A.N. I'm sorry, everyone. I truly am. I haven't been ok, but I'm back on a strict schedule now.
I know I normally respond to reviews, and I will in the next chapter, but I don't have the emotional capacity to do so this time. Again, I apologise.
Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 6: Not Your Fault
The wait was agonising.
While Hinageshi flicked through the pages of her books, Kurama held Sakura's hand, hoping to feel another sign of consciousness. There was none, but the room was alive with tension. A shared, silent wish for a miracle, for an answer.
Botan knelt a little behind Yusuke and rested a hand on his shoulder. Though he didn't respond verbally, his gratitude rang loud and clear when he reached up and placed his hand over hers. Botan gently squeezed his shoulder.
You're not alone, Yusuke. We're all in this together.
She looked around the room as discreetly as possible, gauging everyone's status. Mitari, Kaito and Yana had left the room on some mysterious errand, and naturally Hiei was nowhere in sight, but everyone else was in there for the long haul.
Genkai sat cross-legged in the corner, face serene and eyes closed in meditation. Behind her, Koenma was still in his teen form, but appeared to be shrinking into the wall in a feeble attempt to hide his guilt.
Shizuru remained on the other side of the room, arms locked around a distraught Keiko, while Yukina leaned up against Kuwabara, whose tensed muscles showed he was on high alert for any sign of trouble.
Finally, Botan stole a glance at Kurama. And exactly as she expected, he remained solely focused on Sakura, not speaking, not moving, not taking his gaze off her for a moment. Botan wondered if he was even allowing himself to breathe.
Thud.
Hinageshi closed her third book and added it to the growing discard pile. She rummaged in her bag, muttering to herself.
"Any luck so far?" Kuwabara asked.
"Not yet, but I think I'm getting close," Hinageshi said. "At least we can rule out the standard curses, though. And after I check this," she nodded down at the next book she'd selected, "we can probably rule out curses entirely."
"So what does that leave us with?" Shizuru asked. "There has to be an explanation for why she's like this."
"There's always an explanation, and we'll find it," Hinageshi said. "Like I said earlier, curses are simplistic at their core. They're usually designed for a sole purpose, usually attack or sabotage. But those marks…"
Hinageshi trailed off, and the tension in the room rose.
"What about them?" Genkai asked.
"Their positioning," Hinageshi said. "It's…calculated."
"What do you mean?" Kuwabara asked.
"Well, look at where they are. On her chest, right across her heart. That's not a coincidence."
Kurama's heart skipped a beat.
No.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Yusuke demanded.
Hinageshi hesitated before saying, "Whoever was behind this wanted the effects to be immediate. And severe."
Several people gasped. Yusuke looked at Sakura, then back at Hinageshi.
"That doesn't make any sense! She was fine before! Well, not fine, but she wasn't in a damn coma! If these markings were meant to work so fast, then why didn't we see any sign of it when we found her?"
"I have several theories," Hinageshi said. "And it's also more evidence that this isn't a simple curse. They tend to take immediate effect. But more complex spells can have a delayed activation, where the effects lie dormant until being triggered by something."
"Like what?" Keiko asked with a sniffle.
"Almost anything, really. Injuries, exhaustion, emotional overload, even certain words. And…there's also the possibility that whoever did this never intended the marks to activate at all."
Jaws dropped around the room.
"So what are you saying? That these were just for show?" Kuwabara gasped.
"More like they could have been placed there as a warning," Hinageshi said. "A threat of harm, to frighten her into submission. A contingency plan, if you will."
Kurama growled.
"That would certainly fit the pattern," Genkai nodded. "Something meant to incapacitate her gradually if things went wrong. It would be a perfect way to ensure she couldn't resist, or recover."
An icy chill started to radiate from Kurama.
That filth…
But, it made sense. A curse would have been too simple. Too kind for the likes of Haruki. No, this was something else – something intricate, and far more sinister.
If she hasn't been cursed, then what did that monster do to her?
A spell? Some kind of twisted ritual? He had no idea.
"Of course, we're only speculating for now!" Botan said quickly when she saw Kurama's face. "There's no sense in panicking until we have a concrete answer, right?"
"Exactly," Genkai said from the corner. "So both of you boys need to stay calm and let Hinageshi work."
Yusuke looked as though he was on the verge of punching something again, and Kurama's death glare had just landed on Koenma, when Keiko started crying.
"This…can't be…happening. It just…can't…Kura, I'm sorry, I wasn't…"
Fresh guilt swept over Keiko. She could hear it all over again – the shattering glass, the resounding bang, Sakura's desperate scream for help…had that really only been yesterday?
I should have been there.
If she'd managed to get the door open…if she'd accompanied Sakura to her bedroom in the first place…
"I was right there…" Keiko sobbed. "I should have gone with her…I…"
Yusuke immediately made his way to her. "Keiko, look at me."
She reluctantly met his eyes. "Yusuke, I'm sorry, I –"
With a firm shake of his head, he took her face in his hands. "No, Keiko. This is not your fault. Not a chance."
"I was there, Yusuke. I…I was close. I couldn't get the door open in time…if I hadn't left her alone, if I'd been with her –"
"Keiko, if you'd been with Kura, that freak would have done God-knows-what to you," Kuwabara said. "You didn't see how crazy he was. You could never have stopped him from taking her."
"Exactly," Yusuke said. "And Kura's not gonna blame you either. Don't torture yourself, ok?"
Keiko gave a feeble nod. "I know, but…"
She dissolved into tears again.
"Alright, kid, come on," Shizuru said. "You need some air."
She pulled Keiko to her feet and guided her to the door as Mitari entered. He took one look at Keiko and opened his mouth to ask if she was alright, when Shizuru shook her head.
Mitari clamped his lips and stepped aside to let the girls through, then asked, "Master Genkai, how is Miss Kura?"
"The same," Genkai said. "Unresponsive, but she seems to be stable enough."
"Don't worry, I'm working on it," Hinageshi piped up. "It's just a matter of time. I'll find the answers soon."
Mitari's face fell, but he nodded. "Listen, I know it's not much, but we – Mr Kaito, Mr Yana and me – we've made ramen for everyone. It's out in the kitchen, all ready for you."
"For real?" Kuwabara said.
"Yes; please, come and get a bowl."
Kuwabara got up, but then he looked at Sakura and hesitated. Tempting as it was, the idea of eating felt almost wrong, given her condition.
"Go on," Genkai said. "We've got things under control here. No sense in neglecting your stomach."
Nearly everyone started getting to their feet. Kuwabara motioned to Yusuke.
"Come on, guys. Let's get some food."
Yusuke glanced at Kurama, then said, "Nah, it's fine. I'll have some later."
"Don't be stupid, Urameshi. You haven't eaten since yesterday."
"Doesn't matter," Yusuke said, though his growling stomach told a different story. "I'm staying here."
"As am I," Kurama said.
An awkward silence followed as Yusuke took up his position at Sakura's bedside.
"You can come straight back once you grab a bowl," Kuwabara tried again. "It's not like you have to —"
The muscles in Kurama's arm flexed as he gripped Sakura's hand a little tighter.
"No."
Kuwabara flinched, and fell silent. It seemed the discussion was over, but then…
"Actually, it's probably best if you do step out."
Every head snapped towards Hinageshi, but to their surprise, she wasn't looking at them. Her now-hardened gaze was firmly fixed on the book in her lap.
"Come again?" Yusuke said.
Hinageshi's grip on her book tightened ever so slightly. "I said it's fine for you to go get some food, fresh air. It'll help me concentrate."
She carefully marked her page and leaned in to examine the markings on Sakura's body. Her brow creased as she drummed her fingers on the book cover.
"...Hinageshi?" Yukina prompted.
Hinageshi didn't answer, nor did her expression give anything away. Her hand hovered over Sakura's chest, tracing one of the symbols in the air as if afraid to make contact.
"What is it?" Kurama asked.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure yet," Hinageshi said with a frown. "But…"
Her eyes travelled to the ring on Sakura's left hand, then back to the markings.
Something isn't right.
She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something eerie about the ring that made her skin crawl, almost like it was whispering to her.
"What's happening?" Yusuke asked. "What's wrong?"
Hinageshi shook her head. "I don't have a concrete answer, but if I'm going to confirm anything, I need to focus. You should go eat."
"That can wait," Kurama growled. "Kura is more important."
"It's fine," Hinageshi said. "I've got it under control."
"I am not leaving her!"
"Very well," Botan said. "So, which one of you will it be? I'm certainly not going to do it."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Yusuke asked.
"Which one of you wants to be the one to tell Sakura how you didn't take care of yourselves?" Botan asked. "It's up to you, but I can already hear her wrath."
Yusuke and Kurama stared at her.
"Don't look at me like that. When she wakes up and finds out you haven't eaten or slept, you know how she'll react. And there is no way any of us are going to take the heat. So which of you boys will have that pleasure?"
Yusuke froze. Kurama's eyes narrowed.
"Think about it," Botan continued. "You're worried. We all are. But running on empty isn't going to help her. Letting Hinageshi work will. You know that."
Kurama clutched Sakura's hand a little tighter and said, "I can handle it."
"Kurama," Hinageshi locked eyes with him. "I know this is difficult for you, but I need some space to work this out, and it'll be easier for me to do that if I don't have you two hovering over her. So please, give me some time on my own. Go eat something. It's fine to leave for a few minutes. She's stable enough."
"Oh yeah? And what if she has another episode while we're gone?" Yusuke asked. "I'm the only one who can–"
"If she does, then I'll deal with it," Hinageshi said firmly. "And if I can't, I'll call for you."
Kurama's jaw clenched.
"Give me fifteen minutes," Hinageshi said. "Just fifteen minutes. That's all I ask."
"Fifteen minutes?" Yusuke took a deep breath. "OK, fine. But we're coming right back."
"Indeed," Kurama closed his eyes. "And if I so much as suspect anything is wrong…"
"Of course," Yukina said.
Kurama forced himself to let go of Sakura and headed for the door with Yusuke.
As soon as their backs were turned, Hinageshi glanced at Botan and Yukina. They met her eyes, and read the message loud and clear.
Stay.
Hinageshi waited til the three of them were alone before she motioned for Botan and Yukina to come closer.
"This ring. Can you tell me what the story is?"
Everyone else followed Mitari to the kitchen, where the delicious scent of broth and noodles called to them. Inside, Keiko sipped from a mug of steaming tea while Shizuru gently rubbed her back.
"That's it, sweetheart. Just take deep breaths."
Yana stirred a giant soup pot on the stove, and Kaito had just finished setting the table. He looked up as they entered and gave a rare smile.
"Well, that's excellent timing. Have a seat, everyone."
"Don't need to tell me twice," Kuwabara said, and took his place at the table. Koenma, Mitari, and Genkai followed suit. But Yusuke and Kurama hovered near the doorway, clearly listening for any sign of trouble from Sakura's room.
Genkai's sharp glare landed on them. "That's enough, you two. Come and eat."
Kurama didn't move. Neither did Yusuke.
"You heard what Hinageshi said," Genkai reminded them. "If something happens, she'll handle it. Sit down."
Yusuke looked back at the door.
"I'm not going to ask again," Genkai growled. "Sit down. Now."
Yusuke flinched. "Alright, alright, I get it," he muttered. "But if anything happens in there—"
"She's in good hands, dimwit. You know that. Get your ass over here. Both of you."
Slowly, reluctantly, Yusuke and Kurama trudged over to the table where Kaito set bowls of ramen in front of them.
"That's better," Genkai said. "Now shut up and eat."
Kurama picked up his chopsticks and took his first mouthful. Immediately, a small sense of relief hit him. The heat, the flavours, the noodles cooked to perfection…he hadn't realised how much he needed this nourishment. They all did.
Kurama took another bite and allowed himself to savour the meal. The tender pork belly, earthen bamboo shoots, fresh green onions, miso. It grounded him, at least a little.
For a while, they all ate in silence, except for the clinking of chopsticks and the occasional hushed word of gratitude. Kuwabara had just scraped his second bowl clean when Yana cleared his throat.
"So, uh…" he poked around at his noodles. "How's Kura doing?"
All movement around the room ceased.
Kurama's hands trembled slightly, but he answered, "She's stable for now, but still unresponsive."
Yana's face fell. "Damn."
"Hinageshi is working on it," Genkai said. "I'm confident she'll figure it out soon."
"Yeah, and then we've got another problem," Yusuke muttered. "Fixing whatever that freak did to her."
"We will," Shizuru said. "There's always a solution. Always."
"Right," Yana shivered. "Sorry, it's just …I keep thinking about that bonus round. God, he was insane…"
Kuwabara looked up. "That's the nice way of saying it, pal. Trust me."
"Oh, I believe it, man. What Sakura must have gone through…I mean, can you imagine being stuck with him?"
Kurama's fist clenched around his chopsticks.
"I don't wanna know," Kuwabara scowled. "But the bastard got what he deserved. Pity we couldn't have made him suffer more, but the hottest part of hell should sort that out."
"Hell is too good for that nutcase," Yusuke said. "He'd be getting off easy."
"At least he's gone," Koenma said. "It doesn't change what happened, but she's safe. He can't hurt her ever again–"
Kurama stood up. The table fell silent.
Kurama fixed his icy glare on Koenma, who recoiled. No words were exchanged, but everyone heard Kurama's meaning as if he'd shouted it.
This never should have happened. It would never have happened if you'd done your job.
After a few moments of deadly quiet, Kurama headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Genkai called after him. "You know Hinageshi asked for time alone."
"I am quite aware of that," Kurama said without turning around. "In the meantime, there is a phone call I have to make."
"You're going to call your Mom?" Kuwabara asked.
"Correct. She's anxiously waiting for news. I will be back shortly."
He shut the door behind him.
Botan and Yukina exchanged a look. Neither knew where to begin.
"The ring? Well…to be honest, we don't know much," Botan said. "We weren't actually there."
"Then tell me what you do know. The smallest detail could change everything."
Yukina hesitated before saying, "Kurama only told me that Haruki forced it on Kura."
"Haruki?" Hinageshi said. "Isn't he the one who abducted her?"
"Yes, that's right," Botan said. "One of Sensui's minions. I told you before how he was completely obsessed with Sakura, but that's the understatement of the century. Haruki was trying to force her into some kind of sick marriage. So this must be his idea of an…engagement ring."
Hinagesh's jaw dropped. "You mean he actually—?!"
"I'm afraid so," Botan shuddered. "And that's not all. He…well, just look."
She pointed across the room. Hinageshi stared at the pale blue silk dress folded neatly in the corner. Her stomach twisted when she understood what Botan meant.
Oh, Sakura. What did they do to you?
Swallowing her disgust, Hinageshi forced herself to speak calmly. "And you can't take this ring off?"
"We tried," Yukina said. "It won't budge."
Hinageshi's eyes hardened as she opened her book again.
"I thought so. It's all about control."
Shiori stirred. Someone was gently shaking her shoulder.
"Shiori? Shiori, dear?"
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Kazuya? What is it? What happened?"
"Shuichi's on the phone, dear. He has an update."
Shiori jumped out of bed, hurried downstairs and put the phone on speaker.
"Shuichi?"
"Hello, Mother. I'm sorry for waking you."
"Don't be silly," Shiori sat down as Kazuya joined her. "Listen, you're on speaker. What's happening there? Is Sakura alright?"
Shuichi took a deep breath. "I'm afraid she's not in a good way."
Shiori's heart sank. "What do you mean?"
"I haven't been able to see her yet; she's still with the medical staff. But we've been told that she's unconscious and has suffered multiple injuries."
"Oh no," Shiori pressed a hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
Kazuya rubbed her back and asked, "Shuichi, is it serious?"
"To the best of my knowledge, her condition is serious, but stable," Shuichi said. "The most recent update we received is that the doctors are going to run a toxicology test. They…believe that she was heavily drugged."
Shiori gave a choked sob. Kazuya put his arm around her.
"Oh, Shuichi, I'm so sorry. That's just terrible," he said. "How are you holding up? What about Yusuke?"
"Under the circumstances, we're handling things about as well as can be expected," Shuichi sighed. "And Yusuke is being interviewed again by the detectives. There's still so much we don't know. But she's safe, and she's in good hands. That's what matters."
"Yes, of course," Shiori managed to say. "But it's still awful. Just awful."
"I'm sorry that I don't have better news," Shuichi said. "But still…I wanted to let you know."
"No, you can always call us, dear. If there's anything we can do, anything at all, then you ring us immediately."
"Thank you, mother. And thank you, Kazuya. I'm afraid I have to go, but hopefully I'll have a more positive update soon."
"We're hoping the same, son," Kazuya said.
Shuichi hung up, and Shiori let her tears fall.
Kurama put the phone down and leaned his forehead against the wall.
He hated this. Hated everything about this whole, wretched, nightmarish situation. The lies. The helplessness. The uncertainty. Seeing his precious flower so terribly injured.
What did that monster do to her?
"You ok, Fox Boy?"
Kurama looked over his shoulder at Yusuke. "Not really, but I imagine you aren't either."
"Yeah, can't argue with you on that one," Yusuke said. "So, you called your mom?"
"I did."
"And you're sticking with the same story you told her?"
"Of course."
"Right," Yusuke looked at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what I'm going to say to my Mom. Of course, she might be too wasted to listen. Guess we'll see."
"I suppose we will."
They stood in the heavy silence for a moment as Yusuke hesitated.
"Listen, Kurama, I…about before…" he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I was out of line."
Kurama nodded. "I think it's best if we take this conversation outside."
Yusuke swallowed. "Yeah, we should. Don't wanna break anything else."
As Hinageshi began to rifle through her book again, Botan could no longer contain herself.
"You know what these marks are, don't you?"
Hinageshi froze.
"What are they, Hinageshi?" Botan asked again. "You know something."
Hinageshi hesitated, then said, "No, I don't."
Botan's eyes narrowed. "Don't lie. You know. How bad is it?"
"Botan, I…I don't know for sure," Hinageshi muttered. "I only think I do."
"Hinageshi, if you think you know, then just tell us," Yukina said. "It might help us figure out what's going on."
As Yukina leaned forward, Hinageshi snapped her book shut so neither of them could see what she was reading.
"I can't say. I don't know for sure, and I'm not going to leap to a worst case scenario without solid evidence."
Botan bit her lip. She didn't know what to say.
"You asked about the ring," Yukina said. "Do you think it's got something to do with her condition?"
"It might," Hinageshi said. "There's some things I've heard of…spells, different kinds of metal, and if that ring is linked to these markings…"
She trailed off. Botan and Yukina exchanged another look.
"So what now?" Botan asked. "We can't just sit here. There has to be something we can do."
"There's a test I can do, a talisman that would see if my theory is on the right track," Hinageshi said. "But I'm afraid to try it. She's simply too weak right now. I don't want to risk making things worse, especially if I'm wrong. She needs to heal more first."
"But she's not healing," Yukina said. "Her body isn't responding to our powers."
Hinageshi nodded. "And ultimately, that's the biggest obstacle right now."
"So…in order to help her heal, we need to help her heal first?" Botan groaned.
"Basically, yes," Hinageshi said. "If we could just get her body to respond to treatment, even a little…"
Botan buried her face in her hands. "But it's like Yukina said. She's resisting all healing powers. And even if we set that aside, there's all her internal injuries, and she's lost so much blood…"
Just as despair threatened to choke them, the door creaked open.
"Hey, guys."
Yukina looked up. "Kazuma?"
Kuwabara stepped in, carrying a tray of ramen bowls. "I know you've got your hands full with Kura, but I figured you could do with some food, too."
"You didn't have to do that," Hinageshi began, but Kuwabara shook his head.
"Nah, nobody can think straight on an empty stomach. Gotta keep your strength up."
He set the tray down. "Come on, it's still hot."
Botan and Hinageshi took their bowls right away, but Yukina stayed where she was.
"Yukina? Your ramen's ready," Kuwabara said.
"Just a minute, Kazuma. I'll…be right there."
Yukina blinked her tears away before they could crystallise and took Sakura's hand. If only there was something more she could do.
Why weren't her healing skills enough this time? What was going on inside Sakura's body? What were they missing?
Oh, Kura. Please hold on.
"Kuwabara," Hinageshi swallowed her mouthful. "I'm wondering…while you were in Sensui's lair, did you see or hear anything? About Kura, I mean."
Kuwabara tensed. "Not really. That nutcase kept her in some kind of den, separate from the rest of the cave. I heard her screaming a couple of times…felt some crazy energy spikes, but those jerks wouldn't tell me anything. And I…"
His voice caught in his throat. The girls saw tears come to his eyes.
"It's not your fault, Kuwabara," Botan said gently. "None of it is your fault."
He nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's just…it's just that I wanted to do something. She was so close, and I couldn't help her."
"Kazuma, it's alright," Yukina said. "It's like Yusuke said to Keiko. Kura's not going to blame you for anything. You know that."
Kuwabara nodded and wiped his eyes. "I guess what I'm saying is that she's like a little sister to me, you know? Even if we aren't related by blood, we're still family, in a way. All of us. And I can't help feeling like I let her down. Like I let everyone down. Urameshi, Kurama, all of them."
While Botan reassured Kuwabara, Yukina looked back at Sakura.
He's right.
They were a family, regardless of genetics. A family formed through love instead of blood…
Wait.
Yukina's eyes widened.
"Hinageshi, I've just thought of something," Botan was saying. "Maybe we're looking at this from the wrong angle. She's half human, half demon — yokai to you — and that might mean—"
"Wait a moment."
Yukina whipped her head around. "Kazuma, what did you just say?"
Kuwabara blinked. "Uh…I let everyone down?"
"No, before that," Yukina urged. "About family? You feel like Sakura is your little sister? Even though you aren't related by blood?"
He nodded, looking thoroughly confused. "That's right."
Yukina looked at Sakura, then back at the others. A spark came to her eyes.
"That's it!"
The cool evening breeze whispered around Yusuke and Kurama as they made their way through the garden. Cicadas chirped, birds twittered.
"So…any idea where Hiei's gone?" Yusuke asked.
"He's close by," Kurama said. "You might say he prefers sentry duty."
Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Sentry duty?"
"Watching for any danger, such as Spirit World agents. Keeping an eye on the situation, so to speak. It's his way of contributing."
Yusuke swallowed hard. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
They turned the corner and arrived at the koi pond. This spot would afford privacy, but was close enough to the house that they could immediately return at the first sign of trouble.
And of course, far away from breakable objects.
Yusuke looked up at the deep lavender sky, streaked with pink and gold in the rapidly fading sunset. A crescent moon had risen, and he could see the first glimmers of starlight.
Beside him, Kurama stared into the pond and watched the fish swim around. They both knew the conversation ahead would be difficult, and neither spoke immediately.
Yusuke ran a hand through his wild hair. He didn't know where to start, or what he was supposed to say. Especially considering how their last conversation had gone.
I'm no good at this kind of thing.
To his relief, it was Kurama who broke the silence. "So, Yusuke…"
"I know. I screwed up. Again," Yusuke cut in. "And I'm really sorry. I was a total idiot, and you—"
Kurama held up his hand. "I know. And I'm glad to hear it."
Yusuke nodded. "I…I was angry, Fox Boy. And I'm scared. She's my sister and I can't do anything for her right now. None of us can," he sighed. "I guess I lost it."
"We both did," Kurama said. "And you are far from alone in your feelings."
"Yeah. For sure."
The weight of everything began to settle over them. But just as Kurama opened his mouth to continue, they heard footsteps racing down the hall. The door slid open and a breathless Yukina hurried out.
"Yusuke…Kurama…listen…"
The boys immediately jolted to attention.
"Yukina, what is it?" Kurama asked. "Has something happened to Kura?"
Yukina shook her head. "No, not at all. I have an idea."
Yusuke and Kurama glanced at each other.
"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked.
Yukina looked up at them. The faintest glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes as she said. "I think I know a way to help Sakura."
A.N. A spark of hope! What is Yukina's plan? And will it work?
The next chapter is short, and I'll have it out next week. Once more, I am so sorry for my long delay for this chapter. Truly.
Stay safe, stay awesome. We'll see you soon.
Rosentic xx
