Chapter Eighteen- Full-Fledged

(A/K FLUFF WARNING!)

Asa trained as hard as she possibly knew how during the next week or so. Koenma had been visiting with her more often, too, and had decided that yes, what Kurama had feared was correct – she was definitely Ai's reincarnation. He had had Ayame (that's the name of the creepily dark lady of his, right?) look into Ai's life – not that there was much need for it, with Youko around, but the fox couldn't remember everything about his lover's life. It came with the whole reincarnation deal.

Today, Asa was to be working on her powers, expanding them, with Genkai. Even with these sort of sessions, where he wasn't needed, Kurama had remained by her side, watching all that happened closely, through calculative eyes. She had improved greatly in the short time she'd been with them, and even Yusuke had to admit she was tougher than any one of them, even him, and would give each of them a good fight, were she able to. She hadn't had too much energy for free time, after her training sessions, and Genkai and Kurama both knew the reason, as well as Hiei – she was getting even less sleep than the first night after the Akumu. She could barely muster the strength to eat anymore, let alone talk with any of her friends, between her physical and mental exhaustion.

So he watched her struggle with her powers while Genkai explained them to her. Twice, only twice, she stumbled, losing her grip on the ball of bright light that formed in her palms, but he was there instantly, supporting her with a hand firmly but gently resting on her back. She offered him a weak but grateful smile both times, but became more stern, and concentrated twice as hard to keep her focus.

By dusk, she could fully manipulate any of the six elements she produced in her palm, and she could heal any wound, major or minor. She practiced on wounded birds that Yukina had found and tended to until now. The very happy ice maiden took the birds with her, thanking Asa genuinely, and Genkai congratulated the girl.

"You've done well, Asa-chan. Time to get some rest." Asa nodded, barely restraining herself from yawning, and shuffled out of the training room, Kurama at her heels. "Kurama, may I have a word?"

He paused, glancing after Asa with concern, but nodded. "Of course." She waited until Asa left the room before speaking again.

"She's ready. Tomorrow, we'll be finished with her training, and she'll be a full-fledged priestess."

"I had figured that she was close. But why are you telling me this?"

"Tomorrow's going to be very difficult. She's going to need all the rest she can get. Be sure that she does get it." He cocked an eyebrow at that, but nodded, and hurried after Asa, who was passing the dining room without another thought.

"Asa-chan, don't you think you should try to eat something before you go to bed?" he urged, laying a hand on her arm and giving her a small smile.

"I don't think I could lift a cheeseburger, Kurama. And trust me, I'm like, dying for one."

He chuckled at her softly, and steered her into the dining room and then to the kitchen. "How does ramen sound?" he asked, guiding her into a chair at the table. She made a disgusted face, and he rolled his eyes. "Fine, then, chicken and rice?"

"Sure," she answered wearily, letting her head drop onto her crossed arms. "I must've gotten used to Irish food, I kinda miss Nanna's cooking."

"That…seems plausible. You are part-Irish. But I never will know how you manage to hold that food down."

"You just don't like it because it's got a bitter taste," she told him, raising her head enough so that she could watch him cooking the rice and chicken.

"Frankly, yes, it is too pungent for me. But, since you like it, maybe after all this is over, I'll take you to that Irish restaurant you like."

He looked up at her and smiled – she blushed and looked away, but he plainly heard her small utterance, "I'd like that…a lot."

"Alright, here…" Kurama said some time later, setting a plate before her. She raised her head and stared at it for a moment, and he frowned. "It isn't poisoned, Asa-chan."

"I know that. I keep trying to tell my limbs to move, but they won't," she explained, staring longingly at the food. He chuckled at her again, and took the chopsticks, picking up a piece of the chicken with ease and pressing it to her lips, ignoring the glare of death she gave him.

"If it is easier for you this way, you may as well cooperate, Asa-chan." Pursing her lips for a moment, she met his gaze thoughtfully. Then, when he prompted her to eat again by pressing the food to her lips, she parted them, letting him feed her, but he could almost hear her silent vow of vengeance. Once she was finished, he cleaned up, although she protested to that, as well, and, to her even greater chagrin, came back to her side, slipping an arm under her knees and the other around her lower back.

"Kurama, no!"

"Again, you may as well cooperate, Asa-chan," he told her, offering her a stubborn smile. "You said yourself, your limbs weren't obeying." His smile grew amused as her expression grew annoyed – she'd set herself up for this. So, begrudgingly, she nodded, and relaxed into his grasp, though he could see her blush fiercely.

-

(Out in the hall…)

As Kurama carried Asa out of the kitchen to her room, through the small crack in the door, they had a small audience. Yusuke, Keiko, Botan, Shizuru, and even Kuwabara were there, piled one on top of the other, eyes just not visible to the fox and priestess. They scrambled off when the two approached the door, and were hiding behind the corner watching when Kurama carried her out around to the other side of the temple.

"Well…that was, in a word, adorable," Yusuke said.

"…Did you just say "adorable?"" Kuwabara asked.

"…Aa, so?"

"I agree with him. That was adorable," Botan agreed.

"Yeah, so how do we go about making those two an actual couple?" Shizuru asked.

"We'll figure something out," Keiko ended the conversation. "Let's go, before we get caught."

-

"Here we are," Kurama said, gently laying Asa down in her bed, then waiting until she kicked her shoes off to pull the blanket up over her and settle her back against the pillows. "Now, you have to try and get some rest. Is…there anything I can do…?"

"No. They're only nightmares." He nodded, looking a little crestfallen, and brought her hand, still in his, up to his lips, before turning to go. "Wait!" Freezing, he glanced back at her. She looked vulnerable – and scared. "…Could you…stay? It might not be so bad then…"

What are you doing, Asa? You can't do that, you're not supposed to show any emotional connection! She scolded herself. But then, she really couldn't stand much more of these nightmares – and of being so cruel to him. So she watched him hopefully, and after a moment, he asked, "Are you sure you want me to stay?"

"Hai." She had answered before she could even think about it. He nodded, and returned to her side, kneeling down beside of her. Again, she spoke without thinking about it, more tremulously, "Could you…?"

He knew already what she wanted, and nodded, gently lifting her and the blanket and sliding underneath of her, holding her in his lap. She smiled and snuggled into his chest, quietly whispering a thank you to him as his arms settled around her, pulling the blanket up over them both. He rested his lips against the crown of her head, waiting for her breathing to grow slow and even. It didn't take long, and he knew the moment she fell asleep. With a sigh, he pulled back to watch her while she slept. The nightmares would probably begin soon, and he would have to wake her if they did, or at least try to calm her down.

At first, her expression was peaceful, serene, even. But, after a moment, it turned sad, and mournful, and he saw tears form at the corners of her eyes. Then, to his surprise, she muttered, "Oh, god, I'm so sorry, Kurama…"

Sorry? For what? He thought, brow furrowing. The tears flowed down her cheeks freely then, and she cried for her mother. Unsure of what else to do, he hugged her closer, stroking her face with the back of his hand and wiping away her tears. "Shh, it's alright, Asa… I'm here…" he whispered to her, and it seemed to calm her down enough so that she could rest, at least for a little while. (a/n: You seeeee, this is why Genkai's the psychic!)

He stayed and watched her for the rest of the night, cooing to her when the nightmares became too much, dozing off when she seemed at peace, just holding her, and it was dawn before she woke again, sighing into the nape of his neck, where she'd somehow settled during the night. The warmth of her breath woke him from his dozing slight dreams, and they looked at each other with small smiles.

"Good morning, Asa-chan. I hope you slept well."

"Apparently so…" She eased out of his lap, and blushed. "You stayed the whole time?"

"Apparently so," he mimicked her last answer, with a smirk. They kept staring at the other, before he made his next comment, in his completely calm voice that drove a shudder down her spine. "You'd better get ready. They'll be waiting for us."

She nodded, strands of hair falling over her shoulders, only somewhat hiding her steadily worsening blush. He stood, stretching his limbs, and walked casually out her door, across the hall to his room. She watched him go, but swore that when he closed her door he gave her one last grin.

Waiting until she heard his door slide closed, she muttered, "…That was way too casual… I hope I didn't…talk or anything in my sleep…" Shaking her head, she hurried to get ready to meet the others for her last day of training.

-

She was wringing her hands with concern over how casually he'd walked her to the training room by the time they reached it. She must have had said something she shouldn't have – she must have! Why else would he be acting this way? It was…way too normal.

Oh, God…what if I told him I loved him in my sleep? Or…worse, what if I told him anything about why I can't tell him I love him? …This is just getting way too confusing…

She was so worried about it that she didn't even notice she was being talked to – kept staring at her hands and wringing them thoroughly.

"Asa!"

"Huh?" She looked up at Kuwabara, who'd been talking to her for some time. "Um…sorry, Catty. What were you saying?" Now blushing heavily, she plastered her arms to her sides and listened to him as he told her that for today, she'd be working with them all – trying to use her powers in several different directions. "Okay, that's fine. What exactly should I consider that as?"

"A sort-of hide-and-go-seek game, I guess," Yusuke said.

"…Right. Okay, so let's get this over with." The Spirit Detective smirked at her, and nodded.

"Alright, if you wanna. Give us a five minute head start, and then try to find us anywhere on the temple grounds."

"Okay," she nodded curtly, staring at her hands and wondering just how she would use her powers this day. The five of them, plus Jin, Kasumi, Touya, and Natsumi, who had decided to join in the "training party," all hurried off while she seemed the slightest bit distracted, but it was Kurama who paused a moment, walking up to her. She blushed, already knowing that it was him before she even looked up, and glanced up to meet his eyes. "Yes?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes a few times to distract him from seeing her reddening face.

"Good luck, Asa-chan," he muttered, before backing away and giving her an oh my God adorable wink, then turning and running off in a random direction. She stared after him, her jaw hanging loose at how damned adorable he had just been, then clamped her teeth together, determined not to let him distract her. But crap, he was awfully distracting today. (a/n: Yes, I'm doing this on purpose. You'll see.)

Shaking her head clear, she focused on her watch, watching for the five-minute mark that Yusuke had indicated. She chewed on her lower lip, trying to remember all she'd learned up to this point, about how to locate the lost and use her powers to make sure she could find them. Then, inhaling deeply once the second hand hit her mark, she glanced up and around, then held her hands out in front of her, palms up. Dei deaeque, luminae, et umbrae, domonstras viam meae. (Gods and goddesses of light, and of dark, show me the way.)

A light formed in the center of each of her palms, and slowly grew outward, until they both formed a small orb of light in the cup of her hands. The orb threw out several multicolored rays that traveled over its crystalline surface, then froze, shooting out through the walls and trees and plants of the Labyrinth's gardens. She smirked, realizing what this was. Each of the colored rays represented one of her friends – there was blue, that must have been Yusuke; black, obviously Hiei; orange, she was pretty sure that was Kuwabara; pink and purple, the twins; gray, she thought that might be Touya; a gold-yellow, probably for Jin; and a deep, emerald green, mixed with rose red. That was Kurama, no doubt.

The rays stayed, even as Asa released the orb, and it hung midair. With a grin, she waved her right palm around, passing it through each of the rays. "Referas meae amicae." (Bring back my friends.)

She could envision the ends of the rays curling about each of her friends, and pulling them back to her. She almost smirked when the twins appeared, both looking quite flabbergasted as the rays of purple and pink light dropped them to the ground before her. "Hehe, didn't think I could do that, did you?" she asked. The twins both stood, as Kuwabara was dragged back.

"That was kinda cool, Asa," he said, landing on his backside as he was released by the ray of light, which contracted back into Asa's orb.

"Yeah, I know," she replied cockily. Touya and Jin were brought back next, chased quickly by Hiei, then finally Yusuke.

Asa frowned, however, when, after they were all back in the clearing, Kurama's ray of light hadn't brought him back. Her eyes darkened. "Referas mea amica…" she repeated in an urgent whisper. (That's just "my friend.") She held her breath for a moment, but the light failed her still.

"Referas mea amica…!" Her whisper grew into a strained cry, but the green and red ray contracted back into the orb, which blew into tiny particles of nebula. There was no Kurama to be seen.

The sky darkened then, so quickly that the entire group looked upward. A huge black cloud passed overhead, blotting out the sun and turning the blue to a sickly gray. "Damn," Yusuke muttered. "Looks like Sakai made it into Kamekai."

"But what happened to Kurama?" Touya asked worriedly, turning his gaze to Asa, whose expressive eyes were wide and tremulous.

"I must have…I must have opened up a portal somehow," she muttered, cursing herself. She'd allowed herself to become distracted by him, and in so doing, put him into danger. Her power had rushed him into the Divine World, the moment Sakai had reached it.

"What do you mean, you opened up a portal?" Kuwabara asked, furrowing his brow.

"Hold tight, guys!" she exclaimed, looking toward where her orb had exploded, seeing the portal she'd opened up that sucked up Kurama appear where his ray of light had been, moving toward them. "We're going for a ride!"

"Hey, Asa, you know what this means, right?" Yusuke asked, glancing at her. "If not, you may want to take a look at yourself." She did as she was told, and her eyes widened. A white aura flowed about her, pulsing with the power that had emerged from her.

"Um…does this mean I'm a priestess now?" she asked tremulously, looking up at her friends.

"Yes, it does," Kasumi answered her, with a gentle smile. "And now that you are a priestess, it looks like we're going to the Divine World."

"Right. Here we come, Sakai!" Asa gave her friends a wide smirk, and they returned it. "I hope Kurama made it through alright…" she added in a whisper, hoping, praying that he would be okay when they made it across the Interverse to him. She took and held a deep breath, as the portal reached and engulfed them. A coarse wind surrounded them, whipping about and throwing the girls' hair across their faces, while it made even Hiei's aerodynamic hair look fluffier, and all they could hear was its sharp whistle, then they were gone from Genkai's gardens.

The portal disappeared with them, leaving only the newly-dark skies and an oncoming storm. "It got quiet, Master Genkai," Yukina muttered, standing behind the old psychic on a balcony, where the girls had gathered, upon Genkai's request.

"The calm before the storm, I'm afraid," the psychic responded, turning to the girls. "Tea?"

-

Man, I feel so accomplished. A/K fluff AND a full-fledged priestess, PLUS a portal to Kamekai, all in one chapter! Speaking of which, I'm thinking there'll only be about two or three more chapters to this, because I wanna hurry and get to the sequel (yes, there has been a sequel in "Meka's Lab" – that's what I call my writing place, where works get done – for quite some time. I think you'll all enjoy it.) (GRIN)

Kurama- Oh, it is no problem for me to respond to your reviews, Mel-chan! No, you're not an ingrate. And that's okay, good luck with your soft ball! (thumbs-up) We'll have the story waiting for you.

By the way (shoves Kurama out of the way) your email addresses didn't full turn up. (confuzzled look) I'm so confuzzled.

Yusuke- Don't you mean "confuddled?"

No. I MEAN confuzzled.

Yusuke- …Riiight. Whatever.

Touya- I BEEN CLAIMED BY MULTIPLE FANGIRLS! AHH!

…Yeah. So-kun now, is it? That's cute. Anyways. I had to make a twin machine, so that everybody gets Touya. Because everybody loves Touya. So here's YOUR Touya. (hands him over) Thanks for the reviews, as usual! (grin)

Hiei- …Don't I get to respond to anybody?

…Dude, that sounded SO wrong. But no, nobody else reviewed this time. They've GOT lives, unlike us.

Hiei- …Hn. Well, fine, I'll just tell them how you're going to have Sakai and Kurama square off and Asa step in next chapter

(dives to cover his mouth) DAMN YOU, HIEI!

Kuwabara- I agree. Damn you. (sticks out his tongue then hides behind the disclaimer sign)

(chaos ensuing)