Chapter 5:

"Are you sure you're alright Kochou?" "I'm fine Kitsune. I was thinking about something." Everyone was in the main living area of our room playing B.S. (a card game I had learned while I lived in America) "By the way, Kuwabara. B.S. on you. You stink at this." I stated as Kuwabara picked up the pile of cards in the middle of the table. Boton and Koemna had gone to take care of some last minute paperwork. Hiei was the only one in the room who wasn't playing, he was just staring out the window and every once in a while, we would try and get him to play with us, but we never could. So we gave up on him.

"What were you thinking about?" Keiko asked. "I was just thinking about the time Kurama gave me my necklace." I smiled as I reached up for it. One of my favorite memories of him. "Tell us! This sounds like a good story." Atsuko smiled. Sometimes she was more immature than her son, and sometimes she was a mother. I had yet to figure this lady out. "Well then, lets put the cards up so that we don't forget to do it later." I smiled, then I surveyed the room. "Umm, this is gonna take a while."

Yusuke had started flinging his cards at Kuwabara. "You know, if we let them keep going, we won't have to tell them." Kurama whispered into my ear. "Why? It's not like it's a big deal or anything." I smiled.

Yusuke and Kuwabara had started to wrestle on the floor and Keiko and Atsuko were trying to stop them. Hiei was still staring out the window and Shizuru had gone outside on the patio to smoke a cigarette. "They probably wouldn't understand." I said.

"Where are you going?" Kurama asked as I stood up. "I'm gonna go see if Boton's doing anything important." I answered. "Before you do, could you come with me?" He looked like a scared puppy as he asked. "Why not?" I was trying so hard not to pinch his cheeks.

Kurama gently grabbed my wrist and tugged me towards the door. I was greatful for the fact that we were both theives when Kuama silently opened the door and, when I walked through, he just as silently shut it behind me.

I think I know where he's taking me.

I followed him to the stairs and as he started climbing them, I said, "You're taking me to the roof right?"

"Yes."

"And you're going to walk up ten flights of stairs?"My wings silently unfolded behind me as I begged, "For old time's sake?" Kurama just smiled as he grabbed my shoulders.

"Hang on. The space is too small to fly straight up. You might get a little dizzy." I warned. "Well I guess I should hang on a little tighter." He said as he ducked under my right wing and grabbed my waist. He smiled as he pulled me close.

Kurama seems so different since he's been with the humans, but even so, he's not…normal. I'm probably just paranoid. I need to relax and enjoy this opportunity as long as I can. It may never have another chance like this.

I leaned back over the railing, pulling Kurama with me. I spun in a circle as I flew us up to the door. When I set my feet down on the top floor, I let Kurama hold me for a minute. Partially because I was dizzy, and partially because I didn't want him to let go.

When I was over my dizzy spell, Kurama gently pushed me away to open the door. My wings disappeared as I walked onto the roof.

The smells from the morning had blown away, so it didn't smell so bad. I looked up at the stars. "They're beautiful. But they're nothing compared to the ones we used to look at." I sighed. "Yeah." Kurama sighed in return. "Remember when we used to go up to the roof and talk about the different constalations?" I asked. I know I could remember. "Yes." I turned and saw Kurama staring at me. I felt my cheeks turn crimison in embarassement as I looked at the stars again.

As I did, I saw a flash of light in Kurama's hand. He tried to tackle me as I got out of the knife's path. The knife went into the wall I had just been leaning on. "Who are you and what have you done with Kurama!" I shouted at the stranger. "None of that will matter after I kill you!" he shouted back as he tried to stab me again, but this time I was prepared.

My claws cut off the hand that held the knife. I then started beating the tar out of Kurama's look alike. When he finally fell to the ground in defeat, I pinned him so that he wouldn't get up. "Who are you? And what have you done with Kurama!" When he didn't say anything I shouted, "Where is he! Tell me! Unless you truly want to suffer!" "I'm working for…" he went silent as a ring of purple energy surrounded his neck. He tried to grab the ring with the hand he had, but his fingers passed through it like there was nothing there. Finally, he was still as he reverted back to his original form, dead.

So, he used a look-alike spell. And to keep him from talking, his boss used a silencing spell. I deducted. "DAMNIT!" I slammed my fists into the ground, making two fairly large dents in the roof.My wings spred to their full length as I flew down to the patio where Shizuru was still smoking. "Go tell the others to meet in Koemna's room! Now!" I said urgently as I flew over to where Koemna's patio was.

As I slammed the sliding door back I shouted, "KOEMNA!" "I'll be with you in just a second!" Koemna called from the other room. "It can't wait! Kurama's in danger and I don't know where he is!" I was almost in tears as I thought about when Kurama could have been switched. It had to have been sometime after the tournment today. Did he get replaced whhen we all changed into fresh clothes? It certainly explains why he was acting so weird, but how did they do it without anyone noticeing? Where the hell is he?

As I sat down on the couch in the main room as Koemna asked, "What were you saying Mio?" He came out of his bedroom in his older form as I repeated, "Kurama's in danger and I don't know where he is!"

"WHAT!" Yusuke and Koemna shouted at the same time. (Yusuke and everyone else had just arrived) "Didn't he just leave with you?" Hiei asked. "Pht. I wish. That was a demon with a look-alike spell placed on him. He tried to kill me once we got up to the roof." I explained.

"Didn't you get any information out of him? Before you killed him?" Hiei scolded. "I didn't kill him. He had a silenceing spell placed on him. All that I know is that someone sent him and whoever that someone is, has Kurama." I replied. "This is strange. Who would kidnap Kurama and try to kill Mio?" Koemna thought aloud. "It would have to have been some one who knew me as Kochou-chan. Someone who knew I…" I stopped before I could reveal my feelings.

"Who knew you what? Mio, spill." Yusuke commanded.

"Nothing. It's not important." I said trying to change the subject. "If it's the reason why Kurama got kidnapped, then yeah, it's a little important." Boton scolded me.

"Fine. It would have to have been someone who knew I loved Kurama. He's going to get hurt because of my feelings for him, again. But this time, I can do something about it. And I have someone to help me do it." I looked at every one in the room as hot tears filled my eyes. As the room became a blur, I looked down at my feet as the tears I had been holding back fell like a sad rain. "Yes. This time is different. You can save Kurama, and tell him how you really feel." Atsuko comforted me in her motherly way, holding my shaking hands.

"I know how you feel, Mio. I just about die every time Yusuke goes on one of his missions, but he always comes back. Kurama will be fine and you have all of us here to help you. I know we can get him back safe and sound." Kieko smiled at me. "So what do you say, Mio? Let's go get the bastard who took Kurama!" Yusuke said to us all.

"First we have to figure out who took Kurama and where they're keeping him. Then we still have to consider how we're getting him out." Hiei reminded us as we were brought back to reality.

"Leave the breaking out part to me Hiei. As for who and where, I ain't got a clue." I offered. I had to stop worrying and at least pretend like I wasn't afraid. I was afraid that whoever had Kurama was hurting him.

"Well, who do you know would want to kill you?" inquired Shizeru. "I don't know. There's a reason why I said 'I don't have a clue'." I answered sarcasticly. "Do you know of anyone who would be jealous of Kurama?" Keiko asked.

"Not off the top of my head. Wait, I think I know someone who would be. After yomi betrayed us, Kurama and Kuronue held a compitition to see who would replace him. I won, of course." I smiled proudly, "Anyways, there was one demon who almost beat me. His name was Muroko and he was trying to get the position to impress me. At least that's what was rumored. One year for some celebration, he had given me this hidious journal that was covered in rabbit fur, still attacked to it's original skin." I could see the looks of disgust appear on everyone's face. "My thoughts exactly. But he was young and he had made it himself. So, just to be polite, I used the journal. One day, the day I was kidnapped, I found him reading it and it looked like he had just been stabbed. Turns out he had been reading a day that he had made me mad and I started comparing him to Kurama. I tried to explain to him, but he wouldn't even look at me. I got frustrated and went to get supplies. Needless to say, I haven't seen him since." I finished.

"Well I think we have a who, but why would he try to kill you? That's where I get lost." Yusuke said. "Don't you get it? It's the old 'if-I-can't-have-her-no-one-can' routine, baka." Hiei explianed grumpily.

"Ok. Now we just need to figure out where this Muroko guy is." Kuwawbara suggested. "That shouldn't be too hard. Muroko was never good at hiding." I laughed. "Which is why I found you first, Kochou-chan."

Everyone was immediently on their feet and in a fighting position to look at the stranger. He hasn't changed much. He looked just like I remembered him, almost human. He had short, shaggy brown hair, purple eyes, and a very nice tan. He was wearing is favorite out fit, black muscle shirt with pants to match. The only way you could realy tell that he was even a demon was by the rat-like tail that silently sailed back and forth behind his head.

"How did you get in here! This is a highly secured room!" Koemna informed Muroko. I just turned to Koemna and said, "'High security' my butt Koemna. There ain't no security on that patio. How do you think I got here so fast from the roof?" Koemna just looked shocked as I turned back to Muroko. "Back to you, rat-boy. Where's Kurama?"

"That's for me to know, and you to pay for." He smugly stated. "Let's put it this way. You tell us where Kurama is, and we don't beat the crap out of you." Yusuke explained as we surrounded Muroko. "You take a step closer and that fox might get hurt." Muroko held up a small screen that showed Kurama being held in the air by his wrists by newly rusted chains.

A hooded figure was standing behind him with a whip poised to strike.

"All I have to do is give the word." Muroko smiled as he looked at me. "What do you want? You sick bastard." I seethed.

I couldn't take my eyes away from the black box that held Kurama's image. He didn't have a shirt on and it seemed as if he had alredy been beaten several times. I clenched my fists as Muroko said, "I want you, Kochou. I want your mind, body, and soul. I want you to be mine." I tried so hard not to attack him as he finished. "I'll give you this and three days time for you to make your decision." Muroko softly stated as he tossed the screen into my hands.

With that, Murok jumped off the balconey and disappeared into the night.

"I just figured out the last piece of the puzzle." I stated as I kept staring at the screen. "But we're going to have to forfeit the Tournament in order to save Kurama."

"Done." Koemna said as he whipped out a cell phone and started dialing.

"What's the last piece, Mio?" Keiko asked me. "Where Muroko's holding Kurama. That stupid rat's at our old hideout."