Kurama was livid when Yusuke called him with the news. He and Naoko were in his hotel room, with the girl still trying to figure out what was happening. He tried to get on the network to talk to them through the Webcam but for some reason the connection kept failing. Karen, drawn to him from the other room by his curses, came over, rechecked the power supply before finally locating the problem.
A loose wire.
Kurama thanked her wordlessly, then sat down and was connected a few minutes later to Kuwabara's house. Yusuke and Koenma were there, as well as Botan, but three demons were conspicuously missing. (No prizes for guessing who ^_^ )
"What happened?" Kurama asked. Karen stood next to him, her eyes widening at the sight of a really cute guy sucking on a pacifier.*
"They captured Sukina, Hiei and Mukuro. The lady who was working there told us that Shuura suddenly burst into golden light, and a hold opened up beside him. One moment they were there, the next, nothing," Koenma said.
"How could that have happened?" Yusuke was asking Koenma, when Kurama supplied the answer.
"Puppet Master. That wasn't Shuura's maturation chi colour." His last statement drew a blank response from all of them on the other side.
"Demons who have only one parent's gene exclusively (i.e. Shuura) will emit an unusual amount of chi at the point of puberty in their bodies. Depending on their species, the colour they exhibit may differ in intensity. The only youkai which exhibit gold colours would be Puppet Master Demons at puberty, or when they are controlling an immature youkai," Karen recited from memory. Her eyes were glazed and she was staring unblinkingly at the wall.
"Who are you?" Koenma asked.
"You know who I am. Don't question so much, Son of Enma. We have not much time. If Rumen kills the young one before her time nothing will stop us from attacking. Find her among the dead and the forked ones! Hurry!" Karen fainted as she finished.
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Hiei slashed at the shield with no effect. He had tried everything short of the Black Flame Dragon Emperor Attack to destroy the shield. He was keeping that in reserve. And because Mukuro had warned him that if he tried it, he himself would have been burnt to a crisp and it would be a wasted effort.
She herself hung suspended by chains in a crucifixion pose. The position was not uncomfortable, but chains had a way of bringing up long-forgotten memories and hatred. She snarled at the man who held them captive, who was now standing in front of the unconscious Sukina.
The girl stood suspended in a force field of reflective chi. She looked quite normal, as though she were asleep, but the bruises and cuts she had sustained told a different story. Somehow, while they were travelling through a Dimensional Path to Rumen, Sukina had found the ability to fight Shuura. She had lost, but at least it ensured that they had arrived safely. The Master of the Dungeons, as he called himself, did not want her injured.
"Such beauty and power…" the youkai said. "I can see why they covet you."
Shuura stood next to him, his eyes glazed and unblinking. The youkai suddenly turned to him and whistled. Six Janioes appeared. He gave instructions regarding the 'prisoners' to them. "Look after this one. When the time comes she will be reunited and killed with her sister," he said. Shuura nodded.
The Janioes stood in front of Hiei's cell and sneered at him. They remembered that their sisters had died not too long ago in the failed attempt to capture the Heirs. Hiei stood out more than most because while the others had been slightly merciful to women, Hiei hadn't. This is Hiei we're talking about.
Mukuro struggled uselessly against her chains, aware that her fighting abilities would kill them all if she used them here. She shook her head from side to side, pretending to struggle but in actual fact trying to dislodge something in her hair. One of the Janioes turned to her and smiled, a horrible look because it was the smile of the dead.
"My my… You're a pretty one. With just a few alterations…" the Janioes lifted her hand to Mukuro's face, who flinched back badly, "You could be one of us. And with your power…" the Janioes smiled as Mukuro tried to avoid her, hitting her head against the wall by accident, "Hahaha! Don't be so shy little one! Trust me, we Janioes under Rumen enjoy pleasure that no other living being has experienced," the Janioes laughed.
"Of course no other living being has experienced such pleasure," Mukuro said, eliciting a pleased smile from the Janioes, "You're all dead!" she continued, making the Janioes' flush with anger. She slapped Mukuro hard across the face.
"If it weren't that the Master specified that he wanted you alive, I would have killed you for that!" she said, going back to where the other Janioes were laughing.
"I doubt you could even kill a flea," Mukuro whispered, a tiny pick in her hand. That slap had thrown the pick into her hair from one of her mechanical parts.
As she picked the lock slowly so as not to arouse the Janioes, Shuura turned from where he was watching Sukina to her. His eyes were dead, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. Mukuro froze. He turned his back towards her and she was beginning to curse again when she saw something moving across his back. A pair of claws appeared. Of course! Puppet Master! I should have known. They must be keeping Yomi somewhere around here too, Mukuro thought to herself.
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*No, I'm not a Koenma no Miko. More like a Kurama no Miko *^_^*
The following sequences would be better off in another chapter, so I've prolonged everything to the next one. Have fun reading, and thanks for everything!