Solaris: I wonder if you figured out who the shadowy figure was… Well, I'm not telling! Here's chapter two! I don't own YYH, or anything famous mentioned in this story.
Chapter 2: The capture
"I hope I did okay on that algebra exam. I can never remember if x equals y or vice versa, and when I try I get a headache." Solaris whimpered that day at lunch.
"There, there… Shuiichi did fine, I'm sure…" Mitsuo tried to comfort. Kurama ignored him and kept reading.
"Yeah, but one thing, Mitsuo-Kun: Shuiichi is practically a genius. I, on the other hand, do good just to comprehend what I'm learning." Solaris sighed, then took a bite from her sandwich. Kurama didn't ignore that; he looked up from his book to speak to her.
"Solaris, I've looked over some of your homework during the time you've been here, and you not only comprehend, you remember. I think it's exam nerves," he told her, then drew back a little as she put one hand over the top of the book, showcasing pale pink fingernails and almost-black eyes.
"Whatever you're taking, I'd like some. No one can be that calm on exam day. I'm liable to murder someone if they cross me, I'm that nervous." She was completely serious. Just then, a fan girl came over to sit by Shuiichi.
"Hey, Shuiichi. I'm having a party to celebrate the end of the year. Wanna come?" she asked sweetly. Solaris took her hand off the book, clenched it into a fist, and scowled.
"I can't. I promised Solaris I'd take her to the Ginza after we got our exam scores." Kurama said. It wasn't entirely a lie; he hadn't said anything about the Ginza, but he had promised they'd get their scores together.
"Oh, come on. Ditch the homely little brat and party with me instead." The girl was trying to be charming, and all she was doing was ticking several people off. Solaris jumped up angrily.
"That's it! I may not be the cutest thing on earth, but I am not 'homely'! I'd call you a bitch, but that's an insult to dogs." Solaris said darkly, then popped her knuckles. The girl's eyes widened in fear; she had seen Solaris lift other girls out of her way before, and some of them were twice her size. For a short skinny girl she was strong! "Now you picked a really bad day to piss me off…" Solaris continued. The girl ran away in fear.
"Whoa, Solaris, you really scared her!" Mitsuo said in shock.
"Yes, you're like a female Yusuke." Kurama laughed so quietly only she could hear. She smiled just as the bell rang.
"Oh, class. See ya, Mitsuo!" she said as she ran off.
"Yeah, ja ne!" Kurama said as he took off after her. Mitsuo looked at the clock, then jumped; his class was all the way on the other side of the campus! He'd really have to hurry.
--
The final bell rang and half the class (including Solaris) jumped up from their seats cheering. "Exam scores will be posted within the week. Entry exams are in two months. Have a nice summer!" the teacher smiled. Solaris grabbed her school bag and rushed out the door; half the class had been moved to a different room, and Kurama had been one of the ones moved. She was supposed to meet him by the gate.
"So, do you think you did well?" Kurama asked as she ran up. She nodded and smiled.
"Can we walk home? I really don't want to take the bus." she said. Kurama nodded. As they walked, she looked behind her shoulder often. "Sorry, I just… I think that blonde boy is following us." Solaris explained.
"One way to be sure. Come on." Kurama said, grabbing her hand and pulling her down a small street. "Back way to my house. We can have dinner there tonight." he said. 'Blonde boy' followed, but went past the house when they reached it. "'Kassan! I'm home and I brought company!" Kurama called.
"Oh, Shuiichi, welcome home. And you brought a friend?" Shiori smiled when she saw them.
"Yes, you remember Solaris?" he asked.
"Of course. Come on, dinner's ready." She grinned.
--
Dinner was pleasant, and Solaris's fear of the stalker vanished. Soon it was getting dark, and Solaris had to leave.
"Mom, I'm going to stay with Solaris for a little while, okay? She's been seeing this guy following her, and I saw him on the way here. Definitely a stalker," he whispered to his mom conspiratorially, while Solaris helped clean up. Shiori nodded her approval.
"Call the police if it gets too serious," she said. After they left, the two caught a bus to Sanctuary. As soon as they got in, the phone rang. It was Shizuru.
-"Hey, Solaris, have you seen Yusuke and Kazuma?"- Shizuru asked.
"Kazuma? Oh, Kuwabara. No, haven't seen either of them since last week's dinner. Have they gone missing?" Solaris asked.
-"Yeah. We thought they might have gone to your house. Oh, Keiko says if you see them, slap them for her. Bye."-
"Can do. Bye." Solaris replied before hanging up the phone. "Hey, where's psycho one and psycho two?" Solaris asked.
"Hiei and Foxglove? I don't know. Huh?" Kurama asked as he picked up a piece of paper.
Dear Solaris,
I have taken your muse and three members of the Reikai Tantei hostage. If you want to see them alive again, come to the Makai immediately and bring Kurama.
Much love,
Joshi.
"Joshi? But he's in prison! Unless…" she began, then crumpled the note. "KOENMA, YOU FINK!"
"Solaris, come on. We'll rescue them, no sweat." Kurama said, holding her by the shoulders. She nodded, then ran upstairs to change into a short sleeved black leotard under a denim skirt.
"Better than wearing that damn sailor fuku on a rescue mission to the Makai." Solaris shrugged.
--
Soon they were in the Makai only to be assaulted by E-class spider demons. Solaris had ranked herself at D-class, mid-C-class at the most, so a handful of E-classes should have been a breeze, except for one thing: Solaris had severe arachnophobia. Kurama killed off those demons, but was stopped when a B-Class hit Solaris in the head, knocking her out. "Solaris!" he cried out before the demon came for him.
--
"Ugh…" Solaris whimpered as she came to. She barely comprehended that she was chained to the wall by her wrists. She looked around to see Yusuke and Kuwabara in stocks, Foxglove on a rack, and Hiei on one of those spinny wheelie things, which was still at the moment.
"Of all the humiliations…" he growled, trying to free himself.
"Hiei! What happened? Who did this? Where's Kurama?" Solaris cried out, becoming increasingly frantic with each question.
"Yeah, nice to see you too. Some blonde guy came up and rang the doorbell. Foxglove answered and got knocked out. I demanded to know how he got past the gate and he knocked me out too. I really hate the element of surprise… and I still don't know who it was." Hiei said.
"Some guy broke into our fight after school. Imagine, me getting kidnapped…" Yusuke griped.
"I can!" Kuwabara laughed. Yusuke hit him with the side of his head. "OW! Urameshi, whaddya do, super glue your hair in place?"
"Pipe down, children. Sorry, Yusuke, but I can just faintly see it. And you, Kuwabara, I can really see! So keep your mouth shut!" Foxglove said.
"No one answered my last question! Where Is Kurama!" Solaris asked angrily.
"Settle down, love. Soon we'll be outlaws and married, as I'm sure you wanted…" a blonde figure said from the door.
"Who the hell are you!" Solaris asked angrily.
"Joshi! Drop the damn disguise, it's as ugly as your demon form!" Yusuke yelled. Solaris blinked in shock; that was Joshi!
"Silence! Solaris, my love…" he said as he ran a finger down her jaw. She spit at him, hitting his face. "Grr… You need to learn your place. But we'll settle that after our marriage."
"LIKE HELL I'D MARRY YOU! I'd go drown myself before I'd do that!" she shouted.
"Oh, I think you'll change your mind after you see your precious Kurama." Joshi laughed, and pointed. Kurama was suspended above a vat of boiling oil. Solaris gasped.
"Kurama… JOSHI! If you hurt him in any way I swear I will kill you myself! And don't think I won't!" Solaris shouted, trying to break the chains and strangle the laughing demon.
"Oh, you won't. You can't stand the sight of blood as I recall. Now, unless you want your lover deep fried, I suggest you give in to my terms."
"My lover? Okay first, he's not my lover, we're just schoolmates and very good friends. Second, I've gotten more tolerant to blood. Third…" she scowled, but an almost evil smile lit her face. "Go to hell." Joshi laughed at this.
"My dear Solaris, unless you want your friends to starve or die torturously painful deaths, you'll marry me. Or you'll starve too. It matters not." He smiled. Solaris glared at him for a moment, then her head dropped.
"I can't let my friends be harmed. All right. You win…" she said, choking back sobs. He unlocked her wrists, and led her out of the room, laughing evilly.
"You must get ready now…"
Solaris: Yeah, it was Joshi. Oh, a couple of things! One, Solaris is not a D-class. She under-ranked herself by about 2 classes. And I will try to draw Joshi, both forms, as soon as possible. My current project is a storyboard type thing for the opening of Road Trip. Summer boredom does a lot.Well, next time in 'For my Friends…'
Narrator dude: Kurama wakes! And do the Tantei and the muse escape! Read chapter 3 and find out!
Solaris: Gyahhhh! I thought I killed you! –Pulls out a bazooka- DIE!