A Bigger Issue
Chapter 1: Malevolent Wind
Disclaimer: ShinythiefXblast does not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Harry Potter characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling and Yoshihiro Togashi. All I wanna do is mess around a little. Okay? Please review!
Draco: I could have said that.
Shiny-chan: So? You just sit tite, I'll show everyone what I'm made of!
Draco: *Shakes head* She's crazy.
Shiny-chan: Am not!!!
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Blue neon lights flickered on and off erratically in an alley just inside the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan, lending an eerie lighting to the corners filled with refuse. Rats scurried over piles of garbage, nibbling through plastic bags looking for their next meal. The sun had barely set for the evening, and so the sky had light hues of pinks and purples that faded to black as each minute passed. The light wind that had been blowing picked up and blew fiercely for a moment, causing the rusty fire escape between the buildings to screech and moan in protest. The wind carried a metallic tinge that spoke of violence and blood and it made the young demon shiver. For sitting on said fire escape was Yusuke Urameshi, chewing on a straw from a juice box he had boosted from a convenience store hours before. The unsettling wind quieted down and Yusuke shivered. As soon as the wind picked up he had felt a horrifying feeling that he couldn't shake. He spat the mutilated straw to the ground where it hit one of the foraging rats, making the creature hiss up at him. He sighed and ran his fingers through gel-less strands of hair, tousling them mercilessly. He jumped down off the fire escape, squashing the unfortunate rat beneath his feet. He shook the guts off his shoe and sauntered down to the edge of the alley, where he leapt to the rooftops. He launched himself forward across the gap and landed on the next roof. He took off running and leapt from roof to roof, heading south. The only sound that could be heard was the traffic all around him and the steady tapping of his own feet as he ran.
"Shouldn't children like you be in bed, Detective?" Yusuke looked to his right to find Hiei running beside him effortlessly. Yusuke snorted and leapt to the next roof.
"Bite me, Hiei. The wind smells wrong so I'm investigating the problem." Hiei looked at him calmly.
"By running in the opposite direction?" Yusuke shook his head.
"No. I figure if somethin's wrong then Kurama might know something about it. If not, I still get free food from Shiori kaa-san." Hiei shook his head and smirked.
"Free-loader Urameshi. I should call you that instead of Detective." Yusuke growled at him.
"Not on your life! Her cooking's that good though." Yusuke mused. Hiei just stayed silent and they continued across the rooftops until they reached the suburbs in Shinjuku where Kurama lived. They walked up to Kurama's porch and tapped lightly on the door. The latch clicked and the door swung open to reveal a young mousy brown-haired boy with dark eyes.
"Hi what can I do for you?" Yusuke quietly appraised the young boy and grinned at him.
"M'name's Urameshi and I'm looking to talk to your brother. You're lil' Shuichi right?" Shuichi's eyes narrowed at him and he lost his welcoming smile.
"He's not here, come back later." Shuichi moved to shut the door but Yusuke quickly stuck his foot in the doorway.
"Look kid, I guarantee he already knows were here and we need to discuss something import-" A tranquil voice called to him from upstairs.
"Yusuke, Hiei, here already? That was fast. I only called you five minutes ago. Let them up Shu-kun. They're my friends." Yusuke removed his shoes, smirked at the disgruntled boy, and flounced around him to the stairs. Hiei followed and matched the glare sent their way by Kurama's stepbrother. The kids glare followed them up the stairs and until they reached Kurama's room. They entered and Kurama was placing his physics textbook back on his bookshelf. Yusuke pulled his desk chair and flipped it around and sat backwards on it while Hiei took his customary windowsill seat.
"Damn fox-boy! That's some kid brother you got." Kurama smiled ambiguously at them and lightly shrugged.
"Yes, he doesn't take to people who look like thugs. No doubt he is already complaining about my delinquent friends to mother and she'll bring up snacks any minute. She likes you though so it won't be a problem in the end. Yusuke, don't sit like that you'll break my chair." Yusuke huffed and moved over to Kurama's bed. Kurama righted the desk chair and sat crossing his legs.
"I can't say it is a surprise to see you both here when the wind carries the smell of blood, however, I do not know what is amiss." Yusuke shrugged.
"Ah, well. It was worth a try ya know? I wonder if we're gonna get a mission. It always feels like this just before one." Hiei snorted. A knock sounded at the door, and it opened to reveal Shiori Hatanaka and little Shuichi, who had a smug grin on his face. Shiori's face lit up when she saw them.
"Ah Yusuke-kun,
Hiei-kun, It's been so long since you last visited us. I brought
you some snacks." Yusuke grinned at her and took the full tray
from her hands.
"Arigato, Shiori okaa-sama! Your cooking
tastes so good! I'm real sorry I missed your wedding." Shiori
smiled at him and shook her head before sweeping him into a hug.
"It's okay Yusuke-kun. My Suuichi-kun told me that you were out of the country seeing your father. How was he?" Yusuke nodded and scowled.
"Yeah, I finally find my old man and he's on his deathbed, yeah? What a waste of time ya know? I'd much rather have been at your wedding Shiori kaa-sama." She blushed at him and smiled. Shuichi's face fell as he realized the two weren't going to be kicked out.
"You're too kind Yuu-kun. And how are you Hiei-san?" She turned to the demon sitting in the window.
"I am well Hatanaka-san." Shiori nodded and moved to the door.
"I'm glad. I'll just leave you three to talk okay? Please visit more often. Come Shu-kun."
"Hai, Shiori kaa-sama!" Yusuke sang. Shiori closed the door behind a scowling Shuichi.
"Little Shuichi really doesn't like us huh?" Kurama shrugged.
"He doesn't understand how I can have friends that look like they'll beat me up and rob me blind." Kurama stated amusedly. Hiei snorted.
"There is a higher chance of you doing that, Kurama."
"True, but they don't need to know that."
A knock rapped on the window and they turned to see a blue-haired girl floating outside the window on an oar. Hiei scowled and ignored her insistent tapping. After a long moment, when Hiei refused to acknowledge her presence and open the window, she teleported herself inside the room.
"Hiei! You are most unkind to not open the window for a lady!" Hiei snorted.
"As if I care." He stated dispassionately. Yusuke piped in.
"I thought you were the Grim Reaper not a lady." Kurama's mouth twitched slightly in amusement as Botan flushed in anger.
"I'm not here to get insulted! Koenma-sama has a mission for you. Apparently, a huge spike in demonic activity has arisen in England. He needs you all to go and take care of the problem." Kurama shook his head slowly.
"England is not in our jurisdiction. There are people over there that can take care of it are there not?" Botan sighed.
"The people over there are not controlled by Spirit World and are completely unprepared for demons. Demons are not believed to exist by the residents and even the wizards don't have enough power to combat them. You'll all be properly compensated for the inconvenience of course."
"Very well, I trust he has taken care of transportation and other arrangements?"
"He had better. I refuse to transport myself to England." Hiei sniped irritably. Botan twitched in irritation.
"Hai, I am to take you to England tomorrow morning at dawn, where you'll live with a family of wizards named Weasley for however long you need to get rid of the threat."
"And what class of idiots are we dealing with?" Yusuke asked.
"They shouldn't really be a problem for you, just C and D class apparitions mostly." When no one asked anymore questions, Botan left. Yusuke grimaced.
"What did I tell ya? I knew we were gonna get a mission!" Hiei leapt out the window and took off, without so much as a grunt. Kurama pinned Yusuke with his gaze.
"Are you staying tonight Yusuke?" Yusuke grinned cheekily in his direction.
"Probably, the old lady's boozing and forgot to let me in again. Is it cool if I stay foxy-boy?" Kurama's eyes softened slightly and he chuckled lightly.
"You are welcome at any time Yusuke." Yusuke grinned again and then grimaced slightly. He looked sheepishly in Kurama's direction.
"In that case, can I use the bath? I haven't had one since the last time I was at my place so I reek." Kurama rose and moved towards him.
"How long has it been? Go ahead and use it Yusuke. I wouldn't have said it like that but your scent is not pleasant." Yusuke scratched his head absently.
"Coupla days since she's been sober enough to leave the door unlocked for me." Kurama pursed his lip disapprovingly and descended the stairs to the kitchen, leaving Yusuke to take his much needed bath. When he arrived in the kitchen, Shiori was lecturing Shuichi-kun quietly.
"You should know better that to say things like that about people you don't know. Hasn't your father ever told you not to judge a book by its cover? Yusuke and Hiei are both very kind people even though they may not look like it. In fact, Yusuke visited me in the hospital when I was deathly ill and treats me like a mother figure. Heaven knows his own mother isn't very responsible. Hiei-san may look dangerous but he protected me from getting jumped by a gang last Tuesday. He has been walking me home from work ever since." Kurama cleared his throat.
"Oh he did? I wouldn't have expected that. He never told me he was doing that." Shiori jumped, and then spun around holding her chest.
"Kami! You almost gave me a heart attack honey!" Kurama looked apologetic.
"Sorry Kaa-san. I really didn't mean to surprise you. Are you okay?" Shiori nodded.
"I never asked Hiei to look out for you. He must have done it to be nice. You're like a mother figure to all of my friends I believe." Shiori pinned little Shuichi with a look.
"See, what did I tell you? Who cares if they look dangerous? Those children are really nice people!" Kurama's mouth twitched at the thought of Hiei's face if he heard her words.
"Oh Kaa-san, I remember what I came to ask you. May Yusuke stay here tonight? His mother's on a drinking binge and he's been locked out of his house for days." Shiori looked appalled and infuriated at Atsuko's blatant neglect of her child before her face softened.
"Of course he may stay! He should have come the very first night. He probably did something foolish like sleep on the street! That woman who calls herself a mother needs to check into a rehab clinic!" She finished peevishly. Shuichi stalked to his room pensively.
"Yusuke received a phone call and he needs to return to England about his father's estate and possessions tomorrow morning. This will also include the will reading and legal procedures. He asked me to come with him to help him get through it but I may be gone a long time. Is it okay with you if I go with him?" Shiori crossed her arms and looked at him quizzically.
"Just be careful okay? I'll miss you while you're gone so be sure to come home safe with Yusuke-kun." Kurama smiled slowly and genuinely at her and stepped forward to give her a firm hug. She felt small and fragile and he hugged her tighter.
"Thank you, Kaa-san. I promise that he and I will come home safe."
