Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Parting of the Ways ❯ Kidnapping...or something like it ( Chapter 5 )

A week passed. During that time, Kurama hardly ever came out of his room. When he did, he said little to nothing, and what he did say was so quiet it was hardly audible. Everyone tried to get him out of his room, each using their own methods…

 

Hiei spent nearly two hours on Kurama's windowsill, first making an attempt at reasoning with him, and then losing his temper and hissing insults through the window. That earned him a well-placed sneaker in the mouth. Yukina sat outside Kurama's door and tried to tempt him outside with the offer of being allowed to examine a plant that grew only in the Koorime's icy home. When this elicited no response, she was sorely tempted to freeze him out, but didn't. Shizuru took up the post Yukina had vacated and simply told Kurama that he was being even more of an idiot than Kuwabara, then added that Yusuke would be ashamed if he could see what Kurama was doing. After that, Kurama responded with a stream of curses in a language only Hiei could speak, it being `Thieves Cant', a language created and spoken only by thieves of the Demon Plane. The inventive use of these curses was enough to make the little fire demon turn very red. When asked to translate, he refused, saying that the words were far too…colorful to be repeated. Then it was Kuwabara's turn. What he did surprised everyone.

“Hey! Open this door right now!” He yelled, banging on the door. It was a bit of a blessing that Shiori was out, because she would have started asking questions about the next things Kuwabara said. “Your kind are always pictured as cowards and tricksters in the stories. They seduce people, and run around doing whatever they want. I used to believe that! And then I met you, and you changed everything I ever thought about foxes. I actually started to think that the stories only told the things that would be useful in teaching lessons to little kids! I started thinking that there was something else, that foxes could be brave…honorable…strong…allies…even friends…that even the worst of them could change if they got the chance. And then you did this!”

“Kazuma, calm down.” Shizuru said, placing a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder. “It's not working.” Kuwabara just shook her hand off.

“It was all an illusion! You just acted that way until this happened! And then what did you do? You ran off with your tail between your legs and locked yourself away so you didn't have to `fess up and face the truth! I used to look up to you, but now I can see what you really are! You're just like the foxes in the stories Kurama. You're a coward! You may be way older than any of us here, but even I'm more mature than you! Yusuke was more of a man than you are! Hiei is a more loyal friend! My sister and Yukina both have more courage than you can even hope to have! We're all stronger than you! And do you know why? It's because we all stood up and faced Yusuke's death while you turned and ran away!”

“Just leave me alone!” Kurama yelled back. “Get out and leave me alone!”

“I will not let you stay in there and act like a little kid! You're coming out, even if I have to drag you out!”

“NO!” Kurama yelled, and any idiot could hear that he was crying. Kuwabara sighed and turned to face the others.

“Hey Hiei…you any good at picking locks?”

“I'm on it.” Hiei answered. In less than a minute, the door was open.

“Thanks.” Kuwabara opened the door and stomped in. Kurama was in the corner farthest from the door and windows, sobbing. Kuwabara approached and glared down at him. “So, are you coming willingly?”

“NO!”

“Fine then. We'll do it this way.” Before Kurama had a chance to react, he'd been picked up and slung over Kuwabara's shoulder. The boy carried him out of the room. “Come on. We're going to Genkai's.”

“NO!” Kurama yelled, pounding furiously on Kuwabara's back with his fists. He kicked and struggled, still crying, in a futile attempt to free himself.

When they got outside, Shiori was just arriving. She stared in shock at the sight of Kuwabara carrying her kicking, crying son over one shoulder down the front walk.

“What are you doing?” she squeaked.

“Taking him to someone who can snap him out of this. This isn't the guy I used to respect, and this is the only way he's ever coming back. We'll bring him back, I promise.” After saying this, Kuwabara continued on his way, with the others trailing along behind. Shiori watched them go. She had absolutely no clue as to what was going on, but somehow she knew that letting that boy carry her son away was the right thing to do.

 

By the time the group reached Genkai's temple, Kurama was walking, hands bound and in front of him, attached to a rope that Kuwabara held. Earlier experimentation had proved that if he refused to walk, he would be dragged. He'd long since stopped crying, reverting to a stony silence.

“Boys! What's going on?” Genkai asked upon seeing the group.

“We're here to knock some sense into him.” Kuwabara grumbled. He continued past the temple, leading his unwilling prisoner to Yusuke's grave. After securing the rope to the tombstone. Kuwabara turned to Kurama. “You're staying here until you feel like telling us what's going on!” he snapped, and then stormed back to the temple.

Kurama stood before the tombstone for a long time, head down, trying to avoid looking at it. Finally, he raised his head. He saw the black roses. Quite suddenly, his knees gave way and he fell, hard. Staring, Kurama pulled himself into a sitting position, not taking his eyes off the flowers. He knew that he'd planted the bush, knew that it had been grown from one of his favorite bushes, with blooms as red as blood. He knew that the flowers produced should have been red, just as they had been when the plant had bloomed on his desk before. That was why he'd chosen the plant in the first place. Red for blood. Morbidly appropriate.

But now…it was black. How could that have happened? How was it even possible? The best gardeners and botanical scientists had been trying to create a truly black rose for decades. How had this one…wait!

There was a possibility…Kurama knew it was unlikely but… what if his feelings had been projected through his aura into the plant? Most of the plants that spent a large amount of time around him developed a connection to his aura, and a few even became sentient, capable of moving their leaves, blooms, stems, and vines on their own. He'd been feeling like his world had come to an end when he planted this bush…had considered various methods of killing himself while he did it…could he actually change the color of the blooms by way of his emotions? If so, it must have a connection with Yoko having left his body…

Kurama took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he had to do. Then he redirected his gaze at Yusuke's tombstone. “Yusuke I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I can't tell the others what really happened to you, at least not yet. I don't want them to get dragged into this. I have to find Yoko, and I have to find some way to bind him. The combination of everything from…that day…could turn him into something even worse than a fox demon thief. Like an evil spirit, or a vengeful one. I'll tell them when it's safe. I promise.” When he'd finished speaking, Kurama bowed to the tombstone, then untied himself and headed for the temple. He owed everyone at least part of an explanation.