Chapter 1: The God and the Kimono
"All right! Another mission - finally! I have been bored off my a-"
"Yusuke! If you wouldn't mind, this is a serious situation." The toddler god frowned at his over-excited tantei.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. So who's butt are we gonna kick this time?" Around the room stood gathered the entire team of the Reikai Tantei, not to mention Botan, George, and Koenma. In fact, it was really a bit crowded. Hiei leaned against the back wall, while Kuwabara hovered by the doorway. Yusuke was leaned over Koenma's desk, practically in his face. Kurama studied the papers George had handed him pertaining their newest case, and Botan gave Yusuke an elbow that shoved him away from the desk.
"Please Yusuke." Koenma shifted through the stacks of papers on his desk, searching for his remote. Finally George took a deep breath and spoke up.
"Uh, I think it's here sir."
"Why didn't you just hand it to me in the first place ogre!" Kurama looked up from the files, smiling at the predictable antics. The smile soon faded as Koenma began to detail their next mission.
"Within the past month, approximately a dozen human women have gone missing, from locals all over Japan. And strong spirit activity was previously detected in all these places. What is more startling is that during the same period, over thirty female demons have been reported missing! And demons being, well, demons, I'm sure the numbers are actually higher than the reports show."
An angry glare had formed on Kuwabara's face. "So someone's been kidnapping innocent women! Whoever it is has no honor, or even decency! We gotta go after him!"
"Decency? Wow, the human used a big word - looks like he's serious. This guy had better watch out."
"Shut up Hiei!"
Botan opened her mouth, but Yusuke beat her to it, putting a quick stop to the fighting. "Enough you guys. We need to concentrate on helping these girls so this is no time for you two to get into it."
Koenma snorted at Yusuke finally acting serious. Meanwhile, Kurama glanced back down at the files to find an interesting fact staring him in the face. He took the moment of rare quiet to point out his observation.
"You said that the humans have vanished from different locals. But it seems that all the missing demon women disappeared from the same area."
Koenma nodded. "That's right Kurama. We've pinpointed the exact area to these three demon towns, and the spaces between them." On the map appeared the region he spoke of. Every being in the room studied it carefully.
"So do we have a plan then?" Yusuke asked sarcastically.
Koenma replied. "Actually, yes. We're going to send in a couple of undercover agents. They'll have hidden communication devices, and we'll attach a device we can use to track them. If, no, when they are kidnapped, we'll then be able to pursue them."
"And nail the bastard!" Yusuke and Kuwabara both finished triumphantly.
"Uh hum. Yes. That's the plan. Now, one of these agents will be Botan."
"Botan!" Four pairs of eyes fell on the grim reaper who couldn't help but turn red at all the stares. Yusuke especially was gaping.
"Buh - but."
"Now, now Yusuke." Botan leaned towards him, wagging her finger. "I can't let you boys have all the fun. Besides, weren't you listening? All the kidnappees have been female."
"Oh yeah. So Botan. But." Yusuke turned to Koenma. "So who's the other agent going to be then?"
Koenma nodded. "Well, you see, I was stuck on that at first. But then it occurred to me - well.." The toddler god turned from Yusuke to look past him at Kurama. The spirit detective caught on, also turning to study Kurama, but with a laughing smirk.
"I see." Hiei too looked towards the human/fox spirit with a rare smile growing on his face.
"What, what do you see?" Kuwabara stared at the three like they had lost their minds. He spun to face Kurama, then back to the others. "I don't get it."
"Well now Kurama." Yusuke spoke slowly, enunciating as green eyes gazed dispassionately back at him. "I think you'll make a very pretty girl."
"I - am - not - a girl." Kurama bit the words out, glaring at the others. Finally catching on, Kuwabara began cracking up.
"You're right! He does look pretty girly!" Apparently these were the wrong words to say as Kurama toward an angry face to the human.
"Aw, come on Kurama" Botan interceded, breaking up the potentially violent situation. "You won't really let me walk into that danger all alone, will you?"
"Yes, and besides." Koenma interrupted. "Who else am I going to send? I mean, look at them!" He tossed his hands into the air, indicating the other Reikai Tantei who stopped snickering at Kurama long enough to feel insulted.
"Fine." Kurama sighed. They were right. Besides, his conscious just wouldn't let him leave all those women, human and demon, to suffer. 'Sometimes I hate this humanity' he thought to himself. 'Perhaps Hiei is right when he curses humans as weak for their feelings. But I -' Kurama found his thoughts treading down a path they had begun to follow more and more recently. It was a path leading into the deep fog of his origins, of his self, and he squashed it down mercilessly, unwilling to follow it to its conclusion.
"Yes!" Botan clapped her hands eagerly. "This is going to be so much fun!"
Kurama sighed again. He was already dreading this mission.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
(later that day)
"This is not a group participation event Botan." Kurama tried to stare down the overly-perky grim reaper. She had taken off for a bit only to return with Yukina who was honored to be asked to participate in the "make-over."
"Oh come on, lighten up." She waved her hand dismissively. "We just want you to be perfect." This was the time Kuwabara chose to walk in, holding something wrapped in paper.
"Oh hi Yukina." He blushed and laughed. "I got the package you asked. Here ya go. Is there anything else I can do for ya?"
"No, thank you." Yukina spoke politely, taking the package and opening it. "This will be perfect." She held out the contents, a deep-red kimono, with trimmings in dark green and violet. Here and there were scattered deep green leaves on the silken fabric. Yusuke burst out into another fit of laughter. Kurama could only stare at it.
"I am not going to wear that!"
"I thought this might happen." Botan sighed, crooking her finger towards Hiei and Yusuke. "Oh boys, a little help?"
A short while and slight amount of violence later, Kurama was garbed fully, kimono, obi, sandals, and all. The girls pulled him aside until they proclaimed him done. The finishing touches included a light application of make-up and an elaborate hair-do that pulled his red hair up and away from his face. A white lily barrette was set and he was marched out in front of the team. Botan was already dressed in her own pink kimono and she posed next to him smiling. A bright flash caught Kurama's colored lips pressed tightly together on film. Koenma was grinning so widely that his pacifier almost fell from his mouth. Needless to say, Yusuke and Kuwabara were on the floor clutching their sides. Even Hiei couldn't repress snickers. But they all had to admit, Botan and Yukina had done a wonderful job. Kurama didn't just make a pretty girl; he was beautiful.
"Botan, can we please go and get this over with?"
"All right! Another mission - finally! I have been bored off my a-"
"Yusuke! If you wouldn't mind, this is a serious situation." The toddler god frowned at his over-excited tantei.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. So who's butt are we gonna kick this time?" Around the room stood gathered the entire team of the Reikai Tantei, not to mention Botan, George, and Koenma. In fact, it was really a bit crowded. Hiei leaned against the back wall, while Kuwabara hovered by the doorway. Yusuke was leaned over Koenma's desk, practically in his face. Kurama studied the papers George had handed him pertaining their newest case, and Botan gave Yusuke an elbow that shoved him away from the desk.
"Please Yusuke." Koenma shifted through the stacks of papers on his desk, searching for his remote. Finally George took a deep breath and spoke up.
"Uh, I think it's here sir."
"Why didn't you just hand it to me in the first place ogre!" Kurama looked up from the files, smiling at the predictable antics. The smile soon faded as Koenma began to detail their next mission.
"Within the past month, approximately a dozen human women have gone missing, from locals all over Japan. And strong spirit activity was previously detected in all these places. What is more startling is that during the same period, over thirty female demons have been reported missing! And demons being, well, demons, I'm sure the numbers are actually higher than the reports show."
An angry glare had formed on Kuwabara's face. "So someone's been kidnapping innocent women! Whoever it is has no honor, or even decency! We gotta go after him!"
"Decency? Wow, the human used a big word - looks like he's serious. This guy had better watch out."
"Shut up Hiei!"
Botan opened her mouth, but Yusuke beat her to it, putting a quick stop to the fighting. "Enough you guys. We need to concentrate on helping these girls so this is no time for you two to get into it."
Koenma snorted at Yusuke finally acting serious. Meanwhile, Kurama glanced back down at the files to find an interesting fact staring him in the face. He took the moment of rare quiet to point out his observation.
"You said that the humans have vanished from different locals. But it seems that all the missing demon women disappeared from the same area."
Koenma nodded. "That's right Kurama. We've pinpointed the exact area to these three demon towns, and the spaces between them." On the map appeared the region he spoke of. Every being in the room studied it carefully.
"So do we have a plan then?" Yusuke asked sarcastically.
Koenma replied. "Actually, yes. We're going to send in a couple of undercover agents. They'll have hidden communication devices, and we'll attach a device we can use to track them. If, no, when they are kidnapped, we'll then be able to pursue them."
"And nail the bastard!" Yusuke and Kuwabara both finished triumphantly.
"Uh hum. Yes. That's the plan. Now, one of these agents will be Botan."
"Botan!" Four pairs of eyes fell on the grim reaper who couldn't help but turn red at all the stares. Yusuke especially was gaping.
"Buh - but."
"Now, now Yusuke." Botan leaned towards him, wagging her finger. "I can't let you boys have all the fun. Besides, weren't you listening? All the kidnappees have been female."
"Oh yeah. So Botan. But." Yusuke turned to Koenma. "So who's the other agent going to be then?"
Koenma nodded. "Well, you see, I was stuck on that at first. But then it occurred to me - well.." The toddler god turned from Yusuke to look past him at Kurama. The spirit detective caught on, also turning to study Kurama, but with a laughing smirk.
"I see." Hiei too looked towards the human/fox spirit with a rare smile growing on his face.
"What, what do you see?" Kuwabara stared at the three like they had lost their minds. He spun to face Kurama, then back to the others. "I don't get it."
"Well now Kurama." Yusuke spoke slowly, enunciating as green eyes gazed dispassionately back at him. "I think you'll make a very pretty girl."
"I - am - not - a girl." Kurama bit the words out, glaring at the others. Finally catching on, Kuwabara began cracking up.
"You're right! He does look pretty girly!" Apparently these were the wrong words to say as Kurama toward an angry face to the human.
"Aw, come on Kurama" Botan interceded, breaking up the potentially violent situation. "You won't really let me walk into that danger all alone, will you?"
"Yes, and besides." Koenma interrupted. "Who else am I going to send? I mean, look at them!" He tossed his hands into the air, indicating the other Reikai Tantei who stopped snickering at Kurama long enough to feel insulted.
"Fine." Kurama sighed. They were right. Besides, his conscious just wouldn't let him leave all those women, human and demon, to suffer. 'Sometimes I hate this humanity' he thought to himself. 'Perhaps Hiei is right when he curses humans as weak for their feelings. But I -' Kurama found his thoughts treading down a path they had begun to follow more and more recently. It was a path leading into the deep fog of his origins, of his self, and he squashed it down mercilessly, unwilling to follow it to its conclusion.
"Yes!" Botan clapped her hands eagerly. "This is going to be so much fun!"
Kurama sighed again. He was already dreading this mission.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
(later that day)
"This is not a group participation event Botan." Kurama tried to stare down the overly-perky grim reaper. She had taken off for a bit only to return with Yukina who was honored to be asked to participate in the "make-over."
"Oh come on, lighten up." She waved her hand dismissively. "We just want you to be perfect." This was the time Kuwabara chose to walk in, holding something wrapped in paper.
"Oh hi Yukina." He blushed and laughed. "I got the package you asked. Here ya go. Is there anything else I can do for ya?"
"No, thank you." Yukina spoke politely, taking the package and opening it. "This will be perfect." She held out the contents, a deep-red kimono, with trimmings in dark green and violet. Here and there were scattered deep green leaves on the silken fabric. Yusuke burst out into another fit of laughter. Kurama could only stare at it.
"I am not going to wear that!"
"I thought this might happen." Botan sighed, crooking her finger towards Hiei and Yusuke. "Oh boys, a little help?"
A short while and slight amount of violence later, Kurama was garbed fully, kimono, obi, sandals, and all. The girls pulled him aside until they proclaimed him done. The finishing touches included a light application of make-up and an elaborate hair-do that pulled his red hair up and away from his face. A white lily barrette was set and he was marched out in front of the team. Botan was already dressed in her own pink kimono and she posed next to him smiling. A bright flash caught Kurama's colored lips pressed tightly together on film. Koenma was grinning so widely that his pacifier almost fell from his mouth. Needless to say, Yusuke and Kuwabara were on the floor clutching their sides. Even Hiei couldn't repress snickers. But they all had to admit, Botan and Yukina had done a wonderful job. Kurama didn't just make a pretty girl; he was beautiful.
"Botan, can we please go and get this over with?"