Same disclaimers and warnings apply…like they have been for the past few chapters.
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Time trickled by, and Yukina felt herself being pulled in four different directions. Yusuke and Hiei were now combating each other, firing miniature versions of Rei Gun and the Kokuryuuha. Kurama was, well, being Kurama. Which basically had him running around like a hyperactive silver streak, occasionally pausing to chase one of his tails. And Kuwabara, always the ladies' man, was doing his very best to woo Yukina, not hindered in the least bit by his juvenile form.
"All right, guys, I've had enough," she finally announced. "Come with me and sit down."
The four Tantei members followed on three pairs of shaky legs and one set of quick and lively paws. Yukina led them into the training room previously occupied by a scared shitless youko pup, pointing to a spot on the floor where they would sit and stay. Kuwabara edged away from Hiei, cowering behind Yusuke. Kurama daintily plopped himself down on the floor and promptly laid his head in Hiei's lap. Hiei glared at him but ultimately let the fox do what he pleased.
"I haven't done this since Genkai-sensei left," she informed them, selecting a practice sword from the rack. She tested it on her palms for a moment, then began an intricate sword-dance, movements nearly as rapid as her twin's. The four young men watched in fascination as the slender girl moved across the wooden floor, noiseless, graceful. Even Hiei was impressed.
"Good," Yusuke voiced.
Kuwabara laughed. "Mine! My 'Kina!"
Hiei fixed him with a ruby glare that threatened to impale him. "Stupid ningen."
Kurama added a little bark that, as in most cases, designated him as mediator between carrot-topped human and angry youkai.
Just then the whole party was silenced by the sound of a door sliding on its track. Footsteps sounded across the temple floor. Yukina's eyes went wide, her sword still in hand. The four Tantei members clambered to their feet, each poised to attack in his own preferred manner.
"Yukina? You home?" the voice of one Kuwabara Shizuru called out.
"Of course she's home, where else would she be?" retorted the voice of one Yukimura Keiko. Yusuke and Kuwabara blanched.
Yukina tucked her sword into her obi and wandered out of the room. "I'm here. What can I do for you?"
"Where's Yusuke?" Keiko demanded. Always the blunt one, that girl.
Shizuru went into her pocket for a cigarette, but decided to forgo it, considering she was in a temple. "Look, it's not like I'm worried or anything. If Kazuma is off on some crazy mission with the others, good for him, as long as he's not lying dead in a ditch somewhere. But Kurama's mom keeps calling our house asking if we know where he is, and she sounds close to a panic attack."
"Well, they were on a mission," Yukina said slowly. "But something came up."
Keiko's eyes widened. "They're in trouble? They got hurt? Or kidnapped? Yusuke isn't dead again, is he?"
Yukina shook her head. She glanced over her shoulder, into the training room. They wouldn't be happy, any of them. With a resigned sigh, she stuck two slender fingers in her mouth and whistled.
Kurama shot out of the room, zipping around the two humans' ankles before sitting quite calmly beside Yukina. Keiko bent over and scooped up the silver kit, hugging him as she often did for Puu.
"He's so cute, Yukina! What's his name?"
"Kurama."
Shizuru arched an eyebrow. "You named your dog after Kurama?"
"Not exactly. That is Kurama. He, Yusuke, Kazuma-kun and Hiei were all turned into children. Kurama-san sort of made a couple of his old girlfriends angry, I suppose. The others are in there, if you would like to see them."
The elder of the three shrugged, while Keiko's face went white, then red, and finally an odd eggplant color. Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei stuck their heads out the door, timidly peering out at the older girls.
"Yusuke Urameshi, I can't believe you! How could you be so careless?"
Shizuru's previous look of incredulity only increased. "Weren't you listening? She said it was Kurama's fault."
"But Yusuke should have avoided it! When you get back to normal, Yusuke, I'm going to pound you within an inch of your life!"
Kuwabara the Elder grabbed the ranting junior ramen-ka by the arm and dragged her off.
"Thanks for the notice, Yukina. Let us know when they're the proper height, okay?"
Needless to say, Yusuke looked rather relieved when his ranting girlfriend had exited.
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Several hours trickled by, but Botan and Koenma had yet to return. The boys were getting restless, irritable, and over-emotional. Then again, so was Yukina. Currently, she was sitting on top of an overturned laundry basket containing her brother, who'd bitten Kuwabara, sent Yusuke into a Rei Gun blasting rage, and tried to set Genkai's bed on fire. In her hands were the broken remains of a Ming Dynasty vase Kurama accidentally tipped over when he ran into an ill-placed end table. Strained carrots were mashed into her hair courtesy of Yusuke, and Kuwabara had sufficiently slobbered on her trying to kiss her cheek.
"This has gone way too far," the teenaged koorime declared. "I don't care what they said, I am going to the Makai, and I am getting that antidote."
She hopped off the laundry basket, Hiei immediately righting it and making his escape. Yukina didn't care. She marched into Genkai's room, flinging open the closet doors. Way in the back was an old black one-piece robe, an old ninja suit. Apparently Genkai had had a brief stint in a Shinobi sect back in her younger years. This, she slipped on, along with the accompanying slippers and a pale pink sash Kurama had given to her for White Day. The koorime girl pulled her hair into a high tail, then very calmly walked into the armory.
"I'm terrible with shuriken, and lousy at the bow. Looks like I'll just have to copy a page from Hiei's book, I suppose," she sighed, unsheathing each katana in succession, trying to find the lightest one. The sword she selected was light, the edge of the blade paper-thin, the metal inscribed with swirling designs and characters of the samurai bushido code.
"All right," Yukina said at last, standing before the four young fighters. Yusuke started laughing hysterically, Kuwabara tried suppressing his giggles, Hiei glared at her from under his bandanna, and Kurama let out a proud little yip. "I'm going to the Makai to get your antidote."
"Wha 'bout us?" Yusuke asked suspiciously.
Yukina bit her lip. "Gee, I really don't know. I can't just leave you here, but I can't exactly take you with me, either."
The door flew open for the second time today, and three figures stood silhouetted in the door.
"Top o' the morning, icy lass!" Jin cried out cheerily.
Chu took a swig from a very large bottle. "All of the Makai is buzzing about these blighters. Thought we'd come have a lookee fer ourselves."
Touya nodded. "Looks like the rumors are true."
A very devious and un-Yukina-like plan bolted into the girl's brain. "Hey, would you guys mind doing me a very large favor?"
Chu grinned. "Anything for a pretty Sheila like you."
"Could you babysit them? Koenma-sama was supposed to be getting the antidote from Yomi, but he and Botan haven't come back yet. So I thought I'd go myself…but I really can't take them, and I really can't leave them alone, either."
Jin's smile spread from ear to pointy ear. "Sure we can keep our eyes on the wee lads!"
"Do you have any idea how to watch children, Jin?" Touya asked.
"Nope, but I'll be making a learning experience out of it, surely!"
Yukina started having second thoughts, but realized this was the only way she was getting out of the house without any interloping from the little ferrets. "They're not too difficult, part of them still thinks like a teenager, at least. And I'm taking Kurama, so that's one less."
"Aw, and I wanted to be playing with the wee puppy!" Jin pouted.
She shook her head, picking up the fox. "He got them into this mess, he's helping get them out. I'll be back soon. Please don't destroy anything, Genkai will throw a fit."
"Don't you worry, Sheila. We'll be tighter than mates in a billabong."
Touya frowned. "Why is it I'm stuck with the two demons nobody can understand?"
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TO BE CONTINUED…