In the House of Bureaucracy, Maya and Puu stepped up to a window.

"One ticket to Natsumi, please." Maya said.

"Exit visa?" The ticket agent said.

"Exit visa?" Maya said.

"No exit visa, no ticket." The ticket agent said.

The ticket agent hung a people's lunch break sign on her booth and slammed his shutters in Maya's face. The entire row of ticket agents did likewise.

"Oh, hmm." Maya said.

Yukina approached Maya.

Yukina whispered. "PSST. See Kurama ... He can help."

"Where can I find him?" Maya asked.

"At the old Palace, but you didn't hear it from me." Yukina said.

"Oh." Maya said.

"Go, go, go, go." Yukina said.

"Hmm, Kurama." Maya said.

Xxx

In the theater, Kurama and Hiei were sitting at a large table. On top were stacks of Resume's and 8 x 10 glossies. Kurama had an enormously long list of names in front of him, a roster, that spilled out onto the floor in front of him.

Kurama looked over to Hiei and crossed the second to last name off the list.

"Nice, nice, very nice, yeah..." Kurama said.

"And I look like a princess, and I dance like a feather." The actress said.

"... okay, hmm, thank you, thank you. Next please!" Kurama said.

The last Maria wannabe stepped into the spotlight on the stage. She was clearly not right for the roll.

"Grandmama. It's me, Maria..." she said.

Kurama and Hiei, stared in amazement at the sight. Hiei groaned and put his head down on the table.

Hiei moaned.

"Oh brother." Kurama said to himself.

Xxx

Kurama and Hiei left the theater and headed down the street.

"That's it Kurama. Game over. Our last kopeck gone for this flea-infested theater, and still no girl to pretend to be Maria!" Hiei said.

"We'll find her, Hiei. She's here somewhere, right under our noses." Kurama said.

Kurama grabbed Hiei as Maya walked by and pulled out the music box.

"Don't forget, one look at this jewelry box and the Empress will think we've brought the real Maria ..." Kurama said.

"I'm looking for the Catherine ..." Maya said to a passerby.

Kurama bumped into Maya.

"Excuse me." Kurama said.

"... do you know where that is?" Maya continued to Botan.

" ... and before she catches on, we'll be off spending the ten million rubles." Kurama said.

"There's nothing there. No, no there's no one living there, go on." Botan said.

Xxx

In the Natsumi palace front entrance, Maya and Puu cautiously moved in towards the boarded up doorway.

Puu suddenly ran through an opening at the bottom of the door. Maya went to the door calling to Puu. Maya tried to look between the boards, looking for Puu inside.

"Puu, Puu, Puu where are you?" Maya said.

Maya pulled on a board which comes lose and she fell backward with a crash.

"AAH! ! ! OH! !" Maya said.

Xxx

In the palace bedroom, Hiei and Kurama were eating. Kurama was startled by the noise and stood up.

"Did you hear something?" Kurama asked.

"MM, No." Hiei said.