Chapter 7: Everyone's thoughts
It had been exactly one week since the abduction of Kris. They had been searching, but she could be anywhere, if she was even alive.
Koenma was angry, blaming it on himself that he shouldn't have let the group go to the fair. Botan and Kurama kept insisting that there was no way he would have known, and that he just wanted them to have fun.
Botan, Keiko, and Yukina were too worried. They knew what demons would do to get information or other things of importance. They all thought of the people that would have done it, but knew that Kris and Karen had been in the world for a very short time, and that no one other than them, Kurama, Koenma, and Hiei knew that the two had dropped in for a very unexpected visit.
Kurama wondered how Hiei didn't notice that the girl had been snatched away. He couldn't help but wonder if she had ran away deliberately, but thought that Kris was smarter than that.
Karen was lost without her companion. She knew better than to blame it on Hiei, but felt as if he had let Kris down in some unexplained way. She missed her friend, and worried constantly about the girl, lost somewhere out there.
Hiei didn't seem at all affected on the outside, but inside, he fought his own disappointment at himself. He stayed up almost most of the night thinking about how he had let his guard down, and felt bad. He thought of a hundred different things he should have made the girl do, like walk in front of him or she should have latched onto him. Hiei spent the days wandering around towns and searching, and the nights almost sleepless.
On the eighth morning, Kurama walked past Karen's room to go eat breakfast. Just as he stepped on the first stair, he heard Karen yell. He tried her door, but it was locked. He kicked it in as Hiei appeared and they ran in.
A large bird was hovering outside of Karen's window, pecking at it. Karen stood in a towel only, staring at the abnormally large bird.
Kurama and Hiei felt relieved. Kurama went to comfort Karen, and Hiei went to the window and looked at the bird. He saw a dark blue envelope in the talons of the sandy bird. He looked at Kurama, who had noticed the letter. Kurama shrugged.
Hiei carefully leaned out the small window and grabbed the envelope. The bird screeched and flew off.
The three sat on the foot of Karen's large bed. Hiei gave the letter to Karen, as it seemed to be addressed to her.
Karen carefully opened the letter as if it contained gold. She quietly read the letter in only her towel, her hand covering her mouth.
She looked up at Kurama, her eyes wide and full of trepidation. She handed the letter to him and excused herself to get properly dressed.
Kurama silently read the letter and passed it to Hiei.
After Hiei finished, he looked at Kurama.
"We have to get her before they find out…" Kurama said.
Hiei nodded. "I'm ready to go."
When Karen came out, they explained that they were going to get Kris, and that they should be back that night. They left the room quickly and told Koenma that they were going.
