealing a few glances at Kurama's form.
Kurama was pale as he looked at his mother, his hair even more flaming and his eyes even more brilliant although they were red with tears. The moment they had entered the room, Kurama feeding excuses to the nurses about having been unable to visit because of a house emergancy which could not be ignored, had burst into tears the moment he'd entered the room.
Hiei, despite the turmoil inside of him, had kept himself as emotionless as possible. He was not upset over the human woman. However, what he was about to let happen hung over his head like an iron weight waiting to fall.
"It is time, now," he said, glad when his voice didn't shake, as the sun finally vanished completely and the moon shone in its complete glory.
Kurama hugged his mother once again, then straightened himself. He cast Hiei a determined look, then nodded. "I'll perform the spell on the roof," he stated.
With nothing else to say, Hiei simply followed after him.
***
"Damn it all! I hope we're not too late!" Yuusuke yelled as he raced up the hosptial stairs. The detector in his hand was flashing, showing him that he had almost reached the top. The sun had gone down just a few moments before.
They had almost been at the edge of town when the detector had gone off, showing that Hiei and Kurama were close by. Yukina was able to sense them passing on a different bus. It had taken twenty minutes to get to the next stop and on another which would bring them towards the two demons. They'd gotten off the bus a few moments prior to the sun going down.
Unfortunately, this hospital seemed to have ten thousand stairs.
Yukina, who was running only a few paces behind him, had told him that the roof was the most likely place for the spell. Anywhere inside of the building would be too dangerous, and the mirror would have to be in direct moonlight for it work.
Finally, the doorway which would lead to the rooftop came into view and Yuusuke all but burst through it. Kazuma nearly ran into him, Yukina and Botan twisting around them as all four came to a stop at the sight of the two demons only a few yards away.
"Kurama, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Yuusuke yelled.
The red-head, his eyes filled with sadness, had just placed the mirror onto the ground. He looked up at his exclimation, but didn't move. "Yuusuke, you know how important my mother is to me. I have to do this," he stated.
"I don't know what price you have to pay, but it isn't worth it. Koenma has ordered you to be arrested. You'll spend the rest of your life in jail," Yuusuke replied.
Kurama looked at him for a long moment, then looked away. "My mother's life is worth it. She has given everything for me. This is the least I can do," he stated.
"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," Hiei added.
Abruptly sensing the tense atmosphere, Yuusuke felt his body stiffen. "What is it that I don't know?" he questioned, walking forward.
"The price which I will have to pay is my life. The Mirror of Utter Darkness will save my mother, if I give my life in return. I am willing to do this for her," Kurama explained.
There was silence for a few long moments before Kurama fixed them all with a hard look. "Wouldn't you do the same, in my position?" he asked.
The words echoed, and Yuusuke knew he could say nothing. For all of the problems between himself and his mother, he probably would do the same if he were in Kurama's situation. For Kurama to of already made the choice to give up his life for her, it seemed pety to stop him.
"You're just going to let him do this?" Yukina questioned, her tone sad as she looked at her brother.
Hiei shrugged, not meeting any of their eyes. "It is his decision. Who am I to stop him?" he replied, the words strangely echoing Yuusuke's own thoughts.
"There has to be a different way," Kazuma remarked.
Kurama shook his head. "There is not," he stated. Then he reached down, placing both of his hands on the mirror. "Mirror of Utter Darkness, in the light of the full moon, I am making a request of you."
The surface of the mirror gleemed in the moonlight. Suddenly, black streams of what looked like electricity exploded around it, travelling over the surface as well as Kurama's hands. "In exchange for your life, name your wish," a voice from the mirror stated.
"A woman named Minamino Shiori is dying. I want you to restor her back to full health, so that she may live a long and happy life," Kurama stated, his voice trembling slightly.
"So it shall be," the mirror replied. Energy seemed to explode from it, enveloping Kurama in black fingers of electricity.
Seeing the pain on his friend's face, Yuusuke jerked forward before he could stop himself and grabbed onto Kurama's hands. "I don't care what it takes, but I want you to live! Shiori wouldn't be happy without you. Hiei loves you, we all care about you! I can't let you die like this. Take half of each of us, if you must, but let Kurama live," he yelled, his eyes closing tightly as he fought back tears. He'd been through so much with this person. Kurama had been his first real friend, one of the few people who didn't judge him. He couldn't lose the other like this.
Pain pierced through his body, making him cry out even as Kurama did. If the mirror made any reply, Yuusuke didn't hear it before he lost conciousness and fell to the rooftop floor.
End Episode 5