Hiei explained, "This is Kurama's true form as a demon but I have a feeling he's not like this on purpose." He looked down at the fox in front of him.
"How are we supposed to know what happened and how to help if he can't tell us anything?" Yusuke asked.
Genkai asked, "Kurama, can you still write?" He nodded. She pulled out some paper and a pen for him on the floor of her house.
Everyone gathered around while Kurama put the pen in his mouth and started writing. Yusuke said, "What the hell Kurama, your handwriting is atrocious how are we supposed to read this?"
"He's using his mouth, you fool," Hiei said.
Kurama wrote, A strange smell attracted me to an abandoned house. A woman was there and trapped me in a metal box. When I woke up from the gas she used I was like this and now I can't smell anything and my telepathy isn't working. He spit the pen out and showed them the paper.
Yusuke said, "This story doesn't make any sense."
"Where are you lost?" Hiei asked sarcastically.
Genkai said, "I've heard of such a solution. I have a powder of that kind of thing around here somewhere. Let me get it." She left the room.
Hiei asked, "Did this woman give you any clues?"
Kurama nodded and put the pen back in his mouth. She mentioned the dark tournament, but it was clear she didn't know who I was before trapping me. She had to make sure I was Yoko Kurama. He spat the pen back out.
"What do you think, Hiei?" Yusuke asked.
"It sounds like one of our competitors is trying to handicap us," he replied.
Genkai came back into the room with a bag. She reached it in and threw some dust at Hiei. "What the hell?!" he shouted and coughed. He instantly turned into his green demon form with extra eyes.
"This dust forces demons to reveal one of their fullest forms," she explained, "the dust only lasts a few minutes at the most but there is a liquid solution that once injected lasts 6 months." She looked at Kurama.
"6 months!" Yusuke shouted, "We don't have that kind of time, grandma. Is there a way to reverse it before then?"
She thought for a moment and said, "I personally have never had a need to reverse it's effects. Koenma will have the answer to that."
Yusuke stood up and said, "Let's go then!"
"Where are you going?" Genkai demanded.
"To help Kurama!" Yusuke shouted.
"You still need more training," she said, "Hiei can go with Kurama."
No, Kurama thought, our strength will lie in numbers. Yusuke should go too. He grabbed Yusuke's pant leg by his teeth and tugged on it. Then showed his teeth to Genkai.
"Hn," Hiei said, almost showing a smile.
Yusuke said, "Looks like you're outnumbered on opinions grandma. I'll be back from spirit world soon, I promise!" Hiei transformed back into his regular self as Yusuke ran out the door with Kurama.
"Dimwits!" Genkai shouted from the doorway at all three of them.
In spirit world all three of them stood before Koenma. "Wow Kurama," Koenma said, "you're looking mighty foxy."
I don't appreciate that, Kurama thought, and showed his teeth.
"Looks like he didn't like that comment," Yusuke said.
Hiei asked, "Do you have a solution or not?"
Koenma explained, "Yes. Pollin from a flower deep within demon world reverses it's effects, but spirit world doesn't have any control near there so any portal I can send for you won't be anywhere near it." He showed a picture of a pink and purple flower on the screen.
The submisive flower! Kurama thought, Of course! Just rolling it in it should get me back to normal. Koenma's right however, it'll take a few days just to get to the valley that it grows in. That's not the kind of time that we can afford.
Hiei said, "I've seen that kind of flower before. My legs felt like they were on fire for days after I walked through a field of them once."
Koenma said, "Fire demons are allergic to them. If you inhale any of the pollin you'll be sick for days afterward."
"I'm not going," Hiei said.
Hiei we'll need your strength! Kurama begged. He tugged on Hiei's jacket some more.
Yusuke said, "Aw, look at him."
"Get off of me!" Hiei demanded as he kicked him away.
Yusuke replied, "So I guess you want Kurama to be stuck this way through the dark tournament. I've never been to demon world so I'll need your help on this Hiei. Come on, once we get to the flowers you don't have to get anywhere near them." Hiei narrowed his eyes at him.
"Yes," Koenma said, "and strength lies in numbers so I'll ask Kuwabara to join you. I know you're all training for the tournament, just think of this as extra training."
Kurama tugged at Hiei's jacket again, then bent down and used his paw to point at his nose. Ask Koenma why my sense of smell isn't working, neither is my telepathy! He begged.
"What now?" Hiei asked.
"Oh!" Yusuke said, "Kurama said that his nose isn't working, and neither is his telepathicness."
"Telepathy," Hiei corrected, "mine won't work on him either."
Koenma said, "Who knows what else that woman injected into him. The scent she used killed his nose for the time being. That should go away within a month or so. She must have injected something else in you for your telepathy to not work."
Yusuke said, "Great, so we grab Kuwabara and then make our way to demon world."
"Wait," Koenma said, he threw something at lightning speed that clamped to Hiei's left wrist.
"What the hell is this?!" Hiei demanded as he pulled down his sleeve.
"That's just a tracker so I can watch you from here," he explained.
Hiei said, "I'm not a fool, Koenma. This is tracker so you'll make sure I'll come back to human word. Have you forgotten that Toguro promised to kill all of us if we don't show up?"
Koenma replied, "Fine Hiei, to put it bluntly I don't trust you. Anyway, don't worry about Kuwabara, I'll send Botan out to retrieve him. Wait here while I get a portal ready." Hiei glared at him.