=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Mixed Greetings Christina Ortega Part 6 (FoR...with a hint of YYH) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The sky was still swirled with specks of darkness that was mixing with flashes of orange and pink as the sun became barely visible over the horizon. Mikagami paused midway through a move with his Ensui to acknowledge the warmth that was now bathing his body, closing his eyes and allowing the rays to dance upon his delicate features. Honestly, he was exhausted, but the events of the prior day hadn’t allowed him the peace of mind to sleep. Mikagami raised his Ensui again, the water sword glittering in the morning light. In just one day his mind had gone from cluttered to utter turmoil. Kai as his back up, Meguri Kyoza killing his sister, once again looking like a fool when fighting Kurei...that thought made him tighten his grip on the Ensui and stab at a nearby tree to vent his frustration. Though he would never admit it to Recca or the others, a part of him had been waiting to try his hand at beating Kurei again, and yet he had made the same foolish mistake of going after his false image. Idiotic. How could someone make the same mistake twice? Mikagami snapped out of his thoughts quickly as he saw something dark flash by in the corner of his eyes. Spinning around, he glared at the trees but only found the wind rustling through the trees. That’s when he first felt the hands on his neck, caressing the pale flesh lovingly. “Such smooth skin...like that of a woman and hair to match, but your masculinity shines through. For a ningen, you’re quite sensual, Mikagami Tokiya.” Turning his head as much as he could, Mikagami caught sight of the man...being...His skin was olive-toned, and blond hair fell lightly onto his forehead. However, there was something in his dark green eyes that the Hokage member couldn’t place. Something non-human. He shoved his elbow against the man’s stomach which sent him flying backwards. “I’m not in a good mood, so it would be wise not to mess with me.” “Full of pride, are we?” The being chuckled, and it was at that moment that Mikagami saw that his ears were extra pointy and that there were long tendrils of braided brown hair hanging among the blond strands. “I like you. If you hadn’t woken up to practice this morning I could have just taken you with me and enjoyed you to your fullest. However, you are a burden now. Maybe I’ll take you anyway, but I have a policy of abducting just one person in a day.” Mikagami froze at this, his eyes narrowing angrily. What the hell was this guy planning? “Who are you?” He questioned, a snarl forming on his lips. “Don’t make me fight you for an answer.” “Call me Kuroino Ai. I haven’t come to fight you because I’ve already won.” Ai took a step closer to Mikagami, a soft smile on his full pink lips. “Don’t worry. We’ll be sure to take care of Sakoshita-san just as we’ve been taking care of Misora-san.” Rage making his chest ache, Mikagami raised his Ensui and prepared to attack...or at least he tried to, but the sudden dark spots appearing in front of his bright blue eyes made him sway dizzily on his feet. “Feeling ill, Tokiya-chan?” Ai laughed softly to himself as he watched the Ensui slip from the grip of his opponent. “I know all of your pain, Tokiya-chan, and I know that Mikagami Mifuyu’s death was not the only aspect to classify your life as tragic.” Green eyes sparkling, Ai ran out to catch Mikagami as his knees gave way, and he smiled, lowering him until the long-haired man was cradled comfortably in his arms. He felt along Mikagami’s neck and grinned as he felt the small hole over his brain stem. “Beautiful...you know, in order to learn your tragic secrets I watched you as you slept...your face naturally glows with innocence.” As the man in his arms convulsed, pain shooting down his spine, Ai tightened his grip. “Beaten, bruised, assaulted, tossed back and forth by fury...you physically show no signs of these things, but I know. I know all about you. “Accept my apologies, Tokiya-chan. My elemental weapon is called Kanashi Omou, and I guarantee that you will suffer from it.” Ai pushed a loose strand of his captive’s hair gently behind his ear. “This is not something you can fight with physical strength but that you must fight with emotional and mental will. Your scarred past leaves you incapacitated in these areas.” Laying Mikagami softly on the grass, Ai stood before bowing politely. “Ja, until we meet again. You’ve stolen my heart...I’ll admit, taking advantage of you in this position is tempting, but raping an unconscious ningen is not something I enjoy. Besides, I believe that taking you while you’re awake would be so much more fun.” With that, Ai slowly walked away, casting one last glance at his fallen victim before disappearing into the morning mist. From the trees surrounding the area, a small demon watched the being disappear, his mind working hurriedly. As Ai disappeared from his view, the youkai peered down at the unconscious man lying helplessly on the ground. “That guy’s just a simple ningen with nothing but a faint aura...Kuwabara, that idiot, probably has more spirit powers than him...why, then, did a powerful youkai use such efficient means to put him out of action?” His eyes narrowing with confusion, Hiei jumped from the branch he had been perched upon and landed next to the fallen ningen, peering down at his pain-filled face interestedly. Folding his arms over his chest, Hiei’s frown deepened. “Exactly who is Mikagami Tokiya?” With this last thought, Hiei moved at his incredible speed away from the area and went to join the others who had probably already reached Koenma. *** Recca woke up feeling sick though he couldn’t explain specifically what was wrong. His stomach wasn’t upset...there was no headache...he didn’t feel warm or have any signs of the flu, but as soon as he opened his eyes he felt physically drained. Sitting up on his bed, he swayed dizzily before putting a hand to his head which was spinning. “What the hell is wrong with me? I feel worse now than I did when I went to sleep!” Forcing his best smile which, in his current condition turned out more like a grimace, Recca faced the bed next to his. “Hime, are you up yet? Man, that fight must have really worn me out yesterday! I really feel...Hime?” That was when he noticed that Yanagi was no longer there. She was just...gone...leaving Koganei shivering and alone on the bed. “Hime!?” “Recca-niichan?” Recca watched as Koganei sat up and rubbed his temples softly, his large eyes clouded with confusion and pain. “What’s going on? For some reason I...Yanagi-neechan wa doko desuka?” The child watched Recca shrug with amazement before forcing himself to stand despite the pain, his mind racing. Stepping into the next room, obviously having the same thoughts as Koganei, Recca found a puzzled Fuuko and Domon sitting on the couch located on the right side of the room with Kagero while Ganko and Kondo were perched on top of the empty couch on the opposite side of the room. “Hey, is Hime in the bathroom or some...thing...” The door leading to the bathroom was wide open and no lights were on within. “Where is my hime?” “Yanagi is missing, too?” Fuuko questioned with surprise. At Recca’s uncomprehending expression, Fuuko explained, “Mi-chan wasn’t here when we came in to see how Kagero-san was doing.” Ishijima Domon can put two and two together. Whoever said that the largest member of the Hokage team was stupid didn’t know what they were talking about. However, sometimes his conclusions were a little far-fetched. Thinking about the situation, Domon put a hand over his mouth in shock. “Do you think they decided to escape Hanabishi and have a relationship together!?” “Baaaaka,” Ganko muttered disapprovingly, and she shook her head at the thought. “Yanagi wasn’t Mikagami’s type!” Not to be deterred, Domon tapped his index finger against his lips thoughtfully. “Mikagami never had a type. He was just...there... Who says Yanagi wasn’t his type!?” “Plus, Yanagi looked so much like Mikagami’s sister Mifuyu!” Fuuko added, the idea beginning to sink into her head. Deep blue eyes widening, Fuuko covered her face with her hands in horror. “Ah! But to betray Recca like that! Yanagi, Mi-chan was cute, but a goodbye would have been nice!” “C...cute!? CUTE!? Fuuko, you thought he was cute!?” Domon glomped onto Fuuko quickly, tears rolling down his face as he chewed on his thumb. “He wasn’t cute! I’m MUCH better looking than Mikagami any day! Ne, Fuuko!? Ne!? NE!?” Fuuko facefaulted and pushed against the large man, trying to get him to loosen his grip. “Let go of me!...DOMON, ECCHI!!! HOW COULD YOU TOUCH A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL THERE!?” Ganko sweatdropped as Fuuko kicked Domon, sending him flying across the room and into a wall. By this point, Recca looked as if he was going to explode... ...not that this mattered to the other people in the room. “They have a point, I guess,” Ganko admitted after watching Domon pass out on the floor. “Mikagami is a strong yet uncaring and silent type of guy. Yanagi is a cheerful and overly loving type of girl. Opposites attract!” “See, I knew I wasn’t off when I called Mikagami-niichan Yanagi-neechan’s knight in Kurei’s mansion!” Koganei added cheerfully as he flashed a ‘v’ sign. Small x’s appeared on Recca’s forehead, and he clenched his fists angrily. Kondo stood from his place on the couch and raised a hand triumphantly in the air, announcing that he had something important to say. “Besides, Mikagami was so much smarter and more mature than Recca! Why wouldn’t Yanagi want to elope with him...eep!” The stuffed animal soon found itself being held by the throat. Recca shook the fox in a rage and hoped that all of his stuffing would come out. “Hime would never do something like that, and WHY would Mikagami fall in love with someone who looked exactly like his sister!? That would be like incest, you stupid moron!!” Kondo’s arms flailed wildly as he tried to get air. Everyone else in the room shared one large sweatdrop. While Recca DID have a point, he had easily forgotten Mikagami's protective nature towards Yanagi and his reactions whenever any other guy, especially Koganei, touched her. Oh well... “Ano...Recca, I think Kondo has learned his lesson,” Kagero remarked after being silent through this whole ordeal. Blue eyes moving from his mother to Kondo and back again, Recca finally threw Kondo against a wall, apparently having let his anger out. Kondo fell on top of Domon who was just beginning to get his bearings back. “I heard Mikagami get up this morning to practice with his Ensui, and I know for a fact that he was alone when he left. He probably went to the area in front of the hotel where he’s been practicing for the last seven days.” Fuuko stood from her spot on the couch and walked to the sliding glass door leading to the room’s balcony. Opening it, she stepped out into the morning light, a breeze flowing through her short purple locks as she looked about the area in front of the trees circling around the hotel. “Hey, there he is! MI-CHAN!!!” Getting no response, she ran back into the room and smiled at the others. “He’s alone, but maybe he knows about Yanagi-chan!” With that, she sprinted out of the room and towards the escalator that would take her to the first floor. Domon felt a few more tears fall from his eyes. “Fuuko-chan, why are you so eager to see him!?” He promptly was kicked in the leg by Ganko. “Itai! What the hell is your problem, Ganbo!? Ganko sighed sadly. “Idiot. If you really loved Fuuko then you would trust her around other men...guess you’re really not the romantic type, ne?” Kondo smirked at this. “Really, Ganko, think of who you’re talking tooooooo--!” Koganei sweatdropped as Domon punted Kondo through the ceiling. *** After about five more minutes of arguing, the rest of the group finally made their way out of the hotel room and found Fuuko just outside of the hotel building kneeling in front of Mikagami who was sitting upright and staring ahead of himself...whether he was looking at the trees or at Fuuko couldn’t be determined, and a large x appeared on Domon’s forehead. “Bastard...” “Calm down, Mongoloid,” Recca instructed mockingly though he was shaking with fright inside. Where was Yanagi? If Mikagami had been practicing there the whole morning then he wouldn’t have missed Yanagi’s captors entering and exiting the building. Finally reaching the two, Recca looked down at Mikagami as he continued staring blankly ahead. “Yo, Mikagami, have you been here all morning?” No answer. “Hime’s missing. Did you see what happened to her?” Again, he got nothing, and that was when he really lost it. Recca was not a man of patience...his flames echoed his personality quite nicely, and so the others had no choice but to wince as he began his rant. “Stupid bastard! Don’t tell me you weren’t paying attention! Weren’t you the one that told me that if anything happened to my hime that you’d punish me!? Well, this is YOUR fault!! If I find that she’s hurt I WON’T hesitate in burning you to a crisp, so where IS she!?” Once again, he got nothing from the older man...not even so much as a blink. “Damn you! Right now, Hime might be dead and it’ll be your fault! You do realize that, don’t you!? It’s all YOUR FAULT!! IDIOT! MORON! BAKA! ASSHOLE! YOUR FAULT!!! Your...your...” “Recca...?” Fuuko looked up in wonder as she heard the crack in his voice and blinked in surprise after seeing the first tear fall down his cheek. She faced Mikagami again. After all, while the oldest fighter on the Hokage team was used to hurting other people’s feelings, he had never deliberately made anyone cry...and Fuuko was somewhat interested in how he would respond. Instead, all she found was a completely blank expression on his face...it was as if Mikagami hadn’t heard Recca at all. There was something in his eyes, however. While his face was relaxed...tranquil, even, there was a definite frantic glint to his eyes, and Fuuko could only gape in shock as she watched a few drops similar to Recca’s well up in Mikagami’s eyes, falling only seconds after they had appeared. “Mi-chan, he didn’t...Recca...Recca’s just worried. If you couldn’t...if you couldn’t stop Yanagi from leaving or being taken then we’ll just have to find her on our own, it’s really ok...what are you doing?” Koganei looked up at this, having preferred to stay out of this argument, and found that Mikagami was holding up the dagger form of the Ensui and examining it through eyes that didn’t hold the least bit of sanity. Fuuko scooted back a foot or two, not knowing exactly what to expect. Domon watched in shock as Mikagami placed the Ensui against his wrist and, in a fluid motion, pushed it down creating a deep tear in the skin. Fuuko gasped. Ganko turned away in terror as she clutched Kondo tightly against her chest. Recca looked down at the bleeding wound on Mikagami’s arm, not knowing exactly what he was trying to do. “Oy, Mikagami...” He could only watch helplessly as a stream of blood poured from the wound and connected to the dagger, creating a red version of the Ensui. Kagero watched the scene in awe, not quite sure what to make of it yet though she had her speculations. Koganei took a step forward before his eyes widened in shock. The Ensui’s position had moved from resting in Mikagami’s lap to being held against his neck threateningly. “What the hell are you doing!?” “Mi-chan!” Fuuko cried in surprise, but before the older member of the Hokage could use the blood Ensui to finish himself, Domon lunged at him, pinning his hands against the ground and motioning to Recca with his head. “Damn it, hurry, Hanabishi! Get the Ensui!” As Mikagami struggled against his grip and tried to pull the Ensui back towards his neck, Domon pushed down harder. “Hey, I worked my ass off trying to tolerate you during the Ura Buto Satsujin! Now that I can actually get along with you, Mikagami, I ain’t letting you go that easily!” Mikagami just looked back at him, frantic eyes slowly becoming lifeless as they had been before, his features still calm and expressionless. Recca didn’t need to be told twice. Bending down next to the two, Recca tore the Ensui from Mikagami’s fingers, watching as the blood, no longer held together by Mikagami’s aura, splashed against the dew-covered green grass. “Mikagami, what the hell is wrong with you!? Pull yourself together!” “Kanashi Omou.” Hearing the voice, Koganei looked up at Kagero questioningly. “Kagero-san?” “If I’m not mistaken, the elemental weapon used on Mikagami is called Kanashi Omou. It’s one of the most powerful elemental weapons because it deals with psychological stress,” Kagero explained, her eyes all the while on Mikagami who had finally stopped struggling and could have been mistaken for dead had his chest not been rising and falling. “It cuts the mental part of the opponent from the physical form, and the person can remember nothing but the tragic and embarrassing moments in their life, forgetting all the good that they’ve ever brought into the world. That’s why it’s called Kanashi Omou. Such a high level of emotional stress usually tears the victim apart, and their minds give up on ever finding any good in themselves, just dying away. Either that, or the physical form tries to kill itself to escape the pain like Mikagami has just attempted to do.” Kondo scratched his head thoughtfully. “The only thing that has really happened to Mikagami is that his sister was killed, right? Even though that was a traumatic time in his life, it’s been playing over and over in his mind for seven years. He’s proven that he has the power to move past that event and continue. How could this be such a dramatic thing for him?” “Do you really believe that?” Everyone turned towards Fuuko who had folded her arms over her stomach as if cold. “Do you really believe that Mikagami is the way he is just because of his sister’s death? Everyone experiences sadness and embarrassment throughout their lives. To say that Mikagami has only gone through one sorrowful period in his life is like saying that he’s literally perfect.” The controller of the Fujin then stood and began walking back towards the hotel, mumbling something about wanting to get home so that they could look for Yanagi and find a way to switch Mikagami back to normal, before walking into the building and leaving the group behind. They stared after her for a short while, only following after a few minutes that had felt like an eternity. *** “Who are they?” Koenma, Botan, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara watched as Hiei appeared at the far end of the room, his back against the wall and his arms folded over his chest. “It’s about time, Shrimp,” Kuwabara sneered, his eyes teasing. “Koenma just finished telling us about these youkai that are hiding out in the Ningenkai. It’s too hard a case for you anyway. Why don’t you sit this one out?” “Who are who?” Yusuke questioned, ignoring Kuwabara’s comment and focusing all of his attention on the youkai who was walking closer to them. Seeing Hiei’s sharp glare, Yusuke sighed with boredom. “Who pissed you off now?...or do you just feel like being pissed off?” Shrugging off the jeer, Hiei snorted before stepping in front of Koenma’s desk and slamming his hands onto it angrily. “I want answers from you about something I saw today.” “If this is about a youkai attack, you can save your breath,” Koenma muttered, Hiei’s attitude not even fazing him. “What I just finished telling the others is that a whole army of youkai has--” “Kuroino Ai and Mikagami Tokiya. I want to know all that you have on those two,” Hiei stated, seeming to enjoy cutting Koenma off. Yusuke glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. This inquisitive attitude wasn’t common of Hiei...he never really asked about the demons they had to face; he just fought them. End of story. Kurama watched Hiei with some amount of surprise. After they had left his house, Hiei had gone off somewhere and he hadn’t seen him since. “Youkai or ningen?” He asked finally, deciding that if Hiei was naming specifics then it was important. “Kuroino Ai is youkai and Mikagami Tokiya is ningen. I want to--” “Wait a minute...” Kurama mused, interrupting Hiei which really seemed to irk the small fire demon. Before he could rant about how he had wanted to say something, Kurama put a hand through his hair as he pondered the name. “Mikagami Tokiya...he goes to a neighboring high school if I’m thinking of the right person. He had long hair like me, right?” Hiei nodded wordlessly. “Supposedly, he’s one of the top students in this area...the smartest in his school’s history or so I’ve heard. Straight A’s all the way--” “Sounds like someone we know,” Yusuke muttered as he jabbed Kurama in the ribs. Pushing his arm away, Kurama sighed as Yusuke began to chuckle before continuing, “However, I’ve heard he’s kinda withdrawn...doesn’t really talk to anyone and has a real attitude problem. People have told me that they’re afraid to talk to him because of his personality.” “He has a fair-sized aura for a ningen,” Hiei commented after swallowing the information Kurama had provided. Now he was positive that they were talking about the same person. “I found him fighting the youkai, Ai, today, but Ai was using some kind of weapon to weaken him before he could start fighting. That Mikagami guy had some kind of weapon, too...a weird one...something to do with water...” Botan smiled widely at this. “Well, this is my department! I can find you information on this guy, and who knows? Maybe if you talk to him you’ll be able to find some information about this Ai character. Any link to the youkai army is going to be helpful. We need to get them back to Makai as soon as possible before they cause any damage.” Taking a few minutes to look up the information, she read it quietly to herself before reporting, “Mikagami Tokiya, age: 17, will be restarting school in a week as a third year high school student. Youngest child of Akawaru and Aomi. The first child was Mikagami Mifuyu who was...killed when Tokiya was ten years old. Seeking revenge, he joined with Meguri Kyoza and trained in the ways of the Hyomon Ken, becoming a master of the Ensui, a sword that uses the power of water...there’s more, but it’s not really dire information...all I can say is that his life is tragic.” “His sister dying is kinda sad,” Yusuke commented. “It sucks to be dead, doesn’t it?” The words wasn’t meant as a pun. After all, he had been dead, and it had sucked. Luckily, he had been able to come back, but many weren’t as lucky... “That’s not all I was referring to,” Botan muttered with a sorrowful shake of the head, and with that she continued reading from the file, and so Team Urameshi was the first to know the full story behind Mikagami Tokiya’s past...soon, a member of the Hokage would be forced to learn the surprising truth, as well... =-=-=-=-=-=--=-= O-wa-ri!! More to come! =-=-=-=--=-=-=-=