Part Four
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I hate everything about my life.
I hate that Yuuta's gone.
I hate that my dad's dead.
I hate that my mom hasn't spoken a word in weeks.
I hate my new powers and my old powers and everything they've done to me since the day I was born.
I hate me.
And maybe that's the heart of it all.
…
Yare, yare. Chiyo's emotions are getting to me again.
The Demon World Tournament
"Kusuo, please calm down," Kokomi said, more exasperated than pleading as she followed his swift strides down the hall. "We don't even know where to look for him!"
Kusuo rounded on her, scowling. "And?" he demanded. "Are you saying we shouldn't try? That we should just leave him—"
"Of course not!" Kokomi stomped her foot, her fists clenched at her sides. "But what good will it do to wander around aimlessly? We need a plan, not to run off half-cocked ready for a fight. It may make you feel better, but it won't do anything to save Yuuta."
"He wouldn't need saving if you—" Kusuo stuffed his fist into his mouth and bit down on his knuckle until it bled. The pounding blood in his ears had him so hot-headed that the words almost escaped entirely, not that cutting them off where he had made them any less obvious or accusatory.
Surprisingly, Kokomi was unruffled by his verbal finger pointing. She just went up on her toes to gently extract his bleeding hand from between his teeth and dab at the oozing blood with her handkerchief. She said nothing as she worked, but the tension only mounted. A pit opened in Kusuo's stomach, and he had to say something or it would swallow him whole.
"I didn't mean that," he finally allowed, still watching Kokomi clean his hand.
"Yes, you did," Kokomi said, her tone devoid of any negative emotions, as if she was doing nothing more or less than stating a commonly known fact. "But that's okay. You're right, after all. Yuu-chan was my responsibility, and whatever else may be a factor, I'm the one who let Akemi Homura steal him."
"Kokomi—"
"Hush." She placed a finger to his lips, though the fire smoldering in her indigo eyes was more than enough to silence him. How could he speak when she took his breath away?
Yare, yare; get a grip, idiot!
"I'm not saying I didn't do everything that I could or that I wouldn't have done things differently if I'd known how, I'm just saying that I understand your frustration because I feel it too. I should have died before letting Yuu-chan go." She shook her head before Kusuo could protest. "No, I should have killed her instead. Yuu-chan would be sad if I died."
Kusuo's heart gave a here-to-fore unknown quiver in his chest at the sudden image of Kokomi lying prone amidst a puddle of her own blood. His arms reached out on their own and pulled her to his chest tight enough that she squeaked a protest.
"How do people do this?" Kusuo muttered into her hair.
"Do what?" Kokomi asked.
"Feel things."
"You've always felt things, Kusuo." Kokomi banded her arms around his waist as she spoke. "You just never knew what those feelings were before now. Fear, anger, frustration, love; Chiyo put labels on all of them."
"I don't like it."
Kokomi giggled against his chest. "I know. You'll get used to it."
The sound of approaching footsteps gave Kusuo the push he needed to reign himself in once again, though his body was still reluctant to release Kokomi and step away. A familiar, fiery aura preceded its owner down the hall.
"Hey guys," Hairo said as he rounded the corner with a wave. "What are you doing in the front hall?" He eyed Kusuo warily. "You're not leaving, are you?"
"No," Kokomi answered for him. "He's just feeling a bit restless."
Hairo folded his arms and nodded. "I understand that. Seriously, man, I can't even imagine what you're going through." Before Kusuo could respond—because Hairo most likely assumed that he wouldn't want to because he never had before—Hairo said, "Everyone's meeting up in the dining room. Yukina-san and Keiko-san were able to scavenge up some dinner, and Yusuke-sensei wants us to debrief us so we can start planning."
Kokomi pinched the hem of Kusuo's shirt and gently tugged. He looked down at her pleading, expectant eyes before looking away with a sigh.
"Aa," Kusuo said. "We're on our way."
The trek from the entryway to the dining room was too short for Kusuo to fully organize his muddled thoughts and feelings. He still wanted nothing less than to storm from the compound, track Akemi Homura down, rescue Yuuta, and destroy every last facet of Dark Reunion. But Kokomi was right; he had no idea where to even start. And going off on his own would do nothing but make what little help the others might offer obsolete. Better to pool his chips with the rest of the team. Between the lot of them, they ought to manage at least one winning hand.
Bodies filled the dining room from wall to wall to empty space (one of the walls was missing), but Kusuo's eyes found Chiyo without searching. She sat to the right of center along the far side of the long table, now marred with weapon scars and energy burns, with Shun seated to her left. He cast her nervous glances, his cheeks colored with a blush so dark it nearly matched his garnet eyes, but she seemed not to notice as she looked around the room with vague interest; almost as if she had never seen it before. The moment Kusuo stepped into the room, however, her eyes snapped to his.
Warm relief swelled Kusuo's soul at the sight of her, and he couldn't stop the corners of his lips from tugging up into a gentle smile. The same gentle curve touched Chiyo's lips as she inclined her head in a more pointed greeting. Kusuo's chin tilted up in response.
At his side, Kokomi snorted.
Kusuo raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
"Nothing." Kokomi waved him away with a giggle. "It's nothing."
"Hey, kids," Yusuke said, waggling his eyebrows with a suggestive grin. "Feeling better?"
Kokomi's giggle broke off with a squeak as a blush exploded over her face. Kusuo glared at his mentor, annoyed at his crassness. He had left their room less than twenty minutes ago; what could they possibly get up to in less than twenty minutes?
Keiko popped Yusuke in the stomach with the back of her hand. He doubled over with an "oomph!" and Kusuo couldn't tell if the reaction was genuine or pandering. Probably a little of both.
"Honestly," Keiko said, blushing over her husband's shamelessness. "What is wrong with you?"
"Enough." Kurama's voice was even and unhurried, but the order was still absolute. Everyone not seated or settled was quickly one, the other, or both as everyone found their place at the table—Kusuo to Chiyo's right and Kokomi to his—before Kurama took command.
"There is much we ten are unaware of due to our sojourn in Demon's Door Cave," he said, his green eyes meeting those of everyone who had been at the compound during the attack. He lingered longest on Chiyo and Mera—the ones in the meeting who had been in the thickest parts of the fighting.
"Yumehara Chiyo." Kurama offered a comforting smile. "I believe you have the most to tell that is of relevance to us all."
"Yes," Chiyo said, her tone uncharacteristically monotone, though she'd managed a small smile in return. "I'll start by telling you how I became a magical girl. I realize now that the creature approached me because I was mentally and emotionally unstable. I wasn't thinking clearly, and the attack only made things worse." Chiyo touched a hand to the center of her clavicle; the exact spot where her soul gem had rested before Kusuo returned her soul. "I gained a lot by becoming a magical girl, so I can't regret it, but however much I gained, I already know that I lost just as much."
"Lost?" Shun leaned closer to scan her face as worry lined his own. "What do you mean? What did you lose?"
A faint pink blush touched the apples of Chiyo's cheeks, something that almost made Kusuo sigh in relief. With how intense his own feelings had been regarding the soul bond that had formed between himself and Chiyo, he'd been worried that Chiyo would shift her affection back to him and away from Shun. Judging by the shy tilt of her lips as she met Shun's red eyes before looking away, he had little to worry about.
"Ah, um…" Chiyo said, trying to regain her composure. "My innocence, for one." Her brow furrowed and she clenched her fist against the center of her breast, as if grasping the stone that no longer rested there. "I didn't realize just how evil something could be. That thing had no compassion for me, no remorse. I was a…a means to an end, and it didn't care what had to happen to me to reach that end."
"What thing?" Kokomi coaxed, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. "How did it happen?"
"Don't push, Teruhashi," Shun snapped. "She'll talk about it when she's ready."
Stunned silence resounded amongst the PK half of those gathered in the room. Had Kaidoh Shun just snapped at Teruhashi Kokomi? Because of Yumehara Chiyo? And without so much as a hint of an 'offu'?
"You're right, Kaidoh-kun." Kokomi had a hand to her mouth to hide her amused smile—and how pathetic was it that Kusuo found her complete lack of hurt or defensiveness attractive?—as she turned to Chiyo. "I'm sorry, Chiyo. I don't mean to rush you."
I do, Kusuo almost interjected, but he could still feel the pulse of Chiyo's pain through their soul bond just strongly enough to not want to exacerbate it.
"No." Chiyo shook her head. "It needs said."
She paused another moment, though this time she was obviously gathering her thoughts. "I was in my room after training when it appeared to me—I'm still not sure how it got into my room, but there it was, a strange creature like nothing I had ever seen before."
"What did it look like?" Kuwabara asked, his mouth pulled down and his brow furrowed, as if trying to remember something.
"I'm not really sure?" Chiyo's words were more question than statement. She held up her hands about a foot apart. "It was about this tall and, best I can describe, looked like a cross between a ferret and a rabbit, but with an almost human face."
A collective grimace went around the room.
Chiyo giggled, and it was the most Chiyo-like she'd been since Kusuo stepped into the room. "I know, but it's not as horrible looking as it sounds. It's actually weirdly cute." Her amusement dropped to a contemplative frown. "Anyway, it said I had called it from the other Earth because my wish was so strong."
"Your wish?" Yamato's voice was wan and thin, matching her appearance. Kusuo stared at her pallid features, stringy hair, and weak limbs, wondering how he hadn't noticed before just how sickly she had become.
Chiyo nodded. "That's how they do it. Become magical girls, I mean. That…thing appears when you're vulnerable and pulls the wish out of you with your soul. When the wish and soul are combined, a power is created to answer that wish."
"What did you wish for?" Akechi asked, and Kusuo jumped. The irritating blond had been so silent, that Kusuo hadn't even noticed he was there.
"Hmm…" Chiyo looked up with a finger crooked beneath her lower lip. "I want to be exact, so give me just a moment…" Everyone was silent as she thought, almost holding their breaths when until she finally said, "I wish I had the power to keep anyone—no matter how powerful—from harming the ones I love."
"That seems rather specific," Kurama said. "Especially considering the description you gave of your mental state."
Chiyo nodded somberly. "I realized the moment I started my wish that the creature didn't care what I wished for—it just needed me to wish for something. I figured that if I was going to be under its control, then it would be better for me to have as much of a handle on what I was in for as possible."
"That was very quick thinking," Koenma said, nodding his approval. "And judging by what I saw on the security footage, the specificity of your wish gave you a very unique and formidable power."
"It wasn't what I expected," Chiyo allowed, "but it's probably better. And better still…"
Chiyo held out her hand, palm up, and opened a territory that felt nothing like any of the others Kusuo had experienced. It started out similarly with the same sense of inverted space hanging limp for an eternal second, but rather than dissipate outward to create a perimeter, the feeling immediately sucked inward to coalesce over Chiyo's palm. A black kusarigama materialized from the densely packed psychic energy to hover over her hand for only a moment before dropping into Chiyo's waiting palm. The blood-red edge gleamed wickedly in the dim dining room light, and Kusuo couldn't shake the sense of unease that wormed its way into his belly. He had to fight the urge to inch away from her, though it seemed he was the only one among his friends who managed.
"I don't know why," Chiyo said, holding out the sickle with her right hand while an enormous, sharp-tipped ruby dangled from the chain held in her left, "but for some reason, I can still create my sickle even though Kusuo put my soul back into my body. Since a soul gem is what allows a magical girl to transform, I really shouldn't be able to do even this much."
"Not at all," Akechi said, his voice taking on that familiar expository tone as his finger rose into the air. "Rather, it makes a good deal of sense. This creature you spoke of utilized a sort of magic to extract your soul and create a wish, this was most likely done by the creature combining soul energy—in order to properly extract your soul, such a supposition is valid—with mental energy by way of your wish to create a new type of psychic—even newer than the psychics created through the combination of demon energy and spirit energy, and infinitely more rare as you are quite probably the only magical girl within our Earth to have access to someone capable of wielding soul energy well enough to both extract your soul from its gem and replace it within your body—thus, this new psychic energy is what allows you to call upon the same powers you wielded as a magical girl, though whether they are just as strong, stronger, or weaker due to your soul no longer being externally housed is yet to be determined. Most likely, several rigorous tests will be required to measure the efficacy of your ability, but considering the entire purpose of your power is to sever energy from the body, it is unlikely that anyone would be willing to voluntarily participate—"
"Someone better silence that chattering human monkey," Hiei snapped from where he was lounging against a shadowed corner, "before I do something about him myself."
Displaying a remarkable level of foresight and self-preservation instinct, Akechi dropped his expository finger and sat silently on his cushion.
"Kid's probably right, though," Kuwabara said, shaking his head. "There's a lot we don't remember—most Reborn can't remember anything about their past lives at all—but this creature think Yumehara mentioned sounds familiar. I think there was one of those ferret/rabbit things at Dark Reunion back when I was killed, but I was just a soul at the time, so I can't be sure. No eyes, you know?"
There were so many things to unpack from that, Kusuo didn't even know where to start.
"So you managed to get her, right?" Yusuke said. "That Akemi chick, I mean. You cut her powers?"
"Yes, but I don't think it's permanent." Chiyo held up her kusarigama and everyone flinched away from its gleaming red edge. "It's weird, but I know exactly how it works and how to use it even though I've never used a weapon before. I knew that cutting someone with it wouldn't hurt them the first time, but if I cut them again after severing their magic, it will cut and even kill them." She looked up to see everyone from PK eyeing her warily, and she quickly waved her hands with a very Chiyo-like blush. "No, no, no. I don't know that because I killed someone! I only know that because, well…because I just…do…?"
"Of course, you do," Akechi said, his exposition finger back in the air. "What good would it do to give you magical powers that you didn't know how to use? Certainly, there will be aspects of your new post as a magical girl that this creature—do you call it a creature because it doesn't have a name or because you worry that saying its name will draw it to you?—would not want you to know. For instance, did you know that your body was dead when your soul was removed? It made healing you with spirit energy impossible, and it also made you infinitely more vulnerable as your soul removed from your body means that it was housed only in a flimsy crystal vessel. If the soul gem you carried were lost or destroyed, it is likely that your soul would cease to exist entirely—"
White-blue lighting crackled up Shun's bandaged arm, making the overhead lights flicker as he glared death at Akechi. "If I were you, blondie, I'd be more worried about the continued existence of my own soul if you don't. stop. talking."
Dead silence followed.
Then:
"Damn, Shun, that was pretty badass." Kuboyasu grinned at Shun from across the table and offered a two-fingered salute. "Guess you leveled up more than just your CP in that cave, huh?"
Shun deflated, the lightning dancing across his arm fizzling out, and turned bright red as he stared sullenly at the table. "Sh-shut up, Aren. He just…shouldn't be talking about Yumehara's s-soul like that. That sort of thing is, you know, personal and whatever."
A shy smile touched Chiyo's lips as she pressed her fingers lightly against Shun's wrist. "Thank you, Kaidoh-kun."
His blush deepened, but before he could stammer out even the semblance of a reply, a dark, ominous aura swept over the room. Kusuo, Nendou, Shun, Hairo, and Kuboyasu were on their feet in an eyeblink, each prepared in his own way. Kusuo's right index finger glowed with an almost violet light—the color due to the merging of his pinkish-red aura with the blue-white spirit orb passed to him from Yusuke.
The intruder slid out of the shadows without the slightest hint of concern. He even had an amused smirk on his thin, pale lips that tugged at the corners of his violet eyes. His hair was long and loose at the back with two braids on the sides to keep it out of his face and provide an unobstructed view of the single horn protruding from high on the center of his forehead. He dressed like an ancient Chinese warrior in flowing silk robes of bright blues and purples, which didn't fit Dark Reunion's image of their tailored suites and Magical Girl getups, but Kusuo still didn't recognize him at all, which only put him more on guard than before. Dark Reunion or not, this man was an enemy until proven otherwise.
"Shura," Kurama said, his voice even and unhurried. "How unexpected to see you here."
Shura chuckled. "I see you four are as unflappable as ever." His violet eyes jumped from Kusuo to his powered-up friends and back to Kurama. "Though I can't say the same about your little proteges, here. Are they always this jumpy?"
"Your father is the Demon King," Kurama said. "You can't in all honesty tell me you do not know who these boys are and at least a generalized version of their circumstances."
"Always so serious about everything." He waggled a chastising finger at Kurama. "You really ought to find your sense of humor. Girls like that sort of thing you know. You wouldn't want your lady to get bored with you." He shot a flirtatious wink at Botan, who looked more exasperated than annoyed. "Hello again, gorgeous."
"Hello, Shura. How's your dad?"
"Oh, you know, same old Master of the Universe."
"Funny," Yamato drawled, "I thought that was my dad."
Shura tsked as he turned her way. "Oh, Nadeshiko. You poor, naïve—What the hell happened to you?"
"Charming as ever, I see."
Shura frowned at her glib non-response. "Why do you look like you've been infected with a demon insect?"
"Why do you look like the tail end of a C-Class Behemoth?" Yamato countered. "Oh, right, it's because you're a clone. Your dad really should have added some verity to his DNA before afflicting you with it."
"I could say the same about your mouth."
"And here I thought you liked my mouth."
Shura's pale skin went all-over red, and he sputtered. "Wh-what are you—! How could…why are you always so crass?"
"Crass?" Yamato asked with affected innocence. "I'm just saying you never miss a chance to verbally spar with me." A mocking smirk tugged at her pasty lips. "Why; what did you think I meant?"
"Cute as it isn't to see my niece flirting with the son of my nemesis," Yusuke broke in, "what are you doing here, Shura?"
Shura pulled himself together remarkably fast as he reached into his tunic to extract what looked like a glowing, translucent baseball holding a lit flame.
From the corner of his eye, Kusuo saw Kurama stiffen, which only raised his own tension. If that orb—whatever it was—was enough to unnerve Kurama, then it was by far the most dangerous thing Kusuo had yet encountered.
"My father has a message for the five of you," Shura said, tossing the glowing orb underhand so Yusuke could catch it. "Since I am the only one with permission to bypass your compound's perimeter, it seemed logical that I be the one to deliver it." He tipped his head to Botan with a flirtatious wink. "Besides, I would never miss the chance to see you again, Miss Botan."
A low growl rumbled from Kurama's throat, making Shura chuckle again. "Until next time." He bowed deeply before glancing up with a smirk. "It won't be nearly so long as you think."
He vanished back into the shadows, and his smothering aura went with him. Hairo breathed a sigh of relief and dropped back to his cushion—Nendou had retaken his seat almost from the moment Shura appeared—but Kuboyasu and Shun weren't so quick to relax. Kusuo either, though his unease was exacerbated on both sides—literally—by the nervous energy radiating from the soul bonds he shared with Kokomi and Chiyo.
"Might as well take a look," Kuwabara said, jerking his chin at the orb in Yusuke's hand. "There's no way we'll guess what that guy wants."
"Right." Yusuke glanced around before marking a place on the wall and throwing the orb hard enough that it shattered. A dark liquid soaked the wood, but only a moment later it began to writhe and coalesce into thin lines that snaked their way up to form the sketchy outline of a man of Shura's same height and dress but with two hooked horns protruding from his widow's peak and what looked to be six pointed ears—three on either side.
"Well, now," the illustration said in a smooth baritone voice shockingly similar to Shura's. "I must admit that I never thought I would be contacting you this way, and especially not so soon, but I must confess that circumstances beyond my control have forced my hand."
"Beyond his hand?" Koenma muttered. "What could be beyond the hand of the Demon King?"
As if it could hear him, the illustration continued. "I'll not ask you to understand my reasoning, if only because I have no intention of offering an explanation. Suffice it to say, that I am instigating the Demon World Tournament early for reasons of my own."
"What?!" Kuwabara and Yusuke jumped to their feet in tandem.
"The hell do you mean you're starting the tournament early?" Yusuke demanded. "You still have a whole year left in your reign!"
"Quiet, Detective," Hiei snapped. "Your whining will make us miss the report date."
"As I said," the Demon King continued. "Circumstances have necessitated expedience in this regard. However, I certainly understand if this announcement comes as an inconvenience and would not dare overstep my bounds as king by ordering your attendance." Smug confidence oozed from every word that dropped from the illustration's mouth. "If there is something in the Human World that would prevent your participation, then by all means, do not force yourselves to attend. There will be another opportunity in three years' time. I give you my word as King."
"That bastard," Yusuke growled. "He's trying to set himself up as king indefinitely by bending the tournament rules. Damn it!" He pounded his thigh with his fist. "That's not why I set this thing up!"
"It's more than just that," Kurama said. "He knows our current circumstances; he knows what difficulties we face. This is more than just trying to stop us from attending the tournament; he is trying to separate us from our students."
"I have little doubt that you, Kurama, have determined—at least in part—my intentions, though I would certainly be surprised if you have discovered my motivations," the demon illustration continued. "That being said, I hardly need tell you that the report date for the tournament will be August 16th. I realize that is quite the short notice, but I'm certain you will indulge me. After all, until and unless I am unseated, I am the King of Demon World."
"Bastard…" Yusuke growled.
"Farewell, my friends. I do hope to see you in two days' time. Though I would certainly understand if that turns out to not be the case."
With that final sentence, the imaged faded into the wall and disappeared. Silence resonated though the whole room before Kuwabara's low grumble cut through it.
"I still don't get it," he said. "What good does it do him to move up the tournament? Does he really think we won't show just because we have stuff to do in Human World? I mean, it's not like we can't come back to it after the tournament is won. It rarely takes longer than two weeks anymore."
"Two weeks will be too late!"
Everyone turned to Chiyo—who seemed to be recovering her natural personality almost as quickly as Kusuo had done—and she shrunk beneath the attention for only a moment before steeling her spine and saying, "I already said that I don't know everything about how my powers work, but I do know that the power loss I create isn't permanent. People like Akemi create their own power from the inside—they're not dependent on outside sources or connections. Depending on how much energy she creates naturally per day, she could be back to her normal strength anywhere between five and ten days from now."
"Which means we need to find her sooner rather than later," Yusuke concluded. "Unless we want to deal with her crazy time powers at full strength."
"And Yuu-chan!" Kokomi slapped her palms on the tabletop. "She said she's going to kill him!"
"Nuh-uh." Kuwabara shook his head. "She's going to pull his soul out, but that won't kill him exactly. Not right away, at least." He jerked a thumb at Chiyo. "Unless she rips him up like they did me, his body will go into a sort of stasis like that girl's did."
"Kazuma is right," Koenma said. "If we're able to get his soul back inside his body within a week of it being extracted, Yuuta will be able to rebind with little to no backlash or lasting side effects."
"And if we don't?" Kuboyasu demanded. "What happens to the kid then, huh?"
"I am honestly more concerned about his extracted soul than I am the body." Koenma held up his left hand so the large yellow diamond on his wedding band winked in the light. "Bodies I can manage. But a naked soul will break apart after only a few days if it is not properly maintained. If that were to happen, I wouldn't be able to bring him back. Ever. His soul would be dissolved into the universe."
"If you think I am going to miss my chance at becoming King just to save the lost soul of some random child," Hiei deadpanned, "then you clearly don't know me at all."
"If only it were as simple as just losing out on the chance to become King." Kurama shook his head. "Hiei, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and I are four of the most powerful contenders in every Demon World Tournament. Our participation—or lack there-of—could be the lynchpin that determines whether a suitable King is placed upon the throne or a Tyrant who will over-run the Human World for his own purposes. It is not something that even one of us can miss. Too much is at stake the worlds over."
"If I may," Akechi said, his exposition finger rising into the air once again. "I may have a solution that would be most beneficial to all."
Glances were exchanged around the room before Koenma heaved a tired sigh. "Just…try to stick to what's relevant? I don't think any of us are up to deciphering more of your rambling."
"Well," Akechi began. "It's like this…"
Kaliea: Minor filler, but definitely important. We're railroading toward the climax with the next chapter being the primary set-up for the end battle. As expected of me, I have Some Stuff planned, so be sure to prepare yourself for turbulence!
On an unrelated note, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and I wish you all a very happy new year :)
