Kimpfn has won the second ferrygirl, Safuran...AKA Saffron. I TOLD you it was easy, didn't I? The next one won't be as easy, I'm afraid...and my writing may be a bit odd today. . Hurt my ankle and it's still throbbing...but I'm not here to complain! I'm here to write chapter 11! A combined force of reviews, Christmas presents, updates, and conversations with Lexi-chan, Kelsey, and Kaly have inspired me! So, let me get started!
Last chapter, Kia and Kelsey met Mukuro...and now suddenly, they've both fallen ill! That sucks, doesn't it? Thanks to Lexi-chan for helping me out with the idea for how Mukuro met the girls' fathers!
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Mukuro stood in the doorway, gaze resting on the two bedridden Mirror Holders. Kia was curled up on her side, the wet cloth slipping off her forehead to plop on the pillow. Kelsey was tossing about feverishly, moaning incomprehensible phrases in her sleep.
The woman sighed. It had taken her a full day to locate the cure after tireless searching, and it had cost the girls two years each. Kia was now fourteen, and Kelsey was thirteen. Now, Mukuro approached Kia's bed. She knew better than to feel the girl's forehead-she'd burned her palms enough. So she settled for shaking the smaller female's shoulder gently. "Kia. Wake up."
It took three more tries before the girl's long lashes parted to reveal muddled dark eyes, the pupils dilated from sleep. "Mukuro...?" She coughed, the sound rattling in her throat. She was still old enough to retain her prior intelligence, Mukuro noted, observing as her eyes slowly brightened as she awoke further. Good.
"The cure has been found, and it's being brewed as we speak. I trust you can wait an hour or so? I had the entire packet brewed, so as to be prepared...just in case."
Kia slowly nodded. "...How long have I been asleep?"
"Only since yesterday," the demon lord assured her. "You have a time limit?"
"Hai. Nine days." The brunette frowned. "But I don't know..."
"We were in Ningenkai for four days." Kelsey had awakened without either of them noticing. "And we've been in Makai for two days. So we have three days left."
"Well, you'll be fine soon enough," Mukuro told them briskly. "But for now, you'll just have to wait until the cure is ready for use."
Suddenly, Kia remembered something that had been lurking in the back of her mind, and that was now nagging at her continuously. "Mukuro? You mentioned our dads...but how did you know them?" Her father had been a ningen, and hadn't Kelsey's father remained in the United States? How, then, was it possible that a demon lord had known them?
To her surprise, the woman chuckled and went over to Kelsey's bed, freeing the Mirror Holder from her sheets and carrying her back to Kia's bed. She set her down on the bedspread and settled down beside them both. "I've never been much at storytelling...but I think you both have the right to know this."
Kia sat up carefully, propping herself up against her pillow. Kelsey scooted over by her friend, and they both looked expectantly at Mukuro.
"When I was a little girl," she began, "I became a slave to a horrible man. I was made to satisfy his...wishes...his expectations as a man."
"You mean...he didn't...he DID??" Kia whispered, appalled.
Mukuro smiled with only a trace of bitterness. "Yes, Kia, he did."
"That bastard!" Kelsey growled, fever-bright eyes sparkling furiously.
Her friend nodded in complete agreement. "That's horrible..."
"Gradually, I took matters into my own hands. I poured acid onto the right side of my body, thus disfiguring it. Repulsed, my captor left me alone. I escaped, but got lost in a blizzard. Weak and in terrible shape, I was rescued by two young men, both about fifteen years old. Kakushigei and Tatsu. Your fathers."
Kia blinked. She'd disfigured herself? That took courage. Exactly what did her face look like now? The bandages and rags prevented her from knowing.
"Kaku, it seems, had gotten lost, having stumbled in from Ningenkai," Mukuro continued. "Tatsu was visiting his youkai parents. They met up, found me, and decided to stay with me until I had recovered sufficiently. I was soon able to tolerate the pain, and the two young men were excellent companions, doing all in their power to protect me while I recuperated. After that, Kaku remained in Makai, visiting me often, and he eventually married a young woman from the Hakaze tribe, fathering the Mirror Holder, Satsukiame. (Kia gave a start upon hearing her name.) Tatsu went to Ningenkai, married, and fathered the Mirror Holder, Kelsey. I was pleased to hear this...but soon both had died and I never had the opportunity to meet Kelsey." She looked at Kia. "About a week after your birth and a month before his death, your father brought you to me. You were so tiny, but your spirit was strong, even as an infant. I regret not getting to meet Kelsey earlier, but I am not suited for visits to Ningenkai, no matter how brief."
Both Mirror Holders were silent, Kia twisting the sheets and twining them between her fingers.
"Your fathers would be proud of you," Mukuro said with uncharacteristic gentleness. "Trust me on that."
"Arigato gozaimasu..." The brunette could barely choke out the words, thanks to the sudden lump in her throat. "I'm glad you told us..."
"So am I." Kelsey sneezed, then went on. "So...what's this about acid?" She could sense they needed a subject change.
Mukuro slowly and carefully unwrapped the right side of her face with deliberate movements. Kia gasped, and Kelsey stared involuntarily.
The demon lord's face was all muscle, the skin gone. It was a blotchy purple and her eye was small, with no iris, no eyelashes or lids, nothing.
"...Doesn't that hurt...?" Kia ventured cautiously.
Mukuro smiled. "Compared to what that slaver put me through, this is nothing. My beauty has been ruined, but it's a small price to pay."
The girl shook her head. "There are different types of beauty," she said quietly. "You just destroyed the material one. Your true beauty hasn't even been tarnished." (A/N: Speech of the week! Whoo!)
The regal youkai regarded her seriously. "You truly are your father's daughter," she remarked at last.
Kia smiled tiredly. "I'm just me. Being anyone else is pointless."
"It's been an hour," Kelsey spoke up, glancing at the wristwatch she'd recovered from Kurama.
The woman sighed and rose. "I'd best check on the cure, then."
Both girls flinched when they heard a loud bellow.
"THEY'D BETTER BE HERE OR I'M GOING TO BE A VERY ANGRY-"
"Mukuro-sama!!" An out-of-breath youkai skidded in. "There's a tall youkai with a little boy and a Youko with him, and he's insisting on seeing the-"
"THERE you are!" Rinku poked his head into the room, grinning sheepishly. "They wouldn't let us in, and so Chuu broke a few legs. Hey, Chuu, they're in here!"
The bellowing ceased abruptly, and the drunkard strode in, dragging Kurama behind him. Judging from appearance, the Youko was now about nine or ten.
"THERE you are!" Chuu echoed Rinku's previous exclamation, approaching the bed where the girls sat. "What have-" He broke off, staring hard at them. "Matte...you look YOUNGER."
"We caught it," Kelsey affirmed cheerfully, without a trace of guilt or remorse.
"Gomen..." Kia sighed. "We didn't mean-"
"I'm not MAD, love!" Chuu told her in tones of amused bewilderment, patting her on the head. She cringed. "I'm just surprised you held out this long, is all."
"Check on the cure," Mukuro instructed the youkai who had entered in such a state of frenzy. "If it's ready, put it in a jar and bring it here."
He bowed and ran off to do her bidding, casting nervous looks at the company his mistress was currently keeping. Kelsey grinned saucily and waggled her fingers at him.
"It seems even the infamous Youko Kurama is not immune," Mukuro wryly observed, looking down at the little youkai, who had discovered a full-length mirror in the corner of the room and was now admiring his reflection in the gleaming surface.
"We've only had it for a DAY!" Kelsey said, baffled. "How does he-"
"It's a kid thing...I think." Kia laughed. "Yusuke and Kuwabara must have their hands full back home." She had no idea how right she was...
"I've got it, Mukuro-sama!" The youkai had returned, panting hard. He carefully clutched a jelly jar filled to the brim with a bright pink that bubbled slightly.
"It's...carbonated?" Kia sweatdropped. "Diet Cure? Nice."
Mukuro took the jar from her servant, dismissing him with a curt, yet approving nod. She turned to Kelsey. "Drink up."
Youko Kurama suddenly let out a snarl, whirling away from the mirror.
Everyone stared at the bristling kitsune. "What's gone and got HIS tail all tied up in a knot?" Chuu wondered.
"That'd be me, most likely. You really should pay more attention to Lassie."
Kelsey and Kia tensed. They knew that voice!
Sure enough, Kodoma Binetsu was standing in the doorway, sunglasses perched on the bridge of her small nose.
"Can't you be civil for once and go away??" The blonde Mirror Holder snapped.
"Nope!" She giggled. "I'm going to destroy that cure and you'll all die-ESPECIALLY Suzuki!"
*OOC*
Well, there you have it. My ankle is making this shorter than it'd usually be...*sigh* Darn it all and Stupid Orcs. Anyway, please review...NEXT chapter!
* Binetsu reveals why she hates Suzuki so much
* I can't believe this...Yusuke proves how incredibly inept he is at watching little kids...
* And...uh...the pug will do the Time Warp for you at the end of the next chapter. O.o;;
And now, our third ferrygirl, Tsubaki!
Name: Tsubaki
Age: 89 (died at 16)
Birthday: May 4
Clothing: Light purple kimono, dark purple obi, white kimono underneath
Hair Color/Style: Brown, just brushes her shoulders
Eye Color: Purple
Height: 5'5''
Weight: 110 lbs.
Personality: Uncanny patience.
^^ Good luck! Waiiii, Return of the King...Kia will see it tomorrow! *dances*
Last chapter, Kia and Kelsey met Mukuro...and now suddenly, they've both fallen ill! That sucks, doesn't it? Thanks to Lexi-chan for helping me out with the idea for how Mukuro met the girls' fathers!
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Mukuro stood in the doorway, gaze resting on the two bedridden Mirror Holders. Kia was curled up on her side, the wet cloth slipping off her forehead to plop on the pillow. Kelsey was tossing about feverishly, moaning incomprehensible phrases in her sleep.
The woman sighed. It had taken her a full day to locate the cure after tireless searching, and it had cost the girls two years each. Kia was now fourteen, and Kelsey was thirteen. Now, Mukuro approached Kia's bed. She knew better than to feel the girl's forehead-she'd burned her palms enough. So she settled for shaking the smaller female's shoulder gently. "Kia. Wake up."
It took three more tries before the girl's long lashes parted to reveal muddled dark eyes, the pupils dilated from sleep. "Mukuro...?" She coughed, the sound rattling in her throat. She was still old enough to retain her prior intelligence, Mukuro noted, observing as her eyes slowly brightened as she awoke further. Good.
"The cure has been found, and it's being brewed as we speak. I trust you can wait an hour or so? I had the entire packet brewed, so as to be prepared...just in case."
Kia slowly nodded. "...How long have I been asleep?"
"Only since yesterday," the demon lord assured her. "You have a time limit?"
"Hai. Nine days." The brunette frowned. "But I don't know..."
"We were in Ningenkai for four days." Kelsey had awakened without either of them noticing. "And we've been in Makai for two days. So we have three days left."
"Well, you'll be fine soon enough," Mukuro told them briskly. "But for now, you'll just have to wait until the cure is ready for use."
Suddenly, Kia remembered something that had been lurking in the back of her mind, and that was now nagging at her continuously. "Mukuro? You mentioned our dads...but how did you know them?" Her father had been a ningen, and hadn't Kelsey's father remained in the United States? How, then, was it possible that a demon lord had known them?
To her surprise, the woman chuckled and went over to Kelsey's bed, freeing the Mirror Holder from her sheets and carrying her back to Kia's bed. She set her down on the bedspread and settled down beside them both. "I've never been much at storytelling...but I think you both have the right to know this."
Kia sat up carefully, propping herself up against her pillow. Kelsey scooted over by her friend, and they both looked expectantly at Mukuro.
"When I was a little girl," she began, "I became a slave to a horrible man. I was made to satisfy his...wishes...his expectations as a man."
"You mean...he didn't...he DID??" Kia whispered, appalled.
Mukuro smiled with only a trace of bitterness. "Yes, Kia, he did."
"That bastard!" Kelsey growled, fever-bright eyes sparkling furiously.
Her friend nodded in complete agreement. "That's horrible..."
"Gradually, I took matters into my own hands. I poured acid onto the right side of my body, thus disfiguring it. Repulsed, my captor left me alone. I escaped, but got lost in a blizzard. Weak and in terrible shape, I was rescued by two young men, both about fifteen years old. Kakushigei and Tatsu. Your fathers."
Kia blinked. She'd disfigured herself? That took courage. Exactly what did her face look like now? The bandages and rags prevented her from knowing.
"Kaku, it seems, had gotten lost, having stumbled in from Ningenkai," Mukuro continued. "Tatsu was visiting his youkai parents. They met up, found me, and decided to stay with me until I had recovered sufficiently. I was soon able to tolerate the pain, and the two young men were excellent companions, doing all in their power to protect me while I recuperated. After that, Kaku remained in Makai, visiting me often, and he eventually married a young woman from the Hakaze tribe, fathering the Mirror Holder, Satsukiame. (Kia gave a start upon hearing her name.) Tatsu went to Ningenkai, married, and fathered the Mirror Holder, Kelsey. I was pleased to hear this...but soon both had died and I never had the opportunity to meet Kelsey." She looked at Kia. "About a week after your birth and a month before his death, your father brought you to me. You were so tiny, but your spirit was strong, even as an infant. I regret not getting to meet Kelsey earlier, but I am not suited for visits to Ningenkai, no matter how brief."
Both Mirror Holders were silent, Kia twisting the sheets and twining them between her fingers.
"Your fathers would be proud of you," Mukuro said with uncharacteristic gentleness. "Trust me on that."
"Arigato gozaimasu..." The brunette could barely choke out the words, thanks to the sudden lump in her throat. "I'm glad you told us..."
"So am I." Kelsey sneezed, then went on. "So...what's this about acid?" She could sense they needed a subject change.
Mukuro slowly and carefully unwrapped the right side of her face with deliberate movements. Kia gasped, and Kelsey stared involuntarily.
The demon lord's face was all muscle, the skin gone. It was a blotchy purple and her eye was small, with no iris, no eyelashes or lids, nothing.
"...Doesn't that hurt...?" Kia ventured cautiously.
Mukuro smiled. "Compared to what that slaver put me through, this is nothing. My beauty has been ruined, but it's a small price to pay."
The girl shook her head. "There are different types of beauty," she said quietly. "You just destroyed the material one. Your true beauty hasn't even been tarnished." (A/N: Speech of the week! Whoo!)
The regal youkai regarded her seriously. "You truly are your father's daughter," she remarked at last.
Kia smiled tiredly. "I'm just me. Being anyone else is pointless."
"It's been an hour," Kelsey spoke up, glancing at the wristwatch she'd recovered from Kurama.
The woman sighed and rose. "I'd best check on the cure, then."
Both girls flinched when they heard a loud bellow.
"THEY'D BETTER BE HERE OR I'M GOING TO BE A VERY ANGRY-"
"Mukuro-sama!!" An out-of-breath youkai skidded in. "There's a tall youkai with a little boy and a Youko with him, and he's insisting on seeing the-"
"THERE you are!" Rinku poked his head into the room, grinning sheepishly. "They wouldn't let us in, and so Chuu broke a few legs. Hey, Chuu, they're in here!"
The bellowing ceased abruptly, and the drunkard strode in, dragging Kurama behind him. Judging from appearance, the Youko was now about nine or ten.
"THERE you are!" Chuu echoed Rinku's previous exclamation, approaching the bed where the girls sat. "What have-" He broke off, staring hard at them. "Matte...you look YOUNGER."
"We caught it," Kelsey affirmed cheerfully, without a trace of guilt or remorse.
"Gomen..." Kia sighed. "We didn't mean-"
"I'm not MAD, love!" Chuu told her in tones of amused bewilderment, patting her on the head. She cringed. "I'm just surprised you held out this long, is all."
"Check on the cure," Mukuro instructed the youkai who had entered in such a state of frenzy. "If it's ready, put it in a jar and bring it here."
He bowed and ran off to do her bidding, casting nervous looks at the company his mistress was currently keeping. Kelsey grinned saucily and waggled her fingers at him.
"It seems even the infamous Youko Kurama is not immune," Mukuro wryly observed, looking down at the little youkai, who had discovered a full-length mirror in the corner of the room and was now admiring his reflection in the gleaming surface.
"We've only had it for a DAY!" Kelsey said, baffled. "How does he-"
"It's a kid thing...I think." Kia laughed. "Yusuke and Kuwabara must have their hands full back home." She had no idea how right she was...
"I've got it, Mukuro-sama!" The youkai had returned, panting hard. He carefully clutched a jelly jar filled to the brim with a bright pink that bubbled slightly.
"It's...carbonated?" Kia sweatdropped. "Diet Cure? Nice."
Mukuro took the jar from her servant, dismissing him with a curt, yet approving nod. She turned to Kelsey. "Drink up."
Youko Kurama suddenly let out a snarl, whirling away from the mirror.
Everyone stared at the bristling kitsune. "What's gone and got HIS tail all tied up in a knot?" Chuu wondered.
"That'd be me, most likely. You really should pay more attention to Lassie."
Kelsey and Kia tensed. They knew that voice!
Sure enough, Kodoma Binetsu was standing in the doorway, sunglasses perched on the bridge of her small nose.
"Can't you be civil for once and go away??" The blonde Mirror Holder snapped.
"Nope!" She giggled. "I'm going to destroy that cure and you'll all die-ESPECIALLY Suzuki!"
*OOC*
Well, there you have it. My ankle is making this shorter than it'd usually be...*sigh* Darn it all and Stupid Orcs. Anyway, please review...NEXT chapter!
* Binetsu reveals why she hates Suzuki so much
* I can't believe this...Yusuke proves how incredibly inept he is at watching little kids...
* And...uh...the pug will do the Time Warp for you at the end of the next chapter. O.o;;
And now, our third ferrygirl, Tsubaki!
Name: Tsubaki
Age: 89 (died at 16)
Birthday: May 4
Clothing: Light purple kimono, dark purple obi, white kimono underneath
Hair Color/Style: Brown, just brushes her shoulders
Eye Color: Purple
Height: 5'5''
Weight: 110 lbs.
Personality: Uncanny patience.
^^ Good luck! Waiiii, Return of the King...Kia will see it tomorrow! *dances*