Whew...sorry it took so long, minna-san! I just moved from San Diego, CA to Park City, UT, so I'm recovering from the shock. Plus, my computer wasn't unpacked...*sniffles* Anyway...I have a new monitor now and no more dial-up! *dances* When we last left the story, Kelsey and Kia had just fought off a bunch of nasty little youkai and Kia had been frozen against her will! Jin managed to save her, but the shock of it all caused Kia to pass out. Oh, yeah and a disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters. (Oh, boy, I wish I did...) I DO, however, own Kia and Kelsey...well, kind of. Kelsey owns herself. I'll own a lot of other people before this is done, and you, my readers, might get a chance to show up in the story...hehehe...maybe. Onwards!
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"Look...I think she's waking up!"
"About time."
"Shut up, Shishi, she only slept for a day."
"I told you she'd be fine, Jin. She just needed some rest."
"No, I told YOU!"
Kia slowly opened her eyes, blinking as she adjusted to the sunlight filtering through the window. Five faces broke out into grins.
"Ah, good, you look much better." Kurama smiled down at her.
Yusuke nodded. "When Jin brought you in, you were babbling about someone freezing you."
"I...was?" Kia blinked. "I don't remember..."
"You were asleep," Shishiwakamaru informed her, rolling his eyes. "Of course you don't."
"But you feel better?" Jin asked hopefully. When Kia nodded, he sighed in relief. "That's good."
"Kia..." At the quiet summons, she looked at Touya. "Why did you faint?"
The girl frowned thoughtfully, reviewing the events of two days ago. "I couldn't move. I couldn't control my body at all. I guess it was the shock. If Jin hadn't come along just then, I would've..." She trailed off.
"Died?" Shishiwakamaru finished for her. "What a pity."
Yusuke groaned. "Someone get him out of here."
"And Kel-" Kia stopped abruptly. "Kelsey! Where is she? What happened to her??"
"Your friend?" Kurama looked at Kia. "She's fine. Kuwabara and Suzuki are explaining things to her."
The girl nodded and slowly rose from her makeshift bed of several blankets piled on top of one another. "Kelsey?" she called, heading towards the kitchen.
"Kia!" Kelsey looked up from where she sat at a table with Kuwabara and Suzuki. "You're okay!" She jumped up and hugged her friend.
"Of course I am," Kia replied, as Kelsey stepped back. "Did they fill you in?"
"Hai!" Kelsey nodded enthusiastically. "Tell me, Kia..." Her gray eyes sparkled with mischief. "Did you REALLY smack Jin with a cookie sheet?"
"A GREASED cookie sheet," Touya added with a straight face as he and the others joined them.
Kia sighed, fidgeting. "It was an ACCIDENT..."
Kelsey burst into laughter. "So you DID hit him! Poor Jin."
"Naw, my skull's thick," Jin said cheerfully.
"Better a cookie sheet than a schoolbag," Suzuki murmured, a similar glint of mischief in his own eyes. "Right, Shishi?"
The youkai glared at the blonde. "Shut up."
"Yeah, or Kia'll hit you with something too!" Yusuke said, snickering. This was enough to set Kuwabara off, and even Touya couldn't repress a smile.
"Stop, you're making Kia uncomfortable," Kurama interceded.
Kia stalked past them and into the bathroom. She emerged dressed in blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and a red hooded pullover. "I hate all of you," she informed them flatly, before she left the house. The door slammed shut behind her.
Kelsey, all innocence, held up a plate. "Cookie, anyone?"
* * * * * * * *
Kia jogged to a quiet little park, pink spots still on her cheeks. "Bakas," she muttered angrily. "I can't believe I'm placing my life in THEIR hands."
With a sigh, she flopped down on the grass and leaned against a sturdy oak. A curious sparrow landed near her foot. Kia smiled. "You're lucky, little bird," she murmured. "No one's after you because you have some stupid mirror inside you and no one's teasing you about cookie sheets."
The sparrow tilted its head slightly.
"Here I am, stuck with people like Shishiwakamaru, who hates me, and Hiei, who ignores me. Yusuke's a total pervert and Kuwabara's an idiot!"
Kurama, who'd been sent to find Kia, heard her voice. He followed it and saw her engaged in a one-sided conversation with a sparrow.
"...Don't get me wrong, they're not all that bad...Touya's good to go to for advice and he doesn't treat me like a little kid. Suzuki seems nice enough. Jin can always cheer me up and he saved my life...even after I knocked him out with a cookie sheet. And Kurama...if it wasn't for him, who knows where'd I be? He rescued me from that gang...he's like the big brother I never had."
"That's very sweet of you to say that, Kia."
"Kurama!" Kia stared at him for a moment, as the sparrow took flight.
"Gomen. I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with your feathered friend." The Youko smiled. "Ready to come back now?"
The girl nodded. "I wish...I knew what the Mirrors DO..." she said softly, half to herself.
Kurama looked down at her, then pulled her to her feet. "You'll know someday. But until then, we'll have to discover your powers."
"My what?"
"Your powers. Your reiki has been lying dormant for some time now. I think it'll be interesting to awaken it."
There was a long pause. "You've lost me," Kia said finally.
"I tend to do that. My apologies." The Youko sighed softly. "I don't know how or why the Mirror chose you and your friend, Kia, but know this: None of us will let anything happen to either of you."
Kia smiled up at him. "Arigatou, Kurama-san."
"So, about that cookie sheet-"
"KURAMA!"
* * * * * * * *
"Itai..." Kelsey winced as she tried to fold her legs into the traditional meditation pose. She was failing miserably.
Kia grinned, watching her friend struggle with it. "Don't worry, the soreness won't kick in until tomorrow."
"How comforting," the girl grumbled.
Touya, siting perfectly in meditation, opened one eye and smiled at the pair. "You'll adjust," he reassured Kelsey. "But please, try to be silent. When you are utterly at peace, you can search for your reiki."
Properly chastened, Kelsey shut her eyes...and her mouth. Kia did the same.
"Now...imagine yourselves in a peaceful place...a sanctuary where you can be by yourself..."
Kia (without really thinking about it) found herself standing in a grove of majestic redwoods. There was a brisk, refreshing breeze blowing and she smiled in delight as it ruffled her hair and clothes. *It's so beautiful...*
"Ah..." Touya's voice cut through her meditation. Kia opened her eyes and saw the Ice Master smiling proudly. "I'd say that was successful."
Kia glanced at Kelsey-and discovered that she was glowing an icy blue color tinged with a rich, deep green, all of which was surrounded by a faint golden glow. "Colorful," she remarked, blinking repeatedly to clear the spots from her eyes.
Kelsey, who was staring at herself in a silver hand mirror, passed it to Kia. "You're not so plain yourself."
Kia looked at her reflection. She too bore that same icy blue glow, but the color that tinged it was white and the glow that suffused all of THAT was silver. "Okay, I'm confused," she announced, lowering the mirror as the colors faded, leaving the girls their normal selves again.
"That blue color is your reiki," explained Touya. "That fuels your attacks. The colors after that, green and white in your cases, are your own power, which determines how your reiki will be used. And the faint glow that both of you possess are the Mirror halves. As their power hasn't been tapped into yet, their glow is relatively weak."
"That'll change one day, I bet," Jin called out, as he stepped into the room. "How'd they do, Touya?"
The Ice Master smiled at his "students". "They did beautifully. I leave them now in your capable hands, Jin."
"'Capable hands' and 'Jin' are two words I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence," Kelsey whispered to Kia.
The girl glanced up at the redhead, chatting animatedly with Touya. "He just might surprise you, Kelsey."
*OOC*
Well, well, well...how'd I do, guys? Please review! Also, in later chapters, I'll need someone who knows where Ashita lives, Ashita's assistant, and a friend of the Tantei. Which is where you, my readers, come in! If you want to be one of the three, please either e-mail me or ask in the review. There are some qualifications. I need a short bio of your char (but please, more than one sentence, I need looks and personality, people!) and you must be an author at this site. First come, first served, unless I decide otherwise. Also, later on, I'll have a chapter entirely devoted to questions to the characters of this story! I'll keep you all posted on that. And here's a little teaser for next chapter...
* Kelsey and Kia start training, trying to develop their powers.
* Jin ends up in an awkward position (literally), and it's up to him and Touya to find Kia when she runs out on them. Some of Kia's past is explained, so stay tuned!
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"Look...I think she's waking up!"
"About time."
"Shut up, Shishi, she only slept for a day."
"I told you she'd be fine, Jin. She just needed some rest."
"No, I told YOU!"
Kia slowly opened her eyes, blinking as she adjusted to the sunlight filtering through the window. Five faces broke out into grins.
"Ah, good, you look much better." Kurama smiled down at her.
Yusuke nodded. "When Jin brought you in, you were babbling about someone freezing you."
"I...was?" Kia blinked. "I don't remember..."
"You were asleep," Shishiwakamaru informed her, rolling his eyes. "Of course you don't."
"But you feel better?" Jin asked hopefully. When Kia nodded, he sighed in relief. "That's good."
"Kia..." At the quiet summons, she looked at Touya. "Why did you faint?"
The girl frowned thoughtfully, reviewing the events of two days ago. "I couldn't move. I couldn't control my body at all. I guess it was the shock. If Jin hadn't come along just then, I would've..." She trailed off.
"Died?" Shishiwakamaru finished for her. "What a pity."
Yusuke groaned. "Someone get him out of here."
"And Kel-" Kia stopped abruptly. "Kelsey! Where is she? What happened to her??"
"Your friend?" Kurama looked at Kia. "She's fine. Kuwabara and Suzuki are explaining things to her."
The girl nodded and slowly rose from her makeshift bed of several blankets piled on top of one another. "Kelsey?" she called, heading towards the kitchen.
"Kia!" Kelsey looked up from where she sat at a table with Kuwabara and Suzuki. "You're okay!" She jumped up and hugged her friend.
"Of course I am," Kia replied, as Kelsey stepped back. "Did they fill you in?"
"Hai!" Kelsey nodded enthusiastically. "Tell me, Kia..." Her gray eyes sparkled with mischief. "Did you REALLY smack Jin with a cookie sheet?"
"A GREASED cookie sheet," Touya added with a straight face as he and the others joined them.
Kia sighed, fidgeting. "It was an ACCIDENT..."
Kelsey burst into laughter. "So you DID hit him! Poor Jin."
"Naw, my skull's thick," Jin said cheerfully.
"Better a cookie sheet than a schoolbag," Suzuki murmured, a similar glint of mischief in his own eyes. "Right, Shishi?"
The youkai glared at the blonde. "Shut up."
"Yeah, or Kia'll hit you with something too!" Yusuke said, snickering. This was enough to set Kuwabara off, and even Touya couldn't repress a smile.
"Stop, you're making Kia uncomfortable," Kurama interceded.
Kia stalked past them and into the bathroom. She emerged dressed in blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and a red hooded pullover. "I hate all of you," she informed them flatly, before she left the house. The door slammed shut behind her.
Kelsey, all innocence, held up a plate. "Cookie, anyone?"
* * * * * * * *
Kia jogged to a quiet little park, pink spots still on her cheeks. "Bakas," she muttered angrily. "I can't believe I'm placing my life in THEIR hands."
With a sigh, she flopped down on the grass and leaned against a sturdy oak. A curious sparrow landed near her foot. Kia smiled. "You're lucky, little bird," she murmured. "No one's after you because you have some stupid mirror inside you and no one's teasing you about cookie sheets."
The sparrow tilted its head slightly.
"Here I am, stuck with people like Shishiwakamaru, who hates me, and Hiei, who ignores me. Yusuke's a total pervert and Kuwabara's an idiot!"
Kurama, who'd been sent to find Kia, heard her voice. He followed it and saw her engaged in a one-sided conversation with a sparrow.
"...Don't get me wrong, they're not all that bad...Touya's good to go to for advice and he doesn't treat me like a little kid. Suzuki seems nice enough. Jin can always cheer me up and he saved my life...even after I knocked him out with a cookie sheet. And Kurama...if it wasn't for him, who knows where'd I be? He rescued me from that gang...he's like the big brother I never had."
"That's very sweet of you to say that, Kia."
"Kurama!" Kia stared at him for a moment, as the sparrow took flight.
"Gomen. I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with your feathered friend." The Youko smiled. "Ready to come back now?"
The girl nodded. "I wish...I knew what the Mirrors DO..." she said softly, half to herself.
Kurama looked down at her, then pulled her to her feet. "You'll know someday. But until then, we'll have to discover your powers."
"My what?"
"Your powers. Your reiki has been lying dormant for some time now. I think it'll be interesting to awaken it."
There was a long pause. "You've lost me," Kia said finally.
"I tend to do that. My apologies." The Youko sighed softly. "I don't know how or why the Mirror chose you and your friend, Kia, but know this: None of us will let anything happen to either of you."
Kia smiled up at him. "Arigatou, Kurama-san."
"So, about that cookie sheet-"
"KURAMA!"
* * * * * * * *
"Itai..." Kelsey winced as she tried to fold her legs into the traditional meditation pose. She was failing miserably.
Kia grinned, watching her friend struggle with it. "Don't worry, the soreness won't kick in until tomorrow."
"How comforting," the girl grumbled.
Touya, siting perfectly in meditation, opened one eye and smiled at the pair. "You'll adjust," he reassured Kelsey. "But please, try to be silent. When you are utterly at peace, you can search for your reiki."
Properly chastened, Kelsey shut her eyes...and her mouth. Kia did the same.
"Now...imagine yourselves in a peaceful place...a sanctuary where you can be by yourself..."
Kia (without really thinking about it) found herself standing in a grove of majestic redwoods. There was a brisk, refreshing breeze blowing and she smiled in delight as it ruffled her hair and clothes. *It's so beautiful...*
"Ah..." Touya's voice cut through her meditation. Kia opened her eyes and saw the Ice Master smiling proudly. "I'd say that was successful."
Kia glanced at Kelsey-and discovered that she was glowing an icy blue color tinged with a rich, deep green, all of which was surrounded by a faint golden glow. "Colorful," she remarked, blinking repeatedly to clear the spots from her eyes.
Kelsey, who was staring at herself in a silver hand mirror, passed it to Kia. "You're not so plain yourself."
Kia looked at her reflection. She too bore that same icy blue glow, but the color that tinged it was white and the glow that suffused all of THAT was silver. "Okay, I'm confused," she announced, lowering the mirror as the colors faded, leaving the girls their normal selves again.
"That blue color is your reiki," explained Touya. "That fuels your attacks. The colors after that, green and white in your cases, are your own power, which determines how your reiki will be used. And the faint glow that both of you possess are the Mirror halves. As their power hasn't been tapped into yet, their glow is relatively weak."
"That'll change one day, I bet," Jin called out, as he stepped into the room. "How'd they do, Touya?"
The Ice Master smiled at his "students". "They did beautifully. I leave them now in your capable hands, Jin."
"'Capable hands' and 'Jin' are two words I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence," Kelsey whispered to Kia.
The girl glanced up at the redhead, chatting animatedly with Touya. "He just might surprise you, Kelsey."
*OOC*
Well, well, well...how'd I do, guys? Please review! Also, in later chapters, I'll need someone who knows where Ashita lives, Ashita's assistant, and a friend of the Tantei. Which is where you, my readers, come in! If you want to be one of the three, please either e-mail me or ask in the review. There are some qualifications. I need a short bio of your char (but please, more than one sentence, I need looks and personality, people!) and you must be an author at this site. First come, first served, unless I decide otherwise. Also, later on, I'll have a chapter entirely devoted to questions to the characters of this story! I'll keep you all posted on that. And here's a little teaser for next chapter...
* Kelsey and Kia start training, trying to develop their powers.
* Jin ends up in an awkward position (literally), and it's up to him and Touya to find Kia when she runs out on them. Some of Kia's past is explained, so stay tuned!
