On the Boundaries of Reality
prologue
by M.E.
(takes place approx. 5 years before "Dimensional Differences")
Prologue: A Simple Mistake
By M.E. (Magnificent Entity) ([email protected])
The girl's hazel eyes wandered around the room nervously, trying hard to conceal her fear of the small boy who sat
behind the desk before her. Finally the other person sighed, looking up from the open file that lay before him.
"I don't know what to do with you, you knew you weren't supposed to come back each time that you died, and yet you
did nothing about it, until now." He chewed impatiently on the Fuukumen that he held between his clenched teeth. "Yes,
Koenma-sama. I- I wasn't sure what to do each time, I didn't want to hurt others by... going away, and as you
said, I knew I wasn't supposed to stay," she glanced down at her feet, absently twirling a
strand of her curly orange-red hair around her finger. Glancing up, she suddenly felt her confidence restored.
"After all, it wasn't my fault! Why should I fix a problem that's the fault of Reikai being messy with their files?" Her eyes, now no longer nervous, bore into his skull. "You should have come to Reikai with your problem sooner then," the demigod growled.
"Me? Why, if Reikai was more responsible, you could have just sent one of your messengers to me explaining the problem, you didn't have to sabotage my portal," now her voice was confident, at the same time full of anger and disgust.
Koenma opened his mouth, as if to speak again, but stopped when he noticed George, his right-hand oni, fidgeting nervously by the door, as if debating whether to say something or not. "What is it?" he snapped, slightly irritated.
George sighed, as if relieved that he would now be allowed to speak, "Ahh... Koenma-sama, I was just thinking about the new recruit, Urameshi. Wouldn't it be a good idea to finally assign him a partner, so that Botan doesn't have to help him all the time?"
A slow smile spread over the chibi's face, and he turned back to the girl, who had watched the whole exchange with an arrogant, detached interest. "I've found a way to solve your predicament. You will be allowed to stay in this life, I admit that it was a mistake of Reikai, but because you didn't come to us the very first time this happened, you will also be a Reikai Tantei." He paused, then rummaged through his desk for a moment, finally coming out with what looked like a make-up compact in one chubby hand. "I will be able to contact you through this when I need you. Most of the missions will be in Japan, but since you do have a knack with portals, it shouldn't be a big problem." Koenma smiled brightly as the girl's hand wrapped around the metal casing of the communicator, taking it from him. "That should be all, you can go now."
"Okay... Koenma," she said quietly, stuffing the instrument in the pocket of her blue jeans. Her hand reached out, tugging at the ai around her, pulling at something until a round hole of nothingness, outlined by glowing orange energy, appeared in before her. Just before she stepped through the portal, Koenma looked up suddenly, "Wait!"
"What?" her voice seemed irritated more than anything else. "You do know how to speak Japanese, don't you," he asked quietly.
Silver laughter came from her mouth. When she finally stopped laughing, she turned to look at his chubby face, fingers lightly brushing away the tears of mirth that trickled from her green eyes. "Hai!" She slipped through the portal, carefully closing it behind her.
For a time the room was quiet, as Koenma stamped papers, contemplating what had just happened. After a time George broke the silence, looking hard at his boss, "What was that about?" he asked, intrigued.
Koenma glanced up at the blue-skinned oni, "She went on to be reincarnated six times after her death quite some time ago. We finally found her file a few days ago, it had fallen between two filing cabinets. She wasn't supposed to come back even once with her memories of her life, and she came back six times- six! Each time with all of her memories from other lives..." He groaned, why di these mistakes always seem to happen when he was in charge?! He shrugged and went back to stamping papers, hardly noticing as George left the room.
***
Stumbling out of the portal, I look around, just to make sure no one has seen me come through. It would be very hardto explain to any spectators why a teenage girl has just come out of a brightly lit, orange hole in the sky. Luckily no one is here, but then that's one of the reasons I chose this spot, up in the hills, the nearest building three-quarters of a mile away. I would have preferred somewhere more isolated, but it's hard to find anywhere that hasn't been civilized this near to Los Angeles.I sigh, glancing at my watch, which tells me that it's almost seven p.m. That means I've been gone for about two hours, Aunt Judy shouldn't be too worried. Carefully closing the portal, I start walking back to the crummy apartment I've called 'home' for nearly three years now, ever since my mom finally kicked the bucket, busted spleen or something. Mentally cursing myself, I push my way through the tall grass, making sure to avoid such nasty things as poison oak, which grows thick in this area. Why the hell did this have to happen?
When I went through the portal, I had been headed for someplace quiet, somewhere I could rest a few hours and just review my life in general, try to get over the depressing gloom that's been hanging over me for days now, ever since Judy brought home a new guy. At least this one's not abusive like the last two- I hope. Instead of ending up in my imagined haven, I found myself in the office of Koenma, Prince of the Dead. Then, instead of letting me be on my merry way, he told me that I was in big trouble for taking advantage of unissued reincarnations, and for not reporting the fact that I hadn't been put through soul processing as soon as possible when I was reborn. Well la-di-dah, I'm sorry, but isn't it a bit late to get on my case about that now? After all, I am on my seventh life. I could have strangled the little bastard when he told me that my portal had been rigged, set up to take me to Reikai instead of the nice Ningenkai destination I had picked out. Idiot. He's lucky that the past five lives have taught me compassion for those who are more powerful than me.
And so now I'm a Reikai Tantei, a spirit investigator.
Great. I was hoping that at the very most he'd just put me through processing like I should have been oh-so-many yearsago. But instead of keeping my big mouth shut, I had to appeal to his sense of justice, saying how the main reason I hadn't gone to the Reikai when I realized that my reincarnation was messed up was that I hadn't wanted to hurt my new family and friends. Now I'm not only stuck inthis stupid life, I'm also a Reikai Tantei. My life stinks. My feet have taken me to the steps that lead up thethird-story apartment that I share with Judy, my aunt. I first started living with Judy three years ago, when I was eleven. My mom was dead, and my pop had left before I was born, probably before my ma even knew she was pregnant. I don't doubt it, from what she told me about him, he was that kind of sleeze-bag. I wasn't about to go to a foster home, so I went to the only person I could think of, which was Judy. Judy was better off then, she had a better apartment, and even had a steady job. Of course when her boss's wife caugh Judy with her husband, the job was gone.The jerk had said that he'd stay with her, divorce his wife, marry Judy. I could have told her that he was a liar, it was so obvious to me, especially considering that the corporation he ran was his wife's. That was more than two years ago, she hasn't been able to keep a job for more than three months since then.
I push open the grungy door, picking my way around the half-filled boxes and the occasional piece of rattyfurniture, heading towards the closed door that leads to my room, my territory, and just about the only really clean place in the entire apartment. My room looks a lot different then the rest of the place too, not only is it clean, it also has sort-of nice furniture - a nightstand, a desk, a chair. No bed, just a mattress laid out on the floor with sheets, blankets, a pillow, and a few stuffed animals, reminders of my happier life with my ma. At least then I could be eighty percent sure that at the next meal time there would be food on the table. The door closes softly behind me, and I carefully lock it again. There are so many advantages to having a lock, it gives privacy, keeps out people when you're not there, and of course it can stop thieves. Not this one though, if any true burglar really wanted to get into my room, all they would need is a paper clip, if that much. I sit down on my bed, head cradled in my hands, and once again I review my situation.
My name is Karen Louise, some dumb thing my mom came up with, she always insisted that I use my father's last name though Kuhara. Her own was McCail, probably that Scottish heritage is the reason for my red hair and hazel eyes, even though the rest of my features are decidedly Asian. I was born fourteen years ago, but I'm much older than that, of course, I've got several lives unde my wings. Bitter laughter rises up in my throat as that random metaphor runs across my mind. Wings, the one thing I would love to have is wings, to fly away from my life in this run-down building. Maybe this Reikai Tantei thing isn't so bad, might even prove amusing, if not at least something new and different to do for a time.
I guess that if I'm going to be going to be going back to Japan, I can use the name I haven't used for decades. The one that seemed so fitting at the time that it was given. Tori... My mother, my real mother, who gave birth to me in my first life, used to call me chibi-tori, because I always seemed to know everything, and whatever I knew I wanted to tell someone else. When my father would ask how she happened to know some obscure fact that I had told her, she would laugh and say that a little bird had told her. The memory was once a sweet one, but now it goads me, seeming to point out the fact that I'm four-foot-three, short for a fourteen year old. I've always been vain about my height for some reason.
Outside my small window the sun sets below the urban skyline, orangey-purple rays outlining the buildings. For a second the condemned buildings that surround my home seem to form a fairyland of beautiful things, a place where wishes can come true, and I am caught up in the moment, my heart quickens and I drink in the colors... but all to soon the illusion has vanished, just as the idealistic illusions of a naive, black-haired youkai vanished so suddenly so many centuries ago...
©1999 M.E. also known as Lady Manday of the Orange Root also known as Manda Hunter. who can be reached at
[email protected]. Comments, criticisms, death threats, etc. are encouraged and welcomed. Flames *will* beaccepted, but
if you send me a flame, I might send one back at you. All tessen wielding bandits from Konan will be forwarded to Blue Jeans after
being liberally doused with sake. Don't say I didn't warn you!
