Chapter 10: A New Side

Criss remained at a distance from everyone else. No one knew exactly where she went between classes and after classes, but she always returned late at night. Jun asked her multiple times where she went. However, all she did was smile sadly and shake her head.

Jun refused to speak on the day she had pushed Kurama forcefully into his dorm room, and did nothing to explain her actions that day. In fact, her chaste kisses in the hall and him denying her had become almost a routine.

About a week after Kurama's friends left, he and JD began training when all their classes were over. Usually, this was at three o'clock. They'd come back for dinner and then return to training. Kurama showed JD several martial arts moves that he had learned in all his long years. It wasn't until about three weeks into their physical training that they began spiritual endurance training.

It's a widely known fact that you cannot make your spirit any stronger than it already is while you are in your body. However, it is possible to stretch your body to allow for more of your spiritual energy to come in contact with your physical strength. Kurama had yet to show JD any of his more specific spiritual moves.

As autumn began to fall away, the four sank into the usual rut of college life. Criss had become withdrawn and quiet. She still vanished for hours on end, although she always showed up when they were studying together for mutual classes. Jun had finally given up asking her where she went. Kurama sometimes went to the roof in hopes that she would be there, unable to fall asleep again.

But she never was.

As they finished the last few classes before fall break in October, she was vanishing less and less. However, she was also getting back to the dorms later and later, and they could tell she wasn't getting even near her normal four or five hours of sleep. The dark circles under her eyes were enough evidence of that. Kurama waited outside of Criss's last class of the last day to confront her.

Students streamed out of the classroom, most jabbering on how hard the Intro to Bio test had been. Criss didn't come out. Kurama poked his head into the room and saw that she was still in her seat. She beckoned him into the room. Even the professor had already left the room.

"Shut the door," she said. "This room is soundproof."

Kurama obeyed, a little uneasy by her tone. It was soft, calm, quiet. Nothing at all like her normal voice, the one she used when she spoke to other people. Not really loud, but just a notch above normal conversational tones. Enough that normal humans could tell the difference, anyway. It made her seem full of confidence.

Now, all she seemed was lost and afraid.

"Criss, what's wrong?" Kurama asked. "You've been so distant since that night." He didn't have to mention which one, because she nodded to show she knew it was so. "We don't know where you are half the time. It's not our business, but we would like to know. We're your friends and we care about you."

Never thought we'd say that, eh, Youko?

Not since Kuronue.

Shuichi didn't answer.

"I've been training," Criss said, standing up from the little fold-up seat. "I needed to do some on my own. I haven't trained physically in two years. I've barely moved in two years."

That's when Kurama noticed it. It had happened so gradually that no one had seemed to notice. Criss's former pudge had vanished. The little stomach she'd had was gone. Her face was still rounded, but more heart-shaped now than anything. The other chin she'd sported at the start of the year was gone. A small grin spread across her face, revealing the gap between her two front teeth.

"I know I've deceived you all, but I didn't want any help with this. I never gave you a straight answer to your question."

Kurama nodded, uncertain.

"I will join your team of Spirit Detectives. If you'll still have me, that is."

He smiled. "Of course. You can come and train with JD and I over fall break. We're going to Japan. Botan's picking us up."

Criss stared at him. Slowly, as she spoke, she descended the steps toward him.

"J-Japan? You're not just pulling my leg? Seriously? We're going to Japan?" The hopeful tone in her voice was enough to make him laugh, but he didn't. He just gave a little nod and smiled again.

She jumped off the last step and hugged him as tight as she could. "Thank you!"

Criss let go almost a nanosecond later. "Sorry."

"That's what friends are for," he said. "You had better go pack for the week. We're leaving in three hours."

Completely serious now, she nodded and walked away with her book bag. However, just as the door was shutting, he heard her squeal in absolute delight. A smile touched his lips as he strolled back toward the dorms himself. He still needed to help JD pack.

…

Three hours later, they met on the roof of the dorms, where Botan could open a portal and not be seen by any onlookers below. Kurama and Criss had made sure that they couldn't see JD jumping atop the center five feet square. The two climbed the stairs again to await the bouncy Grim Reaper.

"I still can't believe that happy-go-lucky chick is the Grim Reaper, the head Grim Reaper at that," Criss said as they waited. "She's just so…so…"

"Happy-go-lucky?" JD put in dryly. "We've noticed."

"Believe me, she isn't always," Kurama said. "Botan is an interesting person, to say the least."

When said person popped out of a sudden black hole seated on an oar, Criss definitely could find no way to argue with that point. Botan ushered them quickly through the hole and out into a small office. Even if Botan was a carefree person, she did know when to be serious and when to not be careless. There is a difference, if ever so slight, between a carefree person and a careless person.

The minute they were through, however, she broke out in a broad grin and welcome the trio with broken English and Japanese.

"Welcome, minnachan! Koenma-sama, daijoubu?"

JD may not have understood Japanese, but he knew that something was wrong when Botan leaned over the desk in search of something. That something turned out to be Koemna, the tiny toddler-like god prince. Since Criss and he had already spoken once with Koenma over the screen-telephone, they weren't quite as shocked as some people might have been by his appearance.

"Tell the little dude what up for me," JD said, grinning ear to ear. "For the son of an all-powerful, fire and brimstone style god, he ain't too threatenin'."

Kurama was about to repeat (word-for-word, I might add) what JD had said, but Criss leapt forward with a slower but kinder translation. "JD-san wishes to greet the lord Koemna-sama. I humbly repeat."

Koemna was quite pleased to discover someone aside from the bumbling blue ogre and the too-happy blue-haired Grim Reaper that gave him the respect he "deserved". And when it was two someones at once, it was all the better. Well, he didn't know that JD hadn't been all that respectful, but he didn't understand English despite his father's wishes.

So, he obviously was very pompous as he spoke, a tinge of pride in his voice.

"I would like to welcome you to Japan, Nallen Criss. You and your associate will be staying with Genkai during your training."

"Koemna-sama, domo arigatou gozaimasu." Criss bowed, though she was a little upset that Koemna had messed up her name. It sounded like "Naruna Kurisu" from the small god's mouth.

"What'd they say?" JD pleaded with Kurama. Kurama relayed everything that had been said since they'd arrived, to which JD sobered immediately. "Who's Genkai, anyway?"

"A good friend of mine," Kurama answered, still in English. "She is Yusuke's mentor. I will comment that she is a bit rough around the edges, but her training is unlike any other before her. Few have ever rivaled her prior to the Dark Tournament four years ago."

"What's this Dark Tournament?"

"That will take the better part of an evening to explain," Kurama answered, in his calm, smooth voice that attempted to make the concept no big deal. However, Criss knew him better than that now.

"We don't have to start training until tomorrow," she said. "You can tell JD and me about it when we get to your friend's house."

"She doesn't live in a house. She lives in a temple."

Criss's eyes sparkled slightly and a goofy-happy smile spread across her face. "I've always wanted to see a real temple."

Kurama hoped that was the end of her questions about the Dark Tournament. Although it had been years since then, it still left lasting scars on his heart. He'd had to try and explain to his mother about several faint scars on his physical body as well when he returned home. He couldn't exactly tell her that a demon had used spirit bombs to torture him to inches from death.

Botan led the way out of the building and let the three of them down in a secluded alley in northern Tokyo. It would take a ten-minute walk to get near Genkai's temple, but it was the closest they could get without attracting unwanted attention. Kurama explained in low tones.

"There are demons all over Tokyo that are under strict surveillance. Should they detect our energy signatures near a sight like Genkai's temple suddenly, like when we come out of a Spirit World portal, it would be dangerous for us. They are D class or lower usually, but even a B class like me has problems with mobs of them."

"Watch it, Shuichi," Criss grinned. "JD and I are gonna catch up on ya real fast."

"It's not that simple to leap an entire class and then some, Criss," Kurama warned her. "I'm in the upper B class. You've barely gotten into the lower end of the C class. JD is only a few notches above you."

Criss merely smirked. "We'll see."

The minute they walked out of the alleyway, however, Criss was reduced to silence. She couldn't stop looking in every direction possible, drinking in the sights and sounds of the calmer area of Tokyo. Vertical signs, some kanji she recognized and others brand new, peppered the wide sidewalk. There were several cyclists in the road and a few very small cars. The roads weren't nearly as wide as normal U.S. city roads, but they served their purpose well.

That same look as when Kurama mentioned Genkai's temple was on her face. Goofy-happy, but it was more pronounced. Even people who didn't know her smiled at her little innocent curiosity. It was a whole new side of Criss that Kurama had never seen before. She was so happy just to be here. After living here his entire life, it was strange to know that others could be so fascinated by the place.

"Exactly how did you come to be interested in Japan, Criss?"

"Anime," was her simple answer. "I can't help it, I love it. Manga. Video games. Japan's ahead so far in creativity that the Americans might as well stop trying."

"I beg to differ on one point, milady," he said, quite the gentleman.

"What's that?"

"The written word."

Criss had no arguments for him.

…

…

…

Would anyone else have argued with him? I dunno, I think that English has its strengths and Japanese does, too. They rival each other in greatness. So, what'd ya'll think? And why doesn't Jun come with them? I didn't mention it at all, but she has some…unfinished business to attend to.