Genkai gets another student
[1]
Yusuke arrived at Le's hotel early the next morning. He had the front desk ring her room and a few minutes later she came down. They took her rental car and spent a good chunk of the morning driving to Genkai's. They talked little, stopping occasionally for coffee. They reached the parking area and headed into the woods.
Yusuke lead the sulking Yankee up the steps to Genkai's temple. She looked tired and miserable. She had braided the length of her hair haphazardly. Yusuke thought it looked like she had dressed herself in her sleep. She wore a faded and tattered looking t-shirt. The dancing bears across the back had lost their former brightness. There were holes in the knees of her faded blue jeans. Though Yusuke thought it wildly inappropriate to meet Genkai looking like that, there was no turning back now.
Le followed Yusuke to the yard where Genkai stood; hands clasped at the small of her back, watching the morning fill up around her. She took a deep breath and faced them. "Good morning Yusuke," she addressed her student.
Yusuke bowed slightly. "Genkai. Master Genkai, this is Le, the one Boton told you to be expecting." He looked at the Yankee warily. "Le this is Master Genkai."
Le was so tired she felt like she was floating. And the energy in this place!? Is that from the old woman? Her lips seemed to have forgotten they had a brain to control them. "Long days and pleasant nights old mother," she said from leagues away.
Genkai grunted at her. "Long days indeed girl. Wake up when I'm talking to you!" Her voice was loud and sharp. Le straightened at once and Yusuke flinched. Genkai waited until she had their attention and continued. "Boton tells me you got the touch. She says you're fast and not stupid. You can find the type A's too no problem. Good." She paused sizing the girl up. "But apparently you don't know anything about spirit energy. Don't have a clue. Humph! So we're going to teach you, Yusuke and me. You will do what we tell you to do and you will learn."
Le stared down at the old woman trying to decide if she hated her, or just feared her. Bossy old bitch aint she? Training had been part of the whole Spirit Detective deal she had struck with Koinma, but that didn't mean she liked it. Or any of these people either for that matter. Not like it matters. They don't like me anyway. Especially him. Her eyes shifted to Yusuke. He stood at attention, but the look in his eyes made it clear he would rather be anywhere then here. She sighed. "This fuckin sucks," she mumbled under her breath.
It happened so fast Yusuke barely had time to register that it was happening. Genkai's small hand flashed through the air and connected with Le's cheek with a resounding SMACK. She hit her hard enough to leave a blazing red tattoo across the Yankees face. Le's eyes widened and her mouth became a little o of surprise. Tears from the sting of the slap stood in her eyes. She brought her hand up as if to protect her cheek a little too late. "You crazy old bitch!" she shrieked, angry and frightened. "You hit me!"
Genkai was composed. "There are worse things to come for you yet girl, I'm afraid. For starters you're going to move in here with me."
Le took a step back. "Oh, hellz no. I have a place."
Genkai frowned at her. "I could care less what you have, this is how it is." She turned her attention to Yusuke. "You too Yusuke. She isn't just my student, she's yours too. I'll give you two till tonight to get your things together and settle in here."
Yusuke looked frustrated, but it was Le that spoke up. "Hey wait a minute you old crotch! I am so not moving in here with you and him!" she jabbed her thumb in Yusuke's direction. This had defiantly not been part of the deal with Koinma. Le thought that she would at least still have some freedom, but this... "This is bullshit!"
Yusuke was flabbergasted. "Shut up stupid!" he warned her.
Genkai narrowed her eyes at the Yankee woman. "Look, I don't know what kinda trouble you were sitting in to get Koinma's back hair up, but you had better face the fact that he owns you now and that means so do I."
"Nobody owns me," Le spat hatefully.
Genkai cackled a rusty laugh. "We'll just see about that. You have until dark. Now both of you beat it. I'd like to enjoy the rest of my day." Genkai turned her back to them ending the conversation.
"Come on," Yusuke grunted, angry. Getting stuck living at Genkai's hadn't been in his plans either, but his intuition told him he had just better shut up and put up. He looked at the girl who was trying to bore holes into Genkai's back with her eyes. She had completely ignored him so he grabbed wrist and yanked her along. "Lets go." He was firm.
She shook herself from Yusuke's grip and glared at him. He started away and after a few seconds she reluctantly followed.
[2]
Yusuke went with Le up to her room in the hotel. She didn't have much to collect. A lap top and an army issued duffel bag packed to near bursting with the contents of some other life. To Yusuke, she looked more like a run away then a spirit detective. They hadn't spoken, with the exception of directions, all the way here. Yusuke stood by the door, uneasy about being alone in her room with her. She was in a foul mood, shoving stray clothing into the duffle with furious jabs. Finally Yusuke broke the silence. "Lookit, staying at Genkai's isn't my idea of fun either, but if it's what Koinma said..."
She paused with a folded shirt in her hand. "Fuckin Koinma. I shoulda known better then to trust a binky chewing guy like him." She shoved the shirt into her bag. "He just better keep his word."
As much as Yusuke wanted to dislike her, he was equally curious. "It's none of my business, and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but what's Koinma got on you anyway? It just seems pretty weird to me that he would just hand me someone that doesn't even know how to use their spirit energy."
She cinched the bag closed. For a full minute she just stood there looking down at it. "He threatened my friends."
Yusuke was genuinely surprised. "Koinma did? What, were they demons?" And then he remembered the vampires. As a spirit detective his job was to catch vampires, but it sounded like this girl was protecting them. "You mean vampires, don't you?" his tone was dark.
She looked at him flat eyed. "I mean my friends. Koinma said he would leave them alone if I did what he asked."
What the hell is so special about this girl that Koinma would overlook vampires? He rested a fist on his hip. "So what does Koinma want from you then?"
"Fucked if I know. He just told me Team Urameshi and blah, blah, blah." She sighed tiredly and rubbed her cheek where Genkai's handprint had faded to an outline of mean looking pink.
"You must have some seriously powerful untapped spirit energy," Yusuke wondered aloud.
"I already told you I don't understand what you're talking about. Koinma thought my ability to ...see would help you guys out."
"You're psychic?"
"Not really. But I can see through the eyes of just about any vampire in the world, it's part of my gift."
Yusuke looked confused and horrified at the same time. "But... you're not a vampire..."
She fixed him with a frown. "Boton didn't tell you about me did she?"
"Tell me what?" Yusuke wasn't really sure he wanted to know.
She leaned against the back of the couch. "I'm a half breed. My mother was human, but my father was..." she looked away, "He was a Type A vampire."
Yusuke was reeling. Can that even happen? Aren't vampires dead? "How?" the word came out small. He shook his head to collect his thoughts.
She looked at him and raised a brow. "How the hell am I supposed to know? I came along after the fact." She swept her bangs back in a distracted fashion. "I have the strength and speed of a very powerful vampire. I learned how to use my preternatural gifts from the best."
"From a vampire?" Yusuke's face felt numb. Did she just say her father is a vampire?!
"The Brat Prince of 'em all."
"He's your father then?"
She smiles at the absurdity of having him called her father. "No. He's more like..." she searched for the right words and found them in the pages of a book. "He's my ka daddy."
"Your what?"
She bit her lip for a moment thinking about it. "He's older and wiser and I respect him for that, but I love him too. He is very dear to me. They both are."
Yusuke was stunned. She was talking about vampires as though they were people. "You lived with vampires?" his voice wavered.
She sighed heavily and looked away from Yusuke. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand."
Yusuke scowled. "I would too. Hiei's a demon and Kurama is too... sorta. I trust both of them with my life." Yusuke walked into the room so that he stood a few feet away from Le. "I'd like to understand where you're coming from, Le. You're going to be spending a lot of time with me and Genkai. I think it would be better if we didn't spend all of that time trying to claw each others eyes out, don't you?"
Le grabbed the strap of her duffle and pulled up over her shoulder. "Don't worry about it Urameshi." She pushed passed him, bumping shoulders in a way Yusuke thought very New York of her, and went out of the room.
[3]
When he arrived home, Yusuke's mother was no where to be found. The Yankee followed him in carrying a paperback that looked like it had been read no less then 50 times. She took a seat at the table and opened her book, saying nothing to Yusuke since they had left the hotel. I'm getting the cold shoulder from a vampire. He was about to say something when the phone rang. She looked up from her book at him. Yusuke reached for the phone and walked into his room as he answered it. Le tried not to listen to the one sided conversation, but it was hard not to in such close quarters. "Hey Kurama."
The flirty red head from last night. Her eyes were on her book, her ears on Urameshi.
"Well, I gotta get my stuff together to go stay at Genkai's for a while... Yeah... Yeah... Probably for a little bit... I dunno if that's such a hot idea right about now..."
"Hey Urameshi you hear?" Kuwabara called from the door. A few seconds later he came into the room where Le sat at the table. "Oh hi! How ya doin Le," Kuwabara beamed.
She couldn't help but smile at him. She found Kuwabara hilarious, and a very nice guy to boot. "Hi Kuwabara," she returned. "Yusuke's on the phone."
"Oh, that's okay," Kuwabara said taking a seat across from her. "So you met Genkai this morning huh? How was that?"
"She slapped me," Le's hand went to her face. Suddenly her eyes brimmed with bitter tears. She didn't want to do this, not any of it. Least of all go through training with that hellish old woman and that miserable Yusuke Urameshi. Oh Lou, what is happening to me? All at once she couldn't hold it back any longer and started to bawl her eyes out.
Kuwabara's face fell and he felt suddenly panicked. He flew out of his seat and to her side to try to help. As soon as he was to her, Le grabbed him around his broad chest and buried her crying face in his shoulder. He didn't know if he should hug her or not, but seeing a girl cry like this was horrible! "Uh..." Kuwabara stammered as he patted her on the back. "Don't cry Le, Genkai probably meant to hit Yusuke."
Le sniffed back a sob. "She's a mean old bitch and Yusuke's a big fuckin asshole and I have to go live with them! They hate me!"
Kuwabara held the sobbing woman by her shoulders and made her look at him. "Hey, come on now. Yer not gonna let a little prick like Urameshi make ya cry now are ya? Just train hard and beat his punk ass inta the dirt!" Kuwabara smiled. "You can do that right? You want to don't ya?"
Le stopped crying and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Defiantly," she grumbled.
"Don't worry about Genkai either. Sure she's set in her ways, but I'm sure if Urameshi is around he'll be her punchin bag not you."
Le smiled at Kuwabara. He is such a nice guy! "Thanks Kuwabara. I'm just really not looking forward to this shit."
Yusuke walked into the kitchen with the phone in hand. He frowned at Kuwabara. "Hands off the chicklet, meathead," he snapped.
Kuwabara returned Yusuke's frown as he straightened and faced him. "It's called giving comfort to another human being Urameshi. Obviously you know nothing about it," Kuwabara was smug.
Yusuke barred his teeth. "Whatever," he hissed.
Kuwabara continued, "And FYI I wouldn't have to be taking care of this poor girl if you weren't such an asshole and Genkai hadn't beaten her up."
Yusuke glared at Le. "What?"
"Hey," Kuwabara directed Yusuke's attention back to him. "I'm talkin to you here, Urameshi and I want to make sure you're hearing me clear, ya dig?"
Yusuke crossed his arms over his chest and sneered at Kuwabara. "What the fuck do you got to say to me."
Kuwabara chuckled. "Yer such an ass Urameshi," he shook his head. He fixed Yusuke with a serious stare. "I better not hear about you bein a dick to her while you guys are out at Genkai's, you got me Urameshi? If yer mean to her, you'll have to answer to me."
I fuckin knew it! I knew that idiot would end up protecting her. Yusuke whistled through his teeth in disgust. "I've got to train her, ya idiot. There is no nice way to do that."
Kuwabara raised a finger to Yusuke. "Hey, training is one thing. Being a jerk, like you usually are, is another. Le's gonna be part of team Urameshi now and I wont stand for seein you treat her like crap." Kuwabara looked down into Le's amused face. "Right lady?"
She smiled at Kuwabara. He stuck up for me! "Yeah." She looked at Yusuke, who looked completely pissed off, and her smile broadened.
"Fuck you guys," Yusuke said turning away. "I knew this was gonna happen." He imitated Kuwabara's voice as he strode down the hall. "Don't worry, I'' protect you." His voice became his own again. "Idiot." Yusuke stormed to his room and slammed the door behind him.
Kuwabara shook his head. "See? He's a jerk. Don't let him get to you." Kuwabara took his seat across the table from Le again. "Just channel yer desire to beat the shit outta him into yer training. That's what I do."
Le burst out laughing. She knew she was going to like Kuwabara a lot. It might not be that bad if Kuwabara is around. She relaxed a little. "How long do you think we'll be at Genkai's?" she asked the grinning red head.
Kuwabara thought about it for a minute. "Well, it took Urameshi three months, but he's a little slow so..."
"Didju just say three months?" it came out fast. Three months with those two?!
Kuwabara sensed her apprehension. "Don't worry. After you get the hang of using your spirit energy the rest of us will be up to train with ya."
Le stared at her battered trade paperback copy of It on the table in front of her. Wanna switch places Bill? I'll take on Pennywise if you deal with Yusuke and that mean old bitty in the hills? She sighed thumbing the pages of her book. "Yeah, okay." She fell silent, losing herself in thoughts of a thousand other places she'd rather spent three months.
"You'll catch on quick I'm sure," Kuwabara sounded confident.
The phone rang again and Yusuke picked it up from in his room. A minute later he was walking into the kitchen hanging up. He looked stressed and tired. He set the phone back in its cradle and turned to Kuwabara. "Hey listen, do me a favor. Take her and beat it for a while. Kayko's coming over."
"Yer suck a slob Urameshi," Kuwabara teased.
Yusuke favored him with his best 'fuck you' stare and went on. "I haven't even told Kayko yet that I'm leaving."
"What?" Kuwabara was surprised. "Why not?"
"I wanted to tell her in person, not that it's any of your business ya big dope." Yusuke sighed. "I haven't said much about any of this to Kayko. I guess I was hoping this wouldn't happen." He glared at Le. "Thanks a lot."
"Right back at ya asshole," she retorted.
Yusuke looked back at Kuwabara. "Just get her outta here for a while would ya? You baby-sit her for the afternoon."
Le narrowed her eyes at Yusuke. Kuwabara stood up and stepped between the two facing Yusuke. "How much does Kayko know?"
Yusuke shrugged. "That I gotta train a newb. Some dude from New York," he sneered New York.
Kuwabara raised an eyebrow. "Some dude from New York? Not some chick? Does Kayko even know Le's a girl?"
Yusuke was caught. "Well, not yet."
"You moron," Kuwabara scolded. "Now it's gonna look like yer ditching Kayko to go play teacher with some hot chick in the woods!" he turned to Le quickly. "No offense dude," he said and turned back to Yusuke. "You shoulda told her it was a girl in the first place stupid! Now Kayko's gonna think you hid that from her on purpose. Yer such an asshole Urameshi."
Yusuke was getting seriously irritated with Kuwabara. "Just take her and get out already! What's going on with me and Kayko is none of your business!"
Le got to her feet and headed for the door. "I am so fucking out of here."
Kuwabara followed her. "Yeah, let's leave Urameshi alone. I think I hear his hand calling him." The two disappeared and Yusuke heard the door close behind them.
"Asshole," Yusuke growled. He turned and went back to his room to start packing, and to wait for Kayko.
[4]
Le drove as Kuwabara navigated them through the city. Le popped on a cd with some of her favorite Missy songs as they cruised. After a little touring they stopped for a "red slushie" at the woman's instance. As they were getting back into the car, Kuwabara's cell phone went off. He flipped it open. "Yeah?" he answered sinking into the seat. "Oh hey Kurama."
Le got behind the wheel listening to the one sided conversation.
"Me and Le is just ridein around, seein the sights ya know...." He paused listening to the other red head for a minute. "Sounds cool to me. Lemme ask Le." He lowered the phone and looked at Le. "Ya wanna go get Kurama? He say's he'll buy lunch." Kuwabara smiled winningly.
"I don't gotta eat squid or some shit do I?" she teased.
Kuwabara laughed and said into the phone, "We're comin." He ended the call and pulled his seatbelt on. "Hey, it's a free lunch, what can I say? A big guy like me gets hungry ya know."
Le set her slushie into the cup holder and buckled up. "Oh, I can imagine." She laughed thinking she must look like a dwarf standing next to him. At least I'm taller then that Hiei cat. She laughed again as she pulled out into the street.
Kuwabara guided them to the home of Shuuichi Minamino and they stepped out of the car. "Remember," Kuwabara reminded, "Its Shuuichi around other people, not Kurama."
Le nodded, but Kuwabara's tip was unnecessary. Kurama came out of the house to meet them. He came over with a pleasant smile on his face. "Hey you two," he greeted.
Kuwabara grinned at his friend. "Ya all set?"
Kurama stood beside Kuwabara. "Ready when you are." He turned to Le. "And how are you today Le? Yusuke tells me you had a bit of trouble with Genkai."
Her eyes widened. "What? Jeez does everybody know?" she scowled.
"Genkai slapped her," Kuwabara said flatly.
Kurama nodded, his eyes still on the Yankee. "Why did she do that?"
Le flushed a little. "I said, this fuckin sucks, and she decked me."
Kurama took a step closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry to say that you're no longer in the states my dear. I don't know how you treat your elders in New York, but over here you must show respect. And Genkai is not just your elder; she is also your master now. She will come to love you I'm sure, but first she will control you. She does what she does to make you stronger, to mold you. I'm sure it will be just fine." Kurama stepped back dropping his hand to his side.
Le stood where she was for a minute, stumped. Kurama seemed to be just as encouraging as Kuwabara was. "Yeah, fine," she said staring at Kurama.
"Alright, enough with the pep talk already, I'm starving!" Kuwabara piped up. They piled into the car, Kurama behind Le, and headed out.
[5]
Kayko arrived at Yusuke's about a half an hour after Kuwabara and Le had left. She came in quietly and found Yusuke in his room. He was sorting through some clothes and Kayko noticed his gym bag sitting open on his bed. "Yusuke?"
He turned away from his folded shirts and faced Kayko. He gave her a big hug. "Hey Kayko. We gotta talk."
Kayko pulled away from Yusuke, her eyes going back to his bag. "You're going somewhere aren't you?"
Yusuke took her hand and looked into her eyes. "It's nothing dangerous. It's just to Genkai's for a while."
She looked up at him, frowning a little. "You have to go train the new guy, don't you?" She was relived he wasn't setting off on another dangerous mission, but training meant time away.
"Yeah," he sighed.
"Well, how long will you be gone this time?"
Yusuke thought back to last night; to not being able to sense the Yankee's spirit energy. He scowled. "Hopefully not too long."
"What about your classes Yusuke?"
He stepped back still holding Kayko's hand. "Looks like I'd have to take em again next semester anyway."
She felt bad for him. For Yusuke, collage and spirit detecting hadn't worked so well together. He missed classes, skipped homework and failed test after test. Kayko could see Yusuke's mood was somber and so she decided not to press. "Have you met your new guy yet? Weren't you supposed to meet him last night?"
Yusuke let go of her hand and rubbed at his neck nervously. "Ah, yeah, we met last night. All of us, you know."
Kayko smiled a little. "So, what's he like?"
Ah crap. Here we go. "Actually he's a she," Yusuke said trying not to look at her.
"A girl? The newb you have to go train is a girl?" Kayko found it rather suspicious that Yusuke just found out that the Yankee was female. He's been hiding that from me. She glared at him. "How long have you known it was a girl Yusuke?"
Yusuke backpedaled. "Now hold on Kayko, I can explain."
The fact that Yusuke was squirming was making her angry. "What, did you think I'd get all jealous and pissy?"
"I just didn't know how to tell you! I didn't want you getting upset about Le," there was a pleading quality to his voice.
She put her hands on her hips and stared him down. "Why do you think I'd get upset Yusuke? You think I'm some crazy jealous psycho or something?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Or is it because she's pretty?"
Yusuke whistled through his teeth in disgust. "Pretty my ass, she's a bitch."
"I didn't ask you if she was a bitch, I asked you if she was pretty." Part of Kayko was relived to hear that Yusuke didn't seem to like this new girl.
Yusuke put a hand on his hip and frowned at Kayko. "No, she's not pretty. She's just a miserable bitch from New York. Satisfied?"
She smiled a little. "Maybe. But maybe I should meet her before you go."
Yusuke startled a little. "Huh? Why?"
She raised a brow at him. "I think I have a right to meet the girl you'll be training with Yusuke. You two will be alone up there at Genkai's ya know."
The first bands of panic steeled themselves inside of Yusuke. "Genkai will be there," he spoke with haste. "Besides," he tried to sound relaxed, "I wouldn't want to subject you to that. I'm sure Genkai and I can smack some manners into her."
Kayko shook her head, amused. "You're mean Yusuke."
Yusuke stepped forward and put his arms around Kayko. "Well, cuz of her I gotta leave you for a while. So... I gotta right to be mean."
She wrapped her arms around him, smiling up at him. "You better be good Yusuke."
"You better be good too Kayko," he teased. He bent down and kissed her, encircling her in his arms and wishing he didn't have to leave.
[6]
After lunch Kuwabara directed Le back to his house. He wanted so see if he could catch Shizuru at home so that he could introduce Le to her. Kurama came along for the ride, enjoying the view of the Yankee in the rear view mirror. When they got to Kuwabara's, the house was empty so the three went into the living room. Le was instantly transfixed on Kuwabara's Playstation 2. "Where's yer games bro?" she asked the big red head, pointing to the console.
Kuwabara chuckled and pointed to a cabinet behind the television. "In there lil sis."
Kurama smiled as he sank into one of the soft couches. "Do you suppose we should let Yusuke know we're here?"
"Naw," Kuwabara said flicking on the TV and the game system. "I'm sure he'll find us when he's ready."
Le found it easier to just pull the games out a little and look at the picture then to try to read the sides. "You guys have trained with Urameshi before. What's he like?"
"He's a dick," Kuwabara responded immediately. "And a whiner. I'm sure you'll have loads of fun."
"It's true Yusuke can be difficult," Kurama added, "but Genkai will be there to keep him in line." He looked over at Le. "I'm not saying that your training will be easy, but Genkai is fair. She won't let Yusuke be a jerk."
She turned to Kurama, still kneeling in front of the games. "Is it really going to take...months?"
Kurama and Kuwabara exchanged a wary glance. Kuwabara spoke up first. "It depends on how quick you can learn to use your spirit energy. I mean, you already know how to fight right? So all ya really need to do is concentrate on your spirit energy."
She faced Kuwabara, sitting on her heels. "What is spirit energy? How do you guys use it? I don't get it."
Kuwabara leaned forward in his chair a little. "It's like your real power. I trained myself to use my spirit sword, and I've learned to manipulate that flow of energy into other things. For Urameshi, it's his spirit gun. The stronger you become, the more hard core your spirit energy is." He smiled satisfied. "Genkai will show you how to focus your spirit energy. I can't wait to see what your spirit weapon will be."
"Spirit energy..." Le cast her eyes down. "But I don't feel anything like that."
Kuwabara cut his eyes over to Kurama. Kurama shook his head mouthed the words I can sense nothing to the other red head. Kuwabara looked at Le. "You must be hiding your spirit energy and not even realize your doing it. Every living thing has at least a little spirit energy... but I don't sense anything coming from you..."
Every living thing Le lifted her eyes to meet Kuwabara's. "I guess that must be it then right?"
A sudden chill crept up Kuwabara's spine. He stared at the girl with a mute sort of fascination. No spirit energy and her life force...is weird. Is she somehow messin with that to? It...He focused on her. It flickers. What the...? "Maybe you're a lot stronger then you think you are."
"Genkai will be able to guide you," Kurama cut in. "She trained Yusuke well."
Kuwabara nodded in agreement. "He was just a punk before Genkai straightened him out. "
Le frowned a little. "I don't think Yusuke or that old bat up in the hills like me very much. I really don't wanna be stuck up there with those two forever."
"We'll join you shortly," Kurama said smiling at her.
Kuwabara was curious. "Can you feel anything when you focus your energy in your hand?"
Le looked at him, puzzled. "Huh?"
Kuwabara stood up. "Here, come here." Le got up and came over to him as he fished his hilt out of his deep pocket. He held the sword in front of him with one hand. "Okay, put your hands around my hilt."
Le giggled. "Sounds kinky." She wrapped her hands around Kuwabara's. "Okay now what?"
Kuwabara moved so that he was behind her, boxing her in. He brought his other hand up and laid it over hers. "Now I'm just gonna do a really little spirit sword, but I want you to feel the energy. Try and feel how I do it okay?"
"Okay," she said a little nervously. She tried to concentrate on Kuwabara's hands. A moment later she could feel something. A sort of tingling like electricity.
"Spirit sword," Kuwabara conjured. A beam of energy emerged from thin air forming a small contained blade of spirit energy.
Something warm enveloped Le's hands. Her eyes stared wide at the blade as the energy ran up her arms and through her body. It's yellow. Like sunlight. "I see the..." she mumbled, her face feeling numb. Something else was happening to her. The room was suddenly much brighter. The sunlight falling through the windows was exceedingly bright. She could see every particle of dust dancing in the sunbeams. Then it changed. The light coming in through the window seemed to expand. The room grew hotter. It's coming to get me. To burn me up. Rays of light crawled across the floor to her writhing like snakes. And she heard them talking and hissing. Burn.
For a minute she just stared at the crawlies on the verge of panic. "No." she muttered.
Kurama looked at her concerned. Her eyes had taken on a vacant look. "Kuwabara..."
The burning snakes of sunlight were almost to her. It was a furnace in here and getting brighter every second. She wanted to move, to flee, but she couldn't. Something held her where she stood. I can't move. They're gonna get me?!
Kuwabara tilted his head and looked at her. "Le?"
Le stared at light coming at her. "No" she said again. You're not getting me. She closed her eyes and tried to reach out to the energy surrounding her. Protect me.
The energy in Kuwabara's sword flickered for a minute, and then seemed to melt away. At the same time he watched a pinkish glow surround Le. He sensed her spirit energy all at once. She was forming an immense defensive shield around herself. He looked over at Kurama wide eyed. He looked scared.
"Stop it Kuwabara," Kurama said standing and going over to them.
Kuwabara took his hands off of hers and moved to pull away. It was enough to break the flow of spirit energy and the light around Le dispersed. She blinked long as if waking from some bad dream. She let go of the hilt and stepped back. "What the..." she stammered.
"It was a shield I think," Kuwabara said brightly. "Holy crap Kurama, did you feel that spirit energy?"
Kurama folded his arms across his chest. "Indeed."
She looked from Kuwabara to Kurama. They didn't see it. What the fuck was that? "What just happened?"
Kurama looked concerned. "It looks as though Kuwabara got you to use your spirit energy. You were creating a barrier around yourself." I wonder why.
"That was some intense energy," Kuwabara said quietly.
"So you felt my spirit energy then?" she asked hopeful.
Kuwabara grinned. "Oh yeah." His smile broadened as he leaned in a little closer to her. "I bet you'll sure give Urameshi something cry about!" He burst into gales of laughter.
Kurama shook his head at his friend patiently. "So we have seen that she is capable of learning defense, which is good; considering Yusuke and Genkai are likely to be a bit rough with the girl." His eyes wandered to Le. "But I'm afraid you'll be stuck at Genkai's until you can form and use a spirit weapon."
Kuwabara dismissed Kurama with a wave of the hand. "Oh come on Kurama, you felt that energy. All she's gotta do is learn how to swing it or shoot it or whatever." He turned his head and looked at Le. "It won't take you that long. I'll bet you'll be kickin Urameshi's ass in no time."
She smiled at Kuwabara, but it felt plastic on her face. The light was coming to get me. "Sure Kuwabara. No problem."
A short while later, Yusuke called and let Kuwabara know he was ready to head to Genkai's. Kuwabara navigated them first to Kurama's to drop him off. From there they went and picked up Yusuke. Kuwabara directed Le back to his house and got out. Yusuke moved into the front seat. Kuwabara leaned in the window saying his good byes. "Train hard Le," he said dropping her a wink.
"I will."
Kuwabara looked at Yusuke. "Behave yourself Urameshi."
"Yeah, yeah. Later Kuwabara."
Kuwabara watched as they pulled out of the drive and onto the street. He watched after them until they disappeared around a corner. "Be good," he mumbled to no one in particular. As the big red head turned and headed back inside his house, he realized he already missed his friend maybe just a little.