Second to last chapter! I can't believe i'm gonna finish this story, man, it's been such a long time. Well continuing with another one of my rants.
Naota, I feel especially close to her as a writer because this was my first fanfic that I have re dreamed several times and she went through a lot of incarnations. Finally I settled on her, she grew as a character, I realize that as a child she couldn't really express herself but as an adult she finally was able to get out of her shell and be someone, Yasu really made her like that. I don't know whether people liked her or not, maybe I couldn't really express her as a character but I'm happy the way she is.
Shuichi, I rewatched YYH to make sure I got his character down but I still feel like there could be more to his character. I realize that both Naota and him have always had a real hard time to express their emotions, but Shuichi was always like that, especially in the Maya side story they had within the YYH manga. I'm pretty good with lovey gooey stuff but their relationship isn't like that, especially the hurdle that they have to come across with Shuichi being a demon, remember he's only living as a human shelled demon, he will eventually shed that and become fully demon again, eventually.
Ok enough of my ranting, here's the chapter!
"Shit, what the hell are we supposed to do!" Yusuke said, balling his hands into fists.
"We are no match for Akuma. If we even try to fight, we'll all be dead in a matter of minutes. It's best to take this chance to leave while we can." Hiei said.
"No way shorty, we can't leave Naota here to fight him, she'll die!" Kuwabara shouted.
"She has made her choice." Hiei said.
"You heartless bastard." Kuwabara gritted through her teeth.
"We're wasting time when we can be escaping now." Hiei said.
"I am not leaving." Yasu said. "I have a duty to uphold. I promised to protect her, if I die then so be it.
"I will also be staying." Shuichi said. "I won't leave her alone." Hiei scowled.
"Well, if you're not leaving Kurama, then looks like I need to stay too." Yusuke said.
"Grr, if you're staying Urameshi, then I gotta stay too. Who else is gonna deliver your body to your funeral?" Kuwabara said.
"Same goes for you." Yusuke laughed.
"You are all fools." Hiei said angrily.
"Well Hiei, you can still leave, you are the fastest." Yusuke said.
"Hmph, we better get out of this alive. If not, I'll kill you all." Hiei said through gritted teeth.
"Foolish." Akuma said, suddenly in front of them all. He summoned a black orb of energy and everyone knew they wouldn't be able to avoid it.
"Damn it!" Naota said, getting in front of them before the orb exploded. She panted heavily, her body covered in bruises and cuts, smoking from the blast. "What the hell guys! You should've left!"
"We are not leaving. None of us are." Shuichi said with finality. Naota bit her lip, and looked away. Shuichi heard her sniffed, he knew she was crying. He approached her and hugged her from behind.
"You're stupid." Naota sobbed.
"I know." Shuichi agreed.
"I have a plan, but it will be difficult to carry out." Yasu said. "We have no way to defeat him through strength alone, all of us combine will get us nowhere quickly, but there is only one attack that he is incapable of avoiding; my soul reaper attack."
"You're gonna try to get his soul? How will that work!" Yusuke shouted.
"He's done it before to me, to himself many times." Naota trusted.
"Yes, but unfortunately I spent most of my energy encasing Nobuko in a time sphere so she can attain sacred energy. I am very much spent. We only have only shot. Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, I'm gonna need you to give Naota a portion of your demon energy. With her arrows, she can strike it directly to me once I'm in range of my attack, but while she is gathering the energy, we will need a distraction." Yasu said.
"I'm good at getting my butt kicked!" Kuwabara said.
"We will join you once we are done." Shuichi said.
"Yea, don't keep me waiting long!" Kuwabara said, giving a battle shout and running towards Akuma.
"Hurry, we don't have a lot of time." Yasu said. One by one they gave Naota their energy. She found it hard to manage while the rest of the guys continued to go and fight. Yasu sneaked his way into the battle and got into position.
"Come on Naota, you can do this..." Naota tried to convince herself but the energy was going wild inside her body. "Come on!" Her arm spasmed wildly while she tried to summon the bow. She heard her friends screams as Akuma kept beating them out of their minds. "Come out already!" She finally steadied her arm and out came her bow. "Alright, time for the- ah!" A rebound happened and her arm got covered in lacerations. She watched how Akuma easily toyed with her friends lives, enjoying their pain, laughing at their misery.
"Why can't I do this!" Naota shouted.
'Because you need more training, after all this isn't your attack its mine.' Naota looked behind her and saw Nobuko appear.
'Nobuko.' Naota breathed out. Yasu finally got into position and jumped on Akuma's back, trying to force his soul out. "Yasu!" Naota shouted. She ran towards him, wanting do to something.
'And what could you do? You do not have the power to stop him.' Nobuko said, stopping her.
'Then what am I supposed to do? They're dying!' Naota said.
"Calm down and focus. The weapon is an extension of yourself, feel it and it will come to you." Nobuko said behind her.
Naota concentrated and reached out her hand, the bow came out.
"I will help you, string the energy together into one single line, that is your arrow." Nobuko explained. Naota got into position and nocked her bow, making sure it was tight.
"Naota! Now!" Yasu said, struggling.
"Enough!" Akuma yelled, pushing everyone back minus Naota. He grabbed Yasu by the throat, his eyes filled with blood lust. "Time to end you!" Yasu grabbed his sword and cut off Akuma's hand. His hand reached towards Akuma's chest.
"It is time. With this arrow it will take away most of your energy so you are not burdened by it later in life. Our time together was precious my child. I will miss you, but you are needed, not I." Nobuko said, her presence becoming fainter.
"Nobuko?" Naota whispered, letting her arrow go, straight towards Yasu. Once it pierced him, Yasu diverted the energy into himself and was able to pull apart at Akuma.
'There!' Yasu saw a bright orb and reached for it.
"No! I will not let you betray me again, you little whelp!" Akuma said, grabbing his wrist with his other hand. Yasu felt himself being deteriorated by Akuma's energy before he felt a presence with him. He strove harder and grabbed Akuma's soul, it scorched his whole arm. "No! I am reborn! I will not die here!"
"Yasu!" Naota screamed.
"Naota." Yasu whispered as he finally wrenched Akuma's soul from his heart. Without his soul, Akuma's body hardened and fell to the ground where it shattered into thousands of pieces. Yasu's body was scorched to high heaven, his clothes shredded beyond belief. He saw the soul still in hand and shattered it. Akuma was no more. "It's done." Yasu finally allowed himself to collapse.
"Yasu!" Naota screamed, running towards him, the rest trying to go to them as well. Yusuke threw Kuwabara's arm around him as they both limp towards Naota and Yasu. Shuichi and Hiei dragging themselves as well. Naota is sobbing uncontrollably, she feels his life energy draining. "Yasu, don't...you'll be fine...we just..." She sniffed loudly, trying to wipe her tears away.
"It's ok Naota. I have lived for far too long." Yasu said.
"No! You'll be ok! We, we just need...to...to heal you!" Naota said, as she began to hyperventilate.
"Naota, Naota, look at me." Yasu said, cupping her cheek. She let out a couple of hiccups and she grabbed his hand. Yasu chuckled. "Never, in my wildest dreams, that I believed I would be here in your arms."
"Is he...?" Yusuke whispered and Kuwabara nodded solemnly.
"I wish I could be with you always, but that cannot be. That last attack completely drained me, I cannot heal and no healing done to me will do any good." Yasu explained.
"B-but." Naota started and Yasu lightly shook his head.
"I have seen you grow from a child to the woman you are today. You have made wonderful friends, you have grown so strong and I was able to live through it all with you. I have no regrets. Kurama, you lowly fox, if you don't take care of her I swear I will rise up and kill you." Yasu said.
"I will hold you to your word." Shuichi said. Yasu sighed with relief and looked into Naota's eyes one final time.
'Ah, yes this is what I always wanted. The love in your eyes it's all I've ever needed.' Yasu thought.
"You are the one who's going to live with us?" Naota says uncertainly.
"Yep, my name is Yasu Akogi, very pleased to meet you Naota." Yasu says bowing to her and in respect she bowed lower.
"Take another shower and get a bandage on that cut, we might be a bit late, but that beats having to not go to school for a whole day. Don't worry, I'll make sure this is spotless." Yasu said, smiling softly at Naota.
"I'll sneak you out of here for your birthday. No one deserves your treatment on your special day."
"To think that I'm going to be leaving soon, it was very nice spending this time together Naota, to think that next time we meet, you're going to be 10."
"Yasu you're such a slave driver! Can't you let me rest for just a second?" Naota said.
"Nope, you're gonna get this right eventually keep training." Yasu said.
"Yasu, Koenma has chosen me to be spirit detective, will you stay with me?" Naota asked.
"That's a stupid question, I'm still here right?"
"I need you to protect Naota when I'm not here."
"How Inugami flirted with you? Of course." Yasu said, laughing. Naota grew a deeper red while Yusuke and Kuwabara shared confused looks.
"Kurama, listen to me well, I will tell you my story."
'Ah, to think everything has led up to this in the end. Do not mourn for me, a piece of me will always be with you Naota. I love you. Be well.' Yasu thought. His body began to shine as small orbs of energy began to dissipate from his body.
"Ah, no wait!" Naota said frantically, trying to grab the orbs, trying to hold on to Yasu, but it was too late, his body exploded into energy and his clothes left in her arms. All that was left was a small single orb of light. Naota held out her hands, and it landed in them, absorbed into her. As she felt his feelings, she put her face in her hands and sobbed.
"Damn bastard, had this all planned out, and didn't even get to say good bye." Yusuke said. A rumble from the distance came and they all looked towards it. It was Mukuro's moving fortress.
"Good timing." Hiei said, before fainting. Shuichi knelt beside Naota and patted her back.
It was over, Akuma was dead.
00000
Naota looked out to the landscape of demon world, getting tired of the red sky and constant lighting. After Mukuro got them, everyone slept for a day or more. Eventually they returned to the tournament, it continued after they left and they were almost seen as celebrities Unbeknownst to them a camera golem had followed them and filmed the entire fight with Akuma. Everyone knew the names of the Urameshi gang and of the current Detective pair.
Koenma had to go through serious convincing with his father that the situation was finally handled. It took a lot of pretty words and some serious spanking on Koenma to finally appease the ruler of spirit world. The 3 worlds are safe, Akuma is dead, Nobuko has finally vanished and Yasu is gone. Naota felt alone, the only family she has ever known is gone and a part of her felt missing.
'There's no arguing about it, I miss Yasu. If only I was stronger, then maybe this could have played out differently.' Naota thought. 'No, it probably wouldn't.' Naota sighed.
Shuichi looked at her from afar, she knew she was grieving Yasu's death, especially since Yasu transferred his feelings when he died. He started walking towards her and she noticed his presence.
"Hey Shuichi." Naota said, the bags under her eyes becoming very noticeable.
"Are you still thinking about Yasu?" Shuichi asked. Naota looked out the window, tearing up. 'Well now that was appropriate.' Shuichi thought sarcastically.
"Yea, he was always with me. He was my brother, my friend, the person who always looked out for me. It's because of him that I'm here today. I saw him at his worst, but I also saw him at his best. Although, I know it's gonna be tough to...go on without him. I miss him." Naota said, trying not to cry but failing. "I'm sorry." Shuichi hugged her and she sobbed in his chest. He rested his head on hers, letting her grieve. Naota wiped her tears once she finally calmed down. The rest of the gang saw them and said that it was time to go home. Shuichi held out his hand and Naota took it.
'I know, we'll see each other again. Bye Yasu, for now.'
All thats left is the epilogue, it'll come sometime within the next week!