Author note: If you like it tell me. If you don't, tell me any way. I
want to know why, and I might revamp it once I get all of it up...So Don't go
away! Plus, I don't really have a beta reader anymore, so there are bound
to be typos...Sorry for that...ï But it will be up faster now....
Hee, this one's good. I think it helps show how Torashi is....
Chapter 11: Ghosts of the Past
During one of the black outs, Torashi's unorganized thoughts slipped to the past, back when she was paying attention to school.
She had been in the first grade when a few girls had permitted her to be in their group. Thrilled to be a part of anything they did, Torashi hadn't realized she was only there to place blame, or occasionally as a source for humor.
Every once in a while, they would have girlie conversations about clothes and things, and Torashi would play along, pretending to know, even though she didn't.
Around the fifth grade, the girls started asking what kind of guy the rest wanted. All of them said their 'Mister Right' was tall and hunky, or really rich. Torashi always put a lot of thought into it before answering; finally deciding she wanted a guy who was "a caring man who allowed her to do what she wanted. He had to be fairly smart, and supportive. Someone who would prove a good match in a fight with her. Not really ugly, just normal."
Torashi realized that her ideal man was like Kurama. Maybe he is my Mister Right.
But all of the girls had laughed at her. It was all a joke to them. They all though "who cares as long as he's good looking."
After she got home, her okasan would comfort her. Torashi always remembered her okasan as a strict master, but when she wasn't helping with training, she was always calm and caring.
Finally, Torashi had gotten tired of being laughed at and getting in someone else's trouble, so she severed her ties with the girls. She matured, getting in her own fights and doing her own scheming.
She did learn something from that though. Who to avoid, who to hang a little with, who to pick on for fun and, although they got pissed, they'd do nothing about it. She learned the fights she could pick and walk away from, and the ones she couldn't on her own. No one knew your limit better than yourself.
That was the only thing that had changed now. She didn't know the strengths of yokai and was unable to fight them as well. Well, maybe not the only thing that had changed. She might have a boyfriend in this dimension.
Torashi was interrupted by awareness before she passed out again.
This time, it was more like the dream Torashi had a while back. (Hee, chapter 9, if you forgot...) Even that guy from before was there, too. The only difference was, she actually knew she was out cold. She tried to speak, to tell him to go the hell away, but she found she felt too weak and couldn't.
Karasu talked to her first. "I must be really stupid. I thought someone like you would be right for Kurama. You really are something. You are like a tiny inu (1) that won't stop barking, even knowing that the rest of the world is bigger than it. That is really lame," Karasu paused, catching his breath.
Each word bit Torashi like a bug, but she still couldn't do anything. The whole thing pissed her off.
Karasu continued, "I already said I didn't want to see you in Reikai yet. You made an empty promise to Kurama if you are giving up now. You're nothing but a little girl. A weak selfish little weasel who thinks the world is for herself and no one else. You'll break Kurama's trust and his heart. You say you can't, but can't means won't. Fine, you can give up without a fight. It's not up to me. I just can't stand looking at you any more." He finished. Karasu turned and left, but Torashi still thought she hear him say, "that was the most I could do. Gomen Kurama."
Torashi was stunned and near tears. She hardened herself. She wasn't ready to go back to Reikai yet. There was too much to do. Torashi decided she would make it.
Nothing would be worse than breaking the promise she had made to Kurama, except having to marry Kuwabara.
Torashi bolted awake. Even though the pain wasn't as bad, she was able to tell the poison was still infecting her. She still felt hot and cold, all at the same time, too. She had tried feeling for her rei, but it was scattered and seemed to be busy. Torashi decided that it was probably one of the main reasons she hadn't died.
Torashi sighed in aggravation. Since her rei was low, she found it odd that the bracelet Kurama had given her was pulsing with rei.
Torashi didn't know if experimenting was going to be good or not in her condition, but she figured it was worth the try. She focused the small flow of rei and channeled it through the bracelet. Even though that was the most she had done in a while it exhausted her, and she fell asleep on her own, for the first time since she screwed up.
Torashi woke up, but she didn't open her eyes. She felt the amount of rei moving through her, and concluded the poison was almost gone. Torashi felt oddly energetic, but found her left arm wasn't cooperating and her right arm was restricted when moving.
Curious and a little pissed off, Torashi opened her eyes. At once she saw the plant from her bedside table had grown and wrapped around her right wrist. She tugged and jerked to get it off, but it didn't work. All she succeeded in doing was falling off the bed, sheets and all. Still she struggled. Torashi was tempted to bite it off, but wasn't sure if the plant was poisonous or not, so she didn't.
Torashi jumped in surprise when the door opened. Kurama stood in the door, looking worried for a moment. "Daijoubu desu ka, Torashi-san?" (2)
His calmness pissed Torashi off further. "There's a fricken plant attacking me!"
Kurama barely kept from laughing as he walked over to help Torashi. He applied a small bit of rei and the plant greedily switched to climb up Kurama's arm instead. He persuaded it to climb back into its pot.
"Arigatoo, Kurama-kun," Torashi said, sighing with relief.
Kurama smiled, "It's good to see you're feeling better, considering you got in a fight with that plant. I still think you may want to rest a bit, though."
"All right. But only because that is one damned plant and I don't want to trigger the growth like that again."
"I'll leave you be, then." Kurama got up and was standing in the doorway when Torashi stopped him.
"Hey, Kurama-kun. Thanks for everything."
Kurama smiled before leaving. He shut the door quietly behind him.
Torashi sighed, climbed back into bed, and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Torashi awoke somewhere around midnight. The poison was finally cycling out of her system and she wanted to move. She heard a scratching at her window, followed by the click of the latch. Torashi pretended to be asleep.
A shadow slipped into her room from the window. As it crept towards her bed, an evil gleam glinted from its eye.
A thought occurred to Torashi, Do yokai have balls? She smiled lightly as she decided to find out.
The shadow crept close, looming over her bed. Torashi kicked out and was rewarded as the yokai doubled over onto her floor.
Yes, Torashi mused, I think most yokai do have balls.
She waited until the yokai was able to stand, taking the time to sit up, before she began her question. "Who the hell are you and what the hell did you think you were going to do in my room?"
Still surprised, the yokai stuttered, "I...I am one of the Princes of Makai. I just wanted to know if you were dead."
Torashi was disgusted, fully knowing its true intentions.
The prince obviously knew she could tell because he bent low, saying, "I...I'm sorry!"
"Not as sorry as you'll be when you get your royal ass kicked out 0of my window. You had fun sneaking in, hope you have fun free-falling out of it."
Torashi stood up, grabbed the yokai's collar and walked to the window.
"Sayronara," she whispered as she flipped open the window and threw the yokai out of it. It screamed, but was cut short.
"Yokai," Torashi muttered in an exasperated tone as she walked back to the bed for some more sleep.
(K, below is a bit of a translation for one of Kurama's songs called Embracing the Ice Knife and Torashi's response that is similarish in subject.)
The bottom of my heart's lake
Is rimmed with ice,
Yet my fate is to continue living.
Because of that, I'll fight to the end.
Close to my heart,
You call gently to me, but I close my ears.
There is also a day I run to,
Embracing the ice knife
But someday this peace
will warm the world.
My frozen soul will probably melt too,
Setting a prism free.
Until that day comes, keep on going.
We are fighting. Don't stop.
Fight to believe in the future,
Because that is why we're alive.
Jump into believing in yourself,
In order to build a new era.
Surely when the day comes
That the Earth changes into a paradise,
Even my weapons will melt,
Overflown with sunlight.
Searching for that day, Keep on running.
We are fighting. Go on.
I'll cross the bridge to the future
Even if it's risking my life,
Even if it is a frozen bridge,
I'll run across it.
I've tried to melt your frozen heart,
But you have turned away.
I do not know how close I came,
But I think now, I feel a little warmth.
Explanations:
1) Inu means dog. Like inu yasha. Dog demon....I think. Something along those lines...
2) Are you all right. Ha, that one came from watching the beasts of maze castle to much....lol.
Author's note: Chap 11 done! Sorry if it seems weird if I stick, like two chapters up at once. I forget, and barely can get on anymore..... R&R please, no matter what you all think. If you read it, just tell me, good, or bad....PLEASE!!!!
Hee, this one's good. I think it helps show how Torashi is....
Chapter 11: Ghosts of the Past
During one of the black outs, Torashi's unorganized thoughts slipped to the past, back when she was paying attention to school.
She had been in the first grade when a few girls had permitted her to be in their group. Thrilled to be a part of anything they did, Torashi hadn't realized she was only there to place blame, or occasionally as a source for humor.
Every once in a while, they would have girlie conversations about clothes and things, and Torashi would play along, pretending to know, even though she didn't.
Around the fifth grade, the girls started asking what kind of guy the rest wanted. All of them said their 'Mister Right' was tall and hunky, or really rich. Torashi always put a lot of thought into it before answering; finally deciding she wanted a guy who was "a caring man who allowed her to do what she wanted. He had to be fairly smart, and supportive. Someone who would prove a good match in a fight with her. Not really ugly, just normal."
Torashi realized that her ideal man was like Kurama. Maybe he is my Mister Right.
But all of the girls had laughed at her. It was all a joke to them. They all though "who cares as long as he's good looking."
After she got home, her okasan would comfort her. Torashi always remembered her okasan as a strict master, but when she wasn't helping with training, she was always calm and caring.
Finally, Torashi had gotten tired of being laughed at and getting in someone else's trouble, so she severed her ties with the girls. She matured, getting in her own fights and doing her own scheming.
She did learn something from that though. Who to avoid, who to hang a little with, who to pick on for fun and, although they got pissed, they'd do nothing about it. She learned the fights she could pick and walk away from, and the ones she couldn't on her own. No one knew your limit better than yourself.
That was the only thing that had changed now. She didn't know the strengths of yokai and was unable to fight them as well. Well, maybe not the only thing that had changed. She might have a boyfriend in this dimension.
Torashi was interrupted by awareness before she passed out again.
This time, it was more like the dream Torashi had a while back. (Hee, chapter 9, if you forgot...) Even that guy from before was there, too. The only difference was, she actually knew she was out cold. She tried to speak, to tell him to go the hell away, but she found she felt too weak and couldn't.
Karasu talked to her first. "I must be really stupid. I thought someone like you would be right for Kurama. You really are something. You are like a tiny inu (1) that won't stop barking, even knowing that the rest of the world is bigger than it. That is really lame," Karasu paused, catching his breath.
Each word bit Torashi like a bug, but she still couldn't do anything. The whole thing pissed her off.
Karasu continued, "I already said I didn't want to see you in Reikai yet. You made an empty promise to Kurama if you are giving up now. You're nothing but a little girl. A weak selfish little weasel who thinks the world is for herself and no one else. You'll break Kurama's trust and his heart. You say you can't, but can't means won't. Fine, you can give up without a fight. It's not up to me. I just can't stand looking at you any more." He finished. Karasu turned and left, but Torashi still thought she hear him say, "that was the most I could do. Gomen Kurama."
Torashi was stunned and near tears. She hardened herself. She wasn't ready to go back to Reikai yet. There was too much to do. Torashi decided she would make it.
Nothing would be worse than breaking the promise she had made to Kurama, except having to marry Kuwabara.
Torashi bolted awake. Even though the pain wasn't as bad, she was able to tell the poison was still infecting her. She still felt hot and cold, all at the same time, too. She had tried feeling for her rei, but it was scattered and seemed to be busy. Torashi decided that it was probably one of the main reasons she hadn't died.
Torashi sighed in aggravation. Since her rei was low, she found it odd that the bracelet Kurama had given her was pulsing with rei.
Torashi didn't know if experimenting was going to be good or not in her condition, but she figured it was worth the try. She focused the small flow of rei and channeled it through the bracelet. Even though that was the most she had done in a while it exhausted her, and she fell asleep on her own, for the first time since she screwed up.
Torashi woke up, but she didn't open her eyes. She felt the amount of rei moving through her, and concluded the poison was almost gone. Torashi felt oddly energetic, but found her left arm wasn't cooperating and her right arm was restricted when moving.
Curious and a little pissed off, Torashi opened her eyes. At once she saw the plant from her bedside table had grown and wrapped around her right wrist. She tugged and jerked to get it off, but it didn't work. All she succeeded in doing was falling off the bed, sheets and all. Still she struggled. Torashi was tempted to bite it off, but wasn't sure if the plant was poisonous or not, so she didn't.
Torashi jumped in surprise when the door opened. Kurama stood in the door, looking worried for a moment. "Daijoubu desu ka, Torashi-san?" (2)
His calmness pissed Torashi off further. "There's a fricken plant attacking me!"
Kurama barely kept from laughing as he walked over to help Torashi. He applied a small bit of rei and the plant greedily switched to climb up Kurama's arm instead. He persuaded it to climb back into its pot.
"Arigatoo, Kurama-kun," Torashi said, sighing with relief.
Kurama smiled, "It's good to see you're feeling better, considering you got in a fight with that plant. I still think you may want to rest a bit, though."
"All right. But only because that is one damned plant and I don't want to trigger the growth like that again."
"I'll leave you be, then." Kurama got up and was standing in the doorway when Torashi stopped him.
"Hey, Kurama-kun. Thanks for everything."
Kurama smiled before leaving. He shut the door quietly behind him.
Torashi sighed, climbed back into bed, and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Torashi awoke somewhere around midnight. The poison was finally cycling out of her system and she wanted to move. She heard a scratching at her window, followed by the click of the latch. Torashi pretended to be asleep.
A shadow slipped into her room from the window. As it crept towards her bed, an evil gleam glinted from its eye.
A thought occurred to Torashi, Do yokai have balls? She smiled lightly as she decided to find out.
The shadow crept close, looming over her bed. Torashi kicked out and was rewarded as the yokai doubled over onto her floor.
Yes, Torashi mused, I think most yokai do have balls.
She waited until the yokai was able to stand, taking the time to sit up, before she began her question. "Who the hell are you and what the hell did you think you were going to do in my room?"
Still surprised, the yokai stuttered, "I...I am one of the Princes of Makai. I just wanted to know if you were dead."
Torashi was disgusted, fully knowing its true intentions.
The prince obviously knew she could tell because he bent low, saying, "I...I'm sorry!"
"Not as sorry as you'll be when you get your royal ass kicked out 0of my window. You had fun sneaking in, hope you have fun free-falling out of it."
Torashi stood up, grabbed the yokai's collar and walked to the window.
"Sayronara," she whispered as she flipped open the window and threw the yokai out of it. It screamed, but was cut short.
"Yokai," Torashi muttered in an exasperated tone as she walked back to the bed for some more sleep.
(K, below is a bit of a translation for one of Kurama's songs called Embracing the Ice Knife and Torashi's response that is similarish in subject.)
The bottom of my heart's lake
Is rimmed with ice,
Yet my fate is to continue living.
Because of that, I'll fight to the end.
Close to my heart,
You call gently to me, but I close my ears.
There is also a day I run to,
Embracing the ice knife
But someday this peace
will warm the world.
My frozen soul will probably melt too,
Setting a prism free.
Until that day comes, keep on going.
We are fighting. Don't stop.
Fight to believe in the future,
Because that is why we're alive.
Jump into believing in yourself,
In order to build a new era.
Surely when the day comes
That the Earth changes into a paradise,
Even my weapons will melt,
Overflown with sunlight.
Searching for that day, Keep on running.
We are fighting. Go on.
I'll cross the bridge to the future
Even if it's risking my life,
Even if it is a frozen bridge,
I'll run across it.
I've tried to melt your frozen heart,
But you have turned away.
I do not know how close I came,
But I think now, I feel a little warmth.
Explanations:
1) Inu means dog. Like inu yasha. Dog demon....I think. Something along those lines...
2) Are you all right. Ha, that one came from watching the beasts of maze castle to much....lol.
Author's note: Chap 11 done! Sorry if it seems weird if I stick, like two chapters up at once. I forget, and barely can get on anymore..... R&R please, no matter what you all think. If you read it, just tell me, good, or bad....PLEASE!!!!
