Kurama and Yusuke stepped in front of Talon protectively Toshihiro stared past them glaring into Talon's eyes. As a deathly cold silence filled the room, Yusuke activated his ebony stone.
"Koenma, we need some help now," he muttered under his breath.
"Please you guys… get out…" Talon said in a low, begging voice Yusuke shook his head at her while the young ghost began walking forward.
"The only reason she killed us is because of your existence. We would have lived if it wasn't because of you!" He spoke harshly sending out a powerful blast of spirit energy. The blast wracked the air, Yusuke's loose shirt blew around, a globe sitting on a shelf fell shattering onto the ground, glitter, water, and glass spread over the floor. Talon stepped forward her hair flying around her face her eyes narrowing almost angrily.
"Toshihiro! Listen to me! That's not the whole truth!" She shouted over the currents of energy.
"SHUT UP!" Toshihiro yelled a window shuddered Talon stepped back her eyes widening in fear. Toshihiro laughed, "What's the matter older sister?"
"Toshihiro…" Talon said her voice low and strained, "Stop it," Toshihiro laughed again.
"Even if your trying to hide it, your eyes betray how frightened you are," He taunted "I thought you were stronger then this," Talon's shoulders arched upwards slightly.
"I'm only human Toshihiro," She said forebodingly Toshihiro's eyes flashed.
"You're far from human," he snarled, Kurama and Yusuke's eyes widened and they glanced back at the girl behind them. She breathed in her eyes darkening from a light blue to a darker blue.
"Whoa wait! What does he mean by your not human?" Yusuke asked, Talon's eyes narrowed then they slowly closed.
"I am human… But…I…," she said softly, her eyes opened and she bit her lip, blood trickled down from her lips. "Toshihiro…"
Her brother cut her off by raising his hand, his energy absorbed into his outstretched fingers. "Die, older sister. Feel my pain," he hissed. Just then, a blast of bright light sliced through the air behind Talon. She, Kurama, and Yusuke turned to see Koenma and Botan stepped through the portal.
"I can't believe I'm doing this for you," Koenma grumbled while Talon sighed in relief.
"Koenma!" She said breathlessly. Quickly they all vanished into the portal and it closed behind them.
Toshihiro stood silently staring at the empty space as a smile twisted his features. Then he vanished as well, leaving a cold, damp, feeling in Talon's apartment.
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There was only a white light shining blindly into Talon's eyes before she shut them tightly. She had felt the pressure and warmth of someone holding onto her wrist, but it had suddenly vanished.
Finally, the light died away and Talon felt a cold, hard substance pressing against her cheek. She opened her eyes blinking them a few times to make sure they were open; all she could see was darkness. With a small groan, she sat up onto her knees.
"Botan?" She called out; her voice echoed and was followed by the sound of dripping water, "Koenma? Yusuke!" no one replied. A deathly fear clamped onto her stomach, squeezing it tightly inside her. "Shuichi?" her voice cracked slightly.
The sound of something scraping against dirt echoed behind her, with a gasp she stood as she spun around. "Who's there?!" she called; her heart began to beat wildly. The sound came again, closer this time. Talon took several steps back her eyes narrowing into a determined glare.
'Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you,' a voice whispered into her mind, despite herself Talon relaxed suddenly feeling warmth from the unknown being. Talon sensed more than saw a hand beckoning her to follow then the presence began to move away from her.
"W…wait! I was with four others, are they all right?" The being did not answer just continued to move away. Talon scrambled to follow making sure to keep a safe distance away. "Three boys, one girl they look like," Talon stopped realizing she couldn't remember what her companions had looked like, the individual did not reply anyway so Talon decided it didn't matter, "Where am I?" Talon tried, but again the figure said nothing forcing Talon to continue her chase. She realized that they were suddenly going downhill when she tripped on some unknown object and her body pitched foreword. She yelped slightly as she tumbled downward ending up skidding her face on something sharp at the bottom. The individual came up behind her, Talon had a distinct feeling they were trying not to laugh. She pulled herself into a sitting position trying to place where her companion was heading, but he had stopped.
'What's in front of us?' the voice asked, Talon realized the voice was familiar but she could not remember who it was. She placed her hand on the ground, if felt like rich soil, and as her hand moved foreword she felt it grow damp. The smell of earth wafted up to her nose when suddenly something lapped up to her fingers. Her hand sprung back in surprise, the being beside her wanted to laugh again but still did not. Talon reached out again touching the substance when she realized what it was.
"Water?" she questioned aloud, she sensed the being nod, "Why can't I see it?" she wondered. The being refused to answer as he walked foreword. "Wait, what are you doing?" she asked, his foot hit the water's surface and a light lit up beneath his foot. Talon's eyes widened as she caught sight of a man with long silver hair walking into the water.
A little girl of the age of three stared up at the same man as rain hit her mercilessly; her green eyes were wide as she trembled. Talon gasped as the memory cleared up in her mind and the light faded away. "You are!" she said in realization, the figure continued to walk away on top of the water's surface, with each step the water turned into a small light, but it died almost immediately. Talon stood up onto her feet taking a few steps foreword but stopped when she could feel the water at her feet. "Wait!" she cried out to him, the figure stopped and turned around slowly. The details of fox ears and a tail were suddenly clearer to Talon.
'Don't fear, come,' the voice whispered, Talon stared down where the water should have been. I'll sink… and possibly drown! A voice spoke up in the back of her head; Talon swallowed feeling her throat become raw. She breathed in slowly then ran; her feet hit the glass surface of water. The light shined as she stepped, but brighter than the fox's, it glowed even after she stepped away. It began to soak itself everywhere Talon stopped in wonder watching as a lake appeared, lighted by her light. She turned to see the figure at the edge across from her watching silently. Before she could move towards him again though, she fell through the water. Her mouth gaped open as the golden water swallowed her and she began to float downward. She twisted herself around so she could swim properly when her eyes caught sight of something interesting down on the bottom of the lake. She paddled downwards making her way to the set of five figures down below. She landed on the bottom and stepped onto it, it was strange to be standing on something solid when she was surrounded by liquid, but that thought only skipped across her mind before she focused on the sight before her.
The lake's bottom seemed like it was made of a multicolored diamond, a girl lay sprawled on it. Her pale face was covered in sweat and framed with light brown hair. A blue haired girl sat next to her looking very much alarmed as she held onto the girl's wrist, checking for a pulse of some sort. A brown hair boy stood a little a way's from the group, his face was deathly pale as her looked sick with worry, well Talon thought as sick as one can look with a pacifier in his face. Her gaze fell on a boy with spiky black hair who was leaned over the girl. He looked serious, almost alarmingly so. Talon looked curiously at the red haired boy; he was kneeling next to the girl holding her hand up to his face. His eyes were closed but there were worried creases in his face. Talon cocked her head he seemed familiar to her. Suddenly the Blue haired one shouted her face growing pale. The red haired eyes snapped open and he looked at her startled, he looked down at the seemingly dead girl beside him, his mouth moved as he said a name, it moved again. His eyes shut again as he seemed to scream the name, Talon looked down at the girl and finally took in her appearance. "Oh," she said finally figuring it out. She began to move through the body of water and then knelt down touching the hand of her shell. Talon's soul looked up to see the man watching her again. Her eyelids descended slightly as she was sucked back into her body. Goodbye the thought echoed around her as everything spun away.
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"Wait! Her pulse is starting back up!" Botan…?
"Talon please wake up!" Yusuke?!
"Talon?" The next voice said somewhat desperately, Shuichii… With each thought, Talon's mind cleared and her eyes fluttered open.
She tried to move but her body felt strangely heavy. Koenma knelt down next to her; Talon remembered she was mad at him. Some how she shook someone off of her hand, then she punched Koenma. He jerked back his eyes narrowing.
"Yep, she's alive alright," he said with a slight growl, Talon sat up shaking her head clearing away the haze of a headache. Botan suddenly glomped her, squeezing Talon tightly.
"I was so scared! You were so pale I mean paler then usual. Koenma thought that maybe your soul got lost on the way, and then your heart stopped beating!" Somehow Talon made out the words that Botan blubbered she patted Botan on the back.
"I don't die easily Botan, now gettoffame,"
"Oh Sorry!" Botan leapt back, "Didn't mean to smother you," Talon half smiled at her then her gaze turned to Koenma who was staring at her with eyes that seemed hurt.
"Why do you hate me?" Koenma asked,
"You want a list?" Talon asked skeptically, Koenma turned away sulkingly Botan laughed at his expression.
"Have you forgotten?" She asked,
"Forgotten what?" Yusuke asked her, Kurama looked up at Botan as well.
"When Talon was living with me Koenma used to torment her all the time, it doesn't really surprise me she doesn't like him. Especially when he wasn't in his human form he found ways to hurt her feelings." Koenma turned then
"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings! She was just crybaby," he snapped. He realized his blunder when Talon's eyes narrowed into slits and turned a dangerous black. "I ment… you had tender feelings,"
"Got rid of those real fast didn't you?" Talon said in a deathly hiss. Koenma shrank away from her; Talon could not help but smile at that. She looked up finally taking in her surroundings. They were in some kind of pocket, it was a rounded room made with an off-white glass. Patches of sparkly colors were here and there, mostly on the ground. "Where are we?" Talon finally asked. Kurama's eyes darkened slightly as he offered her a hand.
"We aren't entirely sure ourselves," He answered holding tightly to her until she stabilized herself. Koenma stood up folding his arms.
"My guess is that while we were traveling to the spirit world your brother intercepted us and attacked you. Being in between worlds can weaken someone so I figured that you probably had died. Toshihiro put us in a pocket of space that he created in the mean time. I am actually surprised that your soul made it back, usually when someone gets separated like that they never find themselves again." Talon some what smiled at this,
"Someone of my past led me back…" Talon looked up into Koenma's eyes, the two of them were silent until Talon turned away and walked to the edge of the diamond. She tapped the structure, "That kid has got to get a new hobby," she finally muttered.
"I think that's the least of our problems," Koenma said his eye twitching slightly. Yusuke walked up to a wall in the opposite direction of Talon.
"So… Why exactly was Toshihiro killed anyway?" He asked while he examined the structure. Talon froze, a cold silence fell over them, and Yusuke turned looking confused.
"That's…" Koenma began glancing over at Talon her body was ridged and trembling. Kurama blinked in surprise as she curled her hand into a fist.
"Because she didn't want him to be cursed, seeing as I was the first born," Talon said in a low voice. Kurama moved closer to her,
"She?" He asked, there was suddenly a loud crunching noise, and then a wall shot up between Talon and the others. Talon spun around with a look of angry horror on her face.
"TALON!" The wall turned a more solid color, completely shutting the others out. Kurama smacked his fist against it. "Talon!" he called out. Yusuke's eyes narrowed.
"Koenma! Who is "she" who ordered Toshihiro dead?!"
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Talon had been leaning against a wall, but when the others had been shut out she fell backwards onto the ground as her pocket of space seemed to extend. Toshihiro stood in the middle of the new floor watching her with a satisfied smirk. Her eyes narrowed as her walked towards her.
"What now? You're all alone, just like I was when Sora and I were executed for your benefit,"
"Toshihiro, what has happened to you? Surely you aren't so blind that you didn't see what she did to me after killing you." Toshihiro ignored her comment. Instead, he lifted his and slowly curled his fingers as if he was grabbing something. Energy formed into his palm as he stared at Talon over his fingertips.
"Lets dual…" His hand went behind him in a pitchers stance, "Shall we?" He threw the ball. Talon outstretched her fingers causing the air to freeze in a shield, when the ball hit it; it fell apart into wisps of smoke then vanished. Talon lowered her arm,
"Toshihiro, please, I don't want to fight you, I really don't," Toshihiro sent another blast, Talon sighed in defeat, "very well little brother," she said in a voice so low it echoed, her eyes flashed as she raised her hand, she changed the air particles into water then threw it.
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Koenma refused to meet Yusuke's or Kurama's gaze and he refused to answer the question.
"Koenma," Yusuke said dangerously, Botan sighed.
"Her name is Megan, She's Talon's and Toshihiro's mom," Yusuke and Kurama gasped.
"Her…what?" Kurama asked his face paling.
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Talon focused greatly straining her spiritual power to change her water molecules into something more lethal, fire. Sweat dripped down from her forehead down her arms, the added heat assisted her. She watched Toshihiro as he began to gather more spirit energy, she could tell he was growing tired, probably almost out of power all together. Before he could release his stored attack, Talon threw her small yet effective ball of flame out. It licked at Toshihiro's attack absorbing it Toshihiro cried out in surprise. Talon shot out a stream of water it killed the flames. A drop of it mixed with her fire and hit Toshihiro between the eyes. He shrieked in surprise and pain.
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"Her mom… ordered the killing of her unborn children," Koenma forced himself to say.
"Why?!" Yusuke practically shouted, this time Koenma refused to speak all together. Kurama's mind was a whirl, Talon's mother? She was the one who killed Toshihiro and Sora?! Botan suddenly looked distracted.
"Do you think Talon's alright?" she asked fingering the wall, Talon was behind.
"You have nothing to worry about," a voice said behind them they spun around to see Sora, she looked relived and somewhat happy. "Older sister is fighting back," Yusuke waved that aside.
"Sora… do you remember how you died?" Sora's expression darkened,
"Yes…"
"Can you tell us?"
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Talon summoned the winds the best she could, she felt spiritually drained but she had one last shot.
"Wind!" She said feeling a cough rise in the back of her throat; "Bind!" the air shot out hitting against Toshihiro tying his arms and legs together tightly. He slammed against the ground, he angrily tried to unreleased the wind, but he too was spiritually wasted. Talon smiled as her brother began screaming angrily,
"So I've finally caught you brother," She walked towards him,
"Don't touch me!" Toshihiro snarled, Talon shrugged then sat down breaking into a fit of coughs.
"Toshihiro… about your death," Talon finally gasped, "She killed you because of me yes, and you are rightfully angry with me but for the wrong reasons. Toshihiro you hate me because I live and you died, but," Talon closed her eyes taking a large breath as sweat dripped off her face, "You have it all wrong, you're the one that lived, I only survived." Toshihiro's eyes widened.
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"My memories aren't very clear, but I remember brother seemingly ripped away from me… and then I was too. I was staring in a mirror… and saw…" Sora's voice squeaked as tears of horror and ultimate sadness leaked from her eyes. "Toshihiro… he was… they had…" Botan quietly wrapped her arms around the girl and glared at Yusuke,
"You like making children cry don't you?"
"NO! I just wanted to know what happened alright?!"
"In short, the two of them were maimed and beheaded." Botan snapped, Kurama and Koenma both flinched. Yusuke turned deathly pale.
"I woke up to Toshihiro yanking on my arm… the two of us fled from that scene…," the small voice said. Sora pushed away from Botan, she had a dreamy look on her face, "We… played together… and forgot everything… until Toshihiro found out why he and I died… Then he became contempt on revenge."
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Talon coughed again before continuing, "You and Sora played together, had fun, I survived… found food and odd jobs, curling up in anything I could find before someone took me in, even then… I was not doing any of the things you were. Toshihiro… you lived, you and Sora both lived. I had the unfortunate circumstance of surviving in a world that hated me." Toshihiro looked away from her his bangs covered his eyes. "I have a fear of broken glass… because I dreamed… you and Sora's death… it was horrid, the mirror had broken… images shone in each of them..." Talon's eyes narrowed sadly, "and then the night my dad died…" Talon didn't finish her sentence… "Toshihiro… I believe you can live again… maybe as one of my children… maybe as someone else's You never really were alive, I'm positive you can live again," Talon said, before realizing her brother was trembling.
"Older sister… release me…" He said in a hollow tone, Talon allowed the wind to leave although she felt afraid that it was trap. Toshihiro slowly stood then wrapped his arms around her neck bawling, "I'm sorry…. I'm sorry…," he said, Talon's eyes widened in surprise but then she hugged him back.
"Don't be… it was hard, it still is, things will be for a while." She whispered Sora walked up to them.
"Brother, lets go play some more!" She said, Toshihiro let go of Talon and he turned to her with a nod. "Come with us older sister!" Sora said Talon shook her head.
"Sorry, no can do there's still a lot of things for me to do here," The two children nodded then left,
"We'll come visit you then, Kay?" their voices echoed. The pocket of space faded away and Talon found herself kneeling on the ground of her living room.
"We didn't get far now did we?" Botan's voice jumped at her, Talon turned to see the others as they looked around themselves.
"Where's Toshihiro?" Koenma asked
"Somewhere with Sora," Talon answered passively, she stood slowly trying to stay on her feet.
"Are you alright?" Yusuke asked, Talon nodded as her eyes scanned the area, her eyes caught sight of movement. Her bear sat up on his own and rubbed his head, Talon blinked her eyes grew wide. Cordiroy stood up, brushed himself off them climbed to the top of the cabinet. Talon pointed at him crying out.
"He just moved on his own!" The others looked at her, to the bear (who so conveniently was sitting in a very teddy bear manner) and back.
"The bear?" Yusuke asked, he walked up to her patting her on the shoulder, "Sorry but you're losing it,"
"No I left him on the floor remember?!"
"Its late, and you've been through a lot," Koenma said, "You're probably just seeing things, Talon growled but didn't reply as he and Botan left. Yusuke and Kurama were led to the door Yusuke left quickly, before Kurama left though he turned to Talon.
"Talon… if there's anything you ever need, please just tell me, I'll do anything to help," talon was touched so she smiled and nodded. Kurama then surprised her by wrapping his arms around her and giving her a hug. "Remember when you asked about the name Kurama? Please… I would like you to call me that,"
"Kurama…" Talon tried, tasting the foreign word on her tongue. Kurama nodded then he too left.
Talon immediately flopped onto her bed falling into a deep slumber as two young ghosts entered her dreams, a small smile tugged at Talon's lips as they played together.
Kurama entered his home quietly; his mother was dead asleep on the couch so he put a blanket on her.
"I'm home," he whispered, he gave his mom a kiss on her cheek then headed upstairs going to bed as well. A certain brown haired, green-eyed girl haunted his dreams all night.
-Chapter 10 end-
Ok the ending became rushed because I wrote this whole chapter in one night and now it is two in the morning. I am still banned from writing but I wanted to get this up, thank you for waiting, I promise 11 will be up soon =D