Disclaimer: I'M GETTING BACK MY INSPIRATION! THERE WILL FINALLY BE MORE THAN JUST BACK-AND-FORTH TALKING! GO ME! Anyway, don't own YYH and Katrina Kon is a fictional character.

And this is one of my finest chapters in this story, if I do say so myself. I think you will all like the humor, excuse the bragging. I'll only say this---I hope you haven't forgotten about the (see title)!

Also, this chapter has been revised, on account of the fact that it "wasn't really Hiei" so hope you like the very shlight change!

Chapter 47: Return of the Rabid Clam

My Blunt Opinion:

I don't think they believe me. In fact, I'm sure that they don't. I told them about my dream, but I don't think they really took my word for it. For one thing, Kurama nodded at all of the wrong times, and when I asked him a question, like "What do you think about..." or something, he would answer with 'no'. And when I started on Genkai getting her butt kicked by a paddle that was actually Botan, he turned around and left.

The same held true for almost everyone else. The only ones with varied reactions were Mie and Hiei. This was how it went.

"Hiei, …………………………..so what do you think?"

"You should talk to Shizuru Kuwabara. She has visions too. She saw the Dark Tournament. But, do you really think that is at all plausible? Most premonitions stick to the fact, if you catch my drift."

Thanks for being such a trusting friend!

And as for Mie's reaction, well… "Um, I seriously think it's a bunch of crap, but if you think it's not, you should go to Shizuru Kuwabara. She can help you find your brain again."

Another award for being encouraging. 'Bunch of crap' my butt! Where was she when the bus to Imaginaion took off?

Anyway, that all is obviously is pointing me in the right direction, but Shizzy? You gotta be kidding.

So that is why I am regretfully calling her on the Commir. I have no one else to turn to. She responds, naturally, with a small blip of the Commir, just because I was so hoping she wouldn't. Evil brown eyes stare at me. She holds a cigarette. She takes a long drag. Damn, does she want lung cancer?

"Yeah?…Oh, it's you." She says, and wrinkles her nose as she sees me. It looks like she hasn't washed her brown hair for a while. I make the same face as her. Whenever I see her, I'll always remember that she was the one who threw me into Keiko. I don't care if her 'boyfriend' died! Sakyo was an evil loon who killed himself, and Shizzy only met him for about three seconds! But in a way, I owe her for my friendship with Keiko, but this still changes nothing. Also, Keiko said my power flash comfirmed to the gang that I was the one they needed. However, it makes no difference between Shizzy and I. She still tried to kill me, or at least hurt me enough to send me to a hospital. If my power, a blue flash, hadn't kicked in at the last second as a cushion of sorts, I would have fractured Keiko's ribcage! And probably her arm...leg...

I realize she's waiting and smoking out her ears as well as her mouth.

"Yeah, it's me." I say.

"Why are you calling me? Don't tie up my line! I'm expecting a call from my brother." She says bluntly. "How important is this?"

Weird. "Who, Kuwabara?"

"He has a name, moron. Kazuma."

Well well. I always thought Kuwabara was his regular name, but then, why would she be called Shizuru Kuwabara, really? Dumb of me for never realizing it! "Okay then. Are you expecting a call from Kazuma?"

"Who else?" She asks with a bite of impatience in her voice.

Mie pops up out of nowhere to my right. "Who ya talking to? You're sounding kinda mean."

"Shizuru. This is us being nice to each other. Shoo." Mie stalks off angrily. "So, Shizzy," she bristles understandably. "Number one. Your brother has been captured and will be eaten soon by Sensu himself. Number two…"

"Kazuma got captured?" She sounds incredulous. I hate her…hate her voice, poisoned by alcohol…her unwashed hair…

"Yes, moron. Number two is the reason I called. I had a premonition of Genkai and Botan."

"Why? Aren't they with you guys?"

HATE HER, THE STUPID FREAK! "Look, to put it into your terms, they got lost and never got found. Understand?"

She speaks in what is undoubtedly a high imitation of my voice. "Firstly, stop insulting me. Secondly, you're on your own."

"Really? Why?"

"Cause you can't even stay civil long enough to be as calm as the brain of molasses."

OKAY, RANDOM! WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM? IS SHE SERIOUSLY ALWAYS LIKE THIS? "FYI, molasses doesn't have a brain!"

"And neither do you."

"Oh really? Look who's talking." I say.

"You."

"No, you."

"You."

"You."

"You."

This has to end. "Look, can you just tell me if what I saw really happened or not? It's not hard, or at least, for most people."

She glares, baring her teeth. They very face of Satan on a crack high. "I dunno, it wasn't my vision. And you're not exactly telling me what you saw. You're too busy being a freaking asshole bitch."

Just as I'm about to say something, she switches off. I'm speechless.

And she thinks I'm a bitch!

Kurama comes over out of nowhere, much like Mie. "What's she saying?"

"Nothing useful. She switched off before I could tell her."

"Ah, I see. Had a little fight?"

I glare at him.

He holds up his hands. "All right, all right, you're not two years old after all. What's wrong?"

"Everything. I wish I was dead."

"Why?"

"Cause everything's wrong!"

"What's wrong? Specifically?"

I glare. "My life."

He shakes his head at me, the very image of a disappointed parent. "Katrina...grow up." He walks away.

Can someone tell me why my life is a living hell?

And why my brother is playing Daddy? I already have a daddy! He just couldn't care less about me! And I'm supposed to rescue him! I HATE LIFE!

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It's just so tiring all of the time. With Kurama and Mie not talking to me, I am really quite stuck with no one but my own twisted painful emotions. I'm sick of this. No one is making any moves. It is night, and instead of sleeping, I am curled up in a big confused lump, thinking to myself.

I am silently kicking myself for not defending Kurama when he suggested we break in. Then, I might be out of this putrid air and at least into shelter, even if it is the enemy's quarters. I am ready to die. As I doze off, my mind creates a white orb on one shoulder and a black orb on the other. This is my current state of mind. My brain is too tired even to hallucinate real human devil and angel.

Why not? What is undoubtedly the devil orb whispers. Why not just go to the tower myself?I have nothing to lose but my pathetic life, but my rewards…living father, clean spirit world, getting back home, seeing Mom again…endless possibilities. Why not?

Angel: But if I die, then everyone will be crushed, at least by Kurama's story. Didn't he say I was the only hope, and that I couldn't die no matter what? And what if it fails? Then who'll save Dad? The Spirit World will be completely annihilated!

Devil: Oh come on. I'm at least as powerful as Sensu.

Angel: But am I? I'm only an upper B class...and even that I don't know for sure...

Devil: I can win!

Angel: No…I can't.

Devil: Yes, I can, how hard can it be? Not difficult at all.

I can't take it. The devil has won. Coming back to Earth, I slip my robe over my head tiredly, stand up, shake the crick out of my neck, and quietly slink away from the campsite. If no one else will care, then I will. I will not wait for everyone to come out of this depression. By then, my father will be dead. I'm already becoming morbid. I hate my dad, but not enough to want him dead! This is my flesh and blood in question here!

But who to take with me? I can't go alone!

Forget Kurama. He's probably still mad at me for snubbing him. And Mie, well, her moods and powers are so random and generally insignificant that she wouldn't provide much helpful support at all. This coupled with the fact that she's also probably still mad at me and generally a bitch as it is. Hiei, well, I don't want him along very much, with our tangled relationship and his unpredictable personality shifts; Jin's just out there and too spacey and he sees me as a romantic dolly, so forget it; and Touya's a jerk, so NO. I really don't have anyone after all. I knew I couldn't count on them all along. Somewhere deep down, I knew. I was just too stupid to realize it.

I slip away from the site, slightly nervous. My minor fear of the dark really doesn't pose much of a threat, but if I get scared, I go into panic real easy if it's night. It's very weird. The fog is much thinner up in the higher air, and you can tell that it's nighttime or day.

I walk past Hiei last, and watch him for a second. He's snoring particularly softly tonight, almost the opposite on the train (come to think about it, why has he been generally quiet these past few nights?), but that's the least of my worries. I'm about to get killed or at least die of fear of the dark, and I don't find either prospect very inviting. Lucky Hiei. Nothing on his mind except trying to hide an all-around bad attitude.

I walk out into the deserted street, holding the hood of my robe over my face, and move in the general direction of the big guy's fort. I still remember from last time. This is it. My moment of truth, if you will. All alone. No one to do it for me. I have to get Lahri, Dad, Kuwabara, and Yusuke while killing Sensu and all of his immensely powerful demon thugs. It's impossible. I'm not smart enough to pull it off, but I am dumb enough to try. I guess I really do have a streak of Yusuke inside after all. Not enough to become a Spirit Detective, though.

All alone…

"Where are you going?" Says a low voice, scaring me out of my hide.

I start to emit a high squeal, but horrifiedly clap a hand over my mouth. I recognize that pointy head…what was that I said about being alone?

"Hiei, what the hell are you doing here?" I ask angrily. That's why he was quiet, damn it! He's been keeping watch all these nights in case of this. Why didn't I see it before? He's never actually slept since he got here! That's why he's been so depressed. All of them! They aren't sleeping!

God, I am the biggest retard I know.

I think I can make out a smirk in the darkness. "Just wondering why you were running away in the dead of night."

"RUNNING AWAY? Moi? I, for your information, am about to kick some A-class demon butt. I was the only one who would."

"Fighting SENSU on your own? Pft. Seriously, why are you running away?" I hate the accusation in his voice.

I frown. "And what is so strange about me fighting Sensu?"

"He's just…well, fighting isn't your style. You do better in a group. Why didn't you ask Kurama or me? To help?"

"Kurama, well, me and him got a little pissed off at each other, and as for you, well, you are so moody that I think you'd kill me or I'd kill you."

The smirk fades quickly. "What are you talking about?"

I revel in his confusion. "Well, I just wanted to say that I really wanted to do this alone."

"No, no. I see why."

"See what?" Sweet confusion. It gives you such a high!

"I'm annoying."

"What?"

"I'm just a pain."

"What?"

"I'm just a pain! Unclog your ears!"

"...No you're not! Where did that come from?"

"That is not what you just said?"

"No! Well, I did say that I wanted to do this alone."

"Before that."

"I said that you would probably kill me." I realize what I just said too late. Doesn't Hiei have that really strict honor code about never killing your teammates?

Uh-oh...

I see the flurry of his cloak, and grab it instinctively. "Hiei..."

"No, princess. Go fight him. I'm not stopping you."

"I'm sorry..." Hah. Yeah right. But I am good at puppy-dogging.

"No need. Why should you be sorry?"

"HIEI!"

"What?" He stops. That curt, cold tone. I hate it.

"Okay, look, I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"Really? Then what did you mean?"

"I-I meant…" Dammit, lying and looking legitimate at the same time is soooo hard. Thank God it's dark. "I meant I feel as though it's my legacy. I didn't want to put you in danger or anything like that." I let the rest of the words tumble out in a rush. Okay, so that idea just came to me now, but it's better than making a new all powerful enemy. The real reason was that I thought he'd really just annoy me to all hell, and then get us captured. Exactly what I said before. Only, slightly more blunt and shallow.

The smirk is back. "Put me in danger." It's a statement rather than a question, as if to prove how preposterous it is.

"Uh, yeah."

"I appreciate your concern somewhat, but I am afraid I really don't need looking after. Upper B class demons generally don't."

Why is he acting so arrogant? "I know, but you just act really rashly. You could get your soul taken, and I know it's happened before. Genkai told me that it was because you didn't listen to Kurama in the House of Evil Dimensions or whatever."

"The hag thinks she knows me."

"She knows you better than you think."

"Really? Like how?"

"Um, well, I shouldn't be telling you this, but I know she knows…" I start to whisper.

His eyes widen in stunned disbelief. "How the fuck did she find that out?"

"I dunno. You have any chats with her before?"

"Never. I try to put plenty of space between her and I always."

"I dunno then. Maybe Mie said something."

"Mie?" He looks confused. "I never talk to that baloney brained idiot. I have seriously never met someone who shadowed me quite as much as her."

"C'mon, open your eyes! She's harboring a massive crush on you. She's probably done research on you. Lots and lots of research. That's why she followed you."

"She is…oh yeah, she is. That time, when you were standing on the trash and---" I hear him cut off awkwardly. I say nothing.

Silence.

I say, "I notice you're talking to me again. You sorta clammed up before."

"I decided not to be so immature as to get upset over what you did that day."

"Wait. Hold it. What I did?"

"Yes, you kissed me, right?"

"What?...You kissed me!"

"I did not. That was how I found out you liked me."

"I DID NOT KISS YOU! You kissed me! I'm sure of it! I didn't know if I liked you back then, and that was how I-I-I found out, not you!"

"Then do you like me? That statement kind of implies that you do."

"I dunno. Do you like me?"

He avoids the question. "I think you like me, as you kissed me."

"I DID NOT KISS YOU! YOU pried open MY shell! I was just an innocent clam, minding my own business, when all of a sudden, you think it would be funny to just look at the inner me! How could you expect me to like you? I should have bitten your ear off, like all those painful years ago!"

"…What the hell are you talking about? What oyster?"

"Clam, you retard, CLAM!"

"Um, Katrina..."

"Nothing. It all comes back to the beach one day, and a clam tried to kill me because I looked at it's little body. It's only now that I realized how wrong I was."

"Oh, because you found at that maybe I don't like to be kissed?"

"NO! YOU QUITE ENJOYED IT! YOU MUST HAVE, AS YOU INITIATED IT!"

"You're insane. How can you compare me to a clam, of all things? Did I try to kill you that day?"

"No! You just pried open my shell! That was very rude!"

"Jeez, all right, all right, I'll leave your shell alone. But I didn't pry it open that day, because I don't know where it is! Where is your shell, while we're on the subject?"

"I don't know! Apparently, it's on my face, because by touching it, you shattered it! Stupid Acid-Lips!"

"Where on your face?"

"Where do you think?"

"Your lips?"

"Someone is a real rocket scientist here. My God, you might even get into kindergarten one day! You get to color between the lines!" I say in mock excitement.

"Yup." He leans over across from me and kisses me again in that spot.

This time I shove him away in a fraction of a second, my face burning. He looks very indifferent. "What?" He asks, as though he's commenting on the weather.

Steam shoots out of my ears, blowing up my hair. "WHAT! WHAT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT! WHY DID YOU DO THAT? WHY ARE YOU SO FREAKING OUT OF CHARACTER IN THIS FANFIC?"

"Number one, I wanted to see what would happen. Number two, it is so unbelievably fun to break people's shells, as you put it. And number three," he turns kind of red, "You're one of my greatest friends."

I am silent. "If you only like me as a best friend, you shouldn't do that!"

"Whatever. And will you keep your voice down? Oh, and number four, I wanted to get even."

What's he talking about, keep my voice down? Demons are supposed to yell! "EVEN? DID I HEAR RIGHT?"

"Yes, now we both kissed the other one, right? We're even."

"NO, YOU KISSED ME TWICE NOW!"

"No, you one, me one."

"NOOOOOOOO! YOU HAVE IT ALL WRONG!"

"You wish, ningen."

I clamp my hands over my mouth, and yell through them, even though he can't really understand me.

"YOU ARE SUCH A STUPID, SICK PIG..." I pause to get a reaction.

But...

Hiei only smiles, and it shuts me up. I can tell that I'm just wasting my time. Breaking his obstinacy is like trying to break through a brick wall...with a killer clam...shell...

I break it. "Well, bye. I'm going to die a very painful death in the castle now."

"Alone?"

"I guess. I don't suppose liars like to risk their lives."

"They do now. I won't have you screw it all up."

"I know how to interpret your hidden meanings, now. They're useless." I smother a laugh. He is the weirdest person. "Hiei, really, just admit that you don't want me killed."

He shrugs haughtily. "Well, not yet, anyway. If you kiss me a third time, I'll do it myself."

"WHAT THE FUCK---YOU KISSED ME TWICE! YOU KISSED ME TWICE! YOU KISSED ME TWICE! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT? YOU, 2, ME, 0! GOT IT, PUNK? ZEROZEROZREOZEROZEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" And so it goes on. He ignores me, but doesn't leave. Andif I wasn't sopreoccupied with screaming at him, I would thank him otherwise.

And so we march up to the Palace of Certain and Utter Death, my mouth still going like a trumpet.

Hey, I'm doomed. No one's denying it.

But at least I'm doomed with a friend.

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A/N -This is a newly added kiss scene, once again, tried not to make it too sloppy, but don't expect too many more of these, I just do not excel at them. I actually added in the whole clam escapade because RebelWriter put it down as one of her favorite quotes, so I thought I couldn't just leave it there! Thank you RW! I never would have thought of adding it in again if you had not said something! And thank you soccerchic91588, RoseMaiden, Silent Storm 2000 (LOVE YOUR NAME), Black Wolf Jaganshi Lover, EHL,and anyone else who reviewed. I'm sorry to anyone who hates me for not doing reviewer thanks formally, but that just takes so much time. Maybe later. (yawns) Review! Anyhow, anyone I forgot, I am sorry!