Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this fic and the mind that helped me write this useless drivel. Flames are encouraged. If you choose to flame, please give me a reason for the flame.


Karasu strolled through Youko's room, stepping carelessly over the sleeping bodies of the concubines. Once he came to the closed door of the fox demon's bedchamber, he paused. The door was closed…which meant that Youko was obviously doing something important, Karasu mused. He smirked. Of course he doubted that it was truly important. Since there were so many concubines, the 'important' action could only be one thing.

Without bothering to knock, he thrust the door open. The door hit the wall with almost enough force to knock a hole into it. He smiled behind his mask, watching his favored thief jump in surprise.

"What the hell is this all about?" Youko demanded. His bare chest heaved as he breathed heavily. The sudden loud noise had scared him out of his sleep. He took the deep breaths to calm his thudding heart.

Karasu's violet eyes studied Youko's half-naked form. The fox demon noticed this and narrowed his eyes before tugging the sheets over his body. "Are you going to answer me?" he asked.

"Yes. I came to wake you up."

"And why couldn't you have done this in a more civilized manner?"

"It gives me pleasure to frighten you… and I rather enjoy finding you busy with certain…people so to speak." His eyes purposely cut towards the two demon females that lay on either side of the fox demon.

The females blushed and giggled. They gazed at the handsome demon that lay between them.

"And I must say I'm impressed. You keep these girls in check. That'll come in handy when you bring the ferry girl to me."

Youko sat up more fully. "I thought we were only after the spirit detective."

"Yes, but I took a closer look at her when searching over Reikai records. She's a pretty one and she's got a nice body on her. She'll be a challenge to tame. She has a mind of her own… I bet she'll be able to resist your so-called charms."

Youko smirked. "No one can resist me." He tossed back his silver hair and flashed the two females one of his most sexy expressions to prove his point. The girls immediately began to giggle again, gazing at him with adoration.

Karasu closed his eyes, silently laughing at the kitsune's confidence. "We'll see." He lifted his eyes. "I have someone you may want to meet. He was kind enough to arrange everything for you. Get dressed. The stench of those females is giving me a headache." He turned and left abruptly.

"I don't like him," Sakura said in a small voice, clutching Youko. "He scares me." Her kitsune ears lowered against her head—a gesture that proved her fear.

Youko gently patted her head and scratched behind her pointy fox ears. "It's quite all right. You had better listen to him. You wouldn't want to make him angry would you?"

Sakura shook her head in agreement. "No way."

The fox demon watched as she got out of the body. He sighed in boredom. The sight of these female's flesh didn't excite him anymore. True, they did what he wanted, but they were boring him. They went to him willingly. If only he had a challenge… Maybe he'd take up on Karasu's offer and claim the ferry girl as another one of his concubines. But then what? Who would his next victim be? He could just as easily manipulate a male's minds, but he didn't swing that way. Maybe he'd capture a group of demon males and force them to kill each other.

He stretched and got dressed.


In the kitchens, Youko found Hiei lounging at one of the tables. "Good morning, Hiei," he greeted.

"Hn. What's so good about this particular morning?"

"Nothing I suppose. I would've liked to sleep longer, but Karasu woke me up rather rudely."

Hiei smirked. "Yeah. Same here. The only difference is that my room isn't overrun by worthless females."

He returned the smirk. "Oh…you know, do you?"

"Yes. The girls in my room say things about the concubines in your quarters."

The fox demon laughed. "You have concubines of your own?"

Hiei frowned and crossed his arms. "Hn. Just because I seem antisocial doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a female's company."

"A female? How many do you own?"

"About five." He avoided the kitsune's gaze. "I don't settle for whatever willing female comes my way."

Youko shrugged. He went to the kitchen counter that was piled high with food. At one end was a cage filled with small animals. He dipped his hand into that cage and took hold of two Makai rabbits. He snapped their necks and began eating them as he walked back to Hiei. "What do your concubines say about my playthings?"

"That you spoil them. They walk all over you—a sure sign that you're a weakling."

"I'm not a weakling. It's just not in my blood to fight females. Besides… do you know how many I own? If they all happened to attack me at once I would barely be able to hold my ground."

"Feh, quit being so modest. I saw you on the battlefield with all those demons. You can win against far more than the small number of females you have." Hiei stood up. "Karasu told me to pass on a message. He wants to see you in the main chambers whenever you get done eating."

Youko watched with sympathy as the fire demon walked away. If he (Youko) hadn't come along then he(Hiei) would probably be living a better life right now. He smiled at the thought of Hiei nestled in between a group of girls. At least Hiei had someone to take his pain away. He laughed.


"You needed me for something?" Youko asked. He glanced around the chamber, appreciating the rich furnishings. It was something only a thief such as him could fully appreciate.

"Sit down," Karasu's voice floated in.

Youko looked around. There was a group of plush chairs drawn around a large round table. It was easily capable of sitting at least 30 people, but only three chairs were gathered together. He sniffed each chair carefully, checking to make sure there was nothing wrong with them. He chose one and sat in it. He created a perch for his chin with his laced fingers. He was curious about what was going on.

"Are you sure you want me to help in this? I'm not much of a thief."

"Don't be an idiot. You'll do fine. More to the point, I recorded the meeting you had with the Reikai prince. The ferry girl…what was her name?"

"I'm not sure."

"Whatever it was, she seemed smitten with you."

Youko saw Karasu and a strange demon walk in.

The strange demon smirked at what Karasu had said. "Smitten with me you say? How couldn't she be?" He touched the brim of his hat. "I told you that the hat would do me some good."

Karasu raised his slim shoulders in an amused shrug. "Perhaps it wasn't the hat… Either way, the whole matter is rather interesting. Reikai ensures that their ferry girls don't have run-ins with demons. A human/demon birth will lead to massive complications if any relationship gets to that level. And I also know that the ferry-girls are meant to be pure."

The demon with the hat and bat wings cocked his head at the remark. "Pure? Nothing is pure anymore." He nodded a greeting to the fox demon. "You must be Karasu's thief. You're Youko Kurama." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, that is who I am. Who are you?"

"Kuronue. I've been working with this lunatic for quiet a while now."

Youko focused a scrutinizing gaze on Kuronue. He was handsome and was obviously aware of it. Every action showed that he was confident with his looks.

If Kuronue was aware of the fox demon staring at him, he didn't show it. Instead of returning the challenging gaze, he looked to Karasu. "How did you get him in on this? He's the highest on the Reikai's Most Wanted list."

Karasu crossed his arms gracefully. "He fell for one of my traps and the rest was up to my gentle persuasion."

"Gentle my ass," the bat demon scoffed with an amused grin. He sat down in the chair beside Youko. "Tell him our little plan."

The crow demon obliged. "Now Youko, my pet, you know that we've arranged your little battle with the Spirit Detective. Both Kuronue and I decided that we'd get the ferry girl with ease."

"Then why get me involved in this if the two of you have this planned?"

"I'm sure you have your mind set on…eh…taming the ferry girl, correct? But at the moment, she has only seen Kuronue. Her reaction towards him was purely positive. This means that we can easily lure her willingly into our midst."

"I understand what you're saying. But if Kuronue is the one to befriend her, what chance would I possibly have to persuade her to become my new play thing?"

"You're the one with the kitsune-charm…you figure out how to do this." Karasu focused an amused gaze on his favorite thief. "But this isn't the point. We need you to get the Spirit Detective. You have to put him in submission, but do not kill him. Once he's unconscious, bring him here. Kuronue will take the girl here. Then you can test her out…defile the girl to your heart's desire."

Kuronue crossed his arms on the table and leaned towards Youko. "The girl interests me and she is a pretty human. If she doesn't fit your expectations, I'd gladly take her off of your hands."

The smile on his handsome face was pure amusement. Youko glowered at the smile. "We'll see," he replied in a gruff voice.

Karasu laid a hand on the bat-demon's shoulders. "We aren't here to convert a pure ferry girl into a simple Makai whore. A girl this rare is a delicate thing. It isn't often that a girl such as this can walk into our clutches. If the leaders of the Black Market offer a high price for the girl, neither of you are to get her."

"Why can't we be a non-profit organization for once?" Kuronue complained. "You said so yourself—how often does a ferry girl appeal to us? The other ones were never this pretty or feisty. Fuck those rich scumbags! We need to have fun too. You need to have fun."

"I'll have my fun when the time comes," Karasu retorted. His violet eyes caught Youko's gaze and held it. "I enjoy depriving myself until the perfect person and moment arrives. Only then will my 'fun' come…and I feel that I don't have much more to wait."

Youko forced himself to look away. Something about Karasu's words made him think that those words were directed towards him. He shuddered and stared furiously at the stone tabletop. He still hated the way Karasu made him feel like a weakling.

Kuronue hadn't thought too far into Karasu's words. "You're a freak. Has anyone ever told you that?" he joked.

Karasu ignored the remark and looked at both Kuronue and Karasu. "Then it's settled. In a week's time, the meeting with the Spirit Detective will be arranged. Both the detective and the girl will be in our hands, each a step closer to happiness and more money."


Yusuke slammed his fists into the punching bag. He gritted his teeth in anger. "Why the hell am I the one that has to do this?!" He continued to punch it as hard as he could. Sweat streamed into his eyes. He paused and ran his arm across his forehead. He brushed his sodden bangs back. He looked back over his shoulder.

Botan sat in the bleachers with her legs crossed. Her fingers were toying with the necklace. She had been watching Yusuke train in his school's gym with little enthusiasm. Her mind had been drifting to the strange demon in the screen and it made her frown. Demons were stereotypically horrible, ugly creatures. The demon with the bat wings was good looking…almost too good-looking to be real. He hadn't been too rude either. He seemed to have a gentleman's manners.

She chewed on her lower lip in deep thought. Why did she suddenly feel so drawn to demons after the strange dream she had? She couldn't understand it. All she knew was that there was a barrier between Makai, Reikai and Ningenkai for a reason. It ensured balance and kept cross-breeding from happening. What was so wrong with finding a demon attractive? She was sure there was an exception to everything. There must be some demons that were an exception. Not all of them could be full of only blood lust. She was certain that she'd be able to find a demon who was capable of loving someone.

Yusuke blinked his chocolate brown eyes at the pretty deity. There was something about her that he never noticed before. He had noticed when he first saw her that she was a lovely creature, but now, somehow, she seemed gorgeous. Now there was something about her that made him stare at her…something that made his thoughts melt away and his jaw drop.

He shook his head to clear his mind but he found it harder to get her out of his thoughts every time he looked at her. His mouth suddenly felt dry.

Botan felt the weight of someone staring at her. She raised her eyes and noticed Yusuke's chocolate brown eyes were glued on her. "Why are you staring at me?" she demanded.

It took her sharp words to pull Yusuke out of his reverie. "Who's staring?" he argued. His cheeks were burning with shame. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Botan and all he could do was argue with her. He leaped into the bleachers and sat close to Botan. "Sorry," he apologized. "This whole training is working on my nerves. I'm worried about fucking it up. If I lose, both of us are going to be stuck with demons. I don't want to be responsible for hurting you."

Botan gazed at him with sympathy. His words touched her. "You'll do fine—I'm sure of it."

"Yeah. Let's hope I don't screw this one up." He flashed the deity a childish grin. "But I'm a Spirit Detective after all. No one has beaten me yet!"

Botan nodded. "Maybe the demons you have to fight will be a pushover."

"Nah. I doubt that. That guy warned me to train up some, right? In a few weeks time they could easily find some huge muscle-head."

"And…that's bad, right?"

"Yes and no. The muscle-head will be really strong so I'll have to be on my guard. But on the other hand, you can't have a lot of muscles and be really fast. I have an advantage."

"I hope you're right," she murmured. Secretly, she was hoping he'd lose. She knew how wrong it was to hope the worst for her friend, but the demon in the screen made her curious. She had never been too close to a demon that looked quite like that one. He seemed nicer than the other demons she had watched Yusuke fight and of course the fact that he was good-looking was a bonus. If Yusuke lost, she would be able to prove to Koenma that not all demons were cold-hearted creatures who searched to fulfill their blood and carnal lusts.

'I'll show them all,' she thought in determination. 'Then Koenma has to give me that three week vacation!'

But this wasn't merely about a three-week vacation to a luxurious spa next to an ocean. Something told her that she would find something much better than a relaxing retreat if Yusuke lost the match.


Thank you to each and every one of you that reviewed my last chapter! You're the people that encourage me to update! Here's the reviewers in the order you reviewed:

Dragonbabe: I think Kuronue is the right spelling, but don't ask me. And it's ok if you can't come up with a 'concubine'. Glad you enjoy it so far!

Miyako14: Yes! It was Kuronue! He seems pretty cool so I'm gonna use him. Thanks for reviewing.

Psychopath143: Yes, Kuronue is supposed to be dead, but so is Karasu. I like both of them and both get so little recognition nowadays.

Spoonerific: Closet-supporter? What is that?! Or should I just not ask? O.O' Yes, it was Kuronue—who else could it be? Thanks for your review.

DarkShadowWriter: They aren't really slave girls, really…they're more like concubines rather than slaves. Besides, it's not like they're with Youko against their will, right? YES! You got it! It's Kuronue! You like him too? That's good! Thanks for the review!

Xen the Wonder Dog: A Botan/Karasu pairing? That might be in a different fic, but in this, there may be some Botan/Karasu fluff….if you can imagine Karasu being 'fluffy'. Your fics are great! How can you read MY drivel after what you write? I haven't reviewed much of your stuff (sorry) but I've read it. They're all great! Update something of yours!!!

KuramaandHiei4ever: Well, I just hope you enjoyed my chapters. It's ok if you didn't review, k?

Conspiring against me: No imagination? Now you can't be pessimistic. I'm sure you do. Thanks for leaving me a review!

Prettynutter: At least you reviewed. Reviews matter to me because it tells me what I'm doing right and wrong.

Ame no kodomo:Yep! It's Kuronue! Do you like him? I hope so!

Volpone:A five-some? ::gasp:: What's wrong with you woman! This is a family fic… ok, not really. But that would be strange, wouldn't it? You like the personality I gave Kuronue? That means a lot coming from you! Thanks!

Furi Iki: Yup! It's Kuronue. And I agree, he is cool but Kurama is my absolute fav. After that, I don't know who I like best: Karasu, Kuronue, Hiei, Touya… hmm…this is hard. Thanks for your review!

Gippal: You liked the part when Kuronue said that? I thought it was funny too and it's true, isn't it? Karasu is so scary and sadistic…but at the same time it's frighteningly sexy. Whoo….I've got issues don't I? Glad you enjoy this! Here's a new chapter too, so soon after you reviewed too!

Thanks for the reviews!