Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Do you really have to rub it in? (Scowls.)

Chapter Three

(Shana's POV)

I poke very cautiously at the caustic looking substance on my cafeteria tray. I just transferred to this school, so I'm really not sure what food to trust yet. It looks like I'm going hungry today.

I'm sitting alone at the table. I don't really... know anyone yet. It's all right though. It's better this way, and I'm used to it. I transferred away from my last school because too many people found out about my "gift." It's happened more than once. I get careless, answer a question before it's asked or I know something that I shouldn't. Eventually someone figures it out. Luckily no one has figured out my curse. It's bad enough when people don't know about. I can't even imagine what it would be like if people knew they could control me... I look down at my food.

I am snapped out of my reverie by a vaguely familiar voice.

"Mind if my friends and I sit down here?" I look up. Bright green eyes meet my gaze. It's the beautiful stranger from the other day, I realize. Behind him are five other people, none of whom I've seen before.

"Um... sure." I respond, a little bit surprised. The whole group sits down. My table has gone from holding a lonely one person to a very crowded seven.

"I don't think I ever introduced myself to you. My name is Shuichi Minamano, but you can call me Kurama."

"Kurama? That's a peculiar nickname." I speculate. Immediately strange images flash through his mind. I catch one image of a white haired man with a fox tail and ears. He is awesome and terrifying.

"Its...a long story." He smiles wistfully.

"I'm Yusuke Urameshi." Another attractive boy says. His black hair is messy. He looks a little younger than me, but his eyes are too old for him. They have a fighters gleam. "Ex-Jr. High punk." His honest grin is strangely reassuring. This boy is smarter than he lets people think. I can tell.

"I'm Kazuma Kuwabara." The boy sitting next to Yusuke says. This one is not attractive at all. He is much too tall with a strangely angular face. From what I can tell, he's not the brightest crayon in the box. He's got a good heart, though.

"This is Hiei." Kurama says, introducing the smaller guy sitting next to him. Hiei is very short, but something about him made you think that your life would be cut very short if you pointed this fact out. He's certainly very attractive, but in an unconventional kind of way. His crimson eyes are disconcerting.

"Enough with this small talk." Hiei says. His voice is cold. "Just tell the psychic what we're here for."

My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat. Every hair on the back of my neck stands on end.

"Who told you that?" I demand, panic rising in my voice.

"Well, I guess we have to explain this to her now, huh?" Yusuke asks. How can they know? How could someone here know already?

"Who told you that?" I demand.

"It doesn't matter who told us. The point is, we were sent here to protect you." Kurama says, looking right at me.

(Kurama POV)

Shana looks shocked at my words.

"Protect me?" She stutters. "But why?"

"We know about your powers, but we also know about the unfortunate side affects." Hiei says, his arm crossed over his chest. "We're here to makes sure that no one tries to use your power for their own reasons."

I turn to look at Shana. For the first time, I really study her. Her long bangs fall over pale gray eyes, the color of the winter sky. She is wearing very baggy clothing, but I can see curves nevertheless. She's beautiful, but does a good job hiding it.

Right now she looked utterly, utterly terrified.

"You... know about that too?" Her voice is void of any emotion.

"Yes, we do." I say, leaning in to catch her eye. "But none of us would ever use it against you."

"Yeah, we may be a tough group, but we're not cruel." Kuwabara cuts in.

(Shana's POV.)

"You have nothing to fear from us!" Chirps the girl sitting next to me. She's very happy looking and has bright blue eyes. "I'm Boton, by the way. Nice to meet you!"

I feel like I'm about to throw up.

"You know about me, yet you don't seemed surprised or afraid." I manage a small smile despite my nausea. "Do I even want to know who you people really are?"

"Well, I'm a fox demon and a thief who had to flee to this body to escape capture. I'm about a thousand years old, really. Kurama comes from my old name, Yoko Kurama." Kurama says. I stare at him in disbelief. He looks fifteen. But then I can see into his mind and tell that he's not lying. The man I saw before must have been Yoko... this is too bizarre.

"Hiei here is about three hundred years and a demon as well. You really don't want to see what's under that bandana." Kurama continues. Hiei scowls.

"Yusuke is the spirit detective. He's human... well... mostly." Kurama looks at Yusuke. "What else is there to say about you, Yusuke?"

"Oh, I've been dead once!" He grins. He's not joking, which terrifies me. "Twice if you count that time with Suzaku." (AN: This is at a point after the Dark Tourniment.)

"Boton's a ferry girl and she can fly on an oar." Kurama continues. Boton beams at me.

"Kuwabara's a human, but he's also strong."

"If you want to know his deep dark secret, he actually sleeps with his kittens." Yusuke says to me. I can't help but smile as he grins at me.

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara protests.

"This is Keiko. She's human, but not a fighter." Keiko is a mousy brown haired girl. She smiles at me warmly. She seems normal, which is a relief in this bunch of freaks. But hey, look who's talking...

"Yusuke and her are an item." Boton whispers to me, a sly look on her face.

"No we're not!" Yusuke objects, his face turning pink. It's an amusing look for someone who I can tell tries to act tough. Well, he does have feelings for her and vice verca, that much I can see right away.

"Denial." Scoffs Boton. Yusuke ignores her, but he's still blushing.

"So anyways, we're here to protect you until you get better control over your power." Boton adds, smiling at me. Definitely bubbly, this one.

Well, this is a lot to take in at once. To know that maybe I'm not the only one with powers like these... it's not a bad feeling.

I look at the group in front of me, at their smiling faces, (in Hiei's case, scowling) and wonder what I've gotten myself into.