Kurama's emerald eyes widened, "Vines?! You-you're joking right?!" He wanted to reach out and grab the man, beg him to tell him that he had died some other way. Vines...that was his power! To control plants, particularly roses and vines. They were his specialty.
Rei looked at Shuichi-san, suspecting him immediately the moment she saw his reaction. Most people would've probably assumed it was a crude joke or maybe even had some kind of different reaction. With his strange aura and that reaction, it was clear to her that he either knew something or had something to do with their fallen instructor.
But... he hadn't done it. He'd been up all night studying, and preparing for the next school day. He hadn't killed his professor. He had no motive, he wanted to be taught by, not kill every teacher he had.
The man shook his head. "Strange story, eh? I wish I wasn't joking... whoever killed my brother... I swear on Saint Mary and the holy ghost that I'll avenge his soul!" The old man grumbled loudly, shaking as he spoke.
Rei's eyes softened seeing the old man's reaction. She couldn't imagine losing her grandfather or one of her friends; the priestess was about to go and comfort him when suddenly she felt a strong wind go past her. If it had been an enemy, I would've already been dead, she thought. There was no killing intent when that person went past her, but the idea shook her foundations that someone could get past her defenses so easily.
Anastacia walked past Reu as she grabbed onto Shuichi's arm and rubbed his chest as if trying to comfort him.
"Shuichi-san!" Rei exclaimed the moment that the older man left the room, "you could take this more serious than allowing your whore-for-a-girlfriend to rub up on you." Her words stayed in contempt. She didn't bother hiding her distaste for the girl.
Ana, the other woman, stuck her tongue out.
Kurama pulled away from Anastacia, retreating to the other side of Rei, not touching the girl, but seeming to hide behind a desk and truly seemed to shiver. "She's not my girlfriend, I don't even know her...we never met before today..."
The other woman pouted dramatically while making pouring sounds behind him, making nonsensical whines.
The redhead sat in a chair folding his arms across his chest so that Ana wouldn't get his arm (or his chest, for that matter) again. A very serious look came across his face. "I want to know who killed him." he said outright, almost immediately, whoever had done it was framing him and doing a good job of it.
If word got to Reikai that a human had died by way of his powers,he'd be in a lot of trouble for something he didn't even do.
Anastacia smirked and walked out the door, met by another girl and continued walking with her, giggling and not seeming to take the situation seriously.
The priestess shook her head in annoyance. "Strange girl, that she is..." She turned her head to Shuichi who seemed nervous, too nervous. "Well, did he say there were any leads? Y'know, if it is someone inhuman... then the sailor senshi would handle this." She said comfortingly. "You don't have to worry."
Immediately, his eyes narrowed. Here, in Europe, the sailor senshi were hardly known-while there were some fans of them, they all considered them to be the "mysterious vigilantes" of the Japanese and even then, almost no one knew that the sailor senshi fought anything less than human, maybe magicians, but no one would use the phrase inhuman, not even in Japan.
"You're not normal." Kurama pointed out once the words 'Sailor Senshi' left her lips. "Normal people don't know of the Senshi..." Kurama said gazing at Rei with his emerald eyes. "I knew you weren't normal by your aura, but I didn't know if you knew you weren't normal...now I know." the fox sat up in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face a bit.
Rei frowned upon hearing his words, her thoughts becoming clear of what he said immediately. "How wrong you are..." She said after listening to what he said.
"I do know that Reikai had probably spoken of the senshi for whenever a youma gets to the ningenkai..." She said, remembering some of the terminology that Luna had used. "It is the senshi's job to get rid of them. Humans do very well know of the senshi..." She went on to say, revealing that of course that she was one of the warriors of whom she spoke of as she seemed to look past Kurama.
If she was trying to conceal her secret any longer, it failed.
"They may not know who we are, per say... nor our history... but in Japan, we are known... therefore, it isn't a coincidence that there is a Sailor V comic." Of course, that had come out before there really were sailor senshi and before had really known of them, it was more like a myth than truth.
She smiled at Kurama, "Shuichi, I'm a true priestess; my aura would've been different, anyways..."
After her explanation, Kurama seemed to drop his guard even if it was only partially. "It wasn't me..." he whispered very softly. "I didn't touch the professor and yet." he bit his lip for a moment as he drew his hands away. "Reikai will think so..."
It appeared that both had somewhat dropped their guard. Truthfully, it wasn't completely, but even ten percent was a lot for the both of them. She revealed how much she dropped her guard in front of him in her next statement when she said, "About it being you, you'd have to prove that and find whomever caused this problem."
It was logical, and something he'd say if Yusuke were in this same position however that issue wasn't what worried him. That had been his plan from the beginning. He was a man of a purpose at all times even when it seemed bleak.
"I know..." Kurama said, burying his head in his arms, "I'm already on probation from Reikai; if I get into any more trouble," he sighed, and looked to his bag as his cell phone rang again, he picked it up and lightly put to his ear, "Hello?"
"KURAMA!" the demon jerked the phone away from his ear, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"
Yusuke's voice screamed through the small phone in the fox's hand. "KOENMA'S AFTER YOU!"
"Yusuke, please, speak softer, I think I may have gone deaf..."
A sigh was heard from the phone, "Koenmas gotten word that you've kill-"
"I didn't kill anyone Yusuke...I've been framed, and I just found out."
"Really?"
"Do I have a reason to kill my botany professor?"
"No..."
"Thank you. Now, do you think you can buy me any time in Reikai while I try to figure out who actually did kill my teacher?" Kurama's eyes appeared more wise as he lightly dragged his fingers across the desktop. He was changing out of his human attitude and going more and more into the attitude he used as a Tantei.
"A little I guess, but I think I should come over and help."
"No...not yet Yusuke." Kurama sighed a bit, "If I don't figure this out within a couple days, go ahead and come, but not yet. For now all I need from you is time."
"Righto Kurama, but find out quick...the baby's furious."
"I suspect he would be." a light smirk came to the demon's face as he imagined how Koenma would be acting at that moment if he knew the nickname Yusuke called him. "I'll call you later. Goodbye Yusuke." The demon snapped the phone shut and put it back within his bag.
"You're right, Rei-san. I do need to find who did this, and very quickly..." for now he only had two days. ...
Rei nodded, surprised to hear he was on probation from anything. Not Shuichi, the kind Shuichi who she still wasn't sure on whether to trust at the moment as a jokingly thought went through her mind (she imagined that he was on probation for kicking a rabbit after not returning a library book then thought to herself, 'They really are strict out there.'). As the thought came , it was painfully obvious that she hung around Minako and Usagi way too often for her to think something so silly at that moment. It was a good thing that she had practice in keeping a straight face even when thinking something was funny because if you asked her, that was hilarious.
Her violet eyes looked around, noticing a male walking with Ana behind him, and a hazel eyed boy watching them then walking inside, telling Rei and Kurama that the class needed to be evacuated for the authorities to go through the classroom properly.
"Shuichi-san," She said, "two days will be more than enough. I guess its out with the old and in with the new, eh?" She almost said jokingly as she suddenly remembered feeling that energy inside of the school.
"Hai." Kurama said smiling a bit, "Out with the old, in with the new." he chuckled. "I suppose you want to know why I'm on probation, ne?"
Rei nodded to Kurama's question but stopped him before a word could slip through his mouth, in case he hadn't noticed the caramel skinned male in the room and stared at the hazel eyed boy whom walked through the door and began to inspect the room, annoyed by his persistence to find out what was going on.
His green eyes watched her intently as he walked out the classroom with all his books and such. Waiting for Rei to follow him. "It's both evil... and not. What I did was wrong, but I had good intentions in mind." A slight frown crossed his face for a moment, but quickly faded as he walked.
Following Shuichi, her mind went crazy, wondering if his story was true, and also if she could be set up to seem as if she had done something wrong. "Shuichi-san," She paused, remembering the battles of old and how Usagi almost killed everyone just to save one person, a person whom could've the destruction of the universe. "If it was done with good intentions, never mind it..."
She smiled sincerely. "Nothing could truly be evil if it wasn't meant to be evil even if a rule or such says differently." The priestess looked around and tried to sense an opening from Makai or Reikai, just in case her and him would have to make a run for it.
So far... so good.
Kurama nodded, "Apparently, that's what my court thought too," he smiled a bit, he too was spiritually aware of everything around him as he walked out onto the main part of the campus.
"Alright... I suppose the best place to start looking would be Professors house,but that place is going to be guarded." There were ways to get around that, but that's have to wait until a bit later.
Kurama would have to go with a secondary choice for now.
Rei nodded.
That would seem to be the easiest thing to do however, there was an old saying, the culprit always came back to admire his work. She smiled lightly at the male, the smile meaning nothing but everything at the same time. "Allow me to go look around; I'm a priestess, they'll let me rid of any bad spirits if I told them I felt them in the home... we are speaking of the European men. They are easily fooled."
Kurama smiled, "Yes, this is true in some cases." A lot of people were superstitious. Not as much these days, but they still were.
She looked at the red-head to see his response and said, "Besides, Reikai wouldn't expect that either." It was a wonder, even for her, why she would be so willing to help him, knowing there'd be problems on her side too, helping someone like him especially if he weren't as innocent as he claimed.
"You really don't have to, Rei-san. I don't want you to get in trouble on my behalf."
He really didn't want her to get into trouble. Even if he couldn't find out who did it before Yusuke came, or even before Rekai decided to just arrest him-it had been done by something that seemed to have his powers. It was logical to assume that he did it and to arrest him. Rei didn't have anything like his powers.
Rei cocked her head at the news report that was on a higher building with huge RED letters and new messages going all across the screen.
"A man with long silver hair and dog ears, dressed in ancient Roman style clothing has been sighted throughout the night..." The woman said, reading the bulletin. "He seems to leave a rose everywhere he attacks. His latest attack or has been assumed was on a Professor at Oxford University."
Kurama stared wide eyed at the screen his hands trembling and going to his mouth.
Rei looked at Kurama. "Well, if thats the description, then Reikai will know it can't be you."
Rei was wrong, oh so very wrong. "No..." Kurama whispered, "No, this isn't in my favor... this is the exact opposite."
Anastacia came running across the hall and jumped onto Kurama's back, crying as she held onto his neck. "I just came..." She paused to kiss him then continued, "to make sure... my Shui-baby wasn't hurt by the evil rose dog face!"
She kissed his neck tenderly (it looked more like she were having sex with it) while glaring at the violet eyed priestess while the other female had an sudden urge to throw an ofuda on her to see if she'd become paralyzed or maybe burn by the powers of Mars. They were both nice option, Rei was starting to like the second one.
Kurama made a gasping noise, as if he were choking for air, then pulled away harshly when he felt her lips to his neck. Shaking his head, "Please-Anastacia, wasn't it?"
"Call me Ana, Shui-baby!" She giggled while trying to invade his space again, but this time Rei kicked her in the shin though she made it look like it were an accident.
"Don't call me by silly names, and I'm not your baby, I don't even know you," He paused to sigh, biting his lip, looking like he were about to give up. "And no... I wasn't hurt by anything."
Rei looked at Kurama, noticing his expression. Something was wrong, very wrong.
Anastacia looked at Kurama then at Rei, a pout starting to form on her lips. "Like Catsy, you're a whore, trying to steal my man!" She hissed hoarsely at Rei. Her pretty face scrunched up in annoyance as she pushed her fake breast up.
Without letting Rei make a reply, she ran off and somehow some dramatic music came off as she ran, rain started to fall on top of her as she raced through the halls and the wind blew just enough to make her seem like her hair was flowing.
"Strange." She thought aloud. The priestess wasn't sure if she were just seeing things or if her mind had truly been corrupted by the likes of her fellow senshi.
Rei looked at the redhead male and questioned his facial expression, "what's wrong?"
"That..." Kurama pointed to the screen, "Is me..." his voice was barely above a whisper. "This body you see now, the redhead, it's not my real body. It's a body I took on so that I could regenerate after that body died! This body is only a weak human form that keeps that guy in check!" he rubbed his head, "But I know when I change, I'm still concious...Shuichi is still awake when he takes over...he didn't do it either, I know he didn't!"
Rei shook her head, listening and paying attention to all of his movements but then turned her head and saw her name as his accomplice.
Sailor Mars was his accomplice?! Rei screamed in her mind. MY GOD! This is impossible. When she said that it was out with the old and in with the new, she didn't think it was going to be this would be the case. When she said that she'd help, she didn't think she'd actually have a reason-but now while he was wallowing in his problems, her own trouble was brewing. This just got real, real fast.
He sunk against the wall, "This is really bad for me...I just wanted to live a human life and now this." He almost seemed to pout as he looked at the screen again, he glared at it.
"Plants are my life, my weapons, my medicines, but I would never kill a human with them, not anymore. Why? Why?" his voice was still whispering, but it now took on a curious tone.
"What is going on? I remember every second of the time I spent last night, every second...what is going on?"
A dream, no, a nightmare... this has to be! "Shuichi-san! We need to leave this place!" She practically screamed in a whispered tone. She felt frantic, afraid, and a sudden dread came over her. She was technically an out-of-this-world threat and therefore, she'd be a target of the outers.
Shuichi looked to her, blinking a bit, now she was panicking, looking to the screen he understood why. "Think this through a little better Rei-san, where would we go? Yes, I agree it's best that we leave this university until everything is worked out, but where do we go?" it wasn't like they had a lot of options in Europe.
Kurama's phone rang, he picked it up. Rei could only hear one side of the conversation this time, and this is what she'd hear. "Hello?...Yusuke...Hm?...He does? That's good to hear...he doesn't, that's bad to hear...you are? I can't talk you out of it?...No, definitely not, leave him there." There was a sigh, "If you must,though, you may find it hard to find me Yusuke...alright, if you're sure. Yes, I'll speak to you soon... bye." He hung up.
Rei watched Kurama, imagining Uranus coming and destroying this whole place with the help of her lover just to get her. She trembled as she listened to the conversation, feeling the need to do a reading on where the Outer scouts would be looking for her.
"Let's go, we'll try to figure it out as we go, I'll explain what just happened as we go along."
"Alright, Shuichi-san." She said, following him as a faint energy flew past her and out of the school.
Kurama felt the energy lightly and looked in the direction it went, but saw nothing. "That was Yusuke, my friend and partner from where I used to live. He has contact with Reikai, just as I do, he says that Koenma believes I'm innocent, but that Enma hasn't decided yet which makes Yusuke's news both good and bad."
There was a pause as he looked behind him to make sure no one was following them. "Yusuke said he's coming early. He wanted to bring Hiei or Kuwabara with him, but I said no. I don't think it'd be very kind of me to get them involved."
Rei nodded.
However, no matter how much of Reikai would probably not get involved the senshi would and that worried her. Because, if one Outer doubted her innocence, they would come and kill them both. Holding onto her henshin stick, she prayed that Usagi would stop them before they tried to come.
Turning, she noticed a boy named Haji whom was much younger than the average college student speaking with Ana and a pretty red-headed female who smiled as he spoke. However, he seemed to watch Kurama carefully even as he spoke calmly with the two females.
This couldn't be coincidence that they always seemed to be watching them.
Kurama saw the careful examination that the boy seemed to give him as he walked past and his own green eyes looked back at him for a moment before he looked away and pulled some hair down in front of the side of his face that faced the three people; he was, of course, still recognizable, but he no longer could feel the gaze from the young man looking at him even though he knew it was there.
The boy stopped watching him and walked away, suddenly disappearing.
Kurama looked back at Rei, noticing that the boy had disappeared, making a mental note in case he needed to remember later... "So where should we head off to?" he asked this as he kept walking, not slowing down or speeding up, they didn't need any suspicion.
Rei didn't see it but continued on following him.
Rei didn't really know where to go and in truth, she had become more afraid for him and her now more than ever before. Her violet eyes looked around and noticed the beautiful red-headed female write down something inconspicuously and without thought, it obviously being about her and Shuichi.
"Rei, do not move... nor the man beside you." A woman called out, her voice soft and almost a whisper but loud and clear at the same time.
She recognized that voice!
"It's Sailor Pluto!" A dozen college students called out with ecstasy as they looked at her while she stood on the top of the opposite school building.
"Chronos Typhoon!" She whispered as a boundless amount energy kept the students back and winds cutting like two swords went straight forward, towards her and the handsome redhead.
Even as the attack came, Rei felt afraid and for the first time in a long time, there was a dread of hopelessness that overcame her. What seemed impossible was now possible; she'd be killed by one of her own.
"Rei-san! Move!" Kurama screamed at her, well, as screaming as Kurama gets, to Rei, the woman's voice may hold some command, but to Kurama-all it was was another person trying to kill or harm him.
He swore under his breath and pushed the girl out of the way and jumped back himself, the time taken to move Rei would probably cause him to be wounded in some way.
Author's Note:
I have so much fun when I'm writing this story. Hope you all keep enjoying it as I am. So... what do you think of Ana, eh? Every-time that I wrote her a scene, I find myself chuckling at how much of a strange whore that she is and Rei's reactions.
As you can probably tell from reading this chapter, there will be comedy included in this story but believe me, it will get dramatic and there'll be romance. For more Rei and Kurama stories, check out "Fiery Rose: Forbidden Love" by me and also "Our Destinies Intertwined," a multi-crossover fic also featuring the priestess and yoko.
Please review, it makes it much so much easier to update when I see reviews.