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"They WHAT?" roared Yusuke.

Korio tried to shield himself, but the angry Detective was already on top of him, the collar of Korio's shirt bunched in his tight fist.

"What happened to them?" Yusuke screeched. He lifted Korio into the air and pushed his back into the stone wall.

Then the wooden blade was against his throat.

"Put him down," Jerin said calmly.

"Or what?" Yusuke panted. "You'll give me a splinter?"

Jerin gripped the hilt of his katana tighter. "Or what?" he repeated. "I don't think you want to know 'Or what?'."

Yusuke glared first at Jerin, the demon hunter's eyes as cold as ice, then at Korio, who seemed very calm despite the fact that he was high in the air and his back had just made a large dent in the stone. "I'll explain if you let me," the Master Detective said.

Yusuke growled in anger, but slowly he set Korio down and released his hold on his clothing. In a flash the wooden katana was in its sheath and strapped in its rightful place around its master's waist.

Korio sat back down, gesturing for Yusuke to do the same. Yusuke sat tensely. Jerin leaned back against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes alert and warily watching the angry Detective, even though his expression was one of sheer boredom.

"About a month and a half ago there was a robbery taking place in the Makai," Korio began. "Koenma somehow got wind of it before it was complete, and sent Hiei and Kurama to take care of it. They knew the Makai well, and being former criminals, Koenma thought they were the best candidates for the job.

"A few hours later, Kurama called in that the situation was under control. He described one of the thieves to us, and we identified him as Runae, a skilled thief and assassin, very clever, and very deadly. We've been trying to catch him for years.

"Anyway, Kurama said they would bring him in for interrogation and prosecution. Then the communicator went dead. We thought he had simply turned it off, or there was a malfunction of some kind. But Hiei and Kurama never returned."

Yusuke snorted. "This happened how long ago?"

"A month and a half."

The Detective narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you just telling me now?"

Korio sighed. "Remember how I said we were sent by Koenma?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that was a lie. Koenma has been going insane trying to cover up both the robbery and the disappearance of two of his best employees. He didn't want you to find out about it."

"And why not?" Yusuke's voice had escalated to almost a scream.

"He knew you have a tendency to, uh, get a little out of control..." Korio began hesitantly.

"...and do something extremely foolish," Jerin completed bluntly.

"I don't remember asking you for your opinion, Nature-boy!" Yusuke roared.

"Aronae ya kometa. Ana laro yo jerio mia kesu meka," Jerin hissed.

Yusuke was taken aback. He had never heard anything like this before. It wasn't Japanese, and it sure wasn't English.

"He's speaking in his native language," Korio said quickly, before Yusuke could react. "Sparian."

"And what did he say?" Yusuke growled.

Korio grinned apologetically. "Uh, I don't think you want to know."

"What did he say?"

Jerin snorted. "It's your own fault you don't know my language," he muttered angrily.

"I didn't ask you! And why would I even WANT to know your language?" Yusuke screamed.

"Aronae!" Jerin snarled, naturally reverting back into his native language. "Aronae ya kometa! Desat mio ha iro ana numasie!"

He stormed out of the cave and into the night, his fists clenched at his sides.

Korio chuckled softly. "Don't mind him, really. Jerin hates it when others don't know what's going on. He thinks explanations are a waste of time. That's why he prefers to work alone. Actually, in Sparian, his name means 'lone wolf' or 'solitary one'. So don't take his attitude personally. It's just the way he is."

Korio's carefree attitude about his partner calmed Yusuke a little. "I guess with his attitude it's no wonder why his parents named him 'lone wolf'," he said snidely.

This sent Korio into a fit of laughter. "I guess you're right," he chuckled.

Then he grew serious. "But there's something you have to understand about Jerin. When he was younger, he lived with his tribe. Sparian tribes are naturally peaceful, but none was as peaceful or in tune with nature as Jerin's tribe. They just lived in happiness with nature and their people. Then, one day, a clan of unruly Juniks, elven-like demons, raided Jerin's camp. Jerin had ventured into the woods earlier, even though his parents had told him not to. When he returned, the camp was in cinders. Everyone was dead."

No matter how hard Yusuke tried, he couldn't stop a wave of pity for the demon hunter from washing over him. He tried to imagine himself going home after skipping school to find his house burned to the ground, with everyone he knew and cared about gone forever. He shivered at the thought.

Korio continued. "Jerin became cold-hearted and bitter. He vowed to find the Junik clan responsible and avenge his tribe. He spent years searching for the clan, but he never found it. Meanwhile, to support himself, he fell prey to stealing things. At first it was only small items, a loaf of bread, a beaded necklace to trade for food, but then his need for material things grew greater as he became more and more lonely.

"Finally he went for something pretty big, the multi-jeweled crown of an ancient demon lord. He almost got it, too. But then I came along. We clashed, and almost killed each other. Soon my backup arrived, and Jerin tried to escape while I was distracted. That was his mistake. I jumped on his back and pulled him down while grabbing a sharp piece of metal and pressing it against his throat. We were both exhausted, but I had the advantage.

"I would have killed him, but something in his eyes told me not to. I knew that if we were to join forces, we could be an unstoppable team. So, I offered him a job working with me instead of a lifetime in prison. It was an offer he couldn't refuse, and we've been working together ever since. His awareness and understanding of nature has made him the perfect ally. He uses his skills to track demon criminals, and together we catch them.

"At first our personalities clashed, but soon we became the best of friends. He would never betray me, or I him. We would die for each other. We're so close that we can even communicate without words. It's some sort of bond that we share, when we look at each other, we know exactly what the other is thinking or feeling. It's not telepathy. Actually I'm not sure what it is. It just...is. And that's all that matters."

Korio fell silent, his eyes unfocused, as if looking at something only he could see, staring out into the night sky. He remained that way for a long time, until finally Yusuke got uncomfortable and shifted his position. That broke the trance.

"Sorry if I bored you," Korio said. "Let's get back to why we're here. Koenma didn't want you to know because he was afraid you'd get out of control and go off on your own looking for them. He assigned us to the case, and we thought it was best to tell you and ask for your help. We'll need all the help we can get. But it took us a while to find you, because we didn't know where you lived. All the information on you is off-limits, and we couldn't ask Koenma. If he found out what we're doing, he'd have our hides."

Both detectives burst out laughing at the thought of the child lord screaming at them, throwing paperwork in the air while chasing them and trying to give them a good spanking. Finally they were able to calm down, and Korio continued.

"Jerin was able to find you quickly because of his awareness. If it wasn't for him, we'd probably not be having this conversation until a year from now. So, will you help us?"

"Of course I will! Hiei and Kurama are my teammates and my friends!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"Great. We'll meet up with the last member of my team tomorrow, and then you can assemble the rest of yours. Now, I guess we should take you home. How about we meet at the park where we found you, tomorrow at noon? I'll send Jerin to get you and your team."

"Okay. I'll be there."

Korio and Yusuke stood and walked to the entrance of the cave. Then Korio stopped. "Urameshi, I just want to let you know, this mission has a special meaning for Jerin. You see, Runae is a Junik, one of the same clan that killed Jerin's tribe."

Yusuke shivered again.

"Don't tell Jerin I told you that. Actually, better not tell him anything I told you about his past. He gets very touchy on that subject, and I don't want any trouble between us."

Yusuke nodded. "Thanks."

The two Detectives continued to walk outside.

"Hey, Korio?"

"Yeah?"

"What exactly did Nature Boy say before?"

Korio chuckled. "Believe me, you don't want to know."

"Yeah, I do."

Korio sighed. "Fine. Just don't get mad."

"Okay."

"Well…to put it nicely…he said: 'You foolish human boy. You don't want to mess with me.'"

Yusuke twitched visibly.

Korio continued, "Then he said: 'Fool! Foolish human boy! I can't stand your ignorance any longer!'"

All feelings of pity gone, Yusuke clenched his fists and ground his teeth. "Foolish human boy? I'll show him who's a foolish human boy! Hey! Nature Freak! I think my fist wants a word with you!"

He ran off into the darkness.

Korio took off after him, yelling, "You said you wouldn't get mad!"

…………………

Sparian is my own language. I made it up myself!

Oh, and if your wondering, Korio is pronounced core-ee-oh, and Jerin is jehr-in. Junik is june-ik, Sparian is spar-ee-an, and Runae is roo-nay.

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