Monday, August 30, 2004

   Suprise!
It's been a long time since I've posted, ne? Sorry about that, but I had to go home for the summer and the computer at home is crap, so I couldn't log in to my account. But now I'm back at college, and I have so much to catch up on. I'll answer questions as soon as I can; right now here's the long-awaited final chapter of Past Collides with Present!

Chapter 12: Partings and Beginnings

Kurama felt the steady rise and fall of Shiori's chest against his legs. This was the only indicator that she was still alive. Blood trickled out of the wound in his shoulder, but he wasn't even aware of it. All he could think about was somehow saving his mother's life. He laid her gently on the floor and tried to stop the blood from flowing out of her chest.

"Move," Yukina quietly ordered him. Kurama did, and he looked up to see Hiei standing there as well, still holding his shoulder. Yukina had healed the worst of his damage, but the cut in his skin was still evident. Yukina knelt down and placed her hands over Shiori's wound. She was tired from healing Hiei, but she still had plenty of energy left.

Touya came over, and the three men watched as the koorime worked her magic. Kurama held his breath as the blood flow began to slow little by little. Finally, Yukina sighed and turned to him.

"I'm afraid that's all I can do," she said. "This wound is just too much for my power."

Kurama nodded. "You've done enough," he said. "Please, go help Jin." He tore off his shirt and, picking Shiori up, carefully wrapped it around her. Then he lifted Shiori completely off the ground and surveyed the entrance hall. Puso laid about twenty feet away, buried beneath the gorgeous blossoms of the death plant. Kage also lay on the other side of the hall. Kurama breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the devil bird was dead. That was one less threat to Makai. He turned back around when he heard a soft thump.

Yukina was slumped over Jin, unconscious, having used the last of her energy to partially heal the wound in his stomach. Hiei walked over and picked her up.

"Well, it's been fun, but we've still got work to do," said Touya. He helped Jin stand up and supported his weight.

Kurama dipped into as much of a bow as he dared while holding his mother. "Arigatou gozaimasu," he said. "Now I owe you a favor."

Touya laughed. "Forget it. It was our job."

Hiei arched an eyebrow. "Job?"

Jin nodded weakly. "The Shinobi were asked to get rid of the Kage. We don't know by whom. We just received information that he was in this area and a load of money."

"So that's why you were hanging around here," Hiei said.

Kurama collapsed again. He was simply too weak to do anything. Touya walked over and picked up Shiori. "Perhaps I can help a little more before we leave," he said.

Kurama smiled gratefully and picked himself back up. The group began the trek back to the portal to Ningenkai.

* * *

The group parted ways at the portal. Touya and Jin waved good-bye from Makai as Kurama closed it, and then Hiei took off toward Genkai's temple with Yukina. "I'll meet you at the hospital," he told Kurama.

Kurama walked as fast as he could to his house, staying on his feet by sheer strength of will and carrying his unconscious mother. Without even bothering to go inside, he knelt beside the car and felt under the fender for the spare key. After finding it, he quickly unlocked the car, placed his mother in the passenger seat, then ran to the driver's side and started the engine. He backed into the street without looking first, and recklessly drove to the hospital, completely ignoring the speed limit.

When he got there, he drove straight to the emergency entrance. He hopped out and alerted a couple of nearby paramedics, who immediately grabbed a stretcher and took Shiori inside. Kurama parked the car nearby and walked to the waiting room. He was pleasantly surprised when he got there.

"Heya, Kurama! Took you long enough."

"Yusuke! How did you know-"

Yusuke clapped him on the shoulder as Kurama sat in the chair next to him. "I was at Genkai's temple when Hiei and Yukina got there. He explained what happened, then mumbled something about a report to Koenma and took off. Geez, if I had known about this, I would have come, too. How come no one told me?"

"I imagine there wasn't any time," Kurama answered. "Speaking of which, it's high time I called home. Hatanaka and Shuichi probably think I've been kidnapped, too, by now." Yusuke nodded, and Kurama went to a nearby telephone to place the call. When it was finished, he came back, sat down, and fell asleep. There was nothing to do now but wait.

* * *

When the doctor finally came out, the crowd who was waiting on news had grown to include Hiei, Kuwabara, Yukina, Hatanaka, Shuichi, and Botan (who had been sent by Koenma). Kurama had had to endure several questions by his family. He had finally told them that the situation would be better explained when Shiori was awake, and they had grudgingly accepted this.

"You are Minamino-san's family?" the doctor asked.

All attention was focused immediately on him. "She's out of surgery now, and we believe she's going to be just fine," he continued.

Everyone broke into relieved sighs and cries of happiness. The doctor grinned, too. It was times like these when he loved his job.

"She's awake, and she keeps asking to see her son," he finished.

Kurama, who had just woken up, stood, and the doctor's eyes traveled to his shoulder, coming to rest on the bloody slit in his shirt. "You look like you could use some stitches as well," he commented.

Kurama placed a hand over it. "It's just a scratch," he assured. "Nothing a band-aid and Neosporin won't fix. May I see my mother now?"

The doctor nodded and led him through the hallways until he reached a certain room, and Kurama went in.

The sight of her took his breath away. Her bruises had deepened in color, and there were two IV lines trailing from her arms. Kurama walked up and took her hand in his. "Mom?" he whispered.

She opened her eyes. "Shu--Kurama."

"Oh, 'Kaasan, I'm so sorry this happened to you. This is all my fault-"

A gentle pressure on his hand. "Stop it, son. It's not your fault. It's their fault." She closed her eyes. "I just.wish.that you had told me sooner. About you, I mean."

Kurama nodded and sat down in a bedside chair. He sat there for a while, searching for the right words. Finally, he spoke. "I feel like my past is colliding with the present. I never meant for you to find out about me. I wanted to protect you, and more than anything, I was afraid. I didn't want you to stop loving me. It's true that I first came here hide and regain my strength, but as time went by, I began to want to stay, to keep my new life. I thought I could get away with it at first, but Hiei found me. He and an ally were going to break into a secret vault and steal three artifacts, and he wanted my expertise. I agreed at the time because you were so sick, and I knew one of the artifacts could heal you."

"Oh," Shiori interrupted with a short laugh. "I was beginning to wonder if you had had something to do with my cure."

Kurama nodded again and continued. "I've been serving my punishment for that crime since then, helping Yusuke track down demons and return them to Makai. I wasn't running from my past, but I never thought it would slap me in the face this way." He trailed off, studying his mother's face. She looked back at him.

"You're not leaving, are you?" she finally asked. "Going back?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

Shiori smiled, then groaned. "What are we going to tell Hatanaka and Shuichi?"

"The truth, I guess. Shuichi might like it."

Shiori laughed, and instantly regretted it as pain shot through her wound. "I love you, son," she said softly.

"I love you, too, Mom."

Kurama stayed by her bed while she fell asleep.

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