Kikiaro
"How do we stop this thing end-of-the-world thing from happening?" Yusuke asked and took his previous seat. Kurama sat on a different couch along with Kuwabara. I focused on my brother who was still by the kitchen. I patted the place next to me while I kept my eyes trained on him. They were starting to go back to normal human sight. It felt like I was looking through dirty glass now. Zokon nodded his head no and went back to the kitchen. I almost sighed.
"Hey, Kiki, how do we stop this prophecy thing?" Yusuke asked again. My head sharply turned to him and my eyes narrowed. Who said he could call me "Kiki"? I barely even allowed "Sasha" or "Sas" in the past.
"We can't as far as I know. My people have never found a solution…we may be able to save part of this world if we had more help, but I don't think we can prevent it completely," I responded slowly. I wish my people could have found out more about it in the past. I guess it's too late for that though.
"Quersa knows something we don't I think," Hiei announced. I nodded my head right when he started saying that. I was thinking the same thing right now when I thought about how she smiled when she left and how she came into this room that was hostile territory. The rooms may be off limits to fight in, but they never said anything about the walkways.
She killed my people to stop us from trying to stop this prophecy from coming true it seemed. It almost sounds like she's going to be one of the demons who are going to make sure it comes true and might be one of many who are waiting to crash into this world and start killing humans for fun. None of them understand what is going to happen in the end then. The demons will rule everything at the end of all the fighting, that's true, but then even they will collapse within a few years and every living thing will die. Not even the Netherworld with exist.
"Yeah, what's the deal with her anyways? That one girl said she killed the wolf clan or something. What does that mean?" Yusuke asked, sitting back, relaxing. I looked up to the celling. There was still an off colored path where my bed used to be attached.
"The wolf clan lived in the most of the middle demon planes. It was a forest that bordered all three king's lands and was home to only demons of nature. I remember always being welcomed into the most sacred of places for the wolves because I was a friend of the princess. They were respected for their neutrality as well as their pride, and that is why the kings left them alone. The have always been the only wolf clan to keep their neutrality while other clans went feral or retreated to the darkest of demon planes. I heard they were attacked by someone and many were killed. Those that survived retreated to the demon world with the princess at their head," Kurama explained while staring completely at me. I stared back at him to. The mention of the caves brought back all sorts of memories. I really missed that forest, but Yomi had burned it to the ground. I missed the caves even more since they were completely destroyed. My earliest memories were in those caves with my mother always watching me from the high rock, and my father always looking back from the entrance.
"Quersa killed my people. We stayed in the wilderness of what you call Russia at the request of Spirit World. I was away, and when I came back everyone was dead and Spirit World was blaming me. I was just told now that Quersa was the one who killed them and then collapsed the caves that we had dug out for our homes," I whispered as I remembered that day. Most of the rocks were stained with blood. I think I remember seeing her spiders now, but I didn't register them at the time because then those spirit guards came. Normally, demons killing demons didn't matter. However, we were a different kind of demons. We kept the balance, and that set us apart from all three planes of existence.
"Wait…you told up that Sasharo was blamed for killing your people," Yusuke pointed out. I looked up at him. I slipped up. I put a hand to my head. It was pounding now as my senses lowered to human standards. I always forget that this body can't handle Sasharo's power. Kurama was staring at me even more now. He's figured it out I think.
"Sasharo was blamed just as much as Kikiaro…Isn't that right Sasha?" Kurama asked. I narrowed my eyes at him. It sure took him a long time to figure that one out. Still….I wish he hadn't jus announced it to everyone here. It doesn't even matter if I call him Yoko because they already know he's Yoko.
"It took you long enough Yoko," I said and pulled my legs tighter under me. I don't care about hiding my identity from them so much anymore. There's no time for secrets with the Prophecy of Ages coming as well as our part in the tournament coming up. There are a lot of new fighters that I don't know and there is bound to be another group or two working with Quersa other than her own. We need to work together and stop these demons for trying to bring this prophecy to fruition in the most horrid forms. I don't want to see the humans fall, they have a certain helplessness that is interesting. Kurama smiled and closed his eyes with a small laugh.
"I knew it was you when you first said you were related to Sasharo. You should remember that I spent all my days in the forest inside the cave with you and the clan. I personally knew everyone in the inner circle and Kikiaro wasn't among them…Also, Zokon only smiles with his sister," He responds and laughs a little louder. I narrow my eyes and smile myself. I didn't think he was that observant with those little things. True, a family member as close as I've made Kikiaro would have been very intertwined in the inner circle.
"I've been leaving you clues so you would figure it out. You couldn't have known for sure though until you saw Leare. Your mind has gotten dull though. Very dull in the years you've been away," I responded and laughed a little. I've missed Yoko.
"Wait, you're Sasharo?!" Kuwabara asked loudly. I picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He needs to be quieter. I rubbed the side of my head. I wish this pain would go away.
"These walls are not sound proof. Though I have many allies in the rooms on this floor, I have many enemies all over the entire building. That broken door isn't exactly helping either," I hushed to him and then carefully listened for anyone coming to the door.
"I was trying to figure out what you were planning. Even a different wolf in your situation would consider making a contract with a human," Kurama asked and leaned in a little closer.
"I'm going to find Yomi and prove my innocence. First, I to catch Quersa and hand her over to Spirit World as the murderer of the refugee wolves that made it here," I hissed. Just saying their names made me angry.
"What do you mean "make a contract"?" Yusuke asked Kurama.
"Basically, I'm borrowing this girl's body for two years under her consent. In exchange, and she gets to see a new of world. One that's more exciting. Everything I think, feel, and experience…she has access to in my head," I respond slowly so he can grasp the concept. Mostly all demons just possess weak humans. That is not our way though. We always feel the need to ask for permission first and make sure it is an even trade.
"So you're like…possessing her body?" Kuwabara asked. I could see him shrink away as far as he could while still sitting in his seat. My eyes narrowed at him and I wondered how I should handle this.
"When you say it like that, it sounds like I took her body without consent. She agreed to the terms and actually enjoys looking through my eyes and seeing this world," I respond quickly. Asami often comes to me at night when I'm sleeping. She loves to questions me about what she's seen on her own. It's hard to contact her when my mind is fully conscious, but it's possibly and she's always happy and healthy.
"Anyways," Yusuke intervened to shut the idiot up, "let me understand this. Why are you looking for Yomi?" I paused. Should I reveal what the king did during his reign? Yes.
"Yomi lead his army against my people when we lived in the demon world. He told us to pick a side, and we refused," I told him softly. The room was mostly quiet with the exception of the sounds of Zokon cooking in the kitchen. I wish he wasn't so considerate sometimes. One of my hands clenched when I remembered how my mother never spoke a word after that attack that took my father. Zokon was so scared when he looked with the bodies of most of our clan pilled on the stone floors around him. Yusuke looked at me and then at Kurama.
"It's not that far of a stretch for Yomi. He was never a supporter of the wolf neutrality that your people kept. He believed you were trying to mock him in some way," Kurama said. I nodded my head. I've seen him smile while also giving off angry energy when I went to his palace once with my father. He was a very deceiving leader. He makes it seem like his blindness makes it so he can't see anything. It's ironic that he's the only demon that seems to see everything.
"If I can get enough proof, my name will be cleared of the murders of my people. Quersa killed my people in this human world which I can only prove if I can capture her alive. That will clear my name here and also in my homeland," I explained. They nodded their heads, understanding now why I needed to hide at the beginning as Asami and most recently as Kikiaro.
"So…Zokon is really your brother then. Does that Leare know?" Yusuke asked, very carefully saying Leare's name. I think he's figured out that she and the others don't tolerate ignorance of any kind.
"Of course," Kurama, me, and Hiei answered at the same time. Leare always knew everything, whether you told it to her or not. I just happened to tell her because I know she prefers to be told things. I'm still not sure sometimes if she'll kill me for the littlest things or not.
"Hey Hiei, if you and her both know Leare, does that mean you both knew each other?" Yusuke asked, leaning forward. We both started at him. I don't even know how to handle this at the moment. My head hurts too much. I really need to sleep.
"What do we say?" I asked Hiei.
"Yusuke's an idiot, but he's not stupid. It's more trouble to lie," He sent me. I almost sighed.
"Me and Hiei have known each other since we were children. I'm the one who introduced him to Leare in the first place," I answer calmly.
"You didn't need to tell him that!" Hiei shouted at me. I frowned. What exactly did he want me to say? He said to tell the truth so that's what I did. What did it matter if they knew? They'll figure it out if they ever see us fight as a pair. We act almost like a single person at this point.
"You told me not to lie," I sent back. Yusuke got this weird look on his face. I stared at it, wondering what that look means.
"You never mentioned that in the past," Yoko remarked with almost a question at the end.
"It never came up," I retorted. I smelled the air and wrinkled my nose. Something's burnt. I looked over and Zokon was coming in with a large plate. He set it down in the middle of the coffee table and I saw that it was slightly burnt chicken. I think that's pretty good for Zokon who's never used a stove before. He turned around and went right back to the kitchen.
"I guess we get dinner now," Yusuke said and leaned forward to examine the food. There was a lot of it, but these guys will probably eat most of it easily. I really don't feel hungry at this point. I'd rather sleep, but I want to talk to Zokon first.
"Yeah," I answer and stare at the kitchen doorway.
"So, if you knew Hiei, then did he save Zokon because he was your brother?" Kuwabara asked. I'm amazed he can make a sentence that long.
"Yes," Hiei answered. I think we both knew he wouldn't shut up about it if we didn't answer in a non-lying way.
"Zokon has always been my baby brother who always needs some kind of help. He's not a fighter," I told him and watched Zokon come back with plates and other necessities for dinner (forks, knives, napkins). He set them down and disappeared again. What will he bring this time?
"I think we should discuss what we're going to do though," Kurama said softly and leaned forward. I looked up at him. What does he mean?
"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked.
"Well, we were sent here to get the dagger, but now we know the human world is going to collapse if we don't do anything. The prize here is a single wish. If we won what should we wish for? And the Sasha is here and also considered a criminal…" Kurama said but then stopped.
"I'm here to find Yomi. If we won, my plan was to wish for where he was and then go hunt him," I told them seriously. There's no reason to hold back. Demons hunting each other is nothing for Spirit World to care about.
"…we all need to be fighting for the same goal if we're going to work together. Otherwise we'll just wind up fighting amongst ourselves in the end. We won't last long here if we aren't together," Kurama said. Zokon came back balancing drinks for all of us. I waited til he set them down to speak.
"Zokon, give me the knife back," I asked and held out my hand toward me. He looked at me before taking it off his belt and giving it to me. I took the sheath off and quickly ranked my nails against the black paint. Beneath it was clearing gold. I held it up so they could all see.
"I've always had the dagger with me," I told them. Yusuke leapt and tried to grab it, knocking aside the table, but Hiei was up in a second and pushed him backwards. Zokon froze and I watched the drinks on the table slosh over and spill.
"Spirit World has never had any claim to this. MY people made it before King Emna was even born and has always been held by the leader of my clan. No one else is allowed to use it," I told him seriously, staring directly into his eyes.
"So how did they get it in the first place and why do they want it?" Yusuke asked and took his seat again. Hiei stayed standing
"Because it's extremely powerful," I responded. Zokon took a seat on Hiei's couch, staring at me with scared eyes.
"Only men can be leaders in your clan though," Kurama said. I lowered the dagger into my lap and wrapped my hands around it. Blood welled up from my hands, but I didn't feel the pain. Yes…I know that only men can lead the clan and that only leaders can wield the dagger.
"I know. Once my name is cleared, I'm passing it onto Zokon," I said slowly. I could see Zokon looking very uneasy about the decision, almost scared. I can't be drawn in by those scared eyes though. This is the way is has to be. The dagger is only supposed to speak to them. It only speaks to me now because I need it to save my clan because there is no one else capable.
"So anyways, Hiei…is there something going on between you and her? I mean you did lie about knowing her and that spider lady did say that you're always protecting her and stuff," Kuwabara broke in. We both looked at him. Is he seriously bringing this up at a time like this? This would be inappropriate to ask no matter what sort of time it was.
"No," We both answered immediately. I got up, sheathed my knife and went to Zokon.
"Eat something. I'm going to bed," I told him and gently kissed his head. He looked up at me with those scared eyes and nodded his head.
"Night Sasha," He said softly. Hiei took a seat next to him as I headed to my room. It will feel nice to be in my own bed even if it wasn't in my usual room.
"You seem pretty defensive for someone who doesn't have a crush on Kiki," Yusuke said mischievously. I shut the door and snuggled into my bed. Before I felt Asami tugging me into sleep, I thought, "I'm stuck with these idiots now. No matter what….".