"Speaking" 'Thoughts' *Random inputs*

Chapter 11: Parting Paths

A group materializes in the middle of the street, to the left there is Putt- Putt, to the right there is a bar. This group consists of Goku, Vegeta, Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Yusuke all of whom decide not to return to their homes after the traumatizing incident with the fan mobs.

"Well, which should it be?" Sanosuke inquires. The guys look from the building on their right to the mini-park on their left.

"I'm all for another game of golf if anyone...," Yusuke stops mid sentence when he catches sight over the fence of Putt-Putt of Keiko fuming, "the bar it is then!" Yusuke quickly tries to herd the group towards the bar before Keiko spots him.

Vegeta looks over Yusuke's shoulder figuring out whom they are retreating from, "I thought that was your woman, why do you flee from her?"

"I'm not running away from her," Yusuke says while ducking behind Kenshin, "I'm just running away from our date. I like Keiko fine, it's the dates that scare me."

"That's fine, but do you really expect us to sneak you into a bar?" Kenshin frowns at Yusuke.

"Aww, come on Kenshin, it's not against the law to go into a bar if you're underage. The illegal part is the drinking part, which the kid won't be doing any of. Right?" Sanosuke gives Yusuke a quick wink and smiles.

"Right, I won't have a drop of the stuff. I'll just have a soda, okay?" Yusuke tries to put on his best innocent face.

Everyone, but Sanosuke looks at him suspiciously. "I could really care less about what the kid does since he's not mine, so there's no point in wasting my time out here." Vegeta grabs Goku and walks the rest of the way to the bar entrance. "Come on Kakarot, I know of one thing I can most definitely beat you in."

Kenshin's face remains skeptical, "I suppose he is right, that he is. Just you take responsibility for whatever happens." Kenshin also heads inside.

Yusuke gives Sanosuke a huge grin. "Well, come on kid, let's get you in there." Sanosuke pats Yusuke on the back as they rush inside. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~

Continuing down the seemingly unending tunnel, Hiei and Kurama have been silent for the past few minutes.

"So that's the reason the brother was never around the house, he was out already trying to obtain your keys." Kurama gazes at the ground deep in thought while they continue walking. "Just imagine what would have happened if he had known from the start that his parents possessed what he sought."

"For one, I wouldn't be in this mess," Hiei begins, "but for another Anneliese wouldn't have been born considering Hikoro would have killed her parents." Hiei closes his eyes and shakes his head. As he opens his eyes he stops walking.

Kurama breaks his thoughts and raises his focus to Hiei. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"

"Did you not notice? Look in front of you." Hiei waits as Kurama looks ahead and realizes that they have finally reached the end of the tunnel. In front of them, a large green door stands that appears to be made of some sort of marble. Kurama strides the rest of the distance to the door and grips the smooth silver handle. The door comes open with great ease considering its heavy appearance and he and Hiei proceed through with caution.

They enter a small square room glazed completely over with green glass that seems to be giving off it's own life. As they reach the center of the room the large marble door comes to a silent close behind them. They both turn around.

"Should we have expected anything less?" Hiei asks Kurama.

Which Kurama shakes his head in response, "need we even check it to be certain it is locked?"

"No, we'll just have to find another way out." Hiei goes to the nearest wall and begins searching it. Kurama follows suit on one of the other walls. In the silence Kurama's thoughts drift to what had been worrying him earlier. 'I wonder how the girls are fairing.'

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After getting completely loaded up and changed (Ellen took the paintball gun and changes her shirt to an old blue kimono and keeps her jeans; Theresa grabs a black sword that resembles a katana, but has more width to it and changes completely into a green kimono with green pants; Anneliese picks up a silver sword and puts on a silver kimono and black pants), the girls are in a much better mood then before and are passing the time walking by playing a game of truth or dare. (Which has been changed to truth or truth since they didn't have to many dares to do in a barren hallway.)

"Okay, okay I'll go ahead and get this question out of the way: Everyone go on and tell us who you like." Ellen giggles obviously having way too much fun with the game already. "You first Theresa."

"Kurama." Theresa replied without hesitation.

"Wow, you were really prepared for that one. I mean, you didn't hesitate or anything." Ellen looks over at Anneliese. "Well? What about you?"

"I...well...um...," Anneliese scratches the back of her head.

"Oh come on already and just say Hiei, we all know you like him so just do us all a favor and go ahead and admit it." Theresa gives and evil grin. "And if you don't want to, I guess I could yell it out for you...who knows, the echo might carry all the way back to where the guys are and save you the trouble of telling him yourself."

Anneliese waves her hand at Theresa. "Whoa, whoa, whoa no need for that...fine, I love Hiei." Anneliese continues walking, but the other two stop.

"Did she just say what I think she said?" Theresa whispers to Ellen.

"Yeah, I know, I specifically asked who she liked, not who she loves. I think she should be disqualified." Ellen looks seriously at Anneliese.

"No, I meant the whole she loves Hiei thing. Do you think she meant to say liked?"

"I meant what I said," Anneliese calls back to them. "Now, Ellen I believe it's your turn."

"Oh, well mine's Jesse." Ellen's face brightens even more as she goes off into her own little world of Jesse. When she comes back to Earth she blinks a couple times and shouts out. "Okay, next question goes to Anneliese ("oh crap," Anneliese mutters): what kind of kisser is Hiei?"

"What kind of question is that if I have never kissed him?" Anneliese blushes furiously.

"I think it's a good question," Theresa puts in. "Just imagine what his kind of kiss would be like."

"If he was in a good mood and we're not around anyone else," Anneliese ponders for a few moments, "his kiss would be passionate."

Ellen and Theresa burst with laughter. "How do you figure?" They say in unison.

"Well, truly what is Hiei not passionate about other than showing emotion? He's passionate about everything he does: fighting, achieving his goals, being loyal or protective." Anneliese stops talking as they continue.

"Man, can't even go that into detail with Jesse, and I've kissed him." Ellen thinks out loud. Theresa still continues laughing until she realizes that she is the only noise in the hall. The group is consumed by an awkward silence. *Cricket sounds*

"Hey! Does anyone see that up ahead?" Anneliese says, relieved to break the silence. "It looks like the tunnel splits."

"You're right," Theresa stretches her vision down the dark tunnel, "one going left, one going right, and one straight in the middle."

"Great, we're going to have to split up aren't we?" Ellen looks worried.

"Do you have any other suggestions?" Anneliese catches a glimpse of Ellen's face. "Don't worry, you'll be fine, all you have to do is walk down your tunnel and see where it leads. And while you're at it, you can call for Kurama and Hiei. Easy right?"

"But...wait! I know!" A look of enlightenment crosses Ellen's face. "Jesse! Jeeeesssssseeeeeee!?" A few moments pass where Jesse does not appear. "...He doesn't love me!" She looks close to tears.

"No, that's not it. I'm sure he's being kept from helping us by that guy that Hiei keeps mentioning." Theresa gives Ellen a reassuring smile.

"That has to be the reason, otherwise, I would also be able to talk to Hiei through telepathy, but that's being blocked as well." Anneliese tries to also be helpful, but at the mention of his name her face gets sad. 'I wonder what he's doing right now.'

Ellen misses Anneliese's look of defeat and becomes convinced and steps in front of her middle tunnel way. "Bring it on dark, scary hallway."

Anneliese and Theresa exchange shrugs and proceed down their appointed side paths. "See you when I see you." Theresa waves behind her as she heads off to the left. "Yeah, don't get into any trouble, okay?" Anneliese smirks as she lazily walks to the right.

(5 min. later)

"I'm a big brave dog, I'm a big brave dog *squeak* ah!" Ellen spins round and fires a paintball at the lonely darkness that trails her. She pivots back around walking a little faster. "I think I can, I think I can, I think...wait a second! Why did it make me feel better knowing that now definitely no one can come rescue me? If Jesse can't, who will save me?" She continues speed walking, stroking her paintball gun. "You'll save me won't you? Of course you will, you're my handy dandy, trusty rusty..."

"Ellen?"

"Ah!"

"Ouch! What was that for?" Anneliese rubs her recently shot arm. "Save your trigger-happy attitude for the enemy!"

"Sorry Liese...(mutters to her paintball gun)...well done." Ellen looks at Anneliese as though just now really noticing her presence. "How'd you get in my tunnel? ...You got scared didn't you?"

Anneliese glares at her. "Yes, my own shadow was just too much for little ole me to stand any longer."

Ellen pats her back understandingly. "I know, those thinks can be pretty...ouch!"

Anneliese finishes hitting Ellen upside her head. "I was being sarcastic! The two tunnels merged together."

Ellen looks down her own tunnel, then over at Anneliese's. "Ooooh...I'M SAVED!!!"

"Yeah, whatever, now let's keep going. I wanna find something, this overbearing nothingness has me unnerved." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~

'Man I'm bored. Lucky me, I must have gotten the darkest most dull hallway out of them. If this doesn't pick up I may fall asleep.' Theresa continues down her hall dragging her feet as she goes. 'I wonder what the guys are up to. Better yet, I wonder what Kurama's doing? *Sigh* Maybe he's thinking about me right now...Kurama!? Kurama is that you? Oh, I'm so glad to see you!' She runs ahead arms spread out to capture him in a large embrace, but as she comes within a few feet he vanishes. 'Great, I'm thinking about him so much, I'm starting to hallucinate.' She puts her arms down and continues down the path. 'My mind and my heart are working together to mess with me now, great.' She turns her focus toward the ground to avoid seeing "Kurama" again. She goes along the tunnel this way for a while until she forgets her purpose in keeping her head down and lifts it upright again. There again, was the familiar shape of Kurama in front of her. 'Not again.' She drags herself on toward and past him. "Hi mirage Kurama."

"Hello Resa." Kurama grabs her wrist and turns her around.

"Oh my God! It really is actually you! We've been looking all over for you." Theresa smiles, but the sign is not returned. "What's wrong with you Kurama?" He tightens his grip on her wrist so that now her blood is being cut off. "Hey! Easy up on the grip! That hurts!"

Kurama supplies her with a cold smile, his emerald eyes giving off none of their usual warmth. "Does it? Sorry about that." He throws her wrist down causing her knees to fall from beneath her. "Kurama what's your deal? Why did you do that?" She finds her feet and looks at his stoic face. 'Nothing's changed on his face, just the icy coldness in his eyes.' Just then she notices something on his hand that he had used to grab her with. There, small but unmistakable was an eye. With a stab of horror, she realizes that the eye is not just an image, but is able to follow her every move. It glares at her as she stares back at it. "...Kurama, what's that thing...that eye on your hand?" She slowly starts to back away closing her fingers around her sword hilt uncertainly.

"Oh, are you going to fight?" Kurama taunts while steadily drawing closer. "Fine." He closes the rest of the distance between them and lands a punch on Theresa's left cheek. The force of the blow pushes her against the wall crashing her head into it. She is stunned by this and looses her grip on her sword, her head searing in pain and feels like it is about to explode. Kurama, with momentum from his last attack aims squarely again for her face. Theresa regains awareness and ducks her head dodging to the side. Kurama's fist crashes with the stone wall leaving it crack and dented. He immediately removes his hand from the wall and extends his leg in a kick to the side bashing his heel into her ribs. She falls to her knees desperately gasping for air that won't come, her bruising ribs stabbing knives throughout her whole body. Kurama is now towering over her; his hand out stretched and grasps a handful of her brown hair. He pulls her back to her feet this way and throws her against the wall. There is a sickening pop as her right shoulder hits the wall and collapses again blinded in the excruciating pain. Kurama is slower to move, but when he does, his hand goes to the back of his head where he lifts up his hair and produces a single red rose. With a graceful flick of his wrist the rose stem extends into his deadly thorn-ridden whip. Theresa watches him raise his whip in preparation to commence his attack again and unsheathes her own weapon. She stands, her left hand grasping the sword. The will to live driving her on. He brings the whip down aiming for her already injured shoulder. Unable to block the attack, she dodges to her left, but Kurama, anticipating this, flicks his wrist to his right bringing the whip to a snap at the desired shoulder. Theresa's sleeve completely rips off as the blood collects at a rapid pace outside of the wound. Kurama recoils the whip, already bringing it back for a second assault. As the whip draws near to her, she brings her sword up to intercept the blow. His whip wraps around the blade and with a tug of his hand the sword comes flying out of Theresa's grip and lands behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ Hey you guys sorry it took so long to update. Hope you all enjoy! In your reviews I would like it if you start telling me your favorite part about each chapter. More violence to come so keep on reading and reviewing and I may have it up by the end of this week or earlier. REVIEW! please