The others probably thought she forgot about her powers... but that was actually quite impossible for her. Just because she tried not to use her... more visible powers unless absolutely necessary, didn't mean she wasn't intimately aware of them.
Then again, they probably didn't know that her martial 'skill' was an aspect of those powers. She'd never had an urge to learn how to fight before getting sent into another world. Before that... that was Yusuke's thing. He'd get into the fights, and she'd be in the background, worrying about him. Or being protected by him.
But then Yusuke wasn't there to protect her anymore. Falcon, Wang Tang, and Ayame had been nice, and good friends... but they also insisted that she be able to defend herself. And so, she had reluctantly began learning some martial arts.
And then... Dr. Erode came into the picture. She didn't like to think about that time. Just as she was sure Yusuke didn't like to recall a particular car accident. But it left her changed in many ways... including, in the smallest aspect, the fact that she somehow had the martial skill of several people copied into her.
From reluctant student to world-class master, in one week! Somehow, though, she didn't think there would be any rush to endorse her method of learning. The whole 'dying' bit was a big turn-off.
So in a way, she used her powers all the time. She just tried to avoid the more overt displays of her powers. She had many reasons to do so... ranging from the fact that those powers tended to be excessively flashy, that most mystics regarded her powers as 'dark,' and the fact that to use them, she had to open herself up to a part of her she tried to keep sealed away, lest she go insane.
Of course, that last detail would hopefully not be a problem anymore, soon. She just... NEEDED to find Yusuke.
Which was why she was currently soaring through the sky, held aloft by ghostly wings. She could feel it inside her... Yusuke was NEAR. She was getting closer, and, as a result, much of her internal discipline was breaking down.
There! She saw Genkai's temple. She still possessed enough will to force herself down on the stairs... the last thing she wanted was to find out if she triggered any of the old woman's defenses that kept hostile demons out of the temple. She especially didn't want to accidentally trigger one while in midair. She probably could survive the fall, but it wouldn't be pleasant.
So, taking a few moments to reign her powers back in, she entered through the main gates...
_-=^=-_
Meanwhile, at the base of the mountain, a boy was swearing.
"What is it now, Urameshi?" Kazuma Kuwabara asked his cursing friend. Once, long ago, they had been simply rivals... and they still were, in some ways. But ever since Yusuke died, and came back to life, the world had become a lot scarier and a lot more... gray. There had been bad parts - like the Dark Tournament, or that Sensui creep, and good parts - such as meeting Yukina. And, frankly, though he'd never admit it out loud, he was glad he could face all that at Urameshi's side.
"Ahh... I left my wallet back at the temple. I don't suppose you could go get it, Botan?" Yusuke asked the blue-haired girl.
Botan turned a slight glare onto Yusuke. "I may be your assistant, buddy, but I am not a gofer. Besides... I wouldn't have any idea where to look for it."
Yusuke sighed. It had been worth a shot... "Okay, fine! You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." And with that, he headed back toward the shrine, grumbling all the way.
Kuwabara just looked sideways at Botan for a moment.
"What?"
"You know where Urameshi and I stay, when we're at Genkai's. So why'd you send him back? You could have found it and been back in minutes... and unless Urameshi decides to run at sonic speeds or something - which would get the old lady pretty pissed at him - it'll take him at least twenty minuets to get back to us."
Botan blinked. "Well, Kuwabara, that's... unusually insightful, for you."
The larger boy growled at that. "Just answer my question!"
Botan giggled. "Well, for one thing, I don't want Yusuke to get in the habit of bossing me around like that. I am not that kind of assistant! And two... Yusuke needs to calm down, or he'll be of no help, once we start looking for our mystery guest."
Kuwabara nodded. Yusuke had been getting increasingly more agitated, and violent, while waiting for word from Koenma. Kuwabara could understand how he felt... he felt down when Yukina had to leave, but at least he knew where she was. (Heck, she even sent him letter sometimes - he never asked how - which gave him hope that his feeling for her weren't entirely one-sided.) He was also very worried about Keiko, she couldn't defend herself really. Naturally, it must be worse for Yusuke, on both counts. And being unable to do anything about it, except wait... well, it had been getting on Kuwabara's nerves. Yusuke had long since past that point.
_-=^=-_
Genkai had long since accepted that Life liked to throw surprises at people. And the more powerful the person, the stranger the surprise. So she herself had grown quite used to being thrown the preverbal curve ball, when she had thought they would be playing basketball.
Still, nothing could prepare her for the situation she found herself in, now. Only minuets after her student and his friends left, she felt an energy that she did not recognize, heading for her temple... fast. She had been preparing herself for a fight, when the source stopped, right outside the gates. Accepting that this was at least a polite visitor, if nothing else, she moved to see who was entering... and could only gape in surprise to see Keiko, of all people! Dressed in a style she'd never thought the girl would were, but still Keiko, nonetheless.
Naturally, she grew suspicious, after the initial shock wore off. There were many demons and apparitions that could alter their appearance, and many of them would quite willingly take Keiko's form, if they thought it would give them a good shot at Yusuke. So she had invited the girl in for tea... and also so she could examine 'Keiko' in detail, and figure out what the real story was.
However, it didn't take her long to determine - much to her amazement - that this was Keiko! Vastly more skilled and powerful than the girl that had disappeared... but Keiko nonetheless. And if the brief explanation of what had happened to her was at all accurate...
Genkai shook her head. Best to deal with that as things came.
Of course, the real deciding factor had been the soul bond. She'd seen it in Yusuke the first time she'd taken a real good look at him. And when she'd been introduced to Keiko during the dark tournament, it hadn't been hard to see to whom her successor was tied to. Such bonds were extremely rare, and nearly impossible to break, alter, or imitate.
Keiko's end of the bond was raw and wild, as though it had been suppressed for years. And with Yusuke so relatively nearby now... Genkai's estimation of Keiko's willpower went up. To be able to restrain that kind of desire spoke volumes.
Then an unexpected - although, maybe not too unexpected, all things considered - called from entrance of the living area. "Hey, Genkai!" Yusuke's voice came, "have you seen my..."
Keiko had leapt into motion the moment Yusuke had started speaking.
_-=^=-_
Yusuke was still in a foul mood when he got back to the Temple. Of all the stupid... here he was, wasting time getting his damn wallet, when he could be searching for whatever had decided to go punching holes into his world. It was even worse, when he realized that his wallet wasn't by his bunk. That meant he'd have to really look for the blasted thing... well, maybe the old woman had seen it...
Turning toward where he felt Genkai's energy, he ignored the other presence he felt. So what if some friend of the woman's had decided to drop by or something... wasn't his concern. "Hey, Genkai!" he called, "have you seen my..."
Yusuke might have looked like just another teenage punk, but that wasn't even close to what he really was. After dying the second time, he had become a demon... and a demon of the highest power class, to boot. Even before that, he had exceeded so-called 'human' limitations several times over. Now he was at the point were it would take the kind of enemies that cropped up in an episode of Dragon Ball Z to even give him pause, that was how quick and strong he had become.
None of that mattered in the least, at that moment. One moment, he was yelling to the old woman, the next, he found himself being embraced by a girl. At first, he couldn't believe what he was seeing, but ever sense he had was screaming at him - "This is Keiko!"
"K - Keiko? I...is it you?"
Keiko just looked up into his face with tear-filled eyes... and then kissed him.
Genkai watched this for a moment, then silently left the two. She suspected that things were going to get both physical, and intimate, rather soon. And even if it didn't... she thought they deserved their privacy.
Besides, Yusuke's friends would eventually come looking for him. Better to meet them at the gate and explain, rather then have them walk in on the pair...
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(Posted Thu, 14 Oct 2004 22:24)
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