Yu Yu Hakusho,

The Unbridled Sprites

I don't own Yu Yu, so sue me already. V_V()

~*~

It was a full moon. There were only a few stray clouds whisking across the sky as a small, cloaked figure walked toward a temple. The temple was ancient and had not seen another life form in ages, it had seemed. The small figure carried a lantern in it's right hand and a long staff in it's other. It forced open the old door to the temple and began to walk down a hallway. The windows were covered and the only light it had was the small lantern it carried.

If you were nearby, you would hear the figure begin to hum a song that had no real tune to it. Then the figure stopped suddenly. It turned to it's left and walked through the wall, but when the figure was through the wall, the illusion that had seemed like a wall disappeared and the figure held up it's lantern. It began feeling the real wall for something. After a short search, the figure pulled a stone from the wall and the entire wall seemed to move to allow the small creature passage. It traveled down some steps and into a tunnel that was, as far as anyone could tell, underground. The figure continued. Down two more flights of stairs and down a few more tunnels. It was deep underground now, carefully avoiding traps that it somehow knew were there.

It came to a large wall with carvings on it. It held the lantern up to see and the light reflected off the wall into her face. It was a small girl, not more than 5 years old. The bright light reflected off her chilling violet eyes as she scanned the wall. After closely examining the wall's surface, she carefully placed her hand in a small slot. The wall slid open and the girl entered the room behind it. The room was filled with gold and treasures beyond most mortal's wildest dreams. The treasure was called "The Treasure Trove of the Spirit Sprites." She didn't give the gold, jewels and trinkets a second glance before passing to the middle of the room where there was a beam of light shining down on an old forgotten chest. The girl placed her lantern on the ground and kneeled beside the chest and began singing a prayer, placing her staff on the chest with three bright ribbons tied to it:

"Lovely Sprites and Spirits bold,

Secrets of your might untold,

Give to me your wonderful gift,

So that I may seal our dividing rift,

In exchange for freedom, yours,

Stay with me forever more,

Never alone to walk afraid,

Our fate and destinies I do braid,

Together we shall be,

Always and forever, you Spirits and me!

Now with this staff, I do release!

All of you who come in peace!

Arise, good Spirits! Arise!

Arise, good Spirits! Arise!

Show your glory to my eyes!"

As she said the last two lines, she stood and grabbed up her staff and broke the jewelled seal in two. The chest sprang open like a spring had been holding it back and the spirit sprites began circling the room, looking very much like large fireflies in many different colours. The girl began giggling and spinning around and around in the middle of the lights. "Not alone! Not alone! I'll never be alone again! Soon they will ALL see what it is like being me!"

She was so busy spinning that she didn't notice where she was going. She tripped over a lovely silken rug and fell straight into the piles of gold and jewels. When she resurfaced, not only were the spirits flying in very angry, erratic patterns, the evil ones who had not been summoned were now appearing out of the box. "NO!" The girl ran back to the chest and tried to close it to keep the other spirits from escaping. Suddenly, the staff she had left on the floor took on a life of it's own and began swinging at her to get her away from the chest. It pried her off and she was now kneeling on the floor, watching her dream creation become a nightmare.

The spirits circled her faster and faster and faster until they looked like one giant beam of light going in a constant circle, no beginning and no end. The girl opened the mouth for a silent scream and began running out of the room, through the wall, and back up the tunnels. She threw herself out the door as the temple's roof blew off and released the spirits on the world. She watched with mouth agape. "This was not supposed to happen! I did not try to steal the Treasures of the Trove! You should still be obeying me!" The spirits neither heard nor cared. They began to scatter and fly to all corners of the universe, seeking new hosts to live off of and become whole beings again. "NO! I'm the one you need! I'm the one who released you! Come Back!" As suddenly as they had showed up, the spirits were gone. Completely vanished from view. "No! No… It's just a bad dream… a vision… This can't be real… no…" She kneeled to the ground, soaking the soil with her salty tears, her body shaking from her crying.

Then, the staff came floating out the door, a small blue light coming from the handle. The girl looked up and heard a slight whistling noise. "Huh?" She whispered wiping her nose on her kimono sleeve. "Who's there?"

Another whistle came and the staff dropped before her. She looked up and saw that one spirit had not left. It was a small spirit, definitely not the most powerful one, but it had stayed and it was beginning to take a humanoid form. It wasn't long before a young, light blue haired girl with dragonfly's wings was kneeled before the young girl with her hands on her knees and cocking her head sideways at the silly human looking creature before her. She whistled again, with a questioning in her tone, and stared at the girl with her yellowy green eyes.

"I am alright. Where did the others go? Are they hiding?" The girl looked around. If this sprite stayed, maybe the others did too.

The spirit turned her head from side to side, looking. Then she shrugged her shoulders and pointed skywards.

"Yes. They left. I thought so. Why didn't you leave too?" She asked.

The sprite grinned and held up the staff again and placed it in the girl's lap. Then whistled a friendly tune.

"Oh! So, since you saw me free you, you are going to stick around for awhile, is that right?" Another whistle. "Great! We'd better get you some clothes though. People might stare at you otherwise." The sprite cocked her head sideways again and had confusion written all over her face. "Don't worry. I won't make you look stupid. I'll pick out nice human clothes, okay?" The spirit nodded, still confused and stood up, holding out it's hand. "Huh?" the girl looked up. The spirit flapped her wings and moved her hand. "OH! We are going to fly back to my home! Okay!" She took her hand and the spirit lifted her up. "To Earth!" The Spirit whistled a sweet, friendly tone and flew up in a flash of blue light.

~*~*~

Boton was running very quickly through the crowded room where the ogres were working on the paper work that was necessary to run the Spirit world. She ran straight to Koenma's office. "You called, Koenma, sir?" She bowed.

"Ah, Boton, thank you for coming. It seems we have a slight problem on our hands. It would seem that the Spirit Sprites are loose. Do you realise what this means?"

"The Spirit Sprites? But no one's even heard stories of them since…well… 10,000 years ago."

"Yes. We were trying to make everyone forget about them here. They cause so many problems. It's so easy for them to travel between worlds, not to mention that they take on hosts and take them to the other worlds with them."

"That could be a problem."

"Yes… Especially with some of the more troublesome, nasty Sprites."

"So what does this have to do with Yusake's new mission?"

"It is Yusake's new mission. He must re-capture all of the Spirit Sprites and return them to the sacred chest from which they emerged. He must hurry, or they will grow too accustomed to their human and demon hosts and become too powerful to be defeated."

"I understand that this is important, Koenma, sir, but I don't see how Yusake is going to be able to defeat that many Sprites, not to mention track them down."

Koenma handed her a pendant on an old chain. The pendant had four different coloured jewels on it and one larger jewel in the center. "This is the object that will help Yusake on this particular mission. The Sprite's Eye in the center will light up the jewel nearest the direction of the Spirit Sprite. When you identify the Sprite's host, the Eye will change colour. It will be red if the Sprite is corrupt and blue if the sprite has pure motives."

"Pure motives?"

"All the Spirit Sprites started as fun loving, happy go lucky spirits. Then humans began to fear the hosts of the Sprites to a point that they began burning the Spirit Sprites' hosts at the stake. The Spirit Sprites usually didn't leave the body until it had been consumed by the flames, leaving the once happy Sprite angry and revenge hungry. Demons were not much better, fighting over the most powerful Sprites that had effects of great strength on their hosts and tortured them into obedience. How some Sprites remained pure is still a mystery to me, but many old stories told of a Priestess that offered protection to the Sprites. One night she was attacked by a horde of angry demons who had heard that many of the most powerful Sprites had been hiding with her. She hid the remaining Sprites in an enchanted box that could only be opened by one of her blood. How they have escaped… It's hard to imagine sense the Priestess was supposedly killed that same night."

"Quiet the horror story. Poor Sprites."

"Yes. But now they are free, able to take on new hosts and most still hungry for their revenge on the races that hurt them."

"Shouldn't you be telling Yusake this?"

"I have made another tape. Here. As his assistant, you should give it to him."

"Yes, Koenma, sir."

"And, Boton?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Keep in mind that this mission must not fail. If the Sprites gain their revenge, it could be disastrous for humans and demons alike. Not to mention all the lives that will be lost. The sprites will not attack the people that have sprites in them, but all other humans and demons will perish if this mission fails. And I don't want that much paper work! Can you imagine the mountains we are going to have to do just because these things are free?! "

Boton sweat dropped. "How horrible for you, Koenma sir. I'll get Yusake on this right away."

~*~*~

Keiko was running down the street, trying to get to school before anyone else so she could spot Yusake from the class window. She came around a corner and ran smack into a girl that didn't seem to be five years old. The little girl rubbed her nose gently. "Owie.." she whispered, pushing her silvery white hair out of her eyes.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Are you okay, little girl?"

She looked up, as if seeing Keiko for the first time. "Oh! I'm fine. My name's Satsuna! What's your name, lady?" She picked up a little brown bag that was loaded down with something.

"Keiko. What's in your bag? It looks heavy for such a small girl, Satsuna. You must be really strong to lift such a load."

The girl hid the bag behind her back. "It's a secret. Satsuna's Secret." She giggled enthusiastically and skipped around Keiko's legs.

"What kind of secret, Satsuna?"

"Can't tell! It wouldn't be Satsuna's Secret anymore!" She looked up in a tree as if she had heard something from there. "Gotta go, Miss Keiko. Hope I see you later!" and with another hundred watt smile, she rounded the corner. Keiko could hear her singing. "Miss Keiko, Miss Keiko, soon to be Sprite's Keiko! Miss Keiko! Miss Keiko, Sprite's keep her for a friend!"

Keiko sighed. "Weird little girl…" Then she felt a strange wind blow. What was so strange about it was that not only had it come from no where, but it seemed to only happen on the block where she was standing. She looked up at the tree Satsuna had looked up into. She felt strange, like someone had touched her from behind. If she had been able to see behind herself, she would have noticed a small, green sprite enter her through the back of her shirt.

~*~*~

Yusake and Kuwabara were standing in the alley behind the school. The bell was about to ring and they were talking about the new mission that Koenma had sent them.

"Spirit Sprites? Sounds kinda whimpy to me." Kuwabara stated as a matter of fact-ly.

"Well, it's been my experience that the toughest fighters don't usually have the greatest names. And anyways, if we spot them soon enough, they shouldn't be that hard to defeat. Personally, I think this job's gonna be a piece of cake. A quick beat down of some people, putting those things back in the box they popped out of, and a long rest for the Spirit Detective."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that Yusake. Koenma seems to think these things are more powerful than that." Boton stated from on top of the wall. "Anyway, Koenma said you have to be careful not to hurt anyone with a Sprite in them too badly or the Sprite will turn nasty and the fight will get harder. Kuwarbara, try to help Yusake to remember not to go in swinging every time. You catch more flies with honey, you know." She lent forward, looking down at the two boys.

Just then, Keiko came around the corner, calling for Yusake. "Yusake! Yusake! Where are you?! Mr. Takanaka's calling you again." She noticed he was with Kuwabara. "Yusake? What's going on?" Kuwabara was staring hard at her. Something was different.

"Nothing, Keiko. Don't worry about it." Yusake pulled Kuwabara back by the shoulder and whispered out the side of his mouth. "Nothing you would be interesting in hearing about, right, Kuwabara?"

"Oh, yah. It's nothing for you to worry about, Keiko." When he looked at her, though, he could almost see the green aura around her. Something had changed.

"Okay. Well, Yusake, Mr. Takanaka is looking for you again. Just thought I'd warn you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'M not going to be late for class like some boys I know." She walked into the building.

"We aren't going to be late…" Yusake muttered. "Stupid girls…"

"Hey, Uremeshi, did you notice anything…different about Keiko?"

"Lay off her, Kuwabara!"

"Uremeshi! I'm serious!"

"No! There was nothing different about Keiko!" Yusake shouted.

"Well, I think there was. What if one of those sprite things got her?"

"Good point. We'll keep an eye on her."

~lunch hour~

Yusake walked out, looking for Keiko. Kuwabara saw him and yelled, "Uremeshi! Uremeshi! Come here! Now!" Yusake ran to him.

"What is it, Kuwabara? Where's the fire?"

"Look over there!" He pointed to Keiko who was helping some of the cheer leaders practice on the side of the basketball court.

"Kuwabara, I don't have time for this…" Then he looked at Keiko. Something WAS different.

She was standing in front of the pyramid of cheerleaders, directing them. She seemed to know exactly where they needed to be for them to be straight and not fall and would always tell a girl to move before her partner would begin to wobble. She noticed that another girl was loosing her balance. "Ami! Move to the right! NO! Your other right!" it didn't help. In a flash, Ami was falling down the pyramid and just as she did, Keiko was there to catch her, grabbed her by the shoulders and held her to where her feet barely hit the ground. She then sat Ami down on the ground and looked down at her worried. "Ami? Ami? Are you hurt?"

Ami looked up confused. "I'm fine… What happened?" The other cheerleaders finally got out of formation and where telling Ami all about what had just happened.

Yusake and Kuwabara were talking quietly. "How did she know where and how that girl was going to fall? It's like she knew in advance that the girl was going to fall and how."

"Pretty freaky, huh? She's been doing things like that all morning. It's like she's got Spider Sense or sumthin."

"More like Spirit Sprite Sense." Boton cut in from behind. "It seems that Keiko has met up with one and it took a liking to her spirit energy. In return for her being it's host and feeding it, it may make her fast, strong or something else. Rumour has it that these sprites can do a lot with people's spirit energies. Depending on the sprite, it may make you super fast or be able to see through walls… there are a lot of possibilities. It seems Keiko has super fast reflexes."

"Brilliant deduction, Einstein, but how will that help us get the spirit out of her?"

"Remember the Sprite's Eye I gave you? What colour is it?"

"Oh yah. I forgot about that…" He pulled it out of his pocket and pointed it at Keiko. At first it turned white. "What does that mean?!" Yusake shouted.

"Be patient Yusake…" Boton whispered, watching intently. As the white faded, the jewel turned blue. "Ah! Well that's a relief!"

"Great.. So now what? The Sprite is good, we know that. How do we catch it?"

"Well, you have to bring it's guard down, then lure it into the box."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Kuwabara asked, getting interested.

"The Sprite and the Host have to be totally calm and comfortable with their surroundings. Where is the place that Keiko likes being more than anywhere else in the world?"

"Um?" Yusake looked up[ at the sky thinking. "I have no idea…"

Botan sweat dropped. "YUSAKE!"

~*~*~

Hiei was standing on top of a building, not really doing anything but watching the "Pathetic humans" continue their everyday "worthless" lives. Then he sensed something. It was a strong, angry aura from somewhere close by. Something about this aura interested him. It seemed like this aura was calling for a fight, willing to take on any challenger. Hiei reached for his sword. He was in the mood to kick some sorry idiot's butt. Faster than the blink of an eye, he was off toward the aura.

Kurama came out of the shadows. He had been watching Hiei every since he had first sensed the aura. It had barely taken anytime for Hiei to sense it and it had called to him too. It seemed to be calling any and all demons to come and fight. To try and best it. Kurama wasn't sure what sort of creature this was, but it seemed like a strong, angry, yet wise, ancient energy. He began to follow it. Hiei might need some help with this one, he thought.

~*~*~

Satsuna was standing in the park and playing with some kids. She had taught the blue spirit sprite to look like a puppy and the kids were having tons of fun running around and having the puppy chase them. Suddenly, Satsuna stopped. She looked at a fountain in the park and seemed to get nervous. "Puppy! Sprity Puppy! It's time to go home! Let's go Puppy!" She began to run out of the park as fast as she could, the Sprite desperately trying to keep up without changing out of it's new body.

Not long after she left, a young boy with a bouquet of roses came and sat down on the edge of the fountain, waiting for someone. If he had watched where he had sat down, he would have noticed a small red light darting through the water, and into his head. Before he had realised, though, his eyes turned a possessed colour of red and he began to change. His once neat blonde hair became dishevelled and a horn sprouted from his forehead. His perfect looking teeth became long and sharp and jagged. His fingernails and toenails became claws and his body became so muscled that he burst right out of his shirt. He let out a horrifying howl and began running down the street, leaving the roses trampled and ripped.

~*~*~

Yusake had offered to walk Keiko home. He had thought of a way to "get her guard down." Standing by her locker, he offered to carry her books.

"That's really nice of you, Yusake. Thanks."

"Hey, no problem, Keiko. Hey, Keiko?"

"Huh?"

"I know it's none of my business or anything, but what happened today at lunch?"

"You mean the thing with Ami and the cheerleaders?"

"Yah."

"Everyone's been asking me that today. I just felt that she was going to fall and I did what I thought would help her. It was just all so natural. I didn't even realise it was any big deal."

"Oh? So you didn't feel any different? Like no extra burst of energy or anything?"

"No… What's this about Yusake?"

"Nothing! Hey, since you're the big hero today, how bout I take you somewhere?"

"Really? Like where?"

"Your choice. Somewhere relaxing. Someplace you feel really comfortable."

"Really? You're serious?"

"Yah. You've earned it, right? I'm sure you're tired of answering people's stupid questions about how it happened and everything, right?"

"Well…I guess…"

"Okay then! Where to?"

"Well…there is this one place… Have you ever heard of Karma Park?"

"Hey isn't that the place where girls drag their boyfriends on dates? The place also known as Romantic-enough-to-make-you-sick park?"

"Yusake…" -_-

"I meant, that great place where you can see the stars so clearly?" ^_^()

"Well? Are you taking me or not?"

"Right…Lets go."

~*~*~

Kuwabara was walking down the street, heading toward the comic store with his gang following close behind. They began to walk by a music store when Kuwabara noticed the T.V.'s in front. They were showing a new music video. A girl who had been a backup singer for some big hot shot had struck out on her own and had made it big very fast. She was singing a new version of the song I Love Rock'n'Roll.

"Hey who's that?" Kuwabara asked his gang.

"That's Bishi. The newest Popstar. You mean you haven't heard of her?"

"Well, I haven't exactly been keeping up with the times… Refresh my memory?"

"Bishi was part of some Rock Star's backup group. Then two days ago, she got noticed by some big music producer. Now she's one of the biggest things to ever hit the screen."

'Especially with guys,' Kuwabara noticed as a lot of boys of all ages began to gather around to watch the screen where Bishi, the black haired, green eyed, singing sensation was dancing and singing her heart out to the camera. Then Kuwabara noticed that she had an odd purple aura about her. Soon the song was finished and she began to talk.

"Now don't forget to go pick up my new CD! Coming out in Three days in Tokyo!" Several guys ran into the store to order their copies early. "And remember, my world wide tour continues soon in a town near you!" Then it showed a website address where you could check out where her next concert was. Kuwabara memorized the site name. Bishi had gotten famous pretty quickly and she was awfully popular with the guys around here. Maybe the Spirit Sprites were having some fun…

"Hey, guys, I've gotta go. I forgot I have some things I have to look into real quick."

He walked away quickly and began to think about the energy she had been producing. If the spirit sprites could seem that natural, they may be harder to find than he thought.

~*~

You guys know what? You just read 8 pages of a first shotter. ^_^()

Well? What did you think? Did I do okay for a first try? PLEASE TELL ME! I would desperately like some reviews! Thank you! If you want any more chapters, REVIEW!

BTW I review stories of people who review me! ^___^ (I can't believe I Just stooped to bribing… v_v())