*sigh* Looks like out-takes might take awhile to get up...I was a little enthusiastic, so it may take me some time to get them all written down and neatened up. Now then...last chapter, we were reintroduced to the Mirror Holders, Kelsey and Kia and the introduction of a mysterious stranger...is she a friend or a foe? Just WHAT does she intend to do? We're about to find out...and the tumultuous battle between Shishiwakamaru and a little mouse! Who will emerge victorious??
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"No, you are NOT keeping it!!" Shishiwakamaru howled, his normally pale face turning a bright and blotchy red.
Rei inched behind Kia. "But it's so kawaii!!" She protested. The smaller Mirror Holder sweatdropped at the Priestess' choice of shield.
"No!" The samurai repeated. "That...that THING isn't staying here!"
"It's called a mouse, Shishi," Suzuki said amusedly.
"Guess he was never a Mouseketeer," Kelsey told Kia. The two exchanged looks, and then Kia burst into song.
"Now it's time to say good-bye to all the family! M-I-C-"
"See you REAL soon!" Kelsey interjected.
"K-E-Y-"
"Why? Because we LOVE you!"
Suzuki, Rei, and Hiei were all snickering now.
"M-O-U-S-EEEEEEEEE!" Both girls warbled. Everyone burst into applause, with the exception of the sour-faced Shishiwakamaru. Even Touya and Hiei were smiling. Or smirking, in the Jaganshi's case.
"And besides, it's for Rinku when he comes back," Rei assured the scowling samurai. "Axe doesn't like mice."
Shishiwakamaru muttered and grumbled, but Rei had skipped out from behind Kia and went into the kitchen, singing, "Sustenance for the mousie!"
Kia sighed, settling on the couch with Kelsey and Touya. Kage, the large black canine, shifted carefully so that the Ice Master didn't sit on his tail, and went back to sleep. Hiei went into his room, and Suzuki sat in one of his armchairs, reading a tabloid magazine. Shishiwakamaru still stood there, scowl firmly planted on his face. He was STILL glaring at nothing or no one in particular twenty-three minutes later. Kia and Kelsey were trying to teach Jin and Touya how to play Slide.
"Okay, you're on three now...so do three on each hand, then back of hands, front, clap, and do it two more times..."
Touya was fairly good at it, and Jin's energetic enthusiasm kept him going. The two had progressed all the way to twelve, when an unexpected rap on the front door made Jin lose his concentration and the pattern of the hand claps.
"You did great!" Kia reassured the forlorn Wind Master. "I've only made it up to eight."
Kelsey nodded. "Who knows how far you could've gone, if someone hadn't been at the door."
"Speaking of the door..." Suzuki raised a pale eyebrow.
"I'll get it," Shishiwakamaru grumped, marching purposefully towards the door. The others could hear him open it. Jin and Touya returned to playing Slide under Kia's watchful eye, and Kelsey started instructing Suzuki on how to play.
Once he had pulled the door open, Shishiwakamaru found himself staring down at a little ningen girl. Most of her light brown hair was cut to just above her shoulders, with two plump pigtails trailing to her upper back. A bright red cloth was tied securely around her head, nestled under her bangs. She wore a light pink sundress and white sandals. She also had on a pair of ridiculously large, dark sunglasses that threatened to engulf her face. In her left hand, she clutched a brown paper sack.
"You're not one of those Girl Scouts, are you?" Shishiwakamaru said warily. One of the little brats had nailed him in the eyes with pepper spray when he had tried to take a box of Thin Mints without paying. Kia and Kelsey had finally taken pity on him after a full forty-five minutes of laughing, and had helped him to wash the substance from his searing eyes. Understandably, he was a bit more cautious now.
The girl giggled shrilly. "Of course not! Are Kelsey and Kia home?"
The youkai hesitated. "Why do YOU want to know?" he said finally.
She made a cute moue. "Gee, Mister Pretty Man, I just wanna play with 'em!"
"They're not here," he said curtly.
"Oh." The child pouted, then brightened. "S'okay! You'll do just fine, then!" She plunged her hand into the bag, withdrawing a fistful of something that vaguely resembled baking soda. A second later, she had thrown the whole mess into his face.
Bewildered, Shishiwakamaru sneezed, backing away and rubbing his tearing eyes. Why was it always his eyes that got the brunt of these attacks?? Once he could see clearly again, he looked around for the little girl, ready to give her a sound thrashing. But she was gone.
"Little brat," he muttered darkly, closing the door firmly and locking it.
"Who was it?" Kia asked curiously, as Shishiwakamaru rejoined them in the living room.
"Girl Scout," he grunted.
"...You didn't try to steal the Peanut Butter Patties, did you?" Kelsey blinked.
"Or the Thin Mints again?" Kia added, discreetly shoving Suzuki's magazine under the couch.
"Or the Samoas?"
"Or the Shortbread?"
"Girls..." Touya reprimanded gently. They obediently shut up.
"Didn't steal nothin'..." Shishiwakamaru muttered, closing his eyes and massaging his temples with his fingertips.
Suzuki frowned, forgetting his search for the tabloid articles to take a closer look at his friend. "You don't look too well, Shishi. Maybe you should go lie down."
"Hmm...yes, that sounds nice..." the samurai started for his room.
Jin and Touya shrugged, both concentrating on reaching twenty-three in hand claps. Kia looked expectantly at Kia, who turned and held up her hands. They started to play as well.
Kage suddenly growled, then began to bark.
"...Kage?" Kia faltered and looked over at the black dog.
-Shishiwakamaru!-
Automatically, both girls looked towards Shishi's room...but apparently, the blue-haired youkai had never reached it. He lay on the floor, arms and legs akimbo.
"SHISHI!" Kelsey shrieked, leaping off the couch and sprinting to his side. Kia was right at her heels, kneeling and checking his pulse. She frowned, then felt his forehead-and yelped, jerking her hand back, shaking it frantically.
"What's the matter?" Kelsey asked her friend, as she tried to haul Shishiwakamaru up.
"He's...he's..." Kia held up her hand, which had turned bright red, then blew on it. "He's burning up!!"
"He always DID insist he was hot," Suzuki murmured, hurrying over and hoisting the unconscious samurai over his shoulder.
"That was REALLY bad," Kia informed him.
"Of course it was." He disappeared into the room that he and Shishiwakamaru shared.
"I hope he's okay," Kelsey said quietly.
"What in the worlds could have gotten him so sick...and so fast?" Kia wondered, patting her friend's shoulder.
"It DOES seem a bit unnatural," Touya remarked, abandoning the hand game and folding his hands neatly in his lap.
"Just a bit?" Jin frowned. "This whole thing stinks of magic. Or reiki."
"Windy's right." Suzuki had returned. He suddenly looked much older...and tired. "He couldn't possibly have developed so high a fever in such a short amount of time, unless something else was involved."
"How high?" Kelsey asked tersely.
The martial artist's mouth tightened and thinned into a grim line. "Your normal body temperature?"
"98.6," Kia replied, trying to figure out where this was leading.
"His is 105.7."
Both Kia and Kelsey stared hard at Suzuki. "...That's bad," Kia said finally, tearing her keen gaze from the youkai and resting it on the closed bedroom door.
"REALLY bad," Kelsey agreed. "What's wrong with him, Suzuki?"
"When I questioned him, he mumbled something about some brat throwing baking soda in his face..." He shrugged.
"It must have occurred when he answered the door..." Touya frowned. "That's the only logical explanation."
"But why would a kid throw baking soda at-" Kia broke off abruptly, brown eyes widening in surmise. "Unless it WASN'T baking soda!"
"Whatever this...kid...threw was probably what got Shishi sick!" Kelsey realized.
"NOW we're getting somewhere." Suzuki smiled wearily, turning and opening a door to his left. Kia caught a glimpse of several shelves well-stocked with jars, bottles, vials, and boxes before he walked in, closing the door behind him.
"Is it just me..." Kelsey blinked. "Or was that door not there before?"
"If it's you, it's me too," Kia replied uncertainly.
"It's neither of you." Touya sighed softly, pale blue eyes darkening.
"That's Suzuki's workshop," Jin explained. "It's only there when he WANTS it t'be."
"Now if only certain males were like that." Kelsey rolled her eyes expressively.
"You know she didn't mean that," Kia told both Shinobi, who were staring at the blonde Mirror Holder in shock.
"M'pride's been brutally wounded!" Jin cried in mock affrontation. "I demand an apology!"
"Get it from Kia, then." Kelsey snorted. "She's used to smoothing your ruffled feathers."
"She's sorry," Kia said dutifully.
"No she isn't," her friend muttered rebelliously.
"Hey, people..." Rei leaned over the back of the couch, stroking the brown-furred mouse in her right hand. Somehow, she'd managed to find a little blue collar for it. "You might want to take a look at Mister Mouse Holder."
Kelsey and Kia looked at her, then raced for the door. Kelsey reached it first, grabbing the door and wrenching it open. Kia gasped, and Kelsey's mouth fell open as they stared at the unconscious youkai.
"...What is it?" Jin peeked over Kia's shoulder, and Touya worked his way to the front of the little group.
Kelsey pointed a trembling index finger at Shishiwakamaru. "He...he...he SHRUNK!"
"I THINK he shrunk," Kia added shakily.
"Kia. Get Suzuki," Touya said suddenly.
Too worried to question why, the girl fled, hesitating outside the closed door for a minute or so. "Baka," she told herself. "Why are you so nervous?" She took a deep breath and carefully tested the doorknob. It turned easily in her hand, and the door swung open silently.
"...Suzuki?" the Mirror Holder called out hesitantly, looking at the various potions and boxes. She quickly sidled past something with eyes that followed her every move. "Suzuki!"
"Ouch..."
Kia blinked. At the foot of thirteen stairs, she could see Suzuki heading toward her. But...was it her imagination, or was his stride a bit wobbly?
No, it wasn't her imagination, it was. Suzuki suddenly lurched forward and collapsed, colliding with several shelves on a large open cabinet.
"Suzuki!!" Kia practically flew down the stairs and was by the blonde martial artist's side in an instant. "Daijoubu??"
His only response was a groan.
Biting her lip, she felt his forehead-and cried out, looking at her burnt palm with chagrin.
"Kuso, kuso, shimatta, and all that's good and holy!" Alerted by an ominous creak, she looked up just in time to see the cabinet teeter, then fall forward.
Horrified, the girl tried to drag Suzuki to safety...but she lacked the arm strength, and he was far too heavy for her to do more than haul him three inches. Muttering a curse, Kia knelt so that her back was to the cabinet, leaning slightly over Suzuki. The cabinet hit, the jars and vials sliding off the shelves, some shattering and some just rolling to the ground with tiny clinks.
Kelsey, Jin, Rei, Touya, and Hiei (who had obviously been attracted by the noise) came hurrying in, then stopped and stared. Poor Kia was pinned under the cabinet, covered in glass, blood, and bright pink liquid. Suzuki was unharmed, protected by the girl's body.
"...Kia!" Jin leapt forward to try and free her from her "prison". Kelsey followed, and Rei, Hiei, and Touya still stared.
The Mirror Holder sneezed, grinning up at them sheepishly. "Umm...guys...I think we have a problem."
*OOC*
Whoo! Chapter Two is done, and it was about six pages...I still need to get into the spirit, so I can make my chapters longer. ^^ *does a little dance* Anyway, please review, and NEXT chapter!
* So Suzuki and Shishiwakamaru are sick...who's next on the list of victims?
* The little girl returns! Again! Who IS she??
* Kage proposes a solution, but it might take some work and a bit of traveling to accomplish...
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"No, you are NOT keeping it!!" Shishiwakamaru howled, his normally pale face turning a bright and blotchy red.
Rei inched behind Kia. "But it's so kawaii!!" She protested. The smaller Mirror Holder sweatdropped at the Priestess' choice of shield.
"No!" The samurai repeated. "That...that THING isn't staying here!"
"It's called a mouse, Shishi," Suzuki said amusedly.
"Guess he was never a Mouseketeer," Kelsey told Kia. The two exchanged looks, and then Kia burst into song.
"Now it's time to say good-bye to all the family! M-I-C-"
"See you REAL soon!" Kelsey interjected.
"K-E-Y-"
"Why? Because we LOVE you!"
Suzuki, Rei, and Hiei were all snickering now.
"M-O-U-S-EEEEEEEEE!" Both girls warbled. Everyone burst into applause, with the exception of the sour-faced Shishiwakamaru. Even Touya and Hiei were smiling. Or smirking, in the Jaganshi's case.
"And besides, it's for Rinku when he comes back," Rei assured the scowling samurai. "Axe doesn't like mice."
Shishiwakamaru muttered and grumbled, but Rei had skipped out from behind Kia and went into the kitchen, singing, "Sustenance for the mousie!"
Kia sighed, settling on the couch with Kelsey and Touya. Kage, the large black canine, shifted carefully so that the Ice Master didn't sit on his tail, and went back to sleep. Hiei went into his room, and Suzuki sat in one of his armchairs, reading a tabloid magazine. Shishiwakamaru still stood there, scowl firmly planted on his face. He was STILL glaring at nothing or no one in particular twenty-three minutes later. Kia and Kelsey were trying to teach Jin and Touya how to play Slide.
"Okay, you're on three now...so do three on each hand, then back of hands, front, clap, and do it two more times..."
Touya was fairly good at it, and Jin's energetic enthusiasm kept him going. The two had progressed all the way to twelve, when an unexpected rap on the front door made Jin lose his concentration and the pattern of the hand claps.
"You did great!" Kia reassured the forlorn Wind Master. "I've only made it up to eight."
Kelsey nodded. "Who knows how far you could've gone, if someone hadn't been at the door."
"Speaking of the door..." Suzuki raised a pale eyebrow.
"I'll get it," Shishiwakamaru grumped, marching purposefully towards the door. The others could hear him open it. Jin and Touya returned to playing Slide under Kia's watchful eye, and Kelsey started instructing Suzuki on how to play.
Once he had pulled the door open, Shishiwakamaru found himself staring down at a little ningen girl. Most of her light brown hair was cut to just above her shoulders, with two plump pigtails trailing to her upper back. A bright red cloth was tied securely around her head, nestled under her bangs. She wore a light pink sundress and white sandals. She also had on a pair of ridiculously large, dark sunglasses that threatened to engulf her face. In her left hand, she clutched a brown paper sack.
"You're not one of those Girl Scouts, are you?" Shishiwakamaru said warily. One of the little brats had nailed him in the eyes with pepper spray when he had tried to take a box of Thin Mints without paying. Kia and Kelsey had finally taken pity on him after a full forty-five minutes of laughing, and had helped him to wash the substance from his searing eyes. Understandably, he was a bit more cautious now.
The girl giggled shrilly. "Of course not! Are Kelsey and Kia home?"
The youkai hesitated. "Why do YOU want to know?" he said finally.
She made a cute moue. "Gee, Mister Pretty Man, I just wanna play with 'em!"
"They're not here," he said curtly.
"Oh." The child pouted, then brightened. "S'okay! You'll do just fine, then!" She plunged her hand into the bag, withdrawing a fistful of something that vaguely resembled baking soda. A second later, she had thrown the whole mess into his face.
Bewildered, Shishiwakamaru sneezed, backing away and rubbing his tearing eyes. Why was it always his eyes that got the brunt of these attacks?? Once he could see clearly again, he looked around for the little girl, ready to give her a sound thrashing. But she was gone.
"Little brat," he muttered darkly, closing the door firmly and locking it.
"Who was it?" Kia asked curiously, as Shishiwakamaru rejoined them in the living room.
"Girl Scout," he grunted.
"...You didn't try to steal the Peanut Butter Patties, did you?" Kelsey blinked.
"Or the Thin Mints again?" Kia added, discreetly shoving Suzuki's magazine under the couch.
"Or the Samoas?"
"Or the Shortbread?"
"Girls..." Touya reprimanded gently. They obediently shut up.
"Didn't steal nothin'..." Shishiwakamaru muttered, closing his eyes and massaging his temples with his fingertips.
Suzuki frowned, forgetting his search for the tabloid articles to take a closer look at his friend. "You don't look too well, Shishi. Maybe you should go lie down."
"Hmm...yes, that sounds nice..." the samurai started for his room.
Jin and Touya shrugged, both concentrating on reaching twenty-three in hand claps. Kia looked expectantly at Kia, who turned and held up her hands. They started to play as well.
Kage suddenly growled, then began to bark.
"...Kage?" Kia faltered and looked over at the black dog.
-Shishiwakamaru!-
Automatically, both girls looked towards Shishi's room...but apparently, the blue-haired youkai had never reached it. He lay on the floor, arms and legs akimbo.
"SHISHI!" Kelsey shrieked, leaping off the couch and sprinting to his side. Kia was right at her heels, kneeling and checking his pulse. She frowned, then felt his forehead-and yelped, jerking her hand back, shaking it frantically.
"What's the matter?" Kelsey asked her friend, as she tried to haul Shishiwakamaru up.
"He's...he's..." Kia held up her hand, which had turned bright red, then blew on it. "He's burning up!!"
"He always DID insist he was hot," Suzuki murmured, hurrying over and hoisting the unconscious samurai over his shoulder.
"That was REALLY bad," Kia informed him.
"Of course it was." He disappeared into the room that he and Shishiwakamaru shared.
"I hope he's okay," Kelsey said quietly.
"What in the worlds could have gotten him so sick...and so fast?" Kia wondered, patting her friend's shoulder.
"It DOES seem a bit unnatural," Touya remarked, abandoning the hand game and folding his hands neatly in his lap.
"Just a bit?" Jin frowned. "This whole thing stinks of magic. Or reiki."
"Windy's right." Suzuki had returned. He suddenly looked much older...and tired. "He couldn't possibly have developed so high a fever in such a short amount of time, unless something else was involved."
"How high?" Kelsey asked tersely.
The martial artist's mouth tightened and thinned into a grim line. "Your normal body temperature?"
"98.6," Kia replied, trying to figure out where this was leading.
"His is 105.7."
Both Kia and Kelsey stared hard at Suzuki. "...That's bad," Kia said finally, tearing her keen gaze from the youkai and resting it on the closed bedroom door.
"REALLY bad," Kelsey agreed. "What's wrong with him, Suzuki?"
"When I questioned him, he mumbled something about some brat throwing baking soda in his face..." He shrugged.
"It must have occurred when he answered the door..." Touya frowned. "That's the only logical explanation."
"But why would a kid throw baking soda at-" Kia broke off abruptly, brown eyes widening in surmise. "Unless it WASN'T baking soda!"
"Whatever this...kid...threw was probably what got Shishi sick!" Kelsey realized.
"NOW we're getting somewhere." Suzuki smiled wearily, turning and opening a door to his left. Kia caught a glimpse of several shelves well-stocked with jars, bottles, vials, and boxes before he walked in, closing the door behind him.
"Is it just me..." Kelsey blinked. "Or was that door not there before?"
"If it's you, it's me too," Kia replied uncertainly.
"It's neither of you." Touya sighed softly, pale blue eyes darkening.
"That's Suzuki's workshop," Jin explained. "It's only there when he WANTS it t'be."
"Now if only certain males were like that." Kelsey rolled her eyes expressively.
"You know she didn't mean that," Kia told both Shinobi, who were staring at the blonde Mirror Holder in shock.
"M'pride's been brutally wounded!" Jin cried in mock affrontation. "I demand an apology!"
"Get it from Kia, then." Kelsey snorted. "She's used to smoothing your ruffled feathers."
"She's sorry," Kia said dutifully.
"No she isn't," her friend muttered rebelliously.
"Hey, people..." Rei leaned over the back of the couch, stroking the brown-furred mouse in her right hand. Somehow, she'd managed to find a little blue collar for it. "You might want to take a look at Mister Mouse Holder."
Kelsey and Kia looked at her, then raced for the door. Kelsey reached it first, grabbing the door and wrenching it open. Kia gasped, and Kelsey's mouth fell open as they stared at the unconscious youkai.
"...What is it?" Jin peeked over Kia's shoulder, and Touya worked his way to the front of the little group.
Kelsey pointed a trembling index finger at Shishiwakamaru. "He...he...he SHRUNK!"
"I THINK he shrunk," Kia added shakily.
"Kia. Get Suzuki," Touya said suddenly.
Too worried to question why, the girl fled, hesitating outside the closed door for a minute or so. "Baka," she told herself. "Why are you so nervous?" She took a deep breath and carefully tested the doorknob. It turned easily in her hand, and the door swung open silently.
"...Suzuki?" the Mirror Holder called out hesitantly, looking at the various potions and boxes. She quickly sidled past something with eyes that followed her every move. "Suzuki!"
"Ouch..."
Kia blinked. At the foot of thirteen stairs, she could see Suzuki heading toward her. But...was it her imagination, or was his stride a bit wobbly?
No, it wasn't her imagination, it was. Suzuki suddenly lurched forward and collapsed, colliding with several shelves on a large open cabinet.
"Suzuki!!" Kia practically flew down the stairs and was by the blonde martial artist's side in an instant. "Daijoubu??"
His only response was a groan.
Biting her lip, she felt his forehead-and cried out, looking at her burnt palm with chagrin.
"Kuso, kuso, shimatta, and all that's good and holy!" Alerted by an ominous creak, she looked up just in time to see the cabinet teeter, then fall forward.
Horrified, the girl tried to drag Suzuki to safety...but she lacked the arm strength, and he was far too heavy for her to do more than haul him three inches. Muttering a curse, Kia knelt so that her back was to the cabinet, leaning slightly over Suzuki. The cabinet hit, the jars and vials sliding off the shelves, some shattering and some just rolling to the ground with tiny clinks.
Kelsey, Jin, Rei, Touya, and Hiei (who had obviously been attracted by the noise) came hurrying in, then stopped and stared. Poor Kia was pinned under the cabinet, covered in glass, blood, and bright pink liquid. Suzuki was unharmed, protected by the girl's body.
"...Kia!" Jin leapt forward to try and free her from her "prison". Kelsey followed, and Rei, Hiei, and Touya still stared.
The Mirror Holder sneezed, grinning up at them sheepishly. "Umm...guys...I think we have a problem."
*OOC*
Whoo! Chapter Two is done, and it was about six pages...I still need to get into the spirit, so I can make my chapters longer. ^^ *does a little dance* Anyway, please review, and NEXT chapter!
* So Suzuki and Shishiwakamaru are sick...who's next on the list of victims?
* The little girl returns! Again! Who IS she??
* Kage proposes a solution, but it might take some work and a bit of traveling to accomplish...