Revised 8/7/06
. : Muichi Motsu : .
: . By Akikazu . :
. : Chapter One : .
She wanted to jump so badly...
If it wasn't for Shippo she would jump.
Kagome gazed down into the rushing water longingly. Her family would not be harmed if she jumped, they would be as safe as they were at this very moment. Sesshomaru had survived to this era and had taken them into his care a few days after her return.
They knew she was missing. Sesshomaru had also found the weapons in a pile by the well. She knew because she had watched the events through Itsuki's seer glass. Her family was unharmed, worried over her absence, but they were out of harm's way. Shippo, on the other hand, was under Itsuki's supervision. The precious few times she had seen him these past two months were carefully controlled by the blue-green haired demon.
Itsuki was clearly an underling of Sensui's, though he was higher than most. She hated him. Sensui was a strange man. He was honorable, and unfortunately that honor demanded that he seek the end of the human race. He had been beaten in his last attempt, but he, one of his last remaining alternate personality Kazyua, and Itsuki planned to open another tunnel to the Makai after ridding themselves of their adversaries. They were using her as a means to beat their adversaries, and then later help open the tunnel quicker than Itsuki could manage on his own.
"If you jump Shippo dies, bitch."
Kagome dropped a small sakura (cherry) blossom, which she had held in her hand, into the river and turned to face the intruder of her solace.
"Since when does Sensui let you out when there's no fight to be had, Kazuya?" She asked rudely.
He scowled at her, but she only shrugged and turned back to the river, waiting for him to attempt to regain lost ground.
"He doesn't like to deal with the creatures we use to gather info, you know that Kagome."
She made no reply.
"The brat's gonna send someone to try and throw a wrench in the plans. You better get going on our defenses."
His foot swung up suddenly in a kick and Kagome dodged out of the way.
"You're getting slow Kazuya."
Leaving the taunt hanging in the air Kagome walked away, throwing another sakura blossom into the rushing torrent beneath the bridge.
She continued to walk until she reached the gates to the abandoned mansion they inhabited at the moment. Lower class demons guarded the gates, but as soon as they recognized her the gates opened quickly. Kagome strode through the gates, ignoring the demons that scurried about, and headed straight to Itsuki's chamber in the eastern wing on the second floor.
The double doors opened easily under her barest touch, swinging inward revealing Itsuki sitting on a pillow seat behind a floor low table. Kagome's attitude changed rapidly as she stormed into the room.
"Where's Shippo?" She demanded.
"The little fox was moved to a chamber downstairs. Don't bother trying to go see him, he's under lock and guard until the first part of the mission is completed," he answered.
Kagome contained a growl and sat on the floor pillow across from the smug demon.
"Tell me what I need to know," she ordered crossly.
Itsuki push the seer glass across the table to her. The glass swirled revealing an ape-like boy. He had orange hair styled and gelled on top of his head and brown eyes stared out at them dully.
"The weakest of the group is Kuwabara Kazuma. He has a high amount of spirit energy, for a ningen (human), a strong 'sixth sense' and is able to manifest his energy into a sword. The only thing you have to watch out for is his ability to slice through barriers on a different plane," Itsuki recited.
"Next," her fingers drummed the table impatiently.
The mist covered Kuwabara's face only to shift again to reveal a hansom man with most of his black hair spiked. A white burst colored his hair mid-front. Under a white bandana, two deep red eyes scowled up at them.
"Hiei, a fire apparition. The 'Forbidden Child'. As a Janganshi (master of the Jagan) he is in the possession of a Jagan eye and therefore a master of mind control and telepathy. Also, this youkai (demon) is a master of the sword and is lightning quick. He's a formable foe."
Kagome said nothing as she watched the mist cover Hiei's face. The mist curled apart letting the image of another boy fade in. This boy was incredibly hansom, long red hair twisting down and emerald eyes sparkling with secrets and intelligence.
"Minamino Shuichi, the boy who is also the Yo-ko (spirit fox) Kurama. In the hands of this kitsune, a plant on the street can become a dangerous weapon. He stores an assortment of seeds somewhere on his person, along with a rose, that he transforms into a whip, in his hair. He's the most intelligent of the group. He requires watching."
The mist curled over the face and immediately blew apart violently, revealing the last boy's face. His raven hair was slicked back with gel in true Japanese punk fashion and his eyes smirked with an overwhelming amount of confidence.
"Yusuke Urameshi, the leader of Koenma's Reikai Tantei (Spirit Detective) team. A human boy with abnormally high spirit energy, he's the only student of the Master Genkai and heir to her techniques. A well known street fighter, he has a thorough knowledge of his natural weapons, but when against demons of a greater amount of power he favors his spirit gun. He's the one you should be most wary of."
The mist covered Yusuke's face and the glass went dark. Itsuki sat back and watched her with a raised brow.
"Can you take care of them?" Itsuki inquired after a moment of silence.
"If I must," was the sighed response.
"Very good. Shinobu is making most of the ground level into a single rock room, that's where you'll confront them. There are, of course, all of the demons guarding the house from the outside but don't count on them to take even one of the Tantei out," Itsuki suggested.
"I really don't care to take your advice, just be sure that everything is prepared on time, they'll be coming soon," Kagome predicted.
Itsuki poured himself a cup of tea from a kettle on the table.
"I'm sure Shinobu will have it all ready before the weeks end."
The teacup rose to his mouth and he calmly took a sip. Kagome glared at him.
"I'm sure."
Kagome stood and left the demon to drink his tea. That was one of the most perplexing youkai she had ever had the pleasure to meet. He was calm and cruel, but reasonable and humorous in an extremely twisted way. With Sensui he was almost caring. She had reason to believe that Itsuki had feelings for Sensui. Kagome shudder and shook her head at those thoughts. She did not want to get into Itsuki's frame of mind.
The hallway before her split into two, door-filled passages. Kagome turned to the left and the door slid open before she reached it. Wall scones lighted the passage and she grabbed a torch before continuing through. The passage twisted and turned, all the while keeping a steady downward slope. It ended abruptly and she knelt down to open a trapdoor.
Kagome descended into the staircase beneath the trapdoor. A minute later the ground leveled out and Kagome stepped through a doorway and into a brightly light room. A tall dark mirror stood on the opposite wall, but otherwise the small room was bare.
"What have you come for, young miko?"
The bodiless voice echoed eerily in the room. The dark mirror had red and blue streaking across it as the voice rang out.
"I want to be sure that the Spirit Detectives make it into the building with a minimal amount of trouble," Kagome answered.
"I'm sure they would make it inside without your interference.
"Yes, but they would be wasting energy that way, I want them at full power."
"Very well miko, but what will I get out of this?"
Kagome turned wary, though she had expected something like this.
"What do you want?"
"I want you to recreate my body and put me in it."
She was quiet, carefully considering her options. With a nearly inaudible sigh she held her hand up to the mirror. A soft purple light enveloped them and Kagome's eyes closed in concentration.
A purple ball appeared on the ground at their side. A glowing black ball soon joined it. The ball twined together and slowly started taking shape. Kagome's eyes snapped open and she stopped glowing.
"It will take time but soon you'll be returned to a body. If I find you haven't done as we've bargained, the body will stop regenerating. Now, I would like to know your name," Kagome waited for the 'mirror' to respond.
"Epsilon."
Kagome turned and opened the door, pausing on the way out to stop and look at the mirror.
"I'll see you when you have your body back."
She turned her back and walked out, leaving the lights to reconstruct his body into the small room.
M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M
She made it to her room before collapsing from exhaustion. Fortunately she fell onto her bed.
Reconstructing a body to someone's specific looks was difficult. The act was actually extremely draining, she would have to go into a deep sleep to restore her strength. It things went according to plan, the detectives would be here by the end of the week. Kagome would need all her power if what she prophesized actually happened.
Defeating a creature of death was no small thing, bonding it would undoubtedly prove to be even more difficult.
M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M
It was nearly time. A week perhaps, definitely no longer than ten days.
The Makai Youkai Lord stepped away from the gigantic window as the sun continued to fade into the western horizon.
He should, no doubt, go pay the child-like Prince Koenma a visit. The boy would probably use his 'team' to exterminate them all. He would have to put a stop to that.
There was no uncertainty in his mind that his orders would be followed to the last detail, but he would 'convince' the boy to let him accompany them on the mission.
Yes, he hadn't had the chance to threaten a prominent figure for quiet some time, he was eager to see how long it took for the boy to become intimidated.
Life was defiantly looking up for him.
M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M . M
Why…
They had just lost their friends. Why did they have to go through this now?
Bubbles floated out of his mouth and past his face, drifting slowly to the surface. He took a breath from the tube that was connected to the mask over his nose.
He was breathing, but they didn't give him enough air to do anything other than stare out of the glass tank that held him prisoner. The world outside was fuzzy, a hazy world of moving color. He could barely make out two scientist and many guards around them.
Something was being done to him. He could feel his bones and body shifting daily.
A sense of foreboding informed him that his appearance would have drastically changed whenever someone finally rescued him from the liquid that surrounded him.
He knew that it would be soon.
It just had to be soon…
. : End Chapter : .
: . Author's Note . :
I really bored and instead of working on a new story I'm just going to go revise more chapters. I hope your enjoying this story, I'd like to let you know that it isn't all that dark, it doesn't lighten after a bit, then it gets a bit more depressing and it goes on in that fashion.
. : Beta's Note : .
Another chapter fixed. I hope everyone reading this reviews because they make people happy! And, if people are like me, they may go see your profile just to see your stories or favorites when you review, because they want to see if there are other stories of this nature to find. But yeah, REVIEW PLEASE!
Amin Vanima Mellonea