School sucked. That was the only phrase that Rogue, Wanda and Tabitha could come up with to describe it. And they could swear to God that school there in Japan was longer then in the States. The sun had already started to set when they turned onto the street their temporary home was on. It was then that they really wished that they had a car.
Yawning (they haven't yet adjusted to the time change), their mouths hung open as they stood outside the gates of their house.
By Japanese standards, it…was…massive. Heck, it got pretty dang close to being the size of the Xavier Mansion. They didn't even bother to wonder why they didn't have any neighbors. It was a red brick house and the trees in the front yard provided shade. The eight-sectioned windows glistened in the dimming red sunlight. The walls surrounding the home were made of the same brick and the intricately designed gates were made of blackened iron.
"And we decided to live with the Brotherhood?" Tabitha said in awe.
"I don't even like living with them!" Wanda shouted. "That's it, as soon as we get home, I'm moving in with the X-men!"
***
Spirit world. Or at least part of it. It nothing but a barren wasteland and the only source of shade was the dead and slowly rotting trees that occasionally showed up. The ground was parched, dry and cracking, brown and brittle desert weeds grew in the crevices. The sky was over cast by a blanket of gray clouds. A chilled wind blew the dust into the air.
Off in the distance stood a massive stone pillar. No one really knew how long it had been there, most didn't even know that there was a tower at all, let alone what it was for. Of course, that answer was easy to figure as you got closer and the smell of rotting flesh became sickeningly strong.
The tower had only a door and no windows and armed guards hovered around it like wasps near a hive. They held many different weapons, spears, swords, staffs and bows. It was the highest security prison in all of spirit world. Many had gone in and never came out. Most of them didn't die of natural causes, many committed suicide long before that point. The number inside the gray stone tower had been reduced to one, and she lived in the very top of the tower, chained and with her lips shown shut.
Now, the number of guards had been reduced to two and only at the door. It had been a very serious matter when the idea first came up but when they realized that no one ever tried to break in or out, that security settled the problem.
Footsteps kicked up dust that misted his black, white, and gray suit. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes from the floating sands. The red soil covered the pale skin of his face. His leather-gloved hands were tucked in his pockets, the right hand resting on a gun.
"You there! Stop!" Shouted one of guards. Pulling out the gun with almost inhuman speed, he shot them both. Snatching the keys from one of the limp bodies. Holding them in his other hand, he cringed as he pulled off the blood-covered glove.
The spiraled staircase seemed to go on forever. Reaching the top, he pushed the wooden door open. It creaked and as it hit the stone floor, he choked as thick clouds of dust fell into his lungs. A low growl came from the back wall and he smirked.
Both her hands and legs were chained to the wall. Plum colored hair fell to the small of her back and amethyst eyes stared at where the man was standing. Silk clothing, in shades of purples and black had since torn and faded.
"It's a shame that such a beautiful demon has been trapped here for so long," He said with a grin. She glared, wishing that she could talk. Pulling out a small pick from his sleeve, he turned and unlocked the chains around her body. Falling to the floor, her legs still weak from such a long time of no movement, she looked up at him quizzically. Lifting a trembling hand, she rested her index fingertip on the silk thread that pierced and criss-crossed her lips.
"All in good time young lady, all in good time."
***
Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara walked along the sidewalk. Keiko held a small slip of paper in her hand and looked down at it every time they came to a crossroads. They sort of knew where to go, but being in the middle class of society, they really didn't know where to go once they came to the richer half of the city. Large houses loomed on each side, and the gates around all of them were high.
It had been almost an hour when they finally found the right road. The houses were even larger and fewer and taking another right, if the sidewalk hadn't been made of concrete, Kuwabara's jaw would've gone through the center of the earth.
"Whoa!" He exclaimed. "Who got them this house?!"
"I have no idea," Yusuke replied staring.
"Yo, Keiko!" Tabitha called out running out the front door. "This is gonna be awesome! We started unpacking already and set up the stereo, when we're done I'm going to show you how to party!"
***
Koenma was in a panic. Heck, the entire palace was in a panic. Workers were running with piles of books in their arms. Papers floated around in the air and fluttered along the floor. Shouts became louder and louder as everyone cried to communicate over the others while others typed furiously at computers through all sorts of data banks and records.
"Botan! Botan where are you?!" He shouted.
"You called Koenma sir?" She yelled in reply over the noise. "What in the world is going on?!"
"Find Yusuke and the others immediately!" He yelled. "This is an emergency!"
"What is an emergency?"
"She has escaped!"
***
A bottle of wine sat on the desk beside a pair of crystal wine glasses, the rims accented with gold. The young woman glared as the man who had freed her poured a glass of wine for her. It wasn't like she could drink it with her mouth sewn shut.
"You're wondering why I brought you here," he said, it wasn't a question, it was a statement. "I have a small problem. You probably haven't heard, but rumors of a boy named Yusuke Urameshi have been circulating around spirit world. This however, has gotten some of my…clients…a little concerned," he paused. "What do you have to do with it you ask? There is someone who has been working alongside Mr. Urameshi that you might be interested in."
The woman looked up. Images rushed through her mind. Silver hair, beautiful gold eyes, an indifferent attitude and voice that still sent shivers down her spine. Oh how she hated him. He had left her behind to be captured. It was all because of him that King Yama and the others dragged her off kicking and struggling. It was because of him that they punished her with having her spend the rest of her life in the tower with her lips sewn shut. She'd kill him; she'd rip his head from his neck and crush his skull in her hands!
"You know who I'm talking about don't you?" He continued grinning. "That's right, he has been helping Mr. Urameshi, the same one who betrayed you 387 years ago. If you agree to help me, I can cut the threads and release your power."
She sat there, looking down at her hands that were folded in her lap. There were still marks on her wrists from where the shackles had cut into her skin. A final image flashed through her mind. She nodded and held perfectly still as he pulled out a knife from his desk drawer and cut away at the threads. Ignoring the pain, she pulled the threads from the holes above and below her lips. Grabbing the wine glass from the desk, she closed her eyes thoughtfully as the garnet liquid poured into her mouth. It had been so long since she had been given anything aside from water or vinegar.
"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice slowly coming back to her. "I would like to know who to thank once I obtain my revenge."
"Yukio. I am Yukio Kurmori. And you, my dear, shall from here on be know as Meibatsu."
