Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Aoitsuki Yurai ❯ Truth in the Moonlight ( Chapter 15 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: AvalonShikaro 
The storm's arrived. It's Shinzui's 17th birthday and Ryuka's really nervous about letting her out of sight. Yay! Surprise party! Shinzui goes to bed and Botan arrives to talk to the group and give them the info she was trying to get for a while. The information comes to late for someone that needed to be stopped. This is another turning point chapter! Many things are revealed, but the mysteries unfold into a completely chaotic mess!
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.29.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 210 | Status: Completed
The storm's arrived. It's Shinzui's 17th birthday and Ryuka's really nervous about letting her out of sight. Yay! Surprise party! Shinzui goes to bed and Botan arrives to talk to the group and give them the info she was trying to get for a while. The information comes to late for someone that needed to be stopped. This is another turning point chapter! Many things are revealed, but the mysteries unfold into a completely chaotic mess!
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 12.29.2003 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 210 | Status: Completed
<Font face="verdana">Disclaimer: -.-() I have to keep writing these. All Yu Yu Hakusho Characters and stuff belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. All original characters and stuff belong to me, myself, and I. The t-shirt mentioned is from the magazine What's On Earth.<Br>
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A/N: I tried a new format this time... I put spaces between stuff, I don't know if it'll be easier to read or not. If you review this, please include your opinion on if it's easier to read it compact like it's always been or in this new expanded format. Anyway, in our last chapter, a small wave of peace drifted over a day. Shinzui is out of the hospital, has seen her father, and spent a nice afternoon with Kurama. Ryuka explained stuff to the rest of the group. Let's see how long that peace lasts this time. WHOO! 15 CHAPTERS! ^_^ There might be only five or six chapters left in the story o.o() Enjoy! Please review! <Br>
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* * * * * * * * *<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; A week passed by without so much as a scratched piece of glass from Koumori nor a single stir from the scientists. All was peaceful and the quiet was starting to make a few people nervous. Shinzui was able to return to school and spent most of her time catching up on the lessons and homework. With lots of rest and help from one of Kurama's healing salves, Shinzui's leg was well on the mend and nearly finished. Kouken rarely left her side the entire week, except when she was in the school building or the bathroom, but he was always waiting outside. The whole group knew that the day of Shinzui's birthday had come because Ryuka became very edgy and alert the instant they set foot outside.<Br>
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"Ryuka-chan," said Shinzui in concern as they walked home from school, "Are you ok? You seem a bit agitated today."<Br>
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"I'm fine," replied Ryuka, waving her hand in a care-free manner, "I'm just nervous about the test in Mr. Akashi's class. You know how insane he is about trying to fail people he doesn't like."<Br>
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"We have become a pair of know-it-all misfits in that class, haven't we," said Shinzui, grinning, "But it's all good." The two high fived each other, each with an equally mischievous grin.<Br>
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"So, you're finally 17, how does it feel?" asked Ryuka, faking a reporter's voice and holding a stick to Shinzui.<Br>
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The girl shrugged. "The same as always." She stretched and yawned a bit. "A bit tired, too. Too bad Iwamoto realized I was sleeping during his boring lecture."<Br>
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"You've been falling asleep in class a lot, Shin-chan," said Ryuka, starting to walk along their route again, "Yet you still manage to keep up with them. How do you do it?"<Br>
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"I have you to thank," replied Shinzui, walking along with her, "You've elbowed me awake during important parts, filled me in on the stuff I've missed, and you've let me use your notes." She laughed. "I'd be failing if it wasn't for you."<Br>
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"Hey, what's a friend for?" chuckled Ryuka, winking.<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; The two girls wandered back to Ryuka's house and as Ryuka flopped on her favorite chair, Shinzui went upstairs. She came back a few minutes later with her bag that held her work uniform and proceeded to the door. Kouken, who had curled up on the couch, immediately leapt up and followed her out the door. Ryuka watched Shinzui walk down to the corner and met up with Kurama. A few words were exchanged and Shinzui continued with Kurama beside her.<Br>
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"That went perfectly," sighed Ryuka, closing her eyes, "Good thing we made that plan ahead of time. Aye, Hiei?" She opened one eye, looking at the closet.<Br>
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Hiei emerged from the closet, looking annoyed, "Did I have to hide in there?" He shut the door and sat down on the couch.<Br>
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"She thought you were at school," replied Ryuka, giggling, "She doesn't really know that you're a demon. Now, c'mon! We have a party to set up!" She leapt out of the seat and went for the phone. <Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; Ryuka called Yusuke, Kuwabara and Shizuru, and Keiko to talk to them about their plans. They showed up half an hour later with Kurama in tow and began to fix everything up for the party. Four hours later, the group had decorated, cooked food, and set the whole thing up. Shinzui returned with Kouken, looking a bit tired, but shocked by the sudden welcome from the group and the party. She gave each of them a hug, laughing and thanking them while Kouken curled up near a window.<Br>
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"Ryuka, were you planning all this?" asked Shinzui, giving her friend a knowing look. <Br>
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"Yep, but the others helped," laughed Ryuka, winking at Shinzui, "You know me. Always ready to throw a party."<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; The rest of the evening proceed smoothly with lots of laughter, a good dinner, and conversation. Shinzui was deep in conversation with Keiko about their most recent topic in literature when Ryuka appeared with a laundry basket of presents from everyone. She plopped it down in front of a very surprised Shinzui and with some prompting from the group around her, she grabbed one of them from the top of the pile.<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; One by one, Shinzui opened each present after reading the card and giving the person a hug and many 'thank you's after opening it. A book of mythology from Keiko, a wolf poster from Kuwabara, and a shirt from Shizuru that had 'Sarcasm: Just One More Service I Offer.' written on it. Yusuke gave her a book about martial arts and Hiei's gift was a wooden practice sword, which seemed to amuse Ryuka. She plucked the last gift out of the basket and pulled off the wrapping paper to find a fox plushie. <Br>
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"Aww," said Shinzui, hugging it, "This is adorable!" She smiled at Kurama. "Thanks!" She gave him a hug. <Br>
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"Time for cake and ice cream!" said Ryuka, clapping her hands together.<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; The group moved to where they ate dinner and did the traditional birthday cake and ice cream deal. By ten, the group was finished and conversing on several topics when Shinzui yawned. She stood up, announcing that she was going to bed, but thanked everyone for their gifts and coming. She trudged upstairs with the basket of stuff in her arms and shut the door of her room. The rest of the group moved back to the family room and talked some more. Ryuka went to check on her friend to find her curled up in bed asleep with the fox plushie cradled in her arms and Kouken snoozing in his little bed.<Br>
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"Well, she's comfy," said Ryuka, sitting down in a chair, "Nothing so far. She's perfectly content in her bed. Maybe it really wasn't today that the fortune teller's thing would come true."<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; Another hour passed without a stir from upstairs and the group had just started on a new topic when a rapping was heard from the door. Ryuka answered it to find an unfamiliar blue-haired girl standing there, but when Yusuke came to see who it was, he introduced the two. Botan was back with several files, papers, and more on the information they wanted. The ferrygirl sat down between Kuwabara and Shizuru with the files in her lap and began to shuffle through the papers.<Br>
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"I finally managed to find good information," said Botan, showing off the files, "It wasn't easy to get them. Which one do you want to hear about first? Inu, her brother, or something else."<Br>
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"Let's hear about Inu first," answered Yusuke, "I mean, she is the one that came to mind first."<Br>
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"Her case was quite strange," said Botan, looking at the file, "The only thing she's ever really done is steal various things and sometimes killed, but mostly... Her killings were defensive, which is odd for a demon. She never quarreled with anyone from Reikai. In fact, she respected them, but her blood is rare indeed."<Br>
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"What do you mean?" asked Ryuka, raising an eyebrow, "She's a wolf demon, how is her blood rare?"<Br>
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"Not necessarily," replied Botan, flipping a page, "She's not a full demon."<Br>
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"How is she not a full demon?" said Ryuka, blinking in confusion, "Both her parents were demons."<Br>
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"Her kind is called a Konketsuji or as demons call them an Oketsu," explained Botan, reading a file, "She could be called a Hanyou, but her blood is from two different demons. A wolf demon and a fox demon, but... the reason why the demons call her kind Oketsu because they not only have demon blood, but some angel blood."<Br>
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"What?!" exclaimed Ryuka, staring at Botan, "Inu and her brother were part angel? How is it possible?!"<Br>
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"Their mother was a type of Hanyou," replied Botan, "She was part wolf demon and part angel, but no one knew about that. If they did, she would've been killed not only for her blood, but the power her spirit holds is something that most demons would seek. By eating it, they'd increase their powers greatly."<Br>
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"... I never knew," muttered Ryuka, looking at the floor, "Damn it..."<Br>
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"Her brother is of the same mix," said Botan, looking at another file, "His name was Kouken" <Br>
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Every jaw in the room dropped at the words and Yusuke broke the silence. "You mean to tell me that Inu's brother and Shinzui's dog share the same name."<Br>
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"I get the feeling it's more than that," said Botan, pulling over another file, "You see... Inu's brother was badly injured and managed to escape into the human world, but in his condition he was forced to remain in animal form."<Br>
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"That means..." started Kuwabara, staring at Botan.<Br>
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"Shinzui's dog is really the demon Kouken," finished Hiei, narrowing his eyes, "That might be why he doesn't like you, Botan."<Br>
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"I also found out that one of the items Inu used a lot for her spells was a rose," said Botan, reading some of the papers, "A blue rose in fact. Much like the one Shinzui has. Also, she had a lot of movements in her spells. Kind of like a dance. All her special long spells had some sort of strange singing, too."<Br>
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Upstairs, Shinzui's eyes snapped open, glassy and blank.<Br>
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"Shin-chan's rose..." muttered Ryuka, her eyes wide with shock, "She said it sprouted the day she was conceived and bloomed red the day she was born. It drained to white and has slowly become blue since then. I saw it yesterday and it was almost... All blue... It only blooms with the moon's out... Blue... Moon... Oh god..." A look of realization crept into her face.<Br>
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Shinzui secured the rose in her braided hair and opened the window. Kouken stood up and trotted over to the girl.<Br>
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Ryuka ran to check the calendar and the pieces fit together. "Blue moon! That means a second full moon in the same month!"<Br>
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Shinzui stared at the tree in front of her, but it seemed like she really wasn't seeing it. The girl managed to climb out of the window, into the tree, and proceeded to the ground.<Br>
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"It's a blue moon tonight and Shin-chan's rose is... Blue..." She froze and stared at it.<Br>
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Kouken lightly leapt from the window to a branch and gracefully descended by jumping down to a new branch. He followed Shinzui as she wandered along the sidewalk in the direction of the park.<Br>
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"Tonight <i>is</i> the night! It's really going to happen!" Ryuka ran around in a panic, muttering random oaths and swears. <Br>
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"Calm down, Ryuka," said Botan, looking worried as the girl panicked.<Br>
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"Calm down?!" exclaimed Ryuka, "I should've seen this coming! I've got to check on her!" She tore up the stairs with the others racing after her.<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; Shinzui's window was wide open and the girl was missing, along with Kouken and the rose. Ryuka swore loudly and ran to the window, but saw nothing. As the group tried to calm the panicked girl down, Shinzui had made her way to the grove of cherry blossom trees and stared at the one in the center. <Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; The light from the moon was shining down on the trees, making ghostly shadows flicker along the ground with each gust of wind. She closed her eyes as a silver aura surrounded her and Kouken just sat there, watching as the girl suddenly started a graceful dance. She opened her mouth and with a voice that seemed to make the trees dance with the wind, sang a strange song.<Br>
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"We've got to find her!" exclaimed Ryuka, running to the door.<Br>
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"But how will we find her?" asked Keiko, looking frightened.<Br>
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"I feel a new surge of strong energy from the park," said Yusuke, standing up, "That's probably her."<Br>
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"And... I hear something.." said Kurama, his keen hearing picking up the strange melody that was on the wind, "It's a song."<Br>
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"Then let's not waste time!" yelled Ryuka, flinging the door open, "Hold on, Shin-chan! I'm coming!"<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; The group followed Ryuka as they ran down the sidewalk toward the park and immediately they saw a strange silvery light illuminating a grove of trees. They managed to reach it just in time to see a strange blue light surround the rose and it floated in front of Shinzui, who had stopped her dancing. The moment the girl's hands touched the energy, it merged with her aura and her clothes seemed to melt off as wisps and streaks of silver energy flew around the nude girl. A small groan alerted the group that the process was sending waves of pain through the girl's body and her whole image began to change.<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; Shinzui's billowing hair retracted to mid-back length and became a silky, silver color and crossed scars appeared on her back with a large blot in the middle. Her nails lengthened slightly into claws, a silver, wolf tail materialized along with a pair of silver, wolf ears, and the silver energy wrapped around the girl's naked body. The tendrils of light moved up her body, creating clothing to fit the girl's figure, and when all was done it withdrew into her hand. Shinzui's eyelids opened to reveal, not blue eyes, but amber colored eyes, that suddenly regained their awareness.<Br>
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"I'm... Back..." came the demon's voice in a tone of disbelief, "It worked."<Br>
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Kurama was staring at the girl in shock. The wolf demon from his dreams was standing there in front of him. "It can't be... Inu." <Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; Their attention was taken by Kouken, who howled wildly as silver and blue tendrils surrounded him, leaving only a silhouette. The dog's form twisted and slowly grew into that of a man, but when the light vanished, the group saw that he was far from being a man. Another wolf demon stood before them with long, dark silver hair, but his tail and ears matched the silver, gray, and white mixed coloration of his fur and ears when he was in the animal form. His sulfur yellow eyes were staring around the area, but they locked on to Inu. The male, wolf demon was wearing blue pants with a blue tunic and a black sash around the waist. <Br>
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"So this is Kouken," muttered Hiei, staring at the demon.<Br>
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"K... Kouken?" said Inu, staring at the other demon, "I can't believe it's you! I... I thought you died!" Immediately she ran over to the other demon and wrapped her arms around him. <Br>
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"Aw, Sis," chuckled Kouken, patting her on the head, "You know our family's not easy to kill." His eyes moved to the group nearby. "I see your friends came to see what happened."<Br>
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Inu turned her head to look at the group. "Interesting choice of friends my other half has." She gave them a mysterious smile, but her smile changed to a shocked look when she saw Kurama. "You're the human who is the other half of Youko, aren't you." <Br>
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A bit surprised by this question, Kurama nodded, "Yes... I am."<Br>
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"So Youko... You didn't really die..." said Inu quietly, her sharp eyes softening, "That's a... A relief." She felt a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over her. "Damn... That spell took a lot out of the girl's body. I can't stay in this form any longer." She smiled at the group. "I'll be back." She winked and made a few motions with her hands, causing her form to revert back to Shinzui in her pajamas.<Br>
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"Shin-chan?!" exclaimed Ryuka, looking relieved that her friend was back.<Br>
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"Sorry about the scare, Ryuka," said Shinzui, leaning against a tree, "I guess I now know what I am... And that you knew."<Br>
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"Sorry... I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't," said Ryuka, sighing.<Br>
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"It's ok," yawned Shinzui, looking tired, "No harm done. That's over with and nothing's happened." She looked at the wolf demon that used to be her dog. "Do you just have that dog form? Or can you become human?"<Br>
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"I can hold the dog form better," said Kouken, "Though, I can work on a human form, but it takes time."<Br>
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"That's ok," said Shinzui, grinning, "I kinda liked you as a dog." She giggled at Kouken when he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm kidding. It's nice to know that I have a brother." <Br>
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"It's nice to know that you're still alive," said Kouken, smiling at her.<Br>
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"And it's nice to know that we can finally complete our research," said a triumphant voice, "Take them down!"<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; Everyone's heads whipped around as a net came flying out of no where, ensnaring part of the group against the ground. Things seemed to happen too quickly for them to react and the other part of the group soon found themselves trapped by a net as well. Kouken charged for the nets to cut them with his claws, but he felt something sharp hit him in the neck before he collapsed in a heap, unconscious. Shinzui screamed as a net hit her and upon lifting her head, saw the smug faces of Yamai, Baikin, and Gaidoku. The girl was dragged off in the net, clawing at the rope in desperation, but in her exhaustion from the transformation, not even her spirit energy could be called up. Something sharp pricked Shinzui's arm and she saw a tranq embeded in the skin. <Br>
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"With all your thrashing, you needed that, little girl," said Yamai, smirking.<Br>
<Br>
"Damn, you schmucks to hell..." muttered Shinzui before she faded into darkness and slept.<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; The scientists quickly had her collected into a van and left the park as fast as their cars could go because the group had torn away their nets. They tried to catch up, but the cars disappeared into a busy street and their progress was impeded by the fact that Kouken, who was being dragged along by Kuwabara and Yusuke, needed to be taken back to Ryuka's house. His appearance was bound to attract unwanted attention and reluctantly, they gave up the chase of the cars. The day started out fine, but now the mysteries that were revealed had only become one big mess. <Br>
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The storm had arrived....<Br>
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* * * * * * * * *<Br>
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Just a few notes about this chapter:<Br>
- The dance and song thing I came up with from a dream ^_^ I can just image a girl dancing in the moonlight and singing a song.<Br>
- The fox plushie is something I put on my Christmas list.<Br>
- Matching gifts with people was not easy because it's hard to figure out what some of them would give a girl. ^_^() <Br>
- Kouken wasn't in the original story, but I decided that I wanted Inu to have a brother... I don't know why, but I hope you liked him ^_^ More of his character will come out during the other chapters.<Br>
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How did you like it? Was it easier to read with the expanded version? Yep. Quite an interesting development. Shinzui's luck is slowly deteriorating -.-() *sighs*<Br>
Hey! Can anyone guess what Oketsu and Konketsuji mean and perhaps why Inu's kind is called each one? <Br>
Anyway, I really hope you liked this chapter. It took a long time to sort out o.O() I'm glad it turned out this well... <Br>
Please review! By the way, you can guess an answer to the questions in my sneak peeks sections.<Br>
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SNEAK PEEK!: <Br>
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** What will happen to Shinzui now that the scientists have captured her?<Br>
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** What happens when you mix a traitor, some scientists, assistants, and a persistant bat demon? <Br>
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** Who could the traitor (mentioned above) be? What do they want? Who do they work for? <Br>
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Find out in the next exciting chapter of Aoitsuki Yurai.<Br>
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<Br>
A/N: I tried a new format this time... I put spaces between stuff, I don't know if it'll be easier to read or not. If you review this, please include your opinion on if it's easier to read it compact like it's always been or in this new expanded format. Anyway, in our last chapter, a small wave of peace drifted over a day. Shinzui is out of the hospital, has seen her father, and spent a nice afternoon with Kurama. Ryuka explained stuff to the rest of the group. Let's see how long that peace lasts this time. WHOO! 15 CHAPTERS! ^_^ There might be only five or six chapters left in the story o.o() Enjoy! Please review! <Br>
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* * * * * * * * *<Br>
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&a mp;nbsp; A week passed by without so much as a scratched piece of glass from Koumori nor a single stir from the scientists. All was peaceful and the quiet was starting to make a few people nervous. Shinzui was able to return to school and spent most of her time catching up on the lessons and homework. With lots of rest and help from one of Kurama's healing salves, Shinzui's leg was well on the mend and nearly finished. Kouken rarely left her side the entire week, except when she was in the school building or the bathroom, but he was always waiting outside. The whole group knew that the day of Shinzui's birthday had come because Ryuka became very edgy and alert the instant they set foot outside.<Br>
<Br>
"Ryuka-chan," said Shinzui in concern as they walked home from school, "Are you ok? You seem a bit agitated today."<Br>
<Br>
"I'm fine," replied Ryuka, waving her hand in a care-free manner, "I'm just nervous about the test in Mr. Akashi's class. You know how insane he is about trying to fail people he doesn't like."<Br>
<Br>
"We have become a pair of know-it-all misfits in that class, haven't we," said Shinzui, grinning, "But it's all good." The two high fived each other, each with an equally mischievous grin.<Br>
<Br>
"So, you're finally 17, how does it feel?" asked Ryuka, faking a reporter's voice and holding a stick to Shinzui.<Br>
<Br>
The girl shrugged. "The same as always." She stretched and yawned a bit. "A bit tired, too. Too bad Iwamoto realized I was sleeping during his boring lecture."<Br>
<Br>
"You've been falling asleep in class a lot, Shin-chan," said Ryuka, starting to walk along their route again, "Yet you still manage to keep up with them. How do you do it?"<Br>
<Br>
"I have you to thank," replied Shinzui, walking along with her, "You've elbowed me awake during important parts, filled me in on the stuff I've missed, and you've let me use your notes." She laughed. "I'd be failing if it wasn't for you."<Br>
<Br>
"Hey, what's a friend for?" chuckled Ryuka, winking.<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The two girls wandered back to Ryuka's house and as Ryuka flopped on her favorite chair, Shinzui went upstairs. She came back a few minutes later with her bag that held her work uniform and proceeded to the door. Kouken, who had curled up on the couch, immediately leapt up and followed her out the door. Ryuka watched Shinzui walk down to the corner and met up with Kurama. A few words were exchanged and Shinzui continued with Kurama beside her.<Br>
<Br>
"That went perfectly," sighed Ryuka, closing her eyes, "Good thing we made that plan ahead of time. Aye, Hiei?" She opened one eye, looking at the closet.<Br>
<Br>
Hiei emerged from the closet, looking annoyed, "Did I have to hide in there?" He shut the door and sat down on the couch.<Br>
<Br>
"She thought you were at school," replied Ryuka, giggling, "She doesn't really know that you're a demon. Now, c'mon! We have a party to set up!" She leapt out of the seat and went for the phone. <Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Ryuka called Yusuke, Kuwabara and Shizuru, and Keiko to talk to them about their plans. They showed up half an hour later with Kurama in tow and began to fix everything up for the party. Four hours later, the group had decorated, cooked food, and set the whole thing up. Shinzui returned with Kouken, looking a bit tired, but shocked by the sudden welcome from the group and the party. She gave each of them a hug, laughing and thanking them while Kouken curled up near a window.<Br>
<Br>
"Ryuka, were you planning all this?" asked Shinzui, giving her friend a knowing look. <Br>
<Br>
"Yep, but the others helped," laughed Ryuka, winking at Shinzui, "You know me. Always ready to throw a party."<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The rest of the evening proceed smoothly with lots of laughter, a good dinner, and conversation. Shinzui was deep in conversation with Keiko about their most recent topic in literature when Ryuka appeared with a laundry basket of presents from everyone. She plopped it down in front of a very surprised Shinzui and with some prompting from the group around her, she grabbed one of them from the top of the pile.<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; One by one, Shinzui opened each present after reading the card and giving the person a hug and many 'thank you's after opening it. A book of mythology from Keiko, a wolf poster from Kuwabara, and a shirt from Shizuru that had 'Sarcasm: Just One More Service I Offer.' written on it. Yusuke gave her a book about martial arts and Hiei's gift was a wooden practice sword, which seemed to amuse Ryuka. She plucked the last gift out of the basket and pulled off the wrapping paper to find a fox plushie. <Br>
<Br>
"Aww," said Shinzui, hugging it, "This is adorable!" She smiled at Kurama. "Thanks!" She gave him a hug. <Br>
<Br>
"Time for cake and ice cream!" said Ryuka, clapping her hands together.<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The group moved to where they ate dinner and did the traditional birthday cake and ice cream deal. By ten, the group was finished and conversing on several topics when Shinzui yawned. She stood up, announcing that she was going to bed, but thanked everyone for their gifts and coming. She trudged upstairs with the basket of stuff in her arms and shut the door of her room. The rest of the group moved back to the family room and talked some more. Ryuka went to check on her friend to find her curled up in bed asleep with the fox plushie cradled in her arms and Kouken snoozing in his little bed.<Br>
<Br>
"Well, she's comfy," said Ryuka, sitting down in a chair, "Nothing so far. She's perfectly content in her bed. Maybe it really wasn't today that the fortune teller's thing would come true."<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Another hour passed without a stir from upstairs and the group had just started on a new topic when a rapping was heard from the door. Ryuka answered it to find an unfamiliar blue-haired girl standing there, but when Yusuke came to see who it was, he introduced the two. Botan was back with several files, papers, and more on the information they wanted. The ferrygirl sat down between Kuwabara and Shizuru with the files in her lap and began to shuffle through the papers.<Br>
<Br>
"I finally managed to find good information," said Botan, showing off the files, "It wasn't easy to get them. Which one do you want to hear about first? Inu, her brother, or something else."<Br>
<Br>
"Let's hear about Inu first," answered Yusuke, "I mean, she is the one that came to mind first."<Br>
<Br>
"Her case was quite strange," said Botan, looking at the file, "The only thing she's ever really done is steal various things and sometimes killed, but mostly... Her killings were defensive, which is odd for a demon. She never quarreled with anyone from Reikai. In fact, she respected them, but her blood is rare indeed."<Br>
<Br>
"What do you mean?" asked Ryuka, raising an eyebrow, "She's a wolf demon, how is her blood rare?"<Br>
<Br>
"Not necessarily," replied Botan, flipping a page, "She's not a full demon."<Br>
<Br>
"How is she not a full demon?" said Ryuka, blinking in confusion, "Both her parents were demons."<Br>
<Br>
"Her kind is called a Konketsuji or as demons call them an Oketsu," explained Botan, reading a file, "She could be called a Hanyou, but her blood is from two different demons. A wolf demon and a fox demon, but... the reason why the demons call her kind Oketsu because they not only have demon blood, but some angel blood."<Br>
<Br>
"What?!" exclaimed Ryuka, staring at Botan, "Inu and her brother were part angel? How is it possible?!"<Br>
<Br>
"Their mother was a type of Hanyou," replied Botan, "She was part wolf demon and part angel, but no one knew about that. If they did, she would've been killed not only for her blood, but the power her spirit holds is something that most demons would seek. By eating it, they'd increase their powers greatly."<Br>
<Br>
"... I never knew," muttered Ryuka, looking at the floor, "Damn it..."<Br>
<Br>
"Her brother is of the same mix," said Botan, looking at another file, "His name was Kouken" <Br>
<Br>
Every jaw in the room dropped at the words and Yusuke broke the silence. "You mean to tell me that Inu's brother and Shinzui's dog share the same name."<Br>
<Br>
"I get the feeling it's more than that," said Botan, pulling over another file, "You see... Inu's brother was badly injured and managed to escape into the human world, but in his condition he was forced to remain in animal form."<Br>
<Br>
"That means..." started Kuwabara, staring at Botan.<Br>
<Br>
"Shinzui's dog is really the demon Kouken," finished Hiei, narrowing his eyes, "That might be why he doesn't like you, Botan."<Br>
<Br>
"I also found out that one of the items Inu used a lot for her spells was a rose," said Botan, reading some of the papers, "A blue rose in fact. Much like the one Shinzui has. Also, she had a lot of movements in her spells. Kind of like a dance. All her special long spells had some sort of strange singing, too."<Br>
<Br>
Upstairs, Shinzui's eyes snapped open, glassy and blank.<Br>
<Br>
"Shin-chan's rose..." muttered Ryuka, her eyes wide with shock, "She said it sprouted the day she was conceived and bloomed red the day she was born. It drained to white and has slowly become blue since then. I saw it yesterday and it was almost... All blue... It only blooms with the moon's out... Blue... Moon... Oh god..." A look of realization crept into her face.<Br>
<Br>
Shinzui secured the rose in her braided hair and opened the window. Kouken stood up and trotted over to the girl.<Br>
<Br>
Ryuka ran to check the calendar and the pieces fit together. "Blue moon! That means a second full moon in the same month!"<Br>
<Br>
Shinzui stared at the tree in front of her, but it seemed like she really wasn't seeing it. The girl managed to climb out of the window, into the tree, and proceeded to the ground.<Br>
<Br>
"It's a blue moon tonight and Shin-chan's rose is... Blue..." She froze and stared at it.<Br>
<Br>
Kouken lightly leapt from the window to a branch and gracefully descended by jumping down to a new branch. He followed Shinzui as she wandered along the sidewalk in the direction of the park.<Br>
<Br>
"Tonight <i>is</i> the night! It's really going to happen!" Ryuka ran around in a panic, muttering random oaths and swears. <Br>
<Br>
"Calm down, Ryuka," said Botan, looking worried as the girl panicked.<Br>
<Br>
"Calm down?!" exclaimed Ryuka, "I should've seen this coming! I've got to check on her!" She tore up the stairs with the others racing after her.<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Shinzui's window was wide open and the girl was missing, along with Kouken and the rose. Ryuka swore loudly and ran to the window, but saw nothing. As the group tried to calm the panicked girl down, Shinzui had made her way to the grove of cherry blossom trees and stared at the one in the center. <Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The light from the moon was shining down on the trees, making ghostly shadows flicker along the ground with each gust of wind. She closed her eyes as a silver aura surrounded her and Kouken just sat there, watching as the girl suddenly started a graceful dance. She opened her mouth and with a voice that seemed to make the trees dance with the wind, sang a strange song.<Br>
<Br>
"We've got to find her!" exclaimed Ryuka, running to the door.<Br>
<Br>
"But how will we find her?" asked Keiko, looking frightened.<Br>
<Br>
"I feel a new surge of strong energy from the park," said Yusuke, standing up, "That's probably her."<Br>
<Br>
"And... I hear something.." said Kurama, his keen hearing picking up the strange melody that was on the wind, "It's a song."<Br>
<Br>
"Then let's not waste time!" yelled Ryuka, flinging the door open, "Hold on, Shin-chan! I'm coming!"<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The group followed Ryuka as they ran down the sidewalk toward the park and immediately they saw a strange silvery light illuminating a grove of trees. They managed to reach it just in time to see a strange blue light surround the rose and it floated in front of Shinzui, who had stopped her dancing. The moment the girl's hands touched the energy, it merged with her aura and her clothes seemed to melt off as wisps and streaks of silver energy flew around the nude girl. A small groan alerted the group that the process was sending waves of pain through the girl's body and her whole image began to change.<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Shinzui's billowing hair retracted to mid-back length and became a silky, silver color and crossed scars appeared on her back with a large blot in the middle. Her nails lengthened slightly into claws, a silver, wolf tail materialized along with a pair of silver, wolf ears, and the silver energy wrapped around the girl's naked body. The tendrils of light moved up her body, creating clothing to fit the girl's figure, and when all was done it withdrew into her hand. Shinzui's eyelids opened to reveal, not blue eyes, but amber colored eyes, that suddenly regained their awareness.<Br>
<Br>
"I'm... Back..." came the demon's voice in a tone of disbelief, "It worked."<Br>
<Br>
Kurama was staring at the girl in shock. The wolf demon from his dreams was standing there in front of him. "It can't be... Inu." <Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Their attention was taken by Kouken, who howled wildly as silver and blue tendrils surrounded him, leaving only a silhouette. The dog's form twisted and slowly grew into that of a man, but when the light vanished, the group saw that he was far from being a man. Another wolf demon stood before them with long, dark silver hair, but his tail and ears matched the silver, gray, and white mixed coloration of his fur and ears when he was in the animal form. His sulfur yellow eyes were staring around the area, but they locked on to Inu. The male, wolf demon was wearing blue pants with a blue tunic and a black sash around the waist. <Br>
<Br>
"So this is Kouken," muttered Hiei, staring at the demon.<Br>
<Br>
"K... Kouken?" said Inu, staring at the other demon, "I can't believe it's you! I... I thought you died!" Immediately she ran over to the other demon and wrapped her arms around him. <Br>
<Br>
"Aw, Sis," chuckled Kouken, patting her on the head, "You know our family's not easy to kill." His eyes moved to the group nearby. "I see your friends came to see what happened."<Br>
<Br>
Inu turned her head to look at the group. "Interesting choice of friends my other half has." She gave them a mysterious smile, but her smile changed to a shocked look when she saw Kurama. "You're the human who is the other half of Youko, aren't you." <Br>
<Br>
A bit surprised by this question, Kurama nodded, "Yes... I am."<Br>
<Br>
"So Youko... You didn't really die..." said Inu quietly, her sharp eyes softening, "That's a... A relief." She felt a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over her. "Damn... That spell took a lot out of the girl's body. I can't stay in this form any longer." She smiled at the group. "I'll be back." She winked and made a few motions with her hands, causing her form to revert back to Shinzui in her pajamas.<Br>
<Br>
"Shin-chan?!" exclaimed Ryuka, looking relieved that her friend was back.<Br>
<Br>
"Sorry about the scare, Ryuka," said Shinzui, leaning against a tree, "I guess I now know what I am... And that you knew."<Br>
<Br>
"Sorry... I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't," said Ryuka, sighing.<Br>
<Br>
"It's ok," yawned Shinzui, looking tired, "No harm done. That's over with and nothing's happened." She looked at the wolf demon that used to be her dog. "Do you just have that dog form? Or can you become human?"<Br>
<Br>
"I can hold the dog form better," said Kouken, "Though, I can work on a human form, but it takes time."<Br>
<Br>
"That's ok," said Shinzui, grinning, "I kinda liked you as a dog." She giggled at Kouken when he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm kidding. It's nice to know that I have a brother." <Br>
<Br>
"It's nice to know that you're still alive," said Kouken, smiling at her.<Br>
<Br>
"And it's nice to know that we can finally complete our research," said a triumphant voice, "Take them down!"<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; Everyone's heads whipped around as a net came flying out of no where, ensnaring part of the group against the ground. Things seemed to happen too quickly for them to react and the other part of the group soon found themselves trapped by a net as well. Kouken charged for the nets to cut them with his claws, but he felt something sharp hit him in the neck before he collapsed in a heap, unconscious. Shinzui screamed as a net hit her and upon lifting her head, saw the smug faces of Yamai, Baikin, and Gaidoku. The girl was dragged off in the net, clawing at the rope in desperation, but in her exhaustion from the transformation, not even her spirit energy could be called up. Something sharp pricked Shinzui's arm and she saw a tranq embeded in the skin. <Br>
<Br>
"With all your thrashing, you needed that, little girl," said Yamai, smirking.<Br>
<Br>
"Damn, you schmucks to hell..." muttered Shinzui before she faded into darkness and slept.<Br>
<Br>
&a mp;nbsp; The scientists quickly had her collected into a van and left the park as fast as their cars could go because the group had torn away their nets. They tried to catch up, but the cars disappeared into a busy street and their progress was impeded by the fact that Kouken, who was being dragged along by Kuwabara and Yusuke, needed to be taken back to Ryuka's house. His appearance was bound to attract unwanted attention and reluctantly, they gave up the chase of the cars. The day started out fine, but now the mysteries that were revealed had only become one big mess. <Br>
<Br>
The storm had arrived....<Br>
<Br>
* * * * * * * * *<Br>
<Br>
Just a few notes about this chapter:<Br>
- The dance and song thing I came up with from a dream ^_^ I can just image a girl dancing in the moonlight and singing a song.<Br>
- The fox plushie is something I put on my Christmas list.<Br>
- Matching gifts with people was not easy because it's hard to figure out what some of them would give a girl. ^_^() <Br>
- Kouken wasn't in the original story, but I decided that I wanted Inu to have a brother... I don't know why, but I hope you liked him ^_^ More of his character will come out during the other chapters.<Br>
<Br>
How did you like it? Was it easier to read with the expanded version? Yep. Quite an interesting development. Shinzui's luck is slowly deteriorating -.-() *sighs*<Br>
Hey! Can anyone guess what Oketsu and Konketsuji mean and perhaps why Inu's kind is called each one? <Br>
Anyway, I really hope you liked this chapter. It took a long time to sort out o.O() I'm glad it turned out this well... <Br>
Please review! By the way, you can guess an answer to the questions in my sneak peeks sections.<Br>
<Br>
SNEAK PEEK!: <Br>
<Br>
** What will happen to Shinzui now that the scientists have captured her?<Br>
<Br>
** What happens when you mix a traitor, some scientists, assistants, and a persistant bat demon? <Br>
<Br>
** Who could the traitor (mentioned above) be? What do they want? Who do they work for? <Br>
<Br>
Find out in the next exciting chapter of Aoitsuki Yurai.<Br>
<Br>
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