Brotherhood of the Fox

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or Inuyasha

Part Six: The Escape

Kurama held the round gem in his hand. The feeling of its power wrapped around him, drawing him into its depths, but his mind was too set to fall prey to its corruption. Pulling out the shard in his pouch, he finally completed the jewel.

Immediately the room was filled with a bright light, then settled down to a normal white glow. "I'm sorry mother," Kurama muttered before he swallowed the gem.

Kurama released a painful scream as his soul was connected to the jewel. When he looked up again, he was no longer Shuuichi, but the powerful demon, Youko.

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Inuyasha woke up from his troubled dreams, only to find himself in a dark cell.

"Awake at last."

Inuyasha swung his head over to the occupants of the cell across from him. "Miroku?" Inuyasha asked looking over at the familiar form of the monk and demon exterminator that was asleep in his arms.

"You've been unconscious for a few hours, I was beginning to wonder if your injuries were worse then they looked," Miroku stated, shifting Sango's body to a more comfortable position, but surprisingly he didn't take advantage of the situation like Inuyasha thought he would.

"What is the matter with you?" Inuyasha demanded. As much as Miroku's actions disgusted him, he couldn't help but feel worried about the monk's lack of interest for the current situation.

Miroku seemed taken back by the sudden question, and before he could stop himself, his gaze momentarily fell on his cursed hand. Inuyasha caught the action, and concentrated his gaze on the hand. A gasp escaped him when he saw that the purple material that covered the wound was completely soaked in blood.

"How big has it gotten?" Inuyasha demanded seeing the monk cringe slightly as he moved his hand out of view.

"Too big. I fear that it wont take long now. A month, at the most," Miroku said looking up at the roof of his cell.

Inuyasha turned away in pity. He understood the monk's fear, and understood that the monk had given up on his pursuit of having a child. As much as he wants a son, he wasn't about to burden a women with such a thing unless he could protect and provide for her and his child. As much as he seemed like a disgusting pervert, he still had a sense of honor and responsibility.

"How is Sango?" Inuyasha asked not daring to look at the monk again. Miroku sensed this, but chose to ignore it. Inuyasha wasn't the best person to show weakness of any sort, and showing concern or pity was a weakness to the half demon.


"Tired, but unharmed. Those boy's had taken extreme care not to harm her," Miroku explained.

"Who were they? I have never seen human's with so much power," Inuyasha said, though he knew that the monk didn't have any answers.

Silence filled the cell, and the two companions sat contemplating their situation.

"I wouldn't try escaping, these cells are warded specially to maintain your energies."

Miroku and Inuyasha's eyes darted upward to stare at the three people who had suddenly appeared in front of their cells.

"My name is Koenma, I am the son of King Enma, the ruler of the spirit world and demon world," Koenma said keeping his back to Inuyasha as he addressed the monk. "I'm here to determine what is to be done with you and the female, since you are human, and our laws do not pertain to you," Koenma explained.

"And what about me?" Inuyasha demanded glaring at the back of the teenager's head.

"You are a demon, and will be suffering the full consequences of your actions. It is only because I don't understand why these humans were with you, that I had them imprisoned as well. If they are proven to be harmless, then they will be released," Koenma said turning back over to Miroku. "Yukina will heal your injuries, but don't try anything foolish. Hiei is here to protect her, and if you try anything, I can assure that you will be dead before you even see him move," Koenma threatened opening the cell door, and allowing the ice demon to enter the cell.

Miroku brought Sango closer to his body defensively, which caused the girl to wake. At first she seemed angry to find Miroku's arms around her, but her anger disappeared when she saw the two small demon's approaching her. Her eyes widened, and she prepared to attack when her hand was suddenly halted. Miroku and Sango stared in confusion as the black demon held her hand firmly.

"Don't," he warned before letting Sango go, and allowing the small demon girl to approach unhindered.

"Please don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," the girl said taking Miroku's injured hand into her own, and allowing her soothing energy to envelope the injury in a soft glow.

Sweat beaded her face from the amount of energy she was emitting, and when she couldn't handle it anymore, she fell backwards into the black demon's protective arms.

"Is it healed?" Koenma asked from his place outside of the cell.

"No, the curse is still there, but it has been reduced significantly. I'm guessing it has added another five years to his life," Hiei muttered lifting Yukina up, and caring her out of the cell.

"Curse?" Koenma gulped staring back at the monk who was looking at his hand in amazement.

Hiei stopped moving and stared sideways at the young ruler. "Yes, it is a curse that I have only heard of in ancient tales. About the time before the creation of the Makai," Hiei finished heading down the hall. "I'm taking Yukina back to Genkai's to rest," Hiei said watching the nervousness on the young lord's face, but he really didn't care.

"I'll be back to evaluate the situation tomorrow," Koenma announced securing the cell door, and taking off after the black haired demon.

"That was weird," Sango mumbled. Miroku and Inuyasha nodded their agreement before they started discussing their plans of escaping.

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Inuyasha stopped talking suddenly when he heard soft footsteps heading toward the cell.

"What's wrong, is the guy, Koenma, coming back?" Miroku asked standing up and getting into a defensive positing facing his cell door.

"No, this guy feels different," Inuyasha said leaning as close to the warded cell door as he dared.

"Different?" Sango asked also tensing up at the unknown threat.

"Different, but he also smells familiar," Inuyasha said sounding both confused and intrigued.

The footsteps grew louder as it got closer, and soon Inuyasha was able to make out a form of a tall silvery figure wearing a flowing robe. The figure seemed ghostly in the darkness of the cell, and his movements didn't seem to match the place at all. Like he was out of place being confined in a place where he couldn't run free.

"Who are you?" Miroku demanded causing the figure to stop a few feet away from his cell.

The figure's face turned toward the monk, and golden eyes gazed at him from behind silver bangs. "My name is Youko," the deep and entrancing voice of the famous fox demon thief introduced, "And I am here to break you out of this place," the silver figure announced before withdrawing two seeds.

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Koenma had barely sat down in his desk when an alarm went off. Instantly the screen across from him came to life, and the face of a red ogre appeared.

"Lord Koenma, there is an escape attempt in the Makai prison," the ogre announced sounding like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Bring up the surveillance cameras," Koenma ordered. Instantly the picture changed to show the many pictures of the inside of the prison. "There," Koenma muttered as he caught sight of the four figures racing down the hall. "Concentrate on who they are," Koenma ordered, and instantly the one picture filled the screen. "No!" Koenma yelled when he recognized the prisoners Yusuke had just caught, and the silver fox demon that was breaking into another cell, before taking off with another prisoner. "Get me Botan!" Koenma yelled into the communicator in his desk, before he sat down on his chair sucking on his pacifier, and waiting for a response.

"Lord Koenma, Botan can not be found."

Koenma stared at the speaker in shock. He hadn't given Botan permission to leave. "Send for Yusuke and Kuwabara immediately!" Koenma yelled staring at the screen as the prisoners disappeared back into the human world.

"I'm in so much trouble," Koenma groaned.

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Yusuke slammed open the door to Koenma's office as he and Kuwabara stalked inside. "What the hell is your problem. It is two in the morning?" Yusuke demanded glaring at the toddler shaped ruler.

"Something has come up, and I need you and Kuwabara's help," Koenma said fiddling in his chair at the venomous look the black haired teenager was throwing at him.

"I'm not interested in another mission. Get Kurama or Hiei to do it," Yusuke said turning to leave.

"Yusuke wait. The prisoners that you brought in have been broken out of the prison," Koenma yelled quirking the teen's interest enough to make him stop.

"Oh yeah? Well I guess your prison isn't as inescapable as you claim," Yusuke said smirking at the discomfort that crossed Koenma's face.

"Yusuke, this is serious! The one that helped the prisoners escape is Kurama," Koenma announced immediately getting a shocked cry from the two teenagers in the room.

"That is impossible. Kurama wouldn't risk doing something like that. He wouldn't do anything to separate him from his human mother," Kuwabara pointed out.

"I thought so too. But I saw him do it myself," Koenma groaned. "I need you two to capture Kurama, and bring him to me," Koenma explained.

"No way! Are you out of your mind?" Yusuke demanded.


"I wish there was some other way, but there isn't. You have to bring him to me immediately if you want to save him," Koenma explained.

"What do you mean?" Kuwabara asked. "You'll just throw him into jail for a few hundred years."

"That's better then what will happen to him if my father gets a hold of him first. I've already been informed that my father has already deployed his army to apprehend Kurama, and if you want to save him from a fate worse then death, then you will do as I ask," Koenma pleaded. "I may seem heartless at times, but you have to believe me when I say that I have no desire to see what my father can do to Kurama if he gets his hands on him," Koenma said shuddering at the thought.

"So if we bring him here, you will be able to help him?" Yusuke tried to clarify.

"I don't know, but I have to try," Koenma said.

TBC.