"K-Keiko, what have you been up to?" Yusuke asked softly, a shameful look on his face.
"Uh... Running my parents shop, going to school. And don't act as if I haven't noticed your lack of attendance!" Keiko yelled.
"eh... heh..."
"Hi! I'm Kat!" Kat introduced herself kindly, and held a hand out to shake Keiko's.
Keiko shook her hand, a sad smile in her eyes. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Keiko asked.
Kat nodded, knowing immediatly what would have to be done. Kat had had that look in her eyes when she had met Yukina for the first time, every time she heard of him. She... she couldn't possibly hurt a person like Yukina hurt her. Kat took Keiko's wrist, and walked into the store, where she ordered some food for them, and sat down, Yusuke waiting outside.
"I know what you feel for him." Kat admitted.
"I-I can't help it." Keiko looked down. "If you don't want me to see him anymore..."
"That isn't what I meant at all." Kat smiled softly, continuing to eat. "I've had my heart broken like that, unintentionally, but I could never stay with Yusuke knowing how much he means to you." Kat smiled, and started eating.
Keiko looked at her confusedly. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I never wish to hurt another as I was hurt." Kat smiled. "So just... take good care of him, okay?" Kat stuffed the food down. "Tell him what I said, okay? He'll understand.
I'm sneaking out the back way, alright?" Kat stood, and bolted, blode hair trailing behind her.
Yusuke walked in a few minutes later. "Everything okay?" Yusuke asked.
"Yusuke, she wants me to tell you that... She could never hurt another like she's been hurt"
Keiko said quietly.
Yusuke thought about that for a minute or so. "K-Keiko?" Yusuke sat next to her. "Are you in-love with me?"
Keiko looked down and nodded, unable to meet Yusuke's eyes. "For as long as I remember."
Yusuke smiled softly, and put his hand under Keiko's chin, tilting her head up. Keiko searched his eyes. Yusuke leaned in, and captured her lips, pulling back quickly, afraid of being slapped.
"I feel the same, Keiko." Yusuke whispered. "Oh... shit..."
"I believe you should know she ran out the back." Keiko bit her lip, a dark blush painted across her cheeks.
"Shit! 'Bara's gonna kill me!" Yusuke hit his palm to his head. "How long has she been gone?"
"Few seconds, maybe a minute now." Keiko blushed still, an adorable aww in her eyes.
"I... I hate to love and leave, but... You understand?" Yusuke asked hurriedly.
"Yeah, but why do you have to leave?" Keiko asked.
"'Bara is gonna slit me from naval to nose if I don't make sure she didn't try to sli-- Uh, I promised not to tell..." Yusuke ran off.
Keiko, who had no idea what was going on, just sat back down into her seat, and finished her meal, knowing Yusuke would probably come back when he had finished what he was doing, probably had to do something for the spirit world. Maybe that's where Kat was from. Who knew these days? She was still too stunned to do anything but quietly put food into her mouth, chew, and digest silently.
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Kat who had ran out back, decided the best course of action was to go visit the Toguro brothers, Genkai had informed them earlier in the week where she was. She herself felt absolutely terrible about the things that had happened before she left, and even worse about not telling them what she felt. She knew Ani was good when it came to conventional things, and Oto was good with the whole feelings package. Kat knocked on the door, and waited, her feet shifting nervously, he hands clenching, ready for them to yell, and her face hung down, shamefully. The door opened.
"Kat?" Oto asked. "You don't need to knock, this is your home."
"I... I'm sorry. I just can't stand being hurt like that. I guess that's what I get for being a weak half-breed female, huh?" Kat chuckled softly.
"Come talk to us." Ani grabbed her hand, and brought her to the living room, and sat on the couch,
her curling up between them.
"I never meant it to go that far really." Kat shrugged. "But until I met Yusuke I never thought I was worth anything. Now that he's out of the picture, it's not a problem of me getting attached."
"What are you talking about?"
"I figure that if I don't get attached I can't get hurt." Kat smiled.
"Did you dump him?" Oto sighed, runing a hand tiredly over his face.
Ani rubbed his temples. "Please let the next words out of your mouth be 'Of course not, I'm madly in-love with him'."
"I just gave him the happiness I could never give him. Keiko." Kat smiled nervously.
There was a long silence, and Oto nodded. "If that's how you feel, I guess I can't really change that, but you will have to love someday, and that someday is coming sooner than you think."
"You have to grow up sometime." Ani sighed.
"So... How much training am I in for? Five days?" Kat asked sadly.
"No. None. You do as you wish." Oto shook his head. "It was wrong of us to believe you the little girl we left you as."
"I'm not grown up, yet." Kat fought.
"We cannot punish you, because that is what will punish you most." Ani stood.
"Please, show me some sign that you are angry with me." Kat begged. "Do not treat me indifferently! I know you care."
"What do you want us to say? That we're disappointed? I think we've made that clear. That we're angry that you couldn't trust us enough to confide in us, and then slit your wrists and left for a week?" Ani said calmly.
"Yell at me, show me something from indifferency! If you know what that will do to me, then why do so"
Kat asked.
"If you want to kill yourself, I'll hand you the knife." Oto said and stood.
"What do I need to do to for you to forgive me?" Kat asked. "If you don't want me, then I will understand, just show me something, anything, just let me know that I affected you in some slight way"
Kat yelled. "Show me if I mattered to you for even one of the briefest seconds."
Oto turned to face her. "You are not punishing us from hurting yourself. You are only punishing yourself, and until you understand that certain things have serious repercussions, then I cannot move to stand in reason of your actions."
"Repercussions?" Kat asked stubbornly.
"We no longer have custody of you." Ani walked out of the room.
"What!"
"Genkai went all the way to Koenma to revoke our Guardianship over you. This land was also signed in your name, so you have run of the grounds, and you will always have a room here, but if you come to us,
and expect compassion, then you will not find it." Oto turned and left the room.
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Kat left the grounds, and returned to Ninjenkai. She walked out of town as quickly as she could. When she reached a long patch of forest, she ran deep into it, crying hysterically. She sat in the middle,
hours on end, crying hysterically.
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"That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Ani held his chest. "Been a while since I've felt that kind of pain."
"No kidding." Oto nodded. "I... I'm not sure if that was the right thing to do. We can't train her this way."
"That's only an excuse, I know how much you cared for her." Ani glared at him. "Don't hide it when I'm baring my freaken heart and soul here!"
"Very well..." Oto nodded.
"This is part of my plan. I know what she'll do, and if she hasn't suddenly gotten smarter, then she'll do it the hard way." Ani sighed. "Which is the point."
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Kat stood emotionless at Genkai's temple. She knew Genkai sensed her, and she was heading towards her with some other people. It had been four days after she confronted the Toguro brothers. Four days after she had gone missing. Yukina was with her, as was Kuwabara, Keiko, Yusuke, the red haired boy, and the short one. She hadn't gotten their names when they saved her, and she was even beginning to doubt that. What was going on?
That wasn't her mission, however, and she knew what she had to do, for better or worse.
Kat could see them approaching, and he stood, waiting for them, surely they knew what Genkai had done.
When they got to her, Kuwabara kept walking towards her, going to bring her into a hug, she jumped backwards,
and shook her head. Kuwabara looked confused, and he searched her eyes. Kuwabara stepped back to the group.
"Where have you been?" Genkai asked.
"Don't play games with me, Genkai." Kat said emotionlessly. "I know very well what you have done, and I know very well they know and helped it along."
"It had to be done." Yukina said softly.
"Fuck you!" Kat shouted. "You know nothing!" Kat shook her head knowingly. "What you thought has only done more damage then good, and I don't see why anyone cares of my personal affairs."
"We care about you, that's why." The red head said softly.
" I don't know your name, and you claim to care about affairs you've only been a backseat driver about.
You don't know the road if you aren't driving." Kat said almost tiredly. "I came here because one of you will take me to Koenma."
"You make it sound like we have no choice." The short one said, enthusiastic comparing to Kat's monotone tone.
"You know nothing of my past, and you argue with me. You may know the trees, but do you know the wind,
or the ground? You don't know the worth of flying until you've fallen." Kat stood her ground. "One of you will take me to Koenma to change things to how they have been, because if you don't I will find a way, and I figure I'll be frusterated enough by then to kill someone, and if that someone is defensless as a child, I suppose I won't have a problem."
Kuwabara's eyes opened wide, and he walked towards Kat, trying to place a hand on her shoulder. "Kat, please!"
Kat laughed, and jumped back. "If you knew me at all, you'd know that touching me is not the best idea."
Kuwabara used one finger, and poked her in the shoulder. "Wow, the world hasn't ended!" Kuwabara said monotonely.
"The world doesn't revolve around me, so why do you care, huh? Why do you hang around anymore you stupid useless oaf? No one needs you!" Kat yelled, anger filling her voice. "Love ruins friendships, maybe it should've ruined ours."
"I think it has. Why don't you go die like your parents? Things would be so much easier." Kuwabara turned and walked back to the temple.
There was a long silence.
"Why did that just happen?" Genkai yelled. "Because that's the real reason I came." Kat smiled apologetically. "I don't want to go to Koenma at all,
and as much as I regret doing that, I know it was for the best." Kat smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for being rude and horrible these past few minutes, I just know-- knew 'Bara couldn't take some of the Crap I said to him."
"I've said those things a million times." The short one said.
"It doesn't matter what or how it was said, just who said it." Kat sighed. "But if he wants me dead, then so be it."
"Why did you do it, though? Do you know how bad that must've hurt him? He didn't even fight back!" Keiko said, holding into Yusuke's hand.
"His words were no Crueler that mine. I figure I hurt him now so I don't hurt him later and much worse, and go on with my plan." Kat shrugged.
"What exactly is your plan?" Genkai asked confusedly.
Kat shrugged. "Listen to my feet I guess, let my mind find out what my feet want, then do so. My feet haven't led me wrong yet. I got here in one piece, after all." Kat said, looking at her shoe-clad feet. "Maybe leave for a while, and I know he'd be mad about my plans, if he wasn't already pissed."
"You are the only person I know who will listen to her feet." Yusuke shook his head.
"See ya!" Kat turned, and began walking down the stairs.
"Where are you going?"
"Where ever my feet lead me, I guess."
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"We have to follow her!" Yusuke demanded.
"Do what you want, I think I have to go put Kuwabara's heart back together." Yukina sighed, and ran to the temple.
"She's no danger to herself, and she can protect herself just fine. She might not return, but every bird flies the coop just to spread it's wings. Knowing her, she'll be back within two weeks half dead." Genkai sighed.
Two weeks passed, though, and there was no sight of Kat anywhere. The only thing they noticed was a spike in Spirit energy, a large one. What they all feared was coming true. Kat reverted.
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Kat now knew hewr father must've been a kitsune, for she had transformed into a beautiful Kitsune. She was no longer the awkwardly sized girl she had been, her short blond hair was replaced by long flowing red hair, and her eyes were no longer the average brown, but purple. Her tail, and ears were purple, her total frame of mind changing along with her bodily transformation. She went to the Makai, and started gathering a team a few people from each town. That team turned into a band, then in to a Clan of over three hundred. She was powerful, and she was beautiful, a deadly combination that lead many to follow. Every one of them had talents she exploited, and most recently she had an enchanter bring back an old friend of a different Kitsune. Kuronue. With this enchanting, she was given a red medallion, where his soul would be kept. As long as Kuronue stayed within range of her, he would stay in his solid form. It wasn't like Kuronue was planning on leaving anyway. Not only was he second in command of a Demon Army, but he was in love. First he thought it was just her looks that drew him, but it was also the way she looked at him, the way her voice changed around him, the way she talked sweetly and kindly to him, then looked to another officer, and barked at him.
He was in love, and he would stay with her until the end. Kuronue knew she was half human, but didn't love her any less for that, infact, he admired her more. Demons detested humans more than anything, but they all knew who she was, yet they followed her blindly. That in itself was quite a feat, getting Demons to obey a human.
They traveled town to town, gathering more and more people along the way, and soon there were 500+ people on her quest for domination. Kuronue was the only person she let into her life, so when he asked why she was on this quest, she answered.
"My heart was broken, and I broke him. I figured I had nothing left but to impress my dear Uncles. They are never impressed with anything!" She sighed. "Maybe if I hand them Makai on a plate they will take me back."
"They'd be fools not to." Kuronue smiled at her.
"Thank you." She wrapped her arms around Kuronue, and hugged him, the first phsical contact they had ever had.
He hugged her back. "For what, though, are you thanking me?"
"For not hating me." She sighed deeply. "And for that I'm giving you something."
Kuronue pulled away reluctantly. "You need not give me anything. I would rather be no where else,
and what I do for you, I do because I choose to."
"That is why you must have this." She took off the medallion around her neck, and placed it around his. "Now you can forever remain wherever, and however you like. The medallion that kept you to me, is now yours. You are free."
A demon knocked on the door to the room they were in.
"Go the fuck away!" She barked, and feet shuffled away quickly. "Back to what I was saying."
Kuronue took the necklace off, and placed it back around Korida's neck. "This is what I want, and this is how I am free."
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Quinn and Hiei sat in a tree, Hiei having a very serious talk about why interspecies relationships aren't allowed. Quinn seemed quite upset by this, and mauled him out of the tree. Hiei was laughing hysterically as he hit the ground. Kurama looked at him, and wondered if Hiei had caught a Makai disease.
"You're not human!" Hiei laughed at the Cougar.
:Wanna make a bet: The cougar thought, and as quickly as he had mauled Hiei, he changed forms. He stood as a Neko now, black cat ears, and a soft fluffy tail.
"You're still male!" Hiei pouted.
The neko mewed at him.
"And you still can't speak, can you?" Hiei asked, smiling brightly.
The neko shook his head.
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Kuwabara, Yusuke, Yukina, Botan, Shizuru and Genkai stumbled upon the Lake Clan's territory, and the only reason they knew that was because they were attacked by several hundred demons, and captured. The demons wondered what to do with them, and mulled around the idea of what would taste best. Kuronue approached the camp, though, and talked to the guards. He then turned to his captives.
"You are to be brought before Miss Korida. You had better pray she is in a good mood today." Kuronue ordered some men to bring them to Korida, as Kuronue led the way.
"Who is Korida?" Yukina asked.
"I'm assuming that's what Kat reverted is called." Genkai shrugged.
"Bingo!" Botan smiled, still brightand cheery through all of this. "I bet you it's just that!"
When they were brought to a cabin in the woods, they were all a bit shocked. For all the power 'Korida'
had, she could only get this old shack! The group was made to wait on two couches for Korida to enter. After about twenty minutes, Korida did enter, and she sat herself in the arm chair across from the couches.
"K-Kat?" Yusuke asked, completely shocked by the transformation.
"I guess you could call me that." Korida weighed the possibility. "But the name I go by now is Korida,
and if you want to live, I suggest that is what you call me." Kuronue stood behind her, guarding her back, and making her look far more intimidating.
"What happened to you?" Yukina asked, worry in her voice.
"I realized what it would take to get the Uncles to accept me, and that's what is going to happen." Korida sighed. "You've been following me for a long time now, and I'm going to be generous. Kuronue, what do you think would be best for them?"
"Which one hurt you?" Kuronue asked, folding his arms over his chest. "'Cause that's the one I want to tear apart. I don't care about the rest."
"Kuwabara, stand up." Korida sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't be here, but you can't change the past, or what Kuronue plans for you, but I suggest you follow him."
"Kat! Did you mean those things you said to me?" Kuwabara asked. "Did I really mean nothing to you?"
Korida looked down. This meant what he said affected her. The others urged him to continue.
"If you didn't mean them, then why did you say them?" Kuwabara asked.
"BECAUSE I LOVED YOU!" She shouted, and it shook the ground. "I knew you wouldn't like my plans, the plans I had been cooking since the night my Uncles got out of Limbo."
"So you were just playing me like a card. I though we were friends." He said skeptically.
"I thought love ruined our Friendship." She threw back at him. "Your words were just as cruel."
"W-Wait a second here." Kuronue interupted. "There is one thing I don't understand." Kuronue looked to Kuwabara. "That thing is the reason you're on a mad quest! You loved him"
"Yes, Kuro, but things change, just like I did." Korida looked up at him, and smiled softly.
"You're sending me off to be tortured to death. I wouldn't even wish that upon you!" Kuwabara was outraged.
"All of the people behind you stand as my witness. You already did." Korida said, her voice hollow.
Kuwabara couldn't contend with that. "We've been best friends since kindergarden. We went to every school dance together. I held you when you cried, and I stayed with you when you were sick. We hung out almost every weekend at the Arc, and I always paid for dinner. We spent every Christmas together since we met, and there hasn't been one Valentine's Day that you haven't been my Valentine, romantically or not." He paused. "If you're going to let all of the good times we've had go for five minutes of anger, then you really are what the Toguro brother's molded you to be."
"W-What are you talking about?" Korida asked. "Molded me to be?"
"They raised you to do their dirty work. They knew this was in you, they knew that this is what was in store for you, why else did they train you so hard? Yusuke never trained so much in his life as you do in a few days. They were making you what they wanted you to be. A killing machine." Shizuru shook her head.
"Not true!" Korida cried. "They love me!"
"True, but not for the reasons you think." Genkai interjected.
"They love me for me!" Korida's sobs grew.
"Then why did they not fight for you when Koenma asked them to sign the papers?" Yukina asked.
"That's a lie!" Korida looked to Kuronue.
"Shuddap!" He yelled at them. "You're Upseting Miss Korida, and if this continues, you will all be killed."
"Has anyone ever loved me for me?" She asked softly. Her purple eyes turned red, and she stood up. "Kuronue, if my Uncles don't want me, then I suppose this has just turned into a game, so ready the troops."
"Yes, Miss Korida!" Kuronue exited the room.
"Ninjenkai goes first." Korida smiled at them, and snapped her fingers, guards started hauling them away.
"K-Kat! There are innocent people on Earth!" Shizuru yelled.
"They didn't seem innocent to me when I lived there." Korida looked at her. "Shizuru may stay."
Shizuru was let go, and the others were marched out. "Why are you doing this?"
"You once told me, a very long time ago, a life without love is like an empty city, there is the city, but the thing that brings is life is gone." Korida smiled at her. "Now come, there will be some food and entertainment tonight. You must look your best, so I'm going to let One of my men take you to town for some. . . fitting clothes."
"I'd rather die!" Shizuru hissed. "Take me to my brother!"
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"Don't you see, you're the only one who can even get her to listen to you without going crazy." Yusuke told her.
"She'll listen to you. Here, go to town as she said, and use this whistle to call Quinn, he must be with Hiei and Kurama still. They are our only hope now." Botan handed her the whistle.
"So be it." She stood, and exited to Korida's chambers.