FW: (from deep in the Makai, updating with a laptop) Ok, so I took 2 days off. But when you think about it, it's not really my fault! See, they wouldn't let me post Saturday for some reason, and Sunday was Catholic Easter! Not mine, mind you. I've got to wait for May 1.
Yusuke: Ya know, I think the human world is still intact….
Hiei: So?
Yusuke: Well, then it isn't really the apocalypse….
Kurama: Are you suggesting that Kuwabara was smart by himself?
Botan: No, that's impossible.
FW: Well, to be on the safe side, let's hang out here for a while.
Kurama: Agreed.
Hiei: Wait… who invited you to survive with us?
FW: Heh heh…. Oh crap….
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho
STARTAfter Kuwabara had returned and found a seat in his section, the band practice officially began. Music sheets were handed out to the newcomers, and Mr. Nesul sat on the stool at the front of the class, preparing to conduct. He took a wooden conductor's wand from a clear box, and waited for the ensemble to be ready.
Naturally, it took a lot longer than he thought.
Despite the distraction sitting next to her, Botan was quickly set, the flute in position, quickly reading over the music to know of any difficult notes ahead of time. She had it the easiest by far.
Tac, as Kurama had learned her name, had been jabbering on non-stop. About MICE of all things. "And I like the purple one best… what was his name? OH IT WAS MICKEY! MICKEY MOUSE! I like Mickey Mouse! He knows where I live though, which is kind of creepy."
The fox sighed, keeping his patience, but she didn't make any sense.
He'd also learned who Flactem, the boy she'd mentioned before was, the trumpet section leader. He still had no idea who he was, what he looked like, or where he sat. All he knew, was that next practice, he'd get there earlier to find a better seat.
Yusuke was having his own issue during all this. The idea of blood stains, though disturbing, didn't bother him so much. He'd been dealing with blood all his life.
But there was a bigger problem: he couldn't find the drumsticks. Now, he could always ask a classmate where to find them, but no, he was WAY above that. Scanning the room, he found nothing that could help at all, and was beginning to actually consider getting some help when he saw it. A clarinet.
Slowly sneaking away from the busily drumming drummers, he made his way to it, and carefully brought it back with him. Sliding back in front of the snare, he found another setback: there was only one clarinet. Sweatdropping, he pulled the two ends apart, for no apparent reason, and was shocked when in came in half in his hands. (FW: Clarinets come apart.)
"Well what do ya know…" he muttered, grinning. "Problem solved."
The thickest of the five wasn't having a good day. He'd gotten the saxophone out of the case all right, but had somehow managed to tangle himself and the section leader in the shoulder strap. The saxophones were trying to help out, naturally, and had only managed to make then even more intertwined. It didn't help either, that the leader happened to be very male, and very… not straight.
"We might have to cut it off," one of the players said sadly.
"But they're so close together, we might hurt one!" Another player quickly added.
"That's true," the leader said slowly, "we'll just have to stay like this until someone can free us."
Sighing, Kuwabara agreed, noticing Hiei laughing at him from a distance.
Said fire demon's fun was short lived. "Here," his own section leader said, handing him the sousaphone, which Hiei now noticed, eyes widening uncharacteristically, was FRICKIN' HUGE!
The other members were already putting their instruments into position, resting on their shoulders. Reluctantly, Hiei took the giant brass object, and tried to mirror them. Keyword: tried.
He was used to all the short jokes, and they honestly never bothered him, seeing how he could easily carry his own, and often Kuwabara's, weight. But just this once, he found himself cursing the height disadvantage.
Simply put, the sousaphone weighed too much, and once on his shoulder, he came crashing down to the floor. The whole band glanced in his direction, wondering what had happened. The farthest ones couldn't see anything, the closer noticed a small boy crushed by his instrument.
"Hiei!" Kurama rushed over, immediately concerned for his best friend. Yeah, he ticked off the now worried fox, but they were still VERY close.
Yusuke, Botan, Kuwabara, and the saxophone section leader, who didn't really have a choice in the matter, were also hurrying over to the hopefully uninjured demon.
Gently, the sousaphones players reached down to remove the offending brass, but retracted their arms quickly, as if in pain.
Kurama was the first of the detectives to reach him, and touching the object, he had to mask his own grimace. It definitely wasn't his imagination. Hiei was melting the sousaphone out of pure rage. "Hiei… don't…." He muttered.
All the section leaders and Mr. Nesul also rushed now to see if Hiei was badly hurt.
"Is he dead?" Mia asked, nudging the brass with her foot. "Too bad, he was hot."
"Mia, now is NOT the time!" A mountain of a senior stated, clearly angry. Glancing over at the trumpet still in his right hand, Kurama finally knew his section leader.
"Why hasn't anyone tried to get this off him?" Mr. Nesul demanded, taking matters into his own hands, and like others before him, leaning over the free Hiei.
At a slight shake of Kurama's head, Yusuke stared. "No, he isn't BURNING the thing!" he thought, but braced himself and grabbed the instrument himself, ignoring his burning hands. Grunting, he heaved it off, revealing, a perfectly unharmed fire demon, looking even more hateful than usual.
Glaring death, he stood up, and took a seat, the aura about him forbidding anyone from even daring to ask him give it another go.
Shocked at his health, the leaders stared at him, until Mr. Nesul ordered them back to their seats.
Satisfied that everyone who was ready to play could and would, Mr. Nesul started practice. "1…2…3…4" He counted, giving off the beat.
For the most part, the band sounded pretty good. But the teacher's tuned hearing picked up wrong notes, and wrong tunes in three sections. Ignoring two, he moved on the third. "Trumpets, one at a time, starting at the left, play the first measure."
One by one, the redhead watched disappointed as each person played the part perfectly. When it was his turn, he played a "G", which considering, was very good.
"That was a "G"," the adult said, looking directly at him, having found the weak link.
"Yes, is there a problem?" He asked sweetly, hoping he could somehow worm his way out of this.
"I'm afraid so. The note is a "B"."
"….Oh."
"Play a "B"."
Thinking quickly, Kurama thought of an excuse to free him from this torture. Amazing enough, he didn't need it.
"Mr. Nesul, I can't find my clarinet." A thin boy said, noticing just now that his instrument was missing.
Yusuke glanced quickly around, knowing he'd get caught soon, and did the only thing he could to save his skin. "Let's just go back to playing!" He said, mentally kicking himself for sounding like such a nerd. Before anyone could stop him, he whacked the snare with a clarinet half, and watched in horror as the reed flew off, and hit the owner in the back of the head.
The attention shifted to a sweatdropping Yusuke.
"You stole Nich's clarinet."
"Sorry?"
"I'll see you, Hiei, Kurama, Botan, Kuwabara, and if he can't get the saxophone strap off, Tsoy after class."
For the rest of the block, the five managed to keep a low profile, but once the block was done, nothing could spare them.
So now the six were gathered before Mr. Nesul, the sixth being the section leader Tsoy, who hadn't freed himself yet.
Mr. Nesul stood before them, his face clear of all emotion. "None of you have ever really played, have you." It wasn't a question.
Botan opened her mouth, but something about the expression on her teacher's face told her to stay silent.
Mr. Nesul paced before them. "You lied directly to me, putting this whole band in danger. Do you realize how important the show this year is? And I assume none of you have any experience marching? You'll drag this whole ensemble down. I don't want any of you to be a part of this band anymore. Please, get out."
He turned and left the stunned spirit detectives, and Tsoy.
"Now what?" Botan asked quietly.
No one could find an answer for her.
END CHAPTER 6FW: First off, this isn't the end. No clue what I'm gonna do now, but I'll keep this running. Second off, I have NOTHING against gays, some of my closest friends are bi which is part of the reason I'm putting Tsoy as gay, because he's important. All the section leaders are, at least a little. Third off, I have nothing against clarinets. I don't know why I keep victimizing them.
Random reader: Wait, wasn't Hiei about to kill you?
FW: Well, you see, since he's been really homicidal lately, I've been carrying a secret pouch of ice cream with me everywhere, in case of emergency!
Hiei: (glaring while eating ice cream)
Botan: We've been here for a while, think it's safe to return to the human world?
Yusuke: Yeah, but do we really want to?
Kurama: Why shouldn't we?
Yusuke: Because Kuwabara's there…. (glances at FW)….
FW: Aw come on….
All the present Yu Yu characters: (sent her back)
Botan: Say hi for me!
Kuwabara: Hey! Where's Urameshi?
FW: Hiding from you. (now for a really corny transition!) But I won't hide from flames. Instead, I'll take it in stride!
