Chapter 2: Bond over Burgers, Demon's in the Dead Zone
After helping him off the ground and the sound of Yusuke's stomach growling she was more than happy to treat him. They walked a distance of a block and found the hotels food court. Yusuke waited outside at a deserted table near a misting fan.
"I'm back. I bought a bunch of the real good stuff."
The tray was filled. A few boxed sandwiches and wrapped burgers, a large pile of fries and two large drinks.
"I wasn't sure what you'd want to drink so I hope you don't mind banana milkshakes. This place has the best ever!"
"That's fine, as long as it's cold I'll take it."
She put the tray down and sat across from him. Yusuke took what he wanted before she did and dug in to the huge cheese burger.
"Hey this is good!" He told her just before he started to go to town on it.
"Yeah they are aren't they?~ I had it customized the way I find them the best. Hope you don't mind onion straws?"
"Great job! Wonder if they got this place back home!"
"I think this is the first time I've seen you eat. Actually I think this is the first time I've eaten with a guy period." She told him watching him sucking down the shake.
"Really? Hey wait a minute?! Earlier, how'd you know all that stuff about me anyway?"
He looked at her with some what of a irritated look.
"Oh, I have that answer for you right here!" She smiled and opened her back pack purse then handed him what looked like a book. He took it and looked at the cover. He swallowed hard when he had a good look.
"THAT'S ME! I think?"
"It's you. Look at this."
He looked up to see her handing him over a dvd case.
"It is me. Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, Genkai, Hinageshi..."
"..And Yakumo."
"Asshole. Got him good though."
"Yes you did." The two smiled at each other. Yusuke gave a laugh.
"Okay so how about you explain these to me?"
"Sure!~"
It was three hours later, the two hadn't moved from there seats but had shifted in more comfortable positions. Yusuke learned of his mild celeb statues in her world, the man who believed had created him and his whole world, and was now informing her of the mess ups that were littered throughout the manga and the anime, though the movies were just about completely right.
"Really, so then the last arc of the manga didn't happen at all like that huh? You know I always thought it was strange it would end like that, seemed forced."
"It was for the most part. But yeah that ending never happened in my memory. Same thing for the anime, major rewrite."
"And to think I'm the only person who'll ever know the truth. Like hell I could tell anyone, who'd believe me?!"
Just then a chime was heard, her phone. She checked it and screamed.
"What? What's wrong?!"
"I'm gonna be late for the Ball!"
"Ball? You mean like a dance right? Where am I a freaking fairytale?"
"Oh hush! I've been waiting for years to go to this ball, my dress is custommade!"
"Okay okay go already!"
"I can't leave you out here alone!"
"HUH?!"
"Your coming with me!" She walked around the table and to where he was standing and pulled him right arm and began pulling him along, with enough time to grab his bag.
"Why the hell for?!"
She stopped and turned to look him straight in the eyes. His confused pissy look turned to almost scared shock with wide eyes.
"Look you are living fictional character in my world, you have no money, and have no idea what my world is like compared to yours! Besides I don't want to go alone and I have an extra VIP ticket and wrist band for you to use." She told him turning away.
"Damn it, you have a few good points." He said rubbing the back of his head, blushing slightly from embarrassment with an annoyed look.
"Wait why do you have an extra ticket?"
"I bought it for my friend, but her husband got real sick suddenly and couldn't come."
"Some friend, bet they just went out or something or doing something."
"Look she's my best friend, and I trust her enough to know she doesn't lie about certain things like that. But yeah I did kinda think about that stuff too."
She looked down and signed looking upset. Yusuke looked at her and her face made him feel bad. He rubbed his head and groaned.
"Okay, I'll go! I brought something that should work for a Ball, I guess."
"Aww Yusuke you big softie!~"
"Please stop, your starting to sound like Botan."
"Okay~" She giggled.
"Hey wait a minute? I've been with you for the last three hours, and with everything I've learned today I have no idea what to call you?" He said leaning towards her face with an irritated look.
"I never did tell you my name did I?"
"No... So you gonna tell me or am I gonna have to call you Otaku Girl all the time?"
"Cute, but please don't." She thought for a moment.
"Well?"
"Kagami! I hate my real name, so just call me Kagami!"
"Kagami? Kay, oh yeah by the way?"
"What?"
"Don't you need to get dressed?"
She looked at her phone and screamed again grabbing Yusuke's arm and dragged him in to the hotel and to the nearest Elevator. The entire time Yusuke complaining that Kagami was going to pull his arm off.
A top the convention centers roof was a strange shinning orb about the size of VW Bug. It tried to mirror the sky but only looked like a distorted reflection. Sparks of an electric current circled the orb. with in the orb was like the inside of a dark purple cloud lighting went flying through out the cloud. In the center was a dark black figure.
"I can feel you near boy. My wound is almost healed and once I'm recharged I'll wipe that smug look off your half blooded face 100 fold. You will die, Yusuke Urameshi!"
The sound of laughter echoed with in the orb, the sound muffled by the rain storm that was steadily growing. The first bolts of lighting and sounds of thunder crashed as Yusuke looked out from the balcony of the hotel room. He walked back inside dressed to the nines in a tux that would knock any girl off her feet. He fixed his hair with his comb then sat on the sofa.
"Okay get ready I'm coming out now.~" Kagami called out from her bedroom as the door started to open.
"Fine just hurry it up already will you, do you want to be...late..." Yusuke told her standing up with his eyes shut. He trailed off when his eyes opened and saw her.
"Well, how do I look?~" Kagami stood wearing a slim fitting corset style bodice, floor length lavender strapless sweetheart neckline with a large bow below her chest with daring split on the floor length skirt revealing her matching heels. The shimmering four-leaf clover jeweled brooch was centered so that her exposed cleavage was not to be avoided. Her hair was in an updo. with a flowing cloth head band around her forehead. Yusuke swallowed with a blush across his very nervous looking face.
"Yusuke?" Kagami began looking sad. He snapped back to reality and coughed looking away.
"You were gonna wear that and go to a ball alone?"
"What's wrong with it, I worked hard on the design you know."
"Look its looks great on you but there's perverts even at a thing like this. One look at that outfit and you'd never get rid of them without me." Yusuke was trying to keep his blush from getting redder then it already was and tried not to look at Kagami's assets.
"I knew he'd look!~" She giggled to herself inside, but she had her own eye candy. The tux that Yusuke was sporting was a deep purple color with silver accents. A white long sleeved shirt with a matching bowtie. Just the way he was standing had appeal, but she kept her blush to herself.
"Oh don't worry I have a wrap.~" Kagami walked over to the sofa and picked up a matching long length of cloth as a cover around her shoulders that rested and drapped her arms, it did nothing to cover her chest.
"Your gonna need this, stand still." She stood in front of Yusuke and stock something to his face.
"What is this?"
"A mask."
"Mask, what for?"
"It's a Masked Ball." She smirked as she walked past him.
"Ha, ha"
"How'd the girl from earlier turn in to freaking Cinderella?! Sure she's not half bad-looking but damn it cover your freak boobs woman!" He thought to himself. He figured his target would give him a hard time, but now he had a challenge to keep his head out of the gutter all night.
The sound of thunder and flashes of lightning made Kagami worry.
"I like rain storms, but I hope it doesn't cause problems."
"You never know."
She looked at Yusuke and put on her own mask that matched her dress only a little more detail with lace and a few jem accents. She looked to the clock and let out a small squeal.
"Were gonna be late!"
"And who's fault would that be?" Yusuke asked as he walked towards the door towards a frantic Kagami.
"Your's if you don't walk faster!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door in a flash.
The two were down the elevator in no time which seemed strange but Kagami saw it as lucky. They made their way through the hotel and in to the convention center, with the VIP Ticket and the wrist bands they were welcomed in instantly. It was a first for Kagami. She hadn't ever gone to the conventions Ball not even once, not until now. But it was also a twofer because she was lucky enough to have an escort, and not just any escort, but a real live anime character! She was living every fangirl's dream and was loving it. One for the fact Yusuke was the best looking of the guys there, and second even with the mask on she was getting a kick out of him glancing at other guys looking at her chest and shooting them death glares that seemed to work.
Yusuke wasn't happy at all. His only companion in this world and her assets were making him feel weird. Sure she was easy to talk to, funny, and had a nice body, but every time he scared off another pervert from looking at her she would hug on to his arm a little tighter and he was starting to like it more than he should. And that's saying something seeing as he knew how much of a horny perv he could be when he felt like it. He started feeling better once the two found a little table near the wall and enjoyed some of the huge buffet spread.
"This is so much fun!~"
"Yeah, I gotta say it's not that bad."
"Wish it was a tournament?"
"Nah, this is kinda cool. I helped out Enki for a good few months and he and the misses were obligated to attend parties in some of the better places in the demon world and they dragged me along, so yeah I don't mind."
"Ooh, that's so cool, I didn't know that you worked with King Enki. Hey does his wife really smell like booze?"
"Don't get me started, and I thought my mom drank a lot." Kagami laughed a little.
"Hey you know, you never told me why Koenma sent you here in the first place?"
"Does it matter?"
"Does it matter?! Hello, Yusuke! If there's a real demon in my world I want to know bub!"
"Okay fine. His names Zil. Some nut job demon that figured out how to travel dimensions. So far he's wanted for over 400 mass murders in over 25 other dimensions. His home front is my world and I found him breaking the rules by messing with humans. A got him good with one well placed shot. But he cut himself a way out. It was by sure chance that the cut was able to be traced to this world and Koenma sent me to either finish the job or bring him back."
"That is so cool." Kagami was resting her chin on her laced fingered hands with her elbows on the table leaning in listening to every word Yusuke spoke.
"I wish I could see you Spirit Gun just once!~"
"Maybe if your lucky. Bang~" Yusuke said pretending to be shooting at the ice sculpture making Kagami laugh. Then the music changed.
"Oh I heard this song the other day! I love it!" The song was Demi Lovato's "Wouldn't Change a Thing."
"Oh what the hell, I'm board. Come one." He stood and grabbed Kagami's right hand and pulled her up to the floor.
"Yusuke?!" Kagami was shocked but went with it.
"Yusuke I can't dance?!"
"Your support to follow my lead right? Just listen to the song." He told her with smile. As they started to move.
"Okay..Aaah" She said nervously letting out a little scream.
Her hand in his, his body moving in a waltz that went perfect with the song. After a few moment Kagami smiled and got the hang of it quickly. The two flowed like walking on air. It was just like Beauty and the Beast in her mind. The question was who was who?
"Your good at this!" Yusuke told her.
"I'm a fast learner I guess!~" She replied to him as the crowd began to notice them and moved out-of-the-way to watch them spinning like almost pro's, so much so they even got some nice comments.
"Wow their good.~"
"Yeah they are!"
"She's a total babe!"
"No shit Sherlock!"
"Lucky Bastard!"
"That guy is so damn hot!~"
"You can say that again sister!"
The crowd was loving every second.
"Hold on!~" Yusuke threw her out at the bridge of the song and brought her back. The whole moment she was terrified she'd crash in to him only to find herself close against him causing her to laugh out.
"This is so fun!~" Kagami was smiling brightly laughing happily. Spinning, flying with the pace of the song was the best feeling she ever had in her entire life. She really started to feel like Cinderella. She had picked part of her gown up and it made the site even more magical almost as beautiful as the dance scene between Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion.
The two continued on like that oblivious to the whole room was not only watching them but loving the show they were giving them. As the song was coming to an end the pace changed again and Yusuke remembered his training, as the song ended he slowed down and dipped Kagami, pulling her up slowly to his body. Even though they wore masks it was like they could see straight in to each others eyes clearly. Their heads swimming both breathing harder through their smiles, their gaze locked on to each other.
Suddenly the crowd erupted with cheers and applause! The two snapped in to reality. Kagami was dumb founded, this only happened in movies and anime, never in real life. Yusuke just figured that he had over done it.
The DJ came over the speakers and the crowd turned its attention to the stage. This allowed Kagami and Yusuke to get away from their group of fans. The returned to the wall near their table for two.
"How the hell do you know how to do that?" Kagami asked him.
"Oh, well, ah..." Yusuke looked embarrassed.
"Kurama?"
"Kurama.." Yusuke's head dropped, he knew she'd get it. Kagami laughed.
"That was so fun. Now I'm tired and it's only been a half an hour."
"Lets go back to the room then." Kagami looked at him with a questioning look.
"What I'm tired too, and I don't like being in this thing for longer then I have to!" Yusuke panicked when his comment before sounded to perverted.
"Sure, why not, I wanted to try the hot tub at the hotel before it was too late anyway."
"Cool."
Kagami grabbed her wrap and the to snuck out of the ballroom quietly. They headed for the river walk and looked over the fire dancers for a moment before heading towards the hotel. As they walked quietly in the early evening Kagami looked around when she noticed something strange.
"Hey, Yusuke?" Kagami stopped walking just before he stopped a few steps in front of her.
"What is it?" He looked at her staring off.
"That's not normal, right?" She pointed forward towards the pond near by. With worried look to her face. He looked in the same direction and was shocked. There were five swans looking like they were taking off from the water but they weren't moving. Just stuck there.
"That's definitely not normal!" he said. Kagami looked around and saw people, cars, animals, all still as statues.
"Yusuke what's going on?!" Kagami was freaking but still had the will to try and keep her composure.
"Just calm down. Your Kagami with Yusuke, not some pathetic lifeless otaku! Just believe!" She told herself on the inside.
"Kagami put this on!" Yusuke yelled and in a second was putting a red corded bracelet around her wrist.
"What is this?"
"It's what's keeping us from freezing like this." He showed her his own bracelet.
"But what's going on? Why is everyone frozen?"
"It's that damn Zil! That's how he gets away with so many murders. He uses these weird freezes in time when traveling through dimensions."
"Then he's here? Right now?" Kagami looked around trying to see if the sight she had, was good as she hoped to notice anything weird.
Suddenly lightning came crashing down on the street in front of them with such force it sent the two of them off their feet. Kagami hit the thick plush grass but Yusuke hit the lamp-post.
"Ouch.." The force brought her hair down and one shoe had slipped off her foot laying beside her.
"Kagami?! Where are you?!" Yusuke had stood up and ran just a few feet from her.
"Yusuke!" Kagami called out answering him. He turned and saw her sitting up in the grass. He suddenly found himself burning with anger even though Kagami had no real injuries.
"Zil! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD?!" Yusuke yelled out.
The sound of low chilling laughter seemed to come out of no where.
"Hello Yusuke.~" A black inky figure appeared in the street.
"Did you enjoy my light show?"
"BASTARD!" Yusuke charged him but when he went to punch him he went straight through him keeping his balance. Zil laughed again he turned and slowly electrical currents sparked around him.
"You see my boy, I can't be hurt by you right now. You have no powers. But that doesn't mean we can't have fun now." Zil said as a bolt of electricity shot at Yusuke knocking him over.
"Yusuke!" Kagami had stood up and was watching from behind the bush.
"I have to do something! But I can't touch him, and his powers will kill me instantly!" That's when she felt water on her shoulder.
"Water? Rain! Water and electricity don't mix!" She looked around and near by was a hose.
Yusuke stood and was doing his best to avoid the shocks.
"Cute boy, but can you move faster than the speed of light?!" Zil shot out a blast, a direct hit. Yusuke screamed out in pain. He fell to his knees smoking his breathing laboured.
"Even in the Dead Zone you still cause me irritation! DIE YOU FILTHY BRAT!" Zil was about to attack again when he suddenly began to scream out in pain.
"WATER?!" He turned his head to see Kagami with the hose on full.
"Get away from him you Bastard!"
"Filthy Bitch!" Zil still in pain shot at Kagami knocking her to the ground with a scream as she dropped the hose.
"I may not be whole but, you will be a nice little snack my little tart.~"
"Kagami!" Yusuke yelled trying to get up when he felt something behind him and turned. Kagami sat up holding her left hand that was trembling from the shock, then looked up to see Zil.
KAGAMI!" A bright light flashed in the sky, it was a beautiful shinning blue that was all to fimilar. Kagami's eyes went wide as Yusuke's name escaped her lips in a whisper as she heard his next words.
"SPIRIT GUN!"
The light shot and hit Zil's spectral form sending him flying yards from Kagami who watched with a look of pure awe. Zil's back was smoking.
"Filthy Half Breed Brate! HOW?!" Zil's red eyes went from wide to half closed.
"We'll finish this soon brat." Zil seemingly transported himself away. Still with her head turned towards where he once was Yusuke ran up to her and knelt down.
"Kagami?" His hair had begun to fall out-of-place, his tux in disarray. She turned her head towards him. Her face framed by her hair her eye's glazed by tears with a blush tenderly sitting on her cheeks. Their eyes having locked, Yusuke felt his face warm from Kagami's very sight.
Suddenly something fell in to Kagami's lap between the two breaking their gaze. Kagami looked down.
"Puu~!" Yep there he sat, Yusuke Spirit Beast, Puu. Kagami's looked down at the little blue penguin like creature and let her girly side out, as she picked him up.
"Oh Puu!~ Aren't you the cutest little baby ever!~" She cuddled him close which he didn't mind at all, in fact he was cuddling and cooing back at her.
"Oh sweet baby!~
Yusuke still in front of Kagami watched this scene and couldn't help but suddenly feel like he wanted to use Puu as a ball and kick him in to the sky for cuddling up to Kagami's exposed cleavage. Kagami didn't notice Yusuke very mad face at all then suddenly a thought came to her.
"Yusuke?!" She looked at him. He snapped out of his anger and looked at her.
"Huh? What?"
"What did he mean? What's the Dead Zone?" She asked him. He stood up and put his hands in his pockets, even Puu watched him.
"The Dead Zone is...uh" He paused.
"Is what?"
"...Your World."
With that time returned and the rain fell with a great crash of thunder. Kagami was in shock.
