A/N: I know this chapter is somewhat shorter than I normally aim for, but I'm glad I'm getting it out. Hope you like it!
"Wait." Kurama leapt into Carmen's path, arms out.
She drew to a halt, cocking her head. "What is it?"
"How are you planning to cross the border between the worlds? There are extra patrols, extra security, and the barrier is even stronger than it was when I was…active."
Carmen sighed. "There's no such thing as an impenetrable barrier. How do you think I got here in the first place? It's been a while since you were ever truly 'active', Yoko Kurama." She pushed past him, completely focused on the problem at hand.
He closed his eyes, her words stabbing a knot of unease in his stomach. It was true, it had been a while since he'd been anything more than a rumor. Was he still as powerful as before? His eyes followed Carmen, unable to keep his mind from wondering if he would be able to defeat her…if the need should arise.
"You hung out with Shuiichi a lot in high school, didn't you?" Chloe asked as she leaned back against the wall beside Kuwabara.
He sat up, looking at her in amazement. "Yeah…how do you know him?"
Chloe looked intently at her hands. "He's my neighbor. Has been since forever, so we sorta grew up together."
"Funny. I don't remember ever seeing you around."
Chloe felt a twinge in her heart. "Well, we grew up together, but we've never really been…close, exactly."
"Aah." Kuwabara took a closer look at her now. He knew why Kurama had never attempted to get close to the girl – the human girl. His life had been dangerous enough as it was. "He's sorta…one-track minded, if ya know what I mean." He said lightly, unsure how much she knew about anything..paranormal.
"Yeah I guess." Silence fell between the two of them for a moment, then Chloe broke it again. "You helped him fight a lot of demons, didn't you?"
Kuwabara nearly choked on his spit. "Demons?" He choked out.
Chloe nodded. "One of them has captured us, haven't they?"
Kuwabara was still in shock at her straightforward question. "Uh..uh.. sure, we took down our share of the nasty ones. I honestly don't know exactly who's got us, but they're demon, or at least employ demons."
"Employ demons? Meaning we could be being held hostage by a human?" She seemed genuinely shocked by that revelation.
"Yup. We've met a few humans who were powerful enough to get demons to work for them. Mind you they never turn out to be gentleman, so they're just as bad, just easier to get rid of."
"How many humans know about the demon world?"
Kuwabara sighed, trying to run a hand through his tangled hair. "Who knows. It seems like aware people just keep popping up everywhere." He looked at her pointedly, his tone teasing.
She smiled a little, refusing to meet his gaze. "I know some stuff…but now that I know, I think I'd rather not know. Know what I mean?"
The carrot-top felt pity for this girl. He wasn't sure how she was tangled up in this web, but he wished with all his heart that she came out of it safely.
They both looked up as they heard footsteps. The door opened and a man walked in. He was attired simply, but elegantly, in blue and grey with a cloak sweeping behind him. He walked towards the pair. "Get up." He pulled Chloe to her feet roughly.
"Hey!" Kuwabara leapt to his feet, his chivalrous heart spurring him to action.
The man dodged and slammed his fist into the red-head's face, sending him crashing into the wall.
"Kuwabara!" Chloe exclaimed, pulling against her captor's grasp.
"Leave him." He said roughly, pulling her out of the holding. Once the wall shut again he let go of her arm. "I hope I didn't hurt you."
Chloe stared at him, not sure if her was serious. "P-pardon?" She swallowed hard.
The man glanced around quickly. "I just had to put on a show. Here, put this on." He held out a cloak, similar to his own, but deep blue.
She looked at it, but made no move to take it. "I-I don't understand….what's going on?" She asked fearfully. "Are you going to kill me?"
He shook his head pityingly. "No, I'm helping you escape. I've arranged a window, but it's a small one, so we need to hurry. Please put the cloak on – it will disguise your true heritage from even the most powerful of demons."
She stared at him, not sure whether or not to believe him. "What about Kuwabara? I can't leave him here."
"You don't have a choice. Hurry!" He threw the cloak around her shoulders and propelled her down the dark hallway with his arm.
She managed one last look over her shoulder, fear for Kuwabara's fate rivaled only by her fear for her own.
Kurama stirred, at first seeing a pale red sky. "Makai?" He wondered aloud, sitting up suddenly, eyes darting around. Carmen sat on a stone on the opposite side of the fire, her golden eyes staring intently into the flames. "What the hell did you to me?" He growled furiously.
She looked up at him. "I didn't want you to know how I crossed the border." She said matter-of-factly.
"How did you put me to sleep?" He probed, not going to let it slip. How had he missed that?
"You know you're heavier than you look." She stretched, giggling a little. "That and you're taller than me, so it's not that easy to carry you."
Kurama did not look amused. "Answer my question. Now."
"Or you'll what? Kill me?" She stood, turning her back for one second.
He leapt across the fire, his hand aimed for her throat.
Quicker than he she threw him to the ground, a dagger cutting through the first few layers of skin on his neck. "Do not attempt to threaten me." She hissed, her face alight with a fury that couldn't be explained by his pushing for answers. "And do not ever attempt what you just did on me again, understand? You need me, but don't make the mistake of thinking that I in any way need you or Chloe." She got off him and returned to the fire, throwing the knife point-down into the dirt at her feet.
Chloe stared back at the cliff wall she had just walked out of, swallowing hard. Whatever entrance she had come out of was now hidden. Her captor and apparent savior had just pushed her out the 'door', not bothering to explain anything more to her than just to not take the cape off. She pulled the material closer around herself, turning and looking forward - a forbidding forest where the shrubs grew high and the trees nestled close to each other. She bit her lip and walked forward, gripping the cloak's soft material in her hands for courage.
Kurama followed Carmen down the hallway, although something was off. The feeling he was getting from around the next bend…that aura…it was very familiar…
"Kurama?"
"Yusuke?"
The two friends stared at each other from across the hallway, almost speechless. Kurama was the first to close the distance, a certain warmth entering his tone when he saw his old friend. "How are you? Might I enquire what you're doing here of all places?"
Yusuke swallowed before answering. "We're uh, we're rescuing Kuwabara." He smiled sheepishly, almost apologetically.
Hiei and Carmen looked at each other, mistrust and hostility emanating from every bone in Hiei's body towards her.
Kurama looked past Yusuke's shoulder, his eyes managing to catch Hiei's red orbs. "Kuwabara? He's here?"
Hiei finally took his eyes off Carmen, but he didn't have the decency to look uncomfortable at what Kurama was asking. "We finally tracked his captor down and came to get him."
"Why didn't you call me, tell me what was going on?" Kurama couldn't keep the frustration and hurt out of his voice.
Yusuke scuffed his shoe on the floor. "I tried a few times, but you've been too busy for your old friends for a while."
"We don't have time for this now. He's been here for months, there's no telling what they've done to him."
"Chloe is here as well." Carmen pushed past them all, expecting them all to follow. A few turns later she stopped in front of a door. There was no lighting, and no guards to be seen. There didn't seem to be any sort of security on this place at all. She felt uneasy, but then again she'd always preferred walking straight into a trap as opposed to avoiding them. "It's locked." She jiggled the lock. She felt a slight breeze and her eyes turned over her shoulder. Hiei didn't appear to have moved, yet the lock now fell to pieces in her hand. "Huh." She pushed open the door, stepping inside cautiously.
Chloe leaned back against a tree, the hood pulled over her head to protect from the pelting rain. She shivered in the cloak, wishing desperately for a warm bed and dry clothes. She hadn't seen a single living being since she left the cave entrance, much less a building of any sort. The tree did little to protect her from the elements – if anything they seemed to move out of the way so the most raindrops could hit her.
"What have you gotten yourself into Chloe?" She spoke to herself, bouncing in place to try and warm herself up a little. "It all started with your stupid obsession with Shuiichi. If you hadn't talked to him, maybe you wouldn't be in this mess. You could be sitting at home hanging out with Haru in his limo, drinking soda, warm, safe…" She felt her eyes fill up with tears and her lower lip quivered. "I just wanna go home…." Her head sank on to her knees, then jerked up. "But..Kuwabara! He's stuck back in that dark hole, abused, alone, and…no hope really of his friends coming for him." She rubbed her cheeks with the back of her hands, forcing her numbs legs to lift her up again as she found a renewed strength.
"I can't do anything for him, but at least he won't be alone anymore."
"Kuwabara!" Yusuke jumped forward and crouched in front of the carrot top. "Hey man, wake up!" He slapped his friend's cheeks. "Come on, wake up!"
Kuwabara stirred, his eyes opening wearily. "Urameshi?"
"Yeah man, it's me."
Kuwabara shook off his sleepy state, sitting himself up. "Who's with you?"
"It's us, fool. Who else would it be?"
"Hiei, normally I'd want to kill you for that, but right now I'm just too happy to see you all to care." Kuwabara got up with the help of Yusuke, limping beside him to the group. "Who's she?" He stopped short when he saw Carmen.
"She is unimportant."
They all stopped when they heard the distinctly feminine voice fill the air. All eyes turned towards the sound of footsteps from the one hidden part of the room – save for one pair of emerald green eyes.
A lady stepped around the corner, a triumphant smile gracing her exquisite lips. She was barefoot and dressed in a long blue dress with a slit up to her thigh. Her black hair hung loose around her shoulders, framing her olive face and accenting her blue eyes. "Hello...Kurama."
Carmen looked to Kurama. "You know this broad?"
Kurama finally looked up and met her gaze. "Mayuri."
Hiei's eyes shifted between the two. Kurama had mentioned the name to him a few times in connection with his past. "What do you want?" He demanded, facing her directly. She may have business with Kurama, but as she was delaying them all leaving, she'd now directed it at all of them.
Her blue eyes moved to Hiei. "You must be Hiei."
"It's none of your business who I am. What do you want?" He snapped, ready to fight her if it came to that.
"Screw that. Let us go and we'll let you live." Carmen growled, dropping down ever so slightly to change her center of gravity.
Mayuri turned her attention back on Kurama. "What interesting friends you've chosen since you've been in the filthy human realm."
"Hey!" Yusuke spoke up. "Don't diss our-"
"Hush, human, you should learn your place. You may have Raizen's blood in you, you may be his heir, but frankly that doesn't make you one of us. You are still only partially demon."
Yusuke would have leapt at her, but Kurama laid a hand on his arm. "Don't. You can't take her on head on."
Hiei glared at Kurama. "You seem to have lost faith in us." He disappeared, and suddenly Mayuri disappeared as well. In a split second the others heard a blood curdling scream followed by Hiei crashing to the floor in front of them, his sword falling beside him.
"Hiei!" Yusuke set down Kuwabara and rushed to Hiei, shaking his shoulder.
Kurama looked up to find Mayuri standing before them once again. "You really should have chosen stronger companions Kurama, they might have stood a chance."
"You're really annoying me." Carmen sprang and leapt, fangs bared, eyes flaming.
"Fool." Mayuri's blue eyes flicked over to Carmen's, dropping the girl in an instant with a scream of agony. Carmen fell like Hiei, eyelids closed.
Kurama was at her side in an instant, fingers digging into her neck, his eyes on her neck, not meeting her gaze. "If you thought you were going to lure me here and kill me, think again." His voice had dropped, and there was a golden hint in his eyes. Her hands moved to push him away but he batted her hands and dug his fingers deeper into her throat, causing her gasp for air. "You may think I've disappeared or lost my abilities, but believe me – I am still here and I can still tear the life from your body."
Mayuri tried to laugh, although it was a gurgle. "You…were never able to carry through when you…were yourself…now you're frail….and weak….you can't…beat me." Her hands came up on both sides of his arm, breaking it at the elbow.
Kurama yelled and swung at her with his other arm, but she was too quick and had already moved away. He kept his broken arm close to his side, his face still calm. "It'll take more than a little broken bone to defeat me." His tone was serene and cold. "I know all your tricks – you will lose."
"So you-Gyah!" She screamed as a burst of light skimmed her side. She pressed her hands to the painful wound, looking at where it had come from. Yusuke, still kneeling by Hiei, his hands aimed towards her like a gun. She caught his smug eyes. "You filthy son of a-" The rest of her words were cut off by him letting out a scream of agony.
Mayuri laughed and approached him. "I went easier on you then your friends, but only so it lasts longer." She reached down to tilt his chin up, freezing when she saw her arm fall to the ground. She took in a breath of air sharply, turning her gaze on Kurama. A vine wrapped around her body, thorns sharper than razors biting into her skin. A small whimper of pain escaped her lips, despite her best efforts to bite it back.
Kurama stood directly in front of her, his good hand holding the end of his rose whip. "You've disappointed me, Mayuri. You seem to have grown much weaker since the last time we fought. Now, tell me, so I think twice about killing you, where is the girl? I can smell that she was here, so don't bother lying to me."
Mayuri winced at the pain, her eyes looking down at the floor. "He let her go. Some sort of deal was made for her. You were coming, I didn't care what happened to her."
"What sort of deal?" The red-head pressed, the thorns digging brutally into her body.
"He gave her a cloak to hide her humanness and sent her away."
"With who?"
"By herself."
"If anything has happened to her-" He stepped forward menacingly, looming over her.
Her head snapped up and her blue eyes captured his gaze. He realized his mistake, but too late. Engulfing, fiery hot pain overwhelmed all his senses and he cried out as he fell to the ground. He didn't pass out, however, the pain was just enough to paralyze him and take all his thoughts.
Mayuri stepped out of his vine, bending down to him. "Like I said, you've become weak in the time you've spent in the human realm. Don't worry, you won't suffer long, I won't be ke-…" A strange look crossed her face and she looked down at her stomach, where a golden sword was poking out of.
"I don't like killing women." Kuwabara gritted his teeth and tore the sword straight up through her body, almost cutting her entirely in half. "But I won't let you kill my friends." His spirit sword dissipated and his arm dropped to his side wearily.
Kurama met Mayuri's eyes one last time. He heard her voice in his mind, faintly. 'I knew you'd find a way to kill me. Too bad for you I am not the real Mayuri.' He felt the pain fade and stood up, looking down at her lifeless body. She wasn't the real Mayuri? He couldn't explain how that was possible, but stranger things had happened. He pushed it to the back of his mind, turning his thoughts on matters at hand. "You saved my life Kuwabara." His tone was sincere and he looked at his friend. "Thank you." He held his broken arm to his side, wondering how he could have been so careless.
Yusuke, Hiei, and Carmen all stirred and sat up in unison.
"Where is she?" Yusuke staggered to his feet, ready to fight.
"She's dead, genius." Hiei snapped, returning to his feet.
Carmen looked at Mayuri's body. "Nicely done Kurama."
Kurama shook his head. "I didn't kill her. Kuwabara did."
All eyes turned on him.
Yusuke busted up laughing. "Here we came to rescue you man, and you end up saving us! Hahaha!" He punched Kuwabara's shoulder good-naturedly.
Carmen eyebrows rose. "Well, I guess even I can be wrong." She chuckled.
Chloe leaned against a tree, shivering. She was really lost now. She wasn't even sure she'd come the same way she'd gone. "I'm..not cut out for this." She sighed.
-snap-
She froze, eyes wide, heart pounding. 'No. No, no, no, no, no…..' She turned around so her back was to the tree, eyes darting around.
"Chloe?"
She nearly wept when she recognized the voice. "Haru!" He ran over and wrapped his arms around her shaking frame. "How did you find me?" She curled against his warmth, a feeling of security spreading through her body.
"That's not important. Are you hurt?" He pulled her back, his eyes scanning her.
She shook her head. "I'm fine, Haru."
"I mean it Chlo. Did you cut yourself on anything?" His face was so serious she stopped smiling.
"Just scratches from some of foliage; what's wrong?"
He put his arm around her. "We need to hurry."
"How are we going to get out?" Yusuke was the first to ask the obvious question; he looked at Kurama, obviously expecting him to have some grand scheme in mind.
"The same way we" he motioned to Carmen and himself "got in. It's quite safe, and seems like they don't patrol that area. But we really should be hurrying along, no telling when-" He stopped when the door swung open.
Carmen was the only who didn't leap into a defensive position. "Don't worry guys. He's a friend."
A demon stood before them clad in blue and grey. "This wasn't exactly what we had discussed, Carmen."
She grinned playfully. "No, but then a child doesn't always color inside the lines." She responded coyly.
"You know him?" Yusuke demanded.
"Yes. He's the one who 'kidnapped' Chloe." Carmen replied nonchalantly, hauling Kuwabara to his feet. "No need for your sword Hiei. He's fine."
"If I don't trust you, why would I trust him?" Hiei responded coolly.
"What do you mean he's the one who kidnapped Chloe? What do you know about all this?" Kurama took her arm tightly, his voice leaving no room for vague or evasive answers.
Carmen sighed. "I arranged for him to take Chloe so she'd be safe."
"Then where is she now?" Hiei pointed out bitingly. "And why did he take Kuwabara?"
"Those two I don't know." Carmen raised an eyebrow at her 'friend'.
"I let her go towards your men and with the cloak, as your note instructed."
Carmen's eyes narrowed. "My what?"
"Your note. You didn't send it with that blonde-haired young man?"
Carmen and Kurama spoke at the same time. "Haru."
Carmen handed Kuwabara off to Yusuke and pulled her ally aside, talking in hushed tones with him. Finally she came away, looking displeased and annoyed. "Don't lollygag. We haven't got all day."
They reached the edge of the forest, and here Carmen turned around. "You can leave us here." She said to Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara. "Go back whatever way you came." She turned to go.
"Hold on a minute here." Yusuke piped up. "You guys haven't filled us in on what you guys are up to."
"Some of us don't want to know, detective." Hiei crossed his arms. He was miffed that Kurama hadn't bothered to invite any of them into whatever he'd gotten himself mixed up in, but there was no way he was going to appear to be interested or inclined to help. Truth be told he'd been horrendously bored for the past … while and it would be a welcome break, but he wasn't sure he wanted to help Kurama out now – he'd been too busy for his friends since high school graduation, at least.
"I'm afraid that would be rather complicated to explain." Kurama looked at Hiei, sensing something from him, although he wasn't sure what.
"There's no time for it either. Let's go." She gave Kurama a meaningful look – she didn't want anyone in the know about any of her plans unless she sanctioned them.
Yusuke snorted. "It always is Kurama, it always is." He turned and started walking. Hiei stayed only a brief moment, as if to see that Kurama was serious about turning down their help, then he too walked away.
Kurama watched them leave with a heavy heart. He had some serious fences to mend, he could tell. "We could have used their help." He pointed out to Carmen, feeling a little grouchy himself but masking it underneath his calm demeanor.
"Hah. A demon who wants to skin me alive and take little pieces off me till I die, an emaciated, weak human who's been a captive for a long time, and an ex-spirit detective who should really be turning me into Spirit World – yeah, they're exactly the company I want to be keeping." She came over to him, her eyes on his arm. "What happened to your arm?"
He shifted uncomfortably. "Broken."
"Hold still." She placed a foot against his side and pulled the arm straight towards herself.
Kurama felt his whole body convulse, but the pain subsided almost as soon as it had come. He gritted his teeth as he took his arm back.
"You'll live; that's as much as we can do for you right now." She sniffed the air suddenly. "I can smell her!" She cried, bounding away.
Despite the rain they made good time, soon finding their way to a nearby town. Here they both lost the scent. Carmen made a bigger show of her frustration, kicking over a barrel and muttering "damn!".
Kurama instead turned his frustrations towards working out where she could be. "Think like Chloe. She'd be frightened and confused, probably wet and cold. She'd be too afraid to chance anyplace with too much of a crowd…" His keen eyes swept over the brightly lit 'club' from whence there came loud music, breaking glass, and uproarious laughter, knowing she'd probably die of shame before setting foot in there. Suddenly his green eyes lit upon bleach-blonde hair. "Hey!" He was half-way down the street before Carmen even realized he'd moved.
Haru took one look at the flying red-head and bolted, his scarf flying out behind him as he dashed madly down the street. He grabbed a barrel's edge and swung himself on a ninety-degree arc, shooting himself down an alley.
Kurama was hardly steps behind him. With one large leap he caught up and grabbed the fleeing Haru's shoulders with his good arm and shoved him into the nearest wall.
"Ow!" Haru rammed face-first into the wall. "Watch it!" He spun around, panting.
"Where is she?" Kurama towered over him.
"Where's who?" Haru returned, one hand on his heaving chest.
"Where's Chloe? And don't tell me you don't know, because I know you do and I'll grow a plant right here and now that will eat you if you so much as twitch."
Haru looked up at him, for the first time getting a glimpse of his terrifying self. "Look, Shuiichi, she's safe, okay?" He straightened up a little, his face flushed red.
Carmen arrived at this point, stopping gracefully in front of him. "Geez Shuiichi, what did you do to the boy?" She exclaimed with a twinkle in her eye.
Kurama raised an eyebrow. "I haven't touched him, although I'm rather tempted to, despite the fact that he's Chloe's best friend."
Haru looked between the two, knowing when he was good and caught. "Look, no offense, but I'm not sure I trust either of you." He held up his hands, being completely honest.
Carmen flicked her gaze to him. "You don't really have a choice. You can tell us, or Shuiichi's friend can come and read the information right out of your mind. So what will it be? And trust me, I wouldn't wanna make this guy angry." She patted Kurama's cheek with her palm.
He barely spared her a glance, but ignored the gesture for the moment – Chloe was more important right now.
Haru sighed. "I forgot you knew Hiei." He grumbled, rubbing at his eyes a few times. "All right, come on, I'll take you to her." He trudged back down the alley and to the street, returning to his original path. He took them to the back door of the bar, taking them in and up the back stairs. Down a long hallway of doors to the very end he went before stopping at one in particular. He knocked four times in a rhythm before opening it. "Satisfied?" He stepped aside.
Kurama's eyes went wide when he saw who was by the bed. "Ethan?"