AUTUMN'S PROMISE
By: Chevalle

CHAPTER 7          

“Kuwabara-kun, I ask of you a favor...” Kurama said in a weak voice, as he leaned his body on a momiji tree trunk. Kuwabara nodded, and listened to what Kurama had to say. The cold rush of wind continued to tear at them, Akuna and Eisila, until their skins were sore and bleeding. The park’s eaceful ambiance disturbed by Akuna’s constant wailing and whining from the pain caused by Eisila’s powerful wind attack. Hiei could not use the fire of darkness. Eisila would be harmed if he did. Yusuke could not use his spirit gun either. They were in a very sticky situation, and Hiei, nor Yusuke, liked it one bit. 

Even from the hot, white pain shooting up her body like a lightning bolt, Eisila did not cry or utter a sound. Come to think of it, Hiei had never seen Eisila cry or weep once. Never in a million years had he seen a girl with such strength and courage. Still, he did not understand why she wanted to look after him in the first place. All he ever did was get her into trouble. All he ever did was put her life on the ropes. Damn it to fucking hell! He was not just going to sit around, and do nothing! Eisila had risked her life plenty of times for his sake, and not once had he done the same for her. 

*** 

“Yusuke-kun,” Eisila called through the stalwart cyclone. “Do it now-- the rei gun!” 

Yusuke could not believe his ears. “You can’t be serious!” 

“I am. Do it now, please.” 

“I-I can’t!” 

“I’ll be all right, don’t worry.” Eisila lied. 

Yusuke raised his trembling hand, and positioned his fingers. Cold sweat ran down his temple, as he aimed his index finger at point blank range. He did not want to do this. Emma-sama help him, he did not want to do this! 

Hiei’s eyes widened. “Yusuke, NO!!!” He took off towards them.

Yusuke fired. 

“No, Hiei,” Eisila cried. “Stay back!” 

Akuna, who was still in pain from the dagger-like wind. Eisila had no intention of leaving her post, even as Akuna had let go of her neck. But now that both her hands were free, Akuna new that that 
was the perfect opportunity. With one hand, she took out a red thorned rose, its tip as deadly as a knife’s. Another one of Kurama’s weapons! Her other hand brought out her famous bow. Before the blast of spirit energy from Yusuke’s forefinger made impact on them, Akuna shot the rose-arrow in Hiei’s direction. 

“Hiei!!!” Eisila screamed. 

The blue spirit gun energy reached them, followed by a sickening explosion, and ending with Akuna’s shrill voice, and Eisila’s heart-wrenching scream penetrating the silent, sweet-scented fall air. 

*** 

He was dumbstruck with shock. Hiei could not believe that this was happening. He counted to three. He closed his eyes, and inhaled. He breathed out slowly, and opened his eyes. He could not sink in Eisila’s crumpled body into his system; nor could he with Kurama’s agonized face in front of him. The rose had pierced deeply into the left side of Kurama’s back. His heart. 

Time paused for a moment, as Hiei tried his best to swallow the unexpected. The clock started to move again when Yusuke broke the absolute, uneasy quiet. “Kuramaaa!!” 

Hiei’s face contorted in shock. “Ku-Kurama! Why?” 

Kurama smiled his usual half-smiles, and fought back the urge to wince and grimace. He placed his hands on the fire demon’s shoulders, and replied, “The answer I would give would be exactly like Eisila’s. I don’t need to spell it out for you.” 

“But how--?” Hiei faltered. “Your power--? You’re not supposed to be able to stand.” 

“We have Kuwabara-kun to thank,” Kurama continued to paste that half-smile on his face. “He lent me his spirit energy. He’s not an incredibly intellectual person, but he has a good heart. I told him you weren’t such a bad guy either.” 

*** 

The smell of grass and blood snapped her out of her unconscious state. Eisila blinked. She was still alive? It hurt to move, but she managed to sit up. She averted her gaze towards Hiei and Kurama. Crimson liquid poured down from Kurama’s left back. 

“Kurama...” She whispered sadly to herself, her azure eyes shining with emotion. 

Yusuke rushed to Eisila’s side. “Eisila, you ok?” 

Squinting her eyes from the excruciating pain, she nodded slightly, but her body was terribly damaged from the powerful twister she concucted earlier. However, her attention was not focused on her well-being, but on Kurama’s. 

*** 

For a long while of trying to stay up, Kurama’s knees finally gave way, but he kept his hands firmly on Hiei’s shoulders. Hiei was still frozen from shock. He still could not digest the awful scene that was taking place, no matter how many deaths and tragedies he had witnessed in the past. 

“Hiei,” Kurama said softly. “I never got to tell you this, but...” He took a deep breath before continuing. “You’re a very dear friend to me; special and close to my heart. My best friend.” The sparkle in his glazed green eyes were fading. “I had never forgiven myself for failing to save Kuruboue, but now...” 

His smile diminished, and the brightness of his verdant eyes took on a dull color, as his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. As if in slow motion, Kurama’s hands slid away from Hiei’s shoulders. They dropped to the soft ground, along with Kurama’s body, which was now lifeless and at peace. 

Hiei looked straight ahead without a blink or a tear. He heard his own voice escape his lips in a ragged whisper. “Kurama...” 

Yusuke bowed his head, his long blue-black bangs shielding his eyes. He clenched his fists tight, and gritted his teeth. He felt the trickling wetness from his eyes. Kurama was gone. Even though he was a demon, he was a compassionate and kind soul. He was also a dear friend. But now, he was gone. 

Among the momiji, Yusuke and Eisila could hear Kuwabara cursing out loud. With a yell, Kuwabara banged his knuckles on a tree trunk. They heard him sob, as he swore again, and again. 

Hysterical laughter sounded all of a sudden, which echoed throughout the entire park. Yusuke’s head turned left and right, searching for the source of the voice. Even Eisila and Kuwabara looked around. 

Then she appeared. Akuna. 

Yusuke’s mouth gaped open, as he pointed to the demon woman. “You-you’re still alive??” 

She was alive, all right, but like Eisila, her body was in a very bad condition. She looked like someone who just came out of a horror movie! 

“I shall still have my wish!” She announced. “You think I’m that easy to defeat?!” 

“The bitch lives,” Hiei said, coming out of his trance of shock. “But not for long! I’ll have her hide soon enough!” He brandished the Ghost Slayer sword at Akuna. 

“She can still make that wish! We have to stall her until the sun sets! That’s when the gate closes!” Eisila said insistently. 

Before Hiei had time to react, a strong... and painful... force hit him square on the cheek. Hiei toppled to the ground, tasting blood on his lips. Wiping the ruby-red smear from his mouth with the back of his hand, he turned to the ingrate who made the very fatal mistake. Kuanja. 

Kuanja chuckled. “Serves you right, you waif! I’ve finally gotten back at you!” 

“You son-of-a-BITCH!!!” Hiei swore loudly. 

“Hoh...” Kuanja mocked. “I’m so scared!” 

“JAOU ENSATSU RENGOKU SHOU!!!” Using a minimum amount of dark fire, Hiei did a series of punches on Kuanja. They had no effect, much to Hiei’s dismay. Kuanja smirked wryly, and kneed him in the groin. Hiei gave a grunt, and doubled over, rolling on the grass in pain. 

Kuanja laughed. “Poor boy. Why don’t you just give up?” 

“REEI GAAAANN!!!” 

Too late for Kuanja. The puissant spirit energy from Yusuke’s gun reached him. Kuanja gave one 
final cry, and disintigrated into nothingness. Yusuke turned to face Akuna, his dark hair now long and spiky, his eyes narrowed into slits. Black marks were painted on his face, and arms, while dried tears stained his cheeks. He stared directly at Akuna, his gaze reflecting challenge, contempt, and revenge. He clenched his fist tighter, as his body began to glow a bright aura of blue and yellow. 

Sadness. Anger. 

“I won’t forgive you!!” Majin Yusuke declared. “I won’t forgive you for what you did to Kurama!! I’ll finish you off!!!” He aimed his forefinger at Akuna. His last shot of the spirit gun. 

Akuna raised an eyebrow at Majin Yusuke. “Please! Is this some kind of joke? Am I supposed to laugh?” But she was a tad bit frightened at how Yusuke had developed into a class-S demon. 

“SHUT UP!!!” Majin Yusuke exploded. 

“Mirror, grant my wish, and take this pest’s...” Akuna began, but was interrupted when something 
hard hit her on the head. “Who dares interfere??” She turned, and saw Kuwabara throwing stones 
and rocks at her. 

“Kuwabara!” Majin Yusuke’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“I may not have my spirit energy,” Kuwabara stated. “But I have my fighting spirit, and I’ll fight `til the end!!” 

Eisila struggled to get up. “Me too!” 

“Hey, you idiot! Don’t move!” Majin Yusuke scolded Eisila. 

Eisila ignored him. “Akuna, give Hiei back his third sight!” 

“You mean this?” Akuna began to glow a furious shade of green. The earth beneath her started to crumble, the rock fragments going about her like cherry blossom petals. Her now-grotesque body became worse, as her skin turned a pale hue of lime, and pit-black eyes covered her entire body. 

She gave a menacing laugh, as a ball of demon energy appeared in her palm. Her eyes settled first on Kuwabara, then Majin Yusuke, then Eisila. 

“Now which one of you would like a taste of this?” The demon energy sphere grew larger. Her face lit up. “I know! To be fair, I’ll let the ball decide, how’s that?” 

Yusuke took a step back. Akuna had Hiei’s third sight? She had the power of the Jagan?? Hiei was 
one of the most formidable foes Yusuke had encountered, and it was because of his Jagan that made 
him so invincible. What’s more, Akuna had Kurama’s powers too. Nevertheless, Majin Yusuke kept a straight back, and continued to stand bravely. 

The sky began to take on a reddish tint. The sun was setting soon. Akuna cursed, and said, “I have to make the wish now before the gate closes!” As soon as the energy ball was as big as a car wheel, Akuna smiled sadistically at the three, and threw it. 

“GAAYAAAAA!!!” Kuwabara yelled. 

“That does it!!” Majin Yusuke said finally. His anger had not gone yet. He pointed his finger at the sphere headed his way, intending to shoot. 

Then suddenly, the energy ball changed direction! 

“Shit!!! Eisila!!!” Majin Yusuke panicked. The ball was coming at Eisila at full speed! 

Majin Yusuke did not have any other choice. Eisila did not have enough strength to get out of the sphere’s range. There was no time to think. Majin Yusuke fired the spirit gun at Eisila! 

“Urameshi, you moron!! What are you doing??” He heard Kuwabara exclaim in the background. “URAMESHIiiiii!!!” 

‘I have no choice,’ MajinYusuke thought. ‘Better risk this than have Eisila a goner!’ 

The rei gun’s blue light reached a wide-eyed Eisila. Fortunately, Akuna’s energy ball did not touch the air demon, nor did it harm a single hair off her. Majin Yusuke’s spirit gun had moved her out of the way, but had left her body sore. 

Yusuke ran to her. “Eisila, I’m sorry. I had to do it.” His long, spiky, black hair had returned to normal. 

Anger was raging within Hiei. He clenched his fists tighter, willing himself to remain controlled and passive. It was not working. 

“Enough! I had had enough playing around! Now,” Akuna grinned evilly. “Let us finish this!” 

“You’re right, Akuna,” Hiei said all of a sudden. His face reflected a calmness that was beyond chilling. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Eisila stared at him in disbelief. Then they looked at his eyes. Where was the sparkle in them? Where was the liveliness? There was no other way to explain it... 

Some part of Hiei had died. A certain part within him was lost when Kurama’s soul had drifted away. 

Eisila gently narrowed her eyes, sadness welling up inside her. “Hiei...” 

“C’mon!” Akuna laughed. “You foolish, Koorime boy! Do you think you can stop me without the power of your Jagan?” 

Hiei ignored her, as he lifted his right arm into the air. It started to tremble convulsively. It unwrapped itself free from the bandages, showing an engraved snake-like pattern. The black markings coiled around his arm began to move and glow like liquid fire. 

“T-the... the B-Black Dragon!” Kuwabara stuttered, his eyes wide. 

“Hiei! Wai--!” Eisila cried, but was cut off when Yusuke raised his arm in front of her. Eisila looked bewildered by the action. 

“It’s okay, Eisila,” Yusuke reassured her. “He can handle it.” 

Eisila still looked doubtful, but decided to trust Yusuke on this one. Her stomach was all tied up in knots, as anxiety filled her. She prayed Hiei would be all right. Hiei... 

*** 

Dark fire emerged from his hand. Hiei took a step towards Akuna. “JAOU...” 

He took yet another step. “ENSATSU...” 

“Get real!” Akuna scoffed. “Do you expect me to believe you can actually----” 

“...KOKURYUHAA~~~~!!!!” 

“You bastard!!!” Akuna cursed violently at him, and built a wall of ki around her with the power of the jagan. 

“HAAAAAAAAAH!!!!” The Black Dragon charged towards Akuna, its dark flames flicking the air. It roared mightily, and crashed itself onto Akuna’s barrier. Hiei held it there, forcing it to break that measly wall. 

“It’s no use, waif!!” Akuna hollered. 

That angered Hiei. “DON’T CALL ME WAIF!!!” With that, a single dragon emerged into four. They were tinted with a vibrant aura-blue. “Akuna, you don’t know who you’re dealing with!! I vowed to make you see a thousand hells, and I will!!” 

Akuna’s eyes turned to slits. “How can you ever hope to defeat me, you---” The wall cracked. Akuna stared in shock, as the barrier started to crumble. “No!! How can this be?? I have your jagan!!” Akuna tried as much as possible to hold up the barrier of ki, but she was failing miserably. The exertion she made was futile. Then suddenly after the long struggle, the barrier shattered. 

“The Black Dragon cannot be contolled by a wielder of the evil eye; therefore it cannot be defeated by a wielder of the evil eye.” Hiei smiled cruelly before the four dragons feasted on her. 

“Forbidden child, I shall see you in HELL!!!” Was Akuna’s last cry before the Black Dragon swallowed her. Silence followed afterwards. 

*** 

“It’s over,” Hiei said finally, after the lengthy silence. He did not face Yusuke and the others. His head was lowered in such a way to hide his eyes. He slowly walked towards the lifeless Kurama. 

“Hiei...” Yusuke attempted to say in his most soothing voice, trying his best to comfort him. It was no use. Even Kuwabara had been quiet the past minutes. More silent seconds ticked by. 

“Hiei,” Yusuke tried again. “Kurama’s a youko. He’ll be back again, no problem. Don’t worry.” 

“Stop trying to fucking cheer me up!!!” Hiei burst out, his eyes sewn shut; but his now-returned jagan opened brightly. This time he could not hold it in; the pearl-like tears fell to the soft grass. “Kurama could come back if he wanted to; but it no longer will be Minamino Shuuichi!!” 

Eisila wanted to block out everything. She could not stand the hurt in Hiei’s voice. It pierced her heart so deeply, she wept; her own gem-tears mixing with Hiei’s. “Mirror,” She croaked. “Take my life in exchange for Kurama’s.” 

“WHAT?!” Kuwabara spoke at last. 

“You can’t be serious!!” Yusuke exclaimed. 

“Eisila, don’t be stupid!!” Hiei’s face was filled with shock... and pain. He looked intently at Eisila, and knew the moment his lava eyes met with her aquamarine ones that she was serious. It was too late to turn back, for the mirror had already heard her wish. Hiei sunk to his knees. “No... Eisila... why...” 

She touched his cheek, and smiled sadly; the usual smile that Hiei adored. 

“Thy wish be granted...” Came the mirror’s deep, rich voice 

“Eisila,” Hiei choked on a sob, his voice filled with emotion. “Why?? Not like this... Not like this...” 

“Hiei,” She said. Her voice grew fainter. She was weakening. She felt the life being drained from her. “I am the past. Kurama is your present. You have already let me go a long time ago, but I was selfish. I wanted to see you again, to be with you, so I fled to the human world to find you. It was because of the promise we made to each other; the promise we made on that dreary autumn night. Do you remember we’d said we’d look after each other? That was because you had no family... no friends... but now... I know you do... and I’m glad... I got to be a part of that... 

“Kurama is someone very special, and... you are very dear to him... I’ll still be able to keep my promise even when I’m gone, for I’ll be able to watch over you from the heavens. You can keep the promise too... by watching over Kurama. He is a treasure... you don’t... want to... lose...” Her hand fell from his cheek. With one final effort, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Hiei closed his eyes, and held her close to him. He remembered the way he kissed her when they were imprisoned in the dark, depressing dungeon; however, this time the kiss was full of tenderness. Her mouth was light on his, like the feathers of a dove’s wing. He kissed her back with equal gentleness. 

A whisper escaped her lips, as they parted. “At first it was just because of my... mission, but I grew to...” Her voice trailed off, as she said, “...love... you...” With that, her arms dropped to her sides, and her head fell on his chest. Hiei knelt there, paralyzed, cradling Eisila in his arms. And as the setting sun disappeared on the horizon, he picked up Eisila’s tear-gem and grasped it to his heart, unable to cry any more. 

Previous Chapter | Back to Fanfics | Next Chapter

_______________________________________________________
Since 120901
Agaru! Yuyu Hakusho Version 3.0 is owned and maintained by Jaja.
 This is for entertainment purposes only.
Yuyu Hakusho rightfully belongs to the following: Yoshihiro Togashi, Studio Pierrot, Shueisha Fuji TV.