Fate’s Foreshadowing
by GiniChapter 3 - The price; the sacrifice
The cold night hang like a big gray coat around the forest. Kurama stumbled all the way into the deep woods. He kept running and running and running, till he arrived to a place he wasn’t familiar with. Finally, his strength ran off on him. Dropping down hard on the grass, he wept uncontrollably. He cried until he could no longer cry anymore. And his chest hurt - partly because the wound from that incident was never fully healed, partly because of Hiei.
Gradually, he stopped, but he just sit there, looking into the night blankly like a body that had just lost the soul. He had nothing now. He had lost everything. What should he do now? Now that Hiei hated him.
He touched his belt, in search for the scroll Koenma had given him earlier, but it wasn’t there. Hiei had torn up his clothes, so that scroll must be lying somewhere in that room. He cursed sadly. But he wasn’t worried because he didn’t need it to know the phrase. He knew it by heart already.
He sighed. Who would have known that this was going to happen? Hiei had told him that he didn’t want to hear from him ever again. Did he really mean by that? Even if he didn’t like him as a lover, he could still be his friend. They had been through thick and thin, how could he just tell him to go away?
But he just did. The youko sound in his mind replied.
He took off one of the tear gems from the necklace and held in his palm. Should he really do it? If this brought back Hiei’s sight ability, maybe Hiei would want him back again.
Listen to you! You sound so pathetic.
He lowered his head as if in shame. He knew he sounded pathetic, but he loved him. For him, he’d do anything. Hiei just couldn’t be serious. He was drunk for god’s sake. Besides, when they were together, it just felt so right. It was their destiny to stay together.
He didn’t look very drunk to me. Well, it’s over. The whole thing. It’s time to wake up from the sweet dreams and face the reality.
No. He couldn't believe it. He had to save their relationship. He had to make Hiei happy again. Because .... Hiei’s happiness was his own as well. As long as Hiei was happy, he didn’t care what would happen to him.
He clutched his fist tight, hoping the tear gem wouldn’t break. He began to chant the phrase silently in his head.
Granting stone here I come
With the hopes in my arms.
Wishing thou wilt grant my wishes.
My fate pattern is in thy hands.
Here I am, to behold
Any results shall befall.
No turn back. No regret.
Granting Stone forever more!
He felt so cold. He felt so tired. Darkness engulfed him. The last image occurred to him was Hiei’s face. "Hiei ...... "
* * * *
"What is that you want?" A melodic voice asked.
Kurama opened his eyes and found himself lying on soft grass with tons of different flowers beside him. So this is the legendary Granting Land. He looked up and saw a shadow. But he couldn't make out who the person was because the fog was too thick, though the sun was shiny above him. Maybe it was something like a veil ....
Hn. At least he knew that person was a female. Wait a second ... wasn't it night when he chanted the phrase? How come it was sunny here? Oh well ....
"I came here to fulfill my wish," Kurama said calmly. He had no idea if the lady was a foe or fiend, nor he knew if this was real or just a stupid dream. I guess I will find out when I wake up.
"This is no dream," the voice said with a hint of tease. Kurama was taken back. He didn't know she could hear his thought.
"You look shocked. Tell me, foxy boy, what's your wish? You don't strike me as someone who needs any favor from anybody," he was a bit stunned again because she knew his real identity.
"It's my friend who really needs the favor. I just came here on behalf of him."
"A friend?"
"Yes. A friend." He paused, then muttered. "Well .... an ex-friend."
"I see. Well. I admire your courage. You've obviously heard about me and my doing. And even so, you still came here."
Kurama let that pass. He didn't know how to answer that one.
"What's your request then?"
"My friend is blind. I'd like to have his eyesight restored."
"Hmm... That's it? Where is the stone?"
Stone!? Where did he put it? He looked down and saw that it was still in his palm since he had been clutching it tightly from the very beginning.
"It's right here." He held up his palm.
"A tear gem," she said it with a bit astonishment. "Very well. Your wish will be granted."
"Thank you." Kurama couldn’t believe it was this easy.
"I hope he is worth the sacrifice you are going to make." For a split second, he could hear a trace of sadness in her voice.
"Usually, there are three prices to pay in order to grant one wish."
He breathed in deeply. "I am ready." He was ready to use his own life.
"For your friend to have his sight ability back, his blindness will be yours to take. In other words, you will lose your eyesight. This is not permanent, but for your eyes to heal, something has to happen, and I cannot tell you what that something is. Secondly, you can never ever be with him again. The further you are away from him, the faster his sight ability will be restored." She stopped for a while, letting him absorb all the information.
"And the third?" Kurama asked with a quivering voice. He could feel cold sweats began to trickling their way down his forehead.
"The third is a surprise. You will find out soon enough." Kurama couldn't see, but he could feel her mischievous smile.
"Now, you must keep this Granting Stone near you always. You have 3 days before all these begin to happen. You can still go and see him one last time. " She paused before continuing, "I don't usually give advice to others but now I am giving you one: If you were to hide or go away, go toward north. Right at the border between Makai and Ningenkai there is a small island with few but friendly humans." She suggested kindly.
"Why are you helping me?" Kurama asked suspiciously.
"Because ...," she seemed to hesitate, "you are the first one to request a wish not for yourself but for others." She told him slowly, in a manner as if she was thinking about something far distance. But that only lasted for a few second. She quickly came back to herself.
"But that doesn't excuse any of my prices, does it?" Kurama asked sarcastically. Maybe he was laughing at himself for being so pathetic.
"No." It was a simple answer but straight to the point.
"Thought so," Kurama replied dryly.
"Well. You must be on your way. Remember, violate any of these conditions before or after your friend's sight is restored, there will be unknown punishment," she warned, "You have 3 days."
"Yes. I understand." Kurama said weakly, feeling more depressed than ever.
* * * *
It was already dawn when Kurama came back to his full senses. He felt lightheaded accompanied by a slight headache and grogginess. He discovered that the tear gem, or rather, the Granting Stone had changed its color. It used to be black, now it was bloody red, which reminded him once again of Hiei.
Hiei. He had to see him one last time despite of what he had done to him.
He fastened the Granting Stone back to his necklace. With the help of the rising sun, Kurama slowly dragged his tiresome body out of the forest.
He had to see Hiei one last time ....
* * * *
The whole temple was at chaos.
"Yukina-chan, what’s wrong? You were so urgent on the phone that we thought something bad must had happened - " It was Kuwabara speaking.
"Kurama and Hiei have disappeared!"
"Oh," Yuusuke and Keiko let out a sigh of relief.
"Yukina-chan. Hiei and Kurama always go out. It’s not something unusual. There is nothing to worry about." Keiko comforted.
"But you don’t understand! They didn’t leave the temple together. Last night something bad had happened." Yukina’s voice was shaking.
"What was it?" Keiko asked.
"Not long after you guys left last night, there was this arguing sound. And after about two hours, I heard Kurama ran off his room."
"So they had a fight. That’s nothing unusual either."
"But Kurama was crying when he left. A-and, I have never seen or heard him cry before."
Everybody fell silent.
Kuwabara pounded his fists on the table loudly. "That Hiei. I’ve had enough of him. Where is he?"
"I am right here." A cold voice answered. Everybody turned to look.
"Where is Kurama?" Yuusuke asked.
"Don’t know."
"What the hell do you mean you don’t know?" Yuusuke demanded heatly, "you were the last person he was with."
"He comes and goes at his free will," the half-Koorime shrugged.
"He’d never leave you for so long, you and I both know that. What have you done to him? Yukina said he was crying when he left the temple."
No reply. Hiei lowered his head a little. His face expression solemn.
"Hey, Shrimp, you’d better tell us what happened," Kuwabara stepped up and commended.
Grabbing Hiei’s black coat collar, Yuusuke asked the fire demon again, "Did you give him a punch? Did you slap him? What did you do goddamn it?"
"Calm down Yuusuke," Keiko said, trying to loose the raven-haired boy’s grip.
"I didn’t do anything," Hiei lied icily.
"Then why did he run off like that?"
"Beats me."
"Yamaro! Don’t you even care?" Yuusuke threw him off in an angry shove.
"Not really," the fire demon replied while adjusting his clothes.
Everybody stared at him.
"You what!?" Kuwabara could not believe his reply. Nobody could.
"Hiei, you bastard! Do you know how depressed Kurama had been the whole time you were in that fucking coma? He stayed by you day and night. He would not leave you for a goddamn minute. He wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t sleep. But he didn’t care about himself. Because you were the one he truly cared about. He didn’t care if he’d starve to death, as long as you could be back on your feet. And you," Yuusuke pointed his index finger at him, accusing him, "you .. how did you treat him in the end? You fought with him! You made him cry, you bastard!"
Yuusuke took a long deep shaky breath, "Is this your way of paying him back after all he has done for you? He loves you Hiei, he - "
"Shut up, shut up, shut the fuck up!!!!!!!!!!!" Hiei shouted, cutting everybody off. He didn’t know! He didn’t know he actually slapped him right on his face .. He ... he just wanted to try to make Kurama leave him. That was all. That was all ....
It was then they found that he was trembling with rage of sadness. He lowered his head. Nobody spoke a word. His voice cracked when he said the next sentence. "It was the only way to make him leave me!"
"I had no choice." He slumped himself down on a chair. "I had no other choice."
Suddenly, it became crystal clear to everybody.
Hiei wasn’t selfish.
He just loved Kurama too much to let him suffer with him.
* * * *
Masking his ki carefully, Kurama stepped a little bit closer to the bed. He looked down the sleeping figure on the bed. The afternoon sunshine brightened his childish face. He had sneaked into the temple from the back window, which led straight to the room Hiei and he had shared. He had to wait till most of the gang dismissed from the temple. Apparently, Hiei didn’t sleep last night after he left. Now he was exhausted. The red head recalled the conversation he accidentally heard while he was sneaking around the temple.
"It was the only way to make him leave me!"
"I had no choice."
The two sentences kept echoing around in his head.
So all of these had just been an act then? Just to drive him away? Just so he could go and not suffer with him for his whole life?
Oh ... Hiei ....
He knelt down beside the bed. Reaching out his hand, he wanted to touch him so badly, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want him to wake up because then, he’d never be able to leave and Hiei would remain blind. The hand, still hovering above the sleeping face tightened into a firm grip.
You know I would never leave you, and now, I must ....
Part of him was glad that Hiei still loved him, but part of him was pained because he could never see him again.
Yes. Let him believe that he ran away.
Kurama pulled out a throne-less red rose and placed it beside the pillow Hiei was sleeping on. He moved his face close, so close that he could almost touched those lips. He kissed him, but only on the air around the sleeping statue.
"Just remember, I love you ... still...," his words were no louder than a whisper of wind.
* * * *
"Kurama!" Hiei jerked awake. He could have sworn he felt Kurama’s presence here, in this very room.
Was it just a dream?
He lifted up a hand to touch his cheek and found a tiny wet spot. Frantically, he touched the pillow to see if there was any more wet spots. His hand stopped when he found a plant.
It was a rose.
That was Kurama tear. This was Kurama’s rose.
He was here!
"Kurama?"
Silence.
"Kurama!" He quickly ran to the window.
"Kurama! Come back! I know I was wrong!" He yelled on the top of his lung.
"Don’t leave me!"
But there only the soft breeze greeted him. Disappointment hit him hard like a hammer on a nail.
"Please ...... come back ...."
* * * *
Outside of the window, Kurama stood with his back against the wall. He painfully squeezed his eyes shut.
"Good-bye Hiei," he said quietly. Tears dropped down to his face.
Without turning back, he ran toward the forest and soon disappeared into the deep green.
---To be continued---
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All Characters so far are taken from Yu Yu Hakusho.
The story plot and the poem-like verse in the story were created by Gini H.L. Graciela
Copyright © December 1999, rewrote July 2000
Comments can be sent to Gini <minis945@mdi.ca>
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