The cast of characters (minus the teachers from school, but with extras) walk onto the set.
"Why are we wearing this?" Iruka blinked at her outfit.
"Why am I still wearing my business suit?" Kuronue grumbled.
BECAUSE I'M IN CHARGE!!!
The author is suddenly hit with a frying pan.
"DON'T YOU DARE YELL AT MY DAD!"
Uh-oh... Begins to flee I OWN YOU!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
Hiei, who makes his appearance in this chapter, appears.
"Rioki Moondove does not own Yu Yu Hakusho, Read or Die, or Azumanga Daioh. If you need a list, check the last chapter."
Akari Neko-chan, here are the answers to some of the questions... at least one I'm sure...
Harpmaker, you're right with the beginning, and then you went off the subject...!
Kahuffstix, my answer to you is the same to Akari.
Superkawaiifoxy, I'm pretty sure she won't become a Mary-Sue... I'll have her get hurt a lot, trust me.
THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING!!! Have a cookie!!
LONGEST CHAPTER YET!!!... I think...
Chapter 9
The Initiation
Sakura smoothed down the front of her kimono nervously, causing Oma to smack her hand lightly.
"Sakura-" Oma didn't bother with formalities or nicknames. "Stop slouching or I might poke you by mistake."
"Does that mean all the other times were on purpose- Ouch!" Oma answered Sakura's question with a needle point. "How long 'til we're done?"
"With the kimono?"
"Yes, with the kimono."
"Right about… now." Oma stepped back to give Sakura room to move, at which Sakura gave a sigh of relief. "Now, dear, time for your hair."
Sakura groaned, but was secretly pleased she could use another expansion of her power and with the option of sitting down. She gently adjusted the expensive material to keep from wrinkling it as she sat down; making sure her metal band was secured around her leg, but out of sight. She considered wearing her amulet on the outside, but thought better of it: Yokai sometimes attend the festivals to relive the old days and make off with a human victims, which is the main reason why Kcin's family and others go to every festival they can.
Oma frowned at Sakura's mid-back length of hair. "It needs to be longer, dear."
Sakura closed her eyes and went to her mental cupboards, opening one slightly. She couldn't help but grin when she felt added weight fall on her shoulders.
"That's enough. Now, sit still or you won't be ready for Kcin."
"You make it sound like I'm dating him."
Oma paused.
"Contrary to what Kuronue wants, or thinks he wants, or thinks is best for you, a male companion might do you-"
"You forget Oma…" Sakura's eyes darkened. "I'm not like anyone else."
Oma sighed, lowering her head.
"I know, but-" the nanny smiled happily. "I miss dressing you up!"
Sakura nearly fell off her chair. "Oma!"
"SIT STILL!"
Sakura grumbled, but stilled.
"Did you meet any other boys?"
"I told you Oma." Sakura was on the verge of whining.
"Well, Sakura, this Shuichi boy sounds interesting."
"If Shuichi were to come over, Kuronue wouldn't just go through the routine of rocking chair and shot gun, he would actually shoot him. Probably get a silver bullet made just for demons after his daughter too."
"Done."
Sakura blinked before realizing Oma meant she was done with Sakura's hair.
Ding-dong a-ling dang!! The door bell rang, reminding Sakura vaguely of the sound she always thought Bilbo's door bell sounded like in The Hobbit.
"Just in time it sounds like too." Oma smiled while she helped Sakura to her feet.
Kcin shifted uncomfortably, not used to being in kimonos, not to mention a kimono this expensive, bought for this occasion. It was black with a dark, hunter green colored dragon snaking around his body, with a matching color obi (a cloth belt basically) and two under layers.
'Well, at least it has a Hakama (split skirt that looks like pants)-' Kcin's thought was cut short as Sakura came into view at the top of the stairs.
Sakura's hair had grown long enough to have the tips at level with the back of her ankles, and reverted to its original black with silver streaks. In her hair was a gilded Kushi (these are usually rounded combs made of tortoiseshell or lacquered wood, often with inlaid mother of pearl or gilding) and instead of having her hair in a bun, she had tied it into a pony tail. Her bangs were cut in such a way that her face looked like a heart, with two longer locks in front of her ears. That, with her glasses off, made her look almost nothing like the girl he ran into this morning in the principal's office.
But the oddest thing was her kimono.
Sakura wore four layers, with the second layer's collar folded over the top edge of the upper layer. The top layer was a rich red color that had pink flowers near the bottom, but the fabric didn't cover the shoulders, revealing the second layer's- almost white- purple with yellow and blue flowers. The light purple obi had an obi-ita (a thin, fabric-covered board placed under the obi by women to keep its shape) underneath in a darker purple. The top layer split two feet under the obi to show the under layer again.
But the strangest thing was that all over the kimono, minus the obi and obi-ita, were black butterflies… butterflies that moved.
Sakura carefully stepped down the steps towards Kcin with the grace of an ancient princess, quietly whipping out her yellow fan out of its place in her obi.
"Obasan" Kcin blushed as though he had made a mistake. "I mean Ryu-dono (more formal than 'Sama', could mean Lord or Lady, so Kcin is saying Lady Dragon.)- I mean, Kuroichou (Black Butterfly)!"
"Either one will be fine for tonight, Chouko." Sakura's voice was quiet, but it carried easily, as though the world wanted her to be heard. The air around her hummed with power that raced along Kcin's senses for a moment, making the hair on his arms stand up before becoming a pleasant 'hum' in the back of his head.
Kcin, suddenly remembering his manners, held open the front door for her, and then held out his elbow for Sakura to grasp, which she did.
"Kurama, that has to be the fifteenth fan girl that has approached you tonight. You sure you don't want to go home?" Keiko, a girl with brown, neck length hair, suggested, trying to be helpful. She was Yusuke's fiancée, but while the black haired, half demon, ex-spirit detective was gone, she wanted to help any way she could. She wore a single layer kimono with what looked like red fruit and green leaves with a matching obi.
"No Keiko, I'm fine… truth be told, I'm curious as to the release of energy Koenma-san was talking about." Kurama/ Shuichi wore a dark green Hakama type kimono with black bamboo leaves and a blue and white striped obi. He side stepped to avoid being seen by a girl from school as he thought about their mission: Koenma had noticed an unusual release of energy 20 years ago and 40 years ago, but by the time Reiki (spirit world) showed up, the source was long gone. Both times, the same festival was going on, the festival they were in right now.
Kuwabara, a boy a little younger than Kurama with orange hair wore a dark purple Hakama type kimono like Kurama, with a black obi. He seemed be groaning about not being with his 'precious Yukina', his Ice Maiden (an ice Yokai) girlfriend.
The smallest of their group, Hiei, was thinking about the best way to kill Kuwabara without Spirit World finding out. Hiei was Yukina's older twin brother, though Kuwabara and Yukina didn't know that, with which Hiei was content. Hiei and Yukina had red eyes, but that was where the resemblence ended. While Yukina had the blue hair that was common to Ice Maidens, Hiei had black hair with a star-like white streak near his skull. He wore a dark blue Haori (a hip- or thigh-length kimono) with thin lighter blue streaks and a matching obi.
"Hey look! Fire works! Maybe Genkai (The aged Reiki fighter who rigorously trains Yusuke) will let us fire them off near her temple. Pity she and Yukina couldn't come." Kuwabara hardly paused for breath as he raced for the stand.
"Kuwabara, we are on an important-" Kurama became silent, suddenly realizing that energy was building up in the forest near the festival grounds.
Kcin had never been more nervous in his life than he was in this moment. He shook hard enough that he was sure people could see him, until Sakura placed her hand over his arm. His shaking stopped but the nervousness remained.
The thing that made him really nervous was that he had no idea what he was scared about. His Mother and Grandmother never said anything to him about what actually happened. Surely, if it was dangerous, they would have prepared him. Right?
As Sakura and Kcin moved through the festival, he wondered if his mother felt this insecure walking past the same stalls selling the same food. The two of them approached the forest in which his Mother and Grandmother told him they were given their title. What if he messed up? What if he didn't have what was needed to become one of the Chou Heihi? Ava managed to join, and she seemed well… ditzy.
"We are here." Sakura's voice broke him from his mental questioning. The time of thinking was over.
Kcin looked around. They were in his favorite clearing with its overgrown grass. Lit up with fireflies and Sakura's blazing eyes, the place had never been more magical in his all-too-short life.
Sakura let go of Kcin's arm, and he almost immediately began to shake again. While she was on his arm, it seemed as though this was all surreal, not as terrifyingly factual as it was now.
Sakura looked Kcin in the eye and he felt as though he could not turn away.
"Kcin Munesanzun (mind)?" There was a clear, resounding note in the air that began, or became noticeable, when Sakura called his name.
Kcin gulped.
"Yes, Kuroichou?"
She walked in a quarter circle, coming to face Kcin again as the very ground beneath him began to resonate with that same clear note.
"Do you swear to protect the innocent first and punish the guilty second?"
"Yes, Kuroichou." Kcin sounded more confident than he felt, becoming even less so when another note joined the first.
"Do you swear, no matter what the circumstances, that you will never seek revenge on another?"
"Yes, Kuroichou."
Certain strands of the tall grass began to glow, some even under his feet.
"Do you swear not to lie, or cheat, and not to steal, except temporarily, and that only when the item in question is in danger of being used for evil purposes?"
"Yes, Kuroichou."
More grass lit up, forming, Kcin realized, a large green butterfly.
"Do you swear to not tell anyone else of the Chou Heihi or the Ryu Rogues, unless another member of either agrees with you that the secret should be told?"
"Yes, Kuroichou."
The wind began to blow, picking up Sakura's hair and kimono, making her seem even more unearthly.
"And if you are caught breaking any of these oaths, will you commit yourself to the justice of the Chou Heihi?"
Kcin opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off.
"Think about this carefully, Chouko. Though no one, as of yet, has died an early death in the Chou Heihi, that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. This will not be easy. If anyone in the Chou Heihi calls on you, you Will come. If you are asked to complete a task, you will do your utmost to accomplish it." Sakura's voice suddenly became softer. "No one will blame you or judge you if you decide to walk away now."
"I swear, I will protect the innocent before punishing the guilty, never seek revenge, lie, or cheat; and if I must steal something, it will be for the greater good and returned at the earliest. I will come to the aid of my fellow Chou Heihi and keep this secret, unless it must be told.
"I swear to keep these oaths, and if I break them, the Chou Heihi may take whatever action they think is necessary." Kcin had to nearly shout out the last part: the two clear notes had been joined by a third and it was difficult to think past the feeling of uneasiness. At least his knees had stopped shaking.
Sakura's eyes seemed to become brighter, almost too blinding to look at. She crossed her arms in front of her in the shape of a cross, closing her eyes for a moment. The notes became higher, and only as they reached their peak, she began to speak again.
"This hour has not come soon
Waiting more than 200 moons
Bracelet of Light,
Butterfly of Night.
World of Spirits, Take your leave
The night has passed of the final eve,
Spirit Guardian, Take Flight!
"Viridis Psyche!!"
There was a blinding flash of light, and then there was nothing. The notes and wind had ceased, along with the glowing pattern on the ground.
Sakura took a step forward, and then another to come within arm's length of Kcin. In the hand that she held outstretched was a bracelet with black, purple, and silver 'threads' and a green gem in the center with a butterfly emblem over it.
Kcin looked at the bracelet, than Sakura. She smiled at him, silently comforting him.
"'ViridisPsyche'?" He took the magic laced bracelet and straped it around his wrist.
"Viridis is Latin for green, while Psyche is ancient Greek for Butterfly. While Papilio is the Latin word, I think Psyche is prettier…" (I'm told I should have used Greek characters, but I have no idea how to do that…)
"Oh."
Sakura turned her face toward the festival, as though she could see something through the trees. "We better go. Spirit World will be here soon."
"Shuichi!"
Kurama flinched as Yoko let forth a string of curses. The Spirit Detectives had split up when they couldn't locate the source of the energy and the fan girls had found him. The red head turned, already looking for an escape, when he realized it was Maya, Sakaki, Hisami, Iruka and Kaitou who had called his name.
The girls had arranged their hairs into buns, Hisami's numbering two. Maya wore a kimono with Cherry Blossoms, Sakaki with Kittens, Hisami with Reeds and Iruka with Waves. It seemed as though the girls had grown closer: They had traded their obi (I'm not sure if girls really do that, but I thought it was cute) among each other.
On the other had, Kaitou was still wearing his school uniform. Seeing Kurama's disapproving stare, he was quick to defend himself.
"I didn't know we were doing anything. The girls just showed up at my door and 'kidnapped' me."
The girls giggled at his choice of words.
"We called Kcin-kun's house, but his mother said he was already here…" Maya paused. "Saka-chan and I felt something in this direction," She cocked her head to the side "did you feel it too, Minamino-kun?"
Kurama thought fast. If he said no, the newcomers might just go on to investigate on their own and get hurt; If he said yes, it would confirm he had unusual abilities, and he would be forced to 'baby sit' them.
'There is no need.' Hiei telepathically told Kurama with the use of his third eye, returning to the red head's side. 'Whatever that energy came from, it's coming this way.'
The newcomers blinked, suddenly noticing the short boy beside Shuichi. Had he always been there and they had simply overlooked him?
"Who's your friend, Minamino-kun?" Iruka asked.
"His name is Hiei." Kurama said, distracted with his search of the immediate area.
Suddenly, the crowd parted enough for the group to see what the cause of the immense force was.
There stood Kuroichou (Sakura for those of you with short attention spans). She was at an angle to them so they could only see her profile, until she seemed to sense their stare and turned half a degree. The silver in her hair caught the light as she studied her observers. She turned back to her other side to speak to someone there and Kcin was abruptly within view. She said something to him, to which he nodded and bowed. She bowed back and turned to leave as Kcin turned to their group.
That was about when Shuichi realized he was trembling. Yoko was scared; terrified of the girl with burning purple eyes. Shuichi, the human half of their soul, seemed to be more at peace with her presence than he had ever felt before. He turned his head so he could see Hiei and saw that the shortest of their party was rooted on the spot, his mouth open and his entire body shaking.
"Wait." Shuichi played on Yoko's curiosity to get him to cooperate so he could talk to this mysterious woman. He passed Kcin and then was standing beside her.
Sakura turned to face Shuichi fully, using all her will to keep herself from saying anything that might give herself away. She watched as he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He closed it, looking flustered and ready to try again when she interrupted.
"Custodies ipsum tuum ('Guard yourself.' I'm told Latin doesn't translate word for word.), Kitsune (Spirit Fox, what Yoko is)." And with that, she turned and left.
"Kcin-kun, who was that?" Iruka asked in awe, not hearing Sakura.
"Kuroichou… Please don't ask anymore." Kcin pleaded. "I can't tell you."
"SHUICHI!!" Maya suddenly screamed. The moment 'Kuroichou' was out of sight, he had collapsed.
Is Shuichi ok?
Why is that Shuichi and Yoko feel very differently about the same girl?
Who was Sakura warning Kurama about?
Will Kurama ever find out that Sakura and Kuroichou is the same person?
What will happen tomorrow? REVIEW AND FIND OUT!!!