"Kurama come on! Where are you?" Kuwabara called before he was whacked by a vine the Hei had just pushed away, "Damn this forest!" he swiped at the vine with his spirit sword.
"Sh!" Hiei warned, "Something's happened to Kurama. Otherwise he would have come back, or at least call to tell us he's ok. We should keep our guard up."
"I wouldn't be surprised, considering this forest. But what could take Kurama? Surely nothing but an S-class," said the only girl in the group, Kaita, her brow nitted with frustration. She was Kurama's partner whom the four spirit detectives had met in a mission right after the Dark Tournament. She cared little about all the spirit detectives; even Kurama, to whom she was closest.
Her tan skin and dark purple-blue hair made her appear human, until she took her demon form. Then great auburn-brown wings sprouted from her back and she resembled a harpy.
"I'll bet he's fine," shrugged Yuusuke, "Kurama's lived longer than any of us. He can take care of himself."
"Hn," Kaita responded, sounding a lot like Hiei.
Kuwabara moved a little ahead of the group and over to a tall bush. He looked through it "Uh guys," he said.
"What is it now?" Hei asked testily.
"I think you guys should come see this," Kuwabara said, beckoning, but not turning from the sight he was looking at. The three other fighters ran to his side to see what he was so shocked about.
Kaita hissed and began to move forward, but Yuusuke clapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything further. Before them was Kurama, who was back in his human form, tied up by vines in a cage made of vines and flowers. Sitting not three feet away from the cage, staring at Kurama as though he nothing more than an animal in a zoo, was a beautiful, redheaded female youko. She was smiling evilly.
"You silly fox," she was saying, "I should have known that a full youko would never walk into one of my traps. But now that I know that you're part human, it explains the whole thing. Oh and thank you for the artifacts. They'll be very helpful in making money." Then, to Kaita's absolute horror and disgust, the female youko entered the cage and placed a kiss on Kurama's cheek. Kaita took her harpy form, broke away from Yuusuke's grip and ran at the female youko.
"You bitch" she screeched, "How dare you touch one of my teammates!" She swung at the youko with her claws. The youko dodged nimbly aside and a branch slammed into the side of Kaita's head, temporarily stunning her.
Now that their cover had been broken, the other spirit detective's didn't think twice about rushing into the clearing to help Kaita battle the youko.
Seeing that she was outnumbered, Uzina flipped backward onto a branch, which stretched to help her land safely.
"Pleasant talking with you," She said and winked at Kurama, "But I do hate fighting against more than one person. Thank you for the presents, that was very kind. Fire vine wall!" she shouted and a wall of pure fire vines wove their up unto the air, blocking her from view.
"Hey! Get back here!" Yuusuke said and ran up to the wall.
"Forget it, Yuusuke," Hiei said and ran over to the cage where Kurama was being held, "We've got to free Kurama."
Hiei and Yuusuke tried to break open the cage, but failed miserably.
"Here, let me try," Kuwabara said and sliced through the cage. The vines that held Kurama instinctively let go. Kurama nearly fell, but caught himself just in time.
"Kurama, who was that?" Kaita asked and crossed her arms.
"I don't know," Kurama said and rubbed his wrists and neck where the vines had been, "But I don't think she's pure youko. She must be some type of other demon as well."
"I think I know what she is," Hei said. He was inspecting the wall of pure fire vines that were slowly cooling off, "There is only one other person who I've seen that can make a wall of fire vines. She was a demon who was part fire demon, part earth demon. When I met her, she had a youko lover. This must be their daughter."
"Part fire demon, part earth demon, and part youko?" Kuwabara said with a note of concern, "Man that's one powerful demon.
"Actually I don't think she's very strong, probably only a high B-class" Kurama said.
"Kurama's right," Hiei said, "I didn't sense much ki power from her. I think she's all hot air."
"Well I'm pleased to see the youkai has an answer that could fit, but its flawed," sniffed Kaita, "That demoness could just be hiding her power so that we would underestimate her."
"So what?" Yuusuke asked, "Why do we even care about her? We gotta get the artifacts back to Kuenma."
"You really don't have good observation, do you," Kaita chuckled. Yuusuke glared at her.
"The artifacts were stolen by her," Kurama said.
"We've gotta get them back," Yuusuke said and ran off through the vine wall, which had stopped burning only a minute before.
"Wait! Urimashi!" Kuwabara yelled, "There's more bad stuff out there. I can sense it!"
Yuusuke didn't turn back.
"Grrrrr! That fool's gonna get himself killed," Hiei growled.
"Well come on then," Kaita said and leapt up, cat-like, onto the vine wall, "If we just let Yuskay get that thief, he'll never let us forget it. And we'll get the ol' incompetence speech from Kuenma!"
Spurred on by her words, the rest of the spirit detectives took off.
* * * * *
Uzina, knowing she was probably going to be followed, quickly made her way through the forest and back to her house.
"Was there good hunting, Ms. Uzina?" her water demon servant asked as she hand him her pack.
"Very good hunting, Togoru," Uzina chuckled to herself, "Can you believe that a youko would wander into one of my traps? And the man wasn't just a youko, he was also a spirit detective!" Uzina laughed evilly at the thought. Toguro's widened.
"A youko? Are you sure?" he asked in panic.
"Of course I'm sure," Uzina said, her laughter stopping immediately and, her eyes flashed as she look at her hapless servant, "He had ears and a tail just as I do."
"Forgive me ma'am," Togoru looked at the floor, afraid to look the youko female in the eye, "I did not mean to imply that you we're wrong. It's simply...a youko. They're supposed to be very strong. I'm of course referring to you, but I don't want to fight. I'm not very strong and could never compare to a youko."
Uzina smiled at the young water demon, "Don't worry, Togoru. I don't want to fight him either."
"Well then who will fight him?" Togoru asked in wonder.
Uzina thought for a second, then her eyes gleamed evilly, "Hand me my daisy phone, Togoru," she said, still in thought, "I think this is a job for my older cousin, Kaido."
"Ah! Excellent choice," Togoru said as he set down the pack and picked up the phone.
Uzina knelt on her bed as Togoru handed her the phone. She dialed the number and spoke to the water demon as the phone rang, "Braid my hair while I'm talking to Kaido. I would hate to look like I do now when my big businessman cousin walks through the door.
Togoru sat cross-legged on the bed and pulled his mistresses hair back as she started to talk.
"Hello? Oh Helph! Good to speak to you again. Yes, this is Uzina. No I don't want to gossip. I need to speak to Kaido. Yes it is urgent you silly girl! No, I don't need you. I need Kaido. Just hurry and get him!" she sighed in exasperation as Kaido's wife, Helph hurried off to find her husband, "That annoying witch," Uzina said to Togoru, "I can't believe Kaido ever married her. She is so stupid. Oh! No, Kaido, I wasn't referring to Helph," Uzina continued her conversation with her youko cousin, explaining what she needed.
"Sh!" Hiei warned, "Something's happened to Kurama. Otherwise he would have come back, or at least call to tell us he's ok. We should keep our guard up."
"I wouldn't be surprised, considering this forest. But what could take Kurama? Surely nothing but an S-class," said the only girl in the group, Kaita, her brow nitted with frustration. She was Kurama's partner whom the four spirit detectives had met in a mission right after the Dark Tournament. She cared little about all the spirit detectives; even Kurama, to whom she was closest.
Her tan skin and dark purple-blue hair made her appear human, until she took her demon form. Then great auburn-brown wings sprouted from her back and she resembled a harpy.
"I'll bet he's fine," shrugged Yuusuke, "Kurama's lived longer than any of us. He can take care of himself."
"Hn," Kaita responded, sounding a lot like Hiei.
Kuwabara moved a little ahead of the group and over to a tall bush. He looked through it "Uh guys," he said.
"What is it now?" Hei asked testily.
"I think you guys should come see this," Kuwabara said, beckoning, but not turning from the sight he was looking at. The three other fighters ran to his side to see what he was so shocked about.
Kaita hissed and began to move forward, but Yuusuke clapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything further. Before them was Kurama, who was back in his human form, tied up by vines in a cage made of vines and flowers. Sitting not three feet away from the cage, staring at Kurama as though he nothing more than an animal in a zoo, was a beautiful, redheaded female youko. She was smiling evilly.
"You silly fox," she was saying, "I should have known that a full youko would never walk into one of my traps. But now that I know that you're part human, it explains the whole thing. Oh and thank you for the artifacts. They'll be very helpful in making money." Then, to Kaita's absolute horror and disgust, the female youko entered the cage and placed a kiss on Kurama's cheek. Kaita took her harpy form, broke away from Yuusuke's grip and ran at the female youko.
"You bitch" she screeched, "How dare you touch one of my teammates!" She swung at the youko with her claws. The youko dodged nimbly aside and a branch slammed into the side of Kaita's head, temporarily stunning her.
Now that their cover had been broken, the other spirit detective's didn't think twice about rushing into the clearing to help Kaita battle the youko.
Seeing that she was outnumbered, Uzina flipped backward onto a branch, which stretched to help her land safely.
"Pleasant talking with you," She said and winked at Kurama, "But I do hate fighting against more than one person. Thank you for the presents, that was very kind. Fire vine wall!" she shouted and a wall of pure fire vines wove their up unto the air, blocking her from view.
"Hey! Get back here!" Yuusuke said and ran up to the wall.
"Forget it, Yuusuke," Hiei said and ran over to the cage where Kurama was being held, "We've got to free Kurama."
Hiei and Yuusuke tried to break open the cage, but failed miserably.
"Here, let me try," Kuwabara said and sliced through the cage. The vines that held Kurama instinctively let go. Kurama nearly fell, but caught himself just in time.
"Kurama, who was that?" Kaita asked and crossed her arms.
"I don't know," Kurama said and rubbed his wrists and neck where the vines had been, "But I don't think she's pure youko. She must be some type of other demon as well."
"I think I know what she is," Hei said. He was inspecting the wall of pure fire vines that were slowly cooling off, "There is only one other person who I've seen that can make a wall of fire vines. She was a demon who was part fire demon, part earth demon. When I met her, she had a youko lover. This must be their daughter."
"Part fire demon, part earth demon, and part youko?" Kuwabara said with a note of concern, "Man that's one powerful demon.
"Actually I don't think she's very strong, probably only a high B-class" Kurama said.
"Kurama's right," Hiei said, "I didn't sense much ki power from her. I think she's all hot air."
"Well I'm pleased to see the youkai has an answer that could fit, but its flawed," sniffed Kaita, "That demoness could just be hiding her power so that we would underestimate her."
"So what?" Yuusuke asked, "Why do we even care about her? We gotta get the artifacts back to Kuenma."
"You really don't have good observation, do you," Kaita chuckled. Yuusuke glared at her.
"The artifacts were stolen by her," Kurama said.
"We've gotta get them back," Yuusuke said and ran off through the vine wall, which had stopped burning only a minute before.
"Wait! Urimashi!" Kuwabara yelled, "There's more bad stuff out there. I can sense it!"
Yuusuke didn't turn back.
"Grrrrr! That fool's gonna get himself killed," Hiei growled.
"Well come on then," Kaita said and leapt up, cat-like, onto the vine wall, "If we just let Yuskay get that thief, he'll never let us forget it. And we'll get the ol' incompetence speech from Kuenma!"
Spurred on by her words, the rest of the spirit detectives took off.
* * * * *
Uzina, knowing she was probably going to be followed, quickly made her way through the forest and back to her house.
"Was there good hunting, Ms. Uzina?" her water demon servant asked as she hand him her pack.
"Very good hunting, Togoru," Uzina chuckled to herself, "Can you believe that a youko would wander into one of my traps? And the man wasn't just a youko, he was also a spirit detective!" Uzina laughed evilly at the thought. Toguro's widened.
"A youko? Are you sure?" he asked in panic.
"Of course I'm sure," Uzina said, her laughter stopping immediately and, her eyes flashed as she look at her hapless servant, "He had ears and a tail just as I do."
"Forgive me ma'am," Togoru looked at the floor, afraid to look the youko female in the eye, "I did not mean to imply that you we're wrong. It's simply...a youko. They're supposed to be very strong. I'm of course referring to you, but I don't want to fight. I'm not very strong and could never compare to a youko."
Uzina smiled at the young water demon, "Don't worry, Togoru. I don't want to fight him either."
"Well then who will fight him?" Togoru asked in wonder.
Uzina thought for a second, then her eyes gleamed evilly, "Hand me my daisy phone, Togoru," she said, still in thought, "I think this is a job for my older cousin, Kaido."
"Ah! Excellent choice," Togoru said as he set down the pack and picked up the phone.
Uzina knelt on her bed as Togoru handed her the phone. She dialed the number and spoke to the water demon as the phone rang, "Braid my hair while I'm talking to Kaido. I would hate to look like I do now when my big businessman cousin walks through the door.
Togoru sat cross-legged on the bed and pulled his mistresses hair back as she started to talk.
"Hello? Oh Helph! Good to speak to you again. Yes, this is Uzina. No I don't want to gossip. I need to speak to Kaido. Yes it is urgent you silly girl! No, I don't need you. I need Kaido. Just hurry and get him!" she sighed in exasperation as Kaido's wife, Helph hurried off to find her husband, "That annoying witch," Uzina said to Togoru, "I can't believe Kaido ever married her. She is so stupid. Oh! No, Kaido, I wasn't referring to Helph," Uzina continued her conversation with her youko cousin, explaining what she needed.