bonbonbunny: Yay! Another chapter! I hope you all enjoy another plot twist that'll send things into awesome overdrive. Sorry it's short. Enjoy! ;)

Chapter Twenty One: Regaining Control

"Ruri you're alive!" She screams leaping to hug her.

SLAP!

Everyone freezes as Reiko clutches her now red cheek. Karin falls back away from Ruri.

"Ruri?" She asks shakily. Ruri looks at her and smirks.

"I'm not Ruri."

Leandra heaves a sigh as the EMT checks her over again. She growls and smacks the man's hand away.

"Fucking idiot! I'm fine!" She snaps. Thoru clenches his fists. Karin clutches Reiko's arm. Reiko presses the ice pack against her swelling cheek.

"What's wrong with her?" Karin whispers. Tohru shakes his head.

"I don't know. I've never seen her this way." He mumbles standing closer to Karin and Reiko. Reiko narrows her eyes as Ruri's eyes meet her's. Ruri smirks and flips her off. Reiko clenches her teeth.

"That's not Ruri." Reiko says. Karin looks down at her.

"How is that possible? People don't just stop being themselves." She says. Reiko shakes her head.

"I don't know. Maybe a demon possessed her body or a ghost." Reiko suggests. Karin and Tohru blinks at each other.

"Those don't exist though." Karin says. Tohru narrows his eyes and looks over at Ruri. His eyes narrow.

"Do you really think-?" He turns to Reiko. Reiko nods her head, her eyes glowing with flames.

"I'm getting chills from her. Like a blizzard." Reiko says seriously. Karin looks between the two.

"Um, I'm lost, so can we help me out?" Reiko looks up at Karin.

"Karin, I can sense ghosts and apparitions. It kinda runs in my family. I get chills and creepy feelings when I'm around them. I'm getting a major chill from Ruri right now." Reiko says. Karin blinks and looks over at Ruri.

"Is it possible?" Karin whispers. Tohru heaves a sigh and walks over to Ruri. The EMT looks up with relief.

"I'm glad you're here. Maybe you can-" He stops as Tohru grabs Leandra and flips her over his shoulder.

"Hey, wait! You can't do that!" He says. Tohru turns around and smiles.

"I'm terribly sorry to bother you. She seems much better. Good day." Tohru says bowing slightly. He walks away leaving the EMT to stare. He pauses next to Reiko.

"Can you figure out what's wrong?" He asks. Reiko nods her head.

"Maybe." She says hesitantly. Tohru nods his head.

"Then we need to get started." He says tightening his grip around Leandra's waist. Reiko nods her head. She looks at Karin and smiles.

"Stay here and make sure no one bothers us." Karin nods her head slowly. Reiko smiles and follows after Tohru into the woods. Karin gulps. This can't be good.

Kurama's eyes narrow and his eyebrows knit together as the phone rings. His stomach clenches as it goes to voice mail. Kurama stares at the phone, his grip tightens. Something must be wrong, he thinks.

"What's up, Kurama?" Yusuke calls from the couch. Kuwabara looks at him. Kurama smiles reassuringly.

"Nothing of consequence." Kurama answers. He strolls into the room and sits beside Kuwabara. Kuwabara frowns.

"Was that Ruri?" He asks. Kurama sighs and nods his head reluctantly. Thoughts swarm his head. Why wouldn't she answer?

"Who?" Yusuke says. "Wait! He has a girlfriend?" Yusuke looks at Kurama. Kurama ignores him and holds his chin between his thumb and fore finger.

"You have a girlfriend?" Yusuke questions. Kuwabara smirks.

"I can't believe you didn't know that, Urameshi." Yusuke narrows his eyes.

"Shut the hell up, Kuwabara!" He yells.

"You wanna start something!" Kuwabara growls stepping up onto the table. Yusuke growls and stands nose to nose with Kuwabara.

"Don't start with me, Kuwabara." Yusuke growls. Hiei smirks and chuckles. Kurama's eyes flicker to him. Yusuke and Kuwabara freeze and look at Hiei. Hiei smirks at Kurama.

"She's spoiled you, fox. When you want something she gives it to you." Kurama narrows his eyes. Hiei holds his gaze not wavering. Kurama clenches his fists. Kuwabara and Yusuke look between the two demons. Kurama heaves a sigh.

"Maybe you're right." Kurama says. He stands up and walks out of the room. Hiei flits away, leaving a stunned Yusuke and Kuwabara. Kurama smiles as he walks to his room. Hiei was hard to decipher sometimes, but Kurama got the message. He wasn't the only person in Ruri's life. She was probably just enjoying her free time. Kurama opens his door and tenses.

"Ruri?" He whispers. Ruri smiles at him and waves. Kurama reaches for her, but she disappears. Kurama blinks. He walks into the room and looks around. She's not here. The sun catches something and it catches Kurama's eye. Kurama walks over to his bed and frowns. He picks up the necklace. The blue jewel shines in the light turning different shades of blue. Kurama lets it slip through his fingers and fall onto the bed. He looks out the window. Ruri, please be safe.

Leandra screams with rage as Tohru tightens the rope around her. Tohru slaps her upside the head. Leandra snaps at Tohru's fingers. Reiko sighs. She didn't know what she was doing, but she had to help Ruri.

"I really have no idea what to do, Tohru." Reiko says. Tohru heaves a breath.

"Neither do I." He says. Reiko clenches her fists. How were they going to help Ruri? Leandra chuckles.

"Fucking bitch. You're pathetic. Can't even save one soul. Your best friend too." Leandra yelps as something digs into her throat. Leandra gulps as something wet trails down her neck.

"Listen your annoying mouthy bitch. If you don't shut up, I'll slit your throat with a nail file." Reiko snarls digging he nail file deeper into Leandra's neck. Leandra smirks, even as a shiver races up her spine.

"You won't hurt me. If you do, you hurt Ruri." Leandra says haughtily. Tohru smirks. Reiko smiles pulling back.

"So, Ruri's still in there." Reiko says. Leandra frowns.

"I didn't say that."

"Yes you did. If she wasn't you would have phrased the sentence differently." Ruri says smirking. Leandra laughs.

"Well aren't you the clever little vixen." Leandra says her tone biting. Reiko ignores her and turns to Tohru.

"Maybe if we contacted a psychic." Reiko suggests. Tohru frowns.

"I thought you were a psychic." He says warily. Reiko shakes her head.

"I can sense ghosts. That's about it." Tohru heaves a sigh.

"What are we supposed to do?" He asks himself. Reiko's eyes sting with frustrated tears. Ruri is so close, yet they still can't reach her. Leandra gasps. Reiko and Tohru look towards Leandra. Leandra shivers. Her body tingles as if it's been dowsed with cold water.

"She's gone." Leandra whispers her eyes wide. Reiko tenses. Leandra looks up at them, her eyes slightly glazed with fear.

"Where-?" Leandra begins, but Reiko interrupts her.

"Ruri?" She calls. "Ruri can you hear me?" Leandra blinks, unsure of her feelings. It felt like a hole had been ripped in her chest. Like a part of her was missing. She clenches her teeth. I don't need that little bitch. Reiko blinks back tears.

"Ruri? She's gone."

"Reiko?"

"I can't feel her shoul, or sense her spirit. Ruri's gone!"

Kei clenches her teeth and screams, pulling at her hair. A tiny frail looking brunette girl stands next to the unconscious soul lying on the floor. The brunette's white brown spotted wings curl closer to her body as Kei glares at the man in front of them.

"Are you stupid? Do you know what you've done?" She screams. The man frowns and crosses his arms.

"I did what's best for my daughter." Snaps Ruri's father. Kei growls.

"Damnit! Don't you get it? You're gonna-"

"Kei!" Kei and Ruri's father look towards the tiny brunette.

"Mori?" Kei asks walking over. Kei jumps back feeling a hand on her ankle. Her eyes widen as Ruri glares up at her.

"What happened?" Ruri gasps crawling to her hands and knees. Kei glares over her shoulder at Ruri's father.

"Him." She snarls. Ruri shakes her head as her chest tightens.

"No. What happened with Leandra?" Ruri wheezes clutching her chest. Why do I feel this way? She thinks. Kei clenches her fist.

"Leandra reached for you at the last second and you got thrown out of your body. Ruri we need to get you back into your body, even if Leandra's still there." Ruri looks up at Kei, her eyes shining with unshed tears of pain.

"Why do I feel like this?" Ruri cries clutching her chest. Ruri's father steps forward and kneels by her side.

"What's happening to her?" He asks, his brow knitting together in worry.

"Leandra and Ruri are two halves of the same soul. If they're not put back together then things are gonna go bad. Fast." Kei says. Mori steps forward.

"I can put your soul back in, but I need your body." She says quietly. Kei nods her head.

"What happens if I don't get back in my body?" Ruri asks through clenched teeth. Kei growls and glares at Ruri's father. Mori flinches.

"Damn you, old man! This is your fault!" She snarls. Ruri yelps as her chest tightens.

"Kei!" She screams. Kei heaves a breath.

"You cease to exist." She mumbles. Ruri's eyes widen.

"You mean I die?" Ruri asks shocked. Kei nods her head.

"If a soul doesn't have a body or ghost to protect it, then it ceases to exist." Kei mutters looking away. Mori steps up and grabs Kei's hands. She looks at Ruri with a sad frown.

"You will die, Ruri-san. And there will be no coming back. You won't go to heaven or hell. You will simply just stop being." Ruri shakes her head. I don't want to die! I don't want to just not exist!

"I want to live. I want to spend more time with my friends. With Shuichi." Ruri mumbles. Kei squeezes her eyes shut.

"I'm so sorry." She whimpers. Mori hugs her. Ruri's dad tries to hug her, but she pushes him away and stands up. She ignores her pain and glares at Kei.

"No. No. I want to live." Ruri tries to yell but her chest tightens. Mori looks at Ruri sadly.

"I'm so terribly sorry. We can't help you if we can't get your body." She says. Ruri shakes her head as tears prick her eyes.

"No. No! SHUICHI! HELP ME!"