Wandering Souls

Edited- I fixed the time discrepancies that happened between= Kuwabara's age when the car wreck happened, I thought that it needed to be about four years ago for the amount of time needed for Kuwabara to heal. Michiro's age as well needed to be fixed.
And the amount of time that passed since the trio's death needed to be fixed. One week is what I originally had, I change it to two weeks, it gives more time to deal with everything, from the injured to the funerals, to chasing the guilty parties. Two weeks is just more believable.


Wandering Souls ch4 Ghost of the Past


Nearly two weeks have past since the slaying of Okubo, Kirishima and Sawamura. Besides
the funerals, Kuwabara has been tending to the wounded. Another four have died due to
the wounds they received in the ambush. More would have died, but Yukina was able to
save those. Unfortunately, she could not heal several at once, so as Yukina healed one,
another bled to death. The healthy members of the Honor Blades stayed busy tracking
down those directly involved with the butchery of the gang. Kuwabara instructed them to
find out who participated in the raid and in the executions, and leave alone those who
were not there that night. It would be a waste of time and get more of his people killed if
he after the entirety of both gangs. So instead he will punish those winvoinvolved in the
attack, torture and killings.Of course, if a member was helping one of the guilty, he or she
was expendable as well.

It was only three days ago did the ghosts of the slain friends came to Kuwabara.
However they did not come alone, another came with them, one whom Kuwabara has not
seen in a long time.

~~Flashback~~

Pale moonlight flickered across his face as Kuwabara began to stir. A gentle
breeze rustled the curtains as he became more aware of his surroundings.

"Strange, it's a new moon tonight… why is there moonlight then? I thought I
closed the balcony door too." He mumbled as he turned away from the light. Two things
dawned on him as he bolted to full awareness. For one, the tingling at the inside of his
skull told him that there were some ghosts around. With one eye open, he saw that the
glass door was indeed closed. Not only that but the shadows are coming from the far
corner of the room, away from the balcony.

After taking a moment to attempt to locate the specters, he jumped out of bed.
"Alright, you ghosts, I'm tired and want to sleep. I'm not the helpless victim that you
used to torment! Leave or else!" He cast a wild look around the room in a vain attempt to
see those who that hide in the night. However, the shadows from the corner were gone.
For as long as he could remember, ghosts have haunted Kuwabara Kazuma. Sometimes
he could see them, while sometimes… the ghosts can hide too well.

It used to be that he was completely helpless at the hauntings. Sleep paralysis,
nightmarend gnd general noise making ghosts would rob Kazuma of sleep. His luck
changed when he was fourteen. When he learned how to focus his Reikai to form the
reikan, he gained a tool against the shadows of the night. The reikan helps in two ways. It
turns out that it can 'cut' the disembodied spirits as well as tangible enemies.This type of
‘cutting’ doesn’t destroy the ghosts but dispel them, disrupting their manifesting. Like a cloud
that was dispersed, they could reform. But with more practice at focusing his reikan through
the sword may yet allow him to destroy ghosts as well After all, the reikan is focused energies
of the aura made into a tangible object. He was able to affect ghosts once he realized that it
made sense that a spirit sword can harm a spirit. The second way that the reikan would help
is that the method to focus the blade seems to dissipate enerenergies that would cause the paralysis.

Genkai showed him the proper way to focus as he healed. It took a week to
recover from Rando's assault. That irked Kuwabara since he was so used to recovering
quickly from the skirmishes with Urameshi. Genkai was impressed that he fully
recovered so quickly. She used that week to show the young psychic how to deal with the
excess energies and how to focus, blocking the spectral energies that would lead to the
paralysis. Genkai told him that what caused paralysis is two different energy types, such
as living and death energies, opposing each other and creating a thirde ofe of energy, a
resonant energy.

A deep chuckle brought Kuwabara out of his momentary musing. It seemed to
originate about three feet in front of him. "Now Kazuma, is that any way to speak to me
of all people?" The amusement was evident in the rich baritone that echoed in the air.
"And to think, I brought your friends to visit." The masculine voice seemed to
reverberate through out the room, striking a chord of memory within Kuwabara.

"YOU!" taking a moment to calm down, Kuwabara smiled as he looked at this
ghost of the past. "Well, it took you long enough to come and visit me, old man! I
thought that you may have finally passed over without coming to say goodbye."

The specter of a man with long hair and the faint hint of a 'Manchu' goatee stared
at the living psychic. "Watch your tongue boy! I was only thirty-two when I was killed,
not eighty-two!"

Laughter from the shadows by the stereo system caught Kuwabara's attention.
The pain of loss hit him with a two by four as he stared at the three ghosts. Pale,
transparent and intangible they stood, watching the two leaders bicker.

"Man, it's just like the old days, right Kirishima?" The ghostly Sawamura grinned
at his long time friend. "I remember how they would always bicker but grin through it
all."

"You're right. They always did try to act as if they didn't get along." The ghost
shook his head, sending locks that were blond in life to fall into his eyes. "But we know
better. You hadn't joined the gang yet Okubo, but what we told you earlier is true. Our
friend there pratically raised and trained Kuwabara."

"Sawamura…Kirishima…Okubo…" Kuwabara turned away from the friendly
sparring to address his slain friends. "Why didn't you guys go with Botan? You didn't
have to stay and be restless ghosts." Although he stood there with his head held high and
shoulders squared, one could see the haunted look in Kuwabara's eyes. Turning to face
the ghost of the older man, he continued with the barrage of questions. "And where have
you been? If you've never passed over, you had to have haunted some place…"

While the other two looked around for any reason not to meet their living leader's
eyes, Okubo spoke up. "We know all about how the other ghosts gives you trouble,
Kuwabara-san. We figured that as ghosts, we may be able to chase off them." He paused
as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "We took a few days to show up because we
needed to…adjust to the slayings …and to get the hang of being ghosts. You know,
learning what we can do. We ran into Akeno-san after thattty tty ferrrl lrl left…" Okubo
trailed of at that point, looking at the older ghost.

Akeno sighed as he closed his eyes. "After the events of my death I thought that
you would hate me. I took care of you for so long, as if you were my own son. I even
went as far as grooming you to take over the gang." Opening his eyes, they looked
hollow as he tried to describe what has held him b "I "I feared that you would hate me
for abandoning you, for causing the…disfigurement. That fear caused me to become a
fixated ghost. I could not move from that alley where that car wreck changed your face
and left me bleeding to death three years ago. Not until the bodies of your friends here
was dumped at the arcade that is at the opening of the ally."

Placing a hand on Akeno's shoulder, Sawamura took over the explanations. "We
first realized that we were ghosts at the wherehouse where….where we….were killed.
But as they moved our bodies, we followed them. We figured that they wanted to drop
off our corpses where our gang would find them. A grisly present, if you ask me."
Shaking the grim and gruesome thoughts out of his thoughts, Sawamura went on. "After
that, we noticed a ghost in the alley. One that wore the Honor Blades colors and symbol."

"Three guess who that was and the first two don't count." Kirishima joked as he
jabbed his thump to point at Akeno.

Rubbing his jaw, Kuwabara looked at his mentor. "Damn it all to hell, Akeno
Michiro." He softly whispered as he walked up to the former gangster as he pointed to his
face. "I can't hate you for this, you did the best you could that night. There's only so
much a person can do when the car's brakes have been cut." With a glace at the trio, he
looked straight into Akeno's eyes. "I take it that they set you straight, that's why you are
no longer bound to that alley?"

"Yeah, they did." Grinning as he straightened the collar of his duster, Akeno then
started everyone by raising his voice. "ENOUGH WITH THIS MUSHY CRAP! It's time
we got down to business, there are dragons to bleed!" Everyone gave a predatory grin at
that proclamation.

There are dragons to bleed. That is the oldest of battle cries for the Honor Blades.
Whereas the Night Spiders are a new rival, they were created only ten years ago. The
Scarlet Dragons have been rivals with the Honor Blades since the 1950's.

"I haven't been idle." Kuwabara stated as he stepped out onto the small patio that
extended only two feet from the sliding glass doors. He didn't turn around as he felt the
four ghosts pass through the wall. "I have been tracking the ones that played directly in
the attack and in your slayings. I've been waiting for the perfect time to start my hunt. In
three nights, a senior member of the Scarlet Dragons, Benjiro, is going to be home alone
after his parents leave for a week in Europe. And four blocks from him is where Chiko of
the Night Spiders spends his time…alone."

From a rooftop, Kuwabara watched as his men (and ladies) silently made their
way down the street past Benjiro's house, to the old theater where about fourteen
members of the Scarlet Dragons hang out. His men's orders are simple: Keep the Scarlet
Dragons busy so they cannot interfere with his hunt.

"Now it's time to bleed."


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AUHTOR'S NOTES=
1- yes, there will be some romance at some time. I plan several twists in this story;
some that you had better hang on tight. The triangle is one clue, it will not be the
traditional type of triangle…and it's not the only one going on. A fourth person will
appear later (quite a few chapters ahead), making it from 3-sided to 4- sided…would
that be called a quadrangle? A second clue is this: There is more going on than even
Koenma realizes.

2- Yes, I did kill Okubo, Sawamura & Kirishima…but they WILL be appearing in the
fic more. Remember, they refused to go to Reikai. Also attentive readers will want to
read chapter 3 again… there's a very important clue in there of what is to come
concerning the three. Congratulations to the reader in the following chapters that can
identify the main clue.

Here are a few things to think about in general, they may/may not have bearing on
the story:

1- Have you ever noticed that at the beginning of the series, Kuwabara was
constantly bugged by ghosts, spirits and sleep paralysis? That was the reason he went to
Genkai's when she was having her tournament, his powers were getting out of control.
He wanted some help/advise with his spirit awareness, by then it was going wonkers on
him. HOWEVER, six months later after he meets up with Yusuke who has finished
beginner's training with Genkai it was different. He never again mentions having sleep
paralysis. We see him gaining information through a dream during the Dark Tournament
about the evil Dr.s' brainwashed henchmen. IT was after he gained the reikan that we no
longer hear about him having so many troubles. That is what gave me the inspiration to
connect the reikan to the lessening of the troubles. However was it that simple or did
Genkai show him how to focus for end the paralysis?

2-Did Genkai help him before he left her temple and Yusuke's training start?
Maybe, just maybe she gave him some advice but I'm not certain she taught him
anything… or did she? Kazuma never mentions that Genkai taught him anything….
However, he never mentions anything about his parents or about the fact that both
Kuwabara siblings have such high awareness seems to indicate that the psychic powers
run in the family. We do have three clues about some connection between the Kuwabara
family and Genkai.
A- Kuwabara knew about Genkai, that she was a top class psychic… he did give the
impression that it was at Genkai's Tournament that he first SAW her. Nevertheless,
it is obvious that he knew ABOUT her.
B- This happened when Shizuru was comforting Botan after Genkai's death. Shizuru
said that Genkai came to visit her before Botan took her to Reikai. Shizuru said that
she's known Genkai for a long time.
C- The third clue was after Kuwabara defeated Elder Toguro. Kuwabara, in a cold
anger, approached Urameshi and punched in the jaw, saying that Genkai meant a lot
him too. We are lead to believe that the only time that Genkai was around Kuwabara
was during her tournament. In addition, there was very little interaction between the
two at the Dark Tournament (D.T.). If so, then why did he react like that?
Kuwabara acted as if he was very close to Genkai, as if she an an adopted
grandmother of mentor.


3- What ARE Kuwabara's psychic powers?
A-We see Kazuma using astral projection to taunt Yusuke when Rando throws him in
a pond filled with Hate Fish. He didn't have any trouble doing that as he lay there,
his body is all broken and bloody.
B-We see Kazuma using telepathy, first in Rescue Yukina, then later in contacting the
others while he fought Risho. Did you get the impression that he was familiar to
telepathy? As if that wasn't the only time he ever used it.

I get the impression that Kuwabara is the type to use or show the power only of how little
it's needed. That way, he doesn't reveal his full powers… after all during the D.T., Hiei,
Yusuke and Kurama are shocked when Kuwabara contacts them telepathically… only the
Masked Fighter (Genkai's not yet been revealed) was not surprised.