Search for a Portal

Kamiko

Genkai and Kurama both started explaining about the dimension that separated the human world and the demon world. Kurama added, "Tiny portals open from time to time, allowing demons such as Hiei and myself to slip through."

I spoke up. "I…think that's how our dad got to the human world, also."

"They are rare, and closed soon after, leaving us trapped here."

Hiei had a rude retort. "You're wrong, old hag. If there was a hole out of this place, I would have taken it!"

"Getting you to believe me would be a pain in the ass," Genkai cut in, "so I'll let you see it for yourself."

Almost right after Genkai told us where the breach was (Mushiyori City), Boton's metal suitcase started ringing. "I…guess that's Koenma," she said, and opened it to take the call.

A crazily high-pitched voice came from the box. "Boton, is Yusuke with you? It's an emergency!"

I tuned out the rest of the conversation, paying just enough attention to know that Genkai had apparently been brought back to life and that this kid – high-ranked enough to where he warranted the statement of "even you were caught off-guard" – was slow on the uptake in regards to this tunnel being made…and that it had been started during the end of some tournament.

The kid, Koenma, made some comment about the tunnel being at Stage 2 and classified information, and Yusuke snapped, "Well, how can I help you if I don't know anything?!"

I covered my mouth with my hand. Was…that a trick question?

At any rate, Koenma started explaining more. When he went into the classes of demons, Machiko stepped into the frame where he could see her. "Not to disrupt the subject, but my sister and I never knew what class our father was in…"

"If you submit a form with as much about yourselves and your father as you can dredge up from your memory, I will get back to you on that."

"Fine." She seemed sulky. Being shut off wasn't something she was fond of.

By the time the most chaotic of information was delivered, Kuwabara was in a breakdown. I was hard pressed to tune him out, and glad when Genkai told him to "get over it!"

Then we went and watched Genkai revive Kaito. After a few scathing comments, I suddenly said, "Um, guys, a plan?"

He turned and stared at me. "Who are you? I've never seen you before."

I studied him. "Machiko didn't see fit to tell you about me before giving up the game. I'm her twin sister, Kamiko."

"Twin?" His eyes tracked to my swishing tail. "I suppose I can see the resemblance."

After proper introduction of the three humans, Koenma called us back, telling us that the tunnel would reach Stage 4 – the point when all hell would break loose – in three weeks.

It was kind of funny when Yusuke and Genkai started shouting at each other.

Then Hiei took a step towards Boton's computer-phone. "Koenma, if these fools are done, I have my own question. In what class do you rank me?"

"Hiei," Kurama sounded half-warning, half-resigned.

"What? It's a fair question! If his Spirit World lackeys are going to place a letter on me, then I want to know!"

"Oh, very well, Hiei, I'll tell you: as I've said, the Toguro brothers were an upper-B. And as of the end of the Dark Tournament, you were ranked in the middle of B-class."

Hiei looked…barely happy with that, and his words said he wasn't happy. "Underestimating me, are you?" Even after Koenma said Hiei'd been a D-class a year ago, Shorty was determined to be in a bad mood. "You're a child, don't father me."

He was about to leave. "You already have your fox, your clown and your hag. I'm a moot point."

Fox, clown and hag? That almost sounds like it could be a circus act.

"You're just gonna walk away?!" Kuwabara shouted.

"This is your world to look after, not mine! I don't intend to hinder your cause, but I'm not going to help it, either!" He finished insulting Kuwabara and left.

Then Genkai told us that we were going to the city in the morning, and therefore sleeping here. Wonderful.

"Hey, how come I didn't know you were here?" Kaito was one of those insatiable curiosity types.

"That's my power: avoiding notice."

"You stand out an awful lot."

I rolled my eyes. "You never seemed to notice me at school. For all that you paid any attention to me, I was invisible." And I deliberately faded out.

I'll admit to enjoying watching his eyes widen. "Now that is an interesting ability!"

"Save it," I came back into view. "I'm going to bed."

The next morning, we went to Mushiyori City. There were spirit bugs everywhere! It just about made my skin crawl, and nearly shift colors!

Oh yeah: Genkai convinced Machiko to be in human form, and I'd gotten my clothes back from where they'd been dropped last night…slightly worse for wear. Genkai had had to get shoes for both of us, though. At least we'd decided that my sister's hair could just be a crazy dye job; after all, rock bands did worse things.

Actually, I was with Kurama, Kaito, Kuwabara and Boton. Machiko was with Yusuke, Genkai and…those other two psychic-power humans. My choice. We found the center of the circle, and Kurama suddenly sensed something and went running to see. I was close behind.

"The question is: what saw us?" was all Kurama said when we caught up.

"You mean someone was watching us? That means they already know we're looking." Kaito remarked.

Kuwabara was less sure. "You sure you're not being jumpy? I didn't notice anything!"

Boton quipped, "Well, what on earth does that prove? You've lost your spirit awareness!"

I rubbed my shirt. I'd figured out a thing about my color schematics that was really strange, and I might as well share it before Kuwabara threw a fit. Better keep my voice low, though, for who knew what was hanging around. "Guys…when I feel someone's eyes on me, my colors tend to mark an eye pattern where I feel that person's gaze."

"Huh? Really?"

I nodded. And then I turned to look at Boton. "I…thought I noticed something earlier myself. Like someone was staring at my back, shoulder-level."

Then after Kurama said we should play it safe and meet up with Yusuke, I felt another shiver. As we turned to walk away, I lagged behind and carefully lifted my shirt to look at my stomach. I was standing facing Kurama, so a watcher would be behind him somewhere…

Sure enough, two eye marks were there, slowly fading. I shivered.

Machiko

I was itchy. I hated being among that many bugs! And I was hanging onto Yusuke's arm, from necessity: I still wasn't good at keeping my balance without my tail, and I kept stumbling over the shoes. Then Yusuke sensed someone nearby – we'd entered another psychic human's territory. He stopped in front of a descending flight of stairs.

"We have to go down there?" I'll admit, my voice was between nervous and resigned.

"You're not scared, are you?" Yusuke asked.

I tightened my grip a little. "No, it's just…I hate going down stairs. My feet, under normal circumstances, aren't designed for them, and I trip. Going up is easier for me, but I don't like stairs much at all."

"Don't worry, I won't let you break your neck."

We went down and opened the door.

It was something like a bar. There were six possibilities on who was the psychic, and those were just the visible ones. I let go of Yusuke's arm. I don't want to seem helpless, or hold Yusuke back if someone decides to go for it.

Then a big guy stood up and declared that we were "more power freaks." My hair bristled at the implied insult.

Apparently, this guy could read minds, according to how he knew about Kido's power. I glared. He reads my mind, he'd better be careful. I don't care to hear my secrets in any voice but my own!

He turned his gaze on me. "So, someone thinks she's tough. You think you can take me on when your balance is lacking?"

"Who, me? I'm no boxer." Kicker, scratcher, whipper, maybe, but not a boxer. And I wasn't going to scare the poor bartender worse than he already is by pulling out the claws or whip.

"Well, a partial demon! Never encountered one of you before!"

I glowered even worse. "Yusuke, kick his ass."

Yusuke tossed me his jacket, as I was the one still standing closest to him. Then…

A straight right jab, stopped just before hitting the guy's face…I blinked, and the guy flew backwards into the wall!

I blinked again. "What happened?"

Apparently, Yusuke simply forgot to mention the shockwave. Yanagisawa copied the guy's face and memories, and learned that he was clean, not part of the people we were looking for, which meant we could bring him into the group.

As we sat in the plaza waiting for the rest of the group, the guy Murota told us about how he could hear everyone within thirty yards. That explained the sweating. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to hear everyone talking at once in a room. I didn't get out much, in fact the sheer number of people around me right now was a little unnerving.

"I envy your life, Machiko."

"Huh?" I blinked.

"You never had to leave your house, have never had to interact with big crowds of people. You honestly don't know what it's like to be in a crowd."

At any rate, he went still, finding something off in thoughts. And the idiot didn't know how to keep his mouth shut, and both Yusuke and Genkai hit him in the head.

"If the idiot doesn't grow a brain in the next five minutes," I growled, "I might kill him!"

Finally, a true evil thought reached his head from an outside source.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it!" Yusuke told him. "Just tell us who he is, and don't point!"

I just hoped that this person that Murota was describing and labeling wasn't using metaphorical thinking.

Then something shot Murota in the forehead!

…I guess it wasn't metaphorical!

As we rode in the ambulance with him, Genkai showed us that the "bullet" was a pencil eraser!

"It's a warning."

I considered Genkai's last words. "Right…a pencil eraser, something that won't necessarily kill someone, shot into our mind-reader's skull as a warning. Fun."

At the hospital, Murota had regained consciousness and quoted us another thought from the mind he'd touched before the accident. "'Let's dig a hole, Sniper, each one of us. Seven graves will be a decent start.' Black Angel, Gatekeeper, Sniper, Gourmet, Game Master, Doctor and Seaman. Those were the names that came to his mind when he said the word seven."

"Sounds like fun!" Yusuke replied, with his voice implying anything but. I counted on my fingers, ticking off names in my head from our own party. Yusuke, Kurama, Kaito, Boton, Shadow-boy, Copy-boy, Kuwabara, Murota, me and my sister. Technically we make ten. Wonder who they're choosing to leave out of their grave-digging game?

I was letting everything else run past me. Then I let a thought pop into my head that I knew would get Murota's attention. Kamiko and I can communicate telepathically.

That made his head pop up. "What? Truly?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Anyone just looking at us would think we're as different as different can be while still being sisters. But we're twins. We're still working on growing the ability beyond eye contact or within the room, but the ability to communicate is there, and we can't shut each other out. We're always aware of each other in the backs of our minds." Then I frowned as thinking of that connection brought her feelings to me. "And something's got her nervous."