I was asked to explain the relationship between Keiko S., Bri, and Tsuki, their common mother, in an email review. This isn't entirely important to the plot, but you do have to understand some of it. Not sure if they wanted to remain anonymous or not…
But, here goes: Tsuki liked both Wolf brothers. She married Gun Wa Wolf and had Keiko, who is a year older than Bri. She had an affair with Marion, while Gun Wa was in Japan, in hopes of not being found out. She did not expect to get pregnant. Therefore, when she had Bri, she sent her away as an infant. Gun Wa wants revenge on Marion for stealing Tsuki from him and on Tsuki for being unfaithful. I didn't want to go into that much detail until later, but…I dunno, guess it does have some impact.
Just to let you know, the relationships are far more complicated in this story, but it happens more toward the end…
Oh, and I was also asked to explain my name. Ugly Kitten. Why am I "ugly"? You know, when you have a litter of kittens, there's always a runt. The puny one, the sickly one, the one no one expects to survive. Few do. However, the ones that do are survivors, they're tough as nails and not afraid to bare their teeth. Hence, the ugly kitten. It has some connotative meaning in the "Ugly Duckling" as well.
Anywho…on with thirteen. I'll upload fourteen after this one, it's rather short.
Chapter 13: Dream Energy
Bri
We sat in the middle of the white room, nothing but Kurama and me. He said distractions are unnecessary.
"Harnessing dream energy and spirit energy is slightly different," Kurama said. "I gather my spirit energy from my body. As a dream energist, you must gather all of your energy from your mind. You can, however, manifest it into visible energies, like I can."
"So the only difference is that I use my brain?"
"Yes. I warn you, you will have a headache after this."
"Then break out the Tylenol, buddy," I grinned. "Show me how you do it."
I watched closely as Kurama closed his eyes. I could tell he was holding back the bulk of his abilities, even if I couldn't sense it. His hair fluttered gently. Was he making that wind? It was warm and calming. Like a fresh summer breeze. I could feel him concentrating. He was so handsome.
Why was I born so cursed?
In the palm of his hand, a tiny ball of electrical green energy appeared. Power radiated from it, like a little nuclear power plant right there in the palm of Kurama's hand. I wanted to touch it, but I knew I'd get burned if I tried. Kurama's energy, after all, was used for attack and defense.
Like a beautiful, deadly flower.
The light faded.
"Now you try. Gather the energy in your mind and push it into your hands. Visualize it and hold it there."
Feeling a little foolish, I closed my eyes as Kurama had and visualized a ball of light appearing in my hand. I thought of the energy that had hurt me so many times. I felt it, tickling my cheeks and the inside of my skull, like a playful, demonic butterfly. I formed a net in my mind and caught the butterfly.
In the palm of my hand, a ball of golden light appeared. Just like Kurama's. However, mine flickered and was dead before I could get a good look at it. I glanced up, smiling at Kurama. My head felt like it was caught in a vice grip, but I'd done it.
My eyes suddenly drooped.
"I need a nap," I yawned. "How did I get so tired? I got plenty of sleep…"
"Genki said you might," Kurama said. "You use the energy from your sleep to create your energy. Since that was your first time, I thought I'd have to carry you to your bed."
"Gimme some credit," I murmured. My eyes felt like they were falling off the edge of the universe. "I'm awake…"
"That's enough for today." Kurama stood up and offered me a hand. I took it, but my legs refused to move. I yawned. "Can you stand?"
"Nn-mmm…" I shook my head and leaned against his hand. "Too…tired…"
My world went black.
Kurama
Bri fell back against my arms, fast asleep. I had expected this, of course, but I knew that if I didn't teach her soon, she would keep pushing herself to her limits on that dance machine. And I knew that since she'd already figured the room out, she would keep on using the machine. This was the only way for her to at least get some rest.
"You're one stubborn kitten, Bri," I said to her. She wouldn't hear me. "I wish I could just tell you that you were special before you ever even knew about this whole thing."
Why can't I tell her?
I didn't know when I started liking her. I used to distrust her, and now, I'm infatuated with her every feline move. Even when she's angry with me, I can't help but see her beauty. She is beautiful, in her own special way. More cute than anything else. The way her little button nose and her too-wide cheeks mesh just right. She looks like a little kitten. Why didn't Kuwabara fall for her?
"Like Yusuke and Hiei combined, only more," I sighed. "Why is it that I get involved with these people?"
Because they were my friends.
I knew sort of when Hiei had become my friend, and when Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Genki had. Bri, however…I felt like I'd known Bri all my life. All five hundred fifteen years of it. She had a piece… A genuine piece of every person I loved. And yet there were things that made her uniquely her. These were the ones that I needed to know to know what made her special.
I lay her down on her bunk, the bottom one, and puzzled over it all. Her Empathe abilities were a given, but I think it was the little things that I loved most about her. How she laughed, how she was unsure of so many things, and how her eyes sparkled and reflected like a cat's.
It was no wonder her nickname was Neko.
But I liked Bri.
Bri was…nice. A great name. One that I wouldn't mind saying every day. But her scholarship only allowed her these three years. Then she would go home. She would return to America for real.
And then what would I do?
What would I do without her?
Imagining that, just one day not finding Bri there, smiling, crying, scowling, whatever, made my heart stop for a second. It was worse than imagining if Genki had really left us after the Dark Tournament. A different kind of tightness in my chest; Something more powerful than my friend Genki.
What was this girl doing to me?
I liked this chapter, even though it was short. It gave me a reason to make her give up her guard for a minute or two. Break the ice. Then things really get rolling!
