Author's note - Winter break is in full swing and it's raining oceans here in Southern California! I swear someone's trying to drown the world up there! (glare) i also find this super long storm ironic as everything i'm currently working on (fan fics & original) all are currently set in a rainy setting. Haha ah well, that's life for you :D Though i am seriously getting sick of walking around with wet shoes... ugh. Anyhoo, today is a special special day! do you know what it is?
No it's not my birthday.
Today is the Winter Solstice! YEAH! :D MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR! unfortunately the clouds didn't clear up not once so i couldn't see the lunar eclipse or the possible red full moon. (sigh) Anyhoo, my way of celebrating this wonderful day is to post this very special chapter! Read and you'll find out why it's special. ;D
And huge thank you to Reiko, Masuyo shun, yuki san1, Fairy5706green, Graphospasm, LilyMoonstone, and an unknown reader for their reviews and Anim3Maniac for Story-Alerting. Also another round of thanks for everyone who stopped by to read! I hope you enjoy this new chapter of POTRA and please let my know what you think! Enjoy and Happy Winter Solstice Everyone! :D
Chapter 11: Aquaphobia
Kikume was startled awake by the sudden clap of thunder that shook the whole house. She immediately sat up and nearly jumped out of her skin as a flash of lightning streaked across the windows followed by another loud clap of thunder. Kikume cringed and bowed her head as her heart kept pounding in her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut and curled up with her head on her knees, trying to steady her trembling body. But in the darkness, behind her eyelids, she was immediately swamped with the memory of drowning… being pulled under and losing oxygen. Her lungs were burning and the pressure of the water was bearing down on her… the abyss consumed her and dragged her down into the heart of its darkness…
Kikume pinched herself as hard as she could and let out a muffled yelp of pain.
No, she was alive, she told herself. She was alive… She was alive…she was alive!
The chant sort of worked. When she felt her body stop trembling, Kikume slowly uncurled herself and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was white. She blinked again and realized it was the blanket. It was then that she noticed she was sitting on a soft mattress with heavy warm covers pulled over her. The room she was in was foreign and she knew immediately this wasn't her room.
Kikume immediately leaped out of bed, panicking at not knowing where she was. She'd been sleeping in an unknown bed and was now in an unknown room in an unknown house located in a possibly unknown world?
Where am I?
The room was relatively plain with the bed pushed against the wall and a small desk next to it. There were two windows in this room, one behind the desk and the wall to the left of the desk. Kikume blinked as she suddenly remembered vaguely climbing through the second window…
Oh, right. I'm in the Kuwabara's house and this is the room they gave me…
But what day was it and why had she been feeling so jumpy? That memory of drowning… it had been a dream, right? Kikume knew how to swim and it wasn't like swimming was on today's agenda. Today Botan was supposed to take her shopping –
But I already went shopping with Botan…
Kikume paled as the memory of what had happened today came crashing back at her like a violent ocean wave. Pursuing the demon crow, being chased by demons, jumping off the bridge, and drowning in the river –
Kikume gulped and blanched as she finally realized where she'd gotten that memory of drowning from.
I really did drown didn't I? I really did drown… but how am I alive? Was I resurrected?
Kikume spotted a full length mirror hanging on the back of the door. She moved to stand before it and took in her reflection. She had had some rough mornings before in the past but none of them compared to how beat up she looked today – because today she literally looked like she'd been sent Hell and spit back out again.
Almost every inch of her skin was wrapped in bandages, except for her face – but she did have a few layers of bandages wrapped around her forehead. Someone had untied her braid and now her dark red hair was hanging freely down her back, pooling onto the floor around her ankles. It was a miracle she hadn't stepped on it when she'd jumped out of bed earlier. And come to think of it, she was starting to feel really sore and stiff and she ached all over…
Now that she'd calmed down enough and no longer pumped full of adrenaline, she could feel every bruise on her body and man, she was surprised she'd been able to move at all. Her right arm was wrapped especially tight. She flexed her fingers experimentally as she recalled them being broken when she tried punching one of the demons in the side of his head. Then she'd gotten that same arm slashed open by two inch long claws...
Kikume sighed. Well, it looked like someone had done a pretty good job putting Humpty-Dumpty back together.
But seriously, who resurrected me? I was sure I had died…
Kikume frowned and glanced out the window. It was dark outside. Night had fallen and there didn't seem to be any more signs of lightning. And as she listened to the silence, she began to notice the soft patter of rain against the glass. Kikume flinched instinctively and edged away from the door even as a part of her was wondering why she was suddenly afraid. Could it be she was afraid of the rain? But she'd never been scared of rain before!
Yet, as she stood in the room, the sound of water splattering on the glass seemed to grow louder and louder. Kikume's throat tightened and there didn't seem to be enough air in the room to breathe. She dropped down and huddled against the door, sticking her head between her knees to try and steady herself – but it wasn't working! Even as she took deep breaths through her nose and exhaled out of her mouth, the sound of rain was echoing throughout the room, filling her head. She felt like she was drowning again – she felt like the rain was pulling her into that dark abyss and she couldn't escape.
I have to get out of here! I have to get out of here!
Kikume fumbled with the doorknob with shaking hands. Finally she got the door open and she ran out of the room, feet thundering on the wooden floor. The hallway was dark – too dark. She couldn't see where she was going and it was reminding her of the water – as black nothing – pressing down on her. She stumbled and tripped over her own feet in panic and fell painfully down a flight of stairs that she hadn't seen. She tumbled and practically crashed face first onto the landing. She then felt something warm slowly trickle down to her lips and she tasted copper.
I'm bleeding…?
Her thoughts were all jumbled up as she lay in a heap, unmoving. Everything hurt but she didn't mind. Somehow the pain had wiped away the fear from earlier and she felt much calmer now. Plus, there was light … she could see it glowing at the bottom of the stairs. Kikume didn't know how long she just lay on the landing with blood streaming from her busted nose but by the time she thought of trying to sit up, she could hear rushing footsteps approaching.
Someone turned on the staircase lights and Kikume hissed with pain as her eyes were suddenly blinded.
"Kikume-chan!" exclaimed Botan's worried voice. "What are you doing out of bed?"
Kikume blinked several times before her eyes adjusted enough for her to see. Botan and Shizuru were standing over her with concerned looks on their face. They knelt down on either side of her and Botan pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from her face.
"Use this to stop the bleeding," she instructed and helped Kikume sit up and lean her head back while pinching her nose. "I'm surprised it's not broken."
Me too, thought Kikume numbly.
"Check her head for injuries. That was a pretty loud crash. It sounded like you must have hit your head really hard for us to hear it all the way in the kitchen," said Shizuru. "Kazuma get the first aid kit."
"Right, Sis."
Kikume couldn't see where Kuwabara ran off to since her head was being forced back by Botan, but she could hear his retreating footsteps and assumed he must have gone back to the kitchen.
Botan began to gently run her hand through Kikume's hair, feeling for any injury. When her hand skimmed against the top left side of her head, Kikume winced as she felt a splitting headache hit her.
"Found a bump," said Botan. "But other than that, I think she's fine."
Shizuru sighed with relief. "That's good news. Some ice will fix that up. Let's go back to the kitchen. Can you stand?"
Kikume nodded and allowed Botan to help her to her feet. Her body felt ever worse than when she'd woken up. She guessed that her last tumble had added bruises to her bruises. She kept a firm hand on the railing as she and Botan descend the stairs at a slow, cautious pace. By the time she'd hobbled into the kitchen, Shizuru and Kuwabara were seated – along with a stranger she'd never seen before.
He had the brightest red hair she'd ever seen. As rich as a rose, it hung down past the man's shoulder blades. It looked as smooth as silk and she doubted she'd ever see anyone with as healthy and beautiful hair as his. The stranger also had a charming face with smooth and flawless skin that really emphasized the man's natural beauty. His lips were turned up in a polite smile and everything about his facial expression read as calm and polite. But his eyes…there were no words to describe those deep forest-green eyes that seemed to see straight into her soul. They reminded her of Shunjun's eyes – sharp and never missing a single detail. But this stranger's eyes held a quiet and mystical quality to them while Shunjun's were just narrow and piercing. The green was enthralling as it seemed to lure her deeper into its depths, where untold mysteries seemed to hid behind every fleck of light and shadow.
Who was this man?
"You're staring kid," cut in Shizuru.
Suddenly Kikume felt a bag of something cold drop onto her head, making a soft clattering sound as the contents knocked against each other. She blinked as she was suddenly drawn out of her stupor and lifted one hand up to pat the object on her head. It was a bag of ice wrapped in paper towels.
"This should stop the swelling," explained Shizuru.
Kikume nodded as she adjusted the bag's position. She muttered a soft "thank you" and surveyed the table again, this time looking for a place to sit, but only Shizuru's chair was vacant and she felt bad if she took her host's chair.
Just then the stranger stood up, forcing all eyes on him.
"It's getting late. I'll be taking my leave now," he said in a courteous voice that was soft like every other part of his physique.
"Oh, yeah... Er, let me walk you out," said Kuwabara, jumping to his feet immediately – almost like he'd been anticipating it.
"Do you need an umbrella?" asked Shizuru.
"No, thank you. I have my own. Thank you for the tea, Shizuru-san. Good night everyone." The man waved politely and he and Kuwabara exited the kitchen. Kikume could faintly hear the front door opening, and she leaned to the side to try and get another look at the stranger but Kuwabara was blocking her view as he muttered another farewell before closing the door again.
"Would you like some hot chocolate, Kikume-chan?" asked Botan, bringing Kikume's wandering mind back into the kitchen. "It's really good and will warm you up right away. I personally love having a cup on a rainy day like this."
Kikume felt the blood drain from her face at the mention of rain. She could feel her body begin to tremble so she quickly sat down so no one would notice her legs and hands shaking. Unfortunately, she couldn't quite keep her nervousness out of her voice.
"R-raining you say? How, um… h-how long was I unconscious?" asked Kikume. Inwardly she was a little annoyed at how weak her voice sounded and she wished she could get a hold of herself.
"About a few hours," said Shizuru at the counter with her back to them. "Here, have a cup." She turned and placed a white mug in front of Kikume.
Kikume eyed the dark brown liquid curiously. She was familiar with this beverage because it had been mentioned in Stay by Me a couple of times but the actors never described what the drink tasted like – only that it was hot and delicious. Steam rose up from the mug and so did a sweet aroma that practically enticed her to drink. It made her mouth water and she really hoped the drink would taste as good as it smelled.
Kikume carefully picked up the mug with two hands and felt the heat warm and soothe her shaking hands. She hesitated for a second before tipping the content of the mug into her mouth. The brown liquid immediately scalded her tongue, making her flinched and slam her mug down as she fanned her burnt tongue.
"Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot!"
Shizuru chuckled. "That's why it's called hot chocolate. Let it sit and cool."
Kikume nodded, which caused her bag of ice to topple off her head. She hastily caught it and placed it back on her head before folding her hands in her lap. The room was suddenly very quiet and she shifted awkwardly, keeping her head down. She felt like she ought to say something to her hosts. The silence in the room was beginning to remind her of a child waiting nervously for her parents to scold her for doing something bad. But maybe that's what it was and she should apologize for causing everyone so much trouble…
But before she could open her mouth and say anything Botan spoke up. "How are you feeling, Kikume-chan? Are you still in pain?"
"No… not really. I'm okay," muttered Kikume as she adjusted her bag of ice again.
"You know you really scared me today, Kikume-chan," said Botan reaching to place one hand on Kikume's. "When I heard the screams from the humans after the ceiling glass pane shattered, I tried to find you but you'd disappeared. And the terrace was a mess! At first I thought you'd just gotten lost in the mall during all that chaos but after things settled and you were nowhere to be found, I asked Shizuru and Kuwabara to help me search the city. I thought you'd gotten lost since it was your first time in the Human World. But after hours of searching…" Botan's fingers tightened around hers.
"What happened to you, Kikume-san?" asked Kuwabara. "You were missing for half a day and then you turn up, black and blue, like you'd been run over by a truck."
"I… um…" Kikume was hesitant to tell them what had happened to her because one, she didn't know the humans that well – especially Kuwabara and his relationship to Yoko Kurama – oh yes, even in all her excitement she hadn't failed to notice that one of her hosts had had direct contact with the fox. And two, she knew Botan would not approve. And yet, seeing the worried look in Botan's eyes, Kikume felt like she owed the reaper an explanation.
Kikume took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay I know you're going to go ballistic but after you left there was this demon crow and he..." She hastily sped through her story, trying to keep the details as light as possible so Botan wouldn't freak. She avoided mentioning Kurama's name and just referred to him as "the Demon". Botan would know who she meant. Kikume also made sure to leave out the details in how she had "drowned" and just made it seem like she blacked out after diving into the river.
"… and the next thing I knew I woke up in my room," finished Kikume nonchalantly.
Botan gaped at her, eyes wide in horror. "Kikume-chan! I can't believe you would put yourself in danger like that! And all just because of what you overheard from that crow?"
"I was just trying to get information on the Demon, okay. I didn't actually plan on fighting other demons when I tried to catch the crow. Things just kind of… escalated into that," muttered Kikume, crossing her arms defensively.
"You could have drowned, Kikume-chan! What were you thinking, throwing yourself into the river like that?" exclaimed Botan.
"I was thinking about not getting eaten," said Kikume with a bit of bite in her tone. "Look, can we just drop this already? I'm sorry I made you all worried but I'm fine. I'm alive and still kicking, aren't I?"
"Yeah but you know… there's a hole in your story," said Shizuru as she lit a cigarette. "You said it was around mid-afternoon when you jumped into the river, but you weren't found until dusk. That leaves a good three to four hours unaccounted for. There's no way you could have been underwater that whole time, right? Not unless you can turn into a fish. Otherwise you should have drowned."
"Where was I found?"
"By the river. Lucky for us, a friend of ours found you on his way home and brought you back," said Shizuru.
"Who –?"
"You've met him already. He's the red head that just left," answered Shizuru, predicting her question with ease.
Kikume's eyes widen in surprised. "Him?"
Shizuru nodded. "Yup. You got lucky you were found by him and not some random human. Otherwise you'd be in the hospital and we'd still be looking for you out in the rain."
Kikume cringed inwardly with guilt. "I'm sorry for causing you all so much trouble," said Kikume, bowing her head.
Shizuru smiled kindly. "Apology accepted. Just try and stay out of trouble for the next few days – at least until your injuries heal."
Kikume nodded. "I'll do my best."
Shizuru smiled gently. "You know, somehow I suspect you're the type where trouble usually finds you." The she chuckled softly to herself. "You remind me of Kazuma. He's always dragging trouble to our doorsteps and having someone else clean up his mess."
"Hey, I do not! I finish my own fights!" exclaimed Kuwabara. "When have you ever seen anyone save me before?"
"Oh, let me see… how about the time Sensui kidnapped you? Or how about during that tournament last winter when your team had to pick up all the fights you left hanging after you got transported to the other ring – twice, I might add?"
"Hey that was only two fights I lost! And besides Hiei and Kura –"
"OH! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE TIME!" said Botan in a very loud voice as she jumped to her feet, arms waving wildly. "It's getting really late! Kikume-chan, you should go to bed now!"
Kikume protested as the reaper anxiously tried to drag Kikume out of the kitchen and down the hall. "But Botan, wait–!"
"No buts, Kikume-chan. You need a lot of rest if you want to recover from your injuries. Come on now." Botan was stronger than she looked. She somehow managed to drag Kikume all the way upstairs and pushed her onto the bed before quickly shutting and locking the door. Then the reaper's shoulders sagged as she let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Uh, Botan? Are you okay?" asked Kikume hesitantly.
"Oh, just peachy!" said Botan with a sudden smile as she turned around. "Now get into bed. How's that bump on your head?"
Kikume ran her fingers tentatively through her hair and winced when she found the bump. "Ow! Still there."
"Okay, sit still." Botan placed two hands over Kikume's head and she felt the reaper's spirit energy flow into her. In a matter of seconds, the bump was gone, leaving Kikume feeling a bit light-headed and dizzy.
"Wow, Botan. I didn't know you could heal," she said as she rubbed her head to check that the bump was indeed gone. "When did you learn that skill?"
Botan chuckled. "When Koenma reassigned me as the Spirit Detective's Assistant, I needed to pick up a few useful field skills. Healing was one of them."
"I see..."
"Now, hurry up and lie down. You need all the rest you can get after today's ordeal."
Kikume snorted and rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it," she muttered and scooted down enough so that she could lay her head on the pillow. She noticed that the rain had increased its intensity and it made her uncomfortable. How was she going to get any sleep with the rain so loud?
"Botan, can you close the curtain?" asked Kikume.
"Oh, sure." When the curtains were pulled shut, Kikume felt herself relax a little as the sound of rain was muffled to a more tolerable degree. "Better?"
Kikume nodded.
Just then there was a knock on their door. Botan moved to answer it as Kikume drew up the covers around her.
"Hey, just checking to see if everything is okay in here," said Shizuru, poking her head in slightly.
"We're both fine. Thanks for everything, Shizuru," said Botan.
"No problem. If you two need anything, feel free to ask Kazuma or me, okay?"
"We don't need anything but thanks anyways. Good night."
"Night."
Kikume listened to Shizuru's footsteps retreat as she gazed up at the ceiling. She knew that once Botan turned off the lights, the room would get very dark… just like the abyss.
She sat up again and hugged herself as the tremors came back, along with the fear.
"Kikume-chan, are you all right?" asked Botan.
"No – I mean, yes. I'm okay… just –" Kikume glanced up to see the worry shimmering in Botan's amethyst eyes. Botan was always looking out for her and Kikume didn't want to worry her more by telling her of the drowning experience. "Could we keep a light on in here? Just in case I – er, need to get up… I don't wanna trip on my hair – stupid thing," she mumbled, trying to sound like her normal self.
"Okay sure, Kikume-chan. I'll ask Shizuru if she has some sort of night light."
Once Botan was out of the room, Kikume buried her head into her knees and took deep, calming breaths. She wasn't dead, damn it! She didn't drown in that river. She was alive! She was alive and kicking thanks to one of Shizuru and Kuwabara's friend. That man with the red hair had found her and brought her here where Botan healed her injuries and she was now safe. S – A – F – E. Safe. So why the hell was she still panicking over the thought of a dark room and the sound of rain?
This doesn't make sense… this fear… I'm the damn Pilot of the Acheron! I deal with water all the time! I can't be scared of water!
But she was… and this irrational fear was something she didn't know how to deal with. Kikume had always been head-strong and fearless, especially when it came to dealing with demons. She didn't run from demons who wanted nothing better than to tear her to pieces and eat her alive yet here she was, running like the devil was after her upon hearing the sound of rain pattering on the windows. What the hell was wrong with her?
She didn't know but at least she was alive to deal with it. She'll find a way to get over this fear… somehow. She has this chance thanks to that guy…
What was his name? I never found out his name…
His face reappeared in her mind and she was actually surprised at how clear her memory was of him. After all, this was the first time she'd met the guy and yet… he seemed firmly etched in her mind.
I wish I knew his name…
Suddenly, the door opened and Botan slipped back in. "I got the night light!" she said cheerfully. She bent and plugged it in next to the door and the light immediately turned on. "There. Now it's really time for bed, Kikume-chan."
Kikume nodded and lied back down. Botan moved about the room as she too got ready for bed. The reaper changed into pink pajamas and was setting up her futon on the ground when Kikume blurted out, "What's his name?"
Botan blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
"That guy – the one you guys said saved me. What's his name?"
Botan did not answer immediately – in fact she seemed to be taking her time. She first finished making her bed and then made sure Kikume was tucked in properly. Kikume waited impatiently as the reaper adjusted her pillow, making sure she was comfortable before she finally replied.
"He's an old friend of ours and a good man," she said, eyes softening as she spoke.
"But what's his name?" asked Kikume again.
Botan sighed and patted her head lightly. "Go to sleep, Kikume-chan. You need your rest."
"And you're avoiding my question, Botan," muttered Kikume with a frown.
Botan smiled. "Okay, you got me. His name is Shuichi. Shuichi Minamino."
"Shuichi… Minamino…. Huh." Kikume felt the edge of her lip twitch with a smile.
"Now will you go to sleep, Kikume-chan?" asked Botan, sounded exasperated.
"Only if you stop putting 'chan' after my name," grumbled Kikume as a sudden yawn overcame her. She hadn't realized how tired she was and now, lying in this comfortable bed, her eyes seemed to weigh a ton. "I'm not a kid you know…"
Botan chuckled softly. "Sorry Kikume-chan but you will always be my kohai and I care about you so good night."
"Night…" Kikume mumbled sleepily as she snuggled deeper into her covers.
Somehow she managed to fall asleep before Botan turned off the lights; and thankfully, she did not dream of drowning or anything of that sort. What she dreamed about was a distant voice so far away she couldn't make out a single word it said. It echoed faintly to her but she did not linger long in that dream as she was swept away into another dreamland… and another and another and another – always with the faint scent of roses lingering on the edge of her senses.