: Muichi Motsu :
: By : Akikazu :
: Chapter Three :
Kagome stood on the bridge watching the horizon, studying it carefully. Nine days had passed since she had made a deal Epsilon and he was growing stronger. He would soon come to visit no doubt.
Her attention turned to the western horizon, watching the sunset. The sun was slipping behind craggily mountains, painting the sky with various shades of, pink, red, and orange.
Time would soon be up.
They were coming.
A small smile broke out on her face.
It was almost over.
: Koenma's Office :
The Reikai Tantei was gathered in front of Koenma's desk with the toddler-like Koenma across from them in his big chair, nervously fidgeting.
"Well toddler?" Yusuke was the one to break the uncomfortable silence.
Surprisingly Koenma didn't yell at Yusuke as he normally did. Kurama was instantly on alert, something was defiantly wrong.
"Boy, answer their question. I grow weary of your dawdling," ordered a cold voice.
Kurama searched for the person whose command had launched the normal high-handed Koenma in a flurry of action. A tall, cloaked figure sat on the shadowed window seat. Kurama turned his attention back to the scrambling Koenma in curiously.
"Well you see… um… Sensui never died and now you have to beat him again before he opens another tunnel and this time he has a powerful knew ally we know nothing about," Koenma babbled without stopping to breath.
The room was deathly quiet for a few seconds.
"WHAT!" Yusuke shouted.
Yusuke launched himself across the table at Koenma, pinning the child boss to his chair.
"Yusuke release Koenma. The sooner we learn what we need, the sooner we can eliminate the threat," Kurama reasoned.
Growling Yusuke dropped Koenma and took his spot on the other side of the desk.
"Thank you Kurama. Now it appears that Sensui, Itsuki, and their new ally have taken up residence in Ningenkai. There stationed here at an old abandoned mansion," Koenma explained.
The dark screen behind Koenma showed an old mansion.
"They have apparently gathered a large army to guard the premises. You should, of course, have no trouble getting in but I am mostly concerned about Sensui's new ally. We haven't seen nor heard of him," Koenma continued.
"No problem, whoever joined Sensui is probably a gutless bastard," Yusuke said rashly.
Kurama heard a growl from the cloaked figure. Koenma also must have heard it because he gave an apprehensive glance in the direction of the window.
"What are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Kuwabara shouted.
"Hold on a second. You'll be accompanying this Makai Youkai Lord. He has a personal tie to this case, something about his sister. He demanded to be allowed to come with you," Koenma announced.
"He's gonna cramp the style of the Great Kazuma Kuwabara!" Kuwabara objected.
"Hn."
"We could use help," Kurama pointed out respectfully.
"Good! Now that that's settled you can go. Botan open a portal."
"Right away sir," Botan chirped from her place near the door.
A black portal was opened in the doorway and the detectives and the Demon Lord stepped through. The portal closed behind them and left them in the middle of a forest.
The Demon Lord didn't hesitate before walking off into the dense foliage.
"I guess we're to follow him," Kurama commented.
"Let's go! I wanna kick some ass!" Kuwabara shouted.
"Shut up baka, someone might hear you," Yusuke hissed.
Hiei and Kurama walked after the Demon Lord, leaving Yusuke and Kuwabara to catch up after they finished their skirmish.
The forest was eerily silent and calm. Even through the shadows they could see the Demon Lord a few years ahead of them. He was moving swiftly though silently.
The forest is too quiet Fox-
((I know Hiei, but I'm far more concerned by the fact we haven't been attacked yet))
Conversation, both mental and verbal, came to an end when the Demon Lord halted his progress in the middle of a wooden bridge. The sky was already dark and Kurama wonder how time had passed so quickly.
"She was here," the Demon Lord murmured.
Yusuke and Kuwabara were barely close enough to hear his words.
"Who?" Kuwabara asked.
"Nothing you need to be informed of ningen. I will handle it," the Youkai Lord replied coldly.
They continued walking, encountering only one low class demon that Kuwabara took care of easily. The Demon Lord didn't speak another word but kept the lead, navigating the forest. The group came out of the woods and to a stop at high gate.
"Who goes there?" A high-pitched voice demanded.
"A Lord and company," the Youkai Lord answered.
"Leave you won't be permitted inside," the voice shouted.
"Detective." The Demon Lord's order was clear to the whole group.
Yusuke took aim and release a single, low-powered shotgun. Soon a pitiful demon toppled from his post, dead. Kuwabara shrinked back as a sickening crunch came form the body when the Youkai Lord stepped on it, regardless of the body. He placed his pale hand on the gate and his claws glowed green. Kurama could smell acid as the gate was melted until a man-sized hole was created. The Demon Lord immediately stepped through. He paused for a second then look back at the Reikai Tantei coming through the self made door.
"Ningen, we will meet with no more resistance out here. Open the doors," he commanded.
Kuwabara ran ahead of the group and gracelessly cut through the door. He had to scramble out of the way as the door fell outward. He fell into a heap on his backside. Everyone's attention was on the now open doorway.
It was dark inside.
"That's just creepy Urameshi," Kuwabara muttered.
"Shut up wimp," Yusuke replied distractedly.
The Demon Lord stepped inside and light suddenly flared, only to dim so that only a things within a ten foot radius of the door were illuminated. A ball of yellow light floated eerily and made its way tot them steadily.
The light landed on the Demon Lord's raised hand, it was balanced precariously on a sharp claw. He raised it closer to his face and examined it carefully.
"A firefly, how typical of her," he commented to himself.
The firefly launched itself off his hand and floated away, drifting slowly down a hallway illuminated by nothing but the firefly's glow.
"We will follow the firefly," the Youkai Lord announced.
"We're gonna follow a bug?" Kuwabara cried.
The Demon Lord was already walking down the hallway after the firefly.
"I guess we are," Kurama said simply.
The rest of the group trailed after the Demon Lord and firefly. They hallway was straight but because of the nonexistent light they had no clue as to how far they walked before they stopped their stroll in a large room. Their footsteps echoed strangely as if the room was made of some sort of rock or stone. From the way the firefly's glow bounced off the walls, Kurama came to the conclusion that the room was indeed made of some sort of stone. The firefly floated away from the group and to the ceiling, where it disappeared. The group was left in the dark silence of the room.
"Urameshi, it's dark," Kuwabara complained.
Light exploded, shining into every corner of the room then dimming to a comfortable level of brightness. Kurama took the time to note that the room was made of strange but smooth black stones.
"Welcome, Spirit Detectives," a feminine voice called, ringing out into the still room.
: Underground :
Epsilon finally had returned to his former strength.
He straightened and opened the door ready to leave the small room that had been his person prison for so long that he had lost track of the time that had passed.
His hair was a pale blue-violet and fell to the middle of his back, most of it was pulled back in a loose horsetail. His dark red eyes glinted in the dark, a sinister light glowing in their depths.
It was time for him to descend on the world but first he had to meet with the little miko who had dared to order him around.
It would be good to feel blood stain his hands once more.
Chuckling darkly he left the room, the mirror that had once held him captive him shattered in time with the shutting of the door. Glass shards of every known color dug into the ground ruthlessly. A dark liquid welled up from the ground, dark as blood.
: Underground Chamber :
Outside of his glass tank something was happening. The world was trembling.
A light flickered outside of the tank.
Fire?
They had forgotten his powers then.
Concentrating hard on the fire he tried to get the flame to flare larger.
It didn't work.
Instead of growing the fire dimmed and with a flicker of blue went out completely.
His magic was gone…
Once upon a time he had hoped to be rescued but now he faced the cold hard facts, time was running out for him.
Someone had to rescue him now or he wouldn't be himself anymore.
He wouldn't be Shippo…
Bubbles escaped from his mouth as he spoke one desperate word out into the water.
Both scientist and guards alike were silent as the bubbles floated to the surface and released the kit's whisper into the chamber.
"Please…"
: Epsilon :
He was carefully still.
The world was changing. The Fates were shifting, he could feel it in his blood.
Something monumental was going to happen and he meant to be there for it.
Hopefully his prey would be there too. A change in Fate meant new life, however life could not begin without death.
And he was death.
: End Chapter :
: Author's Note :
Am I not evil incarnated? You all hate me don't you? Too bad! I personally like how this chapter ends, I gotta keep you readers on your toes, don't want you all to get lazy or let you forget about this story.
Now the request for Kurama/Kagome pairing is leading by a landslide, but I won't settle on the pairing until I get Kagome back in school, because an education is a very important thing!
Note - Epsilon is a original character, but Hijikata isn't really. He's a bit out of character, but then I only read part of a Manga with him in it. First person to correctly guess what Manga he's from gets a dedication. To refresh your memory he's imposing with black hair and dark eyes. Have fun with the challenge.
I'm close to getting grounded form the computer because I have a B in P.E. This is an evil class peoples!
Catch you later.
Akikazu signing off.