Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Aoitsuki Yurai ❯ The Calm Before The Storm ( Chapter 14 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: AvalonShikaro 
Peace at last! Shinzui's out of the hospital and Ryuka manages to get her out of the house with Kurama and the dog, Kouken! They go to a particular area in the park that's very special to Shinzui and talk. Ryuka talks to the group before Shinzui comes back and fills them in on what has happened.
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.29.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 184 | Status: Completed
Peace at last! Shinzui's out of the hospital and Ryuka manages to get her out of the house with Kurama and the dog, Kouken! They go to a particular area in the park that's very special to Shinzui and talk. Ryuka talks to the group before Shinzui comes back and fills them in on what has happened.
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.29.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 184 | Status: Completed
<Font face="verdana">Disclaimer: Same ole' thing. All Yu Yu Hakusho characters and stuff belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. All original characters and stuff belong to me. <Br>
<Br>
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to write this and get it up! I've been busy with school and this chapter's a bit hard to write 'cause I really want to jump into the next one ^_^ In our last chapter Koumori finally showed up and made a scene. Ryuka and Hiei had their talk and Shinzui found out who Kurama really is. We also found that Ryuka's really a demon and seems to have a history with Hiei. hmmm. Curious, no? ^_^ I'm at 14 chapters! I can't believe it! I've never gotten THIS far with a story. *gets all starry-eyed*<Br>
<Br>
*A box of pocky on a string is thrown out.*<Br>
<Br>
Me: POCKY! *lunges for it*<Br>
<Br>
Pocky: *pulled away from Shin*<Br>
<Br>
Me: Grrrr... *Attempts to pounce on it*<Br>
<Br>
Pocky: *pulled away into a closet* <Br>
<Br>
Me: BANZAI! *leaps into the closet with a crash*<Br>
<Br>
*Door slams shut behind me to reveal Ryuka, laughing*<Br>
<Br>
Ryuka: I had to do that or she'd never shut up. Besides, she's happy.<Br>
<Br>
Me: *slightly muffled by the door* POCKY! POCKY! ^_^<Br>
<Br>
Ryuka: Enjoy the chapter! Please review! ^_^<Br>
<Br>
* * * * * * * * <Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The next afternoon, Kurama walked into the hospital with a brain full of information from Ryuka and Hiei. He found Shinzui packing her things into a small backpack, but her rose was tucked into her braided hair and her other flowers were still in their vase. She swung the bag over her shoulders and grabbed her crutches. Shinzui turned around, hitting something very solid in her path, and looked up to see Kurama. The girl flashed a smile at him before she noticed a troubled look in his eyes and the smile faded.<Br>
"Are you alright?" she queried, gazing at his eyes in concern, "You seem troubled and very tired."<Br>
"Oh... No, I'm fine," replied Kurama, smiling, "I've just been a little stressed lately, but it's no problem."<Br>
"I certainly hope none of that stress is caused by me," said Shinzui, a small smile creeping back to her face, "If it is me, don't get stressed, please." <Br>
"Oh... It's mostly school stress," lied Kurama, not wanting to wipe the smile off the girl's face again.<Br>
"Ah, now that's very understandable," laughed Shinzui, her smile widening, "I have work to catch up on next week." She rolled her eyes a bit. "So, seeing how you're a fox demon, what might the others be? If they're anything other than human."<Br>
"Well, Hiei's a fire demon," replied Kurama, "Kuwabara just has a sixth sense and spirit sword, and Yusuke had a demon ancestor."<Br>
"Nice little group," said Shinzui, winking, "Well, I should be leaving here now, but I'm going to see my dad first."<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Shinzui started to walk to the door, using her crutches, but she wobbled a bit from the unbalance between her and the bag, so Kurama removed the bag and carried it for her with the vase. They made their way down the hallway and towards a room that was on the other end, which had more machines than Shinzui did. The girl sat down in a chair right next to the bed and looked at the IV and other machines before turning her gaze to her dad. She placed her hands on his and gripped it gently, a sad look creeping into her eyes.<Br>
"Dad... I hope you make it through this..." whispered Shinzui, "You can't die now... Not when I've just found out you really did care about me... This is all my fault..." She rested her head on the edge of the bed, letting go of his hand, trying to hide the tears.<Br>
Shoushiko's eyes slowly opened a bit and he slowly raised his hand to pat her on the head. "Shinzui... It isn't your fault...."<Br>
Shinzui looked up at him. "Dad!" She smiled through her tears before wiping her eyes. "You're awake!" She gently hugged him and held his hand. "I was afraid you'd..."<Br>
"Die?" said Shoushiko, giving a raspy laugh that made him cough, "No way. The Ookami's are made of tougher stuff." His mouth spread into a smile full of warmth. "I've learned that from you, Shinzui."<Br>
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, Dad," said Shinzui, "You saved my life. Even though... I had always thought you hated me... But that's the past now." She gave her father another gentle hug. "Here in the present, you're my father and I love you." <Br>
"I love you, too," said Shoushiko, smiling at his daughter.<Br>
"The doctor said that you'd have to spend a week or two here," said Shinzui, "I'm free to go today, but I'll come and visit you whenever I can. Ryuka's offered to let me stay at her house until you are released."<Br>
"I'm still very tired..." said her father, his eyes closing a bit.<Br>
"Get some more sleep, Dad," said Shinzui, "You'll heal faster that way."<Br>
"Thank you, Shinzui," said Shoushiko, closing his eyes and dropping into a steady sleep. <Br>
"No, thank you, Dad," whispered Shinzui, squeezing his hand lightly before getting up with her crutches, "I'll be back as soon as I can."<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Shinzui situated the crutches under her arms and then moved out of the room with Kurama following right behind her. She checked out at the desk, signed a few papers after reading them thoroughly, and then left with Kurama. They reached Ryuka's house about ten minutes later and while Shinzui was picking a spot to put the vase of flowers, the dragon girl pulled Kurama aside to talk to him. <Br>
"Kurama, since I've already filled you in on what happened," said Ryuka, "Do you think you could distract Shin-chan for a while? Take her out somewhere, so I can fill the others in."<Br>
"Alright, but will she go along with it?" asked Kurama in reply.<Br>
"Leave it to me," replied Ryuka, winking, "I know exactly what to say to make Shin-chan leave the house for the day." She walked into Shinzui's room and found the girl setting the vase on a desk. "Shin-chan."<Br>
"Hmm?" said Shinzui, looking at her friend, "Yes?"<Br>
"Since you've injured your leg, I think you should stay in bed," suggested Ryuka, looking at the bandages, "You'll need rest to heal."<Br>
"Oh no," said Shinzui, waving her hands a bit, "I'm not being forced to stay in bed again! I have crutches! Besides, it's just a tiny crack, I can still sit and etc."<Br>
"Well, you'll have to rest today since you've just gotten back," said Ryuka.<Br>
Kurama saw Shinzui's eyes move to him with a look that said 'Help me out of this please!' He took this and the hidden nudge from Ryuka to speak up. "I don't think she needs to be confined to bed quite yet." He saw the smile of relief spread across Shinzui's face. "Perhaps she just needs to be outside for a while."<Br>
"Yes! Yes!" said Shinzui quickly, nodding her head, "I just need some fresh air. That's the best cure for me."<Br>
"Alright," sighed Ryuka, rolling her eyes, "But be back by dinner."
"Ok," muttered Shinzui, putting a key in her pocket and moving to the door, "I'll try to be back by dinner."<Br>
"But wait!" said Ryuka, smiling, "There's more. I'm sending Shuichi with you." She winked at Kurama when Shinzui turned to look at Kurama. "Now off with you or I'll duct tape you to the bed to keep you there." <Br>
"Alright! I'm going," said Shinzui, using her crutches to get her out of the room and slowly went down the stairs.<Br>
"Worked like a charm," whispered Ryuka, leaning against the door frame, "Please keep an eye on her. Koumori's still out there somewhere and those damn scientists are bound to try and attack again."<Br>
"I will," said Kurama, turning to follow Shinzui, "Neither will lay a hand on her." He walked down the stairs to find Shinzui going to the door. <Br>
"Oh! Take Kouken with you!" called Ryuka from the top of the stairs, "That dog's been driving me crazy." <Br>
&a mp;nbsp; 'That dog' had already found Shinzui and was showering her with a storm of happy barks and licks. The girl was sitting on the floor with Kouken and scratching behind his hears as his tail waved from side to side. After the dog's greetings were finished, Kurama helped Shinzui stand up with her crutches, and moved to the door. Kurama opened it for her and the two moved outside with Kouken before the door shut behind them. The three made their way down the steps and up the street in the direction of the park.<Br>
"It's so good to be out of that hospital," sighed Shinzui, breathing deeply, "I hate being stuck in a bed like that. I get bored easily." <Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The two entered the park and wandered down a path, but Shinzui's attention was taken when she saw a small group of cherry blossom trees ahead. As they reached them, she moved to the one in the center and placed a hand on the bark, staring up at the branches, a forlorn look in her eyes. Kurama walked up next to her and looked at the tree while Kouken curled up on the ground beneath the tree. A small silvery glow caught his eye and he saw Shinzui's hand surrounded by a faint aura of energy. A gust of wind blew about them as a petal fluttered past Kurama's eyes and he looked up to see several of the blossoms bloom.<Br>
"Is this the tree that you were talking about?" asked Kurama.<Br>
Shinzui dropped her hand and sighed. "Yeah, it is." After carefully settling herself on the ground, she leaned against it and set her crutches to one side. "This is my favorite spot in all of the park. So many good things happened here... Even if some bad things did as well." She smiled at Kurama as he sat down next to her. "So... How have things been for you lately? You mentioned something about school stress."<Br>
"We've... Been doing research projects," replied Kurama, after carefully choosing his words. <Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The truth was, most of his time had been spent researching and talking with the rest of the team. Hiei had popped over to Makai to get the dirt on Koumori and his gang, but he came up short. (A/N: that sounds like a bad pun. -.-() ). Botan still hadn't come back with the information from KoEnma and that's what the group needed to piece everything together. Yusuke and Kuwabara with help from Keiko and Shizuru, Kuwabara's older sister, did research and got information on the scientists who were after Shinzui. Ryuka had helped in every way she could and the info she found caught their attention when she told them at their last meeting.<Br>
<i>"A week from now Shin-chan's turning 17," said Ryuka, "I read through the fortune teller's prophecy and I've figured that 'The 17th year' means her 17th birthday."<Br>
"Makes sense," said Yusuke, shrugging, "But have you figured anything else out from that thing?"<Br>
"Most of it seems a bit cryptic," replied Ryuka, sighing, "But I figure that something's going to happen to Shin-chan during a clear night and I'm afraid that's what Koumori's interested in." She looked at the group in front of her. "One week from now, we have to keep an eye on Shin-chan all night. I don't want to take any chances."</i><Br>
"What are you researching?" was the question from Shinzui that brought Kurama's thoughts back to reality.<Br>
"Um... Mythology," replied Kurama, smiling nervously.
"Mythology! That must be fun," said Shinzui, smiling as well, "That's one of my favorite topics. What kind are you looking at? Roman? Greek? Norse? Celtic?"<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The rapid fire questions and discussion from Shinzui about that topic continued and luckily, Kurama knew enough already to have a good discussion. While the two talked, Ryuka had called over the others in their group and had started the discussion about any new information. Everyone was sitting in various seats while Ryuka told them exactly what she had told Kurama before letting him be the distraction for Shinzui. <Br>
"Well, after those two attacks by Koumori," said Ryuka, sitting down, "First on Hiei and I, then on Kurama and Shinzui. We really have to be careful because he might attack you guys, too."<Br>
"Why would he go after us?" asked a light-brown haired girl, sipping her soda and looking at Ryuka with her brown eyes, "We're not his targets."<Br>
"Yes, but Koumori tends to deal in dirty ways," replied Ryuka, "He knows Shinzui would go with him willingly if her friends were in trouble and that we're the only things standing in his way of getting her."<Br>
"How'd he even know where to find her?" asked Kuwabara, "I mean you said you didn't tell him where she was."<Br>
"That's right..." muttered Ryuka in response, thinking, "There must be an inside spy. Somewhere... But who could it be?"<Br>
"What about that Toraeru guy," suggested Hiei after a few seconds of thought. <Br>
"Hmmm, that sounds like a good suspect," said Ryuka, tapping her chin lightly, "I bet it was him, but.... Why? He seems way too attached to Shin-chan to even let another guy near her..."<Br>
"But he disappeared after he was let out of the hospital," said Keiko.<Br>
"True," said Ryuka, sighing, "No one's seen hide nor hair of that guy, but where could he have gone?"<Br>
"Who knows and who cares," muttered Hiei, crossing his arms.<Br>
"We should care because he might not be on our side," stated Ryuka, hearing her stomach grumble, "We've been talking for a while. Let's get dinner ready before Kurama comes back with Shin-chan."<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Ryuka, Keiko, and Shizuru went into the kitchen to make dinner and sent the boys to work on setting the table. Shinzui and Kurama showed up after half an hour with Kouken at their heels, but Ryuka refused to let her friend help with dinner and made her sit. Kurama helped the boys set the table and chuckled as Shinzui sat in one of the seats, sulking about Ryuka's comment on her being more of a hindrance than a help. After another fifteen minutes, the dinner was ready and the group sat down to eat. The rest of the evening progressed with no problems and when everyone set off for home, they felt as if a blanket of peace had wrapped around them, but the group also wondered how long it would last.<Br>
<Br>
* * * * * * * * * <Br>
<Br>
Yay! This turned out to be normal sized chapter. I thought it would be the shortest o.O() Anyway, yeah, not that much excitement. It's kind of a transition between the appearance of Koumori and something else. I have two new people to help me with stories.<Br>
-Chaos: the deity of chaos and mischief. Nope, not like the FF8 summon. he looks fairly human, 'cept for the blue-gray skin part o.O() I'm gonna draw a pic of him soon.<Br>
-Ekisha: The faerie of luck and fortune. She can be a small faerie or she can be human sized. Weapons of choice: Mallet, P.V.C. Pipe, or some other random object. <Br>
I have better descriptions for them in my blog. <Br>
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^_^<Br>
<Br>
SNEAK PEEK!: A week has passed!<Br>
<Br>
** Botan returns with the info she was trying to get from KoEnma.<Br>
<Br>
** Shocking revelations are found, but is it too late to find the person whom they're about?<Br>
<Br>
** In the dark of night, several mysteries unfold into one big mess!<Br>
<Br>
Curious? You'll find out in the next action-packed chapter of Aoitsuki Yurai.<Br>
<Br>
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<Br>
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to write this and get it up! I've been busy with school and this chapter's a bit hard to write 'cause I really want to jump into the next one ^_^ In our last chapter Koumori finally showed up and made a scene. Ryuka and Hiei had their talk and Shinzui found out who Kurama really is. We also found that Ryuka's really a demon and seems to have a history with Hiei. hmmm. Curious, no? ^_^ I'm at 14 chapters! I can't believe it! I've never gotten THIS far with a story. *gets all starry-eyed*<Br>
<Br>
*A box of pocky on a string is thrown out.*<Br>
<Br>
Me: POCKY! *lunges for it*<Br>
<Br>
Pocky: *pulled away from Shin*<Br>
<Br>
Me: Grrrr... *Attempts to pounce on it*<Br>
<Br>
Pocky: *pulled away into a closet* <Br>
<Br>
Me: BANZAI! *leaps into the closet with a crash*<Br>
<Br>
*Door slams shut behind me to reveal Ryuka, laughing*<Br>
<Br>
Ryuka: I had to do that or she'd never shut up. Besides, she's happy.<Br>
<Br>
Me: *slightly muffled by the door* POCKY! POCKY! ^_^<Br>
<Br>
Ryuka: Enjoy the chapter! Please review! ^_^<Br>
<Br>
* * * * * * * * <Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The next afternoon, Kurama walked into the hospital with a brain full of information from Ryuka and Hiei. He found Shinzui packing her things into a small backpack, but her rose was tucked into her braided hair and her other flowers were still in their vase. She swung the bag over her shoulders and grabbed her crutches. Shinzui turned around, hitting something very solid in her path, and looked up to see Kurama. The girl flashed a smile at him before she noticed a troubled look in his eyes and the smile faded.<Br>
"Are you alright?" she queried, gazing at his eyes in concern, "You seem troubled and very tired."<Br>
"Oh... No, I'm fine," replied Kurama, smiling, "I've just been a little stressed lately, but it's no problem."<Br>
"I certainly hope none of that stress is caused by me," said Shinzui, a small smile creeping back to her face, "If it is me, don't get stressed, please." <Br>
"Oh... It's mostly school stress," lied Kurama, not wanting to wipe the smile off the girl's face again.<Br>
"Ah, now that's very understandable," laughed Shinzui, her smile widening, "I have work to catch up on next week." She rolled her eyes a bit. "So, seeing how you're a fox demon, what might the others be? If they're anything other than human."<Br>
"Well, Hiei's a fire demon," replied Kurama, "Kuwabara just has a sixth sense and spirit sword, and Yusuke had a demon ancestor."<Br>
"Nice little group," said Shinzui, winking, "Well, I should be leaving here now, but I'm going to see my dad first."<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Shinzui started to walk to the door, using her crutches, but she wobbled a bit from the unbalance between her and the bag, so Kurama removed the bag and carried it for her with the vase. They made their way down the hallway and towards a room that was on the other end, which had more machines than Shinzui did. The girl sat down in a chair right next to the bed and looked at the IV and other machines before turning her gaze to her dad. She placed her hands on his and gripped it gently, a sad look creeping into her eyes.<Br>
"Dad... I hope you make it through this..." whispered Shinzui, "You can't die now... Not when I've just found out you really did care about me... This is all my fault..." She rested her head on the edge of the bed, letting go of his hand, trying to hide the tears.<Br>
Shoushiko's eyes slowly opened a bit and he slowly raised his hand to pat her on the head. "Shinzui... It isn't your fault...."<Br>
Shinzui looked up at him. "Dad!" She smiled through her tears before wiping her eyes. "You're awake!" She gently hugged him and held his hand. "I was afraid you'd..."<Br>
"Die?" said Shoushiko, giving a raspy laugh that made him cough, "No way. The Ookami's are made of tougher stuff." His mouth spread into a smile full of warmth. "I've learned that from you, Shinzui."<Br>
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, Dad," said Shinzui, "You saved my life. Even though... I had always thought you hated me... But that's the past now." She gave her father another gentle hug. "Here in the present, you're my father and I love you." <Br>
"I love you, too," said Shoushiko, smiling at his daughter.<Br>
"The doctor said that you'd have to spend a week or two here," said Shinzui, "I'm free to go today, but I'll come and visit you whenever I can. Ryuka's offered to let me stay at her house until you are released."<Br>
"I'm still very tired..." said her father, his eyes closing a bit.<Br>
"Get some more sleep, Dad," said Shinzui, "You'll heal faster that way."<Br>
"Thank you, Shinzui," said Shoushiko, closing his eyes and dropping into a steady sleep. <Br>
"No, thank you, Dad," whispered Shinzui, squeezing his hand lightly before getting up with her crutches, "I'll be back as soon as I can."<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Shinzui situated the crutches under her arms and then moved out of the room with Kurama following right behind her. She checked out at the desk, signed a few papers after reading them thoroughly, and then left with Kurama. They reached Ryuka's house about ten minutes later and while Shinzui was picking a spot to put the vase of flowers, the dragon girl pulled Kurama aside to talk to him. <Br>
"Kurama, since I've already filled you in on what happened," said Ryuka, "Do you think you could distract Shin-chan for a while? Take her out somewhere, so I can fill the others in."<Br>
"Alright, but will she go along with it?" asked Kurama in reply.<Br>
"Leave it to me," replied Ryuka, winking, "I know exactly what to say to make Shin-chan leave the house for the day." She walked into Shinzui's room and found the girl setting the vase on a desk. "Shin-chan."<Br>
"Hmm?" said Shinzui, looking at her friend, "Yes?"<Br>
"Since you've injured your leg, I think you should stay in bed," suggested Ryuka, looking at the bandages, "You'll need rest to heal."<Br>
"Oh no," said Shinzui, waving her hands a bit, "I'm not being forced to stay in bed again! I have crutches! Besides, it's just a tiny crack, I can still sit and etc."<Br>
"Well, you'll have to rest today since you've just gotten back," said Ryuka.<Br>
Kurama saw Shinzui's eyes move to him with a look that said 'Help me out of this please!' He took this and the hidden nudge from Ryuka to speak up. "I don't think she needs to be confined to bed quite yet." He saw the smile of relief spread across Shinzui's face. "Perhaps she just needs to be outside for a while."<Br>
"Yes! Yes!" said Shinzui quickly, nodding her head, "I just need some fresh air. That's the best cure for me."<Br>
"Alright," sighed Ryuka, rolling her eyes, "But be back by dinner."
"Ok," muttered Shinzui, putting a key in her pocket and moving to the door, "I'll try to be back by dinner."<Br>
"But wait!" said Ryuka, smiling, "There's more. I'm sending Shuichi with you." She winked at Kurama when Shinzui turned to look at Kurama. "Now off with you or I'll duct tape you to the bed to keep you there." <Br>
"Alright! I'm going," said Shinzui, using her crutches to get her out of the room and slowly went down the stairs.<Br>
"Worked like a charm," whispered Ryuka, leaning against the door frame, "Please keep an eye on her. Koumori's still out there somewhere and those damn scientists are bound to try and attack again."<Br>
"I will," said Kurama, turning to follow Shinzui, "Neither will lay a hand on her." He walked down the stairs to find Shinzui going to the door. <Br>
"Oh! Take Kouken with you!" called Ryuka from the top of the stairs, "That dog's been driving me crazy." <Br>
&a mp;nbsp; 'That dog' had already found Shinzui and was showering her with a storm of happy barks and licks. The girl was sitting on the floor with Kouken and scratching behind his hears as his tail waved from side to side. After the dog's greetings were finished, Kurama helped Shinzui stand up with her crutches, and moved to the door. Kurama opened it for her and the two moved outside with Kouken before the door shut behind them. The three made their way down the steps and up the street in the direction of the park.<Br>
"It's so good to be out of that hospital," sighed Shinzui, breathing deeply, "I hate being stuck in a bed like that. I get bored easily." <Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The two entered the park and wandered down a path, but Shinzui's attention was taken when she saw a small group of cherry blossom trees ahead. As they reached them, she moved to the one in the center and placed a hand on the bark, staring up at the branches, a forlorn look in her eyes. Kurama walked up next to her and looked at the tree while Kouken curled up on the ground beneath the tree. A small silvery glow caught his eye and he saw Shinzui's hand surrounded by a faint aura of energy. A gust of wind blew about them as a petal fluttered past Kurama's eyes and he looked up to see several of the blossoms bloom.<Br>
"Is this the tree that you were talking about?" asked Kurama.<Br>
Shinzui dropped her hand and sighed. "Yeah, it is." After carefully settling herself on the ground, she leaned against it and set her crutches to one side. "This is my favorite spot in all of the park. So many good things happened here... Even if some bad things did as well." She smiled at Kurama as he sat down next to her. "So... How have things been for you lately? You mentioned something about school stress."<Br>
"We've... Been doing research projects," replied Kurama, after carefully choosing his words. <Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The truth was, most of his time had been spent researching and talking with the rest of the team. Hiei had popped over to Makai to get the dirt on Koumori and his gang, but he came up short. (A/N: that sounds like a bad pun. -.-() ). Botan still hadn't come back with the information from KoEnma and that's what the group needed to piece everything together. Yusuke and Kuwabara with help from Keiko and Shizuru, Kuwabara's older sister, did research and got information on the scientists who were after Shinzui. Ryuka had helped in every way she could and the info she found caught their attention when she told them at their last meeting.<Br>
<i>"A week from now Shin-chan's turning 17," said Ryuka, "I read through the fortune teller's prophecy and I've figured that 'The 17th year' means her 17th birthday."<Br>
"Makes sense," said Yusuke, shrugging, "But have you figured anything else out from that thing?"<Br>
"Most of it seems a bit cryptic," replied Ryuka, sighing, "But I figure that something's going to happen to Shin-chan during a clear night and I'm afraid that's what Koumori's interested in." She looked at the group in front of her. "One week from now, we have to keep an eye on Shin-chan all night. I don't want to take any chances."</i><Br>
"What are you researching?" was the question from Shinzui that brought Kurama's thoughts back to reality.<Br>
"Um... Mythology," replied Kurama, smiling nervously.
"Mythology! That must be fun," said Shinzui, smiling as well, "That's one of my favorite topics. What kind are you looking at? Roman? Greek? Norse? Celtic?"<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The rapid fire questions and discussion from Shinzui about that topic continued and luckily, Kurama knew enough already to have a good discussion. While the two talked, Ryuka had called over the others in their group and had started the discussion about any new information. Everyone was sitting in various seats while Ryuka told them exactly what she had told Kurama before letting him be the distraction for Shinzui. <Br>
"Well, after those two attacks by Koumori," said Ryuka, sitting down, "First on Hiei and I, then on Kurama and Shinzui. We really have to be careful because he might attack you guys, too."<Br>
"Why would he go after us?" asked a light-brown haired girl, sipping her soda and looking at Ryuka with her brown eyes, "We're not his targets."<Br>
"Yes, but Koumori tends to deal in dirty ways," replied Ryuka, "He knows Shinzui would go with him willingly if her friends were in trouble and that we're the only things standing in his way of getting her."<Br>
"How'd he even know where to find her?" asked Kuwabara, "I mean you said you didn't tell him where she was."<Br>
"That's right..." muttered Ryuka in response, thinking, "There must be an inside spy. Somewhere... But who could it be?"<Br>
"What about that Toraeru guy," suggested Hiei after a few seconds of thought. <Br>
"Hmmm, that sounds like a good suspect," said Ryuka, tapping her chin lightly, "I bet it was him, but.... Why? He seems way too attached to Shin-chan to even let another guy near her..."<Br>
"But he disappeared after he was let out of the hospital," said Keiko.<Br>
"True," said Ryuka, sighing, "No one's seen hide nor hair of that guy, but where could he have gone?"<Br>
"Who knows and who cares," muttered Hiei, crossing his arms.<Br>
"We should care because he might not be on our side," stated Ryuka, hearing her stomach grumble, "We've been talking for a while. Let's get dinner ready before Kurama comes back with Shin-chan."<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Ryuka, Keiko, and Shizuru went into the kitchen to make dinner and sent the boys to work on setting the table. Shinzui and Kurama showed up after half an hour with Kouken at their heels, but Ryuka refused to let her friend help with dinner and made her sit. Kurama helped the boys set the table and chuckled as Shinzui sat in one of the seats, sulking about Ryuka's comment on her being more of a hindrance than a help. After another fifteen minutes, the dinner was ready and the group sat down to eat. The rest of the evening progressed with no problems and when everyone set off for home, they felt as if a blanket of peace had wrapped around them, but the group also wondered how long it would last.<Br>
<Br>
* * * * * * * * * <Br>
<Br>
Yay! This turned out to be normal sized chapter. I thought it would be the shortest o.O() Anyway, yeah, not that much excitement. It's kind of a transition between the appearance of Koumori and something else. I have two new people to help me with stories.<Br>
-Chaos: the deity of chaos and mischief. Nope, not like the FF8 summon. he looks fairly human, 'cept for the blue-gray skin part o.O() I'm gonna draw a pic of him soon.<Br>
-Ekisha: The faerie of luck and fortune. She can be a small faerie or she can be human sized. Weapons of choice: Mallet, P.V.C. Pipe, or some other random object. <Br>
I have better descriptions for them in my blog. <Br>
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^_^<Br>
<Br>
SNEAK PEEK!: A week has passed!<Br>
<Br>
** Botan returns with the info she was trying to get from KoEnma.<Br>
<Br>
** Shocking revelations are found, but is it too late to find the person whom they're about?<Br>
<Br>
** In the dark of night, several mysteries unfold into one big mess!<Br>
<Br>
Curious? You'll find out in the next action-packed chapter of Aoitsuki Yurai.<Br>
<Br>
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