Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Freedom ❯ Chapter Twelve ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Twelve

 

“There was nothing you could have done.” Said Kuwabara. “We were surrounded.”

 

Yusuke pushed himself away from Kuwabara before looking up at the taller man with tear-filled eyes.

 

“It was my fault that you were there at all.” Said Yusuke. “If I'd told you that you couldn't go or hadn't helped you sneak out of the house you wouldn't have died. I couldn't even protect you when it mattered most.”

 

Kuwabara grabbed Yusuke by the shoulders and gave him a good shake.

 

“I told you it wasn't your fault Urameshi. I don't want you spending the rest of your life blaming yourself for something that isn't your fault.” Said Kuwabara.

 

Yusuke shook his head, as silent tears began to fall from his eyes.

 

“But it is.” Said Yusuke. “You died because I couldn't protect you. They ripped you to pieces because I wasn't powerful enough to stop them. If I hadn't slacked off or if I'd kept up with my training you might still be alive. Who was I to think that I could keep you safe all by myself when I couldn't even protect myself.”

 

Kuwabara reached out to Yusuke, but the shorter man stepped away, evading his friends outstretched hand.

 

“I couldn't even avenge your death. You died and the bastard who ripped your limbs off is still alive. I couldn't even kill him. He was only an A inferior and I couldn't kill him.”

 

Ariana sighed and stepped away from the wall where she had placed herself so as to be out of the way. She hadn't expected Yusuke to begin to fall apart like this. She felt stupid for having ever thought that this meeting would be a good idea.

 

“Actually that demon is probably dead.” Said Ariana. “My sister probably killed him. She tends to kill anyone and everyone who gets in her way in the Makai and him being one of Mukuro's soldiers he probably did get in the way when she showed up. I haven't checked the reports of what happened or asked her, but she probably killed upwards of five to six hundred demons on that trip, most of them probably just because she felt like it.”

 

“Mukuro wouldn't have let someone like the Detective out of her dungeon without a fight.” Said Hiei.

 

Not even a second later Ariana let out a few curse words that she had learned during her childhood.

 

“I can't believe I didn't think of that. As kill-happy as Ariel is there's no way in hell that she didn't kill Mukuro.” Said Ariana.

 

“Kuso.” Said Hiei as the implications of Mukuro's death sank in.

 

“You said it, Hiei.” Said Ariana.

 

Kuwabara looked even more confused, but Ariana didn't particularly care about the orange-haired man and the only exception to that was for how the dead human's condition affected Yusuke or Hiei because they did care about their friend's thoughts and feelings. It was true that Hiei didn't care much, but it was a well-known fact that Kuwabara had earned his respect if nothing else.

 

“How is it even possible to kill that many so easily or talk about it as though it were nothing?” asked Yusuke.

 

It was just like Yusuke to get stuck on how many demons had been killed rather then who those demons were.

 

“Because it is easy to kill someone if they mean nothing to you and you are more powerful then they are.” Said Ariana. “For Ariel it is even easier because she enjoys the killing and the more she kills the better the mood it puts her in.”

 

This time Yusuke flinched at the name of Ariana's twin. His extreme fear of her showing itself though the guilt and shame that he was feeling for a split second.

 

“Is…is that way she enjoyed…what she did…to me?” asked Yusuke.

 

“No, it isn't, Yusuke.” Said Ariana. “She just likes to cause everyone else to feel the pains that she feels. She wants you to believe that you are every bit as tainted as she feels because she thinks it makes her feel better.”

 

Yusuke opened his mouth to speak, but Ariana gave him no chance and he closed his mouth the moment that she continued.

 

“But inside, where it counts far more then physical strength or prowess in battle, you are far stronger then she is. That strength of will and character is why you feel the way you do and why you are trying to claim guilt that is not yours to claim. You had no way to know that Koenma had betrayed you and no reason to expect anything resembling a challenge. Koenma set you up to fail, he sent you off knowing you were taking Kuwabara with you and he said not a thing. The fault belongs to Koenma and not you because he watched everything that happened to both you and Kuwabara on his wall monitor while he ate popcorn and masturbated.” Said Ariana.

 

That statement had everybody looking at Ariana as though she had just grown a second head and that second head had horns, fangs, and other equally demonic features.

 

“When Boton first heard that something was happening to Hiei she ran to Koenma because she hadn't believed that he was behind it and that was what she saw. If you don't believe me you ask her yourselves next time you see her.” Said Ariana.

 

“All of existence has just gone to hell in a handbag.” Said Kuwabara. “Who knew the damned bastard had it in him.”

 

“If he'd have stayed dead I'd have killed him a long time ago, but as it is, killing someone who is essentially immortal is beyond pointless.” Said Ariana.

 

“I'm going to kill that damned toddler.” Said Yusuke as his demonic energy began to swirl around him as it skyrocketed to new heights, but as exhausted as he was from the earlier sparing session it plummeted back to what it had been just as quickly as it had risen. The anger remained, but Yusuke suddenly looked as tired as his low energy level indicated he was.

 

Hiei looked just as angry but that anger was tempered and well contained. Hiei was one who knew well how to keep his emotions in check.

 

“That would be pointless. His father would only bring Koenma's back to life, even if his body was reduced to nothing.” Said Ariana. “And because his father really is immortal there isn't much that can be done, but I do have a plan in motion that will ensure that the rest of his life is as close to a living hell as I can make it.”

 

“And how are you going to do that?” asked Hiei.

 

“By giving all of the god-like entities in the Reikei access to the most restricted parts of the Reikei computer system. Already they have begun to act using that highly classified information to smite those that they hate and protect those that they favor.” Said Ariana. “The chaos is going to completely throw off the death schedule and for each and every person who dies in a manner and time other then the scheduled one or lives when they should have died the day's paperwork can double or even triple. It'll be decades before Koenma finds the cause and even longer before he figures out that it's impossible to take away access once it is given.”

 

There was the sound of loud footsteps outside the cell as several guards approached. It seemed that Yusuke's anger had drawn the attention of the guards. Hiei positioned himself next to the door so that it would hide him as the guard swung it inward as one of the guards fumbled around with a key, attempting to unlock a door that was not locked. After several seconds passed that guard's fumbling efforts became quite annoying and Ariana opened the cell door.

 

There were four large demons on the other side of the door and each one of them seemed to be in an incredibly bad mood. The tallest of the four, who also seemed to be in charge of the other three, stepped forward around the demon who had been having so much difficulty with the door and glared down at Ariana which was easy because he was over ten feet tall.

 

“What the fucking hell is going on in here?” asked the tall demon.

 

“It's none of your business.” Said Ariana as she returned the demon's glare. “So go away and do something worthwhile like reducing the stench in this place. I highly recommend hosing down the demons in the barred cells.”

 

The demon stepped forward, making himself look ever bit as aggressive and frightening as he possibly could. “And just the hell do you think you are?”

 

Ariana also took a step forward. She pushed the demon backwards, causing him to fall on the three who had come with him. One of the smaller demons ran towards the barred cells as though he believed his life was at stake. Another who had been pinned by the taller one's body seemed to go catatonic for lack of an escape route, The third was tugging frantically at their leader's sleeves, whispering, “Sir, sir, you don't know who she is. Please don't…” he was silenced as the much larger demon gave him a punch to the head and a cracking sound was heard by all before the small demon crumpled to the ground with his head at an impossible angle.

 

“I happen to be Ariana and I happen to be in a particularly bad mood. Perhaps I should take that anger out on you. The warden won't miss someone as stupid as you after I tell him how you killed someone for trying to save you from your own stupidity.” Said Ariana.

 

A voice called out from several cells down.

 

“That won't be necessary, Ariana-sama. I'll deal with the stupidity of your own people but I am afraid that I will have to cut short your visit today. The people your twin killed on her most recent jaunt through the Makai are beginning to come in and having this cell unlocked is something we can't risk till we have them all stuffed in cells and knowing your sister it could take a few days.” Said the dungeon's warden as he walked into sight.

 

The warden was an unimposing sight but the tall demon who had been acting so stupidly moment before was now shaking in fear. The warden punched his stupid guard and sent him flying out of sight. He would most likely receive further punishment later, but no one really cared about him anyway.

 

“How many did she kill?” asked Ariana.

 

“So far, according to the latest reports, she's killed five thousand demons about three or four levels down in the Makai and hasn't stopped yet.” Said the warden.

 

“I know Koenma shut it down to save money on guards, but I think your going to have to open up the lower levels.” Said Ariana.

 

“Koenma-same won't like that one bit.” Said the warden.

 

“I know that, but I also know my twin better then you do. If she hasn't stopped at five thousand then I don't think that she's going to stop till she's killed three or four million and she probably won't stop there either. Believe me, by the time it's all said and done, you will have no choice but to open up those levels and it's best you do it now before the demons come flooding in.” said Ariana.

 

The warden's eyes widened in shock as he heard the numbers that Ariana had predicted.

 

“Yes. I shall do that immediately, Ariana-sama.” Said the warden, before he scurried away to do her bidding.

 

“Do you guys really have to leave so soon?” asked Kuwabara.

 

“We haven't got a choice in the matter, but I'll bring them back to visit once things calm down around here. Unless, of course, Yamma gets back from his vacation early and you get out of here before that happens and then we'll visit much sooner.” Said Ariana.

 

“Hey, why are you answering for them?” asked Kuwabara. “And who are you anyway?”

 

“You should have asked those questions earlier, because I don't have time to answer them completely. So I'll just say that I'm someone with your friend's best interests at heart in a time when no one else can do anything for them. I highly doubt that you want them here sharing a cell with you as they await Koenma's decidedly unfriendly judgement.” Said Ariana.

 

“Worry about yourself, Fool.” Said Hiei as he emerged from behind the still open door. “As crowded as this place is about to become, even you might not have this cell to yourself for much longer. That you've had it at all is a miracle the likes of which this place has never before seen.”

 

“Hiei's right.” Said Yusuke. “Worry about yourself, Kuwabara. We'll be fine. Any messages for anyone in case we get to see them?”

 

“No, Boton let me see them before she brought mw to Reikei.” Said Kuwabara. His eyes began to fill with tears as he continued. “They don't need any reminders that I died and I don't want Yukina crying any more tears over me.”

 

Hiei's eyes narrowed as he heard that his secret twin had cried over the dumb oaf, but the only sound that he made was he trademarked, “Hn.”

 

Yusuke immediately looked over at Hiei, but it seemed that Kuwabara thought that Hiei was merely making fun of the grieving of others. He lunged at Hiei but Ariana blocked him by stepping into his path and pausing there before walking out of the cell. Yusuke and Hiei followed and the last thing that Kuwabara heard of them, besides the sound of their feet as they walked away, was the sound of his cell being locked behind them.