Last time found our heroes and allies meeting up with Ognio Chihiro, whom guided them to Yubaba's Bathhouse in the spirit world. There they met up with a handful of spirits whom Chihiro had met when she ventured into the spirit world when she was younger. Meanwhile, the dark cabal consisting of The Three High Priests of Gorgom, The Lord of Illusions, Brother Courtney, the fog-like demon Shadowcast and a mysterious woman in black, conspired to steal something from Yubaba. At roughly the same time, newlyweds Rapunzel and Eugene encountered Kairi and decided to help her. Elsewhere, Alegra met and conscripted the assistance of one Urameshi Yusuke. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

Chapter 2: The Witch of the Bathhouse

"This place is huge!" Sora exclaimed as he and the others were shown by Lin and Chihiro through the bathhouse. Aside from the many frog spirits maintaining the establishment, there were also several Yuna spirits, women with slug-like attributes; elongated faces and bodies, as well as long black hair and high eyebrows. They were responsible for serving the bathhouse guests, as well as cooking, cleaning and building maintenance.

At first glance, the many workers of the bathhouse eyed Sora, Riku, Tess, Aiden, Malcolm, Roxas, Naminé, Tara, Jana, Hezekiah, Felicia, Julia, Steven, Mark, Frankie, Andy, Howleen and Toralei with suspicious eyes that borderline on hostility. But then they saw that Lin was with them, so they relaxed somewhat. But then they recognized Chihiro and welcomed her as a long lost friend, while at the same time becoming more open towards our heroes and allies.

"Yeah, they're all a nice bunch," said Lin after Sora and the others got past the bathhouse workers and made their way towards the elevators, "when they're not scrambling for tips from the customers."

"I thought Yubaba raised everyone's pay," said Chihiro.

"She did," said Lin, "but unfortunately, nearly everyone working here wants more. Me, I'm okay with what I've got, but I'm still saving up. Once I have enough and when I figure out where to go, I'll tell Yubaba to kiss my weasel butt and get out of here."

"You're a weasel?" Frankie asked, "you look like a Normie to me."

"And you're no human," said Lin as she eyed Frankly coldly.

"What…I…of course I'm human," said Frankie nervously as she tried to laugh it off, "I'm just your average Normie girl out on an adventure."

"Oh, forget about it, Frankie," said Toralei, "the jig is up, she knows we're Monsters."

"She knows?" Andy asked as his hand went to his Shimmer belt buckle, while Howleen touched her earrings.

"She knew the second she saw us," said Toralei, "so there's no reason why we should hide who we are." She then touched her earring in a manner that deactivated the Shimmer, returning her to her werecat form.

"Wow!" said an astonished Chihiro, "I mean, I knew that you were Monsters, but to really see you the way you really are, it's just…wow!"

"You think Toralei's impressive," said Howleen, "check this out!" she then deactivated her Shimmer, revealing her true werewolf form, while Frankie deactivated her Shimmer.

"I…don't think I will," said Andy.

"Why not?" Frankie asked, "Sora and the others are okay with us being Monsters, and so is Chihiro."

"Darn right I'm okay with it," said Chihiro.

"I'm okay too, just so you know," said Lin.

"Now that we don't have to worry about scaring anyone," said Frankie, "I feel kinda silly about hiding my true, terrifying self."

"You shouldn't be ashamed about who you are," said Felicia, "we Meta Humans have to keep our existence a secret because mortals, as a whole, would be terrified of our powers." She then frowned, "now that I think about it, it's a stupid policy."

"It's what the higher ups in The Bureau decided when they first started using Metas," said Julia.

"That was decided when the world was still scared of Nazi's and communists," Felicia, "our world has changed since the 1940's and 50's. It's better in some ways, worse in others, but humanity has grown. If they can accept Monsters, if only on a 'live and let live' level, then they should be able to accept humans with super powers."

"We can take it up with Patricia when we get home," said Mark, "but right now we need to focus on the mission."

"And our mission right now is to talk to Yubaba," said Riku.

"Which I'm going to call her about right now," said Lin.

But then one of the frogs ran up to the group, "Lin! The boss wants to talk to you right now!"

"She does?" Lin asked, "well, better not keep the big cheese waiting." She then went to a nearby telephone that had a blinking red jewel, signifying a call on hold.

Lin picked up the receiver and pressed the jewel, "I'm here, boss…yes…yes, she's here…they're all here, how did you…of course you knew, I'm not doubting your powers, boss…no, I'm not making fun of you…I'm not making fun of you…I am not making fun of you, boss! I'm just…yes…yes, I'll send them right up…no, no it's just them…okay…yeah, I'll keep an eye out for them…yes, I know they're very important customers from another world…I'll make sure they get the full treatment…I'll dock my own pay if they're dissatisfied at all, just leave everything to me…yes, they're on their way up right now." With that she hung up.

"That didn't sound too good," said a concerned Chihiro.

"Yubaba's been under a lot of stress," said Lin, "but she'll talk to you and the others, Sen. She knew you were coming, don't ask me how, probably some crystal ball spell or something. Anyway, she wants to talk to you, Sora and the others, and to send the other group up as soon as they get here."

"What other group?" Aiden asked.

"She didn't say," Lin remarked.

"Well, Alegra did say that others would be coming," said Sora.

"I'd like to know where she gets her information," said Tess.

"Later," said Riku.

"I know," said Tess.

Lin then showed our heroes to the elevators and took them up to the top floor of the bathhouse They found themselves in a dark hallway, nearby stood a pair of large doors.

"Her apartment is on the other side of the doors," said Lin as she walked back to the elevator, "good luck."

"You're not coming in with us?" Chihiro asked.

"Are you kidding?" Lin asked "she doesn't want to talk with me, and I don't want be more involved than I already am. No offense, kid, but my neck isn't worth it."

"And ours is?" Aiden asked.

"You're the heroes here," said Lin, "I'm just a bathhouse foreman." She then walked into the elevator, "good luck!" she said again as the doors closed and it went back down.

"For some reason I feel insulted," said Howleen.

"You ain't alone, kido," said Toralei.

"Oh, she wasn't so bad," said Frankie, "at least she wished us good luck."

"You'll find that luck is only half the battle," said Tara.

"We'd better not keep Yubaba waiting," said Chihiro as she went to the doors. She was about to turn the handle and open them when she hesitated, "oh, no, not again." Her hand then went up to a doorknocker shaped like the head of an old woman and used it, knocking on the door three times.

Just then the doorknocker spoke, "well, looks like someone remembers her manners," it said. With that the door opened.

"What was that all about?" Sora asked.

"Uh," said a slightly embarrassed Chihiro, "I was kinda rude the first time I came to Yubaba's door."

"Let's hope that time does indeed heal all wounds," said Felicia.

Everyone then walked into the room beyond the doors, a long hall filled with multiple rows and columns of elaborately carved and painted pillars.

"I'll say this about the old witch," said Toralei as she ran a finger down one of the pillars, "she knows how to decorate a foyer."

"I'm amazed you even know how to use that word," said Mark.

"Watch it, pretty boy!" snapped Toralei as she brandished her claws, "or you'll never watch anything again."

"Just making an observation," said Mark.

Just then everyone heard the voice from the doorknocker again, "I don't have all day to wait while you admire my home!"

Suddenly, Sora and the others were pulled forward by a force that was almost like gravity. Within seconds, they were dragged through the pillar hall, past several more sets of doors and eventually arrived in a lavish study where several priceless treasures were displayed. A set of windowed doors opened out onto a balcony, with a warm fire burning in a nearby fireplace.

Sitting at a large oak desk was a large old woman of undetermined age. She was of average height but was proportionately huge, with an enormous head with a long nose and gray hair tied un a bun, a large mark between her huge brown eyes, gold earrings and wore a blue ruffled dress. She sat at her desk, counting gold coins.

"Well, Sen," said the old woman, Yubaba, without looking up from her coin counting, "you certainly grown up and out quite nicely." She then looked up at Chihiro, "and how are your darling parents? Have they learned their lesson?"

"If you mean if they've messed in things they shouldn't have," said Chihiro, "my mom and dad are fine living ordinary, normal lives. And what about you, Yubaba? I heard that you've become more open minded."

"Where there's opportunity to earn profit," said Yubaba, "you seek and grab it, even if it means accepting some changes and exploring new ideas." She then summoned an image of the nearby hotel and gardens, "take this for example. Who would have thought that so many humans on other worlds have interest in my little enterprise here."

"But your operations are being threatened by demons and Heartless," said Riku.

"Well, aren't you the perceptive Keyblade Wielder," said Yubaba. She then stood up and walked over, stopping by each of our heroes and allies to look at them, examining them from head to toe, "yes, yes you all have admirable qualities."

"Admirable?" Roxas asked, "is that all you've got to say about us?"

"What I've got to say about you all would fill volumes," said Yubaba, "but there's simply no time, and time is money," she then sat down at her desk again and summoned a large pipe and used a fire spell to light it with her finger.

Aiden let out an annoyed grunt as he moved away to avoid smelling the smoke.

"Oh don't be such a prude," said Yubaba. She then took a long puff from her pipe and exhaled the smoke through her large nostrils, "honestly, young man, you're overreacting."

"Overreacting?!" Aiden asked in an outraged tone, "you're poisoning yourself! Do you have any idea just how many toxic substances are in tobacco!?"

"And do you have any idea how long it took me to create a spell that neutralizes the various toxins in tobacco?" Yubaba asked, "besides, my brand of tobacco has no noxious odor."

"She's right," said Howleen as she sniffed the air.

"So, you see, young man," said Yubaba to Aiden as she pointed her pipe at him, "I'm not hurting anyone with my smoke. I'm an old, old woman with few pleasures in life, and I only have a few puffs a day, so why not indulge myself?" she then took another puff and exhaled the smoke through her nose.

"I still think it's wrong," said Aiden stubbornly.

"Why don't we just table this issue for now," said Naminé, "and get down to business."

"My favorite word," said Yubaba as she vanished her pipe, "now, about these demons and Heartless."

"You want us to get rid of them before they seriously bother your customers," said Steven.

"My regular guests are already bothered," said Yubaba, "but what's worse is that the dark things haven't actually harmed anyone, just scared them," she then sighed with frustration, "and there's nothing I can do to make those things stop! I've tried shield spells and wards, I've tried protective charms and runes, I've even tried going out and blasting them myself, and I have blasted quite a few!

"But it's not enough! No matter how many I destroy, more keep coming! The only thing I've been able to do is keep them out of the main throughway from the harbor to the bathhouse and from getting inside the bathhouse, but I have to renew the protective magic at every sundown, thank the heavens that the creatures only come out at night."

"Where else have the demons and Heartless been seen?" Tess asked.

"All over the grounds around the bathhouse," said Yubaba, "they've ignored the hotel, garden and human guests, fortunately, otherwise I would have lost that avenue of profit."

"You mean you've left humans exposed to the threat of demons and Heartless!?" exclaimed Malcolm, "forgive me, but are you insane!?"

"I've been called worse," said Yubaba, "now, apparently, the dark creatures have no interest in the visiting humans, only the bathhouse, it's staff and guests. Whatever intelligence that is controlling the things, it seeks someone or something inside my establishment, and I won't have it!"

"What could do you think the enemy wants?" Riku asked.

At that Yubaba sighed, "It could be anything," she then stood up and walked around the room, looking at the various treasures on display, "I've acquired several priceless items in gold, silver, precious gems, paintings, statues, not to mention several magical items of equally priceless value. And then, there's my employees. Many who work here have rather…colorful backgrounds."

"Colorful?" Frankie asked. "Colorful how?"

"I may hold contracts over all my staff," said Yubaba, "but not all of them are here against their will. Some of them came to me with nowhere else to go; they either had financial problems, family problems, legal problems, or just looking for somewhere to be, something to do.

"Do you think you were the only one to come to me with a sob story, Sen? Well, you're wrong. Kamajii himself had a rather sizeable gambling debt. He's worked it off by now and could have left at any time, but he chose to give you those train tickets. He'll deny it until the end of time, but he truly enjoys working for me."

"I…I didn't know," said an astonished Chihiro.

"While Lin, she was on the run from a jealous boyfriend," said Yubaba. "She's been without her true name for so long, she's forgotten all about it. She's truly found herself as my new foreman, but there is a clause in her contract that allows her to go free as soon as she truly wishes it."

"No way," said a still astonished Chihiro, "wait, was there a clause in my contract?"

"Yes, you just didn't look for the fine print," said Yubaba, "had you stayed with me for five years, you would have been free to go any time you wanted. Of course, you would have to had to leave behind your true name and forget about your parents, but then you would have been free."

"Let me see one of these contracts!" Malcolm insisted, "I want to take a look at this supposed fine print."

"Help yourself," said Yubaba as she summoned a sheet of parchment from her desk. It floated over to Malcolm, "but it won't do you much good. The specifics change to meet the conditions of the specific employees."

"I'd still like a look," said Malcolm as he summoned a magnifying glass and examined the contract.

"Anyway," said Yubaba, "I'm at my wits end with these blasted demons and Heartless. I can't worry about those horrible things and run my bathhouse at the same time."

"Say no more, we'll take care of it," said Sora.

"Fighting demons, Heartless and other dark things is what we Keyblade Wielders do best," said Riku.

"We've fought this kind of enemy before," said Mark, "we can handle any dark nasty that comes our way."

"Slice them up," said Felicia.

"Blast their brains out," said Julia.

"Or just rip them to pieces," said Steven, "that always work."

"And whoever or whatever's controlling the demons and Heartless," said Tara, "we'll stop them as well."

"Wait, maybe we can figure this out without fighting," said Frankie.

"What…what do you mean?" Sora asked, "how can we stop the enemy without fighting? We've always fought the enemy."

"There are alternatives to fighting," said Andy, "have you ever tried negotiating with the adversary?"

"You mean sit down and talk with the enemy?" Tess asked, "no, we've never done that."

"You can't just sit down and talk with someone like Xehanort and Maleficent," said Riku, "they're beyond negotiating with."

"I'm not surprised," said Frankie, "Kairi told me how horrible those two are."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" said Sora. He then showed Yubaba the sketch of Kairi, "have you seen her?"

"No," said Yubaba as she examined the sketch, "I would remember such a remarkable girl. I'm sorry, young man, but your dear lady is not here, at least as far as I know. But," she saw the disappointed look on Sora's face, "that may change. I'll keep an eye out for her. I'll even ask Zeneba to keep a watch for the girl."

"How are things with Zeneba?" Chihiro asked.

"Better, somewhat," Yubaba said, "better. We've stopped trying to meddle in each others affairs. I stay out of Swamp Bottom, she stays out of my bathhouse, we don't steal each others magical items and we maintain a cordial dialog." She then frowned, "but I haven't forgiven Zeneba enough to ask for her to come here and help. We've had too much bad blood between us to patch things up during a crisis. I'll ask my sister to watch out for the girl but that's it!"

"As long as she's looking," said Chihiro.

"Yeah, she might get lucky," said Sora in a hopeful tone.

"Then let's get started," said Riku, "we've got until sunset to get ready for the demons and Heartless."

"I'll ask Lin to show you around the grounds," said Yubaba, "she'll provide you with all the information you need."

"We'll be sure to give the enemy a welcome they'll never forget," said Aiden.

"Uh, Yubaba?" Chihiro asked, "have you heard from…"

"From Haku?" Yubaba asked irately. She exhaled sharply, a few burning embers escaping from her lungs, "I haven't seen nor heard from that backstabbing worm of a dragon since he left five years ago, nor do I wish to hear from him. Whatever feelings you have for him, Sen, forget about them. Haku may have helped you before, but he's moved on, as have I and so should you."

"I don't believe that," said Chihiro stubbornly, "Haku…he…"

Sora and the others could guess what Chihiro was about to say but she just couldn't say it.

"It doesn't matter," said Yubaba, "Haku is gone, but the demons and Heartless are still here."

Chihiro took a bracing breath and nodded in a serious manner, "I understand. I'll do what I can to fight the enemy."

"Then there's nothing else to say," said Yubaba. She then summoned an orange crystal and tossed it to Chihiro, "use this to let me know how things are going. Now, good luck, fight well and when this is all over," she then summoned several sheets of gold-colored parchment, "free passes to the bathhouse, on me. This includes room at the hotel, meals and full treatment in the baths."

"Wow, that's really generous of you, Yubaba," said Chihiro, yet Sora noticed that she was eying Yubaba suspiciously, but he put it out of his mind.

"I have my moments," said Yubaba, "now, get to it, young heroes!"

"We won't let you down," said Sora as he and everyone else bowed in respect.

They all then left the study and headed for the elevators.

"What do you think?" Hezekiah asked, "is the ancient sage on the level?"

"I couldn't tell," said Julia, "she's…something else."

"Greedy, shrewd and cunning," said Toralei. She then smiled, "I like her already."

"But she's also serious," said Malcolm, "she wouldn't need our help if she wasn't over he head in this matter."

"What about us?" Andy asked, "are we in over our heads?"

"We've been in deep trouble before," said Sora, "and we always come out of it in the end."

"Sometimes without a scratch," said Aiden.

"Let's hope that this time is one of those times," said Howleen, "I just know Clawdeen's gonna kill me if I don't come back alive."

"I think we'll have other things to worry about," said Aiden, "but that's just my opinion."

"She's still out of it," said Rapunzel as she and Eugene stood by a bed in their hotel suite. Kairi lay on the bed, a bandage wrapped around her head where Rapunzel hit her with the frying pan.

"What'd you expect?" Eugene asked, "you really conked her noggin."

"Yeah, well, she wasn't herself," said Rapunzel.

"How can you be sure of that?" Eugene asked, "how do we know she's not an escaped lunatic? She's probably some kind of psychopath."

"I don't think so," said Rapunzel as she looked at the unconscious Kairi, "she…I have a feeling that she isn't right in her head, but she's not really crazy. She needs our help, or…or something bad will happen."

"How bad?" Eugene asked.

"I…I don't know," said Rapunzel, "but I'm not going to turn my back on her," she then reached down to hold Kairi's hand, "whatever's happened to her, I won't let her stand alone."

"She's not doing much standing right now," said Eugene.

At that Kairi opened her eyes and looked at Eugene, "just wait until I stand up, I'll show you I'm not fragile."

"Oh my gosh!" said Rapunzel, "are…are you…"

"I'm a little sore all over," said Kairi as she stat up. She then winced as her hand went up to her forehead, "and I've got the headache of all headaches. What happened?"

"You…kinda scared me," said Rapunzel in a slightly embarrassed tone, "so I…"

"She bonked you on the head with a frying pan," said Eugene.

"Oh," said Kairi, "that explains the pounding in my forehead," she then looked around the room, "where am I now?"

"A special hotel in the spirit realm," said Rapunzel, "Eugene and I are here on our honeymoon. I'm Rapunzel, by the way."

"Kairi," she said, "now that I've calmed down, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Kairi," said Eugene, "now, if you don't mind, what are you doing here?"

At that Kairi lay back down in the bed, "I don't know," she said, "I'm starting to think my whole life has become one big nightmare," her eyes began welling up with tears, "and it'll only end when I'm dead. Everyone I love is dead or has been turned into horrible things that want to destroy me."

"What?" Rapunzel asked, "that can't be right. Surely you have friends and family you can…"

At that Kairi sat back up and glared angrily at Rapunzel, "didn't you hear me!? Everyone I love is dead or transformed into monstrous things! Everyone I make friends with ends up dead or turned. I'm cursed, I realize it now! I'm cursed, so the sooner I get used to it, the better off everyone else will be," she then moved to get out of bed, but Rapunzel gently pushed her back down.

"You're in no shape to be going anywhere," said Rapunzel, "the hotel doctor said that you need at least a day's rest."

"Doctors," said Kairi as she sat back up and undid the bandage around her head, "I don't really need them." She then healed the large bump on her head where she was struck by the frying pan. Kairi then realized that Rapunzel and Eugene were looking at her with astonished eyes, while Eugene looked like he was about to shout in fright. "What? You've never seen healing magic before?"

"Oh, you've got magic too?" Rapunzel asked. She then realized that her husband was about to overreact. "Please don't freak out!" she said hastily to Eugene, whose mouth was wide open, a stunted scream on the tip of his tongue.

"Uh…I'm not freaking out," said Eugene rapidly, "are you freaking out? I'm certainly not, I'm just admiring the fantastic power our new friend just displayed and the remarkable similarity it bears to yours," he then looked at Kairi, "how long have you been doing that, by the way?"

"A while," said Kairi, "look, I'm sorry I frightened you and I do appreciate you helping me, I really do, but the best thing for you two is to keep as far away from me as you can."

"Nonsense," said Rapunzel, "I refuse to believe that such a fantastic person like you is cursed. And I can take care of myself," she then hefted her frying pan, "I've got this little gem and I know how to use it."

At that Kairi laughed as the image of the tentacle monster that had been haunting her, being bashed in the head by Rapunzel and her frying pan.

"There's that smile I've been looking for," said Rapunzel as she also smiled.

"Hey, I can take care of myself and my wife too, you know," said Eugene, "I'm smarter than I look."

"I'll bet that's what you say to all your enemies," said Kairi.

"Actually, I just try to talk my way out of a sticky situation," said Eugene, "words are just as powerful as swords, as well as cunning and a dirty trick here and there."

"Just how many tight spots have you been in?" Kairi asked.

"A lot more than I'd like to count," said Eugene, "needless to say, my days as the gentleman thief Flynn Ryder are over."

"And you're the one who changed him," said Kairi as she looked at Rapunzel.

"Guilty as charged," said a smiling Rapunzel as she held Eugene's hand.

"Well," said Kairi, "I too have been in sticky situations before, but none like what I've been through."

"I think it'll help you feel better if you talk about it," said Rapunzel.

"It might just," said Kairi, "well…" she then blinked in surprised confusion, "did you know that there's a chameleon on your shoulder?"

"Oh, that's just Pascal," said Rapunzel as she looked down at her left shoulder, where Pascal had been the whole time, "he's a friend." At that Pascal smiled and waved at Kairi.

"Nice to meet you, Pascal," said Kairi. She then took a bracing breath and told Rapunzel, Eugene and Pascal about Sora and the others, how they were killed by the tentacle creature that stole Sora's face, turned Riku and the others into zombies, how they've been hounding her from one world to another and how every friend she has made has turned into a living nightmare that sought her own destruction.

"And there you have it," said Kairi, "now do you believe I'm cursed?"

"I'm starting to think that way," said Eugene cautiously.

"Not me," said Rapunzel, "I'm just stubborn that way. Kairi, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, not as long as I'm alive, and I plan to stay alive for a long time."

At that Kairi laid back on the bed, laying on her side facing away from Rapunzel and Eugene, "you won't be so eager to stay with me when the thing with Sora's face starts tearing you apart."

"I'm still not going to abandon you," said Rapunzel, "you see, my heart tells me that you need my help, so I'm going to help you, whether you want it or not. And don't even try to run away, I know a horse who can sniff you out in a heartbeat."

At that Kairi sat back up and looked at Rapunzel, "what kind of horse can do that?"

"A horse that reduced crime in our kingdom to almost nothing overnight," said Eugene, "and hogged all the apples, by the way."

At that Kairi smiled, "you know, I've got a feeling that you really can help me," she looked at Eugene, "you two, and Pascal, and your super horse."

"We'll introduce you to Maximus before sundown," said Rapunzel.

"What happens at sundown?" Kairi asked cautiously.

"That's when all the spirits come out to play," said Rapunzel, "and come to the bathhouse to refresh themselves." She then held up the two silver tickets, "and that's where we're going."

"Sounds like fun," said Kairi, "but I don't think I'm invited."

"Leave that to me," said Rapunzel as she smiled confidently, "Kairi, I think we're going to be very good friends."

"I think you're right," said Kairi, despite her fears about the horrific creatures that had been stalking her. Yet there was something about Rapunzel, something that told Kairi that she could be trusted, while Eugene was also trustworthy as well.

Once again, Kairi dared to hope that her troubles were over, that she would be able to move on from her recent horrors, perhaps find a new life with new friends and, someday, find new love.

…The Train Station…Human World Side…

Fifteen minutes before sundown, a portal opened up and from it emerged Yusuke and another boy his age, although vastly different. He was very tall, well muscled and had curly red hair styled in a pompadour, wearing a blue middle school uniform. This was Kuwabara Kazuma, Yusuke's longtime rival, friend and ally in the fight against evil.

But right now, Kuwabara looked like he was ready to rip Yusuke's head off, "Explain to me again, Urameshi," said Kuwabara in a deep, raspy voice, "what are we doing on a parallel world in the middle of nowhere?" he then looked at the train station, "and what's with this place? It gives me the willies."

"I told you three times already, Kuwabara," said Yusuke in an annoyed tone, "sheesh, if you get any dumber, you wouldn't even be able to sell your brain for scrap."

"Oh shut up!" snapped Kuwabara, "I ain't that dumb! Now what are we doing here?!"

"We're here to stop a demon called Shadowcast," said Yusuke, "I showed you the info Botan gave me."

"Oh yeah," said Kuwabara, "that fog demon who acts like a vampire," he then frowned, "but if he's made of fog, then won't my Spirit Sword just pass right through him, at least I hope not."

"Hey, I'll probably have the same problem with my Spirit Gun," said Yusuke, "but that doesn't mean that we're gonna let this jackass suck the life out of innocent people."

"I never said we should let him get away with his dirty work, Urameshi!" snapped Kuwabara, "but if we can't touch him, how are we gonna stop him?"

"That's what we're gonna talk to that old witch about," said Yusuke, "Botan's info said that this Yubaba, she runs the spirit bathhouse, she might have a spell or something that'll allow us to give Shadowcast a rude awakening."

"I hope so," said Kuwabara, "after that pounding we took from The Togoro Brothers, I'm itching to do some pounding of my own!"

"And if we're lucky," said Yusuke, "we'll get all the pounding done before Kurama and Hiei show up."

"Oh yeah, that'd be sweet!" said Kuwabara eagerly, "I can't wait to see the look of that shorty's face when he shows up and the case is closed! And maybe I'll be able to visit Yukina!"

"Uh…yeah, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you, Kuwabara," said Yusuke hesitantly. 'I wonder if you'll still like Yukina when you find out she's Hiei's sister?' he thought.

"Anyway," Yusuke continued, "there's also these other guys we're supposed to team up with. You do remember what I said about Heartless, right?"

"Those things made out of living darkness?" Kuwabara asked, "they don't scare me!"

"Well, they don't scare me either," said Yusuke, "but if what Botan's info says is true, and if they attack in large enough numbers, we could be buried alive."

"No way, Urameshi!" said Kuwabara, "these things are solid, right? So a few punches here, a kick there, one or two Spirit Gun blasts and a few swings of my Spirit Sword, problem solved!"

"It'd be great if it were that easy for once," said Yusuke. "Anyway, we've got a case to solve, so let's get it over with."

"What's the hurry, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked, grinning in a mischievous tone, "got a date planned with Keiko?"

"I…no!" said Yusuke, "damn it, Kuwabara! Not you two! It's bad enough Botan and that Alegra woman teased me about Keiko! We're just friends!" he then raised his fist, "got it?"

"Yeah, whatever," said Kuwabara in a nonchalant tone, "so, how do we get to the bathhouse?"

"This train station is supposed to be the gateway to this area of the spirit world," said Yusuke as he looked at the dilapidated building, "so, let's go in."

"Uh…okay," said Kuwabara hesitantly, "you go first."

"What's the matter, Kuwabara?" Yusuke asked in a teasing manner, "you're not afraid of an abandoned building are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Urameshi!" snapped Kuwabara, "I ain't scared of a crummy old train station!" he then crossed his arms irately, "scared of a train station my eye! And they say I'm stupid!"

"Hey, you said it, not me, pal," said Yusuke, "if you're not scared, then let's get going already," he then checked his watch, "we're supposed to be on the other side of the gateway before sundown, that's supposed to be when the fun really starts."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kuwabara asked in a bold tone, though Yusuke could hear a faint nervous tremor in his voice, "let's go!"

With that the two of them entered the abandoned train station. As they passed through the dust-covered benches, Yusuke saw that Kuwabara was shaking slightly. They then all heard a long, low whistle on the air, causing Kuwabara to shout in fright.

"What the hell, man!" exclaimed Yusuke.

"I…what the hell was that noise?!" Kuwabara.

"It was just a train whistle, you dingbat!" said Yusuke, "you sound like you…" at that Yusuke giggled, "are you still scared of ghosts?"

"No!" exclaimed Kuwabara in a stubborn tone, "I…I'm just having an off day, that's all! So lay off it, Urameshi!"

"Whatever, Kuwabara," said Yusuke in an offhand tone, "just pull yourself together. The last thing we need is another pounding like last time."

"You don't have to remind me," said Kuwabara.

With that the two of them exited the train station and found themselves on the large meadow. Already the sun was rapidly falling towards the horizon, the shadows growing in length. As the day darkened into twilight, the two of them saw the area around them transform.

Buildings began materializing out of thin air, each building reminiscing of a waterfront festival. Shadowy humanoid entities with luminescent eyes also appeared, creatures that were going about tasks that would be fitting in such a waterfront festival. Also there was a large steam powered ferryboat.

Once the sun was fully set, the whole area was lit by bright electric lights, while many spirits, all of them wearing cloaks, were forming a line onto the ferryboat.

"Wow!" said Kuwabara as he and Yusuke looked around at all the spirits, "this place is…just…wow! Are we gonna get on that boat?"

"That's how we're gonna get to the bathhouse," said Yusuke, "oh, one more thing. We can't eat anything while here."

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Kuwabara, "what do you mean we can't eat anything!? What if we get hungry?!"

"We'll stay hungry," said Yusuke, "Botan's info said that if we eat anything from the spirit world, we'll be stuck here forever."

"Since when have you ever taken Botan's info seriously?" Kuwabara asked.

"Since now," said Yusuke, "look, I an't happy about this either, so we'll just have to bite the bullet."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Kuwabara in a slightly miserable tone, then spoke with more optimism, "we'll just have to find and take out Shadowcast before dinner."

They boarded the ferry with the many spirits going to the bathhouse and a few minutes later, the boat set off across the large river that had sprung up with nightfall.

It landed at the harbor across the river and the spirits disembarked, journeying up the main avenue towards the bathhouse.

"Now have to talk to Yubaba," said Yusuke as he and Kuwabara walked towards the bathhouse.

"Yeah," said Kuwabara, "hey, any sign of that fog creep on your new Spirit Compass?"

Yusuke held up his watch and pressed a hidden button. A hologram of a compass was projected from the watch face. The compass needle began turning around.

"There's definitely demons here," Yusuke said, "but I can't get a fix on them."

"I sense them too," said Kuwabara, "but they're either too weak, too far away, or they're hiding their demon power really well." He then looked around, "or, it could be all these spirits messing with my mojo."

"That's probably it," said Yusuke as he tapped the watch, but the needle continued to spin without settling, "improved my eye. Botan should have checked it for bugs first!"

As they passed the many restaurants lining the street, they saw that they were all it and the shadowy spirits were busy cooking and serving their mouthwatering wares to hungry customers.

"Oh, man!" exclaimed Kuwabara after a loud rumble emanated from his stomach, "I knew I should have eaten something before we left."

"Just ignore it, Kuwabara," said Yusuke stubbornly, though his stomach was rumbling as well, "unless you want to turn into a pig."

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Kuwabara. He then grabbed Yusuke by his jacket, "you never said anything about being turned into pigs, Urameshi!"

"You never asked, Kuwabara!" Yusuke shouted.

Just then one of the restaurant spirits called out to the two boys, "hey! You there!"

"Huh?" both Yusuke and Kuwabara asked as they looked at the restaurant spirit.

"Yeah, you two!" said the restaurant spirit, "aren't you Urameshi Yusuke and Kuwabara Kazuma ?"

"Uh…yeah, that's us," said Kuwabara as he let go of Yusuke.

"You're the guys who took down The Saint Beasts," said the restaurant spirit, "you guys are heroes! Here, sit down and enjoy one on the house," the spirit then pulled out a huge side of beef and began cutting paper thin slices.

"Uh…no thanks," said Yusuke, "we…we're not that hungry."

"Nonsense," said the spirit as it tossed the beef slices into a skillet and began cooking it with, noodles vegetables and oil, "two strapping young humans like yourselves need all the nutrients you can get."

"But…we were told…" said Kuwabara as he struggled to hide his desire for the delicious cooking scents.

"Oh, right, humans aren't supposed to eat spirit world food," said the restaurant spirit, "but, fortunately for you two, things are changing at Yubaba's establishment," it walked away from the stove and returned with a pair of charm necklaces, "just put these on and you'll be immune to the pig curse. It'll also curve your appetites so you don't gorge yourselves."

"Gee, thanks," said Yusuke as he and Kuwabara sat down and looked at the charm necklaces, "but…we're kina on a tight budget."

"I told you it was on the house," said the restaurant spirit as it resumed its cooking, "as far as I'm concerned, we all owe you two, and those two others, for taking down The Saint Beasts." It then served up two plates of the beef, noodles and vegetable dish to Yusuke and Kuwabara, "so enjoy."

Not wanting to offend such a friendly spirit, Yusuke and Kuwabara put the charm necklaces on. After a clapping their hands and saying "Itadakimaus!" the two of them, cautiously, took bites from their free meal.

"Hey! This is great!" said Kuwabara eagerly. He then began eating faster.

"Slow down, you'll give yourself indigestion," said Yusuke as he struggled to pace himself from devouring the delicious food. "But it is good."

"There's a reason why my venue is the best in the district," said the spirit, "call me Hadome by the way. It's what everyone calls me."

"Well, thanks, Hadome," said Yusuke, "but if you're such a good cook, then…"

"Why am I working for a such a crabby old, greedy bitch like Yubaba?" Hadome asked, "I needed a job, pretty much like most of the spirits working here. I had to give up my real name and I can barely remember who I was before coming here, but it ain't so bad. I'm friends with most of the restaurant owners and bathhouse staff, I love my cooking, and," it then leaned closer to the two boys, "I get to hear all sorts of interesting things, if you know what I mean."

"I think I know what you mean," said Yusuke. He then glared at Kuwabara, "you gonna listen or stuff yourself?"

"Huh?" Kuwabara asked with a mouthful of noodles. He then hastily swallowed. "Oh, yeah, I'm all ears!"

"If only there was more brain than ears," said Yusuke to himself. He then looked at the restaurant spirit, "so, what do you want to talk about?"

"I hear things about the demons," said Hadome, "they're probing the defenses of the bathhouse, real quite like, so as not to make Yubaba too suspicious. She's a very accomplished witch and if she figured out what the demons were after, she'd run headlong into the jaws of hell to stop them, and probably destroy us all in the process."

"And what are the demons after?" Yusuke asked.

"That, I don't know," said Hadome, "but whatever it is, it's inside the bathhouse, and whoever Shadowcast is working for, he, she, they or it, are desperate to get it."

"Wait a second," said Yusuke, "I never said anything about Shadowcast."

"I certainly didn't," said Kuwabara.

"Like I told you," said Hadome, "I hear things from time to time."

"What else did you hear?" Yusuke asked.

"Shadowcast isn't working alone," said Hadome, "not only does he have an army of lesser demons and Heartless working for him, he's also teamed up with some pretty nasty nasties from another world. I'm still waiting for any info on who these other baddies are, but they're pretty bad."

"We've faced some pretty bad baddies ourselves," said Yusuke.

"And we ain't fragile little boys either!" said Kuwabara.

"In that case," said Hadome, "all I can tell you is to be careful."

"We can try," said Yusuke. He then reached for his wallet, "look, I don't have much, but…"

"I told you the meal was on the house," said Hadome, "just return the charm necklaces and tell others how much you enjoyed my cooking. And one more thing; remember me. I may have forgotten who I was before, but I'll be damned if I allow myself to be forgotten by others."

"Will do," said Yusuke, while Kuwabara nodded in agreement. With that they returned the charm necklaces and headed for the bathhouse.

"Nice boys," said Hadome to himself as he cleaned up after his customers, "I hope they win."

Deep underground, The Three High Priests of Gorgom were showing Shadowcast, the woman in black, Brother Courtney and The Lord of Illusions through a series of tunnels to a large chamber filled with metal vats that were connected to lab equipment, chemical containers and computers. Several lesser demons wearing lab coats were working at the computers, others were monitoring the flow of chemicals, while throughout the chamber were multiple Neo Shadows and Nova Shadows acting as guards.

"What is that noxious smell?" The Lord of Illusions asked as he summoned a handkerchief that shifted colors and held it up to his nose.

"The scent of the future," said Darom, "the means in which Gorgom shall rise once again and triumph over the light!"

"And from this humble beginning," said Baraom, "a new Creation King shall be born."

"We just need to wait for the next solar eclipse," said Bishium, "and of course, the one thing we need from Yubaba."

"And what is this item that Yubaba has that you need?" Brother Courtney asked.

"The means to create two new Century Kings," said Baraom, "the last pair we made, Black Sun and Shadow Moon, while their powers were impressive, only the latter proved himself up to the challenge we set for the pair."

"Black Sun," said an irate Darom, "Minami Kotaro! I curse the day he refused us!"

"If he was such a poor choice for your new leader," said the woman in black, "then why did you pick him?"

"We had no idea that Black Sun would betray us!" said Bishium irately.

"And why would we suspect?" Baraom asked. "Minami Kotaro and his adopted brother Akizuki Nobuhiko were both born on the day of a solar eclipse, on the exact date in the 50,000 year cycle of the Creation King. Both were prime candidates, equal in physical and mental prowess. They should have accepted the transformative power of The Kingstones and become one with Gorgom!"

"But Black Sun escaped before he could be fully transformed," said Darom, "he chose the name Kamen Rider Black and single-handedly shattered Gorgom. One by one our loyal Mutants were destroyed, while we, the Three High Priests were destroyed as well."

"In the end, not even Shadow Moon could destroy Black Sun!" said Bishium, "nothing we could do could stop Minami Kotaro! Damn him! Damn that filthy traitor!"

"But now," said Darom, "now things will be different! Black Sun is completely unaware that we have been revived. He does not know that Gorgom has returned! He does not know that we are mere steps away from bringing to life a new pair of Century Kings!"

"And when their powers mature," said Baraom, "the Century Kings shall battle to the death! The victor shall be raised up to the mantle of Creation King!"

"And that new Creation King shall lead Gorgom into a new age of dark domination!" said Bishium.

"Indeed," said Brother Courtney.

"An impressive and ambitious dream," said The Lord of Illusions.

"Yes, very impressive," said the woman in black, "I hope you've got all the logistics planned out; government, tax rates and good luck with sanitation." She then laughed, "I'm just teasing. You really shouldn't take everything so serious."

"We don't take everything so serious," said Darom, "but when it comes to the future of Gorgom, we're dead serious."

"And if you value our alliance," said Baraom, "then you had better take things serious too."

"So go easy on the sarcasm," said Bishium.

"I make no promises I can keep," said the woman in black, "but, to be fair, I'll keep my mouth shut. Unless you make things too easy for me." She then laughed again, "I'm sorry, I just can't help myself sometimes."

"Seems to me that you need medication," said The Lord of Illusions, "or extensive therapy."

"Psycho analysis," said Shadowcast.

At that the woman in black glared at the fog-like demon and the vile trickster, "don't you dare make fun of me! I'm not crazy!"

"You certainly have acted otherwise," said The Lord of Illusions.

"Children, please," said Brother Courtney in a placating tone, "let's not allow petty bickering to destroy that which we have labored so hard to create."

"Agreed," said Darom, while Baraom, Bishium and The Lord of Illusions nodded. Shadowcast merely stood there.

"I'll try to behave myself," said the woman in black, "but no promises."

"Smashing," said Brother Courtney, "now, when will the new batch of Mutants be ready?"

"The first will be ready in one hour," said Bishium, "well after sunset."

"By now our reconnaissance demons and Heartless are on the move," said Darom, "testing the defenses of Yubaba's establishment for weaknesses."

"And when such a weakness is found," said Baraom, "our new Mutants shall lead the charge into the bathhouse, steal what we need and return it here."

"Then, when everything is in place," said Bishium, "the new Centruy Kings shall be born!"

"Remind me to send them birthday cards," said the woman in black.

"Pathetic," muttered Shadowcast.

At that the woman in black glared at the fog-like demon, "you're a real bundle of joy to be around, aren't you." At that Shadowcast ignored her.

"I'd refrain from provoking our misty friend," said Brother Courtney, "his ability will drain you of spirit energy before you know what's happening to you."

"I'm just trying to loosen him up," said the woman in black, "make him smile, or at least have a normal conversation," she then looked at Shaowcast and gave a disarming, friendly smile, "I'll bet that before this is over, I can make you say more than two words at a time."

You'd lose," said Shadowcast.

"We'll see about that," said the woman in black boldly.

The end of chapter 2.

Next chapter finds the groups of our heroes drawing closer as the enemy's insidious plans are moved forward, while Alegra recruits another ally. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!