::sighs:: There must be a lot of happy people after reading this chapter...
Hopefully, might there be a couple of sad ones... (???) Anyway, tell me
what do ya think at 'wsiewlee@tm.net.my'. =)
Siew Lee
[wsiewlee@tm.net.my]
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~~~The Past, The Present And The Future~~~
~~~The Future - Dreams~~~
Chapter 2 - Final Farewell
---------------------------------------------------------------------
They were all a bad dream. A very bad dream.
No, they weren't. They were all his past, his memories.
Kurama opened his eyes slowly as he turned the page of his
journal. His neat handwriting was aligned nicely line after line.
One glance did not show much of the meanings behind those simple
sentences, but they meant a lot to Kurama.
A lot.
His eyes glanced momentarily at the crashing and rolling waves
far beyond, relaxing his mind and body to the rhythmical sounds of
water washing onto the foot of the high stone cliff. The sun was
setting down on the horizon, marking that it was the end of another
day.
It had been four long years since all of these incidents
happened. He was well into his early twenties now, and he had finally
moved out of Shiori's house after he graduated from university a few
months before.
Four long years. It was painful for him to live past all these
problems that plagued him, but the memories were fading more and more
in his mind.
Arisa's smiling face still remained fresh in his reminiscences.
She had chosen her own path and followed it... Kurama had no-one to
blame anymore.
"Tousan! Tousan! Look at this beautiful flower!" shrieked a
little girl's voice beside him. Kurama immediately snapped out of his
daydreams and turned to look in the direction of the voice.
"Sayuri-chan..." smiled Kurama warmly and took the flower that
she gave him. Sayuri hugged him and sat down on his lap, sighing
happily at the marvelous swirls of cloud floating past the reddish
hue of the setting sun.
"Sayuri-chan, are you happy here staying with tousan?" asked
Kurama and stroked his daughter's hair lovingly. She was a total
replica of him except that she was a girl. Her brilliant green eyes
looked at him innocently and her soft red hair flew a little with the
gentle sea breeze.
"Of course, tousan. You are the only one who loves me..."
answered Sayuri happily and leaned against her father.
"What about Misuko-bachan?" asked Kurama softly. Since Arisa
left, there was no-one to take care of Sayuri so he had no choice but
to let Misuko baby-sit her... Well, Misuko just watched over her
while the actual work of cleaning and feeding was done by her
personal servants in Reikai. *Being the Junior Empress also has its
merits,* thought Kurama aimlessly. He looked at his daughter and he
felt an ache deep in his heart. *Poor Sayuri-chan...*
"Well, Misuko-bachan has Hayashi-kun to take care of but she is
like a kaasan to me... I seldom see Koenma-jisan around. Misuko-
bachan says that Koenma-jisan is always so busy with his work that he
only comes back after you come and take me home..." trailed off
Sayuri and resumed playing with the stalk of grass she plucked a few
moments ago.
Kurama sighed softly, Hayashi was Koenma's son and also looked
exactly like him. He pulled Sayuri even closer and wrapped his arms
around her. She was all in the world he had now next to Hiei and he
loved her dearly.
"Tousan, Hayashi-kun has a kaasan which is Misuko-bachan... Why
don't I have a kaasan too?" asked Sayuri innocently.
Kurama closed his eyes at Sayuri's question as it dug out many
of his memories, a lot of his bittersweet memories. Slowly, he
replied, "Your kaasan is at a very faraway place..."
"Faraway place? Where?" asked Sayuri and played with Kurama's
long red locks.
"A very, very faraway place. So far that even tousan couldn't
reach it without..." Kurama stopped suddenly. He didn't want to scare
Sayuri like that. She was too young to know all about this...
"Kaasan is very pretty... That drawing of a female youko you
hung on a wall in the study is that of kaasan, right? Keiko-basan
always says that I look a lot like you..." smiled Sayuri and laughed
merrily.
"Yes, your kaasan is a very pretty youko," sighed Kurama
remorsefully and released Sayuri. *She has been away for so many
years now...* thought Kurama but he remained silent, secretly longing
to tell Sayuri the truth but his conscience forbade him. Suddenly, he
asked Sayuri, "Do you long to see your kaasan?"
The young girl didn't answer him straight away. Her large eyes
looked up at him and her mouth twitched a little. "No, tousan. You
are already very good to me and you always take me to amusement
parks. Even Hiei-jisan treats me very well since he is over here at
nighttime so often... He loves me almost as much as you do..."
Kurama smiled faintly. At least his daughter would not be
unhappy because of the existence of a single parent. Hiei was very
good to Sayuri and treated her like his own daughter. *Hiei, you are
such a good friend and lover to me...*
Slowly, he retrieved a photo from his wallet and studied it
closely. It was a photograph taken by Yusuke of him and Sayuri during
their last visit to the city recreation park. Sayuri was standing
next to him as he knelt down on one knee beside her. Both of them
were smiling happily at the camera... With a slight exertion of his
youki, Kurama ignited a fire on one corner of the photo and watched
it burn.
"Tousan, why did you burn our photo?" asked Sayuri as he threw
the last burning part into the air.
"For your kaasan and your grandfather, Kabato," sighed Kurama
as he watched the ashes flutter down gently into the clashing waves
below. They fluttered down slowly, carried by the sea breeze until
they disappeared into the swirling sea.
Closing his eyes again, he began thinking of the last few
months he spent with Arisa.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Three years before...
"Koenma-sama, there is someone waiting outside," said George as
he bowed slightly to Koenma who was busy stamping documents in his
office. George looked at the spotless floor aimlessly, waiting for
Koenma's answer.
"Who is it?" asked Koenma without looking up from the papers
set before him. He clutched at the stamp even more tightly than
before and hammered on each of the documents once.
"She said you'll know when you see her," answered George
meekly and held his breath. *No... Don't let Koenma-sama lapse into
another of his fiery tempers...* prayed George silently.
"Eh? Who is she?" asked Koenma curiously and looked up at the
blue oni. He then sighed in exasperation when George gave a simple
shrug indicating that he didn't know anything else.
"Call her in then," muttered Koenma and grumbled continuously.
*What is the big deal about giving your name? Not that I'll record it
into the Final Judgment Book...* Carefully, he placed the stamp back
onto its place on the stand.
"Good evening, Koenma-sama," greeted a husky voice thus making
Koenma look up at once.
"Mind giving an introduction?" asked Koenma and walked out from
his place behind the huge wooden table. He peered at the youkai with
his brown eyes and studied her from head to toe.
The youkai smiled and produced a small cloth scroll. "I'm a
messenger for Inari-sama, The Guardian of Foxes," introduced the
youko slowly and lifted the scroll with both of her hands for Koenma
to inspect.
"A message for Reikai?" inquired Koenma curiously, his eyebrows
knitted together in a frown. *Inari doesn't really have any ties with
us,* thought Koenma as he folded his arms across his chest.
"No, a message for two youko staying in the Reikai Imperial
Palace," replied the messenger and placed the scroll away into the
folds of her sleeve.
"Two youko..." echoed Koenma thoughtfully. Deep inside, he had
a bad premonition about this... About Arisa, especially. Yusuke had
told him everything this morning about their fight from the beginning
to the end. What an unexpected twist of fate that Arisa would be the
Music Protector!
Koenma sighed. He had a feeling that Inari would force both
Kurama and Arisa to choose a way out somehow. Glancing at George
again, he ordered strictly, "George, summon Kurama and Arisa here."
"Thank you, Koenma-sama," said the messenger and bowed slightly
again. George lumbered out of the office, calling for the two.
Meanwhile, Koenma studied the scroll that the messenger was holding
closely. *Inari, please be kind to my tantei as Reikai is already
lacking them,* prayed Koenma and walked back to his place again.
"Do you have any idea what Inari intends to do?" asked Koenma
suddenly, not taking his eyes off the messenger since she walked into
the main office room.
"Sorry, Koenma-sama. Inari-sama has instructed me not to read
out the edict to anyone else except the two of them..." the messenger
trailed off uneasily. Koenma rolled his eyes irritably and tapped his
fingers on the surface of the table impatiently.
Soon, soft sounds of footsteps reached their ears and two youko
walked into the office slowly, dressed in their official attire.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A vixen sat by the windowsill all night, looking out to the
silent plains far beyond. She couldn't really see anything for the
mist had shrouded most of the scenery.
She was not looking at the landscape although her eyes stared
out endlessly. There was a crescent moon high in the sky and the tall
trees below cast dark shadows on the ground.
It was eerie, but Arisa didn't feel that way. In fact, she
experienced tranquillity and peace deep in her mind. It was soothing,
compared to what she faced everyday of her life.
Problems surfaced too quickly before she could even think of
them let alone solutions, but she was silently thinking now. Thinking
of her future as Arisa Kino. Yes, she was once the Music Protector,
but her true home still lay in Ningenkai and she yearned to go back
there.
Kurama. She loved him, but did he love her? Arisa was afraid to
know the answer. So many things had happened within this short period
of a few months. Nearly four months ago, she was still Arisa Kino, an
ordinary schoolgirl at Meiou High. She was tomboyish and also a
brilliant student, but what happened after four months? She was a
Reikai tantei now, pregnant with Shuichi Minamino's child and what
else? Kabato dug out her past as a youko, one of the two Music
Protectors of Inari.
Kurama had gone out already as Arisa had seen through his
heart. She knew that he loved Hiei deep inside. The better Kurama
treated her, the more guilty she felt. Yes, it was Kurama who wronged
her at first, but she also did her part of liking him in the first
place. There was no-one to blame but herself.
Never mind. She would wait for Kurama.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Arisa, are you alright?" asked Kurama gently as he strolled
back into the room. He had turned back into his youko form once
again, as this form healed faster than his human counterpart. Arisa
sat there quietly by the windowsill, gazing forlornly out of the
Reikai Imperial Palace.
"Yeah, I'm fine," croaked out Arisa and quickly wiped away the
tear streaks on her face. The fact of Kurama liking someone else in
his heart was rather difficult for her to accept without tears.
Taking a deep breath, she asked him, "How's Hiei?"
"He's okay now, just couldn't get over Botan's sudden death,"
sighed Kurama and sat next to her on the windowsill. He remembered
Hiei's words from the garden just now, *She needs you more than I
do...*
"I wonder if Inari-sama would let us be together," asked Arisa
simply, imagining having a household in the near future, but that
image was quickly shattered by that deadly rule that she read before
in Kurama's journal. Yes, she was youko in the past but she had a
feeling that Inari-sama wouldn't let them off the hook so easily. She
tried to make her voice tone as natural as she could but she still
couldn't hide that tinge of sadness in it.
"Arisa, I promise I'll give you a good life," pledged Kurama
softly and placed his arm around her shoulder. Squeezing it slightly,
he gazed deeply into her eyes.
"Thank you, Kurama," said Arisa with a sigh and looked out
again. "Do you think that we might be able to revive our normal lives
in Ningenkai? I won't want to be the Music Protector anymore."
"I don't know..." answered Kurama uncertainly. "But I promise
you that I'll give you a good life once we get back to Ningenkai. I
promise."
Arisa smiled faintly at him and leaned against his shoulder,
slowly falling asleep in the cool night air. Kurama stroked her fine
hair and hugged her.
*Sorry...*
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Kurama-san... Arisa-san... There is a message from Inari for
both of you down at Koenma-sama's office!" yelled a muffled voice
through the solid wooden door.
Kurama blinked open his eyes and looked around. The bedside
clock showed the time as four in the afternoon... *Inari-sama, why do
foxes always sleep through the day without noticing anything?*
thought Kurama as he answered the door groggily. He rubbed his eyes
as he peered out from the room.
"George... Good afternoon," mumbled Kurama sleepily. "Is there
anything?"
"There is a message from Inari waiting for both of you in
Koenma-sama's office," answered George politely. "Please prepare
yourselves as the messenger is already waiting downstairs."
The sleepy expression Kurama's face immediately disappeared
as he thanked George before slamming the door shut. *Why is Inari-
sama ever so fast?* thought Kurama in shock as he sat down gravely on
the edge of the bed.
"Wake up, Arisa. Wake up!" yelled Kurama and reached a hand out
to shake her shoulder.
"Shut up, kitsune. Don't you know that foxes are nocturnal
creatures?" grumbled Arisa and pulled the bed clothes over her head.
"There is a message from Inari-sama waiting for us downstairs,"
growled Kurama and a small cloud of mist formed around him, renewing
his tattered white robe with a clean one.
"What?!" exclaimed Arisa, sitting up immediately. "So fast?"
The surprised look on her face was quickly replaced by a melancholic
feeling in the pit of her stomach. *So fast...* murmured Arisa
softly.
"Yes, and we are commanded to go down at once!" half shouted
Kurama and dragged the bed covers off.
"Okay! Blast that Inari-sama," Arisa growled back and
concentrated for a moment before a set of new clothes replaced her
soiled ones. As usual, two red phoenixes adorned the sleeves and she
held her lute with her left hand. Quickly, using a white sash in the
wardrobe, she tied up half of her hair and flipped the rest behind
her shoulders.
"Let's go!" urged Kurama, holding Arisa's hand and heading out
of the door.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurama and Arisa stood in front of the messenger, standing
straight. Kurama's golden eyes wandered aimlessly to the yellow cloth
scroll which the female youko held so carefully in her hands.
*Does a simple piece of cloth determine Arisa's fate and mine?*
Kurama sighed inwardly and knelt down. Arisa followed suit, her head
bowed and her eyes downcast, looking at the polished floor.
"Kurama and Arisa, Inari-sama has a decree for both of you.
Kneel now and listen," began the messenger and unrolled the scroll.
Kurama looked up and saw Inari's seal on the back of the edict.
The messenger brought the scroll up right in front of her eyes
and began reading.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kurama and Arisa, both of you have done a good job on
eliminating two of Makai's worst criminals. I am proud and happy to
hear that two of the Reikai tantei that completed this duty were once
my followers.
Honestly, I should reward both of you with something, but rules
are still rules. Kurama, you have had an intimate relationship with a
Ningen female and that is against the Great Rule of foxes. You should
be banished from Makai by now, and your child and your chosen mate
would have had to face a death sentence. Kurama, luck is on your
side. Since Kabato has proven Arisa is a youko incarnated into a
Ningen, you will be pardoned of all your mistakes and your child will
live on in Ningenkai as both of you have Ningen forms. I shall grant
your child both a human form and a youko form.
Arisa Kino. You were a normal schoolgirl and would most
probably be schooling now if Fate hadn't steered you back to your
past. Fate is a very powerful force. So powerful that even I can't
control it. Fate determines your future. I managed to collect news of
you from all these years and you have proven yourself not worthy to
be under my service ever again. I once promised everyone that you
would be spared with the condition of never returning to your youko
form.
It was Fate at play again. Kabato did the right thing; he told
you the truth. Fate also played a huge joke this time. You will have
to come back to my side as a purified soul because you once stolen
the Lute of Destruction. Kurama and your child are freed of
punishment but you will have to come back here. I'll grant you eight
months more of human life and I hope you will appreciate the time
given.
Follow your Fate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A teardrop splashed down onto the polished floor. Kurama looked
at Arisa out of a corner of his eye and saw her clutching her lute
tightly. Slowly, in a cracked voice, she said, "Thank you, Inari-
sama."
Kurama squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his hands. "Thank you,
Inari-sama," mumbled the silver youko and felt the scroll being
placed into his opened palms. Shakily, he got up from his knees and
helped Arisa up too.
"Good luck..." wished the messenger and bowed once to Koenma
before walking out of the door. Arisa's pale golden eyes were brimmed
full of tears and she buried her face into Kurama's shoulder. She
sobbed, her tears coming freely and wetting Kurama's white robe.
"Fate..." murmured Kurama and patted Arisa softly on her
shoulder.
Koenma looked at them and sighed softly. Why must Fate always
play terrible jokes on couples? At least he had a happy ending from
Fate but not for Kurama and Arisa. He sighed again and continued his
work.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Eight months left..." whispered Arisa softly and collapsed
onto the plush sofa. Her eyes were puffy and swollen from crying and
little sobs still strained her voice.
Kurama sat down next to her and gazed at her with his liquid
golden eyes. "Eight months... We are going back to Ningenkai now!"
announced the youko suddenly and held Arisa's slender hand.
"We mustn't waste time anymore," said Kurama before a cloud of
mist formed around them. Slowly, it cleared and both of them were
back in their human bodies. "We are going to see your parents after
this."
Arisa wiped away the tear streaks on her cheeks with the sleeve
of her T-shirt and nodded slowly. Kurama forced a half smile before
taking her hand. Running out of the door, he was determined to give
her a perfect life in a short period of eight months.
Only eight months more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurama and Arisa stood in front of the Kino household. Arisa
was literally shaking in fear and grasped Kurama's hand, unwilling to
let go. The very thought of her father driving her out of the house
was simply too much for the girl to withstand.
"Don't worry, we'll make it..." whispered Kurama, assuring her,
and began calling.
"Hello? Mrs. Kino? Mr. Kino?" yelled Kurama over the front
gate. Arisa looked down at her slightly bulging belly. She had been
over at Kurama's house just now and she was wearing one of his
oversized shirts. Secretly, she hoped that her mother would not
notice her condition.
"Kaasan... Kassan... Please open the door..." called out Arisa
in a pleading voice, a catch withholding the clear tone. Minutes
later, a cheerful-looking woman came to look out at them. "Arisa,
come in, the front gate's not locked and this is..." she trailed off
blankly at the boy standing next to her daughter.
"Shuichi, kaasan. Shuichi Minamino," answered Arisa, trying
very hard to make her voice sound as natural as possible.
"Come in, both of you," invited Mrs. Kino politely although she
was beginning to have a bad feeling about this. Her daughter seemed
quite intimate with the boy and she couldn't help studying him. Good
looks, polite manners... She sighed and walked in.
Kurama and Arisa took off their shoes at the front porch and
walked into the living room. There was a low table and a few cushions
scattered all around it. Mrs. Kino took her place beside her husband
and watched as her daughter and the boy sat down politely.
"Kaasan, I'm sorry..." mumbled Arisa softly, her head bowed,
concealing those tears that were threatening to streak down her
cheeks. Kurama consoled her by squeezing her hand a little and he
looked up.
Mrs. Kino's face was shocked and surprised by Arisa's sudden
apology. Mr. Kino placed down his copy of Shinjuku Press on the table
slowly, his stern eyes looking at Arisa. "Why? What happened?" asked
Mrs. Kino softly.
Arisa looked at her mother. Inhaling deeply, she blurted out,
"I'm pregnant..."
"...with my child," finished Kurama for her and gripped her
hand, praying for the best.
Mrs. Kino's face turned from amused to shocked, and finally to
horrified. "You are what?" shrieked the woman.
"It has already been this way for more than three months..."
croaked out Arisa slowly, seeing her mother's sudden change of mood.
Mr. Kino glared at her, and then at Kurama. "Get out of this house at
once!" growled the man, literally shaking with anger. "You disgraced
me!"
Arisa's shoulders were already hunched and she looked down at
the floor, ashamed of herself. Kurama kept quiet, not knowing what to
do next. He stole a glance at Mr. Kino and saw that his face was red
from anger.
"Get out this moment!" shouted Mr. Kino and grabbed Arisa
roughly by her wrist, towing her out of the living room.
"No! Don't!" shrieked Kurama and tried to help Arisa. "You too!
Don't ever expect me to recognize you as my son-in-law!" yelled Mr.
Kino and began shoving Kurama out of the door too.
"Please, tousan... Listen to me," wept Arisa as she kept
backtracking her way out of the place that she called 'home'. "You
never took care of me. Kaasan and tousan, both of you just cared
about how much money you earned each month! Money can't buy
everything!" screamed Arisa.
"Get lost! You are not my daughter anymore!" fumed Mr. Kino and
slammed the door in their faces. Arisa felt her knees buckle beneath
her and she collapsed weakly onto the driveway, sobbing. "I knew this
would happen..."
Kurama knelt down beside her and tried to console her. He bit
his lower lip and hugged her. "Never mind... We can wait until your
tousan calms down and we'll try again..." whispered Kurama and helped
Arisa up. The girl looked at him tearfully and began sobbing into his
shoulder. "Now where should I go?"
"You can stay at my place for the meantime..." offered Kurama.
"But before that, we need to shop for your clothes..."
Arisa nodded numbly and walked out of the front gate with him.
Her eyes looked at the whitewashed building yearningly, thinking of
her childhood in this place. She heaved a heavy sigh and took
Kurama's hand before walking down the street.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurama walked to and fro along the smooth tiled floor, glancing
anxiously at his wristwatch. *So fast,* he mused and smiled a little
before snapping back to the situation before him. The red light
outside the swinging doors was still on, indicating the room was
occupied.
Kurama tapped his foot on the floor, knocking his head
unconsciously against the wall. Yusuke and Keiko were sitting on a
steel bench opposite him, also waiting. Kuwabara stood there with his
arms crossed, his eyes following Kurama's every single action. Even
Misuko was there, holding her oar and leaning against the wall.
"*This* is a very excited Kurama. The Kurama that we have never
seen before," snickered Kuwabara wickedly and eyed Kurama again.
"Heh! I thought what the heck in three worlds happened when a
half-crazed youko phoned me just now and demanded that I come to the
city hospital as soon as possible," smirked Yusuke and placed an arm
over Keiko's shoulders, watching the girl wince uneasily.
"Cheh! Urameshi, you will act like him too when you are about
to become a father," smirked Kuwabara back and gave Yusuke a slight
punch on his arm. Yusuke puffed out his chest and grinned while Keiko
blushed fierily.
Kurama cast a casual glance at his friends, noticing that
someone wasn't here. *Hiei...* whispered Kurama internally and felt
his heart ache. That night in Reikai when they shared a kiss for the
very first time was still fresh in his mind... *Hiei...*
"Congratulations," a man's voice announced suddenly beside him,
causing Kurama to turn around, snapping out of his daydreaming. "You
have a daughter," smiled the doctor happily and took off his surgical
mask.
"I... I have a daughter," said Kurama slowly, unable to digest
that sudden news. He was dumbfounded, and slowly, an idiotic grin
spread all over his face. *Idiotic?* Even Kurama didn't realize that
he had such a smile there.
"Omedetou desu, Kurama-san," congratulated Keiko, standing up
to shake Kurama's hand.
"Thanks..." mumbled Kurama numbly. He had a daughter! "Doctor,
may I see Arisa?" asked Kurama quickly, grabbing the doctor's wrist
with inhuman strength but quickly released his hold when he gasped
painfully.
"Yes, yes, you may go..." said the doctor before walking off
and shaking his head. Kurama smiled and strode into the room, seeing
a female figure lying on the bed.
"Arisa... We have a daughter..." whispered Kurama happily. He
loved children very much and he was obviously overjoyed this time.
Arisa nodded weakly and smiled. "At last, six months over...
What shall we name her?"
"Sayuri..." said Kurama suddenly, clasping Arisa's hand.
"Sayuri Minamino. As for a youko title, what about Juriko?" Seeing
Arisa smile, Kurama began writing down the kanjis onto the form that
was to be his daughter's birth certificate.
"Minamino-san, your daughter," said the uniform-clad nurse and
handed over a bundle wrapped in white linen. Kurama reached out his
arms to take her but the nurse quickly lifted up the baby again. "No!
Not like that! Support her head!" advised the nurse quickly before
demonstrating once for Kurama to see. He nodded once and this time,
he held her correctly thus inviting laughter from the small group.
Kurama held her preciously against his body and cooed to her.
"Arisa! She's smiling! She's smiling!" laughed out Kurama suddenly
and showed her to Arisa. The girl smiled back him and reached out a
hand to tickle the baby's chin.
"Lemme see, Kurama," demanded Yusuke as all of them crowded
around Kurama. The baby opened its brilliant eyes and they flashed
with a clear emerald shade. Her eyes were large and innocent,
blinking up at them.
"Yo! Kurama-san! Your daughter looks exactly like you... Those
eyes, the light in them..." commented Keiko as she touched the baby's
face gently. She chuckled merrily and her little hand reached out to
grab Keiko's finger.
Misuko stood by the beside, pouring a glass of water for Arisa.
The girl took the glass of water gratefully and sat up. "Oi, Kurama,
give me back my daughter," commanded Arisa and sipped the water
before setting the glass softly on the table beside her.
"Hang on..." said Kurama before hugging the baby and handing
her over to Arisa. "Sayuri-chan... You look like your tousan more
than kaasan... Well, good also. Your tousan is very beautiful..."
cooed Arisa and showed her off to Misuko. She stole a glance at
Kurama and watched amusedly as he made a lame excuse to get a drink
before hurrying out.
"Hey Misuko-chan! When are you expecting?" asked Arisa suddenly
as Misuko put away her oar to look to the baby in detail. Misuko
blushed and shook her head, refusing to say anything.
"What? Koenma?! What again?" pressed Yusuke and laughed
maniacally.
"Well, I don't know... Only one month so far..." whispered
Misuko and tried to hide the blush on her cheeks by trying to
rearrange the vase of flowers next to her.
"Hahahahahah!!!" laughed out Kuwabara crazily and flopped down
on a chair nearby. Keiko held the baby in her arms and looked at her
lovingly. "She's so sweet and cute..."
"It's a pity that Ina... Oooff!" gasped Kuwabara after being
elbowed by Yusuke. Kuwabara grinned a little but he kept quiet. Arisa
sighed softly and closed her eyes.
"Only two months left..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
*Two months... Two months...* whispered a soft voice repeatedly
in the semi darkness. *Too fast...* whispered the voice again, this
time sorrowfully.
A silver youko was standing next to a vixen under a huge tree,
his hand holding her hand. Liquid golden eyes searched hers,
wondering whether would there be a miracle somehow. Makai held many
secrets behind it and they had chosen to come here to spend their
last night together.
"Is Juriko-chan asleep?" asked a husky voice, interrupting
Kurama. Arisa looked straight into his eyes, showing significant
regret over the string of incidents that happened so quickly.
"Yes... She's asleep at Keiko's place..." answered Kurama
softly, studying the delicate face and her two long silver locks by
the side of her head.
"Kurama... Promise me that you will take care of her... Promise
me..." requested Arisa and hugged him, feeling his body warmth
through the thin layers of their clothing. "Promise me..."
"I promise... Juriko will live a happy life which is very
different from mine..." pledged Kurama and hugged her back, patting
the vixen on her shoulders.
A cool breeze blew through the area as the full moon was
starting to take its place in the already-dark sky. Arisa wore her
official white robe with double red phoenixes embroidered on her
sleeves and she was so hauntingly beautiful tonight.
Hauntingly beautiful under the silver rays from the Makai moon.
"You are a pretty youko, you know..." smiled Kurama before
kissing her gently on her cheek. Arisa sighed contentedly on his
shoulder, taking in his natural scent of roses in his hair. This was
her last day in Ningenkai as Inari-sama would be here at dawn to take
her back into the Realms.
It was a very difficult decision to leave her mate and her
daughter in this world... She was even sure that she would never get
to see them ever again. Sayuri... She was born unlucky to lose her
mother at just a young age.
"Kurama, there's another thing I had always wanted to say to
you. You still love Hiei, don't you?" asked Arisa lowly, her tears
starting to sting her pale golden eyes. Kurama was silent but Arisa
already knew the answer.
Yes, he did.
"I'm sure that Hiei would be able to accompany you through the
years there in Ningenkai... Get him once I'm away... Don't worry, I
won't blame you. I will never blame you for all the things you do,"
whispered Arisa, a tear dropping onto green grass below.
"Arisa, take care," whispered Kurama as he took off her outer
robe and threw it aside. "Take care..." he said again as he undid his
sash that held his clothes in place before throwing away her white
slip. His free hand reached up to brush her tears away and softly,
he said, "Don't cry... This is our last night together... Don't cry."
"Kurama, take care too," murmured Arisa before feeling Kurama's
lips kissing her own. His hands reached behind and undid the tie that
held her long black hair back before mouthing a single word:
"Goodbye..."
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*Arisa's gone...* was Kurama's first thought when the first
rays of daylight shone onto his face. Quickly, he dressed and
knotted his white sash around his waist tightly. *Arisa's gone,
forever...*
It was quick too. She was in his arms when the sky started to
light up but the next moment, she was growing lighter and lighter. He
could only catch her smiling her last smile at him before
disappearing entirely.
She was gone... with Inari-sama.
Slowly, he lifted his head up to look at the skies of Makai.
In a determined tone, he called out:
"Arisa! I promise I'll take good care of Juriko-chan!"
Turning around, he walked away further and further, convinced
that he would be able to escape from Fate.
His final farewell for Arisa... and for Fate.
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Copyright reserved 1999 W. Siew Lee
All standard Yu Yu Hakusho disclaimers apply to this fanfic.
E-mail: Siew Lee [wsiewlee@tm.net.my]
URL: http://members.xoom.com/hiei
UIN: #14025577
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