Disclaimer: I have decided to open a lawyer's education program. I will teach the lawyers the correct way to act and the proper way to carry office supplies. Well, this is what I was going to do; until I realized that I am flat out broke. ::Mizuna raises eyebrow:: Okay, I'm not BROKE, but that money is for buying anime!! ::lawyers advance with office supplies tiredly:: Yeah, I know the drill. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho... but I will as soon as I find funding for my lawyer school.
Kin: Okay, I'm REALLY sorry about the delay, but I haven't had time to breathe let alone really type this summer. I had vacation and trip after vacation and trip, I didn't even spend two days at home before I had to go somewhere for at least a week. I'm very sorry, but at least I updated eventually.... So, welcome to another wonderful chapter of Falling Into Fiction, written by, yes, you guessed it, yours truly. We have finally reached the first pendant chapter. Yay!! They just grow up so fast!! ::teary-eyed::
Mizuna: No more Pringles for you.
Kin: I'm on a Pringle high!! Is that even possible? Don't know; don't care!
Kashaku: I like cheetos!!
::Kin and Kashaku dance tribally around a fire::
Mizuna: Okay, due to the fact that I am the only competent one here, I will begin the chapter with a paper I wrote in my spare time about the theory on space travel and its effects on the human body. ::ahem:: It is believed that-
Kin: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!
Mizuna: Okay, now if you would-
Kashaku: MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mizuna: ::sweatdrop:: I already stopped just now-
Kin: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Mizuna: ::rolls eyes:: Whatever.
Kashaku: Yay!! You know, I just filmed a movie and you should watch it. It's called 'Dances With Cheetos.' It's for the whole family!!
Kin: ::sniff:: I think that 'Dances With Pringles' is so much better.
Kashaku: It is not!!
Kin: Is too!
::argument ensues::
Mizuna: Okay, with Kin intoxicated with Pringles I will just have to make an extreme effort to begin the entire chapter all by myself... Begin.
"blah"speaking
'blah'thinking
/blah/conscience
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Falling Into Fiction
Chapter 8: Water: The First Pendant
"It seems that I have come just in time. Quickly, come with me, I have brought Koenma's mode of transportation."
The group looked as one over to the door as they heard the soft voice ring out over the uncomfortable silence and were all surprised. Kurama stood in his usual calm state of mind, viewing the carnage of the battle with an impassive if not pleasant face. Kashaku looked like she wanted to jump up and go latch onto him, but she stayed where she was, holding Mizuna's head in her lap.
Yusuke didn't waste time staring, which is most likely one reason he was said to be the leader of the detectives. He leaned down and began to pull the water demoness gently up, holding her against his side as Kashaku spotted him in case he should drop her. He glared. "Hiei, come around and take her other side and Touya go help Kashaku."
Surprisingly, no one argued, and soon the team was making their way slowly out of the ballroom, going as fast as was possible in their various states. It was raining outside, there had been ominous clouds hanging around all day, and the ship rocked dangerously.... It figured.
With Kurama leading the way, the others somehow managed to make it over to the side of the ship. The now jet black waves churned and smashed against the side of the ship only feet below, and the wind howled in its fury and began to lash rain into everyone's faces.
There was no one in sight, although in the lonely captain's cabin, a shadow could be seen standing at the wheel. Well what do you know? It must be true what they say about captains never abandoning their ship. However, all the life rafts were gone, and it could only be assumed that the rest of the guests hadn't waited up and were somewhere out in the storm, riding it out as best as possible.
"They would have been better off if they'd stayed on the ship," Yusuke mumbled. After all, there weren't any monsters left.
Kashaku looked down into the frothing waves. "Are we expected to swim? I can swim. This one time in gym, Kin pushed me in the pool and...." Everyone tuned her out.
Moving forward, his scarlet hair now in dripping locks, Kurama pulled what looked like some kind of thin cylindrical object resembling a bullet out of a pocket and dropped it down into the ocean. In less than even a second there was a rumbling sound that could be heard even over the roaring storm and frothing waves.
Kin looked around nervously, her ears flat on her head because of the sound and the annoyance of water dripping into her ears. "What the hell-"
As all the blood that had covered the group began to be washed away by the pounding rain, a slick silver capsule almost the size of a bus rose up from the waves, water sliding off its surface and rain beating down and making a hollow sound, proving it to be empty on the inside. Kurama turned around and with a weary smile that seemed to creep slowly over his features like winter seeps into fall, he spoke. "Well, come on. We don't have all day."
Inside the Capsule
Hiei sat with his back up against the smooth, cool metal of the transport and tried to convince himself that he wasn't worried about the blue-haired water demoness. He told himself that the nagging that was wearing at the confines of his center was just a passing thing that had nothing to do with her in the least. It wasn't working.
He looked to his left and saw her flushed face, her unsteady breathing and her faint attempt to keep the pain out of her features. It bothered him far more than it should, than he would ever admit. The others were scattered about the inside of the capsule, most sleeping, some staring into space. No one dared to break the silence that covered them all like a silencing cloak. Yusuke sat with his back to the wall, eyes closed with Kuwabara, who had strangely already been in the capsule when they arrived, sitting next to him, asleep but thankfully not snoring.
Across from the red-eyed demon sat a sleeping golden haired kitsune who had unconsciously wrapped her arms around the waist of the also sleeping wind master who sat beside her. The kitsune growled slightly in her sleep and her ears twitched as she gripped Jin's waist tighter and rubbed her head against his chest. To the right of them sat a meditating Touya, and next to him, Kurama, staring into space with a thoughtful look on his face and a grim expression, close on hand in case Mizuna was in need of some medical attention. And smack dab in the middle of the floor, a flame-haired sorceress lay gripping a staff like a teddy-bear and twitching slightly in her sleep.
Red eyes seemed almost to be drawn to the porcelain face of the demoness propped up against the wall just feet away. Hiei watched in fascination as her eyelids twitched, proving her to be among the sultry figures that only existed in the mind's own eye, a world of dreams. He continued across her smooth cheek, along her sharp jaw line and down the white column of her throat. Here he stopped and jerked his gaze back up to her eyes only to find blue eyes now open and staring into his own.
"It's near. I feel it calling, soothing mist...."
She looked at him for a moment, unseeing, before blinking, sighing and shifting slightly to get more comfortable. The white bandage on her arm was stained with slight splotches of blood, not enough to warrant a change. She glanced over at the silent demon beside her, head full of a strange buzzing that was either from the poison or was connected to the pendant that now called stronger from under the waves. She seemed to have regained her awareness somewhat, but she was also weak as a kitten and so dizzy she felt as if her head would simply roll away and burst like rotten fruit.
Hiei continued to stare directly in front of him, ignoring Mizuna. He stayed that way even after he felt her lose her consciousness again and slip back into the void of the dark. Her breathing was silent, almost to be unheard, not a very good sign. However, there was nothing he or anyone else could do but continue on the way towards the pendant under the sea, a location that had been supposedly programmed into the capsules memory. It made him strangely angry.
Suddenly, there was a huge jolt as the bottom of the capsule hit something solid. Kuwabara snorted and simply rolled over. "About time we got there! I thought we would never get off this pile of junk," Yusuke said uncrossing his arms.
"AAAHHHHH!!! GET OFF ME YOU HENTAI!!!!"
Jin opened his eyes and blinked. "You're the one who was latched on to me," he said grinning in good humor. He yawned, revealing sharp fangs slashed in white across the pink of his tongue.
Kin glared. "Then what's your arm doing around me, huh?" she asked, detaching herself with difficulty in order not to bump her already healing wound. It had already begun to knit back together under the thick scab of dried blood. Ah, the joys of being a demon.
"We don't have time to waste, we must get her inside," Kurama said, beginning to lift Mizuna up off the ground. "If my hunch is correct, as soon as she touches the pendant the poison should be purified from her system."
When everyone just stared at him, he sweatdropped then continued. "The water pendant not only strengthens the wearer's water power, but is also capable of healing and purifying those who are on the verge of death... Or so I've heard."
As Kurama began to lift the blue-haired water demoness, he was surprised when her weight was suddenly lifted from his arms. He as well as most of the others looked at Hiei in shock, the red-eyed demon now holding Mizuna carefully in his arms, bridal style. However, the emotionless demon's reply was simply, "Open the door, Kitsune."
Blinking, the still quite surprised Kurama simply looked to his right and an opening formed in the wall. After everyone had piled out, the strange submarine that had carried them so far under the waves shrunk to its much smaller size and the green-eyed kitsune placed it carefully in the pocket of his jacket for future use.
It seemed that the submarine had taken them to some sort of underwater cave that had trapped air under the surface in a vast amount. This made them feel kind of nervous, for how was it even possible? But perhaps... a little magic was to thank for it. The cave itself was enormous, although not in the way you might expect. It was very narrow but extremely tall, so tall that the ceiling was an eternal blackness that seemed to stretch forever. Faintly glowing green moss grew on the sides of the cave which lent the traveler's their light.
"Look, I don't need yours or anyone else's help alright?! I'm fine!!"
Jin held up his hands. "Just tryin to help," he said as Kin 'hmpf' ed and stomped off, her wound apparently already better enough for her to be her usual angry/sulky/irritated self.
While Kin obviously had problems relying on someone else's strength, Kashaku didn't seem to have that problem. She looked blissful as she leaned almost all her weight on Kurama who seemed to be bearing with it with his usual dignity. Touya glanced over at them and realized with a start that he missed the familiar weight of the annoying red-head hanging all over him. He dismissed this as a passing fancy but couldn't help feeling something was missing.
When the blue light began to shine it was noticed right away, probably due to the lack of normal light. It shone a clear and penetrating pale blue, making almost everyone shield their eyes at the intensity of it. Trying to find the source, it didn't take long for the detectives to realize that it was coming straight from Mizuna. It shone from within as well as seeming to ripple over her body like liquid silk. Her eyes were open wide, shining blue from socket to pupil, and she seemed to be staring straight ahead.
As one everyone looked in the direction she was staring to find that the clear blue light had revealed an intricately carved door just ahead, once covered in darkness. It was almost impossible to tell what had been carved into it as everything seemed to shift if not looked at from the corners of one's eyes. The door was fairly tall but narrow, with no handle or anything that looked to be of use in opening it.
Hiei's brief look of surprise was the only warning as Mizuna's body suddenly began to float, still shining with that unearthly, piercing blue light. Before anyone could react, the glowing girl was already in front of the door... and she didn't stop. She went right through the door, seeming as if either she or the door had no substance at all. Immediately, her friends were at the door, trying to open it, but it was as hard as steel for them and could not be opened.
"It is only part of the test," Kurama said. "She has to fight to earn the right to guard the pendant." He seemed to frown a bit at the word "right" but otherwise he seemed his normal calm self. Perhaps even relieved.
Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you known so much about the pendants? And what was the mission that the toddler sent you on that was so urgent?" he asked, suddenly suspicious and wary.
"Anyone wanna play cards?!" Kashaku suddenly yelled, pulling a deck of cards from nowhere. This immediately incited an argument with her golden-haired kitsune friend about where she had been keeping them. It was actually quite the interesting debate when you thought about it.
The brown-eyed leader of the spirit detectives did not miss the quick look of relief that passed over Kurama's face as the hyper, red-haired girl interrupted the beginnings of what had promised to be an interesting conversation. What was it that Kurama knew that they didn't? And why wasn't he telling....
With Mizuna
For the past few hours, Mizuna had been in a constant state of blackness, pain and dim memories of faces that swam before her eyes. And then, then the light had come. The intense blue light that had shone from her had filled her so full that there was no room for poison; it felt as if it was pushing everything out, and she'd had to cling desperately to her memories and dreams for fear they would be swept away. It was the pendant.
Just being on the opposite side of the door as it had allowed it to purge her system of all sickness that had once flowed through her veins, burning her alive. She now lay on blessedly cold stone, her eyes closed, knowing that she was on the other side of the door that she vaguely remembered passing through. The pendant was in this very room, and she felt a cold blue light shining against her eyelids; this light was what persuaded her to open her eyes.
Sitting up, Mizuna looked around to find herself in a large stone chamber. There were no windows or doors save the one she had just entered through, and there, just in front of her was... the pendant.
It shone from within with a strange light, the very same cold light that had burned through her only moments before. It was round and small, smaller than the size of a golf ball, sitting atop a stone shelf set low in the wall. The shelf actually had a strange alter-like feel about it, as if this was some ancient temple where a primitive people had come to worship.
The pendant, extremely beautiful, continued to shine in a pool of its own silvery blue light. The light rippled on the walls like the reflection of water, pale and serene. The stone was round like a rather large marble, and the longer Mizuna looked at it, the more she could see swirling in its depths. The dark blue rippled, and shadows could be seen dancing as if behind glass walls. A silver chain was attached to it like a necklace and she estimated that it would fit over her head easily. Even now the deep blue stone called, and she longed to answer.
She stood, finding that although she was a lot weaker than her normal state, she was still in fairly good shape. Walking forward, she approached the pendant and reached out her hand to pick it up. However, before her fingers could even brush against its smooth surfaced, a voice broke out over the eerie silence of the small cavern. Mizuna whirled around; ready for the battle with the previous guardian she had been warned about.
"Please refrain from taking that just yet. I believe the matter of a battle is at hand. I am Shisui; I shall be your opponent." And there he stood, in all his glory, his voice smooth and emotionless as steel. Even as his voice lacked emotion, he seemed to have a bored look placed upon his aristocratic features.
A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, the guardian of the water pendant stood and observed her with cool scrutiny and calculation. There was no other word for him but beautiful. He had aristocratic features, with high cheekbones, everything in perfect proportion. His hair was a dark ebony color, short, but with long bangs that just brushed his deep blue eyes... eyes that rivaled the pale sapphire of Mizuna's own. He stood at average height, but seemed much taller due to his manner.
"You cannot fight in those clothes... better. Now begin," he said. He seemed to have no patience or consideration for others, seeming almost as if he thought them below him.
Mizuna looked down to find that in the pause between his words her clothing had changed. The bedraggled dress that she had previously had on as a remainder from the ball on the cruise had disappeared, and in its place she was now wearing the clothes she had been wearing after first appearing in this world. The long blue skirt with its one slit, the shirt with its one sleeve, the silver armlet, and even the belt with her two fans was now in place. She also noticed that she was now completely dry, and her hair in its usual high ponytail.
Wondering how the guardian had done such a strange bit of magic, Mizuna gazed at him warily, taking in his own state of dress, choosing not to speak, not quite yet.
He seemed to have a preference for the old Japanese style, choosing to wear a pair of black hakamas and an also black gi coupled with, yes, you guessed it, a black sash and boots. Altogether, he seemed like a dark assassin, the only color being his own skin and deep blue eyes. He seemed to have no weapon, but the also blue-eyed demoness didn't let this fool her. Although he stood as if with a rather mocking sense of boredom, she sensed the taunt grace and lean muscle he was concealing.
"Do not waste any more of my valuable time, attack demoness or prepare to be struck down with a single blow."
Mizuna wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead. "It seems I don't need to. You already have," she said. His aura was extremely immense and strong; its cold certainty was threatening to sweep her away, rushing against her in a torrent. She erected a barrier of her own, counteracting his lack of emotion with her own emotions of anger and fear to counteract it.
He had chosen to begin a battle of aura strength before he began the physical battle it seemed. He was truly strong, not even flinching when she initiated a counterstrike of her own, batting it aside like a fly. But, although she was a beginner and still a bit weak from having been poisoned, she knew she could hold out for quite a while; she would not be discouraged.
The stoic man before her let the corners of his mouth twitch before returning to his bored expression. "Pretty good, at least you are able to sense auras. It also seems as if you are doing a fairly good job keeping yourself from being swept away."
Suddenly, before the water demoness could even blink, Shisui was right in front of her, holding a sword to her neck. He 'tsk'ed slightly at her lack of self defense and pulled his sword back, leaving a paper thin cut on her neck that only just began to bleed slightly, stinging. Lowering his sword, he spoke in his voice of silk steel.
"Is that all you're made of? If that is all you're going to show me, you might as well leave right now," he said with more than just a hint of boredom this time. He turned around just in time to block a smooth swipe towards his neck. His sword locked against Mizuna's bladed fans, he smirked. "Better."
Even as they began their fight the blue-haired water demoness could feel his aura weighing down on her, pushing her, his calm emotionless power still trying to wash her away. She endured it as best she could and focused on her partner in the delicate, graceful dance she was now a part of. He was smooth and fast as water, easily parrying her blows and striking back with at least twice the amount as hers. He was fluid like water and more graceful than a swan in flight.
She quickly came to realize that she just wasn't advanced enough to handle the cold, emotionless swings of her partner. The blue-haired demoness would just have to find another way. As his aura continued to threaten to sweep her away in a flood of her own emotions she suddenly came to realize her mistake. She was giving him something to weigh her down with; she was giving him the fodder for his fire. She took it away.
Shisui's eyes narrowed and he admitted to himself that perhaps he had not given the girl enough credit. She had dropped her emotions, thinking of nothing, feeling nothing. She was now going totally on instinct, letting her body take control rather than her mind force her one way and her body another. Her movements immediately became swifter and more forceful, becoming a part of the intricate dance completely now. There was nothing left for his aura to sweep away, to weigh down.
The water demoness herself was coming to realize that even though her body was now using its maximum strength and speed, she would still lose if this kept up. She was simply too tired and not experienced enough. However, if she could manage to surprise him, to overload his senses with her thoughts, she might be able to take one shot, one shot to take him down. Concentrating, Mizuna prepared to call every single emotion to the surface she had ever felt, everything she feared would overtake her, and so had become the cold girl she was now.
It worked. The black-haired man before her suddenly broke off his attack and his face took on a look of pain as his cold certainty was suddenly flooded and swept away in a torrent of Mizuna's own memories and feelings.
The joy she had felt when she had first realized she had friends, the pain she had felt when she realized her parents didn't love her, the determination that drove her to be strong, the fear of being alone, sad and unending sorrow... everything flooded into him and more, until he couldn't see for the memories and emotions. Mizuna jerked herself out of this stream of emotions, having been almost swept along as well, feeling every emotion again, living every moment for the second time in her life. She took her chance, for it wouldn't last long. A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she struck.
When Shisui came back to himself only moments later he found her fan's sharp steel at his throat. He looked up at her, and for the first time he could remember, smiled, really smiled. Mizuna felt breathless with the force of his smile on her, it was a beauty that was far beyond anything she had ever felt. The guardian reached up and touched his face as if this emotion expression was foreign even to him as well.
"You have won, I admit defeat girl. How you could make a dead soul like mine feel again is a mystery, but I thank you."
The blue-haired demoness reattached her fans to her belt and her emotionless mask slipped back onto her face and covered her surprise with practiced ease even as her opponent's did as well. She looked at him speculatively. She had learned much from this battle. Sometimes it was best to trust instinct, relying on the mind too much was not wise. She had also learned that emotions could be a powerful, losing touch with them could prove fatal.
The demoness bowed, hands clasped in front of her. "Arigato for the lesson Sensei."
Shisui stood, sheathing his sword, looking almost surprised... almost. "Perhaps I have learned a lesson as well," he said, making Mizuna look to him sharply, wondering if he was able to read minds. She wouldn't put it past him.
The blue-eyed man stood before her and she stared at him, wondering what he was thinking. He seemed to be struggling internally with something that she couldn't name just by looking at his terrible beauty, and emotionless face. He suddenly spoke, and she was surprised to find that he seemed to have a tinge of what she was almost sure was regret in his voice.
"Nothing is as it seems. Illusion lives in illusion, and placing one's trust so blindly in a representative of what is thought by others to be the truth is a dangerous thing." He became suddenly stern, as if he was speaking to a daughter. "Ignorance is no excuse."
The water demoness before him gave him a flat look, silently telling him that he was making no sense.
"When this quest is over, you may not still be-" he broke off. "I have said too much. I will leave you with this last bit of advice, girl. Be sure; be sure of what you are getting yourself into. Think of the whole picture, not just yourself or others, always the cause. Never yourself...." He trailed off here with a sigh. He seemed to realize that he was rambling and with a self-disgusted wave of his hand he flicked his hand towards the pendant, gesturing for her to take it.
"Take it; you have earned the... right... to possess it."
Mizuna didn't miss the note of sarcasm in his voice as he said 'right' and she shot him a suspicious look before she walked forward. She approached the pendant with what she realized with a start was excitement. Now, finally she would be able to answer its call.
Behind her, Shisui's mouth twisted into a bitter, wry half-smile, his gaze slightly pitying as he watched the girl approach the pendant with sloppily concealed excitement. Poor ignorant girl. Now that his mask of cold certainty and emotionless boredom had been shattered he felt a sort of protectiveness towards the girl, like a true guardian. He watched as she picked up the pendant, watched as it immediately fused with her soul, trapping her in her fate.
'Goodbye girl, my soul must now return to its resting place in the Reikai. Heed my warnings and... remember what you learned.'
When Mizuna turned around she found herself alone in the cavern. But somehow, she knew what Shisui's final message had been. She wondered if his mind reading ability had rubbed off on her and smiled slightly wondering how she could be understood and understand someone so completely in such a short time. Perhaps it was because a certain soul was needed to control each pendant and therefore they were more alike than she had originally thought.
As the blue-haired water demoness pulled the shining blue pendant over her head it ceased to glow and lay against her chest, seeming to be an ordinary piece of jewelry that any girl might fancy. But she had felt the fusing to her soul it had done although she wasn't quite sure what it was. Somehow she felt whole now, but still, she couldn't get the words that Shisui had left her with out of her head. He had been warning her about something, but what?
Approaching the door from whence she had come, the demoness turned her head once more to gaze at the completely dark cave, now completely devoid of spirit or light. She wondered what it felt like to die, and she decided that she would ask Shisui someday when she joined him in the afterlife. With a small smile, Mizuna stepped back through the intricately carved door, leaving the cave in now complete darkness, to sit alone under the ocean, never again to be filled with life.
Back with the others
When Mizuna stepped back through the door, everyone was suddenly on their feet. However, Kashaku was the first to speak.
"Mi-chan!! Did you get the pendant? What happened to your clothes? Did you fight the guardian? Was it hard? Why are you so different?"
The water demoness in question looked at Kashaku flatly. "Yes, I got some new ones, yes, yes, and..." she trailed off as she thought of an answer to the last question. "I... have grown..." was the only answer she could supply.
As Kashaku scratched her head, trying to match the answers back with the questions, Kin spoke up, "What the hell do you mean, 'I've grown'?! What's that supposed to mean?!"
The blue-haired girl ignored her fuming friend in order to look at her the people surrounding her, the one's she had come to call friends. Yusuke stood leaning against the wall looking irritated as Kuwabara talked to him about something undoubtedly stupid, Kurama was attempting to politely disengage himself from the flame-haired sorceress that had first questioned her, Touya was attempting to disguise a rather more jealous look than was comfortable for him as he looked at Kashaku, Hiei was standing looking bored, and Jin was just behind Kin, just waiting for his chance. As Mizuna took all of this in she simply shook her head.
"Well, let's go, we have two more pendants to find don't we?"
Kin stared at her then began twitching. "What the hell?! Don't ignore me!!"
The blue-haired water demoness gave her golden-haired friend an annoyed look. "You'll find out soon enough. Now let's go," she said with a small tinge of impatience.
"Hmpf," was Kin's very predictable reply as she began to sulk.
Mizuna ignored Kin's grumblings about the unfairness of the water demoness' dry clothes, and thought about her battle. She wondered how it had been managed to revive Shisui long enough for him to fight her, for she had sensed it. He was dead. Koenma had brought him back only long enough for him to test her, and then he had been sent back to the Reikai to rest in his eternal sleep.
It was not impossible, so that meant that the guardians were already dead, but Koenma had said that they were still guarding the pendants alive until she and her friends were ready to take the pendants for themselves. But clearly, Shisui had been merely a spirit just now revived only for a time. So that made Koenma either a liar or perhaps he had said that, and she had just misinterpreted his meaning.
Everyone piled into the submarine once again and sat back down in their respective seats except for Kashaku who sat right next to Mizuna, staring at the pendant and asking the slightly irritated water demoness pointless questions like, "How much does it weigh do you think?" However, when Mizuna pointed out that Kurama looked a bit lonely; the red-haired sorceress was immediately gone and latched onto the kitsune's arm.
She resumed her thinking. There was some kind of mystery behind the pendants that was being hidden, that she was sure of. The question was, why? Obviously they needed guardians, so what was the big deal, what was the mystery? She would need to meditate on this more, until then she would simply be careful and try to be mindful of Shisui's advice as much as she could.
The first step to the end of their mission had been taken, that she was sure of.
Elsewhere
"It seems that they have the first pendant now in their possession. How... fortunate. As it seems that Aya has been killed, are there any volunteers?"
Five figures sat around the table, most looking up towards the head of the table where their leader was addressing them. Takashi.
A figure stood. "I'll take care of this. Just let me at 'em!!"
Although darkness cloaked the tall, muscular form at the head of the table, you could almost swear that the person sitting there was laughing although there was no sound. He waved a hand and the figure that had offered their help was suddenly gone, most likely at a location nearer the prey, where they would be able to reach them easily.
"You are dismissed."
All the figures around the table stood and left, leaving their master to contemplate in silence. "Do not fail me Natsuko, or you are likely to find yourself in a lot more trouble than you bargained for." With this statement, the large shadow that was Takashi was suddenly gone; disappeared to some unknown location.
Meanwhile, Natsuko reappeared somewhere in the forest. She licked her lips and sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of the traveler's she was searching for. Not finding them in the immediate vicinity she took off, hopping from tree branch to tree branch. Her eyes glinted red in the moonlight; it wouldn't be long.... not long at all.
To Be Continued.....
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Kin: Okay, I'm really trying to update, so try to be understanding.
Mizuna: Here it comes....
Kin: I've had vacations galore and that's not even taking account for writer's block and other such things. I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. ::bows:: Gomen Nesai.
Kashaku: Just update already!
Kin: Okay, I won't waste time with banter and stuff, here are the review responses. But just one last thing, I'm sorry if the chapter has grammatical mistakes and is kind of weird. I wrote it all until about 12 a.m. so I'm really sorry if it's bad. I'm just trying to update as often as I can!!
Review Responses:
LoneWolf7423: If you are still there, thank you for the penny! It saved Kashaku's life! ::gives LoneWolf puppy:: YAY!! PUPPIES ARE CUTE!!
ryuugitsune: Thank you for reading my story all the way up to 1 a.m.! If you are still there I thank you very much.
Inu: Thanks for reviewing! I love writing fight scenes, especially bloody ones, too bad this wasn't a bloody battle... oh well! There will be more in the future!
Ryoko, Faia: I am terribly sorry at the lateness of my chapter update. If you wish to know why it was so late simply scroll up and look. Thanks for reviewing!
runnerfan13: Hope that answered your questions about Kuwabara and Kurama! Thanks for reviewing!!
spellsattwilight: ::hands rabid German Shepard:: Watch out for that one, he's a meanie! Anyway, thanks for reviewing, I really, really appreciate it!
SukiYumi: You didn't die, don't hurt me!
Amai Kitsune: ::hands puppy:: Thank you!! I feel so honored. ::for once there is no sarcasm in Kin's voice:: I'm sorry there wasn't fluff in this chapter, but I can PROMISE that there will be in the next one. Thanks for reviewing!!
Hiei's1girl: I feel so evil the more I hear people asking me to update and I don't... good work!! It makes me want to update even more!! Thanks for reviewing!!
Xxrupert-grint-loverxX: Thanks so much for the compliment and even more the review!! ::hands puppy:: Have fun!!
Hiei17: I hope that Hiei was in this chapter enough. Tell me if you think he needs to be in it more!! Well, he isn't really pissed with Aya exactly, but he was really worried about Mizuna and stuff. - heehee
Child of the Ancients: Thank you so much, I feel so loved!! ::hands puppy:: Enjoy!! Thanks for reviewing!
fanfic-demon: SO SORRY!! I'm really trying to update, but I was so busy... okay, enough with the excuses. Thank's for reviewing, and here, have a puppy!! ::hands puppy::
TPM-girl: Thank you so much, I know that it sounds meaningless after all the times I've said it, but I really mean it. Reviewers like you make me want to start the next chapter right now!! ::hands TPM-girl puppy:: Enjoy!!
Sei-san: Once AGAIN, I am so sorry for not updating sooner. Thanks about the illusion thing, I just kind of thought of it randomly! It's nice to know that at least somebody likes my random ideas!! Thanks for reviewing!!
MexicanJew: I AM SO SORRY!! ::bows:: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm going to start the next one as soon as I finish downloading this chapter!! Thanks for reviewing though!!
sordid: ::glare:: I told you last night, Internet Explorer wouldn't load and it kept screwing up; I can't help it if my internet service is being evil. What did you expect me to do?! I was trying damnit! ::cough:: Anyway, thanks for finally reviewing, and I'm sorry about the whole 'didn't tell ka-chan I was going on vacation thing', sorry! Now, I'm off to try and make this update! Away!!
Review Please!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a pretty little box all covered with shells from my trip to Florida, if you send me a flame I will be forced to send you an evil jellyfish from my trip that stung me. Thanks!!
Kin: Okay, I'm REALLY sorry about the delay, but I haven't had time to breathe let alone really type this summer. I had vacation and trip after vacation and trip, I didn't even spend two days at home before I had to go somewhere for at least a week. I'm very sorry, but at least I updated eventually.... So, welcome to another wonderful chapter of Falling Into Fiction, written by, yes, you guessed it, yours truly. We have finally reached the first pendant chapter. Yay!! They just grow up so fast!! ::teary-eyed::
Mizuna: No more Pringles for you.
Kin: I'm on a Pringle high!! Is that even possible? Don't know; don't care!
Kashaku: I like cheetos!!
::Kin and Kashaku dance tribally around a fire::
Mizuna: Okay, due to the fact that I am the only competent one here, I will begin the chapter with a paper I wrote in my spare time about the theory on space travel and its effects on the human body. ::ahem:: It is believed that-
Kin: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!
Mizuna: Okay, now if you would-
Kashaku: MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mizuna: ::sweatdrop:: I already stopped just now-
Kin: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Mizuna: ::rolls eyes:: Whatever.
Kashaku: Yay!! You know, I just filmed a movie and you should watch it. It's called 'Dances With Cheetos.' It's for the whole family!!
Kin: ::sniff:: I think that 'Dances With Pringles' is so much better.
Kashaku: It is not!!
Kin: Is too!
::argument ensues::
Mizuna: Okay, with Kin intoxicated with Pringles I will just have to make an extreme effort to begin the entire chapter all by myself... Begin.
"blah"speaking
'blah'thinking
/blah/conscience
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Falling Into Fiction
Chapter 8: Water: The First Pendant
"It seems that I have come just in time. Quickly, come with me, I have brought Koenma's mode of transportation."
The group looked as one over to the door as they heard the soft voice ring out over the uncomfortable silence and were all surprised. Kurama stood in his usual calm state of mind, viewing the carnage of the battle with an impassive if not pleasant face. Kashaku looked like she wanted to jump up and go latch onto him, but she stayed where she was, holding Mizuna's head in her lap.
Yusuke didn't waste time staring, which is most likely one reason he was said to be the leader of the detectives. He leaned down and began to pull the water demoness gently up, holding her against his side as Kashaku spotted him in case he should drop her. He glared. "Hiei, come around and take her other side and Touya go help Kashaku."
Surprisingly, no one argued, and soon the team was making their way slowly out of the ballroom, going as fast as was possible in their various states. It was raining outside, there had been ominous clouds hanging around all day, and the ship rocked dangerously.... It figured.
With Kurama leading the way, the others somehow managed to make it over to the side of the ship. The now jet black waves churned and smashed against the side of the ship only feet below, and the wind howled in its fury and began to lash rain into everyone's faces.
There was no one in sight, although in the lonely captain's cabin, a shadow could be seen standing at the wheel. Well what do you know? It must be true what they say about captains never abandoning their ship. However, all the life rafts were gone, and it could only be assumed that the rest of the guests hadn't waited up and were somewhere out in the storm, riding it out as best as possible.
"They would have been better off if they'd stayed on the ship," Yusuke mumbled. After all, there weren't any monsters left.
Kashaku looked down into the frothing waves. "Are we expected to swim? I can swim. This one time in gym, Kin pushed me in the pool and...." Everyone tuned her out.
Moving forward, his scarlet hair now in dripping locks, Kurama pulled what looked like some kind of thin cylindrical object resembling a bullet out of a pocket and dropped it down into the ocean. In less than even a second there was a rumbling sound that could be heard even over the roaring storm and frothing waves.
Kin looked around nervously, her ears flat on her head because of the sound and the annoyance of water dripping into her ears. "What the hell-"
As all the blood that had covered the group began to be washed away by the pounding rain, a slick silver capsule almost the size of a bus rose up from the waves, water sliding off its surface and rain beating down and making a hollow sound, proving it to be empty on the inside. Kurama turned around and with a weary smile that seemed to creep slowly over his features like winter seeps into fall, he spoke. "Well, come on. We don't have all day."
Inside the Capsule
Hiei sat with his back up against the smooth, cool metal of the transport and tried to convince himself that he wasn't worried about the blue-haired water demoness. He told himself that the nagging that was wearing at the confines of his center was just a passing thing that had nothing to do with her in the least. It wasn't working.
He looked to his left and saw her flushed face, her unsteady breathing and her faint attempt to keep the pain out of her features. It bothered him far more than it should, than he would ever admit. The others were scattered about the inside of the capsule, most sleeping, some staring into space. No one dared to break the silence that covered them all like a silencing cloak. Yusuke sat with his back to the wall, eyes closed with Kuwabara, who had strangely already been in the capsule when they arrived, sitting next to him, asleep but thankfully not snoring.
Across from the red-eyed demon sat a sleeping golden haired kitsune who had unconsciously wrapped her arms around the waist of the also sleeping wind master who sat beside her. The kitsune growled slightly in her sleep and her ears twitched as she gripped Jin's waist tighter and rubbed her head against his chest. To the right of them sat a meditating Touya, and next to him, Kurama, staring into space with a thoughtful look on his face and a grim expression, close on hand in case Mizuna was in need of some medical attention. And smack dab in the middle of the floor, a flame-haired sorceress lay gripping a staff like a teddy-bear and twitching slightly in her sleep.
Red eyes seemed almost to be drawn to the porcelain face of the demoness propped up against the wall just feet away. Hiei watched in fascination as her eyelids twitched, proving her to be among the sultry figures that only existed in the mind's own eye, a world of dreams. He continued across her smooth cheek, along her sharp jaw line and down the white column of her throat. Here he stopped and jerked his gaze back up to her eyes only to find blue eyes now open and staring into his own.
"It's near. I feel it calling, soothing mist...."
She looked at him for a moment, unseeing, before blinking, sighing and shifting slightly to get more comfortable. The white bandage on her arm was stained with slight splotches of blood, not enough to warrant a change. She glanced over at the silent demon beside her, head full of a strange buzzing that was either from the poison or was connected to the pendant that now called stronger from under the waves. She seemed to have regained her awareness somewhat, but she was also weak as a kitten and so dizzy she felt as if her head would simply roll away and burst like rotten fruit.
Hiei continued to stare directly in front of him, ignoring Mizuna. He stayed that way even after he felt her lose her consciousness again and slip back into the void of the dark. Her breathing was silent, almost to be unheard, not a very good sign. However, there was nothing he or anyone else could do but continue on the way towards the pendant under the sea, a location that had been supposedly programmed into the capsules memory. It made him strangely angry.
Suddenly, there was a huge jolt as the bottom of the capsule hit something solid. Kuwabara snorted and simply rolled over. "About time we got there! I thought we would never get off this pile of junk," Yusuke said uncrossing his arms.
"AAAHHHHH!!! GET OFF ME YOU HENTAI!!!!"
Jin opened his eyes and blinked. "You're the one who was latched on to me," he said grinning in good humor. He yawned, revealing sharp fangs slashed in white across the pink of his tongue.
Kin glared. "Then what's your arm doing around me, huh?" she asked, detaching herself with difficulty in order not to bump her already healing wound. It had already begun to knit back together under the thick scab of dried blood. Ah, the joys of being a demon.
"We don't have time to waste, we must get her inside," Kurama said, beginning to lift Mizuna up off the ground. "If my hunch is correct, as soon as she touches the pendant the poison should be purified from her system."
When everyone just stared at him, he sweatdropped then continued. "The water pendant not only strengthens the wearer's water power, but is also capable of healing and purifying those who are on the verge of death... Or so I've heard."
As Kurama began to lift the blue-haired water demoness, he was surprised when her weight was suddenly lifted from his arms. He as well as most of the others looked at Hiei in shock, the red-eyed demon now holding Mizuna carefully in his arms, bridal style. However, the emotionless demon's reply was simply, "Open the door, Kitsune."
Blinking, the still quite surprised Kurama simply looked to his right and an opening formed in the wall. After everyone had piled out, the strange submarine that had carried them so far under the waves shrunk to its much smaller size and the green-eyed kitsune placed it carefully in the pocket of his jacket for future use.
It seemed that the submarine had taken them to some sort of underwater cave that had trapped air under the surface in a vast amount. This made them feel kind of nervous, for how was it even possible? But perhaps... a little magic was to thank for it. The cave itself was enormous, although not in the way you might expect. It was very narrow but extremely tall, so tall that the ceiling was an eternal blackness that seemed to stretch forever. Faintly glowing green moss grew on the sides of the cave which lent the traveler's their light.
"Look, I don't need yours or anyone else's help alright?! I'm fine!!"
Jin held up his hands. "Just tryin to help," he said as Kin 'hmpf' ed and stomped off, her wound apparently already better enough for her to be her usual angry/sulky/irritated self.
While Kin obviously had problems relying on someone else's strength, Kashaku didn't seem to have that problem. She looked blissful as she leaned almost all her weight on Kurama who seemed to be bearing with it with his usual dignity. Touya glanced over at them and realized with a start that he missed the familiar weight of the annoying red-head hanging all over him. He dismissed this as a passing fancy but couldn't help feeling something was missing.
When the blue light began to shine it was noticed right away, probably due to the lack of normal light. It shone a clear and penetrating pale blue, making almost everyone shield their eyes at the intensity of it. Trying to find the source, it didn't take long for the detectives to realize that it was coming straight from Mizuna. It shone from within as well as seeming to ripple over her body like liquid silk. Her eyes were open wide, shining blue from socket to pupil, and she seemed to be staring straight ahead.
As one everyone looked in the direction she was staring to find that the clear blue light had revealed an intricately carved door just ahead, once covered in darkness. It was almost impossible to tell what had been carved into it as everything seemed to shift if not looked at from the corners of one's eyes. The door was fairly tall but narrow, with no handle or anything that looked to be of use in opening it.
Hiei's brief look of surprise was the only warning as Mizuna's body suddenly began to float, still shining with that unearthly, piercing blue light. Before anyone could react, the glowing girl was already in front of the door... and she didn't stop. She went right through the door, seeming as if either she or the door had no substance at all. Immediately, her friends were at the door, trying to open it, but it was as hard as steel for them and could not be opened.
"It is only part of the test," Kurama said. "She has to fight to earn the right to guard the pendant." He seemed to frown a bit at the word "right" but otherwise he seemed his normal calm self. Perhaps even relieved.
Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you known so much about the pendants? And what was the mission that the toddler sent you on that was so urgent?" he asked, suddenly suspicious and wary.
"Anyone wanna play cards?!" Kashaku suddenly yelled, pulling a deck of cards from nowhere. This immediately incited an argument with her golden-haired kitsune friend about where she had been keeping them. It was actually quite the interesting debate when you thought about it.
The brown-eyed leader of the spirit detectives did not miss the quick look of relief that passed over Kurama's face as the hyper, red-haired girl interrupted the beginnings of what had promised to be an interesting conversation. What was it that Kurama knew that they didn't? And why wasn't he telling....
With Mizuna
For the past few hours, Mizuna had been in a constant state of blackness, pain and dim memories of faces that swam before her eyes. And then, then the light had come. The intense blue light that had shone from her had filled her so full that there was no room for poison; it felt as if it was pushing everything out, and she'd had to cling desperately to her memories and dreams for fear they would be swept away. It was the pendant.
Just being on the opposite side of the door as it had allowed it to purge her system of all sickness that had once flowed through her veins, burning her alive. She now lay on blessedly cold stone, her eyes closed, knowing that she was on the other side of the door that she vaguely remembered passing through. The pendant was in this very room, and she felt a cold blue light shining against her eyelids; this light was what persuaded her to open her eyes.
Sitting up, Mizuna looked around to find herself in a large stone chamber. There were no windows or doors save the one she had just entered through, and there, just in front of her was... the pendant.
It shone from within with a strange light, the very same cold light that had burned through her only moments before. It was round and small, smaller than the size of a golf ball, sitting atop a stone shelf set low in the wall. The shelf actually had a strange alter-like feel about it, as if this was some ancient temple where a primitive people had come to worship.
The pendant, extremely beautiful, continued to shine in a pool of its own silvery blue light. The light rippled on the walls like the reflection of water, pale and serene. The stone was round like a rather large marble, and the longer Mizuna looked at it, the more she could see swirling in its depths. The dark blue rippled, and shadows could be seen dancing as if behind glass walls. A silver chain was attached to it like a necklace and she estimated that it would fit over her head easily. Even now the deep blue stone called, and she longed to answer.
She stood, finding that although she was a lot weaker than her normal state, she was still in fairly good shape. Walking forward, she approached the pendant and reached out her hand to pick it up. However, before her fingers could even brush against its smooth surfaced, a voice broke out over the eerie silence of the small cavern. Mizuna whirled around; ready for the battle with the previous guardian she had been warned about.
"Please refrain from taking that just yet. I believe the matter of a battle is at hand. I am Shisui; I shall be your opponent." And there he stood, in all his glory, his voice smooth and emotionless as steel. Even as his voice lacked emotion, he seemed to have a bored look placed upon his aristocratic features.
A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, the guardian of the water pendant stood and observed her with cool scrutiny and calculation. There was no other word for him but beautiful. He had aristocratic features, with high cheekbones, everything in perfect proportion. His hair was a dark ebony color, short, but with long bangs that just brushed his deep blue eyes... eyes that rivaled the pale sapphire of Mizuna's own. He stood at average height, but seemed much taller due to his manner.
"You cannot fight in those clothes... better. Now begin," he said. He seemed to have no patience or consideration for others, seeming almost as if he thought them below him.
Mizuna looked down to find that in the pause between his words her clothing had changed. The bedraggled dress that she had previously had on as a remainder from the ball on the cruise had disappeared, and in its place she was now wearing the clothes she had been wearing after first appearing in this world. The long blue skirt with its one slit, the shirt with its one sleeve, the silver armlet, and even the belt with her two fans was now in place. She also noticed that she was now completely dry, and her hair in its usual high ponytail.
Wondering how the guardian had done such a strange bit of magic, Mizuna gazed at him warily, taking in his own state of dress, choosing not to speak, not quite yet.
He seemed to have a preference for the old Japanese style, choosing to wear a pair of black hakamas and an also black gi coupled with, yes, you guessed it, a black sash and boots. Altogether, he seemed like a dark assassin, the only color being his own skin and deep blue eyes. He seemed to have no weapon, but the also blue-eyed demoness didn't let this fool her. Although he stood as if with a rather mocking sense of boredom, she sensed the taunt grace and lean muscle he was concealing.
"Do not waste any more of my valuable time, attack demoness or prepare to be struck down with a single blow."
Mizuna wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead. "It seems I don't need to. You already have," she said. His aura was extremely immense and strong; its cold certainty was threatening to sweep her away, rushing against her in a torrent. She erected a barrier of her own, counteracting his lack of emotion with her own emotions of anger and fear to counteract it.
He had chosen to begin a battle of aura strength before he began the physical battle it seemed. He was truly strong, not even flinching when she initiated a counterstrike of her own, batting it aside like a fly. But, although she was a beginner and still a bit weak from having been poisoned, she knew she could hold out for quite a while; she would not be discouraged.
The stoic man before her let the corners of his mouth twitch before returning to his bored expression. "Pretty good, at least you are able to sense auras. It also seems as if you are doing a fairly good job keeping yourself from being swept away."
Suddenly, before the water demoness could even blink, Shisui was right in front of her, holding a sword to her neck. He 'tsk'ed slightly at her lack of self defense and pulled his sword back, leaving a paper thin cut on her neck that only just began to bleed slightly, stinging. Lowering his sword, he spoke in his voice of silk steel.
"Is that all you're made of? If that is all you're going to show me, you might as well leave right now," he said with more than just a hint of boredom this time. He turned around just in time to block a smooth swipe towards his neck. His sword locked against Mizuna's bladed fans, he smirked. "Better."
Even as they began their fight the blue-haired water demoness could feel his aura weighing down on her, pushing her, his calm emotionless power still trying to wash her away. She endured it as best she could and focused on her partner in the delicate, graceful dance she was now a part of. He was smooth and fast as water, easily parrying her blows and striking back with at least twice the amount as hers. He was fluid like water and more graceful than a swan in flight.
She quickly came to realize that she just wasn't advanced enough to handle the cold, emotionless swings of her partner. The blue-haired demoness would just have to find another way. As his aura continued to threaten to sweep her away in a flood of her own emotions she suddenly came to realize her mistake. She was giving him something to weigh her down with; she was giving him the fodder for his fire. She took it away.
Shisui's eyes narrowed and he admitted to himself that perhaps he had not given the girl enough credit. She had dropped her emotions, thinking of nothing, feeling nothing. She was now going totally on instinct, letting her body take control rather than her mind force her one way and her body another. Her movements immediately became swifter and more forceful, becoming a part of the intricate dance completely now. There was nothing left for his aura to sweep away, to weigh down.
The water demoness herself was coming to realize that even though her body was now using its maximum strength and speed, she would still lose if this kept up. She was simply too tired and not experienced enough. However, if she could manage to surprise him, to overload his senses with her thoughts, she might be able to take one shot, one shot to take him down. Concentrating, Mizuna prepared to call every single emotion to the surface she had ever felt, everything she feared would overtake her, and so had become the cold girl she was now.
It worked. The black-haired man before her suddenly broke off his attack and his face took on a look of pain as his cold certainty was suddenly flooded and swept away in a torrent of Mizuna's own memories and feelings.
The joy she had felt when she had first realized she had friends, the pain she had felt when she realized her parents didn't love her, the determination that drove her to be strong, the fear of being alone, sad and unending sorrow... everything flooded into him and more, until he couldn't see for the memories and emotions. Mizuna jerked herself out of this stream of emotions, having been almost swept along as well, feeling every emotion again, living every moment for the second time in her life. She took her chance, for it wouldn't last long. A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she struck.
When Shisui came back to himself only moments later he found her fan's sharp steel at his throat. He looked up at her, and for the first time he could remember, smiled, really smiled. Mizuna felt breathless with the force of his smile on her, it was a beauty that was far beyond anything she had ever felt. The guardian reached up and touched his face as if this emotion expression was foreign even to him as well.
"You have won, I admit defeat girl. How you could make a dead soul like mine feel again is a mystery, but I thank you."
The blue-haired demoness reattached her fans to her belt and her emotionless mask slipped back onto her face and covered her surprise with practiced ease even as her opponent's did as well. She looked at him speculatively. She had learned much from this battle. Sometimes it was best to trust instinct, relying on the mind too much was not wise. She had also learned that emotions could be a powerful, losing touch with them could prove fatal.
The demoness bowed, hands clasped in front of her. "Arigato for the lesson Sensei."
Shisui stood, sheathing his sword, looking almost surprised... almost. "Perhaps I have learned a lesson as well," he said, making Mizuna look to him sharply, wondering if he was able to read minds. She wouldn't put it past him.
The blue-eyed man stood before her and she stared at him, wondering what he was thinking. He seemed to be struggling internally with something that she couldn't name just by looking at his terrible beauty, and emotionless face. He suddenly spoke, and she was surprised to find that he seemed to have a tinge of what she was almost sure was regret in his voice.
"Nothing is as it seems. Illusion lives in illusion, and placing one's trust so blindly in a representative of what is thought by others to be the truth is a dangerous thing." He became suddenly stern, as if he was speaking to a daughter. "Ignorance is no excuse."
The water demoness before him gave him a flat look, silently telling him that he was making no sense.
"When this quest is over, you may not still be-" he broke off. "I have said too much. I will leave you with this last bit of advice, girl. Be sure; be sure of what you are getting yourself into. Think of the whole picture, not just yourself or others, always the cause. Never yourself...." He trailed off here with a sigh. He seemed to realize that he was rambling and with a self-disgusted wave of his hand he flicked his hand towards the pendant, gesturing for her to take it.
"Take it; you have earned the... right... to possess it."
Mizuna didn't miss the note of sarcasm in his voice as he said 'right' and she shot him a suspicious look before she walked forward. She approached the pendant with what she realized with a start was excitement. Now, finally she would be able to answer its call.
Behind her, Shisui's mouth twisted into a bitter, wry half-smile, his gaze slightly pitying as he watched the girl approach the pendant with sloppily concealed excitement. Poor ignorant girl. Now that his mask of cold certainty and emotionless boredom had been shattered he felt a sort of protectiveness towards the girl, like a true guardian. He watched as she picked up the pendant, watched as it immediately fused with her soul, trapping her in her fate.
'Goodbye girl, my soul must now return to its resting place in the Reikai. Heed my warnings and... remember what you learned.'
When Mizuna turned around she found herself alone in the cavern. But somehow, she knew what Shisui's final message had been. She wondered if his mind reading ability had rubbed off on her and smiled slightly wondering how she could be understood and understand someone so completely in such a short time. Perhaps it was because a certain soul was needed to control each pendant and therefore they were more alike than she had originally thought.
As the blue-haired water demoness pulled the shining blue pendant over her head it ceased to glow and lay against her chest, seeming to be an ordinary piece of jewelry that any girl might fancy. But she had felt the fusing to her soul it had done although she wasn't quite sure what it was. Somehow she felt whole now, but still, she couldn't get the words that Shisui had left her with out of her head. He had been warning her about something, but what?
Approaching the door from whence she had come, the demoness turned her head once more to gaze at the completely dark cave, now completely devoid of spirit or light. She wondered what it felt like to die, and she decided that she would ask Shisui someday when she joined him in the afterlife. With a small smile, Mizuna stepped back through the intricately carved door, leaving the cave in now complete darkness, to sit alone under the ocean, never again to be filled with life.
Back with the others
When Mizuna stepped back through the door, everyone was suddenly on their feet. However, Kashaku was the first to speak.
"Mi-chan!! Did you get the pendant? What happened to your clothes? Did you fight the guardian? Was it hard? Why are you so different?"
The water demoness in question looked at Kashaku flatly. "Yes, I got some new ones, yes, yes, and..." she trailed off as she thought of an answer to the last question. "I... have grown..." was the only answer she could supply.
As Kashaku scratched her head, trying to match the answers back with the questions, Kin spoke up, "What the hell do you mean, 'I've grown'?! What's that supposed to mean?!"
The blue-haired girl ignored her fuming friend in order to look at her the people surrounding her, the one's she had come to call friends. Yusuke stood leaning against the wall looking irritated as Kuwabara talked to him about something undoubtedly stupid, Kurama was attempting to politely disengage himself from the flame-haired sorceress that had first questioned her, Touya was attempting to disguise a rather more jealous look than was comfortable for him as he looked at Kashaku, Hiei was standing looking bored, and Jin was just behind Kin, just waiting for his chance. As Mizuna took all of this in she simply shook her head.
"Well, let's go, we have two more pendants to find don't we?"
Kin stared at her then began twitching. "What the hell?! Don't ignore me!!"
The blue-haired water demoness gave her golden-haired friend an annoyed look. "You'll find out soon enough. Now let's go," she said with a small tinge of impatience.
"Hmpf," was Kin's very predictable reply as she began to sulk.
Mizuna ignored Kin's grumblings about the unfairness of the water demoness' dry clothes, and thought about her battle. She wondered how it had been managed to revive Shisui long enough for him to fight her, for she had sensed it. He was dead. Koenma had brought him back only long enough for him to test her, and then he had been sent back to the Reikai to rest in his eternal sleep.
It was not impossible, so that meant that the guardians were already dead, but Koenma had said that they were still guarding the pendants alive until she and her friends were ready to take the pendants for themselves. But clearly, Shisui had been merely a spirit just now revived only for a time. So that made Koenma either a liar or perhaps he had said that, and she had just misinterpreted his meaning.
Everyone piled into the submarine once again and sat back down in their respective seats except for Kashaku who sat right next to Mizuna, staring at the pendant and asking the slightly irritated water demoness pointless questions like, "How much does it weigh do you think?" However, when Mizuna pointed out that Kurama looked a bit lonely; the red-haired sorceress was immediately gone and latched onto the kitsune's arm.
She resumed her thinking. There was some kind of mystery behind the pendants that was being hidden, that she was sure of. The question was, why? Obviously they needed guardians, so what was the big deal, what was the mystery? She would need to meditate on this more, until then she would simply be careful and try to be mindful of Shisui's advice as much as she could.
The first step to the end of their mission had been taken, that she was sure of.
Elsewhere
"It seems that they have the first pendant now in their possession. How... fortunate. As it seems that Aya has been killed, are there any volunteers?"
Five figures sat around the table, most looking up towards the head of the table where their leader was addressing them. Takashi.
A figure stood. "I'll take care of this. Just let me at 'em!!"
Although darkness cloaked the tall, muscular form at the head of the table, you could almost swear that the person sitting there was laughing although there was no sound. He waved a hand and the figure that had offered their help was suddenly gone, most likely at a location nearer the prey, where they would be able to reach them easily.
"You are dismissed."
All the figures around the table stood and left, leaving their master to contemplate in silence. "Do not fail me Natsuko, or you are likely to find yourself in a lot more trouble than you bargained for." With this statement, the large shadow that was Takashi was suddenly gone; disappeared to some unknown location.
Meanwhile, Natsuko reappeared somewhere in the forest. She licked her lips and sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of the traveler's she was searching for. Not finding them in the immediate vicinity she took off, hopping from tree branch to tree branch. Her eyes glinted red in the moonlight; it wouldn't be long.... not long at all.
To Be Continued.....
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Kin: Okay, I'm really trying to update, so try to be understanding.
Mizuna: Here it comes....
Kin: I've had vacations galore and that's not even taking account for writer's block and other such things. I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. ::bows:: Gomen Nesai.
Kashaku: Just update already!
Kin: Okay, I won't waste time with banter and stuff, here are the review responses. But just one last thing, I'm sorry if the chapter has grammatical mistakes and is kind of weird. I wrote it all until about 12 a.m. so I'm really sorry if it's bad. I'm just trying to update as often as I can!!
Review Responses:
LoneWolf7423: If you are still there, thank you for the penny! It saved Kashaku's life! ::gives LoneWolf puppy:: YAY!! PUPPIES ARE CUTE!!
ryuugitsune: Thank you for reading my story all the way up to 1 a.m.! If you are still there I thank you very much.
Inu: Thanks for reviewing! I love writing fight scenes, especially bloody ones, too bad this wasn't a bloody battle... oh well! There will be more in the future!
Ryoko, Faia: I am terribly sorry at the lateness of my chapter update. If you wish to know why it was so late simply scroll up and look. Thanks for reviewing!
runnerfan13: Hope that answered your questions about Kuwabara and Kurama! Thanks for reviewing!!
spellsattwilight: ::hands rabid German Shepard:: Watch out for that one, he's a meanie! Anyway, thanks for reviewing, I really, really appreciate it!
SukiYumi: You didn't die, don't hurt me!
Amai Kitsune: ::hands puppy:: Thank you!! I feel so honored. ::for once there is no sarcasm in Kin's voice:: I'm sorry there wasn't fluff in this chapter, but I can PROMISE that there will be in the next one. Thanks for reviewing!!
Hiei's1girl: I feel so evil the more I hear people asking me to update and I don't... good work!! It makes me want to update even more!! Thanks for reviewing!!
Xxrupert-grint-loverxX: Thanks so much for the compliment and even more the review!! ::hands puppy:: Have fun!!
Hiei17: I hope that Hiei was in this chapter enough. Tell me if you think he needs to be in it more!! Well, he isn't really pissed with Aya exactly, but he was really worried about Mizuna and stuff. - heehee
Child of the Ancients: Thank you so much, I feel so loved!! ::hands puppy:: Enjoy!! Thanks for reviewing!
fanfic-demon: SO SORRY!! I'm really trying to update, but I was so busy... okay, enough with the excuses. Thank's for reviewing, and here, have a puppy!! ::hands puppy::
TPM-girl: Thank you so much, I know that it sounds meaningless after all the times I've said it, but I really mean it. Reviewers like you make me want to start the next chapter right now!! ::hands TPM-girl puppy:: Enjoy!!
Sei-san: Once AGAIN, I am so sorry for not updating sooner. Thanks about the illusion thing, I just kind of thought of it randomly! It's nice to know that at least somebody likes my random ideas!! Thanks for reviewing!!
MexicanJew: I AM SO SORRY!! ::bows:: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm going to start the next one as soon as I finish downloading this chapter!! Thanks for reviewing though!!
sordid: ::glare:: I told you last night, Internet Explorer wouldn't load and it kept screwing up; I can't help it if my internet service is being evil. What did you expect me to do?! I was trying damnit! ::cough:: Anyway, thanks for finally reviewing, and I'm sorry about the whole 'didn't tell ka-chan I was going on vacation thing', sorry! Now, I'm off to try and make this update! Away!!
Review Please!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a pretty little box all covered with shells from my trip to Florida, if you send me a flame I will be forced to send you an evil jellyfish from my trip that stung me. Thanks!!