Author's Note: YU YU HAKUSHO-BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER CROSSOVER - I know it almost seems too obvious. Two different demon fighters, on two different sides of the world, come together! Takes place after the Dark Tournament for Yu Yu Hakusho and between seasons four and five of Buffy (So Buffy has just defeated Adam, Spike has a chip in his head, and Dawn doesn't exist because the Key has yet to be given a human form.)
Disclaimer: Thank you to Joss Whedon and the creators of Yu Yu Hakusho for the fun characters to play with. I promise to return them un-dented and in good condition. I don't own any of them.
The Sunny Side of Hell
Chapter One
Yusuke Yurameshi Spirit Detective, champion of the Dark Tournament, savior of the human world at least three times, and currently trapped in one of Tokyo's dress shops - Yusuke shuddered at the thought, shopping.
"Yusuke, this is a nice shirt, try this on," Keiko's voice broke into Yusuke's internal rant. He looked up and saw that Keiko was holding out a white dress shirt that looked more like something Kurama would wear than anything Yusuke would be caught dead in.
"Eeaah-"
Keiko cut off his protest by putting a finger in front of his mouth and shoving the shirt into Yusuke's hands. "You're not going to the class party wearing your t-shirt and jeans. Go. Try. It. On."
"I hardly showed up for class, why would I show up for a stupid class party?" grumbled Yusuke as he accepted the shirt from Keiko.
"Because I'm going, of course," said Keiko in her sweetest, most innocent, voice.
Yusuke muttered another few grumbles and curses and turned to go try on the shirt and almost walked right into Botan. "BOTAN!" Yusuke yelled and dropped the shirt.
"Hi Botan!" said Keiko cheerfully.
"Hello, Keiko! Hello Yusuke, having a nice day?"
"Not real-" started Yusuke until he noticed Keiko's glare, "Yeah, sure," he changed his answer. "So what is it this time?"
"Whatever do you mean?" asked Botan
"Unless a horde of demons is about to destroy the world if I don't have the right clothes for the party, you're here to tell me about some mission that's probably going to get me killed again," he paused for a moment. "Actually, that sounds pretty good, right now. What is it?"
"YUSUKE!"
Yusuke barely registered the shout before a sharp pain in his cheek knocked him to the ground. Keiko had slapped him.
"I was only joking," he complained as he got to his feet.
Botan did a poor job of stifling a giggle, then continued. "Well, Koenma did send me with a message. Why don't we go to Kuwabara's, and I can tell both of you at once? And you can come along too, Keiko, of course."
"Well… okay," said Keiko. "We can finish this later."
"ALL RIGHT. Get out of jail free, let's do this, Botan," said Yusuke, practically bolting from the dress shop. He only just managed to hear a quiet, "He's incorrigible," from Keiko before he was outside and around the corner on the way to Kuwabara's. The girls would catch up.
#
Kurama stood in front of Koenma's desk in Spirit World, dressed in his formal white tunic and pants. The look he gave the toddler was one of polite expectation. Koenma knew better than to summon Kurama for no reason. Kurama felt Hiei stir at his side. The smaller demon was likely more impatient than Kurama to be done with the meeting.
"Mrm," Koenma made the little moan that he usually made before assigning them a difficult mission. "We have a problem. What do you know about the Emptiness Amulet, Kurama?"
Kurama startled at the name of the artifact, though he knew there would have been no outward sign of his temporary unbalance. "The Emptiness Amulet. The legendary Reikei artifact that renders any demon who wears it impervious to any attack and able to consume the spirit power of other beings. It's been missing for approximately two hundred years." Kurama knew the Amulet well. Yoko Kurama had been planning to steal it shortly before it disappeared. He smiled slightly. He still felt cheated out of that theft.
"Yes, that's all true," Koenma nodded. "We had assumed that where-ever the amulet was, it was out of the hands of any demon, but lately we've been tracking several criminals who are said to be after it, and we think they know where it is."
Hiei was the one to take Koenma's bait. "Where is it, then?"
Kurama bit back the urge to smile. He was not surprised that Hiei was interested in finding the Amulet.
"Southern California," replied Koenma.
"WHERE?" asked Hiei and Kurama at the same time.
"Sunnydale, to be specific. After Tokyo, it is the place where the barrier between Makai and Ningenkai is the weakest. Due to geographic differences, they tend to have more of the western demons, but you get the idea."
Hmm, thought Kurama. Not a bad place to take a Reikei artifact then. Far enough away to escape King Yama's notice, but still enough supernatural activity to be useful. Yes, very clever. Kurama had heard of Sunnydale, of course, but he'd never been there. As Yoko, he'd had little interest in Ningenkai, and Shuichi had never had reason to go to California.
"Naturally, you realize what it could mean if a group of demons got their hands on the Emptiness Amulet, so I'm sending Yusuke to Sunnydale right away. He will need help…"
"I'm going," said Hiei shortly, and turned to leave.
"I will go as well," said Kurama. If only to satisfy my curiosity about this Sunnydale. A Tokyo on the other side of the world, what could be more interesting?"
#
"California?" asked Yusuke for the third time since Botan had told him of his mission.
"That's right! Pack up your sunscreen and swimming trunks. We're going on vacation!" Botan pulled a pair of sunglasses from midair and put them on her face. "Sort of, anyway."
"Sounds good to me," said Yusuke. "Kuwabara?"
"You're not leaving me out of this one, Yurameshi. Sure, drag me to the dark tournament, and then leave me behind when you get a cushy assignment like this, well I'm not falling for it!"
"Easy man, I wanted to know if you were coming."
"Right, well, of course I am," he puffed out his chest and tried to act dignified.
"Then pack your things boys! We've got a long flight ahead of us," said Botan.