Part Six: The Meeting

It doesn't take much for Tempest to persuade Kamiya to come with them. Talya is not too surprised though she says nothing about it. Silently, she follows them to the hotel where they would be meeting their new comrades. She only hope this doesn't end up with her in a worst situation than she already was. As Koenma said, an eternity was a long sentence to pay. She's not looking forward to it. "You're thinking about it again," Tempest comments.

"Stop reading my emotions, Temp," Talya says tonelessly, "I really don't care to have this conversation again."

"He's being ridiculous. You shouldn't have an eternity of punishment set on you because you lost control. That's stupid."

"Tempest, we've been through this…we both agree that Koenma is being an idiot…Do we HAVE to go through this all again?"

"No, I guess not but you're upset…"

"I know I'm upset! That's to be expected!"

"Don't get mad at me, Talya. I'm trying to help."

Talya sighs at the rebuke. "I'm sorry…you're right, I'm being defensive for no reason…You've been nothing but kind to me." She feels Tempest's hand on her shoulder and looks back at her.

"I don't blame you for your anger, Talya. I just don't want you to let yourself be consumed by it."

"I know…and I'm very grateful to you, never doubt that. My temper is just so short these days. I have to be careful…my powers will return within a few days and if I don't control my emotions I am going to end up with more strikes against me."

"I trust you. I know you can find a way not to hurt anyone. Don't fear who you are."

"That's just the problem…I DO fear who I am…I always have."

Tempest sighs. "Talya, you have to realize that you can control the gift you have. It's YOURS."

"I know that…it's just I don't want to blow things up!"

"Sometime you are going to have to accept that."

"I realize that…but it's hard, really, really hard!"

"Well, at the moment, we have other things to worry about," Kamiya interrupts smoothly, "This conversation will have to wait."

Talya merely nods and goes silent. She wasn't up for the conversation anyway. Her hazel-brown eyes observe the hotel coolly. It was rather…rundown. Sighing, she follows Kamiya and Tempest inside. They walk through the foyer and up the stairs towards their destination. Talya is not impressed by the peeling wallpaper and the faded rugs. This place was definitely low rate.

They stop before a room and Tempest knocks on the door. Talya waits wondering why in the world they were needed for this sort of an assignment. 'Why can't he ever answer anything straightforward?' she wonders, 'I am quite tired of his riddles.'

The door opens revealing a carrot-top. "Hello, were you sent by Koenma?" he asks.

"Yes," Tempest responds smiling at him, "I'm Tempest, you're probably familiar with Dr. Kamiya, and Talya is the other one."

Talya looks at him and for a moment sees the slight fear in his eyes as he looks at her. Inwardly, she wonders what she had done for people to think she was evil. "I'm not going to blow you up," she says irritably, "I don't know why everyone thinks I'm going to. I didn't mean to get that angry the last time…I couldn't control it…"

Kazuma wonders what she means by that but figures that he really doesn't want to know the answer to that. He just cannot believe that the human girl wields explosives like Karasu. He still had yet to get over what that bomb wielder had done to Kurama. Those were not memories he'd wanted to drudge back up. However, he decides that there wasn't a point in blaming the young woman for that. "Why don't you guys come on in and we'll discuss what it is that Koenma sent you for."

Tempest smiles and enters with Kamiya. Talya lags in the back and her eyes show no emotions whatsoever. "Well, this is definitely, interesting," Shinobu says seeing Minoru Kamiya. The man gives a gentle incline of his head but says nothing.

"Koenma wanted us to come and help you out," Tempest says softly.

"Yes well, as the two of our friends have been molested by men I can see why two women may not be seen as so threatening," Shinobu answers.

"Of course because when I see them I immediately think that," Kazuma responds.

"Look you, I don't know what your problem is with whatever ability I may have but I am not going to blow you up," Talya interjects, "I hate it when people immediately think I am evil!"

Kazuma has the grace to look embarrassed. "I'm sorry…It's just the last person that had that particular ability tried to kill a good friend of mine…very, very slowly…"

Talya winces. "Well, I'm not like that…though it would be hard to tell since I blew up an entire block of people…"

"What? How?"

"I lost control…I didn't realize that I had any abilities that weren't normal. This kid was bullying me and I got mad…really, really mad. My hair turned blonde and the whole block blew up…and whoever didn't blow up was skewered by ice."

Kazuma winces. "That must have been bad."

"Bad enough to make me pay an eternity for it."

"WHAT? Wait, surely Koenma didn't BLAME you for it…did he?"

"He did…so I am."

Kuwabara winces. "That is not fair. You couldn't be blamed for something that you had no idea of."

"Obviously Koenma doesn't see it that way and he's opinion is the only one that matters."

"How did he find you…did you die?"

"Hardly…he sent some black haired tattooed weirdo after me…the brown-eyed man was NOT too polite."

"Yusuke," Kazuma whispers, "He sent YUSUKE?"

"That was his name…really impolite…"

Kazuma shakes his head. "That is Yusuke for you."

Talya scowls. "That makes me feel so much better that you know him. The guy was a jerk!"

"He can be. So he took you to Koenma?"

"Yes."

"How long ago?"

"Almost five weeks."

"You shouldn't have been blamed for it."

"As I said, your opinion doesn't matter…and in any event, it's not important. I wasn't sent here to find a compassionate ear, I was sent to help with two terrified male demons."

"You certainly have a one-tracked mind," Kazuma comments.

Talya laughs bitterly. "Yes, well why brood on things that won't change? I find that it does nothing but send a person insane."

"Talya," Tempest says warningly.

The girl sighs. "You need to lighten up, Temp."

"You need to stop being negative."

Talya doesn't answer. She merely looks at the two males huddling on the other side of the room. "Oh boy."

Tempest follows her gaze and winces. "Oh god…how…"

"Koenma is an idiot," Oto finally says, "Plain and simple."

Tempest gets up and slowly heads over to the two of them. "She's drawn to hurting people," Talya comments.

"So why is she in trouble with Koenma?"

"She brought Kamiya from hell…along with Suzaku."

"S-Suzaku?" Kazuma stammers.

"Yes, me," a voice says from the doorway, "And unfortunately for you, Koenma thinks it's necessary for me to hang around with you guys as well."

The carrot-top stares in horror as the blond demon walks in. His violet eyes glitter with a familiar malice. "I still hate you and your friends, human."

"Wonderful," Kazuma groans, "I'm going to die."