"So, what's your brilliant plan?" Asked Inuyasha, still gnawing on his chains and shackles.
Hiei snarled in annoyance. This new companion of his was proving to be more of a nuisance than he had originally anticipated.
"I thought dogs were loyal and trusting?" he chided. "And quiet."
"Shut up."
"You happen to be the one making all the noise. Why don't you be quiet, and I'll worry about how to get out of here."
"You could at least tell me how you--broke the--chains!" Inuyasha growled in between struggling to pull himself from his bonds. There was no answer, but he could sense that Hiei was coming closer. Silently he braced himself for perhaps a move that would take his head off, or permanently cripple him from fighting back.
"Calm down, dog." the demon sighed, kneeling to grasp the chains. "I'm not going to kill you. At least not now, while you're still of some use to me."
"Well gee that's nice to know." Inuyasha stated sarcastically. "Tell me, is this how you introduce yourself to all your friends?"
"I don't need friends." Hiei retorted, tugging once, twice, three times on the chains and with a blow from his katana they were broken.
"Hey!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "I tried that with the Tetsusaiga and it didn't work!"
"That's probably because your sword has a magic in it. Whoever this man is, he's expecting that," Hiei spoke. "My sword has no magic forged in it's metals. It's just a sword."
"So how do you fight with it?" Inuyasha asked, standing and flexing his wrists and ankles.
"I learn not to rely on one attack to win my battles." and with that spoken Hiei slipped back into the darkness, and even though Inuyasha could still follow the fire demon's scent just fine, he still wondered if there was something else this little imp was hiding.
This Hiei was definitely more powerful than he looked. He kept all things hidden inside and never let anything out. Inuyasha admired that, but he also distrusted it.
"Anything?" he asked.
"Nothing." Hiei answered. "Be patient, won't you?"
Easy for you to say... Inuyasha thought as his mind drifted back to Kagome and the others, and where they might be.
Yusuke waited outside the school the next day, awaiting the arrival of Botan, Kuwabara, an Kurama. He talked to Keiko before she started off for home. When she asked if he would accompany her home, he began explaining to her just why he was sitting around after hours on school ground.
"Oh," she sighed. "Well, tell them Keiko says 'Hi'" she chimed, then walked off home. Yusuke's eyes followed her longingly for some time before at last letting them fall to the ground. He wished that Keiko could have lead a normal life, but ever since he'd been hit by that car nothing had been normal. Especially for Keiko.
"Ding ding," came a voice from overhead. "Not a good time to be a space cadet, Yusuke."
Yusuke frowned and looked up to see a cheery Botan hovering over his head.
"Hello Botan," he replied grouchily.
"My my," she chided, coming to a rest in front of the irritated young man. "We're a ripe old sport today, aren't we?" She looked up and around, pink eyes perusing the school grounds and sidewalks. "Where's the rest of Team Urameshi?"
"Coming," answered a not so distant Kuwabara. He was wearing his typical light blue school uniform, an almost perfect contrast to Yusuke's green one. "Good to see you, Botan."
"The same to you, as always Kuwabara." Botan smiled. "Now, the only one left is-"
"Sorry I'm late."
All looked up to see the red headed, green eyed Kurama staring them down. His thin but strong frame well balanced atop the school wall.
"Ah, hello Kurama." Botan smiled as he leapt from the wall to the street with ease. "Hope we're not keeping you from something."
"Nothing is more important than this." he responded with a smile and a stern tone. Botan and the others considered him for a moment, and deduced that this was probably a personal matter for Kurama after the disappearance of Hiei.
"Are we sure Hiei is really missing?" Kuwabara asked at that time. "I mean, you don't think he just pulled a disappearing act to make us all look like fools?"
"No," Kurama answered. "This was not Hiei's doing."
"It couldn't be anyway," Yusuke continued. "The look on his face when the lightening hit him was a look of surprise and...and something else. Anyway, it wasn't him doing it."
"What was the look?" Kuwabara pressed.
Yusuke shrugged. He didn't want to relive the night anymore than he already had.
"Well," Botan started when the conversation died. "Koenma thinks he has it all figured out!"
"Great. Let's hear it." Yusuke stated eagerly.
"Well, it's rather complicated," she began, placing a finger on her cheek to think. "The entire department has been doing research on these supposed Lightening Disappearances."
"The title's appropriate I suppose." Yusuke commented.
"Yes," Kurama nodded. "Please, continue Botan."
"Well, it seems that these lightening bolts aren't really lightening at all. They're energy waves. Directed through rips in the so called fabric of reality, if I may say."
"You're making sense so far." Yusuke stated.
Botan sighed. "This is where it gets complicated. These rips are occurring all over creation. Literally. Even in different dimensions, times, and worlds."
Kurama's gaze widened as he heard this. "So we're dealing with a foreign enemy?"
"One would think," Botan replied. "But we found that the enemy is not so foreign after all. He's a living, breathing human. On earth. The only thing different is the time period in which he lives."
"Okay, so how far back in time are we going?" Came Kuwabara.
"That's just it. You're not going back. You're going forward."
"In time?" Yusuke asked.
"Precisely." Botan nodded, sliding anxiously on her oar. "Koenma has found the one place in which he can transport you there. But it will be risky."
"Doesn't matter." Kuwabara replied determinedly. "He's got one of our own. We'll find him and fight him no matter who or where he is."
The others nodded.
Botan smiled sadly and bowed her head.
"Very well then, of course to be honest we expected no less of you."
Yusuke nodded. "Good to know. So, where are we heading for or shocking departure?"
"Oh, you'll not be going far." Botan grinned. "Just the roof of the school."
"The....what?" Yusuke gawked. His eyes turned to the top of Sarayashiki and nearly fell from his head. Already a blue aura was rippling from the top of his Junior High. "I don't...it's...."
"Not going to be there long if you keep staring at it." Botan laughed. "Come on boys. This is your only chance."
"Right." Yusuke nodded, and together the four of them made their way to the roof.
"Make sure that you don't lose anyone while you're there." Botan warned as she equipped them with their usual gadgets. "You only get one chance to come back home."
"Right." Yusuke nodded.
"And be careful boys," she warned. "I don't want to see you waiting in line at Koenma's office anytime soon. Understand?"
Kuwabara laughed.
"Please, that'll never happen."
"Don't be so certain," Botan pointed an angry finger at him. "You do realize that one of you has died once already and don't even ask me to count the numerous times you've almost died."
"Comes with the job description Botan." Yusuke laughed.
"Yes well, make sure this assignment you stay well enough alive to get what you need and come back without missing too many limbs, okay? I don't want to have to tell Keiko you're not coming back this time."
A frown came to Yusuke's face as he considered that. With a nod and a wink, he did what he could to reassure her that he'd bring everyone back alive and well.
Botan smiled and regained her composition.
"All right boys." she smiled. "Good luck."
She backed away far enough to see them and not get hit by the lightening strike.
Suddenly, a dark storm blew in, and lightening flashed between the clouds. Yusuke looked up as the rain came pouring down. It was almost refreshing.
A second later, he spotted a bolt of lightening flying towards them in their tight knit formation. Before he could ready himself, they were all struck.
It was a sensation of searing heat and blistering cold.
The vibrating echo of thunder resounded in his ears as well as the thudding of the rain against his body. Time seemed to stop altogether, break apart, and then mold itself before his eyes even though Yusuke was quite sure he couldn't see anything at all.
The feeling lasted for what seemed to be hours, yet within seconds everything had gone quiet and calm, and he was lying face down in the grass with soft raindrops falling on his body. Opening his eyes and moving his head, he saw Kuwabara and Kurama lying in a similar state a few feet away.
The next thing Yusuke knew, he was drifting into a deep sleep.
The ride was over, but the adventure had just begun.
Author's Note: YAY! We're getting somewhere! Hope you're happy Kat.
Thanks for the reviews everyone.