Chapter 3: Three Demons

It was the first time in a long while that I actually walked to school with my brother. All the kids looked at us with the most terrified expressions. It was one thing that Yusuke was coming back it was something completely different that he had been dead for the past few weeks. All Yusuke or I had to do was look in their direction and they turned and ran.

"Argh!" Yusuke groaned. "I think I'll skip school today."

"Don't even think about it." I snapped.

A hand landed on Yusuke's shoulder. "Hm? Kuwabara …" Yusuke said turning toward the guy.

"You've really come back to life. What a lucky guy." Kuwabara said before threatening him. "But I'll be sending you back to hell soon!"

His friend looked to him and said, "Kuwabara, aren't you going to thank him for the Eikichi event?"

"Shut up!" the redhead yelled.

"Just what is that guy up to?" Yusuke mumbled to himself.

Principal Takenaka batted Yusuke on the head. "Don't block the way, Yusuke. Hurry up, get to class."

"Alright, that does it! I have decided to skip school today!" Yusuke steamed.

"Good morning, Yusuke and Yumi!" Keiko called. "Hurry up! The bell already rang."

The rest of the school day went by pretty smoothly for me. That was until Lunch when I received a message from Koenma the son of the Demon King. He spoke of three demons that snuck into a special vault and made off with three very important artifacts. They were on their way to the Living World and the power they had was high. It was my brother and my job to track them down and retrieve the objects as well as capture the criminals.

"How exactly do Yusuke and I fight these demons?" I asked.

"Use your spirit energy." Koenma said before disappearing.

"Helpful."

I met up with Yusuke at the front of the school and we headed to the upside of town. I could feel a large dark energy coming from there. Once we were in the town it didn't take long to find one of the guys we were looking for. He was huge. The horns on his head were a dead give away. Using the Spyglass we could see he possessed the Orb of Baast. The treasure that took souls from the human body, especially little kids.

Yusuke took off after him before I could asses the situation. He too say the child soul that had been stolen and was leaving with the demon. It made him angry that he was stealing the children's souls.

Once I pinpointed where my brother had gone I hurried to do my job and assist. But by the time I got to him he was unconscious and Botan was pulling him along.

"What the hell happened!?" I snapped.

"That Goki guy was about to kill him but I was able to run him off with some clever deception." Botan said as I helped her pull Yusuke to his feet.

We hurried and got him home before the demon decided to come back and finish my brother off. Mom, of course, was worried and pissed that he was such a mess. While Botan wrapped up his wounds, I calmed my mother down.

"Yusuke! You're awake!?" Mother ran over to him and punched him. "You delinquent! You look like you've been fighting with a wrestler!"

"I know! Can you stop crying now!?" Yusuke snapped back. "But that voice who saved me last night …"

"Botan did." I answered.

"Are you alright?" Botan asked.

"How'd you find me?"

"With this." Botan held up a small watch. "It displays distance and youki when a demon nears. The higher the ability of the wearer, the further he is able to probe."

"Man, I really had a scare. I didn't expect the opponent to be strong." Yusuke sighed heavily.

"The other two possess greater powers than this one." I said sitting on the bed next to Yusuke.

"Indeed, it is impossible to retrieve all three treasures in one week …" Botan added.

Then we heard my mother say something about a neighboring town. We could hear the News broadcast from the other room. The man on the screen spoke of a bunch of students that were coming under some unknown illness.

"Did that guy eat their souls?" Yusuke asked.

"Eat their souls?" I asked.

"Goki loves the souls of children. He can fast for years, but when he breaks the fast, He's unstoppable." Botan's face dropped in concern. "As long as he possesses the Orb of Baast, he can take all he wants."

"How long till they're digested." Yusuke asked.

"A day at the most."

"Good!" He hopped off the bed.

I looked to him. "What do you think you're doing? Unless …"

"I'm going to defeat him! I'll give up my body before I let him take those children."

I could see that Yusuke was shaking and truthfully I was no better. We had to stop them and this one guy gave my brother a lot of trouble. What could I possibly add, I wasn't much of a fighter.

"I haven't used my Spirit Gun today." Yusuke said in confidence.

"Here take this." Botan handed him a small ring. "Use it as a last resort. It amplifies Spirit Energy but afterward you'll be completely drained."

"Got it." Yusuke nodded slipping the ring on.

Just as we found the demon Gouki he had just taken another soul.

"Gouki!" Yusuke shouted. "I'm back for revenge!"

"Did you not hear me yesterday?" Gouki growled.

"Yeah, I'm just stupid."

Suddenly Gouki's body changed. He was larger, horns and teeth, skin as hard as rock. Yusuke tried to punch him but it just hurt him back. The demon remained unaffected. Yusuke then tried to ram him with a tree trunk but it broke on impact. Poor Yusuke was knock back with ease. In all my years of seeing him fight I never once saw him take such a beating. I had to do something.

I charged at him and hit him on the head with a branch. I knew it wouldn't do anything but I had to get him away from Yusuke. Then the monster turned on me. I ran as fast as I could be he was slightly faster and cut me off. He grabbed me and just before he went to bite I shoved a stick in his mouth.

"Yusuke shot him!" I called.

Yusuke did just that and Gouki fell. As he died the souls of all the other kids he had taken where released and floated away, back to their bodies.

"Just two more." Yusuke sighed.

As we made our slow trudge home, suddenly the watch began to go off. Another of the demons was here and Yusuke was in no shape to fight. Whoever it was he was approaching us fast. Suddenly from the crowd a teenage boy with large red hair came toward us. Just looking at him I could feel he was one of our criminals.

He just walked past us stating, "I won't fight, and I won't run. I have a request, I'll return you the treasure in another three days."

"Isn't there a full moon in three days?" Botan asked.

"Yeah, so?" I answered.

"The powers of the Forlorn Hope are increased. The mirror is said to be able to reflect the desires of one, and fulfill it." Botan said. "However something need to be given in exchange for that one wish to be granted, as for that 'something' is, it remains a mystery."

"But when the three of them split, Kurama looked more sad." Yusuke said. "Something must have happened to make him change his mind."

Three days later, we met up with Kurama in front of a hospital. He beckoned us to follow saying he wanted us to met someone. We entered a room where there was a woman in her early to mid thirties. She sat up slowly with a weak smile on her face.

"It's been a long time since you brought a friend over."

"Please mother don't get up. You need to rest." Kurama said.

"I'm feeling better today." the woman said still forcing a pleasant face.

"Do you want me to peel an apple for you?" Kurama asked.

"No I'm not really that hungry."

Kurama sighed as he grabbed a knife and an apple. "If you don't eat something healthy. You'll never recover."

"Okay! You are so strict Shuuichi." his mother answered weakly.

Mother? Shuuichi? Yusuke and I stood there shocked. What the hell was going on!?

Kurama took us to the roof to tell us his story, about how 'Shuuichi' is his name in the Human World. That he truly was a fox demon name Youko Kurama and he made a name for himself as a steal cracker. Fifteen years ago he had been injured and escaped to our world in spirit form. He planted himself inside a pregnant woman and if e could wait 10 years he'd be able get his strength back and vanish without a trace.

"But something happened that stopped your plan." I said.

"Yes. My mother fell ill. I know it sounds foolish but I couldn't leave her." Kurama answered.

"Why are you telling us this?" Yusuke asked.

"Perhaps I needed someone to listen to my regrets."

Suddenly a woman came to the roof. "Shuuichi it's your mother. She entered the critical stage."

"You're going to use it now, aren't you?" I asked.

"I have to." Kurama answered.

"I heard that you had to give up something in return. What exactly is it?" Yusuke asked.

"Life."

Before Yusuke or I could stop him he had activated the mirror and it spoke to him. Kurama was ready to give up his life to make a human woman happy. I don't know what truly made me do what I did but I had to stop him. I knew what the pain of losing a child looked like I didn't want that for anyone else. I placed my hand on the mirror and asked for it to take my life instead.

When I woke up I saw Yusuke and Botan looking down at me. Two down one to go

Yusuke, Botan and I were on the roof of the school the next day talking about the last part of our case. Thanks to Botan's healing abilities we were in fit shape for the last demon, Hiei.

As we conversed Keiko appeared asking Yusuke to hand in his book report – which he didn't do. She saw Botan and jumped to some wrong conclusions. I told Yusuke I'd follow her and try to calm her down.

"I hate boys!" Keiko said as we walked home together.

"Just let Yusuke explain, okay?" I said.

"Don't worry Keiko. He likes you well enough!" a voice filled with malice caught our attention.

I had been so distracted with Keiko, I never noticed Hiei just feet from us. He charged at us drawing the Shadow sword, ready for attack.

"KEIKO! MOVE!" I called and pushed her away.

I felt the sword cut through me but no pain. I did begin to lose conscious. As I fell I told Keiko to run, after that everything went dark. By the time I woke up my brother had defeated Hiei, with help from Botan and Kurama. The items were returned and the situation with Keiko was dealt with. But it was not going to be a long break before our next case.