Chapter Twelve

Forevermore

Yusuke was shouting at Koenma through his laptop. "What do you mean we have to wait! We have them Koenma, we know exactly where they're hiding! Now you're saying we need to stop everything and work on another case? Like hell!"

Yusuke was saying everything Katani felt. Koenma had given another mission top priority and put Tithe's case on hold. He claimed that since the assassins was laying low for the time that they should work on another mission that was troubling him.

Revenge was on the tips of her fingers but it was slipping away. They all sat in Kuwabara's bedroom. It was about a week after the deciphering of the map and they had all been ready to go. Katani had even readied Feer by giving him new iron shoes with razor edges. A kick from him was made even more deadly.

"Yusuke, you need to calm down!" Koenma retaliated. "This case is an easy one but it has been causing me a lot of paperwork. Finish this one and you can go to the island. Think of it as a warm-up so you and your new member can work on fighting in sync."

"Screw that! We can all fight just fine!" He was about to begin another rant but Katani had heard enough. She was touched by his actions, he knew how much this case meant to her and he wanted to see it through. But this was too much for him to put himself, or Koenma, through.

"Relax Yusuke," she put a hand on his arm. "If Koenma has another mission for you then do it." Everyone seemed shocked by her words until she finished her statement. "I'll just go alone."

"No, Katani, I need you to go as well." Koenma said.

Her calm demeanor disappeared. "What? Forget that, I'm going whether you like it or not!" She pushed Yusuke aside so she was looking directly at the ruler of Spirit World. "The only reason I'm part of this little team is to get revenge for my brother. You're smoking something if you think I'm going to be your little errand girl just so you're paperwork load is lighter!" Kurama and Kuwabara were pulling her back so she didn't destroy the briefcase.

"Do I need to remind you of the crimes you have committed? You work for me until your sentence is up, like it or not." Koenma was showing no wiggle room.

"And if I don't?" She ripped her arms out of the boys' grip and sat on the floor next to an equally ticked Yusuke.

"If you refuse to comply I'll have you arrested and you will spend the remainder of your sentence in prison, as will Feer."

Katani took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Unable to hear anymore she stood and decided to copy Hiei by folding her arms and taking up residence on the windowsill. If she continued to argue with him she might sprout her wings and leave for the island alone.

"The mission is simple…" Koenma went on about the details of who they'd be catching and where they were headed. "The boy is seemingly possessed by a demon. His name is Ty Griffin."

Katani fell off the windowsill. She ignored the other boys and grabbed the sides of the brief case. "What's the name?"

"Ty Griffin. He's an employee at Rising Crest Stables just in the countryside outside Tokyo."

Katani fell back. Not Ty. No way something like that could happen at the Crest. What if the demon turned on Feer? What if Ty attacked Jonathon, or Hannah? Poor Hannah was too small to defend herself against someone as strong as Ty. Koenma continued explaining the details and Botan added in when necessary.

"Take care of this as quietly and quickly as possible. Good luck you guys." With that Koenma disappeared.

Katani threw her pack over her shoulders. She whistled loudly and heard three knocks from the ceiling. Feer was outside, invisible and ready to go. "Let's head out. I'm flying." She changed her sword and cut her back before anyone could say anything.

"How are we supposed to get there?" Yusuke demanded.

"You can ride Feer. Hurry up before something happens!" After everyone was invisible she helped them get to the roof. Kuwabara and Hiei were settled on Feer but he wouldn't let Yusuke any where near him. He stomped and kicked if he tried to mount and after clipping him across the chest and leaving a decent cut Yusuke had enough.

"Plan B?" Botan asked from her oar.

Katani was getting frantic. "Can he ride with you, Botan?"

"You're kidding." Yusuke said. He had "ridden" Botan's oar before. The woman flew like a chibi on steroids.

Kurama had shifted to Yoko so he could fly. "Just because this case is personal doesn't mean you should be so hasty. We'll make it there in time."

"I can't lose him!" She shouted. People walking down the street stopped and turned to see where the sound had come from. It was quiet for a moment. She felt the string in her mind quiver slightly. The thread had been growing weaker all weak. She felt like it would break any moment. "Please, let's just go." She spoke a few quiet words to Feer. "He'll let you mount now." She put Yusuke's hand on Feer so he would know where he was.

"We'll get him." Yusuke whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry Katani, your special someone will be A-okay after we show up." Kuwabara said.

"You make me sick." Hiei said to him.

Katani grinned. Over the week she had connected with each of them. She even felt closer to Hiei after sparring with him daily. A part of her knew that he liked it too, though he would never say it. Suddenly she felt the thread in her mind throb. It felt as if she had a headache. The throbbing continued even when they flew to Rising Crest at top speed. She ignored it the best she could as they flew over the green pastures.

"There!" She heard a voice, Kuwabara's.

"Where? I can't see where you're pointing you idiot!" Yusuke yelled at him.

"Over there, by the big tree."

Katani followed his directions and saw Lion and Ginger grazing. Hannah was sitting with Ty who looked very strange. Katani felt his aura and went pale. Whoever was controlling him was strong, very strong.

"How do we get that thing out of Ty? I don't suppose any of you are exorcists." Katani doubted any of these guys could be a priest.

"We have two options. One is we either convince him to fight the demon out of himself or…" Yoko's gold eyes flashed like wildfire.

"Or what?" Katani asked the open air.

"We kill him and the demon." Hiei sounded like he would enjoy a good slaying.

Katani groaned and returned her gaze to the ground. Hannah looked relatively normal. She was finishing off the last her sandwich. Something inside Katani clicked. She dove to the ground before she knew what was happening. The boys called to her but she ignored them. With a flash she thrust the ring off her finger and shielded Hannah with her gold wings. Hannah screamed as the air was filled with black bullets. They darted to and fro seeking anything so stop them. Lion and Ginger panicked and skittered from the bullets path. Dozens were imbedded in trees, rocks, and even Katani. She bit her teeth as her wings were torn to shreds. Luckily they were long enough to wrap back around her and shield her own body. Before they were beyond repair she raised her sword.

The blade sang as it tore through bullet after bullet. Another sword joined hers, no two, and together they stopped every bullet.

"Run Hannah!" Katani yelled to her friend. Feer came behind her and she swung on his back. The stable girl looked like she might collapse at any moment. The gold horse flew into the air just before another attack was launched. Hiei and Kuwabara helped Katani while the silver Kurama fought alongside Yusuke. Together they stopped the rain of bullets.

Everyone was clearly visible now and Ty stood looking loathingly at them all. With a voice that was not his own he said, "You again. About time that I met the gold one. This should prove interesting."

"Ty! Come back! Fight it! Don't let this demon control you. You're stronger then that, I know it." She held out a hand towards him. "Come on, we can all go home."

"Katani…" Ty's eyes returned to their normal hazel. His body shook as if he fought everything inside him. Finally he muttered, "Run… away…" His eyes clouded over with darkness once more and a black aura surrounded him. The evil tone returned. "Five against one? That's no fair… So I think I'll even the odds…" His arm transformed into a long sickle and he sliced a wound into Katani's arm.

With the hilt of her sword she hit his shoulder blade before he was out of her grasp. The others wasted no time and delivered raining blows on Ty. Katani wanted to scream to them not to harm Ty, but that would do no good now. The vicious demon dodged left and right, his agility was astounding. Every blow he dodged. Yusuke was getting irritated and launched his spirit shotgun. Ty was struck was the blow didn't seem to phase him.

"Time to make this a fair fight! I will challenge only you, gold veins!" He took his arm that had Katani's blood and thrust it into the ground. Yusuke and the others fell to their knees. Even Hiei was paralyzed as red ropes coiled around their limbs. Katani called for them but they didn't respond.

The evil Ty laughed. "They can't hear you Kitty. They do not have the same blood as us, only those with solid gold running through their veins can move now. Didn't you know we could do that? Oh my you haven't been trained at all have you?"

Katani ran to Yusuke. "Get up, Yusuke!" She pulled at the ropes but they burned her flesh. She tried Hiei, Kuwabara, even Yoko. Deep burns covered her palms as she pulled against the ropes. The air reeked with the scent of charred flesh.

"You truly are a stubborn one. Well I'll just have to break you myself. Even though we are kin."

"Kin? What are you talking about?" She started as Ty lunged at her. She dodged and swung her sword as hard as she could on his leg. She barely made a scratch. But the scratch she did make told her all she need to know, for down Ty's leg fell droplets of gold blood.

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