Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Written In the Stars ❯ Self Sacrifice ( Chapter 13 )

Written In the Stars

Chapter 13

Botan hovered on her oar through the forest. She remained silent as she moved ahead, occasionally looking back to see how Arella was doing. Arella had been so silent for most of the morning, Botan wasn't sure if she was that confident, or just plain terrified. Her attention was then caught by the sound of a loud smack. She followed the sound to its source, Kuwabara.

"Dammit!" he shouted. "The mosquitoes here are the size of grapefruits! Didn't anyone bring any bug repellant?!"

"Knock it off, Kuwabara!" said Yusuke. "Why don't you just announce we're hear over a freakin' bull horn!"

"Watch it, Urameshi!" said Kuwabara. "One more word outta you and I'll…"

"Guys... Please," said Arella. "Some of us actually have a lot on our minds right now. Do you mind?" Everyone stood facing Arella for a while, until finally, she turned away and continued ahead, just passing Botan.

Botan looked back at Yusuke and Kuwabara. "Way to go boys," she said, before soaring after Arella. Both Hiei and Kurama stepped past the teens, leaving them standing there looking guilty. It wasn't long before they too started after them.

"You know this is all your fault, Kuwabara," said Yusuke.

"Uh-uh! It's yours!" said Kuwabara.

"Yours!"

"Yours!"

"Yours!"

"Yours!"

The two continued their exchange for a few seconds in hushed whispers before they caught up with the rest of the group.

As they reached the top of a hill, the sight of Morfran's fortress stood before them in all of it's horrifying glory; looking exactly like the description that had been in Amata's diary. Arella let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding as her eyes looked down upon what could possibly be her death sentence, as it had been for so many other Angels before her. Those who had been captured, tortured, and killed for their wing feathers, for the use of their healing powers, and for trying to protect their kind and stop their tormentor once and for all. Now it was her turn to face the deadly adversary that so many had faced before, the one she was supposedly destined to defeat, but with so many unanswered questions, she wondered if she would succeed.

As she took another step forward, she stopped, feeling as though she and the others were being watched. Her head snapped over to the right as she quickly drew out her bow and arrow, aiming for the trees and firing a single shot. A few seconds later, the dead body of one of Morfran's soldiers fell to the ground.

"Whoa! Damn!" shouted Yusuke as he watched the body fall before them. "Arella, how did you know?" he asked. Most of the others seemed quite impressed by the display as well. Arella took the time to catch her breath, for the excitement had really gotten her adrenaline pumping through her veins. She turned as she felt the soft touch of Kurama's hand on her shoulder. He offered her a smile and nodded.

"Not bad," said Hiei. "A few seconds later than I would have expected you to react... yet not bad at all."

"Hiei," began Botan. "Give her a break!"

"No," said Hiei. "Morfran certainly won't, and that's what she has to prepare for." Hiei looked towards Arella once again. "Trust your instincts more than you trust your senses, understood?"

Arella nodded at Hiei, knowing that he wasn't being picky, but trying to help her as much as he possibly could in these final moments. It almost surprised her how well she'd come to understand him in such a short time. Arella then turned her gaze back towards Morfran's fortress. "I guess we should move on."

"Yeah... let the ass kicking fest begin!" said Yusuke as he exchanged a smile with Kuwabara, who was starting to get just as excited about the pending dangers that lie ahead.

Arella tried not to look too nervous as they walked on. To kill one small lackey was one thing, but to be headed to destroy one of the most lethal Angel Hunters known was something else. She truly wanted to believe that she could do it, that she was really the one who was meant to kill him. There still so many unanswered questions though that left her as well as the others confused. How could she be an Angel of Two Worlds and who the hell was the Cold Fox? Whatever the case was, she knew she had to stay strong till the end and if she survived this day, there would hopefully be answers to the questions almost everyone had been asking.

As they reached the fortress, the gates slowly opened, welcoming them inside. The room the stepped into was dimly lit with a few torches and before them were five tunnels leading into complete darkness. They each examined the room, carefully looking at each of the tunnels, trying to decide which way was correct. Arella walked to the tunnel in the center, looking at it closely before she took a few steps inside.

A loud slamming noise filled the room and Arella quickly spun around to see that cage bars had lowered on the door of the tunnel. "Kurama!" she cried, running towards the bars. She had just about made it when the floor beneath her collapsed and she fell to the bottom, rolling around on the ground a bit before she was able to stop and slowly sit up.

Oh that was brilliant, she thought sarcastically, Great way to impress the heroes, Arella. You really showed them how smart you were.

A noise from the corner of the room drew her attention, her head snapping up to see two of Morfran's guards, looking at her and snickering. She withdrew her sword, ready for a fight when one of them lifted up his hand and shook a finger at her. "Ah, ah, ah, I don't think that would be a smart move there, young Angel," the first guard said, moving over to the wall where a lever was placed, "This little thing is connected to the room where you just left. If you so much as try to attack us, all I have to do is pull it and the room will be filled with fire, burning your friends to a crisp. Now, you don't want that, do you?"

Arella let out a frustrated sigh before she sheathed her sword and lowered her defenses. She wasn't about to get Kurama or his friends hurt because of her stupid actions.

"Good girl," the second guard said, an evil smile on his face, "Now, I suggest you come with us. Morfran has been expecting you."

**********

"Arella!" cried Kurama as he ran towards the bars. As he watched her fall into the opening of the floor, Kurama dove and slid across it. Just as his hand was about to grasp her own, he realized that he missed. "No!"

"Aw, dammit!" shouted Yusuke. He and the others had run up towards the bars to see that Arella had fallen down below. "Now, what do we do?" he asked.

"For now, I believe the rest is up to Arella," said Botan.

"What?! And let her face Morfran alone?" said Yusuke. "No way! I want a piece of that smoke-blowing lizard myself!" Yusuke pounded his fist into the palm of his hand.

"But Yusuke, the prophecy clearly states that Arella can defeat Morfran," said Botan. "Remember only she and the Cold Fox will be able to stop it and we don't have any idea who or where this Cold Fox is. I'm sorry Yusuke, this is Arella's fight. You can't change the prophecy."

Yusuke clenched his fist. "Well, at least we can do is find Arella, and let her know that we're with her! I'll be damned if I'm just gonna sit here and wait!"

"Yeah!" chimed Kuwabara. "I'm with Urameshi!"

"Then we're wasting time," said Kurama finally standing up. "I suggest the first thing we do is get through these bars."

"Allow me," said Hiei as he drew his sword and dashed towards the bars. With a pair of slices, the bars fell away, revealing the corridor that Arella had tried to follow first. The Sprit Detectives then stepped into the corridor, not knowing what they would find, yet hoping it would lead them to Arella.

**********

The two soldiers dragged her up the series of spiraling stairs until they came to a tall black wooden door with the image of a dragon carved into it. One of the soldiers grabbed the handle of the door and swung it open. They then threw Arella inside and slammed the door shut. She quickly got on her feet and tried to pull the door open, but to no avail.

"There really is no point in trying to escape, you're fate has already been sealed," Morfran's voice echoed.

Arella slowly turned around, her eyes scanning the room before her. It was almost pitch black, but the occasional torch gave it enough light for her to see into the room. She took a few steps further, seeing a balcony extending to the outside. This allowed her to realize that she was in the fortresses tower.

She then unsheathed her sword, her eyes continuing to scan the room for any sign of where Morfran was hiding.

Seeing the sight of Arella holding her sword only caused the room to fill with a rumbling laughter. Arella's head whipped in every direction as she tried to find it's source, but the echoes from the chamber walls made it all too difficult. "So girl," he teased, "you actually have some hope of defeating me right now?" His laughter continued. "You don't even know where to strike first!"

Suddenly, on impulse, Arella swung behind her. Again the chamber filled with laughter. Arella swung wildly again, and the laughter continued. She paused, and held her sword firmly, as she tried to remember all that Hiei had taught her. The first thing she needed to do was calm down. Being jumpy as she was, definitely wouldn't help her win this duel. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a moment before slowly opening them, taking cautious strides through the room. "I'll find you eventually," she said.

Suddenly, a pair of golden eyes lit the shadows behind Arella. She realized where her opponent stood, yet a fraction of a second to late. As she spun to strike, a huge hand came crashing down at her. The blow struck her across the face knocking her from her feet, and sending her to the ground a few feet away. Suddenly, the room filled with laughter again, as a darker figure, darker than the shadows, stepped forward.

Morfran stood there, his shape highlighted by the torches as he stared down at Arella. She quickly got to her feet, and could taste a bit of blood in her mouth. Morfran shook his head at the sight. "And you're supposed to be the Champion sent to stop me? Consider your Angelic race a lost one... and the humans soon to follow!"

Morfran then pulled his own sword from his sheath. As he did so, he raised his hand into the air slightly, the flames upon the torches rising with his hand, offering more light. His own blade was obsidian in color and the black metal mixed well with the shadows. "Now, daughter of Amata... come forth... and meet your doom."

"We shall see about that," Arella said before they lunged at each other, beginning the fight.

The room echoed with the loud clang and crashing of each blade as it was struck by the other. Despite her earlier mistake from before, Arella was able gain the upper hand, occasionally taking Morfran by surprise with a kick or a punch.

In an instant, Arella kicked Morfran's sword out of his hand, sending it flying across the room to the other side. She kicked him to the ground and positioned her sword at his throat, ready to take the life of the one who not only killed her mother, but thousands of her kind before her.

**********

The thud of bodies could be heard as they were slammed up against the wall at the same time. Yusuke and Kuwabara let go of two of Morfran's soldiers and watched as they slumped to the ground. The pair of boys looked back at each other. Yusuke was the first to speak. "You get any directions out of that guy?" he asked.

"No," said Kuwabara. "He just kept playing dumb."

"Who said they were playing?!" cried Hiei. He had just run through about eight of Morfran's soldiers who had charged at him. His sword was moving at such a blind fury as he weaved through them all, that it barely seemed that he'd cast a blow. Yet, Hiei kneeled after he leapt past the last of the soldiers. He had pushed his sword into it's sheath, and with the final nudge, the bodies began to fall. Hiei then stood up and approached Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"And just how the hell are we supposed to ask them questions after that?" said Yusuke.

"That... is not my problem," said Hiei as he looked back at Yusuke. However, it wasn't long before all of their attention was captured by the sight before them. They watched as Kurama used his Rose Whip mercilessly on the soldiers. He cracked the whip at them, sending several petals flying at the soldiers so fast, that they soared straight through the their bodies, and out the other side.

Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei watched as the bodies fell to the floor. One of the soldiers tried to escape, but Kurama cracked the whip around the soldier's neck and hurled him back. The soldier crashed to the floor so hard that he cracked the stone beneath his back. He cried out in pain as Kurama walked forward and stepped on his neck. "The girl... where is she?!" he spat.

The demon couldn't speak, and gasped for air as he tried to push Kurama's foot up, so that he could breath. Kurama cracked the whip at the pathetic attempt and actually took off some of the skin on the dragon's arm. "Answer me... or next time, the arm goes with it!" The demon raised his hand and pointed at a flight of stairs. Kurama turned his eyes towards them.

Kuwabara ran over and looked up. "Hey... it leads up. Probably to that tower!" he called.

Kurama looked down at the demon and squinted his eyes in fury at him. "If you're lying... or if she's hurt... I'll be back," he warned. Finally, Kurama lifted his foot and started towards the stairway.

Yusuke walked over towards Kurama. "Hey... What's gotten into you?" he asked. "You were pretty rough back there... even for you. Hell, even for Hiei!"

Kurama paused for a moment, and simply looked at Yusuke. His gaze was enough to warn the boy that he was better off not asking that question. Yusuke watched as Kurama moved on ahead. He clenched his fist, as Kurama walked away. He'd never seen Kurama this angry and Yusuke almost felt sorry for whatever was waiting for them at the top of the stairs.

The Spirit Detectives raced up the spiraling staircase as fast as their legs could carry them. "Look! A door!" shouted Yusuke as they raced up the final stairs. Before them stood a wooden door. "So, who wants to knock?"

Hiei leapt into the air. "Allow me," he said simply. He drew his sword, and with two quick slashes across the wood he landed just in front of the door. He sheathed his sword again, and as he did, Kuwabara and Yusuke leapt over him, and pushed in the sliced portion of the door. The boys rolled as they hit the floor, and quickly stood in position ready to attack. Hiei and Kurama then burst into the room as well.

"Arella?!" called Kurama as soon as he was in the room. "Arella, where are you?!"

However, it wasn't long before Kurama could see that Arella stood perched over Morfran, with her blade against his neck.

"You... you did it," said Kuwabara. "You... you beat `em all by yourself!"

"Of course she did it," said Hiei smirking. "She was trained by me, did you expect anything less?"

"I knew she could do it!" cried Botan as she entered the room on her oar.

Yusuke turned towards her. "Botan?! Where the hell have you been? Why didn't you help us with those goons downstairs?"

"Well, you boys seemed to have everything in hand," said Botan. She cleared her throat. "Besides... I had to find the little Grim Reaperess's room."

Yusuke shook his head in disbelief. "Why did I even ask?" he said. He then turned towards Arella. "Okay, finish him off, so we can go home."

Morfran meanwhile, turned his head away from the girl, his eyes now falling upon Kurama. He smirked inwardly as he continued to stare, a plan instantly coming to mind.

A black glowing energy formed around his eyes and in a flash, it entered Kurama's allowing Morfran to do what he needed to do.

Arella had positioned the blade of the sword for a swift strike, wanting to finally end this once and for all. Just as she was about to swing, she felt a painful snap at her hand and her sword sliding a few feet away from her. She looked down at her hand, seeing a red streak of blood seeping from a freshly made cut. She then turned her head and to her complete shock and horror, Kurama stood there with his Rose Whip in hand, glaring at her with hatred. She knew that wasn't Kurama though, not the Kurama she knew.

She then glared back at Morfran and hissed, "What did you do to him?!"

"What have I done?" asked Morfran, yet as he spoke Kurama's did as well. In fact, they spoke at the same time, speaking the same words. "I have taken control of his body. After all, it is a fight that you wanted is it not? Then, let us continue."

"No!" shouted Arella. She looked over at Kurama, and saw that Morfran truly was in control, because Kurama was ready to fight. "Let him go! He has nothing to do with this!"

"Your quarrel is with me!" said Morfran. "The shell I occupy should not matter. And to defeat me... you have to kill him!" Morfran laughed lightly. "Or be killed yourself."

Arella looked back at Kurama and shook her head. "No, no I won't fight him!" she said. She looked towards her Soulmate. "Kurama, you have to fight this!"

"Arella! Quickly! Get to your sword, and kill Morfran! Then, Kurama will be free!" shouted Botan. Suddenly, several soldiers of Morfran burst into the room. Yusuke and the others turned around to face them.

"Damn!" shouted Yusuke. "There weren't this many when we came in! Where the hell did they come from?!"

"They sense their master's danger and have come to save him!" shouted Hiei as he cut through several of Morfran's guards.

"It's important they we hold them back!" shouted Botan as she smashed her oar into the face of one of the soldiers. "We have to give Arella a chance to defeat Morfran! And if any of these guys get through.…"

"Don't worry!" shouted Yusuke. "They won't!"

Arella retrieved her sword and could only slowly back away as she watched Kurama/Morfran come closer to her. She would not fight him. Kurama was her Soulmate. She would not hurt him!

She looked over her shoulder and saw that she was backing away out to the balcony. An idea started to form in her mind as she looked back at the Morfran controlled Kurama. She then sheathed her sword, looked right into his eyes and stepped onto the balcony ledge.

"Tell me Morfran, how would you feel if I ended my own life here and now? That wouldn't make you very happy, would it? I mean, after all, what will your followers say when they hear that rather then defeat me yourself, you allowed me to commit suicide? I don't think they'll think very highly of you. So even if I die now, you'll go down in history as a fraud." Arella then crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes.

"No! Guards, seize her now!" Morfran/Kurama screamed.

Two guards then ran towards her, but it was too late. Arella's body was already beginning to lean backwards.

Morfran's eyes widened at the sight before him. His guards, hearing his call began to push harder against the Spirit Detectives until finally a few of them broke through.

"What the hell!?" shouted Yusuke. "Who let `em through?!" Yusuke turned to see a few soldiers step on Kuwabara's back. "Dammit, Kuwabara, I told you to hold them back!"

"Shut the hell up, Urameshi!" shouted Kuwabara. "I can't help it that six of `em decided to use me for a floor mat at the same time!" Kuwabara finally got to his feet and started after them. "Well, what the hell are you waiting on, help me stop `em!"

The Spirit Detectives began to move backwards to stop the minions that had broken through their defenses. It was then that Botan saw what Arella was about to do. "Arella! No, don't! Not like this!"

Yet, as she spoke, Arella continued to fall further and further back. And it was at that moment, that Kurama snapped from the trance. He watched as Arella's body fall out of sight on the balcony. "What?" he said as he tried to understand what he was seeing. "No... NO!" he shouted as he ran towards the balcony. "Arella!!!"