Chapter Four: An Unexpected Twist
"Oh, poor Kuwabara. It's all up to you to save yourself and your friends and you don't even have the slightest clue do you?" Kisami grinned as she taunted him. Kuwabara stood rigid, frozen as she tortured him with words. His companions could do nothing but watch; somehow she had bound them, restricting them to a small area by her boat. Their mouths were open, shouting warnings that were not supported by their voices.
She walked over to him, and whispered softly into his ear, "Can't you see the anguish in your companions eyes? They're as good as dead, but it's not just your fault. They had their chances too, and they should have known better than to leave their lives in your hands. Tsk, tsk, tsk, how very foolish of them…" Kuwabara stepped away from her. "What are you going to do? Runaway? Ha, try it."
"Shut up lady. The Great Kazuma Kuwabara would ever leave his friends."
"Ooh, look at you acting all brave. How very sweet. I know you're afraid, we're way too far in the game for bluffs."
"I'm not afraid!" He argued.
Kisami rolled her eyes, "Then I suppose I'm imagining the earthquake created by the quivering of your legs? I can't blame you for having such fear, you're just a boy."
"I'm not a boy!!" Kuwabara shouted as he charged toward the keeper of the river, spirit sword in hand.
Kisami gave a short chuckle as she lifted her hands, "Please you pathetic ningen. Have you forgotten that I'm immortal? Even if I allow you to wound me I'd heal immediately." Suddenly Kuwabara was lifted off the ground and tossed aside his body mimicking the movements of a rag doll. "I'd kill you, but that would displease the Sisters. The only way I may take life is through my riddles. If you don't mind, please tell me the wrong answer so I can be on my way. I have many more important things to do rather than toy around with an incompetent fool."
Kuwabara rose from the ground and spat out some blood, "Sorry to disappoint you Kisami, but I'm afraid I'll have to give you the right answer instead of the wrong one. I'm sure you'll understand." He looked over at his friends and gave them a thumbs up, he missed Hiei shaking his head. "Don't worry guys, I'll get you out of this."
"Please don't give them false hope. It will be more painful when they have to die."
"Listen up lady, I'm not going to fail. Not only do I have friends over there counting on me, but also a whole bunch back home and I'm not going to let any of them down. So you want me to answer? Fine." He took in a deep breath, while the rest of the Rekai Tantei held theirs. "Okay, so let me start from the beginning of your riddle and then to the end, is that okay with you?"
Kisami gave a blank stare, "No, you have to go backwards. Duh!! I'm glad I'm not human, you are a disgrace to your entire race."
Kuwabara's fist tightened, but he restrained the harsh words that were dancing on the tip of his tongue. "Alright, so there's this Mama Quail and it has six eggs. That's for six sat. Seven sprung is for when they hatch, the Mama Quail will also be there with them. From the dead the living come is explained because they live in the skull of a cow. Hiei was only wrong with his snake eggs answer because snakes don't stay with their babies, right?" Kuwabara asked excitedly.
Kisami stared her mouth open, talking and ranting to herself. "By Enma, the ningen got it. But how's that possible when he only had a short amount of time to find the answer… Not even Kurama got it, not even Kurama. How is this possible?" She fell to her knees. "I've failed the Sisters. Why? Who are you people?"
"In answer to your question, we're the Rekai Tantei. But I thought you already knew." Yusuke mocked her as he, Kurama, and Hiei walked over to Kuwabara, finally released by Kisami's spell. Kuwabara was smiling bright as the sun, and making victory symbols with his fingers. Hiei looked away, disgusted that he was 'rescued' by such an idiot.
"So, do you really want to know how I figured it out?" Kuwabara asked Kisami triumphantly. She didn't even bother to answer; she was too busy sobbing, but of course, Kuwabara didn't let that stop him. "Well, when Hiei answered I saw some sort of fear flicker in your eyes, like he had almost gotten it. So I had an idea of what the answer was."
"But Kuwabara, what about the rest of it? How did you come up with quails?" Kurama asked as he put his hand on Kuwabara's shoulder good-naturedly.
"Well actually, I guessed!" He said, his smile's brightness rivaling that of the sun. They all sweat dropped in annoyance.
"Hn. See Kurama? Once an baka, always a baka." Hiei smirked as turned to Kisami, "Well onna. It's time you took us across the river."
Kisami stood up from the ground, "Very well then." She looked at Kuwabara. "Good job, even if it was just a wild guess." She gave a weak smile and motioned them towards the boat. "From now on, each of you has, pretty much a lifelong pass to get across this river…" She looked at each one of them. "But I warn you, I am not the only obstacle in your journey to the sisters. Getting out will be easy, it's just getting to them that will be hard."
Each of the Rekai Tantei entered the boat, rocking it with their weight, and soon, Kisami pushed off from shore. The ride was silent, though not smooth. Every now and then, a hand would shoot up from the river, but with a hard look from Kisami, it snaked back into the river immediately. Instead of just ferrying them directly to the other side of the river, they drifted down stream. No one objected to the course. It was already apparent that Kisami obeyed the sisters completely and this was the way to them…hopefully.
After what seemed to be an hour's ride down The River of Dead Souls, until suddenly the boat came to a halt. Kisami stepped out, "Here, this is your next stop. Behind that grove of trees you shall find a door, hidden by climbing ivy and covered with plants, open it and you will find a maze. Make it out of the maze and you will be one step closer to the Sisters."
Kurama was the last one out of the boat. As he stepped once more on to solid ground he stared absent-mindedly into the distance. "Kurama. Pay attention kitsune. It's time to go." Hiei turned around and looked at him. "Are you coming?" Kurama gave a nod and walked onwards.
Kisami stepped back on to the boat pulling her hood back on her head, masking her face in shadows. The boat began to drift slowly away and mist enveloped her. Her voice echoed through the stillness "Farewell, good luck." And she was gone.
"Alright guys! Let's go find that…maze thingy." Kuwabara shouted.
Yusuke sent a punch straight to his face. "Listen Kuwabara, just because you guessed us out of our last problem doesn't mean you're the big hero. So why don't you tone down your ego and shut up."
"Somebody's jealous…" Kuwabara said half to himself half to Yusuke. Hiei kept walking while Kurama tried to suffocate his laughs.
Yusuke's eyebrow twitched, "Alright you!!! Now you're really going t—"
"Yusuke, come on. We've really got to go. Both of you should stop arguing, at least until we've completed our mission." Kurama cut in.
Yusuke closed his eyes, "Yeah. You're right Kurama. Let's go." He walked ahead, paused, and looked over his shoulder at Kurama. "You know, that's probably what Botan would say…" Then he kept walking.
Kurama followed and soon Kuwabara trailed behind them. There were no evil obstacles in the grove of trees they had to pass through. No mysterious figure emerged, demanding a fight or an answer to a riddle. Everything was death silent and each of them were occupied with different thoughts. Kurama's mind wandered to thoughts of a certain ferry girl.
*I wonder what will happen if we don't happen…or if we do. What if she doesn't remember? She wouldn't would she? Then what? I can't tell her, that I'm in love with her, or who she once was. She could be completely different. I don't know what to do anymore…*
"Hey Kurama. We're here. Hello? Earth to Kurama, this is Kuwabara speaking!" He shook the red head's shoulders, breaking him out of distressing thoughts. Kurama looked up with a dazed look in his eyes. "Hey are you okay man?"
"Yes, I'm fine Kuwabara, just very absorbed with my thoughts." He said putting on a smile for his friend.
"Alright, well we're at the door. So, I guess we just go in now right?" He asked.
"Well duh." Yusuke shouted as he pushed the door wide open.
Kuwabara jumped five feet backwards, "Hey man! Watch out, there could be bombs or something! I mean this place could be booby trapped or something."
"Hn. I can't believe I even know you…" Hiei said as he looked inside. "It looks fine to me."
"Well then kiddies, who goes first?" Yusuke asked light-heartedly, as if it were all a fun game.
Without hesitation Kurama strode forward, "I'm going. Follow behind me okay?" He watched each of them nod. And walked through the doorway. It wasn't a large room; in fact, it looked just like the outside. Trees and shrubs littered the area.
"I thought this was going to be a maze? All I see is an indoor forest." Hiei scoffed.
"Did we go into the right door?" Kuwabara asked. No one bothered to answer.
"Come on, let's just keep walking until we find something." Hiei walked out front his eyes darted to a fleeting figure no one else saw. But before he had a chance to get a good look, it disappeared. Something was watching them.
Kurama walked slowly, trailing further and further behind. A miasma of dark smoke created a wall between him and his companions, but they didn't seem to notice. "Hiei, Yusuke…Kuwabara…" He coughed as the smoke began to drug his senses. His strength deteriorated and he fell hard on the floor.
What's going on? I can't breathe. I can't see…His eyes began to droop lower and lower, until all he could see was black, and all he could feel was the thickness of the smoke that surrounded him.
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"Kurama…Kurama, wake up."
Kurama cracked open an eye and shut it just as quickly. The sun was bright and blinding. It glinted off the water of the lake.
*That wasn't there before...*"Hey, wake up you silly head."
*That voice. I know that voice.*
Slowly, Kurama opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the sun. Then he saw something he never thought he would again.
*Those eyes...are like amethysts. Could it be? ...Botan?*Dun! Dun! Dun!
A/N: Well, how did you like that twist of events? Sorry for the cliffie, but I did update faster than usual!!! I'm going to try and update all of my other stories too, including My Crimson Eyed Angel. I'm going to add a chapter and I'm planning on making a sequel. Anyways, whether you liked this chapter or not, review and say exactly what's on your mind!!! ^___________________^~*Teaser* ~ Chapter Five: Mind Trap
While Kurama's reuniting with Botan, the others are meeting some other unexpected people. But is all of this really what it seems to be? Everything just seems so perfect, and so very surreal. Nothing is really what it seems and if they don't figure that out quickly they'll wind up trapped forever.