Disclaimer: Borrowing characters for pleasure has always been a pleasure of mine. Is that bad? Don't sue, because I definitely do not own the Yu Yu Hakusho characters.

Chapter 10: Letter from the Moon

…Kurama…

It had been many years since Koenma had called us all together, so I knew that something was wrong. Yusuke leaned against one wall, his mate Keiko and his six-year-old daughter Yume at his side. Kuwabara and Yukina, pregnant but not yet showing, were calmly waiting for my arrival. Hiei, Koko, and their son Jun were waiting next to Yusuke. The children were quick to nearly bowl me over with hugs, even Jun. I guess after so many years of looking after Bri and Kuronue, children took a liking to me.

"Well, look at you, Mr. Godfather," Yusuke grinned. "How's Human world holding up without us?"

"It has been peaceful for several years now," I admitted. "I'm a little rusty."

"Don't worry about that," Koenma said, worrying over some paperwork in his teenage human form. "You will have a year to get back into the groove of things as soon as the others arrive."

I blinked slightly. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, myself. I had assumed that our team was already gathered, but apparently I was wrong. Yume and Jun pulled me to the floor, both children climbing into my lap. Godfather, indeed. Jun fell asleep shortly after the two had grown comfortable.

"Fox, you've gotten older," Hiei said. I glanced down at my human body. It was indeed not quite as spry nor as wiry as it once had been. In fact, it was taking on a few of the same attributes that my Youko body had. My chin had tapered over the years and my eyes had grown more slim (both observations I'd made in the mirror). The muscles that my younger body had hidden better were starting to show, even through my conservative teacher's clothing.

"I will leave the human existence only when my mother has died," I said quietly. "Not until then."

"Well, it's good to know that we won't be losing our math teacher any time soon," said a voice I definitely had not been expecting. "Hey, guys, didn't think you'd be seeing us?"

"Bri!" Yusuke yelled, a grin on his face. "Kuronue, jeez, when did you guys get here?"

"About the time Koenma was starting in on what we're doing. Without us, I might add," Kuronue said, stepping aside to allow Botan into the room. "We've just been going through the stock exchange out there."

"It's been a while since you needed our help, Koenma," Bri said. Their help? "What's up that you've got us all together like this?"

"I'm afraid I must ask first," I said quietly, shifting Jun so he wouldn't wake. "You mean to tell me that you two have been helping Koenma as well?"

"Well, yeah," Bri said as if it were the plainest thing before our eyes. "Why d'you think Tokyo's been so peaceful? We're been taking care of it for years!"

"How old were we when he decided to ask us for help?" Kuronue asked, scratching behind his ears. Just as he had done in the old days. "Five?"

"Seven," Bri corrected. "We were seven."

"Oh, yeah! That was when you still had that patch missing in your hair and you—"

"Okuro!" she shouted. A blush crossed her cheeks. "We don't talk about that. Just like we don't talk about the time that Yue—"

"Okay, okay! You'd think you were my sister or something," Kuronue rolled his eyes. It had always been amusing how Kuronue joked the obvious as something that wasn't true.

Now, however, I was not amused.

"You've been working for Koenma since you were seven," I stated as plainly and without emotion as I could. "And I never knew about this?"

"Er…well, there was kind of…another factor…er…sorry?" Kuronue winced slightly under my gaze. "Cut it out, you look like Mr. Black Angel!"

"Black Angel?" I said. "You were not born when we were fighting Sensui."

"The dead have ways of seeing that you know nothing of," Kuronue said bitterly, leaning against the frame of the door. What did that mean? "Now, what were we here for exactly? I don't think this was merely a ploy for a family reunion, otherwise Bri and I wouldn't be here."

Bri looked as if she'd only just remembered something and stalked like something far more feline than a fox up to Koenma's desk. She glared at the teenager in the eye and growled low in her chest. Her school uniform rode higher as she leaned over to speak directly to him.

"I don't know what you're doing, your mighty toddlerness, but I expect it to be good if you broke your contract."

Koenma, to my secret pleasure, gulped visibly and barely audibly. He coughed for his voice, but it still cracked a bit when he spoke.

"Y-yes, of course."

Bri stalked past me seated on the floor with Jun and Yume, slammed the door that Kuronue jumped away from at the last minute, leaned against it, and crossed her arms over her chest. In an instant, she was calm, angelic, and sweet. The girl that I'd known better on her good days, or rather, minutes. There were very few of those since the death of Marion Wolf.

For some reason, I could picture her happier at my side. We shared our love for what she called "demonized DDR" and each other. I saw Gabriel, the angel of fate, painted by her own hand. The first true attempt at art that she had made, and yet I knew for a fact that she'd been drawing art since she was three years old. Why was it that I always grew confused around Bridget Kokomo Wolf?

I knew I was in love. But, as with Maya, I had to keep love out of my life. Were I to confess and go through with a relationship, I would cause a girl only pain. But…if she were able to protect herself…Was there a way?

No, human society would shun such a relationship. After all, she was my student, my best friend, a family friend. I was merely a friend in her sights, someone she could count on for comfort. She would never accept a relationship like that with me.

"Well." Koenma cleared his throat for our attention again, pulling me from my difficult, spiraling trail of thought. I hadn't been so deeply confused since I accepted Yomi's invitation to be his advisor so many years ago. Since my mother, stepfather, and stepbrother had been put in jeopardy by my actions.

As I never would do to Bri.

"Well," Koenma said again. "The reason I asked you all here is rather difficult to explain. If my original team remembers, we once were dragged into a tournament known as the Dark Tournament several years ago."

"Yeah, the one where we were all nearly killed?" Yusuke grumbled.

"I'm afraid…someone has suggested a similar tournament, not for reign in Demon world nor for a constant, uncontrolled portal between the worlds." Koenma sighed and stared at the fingers that he steepled a moment later. "It is for a different reason."

"W-w-w-wait a second here," Koko interrupted. "'Dark Tournament'? You never told me anything about a tournament, Snowball!"

I smiled softly at the nickname. I had never once heard either of them say "I love you" to the other. They instead seemed to take up calling each other names. I had no idea where Hiei had gotten the nickname of "Keiko" for Koko, but "Snowball" for Hiei seemed to fit the bill exactly. He was half ice apparition, after all, even if the fire side of him was dominant over the ice.

Jun pressed his hand against my face, tugging at my cheek.

"Mr. Fox, Kurama, sir, how come your face does that weird thing? I see mommy do that all the time, but daddy never does that, how come, how come?"

"Jun, he's only smiling, you do it, too," Koko said, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, he just does that whenever he thinks it'll get any kind of reaction from someone. Growing up with him," she pointed at Hiei, "really made Jun want to get reactions from people."

"Sounds like Hn-meister hasn't changed one bit," Bri laughed. "Jun, let go of Kurama's face. Why don't you come see Aunt Bri?"

"Aunt Bri, Aunt Bri!" Jun knelt roughly on one of my knees and ran into my student's arms. "Will we get sweet snow later?"

Koenma coughed loudly. "As I was saying." He sent a pointed look toward Koko. "I'm not sure why this person created the tournament. As far as we know, it is a human that is running it. That is what our readouts and watchers have suggested. However, they have built an astonishing array of blockers so that that's all we really know about them. Spirit world intelligence has read and analyzed the writing, but we haven't been able to match any known criminals in our database."

"Writing?" Bri said. "You mean this person wrote to you?"

"Yes, exactly that is what so puzzling about it," Koenma said. He turned on his computer screen. In neat, dainty writing that was somehow quite familiar to me was a letter. "See for yourself."

It read as such:

To Lord Koenma, owner of Team Urameshi of the Dark Tournament,

I am pleased to announce that a new tournament is underway and your team, in addition to the two new fighters you've managed to scrounge up, are cordially demanded to fight on your behalf. Should any of the fighters decline, I can and will use drastic measures to ensure a good show at my tournament.

It will occur in a year's time, during the fall break that your two under aged fighters have that the school system in this country finds so amusing. Enclosed, you will find the list of the other fighters who will be joining our little tournament. I assure the entirety of Demon world and the little cliques I have in Human world a good show. Do not prove me wrong or face my wrath.

Yours truly,

The Moon

P.S. I will show you ten percent of my abilities at the coordinates attached in one day's time. Thank you for your consideration.

"The Moon?" Yusuke cried indignantly. "Who the hell is The Moon?"

I sighed softly, so as not to wake his sleeping daughter. "I assume you waited the day's time that it took for her to show you 'ten percent' before contacting us?"

"You're right, as always," Koenma sighed, too, massaged his forehead. "Whoever this 'moon' person is, they destroyed one of the barriers between Human and Demon world. The Spirit World Defense Force has been closing the hole and dealing with lower class beasts for nearly five hours. They got it closed okay, but the Kekkai inside of it is in shambles. My father hasn't heard yet, but…"

"A tournament like that…who are the other two who're supposed to—oh." Kuwabara stared at Bri and Kuronue. "It's you two?"

"Yeah, us two," Bri rolled her eyes. "Who'd you think, the Grim Reaper? Toddlerness? Hah, I could beat those two in my sleep. Although, I must admit…I could beat you only just so."

"Hey! You could not!"

"I am not going to argue with an idiot," Bri said, shifting Jun. "I can beat you, simple and clean. Okuro could beat you in his sleep same as I could beat peony power."

Kuwabara was about to argue further (when did he not?), when Yukina placed a single hand on his shoulder. He grunted and leaned back against the wall. I didn't notice it, but Kuronue had done the same thing to Bri. The two retreated to their respective corners to sulk and I hid a grin in Yume's black hair.

"Please, you're supposed to be a team! You're acting like children," Keiko said. "I'd expect something like that out of Kuwabara, but never you, Bri."

"Hey, I'm older than she is!" Kuwabara yelled, his voice squeaking.

"Bri is more mature," Keiko said. "And as such—"

"Would you all shut up for a minute!" Koenma shouted. "I'm trying to explain something here!"

Keiko scowled at the teenage boy and sat back against the wall. Jun slid out of Bri's arms and went to Keiko's. It simply amazed me how much Keiko had grown up since Yusuke's return, their mating and marriage. Yusuke sighed and held his head in his hands. I think ruling a world, being a father, and still being a Spirit Detective at times had taken its toll on the halfling.

"What about the children?" Yusuke asked. Yume stirred in my lap. "I mean, I can't exactly just drop everything to go training anymore."

It amazed me far more how much Yusuke had matured.

"I realize that," Koenma sighed. "But I also know that you can spare some time. I know you all have other things to do, that's why I had been putting more of the smaller cases to Bri and Kuronue. With Kuwabara's medical practice, Kurama's duel life as a teacher and an heir, Hiei's life as an heir—I realize it, okay? But the fact of the matter is that this person has the power to do things that even my father has trouble doing. I don't know how or where she got it, she just did. She will drag you into it, whether you've trained or not."

"Well, then. We had best work as much as we can," I said.

"Great, the group's getting back together," Yusuke said. "When can we go eat at Genkai's?"

"She's still alive?" Kuwabara asked, rather stupidly, I might add.

…

…

…

Oo Yes, I've finally started the blatant part of our plot…Before you all back out of this, the tournament that will be held will be completely different from much of what we've seen before. Think Yuu Kaitou's test in the House of Four Dimensions. Only, the YYH crew, plus Kuronue and Bri, have no clue that that is what they'll be facing.

And we've got a bit of stuff to do before that lovely day, anyway.

Peeka-Chan: Cakes, are you feelin' all right? Running in circles is not good for one's health…Here is the update. 

Rokhaya: Very, very smart guess, but it wasn't Tsuki. And you won't find out for quite some time…(is looking at future chapters, grinning away) Are you a new reviewer? O.O I'm shocked you read all the way through Heal Me and Wolf's Last Cry…all the way to Chapter 9 of UF…I bow to your mighty ability to get through my drivel.

Kuramafan: (GLOMP) I love you! You sat there and did all that math just for me! (throws a wild party) I think I'm going to get to my dream. I've had too many of those small chapters. I put them together with other chapters. In fact, the next chapter is three small ones (laughs). I think everyone has their suspects for the bluebell person, but I don't think anyone's gonna get it. I put in a MAJOR clue in a few chapters down the road, but I still don't think people will get it even then. (dancing still.) Thank you!

Lucifer: Oh, he finds a way to get that information out of Bri. But it's not the way you think. I was thinking about the overhearing thing, but I think it's been overdone. So, I just let something happen that makes her have to explain something. And I don't think Bri will have any super-special powers. I hate cliché, and that's usually a really cliché thing to do. Hopefully, the chapters will be longer. I've been combining the shorter ones together.

Black Cello: I've been out for the summer for three weeks and I'm bored stiff. And I wasn't the one "bamming" myself, it was my folks. But, I've had my first job interview, and hopefully I will get a job soon. Then everything will be hunky-dunky again. Hopefully. I think we should change out our President, don't you? Lovely chap, but definitely not presidential material.

HellzFireAngel: Well…I'm in no way opposed to a relationship of an older person to a younger person, actually. I don't think it's wrong, just as long as it is truly love and not some stupid thing like money or fame. A lot of people in my family married people at least ten years older or younger than them. So, I think Kurama and Bri would be able to be together, even though society shunned them. And the Makai won't. Kurama was already much older than Bri at the beginning of Heal Me. Fifteen years won't be much different to him.

Saori: I have a patience that borders on insanity for a lot of other people. I can't keep quiet about my stories aloud, but I love teasing people, giving them hints. For some reason, I love seeing brains ticking. Hey, it took me a while to come up with the plot, may as well let other people think, too, right? (laughs) What site is it that you've gotten onto? You'll have to send it through email, stupid fan fiction dot net won't let actual urls show up in review. Sometimes not in the story mode, either. I don't mind the not reviewing every chapter.  Sometimes I don't either, if I don't have anything to say. That's rare, though. Are you getting out of school here shortly, then?