Paper Voice

A YYH Fanfic

Chapter Seventeen

After twenty minutes of putting up with the Master, Yoko stretched and leapt off the bed, Katrina tried to follow him but the Master grabbed her ribs and glared at her. "I didn't give you permission to leave," his hand tightened around her and she yelped in pain. Yoko had had enough and leapt at the Master's throat. The Master caught him around the throat mid leap and threw Katrina into a wall, she hit it and there was an audible crack as her head smacked it and she landed on the floor unable to get back up. Yoko barked and the Master dropped him on the floor then snapped his fingers, Katrina's collar came alive with electricity that coursed through her and made her unconscious form jerk.

"If you aren't careful she just might die, a few of the bombs in her system exploded and she might be bleeding internally, but this time I'm not going to send for a medic for her because of you," the Master got up laughing, and left the room. Yoko ran over to Katrina and put an ear to her chest, her heart was beating too fast and her breathing was shallow. Regardless of the consequences Yoko shifted into his demon form and pulled healing herbs out of nowhere.

Catherine ran around Genkai's collecting everyone, shouting that she'd found Katrina and she was going to bring her back. "Toya, I need you and one other to come with me... get Rinku and let's GO!"

Toya went to find Rinku while Catherine opened another portal and ordered Yukina to fix Katrina's room and be prepared to heal her immediately. "When I left she looked really beat up, who knows how much trouble she's managed to get herself into in the last... who knows how much time's past since I left! Who, cares, TOYA, RINKU, GET YOUR A**ES OUT HERE!"

Rinku and Toya came running and Catherine grabbed their hands, "You can't travel through the portals without my help, the plan is simple: Rinku stands guard while Toya freezes the collar off of her and I pull out the bombs and blow them up in the shadow dimension." Toya and Rinku nodded their agreements and Catherine dragged them through the portal; Catherine peeked out of Katrina's shadow and nearly abandoned the guys when she saw the state her best friend was in. She threw Rinku and Toya out of the shadows and followed suit, coming up in front of Yoko- who was too preoccupied trying to prevent his girlfriend from dying.

"Who the h*** are you and wha-"*

"Yoko? But, Kurama, I thought you decided not to change into him ever again?" Toya interrupted Catherine.

"The situation called for it; in order to find Katrina I had no other choice. Now, Catherine, get us home!"

"First off, don't yell at me, and second, I need to get those bombs out of my big sis* or else she won't make it home. So, back off! Toya freeze that stupid collar, Rinku stand guard with Kurama; and no one bother me until I can get us out of here."

Catherine took a deep breath and engulfed Katrina in a shadow; that shadow sank into her searching out and removing the bombs. Once Catherine was sure she'd collected all of the bombs she set them off in the Shadow realm, screaming and collapsing over her friend. Toya jumped and lifted her up, "What's wrong, what happened?" he asked.

"I didn't realize the bombs would affect me," she gasped as she regained her senses.

"You're okay though, right, we can get out of here now?" Rinku asked, turning away from the door.

"Yeah, I'm gonna take Katrina first then I'll be back for you guys," Catherine scooped up Katrina as carefully as she could and the frozen collar cracked and fell apart.

Back at Genkai's Catherine burst in and gently set her friend on the bed Yukina and Genkai had made up for her. They immediately went to work healing her as Catherine went back for everyone else. She took Rinku and Toya back without a problem, but when she tried to get Kurama he told her to wait, he had to get Ritsu.

"Who the h*** is Ritsu, we don't have time we need to—" Catherine was cut off as the Master walked in. Kurama turned to see why she'd shut up and saw the Master strangling her, pulling out his whip he moved to attack but only managed to scratch the Master's throat as a dog bit deeply into his right arm. He shouted in pain and tried to hit the dog, Catherine jumped up as the Master fell away from her and she grabbed Kurama's left arm. "We can't leave Ritsu!" Kurama shouted, Catherine sighed and scooped up the fox kit that Kurama was reaching for, shifted the kit to her free hand and dragged Kurama, Ritsu and the dog through the portal.

A portal opened up in front of Genkai's and dumped out its contents; Ritsu wriggled out of Catherine's grasp and barked for his adopted parents. Yoko changed back to Kurama, the dog still fiercely gripping his arm and Catherine fell on top of the dog. Startled the beast loosened its grip enough for Kurama to pull his arm out of its mouth; he scooped up the noisy Ritsu and ran inside to find Katrina. Catherine jumped off of the dog and created a shadow muzzle around its jaws and a chain around its neck. For everyone's safety she dragged the struggling beastie over to a tree and secured the shadow chain around it.

"It's okay, Baby, I'll get you some food and water in a little bit, you just settle down. You don't have to be mean anymore, Bruno. I'm gonna take good care of you and no one's going to hurt you. It's okay, calm down, Sweetie, it's okay," Catherine cooed as she tentatively petted the dog's head.

Katrina groaned in pain and slowly opened her eyes, her vision was blurry and the pain shooting through her was too much for her to take. Shifting back into her human self she quickly slipped back into glorious painless darkness.

Rinku squirmed and tried to bite Kurama's hand, he didn't recognize the scent of the man carrying him and he had no idea where he was. He wanted his Mommy and Daddy or the Master, there were so many strange faces and scents surrounding him now it confused and scared him.

"Ritsu, calm down, no one's going to hurt you," the strange man said as he shifted his grip on the black fox kit.

Kurama carefully held Ritsu to his chest and his bleeding arm just below the fidgeting kit. Once he knew Katrina was safe he would be able to tend to his arm and settle Ritsu down, but not until he knew she was okay. Reaching the room she was staying in at Genkai's he saw Yukina and Genkai working at a steady pace around her bed. Quietly he stood in the doorway, he saw Katrina must have become conscious long enough to shape-shift because she was on her back in human form. Ritsu wriggled out of Kurama's arms and jumped onto the edge of Katrina's bed. Losing his balance he fell onto the floor and tripped Yukina, causing her to land on her bum next to him. Leaning forward she scooped up the restless kit and walked over to Kurama.

"Kurama, your arm!"

"I know; I'll take care of it, could you keep Ritsu out of trouble for me please?"

"Um…"

"Go, Yukina, I can handle Katrina on my own now and if that little kit stays in here he'll only be in the way," Genkai said without ceasing her care of Katrina. Nodding Yukina followed Kurama out of the room, Kurama headed to the bathroom to care for his arm while Yukina took Ritsu into the living room.

Outside Catherine sat next to Bruno gently scratching his ears while he rested his head in her lap. "That's a good boy, Bruno, good dog. You don't have to be mean or scared of getting hurt ever again. I'm gonna take good care of you, you've got nothing to worry about," she cooed trying to distract herself from getting emotional over Katrina. It was her fault they were here after all; she was the one who decided to take Gensu's offer. Katrina only went along to make sure she didn't get herself killed! And now look, Katrina could be dead because of her. Katrina was the rational one, the one who kept Catherine sane and if Katrina dies… No, she's not dead and she's not going to die, why? Because she's Katrina, she's been through way too many near-death situations to die from this crap. She- she's going to be okay and she'll be ready to kick my butt in a few days. Just like the good old days, she'll come after me and I'll end up winning but we'll have fun and everything will be back to normal. Catherine felt hot tears burning her eyes, begging to be released but she wouldn't let them come. There were only three people she would cry in front of and she wasn't about to break down now.

Bruno growled and lifted his head out of Catherine's lap; she turned and saw Hiei standing behind her.

"Were you about to cry?"

"No, of course not; what are you doing here? I thought you hated the human world?"

"What's everyone freaking out about up at Genkai's?"

"Katrina's hurt… really bad… but you- why do you care and why are you here in the first place? Problems with your-" before Catherine could finish that thought Hiei's sword was against her throat.

"I suggest you drop that topic before I remove your head," he growled.

Bruno jumped up to bite Hiei in defense of his new master but was pulled back by his shadow chain. Hiei glared at Catherine and she whispered a quick apology before disappearing. The real Catherine was standing by the tree Bruno was tied to, pulling on his chain to keep him from being Hiei's next target.

"So, why are you here, Hiei?" Hiei ignored Catherine's question and walked up towards Genkai's. Sighing Catherine released Bruno, who ran to the end of his chain and tried to bark through his muzzle. Catherine walked up to Bruno, patted his head and told him she'd be back with his food and water. Slowly she walked up to Genkai's after Hiei.