Disclaimer: the original plotline Shea was stuck in for most of the story belongs to Death101- fox version. She came up with the idea, and we made it work. The only thing I own is Shea, Bruno and my plotline. Thanks for taking some time to read this. If you want to read about Tsukino's adventures in Shea's world, visit Deathfox's profile.
Mixed-up Breeds, Mixed-up Worlds
Okay… was I drinking last night or something, I mean, I'm too young to drink, but who knows? There is some kind of…. How do I describe it? A white light radiating around me. It felt kind of cold, and well if this is another sign of going into shock, I am going to beat Toko down extra hard when I get to him just for that. The bright light gets stronger, and then it all turns to darkness. I shoot up in bed, immediately regretting that when a sudden headache attacks my senses. Damn, what did I do last night? I remember Yusuke…. And an argument… that is all. I realized something at that second. My room was now purple, and the second bed where the masked fighter had slept was gone.
Well… I think these guys are pulling a trick on me, and it isn't as funny as they think. I pulled back the sheets and realized that these were not the clothes I went to sleep in. I got up and came face to face with a mirror. But this sure wasn't my face. Instead, brown eyes were staring back at me. I jumped back and took a closer inspection of myself. I had black hair, red ears flickering in thought and a red cat tail. Feeling my back, there were wings, just bat wings, not my wings. I looked around and noticed Yuki wasn't there either. This…..is….creepy…. I screamed when I tripped over something. Finally, some familiar sight as Boton rushed into the room. She knelt over next to me.
"Tsukino-chan! Are you okay?!" she asked with genuine concern. I registered that name. Tsukino…. My name is Shea…
"Boton, have you lost it? My name is Shea." I stated. She looked confused.
"Tsukino-chan… did you hit your head? ....you are acting so strangely." she said quietly. Why do I suddenly feel like this is something out of that Freaky Friday movie? She helped me up and walked over to the doorframe.
"Kurama!" She red-head quickly walked into the room. I stared over at him. He looked, much older, like maybe twenty-three years old.
"Are you okay Tsukino-san?" He questioned. I stared at him.
"Why is everyone convinced I am this Tsukino person, I mean, fighting in the dark tournament together, you think you'd know who I am, I mean, we have a match tomorrow and-"Kurama cut me off.
"Tsukino-chan… you weren't at the dark tournament, and it ended eight years ago." I gave him a wide eyed stare.
"What is wrong with her?" I heard Boton whisper. Kurama turned to her.
"It must be from last night, she should be okay soon." He replied. He turned back to me.
"Tsukino-chan, you should get ready for work." Kurama suggested. It's like talking to two bricks in an entire brick wall! I decided not to question it, and nodded. Once I was ready, Kurama drove me to my supposed "job" We pulled up at what looked like Keiko's restaurant.
"This is where I work?" I asked. Kurama shot me a confused look. He walked me over to the place, and upon getting inside, I was greeted by a few people.
"Hi Tsukino-chan!" They all said cheerfully. There are the other bricks in that wall… I looked around. There was Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, and Yukina. They all looked much older than I knew. Another thing I was confused by, is why they kept putting a "–chan after "my" name" Was it necessary? I sighed.
"Hello" I responded. Yusuke came over to me.
"Way to be cheerful Kitty-bat" he said sarcastically. Keiko looked over to me.
"Are you ready to cook Tsukino-chan?" Keiko asked. I gave a small nod; I knew somehow, I was going to mess this up. The older Kurama led me to the kitchen. I stared at everything in confusion, wondering what happened to all my friends.
"What's wrong, Tsukino-san is something the matter?" He asked.
"If I told you I wasn't Tsukino, would you believe me? Really, I can say I'm not" I said softly.
"Then can you tell me who you are?" Kurama asked.
"My real name is Shea; I'm a part fox, part eagle demon." I explained. He thought this through.
"I've never heard of an eagle demon." He said. I shook my head.
"It's not likely you have, really, I don't know why I'm here. Before I went to sleep, I was fighting with you guys…well when you were younger anyway, in the dark tournament." I continued. He then spoke.
"Ah, that would explain why you thought you were in the tournament, do you think it is a rift between your world and ours? "He asked. I shrugged, not knowing all too well myself.
"Well, just for today, try to act like Tsukino-Chan so you don't confuse the others" He said. I gave another nod, agreeing. I then turned to the stove.
"Shea-san, do you know how to cook?" He asked.
"Well, I do, but the Yusuke in my world says the best thing I can make is curry rice" I said nervously.
"Would you like me to stay and help you cook?" He asked. I gave a small shake of my head in response, feeling embarrassed that I really had no idea how to cook, other than my curry rice.
I jumped when I heard Yusuke.
"Hey, here's an order" He said. Kurama nodded and looked at me.
"Go get a pan" He said, scanning the recipe with his emerald eyes. I took off, searching in the cabinet of clattering pots and pans, and finding a nice silver pan. We took noodles, and tuna fish or something, and fried it with butter, Kurama flipped it, and instead of back in the pan, it ended up on my head. I blinked and stared at him.
"Sorry" He said gently.
"Way to go Betty Crocker!" I joked. He looked confused.
"Who is that?" He asked.
"I don't know, apparently, some chick in America who likes to cook" I answered. I was later carrying flour, and was startled by the cry of a baby. In minutes, the bag split open, and my face, and Kurama's, was covered in a veil of flour. We both coughed. I smiled and took a few steps out of the kitchen; to avoid the fact Kurama was giving me a look. Yusuke was walking by, and stopped to stare at me.
"Um… Tsukino-chan?" He questioned.
"What was that cry?" I asked.
"It was Rei." He answered. I shot him a confused glance.
"Who?" I tried to make sense of this…not working. Kurama came out and interjected.
"She's still a little out of it Yusuke" He lied, having no other real excuse.
"Rei is their baby, remember Tsukino-chan?" Kurama said slowly. I nodded.
"Oh, yeah, sorry Yusuke-san" I bowed and stepped back.
"Well, Boton and Keiko want to take you somewhere or something, so get ready okay?" He asked.
I looked at the clock to see it was closing time. I went back to the apartment to go and get ready to go with the two girls, but I sat down on the bed, and I suddenly felt sleepy, the white light shone again, and I felt cold. Suddenly, there was nothing. I wasn't cold, wasn't too hot either, and there was no light. There was, however, another girl there, well actually, a woman, I guessed twenty-three. She had long black hair and brown eyes; with red cat ears, red bat wings, and a tail to match. She looked a lot like how I just did. I pulled on a strand of my hair to find it was purple again! I was me! I noticed her flip. I turned and faced her.
"Okay, so tell me I'm not the only one who was just thrown into a weird time loop" I said.. She turned to me. She then nodded. "I'm assuming you are Shea-san? I'm Tsukino."
"Oh, so you're Tsukino! And does everyone in your world, like to call people, san and chan? I was there for a day..." I responded. She paused in thought for a moment.
"I don't know if everyone does it, but I do. Guess I was just taught to treat everyone around me with even more respect than usual because I'm a mixed-breed. Part bat and cat. What kind of demon were you though?" I didn't even need to take the time to think.
"Mixed-breed as well, part eagle, part fox. My friend Temmaro calls me a weirdo, but, you know, what are you going to do, nice to know there are a lot more out there" I answered, changing into my mixed form and showing her what I meant. She nodded slowly.
"So how did you make out in my world? Any major problems I'll have to know about when I get back? Did Botan try to take you shopping?" I shook my head.
"Well I cooked, and ended up ripping a bag of flour, and Kurama flipped a tuna pancake onto my head… but compared to fearing for your life everyday in a tournament, it was fun!" I chuckled. Tsukino sighed.
"Of course, the only time I'm not there, he chooses to act human and mess up. Typical." My ears flickered.
"Hard to believe you two have a problem, he seems to like you a lot, and he seems to care a lot for you" I said, wondering what the problem could be. She glared down at where the floor should have been. "Shea-san, believe me. The only reason Kurama-san cares about me is because of the mission he is on. He was probably just pretending so that you would tell me that. He was probably hoping that I would trust him more and answer his stupid questions." I frowned at her response.
"Tsukino, I know you seem to think that, and I'm not so good with relationships, counting my brother hates my guts, but what I saw, was genuine concern in him when I started acting strange, trust me, I can smell things like worry, fear, or anger." I tried to assure her. She sighed again.
"Shea-san, believe me. If he was showing concern it was only because of the mission. He is one of those men who can't take failure and if I go insane or die, his mission is failed." I growled slightly in annoyance, I bet she could pick it up with her cat hearing, but it was like trying to argue with Zella.
"But my Kurama, the one in my world, and the one in your world, are nearly the same person, and sure, he doesn't like to fail, but when he has to protect something he cares about, he'll abandon any mission, it's teenage logic" I reasoned. Tsukino sighed.
"I'm not sure how you missed this, but Kurama-san isn't a teenager and hasn't been since he was Yoko Kurama if I'm not mistaken." I stared in confusion.
"Well, that's my logic anyway, and I think you're the one missing something here" I said, unsure of my own confidence in myself at that point. She crossed her arms.
"And what am I missing?" She asked. I blinked.
"Listen, I may just be speaking for the Kurama in my world, but he's not one to be sneaky and underhanded like that Tsukino, and from what I heard from Boton, you seem to like him a lot "I pointed out, smirking as I remembered that Boton had cornered me about it earlier that day when I was Tsukino. She was visibly becoming angry.
"Just because your Kurama is nice, does not mean that the one in my world is. And my feelings have nothing to do with how he acts. My liking him does not liking him does not mean that I'm going to pretend to be blind to his tricks." I smirked once again.
"So you do like him?" I questioned smartly. A blush suddenly found its way onto her face.
"I find him attractive," She replied carefully. Guess it never does hurt to be careful.
"Right, finding him attractive is just another way of saying it there kitty" I said to her. She glared at me again.
"Finding him attractive and actually loving him are two different things. Especially if you find yourself cursed so that every spring you have to hide away or else you'll end up mated to some random demon you don't even know!" She snapped.
"Whoa, mercy on a poor fox, and I know, hormones are a funny thing, the season I have to be careful with is summer" I said casually, I could tell to which extent I had pissed her off. She fell silent.
"Yeah, I have that effect on others; anger goes through me like water through a net, unless you count all the times my demon father yelled at me for Yoko…" I hummed. She looked confused.
"What about Yoko?" she asked, curiosity taking over her anger.
"Well, I had this relationship with a demon named Yoko, and he had tricked me into going with him, the bastard that he was, and at first I hated him. Next thing you know, I'm his mate, but you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat" I winked, pulling down my collar and revealing the mark.
She looked confused. She then shrugged.
"Good for you" was her response. I noticed a mark on her neck, but she already looked flustered, and I decided not to ask. Then again, let's make this a case of curiosity killed the fox.
"And who gave you that mark? Kurama?" I asked, I could easily tell I was heading into dangerous water. She growled.
"No. I don't remember how I got this mark, but it wasn't because of him, or any other demon marking me as his mate," she replied savagely.
"And why did you think he would be the one to mark me? I already told you that he doesn't like me like that." I frowned.
"Well it looks like he's jealous or something, because he stares at it a whole lot, must have been like ten times." I said. She laughed bitterly.
"He probably thought the same thing as you and is just wondering who my 'mate' is. He isn't jealous, just thinking. I don't know about your Kurama, but my world's version isn't very subtle." I pulled my ears back. Suddenly, I felt angry
"Well I don't think so Tsukino, I really do think he likes you! I noticed all the signs, and you're denying it all. You're not giving him too much of a chance here, your being blind! I know that's not what you think, you seem to smart, so the main thing is, you're being immature!" I shouted, losing track of my actions. She thought for a moment.
"Shea-san, I may not know anything about your life, but it is clear that you are a believer in true-love. Let's say that you are Kurama's soul mate. Now where does that leave us? That means that there is some version of you wandering around my world looking for Kurama. Does it really seem fair for me to come into that and ruin that relationship with one that will probably only be a one-night stand?" I fell quiet and thought.
"I was never a believer in true love, and I have always known that there are lines to cross. Tsukino don't take me for some kind of girl who believes in princes, because I don't. But I'm useful enough to spot a good thing when there is one…" I said quietly, looking away.
"But do you still want me to walk into something that could destroy a better relationship for the people close to me?" I paused and say before she can answer, "Shea-san, believe me. I know what I'm doing. Sooner or later, I'm going to screw up majorly and everyone close to me is going to get hurt because of me. Because of that, it will be better if everyone keeps their distance so that they can move on. Once I'm gone, Kurama-san will probably find my world's version of you and be happy."I could smell pain on her. To hide it, she turned to me and tried to appear tough.
"So I'll ask you again, do you really want me to come in and ruin the plan Fate has for him?" I shot her a glance. I scoffed
"If your world's version of me is still looking for him, then I'm more desperate than I thought. Do you notice how slim the chances are there even is a version of me in your world? They don't even register the name Shea, do you think they know? If Kurama does know that name, and he likes you, then good, he moved on, and If I can't take that in the future, than I am pathetic, you need to see Tsukino, you aren't going to ruin anything. Chances are, you are that version of me." I replied softly.. It took her a few seconds but finally she replied,
"Shea-san, if I'm my world's version of you, then Kurama-san is going to have a lot of heartbreak. I'm a mixed breed of the worse kind and fated for pain. If I really am supposed to be with him, it is for the better that I'm not." she looked down at the ground, her hair covering her eyes. "You can all me an idiot and say that I don't love him. That I'm blind to my own wants, but the truth is, you are the one who is blinded. The last thing I want to cause anyone is pain. By remaining where I am, that is all I'm going to cause." I finally gave up.
"Fine Tsukino, you believe what you want, but I know the group you are dealing with, and they know what kind of pain someone is going to bring the minute they see them, and if they took you in, obviously, they were ready to handle it." I raised my wings and let the rainbows shards fly out, followed by a dark shot attack. It collided, ripping the nothingness like I had hoped and opening two portals.
"Go on, step through it, just try to keep what I said in mind, not all half breeds are destined for pain, and you certainly aren't" She sighed and seemed to try and think of something to say. Finally she nodded.
"You may be right about half breeds but let's remember I'm a mixed breed, and unlike you, I'm not part fox." She seemed to hesitate to leave, and then spoke:
"But I want to thank you, Shea-san. You managed to talk some sense into a stubborn cat demon. That alone is an amazing thing so I feel I should listen to your advice. If you would like, I'll give Kurama-san a chance." She gave me a look.
"Happy?" she asked. I decided not to take this any further and responded with a small smile:
"As a clam"
She reached out her hand in the human gesture and shook my hand. "It was nice meeting you," she said before she suddenly seemed to remember something. "Oh! And only your brother, Botan, and your Kurama know that we switched." I nodded.
"Only one in your world is Kurama." I responded. I took one last look at Tsukino before stepping into the portal.
I felt a slight shaking. I rubbed my eyes and found myself staring into concerned emerald ones.
"Shea, are you okay? You were muttering in your sleep" He said. I looked over to see Yusuke and Kuwabara staring at me as well. I sat up.
"Yusuke, did you do something with Keiko?" I asked suggestively.
"No, did you do anything with Kurama?" he retorted. MY face flushed and I shrugged it off.
"Sure, play it cold Yusuke" I sighed. I looked over to Kurama.
"No one named Tsukino was here, was she?" I asked. Kurama gave a nod.
"No, you said you were tired, you went to bed, and we heard you shouting, so we came in." He responded. Yusuke and Kuwabara were still snickering about Yusuke's earlier retort.
Note to self: Give Tsukino props for dealing with the older versions of these two.