The Mission
In a forest there were two girls trapped in a cage. Both were small for their age and a slightly pale. One had soft blue-green hair tied into a ponytail by some red fabric at the back of her neck, she had kind ruby eyes, and was wearing a blue kimono. She was sitting in the only chair in the cage. Her name is Yukina.
The other girl had waist long curly dark green hair with a white rose on the left side of her head, she also had golden eyes, and she was wearing a knee length v-neck white dress with two gold bands under her cleavage that, also, had long sleeves that billowed out after her elbow. She was also wearing gold Grecian sandals that laced up to her knee. She was sitting on her knees in front of Yukina and clasping Yukina's hands. Her name is Ceres.
Suddenly Ceres spoke, "Don't worry Yukina, someone's coming. We'll be free soon." Yukina nodded and gripped her friend's hand tighter. Ceres smiled and hugged Yukina. "Soon." Yukina whispered into Ceres' shoulder.
-:-
"Get out of bed you're going to be late! Again!" yelled Atsuko Urameshi at her son. Suddenly a crash was heard from the apartment and Yusuke Urameshi came out in his dyed green uniform rubbing his head and saying, "Push off!" Atsuko ran to the door and pushed it open yelling out, "Wait your bag!" She threw the bag and nailed her son in the head with it right as he said, "No thanks." She then said, "I'm calling the school office to check." Yusuke glared at his mother and scoffed, "Tch. Like I'd skip." He started running to school commenting, "It's the perfect plan. Sleep in and get plenty of exercise running." During his run Yusuke noticed a black blur following him, he stopped running ready to confront what ever was tailing him. Only to discover it was Hiei.
Yusuke widened his eyes with realization, and said "Well if it isn't my favorite three eyed demon." Yusuke walked over to him and asked, "What's up Hiei, you're not stalking me again are you?" Hiei held up videotape and Yusuke asked "What's that?" Hiei harshly replied, "From Koenma." Yusuke raised an eyebrow, "Koenma? Isn't this Botan's gig?" Yusuke took the tape and Hiei replied, "I don't know I'm following orders." Yusuke scoffed, "You're following Koenma's orders?" Hiei just stared at him and Yusuke asked, "Something wrong Hiei?" Hiei stared for a little while longer then half turned and disappeared in a black blur.
Yusuke then said, "Strange guy." Yusuke heard the school bell ring and cursed loudly then started running to the school. What he didn't know was that Hiei was watching him from on top a telephone pole.
-:-
"Have you sent him?" Kurama asked Koenma. Koenma replied, "Yes, Yusuke should be getting the tape right now so we can only pray things happen as planned." Kurama asked, "Do you think Hiei suspects anything?" Koenma confirmed "Probably. But it's so awful a truth I think maybe you should accompany him to make sure." Kurama then said, "I believe we'll be alright. Hiei may sense something wrong-" Kurama was cut short by Koenma's office doors being slammed open by a girl. She had waist long curly brown hair with green streaks on some parts of the curls, and emerald eyes, she was wearing an ankle long heart-necked emerald green dress that had a thigh high slit up both sides and long light green see through sleeves that billowed out, she was also wearing gold Grecian sandals that laced up to her knee, and she had a gold choker on with a little leaf charm. Her name is Karian.
Karian said overjoyed, "Koenma! We received a message from Cer-" Her voice cut off when she saw that someone was in the room with Koenma. She blushed and stuttered, "U-um, I-I'll come back l-later." That she rushed out of the room while Koenma yelled, "Wait Karian! It could be important!" Koenma sighed and looked at Kurama seeing that the fox demon was staring at the retreating figure of Karian with an amused expression on his face. Koenma coughed and Kurama snapped out of it and continued talking, "As I was saying. Hiei may sense something wrong, but he'll leave Yusuke to fix it." Koenma replied, "Hmm. I hope you're right."
-:-
Kuwabara opened the class room door to hear Yusuke call out to him, "Kuwabara!" The carrot-top made a face that was a cross between scared and disgusted. Yusuke had one hand in his uniform shirt that was halfway unbuttoned showing his white undershirt. Yusuke said, "You've got a nice VCR in your room don't you? Ours' is a piece of junk so let's go to your house." Yusuke pulled out the tape from his uniform, and Kuwabara looked at it closer. Kuwabara asked, "What is it Urameshi? A nudie movie?" Yusuke balanced the tape on his palm and said, "Maybe. It's from Spirit World." Kuwabara backed up and said, "I had a dream you'd bring that up today and the answer is no! You're not risking my life again!" Yusuke raised one eyebrow, "What are you talking about? You're the guy who leaped into that portal last time while I was telling you to go home." Kuwabara knew Yusuke was right but that didn't stop him from saying, "Dress up the facts all you want but I'm not fighting anymore! Period! Yep, I'm gonna be a scientist."
Yusuke looked at Kuwabara like he was crazy, until Keiko came up and spoke to him, "Yusuke is it your goal to get a detention everyday of school? You know you can't bring videos here." Yusuke hid the video behind his back and said, "Well at least I'm here right?" Keiko yelled, "Are you trying to hide something from me?" Yusuke replied, "No. Why?" Keiko pointed out, "There's a cassette in your armpit." Yusuke looked unnerved as Keiko gave looked at him with eyes filled with worry. "What Yusuke?" Keiko asked, as he looked up at the ceiling rather than her eyes. Yusuke was having a flashback to what Keiko had said a while ago.
Flashback
Keiko and Yusuke were facing each other and Keiko was holding up a finger to Yusuke. "The next time you go off on one of these cases you have to promise to tell me about it. That's all I'm asking for." Keiko said.
End Flashback
Yusuke reluctantly said, "Okay, fine. To tell you the truth I got this thing from Spirit World." Yusuke looked at the tape and said, "I haven't seen the video yet, but odds are it's my next big case." Yusuke looked at Keiko again, "So how's that for spilling my guts? Hey what's wrong?" Keiko asked, "What's a Spirit World?" Yusuke had a 'are you kidding me?' look on his face as he asked, "You got amnesia or something? I thought Botan explained everything to you about my job as Spirit Detective." Keiko said, "Right she told me all about your internship with that great detective. Oh, of course! Spirit World must be the name of the agency of the guy you work for!" Yusuke's face had an expression that looked to be saying 'is this girl serious?'
-:-
"Alright Botan what kind of explanation did you give her? She thinks I'm some intern at some screwed up after school program! For juvenile delinquents!" Yusuke yelled at Botan while she gave him her cat face. Botan got in his face yelling, "Well I had to make up something believable to explain your absence without mentioning the supernatural! A basic tenet of Spirit World is that it can't run properly if normal humans have proof of it!" Yusuke puffed out his cheeks saying, "Well you made me sound lame." Kuwabara cut in yelling, "Enough already! Can we please just watch the video instead of arguing! You're gonna annoy my sister!" Yusuke looked annoyed while staring at Kuwabara, and Botan blew raspberries at Yusuke's side. When Yusuke looked over at her, Botan looked away. Kuwabara cut in again, "Besides, Botan is right. Keiko's not supposed to know so the truth will only get her in trouble. Maybe you should care more about her safety than some stupid cover story." Yusuke sarcastically replied, "I just love being tag-teamed." Botan then said gladly, "Oh thank you Kuwabara! You're very wise." Kuwabara tried to act cool, "What can I say Botan, you and I seem to be a perfect match in everyway." Botan laughed nervously. Kuwabara pointed out again, "Now one more thing before I press play Urameshi! Whatever kind of mission it is I'm not getting involved!" Yusuke sighed exasperated, "Okay! Okay! Just start the tape!" Kuwabara pressed play and the tape began.
Suddenly there was a picture of Koenma holding a torch on a couple of stairs with big orange block letters behind him saying Koenma. Then there was a picture of the word Koenma with an ogre in the E growling. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked had an 'are you kidding me' look and Botan's eye was twitching. Kuwabara commented, "They go all out huh?" Yusuke replied, "Either he's full of himself, or really bored."
Suddenly on the video a light shown down on a chair and a voice started saying, "Welcome, how do you like my video?" The chair turned to reveal Koenma. Then Koenma said, "The great Koenma, ruler of the Spirit World, has yet another important case for you." Kuwabara pointed at the screen and turned to Yusuke, "This is seriously the guy you get your jobs from Urameshi? This little bitty toddler." Yusuke replied, "I said the same thing when I met him, and Botan hit me in the head." Botan pointed out, "Perhaps that's why Koenma's doing the video this time. He can't bear these first reactions." Kuwabara laughed nervously while his eye twitched.
Koenma started speaking again, "This mission will be another doozey, hopefully you will survive. By the way, don't worry about people entering the room. This video is specially imprinted so it will appear as annoying fuzz to anyone without heightened Spirit waves" Shizuru had come in with some food and was now silently watching the video in the back of the room. Now your mission is a search and rescue except without the search. Watch my magic snap." Koenma snapped his figures and the video showed a forest and mountains covered in fog. Yusuke commented, "C'mon that's just a cheap camera trick!" Botan started nervously laughing and Kuwabara said, "This looks hard Urameshi." Yusuke yelled at him, "Shut up!"
The video started spanning across the area while Koenma said, "Spirit World intelligence reports that the captive is being held in a mountain stronghold around 200 miles from your city. Without being a hydronated cell you will have to take the bus. The mountain is a base of criminal activity, normally I don't mind that but the humans have made ties with some very nasty demons." Suddenly the video showed a headshot of a girl with curly dark green hair and a white rose on the left side of her head, she also had soft golden eyes, and a small smile on her face. Koenma started speaking again, "This is Ceres. She is also a Spirit Detective. We had her captured so we could find out where the captive was being held, unfortunately, she can't get out. So you will rescue her along with the captive."
The screen changed and showed a book with a picture of a woman in the snow. Koenma started talking again, "The captive's name is Yukina. She's an ice apparition. Very rare." Koenma's face appeared on the screen, "Equally rare are the beautiful jewels she can produce." Koenma held up a pearl and continued, "Which is why the criminals have captured her." The screen once again showed the forest. Koenma continued speaking, "They hope to profit greatly off of Yukina, forcing her to create these jewels at an unnatural pace."
The screen showed a window of a mansion, the window had a criss-cross pattern of bars with a couple of seals on the window. There was also a shadow of a girl sitting in a chair there. Koenma continued, "And by force, I mean torture." Botan commented, "That's horrible." Koenma started talking again, "You see there is only one way to make the jewels. Her tears." The screen showed A girl crying and her tear becoming a gem while Koenma was talking. Botan recognized it, "Yes, the hiruseki stone. In the black market those stones sell easily for thousands."
The screen showed a helicopter landing and Koenma started talking again, "Here is the human behind the operation. His name in Gonzu Tarukane." The video showed a bald man with a bump on his head, flabby cheeks and a moustache, he was also wearing a purple business suit. Koenma continued, "A jeweler and a thug. He's made something of a name and a fortune for himself from the black market by selling rare jewels."
Kuwabara voiced out, "He's too ugly to be a human." Yusuke pointed out, "He's too ugly to be anything." Koenma spoke, "Here are the most recent pictures we have of Yukina and Ceres. Memorize their faces." The screen showed the sealed window with a girl sitting there, upon further inspection the girl became Yukina. There was another girl there too. She was kneeling to the left of Yukina, she had her head resting on the backs of her hands which were on Yukina's lap, and Yukina was petting the girl's head and running her fingers in the girls long green curls. Upon closer inspection, this became Ceres.
Koenma once again spoke, "This mission goes far beyond jewelry thieves. It is imperative that you bring them back quickly." Kuwabara started blushing at the sight of Yukina's face, while Botan said, "Oh, I feel awful for her. We have to leave today." Kuwabara stood up while Yusuke asked, "What's his deal?" Kuwabara's shoulders started shaking and Yusuke started laughing nervously while saying, "You look miserable." Kuwabara slowly said, "I think I'm in love." Yusuke asked, "What?" Kuwabara yelled, "Well c'mon Urameshi! Let's send those bad guys to the moon!" Yusuke pointed out, "I thought you weren't coming?" Kuwabara got in his face and yelled, "Shut up, don't try and dress up the facts again! I'm a good friend and I can't let you go save her alone! She's suffering!" Yusuke asked, "Her? There are two of them, who do you mean?" Kuwabara yelled, "Yukina, of course!" Just then Kuwabara realized his sister was in the room and asked "Shizuru?" Botan and Yusuke turned around to see the brunette in the doorway. Botan asked, "How long have you been here?"
Shizuru replied, "Calm down princess. I just heard you watching that weirdo movie so I thought you'd like some kiddy snacks or something." Yusuke said, "We're just watching fuzz." Botan backed him up, "Fuzz, yes, fuzz. We find it relaxing." Shizuru said, "Oh then I must have imagined the little boy with the pacifier giving you orders." Yusuke laughed nervously and said, "Kids today with your wild imaginations." Botan cut in, "Give up Yusuke, spirit awareness must run in Kuwabara's family." Kuwabara started yelling, "Okay Shizuru, you win! Now can we have some money for the bus? Like maybe a million or so? That's enough right." Shizuru leaned against the doorway, "Kiddo for a million bucks you can take a bus to Hawaii. Here's fifty." She tossed Kuwabara her wallet and her grinned, then yelled while running out the house, "Yeah! Okay, I'll see you guys in a couple days!" Botan pointed out, "You think he knows the way to the mountain?" Yusuke replied, "Doubt it." Shizuru turned her head and looked at them, and said, "That's my baby brother for you. Better eat your snacks, it'll take him a few hours to realize he doesn't know where he's going. Lets' watch that video again." Botan and Yusuke had a priceless face on when Shizuru said that.
-:-
A helicopter landed near a mansion in a thick forest. And a man stepped out while a butler bowed to him saying, "Welcome back your excellency." The man that came from the helicopter was revealed to be Tarukane. Tarukane asked, "What's wrong she cry?" The butler confessed, "No. I confess we've been having trouble with that sir. She seems to have stripped herself of all emotion, and if we get near her, the other girl attacks us." Tarukane scoffed, "You broads are all alike, ask them nicely and they stiff it up like a dead bug. That's why I brought in some experts."
A large man stepped out of the helicopter with a smaller man on his shoulder. Tarukane talked again, "These germs are called the Toguro brothers, leaders of the apparition game. The butler asked, "The leaders of the apparition game, sir? Are they not the one's who capture and sell demons?" The butler bowed and Tarukane laughed, "Yeah, turns out they do business in all varieties of areas, including some demon torture." The tall man spoke, "Let us handle it from here. We will make her cry.
-:-
Up in the tower of the mansion sat two girls, Ceres and Yukina. Yukina sitting in the chair and Ceres sitting on her knees next to Yukina, both looking at birds resting in their hands. A bird was on Yukina's shoulder and another was on Ceres' head, along with one on each of Yukina's hands and a one on Ceres' right hand. Yukina started talking, "Oh sweet bird, if we had wings like you do I promise you we wouldn't be staying here. Oh, don't you see?" Yukina lifted her right hand to the sealed window and the bird on that hand flew to Yukina's left. Yukina touched the seal and her hand was shocked a little, she pulled her hand away and covered the burns she received with her left hand. Ceres moved her head onto Yukina's lap and the bird resting on her head moved to Ceres' knees.
Yukina continued, "There are many better places birds, far away from us." The door to the room opened and some one walked up the cage where the two girls were. The birds on Ceres flew away as she got up and stood protectively in front of Yukina. Yukina held up her hands and ordered to the birds, "Go free." The birds flew out of the room.
Yukina started freezing the room, making everything have icicles. Ceres hugged Yukina and whispered, "They're on their way. Soon we can leave this prison." Tarukane and the Toguro brothers neared the cage while Tarukane explained the freezing temperature, "Everytime we come to visit she freezes the room. Frigid little whore huh? There she is the girl in the chair, a real knockout huh? The other one is too, just she isn't as valuable. When it comes to feelings her heart's been frozen shut. Well open the door boys."
Yukina created a barrier around herself and Ceres, while Ceres rose and glared at the Toguro brothers and stood protectively in front of Yukina. Tarukane started speaking, "Well, well you decided to warm up to your Uncle Tarukane yet?" Ceres spoke in a murderous tone, "Leave us alone or you will not live to see tomorrow." Just as she said that an earthquake happened shaking the mansion fiercely, the strange thing was it was only the mansion that shook. Toguro stepped forward into Yukina's barrier that started shocking him.
Ceres glared at him and he flicked both Yukina and Ceres, but they didn't even so much as flinch. Though Yukina got a bleeding cut on her cheek and Ceres a cut on her arm. The two just stared straight ahead. Tarukane started talking, "Don't bother, we've already tried filling those girls up with every kind of pain imaginable. No matter what they just stare at the wall." Yukina's cut healed and so Ceres' but just then two birds returned. Yukina stood up alarmed and Ceres turned her head to look at the birds. Yukina screamed at the birds, "Stay away!" While Ceres yelled, "Don't come to us!"
The birds still flew towards them ignoring Yukina yelling, "It isn't safe!" The youngest Toguro smirked and said, "Brother." The eldest replied, "Of course." The eldest Toguro extended his fingers and wrapped them around the two birds, enjoying hearing Ceres and Yukina gasp. Yukina turned to face the Toguro Brothers and started yelling, "Please don't hurt them!" The youngest brother backhanded Yukina across the face. Ceres rushed to Yukina's side and helped her get up. The youngest Toguro spoke, "These innocent little birds keep you two company and give you two a small reason to hope don't they? Well too bad you're feelings have betrayed them." The eldest reeled the birds into the cage wrapped around them completely. Yukina begged, "Please spare them!" Ceres pleaded, "Please they never did anything wrong!" Yukina yelled, "Please!" The eldest started crushing them and Yukina and Ceres gasped hearing the birds' bones crack leaving a feather to slip through the eldest's fingers. Yukina and Ceres started crying and yelling, "No!" Yukina's tears turned to hiruseki stones, while Ceres' tears turned into diamonds the two grabbed onto each other shaking slightly.
Yukina gave in, "I'll do anything you want, I don't care!" Ceres nodded signaling she agreed too. Tarukane looked shell shocked. "Oh you've done quite enough ladies." Tarukane said while picking up the gems they shed. "For now anyways. You two are going to make me a fortune, you know that?" He added. Tarukane said to the Toguro brothers, "How creatures like them can have feelings is beyond me. To think they made all that fuss about some stinkin' birds." Then Tarukane yelled at Yukina and Ceres, "Now get off the floor and clean your faces, I like my people to look happy when I'm having a good day." He turned and headed out while yelling, "Call the market boys!" Toguro left too after saying, "You can make this easier on yourselves. Give up hope and start practicing how to cry."
As soon as everyone left the room Yukina asked, "Ceres? Are sure they will come?" Ceres smiled and nodded, "Yes. And they will win."
-:-
Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan were dropped off at a bus stop which showed a perfect view of the area. Yusuke commented, "Wow! Now this is a big waste of space." Botan replied, "You know Yusuke, some people like the wilderness." Yusuke then said, "Yeah old hermits and people that don't know how to talk to girls." Kuwabara started walking ahead of them and Yusuke asked him, "Hey! Where you going?" Kuwabara didn't respond so Yusuke and Botan shared a look.
Without them noticing the statue by the bus stop opened it's eyes and stared at them with glowing red eyes.
-:-
Tarukane was staring at the gems Yukina and Ceres made, delighted. Tarukane started talking, "You brothers came with a big price tag on but you sure get the job done. I'm gonna make a killing." Tarukane looked over his shoulder and continued, "What's the word? Are the Market boys ready to buy yet?" The butler came and whispered in Tarukane's ear, "Problem sir. We've spotted intruders."
Tarkane reasoned, "All the way here in the mountains? Huh, they're no doubt some gold diggers trying to cash in on my scheme. Kill them." Just then the younger Toguro interrupted, "Tarukane. Grant a favor? Allow our demons to deal with these intruders." The elder Toguro laughed at this.