Stephan: Okay, so, its almost been a year since I've updated... but I changed the chapters up mainly by combining them. Nothing MUCH has changed...
P.S. Do not be alarmed. What this chapter contains is not yuri; it is simply two girls learning to become friends. So nya.
Part 7: The Procedure
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but," Reiko said, as the portal behind her and the others disappeared, having returned them to the Safe House. "I'm actually glad to be back."
"Just try to take it easy from here on out, will ya?" Yusuke said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I am retired you know." He grinned.
"Oh please, Yusuke. You're not even twenty yet!" Botan exclaimed.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Yusuke sneered, blowing Botan off like he usual.
"Would anyone like some tea?" Kurama asked, "I was thinking about brewing some."
"Ooh!" Botan's eyes lit up as she completely forgot about Yusuke's offensive behavior. "That sounds wonderful!"
"I'll pass." Yusuke waved the offer off with his hand as he hopped over the couch and landed on the cushions.
"How about you, Reiko?' Kurama asked, turning to the brunette girl.
"Oh, um, no… thank you. I'm gonna go ahead and head to bed, if that's alright." She replied sheepishly.
"That's fine. Your rest is important." Kurama smiled.
"Aww, but we just got back." Botan said with sad eyes, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah… I'll just see you guys in the morning."
"Alright…" Botan hesitated as Reiko made her way up the stairs. "G'night."
"Night." Reiko waved with the back of her hand before she disappeared up the steps.
The crescent moon reflected something ominous into Reiko's room that night as she slept with a contorted expression. She was deep in sleep and far into the depths of her mind. This, however, was not a good thing. Within her very heart and soul, a clash between light and shadow was steadily battling on; a cloudy fog of black swirling and thrashing against a mist of white. Groans came from Reiko as she stirred in her sleep, clinging to the sheets and dripping beads of sweat, her face a tired and beat red. "S-stop it..." she begged, "Please… N-no more…" her breath quickened in pace and shortened in length as the night terrors took over…
"There's no use in fighting it." HER voice pierced Reiko's ears like metal through flesh; painful, forceful. "I know you're getting tired. You can't take much more of this. Just a little bit more and you won't have anything to worry about, Spirit Child…" the voice paused as Reiko tried backing up in the darkness, but there was nothing to back away from. SHE was everywhere and nowhere.
"G-go away! Just leave me alone!" Reiko shouted, clutching her ears and shutting her eyes tight.
"But I can't, you see… I've become a part of you… I AM a part of you. And there is NOTHING you can do about it." SHE cackled, her voice bouncing and echoing off the nonexistent walls of Reiko's mind.
"No…" Reiko whispered, collapsing to her knees. "No, no, no, no…"
Reiko's scream broke the stillness of the night as she herself tried to break from the bonds of her nightmare. Within seconds, Kurama and Yusuke, followed by Botan, busted into her room to see her thrashing around on the bed. "Shit!" Yusuke cursed as they ran to Reiko's beside.
"Get her arms and legs!" Botan shouted, "I can get her calm, just get her as still has possible!" Kurama and Yusuke immediately did as Botan asked.
"Whoa!" Yusuke shouted as Reiko nearly kicked him in the face. He managed to get both her legs down against the bed. Kurama sat on the side of the bed closet to the door, pinning down Reiko's arms as best he could while Botan sat on the opposite side.
"I should be able to get her out of this," Botan said as she grabbed her right wrist with her left hand, a yellow energy surrounding her palms and fingers. "I just need some time."
"Damnit Botan!" Yusuke grunted, forcing Reiko's leg back down after it had popped up again. "She's a lot stronger than she looks!"
"I'm trying Yusuke!" Botan exclaimed, her hands hovering above Reiko's forehead.
"Hang in there, Reiko." Kurama said as he looked down at her. Her eyes were wide and white just like they had been the first time this had happened.
"Come on, Reiko." Botan grunted, sweat rolling down her brow as she struggled against the darkness.
The white in Reiko's eyes started to fade and her body slowly started to settle down until it came to a subtle stop. Both Kurama and Yusuke let go of her limbs. Botan retrieved her hand, the yellow energy surrounding her palms disappearing. "She's back." She smiled, slightly out of breath. Reiko let out a startling gasp and lunged forward, shocking Botan when she threw her arms around her neck and buried her face into her shoulder.
"Thank you…" Reiko said quietly against Botan's shoulder, "Thank you so much."
"…You're welcome…" Botan said, looking up at Kurama. "Umm, I'll stay with her for the rest of the night."
"Are you sure?" Yusuke said, now standing next to Kurama.
"We could take turns." Kurama suggested.
"No…" Botan paused, looking at Reiko who was still latched around her neck, "I think we'll be fine." Kurama and Yusuke nodded, understanding the, what was once unlikely, friendship that was forming between the two girls.
"A what?" Yusuke asked the toddler on the other side of Botan's compact.
"An aura extract sample." Koenma repeated, "In order to find this demon, we need a sample of its aura. Because of its type, we can find its location by a new method of tracking."
"I've never heard of anything like this before." Botan said.
"Like I said, it's a new method." Koenma restated.
"That doesn't sound too reliable." Botan commented.
"We don't have any other choice. This is the only way to find the demon." Koenma sighed, "I'll send a portal. You have five minutes to get Reiko ready.
"Wait a sec, doesn't she get any kind of say in this?" Yusuke asked, a little irritated.
"No, Yusuke. She doesn't. Now quit dawdling and get her ready!" and with that, the screen went black.
"Why that good-for-nothing…" Yusuke muttered under his breath.
"I don't know about this…" Botan said with worry in her voice.
"You heard him Botan." Reiko said from the stairs, causing the two to look up at her, "I don't have a choice." The look on her face was tired and solemn, she hadn't been able to go back to sleep that night. 'Sadly, that's something I'm starting to become accustomed to…'
"Are you mad?!" Tessa shouted at Koenma as she busted into his office. "Do you realize the danger you're putting her in?!" she stormed over to Koenma and slammed her hands down on his desk, her navy blue hair let down from its usual up-due bun. "Trying to extract an aura sample is theoretical!"
"That's not quite true, Tessa-" Koenma tried to explain.
"She's not a demon, Koenma-sama! She's a HUMAN! A young girl! There have been no studies on humans with this technique!" Tessa's violet eyes turned to daggers as she bore them into Koenma's skull.
"If the procedure goes correctly, the worst thing we'd have to worry about is it putting her into a coma."
"You don't know that! The circumstances are different from anything else! Not only is she human, but she's already fighting a desperate battle against the darkness in her heart… And I'm afraid she might be losing…" Tessa lowered her eyes to the desk as empathy came over her.
"That is exactly why we think it'll be easier to extract." Koenma stated, causing Tessa to look up at him, stunned. "Because the shadows are overwhelming Reiko right now, the aura of the demon is strong within her, making it more accessible. We're certain that-"
"You're unbelievable." Tessa scoffed, taking a few steps away from Koenma's desk. "If she dies… Not only will I never forgive you, I'll RUIN you." The cold and bitter tone in her voice had an unbelievable bite to it that made Koenma second guess himself. Tessa turned and walked out of Koenma's office, leaving a very nervous toddler to suck wildly on his pacifier.
"We'll be right out here watching." Yusuke reassured Reiko as she was laid out onto an operating table. He, along with Botan (Kurama was out getting Hiei), were standing in front of the room where the procedure would be taking place. A large glass window would allow them to watch everything that was yet to come.
"You'll be just fine," Botan said with a smile.
"Thank you." Reiko tried to smile but it came out rather pitiful.
"Don't worry, if any of 'em tries anything funny I'll come right in there and kick their sorry asses." Yusuke grinned, flashing her a thumbs up.
"Really, Yusuke, you ought to be more careful with your words." Botan sighed, the apparition doctors and nurses not looking too happily at Yusuke.
"She'll be done before you know it." One of the apparition doctors said before they wheeled Reiko into the room. Unfortunately, that doctor would turn out to be very wrong.
"I still don't see why I have to be here." Hiei said in slight irritation as he and Kurama walked down the medical wing halls.
"Koenma wants all of us there for Reiko." Kurama stated, "He says it's really important for Reiko to feel like she has support. If she went in feeling anything less, it could very well jeopardize the procedure and possibly endanger her."
"Hn, I still don't see what's so important about her. She's just another human that obtained some meager power; just like that moronic trio from Genkai's stupid test."
Kurama smiled, 'Sometimes, even you can be wrong, Hiei.' he thought.
Hiei stole a glance at the fox as they came upon Yusuke and Botan, "Hmph."
"Oh! Kurama! Hiei!" Botan exclaimed, "She's already in the room but they haven't started yet."
Kurama and Hiei walked up to the window, standing next to Yusuke and Botan. Kurama looked in at Reiko while Hiei stood with his arms crossed, completely disregarding the situation. Reiko looked over and made eye contact with the red head. Kurama smiled and raised his hand in a greeting manner. Reiko, unsure of how to respond, simply raised her hand in return before the doctor began instructing her.
At each of Reiko's limbs stood a medical assistant, each wearing white scrubs and shoes. If it weren't for the lack of machines, masks and needles, Reiko really would have felt like she was about to be cut open and sewn back together. She looked over to the fifth white outfitted apparition as he spoke.
"I need your full cooperation Miss Anayama." He told her, his brown dog like ears twitching ever so slightly as he spoke, "If for any reason something goes wrong, these four are here to help. They're going to make sure the procedure runs smoothly. Do you understand?" Reiko nodded, "Good. Then we'll get started. I'm just going to put you to sleep and before you know it, everything will be all said and done and you can go back home." The doctor placed his right hand on Reiko's forehead, a white glow emitted from his palm and transferred to her. Her eyes slowly started to close until they were completely shut. He left his hand on for a few seconds longer before the white glow ceased and he retrieved his hand. "Alright, let's get this started."
Reiko let out a groggy groan, putting her hand on her forehead, "Where am I?' she said aloud as she sat up in the midst of the darkness that enshrouded her. "Is the procedure over?" she paused, waving her hand in front of her face. She double blinked before frantically waving her hand back and forth in attempt to see any sign of it. "Oh my gawd! I'm blind!" she shouted, "You mother fuckers made me blind!"
.::Chapter End::.