Trouble at Makai

by Yukitsu

Disclaimer: I do not know the meaning of the word disclaimer. Kidding. But I DO know that YYH and HxH aren't mine.

" Yadda " - dialogue

' Yadda ' - italics or thoughts

YADDA - emphasis or BOLD.

Chapter 3

"Kurapikaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," Leorio whined. He walked behind the blond, trying to keep up with the Kuruta's graceful movements.

"What?" Kurapika snapped from above him. They were climbing a particularly steep and rocky hill, and Kurapika was scaling it with almost no effort at all. Leorio, on the other hand, was having difficulties. He is, after all, bigger and heavier. And he's not used to moving so gracefully.

"Wait up..." Leorio panted from the hard climb, his hands scratched and bruised from the rocks.

Kurapika didn't reply. He just waited for the dark haired man to catch up before continuing up the hill. He hadn't talked much during their journey. Eversince they got here almost four hours ago, the only thing Leorio had managed to drag from his mouth were single word sentences.

"You're mean." Leorio pouted uncharacteristically. He was sweating from all the scaling he did, and he sure as hell didn't feel happy about it.

"Urusai. Look." Kurapika getsured to the distance as Leorio finally managed to reach the top. Leorio felt his jaw hit the ground.

"Wh-what..." He stared at scenery that greeted his eyes. Trees everywhere. Thick forests surrounded them, reaching to the horizon, broken only by a few scattered hills here and there.

"That's where we'll go" Kurapika muttered, pointing somewhere behind the doctor's back.

"Huh?" Leorio turned around to look at the place Kurapika was pointing to. And his jaw hit the floor again.

"Bu-but.." A huge city, probably the biggest that he had ever seen in his entire life, occupied the middle of that great forest. Tall buildings, more than a thousand feet high each, were the only structures that one could see. Lightning and thunder cackled and roared around the said city, spooking him and making the hair behind his neck rise.

"Why are we going there?!" Leorio finally blurted out. Kurapika gave him his best 'Well, DUH!' look. He frowned at the doctor before making his way down the hill.

"Kurapika! Wait!" Leorio cried frantically, going after the blond while trying to preserve his life. Unfortunately, he could do only one thing at a time, so down he fell, sliding on his back on the rocks. Kurapika blinked as Leorio's tall body slid rapidly in front of him. He gave a loud cry before quickly descending the hill, although in a much safer way.

========

"Kurapikaaaaaa!" Leorio whined.

Why is this so familiar? Kurapika thought to himself, his eyebrows twitching. He faced the loud doctor and glared at him, completely ignoring the bruised and dirty look he sported. "Will you please be quiet?" Kurapika demanded. Without waiting for a reply, he made an about-face and walked briskly away.

"KurapikaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaA!" Leorio whined more. He trotted after the younger boy and finally kept his mouth shut. The credit doesn't all go to the blond, however. Most of it, undoubtely, was caused by the fact that they were nearing the huge, majestic, and intimidating city.

"Leorio, make sure that we won't get seperated. This city is extremely large; it'll be a problem if one of us'll get lost. I doubt if we can use our cellphones here," Kurapika told Leorio firmly.

Leorio nodded. He didn't need common sense to know THAT.

They entered the huge metallic gates of the much larger city. Leorio gazed up in awe at the humongous structures as they proceeded. Kurapika, on the other hand, kept alert. He was, after all, getting creeped out by the stares they were receiving.

"Hey! Ningen! [human]" A hoarse, raspy, but deep voice called.

Kurpika, thinking that they might be the only humans in that area, turned to face the caller.

Leorio squeaked. The guy who called them was UGLY. Not just the I'm-way- better-looking-than-you ugly, but the downright extremely-unpleasant-to- look-at ugly.

"Yes?" Kurapika asked politely, nudging his companion to keep him silent. He was the one who's going to do all the talking this time.

"You. New here?" The youkai gruffly said, stating the obvious.

"Hai [yes]," Kurapika nodded politely. He looked the youkai over. Well dressed, but still too simple. Might be a diplomat, but can be a guard at the same time. With the gruff attitude and the dress code, Kurapika assumed that it safe to think that the guy's a guard.

"Can you please take us to someone who can help us go back to our world?" Kurapika asked politely, making his speech straight to the point.

"You're just a ningen. You have no business here. I should arrest you," the youkai said smugly. He stood up to his full height, towering above the two humans. Kurapika tried not to glare at him. He wasn't afraid -- far from it- - but he didn't want to attract unwanted attention. He struggled to keep his calm and looked the youkai straight in the eye.

"We have to talk to someone with a higher position. We were transported here by accident when a youkai tried to escape the Reikai Tanteis. We're not supposed to be here," Kurapika repeated urgently. In his depair, he had let slip about the fact about the Tanteis. It was very unfortunate, therefore, when it turned out that the youkai was an anti-Reikai-ist.

"Tantei, huh?" he sneered evilly. "You know them?"

"No. Not really. I just saw the fight and overheared them," Kurapika lied quickly, covering his mistake.

"Hmmm?" The youkai sneered, looming over the two humans. His blue uniform seemed sinister, and his breath had a pungent smell to it.

"You!" a voice rang out "Get back to your post!" it ordered. The youkai abruptly went under a sudden change. From the smug brute, he suddenly became a tame, sickeningly ugly puppy.

"H-hai! [yes] Shura-sama," he cried and saluted. He scurried away, leaving two confused humans in the middle of the plaza. Or at least... Leorio thought it was one

Kurapika looked the said 'Shura-sama' over. Almost as tall as him, skinny, raven black haired, and... were his eyes PINK? He wasn't as ugly as the other youkais they've already had the (mis)pleasure of seeing. In fact, if it wasn't for the horns, he could be mistaken for a human. A very handsome human teenager, at that.

"Leorio, let's go," Kurapika muttered, tugging the doctor with him as he approached the officer. Leorio reluctantly followed the blond, almost shaking though.

"Sir.... Shura... -sama," Kurapika called politely, although hesitantly

"Yes?" Shura snapped. He looked away from the troop that he had been instructing and glared at the two newcomers

"We're humans and we were transported here by accident. We were just wondering if you knew how we can get back to... our... world?" Kurapika slowed down at the end, feeling his heart beat rapidly from the stare the seemingly young officer was giving him. The eyes were... strange... and it was freaking the hell out of him

"That's not our job. You wait for the border patrol to get to you. By now, I think, they must be looking for you.That is, of course, if you came here alone," Shura said curtly. He looked the two over. Actually, he just gave the taller human a quick glance, but kept his gaze on the pretty blond. He kept on reminding the young general of a certain red-headed, plant- manipulating, Lord-deceiving kitsune.

Kurapika shook his head, absentmindedly letting his hair swish with his head, giving an alluring effect. "We were taken here by accident. A youkai dragged us here when he was escaping from the Reikai Tanteis." He mentioned the Tanteis, feeling that this guy wasn't one of those Anti-Reikai freaks.

Shura just stared. He blinked when Kurapika finished his sentence before replying "Well then... I think that you'll have to talk to my father about this problem of your's. Since the Tantei's are invovled, I think that it'll take a while for Tousama [Father] to arrange your transfer to Mukuro, and she to her subordinates," he said slowly, wondering why he was pleased deep inside.

"You know the Tanteis?" Leorio inquired foolishly

Shura snorted. "Of course! Every one here in Makai knows of them."

What a rude guy... Kurapika thought. But then again, it must be the pressure.

"Why will it take longer because of the Tanteis?" Kurapika questioned this time. He was curious, after all

"You were brought here because of Tantei business, that means that we cannot interfere unless permitted too. Normally, ningens just get here by accident. The normal procedure would be to give the said ningens to Mukuro's heir, have him remove there memories of the place, and then transport them back. Actually, we wouldn't even bother collecting lost humans. They'll just have to wait for Mukuro's border patrol to get to them."

"You just let them die?" Kurapika translated. Shura felt his heart sink.

"No! I mean..." Shura stammered. "We used to do that. Actually, the border patrol started just several years ago during Enki's rein. Before that, we didn't bother helping ningens that get here. Either they die or they get home by themselves. After Enki initiated the ningen-friendly law, we were obliged to help every human that comes across us."

"I see...." Kurapika nodded. "So I guess you can't just let us undergo the normal procedure since we were brought here by the Tanteis mission, eventhough it was just an accident."

"Yes. 'Tousama will have to decide. He'll help you, I'm sure." Shura bobbed his head up and down enthusiastically, releived that the topic had changed

"thank you very much. And your father is..?" Kurapika prompted

"Lord Yomi, ruler of this place," Shura said automatically. He watched in discreet amusement when the eyes of both ningens widened in disbeleif. Tsk tsk.... He forgot to introduce himself.

"You're a prince?!" Leorio shreiked out, dumbfounded. No wonder those guards were cowering around him like babies!

Kurapika's ever present nerve appeared. With a snort, he hit Leorio on the head, effectively keeping the taller man's manners in check.

"KurapikaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaA!" Leorio whined, forgetting the presence of the so- called prince. "Why did you do that?!"

"You were being an imbecile again, idiot," Kurapika berated him. He turned to Shura and gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm very sorry. He's just a trifle rude. Leorio's a bit of an airhead." Leorio gave an indignant exclamation at that. Shura almost laughed.

"I see.... Well then, since you're to see my father, I think that it wouldn't be much of a problem to let you stay at the central tower. Call it a palace, if you humans prefer the term. It wouldn't be safe for humans like you to stay exposed to youkai, especially since most youkai here hates ningens."

Kurapika bowed humbly, grateful for the offer. He felt pleased, only he didn't know why. "Arigato gozaimas, Shura-san"

"You keep on calling me by my name, yet I do not know yours'. It would please me greatly if you could give me a name that I can call you." Shura blinked. Why, oh WHY, was he being so polite? It was soooo unlike him.... Normally, he would be rude, inconsiderate, mean.... But now....

"Oh...." Kurapika blushed. Here he was berating Leorio for being rude when he was the one being inconsiderate all along. "My name is Kurapika, Shura- san. This guy," Kurapika elbowed Leorio "is Leorio." Leorio nodded.

"I see.... Pleased to meet you guys. Follow me, I'll take you to the central tower." Shura tilted his head to indicate the direction and took off into a brisk walk. The two just followed him

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Hmm. Uneditted version. Meaning: I wrote this a full year ago.