NEWS: if reviewers was paying attention (i certainly wasn't until now), did you know Inside My Mind has been up on for an entire YEAR now?WHOO! HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY IMM!

Check out my fan fiction update blog (first link on my profile page) for comments/updates on individual chapters of Inside My Mind and my other numerous fan fictions!

I really should learn NOT to buy new Manga books…I am now obsessed with Fruits Basket. XD Don't I have enough obsessions in my life already? Ah well…

all review replies have to be deleted for now...sorry...

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I do own Mika, Ayumi and the whole Inside My Mind idea. :D

((Should we poke her?))

/You do it/

:I ain't touching her, she'll drop a frickin' anvil on me…what's an anvil anyway:

#A heavy piece of metal used to work with other metal objects.#

:Oh.:

/Someone do something/

:Like what, midget:

/Let the stupid bat poke her/

((And send the metal thing after me instead? No thanks!))

#Well someone should snap her out of it.#

/Why don't you then, fox/

#I don't want to.#

/…/

:That was settled quickly:

#Ha.#

((I'm not doing it!))

:We never said you did:

((So you'll do it?))

:NO:

/I'm for that idea. Karasu does it./

((Yeah!))

:NO:

#Yes.#

:Do what, poke her:

/No duh./

:WHY:

((Cause you're mean!))

:That's not a reason:

#Oh for the love of—I'll do it!#

((Yay Kurama! You're brave unlike Karasu!))

:Hey, are you calling me a coward:

((No. I just said you weren't as brave as Kurama.))

:Wipe that grin off your face then, punk:

((What grin?))

:THAT GRIN:

/Will you both shut up/

#Argh…you all are so immature!#

----reality, during that whole conversation---

"Oh my god."

Deep breath.

"Oooh…my God."

Another deep breath.

Mika sat on her bed, wide eyed in shock. She was totally ignoring her little brain buddies and was staring absent mindedly into space.

:…brain dead…: she heard Karasu faintly remark about her. She just ignored him. She was numb to anything but her own mindless rambling.

"…maybe I'm dreaming…but did my mom just…no way…I think I am dreaming. I have demons in my head for crying out loud…but…I dunno…"

#MIKA!#

Mika's eyes bulged at the sudden loud shout that echoed across her mind painfully. 'WHAT DO YOU WANT? CAN'T YOU SEE I'M HAVING A JOYOUS MENTAL BREAKDOWN?'

#Um…we were kind of worried. You weren't answering…so…#

'Oh. I'm fine. Thanks for asking.'

:Uh oh. No sarcasm. That means trouble for us.:

((HIT THE DECK!))

/There is no deck. We're in the middle of a huge green field with an abyss as a sky./

((I was trying to be funny.))

/Ha. I wish I could die laughing./

:Dying would be good, wouldn't it: Karasu sighed.

#Seriously…# Kurama sounded worried. #Are you alright Mika? What did your mother say?#

"…" Mika had a large smile on her face as she recalled what had happened to her a few short minutes earlier.

--------Flashback, 15 minutes ago-----

"…and that's when I met the guys. It was like it was real, mom…like I was actually talking to someone right next to me. I didn't hear voices telling me to kill people. I just SAW the people…who sometimes mentioned weird things, but that's just cause they're demons! I'm sane mom!"

Explaining to her parents the whole story was easier than Mika had expected (of course she kept the fact that she was part demon to herself for obvious reasons). They had promised to let her explain things first and then they could ask questions. A few times an urge to speak flashed across Mrs. Murasaki's face, but she kept to her word.

"I'm not asking you to believe me about the situation I'm in. Believe me, I'd rather doubt myself than accept it. But please…" Mika looked down at her feet as she wrapped up her speech. "Please don't think I'm crazy. I'm not…"

"Honey, I believe you," her father said, looking nervously at his wife. For a guy, he was pretty brave to face his wife like that. "I'll help you get rid of your problem. Just let me know what to do."

"Benjiro, how can you accept this? Demons? Possession? This is not some science fiction movie!" Mrs. Murasaki screamed, stamping her foot. "This is our daughter, our only daughter! How can we—?"

"How can you what? Live with me?" Mika snapped, looking up with a glare. She had to be careful with her anger, lest she unleash her powers. But her mother really was asking for it. "Mother, I am aware that I'm not so perfect as you want me to be. I never was. I see ghosts, I'm possessed by four demons and now, I'm being stalked by some dead guy. But don't you think after all that I have to live with now, you could be a little bit more cooperative? Maybe even supportive? You spend all your time worrying about me being the perfect daughter when you can't even be a half-decent mother!"

Mrs. Murasaki sputtered a bit, shocked by Mika's outburst. Mika took a step forward, continuing her speech.

"I'm not asking for you to believe me—I told you already! All I want…all I really EVER wanted from you was acceptation!" Mika struggled not to cry. "I'm not perfect. I'll probably never be. I have more than I can chew on my plate and now you're acting as though I'm some kind of nut! Dammit, do you actually think I would LIE about this? I want to be normal, mom! I want to be like you but I can't! I just can't—!"

Without warning, Mrs. Murasaki burst into tears. She grabbed Mika, who was immediately silenced, and hugged her fiercely.

"I never said you were crazy, Mika! I just thought…it was something I had done!" She wailed, clinging to her daughter piteously. "You're my only child, my baby! I love you so much! I only wanted what was best for you! All those times…all those times you told us something was wrong—I pushed your complaints aside for my own wild ideas! I'm a terrible mother, I know! But I only wanted to help you…!"

"Mom…" Mika looked over her mother's shaking shoulders, not really staring at anything. Her eyes watered up but she didn't cry. She had done enough crying. Gently pushing her mother aside, Mika lifted her head up with a serious expression. "You were never a terrible mom. You just…like you said…trying to do what was best. I have scars inside that will never go away…but we can't dwell on the past. If we do…we'll never learn to live again.

"I'm not exactly who I was before. I have a duty now. I have to help out my friends and I need to do that by finding this Aki Karyuudo," Mika continued softly.

"But…!" Mrs. Murasaki sniffed, wiping her eyes. Mika looked down on her mother and briefly wondered if she had always been that tiny and frail.

"Your mother and I will help you best I can…" Her father repeated, trying to calm his wife down.

"Thanks, but you guys better not get involved. I am dealing with demons and deranged spirits," Mika said with a shrug.

"Honey, it's too dangerous!" Mrs. Murasaki burst into tears again.

Mika grimaced, but hugged her mom gently. "It's ok, Mom…I'm gonna be fine."

--------End flashback------

'Actually, I think she was crying cause she finally had to admit she was wrong.'

#Mika, this is great news for you! You're mom doesn't think your insane anymore!#

'Yeah, but then again I have four demons living in my head and a dead guy chasing me. Finding out my mom finally accepts the truth is my least concern right now.' Mika slammed her fist into her palm. 'We have work ahead of us, boys. We'd better start now.'

:Since when were you suddenly into this seriously:

'About four minutes ago, actually.'

((Gotta love her honesty…))

Kurama sighed. #Alright then, Mika. You're right, we should formulate a plan right away. But are you sure you're up to it?#

'Why wouldn't I be?'

/You're defense and offense are low…/ Hiei suddenly murmured.

Mika snorted. 'Shut up, midget. I could probably kick your—!'

Suddenly, Hiei kicked her memory door rather hard. Pain shot up Mika's body from her toes up to her neck.

"OW!" Mika shouted, clutching her head. 'DAMMIT, HIEI, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?'

/You need to train./ Hiei said calmly. /Your demon powers, your psychic and your physical attacks. Aki is dead. The only way to get rid of a dead person is to help them move on, which is not happening with Aki, or to destroy their soul. You're going to need maximum power to destroy a soul./

To the surprise of all the demons, Mika didn't snap back at him with a comeback or insult. Instead, she nodded. 'Okay…we gotta start now then.'

:Er-right…: Karasu sounded slightly shocked. :Let's get started:

Kurama smiled secretly inside Mika's mind. Finally, they were getting along. Just in time, too. Aki could attack them at any moment, so Mika needed to be ready.

#Right then. Karasu, why don't you teach her how to fight without her powers. Hiei? Get her started on using demonic attacks…#

------- Several houses away -------

"…dammit!"

Silence.

"…DAMMIT!"

Ayumi flopped back onto her bed, with face full of anger. Beaded sweat poured down her temple and the wall opposite to her had dark spots of ash strewn across it.

"Why doesn't it work?" Ayumi shouted to no one in particular.

Clenched in her hand was the necklace Hiei had given her. It was pulsing a violent shade of red. Her own hands were raw and threatening to bleed.

Taking in a deep breath of air, Ayumi stood up again. She put her arms out in front of her and closed her eyes. With a cry of anger from Ayumi, the necklace entwined in her fingers let out a ghostly red glow. She let go of the necklace with one of her hands and held the empty hand out to her side.

Slowly, as if something incredible hot was in it, her hand started to steam. From the light gray smoke came a burning smell. If Ayumi noticed, she didn't respond to it. Instead she focused harder on the necklace, which was alight with a steady ruby glow.

The smoke wasn't getting any thicker or darker, but the heat in Ayumi's hand was increasing slowly. The heat was actually get visible.

"Damn you," Ayumi muttered.

With incredible quickness, Ayumi reached back with the steaming hand and flung it forward, as if holding a ball.

The wall opposite of her shook as it took invisible impact. Flames spread out against the wall like a delicate flower, but it died quickly. The necklace stopped glowing and Ayumi's strength left her. She fell back onto her bed, panting as if she had ran a race.

This SUCKS…why the hell isn't this working right? Ayumi moaned mentally. Hiei said I had powers—but how the hell am I gonna use them if I can't even summon fire instantly? I use up all my energy just to make a flicker! Aki could attack us at any moment and here I am, being a loser!

Her eyes moved to the side and she stared over at her dresser. Resting on the very top was a picture. She and Mika went out to a fair before when they were in fifth grade and had their photos taken. They each had a copy and Ayumi kept it out.

Mika is my best friend and we're practically like sisters…but why does she always drag me into her troubles? Ayumi thought sadly. I can't walk away from her though. I bet she thinks I'm totally against her because of our fight today…but I can't have her know I'm doing this. She'll flip.

Groaning, Ayumi sat up. She looked down at her palm. She grimaced at the now shining red skin. That would definitely hurt in the morning.

"I've gotta keep going though…" Ayumi murmured mostly just to hear herself say it. Otherwise…Mika's gonna be in a whole lot of trouble.

So, she tried again.

-----Entering Training Camp of DOOM ----

"WHAT THE FLUCKING HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO DO—SHISHIKABOB ME?"

"ARGH—WILL YOU EVER JUST FIGHT BACK?"

Mika just barely rolled out of the way of a very well aimed sword. Her arms were scrapped and bleeding. Several bruises from dodging and falling were on her elbows and lower arms.

Hiei stood opposite of her, holding out his katana threateningly. He looked almost annoyed.

"Will you summon some damn shadows already?" He shouted.

"Up yours, midget! I'll do it when I'm ready!" Mika fired back, getting in an offensive position.

"I do believe you are a moron…" Karasu muttered from the sidelines.

Mika shook her fist over at him. "And I do believe you are GAY!"

"Both of you knock it off," Kurama said, smiling slightly to Karasu's side. "Mika, you need to focus...remember?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

They were in the middle of Mika's mind. Finally finding a use for her wide-open space of a brain, Mika's little mind minion suddenly came up with the idea of using it as a training field. That way, she wouldn't look like an idiot training in reality "by herself".

"What if my training here doesn't work out there?" Mika suggested timidly.

Hiei scowled. "Think about it, idiot. If you train and gain knowledge inside your mind about yourself, wouldn't you still be able to use that knowledge outside your mind?"

"Yeah, but what if…"

"Mika, why are you afraid of your powers all of a sudden?" Kurama asked, pin pointing the reason for her sudden shyness.

"Well…" she began, shifting nervously under the eyes of the demons. "I'm…kinda afraid…that my mind…uh…"

"Your mind will what?" Karasu snapped impatiently.

"Um…explode?"

"…"

Kurama sighed and gave her a tired look. "Mika, I give you my word your mind will NOT explode if you use demonic powers here."

"But I'm afraid one of my attacks will go haywire or something! It's one thing if it's outside my body, but INSIDE? I never bothered to take out insurance on my mind, if you haven't guessed by now…" Mika trailed off, crossing her arms.

"JUST USE YOUR POWERS!" both Karasu and Hiei shouted angrily.

Hiei disappeared, obviously getting ready to attack again. Mika gulped and looked around nervously. He came at her usually randomly, so she never really knew where to look.

"PAY ATTENTION!"

Mika screamed and ducked. She felt Hiei's sword slice exactly where her head had just been a second early. Even in training, he never went easy.

"Will you ever learn?" Hiei shouted angrily once he touched down several feet away. "You're part demon, so start ACTING like a demon, god damn it!"

He started to run towards her, brandishing his sword. "YOU'RE A WORTHLESS HUMAN BRAT WHO WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHIN—!"

"SHUT UP!" Mika shouted back. The shadow her body was casting (the light source was still a mystery to her mind's occupants) rippled dangerously.

As he came only a foot from her and swinging his sword down accurately, Hiei suddenly came face to face with a huge dark mass that erupted up from Mika's feet. It struck like a whip and sent him flying several yards away, at the feet of the bemused Kuronue.

"Told you if you piss her off you'd get her to use her powers."

"Shut up Bat…"

Mika shook her fist at them, one of her Hands forming behind her and doing the same gesture. "DON'T YOU GO BETTING ON ME!"

Kurama clapped his hands supportively. "There you go, Mika! I knew you could do it!"

"Yeah, but you tricked me…" Mika muttered, shuffling her feet. The Hand behind her disappeared and her shadow reformed behind her.

Hiei got to his feet, smirking. "Get used to it, brat. If you're going into battle, the outcome will depend on your emotions."

Mika sighed heavily. She sat down on the grass and fingered a piece of it. "You know…I've been thinking…"

"About what?" Kuronue asked, flying over and sitting down next to her.

"What if I had never met you guys?"

A silence fell over them.

Hiei snorted. "Well, we certainly wouldn't be here inside your mind."

"Yeah…" Mika frowned. "I certainly wouldn't have Aki after me or having my shadow turn into weird things…and I would never have even guessed demons existed, let alone baby rulers of the underworld. Me and Ayumi would be living normal lives and you guys would be bodiless spirits floating around somewhere, or even possessing another random kid."

"What brought this up?" Kurama asked, smiling slightly.

Mika gave him a hard stare. "You do realize that I loath all of your beings to the point of extreme hate and that if—WHEN we get our bodies back I will have to initiate you all."

Karasu was the first one to react to that. His low laughter caused them to look at him. "Thinking that far ahead, huh?"

"I was visualizing my horrible, twisted bad luck."

Kurama chuckled. For some reason, imagining Mika ever doing real harm to her demonic companions was humorous. Not that she was incredibly weaker than them (she was actually pretty strong for a half-ling), but she just wouldn't. They had bonded, whether they all liked it or not.

Hiei unsheathed his blade. "Right…keep your daydreams to yourself and fight. We need to kill Aki and when we do…"

"All my dreams will come true," Mika said, smiling.

Then, they got back up and fought again.

OMG, that was the shortest chapter ever, I think. O.O sorry, but I had to get a lot of this stuff in there just for filler stuff. The next chapter is much more fun. XD Aki arrives again…and Mika has a few choice words for him. Lol. Anyway, please review and keep on reading my stuff, ya hear?

-eventually, if you stick a bunch of people together, even if they all are total opposites, they will all bond. XD even though they only got together for less than a week, these guys bonded.
-random geek fact: pyrokinesis is not instant fire power. Psychics use mental energy from their brains. That energy is altered by them outside their bodies and made extremely hot (by moving it rapidly). It would only cause a flame IF it made contact with an object (paper, candle wick, etc.) Ayumi's power can't really be seen just like regular psychic energy can't.
-if anyone complains that the emotional scene between Mika and her mom was cheesy/stupid/pointless/or put together stupidly, I will seriously make all of the characters die a horrible death in the next chapter. It was frickin' hard assed to write…