Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Three Sacred Gems ❯ Of Interrupted Meals and Bad First Impressions ( Chapter 2 )

The Three Sacred Gems

 

Chapter 2: Of Interrupted Meals and Bad First Impressions

 

Tall, concrete towers with glaring glass windows could be seen rising far above the stubby trees and the smell of pollution that came pouring from factory chimneys that, while not seen from their current position, were very much present. Also unseen were smaller structures used for housing while plots of green earth for parks in which children could play and couples could wander, like the one the four girls found themselves in, were unceremoniously dotted in odd places every several miles or so. This place was the Human World—the Ningenkai.

 

Yuta thought she could see the suggestion of a tall but flimsy wooden fence, like so many that were placed around houses in a sad attempt to protect and enclose property, but she didn't bother to dwell on such unimportant sightings. As soon as she and Chrystal had caught up with Pearl, it wasn't long before they were also alongside Aloria. The mood was tense and the static atmosphere was enough to do frazzle any passer-bys nerves, especially a human one. Though her own pent up anger was only growing, she decided it was best to calm the others, even just a bit, for it was only during such moments of repose did one think clearest. They'd need to stretch their minds if they wanted to find Kelley soon. They'd need a plan. "We'll find her for sure," Yuta said reassuringly, addressing the three of them. "And that Yakumo will get back what he's done to her ten-fold. No-" She shook her head. "A hundred-fold. A thousand, even, but first we should discuss how we are to go about this."

 

"You don't need to do a thing, Yuta," Aloria said after a moment of silence. The defeat, pain and anger at herself were all too clear in her voice. "He is my general and he will die by my hand." Yuta frowned in a way that was reprimanding but not vindictive. "He may be your general, but Kelley is our teammate. His transgressions against her make us all responsible, don't you think?" Yuta's steady gaze slid from Aloria to Pearl to Chrystal and back again in order to stress her point. She wasn't so much interested in revenge, however, as making sure Kelley was safe. Aloria stopped and turned to Yuta then said in a calm, challenging voice, "Listen to me. You worry about Kel… I'll worry about my general. He will feel pain by me alone." A slight smirk appeared on Aloria's face and amusement laced her tone as she continued, "Whether or not I hit him for you is a different story, though." Aloria turned and walked off again, seeming to be in a better mood than before.

 

"So, who wants food?" Chrystal inquired, trying to help the mood more. Yuta's eyes lit up at the suggestion of food, especially after what they tried to pass off as food on the plane. "Food... FOOD?! How can you think of food at a time like this?!" Pearl half screamed at Chrystal, who cringed. Yuta's reaction was the same, but Aloria turned to look at Pearl and said, "You do want to have the strength to get her back, don't you?" Pearl nodded matter-of-factly and replied, "Yea... what's your point?" Yuta smiled, understanding what Aloria was getting at and grateful for her input. "So you need food for strength as well as training," Aloria answered curtly. Chrystal sweat dropped, and then continued her previous perusal. "So... where do you wana eat?" Defeated, Pearl decided to give in. "What food is here to eat? " Yuta shrugged, having never been in this area of the Human World before. "Let's just walk around and see what there is," Chrystal suggested. "Fine... let's just get going before I have to rip a human to pieces," Aloria threatened before walking off. It was Yuta's turn to sweat drop as she put on a strained smile at that.

 

The four girls found themselves seated in a pleasant but not overly elegant restaurant, looking over the menus that had been set in a stack at one end of the table. There only seemed to be two waitresses present, but both seemed to be busy with their own reflections. Luckily a waiter emerged from the kitchen and, after serving a couple, snapped at the two girls to get them moving and gave them both long, reproving looks, before continuing his own job. Aloria inwardly smirked and glared at the girls, mentally daring them to approach with a snobby comment. Pearl and Yuta wait patiently, having already found the food they wanted, while Chrystal scans the menu for a sweet but savory meal. She looks up at Aloria to say, "Don't scare the humans, Aloria... they're here to feed us, not be food." Yuta smiles and nods her agreement and Chrystal looks back at the menu.

 

One of the girls who'd been scolded came over shortly, pen and pad in hand, with only a half-sour look on her face at being interrupted from her every-five-minute touch-up. “My name is Akiko and I'll be your waitress this afternoon, have you decided what you'd like to order?” She apparently asked this question many times for it was nearly robotic. Yuta smiled graciously though in truth she wondered how such a girl had kept a job long enough to even know the standard procedure. Chrystal sat down the menu and ordered and Pearl followed suit. Aloria smirked at them and asked, "You got anything rare?" The waitress stared oddly Aloria, her eyes a size to compete with the saucer plates, but if she held any opinion on Aloria's choice she didn't voice it. Chrystal dropped her head on the table as a stress release while Pearl stared, unsure weather to be mad at Aloria or laughing at the girl's face. "There's steak in the Western Platter. We offer that rare," she said after a long pause. Yuta smiled encouragingly and added, "I'll take that as well, but medium-rare. More on the bloody side." Yuta considered it the closest simulation of fresh meat--warmth like that from leftover body heat but still bloody.

 

Aloria's smirk shifted to the waitress. "Perfect... what is your definition of 'rare'?" Aloria's smirk widened after her question, oblivious to anyone in the group as she tried to gross out the poor human girl. Chrystal kicked Aloria under the table, signaling that it was quite enough, but Aloria kicked her back and glared. They both retained eye contact, each pair of eyes daring the other to look away. Pearl's face betrayed her, 'why me' mood while the waitress frowned, inherently disgusted and bothered by how long she'd already had to spend taking their order, already wishing she'd asked the other girl to take their table. Yuta's smile came easily still, having expected nothing less, and she nodded at the waitress while Chrystal and Aloria kept up their glaring contest. "A rare and medium-rare Western Platter will do, thank you." The waitress was gone like a shot and promptly disappeared into the kitchen to deliver their orders to the chef.

 

Just as the swinging door stilled in the waitress's wake, four guys entered the restaurant, all relatively attractive save one whose face was that only a mother could love and was almost awkwardly tall--needless to say it was the Spirit Detective and his usual company. They headed decidedly in the direction of the girls and, as luck would have it, it was Kuwabara--the tall, unattractive boy with orange, strangely styled hair--whom took it upon himself to "better acquaint himself" with them first by asking each one of them out in turn. "My name is Kazuma Kuwabara. I think you're beautiful, and if you agree to go out with me I'll protect you with my life!" His first outburst was directed at Aloria. She looked angry enough to jump over the table in a rage for coming between her and her meal, not to mention the complete nonsense of the line. The look she shot him was enough for him to move on to Pearl, who cringed and declined. Chrystal was the next victim and looked like she might be sick. She threatened him until he backed off and fixed his gaze on Yuta. It was amazing what he'd already done in those few seconds, for the other three had just now reached the table at an easy pace. Kuwabara proceeded to hit on Yuta and reached out to touch her, but she shied away in time to avoid it, seeming somewhat startled and uncertain. Kuwabara's eyes went gooey at her timid response and he stared, breathing oddly.

 

Yusuke dug his elbow into the top of Kuwabara's skull, causing his chin to hit the table. "Jeez, control yourself, we just got here!" His grin showed that while he was being both serious, he was, at the same time, seriously amused. Unfortunately for Kuwabara, he'd pushed things too far for Aloria and did just as her earlier look had suggested: she leapt at him from the other side of the table. Pearl barely managed to keep Aloria seated and Chrystal paled at the thought of the ugly pervert touching her sister. As Pearl seats Aloria she comments in an amused voice, contradicting her disgusted look, "Aloria, its in his nature to hit on others... his looks can make anyone sick so he can't find a suitable woman." Aloria almost laughed and replied with a sneer, "You forgot he is a brainless, mannerless oaf." Chrystal laughed aloud and Kuwabaka joined in the laughter for a moment before he stopped.

 

"Hey,” he protested loudly. “I am not!!” He struck a pose and put on a face that should have only been reserved for much more attractive men. “If you look closely it's simple to tell that I'm the best-looking (not to mention the strongest) one here!" Those words made them all break out in unanimous laughter, and while Yuta tried to suppress it she also ended up laughing. Aloria was the first to come under control and glared at him whole-heartedly before saying in a deadly voice, "If you don't get away from me I'll rip your nuts off and feed them to you." Her words left no room for argument as she turned back to wait on her food.

 

By now, Yusuke was laughing his ass off until Kuwabara hit him. "What you do that for?!" Yusuke's protest was loud and indignant, drawing the stares of the few left in the restaurant that weren't already staring. Either unaware or uncaring, Yusuke hit Kuwabara back without consideration of the attention they may be drawing. "ENOUGH!! I'll be damned if I let you two spoil my meal with your dumbass behavior," Pearl screamed at them, finally snapping from all the stress and aggravation. "Either you both sit your asses down and shut up or you'll have them handed to you," she threatened, her eyes steaming with an evil glow. Chrystal quickly moved out of her path and what seemed to be fear flitted across Aloria's features. Yuta was quick to offer them a very passing smile and gesture towards the seats left over invitingly but she needn't have because all four of them sat quickly and without further invitation.

 

Pearl gradually calmed and soon the waitress—this time the other girl instead of the one who'd previously taken their orders—came with the more simple orders, which included Yuta and Aloria's dishes. Yuta nodded graciously at the waitress and glanced at their new “guests”, feeling awkward about eating in front of them when they had nothing in front of them. She couldn't bring herself to offer them any and consoled herself with the fact they were very well capable of ordering their own food if they were hungry. “Your orders will be ready shortly,” the waitress assured those that hadn't gotten their meals yet before flipping her hair, winking at the attractive redhead called both Kurama and Shuichi. “Do you boys want to order anything?” She smiled patronizingly, one hip angled out and arms folded under her breasts in what she probably assumed an attractive pose, while Yuta eyed her with silent disapproval, almost embarrassed for the too-forward human girl.

 

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Yusuke and Kuwabara's unanimous yelling made the waitress cringe and half frown. Hiei merely glared at her and gave his usual 'hn'. When Kurama declined curtly, the waitress looked disappointed, took Yusuke and Kuwabara's orders, and went away back to the kitchen. Undeterred, she threw a smile back at Kurama over her shoulder, but he paid no heed. In fact, he'd already turned his attention to the girls to ask, "So, would you care to tell us who you are? What your goal is here?" Aloria stopped picking at the weird human food to look up at Kurama and reply, "Our information and reason for being here is none of your business." Shifting her liquid black eyes to Chrystal she asked, "Are you sure it's not poisoned?" Slightly annoyed, Chrystal answered in the negative. "No, it's not poisoned... humans can't use that here." Pearl ignored the conversation and instead looked watch the guys for signs of aggression. Yuta stared with intense interest at her food and tried to think of a way to save the conversation without divulging information Aloria obviously didn't want to give.

 

“You… ah…” Yuta began uncertainly, glancing at them all again before continuing in a more confident tone. “…You four are Koenma's Japan-based Spirit Detectives, aren't you?” Her question was not so much a question and she offered them a soft smile. “He brags about you a lot.” She was trying to divert the subject away from them, but Yusuke retorted with, “Wish we could say the same. He hasn't said more than a word or two about you four.” Yuta's smile faded, but she nodded and didn't look unhappy. “Well, we do work for his father, so that's understandable.” Yuta looked up for a second, thinking, then looked back at the boys, once again trying to redirect the conversation. “Sorry if I get this wrong,” she apologized ahead of time. “But you're Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke?” She looked at each as she said their name, and Kurama affirmed her order while at the same time trying to get more information from them. “That's right, but now we're at a disadvantage. You know our names but we don't know yours.”

 

Pearl lost it then, no longer to hold back any longer as Yuta had. "Four?! Since when did you think there were four of us?" Her tone was snappish, surprising Aloria & Chrystal. "If you idiots haven't noticed, there was another of us in the damn dungeon of the Netherworld! I'm fed up with waiting, I'm going after her whether you like it or not." She stood and stalked off just as the waitress returned with her food. Yuta grimaced, knowing the Yusuke had seen and was only taking things as they were at the present. Chrystal looked sympathetically at Pearl's retreating form before going after her to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. Yuta followed suit, leaving the rest of her meal behind to aide Chrystal in ensuring Pearl didn't do anything foolish as well as to placate her friend.

 

"Geez, what was that about?" Kuwabara asked, his pea-brain having already forgotten what they'd recently witnessed in Koenma's office. "You idiot," Yusuke yelled at him, hitting him on the head. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten that girl that was tortured?!" Yusuke had hit the nail on the head. "What girl?!" Kuwabara screamed back, his head feeling like it was going explode from all the thought—not to mention that hadn't been the first time Yusuke had delivered him a good knock to the head. "Koenma told us that girl was their teammate as well," Kurama informed. “It's no wonder she was upset.” He wasn't trying to blame Yusuke, of course, but Yusuke still felt at fault.

 

Author's Note: If no one reviews then there will be no 'Chapter 3'. Again, I don't want to continue a story no one likes/reads.