"How was your weekend, Xin?"
"Fine, why?"
Moegi smiled in a confused manner at the older woman. "Because you were off for the entire weekend?" She said slowly, noticing Xin's twitchy movements. "Are you okay, Xin? What's the matter with you? You're acting odd. Well, more odd than usual. You look like you did a whole line of crack."
Xin turned to her coworker, frowning tightly. "You know I don't do drugs but I am considering it, She gripped quietly. Moegi chuckled, not taking the older woman seriously. She had no idea how serious Xin's words were. After she recovered, she'd requested that her friends give her some space. She wasn't sure how to feel towards them. They were different. They weren't human. Well, technically Tenten was a human but was blessed. Same shit, in her opinion.
She wasn't exactly angry with them, she just didn't know how to feel about it. Up until a month ago, folklore was exactly that. Lore. Not only was it very real, her friends were among them. How the fuck was she supposed to act now that she knew Karin was a fuckin' fox demon and Suigetsu was some sort of humanoid shark thing?
A fuckin' shark. How the fuck did that even work? Sharks needed water. Sharks had gills. How the fuck was he breathing? Where was his gills? Did he transform into some freaky science experiment hybrid? And just what the fuck was Tenten hiding? She knew Tenten was keeping something from her. Tenten couldn't lie that well, at least not to Xin. Everyone had certain ticks when they lie and Xin noticed all of Tenten's ticks when she said she had nothing to tell them.
Did she even have room to talk? She was hiding her knowledge of Gaara from Tenten and she didn't even know why, really. Granted, she did tell Tenten that she hit him with a car but she did it in such a nonchalant way that Tenten didn't believe her. Tenten could've used her freaky magic to cast some sort of spell to keep him away. So why not tell the enchantress? Was that on purpose? She didn't want to say for sure.
And speaking of cars, her fuckin' car was totaled. How in the blue fuck was she supposed to explain that to her parents? Not that she was obligated to call them up and tell them but her parents were nosy as fuck. Xin had no qualms lying to them, her teen years was full of her telling bold faced lies. But her parents learned to usually ask Hinata anything they asked Xin. Hinata couldn't lie as well as her rebellious sister.
For fuck sakes, she just got it back. Literally, she'd gotten it back Friday morning only to have it crushed Friday night. What the hell did she even do to warrant an attack like that? None of her lying ass folklore friends had any answers as to why that thing tried to kill them. Not that she believed any of them. Despite their innocent faces, both Hinata and Xin had the makings to both be ruthless businesswomen. Hiashi groomed them to watch and read people. Karin and Suigetsu could lie but the twins could see right through them as easily as they saw through Tenten's words.
They were still hiding something.
"Xin? Hello?" Moegi poked at Xin's arm. Xin blinked herself out of turbulent thoughts, looking back at Moegi with a small frown. "You know I was just kidding about the drugs, right?" Moegi tried to smile jokingly but there was traces of concern in her brown eyes. "You're not actually doing drugs, are you?"
"Not since I was seventeen," Xin replied dryly. Like every sheltered girl, Xin may have dabbled in recreational drugs during the first months of college. She wasn't entirely fond of the aftermath of it and promptly left it alone.
"That's not funny," Moegi huffed. "I'm actually worried about you, Xin. You've been acting odd all morning," Moegi reaffirmed, twisting a lock of her hair. She watched as Xin sighed heavily before roughly running her fingers through locks of midnight blue.
"I'm fine, really. Just had an off weekend," Xin reassured the younger girl before the door flapped open. Their co-worker, a mean spirited girl around Moegi's age stuck her head into the back kitchen.
"I'd hate to interrupt," Ami began to say with a hard scowl. "Because some of us are actually working hard but there's a paying customer whose requesting to speak with you, Hyuga," She stated nastily. Xin didn't know what was up with the purple-haired girl but they'd never gotten along. Moegi went to high school with the girl and apparently she was a bully. It didn't seem like the girl had done much changing.
Xin and Moegi stared at the girl. "Yes because working the cash register is so hard in between rush hour," Xin rolled her eyes and approached the girl. Ami's scowl became even more twisted. "That new haircut makes your face look fat," Xin commented blankly about the asymmetrical haircut. Ami audibly gasped but Xin shoved past her, ignoring Moegi's laughter.
She stepped to the front of the bakery only to pause in her tracks at the door. Leaning casually against the glass counter was the man who'd been stalking her for maybe a week straight. His companion wasn't with him but that didn't make Xin feel any better. He noticed her immediately, eyes lighting up in recognition. He offered a polite smile but Xin didn't move from her spot. "Uh, hi," He waved awkwardly. "Xin, right?" He asked in a polite tone. For a second she wondered how the fuck he knew her name but then she remembered Hinata calling her name during their confrontation two weeks ago. "Listen, I'm not here to hurt you. I'd just like to talk to you."
Xin eyed him suspiciously but moved from around the counter when Ami reemerged from the back, still obviously upset from Xin's comment. "I'm going to take a short break, Kogure," She told Ami, not waiting for the younger girl's complaints. She strayed by the tall man towards one of the tables. The bakery was mostly deserted but there was some patrons scattered about here and there. Plus Ami was at the cash register so the man probably wouldn't cause a scene.
Xin probably would.
"It's only fair for you to know that I box and I know a bit of MMA," She stated immediately while dropping in the brightly colored chair. The brunet gave her a funny look and slowly sat down across from her. He placed his hands on the table.
"I think I could handle you."
"I think I could stab you in the eye with a plastic fork."
He seemed just a bit disturbed by her very casual threat. "Uh….right…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen, Xin, was it?" He asked, despite already asking for her and asking if that was correct already. She leveled him with an unimpressed look. "Stupid question…" He laughed awkwardly. "I'm Jura, if you were wondering."
"I wasn't."
"Course not," His laughter was less awkward this time. "I wanted to talk to you about our….run-in two weeks ago."
"It wasn't a run-in. Those are random. You two were stalking us. You can't accidentally stalk or randomly run into a person. That's not how that works."
"Has anyone ever told you that you have quite a sharp tongue?"
"Frequently."
"By your boyfriend?"
"By Satan."
Jura laughed again, big shoulders shaking in his mirth. Xin almost cracked a smile but held her stony composure. This guy was a fuckin' stalker. "You're a clever girl, aren't you?" He asked after getting himself under control. Xin's expression remained stony. "Alright, I can see you're not in a joking mood."
"Who would be in the presence of their stalker?"
"Listen, Xin, that was just a misunderstanding. We've been looking for a...friend of mine. I thought I might have seen him with you. That's why we were hanging around your apartment."
"A friend of yours…" Xin trailed off, eyebrows raised. "I don't think I know any of your friends," She said slowly, folding her arms across her chest. "My circle of friends is pretty tight. Anyone they know I know."
"Perhaps it was your sister."
"Perhaps," Xin didn't sound convinced. "Your friend doesn't have a phone you could contact him on? It's hard to find anyone without a cellphone these days…" Xin mused blandly. "If this friend of yours has to be searched for, maybe he doesn't want to be bothered in the first place."
"My friend is in involved in a very...delicate situation. He needs to be bothered."
"Delicate? What, is he a Yakuza Boss? Ringleader of a crime syndicate?"
"Xin, I mean no disrespect when I say this…" Jura looked off towards the side. Something outside of the large windows flickered, causing Xin to follow the look. She didn't turn her head, allowing her eyes to stray to the side. Just outside, she noticed Matsuri hurry away. She frowned tightly and wondered if it would be worth it to go punch her. "But that's none of your business," Jura said once he noticed Xin's attention elsewhere.
The corner of Xin's lips pulled into a smirk. "Well then, I suppose we have nothing left to talk about," She started to rise. Jura reached for her, halting her movements.
"Xin," He uttered seriously. "I hope you aren't lying. My friend is a dangerous person. It would do you some good not to get involved with him."
Xin stared down at him, eyes hardened. Her smirk dropped in favor of lips stressed into a line. "It would do you some good not to get involved with me," She whispered ominously before yanking her hand away. "Thank you, please have a nice day and come again."
"Open this damn door, Hyuga!"
Xin blankly stared down the hall towards the front door, frowning. Hinata poked her head out of the kitchen, an identical frown on her face. "I think Karin wants to come inside," She said after a moment of Karin's loud pounding. Xin sighed and rolled her eyes. "Xin, I know you're upset about this. I am too but at the end of the day, they are our friends."
The younger twin sighed heavily and got up. "What's she knocking on the door for? She probably has mutant strength to knock the shit down."
"Because that's uncivilized. And please at least try to watch your mouth," Hinata shook her head and went back to the kitchen. Xin waved her sister's grievances away as she neared the front door. Karin was oddly quiet on the other side, partially leading Xin to believe that the redhead had given up and gone home.
"I know you can hear me, Hyuga!"
"The Emperor of Japan can hear you," Xin scowled while swinging her front door open. "Shut the hell up before someone reports me for noise," She snapped at the taller redhead. Karin only glared down at her before shoving her way into Xin's apartment.
"Look here, Hyuga, we left you alone like you asked and haven't seen you since Friday. Don't you think you're being a bit ridiculous?" Karin swept down the hallway with Xin hot on her heels.
"I think you're the ridiculous one for hiding the fact that you're a fuckin' Pokémon."
"What're you, seven?"
"Fuck off, Ninetales."
Karin pinched the bridge of her nose but continued on her way into the kitchen. "Hi, Hina," She greeted the younger twin, smiling when Hinata turned towards her. Hinata smiled slowly, still not sure how to feel about their friends' revelations. Even so, she decided to be more mature than her sister. She had to see the logic in her friends' secrecy. Things like this wasn't supposed to exist. No blessings by dragons and demons and enchantments. Those things didn't exist. It wasn't supposed to exist. Humans could be evil, judgemental creatures. If Humans found about the existence of the supernatural, it could be troublesome.
"Karin," Hinata greeted politely. Karin smiled softly at the older twin. "It's nice to see you, how are you?" She asked kindly. Yes, she was upset but she also saw their side. Her sister was just being difficult because that was just Xin.
"I'm fine, how are you? May I sit?" her eyes dart towards the kitchen table and Hinata numbly realizes that her eyes are the color of blood. They're more sinister looking than she remembered, less the color of cherries and apples and more so the color of blood. She and Xin always assumed they were contact lenses and Karin never bothered to correct them. Now that she thought about it, why would Karin need contact lenses if she wore glasses?
"I'm doing fine," Hinata nods. "And of course you can sit," She motioned to the chair. She's never had to ask before to sit down. She's not even sure she remembers the last time Karin knocked on the door. It wasn't locked.
Karin does so, looking slightly uncomfortable. Xin is shamelessly eyeing her, arms folded across her chest from her position from the doorway of the kitchen. "Well, Vulpix, you came here for a reason."
The redhead sighed heavily, sliding her glasses from her face to rub at her eyes. Hinata wondered if the glasses were even real. "Do you know the history of your family?"
Xin crossed the kitchen towards the oven. Whatever the Hyuga sisters are currently cooking smells good. Karin hasn't had any of their cooking for awhile, living off of takeout and Dragon's Way food since Xin decided the two of them needed space. "What's there to know?" Xin asked impassively. There's so much to know, so much they don't know. If they did know about their family, then they'd know all about the supernatural. But Hiashi and Manami decided to keep their daughters sheltered from the truth. Karin never agreed with the couple's decision, leading to an icy relationship between them.
She missed Jun and Junko. She missed Ruolan. But they've been gone for so long, for years and yet she's still here, carrying out a promise she wished she'd never made. She found herself wishing she perished along with Jun and Junko. Or dying of old age with Ruolan. "You should really ask your parents about your family's history. About the night you were born. About…" She almost speaks of Jun and Junko. But Ruolan's parting words reemerge, reminding her that it's not her place to tell the twins about anything. "About the truth. Tell them to tell you the truth."
The sisters are quiet, contemplating Karin's words. "Where's Sharkbait, Delphox?" Xin veered off topic. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about whatever Karin was hinting at. It irked Karin's nerves how they constantly skirted the truth but she's planted the seed. She knows Xin. She's like Jun, she's terribly curious.
"Stop with the stupid nicknames, Hyuga."
"Does it bother you, Abra?"
Karin closed her eyes and rubbed at them again. "Sui thought it would be best if we came around separately. That gives you two a chance to let it all sink in one at a time."
It made sense, Xin guessed. She's not sure how'd she feel about the three of them sitting at her table, trying to act like everything is normal. Suigetsu is thoughtful in a way that Karin is not. "How old are you, Karin?" Hinata suddenly prompted. Xin turned to the redhead, head tilted to the side. That was a good question. Karin was supposedly two years older than the twins.
"Far older than I look," Karin uttered simply. "I was very close friends with Ruolan."
"Ruolan...that was Tenten's great-grandmother that died fourteen years ago. That Ruolan?"
"Ruolan lived an exceptionally long life for a human."
"Karin, how old are you?"
"I don't remember," Karin spoke evenly. Neither of them look convinced. She didn't really bother trying to convince them. "Demons age very slowly," She said shortly. "Sui and I have seen a lot before we met the three of you."
Hinata nodded, soaking in the little information Karin shared. "Do you have family?"
"My parents have been dead for decades. My mom's younger sister raised me. She has a son that's about my age. He's an idiot but he's lovable. I think Xin would get along with him. Birds of a feather."
"Fuck you, Flareon."
Karin tried to be angry but the fact that Xin insisted on referring to her as fox-based Pokémon was actually funny. She wondered how the younger woman could even remember all the different pocket monsters. Tenten warned her that Xin would find a way to tease her kitsune heritage just like she teased Tenten's Chinese origin. She wanted to be annoyed with Xin's ways but found that she just couldn't. Besides, she knew Xin often used humor as a coping method.
She watched Xin putter around the stove, ignorant as to what was in store for her. Xiurong's words blared loudly in her ears, reminding of the chaotic future her crystal ball showed her. It wasn't specific to Xin's future plight but the warning was enough. Xiurong's crystal ball specialized into predictions but they never were solid predictions. She hoped it's latest prediction was wrong but they never were.
The latest telling was that of Xin's demise.
"She says she doesn't know anything, Matsuri. We should just leave her be."
Matsuri scowled from her spot next to Jura. "She's lying, Jura. I know a lie when I hear it," She insisted with her arms folded. "She knows Gaara. Why are you trying so hard to protect this girl? You barely know her."
"I'm not protecting her, I'm just saying that we're wasting time."
"You are protecting her and we're not wasting time," Matsuri replied stubbornly. "I followed that girl because Gaara's scent was clinging to her. I don't know what but that girl has something to do with him," She insisted firmly. Jura roughly massaged his temples, wishing that he was back in Suna with his family. Instead he was running around the human world, searching for a runaway. They didn't even know why he was portal-hopping between the Human World and their world so frequently.
What's more, Rasa was under the impression that Gaara was still somewhere in the Demon World. He had no idea Gaara was frequenting the Human World. Jura and Matsuri were doing everything they could to keep the truth from Rasa. His siblings, however, might be catching onto the truth. Especially his sister. You could only fool that woman so much before she caught on.
"Even if we do find him, how do you know he'll even come back and stay in Suna?" He asked, remembering Xin's words. If Gaara wanted them to find him, they would have already found him.
"Because he listens to me."
"Matsuri, no offense, but no he doesn't. Gaara doesn't listen to anyone," Jura reminded her somberly. "Look, I know you're upset about the separation but—"
"We are not separated," Matsuri snapped shrilly. "We're together. He just needs time, a break."
Jura regarded her blankly. He wanted to tell her that that wasn't the case. Men, demon or human, did not take breaks. If they agreed to such a thing, it was only to give the woman a chance to realize on her own that the relationship was not working. Jura saw the end of the relationship from the start. They just didn't fit right. Gaara was used to having his way and Matsuri was eager to please him. There was no push and pull in their relationship. Gaara needed a woman that would push back with a temper. That's not to say Matsuri didn't have a temper. She did. Just not with Gaara.
Not that Jura really expected anyone to have a temper with him. Gaara was a particularly infamous demon. He had no qualms about killing people who irritated him. That's why he's almost positive Xin didn't interact with him. She seemed like a generally good person but her attitude when she was irritated was something fierce. Xin was special in the way of easily getting under someone's skin for her own petty satisfaction. Gaara would've killed the girl. But even so, Xin did know something. Maybe she did come across Gaara but just didn't interact with him. Maybe she knew of his supernatural background and kept her distance. He wasn't sure but he'd rather not get involved with the pintsized firecracker. He'd hate to see her killed.
Not that he'd see her again. Ironically that's what he told himself the last time they interacted. He didn't want to admit it to Matsuri or to anyone...but there was something about that girl. He felt like he was drawn to her.
"Alright, Matsuri, whatever you say," Jura decided not to invoke Matsuri's wrath. She was obviously self-conscious about the relationship. Deep down, she knew it was over. "But we're no closer to finding him. We should just give him the space he obviously wants."
"He can have all the space he needs in Suna," Matsuri shot back. Jura resisted the urge to groan. Why Matsuri was being so stubborn about this was beyond him. He got it, she loved him. She wanted things to work out and for them to get back together. She was ready to be his life mate.
Gaara just wasn't ready to be hers.
"Matsuri," He ran his fingers through his hair, sounding thoroughly fed up. "You're not listening to me at all. He doesn't want to have space in Suna. He left for a reason. I didn't come with you to drag him back to Suna."
"Then why did you come?"
"As scary as the guy is, he is my friend. I just want to make sure he's okay and that there's a reason for this. I don't care to drag him back somewhere he clearly doesn't wants to be."
"But Rasa—"
"My loyalty will always be to Gaara," Jura reminded her coldly. Matsuri's face pinched uncomfortably but Jura's stoic expression didn't twitch. "I just want to know that he's okay. Once he tells me himself, I'm going back to Suna. You're coming with me, Matsuri."
Her face turned red and a for a moment, he wondered if she would begin to cry. "I just...I just want to see him," She confessed quietly. "I want to know he's okay and that...and that everything will go back to normal."
But it won't, he wants to tell her. It's not going to go back to the way things were. Nothing would be the same.
"Yeah, I know ya do," He agrees anyway.
She's getting sick of these odd dreams. Granted, it was only the second odd dream she was having but hell if it wasn't annoying her. Luckily there was no red-skinned demon with a face of scars and sick smiles but there was two women present. They sat together in the middle of a clearing, dressed in the traditional clothes of a miko. She found that to be strange but what really threw her off was the fact that the women, whoever the hell they were, looked eerily similar to Xin and Hinata.
There was some subtle differences, Hinata and Xin's face was more soft while the mystery women had sharper features. Where as the twins possessed midnight blue hair, the women had jet black hair. The twins had a more friendly, childish beauty while the women had more elegance to their beauty. They both carried a bow and a quiver of arrows although the woman on the right with her hair drawn up into a high ponytail laid a long bō across her lap.
The treeline to the left rustled, interrupting the miko twins. The one with the high ponytail stood up slowly, hands twisting the bō around leisurely. The look in her eye was anything but leisure. Whoever this miko was, she was ready to straight up murder someone.
"I told you two that it's not safe to be on your own like this," a whimsical voice floated towards them on the slight breeze. Seconds later another woman appeared, looking tall and strong. Her hair was the color of chestnuts and was twisted into a thick bun at the top of her head. A crown of Lotus Flowers were twined into her hair. She wore a light pink qipao with long sleeves that hid her hands and loose white pants.
The miko with the bō relaxed her shoulders but remained defensive. "And I thought I told you we don't enjoy being snuck up on, Enchantress."
The enchantress only smiled. The other miko perked up and looked behind the Enchantress. "Who accompanies you, Ruolan?"
Although she was not there physically, Xin felt her eyes narrow. Ruolan was the name of Tenten's great grandmother. This woman couldn't be the same. She didn't know how she knew but Xin knew whatever she was seeing happened a very long, long time ago.
"Oh, I have met a new friend," Ruolan told them, glancing behind her for a second. "She's a nice young girl, put your bō down, Jun."
Jun. Jun? Why did that name stand out to her?
Jun lowered the bō but did not heed Ruolan's suggestion. The trees rustled once more and this time, a familiar face popped out of the forestry. She seemed a lot younger and was dressed in a simple but short lilac kimono but Xin knew that face. Karin stared back at the twin miko. Xin felt her stomach sink. Maybe it was just a relative of Karin. The redhead, demon or not, couldn't be that old. But even so, Xin knew those familiar cherry-red eyes.
"Have you gone mad, Ruolan?" Jun asked icily. Her sister slowly stood to her feet but didn't take up her bow and arrows defensively. She folded petite hands in front of her and quietly studied the situation going on in front of her. "What is the meaning of this? Why do you bring a demon to us?"
"What's your name?" the quiet sister peered around Jun, smiling slowly.
"Junko, now is not the time to be—"
"I do not think Ruolan would bring a demon to us if that demon planned on killing us, Jun."
"My name is Karin."
Jun and Junko. Twin priestesses who oddly resembled Xin and Hinata. Who also knew Karin and Tenten's supposedly 'great'-grandmother. Something about this dream was not adding up. And was it even a dream to begin with? Or was it some kind of weird flashback? But how could that be? How could she have a flashback that was clearly out of her time?
A pink light flashed from Ruolan's hand and out sprouted a crystal ball, shades of innocent pink swirling against the glass. "Ao Ji has blessed me with the ability to foresee certain things. Lóngyǎn tells me that this girl will be a great friend and ally for years to come," Ruolan explained calmly, smiling in between the three women.
"Is that so?" Junko came from behind Jun with a friendly smile. "Who are we to question fate?" She placed a hand on Jun's shoulder, nudging her sister. Jun looked terribly thoughtful for several seconds before a cautious smile touched her lips.
Smiling like that, they looked exactly like Xin and Hinata.
Xin flew up from the couch, tumbling to the floor ungraciously. Hinata stepped into the living room the moment her sister hit the floor. She stared at her heap of a sister, a soft frown on her face. "Xin? Are you alright?" She asked slowly.
She heard Xin muttering to herself before her sister popped up from the floor, looking both frazzled and angry at the same time. "Put your shoes on, we're going to Karin's!" She shouted while climbing to her feet. Xin flew by her towards her bedroom, grumbling the entire time. Hinata took a deep breath and got ready for whatever Xin was cooking up. She didn't bother to ask why Xin dragged her to Karin's apartment, tapping away at her phone the entire time.
Xin didn't even bother knocking, knowing the redhead often left her door unlocked. Between the five of them, they mostly entered each others homes without knocking, knowing they left their front doors unlocked. "You've got some explaining to do, Zorua!" Xin shouted while practically kicking the door open with her foot. Hinata face-palmed from behind her. Xin stormed into the living room with Hinata on her heels, finding Suigetsu sitting up with a look of confusion on his face.
"Zorua? As in the Pokémon? Who the fuck is Zorua?" He asked.
"Shut the fuck up, Jabberjaw! Where's your lying girlfriend?"
Karin came from her bedroom, looking just as confused as Suigetsu. "Who are you calling a liar, Hyuga?" She asked with a scowl. Xin turned on her just as Tenten appeared at the front door. She cautiously stepped into the apartment, wondering what the hell Xin was going off about this time. Suigetsu took notice of her and tilted his head to the side. Tenten caught his look as she closed the front door.
"Hinata said Xin was about to go off on a rampage at Karin's place," She explained carefully while coming to sit next to him. "She's also taken to calling us names. I guess she calls Karin Pokémon names based off Foxes. It's actually kind of funny."
"There's nothing funny about this, Chun-Li," Xin swiveled around her, scowling angrily. "You've got some explaining to do too!" She pointed in Tenten's direction. The enchantress quirked a brow. She'd explained all she had. There was nothing left to explain. "Who the fuck is Ruolan!?"
"Ruolan? I've told you...she's my great-grandmother. She died fourteen years ago."
Xin chucked the remote at Tenten. "Lies!" She snapped. Tenten openly gaped at her, dodging out of the way of the airborne device. "Who the fuck is Ruolan? Lie again so I can throw something harder!" Xin threatened shrilly. Hinata, who'd gone over to sit with Tenten and Suigetsu, backtracked. She decided the safest place to stand would be closer to her enraged sister. Whatever Xin saw in her dream she kept mumbling about was enough to set her off. She usually didn't use violence against Tenten.
"What are you talking about you midget?" Karin waved her arms in annoyance.
"How old were you when you met Ruolan, Karin?" Xin turned her blazing eyes on her. "Who the fuck is Jun and Junko?" She kept shooting questions off, not taking notice of any of their reactions when she mentioned Jun and Junko. "Lóngyǎn told Ruolan you'd be a great ally and friend to them for years to come, didn't it?" She noticed of Karin's ashen pallor. "Who did Ao Ji bless, Tenten? Was it Ruolan? Who were those miko twins that looked a helluva lot like me and Hinata, huh?"
Karin and Tenten looked in between each other. "Who were they to question fate?" Xin asked slowly, watching Karin's eyes nearly pop out of her head. Suigetsu and Hinata remained quiet the entire time, looking in between the arguing women. She hadn't turned on either of them so they would remain quiet. "What are you hiding from us?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper.
"How do you know all of that?" Karin slowly approached the enraged Hyuga. "Who told you about that? How do you know about that day? What are you hiding?" Karin's pupils thinned into slits. Hinata grabbed Xin's arm and readied herself for the confrontation to get physical. Xin was angry. Karin was getting angry. They had explosive tempers and if Xin was willing to throw things at them, it could get physical.
"Tell me who those women were."
"We can't," Tenten slowly stood up. She placed herself in between them. "We can't explain everything. I'll tell you who Ruolan is and Karin can tell you how old she is if she wants but we cannot tell you about the miko twins."
Xin's eyes narrowed and her jaw ticked. Hinata came around to Xin's front, grabbing her by the wrists. "Sit down, Xin," She said calmly but in a voice that left no room for argument. "Sit down and we can all talk about this like adults. No more shouting and no more throwing things," She spoke firmly, knowing Xin wouldn't listen otherwise. Xin stiffly allowed Hinata to lead her to the loveseat. They settled down on it with Hinata pulling Xin's hands into her lap. Xin couldn't be trusted. Her temper was short and violent and she was generally unpredictable in a state like this. Tenten and Karin exchanged silent looks before settling with Suigetsu. He reached over and grabbed Karin's hand, caressing it in an attempt to soothe her rattled temper.
"I'm…." Karin opened and closed her mouth, frowning tightly. "I'm...I'm over five-hundred years old," Karin said slowly, watching the twins' reactions. Hinata seemed generally surprised but Xin didn't offer any reaction. Her eyes narrowed slightly but she remained quiet. "I was drawn to a Chinese Enchantress when I wandered away from my mother one day."
"Ruolan."
"Yes, I met Ruolan that day and she told me it was fate that I meet her. She took me to meet the miko twins."
"We cannot tell you of the miko twins, it's against the enchantments. You have to figure that out on your own," Tenten stated before Karin could accidentally speak of Jun and Junko. The frustration was evident on Xin's face. "Ao Ji blessed Ruolan and the rest of the Shào family when she was nine. She met Karin and the miko twins when she was twenty-one."
"You met Tenten's great-grandmother five hundred years ago?" Hinata looked back at Karin.
"Yes...and no. Do you believe in reincarnation?"
"I suppose that would depend on what you say next," Hinata replied in a surprisingly dry voice.
"Ruolan really did live a long life and was eventually reincarnated as Tenten's great-grandmother. She also lived a long life, most likely due to having the original Ruolan's soul. She searched for the two of you but was reincarnated too early and died before Tenten and I could become your friends."
Xin slowly pulled her hands from Hinata's lap to hold her face. She leaned back into the couch and let out a long-suffering groan from in between her hands. "This sounds like a fuckin' manga, Jesus fuckin' Christ," She complained into her palms. "It's like a psychotic blend of Fushigi Yûgi and InuYasha, oh my God, I didn't ask for this."
"I don't think any of us asked for this, drama queen," Suigetsu snorted.
"Fuck off, Kenny the Shark."
Unlike Karin and Tenten, Suigetsu found Xin's references to be quite funny. A big smile broke across his lips, showing regular teeth. He leaned his head back and let out a boisterous laugh. "Well listen, Princess, they explained themselves. How about ya explain yer side."
Xin's hands dropped to her lap. She regarded the supernatural trio quietly, nearly pouting. "I've been having….dreams lately…" She started to say. She wasn't exactly sure that they were dreams. The second one seemed like a flashback but the first one…...she didn't know what the hell that was. "The one I just had now...I think it was a flashback. I saw Karin with Ruolan and the miko twins. Jun..Jun was upset with Ruolan that she brought a demon to them but Junko gave her a chance. Jun looked like she was ready to straight up murder a motherfucker."
Karin laughed but it sounded hollow and broken. "Yes….at the time….demons and humans did not really coincide peacefully. Although for a miko, she was rather violent with that damn bō. Even worse with those arrows of her's…."
"Demons and humans don't coincide at all now...do they?" Hinata asked slowly. Xin stilled next to her but no one really seemed to notice. She thought of Gaara and his odd portal to Hell. She looked at Suigetsu and Karin and wondered if they were from Hell. Gaara certainly seemed like he was from Hell.
"Not really. Demons mostly stick to the Demon World."
"There's a Demon World?"
"Of course," Karin nodded her head. "Demons and humans were never meant to interact. Some demons are powerful enough to conjure up portals between this world and the Demon Realm."
"And Hell?" Xin asked innocently.
Karin eyed her suspiciously but nodded once more. "Yes, we can also travel to Hell but we often try not to. The Ruler likes to trap demons there for fun," Karin explained flatly. Well that was new. The Ruler, whoever that may be, obviously had a twisted sense of humor. "The Demon World is a lot like the Human World. We have cities, smaller villages, countries."
"What country are you two from?"
"My family is from the Land of Fire and Sui is from the Land of Water."
"Is the land on fire or some shit? They couldn't think of a better name to name a country? Are they being literal or were they trying to be funny?"
Suigetsu snorted at Xin. "Nah, it's not literally on fire. It just has bright and warm weather. The Land of Water is mostly made up of islands and has cooler, misty weather," Suigetsu explained with a grin. Xin found herself wondering where Gaara was from. She was still positive he was from Hell.
"Can you conjure portals up?"
Karin looked slightly uncomfortable. "Yes but I don't do it too often. It takes a lot out of me. If I need to go home, someone else will usually conjure one up. If Sui and I combine our power, it's much easier. I only visit sporadically to see my aunt and cousin."
"What about you, Sui? Do you have family you like to visit?" Hinata prompted, obviously curious about their lives. Xin remained quiet, slightly disturbed when she realized Gaara had easily conjured up portals at least three times on his own. Did that mean he had immense power? He sure as hell didn't seem so with that blessed dagger sticking out of his thigh. She vaguely wondered if Sui and Karin knew Gaara.
"Just my brother and adoptive older cousins. My parents have been dead for a very long time. I never met them but my brother said they were good demons."
Xin wondered what made a demon 'good'. Weren't they all abominations? Weren't they all evil spirits meant for the bowels of Hell? What made them good? Xin stared at her two friends. They were demons, did that make them evil? Were they good? Who were they in the demon realm? What about Gaara? He seemed befitting of the definition. He seemed cruel and angry. Was he actually bad though? Was he good? What kind of demon was he in their realm? He had to be evil. He'd hurt her, more than once, and even told her that he killed someone. Granted, that person tried to kill him first but was it out of defense?
"Xin? Ya okay there? Ya look like ya got something heavy on yer' mind," Suigetsu noticed Xin's odd silence. Her face was balled up in thought and he mistook it as her thinking about everything just revealed to the twins. Xin blinked at him and opened her mouth, the sound of Gaara's name on the tip of her tongue.
"It's just odd knowing there's an entirely different realm besides ours," She said, swallowing the mention of Gaara. For some reason she couldn't explain, she still wanted to keep his existence to just herself. And Hinata. Besides, he hadn't shown up in days. Perhaps he'd finally grown bored with their odd relationship and moved on. Maybe there was no need to mention him.
"We should probably head home," Hinata said first, standing to her feet. "I apologize for the way we came in but I'm glad we could all be truthful with one another," She smiled at her friends while pulling Xin to her feet. The five of them exchanged goodbyes and the Hyuga twins were off. Hinata wrapped her arm around her sister's arm, walking close to her side. "I suppose we'll have to visit Mom and Dad soon. Or maybe our grandparents. I want to know about Jun and Junko and why they're such a secret," Hinata said once they were a good distance away from Karin's apartment building.
"Do you?" Xin asked, honestly surprised. She thought that after meeting Gaara, Hinata wanted nothing to do with the supernatural business. Perhaps with all the odd occurrences going on around them, her interest was piqued. And how did they know their parents knew anything? Karin's words from earlier came back, urging them to ask their parents to tell them the truth. What the hell were they hiding?
"I do. You know what I found odd about today?"
"You found one thing that stuck out to you during this entire mess?"
Hinata smiled wryly and shook her head at her sister's question. "I found it odd when Karin said Ruolan died again before she could find us or before Tenten and Karin became our friend. Why would Ruolan be looking for us?" Hinata asked seriously. Xin came to a pause, tilting her head to the side in thought. Her sister made a very good, valid point. Why would Ruolan search for them? And why would it make a difference if Karin and Tenten befriended them or not? Even when they were telling them the truth, the trio still had their secrets.
It was definitely time to pay their parents a visit.
TeeBeMe: I giggled every time Xin called Karin a Pokémon. Did yall know Abra, Kadabra and Alakazam are partially based on foxes? I didn't know that. And goats but whatever. I'm pretty sure yall know each nickname Xin came up with for Karin was based off of a Pokémon with fox features or based off ones with fox origins. Jabberjaw and Kenny the Shark are two children's shows with sharks as the main characters. Both shows were short-lived.
No Gaara this time around but he'll be back, I promise! He does eventually fall for Xin. Or does he? Who knows, maybe he falls for Matsuri instead lol. On a serious note, this story is rated T but I'm pretty sure this story is going to be as dark as SOC. Maybe no sexual content but violence and gore are within it's future. Should I change it to rated M. Let me know what you guys are comfortable with. I don't want to make any mistakes again. Also, yes, I'm drawing a lot of inspiration from InuYasha but Whispers in the Dark was about demons and miko.
Lóngyǎn - Dragon's Eye (I'm hella unoriginal lol)
Till next time.