"What? But, Koenma sir..." Boton protested. Koenma glared at her.
"I mean it Boton. It might be our only hope. You have to go and try to infiltrate Their forces. As Yuske's partner, you should be willing to do anything for him and your missions." Boton stood there staring at Koenma for a moment.
"I don't see why I have to do it." she argued.
"Because, Boton." Koenma nodded. Boton stared blankly. "Don't look at me that way. Boton, you're our best hope. Besides, they don't know who you are, so they won't know you work with Yuske and the others. You should be safe."
"What do you mean 'should' be safe?"
"I make no guarantees. These are dangerous demon's we're dealing with. We don't know what they might do." Yuske walked in as Boton and Koenma started arguing. Boton did not want to go, yet Koenma insisted. "I'm sure Yuske would agree with me, right?"
"If I knew what you guys were talking about, I might."
"Koenma wants to send me under cover to the demons layer to get information from them."
"What? That's ridiculous! Koenma, you can't expect Boton to do that! It's to dangerous." Yuske snapped.
"Yuske." Koenma said softly. "Boton may be our only chance. I can't send any of you, because they would know you all in an instant. I don't dare bring a mortal into this, such as Keiko or Shizuru... Boton is our only option."
"Can't we all just train and become stronger? We'll swarm their hide out! They won't ever know what hit them..." Koenma was shaking his head at Yuske. "No good?"
"We don't even know where they are. How would we find them?" The three of them were silent for a long time until they heard something happening outside Koenma's office. Hiei burst in the door, Kuwabara hanging on Hiei's legs trying to stop him.
"Hiei? Kuwabara?" They looked at them curiously.
"Saiko's gone again." Hiei stated fervently. "This buffoon let her go by herself!" Everyone stared at Kuwabara. He let go of Hiei's legs and sat on the ground.
"It's true, I let her go. She asked me to. And she wanted me to tell everyone something." Everyone looked at Kuwabara waiting for the message. "Yurameshi, Saiko says you need to be stronger to keep a promise... or uh... something like that. And Saiko wants you, Hiei to master the sword thingies she's taught you. Or else."
"Or else?"
"That was all she had said. I guess she figured you'd know what she was talking about. Where's Kurama? I have a message for him too, from Saiko."
"He's with his human family at the moment." Koenma said. "But... I can't help but wonder why Saiko would..."
"She wants to find something. She said she lost something... in the fight, or something like that." The others stared at Kuwabara for a moment.
"You're such a moron sometimes, Kuwabara." Yuske muttered.
"What was that Yurameshi!?"
"Boys, please! We have more to worry about then you're petty feud. What are we going to do about Saiko?" Boton cut in. Everyone fell silent. "Koenma... Maybe I should go. See what they're up to, and find out what's so important about Saiko. And maybe I'll be able to slow them down if it comes to that."
"Boton, no!" Yuske objected. "It's far to dangerous."
"Yuske... I wouldn't be much of a partner if I didn't do something to help." Everyone fell silent. "You know I'm right." Kuwabara stood up and brushed himself off.
"I'd best go." Kuwabara said. "Shizuru will kill me if I'm late again." He shuddered. "And Yurameshi, you need to get some rest too."
It was dark. The light of the street lamps filtered through thick branches. The air was heavy, and no one would be out at this time of night unless they had a death wish. A dark shadow perched upon the tree branches, concealed in the thick foliage. But this figure was not alone. Below, on the ground, crouched in the thick shadows, was another figure, un aware of the menace above. There was a noise. A shuffling step alerted both shadows to someone's presence. Both pairs of eyes followed a small pathway that wove through the brush and trees. Kurama appeared. He carried two paper bags, one in each arm, as he walked the path. The grounded figure saw an opportunity and jumped at it. Kurama was tackled to the ground as someone tried to kill him. Kurama was able to roll the attacker onto his back before the bags hit the path and spilled their contents. The two scuffled across the ground as the third figure watched. The attacking shadow pinned Kurama and held him.
"You bastard... You'll not get in our way again!" The attacker hissed. "We can't have you interfering..." The voice... It was familiar. But from where? A face came into focus under the light of the streetlamps.
"Emerald." Kurama sneered.
"Glad to see you remembered me, felonious dog." Kurama struggled, but was at a disadvantage. Emerald had him in a position where every limb was near useless. "Before you die, I want you to know, that it wouldn't have made any difference. She was going to die anyway, it was just a question of who went first. Now you die!" Emerald created a green dagger, and raised it high above him. "Don't worry, you'll be together soon."
"Saiko..." Kurama whispered as he waited for the strike. He was ready, Saiko's visage engraved in his mind. Nothing. He waited. Maybe... He was already dead. It might have been so painless, he didn't notice. Or, the image of Saiko in his head was such a comfort, that it wouldn't matter if it was painful or not. There was a soft thunk. Kurama wondered if you could hear when you were dead. But, he hadn't seen a light. Maybe, it was all a ruse, seeing a tunnel of light. Or... He might be going the other way? He did feel like he might be falling. No, it was a shaking movement. Shaking? Kurama opened his eyes, and saw two figures wrestling. One was Emerald, but who was this other? The two fought until Emerald was forced to back down, and he vanished. The other figure looked over at Kurama.
"Go. Now! Get out of here, and don't look back. You have a lady to save, no?" The man's voice was deep. Thunderous even. Kurama picked himself up.
"Who are you?"
"Just a lost soul trying to atone for his sins. A good Samaritan if you will. Now leave. It's not safe." Kurama would have objected, but the man's tone, his stance, and even the air around him was strong and defiant. Kurama tried to make out the man's features, but couldn't. The light from the streetlamp was inadequate.
"Then take care, good man." Kurama gathered up what he could of the groceries he had dropped, and walked away, wondering if the man would be alright.
"I mean it Boton. It might be our only hope. You have to go and try to infiltrate Their forces. As Yuske's partner, you should be willing to do anything for him and your missions." Boton stood there staring at Koenma for a moment.
"I don't see why I have to do it." she argued.
"Because, Boton." Koenma nodded. Boton stared blankly. "Don't look at me that way. Boton, you're our best hope. Besides, they don't know who you are, so they won't know you work with Yuske and the others. You should be safe."
"What do you mean 'should' be safe?"
"I make no guarantees. These are dangerous demon's we're dealing with. We don't know what they might do." Yuske walked in as Boton and Koenma started arguing. Boton did not want to go, yet Koenma insisted. "I'm sure Yuske would agree with me, right?"
"If I knew what you guys were talking about, I might."
"Koenma wants to send me under cover to the demons layer to get information from them."
"What? That's ridiculous! Koenma, you can't expect Boton to do that! It's to dangerous." Yuske snapped.
"Yuske." Koenma said softly. "Boton may be our only chance. I can't send any of you, because they would know you all in an instant. I don't dare bring a mortal into this, such as Keiko or Shizuru... Boton is our only option."
"Can't we all just train and become stronger? We'll swarm their hide out! They won't ever know what hit them..." Koenma was shaking his head at Yuske. "No good?"
"We don't even know where they are. How would we find them?" The three of them were silent for a long time until they heard something happening outside Koenma's office. Hiei burst in the door, Kuwabara hanging on Hiei's legs trying to stop him.
"Hiei? Kuwabara?" They looked at them curiously.
"Saiko's gone again." Hiei stated fervently. "This buffoon let her go by herself!" Everyone stared at Kuwabara. He let go of Hiei's legs and sat on the ground.
"It's true, I let her go. She asked me to. And she wanted me to tell everyone something." Everyone looked at Kuwabara waiting for the message. "Yurameshi, Saiko says you need to be stronger to keep a promise... or uh... something like that. And Saiko wants you, Hiei to master the sword thingies she's taught you. Or else."
"Or else?"
"That was all she had said. I guess she figured you'd know what she was talking about. Where's Kurama? I have a message for him too, from Saiko."
"He's with his human family at the moment." Koenma said. "But... I can't help but wonder why Saiko would..."
"She wants to find something. She said she lost something... in the fight, or something like that." The others stared at Kuwabara for a moment.
"You're such a moron sometimes, Kuwabara." Yuske muttered.
"What was that Yurameshi!?"
"Boys, please! We have more to worry about then you're petty feud. What are we going to do about Saiko?" Boton cut in. Everyone fell silent. "Koenma... Maybe I should go. See what they're up to, and find out what's so important about Saiko. And maybe I'll be able to slow them down if it comes to that."
"Boton, no!" Yuske objected. "It's far to dangerous."
"Yuske... I wouldn't be much of a partner if I didn't do something to help." Everyone fell silent. "You know I'm right." Kuwabara stood up and brushed himself off.
"I'd best go." Kuwabara said. "Shizuru will kill me if I'm late again." He shuddered. "And Yurameshi, you need to get some rest too."
It was dark. The light of the street lamps filtered through thick branches. The air was heavy, and no one would be out at this time of night unless they had a death wish. A dark shadow perched upon the tree branches, concealed in the thick foliage. But this figure was not alone. Below, on the ground, crouched in the thick shadows, was another figure, un aware of the menace above. There was a noise. A shuffling step alerted both shadows to someone's presence. Both pairs of eyes followed a small pathway that wove through the brush and trees. Kurama appeared. He carried two paper bags, one in each arm, as he walked the path. The grounded figure saw an opportunity and jumped at it. Kurama was tackled to the ground as someone tried to kill him. Kurama was able to roll the attacker onto his back before the bags hit the path and spilled their contents. The two scuffled across the ground as the third figure watched. The attacking shadow pinned Kurama and held him.
"You bastard... You'll not get in our way again!" The attacker hissed. "We can't have you interfering..." The voice... It was familiar. But from where? A face came into focus under the light of the streetlamps.
"Emerald." Kurama sneered.
"Glad to see you remembered me, felonious dog." Kurama struggled, but was at a disadvantage. Emerald had him in a position where every limb was near useless. "Before you die, I want you to know, that it wouldn't have made any difference. She was going to die anyway, it was just a question of who went first. Now you die!" Emerald created a green dagger, and raised it high above him. "Don't worry, you'll be together soon."
"Saiko..." Kurama whispered as he waited for the strike. He was ready, Saiko's visage engraved in his mind. Nothing. He waited. Maybe... He was already dead. It might have been so painless, he didn't notice. Or, the image of Saiko in his head was such a comfort, that it wouldn't matter if it was painful or not. There was a soft thunk. Kurama wondered if you could hear when you were dead. But, he hadn't seen a light. Maybe, it was all a ruse, seeing a tunnel of light. Or... He might be going the other way? He did feel like he might be falling. No, it was a shaking movement. Shaking? Kurama opened his eyes, and saw two figures wrestling. One was Emerald, but who was this other? The two fought until Emerald was forced to back down, and he vanished. The other figure looked over at Kurama.
"Go. Now! Get out of here, and don't look back. You have a lady to save, no?" The man's voice was deep. Thunderous even. Kurama picked himself up.
"Who are you?"
"Just a lost soul trying to atone for his sins. A good Samaritan if you will. Now leave. It's not safe." Kurama would have objected, but the man's tone, his stance, and even the air around him was strong and defiant. Kurama tried to make out the man's features, but couldn't. The light from the streetlamp was inadequate.
"Then take care, good man." Kurama gathered up what he could of the groceries he had dropped, and walked away, wondering if the man would be alright.