A new story, a new chapter, what have I gotten myself into!?

Curiosity may Make the Cat Kill You

It was interesting, that day, it really was. Our secrets exposed and our lives beginning their new tracks.

Whether it was fate or just some strange coincidence, that was the day that I had fallen in love, not knowing I was changing the course of what should have happened or taking the necessary steps to fulfill whatever prophecy I was destined for. All I knew was that these people would influence whatever course I was going to follow. They would be my family, my loved ones that would ever be there.

That left me to wonder, years after, if my life was fated in this course or if I was charging blindly in whatever was to fall and playing with time and lives. Whether the end consequences could have been different if I had run, refused, or just had done my duty in the end regardless of personal feelings, or if they were going to happen one way or another. Or maybe the end of my adventure was formed by a twisted inconsistency of both fate and freewill? Each action piled upon one another, melted away layer by layer. Which one went first? One bit by choice, the swift crunch, or the other, slowly drawn out in a deliberate way, but the layers would come no matter what.

I guess the world may never know.

"What was that?" Yusuke yelled.

"It needed to be purified was all," Mitsuki replied simply, shrugging and retrieving her belongings.

"It makes sense," Kurama added thoughtfully, throwing in his two cents, "The knob could have been opened by anyone normally, but it was the rust that that was meant for only Mitsuki's purifying energy," He said reasonably. Everyone paused to look down the stairs that the door had opened upon leading down into the darkness.

"Are we going in or do we have to stare at it?" Hiei growled impatiently from the back of the group.

"After you," Kurama said politely to Mitsuki, she smiled brightly at him and marched proudly down the stairs.

"It's really dark down here!" Kuwabara said nervously. "You don't think there will be…" he shuddered, "mice… down here, do you?"

"Don't worry!" Mitsuki called from the front as they reached another door, this one normal. She swung it open. "I'll take care of any," she giggled then walked inside.

"Whoa! It's HUGE!" Yusuke marveled. Even Hiei seemed somewhat impressed.

The unlikely group found themselves deep underground in a well-furnished cavern. It was well-lit and made for comfort with easily enough space for their party. In the middle of the room there was a couch flanked by a soft chair and a stack of pillows. The setting faced a small fireplace accompanied by a neat stack of wood. Kurama immediately moved towards it with the intention of starting a fire. Despite the warm day, it was chilly underground. There was also a small kitchen which Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Iro made sure was well stocked.

"A bedroom," Iwa remarked peeking in one of the little rooms leading out of the rooms. There were six of them plus a quaint bathroom with a little shower.

Mitsuki threw her self backwards on the stack of pillows nearly burying her.

"Mmmm… No bugs!" She squealed from beneath the mountain of pillows. "Me like,"

"Greetings team!"

Everyone in the room jumped.

A screen dropped from where it had been concealed on the ceiling. A slanty-eyed child was centered in the screen.

"Jeez Koenma!" Yusuke yelled as soon as he swallowed what ever had lodged in his throat after Koenma's unannounced arrival. "Could you have given us some kind of, oh I don't know… WARNING?!"

"Aww… my tail!" Mitsuki groaned trying to smooth the fur on her tail.

"Ah!" Koenma exclaimed, focusing his attention on the cat girl, "You must Mitsuki Karamaro! Let me be the first to welcome and introduce you to your new instructor!"

"Oh… okay," Mitsuki nodded hesitantly after climbing to her feet. Her brothers came to stand by her.

"Hello everyone!" A blue haired girl with pretty purple eyes appeared in place of Koenma.

"Hey Botan!" Kuwabara yelled, waving enthusiastically at the screen.

"Hey there Kuwabara!" she wiggled her fingers at him in return. Then, with a glint her eye that was a little terrifying, Botan turned on Mitsuki.

"You must be Mitsuki! Oh, I'm so pleased to meet you! Are these your brothers?" Botan clapped with delight when Mitsuki nodded. She was enjoying her new teacher's sunny attitude.

"This one is Iwa and the other one is Iro," Mitsuki said and Botan laughed.

"I'm gonna have a hard time telling you two apart!"

"Mitsuki," said Iwa, his eyebrows knitted, "Is this really the Grim Reaper?"

"Who cares!" mumbled Iro, his cheeks a prominent shade or red, "as long as…" he trailed off and walked away still mumbling.

"Well anyway…" Botan watched him then snapped back into the current situation, "Spirit World regulations require that we wait for twenty four hours upon contact before opening a portal so you'll all have to wait till… four o'clock tomorrow!"

Yusuke opened his mouth angrily.

"Can it Yusuke!" she said brightly never missing a beat.

"So I have twenty four hours to hang out," Mitsuki raised her eyebrow in jest, "…Sort of like a last meal?"

Botan giggled hysterically. "I like your spirit Mitsuki! Your gonna need one for this job!"

Mitsuki joined her. "You need a good spirit to guide those of other people I guess and a good sense of humor,"

At this point everyone was either rolling their eyes or leaving to do something productive or laughing along.

"Well then!" Koenma shoved an unsuspecting Botan out of the way. They heard a yelp and a thud from somewhere behind Koenma. He paused. "Sorry Botan… well you're here for the night so I suggest that you all get to know each other and make the most of it! Or whatever you teens do now a days or... if you're not a teen then just… well… whatever you do have fun. Bye!" The screen went blank and retracted slowly into the ceiling.

"…So male pattern bonding anyone?" Iro queried enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together expectantly. Everyone just stared at him.

"So which room is which?" Kurama asked, the room waking up again, leaving Iro hanging dejectedly.

"I know how you feel pal," Kuwabara patted Iro on the shoulder reassuringly. "Don't let it get to you,"

Mitsuki settled in an empty room, it going with out being said that she have one being the only girl. She kindly offered for one of her brothers to sleep on the couch but the Spirit Detective told them Kuwabara would be glad to do it. She left them to duke it out.

The rooms were small and cozy with a single person bed, a chair, and a desk with a mirror. Only a temporary one for a short stay, but she never wanted to leave it nonetheless. But, again she had no choice. She dropped her bag on the chair and set the bottle on the desk where she could see it. While it was indeed contained and warded you never knew.

"Mmm…" Mitsuki lay on the bed and stretched cat like.

Carefully she lifted her hand form beneath her clothes finally settling long enough to inspect it. She made sure her door was tightly shut.

Mitsuki winced as she tried to flex her red and blistered fingers. The impure aura of the evil demonic soul had changed some of her own energy, manipulating it until it would turn against her. She was surprised and a little frightened by the strength of the spirit. If her purifying abilities had been less potent, she shuddered; it would have taken control of her.

Her hand was a mess. Her skin was raw; there were even some open wounds. But, she still did not bleed. Traces of the evil essence was still there, it wouldn't be dangerous to her own spirit but it would repel any outside healing attempts until it burned out. She couldn't hide it for long. The burn would worry her brothers making them angrier than they already were. But this path was her decision and she would go down it anyway so they will just have to deal.

Quickly she drew a length of clean cotton bandage from her bag and wrapped it up the best she could, shielding it from the air. She sighed hoping to hide it for as long as she could. She laid her head on her pillow feeling the fatigue more than usual. She hated sleeping but against her wishes she drifted off. Then the burning started as her tail curled up around her.

"Hey, hey! Mit-chan!" Iro clamored into the room, knocking only once. "We're going to eat soo-" When he saw she was quietly sleeping he snapped his mouth shut and smiled.

"Iro! I give you the easiest job in the world and-"

"Shut up! She's asleep!" The brothers paused in the door way before quietly entering.

"Should we wake her?" Iro asked. Iwa hissed suddenly with such vehemence that it startled Iro.

"Would you look at this?" Iwa sat carefully on the edge of the bed as to not disturb his sister. He carefully lifted his sister's badly wrapped hand for his brother to see. Mitsuki's frown deepened at his touch.

Iro grimaced as the bandage only unraveled further. "That is no ordinary burn. It will take a long time to heal and will scar deeply. Maybe when she wakes up I can treat it to sooth the pain,"

Iwa's anger would not be lessened. "Who's idea was it for her to take this job?" he demanded.

"It was her's ultimately and you know that! Don't make it harder on her Iwa. She can already see our discomfort, well more than that, it's not like it's hard to see it either…" His eyes took on a menacing glint, "But who ever killed her made sure that her body would be destroyed and for that they're going to pay. It was no accident,"

A solemn silence descended on them as they watched their little sister slumber.

"Come on lets let her sleep," Iwa tugged his brother up.

"Yeah… I'm so hungry I could eat… a lot of food,"

Iwa just shook his head and closed the door behind them.

Hours later, Mitsuki gasped and sat up quickly drenched in sweat. The nightmares were just horrible. The screaming; the fire; the pain.

For some reason she had no idea where she was. Oh yes it was a strange new place with her brothers and new comers. Where? Somewhere in the human realm, trying to meet up with heads of Spirit World. Why? Because she was dead.

Her waking thoughts always consisted of such. She'd wake up feeling dead as if only the lightest thread held her soul to this earth. Which in a way was true.

A single silver chain hanged delicately around her neck. It was brought to her by a reaper of Spirit World to anchor her soul to this copy of her body. On the chain hung a tiny charm with a containing energy that attached her soul to this world. A blue pearl, held in a netting of hard wrought iron. She fingered it absently as had become a habit.

Mitsuki shook her head clear, somewhat appalled with herself for sleeping like she had. What happened to the cat nap theory? She leaned to climb off the bed putting pressure on her right hand.

Pain shot up her arm causing her to give a small yowl and a large string of curses.

She had almost forgotten the state her hand was in. Instinctively she brought her hand to her face, licking the tips of her fingers gingerly. She made a face. Even the evil essence had made her skin taste bad. Her stomach growled and she sighed. She needed to eat but she necessarily didn't want to do so. Mitsuki hoped everyone was asleep as she slipped from her room.

Mitsuki's cat eyes changed to fit the low light, pupils moving to take in as much light. Her steps were light as her slightly padded feet moved with only slight noise and practiced ease around objects in the dark. Then silence was punctuated only by the snores of who ever was asleep on the couch. By the sound of it, it was Kuwabara. Mitsuki found her way into the corner with the kitchen. Furtively she opened the door to the small fridge standing in front of it to try and block most of light. She found a plate set aside covered by a napkin with a small note on it.

Here love. Mitsuki smiled at the unmistakable handwriting of Iwa. He was always watching over her and Iro was there too.

On the plate were a little fruit, cold pizza, and what appeared to be the last of the dried fish they had carried with them. Mitsuki took her plate and slipped quietly up the stairs and out the door. She heard him before she saw him, her ears swiveling to the right.

"Oh, hello," she said lightly, meeting easily the steady, cold gaze of Hiei.

He was leaning casually against the wall of the rundown shack, hands held up behind his head. Mitsuki kept her burned hand at her side as she sat on the left side of the door.

"Nice night isn't it?" she balanced her plate on her knee as Hiei nodded once before closing his eyes. She picked at the plate off food nibbling here and there but only a little.

Hiei may not have looked such but it was unnerving to sit in her presence. Her energy seemed to pulse through a hollow body, it essence echoing to his Jagan enhanced awareness. It seemed to fill nothing, its pulse strange as if it had nothing to contain it but just fragile paper walls that it could easily break. An unpleasant feeling at best that made his skin crawl.

Mitsuki watched the sky, taking comfort in that it at least had some continuous pattern that was reliable. She didn't like to eat in front of others. And now that she was dead, food tasted of sand. The evil aura was biting at her hand making her face contort with pain. She stole a glance at Hiei making sure he was not paying attention. Very carefully she lifted her hand to tuck in the continuously unraveling dressings.

"Is your hand still intact?" Hiei asked, his voice containing a slight edge, which she had learned to identify with his character.

She flinched, her walls immediately rising. She hesitated before lifting her hand for him to see.

"It's okay. It'll heal soon enough," she shrugged. The pathetic bandage flopped further down a finger, revealing part of the broiled skin in the moonlight. "Um… right. Whatever," she blushed feeling kind of silly.

She removed her hand from view in an attempt to close the subject. Hiei grunted in disgust. Without a word he stood and knelt by her side. Mitsuki shied away, her ears flattening against her head in surprise and disgust. The plate, only half eaten, was tipping precariously.

"If you're not going to treat it properly then at least bandage it correctly," Hiei growled lifting her hand gently.

Mitsuki's eyes flashed dangerously as she emitted a low hiss and she jerked her hand away.

"I said leave it be,"

It had been enough. Hiei had felt the evil power living in her hand, pulsing against her own strange energy, trying to take over. Even so, his short fuse had been lit.

Hiei glared at her menacingly and walked away.

Mitsuki grimaced.

"Wait! I'm sorry," she said lamely, guilt already twisting her insides, "I have a temper. It's really no excuse though. I'd just rather nobody knew I was hurt for as long as possible," she stared at the ground.

Hiei stopped but refused to turn around, prepared to hear her apology only. But he couldn't resist a comment or two.

"You can't hide secrets well. Your brothers and everyone else already knew,"

Mitsuki ignored the biting tone in his words. Instead she looked at her mangled hand and smiled sadly at it.

"It really is a bad job. Iro was always the healer," She said thoughtfully.

"That idiot?" Hiei scoffed unbelievingly. Mitsuki looked at him sharply, narrowing her eyes but saying nothing. Hiei watched her unflinchingly.

"Thanks anyway," she said stiffly. Hiei nodded once before stunning her with his speed by simply disappearing from view.

Mitsuki smiled wanly back at the moon's face. A sighing breeze whispered over the small hill teasing her already frenzied hair.

She felt so empty inside. Not emotionally but literally. She shook her head and stood to make her way to the side of the shabby abode.

Under the cover of night, Mitsuki trembled as her body rejected all that she had eaten that evening. She had hardly consumed anything leaving her stomach to come up in mostly dry heaves. She had yet to harness the strangeness of her new body. It ached with hollow hunger close to that of the living but it could hold nothing. She ate to retain the appearance of normality when only she needed to drink water to sustain her body.

Secretly Mitsuki longed for the day when she would assume the position laid out for her. The day when she could assume the necessary body that would allow her to do the job she was brought through all realms for. It would be the closest thing to living that she could get.

Mitsuki sighed staring into the stars again. She finally landed back on earth to pick up her plate to return it back inside. It was a pity the food was soiled. She could have saved it for the others. She tossed it far away so no one would notice. If Hiei hadn't have been there then she wouldn't have needed to eat at all.

Tomorrow evening, she reminded herself; tomorrow evening things would be better for her and every one else. She would no longer be another's burden and they could continue on. Mitsuki held her wounded hand to her chest as she descended into the grandiose shack.

So what did you think? Hmm?