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continually tells you that it doesn't exist, make certain that you are at
the URL of where the chapter SHOULD be and type ONE PERIOD at the end of
the address and hit enter. It should take you to the page. This trick also
works well on those 'site experiencing overload' pages, but sometimes it
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Disclaimer: I own neither X-men nor Yu Yu Hakusho. I don't know WHO owns them, but it certainly isn't ME.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
"blah." means that the words are in English (unless the section is told from a Japanese-speaker's point of view with only Japanese people talking -- I.e. Kurama, Yuusuke, Hiei, Logan, Genkai, etc.)
~"blah."~ means that the words are in Japanese.
="blah."= indicates words spoken in a Makai dialect.
~:blah.:~ telepathic speech.
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A/N: This will not be a blatantly yaoi or shounen-ai story. In fact, there will be NO romance WHATSOEVER. There will be brother-brother relationships between Yuusuke, Kurama and Hiei, but I suppose that some of you out there could interpret their actions as 'love' if you wanted. It's your call, however you want to view it.
- : - : - Chapter Eleven: Youko Moon - : - : -
The three demons had taken to gathering in Yuusuke's room in the late evening, after curfew --they were forced to keep the lights off in order to prevent any of the professors discovering that 'bed-time' didn't exist for the three newcomers. The night after their 'tests' in the Danger Room, Yuusuke had filled Kurama and Hiei in on the specifics of the mission, and since then, all three of them had been alert for any mention made by the X- men about Kurorashi.
They hadn't had much luck.
The most they had uncovered had been a short conversation that Kurama had overhead between Jean and Scott during breakfast one day, and even then there wasn't much information to be gleaned from the short exchange aside from the fact that the X-men did indeed know about Kurorashi . . . or, as the mutants called him, 'Black Tempest.'
- : - : - Four Days Later: Sunday Night - : - : -
Hiei had long since retired to Kurama's room to sleep when he found the conversation between the fox and the Toushin to be growing dull. Yuusuke had no doubts that the little fire demon was now firmly ensconced in Kurama's windowsill, his sword lying within arms' reach --if not across his lap-- even as he slept.
Within a few minutes of the koorime's exit, conversation between Yuusuke and Kurama had died out completely, and yet the kitsune remained.
Yuusuke was sprawled across the top of his perpetually unmade bed, one arm tucked beneath his chin to keep his head propped upright. Whenever any slight beam of light fell across his face, his pupils glittered greenly, like the eyes of a cat when caught in the glare of a car's headlights.
Kurama had secured the window seat as his own, and now sat there with silver moon- and starlight highlighting his hair, making him resemble nothing so much as his youko self. One hand was cupped slightly before him, small tendrils of green-white twining around his fingers as a slender stalk, topped with a blossom bearing petals of sapphire-blue and garnet-red --which glittered from trace amounts of his youki--, swayed gently in the air above his palm.
Yuusuke sighed, sounding extremely bored. "Kurama, what kinda' plant is that, anyway?"
A small smile flitted across the redhead's face. "Just an average Makai wildflower. It's called Mi'snarii. 'Changing Ways.' "
"No plant from the Makai is ever 'average,' " replied Yuusuke wryly, recalling several run-ins he had had with Kurama's more 'mundane' plant specimens. "What's so special about this one?"
The youko raised his free hand to caress the delicate petals of the blossom. "It is much like those 'mood-rings' that Kuwabara was so enamored with a short while ago. The petals of the Mi'snarii change color according to the emotions and auras of the beings around it. It is truly useful in healing; the petals will turn black if one near it is poisoned or injured gravely."
Yuusuke eyed the flower appraisingly. "So what does blue mean?"
Kurama laughed softly. "Any number of things."
"Like?" prompted Yuusuke.
" . . . peace," Kurama replied at last. " . . . calmness . . . melancholy . . . sadness."
"And red?"
"Impatience or anger . . . sometimes restlessness." There was a strange, distant note in his voice that didn't belong. "For tonight, definitely restlessness."
Yuusuke frowned. Kurama had been acting listless all day long. He had spoken even less than usual . . . he hadn't smiled as much . . .
"Hey, Kurama, you feeling all right?"
The kitsune chuckled, shifting to face Yuusuke fully, giving the Toushin an unrestricted view of glittering, golden eyes and a red mane streaked liberally with silver and gray. Where his ears usually grew, there now were two, malformed triangles of gray fur.
"Oh, man." Yuusuke eyed the half-transformed Youko with realization dawning.
Right. Moonlight . . . It was the first sickle moon of the month . . . and sickle and full moons meant that the youko side of Kurama's personality was given free rein to come out and play.
"I'm lucky," said Kurama, his voice possessing an odd, double-timbre quality, as though both the Youko and Shuichi were speaking at the same time. ". . . sickle moons merely increase the power of my youki. Only on full moons must I fully transform."
"At least I know why you were so out of it today," said Yuusuke. "Even Hiei was giving you odd looks, and that's saying something."
"I have been attempting to hold it back," murmured Kurama. "If I let go, I won't be able to resist going outside. I'm not certain that it's safe to go traipsing around the grounds as the Youko."
"Why not go?" Yuusuke shrugged. "Go out as Youko Kurama . . . or as your fox-form. Even if you don't avoid all the cameras and shit, HIEI looks more like your human form than the Youko does."
That comment earned him a chuckle from the kitsune. "Hmm . . . A good point."
There was a flare of golden youki within the room, and soon Shuichi Minamino had disappeared, only to be replaced the lithe, white-clad form of Youko Kurama.
Yuusuke was glad for Hiei's shields. Without them, the entire place would have felt THAT little trick.
The Mi'snarii flower shriveled and regressed back to its seed form even as the slender, clawed hand of the Youko stored it within his silver mane.
The clever fingers of the fox-thief undid the latch of the window within scant seconds, and as the panes of glass were opened wide, a cool breeze whirled into the room, teasing the Youko's pristine, white tunic and pants into a flurry of rippling cloth and causing his hair and the fur on his tail to shimmer.
"I'll leave the window unlocked for you," said Yuusuke calmly. "No need for you to bowl Hiei over coming in through your window. He'll be cranky enough tomorrow without us helping him along."
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As soon as his feet left the dubious support of the windowsill, the Youko's youki was flaring again. His muscles and bones shifted beneath his skin even as fur sprouted upon every inch of his body. His form rippled like moonlight reflected upon the waves of a windswept pond.
Within less than a human heartbeat, a slender, silver-furred fox landed lightly upon the grass outside of the mansion, five tails swaying gracefully behind him.
The air was cool and fresh, with so many scents borne upon it that it was nearly intoxicating to his newly-enhanced senses. Golden eyes slid closed as he raised his muzzle, inhaling deeply.
The scents of grass and dew were all around, as well as the faint scent of flowers and the earthy scent of brick --from the mansion, obviously. The acrid smell of chlorine from the Institute pool scraped against his nose with a sensation very near to pain.
He sneezed, clearing his nostrils of the unwanted scent.
Humans and their chemicals . . . Pheh.
He sniffed again, more cautiously, searching for any sign of danger.
Birds . . . rodents . . . a snake, but nothing that could harm HIM . . . and . . . a dog?
He inhaled deeply, focusing on the musky scent of the canine, correcting his judgment. Not a dog, but a wolf, a female, and one with an oddly human smell.
Perhaps another mutant peculiarity?
Well, the scent wasn't fresh, in any case. The dog/wolf/human hadn't crossed this area anytime within the past eight hours. It was doubtful that it could be considered a threat.
He moved away from the wall, feeling the energy of all the surrounding plants reaching out to brush against him, welcoming him to their world. Beneath his paws, grass suddenly grew greener, healthier, and clover burst into bloom without warning at his passing.
He had smelled flowers earlier . . . where . . . ?
Ah!
He turned and loped toward the back of the huge house, smelling the sweet scent of blooming plants. The Youko truly enjoyed the company of plants, and flowers were pleasant company indeed.
Even with the odd chemicals that he could smell all around, the garden was in good condition. The flowers grew tall and healthy. The leaves were whole, with no sign of insect damage. The Youko felt a spurt of approval.
He stretched out to brush his muzzle against the blossom of a semi-wilted, creamy white rose, and the plant straightened and bloomed beautifully in response to the touch. Even as he watched, small green buds along the vines quivered and swell in amazing arrays of moon-white petals.
His five tails twitched in satisfaction. That was better.
- : - : - Monday Morning - : - : -
Professor Charles Xavier looked out the window of his office, gazing down upon Scott's convertible as it idled in front of the Institute steps, waiting for the new students to join Scott, Jean, Rogue, Kitty and Kurt for the drive to school . . . It would be quite a squeeze.
However, the psychic's mind was occupied with other things this morning aside from the first day of school for the three new students.
Kitty had come to see him earlier that morning, and the conversation still echoed through his head eerily.
- : - : - Flashback - : - : -
"Professor, I'm telling the truth! I saw this, like, huge dog-thing going across the grounds last night! It made Rahne look like a puppy!"
"Loose dogs are nothing new, Kitty."
"Professor, it was white. All over, just plain white, and I'm pretty sure it had, like, gold eyes!"
"Kitty, are you certain that you aren't overreacting?"
"I swear, Professor, this isn't some prank! I'm not Kurt!"
"I'm well aware of THAT."
"PROFESSOR . . . !"
" . . . What do you suggest that I do?"
"You've got hundreds of cameras around this place! Find out what that . . . that THING was!"
"If it will make you feel better, I'll have Hank review several recordings from last night. It was probably just a stray dog."
"Since when can a stray dog sneak inside HERE? And since when do dogs have, like, FIVE TAILS?"
- : - : - End Flashback - : - : -
Xavier sighed, rubbing at his temple. Kitty was not a girl prone to imagining things. Certainly, she was talkative and a bit flighty, but she was generally a reliable source of information. Had it not been so near time for her to leave for school, Xavier would have viewed her memory of the incident for himself . . .
He'd have to do it when she returned.
But for now . . .
~:Hank?:~
The reply was immediate. ~:Charles?:~
~:Meet me in the surveillance room. Kitty reported something . . . odd.:~
~:I'm on my way.:~
- : - : - To Be Continued . . . - : - : -
A/N: Really UBER short, I know, but I started late. I thought that you'd appreciate a short chapter more than a delayed chapter. NEXT TIME IS SCHOOL!!!
REVIEW RESPONSES FOR THE LAST CHAPTER (From now on, only people who asked important questions or made good points will actually be REPLIED to; others just get thanks at the bottom of the page . . . sorry, folks, but my fingers HURT!):
: CJ-Chan : ^_^; Yep.
: Snowfire : Trust me, I know what it's like to have crappy eyesight. Without my glasses, I literally have to hold a book four inches from my nose to read. It ain't pleasant. Don't mess up your eyes any more than you have to, k?
: Elyndewen Startree : I'm glad that you like it so much . . . How about if I just wrote 'Elly Startree' instead? ^_~
: Animegirl8 : Yeppie-yep-yep! Lots of money's going straight down the drain with the Terrible Trio hanging around! And I think that the Mission part is slightly back on track now!
: Dark Dreaming : *shapeless pile of Kurama, Hiei, and Yuusuke plushies squirms, a hand pops into the air waves* *muffled* Thanks!
: lemmings-please : Thanks for being so understanding about the chapters, and about the only times that I won't update within five or six days will be this upcoming Thanksgiving. *scowls* My parents suddenly got the notion that we're not getting enough quality time with our relatives. . That means that for the first two days of vacation, I'll be down in Hell, Mississippi, with my demented grandparents from my father's side. Then, on Thanksgiving, we'll have one day at home. THEN, for the rest of vacation, we'll be staying in Hell, Georgia, with all my demented cousins and aunts and uncles and nieces on my mother's side. . . Stupid familial relations . . . *deep breath* Okay, I'll shut up now.
: O Demented One : o.O; . . . Stoned, high, or drunk, much? Oh, well, love ya', hon. Thanks for the review. I needed that.
: QG : I have the inexplicable feeling that I just got a 'goodness and love' talk from Quatre off of GW. ^_^ They really DO work! Go, Quatre . . . er, QG! Thankies! I feel all warm and fuzzy now!
: Bloodfang : Yep. Homework is the devil. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
: Melissa : ^_^ You're welcome!
: Killua-san : Yes, I'm using dub names . . . except for the double-u in Yuusuke, but that's more for tonal emphasis than anything else.
: Aya-Mikage2002 : Hope you liked this chapter, and I'm gonna' get a mental envisioner for Christmas! Yay!
: DespairingAngel : Kurama is NOT 'cute.' Kurama is HOT, thank you SO much!
: takahashi shuurin : *hands over a Youko Kurama plushie* I've got hundreds of them to spare. *hands over Hiei, Yuusuke, Jin, Touya, and Adult Koenma -- who is actually VERY cute without the pacifier* Enjoy! And . . . could you do me a favor? You know Japanese, so could you translate a sentence from English to Japanese for me? It's for the story. I need: 'I love you. You'll always be my son.' SHHH! I know that it's probably obvious what I want it for, but still . . . you're the only person I know who could help me out! Pretty please? *puppy-dog eyes*
: hanyougirl : I'm sorry about snapping . . . erm, flaming . . . whatever. *sighs* You just caught me on a REALLY bad day, is all. I did awful on a Chem. test and some people were real butts about it. I'll get over it. Have a plushie. *hands over Hiei plushie, with detachable headband and katana*
: Madame Arrow Foxfire : Yukina will NOT be appearing in this story, sorry. I agree with you on the healing and defense part though. And thanks for your support about my chapters!
: Saisaishi : Is your name based off of G-Gundam's Saisaishi? I think he's about the best character on there. Thanks for the review!
: Terris : I'm glad that you think all the characters are IC. It's a challenge to keep them that way, let me tell you! And thanks for the info about Kurt and Rogue!
: Everqueen : Yeah, I was aiming for that unconcerned, 'gee-isn't-this- boring' tone with that last fight. I'm glad I got it across!
: Odd-I-See : Hey, are you in Latin Club . . . er, GJCL? Georgia Junior Classical League? I don't have Dr. 'G', I have Mrs. C! Let me know if you're in GJCL; that would be SO uber! If you are in it, are you going to convention this year at Rock Eagle? That would so rock!
: Tione : I'm glad you liked it! Don't EVER let a dog near your plushies . . . I did once . . . *sniffle* Poor Touya . . . *runs off crying*
: Rurouni Saiyan : Kudzu might be 'the plant that ate the South,' but I love looking at Kudzu Castles . . . You know the places where kudzu has completely covered trees and bushes, and it looks like huge forts? I think that they're so awesome. . . . Mississippi? Where in Mississippi? I'm originally from Columbus, MS.
: Dragon Sythe : I didn't have Hiei choose speed so that there would be something for others to get suspicious about . . . You'll see what I mean. Thanks for the support about my chapter length rant.
: YYHgurl : You weren't rude at all! . . . And seriously, demons DON'T have heartbeats; they have cores. It's true. There's even a quote of Yuusuke's after he becomes Toushin. He mentions that he felt his heart stop when he died (the second time around. -_-; ) and then he says that he STILL can't feel it beating. Kurama tells him about demon cores then. It's really uber. In this story, Kurama has a heartbeat since he's only technically a demon when he's the Youko.
: angelbird12241 : I think that this chapter answered most of your questions.
: Mistress of Dragons : Gravitation sounds cool. Especially if it has cute guys in it! Whoohoo! Go to http : / / www . maniacnun . com / bishounen . htm (remove the spaces) . . . It's called 'Bishounen Theater,' and it's an awesome site! It has video clips from all the animes with bishies in 'em! . . . I HATE it when people flame you, and they don't even bother to proofread! It's so moronic; you'd think that if they were trying to make you feel all crappy for writing a 'bad story' that they'd at least TRY and come across as semi-intelligent! Sheesh! Something that seriously pissed me off was a 'review' for the first chapter of this fic: some person flamed the FIRST PAGE that I posted! Not even the first chapter of the story, but the page that listed people's names and powers; how moronic is that? If they haven't read it, how can they possibly pass judgment? Her complaint wasn't even justified. She said, and I quote: "why the heck did u make yyh team up with x-men evolutin?! x-evolution is the worst show i have ever seen in my life! can u at least team them up with the mutants from the original x-men show?!" If you complain about a story, shouldn't you at least complain about characterization or spelling or grammar? . . . Okay, okay, I've ranted enough. Sorry. Thanks for your review!
: Siora : I'll repeat what I told YYHgurl about the heartbeats: Seriously, demons DON'T have heartbeats; they have cores. It's true. There's even a quote of Yuusuke's after he becomes Toushin. He mentions that he felt his heart stop when he died (the second time around. -_-; ) and then he says that he STILL can't feel it beating. Kurama tells him about demon cores then. It's really uber. In this story, Kurama has a heartbeat since he's only technically a demon when he's the Youko.
: Marissa : You didn't offend me . . . I just got caught on a really bad day. Hey, no harm done. And good luck on that report. Here, have a Jin plushie to hug while you're working on it. *hands over plushie* And if you squeeze him, he talks in an Irish accent! Enjoy!
: zippy_puppy3 : I love the animation on .hack//SIGN. Tsukasa's really uber. Anywho, no, I don't have this story written out. I write a chapter every day or so.
: Jaid Skywalker : o.O; . . . There's such a thing as a chapter that's too LONG!? Please tell me that you're joking. That person HAD to be VERY unappreciative! Sheesh!
: RSMB : Botan will make an appearance, but she won't be a main character. Sorry.
: Gemini Star1 : Good luck with your classes and swim-meets. And I love the key chain. *hooks onto her own binder* Sugoi!
: Ryoken : You ARE lucky! Maybe my teachers are just really sadistic or something . . .
: Kitsune Whiterose : Those are some good ideas. I'll have to get cracking.
: Kittengrl39 : I've already gotten their mutant names worked out. I'm trying to find a Logan nickname for Yuusuke. I have a few ideas, but nothing definite so far. I'm glad you like the story so much, and here's a plushie just for you! *hands over a Youko Kurama plushie* Enjoy!
Thanks go out to the following readers:
BlackFireDragonK
Zyte
BabbleQueen
Prismatic
lcampbell947
Saelbu
Hikaru Muyo
FoxyFireDemon
arrow-card
moonsword
Crissy dowie
starsong
Hedi Dracona
cyn skysong
Jena
PheonixFirecat
Kschur32
Casey
carla
Yayo
Karamas_Girl123
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A/N: Any spelling errors in the review response can be blamed on the fact that I wrote most of them around eleven o'clock at night. -_-; I'm going to bed now. *yawns* Later, folks.
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Disclaimer: I own neither X-men nor Yu Yu Hakusho. I don't know WHO owns them, but it certainly isn't ME.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
"blah." means that the words are in English (unless the section is told from a Japanese-speaker's point of view with only Japanese people talking -- I.e. Kurama, Yuusuke, Hiei, Logan, Genkai, etc.)
~"blah."~ means that the words are in Japanese.
="blah."= indicates words spoken in a Makai dialect.
~:blah.:~ telepathic speech.
- : - : - : - : - : -
A/N: This will not be a blatantly yaoi or shounen-ai story. In fact, there will be NO romance WHATSOEVER. There will be brother-brother relationships between Yuusuke, Kurama and Hiei, but I suppose that some of you out there could interpret their actions as 'love' if you wanted. It's your call, however you want to view it.
- : - : - Chapter Eleven: Youko Moon - : - : -
The three demons had taken to gathering in Yuusuke's room in the late evening, after curfew --they were forced to keep the lights off in order to prevent any of the professors discovering that 'bed-time' didn't exist for the three newcomers. The night after their 'tests' in the Danger Room, Yuusuke had filled Kurama and Hiei in on the specifics of the mission, and since then, all three of them had been alert for any mention made by the X- men about Kurorashi.
They hadn't had much luck.
The most they had uncovered had been a short conversation that Kurama had overhead between Jean and Scott during breakfast one day, and even then there wasn't much information to be gleaned from the short exchange aside from the fact that the X-men did indeed know about Kurorashi . . . or, as the mutants called him, 'Black Tempest.'
- : - : - Four Days Later: Sunday Night - : - : -
Hiei had long since retired to Kurama's room to sleep when he found the conversation between the fox and the Toushin to be growing dull. Yuusuke had no doubts that the little fire demon was now firmly ensconced in Kurama's windowsill, his sword lying within arms' reach --if not across his lap-- even as he slept.
Within a few minutes of the koorime's exit, conversation between Yuusuke and Kurama had died out completely, and yet the kitsune remained.
Yuusuke was sprawled across the top of his perpetually unmade bed, one arm tucked beneath his chin to keep his head propped upright. Whenever any slight beam of light fell across his face, his pupils glittered greenly, like the eyes of a cat when caught in the glare of a car's headlights.
Kurama had secured the window seat as his own, and now sat there with silver moon- and starlight highlighting his hair, making him resemble nothing so much as his youko self. One hand was cupped slightly before him, small tendrils of green-white twining around his fingers as a slender stalk, topped with a blossom bearing petals of sapphire-blue and garnet-red --which glittered from trace amounts of his youki--, swayed gently in the air above his palm.
Yuusuke sighed, sounding extremely bored. "Kurama, what kinda' plant is that, anyway?"
A small smile flitted across the redhead's face. "Just an average Makai wildflower. It's called Mi'snarii. 'Changing Ways.' "
"No plant from the Makai is ever 'average,' " replied Yuusuke wryly, recalling several run-ins he had had with Kurama's more 'mundane' plant specimens. "What's so special about this one?"
The youko raised his free hand to caress the delicate petals of the blossom. "It is much like those 'mood-rings' that Kuwabara was so enamored with a short while ago. The petals of the Mi'snarii change color according to the emotions and auras of the beings around it. It is truly useful in healing; the petals will turn black if one near it is poisoned or injured gravely."
Yuusuke eyed the flower appraisingly. "So what does blue mean?"
Kurama laughed softly. "Any number of things."
"Like?" prompted Yuusuke.
" . . . peace," Kurama replied at last. " . . . calmness . . . melancholy . . . sadness."
"And red?"
"Impatience or anger . . . sometimes restlessness." There was a strange, distant note in his voice that didn't belong. "For tonight, definitely restlessness."
Yuusuke frowned. Kurama had been acting listless all day long. He had spoken even less than usual . . . he hadn't smiled as much . . .
"Hey, Kurama, you feeling all right?"
The kitsune chuckled, shifting to face Yuusuke fully, giving the Toushin an unrestricted view of glittering, golden eyes and a red mane streaked liberally with silver and gray. Where his ears usually grew, there now were two, malformed triangles of gray fur.
"Oh, man." Yuusuke eyed the half-transformed Youko with realization dawning.
Right. Moonlight . . . It was the first sickle moon of the month . . . and sickle and full moons meant that the youko side of Kurama's personality was given free rein to come out and play.
"I'm lucky," said Kurama, his voice possessing an odd, double-timbre quality, as though both the Youko and Shuichi were speaking at the same time. ". . . sickle moons merely increase the power of my youki. Only on full moons must I fully transform."
"At least I know why you were so out of it today," said Yuusuke. "Even Hiei was giving you odd looks, and that's saying something."
"I have been attempting to hold it back," murmured Kurama. "If I let go, I won't be able to resist going outside. I'm not certain that it's safe to go traipsing around the grounds as the Youko."
"Why not go?" Yuusuke shrugged. "Go out as Youko Kurama . . . or as your fox-form. Even if you don't avoid all the cameras and shit, HIEI looks more like your human form than the Youko does."
That comment earned him a chuckle from the kitsune. "Hmm . . . A good point."
There was a flare of golden youki within the room, and soon Shuichi Minamino had disappeared, only to be replaced the lithe, white-clad form of Youko Kurama.
Yuusuke was glad for Hiei's shields. Without them, the entire place would have felt THAT little trick.
The Mi'snarii flower shriveled and regressed back to its seed form even as the slender, clawed hand of the Youko stored it within his silver mane.
The clever fingers of the fox-thief undid the latch of the window within scant seconds, and as the panes of glass were opened wide, a cool breeze whirled into the room, teasing the Youko's pristine, white tunic and pants into a flurry of rippling cloth and causing his hair and the fur on his tail to shimmer.
"I'll leave the window unlocked for you," said Yuusuke calmly. "No need for you to bowl Hiei over coming in through your window. He'll be cranky enough tomorrow without us helping him along."
- : - : - : - : - : -
As soon as his feet left the dubious support of the windowsill, the Youko's youki was flaring again. His muscles and bones shifted beneath his skin even as fur sprouted upon every inch of his body. His form rippled like moonlight reflected upon the waves of a windswept pond.
Within less than a human heartbeat, a slender, silver-furred fox landed lightly upon the grass outside of the mansion, five tails swaying gracefully behind him.
The air was cool and fresh, with so many scents borne upon it that it was nearly intoxicating to his newly-enhanced senses. Golden eyes slid closed as he raised his muzzle, inhaling deeply.
The scents of grass and dew were all around, as well as the faint scent of flowers and the earthy scent of brick --from the mansion, obviously. The acrid smell of chlorine from the Institute pool scraped against his nose with a sensation very near to pain.
He sneezed, clearing his nostrils of the unwanted scent.
Humans and their chemicals . . . Pheh.
He sniffed again, more cautiously, searching for any sign of danger.
Birds . . . rodents . . . a snake, but nothing that could harm HIM . . . and . . . a dog?
He inhaled deeply, focusing on the musky scent of the canine, correcting his judgment. Not a dog, but a wolf, a female, and one with an oddly human smell.
Perhaps another mutant peculiarity?
Well, the scent wasn't fresh, in any case. The dog/wolf/human hadn't crossed this area anytime within the past eight hours. It was doubtful that it could be considered a threat.
He moved away from the wall, feeling the energy of all the surrounding plants reaching out to brush against him, welcoming him to their world. Beneath his paws, grass suddenly grew greener, healthier, and clover burst into bloom without warning at his passing.
He had smelled flowers earlier . . . where . . . ?
Ah!
He turned and loped toward the back of the huge house, smelling the sweet scent of blooming plants. The Youko truly enjoyed the company of plants, and flowers were pleasant company indeed.
Even with the odd chemicals that he could smell all around, the garden was in good condition. The flowers grew tall and healthy. The leaves were whole, with no sign of insect damage. The Youko felt a spurt of approval.
He stretched out to brush his muzzle against the blossom of a semi-wilted, creamy white rose, and the plant straightened and bloomed beautifully in response to the touch. Even as he watched, small green buds along the vines quivered and swell in amazing arrays of moon-white petals.
His five tails twitched in satisfaction. That was better.
- : - : - Monday Morning - : - : -
Professor Charles Xavier looked out the window of his office, gazing down upon Scott's convertible as it idled in front of the Institute steps, waiting for the new students to join Scott, Jean, Rogue, Kitty and Kurt for the drive to school . . . It would be quite a squeeze.
However, the psychic's mind was occupied with other things this morning aside from the first day of school for the three new students.
Kitty had come to see him earlier that morning, and the conversation still echoed through his head eerily.
- : - : - Flashback - : - : -
"Professor, I'm telling the truth! I saw this, like, huge dog-thing going across the grounds last night! It made Rahne look like a puppy!"
"Loose dogs are nothing new, Kitty."
"Professor, it was white. All over, just plain white, and I'm pretty sure it had, like, gold eyes!"
"Kitty, are you certain that you aren't overreacting?"
"I swear, Professor, this isn't some prank! I'm not Kurt!"
"I'm well aware of THAT."
"PROFESSOR . . . !"
" . . . What do you suggest that I do?"
"You've got hundreds of cameras around this place! Find out what that . . . that THING was!"
"If it will make you feel better, I'll have Hank review several recordings from last night. It was probably just a stray dog."
"Since when can a stray dog sneak inside HERE? And since when do dogs have, like, FIVE TAILS?"
- : - : - End Flashback - : - : -
Xavier sighed, rubbing at his temple. Kitty was not a girl prone to imagining things. Certainly, she was talkative and a bit flighty, but she was generally a reliable source of information. Had it not been so near time for her to leave for school, Xavier would have viewed her memory of the incident for himself . . .
He'd have to do it when she returned.
But for now . . .
~:Hank?:~
The reply was immediate. ~:Charles?:~
~:Meet me in the surveillance room. Kitty reported something . . . odd.:~
~:I'm on my way.:~
- : - : - To Be Continued . . . - : - : -
A/N: Really UBER short, I know, but I started late. I thought that you'd appreciate a short chapter more than a delayed chapter. NEXT TIME IS SCHOOL!!!
REVIEW RESPONSES FOR THE LAST CHAPTER (From now on, only people who asked important questions or made good points will actually be REPLIED to; others just get thanks at the bottom of the page . . . sorry, folks, but my fingers HURT!):
: CJ-Chan : ^_^; Yep.
: Snowfire : Trust me, I know what it's like to have crappy eyesight. Without my glasses, I literally have to hold a book four inches from my nose to read. It ain't pleasant. Don't mess up your eyes any more than you have to, k?
: Elyndewen Startree : I'm glad that you like it so much . . . How about if I just wrote 'Elly Startree' instead? ^_~
: Animegirl8 : Yeppie-yep-yep! Lots of money's going straight down the drain with the Terrible Trio hanging around! And I think that the Mission part is slightly back on track now!
: Dark Dreaming : *shapeless pile of Kurama, Hiei, and Yuusuke plushies squirms, a hand pops into the air waves* *muffled* Thanks!
: lemmings-please : Thanks for being so understanding about the chapters, and about the only times that I won't update within five or six days will be this upcoming Thanksgiving. *scowls* My parents suddenly got the notion that we're not getting enough quality time with our relatives. . That means that for the first two days of vacation, I'll be down in Hell, Mississippi, with my demented grandparents from my father's side. Then, on Thanksgiving, we'll have one day at home. THEN, for the rest of vacation, we'll be staying in Hell, Georgia, with all my demented cousins and aunts and uncles and nieces on my mother's side. . . Stupid familial relations . . . *deep breath* Okay, I'll shut up now.
: O Demented One : o.O; . . . Stoned, high, or drunk, much? Oh, well, love ya', hon. Thanks for the review. I needed that.
: QG : I have the inexplicable feeling that I just got a 'goodness and love' talk from Quatre off of GW. ^_^ They really DO work! Go, Quatre . . . er, QG! Thankies! I feel all warm and fuzzy now!
: Bloodfang : Yep. Homework is the devil. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
: Melissa : ^_^ You're welcome!
: Killua-san : Yes, I'm using dub names . . . except for the double-u in Yuusuke, but that's more for tonal emphasis than anything else.
: Aya-Mikage2002 : Hope you liked this chapter, and I'm gonna' get a mental envisioner for Christmas! Yay!
: DespairingAngel : Kurama is NOT 'cute.' Kurama is HOT, thank you SO much!
: takahashi shuurin : *hands over a Youko Kurama plushie* I've got hundreds of them to spare. *hands over Hiei, Yuusuke, Jin, Touya, and Adult Koenma -- who is actually VERY cute without the pacifier* Enjoy! And . . . could you do me a favor? You know Japanese, so could you translate a sentence from English to Japanese for me? It's for the story. I need: 'I love you. You'll always be my son.' SHHH! I know that it's probably obvious what I want it for, but still . . . you're the only person I know who could help me out! Pretty please? *puppy-dog eyes*
: hanyougirl : I'm sorry about snapping . . . erm, flaming . . . whatever. *sighs* You just caught me on a REALLY bad day, is all. I did awful on a Chem. test and some people were real butts about it. I'll get over it. Have a plushie. *hands over Hiei plushie, with detachable headband and katana*
: Madame Arrow Foxfire : Yukina will NOT be appearing in this story, sorry. I agree with you on the healing and defense part though. And thanks for your support about my chapters!
: Saisaishi : Is your name based off of G-Gundam's Saisaishi? I think he's about the best character on there. Thanks for the review!
: Terris : I'm glad that you think all the characters are IC. It's a challenge to keep them that way, let me tell you! And thanks for the info about Kurt and Rogue!
: Everqueen : Yeah, I was aiming for that unconcerned, 'gee-isn't-this- boring' tone with that last fight. I'm glad I got it across!
: Odd-I-See : Hey, are you in Latin Club . . . er, GJCL? Georgia Junior Classical League? I don't have Dr. 'G', I have Mrs. C! Let me know if you're in GJCL; that would be SO uber! If you are in it, are you going to convention this year at Rock Eagle? That would so rock!
: Tione : I'm glad you liked it! Don't EVER let a dog near your plushies . . . I did once . . . *sniffle* Poor Touya . . . *runs off crying*
: Rurouni Saiyan : Kudzu might be 'the plant that ate the South,' but I love looking at Kudzu Castles . . . You know the places where kudzu has completely covered trees and bushes, and it looks like huge forts? I think that they're so awesome. . . . Mississippi? Where in Mississippi? I'm originally from Columbus, MS.
: Dragon Sythe : I didn't have Hiei choose speed so that there would be something for others to get suspicious about . . . You'll see what I mean. Thanks for the support about my chapter length rant.
: YYHgurl : You weren't rude at all! . . . And seriously, demons DON'T have heartbeats; they have cores. It's true. There's even a quote of Yuusuke's after he becomes Toushin. He mentions that he felt his heart stop when he died (the second time around. -_-; ) and then he says that he STILL can't feel it beating. Kurama tells him about demon cores then. It's really uber. In this story, Kurama has a heartbeat since he's only technically a demon when he's the Youko.
: angelbird12241 : I think that this chapter answered most of your questions.
: Mistress of Dragons : Gravitation sounds cool. Especially if it has cute guys in it! Whoohoo! Go to http : / / www . maniacnun . com / bishounen . htm (remove the spaces) . . . It's called 'Bishounen Theater,' and it's an awesome site! It has video clips from all the animes with bishies in 'em! . . . I HATE it when people flame you, and they don't even bother to proofread! It's so moronic; you'd think that if they were trying to make you feel all crappy for writing a 'bad story' that they'd at least TRY and come across as semi-intelligent! Sheesh! Something that seriously pissed me off was a 'review' for the first chapter of this fic: some person flamed the FIRST PAGE that I posted! Not even the first chapter of the story, but the page that listed people's names and powers; how moronic is that? If they haven't read it, how can they possibly pass judgment? Her complaint wasn't even justified. She said, and I quote: "why the heck did u make yyh team up with x-men evolutin?! x-evolution is the worst show i have ever seen in my life! can u at least team them up with the mutants from the original x-men show?!" If you complain about a story, shouldn't you at least complain about characterization or spelling or grammar? . . . Okay, okay, I've ranted enough. Sorry. Thanks for your review!
: Siora : I'll repeat what I told YYHgurl about the heartbeats: Seriously, demons DON'T have heartbeats; they have cores. It's true. There's even a quote of Yuusuke's after he becomes Toushin. He mentions that he felt his heart stop when he died (the second time around. -_-; ) and then he says that he STILL can't feel it beating. Kurama tells him about demon cores then. It's really uber. In this story, Kurama has a heartbeat since he's only technically a demon when he's the Youko.
: Marissa : You didn't offend me . . . I just got caught on a really bad day. Hey, no harm done. And good luck on that report. Here, have a Jin plushie to hug while you're working on it. *hands over plushie* And if you squeeze him, he talks in an Irish accent! Enjoy!
: zippy_puppy3 : I love the animation on .hack//SIGN. Tsukasa's really uber. Anywho, no, I don't have this story written out. I write a chapter every day or so.
: Jaid Skywalker : o.O; . . . There's such a thing as a chapter that's too LONG!? Please tell me that you're joking. That person HAD to be VERY unappreciative! Sheesh!
: RSMB : Botan will make an appearance, but she won't be a main character. Sorry.
: Gemini Star1 : Good luck with your classes and swim-meets. And I love the key chain. *hooks onto her own binder* Sugoi!
: Ryoken : You ARE lucky! Maybe my teachers are just really sadistic or something . . .
: Kitsune Whiterose : Those are some good ideas. I'll have to get cracking.
: Kittengrl39 : I've already gotten their mutant names worked out. I'm trying to find a Logan nickname for Yuusuke. I have a few ideas, but nothing definite so far. I'm glad you like the story so much, and here's a plushie just for you! *hands over a Youko Kurama plushie* Enjoy!
Thanks go out to the following readers:
BlackFireDragonK
Zyte
BabbleQueen
Prismatic
lcampbell947
Saelbu
Hikaru Muyo
FoxyFireDemon
arrow-card
moonsword
Crissy dowie
starsong
Hedi Dracona
cyn skysong
Jena
PheonixFirecat
Kschur32
Casey
carla
Yayo
Karamas_Girl123
- : - : - : - : - : -
A/N: Any spelling errors in the review response can be blamed on the fact that I wrote most of them around eleven o'clock at night. -_-; I'm going to bed now. *yawns* Later, folks.