Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Angel of Death ❯ Water(less) World ( Chapter 16 )

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Disclaimer: YYH is not mine and I'm not claiming it.

The Angel of Death

Chapter 16

Water(less) World

Yusuke Urameshi is one of the hardest person to awaken from sleep, especially after being exhausted. That's why it was quite surprising, both to him and his room mate, when he was awakened by the loud racket coming from downstairs.

The two looked at each other. They dashed out the room, then downstairs, pajamas and all. Odd, they didn't feel any change in the environment. Still, they couldn't take the risk.

The boys traced the various clanging and clashing of metallic objects. They stealthily crept to the kitchen but instead of finding an invading a mob, or at least a very careless spy, they came upon a visibly frustrated Hiei. He was sprawled on the kitchen floor, pots and pans scattered all around.

"Uh, Hiei," said Kurama. "Are you all right?"

Hiei didn't reply. Yusuke helped him up. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"I was trying to get myself some breakfast," he said huffily.

"I can see that," muttered Yusuke, nearly slipping on the cracked eggs and flour mashed on the floor.

"Where is Ms. Aiea?" asked Kurama. "You could have asked for help, you know. I know how to cook."

"Probably still asleep in the garden," Hiei answered.

"The garden?"

"Yeah, with her sister. They've been there since four."

"Look, they're here."

Sure enough, the two girls appeared from behind the screen door. They were a little wet from the water that accumulated from the morning dew and the water dripped onto the tiled floor.

"Good Morning," said Ebony. "Sorry about the floor. I'll clean it up. Wow, what happened here?"

"Hiei is trying to start a cooking class," said Yusuke smirking.

"Hn," said Hiei. "I slipped, nothing more."

"Admit it. You were trying to cook. And you can't, even to save your life."

"Can you?"

"My mother does."

"Well, my wife does."

"She can cook?"

"Yeah," said Kurama. "Really good food."

"Ah, so you're practicing to cook since she's not--"

"I managed to live for centuries without her!" said Hiei hotly. "I can get used to it again."

"Is that a retreat?"

"Urameshi, I think you're still half asleep. Maybe my Koryuhha can wake you up totally!"

"Guys, stop it!" intervened Kurama. "I think its hunger that's making your tempers hot."

"Hey, I'm hungry, too," said Aiea. "Listen. Why don't you guys get dressed up? I'll clean up this mess."

"What about you?"

"I'll be here the whole day, anyway."

The sunrays were fiercely beating down on them almost vertically. It's been hours since they had started to work out and noon had already arrived.

"Guys," yelled Kurama. "Shouldn't we be going now?"

"Just a little while, Kurama. We'll just finish this," answered Yusuke. "Hey, Ebony! Try doing it again. Just concentrate all the energy on your arms. Then, try increasing the velocity of the spinning. It'll build up more power, bringing the attack to its maximum level plus make you less susceptible to enemy's defense."

"I really am hungry," said Kurama again.

"Really, Kurama," said Ebony shaking her head and sending her wavy locks bouncing on her shoulders. Her braids had gone untied a little while ago but her hair, though somewhat dirty was as gorgeous as ever. "After that huge breakfast you're still hungry?! Come on, Yusuke. Let's move a little farther away from them."

"It's getting hotter. You might get sunstroke."

"We'll be fine."

"Hiei, maybe you can convince them." Kurama turned to him.

"I haven't forgotten it was your idea for her to go down that infernal hole," he said.

"Oh, bother."

An hour had already passed and still they were burning away under the sun in the desert. Actually, Ebony had already succeeded in doing Yusuke's advice. They had been, for the last 45 minutes, trying to put on a new tactic.

"Guys, we really should be going now," said Kurama for the nth time. "The sun is extremely hot and you will get sunstroke."

"You're right," said Yusuke finally. "It's kinda becoming unbearable. Plus, I'm hungry. What about you, Hiei?"

"I don't mind," he answered.

"That's because you're a fire youkou," muttered Yusuke wiping away the beads of sweat. "Come on. I think my tan's dark enough."

"Ebony," called Kurama.

"Wait, OK?" she answered. "I nearly have it."

"Like, you've been saying that for the last hour. Look, we can just come back later at nine in the evening. By then, all heat the absorbed this day would have been released from the ground."

"I'm fine, OK. I feel great except for the fact I'm having a bad hair day."

But Ebony was not feeling fine. Her head was aching quite unbearably and her throat was parched. She shook her head determinedly, ignoring the fact that her hair was dry and unkempt that would ordinarily horrify her. "I won't stop till I get it right," she said through her clenched teeth.

It's like this. Ebony had more or less learned how to release her energy. Actually, her usable powers were at least 150% of Yusuke's and her birthmark wasn't a bit dimmed at that. The figure was still sharply etched on her left arm. But then, they realized they couldn't release more of her energy. The destruction would be too massive. Even now, the desert was quite, well um... more or less like before. That's the reason why they chose the spot. It was literally uninhabited by any living thing.

However, they'd have to fight in Kentrona. Who knows how massive an energy they have to release to defeat Azrael? It may lay waste the whole of Lethe or even unseal the much-coveted powers because of Drynwyn stimuli and send it rampaging through out the worlds. So, they devised a way to prevent such a thing from happening.

The concept was like a boomerang or a whip. The energy was released to the enemy and its remnants, instead of being dispersed into the environment, was to be sucked back into Ebony. It may also be compared to a whip. Power lashes out then returns to the owner.

The danger there was that the body may not be able to handle such tremendous amount of energy to be absorbed. See, the energy used to attack was really drawn from the potential energy of the person. Therefore, energy that backfires was like an attack from the opponent. So it's crucial to be able to predict your enemy's movement well. If the energy you released was too small, it won't do harm to your opponent. However, if the energy was too big, you won't be able to absorb it without being hurt yourself. The timing should be perfect, the powers involved just so, just enough to dispatch the enemy.

"Are you tired already?" demanded Ebony of Yusuke.

"Maybe yes!" he answered crossly. "Come on!"

"One last, please!"

"All right. Remember, try to foresee how much energy I'll release."

Both started to gather energy again. A while ago, the other two also fought her a few times each fight with increasing intensity. Until now, the powers she released had been too small. But at least, once she succeeded in weeding out Kurama's plants. Or nearly did. After she reabsorbed her powers, the plants grew again. But then they weren't strictly plants but fungi. She neglected the mycelia (?) underground.

The winds rose, gathering dust and forming a sandstorm. Energy was also being collected, concentrated, right about ready to be released. The intensity grew. So did the tension. It built up and built up and built up and..

Boom!

An explosion rocked the desert. Yusuke released the small concentrated ball of white energy. But tiny as it was, it was not to be underestimated for a white dwarf star was hotter and more powerful than a red giant one. He had yelled something but it was drowned down. Almost simultaneously, Ebony released her counter attack. Her energy lashed out, the twin cyclones of pure energy moving in a crescent path at unintelligible velocity. The two powers of opposing directions meet, just before colliding with Yusuke's Big Bang, a variant form of the rei gun. The powers clashed, reacting with each other for a mere hundredth of a second. Then, the two whirlwinds of Ebony became separate again and in that same crescent path retaliated back to the owner. Yusuke's energy had disappeared! It was utterly canceled out by hers.

But something was wrong. The tornadoes were accelerating too sharply. Ebony can't seem to control their velocity. No, she's completely lost control! She won't be able to take that tremendous impact.

Then, the two spinning masses of energy hit her full force. She screamed and the others strove to help her but were blown away by the force released by the impact. Her screams were muffled by the din and the others couldn't see a single thing. The clouds of suspended particles marred their view.

After a while, the others picked themselves up. They managed to find each other, Hiei cursing to himself. If anything happened to that girl, it will be my neck, he thought. International (interwordal?) interests are at stake. They waited for the air to clear up.

Finally, they found her lying in a heap, unconscious. Is she alive? Breathing? No. A pulse, yes, but growing faint by the second. CPR, somebody perform CPR!

Good heavens, it wasn't necessary. The moment Kurama cleared the air with one of his plants and they were able to clear her air passageway, she started breathing again. But it was labored, very labored.

"Good," said Kurama. "The heart beat's getting stronger."

"Once again, we nearly killed one of our own," said Hiei.

"Stop talking like that. Its not as if Mukuro's dead," said Yusuke.

"Let's just take her back to the house. OK?" interrupted the weary Kurama.

4th ed. 111301 20:47:48