DISCLAIMER: ...you're kidding me. Right?...
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Kodomo Hikari: I'm awake! Yay! It wasn't writer's block after all but lack of sleep. ^v^. Chapter 3 is here! Thanks for everyone's review! Ok, I've fix the document formatting as best as I could. The funny thing is that it looks ok on my computer but if I view it in another computer, the spacing becomes all funny again. Oh well, *sigh* As long as you can read and understand it, it's ok I guess. I've also made the necessary corrections. And now to our readers!
Shuichi: Yay! (suffering from sugar-high)
K. Hikari: (eyes Shuichi with suspicion) Ne? Where's your brother?
Shuichi: *shrugs and gives an innocent grin*
K. Hikari: Dragon Ladysupreme - Arigatou for the spelling correction on Hiei's name. (looks at Hiei), Oy, why did you never tell me to correct the spelling of your name?
Hiei: Only ningens are fussy on names.
K. Hikari: O_o Oh well, thanks for the cookies too Dragon Ladysupreme (sees Shuichi jumping up and down on her bed)...Obviously, he likes them too ^_^.
New Moon1 - Nice to see you again! ^_^ Hurray for regular readers!
Kaeru Soyokaze – Another regular! Ganbatte on your fic! ^o^
Yayo- Wow thanks for the Kurama plushie! (hugs Kurama plushie). Now we both have matching Kurama plushies! (squeals with delight). I'll sleep with him in my bed! ^o^ Thanks for also pointing out the correct spelling of Hiei's name.
Sammy – Oki doki! Will do better next time. Thank god for reviewers like you! ^_^
Hiei: Get on with the story already!
K. Hikari: HAI!
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Word watch:
Baka = idiot
Chotto = short for "chotto matte yo" which usually means "wait a minute"
Rei Tantei = Spirit Detectives
Ano = excuse me
Katana = Japanese sword
Onegai = please
Ganbatte = Good luck
Minna-san = everyone (may also be without the prefix –san)
Kawaii = pretty, cute
Ie= negative reply
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Chapter 3: Hello
"The pacifier makes you look stupid."
The room immediately exploded into laughter as Koenma struggled to regain his dignity. Why the little brat!
"And what is that on your forehead?" the little brat inquired with wide eyes.
Koenma felt a vein start to throb on his forehead. Damn it! He was the Prince of Reikai! He should not be taking any crap at all especially not with this little runt...his thoughts broke off as he saw Kurama. The boy-demon was smiling with the others but his emerald eyes were cold. On second thought...ehehe....
"Well I'm sorry if you found this funny but this pacifier has powers that you could never imagine," he declared. He felt smug when he saw the look of awe on the kid's face. That is until Yusuke snorted.
"Uh, yeah right." Then Yusuke was laughing again. Koenma glared at Yusuke. They both knew very well what he meant. The one time Koenma had decided to use it things did not go properly as planned.
"Well, anyway," Botan chirped. "Welcome to our little group." She gave Shuichi a dazzling smile. Koenma was sulking in the corner and sucking on his pacifier.
Genkai clapped, silencing everyone. "Alright, to business people," she declared. Shuichi was looking at her oddly. How old WAS she?
"Wizards can live longer than ordinary humans," Kurama told his brother after seeing the look on his face.
"Oh!"
Genkai smiled, "Thank you, Minamino. Now if Mr. Pacifier over there can stop sulking and start explaining the sooner we can all go."
"Awww! Genkai!"
She frowned. Koenma sighed then got up and sat beside Genkai on the floor. Genkai could be scary sometimes.
"Fine!" he said. "Since you're new, we'll introduce ourselves. I am Koenma. This is Genkai..."
"Our sensei," Yukina said.
"Right. And that's Yukina..."
"My love and my light..." Kuwabara mooned starry eyed.
"Uhmm, yeah..." There was a slight commotion. Koenma cleared his throat and continued. "The small guy in black being restrained is Hiei and the one restraining him is Yusuke."
Shuichi nodded, "I know them already." He smiled at Keiko, Shizuru and Kuwabara. The two girls waved at him." They're my brother's friends." He looked back at Koenma who a few minutes ago was just a toddler. How he could manage to talk with a pacifier stuck to his mouth, he had no idea.
"And I'm Botan!"
"Say, how did you do that with the oar?" Shuichi asked.
"Uh...well..."
"It's called a summoning spell," Kurama explained while winking at Botan so she would keep her mouth shut. "She can summon that oar anywhere."
Botan heaved a sigh of relief. That was close.
"Alright, 'nuff with the pleasantries! Why are we here and what's with the stupid letters and why are there suddenly so many owls in Tokyo?!" Hiei said. He was definitely irritated.
Comical looks on everyone's faces.
Keiko was the first to break the sudden quiet, "Uh, owls? Hiei?"
"YES! BAKA OWLS! I couldn't rest on my favorite trees because they're up there!"
Now everyone was deciding whether laughing at Hiei was worth his or her life.
"Uh, favorite trees?" Kurama asked calmly. There was an amused look on his face.
That did it. Everyone burst out laughing. There was the sound of a sword being unsheathed. "What's wrong with having a favorite tree?" Hiei said in a low voice.
"Nothing so put your sword back," Genkai said. Her voice was muffled by her hand. She was trying to stifle a giggle.
"Ano..."
It was Yukina. That made Hiei sit. He was still scowling though.
Yukina continued," What about the letters?"
Koenma stopped laughing long enough to wipe the tears in his eyes and turned serious. Shizuru whacked her younger brother to make him stop laughing. Yusuke on the other hand was trying to wipe snot that had formed on his nose while he was hee hawing so much. Keiko looked a little disgusted at him.
Shuichi looked at the group and decided he liked them all. Even the funny guy in black who was sometimes dropping by their house and freaking his dad and step mom.
"All right," Koenma cleared his throat. "This is going to be long so better make yourself comfortable. Let's start with the letters the brothers and apparently Yusuke received. That came from Hogwarts."
"What kind of stupid name is Hogwarts?"
"What kind of stupid name is Kazuma?"
That started a stare down between Hiei and Kazuma. Kurama sighed. This is going to be long night.
"It's the name of a ningen wizarding school," Koenma explained
"Humans have Wizarding School?" Shizuru asked in disbelief.
This time Genkai spoke up, "Yes. Children who are gifted are sent letters from these schools. It is where they learn to use magic. These schools can sense if someone is gifted or not and send them letters once they are of age." She looked at Shuichi.
Kuwabara was scratching his head, "You said these schools. You mean there is more than one?"
Koenma and Genkai nodded.
"How come I've never heard of them until now," Yusuke said, a confuse look on his face.
Genkai continued. "Only European and the Western countries have such schools. Places like the East, Africa and other places where old magick is practice do not have such schools. Instead, what they and we have are Master-student relationships. The master chooses one to be his student and passes all his knowledge to the student. The cycle is then repeated."
Keiko nodded, "Kind of like you and Yusuke."
"Correct. This has been the practice here to insure that only the best receive the Knowledge. The student who fails loses his life, as failure is not tolerated. The student who succeeds becomes the new Master and imprints his own signature thereby adding to the knowledge. Magickal knowledge is also passed down in families. Oftentimes, the knowledge is closely guarded to the point that outsiders are killed for obtaining it."
"But you apparently made a mistake with Yusuke." Hiei said from his position.
"Hey!"
Genkai sighed, "Apparently."
"Genkai!"
"In the West, things are different. They have schools. But they are selective on their students," Koenma continued for Genkai.
"That doesn't explain the letters we got." Yusuke said.
"Wait, how come I didn't get one?"
"Baka. He said the schools are selective." Hiei was rolling his eyes at Kazuma.
"You're definitely asking for it!"
He lunged at Hiei.
"Stop it!"
The two boys froze up. It was Yukina. She looked upset. They both immediately calmed down.
"If it weren't for her, you'd be dead meat you shrimp!" he growled through gritted teeth.
"Hn."
Genkai and Koenma were exchanging looks. Koenma glanced at Shuichi then at Kurama before sighing.
"Well, er...Kuwabara will be going too..." The rest of Koenma's words were drowned out by Kazuma's whoops for joy. "I think the owl that's in charge of bringing his letter got a little lost or something..."
"Chotto. Owls? They bring the letters?" There was something in Hiei's look.
"Yes. Owls deliver messages in the wizarding world-well, in their world I mean," Koenma said.
"Well, oops...that must have been the one I offed. It was carrying a letter or something." He did not look sorry at all. In fact, there seemed to be a slight smile on his face.
"YOU DID WHAT TO MY OWL MESSENGER?!"
"Hiei, you did not?" Yukina said softly. "Did you?"
He sulked. He didn't kill the darn bird. He just knocked it out. It was swooping all over the place and generally annoying him. There were others too. However, he was tempted. Very tempted. Owls after all are one source of protein...
"No I did not. It's just sleeping somewhere I guess."
"OH my POOR OWL!"
Whacked!
Shizuru had hit her brother again, for what seemed to be the nth time. "Stopped whining you blockhead!"
"Oh well, anyway," Koenma continued. "The Ministry of Magic-that's a big organization in the Wizarding world, kinda like a national government agency- decided to hold an exchange student program. It is hoped that the program will benefit both sides since there will be an exchange of information. Japan was among the countries chosen for the pilot test."
"And we are it," Kurama said.
"Being my students," Genkai replied. "Yes." She glanced at Shuichi before continuing. "The reason you never got the letters until now is that, wizarding schools only send letters to gifted students who had no teachers. You had me."
That was a half-truth and they both knew it. But Kurama understood. The explanation was more for Shuichi than them anyway. Telling his brother now who they really are would just present more problems. Err; did you know that your older stepbrother and some of his friends are demons that have enough power to destroy Tokyo many times over? Hardy, har, har. His human mother would have a heart attack. His stepfather...well...he didn't want to think about it.
"Wait!"
Everyone jumped at Yusuke's sudden outburst.
"I can't go to a wizarding school! It would look funny on my school records! No university will ever accept me if they see in my records that I attended a wizarding school!"
Everyone did a double take. Yusuke? Worried about his school records? Is the world ending?
"Are you sick or something?" Botan inquired. One blue eyebrow was raised.
"I think I'm going to faint," Keiko said dryly.
"I'm not kidding!"
Keiko suddenly looked menacing," Listen here Yusuke!" She had stood up and was looking down at him, " You are going to that Wizarding school whether you like it or not! It's not everyday that you get an invitation for something new. And the way your school records look you'll have more chances in a wizarding school than a university."
Yusuke was staring at her open-mouth. "You're mean," he managed to squeak.
Then she smiled at him sweetly, "Don't forget to send us souvenirs, k?"
The next thing he knew she was hugging him. As quickly as that happened she let go. He can never really figure girls out. But her hugging him was nice.
"Aww, that's sweet. Do I get a hug too, Yukina?"
One of the piled logs near the fireplace suddenly flew in the direction of Kuwabara and knocked him out cold. Everyone turned to Hiei. He shrugged.
Genkai sighed, "Well I guess it couldn't be help."
"Well, err, that's about it," Koenma said. "The rest of you could go home. Yusuke, Hiei and Kura...I mean Minamino, I'd like you stay for uh...err..."
"Last minute instructions," Genkai supplied. "I don't want my students making a jack-ass of themselves in Hogwarts. I have a reputation to uphold you know."
The rest stood up. Shuichi looked at his older brother.
"It'll be alright. You go ahead. Don't worry, we'll tell our parents together."
"Ne, Shuichi. We'll walk you home," Keiko held out her hand towards the boy.
Genkai called out, "Shizuru, when that brother of yours wakes up tell him we'll be leaving for Hogwarts the day after tomorrow. That should give everyone enough time to prepare." She turned to Yukina, "Yukina, go with Keiko. I need to be alone with my students for awhile."
"Botan, make sure Shuichi gets home safely"
"Oni-chan! I'm not a kid anymore!"
"Sure!" She practically bounced out of the temple door with Shuichi in tow. Shizuru on the other hand was dragging her unconscious brother's body outside with one hand.
Kurama heard his brother asking Botan what Genkai planned to do with them. He heard her reply in her usual cheery manner, "Oh probably kick their asses!" Then she was giggling as Keiko admonitioned her not to swear in front of a child.
The room was now quiet. The roaring fire was casting shadows in the dim room. They waited for a while as the sound of incessant chatter and footsteps died away. The first one who spoke was Hiei.
"So what's the REAL STORY?"
Koenma gulped," Hey, I didn't expect company."
Yusuke frowned, "Well, someone should have placed in HIS LETTER that this was strictly Rei Tantei meeting only."
"Enough!" It was Genkai.
Kurama had his arms cross. It was his usual posture whenever he was thinking. "The Exchange Student Program...that part was true..." he mused. " The why on the other hand..."
"When someone dies they go to Reikai, right?" Koenma asked.
Yusuke nodded, "Yeah, for processing. You know whether they should go to heaven or hell or somewhere else." He shuddered, remembering his own experience.
"Let me guess," Hiei sneered. "Somebody screwed up, right?"
Koenma turned red. "We did not screw up! He...he," he started to bluster. "I mean we couldn't find him."
"Was he a demon?" Kurama asked.
"No." There was a long pause. The Reikai prince looked very upset. "Human."
"NINGEN!" That was Yusuke and Hiei. They both looked incredulous.
"That's ridiculous!" Hiei started to laugh. "Well isn't THAT funny."
"He's not an ordinary human, I tell you," Koenma was looking more upset by the minute.
"I believe you," Kurama said quietly. Everyone turned to him.
Genkai said quietly to him, "Tell us what you know."
"There are Rules in the 3 worlds- Makai, Ningenkai and Reikai. The rules are inviolable. To break them would mean an unimaginable fate of endless suffering."
"What sort of fate?" Yusuke asked.
"Baka. He said unimaginable."
"Listen, Hiei. Don't compare me to Kazuma."
"Hn."
Kurama cleared his throat, "No one knows. The Rules have never been broken. There has never been a shortage of attempts though."
"What sort of Rules?"
Koenma answered, "Well, for starters, there's the energy barrier separating the 3 worlds. In order to crossover, you have to follow certain procedures. For humans, they have to be dead to be in Reikai..."
"Or close enough," Kurama interjected.
"Yes. For youkai's," Koenma continued. "Anyone above a Class A level can't go through the barriers..."
"Huh? But what about us?" Yusuke looked confused.
"I said the Rules cannot be broken. I didn't say they can't be bent." Kurama answered him.
"Oh." Something clicked in Yusuke's head. "Oh, so you mean the human who was supposed to go to Reikai managed to go around the Rules or something?"
Koenma nodded. Genkai spoke up, "Only an extraordinary human can do that. Or he could possess knowledge about the 10 Commandments."
The two youkai were quiet. Yusuke scratched his head," 10 Commandments? Uh, like uh...that guy's what's-his-name in a book who parted some sea or something?"
Kurama smiled, "That Yusuke is the Sunday school version. There is a legend among the three Worlds. There was a time when the three Worlds were as one. There was this Great War called the Overdrive that resulted in the separation of the three worlds. In order for it not to happen again, the greatest of the Saint Beasts set down the Rules or what we call the 10 Commandments."
"Whoa." Then Yusuke continued, "I've never heard of that legend here."
"Baka. Ningens have short memories."
"Listen Hiei..."
"Oh shut up you two!" Genkai interrupted. "The reason no such legend existed here is because the knowledge is lost to the majority. It has only been recently rediscovered by archaeologists and researchers as they dug up new artifacts from ancient civilizations. However, their findings are contested. No one wants to believe them"
Hiei looked at Genkai, "But you know."
Genkai smiled, "The knowledge has been passed down from Master to student."
"So," Koenma continued. "We have here a human who managed to go around the Rules. But that's not the worst. The Barriers had been weakening lately. Demonic activity near the Borders has been increasing as Hiei very well knows, being a frontier guard at Makai, and we at Reikai are losing souls that were suppose to go to us. This is indicating that the Commandments are weakening."
"So why go to Hogwarts, Koenma?" Yusuke asked.
"The renegade human's last whereabouts were confirmed to be there. It seems there is a connection with the Commandments. Another piece of disturbing news is that one of our agents, after sending his last communication, disappeared. His last message was that the ningen we were looking for was no longer human."
"Youkai?" Kurama asked a worried look on his face.
Koenma shook his head, "It wasn't confirmed." The Prince looked very tired.
Kurama was frowning, "The Ministry of Magic knows all this?"
Genkai shook her head, "Ie. No. However, they are aware of the renegade because it seems he was a wizard who had gone bad. They call him Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. To say his name, they believe, is to bring Death."
"I beg your pardon," a voice said quietly from the shadows. Everyone jumped. Hiei shot up to the ceiling looking very much like a cat that had been freaked.
The speaker emerged from the shadows. It was a very tall man with brown hair and clear blue eyes hidden behind glasses. He had a rather serious expression on his handsome face. He was also wearing a suit. In his hands was a black box covered with intricate designs.
Kurama frowned. He did not sense the man at all. He was not even registering in his other senses except his eyes and ears of course. And that was odd because he would know if he was hallucinating. This one was definitely not a phantom and yet...
Koenma seemed to alternately pale then brighten up. "Tatsumi. You're a little late," he glanced at the box. "So you found it."
"It took awhile. Someone seemed to forget where he placed it," the man replied with a smile.
"Who are you?" Kurama asked. He didn't intend to make his voice sound harsh but it came out that way.
"Death," he answered Kurama. "You're a slippery one. Did you know that?" He moved closer to Kurama until their faces were almost touching. For reason's he could not understand, Kurama felt his blood run cold.
Tatsumi smiled, "Relax. I'm not here for any of you."
Yusuke opened his mouth but nothing came out. He tried again, "Death? But I thought the Grim Reapers were ferry girls."
"They are that too," Tatsumi agreed.
Hiei came down from his position near the roof. He eyed the tall man suspiciously. One hand was on his katana.
"Well," Genkai said. "Say hello to your new chaperone." She looked very amused.
TBC
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K.H. Before I go on with Chapter 4, I need to have a few of my questions answered. I can't ask the brothers 'coz they're acting funny (Dragon Lady, what the heck did you put in those cookies? *LOL *), its been a while since I last saw YYH and YnM and somebody borrowed my HP books w/o permission and has still not returned them yet. T.T. I'm hoping my dear readers can help me…onegai?
1. Does anybody know the name of Kurama's human step-dad? I don't think it was mentioned in the anime.
2. Does anybody recall the full name of that CCS female teacher who was there when Yue gave Sakura her test? It was Ms. Mizuki-something as I recall.
3. What is the difference between a Shinigami and a Shikigami? I've visited various YnM sites and the terms are used interchangeably but I think they're two different things.
4. Names of the Weasley family members.
5. For Yami no Matsuei – Is it spelled Juou Agency?
That's it. I hope someone can answer my questions. You'd also probably noticed by now that I'm using elements from other animes in my fic. By the way, uh, Hiei, you have favorite trees? * tries hard not to giggle *
Hiei: URUSEI! (K.H.: That's shut up in Japanese ^_^)
K.H. I personally prefer the balete tree...it has a scary reputation though...
Hiei: I said SHUT UP!
Kurama: Wait until Hiei takes his first plane ride...that's in Chapter 4. (evil grin to Hiei)
Hiei: o_O_o
K.H. As I said, it'll fall into place...^o^ R and R. Your input is highly appreciated. Corrections and comments on my writing are welcomed.
Shuichi: Yay! R and R minna-san! (still bouncing on sugar-high)
Kurama: When we get home, I'm putting you on a sugar-free diet. *smiles coldly starting to turn into his youkai form* If you happen to borrow Hikari's Harry Potter books I suggest you return them to her...NOW.
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