Story Title: Consumed by Hellfire
Disclaimer: Still don't own YYH. It's better that I don't, I think…
Author's Notes: This is a long but important note, so bear with me.
Of course, no readers knew of this, but around Ch 8, the ending was changed. The new plan was going to continue beyond the battle with the King, but time passed, I worked on other projects, and then as I was reading the entire story again as I started on Ch 11, I realized…how bad this story is. This story has been my baby, my first attempt at a sprawling epic yaoi, but for all the heart and fire I had for it in its creation, somewhere early in this fic I lost total focus of what I originally strived for. Now I can't even remember what that was. So, I think it might be time to bring this story to a close and cut my losses.
Now I'll be the first to admit that as a yaoi romance, this story sucks. Or at least it isn't up to my standards of what a great yaoi should be. Granted I typically have high standards, but if I can't be happy with this story, why should I expect readers to be? I do believe the romance was one of the things I lost early on in this story… It's my fault due to inexperience. Inexperience of writing skills in general, of writing the pairing after being a rabid Anti-HK fangirl in my early teens, and of never having written a romance story before—all this inexperience probably shows. Or more accurately, the fact hemorrhages all over the place. A crime has been committed with this story and the author is at fault. Luckily, mistakes are meant to be learned and not repeated. If I had the time and the will, I'd want to redo this fic over, but I know I do NOT have the time to do so now or ever, so unfortunately, my early baby will always remain fractured.
As for this writing of this chapter and the two that follow it, I may have slipped on the quality. If I have slackened on my quality control, I apologize, but it was only to get through this past failure so I could finally post my future fics. Since the beginning of this story, Hiei and Kurama have been a bit OOC, and I'm certain that even in these final chapters, they're still not in character like I would want them to be, but it's a mistake I need to make. If this story ends on a lackluster note, I apologize for the writing and the time lost to read my crap, but I assure you that I have improved since this fic.
I've said enough for now and I apologize for the long note.
Thank you for reading.
-o-
Chapter Twelve: Our Final Moments
-o-
Hiei felt in horror his feet digging into the loose soil and propelling forward of their own accord. Despite fraying his synapses thin with the message to stop, his body ignored him and persisted to carry out the King's will. Momentarily, a flash of lightning lit the black sky white, carved deeper shadows into the King's malicious, smirking face, and glowed brilliantly in Kurama's emotionless green stare.
Stop. Drop the sword, Hiei ordered, but his body would not listen. His Jagan had betrayed him and now he was under the King's volition. Never once was Hiei the puppet of another. Now he was one figuratively and literally. Hiei fought, clawing and ripping his own will into the ingraining roots of the King's will furrowing his mind. But it was for naught. The King's will was the hand that sweeps away the lines in the dust, and his will readily turned and blocked Hiei's own from any attempt at breaking his control. That did not mean Hiei gave up. Where the King's will bowed, Hiei's will struck. Where it swelled, Hiei's retreated. Where the King's will wrapped serpentine around him, Hiei slipped between his coils. Hiei was under the King's will, but he wasn't planning to remain that way.
But Hiei did not have time.
His blade was inches from Kurama's exposed throat. He had but a few steps left. STOP! Hiei screamed, his mind's will ramming into the King's leash of control. Five steps. Four steps. Three steps. Two steps…
BANG! The western wall of the courtyard exploded in a glorious violent display. Clouds of dirt and pulverized stone misted and mixed with the already virulent toxic sulfur sprays. The King, his gaze thrown over his shoulder, searched for this new powerful intruder who blasted upon his battlefield. In the chaos and aftershock of the western wall's destruction, the King had not even noticed he had broke contact with Hiei's mind...
Hiei's blade met flesh, the King's flesh. Hiei severed the King's forearm and freed Kurama. The fox wasted no time and put distance between himself and the King. Before Hiei could swing a killing stroke, the King drew his attention back on him and flared his demonic energy into a fiery shield around himself. Hiei jumped back a safe gap and protected himself from the King's flames in a similar fashion.
The King growled. There were complications. Sure, he had lost his hostage, but no great shortfall there. As for the two shadows moving forward from the dust clouds…they had peculiar energies, the King sensed. One even felt human. The King grinned toothily. To no true concern, these newcomers were. The King assured himself victory, no matter the opposition or their numbers.
Hiei could not believe it. Well, yea, he could believe it, but it did not seem real all the same. Those energies… Hiei looked over at Kurama, standing several steps beside and behind Hiei. His gaze was to the dust clouds as well, no doubt recognizing the energies all the same as Hiei was. Hiei tried reading the fox's expression below the obvious, but, as always, especially in battle, Kurama was impassive.
When the dust settled, there stood Yusuke Urameshi and Kazuma Kuwabara. Both boys surveyed their sights over the battlefield, taking note of the many armored guards, the one and half-armed King, and, to their shared relief, Hiei and Kurama, worse for the wear but still alive.
Okay, so the guy was bigger than Yusuke imagined. Yusuke smirked, recalling his idea of the King looking more like Hiei only slightly taller, aged, and several levels of Hell more pissed off. So he got the height way off, way off in fact, but for Yusuke's ability to predict, two out of three was more than okay, in his book.
Yusuke wore a wry smile, though his brown eyes were hard and battle-ready. "Hey, Hiei. Kurama. Glad to see we didn't arrive late to the party."
Both Hiei and Kurama nodded in acknowledgement to the boys, but only Kurama faintly smiled.
"Heh, of course. Enma sent you fools, did he not?" The King smirked, sizing up the new combatants. That one…the King's gaze fell upon Kuwabara…is human. What idiocy to send a human! Is Enma so daft to believe a human will defeat me? Hehehe… For nothing else, the boy will make great fodder for the lava demons.
The King slid his single sight over to Yusuke. This one…is peculiar. I cannot be mistaken but do I sense human and demonic energy? How unforeseen, but no concern. …Enma, this is what you send in your stead? Mere boys?
Yusuke matched eyes with the King. The wry smile was gone, and Yusuke dropped any and all joking from his voice. "Nah, the Fat Guy Upstairs's got nothing to do with us. His kid sent us, but that's not why we're here either."
"It's 'cause of something you probably wouldn't understand," Kuwabara said austerely, "…Loyalty."
The King laughed at them. "What do I need with loyalty that fear cannot accomplish?"
"Which comes to the other reason we're here…" Yusuke glared, his brows pinching in anger, and yelled. "Every time the four of us start having a normal life, one of you end-of-the-world mega freaks have to pop up and ruin it all, and frankly, I'm pissed!"
Kuwabara nodded in agreement. "That too."
"If you two are the best heroes Enma can send," the King flashed a sidelong glare toward Yusuke and Kuwabara as he flicked his hand and commanded his guards to attack, "Prove yourself."
The guards obeyed. Spears pointed, the armored demons charged, their footsteps clanking and roaring behind them, and bellowed their incoherent war cry. Kuwabara cracked his knuckles. Yusuke smirked. He always thought that somehow a hundred or so armored soldiers would look different than a hundred or so knife-wielding, baseball bat-toting gang members. Now, standing on the battlefield and faced with the sight, Yusuke realized no, there wasn't a difference.
"Coupla' hundred guards and one big badass," Kuwabara muttered, "Sure it's something you can handle, Urameshi?"
Yusuke grinned. "Yea, I like those odds." Yusuke ran toward the fray, yelling over his shoulder, "Just don't die on me, all right?"
Kuwabara pounded after him, "Follow you own damn advice for once, Urameshi!"
And the final fight began.
What fools these humans be…the King sneered. And then the rest of his thought died, as Hiei was on the attack.
-o-
War was neither simple nor orderly. As Hiei and the King fought, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama took out the guards. To Yusuke or Kuwabara, the guards were no different than the gangs they used to fight growing up. In the chaos, many of the King's flames seared across his own soldiers. Survival for Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama was a fine line of paying attention to their opponent in front of them, the soldiers around them, and keeping an eye on the King's line of attack.
As the surge of guards dwindled and severely fell, Kuwabara threw looks over to where the King and Hiei were fighting. The runt was holding his own, Kuwabara could tell as he brandished his spirit sword and struck down three more soldiers. But that was just it. Hiei was matching him, not gaining the upper edge, just equaling. What ground Kuwabara more was that the King was stronger. It was one matter to face a strong opponent. It was another matter for the stronger to toy with the weaker.
"Urameshi!" he threw his shout over his shoulder, hoping Yusuke was in the general direction and within hearing. "Kurama and I can handle the rest of these sores. Get over there and go be the hero. And if the runt don't like the interference, tough toenails."
Yusuke gave Kuwabara a shout and a thumbs up, punched his last guard square in the nose, and ran toward the ensuing flames.
-o-
Burn! Burn everything! Everything, burn it all! Litter the streets in falling ash and cinders! Leave nothing but black smears! Kill! Burn! So these thoughts screeched in Hanabi's wrath-consumed mind as she stumbled about the palace halls, making her way toward the King's flared energy.
Enki and the late Raizen's fellow allies, to Hanabi's shock and disgust, proved too much for her. Her smaller hand fans were either lost or destroyed in the battle, she did not search for them in any case. Her ruined torso armor hung about her frame on a single frayed string. Her thick white hair, bindings lost at some point in the fight, fell and drooped witch-like about her. Her once-beautiful face was marked with cuts and smeared makeup and contorted viciously by her rage and hate. She was dingy with mud clots and splotched with dried blood from her new scarring wounds.
Enki had made a fool of her. Gave her mercy and imprisoned her. Hanabi escaped and returned to the King's castle, even knowing what her King would do if she failed to kill Enki. At least, if the King killed her, she would die with more honor here than if she lived as Enki's captive.
Hanabi paused. She stepped up onto the sill of one of the large, Gothic, arched windows lining the hall and exposed to the courtyard and peered down amused at the battlefield. Her King and Prince were to the side entangled in raging plumes of fire. Guards lay sprawled, most dead or there yet. She sensed humans. She saw Kurama.
Hanabi smiled crookedly, exposing a fang. She removed from their bindings on her back her only weapons left—her colossal and imposing, rust-colored fans—and spread them open. Pouring her spirit energy into them, Hanabi set the fans ablaze and readied them for combat. Wasting no time, she leapt from the window, swung her fans back, and used their flames to propel herself through the air and toward the battle.
Hanabi decided that a little foxhunt would cheer her up nicely.
-o-
Having lost count of how many times he had done so, Hiei blocked the onslaught of the King's flames with the blazing black fire blade of his katana. He was losing ground. The King was forcing him back. The King, to Hiei's surprise, leapt forward and kicked Hiei's red, superheated blade. Hiei's sword snapped into several pieces. Discarding the hilt, Hiei raced to maneuver out of the King's assault and to drum up new plans.
Even swords had their limits.
-o-
"What's that?" Kuwabara asked as he kneed the final guard in the stomach. "Holy crap! Is that a dragon?"
Kurama turned and saw the burning wings soaring through the blackened sky. It took little to feel out and place the energy generating the flames. He wished he was wrong. But there was no mistaking that energy. During his brief stint as the King's captive, Kurama had sensed her power before and Hiei's warnings about her did not offer hope.
"No…" Kurama said, in a voice that sounded to Kuwabara like facing a dragon would be the least of their problems. "Hanabi."
Kuwabara blinked. "Who or what's that?"
"An enemy," Kurama said. "Prepare yourself, Kuwabara."
Hanabi landed. She lowered her immense fans to her sides, but did not extinguish them. The high blue flames crackled, a snapping sound like breaking bones, about her. She smiled wide, like an upturned crescent moon with small, knife-tip fangs. Awash in her fire's hazy heat vapor, Hanabi did not seem real. Like a desert mirage. Or a devil straight from Hell.
She ignored Kuwabara and stared directly at Kurama. "Heh. Who let you out of your cage?"
Kurama disregarded her comment, but did not look away from her as he spoke to Kuwabara. "As honorable as your code is, Kuwabara…I am certain your policy on not fighting women should be excused here."
Kuwabara raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Err...well, but she is a girl, is she?" His eyes raked up and down Hanabi's body and as far as Kuwabara could tell, she was a woman. Then again, he had thought Miyuki had been one too, so Kuwabara wasn't about to rule out the possibility of Hanabi being a transsexual.
"Female, yes, but a monster," Kurama replied. "Unless you fight, Hanabi will kill you. Having honor is inconsequential in battle to her and the concepts of remorse and leniency have no meaning to demons such as her."
Hanabi fluttered her eyelashes sarcastically and flashed an ironic grin, "You always know how to compliment a girl."
Kuwabara had not expected Kurama to remember about his code on women, and to be honest, not fighting Hanabi had not crossed his mind. But she was a woman…though she seemed about as feminine as Kurama was still a fox. And she was ignoring him. Kuwabara picked up on her energy and instantly his insides felt rotted. She had the sort of putrid blackness to her spirit Kuwabara had only sensed with the purely evil demons. Though Kurama's warning was persuasive, getting an impression of her spirit was enough to convince him to forego his rule on women and fight.
And she kept ignoring him.
"How long have I been fantasizing about slowly killing you?" Hanabi grinned maliciously at Kurama. "And, what luck… Our dear prince can watch and hear you scream and burn. That may just kill him yet, if the King does not, do you think?" She tossed her head back and cackled.
Kurama frowned, but did not respond. He was too busy casting thoughts and stringing plans to fall for Hanabi's inflammatory tactics. Really, Kurama would have to be a far younger, far weaker opponent to fall for the juvenile methods she was implementing.
To Hanabi, Kurama was a threat, put simply. Hanabi liked to domineer the ones she fancied, like Hiei. She wanted to break Hiei, wanted to isolate him, wanted him to realize he was alone in the world, except with Hanabi. She wanted be queen and goddess in her lover's world and she wanted her lovers dependent and, in the end, faint shadows of their formidable selves before she cast them aside. It's the only way she saw fit to love. And Kurama was unnecessary competition and an anchor for Hiei to this world Hanabi could not allow to remain.
Flapping her fans once, Hanabi took to the air.
-o-
The detective needed not to involve himself, but he had. This was Hiei's fight, not his. What claim did Yusuke have to fight the King? Was Yusuke born as a result of the King's rape of his mother? No. Had the King been spying on or controlling his mind? No. Did the King repeatedly try to kill the one person, other than his sister, that he had ever truly given a damn about? NO.
Then why, Hiei wondered, was the detective fighting the King?
In a swift motion that caught both fighters off guard, the King's cross-chop slammed Hiei and Yusuke into a mountain of rubble.
"What are you doing?" Hiei barked at Yusuke, lying beside the fire demon prince, as Hiei strained to pull himself up.
"Saving the world," Yusuke joked, grinning through pained, gritted teeth, "You?"
Yusuke winced and cringed at hearing Hiei's shoulder loudly pop back into place. Hiei worked the socket a bit. It would make do, the outright-refused-to-be Prince of the Land of Fire deemed.
Hiei eyed the King, who watched and waited for them to rise, as he told Yusuke to leave. "Stay out of this," Hiei scowled, "This fight's mine, got that?"
Yusuke dragged himself onto his feet, his own bones popping as he rose. "Nah. I'm 'fraid I don't."
Yusuke figured there was bad blood and, all honesty, he knew Hiei had full claim on the King's head. Hiei just wasn't strong enough. And if Yusuke stood back and let Hiei face the King, Hiei wouldn't live. And, despite what the fire demon would admit, too many people would miss him. Yusuke included.
So as Hiei charged forward bearing flames, Yusuke raced after him with a spirit gun bolt ready for the King.
-o-
Things were bad.
As the situation stood, as long as Hanabi remained in the air, neither Kuwabara nor Kurama could do little. Both boys dodged a whipping set of fiery tails cast from Hanabi's fans. This was merely a game to her. That she had made clear. Hanabi cackled madly above them, twisting effortlessly around Kuwabara's extended spirit sword.
"Kurama, any ideas? …Sure be appreciated 'bout now," Kuwabara called over his shoulder before he was knocked and rolled across the plain by Hanabi's burst of heated wind. He looked to be out cold.
Hanabi, grinning maliciously, turned on Kurama next.
The fox bit his lower lip in worry. Of course, Kurama had ideas. All involving plants the redhead could not control. …Unless he became Youko. Kurama shook his head. Though the thought of turning back into Youko still came to him from time to time, as if the collective impulses that were still attributed to his Youko nature would bubble the idea into his human consciousness, Kurama swore against becoming him again long ago. The fox demon wasn't his trump card anymore. He was not Youko.
But Kurama was just as smart and observant as his old self.
Agile footwork and acrobatics were saving Kurama from Hanabi's flames so far, but without going onto the offensive, every leap and turn meant little. Kurama had nothing that could maim or outright kill Hanabi, but there was a plant that could possibly slow her down. He had held back on using the plant so far due to Hanabi's airborne assault. He needed to be close to its host to be completely effective. Close enough, in fact, the plant could be deadly…
Get frustrated, Kurama thought, dodging crests of fire. He curtly met eyes with Hanabi, matching glares hate for hate. Fall to those sadistic urges. Come after me. Just try and kill me.
As bleak as their battle appeared, the advantage was Kurama's. Hanabi was far from calm. She let her emotions dictate her hate and wrath-fueled attacks, and as a result, she hemorrhaged her demon energy. Her choice of weapon didn't help conserve her energy either. Hanabi had to use her energy to keep her fans aflame and light in her hands. In the long run, they were cumbersome, but like her fans, Hanabi's fighting style was not suitable for long combat. Aside from a few minor degree burns, Hanabi had yet to severely injure Kurama and with the way he was outmaneuvering her assaults, she was bound to explode any moment. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurama saw Kuwabara stirring back to consciousness. Kurama had to get Hanabi to attack him. If Kuwabara unfortunately but valiantly diverted her attention back onto him, the fox's plan would be ruined. His eyes darting back and forth between Hanabi and Kuwabara, Kurama gritted his teeth in apprehension.
Stay down. Do not attack. Kurama hoped Kuwabara's sixth sense would pick his thoughts up, or at least impress their feelings on the psychic boy. Let her come after me. Trust me.
Kurama stole a glance over at Kuwabara. The psychic lay on his side propped up by one hand, his other braced his no-doubt cracked ribs, and stared at Kurama. The look on his face was an odd mixture of surprise and concern. And then Kuwabara's eyes hardened, his face stony but determined, and Kuwabara nodded in understanding. Yes, so he had heard him. Kurama smiled and nodded back.
And in that moment, as Kuwabara silently wished the fox good luck, Hanabi threw back her head in aggravation, breathed a plume of blue and white fire into the black sky, and roared not unlike a dragon. Kurama focused his attention on Hanabi, drew the proper seeds from his long hair, and readied himself. Hanabi dove and rocketed headfirst toward Kurama.
Timing was critical. Too soon and Hanabi could take evasive action. Too late and Kurama would void his life. No one could say Kurama wasn't a risk-taker, though his risks were preferably the calculated variety. The fox supposed he had been through worse odds before, though he couldn't recall any particular moment.
Hanabi, her eyes wild, extended her fans in front of her. Kurama felt the heat and fire on his skin drawing close and heated air pulled his hair away from his face. His mind was telling him to attack (or dodge, or defend himself—basically to do something), but his instincts told otherwise. The fox remained standing where he was and watched Hanabi's descent. He would know the time.
As the flames clawed toward him, Kurama swiftly tumbled forward and underneath the fire, commanded the seeds to life, and stabbed Hanabi in the abdomen and chest. Hanabi's retaliation, consisting of a quick knee to Kurama's shoulder, merely clipped him as he made it safely away from her.
Hanabi crashed. As she lay on the dry earth, the thin, pallid yellow and red vines continued to sprout and tangle around her body, and if they followed Kurama's orders, were growing inside her as well. The fox rose to his feet, but never took his eyes off Hanabi. She wasn't dead yet. Hanabi stirred, staggered onto her feet while dropping her fans, and immediately started tearing the vines away.
"That will not do you any good," Kurama warned. And, of course, he was right. The vines merely reattached themselves elsewhere on her body.
Kuwabara, cautiously holding his ribs, slowly walked up beside Kurama and watched Hanabi struggle against the vines. He still had his spirit sword drawn and placed defensively before him. "That stuff you got her hooked on… I think I've seen it before."
"You should have. It's from the human world," Kurama said, with little emotion. "It is a parasitic plant called dodder. For my uses, however, I have altered it a bit. Though, not by much. Dodder, by nature, is a wicked plant. …Fitting for someone so evil."
Hanabi in her fit of cursing and crying started burning the ever-germinating vines.
From what Kurama could see, it appeared that Kuwabara could not decide what expression to take. Hanabi was an enemy and moments ago tried to kill them both, yet to watch her struggle against Kurama's dodder made one pity for her. So in the end, Kuwabara had a look of confused disbelief on his face.
"Looks like it's choking her… " Kuwabara said. It was a horrible sight to watch, but Kuwabara could not look away from the dodder wrapping itself around Hanabi's throat, much to her fear and fight.
"There is a reason it is also known as 'strangle tare'," Kurama explained objectively.
Kurama felt Kuwabara's 'I can't believe you can be that nonchalant about this' eyes on him but did not turn toward his ally.
"Damn, Kurama," Kuwabara shivered in the presence of Kurama's indifference. "Didn't need the reminder of how terrifying you can be."
Kurama turned his gaze to Kuwabara. "Maybe you did," the fox said coolly and faintly smirked.
"…You…" Hanabi growled, her eyes glowing and locked on Kurama," …You bastard!"
Hanabi breathed fire. The flames missed Kuwabara and Kurama but freed her throat for the moment. Picking up her fans, Hanabi held her re-ignited fans open and close to her body and quickly spun a small twister of fire around herself. When she emerged, most of the dodder on her was charred and gone, but the vines rapidly began reproducing, thanks to the protected vines growing inside her body.
If anything, Kurama considered as he drew his rose whip and Hanabi frenetically charged straight for him considerably hindered by the dodder, he and Kuwabara had a sizeable advantage over Hanabi now. And if either one of them could not kill her, the dodder would.
-o-
It was becoming clear to Hiei that he would not be the one to kill the King. He couldn't understand why though. Hiei knew he was not as strong as Yusuke, but still his power felt pitiful. He was fighting with all his strength, but even at his max, his attacks felt half-assed. Nothing made sense. Was he really that weak? Yusuke was competition for the King, but Hiei seemed like just a bother.
Damn it! Hiei cursed, as the King's flamed fist rocketed him across the plain. What was wrong with him?
Hiei met the ground. As he lay prone, his eyes shut, Hiei heard Yusuke yell his name and felt the ex-detective's spirit energy rise in anger and defense of Hiei. Always the hero…Hiei thought, and if he had been in different circumstances and in the proper mood to do so, he would have smirked, but instead, Hiei lay still and winced in pain.
When he could manage to do so, Hiei turned and laid on his side.
And, as Hiei turned and laid on his side, reflected in the blade of Hiei's broken katana was the Jagan. Hiei stared at the open, glowing feline eye in anger and disgust. The Jagan had betrayed Hiei. Though the eye had shown him the floating Ice Country, found Yukina, and helped him master the Dragon, these were merely favors for the eye to bide its time with. The eye was never Hiei's, the young fire demon realized that now. The Jagan had merely tolerated its servitude to him until it drew Hiei back to its owner and master. Hiei saw who it really served and it served the King readily. The Jagan was now the King's conduit to Hiei's mind.
"Tch…useless…traitorous…rubbish," Hiei seethed, ignoring the excruciating, stabbing pain of his untreated, unhealed stomach wound, as he struggled to push himself up and hold his place. He finally managed to stay up, albeit his left arm was quivering fierce and could give way any moment. Hiei stretched out his right arm, grabbed the wide end of the broken sword tip, and dragged the fractured piece close to him.
The Jagan. Hiei could not keep his eyes away from its reflection or stop swearing at it in the shattered blade firmly in his grip. He hated the Jagan. Having it revolted him. Any good that came of having the Jagan was now tainted for Hiei upon learning the eye's origin and meeting its master, his so-called father. Hiei refused any part of that monster to be inside him.
Turning the broken blade onto its point, Hiei stabbed the Jagan.
The pain was immense but killing the Jagan was not anything like the hell he went through to implant it, so Hiei endured, grimacing and hissing in pain throughout the ordeal. Not seconds after stabbing the Jagan, Hiei heard the King's scream and felt his presence rush into his mind. Hiei's arm muscles clenched of their own accord and Hiei, wearing a twisted smile on his face, watched his arms drop to his sides. The King thought he could save the Jagan, but both Hiei and the King knew the truth. Yes, the King stopped Hiei from fully severing the eye, but the Jagan was dying nonetheless. Blood running down his face, Hiei rose to his feet. The young prince of the fire demons suddenly felt stronger. And then he figured out why—the King had been suppressing and blocking his demon energy via the Jagan the whole battle.
There was not much time left. Hiei quickly unwrapped the Dragon's binding on his arm and summoned the fires of darkness to him. The Jagan strained and bled profusely as it reluctantly aided him one last time. A needling pain racked the dying Jagan as Hiei called the Dragon to life. The King, like a shadow in the fringes of his thoughts, was still in his mind, but merely watched in horror. The King could not stop him this time. Trying to control Hiei and facing Yusuke seemed to be two tasks the King could not execute simultaneously. All to Hiei's luck, he supposed.
And then, as Hiei raced toward the King and readied himself to fire the Dragon, something unexpected occurred.
Hiei felt out of himself, yet not. Like he was still running to the King but also watching himself in motion from behind. Everything had slowed. Time itself seemed still and blurry. It was then he felt his heart beating and then a second larger heart beating. The two beating hearts seemed out of sync at first, and then, they were one. And Hiei understood. Merging with his own energy was the strength of the volcano, the magma at its core, the fires burning across the Fire Country. Just as it must have aided the King and the King had tried to deny Hiei, Hiei received the strength of being a fire demon in his native element.
And just as time had seemed to completely slow, it sped up beyond Hiei's comprehension. Not that it mattered. All Hiei wanted was the bastard that spawned him dead. And so, Hiei released the Dragon.
The fires raged forward and formed the maw and head of the Dragon. Opening its massive black jaws, the Dragon roared as it spiraled forth toward the King. Hiei watched as Yusuke ran and leapt out of the way and the King took the Dragon head-on. Things did not go as Hiei hoped however. Holding its mouth open with his one remaining hand and both feet, the King fended off the Dragon. The King struggled, yes, and the Dragon was pushing him back, but the Dragon, even a power-enhanced one, was not enough to outright kill the King. Hiei could only hope the King faltered and the Dragon swallowed him whole.
Hiei watched in aghast, the King, with a mad scream and a final heave, throw the Dragon to the side and let it tear across the palace courtyard. The Dragon was free. And the Jagan was dead. Hiei could no longer control it. The Dragon rampaged and tore erratically across the black sky. There was no way of stopping it or controlling it. Hanabi had not meant to be its target, but being in the air and too blinded by her fury at Kurama, she hardly noticed the Dragon raging toward her until its fangs and flames had closed around her.
The King seemed to care not that Hanabi was dead or that the Dragon stormed the castle and destroyed everything in its path. The courtyard quaked as volcanic ash and castle rubble fell from the sky. The castle was falling, the guards were dead, and the land itself seemed to be tearing asunder, but none of that appeared to matter to the King.
The King was busy eyeing Hiei as his son wobbled on his feet and fought against the inevitable sleep brought on by summoning the Dragon.
-o-
"We gotta get out of here!" Kuwabara yelled, jumping to safety as the ground beneath him cracked and melted into the rising underground magma flows. It wasn't safe here. Well…not like it had been before, Kuwabara reconsidered, but now it definitely wasn't safe. As Kuwabara jumped from rock to rock to reach Kurama, he had déjà vu of fighting Byakko all over again.
I cannot leave. Not yet, Kurama thought. The ground breaking around him and the sulfuric sprays hissing slowed the fox's movement considerably, but Kurama was determined to get through.
"Not without Hiei," Kurama called back. No matter what Kuwabara would reply, Kurama wasn't leaving. If the young psychic wanted to help him, fine, but he wasn't going to persuade him to leave or hinder him from reaching Hiei.
Leaping to the fox's side, Kuwabara raised a brow curiously, "Hiei? He's probably already left, Kurama."
Kurama shook his head, "The Dragon. He goes into hibernation after using the Dragon."
"Oh, yea…" Kuwabara flinched guiltily for forgetting that. The runt did always go to sleep after using that attack. Which did not make it the most useful move in this particular situation what with the castle and the ground it stood on falling into fiery, molten oblivion …
"All right," Kuwabara nodded in determination, "Let's go after him."
-o-
Stupid castle. Stupid rubble, Yusuke cursed as he squeezed himself from underneath what looked like the cracked wings of a massive dragon gargoyle. For the most part, the ex-detective dodged the falling remains, except until the very last. One of these days, the stupid three worlds are gonna hold hands and kiss. Yusuke flipped a slab of stone over and crawled out to freedom.
Yusuke looked back at the maze of stone he had to crawl through. The ruin's structure had been too hard to determine if it was stable or not, so Yusuke decided for his own safety not to just blast himself through. That and having not much energy left, he still needed whatever he had for the King.
"I'm gettin' too old for this crap," he grumbled, and scanned the remnants of once was the courtyard for the King. As far as Yusuke was concerned, it was time this battle came to an end.
-o-
The ground rumbled and quaked underfoot as Kurama leapt hurriedly from collapsing boulder to boulder. With silent apologies to Kuwabara, the fox left the boy behind with the rising lava demons as Kurama searched for Hiei with his eyes and sense. After using the Dragon, Hiei's energy always became so weak and muddled to perceive. Kurama was having a hard time finding him. His eyes were more beneficial to his search than feeling for Hiei. But it would be a small, familiar pulse of energy that would draw the fox to Hiei's hibernating body. And just in time. As Kurama rushed to reach Hiei, the ground around the fire demon was cracking and crumbling. Quickly, Kurama took Hiei into his arms bridal-style and jumped to safety seconds before the rock sunk into the rising lava below.
The crouched fox paused to check on Hiei, laying partially cradled in Kurama's arms. Hiei was still, but safe and breathing softly against Kurama's chest. With a quick readjustment of his grip, Kurama held Hiei securely and he would need to. The King approached them quickly.
The King's blood red robes rustled like bat wings in his wake. Thunder rumbled and a bolt of purple lightning fell and crashed just distantly off to the side of the King. "Well, if is this not convenient," the King mocked them with a grin.
Kurama narrowed his eyes and frowned. Even with the King severely weakened by Yusuke and Hiei and his sole arm and legs burned black by the Dragon, Kurama was in no condition to fight the King. Not when he had Hiei to protect as well. Maybe if Hiei wasn't lying unconscious in the fox's arms, he would have a chance, but alas, that was not the case.
"You can try to run," the King smirked, "I may even let you go." His immediate deep chuckle said otherwise.
Kurama did not move.
Smart boy…Even you recognize the end is near. There is no hope for traitors and the weak in my kingdom, the King projected into Kurama's mind. Feel fortunate and honored your death was by my hands.
Kurama did not respond. He simply remained crouched and held Hiei close. His serious but emotionally-blank stare seemed to go through the King, ignored him in fact, and focused elsewhere behind the King. And the King, unfortunately, took the fox's behavior as sign of complete resignation.
"My one mistake in this world," the King was looking at Hiei as he spoke. "…Must be the Koorime blood that made him such a disgrace."
Black flames wrapped the King's charred hand, though it was evident it pained the King to use his injured hand. He locked eyes with Kurama and gave a final malicious smile and raised his flamed claws into the bright lightning-blanched sky.
"Hold up, you bastard!" Yusuke shouted and leapt forward, fist poised and glowing with both spirit and demon energy.
The King, thinking the rubble had killed Yusuke already, turned in surprise and met Yusuke's strongest right hook. The boy held nothing back in his punch. What remained of his energy, both of them, Yusuke had poured into his right hand. The King toppled forward, completely stunned and off-guard. Kurama took advantage of this. With pure instinct, Kurama produced a rose from his hair, summoned his rose whip, and had it wrapped around the King's head in shades of a second. Not leaving anything to chance, Kurama ripped his whip back, just as the King seemed to figure out what had happened. The top of the King's severed head, his sole eye wide and bulging out of its socket in shock, plunked onto the rumbling ground.
As much as Yusuke wanted to celebrate, there wasn't any time. Without the King, the land became even more unstable. The ground really started to crumble and sink now. Yusuke and Kurama with Hiei ran. Yusuke searched and called out for Kuwabara, who had been entangled with a repeating mob of lava demons seeping through and rising from the magma below.
"Leave them!" Yusuke barked at Kuwabara. "We gotta get out of here!"
"Ya think I don't know that, Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled back, cutting through the zombie-like lava demons, and this time, finally had a gap to escape through them. "The damn things had me surrounded!"
"Sorry, I couldn't come save you!" Yusuke verbally jabbed, "But I kinda had bigger things to deal with!"
"Shut up, Urameshi," Kuwabara said grumbled as he reached and kept up with Yusuke and Kurama's pace, "Let's just get the hell out alive."
"Sounds good to me," Yusuke grinned, and sped up.
-o-
In the war for Medria, General Honoo was confident the victory would fall in the King's favor. Honoo stood atop a neighboring hill, surveying the battle. The ragtag troops for Medria did make a good try, but were not enough to matching the martial prowess of General Honoo. Six warriors in particular had impressed the fire veteran. The wind master had devastated his commands to charge on more than one occasion with his tornados and also destroyed many of General Kayaku's cannons, tanks, and other of his nasty, little technological toys. Though you wouldn't think an ice master would fair at all against fire demons, the young ice demon's accuracy with ice shards proved deadly using the sniper approach. Fire demons, so it seemed, were not immune to ice bullets through the brain. The samurai easily sliced through many of Honoo's enslaved soldiers. The drunkard and the yoyo-wielding child had taken out many of General Kayaku's bomber soldiers. The flamboyant blonde demon (with the even more ostentatious attacks) seemed to be the military mind for not only the ragtag militia but for the other five exceptional warriors. He had potential to become a grand leader—Honoo could see, and appreciate, talent like that. Yes, the young demon would do well…if he survived this battle that is…
Kayaku stepped up from behind and stood beside Honoo. Machines freed the giant, metal general's mouth. "Shall I release the Mardacore?" Kayaku offered, his voice remaining the same bored and tired tone he had expressed since leaving the Land of Fire. Though his territory was devoted to the King's command to the production of war machines and ammunition, General Kayaku himself had no love for wars, especially a war's cost of parting with the creations he so painstakingly took years to develop.
Kayaku and his 'pets'…Honoo grinned inwardly. 'Course, watching the militia handle a giant, fire-spewing steel scorpion did sound amusing to Honoo. "If you see—" Honoo paused in mid-rasp, his expression suddenly sullen and his flaming mohawk shrunk. He looked over his shoulder to the horizon, in the direction of the Land of Fire. Kayaku, ever-observant, followed suit as well. The grimmest silence fell between them.
General Honoo had always felt the rays of the King's power radiating from the palace like a blazing sun. No matter how far his troops traveled the general could always sense the King's presence in the horizon. Suddenly, it was gone. Honoo knew what it meant, he just never thought it was possible. Gradually, Honoo gathered his thoughts once more and ordered Kayaku to not release his pet, "Send the word that we surrender, instead. Retreat your forces, Kayaku, as I will mine. It is done."
General Kayaku merely nodded in agreement, needing no further explanation to why the drastic change in command. Kayaku left to prepare to fire the signal flares for surrender.
Honoo charged down the hill, his sights set on reaching his second-in-command. Surely, his soldiers would disbelieve the order at first. To surrender when victory was so close at hand? They would think Honoo had gone mad. But no. General Honoo was a demon who lived war. He knew how to start one, how to fight honorably, and knew how and when to bow out nobly out of war. The King was dead. This campaign to control the Makai was the King's will, not Honoo's. And with the King dead, Honoo had no one to serve and no reason to continue the war with honor. Let the master's dreams and plans die with him, that's what Honoo believed.
And so it would be done.
-o-
Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara ran and ran without looking back or certain where they were going, in truth. Their desire to escape carried their feet to wherever it seemed safest or farthest from the palace, which really was the same destination. They stopped only when they could not run any more and where the ground did not rumble beneath their steps. Pausing and resting for a moment, standing on an outcrop of a distant hill, they watched the sparse ruins of the palace and the corpse of the King sink forever into the massive molten crater of lava.
"So that's it," Kuwabara muttered, breaking the long silence between the three boys, as Hiei was still hibernating.
"Yep, the good guys win again," Yusuke grumbled, closed his eyes, and turned away from the vibrant red glow of the crater through the blackness. Kuwabara and Kurama followed suit not long after.
From where they were standing, the crater looked like an open bleeding scab yet to heal and, truthfully, it hurt just the same. But like Kuwabara said, that was it. They were alive. The four of them had survived another ordeal, done everything to almost get themselves killed, but somehow ended up surviving anyway.
And they were ready to get the hell out of there and go home.
"Okay," Yusuke drew in a deep, cleansing breath and slowly exhaled. "Let's go. Kurama, let Kuwabara take Hiei, and you lean on me."
To Yusuke and Kuwabara's surprise, as Kuwabara moved to take Hiei and Yusuke presented his arm for Kurama to lean on, the fox maneuvered out of both boys' ways and shook his head no.
"I appreciate the offer, Yusuke, but I must decline. I have Hiei and I am not about to let go of him any time soon," Kurama assured.
Kuwabara raised a brow. "Y'sure? You're not lookin' too good… I'm not sensin' you got much energy left either."
And that was the truth. Kurama, though his physical injuries consisted of a few minor burns and several gashes and in comparison to Yusuke for instance, was not as heavily wounded, but Kuwabara could see in his demeanor and eyes that he was more ragged, worn, and dragged through hell than the rest of them, save Hiei. And Kurama was not emitting any spirit energy. His levels were obviously too low for even the ultra-sensitive senses of Kuwabara to perceive.
Facing Kuwabara, Kurama wore a tired smile. "Thank you for your concern, but what energy of mine that remains will suffice." And the fox walked on without another word, carrying Hiei cradled in his arms.
Kuwabara turned to Yusuke and both boys stared at the other uncertain and unconvinced by Kurama's assurances. But Kurama made his choice clear. He would not accept help from anyone. So, doing what they could, both boys walked behind their friend and ally and watched him carefully.
A mile later, just as they knew he would, Kurama collapsed, and Yusuke and Kuwabara caught him. Finally getting their chance to repay the two demons for the return from Maze Castle, Kuwabara took Hiei and Yusuke supported Kurama's unconscious body, and continued on homebound.