{ Mizumi }
It had been a month since Urameshi had been absent in school.
But of course, me and Takako know that he's doing that to train for the Dark Tournament.
Kuwabara had also gone off to train. He'd been pretty scared when the Younger Toguro showed up. And so, from what I remembered, he asked for the fox and the red-eyed demon to train him.
Me and Takako had done a lot of training too. Koenma gave us a lot since we were to protect Keiko from harm. But of course, it's only for twice or thrice a week or so. Keiko would wonder where a few scratches would come from if we'd take the training for seven whole days.
I slipped my scarf on my neck and looked at myself on the mirror.
I smiled when I saw that I'm finally ready. Today's a school day and probably one of my rest days since we had a training yesterday.
I poked my right cheek to where the exact location of my past wound is. It healed about three weeks ago but I can still remember it bleed the time I got it. It was when Koenma got me on a surprise training. By myself. It didn't hurt much though. I had a resistance to pain—as they all had praised me with it.
I brought my hand back down and grabbed my bag before skipping down out my room with my socks on.
I immediately went to the refrigerator and opened it. I smiled as I felt the cold ran pass me. I grabbed the nearest milk tetra pak and closed the refrigerator.
By the counter, I saw three bowls. That's right. I brought a hand in the middle bowl and grabbed an orange colored lollipop.
"Orange! Yay!" I cheered as I placed the lollipop inside my bag.
Then, a knock was heard from the front door. I brought my bag and tetra pak down on the table for awhile and immediately running towards it. I opened the door to reveal who's knocking me at this time of the day.
"Good morning, Mizu. Here's your bento." it's only Grandma Ryusaki. She's the mother of my father—technically my grandmother.
I may be living alone in this apartment but I'm being take cared of Grandma Ryusaki. Ever since mom and dad passed away, Grandma Ryusaki had been there for me all the way. She gave me food for my everyday life. When I turned thirteen, since I always wanted to live by myself—but not technically all alone, I lived here in this apartment with Grandma Ryusaki right next door. There's a passageway from my kitchen to her apartment if ever she comes by to give me my breakfast, dinner and lunch.
"Oh. It's you, Grandma. You know, you could've used the door by the kitchen connecting your room, right?" I said as I let her enter. She smiled but declined.
"I'm just here to say that I have to go to the market today, dear. We're out of onions and meat." she informed me with a smile. She's like the mother I never had.
"Oh... okay. But take this..." I paused as I reached out to the pocket of my skirt and was about to grab my wallet when she stopped me.
"Don't worry about the money. I have enough to pay for the groceries." she said calmly. I frowned.
"B-But—"
"I know that you've been saving the riches that your parents left you, dear. There's no need to give me money." she said. I hesitated but nodded anyway. I waved good bye before she walked away.
I looked at the clock at the living room and cursed. I ran towards my bag and tetra pak on the table before running towards the door. I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my apartment keys on my key holder just by the door.
I locked the door and slipped the keys in my bag, closing it afterwards.
••••
While I was walking on the way to school, I then felt that familiar feeling that I was being followed. Watched.
Halfway to the school, I finished my tetra pak milk and threw it on a trash bin I passed by.
I gripped my scarf using the hand that was earlier occupied of the tetra pak milk. I stopped walking and looked at my surroundings through the corner of my eyes.
I was about to speak when I spotted a hint of red on the corner of my right eye. I whipped my head to the familiar shade of red hair.
"K—Minamino! Oi Shuichi!" I called out, almost slipping out his real name. The said boy turned his head to me and smiled the moment he saw me. I ran towards him and flashed a grin.
"It's been a long time." I said.
"It is. A month had gone by fast." he commented. I nodded.
"On your way to school, huh?" I asked. He nodded.
"You too, I presume." he stated and I nodded.
"Anyways, I'm pretty much in a hurry now so..." I muttered and flashed a small smile at him before running back to my original route. I looked at him for the last time and waved, he did the same before he also walked away.
If only Takako was here...
I giggled. Poor Takako. I bet she's gonna be jealous once she heard that I bumped into Kurama before school.
I sighed. Even though feeling that I'm being followed is gone...
I still wonder...
Who might that be?
••••
"Mizumi? Earth to Mizumi!"
I blinked and looked at the person calling me. It's Keiko—with Takako beside her. She flashed me a confused look.
"You've been staring at the window for the whole period, are you alright?" Keiko asked with a worried look. I flashed her a small smile.
"I'm fine, I'm just feeling a little... off today." I replied, feeling tired all of a sudden. I can sense Takako narrow her eyes and I gave her an assuring look. Keiko didn't bother to push the subject even if she looked at us warily.
"I think we should do something fun, just the three of us. Yusuke missed three times already and he's not here to make up for it." she suggested hopefully.
Before I could comment or disagree about it, Takako immediately agreed and told Keiko what could be the craziest idea she suggested since the spirit world shenanigan.
••••
{ Third Person }
The three girls dragged their feet from the bus stop to a worned out path into the vast area of towering trees. It's been half an hour already and the house they're staying is nowhere near their current location.
"Please don't tell me it's in the heart of the forest." Mizumi groaned and looked up to the trees, thinking that they could just jump on those trees like they do on missions. They were currently walking in path where Takako leads the way to their destination.
"We can't exactly do that. They're quite high." Takako replied in a slight whisper as if she read Mizumi's mind and tried to say it in a way that their other friend won't be able to hear while she kept poking the ground with her long stick for any thing harmful or unexpected.
"I thought I was the mind reader here." Mizumi mumbled before turning to Keiko who was lost in the scene.
"Is this your first time going into somewhere cold and green?" she asked the girl. Keiko was brought our of her little trance as she heard Mizumi's voice.
"Yes. Normally, I would just roam around town with Yusuke if I want to go outside." Keiko explained with a sad look in her eyes. She was worried about Yusuke even if he called her once. Well, that was only once, she protested in her mind.
"Don't worry about Yusuke! Knowing him, he'll be fine." Mizumi cheered but Keiko looked at her and the girl in front of them with confusement.
"Why aren't you intimidated by him? Well, not that I mean it's a bad thing. But you know how people in school are, right?" Keiko asked. Mizumi shrugged.
"It's not good to judge a person without knowing them personally." Takako answered for her as she adjusted her dark tinted sunglasses. Keiko looked back and forth at the two.
"Why are you two wearing sunglasses? We're not going to the beach, you guys. And Takako, aren't you going to have a bad time seeing without your glasses?" she asked, confused of her two friends' actions.
Mizumi quickly replied that it was an eye infection while Takako stated that it was for a gimmick.
"That's ridiculous. It's not really sunny down here. You should take that off." Keiko scolded them, only to be dismissed when Takako suddenly stopped, the two girls bumped onto her back in the process.
"Takako why did you—"
"Shh..." Takako hushed Keiko as they suddenly head the leaves rustle. But there was no wind to speak of. Someone was probably running around us, Takako thought.
Not until a moan echoed the place.
The three girls froze when they felt the change of atmosphere.
Children laughing could be heard. But a weak, frail voice seems to be getting nearer to them.
"Sweet sake..."
The three girls huddled into a small circle, their backs touching one another.
"Please give me..."
Mizumi hold onto her scarf while Takako held an arm out in front of Keiko.
"Girls..."
Chills ran down through their spine as an old woman appeared. She was small and sickly pale. Her skin was covered with inflamed blisters and ugly scars. She slowly raised both her long-fingernailed hands to reveal a small drinking bowl. She gave a wrinkly smile that reached to her small eyes. Although it wasn't sweet and gentle like a human grandma would be. It's more like a grandma from the horror movies.
"Please give me some sweet sake. I'm very thirsty..."
The girls took a step back as the hag stepped forward.
"Sweet sake..." the hag chanted as she quickly moved towards them. Her decaying stench smelled stronger as she neared, the girls covering their noses in the process
"If she's thirsty, why doesn't she asks for water? Sake would probably thirst her more." Mizumi boldly remarked as she was ready to pull out her scarf instead of using it to cover her nose.
Takako smirked and pulled out a cedar leaf which made the demonic hag shriek in fear.
"KEEP THAT AWAY FROM ME, YOU CRUEL CHILD!" the hag exclaimed.
Suddenly, two blazing flames striked the hag and as she landed on the ground, the two flames playfully stomped at the terrorising woman.
"Babaa!!"
"Babaa, you promised to play with us!"
"Wake up!"
The two will-o'-wisps continued to pester the unconcious hag.
"We knocked her out." one of them said sadly and looked at the girls.
"Oh look it's the miko from the other shrine!"
"What's her name again?"
They went silent for a few seconds before returning to hyper mode again.
"Play with us Takako!!"
"You've changed your hair!"
Takako eventually started a joyful conversation with the two.
Her cousin and friend, however were a bit pissed off and confused.
"Damn Takako for dragging us here." Mizumi gritted her teeth and glared daggers at her green haired cousin.
"Did Takako beat up the woman?" Keiko asked with sudden confusement, she felt afraid a while ago but now she was just confused.
Poor Keiko. Not only she's not spiritually aware but she has no idea that the hag was a monster... Mizumi sweatdropped as she thought about that.
"There's a thick fog covering the forest."
"You must go to the inn."
They all whipped their heads to the oncoming misty fog.
"Hurry!"
"It isn't safe!"
The will-o'-wisps disappeared and the girls ran further into the forest, Mizumi and Takako having now confirmed that they are clearly followed.
The fog spread faster and it soon surrounded them.
••••
"Over here!" It was Keiko's voice from a distance.
Each of the remaining girls swat their hands in the air to clear the fog but it was useless.
"Follow my voice!"
They stopped and tried to pinpoint Keiko's voice as only did small steps to be sure. Takako used her long stick to warn her for any object on the way while Mizumi relied on her feet to not make her stumble on rocks or roots.
"Can you still hear me?"
Both girls shouted a "yes" in response.
"Does someome have a vaccum or something?" Mizumi asked to the air.
Of course, there was no answer.
"Run to the clearing!"
From their perspective, there was none to see.
"Guys?!" Keiko shouted.
But not another word followed.
Which made them look at each other and froze.
"Keiko?!" Takako called out.
No response.
"It's not funny, Keiko, answer us!" Mizumi also called out.
Still no response.
They acted on an instinct as they both ran in a straight path, trying to find their friend. It wasn't long enough when a clearing was spotted by both of them. Both were too carried away to the fact that their friend was not answering them that they did not recognize a root of a tree on the way.
Thud.
"Isn't this adorable." it was the voice of playful Takako.
Mizumi opened her eyes and saw that she fell on Takako.
"Very funny..." she mumbled as she got up and lend a hand to Takako who was lying on the ground after the fall.
"It's nice of you to join us."
Takako instantly whipped her head towards the direction to where she heard the voice while Mizumi was busy to hear of it because she was rubbing off the dust on her clothes.
"Kurama... Hiei..."
Mizumi turned around when she heard Takako's whisper of the two names. She saw the small three eyed demon and the redhead fox spirit in a human body. The ones they keep on running into in the Spirit World for the past few weeks.
"Have you seen Keiko?" Mizumi asked in an innocent manner but her eyes narrow at the two.
"Yes." Kurama answered simply and calmly.
"But I'm afraid we cannot tell you where she is." he suddenly added as he pulls out a red rose from somewhere behind him.
The girls took a step back, knowing what the demon in a human body is implementing.
"You're not serious, are you?" Mizumi asked as the rose turned into a whip. Hiei smirked at her and pulled out his sword.
"Good thing I tied my hair today." Takako muttered as she does a stance and focused her spirit energy to her hand—swiftly creating a long bow that's almost as tall as her. [A/N: if you'd like to see a sample picture, then the best basis is Suzaku's attack (from the Four Saint Beasts)]
Mizumi huffed as she straightened up, holding her scarf that is still tied around her neck. She closed her eyes and the scarf turned into a weapon that has a long pole with a curved single-edged blade and a blue curved tied-like design near the blade. A naginata.
However, when she opened her eyes, her right eye has changed into color blue.
••••
A/N:
this took us quite some time heheheh
(GuhlimjaQueen did most tho. BUT i'll probably do the most on the next... idk heheh.)
school's about to start wah!
-rozette & denise