Part 9: Departure
One morning, Kurama received a knock at his bedroom door a few minutes before leaving for school. Upon answering, Leilani bustled in sorrowfully. He was startled since this was the first time she had come to his room. She pushed the button of a small clock-like item that she brought in with her and set it on the window ledge.
“There, that should lengthen the next minute out to an hour,” Leilani whimpered.
“Why? What is going on?” inquired the puzzled Kurama.
“I’m sorry, Kurama,” Leilani took a breath and whispered, “I must leave today.”
Kurama gasped and gently grabbed Leilani’s shoulders, asking, “What, where to?”
“I need to report to headquarters, the Angels have another job for me.”
“How long will it take? Will you come back when you’re done?”
Kurama tried to caress her face, but she released herself and turned to the window.
“I don’t know,” was all she could say.
“What about the training? What about us?”
“I bought us some extra time to conclude the training. As for us…if you desire, I will return the rose you gave me so your soul may be whole again. If so, I ask only that you give me mine back as well.”
There was a moments pause. The room was silent save for the ticking on the clock that had slowed down time. Kurama stepped closer to Leilani.
He said, “No, keep it. My soul is only complete with yours.”
Leilani turned to him with a forlorn smile. “I don’t want to make any promises that I don’t know can keep.”
“You’re always welcomed back here during your breaks.”
“I know. But they could always assign me a mission that last a human life-time. I don’t want you to waste your life for someone who won’t return.”
“It won’t be wasted,” Kurama assured, whipping a tear from Leilani’s face.
“Right,” she sniffled, “Now about your training. You know how the internal process goes. I’ve taught you how to think and feel during the transformation. With the time remaining, I will demonstrate the physical part. To get the most out of this, I will change very slowly so you can associate the mental process with the physical. I'll let you determine on your own when you feel ready to attempt it, just remember the first time will take the longest. As you get used to it, you will be able to think less about the details and decrease your time.”
Completing her last lecture, Leilani backed up to give herself room to transform into her angel form. It was much slower than when she changed at the tournament. Kurama intently noticed every move her body made. He was speechless when she was done, for he had forgotten how fair her true self was. Her face held a gentle smile of grace and she walked back towards him.
“Thank you for housing me,” said Leilani, “Your efforts will be rewarded.”
She held his head softly in her hands. She bent over a bit to kiss his forehead.
Kurama closed his eyes to cope with the feeling. The blood raced lightly through his body. His lungs were able to hold more air. His mind forgot about all other worries. He felt strong but could not move. He nearly fell over, but was able to keep his balance.
“Is this how Jin felt?” Kurama swooned, remembering Jin’s reaction to the same reward.
“It was worse for him, for he hadn’t had as much exposure to angels then as you have now.”
“My reward is great indeed! Might I repay your tender lips with a kiss from me?”
“An angel’s kiss is special. For me in this form to engage in that type of kiss is reserved for one other alone. And if he be not an angel too, I shall become fallen.”
“Then we truly could never be together,” Kurama hung his head in despair.
“Hope is not yet lost,” encouraged Leilani, raising his head and looking him in the eye, “You too one day may become an angel.”
“But how?”
“You’ve done well so far. Continue your good deeds. The Angels will come to you if they see you fit. If you ask them, they may find your actions to have ulterior motives. Helping Koenma and Yuske is very honorable. I could put a request in, but if they knew we liked each other, they would consider my word biased.”
“Would that take long?”
“Of that I know not. But time is short, carefully witness the process of returning to human form.”
Leilani again drew away from him and just as slowly as before, changed back into a human. Kurama was amazed at how well he was able to observe after the kiss. Every last detail was imprinted in his memory. Leilani bowed to him then passed him to leave the room. Kurama glanced at the clock she had brought.
“Hold on!” he exclaimed, grabbing her hand, “We still have five minutes to say goodbye.”
Leilani took a deep breath, then turned into his welcoming arms. They hugged each other as tight as they could. Leilani started to shake and cry silently. Kurama patted her back for a while then lead her face to look up at his his. He lovingly wiped the tear streams from her face.
“You know I will always love you,” he assured.
She pulled a side of her unbuttoned jacket open, revealing his rose that she earlier placed in the inside pocket. It had not yet bloomed, but still was evidently fuller and brighter than when she first received it, like the purple one she gave him, which sat in a vase on the table by his bed.
“I know,” she whispered.
Kurama caressed Leilani’s face and rested his hand to support her neck. She also returned to the embrace with her hand behind his neck. They pulled close together and their noses touched.
“I love you too,” Leilani uttered and they brought their lips together.
Both held their eyes shut to take in every last tingle and emotion that raced through their bodies. They squeezed each other tighter as if they could not get any closer, hands grasping their bodies like they never wanted to let go, holding on to each other with every fiber of their beings. Their long awaited kiss lasted until interrupted by an alarm, signifying time had returned to its normal pace. Leilani rested back on her feet.
“Goodbye,” said Leilani as she and Kurama let go of each other.
She picked up the clock.
“Can’t you run it for another minute?” Kurama begged.
“No, that wouldn’t be safe. We still age in the time it gives us, if used too often, that time adds up, causing a person to be older than the calendar allows. It is only to be used in emergencies!”
“Must we part so soon?”
“Be grateful for the time we spent together. Now I must leave and you need to go to school.”
Leilani walked to the door and looked back for the last time.
“Farewell, Kurama,” Leilani breathed.
“Goodbye, Leilani,” Kurama forlornly said.
He gave a slight wave as she shut the door behind her. He had hoped to catch one last glimpse of her as he departed for school, but he had no such luck.
At school, the results of the last test were posted on the wall. After the Dark Tournament and his training with Leilani, Kurama finally managed to score his name back at the top of his grade. This concerned him little, as his mind was preoccupied.
During a break, Kurama tried to read, but his mind wandered and his eyes kept drifting out the window. Some girls approached him and congratulated him on his achievement on the test. They wondered about studying with him sometime and he noticed an insect on one of their shoulders. He distracted them to retrieve it, then they giggled and left. This incident put a new worry on his mind.
After school he was with other guys practicing chemistry. They sprung an offer for him to be the science club president, which he had to decline. Then the guys pleaded, declaring all he could do for the club, including getting girlfriends.
Just then, Kuwabara bashed through the door, saving Kurama from the tight situation. Leaving his peers, he learned of the devastating news…Yuske had been kidnapped!
