Gomen nasai everybody! I had absolutely no time this weekend, and all week I've been at a goalie camp for hockey, coming back home sore all over... I haven't gone on the computer at all until now, so I apologize deeply to those who had to wait since I didn't update right away like I said I would. But as usual, three reviews and I'll update!
Anyways, I actually am going to start thanking my reviewers in person again (I used to but I stopped cuz I got lazy). So here are my thank yous:
Angelkitsune-Naomi: As always, I thoroughly appreciate your reviews and support! Also I'm taking this moment to apologize for not finishing up on checking your story, and I hope you understand that I haven't had the time. I have camp again tomorrow but after that I'm home free!
Vitanie Tora: Yeah, I hadn't really planned to incorporate Genkai and Keiko into this fic since it focuses on Catalyn and the spirit detectives the most, but I am planning on hopefully adding them to a later scene for a quick appearance. I know it may seem pointless, but I have my reasons (which I'm not telling anyone yet), and I hope that will be enough for now.
TwitchyEars007: Thanks very much for the review, it is much appreciated! I'm glad youare enjoying my enemies and battle scenes! I'll try to keep it up!
Ayane Sakurai: Heh, I actually understood what you wrote! I don't know much Japanese yet, but I'm learning. I'm glad you like my fic. Arigatou for the review!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH, but I do own The Feline Curse.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – UNAVOIDED CONFLICT
"H-hey!" Kuwabara exclaimed suddenly. "I can't fight her!"
"Why the hell not?" demanded Yusuke.
"She's too pretty!" Kuwabara moaned. "I'd be going against my code!"
Catalyn groaned, but just as she did, an idea came to mind. Still, it made her sick just to think of it…but she knew that all five of them would be needed to beat Cala, so it had to be done. Feeling like a total idiot, she gave Kuwabara the kindest smile she could muster. "Kuwabara, would you please fight her…for me?" She put on the sweetest pleading look possible, but she wouldn't have been surprised if she was blushing.
Kuwabara suddenly looked like he was in ecstasy. "Anything for you!" he roared. He held up his aura sword. "I'll show you the might of the great Kazuma Kuwabara, warrior of love!"
Catalyn turned away so he wouldn't see her gagging. Kurama noticed and giggled slightly. She looked at him and shrugged, then shuddered in disgust. He shook his head, smiling.
So, Kuwabara charged for Cala, and her demonic aura flared around her. It was way more powerful than before. Catalyn quickly tried to analyze it. "Her power's doubled," she said. "No, take that back! It's tripling! And still growing!"
"Kuwabara, get back!" Kurama yelled.
Catalyn watched Cala's aura. It seemed to be taking shape. And Kuwabara didn't heed Kurama's command. Instead, he tried to pierce Cala's heart. The sword never hit her. Catalyn stared in shock. Cala's aura had surrounded her in a very thick, pulsing layer of energy, forming a complete and indestructible shield. Then her arms turned into swords. She slashed for Kuwabara, who brought up his own sword just in time. He was sent flying backwards.
"Cala's armor must have kept her aura at bay," Kurama said. "It's the same tactic Karasu used when I fought him in the Dark Tournament." Catalyn knew of this battle. Kurama had told her about the tournament while she was recovering from her wounds from the vampire demon.
"If that's the case," she said, "then it will be very hard to destroy her."
"Hn," said Hiei.
Still, Catalyn felt confident. It was almost time…
The air rang with Cala's laughter. "I can manipulate even my aura as a weapon!" she yelled. "There's no way you can hurt me now! It is even harder to destroy than my armor, and you only put a dent in that!"
"Shut up," Yusuke cut in. "We'll beat you. You'll see."
Catalyn added in, "You don't realize how badly treated the demons who live here are, and for that we will make sure you're punished."
Then she heard it. It was time. Three…two…one…
BOOM!
Botan, Jet, and Mari burst through the door from the stairs, immediately followed by an army of demons. "Charge!" Jet and Mari screamed. With that, the army pounced on a shocked Cala. She was completely engulfed and no longer able to be seen. Catalyn noted that her raging aura had vanished. But how come? she wondered. She's powerful enough to completely obliterate all those demons. At this rate, she'll be… She let her thoughts trail off as it sank in.
It was over quickly. Jet called back the demons, and they retreated to reveal Cala lying on the ground, battered and beaten. She struggled to sit up. She was smiling, and it was a true kind smile. And the innocence was evident in her tear-stained eyes.
"Well," she said weakly, struggling to speak. "You passed…there is no need to test you anymore…"
"Huh?" everyone said.
Cala explained. "Not long ago, we were hired…hired to test your powers…of course, we thought we were hired to kill you…but Yami figured it out…he told me, before he went to die at your hands…we were being used to test your strengths…but you've been tested long enough…and there is no need for you to fight Zankoku…please tell him what I've told you…you mustn't fight him…"
"Why not?" Catalyn, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all asked.
Cala continued, but she was faltering more and more, her voice growing weaker, "Because he is too powerful…I've analyzed your powers…he will destroy you for sure…tell him the truth…it's the only way…Zankoku is too simple-minded…if he doesn't believe you…you will die at his hands…" Cala let herself fall back down. She was ready to die. "Please tell him for me…tell him that all our times together…helping the demons…made me truly happy…I cherish our moments together…"
"But you treated the demons here like slaves," Catalyn remarked, frowning.
Cala shook her head and whispered, "No…it was part of the test…I love the demons here…I could never truly hurt them…please…tell Zankoku…"
Catalyn had heard enough. Cala was hurting herself just to make them hear her out. She deserved to rest. "We'll tell Zankoku," she promised.
Tears welled up in Cala's eyes and spilled. "Thank you…"
"Rest well," Catalyn said softly. And so Cala died.
Jet and Mari then completely ruined the moment when they gave Catalyn a huge bear hug. "Big sister!" they yelled. She hugged them back. "Good job, you two," she said. "I'm proud of you." Then she looked at the boys. "You heard her. We have to talk to Zankoku. Besides, he might have information on who's been hired to test us." She scowled.
"He probably won't listen," Yusuke objected. "Villains like killing. Besides, I'm itching to kick his butt."
She sighed. "We'll fight only if we have no other choice," Kurama said.
Everyone agreed. Catalyn was relieved in knowing there was only one more mountain to climb, and hopefully if all went well, they'd come out of it unharmed. Still, something told her it would go horribly wrong, and she never doubted her instincts.
"First," Botan jumped in, "let me check your newest wounds." So she performed a quick medical round, but there wasn't much she could do for Catalyn's hand other than to bandage it. Hiei flat-out refused for help.
Five minutes later, they were ready to go. Everyone entered the center tower, where they were met by a steep spiral staircase with no handles that was right against the wall. They walked up, the army of demons following close behind. Soon, they reached the top, where it was wider, and only a door stood in their way.
"Keep the demons here, and keep them quiet," Catalyn ordered Botan. "If he sees too many of us, he'll be bound to attack." Botan nodded, so Catalyn turned to the guys. "I'm going to go in by myself to talk to Zankoku." Yusuke and Kuwabara protested. "You guys will resort to fists too soon," she said. Kurama volunteered to go with her after that, and she didn't need to think twice to accept his offer. "We'll give you a signal if worse comes to worse." And so she and Kurama pushed open the door and entered Zankoku's lair.
The room was large and spacious, resembling a room in a king's palace. The marble walls bore sculpted shapes of many sorts, and everything was lined with gold. At the end of the room, up a small flight of stairs, sat a tall throne of red velvet, lined again with gold. Zankoku was there, sitting leisurely with his legs crossed. He wore the outfit of a king (cape and all except the crown), and he had dark skin and flowing silver hair. His eyes were a deep royal blue.
Zankoku looked up at them as they walked in, and stood with his fists out, a wicked smile on his face.
"We're not here to fight," Catalyn said instantly, keeping her voice calm. "We just want to talk."
Zankoku lowered his fists but did not sit back down. "About what?" he asked. He had a powerful and commanding voice.
"Cala gave us a message to pass on to you," she replied steadily.
"Oh, really?" he said, and Catalyn could tell it was in a mocking tone.
She began explaining. "She told us that Yami had figured something out about the man who hired you to kill us. He was hoping you would fail and die. He didn't want us killed, whoever he was. He simply wanted to test us. And Cala also told us that she doesn't want us to fight you. There's no point in hurting anyone any longer. The test is over. She's declared us competent." Zankoku gave a disbelieving look. Catalyn added, "She also said for us to tell you...that she cherished and enjoyed all the times you've had together with the demons of the village."
At that, Zankoku looked thoughtful. His eyes seemed to be very dreamy. Then they became cold as ice. He frowned at her and Kurama. "This would be easier to believe if Cala were here in person. Where is she?"
She exchanged glances with Kurama. He answered for her. "She's on the roof."
Zankoku snapped, "Have her brought to me." Kurama nodded. Then he went to the door and left without a word. Zankoku sat back down. "Tell me, demon –"
"Catalyn," she interrupted without thinking.
"Catalyn, then," he said, not really caring. "Why doesn't Cala want me to – what did you say it was? – test you?"
She answered readily, "She said we no longer needed to be tested. She also said someone else will die. She obviously doesn't want that." She hope Zankoku wouldn't realize that she was neglecting to say who would die, but he was smarter than she thought he'd be. From what Cala said, he seemed to tend to rush into things. But he was asking questions in ways that made her feel slightly worried.
"Did she specify who would die?"
She didn't answer right away. She didn't want to. She hoped Kurama would be back soon. She didn't know how much more she could say to him. After all, he was going to find out that they killed Cala...at least, the village demons did.
"Well?" he demanded. "Who?"
Catalyn swallowed and looked Zankoku right in the eye. "Us."
Zankoku gave a wicked smile. "So you all know that I will overpower you, then?" he said. "Perhaps you are lying to me, and you are only saying this because you don't want to die."
"I would never lie," she assured him. Anyone else would have believed her – but Zankoku was different. He didn't seem to believe that statement. But, then again, as she thought to herself, she'd been lying about her deepest secret for a long time now. So then again, what she'd just said was not entirely true. And somehow, Zankoku seemed to suspect that.
Then the door opened, and Kurama came back in, this time, carrying Cala's dead body. Zankoku's eyes were wide in surprise. "She is dead," he muttered. He glares at Catalyn. "You lied to me."
"No!" she protested. "Cala spoke the truth! The demon villagers rebelled against her…we didn't hurt her." This was completely true. They'd hardly put a scratch on Cala. But Zankoku was angry now.
"Afraid to die, are you?" he asked menacingly, his cape billowing behind him even though there was no wind.
"Please listen, Zankoku," Kurama said, trying to reason with him. "If we had known our lives weren't in danger we wouldn't have fought with the intention to kill. And now that we know the truth, we promise not to fight you, if you will only listen to us."
"I will not believe your stupid lies!" Zankoku yelled. "You've murdered all of my nine companions. No matter what the circumstance, you cannot be forgiven! I, Zankoku, leader of the Ten, will see to it that you all die slow, painful deaths!"
With that, the door burst open again, and Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara charged through. "Then we'll have to kill you first," Yusuke growled.
"Just try," Zankoku growled back. "Your friend said so herself that you'd be no match for me. It's time to see if it's true."
Yusuke and Kuwabara stared at her. She didn't meet their eyes. Kurama's eyes contained understanding. She had to do it. It would have helped him believe her. But it wasn't her fault that he didn't believe her. He was, like Cala had said, too simple-minded, too quick to judge things. Too bad that she had sincerely hoped otherwise.
Then Catalyn felt Hiei's eyes on her. She looked at him. His expression plainly said, "What the heck did you tell him that for?" They both glared at each other. I shouldn't have saved the shrimp's life in the first place, she thought angrily. But, it was, as they all knew, too late to go back now. It was time to fight the all-powerful leader of the Ten – and if Cala was telling the truth (which she probably was), Catalyn knew exactly what the outcome would be.
Catalyn, Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara stood slightly apart from each other, in a semi-oval-type formation, ready to face off against Zankoku. They knew it would be best to keep the demon army out of the fight. They probably wouldn't have been able to hurt him anyway, and he would have easily destroyed them. Besides, Catalyn didn't want to endanger Botan, Jet and Mari.
Zankoku threw his cape away. It floated through the air and landed on his throne, covering it. "I would hate for my favourite seat to get ruined in our battle," he said in a twisted voice, complete with an ugly look on his face and an evil smile. Then he continued, "You haven't heard of my powers yet, nor have you witnessed them first-hand. But that's okay. All you know is that I can easily kill you. Fearing the powerful but unknown is the best way for my victims to die!"
Catalyn didn't like the way he was grinning. This will sure be tough, she thought. I have no clue what kind of powers he has, and from the sounds of it, it's probably the worst kind yet. Have we really just sounded our death wishes? Then she shook herself over. What's coming over me? I never back down from a challenge. I've changed in ways I don't like. I will NOT back down. I will never admit defeat again. She thought back to when she had begged for her life at Yami's hands. That was the worst thing I've ever done. I am not weak. I am strong enough for this. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get rid of the Beast…