Kuro shook her head as she realized she was being lead up stairs. The Matrix versions of Inu-Yasha, Kegome and producer were around her. Kuro swore to herself.
"Not again."
"You're awake," the producer said. "Good."
"Can't have the Oracle talk to a body," Kegome added.
"So," Kuro said, trying to get some tiny little shred of information from these idiots around her. "What am I going to speak with the Oracle about?"
"It could be many things," Inu-Yasha said."
"But she will make everything clear," the producer said.
They lead Kuro into a small room, where she saw a door leading off in one direction. The producer pointed to it.
"Go through there," he said.
"Is this Oracle of yours behind there?" Kuro asked. There was no response. "Okay, fine. Whatever.
Kuro opened the door and walked through into a little dinning room There was a kitchen off in one corner and a table in the middle. At the table sat Kikio. There was a plate of cookies in front of her.
"Hello Neo," Kikio said.
"Kikio?" Kuro asked.
"I am the oracle," Kikio said.
"Wait one damn minute," Kuro said, placing a hand to her temple.
"Would you like a cookie?" Kikio asked.
"No," Kuro said, clenching her hands into fists. "I don't want a cookie.
"Don't worry about the vase," Kikio said.
"What vase?" Kuro looked around and her elbow smacked into a vase. It fell to the floor and crashed. Kuro took a step back. "How did you do that?"
"Don't worry about that," Kikio said. "What'll really get you later is whether you would have broken it or not if I hadn't said anything."
"Oh, I already know the answer to that," Kuro said. "If you keep evading my questions, I would have probably broken it over your skull."
"Sit down, Neo," Kikio said, motioning to a chair.
"Why does everybody keep calling me Neo?" Kuro asked, sitting down.
"You have questions," Kikio said.
"No shit," Kuro said. "What was your first clue?"
"Ask," Kikio said. "And I shall do my best to answer them."
"Okay," Kuro said. "What is the Matrix?"
The door opened and the producer stuck his head in. "The Matrix is all around you."
The producer pulls his head back and Inu-Yasha sticks his head through the door.
"It is the clothes you wear. The—"
Kuro slammed the door shut on Inu-Yasha's head. Then she returned to her seat.
"Okay," she said. "Let's try another one. Why am I here?"
Kegome sticks her head through the door.
"You are the One," she said.
Kuro slammed the door shut again and placed her chair against the doorknob.
"Here," Kikio said. "Let me see your hands."
"Why?"
"Just let me see."
After a moment or two of hesitation, Kuro extends her hand. Kikio looks into her palms for quite some time, running her fingers through the lines of Kuro's hands. Finally, she looked up.
"Nope," she said. "You're not the One."
Kuro frowned. "What do you mean, 'I'm not the one?'"
"Sorry, kiddo," Kikio said. "But I guess, it wasn't meant to be."
"How can you tell I'm not the one?" Kuro asked, examining her own palms.
Kikio smiled. "Would like a cookie?"
"If I'm not the One," Kuro said, ignoring the plate Kikio offered her, "Then why do I keep showing up here?"
The door knob began to rattle. The door opened a crack and the producer poked his head in.
"You are the One, Neo!" he shouted. "You are the One."
Kuro slammed the door shut. She heard the sound of furniture breaking and other sounds of crashing and destruction as the producer fell back into the room.
"If I'm not the One," Kuro asked, "What the hell am I supposed to do?"
"Go with Morpheus," Kikio said.
"Who?" Kuro asked.
"The man with the hat," Kikio said.
Kuro, who was leaning on the door by this point, looked at it and took a step back. It burst open and the producer burst in, sweating.
"He's found us," he said.
"Who?" Kuro asked before she could stop herself.
"The Agent," the producer said.
Naraku could be seen through the doorway. He smiled at Kuro.
"Why do you continue to resist us, Mr. Anderson?" Naraku said, reaching into his suit jacket.
He fired off a shot or two before Inu-Yasha and Kegome began to try to fight him off. They failed and were beat aside. The producer pushed Kuro towards the door and turned to fight Naraku. There fight was short. Naraku advanced on Kuro menacingly.
"Naraku, honey," Kuro said. "What the hell are you doing?"
Naraku punched Kuro in the chest, slamming her against a wall. When she looked up again, she was leaning against a tree. She looked around and saw Naraku sitting under a nearby tree. He was quietly eating a cookie. Enraged, Kuro picked up a rock and hurled it at Naraku's head. He looked up just in time to duck.
"What was that for?" he demanded.