Chapter one: the bounty will have to wait

"….and therefore, if you are not here in two days, your friend's life will be forfeit. It is your decision. Until!" static erupted upon the screen as the video ended. Koenma sat back and folded his hands.

"Hmm. This could be a problem." The child ruler mused. Kurama grimaced, worried.

"We have to find him, Koenma. I cannot lose my best friend because of some sadistic demon's games." The fox asserted.

"That is understood, Kurama. But we have no idea where to start looking. If she had given us any sort of clue…." Koenma muttered, worry creasing his forehead

A commotion erupted outside the door and George burst through, panting. Someone was screaming outside, and one of the guards was screaming back.

"LET ME IN!!! I HAVE TO SEE KOENMA! IT'S IMPORTANT!!! I-…"

"Shut up! You think you can just barge in here and expect him to just let you in?! Do you even know who you're talking about???"

Koenma's face grew red. "George! What is going on? Can you not see that I'm very very very—"

"She says she has information about Hiei!" the ogre blurted before Koenma could finish. Kurama looked at Koenma with a surprised expression on his face. Koenma sighed.

"Fine, let her in. And don't make a habit of interrupting me, you useless dolt." He waved George off. A couple of lesser ogres came in, dragging between them the miscreant in question. Kurama caught his breath. Between them was a young girl, whose scent the youko was very familiar. Her waist-length hair was dark brown, mixed with red and gold, framing a heart shaped face and covering one of her forest green eyes. She was muscled in the most feminine way and not much taller than Hiei. A wolf spirit, deadly and beautiful and at the moment, very very agitated. She snarled in surprise.

" So this is how low the reikai has fallen, to associate with common criminals?" the girl mused, raising an eyebrow. One of the guards growled and raised a hand to hit her, but Koenma interceded.

"Don't hit her. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Let her go and get out." He commanded. The ogre's bowed and left, practically falling over each other on their way out. "Now. As for you. What is your name?"

"Kaari."

"And why are you here?"

"Sir, I am a bounty hunter by trade. I tracked HIM," she pointed at Kurama, "for ages and finally gave up when I thought he was killed…anyway following a warrant out for Hiei I was hot on his trail and then another scent began to mix with his…fresher than his…I realized that someone else was following him. I continued on, and at one point his scent vanished altogether, replaced by the other one. I followed it, and came to a warehouse near the border of Yomi's territory…"she continued, running out of breath.

" Alright. Thank you for that information. You have been very helpful. May I ask a favor of you?" Koenma asked.

"Sure, alright." Kaari responded.

"When I send my team out to retrieve Hiei, would you accompany them and aid in the endeavor?" Koenma probed.

"WHAT? WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD…IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM! Why would you ask me to do that…?" Kaari exploded. Koenma held up a hand to silence her.

"It is not a matter of if you will. It is an order, and I expect you will follow through with it, else you will be jailed. Is that clear?" he demanded. Kaari lowered her eyes and frowned.

"Yes, sir." She growled.

…………………………………………………………………..

Ten minutes later Kurama was walking down the hall with Kaari. There was a ridiculously awkward silence hanging between them. Finally the youko broke it.

"So. Now that we've been forced to become allies, what about working on being friends next?" he mused. Kaari looked at him incredulously.

"Huh. I don't know. I don't normally associate with the likes of you." She muttered.

Kurama spun on her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Let go of me you-…" she began but he cut her off.

"Listen to me, Kaari. I know we may have been enemies in the past, but lets put that behind us now, okay? Your attitude has got to change or Hiei's life is forfeit, and while that might not mean anything to you, he is my closest friend and if I lose him…" tears welled up in the fox's eyes and Kaari felt the twinges of guilt deep inside her. "Please, Kaari. I know this is asking a lot from you…but please…and if not for me or for Hiei then do it for you. So maybe one day you can catch him and be famous or whatever the reward might be." He hit his knees and hid his face with his hair. "please…god, that's all I ask. Just try…try to put our differences aside just until we get him back…" he sobbed.

Kaari didn't know what to do. Here was someone she'd always regarded as an enemy, sobbing at her feet. Unconsciously she buried her fingers in his hair and lowered herself down to eye level with him.

"Kurama…I will do everything in my power to help you get Hiei back. I've never seen any relationship like this between two demons but whatever it is it has to be something special for you to be this affected, so I will help, okay?" she murmured in his ear. He looked up at her in surprise.

"Really? Thank you so much, Kaari!" he hugged her fiercely. She blushed furiously, and wondered- not for the first time- what she had just gotten herself into.