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She felt them before they even entered. A split second later, the heavy metal door to the warehouse was thrown open, the cacophony startling everyone except her.

Although she was a pure human, Keiko had trained herself to be able to sense and accurately classify different types of reiki and youki. Basically, who was friendly and who was hostile. It was a basic survival tactic in this ravaged world.

More importantly to her, she would know when Yuusuke came back.

Keiko stood, waiting for the patrol team to approach her. Kurama, the leader of this particular group, stared at her tiredly and shook his head.

"Sumimasen, Keiko-chan," he said. "Yuusuke is nowhere to be found."

Keiko paced back and forth angrily, waving her hand impatiently and allowing the patrol team to get something to eat. She ignored the concerned queries from her staff, enveloping herself in her unrequited rage.

Miyomi. That bitch. No, that didn't describe her. She was worse than that. Her reign of terror on the three worlds was matched by no other -- not Hitler, not Stalin, not Yakumo.

For Keiko, the final straw had come when Yuusuke and Miyomi had faced off, several months ago. After that, Yuusuke had disappeared without a trace. Miyomi had seen to that.

That fucking bitch. She didn't even let Keiko know if her Yuusuke was dead or alive. And if he were dead… There was no body, no closure.

After Yuusuke, Keiko took it upon herself to command the entire team. It was the same as before; she mostly remained in headquarters, tending to the wounded. It was just that now the field commanders -- including Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara -- had to defer to her for orders. Nobody protested her self-appointment; the grieving woman deserved some sort of consolation.

Her leadership duties summoned, as she made her way to the tall redhead seated against the wall. She folded her legs underneath her and stared into Kurama's eyes -- emerald orbs that were once so beautiful, but were now forever perverted with the horrors of Miyomi's war-torn world.

Yuusuke wasn't their only objective. Keiko had sent the patrol out for a reason. "Do you think Miyomi's army will attack anytime soon?"

Kurama's head was leaned back against the cold brick, as if he didn't have the strength to hold it up himself. He gazed at Keiko through half-lidded eyes. He was tired. They all were.

"No," he answered hoarsely, after a moment of silence. "If she is, it won't be here." He shifted his position, straightening up and resting his chin on his folded arms. "It's totally barren here -- no life, no goods… The only reason Koenma has kept us positioned here is we have too many wounded to move."

Keiko studied her hands. "I know. We can hardly be considered qualified for action. We might as well be dissolved."

"We were formidable, once," Kurama said with a wistful chuckle. "Best damn obstacle to Miyomi's campaign."

"That was before," Keiko snapped, voice suddenly hard. Kurama didn't even blink. He, as well as the other lieutenants, were used to her mood swings.

She stood up, searching over her shoulder. "Hiei!" she called sharply. The diminutive youkai was at her side in less than an instant. "I want you to lead a scouting team. Look for a new headquarters. Look far from here, closer to the fighting. I don't want us counted out just yet. And make sure you're armed." Overloaded with wounded troops or not, Keiko would be there when Miyomi fell.

Hiei nodded curtly, almost imperceptibly, his only sign of acknowledgement. He glanced once at Kurama, who gazed at him wearily, then disappeared.

Keiko signaled silently for an aide, who rushed over with some water for Kurama. She returned to the back section of the warehouse, the makeshift hospital. She sat down next to the young girl rewrapping an injured youkai's arm.

"Yukina-chan," she whispered, stroking the girl's sea green hair. Regardless of the situation at hand, Keiko's voice always softened towards Yukina. She found it easy, ashamed as she was to admit it, to take out her frustration on Kurama or Kuwabara and sometimes even Hiei, but never the young Koorime girl.

"Everyone's stable," Yukina informed her superior. Keiko's brows knitted together despondently. Innocents like Yukina, even herself, were the true victims of the war.

"Take a break," Keiko ordered her friend. "Botan can cover for you." After Yuusuke's disappearance, Botan had spent more time around his team, poor ferry girls-in-training like Hinageshi having to make up for her absences. Keiko believed Botan was hiding, just in case Yuusuke's soul did end up en route to the Reikai, so that she wouldn't have to see him. "Where is she, anyway?"

"Keiko-chan!" came the ferry girl's frantic voice, the rear entrance to the warehouse bursting open. "Hayaku! Yuusuke wa…"

The mere mention of the name catapulted Keiko to her feet. "What about him, Botan?" she demanded, racing out the door. As hard as she tried to quell it, a feeling of hope began emerging from her chest. Could it be, that after all these months, Yuusuke was still…?

A strangled cry was all that emerged from her throat as Botan's discovery came into view. Yuusuke's unconscious form was sprawled among debris and charred remains from previous battles, his forehead wrinkled in acute pain.

Keiko fell to her knees beside him, cradling his head gingerly. "How did this happen?" she shouted, her head snapping up.

"I don't know! I saw him stumbling toward me, and call my name. I recognized him right before he collapsed."

Keiko was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. Confusion, relief, happiness, and anger were all etched on her face. Her hands traveled over Yuusuke's face and hair, as if verifying that the man she loved had indeed returned to her.

How had he appeared? Keiko frowned, snapping out of her reverie. Kurama's patrol had covered a wide radius, and had found nothing. They couldn't have missed Yuusuke stumbling through the streets.

"Get three aides and a stretcher," Keiko commanded. "He may go into shock, and I don't want that to happen."

Complete chaos ensued when the team's former commander was carried in on a stretcher. Questions were thrown out from every section in the warehouse, asking what, how, when.

Kurama and Kuwabara kept everyone a good distance away, occasionally throwing worried glances over their shoulder. Keiko noticed them out of the corner of her eye as she wiped Yuusuke's dirty face with a cloth and searched for lacerations. She knew they were just as confused, relieved, and anxious as she was.

Botan piled several blankets over Yuusuke's body, making sure he kept warm. "He'll be fine," she said aloud, mostly to assure herself of the fact.

Keiko stared at Yuusuke wonderingly. He could have been released from Miyomi's hold and very well appeared out of thin air, making it feasible that Kurama's patrol missed him. But if that were the case, why didn't she sense his ki? He was within range, and Keiko had honed her skills specifically to spot Yuusuke.

Yuusuke's ki was most likely weakened by Miyomi's ministrations, making it almost impossible to detect. That was a reasonable explanation. Yet Keiko couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that something irrevocably awful had happened to her Yuusuke.

When Yuusuke fully recovered, and in a remarkably short period of time, he took over reorganizing his team, firing up their depleted morale. With Urameshi Yuusuke back, there was no way they could fall!

Keiko gladly returned to full-time hospital duty, believing that Yuusuke made a far better leader than she ever could. Not only did he know more about battlefield tactics than she, he had a talent for inspiring the fighters.

Hiei had discovered a new headquarters, closer to Miyomi and the fighting. At first Yuusuke was alarmingly vehement about remaining where they were, but he eventually consented. Keiko was concerned, but reasoned that it was natural for him to be afraid after his debacle. Slowly they began moving the wounded and the others to the new location.

Keiko stood in the center of the vast warehouse, directing what supplies should be placed where. As soon as the crew set their cargo down they were off again, returning to the former headquarters to transport more.

Yuusuke leaned against the wall, arms crossed, admiring Keiko as she yelled out orders. When the last youkai left he sauntered across the floor to her and slid his arms around her waist.

Keiko looked up at him, frowning playfully. Yuusuke was gazing at her with an intensity she had never seen in him before. Although she was enjoying it immensely, Keiko felt slightly surprised. This was the first time that Yuusuke had shown any affection, besides the occasional look or arm around the shoulders, towards her since returning.

"What?" she asked finally, snuggled comfortably against his waist, her voice unchallenging.

Yuusuke's eyes never left her mouth. "I don't know," he replied huskily. Just… I did miss you."

Keiko blinked, smiling. "I know that. I missed you too."

"I wanted to tell you, that's all."

Without warning, he lowered his face and gave her a kiss, brief and fleeting, on the mouth. He brought his hands up to cup her face and kissed her again, this time longer and deeper.

Keiko seized his wrists and jerked back, gasping quietly. Yuusuke blinked, obviously hurt by her rejection.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Keiko shook her head, although she still maintained the firm vise on his arms. "Nothing, really… You startled me, that's all."

Yuusuke's expression darkened. "Yeah, I guess I did." He released her and turned away. "I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as I really didn't do things like that before." He glanced over his shoulder and threw her a cocky grin.

Hiding his face again, he continued. "After that whole Miyomi episode… I actually realized that when I died before, I was lucky to come back and have a second chance. That may not happen the next time." He studied the ceiling. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… The way the world is now… I don't want to be stupid and lose time that I could spend with you." He turned back around to face her, partly obscured by the shadows.

Keiko swallowed, silence occupying the next few moments. Yuusuke had just poured out his heart to her, and she didn't know how to respond. He had verbalized the feelings that were unspoken between them, feelings that both were content to leave unspoken… until now.

"Yuusuke…" she began, taking slow, tentative steps toward him. She saw something in his eyes that both frightened and invited her at the same time.

Keiko reached up and stroked his cheek. Although he had brought it up, she knew that Yuusuke was still unwilling to talk about his encounter with Miyomi. Ever since his reappearance, he closed off when someone inquired about it. Tonight was not going to be an exception.

Keiko took one of Yuusuke's large hands and placed it against her chest, where her heart beat. She smiled at him, letting him know that she had heard and accepted his feelings.

"I love you, Keiko," Yuusuke said in a hoarse, anguished whisper.

painagonydarknesstheprickoftheneedlemiyomi'sevilgrinevilgooddarklightpainkuwabarakuramahieikeikoPAIN--!

Yuusuke jerked awake, his breathing labored and irregular. Sweat drenched his body, plastering his hair to his face. He felt numb and cold all over, almost completely unaware of Keiko's warm body next to him.

He sat up on the old, worn mattress, groping in the dark for his pants. He then pulled on his shirt, not bothering to button it. Instead of feeling cold, he was suddenly very warm.

Keiko slept soundly, not even noticing Yuusuke's absence. He threw one wistful glance down at her, then hurried outside into the cool night air.

He took deep, controlled breaths, the breeze drying the perspiration, cooling his skin. Closing his eyes, he allowed his head to fall back against the wall.

The nightmares had come back. He had dreamt them earlier, when he returned to his team, but they had eventually gone away. He had hoped against hope that they were gone for good.

A smile crept onto his lips as his friends came to mind. Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama… They were all closer now, after the tragedies that had befallen them. And Keiko… What they had shared that night… It only strengthened their bond.

He loved her, and he was never going to renounce it, ever.

He drew in a sharp breath as pain lacerated his heart. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest and trembling uncontrollably. The pain was nearly unbearable, bright white stars exploding in his eyes. His mind was a blur, the thoughts and sensations coursing through it very similar to his nightmare.

"Miyomi…" he gasped breathlessly. "What are you doing to me?"

"I told you to stay inside!"

Yuusuke was furious. At first it was mostly panic due to almost losing Keiko, but soon white-hot rage began inexplicably taking over.

"I wasn't going to just sit around and watch idly as you all got yourselves killed!" Keiko shouted back. She was baffled, and more than a little afraid. Yuusuke had never gotten so angry, no matter how stupid she acted. He always took his fury out on her assailants. What was so different this time?

"So you decided you'd get killed yourself?" Yuusuke paced back and forth, obviously agitated. He halted in front of her, their noses almost touching. He clamped a hand on her shoulder, making her wince with pain.

"Listen to me," he growled, pointing a finger admonishingly, "Miyomi's minions are wild. They're dangerous. They have the instincts of animals. You go out there," he gestured to the door, "and you're as good as dead. Half my men were slaughtered in just this one skirmish, and whoever's left is now out there barely keeping themselves alive! You think you're going to be okay out there!? I have enough problems without having to worry about you!"

"I said I was sorry!" Keiko exclaimed.

"No, you didn't!" Yuusuke yelled. "Sometimes I don't think you're ever sorry for how stupid you act. It was fine before, but we're in the middle of war right now." He shoved her back violently.

"Do you want Miyomi to win? Is that it?" he roared, advancing towards her threateningly. "Do you want that bitch to take over all three worlds? Are you trying to get us all killed!?"

Before even he knew what he was doing, his hand swung up in a wide arc, solidly backhanding Keiko. The impact threw her against the cold brick wall.

Yuusuke froze, his hand still in midair. The silence was deafening, the tension suffocating. His gaze traveled from his hand to the girl against the wall clutching her cheek. Keiko stared at him as if she didn't recognize him.

He turned back to his hand, the hand that had so brutally struck her. What had happened? He had lost control...

No. It was more than that.

Miyomi.

What the hell was she doing to him?

Keiko was still looking at him with that frightened, bewildered expression. No, he thought, don't look at me like that. I'm still your Yuusuke… Deep down, I am... I think... I hope...

He had to get away. He couldn't risk losing control again, not if it meant hurting her.

"Stay in here until this is all over," he ordered hoarsely, returning to the battle.

"Kurama."

The youko looked over at the girl who had been sitting silently beside him. Although Keiko had called his attention, her eyes were focused on some unseen object far away.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired. Around them, aides were rushing to and fro, tending to the wounded and ensuring that the others were fed and watered. Yuusuke was nowhere to be found.

"Yuusuke." She paused for a long moment, then sighed. "Yuusuke… Has he acted any different… to you? In a fight, in a private conversation… whatever. But has he?"

Kurama's brow wrinkled slightly. "Where is this coming from?"

"Just…" Keiko refrained from snapping at her friend. "I'm curious, okay?"

Kurama nodded, thinking. "Well… He's definitely angrier on the field. That's natural though, with things building up as they are." He tended to a wound on his left arm. "I think this thing with Miyomi's coming to some sort of climax." He glanced up.

Keiko pondered the information. "I guess that could explain it," she murmured to herself.

"What?"

Keiko turned to him suddenly, as if she had forgotten he was there. "Nothing," she replied shortly, rising to her feet.

Kurama followed suit. "Wait a second," he commanded. Keiko opened her mouth to protest, but Kurama reached up and turned her face. On her right cheek, a large bruise was forming.

"How did you get that?" he asked with a frown, although he suspected he knew the answer.

"Remember? I was in that skirmish for awhile…" Keiko chuckled, attempting but failing to bring levity to her voice. "You know how stupid I can get."

Kurama's face darkened. He didn't reply, however, and Keiko took the opportunity to escape.

Yuusuke became angry more often, and he seemed less and less remorseful whenever he ended up hitting Keiko. She remained at his side, despite Kurama's disapproving looks, because she felt that there was something running deeper in all of this.

Some nights, Keiko would wake up and find Yuusuke in a far corner, whimpering like a lost child. She tried her best to soothe his pain, but she could never break through the shield he had erected around himself.

Yuusuke tried to tame his emotions, but they seemed to be getting more feral and incorrigible. He knew that he was essentially battling Miyomi for control over his own body; the intense pain proved that.

The problem was Miyomi's technique. She was using his darkest emotions, his innermost desires, against him, bringing them out against his friends. Her key to absolute control was that miniscule part of his soul, which contained his evil.

As time passed, Yuusuke began to welcome Miyomi, allowing the darkness to wash over him like a delicious euphoria.

What frightened him the most was not what happened to him. If he was losing himself, so be it; he was tired anyway. But now he had to worry about his friends… Keiko. He honestly didn't want to hurt them, despite his actions of late.

If only they could understand… how good it felt… to finally let go and be free.

Yuusuke entered the old warehouse -- their former headquarters, which was now falling apart slowly but surely -- with a sense of foreboding. Why had he come? He couldn't risk being alone with Keiko anymore. His self-control was hanging on by a thread. But all Keiko had to do was bat her beautiful brown eyes and ask him nicely to meet her, and he had to consent.

Maybe Miyomi wasn't the only one controlling Yuusuke.

"Keiko!" he called, internally wincing at the harshness in his voice. He hadn't meant to sound hostile, but he couldn't help it.

He glanced over both shoulders and swore. She was the one who had arranged the meeting, gods knew why. Where the hell was she?

Keiko was only a few minutes late, but Yuusuke grew incredibly furious at her tardiness. The anger turned into a wave of intense pleasure, making him shiver in ecstasy. A tiny speck soon expanded into a gaping chasm of darkness, staining his heart and swallowing his soul. Yuusuke welcomed it anxiously.

The ebullience halted when Yuusuke heard a distinct click behind him. He chided himself mentally for not paying attention, reaching out his ki to identify the intruder with the cocked pistol. A faint, wistful smile played on his lips as he confirmed his guess.

"Keiko," he said, turning to face her, still wearing the smile.

She was a sight, he gave her that. Her face was like a book, allowing Yuusuke to read all her thoughts. Her arms were extended, the gun held at shoulder level, but he knew she was still hesitating.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, sarcastically morose. A small part of himself, a part quickly fading away, protested violently.

He stepped toward her, but she raised the gun slightly higher. "Don't," she warned through gritted teeth.

"Now what I'm wondering is how you got your hands on a nice gun like that," Yuusuke remarked, ignoring Keiko's command and taking another step.

"Who are you… What are you?" she demanded, her voice quivering with fear and anger, choking on her unshed tears.

Yuusuke blinked, apparently genuinely saddened. "Don't do this," he begged. "I'm Yuusuke. Come on."

"No." Keiko's hands steadied on the pistol. "You're not him. Not since you came back. You were never him."

"Keiko, please don't talk crazy." He advanced again, arms extended and hoping to gently extract the gun from her fingers. "You love me, remember?"

"You are not the man I love," she declared adamantly. "The man I love would never act the way you did… He would never hit me," she added in a soft sob.

"I waited so long for you to come back. I welcomed you with open arms. When you didn't want to tell anyone about what happened to you, I said fine. I slept with you!" Her voice increased an octave, revealing the stress of her suppressed emotions. "But all that time, there was another woman, wasn't there?"

"Okay, now you're being stupid," Yuusuke interrupted, his anger returning.

"I'm talking about Miyomi. She did something to you. She was always there, controlling you from the inside."

"Keiko." Yuusuke's expression was that of a lost puppy dog. He looked exactly like the old Yuusuke. The image struck Keiko like lightning, and for a split second doubt lingered in her mind. Was she wrong? Was she just imagining things?

Yuusuke saw his chance when the gun faltered slightly. His hand lashed out and snatched the weapon from a startled Keiko.

"Gotcha," he hissed coldly, cruelly. His hand swept up, but she twisted out of the way in time, returning with a punch of her own that connected solidly with his jaw.

Yuusuke rubbed his chin, his mouth filling with blood from where his teeth had cut the inside of his cheek. He smiled wickedly.

"So you do have some fight in you after all," he remarked. "I was beginning to wonder after all those times I hit you so easily."

He lunged forward again. Keiko matched him in skill, thanks to the years-long war, but she was sorely outmatched by his speed.

His words rang in her head. Why didn't she fight back when he hit her before? Because she was hoping that it wasn't wholly intentional? Because she hoped that her Yuusuke was still there?

He grabbed her wrist as she tried to backhand him. Her leg came up to try to kick herself free, but his other hand blocked. The dropped gun clattered to the floor. Yuusuke lifted her up slightly and then body-slammed her down onto the cold cement floor.

Dazed by the pain, Keiko could do nothing for several long, precious seconds. Yuusuke bent down and quickly picked up the discarded pistol, then aimed and fired.

The gunshot echoed loudly off the walls, but Keiko's heart breaking was far more deafening… to both of them.

She didn't even scream. Yuusuke admired her tenacity, foolish as it was. Keiko glared up at him, breathing heavily from both the fight and the wound in her shoulder, which was forming a pool of blood next to her head.

"Is this how you fight now?" she spat as he stared down at her expressionlessly. "Hit them when they're down? Yuusuke would never do that."

He frowned, warning her silently, but she went on unheeded. "You're not Urameshi Yuusuke," she sneered. "You only look like him. You're nothing but a monster wearing his face."

Yuusuke cocked the gun again, ready to finish Keiko off. He had heard enough.

Suddenly he faltered, overcome by the image of Keiko lying lifeless in a pool of blood. The most precious person in his life would be dead, and it would be his fault.

Keiko's leg shot out, kicking the gun from his hand. She leapt to her feet, ignoring the searing pain of her shoulder.

Yuusuke chuckled. Keiko had distracted him and then struck, just like he had done to her earlier. She was a formidable opponent. He really did feel sorry she had to die.

The gunshot wound affected Keiko drastically, even though she tried to ignore it. Yuusuke grabbed her arm and twisted her, forcing her face-down onto the ground. She cried out as her wound tore open even wider.

"Stupid bitch," he snarled, groping around for the gun. His hand instead found a brick that had fallen from its niche in the wall, the corners of one side broken off. Gripping it securely, he raised it above his head.

"Yuusuke, no!" someone shouted behind him. Glancing over, he saw Kurama, his eyes wide and frantic.

Kurama hesitated for only a second, then ran for his former teammate. Yuusuke noticed the movement and brought his hand down swiftly and deftly. Kurama felt nauseous as he heard the dull, cracking thud of the brick connecting with Keiko's skull. Yuusuke grinned, knowing Kurama was still watching, and bludgeoned her again.

"ROSE WHIP!" The thorny vine wrapped itself around Yuusuke's wrist, forcing him to drop the bloodied brick. The spikes drove deep into his skin, blood oozing out and mingling with Keiko's on the floor.

Yuusuke growled and grabbed the whip fully with his hand, yanking it out of Kurama's grasp. However angry Kurama was, Yuusuke still sensed hesitation and reluctance to fight his longtime friend.

He was just as stupid as Keiko.

Kuwabara and Hiei joined their comrade, both wielding blades: Hiei, his katana; Kuwabara, his Rei Ken. Yuusuke reached out with his ki, but didn't sense any reluctance from either of the newcomers. It had diminished upon seeing Keiko's mangled corpse behind him, no doubt. All that remained was a deep sadness and betrayal.

Yuusuke felt the strength, the power that Miyomi had been feeding him consistently. It had been surreptitious, even to him, given in small doses. Now it was enough to finish them all.

Kurama pulled another rose out of his hair, forming another whip, but Yuusuke once again grabbed the thorny weapon and this time hurled its handler against the wall. Kurama gasped, feeling at least two ribs crack. Yuusuke had never been able to throw him that hard before.

Hiei flitted in and out of Yuusuke's sight, never giving him a stationary target. Yuusuke smirked, still landing a few blows despite Hiei's celerity. Then he did what nobody expected. He lashed out with spiritual energy at Kuwabara, the beam impaling him in the chest, grazing his heart.

"Ch'," Yuusuke swore, as Kuwabara sucked in a breath in agony and used his Rei Ken to cut the beam. "Didn't mean to miss like that." He reformed his energy into a sword, similar to Kuwabara's, and proceeded to battle both Hiei and Kuwabara at once.

Kurama flicked a seed into the midst of battle, and when Yuusuke was in the perfect spot he summoned it to sprout. However, Yuusuke sensed it as soon as it began to grow and jumped aside, throwing Hiei over so that he would be on the receiving end of the sharp bamboo spikes.

"NO!" Kurama shouted, immediately recalling the plants. Hiei staggered, dark circles spotting his clothing. He glanced over at Kurama and smiled slightly, assuring him that he was all right.

Kurama's heart wrenched. Even though Hiei claimed he would be fine, and the spikes had missed his youkai heart, Kurama couldn't overcome the guilt. That, on top of Keiko's murder, diminished his irresolution and replaced it with unforgiving hatred. Yuusuke didn't exist anymore. He was already dead.

"Ensatsu Kokuryuha!" Hiei's Black Dragon lashed out, hungry for Yuusuke's blood. Yuusuke dodged the snapping jaws of the dragon, summoning his youki for a counterattack. What he did not even Yuusuke knew exactly, but it was more than enough to cause fatal injury to the energy being.

Hiei screamed in pure agony, falling to his knees. The Black Dragon writhed and struggled against Yuusuke's assault. A deep, bloody gash appeared around Hiei's arm where the tattoo of the Kokuryuha usually lay.

Yuusuke stared at his former ally through half-lidden eyes, apathetic to his pain. Kuwabara approached behind him and plunged his Rei Ken through his abdomen.

"You always underestimated me," Kuwabara chuckled. "Turning your back was a stupid move, Urameshi."

Yuusuke stumbled away from the sword. To Kuwabara's and Kurama's dismay, the nasty hole sewed itself up, leaving Yuusuke unwounded.

"I guess I learned my lesson then," he said nonchalantly, thrusting his psi-sword through Kuwabara's midsection and yanking upwards, almost completely cutting him in half.

Kuwabara… Keiko… Hiei… Kurama charged forward with a yell of fury, determined to strike down his friends' murderer. Yuusuke attempted to block, but Kurama managed to stab Yuusuke in the shoulder with a bamboo spear.

Yuusuke's eyes flashed bright red, sending Kurama flying through the air. He broke through the brick wall of the warehouse and slammed into something -- another wall? A tree? -- and slid down to the earth.

He coughed, the tangy taste of blood filling his mouth. He took an assessment of the injuries he had sustained. Broken ribs, collapsed lung, and that throw had dislocated his right arm and broken his left femur.

His youki reached out and scanned the inside of the warehouse. Blood spattered the walls and made puddles on the floor. Yuusuke was standing over Keiko's body, and whether he felt sorrow or not Kurama couldn't tell. Kuwabara's eviscerated body lay not far away. Hiei lay on the other side of Yuusuke, breathing shallowly.

Kurama blinked. Hiei was still alive!? After the slaughter of the Kokuryuha, Kurama had believed him killed by the trauma.

They had all been struck down by only one person… A person whom they had trusted completely. And he was going to walk away mostly unharmed. The anger flared up in Kurama's heart. He had to do something.

Hiei. Hiei was still alive, and in close proximity to Yuusuke. There was no choice.

"Sorry, lover," Kurama rasped, releasing his mind and energy, which flowed eagerly into Hiei's small form.

Yuusuke felt the cold steel slide into his body and penetrate his human heart. His eyes widened. Hiei… The bastard was still alive.

No, not just Hiei. He sensed two life forces in the little Koorime, Hiei's and Kurama's. Hiei's was fading quickly, but Kurama's was still fairly strong.

Two as one. How romantic.

He tried to mend the wound with his power, but it didn't respond. Apparently he could only heal those inflicted by psychic energy.

Oh well. It was a minor loss.

"You forget," Yuusuke coughed, fascinated with the spreading dark stain on his shirt, "that I have a youkai heart too."

He summoned his psi-sword once more, whirling around. Hiei/Kurama jumped out of the way just as the blade whizzed past his ear.

Kurama cursed as he stumbled. He was totally unused to Hiei's smaller form, and thus could not take advantage of his super speed. Yuusuke knew Kurama was struggling as well, and smiled grimly.

"Oyasumi," he growled, his sword whistling sharply through the air. Hiei's head fell on the floor and rolled twice before stopping, and his body crumpled at Yuusuke's feet.

"Kurama-san?"

Kurama opened his eyes, then immediately shut them against the blinding light of the sun. He opened them more cautiously, studying his surroundings. He realized he was in their headquarters, and the sun was streaming in through a window.

He turned his head to the one who had called his name. "Yukina-chan."

The shock of Hiei's death had catapulted Kurama's spirit back into his own body, he realized, although he really didn't remember anything after the final fight with Yuusuke.

"Did I…" he swallowed, trying to dislodge the cotton in his throat. "Did I come here… by myself?"

Yukina nodded. "You collapsed in the doorway, mumbling something about Yuusuke."

Yuusuke. His human heart had been destroyed. Kurama almost felt like laughing at the irony of it.

Kurama studied the girl with the sea-green hair, the sole survivor of the old group besides himself. The rest… Atsuko, Shizuru, Genkai, Keiko, Kuwabara, Hiei… They were all gone.

Yukina's eyes told Kurama she knew the answer, but she was going to ask her question anyway.

"Kurama-san… Where are the others?"

Koenma stood up when the door to his office opened. He knew who it was going to be. He had received the papers not five minutes ago.

Botan staggered in, her face a mask of numb shock. Her brows furrowed together as she tried to speak.

"I…" she began hoarsely. "I… They're…"

Koenma rushed forward and allowed Botan to collapse in his arms. She sobbed hysterically, clutching onto his shirt. Koenma stroked her hair, a few tears of his own falling to the floor.

However Miyomi was going to kill her enemies, whomever she was going to send, they had not expected it to be Yuusuke.

This story is set in an alternate universe created by WhiteCat. Here are the stories in this universe, in chronological order:

Broken by WhiteCat "Heart of a Serpent" by Ren'ai-chan (a.k.a. me ^_^;) Wish by Silvaren Alternate History by WhiteCat

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