| What of Jin and Touya? | |||
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CHAPTER 9: OLD FACES, NEW TROUBLES "Urameshi! What ya be doin' here?" Jin exclaimed, rushing forward and greeting his old friend. Yusuke stood, open-mouthed in disbelief. Which he instantly regretted as the wind master plowed into him, sending both of them into the dirt. A cloud of dust erupted from their landing site, and Taka took the chance to flee on the air currents before her stalker could tail her once more. "Jin! Aw, man! It's been way too long since I got to beat the snot outta you!" the ex-spirit detective yelled, playfully punching Jin in his stomach. Jin hit him back, whiffing his shoulder. The wind master had a smile from ear to ear, both of which were pointed and twitching about in a frenzy. Yusuke too had a wickedly wide grin, and if he had ears like the shinobi before him, they would've been wiggling about just the same. "Aye, been too long since we've had a brawl...Say, you'd be about the right age for a proper drink, eh?" the Irishman inquired, his eyes reflecting an evil glint that would have made any imp proud. Yusuke caught on, nodding instantly despite the wind master's faster speech. "Yeah. Been of age for a couple of years now. Although I hope this to be more entertaining." Yusuke smirked, a devilish gleam in his eyes as well. His hand traveled to Jin's shoulder, and rested there. As the demon continued displaying his fantastic teeth, he witnessed his friend's grin fading, and a lone eyebrow arching up. "Hey now...Since when did you start wearing human clothing? Black human clothing? You're old outfit get ripped up by a girl in bed?" the half demon laughed, poking the material. Jin chuckled too. "But I've never been in bed with a lass..." he pointed out. Yusuke sighed. "Jeez, Jin. How old are you? And how many times have you gotten drunk? Seriously, you're telling me you've never gotten lucky with a girl?" the ex-detective responded, shaking his head in disbelief. Jin blushed scarlet. "Well it'd be easy for you ta say...I be 1, 027 years old now, and outta all the times I've been drunk, I ain't never done it with a gal." the Irishman said, actually proud at the fact now. "Okay, okay. Better question: any girls you like here?" Yusuke smiled, before another question popped into mind, " And hold up. What are you doing here? Where's Touya?" "Gah! Kaze!" Jin yelled, scrambling over to the tree the girl had been thrown against. Jin knew all too well how Yusuke's spirit gun's blast and energy felt. Yet Kaze was the first Jin had ever seen hit by the attack and still alive. "Well, she's alive. Sorry for that, Jin. She was attacking Taka, who I like, and well...I'm sorry." Yusuke apologized, amazed at how serious Jin looked as he carefully examined the girl's wounds. Finally, the wind master sighed with relief. "She'll be fine. But the lass has had a tough week. Taka's tried killin' her a few times this week, Urameshi." "Oh...So that's how it is..." Yusuke replied slyly, making Jin blush. "That's how what is?" the blushing demon asked, and the other giggled. "Oh nothing...Loverboy." Yusuke laughed, "It's just so obvious that you like her." "What! No! She's a hermit if I ever did see one!" Jin defended. 'Besides, she's 270....That'd be like a 17 year old goin' out with a 90 year old....' Jin added in his thoughts. "Uh-huh...Sure." Taki sat up for what felt like the hundredth time. Ever since she'd found herself under Kasumi's watchful gaze earlier in the day, she'd been unable to sleep. There was just something about him. Something.... "Why's it the doctor is so attractive....? I mean, I went from liking Touya to loving Kasumi in an instant...." she muttered quietly. Taki then realized how dry her throat was. Standing, she cast a look about the dark room. Usually, darkness had no effect on her. But after her narrow escape from being stuck six feet under, every shadow, every pool of huddled darkness in the corners of her room, seemed as if it would release another beast upon her. Only this time, it would be one that even the cold Kaze could not rid her of and save her from. For this beast was much stealthier, and much more dangerous, then the Mystic of Death. No. This beast dwelled within her own mind. Walking out into the hall, the girl jumped slightly as the hard wood of her bedroom floor gave way to soft carpet. She was used to hard, sharp stones jutting into her, sticks that embedded themselves into her soles, and leaves that crumbled beneath her and showered her feet in little pieces. She was not accustomed to shag carpet. Or tripping on a rug and colliding with a wall... "Humans and their stupid, comfortable walkways...." Taki complained, rubbing her head where she'd run into the solid barrier before her. She silently continued her trip to the kitchen, got a glass of water, and made it back to bed without any other mishaps... "I'm so glad you understand, Kasumi." the female closest to the door said. The doctor flinched at the voice. It was one he never wanted to hear again. "Of course, Shadow. I would be...honored...to help your cause. I will aid you in this battle." he replied, praying they'd leave soon. Kasumi was regretting letting them into his home. Sure, he wanted Kaze dead. But what they had in mind to get rid of her....Plain overkill. But he'd do it. Oh yes, he'd do it. Neko was worth that much to him. "Good. We'll be back in three months time. That should give you enough time." Shadow finished, before exiting. The others quickly followed. The doctor, shaking violently, grabbed a chair and plopped down in it. "Good God...." he muttered, "Eleven. Eleven Shape-shifters of darkness...And nine want Kaze dead too....What the hell did she do for that?" Despite the fact that it was nearly midnight, Touya was still trying to meditate. Key word: trying. But thoughts kept crossing his mind. 'Neko. Why was it so quiet. Neko. Shouldn't Jin be up or something. Neko. After all, Jin was a night-owl. Neko. Wonder what Neko is doing. Neko.' Finally, since he couldn't concentrate, he decided to see what Neko was doing. And, a few moments later, he found himself at Neko's bedroom. He knocked. No answer. Knocked louder. Still nothing. He slowly opened the door. No one. Then, a second door opened to his far right, and a wave of water vapor spilled out. As did a figure, shrouded within the mist. "Kaze, Kaze?" the wind master said softly, nudging the shape-shifter gently. The silver cheetah's eyes slowly opened half-way, allowing her blue and silver orbs to take in what was around her. Stiffly, she attempted to get to her feet. For some reason, she found she couldn't. She was just too tired. And Jin recognized this. "Here, let me help." he said, moving to grab the shoulder spikes on the exhausted form. But Kaze wouldn't have it, using her tail as a type of whip and swiping at him with a foreleg. He jumped away, and she tried again to get up. The large shoulders shook, and the back legs didn't seem to want to straighten out. But she managed to get up, and stagger unsteadily towards her home. Yusuke looked on, amazed. After the wounds she'd recieved, mainly due to his spirit gun, she was still able to move about on her own. Jin flinched slightly as he watched Kaze move up the incline. He knew the wounds weren't fatal, but that didn't stop them from being bad. The tree the spirit gun had sent her flying into was broken in half, and a few others were creaking under the upper half's weight. The girl herself was bruised severly on one side where she collided with the giant plant, and some ribs were broken from the impact. Both wings were broken in serveral places. And blood still trickled from the injury Taka gave her with the whip. Yet she appeared to be able to get by without any aid. As the vapor cleared, Touya felt his face becoming red. Red with embarassment. For standing before him, dripping wet in nothing but a towel, was Neko. And she hadn't noticed him yet. Looking around fast, Touya found a place to hide: her hamper. Heck, he was small enough to fit in that...If he had to...Which he did. Neko turned on her light just after Touya squeezed into the hamper, throwing a sweatshirt over himself to hide. Oblivious, Neko walked over to her closet. Stunned, Touya watched as the towel slipped to the floor, revealing something Touya was pretty sure his masters had not mentioned that he would see. In fact, he hardly ever saw any women where he came from. Lucky girls. Unnerved by the sight, the ice master turned his head. Kaze stumbled not home, as Jin and Yusuke soon realized, but deeper into the forest. Contemplating between following or heading home, Yusuke decided for them both. "Hey, you go after her, and make sure she's okay. I'm gonna go back into town. Grandma hooked me up with a hotel room for a while." the ex-spirit detective said, playfully punching Jin in the shoulder. Jin nodded. Something wasn't right about Kaze. Even though he'd only met her a few days before, he didn't know enough about her to claim he knew her at all. She was like her element; quiet, stealthy, cold, and very secretive. True, a wind could hold and tell thousands of secrets to those willing to listen. But Kaze's wind was one that never uttered a breath of news; good or bad. It was cold, dark, and unpredictable. Much like its weilder. Jin was being careful that night. He hovered over the ground in the shadows, never allowing his still slightly burned feet to touch the earth. Kaze was not in good condition if Taka came back, and Jin knew she knew it herself. As the moonlight slipped through breaks in the trees' massive limbs, it formed a dappled pattern on the forest floor. With the silver light illuminating the figure before him, Jin was able to see how tense the shape-shifter was. The usually loose skin on her shoulders was tightened to the point where every step made it appear that the bone would peirce through it; the ribcage and spine not looking any better either. Yet despite the bone-chilling fact that she was far too underweight, Jin had to give the rest of her shape-shifted form a good once-over. As if noticing for the first time how she walked, the wind master noted she had a long, unwavering stride. Given that she wasn't so dizzy or unstable to see straight. But she appeared to be doing fine. The odd spikes on her body reflected light well, and small animals fled back into the darkness as the two approached. The long tail of the cheetah she'd become bobbed slightly from left to right, giving her even better balance than usual. Her silver fur gleamed with the moonlight that fell over her, and her wings shone brightly like reflectors. At first, Jin thought that they might give her away to unwanted folk. But then he realized just how deep into the forest they'd gone. It was pitch black, and the trees kept the gleam from going too far. Yet there was still an air of uneasyness and discontentment the farther into the maze of obstacles they travelled, and Jin felt a very distict chill dart down his spine. Although, for her to regain most of her valuable energy and strength, Kaze had to stretch her own limits to the point of constant pain and fear. She couldn't do much harm to Jin at present, but fear was something she could cause him. But first, getting to her desired place of choice. She wasn't stupid; she knew he was following. That's why she was testing him. Kaze was a very...cautious shape-shifter. And because she knew what would happen when she reached her destination, she wanted to make sure Jin was just as prepared. Stressed and tired, she decided the best way to examine the wind master without too much strain on herself. What better way than to test his loyalty? If he spooked and fled, he wasn't worth the act of "oblivious Kaze" she'd put on. But if he continued to follow, as though unaffected by the forest's own energy and her call of the cold winds, then he was indeed worth the act. Glancing about him as he floated behind Kaze, Jin felt his skin prickling. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and the darkness of the shadows had somehow managed to increase ten-fold. Red and green eyes seemed to glare at him everywhere, tailing his every move with a cold presicion. Yet if he, a strong and hardly injured master of the winds was frightened, he didn't want to imagine how his female companion must have felt. It was one thing when you were physically capable of defending yourself, another entirely when you could hardly walk. After a twenty minute continuation of their silent trek, in which Jin passed the girl's "test" of his nerves, Kaze halted abrubtly. Jin hid well behind a massive tree, peering from one side to see the girl. Lining her body up and stiffening like a soldier, Kaze lowered her head. The shape-shifter closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them slowly. Both eyes now looked like blue, foggy, glowing orbs. The rigid stance she had been in eventually fell to one more comfortable, and a sudden, cold wind picked up. Once more the odd twister enveloped her, obscuring her from view. Jin was amazed at how strong the whirlwind's strength was. Yet again the winds faded away, revealing Kaze in her human form. Her eyes still glowed, however, but an acid green. Swiftly, she approached a giant oak in front of her. Placing a palm on the trunk, she froze stiffly again. A sudden aura cloaked her, silver in hue but dimming as it flowed from her body to outline the tree brightly. Instantly, the healthy plant began to grey and die, while Kaze regained energy and strength. It was then that Jin realized his blue eyes were wide in shock and his mouth open in sheer disbelief. Out of all the strange things he'd seen, this one took the cake. This was comepletely insane. Kaze continued her strange work, killing healthy trees and growing stronger in the process. Jin couldn't understand; how was she doing it? What was truly happening? What, if any, were the consequences of this? The wind master's thoughts fell short as something came into view. Not purple, like Taka, or blue like the two ice users that also occupied the area. It was brown. Large. And nothing to be pissing-your-pants scared about. In otherwords, it was a deer. A young buck by the looks of it. As soon as the creature appeared, Kaze collapsed. Jin made a move to see if she was all right, but the buck leaped to her instead. It lay down, nibbling at the girl's ear. "What on earth is goin' on around here?" Jin pondered to himself, before he felt himself go weak at the knees. For seemingly no reason, he was blacking out. Then, directly before he fell comatose, he realized with a nasty shock what had occured. "Damn him." he thought, before all faded to black. |
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