Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha
Prologue: Deal With the Devil
Koenma was in a bit of a spot. He knew this, accepted this even, but wasn't the least bit happy about his current predicament. It had been some time since he last had any detective for Reikai to deal with the youkai threats posed to the Ningenkai and his father was becoming quite cross with him over having to over extend his special forces to deal with minor issues and problems. With his father breathing down his back and no signs of anyone who had the potential of becoming a Reikai tantei, he was running low on ideas and time. Maybe that was why he holed himself up in his office, huddled under his desk away from prying eyes as stacks upon stacks of papers and documents were piled high on the flat surface above his head. At least here, in his mind, he felt safe from his father's ever-growing wrath and ire.
When things seem as if they couldn't get worse, they generally do and that was the case in which Koenma was faced with. There was a growing threat within the Makai that, if left alone much longer, could eventually pose a threat to those within Ningenkai. It was because of this and the minor youkai issues springing up within Ningenkai that had the need for a Reikai tantei to be employed and just Koenma's luck, he didn't have one. And that was the main problem he was facing during this impasse of time, the time between one detective and the next and he was at a loss as to when he'd find another. Mentally, Koenma cursed that it had to be so hard to locate those who had the potential to become a detective. Why couldn't it be easier? Why was it they had yet to develop a contraption that could detect innate reiki within an individual? It would make his job that much easier to deal with.
The doors to his office busted open and Koenma curled around himself, his teeth biting into his pacifier in anticipation of whether or not he would be found cowering under his desk. Thankfully, whoever it was that came into his office left just as quickly as they had entered, the sound of a distinct thud from above alerting the young prince that he had additional paperwork. The sounds of paper fluttering caught his attention and he pealed his dark brown orbs open and watched as a few papers fluttered down to the floor before him. Compelled by some unknown force, he reached out and plucked the closest paper from the floor and brought it closer. Curiosity drove him to skim read the paper and he shivered at what he was reading.
"This is not good." He murmured before scrambling from underneath his desk, gathering the scattered papers on the floor and skimming them over as well. Slight frustration bubbled within his stomach. The other papers weren't what he was looking for which left him needing to scour the papers on his desk to locate the rest of the document he clutched in his right hand. Upon turning to regard said desk he couldn't help but glare at the stacks of paper that covered the surface. He knew there was no way around it, he had no choice. Grabbing his office chair, he pulled it up and hoped within the plush red seat and began sorting through the stacks of papers while furiously sucking on the little powder blue pacifier within his mouth, a nervous tick he picked up a few centuries ago that he couldn't seem to break no matter how hard he tried. He was on a mission and one that nothing could deter him from, his mind already reeling with possibilities.
Hours seem to have passed as Koenma continued sorting through all the files and loose papers before him. Anything he found of reference and use was sorted beside his chair. Finished paperwork and files were stamped and set haphazardly in front of his desk for the various ogres that brought him his work could quickly access and take to file. His mind was still reeling though not as frantic and rapid as it had been hours ago which was an improvement on his ability to work at a faster pace. The workload was significantly less that the mountains that it had been before and the little prince was still as focused as he had been when he started. It was pertinent that he remained so focused as well. Losing that focus would cost him is steam of filtering out the relevant documents that he needed to go over more thoroughly and efficiently.
He let out a sigh before slumping back in his chair, small arms splayed across the arm rests of his chair and eyes squinted. Despite everything, he was a bit worn out. All the skim reading had done its toll on his eyesight and spurned one hell of a headache to throb behind his temples. It didn't help matters any that he had opted not to eat anything during the time he emerged from hiding and began to finally work as he should have been doing all along. At least now he was able to see the hardwood surface that was his desk which was probably the only reason as to why he allowed himself a bit of a break. With weary limbs, he pressed a bright red round button on the intercom built into the surface of his desk that connected him to his secretary of sorts.
"George, bring me something to eat and make it quick." He nearly flinched at how hoarse and weary his voice sounded,letting out a sigh as he rubbing his temples. He had a clear cut plan in his head now though not one that pertained to his earlier dilemma in the least. He'd nourish his body and rejuvenate it with a nap before tackling the mountain of documents stacked beside his chair. After which, he was unsure of what to do though he was confident that once he brushed himself up on the complete situation budding within Makai that the rest would fall into place and the solution to his problems was sure to present itself.
It hadn't taken long before the doors to his office were once again thrown open. A light blue ogre dressed in a tiger-striped loincloth scurried inside carrying a tray of food, his beady black eyes squinted in what one could only assume as being anxiousness. The tray found itself from bulky, muscled hands and set before the young, toddler-looking demigod. He bowed profusely before quickly darting from the office to get back to work. Koenma lightly sighed at the behavior but allowed himself no time to dwell on it as the smell of food wafted to him causing his stomach to grumble in protest of not being filled for quiet some time. Wasting no more time, Koenma literally scarfed down the sushi-like meal he was brought, finishing in record time before returning to slouching against the back of his chair. He wanted to wait a bit before allowing himself to fall asleep but his body had other things in mind as he dozed off into a dreamless slumber.
He was unaware of hoe much time had passed and truthfully, he didn't really care as he felt refreshed and ready to tackle to pile beside his chair. He allowed himself the time to fully awake before doing anything of importance as he wanted a clear mind to be able to process the going on within Makai. What he brought away from this would be far more beneficial and usable if he was able to maintain the knowledge he was about to indulge himself in. After all, it wasn't often that he was given any information or tasks that revolved around the Makai as, per usual, it was his father that dealt with that realm, not that he did so favorably. It was common knowledge that King Enma hated youkai and wanted nothing more than to wipe them and their world from existence. It was a wonder that that had yet to occur but Koenma had a sneaking suspicion that his beloved mother had something to do with that. A small ghost of a smile made its way onto his face as he thought about his beautiful, missing mother. With a deep sigh, he shook his head and forced himself to focus as he began reading through the stack beside his chair.
He couldn't help the dread that pooled in his stomach over all the information that he was taking in. He wasn't expecting something of this magnitude to be taking place, believing that his father would of caught it before it escalated to the extent that it had. Of course, there was also the issue that the offending youkai was apparently of the kumo species. Kumo youkai were never known to grow very powerful and there had never been a documentation of one obtaining a humanoid form. That made this an unusual case as the offending kumo had apparently grown to the rank of lower B-class and he held a humanoid appearance. That was a cause of great concern for Koenma and he had yet to even finish all the coinciding documents on the matter at hand.
Slumping in his chair he through the paper into the air and sighed in distress. There was no way he could locate a detective that had enough reiki to take on such a threat. He knew this, accepted this and hated this simple fact. His options were highly limited. He could go to his father once again but with how their last few meetings had went Koenma wanted to avoid him at all costs. He did not wish to bring out the ire of his father's punishment for requesting use of the SDF once more. He only had one option available to him and it wasn't one that he truly wished to avoid. Besides, there was no way any youkai would willingly work for Reikai even if it would benefit them in the end by saving their existence from a threat such as the one that Naraku possessed. No youkai wanted to be considered a traitor to their kind by working with Reikai, it was like placing a hit on their heads for any and all to take. Koenma could only hope that he could convince a small handful of youkai to not only work for him but to take out the threat that Naraku presented.
His choice was made for him as his ever faithful secretary barged into his office with more paperwork that needed to be looked through and sorted. After placing the documents on the desk, George bowed and went back out into the offices that made up the Hall of Judgment within Reikai leaving the little Prince to deal with what was left. Grumbling under his breath, Koenma jerked the files off of his desk, flipped them open and proceeded to read through the first file. His jaw dropped, sending the small pacifier to the floor as shock over took his small body. Quickly, he looked through the other files in his hand and went into a small state of shock. This was the answer to his prayers and he was ever grateful to have been given the information in his time of need. Hoping out of his chair, he picked up his pacifier, plopped it into his mouth and ran out of his office intent on securing a new team no matter what the costs.
Koenma paced back and forth while waiting for his special guests to arrive. He had went out of his way to ensure a meeting with the quintet of mismatched youkai and could only hope that nothing came up that could possibly interfere with this impromptu meeting. Knowing his luck, something would crop up while he least expected it but that never stopped him. All he could do was hope for the best and figure things out as he went along.
A gray-hued portal appeared a few paces before him, the only warning he had before a small childish figure stepped through with long chestnut brown hair tied in a long ponytail at the base of her neck. Emotionless grayish eyes settled upon his form and he took special note of the ornate teal and white kimono the child wore and had to wonder if it meant something among the ferries of Styx or not. Koenma never bother to converse with those that brought the souls of the dead to their final judgment, he was generally too busy doing his father's job as he seemed to have pushed it all upon his shoulders.
Not even minutes past before more figures emerged from the portal between worlds and it took all Koenma had not to suck in a shuddering breath. It was one thing to read reports and other such things speaking of youkai and being within their presence. Truth be told, Koenma found himself a little overwhelmed from their combined youki as it swirled around the abandoned office Koenma had procured for this meeting. Kochou made sure to catch her employers eyes before giving him a slight bow and dispersing along with the portal, leaving the small demigod alone with the five powerful youkai he had wanted to see.
Standing a few steps ahead of the others was a stunning kitsune vixen, something that still shocked him. He knew just how rare it was to see a kitsune thanks to the poachers that hunted them down for their pelts centuries ago. This vixen, he derived, was of the kuroi breed if her black coloring and ashen complexion was anything to go by. The swirling silver depths of her eyes were another indicator that his assumptions were correct and he briefly wondered if all vixen resembled her in appearances. So wrapped up in his thoughts, he missed the faint ghost of a smile that graced her lips, exposing the tip of one of her fangs for the eye to see.
The four behind her couldn't help but slightly snicker and the mesmerized Prince of Reikai knowing full well the reason as to why he was in such a state. Not that they were up for sharing said information with anyone. Besides, it was rather entertaining to watch someone of such a high pedigree be reduced to a dazed buffoon due to the effects of a kitsune charm. Eyes glistening in mirth they awaited the scene before them to unfold. It was not something they wanted to miss and they were genuinely curious to know why they were summoned into Reikai to begin with.
"And to what do we owe the honor of such consultations, little prince?" Voiced the vixen in a soft tenor, adding a mock bow to the toddler-sized demigod. Silver eyes sparked in rebellious amusement as they watched in utter fascination as the young prince was brought back to reality. It was quite humorous, watching as his pudgy little face tinted pink but the spectators refrained from chuckling their amusement. There would be time for that later. "You see, I am quite confident that my associates and I haven't crossed any of the proverbial lines of conduct and it is truly unlikely you summoned us for a social call."
Koenma couldn't help but fidget under the vixen's intense gaze, unnerved by they she held herself and how her companions – for they couldn't be anything but thus – stayed back and allowed her to take control of the situation he presented. He barely had time to gather his wits before he presented his case of argument to them and hope for the best. "You're quite right, this is anything but a social call." He started out, his voice wavering as he began speaking. "I'm sure you're aware of the dire situation growing within the Makai." He was cut off before he could continue.
"Let me get this straight, Junior." The last word was dripping with sarcasm and venom. Koenma shuddered, averting his eyes from the piercing silver gaze and malicious, fanged smirk directed upon his tiny frame. "You want us," She gestured to herself and her four companions lounging behind her in marked amusement, "to work for you? You want us to be branded as traitors to our own kind."
Koenma gulped, his small form trembled under the weight of the calculating and piercing gaze of the female before him. The silky tenor of her voice filtering through the air between them with an icy edge. His courage and resolve was already gone by this point and he could only hope his voice was still with him, no matter how high-pitched it would sound coming out. "Yes." He would of flushed at the slight waver and tremble his voice held if he were anyone else. Unfortunately, being the demigod of the Reikai dictated that he wasn't allowed to show such things to anyone.
"What's in it for us?" The silver-eyed vixen purred out and Koenma mentally cursed at not thinking things out so far ahead. Surely they would want something in return for taking up his offer and that could be anything from the treasures locked away in the vaults to something as simple as immunity from prosecution. The thoughts had him pale at the repercussions of such simple and not-so-simple requests could bring. The amusement displayed upon the face before him didn't help matters any either.
"If not for the direness of the situation and lack of any other form of solution you realize that I wouldn't say what I'm about to?" Koenma morosely stated as he ran a hand down his face in defeat. For honestly, he saw no other way out of this outside of what was about to come from his mouth. At the vixen's slight tilt of her head showing that he had her attention fully and completely, he forced himself to continue. "Anything."
"Anything?" A soft melodic voice drifted forward as a petite figure clothed in blacks, dark purples and blues stepped forward. Unruly blackish-brown hair and shimmering onyx orbs cutting through Koenma's form with such an intensity he couldn't put an exact name to it. He surmised that this one was a Kage youkai as she permeated darkness from her very person.
"Yes, I'm willing to give you each anything you need or want. I know how dangerous it will be for you all if you accept my proposition of employment and take on the task of eliminating Naraku." Koenma sighed. "And given the danger of the mission at hand, I am also willing to to give you whatever and how much you want." Eyebrows rose with his words but nothing was said as of yet. He watch in a nervous tension as the vixen and kage rejoined the others and they began conversing amongst themselves and he couldn't help but sweat bullets while awaiting their answer.
"You've got yourself a deal, Junior." The vixen replied from her spot with the others, eyes gleaming. "First things first. That girl you sent to retrieve us – Kochou, we want her to be our main contact with four others as back ups available at all times. And find something better than those crappy little compact communicators, those are a dead giveaway of being employed by Reikai. Something stylish and inconspicuous is most preferred."
Koenma nodded, relieved that they were accepting is offer. "That can be arranged." He stated with a nod. As if summoned, Kochou reappeared within the room, unnerving Koenma a bit. The impassive look upon her face betrayed nothing to the demigod and he mentally sighed with how unusual the small child-like ferry girl was. She turned from Koenma and approached the quintet.
"Here." Her soft monotone rang out into the room as she held her hand up which contained five devices that somewhat resembled a wristwatch of the Ningenkai. Each one was a different color that seemed to match the colors that each of the five were wearing. It came as no surprise to him when each female youkai claimed the device that matched with their outfits. A slight smile graced Kochou's face as she turned back to her boss. If he didn't know any better he would of sworn that she knew that they were going to accept his offer and had prepared things accordingly while away.
"We'll be in touch, little prince." The vixen purred out with a swish of her tail. "If you will, dearest Kochou." Bringing her hand parallel to the ground, Kochou opened a portal for the quintet without taking her gaze off of Koenma. As each passed through, he gifted the ferry girl with a nod signally his consent. She exited through the portal as well, joining those with whom she was going to be working with for the duration of this long mission. Only once the portal dispersed did Koenma allow himself to collapse to the floor, banging his head against the carpeted surface as he groaned in anticipation of what was to come.
Authoress' Notes: Expect these to take place at the end of each chapter for the duration of the story. This is my current project for NaNoWriMo hence it will be worked on more than anything else at the moment. There will be a high word-count each chapter which is a plus for my readers. I ask that any and all reviews contain no negativity. Constructive criticism is always welcomed and taken into consideration. I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter. The next one should be out soon as I have yet to meet my word quota for the day.
Japanese
Koenma = Child Devil
Reikai = Spirit World/Realm
youkai = demon
Ningenkai = Human World/Realm
tantei = detective
Makai = Demon World/Realm
reiki = spirit energy
Enma = Devil
kumo = spider
Naraku = Hell; Hades
youki = demon energy
Kochou = butterfly
kitsune = fox
kuroi = black
kage = shadow
