Yukina woke me up early in the morning, a smile on her face. "Good
morning," she said in her sweet voice. "I thought that we might be able
to do something more about your hair."
I nodded, moving Hiei so I could sit up, my long hair tumbling all around me. The kitten batted at some stray strands, obviously enjoying himself. His tail swished back and forth as he continued in his entertainment, looking as adorable as ever.
The young girl blinked a few times. "Your hair... it's back to its full length." She seemed to be surprised, but she shook it off. "Oh yes. Botan said something about that before she and the other girls left." She smiled. "Well, it doesn't seem to be all that tangled, so I'll see if I can brush it out."
"Okay." I stood up, Hiei in my arms, allowing Yukina to see just how long my hair was.
She began at the bottom and worked her way up, talking kindly to me the whole time. "If you like, I can do this every morning since your hair is so long. It's probably impossible to take care of on your own." She was incredibly gentle as she worked every tangle out of my hair, not hurting me in the slightest. It was strange to think of, because she actually seemed to not want to injure me in any way. No one had ever acted that way toward me before.
"I can braid your hair too," Yukina offered in a sweet voice. "It'll look pretty like that."
"Okay." It wasn't like I could argue. I had never been allowed to argue before, so it wasn't like I could do so now. Besides, I didn't want to, mainly because it was against my nature.
When Yukina finished brushing my hair, she did what she said she would--she braided it into one long braid. When she hung the finished product over my shoulder, I could see that she had tried it with a black ribbon.
"What do you think?" she asked softly.
I looked over my shoulder at her, finding her smiling sweetly. "Think?" I repeated. No one ever asked me what I thought about something. It just wasn't done.
"Yes, think. Do you like it?" she insisted, sounding curious. Her red eyes watched me innocently, her smile not leaving her face for an instant.
I nodded my head. "Yes." I did like the braid, but I was also giving her the answer she obviously wanted. I wasn't one for stating my opinion... ever.
Her smile widened. "Good. Then we can do this every morning," she replied. "I'm happy."
I blinked, my eyes watching her carefully. She was... happy... because I had said yes? I had never made anyone happy before, and it was a strange feeling.
"As soon as you've changed and had breakfast, Genkai wants to resume the training with the guys," Yukina continued after a moment.
"Okay." I stood up and began doing as I was told, Yukina leaving the room as I pulled clothes out of drawers. I picked out a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt as well as a lacy black bra and underwear set the girls had insisted I get. I didn't quite understand the reason behind their insistence, but I decided it would be a good idea to wear them instead of hurting their feelings by leaving the set in the dresser.
I tossed everything on, the tiny kitty watching my every movement. As soon as I was dressed, he walked up to me and rubbed against my leg, meowing pitifully.
Shaking my head at him, I picked him up. "Hiei, you are pathetic, you know that?" I whispered as he climbed onto my shoulder, poking his nose into my ear. I scratched his ears for his funny gesture and then went to the kitchen.
I ate a quick breakfast, fetched the radio, and finally went to the same place as I had been the day before. Sitting down, I turned the radio on. As soon as a song came on that I knew, I began to sing.
"When I pretend everything is what I want it to be, I look exactly like what you always wanted to see. When I pretend, I can't forget about the criminal I am, stealing second after second just cause I know I can but... I can't pretend this is the way it'll stay; I'm just," I sang, letting my voice fill the air.
I still found it strange that I could sing so well, but then, I was a siren. It made sense, in a way, although I had never been good at anything before. Of course, my voice caused problems, which reminded me... I needed to keep an eye out for anyone to show up so I could stop singing if I needed to.
I calmly watched my surroundings, waiting for one of the guys to appear. I knew that one of them would eventually, since I was a siren. It was, after all, what they had done the last time.
"(Lying to bend the truth) I can't pretend I'm who you want me to be, so I'm (Lying my way from you) No no turning back now (I wanna be pushed aside so let me go) No no turning back now (Let me take back my life I'd rather be all alone) No turning back now (Anywhere on my own cuz I can see) No no turning back now (The very worst part of you is me)." My voice was barely audible over the music, but I didn't want to sing loudly.
Genkai came out of the shrine and looked down at me. "Sing louder or else the dimwits won't hear you. I think Yusuke is still in bed."
I nodded my head as Kurama came into view. "I remember what they taught to me; remember condescending talk for who I ought to be. Remember listening to all of that and this again, so I pretended up a person who was fittin' in." I watched the redhead come progressively closer, his green eyes unfocused. "And now you think this person really is me and I'm (Trying to bend the truth) Cuz the more I push the more I'm pulling away cuz I'm..."
When he came close enough to touch me, I had to stop singing. Yusuke and Kuwabara were already close by, both in a daze until I shut my mouth.
(Lying my way from you)
No no turning back now
(I wanna be pushed aside, so let me go)
No no turning back now
(Let me take back my life; I'd rather be all alone)
No turning back now
(Anywhere on my own cuz I can see)
No no turning back now
(The very worst part of you)
(The very worst part of you is ME)
Yusuke shook his head. "What a way to get woke up," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He was still in his pajamas, which consisted of a pale green button-down shirt and a pair of matching cotton pants.
"Yeah, unusual too," Kuwabara added, dressed in his blue school uniform. "What was that?"
"Myra's voice, dimwit," Genkai answered, rolling her eyes. "Now get going and see if you can keep from coming over here the next time she sings." She glared at them when they didn't move. "That means beat it!"
"Alright, alright, Grandma. We're going," Yusuke retorted, stalking off, Kuwabara following close behind.
Kurama smiled down at me. "It seems your powers are quite formidable. Even my Youko side was ensnared when you sang." Still smiling after giving me that undeserved compliment, he walked off.
Genkai shook her head. "There are days..."
I mentally shrugged and resumed singing. "This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." I suddenly saw Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke all within fifty feet of me, with Hiei being the closest. Kuwabara was no where in sight.
"This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." Yusuke appeared to be fighting against my voice the best, and Kurama seemed to be doing about the same. Hiei was a different story though.
"This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." Hiei kept coming closer and closer until he was just a foot away from me. "This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This."
I stopped singing, watching his ruby red eyes go from foggy to crystal clear. He slightly shook his head, as if ridding himself of his daze. Then, he disappeared.
(You)
No turning back now
(I wanna be pushed aside so let me go)
No no turning back now
(Let me take back my life I'd rather be all alone)
No turning back now
(Anywhere on my own cuz I can see)
No no turning back now
(The very worst part of you)
(The very worst part of you is me)
The song ended, and the guys began to leave, following in Hiei's example. Strangely enough though, they stopped when Koenma appeared just a few feet away from me. He looked nervous, the pacifier in his mouth rapidly moving from side to side as he sucked on it.
Why had he come? Why was he so nervous? Did he have bad news? Was I going to be punished for agreeing to come back to life in a new body?
Koenma looked over at me, shaking his head. "I see Botan decided to take a little more license with the credit card than usual," he commented, reaching out to pet the kitten.
Hiei hissed at him, unsheathing his claws. Even when the toddler backed up, the feline continued to hiss. Hiei obviously hated men.
"Whacha here for, pacifier breath?" Yusuke inquired rudely.
The ruler of spirit world scowled at him. "I know I've told you many times not to call me that," he protested.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever," the raven-haired youth retorted.
Genkai shook her head and broke up the little argument. "Why are you here, Koenma?"
The toddler looked over at her. "I have a new case for the guys," he replied, causing Yusuke to groan. "I have to admit that it's a little different from your other ones. A powerful demon escaped into Ningenkai a few days ago, and we're not sure if she means to cause any trouble or not."
"Get to the point already," Yusuke insisted impatiently.
"Yeah, what do you want us to do?" Kuwabara asked. Kurama, wisely, remained quiet.
"I will; just give me a moment," Koenma snapped back. "I want you all to spy on her and figure out if she means this world any harm."
"You wish for us to follow her around, study what she does, and then report back to your our findings, correct?" Kurama inquired, earning a nod. "Then as soon as you inform us on where to find her, I'll take the first watch."
"She's in this city attending a private school for all girls during the day called Shiro Academy," the toddler stated. "And there's a little bit more. Don't anger her no matter what, and if she's already angry, try to diffuse the situation. I can't have an angry demon running rampant around Ningenkai."
"Okay... this oughta be interesting," Yusuke commented, grinning. "You're having us do your Peeping Tom business."
"WHAT?!" Koenma almost fell down at that statement, his eyes wide. "I am not!" He sounded adamant about that, but I had the feeling he was most likely hiding something from the group... something important. I just couldn't figure out what it was, although it probably had something to do with the demon we were going to be spying on.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Whatever you say," the raven-haired teen replied mischievously, winking at the toddler. "I know what you're all about."
The ruler of spirit world switched from wide eyes to a glare. "Yusuke, shut up," he ordered. "This isn't a time to be cracking jokes. This demon is stronger than any of you can imagine... stronger than both Hiei and Kurama combined. She's stronger than Toguro."
"Is that possible?" Kuwabara wondered, staring at the toddler. He didn't look convinced.
It was Yusuke's turn to look surprised. "What? Stronger than.... Toguro?" He paled slightly.
Who in the world was Toguro, and why was everyone reacting so much to that name? Everyone looked tense. Well, everyone except Hiei. He simply didn't seem to care; it was if he considered the guy named Toguro to be nothing but a crushable fly.
Koenma nodded. "Yes. She's probably twenty or thirty times stronger."
Kurama frowned slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Then we will have to be most careful when we watch her. We don't want to rouse her anger."
Kuwabara nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he agreed, looking over at the tiny ruler. "But can't you just send her back to Makai?"
"No," Koenma replied. "Circumstances are preventing that, although I would rather just ship her back home instead of let her stay here. She's like a ticking bomb."
Yusuke groaned. "Great. We have the worst kind of guest--the guest you can't get rid of, like a mother-in-law," he muttered, his tone one of annoyance. "And I'm too young to have one of those."
"Are you as stupid as the baka?" Hiei demanded to know, glancing from Yusuke to Kuwabara.
"Hey, who are calling a baka?" the carrot top demanded to know, narrowing his already narrow eyes in anger.
"You, obviously, or have you lost your hearing as well as your brain?" the short demon retorted evenly.
Kurama ignored the argument to ask the toddler another question. "What kind of circumstances?"
Koenma fidgeted nervously. "Ones that I can't explain right now. Even I don't know everything yet," he replied, voice strained.
He was definitely hiding something, but I wasn't sure what. I could tell that he obviously knew much more than we did, but he was keeping the facts from us for some reason. Was it because I was present? Did he not want me to know anything? Mother never had, so I saw no reason for him to be any different.
"Koenma has a different reason," Hiei stated suddenly, looking straight at me.
Had he actually read my mind? That was the only way he could have possibly known to say something like that right then. The statement was so out of place in the conversation that I couldn't help but believe that he had read my mind. Hiei could really read minds. Amazing. Although, why he would want to read my mind was beyond me.
"Huh?" Yusuke blinked in confusion, an unintelligent expression on his face. He merely earned a glare in response.
"Never mind, Yusuke," Kurama advised. "We have much more important things to worry about."
Koenma nodded. "I'll leave everything in your capable hands. I'm going back to Reikai to see what else I can find out about her." Then, he was gone.
The redhead sighed thoughtfully. "Since we are all going to be needed for spying, we should all go find her now, so we all know what she looks like."
"And how are supposed to know her when we find her? Koenma didn't give us anything to go on," Yusuke stated, sounding annoyed. "Stupid toddler."
"If she's as powerful as Koenma claims, she won't be hard to spot," Hiei stated, crossing his arms. He didn't offer any more explanation than that, leaving me a little confused.
Kuwabara cocked his head to the side, obviously as lost as I was. "Oh? And how is that?" he asked, looking at the short demon for an answer.
Before Hiei could make any kind of sharp retort, Kurama stepped in. "Demons as powerful as that have distinguishing marks, such as strange hair or eyes colors like Myra. They also might have strange energy signatures or extra body parts, like a jagan."
"Sounds creepy," the carrot top commented.
"Ah, so they'll stick out like a sore thumb most of the time." Yusuke nodded. "Gotcha."
"I guess you could say that," the redhead agreed.
Yusuke rubbed his hands together, expression eager. "Let's go demon hunting!"
An hour later I found myself wandering around the city with Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara. Genkai had opted to stay behind, claiming that she wouldn't be of any help. Interestingly, the guys seemed surprised that Hiei had decided to come along. Kurama hid his surprise behind a knowing smile, while Yusuke and Kuwabara showed it openly, their eyes wide.
I simply accepted it and tried to find the female demon. I saw hundreds of normal humans walking around, and many of them stared at me, their eyes lingering on my strange hair. A couple of gangster boys even wolf-whistled at me. Never in my life had I been subject to so much attention, and it made me nervous. I much preferred not being noticed.
Instinctively, I curled in on myself, my eyes darting around as I still attempted to find the powerful demon. As I continued to search for her, I noticed Kurama walking close to me. I looked up at him, and he gave me a kind smile.
"I'll see if I can keep some attention off you, but I have a feeling Yusuke or Hiei would be better at this," he stated, green eyes soft. "They have the natural glares that frighten most humans."
I nodded my head in understanding. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Kurama replied politely.
Not quite sure what else to do, I went back to searching. I saw brunettes, blondes, redheads, raven-haired people. Then there was the sea-green hair...
I froze, my eyes focusing on a girl in a small cafe. Her wavy--almost curly--hair tumbled down her back. She was dressed in all white, a silver circlet with a single gem in the center going across her forehead. I couldn't see her eyes because they were looking down at a menu. She was probably the most beautiful female I had ever seen.
I delicately touched the window, pointing at her. "Is that possibly her?" I inquired, voice soft as I looked back at the guys.
Kurama looked at where I was pointing and blushed. Hiei didn't seem to care, and both Yusuke's and Kuwabara's mouths dropped open, their eyes wide.
After a moment, Yusuke nodded his head, eyes still wide. "Yeah. I'd say that's her."
CotA: And now I've introduced a new player in this interesting little game. ::grins:: And no, I'm not going to tell if she's good or bad. Have fun figuring that out on your own. The only thing I will do is apologize for taking so long to update. I really didn't mean to make you wait. ::grimmances:: Forgive me?
Sess-chan: If they did not forgive you, how would they guarantee themselves a new chapter?
CotA: ::shrugs:: Dunno.
Kali: 'Now that was intelligent.' ::snorts::
Zebez: Be nice to her. ::wraps his arms around CotA's waist from behind:: She's trying her hardest. Besides, it's hard not to be nice to someone with such a cute ass.
CotA: ::narrows her eyes:: Zebez! Behave!
Sess-chan: ::claws glowing green:: I will give you a choice, pitiful creature: either release her or become infected by my poison.
Zebez: ::grins:: How about option number three? Run away with CotA! ::picks up CotA and sprints off::
CotA: ::shouting and struggling::
Sess-chan: ::growls and gives chase::
Kali: ::sighs:: 'Pathetic, but I guess I'll have to end this. The review responses are below. Occupy yourselves whilst I deal with the others.' ::summons a fireball and walks off::
Kitsune's Girl370: I've seen your reviews as Sazuka Chan. And thanks for the compliments.
telephone icecream: ::laughs:: I didn't feel all that bad for him, mainly because I know Kurama enjoys teasing him. It seems to be one of his favorite hobbies.
megami: Good luck mimicking what I do, because I don't even know how I do it. It's strange, but true. I just kinda type and see what comes out. Maybe someday I'll figure out how I do things, but till then, I'll just accept it.
BlackFireGoddess: ::laughs:: Kami, I haven't heard that song in ages. And thanks for your support. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.
Kurama and Hiei's Angel: Many people seem to be able to relate to her, and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. After everything Myra's been through, I really hoped most people wouldn't be able to relate to her. I don't like the idea of anyone going through what she went through. It's just plain wrong.
Sazuka Chan: I'm not telling who Myra ends up with, or even if she ends up with someone. It's mine and Sha-chan's secret. ::grins:: She's the one helping me on this story.
Satan's Widdle Hellper: Um... thanks. Interesting way to compliment me, but thank you.
Sei-san: Yes, most people would eat rice with chopsticks, but for some odd reason, Genkai only gave Myra forks, so Hiei put up with it. ::shrugs:: To tell you the truth, metal it probably easier to wash than wood or bamboo.
Katsuko: Teasing Hiei is fun, and I adore the kitty cat. It's so cute! ::squeals:: I want one!
Raynin: Thanks for telling me about the bio page. I had completely forgotten. I also think I need to add You Thought Wrong... OOPS! Silly me. ::laughs:: And I'll see what I can do about reviewing one of your stories, and I promise not to flame. And some of the characters are OOC? Where? Please tell me. I'd like to fix it. And yes, they do use chopsticks, but this is Genkai we're talking about. I don't think she'd really care about whether to use chopsticks or not.
White Fanged Wolf: I'm glad you're enjoying the story no matter what feelings it causes. And thanks. I am having good luck so far.
Kat1132: You did review earlier. Sometimes, it can take up to a day to add something to the site. You just have to be patient.
starwarsfan2008: I didn't even realize I had put hints in this story. ::shrugs:: It's just part of my writing style, I guess.
ThnHorse: Who says I'm putting Myra and Hiei together? I do know that Myra's personality will make it all but impossible to hook her up with anyone. Before she can fall for anyone, she has to first learn to like herself... and admit she has emotions.
I nodded, moving Hiei so I could sit up, my long hair tumbling all around me. The kitten batted at some stray strands, obviously enjoying himself. His tail swished back and forth as he continued in his entertainment, looking as adorable as ever.
The young girl blinked a few times. "Your hair... it's back to its full length." She seemed to be surprised, but she shook it off. "Oh yes. Botan said something about that before she and the other girls left." She smiled. "Well, it doesn't seem to be all that tangled, so I'll see if I can brush it out."
"Okay." I stood up, Hiei in my arms, allowing Yukina to see just how long my hair was.
She began at the bottom and worked her way up, talking kindly to me the whole time. "If you like, I can do this every morning since your hair is so long. It's probably impossible to take care of on your own." She was incredibly gentle as she worked every tangle out of my hair, not hurting me in the slightest. It was strange to think of, because she actually seemed to not want to injure me in any way. No one had ever acted that way toward me before.
"I can braid your hair too," Yukina offered in a sweet voice. "It'll look pretty like that."
"Okay." It wasn't like I could argue. I had never been allowed to argue before, so it wasn't like I could do so now. Besides, I didn't want to, mainly because it was against my nature.
When Yukina finished brushing my hair, she did what she said she would--she braided it into one long braid. When she hung the finished product over my shoulder, I could see that she had tried it with a black ribbon.
"What do you think?" she asked softly.
I looked over my shoulder at her, finding her smiling sweetly. "Think?" I repeated. No one ever asked me what I thought about something. It just wasn't done.
"Yes, think. Do you like it?" she insisted, sounding curious. Her red eyes watched me innocently, her smile not leaving her face for an instant.
I nodded my head. "Yes." I did like the braid, but I was also giving her the answer she obviously wanted. I wasn't one for stating my opinion... ever.
Her smile widened. "Good. Then we can do this every morning," she replied. "I'm happy."
I blinked, my eyes watching her carefully. She was... happy... because I had said yes? I had never made anyone happy before, and it was a strange feeling.
"As soon as you've changed and had breakfast, Genkai wants to resume the training with the guys," Yukina continued after a moment.
"Okay." I stood up and began doing as I was told, Yukina leaving the room as I pulled clothes out of drawers. I picked out a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt as well as a lacy black bra and underwear set the girls had insisted I get. I didn't quite understand the reason behind their insistence, but I decided it would be a good idea to wear them instead of hurting their feelings by leaving the set in the dresser.
I tossed everything on, the tiny kitty watching my every movement. As soon as I was dressed, he walked up to me and rubbed against my leg, meowing pitifully.
Shaking my head at him, I picked him up. "Hiei, you are pathetic, you know that?" I whispered as he climbed onto my shoulder, poking his nose into my ear. I scratched his ears for his funny gesture and then went to the kitchen.
I ate a quick breakfast, fetched the radio, and finally went to the same place as I had been the day before. Sitting down, I turned the radio on. As soon as a song came on that I knew, I began to sing.
"When I pretend everything is what I want it to be, I look exactly like what you always wanted to see. When I pretend, I can't forget about the criminal I am, stealing second after second just cause I know I can but... I can't pretend this is the way it'll stay; I'm just," I sang, letting my voice fill the air.
I still found it strange that I could sing so well, but then, I was a siren. It made sense, in a way, although I had never been good at anything before. Of course, my voice caused problems, which reminded me... I needed to keep an eye out for anyone to show up so I could stop singing if I needed to.
I calmly watched my surroundings, waiting for one of the guys to appear. I knew that one of them would eventually, since I was a siren. It was, after all, what they had done the last time.
"(Lying to bend the truth) I can't pretend I'm who you want me to be, so I'm (Lying my way from you) No no turning back now (I wanna be pushed aside so let me go) No no turning back now (Let me take back my life I'd rather be all alone) No turning back now (Anywhere on my own cuz I can see) No no turning back now (The very worst part of you is me)." My voice was barely audible over the music, but I didn't want to sing loudly.
Genkai came out of the shrine and looked down at me. "Sing louder or else the dimwits won't hear you. I think Yusuke is still in bed."
I nodded my head as Kurama came into view. "I remember what they taught to me; remember condescending talk for who I ought to be. Remember listening to all of that and this again, so I pretended up a person who was fittin' in." I watched the redhead come progressively closer, his green eyes unfocused. "And now you think this person really is me and I'm (Trying to bend the truth) Cuz the more I push the more I'm pulling away cuz I'm..."
When he came close enough to touch me, I had to stop singing. Yusuke and Kuwabara were already close by, both in a daze until I shut my mouth.
(Lying my way from you)
No no turning back now
(I wanna be pushed aside, so let me go)
No no turning back now
(Let me take back my life; I'd rather be all alone)
No turning back now
(Anywhere on my own cuz I can see)
No no turning back now
(The very worst part of you)
(The very worst part of you is ME)
Yusuke shook his head. "What a way to get woke up," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He was still in his pajamas, which consisted of a pale green button-down shirt and a pair of matching cotton pants.
"Yeah, unusual too," Kuwabara added, dressed in his blue school uniform. "What was that?"
"Myra's voice, dimwit," Genkai answered, rolling her eyes. "Now get going and see if you can keep from coming over here the next time she sings." She glared at them when they didn't move. "That means beat it!"
"Alright, alright, Grandma. We're going," Yusuke retorted, stalking off, Kuwabara following close behind.
Kurama smiled down at me. "It seems your powers are quite formidable. Even my Youko side was ensnared when you sang." Still smiling after giving me that undeserved compliment, he walked off.
Genkai shook her head. "There are days..."
I mentally shrugged and resumed singing. "This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." I suddenly saw Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke all within fifty feet of me, with Hiei being the closest. Kuwabara was no where in sight.
"This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." Yusuke appeared to be fighting against my voice the best, and Kurama seemed to be doing about the same. Hiei was a different story though.
"This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This." Hiei kept coming closer and closer until he was just a foot away from me. "This isn't what I wanted to be, I never thought that what I said would have you running from me. Like This."
I stopped singing, watching his ruby red eyes go from foggy to crystal clear. He slightly shook his head, as if ridding himself of his daze. Then, he disappeared.
(You)
No turning back now
(I wanna be pushed aside so let me go)
No no turning back now
(Let me take back my life I'd rather be all alone)
No turning back now
(Anywhere on my own cuz I can see)
No no turning back now
(The very worst part of you)
(The very worst part of you is me)
The song ended, and the guys began to leave, following in Hiei's example. Strangely enough though, they stopped when Koenma appeared just a few feet away from me. He looked nervous, the pacifier in his mouth rapidly moving from side to side as he sucked on it.
Why had he come? Why was he so nervous? Did he have bad news? Was I going to be punished for agreeing to come back to life in a new body?
Koenma looked over at me, shaking his head. "I see Botan decided to take a little more license with the credit card than usual," he commented, reaching out to pet the kitten.
Hiei hissed at him, unsheathing his claws. Even when the toddler backed up, the feline continued to hiss. Hiei obviously hated men.
"Whacha here for, pacifier breath?" Yusuke inquired rudely.
The ruler of spirit world scowled at him. "I know I've told you many times not to call me that," he protested.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever," the raven-haired youth retorted.
Genkai shook her head and broke up the little argument. "Why are you here, Koenma?"
The toddler looked over at her. "I have a new case for the guys," he replied, causing Yusuke to groan. "I have to admit that it's a little different from your other ones. A powerful demon escaped into Ningenkai a few days ago, and we're not sure if she means to cause any trouble or not."
"Get to the point already," Yusuke insisted impatiently.
"Yeah, what do you want us to do?" Kuwabara asked. Kurama, wisely, remained quiet.
"I will; just give me a moment," Koenma snapped back. "I want you all to spy on her and figure out if she means this world any harm."
"You wish for us to follow her around, study what she does, and then report back to your our findings, correct?" Kurama inquired, earning a nod. "Then as soon as you inform us on where to find her, I'll take the first watch."
"She's in this city attending a private school for all girls during the day called Shiro Academy," the toddler stated. "And there's a little bit more. Don't anger her no matter what, and if she's already angry, try to diffuse the situation. I can't have an angry demon running rampant around Ningenkai."
"Okay... this oughta be interesting," Yusuke commented, grinning. "You're having us do your Peeping Tom business."
"WHAT?!" Koenma almost fell down at that statement, his eyes wide. "I am not!" He sounded adamant about that, but I had the feeling he was most likely hiding something from the group... something important. I just couldn't figure out what it was, although it probably had something to do with the demon we were going to be spying on.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Whatever you say," the raven-haired teen replied mischievously, winking at the toddler. "I know what you're all about."
The ruler of spirit world switched from wide eyes to a glare. "Yusuke, shut up," he ordered. "This isn't a time to be cracking jokes. This demon is stronger than any of you can imagine... stronger than both Hiei and Kurama combined. She's stronger than Toguro."
"Is that possible?" Kuwabara wondered, staring at the toddler. He didn't look convinced.
It was Yusuke's turn to look surprised. "What? Stronger than.... Toguro?" He paled slightly.
Who in the world was Toguro, and why was everyone reacting so much to that name? Everyone looked tense. Well, everyone except Hiei. He simply didn't seem to care; it was if he considered the guy named Toguro to be nothing but a crushable fly.
Koenma nodded. "Yes. She's probably twenty or thirty times stronger."
Kurama frowned slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Then we will have to be most careful when we watch her. We don't want to rouse her anger."
Kuwabara nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he agreed, looking over at the tiny ruler. "But can't you just send her back to Makai?"
"No," Koenma replied. "Circumstances are preventing that, although I would rather just ship her back home instead of let her stay here. She's like a ticking bomb."
Yusuke groaned. "Great. We have the worst kind of guest--the guest you can't get rid of, like a mother-in-law," he muttered, his tone one of annoyance. "And I'm too young to have one of those."
"Are you as stupid as the baka?" Hiei demanded to know, glancing from Yusuke to Kuwabara.
"Hey, who are calling a baka?" the carrot top demanded to know, narrowing his already narrow eyes in anger.
"You, obviously, or have you lost your hearing as well as your brain?" the short demon retorted evenly.
Kurama ignored the argument to ask the toddler another question. "What kind of circumstances?"
Koenma fidgeted nervously. "Ones that I can't explain right now. Even I don't know everything yet," he replied, voice strained.
He was definitely hiding something, but I wasn't sure what. I could tell that he obviously knew much more than we did, but he was keeping the facts from us for some reason. Was it because I was present? Did he not want me to know anything? Mother never had, so I saw no reason for him to be any different.
"Koenma has a different reason," Hiei stated suddenly, looking straight at me.
Had he actually read my mind? That was the only way he could have possibly known to say something like that right then. The statement was so out of place in the conversation that I couldn't help but believe that he had read my mind. Hiei could really read minds. Amazing. Although, why he would want to read my mind was beyond me.
"Huh?" Yusuke blinked in confusion, an unintelligent expression on his face. He merely earned a glare in response.
"Never mind, Yusuke," Kurama advised. "We have much more important things to worry about."
Koenma nodded. "I'll leave everything in your capable hands. I'm going back to Reikai to see what else I can find out about her." Then, he was gone.
The redhead sighed thoughtfully. "Since we are all going to be needed for spying, we should all go find her now, so we all know what she looks like."
"And how are supposed to know her when we find her? Koenma didn't give us anything to go on," Yusuke stated, sounding annoyed. "Stupid toddler."
"If she's as powerful as Koenma claims, she won't be hard to spot," Hiei stated, crossing his arms. He didn't offer any more explanation than that, leaving me a little confused.
Kuwabara cocked his head to the side, obviously as lost as I was. "Oh? And how is that?" he asked, looking at the short demon for an answer.
Before Hiei could make any kind of sharp retort, Kurama stepped in. "Demons as powerful as that have distinguishing marks, such as strange hair or eyes colors like Myra. They also might have strange energy signatures or extra body parts, like a jagan."
"Sounds creepy," the carrot top commented.
"Ah, so they'll stick out like a sore thumb most of the time." Yusuke nodded. "Gotcha."
"I guess you could say that," the redhead agreed.
Yusuke rubbed his hands together, expression eager. "Let's go demon hunting!"
An hour later I found myself wandering around the city with Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara. Genkai had opted to stay behind, claiming that she wouldn't be of any help. Interestingly, the guys seemed surprised that Hiei had decided to come along. Kurama hid his surprise behind a knowing smile, while Yusuke and Kuwabara showed it openly, their eyes wide.
I simply accepted it and tried to find the female demon. I saw hundreds of normal humans walking around, and many of them stared at me, their eyes lingering on my strange hair. A couple of gangster boys even wolf-whistled at me. Never in my life had I been subject to so much attention, and it made me nervous. I much preferred not being noticed.
Instinctively, I curled in on myself, my eyes darting around as I still attempted to find the powerful demon. As I continued to search for her, I noticed Kurama walking close to me. I looked up at him, and he gave me a kind smile.
"I'll see if I can keep some attention off you, but I have a feeling Yusuke or Hiei would be better at this," he stated, green eyes soft. "They have the natural glares that frighten most humans."
I nodded my head in understanding. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Kurama replied politely.
Not quite sure what else to do, I went back to searching. I saw brunettes, blondes, redheads, raven-haired people. Then there was the sea-green hair...
I froze, my eyes focusing on a girl in a small cafe. Her wavy--almost curly--hair tumbled down her back. She was dressed in all white, a silver circlet with a single gem in the center going across her forehead. I couldn't see her eyes because they were looking down at a menu. She was probably the most beautiful female I had ever seen.
I delicately touched the window, pointing at her. "Is that possibly her?" I inquired, voice soft as I looked back at the guys.
Kurama looked at where I was pointing and blushed. Hiei didn't seem to care, and both Yusuke's and Kuwabara's mouths dropped open, their eyes wide.
After a moment, Yusuke nodded his head, eyes still wide. "Yeah. I'd say that's her."
CotA: And now I've introduced a new player in this interesting little game. ::grins:: And no, I'm not going to tell if she's good or bad. Have fun figuring that out on your own. The only thing I will do is apologize for taking so long to update. I really didn't mean to make you wait. ::grimmances:: Forgive me?
Sess-chan: If they did not forgive you, how would they guarantee themselves a new chapter?
CotA: ::shrugs:: Dunno.
Kali: 'Now that was intelligent.' ::snorts::
Zebez: Be nice to her. ::wraps his arms around CotA's waist from behind:: She's trying her hardest. Besides, it's hard not to be nice to someone with such a cute ass.
CotA: ::narrows her eyes:: Zebez! Behave!
Sess-chan: ::claws glowing green:: I will give you a choice, pitiful creature: either release her or become infected by my poison.
Zebez: ::grins:: How about option number three? Run away with CotA! ::picks up CotA and sprints off::
CotA: ::shouting and struggling::
Sess-chan: ::growls and gives chase::
Kali: ::sighs:: 'Pathetic, but I guess I'll have to end this. The review responses are below. Occupy yourselves whilst I deal with the others.' ::summons a fireball and walks off::
Kitsune's Girl370: I've seen your reviews as Sazuka Chan. And thanks for the compliments.
telephone icecream: ::laughs:: I didn't feel all that bad for him, mainly because I know Kurama enjoys teasing him. It seems to be one of his favorite hobbies.
megami: Good luck mimicking what I do, because I don't even know how I do it. It's strange, but true. I just kinda type and see what comes out. Maybe someday I'll figure out how I do things, but till then, I'll just accept it.
BlackFireGoddess: ::laughs:: Kami, I haven't heard that song in ages. And thanks for your support. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.
Kurama and Hiei's Angel: Many people seem to be able to relate to her, and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. After everything Myra's been through, I really hoped most people wouldn't be able to relate to her. I don't like the idea of anyone going through what she went through. It's just plain wrong.
Sazuka Chan: I'm not telling who Myra ends up with, or even if she ends up with someone. It's mine and Sha-chan's secret. ::grins:: She's the one helping me on this story.
Satan's Widdle Hellper: Um... thanks. Interesting way to compliment me, but thank you.
Sei-san: Yes, most people would eat rice with chopsticks, but for some odd reason, Genkai only gave Myra forks, so Hiei put up with it. ::shrugs:: To tell you the truth, metal it probably easier to wash than wood or bamboo.
Katsuko: Teasing Hiei is fun, and I adore the kitty cat. It's so cute! ::squeals:: I want one!
Raynin: Thanks for telling me about the bio page. I had completely forgotten. I also think I need to add You Thought Wrong... OOPS! Silly me. ::laughs:: And I'll see what I can do about reviewing one of your stories, and I promise not to flame. And some of the characters are OOC? Where? Please tell me. I'd like to fix it. And yes, they do use chopsticks, but this is Genkai we're talking about. I don't think she'd really care about whether to use chopsticks or not.
White Fanged Wolf: I'm glad you're enjoying the story no matter what feelings it causes. And thanks. I am having good luck so far.
Kat1132: You did review earlier. Sometimes, it can take up to a day to add something to the site. You just have to be patient.
starwarsfan2008: I didn't even realize I had put hints in this story. ::shrugs:: It's just part of my writing style, I guess.
ThnHorse: Who says I'm putting Myra and Hiei together? I do know that Myra's personality will make it all but impossible to hook her up with anyone. Before she can fall for anyone, she has to first learn to like herself... and admit she has emotions.