Author's note - well, what can i say that can make up for the 2-month hiatus i unintentionally put this on? I suppose a simple "i'm sorry" won't cut it... (sigh) but i'll say it anyways. Sorry everyone! I truly wish to be able to update every week - hell everyDAY - if school wasn't so hectic this year! being the idiotic-suicidal student that i am, i decided to take a full load and am literally overwhelmed with homework. My advice to anyone in college: DO NOT take more than ONE math class in one quarter! it will KILL you! X[ unless you're like a human-calculator then i say, have at it... and do my hw for me, plz :P. but anyhoo, going off topic here... er, yeah. this chapter was written nearly 4 months ago, at the start of summer break. the reason i didn't post it sooner was because i was stuck on a future chapter and i refused to post this until i got over my writer's block. so the reason i've updated is obvious: i got over writer's block! hurray! now if only i could find the time to write more chapters XP
Big thank you to LilyMoonstone, yuki san1, WorldsAngel, Graphospasm & Dyani91 for Reviewing; wolfgirl2.0 for Story-Alerting; patlegrand3 for Favoriting; Hikari no Hoshi for Author-Alerting; and Vimuku for Author-Favoriting! You guys and all the other readers are so wonderful for continuing to support this story! I hope you all continue to enjoy POTRA! Please let me know what you all think and i will do my very best to update as often as possible!
Chapter 10: Here Comes the Rain
Botan threw open the doors to the salon and rushed inside exclaiming wildly, "Shizuru! Shizuru! We've got a big problem!"
Shizuru looked up from her current customer and scowled in confusion. "Botan? What are you–?"
"There's no time to dawdle! We have to find Kuwabara right now!" Botan exclaimed in a very fast and panicky voice while waving her arms around crazily. "Kikume's gone missing and I don't know where she gone! She's not in the mall – I already checked like a hundred times! She must be in the city but she doesn't know her way around so she's probably lost and if we don't find her soon she could be –!"
"Whoa, whoa! Hey! Calm down, Botan," said Shizuru, moving to put a steady hand on the anxious reaper. "We'll find her. She can't have gone too far. Oi! Mizuki! I'm leaving you in charge, okay?"
A woman with a blue bandana tied around her head gave Shizuru a thumbs-up and moved to take over Shizuru's customer. Shizuru quickly went behind the counter and grabbed her purse before meeting Botan outside her salon.
"Okay, Botan, I need you to take a deep breath and tell me exactly what happened," instructed Shizuru in a calm voice.
Botan nodded and paused to take a deep breath. "At first, it was just a simple shopping spree at the mall but then we decided to rest and have lunch a little past noon. Then Kurama called and reminded me of our scheduled meeting – which I completely forgot! So I had to rush off to meet him. I left Kikume at the restaurant and told her to wait for me; and I was only gone for maybe an hour at most but when I came back to the terrace we were sitting at, it was a complete mess! It looked like a fight had broken out! The tables and chairs were upturned and the glass panes above the mall were all shattered! The humans were asking me all these questions and I just… I panic! I ran for it and tried to find Kikume but there was no sign of her in the mall! I think she must be somewhere out in the city!"
"Then she's obviously lost," said Shizuru, keeping her voice steady and calm, trying to coax Botan to do the same.
Botan nodded. "I came straight to you because I was hoping that with you and Kuwabara's gifts of spirit awareness, you two would be able to help me track Kikume down."
Shizuru nodded. "Good thinking, Botan. My baby bro should have just gotten out of school. We'll meet up with him and then split up."
"Okay then I'll fly over the city on my oar while you two search on foot," said Botan. "Oh, I just hope we find her before anything terrible happens…"
Shizuru patted Botan on her shoulder to comfort the distraught reaper. "Don't worry Botan, we'll find her."
Botan sighed and hugged Shizuru tightly. "Thank you."
"That's what friends are for," replied Shizuru, patting her back. "Hang on a second. Let me go back and grab us some umbrellas. It looks like it's going to rain soon."
"Really?" Botan glanced up at the sky and was surprised to see the dark clouds gathering above them. "That's odd. It was clear this morning. There wasn't a cloud in the sky."
"Well, you know these summer storms… they come and go in an instant." But Shizuru also frowned with worry. She was getting a strange feeling from those clouds. It wasn't a bad feeling, exactly. It was more of a supernatural feeling – like she knew something paranormal was amiss… but what?
"Shizuru? Is something wrong?" asked Botan, drawing the human psychic out of her musing.
"No… it's nothing," muttered Shizuru. She quickly dashed inside and grabbed two pairs of umbrellas. She handed one to Botan before pocketing hers.
"Okay, let's go find Kazuma."
And the two girls hastily sprinted down the sidewalk, in the direction of Kuwabara's high school.
oo00oo000oo00oo
Kurama stood behind the revolving glass door and watched the sky in slight dismay as storm clouds rumbled in the sky. Shadows loomed over the city as rain slowly fell to the earth – first in a small drizzle and then in a wave of pouring rain.
The fox sighed as he pulled out his umbrella from his jacket pocket. He'd grabbed it on his way out of the house this morning even though it was a clear, sunny day; however, one can never be too careful. Ever the strategist, Kurama always planned ahead for everything. He unclipped and opened his light grey umbrella just before stepping out into the pouring rain.
Men and women who were caught off guard by the sudden change in weather rushed by on the sidewalk, trying to find shelter from the unexpected rain. Kurama paid them little attention and continued on his way in a calm, leisurely pace as he checked his wristwatch for the time.
It was nearly six.
His errands had taken longer than he'd expected and his mother was likely wondering where he was – and she already had enough to worry about as it was. Kurama felt guilty for adding to her stress. After all, she was getting married in less than a month. There were a lot of preparations to oversee, even if the wedding was going to be a small, with close friends and family members only.
Kurama picked up the pace, deciding to take a shortcut on his way home. He cut across the park, following a small, barely visible path through the trees next to the playgrounds, and found himself about two blocks from home. The river was on his left and his house was just over the bridge and down one more block. If he hurried, he'd be home in less than ten minutes.
He walked in long, powerful strides, keeping close to the grassy slope as cars passed by on the street, threatening to splash giant waves of muddy water onto any unsuspecting pedestrian. And today, the fox was not in the mood to deal with wet, asphalt-smelling fur.
As Kurama approached the bridge, he felt the wind pick up, threatening to rip his umbrella out of his hands. The fox tightened his grip on the handle and brought the umbrella closer to his head, using his arm and shoulder to keep the contraption down. However, the wind only seemed to grow stronger as heavy rain pelted the top of the umbrella in a chaotic pounding of patter patter pat. Kurama felt like the storm was trying to throw him off his feet. He actually wavered in his footsteps, coming close to stumbling into the street.
Suddenly, when he stepped onto the bridge, the wind stopped. The rain lightened from a downpour to a mellower version with the drops coming down in a more rhythmic pattern.
What was going on, wondered the fox as he lifted his umbrella a little bit so he could peer up at the sky. Just then, a powerful gust of wind swept up from behind him and ripped the umbrella from his hands. The contraption twirled and flipped into the air wildly. Kurama made a grab for it but it was futile. The umbrella drifted over the edge of the bridge and landed into the river where the rushing currents instantly swept it under and away.
The fox sighed as he felt his hair quickly grow damp from the rain. In a matter of seconds he was soaking wet and chilled to the bone.
Well, there's no point in crying over spilled milk.
With that bitter thought in mind, he started running. He'd only taken a few dozen steps when he noticed someone standing by the banks of the river – which was strange because Kurama could have sworn he hadn't seen that man there a second ago… and he was holding an umbrella over his head.
And was it just his imagination or was that Kurama's umbrella – the one he'd just lost?
But that was impossible! The river swept it away!
The figure had his back to Kurama as he walked a few steps away from the river before kneeling down on one knee. The umbrella completely hid what the man was doing but Kurama was already on the other side of the bridge by then. He stood on the sidewalk, watching as the man soon stood up and turned his head to look at Kurama over his shoulder.
Kurama was too far away to make out any distinct features and the man's face was hidden in the shadow of the umbrella. He was dressed in a bulky trench coat and to ordinary humans, he would probably look like a normal man but Kurama sensed otherwise. There was something about the man that was distinctly otherworldly. The fox felt his hackle's rise as soon as he caught the man's scent in the wind.
Ash… and burial incense…
The man's lips twitched in what might be a smile and he spoke, but for some reason Kurama couldn't hear what the man said. Either the man was mute or Kurama was too far away to hear – but that couldn't be since, as a Fox Demon, he had excellent hearing.
Luckily, Kurama could read lips and the man's silent words translated as thus: "Greetings, Keeper of the Spirit."
The title was unfamiliar but the fox tucked away the name to analyze later.
"Who are you?" Kurama demanded, projecting his voice so the man could hear him over the howling wind.
"You know me... Many know me," read his lips.
"I'm afraid you are mistaken, stranger – both in yourself and in who I am. I am no keeper and I do not know you," said Kurama with a wary scowl on his face.
The man smiled again.
"Fate cannot be denied, Keeper."
He turned and took a step towards the river.
"Wait!" Kurama took a step forward and another gust of wind hit him, but this time it came from in front of him. Kurama was forced to shield his face with his arms as he felt his eyes dry up his eyes and tears gathered at the corners.
When the wind died down, the man was gone. The light grey umbrella dropped from the sky and landed in the grass but there was no sign of the mysterious man. Kurama searched the area with his sharp eyes and honed senses but it was evident the man really was gone – vanished into thin air.
The fox sighed wearily and climbed carefully down the grassy slope to where his umbrella laid on its side – still opened. He bent to pick it up and as he lifted it over his already soaked head, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
Appearing out of nowhere, like a magician's vanishing trick, was a body lying in the grass. It was obviously a woman's and she was dressed in a sky blue dress with white scandals. She was completely soaked and she was lying on her stomach with her head turned away from him. She looked like she had dark hair but with night rapidly approaching, he couldn't tell what color specifically.
Kurama knelt down cautiously and reached for the girl's wrist while keeping one eye on her, making sure it wasn't some sort of trap. He felt for a pulse and after several long seconds, found a weak heartbeat. He then doubled checked by placing two fingers on her neck.
Yes, she was alive… but for how much longer, he wondered.
Her heart was weak and he could see bruises on her arms and legs. She looked like she'd been rolled off the side of Mt. Fuji – hitting every rock and tree along the way – and her right wrist looked swollen with some of her fingers bent awkwardly. They were likely broken. However, one injury in particular caught his eye. Her left foot had a gruesome black bruise that wrapped around her ankle, and if he didn't know better, he'd say it looked like a giant hand print. It was disturbing and the way her flesh seemed to have swollen around and under it, suggesting that her foot was probably broken as well.
Perhaps I should call for an ambulance…
Suddenly, Kurama's phone rang. It startled him for a moment but he regained his composure and he pulled the device out of his pocket. He checked the caller ID and had to take a deep breath to steady himself before picking up.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Shuichi?"
"Hello Hatanaka-san," said Kurama politely.
"Are you all right? It's started to rain really hard and your mother and I were worried –"
"No, I'm fine Hatanaka-san. I'm on my way home right now."
"Oh, really? Did you bring an umbrella?" asked Hatanaka.
"Yes, I did."
"Oh, well your mother was really worried so she went out to bring you one. She just left about a minute ago. If you're on your way home, you should meet up with her very soon."
"Yes, thank you, Hatanaka-san for telling me that. I'll be home soon. Good bye."
"Okay, bye Shuichi."
After Shuichi's future step-father hung up, the Fox Demon sighed as he glanced up the grassy slope at the sidewalk, checking to see if his human mother had appeared yet. He estimated that he had a few more minutes before Shiori arrived at the river side. Kurama decided to use that time to call an ambulance.
He dialed and as the phone rang, he slowly turned the woman over onto her back so he could give the paramedics an accurate description of her injuries. What he saw made him immediately hang up before the operator could finish saying "Hello".
The first thing that struck him was the sense of déjà vu. The woman had an uncanny resemblance to the reaper he'd met in Demon World. She had the same sharp dark eyebrows that contrasted drastically with her youthful, round face; and even unconscious, she seemed to be angry as her pale lips were turned down in a scowl. Kurama had a strange suspicion that if the woman opened her eyes right now, they'd be grey like the stormy sky raging above them. And if memory served, under better lighting, she'd have wild maroon hair tied back in an extraordinary long braid.
But could this really be the same reaper, wondered Kurama. He knew it was possible for Spirit World's ferry girls to take on human form – his meeting with Botan today was proof of that – so it wasn't completely outside the realm of reality for this girl to be that reaper. And now, thinking back, Botan had let slip the girl's name earlier today at the mall. It was obvious she hadn't meant to say the girl's name but why hide the fact that the tapes were for her? And then, hours later, the same reaper appears in this state before him…?
No, this was just too suspicious to be a coincidence… especially considering what happened prior to her sudden appearance. There must be a reason this particular woman appeared before him after Kurama had met the mysterious man… but what was it?
And what was he to do with the girl? Was she a threat? If so, Kurama knew he couldn't just carelessly leave her in a human hospital unattended, and he certainly wouldn't take her anywhere near his family. Plus, considering the ominous handprint-like bruise that wrapped around her throat and ankle, he doubted her attacker was human. That, on top of her possible identity, convinced Kurama he couldn't leave her somewhere unguarded.
So that just left one option – Botan. He knew she was in town and Botan would know what to do with an injured ferry girl…
Kurama suddenly stiffened as his sharp nose picked up the scent of his human mother drawing near. He silently cursed himself as he realized he'd wasted too much time pondering and should have acted immediately.
I suppose I must improvise now…
oo00oo000oo00oo
"Shuichi? Is that you down there?" called Shiori a few minutes later from the top of the grassy hill.
"Yes, mother," replied Kurama as he turned away from the river to see Shiori clutching a pink umbrella over her head and in her other hand was a small umbrella that had obviously been meant for him.
"Are you all right? You're not hurt are you?" she asked as she slowly descended down the grassy hill.
"I'm fine mother. Please be careful! The grass is very muddy and you could slip!" exclaimed Kurama as he rushed to her side – and just in time too. She had stepped in a muddy patch and her foot slid out from under her. Luckily, Kurama reached her in time and managed to catch her arm before she fell.
"Oh, thank you Shuichi," said Shiori and she placed a tender hand on his cheek before standing up again.
"Are you all right, mother?" he asked, still holding onto her with one hand in case she slipped again.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little startled. What are you doing down by the river? It's dangerous, you know. The river could suddenly sweep you away if you aren't careful," said Shiori.
"I know mother. My umbrella slipped out of my hand and I managed to retrieve it before the wind could blow it into the river," explained Kurama.
"Oh… and look at you! Running around in the rain… You're completely soaked!" Shiori began to fuss as she pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and began wiping the water off the side of Kurama's face.
"I'm quite all right, mother. You needn't worry. You shouldn't have come out in the rain like this. You'll catch a cold. I was already on my way home when Hatanaka-san called. You should have stayed at home. I would have been back in a matter of minutes."
Shiori sighed and patted his hand lightly with a tender smile on her face. "No matter how old a boy becomes, his mother will always worry about her son. I love you, Shuichi."
"I love you too, mother. Come. Let's hurry home before we both come down with colds. Watch your step…" Kurama took her hand in his and led her safely back up the grassy slope. They walked silently along the sidewalk and just as they were about to cross the street, Kurama took one last look behind him in the direction of the river.
Unseen by normal human eyes was a small tangle of vines that formed a sort of a hammock under the bridge. Inside laid the unconscious girl whose identity Kurama was unsure of and whose connection to the mysterious man Kurama found even more troubling.