^^ Whoo! Kia is...umm...on chapter 7! I think. Yes. Chapter 7! *huggles fic* And Lexi-chan just sent the survey that I sent to her that Celebrindae sent to me...and I want to meet you too, Lexi-chan! Stupid spastic internet-hating parents...x.x Stupid Orcs.
...Sorry, couldn't resist. ^^;; But, let's see...last chapter, after waiting out a storm and fighting off a horde of evil little hamsters, Kia and Kelsey reached the village! But, guess what? Chuu and Rinku aren't there! NOW what??
Waiiiii! It's snowing!!
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The Mirror Holders stared at the man for a full three minutes, mouths slightly open. This couldn't be happening!
"They...left...?" Kia asked finally, struggling to regain her composure. She was badly shaken. And she'd noticed that Kurama was starting to look younger and weigh less, which definitely wasn't good...except maybe for her screaming arm muscles.
"Aye." The bearded man nodded, studying their pale faces. Concern was evident in his tone when he spoke again. "Uh...beg pardon, but ye two don' look so good...peaky like, actually. Ye're welcome to stay the night here...some rest will do ye good."
Kelsey looked at Kia. Kia looked at Kelsey. A silent agreement was made.
"No, thank you," Kia said politely. "We'll be fine. Thank you for your information." She turned to Kelsey. "Let's go." Before I completely lose what little shreds of sanity I still have...
The girls bid farewell to the man and trudged aimlessly onward. They'd only been walking for an hour, when Kelsey snapped. Dropping Youko Kurama's legs unceremoniously, the blonde Warrior began yelling at the sky.
"DAMN YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH! DAMN YOU TO CRAP BOOGER HELL! I HOPE LOKI THE SEAGULL AND THE SEA MONKEYS RIP OFF ALL YOUR LIMBS IN A VERY SLOW AND PAINFUL PROCESS!!"
"Kelsey...?" Kia ventured quietly. The other gave no indication that she'd heard, even though she probably had.
"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!! TRY TO MESS WITH THE MIRROR HOLDERS, WILL YOU?!"
"Kelsey!" Kia hissed urgently. "Keep your voice down! We don't want-"
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here."
"...To attract the wrong attention," the girl finished, as Kurama began to slip from her hold. She got a better grip under his arms and hauled him back up, his feet still dragging the ground. Feeling distinctly uneasy, she turned her head to see just what kind of attention they HAD attracted.
Obviously, the wrong kind. Nine misshapen youkai stood watching them with barely-concealed interest. The one in front with the mottled skin seemed to be the leader. Now, grinning broadly and showing a mouthful of pointed yellow teeth, he spoke.
"Two ningen girls. Lucky day, eh, boys?"
"Lucky day!" They agreed in unison. "Lucky day, boss."
"And you know what we can do with them, eh, boys? We can eat good tonight...have fun, eh?"
"Have fun with them! Have fun, boss!" The loyal octet chorused enthusiastically.
This was too much. "Excuse me," Kia said firmly, before the leader could start preaching to his congregation again. "My friend and I are NOT going to let you eat us OR have fun with us."
"You're not, eh?" He grinned again. "Too bad for you. I'm Shugo, leader of the Niji gang."
Kelsey didn't bother to hold in her laughter. "NIJI?? Doesn't that mean 'rainbow'?"
All nine youkai bristled. "Don't you be going about insulting our name, brat," one called out. He cringed under Shugo's glare. "S-s-sorry, boss. Didn't mean to speak without permission."
"Oh, you DIDN'T, eh?" Before any of them could blink, the youkai's head was severed from his body and soared into the air, before coming back to earth and rolling to a stop right by Kia's feet. The Mirror Holder, without thinking, covered her mouth with her hands, letting Kurama fall in the process.
"...Monster," Kelsey whispered, gray eyes flashing in anger, all laughter gone.
"My men do not talk unless I tell them to." Shugo smirked, calmly admiring the large blade where his right hand had once been. A few seconds later, it shifted back. "If they disobey me, they are summarily executed."
A cool, detached part of Kia's mind noted that "summarily" was one of her vocabulary words in English. Promptly, indeed. The head at her feet, face still wearing that surprised and fearful expression, was proof of that. And now, she couldn't speak. What kind of leader would behead one of his own men just for speaking out of turn? Most definitely a dangerous one.
"Kia?" Kelsey looked at her friend. The girl was very pale, and her brown eyes were clouded. As the younger Mirror Holder stepped closer, something hard collided with the back of her head. She went down, and stayed down.
Seeing her companion fall snapped Kia out of her temporary daze. "Kelsey!" She stared accusingly at the youkai. "What the hell did you-"
Pain exploded in her mind; the girl saw bright lights when she blinked, and then blackness replaced her vision and she knew nothing more.
Shugo chuckled, standing over the fallen brunette, hand now shaped like a mallet. It resumed hand form and he turned away, calling orders to his men. "Take the females. Leave the fox man-he reeks of disease and there's not enough meat on him to make a decent meal."
"But boss, them girls aren't exactly meaty either," one pointed out nervously. He had good reason to be nervous. His head soon joined that of his deceased comrade.
"Any other complaints?" Shugo growled. The remaining six hastily shook their heads. Kelsey and Kia were picked up, and they departed, leaving Youko Kurama behind.
Not too long after they'd gone, a shadow fell over the unconscious kitsune. "Youko Kurama...hm. I wonder..."
***The Camp of the Niji Gang***
A throbbing ache in her head brought Kia back from the realm of troubled dreams. With a small groan, she opened her eyes, keeping them narrowed as her sensitive pupils adjusted to the light. Slight discomfort in her wrists and legs alerted her to the fact that her arms were chained behind her back, and her ankles were bound together. She opened her mouth to speak--and almost choked on the dirty rag that had been stuffed into her mouth, the rest of it tied at the back of her head.
"Ah, so the dark-haired one awakens," came a quiet comment.
With much effort, Kia was able to roll herself into a sitting position. She looked at the speaker. Oddly enough, this one seemed vaguely human-except for the gray cat ears poking out from his black hair, and the black-striped gray tail. He wore a sleeveless red shirt and a pair of tattered jeans.
Kia stared at him. He met her gaze with bright golden eyes. "You're a funny one. You look just like a ningen, but your reiki is phenomenal, even if it IS hidden."
The girl blinked. Who WAS this boy? It was true; the presence of her Mirror Half masked her reiki and youki, but how had HE known that? And he was talking to her! Why hadn't Shugo cut HIS head off?
"Because I'm too valuable for him to kill." The boy chuckled at Kia's wide-eyed expression. "Calm down. I'll answer all of your questions. First off, my name is Kyattsuai. I'm a neko youkai...a cat demon, with the power of telepathic communication. Calm DOWN," he repeated, when the brunette stiffened. "I can't hear thoughts unless they're directed to me or they're really loud, such as in your case."
The Mirror Holder relaxed. Okay, so he didn't seem that bad, compared to the others she'd met. But she still remained cautious. If only she could talk!
"You want the gag out?" Kyattsuai asked.
Once again, she'd been thinking too loud. She nodded.
He paused. "If I take it out, promise not to scream or make any loud noises? I'm supposed to be guarding you. Remember, I'll know if you lie. Promise?"
Kia nodded again, wincing. Her head HURT! What had that bastard hit her with? And where was Kelsey? They hadn't eaten her already, had they??
Kyattsuai reached for the cloth, then abruptly drew his hand back when voices were heard just outside the small tent they were in.
"Either you tell me about that Mirror, wench, or you'll be first in the pot!"
"Bite me." Those two simple words made Kia sigh quietly in relief. The speaker was unmistakably Kelsey.
Sure enough, Kelsey was thrown headlong into the tent. Kyattsuai caught her and set her beside Kia. She, too, was bound and chained, and clearly not too happy about it.
"Stay in there!" Shugo barked from outside, as if he truly thought that Kelsey would be able to escape.
"Go to hell!" The blonde retorted, sticking out her tongue in overt rebellion.
"I'll enjoy feasting on your bones!" The leader snarled, and then he was gone. (A/N: Perfect pick-up line! Don't try that with your girlfriend/boyfriend, unless you want to get arrested. O.o)
Kyattsuai leaned over and removed Kia's gag. "Shugo's a bastard, but he and the Niji gang are the only family I've got."
"I didn't think family members beheaded one another regularly," Kia said quietly, trying to summon moisture to her cotton-dry mouth.
He smiled ruefully. "They don't. But-"
"No 'but's," Kelsey lectured him. "If we get out of this mess, we're going to help you out."
"Help yourselves out first," the neko youkai advised. "I'd like to help you, but-"
"Dinner Time!" Shugo bellowed. Cheers and raucous yells greeted his announcement, and the Mirror Holders were pulled roughly to their feet and dragged out to the main square, where a massive pot of boiling water and a hungry crowd of male youkai awaited them.
"Now I'll ask you," Shugo said, grabbing Kia's chin in his hand. "How do we get the Mirror Halves?"
"Like I'd tell you," she replied calmly.
The leader shoved her away from him. One of the youkai caught her and set her upright. "Fine, then. We'll just pry the Halves from your baked bodies!"
"You can't bake somebody in water," Kia pointed out.
"Shut up!" He glared malevolently at her. "I'd like to roast you first, but your friend has an earlier reservation."
"Actually, you can't roast anyone in water ei-"
"THROW THEM BOTH IN!" Shugo howled indignantly.
Immediately, half of the youkai lunged for Kelsey, and the remainder went after Kia. The blonde girl wasted no time in hopping away, cursing them at the top of her lungs. Kia wasn't so fortunate, as one grabbed the yellow scarf on her uniform and hauled her into the air. He glanced questioningly at the leader.
"Permission to gloat granted, Wakadori," Shugo told him.
He smiled delightedly. "Little ningen girl go in pot! Cute little ningen girl go in pot! Little girl, little girl..."
Kia had had enough. "'Little girl'? I'll 'little girl' you! I'll 'little girl' you until not only are you black and blue, you're lime green!!" She swung in his hand and planted her shoes in his face. As he released her, someone else caught her instead.
"Kyattsuai??"
He set her down carefully, then tripped a youkai chasing Kelsey.
"Arigato," the girl panted. "Hopping's HARD!"
"Kyattsuai!!" Shugo yelled. "What are you DOING?!"
"Something I should've done a long time ago," the neko youkai said grimly. "Shugo, you're a heartless bastard and I quit."
Kelsey whooped. Kia smiled.
The leader's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you DO, eh? Then YOU'LL die too!!" He formed his hand into a double-bladed axe (A/N: Rei: *bashes with Axe* Impostor!) and charged forward-only to be thrown back by a strong gust of wind. He sat up slowly, ugly face twisted with hate. "ATTACK!!"
The youkai obeyed. Kia gritted her teeth, struggling to keep them at bay. For some reason, the effort it took to control the winds was wearing her out...and she started to suspect why that was.
Just as one of the youkai finally broke through the shield, he let out a scream and dropped, sliced neatly in half...with something very small.
Kelsey and Kia both stared. "...YOU!" The latter uttered in total amazement, before she lost her balance, and fell over.
*OOC*
Well...uh...that was strange. What's going on NOW?! Are Kia and Kelsey saved? Or are they in even MORE trouble?? Please review!
I just realized...I don't know if my stories have themes...let's see. For Densetsu no Kagami, we learn that friendship, once made, is usually lasting and very hard to break...as you will see in Kikyoku. We also learned that cookie sheets make good weapons and sea monkeys CAN be evil! In Yarikake, we learned that if you're determined enough, you can do anything! Yes, anything...fight off a basilisk...outrun an avalanche...save seven continents...kiss someone you really despise to save Kurama's hide...heh. And in Densebyou, we will learn that bad luck is really evil, but...oh, crap, it's just basically about obstacles...and plus, I thought it'd be fun to make Hiei little! ^^ NEXT Chapter! Thanks to Celebrindae, Kelsey, kimpfn, and Lexi-chan, for...talking to me, updating, etc. And all my reviewers too!
* Who the hell just cut down a youkai? Are Kia and Kelsey next?
* Kurama's shrunk! Eek! Cute, but eek!
* Well...in order to get the cure...it's not gonna be easy. You see, the Mirror Holders now have to find someone...three clues. She's a powerful demon lord, she's Hiei's boss in the future, and she used to eat ningens. Uh-oh...
...Sorry, couldn't resist. ^^;; But, let's see...last chapter, after waiting out a storm and fighting off a horde of evil little hamsters, Kia and Kelsey reached the village! But, guess what? Chuu and Rinku aren't there! NOW what??
Waiiiii! It's snowing!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Mirror Holders stared at the man for a full three minutes, mouths slightly open. This couldn't be happening!
"They...left...?" Kia asked finally, struggling to regain her composure. She was badly shaken. And she'd noticed that Kurama was starting to look younger and weigh less, which definitely wasn't good...except maybe for her screaming arm muscles.
"Aye." The bearded man nodded, studying their pale faces. Concern was evident in his tone when he spoke again. "Uh...beg pardon, but ye two don' look so good...peaky like, actually. Ye're welcome to stay the night here...some rest will do ye good."
Kelsey looked at Kia. Kia looked at Kelsey. A silent agreement was made.
"No, thank you," Kia said politely. "We'll be fine. Thank you for your information." She turned to Kelsey. "Let's go." Before I completely lose what little shreds of sanity I still have...
The girls bid farewell to the man and trudged aimlessly onward. They'd only been walking for an hour, when Kelsey snapped. Dropping Youko Kurama's legs unceremoniously, the blonde Warrior began yelling at the sky.
"DAMN YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH! DAMN YOU TO CRAP BOOGER HELL! I HOPE LOKI THE SEAGULL AND THE SEA MONKEYS RIP OFF ALL YOUR LIMBS IN A VERY SLOW AND PAINFUL PROCESS!!"
"Kelsey...?" Kia ventured quietly. The other gave no indication that she'd heard, even though she probably had.
"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!! TRY TO MESS WITH THE MIRROR HOLDERS, WILL YOU?!"
"Kelsey!" Kia hissed urgently. "Keep your voice down! We don't want-"
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here."
"...To attract the wrong attention," the girl finished, as Kurama began to slip from her hold. She got a better grip under his arms and hauled him back up, his feet still dragging the ground. Feeling distinctly uneasy, she turned her head to see just what kind of attention they HAD attracted.
Obviously, the wrong kind. Nine misshapen youkai stood watching them with barely-concealed interest. The one in front with the mottled skin seemed to be the leader. Now, grinning broadly and showing a mouthful of pointed yellow teeth, he spoke.
"Two ningen girls. Lucky day, eh, boys?"
"Lucky day!" They agreed in unison. "Lucky day, boss."
"And you know what we can do with them, eh, boys? We can eat good tonight...have fun, eh?"
"Have fun with them! Have fun, boss!" The loyal octet chorused enthusiastically.
This was too much. "Excuse me," Kia said firmly, before the leader could start preaching to his congregation again. "My friend and I are NOT going to let you eat us OR have fun with us."
"You're not, eh?" He grinned again. "Too bad for you. I'm Shugo, leader of the Niji gang."
Kelsey didn't bother to hold in her laughter. "NIJI?? Doesn't that mean 'rainbow'?"
All nine youkai bristled. "Don't you be going about insulting our name, brat," one called out. He cringed under Shugo's glare. "S-s-sorry, boss. Didn't mean to speak without permission."
"Oh, you DIDN'T, eh?" Before any of them could blink, the youkai's head was severed from his body and soared into the air, before coming back to earth and rolling to a stop right by Kia's feet. The Mirror Holder, without thinking, covered her mouth with her hands, letting Kurama fall in the process.
"...Monster," Kelsey whispered, gray eyes flashing in anger, all laughter gone.
"My men do not talk unless I tell them to." Shugo smirked, calmly admiring the large blade where his right hand had once been. A few seconds later, it shifted back. "If they disobey me, they are summarily executed."
A cool, detached part of Kia's mind noted that "summarily" was one of her vocabulary words in English. Promptly, indeed. The head at her feet, face still wearing that surprised and fearful expression, was proof of that. And now, she couldn't speak. What kind of leader would behead one of his own men just for speaking out of turn? Most definitely a dangerous one.
"Kia?" Kelsey looked at her friend. The girl was very pale, and her brown eyes were clouded. As the younger Mirror Holder stepped closer, something hard collided with the back of her head. She went down, and stayed down.
Seeing her companion fall snapped Kia out of her temporary daze. "Kelsey!" She stared accusingly at the youkai. "What the hell did you-"
Pain exploded in her mind; the girl saw bright lights when she blinked, and then blackness replaced her vision and she knew nothing more.
Shugo chuckled, standing over the fallen brunette, hand now shaped like a mallet. It resumed hand form and he turned away, calling orders to his men. "Take the females. Leave the fox man-he reeks of disease and there's not enough meat on him to make a decent meal."
"But boss, them girls aren't exactly meaty either," one pointed out nervously. He had good reason to be nervous. His head soon joined that of his deceased comrade.
"Any other complaints?" Shugo growled. The remaining six hastily shook their heads. Kelsey and Kia were picked up, and they departed, leaving Youko Kurama behind.
Not too long after they'd gone, a shadow fell over the unconscious kitsune. "Youko Kurama...hm. I wonder..."
***The Camp of the Niji Gang***
A throbbing ache in her head brought Kia back from the realm of troubled dreams. With a small groan, she opened her eyes, keeping them narrowed as her sensitive pupils adjusted to the light. Slight discomfort in her wrists and legs alerted her to the fact that her arms were chained behind her back, and her ankles were bound together. She opened her mouth to speak--and almost choked on the dirty rag that had been stuffed into her mouth, the rest of it tied at the back of her head.
"Ah, so the dark-haired one awakens," came a quiet comment.
With much effort, Kia was able to roll herself into a sitting position. She looked at the speaker. Oddly enough, this one seemed vaguely human-except for the gray cat ears poking out from his black hair, and the black-striped gray tail. He wore a sleeveless red shirt and a pair of tattered jeans.
Kia stared at him. He met her gaze with bright golden eyes. "You're a funny one. You look just like a ningen, but your reiki is phenomenal, even if it IS hidden."
The girl blinked. Who WAS this boy? It was true; the presence of her Mirror Half masked her reiki and youki, but how had HE known that? And he was talking to her! Why hadn't Shugo cut HIS head off?
"Because I'm too valuable for him to kill." The boy chuckled at Kia's wide-eyed expression. "Calm down. I'll answer all of your questions. First off, my name is Kyattsuai. I'm a neko youkai...a cat demon, with the power of telepathic communication. Calm DOWN," he repeated, when the brunette stiffened. "I can't hear thoughts unless they're directed to me or they're really loud, such as in your case."
The Mirror Holder relaxed. Okay, so he didn't seem that bad, compared to the others she'd met. But she still remained cautious. If only she could talk!
"You want the gag out?" Kyattsuai asked.
Once again, she'd been thinking too loud. She nodded.
He paused. "If I take it out, promise not to scream or make any loud noises? I'm supposed to be guarding you. Remember, I'll know if you lie. Promise?"
Kia nodded again, wincing. Her head HURT! What had that bastard hit her with? And where was Kelsey? They hadn't eaten her already, had they??
Kyattsuai reached for the cloth, then abruptly drew his hand back when voices were heard just outside the small tent they were in.
"Either you tell me about that Mirror, wench, or you'll be first in the pot!"
"Bite me." Those two simple words made Kia sigh quietly in relief. The speaker was unmistakably Kelsey.
Sure enough, Kelsey was thrown headlong into the tent. Kyattsuai caught her and set her beside Kia. She, too, was bound and chained, and clearly not too happy about it.
"Stay in there!" Shugo barked from outside, as if he truly thought that Kelsey would be able to escape.
"Go to hell!" The blonde retorted, sticking out her tongue in overt rebellion.
"I'll enjoy feasting on your bones!" The leader snarled, and then he was gone. (A/N: Perfect pick-up line! Don't try that with your girlfriend/boyfriend, unless you want to get arrested. O.o)
Kyattsuai leaned over and removed Kia's gag. "Shugo's a bastard, but he and the Niji gang are the only family I've got."
"I didn't think family members beheaded one another regularly," Kia said quietly, trying to summon moisture to her cotton-dry mouth.
He smiled ruefully. "They don't. But-"
"No 'but's," Kelsey lectured him. "If we get out of this mess, we're going to help you out."
"Help yourselves out first," the neko youkai advised. "I'd like to help you, but-"
"Dinner Time!" Shugo bellowed. Cheers and raucous yells greeted his announcement, and the Mirror Holders were pulled roughly to their feet and dragged out to the main square, where a massive pot of boiling water and a hungry crowd of male youkai awaited them.
"Now I'll ask you," Shugo said, grabbing Kia's chin in his hand. "How do we get the Mirror Halves?"
"Like I'd tell you," she replied calmly.
The leader shoved her away from him. One of the youkai caught her and set her upright. "Fine, then. We'll just pry the Halves from your baked bodies!"
"You can't bake somebody in water," Kia pointed out.
"Shut up!" He glared malevolently at her. "I'd like to roast you first, but your friend has an earlier reservation."
"Actually, you can't roast anyone in water ei-"
"THROW THEM BOTH IN!" Shugo howled indignantly.
Immediately, half of the youkai lunged for Kelsey, and the remainder went after Kia. The blonde girl wasted no time in hopping away, cursing them at the top of her lungs. Kia wasn't so fortunate, as one grabbed the yellow scarf on her uniform and hauled her into the air. He glanced questioningly at the leader.
"Permission to gloat granted, Wakadori," Shugo told him.
He smiled delightedly. "Little ningen girl go in pot! Cute little ningen girl go in pot! Little girl, little girl..."
Kia had had enough. "'Little girl'? I'll 'little girl' you! I'll 'little girl' you until not only are you black and blue, you're lime green!!" She swung in his hand and planted her shoes in his face. As he released her, someone else caught her instead.
"Kyattsuai??"
He set her down carefully, then tripped a youkai chasing Kelsey.
"Arigato," the girl panted. "Hopping's HARD!"
"Kyattsuai!!" Shugo yelled. "What are you DOING?!"
"Something I should've done a long time ago," the neko youkai said grimly. "Shugo, you're a heartless bastard and I quit."
Kelsey whooped. Kia smiled.
The leader's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you DO, eh? Then YOU'LL die too!!" He formed his hand into a double-bladed axe (A/N: Rei: *bashes with Axe* Impostor!) and charged forward-only to be thrown back by a strong gust of wind. He sat up slowly, ugly face twisted with hate. "ATTACK!!"
The youkai obeyed. Kia gritted her teeth, struggling to keep them at bay. For some reason, the effort it took to control the winds was wearing her out...and she started to suspect why that was.
Just as one of the youkai finally broke through the shield, he let out a scream and dropped, sliced neatly in half...with something very small.
Kelsey and Kia both stared. "...YOU!" The latter uttered in total amazement, before she lost her balance, and fell over.
*OOC*
Well...uh...that was strange. What's going on NOW?! Are Kia and Kelsey saved? Or are they in even MORE trouble?? Please review!
I just realized...I don't know if my stories have themes...let's see. For Densetsu no Kagami, we learn that friendship, once made, is usually lasting and very hard to break...as you will see in Kikyoku. We also learned that cookie sheets make good weapons and sea monkeys CAN be evil! In Yarikake, we learned that if you're determined enough, you can do anything! Yes, anything...fight off a basilisk...outrun an avalanche...save seven continents...kiss someone you really despise to save Kurama's hide...heh. And in Densebyou, we will learn that bad luck is really evil, but...oh, crap, it's just basically about obstacles...and plus, I thought it'd be fun to make Hiei little! ^^ NEXT Chapter! Thanks to Celebrindae, Kelsey, kimpfn, and Lexi-chan, for...talking to me, updating, etc. And all my reviewers too!
* Who the hell just cut down a youkai? Are Kia and Kelsey next?
* Kurama's shrunk! Eek! Cute, but eek!
* Well...in order to get the cure...it's not gonna be easy. You see, the Mirror Holders now have to find someone...three clues. She's a powerful demon lord, she's Hiei's boss in the future, and she used to eat ningens. Uh-oh...