A/n-I kept procrastinating on updating the story, probably from lack of enthusiasm and inspiration, but I am back and in action! I'm really going to try and get this story done before summer starts, so that I can start some new fanfics! XD But, here's the new chapter! Only 5ish more to go!
Chapter 14: Target Practice
Avari's shoes made a light tip tap on the worn, stone steps as she climbed them. Her pace was slow, yet steady and reflected exactly how she felt; sad, yet determined. The day's past events had hung a heavy weight of sorrow and hopelessness on her heart, but it also focused her more on defeating Yamiko. She wanted revenge... No, wait. Wanting that would only prove her mindset to be that of a villain, which she definitely wasn't. In truth, she just wanted to prevent what she knew would become a string of problems. Losing her job was only the start; it was the first domino to fall. Soon, everything else would fall and create a domino effect. For the time being, she would try to be more optimistic.
The distance between her and the temple was becoming less and less. Wiping away her last tears, she prepared herself to face Genkai and Yusuke. She wasn't going to tell them right away about her getting fired, but she knew she couldn't wait too long to tell them. Genkai and Yusuke were still in affiliations with Koenma and they were bound to find out sooner or later. However, she was still a bit sensitive to the issue; she didn't even want to talk about it with her boyfriend, and that was saying something. Normally, she was an open book with Yusuke. They discussed anything and everything that was on their minds and that was what made their relationship so strong.
After taking off her shoes, Avari slid open the front door. As she walked inside, something didn't seem right. It was silent. She had expected to hear Yusuke's complaining and Genkai's barking of commands coming from the training hall, but that wasn't the case.
"Is anyone home?" Avari called out, interrupting the silence. Her voice echoed in the foyer and down the long passageway.
No one replied.
She walked deeper into the dojo, finding no trace of a human presence. No one was in the kitchen, the dining room, the training room, the bedrooms, the bathrooms, no where.
This was not good.
Avari's heart started pounding. She could hear the blood rushing in her head. Images of Yusuke and Genkai being hauled away by big, burly men flashed into her mind. Had Yamiko been sneaky enough to have them kidnapped while she had been out? Were Yusuke and Genkai locked up in some unknown fortress? Or were they...dead? If she found out Yamiko had done anything...
Wait! Hadn't Yusuke and Genkai been out on a training trip? At this realization, Avari's heart slowed down and she relaxed a bit. She looked at her watch. 12 P.M. They were supposed to have been home by 10, but knowing Genkai, she had probably gotten a little carried away and lengthened the trip. They were just running late. She was only overreacting.
Way to be more optimistic, Avari! she thought to herself, the statement reeking of sarcasm.
A stress-free Avari ventured down the hall to the training room. Standing in the doorway, she looked into the vast room. The majority of the room was empty; simply an open space of hard wood floor used for combat training. On the far right side of the room, however, was a set of weights and other workout equipment. Avari's eyes laid on the punching bag. It looked to be the most inviting thing in the room; the prefect way to blow off some steam.
She wrapped her hands tightly in white bandages and chalked her palms, preparing herself to give the inanimate object a proper beating. Taking a stance and moving her feet around a bit, Avari placed the first punch on the bag. It was hard and left a slight imprint on the leather covering. Already, she felt better. Training had always been a way she could let some her anger and frustration out. It didn't hurt anyone (unless she was sparring someone), but it also went to her benefit. It bettered her fighting skills.
Taking a deep breathe, she placed a hard kick on the punching bag. The impact sent the bag spinning. This felt great!
Avari grabbed the bag to steady it for the next hit. As she prepared for her next move, she found herself replacing the punching bag with an image of Yamiko. Although it had been quite a few years since she had seen him last, since he had left the family, she still remembered his face.
He had her same gleaming silver hair; they had both received the Raji hair from their father. However, Yamiko, instead of Avari's stunning purple eyes, had blue eyes. This came from the fact that they had different mothers. (Yamiko's mother died and then Avari's father remarried.) His eyes had to have been his most distinct feature. They were swirling cyclones of a deep, stark blue that you could get lost in. One glimpse and you could feel them bore into your soul, digging out your deepest, darkest secrets.
Placing this face on the punching bag, Avari felt a surge of energy flow throughout her body. She brought up her fists and rocked back and forth on her feet... Back and forth... Back and forth...
This is for badgering me for MY family heirloom! Avari thought in rage.
She placed a hard kick where Yamiko's neck would have been.
This is for ruining a great friendship!
She hit the spot where she envisioned Yamiko's eye would be with a forceful punch.
This is for making me lose my job!
She punched the non-existent Yamiko in the cheek.
AND THIS IS FOR BEING A NO GOOD, DIRTY, ROTTEN BASTARD!
She raised her right leg to place a powerful kick on "Yamiko's" imaginary bal...
Avari stopped her kick in mid air and brought her leg down. She had heard the floor boards creak behind. Struggling to catch her breath and with her heart beating from her workout, Avari turned around to find none other than Yusuke standing in the middle of the training hall. How much of that had he seen? She felt the color rise in her cheeks.
"And that is why you always kick my ass at training," Yusuke said, smirking. He walked closer to Avari with his hands in his pockets. He was still clad in his training clothes and had his hair hanging down. It looked dewy with sweat (and quite sexy). It was obvious that he had just come back from training with Genkai... as Avari had presumed he had been doing.
Avari ripped the bandages off of her hands and walked closer to Yusuke. As she came closer to him, she couldn't help but notice that he was looking down at the floor. Was he avoiding eye contact with her? Was he hiding something from her? What could it be?
"Is something wrong?" she inquired, closing the gap between them. She was now only six inches away from his face. As she spoke, she stared up at him, directly into his eyes. They were his same delicious chocolate-brown eyes, but they were filled with... concern? Something had to be wrong...
"Well, I don't know that entire story," Yusuke began. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and proceeded to hold Avari's delicate, yet clammy hands in his strong, callused ones. Looking her in the eye, he continued. "But, Koenma called me..."
Avari shifted under Yusuke's intense gaze. Hearing that name made her feel rather uncomfortable at this point in time. Had Koenma called and told Yusuke about her getting fired? Maybe it was better that she wasn't the one who would have to tell him...
"He said that your friend Riley is in the hospital."
Avari's eyes widened in horror at these words. That was not what she had expected to hear. Her heart started pounding again, the blood rushing through her body multiple times faster than normal. So many questions filled her head. Yusuke pulled her into a loving embrace. What had happened? Was Riley in critical condition? Was she even alive? She would have asked these questions, but she was still too shocked to speak. Her mouth seemed glued shut, her head started to spin and her limbs felt immovable. If Yusuke hadn't have been supporting her, she would have fallen down onto the floor.
"They think she was attacked by someone or something," a voice from behind them proclaimed. It was Genkai. She had practically read Avari's mind. "She was found with a poisonous tranquilizer in her side."
"You don't think it was Yamiko, do you?" Yusuke asked, almost speaking for Avari. She was still taken aback by the news, still entangled in Yusuke's arms and soaking in all of this information like a sponge.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was," Genkai replied. She came further into the room so that she was standing beside the couple.
Gathering up her strength, Avari opened her mouth to attempt to say something, but Genkai didn't even let her start.
"Yes, you can go see her," she said, taking the words right out of Avari's mouth. It seemed strange how Yusuke and Genkai could speak for her like that. Yes, they could have used their spirit energy to penetrate her mind, but they didn't really need to do that. They knew her too well and that was a good thing. This showed how unbelievably close their relationships were; how much they cared for her and vice versa.
"And I'll take you right now," Yusuke said softly, looking down at the silver-haired girl in his arms.
------------At the Hospital------------
Avari stood in front of an oak door. There it was. Room 712, mounted on the door in shining, bronze numbers. Hospital room of Riley Mesa. Just as the receptionist had said.
She had been frozen at that spot in front of the door for quite some time. She was afraid of what was inside. Her knowledge of the accident was limited. She didn't know the severity of the Riley's condition and that scared her. Was her friend unconscious? Or was she sleeping? Would she recover? Or was she on her death bed? So many questions were swirling around in Avari's head.
If Yusuke had been there, he would have made her face her fears and go inside. Alas, he had wanted her to do this on her own. It as her thing; Riley was her best friend, not his. Most likely, he was snoozing in the waiting room or chowing down in the cafeteria. The mere thought of him shoveling spoonfuls of food down in throat brought a smirk to her lips. He was one of a kind, that Yusuke.
On that much happier note, she finally gathered her courage and grasped the doorknob. The shiny, brass handle felt cold in her palm. It was now or never. Pushing it forward, the door swung to reveal your ordinary hospital room--glaring white surfaces, beds covered in linens, vases of flowers, chairs, televisions--the whole shebang!
Of the four beds in the room, only one was occupied. The outline of Riley's body lay in it. The continuous beeping of the heart-rate machine was the only sound to be heard. It was music to the ears. At least she was in a stable state. Avari walked in deeper, deeper into the dimly lit room, until she was hovering over the bed. The finer details of Riley's state of health were visible now.
The first thing Avari noticed was her body's rhythmic breathing. That was another good sign. However, the upsetting reality was how pale Riley looked. Her cheeks were no longer their normal rosy color, nor was her skin that beautiful tone of bronze that so many people envied. Even her lips looked to be the faintest shade of blue. This wasn't good...
At that moment, Riley's eyes shot open, making Avari jump back a few steps. So, she wasn't unconscious... Her eyes focused on Avari's face. They weren't the normal crystal blue eyes Avari normally saw. They were a drab, cloudy grey. Riley's lips curved into a blue smiley.
"I'm glad you're here," Riley whispered. Her voice sounded hoarse and raspy.
"I'm glad you're alive." Avari smiled back.
Plopping down in a swivel chair, Avari positioned herself at Riley's bedside. She grasped her hand, noticing how limp and cold it felt. Chills went down her spine. What the hell had been in that tranquilizer? Was it some kind of poison only found in Demon World? She had never seen such effects to poison.
"Are you feeling okay?" Avari inquired anxiously.
"I feel like I was left butt-naked in the Arctic," Riley replied, smirking a little. Even Avari had to smile at that comment. Despite her conditions, Riley still remained the same cheerful, humorous person she was.
Avari's happiness was soon turned back to concern for Riley began to shiver. Hastily, she grabbed some extra blankets from a closet and lay them over her friend. The shivering and quivering soon stopped and Avari resumed her seat.
"Do you remember anything that happened? Because if it was Yamiko, I'm going to hunt down-" Avari started, anger rising within her. She was interrupted by Riley.
"Don't go off on one of your little rants!" Riley warned, pointing her finger at Avari. Avari's rants could go on and on... "All I remember is feeling a sharp pain in my back and ending up here in a hospital bed. Okay?"
After this, the two girls sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. Avari's mind was swimming with thoughts, as Riley's probably was, too. She felt guilty for all of this. Yamiko (or rather, one of his loyal minions rather) had warned her about this, but she had been careless in her fight to protect her loved ones. While she had known perfectly well what was going to or could happen, she had just sat on her lazy ass and let it all take place. What a great friend she was! Now, because of her, Riley was lying in a hospital bed and walking the tightrope between life and death. Sure, she was alive, but the effects of the poison could get worse...
The tears Avari had been holding back before were now flowing freely. Through blurred eyes, Avari looked on Riley's colorless, deathlike face. She spoke her feelings out.
"Riley...I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop this. You, of all people, shouldn't have to go through this. I would gladly take your place, but I can't. What I can do is try my best to fight back. I promise I will defeat Yamiko... for your sake, Genkai's, Yusuke's and mine."
With her thoughts finally in the form of words, she closed her eyes and laid her head down on the bed. She was exhausted. This day had been the mother of all bad days. Losing a job, and hurting two friends, physically and emotionally, had all been accomplished and it wasn't even dinnertime! Could it get any worse?
Riley didn't know what to say to Avari. She knew that no matter how much she argued with Avari, she would still think that this whole stunt had been her fault. She would still take the blame and let the guilt build up on her shoulders. That's the kind of person she was; selfless and caring. She loved others more than she loved herself. The only thing she could do was to hug Avari and try to comfort her, to ease the pain. They could go through this together.
Moments later, a light tapping at the door startled the girls. They turned to see a red-haired woman dressed in scrubs standing in the doorway.
"Excuse me," the nurse said politely, "I have to cut your visit short. The doctor has strict visiting hours and Riley needs her rest."
"Oh, I understand," Avari replied, getting up from her seat. After giving Riley one last hug and promising to check up on her everyday, she left the room.
As she walked down the lengthy hallway, Avari realized how much better she felt now that she knew how Riley was. Even though Riley wasn't in the best condition, she at least knew that her best friend was healthy and in good hands. It removed a couple pounds from the bag of responsibility on her back. Now, she could focus more on protecting Genkai and Yusuke from Yamiko's clutches.
-------------In the Waiting Room-----------
Avari looked around the spacious room. It was packed with crying babies, busy doctors, chattering nurses, rushing EMTs, cranky elderly people and any person in between. All of the hustle and bustle made it hard for her to find the one person she was looking for, Yusuke. A few seconds later, she caught a glimpse of him.
He was over in the far right-hand corner, but he was boxed in. Boxed in how, you might ask? Well, a group of 5 or 6 elderly women were crowded around him, admiring his physique. One especially squat and wrinkly woman was feeling his muscular arm, while another woman was prodding his abdomen with her cane. She was almost testing its efficiency to repelling things. Yusuke noticed Avari and mouthed the word "Help!" to her. Hastily, she went over to his rescue.
"Look! It's Johnny Depp!" Avari exclaimed, pointing at the other side of the waiting room. None of the women seemed to notice. They continued their er... inspection of Yusuke.
"Is that Orlando Bloom?" she tried again. At these words, the elderly women abandoned Yusuke and 'raced' to the other end of the waiting room. Apparently, they found Johnny to be a tad bit too old for their taste. They liked the uh... fresher meat, as utterly wrong as it sounded. Avari took her chance and ran over to Yusuke.
"Thank you for saving me!" Yusuke cried out, throwing his arms around Avari. "Those old women have been molesting me for the past twenty minutes!"
"Glad to be of service," Avari replied, happily. "Let's get out of here before they realize I tricked them and they beat me down with their canes.
"I concur!" Yusuke replied, as they headed toward the exit.
------------------------
As they walked down the busy sidewalk back to Genkai's temple, Yusuke kept a firm grip on Avari's waist. Every time a stranger with shifty eyes would pass by, he would pull her even closer. It wasn't just now that he was acting this cautious, he had been quite clingy for a long while. Actually, it had been ever since he had promised to protect her. That had been weeks ago, after she had been threatened. With Yamiko fully on the move to ruin her life now, he had to keep an even closer eye on her.
"Koenma told Genkai and I," Yusuke said, looking down as he spoke. He had been itching to tell her this and he didn't want to keep his knowledge of it from her. Honesty was a major part of their relationship.
"Told you what?" Avari asked. For the umpteenth time that day, her heart rate picked up and she began to panic. Did he know about the day's earlier events?
"That you lost your job."
Well, her worst nightmare had been fulfilled. He knew. And she hadn't been the one to tell her. She looked down at the sidewalk in embarrassment. He probably thought she was a lying thief now and he had only been nice before to hide the fact that he knew.
Yusuke noticed how uncomfortable she looked. He brought their walking to a stop. Slowly, he placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head. He looked deep into her unnaturally purple eyes.
"I don't believe Koenma's story though," he said, sincerely. Her eyes were not those of a lying thief; they were of a sweet, yet suffering girl he cared deeply for.
"How could he blame such an innocent, trusting girl for stealing?"
At this moment, Avari had the courage to return his gaze. She stared back into his chocolate brown eyes. She felt herself turn to mush only seconds later. He was so loving, so trusting...so handsome. She almost didn't deserve him.
"Do you want me to go talk some sense into him?" he offered.
"NO!" Avari exclaimed, finally recollecting her senses by his words. "He won't listen to you. I know he won't..."
"Okay. Whatever you want," Yusuke replied softly. He gently kissed her on the forehead and they resumed their walk home.
--------At Genkai's Temple------------
"Yo, grandma! We're back!" Yusuke practically screamed. His words echoed through the long, spacious halls. As he stepped over the threshold and into the house, he tripped over his own two feet and collided with the hard wood floors.
Avari, who was right behind him, giggled at this. He was such a character, that Yusuke. Always making an entrance. He may have seemed like a tough guy, but the simplest things could slip him up.
"What are you laughing at?" Yusuke asked. He groaned as he sat up on the floor.
"You," she said with a smile.
"I'm that funny, huh? Should I be a clown instead of a Spirit Detective?" he said, rather sarcastically.
"If the bright red nose fits," Avari replied, giggling still. She held out her hand to help him up.
"Oh, we'll see who's laughing in a minute," Yusuke said. Before Avari could realize what he was going to do, he had taken her outstretched hand and pulled her down on top of him.
"I think I like this position," he said with a perverted grin forming across his face.
Avari blushed and lightly punched him. She was practically sprawling out on top of him...and it was quite embarrassing.
"Am I interrupting something?" a voice called.
Both looked up to see Genkai looking down on them, arms crossed and a displeased look on her face. The two flirtatious teens turned beet red and scrambled to their feet.
"Grandma, I think you need to teach your niece to control her hormones," Yusuke said, pointing over at Avari. "I just couldn't keep her off of me."
Avari pouted and folded her arms. Yusuke was trying to make her look like the bad guy, even though she knew Genkai wouldn't buy it for a second. However, she would probably still put them through the humiliation of the sex talk and teen abstinence. She could see it all now...
"I think it's the other way around, dimwit," Genkai said, looking unamused. "If you have nothing important to tell me, then I suggest you go back to training."
"Actually, Aunt Genkai, I wanted to tell you that I know you know," Avari said, regaining composure and putting on a serious face.
"What?" Genkai said, cocking her head to the side in confusion. She was hopelessly clueless to what Avari was referring to.
"I told her that we know what we know that she didn't know we knew," Yusuke said, trying to clarify what they were speaking of. He had failed, miserably.
"What the hell?"
"My Spirit Job!" Avari exclaimed in frustration.
"Oh, that," Genkai said, finally comprehending. "If you want, I'll go kick Koenma's ass. No one hurts me niece..." Her hands turned to fists as she said this and her anger vein popped out of her forehead.
"Whoa, Nelly! You don't have to resort to such drastic measures, Aunt Genkai," Avari said. "No one needs to do that."
Without another word, Genkai walked back down the hall to the training room. The occasional "bastard", "binky sucker" and other more vile curses could be heard escaping her lips.
"I'll be her target to cool down her temper," Yusuke said, with a sigh. "Want to come?"
"Nah," she replied, shrugging. It did sound tempting, to see Yusuke get his ass kicked, but she could see that some other day. "I'll watch next time."
"Then, do you think you'll be up for hanging out later? You can help heal my wounds after I've been reduced to a bloody pulp," Yusuke said, smirking and pulling her into a hug.
"Maybe tomorrow? I'm wiped out," Avari replied, returning the hug. She rested her head on his shoulder. She really did want to be with him, but at the moment, she could really use some time to herself.
"I understand," he responded quietly. After giving her a peck on the lips, he headed toward the training hall to meet his doom.
Avari smiled as she watched him go. She was glad he understood. With that, she went off in the direction of her room.
----------------In Avari's Room--------------
Avari shut the door behind her. She leaned against it for a moment, relieved to finally get some alone time. It wasn't that she didn't love spending time with Genkai and Yusuke. In truth, those were the times she was most happy. But, after a day like this, who wouldn't need to recollect themselves?
Still standing against the door, Avari gazed around her room, observing it from her perspective. Just recently, she had changed her room's decor. It went from being a purple haven to being an oasis, a tropical paradise. She had let her creative juices flow and her inner interior designer shine through in the transformation. The once purple walls were now a light teal progressing into a deep aqua at the bottom of the walls. They represented the water as the light peachy carpet acted as the sand. The furniture, meaning the dresser, table, bed frame, bedside table and so on, went from being dark wood to white wicker. The curtains were now a sheer, airy white, matching the bedspread. Island pictures and other odds and ends were on display throughout the room. Sea shells of all shapes and sizes were distributed on the shelves along with stuffed animals of sea life. The theme was even to the extent that Avari had put a mini palm tree in one corner and an orange surfboard in the other. A hammock was even hanging in another corner, which was where Avari walked over and flopped down in.
What a day this had been... She desperately needed something to relax her senses, to clear her mind. But, what... She had just the thing!
Going over to her whitewashed, wicker bedside table, Avari pulled out a fat, lavender candle. This wasn't just any ordinary candle; it had been given to her by her mother only days before she had died. This made it even more special. The words her mother had spoken to her were still clear as day.
"Whenever you need alleviation and soothing, light this candle," she had said.
Right now, Avari needed both of those things, and a whole lot more. However, this was the best she could do for herself at the moment.
Placing the candle on a little plate to collect the dripping wax, she lit it and put it atop the bedside table. She lay back down in the hammock, resting her head on a puffy, teal pillow.
In only a few moments, the air was permeated with the candle's scent of lavender. It reminded Avari of her mother even more. That was how she had always smelled.
When Avari was little, she would run to her mother with all of her problems, questions and concerns. Mrs. Raji would take her in her arms and comfort her. Avari would dig her tiny face into her mother's bosom, as most little, worried children do. The smell of lavender, that lovely, healing lavender would engulf her senses. It was that scent that instantaneously relaxed her, gave her a new confidence.
Ah, those were the good old days... When Avari's parents were still alive. The only problems she had were losing her favorite jump rope or scrapping her knee. As you got older, life grew more complex and more pressure was thrown on you. If only the innocence of youth could have lasted longer...
Avari breathed in the perfume again and closed her eyes. She could almost see her mother's face. Long, chestnut brown hair, a white smile, those purple eyes and two arms that were always wide open, waiting to hold her...
With this one last, comforting thought and the slight rocking of the hammock, Avari lulled into a deep, comforting sleep. The poor girl needed it after such a long, life-changing and exhausting day. The unfortunate thing was that it was only going to get worse...
---To Be Continued---
-A/n- And that's another chapter. And it only took me about 8 or 9 months to write it! However, I am proud to say that I already have the next one on paper! I just need to type it up. But, what other horrific things does Yamiko have in store for Avari before he makes his final swoop? Find out next time in The Power Locked Within!
---Don't forget that reviews are always appreciated. :3