Sniffles. Where's my love, peeps? I wrote a chapter for you, see? Reviews pweese. Pretty pweese? With puppy dog eyes? O.O
For those of you that did review... Thanks a bunch :D Have a cupcake.
btSMTMSJ: I hope the chapters continue being awesome :]
Puppylove7: Aww... dedicated reader. Waiting for updates. :3 Muahaha. And yes, Botan feeding Friday was fun to write. Poor characters. I just love to embarrass them so...
Angel of Randomosity: Rikyu needs to work on his people skills. But his intentions are pure... er... sort of. And Kurama was being relatively nice :) The fangirl in me would have loved to have him feed Friday, but... meh... too ooc. Sadly. Missed opportunities are everywhere. Le sigh.
. . .
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." - - T. E. Lawrence
. . .
The girl started forward after Rikyu.
"Wait," the wolf stopped her with an authoritative tone of voice.
"What do you mean, wait?" she snapped angrily over her shoulder at him.
"It's too dangerous to fight a commander on his territory. Wait here, and we will think of a plan," he reasoned.
She growled: "We don't have time to wait!"
"We certainly don't have time for you to get yourself killed, either," the wolf reprimanded.
Her jaw clenched, and her eyes flashed angrily.
My green eyes darted across the space between them, feeling the tension that coiled through her muscles. The girl looked poised to strike; perhaps we should just send her through the portal.
"If I'm stuck here, I fight until I'm dead. If I'm stuck there, I fight until I'm dead. It doesn't make much difference to me," the girl spat out, "But for your sake, I suppose I could always beat the bastard senseless until he opens up a portal and sends me back."
They stared each other down.
"You are not going, and that's final!" Hati growled back, raising his voice.
The girl tossed her head, the irritation that welled up insider her manifesting itself.
Her arm flung out, gesturing toward the frantic woman. "Can't you hear her screaming?" she cried out, as if the very sound of the woman's anguish was unbearable.
And it truly almost was. The mother's hysterical sobbing and raw screams tore at my ears painfully.
If my own mother...
"You. Will. Stay. Put," Hati commanded.
The Sleeper growled, her head whipping around to face the writhing dark mass of the portal.
Hati moved toward the distraught woman, trying to get her under control. Reluctantly, I made to assist him, tearing my eyes away from the girl, whose back was tight with silent fury.
"Of course, we will have to clear her memory of the unnatural things she has seen tonight," Hati was in the process of telling Hiei.
The woman was too shaken to even notice or care that an animal was speaking, much less the topic of his conversation.
The fire apparition's lip curled in disdain at the task. He really hated such work, and certainly felt he had had enough of it while working on the border patrol whose duty he had finally been released from.
"Kurama," the wolf addressed me.
"Hai," I acknowledged, studying the mother who was collapsed hopelessly on the ground before us, still screaming and writhing and pulling out her hair.
"I believe a sedative is in order. If I'm correct, that would be your area of expertise," the wolf continued, looking down his long nose at her.
I sighed, "I will see what I can do."
Hati turned to the other members of the Reikai Tantei.
I looked back at the girl.
She stood facing the portal, eyeing it levelly, calmly. At first glance, she appeared to have settled down, but her hands clenched into fists at her sides betrayed her.
The girl's face was a flawless mask of emotionless calm.
This did not bode well.
She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep, shuttering breath.
Her eyelids snapped open and she bolted suddenly, feet flying across the pavement toward the yawning black maw of the portal.
"Friday!" Hati bellowed as his head jerked around at break-neck speed toward the Sleeper.
The wolf shot after her, mouth open, teeth bared. His claws tore at the concrete, devouring the ground between them.
I watched, unable to do anything but stare, unsure whether the girl's actions were actually surprising, or exactly what I would have expected from her.
"Friday! Stop!" the wolf howled furiously.
The girl pushed off the ground.
He lunged, teeth closing with a final-sounding snap.
.
.
.
The anger that pounded through my veins settled as I stared blankly into the dark portal.
Watching it like this, it almost seemed to breathe, like the darkness itself was alive.
The furious beating of my heart slowly calmed, and I stared levelly into the murky depths of the gateway to another dimension that had been placed before me just to tempt me.
What did I want?
This anger that filled me, what was it all for? Why couldn't I unclench my hands from the fists they had formed at my sides, with white knuckles and fingernails that left indentations on my palms?
I wanted to protect them, I said.
I wanted to protect them all... and yet...
When it came down to it, I just couldn't find the strength within myself that I had once had.
Maybe I had never had it at all.
Maybe it wasn't supposed to be me.
Maybe I wasn't supposed to save them.
And lately, a dark thought had been creeping at the back of my mind, my own words earlier forcing me to confront it... finally.
I hadn't lied when I had told Hati that the choice wasn't a choice of living or dying. How was one insignificant girl supposed to take this on all by herself?
They talked about defeating these powerful enemies of ours like it was something that would happen at no cost if we worked hard enough. Like we would all come out alive.
What a joke.
When I thought about it, the notion seemed so naive it was laughable: to gain so much while sacrificing so little.
But since my first meeting with the dream goddess, a terrifying realization had grown in me.
She said I had been chosen, but why me? The thought had gnawed on me continuously ever since, eating me away from the inside.
Perhaps I hadn't been chosen because I was unique, because I could save the world and live to tell the tale.
Perhaps I had been chosen because I wasn't afraid to offer up my life in exchange for theirs.
Because I wasn't afraid to die.
True, even just one life in exchange for so many still seemed too naive, but it was the best I could do on my own.
So you see, the choice I was faced with wasn't living or dying, but choosing where and how I wanted to die.
And that was what I had lost sight of.
That was why I had become weak, why I had become lightless.
I used to be so confident, so sure of my desires. But now it felt like all I had were doubts.
You can't give your life up for doubts.
No, this world was more important than just one person.
Why should I fear?
Why should I worry about getting injured? Dying?
Why should I worry? I had already decided that I wouldn't go without finishing this.
And that's exactly what I was going to do.
All that I had to do now was take the first step.
I closed my eyes and exhaled, re-centering myself back on the path that I had lost sight of for too long.
That's right. There was a path laid here before me all along. Now all I had to do was run forward.
My eyes opened, gaze locked on my goal.
I took the first step.
Gaining momentum, my feet pounded the few short steps across the concrete toward the gaping hole in the night sky.
Hati called my name, but I heard it as if from a great distance. What did it matter? No one was going to stop me now.
Run forward.
He shouted out again.
Never stop.
I was so close. Pushing myself off the ground, I aimed straight for the center of the portal.
Never look back.
The sound of teeth snapping shut at my heels followed me as I was engulfed in the darkness.
.
.
.
Rikyu sat on the smooth, black tiles and waited, silent as a spider for its unlucky fly, arms encircling his small hostage in an unbreakable prison.
She would come. Oh, she wouldn't come for his sake - - at least, not yet. So for now he would have to compensate. But no matter. Rikyu readjusted his grip.
His Sleeper would come for him eventually.
Rikyu smiled. He had, of course, taken measures to ensure that they wouldn't be interrupted this time. That irritating wolf was with them, and he would undoubtably stop the others from coming.
Ah, yes, that wolf should remember all too well the folly of fighting in enemy territory. After all, he bore a constant reminder on his face. The commander's grin twisted. In his arms, the terrified child whimpered, but Rikyu didn't notice.
Soon it would be just him and his Sleeper. This worked out well for Rikyu.
He chuckled darkly.
Chomp.
A set of unexpectedly sharp teeth left indentations in his spotless, white gloves. The laughter died abruptly.
Rikyu's eyebrows knit together and he looked down at his hostage with a frown.
The small child glared up at him with clenched teeth, the remains of terrified tears still clinging to accusing, brown eyes. A girl? His frown became pensive... now that he thought of it, those eyes really did look like the eyes of another girl. One he was positive would soon be glaring at him in the same accusatory manner.
What a strange human offspring. Her shoulder-length white hair, he realized, which would have been of no particular manner of interest where he came from, was strange for the standards of the human population that dominated this area.
What an inconvenient hostage he had picked up. He made a mental note that whelps like these were too troublesome to bother with again.
"Oi," he frowned deeper, preparing to deliver a warning.
"Rikyu!" the enraged shout ripped violently through the dark space between them.
Ah. She was here. His Sleeper sounded just as angry as he had imagined, but at least it was his name that stretched across her lips.
Rikyu looked up, meeting her furious brown eyes, and smiled.
.
.
.
I charged straight ahead, keeping Rikyu locked in my sights.
He stood, and the small child slid out of his grasp to shiver by his feet, which were planted firmly on the tile.
With a gesture, a tide of Nightmares rushed toward me, breaking like a pitch-black wave before me.
I howled out, the raw determination tearing the sound from my lungs. I refused to be stopped. I refused to let them slow me down.
Raising my fist before me, the light engulfed it like a blue-white flame, rushing up my arm and spreading until it encompassed my whole body.
I continued to run, pushing through the Nightmares as though they didn't exist, blowing them away with the concentrated force of my light.
My eyes remained locked on his yellow ones as I closed the distance between us. I felt a tingling as the light poured forth from my gaze.
With a growl, I put on a burst of speed at the end and threw myself forward. Catching the commander off guard with my timing, my fist made contact with his cheek, and he was thrown backward, bare feet skidding across the smooth floor.
Rikyu was sent into a tumble that ended with him crumpled on the cold, hard ground.
I halted where I was and stood, panting. Hearing a gasp, my eyes finally broke free from his still form and I looked down.
The small child - - a girl, I realized with surprise - - looked up at me from where she was quivering on the floor, eyes wide and horrified.
"Are you hurt?" I asked her, voice coming out a little harsher than I had intended.
She whimpered and cringed away.
I could still feel the light burning out from my eyes.
Oh. The person she was afraid of... was me? I have to admit, it stung a bit. I was supposed to be her savior. Hadn't I just made my mind up to protect her life even at the cost of my own?
"Whatever," I said gruffly when she still didn't answer, "Run along home to mommy. I don't have time to deal with you right now, anyway..."
The girl scrambled, nearly losing her footing as she tore away toward the pinprick of light that marked the portal's opening on this side.
A deep chuckle emanated from the unmoving mass of fabric that was Rikyu.
Slowly, he unfolded, pushing himself up on straining arms, "That hurt," he said, sounding altogether too pleased.
"Why don't you wipe that smug smile off your face and get back over here. I still have a thing or two that my fists would like to say to you," I told him in a low tone, my eyes flashing dangerously with white-hot light.
.
.
.
"It's alright, Hati," Kuwabara tried to reassure the pacing wolf in a loudly confident tone, "If the portal closes on her, I still have my dimension sword! We'll just bust it open and get Friday out of there."
"You do not understand!" the wolf snapped, growling, "It isn't simply about having a portal opening. She should never have tried to fight him in his own dimension. That's playing right into his hands."
Hati stopped pacing and stood gazing up into the portal with a dark look, "I'm afraid she may not have the strength to face him on his playing field... and win."
The rest was left unspoken.
As one, we stared solemnly up into the dark void.
.
.
.
What was this feeling? This light that welled up inside me, escalating with my growing anger.
Feeling like it had a life of its own, it pushed back at the darkness violently.
Twisting and flipping easily, I dodged the short blade that was aimed at me. The movement was automatic now, almost as natural as breathing.
My body felt strange, like I wasn't the only thing in it anymore.
I hesitated, considering pulling back.
But then I remembered my promise. I couldn't stop now. Resolved, I jumped headfirst into the growing light.
It was blinding, but strangely, it felt like for the first time, I could finally see.
Rikyu's attacks didn't hit me. I let him close the distance and dodged the point of the sharp blade that was thrust my direction.
Stretching out my arm, the light took form, racing across my bones, through my tendons and down my fingers. It shot out from my fingertips and kept going, the four beams of light forming long, spear-like claws, thin and dangerous as they pierced Rikyu's shoulder.
Neither of us had seen that one coming.
Still, I planned on using my new weapon to my full advantage.
And yet a small voice inside my head whispered that it was the one using me.
.
.
.
The child and her mother were long since gone, and those of us who remained at the site were left to wait, with nothing but a yawning black void to inform us of the battle's progress.
Just when we were getting worried enough to seriously contemplate going in after the girl, the sounds of a struggle reached us from beyond the portal.
"Let go!" Rikyu's voice commanded roughly.
A growl and more sounds indicative of a fight followed. The ringing of clashing metal met my ears.
"Sorry, but I refuse to be taken in to spirit world... even if it is at your hands," he shouted, the tension in his voice tangible.
There was a grunt and suddenly the Sleeper was flung from the portal. She was sent flying a good distance back, but caught herself in a crouch, booted feet grinding to a halt as her hand came down on the pavement.
The scent of blood hit my nose sharply and I took notice of a deep gash that had opened on her shoulder and was now pooling crimson down her arm.
The fingertips of her other hand were shining with a bright light. Her head snapped up, revealing glowing eyes.
Rikyu's portal began to close.
"No!" she growled out, rushing forward.
She wouldn't make it in time.
The girl lunged to a crouch, as the lights on her fingertips extended in beams that looked lethal.
The tips of these elongated claws of light barely made it through the shrinking void of darkness.
A thick splash of blood flew out, hitting the pavement.
The portal sealed shut and the beams of light, now cut off, dissipated.
How badly had she managed to wound him?
Hati stalked up behind the girl, intent to chew her out written in every angry line of his tensed body.
Feeling the threat behind her, the Sleeper whipped around, solid shafts of blue-white light instantaneously reappearing from her fingertips as she swung her arm in an arc.
She growled ferally.
Her glowing eyes went wide and her clenched jaw slackened as she registered the wolf standing vulnerable before her.
Freezing in place, the light melted away, fading from her half-crazed eyes even as the beams from her fingertips liquefied, dripping away to dissolve in mid-air.
She breathed heavily, staring into silver eyes as wide as her own.
"You startled me," she said in a surprisingly rough voice, dropping back onto her rear heavily, supporting herself from falling over with her hands.
She slumped in on herself.
"You should know better than to do something like that, Hati..." she told him, voice still strained as she tried to catch her breath.
The girl tilted her head back, letting it loll off her shoulders.
She stared up at the sky as the rising and falling of her chest slowly returned to normal.
We watched her in silence, unsure what to say. It seemed that her powers had finally begun to manifest themselves... again. Hopefully this time it would last.
Claws... huh. It seemed the girl would never get over her affinity for ripping things apart with her bare hands. Even when she finally developed a weapon, it was one that gave the same, raw feeling.
I hadn't missed the look in her eyes. That girl... was a predator.
Perhaps, though, she could be useful.
I eyed her warily, wondering what hidden powers of hers would manifest themselves next.
"Isn't it strange, that with all of this..." the girl spoke quietly into the silence, "You can still see the stars?"
With raised eyebrows, I tilted my head up to examine the night sky. Even more surprising than her comment was the fact that what she had said was true. Funny, it had never occurred to me to take the time to look at something like that.
After all, the stars had nothing to do with the battles we fought down here. They would look down on us just the same.
So why was it strange to see them shining so brightly?
The girl stood, looking like her normal self again, if more tired than usual.
And with that, Hati's inhibitions were broken: "What did you think you were doing?" he growled out, moving to block her path.
"I know what I'm supposed to be doing," she responded calmly, "It's my duty to protect them, right?"
"You can't protect anyone if you don't protect yourself first," he seethed, the fur on the scruff of his neck bristling.
"No... That's not how it works," the girl replied with a tone of quiet certainty, looking back up into the deep blue canvas of the night sky, "You can't gain anything if you're afraid to lose yourself."
A surprised silence fell over our small group. The words were so simple, yet so profound. I felt my brow crease in thought.
"Well, I believe it's time to call it a night," the girl... no, Friday... said as she turned away, stretching her arms behind her head.
"A-ah..." Hati muttered, stunned, and trotted to catch up to her. He cleared his throat: "You should get that shoulder looked at as soon as possible."
"Worrywart," she teased.
"I wouldn't have to worry if you weren't going and getting yourself stabbed all the time. You're giving me grey hairs," the wolf retorted, sticking his nose in the air.
"Yeah. They're real noticeable," she said with a sarcastic smirk.
The wolf harrumphed and cut her off, disappearing into the Reikai-sent portal before his Sleeper.
The others soon followed.
I remained. My chin on my hand, I lost myself in thought. Jade green eyes narrowed as I retreated further into my mind.
That girl... Friday...
"Kurama," the fire apparition's sharp voice cut into my musings.
I looked up and he stared blankly back at me with a raised eyebrow, poised to enter the portal.
"Hurry up before we leave you behind," he said with a small smirk, and jumped in.
.
AN: Err... yay! She has powers again (finally). Just thought I'd point out that whenever the commanders are in their dimension, they can't float. That's just the way it goes. Maybe you've noticed?
And though that isn't the first time Kurama has thought of her by her name (though it has been quite a while), it is the first time he's consciously thought of her as "Friday." Respect-O-meter. Lol. It's rising.
I still have a deviantart account where I will be posting some pictures of characters, etc... to go with this story. Check it out if you want. I'm theanonymouspen . deviantart . com (no spaces)
It feels like I'm updating all the time: There's something new on my deviantart. What was it again? Meh... A picture of Friday, I think. (Brain. Not. Functioning... X.X) Actually, I like that one. It's a wallpaper.
Thank you for reading :)
Preview: Writing one chapter at a time... Err... I think the next one will have some Shimabukuro possibly? Probably?
Please REVIEW! (So that you and I both can find out what's in the next chapter...)