The Blood Red Rose
Chapter Nine: Revelations
There was only one word that could describe Maya Kitajima at this very moment: dumbstruck. Demons? Spirits? Portals? They exist. Everything she had hoped for while growing up were real. It was like a twisted fantasy come true.
The talking...toddler...didn't use Shuichi's name. He did use the name 'Kurama,' and that name striked fear into his heart. The other name he used was Yusuke. Maya was sure that those names belonged to two of the boys that walked in. The other names belonged to these escaped criminals. It was like a supernatural detective agency, something she dreamed of making when she was younger.
Was this a prank? How could it be? It seemed real enough. She knew one thing for sure. Shuichi was going to be mad if he found she stole from him and his friends. She paced her room, biting her nails. It was a filthy habit that refused to leave. She suddenly plopped herself onto the ground.
And how was Shuichi involved in all this? Is he...no, Maya firmly thought. I will not jump to conclusions, yet anyway. Her hands rested palm down on the carpet and she let her legs spread out. Looking up at the ceiling, she realized something and her mouth opened, talking aloud before she even noticed it.
"Oh, it's useless. No matter what I come up with, Shuichi is still going to end up hating me!" She buried her face into her hands. The tears at the corner of her eyes stung, but did not fall. "My first chance at a relationship and I ruin it!"
She brought her knees up to rest her chin on them. A hollow feeling in her chest throbbed at her, making her feel even more guilty than before. The way she just deceived poor Shiori sickened her. Worse yet, she completely broke Shuichi's trust. If-she corrected herself-when he finds out, he will never speak to her again.
High above the place humans called home was a location that they all would one day go to. The sky was a yellowish color and below lay a long river. A building styled as an old temple was larger than any normal human structure and it seemed to float. A long, concrete path extended from it, leading into numerous directions.
Inside was either dark and desolate or extremely lively, depending on which area. Red, blue, and green ogres rushed to and fro with stacks of papers and files, yelling inaudibly. Loose pieces of paper littered the ground and flew through the air. Further in a large door lend into the office of a very important individual.
A toddler sat behind a desk far too tall for him. His large blue hat barely reached the surface of the desk. He gazed intently at the paperwork in front of him, furiously sucking his pacifier. He grasped for his red stamp and slammed against the file, tossing it to finished pile. It was a tedious job being the stand in for Spirit World, but Koenma was always willing to do it...sometimes.
This time, however, his heart was in his work. (It usually never was anyway.) There was a crisis in the human world and he could not focus. He was waiting for hours for any word about the mission. Nothing.
He sighed heavily as his prayers were answered. A young woman with blue hair and pink eyes walked in. Her pink kimono swished behind her as she slammed the door rather loudly. Koenma winced.
She strode up to the desk, her face with mixed emotions impossible to tell apart. She looked intently at the toddler, placing her hands on her hips.
"Koenma," she began.
He nodded. "Botan, I hope you're here bearing good news."
She smiled briefly before continuing. "I'm the grim reaper. My job isn't to bring good news-" Koenma paled. He gripped the arm rest of his seat. "-but I do have some."
His hand flew to his heart and said angrily, "You nearly gave me a heart attack! Never do that again or you'll be in desperate need of a job!"
Botan giggled. His threats were always empty. She found them funny at times. "Anyway, Kuwabara has captured Rando. I brought him back here about ten minutes ago and the guards escorted him back to prison. He'll be placed in a cell that has anti-portal wards and will await for your judgment."
Koenma sighed a breath of relief, sinking back into his chair. "That's great news. I have one less criminal to worry about."
"Yes, but Genkai brought to light some disturbing news," said Botan, looking worried. It took a lot to get this angel of death worried. Koenma knew this.
"Oh?" he asked, perplexed.
"It seems like he was being controlled by some sort of demon insect. It was put in him by our mastermind. His name is Sakiji and Genkai has a theory about what he's planning to do." She paused for Koenma to say something, but he motioned for her to continue. "Apparently, he targeted Yusuke and the others because they won the Tournament. He wanted to kill them using the people he broke out and they would also be his bodyguards in case anyone would try to hunt him."
She leaned in closer, eyes darting around. Whispering, she said, "He even managed to bring Karasu back to life. He created a makeshift body taking pieces from other demons. By using Suzaku's lightening ability, he pushed Karasu's spirit into it and the surge of electricity fused them together. I managed to get a description of him through Rando. He looks the same as he did before dying so finding him shouldn't be too hard. For some odd reason, he managed to retain his old form even though it isn't even his own body."
Koenma rubbed his temples. "This is horrible. Rando and Suzaku weren't going to be too bad, but Karasu?" He groaned. "Humans will be dropping dead like flies by the end of the week. By the way, any news about the location of Suzaku or the others?"
"Well-" Botan was cut off. Her communicator was beeping. Flipping it open, she smiled. "Looks like Suzaku just died. I guess I have a soul to ferry." She walked to the door, before turning back.
She placed a vial onto Koenma's desk. "I forgot about this, but Kurama needs an analysis on this potion and its ingredients. The sooner the better."
"Of course," replied Koenma, grasping the bottle. "It should take no more than a day. GEORGE!"
A blue ogre wearing nothing but a leopard print loin cloth walked in. He was a bit distraught looking, but he was always like this when summoned.
"Take this to the lab for a complete analysis. I expect a full report by the end of tomorrow, or else," said Koenma, his face darkening towards the end.
"Y-yes, Koenma sir," he bowed before taking the potion with him.
The toddler turned to Botan. "That was what Kurama took during the Tournament to transform into Youko. Why does he want us to do this?"
Botan licked her lips, thinking of what to say. "His...his body has been going through some changes and that potion may be what's causing it. I suggested it because it might be something dangerous."
Koenma sucked his pacifier to the point that Botan was afraid he would swallow it. His hands were folded across his desk and his eyes narrowed. "I hope, for all our sakes, that nothing serious is wrong. Losing Kurama would mean losing an important asset in the protection of humans. Not only that, but it would be horrible to have the team sent to stop him."
Morning came and went. It was Thursday and the end of the week was drawing near. She rubbed her eyes, wondering how sleep came. Her morning routine become mechanical. There was no feeling in the breakfast she made nor the way she greeted her parents. Exiting the house early, she walked to school alone, afraid to face Shuichi. There was a plan in mind though. She was going to return the tape to him during school, hopefully around a lot of people, so there wouldn't be a scene. Then, their fragile friendship would be ruined in silence, rather than a screaming match.
Although it was a clear, sunny day, only sadness and depression dominated the feelings of the school girl. The cheerful singing of the birds didn't affect her as they usually did. Anything exuberant seemed to curse at her, mock her like the morning light chasing away the darkness.
The chatter and the crowds of school were merely there for the sake of background. Numbly, she ascended the stairs. People jostled her, yet she ignored it. Sighing deeply, she entered her first class alone. The teacher did not have anyone chew gum again like yesterday. Yesterday. That felt so long ago. Her hands automatically flew to her mouth. The warm tingle on her lips refused to leave. She maneuvered carefully through the rows of desks and bags. The seat next to hers was empty. She tried not to look at it too much, but found herself stealing glances every few seconds or so through the corners of her eyes.
It was official. Shuichi was absent from school. A knot formed at the pit of her stomach. Did he know that she took the tape? Was this why he was absent? Maybe he was avoiding her. Or worse, did he regret kissing her? She was ready to break down into tears about halfway through class. This was a horrible habit of hers, worrying about the what if's. Unconsciously, she bit down on her lips. The iron taste of blood snapped her out of the trance.
Maya sighed heavily, already given up on notes. The young teen looked up. There were several curious glances in her direction because she made such a loud sound.
"Is there something you'd like to add, Ms. Kitajima?" asked the teacher impatiently. The chalk slipped in out of his fingers as he played with it, passing it to one hand and the next.
"No," Maya replied meekly and bent her head down to focus on her textbook. She picked up her pen in an effort to pay attention. That option quickly flew out the window in a mere five minutes.
She doodled on her notebook in the hopes of being engrossed in some sort of a masterpiece, which were usually just horrible scribbles, to forget things. For some odd reason, she was compelled to draw this type of monster with eight arms. Writing the words Eight Hands across the top, she snapped out of the trance. Her eyes widened.That thing looked so familiar.
Closing her eyes, her throat closed up, blocking all air. She let out a strangled gasp of pain as a migraine began. One hand grasped her throat and the other clutched her head as she swayed to the side. A few students gasped and others alerted the teacher that something was wrong with Maya. She hardly kept her eyes open because the sudden pain and oxygen loss was affecting her terribly.
A few images flashed before her eyes. Am I dying? she wondered, remembering someone telling her that one's life flashes before their eyes before death. The thought of death didn't even faze her. Only the regret of yesterday's actions affected her. The memories replayed themselves as if she was a spectator.
She saw a blurred picture of the Shuichi from a year ago. Then, a younger version of herself came running up as he killed a monstrous head. Fast forwarding an hour, she looked on as the memory Maya confessed her love to Shuichi and he sincerely replied that her feelings were one sided. Lastly, the somber dressed pyromanic showed up and the memory stopped like the reel on an old movie projector ripping.
Voices...colors blurring together...these were all Maya could discern. She blinked and shook her head. The surroundings came into focus and it all seemed like a weird dream.
The teacher had slung her arm around his shoulder and was dragging her along. Her shoes left skid marks on the linoleum floor. Another student had also come and held her up from the other side. She groaned, but was grateful for the free flowing air.
"Is everything alright, Ms. Kitajima?" asked the teacher. His voice had gotten soft. It wasn't like the rough voice he used to address her.
"I...don't know."
"Well, just stay awake until we reach the nurse."
Maybe it was the sudden drowsiness that followed the episode, but Maya was feeling very daring. "I thought you hated me."
The teacher looked at her. The other student decided it was best to stay out of this conversation, but that didn't stop him from eavesdropping.
"I don't hate you. Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate any of my students. I just practice a method called tough love. Kids these days get away with too much. It's a good life lesson," replied the teacher. He even smiled. Maya returned it with a very weak and pained smile. "Oh, by the way, feel free to skip detention for the rest of the week. You can make it up to me another time." She groaned. This time it was for the punishment.
"Come on, pick up the pace, Mr. Hiroka," snapped the teacher. The other boy began walking more quickly. Ah, yes, tough love worked every time.
Maya's eyes snapped open. A mild pain plagued her head, but it slowly eased down. The light streaming through the window hurt her eyes. She sat up, a little shaky at first. She was back in her room. She clutched her head and replayed today's episode in her head. She remembered that afternoon with Shuichi a year ago. Before, that was a blank spot in her head. She couldn't recall that moment even if her life depended on it. Now, it was as clear as day, but everything after that pyromanic showed up was all fuzzy.
"I wonder if amnesiac people have to go through that," she said softly, slinging her legs over the bed and slipping on her shoes. She assumed it was late afternoon since her window faced the side of the setting sun. She quietly opened the door to her room. She stopped at the at the top of the stairs. Her parents were downstairs, speaking in hushed tones, obviously about her. She caught the words 'hospital' and 'brain tumor.'
She gasped. Did they really think she had cancer? She clutched her neck, afraid. She blinked. Well, she couldn't blame them. She would think the same if that happened to her child. She went back to her room without a sound and changed clothes quickly to jeans and a shirt. She replaced her slippers with sneakers and opened the window. She looked down. There was a criss crossing wooden panel for the vines that grew along the side of the house. She used those as a type of footing and began her descent.
Looping around the house, she found herself on Shuichi's doorstep. She rang the doorbell. Shiori answered it.
"Hello, Maya, can I help you?" Maya mentally sighed. She hadn't heard about her memory attack earlier today.
"Is Shuichi home?"
"No, I'm afraid not. He hasn't been home since yesterday." Before Maya had a chance to panic, Shiori continued. "He spent the night at a friend's. He said he might be back later today."
"Oh, thank you. Um, I've got to go now. Bye."
"Good bye dear."
Maya bit her lip. She had to find him. Maybe he could shed some light on what happened a year ago, and she had to confront him about the video. An idea popped into her head. She ran to the nearest phone booth, which happened to be across the street from the florist's shop. She flipped through it. Putting two and two together, she looked through the U's for Urameshi. There were quite a few. She also heard the name Kurama and Yusuke. So, one of those people had to have the last name Urameshi. Her finger slid down the page and she cried out in triumph. She found a Yusuke Urameshi. She tore out the page.
Maya used a variety of transportation methods until she reached the Urameshi household. She knocked on the door. No answer. She rang the doorbell a few times. Suddenly, the door flung open. A young woman in her late twenties was leaned against the door frame. A pink tint was on her cheeks. The strap of her blouse slipped past her shoulder. Her long, brown hair whipped in the slight breeze as she swayed.
"What d'ya want?" asked the woman, hiccuping.
"Does a Yusuke Urameshi live here?" asked Maya. She kept herself relatively calm.
"Yusuke...Yusuke!" she exclaimed, her voice changing from rude to worry. "Did something happen to him again? Please, don't tell me he's hurt. If he got hit by a car again..." Her pleas turned into hiccuping tears.
Maya panicked. "Shh, it's alright. Nothing happened to him. I'm just trying to find him." She patted the woman's shoulder affectionately.
The woman sniffled. "Oh, he told me he's got to another mission to do. Don't know where he is right now..." (1)
"Do you know anyone that might have a clue?"
The woman thought for a moment. She went back inside and rummaged through a few drawers. She came back out with a paper and pen. "Here," she said, stumbling. She gave them to Maya. "I won't be able to write straight. This is the address for Keiko, his little girlfriend. If anyone knows, she does."
Maya wrote down the address and thanked the woman. She left rather quickly. The neighborhood was even more frightening in the on coming darkness. She clutched the address in her hand as she searched. She decided against the bus because she didn't know the schedule. She wandered in the city and asked a few people for directions. A very kind woman gave her very specific directions and she found the place in a matter of minutes.
It was a cafe and apartment combined. The cafe was the bottom floor. She entered. The bell jingled as she walked in. A middle aged couple was behind the counter. They were the parents of Keiko. The mother went upstairs and came down with a girl her age with brown hair in pigtails. She was wearing a blue school uniform with a long skirt. They went outside to talk in peace.
"Keiko?"
"Yes," said Keiko, "sorry, but do I know you?"
"No, I'm Maya. Sorry to bother you but I need to ask you something very important."
Keiko blinked. "Alright."
"I'm looking for a Yusuke Urameshi because the person I need to talk to is most likely with him. Do you have any idea where he is?"
Keiko's nice demeanor changed to anger. "That jerk ran off without a word after making fun of me." She crossed her arms. "He always does that. It drives me insane!"
"Oh, sorry to bother you then." Maya felt dejected. All this was for nothing. She looked at Keiko. "By the way, do you know a Kurama?"
Keiko looked at her suspiciously. Maya was taken aback. Had she said something she shouldn't have? "No, no, never heard of him," said Keiko, narrowing her eyes.
"Oh, well, that'll be all. Thanks." Maya kept up a brisk walk until she was well out of sight. She leaned against a tree, sighing. Keiko was hiding something from her, more specifically, something about this Kurama. She bit her lip. She was going to find out, one way or another.
She walked aimlessly, weaving through the buildings. The sky above darkened completely and the city lights prevented the stars from being seen, but the moon shone brightly. It looked full. Tomorrow was the official full moon though, remembering her calendar.
Maya bumped into a person, snapping her out of her thoughts. She mumbled an apology and walked away. This was hopeless. She didn't even know where to look. Her only lead was a dead end. She looked at the street name. Her eyes widened. Panic spread through her body. She didn't know where she was. She dug through her pockets. She only had lint and a gum wrapper. She scowled and tossed the wrapped onto the ground angrily, stomping on it.
She walked briskly, hoping to find a place that looked familiar. That only led her deeper into the city. She gasped in pain. Not again. Please not now, she thought desperately, leaning her hand against a building and breathing heavily. She clutched her head using her other hand. It was another memory attack, one far worse than the last. She stumbled and fell into an alley. No one was around to notice the girl. A few images flashed before her eyes. This time a demon with eight arms grabbed an unconscious Maya...Shuichi carrying her as she rested on his back...
Her eyes opened a crack, completely oblivious to the world. She felt someone pick her up. Although her sight was beginning to get blurry, she was still able to discern key points of his appearance. It was a man with long dark hair and pale skin. His eyes were narrow and calculating. He wore a demented doctor's mask and she could almost feel him smirk evilly. Without any energy to scream for help, she feel limp into his arms.
"Shh," he said, "you're knight in shining armor will come soon enough."
(1)I'm using the information from the manga here. Atsuko knows about Yusuke's missions because she attended the Dark Tournament with the other girls.
CrazyDreamerGirl:Just to explain, yes Maya knows about the tape, but she does not know the extent Kurama, a.k.a Shuichi, is a part of it because the name Shuichi was not used. Right now, she's more worried about betraying his trust. Be patient, all will be revealed in due time. Random note, I got really lazy to edit this chapter. Sorry for any stupid little mistakes.
Thank you Sora Sotara (x3), Proxima Shining, UchihaHyugaGlow, LoveAnime18, Dragoon-Yue, Beruska, superkawaiifoxy, MoonlitSorrow, ani05tersrVIP, Pure Shikon, Arthuria, and Fefis for reviewing.
