Chapter Two-

"Okay, that was a complete waste of time," Yusuke commented, watching Hiei clean his katana with a white cloth pulled from his pocket. ((After all, we all know how unsanitary it is to lick his sword...remember?)) They'd found the somewhat annoying demon, after about two hours of hide-and-seek, and Hiei had quickly 'disposed' of him. And, as usual, Yusuke could do nothing but complain, "We would have been better off doing homework!"

"You think so?" Keiko grinned, and Yusuke cocked an eyebrow at her. "Good, because that's exactly what you're going to do..." She grabbed his ear before he had the chance to run off, and he yelped as she dragged him off to the park bench where they'd left their books for the game of cat-and- mouse.

Kurama and Kuwabara watched them, chuckling in amusement, and Hiei's eyes surprisingly shone the same amusement, until, finally, Botan commented, "Didn't one of you say before that she was the only one he'd ever lose a fight against? Can't say I disagree..." Kuwabara said his goodbyes then, running after Keiko and Yusuke.

Silence fell over the remaining three, until Botan looked at her watch, and Hiei turned to her, knowing what she was thinking. "Hadn't you better get back to Koenma?" he asked her, narrowing one eye. She blushed lightly, and nodded.

"I suppose so...see you two later!" she exclaimed, her oar appearing in her hands as she flew off. Kurama glanced at Hiei, taking note that his eyes didn't leave the pink-eyed deity until she was out of sight. He smiled lightly, and Hiei glared at him.

What're you smirking about, Fox?

"You," Kurama answered aloud. "When are you going to tell her...?" He was cut off by the 'utter one more word and I'll stab you dead' glare he was getting from Hiei, and shook his head, chuckling.

"Fox..." Hiei's voice was amused as he walked over to the bench and glimpsed over some of the books that Kurama had brought with him. Kurama raised an eyebrow, and joined him, looking at one of the books and commenting, "I didn't know you were studying history of art..."

"...Asa," Kurama groaned, remembering he hadn't given her back her books. "I'd better take them to her..."

"You do that," Hiei smirked. Kurama scooped up the books, and walked swiftly, though still calmly, away from Hiei, who rolled his eyes and disappeared. Asa's house wasn't far from his, so he could stop there on his way home. He glanced around, sensing something amiss, but figured it was just nerves from the demon chase they'd just been on, and shrugged it off.

Asa's house came into view, a big white house with blue shutters and a wrap-around veranda that sat amidst a group of sakura blossom trees on the corner of his street. He lived on the opposite side of the street, and most thankfully, too- it was how they'd met.

His mind wandered into the distant memory with an amused smile on his face as he walked the familiar path to her home.

- - Flashback - -

It was right before they'd known that his mother was ill and he'd been proposed a partnership with Hiei. He'd been walking patiently to school, not really paying much attention to the all-too-familiar path he was so used to following. Apparently, she hadn't been paying attention either. There was a large stone wall surrounding the yard of the Ichazuki residence, and Asa wasn't too well known for checking around the corner before she hurried out of the gate. She hadn't this day, either---and she'd crashed headfirst with Kurama.

Which wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't been carrying an armload of books---as she always seemed to be doing, he hadn't been carrying his own set of books that was a lot slimmer than hers, they both hadn't been a bit late, and either of them had remembered to watch where their heads hit each other's, then the ground.

Unfortunately, she was carrying an armload of books, he had been carrying a few of his own, they both were running a little late for school---her first day, having only just moved into town, and the first day his mother had shown some signs of illness--- and neither of them remembered to watch where their heads hit the other's, then the ground. So two very loud groans were heard after several cracks and thuds.

"Crap...I'm sorry," Asa had immediately started to apologize, swiftly gathering up and separating their books. "I so wasn't paying attention...are you okay? If you're hurt, I can probably take you to my dad---he's a doctor, and---!"

"Uh, no, that's quite all right. I think I'll manage," Kurama had answered her with a weak smile, his palm pressed against a sore spot on his head. She was rubbing a spot on hers, as well, and he chuckled, "And it was just as much my fault, I apologize."

"Oh, no...that's okay...it was mine..." she mumbled, handing him his books, then actually looked up at him. His emerald eyes were alight with myrrh and friendliness, gifts that little if no one had offered her since her arrival in the city. "Um...yeah..." She trailed off, getting lost in those eyes for a moment, then blushed as he stood up and offered her a hand. Taking his hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet, she said in a cursory, "Uh, yeah, I'm Asa Ichazuki..."

"Shuuichi Minamino," he said, smiling. They still hadn't released the other's hands, and both blushed at the same time, pulling away quickly. "Oh...you're hurt," he said, seeing a cut on her knee that was bleeding pretty badly.

She looked down at her knee, still blushing. "Yeah, um...I'll manage." She glanced at her watch, and her eyes grew wide. "Holy crap! I'm late! Uh, it was nice to meet you, Minamino-kun-!"

"Just call me Shuuichi," he said with a smile.

"Right...Shuuichi," she was aware that she had blushed again, "Well, I'd better go." She turned and stooped to pick up the remainder of her books, then half-skipped, half-limped off in the other direction, waving at him over her shoulder, "I'll see you later, maybe!"

Kurama smiled after her distantly, watching her until he could see her small form no longer, than muttered, "I should really hope so..."

- - End Flashback - -

Kurama's reaching the stone wall ended his thoughts. He almost chuckled at the memory, but instead opened the black metal gate that led into the yard, and walked up the stairs onto the veranda, facing the front door. He took a breath, and reached up to press the doorbell. Moonlight Sonata could be heard ringing in the chimes that were connected to the doorbell. Kurama smiled. The Moonlight Sonata was Asa's favorite song, ever, so her father had it put into the doorbell.

Her father, Jeri Ichazuki, answered the door, his black hair peppered with gray, but his blue eyes worried behind his rimless glasses. "Oh, Shuuichi...hello," he said, his concern still in his eyes. Kurama immediately frowned as he saw Jeri look over his shoulder, somewhat expectantly, and sigh in disappointment. "Shuuichi, have you seen Asa?"

"She didn't come home?" Kurama asked, slightly alarmed.

"No, I figured she was with you," Jeri answered.

"No, she wasn't...I sent her home right after school, because I had...something to do," he said quickly. The books of his and Asa's were immediately forgotten in his arms, and he settled them on a wicker chair beside the door. Jeri's face became somewhat distressed.

"I've called Umi, but she hasn't seen her, either. I'm starting to get worried."

"May I use your phone?" Kurama asked, brow furrowing. Jeri nodded, and gestured him inside. He already knew where he was going, and hurriedly went to the phone in the hall, dialing up Yusuke at Keiko's house.

"Hello, Keiko speaking."

"Keiko, it's K---Shuuichi," Kurama corrected himself, glancing at Jeri nervously. "Is Yusuke there?"

"Yeah, hold on a second, Kurama," Keiko said, understandingly. A short pause, then the detective grunted on the other end, "Yeah, Kurama?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Kurama spoke, "But Asa's not at home."

"Asa...you're at Asa's place? Ooh, Kurama---!"

"Yusuke, she's missing!" Kurama interrupted him and his sordid thoughts, his brow furrowing and his face drawing into a scowl, which was rare for him. "Her father has just told me she hadn't even come home from school, and you remember that we sent her home, right?"

"You don't think something's happened, do you?" Yusuke asked, suddenly worried.

"I'm not sure...can you...?" His voice trailed off, since he was trying to keep their secret hidden from Jeri, but Yusuke understood.

"I'll find Kuwabara and Hiei and get right over to Koenma's to arrange a search party myself, if I have to, Kurama. Don't worry...we'll find her."

"Thank you, Yusuke." Kurama hung up, and turned to Jeri, "I'm sorry, Ichazuki-dono, I've got to leave."

"I understand. Just...be careful, Shuuichi, and...I trust you'll find her. I'll wait until sundown before I call the police." Kurama looked surprised, but at Jeri's smile, he understood. Somehow, Jeri had found out something. "I know what you're thinking---and I'm not sure what's going on, but you and that Hiei character...you both aren't much like normal boys your age. That's why I trust you. With whatever it is that you do." He nodded at Kurama, who smiled in reply, then left.

-

Yusuke, Hiei, Botan, Keiko, Kuwabara, and Shizuru met Kurama in front of the school, since it was the last place Asa had been seen. He had arrived quickly, but was surprised when they were all there before him.

"Hey, man," Kuwabara waved at him, as they all looked down the road they'd seen Asa run that afternoon. "Glad you're here...maybe you can tell us what's going on. Not even Shorty knows."

"What? Hiei, what is he talking about?" Kurama asked, turning to Hiei.

"Hn...we found one of the onna's hair ribbons---amongst all of her books. They were strewn over in the clearing between the trees there," Hiei said, pointing at a small grove of trees alongside the road.

"But you didn't find Asa?" Kurama asked, his alarm resounding in his voice. Yusuke shook his head sadly.

"No...we didn't...but like I said, we will," he promised, determination in his eyes. Kurama nodded, holding his breath for a moment, then went to inspect the clearing himself. His eyes darted through the trees, and narrowed when Hiei joined him, then Yusuke. Kuwabara stayed on the sidewalk with the girls.

"What're you looking for, Kurama?" Yusuke asked curiously, raising an eyebrow, "Hiei's already been over this place..."

"I'm just looking for some sort of calling card..." Kurama explained, then noticed something a little further away than where they'd found the books and ribbon. He walked toward it, kneeling down slowly, and said in a soft, scared tone, "Hiei..."

The Jiganshi appeared beside him in the blink of an eye, and also kneeled down, looking at the markings on the ground, scratched deep into the earth with something strong---a talon or tooth, perhaps.

There was a name written in Japanese Kanji; it said Sakai. There was only one Sakai either of them knew; he was a demon. This was the calling card Kurama had been looking for. They both stood up slowly, turning to an expectant Yusuke. "All right, who's Sakai and what do you two know about him?"

"He's a Shadow Master; one of the highest classes of demon," Kurama supplied calmly, though Hiei could see the fists that were clenched at his sides trembling. "Supposedly, he disappeared some time ago. But no one's sure. If he's taken Asa, there is little hope."

"But, there is hope," Yusuke answered, surprising both Hiei and Kurama. They turned to look at him as he leaned against a tree, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting one finger to rub the side of his nose ((have you ever seen anime guys do that; like Joey from Yu-Gi-Oh in the episode when Kaiba and Mokuba were reunited after Pegasus' tournament? I always thought it was hilarious!)) and continue, "We'll just have to go ask the toddler to get us any information on Sakai's whereabouts in the demon world...we'll go get her. And now that we've got a few pissed off demons, a really pissed off teenager, and...well, Kuwabara...I highly doubt any Shadow Master will be able to keep her."

"I'm glad you're so confident," Kurama commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Hn. The detective's right, Fox. We can defeat Sakai...I'll just unleash my dark dragon on him...the bastard," Hiei said quietly, rage in his blood red eyes.

They were trying to raise his spirits. He knew this. And they were also both highly upset that someone would take away Asa, such a young, innocent girl who didn't even know about them being spirit detectives...

Kurama cursed himself for not telling her. There were so many things he should have told her. Maybe she would have been more careful. Maybe she wouldn't have let herself get caught...maybe...

Shaking the thought away visibly, he looked at Yusuke, "Let's go."

- - - - -

...Man. I'm a real butthead. At least, to my characters. And this is really...crappy. I should have come up with a somewhat more unique story line. How many times has it been- 'boy meets girl' 'girl gets kidnapped' so on and so forth? Sheesh. Well. Whatever, I'll live. The future plot's a lot better, anyway.

Oh, hey, guys, we've got another review!!

Hiei- Is that so? What's it say?

Only that Youko Kurama is a sexy beast...can't say I disagree much.

Kurama- ((blushing)) Uh...

Oh, don't worry, Shuuichi, you're a sexy beast, too! ((pinches his cheek playfully))

Hiei- Hn...ningens.

Kuwabara- Aww, Kurama's got fangirls! Why don't I have fangirls?

Yusuke- Have you looked in the mirror lately?

Boys, boys! Calm down, peeps! Kuwabara...um...((sad attempt at lying face))...I'm sure you have fangirls...out there...somewhere...and one day, they'll find you and hunt you down like ravenous wolves...it's just that Kurama's are more...common. Because he's so pretty.

Kurama- ...Pretty? I'm pretty?

Yeah, you're pretty! What, it's not like being 'pretty' is a girl thing. Why do you think some guys are called 'pretty boys'??

Kurama- ...

Anyway, yay. Melanie-chan, you made my day! Here's your next chappie, all wrapped up in some pretty colored paper! ((pops a bow on it)) See, it's even got a bow! Awesome, ain't it? Hehehe.

Over and out!

-Meka-chan