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Now on with the story……

Chapter XIII

"What?" the icy yet stern voice questioned the young demon standing before her. Before he could even show any signs of fear, or defend himself, a slender, porcelain hand lashed out ripping into the youth's unprotected abdomen; crimson blood fell to the ground along with his organs as she slowly removed her hand. Throwing the boy a good ten feet from her perch on her throne the ice queen materialized a wine cup out of thin air and beckoned for one of her many slaves shadowed among the walls. Without any thoughts otherwise, a young demon girl ran forward with a bottle of wine.

Sipping her drink, the queen leaned forward on her elaborately decorated throne; cold stark-white eyes livid with anger currently drilled onto her two 'most powerful' worriers knelt before her. "Is this true? Have you failed me yet again?"

"No…not exactly, your majesty," Jase began, choosing his words wisely. He knew all too well his queens' wrath as was just displayed–it would have been simply idiotic to ignore it. He could feel it already starting to stem from her; the unmistaking chill that had risen in the air around them was a dead giveaway. Without further delay he continued, biting back the urge to stutter.

"It is true that they have momentarily eluded us again, but not without consequence."

"Hm?" she prompted, his words briefly sustaining her anger. Jase continued, his brother wisely staying silent.

"We've managed to cast the spell upon one of them and"-he took a risky glance up, smirking ruefully-"if I now her sister well enough –and I do – then she has been corrupted by it as well."

"How so?" the queen asked, leaning forward even further. Her reptilian white eyes widened with anticipation, her long, snow-like hair spilled in front of her.

Jase's sickening smile grew wider. "The spell was of course powerful- after all it was you who taught it to us- so by my calculations they shouldn't be dead, but wounded. Very wounded, meaning that Yumi would've tried to heal Aya thus getting the curse as well," he finished. The queen stood and laughed, the sound as chilling as the snow and ice that surrounded the palace itself.

"Ah, yes. Finally those two shall be here and obey us shortly, and I will have my treasure. You ARE taking care of that little problem, aren't you?" she questioned somewhat threateningly. For the first time, Adrian took a chance like his brother and looked up to reply.

"Of course, my queen. They should fear us as they used to by now, and since they are weakened it will be simple to just take them."

"But what about the stubborn one? Your women, if I'm correct Jase."

"Don't worry about her. She will obey me as we planned."

"And the two new…obstacles?" she asked slyly while walking closer to them.

"Hmph, they will be dealt with." Jase immediately replied with contempt. The queen smiled as she reached them.

"Ah, that's what I want to hear," she said as she touched their chins and pulled them up. "Now, I have seen these two new threats, my boys, and you will have to become stronger to deal with them." They both nodded under her frosty stare and cold touch making her smile widen.

"Come with me and I will show you how they will be…dealt with…"

As soon as Genkai had walked in the front door, which was still wide open, she could feel that she had some unsuspected visitors. She reached out for their energies to see who exactly had come. She felt two familiar energies-Hiei and Kurama-but the other two were not so familiar.

"What is it Genkai?" Yukina asked as she walked into the room. She held groceries she had bought on the way back from Keiko's house. She had spent the night with Keiko and Botan at Keiko's home after the dance. It was now the next day, early in the morning. "I didn't expect you home so soon," she stated as she walked up beside Genkai.

"Hm? Oh, hello Yukina. It's nothing. I think. It seems as though we've had some visitors while we were away."

Yukina seemed taken aback from the answer. If anything was robbed it would have been her fault, in her eyes, since she was the one who was supposed to stay and watch the temple while Genkai went to meet with Koenma. "What, who?" she nervously asked.

Genkai didn't give a backwards glance as she warily answered. "It seems as though it's Hiei and Kurama with two other people—demons judging from their energy."

Yukina sighed, obviously relieved. "Well then, I wonder why they'd be here at this hour," she thought aloud.

"I'm not sure but I intend to find out," Genkai stated as she walked back to the spare rooms. Yukina hurriedly ran to the kitchen to put away the groceries.

Genkai walked in the first room to find Kurama and Aya asleep on the bed. Kurama was more or less half on the bed and Aya was asleep beside him.

What in the world Genkai couldn't help but think to herself as she noticed their conditions. Kurama was shirtless and okay besides the occasional bumps, scratches and bruises. And the other was in a slightly worse condition with one broken wrist and some scratches and bruises visible beneath the bandages that confined most of her body.

Genkai's eyes widened; she knew she had seen the girl somewhere before, she was certain of it. She smirked to herself and chuckled as she finally placed it. This girl was one of the ones that Koenma had spoken of, there was no doubt in her mind that the other demonic aura belonged to her sister, Yumi.

Genkai's assumptions proved to be true when she walked in the other room to find Hiei and Yumi asleep in the bed with Hiei somewhat protectively holding Yumi. Genkai could almost immediately feel the slight tingle of a black magic curse, but the presence of the energy was growing weaker with each passing moment. Being an extremely powerful psychic she was able to identify exactly what was going on: Yumi obviously had a fever caused by some sort of spell and Hiei was extracting the fever from her body.

Genkai laughed a little. He had a...interesting way of dispelling the fever. He must've been desperate she thought as she sighed.

"Hardy har har," Hiei mumbled as he slowly, yet surely, came to his senses. He had been awakened by her laugh and then he had unwillingly read her last thought.

Glad she's so amused…he thought grumpily.

"Oh so you're awake," Genkai said as she strode over beside the bed. "You know I should kill you for intruding into my home when there was clearly a sign saying that no one was permitted to enter without permission."

"Hn, YOU weren't here when we…needed…you," he struggled to say and stifle a yawn.

"Tired?" Genkai asked teasingly. Hiei glared at her.

"Of…course...not…." he yawned. Genkai cocked her eyebrow.

"No, of course not."

"Hn."

Genkai sighed irritably. She could tell that he was, in fact, completely drained of his energy and in need of some rest, soon. The toll that it took to withdraw the dark spell from Yumi's body wasn't as minimal as he would obviously like her to think.

That spell must have been one heck of a spell to drain him like this…she pondered to herself.

"I told you I'm not tired and I am absolutely not drained of my energy old women!" Hiei snapped, reading her thoughts once again.

Genkai sighed once more before putting her hand to his forehead and chanting a string of unidentifiable words. "Get some sleep kid," she mumbled before finally completing the sleep spell.

For the second time that day Hiei fell into yet another deep sleep against his wishes.

Meanwhile...

"Sis, sis! Are you awake?"

"Uhh…"Yumi grumbled as she slowly came to. She finally managed to open her eyes only to find her sister's bright, yet troubled, face in front of her own slightly puzzled one. She took a look at her surroundings while trying futilely to ignore her sister's incessant whining. She grumbled in detestation as she finally recalled exactly where they were both at, at the moment.

"Yumi! You're awake! Tell me, where are we! What's going on? Why are you here too? I thought this was my imagination, you know, some sort of dream, but you showed up and were unconscious for awhile so I tried to wake you up by poking you, but you still wouldn't wake up. So-Hey! Are you listening! Why can I still feel what's going on to my body if I can't open my eyes! WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"Would you shut the hell up!" Yumi demanded, irritated. Aya opened her mouth then shut it as she thought more about it. She might be in some sort of dream or she might not be, which meant that there's a possibility that her sister could to some damage.

She wasn't willing to risk that.

Yumi stood up or stood up in some sort of sense. It was more like floating in an upright position amidst the blue- grayish fog surrounding them. She could see nothing as far as the eye could see except the same strange fog. Well what did she expect from this place?

"We're in, and don't freak out or anything, limbo," Yumi told her calmly.

"W…what"? Aya choked out Yumi merely rolled her eyes.

"Oh I forgot. You didn't study what I told you to, did you? This place," she gestured to their surroundings, "is a place between life and death. That stupid curse that Adrian put upon you got us both down… err, up here so to speak."

"How did you get here if it was placed on me?"

"I tried to dispel the curse from your body."

"How?" Aya demanded, her voice sharp.

"By transferring it to mine." Yumi replied easily. Aya glared at her making Yumi scowl in response. "Look. You were dieing from a fever okay? If I did nothing then Hiei and Kurama would've killed each other from bickering on whose fault it was and you would have died from the fever. I did what I had to do to protect you…us."

"Fine, thanks I guess. Hey! Weren't we conscious, or at least I was, a few hours ago?" Aya asked.

"Yes, but I suspect that that was because we hadn't quite succumbed to the curse's intentions yet."

"And those would be?"

"Most likely to kill us."

"WHAT!"

"It obviously still failed. We're in limbo, not the other world. We still have a chance to survive."

Aya sighed in relief. She was going to be alright. Besides, she could feel Kurama still beside her. She smiled as she faintly recalled the nice way she had fallen asleep. She laughed.

"You know, I'm not so sure that I really want to wake up yet."

Yumi cocked her eyebrow. "Why would that be?"

"Because…I'm nice and warm safely wrapped in Kurama's arms!"

Yumi sighed and laughed herself. She also faintly recalled the last thing she remembered.

Hiei.

She smirked mischievously. "I guess I don't' blame you. Hiei feels pretty nice right now too."

"What! Awww… you two love each other."

"Shut up."

"Okay. Anyways, can you get us out of here? I might like the feeling of being wrapped in Kurama's arms, but I'd like to actually see him doing it!"

Yumi frowned as she crossed her legs and sat down.

"Wait…you DO know how to get us out don't you?"

"...…"

"WELL!"

"………I don't remember."

HA HA! That's right. I left it at that. Yes, I know, I'm a complete and total bitch. Oh well, guess you'll just have to read and REVIEW! Mwuhahahahahahahahahahhaahah!

So, what will happen to Yumi and Aya? Will they find a way out of limbo? And what are Jase and Adrian going to do following thier orders from the ice queen? Read and, again, REVIEW to find out! -grins evilly- I still love you guys soooooo very much...