DISCLAIMER: The following characters are not legally mine. The only thing original here is the plotline. Don't waste your time filing a lawsuit against me. I'm broke.
WARNING: Rei Tantei + Bloody Mary drinks hangovers and hentai innuendoes. Shinigami guardian is on a short leash so please behave, minna. O.o
THANKIES: Aya-chan! Also known as Dragon Lady Supreme. For the action ideas and beta-reading it. She's in a phunk mood right now. Hope you get better soon girl. Send her warm fluffies now!
K. Hikari: Whew! That was a quick update. Hopefully Chapter 18 will be as quick if not quicker.
Word Watch:
Korosu – I'll kill you or something to that effect
Nandato – What? Say that again.
Baka – No it's not Spanish or Filipino for cow. It's Japanese for idiot, moron…and other terms of endearment Hiei has for Kuwabara.
DA – Defense Association a.k.a Dumbledore's Army (from Book 5 of the Harry Potter series)
Oni-chan – dear older brother
Chapter 17: The Point of No Return
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"No wands!" Kazuma exploded. "Then what the hell was all that swishing flicking for if we're not going to use them!"
"Hn."
"That means Hiei-no matter how hard to believe that is-actually agrees with Kazuma."
"What, really? So you mean that Hiei's 'hns' actually have different meanings, Kurama?"
"Korosu..."
There were wide grins from Yusuke and Kurama at Hiei's glare towards them.
"Do NOT make me repeat myself," evil glare from Tatsumi towards the Rei Tantei.
"But I wanted to go to Diagon Alley...! It's not fair that Pippin got to take Shuuichi there to get his first wand," Botan whined.
Kurama nudged her, " I don't think now is the time...you can tell Sei-san's in a bad mood by that throbbing nerve on his temple."
"And the way the shadows are shifting restlessly..." Yusuke pointed out nervously with a laugh.
Tatsumi heaved in a deep breath and then let out a cleansing sigh.
"But how come Shuichi has a wand..."
Kuwabara apparently deserved his moniker Kuwa-baka which was coined lovingly by Hiei.
"We all have wands so it's only natural he has one too..." Yusuke sniggered.
Botan blinked, clueless as ever. Which is nice now that you think about it. "I thought you guys aren't getting wands...?"
Yusuke and Kurama doubled over in laughter. Kazuma realized the innuendo a full minute after and guffawed. Hiei and Tatsumi were both fighting a grin so as not to ruin their stern demeanor. They managed to reduce it to a smirk.
Botan looked around and then blushed as she realized it, "Yusuke!" She gave him a hard slap in the back.
"Whaaaat?"
"Never mind... I'll...I'll go check if Shuuichi is ready."
She left the room.
Silence for a few minutes as the Rei Tantei gave each other looks and tried not to burst into fits again.
Kazuma opened his mouth to say something which Tatsumi promptly stopped with another of his patented glares. Yusuke made an attempt at another wisecrack. Tatsumi shot him down, "If I hear any more jokes about wands I will seriously shorten yours, Yusuke."
"Eep."
He adjusted his glasses and addressed the group. "I will remind you again of the purpose of this mission. Your covers are exchange students from Japan. Yusuke is Genkai's student. The rest of you are from the different schools of onmyoujitsu in Japan and are highly recommended by Genkai. Genkai's opinion is valued here since she and the Headmaster know each other. Your job as students is to observe how Western magic is done and then show them how we do things in Japan WITHOUT revealing your true identities. Above all you should realize that magic in the West is not openly embraced as it is in the East and so you should show them only what they need to know and nothing else. Am I clear? They know nothing of Spirit Detectives or any agency that processes the dead and the demons they know off are to be killed, no questions ask. "
Nods from the Rei Tantei.
"Second, while there...you are to uncover who is trying to help undo the 10 Commandments and how they plan to do it exactly. The heirs of the remaining Chosen Families will be there as well because what is happening is also affecting them. You are to be very careful since they have their own agendas and they practice the old ways so they will most likely uncover your true identities if you are careless."
More sleepy nodding.
Kurama smiled as politely as he could, "Okay, but what about Kazuma's valid question?"
Vigorous nodding from both Kazuma and Yusuke. Hiei just grunted.
"I was getting there before you people keep interrupting me," he shot the fox a sharp look of annoyance. "The exercise was needed since while you are there to show them how we do things in the East you will also be asked to join in their exercises. Now...answer me...do you honestly want them to see you unable to use your wand Kuwabara? Or have yours exploded in your hand Yusuke?" Tatsumi blinked as he realized how wrong that sounded. "No...Wait...don't answer that."
Yusuke opened his mouth. Hiei beat him to it, "Give it a rest, Yusuke. The gag's getting old."
Yusuke looked disappointed. Tatsumi gave the fire demon a grateful look. "Any more green jokes from you Yusuke and I will discipline you in a way that makes Genkai's training a walk in the park in comparison."
"Yes, sir!"
"Kurama, don't give Yusuke any more bloody maries. The same goes for you too Hiei. Stop daring Urameshi and Kuwabara to have some. Questions, anyone?"
"Awww nuts...!" Yusuke complained.
"Uhm...has anybody seen my favorite blankie? I left it on my bed so I could pack it in my trunk..." Kazuma asked.
En-ma help me. They had an hour to make it to King's Cross or else miss the train completely. He stared at his wards and wondered again what was in his karma to have had this responsibility.
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Shepherding two Rei Tantei members who were still suffering from a mild hangover was no easy task. After being stuck in the infamous London traffic they had less than 10 minutes left to make it to platform 9 and ¾, the name of which had gotten another wise ass remark from Yusuke that led to Kurama placing his hands around his younger brother's ears. Botan had to keep a hand on Kuwabara who had a tendency to wander off so he won't get lost in the crowded train station while Tatsumi checked to make sure Yusuke wasn't annoying too many people with his hyper condition. He left the fox to oversee that nobody lost their luggage and that his younger brother was not feeling very overwhelmed with all of these.
Shuuichi had gotten a small spotted owl for his familiar as well as a wand made of white birch and a strand of unicorn hair for its core. He had come back from his trip at Diagon Alley all excited and happy at what he'd seen and heard, spending the rest of the day talking about it. Meanwhile, to ease their disappointment at not being allowed to come, the others decided to hit the mini bar of their room and Kurama had managed to mix up drinks with what's available. They'd stopped as soon as Tatsumi and Pippin had walked in. Pippin had excused himself when Tatsumi started yelling at them about being sober for tomorrow's trip.
"This way people," Tatsumi barked at the group as he led them towards platforms 9 and 10. Somewhere in between that would be platform 9 and 3/4. Kuwabara looked up and slurred a bit, "Oi...neat..." He had meant the way the magical platform was shielded from ordinary eyes.
Hiei snorted, "Who are they kidding with those barriers...?"
Yusuke exclaimed in a loud voice that it was amazing that the place wasn't attacked with demons considering the paltry use of chi. A few passersby turned to look at him so Kurama had to drag him back to the group and apologize that his friend had watched too many anime last night.
Shuuichi blinked and just stared at the pillar between platform 9 and 10. Where was platform 9 and ¾?
"Well, what are you people dawdling there off? Get going," Tatsumi snapped. Botan pushed a sleepy Kuwabara through the pillar much to Shuuichi's surprise. Hiei followed, snorting his dislike. Yusuke shuffled his way to it under Tatsumi's icy glare.
"It's all right, Shuuichi. We'll go through it together," Kurama said soothingly to his brother, taking his hand in one and pushing the luggage cart with the other. Shuuichi half expected to run into solid wall and closed his eyes as he let his brother push him through. When he didn't feel a solid smack he opened them tentatively and was greeted with the sight of a busy platform filled with families and people in odd clothes and robes.
"Talk about cliché..." Kurama mumbled in disbelief. Here and there, children and a few other adults walked or ran around in black robes. Some even had pointed hats on. The crowd chatter was occasionally punctuated by some familiar's screeching, howling, hooting or even croaking. A few feet away were a group of kids obviously discussing the attributes of a broom that another kid was holding. The train let out a whistle and someone called out all aboard. Kids started boarding, tearful parents waved goodbye, others wish their kids luck, still others had their folks handing them out last minute instructions.
"Okay...this is where I leave you...I have something else to attend."
"You're leaving us...?" Kuwabara looked like he was about to cry. That earned him odd looks from the group.
Tatsumi cleared his throat, "Try not to get into trouble so soon. Oh and Kurama...make sure the train reaches Hogwarts in one piece and not blown up accidentally over there by Urameshi."
"Meet up later?" Yusuke asked; a bit more sobered up now but yawning.
"You do your jobs. I do mine," the shinigami responded.
Another long blast from the train whistle. The Rei Tantei nodded at the shinigami and got on board.
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Ron looked at his list of Gryffindors and tried not to get dizzy as the train chugged its way through the verdant country side. Due to last years events, the magical community could no longer afford denying the return of Him-who-must-not-be-named. As a result, additional measures to ensure the safety of Hogwarts students were taken. In his hand was a list of Gryffindor students who enrolled for the school year. On another list were the names of some of the freshmen who were taking the Hogwarts Express. The new students list was divided amongst House leaders since it was still unsure to which Houses they would be sorted in. He, as well as the other House leaders, was to check if everyone got on the train and if not find out why. He looked at the list sadly. He didn't see some familiar names in the Gryffindor list. He couldn't blame them. More minus points for Vol-
"Yo, carrot head!"
Ron frowned as that familiar annoying voice called his name and interrupted his thoughts. He ignored it and continued checking each compartment for the names of the students on his list.
"Hey, freckle face! I'm talking to you!"
Calm down and ignore him.
"I said I'm talking to you!"
A hand came down Ron's shoulder and he turned around so quickly he almost lost his balance. His antagonizers laughed. "Ooooh...look at Weasley...acting like a frightened twit...," Malfoy's goons taunted.
"I see that another year has passed, and your friends still don't have half a brain, Malfoy."
Cripes. Hermione. Oh man...she should have stayed out of this. She was several room compartments ahead of him since they had decided to start on the opposite ends then meet at the center of the train cab. Apparently, Malfoy's arrival had drawn her towards his side.
"Weeeellll... If it ain't the mudblood herself, "Draco drawled out. He sleeked back his blond hair and grinned at her cheekily. "Come to the rescue of your friend, eh, Granger?"
"Go away Draco. Can't you see we have work to do?" spat back the bushy haired House Leader of Gryffindor.
"Oh, so now Red here deigns to speak?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really Draco, every year, same routine. It's becoming so cliché already. And since when did you learn to use a big word like 'deign'?"
Crabbe and Goyle grunted and made a step towards her. Ron found to his surprise that he'd move to put himself between Malfoy's goons and Hermione, "Don't even think of touching her..."
"Or what?" Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Harry comes to your rescue again? Speaking off...where is that pathetic excuse of a wizard?"
"He's not on board," Hermione said, her eyes level with Draco's.
"Didn't enroll? What a coward."
"Oh no...He's enrolled," Ron said haughtily. "You'll see."
"No I don't see, Weasley. All I see is that there is no Potter around."
"Ignore him Ron. Let him strut around. He won't be acting like the top dog for long when those exchange students come around." She tugged Ron's arm trying to lead him away from Malfoy.
Crabbe spoke up, "Uhm...those eastern magicians?"
Draco snorted, "Oh puh-leeze... What can they do that we can't? My dad says Eastern magic is nothing."
Ron and Hermione started to laugh. Draco opened his mouth for another sharp retort when Hermione pointed to him with her wand, "If I hear anymore remarks from you I swear I will remove your voice for the duration of this trip!"
Ron looked at his list then back at Draco, "Say...they never told you that if you don't finish checking your lists, your House gets minus points?"
Draco stopped and stared," Very funny Weasly."
"Oh he's not kidding," Hermione nodded. "And if you falsify it... more minus points."
Draco grabbed the list that he'd handed to Goyle when he spied Ron. The tick marks he'd placed there to make it look liked he'd done his job was gone. All of them.
"What did you do, mudblood!" Draco grabbed Hermione's arm painfully before Ron could do anything about it.
The door to the compartment slid open suddenly and a surly looking and extremely tall guy with hair even redder than that of Ron's stepped out to glare at the group. "What's all the noise about?" the kid drawled sleepily.
The group froze and turned to stare at this new student in surprise. Kazuma stared back at them. He was still sleepy and he didn't like being interrupted in his nap. Not only that...he didn't like waking up to hear people shouting then see someone manhandling a female. He glanced at Hermione then back to Draco then back to Hermione again, "Is he giving you trouble, miss?
A blue haired girl squeezed out from somewhere between the tall guy's body and the door frame and bowed, "Oh I'm so sorry... please excuse us... he always gets like that when he's interrupted from his sleep."
Kuwabara remained staring at the way Draco was holding Hermione's arms.
"Tch. Unlike this guy over here..." A new voice piped up.
Heads craned to look at the owner of the new voice. It was a smaller young man, dressed all in black with his black hair all spiked up and the odd white starburst on his bangs. He had been gesturing to another young man, whose head was leaning on the window, drooling in his sleep and snoring loudly, his black hair sleek back. Beside him was another young man with a face that made both Slytherin and Gryffindor do a double take at its beauty. He was smiling politely at them all and was obviously interrupted while playing a game of cards with another younger man with brown hair. The new group looked obviously Asian except for the handsome young man playing cards and the blue haired girl. There's was a look that hinted of mixed heritage-part Asian...part...Caucasian.
"Bugger off. It's none of your business, newbies," Crabbe so unwisely proclaimed and tried to look intimidating...except he came up at Kuwabara's eyebrow level.
"Nandato...?" Kuwabara growled. "Where we come from, we respect our women."
"Then why don't you crawl back into whatever hole you came from," Malfoy snapped. Goyle pushed Botan aside roughly. She tripped and almost landed hard if Kurama hadn't caught her. He looked at the group and said in his most neutral voice, "That wasn't very nice."
"Yeah, well deal with it, Asian boy. You're in Europe now." he twisted Hermione's arm and she yelped. Ron saw red and took a wild swing at Draco. Draco dodges it in time, pushing Hermione towards Ron. She and Ron landed in a heap. Something skidded out into the corridor and stopped short in front of Goyle's foot. Kuwabara braced himself for good punch at Crabbe.
Yusuke chose that moment to wake up, jumping up all of a sudden and going very still as if listening for something. Kuwabara's fist halted a mere centimeters away from Crabbe's face who had been shocked at the quickness of the movement. He, too, was cocking his ear as if listening for something- a look of intense concentration on his face, forgetting that seconds ago he wanted to hurt Crabbe badly. A couple of last year's DA members had poked their heads out, wand ready, curious about what was going on.
Ron and Hermione stared at the way the Asians seemed to freeze in mid-movement, eyes and ears alert for something that it seemed only they could sense. They couldn't help but try to feel out what it was the group noticed.
Draco felt the sudden change of mood and looked a bit frightened, unsure as to what is happening. Crabbe and Goyle just looked confused.
"What... is... that?" Yusuke said, turning his head this way and that as if trying to get the bearings of a sound. The smaller guy also jumped on the seat then opened the window, wind rushing in the compartment. He sniffed the air then turned back with a scowl on his face. The blue haired girl looked wide eyed. In the scuffle, they barely noticed that the train had sped up and was no longer going at its usual comfortable pace.
"W-What's going on?" Hermione had found her voice. The looks on the new students faces were starting to scare her. Not that they were trying to look scary but that it seemed they know something; and that something was bad- very bad.
"We're nearing one of the borders."
It was the small guy. His voice sounded tight.
"It don't sound and smell like that when we near the borders..." the other guy with black hair said. He was frowning too.
"Oni-chan?" the youngest of the group said, looking at the other red head who was currently helping the blue-haired girl up.
"It's alright Shuuichi. Just stay here. Botan will look after you."
"I demand an explanation!" Draco said indignantly. He didn't like his spotlight stolen from him. He was completely ignored.
"Kurama, what do you think?"
"I don't know Yusuke...the border sounds like it's pushed to its limits already. Maybe it'll hold, maybe it won't."
"Border?"
"Shut up ugly face!" Kuwabara jerked Crabbe by the collar.
"Look who's talking!"
"ENOUGH!"
They turned to Hermione who had regained her composure. "As House Leader of Gryffindor I am ordering you all back into your compartments and to stay there for the duration of the trip!" A few students had slunk back into their rooms at her command.
"And if we say no?" Draco smirked.
A zap from Hermione's wand singed part of Draco's hair. Before he could react, Ron had his wand up too and pointed at him, "Don't even think about it Malfoy. School year hasn't officially started yet but you're already losing House points."
This time...they heard a faint but very distinct groaning sound. Kurama stepped in front of their outstretched wands and shook his head firmly, "No…no magic."
Goyle took the chance to go for his wand and uttered a spell, "Expelliar-ugh!" Before he could finish the incantation, Shuuichi had jumped on him shouting a warning to his brother. The spell went awry. Instead of pulling the wands from Ron and Hermione, a tiny explosion punched a hole into the train roof. He and Goyle crashed on the floor.
"Baka!" and Hiei let loose a series of expletives that not even his translator could handle.
Moments later the groaning sound was now louder until it seemed that the land was splitting apart. The train shuddered then lurched wildly.
"Oh hell!" Yusuke yelled over the sound of creaking, crashing and the wind howling past. There were a few shrieks and yells heard over the other rooms at the unfamiliar speed. They were heading straight for the mountain underpass that marked the borders between the Muggle and Magical Worlds.
"What...what's going on...?" Draco and his friends look around wildly. The train wasn't supposed to go this fast. It was as if it was making a run for something. A feeling of dread was starting to settle in his stomach. Something very bad was happening and they didn't know what.
"Close the window Botan!" Kurama yelled over the noise. He turned to Hermione, "Tell everyone on this train to close their windows! Now! Trust me...when we go in that tunnel...you don't want your window open. And you don't want to be caught outside the cabs either!"
Hiei was looking up at the hole on the ceiling, "What about that?"
Ron scrambled, "I'll fix that. Reparo!" The hole sealed itself. Hermione ran towards the other end of the cab where there she could relay the instructions to the other House leaders on the other cabs. There was a portrait there that served as their messaging system since the characters in the paintings could move from one frame to the other in each cab quicker than they could move from one cab to the next.
"Go," Kurama nudge Ron. "Go tell everyone in this cab to close their windows or any openings whatsoever. Check! Make sure EVERYONE is inside."
Something in the boy's tone didn't allow for questions. That would come later. Ron decided he didn't like the way the outside world was starting to sound and he didn't want to know. It sounded terrible and it felt bad.
"Why...is the sky darkening?"
Draco whirled around to look at Crabbe who was still hanging a few inches off the floor thanks to Kuwabara. His friend was staring wide eyed at the window in the Asian's room. He glanced at what his friend was looking at and felt dread settle in his stomach. The sky was a dirty shade of grays and yellows. Something was creeping over the horizon. The groaning sound that seemed to come from deep inside the earth sounded louder. Despite all openings having been closed, the smell had seeped through enough to make some of the more sensitive students sick to their stomachs.
"Now what do we do?" Kuwabara looked at his friends, nose wrinkling in disgust.
Yusuke had come down from his seat and crossed his arms, jaw set. "Now...we wait..."
"And if the train doesn't make it?" Hiei asked calmly as if he was just discussing ordinary weather outside and the train they were on wasn't racing at speeds that the regulars didn't know it was built or even capable off. Or that the outside world hadn't gone nuts.
"What do you mean 'doesn't make it'!"
The Rei Tantei turned to the blond Slytherin and gave him a smile that made him whimper.
Yusuke gave a feral grin, "Then we're screwed. Hope you know how to fight, European boy."
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TBC
K.H. Help! How do I subscribe to a C2 community? I keep getting this "You must be logged on message" when I'm already logged on. And just when I think I've got the formatting stuff right on they go on a change it again and screw up my spacing and character fonts! Waaaahhhh! (cries)
Oh! Told you the next update would be quick if the office doesn't drown me in paper works. I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter.
