AN- Okay, no banter between the two of us today, but we've got the next chapter up. The chapter after this (ch 5) we'll see what is happening with the girls. And we're currently working on the final pairings, we'd thought we had them worked out, but we changed our minds and are just getting the final kinks worked out. Hope you enjoy! R&R!
Koenma jumped as the door to his office was slammed open. He recovered only slightly as an obviously very angry Yusuke marched into the now quiet room. He had been briefing Kurama and Hiei on the mission that was coming up, waiting to call Yusuke and Kuwabara until after the two more sensible of the team understood the job, but now he didn't have to.
"Where is she, Koenma?" It was more of a very, very firm demand rather than a question, and Koenma was once again placed back into a situation of unease as the recently turned demon boy stomped to the desk and slammed his fist upon a stack of papers. The young ruler gulped, looks like his timing had been a bit off, he thought he still had a few days.
"Um…" The young prince muttered, slowly slipping off his desk and most of his body behind it. "He he, so I suppose Keiko's been taken?" The young man towering over him only grew more livid before grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him up so that they were eye level.
"You knew this was going to happen." The spirit detective growled lowly, menacingly. "I want to find her, and I want to find her now." His demon markings were beginning to fade into view through his cloaking spell.
A calming hand was settled onto the Toushin's shoulder. "Yusuke, why don't we listen to what Koenma has to say. He probably knows what happened and how to get Keiko back." The boy glared at his employer for another minute before dropping him gracelessly into his chair and stepping back to stand near one of the chairs.
The toddler-sized prince straightened himself out and cleared his throat, still shaken up from his close encounter with the youkai prince, before calling George in from the hall. The ogre came in and bowed low to Koenma, but before he could say anything Koenma had already ordered him to retrieve a certain document from one of the many stacks of paper that littered the floor.
As George ran to the back of the room to begin his search for the paper, Koenma began speaking.
"There is a prophecy about this happening, about women being kidnapped through time. I had recently received word that the prophecy included all of you." At this point, George ran to the desk and handed a sheet of paper to Koenma while trying to catch his breath. "Ah, this is a copy of the prophecy." He looked to be skimming the page in his hands.
"Blah, blah, blah…oh, here we go. 'From time three women will be taken, back to a time where there are no barriers between the two worlds. And through a well their loved ones will fallow. From one time, three young men. And from a later time, four men and three other women.' Blah, blah, blah. "Destiny and Fate lead these brave hero's to there future and to who they are.' Blah, blah, blah. There you have it.
"So, Keiko's been kidnapped, taken back in time with two other girls, and you four, plus Boton, and (if my source is correct) Yukina and Shizuru as well." Seeing the look of horror on Kuwabara's face he hurried on. "Don't worry about it, the well only lets those who are supposed to pass through, so if the girls aren't meant to go, they won't get through." At the continued look of horror, now added with confusion from Kurama and added to by the continuous look of fury from Yusuke, the prince cringed.
"What!" Kurama took it upon himself to answer before either of the other two boys could make the situation worse. "Perhaps you had better go from the beginning, Koenma."
"Oh, all right. I can't go into too much depth about some parts, but here it is. Basically about five hundred years ago a miko (or priestess) arrived through a magic well, broke a jewel (don't ask me, I won't tell you), and set about Japan wither friends searching for it. At one point, soon after the majority of her quest was finished, the evil vanquished, most of the pieces gathered, yada yada yada. Then she went and got herself kidnapped. Within the next few days ten more people appeared, two different groups looking for two different girls from two different times.
"They banded together, saved the girls, and then the newcomers found that the well wouldn't let them through. The prophecy doesn't say why, but about six months later the group split up and everyone went back down the well. The priestess made the prophecy just before she and her love returned down the well to her home.
Now, the miko is from this time but she travels back to the Feudal Era through the well. The well only lets certain people through at certain times, if they are destined to do so. So, Keiko and this girl have been kidnapped, along with another girl from the Meiji Era, and you have to travel through the well to help save them."
The looks of confusion had faded for the most part, and even Yusuke had perked up with the prospect of an interesting journey. "Okay Koenma, but where's the well we're supposed to jump through? Huh?" The Toushin asked. Koenma sighed, "It's at the Higurashi shrine. I think Kurama knows where it is. When you go, ask to speak to Mrs. Higurashi, do NOT, under ANY circumstances, speak to old Mr. Higurashi, the shrine keeper.
"He's kinda senile, but he's got a decent amount of spiritual energy and won't believe that anyone affiliated with the sacred prophecy of the shrine could be a demon. Mrs. Higurashi has less spiritual sense, but she'd definitely more open to demons…and she's the only one in the family that knows about us that is at home for the time being."
"And about the girls, you said Boton, Yukina and Shizuru were supposed to come. Um why?"
Another sigh, "I don't know, Kuwabara, just that the prophecy said seven people, four men and three women, and my informant said that the girls were supposed to go."
"Hn. Whose your informant?" THE SILENT ONE SPEAKS…um that was Hiei.
"Uh…" a slight uncertainty for the first time in minutes, "Can't tell you that, that would only end up with me in pain." In an instant the uncertainty was gone. "Well, off you go. Kurama can show you the way and the girls will meet you there with some supplies and clothes for you guys. BYE!" and the four boys fell through a portal underneath there feet to land in front of Kurama's house.
The boys looked around for a second, doing nothing, not moving…"Okay Kurama, you gonna take us to this shrine or something?"
"Unfortunately, Kuwabara, I have no idea where this shrine is. I tried to tell Koenma, but I couldn't find a time to break in." He sighed and looked to the house. "We might as well check a map."
As Kurama started toward the front door to his house, Yusuke started walking down the street. "Don't worry about it, Kurama, I know where it is." After giving the boy bemused looks, the other three boys fallowed him quietly.
Upon reaching a long staircase, Yusuke stopped. "This is it." And they headed up the stairs. About halfway up someone spoke out their curiosity.
"Hey, Urameshi, how did you know where this place was?" Kuwabara asked, wheezing slightly. Yusuke slowed down a little, thinking. Finally he seemed to come up with an answer. "I used to hang out here when I was a kid." It was only a half-truth, but it sufficed at the time.
Cresting the stairs, the spirit detectives saw Boton and the other girls all with backpacks sitting in front of a large tree. The girls stood up when they saw the boys and held out three backpacks, one for Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara; they figured Hiei could get whatever he needed.
"So, do you guys know why we-" Boton gestured to herself and the other two girls "are going?"
Yusuke and Kuwabara shrugged while Kurama just shook his head, "We have no idea, just that the prophecy and Koenma's informant said so. I trust you've told Yukina and Shizuru about the prophecy?" At Boton's nod Shizuru stepped up, "Don't know what help we'll really be, you guys are the ones that usually fight." Again with shrugs the question went unanswered.
So the group began walking towards the main house, Hiei jumped up to sit in the tree the girls had been sitting next to, and the afore mentioned girls went to the souvenir shop (at the request of Kurama) to see if the woman they were looking for was there. With just Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara left, they headed towards the front door. Seeing a large cat sitting on a bench near a statue in the middle of the courtyard, Kuwabara ran off, leaving just Kurama and Yusuke to knock on the door.
So knock they did. An incoherent yell was heard from inside and they soon heard the rush of feet towards the door. As the door was pulled open, a young boy, about thirteen, was revealed. "Hello, can I help you." Yusuke stepped forward.
"Hey Souta, your sister or mom here?" recognition immediately showed in the boys eyes. "Yusuke! Man, you're lucky Kagome's not here, she's still pretty mad at you, and it's been like four years. But yeah mom's here, come on in." The boy stepped aside, allowing Yusuke and Kurama to enter. "Mom's in the kitchen, you know the way." And the boy headed off towards the front room, presumably to play video games some more.
As the two men headed towards the sounds of movement in the kitchen, Kurama looked curiously at his friend. "Why would the boy's sister be mad at you, Yusuke?" The younger man sighed softly; he seemed to be doing that a lot in the last hour or two, along with being unusually quiet. "I really don't want to talk about it, Kurama." With a nod from Kurama, they continued on in silence, coming to the kitchen door seconds later.
Walking in the kitchen, Kurama stopped just inside the doorway while Yusuke took a few steps forward. "Mrs. Higurashi." The woman turned around. "Hello Yusuke. I was wondering if I'd ever see you again. Can I offer you two something to drink?" The boy smiled at the kind woman.
"No thanks, Mr. Higurashi, actually I…er...we wanted to talk to you about a prophecy. The one about three girls getting kidnapped from time. Koenma sent us" The woman smiled and dried her hands, "Ah, I figured it would be happening soon, just when Kagome started her travels. But you don't have time for that. How many of you are there, three or seven?" At his response she nodded. "Alright I suggest you find your friends and meet me in the courtyard."
A few minutes they were all standing in a shed, a rather tight fit, looking at an old shabby well. "Okay, in two groups you'll jump in, don't worry about a hard landing, it's just as soft as if you were stepping off of a small step. When you get out, head South West through the forest and down a path until you find a village, In the center is the hut of the village miko, ask for InuYasha." She smiled at them all. "Good luck. And Yusuke-" At this she turned her attention to the boy she used to see as a second son. "Bring them home Yusuke, bring home the one who means so much to you, and bring home my daughter."
The stunned boy didn't have time to react as Kuwabara pulled him down the well, off to begin their new adventure.