By: Silver Neko
A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, or any products, movies, or other things mentioned in this fic. Please don't sue me, I'm too young to pay for a lawyer.
Wow! More review-ness! Thank you so much! I feel all warm and glowy inside! I have no idea why they haven't sensed it on Kagome. Maybe there's just a whole lot of power around- this is, apparently, the city where all the nice Japanese superheroes live. Why do they not interfere with each other more often, one wonders. Whatever... Please read and review- please, please, please don't flame, but I welcome constructive criticism, that I do! I don't like charred marshmallows, and I can't make s'mores that fast, y'know.
It occurs to me that Kuwabara would never hit a girl, let alone attack one with his spirit sword. Even if she is a demon about to drag his immortal soul to hell. Meh. (Does that sound like... say... Kikyo? Maybe she's not Kikyo at all, but a succubi trapped in a clay pot body! Nah. Let the dead bitch stay dead. Please. "Your life belongs to me"? Geez, poor Kagome.) So, let's say he panicked. Or something. It was terribly thoughtless of me to make him so terribly out of character. Not that I like him. Go figure.
I present to you... Chapter four!
"So, let me get this straight," I say as I wrap one of Kagome's ace bandages around my paw-like hand, sitting in Kagome's guest room, having eaten Kagome's food. I'm in debt, now, I think. Kagome, herself, is going out to go make sure there are no more youkai or lowly demons, either, along with Inuyasha and Yusuke. Don't ask me where the firecracker or Kurama are. I couldn't tell you. Of course, now that Kuwabara is back to 'normal,' he's fawning over me like a personal slave. Interesting idea. Shippo, the kit, was going a mile a minute before Botan, the blue haired girl who feels like death warmed over to my othersenses, spoke up. I had given the kit a long-forgotten piece of candy, and he had gotten a sugar rush off of it. Who knew? Anyway. . . "There's a powerful demon in the Makai, who is trying to destroy the barrier entirely, then invade the human realms?" I'm ticking them off on my good paw- my damaged one seems to have been poisoned or something. It went numb. It's a really weak poison, though, if it is. When Botan nods, I continue. "And the worst part is that you don't even know who he is, you have no records of him, and you say that he's given your boss about a week to try and stop him from conquering the human world?" God, this sounds familiar. Why? Why's it sound familiar? Ah, hell.
"Yes, that's it exactly!" Botan said. Geez. She's so happy. Maybe if she were the one in school, not me- bad Shadow! You can't just give up because you want to! So stop that! Still. The fate of Earth is at stake, and she's so.... hyper. Like she's had too much coffee. Or something.
"And why are you telling me all of this? Shouldn't you tell that to the protector of this 'Shikon no Tama'? Seems to me, the one with acquire-able power like that would definitely be the one in danger. I'm just a lowly little neko-youkai." I like being left alone. I don't mind people, but I prefer hunting solo. And something tells me that something is going to happen here, and not just some youkai getting his ass kicked.
"Well, yes, but she's out right now. When she gets back, she'll hear all of this, too. Why you're hearing this now, is that you're something of a problem. Youkai are supposed to be in the Makai, you see," I snorted a little, but deigned not to ask about the firecracker and fox-boy, let alone mutt-face and the kit, "and I'm probably going to have to take you back there." Back there? But I've never even been to the Makai, in the first place! It's complications like this that lead me to believe my fascination with strange people is like that curiousity that killed a certain black neko-youkai. Yeesh.
"Still, if there wasn't a plan B, you would be shipping me off to the Makai now, right?" Botan nods a little. "So then what is it?"
"Plan B is that you can join our group, for at least as long as this mission lasts. We have reason to believe that this new youkai is connected to you." I blanch a little. Me? No... couldn't be. He can't be... No! He isn't back, no way, no how. "You see, the youkai seems to look exactly like you. You could be his twin, in fact, right down to you aura. That's probably why Hiei attacked you like that. He seems to be very fond of being seen."
"He always did have enough ambition for both of us. More than enough charm, for that matter. I just wanted to be normal..." I'm thinking aloud here. How could he be coming back? I thought he'd gotten a one-way trip to the Makai. The ass. Twin or no, he shouldn't have... used me, like that. It's wrong.
"So you do know him! Then it's settled!" Botan clapped her hands with a weird grin on her face. For someone who feels like death warmed over to my othersenses, she sure is gratingly, annoyingly cheerful. My ears are pressed as flat to my skull as is possible. I don't want to be rude, but still.
"Hate to ask, but what's settled?" I ask, stifling a yawn. I am so going to miss school tomorrow. I shouldn't be this damned tired...
"You... are going to join our group, right?" She looks rather puzzled.
"I dunno. Just... go away... please?" Botan looks hurt now. Damn. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings, but things are... coming out... wrong today. Erm. Tonight. Yeah. "Sorry. I'm just a bit tired. Gimme a day or so. I'll even wake up or something. Yeah." Before I know it, I've clocked out for the night. Dead-to-the-world-ness.
Dearest sister, why do you run? It didn't. . . sound like him. . . You could join me. . . together, with my cunning and your power, we could easily crush the humans to our will. . . He was. . . never this power-hungry. . . And all the other fools who try to oppose us. We were too young last time. . . This time, we'll do it, together. . . His insidious voice penetrates my deep-sleep, and I shift. 'Th' basard. . .' I crack my eyelids some- sunlight from an unfamiliar window, in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed. . .
Yaah!? What the?! Bed?! Y'mean I. . . wait. I'm alone, so. . . I fell asleep? Hmm. . . lessee. Wa'appen? Youkai, rip, giant demon-like-thing, mutt-face, succubi, orange-hair. Then bandage, dream. Hmm.. Dream. Strange-dream. Was weird. 'Brother? But I don't wanna planet full of baka humans, Brother-Scri'ire. I wanna be left alone. Issat so much?' I roll over onto my back and stare at the ceiling.
"Finally awake? That's good. Here, have some breakfast." Botan. Miss cheerful. She's bouncy-back-ful, apparently. I didna hurt her feelings much, apparently.
Breakfast. . . ? Oh. She brough in eggs and toast with an amazingly small portion of bacon. Doesn't she know any carnivores? Predators, even? I ear the bacon first and fastest. Then the eggs, a little slower. Then I munch disdainfully at my toast. I feel so weird this morning. Not to mention. . . so sleepy. The bed looks nice. But I just got up! Huh? Why am I so. . . Why so. . . err. . Tired? "Why... avoid... me?" What the. . ? Where'd that thought come from?! Sommat not-right here. . . but I'm too tired to figure it out. Must use youkai-mask so I'm not fawned on and told I should stay where I am. I can't do emotionless though. Confident, I can do. Sure. Strong, too.
"Thanks for the meal, Botan. It was very good." I'm about half-here as I say that. I'm focused inside, trying to figure something out. Why's it feel like I'm still bleeding? All my youkai strength. . . draining away. Mebbe I'm healing. The poison. That must be it. Mebbe not as weak a poison as I thought. My hand has pins and needles on it, I think. I only got nicked, though. I'll be fine.
I rub the sleepies from my eyes and blink some. Then I stretch cat-like. I give Botan a cheery smile, get up, and deliberately use my pins-and-needles hand to start to open the door. I only swayed a little bit. So proud.
"Oh! Your hand!" Botan asks worriedly. I barely hear her. "Doesn't it still hurt? You sliced it to the bone, you know." See? Just a little nick. Honest. I just need to change the bandage. Wait. I shoulda. . . shoulda. . umm. . oh! Healed. Right. "Besides, what if there are more youkai? Plain old demons, even? Are you sure you'll be all right?"
I don' need cooped up, honest. Just need fresh air. Honest. I wave her off and walk all the way outside, swaying wildly a couple of times. I know the world spins fast, but it ain't supposed ta go that fast. And dark. Is it?
Naturally, since I'm so very capable of taking care of myself, I stumble and fall halfway down the stairs. That's a lotta stairs. Yeesh. It's at least noon. I can see the sun directly above me. Pretty sun. I could stay here and sunbathe all day. But I'm going out to. . . out to. . . Patrol! That's it! I wanna make sure they didna miss nothing. God, my hand hurts. Parts of me seem to be going off on their own. Like my power. I can't be healing. I'm still all bloody-handed. Ucky smell. I don' like the metal-like sugary irony bloody smell. Am I repeating myself? I shake my head to try and clear it. Whee. Spining spin-spin. The last thing I see as I black out is Botan's face looming over me.
Even if you won't help me, dear sister. . . The other neko-youkai grins- I can see the malice in his eyes. He's my twin! Why does he act like that?! He's not like that, honest! . . .I can still take what I need to finish this. Now. . . now I know what's different. His voice. . . inside my mind, it's slimier. More insidious. And there was never that hint of poison in it. . .
"AHHH!" My eyes shoot open as I scream a bit. Owies! Much pain! My paw! The poison, maybe? No! Brother, why? Wha? The pain just. . . stopped. Yaah! A rip-thingy now! I just can't win. And... almost all out of power. Scratch almost.
"You shouldn't strain yourself like that, you know." The face that looms over my own is still Botan's. But it's all scolding and overprotective now. "That's a nasty poison-- it resisted my power until I got rid of all of it. You could have told me you were poisoned, you know."
I flex my claws experimentally. The one I had cut was feeling remarkably better in a new bandage. And the poison was gone. . . but my power kept leaking away. I knew why now. "B-botan? Do me. . . do me a favor?"
"What do you want, Gwena?" Her face is now concerned, if still looming.
"I. . . I. . . there's something I need to do. And I don't think. . . I have enough energy to do it." I yawn hugely to illustrate my point. When she nods for me to continue, I start speaking again. "I. . . have to go to the shrine. . . with the old well?" That sounded right. Could she. . . not sense the rips? Was I. . . the only one?
"You shouldn't be up and moving though!" She's sweet, but really. If I don't. . . do this. . . I might dry up and blow away like a leaf. . .
"Don' matter. Just. . . help me?" I'm surprised that she actually does grab my wrists and help me pull myself up. "Th-thank you, Botan." I swayed much more, but with her help I managed to keep myself upright.
"You're welcome, but. . . why the shrine?" She looks perplexed. "Kagome and Inuyasha," so that's mutt-face's name? "decided to go there just minutes ago. They took Shippou with them. Said it was urgent." She frowns. "This doesn't have anything to do with them, does it?"
"You mean. . . you mean you can't tell?" I blink in surprise at the sudden knowledge that we're not walking towards the shrine. . . we're flying there. . . on an oar? Botan. . . She was a ferry-girl? They've gotten prettier since when Scri'ire got taken away. . .
"Tell what?" She lands us gently and puts her hand on the doorway. I can sense the evil in there, it's pressing against me even from this distance. Not just pressing against me. . . Pressing through me? Brother. . . he must be stealing my energy, still.
"I've had enough of you, punk!" The voice, loud and angry, could only belong to mutt-face.
"We. . . have to get in there." Botan nods and opens the door silently. The scene that greets us is mutt-face with the giant sword raised, apparently about to swing it at the purplish-black rip that's lined in pink. Inside the rip, something glows darkly, the figure of something sitting in midair, knees to its chest, arms wrapped around it, and tail hanging down. I didn't want to see that figure very clearly. Not yet. Kagome holds her bow, preparing to fire at the figure in the rip. Shippou runs up to Botan, jumping into her arms with tears in his eyes.
"Weweregoingtogobackthroughthewell," he took a short, sobbing gulp of air, "butthentherewasthisripandthisbigcatcameoutandattackedKagomeandKagome'shurtnow,realbad," he took another gulp of air, sobbing against Botan's chest, "andI'mafraidKagome'sgoingtogethurtworseandandandandI'M SCARED!!" Shippou cried those last two words loud enough to catch all three fighters' attention-- Inuyasha literally dropped in midair, landing on the ground and growling at him. Too bad I don't get doggie-tongue, but apparently it's close enough to fox-tongue that Shippou caught whatever he said, because the kit immediately shut up. I was leaning against the door frame, watching this and sort-of covering my nose to blot out the blood-scent that Kagome eminated in waves. She really was hurt.
Red eyes glow in his face, exactly where I knew they would. There were no irises and no whites, just twin fields of red with a black slit down each. "Well, well. My dear sister, come to face me. What a treat." My eyes narrowed some as a black line of energy passed from my chest into him, and he grinned the evil grin that had never belonged to my brother. "You don't even have enough strength to stand."
"And you're not my brother anymore." I glared at him as a larger blackish-purple stream of energy flows back into me. "Why can't you leave me alone? Why did you involve them, Scri?"
The same malicious grin appeared on his face as he glanced over at Kagome, seeming to ignore my questions as he changed the subject. "Five hundred years it's remained incomplete, hasn't it, woman?" Five hundred years? Huh? Humans. . . don't live that long. And we weren't around five hundred years ago. "Five hundred long years, the two shards have yearned to return to the whole. . . and I intend to have the whole Shikon no Tama."
A/N: Wow. That was a rather big change. Oh. On a side note, I took this whole story down from mediaminer so I could plan it. Now, where do you think those two shards of the Shikon no Tama came from, if Kagome has the almost whole jewel?