Disclaimer: Don't own YYH. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 61: NO, THIS IS NOT A FIGHT SCENE!

As I walk down the pathway, I realize what a weakling I am.

No telling why I am thinking this, but suddenly; seeing Mie torture herself; I realize I'm not as strong as her. She can fight the most powerful demon in the world, but I can't. Silently warring with Sensu, all in her mind, too. She was just confused, and so weak, but she can fight him. That takes power.

I catch up to my brother and talk. I need to talk. I'll drive myself crazy otherwise. Living with my brain can be very trying. "Kurama, where are the prisoners? You know, Yusuke---"

"They were in really bad shape. Hadn't been fed at all. They were just delirious with hunger on tiredness, and wouldn't have looked out of place in a mental home. So, we left them with some meat and crackers in a broom closet."

"Is there something special about broom closets that I should know about?"

"Well, Katrina, you started the trend. First yourself, then Hiei. It's your entire fault."

"It is not!"

"Katrina, don't talk so loud!"

I look at him. "May I be so bold as to ask…why?"

"Because you see how it's dark here? This is a fine opportunity to be sneaky. And being quiet really helps to be sneaky."

I'm not sure if Jin does it on purpose or not, but all of a sudden he starts to hum really loudly. I almost laugh.

After about 5 minutes, Touya mutters, "Look, is it just me, or is this taking a long time?"

"Well," says Kurama. "We are going underground."

"We are? Why am I never informed of these things?" I ask.

"You just don't pay attention. Notice how the walk is slanted downhill? Well, duh, that's why. The rooms we are heading for is where they guard the most important prisoner. Our father. Along with Sensu and his queen." He thinks for a moment. "Who do you suppose it is?"

"I don't know." I say. "I mean, could be anyone, right? Probably some ugly old bitch with horns, blue skin, and 10 eyes. Who cares?"

"Somehow, I don't think so. Didn't Mie think it would be tantalizing to make you guess?"

"Yeah. So?"

He rolls his eyes. "She must have thought that you would…oh never mind. I can see you don't get it. Never mind."

"Whatever, works for me. We'll find out pretty soon, right?"

"I don't know. Shall we ask Hiei about his special zippy to get there faster?"

"Special zippy? You're supposed to be the one with the huge vocabulary."

"Would you rather me say we ought to inquire Hiei regarding his idiosyncratic exceedingly eccentric alacrity?" (Basically means his amazing speed)

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Idiosycral ex…ex…what?"

He smirks. "My point exactly. I use small words so as not to confuse my dear little sister." He pokes me in the forehead…hard.

"Ow! You little---"

"Tall." He corrects.

"Shut up and stop staring at me."

"It's pitch black. I can't even see you."

"I can see you staring at me, though! I'm a kitty, remember? And not just any kitty, like a leopard or housecat. A PANTHER! IN YOUR FACE!"

"Yeah, yeah. But did you know that a panther and a leopard are the same species, whereas the panther only has a darker coat?"

"How-how dare you! Where's your proof?"

"Okay then, morph for me, please."

I oblige. I'll show the know-it-all.

"Now look at your paw."

The others have turned around to see. I grin at them sheepishly and mouth: "It's his fault!" Hiei shakes his head, highly annoyed.

"Now, squint very closely."

I do. And OH MY GOD! I HAVE FAINT LEOPARD SPOTS!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…"

"You see the spots now?"

"Um…NO! YOU ARE WRONG! ALLLLLL WROOOOONG!"

"Uh-huh. That's why you are breathing hard and you have just demorphed."

"Don't you dare compare me with a scrawny…flea infested…polka dotted excuse for a cat! All it does is sit in a tree all day on the African savannah and attract flies to every rotting carcass it drags up there! It thinks antelope are toys! And that is just wrong! If you want to eat an animal, you should kill it! Not toy with its death!"

"You know, that's pretty much what panthers do, you know."

"Hah! But they don't live in Africa, now, do they? Gotcha there!"

He looks at me and starts laughing. "Is that truly your best excuse?"

In case you are wondering, this really is not helping my mood. "Yes, beat it, punk!"

He continues to chuckle. "You don't have to be in Africa to lay around in trees all day. Which is exactly what your mortal cousins do."

"Wha---that---you---that is so not true!"

He smirks. I speedwalk suddenly and pull ahead. The jerk! Not letting me win the debate! He and I both know he was bound to win somehow…he could have at least have been a gentleman! (RebelWriter, this is your relationship with Ben).

Then, I get a great idea, and I start to talk to Kurama again. "Did you know that foxes are cousins of dogs?"

"Yes, I did."

"Did you know dogs are distant cousins of cats as well? That means your kind lies in a tree all day too! You're related to me!" I puff out my chest.

"Didn't we know that already? I'm your brother, correct?"

"Uh…"

"Yes, we did. And I, unlike you, do not sit in trees all day. That's your job."

"ME! When have I been sitting in trees?"

"I've seen you many times sitting in the sakura tree in Koenma's garden, just slacking off."

I shrug, giving up on getting mad. It's hopeless. But if you can't beat him, join him! "Kurama, you have got to tell me how you find comebacks to anything!"

"All right. It's all up here." He taps his forehead. "Leave it to the gifted ones, Kat."

OOOH! I take my word back! "I am officially not speaking to you anymore."

"Good. I'll get some long awaited quiet."

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Acting like how? I won't know if you don't tell me clearly, right?"

"Acting like a jerk! Act like Kurama, not this macho punk!"

"This is Kurama. Me."

"No, you just don't get it."

"What are you so mad about?"

"That you won't stop acting like a jerk!"

"Why? This is the older brother version of me. It's about time I acted like an older bro than just an acquaintance."

"But I liked you better the old way!"

"But I like this way just fine. And it's my personality, you know. Not many people know that. Feel privileged."

I emit a frustrated screech and fall back to think of ways to stump him in an argument. I never realized until now how much I like to debate when I'm terrified.

Meanwhile, At Katrina's American Home, We Have Katrina's Mom POV:

Man, it has gotten so quiet around here. Ever since Katrina left, life has been a big bore. There's nothing to do but go on the phone, and even that can't interest me now. Listening to Erin Shaw would drive me insane. Or at least make me even more bored than I am now. It was ridiculous to send her away – I had no idea how lonely I would be.

Daydreaming isn't helping either. I keep thinking she will meet up with her father over there. Ever since my husband Tatewaki had run off, followed by the kidnapping of our son, Suuichi, by his own father, I had been very paranoid, even placing dating restrictions on Katrina. I was just always so terrified that the same thing would happen to her like it had to everyone else in the Kon's seemingly cursed family. What if she ended up with someone who would be as horrible as my first husband or as insane and strange as Tatewaki Kon, my second? It was awful, living in fear all the time, but I did not know what else to do. I can still picture us all so clearly, my son, my husband, me, my newborn daughter, we had such a future. Then, when Tatewaki had run off with my 5-year-old son, all of my life shattered. How dare he take a child that he didn't even father! I was determined to protect my daughter at all costs, and I never got remarried, terrified of the same thing happening all over again.

Damn it, why did I allow her to go? NO, I even pushed her into it! I'm such an idiot. I'm going to live in paranoia the rest of my life, or at least until she comes back. And the horrible thing about Tatewaki is that Katrina still doesn't know what he did; how he destroyed our family. She'll never meet her older brother; Tatewaki probably killed him later. But if she meets him, and he guesses her identity correctly, then there's no telling what will happen. I loved Suuichi, and when he was stolen, I thought I would die, but I got through it because of Katrina, and now my son is just a distant memory. But if Katrina were to pull a Suuichi…

I shudder and I finish putting away the dishes and pick up The Scarlet Letter again, but it is possibly the stupidest book written, and it's also very boring. No one comes to the house anymore. Not Lizzie-Kate Benns or any of Katrina's other friends, or even my friends either. I just haven't been talking to them enough lately. They got tired of it, and stopped talking.

My life has become one huge tedious never-ending cycle of nothing over the last few months. And it all happened because I sent Katrina away. STUPID!

I wipe away a tear in frustration, accidentally scratching myself.

I brush my long hair out of my face.

I need her back.

But wait! Shouldn't the school year be ending soon? I could pick her up early!

I stand up without hesitation. Preparations must be made. I need my passport…and those lovely lace blouses I just bought the other day, some travel snacks…

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A/N Oh what am I talking about; I have to end here. I know, crappy time for a humorous chapter, and I really hope you weren't too disappointed. And just think of the mother's plans: where is Katrina really now? Will her mom find her? Oh, of course not. You think I'd be nice to my characters? It's going to be interesting when Mrs. Kon arrives in Japan…and that's right. Tatewaki Kon is her second husband. So…who was the first?

But next chappie…no fight scene either. I'm sorry.