The next chapter is up and ready to go! Again, sorry for the delay. I wish I could turn life off and just write, but alas, I cannot. One day…maybe.
ALSO: This is one chapter closer to the end, which could mean the next chapter is the final chapter or there may be two chapters left depending on how I divide them. I wish I could continue it forever, but all things must end and I do not want to drag it out. That would be awful! I am working on some other fanfics so please stay tuned.
And now the beginning of the end…
In Mukuro's Territory…
The group arrived at the temple and was greeted by Mukuro at the gates.
"I have medics waiting in the palace. Take him there," she said firmly, seeing the injured young boy in Hatorra's arms.
Hatorra didn't have the strength to respond and headed into the palace silently. Mukuro, Kat and the kids followed behind her. She walked into the palace and the medics stepped forward with a stretcher.
"Please set him here," a soft spoken medic spoke up.
Risa stared at him uneasily before setting the boy down carefully.
"Hideki!" a soft voice yelled and Hatorra's head snapped up.
Keiko came running down the halls with Kuwabara and Yukina behind her.
"Mom! Dad!" Yuki yelled and ran to them quickly.
He was in their arms in seconds. Hatorra felt relief flood her body. They had made it to the palace safely. Keiko brushed back Hideki's hair as he lay on the stretcher.
"He'll be fixed in no time. The rehabilitation tank is ready to go. Wounds like this will only take several minutes to heal," Mukuro tried to comfort her.
And it worked. Her words eased everyone's mind.
"Thank you Hatorra," Keiko said grabbing the wolf demon's hand tightly and squeezing.
"Thank you so much," she whispered.
Hatorra smiled and squeezed it back gently.
"No need for that Keiko," she said quietly and Keiko followed the medics with Hideki down the hall.
Yukina held Yuki close and turned to her sister-in-law.
"I'll take the children and begin healing their wounds. There minor, but it's better that they don't have them," she smiled and Hatorra hugged her tightly.
It had been a while since the ice maiden was back to her normal self.
"I'll go with you," Kat said following Yukina and the kids.
Kasei grabbed Hatorra's hand.
"Mom, come," she said softly and Hatorra smiled.
"You go, I'll catch up," she said and Kasei nodded and followed the others.
Hatorra turned to Kuwabara and Mukuro.
"Have you heard anything?" she asked weakly.
Mukuro shook her head.
"Not for some time now. But I will check again," she said heading off into another room.
Kuwabara and Hatorra stood in silence for a moment.
"How did you get here?" Hatorra asked suddenly.
Kuwabara shook his head.
"It wasn't by choice," he huffed and Hatorra frowned.
"What do you mean?" she asked confused.
"I woke up here with Keiko and Yukina. Someone brought us here. The last I remember was a bright light, a deafening sound, and then the floor fell out from under me in the palace. I was next to Yukina at the time. That's it. Then I woke up and I was here. I tried to go back out to find you guys and the kids...but Mukuro...well you know how she is," he said and Hatorra chuckled.
"Yes I do," she nodded.
"So we waited. And not patiently," he said shaking his head.
"I'm glad it was you who found them all Torra. It's not that I don't think the others would have been fine with them, but I've seen you with them all before…" he trailed off and Hatorra realized what he was saying.
"The tapes of our old future…" she murmured and he nodded.
"That was all I could think about, all I kept telling myself. If Hatorra finds them then they'll be alright," he said as if preparing a mantra.
"And then you showed up…with the kids. I was relieved and yet not so surprised. I know the lengths you'd go to protect them. Know that I would go those lengths as well," he said and she nodded quickly.
"I know that Kuwabara. Trust me," she whispered watching the front door.
"You think they're okay?" he asked and Hatorra didn't take her eyes off the door.
"I don't know I can't get a link of any of them. Either way...we need to discuss something," she said turning to him.
Kuwabara's eyes widened seeing a dangerous look in her eyes.
"I'm listening," he said uneasily.
"I think we should plan our next move and I'd like it to be our final," she said and his eyes bulged.
"Torra..." he whispered stunned.
"I'm done messing around. He's playing with us and it's time we put an end to it," she snapped angrily.
Kuwabara stared at her shocked.
"What are you thinking?" he asked after a short pause.
"Infiltration and complete annihilation," she said without hesitation.
"Destroy everything?" he gasped.
"And watch it burn," she said and Kuwabara sweat dropped.
She resembled her mate in that moment.
"How would we do that? You and Kat are pregnant and the guys, we don't even know—"
Suddenly, the doors to the palace flew open and medics came running in.
"Lord Mukuro! We have them! We need to get them into the tank now! They're in really bad shape!" a medic yelled.
Hatorra's eyes widened and she ran over to the medics.
"Hiei?" she yelled seeing her mate lying on one of the stretchers.
He wasn't moving, his hand dangled lifelessly off the side causing her to panic.
"He's still breathing," Misa said firmly.
Hatorra glanced at Misa before looking back at Hiei. Yusuke's head medic was cut up and bloody, but alive.
"I got them all breathing again. But we need those tanks!" she yelled to another medic.
Mukuro walked up to them her eye wide.
"Take them into the room and have them prepped for the tanks immediately," she said firmly.
Hatorra followed seeing Yusuke and Kurama also being taken back. They're wounds were deep and they were also unconscious. Kat came out and covered her mouth.
"Kurama!"
She rushed over to him quickly. The kids peeked out from the room. Kasei's eyes were wide with terror. All their eyes were.
"Go back in the room and wait for us!" Hatorra snapped and they all rushed into the room closing the door.
She walked into the room with the rehabilitation tanks and watched as the three men were put in. She saw that Hideki was out and awake in his mother's arms. Her eyes widened seeing her husband brought in. Hideki pulled away from her.
"Dad!" he yelled panicked.
"Let them put him in the tank Hideki. The faster they do that, the faster they have to heal," Hatorra said firmly and Hideki stopped and watched.
When the three men were set up, Hatorra looked to Hideki.
"They're going to be a while," she said and headed for the kids room.
Hideki followed while Keiko stood in the room watching Yusuke get prepped for the tank.
"Aunt Torra wait up!" he caught up with her.
Hatorra stared straight ahead as she walked. She was on a mission, he knew. They walked into the room where all the kids sat waiting. Hideki was greeted warmly by them, Kasei kissing his cheek a little too passionately for her mother's taste. Hideki now had a permanent blush planted on his face.
"You all said you wanted in on this fight, that you wanted to help, right?" she asked and they nodded quickly.
"Well as you saw, our fighters, your dads our hurt pretty bad and though I have every confidence they will live, we can no longer continue waiting," she continued.
"We need to strike," Daisuke said and Hatorra nodded.
"And you want our help? You're having a baby Aunt Torra," Yuki said fearfully.
Hatorra nodded again.
"Yes, but what good is bringing a baby into a world like this?" she whispered and their eyes lowered sadly.
"You're strong individuals in your own right, but as a group you could grow to be unstoppable. If we strike and are able to cut off the head of this beast, then the rest of the body won't know what to do," she said.
"Kill Shura and his army are without a leader," Kasei whispered and Hatorra nodded again.
"What do you need us to do?" Hideki said determined.
Hatorra smiled weakly. Was she doing the right thing?
"I need to know you four can work together as a team," she started.
"I need to know that you're ready for this. I need you to know that there will be a lot of blood and death and I need you to be okay with that. I need you to understand that there is a possibility that people will die on both sides," she said quickly.
They tried to hold their brave faces together. Hatorra's eyes softened.
"Courage isn't about being brave. It's about being nervous and doing it anyway," she said and they seemed to relax a bit.
"We're ready," Kasei said firmly and Hatorra smiled at her.
"Then follow me," she said and held her finger up to her lips.
The kids followed her out of the room quietly. They headed down the hall and turned almost bumping right into Mukuro.
"And where are all of you going?" she asked and Hatorra tensed.
"I'm taking them to see their dads," Hatorra lied.
Mukuro smirked and pulled out a small bag from her pocket.
"Then you'll want to take this with you, in case of an emergency only," she said and Hatorra stared at the mechanical demon lord.
She held out her hand and Mukuro dropped the small pouch into it.
"Use it wisely and I'd hurry up and make that visit...before the others show up," she whispered and walked off.
"She knows," Daisuke whispered.
Hatorra nodded.
"And she's letting us go, so come on," she said and they ran out into the open.
Did you like it? Probably only two chapters remain so please keep reviewing! You guys have been spectacular! I adore all of you!