Authoress's Note-
(sob sob) Kurama and Mirakuru are meant for each other, yet I can still find a way to make them break up. (blows nose and shoves huge pile of tissues into trash can) I'm alright. I can do this! Oh, you've got to vote! Whaddya think about a sequel? So, email me or review with the vote, either works, my email's in my profile. So, REVIEW AND VOTE YOU SCHMUCK!
Somehow, despite his plans to stay home and wallow, stuffing himself with at least a quart of Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, Kurama found himself at Genkai's temple, sipping a cup of oolong. Crammed into Genkai's low-ceilinged Japanese-style tearoom were all the people that made up the Reikai Tantei, and all those affiliated with said people. Still somewhat groggy from getting no sleep at all the prevous night, and wondering vaguely how everyone managed to fit in the cramped room, a bleary-eyed Kurama gave them a stumbling account of what had happened.
"YOU WHAT!" Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, Shizuru, Botan, Koenma, George and Hinageshi exploded, bellowed, screamed, groaned, shrieked, cried, gasped, and yelped, respectively. Very few of Genkai's teacups survived this shock.
"PUUU!" Puu complained, ruffling his feathers.
"But Kurama, why?" Hinageshi asked, feeling empathy for Mirakuru even though they hadn't met.
"Exactly. Why did you do that, Kurama?" Genkai asked, calmly sipping her tea. (hers was one of the few cups that were still intact)
"We could never be together the way she wants and deserves. All I can offer is a life of danger," Kurama sighed miserably.
"Uh, hellooo?" Yusuke replied, tapping Kurama's head. "She's a princess! She'd be in danger anyway!"
"But if our mission goes as planned, she will never have to face her past." Kurama protested.
"She loves you Kurama. And I know you love her back. Surely it wouldn't hurt anyone if you only told her." Yukina said kindly, an innocent smile lighting up her face.
"Exactly!" Kuwabara was positively beaming. "And that's why I'd like to tell you IMINLOGGRFRZLEST!" Shizuru had silenced him with a teacake.
Kurama smiled gently at Yukina and replied; "Yes it would hurt her. She wants nothing more than to be with the one she loves, and it's breaking her heart that she can't." Maybe this way she can forget about me and find someone better suited for her. I can't help it if fate is not in our favor."
"Love. Interesting how such a weak emotion can bring even the strongest warrior to his knees." Hiei snorted as he stepped into the room.
"Since when have you been there Hiei?" Botan asked.
"Long enough to know that Kurama screwed up." Hiei folded his hands over his chest and assumed a look of mixed pity and disdain. "Do you know how hard it'll be to complete the mission with our closest tie to Mirakuru severed?"
"Kind and caring as usual, eh?" Genkai said sarcastically.
Hiei shot her a withering look. "Hn."
Genkai only raised her eyebrows and sipped her tea.
"Whatever. Ogre! Show our Tantei what you found in my files last night." Koenma snapped his fingers imperiously.
"Yes Koenma sir. Our glowing white elf. . .thing's name is Kusari Hateru and he's actually listed twice on our most wanted list. Yup. His demon partner's name is Yakunan and he used to be a bounty hunter . . . But then he teamed up with Kusari, who he was supposed to kill, by the way, and they make an almost unstoppable team. It was only thanks to Genkai we arrested them, but due to the recent events and how easily they broke past our defenses, we're beginning to think their capture was all part of their master pla-ack!" George yelped.
Koenma swatted George again with a rolled up newspaper. "Idiot, I only wanted their names!" He squeaked indignantly, red-faced at George's nonchalant exposition of just how thick the Reikai government was.
George bowed apologetically, as always. "Sorry, Koenma sir."
"Well, anyhow, I declare this re-rebriefing over!" with that, Koenma and George poofed back to Reikai.
"Wait, this was a Tantei meeting?" Kuwabara wondered, scratching his head.
Kurama passed the rest of the morning tending to his garden. Puttering around, transfering this, potting that, watering one thing, fertilizing another, kept him from thinking about what the others had said, and what he'd done the previous night. He allowed the mosaic of flowery fragrances to still his thoughts, and to calm his ever-racing heart, and to lower his ever-rising blood pressure.
DING-DONG.
The doorbell caught Kurama completely off guard, and he started, his pruning scissors completely missing the dead branch he was attempting to prune and instead snipping a perfectly healthy rose bud in half. He groaned, and got to his knees with the sluggishness of ageriatric old man. Come to think of it, he truly did feel as though he'd aged decades in the space of ten days. Tugging off his thick gloves, he trudged to the door and yanked it open.
"Kurama, before you shut the door in my face, I just want to say I'm sorry about last night. So can we still be friends?" said Mirakuru in one big rush. She smiled hopefully, and looked straight into Kurama's emerald green eyes.
Kurama felt an intense surge of elation within himself. He nodded, relieved that he would still get to see Mirakuru even if it was as friends, not lovers. "No, I should be the one apologizing. I should not have let something like that scare me away." Now it was his turn to smile.
He opened the door wider and stepped aside, inviting her in. She had barely moved one step when she drew in a sharp breath. An arrow had struck the ground with a jarring thunk, narrowly missing her feet.
Quickly, Kurama stepped in front of Mirakuru, shielding her. Knees bent and tense, ready to spring, he scanned the sky with eyes sharp as a hawk's, searching for the elven archer he knew was there. A gray mist enveloped the city slowly, and it was as if all life had ground to a stop, except for Kurama and Mirakuru. Lightning bolts of energy sparked from the mist, casting fleeting pools of eerie yellow light and illuminating the strange emptiness.
Then Kusari appeared,perched on top of a building, a shadowy figure at first, but the mist receded slightly, and his face was revealed. Kurama's first thought was of his striking resemblance to Kuronue. If Kuronue had had steel gray hair and scorching fire-colored eyes flecked with gold, they would have been twins.
"Kurama, I'm scared. What's going on?" Mirakuru whispered. She was still behind Kurama, and though she was trembling, and her breathing grew faster, her voice stayed strong and steady.
"Get in the house." Kurama replied softly, edging her inside. Memory modification would be simple, the important thing now was keeping her alive. He pulled a rose from his hair and transformed it into his trademark rose whip with a single fluid motion. Kusari smiled defiantly, and backed away on his roof, beckoning Kurama to join him. Hoping to buy time to formulate a plan, he leapt up onto the rooftop, gaining even ground with Kusari.
They circled, Kurama warily, Kusari cold and calculating. They tested each other here and there, awaiting the other's first move. Suddenly, Kusari broke the circle, and shot an arrow down at the house before him.
Shoot, Kurama thought furiously, How could I have allowed him to fool me like that? He leapt down from the rooftop, and swatted the arrow away with his whip.
Hiei had been right. If Kurama hadn't allowed his emotions to control him, he could have remained focused and seen what Kusari had planned. Instead, he'd allowed his feelings to cloud his judgment. His mind full of his own thoughts, he'd forgotten the most important truism of battling: Nothing should take prevalence over vigilant analysis of your opponent's movements.
Kusari didn't lose his calm at all. He dodged the returning strike and shot an arrow that sealed the door shut, stopping Mirakuru from going inside Kurama's house. Kurama cracked the whip again, but Kusari merely dodged it again and fired another arrow. "Arrow of the Moonfire!" he cried.
Kurama dodged it nimbly, but instead of falling harmlessly to the ground, the arrow became binding chains that whipped around him, pinning his arms to his sides. They tightened until they threatened to crack his ribs, to suffocate him by crushing his lungs. Kurama growled in frustration, struggling in vain against his binds. The more he fought, the more painful the chains became, burning into his skin with a white-hot intensity.
Mirakuru, who had been sprinting away, mad the mistake of looking back to see Kusari advancing, bounding toward her. She screamed, and called out for Kurama as Kusari swooped in on her.
"Stop screaming, foolish girl. Who is there to hear you?" Kusari said, his voice hypnotic and soothing. "Who will help the ningen girl?"
Hearing Kusari croon so arrogantly infuriated Kurama, and he bellowed, letting fly a recklessly powerful aura blast, uncharacteristic for him, but lucky--it broke the chains.
Hiei had not been completely correct. In lieu of good judgment, Kurama's feelings had increased his power well beyond what he thought possible in human form.
He staggered forward with the extra effort, and focused on catching his breath and regrouping. Getting Kusari to talk would delay another attack. Hopefully.
"What the hell did you do to everyone!"
"I simply. . .put them to sleep." Kusari smiled cryptically.
Kurama's pulse quickened, and heat rose into his cheeks. "WHAT!" he cried breathlessly. He felt as thoughwhat breath he'd regainedhad been knocked out of him by a vicious punch to the stomach.
Still smiling, Kusari affected a slightly offended air. "Don't look at me that way. I don't lie. I meant what I said. Everyone is merely sleeping. The powers of this item are amazing." Kusari said with a menacing grin. He pulled what looked like an arrowhead from the quiver of arrows on his back. It glowed, then lengthened into the Takai Spear. He turned it over in his hands, studying the way it shone in the flickering light, admiring his handiwork. "Yes, all it took was a bit of modification, and it was simple to put the whole town into an enchanted slumber."
Fear took second place to anger. "YOU BASTARD!" Mirakuru screamed and lunged for the spear, but Kusari saw her coming and sidestepped her. A swift dropkick was the counterattack.
"Fiesty little bitch, huh?" Kusari said absent mindedly, vaguely impressed. He scrutinized Mirakuru, head cocked. "Pretty little thing. She'll make an ideal hostage."
"Don't hurt her! She has nothing to do with this!" Kurama snarled fiercely, masking his fear with rage.
"Au contraire, she does. I only kept you awake so you could see her die. But I'm in the mood to bargain today, so I'll let you pick. Save the town, or the girl. But hurry, the clock is ticking." The malicious grin never left his face.
"He chooses to save the town." Mirakuru snapped bravely, rising to her feet. "I don't know what's going on, but this is one way of avoiding my arranged marriage, right Kurama?" Her voice wavered, and she smiled weakly.
The color drained from Kurama's face. "What? Mirakuru!"
"I can't let a whole town die because of my selfish wish to live," she explained. She was crying now, but she still looked perfect to Kurama.
"Looks like your choice has been made for you." Kusari let out an energy blast that sent Mirakuru flying off the building. "So courageous," Kusari said a little ruefully. "If only I'd gotten to you first." With a wave of his cloak, Kusari vanished.
The fog lifted, and the sickly yellow aura dissipated, but natural light did not return. Apparently, the sun had set as Kurama was battling Kusari, the moon shrouded by clouds.
Kurama staggered, adrenaline and euphoria no longer keeping the pain at bay. His wounds were near fatal, and would have killed any normal human. Nausea enveloped him upon seeing the lifeless form lying beside the building. He checked for a pulse, fearing the worst. But there it was! It was faint, yes, but it was there. He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.
Then Botan appeared. Kurama's heart sank again.
"Kurama, I'm sorry. I have to take her to Reikai."
"What? But she still has a pulse!" If he experienced any more shocks, surprises or jolts today, Kurama was sure he'd have an aneurysm.
"She's at the point that death will claim her at any given moment. You have to let her go, Kurama." Botan's ease at delivering bad news was a result of her vocation, but her eyes betrayed the fact that no matter how many times she'd done this, the pain was just as fresh each time.
"Just let me try to heal her. I know I can." Kurama replied, picking up Mirakuru's lifeless body.
Botan felt tears of sympathy gathering in her eyes. "Alright. But don't set your heart on it." It was the first time she'd cried since her first case, a despondent suicide who'd expected life's pain to leave him at death.
Kurama gently laid Mirakuru on his couch, and brought out countless bottles, herbs and vials. He knelt by the couch and one by one tried each remedy on Mirakuru, but all were in vain. Her body had stabilized, but it was as if she had stopped trying to live. Had she been contemplating suicide? It suddenly hit him that he barely knew anything about Mirakuru. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, and sighed, resting his head on the couch next to Mirakuru's. He finally admitted to himself that he had fallen in love, and that he would do anything to see Mirakuru smile again. Before he had been in something like a stage of denial, thinking 'out of sight out of mind'. But now it was obvious that the more he tried to resist, the more his love grew. Apparently, abscence did make the heart grow fonder.
It was midnight now, and the dimly lit living room of Kurama's house looked decidedly ghostly, ethreal. He half expected the fireplace to come alive and swallow him whole. He stared straight ahead, trying not to think. Unbeknownst to him, he dropped off to sleep.
Several minutes later, theair next to Kurama glimmered, and Hinageshi appeared. "Kurama? Hey, wake up." The red-haired ferrygirl in training gently woke Kurama from his restless slumber. "The time has come. Botan sent me."
"Hinageshi, please. Give me till dawn. Can you bend the rules, just this once?" Kurama pleaded.
Hinageshi heard the desperation in Kurama's voice and nodded sadly. Her formshimmered and faded, leaving Kurama alone to his sad, lonely vigil.
By 5:00 a.m. Kurama was feeling miserable. He'd tried every remedy known to man, demon, and spirit, and made up several new ones. He glanced around the room in a half-hearted attempt to look for anything that might help. His eyes rested on the tiny bottle of Mermaid's Tears. He reached for it, and hesitated. Koenma'll kill me. . .but who gives a damn?
Before he could change his mind, he uncorked the bottle and poured a few crystalline drops into Mirakuru's mouth. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide, and were shining with a white light that was almost painful to see. Her body lifted up a few inches and floated in the air, glowing the same blinding light as her eyes. Then the light slowly faded, and Mirakuru sat up slowly. But now she wore a silver and midnight blue warrior's kimono, patterned with white casablancas (big white lilies) up the cuffed sleeves and bottom. Low-heeled slate blue ankle boots replaced her sandals. A black lacquer bodice laced up in the back with satin ribbon, with matching shoulder plates, and her hair was tied back like a preistess's with ninja stars adorning her headband. A light and versatile samurai sword hung at her hip.