Disclaimer: as in I don't own it…

Animes in this Chapter: YuYu Hakusho, Descendents of Darkness, Fruits Basket, Munto

Chapter 6: Encounters

I dropped my bag and fled. That man may look like an angle, but he was demon. Of that I was positive. "Hey, what's going on?" It was Yuusuke.

"I have to get away from that man." The bell rang and students filled the hall. I bumped into people and sent them sprawling but I didn't stop. I couldn't. That man was following me. I bumped shoulders with Yuki and our eyes met. I tried to convey my message without words as I ran further from him. Weather he got the message or not I do not know. I jumped over the short wall and down the stairwell. My way to the doors was clear and I darted toward it.

"Hey, Mercury, why such a hurry?" Kuwabara.

"Just stall him!"

"Stall who?" he called after me, I didn't take the time to answer, he would figure it out soon enough. I made record time crossing the grounds.

"Yuusuke, where can I go and hide?"

"You are a wimp aren't you? Man, I thought you where something tough the way you showed those thugs earlier!" Damn stupid ghost.

"I can't fight that man. Even I know when I'm had! Where can I go!?!"

"Take a left here." I did as he instructed. It was getting harder to breath and my stomach was sending excruciatingly pain throughout my entire body. "Take a left." I turned and nearly collapsed.

"Yuusuke, how much farther?" I put a hand to my withering stomach. The blood was definitely coming through my school blouse now.

"Take a left, second apartment door on the bottom. It's my apartment, you'll be safe there."

"Doors locked."

"Keys under the flowerpot on the sill." I retrieved it quickly and let myself in shutting the door quickly behind me. The place was trashed!

"You live here?"

"My mom's not one for housekeeping. She must be out drinking again…" I hissed in pain and he turned to look at me. "Your bleeding…"

"I'll explain later right now I need something to stop the bleeding and bandage it up with until I can see my doctor…" I looked around. Where was the bathroom?

"We should have some disinfectant somewhere…"

"Any alcohol? That will sterilize it."

"There should be some in the cupboard above the microwave… that's if my mom didn't drink it all."

"And bandages?"

"Gauze in the bathroom and medical tape… sheets?"

"Gauze and sheets." I pulled the cork out of the whiskey bottle. This was going to hurt like a bitch!

"The sheets are in the hall closet and as I said, gauze is in the bathroom."

"Thanks" he just gave me a semi-worryed look, which didn't suit him at all. I got to work.

***

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YUUSUKE!?!" A woman shrieked. I cracked an eye open and closed it again burying my head into my confiscated pillow.

"Mercury! It's my mom! You have to get up and tell her… well something!" I groaned and attempted to sit up. "Kako's here too."

"Mrs. Urameshii, I'm a friend of Yuusukes. I'm sorry to have broken in, but Yuusuke told me if I was ever in a pinch to come here."

"You're a pretty good liar for a Sohma." The ghost hissed.

"My name is Mercury Sohma."

"You? A Sohma?" She sounded doubtful.

"You're the new girl at school, aren't you?" I nodded and attempted to stand up only to end up with both my arms around my guts as if trying to keep them in. "That's impossible. You weren't here before he died."

"He's not dead… Not completely anyway. He's hovering on this plane somewhere between life and death, but you already knew that or he wouldn't be in the back room."

"HEY!!!"

"How did you know that? The only ones that know are me and Kako."

"I know that because Yuusuke's ghost is standing right behind Kako and is trying to… YOU PERVERT KNOCK IT OFF! Anyway, he's the one that led me here and told me where to find the key." Yuusukes mom seemed to nod and started to walk around a bit. She picked up a sheet… the one I used for bandages.

"What did you do to my sheets!?!" I scratched my back.

"Used it as a bandage… I was in a hurry to stop the bleeding… I can buy you new ones." I just hope she doesn't notice the shirt I'm wearing is also hers.

"And is that my shirt." Damn karma!

"That's her favorite one too."

"WHAT!?! WHY DIDN"T YOU TELL ME IT WAS HER FAVORITE! YOU TOLD ME SHE NEVER WORE IT ANYMORE!!!" My head started to spin and pain shot through every inch of my body. Colors and figures blurred together and the last thing I heard was Yuusuke calling my name as I hit the floor.

***

There was a fog all around me. I couldn't even see my feet, but I could feel the blood. Blood ran from a wound on my shoulder, twisting down my arm, seeping under the shackles on my wrist and mingling with the blood there before dripping from my fingertips. There was a sound coming from all around me, it was a high-pitched cackle. "Are we having fun yet, Mina?" I started moving forward, trying to get away from the voice. The ground under the fog seemed to be fairly smooth but I didn't know for sure. "Now, now, it's not fun if you leave. We haven't even started yet." It was the man from the Infirmary.

I started running and I tripped. There was more laughing.

***

"We have to do something! She looks like she's in a lot of pain!"

"I know, but what can we do? We call the cops we could get in trouble and if we call the Sohma's we still get in trouble."

"Photon! Isn't there something we can do!?! You said people are easier to influence when their asleep right?"

"Well, yes, Yuusuke, but there's something unnatural about her sleep. If you try to meddle there's no telling what could happen to you…"

"I don't care! I have to try!"

***

"You always keep me guessing on what you'll do next, it makes things so much fun!"

"Stay away from me Muraki!!!"

"Oh, so you do remember me!" the angelical demon said delighted. He adjusted his glasses and advanced toward me. I scrambled backwards. "Oh, come now Mina. There's no one here to save you. That wimp of a Guardian of Death couldn't save you then, and there's no one around now. Your traped."

"Wrong, I'm here!" There was a figure in the fog, he stepped closer. He was tall with red hair that almost stood straight up. "You will leave her alone, vile fiend of the underworld!"

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it, Lord Munto?"

"GET OUT OF HERE MUNTO!!! I'M NOT WORTH IT!!!"

"Our father is the same, my blood is your blood, of course you're worth it!"

"Mercury! Are you alright!?!"

"Yuusuke? What are you doing!?! GET OUT OF HERE, BOTH OF YOU!! HE'LL KILL YOU!!!"

"Boy, get her out of here! I'll break the connection between her and this creep! Just take care of her!" His look was fiercely protective. I heard Yuusuke gulp.

"Of course!"

"Then get going!" Munto thundered and turned to face Muraki. Yuusuke pulled me to my feet and started to run. I looked over my shoulder and saw him charge.

***

"Munto!"

"Good, we're out and you're up! This is good… but why was that man keeping you in that hell? Who is he and what does he want!?!"

"Just shut up Yuusuke. Ahh!" I succeeded in standing up. "I have to go… what… time?"

"Oh god, Kako, you have to get to school! Your late!" Yuusuke's mom cried out as she looked at the clock.

"Morning, school… Good, this is good… phone… need a phone… call… call… shit… don't remember… alright, this is still good…"

"I don't think we should let her go… maybe call the Sohmas, I hear one of them is a doctor…"

"No, I'm not roping them into this… having you know as much as you do is dangerous… Kako… don't go to school today…"

"What? You want me to ruin my perfect attendance just because you say so? Fat chance in hell!"

"I don't want to drag you into this! Trust me when I say you stay here!" I stopped suddenly and smiled. Yuusukes mom put herself between me and Kako… must have been a scary smile. I was starting to remember more and more things as the seconds ticked by. I remembered and I was ready to plan my assault on Muraki.