Authoress here.
So, this wrist thinger was looking at me with big, sad, nonexistent puppy dog eyes, and I put it back on. Lo and behold, it's working like a charm!
And about the longish wait. I will admit, I was at a loss for what to write next. Utterly and totally. Even to the point of starting the next (and last) Yujo installment.
But then, Math Class came in handy. Because my teacher was under the severe misimpression that every new idea took three days to learn, I had quite a bit of time on my hands. So, I started writing random ideas. Basically, whatever came into my head.
So, while rifling through the endless papers saved neatly in a trapper keeper, I found THE IDEA. Originally written for Kurama and Emiko, it was just good enough to be allowed to be twisted for Narrin and Aya.
And for that idea, I'd like to thank Health class. I was doing Health class homework in Math (I know, I'm a terrible student some times) and I ran across the word 'infatuation' in my textbook. I set that aside and wrote the front and back of my paper in this freshly sparked piece of imagination.
And now, for it's unveiling.
Yujo Chronicles: Narrin's Story
Chapter Six
The knock on the hotel room door roused all five occupants inside. Yusuke snuck a peek at the alarm clock; it read three-fifteen. He cautiously moved to open the door.
It was only a delivery man, holding a small package. He jabbered at Yusuke in French, and held up a clipboard and pen for Yusuke to sign. Blinking sleepily, Yusuke took the pen and scrawled his signature onto the line, took the package, and shut the door.
"What's that?" Kuwabara mumbled eyes half closed still. Yusuke peered at the label.
"It's for Kurama." Yusuke tossed the small box to the fox demon, who sat up quickly to catch it. The red-head tore off the packing tape and opened the flaps to gaze inside.
"What is it?" Kuwabara repeated.
In response, Kurama held aloft a small bottle of a strange red liquid, with an unidentifiable nut suspended inside. Kuwabara squinted at it.
Hiei's eyes narrowed. "It's the potion you used at the Dark Tournament."
"What?" Emiko crawled over to her mate, and examined the bottle.
"It would turn us back to our demonic forms, for a short period of time, anyways." Kurama explained, looking at the liquid in an expression akin to mingled wonder and confusion. "But who sent it?"
Emiko's hand reached back into the box. "Don't be hasty. There's a letter." Unfolding it, she began to read aloud.
"Kurama and Emiko,
As you've guessed, it's Koenma. This should help you. I've been notified of Aya's regrettable status, and I'm afraid to say you'll all be at a severe disadvantage now that the Queen Narrin had undoubtedly learned Japanese from her captive. Mortals are easier for her to overcome, and this should help even the odds. As beings in demon forms, you two and Hiei should be harder to win over by her voice alone. THIS DOES NOT SECURE A VICTORY! She has other powers, not just her voice. Doubtful if she's even aware of them yet, but she will be if you attack. Good luck.
You'd better get this job done!
Koenma."
Emiko looked up. "More powers? Good grief."
"Just like Koenma not to tell us any details." Hiei said venomously. "Not even what these new powers are."
"Well, look at it logically." Kurama said calmly, placing the valuable bottle on the bedside table. "She had a very strong aura about her. If she's not mortal, and has a power equivalent to a Quest class demon, she's bound to have Spirit Energy. Just, she hasn't figured out how to trigger or use it yet."
Emiko picked up where her mate had stopped. "Makes sense. She'll somehow manage to summon her Energy once we attack, just like a regular human summons adrenaline when they're in danger."
"Tricky." Yusuke sat back down on the bed. His shoulders slumped. "Damn, this is more difficult then anything we've done before. Usually, we didn't have to factor in the humans. We never had to care if anybody saw us using demonic and Spirit Powers."
"We'll have to go at night." Hiei said.
"But not too soon, because the moon's only has been waning for two days, and the light is still substantial." Kurama said. "We need every advantage we can if we're to be entering the castle unseen."
"In four more days, only a sliver will be left." Emiko said, glancing out the window calculatingly. "There will hardly be any light from the moon."
"Four days?" Yusuke exploded. "This Narrin chick coulda killed Aya by then!"
"We don't have much of a choice." Hiei snapped. "In four days, we'll-"
"Storm the castle!" Kuwabara interjected grandly.
Hiei glared at the teen before merely saying, "Right."
...
Narrin's nerves felt like they were slowly being cut with a dull knife. Bit by bit, she got more and more nervous, edgy. She ordered two guards to stand at Aya's door, letting no one enter except the serving maid who brought him meals and herself.
She came quickly to hate entering his room. He'd always sit on his chair, wordlessly, and let his eyes burn into her, as though he could see something in her she couldn't. She felt lower than slime, dirty, unworthy, a feeling she detested.
But she still needed the Japanese language, and so the second morning she entered the room.
He was still sleeping as she came in noiselessly. She had his bonds removed, all save the ones tying his hands behind his back. He was curled up on the threadbare blanket left for his use in one corner.
He looked so young then, eyes closed and hair covering one cheek. His lips were slightly parted, and every now and then the smallest of snores issued from between them.
Narrin fought down the urge to run her finger along his jaw, stroke his cheek and hair. Pillow that vibrant red head in her lap, and sing soothing songs to deepen his sleep. But realism stayed her hand, and self restraint forced her to sit in the one solitary chair, watching him slumber and waiting for him to awaken.
Her heart ached, but the anger that had been allowed to fester there only antagonized her. She forced her feelings down, and averted her eyes from his intoxicating, sleeping form.
Aya's eyelids flitted open, but long years of experience trained his body not to move, allowing him to have his surroundings memorized before alerting the enemy of his wakefulness. His gaze froze on the Queen, who sat staring at the wall.
In that moment past dreams and not quite wakefulness, Aya felt the dizzying feeling as if his being was being sucked towards her. He told himself it was only the spell of her voice that made him want her so desperately, but another voice inside argued that the spell's power had faded days ago.
He spoke in French, making Narrin jump. "You require something?"
Narrin quickly regained her composure. "Indeed. Today, within the hour, you will speak in your tongue of Japanese. Understand? I would like this to move quickly. I have more important matters to attend to."
"And will the importance of this task grow, the longer it takes me to comply, I wonder?" Came the wry response.
"Do not speak in French any longer." Narrin said smoothly, power oozing from her voice.
Aya almost smiled before starting to talk, only this time, in English. "I can do that."
Narrin scowled. "Speak in Japanese, Aya!"
He didn't respond for a long time. So long, Narrin almost spoke again to reissue the order. But, quietly, face downcast, Aya spoke, his words in the graceful language of Japan.
"And thus I reluctantly betray my companions."
He spoke no more, Narrin leaving him after a few moments of silence.
...
Dressed all in black, the five fighters had made their plan back at the hotel before sneaking silently to the nearby castle. It wasn't going to be a walk in the park, granted. But they had the advantage of a perfectly mapped out plan, formulated by minds used to campaigning.
Yusuke and Kuwabara slipped off, only their Spirit Awareness guiding their steps. Six guards sat alertly in the well-lighted gatehouse, floodlights illuminating the drive up to the grand castle. More men were patrolling the huge stone wall, although every man was privately skeptical of anyone wishing to harm their beloved new Queen.
It was Yusuke and Kuwabara's job to get to the main doors first and get rid of as many guards as possible, allowing Emiko, Kurama, and Hiei a faster passage inside. Because all three would be in demon form (in part thanks to Koenma's contribution) they were the safest bet of getting Aya out.
The other three weren't going over the wall, but were sticking to the gate. It would be folly if all five went in together; the larger number would be spotted much more easily.
The security was impeccable, according to human standards. But gates and men alone couldn't stop two determined punks with a lot of Spirit Energy in reserve.
Kuwabara made the first attack, like a pawn's first move onto the threatening chessboard facing a vast opponent. Silently, which was a change for the usually boisterous teenager, Kuwabara swung a punch at a guard's face, knocking him out cold. Once the man was safely hidden under a nearby shrub, Kuwabara summoned Spirit power, and in one powerful burst was up and on top of the fence.
Yusuke gave a self-satisfied smirk as Kuwabara crouched low, as to not be seen. The plan was going off without a hitch so far!
Now for Yusuke's turn. He too snuck up on a guard, but froze in the darkness when the man spoke in French.
"Anee? Anee?"
The man was looking into the darkness, where the gaurd Kuwabara had knocked unconscious had been pacing the wall. Yusuke swore inwardly; he guessed this Anee was the man's name.
Acting fast, he reached out to the guard's neck and squeezed hard, as he'd seen Kurama do to knock people out. Instead, the man swung around, a bewildered look on his face.
"Shit." Yusuke muttered, and instead kicked the man hard. In the darkness, his foot flew off his original course to the stomach, and ended up smacking forcefully into his opponent's groin. His face seized up in pain, and he dropped to the earth, senseless.
"That...works too." Yusuke shook his head, wincing at the thought of a direct blow to...that delicate area. He shrugged it off, and leapt up to join Kuwabara on the wall. There were no guards inside the gate until closer to the castle, but the boys didn't drop to the earth just yet.
Yusuke motioned at a small box about midway down the wall. It was a motion sensor, and probably, when triggered, it flooded the surrounding area with a light connected to the system. Kuwabara stared at it for a moment, and then nodded.
Back at the gate, Hiei, Kurama and Emiko had a little bigger problem with the well lit gate and gatehouse full of watchful French eyes. Or, they would of had been a problem if it weren't for stealthy Hiei and his demonic speed.
Hiei ran to the gate and scaled it so fast a normal, naked human eye couldn't detect it. He went behind the gatehouse to the door. He knocked, trying to sound official. Once he heard the shuffling of footsteps as someone went to open the door, he quickly ran to the shadows.
The six men inside turned to the door in confusion, leaving Kurama and Emiko a split seconds' worth of time to get over the gate like Hiei had.
The were midway over when disaster nearly struck. A younger man looked out the window, and saw their dark shapes on the top of the gate. He pointed, and shouted in French. But, like the boy who cried wolf, none of the others paid him much attention. He was a newer recruit, and had "seen" things before in a sort of paranoia.
Emiko and Kurama weren't aware of their close shave, but once safely down and hidden in shadow, they ran fleetingly un the long gravel drive to the castle's main gates.
Yusuke and Kuwabara had found a tree to scramble into to avoid the motion sensors, and met up with the other three midway to the castle gate. Yusuke motioned to the three, leading them over to a smaller entrance used normally for deliveries.
Yusuke and Kuwabara hadn't been idle. Three men were piled in a neat heap on one side of the door, and Emiko had the lock picked in only a few minutes. She quietly admitted that the lock was more difficult then most.
Once inside, Kurama halted the group to hand Emiko a small vial filled with the liquid Koenma sent them. He had his own, and they drank together.
"How long?" Yusuke hissed.
Kurama held up two fingers, not wanting to say aloud two minutes. Yusuke nodded, and the group moved off again.
...
Narrin tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. There were times when her eyelids would finally feel heavy, but the moment she closed them her weariness would lift, leaving her both frustrated and sleepless again. No, it wasn't that her weariness wouldn't lift, it was merely her will to slumber.
Her weariness was a whole other matter. Ever since the prisoner Aya had been taken, she had held a weariness on her shoulders that highly troubled her. Five day past his capture, and he still was always on the edge of her mind, lingering on her thoughts and haunting her dreams.
She sat upright in the downy bed, and stuck her feet into the slippers by the bedside. Narrin then made her way out of her room and towards Aya's prison. She would find peace, even if it meant obliterating his memories and mind with a few harsh, powerful words.
The sounds of soft pattering feet made her freeze. She had ordered her guards to clear away from Aya's room, so she wouldn't have to pass them and let them see how flustered Aya made her. This knowledge affirmed the noise wasn't made by one of her men. The only other possibility was...an intruder!
Her hand unconsciously went to the cold handle of the gun she kept with her at all times. Her fingers traced the familiar patch from the trigger to the barrel, and horrified realization set in; she had no bullets inside the gun's chambers.
Squaring her shoulders, Narrin took a deep breath. She had her voice and no mortal could fight against that. And if it were those brats from almost a week ago, she was armed with their language.
But the first two people who rounded the corner in front of her made her freeze. These- these were no mortals she'd ever seen!
Two people, male and female, appeared human at first glance. A second glance would confirm the opposite. No human she knew of had animal ears adoring their heads, nor tails billowing from behind them. Dressed both in black, their silver and red colorations were almost electric. Their lips were forming snarls, showing canine-like teeth. In their eyes was the heat of battle-lust, and for the second time in her life, Narrin was truly afraid.
Bounding after them was three humans she recognized from the ambassador's house days earlier. Armed with this knowledge, her brain made two quick connections. These odd creatures were somehow connected to these Japanese students, and therefore understood Japanese. Her weapon was ready!
"Stop where you are!" The Queen's voice rumbled out in great waves of power, the energy within the words making her voice deepen.
Yusuke and Kuwabara immediately stopped dead in their tracks, no demon blood to protect their wills. Hiei, Kurama and Emiko appeared to be moving in slow motion, muscles rippling with the effort to keep moving, faces screwed up against the overwhelming desire to obey. They struggled this way for a few more paces, and then Narrin spoke again.
"Halt!"
The effect was too much for even the feisty fire-ice demon to handle, and the two foxes also admitted defeat. The power of the goddess had defeated them.
...
Emiko woke, groggily, to find herself held in place by a rippling band of deep purple Spirit Energy. Her eyes dimly registered the room around her; simple, drab, windowless and almost empty. The only other things inside it besides herself was one, straight-backed chair, a lamp on a rickety table, and the six glowing forms of her friends and Aya. All were wrapped in a similar Energy. She groaned.
"You awake?" Kurama looked at her, slightly concerned for his mate's well-being. The potion had worn off long ago, leaving them both in human forms. The first time the transformation ended was always the hardest, he knew.
"Barely." Emiko muttered. She looked down at herself. "What's with this Energy?"
"The Queen." Hiei answered. Emiko looked at him in surprise; she haden't known he was awake as well. "Just like Professors Emiko and Kurama predicted, she discovered new abilities when danger came running."
"Wonderful." Emiko muttered darkly. She struggled experimentally; the coil only tightened around her.
"No dice." Yusuke, who was also coherent, told her. "It only makes it worse."
Aya and Kuwabara were still asleep, but Emiko's eyes were drawn to Aya's face.
"Look at him." She whispered. "He looks..."
"Different." Yusuke supplied. "Changed."
"Wearier." Kurama added in.
"Yeah," Emiko nodded. "Like he's been taking this mental beating over and over again."
"He don't look unhappy, though." Yusuke observed.
Hiei's eyes barrowed as they scanned over Aya's features. Weary, yes, but unhappy, no. The big idiot was right for once. No, Aya simply looked like he had toiled long for a cause he wanted to see finished. This information the fire-ice demon stored within him, his mind making the connection between the Queen's expression and their companion's.
It figures they'd fall in love.
End Chapter
Authoress here.
I'm mad at myself. I had too much to put in, and my idea wasn't able to be finished within the chapter. Seven pages on Navvy was a little more than my average, but that just means next chapter will have a good head start before I even begin to write it!
I suggest that so you won't all be morally unfulfilled for today, you all review. WheeE!
So, this wrist thinger was looking at me with big, sad, nonexistent puppy dog eyes, and I put it back on. Lo and behold, it's working like a charm!
And about the longish wait. I will admit, I was at a loss for what to write next. Utterly and totally. Even to the point of starting the next (and last) Yujo installment.
But then, Math Class came in handy. Because my teacher was under the severe misimpression that every new idea took three days to learn, I had quite a bit of time on my hands. So, I started writing random ideas. Basically, whatever came into my head.
So, while rifling through the endless papers saved neatly in a trapper keeper, I found THE IDEA. Originally written for Kurama and Emiko, it was just good enough to be allowed to be twisted for Narrin and Aya.
And for that idea, I'd like to thank Health class. I was doing Health class homework in Math (I know, I'm a terrible student some times) and I ran across the word 'infatuation' in my textbook. I set that aside and wrote the front and back of my paper in this freshly sparked piece of imagination.
And now, for it's unveiling.
Yujo Chronicles: Narrin's Story
Chapter Six
The knock on the hotel room door roused all five occupants inside. Yusuke snuck a peek at the alarm clock; it read three-fifteen. He cautiously moved to open the door.
It was only a delivery man, holding a small package. He jabbered at Yusuke in French, and held up a clipboard and pen for Yusuke to sign. Blinking sleepily, Yusuke took the pen and scrawled his signature onto the line, took the package, and shut the door.
"What's that?" Kuwabara mumbled eyes half closed still. Yusuke peered at the label.
"It's for Kurama." Yusuke tossed the small box to the fox demon, who sat up quickly to catch it. The red-head tore off the packing tape and opened the flaps to gaze inside.
"What is it?" Kuwabara repeated.
In response, Kurama held aloft a small bottle of a strange red liquid, with an unidentifiable nut suspended inside. Kuwabara squinted at it.
Hiei's eyes narrowed. "It's the potion you used at the Dark Tournament."
"What?" Emiko crawled over to her mate, and examined the bottle.
"It would turn us back to our demonic forms, for a short period of time, anyways." Kurama explained, looking at the liquid in an expression akin to mingled wonder and confusion. "But who sent it?"
Emiko's hand reached back into the box. "Don't be hasty. There's a letter." Unfolding it, she began to read aloud.
"Kurama and Emiko,
As you've guessed, it's Koenma. This should help you. I've been notified of Aya's regrettable status, and I'm afraid to say you'll all be at a severe disadvantage now that the Queen Narrin had undoubtedly learned Japanese from her captive. Mortals are easier for her to overcome, and this should help even the odds. As beings in demon forms, you two and Hiei should be harder to win over by her voice alone. THIS DOES NOT SECURE A VICTORY! She has other powers, not just her voice. Doubtful if she's even aware of them yet, but she will be if you attack. Good luck.
You'd better get this job done!
Koenma."
Emiko looked up. "More powers? Good grief."
"Just like Koenma not to tell us any details." Hiei said venomously. "Not even what these new powers are."
"Well, look at it logically." Kurama said calmly, placing the valuable bottle on the bedside table. "She had a very strong aura about her. If she's not mortal, and has a power equivalent to a Quest class demon, she's bound to have Spirit Energy. Just, she hasn't figured out how to trigger or use it yet."
Emiko picked up where her mate had stopped. "Makes sense. She'll somehow manage to summon her Energy once we attack, just like a regular human summons adrenaline when they're in danger."
"Tricky." Yusuke sat back down on the bed. His shoulders slumped. "Damn, this is more difficult then anything we've done before. Usually, we didn't have to factor in the humans. We never had to care if anybody saw us using demonic and Spirit Powers."
"We'll have to go at night." Hiei said.
"But not too soon, because the moon's only has been waning for two days, and the light is still substantial." Kurama said. "We need every advantage we can if we're to be entering the castle unseen."
"In four more days, only a sliver will be left." Emiko said, glancing out the window calculatingly. "There will hardly be any light from the moon."
"Four days?" Yusuke exploded. "This Narrin chick coulda killed Aya by then!"
"We don't have much of a choice." Hiei snapped. "In four days, we'll-"
"Storm the castle!" Kuwabara interjected grandly.
Hiei glared at the teen before merely saying, "Right."
...
Narrin's nerves felt like they were slowly being cut with a dull knife. Bit by bit, she got more and more nervous, edgy. She ordered two guards to stand at Aya's door, letting no one enter except the serving maid who brought him meals and herself.
She came quickly to hate entering his room. He'd always sit on his chair, wordlessly, and let his eyes burn into her, as though he could see something in her she couldn't. She felt lower than slime, dirty, unworthy, a feeling she detested.
But she still needed the Japanese language, and so the second morning she entered the room.
He was still sleeping as she came in noiselessly. She had his bonds removed, all save the ones tying his hands behind his back. He was curled up on the threadbare blanket left for his use in one corner.
He looked so young then, eyes closed and hair covering one cheek. His lips were slightly parted, and every now and then the smallest of snores issued from between them.
Narrin fought down the urge to run her finger along his jaw, stroke his cheek and hair. Pillow that vibrant red head in her lap, and sing soothing songs to deepen his sleep. But realism stayed her hand, and self restraint forced her to sit in the one solitary chair, watching him slumber and waiting for him to awaken.
Her heart ached, but the anger that had been allowed to fester there only antagonized her. She forced her feelings down, and averted her eyes from his intoxicating, sleeping form.
Aya's eyelids flitted open, but long years of experience trained his body not to move, allowing him to have his surroundings memorized before alerting the enemy of his wakefulness. His gaze froze on the Queen, who sat staring at the wall.
In that moment past dreams and not quite wakefulness, Aya felt the dizzying feeling as if his being was being sucked towards her. He told himself it was only the spell of her voice that made him want her so desperately, but another voice inside argued that the spell's power had faded days ago.
He spoke in French, making Narrin jump. "You require something?"
Narrin quickly regained her composure. "Indeed. Today, within the hour, you will speak in your tongue of Japanese. Understand? I would like this to move quickly. I have more important matters to attend to."
"And will the importance of this task grow, the longer it takes me to comply, I wonder?" Came the wry response.
"Do not speak in French any longer." Narrin said smoothly, power oozing from her voice.
Aya almost smiled before starting to talk, only this time, in English. "I can do that."
Narrin scowled. "Speak in Japanese, Aya!"
He didn't respond for a long time. So long, Narrin almost spoke again to reissue the order. But, quietly, face downcast, Aya spoke, his words in the graceful language of Japan.
"And thus I reluctantly betray my companions."
He spoke no more, Narrin leaving him after a few moments of silence.
...
Dressed all in black, the five fighters had made their plan back at the hotel before sneaking silently to the nearby castle. It wasn't going to be a walk in the park, granted. But they had the advantage of a perfectly mapped out plan, formulated by minds used to campaigning.
Yusuke and Kuwabara slipped off, only their Spirit Awareness guiding their steps. Six guards sat alertly in the well-lighted gatehouse, floodlights illuminating the drive up to the grand castle. More men were patrolling the huge stone wall, although every man was privately skeptical of anyone wishing to harm their beloved new Queen.
It was Yusuke and Kuwabara's job to get to the main doors first and get rid of as many guards as possible, allowing Emiko, Kurama, and Hiei a faster passage inside. Because all three would be in demon form (in part thanks to Koenma's contribution) they were the safest bet of getting Aya out.
The other three weren't going over the wall, but were sticking to the gate. It would be folly if all five went in together; the larger number would be spotted much more easily.
The security was impeccable, according to human standards. But gates and men alone couldn't stop two determined punks with a lot of Spirit Energy in reserve.
Kuwabara made the first attack, like a pawn's first move onto the threatening chessboard facing a vast opponent. Silently, which was a change for the usually boisterous teenager, Kuwabara swung a punch at a guard's face, knocking him out cold. Once the man was safely hidden under a nearby shrub, Kuwabara summoned Spirit power, and in one powerful burst was up and on top of the fence.
Yusuke gave a self-satisfied smirk as Kuwabara crouched low, as to not be seen. The plan was going off without a hitch so far!
Now for Yusuke's turn. He too snuck up on a guard, but froze in the darkness when the man spoke in French.
"Anee? Anee?"
The man was looking into the darkness, where the gaurd Kuwabara had knocked unconscious had been pacing the wall. Yusuke swore inwardly; he guessed this Anee was the man's name.
Acting fast, he reached out to the guard's neck and squeezed hard, as he'd seen Kurama do to knock people out. Instead, the man swung around, a bewildered look on his face.
"Shit." Yusuke muttered, and instead kicked the man hard. In the darkness, his foot flew off his original course to the stomach, and ended up smacking forcefully into his opponent's groin. His face seized up in pain, and he dropped to the earth, senseless.
"That...works too." Yusuke shook his head, wincing at the thought of a direct blow to...that delicate area. He shrugged it off, and leapt up to join Kuwabara on the wall. There were no guards inside the gate until closer to the castle, but the boys didn't drop to the earth just yet.
Yusuke motioned at a small box about midway down the wall. It was a motion sensor, and probably, when triggered, it flooded the surrounding area with a light connected to the system. Kuwabara stared at it for a moment, and then nodded.
Back at the gate, Hiei, Kurama and Emiko had a little bigger problem with the well lit gate and gatehouse full of watchful French eyes. Or, they would of had been a problem if it weren't for stealthy Hiei and his demonic speed.
Hiei ran to the gate and scaled it so fast a normal, naked human eye couldn't detect it. He went behind the gatehouse to the door. He knocked, trying to sound official. Once he heard the shuffling of footsteps as someone went to open the door, he quickly ran to the shadows.
The six men inside turned to the door in confusion, leaving Kurama and Emiko a split seconds' worth of time to get over the gate like Hiei had.
The were midway over when disaster nearly struck. A younger man looked out the window, and saw their dark shapes on the top of the gate. He pointed, and shouted in French. But, like the boy who cried wolf, none of the others paid him much attention. He was a newer recruit, and had "seen" things before in a sort of paranoia.
Emiko and Kurama weren't aware of their close shave, but once safely down and hidden in shadow, they ran fleetingly un the long gravel drive to the castle's main gates.
Yusuke and Kuwabara had found a tree to scramble into to avoid the motion sensors, and met up with the other three midway to the castle gate. Yusuke motioned to the three, leading them over to a smaller entrance used normally for deliveries.
Yusuke and Kuwabara hadn't been idle. Three men were piled in a neat heap on one side of the door, and Emiko had the lock picked in only a few minutes. She quietly admitted that the lock was more difficult then most.
Once inside, Kurama halted the group to hand Emiko a small vial filled with the liquid Koenma sent them. He had his own, and they drank together.
"How long?" Yusuke hissed.
Kurama held up two fingers, not wanting to say aloud two minutes. Yusuke nodded, and the group moved off again.
...
Narrin tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. There were times when her eyelids would finally feel heavy, but the moment she closed them her weariness would lift, leaving her both frustrated and sleepless again. No, it wasn't that her weariness wouldn't lift, it was merely her will to slumber.
Her weariness was a whole other matter. Ever since the prisoner Aya had been taken, she had held a weariness on her shoulders that highly troubled her. Five day past his capture, and he still was always on the edge of her mind, lingering on her thoughts and haunting her dreams.
She sat upright in the downy bed, and stuck her feet into the slippers by the bedside. Narrin then made her way out of her room and towards Aya's prison. She would find peace, even if it meant obliterating his memories and mind with a few harsh, powerful words.
The sounds of soft pattering feet made her freeze. She had ordered her guards to clear away from Aya's room, so she wouldn't have to pass them and let them see how flustered Aya made her. This knowledge affirmed the noise wasn't made by one of her men. The only other possibility was...an intruder!
Her hand unconsciously went to the cold handle of the gun she kept with her at all times. Her fingers traced the familiar patch from the trigger to the barrel, and horrified realization set in; she had no bullets inside the gun's chambers.
Squaring her shoulders, Narrin took a deep breath. She had her voice and no mortal could fight against that. And if it were those brats from almost a week ago, she was armed with their language.
But the first two people who rounded the corner in front of her made her freeze. These- these were no mortals she'd ever seen!
Two people, male and female, appeared human at first glance. A second glance would confirm the opposite. No human she knew of had animal ears adoring their heads, nor tails billowing from behind them. Dressed both in black, their silver and red colorations were almost electric. Their lips were forming snarls, showing canine-like teeth. In their eyes was the heat of battle-lust, and for the second time in her life, Narrin was truly afraid.
Bounding after them was three humans she recognized from the ambassador's house days earlier. Armed with this knowledge, her brain made two quick connections. These odd creatures were somehow connected to these Japanese students, and therefore understood Japanese. Her weapon was ready!
"Stop where you are!" The Queen's voice rumbled out in great waves of power, the energy within the words making her voice deepen.
Yusuke and Kuwabara immediately stopped dead in their tracks, no demon blood to protect their wills. Hiei, Kurama and Emiko appeared to be moving in slow motion, muscles rippling with the effort to keep moving, faces screwed up against the overwhelming desire to obey. They struggled this way for a few more paces, and then Narrin spoke again.
"Halt!"
The effect was too much for even the feisty fire-ice demon to handle, and the two foxes also admitted defeat. The power of the goddess had defeated them.
...
Emiko woke, groggily, to find herself held in place by a rippling band of deep purple Spirit Energy. Her eyes dimly registered the room around her; simple, drab, windowless and almost empty. The only other things inside it besides herself was one, straight-backed chair, a lamp on a rickety table, and the six glowing forms of her friends and Aya. All were wrapped in a similar Energy. She groaned.
"You awake?" Kurama looked at her, slightly concerned for his mate's well-being. The potion had worn off long ago, leaving them both in human forms. The first time the transformation ended was always the hardest, he knew.
"Barely." Emiko muttered. She looked down at herself. "What's with this Energy?"
"The Queen." Hiei answered. Emiko looked at him in surprise; she haden't known he was awake as well. "Just like Professors Emiko and Kurama predicted, she discovered new abilities when danger came running."
"Wonderful." Emiko muttered darkly. She struggled experimentally; the coil only tightened around her.
"No dice." Yusuke, who was also coherent, told her. "It only makes it worse."
Aya and Kuwabara were still asleep, but Emiko's eyes were drawn to Aya's face.
"Look at him." She whispered. "He looks..."
"Different." Yusuke supplied. "Changed."
"Wearier." Kurama added in.
"Yeah," Emiko nodded. "Like he's been taking this mental beating over and over again."
"He don't look unhappy, though." Yusuke observed.
Hiei's eyes barrowed as they scanned over Aya's features. Weary, yes, but unhappy, no. The big idiot was right for once. No, Aya simply looked like he had toiled long for a cause he wanted to see finished. This information the fire-ice demon stored within him, his mind making the connection between the Queen's expression and their companion's.
It figures they'd fall in love.
End Chapter
Authoress here.
I'm mad at myself. I had too much to put in, and my idea wasn't able to be finished within the chapter. Seven pages on Navvy was a little more than my average, but that just means next chapter will have a good head start before I even begin to write it!
I suggest that so you won't all be morally unfulfilled for today, you all review. WheeE!