A/N: Here we are guys, chapter 30! I can't believe how long this has gotten and it's not even close to finished XD I hope no one minds! I want to try to avoid dragging out Kasumi's training, but I'm not going to skip it completely. She has a lot of growing to do and a lot of things to think about, so bear with me. I also apologize in advance for the lack of canon characters this chapter. I'll make up for it fully in the next one!
Once again, thank you so much to chaosdreamingsiren for being my beta on this chapter! Without you I might have been too paranoid to post it at all!
Disclaimer: Let me check…hmm, no, I am still not the owner of YYH.
Warnings: Profanity, sexual themes/situations, violence, blood/gore, adult content, etc.
. . .
Hot…why was it so hot? There was a slick, wet heat that caused my skin to flush. Lips dragged across my thigh, leaving burning trails. Fingers pushed and pulled at places that drove me crazy.
Sweat dripped and eyes dipped closed. A tongue swirled and teeth nibbled. I moaned, fuck, it was so hot.
It hurt and brought me pleasure at the same time, what he was doing to me. It was out of this world. It made me think of things like devotion and the promise of some other deep emotion. It made me want to cry.
Pleasure and pain went hand in hand. This I knew well, as he burned me and brought me to a place I'd never dared tread.
Teeth sunk into my neck, at the spot between shoulder and throat. I gasped and my eyes snapped open.
I stared at the ceiling for a long time. Was I truly awake? Yes…I thought, yes I was. I was covered in sweat and breathing heavy, but awake.
That was the fifth time this week I'd had that same dream. At first I had pretended I didn't know who it was. But after the third time there was no denying it. It was all Ren's fucking fault.
If the man could ever learn to keep his mouth shut, it would be a blessing. My first week at Takahiro's had been plagued with thoughts and dreams of the fire demon. It was beginning to make me weary.
I had been adamant about not believing Ren. But the truth in his words had eaten away at that effort. It was impossible to forget and impossible to ignore. Hell – that's what I was living in now. It had even caused me to become distracted during my training.
Takahiro hadn't been pleased when my very first day I had broken my arm. I'd been too caught up in my thoughts, too lost in the blinding light that was Hiei. He'd snapped it like a twig. Having Ren heal it was just about as unpleasant as having it broken. Apparently his ability didn't take away any of the pain.
I was sure it was early, but it was never too early for Takahiro. It was like the man didn't sleep. So I rose from the bed, nude and tired.
Every day had been harder than the last. Upon arriving at Takahiro's hideout I'd been forced to find the entrance on my own. That entailed climbing the face of a mountain without any gear. It took two days.
Reaching the top hadn't made it better, for the entrance was so well hidden I'd only found it on a fluke. I'd tripped and fallen straight through the doorway. It was an unconventional method and I had thought I'd fallen into a cavern. For sure, I'd thought I'd die. Instead, I found Takahiro at the bottom grinning like a bastard with Ren at his side.
Ren had abandoned me at the base of the mountain. After his little confession we hadn't spoken the entire three hour car ride. In fact, I hadn't said a single word to him since then. I didn't plan on it anytime soon either.
I wandered into my adjoining bathroom. Uncle Taka's hideout was inside a large cavern in the middle of a mountain. Everything was made of metal and stone – the floors, the walls, the ceiling. It was all cold, unyielding steel and rock. I'd discovered that I got no cell reception down here, so my promise to my friends would be broken. I hoped they wouldn't think I was ignoring them.
I showered and dressed in loose fitted clothing. I didn't know what Takahiro would put me through today. The past three days had been nothing but kendo training. He'd given me a sword, though not as nice as the one I had presented to Hiei. Takahiro was trying to train me to run my reiki down the metal.
It was harder than it looked.
It was far easier to surround my own body with it. I had to treat the sword like it was a part of me and I just couldn't wrap my head around the concept. He'd told me this was basic knowledge I should have. The only reason I was having trouble was the fact I'd only discovered my reiki a few months ago.
It made me feel like a child all over again. I hated feeling weak or inept.
But unlike my grandfather who admonished me for my shortcomings, Takahiro had the patience of a saint. It was a good thing too…
On top of having Hiei constantly on my mind I now had another problem. As promised, Chronos had left me alone for three days. She'd returned at the dawn of the fourth as irritating as ever. It was to the point I'd been tempted just to strangle myself and put me out of my misery.
"Good morning to you too, sunshine," speak of the devil and they shall appear.
At first, I tried to ignore her. I left my designated room and entered into a metal hallway. The sight of the steel and the cement floors brought on chills. There were many doorways, all leading to different areas of the compound.
Leaving one of them, much to my chagrin, was Ren. Takahiro had thought he'd be doing me a favor by sticking the bastard in the same area as he'd placed me. He was wrong.
I passed by my ex-partner as if he weren't even there. I received a heated glare for my efforts. All the while, Chronos laughed with glee in the back of my mind. She enjoyed my discomfort. She'd made sure to make the past week downright intolerable. It seemed her anger at me going to Takahiro had not waned.
"The poor boy…so heartbroken, you are far crueler than I," she said. Her tone held nothing but mockery.
"Like you care," I mumbled under my breath.
"I understand your choice child. You'd be a fool to give up a demon of the Jaganshi's caliber."
Since learning of Hiei marking me during her time away, Chronos had done nothing but gloat. It had raised my suspicions, though I had done my best not to clue her in. Hiei and Chronos didn't get along…but she had never been against the idea of me being with him.
It was even more reason for me to keep our relationship platonic. Anything Chronos agreed with couldn't be good.
"Are you going to ignore me forever?"
It was the first time he'd had the balls to talk to me since our arrival. I continued down the hallway, my eyes straight ahead. It was too early in the morning for this.
Honestly, it would be too early no matter the time of day.
"Kasumi!" he yelled, his voice angry. He was incensed by my attitude.
Perhaps I was being too apathetic. Perhaps I should face my problems instead of sweeping them under the rug. But I had bigger fish to fry – namely, Hideki.
"What's all this noise so early?"
Takahiro had just rounded the corner. He had this horrible habit of popping out of nowhere. I chose to ignore him too and breezed right by him. I could smell coffee. One more hallway and I would be home free.
"Umi-chan, it's rude to ignore your elders."
Oh great, now he was going to lecture me too. That was just what I needed. Fuck off, old man.
Takahiro had taken some strange liking to Ren. They played guitar together and had spent far more time with each other this past week than I liked. It didn't bother my uncle that Ren was an ex-spy for some police force up in the Reikai. He'd also picked up on the obvious tension between us.
It didn't take a genius to realize why there was so much tension either. He'd asked about it for several days before I'd blown up at him.
He could be annoying when he wanted to be. I'd forgotten about that until now.
The man was hot on my heels as I wheeled around the corner and bolted through the kitchen door. A percolator was on the stove brewing a fresh batch of coffee. It would be a few minutes yet before it was ready and I knew I wasn't going to be able to avoid my uncle.
"You know, Ren isn't such a bad guy…" he said and I cringed.
I pulled out a stool and took a seat at the metal island situated in the center of the room. I buried my head in my hands and tried to drown him out with my own thoughts. But those weren't any better, especially with an irritable god grumbling about insolent halflings behind it all.
I was just thankful Ren had enough sense to stay the hell away from me.
I felt Takahiro as he came to stand at my side. I jerked back when a hand reached forward and pulled at the collar of my shirt. I knew what he had spotted and before he could get a better look I slapped a hand over it.
"Don't touch me," I growled.
I glared up at him but then shrunk back from the look he was giving me. Narrowed eyes stared down at me, disapproval clear on his face.
"What kind of game do you think you're playing, Kasumi?"
"I'm not playing any games!" I snapped.
"Which one did you sleep with?" he asked, his tone ice cold.
My mouth fell open. Was he serious? What an asshole!
"I didn't sleep with anyone, you dick!"
He hummed thoughtfully and then reached forward again. I slapped his hand away this time. But he was relentless. He wrestled with me until he could crook his fingers beneath my collar and pull it down over my shoulder.
Hiei's bite mark was revealed. It was pink and raw, just as warm as the day he'd given it to me. They were no longer puncture wounds, but had turned scar-like instead. I turned away with a huff, knowing I had lost our mini battle.
"This is a demon mating mark," he said.
"Not shit Sherlock," I grouched.
"It's unusual to see one on a human…especially one that has not slept with the demon in question."
His voice was suspicious. He obviously didn't believe what I had told him. But it was the truth. If I'd slept with Hiei…well…I probably wouldn't be as crabby as I am right now.
I suppressed a sigh. It'd been so long since I'd gotten laid, now that I thought about. How sad.
Takahiro's fingers left my neck. He still had a frown on his face but he didn't ask any more questions. He also did not give me time to dwell on the fact I'd been sex deprived for far too long now.
"Get up," he said.
"But –" he held up a hand to silence me and then pulled me up from my chair.
I turned back to stare longingly at the brewing coffee as uncle Taka hauled me out the door.
We traveled down two long stairwells until we emerged into another hallway. There was only one door and it was here that we entered.
Inside was what I would call a control room. It had one large computer system and a giant thing full of buttons. I was no techy so I couldn't really tell you what any of them did. Above that was a huge Plexiglas window.
The window gave you a perfect view of what laid below – an arena.
I had seen it turned on only once, the giant televisions near the ceilings had flickered to life. It controlled the atmosphere and cameras watched every corner.
The room itself was stone and metal like everything else, but besides the platforms the rest was natural pieces of cave. Great spiked stalagmites reached high towards the ceiling.
The arena had one other horrifying ability and I rued the day I'd have to be thrown into that pit.
When the systems were all turned on it created what uncle Taka had called a "battle simulation." He could make anything to his heart's content – demons, humans, robots, beasts. The program was far beyond our time.
He wouldn't tell me where he'd gotten it or how he'd built it, only that it would be imperative for my training.
I needed experience and had no other way to get it. This was my best bet. Even though they were illusions, they felt real when I was hooked up to the computer.
I had to wear a special full body suit…and it monitored all my vitals while it transported my brain into the system's core. I hadn't been able to test it, because it required reiki to power it up and I'd had yet to figure out how to send it to the system.
I guess I just found it too ridiculous. I didn't even think something like this could possibly work. It reminded me of some kind of forbidden military technology and I was wary of it.
Takahiro threw open the door leading down to the arena, "We're going back to the basics."
He shooed me down the stairs and I heard the slamming of the door as he followed behind me. The stairway was dark and I had to feel my way along the walls to make sure I didn't trip. I could see the distant light of the arena and my anxiety grew with each step I took.
What did he mean "the basics," wasn't that what I'd already been doing?
I stepped out onto a platform that gave you a good view of the lower levels of the large arena. Here I paused – now what?
"Jump down," said my uncle, indicating the dirt floor below us.
I did as I was told and then waited with my arms across my chest. I didn't like being down here. It gave me the creeps.
"Okay, I want you to bring out all the reiki you can," he said.
"Why?" I asked. What was the point of doing that? Wouldn't it just tire me out?
"Just do it and don't ask questions," he snapped.
"Tch," I was annoyed but I'd been trying my best not to irritate him too much. His patience would only last so long and I needed his help.
I pushed my power outwards. It was always strange, feeling that giant spark come to life within my chest. It was like a firework beneath my skin, setting my soul free. It was wonderful and scary and breathtaking. But most of all, it made me feel strong.
My reiki took on two forms counting on my mood. When I am quietly angry, the type that just sits there and simmers, it comes out as smoke. When my anger or pain has reached a level beyond that it appears as electricity.
I was neither angry nor sad this time so it manifested in a way I hadn't expected. It surrounded my body in a single glowing mass of light. It curved and became sphere like, locking me in a tight cocoon of neon pink energy.
Through the haze I could see Takahiro smirking, still standing atop that platform. He'd folded his tattooed arms across his chest and he nodded in approval.
"Alright, now stay like that for the next seventy-two hours."
"What?!" I screamed. He wasn't serious?! There is no possible way I could stay like this for even an hour, let alone three fucking days!
"Keep your energy at a steady level. Don't release more than you need to."
I listened and drew some of my power back in. This was almost harder than just letting it all out at once. How was I going to keep this up for that long?
"Maintain it there, that shouldn't be enough to kill you."
I felt my eyes widen and all I could do was gape at him. He was crazy!
"If you pass out or let it get out of control, you have to start over."
He turned back to the door and waved over his shoulder. The bastard planned to leave me down here!
My energy spiked just a tiny bit with my anger so I took a deep breath. I counted to ten and then released it.
I could do this. I had to. He had said it was basic…I should be able to figure this out. I just had to keep it steady.
Yeah…right.
I had no perception of time as I stood there. At first I'd thought maybe I could meditate my way through it. But I needed to control the rate the reiki left my body. If I were to meditate I'd lose control over my conscious mind. There was a good chance I'd lose the careful balance I'd created.
It must have been hours at least. I was covered in sweat, my throat so dry I could barely swallow. My breaths came in heavy pants and I could feel my legs starting to shake.
It wasn't looking good. I was determined not to fail…but determination just wasn't going to cut it in this situation.
"Would you like to borrow some of mine?" Chronos asked, her tone teasing.
"No," I growled through gritted teeth.
Takahiro would notice. It would be like cheating. I needed to do this on my own merit. I could train with the god later.
I heard her laugh cruelly, "You're going to faint any second now. You'll have to start over."
"I…don't…care," I snarled.
My energy fluctuated and began to change. The great sphere around me was becoming smaller and smaller.
No…damn it, no!
My eyes drooped. I tried to compensate for my energy loss by pushing out a little more. But even my reserves were just about exhausted.
I fell to my knees, my legs no longer able to bear my weight. I pushed out the last little bit I had. Beneath it was something far brighter…far more dangerous. I wouldn't touch that…not unless there was no other resort.
I felt the sphere dissipate just before my vision went black. I face planted into the dirt, unable to rise.
I passed out shortly after that.
I must have rested for a little while before I was rudely awoken by having a pitcher of water dumped on me. I shot up, sputtering and wiping the liquid out of my eyes.
Above me was Takahiro. He must have thrown the water on me, the bastard. I was about to launch up and clock him one but something held me back.
Beside me was Ren. He had his hand on my wrist and was feeding me some of his energy. That explained why I no longer felt like a bucket of smashed assholes. But I was pissed about the way I'd been awoken. Surely he could have just shaken me?
Takahiro shot me a grin, tossing his long braid over his shoulder and out of his way. He reached out a hand once Ren was finished, which I took. He pulled me up from the ground and I brushed the dust off my clothing.
"How long was I out?" I asked.
"Less than half an hour, you time waster," answered my uncle.
I almost dreaded to ask my next question, but I needed to know, "How long did I manage?"
Takahiro raised an eyebrow and contemplated his answer, "Longer than I thought you would."
"How long?!" I snapped.
"Four hours," he said.
That was it?! A measly four fucking hours, how was that possible?! It had felt like days for kami's sake!
"You did well for the first time. Now, let's begin again."
Takahiro hadn't lied when he said I'd have to do this over and over until I reached the seventy-two hour mark. In between, after I'd passed out again and again, Ren would feed me his energy.
It was taking a toll on him as well. You could see it by the bags beneath his eyes and the way he was sweating.
If I couldn't figure out how to do this soon, I'd kill the both of us.
In total I ended up fainting twenty times over a two day span. I hadn't been allowed to sleep or take a break. When I blacked out Ren would give me what he could and I would be forced to try again.
Chronos had heckled me and insulted me through it all. If anything this was a test of my mental fortifications. I had to block her out and control my emotions as well as my energy. It was the ultimate test of my spirit's strength.
As day three dawned and I started anew, something inside me changed. It had been subtle at first, a little shift here and there in my energy.
I should have known that this wasn't just some cruel punishment on Takahiro's part. It was literally strength training for reiki. The better I maintained my energy the more it grew. The more I used it the more it expanded passed its original level cap.
Now, I could feel that it had grown without me even realizing. I'd been too focused on keeping my energy steady to pay attention.
Twenty-four hours passed before I fainted again.
Even so, it had given Ren a chance to rest. Though we continued not to speak, his angry face changed with each hour's passing. If I were to look closely I would see that there was more respect than loathing in his eyes now.
I didn't have the time or energy to think about why I was angry with him. I was just grateful he was there. I would never have made it through this training without him.
I hit the forty-eight hour mark. I avoided looking up towards the control booth knowing I'd find Takahiro there smirking at me again.
I ignored Chronos' taunts and the way Ren was eyeing me across the room. I ignored all thoughts of the fire demon. I ignored everything. I would make it this time – I had to.
I focused all my attention on keeping my energy flowing consistently. The sphere around me remained bright and unwavering. Twelve more hours ticked by like this.
I held my hands in front of me like I was praying now. I kept my eyes closed and I dipped as deep into my soul as I dared. I spread my energy throughout my body. It leaked from every pore. I needed to bend it to my will. I needed to be its master. That was the only way I'd make it through the rest of the day.
…I could see the finish line. It was right there, within my grasp. I was so covered in sweat my clothing was soaked through.
I made it through the last stretch on sheer willpower alone. I couldn't even remember most of it.
As soon as Takahiro had announced I'd hit seventy-two hours I'd let go of my energy. It was instantaneous. I dropped to the ground like a dead fish and just laid there. I didn't black out like all the other times…but I wished I had.
My hearing was shot and my vision blurry, but I could see as my heavy breaths kicked up the dust near my face. I felt the beat of boots against dirt and felt hands on my back. A soothing energy washed over me then.
"You did great Kasumi, you did so well. You can rest now…"
And I did. I fell into a blissful oblivion. I'd never been so tired in my life.
. . .
Strong, calloused hands ran down my sides. I felt breath ghost across the back of my neck. I leaned into him, letting his scent and warmth surround me. My heart pounded in my chest with each passing of his hands.
They traveled across my bare stomach and up to cup my breasts. I sighed, the sound almost obscene in the silence.
I heard him release a low laugh in my ear and I arched my back against him.
"Kasumi…" gods, his voice was pure sex. Why'd he have to whisper my name like that?
It drove me crazy.
I loud "Ahem" interrupted the very nice dream I was currently having. My eyes snapped open and standing before me was a ticked off looking Chronos.
She tapped her bare foot against the floor and had her arms crossed over her chest. When she noticed my gaze she raised an eyebrow.
I heard him growl beside my ear, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. He did not release his grip on me. If anything, the hands on my body became possessive. They held me tighter, as if afraid to let me go.
"You can play with him later. You have training to attend to," said Chronos.
I glared at her and planned to block her out as I had been for the past so many days. Those hot hands felt far nicer than anyone else's ever had.
"Do not try my patience," she hissed.
The hands retreated and I grew angry. But when they returned to bury in my hair my eyes dipped closed again. He leaned over me, lips against the shell of my ear.
"Go…become stronger. I'll be waiting."
I snapped awake with my breath caught in my throat. Was it just me or were these dreams getting to be more vivid? There was no way Hiei's Jagan could reach this far, could it? No, no way. I was just being paranoid.
I was back in my designated room. The metal walls and the lack of windows making it feel like a prison cell. I dragged my hands down my face and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.
I was horny, sore, and tired even though I was sure I'd slept for a while. I was tempted to take care of myself, if only to release a bit of the tension. But even as I thought it the mark on my neck heated up to the point it was almost painful.
I clapped a hand over it, rubbing at the raised skin. It was burning and hot to the touch. If this damn thing wasn't permanent it needed to hurry the hell up and go away.
I took a cold shower, the water like ice against my heated skin. It did nothing to help the stiffness of my muscles but at least it calmed my raging hormones a bit.
I braided my hair while it was still wet and pulled on a pair of spandex shorts. Just as I tugged my shirt over my head there was a knock at the door.
"Yeah!" I called.
I heard the door click open and the sound of heavy boots on cement. There were only two options as to who it could be. I knew the sound of those feet. Had heard them every day in the academy and every time we'd gone out on patrol together.
I hated that my memories of him might as well be lies.
He appeared in the doorway, leaning against the door jamb with his arms folded against his chest.
"'Morning," I mumbled. I turned back to the bathroom sink and took up my tooth brush.
"I wanted to apologize," he said.
I squirted toothpaste on the bristles and stuck the thing between my lips so I wouldn't have to talk to him.
"I understand that you're mad…what I did was uncalled for."
Damn right it was! I'd been so uncomfortable by the thought I'd become physically ill. Where did he get off even coming to apologize? Couldn't we just forget it ever happened?
I brushed harder than I needed to, causing my gums to bleed. Ren walked up to me and snatched my hand away from my face. The toothbrush left my mouth with a wet pop.
"I really am sorry Kasumi," he said. I could see the honesty in his eyes. But it didn't make me feel any less betrayed.
I spat into the sink, seeing the foam from the toothpaste had turned pink with my blood. I wiped my mouth with the back of my free hand.
"Sorry isn't going to cut it this time Ren," I said.
"I know, but I won't stop saying it. You didn't need to find out that way."
I pursed my lips and refused to look at him. So it hadn't been a lie. I felt my stomach twist, much the same as the night he'd told me. I was glad my stomach was empty. I hadn't eaten in days.
"How did you know…?" I whispered. If he was so sure it was true…how could he have possibly known? Was he like Hitomi, could he see those kinds of things?
"The night he bit you…when I used Threads of Fate on him."
"What the fuck is 'Threads of Fate?'"
He chuckled, the sound deep and pleasant, like chocolate. "That's what I named my ability."
Okay, but that still wasn't a full explanation, "And…?"
"And…it was faint, but it was…also strange. The red thread was there…but not wrapped around his pinky."
"What does that mean?" I couldn't help but look at him now. I was intrigued by this and afraid of it all at once. But I needed to be sure he wasn't lying. I needed to look into his eyes.
There was a jealous darkness there among the cold blue. A sneer had stretched across his lips. His gaze distant he continued to explain, "It's not normal for a human and demon to be destined. It was wrapped around his soul instead. That's the only reason I saw it."
I was even more confused now and it must have showed on my face because he continued with no prompting.
"I can rip out a person's soul with my threads. This makes them the most vulnerable and I am able to see what's inside them."
"So who's to say it wasn't connected to someone else?" I snapped. I didn't want to believe this. I was disgusted with myself for even bringing it up.
"Because when he bit you…for just a moment, it brightened. That thread…was wrapped in one solid mass around your fucking heart."
My breath hitched and I tore my hand out of his grasp.
"That's impossible," I choked out.
"You're right. It is. It's something that doesn't happen but every so many thousands of years," he said.
"So it has happened then?" I asked, incredulous.
"Mm, Yusuke's ancestor and his human lover are an example."
"Excuse me?" this was news to me? What the fuck was he on about now?
I'd much rather hear about this than his insane pipe dream about my destiny with Hiei. He must have been seeing things, I firmly told myself. There was just no way.
Ren laughed, "That's right, you still don't know about him do you?"
I shoved passed him, not in the mood to deal with Ren's shit. He followed me and continued to talk behind my back.
"Yusuke's a demon too. I don't know how you never noticed."
I stopped in my tracks. Once again the feeling of betrayal washed over me. No one had told me that. They'd hidden it from me.
I recalled Christmas Eve during the fight Ren and I had gotten into. He'd told me I was around three S class demons…now that made sense. And to think Yusuke was that strong too…and no one had told me.
Was I some kind of joke to them? Did they all get a good laugh behind my back because I was so blind and naïve? Is that why they hid things from me, because they thought I was too stupid to know?
Ren ran around me and grabbed me by the shoulders before I could dash from the room, "Whoa, I didn't mean to piss you off!"
Yeah right and I was supposed to believe that too, wasn't I?
I stared up at him with a gaze as hard as stone. He balked and released me. I breezed by him, leaving him behind in my room.
I hated Amano Ren.
. . .
"You're far too distracted. Get your head in the game, Umi!"
We were sparring. Takahiro was barely trying and he had still managed to break two of my ribs. I had cuts, bruises, and burns from his energy all over me. I was exhausted. We'd been doing this for hours.
All I could think about was Ren and fucking Hiei. I hated it. I hated that they had wormed their way into me that way. It was downright horrible. I needed to concentrate on my training.
How had this happened?
"Enough! You're pissing me off!"
Takahiro slammed a fist into my gut. Another punch hit me in the face. He moved too fast for me to see.
I couldn't block the kick that sent me flying either. I slammed straight through one of the giant stalagmites. I felt bones break and pain exploded behind my eyes.
I skidded across the ground and landed in a crumpled heap against the far wall. He hadn't even used an ounce of his energy in that attack.
The pain I was in was nothing compared to my feelings of self-loathing. I didn't have the strength to protect my sister. This was out of my league. I could throw a punch as well as the next guy…but this supernatural bullshit was beyond me.
I curled in on myself, sensing when uncle Taka came to stand over me.
"Now, if you'd used your energy to block that you wouldn't be such a mess."
He crouched, pulling my battered arms away from my face.
"That would have killed a normal person you know," he said.
I heard the hint of pride in his voice. He thought I'd done something well. I didn't understand why – I'd merely survived. What was there to be proud of?
His hands cupped my bloodied cheeks and he smiled. Rows of white stared back at me.
"Give yourself some credit. You've come farther than you think," he said.
He turned to wave Ren over. My ex-partner dashed to my side. Ren's power gave off the same kind of cold feeling as metal did. It felt unpleasant to have him heal me. For the next so many minutes I would be in utter agony as he repaired what was broken.
Takahiro ruffled my hair, still smiling, "Now, you need to give it your all. I mean it."
All I could do was nod, the pain of being fixed too immense for me to speak.
A new determination blossomed beneath my breast. I didn't come here to feel sorry for myself. I came to give it my best shot. Instead all I've been doing is worrying about my love life.
I never wanted to end up one of those girls. I needed to get my head in the game. Smarten the fuck up, Morimoto!
It's your time to shine. Now show them what you've got!
. . .
An entire month had passed since I'd arrived at uncle Takahiro's. After my little episode of self-doubt I'd redoubled my efforts. I surpassed the basics much faster this way. As I gained better control over my long lost reiki I was able to withstand harder hits in a fight. My speed outreached a regular human's several times over (though still not even close to Hiei's). And, I had learned to mend minor injuries in an emergency with a bit of my reiki.
Ren and I were on speaking terms, though it was back to being business like. He never brought up our potential relationship or his feelings for me. He also kept his mouth closed about the whole soulmate thing.
I was able to clear my head, though most nights I still dreamt of red eyes and calloused hands.
Hiei's mark was fading. Soon enough the dreams would too. It was just a matter of time.
Today, Takahiro had brought me back down to the arena. I was wearing the special suit so Ren could monitor my vitals up in the booth.
The suit was black spandex and not easily ruined like regular clothing. Every so many inches was a nodule. They acted as mini relays back to the system up above. It looked like I was covered in push pins or something.
For modesty's sake I'd pulled a pair of shorts on over it. I hoped to never be caught dead in this thing again if I could help it.
Takahiro was holding in a laugh at the sight of me. I resisted the urge to punch him in the mouth. He was the one who'd forced me to wear this ridiculous thing in the first place.
"So, now what?!" I snapped. I was ready to get this over with. The faster I could get out of this suit the better.
He snorted, closed his eyes for a minute, and then composed himself.
"Okay –"he snorted again and then bit his lip, "Today, I'm teaching you a new ability."
I forgot about the stupid suit the instant "new ability" had left his lips.
"I'm going to show you how to manifest a spirit weapon," he explained.
I almost jumped for joy but figured it would look obscene in my current outfit. "Like Kazuma's Reiken!"
"Uh, not exactly, but it will be one of your own design."
I didn't know what would be different. All I had consistently used over the years was a sword. What if it manifested like that and Kazuma thought I'd copied him?!
I'd never hear the end of it!
"Sit and meditate for a while. Think of different weapons – their strengths and weaknesses."
I nodded, already distracted by what I should choose.
I didn't necessarily meditate. Instead I sat in the dirt with a hand to my chin and stared off into space. Takahiro stood by eating an apple he'd pulled out of thin air.
I liked swords for how they felt in my hands, the strength of the blade. If it was sharp enough you could cleave just about anything in half. But a sword had its draw backs. It could be broken or knocked from your grip. If the blade is dull it is not effective. It also takes time to swing a sword unless you're someone as fast as Hiei.
From swords I thought of other pointy sharp objects – knives, daggers, wakizashi.
What else was there with a blade? Clawed gloves came to mind…but that would be rather odd to manifest.
…Then another thought occurred to me – arrows. They were sort of like mini-blades, weren't they?
I imagined a large hunter's bow in my hands, the string pulled back and tense. It had five arrows knocked, each with a head sharp enough to pierce bone.
My mind's eye saw the release of those arrows made up of my energy. They scattered, breaking into more, and hit the ground with enough force to create craters.
I felt my heart beat faster in my chest. I was excited…could I create something like that? Was it even possible?
I rose from the ground. Takahiro threw his apple core over his shoulder and watched on in interest.
I didn't stop to consult him. I just did what felt natural to me. I pictured that bow. I could recall my grandfather making strong, sturdy ones in his workshop when I was a child. A master weapon smith, he could create anything he put his mind to.
I brought forth every wonderful nuance of the bow. I inspected and memorized every arrow.
I felt my hands grow hot, bright pink energy collecting in my palms. I pressed them together as if in prayer and then slowly brought them apart. Between them was now sparking pink neon reiki. I stretched it out, bringing my hands away from me in a curve. I brought one down, the other up and in my hands formed a bow.
It was shaky and it sparked with electricity, but it was a bow made up of my pink energy.
I'd never seen anything more beautiful.
"You're not done yet," I heard Takahiro say.
I pushed more power through the bow. Five bright pink arrows formed, already knocked in place. They weren't in the exact shape of an arrow, the energy unrefined and ugly. But they were arrows none the less.
With a smile full of wonder I pulled back the string. It was harder than it looked. It took a great deal of strength to get it to go back all the way. My arm was shaking with the effort and I felt sweat bead over my brow.
"Let's see what you can do, Umi-chan."
I gulped, took a deep breath…and released the arrows.
They shot straight towards the ceiling and then came curving back downwards. On their descent they split into ten. They impacted all at once, the force like a mini-explosion. I was knocked off my feet, so much dust got kicked up I had to shield my eyes or risk going blind.
I heard Takahiro cackle somewhere off to my left, a whoop of joy echoed across the room.
He was at my side in an instant, offering me a hand up. I took it and he pulled me to my feet.
"I want you to manifest a hundred of those by the end of this week."
I gaped at him. Was he insane?! "It took half my energy just to form ten of them!"
"You need to learn how to spread the energy evenly among them, that's why."
Takahiro pointed towards the craters I had created. As the dust settled I noticed that some were bigger than others. I'd put more power into the first five arrows than I had the ones that branched off.
"Learning not to waste your energy is key, Kasumi."
In this fashion two more days passed. I would repeatedly manifest the bow and arrows until I'd exhausted most of my energy. I learned to distribute the power in equal measures and controlled the amount of reiki that went into them. That way I could create more powerful arrows as needed.
I worked on manifesting more after that. I didn't care that they were unrefined. I could fix that later.
It took me another two days to create up to fifty of them. They were weak, only strong enough to pierce skin. The more I created the weaker they got. I couldn't feed them more energy. I didn't have enough to give.
On the fifth day I managed seventy-five arrows so pathetic I could have died. It would have been like getting hit with a toy.
Goddamn it, my energy wasn't growing fast enough!
I thought of asking Chronos or Ren for help…but once again it reminded me too much of cheating. I wanted to complete my training on my own, not with the help of others.
I only needed to make twenty-five more. I had two more days. I could do this.
I shot the bow until my fingers were ravaged and bloody. I rested only as long as I needed to, before getting up to try again. I would meet Takahiro's time limit if it killed me.
I must have shot my energy bow thousands of times by the seventh day. I was running on nothing but reserves at that point. My body was just about to give up.
All my fingers were unrecognizable. They were so bloody and swollen they looked like sausages. They'd long ago gone numb.
I was only a few arrows short. I had enough left in me to give it one more shot. I didn't want to contemplate failure. But I couldn't deny that it was here, staring me in the face.
I drew out the last vestiges of my power, the pink as bright as ever. It seeped from my skin like smoke, surrounding my feet as I pulled the string of the bow back one last time.
I heard the crackle of the energy, the rush of wind as the tension was released from the string. It boomed like thunder, the arrows went flying. I sent up a silent prayer.
They split and my tired eyes flicked over them as fast as I could. How many? How many was it?
I reached eighty…ninety…ninety-nine…
A hundred and two! There were a hundred and two of them!
I cried out in elation, using the final bit of strength I had left to pump a fist into the air. I fell flat on my face shortly after.
But fuck…was it worth it.
"Perhaps you shall be useful yet, child…"
Oblivion greeted me, the sweet darkness of sleep closing in. It wrapped around me like a blanket. I basked in it like it was an old friend.
Hiei did not invade my dreams that night. Nor did he the night after that. I slept for two days straight undisturbed.
The morning I awoke an odd sense of trepidation had pooled in my belly. My room was dark and silent. Not unusual given we were underground. But something felt off.
I rose from the bed, the sheets loud as they fell. I sucked in a breath when my feet settled on cold cement. I reached over to the bedside table and groped for my glasses. I placed them over the bridge of my nose.
I walked to the bathroom and flicked on the light. A large strip flooded the room from the doorway. Nothing was amiss. No one was in the room with me.
I checked behind the shower current just to make sure. Still the feeling did not go away.
I turned to the mirror. My eyes were quick to travel towards Hiei's teeth marks. Even with my glasses on the mark was so faded I could barely make it out. I leaned closer towards the glass and subsequently caught a look at my eyes.
Here I paused. I sucked in a sharp breath, not quite understanding what I was looking at.
My eyes had always been grey since the day I was born. Not once had that slate like color deviated.
Now…staring back at me was not the grey…or even the black of Chronos.
It was faint and washed out. Perhaps not something anyone besides me would notice. But my eyes had turned a subtle shade of violet. It was just enough to darken the grey.
I cocked my head, watching as my pupils dilated in fear. I didn't understand why it scared me…but it did.
I felt a headache building behind my temples. My eyes creased in pain.
Just like my final day at home the pain became worse and worse. The longer I stared at that sudden shift of color, the more the pain blossomed. Soon my sight was taken from me.
Agony exploded in my head. I heard myself scream, the sound muffled like I was underwater.
Blood ran from my nose to drip across my lips and into the sink. My hand came up to hold my skull together.
I bit my lip so hard my teeth went straight through it. The pain was worse than broken bones. It made my stomach churn and bile rose in my throat.
Someone called my name somewhere in the distance.
I screamed again my hands reaching out towards the mirror. It was the glass' fault. If I just hadn't seen those eyes.
I ripped the mirror off the wall, tearing the metal behind it. I threw it as hard as I could.
It shattered and I heard the tinkling sound of it scattering across the floor. I must have a million years' worth of bad luck by now.
Before I could cause anymore destruction or lose my mind from the pain, I was slapped across the face.
The blow forced my head to the side and I was more focused on the pain in my cheek now.
My eyesight cleared and the pain ebbed away. I was left panting and confused as fuck.
"You alright?"
Takahiro stood in front of me and I could see Ren staring at me wide eyed from behind him. My uncle's hand was still poised after his slap. I was sure I'd have his handprint on my face for days.
I licked my lips and cringed when I got a mouthful of blood for my efforts. My nose was still streaming.
"How long have you been having these headaches?"
How had he known that's what it was?
"I-I don't know…a couple of months?"
His eyes narrowed and he stood to his full height. He shot Ren a look and my ex-partner glared at him before retreating from the room.
"How often have you fought with Chronos since meeting her?"
"A few times…I think…"
"How often does she talk to you?"
Here I paused. Should I lie? I felt like I should lie. But then another much stronger part of me wished to tell the truth.
"Almost every day…"I breathed.
He nodded once, a frown turning his lips downwards.
"I was afraid of that…"
I felt my heart freeze at his words.
Was I not supposed to be talking to her? Koenma had told me, all those months ago, that she'd driven far stronger vessels mad.
Was that what was going on here? Was I about to lose my mind?
"As the final vessel…you come with a…different set of rules," he said carefully.
"What the fuck does that entail?" I snarled.
"If you were to die, Chronos would cease to exist. This could cause a devastating shift in the universe."
He took a seat on the lid of the toilet and tore off a piece of toilet paper. He handed it to me so I could wipe the blood from my nose.
"She wouldn't just go to Hitomi?" I asked.
Uncle Taka shook his head, "No, not when she already holds the key. It was designed that way on purpose."
I stuffed the remaining paper up my nose to staunch the bleeding. I frowned at my uncle. I didn't like the sounds of where this was going.
"So…what does this mean for me?"
His eyes shot to the floor, the color of his like rain clouds. He hung his head and released a drawn out sigh.
"Nothing good," was his answer.
I'd already guessed that. When did anything good happen to me after all.
"You're her weapon Kasumi, I don't know if you've realized that yet. You were born to protect Purgatory."
I didn't want that responsibility. I'd never asked for it! It wasn't fair!
"Your eyes have changed color…your power grows faster than it should…"
I felt anger rise and make my blood boil. Shut up! I don't want to know what comes next! I didn't need another bomb dropped on me!
"This past month was a test. I noticed it earlier…but didn't want to believe it," he said.
My hands curled into fists. I stared at the floor, refusing to look him in the eye.
"It could take months…but in the near future you and Chronos –"
I cut him off, no longer willing to listen. I screamed, "Shut the fuck up! Save your fucking stories for someone who cares!
He shot forward, grabbing my face in one large hand, "You will listen! You and Chronos are combining, do you understand the seriousness of this?!"
His grip was too strong for me to pull away. I still struggled for all I was worth. I kicked him and hit him, but he still would not release me.
"If she overtakes your body Kasumi…if you give up one day and she wins…"
"You're lying!"
He didn't even hear me. He just barreled on ahead, "You will cease to exist. You worry about dying, but this is a fate far worse!"
I stopped my struggling. I stood stock still. I would cease to exist…a fate worse than death? I began to laugh. It was the laugh you'd expect of someone psychotic. It shook my shoulders and got louder each passing second.
Takahiro let me go. I laughed until I couldn't breathe and then my face turned to stone.
"Fuck it, there's nothing I can do anyway, right?"
He stared at me, those thundercloud eyes hard and lacking any sympathy for me. I was no one that needed pity. I didn't want it either.
"If you become strong enough…you could absorb her instead," he replied.
A smirk grew across my lips.
"Perfect," I purred.
Then that is just what I would do. You mark my fucking words.
What better way to kill an S class psychotic demon…than to become a fucking god.
. . .
A/N: Sorry there wasn't much Hiei in this chapter. The next one will be in his POV so it will make up for it! You'll get to see what he's been up to since Kas left! Anyway, I hope this chapter was to everyone's liking, let me hear your thoughts! Thank you for reading!