Hey there! Here's chappy nineteen! But first, I think I need to answer a
few questions. . . .
To Sedai Dragon- Yeah, Shiori probably is the type of parent who would take it well, maybe do this whole, "As long as this is all in the past" thing. But for my purposes, no. Because the votes were so close (not really) and something was pointed out to me, (the little bit of a plot hole with the Shiori hearing Kurama's dead and then finding him out in the woods) I thought I should just combine the three. So, she needed to be all rejective.
To Dragon Sythe- Yeah . . . I know I made it sound like I wasn't going to update for weeks on end. But I just thought that telling everyone what was happening in the next chapter might make them want to read t even more . . . stupid really. ^___^ anyway, don't think too much like that.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Kurama sat on the living room couch after Kuronue had cleaned up his cuts, sulking as the two other youkai watched him nervously.
::Kuronue?:: Jeroun mind-called, with a quick glance over at the kitsune on the couch. Kurama glanced over, knowing some unheard message was passing between them, but ignored it.
::Yeah?:: Kuronue said once Kurama turned away.
::Are we gonna tell him about Shiori?:: Jeroun asked.
::I don't know:: Kuronue said. Kurama fidgeted on the couch, knowing something unpleasant was about to happen.
"What's up you guys?" Kurama asked. "Why all the secrecy around here all of the sudden?" Jeroun glanced at Kuronue, who nodded. Both youkai inhaled, sighed, and then looked Kurama straight in the eyes. "What?"
"Kurama, something happened," Jeroun said.
"Well, that's obvious," Kurama retorted. He wasn't in a good mood lately. (A/N: *with a major hint of sarcasm* Wonder why?) Both Jeroun and Kuronue winced. "What? What's the matter?" he asked, suddenly nervous.
"Yesterday, I came here to visit your mother about you," Kuronue said. "I thought that if I talked to her, maybe she'd rethink her actions and apologize to you."
"How'd it go?" Kurama asked, sounding completely unconcerned about it.
"Well, I never really got that far," Kuronue said.
"What do you mean?" Kurama asked, suddenly nervous again, although he was trying his best to hide it.
"A few moments into the conversation, something came through the window," Kuronue said. "I tried to warn Shiori, but it knocked her out." Kurama jumped to his feet, enraged.
"Who would dare!!!!" he growled, very pissed off, even by this point.
"Well, I can think of a few people," Jeroun quipped lamely, but shut up as Kurama glared at him. "Nevermind."
"I yelled at them to show themselves, but whoever it was knocked me out as well," Kuronue said. "And by the time I came to. . . . "
"'Kassan was gone," Kurama finished for him. His hands, which were balled up into fists, shook. He took calming breaths, but still fell to his knees as they gave out on him. "Okaa-san." Kurama put his face into his hands. "Okaa-san."
"Kurama . . . we have to go find her," Kuronue said.
"You actually care about her?" Kurama asked, bringing his face out of his hands. His eyes, surprisingly, were dry. He even managed to haul himself back to his feet and onto the couch again. Jeroun thought this was slightly strange.
"She was kind to me, even if she did hit me on the head that one morning," Kuronue said. "And I can't help but feel that this is somehow my fault."
"It's not, though," Jeroun hurriedly reassured him.
"We don't know," Kuronue said. "Either way, back to the more pressing matter. Kurama, we have to go find her. We could follow her life energy if nothing else, plus that guy, whoever he was, left a very strong scent all about the kitchen."
"That's what that smell was," Kurama muttered. "An ogre, right?"
"I think so, or at least that's what carried her away," Kuronue said. Kurama frowned. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Kurama lied. The truth was, there was something else in that smell, something that smelled to familiar for comfort. "Maybe I've just been around Jorge too much, but regular ogres do not smell like gunpowder, right?"
"No," Kuronue said. "I was wondering about that, too." Kurama frowned; if he could just place that smell, he'd know what was going on. "So . . . we should get going, right?"
"You two are welcome to go, but I'm staying here," Kurama said. Kuronue nodded, walked to the door, seemed to realize what Kurama had said, and turned to face the kitsune.
"Nani?" he said as calmly as he could. Perhaps he had misheard Kurama. The redhead sighed and put his hands on his hips.
"I said that you and Jeroun were welcome to go, but that I'm going to stay here," Kurama said. Jeroun, who had gotten up, walked straight into a wall.
"Are you crazy?" he asked, but no one could hear him, for his face was stuffed into the wall. Kuronue stared at Kurama for a few moments before his shocked stare turned into a cold, hardened glare. Kurama backed away from him. There were few times when the chimera had scared the crap out of Kurama. This was one of those times.
"I can't believe you," Kuronue said. "She raised you without a complaint! She's done a fine job of taking care of you, keeping you out of trouble and such!! And you lied to her your entire ningen life!! This is how you repay her for her kindness?"
"She was the one who rejected me, if I remember correctly," Kurama said. "Not the other way around." He hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. Kuronue wasn't sure what made him do this, but he walked over to Kurama, brought his hand around, and smacked the kitsune across the face. Kurama's head snapped to the side, his red hair flying, brushing against Kuronue's hand. When the kitsune turned his head around to face Kuronue, his bright green eyes were wide with shame and surprise. Neither found themselves able to say a word. Even Jeroun, who had pried his face out of the wall in time to see the slap, stared. Kuronue and Kurama stared at each other, wondering who would break first. Kurama fell off the couch, and onto his knees once more. "G-gomen, Kuronue, I didn't know what I was thinking," he said. Kuronue swallowed hard.
"Damn straight you didn't," the chimera said. "Now, are you coming, or are you just going to sit here like a spoiled brat?"
"Coming," Kurama said weakly, and hauled himself to his feet and out the door with his friends.
Shiori laid on her bed, staring at the stone-slabbed wall. She reached out and touched it. It was so cold, and it made her long for her home, and the way everything once was. (Will it change the fact that he's a demon?) a small voice in her mind asked her. She shook her head. (No,) she answered herself. Shiori sighed. How long had she been here again? Not even a whole day yet, and already she longed to be home, for someone to come and rescue her. She was brought out of her daydream by the sound of metal scraping against metal. Someone was opening her door. She froze, sure that her stillness would convince her captors that she wasn't to be bothered. That didn't exactly work.
"She's asleep?" one, the mud-thing, asked.
"Wake her up," the ogre replied. "She needs to come see our master with us now. He said to fetch her." Shiori felt her blood run cold. She had already heard plenty about this "master" He was, supposedly, powerful, able to . . . oh, what was it again? She couldn't remember. The ogre came over and shook her roughly, and she turned over to show him what she hoped was a tired, don't-mess-with-me face. "Come on, ningen."
"Please, I'm ever so tired," Shiori said, resisting the urge to slap the ogre again. In fact. . . . On closer inspection of his face, she could see the dim outline of the whack she had given him earlier. He growled and touched a hand to his face.
"A few hours ago you were awake enough to give me this," the ogre said. He yanked her out of the bed. "Come on." Shiori struggled as she was pulled out of her cell. She pulled against his grip, but he was stronger than she, with an iron-like grip about her arm. Shiori had a strong suspicion that the blood was being cut of at that point.
"Let me go!" she growled. The ogre paused, startled by the sudden burst of courage that Shiori displayed, and the woman took the chance to yank her arm out of his grip. "It's . . . not polite to treat people this way!"
"You are not to tell me how I am to treat you!" the ogre growled. Shiori whimpered, backing against the wall, her courage completely diminished by the ogre's threat. She threw her hands up in an attempt to shield her face, terrified of the beating she was sure she had earned herself.
"Look, we scared her," the mud-thing said.
"We should scare her some more," the ogre said, advancing on Shiori. She cried out as she saw the ogre lift a fist through the gap in her arms.
"Stop!!!" she cried, closing her eyes.
"I said you were not to harm her," a deep, smooth voice said. Shiori uncovered her face and opened her eyes in time to see a flash of black behind the ogre before the thing vanished in a loud, resounding "BANG" that echoed throughout the hallway.
"Who are you?" Shiori asked, unsure of where the strange voice and the bang, and heck, everything had come from.
"Are you all right?" asked the voice from before. A pale hand reached out to her. Shiori shrank back, expecting a beating. "Don't be afraid." Shiori took the hand, and the hand's owner pulled her to her feet. "You seem all right."
"I am," Shiori said. She looked up into violet eyes. "That was you?"
"Yes," the voice said.
"But why?"
"Because I need you to carry out my plan," the voice said. The owner began to lead Shiori through the hallways.
"Why?" Shiori asked, almost fearing the answer.
"You are Shuichi Minamino's mother, correct?" Shiori stiffened.
"I am Shiori Minamino, if that is what you mean," she said, suddenly weary.
"And you are aware of the fact that he is Youko Kurama, are you not?" the voice asked. "I thought he told you a little bit ago."
"Yes," Shiori said hesitantly. "How do you know though?" she asked on a sudden burst of suspicion. "Do you . . . do you stalk us or something?" Even though Shiori could not see it, a light smile crept over thin lips.
"I guess you could say so," he muttered, somewhat under his breath.
"Come on!!" Yusuke and Kuwabara were heading over to Kurama's house, hearing from Koenma that the fox had shown himself around there just a little while ago. Koenma had already told them that Kuronue was there, and that Jeroun had arrived not too long after Kurama.
"I'm coming, Urameshi, I'm coming," Kuwabara yelled, being about ten feet behind Yusuke. "I don't run that fast!!"
"Come on!!" Yusuke said yet again, for about the tenth time since they had began running. Kuwabara didn't know why, but he had been counting.
"Urameshi, I don't see why we're doing this," Kuwabara said. "Knowing Kurama, they've probably already worked things out."
"Granting that Kurama stayed for more than five seconds and that Shiori actually listened to him," Yusuke said. "But you might be right." (A/N: Kuwabara, right? Oh, god help us. well, maybe . . . ya know what? Nevermind)
"Might be? The great Kazuma Kuwabara is always right!!" Kuwabara yelled.
"Save the act for Yukina, Kuwabara, she's the only one who buys it," Yusuke said. "Hey! We're almost there!" The rounded a corner and within moments were knocking on the door.
"Kurama!! Open up!!" Kuwabara yelled. "Come on!! It's us!!"
"Kurama, are you in there?" Kuwabara turned to Yusuke.
"Urameshi, I don't think he's in there," Kuwabara said.
"No shit, Sherlock," Yusuke said. (A/N: Slightly un-Yusuke-ish, but I thought I could get away with it. I'm in a comment-y mood tonight, aren't I?) "Maybe they're just out back."
"Yeah," Kuwabara said.
"Come on," Yusuke told him. Yusuke led him around, but there was no one anywhere to be found. "Wonder where Kurama could have gotten to."
"No clue," Kuwabara said.
"Of course you don't have a clue," said another voice. Both Tantei jumped. Yusuke recovered first and looked into a nearby tree.
"Hey, Hiei," Yusuke said. Hiei jumped down from the tree, landing lightly on the ground between Yusuke and Kuwabara. The latter jumped, but put on a forced smile.
"Hey Shrimp!!" he said.
"What are you two doing here?" Hiei asked them.
"Trying to find Kurama," Yusuke said. "Hey, Hiei, you spend a lot of time in that tree out there, did you happen to see anything?" Hiei nodded. "Well?"
"Kurama, Kuronue, and Jeroun left a while ago," Hiei said. Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced at each other, both with confused looks on their faces.
"How long ago?" Yusuke asked.
"About an hour," Hiei said. "Something was said about going to the Makai."
"Why in the world would he want to go back to the Makai?" Yusuke asked.
"I don't know," Hiei said. "I'll be damned if he tells me anything anymore! He shares all of his secrets with Kuronue!!"
"Sounds like someone is a little jealous," Kuwabara muttered in Yusuke's ear. "Sounds like Kuronue's taking Hiei's place in Kurama's life."
"I heard that, baka," Hiei growled in a low voice.
"I didn't mean it!" Kuwabara said hurriedly. "I really didn't!!" Hiei growled and moved toward the human. Yusuke noticed this and moved between them.
"Drop it, Hiei," Yusuke said. Then, on a sudden train of thought, "Is Shiori there?" Hiei's and Kuwabara's eyes widened.
"I don't think so," Hiei said. "That might be why. . . . "
"Kurama's going back to the Makai!!"
"I don't get it," Kuwabara said.
"Listen, something must have happened to Kurama's mom," Yusuke explained, a hint of impatience in his voice. "If something happened to Kurama's mom, and to help her, he had to go to the Makai. . . . "
"Oh!!" Kuwabara said, finally catching on. Yusuke grinned at Hiei.
"He's only a little slow," Yusuke said.
"Are we gonna go after Kurama?" Kuwabara asked.
"He can handle himself," Hiei said.
"But we should go give him some help!!" Yusuke declared. "Lets go."
"Why do I get dragged into these things?" Hiei muttered as the two other boys ran off. Hiei quickly caught up with them. Phew. That took a while. Anyway . . . PLEASE REVIEW!! I'M ALMOST AT 300!!!
To Sedai Dragon- Yeah, Shiori probably is the type of parent who would take it well, maybe do this whole, "As long as this is all in the past" thing. But for my purposes, no. Because the votes were so close (not really) and something was pointed out to me, (the little bit of a plot hole with the Shiori hearing Kurama's dead and then finding him out in the woods) I thought I should just combine the three. So, she needed to be all rejective.
To Dragon Sythe- Yeah . . . I know I made it sound like I wasn't going to update for weeks on end. But I just thought that telling everyone what was happening in the next chapter might make them want to read t even more . . . stupid really. ^___^ anyway, don't think too much like that.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Kurama sat on the living room couch after Kuronue had cleaned up his cuts, sulking as the two other youkai watched him nervously.
::Kuronue?:: Jeroun mind-called, with a quick glance over at the kitsune on the couch. Kurama glanced over, knowing some unheard message was passing between them, but ignored it.
::Yeah?:: Kuronue said once Kurama turned away.
::Are we gonna tell him about Shiori?:: Jeroun asked.
::I don't know:: Kuronue said. Kurama fidgeted on the couch, knowing something unpleasant was about to happen.
"What's up you guys?" Kurama asked. "Why all the secrecy around here all of the sudden?" Jeroun glanced at Kuronue, who nodded. Both youkai inhaled, sighed, and then looked Kurama straight in the eyes. "What?"
"Kurama, something happened," Jeroun said.
"Well, that's obvious," Kurama retorted. He wasn't in a good mood lately. (A/N: *with a major hint of sarcasm* Wonder why?) Both Jeroun and Kuronue winced. "What? What's the matter?" he asked, suddenly nervous.
"Yesterday, I came here to visit your mother about you," Kuronue said. "I thought that if I talked to her, maybe she'd rethink her actions and apologize to you."
"How'd it go?" Kurama asked, sounding completely unconcerned about it.
"Well, I never really got that far," Kuronue said.
"What do you mean?" Kurama asked, suddenly nervous again, although he was trying his best to hide it.
"A few moments into the conversation, something came through the window," Kuronue said. "I tried to warn Shiori, but it knocked her out." Kurama jumped to his feet, enraged.
"Who would dare!!!!" he growled, very pissed off, even by this point.
"Well, I can think of a few people," Jeroun quipped lamely, but shut up as Kurama glared at him. "Nevermind."
"I yelled at them to show themselves, but whoever it was knocked me out as well," Kuronue said. "And by the time I came to. . . . "
"'Kassan was gone," Kurama finished for him. His hands, which were balled up into fists, shook. He took calming breaths, but still fell to his knees as they gave out on him. "Okaa-san." Kurama put his face into his hands. "Okaa-san."
"Kurama . . . we have to go find her," Kuronue said.
"You actually care about her?" Kurama asked, bringing his face out of his hands. His eyes, surprisingly, were dry. He even managed to haul himself back to his feet and onto the couch again. Jeroun thought this was slightly strange.
"She was kind to me, even if she did hit me on the head that one morning," Kuronue said. "And I can't help but feel that this is somehow my fault."
"It's not, though," Jeroun hurriedly reassured him.
"We don't know," Kuronue said. "Either way, back to the more pressing matter. Kurama, we have to go find her. We could follow her life energy if nothing else, plus that guy, whoever he was, left a very strong scent all about the kitchen."
"That's what that smell was," Kurama muttered. "An ogre, right?"
"I think so, or at least that's what carried her away," Kuronue said. Kurama frowned. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Kurama lied. The truth was, there was something else in that smell, something that smelled to familiar for comfort. "Maybe I've just been around Jorge too much, but regular ogres do not smell like gunpowder, right?"
"No," Kuronue said. "I was wondering about that, too." Kurama frowned; if he could just place that smell, he'd know what was going on. "So . . . we should get going, right?"
"You two are welcome to go, but I'm staying here," Kurama said. Kuronue nodded, walked to the door, seemed to realize what Kurama had said, and turned to face the kitsune.
"Nani?" he said as calmly as he could. Perhaps he had misheard Kurama. The redhead sighed and put his hands on his hips.
"I said that you and Jeroun were welcome to go, but that I'm going to stay here," Kurama said. Jeroun, who had gotten up, walked straight into a wall.
"Are you crazy?" he asked, but no one could hear him, for his face was stuffed into the wall. Kuronue stared at Kurama for a few moments before his shocked stare turned into a cold, hardened glare. Kurama backed away from him. There were few times when the chimera had scared the crap out of Kurama. This was one of those times.
"I can't believe you," Kuronue said. "She raised you without a complaint! She's done a fine job of taking care of you, keeping you out of trouble and such!! And you lied to her your entire ningen life!! This is how you repay her for her kindness?"
"She was the one who rejected me, if I remember correctly," Kurama said. "Not the other way around." He hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. Kuronue wasn't sure what made him do this, but he walked over to Kurama, brought his hand around, and smacked the kitsune across the face. Kurama's head snapped to the side, his red hair flying, brushing against Kuronue's hand. When the kitsune turned his head around to face Kuronue, his bright green eyes were wide with shame and surprise. Neither found themselves able to say a word. Even Jeroun, who had pried his face out of the wall in time to see the slap, stared. Kuronue and Kurama stared at each other, wondering who would break first. Kurama fell off the couch, and onto his knees once more. "G-gomen, Kuronue, I didn't know what I was thinking," he said. Kuronue swallowed hard.
"Damn straight you didn't," the chimera said. "Now, are you coming, or are you just going to sit here like a spoiled brat?"
"Coming," Kurama said weakly, and hauled himself to his feet and out the door with his friends.
Shiori laid on her bed, staring at the stone-slabbed wall. She reached out and touched it. It was so cold, and it made her long for her home, and the way everything once was. (Will it change the fact that he's a demon?) a small voice in her mind asked her. She shook her head. (No,) she answered herself. Shiori sighed. How long had she been here again? Not even a whole day yet, and already she longed to be home, for someone to come and rescue her. She was brought out of her daydream by the sound of metal scraping against metal. Someone was opening her door. She froze, sure that her stillness would convince her captors that she wasn't to be bothered. That didn't exactly work.
"She's asleep?" one, the mud-thing, asked.
"Wake her up," the ogre replied. "She needs to come see our master with us now. He said to fetch her." Shiori felt her blood run cold. She had already heard plenty about this "master" He was, supposedly, powerful, able to . . . oh, what was it again? She couldn't remember. The ogre came over and shook her roughly, and she turned over to show him what she hoped was a tired, don't-mess-with-me face. "Come on, ningen."
"Please, I'm ever so tired," Shiori said, resisting the urge to slap the ogre again. In fact. . . . On closer inspection of his face, she could see the dim outline of the whack she had given him earlier. He growled and touched a hand to his face.
"A few hours ago you were awake enough to give me this," the ogre said. He yanked her out of the bed. "Come on." Shiori struggled as she was pulled out of her cell. She pulled against his grip, but he was stronger than she, with an iron-like grip about her arm. Shiori had a strong suspicion that the blood was being cut of at that point.
"Let me go!" she growled. The ogre paused, startled by the sudden burst of courage that Shiori displayed, and the woman took the chance to yank her arm out of his grip. "It's . . . not polite to treat people this way!"
"You are not to tell me how I am to treat you!" the ogre growled. Shiori whimpered, backing against the wall, her courage completely diminished by the ogre's threat. She threw her hands up in an attempt to shield her face, terrified of the beating she was sure she had earned herself.
"Look, we scared her," the mud-thing said.
"We should scare her some more," the ogre said, advancing on Shiori. She cried out as she saw the ogre lift a fist through the gap in her arms.
"Stop!!!" she cried, closing her eyes.
"I said you were not to harm her," a deep, smooth voice said. Shiori uncovered her face and opened her eyes in time to see a flash of black behind the ogre before the thing vanished in a loud, resounding "BANG" that echoed throughout the hallway.
"Who are you?" Shiori asked, unsure of where the strange voice and the bang, and heck, everything had come from.
"Are you all right?" asked the voice from before. A pale hand reached out to her. Shiori shrank back, expecting a beating. "Don't be afraid." Shiori took the hand, and the hand's owner pulled her to her feet. "You seem all right."
"I am," Shiori said. She looked up into violet eyes. "That was you?"
"Yes," the voice said.
"But why?"
"Because I need you to carry out my plan," the voice said. The owner began to lead Shiori through the hallways.
"Why?" Shiori asked, almost fearing the answer.
"You are Shuichi Minamino's mother, correct?" Shiori stiffened.
"I am Shiori Minamino, if that is what you mean," she said, suddenly weary.
"And you are aware of the fact that he is Youko Kurama, are you not?" the voice asked. "I thought he told you a little bit ago."
"Yes," Shiori said hesitantly. "How do you know though?" she asked on a sudden burst of suspicion. "Do you . . . do you stalk us or something?" Even though Shiori could not see it, a light smile crept over thin lips.
"I guess you could say so," he muttered, somewhat under his breath.
"Come on!!" Yusuke and Kuwabara were heading over to Kurama's house, hearing from Koenma that the fox had shown himself around there just a little while ago. Koenma had already told them that Kuronue was there, and that Jeroun had arrived not too long after Kurama.
"I'm coming, Urameshi, I'm coming," Kuwabara yelled, being about ten feet behind Yusuke. "I don't run that fast!!"
"Come on!!" Yusuke said yet again, for about the tenth time since they had began running. Kuwabara didn't know why, but he had been counting.
"Urameshi, I don't see why we're doing this," Kuwabara said. "Knowing Kurama, they've probably already worked things out."
"Granting that Kurama stayed for more than five seconds and that Shiori actually listened to him," Yusuke said. "But you might be right." (A/N: Kuwabara, right? Oh, god help us. well, maybe . . . ya know what? Nevermind)
"Might be? The great Kazuma Kuwabara is always right!!" Kuwabara yelled.
"Save the act for Yukina, Kuwabara, she's the only one who buys it," Yusuke said. "Hey! We're almost there!" The rounded a corner and within moments were knocking on the door.
"Kurama!! Open up!!" Kuwabara yelled. "Come on!! It's us!!"
"Kurama, are you in there?" Kuwabara turned to Yusuke.
"Urameshi, I don't think he's in there," Kuwabara said.
"No shit, Sherlock," Yusuke said. (A/N: Slightly un-Yusuke-ish, but I thought I could get away with it. I'm in a comment-y mood tonight, aren't I?) "Maybe they're just out back."
"Yeah," Kuwabara said.
"Come on," Yusuke told him. Yusuke led him around, but there was no one anywhere to be found. "Wonder where Kurama could have gotten to."
"No clue," Kuwabara said.
"Of course you don't have a clue," said another voice. Both Tantei jumped. Yusuke recovered first and looked into a nearby tree.
"Hey, Hiei," Yusuke said. Hiei jumped down from the tree, landing lightly on the ground between Yusuke and Kuwabara. The latter jumped, but put on a forced smile.
"Hey Shrimp!!" he said.
"What are you two doing here?" Hiei asked them.
"Trying to find Kurama," Yusuke said. "Hey, Hiei, you spend a lot of time in that tree out there, did you happen to see anything?" Hiei nodded. "Well?"
"Kurama, Kuronue, and Jeroun left a while ago," Hiei said. Yusuke and Kuwabara glanced at each other, both with confused looks on their faces.
"How long ago?" Yusuke asked.
"About an hour," Hiei said. "Something was said about going to the Makai."
"Why in the world would he want to go back to the Makai?" Yusuke asked.
"I don't know," Hiei said. "I'll be damned if he tells me anything anymore! He shares all of his secrets with Kuronue!!"
"Sounds like someone is a little jealous," Kuwabara muttered in Yusuke's ear. "Sounds like Kuronue's taking Hiei's place in Kurama's life."
"I heard that, baka," Hiei growled in a low voice.
"I didn't mean it!" Kuwabara said hurriedly. "I really didn't!!" Hiei growled and moved toward the human. Yusuke noticed this and moved between them.
"Drop it, Hiei," Yusuke said. Then, on a sudden train of thought, "Is Shiori there?" Hiei's and Kuwabara's eyes widened.
"I don't think so," Hiei said. "That might be why. . . . "
"Kurama's going back to the Makai!!"
"I don't get it," Kuwabara said.
"Listen, something must have happened to Kurama's mom," Yusuke explained, a hint of impatience in his voice. "If something happened to Kurama's mom, and to help her, he had to go to the Makai. . . . "
"Oh!!" Kuwabara said, finally catching on. Yusuke grinned at Hiei.
"He's only a little slow," Yusuke said.
"Are we gonna go after Kurama?" Kuwabara asked.
"He can handle himself," Hiei said.
"But we should go give him some help!!" Yusuke declared. "Lets go."
"Why do I get dragged into these things?" Hiei muttered as the two other boys ran off. Hiei quickly caught up with them. Phew. That took a while. Anyway . . . PLEASE REVIEW!! I'M ALMOST AT 300!!!