Ehehehe, no, I'm not dead. Not yet, at least...(nervous look) Here's the next chapter!

Chapter Eleven- Priestess Training, Part II

-

Asa fought a sudden urge to gag, and repeatedly swallowed back the taste of bile as she made her way down the hill into the clearing, avoiding blood that was splattered randomly on the ground. She'd sent Jin to get Umi out of there as soon as possible, knowing that her cousin wouldn't be able to handle such a scene.

There was a tattered, broken body laying in the center of the clearing, and as Touya, Kasumi, and Natsumi stood at the edge of the forest, not daring to impose on the awful yet still sight, Asa made her way toward it, cradling her broken arm close to her in a mixture of awe and disgust. What sort of creature could have caused such massive and completely vile destruction to a single human body? She was horrified by the thought that the body could be that of her grandmother, as well.

When she reached it, she dropped to her knees, heedless of the blood that was now staining her hands and clothes as she turned over the person to see a familiar face. Tears welled in her eyes and she cried out in anguish, "Nanna!"

The twins were both at her side instantaneously, but Touya held back, not as suave with the female gender as some people (cough cough Kurama cough cough) and certainly the average male, and Kasumi said gently, "Asa-chan, she may still be alive…"

"I know…I have to check." Asa reluctantly extended a tremulous hand out and felt her grandmother's neck for a pulse. She didn't expect to find one, but…

Thump…

…Thump…

……Thump…

"Nanna! Can you hear me, Nanna?!" Asa shook her grandmother's shoulder as gently as she could, frantic for a response from Edna.

"Brenna! Careful, foolish girl!" Edna's voice rasped, and the older woman peeled her eyes open, turning her head to meet Asa's widened ones. "Brenna, the time has come. The beast has returned…he came for me this time, but when he returns, it will be for you."

"The beast…? Nanna, what are you talking about? You're scaring me…" Asa said, ignoring Kasumi and Natsumi.

"The one…that did that," Edna weakly gestured at Asa's broken arm, "is the beast."

"Sakai?! He did this?!" Natsumi demanded. Edna ignored her, looking at Asa as if she were the only one there.

"That is the same creature your cousin used to see outside her window…the same one that has haunted your family since the time of the High Priestesses; there is something about your heritage which you do not know, my child…"

"?" Asa asked, unintentionally speaking in Gaelic.

"Brenna, you're the last in our family line capable of becoming a priestess; the Priestess…"

Asa stared at her grandmother for a long moment, then, "What-a-huh?! Are you getting delirious?!"

"Brenna," Edna said in a scolding manner, "I don't have much time left. You must listen!" Asa stared at her grandmother again, now curiously concerned. "You must harness the power that thrives within you, my granddaughter. Your friends will be able to help you. Here, take my hand…" Asa nodded and clasped her grandmother's bloodstained hand in hers. Her dream was coming back to mind, but she ignored the thought for a moment, curious as to what her grandmother was doing. "Now, close your eyes and concentrate."

"Right," Asa nodded, following Edna's orders. She wondered what she was supposed to be concentrating on, but after a moment, she felt a warmth come over her…it was oddly familiar…

Then, all was black.

-

This was the same temple as her other dream, she knew. The same torches in the same elemental doorways, and the same elevated platform. But…something was different. The place seemed…smaller, somehow.

"Lady Ai?!" an unfamiliar voice cried from one of the four halls—the one in front of her, she recognized.

"Hai?" The second voice was also unfamiliar, yet it had come from her own lips. Blinking a few times in confusion, she looked down at herself. Well, that may have been why this place seemed different—she was at least six inches taller than she had been just a few seconds ago…and whoa, 'those' weren't hers! ((A/N: lol, very Freaky Friday, sorry…oh, I don't own that either!)) She was in a kimono of golden and silver material, as well, with a strange kanji written on the back of her hand…"ai." Ai? Love?! Um…

"Come quickly, Lady Ai! The Priestess Risa is here waiting for you! Do not doddle!"

"I'll be right there!" she called in that strange voice again, then stepped gracefully off the platform and brushed by one of the torches which still remained in the doorways to exit the "special platform room," as she had just nicknamed it. She found herself in an average temple, but unlike Genkai's Labyrinth of Hell, she knew her way around this one. After picking a few halls to wander through, she entered a room that actually reminded her of a sitting room. Two people were there waiting for her, a wiry old man—presumably the owner of the voice that had summoned her—and a woman who looked older than she was in this form, but was still ripe in her beauty, with dark eyes and hair.

"Ai," the woman, Risa, said in greeting, nodding. Asa, or, Ai, as it were, nodded and bowed politely in return. "Sit." Again with utmost courtesy, she obeyed. "Have you yet discovered the secret to unlocking your power?"

Oh-h…so this was why she was here…to unlock the "power" her grandmother had been telling her about…Hmm…she must have hit her head pretty badly, Asa decided, even as Ai nodded. "Concentrating on any element and focusing on creating or manipulating any form of that element, I can use my energy to create a product or weapon of it."

"Have you achieved the forming of the Great Light?"

"Hai."

"Then you are ready." Risa stood, and suddenly, Asa felt like "Asa" again, instead of "Ai." Risa looked her in the eyes, reminding her a lot of her grandmother, and spoke in an almost mystic way, "When you can learn to recognize your abilities, then you can harness the power within you. You are stronger than any normal High Priestess, Asa…Asa…Asa…!"

-

"Asa!!" Someone was roughly shaking her shoulder, shouting at her in an annoyingly familiar voice. She opened one eye, noticing the person who leaned over her where she lay in her bedroom at Edna's house, then blinked a few times, glaring at her cousin as she came into focus.

"Ugh…Umi-chan, I just had the most awful nightmare…!"

"Sorry, cuz, but it wasn't a nightmare…Jin and I called Erin home, and she took Nanna to the hospital…there was blood everywhere…you were even covered in it when Touya and the twins brought you back…you still are, actually. And what was up?! You were out cold, and the only thing any of those three would tell me is that once you awoke, to tell you to find them; that they know what you're going to want to do about being a priestess…?! What the hay?!"

"Um…Nanna said I was a priestess right before I blacked out. I guess that's what they're talking about…then I just had this really weird dream…is Nanna going to be okay?" Asa demanded, sitting up.

"I don't know, Asa-chan…she looked pretty bad. Erin was cursing in Gaelic when she last called. They have Nanna in observation right now—she got out of surgery about an hour ago. I have no damn clue what to tell Erin and the others about what happened to her, but I can't actually tell them a demon attacked her—yes, I know about that, too, and I won't say "I told you so" until later—so what're we gonna do about that?!"

"Too…many…decisions…" Asa groaned, dropping her head into her palms. "Um…tell Erin we don't know what happened—that we just found her like that. They're going to realize that it was some sort of wild animal or something from the wounds Nanna had, anyway…I just hope she's all right. As for the priestess thing…well, I don't really know…" She sighed heavily, looking at Umi, "Where are those four, anyway?"

"Hanging around the living room…I think Jin's getting a little restless—he was literally hanging from Nanna's chandelier the last time I checked on them," she informed her.

"…O…kay, well, let me get a chance to clean up, then I'll go talk to them…Lord knows what Nanna was telling them after I passed out…" Umi nodded, and scampered off to inform the four demons about Asa's plan, while the girl herself went about carefully not getting the cast on her arm wet. It was a good thing that the stupid thing would be able to be removed in a week—although she'd need a sling for a while longer, her arm hadn't been so seriously broken that she needed a cast for more than a couple of weeks. And of course, that was awesome. She'd broken an arm before, and it wasn't always so pleasant.

When she went to find them, Jin was still hanging from her grandmother's chandelier, and the other three were eyeing him curiously, Kasumi with an amused smile on her face. "Um…what's going on in here, guys?"

"Oh, we're just trying to get him down," Natsumi informed her. "He got stuck on a loose diamond of some sort." Asa rolled her eyes, and disappeared into a closet off to her right, coming out again with a stepstool and a screwdriver.

"Asa, lass, what ye plannin' on doin' with those there articles?" Jin asked a little nervously.

"Shut up, Jin. If I can't concentrate and knock your teeth out, it's not my fault. You shouldn't have been hanging from my grandmother's two-hundred-year-old chandelier, anyway!" she said scoldingly as Jin gave her a disbelieving look.

"But I'm older than that!" he protested. Asa 'accidentally' elbowed him as she used the screwdriver to pry his shirt sleeve loose. "What? What'd I say?"

"Just…hush," she replied, rolling her eyes and looking to Kasumi, "Kasu-chan, your boy's getting a little bit on the edge of my nerves!" Kasumi blushed heavily, just as Jin fell face-first onto the floor, finally free of the evil chandelier.

"Asa-chan, what do you propose we do about the situation your grandmother presented us with before she was taken to the hospital?" Touya asked in his usual calm demeanor.

"I'm not really sure…I had a dream right after I went all swirly-eyed, but I'm not sure what it meant…"

"Tell us about it," Natsumi said. "Maybe we can help." Asa nodded, and told them all about "Ai" and Risa, and how the latter told her to unlock her power by 'recognizing her abilities.' After she'd finished, all four demons were staring at her oddly.

"What?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Asa-chan, I'm not sure if you realize this, but…the High Priestess Risa was considered to be the teacher of priestesses, because of her ability to evoke their powers. And Ai…well, Ai was considered one of the strongest priestesses of her time," Kasumi informed her.

"…Okay, so what?"

"So, you are probably a priestess, or at least, you're capable of being one," Natsumi continued for her sister, raising an eyebrow. "And your grandmother said…we could help you…possibly meaning that we can train you until you realize what your power is."

"…You can't be serious," Asa retorted.

"Deadly serious, I'm afraid," Touya finished the conversation abruptly. "We'll be training you while your grandmother is incapacitated, or, at least, until you learn a little about how to use your powers."

"…Does anyone know exactly what a priestess's powers are?"

"Well, a regular priestess could use healing, and summon up creatures of light…you're a High Priestess, though…so, I'm not quite sure about how many powers you have," Kasumi inserted, "I'd say, however, that you indefinitely have a regular priestess's powers. But I would also assume you'd have control over all the elements…since High Priestesses are connected to everything in nature (1)."

"Um…right. So…when are we starting this, uh…training?" Asa asked.

"Tomorrow. That way, you can go visit your grandmother, and get a lot of rest," Natsumi smirked, rather uncharacteristically, which scared Asa a little. These guys are gonna kill me, she thought, her expression betraying her sudden nervousness. They exchanged amused glances, when Umi came into the room.

"Asa-chan, Erin and Nanna are home…Nanna's getting at-home care, so that she won't have to move around so much."

"Right…I'll be there in a minute," Asa nodded, turning back to the demons. "Try to make yourselves scarce, and I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning…around what time?"

"Dawn," they all replied in unison, causing both Asa and Umi to twitch in annoyance. They really hated it when people did that.

"Um, yeah…see you then." Asa grabbed Umi by the wrist and took her out of the room. "I really don't want to do this…"

"Kinda can't help it now, cuz…you're a High Priestess, ya know? It's…a little, um, important?" Umi suggested with a shrug. "As long as it's not me with the crazy powers, we're cool."

"You know, if I'm a priestess by my mother, you have to be, too, seeing as your mother and mine are sisters," Asa said matter-of-factly. Umi blinked at her, and smirked.

"Yeah, but Nanna said you're the last one capable of being a High Priestess; ere go you have more responsibility…unless, of course, you and Foxy get together and make a few offspring—!" She was instantly silenced by Asa's sharp, cold glare which clearly said, 'Keep speaking; I dare you.' Grinning innocently, she asked, "What?!"

"Ugh…what am I gonna do with you? Let's just go see Nanna." She sped on ahead of Umi, up the stairs, and into her grandmother's room, where Erin, a tall, redheaded woman in her thirties, was tucking in Enda, who looked worse for the wear. She was covered in bandages and stitches, and bruises were decorating her skin where gauze was not. "Oh, Nanna…" Asa sighed, joining her grandmother's side as Erin left the room. "You look like hell."

"Watch your mouth, Brenna," Enda scolded lightly, obviously exhausted. "Have you thought about what I told you before?"

"Um…yeah, I have…and my uh, friends have already decided that I'm getting up at dawn to start training until you get better," she said wryly. Enda smiled a small smile, and Asa tucked the blanket that covered her more carefully around her small frame. "Nanna, why did you leave the house? You'd have been safer here!"

"But you would not have been. He came for you, my child…I was only a temporary 'fix,' as one addicted to a drug of some sort would say." Asa nodded slowly, understanding what her grandmother meant. Leave it to ol' Nanna to keep a constant eye out for her grandchildren. She was like a mother bear, only not so…um, hairy. A mixture of amusement and bemusement crossed Asa's face then, and she burst out laughing at her own mental metaphor, despite Enda looking at her as if she were crazy.

"Brenna, —?!"

"Just something that occurred to me, Nanna, nothing to worry about," Asa chortled. "You know, childhood idiocy."

"Ah, yes…I remember that… So, you're starting in the morning?"

"Yes…alas, my dear short life will be cut off by the haggardness of training to be a High Priestess," Asa said with mock dramatic effort, throwing her good arm over her eyes to conceal them. "Oh, woe is me!"

"Brenna, you're an odd child, you know that?" her grandmother chuckled. She grinned and nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, but Umi's clothes-crazy, so I have to be odd-crazy," she explained.

"Oh…I see." Enda was chuckling when Asa glanced at the clock. "You'd better get off to bed, my dear, if you're planning on waking up at dawn."

"Yes'm," Asa saluted her grandmother, bowing and backing out of the room, "You rest up!"

"Wait, Asa!" Asa paused before closing the door, and looked back at Enda inquisitively. "Just remember this advice: when you want something, you have to let yourself have it…" A mysterious smile spread over her face then, and Asa wasn't all too sure she wanted to know what she meant. With a quick goodnight, Asa fled her grandmother's room and went to ponder over the advice in her own. Tomorrow would be a coffee morning, she knew.

-

Indeed, coffee. Irish blend was damn strong; it was enough to wake the dead. But coffee wasn't how Asa awoke, unfortunately enough. It was before dawn, and amidst another strange dream, Asa turned onto her side…only to be poked in the forehead. At first, it didn't faze her. Then, Jin sat back with his silly little elf smile, and took one of Asa's ears—proceeding to yell in it entirely, and unnecessarily, too loud.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?!" she screamed, causing him to fly back off the bed.

"Well good morrow to ye, too, lass!" he chuckled in reply.

"God…I hate early birds…" Asa growled. She stretched her arms above her head and stumbled to her feet, casting a glance at the elfish demon, and rolled her eyes. "Well, get out so I can get ready. Wouldn't want to keep you all waiting for too much longer, now would I?"

"Nope, suppose not." He hopped to his feet and walked casually out the door, which she slammed closed behind him.

"What on Earth have I gotten myself into?!" she demanded herself, more than a little annoyed.

-

Alas, again I must put a postpone on the continuation of this three part chapter (which is actually a three chapter part…) but I promise you, I will get A & K back together again, hopefully with some peace between them! First, though, I gotta get through Part Three of the Priestess Training…hmm…anyway, NOTES!

(1) Priestesses have powers over the elements, you know, earth, wind, water, fire, light, and dark. They can also heal people, which is a duh. But HIGH priestesses can also alter these elements and summon up spirits and guardians from them…more in later chapters.

Okay, well, BOYS! RESPONDING TIME!!

Hiei- Hn. Well, as usual, thank you, Sun Priestess, for reviewing...and trust me, you won't be disappointed with Asa's 'high priestesshood'...that's all I'm saying.

Oh, thanks, Hiei. (annoyed glare)

Hiei- (smirk)

(eye roll) Okay, next!

Yusuke- Hehe, welcome, xHoshikox (is it okay if we just call you Hoshi?) and thanks for the review! Even if this story is crap!

(glare of death) DIE, YOU OAF!!!! (chases him around throwing daggers)

Yusuke- AAAH!

Kurama- (blinks) Alright, well...Mel-chan, we're very very sorry that you're upset, and we completely understand (actually, MEKA understands--I was just trying to understand her babble as she ranted about it to me) your plight. We hope you're feeling better soon!

Kuwabara- Hiya! I've still got the disclaimer sign! (holds up disclaimer sign) And Meka wants to reply to the last review herself!

Meka- (after killing Yusuke) (ahem) Yes, I would very much like to respond to Miss Shinta's review. Firstly, Shinta, thank you for the review! I don't get a lot of critiques so this was a good thing for me! I'm glad you liked Yusuke's characterization, but I must admit, I only bring Kurama and Hiei ooc when I've got them responding to reviews--you know, perky little funny stuff. I promise not to get them too out of character in the story, and I hope I'm doing a good job so far. And, in Youko's case, there are hints in the manga and original Japanese anime, in fact, (no pun intended) that he DID have a "special someone" and that with that "someone" he acted completely different than his normal unemotional self...so I only depicted him like that with Ai. And I would NEVER call Kurama thick intentionally--that was just a little Yusuke phrase that I thought would fit in the story. I apologize if you got the wrong meaning from it. And yes, although the HB relationship IS odd, I have fun with it, because it's amusing to see Hiei act all "you're going to die but you're okay" while Botan's all "yay life is great and Hiei's gonna kill me!" And yes, I know about Kurama's 'no anger' rule...but if you know him like I think you do, you're surely aware that he wouldn't be pleased if someone he cares about was harmed in any way. Thank you for the compliments, though! And as this IS only mostly a first draft, I'll probably be editing it once I finish, so I hope you'll come back and see it once it's completely complete. (bows)

Kuwabara- Very nicely handled, Meka-chan!

Thanks! Okay, now we gotta go!

-Meka-chan