Dc-chan: If you don't like cliffhangers than you're going to hate what I have in store for the end of the next chapter very, very, very much.

MCT: Yeah, because-

Dc-chan: -hits MCT over the head- Don't spoil it! Oh geez, the ending to the next chapter is going to be so evil…

Disclaimer: If you figured out that I don't own this then you're very good at pointing out the obvious.

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Chapter 10 of Define 'Normal'

The Guardian of Time, Stage IV

Kurama narrowed his blazing green eyes at Takuto. "Well?" He huffed irritably letting go of the boy's collar, but still glaring at him. "What do you know?"

Takuto grinned smugly and put his hands on his hips. He looked at each of them amusedly before starting to speak. "You're not going to find her by just running around. She's in a place no normal person can get to, but none of us are exactly normal, are we?" He probably meant it as a joke, but he coughed in his hand before continuing when Yusuke and Kuwabara tightened their hands into fists. "It's difficult to explain where she is because technically she's not here, or in Makai or in Reikai. She's in a special place, I guess you could say it's a lot like a plane in-between worlds that shouldn't exist. A place of darkness…" he trailed off.

"So, where the hell is this place you're talking about?" Yusuke demanded angrily, Takuto's description of where Kira was being held captive only made him confused.

Takuto shuffled his feet. "We can't get there."

Kurama moved forward, but Takuto backed up to evade him with his hands raised in front of him.

"You didn't let me finish explaining." Takuto said rolling his eyes. "I said we can't there, but I know someone who can open up the portal to take us there."

Hiei glowered at the boy from the corners of his eyes, his crimson eyes flashing. "Your sister, I presume."

"Oh, you've met her?" Takuto said turning to Hiei with an interested expression.

"Yes." Hiei replied chillily, not taking his eyes off Takuto. "I was sent to save her when she was lost in the forest a few months ago."

Kuwabara elbowed Yusuke. "What's shorty about? That kid has a sister?"

"Hard to imagine, isn't it?" Yusuke stated, elbowing Kuwabara back much harder and in his ribs.

"Really?" Takuto cupped his chin in his hand thoughtfully. "Well, that's interesting. I never pinned you as the type of guy to rescue someone, especially a human."

Hiei put his hand on the hilt of his sword ominously, but said nothing further about the subject.

"Anyway, about my sister." Takuto clapped his hands together. "She's kind of like a witch, I guess you could say, but her powers are so much cooler."

"Your sister can open the portal?" Yusuke asked dubiously.

Takuto nodded. "Yeah, she can. Vortex manipulation, ever heard of it?"

"No…"

"Didn't think so."

Yusuke gritted his teeth. Must restrain…from beating…the living…crap out of him… Yusuke exhaled heavily, calming down. Now was no time to get worked up and pound the only person who knew someone who could help them into a bloody pulp. That would only make matters worse.

"So, are you going to take us to this sister of yours?" Kurama inquired, regaining his pose on the outside, but on the inside he felt like he was going to go crazy. Kira might as well walk around with a huge flashing neon sign that read 'Kidnap me! I'm totally oblivious to my surroundings 24/7!'

Takuto walked a few steps down the street then beckoned them. "Follow me. What's the worse that could happen?"

They all glanced at each other, their hatred for Takuto seemed to be mutual. Even Hiei was aggravated by the teenager, his cocky know-it-all attitude was very standoffish.

Grudgingly, they followed him into the night.

…

Kira briskly walked around the darkness, pulling a perplexed Sega along with her.

"What are you doing?" He wondered as she groped in the darkness with her other hand.

She sighed heavily. "I'm trying to find a way out of here. If there's a way in, there's a way out." Kira wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. It wasn't that it was heat where they were, it was actually quite cold, but she was walking so fast that it was like a cardio workout. "You got any better ideas?"

Sega shook his head slowly.

"I figured that." It was so weird where they were. There were stone walls all around them, but no windows or doors. In other words, no way in or out. But there had to be a way, right? How else could she have ended up in there with Sega?

"It's because you need a special power to escape." Sega explained quietly. "One that you and I don't possess."

"And you're telling me this now?" Kira burst letting go of his hand and sinking down against the closest wall. She buried her face in her hands. This was hopeless, hopeless, hopeless.

Sega sat down next to her with his legs cross and elbows resting on his knees. "Thanks for trying though. You're nice."

"Not really." Kira said bitterly.

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head to one side. "You seem nice to me."

"It's complicated." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I do lots of stupid stuff and I blow up at people a lot. I don't mean to, it just happens."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He raised his eyebrows innocently.

She lowered her eyelids. "What are you? My therapist?"

"Maybe it will help if you talk about it." He suggested politely.

Kira cast him a dark look before biting her lip. It was none of his business. He had nerve to ask or even suggest such a stupid thing. "You're a little kid. You wouldn't understand."

"Actually, I'm over two thousand years old. I never age because this is how I am." He ratified quickly. "Try me. What do you have to lose?"

She hunched her shoulders over. "Fine, but nothing that is said in here leaves this room. Got it, pipsqueak?" She growled at him. When she saw him bob his head up and down she took that as her cue to start, but where to start? There was so much that was bothering her at the moment besides being kidnapped. "The most pressing problem I guess…is that my friends don't tell me anything. They keep important secrets from me that I should know because it concerns me. It really pisses me off when they do stuff like that. They think they're protecting me by not telling me."

"Maybe if you see it from there point of view you'd comprehend it better." Sega said. "They're your friends, they don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Kira fiddled her thumbs idly. "I suppose…"

"There's something else bothering you." Sega noted, studying her face with keen interest. "I can see it in your eyes. That's not the real thing that you think is annoying you, it's something else."

Kira scowled. Could he really see it that easily despite how hard she tried to hide it? The conflicting emotions that she had struggled to suppress for over a year were swirling around inside of her. She directed her brown eyes elsewhere. She did not want to talk about that. Anything BUT that.

Sega said nothing, but she could feel his gaze lingering on her in the darkness. It was a creepy feeling knowing that someone could possibly see what was really troubling you with one look.

After minutes of awkward silence she jumped up onto her feet and waved her arms around. "Okay, okay! I'll fess up!" She put her hands behind her head and inhaled sharply. "I think…I like…Kurama…wait, no. I know I like him. I've liked him ever since I was little that's why I teased him so much. And now I just don't know how to deal with these feelings." She sat down with her legs underneath her.

"Have you ever told him?"

"Hell no!"

"Why not?"

"Because…it's just weird, okay?"

"Does he like you?"

Kira paused before answering. He did. She knew it. It was obvious, but she pretended like she didn't notice in hopes that he would give up on her. Maybe Kurama didn't get it that she felt she wasn't ready for any sort of romantic relationship with anyone. Although sometimes she was extremely dense. Hell, she didn't know how much he liked her until he tried to kiss her not too long ago.

"I presume he does." She replied flatly.

Just then a portal opened in the middle of the room and a hooded figure came out of it.

"Come now." It was a woman's voice. "It's time to put you to use, Sega."

Kira pushed Sega behind her protectively so she was positioned between the strange woman and the Guardian of Time.

"So you want to play?" The woman mused chuckling darkly. "I'm sorry, but we have no time for your games." She raised one of her hands slowly and faced her palm at Kira. A sudden burst of energy shoot out and flung Kira back and pinned her against the wall.

Kira stifled a yell as pain shot through her body upon the contact of her back against the stone wall. She made such an effort not to cry out in pain that she bit her lip so hard that blood trickled down her chin.

"That will keep you in check for the time being. We only need you to lure the others here." Her voice was passionless and icy, as if nothing in her life had ever fazed her. "Until they get here," she recoiled her hand causing Kira to fall to the ground, "you just be a good little girl." She grabbed Sega and jerked him forward until he had no choice but to follow her into the portal which disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Kira pushed herself up with her hands. Her back was sore and her head ached. What was the point of being a psychic if she never thought to use her powers when she needed to. She rolled over onto her side. "Now, I'm really getting pissed off."

…

"Suzume?" Takuto knocked on the door again. "I know you're in there."

Kurama glanced at the watch on his wrist. "It's getting late. Are you sure she'll be able to open the portal?"

"For the final time, yes!" Takuto said in an exasperated tone. He then pounded on his sister's door with his fist. "Suzume? Do you want a very angry fox to kill your older brother?"

"Can't say that wouldn't be an improvement," Hiei muttered while wondering at the same time why the hell he was there..

Yusuke and Kuwabara sniggered.

They quieted down when they heard a faint rustling coming from the other side of the door. Slowly the knob turned and a girl with eyes just like Takuto's and the same brown hair peeked out from behind the door cautiously.

"Ah, Suzume!" Takuto exclaimed happily. "Sorry to wake you up at this hour, but we kinda need your help."

She opened the door completely. She was a short girl and was very skinny. She had on a long plain white shirt and plaid sleep pants with fuzzy slippers, her clothes looked far to large for her and appeared to be devouring her small frame. Her brown hair was in a messy bun and stray hairs framed her thin face. Her skin was pale like a ghosts and she seemed meek.

"With what?" She asked, her voice no louder than a mouse squeak.

"You see." He glanced nervously at the four people behind him. "Their friend got taken by some youkai and we need to rescue her and the Guardian of Time before any bad stuff happens. Problem, is we need a portal to get to where they are."

Suzume swallowed. "Alright." She stepped out into the hallway. "Conjuring a portal shouldn't be too hard. Where do you need it to lead too?"

Takuto inclined his head a bit. "To the in-between world."

She widened her eyes. "To…that place…" she stuttered. "But, that's a very dangerous place to go."

"Well," she rested his arm on top of her head, "we need to go there…now!"

"In-between world?" Kuwabara cocked his head to one side.

"Yeah, it's a lot like here, but it's kinda…off." He then turned back to his younger sister who was looking up at him with much worry. "Relax, just open the portal and I'll be back in the morning. It'll be like I never left in the first place."

She hesitated before closing her eyes. She breathed in and out deeply for a few moments. Suzume then clasped her hands together and bowed her head in deep concentration. A small black hole began growing in front of her in the middle of the hallway steadily until it reached from the ceiling to the floor and took up the entire width of the corridor. She opened her eyes. "Umm…I did it."

Takuto patted her on the head. "Good job Su-chan." He went over to the portal and looked over his shoulder briefly. "You guys coming or what?"

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Dc-chan: Sorry for cutting this chapter short, but I have a concert to get ready for! HYDE CONCERT IN SAN FRANCISCO BABY! For all of you who don't know, Hyde is that sexy guy who sings Ready Steady Go, FMA's first opening song. I'm so excited it's tonight!

NEXT CHAPTER: The Guardian of Time, Stage V (final stage)

ROCK ON AND LOVE AND PEACE,

Dc-chan :D