Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
Added:The following disclaimers apply to this and all future chapters.
I do not own nor make a profit by mentioning Disney. This includes merchandise, movies, cartoons, theme parks, ect. It belongs to Walt Disney, Laugh-O-Gram Studios, Roy O. Disney, Bob Iger, and anyone that I missed.
Warnings: See Chapter One.
Chapter 3 Training Montage Not Needed
Joann was just barely able to take off her shoes before Kuwabara appeared in front of her. She yelped and stared up with wide eyes.
"Where have you been?! I've been lookin' for you since school ended! I thought some punks got you or something." Kuwabara said, his face showing he was upset.
Joann grimaced at the look. She didn't mean to scare him. However, she wouldn't have been able to sneak off to see Yusuke if she told him. Although, she could have told him that she was hanging with Keiko. Which was technically true.
"I'm sorry. I ran into Keiko and we decided to hang out." Joann said with an apologetic smile.
Kuwabara looked at her. He did remember seeing the two girls leaving together. His body seemed to relax.
"Okay, well let me know next time alright? I mean, there are still some punks trying to get back at me. If they saw you..." Kuwabara said, clenching his hands.
Joann winched. She didn't think about that. She had been hanging out so much with Kuwabara and his friends, that she had her own 'rep'. Not to mention the ridiculous rumors she heard about herself. Her favorite was her being an alien.
Sawamura liked the one where Kuwabara had to beat a yakuza boss to get Joann as his girlfriend. He only liked it as he secretly shipped his leader with the girl. He wouldn't tell either of them that though. Kuwabara would have yelled at him, while Joann would have told him he was reading too much manga...which was probably true.
"Sorry. I'll be more careful next time..." Joann said.
The two stood there just looking at each other. The silence was interrupted by the adorable kitten who was mewing up at her owner. Kuwabara chuckled as he scooped up his little baby.
"By the way, Shizuru is making dinner right now." Kuwabara said with a smile.
"It's not really anything special though. Just Gyudon." Kuwabara added with a shrug.
Joann blinked at him.
"What's Gyudon?"
"It's just a bowl of beef, onion, and eggs mixed into rice." Kuwabara said, "But it's pretty good considering she can't really cook."
"I heard that." Shizuru said, as she stood right behind the carrot top.
Both Joann and Kuwabara jumped.
"Don't do that!" growled Kuwabara however, he regretted it.
"No dinner for you." Shizuru said, taking in a deep intake of her cig before blowing it into Kuwabara's face.
Kuwabara began to cough, as he continued to hold his kitten.
"Whu?!" he said, after his coughing settled down.
"By the way, dinner's ready." Shizuru said looking at Joann.
"Ummm..." Joann said with a sweat drop.
"Are you not hungry?" Shizuru asked with a raised eyebrow.
Joann's stomach answered for the girl. Shizuru smirked.
"Don't worry about Kazu. He'll live." Shizuru said, guiding the girl towards the dinning room.
Kuwabara stood there with his mouth hanging open.
"I heard flies are good for you. You'll catch a lot like that." Shizuru said, without turning around.
Kuwabara shut his mouth before growling. He stormed up the stair, kitten in arms.
Joann watched him go, worry on her face.
"Don't worry."
Joann turned back to Shizuru.
"He'll wait until I'm asleep before making some ramen or something. He thinks I don't know when he gets a midnight snack." Shizuru said with a smirk, as her cig hung from her lips.
Joann nodded before looking back to the stairs. She still felt bad for making him worry.
"You should hurry up and eat."
Joann turned around. Shizuru was putting two bowls on the dining room table.
"He can only stand being alone for so long. He needs you." Shizuru said, finishing her cig before sitting down.
Joann thought for a moment before her eyes widened. So Shizuru knew about Kuwabara's problems. She sat down at the table.
"So you know? Why is it so bad?" Joann asked, picking up her chopsticks.
Shizuru ate a couple chopsticks full of rice and beef. Joann felt a bit on edge.
"Our family has been known for psychics, healers, and have been called witches at one point. It's been passed down by both our dad and mom." Shizuru said with another bite.
Joann blinked at the girl. She didn't remember hearing about Kuwabara having parents. Sure, he had to have parents in order to be born, same with his sister. However, they were never mentioned or even shown in the show.
"What happened to them? Your parents?" Joann asked being very curious.
Shizuru lit up another cig before taking a deep inhale. She let out a long smoke cloud before looking dead in Joann's eyes.
"Dad goes on business trips, while mom is a nurse. She works all hours and usually goes on the business trips with dad."
Joann sat there blinking. She didn't know what to say to that. It then clicked.
"Wait! So you're parents aren't dead!" she shouted.
It was rumored on the internet that the Kuwabara sibling's parents were dead. There were many a fan fiction where they were killed by ghosts or something dealing with the Underworld. Even working for Koenma at one time or another. However, this information turned everything Joann knew about her favorite show upside down!
"Why would they be dead?" Shizuru asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean they are dead. This isn't a Disney movie." Shizuru said, adding that last comment before taking another puff on her cancer stick.
Joann just sat there before shaking her head.
"So do they know I'm staying here?" Joann asked.
Shizuru finished up her dinner.
"I've told them and they are fine. They usually try and stay outta stuff like this. Just because they have a spiritual awareness doesn't mean they want to get involved. Although, they want to meet you, eventually." Shizuru said before standing and going to the kitchen with her bowl.
Joann was left there just staring down at her bowl. It was only half eaten. She was still a bit in shock.
"Well my mind just got blown..." she whispered.
"I suggest you go to bed. And if you're not going to finish your dinner, bring it up to Kazu." Shiruru said before going back into the kitchen.
Joann was still in shock but nodded. She took her bowl and went up stairs.
Shizuru watched the girl leave with a smile on her lips.
~In Kuwabara's Room~
Kuwabara laid in his bed. His hand on his growling stomach. His kitten was curled up on his chest. His other hand was gently petting his precious baby.
"Stupid Shizuru...It wasn't like I said her cooking was horrible..." he grumbled.
A knock on the door caused the poor boy to jump in bed. The jump caused the kitten to jump off her master and look a bit annoyed.
"Hey, is it safe for me to come in?" Joann asked.
Kuwabara could feel his heart rate go back down. He thought it was his sister. She did have a way of appearing just moments after he thought 'bad' stuff about her.
"Yeah." Kuwabara said, sitting up in his bed.
Joann peeked her head in. She was still a bit shocked at the 'parents are alive' information, but she had gotten over it.
"I got you some food." Joann said, stepping into the room, holding up her half eaten bowl.
"Although, it's my left overs."
Kuwabara's eyes widened as joy filled his face.
"Really?! Thanks!" he said, standing up and taking the bowl from her.
He went to his desk and sat down. He began to shovel the food down his throat. He almost choked a few times but went right back to eating. Joann stood there with a sweat drop.
She shook her head before yawning.
"I'm going to start getting ready for bed." she said, going to her drawer.
Kuwabara had emptied out one of his drawers so Joann could use for her clothes. She didn't have much but they still took up the entire drawer. She pulled out some grey pants that had little light blue birds on them. The top was a light blue short sleeve shirt. It had a v-line neck.
She went to the bathroom and went through her routine of getting ready. Shower, brush teeth, and then change into pjs.
By the time she came back to the room, Kuwabara was laying back on his bed. He was petting his kitten who was back on his chest. She seemed to be asleep, the up and down movement of Kuwabara's breathing seeming to sooth the feline.
Joann couldn't help but smile at the adorable scene. She closed the door behind her, causing the carrot top to notice her. He smiled at her.
"Thanks for the food by the way." Kuwabara said with a wide grin.
Joann smiled back and nodded.
"If I didn't feed you, your stomach would be growling all night long. And I wouldn't be able to sleep." she said, sticking out her tongue.
Kuwabara rolled his eyes but laughed all the same.
"Whatever." Kuwabara said before yawning.
Joann went to her sleeping bag and snuggled into it. Once she was settled, Kuwabara shut off the light and the two drifted off to dreamland.
~The Next Day~
Kuwabara yawned as he held his leather case under his arm. Joann gripped the strap to her own bag. They had run into the other three guys and had all started to walk to school together. Kuwabara had another rough night. Joann didn't know what to do anymore. What was worse, was it seemed the ghosts would wait until she was asleep before doing anything. They realized she was a deep sleeper.
Joann knew she had to do something. She hoped that Yusuke's mom was able to convince the Principle to re-enroll a dead kid.
As the group reached the school's gate, they heard some commotion. They walked into the school yard. Kuwabara stopped, causing the rest to stop. He stood there staring. There was Yusuke. He was dressed in his green uniform. His hair slicked back as usual. Briefcase underneath his arm.
Students who were still in the yard began to rush into the building, obviously scared. Yusuke looked around with a scowl on his face.
Kuwabara shook his head, clearing the shock. He walked up to the unsuspecting teen.
"Still, coming here sucks. Maybe I'll cut out today and..." Yusuke mumbled to himself.
Kuwabara put his hand on Yusuke's shoulder.
Yusuke stood there blinking. He didn't know what to think. No one would have dared to come near him, let alone touch him. He turned his head, curious to who the hand belonged to.
"Kuwabara." he said a bit shocked.
Kuwabara's eyes shown something he hadn't seen before. His entire body seemed to be glowing.
Kuwabara stood there staring at his arch rival. He could feel himself growing happy. Joann and the rest of the gang came up behind their leader. Kirishima and Joann snickered at each other and did a sideway fist pump. They were very proud of themselves. Their plan worked.
"So you managed to return to life." Kuwabara said, his face showing no emotion.
His brown eyes, however, had a tint of blue. Yusuke couldn't look away from those eyes.
'Joann was right...He truly did think I was dead again.' Yusuke thought.
"Good." Kuwabara continued, "I get another shot."
Yusuke blinked again, fully turning around. Kuwabara put his hand into his pocket and stood up straighter. His face turned into a cocky grin as he appeared to be his old self.
"And this time it'll be me sending you to hell! Enjoy what life you've got left..." Kuwabara said before laughing loud.
Yusuke sweat dropped at this reaction.
'Or maybe he's just an idiot...' Yusuke thought.
"Weren't you going to thank him for saving Eikichi?" Sawamura whispered to his leader.
Kuwabara growled and turned to his friend.
"Shut up."
Kuwabara looked back at Yusuke before walking around the confused boy. Yusuke watched as Kuwabara and his three friends walked towards the school.
"What's with him?" he asked to himself.
"That's him saying thank you. And welcoming you back."
Yusuke blinked again and turned to see a smiling Joann.
"Thanks. You really made him happy." she said before going around Yusuke and catching up with the carrot top.
~Inside the School~
Joann could feel the tense vibes coming from her fellow classmates. They were all looking at Yusuke, who seemed to be annoyed at all the attention. On the plus side, Kuwabara seemed to be doing a lot better. He seemed to get an energy boost. Joann couldn't help but smile.
Soon it was time for P.E. Joann changed into her gym clothes and looked around. She didn't see Yusuke.
"Where's Urameshi?"
Joann turned to see a few classmates talking.
"Bathroom."
"Won't see him for a while then." said another, relief in his voice.
Kuwabara seemed to have lost his energy at Yusuke not being in the room. Joann pursed her lips together before going up to the guy.
"I bet you can't score more baskets than me." she said with a snicker.
Kuwabara seemed to snap out of his thoughts. He gave the girl a grin.
"Oh you're on!" Kuwabara shouted before taking a ball.
The two 'battled' each other the entire period. Kuwabara ended up being the victor a lot, it was almost pathetic. Joann didn't even know why she challenged the boy. He had a height advantage! She moped as she went back to the classroom. Kuwabara was bragging the entire time, which was starting to aggravate the poor girl.
Joann walked into the room and could feel some bad vibes. Yusuke was standing in the back of the classroom. Everyone was looking at him with suspicious looks. Kuwabara walked into the room, not seeming to notice it, or just ignoring it. Joann slowly walked to her seat.
Keiko walked over and stood in front of Yusuke.
"You guys are too quick to assume guilt!" she shouted.
Joann tilted her head and began to watch.
"Look, Urameshi was the only one who wasn't at P.E..." said one of the guys.
Joann blinked and realized what was going on.
"Hey!" she shouted from in front of her desk.
Everyone turned to her which made her sweat drop a bit. Kuwabara was even looking at her.
"Huh..." she said with a nervous laugh.
"What's going on here?"
Everyone turned towards the door as Mr. Iwamoto walked in. Joann narrowed her eyes at the man. He was one of the scumbag teachers who were out to get both Yusuke and Kuwabara.
"Yusuke's stolen our stuff!" said one of the boys.
"You have no proof!" Keiko shouted.
"Silence!" Mr. Iwamoto shouted.
"Mr. Urameshi, come with me to Mr. Takenaka's office." Mr. Iwamoto said, grabbing Yusuke by his arm.
Yusuke growled but didn't struggle as he was dragged out of the classroom.
Kuwabara watched his rival be removed.
"He should be expelled." whispered one of the guys whose stuff was stolen.
"I heard his mom used her influence with the mob to get him back into school." whispered another kid.
"They better find my pen." said the one guy, "It's one of a kind."
"Oii!"
Everyone stopped talking and looked over at Kuwabara.
"Urameshi is a lot of things but he's not a thief!" Kuwabara growled.
Everyone looked at him.
"He's robbed from me plenty of times!" said another boy.
"Yeah, but he did it while facing you! He ain't a sneaky thief!" Kuwabara said proudly.
Joann sweat dropped.
"I don't' think you're helping his case." she said.
"It doesn't matter anyway. If our stuff isn't found then Yusuke will be expelled."
"He just came back too." giggled one of the girls.
Joann rolled her eyes before sitting down.
It was here the actual teacher for the room walked in and class began. However, Yusuke didn't return for the rest of the day.
~That Night~
Joann laid in bed, wide awake. Kuwabara's mood went back to being miserable. She couldn't understand how bipolar the carrot top had become. But she figured it was the ghosts who didn't stop tormenting the boy. They were starting to bother her. She wasn't sure why. She figured it could have been her spiritual energy slowly growing.
So there she laid, wide awake. Kuwabara mumbling in his sleep as he tossed and turned. There was nothing she could do for him. She wanted to help him but she wasn't Yusuke. She didn't have an intimidating aura. Her sixth sense wasn't as strong as Kuwabara's.
What was her purpose? There had to be a reason for her to be in this world, right? It couldn't have been just a random accident. Could it? She shook her head and turned onto her side, holding Koga tightly to her chest. She pulled her blanket around her more. She couldn't think like that. She couldn't become a worthless side character! She had to train hard! She had to believe in herself! She had to stop watching too much anime...
~A Week Later~
Joann had decided to train every day after school. She asked Kuwabara to help her. At first he wasn't sure it was a good idea. He didn't see any reason for her to train. He wasn't even so depressed as Yusuke had come back to school a few days later.
However, after a lot of begging, Kuwabara finally caved in. He let her use his Yusuke dummy.
Kuwabara would also let her attack himself. This had helped both of them, Kuwabara's defense and Joann's offense; as Kuwabara wouldn't try to attack her back. The only problem was she would tire out fairly quickly. She wasn't fat or anything. But she wasn't skinny as a stick either. She worked hard and tried hard to get better.
Kuwabara and Joann were both surprised at how much she had improved within a week. She even felt her endurance get better. She wasn't so much out of breath. She could even talk a bit while fighting, without loosing her breath.
Kuwabara had also gotten strong. But he had also been training his spiritual energy. He would use his sixth sense to sense where Joann would attack the carrot top. Because of this, he was starting to see and hear the ghosts. He thought he was going insane by all the voices he heard. The two were at their wits end by the time Friday rolled around.
"Why not see Genkai?"
Kuwabara blinked up from his dinner which was a tv dinner. Shizuru was home and didn't feel like cooking. She was giving her little brother a serious look.
"Genkai?" Kuwabara asked.
Joann's eyes widened as she grew excited inside.
'Is it really that far into the show? I don't have much time before the Four Saint Beasts! I need to train more! But I'm still too weak to enter Genkai's tournament.' Joann thought, a frown crossing her lips.
Joann really wanted to enter that tournament. She wanted to kick Rando in his balls for what he was going to do to Kuwabara. But she knew two things. One. She wouldn't last the second round. And two, she probably would make things worse for both Kuwabara and Yusuke.
"She's a top-notch master of reiki." Shizuru said, taking another drag on her cig.
"What's reiki?" Joann asked, a bit confused.
It had been a while since she had seen the first season. She needed a refresher course.
"That's the flow of aura that surrounds the human body." Kuwabara said.
She nodded before continuing to eat her dinner.
Shizuru fished her dinner. She took the empty plate to the sink. She came back out, leaning against the door frame.
"Why's that?" Kuwabara asked with a raised eyebrow.
His sister had a much stronger sense than he. She knew things that she shouldn't. Sometimes she would scare him with how much she knew. But if she was telling him to go tomorrow, that meant something was going to happen.
"Because I said so." Shizuru said.
Both Joann and Kuwabara sweat dropped.
"Besides, I already called Genkai so she knows to expect you."
Kuwabara and Joann both looked at the girl.
Joann's eyes widened before she shot up in her chair.
"You know Genkai!?"
Kuwabara blinked up at Joann. He wondered if Joann had heard of this Reiki Master named Genkai. Although, the way she looked, it seemed she had heard of them.
"She's a family friend of our dad." Shizuru said, a small knowing grin on her lips.
Joann just stood there with wide eyes. She began to think about it. It made some sense. The fact Kuwabara had gotten home from Genkai's somehow, had always baffled the girl. It made sense that Genkai would have called Shizuru, once she realized who Kuwabara was that is.
"Then I'll go." Kuwabara said with determined filled eyes.
Joann snapped out of her thoughts and smiled.
"I'll just stay here and train then." Joann said.
Kuwabara nodded at her before finishing up his food.
"Let's go to bed." he said, looking determined.
It seemed he couldn't wait to see Genkai. He was ready to be rid of these ghosts. He wanted to get some sort of sleep.
~The Next Day~
Joann woke around 10 am. She found Kuwabara had already left. She smiled before laying back on her sleeping bag. She stared up at the ceiling. She wasn't ready. She thought she was but the closer she got to the Four Saint Beast saga, well she was getting what felt like butterflies in her stomach. Up to this point, she had only fought the normal 'thugs'. But just the thought of fighting against demons and beasts, well it was only natural for her to feel a bit scared.
She let out a sigh before sitting up. She looked out towards the window. It was a beautiful day. Too beautiful to go to school. It was only a half day anyway. It wasn't like she was behind in any subjects. Although, she wasn't acing them either. Passing was fine with her.
Joann stood up, stretching as she did. She had to train. There was no time to take a break. She needed to be prepared for the battles coming up. There wouldn't be any breaks from here on out. She grimaced at the thought. She was both excited and scared. It was a weird feeling.
She felt her stomach growl at her. She laughed before going downstairs. She had the entire house to herself. It was a nice feeling. Well, Eikichi was there but other than her, she was alone.
Joann ate some breakfast and cleaned up a bit. It was a little after one when she decided to train. She went outside by the Yusuke dummy.
The sun was shining. The air was only slightly cool but felt nice against her skin. She wore some grey sweatpants and a grey tank top. It was perfect for training. She and Kuwabara went out after school one day to get her 'proper' training attire. She was happy as it was hard to train in jeans.
Joann stood there with her eyes closed. She felt the soft breeze touch her face. It was truly a nice day. But she couldn't dilly daddle. She needed to focus. She opened her eyes and got ready in a fighting position. She threw a couple of punches and some kicks. She stretched a bit and rolled her shoulders to loosen them up.
After all of that, she turned her attention to the Yusuke dummy. She stood in front of it, bouncing on the balls of her feet, like a boxer. She punched the dummy a couple of times before she grew bored. It wasn't the same without Kuwabara there. She needed someone there to actually fight. Not a dummy!
Joann went over to a tree and sat under it. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against it.
"This is stupid." she mumbled.
~A Few Minutes Earlier~
Hiei had been released by the Underworld. He thought they were crazy to let him go. To trust him to go to Kurama. To tell the tradorious red headed fox about their 'community service'. He hmphed as he landed on another tree top.
He wasn't sure why he even cared. He was free wasn't he? However, he was trapped in the human realm. It was easy to get into the human realm. It was a different thing to get into the demon realm.
Hiei growled as he landed on another tree. He was about to head off when something caught his attention from the ground. There was a girl, roughly his height. She was throwing punches and kicks at nothing. It was obvious that she was warming up.
'Interesting...' he thought before sitting on the tree's branch.
He wasn't in any hurry to see that damn fox anyway. He watched with red eyes. She was okay for a human. Her form was a bit stiff. But it wasn't like he cared.
Hiei watched her kick and punch at a familiar looking dummy tied to a wooden post. It wasn't long until the girl let out a sigh. She walked over to the tree had been sitting in. He raised an eyebrow as he watched her plop down underneath it.
"This is stupid." he heard her mumble.
He snickered before getting ready to head off to Kurama's house.
Joann heard something above her and looked up. She saw someone standing up. She jumped to her feet. She couldn't understand why she didn't sense anyone there. Her spirit awareness had gotten better, hadn't it?!
"Who's there?" she said, her voice firm.
However, inside she was scared. She wasn't ready! She still needed to train!
Hiei hesitated a moment before jumping down from the tree branch. He looked at the girl, who looked back at him. She blinked at him before her eyes widened.
"Hiei?! What are you doing here?" she asked but covered her mouth the minute those words escaped her lips.
'Shit...I'm not suppose to know him.' she thought.
Hiei narrowed his eyes at this girl.
"How did you know my name, wench." he hissed, taking out his sword.
The Underworld had also given him a sword, as they weren't going to trust him with the Conjuring Blade. Not to mention, he would need it for the mission.
Joann gave a nervous laugh and smile. She had to think up something and quick. A thought came to her mind.
"I know Yusuke! He told me about you."
Hiei stood there a moment. So this girl knew the Underworld detective. The brat who defeated him. He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Where is the detective?" he asked, holding out his sword, ready to attack.
Joann took a step backwards.
"I'm not sure. But if you leave a message, I can let him know you were here?" she said, a little squeak at the end of her sentence.
Hiei smirked and made a snort.
"Oh, I have a message for him." he said before vanishing.
Joann's eyes widened. Her spiritual awareness seemed to kick in.
'Oh now you want to work.' she thought to herself as she could sense the fire demon running around her.
It seemed her awareness only worked when she was in danger. But only when she knew there was danger, it seemed.
Her eyes widened as she jumped back and away from Hiei's sword. He 'hned' before swinging at her again. She dodged his attacks but just barely. She was happy that she was quick on her feet. Hiei began to get more frustrated.
Joann kept jumping out of the way, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he would cut her. She had to think of something, anything! She jumped out of the way of another lunge but tripped over Kuwabara's bat.
She fell backwards onto the ground. Hiei smirked. He had her where he wanted. He brought his sword up. He was not going to kill her since he was already in deep shit with the Underworld. He just wanted to get back at the detective. So he decided to leave a 'message' for him. Maybe leave a nice cut on her arm, or just scare her by impaling the ground next to her head. The look on her face would be entertaining.
Joann stared up with wide eyes before bringing her arm up. It was an automatic reaction which in hindsight was stupid. She closed her eyes and waited for the 'final blow'. A burning sensation began to surround her hand. She could feel some form of power pulsing around her hand and arm. She kept her eyes closed though, too afraid to see what was causing the sensation.
Hiei stopped mid swing and stared. He saw a faint outline of what looked to be a shield. He looked at the girl. Her eyes were closed and it seemed she didn't notice her power. He snorted before sheathing his sword.
"Tell the detective..." Hiei began, causing Joann to open her eyes, blinking up at the fire demon.
"To watch his back." Hiei said before vanishing.
Joann sat on the ground blinking. She lowered her arm. The burning sensation had stopped the moment she opened her eyes. She looked over the arm. She thought it was Hiei using his fire powers but there weren't any burn marks. She furrowed her eyebrows.
'What just happened?' she thought, confused over Hiei and over her own body.
~Two Weeks Later~
Joann didn't tell Kuwabara what had happened. She really couldn't with how badly the carrot top had gotten injured. She kicked herself mentally for not at least warning him about Rando. However, it wasn't like it would have helped. He was too stubborn and would have tried to kick the demon's ass even with the warning. He probably would have tried harder and gotten himself actually killed.
She focused on helping Kuwabara get better quicker. That entailed making sure he didn't do anything stupid. Like use his right arm when he didn't have to. But it was hard to do when she kept having to go to school. She would come back home to find the guy trying to play on his Master Drive. It pissed her off.
Kirishima tried to convince Kuwabara to take it easy. But not even his best friend since kindergarten could keep him from using his arm. He was only bedridden for two days! The doctors were amazed as they thought it would take months before he could even start using crutches. But here he was walking without any help by the third day!
The first week wasn't even over when the carrot top began to train again.
However, he had something he needed to improve on; his Spirit Sword. He was so proud and eager to not only show Joann but practice making it better.
Joann was happy for Kuwabara, even though she already knew about this new ability. She wasn't sure how to help him train but she did her best. She was pretty good at fencing, as she had to learn back in high school.
She had gone to a performing arts high school. They didn't have a sport team or any sports for that matter. It focused on the performing arts, obviously. She had been in the Theater Arts class. The school had a total of five majors to pick from. Instrumental, Vocal, Dance, TV production, and Theater Arts. She was interested in acting. (1)
Joann didn't realize that she would learn costume design, set design, lighting, and many other behind the scene stuff in theater. She would sometimes work with the TV production majors whenever they needed 'actors' for projects. She had learned how to edit from all the times she was used by the TV production majors.
Joann not only learned fencing but archery. Archery was her favorite. It could have been because she was better at it than fencing. But it could also been the feeling of pulling the arrow back. She felt like Kagome whenever she pulled that arrow back on the bow; only cooler.
She began to use Kuwabara's baseball bat to spar against the carrot top. She taught him a couple fencing moves. He practiced controlling the size of his Spirit Sword. She even helped him form a second sword in his less dominate hand. It wasn't as powerful as the one in his right hand. However, it would be helpful in a fight with more than one opponent. She was very proud of him and she could tell Shizuru was too. Although, she didn't verbally praise her little brother.
So by the time Yusuke got back from Genkai's training, two weeks later; Kuwabara was in peak condition.
In fact, Kuwabara and Joann had been heading out to get lunch. Unfortunately, the other three were busy. Okuo had to work at his job. Sawamura had an anime coming out on VHS that he couldn't wait to get. Kirishima really didn't have an excuse. He said he had 'plans' with someone but Joann figured he was trying to give her and Kuwabara some time alone.
"Sup!" Yusuke said with a smirk.
"Urameshi! When did you get back?!" Kuwabara asked, wide eyed yet happy.
"Just now actually. I haven't even gone home yet." Yusuke said with a laugh.
"You're dreading going home aren't you?" Joann said with a smirk.
Yusuke irked.
"Figured me out." he laughed.
Kuwabara laughed but it was more at being happy to see his arch rival.
"Whatcha two doing today?" Yusuke asked.
"We were heading out to lunch." Joann said.
"You wanna join?" Kuwabara asked, a smirk on his lips.
Yusuke shrugged.
"I got nothing better to do."
The three began to walk, heading to wherever their stomachs were taking them really. They walked in silence for a moment. Yusuke glanced over at Kuwabara, looking him over.
"So your arms okay now?"
Kuwabara couldn't help the proud and wide grin that crossed his lips.
"Good as new. And my muscles are in better shape than ever." Kuwabara said, flexing them as he walked.
Joann rolled her eyes but still smiled.
"The doctors were amazed. Guess that's what Reiki can do for you. Care for a personal demonstration?" Kuwabara asked, a gleam in his eyes.
Joann shook her head but couldn't shake the smirk on her lips.
"Fight junkie." she mumbled.
Yusuke heard her and chuckled. He couldn't say anything as he too was a fight junkie. Although, he was more so than the carrot top.
"Naw, wouldn't want you to get messed up again."
Kuwabara nodded. He could tell that Yusuke was being sincere in saying that. He had just got back from training with master Genkai too. So who knew how much stronger he had become during the last two weeks. The thought got Kuwabara curious.
"So how'd your training with Genkai go? You don't look any different." Kuwabara said, giving his arch rival a look over.
He didn't look like he had any extra muscles. He didn't look like he had gotten bigger. His aura didn't even feel much stronger.
Yusuke's face scrunched up at the memories. Just thinking about the last two weeks would give him nightmares for years. Or so he thought anyway.
"It was no picnic, let me tell you..." Yusuke said.
He began to list off everything he had to endure. With each lesson Yusuke named, made both Kuwabara and Joann wince.
"...and I meditated on top of burning coals, and slept on a bed of nails..." Yusuke continued.
He looked up as he continued to also count on his fingers. His right hand was already full and he was about to start on his left.
"Sure, enough already. Makes me cringe just hearing about it." Kuwabara said, his face showing he really was cringing.
Joann also cringed. She didn't know how Yusuke could handle all of that. Then again, he was the main character of the story. He had to be able to handle such horrors or the story wouldn't go anywhere.
"You are probably tired after all of that." Kuwabara added, thinking over all of Genkai's lessons.
Yusuke shrugged.
"Not really, but I still learned some cool stuff." Yusuke said before glancing behind him.
Joann noticed and also looked back. There were a couple of creeps following them. Joann got a chill down her spine. She wished her spiritual awareness would actually work and not alert her when she became alert to danger. It wasn't really helpful that way.
Kuwabara didn't seem to notice, even with his own spiritual awareness. Joann chalked it up with Kuwabara just being so focused on Yusuke being back.
"Anything you can show us?" Kuwabara asked, an intrigued look on his face.
Yusuke looked straight ahead.
"Hey."
Yusuke turned serious as he glanced at Kuwabara. The carrot top seemed to notice the change in demeanor from his rival.
"Hm?"
"We're being followed." Yusuke said glancing backwards.
"Do you recognize them?" Joann asked glancing quickly behind them.
"Never seen 'em before." Yusuke said with a shake of his head.
A glint filled his eyes before turning to look at Kuwabara. Kuwabara raised an eyebrow at this.
"Wanna take 'em on?" he asked with a grin.
Kuwabara couldn't help but return the grin.
"Sure, I got nuthin' better to do. Might be fun." Kuwabara flexed a bit as he shared the same glint as Yusuke.
Joann hesitated a moment. Was she ready? She had been practicing a lot. She had felt some improvement. She wasn't getting as tired as she had been before.
Kuwabara seemed to notice her hesitation before looking at her.
"You okay, Joann?" he asked with concerned eyes.
Yusuke raised an eyebrow at her reaction. He had got the vibe that she was a fighter, just like him. But he really didn't see her fight, not since she protected Kuwabara from those bullies. But that was almost two months ago.
Joann thought about it before deciding she wouldn't know until she tried. She turned determined eyes to Kuwabara and nodded.
"Let's do this." she said.
Kuwabara looked at her before grinning.
"Follow me, I know a place we can do this." Yusuke said with a smirk before walking quicker.
The two followed close behind him, as the gang of punks followed them.
~In An Empty Lot~
"You guys know who yer comin' up against?" Kuwabara asked, staring down the group who were blocking the only exit.
Joann and Yusuke were standing on either side of the carrot top. Yusuke looked ready to throw down. Joann felt an uneasy feeling in her gut.
"I'm Kuwabara the big muscle at Sara Jr. High." Kuwabara said with a proud grin on his lips.
"Yeah, you wish." Yusuke mumbled while giving him a look.
Joann would have laughed if the group in front of them didn't pull out knives. Joann instantly went into a defensive stance, not even realizing it. Kuwabara's eyes widened and reeled back.
"Aw man, they're whacked out! They're pulling shivs already!"
Joann turned blinking eyes towards the carrot top.
'He sounded like a thug...' Joann thought, 'Although he technically is, I guess.'
Her thoughts were interrupted as the guys in front of them began to chant 'kill' and 'die'. The three looked a bit freaked out at the group.
"Cripers! Never seen a buncha guys this out of it!" Yusuke said a bit worried.
Joann took a step backwards and her hands were up ready to defend herself. Kuwabara clenched his right hand into a fist and was ready to start swinging. However, Yusuke could tell that the situation was too dangerous. This was not the normal thug beat down. These guys were seriously out to kill them.
"Can't mess around then." Yusuke said before bringing his hand back.
His fist began to glow as a powering up noise came from the fist. Kuwabara's eyes widened as he watched and felt the power surround his rival's fist.
"Yeow! His fists glowing!" he said.
Joann looked at the power with wide eyes. She could feel the power. It was strong.
"I'll put ya down easy!" Yusuke said, his fist glowing brighter.
Yusuke shot his fist forward just as the thugs were about to jump the three. A bunch of glowing bullet looking energies shot out of his fist. The energy bullets flew at the thugs and hit each one of them, knocking them out cold onto the floor.
"Wow! You mowed 'em down without laying a hand on 'em! Like you had a machine gun!" Kuwabara said, impressed.
Joann relaxed her stance and just stared at the raven haired boy.
"I think that was a machine gun! Geez Yusuke!" Joann said, also impressed and in awe.
Yusuke smirked as he brought his fist up.
"Just basic reiki technique." Yusuke said before letting out a breath.
Joann had been impressed seeing him use that back when she watched the anime. However, it was more impressive in person. Not to mention feel the power with her sixth sense.
The three walked over to the knocked out thugs, looking down at them.
"So who are these jerks?" Yusuke asked with a raised eyebrow, before turning towards Kuwabara.
The two teens looked down at them. Neither recognized them.
"No idea..." Kuwabara said.
Kuwabara's head snapped up as he felt an aura.
"Wait a sec!" Kuwabara said.
Yusuke and Joann looked at Kuwabara.
"I sense a weird aura not no how human." Kuwabara said looking around.
Joann got a slight chill down her spine. It felt like someone was staring at her. She looked in the direction, just as Kuwabara was pointing in the same direction.
"Over there! That guy!" Kuwabara shouted.
There was a figure looking at the three. It was wearing a brown trench coat and old face 'detective' hat from the 1950's. The figure was looking at them from the entrance of the lot. Joann could feel an usual energy coming off the figure. Yusuke looked in the direction. The figure seemed to noticed everyone was looking at them.
"Freeze buster!' Kuwabara growled before rushing after the figure.
Joann and Yusuke were on Kuwabara's heels as they rushed at the cloaked figure. The creeper yelped before running back behind the corner. As the three were about to reach the corner, the cloaked figure came flying backwards.
Joann, Kuwabara, and Yusuke stopped in their tracks. They stood there blinking down at the twitching creature. The hat fell off revealing a demon. It's face was green and it's eyes were swirling.
"Hah! Hit a perfect grounder that time!"
The three jumped at the voice. They turned to find Botan. She had a bat resting on her shoulder and was dressed in blue jeans and a white tank top, tucked into the jeans.
"Botan!" Yusuke shouted in shock.
Kuwabara blinked at her.
'Her again! Cute, but dangerous.' he thought, a slight sweat drop on his head.
Joann blinked at the perky angel of death. She had a pretty mean swing, that was for sure.
"You know this weirdo?" Yusuke asked, pointing to the knocked out demon.
The demon had a bit of blood in the corner of his open mouth along with his eyes still swirling around.
"Yep." Botan said with a nod.
She lowered her bat.
"He's a resident of Demon City, which as it happens is the subject of your new mission." Botan said with a serious look.
Yusuke looked a bit confused, blinking a bit at her.
"Demon City?"
"It's a haven for other world outlaws. A group of demons known as the Four Saint Beasts founded a criminal organization that hide out there. Some other fugitive felons fled to it, turning it into an impenetrable city of criminals. They're now issuing demands to the Underworld." she explained.
"Demands? Such as...?" Yusuke asked, not liking the sound of it so far.
"Access to the human world!"
The three looked at the blue haired girl in shock.
"The Underworld set up a force field between Demon City and the human world to prevent such access. But the demons want it taken down." Botan explained.
Yusuke huffed before crossing his arms over his chest.
"Who cares what they want? Ignore 'em!" he growled out.
He wasn't ready to take on another mission. Especially after he just got back from Genkai's training from Hell.
"It's not that simple." Botan said with a frown.
She walked over to one of the thugs on the ground. The three followed close behind her.
"See that guy who attacked you?" Botan said, pointing down at one of the thugs.
As they looked down, a worm looking bug crawled out of the open mouth.
"Lech! That creepo bug crawled out of his mouth!" Yusuke said with a disturbed look on his face.
Kuwabara made an 'ick' face. Joann scrunched up her nose in disgust.
"It's a round worm monster. A parasite drawn to gloomy souls. The people they infest are driven to violence, destruction and murder. The Four Saint Beasts release thousands of them into this city." Botan explained.
Both Joann and Yusuke's eyes widened. Kuwabara looked a bit freaked out and worried.
"What?! We've gotta warn everyone!" he shouted.
"Pointless I'm afraid." Botan said with a sad shake of her head.
"Normal people can't see the worms...and those infected just seem psycho. The only course is to exterminate the worms! And that means destroying the Enabling Whistle."
Yusuke raised an eyebrow at this.
"A...whistle?"
Botan nodded.
"Yes. Normally the worms can't survive in the human world, but this whistle enables them to do so. The Four Saint Beasts say they'll hand over the whistle if we take down the force field...but that's out of the question."
"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked, not seeming to understand the problem.
"If unleashed, the demons could kill everyone here in a day!" Botan said.
Yusuke furrowed his eyebrows.
"Okay, then the only way to do it..."
"Exactly! We must take the whistle and destroy it!" Botan said, pointing her finger in the air.
Yusuke glared at the blue haired girl.
"WE' meaning me right? I have to jump into that nest of demon vermin by myself!" Yusuke growled.
"So what am I, snake spit?"
Yusuke and Botan blinked at each other before turning around.
"You have us!" Joann said with a determined look in her face.
Joann had decided to work past her doubts and fears. She was going to have faith in herself and her abilities. She was going to help anyway she could. She wasn't going to be a side character!
It took a minute for Botan to process what she was seeing.
"Oh my God! Kuwabara, Joann-chan, you were listening?" she said with shock in her face.
"Like we could help it?" Kuwabara said with an annoyed face.
Joann sweat dropped. She couldn't believe Botan was such an airhead that she didn't notice TWO people just chilling in the background. She would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.
"Anyway, I can see these worms too. And I'm sure Joann here saw them too." Kuwabara said nodding at Joann, who nodded to confirm his words.
"So I figure I'm in this. We grab their whistle thing, or this town will wind up crawlin' with crazed dudes, right?" Kuwabara asked, looking seriously into Botan's pink eyes.
Botan was a bit taken aback but nodded.
"Well, that's settled! Let's go there!" He said, determination and fire in his brown eyes.
Kuwabara wouldn't let anything happen to his turf, his city, his friends. Sure, the city had some low lives in it; like those on the ground. However, it was his city damn it and he would protect it and those that lived in it.
Botan seemed to look at the carrot top in awe and admiration.
Yusuke gave Kuwabara a look that screamed 'are you serious'.
Joann took in a deep breath before finding her inner courage. She had been training for this. Whether she was ready or not, she had no choice. She wasn't going to sit this battle out.
(End of Chapter 3)
(1)- The school that I went to actually was like this. I learned archery and fencing. It was pretty cool. I miss high school sometimes haha. Scary to say that.