Yusuke: Why'd we stop here? You're not gonna ditch us too, are you?

Satsuki: Just trust me for once, okay?

She leapt up into a tree, and moved through the branches until she was no longer hidden by the shadowed edge of the forest. She seemed to crouch low on a heavy limb, and it shook unsteadily as she balanced, preparing to leap off of it; Yusuke was curious as to why she would bother to do this, unless there was some kind of barrier or trap that she wasn't telling them about, but hung back nonetheless. If there was to be such an inconvenience, he wasn't going to be in the middle of it; however, as she pushed off from the tree, she promptly flipped at the height of the leap, and made a prompt descent, to land in the same crouching position that she had been in while in the tree. Her hand seemed to be searching for something in the tall grass, but as she found what she was looking for, she stood, holding what looked like air; she seemed to be backing up with great difficulty, and the strain from whatever it was she was holding seemed to be getting the better of her…until Kurama stepped forward.

Yusuke: What are you doing? It could be a trap!

Kurama: Oh, will you cease the foolishness? Its not a trap, its an entrance; calm yourself.

He walked over to Satsuki's struggling form, and seemed to grip air in front of her, just like she was doing. However, with his added effort, the thing they were holding came into view as a large, heavy chain that didn't surprise Yusuke to take the both of them to move. With a few strained tugs, the other end of the chain rose as well, and revealed a staircase hidden beneath the grass; when they pulled it completely back, Satsuki beckoned for the others to follow her into the dark hole after Kurama. The fox disappeared underground, and Hisaka quickly moved forward after him; though Yusuke was still skeptical, he went forward as well, and after he went down the staircase, Satsuki followed, allowing the passage to conceal itself again. A thick darkness came over them, and he felt compelled to stop in his tracks, but Satsuki shoved him forward, making him go deeper into the darkness of the passage.

Satsuki: Standing here isn't gonna get us to your friend. Move.

Yusuke: How do I know you aren't gonna imprison me or something?

Satsuki: Is it because I'm a dragon that you hate me, or what?

Yusuke: Partly…

Satsuki: You close-minded asshole; you're lucky I don't throw you down these stairs.

She refrained, however, and as they all reached the bottom of the steep staircase, the torches along the walls flared with a magnificent crimson light; some, however, were illuminated by blue flame. Before them stretched maze after maze of hallways and corridors, ending in either sharp, aggressive turns, forked paths, or perhaps a stairway here and there; by simple experience, Kurama knew that these were not simply here for the amusement of its creators…There was something being hidden there, and by the looks of things, they were going to have to work hard to find it.

Satsuki: Okay, guys, there's a problem here, and it starts now.

They all turned to face her, and though she already knew what was on Yusuke's mind, she ignored his accusing looks. Instead, she walked past Kurama and stopped before the first set of stairs visible to them. As she turned to face them again, she placed a foot on the bottom step; as though the place had come to life, they heard the scraping of stone as it seemed to move. The 'ceiling' above them seemed to move, and Satsuki took her foot from the stairway; it immediately disappeared, and the torches on the walls went from red and azure, to gold and an odd, nearly black hue.

Kurama: I see…The corridors change each time someone touches the stairs…

Satsuki: Or tries to climb one of these ladders. (she gestured to a black ladder that had emerged from the wall beside her when the staircase disappeared.) So, we'll have to split up, else we'll run in circles, but we'll also have to be careful. Hisaka, you can come with me; I'm sure you two boys can take care of yourselves, hmm?

Yusuke: Well, duh!

Kurama: Yes, but precautions wouldn't kill us--in fact, a few lives could be saved, if we take them.

He reached into his pocked, and pulled out a round, black object that looked something like a compact, but instead of holding the contents of makeup, it was, apparently, one of Koenma's communicators. As he held it in his hand, it doubled itself into two, and he tossed one to Hisaka, who caught it instinctively; in her hands, it doubled again, and she handed the other to Satsuki--it didn't split again, however.

Satsuki: What's this thing?

Kurama: A communicator. Keep it with you; its quite useful. If you find something, speak into it. It'll alert the rest of us with a mild, silent shock; if its broken, however, the others will beep loudly…or so Botan told me when she gave it to me. However, in the sudden bout of excitement in the last couple of days, it completely slipped my mind. (as he spoke, the remaining communicator in his hand split again, and he gave Yusuke one of the two; like before, it remained whole.)

Yusuke: Great, but why will it beep?

Kurama: These don't break by ordinary means, Yusuke. Dropping it wouldn't destroy it, but having it crushed or cut by something, however, would prove to happen in a dangerous situation. With proper alert, help may be given to the person in time…Now lets get going, shall we?

Satsuki: Sure, but keep in mind. If you dawdle on the stairs or the ladders, they'll disappear, and the corridors will move again, whether you get where you're going or not. Keep that in mind, if you please.

With a unanimous agreement, they split off. Yusuke and Kurama ran down another corridor, while Satsuki and Hisaka rapidly ascended the black ladder. Ignoring the churning of the stones above them as well as the changing of the torch light, they kept going down the seemingly endless passage; at the end, however, they came to their first forked path, and with a silent agreement, split off. Yusuke took the descending stairway; Kurama, however, took the ascending one opposing it at the other end of a sharp turn. Communicators pocketed, and weapons in easy reach, they moved further and further apart, feeling the churning of the maze as its paths changed before them…However, Kurama was quick to realize that there were no dead-ends to the corridors, and made a point to no longer ignore the torches on the walls…

The sound of the heavy, metallic door slamming roused him, and he looked up, blinkingly, to find Kijou crouching over someone laying on the floor in front of that same door. Knowing that it wasn't the tiger, because he was sitting against the opposite wall, he too, got up and went to see who it was. When he saw the form, however, he couldn't suppress his outcry of surprise.

Kuwabara: Kenyusa!

Kijou: You know her?

Kuwabara: Yeah; she's Hiei's girl--or, that's what Botan told me.

Kenyusa: I'm not his girl…(the statement was more of a groan, not an attack, and she tried to get up, but failed. Apparently, she had tried before, because Kijou gave her a look of something akin to pity, before he helped move her into a sitting position.)

Kijou: I can't believe it…I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner…

Kuwabara: What are you talking about?

Kijou: I knew her when she was a little girl…Her mother and I were close friends, back in our day, and the Dragon Realm knew us a two of the worst menaces to society there were…We were always getting into things, you see. Now I see it…Yeah, she looks just like Rigairi.

Kenyusa: You…You knew my mother?

Kijou: Yes, but don't worry about it. Just rest until your strength returns, my dear; then you can talk all you want. I'll bet you have a big mouth, just like your mom.

Kenyusa managed a weak laugh at this while Kijou helped her to scoot her way back to the wall, and relax; because Kuwabara was closest, however, he heard Satsu mumbling something about 'women' and 'K' before he lay back down on his side to drift off into sleep. Shaking his head, he began to wonder just what was going on in his absence--Kenyusa was supposed to be in the castle that Sesshoumaru occupied, wasn't she? A deep worry began to form in his stomach as he watched the woman sleep, and while feeding her off his own aura, Kijou gave him a glance that said he knew exactly what was going through the man's mind.

Kijou: There's no need to worry, you know. Your friends will be fine…Until they get here, however, you should rest. It clears the mind, you know.

Kuwabara was going to say 'what's his excuse' and address it to Satsu, but he held back on it, and instead, rested limply against the wall again. With a heavy sigh, he forced himself to sleep, and though it was a dreamless moment of what seemed like eternal darkness, he found himself blinking back to consciousness, at what seemed to be hours later. Kenyusa was pleasantly rested, and chatting lowly with Kijou as she held a smile on her face; Kijou was grinning as well while he told her of some of his past escapades, and she kept putting her hand over her mouth to keep her laughing muffled. In fact, it would have appeared the two were flirting, was there not the father-daughter aura about them, and when they noticed Kuwabara was awake, they took the liberty to speak a bit louder, knowing there was no danger of rousing him from his sleep--he would have been more thankful, were it not such an uncomfortable rest. Kenyusa looked at him, and tossed something at him from beside her. He noticed it was an apple of some sort, and looked questioningly back at her when she shrugged.

Kenyusa: Some fruit flared up while you were asleep. I snagged you one of the apples before ol' greedy here, (she gestured to Kijou) could finish off the whole lot of it.

Kuwabara: Oh…thanks.

Kenyusa: No problem, Kuwabara. Glad to be help, since I haven't been too much anything aside from a nuisance lately.

Kuwabara: If you mean Yusuke, don't worry. He's just like that sometimes--

Kenyusa: Actually…(she spoke rather quietly now) I was thinking more along the lines of Hiei. But never mind about him; how would you go about getting out of here?

Kijou: Well, we don't know. Kuwabara says his buddies are coming to break him out--

Kenyusa: Of course! Yusuke left the castle and was coming here, I think. I wonder why they haven't gotten here, though…Oh, but don't worry. (she saw the flicker of concern in Kuwabara's eyes) I know he'll be here.

Kuwabara: I hope so…

Kijou: Kenyusa, can I ask you something?

Kenyusa: Oh, sure. What is it?

Kijou: When you saw Sesshoumaru in that tree, what was he doing, exactly?

Kenyusa: Oh, I dunno. He was in the direct light of the moon, I know that. His arm, left I think, started to glow, and he seemed to be getting energy from the moonlight. Why?

Kijou: Interesting…You know, I thought he lost his left arm in a fight with his brother; I heard the two arguing about it, you see. I wonder…Yes, I do believe…

Kenyusa: What? What do you believe?

Kijou: What did he say to you? Or rather, what was the look in his eyes as he spoke to you?

Kenyusa: I don't really know…I was kind of afraid to look into his eyes…

Kijou: Oh? Well, then that settles it. I'm going to need to find Koenma when I finally get out of here--seems I've missed quite a bit of action.

Kuwabara: Hey…What do you know that we don't?

Kijou: Well, he's gonna wanna slaughter me, but I think I can tip you off on his little secret. You see, his left arm was severed by his brother long ago in a fight between them. Now, I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I think he came across a woman who gave him his arm back. You see, Kenyusa, it is rather frightening to look into the eye of a man that can look through you, and so, I believe, he's gotten himself put under something of a curse…

Kenyusa: A curse? What kind of curse could befall a man like that?

Satsu: The Curse of Anubis, of course. It's the enchantment of a Wolf's Wrath that can be placed only on canine demons, and cast only by those of wolf blood.

Kijou: He's right. It is a terrible fate to bestow upon someone, and its almost like a Demonic Slavery that they put on you.

Kuwabara: I don't get it.

Kenyusa: Me neither. Why would Sesshoumaru let himself be put in such a position? From what I hear, he's an accomplished warlord with a mean streak and a silent temper to boot; surely he'd know if something like this was happening to him…

Kijou: No, (he sighed, no longer meeting her eye) no, he wouldn't have. Suppose that he was fighting a dragon like the one that attacked soon after you met him. Without the other two there to fight with him, he could have been ripped to shreds and nearly bled to death. Now, a wolf, desperate for life as well and knowing Sesshoumaru's reputation, could have possibly found him in such a weak condition, waited for him to slip into unconsciousness so that his body could mend, and taken advantage of the opportunity to lay the curse then. If he awoke to find himself with two arms, rather than one, he would immediately know what had happened, of course…

Satsu: And if so, would have sought out the person who did it to him. Naturally, his red markings would have been copied in a similar fashion to the wolf who cursed him, and he would have killed them undoubtedly. However, having claimed a piece of his soul--

Kuwabara: You mean a soul-snatcher cursed him? What kind of person would take a piece of someone's soul!

Kijou: A person very desperate to live. Surely, had you the power to teeter back to the world of living when on the brink of death, you'd find some way to get back?

Kuwabara: I would, but not if it means killing someone else!

Satsu: Nobody killed at all. In fact, two survived, where only one would have. At a glance, it would seem to be a good situation, would it not?

Kuwabara: Yeah, but…

Kenyusa: Kuwabara, (she began softly) do you have someone that you love like a brother or maybe a sibling that you truly care for?

Kuwabara: Yea. What's your point?

Kijou: If that person loved you to the point of devastation were you to die, you wouldn't want to cause them pain. You'd do whatever it was possible to ensure your own survival, even if it meant sacrificing an enemy, wouldn't you?

Kuwabara: Well…uh…

Satsu: Exactly. You'd do it, and if it were a very strong person, you'd be tempted all the more. The same thing could very well have happened to Sesshoumaru, for after such a war, he was bound to have an abundance of enemies. One of them, possibly caught in an after-battle of sorts, came across him, unconscious as his body healed its wounds, and created the bond. It would take only blood, and a few incantations to ensure it worked, and if he's already bleeding freely, he would be easy prey.

Kenyusa: That's right. But there'd be after-effects, wouldn't there? Loss of strength, and because it was a wolf, something would have to be in accordance to the moon somehow…

Kijou: Now you're getting it. With a spiritual tie like that, the caster of the spell wouldn't die until their counter, as they say, died. Having Sesshoumaru as a counter is like extra insurance; he's a determined man, and a very powerful demon. He can't simply be killed, if only a few hours of sleep is needed to bring him back from the rim of fatality.

Kuwabara: What happens if the caster is killed suddenly? Like, having their head cut off or something?

Satsu: The bond would take effect, and half Sesshoumaru's spirit would have been ripped from his body. Assuming he would have killed the person himself, rage wouldn't allow him to think properly. Sure, control over him would be lost, but so would his Life Energy. Sesshoumaru would have been like a walking corpse, but still having great Demonic and Spiritual Energies flowing through him. The person that used him, obviously, would have to take on a new appearance, but would always have memory of him, you see. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that person were lurking somewhere near Sesshoumaru now, trying to make sure the bond remains strong.

Kenyusa: Oh, you don't think that could happen, do you?

Kijou: It's a possibility. And now, I think a change of subject is in order, don't you? Let's focus our attention on what's going to happen when we finally get out of here. Surely, we aren't going to be allowed a free escape, are we?

Kenyusa: Actually…I think we're here as more of a trap.

Satsu: Yes…Hisaka will definitely come here, and the Dragons have been after her head for many a century.

Kenyusa: And Hiei…

Kuwabara: Not that I'm concerned, or anything, but what about Hiei?

Kenyusa: Well…

As she began to retell what had happened to get her there, she was oblivious to the actions going on both several levels above as well as below them. Yusuke continued to make his way down set of stairs after set of stairs, hoping that he wasn't hindering any of Kurama's movements up above him somewhere, and now, he found himself in a place where, around each corner, there was a set of stairs to be descended. He would run down swiftly, the corridors would change along with the color of the torches on the slick walls, and he would be met by another descending set of stairs. Though nearly out of breath, the constant downhill-slope helped him keep his speed, and he wasn't daring to stop, lest he be caught off his course. Finally, he broke free of the constant stairways, and he came to a flat corridor; without breaking stride, he continued on the path, but a well-hidden detour leapt out him. He knew better than to submit to the overwhelming power of clichés, but he couldn't help but take the path, noticing instantly that the entranceway disappeared the second he entered. A flash of white light blared out at him, and he instantly moved toward it without so much as a second thought. However, as he silently rounded a corner, he saw a sight that made his jaw drop.

He saw who appeared to be Yukina, standing over the still form of some dragon, scythe in hand and the chain dangling from her wrist. Her eyes held a menacing glare, and she smirked in such an evil way, Yusuke had to look hard to be sure of what he was seeing. However, the flash came again, and where she had just stood, he saw Sesshoumaru's tall form, the blank masking of feeling on his face, and long white hair spilling gracefully over his shoulders and back. The white pants and black boots were the same, but his shirt was now black, and unbuttoned quite a bit from the collar, which exposed his smooth chest. A tan marking, much like a scar, showed from even this distance, but Sesshoumaru didn't seem to care. The scythe in his hand had transformed into a sword, and he sheathed it instantly, not even looking where he was putting it, like the action was second nature. Golden orbs traced the room with suspicion, as though he knew Yusuke was there, but Yusuke wasn't about to wait around for his cover to be blown. He crept backward, and nearly reached the place where the door had been…

But sure enough, he was spotted before he could figure out how to get back out of the dimly-lit area. Sesshoumaru came determinedly toward him, a slight frown etched on his face, and his claws flexing visibly at his side. Sesshoumaru raised his hand, and as if on cue, the torches flared violently, illuminating the area in which they were both standing; it appeared to be a courtyard of some sort, and full of deadly looking plants. Sesshoumaru lunged, and Yusuke tumbled out of the way, looking back to notice that the very stone of the wall melted with the poison from the dog-demon's claws; the only words on his mind were 'oh, damn' as he dodged again, and more melted stone graced his vision. Silently cursing that Kurama wasn't here to use the plants to Sesshoumaru's disadvantage, he was resolved to ducking and dodging around the plants while they withered and melted at the pursuing demon's very touch.

"How…In the HELL…" Yusuke thought, trying to hold back fear as he tried to hid amongst many of the plants, "…Will I ever get out of this!"

"Blood?" Kurama thought as he stopped at the top of a staircase he had just climbed. The torches on the walls were a pale green or dark blue, and the scent hade been getting even more strong as he followed the set path. Yes, the scent was much stronger now, but it definitely wasn't one of the people with whom he, himself had come; a drop came to his stomach, and his instincts told him to hurry after the scent. He ran, following the torchlight to where the scent grew strongest. An unknown source of panic found him, and he ran all the faster, speeding down the hallways as though being pulled by an invisible magnet…However, he came to a junction, and had to make a swift decision; he could either go up the stairs and risk his path changing too greatly, or he could climb the ladder, which would take him directly above his position, which would remain in place, regardless of the changing corridors.

Opting for the latter, he stepped backward, and took a running leap at the ladder, making sure to grasp it high enough so that he could ascend easily. However, as he did so, he felt the walls around him changing, and the torches changed light below him as he climbed; he knew he would be cutting it close, and as he emerged through the floor of the level above, he rolled quickly, avoiding the closure of the floor where the ladder used to be. Now, the torches blazed green and violet…

And he found who he was searching for. When he did so, he almost felt compelled to raise a hand to his mouth in sheer shock.

Kurama: Hiei?

He raced forward, ignoring the blood as he knelt next to Hiei's still form on the floor. He checked for pulse, and found it too slow to show his heart would continue beating for much longer; in grim fact, Hiei's wounds had simply ceased to bleed, though they were still wide open--his body refused to shed another drop of blood, and yet, this also meant that the wounds would not close. But Hiei's survival was a bit more important the wounds, and Kurama began to pour his own Life Energy into the body of his friend; he knew that Hiei would survive, but there would be little time to get him back to Koenma before his survival was on the line again…But yet, another thought ran through his mind as he hoisted his comrade into his arms and stood, still ignoring the blood that dripped from the dragon's clothes, covering his own in the thick liquid.

"How had he gotten in here to begin with. Surely, he couldn't have come in the same way that we did…"

He looked around, not bothering to go back the same way he had come from, but instead, kept going forward. It wasn't until he turned a corner that he saw the exit; he also saw someone he would much have preferred to never lay eyes on again…But Kenta wasn't his concern now. Once he made a dash for the exit, and shifted Hiei's weight, and pulled out the communicator. Flipping it open with a flick of his wrist, he let his thumb graze a blue button on the black surface, and Botan's face appeared, looking quite worried.

Kurama! Why haven't you contacted me before now!

Kurama: I'm sorry, Botan, but I don't have time to explain. I need you to get Koenma here, and do so fast. This is rather an emergency.

He'll be there before you can close your compact. But would it kill you to explain?

Kurama: No, but it could kill Hiei instead. Now please, if you don't mind…

…Right.

Kurama: Thank you. I will explain when Hiei is taken care of.

A rush of energy flared behind him, and he whirled around, to find Koenma standing there, thankfully, in his older form. Silently, Kurama let Koenma get his own hold on Hiei, and as the teen looked him over, Kurama remained silent still; not that he didn't know Hiei would survive…he just didn't know for how long. Koenma nodded gravely, and looked at Kurama by simply raising his eyes.

Koenma: You apparently know the extent of his injuries, then…

Kurama: Yes, I believe I do.

Koenma: Your energy has helped greatly. I'll get him back to the care of Abunai and the others as soon as possible. You should fear now, Kurama; should things come to the worst, Sesshoumaru can--

Kurama: I understand.

As Koenma disappeared, Kurama returned his attention to a patiently-waiting Botan. She couldn't have appeared less calm, but despite her worried expression, she was remaining remarkably silent. Sighing, he began to walk back toward the maze of corridors, absently thinking about Kenta as he did so; he didn't know that he was being watched by the electrical-element dragon, but he had no care of it. Suddenly, he was getting more of a war-experience than he could ever have wanted, and was now, more than ever, aware of the lengths that the Dragons were going to take in order to hit their mark.

Kurama: Well, Botan…(he began after a pause) I suppose you'll want me to start from the beginning…

Wahoo! Two chapters in two days! I'm on a roll, I do believe! Thanks to Sakusha Saelbu (glad you shortened your name; much easier to type, you know :P Ha ha! Just kidding. I don't mind your user name at all!) as well as zee for their previous reviews. I hope to update sooner for you in the future, though.

Until next time! SEE YA!