Last Prayer for the Lost
by Falconrose
Heh. Basically its just yaoified.
Warning and comments: Ok so this is a deathfic. Very small language warning, and shounen-ai. Heh. Also, I guess it sorta contains spoilers from the end of the Sensui arc but after the first three sentences nothing follows what actually happened. Since I’ve been having problems getting my italics to show after I e-mailed this I’ve changed all “thoughts” to having double slashes like //this.// Even though I think its kinda jarring to look at ^_^’. Also, there’s been a little confusion about the flashback scene so I put a bunch of asterisks before and after it. I don’t want to give anything away, but just assume it’s the past if you see like 10 asterisks. Tanoshinde kudasai, minna-san.
Last Prayer for the Lost
Sensui’s body flew like a doll through the thick Makai air. He welcomed Yusuke’s blast with open arms, grasping at the pain and release. Yusuke squinted as Sensui was propelled farther and farther away. He threw his head back in laughter, and the demon markings on his face gave him the look of a deranged clown.
“Urameshi!!! What’s wrong with you?” Kuwabara raged, running to the cliff’s edge where Yusuke stood.
*
“Look at his eyes,” Hiei said softly, still breathing heavily from the battle with Sensui.
Kurama stood behind him, silver hair fallen over his face. He too had seen the strange glow obscuring Yusuke’s dark brown eyes. He remembered a scene from a week ago, that seemed so far away now. Yusuke had killed a lunatic serial killer doctor, and immediately regretted it. He was completely crestfallen until Genkai revived the man. Kurama saw no such remorse in Yusuke now.
*
“Koenma,” Kurama instructed suddenly, and harshly, “Get on Puu and get back to the Ningenkai.”
Koenma stepped back at the harsh words, but found himself unable to tear his eyes from the scene before him.
*
As Kuwabara approached him from behind, Yusuke turned. Kuwabara stopped a few feet away, searching his friend’s face.
“Step back, ningen,” Yusuke ordered in a strangely deep voice.
“Urameshi…”
*
This time Hiei turned to the young Rekai king, red eyes blazing.
“Go!”
Without a word, Koenma turned and ran.
*
Yusuke and Kuwabara watched Puu take wing gracefully, circling the tower of demons in the distance, heading for the tunnel to the human world.
Kuwabara never had a chance to see Yusuke reaching for his neck.
*
“What are you doing?!” Kurama and Hiei were running at Yusuke, who was crushing Kuwabara’s throat. Kuwabara legs kicked uselessly as Yusuke held him aloft.
Kurama’s breath caught at the crunch he heard when Yusuke’s grip became tighter. He watched in horror as Yusuke tossed Kuwabara’s unconscious body off the cliff.
“Damn you,” Hiei growled, rushing at Yusuke, a black fire rising from his hand and forming a blade. After a few steps he faltered and sank to his knees, cursing. He was completely drained from fighting Sensui. His right arm still glowed faintly, and he gasped with the effort.
Yusuke’s laughed. In fact, he’d been smiling since his final attack on Sensui. He turned to Kurama, who crouched poised to attack, one hand held cautiously near his hair.
Kurama’s face did not echo the rage of Hiei’s. His golden eyes gazed at Yusuke with a deep sadness. //This can’t really be him.// His eyes lowered as Yusuke spoke.
“It’s been so long since I’ve killed a human. But it wasn’t that fool that I wanted.” He glanced at Hiei. “I don’t want the fire demon either…yet.”
Hiei’s black flame grew brighter as Yusuke eyed Kurama.
“You betrayed your kind, Kurama, running to the Ningenkai like a coward, living in a weak pitiful body. Your Youko form doesn’t fool me. You’ve become weak. You’ve become human. You disgust me.”
Kurama’s faltered at the harsh words, surprised at his own sudden and fierce anger—and guilt.
“Yusuke, enough!” Hiei spoke as Kurama’s frustrated fist hit the ground, sending sharp thorns rising from the dirt and soaring towards Yusuke’s head. Each spike stopped inches from his face. Yusuke laughed, blasting the plants away.
“Your stupid sentimentality won’t even let you truly attack me. You couldn’t possibly hurt a friend. Ah, but what you did to Yomi… Truly brilliant. He trusted you, you know.”
Kurama looked at his feet, avoiding a quick glance from Hiei.
“To think, we all used to look up to you. Even I became soft after a while. I stopped eating humans. I fell prey to their false charms. But you, you were heartless, truly an inspiration.”
Kurama’s eyes burned.
“Don’t listen to him, Kurama. He’s betrayed us all.” Hiei was struggling to stand.
“That’s not me,” Kurama said quietly, “not anymore, and Yusuke knows that.”
Yusuke laughed. “Now now, you should be proud, Kurama. How can you deny your glorious past?”
“It’s not really him, Hiei. It’s not Yusuke.”
Yusuke’s eyes suddenly narrowed.
“Your humanity sickens me.” He rushed at Kurama and struck him full across the face, knocking him down. Kurama immediately rose to his feet and struck back instinctively with his rose whip. At the last second and the whip shrank back to his hand.
“Kurama!” Hiei cursed in exasperation, “What are you doing?!”
“Don’t be so weak. Fight me, Kurama.”
“No,” he murmured, wiping blood from his lip. “You’ve got to fight what’s inside you Yusuke. I can’t fight you.”
Hiei shook his head and his right arm came to a tight fist. His body clenched as his arm glowed strongly once more. “Yusuke is gone, Kurama.”
“Wait!” Kurama saw what Hiei was doing. “It’ll kill you both.” He felt cold at the thought of it. //I’m not going to lose you both over this.//
“He’s going to kill you,” Hiei growled.
“But it’s not Yusuke,” Kurama’s voice cracked, “it can’t be. But he’s in there. We just got him back.” He sounded desperate. “I can’t let you kill him.”
Yusuke watched them argue, grinning.
“Kurama, don’t do this.” Hiei’s anger threatened to overcome him. “He’s right, you’ve gone too soft. I’m going to stop him.”
Hiei didn’t notice the vines inching toward his feet.
“Forgive me, Hiei, but I have to try.”
Hiei suddenly found himself caught in Kurama’s plants for the first time in his life. It was maddening. He growled and struggled.
“Damn it, Kurama!” His eyes were both pleading and furious, like a caged animal. “Let me go.”
More and more vines encircled him tightly. He had to devote all his ki to trying to breathe. It would be impossible to unleash the dragon now. //Let me go…//
“I’m sorry, Hiei.”
Kurama ignored the steady barrage of hoarse curses and pleas from the bundle of vines behind him. He turned to his Yusuke.
“Fight it,” Kurama stated, simply.
“Enough of this. If you won’t oblige me with a sample of the famous Youko Kurama’s fighting skills, I will have to settle with watching the famous Youko Kurama beg for his life.”
Yusuke struck Kurama again, this time sending him to his knees with a burst of red youki.
“Fight it, Yusuke,” he panted, clutching his chest.
Hiei grew silent as he watched Kurama struggle to his feet. //Please, Kurama.//
“Maybe I should aim for the runt over there, now. You’ve immobilized him nicely for me. Or maybe I should call to Puu and have her maul her precious cargo. They’re all going to die because of you.” Yusuke paused for a moment, and added, “Just like Kuronue.”
Yusuke moved to strike Kurama, but the kitsune was already sailing toward him, catching him by surprise. He landed a solid kick against Yusuke’s lower back, and they both landed roughly. Yusuke laughed as Kurama’s eyes widened and his hands reach out in apology.
“Don’t be surprised Kurama. You’ve wanted to do that all along. You’ve hated taking orders from a human boy. Your Youko side is gaining control, acting on your true desires.”
“No,” Kurama cried.
//Don’t listen to him.// Hiei’s vision was clouding over with exhaustion. //Fight it, Kurama.//
Kurama grasped at his hair for a seed, fumbling uncharacteristically. His rose whip soared around him like a whirlwind, nicking both himself and Yusuke with its thorns.
Hiei saw Kurama’s eyes glaze with a distant look and for a moment they flashed deep emerald. A tiny cut welled up under his eye, sending a drop of blood down his cheek like a tear.
//Hiei. Forgive me…//
“Yusuke…” Kurama seemed to say this to himself. Then he spoke loudly, “He would never hurt Kuwabara. He would never hurt any of us.”
The rose whip swirled with a new purpose, circling Yusuke over and over, and suddenly tightening. Yusuke screamed as the thorns pierced him, pinning his arms in front of him.
“Hold still Yusuke, I don’t want to make it any tighter.”
Kurama reeled Yusuke in, drawing him close until they were nearly face to face.
//Careful, Kurama.// Hiei suddenly felt cold.
Kurama gripped the vines at Yusuke’s chest, ignoring the blood that ran down his wrists and arms. He looked into Yusuke’s eyes, searching for any sign of his friend.
“Please, Yusuke.”
Yusuke smirked. “That’s it, I just wanted to hear you beg. Even if you had tried, you never could have won.”
Kurama gasped. Yusuke’s fingers had wriggled free and were pressing against his chest.
//Hiei… I had to try.//
Yusuke’s rei gun tore through Kurama’s chest, sending him flying back with tendrils of torn rose whip flowing around him. The whip shrank away in what seemed like slow motion, and Kurama’s silver mane became shorter, and as red as the blood staining his back and chest. When Kurama’s body struck a large boulder violently, he was already in human form. His head snapped back against the stone, and a mouthful of dark blood splashed from his mouth.
*
As he released his rei gun, the glow faded from Yusuke’s eyes.
“Enough!” he screamed, clutching his head, painfully aware. He struggled to look up, afraid of what he might see.
*
When Yusuke released his rei gun, Hiei shut his eyes. Kurama. He opened them again, and for a moment, Hiei marveled at the horrible beauty of Kurama’s falling figure. Then the more familiar body of Shuichi Minamino crashed against a boulder, and Hiei winced at the blood that stained the rock. The vines around him suddenly withered and released. //No.//
He stood up shakily, ears ringing. Kurama looked so young compared to his taller, stronger kitsune form. He looked like a boy. And he looked confused, and hurt. Dying.
*
Kurama was having trouble focusing. And breathing. He could feel Hiei’s body next to him. The Koorime’s hands were gentle. //Like before. But it didn’t hurt before. Everything hurts.//
“Kitsune?” This was a whisper.
“I’m sorry I tied you up.” Kurama gave a short laugh that ended in a grimace. But his eyes smiled. “Actually, I should have tried that earlier. You looked cute all squirmy and— ” His eyes widened as his throat seemed to close. //@#%$. I can’t breathe.//
“Kurama!” Hiei gathered the boy into his arms. “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered.
******
“Don’t be afraid,” Kurama laughed wickedly, his hair falling across his eyes. Hiei felt terribly powerless all of the sudden. Kurama’s hand slid down his lower back and pulled him into a crushing kiss.
When he pulled away the laughter was gone from his face. He eyes were soft and pleading. He sunk to his knees and rested his head against Hiei’s stomach with a sigh.
“You’re not going to want to hear this,” he whispered, “but I think I’m in love with you.”
Before Hiei could respond Kurama had swept his legs out from under him and pinned him to the floor. Kurama’s eyes took on a wicked glow and Hiei promptly forgot what he was about to say.
*******
“I love you too.”
**
Yusuke felt like he couldn’t breath. //What have I done?// Kurama’s clothes were soaked in blood, and his bright red hair was matted a darker red. His breath came in shuddering, frothy gasps. Hiei knelt beside him, his small hands unsuccessfully trying to cover Kurama’s wound, trying to stop the steady flow of his friend’s life. Miraculously, the two seemed to be engaged in quiet, if strained, conversation. When Kurama’s body stiffened with pain, Hiei embraced him, brushing the hair off his face. Yusuke couldn’t help but marvel for a moment at the sight of the fire demon displaying such tenderness. Kurama’s hands grasped at Hiei’s, his nails piercing the fire demon as he struggled to control his pain. His grimace became a faint smile when Hiei whispered something in his ear. For a moment, his eyes were peaceful, and then they closed.
Hiei crumbled, his head coming to rest against Kurama’s still chest.
*
The Makai was silent, but for the sound of the wind that carried the petals of the fading rose at Kurama’s side toward Yusuke. Hiei watched the petals swirl and fall through his tears.
Yusuke’s ears were ringing, his mind replaying Kurama’s death over and over. //How did this happen?//
“He stopped me from killing you,” Hiei said flatly, looking up. His voice was harsh. “But he can’t stop me now, you’ve made sure of that.”
He began to carefully pull himself away from Kurama, and he froze for a moment as he looked at his friend’s pale face.
**
“He’s going to kill you, Kurama.”
“But it’s not Yusuke,” Kurama’s voice cracked, “it can’t be. But he’s in there. We just got him back.” He sounded desperate. “I can’t let you kill him.”
**
When Hiei stood up, his face was stained with blood red tears.
“Get out of here, Yusuke. Get away before I kill you.”
Yusuke’s body shook as he held back silent sobs.
“I couldn’t fight it. It wasn’t me. I’m sorry, Hiei— ”
His words were cut short by a fierce warning blow from the hilt of Hiei’s katana.
There was nothing he could to say. He turned and ran into the unfamiliar wilderness of the Makai.
*
When Koenma returned with reinforcements, he fell to his knees in shock at the scene before him. The soldiers around him stood speechless at their young king’s tears.
For many hours, Koenma could not bring himself to wake up the exhausted fire demon who had cried himself to sleep in Kurama’s cold arms.