Towa no Mirai: Elemental Gem Stones: #1 - Shinka no Youkai. EREMENTARU JEMU SUTOONSU wa Touhin
- An Evoutionary Demon. The Elemental Gem Stones are Stolen -
By: Reiko Aya (KitsuneMaya@koreanmail.com) and Towasei Norei (Mokuro29802@aol.com)
Official Webpage: http://towa-no-mirai.tk [http://freewebs.com/mayamukuro]
Disclaimer & Intro: Although YuYu Hakusho is a copyright of Togashi Yoshihiro/Shueisha, Fuji TV, Studio Pierrot, and FUNimation Productions, Ltd.; Towa no Mirai (TM,TnM) is the property of Reiko Aya and Towasei Norei. No one is to take the likenesses, names, storylines, or other original details unless they happen to be Togashi-sensei himself, or some other Japanese official.
Towa no Mirai is a fanfic that was published on the internet from March 1, 2003 to this day. Towa no Mirai takes place in the anime right after the end of Honou no Kizuna (the second movie), but as for episode chronology, we estimated it should take place after the Sensui Arc or maybe the Ankoku Bujutsukai (It confuses me. Puu isn't there but Kuwabara has the Dimension Sword, and it can't take place after the series because Keiko's hair is still short. Hnnh...)
If you want to read the fanfiction with less popups from fanfiction.net or just want to see how the fanfic looks officially, please visit the website at the top. :) Please visit the site listed above for fanart, profiles, fan-shrines, fan-fanfiction, etc. Visit http://towa-no-mirai.tk to have a look. :)
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Deep in a dark forest, shrouded by trees, where only demons dwell, called the Youkai Mori, a young demon with long green hair sang a song with a melancholy tune to it.
Embracing the light and shadow that are trembling within my heart Chasing the dream I can't throw away The proud love is ressurected...
A seemlingly young girl watched with worry in her clear, deep blue eyes,
"Kushiyè..." her soft voice echoed.
The singing continued, The colors of the sunset are painful and beautiful and in the sea of my closed heart are tears that have overflowed. Tomorrow, I want freedom like the blowing wind. Embracing light and shadow that are trembling within my heart Chasing the dream I can't throw away, Someday, I want to find the eternally outspreading future.
The singing demon concluded her song with a sigh, then spotted the girl watching her, "Huh?" she recognized her friend, Chou Chunzhu, "Zhu." she said with a small smile. Kushiyè jumped down from the sakura (cherry blossom) tree she was sitting in.
"How long have you been here...? Were you listening to me singing?" the young demon asked in her sweet, Australian-accented voice.
She nodded, "Daijobou ka (Are you alright?)" Chunzhu, or Zhu, as everyone called her for short, asked softly. Her rediculously long blue hair billowed with a sudden gust of wind.
"Sou (Yes), just tired." Kushiyè answered, walking away.
"Hey, where are you going Kushiyè? WAIT!" Chunzhu tried to catch her, but Kushiyè was too fast, and when Chunzhu managed to get close to her, Kushiyè's wolfen tails got in the way.
Chunzhu, giving up, put on an exasperated look, "Something is definitely wrong... she is so stubborn!"
Thunder sounded, and the evening sky was darkened by clouds, "Huh? What... oh no." Chunzhu then got a little frightened, "This looks like the beginning of a big storm. I do not like this. It is coming from Kushiyè's direction." she looked over to where she had run off to, "Kushiyè! Wait, Kushiyè be careful! A demonic storm is heading your way!" Chunzhu called, waving her arm after her in a futile attempt to catch her attention.
Kushiyè turned to see what the fuss was about. She raised her eyebrow at Chunzhu, unable to make out what she was saing, "Whatever." she said nonchalantly, and continued. All of a sudden, Kushiyè banged her head on something small and clad in black, but still bigger than her miunuscule height of about 4'0". She fell unconscious, into the deep river beside the path she was walkiing on, with choppy waters due to the storm. Chunzhu finally caught up and froze when she saw Kushiyè in the water, the river being struck randomly by lightening. She wasn't going to go in there to get her...
The small, black youkai, Hiei, out of a moment of adrenaline, did something very out-of-character and decided to rescue the drowning wolf demon. After she was safely out of the water, he started to make his way to the isolated temple of Genkai, ingoring the other shocked girl standing there, confused about the events that had just taken place. Then, she ran off, and as she did, rain began to fall rapidly.
* * * *
Kushiyè lay, still unconscious, on the smooth wooden floor of the temple. For her, it was very comfortable, if you noticed the peaceful look on her face. She was completely unaware of the large pair of red eyes staring at her from a nearby tree branch.
Genkai spotted the odd scenario and rolled her eyes at Hiei's behavior, "I never knew that Hiei was a pervert." she said to herself with a short laugh.
Apparently, Hiei put too much of his weight on the thin branch that he sat on, because it snapped, and he fell to the windowsill of the window he was looking through.
* * * * Chunzhu was now searching for Kushiyè. After brushing past a few more branches and into a clearing, she came across the temple of Genkai.
Maybe the people here saw her. She thought hopefully. She walked to a pair of akarishouji (those wooden and paper doors used for temples), and knocked on a thin wooden panel that held the door together.
Genkai answered, and remembering an encounter with the Lord of the Netherworld, she asked suspiciously, "Who are you? Why did you come here without permission?"
Chunzhu was a little taken aback to answer immediately. As she scanned her mind for the right words, Genkai impatiently shifted over a little, accidentally revealing Chunzhu's motionless friend.
"Oh, Inari (the Japanese god of rice, usually represents kitsune), what happened to her?" Chunzhu's eyes widened.
Hiei showed up, out of nowhere, like always. In a slightly silly voice, result of colliding head-on with a hard piece of wood, said, "Well, you see... I kind of... um... knocked her out."
"What?" Chunzhu looked up to him in disbelief, "How did you do that? She is so stubborn, and your head would have to be as hard as diamonds, or something just as hard."
"Your friend isn't the only stubborn one here." Genkai whispered to Chunzhu, eyeing Hiei, who slid over to them, katana drawn.
"What did you say?" Hiei asked in a threatening tone.
A hint of nervousness crossed their faces. Genkai cleared her throat, "Nothing. We didn't say anything, right?" she shot a warning glance at Chunzhu.
"Uh... right." she said cheerfully, giving her head a nod. She then turned toward the doors, "Well, I just came to check on Kushiyè. I have to go to school now." she waved her hand, "Ja ne."
* * * *
At Meiou Gakuen, Chunzhu stumbled in, aware that she and everyone else knew she was late.
She collected herself and her things and sighed, "If only I did not procrastinate at that temple..."
The teacher looked up from the work that was laid on the desk set in front of the room, "Oh yes, that new student... Chou-san (Miss Chou)?"
Chunzhu nodded, "Chou Chunzhu... The student from Beijing." she explained shortly before taking an empty seat in the first row, third seat from the left.
"Do you need anyone to help you?" the teacher asked, returning to the work.
Chunzhu shook her head in refusal, "I am fine." she said, right before contradicting her own statement by falling off her chair and knocking her desk over along with it.
An eruption of laughter followed, and then the intelligent, emerald-eyed Minamino Shuuichi walked over to her, and help her fix everything up again. He felt a little guilty, so he spoke up before he even knew what he was saying, "I can help you if you like. Boku wa Minamino Shuuichi desu (I'm Minamino Shuuichi. Sorry, it sounds so much better in Japanese ^^)."
Chunzhu beamed at him, "Arigatou Gozaimasu." (Thank you. It's a polite way of saying it.)
He was surprised by her cheer, still there even if she had embarrased herself. He nodded slowly in return, and walked back to his desk, ignoring the rumors everyone had started to spread about her. Truthfully, he really didn't look forward to it. She seemed nice... but a little too odd. Her energy seemed like that of an... animal's? Not to mention those blank eyes... He decided it was too unlikely she was a demon or anything like that, though.
* * * *
Kushiyè finally woke up right after midday. She was in a place unfamiliar to her, and was quite surprised when an old woman with wavy pink hair came in and gave her an amused look, "So you've finally woken up."
"How long have I been here?" Kushiyè asked.
"About two days." Genkai replied, "You were knocked unconscious, courtesy of Hiei, and were brought here while you recovered."
"Who's Hiei?" Kushiyè asked.
"Well, you're inquisitive." Genkai smiled, and looked toward the door, "Speak of the devil, he's right here."
Hiei glared about being referred to as a devil, unaware that it was a figure of speech, and thinking of the ugly beings that inhabited Makai (Demon World) and Meikai (Netherworld), "I have to leave now. Kurama has informed me of a new mission."
Genkai nodded, and turned to Kushiyè, "Will you be fine by yourself?"
Kushiyè nodded, and as soon as Genkai left, she climbed out of the window and decided to follow Hiei, out of curiosity.
* * * *
She wound up spying from the highest tree in a cluster of them at Hanesaki Park, where Botan had gathered all the detectives. Kushiyè arrived to hear a fragment of a sentence Botan was saying.
"-kitsune Suishori had to guard the Elemental Gems. Of course, many youkai have tried getting them, so she obtained a human form and settled in Ningenkai. But now, some have become strong or powerful enough to get into Ningenkai, and their goal is to-"
"Retrieve the Gems, right? So what are we supposed to do?" Yusuke asked, impatient. Judging by the tone in his voice, they all knew that he had either gotten a lecture from Mr. Takenaka, or a slap from Keiko.
"Well, all of you have to make sure to look after her." Botan handed Yusuke a photograph.
"Great, Keiko's going to be thrilled that I'm going to have to follow around some strange girl." he muttered, wondering how they managed to obtain this picture. Without a doubt, he had received a slap from Keiko earlier, so hard he was reluctant to go near this Suishori girl.
"So where do we find her?" Kurama asked.
It was obvious nobody had seen her before. She wasn't someone who would be walking around casually... in any of the three worlds, for that matter. She looked a little old-fashioned, wearing a long, light blue dress, elegantly decorated with large teal gemstones. She had ice blue eyes and long white hair to match her white fox ears and five tails.
Botan smiled, "Kurama, I'm surprised you don't know. She attends your school."
Kurama shook his head, "I've never seen her." Although she did look a little familiar...
Botan sweatdropped, "Well, did you forget she has a human form? I'm sure you'll be able to sense a fox spirit, even if her human self's appearance is a mystery." she winked, and in a flash of light her oar appeared, with which she flew into the sky.
"We should start looking now." Hiei suggested suddenly.
Botan was right. I DID sense a fox spirit somewhere... Kurama thought to himself. And then, the obvious answer came to him, "No, that's not neccesary, Hiei. I already know who she is. She's pretending to be a student from Beijing, Chou Chunzhu." How could he ever forget that joy, those eerie, fathomless eyes...? And not recognize her ki...?
Kushiyè nearly fell out of the tree in surprise. Zhu, the ditzy, silly girl who had an obsession for shopping, who tripped again and again over her own feet, was really an important fox guardian! And from what she heard, she was in trouble. She then gracefully jumped out of the large tree and said to the four, "If Zhu, or Suishori, in this matter, is in trouble, I'll team up with you. She's a friend of mine."
Hiei narrowed his eyes, "Were you eavestropping?" he then gave her a smirk, "Well, I'm glad to see you've finally woken up."
"Would you people stop saying-" Kushiyè began, but was interrupted.
"Oh, so you know her?" Kuwabara asked while trying to stifle a laugh.
Honestly, he'd do anything to try to embarrass Hiei. He replied with a glare, "You pervert, I just knocked her unconscious."
Before things could get any worse, Kurama spoke up, "So, you're going to assist us?"
"Yes, but..." Kushiyè sweatdropped, "An introduction would be nice. I don't even know who you guys are."
"Oh, of course. My name's Kurama." he replied, and pointed to each individual as he said, "That's Urameshi Yusuke, Kuwabara Kazuma, and Jaganshi Hiei."
"My name's Kushiyè, the wolf demon." she replied.
* * * *
Chunzhu looked around at the scenery of Hanesaki Park, nibbling on some kurodzukuri (fried squid dipped in its own ink). I know I saw Kushiyè around here. She thought to herself. She had something important to tell her... something about her kitsune self. And the Elemental Gem Stones- She stopped in mid-thought when she saw something in a thicket of bushes. A whisp of green hair. She approached slowly, and saw the group of five conversing. They all sensed her sudden presence, and all eleven eyes in the group were on her.
"That's Suishori-sama." Kurama whispered to them.
"Nihao! (Chinese for Hello)" she sang naively, "Kushiyè, are these friends of yours? They seem familiar." Or what about the talk she had with Koenma about needing assistance in protecting the Elemental Gem Stones? Did he actually send some people?
Kushiyè tapped Chunzhu's shoulder so that she faced her, "These people are here to, um, help with guarding the Elemental Gem Stones. That's Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kazuma." she motioned to each as she said their names.
Chunzhu looked quizically at Kurama, "Was your name not Shuuichi?" Kurama... that name seemed a little familiar...
"Um... you could call it a nickname." he said.
"And how do you know about the E-"
"Koenma, prince of the Reikai. We're Reikai Tantei, so he gives us missions, and in this case, it's guarding you from the youkai who want to control the elements."
Chunzhu didn't have a chance to respond, because Botan rushed in on her oar, a worried look on her usually happy face, "Watch out!" she called.
They all turned to an area from which an ugly horned and fanged youkai emerged, ready to kill.
"Shotgun!" Yusuke cried, blasts of ki shooting from his fist.
The youkai fell, unfortunately having one of its sharp claws leave a gash in Yusuke's right shoulder, and knocking him off of his feet.
"What was that about?" Kuwabara asked.
"I was trying to warn you." Botan jumped from her oar, "That was just a minion, from a very powerful group of thirteen demons. And worse yet, they managed to pass through the barrier to Ningenkai (Human World)"
"After the Elemental Gems, no doubt." Yusuke said, putting a hand on his shoulder to compress the wound.
Chunzhu's smile flickered, "Strong enough to get into Ningenkai... and..." her voice trailed off as she got lost in her own thoughts. She let out a long sigh and looked over to Yusuke, who was getting up.
"We can all go to my house." she offered, "It is only a block from ere. We can help Yusuke and you can explain, in detail, what is happening."
Chunzhu led the way to her houze, a large, pastel-colored Victorian, and they all followed. Chunzhu went back to eating kurodzukuri until it was finished, with the help of Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Kurama.
* * * *
It was nearly midnight, and almost everyone was asleep. One who wasn't was a fire demon with black and red hair, and one of the few thirteen who were able to get into Ningenkai, Yousobi. He gave a look of hate to all his surroundings. The thick, dark Youkai Mori, and he smiled evily when he spotted his target: a young wolf demon sleeping soundly in a tree.
Kushiyè... that's Suishori's... friend. The last word made him look even more hateful. But a second later, the smile was back on his face.
She'll be of great use to us when the capture of the Elemental Gems is about to begin. With that, he swiftly snatched her from the tree branch she slept in, and they both disappeared in a burst of fire.
* * * *
"Kushiyè!" Chunzhu had been looking for hours around the Youkai Mori. She had somehow sensed her dissapearance a while ago... Her attention was drawn to a rustling behind a tree, and she turned in surprise to see Kushiyè. There was something strange, though...
Her face was eerily blank, and behind her, a shadowy black and red figure. He whispered something to her, so quiet that Chunzhu couldn't hear, and the next thing she knew, Kushiyè started running after her.
Chunzhu created a wall of kitsune-bi (foxfire) that, unfortunately, only would serve as a brief distraction as Chunzhu started running away. Sure enough, the light, swift footsteps of the young wolf girl seemed to get closer and closer.
In the blink of an eye, Kushiyè had knocked Chunzhu to the ground, sharp claws drawn right in front of her face. Chunzhu was using all her strength to hold Kushiyè's hand just inches from her face.
An evil laugh sounded, and after that, a voice sounded, "That's enough entertainment. You may stop now." Kushiyè's hand was taken away, and she stood up, expressionless. Yousobi stood, tall and surrounded in flame, and smirked at Chunzhu, "So, you're Suishori then. That's pathetic. You're such a weakling, and I was expecting a challenge."
Chunzhu swallowed nervously, "What have you done to Kushiyè?"
"I've merely brainwashed her, courtesy of my associates of the other elements. Under normal circumstances, I would love to see your friend rip you to pieces, but after doing some research, I've found out where you keep those Elemental Gems. They're in sort of a void somewhere, like a gate to a different dimension. Only you can access it, so I've prepared an offer: I'll give your friend back, and you'll give me all thirteen Elemental Gem Stones."
Chunzhu's eyes widened, "All thirteen?"
Fortunately, Kurama heard this conversation, and unfortunately, he was on the other side of a very tall wall, where he only heard, but didn't see. Chunzhu was the kind of person who would give in to any offer to save a friend of hers, but she can't make the wrong desicion. He decided to run around the block, instead of trying to climb the wall. He had to hurry, for Chunzhu had already conjourned all thirteen Elemental Gem Stones. He was currently on the end of the street she was on, but by the time he got there, Yousobi had already clasped the gem stones tight in his hand, and there wasn't enough time to prevent him from escaping. Yousobi disappeared in his traditional blast of fire, leaving no gem behind.
Chunzhu was just standing there, stunned. Why had she given away the Elemental Gem Stones? She knew it was the wrong choice, but something forced her arms to place the gem stones with Yousobi. It was like she didn't have any control...
"Suishori." Kurama muttered, "What have you done?"
Chunzhu shivered in confusion, "I had no control... Kushiyè was brainwashed, and he wanted me to hand the gem stones over... Why did I do it?" she paused, "I had no control..." she repeated.
He was unsure of what to say, so he just looked over to Kushiyè, now in a sleep-like state on the ground. It was hard to tell if Yousobi had kept his word, because her eyes were solemnly closed.
Then, her eyes slowly began to open. She muttered, "Yousobi-sama calls me." and then she ran like a strong gust of wind.
"Yousobi... did not keep his word..." Chunzhu sat cross-legged on the ground and inattentively began poking and petting the grass, wondering what had possessed her to do that.
Kurama shook his head, "You shouldn't have trusted him. I tried to stop him, but..." he trailed off when he saw the hurt in her eyes.
"I somehow could not control myself then though... I did not trust him, but something forced me to surrender the Gem Stones... I doubt you would know how I feel right now." she sighed and plucked a blade of grass, and started to slowly shred it.
Kurama smiled slightly, and thought of his Kaasan and the Mirror of Darkness. He knelt down next to her, "We'll get everything sorted out. We can gather the tantei and go see what we can do about this situation, and even go consult Koenma, if you want."
Chunzhu looked up at him. Her smile was still there... it was starting to scare him... She nodded in appreciation and agreement, and they both got up and began taking the walk that would hopefully save Kushiyè, and even more importantly, the Elemental Gem Stones.
- An Evoutionary Demon. The Elemental Gem Stones are Stolen -
By: Reiko Aya (KitsuneMaya@koreanmail.com) and Towasei Norei (Mokuro29802@aol.com)
Official Webpage: http://towa-no-mirai.tk [http://freewebs.com/mayamukuro]
Disclaimer & Intro: Although YuYu Hakusho is a copyright of Togashi Yoshihiro/Shueisha, Fuji TV, Studio Pierrot, and FUNimation Productions, Ltd.; Towa no Mirai (TM,TnM) is the property of Reiko Aya and Towasei Norei. No one is to take the likenesses, names, storylines, or other original details unless they happen to be Togashi-sensei himself, or some other Japanese official.
Towa no Mirai is a fanfic that was published on the internet from March 1, 2003 to this day. Towa no Mirai takes place in the anime right after the end of Honou no Kizuna (the second movie), but as for episode chronology, we estimated it should take place after the Sensui Arc or maybe the Ankoku Bujutsukai (It confuses me. Puu isn't there but Kuwabara has the Dimension Sword, and it can't take place after the series because Keiko's hair is still short. Hnnh...)
If you want to read the fanfiction with less popups from fanfiction.net or just want to see how the fanfic looks officially, please visit the website at the top. :) Please visit the site listed above for fanart, profiles, fan-shrines, fan-fanfiction, etc. Visit http://towa-no-mirai.tk to have a look. :)
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Deep in a dark forest, shrouded by trees, where only demons dwell, called the Youkai Mori, a young demon with long green hair sang a song with a melancholy tune to it.
Embracing the light and shadow that are trembling within my heart Chasing the dream I can't throw away The proud love is ressurected...
A seemlingly young girl watched with worry in her clear, deep blue eyes,
"Kushiyè..." her soft voice echoed.
The singing continued, The colors of the sunset are painful and beautiful and in the sea of my closed heart are tears that have overflowed. Tomorrow, I want freedom like the blowing wind. Embracing light and shadow that are trembling within my heart Chasing the dream I can't throw away, Someday, I want to find the eternally outspreading future.
The singing demon concluded her song with a sigh, then spotted the girl watching her, "Huh?" she recognized her friend, Chou Chunzhu, "Zhu." she said with a small smile. Kushiyè jumped down from the sakura (cherry blossom) tree she was sitting in.
"How long have you been here...? Were you listening to me singing?" the young demon asked in her sweet, Australian-accented voice.
She nodded, "Daijobou ka (Are you alright?)" Chunzhu, or Zhu, as everyone called her for short, asked softly. Her rediculously long blue hair billowed with a sudden gust of wind.
"Sou (Yes), just tired." Kushiyè answered, walking away.
"Hey, where are you going Kushiyè? WAIT!" Chunzhu tried to catch her, but Kushiyè was too fast, and when Chunzhu managed to get close to her, Kushiyè's wolfen tails got in the way.
Chunzhu, giving up, put on an exasperated look, "Something is definitely wrong... she is so stubborn!"
Thunder sounded, and the evening sky was darkened by clouds, "Huh? What... oh no." Chunzhu then got a little frightened, "This looks like the beginning of a big storm. I do not like this. It is coming from Kushiyè's direction." she looked over to where she had run off to, "Kushiyè! Wait, Kushiyè be careful! A demonic storm is heading your way!" Chunzhu called, waving her arm after her in a futile attempt to catch her attention.
Kushiyè turned to see what the fuss was about. She raised her eyebrow at Chunzhu, unable to make out what she was saing, "Whatever." she said nonchalantly, and continued. All of a sudden, Kushiyè banged her head on something small and clad in black, but still bigger than her miunuscule height of about 4'0". She fell unconscious, into the deep river beside the path she was walkiing on, with choppy waters due to the storm. Chunzhu finally caught up and froze when she saw Kushiyè in the water, the river being struck randomly by lightening. She wasn't going to go in there to get her...
The small, black youkai, Hiei, out of a moment of adrenaline, did something very out-of-character and decided to rescue the drowning wolf demon. After she was safely out of the water, he started to make his way to the isolated temple of Genkai, ingoring the other shocked girl standing there, confused about the events that had just taken place. Then, she ran off, and as she did, rain began to fall rapidly.
* * * *
Kushiyè lay, still unconscious, on the smooth wooden floor of the temple. For her, it was very comfortable, if you noticed the peaceful look on her face. She was completely unaware of the large pair of red eyes staring at her from a nearby tree branch.
Genkai spotted the odd scenario and rolled her eyes at Hiei's behavior, "I never knew that Hiei was a pervert." she said to herself with a short laugh.
Apparently, Hiei put too much of his weight on the thin branch that he sat on, because it snapped, and he fell to the windowsill of the window he was looking through.
* * * * Chunzhu was now searching for Kushiyè. After brushing past a few more branches and into a clearing, she came across the temple of Genkai.
Maybe the people here saw her. She thought hopefully. She walked to a pair of akarishouji (those wooden and paper doors used for temples), and knocked on a thin wooden panel that held the door together.
Genkai answered, and remembering an encounter with the Lord of the Netherworld, she asked suspiciously, "Who are you? Why did you come here without permission?"
Chunzhu was a little taken aback to answer immediately. As she scanned her mind for the right words, Genkai impatiently shifted over a little, accidentally revealing Chunzhu's motionless friend.
"Oh, Inari (the Japanese god of rice, usually represents kitsune), what happened to her?" Chunzhu's eyes widened.
Hiei showed up, out of nowhere, like always. In a slightly silly voice, result of colliding head-on with a hard piece of wood, said, "Well, you see... I kind of... um... knocked her out."
"What?" Chunzhu looked up to him in disbelief, "How did you do that? She is so stubborn, and your head would have to be as hard as diamonds, or something just as hard."
"Your friend isn't the only stubborn one here." Genkai whispered to Chunzhu, eyeing Hiei, who slid over to them, katana drawn.
"What did you say?" Hiei asked in a threatening tone.
A hint of nervousness crossed their faces. Genkai cleared her throat, "Nothing. We didn't say anything, right?" she shot a warning glance at Chunzhu.
"Uh... right." she said cheerfully, giving her head a nod. She then turned toward the doors, "Well, I just came to check on Kushiyè. I have to go to school now." she waved her hand, "Ja ne."
* * * *
At Meiou Gakuen, Chunzhu stumbled in, aware that she and everyone else knew she was late.
She collected herself and her things and sighed, "If only I did not procrastinate at that temple..."
The teacher looked up from the work that was laid on the desk set in front of the room, "Oh yes, that new student... Chou-san (Miss Chou)?"
Chunzhu nodded, "Chou Chunzhu... The student from Beijing." she explained shortly before taking an empty seat in the first row, third seat from the left.
"Do you need anyone to help you?" the teacher asked, returning to the work.
Chunzhu shook her head in refusal, "I am fine." she said, right before contradicting her own statement by falling off her chair and knocking her desk over along with it.
An eruption of laughter followed, and then the intelligent, emerald-eyed Minamino Shuuichi walked over to her, and help her fix everything up again. He felt a little guilty, so he spoke up before he even knew what he was saying, "I can help you if you like. Boku wa Minamino Shuuichi desu (I'm Minamino Shuuichi. Sorry, it sounds so much better in Japanese ^^)."
Chunzhu beamed at him, "Arigatou Gozaimasu." (Thank you. It's a polite way of saying it.)
He was surprised by her cheer, still there even if she had embarrased herself. He nodded slowly in return, and walked back to his desk, ignoring the rumors everyone had started to spread about her. Truthfully, he really didn't look forward to it. She seemed nice... but a little too odd. Her energy seemed like that of an... animal's? Not to mention those blank eyes... He decided it was too unlikely she was a demon or anything like that, though.
* * * *
Kushiyè finally woke up right after midday. She was in a place unfamiliar to her, and was quite surprised when an old woman with wavy pink hair came in and gave her an amused look, "So you've finally woken up."
"How long have I been here?" Kushiyè asked.
"About two days." Genkai replied, "You were knocked unconscious, courtesy of Hiei, and were brought here while you recovered."
"Who's Hiei?" Kushiyè asked.
"Well, you're inquisitive." Genkai smiled, and looked toward the door, "Speak of the devil, he's right here."
Hiei glared about being referred to as a devil, unaware that it was a figure of speech, and thinking of the ugly beings that inhabited Makai (Demon World) and Meikai (Netherworld), "I have to leave now. Kurama has informed me of a new mission."
Genkai nodded, and turned to Kushiyè, "Will you be fine by yourself?"
Kushiyè nodded, and as soon as Genkai left, she climbed out of the window and decided to follow Hiei, out of curiosity.
* * * *
She wound up spying from the highest tree in a cluster of them at Hanesaki Park, where Botan had gathered all the detectives. Kushiyè arrived to hear a fragment of a sentence Botan was saying.
"-kitsune Suishori had to guard the Elemental Gems. Of course, many youkai have tried getting them, so she obtained a human form and settled in Ningenkai. But now, some have become strong or powerful enough to get into Ningenkai, and their goal is to-"
"Retrieve the Gems, right? So what are we supposed to do?" Yusuke asked, impatient. Judging by the tone in his voice, they all knew that he had either gotten a lecture from Mr. Takenaka, or a slap from Keiko.
"Well, all of you have to make sure to look after her." Botan handed Yusuke a photograph.
"Great, Keiko's going to be thrilled that I'm going to have to follow around some strange girl." he muttered, wondering how they managed to obtain this picture. Without a doubt, he had received a slap from Keiko earlier, so hard he was reluctant to go near this Suishori girl.
"So where do we find her?" Kurama asked.
It was obvious nobody had seen her before. She wasn't someone who would be walking around casually... in any of the three worlds, for that matter. She looked a little old-fashioned, wearing a long, light blue dress, elegantly decorated with large teal gemstones. She had ice blue eyes and long white hair to match her white fox ears and five tails.
Botan smiled, "Kurama, I'm surprised you don't know. She attends your school."
Kurama shook his head, "I've never seen her." Although she did look a little familiar...
Botan sweatdropped, "Well, did you forget she has a human form? I'm sure you'll be able to sense a fox spirit, even if her human self's appearance is a mystery." she winked, and in a flash of light her oar appeared, with which she flew into the sky.
"We should start looking now." Hiei suggested suddenly.
Botan was right. I DID sense a fox spirit somewhere... Kurama thought to himself. And then, the obvious answer came to him, "No, that's not neccesary, Hiei. I already know who she is. She's pretending to be a student from Beijing, Chou Chunzhu." How could he ever forget that joy, those eerie, fathomless eyes...? And not recognize her ki...?
Kushiyè nearly fell out of the tree in surprise. Zhu, the ditzy, silly girl who had an obsession for shopping, who tripped again and again over her own feet, was really an important fox guardian! And from what she heard, she was in trouble. She then gracefully jumped out of the large tree and said to the four, "If Zhu, or Suishori, in this matter, is in trouble, I'll team up with you. She's a friend of mine."
Hiei narrowed his eyes, "Were you eavestropping?" he then gave her a smirk, "Well, I'm glad to see you've finally woken up."
"Would you people stop saying-" Kushiyè began, but was interrupted.
"Oh, so you know her?" Kuwabara asked while trying to stifle a laugh.
Honestly, he'd do anything to try to embarrass Hiei. He replied with a glare, "You pervert, I just knocked her unconscious."
Before things could get any worse, Kurama spoke up, "So, you're going to assist us?"
"Yes, but..." Kushiyè sweatdropped, "An introduction would be nice. I don't even know who you guys are."
"Oh, of course. My name's Kurama." he replied, and pointed to each individual as he said, "That's Urameshi Yusuke, Kuwabara Kazuma, and Jaganshi Hiei."
"My name's Kushiyè, the wolf demon." she replied.
* * * *
Chunzhu looked around at the scenery of Hanesaki Park, nibbling on some kurodzukuri (fried squid dipped in its own ink). I know I saw Kushiyè around here. She thought to herself. She had something important to tell her... something about her kitsune self. And the Elemental Gem Stones- She stopped in mid-thought when she saw something in a thicket of bushes. A whisp of green hair. She approached slowly, and saw the group of five conversing. They all sensed her sudden presence, and all eleven eyes in the group were on her.
"That's Suishori-sama." Kurama whispered to them.
"Nihao! (Chinese for Hello)" she sang naively, "Kushiyè, are these friends of yours? They seem familiar." Or what about the talk she had with Koenma about needing assistance in protecting the Elemental Gem Stones? Did he actually send some people?
Kushiyè tapped Chunzhu's shoulder so that she faced her, "These people are here to, um, help with guarding the Elemental Gem Stones. That's Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kazuma." she motioned to each as she said their names.
Chunzhu looked quizically at Kurama, "Was your name not Shuuichi?" Kurama... that name seemed a little familiar...
"Um... you could call it a nickname." he said.
"And how do you know about the E-"
"Koenma, prince of the Reikai. We're Reikai Tantei, so he gives us missions, and in this case, it's guarding you from the youkai who want to control the elements."
Chunzhu didn't have a chance to respond, because Botan rushed in on her oar, a worried look on her usually happy face, "Watch out!" she called.
They all turned to an area from which an ugly horned and fanged youkai emerged, ready to kill.
"Shotgun!" Yusuke cried, blasts of ki shooting from his fist.
The youkai fell, unfortunately having one of its sharp claws leave a gash in Yusuke's right shoulder, and knocking him off of his feet.
"What was that about?" Kuwabara asked.
"I was trying to warn you." Botan jumped from her oar, "That was just a minion, from a very powerful group of thirteen demons. And worse yet, they managed to pass through the barrier to Ningenkai (Human World)"
"After the Elemental Gems, no doubt." Yusuke said, putting a hand on his shoulder to compress the wound.
Chunzhu's smile flickered, "Strong enough to get into Ningenkai... and..." her voice trailed off as she got lost in her own thoughts. She let out a long sigh and looked over to Yusuke, who was getting up.
"We can all go to my house." she offered, "It is only a block from ere. We can help Yusuke and you can explain, in detail, what is happening."
Chunzhu led the way to her houze, a large, pastel-colored Victorian, and they all followed. Chunzhu went back to eating kurodzukuri until it was finished, with the help of Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Kurama.
* * * *
It was nearly midnight, and almost everyone was asleep. One who wasn't was a fire demon with black and red hair, and one of the few thirteen who were able to get into Ningenkai, Yousobi. He gave a look of hate to all his surroundings. The thick, dark Youkai Mori, and he smiled evily when he spotted his target: a young wolf demon sleeping soundly in a tree.
Kushiyè... that's Suishori's... friend. The last word made him look even more hateful. But a second later, the smile was back on his face.
She'll be of great use to us when the capture of the Elemental Gems is about to begin. With that, he swiftly snatched her from the tree branch she slept in, and they both disappeared in a burst of fire.
* * * *
"Kushiyè!" Chunzhu had been looking for hours around the Youkai Mori. She had somehow sensed her dissapearance a while ago... Her attention was drawn to a rustling behind a tree, and she turned in surprise to see Kushiyè. There was something strange, though...
Her face was eerily blank, and behind her, a shadowy black and red figure. He whispered something to her, so quiet that Chunzhu couldn't hear, and the next thing she knew, Kushiyè started running after her.
Chunzhu created a wall of kitsune-bi (foxfire) that, unfortunately, only would serve as a brief distraction as Chunzhu started running away. Sure enough, the light, swift footsteps of the young wolf girl seemed to get closer and closer.
In the blink of an eye, Kushiyè had knocked Chunzhu to the ground, sharp claws drawn right in front of her face. Chunzhu was using all her strength to hold Kushiyè's hand just inches from her face.
An evil laugh sounded, and after that, a voice sounded, "That's enough entertainment. You may stop now." Kushiyè's hand was taken away, and she stood up, expressionless. Yousobi stood, tall and surrounded in flame, and smirked at Chunzhu, "So, you're Suishori then. That's pathetic. You're such a weakling, and I was expecting a challenge."
Chunzhu swallowed nervously, "What have you done to Kushiyè?"
"I've merely brainwashed her, courtesy of my associates of the other elements. Under normal circumstances, I would love to see your friend rip you to pieces, but after doing some research, I've found out where you keep those Elemental Gems. They're in sort of a void somewhere, like a gate to a different dimension. Only you can access it, so I've prepared an offer: I'll give your friend back, and you'll give me all thirteen Elemental Gem Stones."
Chunzhu's eyes widened, "All thirteen?"
Fortunately, Kurama heard this conversation, and unfortunately, he was on the other side of a very tall wall, where he only heard, but didn't see. Chunzhu was the kind of person who would give in to any offer to save a friend of hers, but she can't make the wrong desicion. He decided to run around the block, instead of trying to climb the wall. He had to hurry, for Chunzhu had already conjourned all thirteen Elemental Gem Stones. He was currently on the end of the street she was on, but by the time he got there, Yousobi had already clasped the gem stones tight in his hand, and there wasn't enough time to prevent him from escaping. Yousobi disappeared in his traditional blast of fire, leaving no gem behind.
Chunzhu was just standing there, stunned. Why had she given away the Elemental Gem Stones? She knew it was the wrong choice, but something forced her arms to place the gem stones with Yousobi. It was like she didn't have any control...
"Suishori." Kurama muttered, "What have you done?"
Chunzhu shivered in confusion, "I had no control... Kushiyè was brainwashed, and he wanted me to hand the gem stones over... Why did I do it?" she paused, "I had no control..." she repeated.
He was unsure of what to say, so he just looked over to Kushiyè, now in a sleep-like state on the ground. It was hard to tell if Yousobi had kept his word, because her eyes were solemnly closed.
Then, her eyes slowly began to open. She muttered, "Yousobi-sama calls me." and then she ran like a strong gust of wind.
"Yousobi... did not keep his word..." Chunzhu sat cross-legged on the ground and inattentively began poking and petting the grass, wondering what had possessed her to do that.
Kurama shook his head, "You shouldn't have trusted him. I tried to stop him, but..." he trailed off when he saw the hurt in her eyes.
"I somehow could not control myself then though... I did not trust him, but something forced me to surrender the Gem Stones... I doubt you would know how I feel right now." she sighed and plucked a blade of grass, and started to slowly shred it.
Kurama smiled slightly, and thought of his Kaasan and the Mirror of Darkness. He knelt down next to her, "We'll get everything sorted out. We can gather the tantei and go see what we can do about this situation, and even go consult Koenma, if you want."
Chunzhu looked up at him. Her smile was still there... it was starting to scare him... She nodded in appreciation and agreement, and they both got up and began taking the walk that would hopefully save Kushiyè, and even more importantly, the Elemental Gem Stones.