Not too long after the whole mind-reading incident, I agreed to go with Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru to the mall. Yukina stayed behind along with the boys, mainly because she had never been shopping. We walked part of the way and took the bus for the final leg of the journey. It wasn't all that bad, even though the bus was crowded and people kept staring at me. I never had been a fan of large groups of people in a small space, but I could deal with it. Shizuru and Botan talked to Keiko, explaining how I came to know Yusuke to her. Botan even included how I died.

Even though the girls were having fun and ignore me for the most part, I was tense during the entire trip. Of course, when the girls and I finally got off the bus, I felt more relaxed. I liked having space between me and other people. It made them less likely to hit me. Also, there was the fact that I could sense Hiei watching me again. A strange as him following me everywhere was, I had become adjusted to it. Besides, he was the most predictable of all the people I had met since I had died.

The blue-haired girl was the first one to enter the mall, the others following her and me bringing up the rear. The mall was huge, with three stories of stores, many of which I had never heard of before. Keiko and Botan led the way while I simply followed, amazed at everything. Hiei still followed me, keeping at such a distance that I couldn't see him whenever I glanced over my shoulder.

I mentally shrugged. He was a secretive person and thus didn't want to be seen. Go figure.

As I followed the girls around, I glanced at the window displays. The ones I liked the best were the darker stores, like Hot Topic. All the clothes were black, red, and other such colors. Those I would be able to hide easily in.

Someone suddenly grabbed my hand, jolting my attention away from the darkly dressed man following me. I looked up to see Botan, her bright smile big enough to light up even the darkest room. The smile scared me. She had some kind of plan, and it dealt with me.

"C'mon! Let's see if anything fits you in this store." Still grinning from ear to ear, the ferry girl dragged me into a store full of brightly colored clothes--mostly pink and baby blue. I couldn't see a single thing that I liked at all, but I had to bear it. I would do whatever the girls asked; I was at their mercy.

"Hey, Botan. What do you think about this?" Keiko asked, holding up a shirt. It was a glaring magenta color, and the style was what someone would call "cute." A dark magenta ribbon went around the neckline, the bottom hem, and a little around the center, which would probably be right below someone's bust. I could never see myself wearing it; it would make me stand out too much in a crowd.

"Now if that isn't a cheerleader shirt, I don't know what is," Shizuru stated, sounding unimpressed.

"That is absolutely adorable!" Botan squealed in obvious delight, taking the shirt from Keiko and holding it up in front of me. She bit the inside of her cheek, probably debating whether she liked it on me or not. "I think you need to try it on," she told me.

I nodded, accepting the pink shirt from her and going back to the dressing room. I pulled on the shirt, looked at myself in the mirror. Bright pink eyes that matched the shirt stared back at me from a heart-shaped face... eyes that should have been expressive, but they were blank for me. Two thin locks of hair fell across my face down to my collarbone, which was much shorter than the rest of my hair was. My nose was small and straight, and my lips were naturally tinted a dark pink. My ears were small, almost perfectly hidden under the hair. The face would have been enchanting if it hadn't been mine.

I mentally sighed and then took the shirt off, pulling back on the kimono. The shirt had unfortunately fit, which meant that Botan would most likely buy it for me.

With a mental sigh, I went back to the girls, standing by them and watching them sift through rows and rows of shirts, pants, and skirts. So much pink and bright blue. Too little black and other dark colors. Dark colors were easier to hide in; they made a person less noticeable.

"How about this?" Botan held up a fancy, frilly, lacy, bright orange dress. It definitely looked like something she would wear.

Keiko nodded. "That's great." She looked over at me, smiling, her brown eyes sparkling. Somehow, she had forgotten her anger. "Did the shirt fit, Myra?"

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded my head.

She sweatdropped. "You can call me by my name, ya know?"

"Okay," I replied with another nod of my head.

Shizuru rolled her eyes. "Remember, she doesn't talk much." She placed some black clothes in my arms, taking the pink shirt from me and hanging it back up. "Go see if these fit. I think they're more your style."

I blinked. "Alright." I went back to the dressing room (which was nothing but a small cubicle with a door in the corner) and pulled on a pair of flared black hip-hugger pants and a black Chinese style shirt that had a black, see-through lace back. The sleeves came to my elbow and were completely lace as well. I looped all the strings over the buttons, staring at myself in the mirror afterwards. The shirt fit a little tightly, but the pants were too big. They barely stayed on my hips, which was saying something.

A light banging sound suddenly came from the door. "Yo, Myra, come on out," Shizuru called out. "I want to see how you look."

Nervously licking my lips, I opened the door and stepped out where the girl could see me. All three were there, and they instantly began critiquing the outfit.

"I like how the pants look," Keiko began, pointing at the black pants I had on. "But they're way too big."

"The shirt looks great on her, but another color would be better," Botan added. "It doesn't match her hair or eyes."

Shizuru shook her head. "No. Let her keep the black one. I think it suits her perfectly."

"Thank you," I whispered softly. I couldn't help but appreciate having the tall brunette present for the shopping expedition. Somehow, she had figured out what type of clothes I preferred without even asking me... not that I would have answered. Although, she could have easily just decided that black would be best and handed me the clothes. Either way, I liked her choices better.

"We're not going to buy her all black clothes," Botan stated, looking a little disappointed. I had a feeling she only wore bright, cheerful colors.

"Of course, we aren't," Keiko agreed. "What kind of girl wears all black?" She was a preppy girl, who probably adored "cute" clothes. I'm sure that was great for her, but her style just didn't suit me.

Of course, if she insisted on something, I wouldn't argue. I didn't want to get hit. Mother had never abused me in public, but that didn't mean the girls wouldn't.

"We don't need to get her all black, but there's no point in buying something she's not going to wear," Shizuru replied reasonably. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you found some things for her to wear that weren't so bright. Sorry, sweetheart, but I wouldn't wear that pink shirt or that orange dress--far too bright for me."

"Well, what kind of colors should we look for then?" Botan asked, looking around the store. "It's not like she's going to tell us."

"Black, maroon, red, dark purple, navy blue," the tall woman answered with a shrug. "Those are the colors she looked at the most when we were walking down the hall."

"Oh." Keiko glanced at me and then at the store. "We should probably go somewhere else then. They don't have too many dark things here."

The ferry girl did not look too happy at that statement. "And where are we going to go? Hot Topic?" She made a face when she mentioned the store's name.

Shizuru nodded. "Yes. That'd be a good place to start." She smiled at me. "Princess, if you want to go somewhere, then tell us. We're not Hiei. We can't read minds."

I blinked, hiding my shock. She was being so nice to me... they all were, actually. I couldn't quite understand it. Everyone was so strange.

"Promise me you'll tell us if you want to go into a store," the tall woman ordered. She had already figured out how to make me obey.

Of course, I nodded my head. I couldn't disobey a direct order. "Yes, ma'am. I will."

"Alright then." Shizuru linked her fingers behind her head. "I think we're good to go now."

Botan sighed. "Once we figure out what size of pants you wear, we'll buy them and the shirt and then go to-" She cringed. "Hot Topic."

I started to go back into the dressing room when I froze. I had to money to pay for the items. "I can't buy anything," I stated.

"Huh?" Keiko frowned at me. "Don't tell me we came all the way out here for nothing?"

"I have no money," I clarified. I didn't want the short brunette angry at me again.

Botan laughed. "Pfft. No problem. Koenma's paying." She waved off my response and gave me a light shove into the dressing room. "Now get in there."

I obeyed, and soon I had three pairs of pants sitting on my head. I tried them all on, figured out which one fit the best, put on my normal clothes, and came back out. Botan took the Chinese shirt and the pants that fit me and then went up to the register, whipping out a credit card. A guide for the dead had a credit card... how strange. I had never thought she would have something like that. Of course, with her bright and cheery personality, shopping would be her thing.

Keiko, Shizuru, and I went outside while Botan paid, trying to keep out of the way of all the shoppers.

"So, Myra, why don't you talk all that much?" Keiko inquired, tone curious.

I looked over at her, wary on the inside even though I kept all emotion from showing on my face. "I just don't." My mother had always asked such strange questions, and any time I had answered in a way she hadn't like, she had hit me... hard.

One time, she had become so angry that she took a knife to me, stabbing me in the lower stomach. It had taken her three days to finally decide to drive me to the hospital, and that had been after a horrible infection and fever had set in. My mother had to explain away my wound as an accident, although I don't think the doctors had believed her. Of course, I had backed up her story, wanting to avoid any kind of abuse. Then, after the doctors had examined me thoroughly, they had announced that I would survive but that I would never had any children. My womb had been completely destroyed when I had been stabbed.

"That's too bad," Keiko stated. "You have a pretty voice. Do you sing?"

I shook my head. "No."

"I think you probably should." She smiled. "I sing sometimes... although every time Yusuke hears me he says I sound like a crow." She made a fist. "The jerk!"

"Calm down, sweet heart. You can't beat him up now, so save your anger for when we get back," Shizuru advised.

Keiko huffed, crossing her arms. "Don't worry. I will."

I instantly came to the conclusion that she liked Yusuke. If she didn't, then she wouldn't care about his opinions so much and she wouldn't want to beat him up.

Botan came out of the store at that moment, a back in one hand. "Alright. Let's go."

The other girls nodded, beginning to walk off. I followed, looking over my shoulder to see if I could spot Hiei. I never could, but I didn't stop trying.

"Why do you keep looking behind you?" Shizuru inquired curiously. "What's back there?"

"Hiei," I answered simply, still following the girls.

Botan raised an eyebrow. "Hiei?" she repeated. "Are you sure?"

"I could be wrong." I was almost always wrong, but it felt so much like Hiei following me.

Keiko shrugged. "I don't think the mall is Hiei's thing, so maybe you're just imagining it."

"Okay." I nodded my head, easily accepting her logic. If anyone ever contradicted me, I was automatically wrong.

"I don't know..." Shizuru drifted off, eyes darting around, almost as if she could sense him too. Eventually, she shrugged it off. "If he is, big deal."

That conversation ended, but another one began anew between Keiko and Botan. They talked animatedly about something they had seen in one of the shop windows, claiming it was adorable. Shizuru put in a comment now and then, and I kept quiet. I had nothing to add to the conversation.

Soon, though, we were outside Hot Topic. Shizuru and Keiko walked right in, with me on their heels, but Botan froze.

"I... think I'll just wait outside," the ferry girl stammered, swiftly turning around and beginning to walk off at a brisk pace.

Shizuru grabbed the back collar of her shirt and dragged her into the store. "You're the one with the credit card and this shopping trip was your idea, so you need to suck it up and come inside."

"It's really not that bad," Keiko insisted politely, a small smile on her face.

As for me, I just stood off to the side and watched everything, making sure to stay out of the way. I did find it interesting that Shizuru had a habit of taking charge and acting logical. She made perfect sense to me, although I wasn't quite sure why. None of the others had.

I mentally shrugged and gazed around at all the clothing in the store. There was so much black and red, which was definitely more to my taste than all the pink.

"Take a look around," Shizuru advised, patting me on the shoulder. "Find some things you like and try them on."

I nodded my head. "Yes, ma'am." I wandered around the store, picking out some shirts and a few different styles of black pants. I tried them all on, and I ended up getting seven shirts, five of which were completely black, and three pairs of pants.

We went to a few more stores at which I acquired in all ten more shirts, a dress, a two pairs of shoes, a long skirt, and two pairs of black jean shorts. All that took up five bags, which meant that everyone was carrying at least one bag. I had two, one of which was from Hot Topic and the other was from Deb.

As we walked through the mall, Shizuru pointed at a different type of store. "We need to go in there. I finally realized what else we need to get Myra."

I mentally shrugged. Although I really just wanted to sit down and relax for a bit, I figured it would be best to go along with what the tall brunette said.

"Of course. I can't believe I forgot she needed some stuff like that," Botan agreed. Soon, I was inside the store, which I quickly realized was a lingerie/undergarments store... a fancy one. I paused briefly at the entrance, but at the coaxing of the girls, I went the rest of the way inside.

As Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru searched the racks, I stood off to the side, glancing about the room. I could still sense Hiei watching me, which meant he had to be inside the room. I couldn't quite figure out where he was though.

"Myra! Here. I think these should fit," Keiko stated, catching my attention.

The three girls put a few bra and underwear sets in my hands and began pushing me towards the door to the dressing rooms. I went inside, still feeling Hiei's eyes upon me. He had come into the dressing room area as well.

"Now, try on one thing at a time, and if it fits, come on out and show us. We want to make sure you get something nice so you can impress a guy... maybe Hiei," Shizuru teased.

I nodded my head and did what she said, going into one of the stalls and pulling on a black lace bra and panty set. Both were too small, so I went to a size bigger. Most of the items they had found for me to try on were too small, but I finally put on one that actually fit. The set was black silk with black lace straps for the bra as well as push up support... at least, that was what the tag said.

As ordered, I came out of the stall, feeling rather uncomfortable, although I hid it as well as I could.

"How does it fit?" Botan asked.

"Fine," I answered simply.

"Do you like it?" Keiko wanted to know. "It certainly looks good enough on you, although a different style might be better."

"It's fine," I told her.

Shizuru nodded. "Okay. What size is it?"

"34 D," I answered immediately. It wasn't hard to remember what the tag said.

Botan whistled in amazement. "You certainly have an hourglass figure," she commented. "Well, get back on in there, give us the stuff that don't fit and we'll find you some more things to try on. I know that most of the things were handed you couldn't've fit. Quite a few were C size."

"Yes, ma'am." I did as she asked and then tried on whatever they gave me. They kept on making me come out of the stall to show them how everything looked. After half an hour, Botan finally decided that we were ready to check out. She paid for the fifteen sets as well as a few rather revealing nightclothes for me to wear.

We exited the lingerie store, laden down with a few more bags. Keiko led the way, stopping in front of an ice-cream store. At least, I assumed it was an ice-cream store. It seemed likely, especially considering there was a giant inflated ice-cream cone out front.

"Ooooh! Let's get some ice-cream!" the shot brunette declared, brown eyes sparkling. "I haven't had any in ages."

"Sounds fine to me," Shizuru replied, so we all went inside. Botan ordered a strawberry cone and Shizuru ordered a vanilla one. Botan even bought a cone for me--death by chocolate.

Keiko was the last to order, and for some reason, her cheeks were a little pinker than usual. I watched the short brunette interact with the male cashier, her bright smile growing wider ever second.

"He's so cute!" Botan whispered in my ear, giggling. "And I think he likes Keiko."

I cocked my head slightly to one side, my eyes on the guy. He had short blond hair that barely brushed the tips of his ears. Bright blue eyes twinkled with joy and interest as he talked to Keiko. He had a friendly smile that revealed two rows of brilliant white teeth, which probably meant that he brushed at least three times a day. That, or he had his dentist paint his teeth.

Keiko talked to the guy for about fifteen more minutes before she finally came to the table with her ice-chocolate cream cone, stars in her eyes. "Ryotsu is hot and so nice..." she said dreamily. "I gave him my phone number. I hope calls me."

"Someone likes the cashier," Shizuru stated, leaning back in her chair. "That, or she's taken in by his good looks and silver tongue." She finished off her cone, tossing her napkin into the trash can.

"He's just nice... which is a great change from the others guys I know," she replied simply, licking her ice-cream.

Botan grinned. "He's certainly cuter than Yusuke, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he sure is," Shizuru agreed. "The only question is, is he available?"

Keiko nodded. "I think so. He asked for my phone number."

"Well now, did you get his?" Botan inquired. She had finished off her ice-cream cone a few minutes ago, as had I.

"No, but he promised to call me," Keiko replied.

The girls continued to talk about the guy cashier, even though he was just five feet away. After about ten minutes, Keiko finally finished off her cone, and we left the store.

We walked around for a little bit longer, and something eventually caught my eye. I paused at the window of a pet shop, my eyes watching a girl inside the store hold a small white puppy. It was adorable, and I couldn't help but want to hold it.

"Kawaii!" Botan declared as she came up beside me, her amethyst eyes sparkling. "We HAVE to go inside." She promptly grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. Keiko and Shizuru followed, giggling.

Once inside the store, I found a whole litter of kittens in a large, glass cage. Most of the kittens were in a large group, all cuddled together, but one black kitten was off to the side, curled up in a ball. It was all black except for one small, white star burst on its forehead.

A store clerk suddenly came up beside me, smiling. "Would you like to hold one of them?" she asked, gesturing toward the kittens.

I nodded and pointed at the black kitten. She got the small cat out for me and put in it my hands. The kitten was so small it fit into the palm of my hand even when it was laying down. It was a runt but still so adorable. I scratched its ears, earning a loud purr from it. Then, the kitten was rubbing its head against my hand, purring even louder.

"If you're interested in buying him, take him up to the cash register. The lady up there will know the price," the store clerk stated.

I nodded my head. "Okay," I replied, and then the store worker went off to help another person with a bird.

Botan came up to me and smiled. "So you like him, huh? He's so cute!" she practically squealed. "And look at that white star burst; it reminds me of Hiei."

"You got a point there, Botan," Shizuru agreed. "And he's got red eyes, too." She scratched the kitten under the chin, which the creature responded to my purring even more.

"Awww!" Keiko exclaimed as she came up to me as well and began to pet the kitten. "He's so cute."

The ferry girl grinned. "I'm going to get him for Myra."

"Good idea. He'll be great company for her," Keiko said, nodding her head. "After all, he'll give her someone to play with while she's at Genkai's place."

"Come on, Myra; let's go buy the little guy," Botan stated, beginning to walk toward the cash register. I followed, the tiny kitten in my hands.

The female cashier looked down at the feline in my hands and frowned slightly. "Are you sure you wouldn't want one of the other kittens? This one's a runt, and he'll probably never grow much."

"Myra, would you like a different one?" Botan asked me.

I thought about it for a few minutes, looking down into the kitten's adorable face, his red eyes staring into mine. I finally shook my head. "Can I keep him? Please?" I prayed that Botan wouldn't become angry, and thankfully she didn't. She merely shrugged and paid for the kitten.

Once that was done, Shizuru convinced Keiko to leave a small brown Labrador puppy behind.

The cashier put the kitten in a pet carrier and handed it to me. "This is so you can take him out of the store."

"Thank you," I replied, bowing slightly.

Then, we left the store. Almost instantly, Keiko and Botan wanted to know what I was going to name it. Shizuru just smiled and listened in on the conversation.

I didn't know what to name the feline. I had never really named anything before, so I didn't have a single idea. "I'm... not sure what to call him."

"He looks so much like Hiei," Shizuru commented, looking down at the kitten who was sticking the tip of his nose out of the carrier through one of the ventilation holes. "Red eyes, all black, the white star burst." She shrugged. "It's amazing, actually."

"You should name him Hiei!" Keiko declared. "It'd be perfect, and I think it'd suit him so well."

"Well, for looks at least. His attitude is completely different. I wish Hiei acted like this kitten," Botan added.

I thought about it for a few moments. "Alright. It'll be Hiei."

Botan blinked. "Are you sure? I'm not sure if Hiei would approve, but... it is your cat so... go for it!" She laughed. "If anything, it'd do the real Hiei some good... don't you think, little Hiei?" She leaned down slightly to touch the tiny pink nose sticking out of the carrier.

Keiko laughed. "Maybe, but at least the name fits him." She looked around and yawned. "Well, I'm getting tired, so why don't we call it a day?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Shizuru agreed, rearranging her hold on the bags she had a hold of.

"Alright. To the bus stop!" Botan declared, beginning to stroll off, four bags in her hands.

Shizuru, Keiko, and I followed her down a few hallways and into a department store... an expensive looking department store. Many of the nearby glass cases held jewelry, most of which was 14 carat gold or almost pure silver. Gems sparkled in the bright artificial lighting, easily showing up against the black velvet interior of the case. Stands held fancy, expensive clothes, many of which were silk. I looked around at everything surrounding me, and then glanced over my shoulder. Hiei was still following me; he hadn't left me since I had entered the mall.

As I was walking through the perfume section of the store, some sales lady, who had on the brightest smile I had ever seen, jumped in front of me and gently grabbed my free hand.

"You simply must try this new fragrance. It's called 'Simply Divine', and I'm sure it'll be perfect for you," she declared, spraying a light blue substance from a bottle onto my wrist.

I blinked, unsure about what to do. The lady was definitely strange; I had never met anyone quite like her. Well, she did remind me a little of Botan, but not even the ferry girl was so unusual.

So, without saying a word, I backed away from the woman and carefully jogged to catch up to the other girls, trying not to jostle the kitten too much. Behind me, I heard a shout and cursing as the lady began a new cheerful sales pitch, which was probably aimed at a guy. I even heard the soft crash of a clothing stand falling down. She had certainly surprised someone.

Mentally shaking my head, I went back to following the girls, and soon I was on the bus heading for Genkai's shrine.


CotA: Hey people. Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but surely this chappie made up for it, right? It's about 4,600 words. It took a while to write, so I do apologize again. Oh, and warning, it hasn't been proofread by anyone but me yet. I'll hopefully see my beta reader soon, so she can correct it.

Zebez: You really should've split this into two chapters.

CotA: Nah. The only reason I didn't update in so long was because the chappie was so long. ::shrugs:: Such as life.

Sess-chan: Ignore the worthless hanyou. He knows not what he speaks of.

CotA: Wait a minute... why are you two giving me advice on this anyway? This is the story Kali is helping me on.

Kali: 'Which is why the chapter is so long. I wanted to prove that I am better than the both of you put together.'

Zebez and Sess-chan: ::growl::

CotA: ::laughs nervously:: Well, um, before a fight breaks out, I'll skip down to the reviews.

Paleah: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the chappie.

Katsuko: Thank you! I'm working hard on it.

BlackFireGoddess: I know that Myra's mentality is a little strange, but I have done some research. I read A Child Called It and the sequels to it, so I have a rough idea of what abused children think. While Dave had so much fire in him, which helped him survive, Myra didn't have near as much.

Jiko Hitasura: Angsty? I didn't know that. ::shrugs:: I guess stranger things have happened. I tend to more of a romance writer.

Kaimi Kitsune: I don't know what Hiei thinks. He's clueless. I'm clueless. The reader's are clueless. Everyone's clueless, so we're even. And of course Myra is confusing. She's had a rather bad past, so she's developed a different mentality to survive.

Crazy-lil-nae-nae: Thank you. ::smiles:: I will try my best.

White Fanged Wolf: I understand. I'm extreme at times, but you usually have to get me REALLY angry before I reach that stage. And I don't want you to be sad.

Yanou: Aw... you poor baby. I would hate to have a stomach ache. And I love drawing! It's so much fun! Right now, I'm working on a full length drawing of Kurama, holding a rose, looking in a mirror, with Youko as his reflection inside the mirror. It'll be cool... once I finish it. And graduations can never come quickly enough.

Seiyo-San: Yeah, I liked seeing Kuronue. He was pretty cool. And I think I read Silver Fox as well as reviewed.