Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Revolution ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

It was night and it seemed like everyone had too much worry on their minds. Shizuru was sitting up alone in her apartment worrying about Kazuma and wishing he had left her a more detailed note. Keiko was sitting in the tub with a hand over her belly worrying about the future. Shiori had barely slept at all. She just held Kurama's picture in her arms and sat in a rocker waiting for him to come through the door.

 

Mukuro sat on the floor next to her bed rubbing two polished stones together in her left hand. She got up and stripped then walked over to the mirror, unable to decide if she loved or hated what she was looking at. “How dare he?” she muttered to herself. “I needed it. It kept me safe. No man would ever…” She dropped the stones and stared hard at the reflection. Slowly she walked over to the closet and opened it. She took out a box and set it on her bed. For a few moments she stared at it and finally worked up the courage to open it. Inside was a white sun dress she had secretly bought ten years ago but never once had the courage to put on. She slipped it over her head and went back to the mirror. After another long stare she started to turn this way and that and actually started to admire herself a little. She opened another box and put some makeup on and admired herself in the mirror again. She couldn't believe how pretty she looked. But all of the sudden…

 

“You whore!” she hollered at her own reflection. She angrily smashed the mirror and collapsed to the ground crying. “Why? How could he do that to me? Why? I couldn't make him stop! He was too big and I was… I was…” She was crying too hard to speak anymore. At that moment the door opened and Kuwabara came in. “GET OUT!” she screamed.

 

“I can't do that,” he said calmly.

 

“Get the hell out!” And with that she slapped him in the face so hard she drew blood. “I'm not going to tell you again to leave!”

 

“I can't.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because Eikichi knows you're sad and wants to give you a cuddle, don't you honey?”

 

Kuwabara set the cat down and it walked over to Mukuro and affectionately rubbed its face against her leg. She very slowly reached over and stroked it.

 

“Don't know what I would have done without cats,” continued Kuwabara. “They're way better at comforting people than dogs.” He stopped for a moment and looked uncomfortable. “You father… all he saw when he looked at the world was a mirror. He lived in a dream where he didn't have to believe anyone else was real… Mukuro, when I was… when I was 8 years old, an older boy at school followed me into the bathroom and made me do something… something wrong. No one believed me. Not even my parents. No one except my sister. And because no one believed me he did it three more times. I used to come home and tell on him and then get spanked for lying. I had always thought cats were wimpy until my sister's cat sensed I was miserable and used to come into my room and try to comfort me.” Mukuro stared hard at him but didn't say anything. “My sister went to a different school. One day she cut school and snuck into my school and waited for this kid and when she got her hands on him she beat him so badly they had to call an ambulance. She spent a year in reform school and lost her chance to go to any decent schools. Now she's a hair dresser when she had dreamed about becoming a doctor. That kind of thing happens in Japan.”

 

Mukuro stood back up. “I'm so sorry.”

 

“She once told me she'd do it again. That she had no regrets about it. Funny thing happened. When I was 19 that same kid called me on the phone right out of the blue to apologize. Said he'd become a Jew and wanted to get his life straight. “

 

“And did you forgive him?”

 

“Yes. Holding a grudge would have meant he still had power over me. I could be stronger WITHOUT my hatred. I didn't have to feel weak when I wasn't some hard-ass punk anymore. Besides that, they were going to circumcise him the next day.” They both had a good laugh over that. “Everyone thinks I'm just a big dummy. And I am. But they haven't heard it all.” Kuwabara wrapped his arms around Mukuro. He felt her tense up momentarily but then relax. “It's not your life. All this bad crap, it's not your life. You haven't become weaker without your hate. It's all in your head. You are Mukuro. You are you and no one is greater.”

 

---

 

Koenma seemed to be having a rough night too. He was tossing and turning and obviously having a nightmare. He woke up with a screech.

 

“Honey, what's wrong?” asked an alarmed Botan.

 

“I had the worst dream!” he panted. “It was awful.”

 

“Oh. Is that it?”

 

“Botan, I dreamed I was dating Atsuko again.”

 

“Oh my gosh, you poor dear!”

 

“It was awful! She was prancing around acting like a lunatic and she expected me to pay her bar tab!”

 

“There, there. It was all a dream.”

 

“But it was so real!”

 

All of the sudden the bedroom door burst open and George came running in.

 

“Sir! Sir!”

 

“Doggone it, George! Why do I have to keep reminding you to knock? Do you have any idea what you could have walked in on?”

 

“You eating in bed while Botan struggles to get to sleep over the sound of your chewing?”

 

“Bingo,” replied Botan with a smirk.

 

“Sir, Shiko's back. He has that demon, Aku with him. It's the A-Class demon that attacked Kurama's father.”

 

“Holy cats! Why didn't you say so? I'll be right there.”

 

Aku paced back and forth impatiently in Koenma's throne room while Shiko sat in a fetal position in the corner rocking back and forth. Koenma walked in and ignored Aku at first.

 

“Well done Shiko. Shiko?”

 

Shiko looked up with a terrified expression. He started to cry pathetically. “Oh my gosh, oh it was so much more horrible than my very worst nightmare. Oh I beg of you not to send me back there. I'll do anything at all. Anything.”

 

“Don't worry, I'll show you mercy. Thank you. Now Aku…”

 

“Yes Lord Koenma. Thank you for my reprieve. Now Shiko tells me you have a question for me.”

 

“I do. Who hired you to enter Ningenkai and attack the step-father of the demon known as Kurama?”

 

Aku looked at Koenma like he was crazy. “You're kidding me, right?”

 

“I assure you I have never been so serious in all my life. You will answer me truthfully or I will send you back. And keep in mind if you lie I will be able to tell immediately.”

 

“Well… you did.”

 

“Did what?”

 

“You hired me. Well you remember, don't you?”

 

Koenma slapped his head angrily. “A shape shifter! A demon who can disguise itself! I assure you Aku, whoever hired you was not me. Now tell me what this imposter said.”

 

“He said Enki was ruining Makai, that this little farce would lead to an act of violence on Kurama's part that would discredit Enki so that he'd have to step down.”

 

“He'd step down and who would take over?”

 

“He said a new tournament would decide that.”

 

“I see. Continue.”

 

“He told me Kurama had vowed to stay in his human form, that he was out of shape and weak after years of retirement and that I could take him. That's all.”

 

“And what price did he offer you?”

 

“Five tons of man flesh.”

 

“Very well. For your cooperation I will send you to a different Hell, one that employs the permanent sensation of drowning. Still far less horrible than what you were in before. Take him away. And as for you, Shiko…”

 

“OH PLEASE!”

 

“As for you I've decided to reincarnate you as an Angel of Death much like Botan here in this world. Don't mess this up for yourself.”

 

---

 

From atop a balcony in his castle, Shura addressed an enormous crowd of angry demons from his territory.

 

“The hour has struck! The time has come when we must throw off our shackles. The time has come to reduce man to his proper role as demon fodder!” At this he received a great ovation. After waiting for the applause to die down he continued. “How dare they? How dare these dictators deprive us of our divine right to consume a lower life form as food? We do not ask to kill for fun, we merely demand to kill and eat humanely and they have spit in our faces.” More angry cheers ensued. “And now they dare to hire a brutal assassin from the human world to silence my beloved father! Our one voice. Our one ally. MY ONE AND ONLY PAPA! Damn them! Damn them to hell!” The applause was nearly deafening. “The fiend is Youko. And he hasn't stopped there. He had the audacity to attack a village of innocent and defenseless Ice Maidens to satisfy his vile appetite for destruction. Observe, all of you!”

 

At that moment Shura pulled a remote control out and a giant TV screen turned on. It showed footage of the attack on the Ice Village alright, of Ice Maidens screaming, Ice Maidens dead and injured, and of Kurama swinging his Rose Whip around but none of what really happened. It was more than enough to convince the crowd. “And this is who Enki brings here! To murder! To defend man; to defend a race guilty of the most vile atrocities in the history of the universe! I now present to you all, after so many years, the one and only infamous CHAPTER BLACK!”

 

Somehow Yoshiro had managed to get his hands on a copy of the tape. The crowd watched in horror for quite some time as the saw footage of things such as the Holocaust, Tiananmen Square, and the sadomasochistic torture of demons by the Black Black Club played before their eyes.

 

By the time the tape ended the crowd was whipped up into a wild fury. “And these are to be our masters! You just watch! Enki is in league with them. Either through bribery or lust for human women he has betrayed our sacred race! Thus by natural law his power is invalidated. I do hereby and of this moment declare the traitor Enki DEPOSED as king of Makai! TO ARMS! DEATH TO ENKI! DEATH TO YOUKO! DEATH TO MANKIND!”

 

Shura smiled and went back into the castle where Yoshiro was waiting for him. “Quite a show, my lord,” he said. “Funny, I never thought I'd be calling you that after all these years but it feels great to say it.”

 

“Yes,” replied Shura. “But in order for that rabble to make any difference, any ally of S-Class strength that Enki has must die. He, his wife, Mukuro, and Urameshi's crew. They all need to be eliminated. Otherwise that small handful will easily defeat my entire army.”

 

---

 

It was early morning when Hiei returned to Mukuro's castle. When he found her she was in the courtyard practicing her fighting techniques. She was back in her regular outfit but Hiei obviously couldn't help but notice…

 

“Your face! What happened?”

 

“Kuwabara,” she replied simply.

 

“Are you ok with this?”

 

Mukuro nodded and resumed shadow boxing.

 

“Mukuro?” No answer. “We need to talk.”

 

Mukuro stopped what she was doing and looked hard at Hiei. “You're about to tell me you're not in love with me anymore, aren't you?”

 

Hiei nodded. “I have to. If I'm too afraid to be honest with people how can I face what's about to happen? What we have, what we have had for years now was merely a friendship with the level of affection you might see in a couple who has been dating for two weeks.” For a long time neither one of them spoke. “I'll pack my stuff and I'll be out in twenty minutes.”

 

“No,” she replied. “You may as well stay. You work here and we never did share a bedroom… Hiei? Thank you for being honest. I did care a great deal about you. I do even have romantic feelings for you; not enough for a lasting relationship, but they're there. But more than anything you've been a constant friend and companion. I couldn't bear to lose that.”

 

Hiei turned and walked back inside. Mukuro sat on the ground and debated with herself whether or not to allow herself to cry over this. In the end she decided against it. For three hours she just sat there. Finally she picked herself up and resumed her workout.

 

---

 

“Come on Kuwabara, move it!”

 

“Shut up, Hiei! Can't you see I'm trying my best here? I'm not exactly graceful.”

 

Under Mukuro's instructions, Hiei was trying to give Kuwabara a crash course on swordsmanship. The two of them were holding bamboo blades. With the Rei KÅ Dan, Kuwabara was quick enough to block or dodge Hiei's attacks but did so with the most awkward movements and he wasn't able to land any hits on Hiei at all.

 

“I feel like I'm fencing with a dinosaur!” complained Hiei. “I taught you the fundamentals of how to move and how to hold that thing in each given situation.”

 

“When you come at me that fast and when I'm still not used to your style I forget what I'm doing after a minute and do what comes natural.”

 

“Very well,” replied Hiei. “We'll do the same ten movements over and over again. I'll start very slow and gradually speed up. That should help you get the hang of it. But you've got to use the techniques I taught you and not wing it.”

 

“Hiei?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Did you find Kurama?”

 

“Yes. He and Yukina went to her village.”

 

“Yukina? Why?”

 

“Kuwabara, there are two things I need to tell you about Yukina…”

 

---

 

“But you can't abdicate!” screamed Yusuke.

 

“Well I certainly can't have a war,” replied Enki. “I'm not so selfish as to hang on to power and the expense of…”

 

“Enki,” interrupted Kurama. “You are most certainly not selfish. You are the only person protecting the human race right now so your reign is necessary.”

 

“Is it necessary that my people die in a war to keep another race safe?” replied Enki with a raised eyebrow.

 

Yusuke sighed. “There's a story from our world I've never been proud of. The Second World War. And the reason I'm not proud of it is because…”

 

“Because you're Japanese,” interrupted Enki. “I'm familiar with some amount of your history and I know your side lost. What's the point?”

 

“The point is that our main ally decided to conquer Europe while we tried to conquer China. Both sides were hurting numerous innocent people. Armies who may not have had a direct stake fought and died for strangers and they did it because it was the right thing to do. You as a king can't ask any less of your subjects.”

 

Enki was silent. “Tell me. Is it a better world now in Ningenkai?”

 

“It's not perfect,” replied Kurama. “It never will be. But it's so much better than the world that Germany and Japan would have created.”

 

“So be it,” he said quietly.

 

---

 

Mukuro found Kuwabara sitting in the hallway with his head in his hands. “Are you and Hiei finished?” she asked. He nodded. “Something wrong?” He nodded again. Mukuro sat down next to him. “What is it?”

 

“Just disappointed and confused,” he replied quietly.

 

“Anything I can help with?”

 

“There was this one direction I thought my life was headed in. I was so sure about it. I dreamed my future around it. But I was wrong.”

 

“That happens to all of us sometimes, Kuwabara,” she replied. “I suffered a pretty bad disappointment myself today; one that was possibly life-altering as well. Sometimes you look at life and it seems like everything you've ever done has ended in failure and disappointment.”

 

“Then what's the point?”

 

“You tell me. You made the point so clear to me. Do I have to tell you your own wisdom?” She took his hand and put her head on his shoulder. “Oh Kuwabara, I'd give the world to see you smile right now.”

 

“I'm a survivor,” he replied quietly. “Don't feel bad for me. Ever.”

 

---

 

“I don't want to leave you, Kurama,” cried Yukina. “Please let me stay.”

 

“Yukina, things have gotten too dangerous here. This whole world has been turned upside down. I cannot and will not try to force you to do anything but I don't want you to be here in the coming storm. My heart can only take so much. I want you to go with Koko now. She'll take you to Genkai's. And if I don't make it back…”

 

“Don't say that!”

 

“If I don't make it back give this to my mother.” He handed her a lock of his own hair. “She'll understand what it means. Please go. And when I see you again… when this is over I'll make you my wife.” Yukina was stunned and said nothing. “If that's alright with you. I know it hasn't been long, but I just know you're the one I've been searching for. Is it alright with you?”

 

She weakly nodded her head but didn't smile. “I don't want to be a widow before I'm even married,” she whispered. She handed him her tear jewel and then threw her arms around him. “Please don't die! I love you. Just don't die!”

 

---

 

Hiei couldn't sleep. After all Mukuro had suffered and now he had broken up with her. Maybe she was still awake. He needed to talk to her. But talking would have to wait. You see, when he had knocked on her bedroom door and gotten no response he opened it and after taking a brief glimpse inside he closed the door and walked away in silence. What he had seen was Mukuro in bed with Kuwabara.