k, the second chapter again grammerized by my wonderful beta tyco662 who kicks complete ass.
disclaimer: ya I think we all know I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho otherwise it would say my name on the cover...but alas it doesn't it says Yoshiro Togashi's so it's his and it looks like it's staying that way.
Chapter one: The Prince and the Pauper
A stone hallway led to a cell door made of wood. Slowly, a key turned in the lock, held by the steady hand of a blue-haired ferry girl, dressed in pink. A group of confident-looking youths stood behind her. The closest, dressed in green, with short black hair, had the air of confident immortality possessed by so many children, but the hard cold eyes of a veteran. He was talking to an overwhelmingly happy red-haired boy of about his age, sporting a blue but other wise exact copy of the other man's uniform. Standing behind them was a calm, collected, and dignified teen who was only slightly older then his companions. His mouth was slightly curved, as if ready to smile at the least provocation. His long silken hair complimented his startling green and gold eyes, which sparkled whenever he laughed. The last of the group, a small demon clothed in black, stood a few feet apart from the rest, as if to remain aloof. His manner was distant and unsociable, in great contrast to the others' open faces. His eyes, a bloody crimson in the dimly lit hallway, seemed to blaze like fiery ice. As the door creakingly swung forward, a girl was revealed.
As the girl stepped forward into the light, the three boys in the front gave a collective gasp. She had bloody cuts running down her arms, clearly visible because she had no sleeves, having used the fabric to stem the bleeding. Blood traveled unseen down her black clothes, forming a crimson pool underneath her path. The sound of the dripping blood echoed eerily in the stone chamber.
"Let's go," the demon said coolly.
"You are the Forbidden Child…the Prince of the Koorime," came the soft mellifluous voice of the girl standing before them. "This one never thought she would see you here." Approaching him, she got down onto one knee and bowed her head.
"You know me?" the prince questioned.
"We all know you, my liege," came the reply.
Slowly, smoothly, the captive glided down the hallway so gracefully that it was as though her feet did not even touch the ground. Remaining completely silent and apathetic, the captive girl proceeded down the hall followed by her 'escorts,' seemingly untouched or troubled by their glances.
"Koenma really needs to put in an escalator or something," panted the youth in blue. "Do the dungeons really need to be so far underground?"
"Of course they do, Kuwabara. That is one of the ways that they can insure that the dungeons properly fulfill their purpose...to be inescapable," the green-eyed youth calmly informed him.
"What, can't take it, Kuwabara?" the green-clothed boy laughed.
"Not fair! You and Kurama ganging up on me," the boy in blue pouted.
The door to the courtroom was large and heavy, with a brass knocker in the shape of a dragon. Curled in on itself, it resembled the Dragon of the darkness flame, only this one shone with inner light, not darkness. The metal so heavy that the ferry girl struggled under its weight until the youth, so full of confidence, stepped forward and lifted it for her, dropping it with a resounding bang. Walking through the door, they found themselves in a room with a huge podium, upon which sat a small toddler dressed in purple and magenta with a large hat bearing the name Koenma Jr. This was the legendary ruler of the spirit world, Lord Koenma. On the floor before him was an eight pointed star edged in gold, surrounded by black. There were light red stains on the floor, as if someone had tried to scrub away a sea of blood too many times to count.
"Ahem, well, suppose that we should get started here then. Well, let me see," Koenma looked down at his paper, "please state your name for the court."
"This one is called Jx-39." The girl replied. She stood in front of the star of Koenma, where he executed the demons that were found guilty. This knowledge did not trouble her at all: she knew he needed her to help them.
"Yes, well, I do need your real name, not just some nickname," the flustered Koenma said, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"That is what the master calls this one," came the calm response.
"I should have known," came the grumbled response from the toddler ruler. "Shall we start then? Jx-39, you know the crimes that you have been accused of, and you know the evidence against you. How do you plead?"
"Guilty as Charged."
"Very well then. You should be sentenced with the maximum punishment for your crimes. You would be executed on the star on which you are presently standing, but because you have admitted your guilt, I shall lighten your sentence. I have a small job that you might be quite good at, if you will serve me, that is?" The child ruler looked as if he already knew what the answer would be.
"This one serves no one but the master," she said defiantly.
Completely unsurprised, Koenma sat back in his chair. "Very well then, you will serve as a guide. You will be required to fight only where and when you see fit against anyone you see fighting, excluding my spirit detectives. You will guide them on their next mission. Upon the successful completion of this mission, you will be free, your sentence served."
The girl nodded once, and she and her escorts turned to leave the courtroom. As she walked out the door, she murmured, "Yes, yes, I will be after this mission." A small smile, void of all humor, graced her lips before her apathetic mask returned once more.
Slowly walking down the hall, they reached the top of the curling stairs. Halfway down them, two figures stepped forward from the shadows at the bottom. With a smile, Yuusuke greeted his girlfriend and Kuwabara, his sister. The Rei kai Tantei had been gone for quite some time, training in Makai. A sharp buzzing, accompanied by the static hum of a loudspeaker, cut into the happy reunion.
'Rei kai Tantei, please report to Lord Koenma's office for your next assignment, and bring the prisoner with you.'
The sound abruptly cut off with a loud screech.
"Great, not a moment of peace," Yusuke grumbled, continuing to Koenma's office. The few words that were clear were something along the lines of stupid…mission…vacation…binky breath…and something that sound an awful lot like a suggestion against sexual intercourse with sheep.
"Glad that you could make it." ('Like we had a choice,' Yuusuke thought) "Your next mission will be to go look into a disturbance in Makai. Now, you will be going to the island of Koorime."
The group, excluding the prisoner, gasped and turned to look at the prince, who stood there calmly, waiting for the lord to continue. "There, you will look into some reports that we have received of some very foul activities, ranging from murder to slavery. We need to see if these accusations are true. You will need a guide if you wish to survive in Koorime, so I have arranged for you to have Jx-39 as your guide. She knows the terrain and can be an valuable asset to your mission."
all right that's the second one and once again for all anti-ron fans' dramaAnne's 365 ways to kill a weasly funny as hell, mustnag'smistress' Christmas madness for those who perfer the eternal relationship problems of Kagome and Inuyasha, nad last but not least pern and phanto fans would like something by lesalanna.