Fox Love:
Chapter 15- Loss
The next day came and Kurama's bed stood empty. The fox wandered in minutes after his friends had woken and collapsed on the floor. He been out all night, he explained, wandering in the park. Exchanging glances the other boys sat down next to him and demanded a full story.
Kurama looked up, not bothering to hide the torment he felt inside. Startled, the boys looked on with concern. After he had poured out the whole story, including the reason for splitting up with Haven, he just sat there, unmoving. The tears had begun to pour down his face about halfway through his explanation and they had yet to stop. Yusuke, his eyes dancing with anger, jumped up and walked across the hall to Haven's room and pounded rudely on her door.
"Come out here now!" he shouted. But when his demands were ignored he turned the knob and found it unlocked. Going in, he reappeared two minutes later, looking hassled and worried. "She's gone," he announced to the others.
Kurama's head snapped up. "NO!" he screamed.
The tears rolled fresh down his face and his slender frame was wracked with harsh sobs. Pulling the others to the opposite side of the room Yusuke related the rest of what he had found to them. "All her things are gone too, there's nothing there to even show that she had been in the room. I think...I think she's gone for good this time, guys." They all looked over at Kurama, still on the floor. It was his fault, and he knew it. The guilt and grief were eating him up.
***************
The weeks passed and Haven still did not return. The Chaos Coronet was found and added to the collection. The Urameshi Team had now found all of the Chaos Articles, the ones Haven possessed had been found in the boys' room after she left. Returning to their hometown, they had found Koenma waiting for them and had handed over the Articles. He knew of Haven's disappearance already, but wisely said nothing.
Kurama had changed in the time Haven had been gone, and not for the better. He looked worn and haggard now, his face drawn and lined with grief. His eyes were dull and he seemed to have lost his will to live. If it hadn't been for his mother, he probably would have ended it all immediately. The others kept a close watch on him and made sure he didn't try anything stupid. They couldn't afford to lose another fighter...or another friend.
Kurama wandered the park in his city, his eyes scanning the sky above, watching the clouds and feeling the breeze whip his hair. No one else was in sight, and he sat down at the base of a tree in a small clearing and worried at a dead leaf, shredding it in his hands. She was gone, she wasn't coming back. He had figured that out for himself recently, and it had hit him hard. Why had he done that?! What was wrong with him?! His mind had become even more tormented these past weeks, with the realization that what he had done to Haven was the worst thing possible. He had betrayed her once more. She had opened up to him and he had accepted her, then pushed her away. This was what she had been afraid of. this was what Kurama had sworn he would never do! This was the very reason she had built walls around herself! And he had just hurt her in the worst possible way.
Tears slipped out of his now closed eyes and traced shining trails down his face. What had he done?
The sun shone above and warmed his back. Feeling the traces of warmth Kurama relaxed, letting sleep steal over him. And as the early spring sun gazed down upon him, far away to the north, it watched over a crying kitsune girl. For one instant her head lifted and her lips mouthed one single word. Kurama.
~*END*~
