Disclaimer: I OWN YU YU HAKUSHO!! *runs around in circles being chased by
lawyers* MWAHAHAHA!! YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME!! *trips and falls flat on her
face* um... guys, I didn't really mean that. Hehehe. *lawyers hold up
briefcases menacingly* I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho okay? *lawyers look
satisfied and disappear* You know, they freak me out every time they do
that...
Kin: Here's an EXTREMELY long chapter for me updating so late. Welcome to the third chapter of Falling Into Fiction! In this story Hiei is tall, so deal with it. And if you want to know the pairings, too bad! It's very obvious so just pay attention and don't fall asleep at your keyboard.
Kashaku: Like you do?
Kin: I do not!
Kashaku: Do too!
Kin: Do not!
Kashaku: Do too!
Kin: Do no- *Leiko suddenly walks in the door and Kin and Kashaku stare at her*
Leiko: What?
Kashaku: Where have you been?
Leiko: None of your business.
Kin: *glares* well now that we're all HERE we can start the chapter.
Kashaku: Okay, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
"blah" speaking
'blah' thinking
/blah/ conscience
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Falling Into Fiction
Chapter 3: Beginnings
"Go wake up the girls, it's already past ten." Yusuke said while stuffing more clothes into his duffel bag that was already bursting at the seams.
After Yusuke had explained the case, the rest of the team had been more than willing to accompany the girls on their quest. I mean, it wasn't like they had gotten any cases lately anyway. It was actually kind of strange, nothing had come up and there seemed to be a lull in demon activity. It kind of made him wonder if there was something going on in the demon world.
He had asked Koenma about it last night after the girls had gone to bed, but he had just looked thoughtful and said something about an ancient demon lord or something. When Yusuke had attempted to inquire further, Koenma had waved him off and proceeded to order the ogre demon that had a huge stack of papers to go and find information on a "Lord Takashi." Yusuke had left seeing as he would get no further information. He wondered if this Takashi guy would prove a problem on their quest. Probably.
Yusuke turned around and glared at the rest of the guys. Hiei was sitting in the window being solitary as usual, Touya was leaning against the wall looking around coldly, Jin seemed to be asleep on the couch, and Kuwabara was still in the same spot on the floor they had left him last night with a puddle of drool under his head.
"Hey, where's Kurama?" Yusuke asked.
Hiei looked at him. "He was called on a special mission by Koenma last night."
Yusuke wondered what it was, but kept his thoughts to himself seeing as Hiei didn't look like he was going to give out any information in the near future.
"Well, are you guys going to go wake up the girls or not?" Yusuke asked again.
Neither Hiei nor Touya answered him and Jin and Kuwabara continued to sleep obliviously. A vein popped out on Yusuke's head and he wondered how many times he had to ask to get some kind of reaction.
"I SAID, GO WAKE UP THE GIRLS!" Yusuke practically yelled.
Jin bolted awake and looked around the room wildly, but Kuwabara just continued to sleep with an occasional snore and twitch. Hiei and Touya were both glaring at Yusuke, almost making him wish he hadn't yelled that loud.
"Well, they're probably awake by now." Hiei said emotionlessly.
"Would you guys please go wake up the girls so I can finish packing?" Yusuke asked again while glaring at Hiei.
"Fine." said Touya as he started towards the door.
Jin quickly got up with a cheerful smile and followed. "It would be my pleasure." He said.
Yusuke sweatdropped and wondered if it was wise to let Jin go anywhere near the fox girl. 'What was her name again? Oh yeah, Kin.'
Hiei jumped off the windowsill and started towards the door. Yusuke was surprised that Hiei was going too, but shrugged it off and turned back to his bag to try and cram in some more shirts. He quickly forgot all thoughts of Hiei and the girls as he tackled the problem of getting all his pants in his bag without having to fold them.
++++++
Touya, Jin and Hiei walked down the hall in silence until they came to the door of room 226. The door was slightly ajar and it seemed that the girls were a little less cautious than they should be.
Jin grinned cheerfully. "Shall we go in then?"
Hiei and Touya just looked at him. He took that as a yes and quietly pushed the door open. The room was the same as it had been before with the three beds against the right wall and the door to the small bathroom on the left. The sun was shining through the window creating light enough to see easily, and the guys were surprised that it hadn't woken up the three girls yet.
Jin walked towards the middle bed that Kin was in and grinned when he saw her sleeping. She had somehow managed to get on the bed sideways and was almost falling off headfirst while the covers were falling off the other side and only covered her to her waist. The long braid that she put her hair in to sleep was hanging of the side of the bed and touching the floor gently. Her ears twitched slightly and rotated towards him as she gripped her pillow in both arms and slightly growled in her sleep.
Jin crept closer until he was at the head of the bed. He thought for a moment and decided that it would be best to wake her up now. He grinned.
Meanwhile, Touya was staring at the lump that was Kashaku. He wondered how he should wake her up. Should he shake her or say her name or something? However, the problem was solved when Jin yelled, "wake up!" at the top of his lungs, and the lump that was Kashaku seemed to leap five feet in the air.
Kashaku started to thrash around and get even more tangled. In the process she fell off the bed and onto the floor. Touya raised an eyebrow when he heard her muttering some choice curse words before throwing the whole blanket into the air and looking around the room frantically. She had her hair in a low ponytail and was also in a knee-length white T-shirt, but when she saw Touya she immediately latched onto his arm.
"What are YOU doing in my room?" she asked.
Touya just stared at her. She didn't seem surprised at all and was happily grinning and watching her blanket start to fall from the air and cover them both. Touya didn't exactly like the idea of being under a blanket with Kashaku, but he couldn't do anything do to the fact that she was gripping his arm and staring at the blanket without any signs of moving.
"I just came to wake you up." Touya said while attempting to pry her off.
The thick blanket fell over them both and Kashaku stared at him with wide eyes. She began to advance on him while staring intently at his face.
"What?" he asked while edging away from Kashaku.
"Your eyes glow." Kashaku said happily. She stuck her face up in front of his with only about an inch between them while trying to get a good look at his glowing ice blue eyes. Touya jerked back and wondered if this girl had any idea of what personal space was.
He pulled the blanket off and continued to back away as Kashaku kept on coming towards him. It seemed that she now had a fascination for his eyes. She didn't seem to care that she was still in just a T-shirt, or that Touya was an ice demon who had killed multiple people before. That was the moment that Touya truly came to the conclusion that she was the strangest girl he would ever meet in his life.
As soon as Kin heard the yell, she was up and had tackled the source of the noise. It was apparent that fox demons had quick reflexes and sharp instincts. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and tried to focus them.
"You know, people might start to get the wrong idea." She heard someone say.
She looked down and blushed furiously at the position they were in. It seemed that the person she had tackled was Jin. She had him pressed to the floor with her claws at his throat and was straddling his waist while the T- shirt she wore rode dangerously higher up her thighs. Her golden braid had fallen over her shoulder and was resting on his bare, well-toned chest. Not that she noticed. Or that was what she told herself.
"Not that I mind." he continued while snaking his arms up around her waist and tugging her a little closer.
She immediately blushed twenty shades redder and quickly scrambled off of him and onto the floor. He sat up and smiled cheerfully. "Well, that was fun."
Kin stared at him and wondered if he ever got his mind out of the gutter. Probably not if her guess was right. That reminded her. She stood up, put her hands on her hips, and glared at him forgetting she was only wearing a T-shirt and giving him a nice view of her legs.
"What are you doing in my room?" she asked menacingly.
He looked her up and down and his smile widened. "You know, that look works for you."
Kin blushed harder if that was possible and glared at him. "Hentai!" she yelled and began to chase him around the room while yelling threats and cursing him for being too fast.
Mizuna sat up in her bed and yawned. A good night's sleep was definitely what she had needed. She pulled her covers to the side and slid out of bed with another yawn. She calmly walked over to where Hiei was standing and joined him in watching Kin throw things at the now flying Jin and Kashaku advance on the increasingly nervous Touya.
"Ohayou Gozaimasu." Mizuna said pleasantly.
She had her hair up in two buns on the top of her head and was wearing a long black T-shirt almost down to her knees. Hiei took one look at her, muttered "hn." and was gone.
Mizuna could have sworn she saw a blush staining his cheeks when he had looked at her, but decided she must have been mistaken. Hiei never blushed, and why would he start now? But she filed that bit of information for later contemplation anyway.
She watched the antics of her friends a little longer before deciding that it was time to hurry them along and get dressed. She walked calmly to the middle of the room and waited about a minute until Jin flew by and grabbed him by the arm. She ignored the protests from Kin who was complaining about not being able to kill him, and walked over to Touya. She grabbed him by his arm and started to walk both guys to the door.
Touya refused to budge and glared at her. "I can do it myself woman." He said coldly and yanked his arm free.
"But I thought you wanted to watch us get dressed." said Kashaku innocently.
A faint hint of pink was visible on Touya's cheeks as he mumbled something and walked quickly out the door.
"I do!"
Mizuna gave Jin a sarcastic look. "No." she said and shoved him out the door while simultaneously locking it.
Kin and Mizuna both turned toward Kashaku with raised eyebrows. Kashaku just grinned and cocked her head to the side.
"What?" she asked.
"Are you really that dense?" Kin asked bluntly.
"I didn't really think he wanted to stay and watch us get dressed. I just knew that would make him leave in a hurry." Kashaku said smugly.
Kin and Mizuna both stared at her for a second and then started to walk towards the door. "WAIT!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!" Kashaku yelled and dived head first in their direction. Kin and Mizuna just stepped to the side and watched as her dive ended as a heap on the floor.
"We're just going to get our clothes. Do you have a problem with that?" Kin asked with one eyebrow cocked.
Kashaku just stood up and began to skip over to her bed to retrieve her staff. "Nope!" she said happily as Kin and Mizuna both sweatdropped. They both watched as she picked up the staff leaning against the wall and walked over to the table by the door with the neatly folded clothes on it. She didn't get very far however, seeing as she tripped on her staff and fell on the floor again.
Mizuna shook her head. 'The things I have to endure...'
+++++++++
The fully assembled group was finally ready to go. Unfortunately, Botan had yet to show up and everyone was getting kind of restless. Jin had somehow managed to maneuver it so that he could sit next to Kin on the sofa, and she wasn't too pleased. The rest of the group was busy watching her slap Jin for the sixth time, so they didn't notice when someone else entered the room.
"Ahem."
The whole group turned as one, including Kin who was in mid slap. They had been expecting Botan, but it seemed that Koenma had taken it upon himself to deliver the traveling device. He was in his teenage form and had a small, rather shiny object in his hand.
Kashaku was immediately up and after the shiny object, but Koenma raised it above his head and glared at her. She looked rather sulky and walked back over to Touya to latch onto his arm once again.
"So what is it?" Yusuke demanded.
Koenma looked very annoyed but opened his hand so that they could all see. It was a small round stone only about the size of his palm, and glinted in the light. Mizuna stared at it and tried to tell what color it was, but it eluded her. She was looking straight at it; however, the color just seemed to slip past her senses with only a faint impression of its existence.
"It is a transportation stone." Koenma said briefly.
Mizuna raised an eyebrow. That was all the information he was going to give them? That was rather unfair. She watched as Koenma held out small stone to Yusuke, and became even more curious as to its nature when Yusuke jerked back a little as if it had shocked him.
"Everyone must be touching the stone or another person who is touching the stone. You must all think of where you wish to go and you will be transported in a matter of seconds. But I must warn you, don't let go or you might end up somewhere that you have no wish to be. I have no idea of the exact location of the pendants, that, you will have to find out on your own."
" It is rumored that each stone was made from the power source of each of the worlds and can be found one in each; one from the ningenkai, one from the reikai, and one from the makai world. They are mixed up, and can be found in the wrong world so as to confuse enemies. The Lightning Element was forged in the Makai, the Water Element was forged in the Reikai, and the Fire Element was created in the Ningenkai; but remember, they will be in the wrong world. While you are in the Ningenkai, you should look for the pendent that is located there. I will try to find out where it can be located and give you information. You should just stay at Yusuke's house until I send you a message and a mode of transportation."
Mizuna wondered how they were going to be able to find the exact location of the pendants. Were they expected to be able to sense them or something? Because if they were, she certainly couldn't sense anything. She turned back to Koenma as he began to speak again, this time with a very serious and rather pensive face.
"There have been rumors of a demon named Takashi resurfacing in the Makai."
He continued despite their blank faces. "He was a very strong demon who at one time declared himself the king of all demons. He had power and wealth beyond any other, and was known for his joy in killing for pleasure. However, when he became a little too greedy and attempted to steal the Three Elemental Pendants from their guardians, he supposedly disappeared after the inevitable battle and hasn't been heard from since. No one is quite sure what went on in the Final Battle, but he was assumed dead. However, there have been many recent reports of various demons demanding information on the pendants whereabouts and saying that he is their lord."
"What does this have to do with us?" Touya asked.
"He will come after the pendants and possibly try to kill you if my guess is correct. He will most likely send various demons and warriors to try and wrest any information you may have about the pendants from you." For some reason he seemed to glance at Kin a little nervously when he said this.
"When you actually attain the pendants, you will have to be extra careful and watch out for any traps that Takashi may set for you. No one is really sure what he looks like, but have no doubt that you will know it is him when you finally see him."
The group was silent for a moment. 'Just great, another complication.' was the general all-around thought. Koenma looked at the watch on his wrist and seemed to become instantly hurried.
"I have to go, but I wish you well. Be careful and try to be alert at all times." He glanced at Kin nervously once more before hurrying out of the room.
Kin looked puzzled. 'What was that all about? Why did he keep looking at me like that?' she wondered. However she soon forgot her thoughts when everyone began to gather in a clump around Yusuke and his bag in the middle of the room. She watched as Yusuke dragged Kuwabara over, then hurried and joined them.
"Alright, I guess we'll give it a try." Yusuke said while looking at the colorless rock dubiously.
Kin grabbed onto the back of Kashaku's dress and narrowed her eyes menacingly at Jin when he put an arm around her shoulders. He looked at her innocently and made no further moves. Kin glared at him one last time before apparently deciding he was okay until he made any other moves toward her.
"Okay. I guess close your eyes and think of the Ningenkai." Yusuke said.
Everyone complied. There was no noticeable difference, and Kin was about to complain about Koenma being stupid, when she felt it. It was like a slight tug in her stomach and it got stronger until it was like a yank, grabbing her and ripping her forwards. Her stomach felt as if it was rising up into her throat, and there was a blinding light. She quickly closed her eyes and concentrated on not throwing up. Her sense of direction seemed to become disoriented and she tried to focus on keeping a hold of Kashaku's dress, but as soon as it began it was over.
Kashaku blinked to clear her eyes, and looked around. The stone seemed to have worked seeing as they were standing in the middle of a street. People on the sidewalk were openly staring at them and gaping. There were houses going all along the street and continuing on in the distance. They were all kind of small and apartment-like.
Kashaku let go of the stone, and turned towards the people lining up on the sidewalk. She started to make childish faces at them and sick out her tongue. The people stared at her like she was crazy and started to disperse and go back to their business. She could hear a few mothers telling their children not to stare at the "mentally challenged" because it was rude.
"Well, they're no fun." Kashaku said with a pout.
She turned back around to face the rest of the team. Hiei, Touya and Mizuna were all standing to the side and staring coolly at their surroundings, Yusuke was prodding the STILL snoring Kuwabara, and Kin was glaring at Jin who had yet to remove his arm from around her shoulders.
"We should probably proceed to your house, Yusuke." Mizuna said.
Yusuke gave up prodding Kuwabara to glare at her. "I'm not stupid you know. I just can't get the baka to wake up," he said turning back towards Kuwabara.
Kashaku walked over to Kuwabara and prodded him with her staff. Nothing happened, and she quickly grew impatient. She began to beat him with her staff and yell for him to wake up, but he still just lay there and twitched while simultaneously drooling and snoring. The rest of the team sweatdropped.
"What?" she asked cluelessly.
They all just shook their heads. Kashaku shrugged and gave up beating Kuwabara. She soon became bored, and began to twirl in circles with her staff and hum a song she was making up on the spot.
"Okay..." Yusuke said while watching Kashaku.
Hiei gave him an annoyed look. "Just leave the fool here. We are wasting our time. If he knows where you live, he should be able to find us when he wakes up."
Yusuke nodded and began to drag Kuwabara over to the sidewalk. He was sure he would be okay; he was too ugly to kidnap. With that done, he turned back just in time to see Kin elbow Jin in the stomach and duck under his arm with a scowl. She proceeded to cross her arms over her chest and glare at everyone as if daring them to say something.
Touya shook his head. Jin could be such an idiot sometimes.
++++++
"No."
"Come on Kin-chan, it'll be fun!"
"Not in a billion years." Kin glared at Mizuna and adopted her stubborn stance. No way was she going shopping. She was just fine in her loose, long white robes. Besides, if her guess were right, Mizuna would insist on going in every single store, and looking at and trying on every single thing. No way was she going to the mall.
Mizuna looked irritated. "Kin-chan, you can't walk around in the Ningenkai in your current clothes, and we can't keep borrowing Yusuke's. The logical solution is to go shopping! If we're going to be staying in the Ningenkai and going on a cruise, we'll need normal clothes and bathing suits! Not to mention that Koenma said we would need dresses for a formal ball and Halloween costumes for a party on the ship!"
"I can do what I want! And I don't want to go shopping!"
Kashaku grabbed another handful of popcorn and continued to watch the fight as it progressed to yelling. Popcorn was best for these sorts of things. She offered the bowl to Jin and he took a handful as well. Touya and Yusuke declined and continued to watch the fight with interest. Hiei was off somewhere nearby doing whatever it is that Hiei does.
Ever since Koenma had sent the message, Kin and Mizuna had been arguing. About thirty minutes ago, a message had arrived from Koenma saying that he knew the general location of the first pendent. It was the Water Element, and it was somewhere in the middle of the ocean. How they were going to reach it if it was under the sea, they didn't know; Koenma hadn't mentioned it. The only things in the letter had been eight tickets for a cruise in four days, and a letter telling them to go on a nine-day cruise, bring formal wear for a ball and a Halloween costume. They didn't know where exactly the pendent was, or how to get to it, but they had decided to just go and check it out anyway.
Mizuna had suggested that they go out and buy ningen clothes since they wouldn't want to go on a cruise in the clothes they were wearing now. The only problem is that Mizuna doesn't like to waste money. Mizuna, the calm and logical one, once inside a mall feels the need to shop until she gets the perfect bargain. Every clothing shop, every makeup store, every single store in the mall; none are safe from Mizuna. She is like a completely different person inside the mall. She takes forever before buying only one thing and is also highly competitive when it comes to sales. She is always first in line, and doesn't care if she has to shove to get there.
Now we look at Kin. Kin hates shopping. Kin hates everything about the mall. She is short-tempered, impatient, and hates salesclerks with their preppy smiles. Ever since she was little, Kin has hated shopping and liked to torment salesclerks. She only goes to the mall unless her clothes are practically falling apart. She is way too impatient and easily bored to go shopping.
"Look, Kin-chan. We really need to go shopping; we do not want to attract attention to ourselves. Moreover, you don't want people staring at you do you? All we need to do is go to the mall and buy a few clothes." Mizuna said logically.
Kin glared. "Yeah, I know what a "few" clothes means to you; going through every single store and trying on every single thing."
"She looks cute when she's angry," Jin commented.
Kashaku just nodded absently and continued to watch the verbal match. It was obvious that Kin-chan wouldn't win. They really did need to go shopping, and Mizuna was a far better debater, but it was still fun to watch them duke it out. She stuffed some more popcorn into her mouth and watched as the fight began to come to a close.
"Kin-chan, be reasonable. We really need ningen clothes. All we need to get are some normal clothes, bathing suits, formal wear, a Halloween costume, and make-up, and then we can leave. I promise." Mizuna said while looking almost bored.
Kin looked sulky. "Hmpf. Fine, but only if I can drive."
Mizuna looked a little nervous, but then her face changed to triumphant. "Okay. It's only ten in the morning, let's go now."
Kashaku jumped up from the couch, startling the guys and making popcorn fly in all directions. "Yeah! Let's go shopping!"
Mizuna suddenly looked sly and everyone backed away. "You know Kin-chan, you can't walk around outside with your ears showing. We'll have to cover them up."
Kin backed away. "Don't you dare come near me with that look on your face Mi-chan!"
The team had been hanging out at Yusuke's house for almost two weeks of uneventful boredom, before finally, the message had arrived. They had already borrowed some of Yusuke's clothes to wear for the time being, but the girls seemed to have forgotten about the demon attributes they now had.
"You'll have to wear a hat." Mizuna said calmly while holding out a black baseball cap.
Kin looked at it in horror. "No way am I wearing a hat! If I have to wear a hat, then you have to wear a hat too! Your ears are long and pointy!"
Mizuna looked as if she was explaining the obvious to a very stupid person. "A hat won't cover up my ears, I'll just have to make do. You, however, have fox ears. That is just not normal."
"I'm not wearing a hat." Kin said defiantly.
Kashaku stood looking at the two girls with impatience. "Come on, I want to go! Just wear the stupid hat Kin-chan!"
Kin pouted. "God! You're all against me! Fine! Hmpf." She put the cap on backwards, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at everyone.
"Much better. Now, let's go." Mizuna said.
To be continued....
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Mizuna: Well, wasn't that delightful.
Kin: I'm a good writer! So just shut up!
Mizuna: I was complimenting the story.
Kin: Oh.
Kashaku: Somehow, I think that was a concealed insult.
Kin: *gives Mizuna suspicious look*
Mizuna: I was merely trying to comment on your excellent authoress skills.
Kin: *still looks suspicious* Well, anyway, how was the chapter? I have a question for you readers. Do you think that the fourth chapter is too early for a first kiss? Give me your thoughts soon and I'll try to update right away! See you next chapter!
Review Responses:
Hedi Dracona: I'm glad you like Kuwabaka torture, for there will definitely be more to come. *smirks*
baka-chibi-puffs: Thanks for sticking with me! Good luck on catching Kenshin, you better watch out for Kaoru though!
Kashaku Hitomi: *narrows eyes* What do you mean 'I don't know about you though'? I make perfect spelling scores. Anyway, Happy Christmas to you too! Thanks for reviewing my story every chapter!
Baka Inu: I see you like Kuwabaka torture. I don't think that he'll get beat up by Kin in the next chapter, but you can definitely expect it soon. I have plans for him.... *evil cackle*
Silver Moon Rebel: Thanks! I'm sure Ka-chan is happy to see that at least some people like her! *Kashaku beats Kin over the head with plastic hammer* OW!!
YoUkNoWuLuVmE: Thanks for reviewing! Kurama is actually not paired up with anyone in this story. Unless you would like me to pair him up with Botan? Well, what do you think? I'm not really sure, I was going to have him go solo but if you think I should put him with her I'll give it a shot.
Crissy Dowie: Is that name right? Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I try to update as often as I can, but my computer isn't compatible with FF.net so I usually have to sneak on the computers at school and upload my chapters. Every once in a while my computer will randomly work, so sorry if I'm not updating fast enough!
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a pony, if you send me a flame I'll be forced to give you all of my toenail clippings from the last week. Thanks!
Kin: Here's an EXTREMELY long chapter for me updating so late. Welcome to the third chapter of Falling Into Fiction! In this story Hiei is tall, so deal with it. And if you want to know the pairings, too bad! It's very obvious so just pay attention and don't fall asleep at your keyboard.
Kashaku: Like you do?
Kin: I do not!
Kashaku: Do too!
Kin: Do not!
Kashaku: Do too!
Kin: Do no- *Leiko suddenly walks in the door and Kin and Kashaku stare at her*
Leiko: What?
Kashaku: Where have you been?
Leiko: None of your business.
Kin: *glares* well now that we're all HERE we can start the chapter.
Kashaku: Okay, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
"blah" speaking
'blah' thinking
/blah/ conscience
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Falling Into Fiction
Chapter 3: Beginnings
"Go wake up the girls, it's already past ten." Yusuke said while stuffing more clothes into his duffel bag that was already bursting at the seams.
After Yusuke had explained the case, the rest of the team had been more than willing to accompany the girls on their quest. I mean, it wasn't like they had gotten any cases lately anyway. It was actually kind of strange, nothing had come up and there seemed to be a lull in demon activity. It kind of made him wonder if there was something going on in the demon world.
He had asked Koenma about it last night after the girls had gone to bed, but he had just looked thoughtful and said something about an ancient demon lord or something. When Yusuke had attempted to inquire further, Koenma had waved him off and proceeded to order the ogre demon that had a huge stack of papers to go and find information on a "Lord Takashi." Yusuke had left seeing as he would get no further information. He wondered if this Takashi guy would prove a problem on their quest. Probably.
Yusuke turned around and glared at the rest of the guys. Hiei was sitting in the window being solitary as usual, Touya was leaning against the wall looking around coldly, Jin seemed to be asleep on the couch, and Kuwabara was still in the same spot on the floor they had left him last night with a puddle of drool under his head.
"Hey, where's Kurama?" Yusuke asked.
Hiei looked at him. "He was called on a special mission by Koenma last night."
Yusuke wondered what it was, but kept his thoughts to himself seeing as Hiei didn't look like he was going to give out any information in the near future.
"Well, are you guys going to go wake up the girls or not?" Yusuke asked again.
Neither Hiei nor Touya answered him and Jin and Kuwabara continued to sleep obliviously. A vein popped out on Yusuke's head and he wondered how many times he had to ask to get some kind of reaction.
"I SAID, GO WAKE UP THE GIRLS!" Yusuke practically yelled.
Jin bolted awake and looked around the room wildly, but Kuwabara just continued to sleep with an occasional snore and twitch. Hiei and Touya were both glaring at Yusuke, almost making him wish he hadn't yelled that loud.
"Well, they're probably awake by now." Hiei said emotionlessly.
"Would you guys please go wake up the girls so I can finish packing?" Yusuke asked again while glaring at Hiei.
"Fine." said Touya as he started towards the door.
Jin quickly got up with a cheerful smile and followed. "It would be my pleasure." He said.
Yusuke sweatdropped and wondered if it was wise to let Jin go anywhere near the fox girl. 'What was her name again? Oh yeah, Kin.'
Hiei jumped off the windowsill and started towards the door. Yusuke was surprised that Hiei was going too, but shrugged it off and turned back to his bag to try and cram in some more shirts. He quickly forgot all thoughts of Hiei and the girls as he tackled the problem of getting all his pants in his bag without having to fold them.
++++++
Touya, Jin and Hiei walked down the hall in silence until they came to the door of room 226. The door was slightly ajar and it seemed that the girls were a little less cautious than they should be.
Jin grinned cheerfully. "Shall we go in then?"
Hiei and Touya just looked at him. He took that as a yes and quietly pushed the door open. The room was the same as it had been before with the three beds against the right wall and the door to the small bathroom on the left. The sun was shining through the window creating light enough to see easily, and the guys were surprised that it hadn't woken up the three girls yet.
Jin walked towards the middle bed that Kin was in and grinned when he saw her sleeping. She had somehow managed to get on the bed sideways and was almost falling off headfirst while the covers were falling off the other side and only covered her to her waist. The long braid that she put her hair in to sleep was hanging of the side of the bed and touching the floor gently. Her ears twitched slightly and rotated towards him as she gripped her pillow in both arms and slightly growled in her sleep.
Jin crept closer until he was at the head of the bed. He thought for a moment and decided that it would be best to wake her up now. He grinned.
Meanwhile, Touya was staring at the lump that was Kashaku. He wondered how he should wake her up. Should he shake her or say her name or something? However, the problem was solved when Jin yelled, "wake up!" at the top of his lungs, and the lump that was Kashaku seemed to leap five feet in the air.
Kashaku started to thrash around and get even more tangled. In the process she fell off the bed and onto the floor. Touya raised an eyebrow when he heard her muttering some choice curse words before throwing the whole blanket into the air and looking around the room frantically. She had her hair in a low ponytail and was also in a knee-length white T-shirt, but when she saw Touya she immediately latched onto his arm.
"What are YOU doing in my room?" she asked.
Touya just stared at her. She didn't seem surprised at all and was happily grinning and watching her blanket start to fall from the air and cover them both. Touya didn't exactly like the idea of being under a blanket with Kashaku, but he couldn't do anything do to the fact that she was gripping his arm and staring at the blanket without any signs of moving.
"I just came to wake you up." Touya said while attempting to pry her off.
The thick blanket fell over them both and Kashaku stared at him with wide eyes. She began to advance on him while staring intently at his face.
"What?" he asked while edging away from Kashaku.
"Your eyes glow." Kashaku said happily. She stuck her face up in front of his with only about an inch between them while trying to get a good look at his glowing ice blue eyes. Touya jerked back and wondered if this girl had any idea of what personal space was.
He pulled the blanket off and continued to back away as Kashaku kept on coming towards him. It seemed that she now had a fascination for his eyes. She didn't seem to care that she was still in just a T-shirt, or that Touya was an ice demon who had killed multiple people before. That was the moment that Touya truly came to the conclusion that she was the strangest girl he would ever meet in his life.
As soon as Kin heard the yell, she was up and had tackled the source of the noise. It was apparent that fox demons had quick reflexes and sharp instincts. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and tried to focus them.
"You know, people might start to get the wrong idea." She heard someone say.
She looked down and blushed furiously at the position they were in. It seemed that the person she had tackled was Jin. She had him pressed to the floor with her claws at his throat and was straddling his waist while the T- shirt she wore rode dangerously higher up her thighs. Her golden braid had fallen over her shoulder and was resting on his bare, well-toned chest. Not that she noticed. Or that was what she told herself.
"Not that I mind." he continued while snaking his arms up around her waist and tugging her a little closer.
She immediately blushed twenty shades redder and quickly scrambled off of him and onto the floor. He sat up and smiled cheerfully. "Well, that was fun."
Kin stared at him and wondered if he ever got his mind out of the gutter. Probably not if her guess was right. That reminded her. She stood up, put her hands on her hips, and glared at him forgetting she was only wearing a T-shirt and giving him a nice view of her legs.
"What are you doing in my room?" she asked menacingly.
He looked her up and down and his smile widened. "You know, that look works for you."
Kin blushed harder if that was possible and glared at him. "Hentai!" she yelled and began to chase him around the room while yelling threats and cursing him for being too fast.
Mizuna sat up in her bed and yawned. A good night's sleep was definitely what she had needed. She pulled her covers to the side and slid out of bed with another yawn. She calmly walked over to where Hiei was standing and joined him in watching Kin throw things at the now flying Jin and Kashaku advance on the increasingly nervous Touya.
"Ohayou Gozaimasu." Mizuna said pleasantly.
She had her hair up in two buns on the top of her head and was wearing a long black T-shirt almost down to her knees. Hiei took one look at her, muttered "hn." and was gone.
Mizuna could have sworn she saw a blush staining his cheeks when he had looked at her, but decided she must have been mistaken. Hiei never blushed, and why would he start now? But she filed that bit of information for later contemplation anyway.
She watched the antics of her friends a little longer before deciding that it was time to hurry them along and get dressed. She walked calmly to the middle of the room and waited about a minute until Jin flew by and grabbed him by the arm. She ignored the protests from Kin who was complaining about not being able to kill him, and walked over to Touya. She grabbed him by his arm and started to walk both guys to the door.
Touya refused to budge and glared at her. "I can do it myself woman." He said coldly and yanked his arm free.
"But I thought you wanted to watch us get dressed." said Kashaku innocently.
A faint hint of pink was visible on Touya's cheeks as he mumbled something and walked quickly out the door.
"I do!"
Mizuna gave Jin a sarcastic look. "No." she said and shoved him out the door while simultaneously locking it.
Kin and Mizuna both turned toward Kashaku with raised eyebrows. Kashaku just grinned and cocked her head to the side.
"What?" she asked.
"Are you really that dense?" Kin asked bluntly.
"I didn't really think he wanted to stay and watch us get dressed. I just knew that would make him leave in a hurry." Kashaku said smugly.
Kin and Mizuna both stared at her for a second and then started to walk towards the door. "WAIT!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!" Kashaku yelled and dived head first in their direction. Kin and Mizuna just stepped to the side and watched as her dive ended as a heap on the floor.
"We're just going to get our clothes. Do you have a problem with that?" Kin asked with one eyebrow cocked.
Kashaku just stood up and began to skip over to her bed to retrieve her staff. "Nope!" she said happily as Kin and Mizuna both sweatdropped. They both watched as she picked up the staff leaning against the wall and walked over to the table by the door with the neatly folded clothes on it. She didn't get very far however, seeing as she tripped on her staff and fell on the floor again.
Mizuna shook her head. 'The things I have to endure...'
+++++++++
The fully assembled group was finally ready to go. Unfortunately, Botan had yet to show up and everyone was getting kind of restless. Jin had somehow managed to maneuver it so that he could sit next to Kin on the sofa, and she wasn't too pleased. The rest of the group was busy watching her slap Jin for the sixth time, so they didn't notice when someone else entered the room.
"Ahem."
The whole group turned as one, including Kin who was in mid slap. They had been expecting Botan, but it seemed that Koenma had taken it upon himself to deliver the traveling device. He was in his teenage form and had a small, rather shiny object in his hand.
Kashaku was immediately up and after the shiny object, but Koenma raised it above his head and glared at her. She looked rather sulky and walked back over to Touya to latch onto his arm once again.
"So what is it?" Yusuke demanded.
Koenma looked very annoyed but opened his hand so that they could all see. It was a small round stone only about the size of his palm, and glinted in the light. Mizuna stared at it and tried to tell what color it was, but it eluded her. She was looking straight at it; however, the color just seemed to slip past her senses with only a faint impression of its existence.
"It is a transportation stone." Koenma said briefly.
Mizuna raised an eyebrow. That was all the information he was going to give them? That was rather unfair. She watched as Koenma held out small stone to Yusuke, and became even more curious as to its nature when Yusuke jerked back a little as if it had shocked him.
"Everyone must be touching the stone or another person who is touching the stone. You must all think of where you wish to go and you will be transported in a matter of seconds. But I must warn you, don't let go or you might end up somewhere that you have no wish to be. I have no idea of the exact location of the pendants, that, you will have to find out on your own."
" It is rumored that each stone was made from the power source of each of the worlds and can be found one in each; one from the ningenkai, one from the reikai, and one from the makai world. They are mixed up, and can be found in the wrong world so as to confuse enemies. The Lightning Element was forged in the Makai, the Water Element was forged in the Reikai, and the Fire Element was created in the Ningenkai; but remember, they will be in the wrong world. While you are in the Ningenkai, you should look for the pendent that is located there. I will try to find out where it can be located and give you information. You should just stay at Yusuke's house until I send you a message and a mode of transportation."
Mizuna wondered how they were going to be able to find the exact location of the pendants. Were they expected to be able to sense them or something? Because if they were, she certainly couldn't sense anything. She turned back to Koenma as he began to speak again, this time with a very serious and rather pensive face.
"There have been rumors of a demon named Takashi resurfacing in the Makai."
He continued despite their blank faces. "He was a very strong demon who at one time declared himself the king of all demons. He had power and wealth beyond any other, and was known for his joy in killing for pleasure. However, when he became a little too greedy and attempted to steal the Three Elemental Pendants from their guardians, he supposedly disappeared after the inevitable battle and hasn't been heard from since. No one is quite sure what went on in the Final Battle, but he was assumed dead. However, there have been many recent reports of various demons demanding information on the pendants whereabouts and saying that he is their lord."
"What does this have to do with us?" Touya asked.
"He will come after the pendants and possibly try to kill you if my guess is correct. He will most likely send various demons and warriors to try and wrest any information you may have about the pendants from you." For some reason he seemed to glance at Kin a little nervously when he said this.
"When you actually attain the pendants, you will have to be extra careful and watch out for any traps that Takashi may set for you. No one is really sure what he looks like, but have no doubt that you will know it is him when you finally see him."
The group was silent for a moment. 'Just great, another complication.' was the general all-around thought. Koenma looked at the watch on his wrist and seemed to become instantly hurried.
"I have to go, but I wish you well. Be careful and try to be alert at all times." He glanced at Kin nervously once more before hurrying out of the room.
Kin looked puzzled. 'What was that all about? Why did he keep looking at me like that?' she wondered. However she soon forgot her thoughts when everyone began to gather in a clump around Yusuke and his bag in the middle of the room. She watched as Yusuke dragged Kuwabara over, then hurried and joined them.
"Alright, I guess we'll give it a try." Yusuke said while looking at the colorless rock dubiously.
Kin grabbed onto the back of Kashaku's dress and narrowed her eyes menacingly at Jin when he put an arm around her shoulders. He looked at her innocently and made no further moves. Kin glared at him one last time before apparently deciding he was okay until he made any other moves toward her.
"Okay. I guess close your eyes and think of the Ningenkai." Yusuke said.
Everyone complied. There was no noticeable difference, and Kin was about to complain about Koenma being stupid, when she felt it. It was like a slight tug in her stomach and it got stronger until it was like a yank, grabbing her and ripping her forwards. Her stomach felt as if it was rising up into her throat, and there was a blinding light. She quickly closed her eyes and concentrated on not throwing up. Her sense of direction seemed to become disoriented and she tried to focus on keeping a hold of Kashaku's dress, but as soon as it began it was over.
Kashaku blinked to clear her eyes, and looked around. The stone seemed to have worked seeing as they were standing in the middle of a street. People on the sidewalk were openly staring at them and gaping. There were houses going all along the street and continuing on in the distance. They were all kind of small and apartment-like.
Kashaku let go of the stone, and turned towards the people lining up on the sidewalk. She started to make childish faces at them and sick out her tongue. The people stared at her like she was crazy and started to disperse and go back to their business. She could hear a few mothers telling their children not to stare at the "mentally challenged" because it was rude.
"Well, they're no fun." Kashaku said with a pout.
She turned back around to face the rest of the team. Hiei, Touya and Mizuna were all standing to the side and staring coolly at their surroundings, Yusuke was prodding the STILL snoring Kuwabara, and Kin was glaring at Jin who had yet to remove his arm from around her shoulders.
"We should probably proceed to your house, Yusuke." Mizuna said.
Yusuke gave up prodding Kuwabara to glare at her. "I'm not stupid you know. I just can't get the baka to wake up," he said turning back towards Kuwabara.
Kashaku walked over to Kuwabara and prodded him with her staff. Nothing happened, and she quickly grew impatient. She began to beat him with her staff and yell for him to wake up, but he still just lay there and twitched while simultaneously drooling and snoring. The rest of the team sweatdropped.
"What?" she asked cluelessly.
They all just shook their heads. Kashaku shrugged and gave up beating Kuwabara. She soon became bored, and began to twirl in circles with her staff and hum a song she was making up on the spot.
"Okay..." Yusuke said while watching Kashaku.
Hiei gave him an annoyed look. "Just leave the fool here. We are wasting our time. If he knows where you live, he should be able to find us when he wakes up."
Yusuke nodded and began to drag Kuwabara over to the sidewalk. He was sure he would be okay; he was too ugly to kidnap. With that done, he turned back just in time to see Kin elbow Jin in the stomach and duck under his arm with a scowl. She proceeded to cross her arms over her chest and glare at everyone as if daring them to say something.
Touya shook his head. Jin could be such an idiot sometimes.
++++++
"No."
"Come on Kin-chan, it'll be fun!"
"Not in a billion years." Kin glared at Mizuna and adopted her stubborn stance. No way was she going shopping. She was just fine in her loose, long white robes. Besides, if her guess were right, Mizuna would insist on going in every single store, and looking at and trying on every single thing. No way was she going to the mall.
Mizuna looked irritated. "Kin-chan, you can't walk around in the Ningenkai in your current clothes, and we can't keep borrowing Yusuke's. The logical solution is to go shopping! If we're going to be staying in the Ningenkai and going on a cruise, we'll need normal clothes and bathing suits! Not to mention that Koenma said we would need dresses for a formal ball and Halloween costumes for a party on the ship!"
"I can do what I want! And I don't want to go shopping!"
Kashaku grabbed another handful of popcorn and continued to watch the fight as it progressed to yelling. Popcorn was best for these sorts of things. She offered the bowl to Jin and he took a handful as well. Touya and Yusuke declined and continued to watch the fight with interest. Hiei was off somewhere nearby doing whatever it is that Hiei does.
Ever since Koenma had sent the message, Kin and Mizuna had been arguing. About thirty minutes ago, a message had arrived from Koenma saying that he knew the general location of the first pendent. It was the Water Element, and it was somewhere in the middle of the ocean. How they were going to reach it if it was under the sea, they didn't know; Koenma hadn't mentioned it. The only things in the letter had been eight tickets for a cruise in four days, and a letter telling them to go on a nine-day cruise, bring formal wear for a ball and a Halloween costume. They didn't know where exactly the pendent was, or how to get to it, but they had decided to just go and check it out anyway.
Mizuna had suggested that they go out and buy ningen clothes since they wouldn't want to go on a cruise in the clothes they were wearing now. The only problem is that Mizuna doesn't like to waste money. Mizuna, the calm and logical one, once inside a mall feels the need to shop until she gets the perfect bargain. Every clothing shop, every makeup store, every single store in the mall; none are safe from Mizuna. She is like a completely different person inside the mall. She takes forever before buying only one thing and is also highly competitive when it comes to sales. She is always first in line, and doesn't care if she has to shove to get there.
Now we look at Kin. Kin hates shopping. Kin hates everything about the mall. She is short-tempered, impatient, and hates salesclerks with their preppy smiles. Ever since she was little, Kin has hated shopping and liked to torment salesclerks. She only goes to the mall unless her clothes are practically falling apart. She is way too impatient and easily bored to go shopping.
"Look, Kin-chan. We really need to go shopping; we do not want to attract attention to ourselves. Moreover, you don't want people staring at you do you? All we need to do is go to the mall and buy a few clothes." Mizuna said logically.
Kin glared. "Yeah, I know what a "few" clothes means to you; going through every single store and trying on every single thing."
"She looks cute when she's angry," Jin commented.
Kashaku just nodded absently and continued to watch the verbal match. It was obvious that Kin-chan wouldn't win. They really did need to go shopping, and Mizuna was a far better debater, but it was still fun to watch them duke it out. She stuffed some more popcorn into her mouth and watched as the fight began to come to a close.
"Kin-chan, be reasonable. We really need ningen clothes. All we need to get are some normal clothes, bathing suits, formal wear, a Halloween costume, and make-up, and then we can leave. I promise." Mizuna said while looking almost bored.
Kin looked sulky. "Hmpf. Fine, but only if I can drive."
Mizuna looked a little nervous, but then her face changed to triumphant. "Okay. It's only ten in the morning, let's go now."
Kashaku jumped up from the couch, startling the guys and making popcorn fly in all directions. "Yeah! Let's go shopping!"
Mizuna suddenly looked sly and everyone backed away. "You know Kin-chan, you can't walk around outside with your ears showing. We'll have to cover them up."
Kin backed away. "Don't you dare come near me with that look on your face Mi-chan!"
The team had been hanging out at Yusuke's house for almost two weeks of uneventful boredom, before finally, the message had arrived. They had already borrowed some of Yusuke's clothes to wear for the time being, but the girls seemed to have forgotten about the demon attributes they now had.
"You'll have to wear a hat." Mizuna said calmly while holding out a black baseball cap.
Kin looked at it in horror. "No way am I wearing a hat! If I have to wear a hat, then you have to wear a hat too! Your ears are long and pointy!"
Mizuna looked as if she was explaining the obvious to a very stupid person. "A hat won't cover up my ears, I'll just have to make do. You, however, have fox ears. That is just not normal."
"I'm not wearing a hat." Kin said defiantly.
Kashaku stood looking at the two girls with impatience. "Come on, I want to go! Just wear the stupid hat Kin-chan!"
Kin pouted. "God! You're all against me! Fine! Hmpf." She put the cap on backwards, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at everyone.
"Much better. Now, let's go." Mizuna said.
To be continued....
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Mizuna: Well, wasn't that delightful.
Kin: I'm a good writer! So just shut up!
Mizuna: I was complimenting the story.
Kin: Oh.
Kashaku: Somehow, I think that was a concealed insult.
Kin: *gives Mizuna suspicious look*
Mizuna: I was merely trying to comment on your excellent authoress skills.
Kin: *still looks suspicious* Well, anyway, how was the chapter? I have a question for you readers. Do you think that the fourth chapter is too early for a first kiss? Give me your thoughts soon and I'll try to update right away! See you next chapter!
Review Responses:
Hedi Dracona: I'm glad you like Kuwabaka torture, for there will definitely be more to come. *smirks*
baka-chibi-puffs: Thanks for sticking with me! Good luck on catching Kenshin, you better watch out for Kaoru though!
Kashaku Hitomi: *narrows eyes* What do you mean 'I don't know about you though'? I make perfect spelling scores. Anyway, Happy Christmas to you too! Thanks for reviewing my story every chapter!
Baka Inu: I see you like Kuwabaka torture. I don't think that he'll get beat up by Kin in the next chapter, but you can definitely expect it soon. I have plans for him.... *evil cackle*
Silver Moon Rebel: Thanks! I'm sure Ka-chan is happy to see that at least some people like her! *Kashaku beats Kin over the head with plastic hammer* OW!!
YoUkNoWuLuVmE: Thanks for reviewing! Kurama is actually not paired up with anyone in this story. Unless you would like me to pair him up with Botan? Well, what do you think? I'm not really sure, I was going to have him go solo but if you think I should put him with her I'll give it a shot.
Crissy Dowie: Is that name right? Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I try to update as often as I can, but my computer isn't compatible with FF.net so I usually have to sneak on the computers at school and upload my chapters. Every once in a while my computer will randomly work, so sorry if I'm not updating fast enough!
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a pony, if you send me a flame I'll be forced to give you all of my toenail clippings from the last week. Thanks!