(I do not own YYH.)
YuYu Hakusho is just a story, it doesn't exist
The plot and characters were just something that Yoshihiro Togashi made up.
That's probably what you'd say if I were to tell you that this story isn't fake. And trust me, many people would probably agree with you. But let me share a little secret...It does exist.
Really! Ha, you're just jerking my chain! I'm gonna write you a nasty review, click the back button, and read something with more action!
That is what you're probably thinking at this very moment. I don't blame you, If I were in your shoes and trying to find something with a lot of Kuwabara bashing, Youko enticement, and Yusuke beatings. This story wouldn't even catch me by the second line!
But…
For those of you who have made it this far and haven't given me that horrible and infamous review. I'm going to tell you a story—that is the reason why you clicked on my link right?
Well, anyway.
This story is about a girl, a girl who thought the same things as you at the beginning of this chapter. But, as you can guess, her views were changed, partly by force and partly by good (or bad, in some opinions) luck.
Now before we begin, I'm going to give you a brief description of the girl, so please bare with me.
Name: Jennifer Fisher (Jen)
Age: 17
Height: 5'0
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Black
Likes: Art, music, and Kurama (Both forms)
Dislikes: To be called by her first name, spiders, and blood
Special abilities: Reading Tarot cards
Bio: Jen is a short young woman who doesn't have a lot of confidence in herself. She knows she's not ugly, but then again, she's not exactly going to be winning some beauty pageants any time soon. Jen is a strong believer in magic and has once seen a ghost, or so she thinks.
Now, with out further ado, I give you the story…
Chapter one: Jen, the Fool
Our story doesn't begin with a dramatic fight seen or a bash at Kuwabara. No, our story begins at night in a small trailer park in the rural area of Oakland. In this trailer park, there is a Mobil home. It used to be blue with white trim…but the heat in summer demanded a change in color, so now the trailer home is an eggshell white with light blue trim.
Inside this repainted house there is a bedroom. This bedroom could be confused with a shrine, a shrine to YuYu Hakusho. The Reiki tenti's likeness and faces were pasted all over the walls and their action figures adorned every open and flat surface. Inside this Hakusho embellished bedroom sits our unknowing heroin.
Jen.
When you first see her sitting on the bed in her nightgown, you'll note that there is nothing really special about her. Just you're average plane Jane, anime freak (preferred to be called otaku) with glasses, kind of girl. This otaku sits on her pink, teal, and purple patchwork comforter reading tarot cards.
With a slightly chewed on hand, she reaches down and flips over the final card from her reading. The ten of wands in the upright position.
With a bit of confusion, she reads the inscription associated with that card.
Heavy duties, a stressful hardworking life. Burdens may be shouldered on behalf of others. Difficult tasks to complete; however you will successfully complete your work, even though the price in terms of health and anxiety may be high. Perhaps some obligations have to go.
Jen wrinkled her brow and glanced over her cards again. She had picked a simple reading to do for herself, the cross spread. She just wanted to see if her future held any excitement. But her reading didn't make sense. It foretold of danger, mysteries and death. As you can guess, this wasn't the reading a looser from Oakland usually got. Carefully, she touched her cards and tried to read them again, maybe she had missed something.
Due to past readings, Jen knew that she was often represented by the fool. The fool was the carefree walker and the card of innocence and the simple joys of living. Also, he was the spirit of chaos and the unexpected. But, more often then not, he just represented freedom.
That card was right, but…the others, they were weird.
Jen huffed slightly and cleared the cards away. It figured that she would get a strange reading. Just when she thought she was getting the hang of the cards, they pulled something like this. Perhaps they just wanted to keep her on her toes, or she just wasn't cut out to be a tarot reader.
Sighing, Jen put her cards away and cast her gaze about the room. Her sight was met by the happy, stern, sad and laughing faces of the YuYu crew (as she liked to call them).
She smiled slightly and studied her favorite poster. It was an almost life size picture of the boys, they were all laughing (save Hiei) and looked as if they could see her. Kurama stood in the foreground and extended his hand towards the real world, like he was reaching out to take the viewer inside. The rest laughed and beckoned you to take Kurama's hand with their eyes, as if to say: Come on! Hurry up, we're having so much fun in here!
Jen smiled happily and extended her hand out to the poster, like she tended to do some times. Carefully, she shifted her weight on the bed and got on her knees so she could be eye level with Kurama. He just smiled there, inked in eyes shining; Half pixel shading, the other due to the light on her ceiling. His expression never changed (she knew it wouldn't, but kind of hoped it would).
Jen knew she was being silly, sitting there on her knees studying the poster. But she couldn't help it. They wanted her to be in there with them…and she wanted to be in there too. If only she could—
"Well, well, well, look who's making out with her poster, again!" Came the all too familiar, sing-song voice of her little sister.
Jen froze, eyes widening. She had forgot to shut the door! O Koenma above, she had forgot to shut the door! With painstaking slowness, Jen turned to look Alex in the eyes.
Her little sister stood there, dyed crimson hair pulled back under a dark bandana. She crossed her arms over a black bunny shirt, the kind that said 'cute but psycho' under it. She was laughing slightly, eyes glittering past gothic makeup.
"Dude, you should see your face," She taunted, slightly in disgust. "You are so pathetic. I can't even believe you're my sister."
Jen looked down, caught semi red handed. This exchange of harsh words always happened between them, she didn't know why. They used to be the best of friends, then something happened. Alex started to dress in black and dye her hair. She hung out with friends until very late and began to taunt her whenever she could get the chance. Jen just didn't get it, maybe it was because Alex was 13 and struggling to fit in.
"What? Just gonna stair at me, why don't you go back to frenching what's-his-face?" Alex demanded.
Or not.
Jen's cheeks began to burn in range and embarrassment. "W-Why don't you just shut up?" She shot back, though not as good as her sister.
"Ooh, good comeback!" Alex scoffed as she leaned against her door jamb and inspected black painted nails. "Why don't you make me…fuck-face?"
Jen's cheeks burned all the more as her anger took over. Fuck-face? How dare she call me that!
Before Jen knew what she was doing, she had crossed her room in four giant strides and struck her sister across her gothic painted face. Hard enough to send the taller (yes taller) sibling into the hall way and onto her chain loving butt.
Jen stood there huffing, towering now over her younger sister, feeling sweet adrenaline pump through her veins.
---
Alex sat there blinking, her sister had just hit her. Fucking hit her! That stupid little bitch. Alex slowly and deliberately pulled herself to her feet, she did this because she wanted to scare Jen. Alex knew that she out muscled her by about 20 lbs. She knew that…and so did Jen.
"Oh, your gonna get it now Jenny-wenny," Alex taunted, using her sister's hated nickname.
She watched in satisfaction as Jennifer paled and took a step backwards, eyes becoming wide. Alex took a step forward and punched a fist into her awaiting hand, hinting at what would be happening to her beloved sister in a few moments.
---
Jennifer took another step back and weighed her options. Her sister was stronger, pissed and ready for blood. Their parents weren't home right now, so no help from them. She could try to fight back, but then she would just get into more trouble. Her parents would blame her for landing the first hit; would say that she deserved it for not keeping her hands to herself. Or, she could just let Alex beat her till she was done.
God, why did she always get the crappy choices?
Jen felt the bed pressed against the backs of her knees, no more space to run.
With grim intuition, Jen knew what was going to happen next. Alex was going to push her back onto the bed, pin her down and give her the thrashing of her life.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice whispered "funny how it's the
little sister doing the beating, isn't that supposed to be your job?"
Alex took a menacing step forward.
"Great all we need now is the cheesy music! May I suggest the Jaws theme?" The little voice hissed sarcastically as Jen was shoved, none too gently, onto the bed.
"Now your gonna get it!" Alex sneered through clenched teeth.
"Ooh, she's getting a bruise! At least she'll have that to remember you by after she kills you!" That same little annoying voice chirped triumphantly.
Jen closed her eyes.
"Yes, that's right. Close your eyes and maybe she'll go away. But let's not and say you did, shall we? You want to live to see tomorrow? If you do, I have a proposition for you. I'll tell you how to get out of this mess, and you'll fix a little…problem that I have. Agreed?"
Time seemed to slow as Jen made up her mind. That voice had a pretty good idea for her, don't get killed.All it needed was a little favor in return. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"Okay." Jen whispered mentally.
"Excellent! Now listen to me and do exactly as I say. Just when Alex is about to hit you Jennifer, you are going to shove her hard in the chest, grab your cards and run into the woods. I'll meet you there…"
With the conversation over, Jen's eyes snapped open in time to see her sister grin sadistically. Time still seemed to be slowly passing by, as if it wanted to make sure that this was really happening.
Our unknowing hero watched as Alex raised her fist and then began to lower it in the direction of her gut, planing to knock the wind out of her…when Alex is about to hit you Jennifer, you are going to shove her hard in the chest….
In that slow motion world, Jen shoved her hands up and under Alex's arms. She propelled herself forward, pressing her weight into the push. Time seemed to grow faster as she executed the blow.
Alex's eyes widened in shock as she felt her bodyweight tip backward, overbalance and fall hard into Jen's dresser. Above her, Jen's collection of assorted YuYu Hakusho figurines trembled before they cascaded down the desk and onto her in a multicolored waterfall.
Faster then Jen had ever moved before in her life, she scooped up her cards and ran from her room, through the once blue—now white panted house and into the night.
---
Tip, tup, tip, tup!
Jen ran on and on down the paved road, not knowing exactly where her bare feet were taking her. All she cared about was getting away from her sister and the pain that would follow if she ever caught up. Jen grimaced and shut her eyes. It would be best not to think about it.
It would be best…not to think…
…of anything at all…
… just…
…run.
---
Why aren't I tired? Jen wondered, finally pulling out of the trance that she had been in for what seemed like an eternity. Time seemed to have held a different meaning then, because she wasn't sure if it had been hours or only a few minuets ago that she had left the paved road and turned instead onto a path that led through the forest.
Where am I? Why am I wondering through the woods anyway? Where was I going?
As her mind reeled, Jen's pace slowed to a sluggish walk…then to nothing at all. It seemed that her all-knowing-feet had led her to a forest clearing god only knew where.
Tall evergreens and other types of leafy trees bordered the clearing so thickly, that it was almost impenetrable (save for the way that she had come in of course). But, for how thickly the trees lay outside, inside it was the opposite. Instead of thick leafy trees, soft grass grew in abundance as well as a vast variety of wild flowers. Making this little hollow seem like a private paradise.
Jen tilted her head back catching a glimpse of the sky through the tall trees. It was lighter now; tinged with orange, pink and blue.
Its morning…I've been running all night.
Slowly Jen lowered her head and cast her sight about the clearing again. In the distance, she could make out a rather large and elegant tent with guards standing out in front of the entrance. How she could have missed it before was a mystery to her. But there it was, plane as day.
"come…" A voice whispered, one that she thought she knew.
Jen blinked in confusion. This seemed like a dream, it had to be.
"come…" The voice beckoned again, though a bit more commanding in tone.
With a small sigh, Jen trudged through the soft grass and wildflowers towards the elegant, deerskin colored tent.
---
It didn't take her long to reach the embellished entrance. Whatever guards had been there when she had first seen the tent, were now long gone. Probably off taking a coffee brake.
Jen smiled at the thought. Even the actors in her dreams went on break. It kind of made her wonder what they were doing. She could picture them off-set drinking beer and laughing.
Guard one: "Hey Joe! How's the wife and kids?"
Guard two: "Ugh…The kids are drivin' me crazy ya know? Daddy I want this! We want that! Blah, Blah, Blah"
Guard one: "Man I hear ya there…"
Hm…not as funny to her as it had been a few moments ago. Which reminded her, what was she supposed to do now? Knock on the flap and say: "Hello? Can I come into your tent please?"
"You could if you wanted, but just walking in would be sufficient." The voice whispered playfully.
Jennifer jumped as the flap was pulled open for her, revealing the gloomy and incense filled interior.
"Come in." A voice whispered.
Before Jen had a chance to decide if she really wanted to go in or not, her feet made the decision for her; moving her body inside to sit before a large and impressive figure that her eyes couldn't properly make out through the gloom and haze of incense.
"Hello Jennifer, I'm glad to see that you were brave enough to meet me here." The owner of the voice whispered. It was much more impressive the little version she had been hearing inside her head.
"Ya." Jen agreed, as she forced her eyes to adjust. A stray wisp of incense blew her way, forcing her eyes to water and throat to tighten in its sweetness. She coughed lightly and turned away from him.
Her host chuckled and settled back further into an immense nest of pillows and expensive silks. "Forgive me, I must admit. This incense is a bit potent." There was a hissing noise as something hot was doused in water.
Jen looked over her shoulder in time to see a scantly clad woman dousing out an incense stick. She looked away quickly, shocked at exactly how much skin the woman was showing off.
"I-Its alright." Jen murmured, not wanting to offend.
Her host chuckled again and extended an arm out to the woman, who took his hand and joined him on the nest of pillows, purring in pleasure.
With the smoke clearing and Jen's eyes becoming a little more useful in the gloom. She could finally make out her host and his lady friend.
The lady had brown hair piled up in a loose yet very attractive style. Jewels and other such ornaments dangled and jingled about her head like little bells. She would reach up every so often and touch the bobbles, as if to be sure that they were still nestled in her golden-brown tresses. Below that perfect hair lay a baby face with the perfection of a china doll. Every feature about her was perfect, from her full blood red lips, to her cool chocolate colored eyes. She stared at Jen as if studying her worth. With a small sniff, she coquettishly looked away. As if deciding that Jen was a weed compared to her beauty.
Her outfit was a soft rose pink that barely had enough material to cover her large and slightly heaving bosom. This outfit almost reminded Jen of what Princess Laya had wore when she was the prisoner of Jaba the hut(I don't own that), only a little bit sluttier (if that was even possible).
The man, other hand, had long, composed yet attractive face; like one that would belong to an aristocrat. But, unlike an aristocrat his head was donned with wild, yet surprisingly neat white or silver hair (She couldn't be sure just yet). His hair seemed to move in its own little breeze that didn't ruffle his soft tunic or the young lady next to him.
As her eyes wandered back to his face. She noticed that he had two furry and pointed ears—like a cats, but more triangular in shape. Quickly, her gaze flipped back to the lady. She had them too…but it was a little hard to see them past her oriental hair style.
Suddenly, it donned on her that those were fox ears, like what Youko Kurama had. Instantly her eyes darted to find their tails, which didn't take her long to find. The lady had two tucked delicately behind her, twitching softly. Her host had more! Five…no seven…wait! NINE! He had nine tails behind him, each moving lazily of what seemed to be there own accord. Instantly her eyes were back to his, studying the color. Like Youko, he had golden eyes. Was it him? Could it really be Youko Kurama?
"Y-Youko?" She choked, not completely sure if this was the same Kitsune.
The creature laughed and shook his head.
"No child, I mearly fashioned him after myself."
"Oh." Jen said bewildered. "Then who are you?"
The man and woman looked at each other in shock for a moment, before both began to laugh. A bubbling and happy sort of sound that seemed to wrap her up in a strange yet pleasant sensation. Jen shivered slightly and hoped that it went unnoticed by he-who-was-not-Youko.
The white/silver kitsune slowly stopped laughing, followed instantly by his mistress.
"Do you really have no idea who I am Jennifer?"
Jennifer pursed her lips and looked away, like a small child being scolded. Because, right now…that's what she felt like.
"You've talked to me before, but I don't know you." She whispered.
"Hmm." The fox murmured inaudibly before gently slapping his lady on the butt. "I think I need to speak with her alone, my sweet. I'll call you when I'm finished."
"But master." The vixen pouted.
"No, out! I'll call you in a while." He repeated, only a bit sterner.
"If you insist." She sighed cutely and exited the tent, backside swaying seductively.
Both Jen and her host watched the vixen leave.
"She has a nice ass, doesn't she?" The fox asked, more to himself then his guest.
"Umm…" Jen asked and cast a sideways glance to her host. "I guess, if you like that kind of thing. But I don't swing that way, so I couldn't tell you."
"Huh…what a pity."
Noticing that her host was getting a bit distracted, Jen decided to strike up the previous conversation again. "So…if you're not Youko. Who the hell are you?"
"Oh…you're still here? Please forgive me." He started, then cleared his throat. "My name is Inari. Patron god of foxes, sex, thieves and the like."
"SEX?" She squeaked like a perverted parrot.
The god inclined his head. "Yes, among other things. But that is beside the point, let's get down to business shall we."
"Uh…sure." Jen agreed.
The god ran a hand through his hair, taking a few moments to choose and arrange his words. "Jennifer—" He started, but was quickly interrupted by the human.
"Its Jen." She corrected. "Just Jen."
"Of course, Jen. Now, I'm going to tell you this in a manner you should be
able to understand with as little questions as possible. So, please don't interrupt until I am finished." The god took a breath. "Jen, The Reiki tentai does exist and they need your help. They have all be imprisoned in a demonic castle. I need you to get in there, kill the demon leader, and free the tentai A.S.A.P. Any questions?" He asked without pausing. "No? Good, off you go!"
Jen sat there stunned for a few minuets. "WOAH!"
"Hmm?" The god asked. "You have a question?"
"Damn straight I do!" Jen shouted.
"Is there something you don't understand? I thought I explained it perfectly well." The god said as he ran his hand through his hair again.
"YOU JUST TOLD ME THAT YUSUKE, KURAMA, HIEI, AND KUWABARA ARE IN FACT ALIVE AND KICKING." Jen shrieked.
"Well that does seem to be the case, doesn't it?" The god demanded, unreeled by Jen's furry.
"BUT HOW CAN THAT BE? THIS IS SO FU—" Jen cried in shock until the god placed a long clawed hand over her mouth.
"I think I've suffered your shrieking quite long enough. To think that I just confirmed your wildest dreams, and this is how you repay me! Humph!" He pouted.
Jen pushed his hand away and moaned. "Dear god what am I supposed to do?"
"Ha! I've already told you." Inari chirped pleasantly.
Jen sighed in defeat.
"Besides, you owe me. Remember?" He coaxed.
"Owe you?" Jen demanded flatly. I don't owe him anything.
"Oh…how we forget so soon. With your sister, I told you how to get out. You agreed to my terms. Remember?"
"Oh god!" Jen wailed and buried her head in her hands.
"You called?" Inari demanded sweetly.
"I owe a sex god a favor!"
"Oh come now, its not like I'm going to be asking that type of favor from you. And why is it that SEX is the only of my attributes that you seem to recall…I did mention that I was a god of thievery!" He shot.
"This is so bad! I should have just let my sister beat me!"
"Maybe you should have." The god agreed, a little bit of the pleasantness slipping from his voice. "But you didn't. You made an agreement with a god and this is the price you will pay. If you don't everything you know will cease to exist. Including me."
Jen looked at him from between her fingers, debating if that were really true.
"We don't have time to just sit here and do nothing. The longer we wait, the more likely the tentai will be dead and our—not to mention your—world will end as we know it." He concluded, pretending not to notice her look.
Our hero groaned before submitting to him. "What do I have to do again?"
"Excellent." The god beamed before reminding the human of her duty. "Your job is to infiltrate the castle, kill the one my arch enemy is manipulating—his name is Skilt by the way—and free the YuYu crew. Hmm…what a lovely nickname you have for them."
"That's all?" Jen asked.
"That's all." Inari confirmed.
"Oh, okay. And uh…just how were you planning on me doing this?" Jen demanded.
"Well, it definitely won't be with your winning personality and your good looks, now will it." He huffed before adding. "Incase you have forgotten, I am a god and will properly outfit you with all that you need."
"That's cool." Jen said, then more thoughtfully. "Who is your arch enemy?"
"Now you're getting into the spirit." The god narrated approvingly. "You have heard of Enma-dou haven't you? Almost everyone who watches YuYu Hakusho has."
Inari had barley finished his sentence before Jen started to spew out facts about Enma-dou. he let her ramble for a couple of moments before he tuned back into what she was saying.
"…but, why would he be the bad guy?" She asked confused.
The god scoffed. "To make a long story short I'll spell it out for you. Enma-dou has long coveted human world and has wished for it to be under his sway. Fortunately for us, he has never had the power to fully attempt at a take-over. So he hasn't been a problem. But now, he has somehow wormed his way into the underworld and found himself a demon prince to mooch off of. This prince, along with his legions of demons, gave Enma-dou the strength to push back the barriers of both human and spirit world alike. By now Enma is well into his final plans. All he needs is to get prince Skilt to give the final command to overrun the human world and claim it in his name. But before he does this, I'm sending you in to kill Skilt and disband the army of demons before his plans can bare fruit."
Both god and girl sat silently for a moment.
"Okay…but what can I do?" Jen wondered aloud. "I'm just a kid. I can't even drive a car and you want me to save everything?"
"Your seventeen, that hardly counts you as a child. Besides, I need you." Inari insisted.
Jen sighed and closed her eyes. "Alright. Alright, I'll do it."
"Good, we'll start with the easy things first. To begin with, your makeover!" The god beamed
Jen blanched and nearly fell over. "M-Make over? I hardly think this is a time to worry about my looks!"
Inari rolled his eyes and huffed. "Any time is a good time to think about your looks! If you were to show up at Skilt's door looking like that, he'd never even give you a second glance. Men have these things called eyes, and they do use them!"
"Are you saying I'm ugly!"
"Only if you take it that way my dear, now…let's start with your cloths." Inari mused and stood, towering over the girl who was only half his height.
"With your coloration, I would say something in a yellow or a blue."
The god flicked his wrist and Jen felt a rapid tugging motion on her cloths. Suddenly, she stood before him wearing a skirt and shirt similar to his wonton vixen's. But instead of the beautiful pink, it was half smoky blue and half sunshine yellow cut evenly down the middle.
Jen gasped and tried to cover herself with her arms.
The god sniffed. "Ugh, neither color. Hmm…lets try something like this."
With another flick of his wrist she was wearing a tight black dress that scarcely had enough material left over the top of the silver bodice to cover her bust.
Our hero shrieked like a little girl and her hands flew up instantly, trying to cover the new exposed flesh. Jen was so flustered with the lack of cloth on the top that she was completely oblivious to the fact that the slits on the dress were so high that her backside threatened to be seen if she so much as moved another inch.
"That's better." Inari mused, "But black…no too dark. Perhaps a lovely green."
As soon as the color was out of his mouth the color changed. Inari cocked his head to the side. "Hmm…no."
"M-my mother says I look good in pink." Jen offered.
"Pink…too innocent, we don't want that. Oh! I know, a red. Yes, it will balance out your hair and your eyes perfectly!"
The god snapped his fingers and the color changed instantly. This time Jen stood in the same dress, only now it was the dark crimson of demon's blood.
"Just as I thought." The god beamed excitedly. "Perfect. Now for the bodice, I think a mother of pearl would do nicely."
Jen could only nod her head in agreement. What was the use of complaining, he didn't seem to want to listen anymore.
"And for the shoes…I think a nice pair of stilettos." He mused.
"Do you want me to brake my neck?" Jen muttered.
Inari slapped his forehead. "You can't walk in heels?"
"Is that a bad thing?" Jen asked going onto the defensive. It wasn't her fault her mother never let her buy stilettos, let alone high heels.
"No, but it completely ruins the effect. Oh well, barefoot is just a good. Besides…in a few moments you won't need shoes anyway." The god said lightly.
"Um…why?" Jen asked, not liking his tone.
"Come here Jen-ni-fer!" The god called in an all to happy sing-song voice.
I'm so not going to like this Jen thought as she gingerly approached the god.
"Now for the hard part. Changing your species." The god whispered and chuckled.
"Say what?" Jen barley got this out before the god placed her in a lip-locking kiss. Somehow she managed to push him off before he got to do anything.
"Oh for the love of…well…ME!" Inari scolded miffed. "Would you kindly hold still and stop fighting me at every turn!"
"Well if you weren't trying to kiss me maybe I'd hold still!" Jen screeched while turning a slight shade of pink. "There is no way my first kiss is going to be wasted on an old pervert like you!"
The god took a deep breath, profoundly wounded by her words.
"Do you know what will happen if I just send you there in your human form?" Inari asked casually, as if she hadn't spoken. "The air in demon world is so corrosive that humans, like yourself, shrivel up at just the faintest whiff. And if, by some miracle, you did happen to survive your first breaths; you would be picked off by some demon or another because you were unable to defend yourself. Would you like this to happen? No, I think not. So let me continue unhindered."
Jen sat there for a moment before she heaved a sigh of submission. There was no way she could win this argument. Inari had her were he wanted.
"Alright…alright…" Jen muttered and put her hands up, palms facing forward in the universal sign of 'don't shoot I'm helpless'. "Go ahead."
"I thought you'd see it my way." Inari mused before he placed his lips across her mouth once again.
The thought of actually giving her a real first kiss crossed his mind for a moment, but it faded away as quickly as it had come. Instead he reached into his limitless power supply and withdrew a generous amount of demon youki. While he did this, Inari gently supported the child's head with his hand. Earning a timid gasp from the mortal—exactly what he needed.
When lips parted, instead of the air she had wanted; Jen received a burning blast of youki in its place. The girl choked and struggled against the hot burning power that spread like wildfire and scorched the delicate tissues of her human body.
Inari cradled the changing child as she struggled. If his lips broke contact before the change was completed, she would die; and then where would he be?
In his arms Jen struggled like a mad woman. It felt as though she was on fire! She tried to beg him to stop, but his lips were pressed so hard on her own that she couldn't get her mouth to move. Not that it would matter, her vocal cords had long ago burned away under the heat of whatever was pumping through her. Suddenly, her back muscles clenched, forcing her into a painful arch as something shot out the base of her spine and curled between her legs. She tried to scream in torment, but (surprise, surprise) it didn't work.
So hard by pain was Jen driven, that she hardly noticed when her hearing cut out altogether, only to be replaced a second later with surround sound in all directions.
Inari watched as the convulsing girl finished changing. Her disgusting human features had been replaced by the elegant and seductive form of a Kitsune. Human ears turned fox, lay flat against her head in the obvious sign of extreme discomfort and pain. Likewise her ebony tail lay curled between her legs, making the small demon look very pathetic and cute. Also, her hair had grown, and now lay pooled about him in a long midnight colored trail of silk. Inari gently lowered the teary eyed demon onto a soft ivory pillow.
"All done." He cooed quietly.
The god smiled lightly and leaned back against his own nest of pillows, the poor thing had passed out.
---
Jen woke to a gentle voice a long way off, a voice that was pressing her to do something. She tried to open her eyes, but they seemed to have welded themselves together in protest. Suddenly, a cool and bitter liquid flowed down her burned throat. Jen choked and turned her head away. It may have felt good, but the taste! That in itself was enough to forgo any relief she had felt.
The voice laughed and again pressed the cup to her lips, this time making sure that she couldn't get away until she had finished the horrible brew. When she was finished, Jen found herself more aware and stretched out on a rather large white pillow.
"Felling better?" Inari demanded pleasantly and placed the cup away. "No, I wouldn't get up if I were you. Not just yet."
Jen obeyed, too weak and in pain to care. All she wanted to do was go back to sleep and forget everything. Jen must have done just that because, the next thing she knew, someone was shaking her lightly, and telling her to get up.
"Come on Jen." Inari voiced lightly. "Wake up and meet your new partner."
"Hmm?" The human-turned-fox croaked, voice almost gone.
The god smiled and helped her to a sitting position.
"Wake up." He commanded gently.
Jen opened her eyes and glanced around. They were still in the tent, her cloths were still in place, and everything seemed to be alright. For now.
"Kit!" The god called. "Come here!"
There was a rustling noise as the tent flap opened and a young, 17 or 18 year old boy stepped into the tent.
"Jen, I would like you to meet Kit. He will serve as you're new guard and traveling companion." Inari informed. "I created him just this morning. I was sitting her waiting for you to heal, when the thought hit me. You have no idea how to navigate the demon realm, so I created Kit to help you. I think you'll like the design I chose. Looks familiar doesn't he?"
Jen sat in shock, studding her new companion. She couldn't stop her mouth from hanging open like a dead fish. How could Inari have done this!
---
Kit sat a few feet away from them dressed in a soft fighting tunic, similar to what Youko would wear. His lengthy body of seven feet was folded in the traditional Japanese-style sitting position. Long red hair was allowed to hang loosely behind him in what looked like a red water fall (Save for two thick strands that hung down in front of his ears, a little past his shoulders). He reached up to absentmindedly run a clawed hand through bangs that seemed to defy the very laws gravity. With warm yellow-green eyes, he watched his lord and mistress studying him. He didn't like that very much and without notice both his silver-white ears and tail lowered.
"Hello." He said confidently, voice warm and pleasant despite what he was feeling.
---
Jen closed her mouth and glared at Inari. How could he do that to her? How could he have made her traveling companion look like Suuichi caught mid transformation into Youko? Didn't he know that she had a crush on him, on both of his forms?
"Kit, I would like you to meet your new mistress. Jennifer." Inari said while smoothly gesturing to the girl.
"Hello." Kit said again, sounding exactly like Suuichi.
"Hi." Jen responded, voice raspy. She had a feeling that it was going to be like this for a while.
Kit smiled pleasantly, the tail behind him began to wag slightly. Jen tried not to groan in despair.
"Well, now that were all properly introduced. I suggest that we give you an extremely quick briefing on your powers and then send you off to demon world." Inari declared.
"Now Jen, This is Kit. He is a plants master and an excellent fighter. Kit also specializes in geography, thievery, and the manners of the court. If there is anyone who can find this castle, get you in and get you out again. Kit can do it. I just hope that you will treat him with more respect then you treat me."
Jen could only stare as Inari continued.
"Jen, you'll also notice that you have changed. While my Youki power was running around inside you, it tried to determine what type of kitsune you should be. In the end, you turned out to be a magic's kitsune. Therefore your power has to do with magic of any kind. For example, illusion, telepathy, spiritual readings, those kinds of things. Also, it is important for you to know that you derive your powers from the moon. Therefor, you are most powerful at the full moon and weakest at the new moon, so it would be prudent to plan accordingly. Any questions?"
"How is she to protect herself?" Kit asked, surprising everyone with his quiet, yet powerful voice.
"An excellent question Kit." Inari beamed. "Lets have her show us."
Jen quirked an eyebrow.
"Show you?"
"Of course. All you have to do is focus on a weapon—any one at all, mind you—and it should form in your hands. But a word of caution." Inari stuck his index finger into the air and waged it back and forth, like one would do when scolding a child. "You may decide on one weapon and one weapon only, so choose wisely."
Jen looked down at her hands. Choose a weapon? She didn't even know what type of weapon to pick, let alone how to use it. With a small sigh, she extended her hands, after a second a weapon began to form in her mind. Slowly she closed her eyes and focused on it.
The weapon was long, probably as tall as her and thin. It looked like a black-painted pole with a scarlet hand grip and golden caps at each end. As she watched, the weapon turned broadside and the middle twisted. From the top end, a mass of mettle shot outwards like a switchblade. The sharp edged metal was curved into what looked like a crescent moon and sat perched upon the gold like a deadly snake. The weapon twisted in the middle again and the cruel looking blade was swallowed back into the pole. She sat transfixed as the weapon shrank down to the size of her forearm and floated towards her. Carefully Jen reached out and grabbed the weapon.
It was light, a lot lighter then it looked. Carefully she ran her hands over the wood, it was smooth as marble and extremely strong. She knew that the pole itself would be able to crack a samurai's blade and send it flying away in a shower of sparks. The only question was, did she know how to use it? The answer, which surprised the heck out of her, was yes.
---
Back out in the real world, Inari and Kit sat patiently. Jen had entered her mind about five minuets ago and was trying to come up with a weapon. Neither of them knew if she would be successful or not.
"My lord," Kit remarked, braking the silence between the two beings. "You said that you had borrowed my design from someone, and from the look that Miss Jen gave me, I would say that she recognized me. Please, who exactly do I look like?"
The god sat quietly for a moment before deciding to answer.
"Kit, you look like one of the members of the Reiki tentai—Kurama is his name—well…to put it more precisely, you look like a general blend of his two forms. Youko and Suuichi"
Kit sat silently, processing the information.
"But my lord, wouldn't that make us look suspicious? I think that someone is bound to find it alarming that two Kitsunes just happen to find their way into the high court, charm the prince, and have one of them look exactly like a member of the trapped Reiki tentai."
Inari chuckled, he had picked this form well. Not only did he have the brains of Youko, but he also had the gentle voice and misleading charms of the human.
"I think not pet." Inari mused. "But if you really think that you are that noticeable, you should stay in your true fox from. It should prevent prying eyes from discovering who you happen to look like."
Kit lowered his head thoughtfully, calculating what Inari had said and evaluating any flaws that came with it.
Suddenly, there was a blast of orange light and Jen was holding something in her hands. It looked like a black rod with the ends dipped in gold.
"Excellent!" Inari cried. "Now you are ready to enter demon world and complete your mission."
Kit unfolded himself gracefully from his position on the floor and moved to stand by his human-turned-fox companion. With a large hand, he reached down and gently cupped the smaller girls in his own. Jen gulped quietly.
"I'll see you again when this is all finished. Until then, travel safely. You have my blessing." Inari murmured and pressed his fingers to his lips.
Kit gently tipped forward in a bow, pulling Jen with him.
Inari smiled and raised a hand.
"Be gone." He commanded and snapped his fingers. The two before him disappeared in a puff of blue tinged smoke.
"And so, the fight for life begins." The god muttered and settled himself down on his nest of pillows.
Without him even having to say a word, his vixen again appeared. Though this time she was dressed in white. The only sound that she made was from the soft jingle of her bobbles. Carefully, she curled up next to him, offering whatever comfort she could give to the uneasy god. For now his life and the existence of the entire universe rested in the hands of a shy teenager.
End chapter One
Banshee: Please Review - I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter!