The Celestial Tiger's Notes: Originally, this chapter was going to be REALLY long, but I thought it got a bit exhaustive at 15 pages in Word so I divided it at what I considered the most logical breaking point. I'm actually still editing the second part so at least by spanning it into two chapters, I can post something a little sooner.

Just to let everyone know, I do have a master plot for this worked out. I'm not just rambling aimlessly (at least not where the story is concerned).

Thanks for humoring me and reading my drivel!

Chapter 6: And Whom May I Say Is Calling?

Yusuke glanced at the little piece of paper that Koenma had given him with the address of the Higurashi Shrine. 'It has to be close by now,' he thought, looking ahead again. Just then, he caught a glimpse of three figures congregated down the way a bit. 'AHA! That must be the place!' He bridged the distance with a quick jog, waving and grinning. "Hey! And I thought I was going to be the early one!"

Genkai, Kurama and Kuwabara stood at the foot of the steps that led up to the shrine. Kuwabara grinned as Yusuke came trotting up and replied, "Yeah, well...we kinda just got here ourselves." He looked at his watch. "We got about ten minutes left."

Kurama looked around, an expression of concentration on his face. "Odd...Hiei isn't here yet."

"He's probably trying to avoid being around us until he absolutely has to," Kuwabara scoffed.

Yusuke elbowed Kuwabara, a mischievous smirk on his face. "I think it's more like he's avoiding being around you."

Kuwabara clenched his teeth. "Up yours, Urameshi!" he growled in Yusuke's face.

Genkai pushed Yusuke and Kuwabara apart, giving them both warning looks. "Knock it off, morons! Both of you shut up or I'll kick my foot up your asses!" Yusuke and Kuwabara resorted to glaring at each other while Kurama chuckled to himself. They never ceased to amuse him.

The minutes passed in relative quiet after that. As the four fighters stood in silence, they began to give more consideration to the matter at hand. Their hearts steadily became heavier as they reflected on what this mission could mean for each of them and for existence itself. It was no small task.

They watched as a light breeze danced over the grass and gently persuaded the leafy branches of the trees to sway. The sun was bright and puffy white clouds floated slowly and gracefully across the sky. They heard the songs of birds and sounds of life all around them.

"And to think," Yusuke said grimly, finally breaking the long silence. "... this'll all be gone if we fail." He looked around, shielding his eyes as the sun reemerged from behind a cottony cloud. He then looked at the expressions of his friends and smiled. "Sorry to be so morbid. It really is a nice day. I shouldn't ruin it by imagining the worst."

Kurama angled his face up toward the sun's rays and closed his eyes, bathing in the warmth. "I believe that we were all thinking about it, Yusuke. The stakes will always be high and the consequences of failure severe...but we've accomplished the impossible against all odds before. We can't start doubting ourselves now."

"Red's right," Kuwabara affirmed, though his tone was serious instead of strident with forced cheer. "No use frettin' over it." He took a deep, cleansing breath and stretched. Then he looked back at his watch. "Besides...time's up. It's one o'clock."

Kurama lowered his face from the sun and opened his eyes, shifting his gaze away as something seemed to catch his attention. Then a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "Ah...right on time," he said in a more lighthearted tone.

No sooner had Kurama finished speaking than Hiei landed in their midst, his red eyes quickly skimming over everyone. "Where's the brat?" he demanded irreverently.

Yusuke shook his head and smirked. "Nice to see you too Hiei...and we haven't seen Koenma yet."

After three more minutes of waiting, Hiei grew very impatient. He frowned, his eyes narrowing in disapproval. "It is well past the appointed time. He's late."

Yusuke shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past the toddler to be late if he thinks it'll earn him extra attention. You know how overly dramatic he is."

Just then, an unmistakable nasally voice came from behind Yusuke. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk about people behind their backs? It's terribly rude!" Everyone turned to see Koenma standing there in his teenage form, wearing clothing even more regal than his usual fare. If it weren't for the pacifier, he would actually look very stately. Botan stood beside him, waving cheerfully at everyone.

Yusuke snorted a laugh and then gave Koenma a wry look. "I wasn't behind your back, you were behind mine. And what's with the monkey suit? Who are you trying to impress?"

Koenma growled but Botan giggled. "Oh, he's putting his best face forward!" she said with a playful smile. "His father's due back today, remember!"

Koenma cast a contemptuous glare at Botan. "I'm glad you anticipate my suffering with such delight, Botan! Now can we please just stick to business?"

"Yes, we came here to do something, so let's get it over with," Hiei interjected impatiently. For once, Koenma was grateful for Hiei's impertinence since it effectively put an end to that conversation and any further comments Botan might have been planning to make. With that, all seven of them ascended the stairs in silence.

When they crested the top of the stairs, they were met with an unexpected sight. In the shade of a tree was Keiko sitting on top of a small suitcase. "Keiko!" Yusuke blurted. "What the hell? How on earth did you find this place? Koenma didn't give you the directions!"

Keiko stood, holding up a piece of computer printer paper. "The name of the shrine was mentioned last night. I just looked up the address online."

Yusuke groaned. "You're way too resourceful, you know that?" he muttered.

Keiko smiled dryly. "It's a good thing too, with the way everybody sneaks around me."

Botan then gasped as if something had suddenly occurred to her. "Hey, shouldn't you be in school right now, Keiko?" she asked pointedly.

Keiko sighed but then that familiar look of determination came over her face. "I did a lot of thinking last night," she said matter-of-factly. "I just couldn't get any peace until I decided to come. I know it sounds crazy, but my heart tells me I have to."

Koenma frowned and shook his head. "We've been over this, Keiko. You can't go!"

Keiko drew in a deep breath and steeled her resolve. "I'll sign a waver or something, but my mind's made up. And as for being useless…" She didn't dare look at Hiei, who she was certain was giving her a derisive look. "…I know what I can do to help. I'll keep Puu."

After a moment of stunned silence, Yusuke finally spoke up. "What are you talking about?" he asked incredulously.

Keiko gave him a slightly impatient look. "Just what I said! I'll keep Puu for you…you can't keep him with you when you fight and it's dangerous to just leave him sitting around somewhere. He's a part of you and you can't afford to be irresponsible with him. I can stay away from any battles and keep Puu safe with me. Then you won't have to worry about protecting either one of us."

Yusuke blinked in surprise, not really able to combat her reasoning. Koenma, however, pleaded to her with his expression. "Please, Keiko! It's very dangerous and who knows how long you could be gone! It's even possible that you might not ever be able to come back!"

Keiko shook her head. "I don't care! I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines. If the others can take that risk, then so can I! Besides, I've already made up a story to my parents. All you have to do is make the same arrangements for me that you made for Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama so that I don't fall behind in school."

Koenma closed his eyes for a moment, looking very unhappy. After a bit of grumbling in the back of his throat, he finally muttered, "I can't believe I'm doing this." He materialized a rolled scroll and held it out to Keiko. "It's a waver, basically saying that it's entirely your choice to go and that I'm absolved of any responsibility in the matter."

Keiko nodded and took the scroll, unrolling it and glancing over it quickly. She then signed it and rolled it up again, handing it back to him with a satisfied smile. Koenma sighed miserably. "I just know I'm going to regret this," he whined, the scroll vanishing once again.

"Weak-willed fool…" Hiei started, but Kurama cut him off by addressing the group with, "Well, now that this matter is settled, let us continue." Keiko picked up her suitcase and everyone proceeded onward.

Hiei fell into step beside Kurama and shot an angry sidelong glare at him. Kurama kept his eyes forward but calmly remarked, "It might not be the best idea to insult the person in charge of your parole. Besides, what's done is done and enough time has already been spent on deliberation."

"Hn," Hiei huffed and shifted his glare forward. "For being so urgent, this whole thing has been a farce of wasting time and catering to weakness."

Kurama sighed, but his expression remained even. "Sometimes preparations are necessary, Hiei…you know that. As for Keiko…she is responsible for her own actions. She puts a lot of thought into everything she does. I doubt very much that she is entering into this based on a mere whim." Hiei merely grunted in response this time and their conversation was over.

After a few more steps, Kurama suddenly veered, seemingly in awe as he detoured toward a very large tree. The others noticed this and glanced at him questioningly. Kurama stared at it and then smiled. "This tree is very old…it holds great power," he said almost to himself. He reached out and placed his hand against the trunk, an expression of wonderment on his face. "It is rare to find a tree so powerful in this world."

Yusuke grinned naughtily and raised an eyebrow. "Should we leave you and the…tree…alone?" This elicited quiet snickering from everyone else except Hiei and Genkai, who didn't find Yusuke's joke amusing.

Kurama merely smirked and moved to rejoin the group. "Admittedly, I would have liked more time to study it…perhaps later." He cast one more glance back at it and then they all moved onward again.

Once at the door of the house, Koenma suddenly seemed hesitant. He started to fidget, extending and withdrawing his hand from the door like a child wary about carrying through with a prank. After a moment, Yusuke huffed and elbowed past him, knocking heavily on the door. "Don't you dare wimp out on us, you little weenie!" he griped, shoving Koenma right up to the door and then stepping back again.

Koenma turned and glared at Yusuke as he smoothed out his clothing. "How dare you touch me, you snotty little bast…" Just then the door clicked to open and Koenma's eyes snapped forward as he instantly straightened.

An elderly man cracked the door slightly ajar and peered out at the odd looking strangers on the other side. "If you've come to visit the shrine, you're in the wrong place. It's over there," he said, pointing quickly before retracting his hand. "This is my house."

Koenma cleared his throat and assumed his most formal demeanor. "Actually, we came in search of the person who runs the shrine. Might that be you?"

The old man behind the door eyed him suspiciously, his eyes lingering a bit on the ornate pacifier that decorated Koenma's mouth. "I am the priest of this shrine, yes…and who are you?"

Koenma nodded to him and then replied, "This may sound very strange, but I am Lord Koenma, Prince of the Spirit World." He puffed up a bit, looking self-important.

The old man's eyes narrowed in inspection and then he grunted. "I have no time for pranks…you kids go home."

Koenma deflated but he didn't back down. "I wish this were a joke, Sir, but I'm quite serious. I wouldn't have even come myself but we have a very grave situation on our hands."

The old priest's brow furrowed and he opened the door a bit wider to get a good look at this impertinent youth. "Persistent aren't you? What do you take me for? This is a holy place! I won't tolerate your disrespect, now you go on home before I call the authorities!"

Just then, Yusuke shoved forward again and shook his fist at the priest. "LISTEN UP, YOU OLD FART!" he yelled irreverently. "IF YOU HADN'T SCREWED UP IN THE FIRST PLACE, WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE HERE SO YOU CAN JUST BLOW IT OUT YOUR…."

"YUSUKE!" Keiko shouted angrily, hitting Yusuke hard on the back of the head while Kuwabara and Kurama each grabbed an arm and dragged him away from the door.

The old priest stood there in shock for a moment and then his expression changed to agitation. "What in the world are you talking about?" he asked brusquely.

Koenma sighed, his patience now running thin because of Yusuke's behavior. "There is a temporal gate somewhere on these premises! Are you or are you not the one who has been traveling through time?" he asked rather curtly, skipping straight to the point. At this, the old man's expression changed once again to shock. He even seemed to pale slightly. 'Got you!' thought Koenma triumphantly.

The old priest then opened the door all the way, stepping aside and gesturing inward. "Come inside," he said, his voice laced with uncertainty. "Perhaps we do need to talk after all."

Additional notes: I don't know if Kuwabara ever called Kurama 'Red' in the show, but I thought it was a cute nickname. Besides, assigning nicknames seems to be befitting of Kuwabara's character so I decided to declare it so.