SatoriSama: Hey y'all! (Insert generic authors note here, but with a lemony twist. And sugar, don't forget the sugar. You know I love them lemonades.)

We started as strangers, now we are friends. (I hope! )

Venusgreenight: ZZZZZ…. American idol, my patoot.

LivingImpared: Thanks again!

Kitsune Kit: The second half of this is sort of hopeful with everyone's favorite uncouple, but there is another subplot going on, so just pay attention. Other than that, YES! They will get together or make a move by the end of part IV! I am very excited.

PainfulxRecovery: Thanks for the luck; the show went off without a hitch! Here's another chapter, and the appearance of a very important person.

IntoTheWakingDawn: Thanks, and don't worry, the vacation will make up sense. Eventually. Maybe…

Spork: AWESOME! LOOOOOONG REVIEW… well sort of… anyway… lol! I loved your ps's. And I hoped somebody would like Kurama's secret girlie! Anyway, that comes into play soon as well. And no, nothing goes according to plan. Ever.

SeikaFushichou: LOL! Nice, Jewels, Nice. J/K. Seeyah soon.

BakaHanyouRahvin: BINGO YOU WIN THE PRIZE! Man I just sounded like Botan. Ack. Thanks on Daja's personality thing; you're the first to comment on that! Anyway, I'm thinking about going into why she is like that in the next part (part V), but I dunno. Got to deal with everyone's favorite uncouple, and now Kurama-kun's women now too. THANKS!

STINEY, GET ME A CHAPTER!


Chapter 21: High Roller

Kuwabara: The smooth, feminine voice cheerily greets us from behind the beautiful mahogany registration desk. "Welcome to the Shattered Glass Casino. Do you have reserva-huh?" Her red fox ears swivel directly at us, her long, silky red tail draped over her lap twitches momentarily. Her deep, hazely brown eyes seem to melt at the sight of us, and her already stunning, white smile widens to an even more gorgeous width, but she isn't as pretty as my Yukina. Nope. She just… isn't. I can't explain it, but she isn't.

"Just a moment, please." She says flirtatiously as she picks up her phone and dials a room number. For a second, her voice drops and speaks in a strange foreign tongue. She nods a few times and smiles, just listening to the other person on the phone. This is starting to irritate me. Demons just don't have any manners.

She hangs up, and I notice her nametag. 'Reina', perhaps meaning 'the sound of jewels'? Doesn't make sense to me, like most demons I know. I purposely ignore the short one standing next to Kurama and behind me. Hiei gives me an annoyed look, and I choose to just turn away. This is not the place to go at it with him. I've got to save all the women from certain doom. I am going to be a hero…

"I'm sorry for the interruption." She smiles. "Welcome to the Shattered Glass Casino. We had no idea that guests of your caliber were planning on visiting our lowly establishment." She stands up and walks around the desk, her short skirt showing long, tanned legs. She looks confident, but her nervously swinging foxtail gives her away. "My name is Reina. If you will follow me, I will show you to your room."

Yusuke stops for a second, and then I stop too, also confused by this skanky receptionist.

He looks suspicious. "What do you mean by 'your' room?"

Reina turns around and her ears swivel to take in the sounds coming from behind and in front of her. "We couldn't possibly let you stay in a normal, public room. For the infamous Urameshi team, who won the Dark Tournament two years in a row, we have a high roller suite being prepared for you as we speak. Now if you will please follow me." She begins to motion to a bellboy to take our few bags, but Kurama silences her with a wave.

She blushes uncontrollably and mutters an apology. "I'm very sorry, forgive my forwardness." She presses a button on the wall, and the elevator doors open. She steps in and we follow. She opens a panel and pushes a series of buttons: 0, 8, 1, 3, 8, 5, and the enter key. I couldn't see her as she dialed them, but I'm almost positive that was the number sequence.

The elevator zooms upward, and a few seconds later the door opens revealing a lavishly decorated hallway, ending with an even more ornate door. Sweet.

She takes out a swipe card and puts it in the lock on the door, her ears towards us at an alert position. The little red light turns green, and I can tell the lock is now unlocked. Reina pushes to door open to reveal a set of stairs leading up from the entry hall to a balcony over looking the suite's 'mud room' or 'foyer'.

Almost immediately after stepping into the room, that tickly feeling I get sometimes when something bad is going to happen, you know the one I'm talking about? Well, I've got it about a zillion times worse than I've ever gotten it. I mean, it's like I've been in a deep freeze freezer for a few hours, and now I'm in an oven and needles are poking all over my body, especially my eyes for some strange and really un-cool reason.

So now, after practicing this odd mental torture on me, the feeling zeros in on the man who is standing at the top of the stairs. He has black tennis shoes with black laces on, his black bondage pants are sewn with purple thread, his chained belt scares me a lot, he has a button down dress shirt on under a dark purple t-shirt with a strange symbol I've never seen before, his wrist has a spiked wristband and a black band that resembles a Live Strong bracelet, he's got a strange silver symbol around his neck to that has been inlaid with black Makai crystals (talk about your bling bling considering just one small Makai crystal is way beyond what I can afford, and that's not even getting into the color of the gem), some earrings in his ears, square black plastic framed glasses on his nose, eyes lined with black makeup (what a weirdo), and his obnoxiously red hair spiked in a way that defies all laws of gravity I know of (not even Hiei's hair is that spiky).

"Hello, you must be the infamous Urameshi team. I'm glad that you have chosen to stay with us." He starts to walk down the stairs, his chains jingling all the way. The feeling intensifies the closer this gothic looking guy gets. "I hope you find your accommodations acceptable. We prepared it on such short notice, so if you need anything," he motions to Reina, "feel free to call the front desk and ask for Reina. She has been instructed to do anything in her power to make you more comfortable. There are four separate bedrooms upstairs, each with a full bath. To your left is a full kitchen and dining area with a stocked pantry, although you if you prefer, you can call room service and they will bring something up for you to dine on. To your right is an all-purpose relaxing room with a well-stocked wet bar, entertainment system, and the most comfortable of furniture. I tested each myself, if that is any inclination at all. If you need anything, please feel free to ask us. Here at the Shattered Glass, we strive to provide the best of service to our guests. Enjoy your stay."

The gothic guy begins to walk towards the door, passing between Yusuke and I. His shoulder brushes against my arm, and an intense feeling of evil washes over me like scalding water boiling the skin off my bones.

Yusuke makes a face at me when I freeze up, asking me if something is wrong. When I barely nod my head, he goes off in his detective mode. "What was your name again, I didn't catch it."

The red haired man stops and turns around, giving us a smile that seems to be genuine and happy. "Oh, I must have forgotten to mention it. Forgive my manners, I should really know better, after all." Laughing good-naturedly at himself, he reaches out a hand to shake Yusuke's. "My name is Zane Gensou."


Hiei: It wasn't that I had not expected this case to go quickly, for I was sure it would only take a week at the most to bring down Zane Gensou. But after only arriving less then a few hours ago, I had already stared straight into the striking face of my very enemy, the man I have been assigned to capture or kill, which ever came first.

Zane's purple eyes had seemed trustworthy, almost kind, and if I wasn't any the wiser, I would say he has done nothing wrong. He seems to be an honest thief, someone I could consider for an ally.

His aura was strange, almost disproportionate to his rank as a lower S class demon. It's almost too small for the stories about him. It almost reminds me of Daja's aura when she's fighting. Her aura shrinks and swells depending on the situation, but never releases it self. Except… except for that one time she was protecting us, when she refused to die… her aura didn't just expand, it had exploded, wiping out not only the life of her opponent, but destroying the stone structures around her, even the natural steep cliffs. It still amazes me every time I think about it.

But I can't think about that now… I'm on a case. I can't be distracted by anything… especially by her… I…. I won't…

"So, what do you guys want to do first? Check out the 'suites' upstairs, or raid the fridge? It's your call." Yusuke says good-naturedly leaning up against the ornate railing of the staircase. Zane and Reina left maybe five minutes ago, and now that the coast was clear, it was time to settle in to our temporary base.

"Dude, I don't like this at all." Kuwabara says darkly, clutching his bag for dear life, or if it was the last one in the realm. I can't really decide what it looks like more.

Before I know what I am doing, words are pouring out of my mouth. "You weakling. I bet you get that tickly feeling when you look in the mirror because your face baffles you." I remark, crossing my arms across my chest in a scorning matter. Kuwabara's face immediately falls, and he looks at the beautiful marble floor, a subtle tint of red visual on his face.

Something in my chest tightens for a second, but I force the feeling away and smirk evilly, my fangs protruding slightly onto my lips, and small, dark hair on the nape of my neck bristles and stands on end. The Jagan trying to open by tightening the muscles attached to the eyelids, but that is only a formality at this point.

"Knock it off, Hiei." Yusuke says threateningly, and he turns to go upstairs. "Come on Kuwabara, let's get first dibs on the rooms."

Kuwabara grabs his bag and starts up the stair somberly. What a weakling.After they both pick their own rooms, Kurama clears his throat. What an annoying habit. "Hiei, that was wrong and you know it."

I look up at the redhead. "Heh, what do you care, fox? Don't tell me you actually care for those Humans who call us teammates." Kurama's face darkens as I continue, lowering my voice to a threateningly quiet tone. "You know as well as I that the minute we lose favor with Koenma, they will lynch us."

Kurama sets his bags down angrily and is about to shout at me when his face suddenly becomes calm, but his turbulent green eyes give him away. "At least I know where I stand with them," is all he says before turning around and exited the suite, elevator doors closing behind him.

Damn it.

I wander into the kitchen aimlessly, and look out the windows near the dark wood table. The booming rain clouds pouring out torrents onto the city, obscuring light from the nearly full moon. The water splashes against the window heavily, as if trying to break it into pieces…

Daja…

I force her away from my thoughts… but…

Foreboding senses in my dreams tell me that something is going to happen soon, and it bothers me. It bothers me that I know that I won't be able to prevent what is going to happen. And it pulls at something in my chest… it feels… different…

What are these… these… feelings?

The rain continues to fall outside, oblivious to the thriving city nightlife below.


SatoriSama: Hey again. I've got some homework, so I must be quick. (FYI: Homework is why I usually don't update till Fridays, but thought, hey, I don't really want to do my homework tonight, so… yeah). Did you like it. I tried from Kuwa-kun's POV for the second time ever, so please tell me what you think. I tried to pick up on useless things Kuwabara might notice, like the keypad numbers. And Hiei, well… let's just say things are going to get interesting for him soon. (Smiles demonically). Anyway, hoped you liked it. Remember, hairspray is VERY flammable; trust me on this one, SatoriSama signing out.