Southern Fried Ch 3

AN: Sorry this took longer than the last update! Between work, my kid, and my boyfriend, these last few days have been kind of hectic! And HUGE thanks to all who have faved/followed and reviewed! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The sun was setting as Mickey-Jo and Ol'Boy reached the base of the mountains she was camping in. She whistled loudly through her teeth, the sound reverberating though the trees. She heard the faint whinny of Dazzle, then a flash of purple energy lit up the twilight scene. The pony was suddenly there. He trotted up to Mickey-Jo and the hound, blowing through his nose and prancing.

"I know Dazzle, I know." She rubbed the pony's forehead and scratched around his ears. "You don't like bein' 'way from me, but I cain't have ya shittin' in the streets of that city. Big city's no place for a pony."

She swung up on Dazzle bareback, fiddle case thumping her back as she settled. "Take us back to camp there will ya big fella? Ol'Boy, let's move!"

There was another flash of purple light and they were gone.

Back at camp, Mickey-Jo picked a few things out of her pack and set them by her fire pit. A fold up cooking tripod, a small cast iron skillet, a can of baked beans, a small can opener, and a fork. She got her fire going and set up the tripod, opened the can of beans and poured them into the skillet. She set the skillet on the tripod and leaned back against the pack. Her cowboy hat left her head and she held it in her hands, studying it.

A spark of memory. A little blond-haired, blue eyed toddler smiling widely as he wore the too-big cowboy hat. His little voice so proud as he said "Loo' I di' et!"

Mickey-Jo growled and shook her head violently then slammed the hat into the dirt. Her movements were clipped and angry as she tore into her pack. A map case was brought out. She rolled them out right on the dirt and set stones on the edges to keep them from rolling back up. The first map was a map of the US. It had large red X's all over it, at least on in each state, with a small date written above. She tossed that one away. Underneath the US map was a one of Japan, specifically the region she was currently in. No X's mark this map. Her eyes scanned the paper.

"Where are you, ya squirrely summabitch?" Mickey-Jo murmured. "I know you here. I'd know where ya be anywhere. Ya cain't hide from me."

She reached into her shirt and pulled out a small glass jar on a chain. It was about as long as her pinky finger, and about as wide as a quarter. Inside was a shriveled red finger with a broken claw. She let the jar hang from her neck outside her shirt and grabbed the map with both hands. Closing her eyes in concentration, she poured a little bit of her power into the map. When it was glowing faintly, she pulled the cork stopper out of the jar and shook the finger out onto the glowing piece of cartography.

The finger started shaking slightly. Mickey-Jo watched in full concentration as it started spinning. She clenched her teeth. This part of the tracking always made her stomach churn. That shriveled, demonic finger spinning and spinning, faster and faster until in shot like a bullet over the map. It came to rest standing straight up, broken claw pointing down, pointing right in the middle of the city she had just been in.

All of a sudden the stench of burning reached her nose. "God blast it!" she cried. She threw the maps to the side and hopped over to her fire where her beans were burning. She grabbed the handle of the cast-iron skillet and started to raise it. Screaming another curse, she dropped it.

"Consarnit Mickey-Jo you are the STUPIDEST fucker t'ever walk the damn planet!" She cradled her burnt hand against her chest and fished a hand towel out of the pack. Using extra care, the girl grabbed the skillet. It had fallen askew on the ring of stones surrounding the fire pit. Most of the beans had spilled on the ground. She set the skillet just inside the stones on the packed dirt.

"Well Ol'Boy, I WAS cookin' us a 'fore-bed snack." She sighed. "Guess that's just not in the cards."

Ol'Boy walked forward sniffing the ground. After inspecting the beans he started licking them up, tail wagging furiously.

"G'head then. They all yours." She crawled back over to her pack and fished out the First-Aid kit. With much cursing and muttering she bandaged her hand. She had a special poultice made from a medicine man she had met in Oklahoma. It was payment for when she hunted down and killed a demon that was terrorizing his Indian tribe. It was worth its weight in gold as far as Mickey-Jo was concerned. The throbbing in her hand was reduced to a dull ache.

By that time full dark had fallen on her clearing. The purple glow of the maps combined with the scant light of the fire made eerie shadows dance among the trees. Mickey-Jo grabbed the maps and withdrew her power from them. The finger went back into its jar under her shirt and the maps back in their case in her pack. She relaxed against the lumpy back. Ol'Boy, finished with his snack, lumbered over to her and laid down against her hip with the groan.

Mickey-Jo rubbed the dog's neck fondly. "You quit that now, you ain't that old."

Ol'Boy merely sighed.

She continued to absently stroke the dog while staring into the fire. The soft crackling of the wood and flames jumping hypnotized her. The heat softly kissed her face. Instantly she was transported across the ocean... across the mountains... to the wide open plains she called home..

The heat of late spring in Texas was like a warm blanket. The grass was green and lush. Mickey-Jo chewed on the end of a stalk, relaxing on a bluff overlooking a small pond. An old cane-and-line fishing pole was stuck in the dirt beside her. The line swayed in the sweet smelling wind and made the bob dance gently in the water. She watched it for a few minutes, completely at ease. A happy shriek made her swing her eyes to the small beach a few yards away. A little blond-haired, blue-eyed boy wearing nothing but a swim diaper was gleefully throwing rocks in the pond and laughing at the splash and the pure joy of throwing things.

The loud crack and sudden roar of flame of a log breaking in two and settling startled her from her reverie. Ol'Boy lifted his head and whuffed. His nose was lifted high sniffing like mad. Rustling in the underbrush made Mickey-Jo leap for her crossbow. Her hound dashed into the brush. Mickey-Jo jumped to her feet, crossbow trained on the spot Ol'Boy had run through.

It was entirely possible a demon was stalking her. She was known as a hunter, and not too many demons take kindly to that. One of them might be here to pick her off before she could kill anymore of their kind.

When Ol'Boy barked twice she lowered her crossbow and sat down. He had just found a small animal. Her hunting dog was trained to sniff out and attack demons if need be. After a few close calls, Mickey-Jo trained the dog for different sounds based on what he found. Two barks was an animal, not a spook.

A few minuted later a dejected hound trotted out of the woods and back over to his mistress. He gave a sad sigh as he resumed his place at her hip.

"Don't worry, boy, you'll get 'em next time."

She whistled softly. Dazzle came meandering over to her. "It be 'bout time to retire for th' night boys. Let's get some shut-eye."

After the fire was banked and all her supplies in the tent, she zipped it up and heard Ol'Boy and Dazzle get settled right outside the flap. Her guards, her friends, her companions. Mickey-Jo laid down on her back and lifted up her cowboy hat.

"Sorry there, ol' buddy." She brushed the dirt off the hat. "Ain't your fault."

Sleep didn't come easy, but when it did, she thankfully didn't dream.

Dawn found Mickey-Jo saddling up Dazzle. Everything was in saddlebags draped over the pony's back. She had disguised her fire pit and rustled up the ground so to the passing eye it looked like it had never been disturbed. A machete belt was strapped crossways on her chest, the deadly weapon on her back. She had just sharpened the tool that morning, and planned on using it today. She mounted up and made sure her crossbow was in easy reach.

"Well boys, let's get a lil' mud on th' tires." She clucked to Dazzle, tapped her heels on his sides and they went trotting off to the east with Ol'Boy running ahead to scout.

Little did she know her acquaintances were heading in that same direction...

The Spirit Detective team was walking up the stairs to Genkai's temple for a long overdue visit. Those awful, long stairs. Kuwabara was in the lead. He hadn't seen Yukina in a while and was giddy to see his love. Yusuke and Keiko followed behind, while Kurama and Hiei brought up the back.

"I don't see why we had to come here today, " Yusuke complained. He crossed his arms over his chest. "It's Saturday for crying out loud!"

Keiko glared at him. "Yusuke! You haven't seen Genkai in a long time, and Yukina has been all alone with her and deserves some real interaction!"

Kuwabara glanced behind him with a sappy grin. "Yukina! My sweet Yukina!" His face immediately darkened. "Although I don't see why the shrimp had to tag along. It's not like he actually wants to be here anyway..."

Kurama saw Hiei about to rip into the other boy and deftly interceded. "I'm sure Hiei has his own reasons, Kuwabara. He did learn a lot from Genkai too, you know."

The orange -haired boy turned forward, still muttering.

Hiei turned to the redhead beside him. "You need to stop coming between me and the oaf, Kurama. The idiot needs to learn his place."

"Be as it may, Hiei, peace still needs to be upkept. This is supposed to be a fun day."

"Hn."

At the top of the stairs, and petite girl wearing a blue kimono waited with a short old woman who was smoking a cigarette.

"I could hear you idiots nattering at each other from a mile away." She smirked at Keiko, who began to blush. "Except for you Keiko, you're not an idiot." She turned around and walked back towards her home.

Kuwabara raced up the last of the steps and knelt before Yukina, taking her hands into his own. "Lovely Yukina, your face brightens the day!"

The ice demon laughed softly and blushed. "It's nice to see you too, Kazuma." She turned to the others. "And you all as well. I've made tea. Thanks for coming today."

Keiko bounced up and smiled at the shorter girl. "It's no problem at all, Yukina. We've missed you!"

Fast forward a while later, the gang was seated around one of the low tables drinking Yukina's delicious tea.

Kurama cleared his throat. "I saw our Southern... friend... yesterday."

Yusuke snorted. "Yea we did to."

"She's really nice!" Keiko said, smiling.

"Did you find out anything more, Yusuke?" Kurama asked the detective.

Yusuke leaned back on his hands. "Nothing other than her name is Mickey-Jo, which is kinda hilarious. She was pretty closed mouth, which is kinda strange since I thought all Americans loved to tell everyone their sappy stories. She didn't even spill when I threatened her! What did you find?"

"The same. She was playing her violin for money in the park."

Yukina looked at the two. "Who are you talking about?"

Kuwabara scoffed. "Aw just some cowgirl we met the other day." He started laughing. "I think I kinda like her though! She got the upper hand on the shrimp!"

Yukina gasped and turned to Hiei. "Oh no! She didn't hurt you, did she Mister Hiei?"

The fire demon clenched his teeth. "As if that human could *actually* hurt me."

"Nah," Yusuke chuckled. "Just wrap you up tight like a fly in a spider's web!"

"Or like a baby wrapped up in a blanket!" Kuwabara said.

Hiei's hand drifted to his sword. "Need I show you how *not* helpless I am?"

Yusuke waved his hands nervously. "No, no, no. No need for that! I mean, most of my wins have been pure dumb luck!" He punched Kuwabara in the arm. "I mean, look at all the times Kuwabara got taken by surprise!"

That made Hiei growl louder, being compared to that oaf!

Kurama lifted his tea up to his lips with a sigh. "Yusuke, that's not helping anything." He took a drink. "But really Hiei, he has a point. No one is perfectly infalliable."

"Hmph." Hiei left his sword in it's sheath.

Yukina smiled at him. "As long as no one got hurt. She sounds interesting."

"Yea she really was." Kuwabara turned to her and started making exaggerated movements. "She had a crossbow and could whistle really loud, and a huge dog and monster horse! And she could disappear!"

Yusuke barked a laugh. "Oh come on! That mutt wasn't big at all!"

Kurama put a finger on his chin, looking thoughtful. "There was something strange about that horse though."

"Other than the fact it acted like a dog and came when she whistled?"

"Yes, Yusuke, other than that." Kurama paused. "It wasn't exactly all animal."

"Do you think it's a demon horse?!" Kuwabara asked.

Hiei's smirk was mocking. "How ironic would that be? A demon hunter riding a demon horse."

Kurama shook his head. "No it wasn't a demon. We would have sensed that. But I couldn't exactly place it. Just... something other. Not exactly an animal, but not a spirit either. I know I've seen the like before, or rather Youko has, but I just can't put my finger on it."

Keiko rested her chin on her hand. "I didn't get to see her horse. I do hope we meet her again. My parents were really impressed with how behaved her dog was. It laid under the table and didn't make a peep!"

Yusuke shrugged. "She is different, that's for sure. I'm sure we'll see her again, Keiko. I mean, how hard could it be to find a cowgirl in Japan?"

Chapters are slowly getting longer! I had to end this one here because the next scene is going to be REALLY long. I thought you guys deserved an update! I'm watching the anime all over again to really get the feel of the characters. I want to keep them as true to themselves as possible. So It will probably be a few days before the next update.

Much love! Review! Review!