People- Where's Shade?
Readers- …
People- Where are the readers?
…
People- What the hell is going on?! We're all alone!
Unknown voice- AHHHHHHH!
The search for Shade: To be continued…
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Chapter 27: fire gem: The end
"I can't believe Karuka just stood there on fire like that."
"Yeah, she's freaky." Yusuke and Kuwabara were in the human world and sitting in the front of Genkai's temple with her and Yukina.
"This Karuka you talk about, she seems very interesting." Genkai said, taking a sip of tea.
"If you consider crazy and ruthless interesting, then yeah, I guess she is." Kuwabara said.
"Kuwabara, she's not ruthless, she spared your life because you wouldn't fight back! She complimented you! YOU!" Yusuke yelled at him.
"This girl saved you Kazuma? Anyone who saves lives must be a kind person. I would greatly love to meet this Karuka." Yukina said innocently to Kuwabara who stupidly smiled at her.
"Well of course she's great!" He lied. Yusuke stared at him for kissing up to Yukina. He mentally laughed at a thought he had about Karuka meeting Yukina with Hiei around. Wonder what would happen?
"I think it would be a good idea to meet her. With all the things you've told me about her power, I am very intrigued to see her." Genkai said, setting down her cup on the tray. Yukina stood up, and took the tray to the kitchen.
"Yeah, well she's nothing special." Kuwabara said, now being able to speak what he really felt about her because Yukina had gone out of earshot.
"Well aren't you the honest one."
"Ok, let's get down to business here." Genkai said, looking back at the kitchen to hear Yukina humming as she washed dishes.
"You say a group of demons are after the elemental gems?" Genkai started to get more serious to the topic.
"Yeah, we've already gotten three. The Santifugi, Hamisha and fire."
"So that leaves ground, snow and wind." Genkai thought for a second about what the gems could do if they were all in the same, evil hands.
"Oh, by the way granny," Genkai eyed Yusuke, "Koenma told us to give this to you." Yusuke stood up and handed a wrinkled piece of paper to her. She flattened it out and looked at the odd writing on it.
"Where did you find this?"
"It was on the floor of the museum that held the fire gem. Koenma thinks it is an old demon language, and that the people who took the gem left it for us." Kuwabara answered her.
"Well the baby was right, it is a demon language. An evil language." Yusuke and Kuwabara stared at Genkai concerned.
"What do you mean?"
"This language was created by an old demon collaboration of traitors from their own race. They pawned their powers together to give to the devil, so they could have eternal, and deadly, power." She explained.
"Do you know what this says?"
"It looks strange to me, like it was written in haste. But I can make out what it says. Fire." She said with her eyes glazed over, not looking at the boys.
"Fire? Like the gem? What does that do for us? What's up with these freaks and what do they want?" Yusuke asked loudly, taking the attention of Yukina in the kitchen.
"What is wrong?" She asked.
"Nothing, everything's okay," Genkai said while standing up and turning toward Yukina, "We're inviting some people over soon, why don't you help me in the kitchen to help make food for our guests."
"Oh, that sounds just lovely, I'll take out the rice." Yukina turned around and ran into the kitchen to prepare. Genkai started after her, but first turned back to the guys.
"Tell Koenma to get this Karuka girl to come here. I would like to meet her." Then she turned around and left Yusuke and Kuwabara alone.
-Later-
"Why am I going to your friends' house?" Karuka asked as she was traveling through the beautiful countryside of Japan with the others.
"One, she's too cruel to be a friend, and two, it's a more of a temple than a house." Yusuke said.
"Whatever just answer my question."
"She wants to meet you. You seem interesting to her."
"And that doesn't seem sketchy to you at all? If you wanted to get me alone to kill me you should have just stabbed me in my sleep." Karuka said.
"Trust me, I would have tried that a long time ago if I could have." Yusuke said to her, making her stare daggers at him.
"Why didn't you then? Your brain didn't have the capacity to hold more information besides the ability to eat food and sleeping in the middle of the room with half a rice ball falling out of your mouth?" Karuka stabbed at him, the others looked at Yusuke and started laughing uncontrollably while in the car. Karuka ignored their laughter, though praised herself for her accomplishment inside. She stared through the window while watching the scenery wiz past her. It all was so tranquil and quiet. That was something Karuka had wanted all her life. No pressures, no concern, just to relax and not give a crap about anything but what will happen that day. But those possibilities had vanished when she was a child. She was forever burdened to live hectically.
"I'd rather be in that artificial tree sleeping."
"Wow, you become more like Hiei every day you know that? I'm pretty sure impersonating the shrimp can't be healthy." Karuka's thoughts were taken away and her eyes shot open. She slowly turned her head to look at Hiei, and she could see a light blush on his face. She shared the red, and turned back to the window, not really having the energy to make fun of the idiot. She just wanted to sleep.
"We're here." Karuka opened her eyes again. She looked at the wall from inside the car that hid the temple inside. She was actually very interested to meet this Genkai. She had heard about her all the time in the demon world of her power and skills. She was prepared to give respect where respect was due, and one of the most famous physics in history deserved an ample amount of respect.
Karuka left the car and started up the stairs to the temple, Hiei was behind her and slowly passed her. He looked at her with his average dead look, though for longer than what he thought he wanted to. Karuka locked eyes with him as well, but broke away feeling awkward. Hiei mentally slapped himself because he didn't like making her feel that way which he seemed to do a lot. Although, she too had made him feel awkward when she kissed him. It was nothing serious, just the cheek, but still out of the blue. He quickly left her alone to walk the steps so he wouldn't do something stupid again.
Karuka thought about what had happened as well. She didn't know what took her over to do that, besides the side of her that came from her mother. Her sweet mother, she did all she could to make the world better. Her mother was a fighter, and a healer. The only time she would be able to be with her mother for a good amount of time was when she would venture away from the palace to help villages. And she would bring Karuka along with her to improve her healing power. Her mother, Ruka, what sweet serenity.
"Come on Karuka!" She could hear Botan's voice travel to her ears and she started going a little faster.
-Inside-
"Hello, you must be Karuka, I am Genkai." Genkai bowed to Karuka and Karuka returned the favor.
"I have heard a lot about you, Genkai, and your unique power. One question though."
"Shoot."
"Tell me why you chose an idiot to be your apprentice." Karuka asked a now smiling Genkai, Yusuke had anime fell to the ground while the others smiled as well.
"It was not my choice, it was by default." Genkai answered.
"And water algae!" Botan put in.
"Shut up Botan! No one asked you!" Yusuke outbursted as Yukina entered the room with a tray of rice balls.
"Hello everybody!" She said so bubbly and bright.
"Hello Yukina!" They said back. Karuka stared at her.
'Yukina? Where is that name from?!' Karuka remembered back to the mission of capturing the Hamisha gem where Kuwabara was mumbling her name. It sounded so familiar to her but she was getting aggravated that she couldn't remember.
"Are you Karuka who saved Kazuma?" Yukina asked, jutting out the platter to her. Karuka was compelled to take on.
"Saved him?" She asked.
"Yes."
"I don't quite remember that." Karuka said confused. She stared at Yukina, still trying to remember where she saw her.
"Is- Is there something wrong?" Yukina asked.
"No, it's just you look very familiar."
"Really? I thought the same thing when I saw you." Yukina smiled at her so innocently. Karuka smiled at her.
"No really, I mean it, I can swear I have seen you before. And your name sounds familiar too. Yukina, you said?" She nodded to Karuka as everyone else seemed to be confused and wondering too.
"Well, we are all here for a reason aren't we? Come, let's sit down to talk." Genkai led Karuka and the rest to inside the temple to sit.
"Oh Genkai, you said that you decoded that language?" Botan asked.
"Yes, I did, though barely." Genkai said to the girl.
"That's great," Kurama told her, "Koenma gave us two more. This one was found under water in the city where we retrieved the Hamisha gem. Sorry it is hard to read now that the writing has been distorted by the water." He handed the two pieces of paper to her.
"How did you know where to find those?" Kuwabara asked him confused.
"Koenma figured that since a note like that had been found in the museum for one gem, he thought that the same would be for the rest, and he was right." Kurama told in response.
"What's that one from?" Yusuke asked looking at the other paper that wasn't with water markings.
"That one is from Satori city. Apparently the demons after the gems found out that the Santifugi gem was in our control so they left that. It seems that these papers are some sort of plan to lead us on." Kurama continued explaining what he thought was going on with this mysterious demon alliance and them.
"I think I can guess what they say." Yusuke said. Genkai looked up at him from the papers that she was analyzing thinking that he was crazy.
"You do punk? Fine, you try to decode them." She said handing the papers over to Yusuke, but he denied them.
"I don't need those papers. I already know that that one says water and that one says sun." He said confidently. Genkai stared at him for a second.
"You're wrong idiot." Yusuke face faulted.
"What do you mean I'm wrong?!" Yusuke yelled.
"Just because the other one said fire, you can't just say these mean water and sun. This group is more complex than that, and they wouldn't be that obvious. Besides, I already know the symbols for water and sun and these aren't it." Genkai explained.
"How do you know so much of this group of demons?" Botan asked.
"I had a friend long ago, who dedicated his life to taking down these demons. He learned everything he could about them, including this language of symbols. Often I would find myself interested in this as well, so I asked him to teach me some things. After that, I studied the words for hours every night after I would train. It is quite more remarkable then it seems at first. But the way these were written, it's so, odd." Genkai looked closer to the pieces of paper. Something by the way they were written confused her.
"Well once you do decode them, be sure to notify Koenma because he says they could be very important to the gems safety." Kurama said.
"Hm?" Genkai still looked at the papers on the table.
"Um Genkai, what is wrong with them?"
"Whoever wrote them, they must not know how to correctly, they must have been guided as they wrote."
"Why would they do that?"
"To have an innocent take the fall. These writings were written in a forbidden ink. When written on the same scroll of paper, if they are connected again, well, something bad happens. I'm not at time to tell you." She said.
"What does this all mean? What are you talking about?" Yukina asked worriedly looking from each person to the next.
"It's nothing Yukina, you don't need to worry your pretty little ice demon head." Kuwabara said. Suddenly, something clicked in Karuka's mind, and she remembered where Yukina was from.
'Didn't think I'd see her after so long, especially in the human world.' She thought with her thoughts open, not thinking anyone was listening. But someone was, Hiei was.
"Look, I'll need time to look over these. I think it would be best if you all return back to Koenma, except you Karuka. I still have things I want to know. If you would be so kind as to follow me?" Genkai asked her.
"Why yes, of course Master Genkai." She answered.
"Master? Since when does she act nice to people?" Yusuke asked Kuwabara quietly in his ear. Kuwabara shrugged.
"I agree with Genkai, we should head back. Koenma could need us at any minute." Botan said, turning to get ready to leave.
"Thank you for having us." Kurama said to Genkai and Yukina.
"You are very welcome Kurama. I hope next time you visit we will have a longer time to enjoy each others company. Good bye everyone!" She said cheerily, and waving to everyone as they left through the front door of the temple.
"Don't let you two get on each others nerves, I'd expect a bloodbath out of that!" Yusuke shouted as Botan tried shoving him out the door.
"How will you get back Karuka? They are taking the car." Yukina asked her. Karuka warmly smiled at Yukina's kindness to her well being. She was everything that she remembered she was.
"I'll be fine. I don't like riding in cars anyways." She and Yukina smiled at each other like they were friends. Genkai grinned at the two and how they were acting toward each other. If Genkai didn't know Karuka's past, she would have never believed Yusuke and Kuwabara when they had told her she was cold and mean. But, sadly, Genkai was aware of the horrible things she had experienced and sad that they had changed her so much. Karuka still had her mother's warmth burning inside of her. The soft and caring side of the tiger no one really sees. But it was there, and Genkai knew it.
"Yukina, do you mind washing the dishes while Karuka and I talk in the other room?" Genkai asked.
"Oh not at all." Yukina smiled again and turned to leave. Karuka was surprised that time had not taken this girls sanity or heart away. Usually that is what happens when people grow older, they see things that alter their feelings. Usually for the worse. But Yukina, she still was an innocent, little girl inside, tainted by nothing but a pure heart that made her loving, and made her loved. That was the girl that Karuka thought she was destined to be, but she was tainted by darkness. Her royalty was soiled with that of an outsider. A deep shadow covered her fortune, and made her deeply cut with heart wrenching wounds that would forever last, on skin, and in the mind. Karuka admired Yukina so much for her heart. The heart she would never have.
"Karuka, please follow me." Genkai looked at Karuka's sad, pale eyes and semi knew what she was thinking about. Karuka nodded and followed through the screen door.
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The Search for Shade continued:
People- What was that?!
Other people- It was a scream
People- well der, we know that, but from who?
Other people- we don't know
People- Ok, Shade's gone missing and we don't know why
Other people- Hey look what we found!
People- It's a note… from Shade!
Other people- The only thing it says is bye… what does that mean? Is she leaving? Forever?
To be continued…
People- reviewing is dire to the continuation of this fiction. And the hunt for Shade