It was a very beautiful day when they landed down in Los Angeles. Sukina
and her sister separated here, each taking a cab to different parts of the
city. Hiei and Kurama followed Sukina, while Naoko had Yusuke and Kuwabara
for escorts. Botan was to wait for them at the hotel, as the other Chosen
Ones in the city had been forewarned. Confidentially, she'd whispered to
Kurama, she didn't trust the two girls not to go shopping the minute they
were out of her sight. She knew her sister too well. Kurama gave her a rare
grin in reply.
Sukina and the two Youkos headed down to Tinseltown. They were to meet a gypsy there. The first thing that the two boys noticed was the absence of anything resembling Japanese. Everything was in English. At least Kurama, who'd taken his education seriously, understood it, but Hiei's silence this time around was very ominous. "Don't worry, Hiei-san," Sukina was grinning wildly, "All you have to do is look fierce. You'll look like my bodyguard. Kurama-san, I need you to act the part of my manager. We're going to have to act if we're going to get in to see Serene," Sukina said, the first time anyone had mentioned the names of the Chosen Ones. Before they could say anything else though, they'd reached the building. It was a small, nondescript building, incongruous with its surroundings, where everything and everyone was trying their best to get attention. Sukina simply walked into the building and headed towards the reception centre. "Ask for Serene DeWinter," Sukina whispered softly, staying close to Hiei. An eyebrow was all she received for a reply, but they were soon sent to the 4th floor, where, as Sukina assured him, one of the Chosen Ones waited. "Your name, please," the lady asked him as they reached the floor. "Minami Syuichi and Suzanne Takuma. We're here to see Miss DeWinter," he said. "Of course. I'll put you through, but you'll have to wait a moment. A pair of sisters just went in. Funny," the woman smiled friendly at Sukina when she looked up, "One of them looked exactly like you," she continued. Sukina's already pale face was drained of all colour. Her blue eyes seemed too large to be in her face, and there was a look of utmost horror on her face. "When did they come?" she asked. There was a questioning look on the woman's face, but she replied that it was not more than five minutes. At that, Sukina immediately bolted past the security guards and into the office beyond. Hiei and Kurama were as stunned as the others, but they just took one look at each other and followed her, stopping the guards as they did. Just as they passed the door, they heard a loud, almost painful scream. It wasn't Sukina, as she still had some distance to run, but as she threw the door open, the smell of blood and nearing death was so overpowering that the two Youkos wondered why didn't anyone comment or scream. When they reached the office, Kurama erected a barrier of plants, to stop anyone from interfering. He didn't know why he did that, but he had no time to think, as Sukina was trying to revive a girl, no older than 20, who was lying in a pool of blood. At the window, two black figures were escaping, and Hiei was about to give chase. Sukina's mournful voice stopped him though. "We'll deal with them later, Hiei! Right now I need you!" she said, fumbling with her shirt. She opened the first few buttons, enough so that they could see the large amulet that hung at her neck. There was a near identical amulet on the floor next to the girl. Sukina put the amulet on the girl and put her hand on it. She then grabbed Hiei's hand and pressed it to her bosom, over where her own amulet hung. A faint rush painted Hiei's cheeks. She began to recite an ancient spell, one that Kurama, who was finishing the barrier, recognised, even though he had only heard rumours about it. "No!" he shouted, but it was too late. An aura surrounded the unconscious girl, spreading to Sukina, before finally enveloping Hiei. At the conclusion of the spell, Hiei's eyes went strangely blank and there was a burst of light from the three of them. The light enveloped everyone in the office, and the last thing Kurama remembered was thinking how beautiful it was.
Right at that moment, Naoko was speaking quickly and quietly to a blonde, caramel-coloured haired girl. Yusuke and Kuwabara were standing not far away, seeming not to eavesdrop, but they heard the two girls quite clearly, as though they were standing right next to each other. Suddenly though, they could 'feel' a large explosion of chi. All four of them turned, and a look of fear covered both the girls' faces. "That was Sukina," the blond girl said. "Do you understand now, Jenny? You could be next," Naoko said, her voice unnaturally soft and pleading. "Where are you staying?" Jenny said, moving quickly. "The Ritz. Celeste's paying," she said, following the girl out of the art gallery. Kuwabara and Yusuke followed them without saying anything. They felt worried for the others as well. Jenny led them down to the employee's parking lots. On the way, she grabbed two sets of keys and threw one of them towards Naoko. Motioning to Yusuke, she followed Jenny downstairs, where they saw two covered vehicles. One of them was a motorbike; the other was a sports car. "Get in quick. We don't have much time," Jenny said, tossing a helmet to Yusuke. "Guard her well, Yusuke. If she dies, everyone does too," Naoko told him as she started up the red Porsche Carrerra. Within a few minutes, Jenny and Yusuke were on their way to the Ritz, while Naoko and Kuwabara took the long way to Serene's office. Naoko knew that the only thing that could force her sister to act in such a way would be Janioes, and she guessed that they wouldn't be able to hide their true nature, not after pulling such a stunt off anyway. They would have to hide somewhere to regain their energy. Naoko dragged Kuwabara with her as they scoured the streets. She stopped suddenly and lifted her nose high, as though to smell the air. Very soon, Kuwabara got the scent as well. "Eeewww! What's that smell?" he asked. Naoko merely grinned at him. It was his first 'real' brush with Janioes. "That smell is the smell of a Janioes who needs to regenerate. Only humans with 'true' talent would be able to smell them," she said. She stopped when a famous celebrity walked past them, holding her nose. "Then again, you get a few crackpots who have some acting skills who can actullay detect them and you hope that they won't disturb you," she said to Kuwabara, sweatdropping.
Sukina and the two Youkos headed down to Tinseltown. They were to meet a gypsy there. The first thing that the two boys noticed was the absence of anything resembling Japanese. Everything was in English. At least Kurama, who'd taken his education seriously, understood it, but Hiei's silence this time around was very ominous. "Don't worry, Hiei-san," Sukina was grinning wildly, "All you have to do is look fierce. You'll look like my bodyguard. Kurama-san, I need you to act the part of my manager. We're going to have to act if we're going to get in to see Serene," Sukina said, the first time anyone had mentioned the names of the Chosen Ones. Before they could say anything else though, they'd reached the building. It was a small, nondescript building, incongruous with its surroundings, where everything and everyone was trying their best to get attention. Sukina simply walked into the building and headed towards the reception centre. "Ask for Serene DeWinter," Sukina whispered softly, staying close to Hiei. An eyebrow was all she received for a reply, but they were soon sent to the 4th floor, where, as Sukina assured him, one of the Chosen Ones waited. "Your name, please," the lady asked him as they reached the floor. "Minami Syuichi and Suzanne Takuma. We're here to see Miss DeWinter," he said. "Of course. I'll put you through, but you'll have to wait a moment. A pair of sisters just went in. Funny," the woman smiled friendly at Sukina when she looked up, "One of them looked exactly like you," she continued. Sukina's already pale face was drained of all colour. Her blue eyes seemed too large to be in her face, and there was a look of utmost horror on her face. "When did they come?" she asked. There was a questioning look on the woman's face, but she replied that it was not more than five minutes. At that, Sukina immediately bolted past the security guards and into the office beyond. Hiei and Kurama were as stunned as the others, but they just took one look at each other and followed her, stopping the guards as they did. Just as they passed the door, they heard a loud, almost painful scream. It wasn't Sukina, as she still had some distance to run, but as she threw the door open, the smell of blood and nearing death was so overpowering that the two Youkos wondered why didn't anyone comment or scream. When they reached the office, Kurama erected a barrier of plants, to stop anyone from interfering. He didn't know why he did that, but he had no time to think, as Sukina was trying to revive a girl, no older than 20, who was lying in a pool of blood. At the window, two black figures were escaping, and Hiei was about to give chase. Sukina's mournful voice stopped him though. "We'll deal with them later, Hiei! Right now I need you!" she said, fumbling with her shirt. She opened the first few buttons, enough so that they could see the large amulet that hung at her neck. There was a near identical amulet on the floor next to the girl. Sukina put the amulet on the girl and put her hand on it. She then grabbed Hiei's hand and pressed it to her bosom, over where her own amulet hung. A faint rush painted Hiei's cheeks. She began to recite an ancient spell, one that Kurama, who was finishing the barrier, recognised, even though he had only heard rumours about it. "No!" he shouted, but it was too late. An aura surrounded the unconscious girl, spreading to Sukina, before finally enveloping Hiei. At the conclusion of the spell, Hiei's eyes went strangely blank and there was a burst of light from the three of them. The light enveloped everyone in the office, and the last thing Kurama remembered was thinking how beautiful it was.
Right at that moment, Naoko was speaking quickly and quietly to a blonde, caramel-coloured haired girl. Yusuke and Kuwabara were standing not far away, seeming not to eavesdrop, but they heard the two girls quite clearly, as though they were standing right next to each other. Suddenly though, they could 'feel' a large explosion of chi. All four of them turned, and a look of fear covered both the girls' faces. "That was Sukina," the blond girl said. "Do you understand now, Jenny? You could be next," Naoko said, her voice unnaturally soft and pleading. "Where are you staying?" Jenny said, moving quickly. "The Ritz. Celeste's paying," she said, following the girl out of the art gallery. Kuwabara and Yusuke followed them without saying anything. They felt worried for the others as well. Jenny led them down to the employee's parking lots. On the way, she grabbed two sets of keys and threw one of them towards Naoko. Motioning to Yusuke, she followed Jenny downstairs, where they saw two covered vehicles. One of them was a motorbike; the other was a sports car. "Get in quick. We don't have much time," Jenny said, tossing a helmet to Yusuke. "Guard her well, Yusuke. If she dies, everyone does too," Naoko told him as she started up the red Porsche Carrerra. Within a few minutes, Jenny and Yusuke were on their way to the Ritz, while Naoko and Kuwabara took the long way to Serene's office. Naoko knew that the only thing that could force her sister to act in such a way would be Janioes, and she guessed that they wouldn't be able to hide their true nature, not after pulling such a stunt off anyway. They would have to hide somewhere to regain their energy. Naoko dragged Kuwabara with her as they scoured the streets. She stopped suddenly and lifted her nose high, as though to smell the air. Very soon, Kuwabara got the scent as well. "Eeewww! What's that smell?" he asked. Naoko merely grinned at him. It was his first 'real' brush with Janioes. "That smell is the smell of a Janioes who needs to regenerate. Only humans with 'true' talent would be able to smell them," she said. She stopped when a famous celebrity walked past them, holding her nose. "Then again, you get a few crackpots who have some acting skills who can actullay detect them and you hope that they won't disturb you," she said to Kuwabara, sweatdropping.