YuYu Hakusho Beyond!

Episode 19: Face to Face

Death threats and invitations brought the gang to the Foliage Fortress where one by one they were captured by their old friend Kurama. But as they learned, Kurama was not the one they were really against as the master mind revealed herself, another Kurama, but this one female. How she came about remains a mystery as she keeps Kurama from progressing further into the fortress. Will she succeed, or can Kurama defeat her before they run out of time?

~*~

[In a large room, Kurama faces Rose.]

Kurama: [bored disbelief] You're supposed to be me?

Rose: Amazing what cloning technology can do these days. They made me a better you.

Kurama: And yet you failed to stop the original.

Rose: [glares] Wh-who says I've failed?

Kurama: As you can see, I'm still alive.

Rose: I shouldn't have entrusted that task to another clone.

Kurama: You think you can do better?

Rose: Let us see. Just try and get past me, your move.

[Kurama  pulls out a rose. Seeing she won't move, his rose becomes a whip as he  lashes it towards her. Some vines reach out from her wall of bushes to  block. Kurama strikes with his whip again. The whip cuts the vines, but  more vines intervene. The whip gets tangled in the vines. He pulls it  back while Rose springs into the air, brandishing her own rose whip. She  swings her whip at Kurama while coming down. He maneuvers his whip to  counter hers. Kurama hops back, and Rose lands in front of him. Both  continue striking at each other. Kurama runs around Rose as the whips  continue to clash. Kurama jumps with a strong down swipe with his whip.  Rose dodges. Their whips continue to fly while they are suspended in  air. Rose nears Kurama. At the same time, both move their arms across,  causing their whips to crash against each other. Both flip backwards  from the impact and land skillfully on the ground, then resume  fighting.]

* * *

[Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei watch the fight while tied up in the other room.]

Yusuke: So where did Kurama get the girl look-a-like?

Kuwabara:  Good question. Even with all the genetic possibilities, finding someone  so similar is near impossible, even if she was a long-lost sister.

Yusuke: Could she be a twin?

Hiei: She's a clone.

Yusuke & Kuwabara: Huh?

Hiei: They both emit the same energy. That is because the girl came from Kurama.

Yusuke:  So does that mean there can be other clones? Who I fought before wasn't  the real Kurama, but a clone? And after I took care of him I saw him  undamaged because he actually was another one that I hadn't fought.  Right?

Hiei: Most likely.

Yusuke: Well, that makes me feel better.

Kuwabara: Oh, yeah! I knew Kurama wouldn't have turned on us like that!

* * *

[While  the whips continue, Kurama runs towards the wall of bushes, holding up  his free arm to clear a path. Rose makes a fist with her free hand.  Mouths from the bushes pop out towards Kurama as he nears. He backs up  and uses his whip to cut the mouths off of the bushes.]

Kurama: Who created you? Why?

[Rose's whip hits Kurama's hand. He lets go of his whip, which turns back into a rose.]