Alright, before I begin I just want to warn you that I am leaving town to visit some relatives on the Saturday the 23rd and I won't be back until the 9th of August, so this will be the last update until I get back. Man, it is chapters like this that make me wish I was a writer for an anime or something. Fight scenes and original attacks are always so much easier to show then to describe. But anyway, I'll try to update this more regularly in the future, especially since I have a lot of subplots and stuff planned for later chapters. That's it for now…I think. :) ON WITH THE FIC!
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Last time on Yu Yu Hakusho: Kanzen na Maru…After discovering some surprising secrets about his classmate, Yanagi Omosa's home life, she and Suichi were introduced to Koenma, former ruler of Reikai now currently in hiding from his father's wrath. Even more secrets were revealed when the group ran into Suichi's older step-brother, Kurama, who revealed himself for what he really is to his younger brother. Now the four of them continue on through the city, hoping to stop the rampaging youkai before too much damage is done, but what more secrets will be unraveled along the way?
Episode 4: The Gravity of the Situation
A deserted street corner approximately 3.6 km from Yanagi residence.
Suichi blinked back into existence for the third time in as many minutes as another group of demons fell victim to his brother's Rose Whip. He sighed. If he didn't get this cloaking thing under control soon it was sure to become a real problem. What would he tell his parents if he started disappearing every time the stupid toaster scared him at the breakfast table?
"You okay there, Sui?" Yanagi's voice drifted through his thoughts. He nodded, mumbling an excuse as his brother dispatched the last of the demons. He still couldn't fully grasp the idea that his brother was a demon, but in light of other things his brain had deemed it an unnecessary piece of information for him to understand at the moment and so filed it under the 'try to make sense out of later' category. Besides, his brain was preoccupied with other mysteries at the moment, such as:
"Hey, Yanagi?" he turned to look fully at her as she hummed a questioning reply. So far, Shu…er…Kur…anou…his brother had done all the fighting. That was fine, only it left a burning question on his mind that desperately needed answering. What were Yanagi's powers?
"Why don't you fight too?" he asked. She blushed slightly in…embarrassment? What did she have to be embarrassed about?
"These guys are way too strong for me, B class youkai. Besides," she added, patting the bandages on her injured arm, "with my arm banged up even the C class losers will be a challenge."
"Oh," he replied simply. That made sense. Why hadn't he thought of that?
"Yanagi-chan?" Kurama's voice drifted over them as the redhead rejoined they're group. "How many youkai escaped, exactly?" They had already fought a few good dozen, how many more could have been held here in Ningenkai and remain undetected?
"Well…" Yanagi sighed and scratched her head. "I don't know the exact number. I'd say… about fifteen D class, twenty or so C class, eleven or twelve B class, and one A class for sure, maybe more."
"A class!" Kurama cried in shock. Yanagi's mother had held A class captive too! How on earth had she managed that!
"That's what I said," Yanagi sighed again, crossing her arms, moving slightly stiffly due to the pain that shot through her left arm. "I had no idea she had any A class down there until today, and I hope that was the only one but I don't know for sure." Kurama sighed. Even one A class loose in the Ningenkai was an extreme threat, but if there were more…
"Oi! Kurama! Koenma! Haven't seen you guys in a while! Someone wanna explain what in the heck is going on!" a new voice made them all turn to see a high school boy with curly orange hair lumbering towards them.
"Kuwabara-kun," Kurama greeted the newcomer as he stopped before them and bent double to catch his breath.
"You know this guy?" Yanagi asked, silently wondering why such a high level youkai like Kurama hung around with a low level human like the one before them. He didn't feel as if had any more power then she did.
"Hey, I remember you," Suichi chimed in, smiling at the teen as he stood up, having regained his breath. "You were at the wedding." Kuwabara blinked down at the young boy before recognition dawned on his complexion.
"Yeah, I saw you there! Suichi-chan, right?" Kuwabara exclaimed, smiling when Suichi nodded. After a moment, Kuwabara's expression dimmed to a more serious one and he turned to Koenma. "What's going on? There's youkai all over the city, and some of them are really strong!"
"Um…that's sort of my fault," Yanagi muttered hesitantly. Kuwabara turned to her curiously, realizing he hadn't noticed her there before. "And you are…?" he asked.
"Yanagi Omosa," Suichi jumped in to introduce his new friend, "she goes to my school. It's a long story, but basically her mom kept all these demons around for her to fight and get stronger, some weird training I guess, and they all broke free." Kuwabara blinked almost stupidly at the boy and Yanagi grinned.
"Of course, Stalker-boy only knows this 'cause he was spying on me," she teased. Suichi's face went red.
"I wasn't stalking you!" he cried.
"No, you just followed me in a very stalker-like manner, that's all," Yanagi's smile widened.
"Children!" Koenma interrupted before Suichi could retaliate. "This is not the time to be flirting." Both said children suffered full body blushes.
"EXCUSE ME!" Yanagi cried hotly, whirling around to glare at her pacifier-sucking verbal assailant.
"Now that Kuwabara has joined us I believe we should split up," Koenma continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Kurama, you can handle the B class youkai, Kuwabara the C class, and Yanagi you stick to the D class. Suichi you may go with them or go home, it's your choice." Suichi looked back at Yanagi, he still had yet to find out what powers she had and he didn't want to miss the opportunity to witness them. Besides, the idea of walking home alone, at night, in a demon infested city was something just slightly too close to a horror movie setting for his liking.
"I'll go with Yanagi," he said after a moment.
"Suichi—" Kurama began, obviously eager for his little brother to go home and get out of harm's way.
"Relax," Yanagi gave the fox a reassuring smile. "If we get into trouble he'll just cloak himself like he's been doing all night. Even that A class can't find him when he's cloaked."
"What are you going to do?" Kuwabara asked, turning back to Koenma.
"I have to go see someone," Koenma replied simply.
"Of course," Kuwabara snorted, "stick us will all the actual work, just like you always do."
Koenma smiled apologetically. "Sorry Kuwabara, but this really is important. Good luck. Let's hope this can all be resolved by morning, ne?" With that, the former ruler turned and began to stroll in a seemingly random direction down the street.
"Good riddance," Yanagi huffed, crossing her arms again and glaring after him.
"He's really not so bad," Kurama smiled gently, "he just takes a little…getting used to."
"Whatever," Yanagi sighed, dropping her arms. "Guess we should get going." She suddenly grew silent and closed her eyes turning in a slow circle as the other's watched, wondering what she was doing. When she had turned around completely, she let out a long breath and opened her eyes again.
"Most of the classes seem to have stuck together. That way," she pointed strait ahead of her, "is where the majority of the C class are. Most of the B class staked a territory over there," she continued, pointing to the right, "and the D classes are more back in the direction of my house. I can't even sense the A class, he, or maybe they, are cloaking their ki pretty well." Kuwabara whistled in awe.
"I can sort of feel 'em, but they're all kind of jumbled together. I can't pick out which class is in which direction like that. How'd you do that?" he breathed in surprise.
Yanagi shrugged. "It's just a talent that formed over time I guess."
"How much time? I mean, how long have you been — what'd Suichi-chan say? — training?" Kuwabara asked incredulously. He'd been honing his awareness for nearly two years and he wasn't even close to that kind of ability. This kid couldn't be more then eleven or twelve, how much had she trained?
"My mom said the best way to learn was from experience, of course she was certifiably insane, but still. I've been fighting demons every day since I was three," Yanagi answered as Kuwabara's mouth dropped.
"What!" he cried, "Every day! Wait," he suddenly calmed, his face scrunching in concentration. "A demon every day for…how old are you?"
"Twelve and thirty-six days," Yanagi answered as Kuwabara began to mummer to himself.
"Let's see…carry the three…add four…" his face scrunched even more as he tried to figure out the answer, counting on his fingers.
"Careful," Yanagi half laughed, "don't hurt yourself."
"A demon every day for nine years and thirty-six days is 3321, give or take a few for leap years and such," Kurama supplied the answer before Kuwabara really did do himself any harm. Kuwabara whistled again.
"Gees, that's a lot!" he muttered, staring in disbelieve at the girl before him. Yanagi's smile faded and she began to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. She didn't like being reminding of how many lives she had taken. Whether they were demons or not didn't matter, they were still lives. She knew that in the future, probably even tonight, she would have to take many more, but that didn't make her feel any better.
"Come on," she muttered to Suichi, turning in the direction she had sense the D class youkai in, "We'd better get to work stopping these guys."
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On the steps of Kasane Shrine
Koenma sighed as he looked up the steps. He hated to drag her into this. She was so innocent and even a bit naive, so much like a child…like those two children he had just met. They were all far to young for this, even Yusuke had at least been fourteen. But the truth was that he had no real power now. The Reikai Tantei had been dismantled and all his powers as ruler stripped from him when he chose to go against his father and help Yusuke. Now he was reduced to merely calling in favors wherever he could, and this was a favor he badly needed. If the events of tonight meant anything, they meant that the Ningenkai would surely fall apart with no one to protect it. That was, after all, why the Reikai Tantei had been established in the first place. The job itself may have been terminated, but the safety and heroism that it stood for still existed as strongly as ever. And if he was going to keep those purposes, or at very least the safety, alive, he was going to need her help.
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D class territory
"Now listen carefully," Yanagi instructed as she cautiously led Suichi down the seemingly deserted street. "These guys are slightly stir-crazy. I mean, you would be too if you were a blood thirsty youkai who's been held captive for nearly a decade. Things might get rough. You have to promise me that if I tell you to do something you'll do it, okay?"
"Do something? Like what?" Suichi asked, although he thought he knew what she was talking about. Yanagi sighed and stopped, turning to face Suichi with the most serious expression he had ever seen on her. Then again, up until a few hours ago he had never seen any expression from her, but that didn't seem to matter much at the moment.
"I mean it, Sui. If I tell you to hide, you hide."
"Alright."
"And if I tell you to cloak yourself, then do it and stay cloaked until I tell you otherwise, okay?"
"I don't think you have to worry about that one…I'll probably do it even if you don't tell me too," he muttered, but she continued.
"And if I tell you to run, you cloak yourself and go find a corner somewhere and stay there! Do you understand?"
Suichi stared at her for a long moment. He didn't want to leave her, especially if the situation was so desperate that she would actually tell him to run, but what choice did he have? He couldn't fight. He was utterly useless, just a kid along for the ride. She was in charge, plain and simple. With a sigh, he nodded glumly. "Yes, I understand Yanagi."
Yanagi instantly brightened, smiling at him. "Don't look so down, Sui. These are D class morons we're talking about. The most we're gonna get is a boo-boo or two. It's not like we're gonna die or anything."
"You where the one who was so serious!" he shot back, his temper flaring. Tonight was not the night for anyone to be playing games with him. He was most definitely not in the mood. Yanagi, however, remained smiling in the face of his outburst.
"I was serious. I don't want you to get hurt," she said simply before turning on her heel and starting to walk once more. "Come on, Sui," she called back over her shoulder at him. He just blinked the anger dissipating. She was so…so…weird. He wasn't sure which was stranger, the real her or the controlled-by-a-demon-brain-dead her.
"Hey, Yanagi?" his voice drifted up to the roof a nearby building where a shadow perched, watching. "Why do you call me 'Sui' all the time?"
"Why? Don't you like it?" she half turned back, smiling teasingly, as the shadow catapulted itself into the air. Yanagi pricked, her head shooting back as he eyes flew upwards, locking onto the shadow that was heading right for them. A small smile grew on her face.
"You said you wanted to know what my powers were, right Sui? Well stand back and watch." Suichi, never taking his eyes from the shadow soaring above them, stumbled backwards until he was pressed against the alleyway wall. Yanagi raised both arms, palms aimed towards the falling demon, which had now drawn a long dagger from the folds of his fluttering clothes. A faint pinkish glow began to surround the demon and Yanagi's smile widened.
"Assai Juuryoku!" Yanagi cried, simultaneously curling her hands into fists. The pink glow intensified and the demon instantly hit the ground with such force he cracked the pavement and created a small crater outlining his form. Yanagi smirked at her handiwork. The demon was dead, the impact having sent his dagger strait through him, hilt first no less.
Suichi stared in wide-eyed silence, leaning against the wall for support. That had been amazing…and he would have appreciated it even more if he had the faintest idea of what exactly had just happened. "W-what…?" he managed after several moments of dazed staring.
"My 'crushing gravity' attack. Pretty cool huh?" Yanagi smirked.
"So…so your power is…?" he trailed off, raising his gaze to stare at her. Her smirk grew into a wide smile.
"Yup, gravity. I can increase or decrease the gravitational field given off by any object, living or not, at any time. In this case, I increased the earth's gravitational pull on the youkai. Neat huh?" she glanced down again at the fallen figure beside her. Suichi just blinked, utterly speechless. He'd expected death rays shot from the eyes or super strength or something. Power over something as universal as gravity seemed so…convenient. He lost himself for a moment, imagining all the different things you could do with that power.
"Wow…" he breathed after a moment, shaking his head faintly and smiling slightly to himself. "I guess I'm gonna have to start paying more attention in science class from now on if I want to fully understand your power, huh?" Yanagi giggled and was about to reply, when something over his should caught her attention and she immediately straitened, something akin to rage shinning in her eyes.
"What?" he asked in confusion, turning to try and find what she was glaring at. There. Across the street in another alley he could see two figures. One was on the ground and the other was bending over the first. "Yanagi—?"
"Hiru," she growled, narrowing her eyes and starting towards the two figures.
"Hiru?" Suichi wondered aloud as he followed her. Hiru was that purple haired demon who had possessed Yanagi, wasn't he? Suichi would have though he would be miles away by now. He seemed so…well, scared when he had left Yanagi's body.
"Hiru!" Yanagi yelled when they were halfway across the street. The figure froze and looked up. Suichi gasped. It was Hiru. He was bent over the body of another demon that had a nasty gash in its neck. Hiru's entire lower face was covered in blood. What was he, a vampire!
His eyes fell on Yanagi and he seemed to panic. Dropping the body, he turned to run, but Yanagi only calmly raised her hand. Hiru was enveloped in a pink glow and when Yanagi curled her hand into a fist, he fell forward and remained face down, sped-eagle on the ground.
"Hiru you scum! You didn't think I'd just let you go, did you!" Yanagi cried as she moved to stand in front of him, Suichi lingering out of the trapped demon's limited view.
"Omosa," Hiru half-whined, moving his blue eyes upwards as high as he could and yet still unable to see Yanagi's face due to the odd angle his head was being held immobile at. "Let me up, Omosa. You were going to kill that demon anyway. I haven't had a bite to eat in seven years. Your life energy kept alive, yes, but it was like getting nutrients through an IV. No satisfaction to it at all!"
"That's not why I stopped you and you damn well know that!" Yanagi screamed, her face flushing with the force of her anger. "You possessed me, Hiru! You stole my life! You can't honestly think I'm just gonna let you go without a little retribution, do you!"
"Yanagi, what is he?" Suichi asked timidly. She seemed to calm slightly, straitening and taking a deep breath. Hiru's blue eyes shot to the side, trying to see Suichi, but in vain.
"He's a leech demon," Yanagi said, sounding utterly disgusted. "He lives of the blood of other youkai, or the life energy of someone he's controlling, and is pathetically weak. His only real power is that he can possess others and boost their powers."
"Now Omosa," Hiru turned his attention back to Yanagi, giving up on his search for Suichi. "Is that anyway to talk about someone who shared a body with you for seven years? I know more about you then anyone else, I would think that would mean something to you." Yanagi's glare returned full force and she whipped her attention back to Hiru.
"You sleazy, worthless, miscreant son of a—" Yanagi's spat venomously.
"If you're through," a voice interrupted, making them all look up, excluding Hiru. Koenma stood smiling at the end of the alley, a young red haired girl standing slightly behind him and clutching what looked like a wooden boat oar. "I think he might be of use to us."
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Sorry to just leave it there, but that's the way it goes. I'll get back to this as soon as I'm back from vacation. See you all in two and a half weeks. n.n
Interview with a Demon
Yanagi Omosa
Originally, the names were switched and everyone was going to call her Omosa but when I started to write it, Yanagi just sounded better. Omosa, her first name, means heavy, which as you now know corresponds with her power. Yanagi means willow. I used this name because it seemed innocent and that's really what Yanagi is, an innocent that's been corrupted and deals with it as best she can. Her personality is…strange. When she was being controlled, she was literally a drooling zombie. Therefore, I wanted her true personality to be as much of an opposite of that as possible. Her emotions are quick to change and she's tends to crack jokes and poke fun at people whenever possible, being almost painfully social. She hides a lot too, and only reveals bits and peaces at a time. Suichi is the member of the group she's closest to, although she gets along well with all of them (or she does eventually anyway). A parting note about her appearance. The pink hair thing doesn't have any correlation with Genkai, I didn't even think about that when I picked her hair color. I just wanted to give her gold eyes and couldn't decide what color hair would go good with that. After seeing an episode of flcl (Fooly Kooly), however, I was convinced that pink was the right way to go. It adds to her flamboyant personality as well.
Teaser for next episode
(Yanagi speaking) Is Koenma nuts! Me, work with Hiru! I won't! I absolutely won't do it! But Koenma seems insistent…what does he want the leech for anyway? He says he's putting together some team and he thinks Hiru would make a good addition. Ha! He really thinks Hiru is trustworthy! He's even more of an idiot then I thought. Although the redhead he brought along is nice. I wonder what she's doing hanging out with him. Oh well, if you want to figure out what's going on in that stupid ex-prince head of his, join us next time on Yu Yu Hakusho: Kanzen na Maru. When all things come full circle, who will enter the pattern and will they be strong enough to keep the balance?