Disclaimer: *sigh* Do I have to? *lawyers nod* Well, too bad! I'm not
gonna, and you can't make me!! I refuse!! I have the right to say or not
say whatever I want, and I refuse to say the disclaimer! *cheering and
applause from other authors* Oh, yeah!! It's a free country, and I can not
do whatever I don't wanna do!! *lawyers look smug and hold up copyright* Oh
yeah, crap, this country also has laws... hehe, I forgot for a second there.
*scratches head and looks around for federal agents* Um... I don't own Yu Yu
Hakusho.
Kin: Yep, this will be a good chapter, I can tell.
Mizuna: *raises eyebrow* What makes you think that? If your other chapters are what's to go on then I really don't think that-
Kashaku: I interrupted you!
Mizuna: *annoyed* Yeah, I kind of figured that out on my own.
Kashaku: *nods* Good. Because if you didn't I would be forced to wonder how smart you really are.
Kin: *rolls eyes* And we wouldn't want that now would we?
Kashaku: Nope. ^_^
Kin & Mizuna: *sweatdrop*
Kashaku: I like cheetos.
Mizuna: We know.
Kin: I'm starting the chapter now. I'll try to make it very exciting and stuff, it skips ahead to the farewell ball just to let you know. Okay, enough of my stalling. Enjoy!
WARNING: EXPLICIT VIOLENCE, BLOOD AND GORE
"blah" speaking
'blah' thinking
/blah/ conscience
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Falling Into Fiction
Chapter 7: Battles
+++Afternoon: Seventh Day of the Cruise+++
"Well, today's finally the day of the ball. We'll get to kick some demon ass tonight...."
"Thanks for stating the obvious Yusuke, I'm sure I never would have guessed without your personal help in the matter," Kin said, itching for a fight.
Yusuke narrowed his dark brown eyes and glared at her. "I wouldn't have to state the obvious if you were smart enough to figure it out on your own."
Kin balled her hands up into fists. Everyone was on edge because today was the day that the demon would attack. This morning, there had been ten long scratches on the front of the girls' door as if someone had run claws down it, a warning, or perhaps a taunt. There had been no more flashes of the mysterious woman's aura, but they all knew that she was here somewhere, biding her time, waiting to strike. It seemed that tonight would be the night, and a nervous energy was boiling up like a pot left on the burner.
The entire team had met up earlier this same morning, even Hiei, and had discussed the wisest approach. They had decided to try and stick together at the ball, clumped in a group if need be, for if they were separated they would be much weaker when the enemy attacked. Things were starting to get serious, and the girls were beginning to realize that this wasn't just a game; it was real. They were actually going to have to fight, and they weren't even sure how. It was easy for Koenma to say that they were strong, but it was also true that they had never handled weapons before or used any kind of magic.
And so we find Kin, attempting to alleviate her frustration by goading Yusuke into a fight, which really isn't that hard to do. But before the two could pounce on each other and begin their grudge match, someone stepped between them.
"Kin, are you still trying to antagonize Yusuke into a fight? It really isn't that hard to do, there is no pride in the ability to annoy people," Mizuna said in monotone, her emotionless voice betraying nothing.
Before Kin could reply, she was being dragged off in the opposite direction. "Wait Mi-chan! I was just about to kill Yusuke," the golden- haired girl complained as her friend led her off towards their room. She saw the black-haired boy smirk at her and shot him one last glare over her shoulder before he was lost to sight around the corner.
Mizuna rolled her sapphire blue eyes. "We must get ready for the ball. I have already told Kashaku to meet us in our room, let's go."
+++Evening: The Ball+++
"Stop fidgeting," Mizuna said calmly, putting a hand on Kin's arm.
The golden-haired kitsune shrugged her off. "I can't, they're going to attack soon," she growled, her voice bubbling with barely repressed tension. For the ball, all the girls had chosen what they were going to wear themselves and Kin had spared no expense where money was concerned.
She had on an ankle length, sleeveless black silk Chinese style dress with two long, daring slits up both sides all the way up to the thighs. The neck was high and bordered in gold with the popular frog and toggle going diagonally down to under her right arm while graceful golden scrollwork flowers were stitched across the chest. But the most beautiful thing about the dress was the bright gold stitched Chinese dragon curling all the way around the bottom of the dress; it's scales done in shimmering light green. Her hair was half up in a bun with gold and pale green chopsticks while the rest flowed down her back and almost to her knees. Her makeup was done in all pale, shimmering gold and dark black while she also wore tall black stiletto heels that laced up her calves. Her golden bangles were of course part of her attire.
Mizuna was wearing a long floor-length, shimmering purple satin dress that had a low scoop neck with spaghetti straps and a low dipping back. Frothing waves of silver had been stitched so intricately around the bottom of the dress that they looked almost as if they were moving and crashing just as they would have had they been real. Just above the waves, a shining crescent moon had been sewn as well as a lot of stars that faded up into the pale lavender of the dress' bodice. To match, she wore elbow-length purple gloves also of satin, a silver-wire belt set with amethysts draped artfully on one hip and silver chocker inlaid with amethysts as well. Her hair was up in a 'messy' bun with a few soft curls floating down and amethyst stones sprinkled throughout. Her makeup was done in silver with soft purple accents.
Altogether not the best things to fight in, but it WAS a ball after all.
"I hate to tell you this, but ripping that napkin up into a million pieces is not going to speed up time in any way."
The golden-eyed kitsune glared at her stoic friend and growled low in her throat like a feral animal. "Yeah, whatever," she said but she dropped the small pieces of napkin on the refreshment table.
The entire group was clustered loosely around one of the refreshment tables although moderately apart so as not to attract too much attention. Jin and Yusuke were arguing about battle tactics, Hiei was just there and Kashaku was bugging Touya of course.
Kashaku was wearing a tight fitting halter dress with a low neck and a slit up the right side. It shimmered in the light and shone iridescently in all the colors of fire, red being the dominant although there were flickers of bronze, yellow, orange and even purple, blue and green. She wore short dark black gloves and black platform sandals with what looked to be a ruby set in the top. Her hair was up in a bun with two long pieces of hair looping down and around her ears gracefully and a ruby encrusted barrette glimmered bronze at her bun. Her makeup was done in shimmering bronze and red with dark red lipstick to match, accenting the rubies that were also sprinkled through her almost as red hair. In the light she shimmered and seemed to move as a flame, dancing in an array of eye-catching and enticing colors.
Kin and Mizuna were a little bit apart from the others, holding punch that they had no intentions of drinking, trying to look as if they were having fun when they weren't.
"Kin, I've been wanting to talk to you and Kashaku for a while now about something. Do you remember when Koenma said that our pasts would come back to us over time, eventually?"
Golden eyes blinked in confusion. "Ano, yeah. So?"
Mizuna took that as a cue to continue. "Well, I was thinking...." Here she paused, seemingly thinking before proceeding. "I'm very curious as to where my parents are and... I was wondering if you felt the same. Maybe we should look for them. I want to meet my real family and to know what they're like." She said this with a hint of hidden longing.
"You know, I never really thought about it until you mentioned it just now. But, to tell the truth, I really want to see my real parents too," the kitsune answered with a slightly wondering look on her face. She hadn't known that her friend was so passionate about something. It seemed that Mizuna had the secret longing for a family.
The blue-haired demoness smiled a real smile then. "Maybe after we get the pendant we can-" The lights suddenly went out, sending the entire ballroom into darkness. The room was enormous with refreshment tables set up all around the walls and tons of gleaming guests packed no the dance floor to a waltz looking like gleaming bugs under the sun. When the lights went out the orchestra immediately stopped playing and voices broke out all over the room.
"Here it comes," the water demoness said softly, betraying nothing; it just wasn't her way. She could feel the others gathering around and the vague moonlight from a high window caught in Kin's eyes and made them glow a rather creepy golden color.
There were suddenly screams from the opposite side of the room as something most likely bad happened to some guests. The screams moved like wildfire until it seemed as if something must be hunting among the crowd. The group could only wait uneasily. The lights came back on a few moments later revealing their enemies. Immediately, the other passengers began to scream in terror and bolt for the nearest exit in total pandemonium.
It was apparent why when the ugliest thing that the water demoness had ever seen reared up almost directly in front of them. It had long claws and teeth caked with both dried blood black in the light and new fresh crimson blood running wetly. It hunched over grotesquely as if it's creator had been playing some kind of joke on it when it had molded it. It was scaly or slimy, too hard to tell, and it had the face of what looked like a bull crossed with a snake and long arms like an ape, giving it a long reach.
All the blood ran out of her face as the blue-haired girl watched in horror. The thing spit what seemed to be a bloody lump onto the floor and put on what could only be the semblance of a savage grin. The three girls had never been exposed to anything so gory; they had never even seen a dead body before, and only Mizuna's demon blood kept her from vomiting on the spot. She made an assumption that her two friends would most likely be feeling the same and watched frozen in shock as she saw Touya suddenly jump in front of her and release Shards of Winter, not fazed at all, beginning a bloody battle with the creature.
She glanced around to find that the other members of her team were in action, fighting the grotesque creatures. Snapping out of her disgusted stupor, the water demoness raised a wall of water just in time to save herself from being impaled by the claws of one of the creatures. She wasn't really sure what she was capable of, but hell, now was as good a time as any to find out. She pulled her two bladed fans from somewhere in the folds of her dress and held them aloft. They felt cool in her hands, and she knew what to do.
Kashaku watched in amazement as her very own friend Mizuna slashed a monster in half using a set of bladed fans. When had her friend turned into a killing machine? The last time she'd looked, the blue-haired water demoness had been a nice if not sarcastic and icy girl, oh the horror! She was the friend of a serial killer!! Which reminded her. She looked up at the ugly greenish-purple creature in front of her and wrinkled her nose. It didn't take demon senses to smell the death on it.
The thing didn't waste time; it attacked immediately. Kashaku wasn't really sure what to do. I mean she didn't have her staff or anything.... Immediately as she thought this, her staff appeared in her hands. She had never handled a staff before much less a bladed one, but she held it aloft and swung it down in an arc on the creature's head before it finished its wild swipe. It's skull split open, spilling brain and liquid onto the floor. The red- haired sorceress blinked and considered herself lucky. She was unskilled with a staff, but she thought she could manage. These things weren't the smartest beings in the world after all. She continued to slash at the creatures, doing fairly well and getting into the hang of it well enough to get by. After all, she had the advantage of a long range with her long, black-bladed scythe.
Bending down to pick up a dropped penny, Kashaku just managed to narrowly avoid being run through. "Hey, look, I found a penny!! It's shiny...." she said covetously.
Meanwhile, Kin was having the time of her life. For some reason fighting seemed to come naturally, and although it was hard to use her claws due to the short range, she was able to merely swipe them through the air and lightning would burst from each finger in a trail and smash into her foe. Although the blood and gore had shocked her at first, she had grown numb to it. She knew she would probably throw up later. But for the time being, she would enjoy mangling these creatures to alleviate her frustrations. She looked around in a sudden break and her eyebrows furrowed. The group was being pushed apart.
Unbeknownst to her, a creature came up behind her anticipating an easy kill. Kin's golden fox ears rotated around as she heard the swish of air she had come to associate with a killing swipe and she turned around as fast as she could. But not fast enough. However, a red, white and black blur was suddenly in front of her and blocked the attack while easily dispensing of the monster with a fierce wind.
Jin turned his head to look at her sideways, his expression serious for once. "Be careful."
Before the golden-haired kitsune could express her thanks he was suddenly gone again, attacking another monster with punches and winds, flying above it to finish it off. For some reason, knowing that he was watching out for her gave her comfort and she returned to the fight with gusto. The creatures didn't seem to ever end, and she could only hope that the passengers had escaped on the emergency rafts. However, as the fighting went on, she could definitely say that she was getting the hang of this. It was like she had known this before and had only forgotten it; her movements got surer as she went on, finally becoming familiar with her claws and attacks.
"We can't go on much longer," Mizuna suddenly said from behind her. They were now back to back, fighting a monster on each side. "They don't seem to ever end."
Kin narrowed her golden eyes. "Where is the leader? Is it that bitch you said was mocking you with her aura? Where is she?!" she growled, arching a swift kick to what was probably her attacker's chin when the thing got too close. And we know that she was wearing stilettos, ooh, that had to have hurt. Apparently it did, because the creature howled in pain.
Soon Kashaku joined their group forming a triangle back to back. The group had been separated, the guys were almost on the opposite side of the room now and the monsters were surrounding them on all sides. Mizuna made a sharp intake of breath. "Of course! They're forcing us apart, trying to get the three of us alone. The woman from before must be directing them with her Spirit Energy and she probably wants us alone so she can torture information about the pendants from us," she said ripping through the flesh of a monster with her fans unconsciously.
The other two girls' eyes widened although they didn't cease in their fighting. "Well, it looks like the bitch is getting her wish!" Kin snarled. She sent a lightning attack at a monster just before it raked its claws through Mizuna's side and it exploded, sending chunks of steaming flesh and organs showering through the air. All three girls grimaced as blood splattered their expensive dresses.
"Look! They've been forced out the door!" Kashaku cried suddenly before slicing a monster's arm off thus stopping its attack for the moment. It was true; the others had been forced out the two doors of the ballroom, leaving the three girls alone to fight the throng of monsters. How the others had been forced out was a mystery, but as soon as they were out, the doors slammed shut and glowed green for a second before staying closed. There was no sound from the other side and the girls could only assume that it had been sealed shut.
Immediately the creatures ceased their attacks. In fact, they backed away, leaving a large empty circle around the three girls. They didn't let their guard down and stayed back-to-back, suspicious. The monsters shifted restlessly as if waiting for something, and soon, it came in the form of the very woman they had been speaking of.
"I see you have managed to last this long. I commend you," the purring voice rang out over the quiet. It was just as Mizuna had thought, the woman from the Halloween party stood in the middle of the floor licking blood off long razor sharp claws as the body of a young woman fell to the floor. She looked up and smiled nastily at the group, revealing perfectly white fangs, sharp and dangerous. It seemed that she had stayed hidden in the chaos and remained unseen until this very moment. She walked closer although kept far enough away as to remain out of the range of elemental attacks.
She was as beautiful as she had been before, unearthly in her perfection. She still had her same short ebony hair and piercing green eyes, but there were definitely differences since they had last seen her. Other than her razor sharp claws, she had two black cat ears perched up on top of her head and a long, black cat tail swishing behind her. She looked comfortable in a short, tight black dress ending at about mid-thigh with slits and long sleeves. It had a V-neck and no back, while a green sash was tied around her waist, with the hilts of two daggers poking out of it. Her tall, lace- up boots also had the hilts of daggers poking out from them as well.
The woman smiled again, showing off her fangs once more. "You must always know the name of your executioner. I am Aya. I suppose I am supposed to leave you alive, but where's the fun in that?" she asked, still purring and looking pleased with herself. She looked around the room at the various monsters and then continued speaking. "Such ugly monsters aren't they? I shall get rid of them while we...talk." With that said, she simply snapped her fingers and the creatures were suddenly gone.
Kin, Kashaku and Mizuna all looked around in amazement. The room was entirely devoid of the monsters although there were a lot of dead bodies, blood and gore still splattered everywhere.
The water demoness narrowed her eyes. "You're the bitch that kept teasing us with your aura. What do you want?"
"I thought that would be obvious," the neko said and licked her claws once again for any remaining traces of blood. "I want you to tell me where the pendants are."
Kin glared for all she was worth. "Well too bad, cause we don't know where they are..." she trailed off into a feral growl, her fangs poking out over her bottom lip.
The red-haired sorceress cocked her head to the side and stared at the ebony-haired neko. "Do you need to wash your hands? You keep licking them, and we can wait until you wash them if you want."
The woman narrowed her eyes and stepped closer into range of elemental attacks, not seeming to notice. "Tell me where the pendants are," she hissed, her voice menacing.
Golden eyes flashed. "You'll have to kill us first."
A sly grin lit upon the woman's annoyingly perfect features. "Is that so?" And without warning, she attacked.
It was ten times worse than the creatures had been. She was intelligent and fast, used to her own weapons and full of malice. She was everywhere at once, using her claws to force the girls apart with their need to dodge; she was grace on wings. She slashed Kashaku, ripping her dress across the stomach and ripping a shallow gash that bleed freely. The fire sorceress ignored it and brought her staff up in an arch to throw a fireball while Kin sent bolts of lightning in the woman's direction and Mizuna channeled a wave of water through her fans as well.
The bolt of lighting struck the dead carcass of one of the fallen creatures and blood and gore exploded in all directions. The girls covered their eyes to protect them. When they opened them there was only a scorch mark on the floor to remind them of the neko woman.
Kin grinned triumphantly. "Ha! I knew it!! She was all talk and no-"
"Looking for me?" a voice came from behind them. The golden-haired girl whirled around as fast as she could and got in a fighting stance. Kin watched as the neko drew the two daggers from her sash and held them aloft, one in each hand.
Spinning the daggers expertly, she looked more wary than before. "It seems that you have elemental attacks as well. Since I need one of you to tell me where the pendants are, I'll just kill two of you. I must warn you, these daggers hold a poison that kills within only hours. Just one small cut...."
The fighting began again this time with a hint of desperation. Kashaku began to slow due to the wound across her stomach and Mizuna and Kin were getting tired. They weren't used to fighting, and it was wearing on them. However, a new desperation had awoken in them. The three girls began to rely on elemental attacks more and more. Kin slashed lighting, Mizuna protected them as best she could with walls of water, and Kashaku blasted with fireballs. It was no use. The neko was too fast and experienced.
Mizuna was breathing heavily. "We can't keep this up," she said, wincing as the multitude of various wounds she had obtained burned with her movements.
The golden-eyed kitsune twisted just in time to avoid a dagger cut along her side. "Maybe if we can hold out long enough the others will break through."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm right here you know," the neko, Aya, said pausing for a moment, not even breathing hard. "This is getting boring. Die."
Suddenly, the neko was dodging at twice the speed as before and attacking with a truly vicious strength. It was all Kashaku could do to fend her off. Mizuna did her best to cover for her friend, but it just wasn't enough. An opening cleared and the cat woman lunged for it with a purr of satisfaction in her throat. At the last second, the blue-haired water demoness shoved Kashaku out of the way.
Mizuna fell onto one knee, her hand on the dagger protruding from her upper arm. As she turned, Kin could see the tip it sticking out the other side and her vision went red. The blue-haired girl pulled the small knife out, fearing to leave it in due to the poison. Blood spurted out of the wound and a sharp intake of breath was the only sign of her pain. Her arm was now slick with blood and she pressed her hand to the wound already beginning to feel dizzy. She only had hours. Her vision was fading; her blood rushed as fire through her veins.
"I'll kill you."
The neko reached down and picked up her dagger, licking the blood off the tip. She looked up as the golden-haired kitsune spoke, but didn't seem worried. "This demoness' blood is sweet, quite good. Too bad she's going to die."
Kin stepped forward, her hands balled into fists, claws cutting into her flesh. She addressed Kashaku without turning around. "Stay with Mi-chan. I'll take care of this trash." The flame-haired sorceress didn't argue. She sat and pulled the wounded girl's head onto her lap.
"Here Mi-chan, I'll let you borrow my lap to be more comfortable," the yellow-eyed ningen said with worry overlying her good cheer. "But just to borrow, you have to give it back eventually."
Eyebrow arched gracefully, the neko addressed the kitsune. "You intend to fight me? Alone? I suppose that will mean that I shall leave the ningen alive, for you won't last long," she said almost lazily.
The golden kitsune laughed, a deep, feral sound that was harsh and inhuman. "We'll see who dies."
Before the neko even moved, the kitsune was slashing at her with claws rippling over with lighting, faster than could be seen. Dodging, the woman narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. So, the girl wanted to play rough did she? Twirling her daggers, the woman brought them to either side and aimed for the girl's sides. However, they missed as Kin did a fast dodging spin, coming around and kicking the woman in the back, causing her to fall forward and almost onto the kitsune's claws.
Just narrowly dodging, the neko decided it was time to be serious. This girl was actually winning, and we couldn't have that now could we? She would not be disgraced. Hissing slightly, the beautiful woman dropped her daggers and readied her own claws. As the golden-haired girl slashed, the neko slipped in between her arms and ripped through the side of the girl's dress, a deep gash along her right side bleeding heavily.
Smiling triumphantly, the neko pulled back confidently. "You shouldn't attempt to fight your betters. You are sure to loose-"
She was immediately shut up as claws came into her vision, slicing all the way through her right shoulder and causing a burst of pain to shoot up her nerves to her brain. Her arm hung limp, unable to move due to the severed nerve chords. She screamed in pain and held her other hand up to the wound, blood running through her fingers and down her porcelain skin. "You will die for that bitch!!"
Even through her rage, Kin still knew that she needed to hurry. Mizuna was loosing blood and the poison was spreading through her system. Snarling in answer to the neko's threat, the golden-haired kitsune rushed into battle, attacking and dodging, her skills sharpening by instinct far better than they would have had she not engaged in such a battle, her demon blood was rushing and boiling. She was loosing control, lost in a haze of red, intoxicated with her new strength. The neko was putting up a good fight with just one arm, but she was as good as done.
There, she saw the opening and took it. Grabbing the woman's wrist in her left hand, she allowed her claws to dig into the skin and draw blood while also sending slight shockwaves down the neko's arm. At the sight of blood, Kin was finally gone. The cat whimpered in pain, and she snorted in disgust.
Her instincts were screaming, 'Kill her!! Kill her!!' her demon blood urging her to delight in the revenge for her fallen comrade. She lifted up her head and her eyes shone blood red. "Die."
Aya looked down and saw the arm go through her stomach with slow fascination. A clawed hand came out the back, blood splattering onto the floor. She opened her mouth to scream, but a thick warm liquid ran out between her fangs and choked her. It was crimson, lifeblood. Eyes as red as the blood draining from her body watched with calculated amusement, and the kitsune twisted her arm as she pulled it slowly out, causing the neko to cough up more of the life giving blood. It splattered across the golden- haired girl's face, splotches of darkest red. The last thing she saw was that calculated smile, fangs out, eyes savage with bloodlust.
The body of the neko fell to the ground, tail twitching, and blood leaking out in a stain across the floor and mingling with all the rest. Kashaku had watched in horror as the entire fight had progressed and now that she saw the dead body of the woman she felt like throwing up. She had watched Kin through the whole thing and she wasn't sure she knew her friend as well as she thought she did. What was this bloodlust that had awakened in her golden-haired friend? It scared her. She was just glad that those red eyes weren't focused on her.
Kin stood in front of the body, the strength that had filled her veins suddenly disappearing and leaving her feeling drained and empty. Her eyes shone golden again, and she stared down at her bloody hands in shock, the hands of a cold-blooded killer.
Where had that sudden violent strength come from? Her movements had been so precise and calculated, as if she had been fighting with claws her entire life. Even now, her blood sang with vicious delight and she felt the haze just behind the veil of her mind. Her head reeled. She fell down on her knees and vomited, feeling sick and confused. She wiped a hand over her mouth, smearing blood over her chin.
With a bang, the rest of the team burst suddenly through the door and beheld the scene with a mixture of shock and amazement. The body of the neko lay in a puddle of blood just in front of the golden-haired kitsune, who was now on her knees with her bangs covering her eyes, blood covering her and dripping from her claws just starting to dry. Kashaku still sat with Mizuna's head on her lap, the water demoness looking pale and drawn, and one hand over a wound on her arm.
"What the hell happened here?!" Yusuke shouted, making his way over to the girls as fast as he could, threading through the many carcasses of creatures splattered to the floor. The others followed, with Jin flying above.
Kashaku spoke so fast they could barely understand her. "The lady fought us and then we almost got her and then she poisoned Mi-chan and then Kin got mad and then she went crazy and then she killed the lady and then you came in and then you asked me what happened and then I said that-"
"We get the point," Touya said cutting her off. He glanced over at the golden-haired kitsune still crouching on the ground in a growing puddle of her own blood. "Her demon blood must have taken over. She's too inexperienced to control it."
Jin approached the crouching girl and reached out to touch her, but before he could she flinched. "Don't touch me!" she snarled, her voice choked. He ignored her warning and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It happens to all demons at one time or another," he said holding out his other hand for her to take. She glanced at it and wondered at the fact that he would still help her up despite the fresh red blood that covered her hands. She stopped staring at the dead neko and looked up at his face. He didn't even flinch at the sight of her blood-smeared face, still smiling slightly with one fang poking cutely out of the corner of his mouth. He too had wounds, although just minor ones, one of them a gash across his cheek bleeding slightly.
She suddenly felt the urge to lick the blood off and shuddered, wondering if this was her demon blood's doing. The wind master's eyes were as blue as the sky, and after only glancing into them she gave him her hand without thinking. He pulled her slender frame up easily and she sank against his side gratefully, the wound in her own side making her weak from blood loss. He put a securing arm around her waist to hold her up, still smiling cheerfully the entire time.
Touya, after seeing that the kitsune would be all right, approached the water demoness. She was pale and sweating, and when he put a hand to her wrist her pulse was erratic and burning against her skin. Opening one of her eyes, he found her pupils to be dilated, leaving only a ring of blue around deep holes of black. She was breathing shallowly and he determined that she still had a few hours left to live.
Yusuke was standing right behind the blue-haired ice demon and demanded to know what was going on, while Hiei merely stood by glancing at the poisoned demoness out of the corners of his eyes every once and a while, fingering his katana unconsciously, a sure sign of his agitation. Kashaku sat with Mizuna's head on her lap, holding the wound across her stomach with one hand, and her scythe with the other.
Kin had her arms around Jin's neck, leaning her full weight on him, pressed against his chest, her eyes closed while the red-haired demon looked like he was off in la-la-land. The kitsune's face was smeared with blood, while her claws still dripped sluggishly, and the wound in her side was visible through the ripped dress as a deep gash that was only already starting to clot with black blood. Not to mention her emotional state, after all she had killed someone. It didn't seem as if the situation would be getting better anytime soon.
The passengers had taken all the lifeboats, leaving the hero's no route of escape from the ship, and although there were undoubtedly medicine kits somewhere on the ship, nothing would do anything for the demonic poison rushing through Mizuna's veins. It would take a miracle to save her life, and they were rather short on a miracle at the moment.
"It seems that I have come just in time. Quickly, come with me, I have brought Koenma's mode of transportation."
To be continued....
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Kin: O.O
Kashaku: *pokes Kin* What's wrong with her?
Kin: I just can't believe I wrote that... I've never written anything like that before. This was my first fight scene. Okay, I just wanted to say to you readers that I'm sorry about the lack of fluff in this chapter, but I think that it was necessary and the next chapter shall have the fate of Mizuna and the finding of the first pendant in it as well as a lot more fluff. I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't to your taste, just tell me what I did wrong and I'll try to do better next time! ^_^
Mizuna: I had better not die.
Kashaku: I wasn't in that chapter much. That makes me mad! *pokes Kin-chan incessantly*
Kin: Kami-sama, I'm sorry. I focused this chapter mainly on me, the next will be on Mi-chan, and then you.
Kashaku: Yay!! *dances*
Mizuna: *rolls eyes* End the chapter and post.
Kashaku: They should call it 'Dances With Cheetos' rather than 'Dances With Wolves.' Cheetos sounds a lot better.
Kin: Yeah, okaaaaaay. Well, I really hope you liked the chapter. This is my first fic after all and I'm really trying my best. Please Review; I'm begging you!
Review Responses:
SukiYumi: Thanks for reviewing so steadfastly Mi-chan. I really appreciate it. And about the popcorn thingy, that was cold...so cold.... Brrrrr it's cold in here. lol
LoneWolf7423: I actually updated! Yay! I'm glad that you have chosen the chipmunk, for it is very useful. Hope you liked the chapter!
Yusuke's#1babe: Sorry there wasn't any fluff this chapter. There will be a lot next chapter and TONS in the ones right after that. I'm going to space out very plotful moments between fluffyness so after the first pendant there will be a few chapters of mindless fluff. Sorry if you didn't like the chapter! Please keep reading though!
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a little puppy with a bow around its neck, if you send me a flame I will be forced to give you a rabid attack German Shepard that thinks you are a trespasser.
Kin: Yep, this will be a good chapter, I can tell.
Mizuna: *raises eyebrow* What makes you think that? If your other chapters are what's to go on then I really don't think that-
Kashaku: I interrupted you!
Mizuna: *annoyed* Yeah, I kind of figured that out on my own.
Kashaku: *nods* Good. Because if you didn't I would be forced to wonder how smart you really are.
Kin: *rolls eyes* And we wouldn't want that now would we?
Kashaku: Nope. ^_^
Kin & Mizuna: *sweatdrop*
Kashaku: I like cheetos.
Mizuna: We know.
Kin: I'm starting the chapter now. I'll try to make it very exciting and stuff, it skips ahead to the farewell ball just to let you know. Okay, enough of my stalling. Enjoy!
WARNING: EXPLICIT VIOLENCE, BLOOD AND GORE
"blah" speaking
'blah' thinking
/blah/ conscience
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Falling Into Fiction
Chapter 7: Battles
+++Afternoon: Seventh Day of the Cruise+++
"Well, today's finally the day of the ball. We'll get to kick some demon ass tonight...."
"Thanks for stating the obvious Yusuke, I'm sure I never would have guessed without your personal help in the matter," Kin said, itching for a fight.
Yusuke narrowed his dark brown eyes and glared at her. "I wouldn't have to state the obvious if you were smart enough to figure it out on your own."
Kin balled her hands up into fists. Everyone was on edge because today was the day that the demon would attack. This morning, there had been ten long scratches on the front of the girls' door as if someone had run claws down it, a warning, or perhaps a taunt. There had been no more flashes of the mysterious woman's aura, but they all knew that she was here somewhere, biding her time, waiting to strike. It seemed that tonight would be the night, and a nervous energy was boiling up like a pot left on the burner.
The entire team had met up earlier this same morning, even Hiei, and had discussed the wisest approach. They had decided to try and stick together at the ball, clumped in a group if need be, for if they were separated they would be much weaker when the enemy attacked. Things were starting to get serious, and the girls were beginning to realize that this wasn't just a game; it was real. They were actually going to have to fight, and they weren't even sure how. It was easy for Koenma to say that they were strong, but it was also true that they had never handled weapons before or used any kind of magic.
And so we find Kin, attempting to alleviate her frustration by goading Yusuke into a fight, which really isn't that hard to do. But before the two could pounce on each other and begin their grudge match, someone stepped between them.
"Kin, are you still trying to antagonize Yusuke into a fight? It really isn't that hard to do, there is no pride in the ability to annoy people," Mizuna said in monotone, her emotionless voice betraying nothing.
Before Kin could reply, she was being dragged off in the opposite direction. "Wait Mi-chan! I was just about to kill Yusuke," the golden- haired girl complained as her friend led her off towards their room. She saw the black-haired boy smirk at her and shot him one last glare over her shoulder before he was lost to sight around the corner.
Mizuna rolled her sapphire blue eyes. "We must get ready for the ball. I have already told Kashaku to meet us in our room, let's go."
+++Evening: The Ball+++
"Stop fidgeting," Mizuna said calmly, putting a hand on Kin's arm.
The golden-haired kitsune shrugged her off. "I can't, they're going to attack soon," she growled, her voice bubbling with barely repressed tension. For the ball, all the girls had chosen what they were going to wear themselves and Kin had spared no expense where money was concerned.
She had on an ankle length, sleeveless black silk Chinese style dress with two long, daring slits up both sides all the way up to the thighs. The neck was high and bordered in gold with the popular frog and toggle going diagonally down to under her right arm while graceful golden scrollwork flowers were stitched across the chest. But the most beautiful thing about the dress was the bright gold stitched Chinese dragon curling all the way around the bottom of the dress; it's scales done in shimmering light green. Her hair was half up in a bun with gold and pale green chopsticks while the rest flowed down her back and almost to her knees. Her makeup was done in all pale, shimmering gold and dark black while she also wore tall black stiletto heels that laced up her calves. Her golden bangles were of course part of her attire.
Mizuna was wearing a long floor-length, shimmering purple satin dress that had a low scoop neck with spaghetti straps and a low dipping back. Frothing waves of silver had been stitched so intricately around the bottom of the dress that they looked almost as if they were moving and crashing just as they would have had they been real. Just above the waves, a shining crescent moon had been sewn as well as a lot of stars that faded up into the pale lavender of the dress' bodice. To match, she wore elbow-length purple gloves also of satin, a silver-wire belt set with amethysts draped artfully on one hip and silver chocker inlaid with amethysts as well. Her hair was up in a 'messy' bun with a few soft curls floating down and amethyst stones sprinkled throughout. Her makeup was done in silver with soft purple accents.
Altogether not the best things to fight in, but it WAS a ball after all.
"I hate to tell you this, but ripping that napkin up into a million pieces is not going to speed up time in any way."
The golden-eyed kitsune glared at her stoic friend and growled low in her throat like a feral animal. "Yeah, whatever," she said but she dropped the small pieces of napkin on the refreshment table.
The entire group was clustered loosely around one of the refreshment tables although moderately apart so as not to attract too much attention. Jin and Yusuke were arguing about battle tactics, Hiei was just there and Kashaku was bugging Touya of course.
Kashaku was wearing a tight fitting halter dress with a low neck and a slit up the right side. It shimmered in the light and shone iridescently in all the colors of fire, red being the dominant although there were flickers of bronze, yellow, orange and even purple, blue and green. She wore short dark black gloves and black platform sandals with what looked to be a ruby set in the top. Her hair was up in a bun with two long pieces of hair looping down and around her ears gracefully and a ruby encrusted barrette glimmered bronze at her bun. Her makeup was done in shimmering bronze and red with dark red lipstick to match, accenting the rubies that were also sprinkled through her almost as red hair. In the light she shimmered and seemed to move as a flame, dancing in an array of eye-catching and enticing colors.
Kin and Mizuna were a little bit apart from the others, holding punch that they had no intentions of drinking, trying to look as if they were having fun when they weren't.
"Kin, I've been wanting to talk to you and Kashaku for a while now about something. Do you remember when Koenma said that our pasts would come back to us over time, eventually?"
Golden eyes blinked in confusion. "Ano, yeah. So?"
Mizuna took that as a cue to continue. "Well, I was thinking...." Here she paused, seemingly thinking before proceeding. "I'm very curious as to where my parents are and... I was wondering if you felt the same. Maybe we should look for them. I want to meet my real family and to know what they're like." She said this with a hint of hidden longing.
"You know, I never really thought about it until you mentioned it just now. But, to tell the truth, I really want to see my real parents too," the kitsune answered with a slightly wondering look on her face. She hadn't known that her friend was so passionate about something. It seemed that Mizuna had the secret longing for a family.
The blue-haired demoness smiled a real smile then. "Maybe after we get the pendant we can-" The lights suddenly went out, sending the entire ballroom into darkness. The room was enormous with refreshment tables set up all around the walls and tons of gleaming guests packed no the dance floor to a waltz looking like gleaming bugs under the sun. When the lights went out the orchestra immediately stopped playing and voices broke out all over the room.
"Here it comes," the water demoness said softly, betraying nothing; it just wasn't her way. She could feel the others gathering around and the vague moonlight from a high window caught in Kin's eyes and made them glow a rather creepy golden color.
There were suddenly screams from the opposite side of the room as something most likely bad happened to some guests. The screams moved like wildfire until it seemed as if something must be hunting among the crowd. The group could only wait uneasily. The lights came back on a few moments later revealing their enemies. Immediately, the other passengers began to scream in terror and bolt for the nearest exit in total pandemonium.
It was apparent why when the ugliest thing that the water demoness had ever seen reared up almost directly in front of them. It had long claws and teeth caked with both dried blood black in the light and new fresh crimson blood running wetly. It hunched over grotesquely as if it's creator had been playing some kind of joke on it when it had molded it. It was scaly or slimy, too hard to tell, and it had the face of what looked like a bull crossed with a snake and long arms like an ape, giving it a long reach.
All the blood ran out of her face as the blue-haired girl watched in horror. The thing spit what seemed to be a bloody lump onto the floor and put on what could only be the semblance of a savage grin. The three girls had never been exposed to anything so gory; they had never even seen a dead body before, and only Mizuna's demon blood kept her from vomiting on the spot. She made an assumption that her two friends would most likely be feeling the same and watched frozen in shock as she saw Touya suddenly jump in front of her and release Shards of Winter, not fazed at all, beginning a bloody battle with the creature.
She glanced around to find that the other members of her team were in action, fighting the grotesque creatures. Snapping out of her disgusted stupor, the water demoness raised a wall of water just in time to save herself from being impaled by the claws of one of the creatures. She wasn't really sure what she was capable of, but hell, now was as good a time as any to find out. She pulled her two bladed fans from somewhere in the folds of her dress and held them aloft. They felt cool in her hands, and she knew what to do.
Kashaku watched in amazement as her very own friend Mizuna slashed a monster in half using a set of bladed fans. When had her friend turned into a killing machine? The last time she'd looked, the blue-haired water demoness had been a nice if not sarcastic and icy girl, oh the horror! She was the friend of a serial killer!! Which reminded her. She looked up at the ugly greenish-purple creature in front of her and wrinkled her nose. It didn't take demon senses to smell the death on it.
The thing didn't waste time; it attacked immediately. Kashaku wasn't really sure what to do. I mean she didn't have her staff or anything.... Immediately as she thought this, her staff appeared in her hands. She had never handled a staff before much less a bladed one, but she held it aloft and swung it down in an arc on the creature's head before it finished its wild swipe. It's skull split open, spilling brain and liquid onto the floor. The red- haired sorceress blinked and considered herself lucky. She was unskilled with a staff, but she thought she could manage. These things weren't the smartest beings in the world after all. She continued to slash at the creatures, doing fairly well and getting into the hang of it well enough to get by. After all, she had the advantage of a long range with her long, black-bladed scythe.
Bending down to pick up a dropped penny, Kashaku just managed to narrowly avoid being run through. "Hey, look, I found a penny!! It's shiny...." she said covetously.
Meanwhile, Kin was having the time of her life. For some reason fighting seemed to come naturally, and although it was hard to use her claws due to the short range, she was able to merely swipe them through the air and lightning would burst from each finger in a trail and smash into her foe. Although the blood and gore had shocked her at first, she had grown numb to it. She knew she would probably throw up later. But for the time being, she would enjoy mangling these creatures to alleviate her frustrations. She looked around in a sudden break and her eyebrows furrowed. The group was being pushed apart.
Unbeknownst to her, a creature came up behind her anticipating an easy kill. Kin's golden fox ears rotated around as she heard the swish of air she had come to associate with a killing swipe and she turned around as fast as she could. But not fast enough. However, a red, white and black blur was suddenly in front of her and blocked the attack while easily dispensing of the monster with a fierce wind.
Jin turned his head to look at her sideways, his expression serious for once. "Be careful."
Before the golden-haired kitsune could express her thanks he was suddenly gone again, attacking another monster with punches and winds, flying above it to finish it off. For some reason, knowing that he was watching out for her gave her comfort and she returned to the fight with gusto. The creatures didn't seem to ever end, and she could only hope that the passengers had escaped on the emergency rafts. However, as the fighting went on, she could definitely say that she was getting the hang of this. It was like she had known this before and had only forgotten it; her movements got surer as she went on, finally becoming familiar with her claws and attacks.
"We can't go on much longer," Mizuna suddenly said from behind her. They were now back to back, fighting a monster on each side. "They don't seem to ever end."
Kin narrowed her golden eyes. "Where is the leader? Is it that bitch you said was mocking you with her aura? Where is she?!" she growled, arching a swift kick to what was probably her attacker's chin when the thing got too close. And we know that she was wearing stilettos, ooh, that had to have hurt. Apparently it did, because the creature howled in pain.
Soon Kashaku joined their group forming a triangle back to back. The group had been separated, the guys were almost on the opposite side of the room now and the monsters were surrounding them on all sides. Mizuna made a sharp intake of breath. "Of course! They're forcing us apart, trying to get the three of us alone. The woman from before must be directing them with her Spirit Energy and she probably wants us alone so she can torture information about the pendants from us," she said ripping through the flesh of a monster with her fans unconsciously.
The other two girls' eyes widened although they didn't cease in their fighting. "Well, it looks like the bitch is getting her wish!" Kin snarled. She sent a lightning attack at a monster just before it raked its claws through Mizuna's side and it exploded, sending chunks of steaming flesh and organs showering through the air. All three girls grimaced as blood splattered their expensive dresses.
"Look! They've been forced out the door!" Kashaku cried suddenly before slicing a monster's arm off thus stopping its attack for the moment. It was true; the others had been forced out the two doors of the ballroom, leaving the three girls alone to fight the throng of monsters. How the others had been forced out was a mystery, but as soon as they were out, the doors slammed shut and glowed green for a second before staying closed. There was no sound from the other side and the girls could only assume that it had been sealed shut.
Immediately the creatures ceased their attacks. In fact, they backed away, leaving a large empty circle around the three girls. They didn't let their guard down and stayed back-to-back, suspicious. The monsters shifted restlessly as if waiting for something, and soon, it came in the form of the very woman they had been speaking of.
"I see you have managed to last this long. I commend you," the purring voice rang out over the quiet. It was just as Mizuna had thought, the woman from the Halloween party stood in the middle of the floor licking blood off long razor sharp claws as the body of a young woman fell to the floor. She looked up and smiled nastily at the group, revealing perfectly white fangs, sharp and dangerous. It seemed that she had stayed hidden in the chaos and remained unseen until this very moment. She walked closer although kept far enough away as to remain out of the range of elemental attacks.
She was as beautiful as she had been before, unearthly in her perfection. She still had her same short ebony hair and piercing green eyes, but there were definitely differences since they had last seen her. Other than her razor sharp claws, she had two black cat ears perched up on top of her head and a long, black cat tail swishing behind her. She looked comfortable in a short, tight black dress ending at about mid-thigh with slits and long sleeves. It had a V-neck and no back, while a green sash was tied around her waist, with the hilts of two daggers poking out of it. Her tall, lace- up boots also had the hilts of daggers poking out from them as well.
The woman smiled again, showing off her fangs once more. "You must always know the name of your executioner. I am Aya. I suppose I am supposed to leave you alive, but where's the fun in that?" she asked, still purring and looking pleased with herself. She looked around the room at the various monsters and then continued speaking. "Such ugly monsters aren't they? I shall get rid of them while we...talk." With that said, she simply snapped her fingers and the creatures were suddenly gone.
Kin, Kashaku and Mizuna all looked around in amazement. The room was entirely devoid of the monsters although there were a lot of dead bodies, blood and gore still splattered everywhere.
The water demoness narrowed her eyes. "You're the bitch that kept teasing us with your aura. What do you want?"
"I thought that would be obvious," the neko said and licked her claws once again for any remaining traces of blood. "I want you to tell me where the pendants are."
Kin glared for all she was worth. "Well too bad, cause we don't know where they are..." she trailed off into a feral growl, her fangs poking out over her bottom lip.
The red-haired sorceress cocked her head to the side and stared at the ebony-haired neko. "Do you need to wash your hands? You keep licking them, and we can wait until you wash them if you want."
The woman narrowed her eyes and stepped closer into range of elemental attacks, not seeming to notice. "Tell me where the pendants are," she hissed, her voice menacing.
Golden eyes flashed. "You'll have to kill us first."
A sly grin lit upon the woman's annoyingly perfect features. "Is that so?" And without warning, she attacked.
It was ten times worse than the creatures had been. She was intelligent and fast, used to her own weapons and full of malice. She was everywhere at once, using her claws to force the girls apart with their need to dodge; she was grace on wings. She slashed Kashaku, ripping her dress across the stomach and ripping a shallow gash that bleed freely. The fire sorceress ignored it and brought her staff up in an arch to throw a fireball while Kin sent bolts of lightning in the woman's direction and Mizuna channeled a wave of water through her fans as well.
The bolt of lighting struck the dead carcass of one of the fallen creatures and blood and gore exploded in all directions. The girls covered their eyes to protect them. When they opened them there was only a scorch mark on the floor to remind them of the neko woman.
Kin grinned triumphantly. "Ha! I knew it!! She was all talk and no-"
"Looking for me?" a voice came from behind them. The golden-haired girl whirled around as fast as she could and got in a fighting stance. Kin watched as the neko drew the two daggers from her sash and held them aloft, one in each hand.
Spinning the daggers expertly, she looked more wary than before. "It seems that you have elemental attacks as well. Since I need one of you to tell me where the pendants are, I'll just kill two of you. I must warn you, these daggers hold a poison that kills within only hours. Just one small cut...."
The fighting began again this time with a hint of desperation. Kashaku began to slow due to the wound across her stomach and Mizuna and Kin were getting tired. They weren't used to fighting, and it was wearing on them. However, a new desperation had awoken in them. The three girls began to rely on elemental attacks more and more. Kin slashed lighting, Mizuna protected them as best she could with walls of water, and Kashaku blasted with fireballs. It was no use. The neko was too fast and experienced.
Mizuna was breathing heavily. "We can't keep this up," she said, wincing as the multitude of various wounds she had obtained burned with her movements.
The golden-eyed kitsune twisted just in time to avoid a dagger cut along her side. "Maybe if we can hold out long enough the others will break through."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm right here you know," the neko, Aya, said pausing for a moment, not even breathing hard. "This is getting boring. Die."
Suddenly, the neko was dodging at twice the speed as before and attacking with a truly vicious strength. It was all Kashaku could do to fend her off. Mizuna did her best to cover for her friend, but it just wasn't enough. An opening cleared and the cat woman lunged for it with a purr of satisfaction in her throat. At the last second, the blue-haired water demoness shoved Kashaku out of the way.
Mizuna fell onto one knee, her hand on the dagger protruding from her upper arm. As she turned, Kin could see the tip it sticking out the other side and her vision went red. The blue-haired girl pulled the small knife out, fearing to leave it in due to the poison. Blood spurted out of the wound and a sharp intake of breath was the only sign of her pain. Her arm was now slick with blood and she pressed her hand to the wound already beginning to feel dizzy. She only had hours. Her vision was fading; her blood rushed as fire through her veins.
"I'll kill you."
The neko reached down and picked up her dagger, licking the blood off the tip. She looked up as the golden-haired kitsune spoke, but didn't seem worried. "This demoness' blood is sweet, quite good. Too bad she's going to die."
Kin stepped forward, her hands balled into fists, claws cutting into her flesh. She addressed Kashaku without turning around. "Stay with Mi-chan. I'll take care of this trash." The flame-haired sorceress didn't argue. She sat and pulled the wounded girl's head onto her lap.
"Here Mi-chan, I'll let you borrow my lap to be more comfortable," the yellow-eyed ningen said with worry overlying her good cheer. "But just to borrow, you have to give it back eventually."
Eyebrow arched gracefully, the neko addressed the kitsune. "You intend to fight me? Alone? I suppose that will mean that I shall leave the ningen alive, for you won't last long," she said almost lazily.
The golden kitsune laughed, a deep, feral sound that was harsh and inhuman. "We'll see who dies."
Before the neko even moved, the kitsune was slashing at her with claws rippling over with lighting, faster than could be seen. Dodging, the woman narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. So, the girl wanted to play rough did she? Twirling her daggers, the woman brought them to either side and aimed for the girl's sides. However, they missed as Kin did a fast dodging spin, coming around and kicking the woman in the back, causing her to fall forward and almost onto the kitsune's claws.
Just narrowly dodging, the neko decided it was time to be serious. This girl was actually winning, and we couldn't have that now could we? She would not be disgraced. Hissing slightly, the beautiful woman dropped her daggers and readied her own claws. As the golden-haired girl slashed, the neko slipped in between her arms and ripped through the side of the girl's dress, a deep gash along her right side bleeding heavily.
Smiling triumphantly, the neko pulled back confidently. "You shouldn't attempt to fight your betters. You are sure to loose-"
She was immediately shut up as claws came into her vision, slicing all the way through her right shoulder and causing a burst of pain to shoot up her nerves to her brain. Her arm hung limp, unable to move due to the severed nerve chords. She screamed in pain and held her other hand up to the wound, blood running through her fingers and down her porcelain skin. "You will die for that bitch!!"
Even through her rage, Kin still knew that she needed to hurry. Mizuna was loosing blood and the poison was spreading through her system. Snarling in answer to the neko's threat, the golden-haired kitsune rushed into battle, attacking and dodging, her skills sharpening by instinct far better than they would have had she not engaged in such a battle, her demon blood was rushing and boiling. She was loosing control, lost in a haze of red, intoxicated with her new strength. The neko was putting up a good fight with just one arm, but she was as good as done.
There, she saw the opening and took it. Grabbing the woman's wrist in her left hand, she allowed her claws to dig into the skin and draw blood while also sending slight shockwaves down the neko's arm. At the sight of blood, Kin was finally gone. The cat whimpered in pain, and she snorted in disgust.
Her instincts were screaming, 'Kill her!! Kill her!!' her demon blood urging her to delight in the revenge for her fallen comrade. She lifted up her head and her eyes shone blood red. "Die."
Aya looked down and saw the arm go through her stomach with slow fascination. A clawed hand came out the back, blood splattering onto the floor. She opened her mouth to scream, but a thick warm liquid ran out between her fangs and choked her. It was crimson, lifeblood. Eyes as red as the blood draining from her body watched with calculated amusement, and the kitsune twisted her arm as she pulled it slowly out, causing the neko to cough up more of the life giving blood. It splattered across the golden- haired girl's face, splotches of darkest red. The last thing she saw was that calculated smile, fangs out, eyes savage with bloodlust.
The body of the neko fell to the ground, tail twitching, and blood leaking out in a stain across the floor and mingling with all the rest. Kashaku had watched in horror as the entire fight had progressed and now that she saw the dead body of the woman she felt like throwing up. She had watched Kin through the whole thing and she wasn't sure she knew her friend as well as she thought she did. What was this bloodlust that had awakened in her golden-haired friend? It scared her. She was just glad that those red eyes weren't focused on her.
Kin stood in front of the body, the strength that had filled her veins suddenly disappearing and leaving her feeling drained and empty. Her eyes shone golden again, and she stared down at her bloody hands in shock, the hands of a cold-blooded killer.
Where had that sudden violent strength come from? Her movements had been so precise and calculated, as if she had been fighting with claws her entire life. Even now, her blood sang with vicious delight and she felt the haze just behind the veil of her mind. Her head reeled. She fell down on her knees and vomited, feeling sick and confused. She wiped a hand over her mouth, smearing blood over her chin.
With a bang, the rest of the team burst suddenly through the door and beheld the scene with a mixture of shock and amazement. The body of the neko lay in a puddle of blood just in front of the golden-haired kitsune, who was now on her knees with her bangs covering her eyes, blood covering her and dripping from her claws just starting to dry. Kashaku still sat with Mizuna's head on her lap, the water demoness looking pale and drawn, and one hand over a wound on her arm.
"What the hell happened here?!" Yusuke shouted, making his way over to the girls as fast as he could, threading through the many carcasses of creatures splattered to the floor. The others followed, with Jin flying above.
Kashaku spoke so fast they could barely understand her. "The lady fought us and then we almost got her and then she poisoned Mi-chan and then Kin got mad and then she went crazy and then she killed the lady and then you came in and then you asked me what happened and then I said that-"
"We get the point," Touya said cutting her off. He glanced over at the golden-haired kitsune still crouching on the ground in a growing puddle of her own blood. "Her demon blood must have taken over. She's too inexperienced to control it."
Jin approached the crouching girl and reached out to touch her, but before he could she flinched. "Don't touch me!" she snarled, her voice choked. He ignored her warning and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It happens to all demons at one time or another," he said holding out his other hand for her to take. She glanced at it and wondered at the fact that he would still help her up despite the fresh red blood that covered her hands. She stopped staring at the dead neko and looked up at his face. He didn't even flinch at the sight of her blood-smeared face, still smiling slightly with one fang poking cutely out of the corner of his mouth. He too had wounds, although just minor ones, one of them a gash across his cheek bleeding slightly.
She suddenly felt the urge to lick the blood off and shuddered, wondering if this was her demon blood's doing. The wind master's eyes were as blue as the sky, and after only glancing into them she gave him her hand without thinking. He pulled her slender frame up easily and she sank against his side gratefully, the wound in her own side making her weak from blood loss. He put a securing arm around her waist to hold her up, still smiling cheerfully the entire time.
Touya, after seeing that the kitsune would be all right, approached the water demoness. She was pale and sweating, and when he put a hand to her wrist her pulse was erratic and burning against her skin. Opening one of her eyes, he found her pupils to be dilated, leaving only a ring of blue around deep holes of black. She was breathing shallowly and he determined that she still had a few hours left to live.
Yusuke was standing right behind the blue-haired ice demon and demanded to know what was going on, while Hiei merely stood by glancing at the poisoned demoness out of the corners of his eyes every once and a while, fingering his katana unconsciously, a sure sign of his agitation. Kashaku sat with Mizuna's head on her lap, holding the wound across her stomach with one hand, and her scythe with the other.
Kin had her arms around Jin's neck, leaning her full weight on him, pressed against his chest, her eyes closed while the red-haired demon looked like he was off in la-la-land. The kitsune's face was smeared with blood, while her claws still dripped sluggishly, and the wound in her side was visible through the ripped dress as a deep gash that was only already starting to clot with black blood. Not to mention her emotional state, after all she had killed someone. It didn't seem as if the situation would be getting better anytime soon.
The passengers had taken all the lifeboats, leaving the hero's no route of escape from the ship, and although there were undoubtedly medicine kits somewhere on the ship, nothing would do anything for the demonic poison rushing through Mizuna's veins. It would take a miracle to save her life, and they were rather short on a miracle at the moment.
"It seems that I have come just in time. Quickly, come with me, I have brought Koenma's mode of transportation."
To be continued....
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Kin: O.O
Kashaku: *pokes Kin* What's wrong with her?
Kin: I just can't believe I wrote that... I've never written anything like that before. This was my first fight scene. Okay, I just wanted to say to you readers that I'm sorry about the lack of fluff in this chapter, but I think that it was necessary and the next chapter shall have the fate of Mizuna and the finding of the first pendant in it as well as a lot more fluff. I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't to your taste, just tell me what I did wrong and I'll try to do better next time! ^_^
Mizuna: I had better not die.
Kashaku: I wasn't in that chapter much. That makes me mad! *pokes Kin-chan incessantly*
Kin: Kami-sama, I'm sorry. I focused this chapter mainly on me, the next will be on Mi-chan, and then you.
Kashaku: Yay!! *dances*
Mizuna: *rolls eyes* End the chapter and post.
Kashaku: They should call it 'Dances With Cheetos' rather than 'Dances With Wolves.' Cheetos sounds a lot better.
Kin: Yeah, okaaaaaay. Well, I really hope you liked the chapter. This is my first fic after all and I'm really trying my best. Please Review; I'm begging you!
Review Responses:
SukiYumi: Thanks for reviewing so steadfastly Mi-chan. I really appreciate it. And about the popcorn thingy, that was cold...so cold.... Brrrrr it's cold in here. lol
LoneWolf7423: I actually updated! Yay! I'm glad that you have chosen the chipmunk, for it is very useful. Hope you liked the chapter!
Yusuke's#1babe: Sorry there wasn't any fluff this chapter. There will be a lot next chapter and TONS in the ones right after that. I'm going to space out very plotful moments between fluffyness so after the first pendant there will be a few chapters of mindless fluff. Sorry if you didn't like the chapter! Please keep reading though!
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a little puppy with a bow around its neck, if you send me a flame I will be forced to give you a rabid attack German Shepard that thinks you are a trespasser.