Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Christmas Time ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two: Shopping for the Impossible

My guardian was not home when I arrived. She was probably at work at the office. She worked very hard and got paid extremely well for it.

She refused to spoil me though. If I wanted anything I had to pay for it with my own money. I had a job that I worked at four days a week, including Saturdays. I got off during the summer. My job was a seasonal one.

Thankfully, I had plenty of money saved up. Pulling out a pen and pencil, I wrote a quick note to my guardian saying that I had gone shopping and that I would be back soon. I knew that if I spent too long shopping that I could just travel through time to get back home before my guardian became angry. That would work perfectly.

I teleported to the mall, making sure that no one saw me appear out of thin air. I stepped into one of the crowded stores, carefully looking around for something that one of my friends would like.

Yusuke would probably like something to do with fighting, like maybe the wrist things that absorbed sweat or a punching bag. Botan had looked at my jewelry longingly a few days ago, so I had a feeling that she would love a pretty necklace or bracelet. I could buy Kuwabara a little kitten figurine and perhaps something that would help with his fights.

Hiei... he was a challenge. It was hard to think of something that the speedy fire demon would want. He wasn't interested in many things. He wasn't like Kuwabara, who liked kittens, or Botan, who liked pretty things. Hiei enjoyed fighting, just like Yusuke. Unfortunately, the fire demon had no use of punching bags or sweat bands. Perhaps something that would serve some kind of purpose... Not food, Hiei had never showed an extreme interest in food.

I walked by an ornate antique shop, and something pulled me inside. I walked through the large, open doorway. The shop was rather small, but it was filled with many different items, many of which were useless. The lighting was rather dim when compared to the hallways that connected the many stores in the mall, and the carpet use to be white, but it had yellowed a bit.

I let the feeling tug me towards a corner of the shop. I followed the feeling, trusting it to lead me to where I needed to go. When the feeling stopped, I was standing in the corner, many objects surrounding me. I began to search for what was calling me. Finally, under an old blanket, I found a sheath.

The sheath was decorated with many different symbols in faded gold-like paint. The once-stiff leather had softened up a bit over time, but it was still good. The best part was that I could feel magic in the sheath, an ancient type of magic. Hiei would love the sheath, I was sure of it. It was even the perfect size for his katana.

I held the sheath in both hands and carried it up to the check out counter. The old man, bald and wrinkly, rang up the sheath and charged me ten dollars for it. I paid, and he gave me a wink right as I turned away.

Forgetting the old man almost immediately, I walked to a normal jewelry store and bought an amethyst bracelet for Botan. It would match her eyes perfectly. The bracelet came with a matching ring, which made me smile. She would love the gift, that I was sure of.

Next I got Yusuke's present, a punching bag that I would enhance with my magic once I went home. No matter how hard the spirit detective would punch, the bag would be able to take it. Perfect.

In another shop I found a figurine of a kitten, and a little while later I bought a jar of aloe vera. With some magic, I would be able to turn the aloe vera into a jar of healing cream, which was something Kuwabara seemed to need more than everyone else.

Last of all came Kurama. I couldn't think of a single thing to get him. My magic didn't gift me with a tugging in any direction. Unfortunately, it seemed I was on my own.

I started thinking hard, wandering from store to store, looking at anything and everything, rejecting everything I saw. Hiei had been easy compared to Kurama. How could I possibly figure out something that a fox demon would want? Kurama had a good heart, but he wasn't really into fighting like Hiei and Yusuke were. I couldn't get him jewelry like Botan, nor could I buy him some kind of figurine. Perhaps something a little more personal...

I was an artist. I could draw rather well, and I did have a picture of Kurama. Maybe he would like a caricature drawn by me along with something else. I had shown him one of my other drawings, and he had expressed interest in it.

Smiling since that I had thought of something to give Kurama, I walked into another store to buy some good paper for the caricature. At the counter was a small box of small blown glass creations. One was a fox with a rose in its teeth. I picked the figure up, wondering if I could use some of my magic to give it some special property. A good luck charm sounded perfect.

I bought the figure and the paper, then found a secluded place to teleport from. With all my purchases in my arms, I summoned up my power and teleported home.

I had been home for a few hours, and I had every present wrapped except for Kurama's. I had yet to finish the caricature of the redhead. I had turned the aloe vera into a healing cream, and I had put a spell on the punching bag. Even casting a good luck spell on the figure had been easy. The caricature was taking forever. It had never occurred to me that it would be so hard. I was still on the outline part of the drawing.

"Are you ready for supper yet?" my guardian asked, poking her head into my room. She was a middle-aged woman with black hair and kind honey-brown eyes.

"Almost, Salova," I answered, sighing. "What are we having?"

"Pizza. I ordered out today," she answered, mello voice resounding throughout my room. Her southern accent was incredibly thick.

"Sounds good," I said, putting down my pencil. "I'll be there after I wash my hands."

"Okay," Salova told me, nodding her head and leaving.

I got up out of my chair, cleaned up, then went to eat. I told my guardian all about the present exchange on Christmas day.

"I did something like that with my friends when I was your age," she told me, taking a bit of her slice of pizza. "One year we did gag gifts, and I ended up with a dog bone."

"Sounds like your friends had a good sense of humor," I commented, laughing lightly. "Do you remember what you got for your friends?"

"Yeah, a bag of fake vomit and butter sculpting kit." She chuckled a little at the memory.

"Maybe we'll do that next year," I said. I had all ready gotten Salova her gift. In my room underneath my bed was her present--a huge cookbook and a deck of cards.

"Sounds like fun to me. I would enjoy doing something like that," Salova nodded her head in agreement, pleased with the idea. "Now finish your dinner. I'm going to need this table to do my homework on." Salova also went to college part time. She was always looking for ways to improve herself, and I looked up to her for it.

"Sure thing," I promised. "I'm tired anyway. It's been a rather long day today."

"Considering how much time traveling you do, it's no wonder that you're exhausted. Anyone would be," Salova said sympathetically.

"I shouldn't be though," I grumbled. "I've done more time traveling than this and I never got so tired then."

"Things change," she commented, finishing off the last of her meal.

I quickly ate the rest of my slice of pizza. "I wish sometimes that they didn't. Changes can make things a whole lot harder."

"Yes, but sometimes they make things better," Salova assured me. "Now you go on. I'll clean up."

"Okay," I said obediently and went to my room. Once there, I began working on the caricature again.

Thankfully, I finished it before midnight. I went to bed rather happy.