Kai is not going to be another Mary Sue if you haven't noticed. All my stories follow a timeline (profile tells it) and Kairi is going to be more of a tool than a character. You can only write so many of those "It was an average day in the home of" stories before they get old, so Kai is going to be my link to other possibilities. Instead of making 50 Mary Sues to rescue or go visit, the only difference between which is a physical description, I'm making one familiar character with an actual story . She will be the one who takes the boys to new places and adventures, thus creating more interesting stories. Example: Kai finds out her old friend is sick and she needs to go visit her, meaning a trip halfway across Makai; instant adventure story. Hope you guys like this idea. Anyway, I'll shut up now!

Own nothing, cept Kai. Enjoy!

Koto looked around the main lobby of the mall. This was the second largest mall in all the Demon World. Why hadn't she picked somewhere else to meet? She hadn't thought Kairi would be that hard to spot, considering her sense of "fashion." She'd looked all over this place and hadn't seen anyone dressed anything like that.

"Hey."

Koto turned to see, "Kairi?"

"Yeah. Forget me that fast?" the familiar voice giggled.

"No. You just look...um... different," Koto replied. She almost hadn't recognized her. The ankle-length, black, leather, trench coat had been replaced by a short, very short, pink, plaid skirt and a white halter top, the front of which, was adorned by a glittery heart, also pink. Those 4 inch stiletto boots had been traded in for some glitter covered, strappy sandals, pink, too. Koto noticed that their heels were probably the same height as the boots' had been, only they were made of a clear acrylic substance, giving them the look of "glass slippers." She had pink bangle bracelets on one wrist and a "princess" charm bracelet on the other. Her hair completed the look, a small ponytail pulled the hair from the top and sides up to the top of her head, the rest hung loose. And what was holding that ponytail? A pink, faux fur, scrunchie.

So much for the fierce warrior she had met earlier that week...

"I'd been traveling last time you saw me. This is everyday Kai. Now c'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"I don't like people listening in. Besides, my Makai Express is all paid up, time to max it out again," she giggled.

"Shopping?" Koto looked like she might pour tears of joy.

"Of course." Kai started walking toward the Paws-n-Claws nail salon. "Against my religion to go a full week without a fresh mani & pedi. You up?"

"Naturally!" Koto grinned as she followed Kairi. Her face still resembled that of a human child on Christmas morning.

Mid-way through manicures...

"The bad news is that no one knows where Touya was headed when he left here."

"Figures. Ninjas are trained in the art of invisibility. Shinobi of the Demon World are the stealthiest bastards alive. Makes finding one a real bitch," Kairi stated in a rather annoyed tone.

"The good news is that we found this address. One of his friends, Shishiwakamaru, left it for his fan mail," Koto said, reaching Kairi a piece of paper with her dry hand.

"Already tried it," she said, looking at the address scribbled on the small Post-It in her hand. "They were there before, but they left a couple months ago. No one knew exactly where they were headed. Just that Touya and his 5 friends were going somewhere to train."

"Why didn't you just come and talk to him when the tournament was going on? You said you saw him fighting. It would've been a lot easier."

"I was on the other side of Demon World at the time. I left as soon as I saw him, but it was a 3 month trip to get to where the tournament was being held. He was long gone by the time I got anywhere near this town. I followed him for a while. Every time I found out where he'd been they told me he was gone. Kept showing up a day late and a dollar short. Eventually the trail got cold. That's when I started looking through the tournament records. I found that address but by the time I got there, they'd all packed up and left again."

"Oh. Sorry"

"That's Okay. You did what you could."

"Well, do you know any other way to find him?"

"Nope. I guess I'll just have to wait for the next tournament to start. It's just a few months from now, right?"

"Yeah. I'll even see what I can do about getting you some VIP seats," Koto said, trying to make her new "friend" feel better.

"Thanks."

The girls finished their manicures and pedicures. Koto had asked Kairi how she kept her nails that long with all her traveling. The girl's nails were longer than any model or actress Koto had ever seen, she wanted to know this secret! She soon saw how. Kairi had gotten over half a bottle of diamond dust top coat & strengthener put on them. Her enemies would have an easier time breaking one of those daggers!

They went to the various clothing and shoe stores. They had pretty well maxed out both of their credit cards when Koto's cell phone rang.

"Hello? What? How did you get this number? I thought you were head over heels for Natsume now you two-timing, girl-crazy, pig! What? So the only time you want me is when you're DRUNK? Why you-!" Koto paused before she lit in with another insult, seeming to be thinking about something. She looked at Kairi, then back to her phone. "Why you're so drunk that you're being honest aren't you?" she said in a much sweeter voice than she'd been using mere seconds ago. "The alcohol must have made made you admit your true feelings for me. .. So, where could I see you? Uh-huh. Well you have to tell me where you are if you want to see me... Well even if I can't get there, I want to know where you are...I've been thinking about you, too. I spend a lot of time worrying about where you are now and whether or not you're safe..." Koto seemed to be laying it on thick. Her voice had changed into that of a well rehearsed actress from a soap opera. A grin was plastered on her face, a girl's sign meaning "I'm working on getting what I want from this jackass! Watch this!" Kairi guessed she'd had more than a little practice at this game. But, then again, hadn't they all?

"Yeah?" Koto searched frantically for something, then started making motions like she was scribbling in the air, girl sign for "gimme something to write with!" Kai was already digging in her purse and soon produced a red pen with a marabou feather top and a bobbly rose in the center of them. She also pulled out a hot pink notepad in the shape of a heart, covered with plush, faux fur. Girly wasn't even the term...

Koto kept uh-huhing whoever she was talking to, shifting the cell into the phone-in-the-neck position, as she started writing on the notepad that she now held up against the wall.

A few minutes of artificial sweet-talk later, she hung up and handed Kairi the notepad back, now with an address written on one heart shaped page.

"What's this?"

"That's where your brother is! That was his friend Chu. That drunk has got a major crush on me," Koto laughed "Too bad it's in the Human World, but at least you know he's safe until the tournament starts. No one there is strong enough to bruise him, let alone slaughter him mercilessly."

"Whaddya mean by 'until the tournament starts'?"

"He's in the Human World, you can't get to him there." Koto gave Kairi a look that seemed to say "Duh..."

"Who says I can't?" Kairi gave Koto a mischievous grin that seemed to say "bet me."

"This is the Human World we're talking about, it's not like a bus ride across town."

"I'm resourceful." Kairi grinned on.

"Just how do you plan to get there?"

"Let's just finish shopping, I'll get there tomorrow."

"There's no way!"

"There is when you have low friends in high places," Kairi said with that "I'm-up-to-something" grin still intact.

Koto had no idea what this girl was planning, but for some reason, she wasn't so sure she wanted to know...

TBC

Well, whatcha think? Go easy, just showing Kai's attitude, not going to be completely girly all the time.