Living beyond life (Kurama x OC)

Part 4

May crosses her arms as she stands waiting in the middle of the empty hallway. She's upset and a certain someone is about to get it.

Getting to Gouki, regaining the artifact he stole and free the spirits he gathered was a hassle and Yusuke really suffered from the fight. Plus... some spirits were lost forever. It was eating at her.

Her head whips around so she can face Kurama as he steps out of his mother's room. She has been moved to a more private room earlier as seclusion made it easier for her to cope.

"You're more trouble than you're worth." she tells him when he acknowledges her presence. He looks very troubled and very tired for a demon she notes, but she will not hold back just because of the look in those sorrowful eyes. Not this time.

"Your 'friend' has caused a lot of trouble. He beat up a boy who was thrown into this mess just because he was there at the wrong time and wrong place, twice I might add, and my co-worker is stressed out like I've never seen her and I have at least two spirits that are lost forever! And who knows what your other 'buddy' is up to!" she sums up, stepping up to him angrily.

She clenches her fists when he stays silent, opting to staring at the ground instead of looking at her. She makes a noise of disappointment before sighing, turning to glare at the wall.

"I've been an idiot. What possessed me to even tell you about the Forlorn hope? It's all my fault. I made a mistake and now I have to deal with the consequences." she mutters to herself, starting to pace. "Stupid, stupid girl!" she scolds herself. She's more angry with herself than anyone else. She should have known better.

Kurama looks up at her in surprise. He didn't think she would blame herself for what he did. He just thought she would be upset with him alone. He knew bringing in Gouki and Hiei would cause trouble for Spirit world, but unwillingly he put a guilty complex onto the one person who reached out a helping hand.

"I'm very sorry." he tells her sincerely.

Her only reply is a glare telling him where to shove his apologies, but he perseveres. "Please do not blame yourself for your act of kindness towards me. It's one I didn't deserve in the first place..." he sidetracks somewhat.

"It was not my intend to cause you unnecessary trouble. I would have preferred not to, but as you know, I was rather in a hurry. So I knowingly used the help of two others that I was aware that would possibly cause such trouble. That was my choice to make, not yours. So blame me if you want, but not yourself." he urges, watching her closely as she slowly stops her pacing.

"When are you going to use the damn thing?" she questions softly, still looking upset, but not as much as before.

Kurama looks down in thought. "In two days, when the moon is full." he tells her.

May looks over at him, her emotions buried behind a mask. "You had better make your time with her worth while." she tells him.

He meets her eyes, taking in a deep breath before nodding. "I will."

Suddenly, May jerks her head around. Kurama could see a flash of fear before anger replaced it when a sound seems to reach her ears that he cannot hear. What could it be?

He watches as her pupils seem to cloud over as she looks around carefully and he realizes that she's looking through the walls themselves. A useful skill he notes.

She freezes for a moment as she spots whatever caught her attention. "What is it doing here on my turf?" she whispers under her breath, tilting her head. He has to strain to hear her. It helps that it's so silent tonight. The nurses are at their post and the patients in their beds.

"What is it?" Kurama can't help but ask, looking in the direction she is looking in. He is curious by nature.

She doesn't turn to him when she answers. "It's a ghoul; a rotten soul. Something I'll have to take care of." she says, though she seems to carry some trepidation. Kurama realizes she's scared.

"Can I help?" he offers, wanting to redeem himself if even a little in her eyes after all he caused her.

She blinks in surprise, looking back at him. Her surprise turns to something akin to dejection.

"No. Even if you somehow could, you cannot perceive it. No. This is my job and mine alone." she says as a matter of factually. "Now, I have to hunt." she says, before once again gaining those clouded eyes before she marches straight through the wall.

Kurama can't help himself. He rushes into the direction she went into, casting a hurried glance into each corridor he passes.

His eyes widen when he reaches one just in time to see May flying though the wall and skidding across the tiled floor, having her breath knocked out of her. He realizes with surprise, that even she has her vulnerabilities.

She quickly scrambles up before darting toward the other end and rushing around the corner.

It's strange to see someone fighting something that he indeed cannot see, hear or even sense. But... there is something. It's like a shadow. The lights seem to dim as if something passes in front of it. Something is here. And whatever it is, it's a danger towards someone like May. That much is clear. It seems there are some things he does not know of yet after all. And he probably never will, as his life will be forfeit soon.

May meanwhile rushes around, the ghoul on her heels as she tries to work her way around so she can approach it from behind. It's the safest way to attempt to destroy it.

She cringes at the screech it releases as it frustrates itself over not being able to catch her. She calms her breathing, as it appears to have lost her momentarily.

She takes this moment to circle the creature as it glares into the corridors, making use of passing through the walls in the rooms around it, keeping her eyes on it. She's glad that these creatures don't share her gift of vision.

She now stares at its back. She's in position. She knows it's best not to wait too long when she is, so she runs forward, appearing in the hallway, her hands held out in front of her as she touches its energy. It's then that she starts to absorb it, leaving the creature to screech once more.

Suddenly, it burst apart in a flash of red, disintegrating, as it no longer has the energy to keep its manifestation stable.

May shakes her hands as if to rid herself of the traces of the creature. She shivers at the cold that gripped at her in that short moment.

Facing ghouls is never fun. They're foul and scary creatures, and most of all dangerous. Not just to spirits, but to her as well. If one should get a proper hold of her... well... let's just say that it won't be pretty.

But today she is victorious once again. She will never take it for credit though. Even a victory leaves its mark. It's like another scar on her soul. With each one, she receives another dark patch on her soul, dehumanizing her further. It's ironic; the more she is affected, the stronger she gets.

Not many reapers are qualified for the job of hunting ghouls. Botan for example isn't. Many years May's junior, Botan isn't ready to take them on and May doubts that she'll ever be. Botan is too innocent and freezes whenever she sees one. May can't blame her. They're damn frightening.

A shuffle shakes her out of her thoughts and she looks down the hallway to see Kurama watching her carefully. She realizes he has followed her. She looks away and leaves in silence. They both have better things to do she decides.