Congratulations to Rein, who got Kinpouge (buttercup) and SolusLupaKouken, who got Ran (orchid!) ^^ Thanks and I'm glad you didn't give up, Shin-san. Enjoy.

Unfortunately, this will be the last chapter I'll be able to get up before I visit San Diego. I probably won't post again until next Saturday, so you'll just have to wait. I'm sorry, but hopefully the last two chapters of Densebyou will be worth waiting for. -.- I can't believe I'm almost done with it...this has to be the fastest I've EVER written a Densetsu no Kagami story...o.o How strange.

So kindly bear with me! ^^ I'll probably finish writing the chapters in the car, and I've already written the first three chapters of Kikyoku, so we'll see. Everyone, have a Merry Christmas...Happy Hannukah...Happy Kwanzaa...and whatever else you celebrate.

Last chapter, Binetsu totally lost it and tried to kill the Mirror Holders. Mukuro blocked the attack, and now Binetsu's dead, after being betrayed by someone who actually worked for Netami. *sniffle* Poor Binetsu...and now...the girls, along with Chuu and Rinku (who agree to return to Ningenkai) and Kurama are headed home!

^^ I do not own any references to Chitsuko Ichihara. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, GO READ THE KOKITSUNE SERIES BY HANYOU LOTHUIAL BEFORE I...uh...ummm...yeah.

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It was still rather early when the Mirror Holders, Kurama, Chuu, and Rinku set off for Ningenkai. The fore-mentioned three were outfitted in new clothes, thanks to Mukuro's insistence. Rinku and Chuu had politely refused, but the girls and Kurama had gratefully accepted. So now Kia wore a short sleeveless dark purple tunic with silver trim over a long-sleeved white shirt and puffy white pants. A blue sash was wrapped just above her waist. Her brown hair had been carefully untangled and brushed out until it shone, and then put back into its usual high ponytail, secured by a purple rubber band.

Kelsey's own blonde hair had received the same treatment and now flowed over her shoulders in a silken waterfall. She wore a bright v-neck vest with yellow trim on the sleeve cuffs over a black long-sleeved shirt and billowy pants of the same dark color.

Finally, Kurama had managed to get his hair into order with only a few brush strokes, much to the girls' envy. He also sported a tunic over a white shirt and pants, but this one was burgundy, with a lighter crimson fox running along the left side. He admitted that it was very appropriate for him, considering his true nature.

They'd left Kyattsuai with Mukuro. As it turned out, the demon lord had been impressed with the neko youkai's fighting skills and his litheness, and had asked him to join her army. Kia and Kelsey, after hugging him, had assured him that this was undoubtedly better than anything the Niji gang could ever offer.

And then the time came for Mukuro to bid them farewell. "It's been a pleasure," she told the Mirror Holders. "I only wish we had met under better circumstances...just remember to keep that spirit and determination, and you'll go far."

Kelsey and Kia exchanged a sideways glance, then grinned. Before Mukuro knew what was happening, both girls had thrown themselves at her. Kurama and Chuu smiled, watching the flustered demon lord awkwardly hug them back.

But that had been three hours ago. Now the five friends were trudging across a vast, sandy expanse that suspiciously resembled a desert. A very big desert.

Kelsey tilted her head back, groaning. "At this point, everyone will have DIED before we get home!"

"I hate to say it, but Kelsey's right." Kia glanced up at the bright circle in the sky with a small frown. "It took us two days to get to Mukuro's...and we don't have two MORE days to spare!"

"Well, what would you have us do?" Chuu asked reasonably. "We can't exactly FLY to Ningenkai-"

"And why can't you?"

"Because none of us have wings!" The youkai snapped...before realizing who he had just yelled at.

A giant crimson dragon crouched alongside the group, serpentilian tail twitching occasionally as it studied them with narrowed golden eyes. It had either just arrived or had been following them silently.

Kurama tensed, drawing a rose from his red locks. "Rose Wh-"

"NO!"

At Kia's emphatic tone, the Youko faltered. "...Kia?? I understand that you've seen enough death by now, but-"

"He's a FRIEND!" The girl interrupted, racing past him to the creature. Without a moment's hesitation, Kelsey followed, and the dragon lowered his great head so that the girls could hug his muzzle.

Chuu, Rinku, and Kurama all wore the same expression: open-mouthed surprise.

"Wh...what kind of friends have our girls been making since Rinku an' I left?" Chuu asked, rubbing his stubbly chin.

"Definitely some very interesting ones, I'd say," Kurama replied, with a half-smile lingering on his face. "But I would only expect that from those two."

"Actually, we've known this big guy for two years!" Kelsey called back to them over the satisfied rumbling of the dragon. "He's a friend of Ashita's." (A/N: If you don't know, Ashita is the creator of the Densetsu no Kagami.)

"Chuu, Kurama, Rinku, this is Tsukai." Kia looked a great deal happier than she had in days, brown eyes sparkling as she greeted her old friend. "He saved us the first time we were in Makai, looking for Ashita."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Kurama said politely. Rinku cheerfully waved, and Chuu strode over to the dragon, delivering a hearty slap to his generous flank.

Tsukai appeared to be startled by such affection, but then relaxed. "Ashita has heard everything that took place here," he addressed the Mirror Holders. "She is currently at work on another cure."

The dark-haired healer sighed. "That's all fine and dandy, but how long did it take her LAST time?"

"Four days, approximately."

Kelsey caught on. "So even IF another cure is made, it'll be too late for all of our friends in Ningenkai...two days too late."

Kia nodded. "On the bright side, Ashita can give the cure to Mukuro, and she can cure anyone here who caught if from Kurama and us."

"Compassion acting up again?" Her friend sweetly inquired. The other grimaced, shaking her head. "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning. But seriously, Tsukai..." Kelsey turned back to the dragon. "Is that all you came to tell us?"

He rumbled again, his way of expressing amusement. "Of course not. I'm here to offer you a lift...a ride back to Ningenkai. Where it would take you two days to trek across Makai, it will only take me one. Interested?"

"Very," Kurama said solemnly, looking around at the others for affirmation. One by one, they all nodded.

"I'm getting too old for this," Chuu mumbled, eyeing the dragon with a bit of apprehension.

"No, you're not!" Rinku scoffed at the idea. "You're in your prime, and besides, you only live once."

Kelsey smirked. "Or twice, in Yusuke's case." Both girls had learned how the boy had become a Reikai Tantei...by dying, and then having his incredible spirit energy discovered. As Yusuke put it, "I've been screwed ever since."

Tsukai flicked his tail, opening his claws. "I can fit the Mirror Holders and Kurama in one, and the other two may ride in my other claw."

"This'll be fun!" Rinku was practically bouncing as he ran into one of the claws, scrambling up and clinging on happily. Chuu was a bit more hesitant to follow, but he eventually joined his smaller companion. Kia and Kelsey, on the other hand, settled in with the ease of professionals, and Kurama couldn't help but go along, smiling at their casual air.

The dragon waited until his passengers were ready, announced flight, and pumped his wings rapidly. A second later, he was soaring high over Makai, the girls peering over to observe the landscape with twin cries of delight.

"It's pretty when you're not getting kidnapped, attacked, or lost in it," Kia decided. Kelsey wholeheartedly agreed.

After awhile, they became bored with the scenery, and so started to pester Kurama again. The Youko responded with resigned patience...and then Kelsey found his wallet.

"Heeey, pictures!" Before Kurama could stop her, the light-haired Mirror Holder was flipping through them, and stopped on one...it consisted of a slender girl with stormy blue-gray eyes, long golden hair, and a warm smile, wearing...

"Nice bra," Kia commented, peering over Kelsey's shoulder.

"SHAME on you, Kurama!" The other girl winked at him. "What's next, kiddy porn? What HAVE you been doing?"

"I-It's a bathing suit, I SWEAR!" The Youko stammered, turning bright red.

"Uh-HUH..." Obviously not convinced, Kelsey took a look at the next picture. This one was tamer, with Kurama and the same girl posing for the camera...well, actually, they seemed to have been caught offguard, as the boy's crimson hair was all mussed, and the girl had a startled cast to her features. "Nice, Kurama...she's pretty. Is THIS your girlfriend?"

"Speak now, or forever be condemned," Kia told him, grinning. "You know we'll never stop bothering you about it until you tell us."

Kurama sighed, knowing she spoke the truth. "...Her name is Chitsuko Ichihara..."

"Does she go to our school?" Kelsey asked, taking a closer look at another picture. "She's wearing our uniform, but I don't think I've seen her around before..."

"She became a Reikai Tantei in the Makai," the Youko explained. "She's not in Ningenkai anymore." His expression saddened. "I haven't seen her for about a year or so now..." (A/N: Keep in mind he's 17 now...I'm not sure if he was 15 or 16 when she left...you'd have to ask Lexi-chan.)

Kia nodded sympathetically. "You must love her a lot..." When he nodded, the girl continued. "Has anyone else met her?"

"Hiei, Kuwabara, Yusuke, Keiko, Botan, Shizuru, Jin, Touya-"

Both girls winced. "Thanks so much for telling US, Kurama," Kelsey said wryly. "We feel so loved."

Kurama winced as well. "Well, you see...I..." He trailed off, looking at the stern stares they were giving him, and smiled weakly. "I'm suddenly hungry...does anyone have any candy corn?"

Kelsey burst into hysterical laughter, and couldn't stop. This gave Kia the unpleasant task of explaining exactly what was so funny to the perplexed Kurama. Unfortunately, she was giggling as well, and the boy couldn't decipher much past "conscience" and "cravings".

By the time night had fallen, all five of them were asleep, the girls leaning against Kurama as Tsukai flew steadily onwards. It was past afternoon the next day when Tsukai suddenly reared back, and hurled his claws forward, releasing his sleepy passengers.

"WARN US NEXT TIME!" Kelsey screamed as they flew through the air. "I'M SO TIRED OF HITTING THE DAMN-"

Too late. As they had done once before, the girls and the other three males smacked into an old playground slide. Chuu and Kurama tumbled over the side, while Kia, Kelsey, and Rinku slowly slid off to plop on the cold sand.

"Are we back in Ningenkai?" Rinku asked, scrambling to his feet. Kia nodded, rising as well, though at a much slower pace.

"We're about a block from home. Come on!" She set off at a run, Kelsey close at her heels, and the others following.

Soon enough, they had reached Suzuki's house. Kelsey opened the door, and they stepped inside. It was dark in the house, and everyone blinked.

"...Hello?" Kia called uncertainly.

"MMMMPPPPPPH!!!"

Upon hearing that, they all looked up...and stared.

Kuwabara dangled from the ceiling fan by his pants, completely bound and gagged in...aluminum foil?

"K...Kuwabara??" Kelsey looked at him, stunned. "What the hell HAPPENED to you?"

Kia turned as she heard a thud...and then another...coming from the hall closet. Not sure she wanted to find out what was in there, she nevertheless grasped the doorknob and turned it. It swung open...to reveal a disheveled Yusuke, his skin blackened. Overall, he had the appearance of a charred chicken. His shirt was gone, his pants had been turned into ragged shirts, and he looked at the girl dazedly.

"Tell me that's you, Kia...tell me I'm not hallucinating..."

"You're not." Amused, the Mirror Holder helped him out of the closet. "Are you okay??"

"I will be once I get out of here." Yusuke looked up at Kuwabara. "I'm never watching them again. How'd the cure thing go?"

Suddenly, no one in the room was smiling. Puzzled, Yusuke studied their faces. "Oh, Shimatta...tell me you didn't..."

"The cure was destroyed," Kelsey said bitterly. "We failed, okay?"

The boy sighed quietly, settling on the couch and ignoring the wriggling Kuwabara overhead. "Okay, tell me everything."

***Later that Night...***



Yusuke and Kuwabara (after being released) returned home. Kurama bedded down on the couch, and Chuu and Rinku took their old room. The Mirror Holders, having verified the sad state of their sickened friends, were in their own room, seated on Kelsey's bed.

"I can't believe it," Kia said at last, voice subdued. "They're going to die..."

Kelsey nodded silently. She glanced up as the door slowly opened, then blinked.

Jin, Touya, Rei, Shishiwakamaru, Suzuki and Hiei shuffled into the room and up to the bed, slowly climbing up.

"Don't be sad," Jin solemnly told Kia, climbing into her lap and touching her cheek with a chubby hand. "Why?"

The girl swallowed hard. "Kelsey?"

There was an audible sigh. "Go right ahead. I think I'll join you."

Kia bowed her head and let the tears come. And they did, after she had retained them for so long...they came hard and fast. Kelsey was no better, and as the little youkai inched closer for comforting hugs, the entire little group was practically drenched in salty water. Hiei wrinkled his nose as a tear landed on it, then sneezed.

The cryfest went on for about twenty minutes, before exhaustion set in. Rei nodded off first, then Touya. The Mirror Holders stayed awake until the last little sick youkai had dropped off to sleep, and then fell asleep themselves, curled up amidst their friends, determined to stay with them for the last hours of their existence.

*OOC*

This...is just so sad! *cries into a tissue* Anyway...once again, I do not own Chitsuko, Lexi-chan does. Please review; the next chapter will be up next Saturday, unless there is a change of plans.

And here are the eighth and ninth ferrygirls, Himawari and Kouka!

Name: Himawari

Age: 375 (died at age 17)

Birthday: August 19

Clothing: Black kimono, yellow obi, orange kimono underneath

Hair Color/Style: Blonde, with black tips, past the shoulders...wears it differently.

Eye Color: Green

Height: 5'7''

Weight: 118 lbs.

Name: Kouka

Age: 45 (died at age 11)

Birthday: January 24

Clothing: Shrine maiden outfit...think Rei from Sailor Moon, Hinageshi, Kikyou from Inu-yasha, etc.

Hair Color/Style: White, wears it in a low ponytail.

Eye Color: Brown.

Height: 4'8''

Weight: 65 lbs.

^^ See you all eventually!