Every one of the couples had collapsed on the ground after going
crazy! Keiko tried to scream, but nothing came out. She took one step back,
then another. She was too frightened to run. The couples... dead? How...?
After taking a few steps back, she felt someone. Relief swept over
her. "Yusuke..." She turned. It wasn't Yusuke! Keiko finally found her
voice. She screamed, and screamed...
* * *
Yusuke knew something ... or someone... was eating at his soul,
trying to possess him. It was a feeling that... that... that the end was
nearing! However, Yusuke was able to fight the evil force penetrating his
body and his soul because his rei ki was strong. But how long could he keep
it up? Could youkai be entering Ningenkai again? It couldn't be... unless...
Yusuke stilled. He sensed... Keiko! She was in trouble! Yusuke took
flight, barely feeling the ground beneath him. He headed back to the park
where he had left Keiko. `If anything happens to her...` Yusuke gritted his
teeth. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something did happen to
her. `Keiko, hold on!`
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Chapter 6
"No Explanation"
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Where--? Different surroundings. Hinageshi slowly opened her eyes,
and tried to focus. `Still whoozy...` She massaged her head. It hurt like
anything!
She tried to sit up, but because of her condition she lay back down on the
soft mattress of the couch.
The front door opened. It was Kuwabara, carrying a grocery bag
filled with food and supplies. As Kuwabara dropped the bag on the kitchen
table, he walked to the living room to check on Hinageshi.
"Oi~ Hinageshi! You're awake!" He said, brightening.
"Konnichiwa, Kuwabara-kun," Hinageshi greeted him, but was too weak
to bow. Kuwabara's lighted up face turned into a look of worry.
"Oi~, daijiobu desuka?" He asked her. "What happened to you?"
Hinageshi took several gulps of air before beginning her story. "I
have come here to seek Yusuke-kun's and your help. I've seen the monsters
terrorizing the town. They have the cross signs on their foreheads."
Kuwabara's face turned bitter. "Meikai!"
"Un," Hinageshi nodded. "From what I've seen, the people that were
killed were attacked by the Meikai, and were left with no soul!"
"Soul?!" Kuwabara exclaimed. Then regaining his composure, he asked,
"Why would the Meikai want to kill people and steal their souls??"
"Apparently," Hinageshi replied. "Their new leader wants to build a
new kingdom by using these souls for energy."
"New leader? It can't be Yakumo then. We defeated that Meikai king
scum a long time ago." There was a short pause. Kuwabara continued. "But
where are they gonna build a new kingdom if Meikai is destroyed?"
Hinageshi took out a beaten-up old scroll from her gi. "Eto...
Actually, Meikai isn't destroyed... not entirely anyway. Meikai was divided
into two parts before: the dark side, and the judgement side. The dark side
was ruled by King Yakumo, but Yusuke-kun and you guys already defeated him.
On the other hand, the judgement side, also known as the good side of
Meikai, is ruled by Hades, god of the underworld."
"So are you telling me that the dark side plans to take over the
judgement side?" Kuwabara asked, scratching his head.
"Iie. The dark side tried to before, but Hades was much stronger
than Yakumo. Now that Yakumo's gone, his follower might be the new leader of
Meikai. However, I'm positive that they won't be able to take over the
judgement side, since Hades is around."
Impatience was settling in Kuwabara's system. "So where the hell are
those Meikai scum gonna build their damn kingdom???"
Hinageshi rolled the scroll, and put it back in her gi. "I was
attacked this morning by a couple of possessed humans. They didn't have the
cross signs on their foreheads, therefore the spirits that possessed them
are either from Makai or Reikai. I have never known Meikai to possess. It's
not like them to stoop to possession."
"B-But what are youkai doing here on Ningenkai?? How did they--...??"
"I have a feeling Meikai is taking over Makai and Reikai, that's why
the spirits and youkai are fleeing here to Ningenkai, and possessing humans
to take cover." Hinageshi concluded, a knot tightening in her stomach.
Kuwabara sat back, and cursed. The explanation made sense. But... with Makai
and Reikai and Meikai down here on Ningenkai, how will they be able to stop
them?
=======================================================================
The floor crumbled, and a monster made of marble, with a cross sign
on its forehead, appeared. Makoto's right leg had been hit. The cut was
deep, caused by a sharp marble fragment from the floor. She whimpered, and
tried to limp away from the evil force attacking her. She looked at her
injured leg. Blood. She winced. The monster, with its teeth and claws bared,
lunged for Makoto! The center echoed with her scream.
Makoto closed her eyes, and waited for the deadly blow. It never
came. At first she thought she had died when she couldn't feel the floor
beneath her. She thought she had sprouted wings, and flew, just like Usagi.
Then she thought that it had been her leg that was stiffening, like a shot
of local anestesia. None of them were the reason.
Makoto peered through the fringe of long lashes on her eyelids. Her
eyes met with a pair of dazzling green ones. It was the boy she had bumped
into on the way to Minako's house! Makoto never knew anybody who had the
strength to carry her like this. Somehow, it felt good for once to be
treated like a girl. They continued to look into each other's eyes. Makoto
was surprised that he carried her with ease. He didn't even squirm at her
weight.
The boy continued to carry Makoto, his right arm supporting her
shoulders, and his left arm supporting her legs. He smiled at her. "Nice to
see you again!"
"A..." Makoto turned pink. "Honto..."
The monster made out of marble gave a cry of annoyance, and charged
at the two. Makoto looked at the boy. `How can I transform to Sailorjupiter
if he's around?` She flinched at the pain shooting up her leg. There was no
way she could fight now!
The boy jumped to avoid the marble-monster's attack, still carrying
Makoto in his arms. When his feet touched the ground, he ran inside one of
the shops, and put Makoto down.
"You'll be safe here," He said, and ran out the shop to face the
monster. Makoto watched him, admiration building up inside her. `But wait!`
Makoto snapped out of her daze. `He doesn't stand a chance against that
monster! I've got to help him!`
Makoto took out her Jupiter stick, and raised it up in the air.
"JUPITER CRYSTAL POWER... MAKE UP!!!" She yelled. She felt her strength
returning, however the unbearable pain still clinged to her leg. A power
encircled her; like an electric current. Her normal clothes were gone. The
green shirt and the beige slacks she was wearing transformed into a green
fuku. She had become Sailorjupiter.
The boy stood before the monster, his hands ready for battle. His
pleasant face had changed. It was now serious, concentrated... as if he had
seen many battles. The monster charged at him, its speed unbelievable for
its mass and size.
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!!!"
A ball of hot electricity hit the monster. The monster shattered,
and crumbled into tiny pieces of marble fragments. The boy turned towards
the direction of where the powerful ball had come from. Leaning on one of
the shopping mall pillars was a tall girl in a green mini skirt, and green
ankle boots. Her outfit resembled a schoolgirl's uniform. A sailor?
"On behalf of Jupiter," She announced. "Guardian of thunder and
lighting, I'll punish you for disturbing the peace! I am the powerful...
Sailorjupiter!" She looked triumphantly at the shattered pieces of marble,
then turned to face the boy.
Jupiter walked over to the boy, trying as much as possible not to
limp. The pain made her eyes water, but she continued to smile, even though
it was killing her! It was a good thing the bleeding had stopped. Why did it
stop? No matter. What could she say to the boy if he found out that both she
and Makoto had bleeding legs?
"Daijiobu?" Jupiter asked him, careful as not to reveal the pain she
felt in her leg. "Ano... what brought you here?" A little voice in Jupiter's
head spoke. `Stupid question!`
The boy ignored the second question. "The question is, are YOU alright?"
He was looking directly into her eyes. Jupiter fidgeted nervously. Why was
he looking at her like that? Jupiter turned pink again. The boy added, "You
didn't have to leave the store. I could've taken care of the monster
myself." He smiled again.
Jupiter's mouth gaped open. Did her voice betray her? How did he
know?? Was he an enemy?? Who was he?? "Kurama," The boy broke into her
thoughts. "My name's Kurama."
"H-How did...?" Jupiter couldn't believe it. Had he seen her
transform? Was her limping that obvious? There was only one possible
explanation: he was an enemy!
Jupiter took a step back. "Stay back! I'm not deceived by your facade!"
God, it hurt! Her leg was growing weaker. She couldn't stand much pain any
longer.
"First things first," Kurama told her, concern in his low, velvetty
voice. "Let's have a look at that leg. You're lucky the marble fragment
didn't enter the skin or else it would've gotten infected by now, and
would've caused more complications."
This guy sounded like Ami! Jupiter tried to take another step back.
Unfortunately, her vision blurred. God, it really hurt! Her knee collapsed.
`Can't stay up...` She fell. The last thing she heard was the sound of
Kurama's shoes on the marble floor, running towards her.
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Hugs & smileys galore!
Animatedly,
KC a.k.a. Cheval-chan ;D
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http://www.skyinet.net/users/kcmisa/UForest.htm
http://members.theglobe.com/tourmaline/tourmaline2.html
ICQ #: 703221
Oh... and, uh, another home page is on its way... eh-heh... ^_^
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