"Not good this is not good..." Were the only thoughts echoing in the head of a young looking girl. Aside from the fact that her hair was blue and that she possessed pink eyes, the girl looked like a natural human being, but of course then again humans didn't usually fly on wooden ores up in the sky like this one did.
This odd girl was Botan, and while she may have looked like one, she was not a normal human. She was in fact the grim reaper, known to most as a hooded skeleton in black robes, carrying a long bloody scythe. The girl seemed to be searching franticly for something up in the cloudy night sky, using only the light given from the waning moon and few stars present.
"Koenma sir...what shall I do?" Botan asked herself, while continuing to search, for the house she so desperately needed to find." Now where is it?...BINGO!" Exclaiming this the girl made a sharp nosedive, straight towards a small, rather ragged looking house. Pulling up out of her dive only feet above the ground, she then came to hover right outside the window located in the back of the house, right above the backyard. Drifting closer to it, Botan rapped urgently at the window, while whispering franticly to the occupant on the other side of the glass barrier.
"Yusuke! Yusuke wake up! It's me! Botan!" After waiting unsuccessfully for a reply for several seconds the girl lost her patience, and slammed her clenched fist into the window, causing the thin glass to vibrate under her hand. "Yusuke get up NOW!" she hissed. Her voice was followed shortly by a rather painful sounding thud from inside, and then the sound of bare feet scurrying across carpet. After a few more crashes, accompanied by a low string of cusses, Botan rejoiced as a scraggily looking youth opened the window and peered out at her, annoyance written all over his fine face.
"Botan what the heck are you doing here at..."The youth paused and looked over his shoulder to a clock sitting on his bedside table, it's sadistically red, glowing numbers reading: 4:12am. The youth glared at his clock as if it were mocking him, and then at the girl hovering outside his window "4:12 in the morning?!" Ignoring his annoyed remarks, Botan merely grabbed the boy by the front of his slightly ripped white muscle shirt and hoisted him onto the ore behind her, displaying strength that no normal human female could possess.
"Sorry no time to explain Yusuke, we need to get to spirit world now. Kuwabara is already there waiting," and with that she once again took off into the nights sky. Heading straight at the moon as if she were going to hit it.
"Wait hold up Spirit world?!" Yusuke cried, blindly griping to Botan's middle for support. "Why do I need to go to Spirit World?!"
"Koenma has urgent need to speak with you..."Botan said as she continued flying straight at the moon.
"What could possibly be so important that he needs to summon me at 4:12 in the morning?!" Yusuke snarled, griping tighter to Botan's middle as the ground disappeared from view, all that could be seen was blackness, but Botan never answered. Just as Yusuke was about to scream another smart remark at the grim reaper, he suddenly felt as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. The blood flowing in his veins seemed to turn to ice water as he struggled to breath only to find that he could not. In a desperate attempt to communicate with Botan he gripped her even tighter trying to get her attention as to help him, but the girl did not respond she merely kept flying forward as the world around them completely faded into a black abyss of nothingness Oddly the whole ordeal lasted only a few seconds-even if it seemed like hours to Yusuke-and ended as quickly as it started.
"W what the heck was that?" Yusuke gasped, clutching the skin right above his heat.
"That is one of the reasons Koenma needs to speak with you..."Botan said as she sped across the open plains of Spirit world and towards the main keep, where Koenma along with all of his servants lived. It was only when Yusuke noticed how serious Botan was being did he really wise up, for this normally over perky girl was pale and seemed to be in a frantic state of worry. This was something that deeply disturbed Yusuke. The rest of the journey was in complete silence; only the whining sound of the wind could be heard as it blew its course through the golden plains of spirit world.
Only upon reaching the great castle that loomed over this realm, did the grim reaper speak, but only as to gain access to the castle by stating her name, and rank to the speaker box located to one side of the great oak doors which lead into the grand building.
Inside the pair was greeted by a mass of differently colored ogres, their brightly colored skin dancing with the pale lights that shone overhead. The monsters all appeared to be busying with numerous tasks, some filing, others typing on computers, like normal, human people working in an office building.
Struggling to pass through the mass mob of horned creatures, Yusuke followed after Botan. Who seemed used to dealing with the chaos of Spirit World Keep.
Upon finally reaching a hall branching off from the main working quarters of the ogres, did Yusuke finally work up the nerve to once again ask Botan what was transpiring.
"Botan..."He started, only to be cut off as Botan stopped abruptly in front off a large set of doors on the left hand side of the main hall.
"...Go in..."she commanded softly"...Koenma will be waiting for you to speak to you in there..."With a slightly nod of her head at the heavy looking door, the grim reaper turned tail and fled down the hall. Leaving Yusuke standing alone, confused and disoriented.
Taking in a small breath, the sprit detective pushed open the doors, which were amazingly light despite their great size. Within four walls of Koenma's working quarters Yusuke couldn't help feeling small as he stared straight ahead to the desk Koenma was sitting at. Looking both grave, and deeply troubled.
"Hey Urameshi you have any idea what's going on here?" Yusuke couldent help but jump slightly, as he heard the all to familiar voice of his friend Kuwabara sound from off to his left.
Sure enough, there in a chair sat Kuwabara. Wearing one of his normally confused looks, making him appear even uglier than usual.
With his odd orange hair, styled into a wanna be Elvis fashion, pale skin, and ugly face. It was easy to see why Kuwabara had trouble finding a girlfriend.
Before Yusuke had time to answer his friend's question Koenma, prince of Spirit World spoke.
Because he looked like a toddler, it was no surprise the both Yusuke and Kuwabara had trouble-taking Koenma serious. Despite the fact that he was really well over 1000 years, but this time was different, the heavy aura of unease that hung within the air was enabling even Yusuke from cracking a joke at his employer. Ever since Yusuke had died, and then been brought back to life to serve as detective of the spirit world. He had never seen Koenma appear to be so troubled.
"...I take it you are both wondering why I have summoned you at this ghastly hour..."He said softly, his voice grave. The pacifier he normally had in his mouth, hung limply from his pale lips.
Both boys nodded their heads in sync.
"Very well," Koenma said nodding. "...I shall start by saying that exactly 9 hours and 26 minuets ago the stabilizing core, that keeps all portals leading from Spirit human and demon realm in check has been stolen..."
"The what?" Kuwabara spoke up, causing Koenma to sigh and shake his head in disdain.
"The stabilizing core is an item created by my father, King Yama, to control, and stabilize, all portals leading from the human, spirit and demon realm. Its possessor has the ability to open up portals into any of the three realms. Ranging in size from large enough to send out a virus into a different world, to a Portal that would be big enough to transport armies...This is what makes this such a serious matter...With the abilities of the core, the thief can transport his self to any of the three realms, along with anything else he desires...."
Kuwabara, and Yusuke merely stared at the spirit world prince, as they let the information they had just received sink in.
Waiting for only a moment Koenma once again spoke up. "I sent Hiei and Kurama after the thief, but...they have only reported back to me that they were unsuccessful in capturing him, and retrieving the core...they have only recently returned from chasing the thief into demon world... I shall have them shown in so they may retell recent events..."
With that he pressed the little red button on the speaker on his desk and spoke into it.
"Botan show in Hiei and Kurama..."
"Yes sir." Botan's voice replied from the other side of the intercom. After waiting for only a moment, the large doors were thrown open, and in stomped an angry looking little demon with spiked up black hair, followed by a troubled looking red headed male.
"Hey Hiei...Kurama," Yusuke said raising a hand to greet his two friends. The red head, Kurama, Gave a little fake smile. While Hiei, the demon with black hair merely looked up and glared at the spirit detective.
"Hiei, Kurama...Please tell us exactly what happened, and another information you may have learned about the thief..."Koenma said as calmly as he could, but it was easy to see he was hoping to here that his field agents had at least found out some new information. Anything to help them in their current crises.
"...As much as it pains me to say it Koenma... we have found next to nothing on the thief. We know that she if female, and that she killed the man she was supposedly going to give the core to but...We didn't even see her true face..."Kurama said gravely.
"How did you not see her face?" Koenma said, a bit more strained than he meant to.
"The thief of yours was a fox Koenma..."Hiei growled, and glared at him "We couldn't see her face because it was covered in crimson fur."
"A fox stole the core thingy?" Kuwabara asked stupidly, earning him one of Hiei's infamous death glares.
"Yes idiot, a fox stole the stabilizing core thingy." He sneered, causing Kuwabara to flinch, not even making an attempt at making a counter insult, as he normally would. Instead he seemed to clam up, and appear freighted. Most likely because Kuwabara had a gift in being extra sensitive in sensing people's auras. No doubt he was getting a face full of Hiei's rage at the moment.
"Stop it you two..."Yusuke said, and the fighting ceased, save for the death glares that Hiei was giving out freely." So Koenma...Apparently this fox broke into the spirit world vault and stole this so called stabilizing core...so tell me. Why did none of your little officers catch her? Are they really that worthless, or did she merely kill them all?"
Koenma shook his head gravely. "Neither Yusuke...We simply were not aware of the fox's presence until we realized that the core was gone.... About 18 minuets before we figured the thief broke in, the was a power outage throughout all of Spirit world keep...All Monitors were out as well as all electronic security devices, and with all the chaos that insured because of this, it is no surprise that the thief was able to sneak in and out undetected."
At this Yusuke remained silent, contemplating what had happened.
"Koenma...What force of action do you wish us to take?" Kurama asked, boldly breaking the silence that had fallen over the group.
"Ah yes...well for one thing Kurama I want you and Hiei to go to demon realm, and try to discover anything you can about this fox and her recently deceased employer."
"What do you want us to do Koenma?" Kuwabara spoke up. Earning yet another glare, but this time from Koenma.
"I was getting to that," He growled." Yusuke Kuwabara, we were able to pick up and odd energy signal when the thief used the core to transport herself to the human realm, where she now resides. Apparently she's in close range of your homes, just downtown really..." Im not sure weither this was a mere coincidence, or if our fox has something more planned. I'm warning you both to be careful, we don't know what to expect from her." With that said, the Spirit World prince, gave a flick of his wrist and sent his detectives away on their missions. He uttered a soft "...be careful." but none heard.