Okay people I'm really sorry about the long wait, again. Yes, I know I'm stupid. I was lost and confused with the story. (These things don't come with road maps.) I hadn't really planned it very much up until now, so when I realized I was going to have to put in an actual plot I sort of panicked. (It was a calm panic, okay, so I didn't panic. I was however, slightly worried.) But I figured it out…. Mostly. Well bear with me, from here on it's either going to get fairly decent or stink like leftover meatloaf that was fed to the dog, thrown up by the dog, and has been rotting in a New York garbage dump for three weeks. So hold on to your seats folks, this could get ugly.
After Genkai's training Alyssa dropped face first on the bed. Her brown ponytail was drenched with sweat and flopped heavily on her back. After the warm up exercises it had gotten difficult, strenuous, and often painful. She wasn't very good, or even mediocre. If truth be told she was kind of awful. It was getting harder to believe that she had ever been a demon. So what if they existed, and so what if they sometimes took human bodies, that didn't mean that she was one.
At that moment she didn't want to think about anything, she didn't want to move, and she definitely didn't want to think about moving. Eventually of course she had to. Since she was lying face down in the pillow it was difficult to breathe so she rolled over on her back.
Alyssa fought back a scream as she came face to face with a young blue haired girl staring down at her.
"Good afternoon!" Said the girl in a sing song voice, "I wasn't sure if you'd died or not. It'd have been a terrible shame if you did. I really hate having to take people who've died in accidents to the Spirit World. Those people are almost always hysterical."
"WA!" Questioned Alyssa sleepily. It loosely translated from I'm-way-to-tired-to-be-speaking-ish to, "What the hell is this psycho doing in my room!"
"Oh! We haven't met yet, I'm Botan. I believe in your culture you'd call me the Grim Reaper."
"But doesn't that mean I'm dead!" Didn't she just say that she wasn't dead, but if she wasn't dead why was the Grim Reaper standing by her bedside?
"No silly. I'm not here to take your soul; I'm here to teach you Japanese." Yes, of course. Why should the Grim Reaper not be teaching her Japanese! After all she'd just had a history lesson from a demon fox. This was all too surreal for words.
Luckily for Alyssa she didn't have to leave her bed for this lesson. With the help of flash cards Botan began teaching her basic Japanese words. Alyssa was much better at this then at martial arts, though her American accent was gratingly obvious.
This was how her days went for the next two weeks. Training with Genkai all morning then Japanese lessons with Botan for a few hours in the afternoon. (She'd also found the bathroom and kitchen, so she was able to take care of herself.) Sometimes Yusuke stopped by to train also. Sometimes Kuwabara came with him. Though she found them both to be rather silly to talk to she was amazed by both of their abilities. Especially when they showed her their spirit techniques. Alyssa had been aghast with wonder. She'd heard about people controlling their ki on television and bits about it here, but she hadn't known that it would actually be visible.
It was obvious that Yusuke was the best, and he often teased Alyssa when she was doing especially poorly. A lot of times she felt like she was going to start crying, like she had when people had teased her in gym class, but something was different now. Maybe because she knew somewhere that she could do this, had done this before. Maybe it was because she was actually beginning to enjoy learning how to fight. It was often repetitive, but it gave her a sense of power that she'd rarely experienced before.
After her Japanese lessons Alyssa had the evenings to herself. She spent most of this time in her room reading her psychology book. Other then that she was in the kitchen trying to make the simplest meals she could. Her cooking talents were far from exemplary and she didn't want to have to explain to Genkai why her house had been reduced to a small pile of charcoal. She wondered where Genkai ate, but soon learned that where she ate and slept was a guest wing and Genkai actually lived at the other end of the building. After a few day Botan realized Alyssa had yet to go outside and informed her that she could go out as long as she had an escort and didn't stray to far. Some of Yomi's minions might be out looking for her, and while she was safe at Genkai's anywhere else would be dangerous. At first she had thought this might be kind of fun, like being royalty, or a pop star with a bodyguard. Then she found out who her escort would have to be. Since everyone else was busy with work, or homework, or goofing off the only one left was Hiei.
Alyssa was sure that Hiei was the most frightening individual she had ever met. It wasn't how he looked, she'd known a lot of nice people who dressed all in black, and he was even a few inches shorter then her. It was the way he glared at her, everyone else, and most inanimate objects, including potted plants. A look that said "STAY AWAY" in big red, bold letters with "I hate you" written neatly underneath. She tried to avoid him as much as possible. However she did not succeed.
After a week of intense training and lessons she was beginning to get the hang of both her subjects. She'd moved up to actually sparring occasionally, and she wasn't as awkward as before. In Japanese she could hold brief conversations and was beginning to learn to read. She should have been happy, but there was one problem, she had finished her book, which left her with absolutely nothing to do. She thought about asking Genkai for a book, but then realized she wouldn't have anything in English. Alyssa spent her first bookless evening trying to think of what to do and mourning the loss of all the cheap paperback novels left behind at her house.
She probably would have spent all her evenings like this if Botan had not unknowingly interfered with Alyssa's fate. This change in her destiny was brought about by seven simple words, "Did you know you're out of milk?"
"What?" Alyssa had been concentrating on translating a particularly difficult passage and was snapped back into reality.
"Milk," Replied her tutor, "You're out of it. You should go get some with Hiei. There's a convenience store across the street and some money in a packet on the pantry."
She'd noticed the packet before and guessed it's purpose but had hoped she wouldn't be here long enough to need it. She really did not want to have to ask Hiei if he'd come with her, or talk to him at all for that matter.
"Umm… Botan, do you think maybe you'd come with me. If it isn't any problem I mean," Actually she hated asking favors from anyone. It always felt like she was asking more then she deserved. In this case that might have been true.
Botan was confused, "I'm sorry I really can't, I have work to do." Alyssa felt a chill as she thought of what Botan's "work" was. "Why did you have a fight with Hiei?" She joked.
"No," Alyssa replied, "Actually I haven't really talked to him at all yet."
"You mean to tell me you haven't been outside at all yet!"
Alyssa shook her head.
"But, why! I mean I know Hiei can be a bit scary but he's not that bad…" Her voice trailed off a bit as a list of Hiei's Most Evil Moments went through her mind. It was rather long.
"That's it, he's….. scary." It sounded so childish now that she said it, "I know it's stupid. I'm sorry for troubling you."
"No, no. You've been through a lot lately." The spirit guide said soothingly, "But you're going to have to overcome this. If you can't even speak to Hiei you won't be able to fight any type of demon. Now come on." Botan marched Alyssa to Hiei's post by the front door.
When the two girls came along Hiei seemed to be in a staring contest with a cat. Only the gods know how long it could have been or who would have won if Alyssa hadn't interrupted it. Prodded from behind by Botan she went up to the fire demon, "Excuse me, I'm sorry but could you please….. GotothestorewithmebecauseIneedtobuysomemilkandIcan'tgoalonesoIneedyoutogowithme." She blushed and took a deep breath before managing to squeak out a small "Please."
"Hn." Hiei gave her a look that seemed to pierce right through her and said, "All right. Just try to remember to breathe. It would be annoying to have to drag back a dead body just because you forget."
Alyssa gave an audible sigh of relief maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe he was kind of a jerk, but he was a lot less scary when he talked. It made him seem more like a person and less like some evil enigma. Maybe he'd even end up being friendly, though it seemed unlikely she would remain optimistic.
If you, like me, are a helpless book addict you probably sympathized with Alyssa this chapter. Oh the pain of having nothing to read. It's like….. Painful. Boredom may not take your life, but it can take your sanity. Anyway I'm sorry again for takingso long. I hope I haven't lost my four readers. Stay with me please. I'm also sorry I didn't add anything to the real plot. There will be one, I promise. I just wanted Alyssa to meet everyone and to explain some simple stuff first. Hope you liked it, I'm trying my best. (Sad, isn't it?)