Welp, another story posted the same day. This piece is actually the reason
I started an account on FFN. This is really my baby and get ready for a
rather long run, everyone.

This sucker's a monster, and as I told my Beta reader, Volpone (thanks a
bunch, girl) I have at least 40 pages of just notes.

Disclaimer: All the characters here within this work of fiction are not mine, but the property of their respective owners. I only play with them in
my spare time, so don't sue me. You wouldn't get anything, anyway.

However, this does not include Sahirah or Sorako, who do belong to me.
Please read and review, but don't flame me. Big thanks to Volpone again
for beta'ing this.

Chapter 1
Story by: Darache (Kim B.)

Run.

Her only option was to flee. That broken down palace had for too long been her prison, his eyes too long had haunted her. She had to find a release from that devil of a creature whose onyx orbs never stopped watching. And the only way she could do that was to run.

So, run is what she did.

She had no powers to speak of, all her hope was gone. She was utterly alone in the darkness, and for the first time in her long existence she realized just how wild and lonely her world truly was. How sheltered she had been before to the ills of others.

How stupid I was, She thought, diverting from her hastily chosen path into the thicker Makai undergrowth. The guards were close at her heels and fatigue was setting swiftly into her muscles. How I hate this wretched human body. Branches ripping and tearing at her fragile pale skin already marred from years of abuse, she hurried as fast as her aching limbs would allow - away from those prying eyes. Above all else, she refused to be captured. She would not go back to that place, nor back to that man.

She would no longer be his plaything. She was not a toy, but a living being. Going back there meant only one thing – death, and she refused to die. So many had for her sake already . . . .

How can I ever hope to escape? Her mind screamed as the guard's thundering steps grew nearer still. They would be upon her any moment, but still she ran. She would not give up. She refused, even if her legs stopped functioning. She would crawl away on her hands if needed, but she would never give up.

Panting heavily, long suppressed thoughts of a distant past echoed in her mind, comforting in their familiarity. Thoughts of a man with long silky hair and eyes a subtle sort of cerulean violet rushed forward, pushing down her pain, saving her momentarily from the exhaustion.

She remembered, though not realizing it, how haunted those beautiful eyes were the final time she had looked into their depths. She blinked back tears at the thought of that moment, but she roughly pushed it away. Now wasn't the time for crying.

How long had it been since she had thought of him, in that place of hate and suffering?

So very long. Too long, She roughly wiped the tear stains away, her tired legs forcing her into a dragging half-trot. She wouldn't last much longer, and the guards were still following closely. Her defeat was imminent.

Despair was setting in though she tried to fight it. The cage had formed around her, the door closing behind her.

Eyes searching in an animalistic franticness for any route of escape, she found something she had not expected. Pushing some brush aside, she studied her discovery, awestruck.

A hole . . . a foot off the ground?

 Cautiously, she approached it, reaching out with her limited senses for any sign of danger. Finding none, she stepped closer to touch the hole that seemingly led to another world. It was so fascinating she momentarily forgot her plight.

The grunts and yells of the approaching men, nearly upon her by this point, pulled her attention from the strange phenomenon, and in a split second decision, she dove behind the brush and through the mysterious hole.

Surely, wherever she landed would not be as terrible as the ordeal she had been put through. Not even Hell itself could have been worse.

Kurama sighed, shuffling his feet along the ground wearily. Honestly, the last thing he wanted to be doing at the moment was going on a mission for Koenma. Even less so because it required traveling into the Makai, and he was going alone. Not that being alone there bothered him, he just didn't particularly like the thought of it.

He also didn't like the fact that one of the details of the mission required him to sneak into the stronghold of a very powerful, very demented demon. A demon he'd known of and hadn't liked back when he was still Youko.

It was very dangerous work, and he wished that Hiei had been able to accompany him. The smaller demon's presence was a comfort when traveling into dangerous situations, and it was always helpful to have him around in case of trouble, yet it couldn't be helped. The Child-ruler had already sent the rest of the team on another mission in which Hiei's skills were needed.

Really, Koenma was far too demanding of his detectives.

Turning the corner, he was surprised to find Botan standing directly in front of the area designated for the portal. Not that it was strange for Botan to be there, since she usually opened the portals and such, but it was unusual that she was stooped over something, which appeared to be a human to his keen senses, and had yet to even notice his presence.

Clearing his throat, Kurama spoke to the oblivious deity. "Botan, what are you doing?"

Turning, her light eyes wide in shock, she nearly screamed before realizing it was only Kurama. "Oh, Kurama. It's you."

He sighed slightly at her silliness, questioning her strange behavior. When the deity did not respond, the fox moved to see what she was doing for himself. He was rather surprised to find her standing over an unconscious woman. Dropping to his knees to further study her, he found the woman was indeed a human, but something wasn't quite right.

"It's like her spirit energy is locked away." Botan mumbled, as if reading his mind. Her cotton-candy eyes swivelled back to the brown- headed girl, watching her to see if she would wake.

Kurama turned to her and away from his musings for the moment. "Yes, this is indeed rather strange." His eyes trailing back to the girl, he voiced a question that had been plaguing him. "Where did you find her, Botan?"

The deity turned to look at the red-head, her eyes full of compassion for the fallen girl. "Here. She was right here. It's almost like . . . ."

"She fell through the portal." Kurama finished, glancing up at the wall where the portal normally was. "Very strange indeed." He murmured, grabbing his chin in contemplation.

"Yeah." She agreed, leaning over the woman to check for any injuries she might have missed. "Other than some scratches and the like, she seems perfectly fine."

"So it would seem. You should go tell Koenma about this. Perhaps he can make something of it." Kurama stated, leaning over and hoisting the small slip of a woman into his arms and standing.

The deity's soft blue eyebrows furrowed, watching her friend strangely. "What will you do, Kurama?" Reaching out, she produced her oar and sat atop it, her eyes still trained on the young man.

"She needs a place to rest." He said, turning away from her toward the entrance of the alley. "I'm taking her to Genkai's temple."

Botan bit her lip, worried. Genkai's temple was well outside of town and even though Kurama was strong, it would be a trying distance carrying the girl. "But isn't that a bit far?" She asked. She didn't even want to mention all the unwanted attention he could possibly attract carrying an unconscious girl through town.

He turned back, a small hint of amused annoyance in his eyes. "What else would you suggest?"

"Well," She murmured, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "You could take her to your house. It's not too far from here. I mean, at least until she wakes." She added hurriedly, blushing slightly.

Kurama smiled, thinking the deity quite adorable when embarrassed. "Very well then." Altering his original course for his own home, he left Death behind, her soft pink eyes trailing after him until he disappeared.

Sighing, Botan opened a portal to Reikai. Koenma needed to know about that girl and her strange lack of spirit energy.

Well, there you have it.

This chapter basically wrote itself (as most of my better quality stuff does), and I'm glad I finally started this. The idea's been swimming and morphing around in my head for nearly 6 months, and I thought it was high time I actually started it. Updates for this will likely be somewhat slow, but don't worry. I will continue with this.

Now, time to review.