Previous parts and stories are up on my page.  I don't own these
characters, and I'm not making any profit out of this - just having a
little fun. :)

Rhionae
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/3226/fanfics.htm


Kaleidoscope - Part 3


<Stupid fox!>  Hiei snorted as he looked down on Kurama from the rooftop
of a building overlooking the park.  <He never even thought to check him
out before letting him into his own house!  With that ki - it�s obvious
he doesn�t belong here.  Perhaps he *isn�t* the youkai we�re looking for
- but he�s most definitely hiding *something*!>

He scowled once more at the oblivious redhead before tearing the white
bandage away from his forehead, releasing his third eye from its
concealment.  Two red eyes closed in concentration while a purple one
opened, scanning the city from his  high vantage point, searching for
that particular ki�

He had not noticed it in his approach to Kurama�s ningen home; the sight
of Kurama seeing a stranger off at the door had come as a surprise to
him.  Even ordinary humans had a distinct *feel* that he could detect -
but this one seemed to be hidden from him, and *that* was more than
enough to arouse his suspicions, even without the strange look on
Kurama�s face...  

It was almost like a humans - but not quite.  From the brief taste his
senses had been permitted as he had watched him from a short distance,
following the strange ningen boy after he had left Kurama�s house, it
hadn�t seemed to be anything to worry about too much.  Then, however,
the child had looked around, as though he *knew* that someone was
following him, then disappeared from sight almost before Hiei could
blink.  By the time Hiei had collected himself enough to follow, he had
been gone, completely.

Hiei frowned, discomforted by the thought that he had lost a potential
suspect so easily, and resumed his survey of the city.  He hadn�t found
any trace of the stranger in his previous attempt, either, after he had
given the tape to the fox�  He was *not* pleased at the thought that
there was someone in this city who was not only at least as fast as he,
but also capable of hiding their presence.  <If he�s powerful, too�>

<There!>

It was faint, but definitely *there* - very similar to what he had
sensed from that strange almost-ningen, but slightly different� 
<Whatever - I want answers, *now*!>

He started towards the source of that ki, leaping across the gaps
between the city�s rooftops, almost seeming to fly�

�when he sensed the stranger�s ki behind him.  At the park.  Right next
to Kurama, whose own ki was rapidly dying away�

<Shit!  What�s going on?!>

He raced back to the park, just in time to see his fox collapse into the
stranger�s arms, the sight of Minamino Shuuichi�s slender body hanging
limp within the stranger�s clutches being enough to enrage the little
youkai.  The sight of his mouth on Kurama�s throat prompted him to
recall half-remembered conversations about youkai drinking blood� but
Kurama�s flesh was unbroken.  It was only his youki level that was
fading - while the stranger�s was rapidly *increasing*.

<He must be the one we�re looking for, draining Kurama like that!>

"Kisama!"  He slid the blade of his katana free of its sheath in
mid-flight, poised and ready to strike out at the fox�s assailant.

The dark head lifted, black eyes gazing up at him in annoyance, which
faded to resignation as a portal opened up directly behind him.

"NO!"  He yelled in frustration, causing the black eyes to glitter as
though amused, as the youkai took a single step backwards, Kurama still
wrapped in his embrace.

Hiei�s katana slid fruitlessly through the empty air which had contained
the youkai�s neck just moments before, as he himself landed in a crouch,
head bowed.  His hands clenched on the hilt, as he slowly rose, his
expression murderous.

Someone was going to *pay*.

**********

Trunks sighed once more, staring at his feet trailing across the ground
as the swing rocked slowly beneath him.  According to the clock on the
building opposite the playground he had been sitting here for the better
part of three hours, during two of which he had been forced to endure
the repetitive chiming of the ice-cream van pulled up at the side of the
road.

<Of course, I could be *in* the library where it�s quiet, reading up on
this world�>  In fact, he *had* been, for a couple of hours, only giving
up when every page he had looked at had seemed to contain something that
made him think of Goten�

<Goten�>  He sighed again, then snorted at himself for being such an
idiot.  <I�m obsessed, that�s what I am.  But then, so is he.  He�s the
only friend I�ve ever really had, the only friend I ever really
needed�>  He rested his head against one of the chains supporting the
swing.  <I doubt that the same can be said for him.  He makes friends as
easily as breathing.  So why do I matter so much to him?  Why does he
care so much if I live or die?  Why was he willing to sacrifice so much
for me?>

Goten had in effect sacrificed his entire life in order to let Trunks
live, making use of a dimensional transporter which he had known to be
defective to take them both away from his brother, Gohan.  Who had been
trying to kill Trunks.  <Not that that was a bad thing.  It would have
been better for everyone if I had died then, or even before then, before
- >

A young child with bright, eager eyes ran in front of him, pouncing on a
gaily colored ball that had escaped from a game of catch�  A smiling
man, most likely the child�s father, scooped up both child and ball,
making the child laugh delightedly.

Trunks closed his eyes, turning away from the happy sight, letting his
long, pale hair veil his face, and the tears gathering in the corners of
his eyes.

<Otousan, couldn�t you have smiled for me?>

He bit his lip, squashing his tumultuous emotions back down from his
throat, locking them back into his heart as best he could.  Dwelling on
regrets would not solve them, it  would only bring more pain.

<But pain is all I deserve.  If it wasn�t for Goten, I wouldn�t care at
all what happens to me now; but somehow, some way, I have to get him
home.  *He* doesn�t deserve this kind of a vagrant�s life�>

"Trunks?"  Goten was kneeling before him in the sand, one hand on his
knee.  "I�m sorry I took so long�" he said hesitantly.

"It�s all right," Trunks told him, raising his head and smiling a
little.

"I -" Goten started, then stared.  "You�re bleeding!"

Trunks stared back at him blankly, until Goten ran a finger just under
his lower lip.  When he lifted it for Trunks to see, it was covered in
red.  Trunks continued to stare, bemused, as he ran his tongue against
the inside of his lip, only now tasting the metallic tang of his own
blood.  <Must have bitten harder than I thought�>

Goten pulled a napkin out of a small parcel he had been carrying, and
pressed it against Trunks� lip, staining it red.  "Come on!  You need to
get some ice or something on that!"  He glanced around, his eye
immediately lighting on the van still playing it�s hypnotic melody. 
"Ice cream!"  Goten pried his hands off  the chains and hauled him to
his feet, dragging him in the direction of the ice-cream van.

He stopped short, frowning, as he realized he didn�t have any money.  At
least, none suitable to *this* world.

"Here."  Trunks pulled several notes out of his pocket, and shoved them
into Goten�s hands.  Goten stared at the unfamiliar notes, noting the
numbers on them.

"Where�d you get these?"  He inquired curiously.

"Stole them."

Goten blinked, then turned around and bought them both two huge ice
cream cones.  They sat down on one of the playground�s benches, Goten
practically swallowing his own ice-creams, as well as one of Trunks�,
while Trunks licked away at his slowly, letting the cool, sticky liquid
dribble down his chin, numbing his wounded lip.

"So, where did you steal them from?"  Goten asked, after several minutes
silence.

"Saw people getting money out of a teller machine," Trunks answered
between licks.  "I persuaded it to be more generous."

Goten chuckled.  "I guess that solves *that* problem."

"For *this* world, at least."

"No need to sound so gloomy," Goten told him, leaning back against the
bench, tilting his head back to look at the sky.  "Trunks, I�m sorry."

"For what?" Trunks asked, confused, turning away from his ice-cream to
look at Goten, disturbed by the sudden seriousness of his tone.

"For judging what I had no right to judge."  His black eyes stayed fixed
on the sky above him.  "You were right - everything we do in these
alternate dimensions holds consequences, and not all of them are good. 
We have to be careful, so that we don�t make mistakes that cause
irreparable harm, and so that we don�t judge the people of one dimension
on the basis of what they did in another�"  At last he turned to face
Trunks.  "I�m sorry that I didn�t listen to you before.  I promise I
won�t act so stupidly again."

"You weren�t all wrong,"  Trunks replied, lowering his eyes.  "I
promise, too."

Goten laughed lightly, his eyes no longer so serious.  "You going to eat
that, or just let it drip?"

Trunks took one look at his ice-cream, which had by now melted into an
unsightly goo trickling down the side of the cone, and handed it over to
Goten.  He accepted it with a sigh, and proceeded to drink the contents
of the cone as though it was wine in a glass.  Trunks smothered his
laughter with the napkin, as he wiped his hands and face, careful not to
reopen his cut lip.  "Baka!"

Goten grinned back at him, eyes sparkling.  Trunks felt the corners of
his mouth twitch in response, starting to smile - 

- when he caught sight of a black shadow descending rapidly towards
them, towards Goten.  Who was completely unaware of the danger�

Trunks� eyes widened, his mouth opening to give a warning - then froze,
as the shadow assumed a frighteningly familiar form.  Short,
fast-moving, hair that formed a spiky peak�

<Otousan?>

"*Don�t kill him!*"

The distant shout was enough for Goten to start to turn, for the shadowy
figure to alter his posture slightly�

The hilt of a katana connected solidly with the back of Goten�s head,
causing him to slide off the bench, and into unconsciousness as the
sound of the blow echoed around the playground.  It was enough to send
the other occupants running for their lives, collecting up children as
they ran.

Trunks stared at the figure holding onto the katana.  Short, fast, with
peaked hair, yes - but three eyed, katana-wielding, delicate-looking,
with a white starburst of hair at his forehead.  <Not Otousan,> Trunks
thought numbly.  His eyes narrowed.  <He hurt Goten!>  "Kisama!"  He
leaped between Goten and his attacker, ready to defend his friend. 

Two red eyes glared at him, darkly.  "Stay out of my way!"

"Like hell!"

"Then die!"  The katana glinted, as the stranger leapt to attack once
more, slicing through the air, towards Trunks.

<He�s *fast*!  I wonder if he�s really human�>  Trunks dodged several
strikes, before taking to the air.  <Probably not, with that third eye� 
Nani?!>

The tip of the blade slashed across his stomach, leaving a thin line of
red behind it as a marker�  It�s red-eyed wielder smirked fiercely at
him.

<I�ll get you for that, and for Goten!>

A swift punch numbed his opponent�s wrist, the katana dropping from his
hand as his fingers loosened.  Trunks spun around intending to deliver a
kick to that spiky black head�  It missed, the figure blurring back down
to the ground, glaring up at him.

<Goten?>  He looked back to the bench, only to see his best friend being
carried off, slung over the shoulder of a tall boy with carrot coloured
hair, accompanied by a girl with pale blue hair, while another dark
haired boy stood facing him, aggressively�

"No!"  Unbidden, he felt his hair start to lift, as though stirred by a
breeze - a breeze created by the sudden upsurge of his ki�

The eyes of the boy in front of him widened in disbelief.

"*Jaoh Enstatsu Kokuryuuha!*"

The cry made him spin around to face the red-eyed attacker - who was
standing steady, with his arm outstretched, and a black ki-dragon
emerging from him.  The dragon seemed to burn, as though made of black
fire.

Trunks blinked incredulously.  <*Nani!?!*  Why do I get the feeling that
he isn�t as friendly as Shenlon?>

The dragon headed straight for him.

<Shit!>  He ducked and dived frantically, weaving an intricate dance
with the black dragon.  <I don�t know what that will do to me, and I
don�t care to find out, either!  Not while they�ve got Goten
unconscious!>

He tried ki-blasting the child-like figure controlling the dragon, but
the dragon simply absorbed each blast, protecting him.

<Can�t keep this up much longer�>  He was tiring fast, too fast�

"*Rei Gun*!"

A blast kit him from the side, back into the path of the dragon, its
gaping mouth snapping at him�

<Damn�  Too tired�>

He was swallowed up by the darkness.

Darkness which was surprisingly cold.

***********
Rhionae
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/3226/fanfics.htm