Chapter 14- How the Mighty Have Fallen

The inside of the chateau was very different from the outside. While the building was made of white/pink brink with tall, white columns, the inside resembled a deep, dark cave. The chateau was actually just a link to an underground sanctuary, kind of like a back door. The cave was made entirely of dark brown and black rock. Stalagmites and stalactites punctured the floor and ceiling. Dark shadows moved across the walls as unseen forms crept in the darkness. Near the entrance, the original Warriors of long ago had carved into the rock, forming rectangular common rooms, massive Keeper quarters, and small, numerous Warriors housing. In each different Warrior room, a symbol had been carved into the far wall: a tree for the Staff Warriors, a series of waves for the Elixir Warriors, a flame for the Flame Warriors, and a leaf for the Winds Warriors. There were no beds. The Four Temples must not have existed long ago.

* * *

Thousands of years ago, the four Orders lived together at The Temple of Sacred Spirit. They were brothers and sisters together, the Keepers, their parents. They had their differences, but they all came together when it was time to protect their Keepers and their Tools. There were many different demons, each with their own special powers. There was Rurai, Flame Warrior, who faced off with over a thousand demons in his time as a Warrior. Aiko, a female Elixir follower who was able to freeze an entire army of devils to protect her Keeper. Daichi was a Warrior of the Winds. He killed his own brother, a demon trying to steal the Winds, in favor of his fellow Warriors. No one was as good as Warikai, however. She, in keeping with Staff Warrior tradition, was a Warrior for nearly two thousand years. It was only after she took one hundred cutlass slashes that she died, of falling in a steaming pool of lava.

Despite the close-knit atmosphere, the different orders began to seek isolation from one another. They wanted to keep their Orders' secrets to themselves, so, three thousand years after the start of the Order's, they split up: the Flame going south, the Staff going north, the Elixir west, and the Winds east. They all built their temples differently, and created different rituals for induction, wards, and protection of the Tool itself. They only use the original Temple now for a sanctuary in times of absolute peril. And so, five hundred years later, this has been the only time there has actually been such a need.

* * *

"This sucks!" Yongei announced to everyone within a hundred miles, his voice echoing across the caves. "There's no beds, indoor plumbing, or modern conveniences! What am I going to do?"

"Pretend we're camping?" Amitomo smiled as he stretched out across the floor of their Flame Warrior's room. "Come on, didn't you have to sleep on the floor in Sabaku?"

"Yes," Yongei sat down and started playing with an eyebrow ring. "But that was nearly ten years ago. And at least my sister gave me a cushion for my head!"

"H-hey, Yongei?" Amitomo stuttered.

"What?" Yongei sniffed his top, made a face, and proceeded to take it off. "Darn little kid,"

"I was wondering, what do you plan to do? After this is all over?" Amitomo put his hands behind his head.

"I dunno. Probably go back to the Temple, serve a few more years, stay with you," he winked.

"I was planning to leave," Amitomo admitted.

"What? Leave? Why?"

"Just, don't feel like serving after this. I originally came to the temple so my brother could grow up in a loving family environment, and I could have a purpose. Now, Amitare's dead. And, I have another purpose now,"

"Really, what?" Yongei pulled another shirt out of his bag.

"You. What makes you happy," Amitomo stare at the dark, rocky ceiling. "What you want,"

"You know what would make me happy?" Yongei smiled. "Tokyo. An apartment in Tokyo, with a big bedroom overlooking the skyline. A job in Shinjuku, bartender maybe, that pays well. You, you always being there for me. Helping me," He laughed a bit under his breath. "That's what I want,"

"I could live with that," Amitomo said. "I could love that,"

"I also want a cat," Yongei said, thinking. "A gray cat with cute little whiskers and little white sock feet,"

Amitomo laughed.

"What the heck is so funny?" Yongei asked angrily.

"You," Amitomo managed to choke out, rolling onto his side as he laughed. "You're such a pansy man!"

Yongei smiled, then pounced on Amitomo, pushing back onto his back with his hands on his shoulders. "You're calling me a pansy? What about you, Mr. I-Get-A-Facial-Every-Two-Weeks."

"I like the nice, healthy glow," Amitomo defended himself, sticking his tongue out.

"You could have just asked, dude," Yongei smiled, then went in.

"You two know that's completely disgusting behavior," Donya said, setting his bag down.

"What are you doing here?" Yongei wiped his lips. "It was supposed to be just us two,"

"Kamma doesn't want to share with a man, and Nanaku is staying with Hiei. Chiyo's staying with Kongono, whenever he gets back," Donya leaned against the wall. "So, where do I sleep?"

"Out in the hall with the other vermin," Yongei snapped, sitting up.

"Now, now Yongei, play nice," Amitomo encouraged.

"I was," Yongei muttered.

A voice echoed through the air of the caves, causing loose rock to fall, "All Warriors, report immediately to the main chamber. Spirit detectives, come too."

"Let's go," Donya said, waving his hand.

"I never liked that pompous cook," Yongei snarled.

* * *

"Kongono has just returned from his mission into the forest," Mameha addressed the Orders. "Karasu is gathering a devil army from the Land of the Dead. He will breach the Temple in about an hour. We need to pull together if we are going to beat his army,"

"How do you suggest we do this, Mameha-sama?" An Elixir Warrior, Tsuki, asked.

"I think we need to have a Warrior from each Temple in nine separate groups. The three spirit detectives will each go to a separate group once the initial battle has begun. They will act as lookout for the Undead army until then. The nine groups will be evenly spread out through out the Temple," Mameha ordered.

"Yes, Mameha," Soiyui, Keeper of the Elixir, said with her smooth, lilting voice. "Have the Four Elements work together. Win the battle we shall."

"Only, are you sure dividing ourselves is a good idea?" Kaze, the Winds Keeper, asked.

"We must do as we must to protect the Tools," Shokobutsu said firmly. "Even if it means breaking up the Orders,"

"They're so selfless," Yusuke muttered to Kuwabara as he watched the keepers make a defense plan from the dark shadows of the room. "Even if it means breaking down the Orders and tradition, they're willing to do whatever it takes to protect the Tools from evil,"

"Yeah, makes you think, huh?" Kuwabara stared at the floor.

"What's wrong? Usually you can't shut up. Right now you're clamming up,' Yusuke looked at his friend. "Something's bothering you,"

"I can't shake this feeling," Kuwabara shifted uncomfortably. "It's like . . ."

Yusuke's detective sense was alerted, "Like what?"

Kuwabara nudged his friend in the ribs, and nodded towards the door. Yusuke looked and suppressed a gasp. A big pair of glowing yellow eyes was staring into the room from the darkness. "Like we're being watched," Kuwabara whispered.

"SPIRIT GUN!" Yusuke fired suddenly at the pair of eyes. The illumination from the blast revealed for a few seconds the figure of a teenager before the blast hit him in the chest. As his body absorbed the light, the skin melted off his bones, and when the Warriors went to investigate, they only found a skeleton with the chest blown open.

"Warriors! Quickly! Chiyo, Jinn, Tsuki, and Kankiri are group one. Group two is Amitomo, Akira, Kori, and Unadon. Three is Nanaku, Tinamo, Samui, and Hayashi. Four is Kamma, Kokai, Touya, and Amai. Five is Donya, Tenshin, Nishi, and Tenki. Six is Bonai, Krumi, Yuki, and Ki. Seven is Yongei, Dotaro, Kozui, and Sekai. Eight is Kongono, Namanga, Itai, and Wakai and group eight is Hiei, Mitsukoi, Shinju, and Kita. Spread out evenly through out the Temple! Keepers will be in the Inner Sanctum of The Temple. Spirit detectives, go!"

* * *

"Kiara! Kiara you silly girl! Where in heaven are you?" Botan called as she sailed into the great, grassy field. "Kiara! We'll be late if I don't find you! Oh, come on!" Botan swooped down, her kimono fluttering in the breeze. "KIARA!"

"Botan? Botan is that you?" Kiara sat up from her sleeping place on the ground, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"Kiara! Good to see you," Botan smiled as she floated down beside the girl. "It's time."

"For what?" Kiara asked.

"For you to come back to life of course!" Botan smiled. "Now climb on, or you'll be late,"

"Kiara? What's going on?" Amitare sat up beside Kiara, his eyes were worried.

"Amitare, I'm afraid Kiara has to come back to life now. It's her time to go," Botan hovered.

"But, I'll be alone again," he put his arm protectively around her shoulders. "I don't want her to go,"

"Tare. . ." Kiara stuttered.

"I love her, I always have," Amitare stood up and glared at Botan fiercely. "I'm not letting you take her away,"

Instead of being frightened, Botan smiled, "That's just what Koenma wanted to hear,"

* * *

"Why were we stuck with lookout duty?" Yusuke grumbled.

"Lookout duty is not the worst thing you could be doing," Kurama muttered.

Kuwabara smiled. "Yeah, you could be stuck with Hiei," Yusuke shuddered.

"Something doesn't make sense to me," Kurama said.

"Like what?" Yusuke put his head back and shut his eyes.

"Why would Hades, Lord of the Dead, want to possibly take over the human world? I mean think about it, he rules an entire world of his own. Why would he want another one?" Kurama sat in deep thought.

"The thing men in power want more of:  more power," Kuwabara said.

"Geez, Rama. Even Kuwabara figured that one out," Yusuke grinned.

"Yes, but, he wouldn't be able to rule the human world," Kurama stated.

"What? Why?" Yusuke sat up.

"Because, Hades, or Death as human's call him, feeds off the souls of dead people who weren't righteous in life. He can't get those in the human world thanks to our friend, Botan. In other words, he can't take over the human world since he can only exist in the Land of the Dead," Kurama finished.

"But, that makes no sense," Yusuke said. "Why would Karasu be here if he wasn't going to get the Flame for Hades?"

A thought, however rough and sketchy, bloomed in Kuwabara's head, "He's here to seize the power of the Flame for himself, so he can take over both worlds,"

"Yeah, he was a powerful demon in life, and now in death," Yusuke leaned forward and smiled. "What do men in power want?"

"More power," Kurama grinned. "And in this case, their souls back,"

"Actually, I already have my soul back." Karasu's voice echoed in the alcove where the guys were near the Temple entrance. "It's just a matter of seizing power."

The guys stood up, and stood in defense positions. "Come out here and fight, you sissy," Kuwabara shouted.

"Kurama, run and tell the others we have company," Yusuke whispered. "Go, now," Kurama backed out of the alcove, and silently walked until he was sure his footsteps wouldn't be heard. Then, he sprinted.

"I plan to have the Flame. I'll get very angry if you stand in my way," Karasu's voice still maintained it's eerie calm.

"Stop your talking, and get out here and fight!" Yusuke shouted.

"As you wish," There was a slight movement in the shadows, then a tall, lean figure emerged, and stood half illuminated in the torchlight. His long, black hair matched the shadows, his pale skin stark white. They couldn't see his face except for his eyes. Karasu had come to the Temple.

* * *

The battle had gone on for hours. Covered in sweat and rock dust, the Warriors seemed to pulling ahead, despite the fact that the Undead seemed to become more numerous. Sometimes the battle got tough, and they would have to change into their full demon forms for more power. Other times, they would get a breath in or two before going on to the next opponent. The Flame Warriors kept throwing everything they had into it: fire, metal, steam. The Elixir demons froze everything in sight, and the Staff Warriors called upon everything from rocks to animals to fight for them. The Warriors of the Winds blew everything away.

Amitomo was glad Mameha had hidden away Wasabi in the Inner Sanctum of the Temple. "He's safe," He kept telling himself as he stabbed and sliced through Undead. "Nothing will harm him,"

Mean while, Hiei and Nanaku had found each other, and they were joining powers to take out large patches of Undead. "I just hope the enemy doesn't get any ideas about destroying us," he muttered.

"Yes," Nanaku blasted at a skeleton with a wave of her fan. "That would just be stupid,"

Yusuke and Kuwabara were surrounded with a circle of Undead. "Let's get the party going," Yusuke laughed as he shot through Undead with his Spirit Gun.

"Where'd Karasu go?" Kuwabara asked.

"I dunno. He just vanished after he showed himself to us," Yusuke ducked a punch from an Undead, and swiftly kicked it in the stomach. "Probably didn't want to get his hands dirty," he said as a black figure swooped down, and landed on a tall stalagmite.

"Die, you fools!" Karasu yelled before running off through the cave in the direction of the Inner Sanctum.

"I'll get him!" Hiei yelled as he raced off after him with Nanaku close behind.

The battle got worse. Warriors started to become very tired and over whelmed as the Undead pressed on with what seemed unquenchable energy. Soon, a cry went out that an Elixir demon was dead. Then, word that a Staff Warrior had fallen. Warriors were falling left and right, the Undead were beginning to win the battle.

"Back you devils!" Yongei swung his ball and chains around his body, taking out Undead left and right. Then, a sharp pain just below his chest. He looked down and saw the sword that had run through him. He quickly swung and killed the Undead that had injured him. Yongei pulled it out with a cry, and stood in shock, gasping for breath.

"YONGEI!" Amitomo rushed forward and caught the man as he fell towards the rocky floor. "FIRE WALL!" A ring of hot red flames burst around them, protecting them from the Undead.

"Tomo," Yongei gasped for breath and grimaced. "Tomo,"

Amitomo cried as he looked at the wound on Yongei's stomach. He was going to die.

Suddenly, a burst of light illuminated the dark cavern from the ceiling. The battle stopped as everyone, Warriors, detectives, and the Undead looked upward.

"What is that?" Yusuke wondered out loud.

Two figures dressed completely in white descended from the light. One had long, blond hair; the other had shaggy brown.