Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Yu Hakusho. Just as well; as far as I'm concerned, the best partended after Kuwabara and Yusuke "killed" Toguru and saved Yukina. But that's just my opinion... I also don't own the Gambling King, a minor character from Ranma 1/2 that's going to make a brief appearance here.

LAS VEGAS

"Wow! I can't believe that we're actually here!" beamed Botan.

After the really, really excruciating "Dark Tournament", Koenma had decided that the Spirit Detective and his friends deserved a vacation for a job well done. He was quite generous:

"Anywhere in the world, except Mississippi. (shudders)"

(Do not, dear Mississippian readers, take this as an insult to your great state. Even YOU have to admit that a guy wearing a cape and sucking on a pacifier would not leave there with pleasant memories, to say the least...)

After much wrangling, the crew finally agreed that Sin City was the way to go! Now Yusuke, his girlfriend Keiko, his master Genkai, and his friends Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and Yukina were riding down the Vegas Strip in a hot-pink 1954 cadillac (also courtesy of Koenma), enjoying the sights. Kuwabara's sister had declined to join them ("When it comes to this sort of stuff, I have the WORST luck in the world!").

"Yusuke," said Kurama, "the 'Aladdin's Palace Casino' is directly ahead. Unless you have a particular preference to the contrary, why don't we try there?"

"Works for me, man!" Yusuke replied.

He pulled the car into the parking lot and the crew disembarked.

As they walked into the front door, they were bowled over by the sheer opulence of the place. The casino absolutely glittered! Almost everything was painted gold or silver, and it was bustling with all kinds of people from all walks of life: vacationers like themselves, shady-looking card sharks, and high-rollers that looked like they could give Sakyo a run for his money (literally). The seven friends' faces were glowing (even Hiei was grinning ear to ear) as they all tried to contain their excitement. All, that is, except one...

"Man, I can't believe I'm stuck here," mumbled Kuwabara.

"Shut it, Kuwabara," Yusuke replied, slightly annoyed, "we voted democratically and this is what 6/7 of us decided on. You're still young; you'll get to see the Great Wall of China someday."

"Oh, cheer up, silly," Botan said, "I'm sure you'll find some way to have fun. Besides, your glumness may be catchy, and you want to show Yukina a good time, don't you?"

His face brightened and, turning toward Yukina, he managed a smile. "Right! Who needs gambling? With you by my side, baby, I'm already as rich as a man can possibly be!"

"Poor girl," sighed Hiei, "doomed to poverty at such a young age!"

"Hey shrimp! What's that supposed to mean?!" Kuwabara yelled.

"Oookay! I'd say this is our cue to split up! Let's all meet outside the casino at 6, alright?" Yusuke grinned. The others quickly agreed.

"This is so exciting, Yusuke!" giggled Kaiko. "Do you think we'll win any money?"

Genkai smirked. "You won't catch me wasting my money in the casino. There's an arcade over in the corner, and my quarters are burning a hole in my pocket!"

"Sounds like fun," Botan giggled. "I'll come with you!"

As the two headed off, Yukina tugged at Kuwabara's sleeve.

"Kazuma, I'm honestly not feeling well. I think I'm going to go sit on the couch over there for a while." she whispered.

Concern filled Kuwabara's face. "Really? Are you okay, sweety? Let me sit with you until you feel better!"

"No, Kazuma. You go have fun with the others. I'll be fine!"

He was about to protest further, but she put a finger over his mouth and said "I insist!"

Reluctantly, Kuwabara let his ice apparition heartthrob go and joined the others at the slots.

CACHINK! CACHINK! CACHINK!

"Rats!" yelled Yuskuke. "Absolutely nothing!"

"Feh! Leave it to a pathetic human to lose to a tiny machine. Let me show you how it's done!"

Hiei put in every last one of his tokens and pulled the lever.

CACHINK! CACHINK! CACHINK!

"What?! It can't be!" Hiei gasped.

"Hahaha! Looks like the only things more pathetic at gambling than humans are shrimps!" Kuwabara started rolling around on the floor in a fit of laughter but suddenly stopped when the little demon's aura went through the roof! Panic spread across everyone's face; was he going to summon the Dragon of the Darkness Flame to eat Kuwabara?! Luckily, his anger was directed in another direction.

"Grr... STUPID MACHINE! FACE MY WRATH!!!"

It was all Yusuke could do to hold Hiei back; the short fighter was flailing wildly with his sword and was so mad he could barely see straight.

"SIGH. Perhaps Hiei should join Yukina on the couch. Those were all of his tokens; besides, I'm afraid someone with his temper shouldn't be playing games of chance." Kurama said.

"Sounds like a plan! HUFF! HUFF! C'mon you!" Yusuke replied as he hauled Hiei over to the couch.

Out of curiosity, Kurama tried the machine, with equal luck.

"Hmph. Only a fool would risk his money in such a machine as this!" he grumbled. Then he looked over toward the poker table and got a new idea. "Aha! Finally, a game for someone of my intelligence! Riches, here I come..."

As Kurama walked over to the table full of cardsharks, Kuwabara was left alone at the slots. He quickly looked left and right to see if anyone was watching.

"I guess I could give this thing a shot..."

He walked up to the one the others had tried, and was about to insert his token when he suddenly froze. He inexplicably withdrew his hand and walked to a different one three machines to the left. He put his token in and pulled the lever.

CACHINK! CACHINK! CACHINK!

Kuwabara burst into a happy little jig as the slots stopped on "7-7-7" and money started pouring out of the machine.

----------

"DEAL!" yelled Kurama.

The man across the table from him simply grinned. Ever since his defeat in Japan two months ago, the portly little man with the poker face (literally; he looks like the 'King of Hearts') had been training in Vegas in the art of "Martial Arts Gambling." Before coming here, he was only able to beat children, idiots, and people with absolutely no control over their facial muscles. Early on during training here he had incurred considerable debts, but now it was all paying off; he was the best gambler in Las Vegas, and was quickly becoming the richest. His fame had become such that the Aladdin's Palace Casino had even allowed him to "set up shop" inside to attract more business; that's what he was doing now.

"Son, you seem to overestimate yourself," he replied in a voice strangely reminiscent of Sean Connery's. "Don't you realize that the house always wins?"

"All I know is that you've taken the money of many people whom you've outsmarted. Prepare to be put in their position," replied Kurama quietly.

"Well!... If that's the case, let us begin in earnest," the King laughed.

To be continued...

O.K.! Half done (or is it half full?) with this fanfic. I actually didn't intend for it to be a two-parter, but since it was a little long, I figured I might as well split the bugger in two.

Next time:

Find out how well (or poorly) Yusuke and Kaiko did, financially speaking!

Watch Hiei, the demon-pauper, sit around doing nothing! (HIEI: "Silence, foolish human author!")

Discover who's the better video-gamer: Botan or Genkai!

See if Kurama can defeat the Gambling King!

And what of Kuwabara?

FIND OUT NEXT TIME, SAME BARON-TIME, SAME BARON-CHANNEL!!!