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AN: Wow, for the first entry that's not even a chapter, I've gotten a few reviews. It is wonderful to be appreciated (and even better the story is read). Wah, I thank everyone for those precious reviews!
The first chapter is dedicated to my first four reviewers: Deity-sama, Volpone-sama, Arano Hanou-sensei, and Roses-sensei.
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Through the Looking Glass-
Chapter 1: First Glance"Yusuke!" Keiko cried out as she desperately reached out for her boyfriend. Tears of fear brimmed her mahogany eyes while an unknown creature dragged her away into an indefinite dimension. She did not have to scream what was inside her heart to make the Spirit Detective understand.
"Keiko!" Yusuke frantically grasped out to grab the frightened girl's hand, but it was already too late. The demon had passed through its dimensional portal and had successfully kidnapped Yukimura Keiko from her home. "Damn it!" the Detective cursed furiously, punching the nearest thing to him.
Anger from before boiled and multiplied within Yusuke. Usual chestnut pools of liveliness were now brooding and murderous russet orbs; scarlet rage tainted Yusuke's darkened eyes. His Spirit Energy began to radiate and flicker around him, the aura a reflection of his inner emotions. He wanted to destroy something right now or tear off the flesh and limbs of the kidnapper; he wanted to annihilate the filthy organism that dared to come against him, Urameshi Yusuke. 'Keiko, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you right then. But I'll rescue you. I'll rescue you, so just hold on a little bit longer.'
"Yusuke, we don't have time for your sulking now," Kurama barked in command as he hastily ran out of the Yukimura home. "Keiko-san doesn't have time for it! We have to get to Kuwabara-kun's house as fast as we can. Maybe then we can intercept the demon there and rescue Keiko-san!"
"You're right," Yusuke answered with a heavy breath as he hurriedly followed after the redhead Detective. "That damn bastard. I'm going to make him pay dearly for even thinking kidnapping Keiko."
"As you should," was the redhead's only comment.
As soon as the two teenagers reached the Kuwabara home, they realized they were also too late. There was no visual of the human female nor was there a trace of her spiritual signature. Kazuma was off to the side furiously jabbing at a tree, and Hiei was silently but sympathetically watching him. "Damn it all!" was the cry in the air.
"What's going on?" Yusuke demanded as he analyzed the old battlefield. Furniture was splintered and ruined as so were china and other house wares. Windows were shattered, doors ran down, burn marks and blood spatters were randomly seen: A fight had definitely occurred here.
"Before we got here, the demon was long gone," Hiei coolly answered, still gazing at Kazuma and his feverish punches at the still life. "The woman obviously put up a fight against her attacker, but it wasn't enough. That demon probably used his powers to take advantage of her and pulled her through one of his portals before she could sense it and retaliate." Hiei jabbed his thumb in Kazuma's direction. "Someone should stop him before the idiot hurts himself. He's wasting all of his precious Spirit Energy just to sate his guilt."
'Your sister would not approve.'
Before Kazuma could continue with his rampage, Kurama forced the young man towards the group so they all could discuss the latest happenings and make new plans. The fox spirit and the fire apparition had a difficult time remaining indifferent when they could clearly sense Yusuke and Kazuma's hatred for the criminal at large.
"These kidnappings make no sense," Yusuke growled glumly as he closed his eyes. He took a seat on the ground and placed his face into his hands. "Why would a demon want to kidnap two defenseless girls with no amount of Spirit Energy? They're useless to him."
"They were kidnapped for their connections, Yusuke, not their abilities," Kurama informed somewhat coldly. He wanted to resist, but the former thief was being sucked into Yusuke's dark mood. "Although, Shizuru-san's spiritual abilities might be of some worth to them."
"Their connections?" This new piece of information even froze Kazuma in his brooding thinking.
"You are well known throughout the Demon World, Yusuke," Kurama continued, "not only as a powerful fighter but a skilled Spirit Detective. Even Kuwabara-kun has something of a reputation because of his occupation as a Spirit Detective. This demon perceptibly must desire something from you or from Koenma-sama: maybe even something from the Spirit World. All we know is that now they have leverage which we dearly care about and would risk anything to retrieve." At that moment, another thought fiercely struck Kurama. His verdant eyes grew large and round at the tragic idea. "Is Yukina-san presently within the Human World?"
'Yukina.' As the words sunk in, Hiei madly dashed towards Genkai's temple. Barely did anyone perceive him leaving the group's company. Although everyone else was noticeably slower than Hiei, Yusuke, Kazuma, and Kurama hastily speeded after the flying fire demon.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Grabbing into his jacket grudgingly but continuing his rapid pace, Yusuke opened a familiar compact and demanded moodily, "What do you want right now? Are you going to give us more news someone else we care about is going to be kidnapped by demons? Who's next? Kurama's mother?"
Koenma, unfazed by Yusuke's harsh greeting/answer, replied serenely, "Nice to see you too, Yusuke. And don't even joke like that; it might actually happen. Anyway, we just received a ransom notice from the kidnapper and have his demand all ready for pick up."
"You're going to answer his ransom, Koenma-sama?" Kurama questioned with wonder and disapproval. The three human boys stopped in their tracks to stare dumbstruck at the small communicator.
"Of course not," Koenma snapped in annoyance. The toddler of a ruler sucked onto his pacifier to cool his temper towards the Detective. "That would be stupid! Why would we give the demon his partner in crime so easily? Two highly wanted dimensional demons are problems we definitely want out of the Human World or any World for that matter."
"So what do you want us to do?"
The bumbling toddler pointed a chubby finger down at his enormous desk. "I need the three of you come to the Spirit World right now and pick up the ransom. I'll give you the details once you arrive here."
"What about Hiei?" Kazuma wondered, crowding closer to the miniature trinket. "He's probably reached Genkai 'baa-san's already."
"Leave him to defend Yukina-san until you reach him with the other demon," the spiritual sovereign readily answered. "He'll do for a short period of time. And hurry up and get here; WE don't have much time." Nodding with compliance, the three boys quickly made their way towards the Spirit World to follow Prince Koenma's orders.
When the other three Detectives and their cargo finally arrived at the shrine, Hiei was fiercely battling the renegade demon. Yukina was not far avoiding the spontaneous inter-dimensional gateways. With immediate reactions, Yusuke and Kazuma dashed to aid Hiei while Kurama speedily rescued Yukina and returned the girl to Genkai's protective side.
"Kurama-kun, watch out!" Before he could react to anything, the crimson locked lad felt the wind knocked out of him when a large bundle of pink and sky blue rammed straight into him.
It was Botan.
"Are you two all right?" Yukina inquired worriedly as she and Genkai ran to the two Spirit World employees.
"I'm fine!" Botan answered happily, hastily rolling over and off of Kurama. She looked somewhat strained and was out of breath. And because of that, Kurama could not tell if she was flushed or blushing. "I'm just glad I reached Kurama-kun in time. That was really close."
Kurama, still confused as to why Botan had ran into him, stared at the tree behind him and caught sight of a large weapon deeply embedded into the tree. The alternate results slapped the young man with gratefulness. "T-thank you, Botan-chan."
'I guess she was flushed.'
"Your welcome, Kurama--Wah! Yusuke!" Barely able to finish her response, Botan materialized her oar and raced towards the Spirit Detective. After hurriedly rising from the ground, Kurama noticed why the ferry girl was panicking. Urameshi and the others were being pulled into a dimensional portal.
"Ah!" Without time to counter, Yukina had disappeared. The imprisoned demon had escaped his binds and had followed his comrade into the dimensional openings. The Spirit Detectives had failed to rescue the ice maiden.
From above, the former foxy thief noticed a vortex following behind a soaring Botan. "Botan-chan! Watch out!" As Kurama jumped into the air and pushed the ferry girl aside, the young man found himself shoved towards the portal his comrades had fallen through.
"Kurama-kun!" the girl yelled out, grabbing for her friend. Botan's fingertips brushed slightly against Kurama's, as the young Detective was lost into the dimensional portal.
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