What if . . . ? Story One: Kurama DT

Warning: Spoilers if you haven't seen the end of the Dark Tournament . . . what if Toguro hadn't picked Kuwabara . . . what if . . . it was Kurama, instead? (Part One of the 'What if' Stories) No shonen ai.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Now on to the fic. =n.n=

Warnings: This is the NON-SHONEN AI version

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"Now, now . . . which one to kill . . . "Toguro turned from his opponent kneeling on the ground littered with debris, locking his gaze on the three tense figures of Yuusuke's friends, as they prepared themselves for what could very well be their own death sentence . . .

Toguro smiled evilly, his eyes taking on a nearly maniacal spark.

". . . how about you . . . Kurama . . . . . . Urameshi seems most attached to you . . ." The redhead stiffened, green eyes narrowing, becoming as emotionless as anything Youko could convey . . . of course it would be him . . . he was still weak from the combination of blood, youki and mental drain that had come from fighting Karasu. Yuusuke was frozen stiff from where he sat, his eyes unconsciously locked on his green-eyed team mate, unseeing even as Toguro began to stride towards the trio, his set gaze on the solemn youko. Then Hiei moved, his sword drawn, standing slightly in front and to the right of the redhead. Almost-soulless from resignation, emerald eyes shifted down to look at him.

"Hiei—" Without turning, keeping his sharp crimson gaze on the approaching demon, the hiyoukai interrupted.

"Ch. This will be my payment for when we fought Ichigaki's demon machine, Kurama." Understanding flared briefly, before the kitsune shook his head, stepping forward and pushing Hiei away with a gentle but firm hand on the fiery Jaganshi's left shoulder. Angry red eyes looked up at him, but widened when they saw the dull look in the once-lively eyes. Then they narrowed again as the hikoorime hissed.

"Baka kitsune! You can't defeat him alone, you know!" he snarled, refusing to sheath his sword, still glaring angrily up at the unnaturally calm youko. Now Kuwabara, finally overcoming the initial shock, joined in, coming to the redhead's side and seeking to persuade him.

"For once he's right, Kurama. Let's face him together." But the youko-turned-ningen shook his head, stepping away from his two friends, and looking over the destroyed arena to where Yuusuke still sat . . . but, when his tired green eyes settled on chocolate brown ones, the young detective came back, and scrambled to his feet, running towards Toguro, right fist drawing back for a punch.

"Yarou! You won't touch him!" But Yuusuke was knocked to the ground almost instantly, face-down, then Toguro knelt and pressed the dark-haired boy's face further into the dirt.

"This is all your fault, you know. You are powerless to stop me." The huge demon commented, almost casually, as Yuusuke was forced to submit to the dirt. And then he stood, continuing to walk toward his prey.

Now Kurama started to match Toguro's every step with one of his own.

"Kurama!" Kuwabara called, while the redhead could clearly discern Hiei muttering an angry 'baka kitsune' under his breath . . .

All too soon they reached the center, and Kurama looked up at his would-be killer. Toguro smiled down at him, the action twisted by the lust for death and destruction in the near-immortal's eyes. Calm, hard emerald ones gazed steadily back at him.

"I'll make this quick." Toguro put a hand out, reaching for the area atop the redhead's heart, but Kurama dodged at the last moment, his strength so low that he only was able to move away by a few feet. Toguro laughed, and the game continued.

He lunged, Kurama dodged left again, coming around behind him, but the huge grey demon turned again, swiping out a backhanded fist at the redheaded fox. Slightly surprised, Kurama pushed back, flying through the air for a brief moment before landing. Toguro grinned, and his foot sprung out of nowhere, but Kurama ducked, the stone-like leg missing his head by mere inches.

"Yea, Kurama! That's it!" Kuwabara yelled, cheering his friend on, hopes alive with the possibility of his caring friend and team mate . . . living . . .

Hiei merely watched on with a somber glare, katana still clutched in his left hand; it's right twin having been burned with the recent use of the Kokuryu-ha against Bui. Kurama . . .

And still the redhead dodged, pulling nearly impossible acrobatics . . . Yuusuke forced himself up from the ring floor, taking in the flashes of red and grey as the legendary silver youko was hunted once again . . .

Kurama . . . his eyes widened when the youko was caught off-guard and tripped, Toguro taking the chance to catch the redhead by the collar and lift him free of the battle-worn floor, holding him merely by his gigantic left hand. Now Kurama seemed to come alive again, and the expressive green eyes everyone knew him by returned in full force, filled with wild panic . . . the 'trapped animal' look of being caught. Toguro laughed evilly, bringing the fair face down to his, eyes conveying the dark intent.

"Like I said . . . I'll make this quick." And with one smooth motion, before anyone could react, he punched a hole clean through the ningen's gut, burying his huge arm so deeply that it came out the other side so far that the full fist clenched fist could be seen. The redhead choked, coughing, and a few more spots of blood appeared on the already stained Chinese outfit. The green eyes clouded a bit, and Kurama's arms rose to weakly grasp onto the limb still impaling him.

Darker . . . the redhead thought dimly . . . everything's getting . . . darker . . .

Toguro smirked evilly, then began to draw his hand back out . . . slowly removing it from the youko's feebly tensed body. He laughed and held the redhead up by stretching his left arm all the way up into the air . . . allowed everyone to see the green eyes that were growing hazier by the moment . . . and red hair hanging limply, strands messily dashed over the youko's slim shoulder . . . and . . . the worst . . . the one thing no one could ignore . . .

The gaping hole taking up most of the redhead's upper body.

Briefly, the green eyes shifted to Yuusuke's motionless form, whispering . . .

"Y—Yuusu... ...ke..."

Toguro let him slide from his grasp to the ground, where Hiei appeared a moment later, shaking his friend with a glare that only suggested the pain hidden deep within.

Red eyes scrutinized the pale face . . . how the once-emerald eyes were now a misty green and yet Kurama managed to speak.

"H-Hiei..."

"Baka kitsune . . ." the hikoorime hissed lowly, taking a last look at his friend.

"Kurama!" Kuwabara ran over, and spoke to Hiei.

"Kurama . . . is he . . . ?" Not showing any emotion, his own gaze hidden by the dark bangs . . . Hiei closed his friend's eyes, which had been somewhat shadowed by the red hair, anyway . . . and turned to sit with his back to the dead form of what had most likely been his only true friend, refusing to meet anyone's gaze . . . Kuwabara felt his throat clench, and looked over to Yuusuke. The detective had a look of shocked disbelief, which was slowly giving way to an outraged sorrow.

"And this could have all been prevented, Urameshi." Toguro sneered in the silence.

. . . in the stands . . .

Four girls were shocked, three of them trying to fight back their tears . . .

"Kurama-kun!" Shizuru shouted, utter disbelief in her choked voice . . .

"Kurama-san!" Keiko cried, tears beginning to slide down her cheeks.

Yukina gasped, hiruiseki gems starting to accumulate at her feet . . . he had been so nice . . .

No . . . I don't want to take him to Reikai, too . . . just like Genkai . . . he almost died against that buddy of Toguro's . . . he CAN'T die . . . no . . . not NOW . . . Botan thought,tears threatening to fall from her own eyes . . .

OoOoOo- After Yuusuke beats the CRAP out of Toguro, lol n.n;;; -oOoOoO

Koenma, Hiei and Kuwabara watched the kneeling Yuusuke, Hiei standing a little ways away, Kuwabara standing next to the broken boy, and Koenma by Hiei.

"And what do I say to Kurama!?!?" Overcome with grief, Yuusuke looked down to the ground, squeezing his eyes shut, fingers clenching into fists in the dirt. "What do I tell Shiori?!? That her only son was killed in a Tournament for demons?!? D—N IT!! I'm SORRY, KURAMA!! . . . Kurama . . ."

"Well, I must say . . . I'm rather touched." The familiar voice, that low alto, although tired, was unmistakable. Yuusuke looked up, startled and not daring to believe . . . but there he was, sitting up, smiling faintly . . . his green eyes back to their crisp, rich color and the red tresses flowing elegantly down his back . . . and now Yuusuke noticed that the clear-through hole in his chest had shrunken considerably.

And now he froze, tears still visible at the corners of his now immensely large brown eyes.

"NA-NA-NA-NA-NANI?!?!?!?!?!?" He looked up to Hiei for support! "I THOUGHT HE WAS—"Hiei scoffed, fixing a condescending look on the wide-eyed reikai tantei leader.

"Ch. Baka ningen. Did you really think a scratch like that would kill Kurama? He isn't exactly human, you know." It was now that Kuwabara started laughing.

"You should have seen the look on your face, Urameshi! Hahaha! You actually thought Kurama kicked the bucket, haha!!"

Now tears started to trail rivers down the boy's cheeks.

"You all . . . knew about this?" he asked, still unbelieving that he had been so thoroughly tricked.

"Yes, well, I know I'm not supposed to lie, but . . . whatever." Koenma commented in his defense.

"Honestly, Urameshi, you looked like your mom just died!" Kuwabara joked. "You really thought that—"He trailed off when he noticed that Hiei was no longer looking at him, but rather somewhere to the carrot-top's left. Blinking, the 'baka' noticed that Urameshi was gone, then turned to the sound of the voice, where he looked . . .

And sweatdropped, along with Koenma.

Yuusuke had the fox by the collar with both hands, shaking him and shouting at him, while the youko's face was kept carefully cheerful, his eyes apologetic half-circles while the slender brows were angled upward and inward.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, YOU KITSUNE YAROU!!" He shook the green-eyed teen fiercely again. "BAKAROU!! IF TOGURO HADN'T PUNCHED YOU STRAIGHT THROUGH THE GUT I'D KILL YOU MYSELF RIGHT NOW, D—N IT!!!"

Now Hiei finally joined in the sweatdropping, as Yuusuke continued to shake the redheaded fox that was still managing to somehow keep his fake smile plastered on his face.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, KURAMA!! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE NICE ONE, NE!?!?!" And he went on and on, until Hiei spoke up, the hikoorime's left eye twitching in annoyance.

"You know, if you keep that up, his wound will reopen and then he'll bleed to death."

"He's got a point, you know. "Koenma added. "Yuusuke, don't you remember how much blood Kurama lost in his fight with Karasu?"

Yuusuke looked over his shoulder, and released his hold on the kitsune, letting him fall to the ground. Hiei shook his head.

Baka tantei . . .

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Owari

=n.n=

LOL!!!

please review, and tell me what you think, minna-san!

I might do a few more like this, lol . . .

PLEASE tell me what you thought of it kudasai!!

. . . this idea popped into my head around midnight (after I had finished writing and updating the new chapter for 'Tatakoe High') and now it's four!!

X.x;;; oro!!

well, konban wa and ja ne, minna-san!

lol!

- Kita-chan peace out =n.n=