Darn Utah. It snows, but not enough to get snow days. It's not fun. Which means the only major time I'll get to update is over the three-day weekend. Of course, my computer may not be up by then. Gah…thanks to Lexi-chan, who has more than fulfilled muse duties by updating not once, but TWICE! And thanks to Megumi Ogata and her mad singing skillz for keeping me sane. ONE MORE FINAL…and…I think it was Lobo-chan (please correct me if I'm wrong), thanks for the yo-yo idea. Poor Rinku…^^ Love the poems you did for Lexi-chan, by the way. You have mad poetry skillz. So does Kelsey, for that matter.
Anyway, last chapter, Kia and Aiko fended off a bunch of bad guys with kitchen utensils! Whoo! And now, Kia and Youko Kurama have been forced to travel together to recover Kelsey's Mirror Half! Darn grandmothers…we'll see if Kia's compassion can kick in before SHE kicks Kurama's fox-tailed ass. ^^;;
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"Inari, can't you see where you're going?" For the sixth time since they'd left, Kurama caught the back of Kia's cloak, pulling her upright before she hit the ground.
The girl made a face, unseen in her voluminous hood. "It's dark in here and the hem's too long! I keep tripping over it…" She was cloaked in dark robes two sizes too large, with the hood drawn up over her head. One could barely make out her face in the shadows inside it.
"Well, YOU'RE the one who doesn't want to be seen," the silvery-haired Youko commented.
There was a soft sigh from his traveling companion. "I know."
"Can't you at least take off that hood? It feels weird talking to a walking robe."
"Then don't talk."
Kurama rolled his eyes. "You don't like me, do you?"
"You're perverted, you're extremely arrogant, and I'm stuck traveling with you." Kia's voice was perfectly matter-of-fact. "What do YOU think?!"
"I think you're attracted to me. I don't blame you--who WOULDN'T be attracted to ME?"
"I DID mention you were arrogant, right?"
"Don't deny it. You think I'm gorgeous."
"Go to hell," Kia snapped, brushing past him.
Kurama grinned, enjoying this. "So where's this Mirror Half, anyway?"
The brunette drew back her hood, closing her eyes. "…It's still a long ways off…to the north. It's going to take awhile to reach it."
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Just a little more, and she would snap, he could tell…
"Of course I know!" Kia opened her eyes and propped her hands on her hips, obviously incensed. "I can sense it!"
"Can you, now?" The grin broadened. "How convenient."
The Mirror Holder gritted her teeth, determined not to rise to the bait. "Yes…" You sick little narcissistic fox… "I can." She quickened her pace. Kurama, however, was in a playful mood. She heard the twigs snap underneath his feet. Before Kia could do more than turn, she'd been tackled and firmly pinned to the ground, with Kurama sitting on her, straddling her stomach.
"You weren't about to try and leave me, were you?" the Youko asked, making a cute moue. "How very rude of you."
"Get off me," Kia said calmly, although she felt a small flutter of panic. She didn't much like the submissive position he had her in. And she most definitely didn't like that glint in his golden eyes.
Kurama smirked, knowing full well that he was in complete control of the situation. "You called me perverted? If I was perverted, now would be a perfect opportunity to take advantage of you."
"Like I'd let you!" His prisoner's snarl was almost feral.
"Of course…" Again, the smirk. "I have something else in mind for you…" He leaned forward, pale tresses spilling over his shoulders and softly touching Kia's face. And then he parted her cloak and lightly began to run his long fingers up and down her sides.
The girl's brown eyes went wide as she lowered her arms to protect her sides. Undeterred, Kurama simply slipped his hands under her arms and tickled there. He prided himself on being the best tickler in Makai, and Kia couldn't hold in her giggles as she wriggled, trying to escape that maddening touch.
"K-K-Kurama, stop it!" She could hardly squeeze the words out, due to her helpless laughter. As she batted at his hands, the thief noticed a small silver band on the ring finger of her right hand. Before the girl noticed, he slipped it off, examining it. It bore the word "promise" etched on the inside. A token? A memento? A promise of what?
"Hmmm…" The kitsune looked down at his victim. Her cheeks were flushed pink and she was panting slightly, trying to get her breath back from that unexpected assault. Her dark eyes fixed on his and Kurama, looking into those warm depths, suddenly discovered that he had lost interest in torturing her further. He rolled off and Kia sat up, blinking at him.
"Here." Kurama placed the ring in her palm. The Mirror Holder's puzzled expression cleared as she looked down at it, then put it back on her finger. He grinned and swished his tail as he sauntered past. "You look prettier when you smile," he called over his shoulder. "It will be a pleasure to seduce you."
"It'll be the last thing you ever try to do!" Kia retorted, glaring at his retreating back. His chuckle drifted back to her and she lifted her eyes to rest on the sky, mostly obscured by trees. Her voice became a mere whisper. "I wonder what happened to make him change so much in Ningenkai…" And then her next comment was a silent one. Chitsuko, whoever you are…WHEREVER you are…you must see SOMETHING in him…but hopefully, it's my redheaded friend you've fallen in love with, and not…she stopped there. Annoying or not, she'd have to travel with him.
"But if he tries that again, I'm snapping off his tail…" And with that, she hurried off after Kurama before he left her behind.
***Suzuki's House***
"She's not back yet, she's not back yet, she's not back yet…" Shishiwakamaru paced back and forth, hands behind his back clenched so tightly that the knuckles had turned white. "Where IS she?!"
"It's only been a day or so, Shishi…" Suzuki shook his head at his friend.
"Kelsey only HAS two weeks! TWO! TWO WEEKS! FOURTEEN DAYS!"
"Give up talking to him," Touya said tiredly, massaging his temples. "He's hopeless. As long as Kelsey remains unconscious, he's going to act like this."
A groan from the girls' bedroom made the samurai dart straight to Kelsey's side. The bedridden Mirror Holder was moaning, lying perfectly still as she did so. Kurama bent over her, adjusting the cloth on her forehead and looking somewhat worried.
"Is there anything you can do, Kurama?" Rinku looked up at the redhead, eyes anxious.
Kurama shook his head slowly. "None of my plant remedies worked. It looks like we'll just have to wait until Kia returns. All I can do now is try and give her something for that fever…it keeps going up."
"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" Shishiwakamaru suddenly let out a howl as the blonde girl winced in her nightmare-ridden sleep. "COME BACK TO ME!!"
"Shut UP!" Hiei hissed, poking his head into the room with an especially-peeved scowl on his face. "She can't hear you!"
"If he keeps it up, I won't be able to hear anything," Chuu complained, standing in the doorway. "Can't someone shut that bastard up?"
"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!"
"Have no fear, Urameshi is here!" Yusuke leaped into the room, brandishing a needle. "Just a bit of the good stuff, and Shishi will be out like a light!"
"…Where did you get that?" Kurama asked, eyeing the needle and its contents carefully.
"Doctor. Mom used to go hysterical all the time and I'd give her this to calm her down." The boy lifted the needle, grinning as he approached Shishiwakamaru. "Just one prick, and the house will be quiet again…"
The blue-haired samurai seemed to be beyond listening at this point. Upon no sign of recognition or even movement from Kelsey, he barged past Yusuke and ran into the living room, screaming at the top of his lungs. Jin, on his way to the bedroom, jumped aside as Shishiwakamaru threw open the front door and continued to run like a world-marathon sprinter.
"Come back, you!" Yusuke chased after him, brandishing his weapon. "This is for your own good, you know!!"
"The chase is on!" Rei exclaimed gleefully, leaping off the couch, grabbing Axe, and running off in hot pursuit of the other two. She almost trampled Kuwabara, who had been headed for Suzuki's house and was now standing out front. The boy gave the priestess an odd look, and then walked into the room, nodding to the others present.
"Kia had better get back soon…" Kurama gazed out the window, his green eyes saddening. "We don't even know where she is, and her energy's completely gone."
"But she's not dead." Jin glanced down at Kelsey. "We'd know if she was."
"No, she's in Ma--" Rinku suddenly realized what he had been about to say and shut his mouth quickly. Unfortunately, everyone had already heard.
"She's WHERE?" The Wind Master asked quickly, staring at the small yo-yoer with keen blue eyes.
"Nowhere!" Rinku said quickly. "I have absolutely NO idea where she is, none at all! Nope, none, nada, zip…"
Hiei snorted. "I can see through your transparent lies."
"Okay, runt, spit it out!" Kuwabara grabbed Rinku by the collar, lifting him up and glaring into the boy's frightened face. "Where is she?? How come we can't sense her?"
"I promised I wouldn't tell!" The little youkai desperately protested. "I promised her!"
"She made you promise she wouldn't tell? Why?" Kurama frowned, suddenly remembering what Kia had written to Rinku in her note. "I've asked you to carry a massive burden, and I'm sorry…"
Poor Rinku looked absolutely miserable. "I can't tell you…she didn't want you guys to worry about her…"
"We're worried anyway!" Kuwabara shook him. "Now tell us where she is before I'm forced to get violent!"
Rinku suddenly pulled out his yo-yos, flinging them out with a flick of his wrists. They wrapped around Kuwabara and the orange-haired boy fell with a startled yell, completely bound with the strings. The youkai scampered off.
"Get him!" An enraged Kuwabara bellowed. "He knows where she is!" He started to roll himself out the door, banging into the side several times in the process. Chuu and Suzuki took off after Rinku, as Hiei, Kurama, Jin, and Touya watched the chaos ensue.
"Why make him tell?" Hiei rolled his eyes. "Even if they knew where Kia was, it would make no difference. If we can't sense her, we can't find her. She could be anywhere."
Kurama had an odd feeling. A faint memory was stirring… "I think I know where she is…Rinku almost let it slip, but even if he had said, we would have sensed her. Even if we go now, she won't be there."
"Won't be WHERE??" Jin looked at him. "Kurama, don't you be tryin' to act like Rinku too! I may not be able to help her, but you can at least tell me where she is!"
"Makai," the Youko said quietly. "Only at a different time…"
"Meaning…" Touya raised an icy eyebrow.
"It means that our Mirror Holder is in the past. Whatever she does there could either save her friend or destroy the present…"
The two Shinobi exchanged looks, and Jin abruptly left the room. If Kia was in the past, then there really WAS nothing he could do for her…except pray that she would return in one piece.
"Kia-chan…please be careful…"
*OOC*
Well, Kurama figured it out! Kia's in the past! Now if only she can get through it and save Kelsey's life without messing things up. Can she do it AND put up with Youko Kurama? You know she'll try! Please review while I bang my head on my keyboard for getting stuck with this story! NEXT chapter!
* Once again, another fight! Of course, Kurama's going to soon regret leaving Kia alone…
* Kia's been captured! A bunch of youkai thieves want her for a slave…and guess who else is a captive? A certain Ice Master…can Kia keep her identity a secret?
* When the thieves force the Mirror Holder to sing for them…not only does she do that, but…well, I guess you could say Kelsey's present with her…it's just a jump to the left…
Anyway, last chapter, Kia and Aiko fended off a bunch of bad guys with kitchen utensils! Whoo! And now, Kia and Youko Kurama have been forced to travel together to recover Kelsey's Mirror Half! Darn grandmothers…we'll see if Kia's compassion can kick in before SHE kicks Kurama's fox-tailed ass. ^^;;
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"Inari, can't you see where you're going?" For the sixth time since they'd left, Kurama caught the back of Kia's cloak, pulling her upright before she hit the ground.
The girl made a face, unseen in her voluminous hood. "It's dark in here and the hem's too long! I keep tripping over it…" She was cloaked in dark robes two sizes too large, with the hood drawn up over her head. One could barely make out her face in the shadows inside it.
"Well, YOU'RE the one who doesn't want to be seen," the silvery-haired Youko commented.
There was a soft sigh from his traveling companion. "I know."
"Can't you at least take off that hood? It feels weird talking to a walking robe."
"Then don't talk."
Kurama rolled his eyes. "You don't like me, do you?"
"You're perverted, you're extremely arrogant, and I'm stuck traveling with you." Kia's voice was perfectly matter-of-fact. "What do YOU think?!"
"I think you're attracted to me. I don't blame you--who WOULDN'T be attracted to ME?"
"I DID mention you were arrogant, right?"
"Don't deny it. You think I'm gorgeous."
"Go to hell," Kia snapped, brushing past him.
Kurama grinned, enjoying this. "So where's this Mirror Half, anyway?"
The brunette drew back her hood, closing her eyes. "…It's still a long ways off…to the north. It's going to take awhile to reach it."
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Just a little more, and she would snap, he could tell…
"Of course I know!" Kia opened her eyes and propped her hands on her hips, obviously incensed. "I can sense it!"
"Can you, now?" The grin broadened. "How convenient."
The Mirror Holder gritted her teeth, determined not to rise to the bait. "Yes…" You sick little narcissistic fox… "I can." She quickened her pace. Kurama, however, was in a playful mood. She heard the twigs snap underneath his feet. Before Kia could do more than turn, she'd been tackled and firmly pinned to the ground, with Kurama sitting on her, straddling her stomach.
"You weren't about to try and leave me, were you?" the Youko asked, making a cute moue. "How very rude of you."
"Get off me," Kia said calmly, although she felt a small flutter of panic. She didn't much like the submissive position he had her in. And she most definitely didn't like that glint in his golden eyes.
Kurama smirked, knowing full well that he was in complete control of the situation. "You called me perverted? If I was perverted, now would be a perfect opportunity to take advantage of you."
"Like I'd let you!" His prisoner's snarl was almost feral.
"Of course…" Again, the smirk. "I have something else in mind for you…" He leaned forward, pale tresses spilling over his shoulders and softly touching Kia's face. And then he parted her cloak and lightly began to run his long fingers up and down her sides.
The girl's brown eyes went wide as she lowered her arms to protect her sides. Undeterred, Kurama simply slipped his hands under her arms and tickled there. He prided himself on being the best tickler in Makai, and Kia couldn't hold in her giggles as she wriggled, trying to escape that maddening touch.
"K-K-Kurama, stop it!" She could hardly squeeze the words out, due to her helpless laughter. As she batted at his hands, the thief noticed a small silver band on the ring finger of her right hand. Before the girl noticed, he slipped it off, examining it. It bore the word "promise" etched on the inside. A token? A memento? A promise of what?
"Hmmm…" The kitsune looked down at his victim. Her cheeks were flushed pink and she was panting slightly, trying to get her breath back from that unexpected assault. Her dark eyes fixed on his and Kurama, looking into those warm depths, suddenly discovered that he had lost interest in torturing her further. He rolled off and Kia sat up, blinking at him.
"Here." Kurama placed the ring in her palm. The Mirror Holder's puzzled expression cleared as she looked down at it, then put it back on her finger. He grinned and swished his tail as he sauntered past. "You look prettier when you smile," he called over his shoulder. "It will be a pleasure to seduce you."
"It'll be the last thing you ever try to do!" Kia retorted, glaring at his retreating back. His chuckle drifted back to her and she lifted her eyes to rest on the sky, mostly obscured by trees. Her voice became a mere whisper. "I wonder what happened to make him change so much in Ningenkai…" And then her next comment was a silent one. Chitsuko, whoever you are…WHEREVER you are…you must see SOMETHING in him…but hopefully, it's my redheaded friend you've fallen in love with, and not…she stopped there. Annoying or not, she'd have to travel with him.
"But if he tries that again, I'm snapping off his tail…" And with that, she hurried off after Kurama before he left her behind.
***Suzuki's House***
"She's not back yet, she's not back yet, she's not back yet…" Shishiwakamaru paced back and forth, hands behind his back clenched so tightly that the knuckles had turned white. "Where IS she?!"
"It's only been a day or so, Shishi…" Suzuki shook his head at his friend.
"Kelsey only HAS two weeks! TWO! TWO WEEKS! FOURTEEN DAYS!"
"Give up talking to him," Touya said tiredly, massaging his temples. "He's hopeless. As long as Kelsey remains unconscious, he's going to act like this."
A groan from the girls' bedroom made the samurai dart straight to Kelsey's side. The bedridden Mirror Holder was moaning, lying perfectly still as she did so. Kurama bent over her, adjusting the cloth on her forehead and looking somewhat worried.
"Is there anything you can do, Kurama?" Rinku looked up at the redhead, eyes anxious.
Kurama shook his head slowly. "None of my plant remedies worked. It looks like we'll just have to wait until Kia returns. All I can do now is try and give her something for that fever…it keeps going up."
"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" Shishiwakamaru suddenly let out a howl as the blonde girl winced in her nightmare-ridden sleep. "COME BACK TO ME!!"
"Shut UP!" Hiei hissed, poking his head into the room with an especially-peeved scowl on his face. "She can't hear you!"
"If he keeps it up, I won't be able to hear anything," Chuu complained, standing in the doorway. "Can't someone shut that bastard up?"
"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!"
"Have no fear, Urameshi is here!" Yusuke leaped into the room, brandishing a needle. "Just a bit of the good stuff, and Shishi will be out like a light!"
"…Where did you get that?" Kurama asked, eyeing the needle and its contents carefully.
"Doctor. Mom used to go hysterical all the time and I'd give her this to calm her down." The boy lifted the needle, grinning as he approached Shishiwakamaru. "Just one prick, and the house will be quiet again…"
The blue-haired samurai seemed to be beyond listening at this point. Upon no sign of recognition or even movement from Kelsey, he barged past Yusuke and ran into the living room, screaming at the top of his lungs. Jin, on his way to the bedroom, jumped aside as Shishiwakamaru threw open the front door and continued to run like a world-marathon sprinter.
"Come back, you!" Yusuke chased after him, brandishing his weapon. "This is for your own good, you know!!"
"The chase is on!" Rei exclaimed gleefully, leaping off the couch, grabbing Axe, and running off in hot pursuit of the other two. She almost trampled Kuwabara, who had been headed for Suzuki's house and was now standing out front. The boy gave the priestess an odd look, and then walked into the room, nodding to the others present.
"Kia had better get back soon…" Kurama gazed out the window, his green eyes saddening. "We don't even know where she is, and her energy's completely gone."
"But she's not dead." Jin glanced down at Kelsey. "We'd know if she was."
"No, she's in Ma--" Rinku suddenly realized what he had been about to say and shut his mouth quickly. Unfortunately, everyone had already heard.
"She's WHERE?" The Wind Master asked quickly, staring at the small yo-yoer with keen blue eyes.
"Nowhere!" Rinku said quickly. "I have absolutely NO idea where she is, none at all! Nope, none, nada, zip…"
Hiei snorted. "I can see through your transparent lies."
"Okay, runt, spit it out!" Kuwabara grabbed Rinku by the collar, lifting him up and glaring into the boy's frightened face. "Where is she?? How come we can't sense her?"
"I promised I wouldn't tell!" The little youkai desperately protested. "I promised her!"
"She made you promise she wouldn't tell? Why?" Kurama frowned, suddenly remembering what Kia had written to Rinku in her note. "I've asked you to carry a massive burden, and I'm sorry…"
Poor Rinku looked absolutely miserable. "I can't tell you…she didn't want you guys to worry about her…"
"We're worried anyway!" Kuwabara shook him. "Now tell us where she is before I'm forced to get violent!"
Rinku suddenly pulled out his yo-yos, flinging them out with a flick of his wrists. They wrapped around Kuwabara and the orange-haired boy fell with a startled yell, completely bound with the strings. The youkai scampered off.
"Get him!" An enraged Kuwabara bellowed. "He knows where she is!" He started to roll himself out the door, banging into the side several times in the process. Chuu and Suzuki took off after Rinku, as Hiei, Kurama, Jin, and Touya watched the chaos ensue.
"Why make him tell?" Hiei rolled his eyes. "Even if they knew where Kia was, it would make no difference. If we can't sense her, we can't find her. She could be anywhere."
Kurama had an odd feeling. A faint memory was stirring… "I think I know where she is…Rinku almost let it slip, but even if he had said, we would have sensed her. Even if we go now, she won't be there."
"Won't be WHERE??" Jin looked at him. "Kurama, don't you be tryin' to act like Rinku too! I may not be able to help her, but you can at least tell me where she is!"
"Makai," the Youko said quietly. "Only at a different time…"
"Meaning…" Touya raised an icy eyebrow.
"It means that our Mirror Holder is in the past. Whatever she does there could either save her friend or destroy the present…"
The two Shinobi exchanged looks, and Jin abruptly left the room. If Kia was in the past, then there really WAS nothing he could do for her…except pray that she would return in one piece.
"Kia-chan…please be careful…"
*OOC*
Well, Kurama figured it out! Kia's in the past! Now if only she can get through it and save Kelsey's life without messing things up. Can she do it AND put up with Youko Kurama? You know she'll try! Please review while I bang my head on my keyboard for getting stuck with this story! NEXT chapter!
* Once again, another fight! Of course, Kurama's going to soon regret leaving Kia alone…
* Kia's been captured! A bunch of youkai thieves want her for a slave…and guess who else is a captive? A certain Ice Master…can Kia keep her identity a secret?
* When the thieves force the Mirror Holder to sing for them…not only does she do that, but…well, I guess you could say Kelsey's present with her…it's just a jump to the left…