Please read disclaimer from Chapter 1.
Chapter 2.
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The sound of summer breeze washed over Kurama and blew his hair across his face. He could feel himself smiling calmly as he looked down the hill.
She waved her arm at him from below the hill, her top knot bobbing with her excited movements. Her hands waved in the air and beckoned him down the hill into the tall grass where she stood in her white dress that flowed like wings behind her in the light summer air.
Kurama chuckled as he watched her grab the ends of her dress and spin around in a gleeful dance. She looked small within the field, small enough for him to hold between his arms and press against his chest that began to burst with feelings he only had when he could see her. He placed his hands in his pockets to stop himself from reaching out and watched her leap into the grass, the white wings of her dress diving and disappearing into the green and yellow sea and then reappearing seconds after like a dolphin skipping. She jumped up before him with a crystal prism between her thumb and four finger holding it high above them and into the cloudless sky that illuminated with a pastel magenta.
"Look," she said, the crystal painting a rainbow across the bridge or her nose and trailing onto Kurama's cheek. It drew a colorful line across his eye, through his forehead and disappeared into his hair. He knew the rainbow was reflecting onto both of them and even though she told him to look into the crystal he watched her face and admired the colors dancing across her cheeks as she rotated the prism between the both of them beneath the ray of the sun. Her face a perfect vision that he found thinking about even as the sky started to darken and tall grass begin to fade like a painting being dripped in oil.
Suddenly, a loud blaring noise interrupted his shameless staring and his eyes followed the turn of her head to the right where a train shot by through a tunnel. Kurama turned back to where she was but was found alone. Gone. He looked around the train station, the blaring sound echoed through the now filled halls of strangers passing by with their luggage and family members. He looked down and in his hand was the crystal, colorless and transparent in the palm of his hand.
Wait, no.
He tried to keep his eyes closed but the light began to bleed in.
"Asleep, again?" said Yusuke, grabbing his bag out from the cabin above Kurama's head.
Kurama briefly looked around, awakening from his nap. He ran his hands over his knees to comfort himself back to reality. "I suppose so," he answered, grabbing his bag and looping the strap over his shoulder.
His face grew impatient with the familiar emptiness that she left him with after his dreams. He didn't know of a reason as to why he was dreaming of this girl and couldn't think of any explanation but the emptiness that she left him with constantly made him wonder when it was the next time he would see her again, even if she was just an apparition of his dreams.
"You've been pretty tired lately," Yusuke said.
"Nothing more than usual, the trip was quite long" Kurama answered, "long enough to put Kuwabara in a decent sleep as well". He nodded his head to the aisle across where Kuwabara still sat, his head hung down between his knees, a line of drool almost reaching the floor.
Yusuke looked over to Kuwabara and smirked then returned his attention back to their conversation.
"I guess, I mean-" He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, unsure as to ask the right questions to the answers he was looking for. "If something is going on with ya, you let us know, okay?" His question was more of a demand with the particular inflection in his voice at the end and Kurama just acknowledged his statement with a small smile of his own and shuffled his way out from the tight space between the seats and headed off the train with the team.
Koenma's office looked smaller and more drab than usual. The walls were new with navy blue wallpaper and trimmed with gold at each corner and there were tall ivory pillars lining the left wall from where they entered. There were five pillars in total but only two had special artifacts in display boxes sitting on top of the ivory slabs.
"We're here!" chimed Botan, leading the group into Koenma's space, her loud entrance causing Koenma to look up from his paperwork.
"Ah! Welcome back!" Koenma said, his light blue binky tipping up and down with each word.
"So, what's the deal now, binky boy?" started Yusuke, his lips pursed out arrogantly. He crossed his arms as he looked around the new room, disinterested. This was the second time this summer that they have been called in to spend time within the Makai. Granted, it was because of his obligation to this realm but he couldn't help but feel impatient when he would rather be hanging out at the beach with his wife.
"No time for small chat, I see. Well then, good because I have a very important situation on my hands, Yusuke!" He said with a raised voice, his finger lifting higher as he tried to make a point with key words.
"I hope this one wont take too long this time, Koenma. Last time I almost missed my final and Kurama- " Yusuke socked Kuwabara in the shoulder playfully and gave him a side look.
"The faster he spits it out the quicker we're out of here, what's going on now? A damsel in distress? A missing person? The universe is going to shit again?"
Koenma's eyes narrowed, "No, nothing like that. I would go myself but my presence would be too much of a give away. We just need to acquaint ourselves with a new empire" He said, tilting his chin up.
"Does he mean our Empire?" she said.
Kurama turned around, startled to see the girl standing behind him, as clear as day staring at him quizzically with her bright brown eyes. She smiled.
Yusuke turned to her, "Great point, Botan".
Kurama furrowed his brows, he looked at Yusuke, back to the girl, Yusuke then to Botan. Botan stared back at him.
"Is there something on my face?" Botan said with a nervous chuckle as she watched Kurama's face return to normalcy. Botan touched her cheek gently and quietly looked at everyone else around her but concluded she was the only one to see the unfamiliarity that swept across Kurama's eyes when he looked at her.
"Yes. Great point." Kurama repeated, following Yusuke's lead.
"Yes, good point indeed, Botan. That is why I will be giving you these official seals so there is no question of your authenticity. You guys will be posing as royal merchants, on a trading expedition for selecting goods." continued Koenma.
"This hardly seems urgent." scoffed Hiei as he rolled his eyes. "If I'm not needed, I'm heading back."
"Wait!" Koenma said, reaching out his baby hand. " I'm not finished. Of course, there is a reward for your time and genuine benefit from this mission. You see, this empire has just recently seen high successes due to an ancient relic, which is what they are using to assert their authority over the eastern lands."
"Sounds like some sloppy demon politics, I don't see the risk in this yet" said Yusuke, crossing his arms, still not convinced of their involvement.
"We have no Intel on the actual relic that they are using yet and if they begin to get too greedy we need to ensure that we are prepared and understand it's strengths and weaknesses ." the baby answered, reclining back into his leather seat. "I already handed all of your traveling gear to Botan for your safe passage, failure isn't an option, bring me back as much information on the relic as possible."
"As exciting as this is, we didn't really discuss what this reward -" started Yusuke.
Koenma snapped his chubby fingers and Jorge rushed over to the edge of Koenma's desk and slammed on the blue emergency button.
"Hey!" shouted Kuwabara.
The floor beneath them suddenly parted like the opening flaps to a cardboard box.
Koenma waved goodbye with mischievous smile, his blue binky bobbing between his teeth as he chuckled, "Your reward is the security of the Makai!"
"No!" Yusuke shouted angrily as they fell down the trap door into the spinning portal below.
The portal spat them out one bye one, everyone steadily landing on their feet except for Kuwabara, eating purple dirt and Botan who landed, bottom first, onto his back. Kuwabara let out a heavy sigh.
Yusuke pulled out their communicator, his frustration showing in his rough movements. The blue compact showed nothing but white noise. In his frustration, Yusuke slammed the compact closed and placed back in his pocket, placing his hands on his hips and looking around the foreign environment.
"What the actual fuck, Koenma?"
"Now, now, Yusuke. This isn't much different from how we usually come into these things," Botan stated, fixing her dress.
"Where are we, anyway?" asked Kuwabara. He leaned into a shrub beside him, looking at the exotic flower. It's petals had bright purple stripes across it's deep navy blue base with an illuminating stem. "Everything here is so pretty," he continued, about to smell the plant.
Suddenly, he was pulled back from the bush by the gruff of his shirt, his thick collar band almost choking him.
"That's dangerous, one smell and it will place you in a deep sleep that you will be incapable of waking up from." said Kurama, releasing Kuwabara's shirt.
Kuwabara's eyes widened and he quickly added additional distance between himself and the bush.
"A great opportunity, missed" said Hiei, slowly trailing behind Yusuke.
"Well we're-" Botan lifted a finger to her head to try to recall the information Koenma provided to her before this excursion.
"In the most Eastern lands of the Makai, also known as Ko'glea. Currently, under the reign of Prime Minister Lee. Their castle is just a few miles north east. " Kurama looked around carefully at the exotic vegetation and open land, everything was vibrant with beautiful lush colors of blues and purples. The dirt itself was purple, the sky a soft pink that reflected wonderfully in the streams of calm water.
"Yes! Exactly!" agreed Botan, cheerfully. She skittered over to where Kurama was and smiled, " I didn't think you've ever been here before." she added.
Kurama looked ahead, "I haven't".
Together, they traveled North East until the castle was visible. Botan assigned them their badges, roles and props. Yusuke and Botan were assigned the royal merchant badges, the talkative roles; Yusuke being the lead. Koenma didn't necessarily think that Yusuke would be the best candidate for this but knew he wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut to be anything else. Hiei and Kurama were assigned as the royal merchants official guards and Kuwabara was assigned the royal chariot or in less glamorous scenarios, the mule. He was pretty upset but without anyone wiling to trade he had no other choice as it was the only badge left.
Upon arrival of the giant ivory structure, they were confronted with a massive black gate that pulsed with a venomous protective aura that opened it's entrance widely for the party to enter. As they walked onto the court yard they could feel the eyes of the Minister's guards, seizing them up as they walked through the domesticated vegetation, wide land and through the large double doors, heavy with marble and chunks of complementary gems.
The only sound that could be heard within the gigantic hall they were lead into were the sounds of their footsteps clacking against the porcelain floors that mirrored their universe and slowly as they approached, whispers were heard.
Prime Minister Lee sat on his throne with three guards standing before him at the foot of the mini-stairway and two advisers standing on the second to last step at the top below the Prime Minister.
Another man, dressed in clothing almost as well fitted and majestic and the Prime Minister himself was leaning in closely to the Prime Minister, listening while looking down at his hand that gently rested on the Highness' shoulder. His hair was dark and framed his strong facial features that complemented his slim frame. The man briefly looked up from the Highness' shoulder to see Yusuke and his gang waiting for their audience. His sharp eyes connected with Kurama's emerald ones and although Kuarma couldn't read what the man's eyes were trying to say, he felt a sense of hostility.
The man straightened himself and slowly strode down the steps and made off to another stairway to the right that lead above their meeting room and disappeared into a sealed room. Kurama watched his every movement. Immediately at the man's exit the Prime Minister reached an arm out elegantly and welcomed his guests.
"I've been expecting you," he said, his voice shaky with age.
"Thank you for having us," answered Botan. They all bowed simultaneously, albeit Kuwabara was a little late and not quite in sync but he managed to follow their lead.
"If my memory recalls, which it doesn't quite due well anymore," started the Prime Minister with a friendly old smile, "You're here to set up potential trades."
Yusuke nodded his head and gave his best sales man smile, "Yep! We'll take a look at what you have to offer, old man."
The Prime Minister's eyes widened and he appeared stunned. Botan gasped and nudged Yusuke in the side.
"I'm sorry, Prime Mi-" started Botan.
He held up his hand and smiled, his eyes squinting with amusement and chuckled a little.
"You're quite excited, I won't take up much of your time. Jakan here will take you over to our trade center and arrange your stay." He nodded his head over to one of the scholar looking men at the second to last step who hurriedly pulled up the clipboard he had at his side to the front of his chest and worked his way from behind the body guards to Botan's side. He bowed deeply to the Prime Minister.
"Yes, Prime Minister!" He said honorably with a cheeky smile.
"And Jakan, tell them about the ceremony, perhaps we can extend their stay past their vocation. It is important that our guests understand the culture from which they will be conducting business with."
"Oh, yes, sir!" answered Jakan, writing down notes on his clipboard.
Prime Minister Lee looked back over at his guests with a soft smile and nodded his head, "May our beautiful land offer you new and exciting material for your country." he said with an elegant bend of his neck.
"Thank you!" cheered Botan.
"Yes, yes, now follow me" said Jakan, pushing up his round glasses and hunching over slightly as he beckoned them over to the exit of the palace. As they were exiting, Kurama could hear whispers again and as the massive double doors began to collapse into each other behind him, through the slowly dissipating sliver, he could see the young man again, leaning into the Prime Minister and whispering.
". . . is still asleep . . "
The doors closed and covered his vision with white.