"Where is Asuka?" Kurama asked the students sitting in the backstage. His entire body was thrumming. He needed to find her. He needed to take her into his arms. He needed to tell her how he felt.
"She went outside," one of the students said. "She said she had a headache."
He swallowed, now afraid. "Thank you."
Kurama turned around and opened his ki. Just at the edge of his senses he felt Asuka's vibrating. He felt that vibration begin to morph.
No.
There wasn't much time. He had to get to her, and fast. He darted through the hallways until he found the exit.
She wasn't immediately outside.
Damn it.
Asuka was most likely trying to get away from the students so she wouldn't hurt them, but he wished she were closer.
Kurama sensed she was some distance behind the school and headed in that direction. He began to feel a physical wind blowing outward with her ki. The closer he got, the stronger the wind became.
A feeling of dread settled over him.
After Kurama had finished fighting at the hospital in Mushiyori City, he came out to find Asuka just about to tip into a ki storm. He dashed two blocks at lightning speed and just barely arrived in time to stop the tempest. Even one minute later would've been too late.
What was happening now was far worse than what happened in Mushiyori city. She was already well beyond the power output that he'd stopped before.
She's close now. I can feel it.
Kurama found Asuka back behind a secluded shed hunched over with her head between her palms. She looked up, and revealed blood streaming from her nose.
"Kurama," she said with wide, fearful eyes.
He charged, and her ki slammed him backwards into the ground. The storm intensified and she cried out before fully collapsing onto the ground.
He was too late.
"Asuka!"
Kurama morphed into his Yoko form, hoping it would give him a big enough power boost. He stood up, then with all his might, pushed against her raging ki. No matter what, he had to get to her. Kurama braced his forearms against the storm then took another step. Then another.
He didn't know how much longer her body could sustain this level of power output. He yelled, and pushed further, and further, until he could go no more. He flew backwards and rolled into the dirt.
I'm not strong enough to calm this much force, he panicked.
"Kurama!" a voice called.
He pushed himself off the ground with shaking hands to find Yusuke and Kuwabara running toward him.
"We felt Asuka's ki go haywire and rushed over," Yusuke explained. His eyebrows lifted when he saw Kurama in his Yoko form.
"I'm not strong enough, Yusuke," he said huffing. "I can't calm her storm with my ki."
Yusuke released his yoki. It crackled with intensity and when it met with Asuka's, sparks released.
"My god she's strong," Yusuke yelled over the ferocity. "I don't even know if I can help, but I'll try."
The idea of losing her now wasn't something Kurama could entertain. He curled his hands into fists and his nails dug into his palms. He felt blood drip off his hands.
Yusuke braced himself, then charged.
Asuka's ki threw him back.
"Go slower Yusuke," Kurama said.
Yusuke nodded, and like Kurama had, braced himself for the slow charge. Yusuke shifted his ki and made his own barrier which deflected Asuka's ki up and over. Lightning from the exchange crackled into the sky and dissipated with a thunderous clap.
"Get behind me Kurama!"
He did what Yusuke asked and came up behind his friend and acted as a stabilizer. Kuwabara joined in front and activated his sword. It divided her ki further, and they made slow, but steady progress.
As long as her ki is raging, she's alive, Kurama tried to tell himself.
When they were a few feet from her body, Kurama felt a different spark. From the center of the storm he felt a distinct, but thin thread of seikoki—the sacred and most powerful of all ki types. The tips of Asuka's hair began to glow.
We're not going to able to stop it, he realized.
"Asuka!" Kurama shouted over the roaring wind. "You've got to get your ki under control!"
Her ki rippled.
"Keep talking to her!" Yusuke shouted. "I think that was working!"
Kurama felt helpless, but he did as Yusuke suggested.
"I heard what you were trying to tell me today Asuka," he said. Kurama reached his hand up pushed it into the wind. His fingers moved as the air rushed in currents between them. "Please get your ki under control!"
The rippling increased.
"If you can hear me, pull it back! You have to! I can't lose you. Asuka! Please listen to me and pull your ki back!"
A sharp whistle rang in Kurama's overly sensitive Yoko ears which sounded like air rushing into a vacuum. There was a sharp pop, then all was still. Without the wind pushing back on them, Yusuke, Kuwabara and himself collapsed forward on the grass into a heap.
She'd done it. She managed to stop the storm herself.
"What the fuck was that?" Yusuke huffed.
Kurama crawled over to Asuka and reached out to turn her over. Just before he touched her skin, his hand was met with a sharp burning sensation that forced him to stop.
Her ki was no longer out of control, but it had concentrated down into a barrier that cocooned her body.
"A ki storm," Kurama said to Yusuke, still looking at Asuka's collapsed body. He released his Yoko form and sat as close as he could to her without getting burned. "I've only seen this happen once. It's very rare, because ki and physical strength are usually closely tied together."
"So Asuka's ki is too strong for her body?" Yusuke confirmed.
"Yes. I suppose her storm was inevitable. Asuka's powers have been growing at an exponential rate since she first came to us."
"Was that...seikoki?" Kuwabara asked.
"For a brief moment, yes."
"Fuck," said Yusuke again. It was the only appropriate response.
Kurama looked down at Asuka, at the woman he loved, and studied her for a moment. "Her ki has been growing exponentially, but her body has been doing its best to adjust as well. That amount of power would have killed her a few months ago."
"What do you think she saw?" Kuwabara asked.
"I don't know."
"Asuka!" Keiko shouted running towards them. "Is she alright? What's going on?"
"She's okay now," Yusuke said, "But she's stuck like this until she wakes up."
Everyone stared at Asuka. She was still crumpled on the ground and they were all wondering the same thing. It was agonizing to think how long she could be asleep for.
"You can all go if you like," Kurama said. "I'll stay with her."
"There's no way in hell," Yusuke said. "What if she has another one of those storm episode things? Besides, we want to make sure she's okay too."
"Yeah," said Kuwabara.
Keiko sat down next to Yusuke. They chatted in low tones for awhile until it became late. Keiko sat with her head on Yusuke's shoulder. The night was cold, so Yusuke took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Kuwabara laid down on the grass, and eventually fell asleep.
Kurama sat up and kept watch over Asuka. Based on his internal clock, about three hours had passed and there was still no sign of her waking up.
Was her performance the trigger? He couldn't help but wonder.
Kurama placed a hand on her ki and closed his eyes. He no longer cared if his hand got burned. He needed to touch her, and assure her of his presence.
Asuka gasped and sat up suddenly. She coughed a wet, throaty cough, then crawled away.
"Asuka!" Kurama said crawling after her.
The commotion caused Kuwabara to wake up, and he jumped to a standing position. Yusuke and Keiko also stood up and backed away so Asuka could have some space.
"You're safe," Kurama said as she gasped. When she finally calmed, he pressed the handkerchief he always kept on his person into her hand. She took it reflexively, and wiped her mouth and nose.
When she turned around to face him, he found her eyes wild. She tried backing away from him, as if she didn't know where she was.
Did she get lost in a timeline?
"Asuka," Kurama said in his gentlest tone. "It's me. It's the evening of the school festival. A few hours have passed since your concert."
Her eyes widened in recognition. "Kurama?"
"Yes."
She collapsed into his chest, sobbing.
Kurama wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against him. Her back was bare, and her skin felt soft under his fingers.
"I'm here. We're all safe."
Her sobs were loud and wracked her entire body. It didn't sound like crying from fear, or from relief. It was the same sound she made when Norhito passed.
Did someone die?
Kurama grimaced. He hated Asuka's Foresight visions. They caused her nothing but grief, and pain. He wished there were a way she could rid herself of them. No one should be forced to carry a burden like the future.
I'll find a way to help you carry it. You won't be alone anymore.
"What is it Asuka?" he tried gently. "What did you see?"
She shook her head and pressed herself further into him. Kurama responded by lightly kissing the top of her hair. There was so much he wanted to say to her, and he ached because she was in such distress.
Eventually, her crying subsided. She gripped the collar of his shirt, and Kurama tightened his hold on her just a little.
"I'm not going anywhere," he murmured into her ear.
He felt her lips kiss his chest through the fabric of his shirt, and his eyes fluttered. He would've kissed her mouth already, if not for their friends who were standing a short distance away.
Kurama wondered if they felt awkward. He glanced up at them and saw they were too worried to be embarrassed by the way he and Asuka were entwined.
Asuka gently kissed his chest again. Then in one swift motion she untangled herself from his limbs and stood up. She and looked at Yusuke, Kuwabara and Keiko.
"You all saved me, again." She laughed, but there were tears.
"We're here for you," Keiko said, and gave Asuka a hug.
"Thank you. Can...can I have some time with Kurama, please?"
"Are you sure you're gonna be alright? Kuwabara asked.
She forced a smile. "Goodnight everyone."
Their friends looked apprehensive, but they respected Asuska's wishes.
Her breath fogged in the late-night air as she watched Yusuke, Keiko and Kuwabara leave. When they were out of earshot, she closed her eyes, and Kurama saw another tear fall down her face.
"Kurama, I, we...."
He shook his head. "Asuka, it's alright. Let's talk later. It's late, and I know you're exhausted."
The tears intensified again. "No. We...we should talk now."
Her tone worried him. Kurama took a step closer and she backed up against the shed wall, as if she were afraid of him.
"What's going on, Asuka?"
He had been planning on tell her how much he loved her, about all that was on his mind and heart, but he felt the conversation slipping in a different direction.
"Kurama," she finally said in a choked sob, "we can't."
He recoiled at her words. He stood there thunderstruck, watching the tears cascade down her cheeks.
He took a breath then asked with as much calm as he could muster, "What do you mean?"
"We can't see each other anymore. At all." She forced the words out, like it was the most painful thing she ever said. Her fists tightened.
Kurama tried his best to think rationally. What he felt from her today wasn't his imagination. She loved him. It must be something else.
"Because of what you saw in your Foresight?" His voice sounded less calm. On the verge of panic, even.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Silence. She wouldn't say. Why? After wrestling with his feelings and then finally understanding what they meant, he wasn't allowed to act on them? Why?
Why, Asuka?
"I can't explain it. I'm sorry, Kurama."
Her face was downcast. She couldn't even look him in the eye while she broke him.
He was angry. Angry at her. He stood rooted in place as he struggled to say his next words in a level tone.
"You...you came to me, Asuka. Just now. I held you after you woke up. You...I felt you..."
"I know." Her body trembled. "I'm so sorry."
Kurama felt like his whole world was collapsing around him as he struggled with desires unrequited. He'd been in such a valley, only for her to lift him out and give him the world. And now, she was taking everything away from him.
Why?
As he stared at her his mind whirled. What was going on? How could he fix it? Did he do something wrong in her Foresight? And if that were true, why not tell him so he had the opportunity to correct his error?
After another strained minute she said, "I should go."
There was no way in hell he would let her leave him like this. It only took Kurama a split second to trap her between his body and the wall. He placed his left hand near her head. She gasped.
"I won't let you," he murmured.
He was close enough now, to feel her tremble. He stared into her wide, purple eyes that brimmed with tears before his own drifted to her small, pink lips. Kurama leaned down, slowly. Her lips parted and his heart thrummed.
Just before he made contact, she averted her mouth and he ended up in the crook of her neck. She whimpered, and Kurama was flooded with the smell of her potent desire.
His own body responded, and he didn't bother to control it. The way their bodies were angled she could probably tell. Let her.
"Asuka." His voice was deep, husky, as his breath played over her skin. "Don't you know how much I wa—"
"Don't say it. Please. Just let me go. You have to, Kurama."
She wanted all of him, Kurama knew. And If he kept at it, she'd cave. He was still in the crook of her neck and he wanted to kiss her collar bone. He wanted to make her blissfully happy. He wanted to caress her. He wanted her fingers wrapped around his most sensitive part. He wanted her friendship. He wanted her laughter. Her logic. Her music. He wanted to live with her for the rest of his life. He wanted all of her: body, mind, and soul. And, in the 1500 some years of his existence, he had never wanted anything more.
But the desperation in her wavering voice forced him to stop. She wanted him, loved him, ached for him, and yet, was telling him they couldn't see each other anymore.
Those cries of mourning earlier, were for us, he realized.
He knew then, he had to acquiesce somehow.
"Are you," his voice cracked as he struggled to speak, "absolutely sure there's nothing we can do?"
A feeble nod was all he got in response.
"Will you let me kiss you?" he asked, unable to help himself. "I...would like to feel you, and...taste you. Just once, Asuka."
She shivered, but didn't respond.
Kurama realized why.
It wouldn't be a simple peck-on-the-lips goodbye kiss. It would be a kiss that contained all of the emotions he wanted to convey. He'd kiss Asuka until her lips were swollen. He'd fan the fire that already burned between them, and their desperation would only make it stronger. After feeling her mouth like that, would he really be able to walk away? It already felt impossible.
He did the next best thing. He took his hand off the wall and cupped her cheek. She inhaled sharply.
"I love you," he whispered. He rested his forehead on hers.
He felt the silent tears pool over his hand before they spilled over.
I'm hurting her, he realized.
He needed to find the strength to leave.
And so, Kurama closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He breathed in her arousal, her natural scent, and everything about her. He breathed in, before swiftly cutting the connection. He turned around and departed without another word. Anymore, and his resolve would crumble. He left, and as he did, he heard mournful sobs bubble up from the woman he loved.
Asuka, he ached. Is it because of me? In your vision, did I do something terrible?
-* ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ *-
Asuka sat against the wall crying long after Kurama left. It just wasn't fair. She wanted him so badly, and even after everything she'd seen, she almost chose the selfish path. His confession, and his plea to kiss her just once before he departed, was a special kind of agony.
I deserve to be tortured.
Kissing him was her personal breaking point. She wouldn't have the strength to send him away after feeling him like that. She'd seen it happen.
The image wormed its way into her thoughts.
It hadn't taken long for their kiss to become desperate. In an effort to get closer, he hiked her up against the wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist while also wrapping her arms around his neck. The dress was short so most of her legs were exposed to the cold air, and to him. Their mouths moved together with fierce abandon as one of his hands ventured up her thigh.
"Kurama," she pleaded between breaths. "Please. Please don't leave me."
"I'll never leave you, Asuka. I love you. Whatever it is, we can figure it out, together," he said as he planted kisses on her neck.
If only that were true.
Asuka hissed. She shouldn't dwell on such visions. She didn't deserve to think about getting lost in the contours of his lips or the feel of his hands on her.
I'm so, so, sorry, Kurama. This is all my fault.
If she knew this was the outcome, she would've run far away and never looked back. She never wanted to do this to him.
It's my fate to die alone.
It was a punishment befitting the loathing she felt. She truly and unequivocally hated herself.
She remembered everything now. Her long, lonely existence and all the abuse she'd suffered. And she finally remembered the reason she came to this plane of existence.
She wanted to save the Makai. That was her self-imposed mission. The first window to change its fate had already long since closed, and now, she had just one more chance.
I'm going to change the future.
But the price of changing the future at this junction was her relationship with Kurama. She had looked through several timelines, but it seemed this was the only one that would save everyone.
You don't realize this yet, but you are also critical to the Makai's fate, Kurama. If you were to do anything differently, the entire plane would collapse into chaos. You've got to play your part, and I've got to play mine.
Asuka hugged her knees. That was the last conversation she was ever going to have with him. On Monday, he would find her gone from school. Tomorrow she would call the headmaster and explain, with great sadness, that her great aunt suddenly turned deathly ill, and she had to go home to the mountains.
Someday, I hope that you can forgive me.
In the moment, it seemed like too great a hope.